January 29, 2015

The Still Point at Haven on the Lake Spa Afternoon

When I received an email with an invitation to tour and experience the newly opened The Still Point at Haven on the Lake in Columbia, MD I was excited.  Relaxing at a spa sounded like the perfect way to chill last Sunday afternoon.  

the-still-point-haven-on-the-lake

Columbia is around a 30 minute drive outside of the city and Haven on the Lake is conveniently located near the mall and below a new Whole Foods. Yes, fresh food and drinks from Whole Foods are actually delivered to Haven on the Lake so you don't have to bring your own lunch! 

Since it's nestled right in the middle of things, I was surprised at how relaxing and calm the environment was from the minute I walked in.  There was something about the huge space, open layout, and their signature scent in the air that made me right at ease.  

When you walk in The Still Point is on the left and the on the right are the studios and pool and therapy areas.  

haven-on-the-lake-lobby

The Still Point offers a large selection of wellness services including acupuncture, massage, holistic skin care, body treatments, natural nail care, and nutrition coaching. The spa looked pristine and was well-staffed.   

The first part of the afternoon was a tour of Haven on the Lake itself.  It has a huge pool area which includes a hot tub, relaxation pool, cold plunge pool, sauna, and steam bath.  All the areas looked stunning, and I was absolutely regretting not bringing my bathing suit to sneak in a dip! 

Two of the most interesting things available are the tropical rain shower and the Crystal Salt Room.  Apparently the Crystal Salt Room is used as alternative medicine for common ailments and skin conditions and is surprisingly the most-booked area at Haven on the Lake! 

haven-on-the-lake-spa-whirlpool1
Yes, I;m talking gorgeous pools like this.  
Haven on the Lake also offers meditation and relaxation lounges, childcare services and a plethora of Mind Body classes including barre, aqua pilates,and yoga. 

I chose to try out the Yoga Wall class instead of the barre class. The studio literally is right on the lake and provides a beautiful, peaceful environment to practice in. .They even have an terrace for outside classes when the weather warms up.


haven-on-the-lake-yoga-wall1

  Yoga Wall literally uses straps attached to a wall to assist and extend traditional yoga postures.  The wall straps can be removed to different height slots on the wall and the slack on the strap loops can also be adjusted.  

It wasn't a full class but more of an exploration of it, which was slightly disappointing-I'd love to come back for a full class though. It was amazing how using the straps took a lot of pressure off of limbs because it added support but also allowed  me to focus more on deepening the poses without feeling unstable especially in poses like Warrior 2. 

haven-on-the-lake-yoga-wall2

We even tried an inverted pose with the strap and the belt by walking our feet up the wall, hanging upside down, and having our feet in bound angle. It was so much fun! 

The last part of the mini spa afternoon allowed me to try some express services offered by The Still Point including a hand scrub and ear acupuncture. All of the spa treatment rooms had pretty artwork, candles glowing, low lighting, and relaxing scents. 

the-still-point-haven-on-the-lake-spa1the-still-point-haven-on-the-lake-spa2

 As an introduction to acupuncture, the acupuncturist Susanne placed these small seeds from a Vaccaria plant on points on my ear that are held in place with adhesive tape and supposed to bring me balance & healing. It was super strange sounding until she explained that the ear is sometimes called an upside-down baby with points on it that correlate to other places on the body, which is why it's like mini acupuncture According to this article I found auricular (ear) therapy has many uses and is used often holistically.  

the-still-point-ear-seeds1
Those little black dots in my ear are the seeds. 
I've pretty much been walking around with "something in my ear" for a couple of days now.  

I also tasted some olive oils and balsamic vinegars from a nearby shop called Secolari.  My favorite was a pomegranate balsamic, and I can't wait to go use the gift voucher they gave me to pick some up.

columbia-secolari-vinegar-oils

I also tried some of these delicious healthier peanut butter treats from the Certified Health Coach Erin Nelson. I was so in love (I mean it does contain my two favorite things-peanut butter and chocolate) that I'll be whipping up a batch this weekend and posting the recipe for you on the blog next week

the-still-point-peanut-butter-treats


Check out The Still Point's Valentine's Day special for chocolate sweetheart facials. You can find out the monthly membership and class package rates for Haven on the Lake here-it makes a great gift (even a gift to yourself!). I highly recommend checking out Haven on the Lake and The Still Point if you are in need of some relaxation and wellness-it's the perfect escape from the city! 

haven-on-the-lake-columbia-outside

Have you ever spent a day at a spa? What is your favorite way to relax?

30 comments:

  1. This looks truly amazing and I wish I lived closer so I could take full advantage of it! In fact, my best friend and I are currently planning our spa overnight for early summer. I'm feeling more relaxed already...

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  2. This sounds amazing! I am so overdue for a spa day. I have never heard of the Crystal salt room. I bet that is lovely. My skin is so dry. -L

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  3. I don't even like peanut butter and those peanut butter treats were delicious!
    I wish that Yoga Wall had been a full class too. The little bit that we got to do definitely piqued my interest! Definitely making the drive again soon!

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  4. Wow. this looks and sounds absolutely amazing!! I may have to go check it out sometime! Thanks for sharing!

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  5. this looks so heavenly! my last visit home to Toronto my best friend surprised me with a trip to the spa. it was such an extravagant day.

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  6. Hey there--I was there, too! And were we in the yoga wall class together? Loved Haven and I intend to indulge there as much as possible!

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    Replies
    1. I know I read online after the fact that you were going! Clearly I only recognize people by their social media nicknames and not their faces. And after re-checking your blog, yep we were in the same yoga wall class, haha. We definitely need to meet in person sometime when I'm less oblivious!

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  7. That sounds awesome! I had a spa weekend with my mom and sis last year for our birthdays and it was really nice. :)

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  8. I saw Salts review on this and almost died. This place looks AMAZING!!

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  9. That pool?! OMG- looks heavenly

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    Now I really feel the need for a massage!!

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