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Opening the door to Hoame feels like stepping into your gorgeously designed future living room. Toronto’s brand new hub for meditation and mindfulness in the city’s downtown core is an unparalleled wellness getaway space. The space is entirely dedicated to the health and happiness of your mind.
The space
The light-filled space exudes both warmth and serenity with a central two-sided fireplace, comfy couches and chairs, and a hydration station with a variety of options from charcoal lemonade to still or sparkling water to herbal tea.
Two hanging basket chairs are the perfect place to curl up post-session with your tea. The wall behind says: live life lighter. They also have a boutique shop full of giftable items like air plants in beautiful containers, comfy loungewear, packets of the tea they serve, and even the (insanely comfy) round cushions they use in meditation sessions.
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Wellness classes
Hoame offers a variety of different meditation classes in two different studios, one light and one dark.
The light studio is white, bright and uplifting. It has a living green wall and greenery spilling from an oval opening in the ceiling that makes you feel like you’re sitting inside a ceynote. The dark studio has a dark black interior and a twinkling starry light ceiling. Very dim recessed lighting is turned off during meditation sessions.
One of my favorites is the 60-minute dark class. It combines meditation with gentle movements and poses to help extend and deepen your practice. Guided visualizations use the starry ceiling light. The darkness of the room really helps reduce distraction and focus your attention inward. It’s a great class for beginners (or try the 30-minute version) and meditation gurus alike.
Let’s be honest: many wellness studios tend to be mostly populated by women. One thing I really loved about the Hoame class I attended was the mix of both men and women. It was about 50-50. It’s also great to see people with a lot of experience practicing beside those with very little. Hoame feels open, non-judgmental and welcoming to everyone.
Salt cave
The salt cave comprises over 6 tons of imported Himalayan pink crystal salt. This is one of the coolest spots to come in the city for a much-needed midday nap. You can also catch up on a good read or simply switch off the craziness of the world for an hour.
Plop down on a giant beanbag cushion, put on the noise-canceling headphones provided, and dig your toes into the salt granules beneath your feet. Warm-hued salt lamps give the cave an atmospheric orange glow. A mixture of salt tiles and giant crystals really make you feel like you’re underground. The feeling is complete with the sound of subterranean water droplets and echoes from your headphones.
The salt cave achieves a great sensory immersion experience. Its intimate size means it can only fit up to 4 people, which keeps it feeling like a calm and quiet escape.
Infrared sauna
We all love wet and dry saunas, but what about an infrared sauna? The one at Hoame uses visible and non-visible light wavelengths. They naturally heat the body without the dangers of solar radiation. Mood lighting and soothing music help to create a calming atmosphere. Warm wood, deck chairs, and beach towels help to make the space feel like a tropical wellness getaway.
Mental health is becoming increasingly de-stigmatized. We’re realizing just how important it is to cultivate a healthy mind along with a healthy body. Having an entire hub in Toronto’s downtown core entirely dedicated to meditation and mindfulness feels like a much-needed step forward in this movement.
What’s your favorite wellness getaway experience? Let us know in the comments below! Don’t forget to tag #ITravelWell to join a thriving community of healthy travelers sharing their tips and finds for traveling well.
