dhyana Center – A Place for Self Care

The Dhyana Center offers a variety of «self care», from yoga classes, to Aryuveda, to instructions on how to do in-​home enemas, and an elixir bar. The elixir bar was very disappointing. The server looked&acted glum, and had an unfriendly, brusque manner. I ordered their cucumber margarita (cucumbers are refreshing!)… only to learn they had already run out, and it wasn’t even noon. Not the place to align your chakras.

This review covers several aspects of Dhyana center.
The space is beautifully decorated but
The treatment rooms are just too cold. This isn’t India, we are soft westeners and we are only wearing towels. The treatment tables are rock hard. Invest in treatment tables with the thicker foam tops or put washable fleece pads on them.
My average wait to be seen is 15 minutes.
The womens health clinic is wonderful. Dhyana is intuitive and wise and her students are warm and attentive.
My experience with private practitioners to date has been disappointing.
I saw Anne Dale for Psoas Release. For this 2 hour pricey treatment I was put in the spa for 30 minutes, followed by a 30+ minute verbal consultation and lifestyle/​nutrition advice, neck and back massage and approximately 15 minutes of actually touching my abdomen and psoas. Not what I expected or wanted.
I then saw Shannon for Netrabasti (ghee eye bath and massage). One star for presence and quality of touch — Scraping my neck with not much attention to my grimacing and flinching. The ghee ran down my face a bit which I didn’t even care about until I heard her gossiping about it after she left the treatment room-​really made me feel like an object and not a client. She was fairly nice when I told her how cold I was and got a blanket, and when I said it was still cold she said I don’t have any more blankets but she did leave and she found something else. I asked if she had time if she could look at my forearms and she did a good job working on just one (I wish she had just scraped my neck less and done both arms) I had waited 15 minutes to be seen she was running behind already. So three stars for massaging one arm. I don’t know if I’ll do private treatments there anymore.

Note: this review is particularly for Trans* and GNB folks written by a GNB person–
To put really shortly, the Dhyana center is a place for cisgender self-​care and excludes trans folks; me and a colleague of mine who is also GNB checked out their place on a few occasions and were extremely let down/​very clearly not welcomed. A couple things to know before going in:
1. The yoga practitioners tend to be very defensive when it comes to suggestions on making the sessions more inclusive to trans folks. My colleague was the one who experienced this multiple times so unfortunately I cannot offer particular names.
2. The space is generally transphobic; if you are a trans man or woman you are not allowed to use the facilities/​spaces/​nights you should be able to (and for all intents and purposed legally are entitled to). As a trans woman I had expressed an interest in taking part in the woman’s-only self-​care night and the staff explained to me that they had discussed the issue a number of times before and decided they were not ok with trans folks using the space– likely due to not wanting to make cis folks uncomfortable (note: fear of trans bodies in spaces is the literal definition of transphobia). This means I wasn’t the first trans person who was interested in the space and discrimated against, nor will likely be the last.
The space is beautiful and the self-​care studio in particular has really great options; that said I want to make sure folks are informed about the space and its issues before going to it and being blind-​sighted like I was.
The center says it’s a place for self-​care but the sad reality is it’s discriminatory to folks– and a discriminatory space cannot possibly be a self-​care and self-​love space.
For cisgender folks, it’s a really great (albeit ignorant) space.

Went to this place yesterday for the first time. Not knowing what to expect I was blown away! There is a beautiful bar where you can order tinctures for health that look like cocktails but taste better. I went with a friend, so tasted two. Delicious! We checked out the self care area, which who knows why, I was nervous to ever go experience. They have co-​ed days wear you would wear a bathing suit in the sauna– (although lots of private baths, and in infrared sauna), and special days for woman, or men. They have suggested routines (there is a real name for this) depending on what you have going on. One perfectly described me– and I can’t wait to go in for a day! Even cupping that you can do on yourself to remove toxins and stagnation! They teach classes, and everyone coming out of one looked really happy.
We peaked into the treatment center and i would like to go back to check that out too. It is also so beautifully done. A REAL OASIS!

This is my refuge from the craziness of my career and the world in general. I have been a member now for just about a year and can’t recommend the dhyana Center enough… the yoga classes are amazing! The body work is beyond any other massage I have received anywhere from anyone. and I have had well over a 100 massages in the last 15 years. The apothecary is the extra component that just sets this place apart… healthy mocktails served by an amazing and informative staff? Yes, please! Check it out, sign up and become a part of the community… you won’t regret it!

I was there in-​person a few weeks ago because if anyone needs self-​care, it’s me. As I arrived at the top of the stairs so I could check the place out and learn and see what they do there, I was sort of led back down the stairs by the receptionist with no explanation of why. I thought that was odd and I felt unwelcome like I was intruding or something.
Next, a few days ago I wrote to them via their website with some questions since I will be there again soon. No reply as of today. Kind of bums me out. :(I give up. There are lots of other massage and yoga places in Sebastopol and so now I will look into their services instead.

I love that there is now a local ’ bath house’ and so much more!!! Affordable, fun, relaxing, beautiful, educational, inspriational and so good for you! The wealth of knowledge, treatments, classes and services are a great way to get in touch with your own inherent balance or lack of and and reiceve support in feeling and being well. It’s a wonderful place to meet with friends and ‘hang’ doing something healthy fun and resorative or just to come by your self for a more contemplative inner journey of bringing yourself into balance.

It’s ALL GOOD.
The superfood drink bar, soaking tubs, sauna, STEAM ROOM (my personal fave) and so much more I have not had the opportunity to experience yet.
This place is one of the reasons I am stoked to now be living near Sebastopol. :)

I stopped in to see what this place was all about & decided to have a drink, it was so delicious & the herbal blend was everything it was cracked up to be as it immediately cleared my head at the tail end if a bad cold! Stop in & check out this little spot.

Having a space to fully ground into has been a gift. I don’t have a tub so this too is one of my reasons of being fully grateful of the dhyana Center. This is a place for one’s own self care and being able to fully BE.
From meditation and movement to one’s own physical care, and having an amazing nourishing drink that gets things moving. I will say that at least every other month I pamper myself by staying there all day and receiving an ayurvedic treatment at a rate as low as $ 99.
WOW.

Started doing yoga at the Body Temple about three times a week. I’ve had several teachers at various times of the morning and I can vouch for each: Jill (strong workout with mellow boombox music), Iris (strong workout and some chanting), Alexei (hardest poses, but shorter class = awesome), and Tirza & Rex (softer workout, very intuitive to personal needs & great live music by Rex). In a nutshell, I love this place. They charge a reasonable sliding scale for walk-​ins. The lobby is filled with amazing spices, oils, tinctures and aromatics. Upstairs is a self-​care studio where I’ve had a relaxing cold soak, hot soak, dry sauna and wet sauna. There’s also a newly-​opened apothecary lounge that’s pretty bad-​ass and hosts performance art, TED talks, movies and live music. See you there!

The self-​care studio is a beautiful and comfortable space, though the drop-​in rate feels high for the size of the facility. One important caution and the main reason I bothered to write a review: be sure to wear your flip-​flops, as I contracted athlete’s foot there.

This hub of Ayurvedic action is one of the best places in Sebastopol. I come here for excellent and inspiring beverages, conversation with locals and students, and comfy couches when I want a reprieve from the external bustling world. The bartenders are charismatic and can tell you about the aspects of the drinks which will suit your needs as well as explain about the center itself. Wifi is available for us technologically inclined folk. Locally produced treats have been known to appear on the bar, the carob maca almond butter cup was particularly decadent. I look forward to business picking up so that it will be open later. If you’re in Sebastopol, it’s worth walking up the stairs for a look around.

The Ayurvedic work offered through the dhyana Center is unparalleled in my experience. There is so much amazing knowledge, care and wisdom emanating from its founder, DeAnna Batdorff.
I highly recommend any treatment or pulse reading you can receive from this center. They also offer monthly affordable clinics — something that sets them apart from most holistic health centers.

The Dhyana Center is an established and respected institution in Sonoma County. It’s more than a day spa, more than a yoga studio, beyond massage. This place is a healing mecca and a movement. Swing into the store downstairs and pick up supplies to keep your doshas balanced. They have a growing inventory of natural makeup, essential oils, elixirs, spices and other tools to help guide your ayurvedic lifestyle.
The beautiful one-​room Body Temple has an incredible atmosphere. Join a variety of very diverse movement practices — anything from mediation and Qi Gong to yoga and dance. There is something here for everyone, and every age. Children too!
Have more time? Looking for a special retreat during your Sonoma County weekend? Try the spa and apothecary bar upstairs. Enjoy the self care center for a few hours, couple it with a class or simply swing by for a body-​loving cocktail at the Bar and Lounge. Why not indulge in a drink that will nurture and cleanse?
Sebastopol, you just got a much needed facelift. And you’ll be seeing much, much more of me.