[Melbourne Beauty Diary] In the season when you miss bath time, visit "Sense of Self", a healing space for adults
- madoka natsume
- 12 hours ago
- 3 min read
As autumn deepens in Melbourne, what we start to miss most is a bath.
In Melbourne, the number of days when the temperature drops below 10 degrees in the mornings and evenings is increasing, and autumn is well underway. When this happens, it makes me yearn for Japanese bath culture.
The apartment I live in doesn't have a bathtub, so I've been living with just showers. At first, I thought I'd get used to it, but in fact, far from getting used to it, I can't wait to take a bath.
When I was in Japan, I liked to just drive to a nearby hot spring for a day trip. The moment I soaked in the bathtub, the feeling of not only my body but also my mind slowly relaxing seems like a fantasy now...
Living abroad without a bathtub: The perfect relaxation spot found in Melbourne
I really wanted to go to a day spa, so I searched for a place in Melbourne where I could have a "hot spring"-like experience, and that's when I came across Sense of Self.
Located in Melbourne's popular cultural area, Collingwood, Sense of Self is a wellness day spa featuring saunas, mineral baths, and hummus (Turkish steam baths).
As soon as you step inside the facility, you'll find yourself enveloped in a space of refined tranquility and gentle light. It feels like a "sanctuary for adults" for meditation in the city.
"Quietness" is the key. Wellness time to revitalize your mind and body
I visited on a weekday morning. In fact, there is a rule that no talking is allowed during this time (It is called Quiet Morning, and it is from 7:00 to 12:00. It is a time to listen to the sound of trickling water.) Everyone was quiet, and even in the mineral baths and saunas, it seemed as if each person was meditating.
The style is to wear swimsuits, so there is no naked socializing like in Japanese hot springs. Rather, the experience of "just quietly getting myself ready without worrying about what other people think" was refreshing.
The temperature of the mineral bath is not too hot, at 39 degrees, and it warms the body gently. As I slowly immersed myself in the water, I felt the tension in my head begin to ease.
A gender-free healing space. A place where you can reset as an individual.
Another appealing feature of Sense of Self is that it is gender-free and open to everyone. All users wear stylish swimsuits and enjoy their time here.
Although the culture is different from Japanese hot springs where you bathe naked, I felt that it was actually more relaxing in the sense that it was a space where you could simply quietly reflect on yourself as a human being.
Now open in Sydney! Reasons why you'll want to visit once or twice a month
Finding a place that makes you want to come back is a very valuable experience when living abroad. Sense of Self was exactly that kind of place for me.
"Once a month might not be enough. I want to go twice a month," I'm thinking. Recently, I heard they opened a store in Sydney, so I'd like to go there before I return to Japan.
Choosing a Sense of Self when you miss bath time while living abroad
I've come to realize that living in a country without a bathing culture means it's much harder than I thought to find time to relax.
Sense of Self is not a hot spring like the ones in Japan, but it is a place that will envelop you in tranquility and warmth. If you are in Melbourne and want to reset your mind and body, be sure to visit.
Sense of Self
Address : 30–32 Easey Street, Collingwood, VIC 3066, Australia
Phone number : 03 9917 5412
Homepage : Sense Of Self
Opening times
Monday : 10:00-21:45
Tuesday to Sunday : 7:00 to 21:45
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