by Annette @ Wellness WA | Dec 29, 2011 | Other, Products
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Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! I hope you had an amazing time with family, friends or yourself, and that your wellbeing hasn’t suffered toooo much over the silly season 🙂
♥ Outdoor Cinema Picnics
Behold above, a little picnic feast that I took to go and see Crazy, Stupid, Love (Ryan Gosling anyone?) at the Moonlight Cinemas in Kings Park.
It’s such a gorgeous setup, all nature-y and very relaxing, hopefully I can get down there again sometime soon. The picnic feast included: pikelets with preservative free jam, pitted kalamata olives, fruit salad, raw apple juice (the BEST!) and my friend brought along banana bread, water crackers and apricots and cream cheese salad. Love me a healthy feast 🙂
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♥ Christmas (and amazing Christmas candles!)
I wish I’d written about this gorgeous festive scented candle prior to Christmas so everyone could have run out and picked one up!
The White Christmas Candle by Palm Beach Collection smells in-cred-ible and I’ve been burning it non-stop since December 1. It’s a soy candle scented with orange, cinnamon and clove, with 80 hours burn-time and is guaranteed to melt the heart of even the most hardened grinch. Pictured above lighting up our $5 tree! The candle retails for $37.95.
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♥ Presents!
While giving presents is better than getting… getting is still pretty good! This Xmas I swooped a lot of awesome goodies, including:
♥ Super-cute brown vegan-leather bag with bow! I’m going to be rocking this hard next year when I go to school, it’s perfect for carrying a few books! From Herbivore Clothing (I don’t think they stock it anymore, but it’s a fantastic website for vegan goods)
♥ The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph from the Frontiers of Brain Science
– I’ve wanted to read this for a while now, it’s all about neuroplasticity and how the brain can change at any time to overcome previous limitations, such as depression, anxiety, and even strokes.
♥ 12 Month Frankie Magazine Subscription – yay! I will be knowledgeable on all things indie & cute for the next year.
♥ Organic chocolate covered macadamias.
♥ $60 voucher for Bodhi J Day Spa – this will be going towards a much needed massage 🙂
♥ Money towards a term worth of yoga classes.
♥ Oil burner + ‘study’ oil which I’ll need for next year!
♥ Some jewellery with stones that are useful for focusing on study. (not pictured)
♥ 2 different caffeine free teas and a really cute floral mug to drink them from!
♥ An Endota ‘Massage Magic’ value pack (thanks Endota!)
♥ A book on smoothies and juices (not pictured)
♥ A copy of Russh magazine (not pictured)
♥ Kit Cosmetics Cheek & Lip Tint (not pictured)
So I think it’s fair to say I cleaned up! Lots of wellness goodies in there too so I’m very pleased 🙂 I also gave some great gifts which were received with smiles and hugs, which was the best!
What did you get/give for christmas? Share your highlights below!
Be well,
Annette
xoxo
by Annette @ Wellness WA | Dec 28, 2011 | Alternative Therapy, Day Spa, North of River, Reviews, Western Suburbs
When was the last time you experienced something truly unique? Something beautiful, unexpected and rare?
For me that was a couple of weeks ago when I was privy to a sound healing session with Julian Silburn at Bodhi J Day Spa.
Julian has an extensive background in using sound for wellness, having been given blessings by aboriginal elders to practice the didjeridu for healing, he has been doing so for over 20 years! Previously working for local favourite Sodashi only cements his natural healing credentials.
If you feel like you’ve experienced it all spa-wise (or life-wise!) and are looking for something powerfully unique and transformative, then you cannot go past sound healing.
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The experience that follows is very powerful and a bit tricky to explain. There’s something a bit mystical about it, but to try and make some sense of how sound can improve wellbeing it’s useful to know that:
♥ Everything has a frequency to which it is naturally tuned, including parts of the body.(Source: Rediscovering the Art of Sound Healing)
♥ Sound can have an impact on the molecular structure of matter.
♥ When we are sick or not at our optimum wellbeing, parts of the body can be resonating at the wrong frequency.
♥ Sound healing can help the body return to the right frequency
If you’d like to read more about the scientific background of sound healing, you can check out this article.
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The 60 minute session begins by lying on a cosy bed in a beautiful dark room, lit with candles and all the sound healing instruments laid out (as above, but with the lights off!).
Throughout the experience, which feels like a sacred dreamtime ritual, an array of instruments including: the didjeridu, Indonesian temple bell, Chilean rainmakers, Mexican rattle, Peruvian flute, Native American hoop drum and more are used to bring my body back into a state of balance, afterwards a feeling of intense relaxation and awareness settles over me.
I feel as though I’ve been born at the very dawn of time and the whole universe is open for me to explore.
I don’t want to give away the ending, as that was the part that impacted me the most – suffice to say that the whole experience seemed so powerful and important that a little part of me felt like I shouldn’t be there, that this ritual should be reserved for someone who has been chosen to go on an amazing journey, or do something spectacular. The whole session was incredible and something that has to be experienced to be fully understood.
Afterwards Julian will answer any questions you may have. The neat thing about sound healing is that the best way to experience it is with someone else, so you and a friend can take part in the journey and it’s only $150 as a 2-for-1 special for 60 minutes, which is a great price to pay to be able to explore the universe! (Please note the cost is $150 for one OR two people, so best to bring a friend!)
I feel that this experience will linger with me for a long time to come.
Available at:
Bodhi J Health + Beauty Spa
42C Grantham St (Cnr Nanson St)
Wembley, Western Australia 6014
ph: (08) 9387 5152
fax: (08) 9387 4548
e: admin@bodhij.com.au
fb: Bodhi J Facebook Page
Be well,
Annette
xoxo
by Annette @ Wellness WA | Dec 22, 2011 | Alternative Therapy, At Home, Products
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“Relax, it’s Soy Wax!” Lavender and Geranium Aromatherapy Candle
Lavender & Geranium
I admit I cheated here and bought a kit. Lavender, as we know, kicks butt at making us chill out. Geranium is a floral scent which sooths tension, uplifts moods and reduces stress. I say mix them together for a sensory mood booster after the chaos of Christmas and New Year!
In my 10-candle kit from All Australian Candle Making I got:
♥ 10 little glass candle containers with lids
♥ 1kg soy wax
♥ Wick assemblies (wicks with a metal disc at the bottom)
♥ You’ll also need pegs from the washing line and essential oils
In a double boiler, or in a big metal or glass bowl over a pot of simmering water, melt the soy wax by stirring continuously. When it has all melted, add your essential oils. I kept adding my lavender and geranium until it was strong enough for me.
Tricky bit #1: Getting wax into containers, not all over kitchen bench. I ended up using a ladle to fill them to about 1.5cm from the top.
Now, let them sit for a little but keep your eye on them. You’ll notice the melted wax, which looks similar to egg whites, will start to solidify and turn white.
Tricky bit #2: Setting the wicks. When the bottoms of the containers have about 1cm of white wax, carefully place a wick in the middle and squash the metal disc into the “muddy” wax at the bottom. You can use a wooden skewer to help push the metal disc down, and if you do so it’s easy to see the wax encasing the disc. Once you’ve got the disc in the solid wax, peg the wick so that the peg rests on the edges of the container, keeping the wick straight.
If the wax solidifies at the bottom too much and the wick won’t set, pop the candle (without wick!) into the microwave for a quick blast, or dip it in some hot water.
When the candles are completely white, you can remove the pegs and cut the wicks.
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Make sure you pop a glass plate or coaster under the candle when you burn it. If the aromatherapy doesn’t relax you, surely a candle lit room will!
By Gemma Clark, an 8-hours-a-night sleeper with soft lips whose entire house smells like a lavender bush.
Be well,
xoxo
by Annette @ Wellness WA | Dec 22, 2011 | Alternative Therapy, At Home, Products
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Citrus Buzz Beeswax Lip Balm
Grapefruit, orange & mandarin
This one is for those who can’t leave the house without a stick of Burt’s Bees, the citrus is lip-smackingly yummy and refreshing.
You will need:
♥ Orange essential oil
♥ Grapefruit essential oil (I used pink rather than yellow)
♥ Mandarin essential oil
♥ Cosmetic beeswax pellets (1/2 tablespoon for every tube/tub you want to make)
♥ Carrier oil – I used sweet almond oil (1 tablespoon for every tube/tub you want to make)
♥ Lipstick shavings from your favourite colour (use a paring or peeling knife to keep the lippy in shape)
♥ 5mL plastic lip balm tubes or tubs (you can use an old lippy tub or buy new)
♥ Pipette or small funnel
♥ A glass jar with a metal clasp fastener, not a screw lid
Put the beeswax and carrier oil in a jar and snap the lid closed. Pop the jar in a pot of water on medium-low heat and the wax will start to melt. Once all melted, remove the jar from the water and pop it on a tea towel. Stir the mixture with a metal spoon and add your essential oils until the scent is strong enough for your liking. Stir in the lipstick shavings until you’ve got the colour intensity you’d like.
Use a pipette or funnel to transfer the mixture to your tubes or pots and let it set for an hour with the lids off.
Eat your heart out, Burt’s Bees!
By Gemma Clark, an 8-hours-a-night sleeper with soft lips whose entire house smells like a lavender bush.
by Annette @ Wellness WA | Dec 21, 2011 | Alternative Therapy, At Home, Products
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I’ve always been intrigued by the senses we have, and losing even one would be life changing. No tasting mum’s cooking, no watching your favourite trash TV, no cuddling with your dog and feeling how soft his ears are, no listening to your girlfriends re-cap a bad date, no smelling the roses/the coffee/clean laundry.
Which is why I think we should make the most of our senses and push them to the sensory limits.
My grandad went blind a few years ago. He was a computer nut, a woodworker and loved watching the cricket at the WACA. Fast forward to now, his life is completely different. Really, all he wants is a good nights’ sleep because the sun no longer controls his body clock.
This got me thinking about ways to relax and calm the mind to drift off to sleep when you’re limited by the senses you do, or don’t, have. I always breathe very deeply to fall asleep, so to enhance the benefits of focusing on breathing for relaxation I started to look into aromatherapy.
After all my research, I ended up realising I’d get more bang for my buck making a few different natural products if I was going to invest in essential oils and other aromatherapy supplies. The three below work out as nice cost-effective Christmas presents if you make them in bulk (around 10 or more of each) and use similar essential oils in each.
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“Dream On” Pillow Spray
Lavender, orange & lemongrass
According to Smell Boffins & Researchers, lavender produces calming, soothing and sedative effects when the scent is inhaled. Lemongrass revitalises the body and relieves the symptoms of jetlag, clears headaches and helps to combat exhaustion and stress-related conditions. Just what grandpa ordered!
You will need:
♥ Lavender essential oil
♥ Orange essential oil
♥ Lemongrass essential oil
♥ Water
♥ 30-50mL plastic spray bottle (re-use an old hair product container, or buy new)
This is dead easy. Fill the bottle up to about 1cm from the top (excl. where the cap screws on). Either straight from the bottles, or using a pipette, add:
6ish drops of Lavender
4ish drops of Orange
4ish drops of Lemongrass.
You might need more if you’re bottle is bigger than about 50mL, or if you want a bit more oomph!
Shake well, spritz on pillows and bed linen, sleep tight all night!
Stay tuned for 2 more posts and yummy recipes to try! x
By Gemma Clark, an 8-hours-a-night sleeper with soft lips whose entire house smells like a lavender bush.
