Summer is quickly approaching and with outdoor activities in full swing, Spavia Day Spa would like to remind everyone of the dangers of skin cancer. Skin cancer is the most common of all cancers and sun exposure is the leading cause of premature aging. In light of Skin Cancer Awareness Month, Spavia teaches guests to understand the healthy ways to protect their skin. Unprotected sun exposure is the most preventable risk factor for skin cancer and Spavia provides many affordable skin care spa treatments to help guests keep their skin healthy and protected in the summer sun! Sun Safety Tips Consumers frequently misuse sunscreens and spend more time in the sun than they should, putting themselves at greater risk. Sun damage accumulates over the years from small exposures such as walking to the mailbox to spending hours relaxing at the beach. Did you know?

• UV rays can damage your skin in as little as 5 – 15 minutes depending on your skin type
• 5 million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in the United States each year
• 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer in his or her lifetime
• Having 5 or more sunburns can double your risk for melanoma

The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends the following steps to prevent sun damage:

• Use broad-spectrum UVA/UVB sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher
• Apply an adequate amount of sunscreen (2 tablespoons of sunscreen for the entire body or an almond size for the face)
• Apply sunscreen 30 minutes before sun exposure and reapply every two hours or after swimming
• Seek shade from 10 am to 4 pm
• Cover with clothing (SPF clothing is available for added protection)
• Wear a broad-brimmed hat and UV-blocking sunglasses
• Avoid indoor tanning
• Take additional caution near water, snow, and sand, as they reflect UV rays increasing your chance of a sunburn

Spavia Day Spa’s Skin Cancer Awareness Products Spavia chooses a natural approach with mineral sunscreens containing zinc and titanium dioxide. Mineral sunscreens are non-allergenic, stable in sunlight, create a physical barrier that reflects UV rays, provide greater protection against UVA (aging) rays, protect against blue light and do not disrupt the body’s natural hormones. Spavia Day Spa also utilizes mineral makeup that provides a natural mineral sunscreen, with SPF 20, for added protection and beauty. Over-the-counter sunscreens contain synthetic chemicals that are very easily absorbed into the body and studies have shown them to cause skin sensitivities and allergies. Spavia estheticians teach guests to reduce their chance of skin cancer and premature aging by choosing a healthy natural skin care routine to protect their skin. Spavia Day Spa believes in a natural approach to skin protection with the use of mineral sunscreens, mineral makeup, and sunless tanning to keep skin young and glowing all year long. As part of the Spavia membership wellness program, guests receive results-driven skin care with natural customized solutions for their skin type. Guests can also submerge themselves with a summer glow without the sun’s harmful rays with the sun-kissed sunless tanning treatment. Spavia is proud to carry Image PREVENTION+ products that help to protect and nourish your skin against the sun. Check out some of our favorite PREVENTION+ products containing SPF, especially the newly relaunched Daily Hydrating Moisturizer! PREVENTION+ Daily Hydrating Moisturizer SPF 30+

• 100% mineral filter with broad-spectrum UVA and UVB protection
• New, reimagined texture reminiscent of the original, the upgraded formula is formulated with sheer zinc oxide for a weightless feel
• Helps protect against environmental skin stressors and blue light emitted from devices: computers, smartphones & tablets
• All skin types especially dry, dehydrated, environmentally stressed

PREVENTION+ Daily Tinted Moisturizer SPF 30+

• Provides a hint of color that subtly evens out skin tone and gives a healthy glow
• 100% mineral filter with broad-spectrum UVA and UVB protection
• All skin types, uneven skin color and tone

PREVENTION+ Daily Matte Moisturizer SPF 32+

• This oil-free, broad-spectrum UVA/UVB sunscreen delivers high sun protection in a mattifying, antioxidant-rich base that’s perfect for oily and acne-prone skin types
• Skin types: combination, oily, and acne-prone

PREVENTION+ Daily Ultimate Protection Moisturizer SPF 50

• Our strongest protection, perfect for outdoor activities, sports, and high sun exposure
• Formulated with organic zinc oxide and UV blockers
• Sheer finish and weightless feel
• Perfect for all skin types

PREVENTION+ Daily Defense Lip Enhancer SPF 15

• • Hydrating, restorative lip complex with SPF 15 protection for everyday use
  • Formulated with marine collagen microspheres that promote the look of plumpness and fullness in the lips

Start prepping your skin for summertime by finding your local Spavia today!

Mother’s Day is a day to sit back and acknowledge all of the incredible efforts that come with being a mom. They take on the endless job to provide healthy and happy lives for their kids. A day to honor such strong and dedicated women is not enough to appreciate all that they do, but instead is a day to reflect on all of the good that they bring into our lives. Spavia Day Spa is proud to have a strong community of women who take on different roles as mothers and loved ones, and we want to recognize a few of those amazing women with a fun Q&A!

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Meet Jessica, Director of Spa Services on the National Team! Moms are always on the go. What are your tips for staying healthy and taking time for yourself? Invest in equipment to have at home! I typically watch my favorite show and work out at the same time. Even if it is only 20-30 minutes and I don't lose time commuting to a gym! My kids know it is my time to unwind and burn off energy and I am still home to be with them. What lessons have you learned from your kids during COVID? My kids are constantly telling me to stop worrying, everything will be fine. There is a saying - there are 99 things to worry about that will never happen. It is so true and they are great about enjoying the present and staying in the moment. I don't think mothers can ever stop worrying about our kids but Covid really has allowed more family time and I love that. What do you like most about Spavia? What are your favorite Spavia treatments? What don't I love about Spavia! I think my favorite thing about Spavia is the affordability it provides our guests which allows our specialists to work through a treatment plan for best results. My favorite treatments at Spavia are the Hydraderm and Salt Stone Massage. What is your favorite Spavia Spa Boutique product? This is a hard one as I have many favorites. I think it is almost impossible to choose! If I had to choose one for each category. Skincare: Image Ageless Total Retinol A Cream Massage/Body: Rad Helix Beauty: Chella Brow Cream

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Meet Kari, the owner of Spavia Park Meadows! Moms are always on the go. What are your tips for staying healthy and taking time for yourself? For almost 15 years now, Spavia has been a core part of my self-care routine. Having that designated time to myself to relax and come away feeling and looking better has been incredibly important. What lessons have you learned from your kids during COVID? It has been difficult at times watching my kids go through the experience of losing so much of their normal routines, yet at the same time learning how to embrace this new way of life has been inspiring to me. I learn just as much from them about how to be resilient, adaptable, and to never stop asking questions! What is your favorite Spavia Spa Boutique product? Right now, I am obsessed with the Comfort Zone Tranquility Oil! The aroma is so pleasant and calming, a wonderful addition to any long soak in the tub!

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Meet Sandra, a Spavia Member! Moms are always on the go. What are your tips for staying healthy and taking time for yourself? When you take care of yourself, you feel better and have more energy. Exercising is a great way to do so, and my favorites are yoga, pilates, and walking the treadmill! I also go in for my massage and facial once a month to treat myself to more me-time. What lessons have you learned from your kids during COVID? Most of my kids stayed with me during quarantine and I got to see how close all of them are when we played games over the weekend and just watched tv together. I learned from them during that time that it's best to laugh and be around family during difficult times. What do you like most about Spavia? What are your favorite Spavia treatments? I love the team members at Spavia because they are easy to talk to and I feel so welcomed every time I go there. My favorite treatments are the Hydraderm and the Signature Massage. What is your favorite Spavia Spa Boutique product? So many to choose from! But I would have to go with the Image Ageless Total Resurfacing Masque and the Image Iluma Intense Brightening Serum!

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Meet Jennifer, the owner of Spavia Lafayette! Moms are always on the go. What are your tips for staying healthy and taking time for yourself? I try to schedule some me-time at the spa at least once a month. Keeping water and on-the-go snacks helps between running the spa and being a realtor! What lessons have you learned from your kids during COVID? Covid really made us slow down and be present. We enjoyed so many family game nights and family dinners without having to rush to do homework. What do you like most about Spavia? What are your favorite Spavia treatments? I love the retreat room! Our guests come early to relax and stay a little after. It’s such a relaxing and serene space that really allows the mind to absorb the peacefulness that we deserve. My favorite treatments have to be the 100-minute couple’s massage and all the special facials. What is your favorite Spavia Spa Boutique product? Oh, man! That’s a toss-up! I wear Scout bracelets, use Comfort Zone in between treatments, use my Sonoma Lavender neck pillow almost daily, and fill my house with Sweet Grace!

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Meet Stephanie, the owner of Spavia West Plano! Moms are always on the go. What are your tips for staying healthy and taking time for yourself? For me, I find that eating fruits and vegetables gives me tons of energy. (I switched to eating vegan a little over a year now and have been loving the energy I've gained!). I bring apples, bananas, and oranges with me everywhere I go so I always have healthy snacks with me. It's hard for me to find time to exercise, so I run around with the kids and chase them on the playgrounds whenever we can. They love it and I get some good exercise. What lessons have you learned from your kids during COVID? I've learned so much about their learning styles and individual personalities. We've spent so much more time together this year. We work on school together and have done a better job of playing games and getting outside together. While this past year has been very stressful, I'm so fortunate to have them with me so much more and deepen our relationships. What do you like most about Spavia? What are your favorite Spavia treatments? I love how Spavia allows me to spend more time with my family. I have a fantastic leadership team that provides amazing customer service, a world-class manager, and a spa that our guests absolutely love. I can't pick just one favorite treatment - I love the Deep Tissue Massage (it's always my favorite!) and the new Signature Classic Refresh Facial is divine. What is your favorite Spavia Spa Boutique product? Just one?! I love the Comfort Zone Essential Facial Wash and I use it with my SpaCell every day. My skin always feels so smooth and smells so clean! And I wear the Image Tinted Moisturizer every day to protect my skin and give it a slight tint. I don't leave the house without it!

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Meet Jamie, an esthetician at Spavia Park Meadows! Moms are always on the go. What are your tips for staying healthy and taking time for yourself? It is a constant challenge to set time away for myself, but I am truly blessed that my family is close to help me when I need a little break. It is true when they say, it takes a village to raise these little people. What lessons have you learned from your kids during COVID? Luckily, my kids are still little, so COVID has not affected them too much nor do we try to draw too much attention to it but we have learned that kids are a lot more able to adapt to new circumstances than adults, that is for sure! What do you like most about Spavia? What are your favorite Spavia treatments? Being that I came from the “corporate world,” I love that Spavia is a much slower-paced environment, and my work does not come home with me. It is less stressful which is helpful when coming home to kids at the end of the day. I love that I get to go to work every day enjoying what I do. I enjoy our eyelash extensions and Hydraderm treatment as they give you that little pick me up, which every mom loves! What is your favorite Spavia Spa Boutique product? I enjoy all the seasonal boutique products that Spavia offers as I can always find something cute to add to my home for each holiday.

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Mother’s Day is a beautiful reminder to spend some extra time appreciating all that they do. One simple way to do so is to give her time to herself with a gift card from Spavia so she can take some much-deserved time to Relax, Recenter and Renew. Find a Spavia near you!

Allison Langenderfer, Co-Founder and President of Spavia Day Spa is thrilled to interview the creator behind the award-winning, all-natural CBD skincare line, CAUSE+MEDIC. Hugh Huffaker, CEO and Co-Founder is here to share personal insights on what drove him to start CAUSE+MEDIC, what differentiates his products and company in the CBD industry, and a few fun facts about what makes him who he is today! Allison: Let’s start from the beginning, why did you start CAUSE+MEDIC? Hugh: I decided to go into the health and wellness industry after my mother was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis a decade ago. She suffered from terrible leg spasms nightly and none of the muscle relaxers seemed to help at all. Upon reading about the strong connection between the endocannabinoid system and the central nervous system, I began researching how CBD could be used to help treat multiple sclerosis and started a CBD company called CAUSE+MEDIC which now holds patents on its micro-encapsulation process for increasing the solubility of CBD through the skin. CAUSE+MEDIC is not a traditional CBD company and partners only in the spa, club, and fitness industries. CAUSE+MEDIC also owns a spa in the beautiful mountain town of Buena Vista, Colorado where all new cutting-edge CBD treatments are being trialed. CAUSE+MEDIC has been featured in Forbes, Modern Luxury and has recently won Organic Spa Magazine's "Top CBD skincare Brand of 2020". Allison: What are the key benefits of CBD? Hugh: My favorite benefits of CBD for the spa industry involve its interaction with the central nervous system and immune system. The endocannabinoid system will communicate with the immune system and central nervous system to help with pain and injuries when CBD is introduced and binds to its receptors. Your immune system will produce more biochemicals associated with anti-inflammation while your central nervous system will help with pain by numbing some of the pain signals being sent to the brain. Allison: CBD is everywhere, what sets your CBD products apart? Hugh: There are a few things that set us apart from the rest of the CBD industry. The first is that we are a farm-to-bottle company. We don’t white label a random massage oil and buy CBD from other CBD companies. We own a farm where we can actually grow hemp properly and make sure that no nasty herbicides and pesticides are being used. This additionally gives us a key advantage of being able to control our pricing and supply chain. Additionally, there are so many CBD companies that sell CBD joints, dog treats, skincare products, etc. Would you ever buy a skincare product from a company that also made dog treats? Absolutely not! CAUSE+MEDIC is not only a spa vendor but a spa operator. All of our products are put to the test in our spa before we launch them. We are a true spa company and you will not find our products being sold in random convenience stores or dispensaries. We create avante garde spa treatments that no one else is doing and are loyal to the spa industry. Finally, it is very important that CBD topicals absorb properly. We have a patented microencapsulation process that avoids the use of toxic chemicals, but also greatly increases the absorption of the CBD. This is extremely important for topicals. Allison: What has been the most rewarding part of starting this company? Hugh: The most rewarding part of starting this company is having so many people go out of their way to let me know how our products have impacted their lives or their loved one’s lives for the better. Every day we get a review from someone explaining how their quality of life has improved. Seeing those reviews come in really makes me feel like we are doing something good for the world. Allison: What is the most important thing you learned from starting CAUSE+MEDIC? Hugh: Stay humble and don’t forget the days of manufacturing, shipping, and receiving out of my garage. I have seen CEOs of various brands get very arrogant and lose spa customers because of that. I stay true to my roots and I’m not afraid to be the hippie jazz guitar-playing rock climber. Allison: CAUSE+MEDIC is very involved with the community. What are a few key causes that are important to you? Hugh: When someone checks out on our website, we make a donation and they get to choose where the donation goes. We have handpicked a few causes that are meaningful to us such as keeping girls in school in Africa, supporting Syrian Refugees, and restoring forests around the world that have been cleared. For more information see how our company gives back! Allison: You say you don’t believe in anti-aging. Tell us more about that philosophy. Hugh: We believe aging is a good thing. It means we are growing and evolving and, ahem… living. What we do believe in is aging well and aging healthy. We have spent many years working with various skincare lines and isolating ingredients to find out what works and what doesn’t, and thanks to the new, progressive hemp laws we have been able to incorporate CBD extractions into that hands-on study. Unlike a lot of other products, our line is free of parabens, synthetic dyes, and fragrances. We think we’ve come up with some pretty awesome alternatives to mainstream skincare and are stoked to share our formulas with you. Allison: How do you think COVID has changed the industry? Hugh: It has obviously hurt the industry in the short term, but I think in the long run it has been a warning shot to the US on healthy living. Death rates from COVID are 10 times higher in countries where most of the population is overweight. Almost half of the US is diabetic or pre-diabetic right now. I truly believe COVID is going to push us into healthier lifestyles much quicker than anticipated. When people exercise more, there will be more injuries that need massage therapy. Also, when you start to concentrate on healthy living, part of that is relaxation and spas will be there to provide when people need it. I think the spa industry will see very good times once the blowback from COVID-19 has settled. Allison: What is your favorite CAUSE+MEDIC product? Why and how often do you use it? Hugh: I probably use the pain cream the most because I always have lingering sports injuries. However, I really love mixing our body butter with coffee body scrub 1:1 to form an exfoliating cream. The combination of the coffee, lavender, and sage smells is amazing! Allison: You go a million miles a minute...What keeps you going? What motivates you every day? Hugh: I am extremely fortunate to work in industries that I truly love. I think that something like 70% of the US population is unhappy with their job and I absolutely love what I do every day. Allison: What is something that may surprise us about you? Hugh: I love playing gypsy jazz guitar and I hosted (pre-COVID) two large gypsy jazz jams monthly before everything shut down. I think it’s the most fun music in the world to play and listen to! Allison: What is your favorite spa treatment? Hugh: Gua sha and cupping with our CBD massage oil and pain cream. Allison: What do you like to do outside of work? Hugh: I love playing guitar and rock climbing, both of which I have done since I was around 11 years old. Other than that, I love being outside! Allison: I’m all about positive quotes...do you have a favorite quote? Hugh: Some people are content in the midst of deprivation and danger, while others are miserable despite having all the luck in the world. This is not to say that external circumstances do not matter. But it is your mind, rather than circumstances themselves, that determines the quality of your life. Your mind is the basis of everything you experience and of every contribution you make to the lives of others. Given this fact, it makes sense to train it.” -Sam Harris, Waking Up Allison: Thank you so much for your time, Hugh. I loved learning about the start of CAUSE+MEDIC and I'm now even more of a supporter of such great products! It is so important to educate and support our Spavia community and so grateful to have an amazing partner like CAUSE+MEDIC. Hugh: Absolutely Allison! This was so fun and I greatly appreciate your time. I know how busy you are! We absolutely love working with the Spavia family and are so appreciative of all the important wellness work your team provides in so many communities. At Spavia Day Spa, we use the CAUSE+MEDIC CBD Pain Cream and CBD Massage Oil in our CBD massage boosts to deliver immediate relief from aches, pain and inflammation, while improving overall massage experience to increase results, relaxation, and efficiency. Find a spa near you today to schedule your next treatment and add one of our CBD boosts! Learn more about CAUSE+MEDIC products to elevate your spa experience.

April has been recognized as Stress Awareness Month since 1992, but it feels especially important to acknowledge this year. Spavia Day Spa encourages you to take this month to check-in with yourself, take note of how you experience stress and recognize where you carry it. Our specialists at Spavia Day Spa help you to identify your problem areas and target them during your treatment. The most common areas that we carry stress in are the back, neck, shoulders, hips, hands, and feet. Luckily, we have massage and body treatments for them all! How Do Massages Relieve Stress? Before we dive into our incredible treatments, it’s important to know why massages help to manage stress. Regular massages can help to rebalance hormones and release muscle tension. When we are stressed, our muscles tend to tighten in response. Our treatments help to release that tension to soothe your body and melt your stress away. Stress is both physical and mental. That is why we’ve created a relaxing and peaceful environment that allows you to rest your mind and reconnect with yourself. How Spavia Day Spa Creates a Relaxing Atmosphere Just for You!

• Warm aromatherapy neck pillow
• Choice of aromatherapy lotion scent, music and conversation
• Resort-like amenities
• Spa robes and sandals
• Selection of exotic teas
• Soothing spa atmosphere complete with waterfalls, candles, inspirational readings and calming decor

Spavia Day Spa Massages Melt Stress Away Deep Tissue Therapeutic Massage: Our deeply corrective massage releases muscle tension and toxins from the body.

• Great for guests that suffer from: headaches, chronic pain, and muscle tension.
• Works deeper into the muscle to reduce the amount and size of knots decreasing pain/inflammation and providing better blood flow to the area providing relaxation and stress relief with release of muscle tension.

Salt Stone Massage: Our salt stones contain 84 minerals which restores balance to your body while nourishing depleted muscles.

• Great for guests who have insomnia, headaches, anxiety, depression and muscle tension, who are looking for deeper, corrective results without deep pressure and who enjoy the warmth for relaxation and to loosen tight muscles.
• Works to release chronic muscle tension with heat, increase circulation, boost the immune system and aid in detoxification.

Purifying Detox Wrap: Reduce the load of stress and environmental factors with this detoxifying body masque combined with warmed stones for optimal results.

• Great for guests needing detoxification, skin purification and skin soothing.
• Increases circulation, stimulates metabolism and eliminates toxins with natural ingredients that provide overall wellness, stress relief and rebalancing

Stress-relieving Spavia Skincare Did you also know facial treatments can be great for relieving stress? All Spavia facials include massage of the face, neck, shoulders, arms, and hands. The head and neck are key tension areas that can cause stress headaches. Facials can help provide relief and relaxation while also providing result driven skincare. Check out the variety of skin care treatments Spavia offers today! Try these treatments and many more to boost your mental wellness and relieve stress. Make yourself a priority during Stress Awareness Month. So, take a deep breath, find a spa near you and be ready to relax, recenter and renew.

“Spavia looks forward to a bright 2021 and we are excited to deliver an exceptional spa franchise and spa experience opportunity that includes the extra touches like luxurious spa robes, exotic teas, and aromatherapy, common characteristics of day spas. We’ve had so many massage clinics add facial treatments to their services and then put on a label of spa, but the educated guest knows the difference,” Marty continues. “Our spa franchise locations have really strong ties in their local communities. Many in our local communities rallied to support our Spavia locations during COVID-19. We would like to thank all the members, guests, team members, and of course our owners for the tremendous support and efforts we have felt over the past year.”

The Spavia concept brings a high level of service, beautiful design, a robust technology platform, and breadth of spa treatments at an affordable luxury price. Communities appreciate and deserve a higher level of service and experience than what they receive from the multitude of everyday massage spa clinics. The Spavia brand offers beautiful, relaxing retreats, spa robes, sandals, and amenities, as well as a robust menu of spa treatments. About Spavia Day Spa At Spavia, we deliver a luxurious spa experience at an affordable price. Our Spavia locations provide a variety of spa treatments like massages, facials, and skincare, body wraps, and scrubs, waxing, lash extensions, and make-up, and an opportunity to celebrate with a Spalebration™ – all in a relaxing and tranquil setting. Our spa boutique provides retail products for home-care regimens to achieve optimal results and beautiful selections for gift-giving. The first Spavia opened in 2005 in Centennial, CO with a mission to make a positive difference in the world, one guest at a time. Founders, Marty and Allison Langenderfer, and the Spavia National Team have a combined 100+ years of experience in the spa industry, leveraging its core knowledge and insights to deliver an exceptional guest experience, along with strong systems and a scalable structure. In late 2020, Spavia opened its 50th location with an additional 40 locations under development. The 50 spas currently open, demographically span over 23 states. Spavia was born out of a passion for health and wellness, spa, and entrepreneurship. Anyone interested in learning more about the Spavia Day Spa franchise journey, please visit the Spavia website at https://franchise.spaviadayspa.com/ and See Spavia’s profile on Entrepreneur.com. Click here for the published press release.

Keeping up with the latest skin care trends can be hard, especially when there is so much information out there telling you different things! Skin care doesn’t have to be complicated, and Spavia Day Spa is here to help you get back to the basics of an effective, result-driven skin care routine. At Spavia, our licensed estheticians take the time to consult with you regarding your skin care concerns, goals, lifestyle, habits, and diet to ensure you are receiving the best facial treatment and products to fit your needs and achieve maximum results. With a wide variety of treatments and products, we are sure to be your perfect match for all your skin care needs.

Treat Your Skin Right at Spavia Day Spa

Our expert estheticians will target your specific skin care concerns through a combination of skin care treatments and products. Spavia has some of the best professional facial treatments from maintenance to corrective and for all skin types. All our facial treatments include:

• Deep cleanse and exfoliation to stimulate cell turnover, unclog pores, smooth and brighten the complexion
• Massage - hand, arm, and facial massage to increase circulation and relaxation
• Complete rehydration and nourishment through targeted treatments including masks, serums and moisturization
• Expert professional advice on the best treatments and products to fit your needs

Based on your skin concern or goal, we have an offering for you:

• Acne-prone: Purifying Acne Facial to renew and detoxify
• Anti-aging: Age Defense Facial to hydrate, brighten and tighten your skin
• Sensitive: Soothing Recovery Facial to soothe, calm, and protect sensitized and reddened skin types
• And more!

Facial boosts with targeted benefits can be added to any facial treatment. For those seeking advanced results, choose one of our corrective ultimate facials that include a face peel treatment or a facial boost. Call your favorite Spavia to learn more about our offerings.

Four Steps to Better Skin

Four simple steps will get you back to the basics of an effective skin care routine. For all areas of concern, whether acne, anti-aging, hydration, and sensitivity, follow these four simple steps: cleanse, treat, moisturize, and protect. Cleanse with a gentle cleanser that maintains the integrity of your skin barrier. Cleansing is the foundation of our skin care routine. Treat with a concentrated product such as a serum or eye treatment to target specific needs. Moisturize with an antioxidant-rich moisturizer to help protect the skin against premature aging, inflammation, and hyperpigmentation. Protect with daily SPF sunscreen (30 minimum) to filter out 97% of UV rays that cause premature aging and prevent skin cancer. UV radiation is estimated to be responsible for 90% of the skin’s aging due to sun exposure.

Ask Spavia About Our At-Home Skin Care Solutions!

Not all products are created equal. At Spavia we use clean beauty products that are result-driven and feature natural and organic ingredients. Our licensed estheticians will suggest the best products for you to take home that will deliver your desired results. We’ve done extensive research to discover the best skin care products that provide real results. We know that you will love our skin care products from Comfort Zone, IMAGE Skincare, and Farmhouse Fresh. Start your journey to beautiful, healthy skin with Spavia Day Spa. Find a Spa near you to schedule a facial treatment or purchase our vendors’ products!

 

1. You already know, and 
2. You can’t DIY.

 

They were on their way to a boutique recovery center hours away from home. The truck was loaded down for a long stay, and, as usual, they were running late. Being anxious and rushed are never great ways to start a trip intended to change life for the better. 

 

They had put so much hope in the work they had done to improve his health from debilitating, chronic, daily nausea and pain. Now, it was time to come off the analgesic medication to address the severe migraines that were finally starting to lessen the grip on his life. 

 

“I forgot the coffee,” his caregiving spouse said.

 

“You mean the brewed coffee you made for my enemas?” 

 

Yes, coffee you put up your butt instead of drinking it. People do all sorts of desperate things to heal their problems. His digestive system forbade him from drinking the stuff, which made him resourceful in finding another way to get it in. Besides, advocates of coffee enemas herald the increase of glutathione production by 400 times its normal release for liver detoxification, so it must be good for you, right? 

 

“We have to turn back around.”

 

“You’ve got to be kidding. We are hours from home. We can make more in the condo.”

 

They had rented a place for a few weeks with a full kitchen and multiple rooms to make the recovery more comfortable in case he needed to stay up and watch TV, as insomnia often occurs during drug withdrawal. There would be little time for that level of relaxation as the last round of medicine wore off and the sympathetic nervous system began raging out of control like an overstimulated toddler who will not be consoled when the candy is taken away from her. 

 

They arrived later than planned and the dutiful caregiver went straight to coffee brewing and unpacking the vehicle. It’s hard to go into the unknowns of drug withdrawal, and rushing around for something as significant as these coffee enemas made matters worse.

 

A late start made for a late end to the day, right before an early rise that would leave them with much less sleep than the body needed. Stress was mounting and the plans were changing in a way unintended.

 

They knew the coffee was a stimulant, and the decision was made to stop all forms of caffeine at the same time that they discontinued the opiate. They had already greatly reduced sugar intake and no longer ate sweets. The diet from the nutritionist they consulted months before was remarkably healing, clearing up some troublesome digestive problems and making the coffee enemas a little less necessary for treating symptoms of nausea, which the coffee resolved effectively and reliably among other things. The stuff worked in seconds, which most “natural” solutions cannot boast. 

 

And Knowing is Half the Battle

There wasn’t a lack of knowledge or experience in healing. They had received excellent professional opinions and advice. They knew to expect withdrawal symptoms from both the coffee and the medication.

 

They were aware energy levels would be erratic with crippling fatigue during the day, insomnia at night, and all other manner of vexation as they entered the “dark night of the soul” like sailing into a hurricane in the middle of the ocean. They preplanned the comfort meds and sought out this clinic particularly for their unique approach for dealing with these issues, one of those out-of-pocket places not recognized by health insurance policies. 

 

It Didn’t Work

It would have worked. The plan was full proof. Others had been there and raved of the results as near miraculous and life-affirming as they healed around a lake in the woods with a connection to nature and an IV of nutrients in the arm to aid the healing process. Counseling sessions to work through traumas of being sick for so long were excellent. The compassion and attentiveness of the staff was beyond reproach — 5 stars all the way. 

 

But, it wasn’t working. Yes, the cravings were gone. But it had been 14 days of little sleep and walking in the middle of the night through the property around the condo to the backdrop of bullfrog songs croaking.  These jaunts around the man-made pond would distract and lessen the extreme jitters and internal shaking in his limbs and brain for awhile. Unfortunately, the reprieve was short-lived and the akathisia symptoms returned.  

 

The will to endure the levels of exhaustion and restlessness was insurmountable. The tears of dysphoria were a deluge of defeat, and shame’s cruel hand was wagging its boney finger as the desire to take the opiate returned. 

 

Justified — Not Sanctified

The coffee enemas that they were going to stop we’re never ceased. They had convinced themselves that they would aid in cleansing the liver of the medication, keep the bowels moving, help lift his mood, decrease the head and neck pains that lingered, and give him energy to make it to the clinic on time each morning. They had a justification for using it. In healing work, where there is justification, there is usually relapse.

 

I’m not referring to scientific rationale that explains why one might pursue one path versus another. In addiction, justification is complicated as it can even have a scientific basis, but when there is an emotion attached to the justification, especially fear or anger at the thought of stopping something, the brain looks for any plausible reason to hold on to it: energy, mood, bowel movements, work, depression, anxiety, etc. 

 

It’s one thing to be an objective observer who tries things empirically like being his own scientist, recording data, and being able to freely stop it after whatever observations were noted. It’s another thing to develop tunnel vision and obsession around the subject. That’s what became of the coffee enemas. 

 

Better judgment told them to stop the stimulants; addiction found a justification to hold on to them. 

 

Learning Things the Hard Way

Essentially, at their core, they knew better, but fear centers in the brain convinced them otherwise. Consequently, they had to learn the hard way that stimulants are that — stimulating, regardless of how we think they will detoxify the liver or serve in some other capacity to aid us. They might as well have been pouring gasoline on the fire of withdrawal-related  hormones, which rage out of control as the brain goes haywire like a non-verbal toddler whose candy has been taken away abruptly. 

 

“It’s like saying goodbye to an old friend, isn’t it?” their health coach later said, rewriting the character in this story more amicably.

 

“Yeah. I guess so. I never thought of the enemas like that.”

 

Square One with Backstabbing Friends

He was back on the opiate 

and never stopped the coffee.  In addiction terms, he failed the jump. Months had passed before he was fully willing to reconsider the relationship to the coffee enemas, which he could rely on for relieving the head pain, knots in the neck, nausea, and bowel distress so effectively. 

 

In that time, he had come to realize that what he already knew was true: Coffee enemas were not the friend he thought them to be — they were the backstabbing kind. 

 

Like any stimulants, the benefits they offer were limited, short-term, and when hormones they released showed back up again in the system through the enterohepatic recirculation process, problems compounded. To learn more about stimulants and addictions, their negative effects on our health, and the enterohepatic process, schedule a coaching session and we can work through these issues. 

 

Deep down, he already knew this wasn’t good for him, but it took the health coach to connect the subconscious to the conscious. Sometimes in life, we need someone to be a mirror: “So what I hear you saying is that when you get stressed at work, you eat the donuts in the breakroom which is sabotaging your weight loss goals. Is that correct?” 

 

We All Need a Little Help from Our Friends

Whether the substance is an opiate or a chocolate-filled bon-bon or the symptoms are heartburn or bloating or pain or anxiety, the story above can be anyone of ours in some way, shape, or form. You don’t have to be going to a drug rehab facility to be prey to health problems fueled by known or unknown substances in your life that no longer serve you well towards your healing, despite a perceived rationale.

 

 “But, I love him!” said the drama-addicted teenager.

 

We have all fallen short of grace and needed someone to support, hold up a mirror to our reality, and love us back on our feet again. 

 

Can I Get an Amen?

Even the health coaches and wellness gurus need someone to speak into their lives. That’s why I still go to church, giving my minister and wiser elders permission to help me see the blinders I have under my own circumstances. We all need people in our lives to impart wisdom and guidance. 

 

We live in a society that values individualism over community, which leaves us bereft and walking in circles. We find ourselves stepping in puddle after puddle and missing the dry land in between or being pulled under the current of the fast moving stream of life.  Had we stopped and asked for directions and guidance, a helpful ranger could have shown us the steadier stones to safely cross over to the side of the embankment. 

 

“We” Can Overcome

The privileged entitlement of individualism finds us alone and isolated.  If you want to know the power of community, look for the African American grandma who fought through the indignity of the Jim Crow South hand-in-hand as a community across the Edmund Pettus bridge or other such historic moments in bringing civil rights to her people. Sit with her and learn how she is “too blessed to be stressed.” 

 

Sadly, even many of such icons have fallen prey to their own addictions as diabetes levels soar out of control in Black and brown communities. No one’s perfect. Take what you need and leave the rest, as the 12-step programs encourage. 

 

Where Are Our Sages? 

Regrettably, they are moved into nursing homes to convalesce until they die. We no longer have them in our lives to caution and guide us. Would we listen if they did? We much prefer a scientific study we found on the internet over the act of wisdom being imparted to us. 

 

Even sadder, many of our modern elderly didn’t do the healing work of overcoming adversity in their own lives and cannot bequeath their experiences in a helpful way. Instead, they pass down faulty genes and bad habits. They succumb to avoidable illnesses far too quickly under their own addictions, as do we at ever younger ages. 

 

We conveniently convince ourselves that it’s just old age and heredity for why granny is so bad off and why now our health ain’t much better with the type 2 diabetes, weight issues, arthritis, other pain conditions, etc.

 

Blame the genes! They did it, right? 

We know better, even when we look for every reason in the world not to face certain realities. The more we can face reality on reality's terms, we can unhinge ourselves from the burden of the addiction cycles that get us in trouble in the first place. Most health problems can be connected to the addictions to things we already know aren’t good for us. We don’t lack knowledge — we need a mirror to see ourselves and our situations more clearly. 

 

We already know that sugar will rot our teeth, inflame our bodies, feed cancer cells, make us hyperactive, etc. We already know we need to drink more water to stay better hydrated. We know to eat more vegetables and cut back on the carbohydrates we love so much. Knowing isn’t the issue. Taking the brave steps forward to overcome what feels insurmountable is what is needed. Having an experienced health coach as a guide can make all the difference.

 

Climbing’ Up That Mountain that I’m Climbin’ On

Some mountains in life take a team effort to summit. Going solo can leave us going in circles, not getting us where we want to be or find us cliff-hanging. Overcoming health problems can be such an Everest. 

 

Often symptoms can go from a molehill to a mountain in a very short amount of time, like a volcano forming an island in the ocean, leaving us stranded and isolated. Surviving these eruptions and making it safely home takes skill, timing, resources, and experience. 

 

Unless you are McGuyver on a TV show

where all the right things magically appear ever-so-conveniently for your escape bef

ore the whole thing blows up, you will need help. We all do from time to time. That’s where a health coach, like a resourceful Sherpa, who has been up and down these cliffs many times, can be such a guide.

 

Don’t Make the First Responder Your Last Call

Finding the partners skilled in this sort of rescue mission is crucial to your success on such occasions. I’m guessing you’ve tried going it on your own already and/or have been looking for your team to conquer this peak awhile now. If you are reading this post, you’ve likely been to a medical doctor, a specialist, naturopathic/acupuncturist/herbalist/nutritionist/chiropractor, or other alternative health guru. 

 

For some of you, you’ve researched your health condition until you know more about it than some healthcare providers. You probably deserve an honorary doctorate for your knowledge on the subject. However, despite your best efforts and theirs, you may be marginally better or not at all. For all your research and that of others, knowing hasn’t gotten you where you want. 

 

Watson Always Wins — Except That One Time

Put simply, you can’t Google your way to better health. You’ve already tried, haven’t you? You wouldn’t be here if you’ve figured all this out on your own, right? 

 

Consider this article a sign from God/The Universe/whatever those healthier things you already know to do — it’s time to do them. 

 

Getting To Know You, Getting To Know All About You

Or, if you don’t know what to do or did the doing and it didn’t work, let’s find out what’s lost in translation from the subconscious you, who regulates your metabolic and life-sustaining functions, to the conscious you, who worries too much, tries to connect with the world around it, and is figuring out how to survive this thing called life.

 

 

Neuroplasticity of Change

While you are not lacking in sources for more information, what reading interesting articles and blogs do is start us towards thinking about the action steps that do. This one you are reading now intends to help connect you back to you via the role of a health coach, someone trained in the transformative work that occurs when you learn to better understand what is communicated between your subconscious self and the one watching your hand reach into the cookie jar and bring it to your mouth repeatedly until it’s near (ahem) — completely empty. 

 

“I already know that eating all this sugar increases my risk of diabetes,” I said to myself when I was at the height of my binging disorder. 

 

How many avoidable diseases like diabetes do we knowingly eat ourselves into? Most all. We know better. Knowledge isn’t often what we are lacking. 

 

As much as I love Maya Angelou’s writing and sayings, her statement of “When we know better, we do better,” is suspect when we consider how many smokers willfully ignore the Surgeon General's warning on the packets of cigarettes. Maybe the calorie counts at fast food restaurants have curtailed a few French fry orders. The raging pandemic of obesity shows otherwise. 

 

Health Coaching, The Bridge Over Troubled Waters

Knowledge isn’t our problem. We need help applying this information in a way that makes sense for us. There is a disconnect between knowing and doing, and health coaching can bridge that gap. Click here to learn what Harvard Medical School says about health coaching.

 

A health coach can help as a guide on that path to more productive activities, choices that better serve you, and the accountability you can’t do for yourself. Left on our own, we may at best yo-yo or toy with the idea, but not actually transform our lives from the slothful, binging caterpillar to the radiant, soaring butterfly we could be. 

 

Just Do It

Are you ready to say goodbye to those habits that no longer serve you well? Do you want to look better, feel better, be a better version of yourself?

 

Of course you do. Or, otherwise, you wouldn’t be reading this article. 

 

Love Is The First Task

Don’t get me wrong. I already love you for who you are now and where you are on life’s journey. And, I hope you can love yourself in any state you are in and become an objective observer to this grand experiment in life. 

 

Say to yourself, “Well, I’ve tried being fat/scrawny/sick/miserable for a while now. I wonder what healthy feels like. Let’s give that a try.”  

 

I know. Sounds so simple. And it was super simple to type, but I know it’s a challenging endeavor. Having gone through my own transformation, I know how the brain doesn’t like a change in routine and needs a lot of self-talk to get up the gumption to even consider it. 

 

“But what if it doesn't work? What if I spend all this money and I’m still fat/scrawny/sick/miserable?” you might ask.

 

Can I Get A Price Check On A Case Of Suffering? Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained. 

Sometimes in life, we have to try things. There are few guarantees. But, I can promise, if you do the work, something will change. If you don’t like the change or half-ass the work, we can always refund your misery. 

 

No one regrets getting healthy, and a good health coach can help you work through what’s blocking you from achieving your goals. Click here for a research study showing the efficacy of health coaching on chronic health conditions. 

 

Resistance Is Not Futile — It’s Where Change Begins

If you are feeling a tinge of resistance towards change or can look back at times when you were presented with the idea of modifying a behavior and felt a bit rebellious despite knowing how it would benefit you, that’s good. That’s where we need to get to in order to make any progress. Don’t worry — we’ll go gently and slowly. 

 

The brain looks for the path of least resistance. That couch and bag of potato chips are a much easier way to spend an afternoon than some type of fitness routine with all those perky people running around in circles with their egos sweating all over you. 

 

Good news! We won’t be starting there — and we may not even go there unless you want to. Calisthenics, cardio workouts, and weight lifting aren’t the only ways to move our bodies. 

 

Exercise Doesn’t Solve Everything 

Depending on the health of your adrenals, which if you are in couch potato mode, exercise in general may cause more problems than it helps at first. I know that sounds counter to the conventional wisdom that all the TV commercials and news segments glorify when it comes to physical activity. Healing has to be done in stages. You wouldn’t expect a person with a broken leg to get up and dance a jig, would you? Your body will tell you when you are ready to shake your groove thing again. 

 

Tapping into Your Hidden Superpower — Your Intuition 

A health coach can help you learn to be more intuitive to what your body is telling. No, this is not an excuse to continue sofa surfing, but it is a start of a conversation to figure out what is going on to drain your energy and keep you from doing what you are called to do on earth — which is not binge watching another Netflix series in your comfy pants and shoving junk food in your face. 

 

Baby Steps 

A health coach loves you for who you are and where you are on life’s journey — and coaxes you through the process with gentle, incremental steps. The doing is more important than the reading about them or about being convinced with one more research study of the best route to take. 

 

Prepping the Brain for Change

In some ways, going from article to article to YouTube video to podcast is preparing your brain and telling it that you are moving towards a change in routine, which it stubbornly wants to hold on to, but at some point, the doing must be done. 

 

What if the path you take isn’t perfect and doesn’t lead to the results you want? 

That can happen, and like in all adventures, that will happen. One tangential diversion may not get you where you want to go, but now you can check that off your list of things to try: acupuncture, chiropractic, reiki, deep breathing exercises, calorie counting, Zumba, qigong, that miracle worker you saw on TV, that new diet fad, that new probiotic blend, that trip across sea to the guru in India, the medical specialist who worked on some superstar, etc, etc etc. 

 

We don’t suffer from a lack of options. My job as a health coach is to mentor you through the course of action that best meets your needs.

 

Coming Home, Coming Home, Never More to Roam

Health coaching bridges the gap between the prescriptive, take-two-pills-and-call-me-in-the-morning approach to health encountered in a medical or naturopathic doctor’s office and the changes needed to bring our bodies back to homeostasis, that calm place where we can think more clearly and have the confidence and resources in our bodies and life to forge the future we want for ourselves. 

 

As a coach, my role is to help device strategies and game plans, whereas you are the player on the field of your life. I help hone your intuition so you can make choices that move the ball down the field and around obstacles towards your goals. 

 

In coaching sessions, I pull you to the sidelines and stretch your self-awareness like a tight hamstring so you can be more flexible and limber as you get back on the field of life. Like a good yoga pose, the most transformative work is done when we find the point of resistance and gently give it focus, let gravity do its work, and spend some time on it with consistency over days, weeks, and months.  Before long, you're standing on your head or at least able to touch your toes again, if not wrapping them around your head (or something like that).

 

What To Look for in a Health Coach? 

Personal transformation and the fundamentals of caregiving: compassion, patience, and motivation. If they haven’t lived it, they can only talk about it. This process is not a mental exercise or an academic conversation debating complete proteins and efficient ones or which supplement is whole-food enough or has the highest ORAC score in the universe. For some of you, it’s more life and death — or at least joy and misery. 

 

My Butterfly Effect

My own transformation was s

low and arduous. Years of dealing with food addiction held me back from what I wanted out of life. I grew up an overweight child who yo-yo dieted through my young adulthood with my share of body dysmorphia along the way. I learned the hard lessons of overcoming the addictive chemicals in my brain and how to use food as a tool to better serve me in life in order to have more energy, better self-image, and the confidence of successfully reaching a personal goal. 

 

Love Your Neighbor As Yourself

Amidst my own transformation, I learned the art and spiritual practice of caring for others. Loved ones would become sick with sometimes temporary colds and short term ailments and other times with chronic conditions lasting for years like Celiac Disease, GERD, colitis, Gastroparesis, gallbladder diseases, Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction, SIBO-associated symptoms, Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, migraines, Occipital Neuralgia, intracranial hypertension, protracted drug withdrawal with akathisia and dysphoria, UTIs, interstitial cystitis, drug addiction, alcoholism, and many other problems. 

 

I also watched the ravages of terminal cancer and diabetes from a caregivers perspective. This work isn’t for the faint of heart. 

 

Becoming A Sherlock Holmes of Health 

In trying to help restore quality of life to those loved ones who were living in chronic pain, unable to eat or drink without fear of nausea and severe digestive distress or whose immune systems and energy levels were crashing, I became a symptom sleuth. 

 

 

Hours were spent researching on the Internet and in doctors offices of all stripes from internists to ER physicians to specialists to functional-integrative and naturopathic ones, too. I dutifully took notes, kept health journals and food diaries, created spreadsheets for protocols, administered medication schedules, cooked meals for all manner of diets, took shifts sitting with loved ones in the hospital, slept in chairs by their bedsides, stayed up all night to be with them through the worst of an attack, drove them to the ER at 3am, traveled cross-country for surgical procedures by highly-esteemed surgeons, crashed my adrenals in the process and recovered them to stay in the game, and all while working a full time job. 

 

I’ve read the research studies, navigated the various modalities in health care, participated in the online forums and health groups, debated dietary theories, crowd-sourced our way to wellness, and am here to tell about it. 

 

There is hope. Whatever your situation, the body wants to heal. My job is to help you interpret what it’s trying to tell you it needs and determine a path forward to those ends. 

 

My Approach 

My approach to working with clients as a health coach is with a similar level of compassion as I grew into as I went from being my care-free self to being thrust into the worrisome storms of life impacting those individuals who mattered most to me. 

 

Short of moving in and holding your hand through the process, I am here for you and your caregivers to coach you through what healing looks and feels like. I can’t promise cures or that I know what’s behind every turn in the bend of this road we are on towards health, but I have traversed them many times with many others. Some parts are more predictable than others and when I am uncertain, I’ll be forthright, as trust is paramount to this relationship we are establishing. 

 

Climb Every Mountain

The more you trust and believe in the work you are doing, the more doors to better health will open and the path made a bit clearer. I’m not saying to not question things as you go through this experience, but I am encouraging you to ask the question and let the steps reveal the answers. As the old African proverb says, “When you pray, move your feet.”

 

This Is How We Do It

The coaching sessions are phone based and via emails. Some calls are longer than others, depending on the nature of the call. Initial conversations are naturally longer. Follow-up calls will tend to be shorter, check-in opportunities to see how things are going, make some tweaks, and hold you accountable to your goals. Group sessions are available (based on participation) and centered around topics with time offered to share and ask questions with others with similar challenges. Click here to read the research study that shows how health coaching can save you between $286 and $412 per month on health care.

 

Let Me Do What You Can’t Do For Yourself 

We all need someone we can trust to help do for us what we haven’t learned to do for ourselves yet. There’s no shame in admitting it as it is somehow hardwired in us as humans to need each other. 

 

Transcend Instead of Buckle

I can be your Sherpa on the way up your mountain of problems to help you reach your summit to a better experience of life. Think of the feeling when you saw something beautiful, expansive, and awe-inspiring like the vista from the top of the Grand Canyon or similar height. Feel the feels and hold on to that emotion so your brain remembers what it was like to be transcendent rather than stuck in a moment you want out of. 

 

During the calls, we will review your health history, establish a starting point with 1 or 2 areas to improve as goals, and work incrementally through recommendations so as not to overwhelm the system, and more specifically to move you gently through the transformative process towards a more sustainable approach to wellness. 

 

Beyond Nourishment to Wellness

We will discuss both the food related substances that sustain and nourish us as well as the non-food related things that do likewise. Whether we eat it, hear it, touch it, smell it, see it, or perceive it, the outside world coming into our inside world either is serving us as nourishment to our end goals of wellness, or they are not. It’s as simple as that. 

 

The complexity is in the reason we are allowing unhealthy things in our lives in the first place. Sometimes it is simply a lack of awareness. Other times there are coping mechanisms and survival instincts that may have served a purpose at one point but no longer are needed. 

 

Addictions (whether to foods, substances, or other stimuli) are invariably somewhere in all of this discovery process, which I approach nonjudgmentally and compassionately through the lense of survivalism and the biochemistry that comes with it. 

 

“What does my heartburn/autoimmune disease/genetic disorder/symptom complex have to do with all of this mumbo-jumbo?” 

Everything. Don’t worry. It’ll make sense in time as we work together. A measure of trust is necessary to start the process. No question is too insignificant to not explore and we will make time for them in one way or another either on the calls or over emails. 

 

My approach is a bit different from other healthcare providers. Not only am I working to get to know you better, I’m striving to help you get to know yourself better. As we uncover your needs, wants, and hopes, we can address them as best we can and see what healing takes place. 

 

“But I want my pain/nausea/bloating/fatigue/weight gain/weight loss/etc to stop. How’s this going to help?” 

I want your suffering to calm down as well. We will work through what the root cause of these issues are and start the process of figuring out which direction the body needs us to go. A Health History will help as a starting point.

 

We will look at diet, using a food diary. Sleep hygiene will be explored. Daily activity schedules examined. Stimulants will be approached carefully. We will review the systems of the body effected by the condition, the role food plays in our life, energy management, emotional balance, etc.

 

There will be practical recommendations to consider and help you experiment with food, lifestyle activities, and perhaps even questions to take back to your doctor for temporary “band aids” to discuss using, while your body needs more time to heal. Nothing wrong with using a pain cream for a while until the body has enough time to heal the underlying inflammation, or whatever the appropriate palliative care needs to be. 

 

Credentials and Personals

As for my credentials, I am certified as a health coach through the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. Loved the lectures from the top brass of the medical, naturopathic, and self-actualization worlds like Dr. Mehmet Oz, Dr. Andrew Weil, and Julia Cameron, but the real work has been done with people like you who are suffering and need answers to their problems. 

 

I stay abreast to the ever evolving science of epigenetics, neuroplasticity, nutritional theories, the role of movement and posture in our lives, as well as the impact of relationships and beliefs on health. 

 

More about me: I like puppies, playing my saxophone, taking long walks on the beach, drinking Pina Coladas without the Pina or the Colada, and getting caught in the rain (not really, but it looks relaxing outside the window). I’m sort of into yoga but more into Egoscue, and like making love before midnight, as I value my sleep. Here’s to your health! Salud! 

 

Not a DIY Project

“It takes a village to raise a child,” according to another old African proverb. I think the same is true for an adult and their inner child. Just as you can’t Google your way to health, you can’t do the work of healing by yourself. Though it is internal work that you need to do, we need each other in the “iron sharpens iron” sort of away, or as a mirror reflecting you back to you to see yourself more clearly. 

 

We are better together, as a community instead of stuck on the island like Robinson Crusoe. Together we take information from our heads to our hearts, legs, arms, and other body parts needed to enact the habits of becoming healthy and better connected to the world around us in acts of community. 

 

Information is only a starting point. You need someone who has “been there, done that” and can help walk you through the steps to a better, happier, healthier version of yourself. The ripple effect then leads to your family, friends, neighbors, their loved ones, and eventually Facebook and social media posts, where we present our best selves, apparently. 

 

Back To The Show In Progress 

As for the coffee enema guy, he finally kicked the habit. During his healing, he let go, finger by finger, through a slow taper process. 

 

His adrenals crashed as they begged for rest and recuperation. He dabbled in other stimulants and learned some hard lessons he essentially already knew but needed to re-learn before his brain would let go of its perceived justifications. 

 

Once out of his system, he slept and slept and slept some more. His adrenal glands went through their mitotic events, following the normal 90-day turnover cycle with new cells being generated and working better than the old ones. By the end of month 3, two naps a day shorten to one. 

 

Another cycle passed, and some days he didn’t need a nap. He prepared himself more carefully this time and began the slow taper off his opiate of choice. Even while on the medication, he was able to experience remarkable healing with even less days with pain.

 

“Just imagine how much better you will feel when you aren’t doggy paddling upstream with the opiate in your system,” his health coach told him. 

 

He is on his way to breaking out of the crusted cocoon and taking wing to the air with his healing. He now has the strength he lacked before and will likely make a full recovery. 

 

His story is unfolding and being re-written, as is yours. He is no longer the scared, sickly, worn-out person who started this journey. He is standing straighter and ready to take on the next challenge with a greater level of confidence as his adrenals are being restored. He can see himself on the other side to the point that he can feel what it is like to be well again even before this last piece of the puzzle is completed. 

 

This story will not be a Moses at the Promise Land moment. He is crossing over the Jordan to the land of milk and honey (without the milk or the honey -- just think pretty gardens, instead). 

 

What? You wanted to hear that he was completely healed of all his problems after all this hard work and doing back flips? Healing is a long, slow process. I’m confident he will get there. It was more important to show you the transformation. I’m in the butterfly business of transformative healing. Click here to learn about the stages of healing.

 

I could have told you about the gastroparesis patient who can eat safely again. I could have talked about the one whose GERD got under control without needing to stay on Nexium. There’s the one whose yo-yo dieting, weight loss problems finally stopped and the body returned to a healthy weight. The several stories of those individuals with debilitating Sphincter of Oddi dysfunction and other forms of post-gallbladder surgery complications are extremely compelling as they were able to go back to a better semblance of normalcy with being able to eat without inducing excruciating pain. One SIBO-associated story after another as bloating, gas, diarrhea, and constipation improved. Other powerful stories include the Occipital Neuralgia clients who struggle to rest from the head and neck pain, or those with Chronic Fatig

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Give your valentine a relaxing escape with our incredible massages. All our massages are designed to relieve stress but if your loved one is looking for rapid tension relief, try our Hypervolt Boost with any massage treatment. This treatment helps to alleviate aches, release knots, and rebalance muscles to restore proper range of motion, leaving your body in a state of relaxation and healing. Let your loved one experience optimal results and deeper relaxation with Hypervolt Boost. Check out our Hypervolt Boost Plus as well!

Reduce Pain at Spavia Day Spa

Massage therapy has the power to loosen tight muscles and relieve body pain. Our Salt Stone Massage restores balance to the body while nourishing depleted muscles. This treatment features hand-carved salt stones straight from the Himalayan mountains that deeply penetrate tense muscles, releasing tension and toxins, leaving the body completely relaxed and renewed. Let your loved one experience a total renewal of their muscles with the healing power of salt stones!

Improve energy and mood at Spavia Day Spa

A massage treatment at Spavia can release your “feel good” hormones. Oxytocin, the “love hormone” is released during massages, causing feelings of warmth and contentment. How fitting for Valentine’s day!

Enjoy all the benefits of Spavia Massages with Your Loved One!

Escape and un-wind side-by-side with a couple’s signature massage for two. What better way to spend Valentine’s Day than relaxing together? A couple’s massage creates an experience of being connected through a warmer energy than what the outside world can offer. They offer you the ability to experience tranquility in the presence of your partner. Our couple’s massages are also available in the deep tissue, maternity, and salt stone treatments. Nothing says ‘I love you’ more than a trip to Spavia Day Spa. If you want to give the gift of relaxation for the whole year, purchase a Spavia membership for your loved one online! Relax, recenter, and renew this Valentine’s Day by finding a Spavia near you and booking your treatment!

Make 2021 the best year yet by belonging to a place that encourages peace and tranquility. Experience pure relaxation at Spavia Day Spa with a spa membership. A Spavia membership is the best way to maintain your wellness every month. Not only does a Spa membership provide you with spectacular savings on services and products, but it also gives you the perfect excuse to prioritize self-care. The same applies for a spa membership! It not only offers discounted services, but it can give you a mental and spiritual break that all of us need from our busy lives.

Benefits of a Spavia Day Spa Membership

If you have been considering a lifestyle shift at an affordable price, a Spavia Day Spa membership is for you. As our Spalosophy states, “The spa experience is no longer a costly luxury - Spavia is for anyone who wants to frequently relax, recenter, and renew. With a membership you’ll receive a spa experience in a beautiful day spa setting as often as you like. Receive services from the utmost professional specialists who deliver results in a peaceful, resort-like setting. Join the Spavia membership and be a part of a routine that helps you relax, recenter, and renew every month!

Customize your spa service and resort-like experience with a Spavia Membership

• Choice of aromatherapy
• Choice of music
• Choice of conversation
• Resort-like amenities
• Separate retreat rooms for men and women
• Stone floored showers
• Spa robe, spa sandals, and spa boutique
• Discounts in our spa boutique
• Selection of exotic teas
• Spa atmosphere of aromatherapy, waterfalls, and candles
• Warm aromatherapy neck pillow to completely create an exceptional spa experience, just for you!

Spavia offers three levels of memberships to customize your spa experience. Your choice in spa membership level determines the time that you take for yourself each month to relax, recenter, and renew at an unbeatable price. Along with your customized treatment each month, enjoy additional offers on treatments, gift cards and in our spa boutique. Any unused treatments may be rolled over into the next month. Share your membership with a family member as well or choose a Corporate membership, which offers incredible health benefits to your employees and boosts morale!

Spavia Day Spa is Your Spa

At Spavia, it is our number one priority that you can relax, recenter, and renew at a comfortable price. We value all our clients and enjoy pampering every single person that walks into our spa. Spavia continues to be grateful to our members because we know you care about your health and wellness to come see us every month. Our goal is to help you relax, recenter and renew so you are fully energized and ready to take on the world! Spavia Day Spa has grown to accommodate you and offer you all the benefits of a wonderful spa experience. From massage treatments to waxes, it is all for you to enjoy and better yourself. Experience the incredible benefits of joining our spa and contact us about a membership today!