Indulge in the Ultimate Wellness Escape in New York: The Othership
Welcome to the Wellness Center Othership in New York City. Among the top wellness centers in New York City the Othership has become an oasis for the wellness community. The Flatiron location has become one of the city’s most talked wellness destinations. The Backstory You’ll Hear in the Tea Lounge Othership started in a Toronto backyard during lockdown. Co-founder Robbie Bent (a former crypto trader who got sober and obsessed with cold exposure) built a DIY sauna for friends. What began as illegal pop-up parties turned into two packed Toronto locations. Bent teamed up with four other co-founders (experts in longevity, mental health, hospitality, and breathwork) and spent months studying Russian banyas, Finnish saunas, and Japanese onsen before opening their first official space in 2022. Fast-forward to July 2024: New York got its turn, with a second Brooklyn outpost already open since September 2025. The Space That Feels Like Another Planet Walk downstairs and you’re in a 7,000-square-foot cedar-scented universe. River-stone floors, brick arches, handmade wool curtains, and mood lighting that shifts from magma-red to glacier-blue. The centerpiece is one of North America’s largest performance saunas (up to 100 seats, amphitheater style). There are eight private ice baths kept at a bracing 32-40°F, non-gendered locker rooms, rainfall showers, and a fireplace-lit tea lounge that smells like cardamom and pine. What Actually Happens in a 75-Minute Class You check your phone at the door (mandatory, glorious). A Guide (think yoga teacher meets rave conductor) leads you and up to 99 other people through timed circuits: 15–20 minutes in the sauna (up to 185°F), 1-3 minutes in the ice. Repeat 3–4 times. Between rounds there’s towel-waving choreography, essential-oil steam bursts, gongs, breathwork, and occasional group screams. Classes are themed: “Up” for energy, “Down” for surrender, “All Around” for emotional release, or “Free Flow” for first-timers who want extra coaching. The Science in One Sentence Alternating extreme heat and extreme cold spikes norepinephrine, boosts dopamine by up to 250%, lowers inflammation, and trains your vagus nerve. People leave reporting better sleep, less anxiety, and random bursts of euphoria for the rest of the day. The Vibe Check It’s communal concept brings people together. You can stay silent the whole time or end up swapping life stories over ginger tea afterward; both are normal. Swimsuits only, earplugs provided, no photos allowed. Think Burning Man recovery tent meets Scandinavian spa meets group therapy (minus the talking in the actual sauna). The Williamsburg Sequel Brooklyn folks, rejoice. The second NYC location opened in September 2025 at 25 Kent Ave with an even larger 100-person sauna and waterfront views that make the post-plunge tea feel extra dreamy. Othership isn’t here to sell you enlightenment in a robe. It’s just a very beautiful space, to bring people together to experience wellness together.