One Woman Revival

Occasionally my compulsive stalking of local businesses pays off and I snatch up rare experiences such as the fundraising party at Alchemy Springs. I had never been to the self-described “urban sanctuary” before so I was worried that reality would fall short of the lush oasis I had imagined. But I was relieved to confirm that Alchemy has an enchanting aesthetic design as well as inspiring community centric ethos.

From the outside Alchemy looks like an empty store front waiting to be filled by a Good Vibrations or turned into a gym. But on entry, I was greeted by a cheerful receptionist who glided out from behind the table to give a quick overview of the facilities. There was a general changing area followed by a long corridor lined with textured paintings and tentacled pothos plants. A tea station dispenses a delightful cacao flavored tea which I would later sip while among steamy bodies mingling outside the sauna.  

I changed into my swimsuit, rinsed off at the row of outdoor showers and wrapped myself in a towel before entering the wood-paneled circular sauna. Inside there were raised wooden benches facing each other like seats in a Roman senate, an element which encourages the interpersonal connections that Alchemy Springs aims to cultivate. While I have been to other lovely saunas and spas around SF, most encourage a solitary introspection as a prerequisite for relaxation. But Alchemy Springs is unique in that sauna goers chatted with each other on topics ranging from the quotidian (have you been here before?) to the quintessential SF (tech bros comparing resolution on their desktops) to the quirky (debating existence of telepathy in dogs). It is possible that the fundraising party element did make the event more social but at least one volunteer I spoke with highlighted that she kept coming back to Alchemy Springs because of the amazing conversations. 

Towards the end of the evening, we all huddled around outside in the crisp air to hear Anne Cannady, founder of Alchemy Springs share the 7-year journey in getting this wellness center off the ground. Her efforts have finally reached fruition and a completed version of Alchemy Springs will be open this summer. Right now, there is only the circular sauna outside and two cold plunge pools but funds have been raised to add heated pools as well as interior saunas. In addition, a Kickstarter has recently gone live to build a “plant-filled solarium”. Yes, it’s a greenhouse but solarium is much more Alchemy-like. Perhaps the only criticism of this innovative space would be that they are trying too hard. But personally, and maybe that’s just me, I prefer that to not trying hard enough.