fter spending four transformative hours at the Urban Sweat experience at Raffa Life, a spa in Cranston billed as New England’s only active relaxation center, I stepped into the cold winter air deeply relaxed and calmly energized – and that feeling lingered long after the heat of the saunas faded from my skin.
Urban Sweat offers guests a journey through six unique saunas and steam rooms, each inspired by ancient healing traditions. The heated spaces are intended to detoxify the body, release impurities, and melt away stress. One room is piled with detoxifying charcoal, while another is filled with the earthy, slightly sweet aroma from the turmeric strung across the walls. My favorite was the salt grotto that invites patrons to recline on a layer of Himalayan sea salt as if it were sand on a beach. Layered into the experience is the facility’s strict whisper policy, which creates an environment that leaves plenty of space for introspection and meditation. Time slipped away as I cycled from the steam room to sauna to plunge pool and back again.
The popularity of Raffa Life and other alternative wellness centers that are popping up in the area proves that people are seeking paths to health that supplement trips to the doctor’s office. Local healers are ready and willing to cater to those needs.
Whole Health
Nearly 20 years ago, Toni-Ann Laprade was given six months to live. She had kidney cancer and although her kidney was removed, the cancer made its way into her lymphatic system. Eventually her other kidney began showing signs of cancer, and her doctors said there was nothing more they could do for her. Facing death, she called a friend who introduced her to a holistic health coach and after working with him on a treatment plan for a year, her remaining kidney regained about 80 percent of its function. After that experience, Laprade, who had been a certified nursing assistant for 20 years, ventured away from Western medicine and
began to offer holistic therapies herself with a collaborative of practitioners. Her practice, Above All Holistic Health and Wellness, has been in operation for 10 years.
“In holistic health, more than one modality gets you to wellness,” explains Laprade. “You have to focus on mind, body, and spirit.” Her practice reflects this philosophy, offering a variety of services, including hypnosis, Reiki, massage therapy, acupuncture, holistic health coaching, and nutrition classes. There’s even a community room for yoga sessions and workshops, which acts as a hub for healing and connection.
People who seek treatment through the collaborative commit to a six- or 12-week package developed jointly with Laprade. Clients start their journey with a consultation, in which Laprade takes the time to connect the dots between symptoms – such as poor sleep and unhealthy eating habits – to uncover underlying patterns. “I’ve found that if you shift one thing for a client, many things shift as the body rebalances,” Laprade says. But she emphasizes that healing requires more than physical changes. “You won’t develop a self-care plan unless you have self-love, and you won’t follow through with that plan unless you choose to be responsible to yourself. Ultimately, you’ll never be satisfied with the outcome unless you embrace self-acceptance.” It’s this holistic approach – mind, body, and spirit – that sets her practice apart.
Although Laprade’s collaborative serves all, it caters mostly to women’s needs. “The majority of our clients are women between ages 55 and 70, dealing with menopause and other life transitions,” she says. But Laprade’s major focus is helping people reduce their reliance on pharmaceuticals. “There’s a lot of good literature out there about the side effects of pharmaceuticals, so people want to find alternatives. I don’t diagnose or prescribe, but I do educate people so they can make sound decisions for themselves.”
Despite her shift to holistic health, Laprade hasn’t left her knowledge of Western medicine behind. “The body is brilliant,” she says. “If it’s doing something crazy, it’s doing it for a reason. But I prefer to look beyond the symptoms and get to the root of the problem.”
Relax and Recover
Jessica Souza co-owns Cultivating Minds & Bodies with her business partner Cara Berman, and they, too, aim to help their clients on similar pathways of self-exploration. Berman, a mental health counselor, recruited Souza to help expand the scope of her counseling services, adding a holistic dimension to the mix. “We spun the wellness center off of what she does because we wanted to bring different holistic modalities to South County that weren’t available,” says Souza.
The center offers an impressive array of treatments designed to rejuvenate the body and mind. Among its unique offerings is a salt room – described by Souza as “the best napping spot in town” – as well as massage therapies, an infrared sauna, and one of Rhode Island’s only oxygen bars. “We only breathe 21 percent oxygen, but the generator I have pulls oxygen from the room, filters it, and shoots out 95 percent oxygen that’s fed through aromatherapy bottles,” Souza explains. “Breathing purer oxygen can reduce headaches, reduce stress, and promote healing. It also speeds recovery after an athletic event.”
Despite the luxurious feel of these treatments, accessibility is a cornerstone of the center’s mission. “We want people to have access to these types of therapies, especially if it’s something they need,” says Souza, stressing that the center’s offerings don’t require a huge time commitment. “Most people use the salt room and sauna, and they’re not long sessions – about 30 minutes. The massage chairs take a similar amount of time. People will often text me during their lunch break at work to see if they can come in for a quick session.”
For those seeking a more immersive experience, Souza offers packages that provide access to all the center’s therapies. “I refer to it as ladies’ night,” she says. “It’s a two-hour block with a minimum of four people. It’s a good way to find out what your body likes and it’s fun because you’re with your friends and you can bring wine and snacks and hang out.”
The atmosphere at Cultivating Mind & Bodies is as much a part of the experience as the therapies themselves. “The space is lit with salt lamps. I always have an aromatherapy scent in the air. The center immediately provides a calming, zen kind of feeling. It’s very soothing,” she says. “As soon as people open the door, they sigh.”
Whether you opt for sweating it out at a sauna, immersing yourself in tranquility, or forging a deeper holistic healing path, everyone’s wellness journey is different, but anyone can benefit from slowing down, breathing deeper, and finding a little more balance in the chaos of life.
Above All Holistic Health and Wellness
245 Phenix Avenue, Cranston
AboveAllHolisticHealthAndWellness.com
Cultivating Mind & Bodies
213 Robinson Street Suite B2, Wakefield
CultivatingMindsAndBodies.com
Raffa Life
19 Sharpe Drive, Cranston
RaffaLife.com
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