Our hammam, which is in essence an elegant steam room adorned with vibrant colors, copper basins, and handcrafted tile mosaics, offers both a mental and a physical experience.
The cleansing rituals of the hammam are rejuvenating and luxurious. While in session we invite guests to think about letting go, shedding unhealthy habits or self talk, and cleansing anything unwanted away to make room for what might better support you. You will leave feeling calm, silky soft, and highly relaxed.
We ask you to bring a bathing suit, towel, water shoes (if you have a pair, if not we have a pair for you) and some loose comfortable lightweight clothing to relax in after your session. We will provide you with a traditional Turkish towel to use during your session, when seated or laying on the tables.
Once entering the room you will find your seat on a warmed bench next to one of the copper basins and begin to fill warm water into the basin and proceed to gently pour the warm water over you body with a smaller bowl, beginning to let go of any tension and thoughts of the day. This will cleanse and soften the skin, preparing it for exfoliation.
You may also find it relaxing to stretch out on one of the heated tables. This will begin to loosen your muscles and settle the mind in for this worldly experience. We invite you to set an intention of “What are you able to let go of?” “Can you surrender a little more into this moment?”
You will then use a traditional kese mitt (exfoliating glove) and proceed to exfoliate the skin in the direction of blood flow towards your heart. This helps to move lymph and the cleanses the blood, while removing dead dry skin. We invite you do this with some vigor as to release the dead skin cells, and deeply exfoliate your skin. Our largest organ is our skin and we tend to cover most of it with our favorite lotion and other body care products. Environmental residue, detergents, and numerous other invisible toxins build up on the skin over time. The hammam is a place to deeply cleans the outer most layer of our physical body. We have some luxurious soaps and cleansing salt products for you to use during your service to enhance the treatment. We recommend switching to cooler water to if you become to warm at any point during the service. Finishing with a cold pour is a great immune boost to the system as well.
Be sure to stay hydrated throughout your session with cold water from one of our copper pitchers. Copper is an essential trace mineral that is vital to human health. In trace amounts, it has antimicrobial, antioxidant, and anti-inflammatory properties and helps neutralize toxins.
Besides being nurturing experience, there are many medical benefits to using a hammam.
The medicinal benefits of hammam date back to around 200 BC. These types of services stimulate your immune system by increasing antibody production and relieving aches, pains and stiffness in joints and muscles. It detoxifies the body and can reduce cellulite by pulling toxins from the fat cells of your body.
There is a beauty in communal bathing, that seems lost in our American culture.
In the US, showering has become primarily a functional action, simply to clean one’s own private body in the fastest and most efficient way possible, often while using numerous chemical laden “beauty” products. Bathhouses have been traditionally used in many communities around the world to connect with friends and neighbors. They served as community centers, places to share conversation, connect with one another, to mediate, and to center yourself. We invite you come experience this beautiful, mindful, traditional way of deeply cleansing.
We offer a comfortable lounging area just upstairs from the hammam, for you to relax and hydrate after you session and enjoy the feeling of slowly coming back to yourself as your body temperature begins to come down.
There are just a few folks whom would not benefit from a Hammam, due to the use of high temperatures. These temperatures could harm people who are elderly, have diabetes or heart disease, as well as those with irregular blood pressure.
PLEASE DO NOT SCHEDULE IF YOU HAVE ANY OF THESE CONTRAINDICATIONS:
Severe inflammatory processes in the internal organs; heart diseases (infarction), cancerous diseases, severe kidney diseases, auditory and visual system diseases, severe diseases of the respiratory organs, infectious diseases, pregnancy, varicosity, fever or thyroid disorders
Children under the age of 16 may also react poorly to the higher heat.
If you’re concerned, please feel free to reach out to us with questions or ask your doctor.
We invite you come come experience this deeply purifying and relaxing session.