I never expected Wisconsin to be a notable spa destination, and that was not why I traveled to the small resort town of Elkhart Lake. Tucked below the peninsula between Green Bay and Lake Michigan, this quiet town surprised me with an afternoon at Aspira Spa that changed my assumptions — and opened my mind to a deeper sense of wellness.
The Potawatomi named the area for the distinctive shape of the lake — resembling an elk heart — and long believed its waters held healing powers. The modern wellness legacy here began in the late 19th century when Otto and Paulina Osthoff left bustling Milwaukee in 1885 after Paulina experienced a nervous breakdown and needed a calmer environment. Paulina recovered, and the Osthoffs eventually built a resort that remains a regional anchor. The Osthoff Resort, a consistent AAA Four Diamond recipient, emphasizes a wellness-focused experience that feels like a fitting tribute to Paulina Osthoff’s recovery more than 130 years ago. Aspira Spa is central to that holistic approach.
Aspira, which means “infused with spirit,” blends Eastern principles of energy and design with indigenous healing traditions to create an organic, restorative approach. From the moment I entered, the spa’s design set a different tone. Rather than the usual straight corridors, my route to the spa lounge flowed without corners. The facility is arranged in three concentric rings guided by feng shui, a philosophy most evident in the Meditation Sanctuary. There, in a circular room lit by a ring of candles around a central copper pool fed by a gentle rock waterfall, I lost track of time and found space to focus on the five basic Chinese elements — earth, fire, water, metal and wood — and on my own wellbeing.
Although I appreciate a classic Swedish massage, I usually opt for treatments that offer a distinctive experience. Aspira’s extensive menu includes Moroccan hot oil, lomi lomi, yin yang, chakra balancing and many mindful therapies. The spa features Vichy showers and North America’s only chromotherapy spa tub, which combines light and sound therapy for an immersive session. I selected the signature Cedars Massage: an 80-minute treatment designed to promote relaxation and balance through soothing massage enhanced by the aromatherapy of Elkhart Lake’s native cedars, a plant long respected by the Potawatomi.
Throughout the massage, my therapist eased me into a tranquil state, and toward the end she wrapped me in cedar and tucked me under a heavy blanket while a fire crackled nearby. I was surprised that I felt neither claustrophobic nor overheated. She applied gentle pressure across my face and head to complete the rebalancing, and then I entered a space of absolute stillness.
Tightly swaddled and unable to see or touch anything, I became intensely aware of silence. For what felt like several minutes I could not detect any contact and briefly wondered whether I’d been left alone to meditate. The absence of any mention of this in the treatment description or pre-treatment assessment left me puzzled. Then an unusual sensation began: a slow tingling that awakened my limbs in sequence, moving clockwise around my body, from arm to leg. Oddly, I still perceived no physical touch, which made me question whether the sensations were a product of sensory deprivation or something else entirely.
After the session ended, I shyly asked my therapist whether she had left me for the final 20 minutes. She had not. Trained in Japanese reiki, she explained that she had been passing energy through my body without physically touching me. Had I known this in advance I might have been skeptical, and I might have assumed the sensations were imagined. Instead, experiencing it firsthand confirmed the authenticity of what I felt. The reiki was not part of the advertised treatment; my therapist intuitively felt I could benefit from it and applied the technique. In hindsight, that intuition was exactly what I needed.
Following a steam in the sauna, I made my way to the Spa Café, an exclusive bistro reserved for spa guests, where the thoughtfully curated wellness menu is supported by the resort’s organic gardens. I skipped the spa’s yoga classes that day, choosing instead to savor the renewed connection to my body fostered by the therapist’s insight and the spa’s calming environment. I spent the rest of the weekend outdoors on the lake — kayaking and hydro-biking — letting the surrounding natural beauty deepen the restorative effects of my spa experience.
Aspira Spa
The Osthoff Resort
101 Osthoff Ave.
Elkhart Lake, WI 53020
tel 920 876 5843
aspiraspa.com
osthoff.com