A Truly Holistic Wellness Hub for the Torquay Community

Tim Altman’s Vision Years in the Making 

The story of this holistic wellness centre in Torquay begins decades ago with Tim Altman’s personal journey to health. After battling debilitating chronic fatigue syndrome in the late 1980s, Tim turned to holistic therapies and natural medicine. Under the guidance of Dr. Vagif Soultanov, Tim underwent a transformative program of sauna therapy, breathwork, therapeutic fasting, and naturopathy. This not only restored his health but gave him a vitality he had never experienced before.

That life-changing journey planted a seed for Tim’s vision: to create a space where others could access the same holistic healing processes that transformed his life. For years, Tim refined his practice, waiting for the perfect location to bring his dream to fruition. That opportunity finally came with The Esplanade Torquay, located just steps from the healing waters of Cosy Corner—an epicentre for ocean connection and renewal on the Surf Coast.

Here, Tim and The Esplanade Team have brought his vision to life, establishing a holistic wellness centre in Torquay where the natural world meets modern, integrative health practices.

Why Torquay Needed a Holistic Wellness Centre

Despite all the advancements of modern life, many of us remain disconnected from the natural elements our bodies need to thrive. Stress, shallow breathing, poor posture, and limited exposure to Nature prevent us from tapping into our deeper well-being properties. At The Esplanade, Tim and the Team focus on reawakening these dormant well-being properties, helping you access your innate ability to heal, recover, and thrive.

The Esplanade Torquay is more than a wellness space; it’s a carefully designed ecosystem where every practice works together to help reactivate your body’s innate natural healing capabilities. Through the combination of hot and cold therapy, breathwork, yoga, Pilates, floatation therapy and highly specialised personal therapies, every practice amplifies the effects of the others, creating a deeply transformative experience.

The Power of Hot and Cold Therapy

At the heart of The Esplanade Torquay’s practices is hot and cold therapy, a proven method to stimulate healing, improve circulation, and detoxify the body. Alternating between intense heat and cold immersion activates your body’s natural recovery processes, enhancing both physical and mental resilience.

How It Works

• Cold Therapy: Ice baths and cold immersion trigger vasoconstriction, reducing inflammation and accelerating muscle recovery. They also stimulate endorphin production, leaving you energized and clear-headed.
• Heat Therapy: Infrared and Finnish saunas provide deep heat penetration, relaxing muscles, flushing out toxins, and improving cardiovascular health.

The Combined Effect
The magic lies in alternating between the two. This contrast therapy:

• Activates the lymphatic system for better immune function.
• Boosts mood and energy levels through endorphin and serotonin release.
• Improves cardiovascular performance by training your blood vessels to adapt and optimize flow.

At The Esplanade, hot and cold therapy is the cornerstone of their Natural Restoration Routine, which enhances every other service offered.

Natural Restoration Routine – A Holistic Approach to Well-Being

The Esplanade's Natural Restoration Routine integrates carefully selected practices that align your body with Nature’s original blueprint for health.

• Yoga and Pilates: Classes designed to correct posture, restore alignment, and support the body’s healing processes.
• Breathwork: Sessions that optimise oxygen flow and reset your nervous system, making you more receptive to healing.
• Floatation Therapy: Sensory immersion tanks calm the mind, release tension, and allow for deep mental and physical relaxation.
• Foundations of Mindfulness: Guided classes on meditation and mindful movement to help restore balance and focus.
• One-on-One Healing Therapies: Personalized sessions with expert practitioners to address specific blockages—physical, emotional, or mental.

Each component works synergistically, allowing you to achieve a deeper, more sustainable state of well-being.

Fostering Connection and Community

Central to The Esplanade Torquay is the belief that true wellness is built on connection—not just with yourself, but with others. This holistic wellness centre in Torquay has become a gathering place for locals seeking community and shared growth.

The space is frequented by:

• Individuals recovering from major health challenges, such as strokes or chronic illnesses, finding renewed strength through hot and cold therapy.
• Extreme athletes tapping into the power of breathwork, ice baths, and sauna therapy to enhance performance and recovery.
• Everyday locals seeking relief from stress, better sleep, and a renewed sense of balance.

Tim explains, “When people come together in a space like this, it fosters not just physical health but a sense of belonging and support that’s crucial for emotional and mental well-being.”

The Esplanade regularly hosts group classes and community events to cultivate this sense of connection, creating a network of like-minded individuals who inspire and uplift one another.

Meet the Team of Experts at The Esplanade – Holistic Wellness Centre in Torquay

Tim Altman has curated a team of highly skilled practitioners, each a leader in their field, offering specialized therapies that form the foundation of holistic wellness at The Esplanade Torquay. Together, they provide an unparalleled level of care, ensuring every client receives transformative, personalized support.

Annabel Cooney

Annabel is a highly accomplished practitioner offering a unique blend of Traditional Hatha Yoga, naturopathy, Ayurvedic health consultations, and massage therapy. With over 500 hours of formal yoga training under leading teachers from Australia and Bali, Annabel’s approach integrates the ancient wisdom of the Vedas with modern naturopathic principles. Her personalized sessions are designed to nurture physical, emotional, and spiritual well-being in a way that is practical and accessible to all.

Kelsea Marion

Kelsea Marion: Kelsea is a dynamic Pilates instructor known for her energizing sunrise classes overlooking the ocean. With a passion for helping clients build strength and confidence, Kelsea’s Pilates Burn sessions combine challenging movements with supportive modifications. Her classes are designed to leave participants feeling empowered, strong, and ready to take on the day, all while enjoying one of the best views in Torquay.

Lisa Schuppe

Lisa Schuppe: Lisa is an experienced practitioner of Bagua Zhang and Ziranmen Kung Fu, with training under some of the world’s most renowned martial arts masters in China and Australia. Her classes focus on the foundations of Cheng-style Bagua Zhang, offering participants the tools to build strength, improve flexibility, and enhance energy flow. With a background in education and social work, Lisa’s teaching is both dynamic and deeply rooted in personal growth and mindfulness.

Peter Haxell

Peter Haxell: A dedicated AHPRA-registered Acupuncturist and Chinese Medicine practitioner, Peter brings nearly a decade of clinical experience to his practice. After spending six transformative months in Asia, Peter deepened his understanding of mindfulness through Vipassana retreats at Wat Sophraram in Chiang Mai, under the guidance of Ajanh Puttar and Ajahn Mike. His classes offer a simple yet profound introduction to foundational mindfulness techniques.

Kate Martin

Kate Martin: As a founding director of ATBodySense and a qualified Alexander Technique practitioner, Kate has over 15 years of experience helping individuals achieve balance and recover from pain, injury, and illness. Combining Alexander Technique and yoga, Kate offers an integrative approach to well-being that supports her clients’ recovery and performance goals.

Jacqui Jenkins

Jacqui Jenkins: Jacqui brings a holistic approach to wellness with a diverse range of therapies, including craniosacral therapy, deep tissue massage, and chakra healing. A graduate of Victorian University, Jacqui combines technical expertise with intuitive care, helping clients release physical, emotional, and energetic blockages. Her goal is to guide individuals toward balance and transformation, creating personalized sessions tailored to each client’s needs.

Max Needleman

Max Needleman: Max’s holistic approach to health combines his expertise as a qualified physiotherapist, massage therapist, and yoga teacher. With over six years of Physiotherapy practice and more than 1,000 hours of yoga and bodywork training across Australia, India, and Thailand, Max offers integrative therapies that are tailored to individual needs.

Alejsa Henry

Alejsa Henry: Alejsa’s yoga journey began in 2004 with a deep engagement in Iyengar and Hatha yoga, which evolved into a lifelong passion. A qualified yoga teacher since 2017 with a Yin yoga specialization completed in 2021, Alejsa brings a student-first approach to her classes. Guided by a profound respect for yoga’s cultural origins, she creates an inclusive and accessible environment for all. Alejsa also has a strong interest in trauma-informed yoga and yoga for diverse population groups.

Together, this extraordinary team embodies the ethos of The Esplanade Torquay, delivering a comprehensive and integrative approach to wellness. Whether you’re recovering from injury, managing stress, or seeking peak performance, these practitioners provide the tools and support needed to achieve lasting well-being.

Member Stories: Transformative Journeys at The Esplanade Torquay

Ryan’s Inspiring Journey: Recovery and Connection Through Holistic Wellness

Finding Healing After Life-Altering Challenges

For Ryan, The Esplanade Torquay has become a cornerstone of both physical recovery and emotional well-being. After enduring three strokes in his early 30s, Ryan faced immense challenges, including neuropathic pain and a loss of sensation on his left side. These setbacks meant stepping away from activities he loved, like surfing and mountain biking. However, a friend introduced him to Tim Altman and sauna therapy over a decade ago, opening a new path to healing.

“Tim got me into the sauna when I couldn’t do the things I used to love,” Ryan recalls. “I’ve been hanging out with Tim in saunas for 10 years now, listening to him talk about opening his own place. And here we are—it’s incredible to see his vision come to life.”

The Life-Changing Benefits of Contrast Therapy

For Ryan, the combination of sauna and ice baths has been particularly transformative. “The contrast therapy has been amazing for my nerve pain. The heat relaxes me, and the ice takes it to another level. It’s more effective than anything I’ve tried before,” he shares. Beyond the physical benefits, Ryan treasures the sense of community he’s found at The Esplanade. “What I get most out of it is the connection—hanging out with mates and talking rubbish. It’s my version of going to the pub, without the beer. It’s a way to stay in touch and feel supported.”

Exploring New Wellness Practices

The supportive environment has also encouraged Ryan to explore meditation and breathwork to manage pain and stress. “I’ve started meditating every night, and it’s helping a lot,” he says, adding that he’s eager to deepen his practice through Tim’s breathwork classes.

Ryan’s story reflects the essence of The Esplanade—a holistic wellness centre in Torquay that combines transformative therapies with a community-driven ethos.

Carly’s Transformation: Building Resilience Through Ice Baths

Overcoming Physical and Mental Barriers

For Carly, ice baths at The Esplanade have been nothing short of life-changing. Over the past 18 months, they have become a cornerstone of her daily routine, transforming not only her physical endurance but also her mindset.

Carly began using ice baths while training for an ambitious goal: running 30-kilometer trail runs daily for six months. “I was ice bathing every morning, and it enabled me to run 30 Ks every day without injury or soreness,” she explains. Her resilience amazed her fellow runners, and she credits much of her success to the power of ice baths.

The Mental Shift Through Cold Therapy

The benefits for Carly extend far beyond physical recovery. “It’s not just about the body,” she says. “Doing something really hard in the morning, pushing through that discomfort—it creates a real shift in your mentality.” This daily challenge helped Carly build mental strength, start her day with positivity, and foster a sense of accomplishment.

A Powerful Start to the Day

“The high you get is better than coffee,” she reflects, highlighting the invigorating energy and clarity that ice baths provide. Carly’s story exemplifies the power of therapies at The Esplanade, demonstrating how simple, consistent practices like cold immersion can lead to profound physical and mental breakthroughs.

Unlock Your Full Potential at Torquay's Holistic Wellness Centre – The Esplanade

The Esplanade Torquay is a holistic wellness centre in Torquay that helps you reconnect with your body’s natural rhythms, the restorative power of Nature, and the support of a like-minded community.

📞 Contact Tim and the team: 5261 3615
📍 Visit us: 14A The Esplanade, Torquay, VIC
🌐 Learn more: www.theesplanadetorquay.com