Overview
If this community wave of Omicron has you seeking out a little immune system boost, or you're just keen to take an hour of your day to de-stress, Slöwe Studio is the new North Shore therapy space built with the goal of helping you find some chill (and then sweat, then chill again — and repeat).
With the tagline "a place to slow down" this new spa-like spot on Northcroft Street has combined the body benefits of ice baths and infrared saunas to offer hot and cold immersion therapy, touting perks like detoxification, weight loss, muscle and joint recovery and immune-boosting.
In a typical 75-minute 'sweat + chill' session, you'll arrive in the calming reception area where you'll enjoy filtered water or herbal tea and be taken through an in-depth introduction to the space and your treatment. You'll then head to a treatment room to shower off any skincare or deodorant, before heading into the sauna to relax. It's up to you how you spend that time — you might want to meditate, do some stretching, or just listen to your own tunes using the inbuilt tablet. Then it's time to mentally prepare yourself: after showering off, it's time to jump into the adjoining ice bath which is set at a cool 5-11 degrees celsius. The experts recommend taking some deep breaths as you get in and you can use the stopwatch provided to time yourself — don't worry if you can't hack it for too long as a beginner. Then rinse and repeat the process throughout your session — just make sure you finish off in the sauna to warm up.
While it might sound a little new-age, Slöwe's offering isn't actually a new concept. Contrast bath therapy, or immersion therapy, is the treatment of exposing the body to a contrast of temperatures to trigger vasodilatation (which occurs in the heat) and vasoconstriction (which occurs in the cold) and has been used by high-performance athletes and health seekers for years. But now Auckland's average Joe can enjoy the experience in a slightly more luxe space — think Aotea skincare in the showers and soft linens in the reception area.
If submerging yourself in icy cold water isn't your idea of a good time, honestly, fair enough. You can also book in for a simple sweat session and spend 60 minutes lounging in one of Slöwe's infrared saunas. This might just be the spot where you choose to repent for the sins of a big weekend: infrared saunas typically offer the ability for a longer sweat and therefore a deeper detox compared to regular steam sauna therapy. Slöwe claims that an infrared session can help your body shed up to 20 percent of toxins, compared to just three percent shed in a typical steam sauna.
If you're really passionate about the experience, there are also monthly membership options so you can book yourself in weekly — and bring a friend along for free.
It's another option added to Auckland's ever-growing wellness sector, following in the footsteps of popular therapy space Hana which opened in Grey Lynn's Westmoreland precinct back in 2020. But if you live on the North Shore we'd recommend giving Slöwe a try — no point undoing all that good zen-ning by sitting in traffic on the Harbour Bridge after work.
Slöwe studio is open now and can be found at 8 Northcroft Street, Takapuna, Auckland. For more information on immersion therapy or to make a booking, head to their website.