The start of a new year has a different meaning depending on who you ask. To some, it means a time to embark on new challenges. To others, it is just another revolution around the sun. I believe that a new year is a great time to center oneself and define goals and aspirations for the next twelve months. This can comprise a lot of things, but one thing that is often overlooked is self-care. To explore this a bit more, I took a trip to the wellness center at Eaton Hotel in DC.
The Eaton Hotel has been a center for arts and culture in DC since its opening. From their Wild Days rooftop bar to the shared workspaces at Eaton House, creatives in the city have made Eaton their home. It should not be surprising that the Hotel has a state-of-the-art wellness center.
From the moment you walk into the space, the long hallway and calming music prepare you for a therapeutic experience. There is a large studio space that is used for sound baths, yoga classes, and much more. A sound bath is mind healing process during which people use singing bowls to create resonant sounds, a sort of musical meditation.
Further down the hallway is the meditation room. Inspired by Joshua Tree and vintage Hong Kong interior design, it is simply a space for people to meditate and collect their thoughts. Plenty of people come to the hotel on work trips, and this space is often their way to breathe and relax. It is also often used as a prayer room for many people.
One of the most popular features is the infrared saunas. They are very similar to traditional saunas, the main difference being that the heat comes from invisible infrared rays. Nothing inside the sauna is hot to the touch. The sauna is incredibly useful for detoxing and refreshing your immune system.
The treatment room is where guests can enjoy massages, Reiki energy healing, and Marma therapy. This is where most one-on-one appointments take place. It is also known as the crystal room because of all the healing crystals carefully placed around it.
The whole space is thoughtfully crafted to ensure a calm and welcoming aura. During my visit, I was able to speak with Wellness Agent Galila Daniel, one of the people that help keep the place running.
I asked her a few questions about the space and what self-care means to her.
WIB: Why are self-care and wellness important to you?
GD: When you live in a world where there are so many factors working against your progress depending on how you look or how things have been established, you have to take matters into your own hands. This made me realize that in addition to holistic wellness [what I consume], the space I’m in, my actions, and my words are a part of it. It is a practice that you have to constantly engage in. It is a way of life.
Wellness [of mind, spirit, and body] is being in a constant state of transcendence by maintaining balance and enhancing my day-to-day with mindfulness. requires a lot of unlearning and reimagining. the maintenance of wellness habits is always organic and heavy on reflection, intention, and alignment.
WIB: Why do you think these things are often overlooked?
GD: A lot of times, wellness has been associated with something that is not attainable, like a luxury that is not necessary. People don’t see the point of getting a massage aside from being pampered, even though it is rooted in centuries of healing practices in black and brown communities across the world. These are things that benefit people’s health and have been proven to improve mental and physical wellness. When you look at it as a luxury rather than an integral part of life, it creates a distance. We also live in a society that tells you that taking care of yourself is an afterthought, and a lot of people can’t justify the need to spend money on something that we’ve been told is unnecessary.
WIB: What does a self-care day look like to you?
GD: It usually just involves doing nothing and not feeling like I have to be doing something. As simple as laying in bed and watching movies for as long as I want without caring about what is happening outside of my house.
