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I recently started a new job in the CBD and boy, life has definitely changed up a gear! I love my job, but lately I’ve found stress getting the better of me, and I’ve been feeling the physical effects of sitting at a desk from 9 to 5. What is a hard working city gal to do?!

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Enter The Yoga Vine, with a super convenient pop-up location next to The Aviary at 140 William Street in the Perth CBD. Classes are held in what looks like a newly renovated office space, which works really well, as the area is open and full of natural light. I attended one of their 45 minute lunchtime classes, and at the bargain-basement price of $10 a session, forget picking up a toasted turkish and use your lunch money for this instead! The website asks participants to bring their own mats, though on the day I attended our lovely instructor Amanda brought a few extras along.

We started with some breath work, moved into sun salutations and then into several trikonasana poses. These sequences really called on my hips and hamstrings, and after a long morning at my desk, it felt amazing to stretch them out. To finish, we practiced some balance poses, and ended in savasana (always a crowd favourite!).

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I was a bit worried that I would return to work in the mood for a snooze, but I found the exact opposite- I felt invigorated and fresh- and had a super productive afternoon! I really liked that the class seemed to be tailor-made for office workers, including poses accessible to beginners and experienced yogis alike. I would wholeheartedly recommend Yoga Om to anyone with the ability to attend- not only does it offer the opportunity to include yoga into your exercise routine (or to try it for the first time!), it’s the perfect midday pick-me-up before heading back to the office to meet that 3.30pm deadline.

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Classes also run on Monday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings in the William Street location, and The Yoga Vine offer a number of other public classes in North Perth and Osborne Park. Visit www.theyogavine.com.au for more information.

Is anyone excited to give these classes a try? How do you use your lunch break to maximise your wellness? Let me know in your comments below!

Article by Katie, a corporate green smoothie lover and yoga newbie.

Be well,

xoxo

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As a devout once-a-week yogi for the past twelve months, I recently found myself looking for more class options that would mean I could increase my structured practice to twice a week and reap the rewards of increased practice. However, the financial commitment of two classes a week was a barrier for me given I currently exist in a saving-for-a-house black hole. Then, right on cue, I discovered lululemon athletica community classes at the Perth City store.

lululemon offer a variety of complimentary community classes – yoga classes in store, to anyone and everyone who would like to attend, and there is no catch. The underlying philosophy behind lululemon is producing yoga inspired athletic apparel that will encourage and help people to be active, stress-free and live their best & most fun lives, therefore making the world a better place.

Every week lululemon stores move their thoughtfully designed and brightly coloured apparel aside, unroll yoga mats and turn their stores into instant yoga studios. Classes are led by a variety of local instructors that reflect lululemon’s core values, ensuring the offering is spirited and varied. All this in an effort to spread yoga and fitness to their communities.

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This month lululemon athletica Perth City have been offering three community classes a week, and I was lucky enough to try out both the Saturday morning yoga for runners class with Donna Buchanan from The Yoga Vine, and the Wednesday evening upbeat vinyasa class with Laura Carroll from Rooftop Yoga.

My highlight from this month’s classes was definitely the dolphin pose/head stand pose sequence in Donna’s class. Never have I been more comfortable in the knowledge that I was likely to fall over in a room full of people whilst attempting my first full head stand.

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Both classes were completely different, yet sublime. One of my favourite things about the community classes is the exposure you gain to different types of yoga and teaching methods. This alone is working wonders for my overall understanding of yoga, not to mention working my body differently each time I practice.

Make sure you check out the community events calendar on lululemon Perth City’s website so you can fill up your diary with divine yoga dates!

lululemon Perth City is located at:

Shop H127, in the enex 100 building in Hay Street Mall – look for the giant purple Buddha!

Have you tried the complimentary classes at Lululemon? We'd love to hear from you so leave a comment below!

Review by Kimberley, a Kiwi migrant to Perth who is a lawyer by day, yoga convert and dog lover.

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Perth City Farm is located in East Perth next to Claisebrook train station, and every Saturday morning from 8am-12pm you can find the Farmers Market, brimming with fresh produce from growers that are either organic, in conversion to organic, biodynamic or who farm ethically and sustainably (which includes spray-free produce). All of the fresh market goodies are grown locally, meaning they don’t have to travel as far before reaching your plate, which also means less pollution going into the environment as a result.

Aside from the wonderful fresh fruits, vegetables and home-made produce you can find additional organic or biodynamic items to stock your pantry and fridge with including meats, dairy products, eggs, olive oils, breads, health foods, clothes and even household products which are gentle on the environment, face and body creams, books and seeds.

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Once the live music invites you in, it’s easy to feel as though you are walking through someone’s back yard as the community gardens, or more aptly named urban farm, surrounds you. Here you can see the real core of the Perth City Farm initiative, which is to promote environmental awareness and educate those who visit about sustainable living. Being a not-for-profit organisation, Perth City Farm is run completely by volunteers.

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As you move from stall to stall, the growers greet you with a friendly smile and love to tell you all about their latest offerings while letting you have a taste of whatever it is you are looking to put in your basket.
On my last visit, my haul for the morning included some beautiful sweet and juicy local mangoes and plums, an organic baguette and a variety of fresh vegetables and herbs to make my body and taste buds sing.

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…and one of the best things about the farmers market is that once you have completed your grocery shopping, you can relax with a coffee and breakfast in the solar powered cafe, which produces meals and delicious treats containing local and organic ingredients. What more could you ask for on a Saturday morning?

You can find out more at perthcityfarm.org.au or by visiting the markets on Saturday morning at 1 City Farm Place East Perth.

Have you been to City Farm before? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!

Written by Alice – yogini, health nut and lover of all things organic, who loves to spend a sunny Saturday morning strolling through her local farmers markets.

Be well,

xoxo

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My skincare routine has really been ramping up lately. I’ve started a course of LED light treatments at mi:skn (15 minutes of blue light to kill acne bacteria, then 15 minutes of red light to rejuvenate the skin and get the blood flowing), have been seeing a lovely naturopath, Marnie Downer, for the past 6 weeks who has prescribed me some hormone balancing herbal remedies (more on this to come!), have been drinking copious amounts of green juices and water – and am about to get back into exercise in a serious manner by way of a new personal trainer!!

The next step was to try something I’d been wanting to experience for a long time – microdermabrasion! Buoyed by all the positive reviews our other contributors have had (check ’em out here, here and here!), I was super excited to try hydradermabrasion – which is microdermabrasion, with a h20 twist!

My experience started with a deluxe treat, a 90 minute ‘Retreat for One‘ that was my gift for starting a new full-time job last month. This is one of my all time favourite pamper sessions, I recommend it to everyone.

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But back to the facial: it starts with an orchid filled, dimly lit room. My head resting on one of the comfiest pillows of all time, with another pillow under my knees and a deliciously cosy blanket – no chance of getting chilly here!

I have combination skin, so my face is cleansed with the Sodashi Clay Cleanser with Lime (this is the one I use at home too) to balance it out.

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Next, the microdermabrasion machine comes out to play, it’s kind of like the tube at the dentist which sucks up your saliva, but with a little abrasive brush on the tube so the dead skin cells are brushed off then sucked up like magic. The second part of the process is where the hydro comes in, it feels a bit like a cats rough tongue as the tiny stream of high-pressured water is applied and then sucked up, flushing the pores clean with pure water.

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At this point I touched my skin and it felt SMOOTH. Smoother than I have ever felt it. I didn’t have too long to think about that though, as the Sodashi Recovery Boost was applied, along with a calming mask to reduce any redness (which was minimal). My scalp was then whisked to heaven with a dreamy massage… at this point I was struggling to stay awake, and as the hot towels enveloped my face to take off the mask, I felt like snuggling into the bed and staying there all day.

♥ The Bodhi J Relaxation Lounge

Unluckily for me there were other people with much deserved pamper time waiting for their time in the gorgeous room, so with a hydrating Sodashi serum applied, I dragged myself out of there and into the comfortable relaxation lounge for a cup of mint & chamomile tea, a strawberry and some reflection on the blissful 2.5 hours (including my retreat for one) that had just passed.

The verdict? My skin LOVED the hydrodermabrasion. 24 hours+ later, it’s still feeling super smooth. My chin is prone to some pimples, and it hasn’t cleared those up, but the rest of my skin is looking great and I’ll definitely be adding microdermabrasion to my skin maintenance routine 4-5 times a year.

The Hydrodermabrasion treatment is valued at $140 and was provided complimentary for review, read our review policy here!

Find out more about Bodhi J Health + Beauty spa on their website.

Have you tried microdermabrasion before? What about hydrodermabrasion? I’d love to hear anyone elses experience with either of these treatments!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

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A few weeks ago I got to spend some time at what I'm not afraid to say is the most elegantly decorated spa I've ever had the pleasure of being pampered in. And Vanity Box Skin Couture in Perth (the intersection of East Perth, Highgate & Maylands) isn't just a pretty face, though their exquisite decor is the initial drawcard, it's the warm welcome, ambiance and list of 'little extras' about a mile long that really impress. This is definitely your go-to if all out luxury and service is on the cards.

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My purpose for visiting Vanity Box was to spend an hour and a half with the gorgeous and delightfully friendly owner, Suzey, to road-test one of her 'bespoke' treatments. Basically this means that you book in for a certain amount of time, and in consultation with Suzey decide on the day what you most feel like having done. Genius! It makes sense to be guided by what your skin and body need at the time, and I've never come across a service like this before, so I was very excited to see what she would suggest for me.

The room I was in, stunning right?!

My afternoon of delights starts with some candle warmed berry tea, while the strains of classical music wash over me and the relaxation process begins…

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For someone so petite Suzey has strong hands, which are capable of tailoring the massage treatments to your liking, from tender butterfly kisses, all the way up to strong deep tissue work. My massage was a mixture of both, the preceding deep tissue working out all of my computer slouching sins, while the follow up gentle massage sent me to the brink of sleep. The classical music played during the second half of the massage transported me to a perfectly choreographed ballet, where her hands were the world renowned dancers, and my back the stage.

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The Priori Natureceuticals Coffeeberry Relaxing Yoga Treatment (75 mins) is said to be an intensely relaxing anti-ageing treatment that reduces tension and stress levels as well as brightening the skin. This is where the little extras really kicked in.

♥ My face was massaged extensively during the facial, which was a very enjoyable experience and is meant to help with relieving stress.

♥ I was brought a much appreciated hot water bottle (with plush covering) and a warmed eye bag as it was chilly that day, both of which I loved.

♥ While the face mask was setting I received the longest and most glorious arm massage ever. Divine.

♥ Post-facial I was offered a light mineral makeup application, I gratefully accepted as my skin has been playing up lately and the thought of going bare-faced was a little scary on that day 😉

The second room at Vanity Box – so pretty, this one's my fave!

With my bespoke treatments complete, relaxed muscles and brighter complexion in tow, I couldn't help but think that Vanity Box has completely hit the nail on the head in terms of combining stunning surroundings, wonderful service and a sense of being welcome in those who visit.

This gorgeous spa is the definition of opulence – without the attitude.

Vanity Box Skin Couture
Dilhorn Manor
178 Claisebrook Road
Perth Western Australia 6000

t : +61 8 6468 6471
m : +61 433 133 573
e : info@vanitybox.net.au
w: vanitybox.net.au
price list: available here

Have you heard of this spa before? What do you think of the decor? And how about the sound of a yoga facial? Lets chat below!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo