Spring is the season of renewal, the time we clean our homes, plant our gardens, and watch nature come to life.
But an annual refresh isn’t just for the world around us. Spring is also an ideal time to revitalize our interior lives by reenergizing the mind, body, and spirit.
From the Nordic cycle to moxibustion, these six rejuvenating wellness practices in San Francisco will help you feel cleansed, balanced, and ready for the season ahead.
Reinvigorate with the Nordic cycle at Alchemy Springs.(Courtesy of @alchemy_springs)
Reinvigorate with the Nordic cycle.
For centuries, northern Europeans have understood the power of the Nordic Cycle, a restorative ritual that alternates heat and cold to switch the body’s parasympathetic system (the rest and digest system) into high gear. It’s a method for which Alchemy Springs goes all in at their new healing garden in Lower Nob Hill, offering 120-minute sauna and cold plunge sessions several days and evenings a week. Designed by an award-winning architect, their oasis has a 40-person sauna, thermal benches, immersive sound, and a fire pit, as well as massage practitioners and meditation and movement classes. // 939 Post St. (Lower Nob Hill), alcheymysprings.com
Ease anxiety with a traditional Chinese technique.
Most wellness seekers probably already know that traditional Chinese acupuncture can relieve pain, improve circulation, ease anxiety, and decrease insomnia. But there’s a complementary technique that’s received far less attention. In moxibustion, burning mugwort is placed in the same locations as the needles in acupuncture to deeply penetrate muscles and tissue with heat and enhance immune responses. Find a trained practitioner at Alchemy Acupuncture, where they use moxibustion for balanced health and wellness. // 1801 Bush St. (Pac Heights), alchemyacupuncture.org
The otherworldly sound baths at Grace Cathedral(Courtesy of @gracecathedral)
Bathe in healing sound.
There are several sound baths around the city, those transportative plunges into the primal music and rhythm of higher consciousness. But there’s only one place where your body can experience transcendence as potent as the one marinating your mind. Each month at Grace Cathedral, four artists bring their traditional instruments and singing bowls to the cavernous church, filling the space with a deep sense of calm. If you can’t sync with Grace’s schedule, check out the Sound Healing Project, which hosts events at a number of different facilities in and around town. // 1100 California St. (Nob Hill), gracecathedral.org
Infuse nutrients with IV vitamin therapy.
We know, we know, needles aren’t for everyone. But if the idea of an IV bag draining into your arm doesn't make you squirm, it can actually be a potent force for boosting wellness. Vitamin or nutrient drips are therapeutic cocktails tailored to a variety of wants and needs, from healthy aging and longevity to recovering after illness or maintaining a strong immune system. It’s a simple process, really. A registered nurse sits you back in a comfy chair, inserts the needle, then plies you with snacks as you’re slowly hydrated from the inside out. Needle curious? Try the doctor-formulated treatment at B12 Love (2086 Union St., Cow Hollow) or get a mobile clinic like The Cure IV to come straight to you.
Leave the chaos of the world behind at Reboot Spa.(Courtesy of @rebootspa)
Do a next-level digital detox with sensory deprivation.
Every decade or so, sensory deprivation rejoins the cultural conversation. The practice, which usually involves an hour floating inside the total darkness of a water-filled tank, is said to reduce anxiety, increase productivity, and improve sleep by separating you completely from the chaos of the world. It’s kind of like Stranger Things without the demogorgons—and something tells us it’s about to make a serious comeback. Get ahead of the curve at Reboot Float & Cryo Spa, which has two locations in SF and one in Oakland. // 810 Valencia St. (Mission) and 1912 Lombard St. (Marina), rebootfloatspa.com
Soak up nature Japanese-style with Shirin-yoku.
What do you get when you combine meditation and hiking? Shinrin-yoku, the Japanese approach to mindfulness we Americans call forest bathing. The practice is all about disconnecting from the intensely distracting digital world and reconnecting not just with nature, but with ourselves. There’s even good science to back up the idea. In one study, forest bathing caused a 12.4 percent decrease in cortisol levels, a five to seven percent decrease in heart rate, and even a slight decrease in blood pressure. Learn more about the mindful, nature-based technique at Gardens of Golden Gate’s guided forest bathing workshops in the SF Botanical Gardens and cultivate a deeper sense of calm. // 1199 9th Ave. (Golden Gate Park), gggp.org
The SF Botanical Gardens are a beautiful space for Shirin-yoku.(Courtesy of GGGP)
