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Profile: “Take What You Need” From Collingwood’s Sense of Self Bathhouse

Profile: “Take What You Need” From Collingwood’s Sense of Self Bathhouse

Soak, sweat, and scrub your way through one of Australia’s first modern bathhouses.

Sense of Self is an all-gender bathhouse and wellness space; a haven hidden inside a converted warehouse in Collingwood, Victoria. After attending a friend’s wedding the day before my visit, a 39°C magnesium pool soak, 80°C Finnish sauna sweat session, 10°C to 12°C cold plunge, and 46°C hammam ritual were exactly what my achy feet and tired brain needed.

“We believe that the most important thing we can give our guests is the space to come as they are and take what they need,’” says Sense of Self’s Founder and Director, Freya Berwick. “This means meeting guests where they are at and not being prescriptive about how to use our facilities.”

Following a warm introduction to the space, a team member explained I was visiting during a Quiet Mornings session, where guests respect the ‘no chatter’ rule before midday. The comfortable, communal silence helped me feel present and take in the surroundings, which Freya describes as “Mediterranean Brutalism.”

Inside Sense of Self, Collingwood

“[It] speaks to our intent of creating spaces that both hold and gently challenge people, by being inviting while demanding presence,” she explains. “There’s a big difference between a bathhouse and a building with pools and saunas. I believe it is all about the meaning you create, the permission you give, and the way you curate a space to ‘hold’ guests. This invites quality of connection and enhances the experiences you have.”

After cycling between the magnesium pool, cold plunge, sauna, and daybeds, I finished the self-directed Sud & Mud ritual in the hammam. The humidity did half of the work, softening my skin to prepare it for exfoliation. Armed with a pouch containing black soap, a kessa glove, and dry mud, I did the other half. After about 10 minutes of steaming and scrubbing, I was left with smoother skin that was visibly radiant – and radiating from the heat.

True to Sense of Self’s purpose, I finished my two-hour session at the bathhouse feeling like I’d done something beneficial for my mind and body.

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“We tend to be recognised for our considered customer service, inspiring design, and how impactful and good value two hours in the bathhouse is,” Freya notes. “It is a real pleasure to be in reception and see the positive impact on the customer. We are never ‘set and forget’ though, so we really appreciate and welcome (kind) customer feedback as an opportunity to grow.”

Sense of Self’s Founder and Director, Freya Berwick

Growth is indeed on the horizon for Sense of Self, with a Sydney location expected to launch later this year. Freya says that since opening the doors to the first location in 2020, she’s taking lessons learned to her second location: from laundry storage to surface types.

“Saunas and bathhouses are certainly having a moment right now and we are mindful not to lean into the trend,” she explains. “Instead, we have always focused on the quality of experience and meeting our guests needs, which (in my opinion) is how you build something that matters, and lasts.”

Photography: Supplied

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