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City should revise its rules for murals ... Our View: A delicate balance downtown ... Consenting to receive yourself just as you are ... City should revise its rules for murals ... Our View: A delicate balance downtown ... CHOZU GARDEN From 'drug house' to spa 'Pure water' retreat offers traditional Japanese baths, tea, sake and cottages in quiet corner of the Railroad District By John Darling For the Daily Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Daily Tidings Posted Oct. 8, 2014 @ 5:14 pm By John Darling For the Daily Tidings Posted Oct. 8, 2014 @ 5:14 pm » RELATED CONTENT • Bath and tea gardens offer tranquility • Chozu's Bath Gardens » Social News Ilene Rubenstein wanted her Chozu Bath & Tea Gardens to be in a peaceful, out of the way place — not in the Ashland downtown — so she chose the sleepy end of A Street, across from the Railroad Park and in a historical home. “My goal was to create a high-value place where you come for self-care and personal work,” says Rubenstein, who advises soaks in her community or private pools before massage treatment. A sauna and steam room are also available, as is a tea room with saki, wine, beer and light oriental dishes for after treatments. While you may think of spas as a high-end indulgence, Rubenstein says she designed hers to be affordable. You can come in for soaks, sauna and steam bath for $25 or get a card for 20 visits at $17 per visit, an offer that’s popular for gifts, she says. A massage is $95 and includes the water treatments. Typically, you get in a robe, shower with exfoliating salts, then do the pools (104 degrees), sauna and steam bath. The pools are open to the sky and, in warm months, have attractive red triangles draped overhead for shade. “It’s a sweet little spot that makes your feel like you’re in nature,” she says. “One of the most magical times is when it’s snowing. It’s really lovely. You’re giving yourself a really nice gift.” A Santa Barbara native and a chiropractor, Rubenstein lived in Portland, then moved to Ashland in 1997. She first bought the dance studio next door, using it for dance classes, pilates and neurological rehab, with a focus on wellness and self-care. The adjacent 1903 house was “a scary, funky drug house, a very negative piece of property in our community.” However, she refurbished and added onto it, giving it a rustic, oriental look and winning the city’s award of the year for best rehab of a historic property. “I wanted to be part of my neighborhood,” she notes. “It’s not made my business any easier. This is a remote location. But this is a sophisticated community and even the guy pumping your gas has probably been to massage school.”  The tea-saki lounge is not typical of spas and, she notes, is a nice place to relax and socialize with a friend or two after the treatments. Some of the dishes are edamame, miso soup, pickled quail eggs and braised shiitake mushrooms, all in the $3 to $9 range. The word chozu is two syllables — “pure” and “water” — and that’s the whole idea, to get away, she says, from the usual hustle and bustle of daily life and take a serious break for renewal of spirits. Chozu has two vacation rental cottages at $179 a night, including bath, sauna and steam room. It is at 832-A Street, Ashland; the phone number is 541-552-0202. Hours are Monday, 5 to 10 p.m.; Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.; and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. By John Darling For the Daily Tidings DailyTidings.com By John Darling For the Daily Tidings Posted Oct. 8, 2014 @ 5:14 pm » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. 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