Asheville, North Carolina; an artistic town rich in locally sourced dishes, diverse culture and wellness attractions. Browse Trip Advisor, and you’ll find an overwhelming list of spas to choose from. While most are pretty great, there are a few that are specifically fascinating because of their unique treatments, breathtaking architecture, or both.
A friend and colleague invited me to experience saltwater flotation in his Asheville program called Still Point Wellness. “Still Point” not only has a saltwater flotation tank but highly skilled massage therapists, which includes Esalen Massage, yoga therapy, massage workshops and a Somatic Psychologist. I had experienced a saltwater flotation tank session many years ago when visiting a yoga retreat center earlier in my career as an integrative internist and psychiatrist. My memory of it was pleasant and very relaxing. I was eager to give it another try, especially with my interest in integrative strategies for health and wellbeing.
Imagine yourself suspended, weightless, enveloped by quiet in a state of pure relaxation. That’s the promise of a salt-water flotation session at Still Point Wellness. Based on an ancient practice, this relaxing float uses 1,500 pounds of Epsom salts to cradle you in comfort. Sessions last 60, 90 or 120 minutes and are reputed to reduce stress and tension.
Still Point Wellness is located in the mountains of North Carolina, sheltered from much of the South in this little New Age Paradise where vegan restaurants and craft beer abound. We felt right at home pulling in from Portland. Corey, the owner of Still Point Wellness, started out in psychology, and he discovered floating at the Esalen Institute (the same place he discovered his wife).
Still Point Wellness in Asheville helps us close the door to outside interference and open the window to inner peace and self-awareness. “Deep relaxation and skill building are at the core of everything we do,” says Corey Costanzo, LMBT, somatic coach, and counselor. He co-owns the spa with his wife Robin Fann-Costanzo, LMBT, yoga therapist and teacher, and massage educator.
Most people visit the Asheville, North Carolina area to see the huge, sprawling, Biltmore Estate. We decided to do Asheville a bit differently than most by skipping this massive building of excess and instead visited a tiny little minimalist-like space; a six foot by eight foot salt water flotation chamber at what has to be the best Asheville spa – Still Point Wellness.
Let’s take a journey, shall we?
Outdoor excursions (specifically the “Ultimate Stairmaster”) call for some serious TLC. Spas are my ultimate “happy place” so when I stumbled upon Still Point Wellness I knew it was a mandatory stop during our trip. Still Point Wellness is more than your average spa – it is a centre for physical, mental and spiritual rejuvenation. Still Point Wellness offers a multitude of services including salt water flotation, world class Esalen® Massage, somatic psychology and private yoga therapy and meditation.
Within a few seconds of my first Esalen Massage, I felt relaxed. I’d gotten several different styles of massage in the past and knew how to breathe deeply and let go of any apparent tension. Little did I know, however, just how relaxed I would feel when the 75 minutes were over. Let’s just say—I had reached a whole new level of stillness.
Corey shares his journey from Avenue M in Brooklyn to travels all over the world. However it wasn’t until he worked through the adversity of panic attacks that he discovered his path as a healer. And it was while staring at the stars in the pit of adversity of Thailand that he discovered his life’s mantra.
See below for Dr. Cammarata’s four-week program – Mind-Body Wellness
Written by Dr. Larry Cammarata –
There is an ancient story from the Zen tradition about a young monk who was committed to seeking enlightenment. His master guided him to the edge of a meadow and said to him, “Walk deeper into the meadow and align your senses fully with your experience. What you first fully experience will be your door to enlightenment.”
Still Point Wellness
This healing arts spa will help you explore your inner experience and reconnect to the body's wisdom. Float in the state-of-the-art floatation chamber, be touched by masterful hands in an Esalen® Massage or cranial sacral session, and explore the connection between your mind and body through yoga therapy or asomatic (body) psychology session.
This was my first trip into a sensory deprivation chamber.
Insert your own lyrics from Jefferson Airplane here, or some lines from the Beatles about turning off your mind and floating downstream.
I’ve read about sensory deprivation for 20 years, and always wanted to experience it. But I never could find a floating tank close enough.
Then Still Point Wellness in Asheville, NC, built one.
The second I heard about it, I had to go.
“What an amazing experience to be alone in the dark for 90 minutes, floating weightlessly while deepening my inner awareness and releasing the things (body, mind and spirit) which have kept me tethered to the perception of lack and limitation. I shifted a lot of things and am still processing the rest….” (from Sandy Freschi’s Facebook page yesterday)
I’m in the process of gestating a creative project which requires me to go more deeply into my meditation practice and open up more to my creativity. The invitation to start this project prompted me to go on another inner retreat. It was time anyway, as I do them every 3-4 months. But this time I have the special purpose of deepening my meditation practice and accelerating my own inner transformation. So while investigating the options for doing this, a dear friend suggested the flotation tank at Still Point Wellness in Asheville, NC. I immediately “lit up” at the possibility (something that happens when you have a human design splenic authority which is telling you that this is a good decision). I made the appointment and went over yesterday for my first, of probably many, sensory deprivation flotation tank experiences.
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