Last week, Five Wellbeing Spa celebrated five years of business, providing a world-class spa experience for guests since June 2017. Located in Historic Downtown Littleton, Five Wellbeing offers a multitude of services, including facials, massages and body treatments. 
Owner Betsy Abrams began plans to open a spa after she lost her husband to pancreatic cancer in 2013. Between juggling doctor’s appointments and taking care of her young daughter, Abrams found it difficult to practice self-care during her husband’s illness.
“I needed to just be there for both of them and have some semblance of order. It was beyond stressful. I didn’t know how to take care of myself anymore,” Abrams said.
Abrams, a lifelong proponent of self-care, explained that her husband had always asked her what her dreams and aspirations were, encouraging her to go after what she really wanted. Remembering her husband’s words, Abrams bought the hundred-year-old building that would eventually become home to Five Wellbeing Spa.
“After he passed, I had an overwhelming desire to create a place that would help people deeply relax. Not just a place to go to get a fluff-and-buff facial or massage, but to really bring something unique to Denver,” Abrams said.
After reading through a pamphlet-style book gifted to her by a friend about how to open a spa, Abrams sought a consultant. Abrams’ consultant, who typically worked on resort-style spas, decided to help her after hearing about how clear her intentions were in creating a space truly dedicated to self-care.
The design process of the spa was an organic one, with its logo inspired by a plant Abrams passed by every day as she walked her daughter to the bus. The idea for the color scheme –soothing charcoal grays with subtle pops of orange — came from the ribbon on a gift sent to Abrams from a skincare vendor.
Abrams wanted to ensure a guest’s experience at Five Wellbeing went beyond that of a typical spa. With a front porch, backyard and lounge area, Abrams explained that they invite guests to stay and continue to relax in these spaces even after their treatment is finished.
“We really try to teach people about what it means to take care of themselves,” Abrams said.
The spa hosts three different treatment tables: a dry float bed, a quartz table and a Vichy shower. Five Wellbeing Spa is the only spa in Colorado that has a dry float bed and a quartz table, both of which tend to be more of a European standard.
Going above and beyond for guests began, however, with the origins of the spa’s name. Based on the five elements of Chinese medicine, a treatment at Five Wellbeing Spa includes an aromatherapy journey.
After smelling each of the elements — earth, fire, metal, water and wood — the guest chooses the one that resonates the most with them to be used during their treatment. Each treatment also begins with a nine-point meridian tap and includes the use of a singing bowl throughout to relax the nervous system.
The elements are used to reveal an individual’s life balance. After the guest chooses an element, the therapist will explain what the element represents, along with the imbalances the guest may be experiencing in that area of their life. Water, for example, represents intuition, courage and resourcefulness. When out of balance, it signals feelings of anxiety and decisiveness.
Therefore, the treatments are meant to do more than loosen sore muscles or relieve clogged pores. Most importantly, they restore one’s internal balance.
The oils used in treatments are part of Abrams’ own aromatherapy product line made up of five signature scents. The line includes roll-on oils, body butters and scrubs that can be purchased at the spa in addition to Eminence Organic and Mary’s Nutritional skincare products.
In keeping with the spa’s ongoing list of unique treatment offerings, Five Wellbeing is also home to sound vibrational chairs that offer guests three hours’ worth of sleep from just 30 minutes of sitting. Last summer, the spa added a new item to its menu: the Duet Suite. Complete with a fireplace and a fruit and cheese platter, this space is meant for pairs to relax together.
Every treatment available has the same intention behind it. However, the spa’s amenities are part of a much larger objective to provide guests with a space to nurture themselves and instill in them the importance of taking time for themselves.
“My goal is that people have an experience of relaxing in a way that allows them to go through their day in a better way. To allow them to take that moment for themselves,” Abrams said.
Though the spa frequently hosts guests for special occasions, there are a large number of regulars as well. Abrams noted that her hope is for every guest to learn the importance of taking care of themselves in between their treatments.
“Self-care and wellbeing kind of go hand in hand, but wellbeing is an inside job. It goes beyond wellness and is more than just taking vitamins or eating healthy. It’s more internal —it’s how you are with yourself,” Abrams said.
For a full list of services and products, visit fivewellbeing.com.
All photos courtesy of Five Wellbeing Spa.