When it comes to tours, Asheville is loaded with them. There are tours for eating and drinking, historic walks, comedy bus tours and river rafting events. But this spring saw the launch of something new — the Asheville Wellness Tour. A collaboration between three local businesses, the Asheville Therapeutic Salt Cave, Traveling Yogini and Wake Foot Sanctuary, the Asheville Wellness Tour provides participants with a sampler of wellness services throughout the city.
“We all have unique businesses, and the tour can really be a beautiful experience for people looking for wellness in Asheville,” says Jodie Appel, co-owner of the Asheville Therapeutic Salt Cave. “It’s great for when family and friends are visiting. They can do a lot in a short amount of time. It’s all put together for them.”
The Wellness Tour begins at the salt cave, where guests relax in a room composed from floor to ceiling of Polish salt. Two trickling waterfall fountains fill the air with a salt-infused negative ions. Soft pink salt lamps add to the soothing ambiance along with calming music. Salt cave therapy is not only relaxing, it also has been known to be very beneficial for the immune system, treat numerous respiratory ailments, skin issues, arthritis, migraines, depression and more.
After the Salt Cave session, Cameron Gunter of the Traveling Yogini yoga tours, greets and leads guests through the yoga portion of the tour. This includes a walk through the heart of Asheville with Gunter pointing out local attractions and historical facts. Then she leads a 15-minute yoga session accessible to all levels of experience in Pritchard Park. On rainy days, the yoga session is held in the Salt Cave. “Our motto here is Culture, Community, and Connection,” Gunter writes on her website. “We want travelers to discover the beauty within while discovering the beauty all around.”
The tour’s last stop is Wake Foot Sanctuary, where guests settle into comfy couches and soak their feet in warm, herbal aromatic baths. A warmed lavender pack is placed around your neck while attendants serve you tea.
“Our goal at Wake is to provide a short bit of respite for weary travelers, stressed-out businessmen and women or an Asheville regular who finds some solace in our sanctuary,” says Wake’s owner, Melissa Long. “It’s because we love to make people happy. It’s just really that simple.”
The tours accommodate between 3 to 8 people, and tour participants also receive 10 percent discount coupons for some of the local eating establishments, including Dobra Tea House, Laughing Seed Cafe and 7 Juice bar.
The two-hour Wellness Tour costs $90 and operates twice a week: Monday, 3-5 p.m. and Friday, 10 a.m.-noon. For reservations, contact the Asheville Salt Cave at 828-236-5999. For more information, visit the Travelling Yogini Yoga Tours website.
Travelling Yogini Yoga Tours recently released the video below, which offers a glimpse into the yoga portion of the Wellness Tour:
Travelling Yogini from Picturesque Films on Vimeo.
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