23 Nov 2015
Naturopathica opens ‘urban destination for 21st century wellness’ in NYC
BY Jane Kitchen
Naturopathica is opening a Healing Arts Center & Spa in New York City’s Chelsea neighbourhood, with a six-treatment room spa, Remedy Bar, Vitality Bar, and a Sensory and Meditation Lounge. The centre aims to empower personal transformation and encourage a holistic approach to well-being through time-tested traditions, remedies and rituals.
Naturopathica Chelsea is the second Healing Arts Center & Spa for the brand; founder and product architect Barbara Close has operated a wellness destination in East Hampton, New York, for 20 years. The Chelsea location, described as the “urban, modern evolution” of the Healing Arts Center & Spa, offers a 360-degree personalised treatment experience with a focus on urban living.
The full range of Naturopathica products is available at the Chelsea location, along with a signature collection only available at Naturopathica Healing Arts Centers & Spas.
“Naturopathica is an urban destination dedicated to 21st century wellness,” said Close. “Our goal is to encourage individuals to make wellness part of their everyday life and to experience the pleasure of healthy living. In a city like New York, where everyone is in constant motion, I wanted to create a place where people can slow down, relax and experience the healing arts, as well as learn how to integrate healing rituals and remedies into their daily routines.”
Unique to the centre is the Remedy Bar, a herbal dispensary featuring hand-selected, loose-leaf teas; botanical bulk herbs; tinctures and essential oils. It is designed as a place for people to discover the benefits of traditional rituals for healing the mind and body.
"People are really hungry for this information," said Close. "Everyone's dealing with too much stress."
The centre also offers therapeutic massage and holistic facial treatments, inspired by Close’s passion for self-care and wellbeing, which feature therapeutic oils with kava kava root, lobelia and cramp bark to target the needs of urbanites. Treatments will target muscle and joint health, stress relief, natural immunity and adrenal fatigue, women’s wellness and skin health.
The Vitality Bar features house-made herbal tonics, elixirs, teas, cold-pressed juices and kombucha on tap, as well as healthy grab-and-go snacks made with locally-sourced ingredients.
A Sensory and Meditation Lounge offers guests a visionary experience where they can re-boot, refocus the mind, and reconnect.
"It's a place where you can come in and discover your path to healing," said Close. "...It's somewhere you keep coming back to to renew and refresh."
Therapists can customise different oils for each session based on the client's needs, mixing them up in the treatment rooms.
"It's kind of a mad-chemist-alchemy moment," said Close.
After each treatment, guests are brought to a consult space, where the therapist gives them exercises or other tools to take home as remedies.
Spa consultant Amy McDonald of Under a Tree Health & Wellness Consulting worked with Close on the project.
Close said the Chelsea location will help her test the concept and work out the details, but ultimately her goal is to open more flagship healing arts centres in major urban areas across the US.
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