Posts belonging to Category 'South of River'

Day Spa Review: 3 Hours of Absolute Bliss at Cove Spa in South Perth!


Nestled amongst the beautiful houses and quiet streets of South Perth, Cove Day Spa provides an urban wellness oasis. Coinciding with my 6 week liver and kidney detox (a decision I deeply regretted on Australia Day!), I decided that now was the perfect time to take advantage of Cove Spa's awesome summer special- the full body cleanse!

After changing into the standard fluffy white robe I was led to the relaxation room (filled with lemon water, snacks and tea) to fill out a quick questionnaire and settle in. Shortly after I was greeted by my warm and very knowledgeable therapist Kylie, whom escorted me to my treatment room.

The full body cleanse package consists of 5 treatments:

Urine PH and Heavy Metal Test

We started off with a 20 minute health and lifestyle consultation, which included a urine pH and heavy metal check. It was exciting and very interesting. Kylie explained the results of my test and gave some good lifestyle tips including the benefits of dry body brushing and green drinks.

Far Infrared Sauna

A hidden sanctuary houses the infrared sauna and has a very tropical feel. I was given a glass of fresh coconut water to hydrate and left to myself for the next 30 minutes to relax. Infrared saunas differ from traditional saunas in that they heat the body not the air. They warm the muscles and joints and stimulate fat cells to release toxins. Afterwards I felt quite warm, but wasn’t overly hot and sweaty like I would normally be from a traditional sauna.

Full Body Massage

After hopping up onto the most comfy massage bed ever (think fluffy pillowed clouds), I was massaged all over with a special blend of detoxifying essential oils. The smell was divine and the pressure was perfect.

Body Scrub, Wrap & Chakra Balancing Facial

The sugar crystal scrub felt amazing, exfoliating every little bit of my body. I was then wrapped up while my facial got underway. Along with an awesome face massage, warm amethyst crystals were rubbed all over my face to stimulate the internal detoxifying organs and get rid of negative energy. So good!

Disco Shower, AKA Swiss Shower

Finally, I was left to rinse and re-energise in the Swiss shower. Swiss showers feature multiple showerheads that alternate warm and cold water. A highly invigorating experience! This particular shower also had flashing coloured lights (hence my nickname for it), which I was told was a form of colour therapy. One wonders whether Swiss showers are sold on Gumtree….

Finishing off in the relaxation room with a cup of the spas signature tea (a blend of cinnamon, ginger, cardamon and cloves) and a delicious bowl of probiotic yoghurt with berries, I was definitely in bliss town 🙂

Overall the service was professional and welcoming. The spa was very clean and the attention to detail was great. A perfect gift for a mother, sister, friend, yourself or even a significant male friend. Whomever for, if you’re interested in a little relaxation, detoxification and a brand new start, this treatment would be perfect!

** This special wellness promotion has been extended especially for Wellness WA readers until the end of March, mention Wellness WA upon booking to gain access to this gorgeous & life-changing 2.5 hour package for $260!

Cove Spa
47 Tate St South Perth WA 6151
(08) 9367 1877

Visit Cove Spa online at:

www.covespa.com.au
Facebook

Review by Kavisha, self confessed ‘health foodie’ & spa convert. She is currently studying for her Master of Wellness at RMIT University and blogs at bebalancedbewell.tumblr.com

Be well,

xoxo

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Share the Gift of an Inspiring and Restoring Weekend Retreat at Samudra!

Samudra, the Wellness jewel of the South West region, is offering a holiday special on all of its weekend retreats for 2013: Receive 20% off if you book you and a friend or loved one by 31 December 2012!

These transformative weekend retreats are the perfect opportunity for a quick get away to refresh and restore your body, mind and heart – and who doesn’t need that at this time of year?! All whilst gaining insights into making healthy changes in your life. You will participate in daily yoga classes, where Samudra’s highly qualified yoga teachers will help you develop a practice to take home.

You will also learn meditation and yogic breathing techniques to help calm the mind, discover how to use nature’s seasonal elements to enhance your diet and lifestyle regime, and take part in live-food demonstrations and other retreat specific talks. All this whilst being nourished with fresh and flavourful organic plant-based meals served from Samudra’s award winning café. You can choose from an array of holistic and inspiring retreat themes, including Yoga & Vitality, Women’s Wellness, Seasonal Detoxing, Yoga & Surfing, Yoga & Ayurveda and Yoga & Sustainable Living.

Located in the heart of Dunsborough, Samudra is only a two and a half hour drive from Perth… but in just two days your life as you know it will be changed!

You will feel renewed and inspired, and will re-enter your day-to-day routine with more enthusiasm, joy and vitality. What a perfect gift to share with a friend or loved one this holiday season!! Visit www.samudra.com.au or call 08 9779 9977 for more details and bookings.

This is a sponsored post, which helps us to keep helping you!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

Exercise Review: Bikram Yoga Victoria Park, Perth!

There’s most certainly a right and wrong way to go about Bikram Yoga. I learnt this the hard way. My first session I turned up in my standard gym gear = long yoga pants, a t-shirt and a leotard thing (so I can bend this way and that and not have my belly fall out), and realised my mistake as soon as I entered the studio. The vast majority of the 30-ish attendees were wearing what I first thought were bikinis, but turned out to be Bikram-intended gym gear. These people had the right idea. Before I’d even started, I had condensation dripping from my eyelashes.

And there’s definitely a learning curve. The three sessions I went to followed a pattern – I would arrive, enter the room and be freshly shocked at HOW warm Bikram yoga is (40 C), lie down on my mat and start to feel like I was adjusting and this might be okay – then the instructor would enter and we’d start moving. I lasted 40 minutes in my first session, overdressed and not hydrated enough, and drove home bewildered and drenched.

My second attempt was far better. I wore as little as I was able and attended an evening class, meaning I had a whole afternoon to get hydrated enough in preparation, which made a big difference. I left the room twice to pace around in the air conditioning before heading back in, but I still stayed until the end of the 90 minute session. I considered this progress, and decided to give it a third shot to see if I could top that effort.

Third session was exhilarating. I didn’t leave the room, though I did sit sweating on my mat to recover every once and a while. But I still stayed for 90 minutes and emerged sweaty and victorious at the end, feeling like I’d proved to myself that I could adjust to what felt like an insurmountably difficult physical challenge.

And the end result is fantastic. Once you’ve rehydrated (and I deeply recommend the Chi Coconut Water available at the front desk) you feel godlike. You’re energised, ultra limber and have all those good aches that tell you you’ve done well.

My particular Bikram was at the newly opened Bikram Yoga Victoria Park – and I had three different instructors over that session. The circuit of poses was identical each day, which was a small mercy since there was a collective boneless relief when we moved to the second half of the session (the stuff on the floor). Our instructors all wore headsets and talked continuously through the 90 minute class. Granted, they weren’t doing the full exercise that we were, but they were still demonstrating, wandering between people and fixing postures. It struck me as incredibly exhausting. There must have been some serious tolerance build up in that.

Ultimately I had a really positive experience – I feel like I was worked hard and got results, and the staff were professional and friendly. I’m even considering some of those Bikram bikini things. I’m a sucker for nice new gym gear.

♥ There are even showers you can use before/after class!

Bikram Yoga Victoria Park has a rather awesome beginner’s deal that I’d recommend: Ten days of unlimited Bikram for $20!

I spread my three sessions over five days, and the amount of improvement I felt just in those three sessions drives home for me that it really is something that needs to be done in bursts, multiple sessions in close proximity. Karen, the vibrant and ultra-fit Studio Director confirmed as much by very gently suggesting I come back for the third class, and I’m glad I did. (She also clarified for me that I was not, in fact, drowning in my own sweat, but in an ungodly amount of condensation. This is very reassuring). Can I also suggest that you remove all makeup before heading in there? I finished a session looking like I’d emerged from a screening of The Notebook.

Bikram Yoga Victoria Park

Unit 1, 345 Shepperton Road
East Victoria Park, Perth

Ph: (08) 9470 5700

E: info@bikramvicparkperth.com.au

Have you tried Bikram Yoga before, or want to? Does the idea of heat-based exercise excite or scare you? Lets chat in the comments!

Review by Suzanne from Don’t They Know Who I Am?

Be well,

xoxo

2 Day Raw Food & Detox Course with Amy Rachelle – Naturopath, Raw Food/Detox Expert (USA) – August 11-12.

2 Day Raw Food & Detox Course
with Amy Rachelle, naturopath and raw food/detox expert (USA)
August 11 – 12
8:30 am – 5:30 pm

Saturday Chef Course & Sunday 1 Day Detox

Want to learn more about raw foods and how to transition to eating healthier? Curious about detoxing your body? In this weekend course, Amy will teach basic food prep principles that include how to set up your kitchen, to stocking it, to planning and preparing for tasty, easeful eating – and she will lead a one day detox tailored to your needs.

About Amy:

Based in New York City and Bali, Indonesia – Amy Rachelle created Pure Raw in 2005. Coaching individuals and groups on the Pure Raw approach to rawfoods (candida free vegan rawfood, proper food combining, low glycemic, little nut use, emotional work) – her work is a successful formula based on sunfood nutrition, internal cleansing, developing healthy habits, therapeutic emotional processing, meditation, and yoga.

Amy has worked in the U.S. and abroad for the past 10 years guiding thousands of people through her sequential raw food, cleansing, and life transformation programs. In her work she's witnessed the transformation of issues related to weight, skin imbalances, acne, colitis, constipation, digestive difficulities, bloating, headaches, depression, mental instability, fatigue, candida, aging, emotional disturbances, insomnia, purposelessness, and more. With Amy at the helm and supported by her hand picked personally trained teachers, Pure Raw offers beginner to advanced body, mind, and spirit purification programs and education for personal growth and physical/emotional healing.

Amy began her holistic studies as a child with her mother as her first teacher. She received formal education from The University of Georgia and completed her naturopathic doctor degree with Trinity College in the U.S.

I've lost about 10 pounds, and keeping it off this time! Thank you so much for all you do, your insight, your experience, support, etc.” – Kimberly

You are an amazing goddess! Kiyo and I thank you for sharing your pure raw wisdom! David `Avocado` is the god and you are the goddess of true healthy eating and living! We honor you!” – Shivani & Kiyo

♥ Course Weekend Schedule ♥

If you're interested in an amazing weekend of complete wellbeing, detoxing and an intro to raw foods – plus plenty of delicious treats, breath work, meditation and more, then I hope you can come along! As soon as I found out about this workshop I knew I had to share with you all, especially since it's so reasonably priced for a 2 day wellness love-in!

Plus, if you mention Wellness WA / Annette when booking in, you'll receive a 15% discount! Taking the already reasonable price down to $191.25 for two days of total wellbeing 🙂 Hope to see as many of you there as possible, spaces are limited to 25 and quite a few places have already been taken, so get in quick! 🙂 XO

Investment: $225 – 15% for mentioning Wellness WA = $191.25
Location: Fremantle
More info: www.amyrachelle.com
Contact Yuliana Tan – tanyuliana@gmail.com to book in!

Be well,

Annette

xoxo

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Healthy Restaurant Review: Ootong & Lincoln, South Fremantle.

Situated on the peace loving side of South Fremantle, Ootong & Lincoln is my latest go-to healthy café. Serving breakfast and lunch 7 days a week, their exciting menu is quite extensive and offers a great range of vegan and vegetarians options. The range of deliciously sinful (in-house) baked goodies are your skinny jeans’ worst nightmare. BE AWARE. You will be overwhelmed by choice!

This was my third dining experience at O&L. The first time I indulged in a delectably moist slice of carrot cake and a freshly squeezed juice (which came served in the cutest glass jug!) The second time, I enjoyed a tasty roast veggie frittata with a sweet potato side salad. This time it was breakfast time!

Although the green smoothie (apple, greens, lemon, kiwi, banana, chia) sounded tempting, I opted for an iced green tea, along with the mushroom, tomato, fetta, rocket and basil pesto on sourdough. YUM! My vegan dining buddy also opted for a savoury option, choosing the tomato and avocado on sourdough. Both dishes looked amazing and were enthusiastically received. The food was so flavorsome and fresh and demolished accordingly 😛


O&L use ingredients that are both locally sourced and organic (bonus!), and the prices are quite fair for the generous portions you receive. The service is friendly, and the atmosphere is relaxed and casual. Grab yourself a comfy couch or a spot on the long communal table and share with friendly strangers. The place can get quite busy on weekends, so I’d get in early!

Ootong & Lincoln is open 7 days a week, serving breakfast & lunch from 6.30AM-5PM.

Address: 258 South Terrace, South Fremantle, (08) 9335 6109
Facebook: Ootong & Lincoln

Ootong & Lincoln on Urbanspoon

Article by Kavisha, self confessed ‘health foodie’ who believes a little dessert is good for the soul. She is currently studying for her Master of Wellness at RMIT University and blogs at Style My Coconut.