“The breath is the first to go,” a LIVV Cardiff staff member says, moments before I immerse myself in water that stands at a toasty 50 degrees Fahrenheit. “Your body enters a state of shock, and it kind of knocks the wind out of you. Expect that, and don’t worry. The first minute is the worst.”
In other words, the sensation of sinking shoulder-deep into the frigid tub is what I imagine a ceramic doll feels when dropped. I’m on my hands and knees, for some reason, shivering like a pug unwillingly lowered into a bath. The recommended cold plunge length for first-timers is one to three minutes. I make it a minute and 40 seconds before bursting out of the water with a gasp and fleeing next door to the infrared sauna, where the warmth gradually convinces all 600 or so of my tensed skeletal muscles to unspool.
A day at LIVV Cardiff, San Diego County’s new private, members-only health club, is like this: mild- to-moderate self-induced suffering alternated with opulent relaxation, all in service of that elusive most healthy and beautiful and energetic self. I get a 30-minute massage and a techy facial supposed to unstick old lymph from my nodes (“So sculpted,” my esthetician murmurs with pride).
Afterward, I chug a green juice (hydrated veins!) before a nurse sticks me with an energy-boosting IV. I’m a little confused when she then takes me to a private room for an antioxidant injection—at least until she says, “It’s a gluteal shot” and offers very polite instructions that I quickly understand are the luxury-spa version of “Drop ’em and bend over.” Sure. Anything for antioxidants.
Photo Credit: Derek Hall
Founded by naturopathic doctor Jason Phan, LIVV Cardiff is the more exclusive North County sister site to Phan’s wellness lounge in Little Italy. “There are specific patients who take their health really seriously,” Phan says. “With this commitment level, I can get people through the finish line of longevity or … the prevention of any chronic disease in the future. This is where it moves into full- body MRIs; diagnostics; testing for mold, heavy metals, microplastics.”
Courtesy of LIVV Cardiff
The result is a full-service, one-stop shop for wellness and beauty services. Each of the club’s three membership tiers requires a $10,000 initiation fee, followed by monthly dues starting at $995. Even the most basic tier includes an almost dizzying number of services, from bloodwork and “hormone optimization” to biohacky (and sometimes scientifically controversial) treatments like ozone therapy (which hyper-oxygenates the blood) and shots of the coenzyme NAD+ to slow aging.
Courtesy of LIVV Cardiff
“It’s almost like health insurance, but for alternative medicine,” Phan says.
Phan spent more than $3 million converting an old post office in Cardiff into LIVV, drawing upon influences as diverse as the notorious global members’ club Soho House; the luxury digs at Aman Resorts; and the immersive Miami Asian-fusion restaurant Mila. There are undulating green walls and soft, recessed lighting. You receive your IV in a plush, velvety chair. If one has the funds, it’s a beautiful place to optimize. Ultimately, though, Livv’s club model isn’t for the merely biohacking- curious—to become a member is to commit in some way to an entire lifestyle of holistic wellness.
Whether that means freezing near to death with a needle in your butt is up to you.
Amelia Rodriguez is a writer and journalist and winner of the San Diego Press Club's 2023 Rising Star Award and 2024 Best of Show Award, she’s also covered music, food, arts and culture, fashion, and design for Rolling Stone, Palm Springs Life, and other national and regional publications. After work, you can find her hunting down San Diego’s best pastries and maintaining her five-year Duolingo streak.
