Organic Spa Magazine » margaretcoventry

A Soothing Indoor Sauna

margaretcoventry — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 18:54:08 +0000

The Bauhaus-inspired mPulse, shown here, is the world’s first biofeedback infrared sauna, and it makes its debut this month. Crafted from 100 percent FSC (Forest Stewardship Council) -certified wood, it can be used indoors or outdoors, and plugs into a household outlet. Very energy efficient, the mPulse runs on less electricity than the average hairdryer. The biofeedback monitor is programmed to wirelessly send heart rate, calories burned, and core body temperature data into a wellness website for personal use. Also included are a Blaupunkt stereo system, an LCD touch-screen interface, a CD/DVD player, and ergonomic floating benches. www.sunlighten.com/mpulse

All that Glitters

margaretcoventry — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 01:13:53 +0000

The word “nuna” means “soul” in Quechua, a language indigenous to the Andean region. It is also the name of a lovely eco-friendly fashion accessory line created by sisters Carla and Paola Vargas who are based out of Miami. The duo, with strong ancestral roots in South America, hopes to inspire women to be fashionable by wearing eco-friendly jewelry while encouraging social consciousness. Nuna supports fair trade and works with the artisans from South America by providing economic support and sustainability through the channels of production. Natural materials from around the world are combined to create chic and simple pieces. We’re partial to this handmade Eco Gold bracelet (style EG500), made with a natural material that comes from a shiny gold-colored plant that is as light as a feather. Nunacollection.com

Soft and Sensible

margaretcoventry — Sun, 16 Oct 2011 02:33:39 +0000

We’re fans of Bonnie Siefers, the designer behind the Jonano line of eco-chic wear that just gets better and better season after season. Shown here is the Bloom Puzzle Dress in cement tan. We admire the hand-sewn detailing at the neckline and the sweet flutter sleeves. Flax linen paneling insets are featured throughout in this figure flattering A-line dress that’s made from washable (yay!) viscose from organic bamboo. Jonano.com

Divine Sounds

margaretcoventry — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 12:09:26 +0000

Mantras, chants, and unique sacred sounds unite on this CD and create a soothing flow of vibrational energy. Jonathan Goldman, a respected authority in the field of sound healing and a Grammy nominee, recently released 2013: Ecstatic Sonics (Spirit Music, Inc.), a recording designed to initiate altered states of consciousness and activate heightened awareness.

“2013 will be a time of great evolutionary activation—the result of a quantum leap in our consciousness that will have occurred through 2012,” says Goldman. “This CD is a sonic attempt to create what this represents, it is a compendium of different recordings that embody what I perceive of as being the energy for 2013.” This is a wonderful CD for relaxation, as well as for enhancing meditation. www.healingsounds.com – Margaret Coventry

Let Your Light Shine

margaretcoventry — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 11:58:17 +0000

Three self-help leaders have come together to share their knowledge in a new book, The Shadow Effect (Harper One). Deepak Chopra, Debbie Ford, and Marianne Williamson identify and address one of our biggest obstacles—the shadow. The book is a practical guide to help find the gifts that our dark side brings, and it includes a comprehensive Shadow Effect Quiz for an accurate self-assessment. “Our shadows keep us from full self-expression, from speaking truth, from living an authentic life.” says Ford. “It is only by embracing our duality that we free ourselves of the behaviors that can potentially bring us down. If we don’t acknowledge all of who we are, we are guaranteed to be blindsided by the shadow effect.” – Margaret Coventry

Soothing Rhythms

margaretcoventry — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 11:50:20 +0000

Referred to by many as a “musical priestess,” ecstatic vocalist and composer Suzanne Sterling shares her rhythmic vision in Blue Fire Soul. The CD features 10 tracks, from the haunting Saraswati (Slow River Deep) to the soothing Bliss Ma (Lullaby). This compilation was created for the yoga journey and invites the listener to “open the doors of perception and step into our true nature: fully alive, totally awake.” Sterling, along with Seane Corn and Hala Khouri, is a co-creator of Off the Mat, Into the World—a project that offers national training programs and humanitarian tours that combine yoga and sustainable activism. The organization has raised close to $500,000 towards the cause of grassroots social change. www.whiteswanrecords.com – Margaret Coventry

Echo Valley

margaretcoventry — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 15:30:58 +0000

This award-winning guest ranch and spa, situated in a spectacular natural environment— it lies in a unique, bio-diverse area of the Cariboo Region with four very distinct ecological systems surrounding it—has been drawing nature-lovers and spa aficionados since it first opened 10 years ago. The realized dream of owners and husband-and-wife team, Norman and Nanthawon Dove, Echo Valley is truly a labor of love. The couple (who were on the verge of selling a family business) were looking for a new adventure back in 1989, when they first visited the 160-acre cattle ranch with the idea of purchasing it for a weekend getaway. They were, in a word, wowed by its natural beauty and by the end of that year, had purchased it. By 1995, they had turned Echo Valley into their full-time home. Over the years, it has grown from a ranch house with 180 head of cattle to a sought-after spa destination where one can go to commune with nature via a variety of outdoor adventures and activities that offer a little something for everyone (easy to challenging mountain treks, gold panning, whitewater river rafting, horseback riding, fishing for local rainbow trout, some excellent bird watching, and falconry to name a few!). They were way ahead of the spa trend in 1996, when the couple hired their first Thai massage therapist from Bangkok, creating a unique east-west fusion. Continuing along this theme, they worked with a renowned architect to the Thai Royal family to create North America’s first authentic Baan Thai spa pavilion. This officially opened in 2001, and today you can choose from a multitude of signature Thai spa packages and services, including the traditional luk pra kob hot compress (a blend of medicinal herbs that are wrapped in cotton, steam, and applied to the body as a healing compress), ruesri dat ton (an ancient exercise regimen made up of 80 postures and stretches), and three-step meditation, another ancient Thai practice that ultimately leads to inner harmony. You can also choose from a Western spa menu at The Cariboo Spa that offers a good selection of traditional esthetic and massage services. In addition to all of this, and despite Echo Valley’s many accolades, it remains refreshingly unpretentious and a great getaway for the eco-minded traveler. www.evranch.com

Sustainable Strides

margaretcoventry — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 08:17:39 +0000

The Leading Hotels of the World, the largest global luxury hotel brand, recently launched the Leading Green Initiative, a carbon neutral program whereby the brand will directly absorb the cost to offset guests’ energy consumption for stays at any of its 440 hotels worldwide. It also spearheaded a new partnership between Sustainable Travel International (STI), the global non-profit leader in sustainable travel solutions and Leading Quality Assurance (LQA), a joint venture of Leading Hotels. Together, they created an innovative program that carries out evaluations in five areas: policy and documentation; energy conservation; water conservation; recycling; and community. In order to become LECS certified, hotels must undergo a preliminary desk audit, complemented by an on-site, third-party assessment handled by LQA. Tabacon Grand Spa Thermal Resort in Costa Rica just achieved STI’s Luxury Eco Certification Standard (LECS), the first and only voluntary, global certification program of its kind. The Fairmont San Francisco’s executive chef JW Foster teamed up with Marshall’s Farm to install honey beehives in the hotel’s new culinary garden to help support the bee population. About 250 pounds of honey will be produced this year, which will be served to hotel guests as part of Fairmont’s commitment to offering local, organic, sustainable cuisine. Jakes on Treasure Beach, Jamaica, has introduced Farm Dinners, a new program that’s part of the hotel’s growing “eat local” initiatives. Dinners are held monthly the Saturday closest to the full moon and serve up savory organic dishes. Set in the heart of Pedro Plains Field, beneath Jamaica’s beautiful St. Elizabeth hillside, the dinners benefit the farmers of the region. Anantara Golden Triangle is deeply committed to helping Thailand’s elephant population. Its on-site Elephant Camp, in conjunction with Thailand’s National Elephant Institute and the Elephant Conservation Center, houses 34 rescued elephants, their mahouts’ wives and their children. The camp is overseen by John Roberts whose professional background includes working with tigers in Nepal and national parks conservation in the U.S. and Australia. He and the resort have created The Golden Triangle Asian Elephant Foundation, a registered charity. Six Senses Resorts & Spas has discontinued offering a variety of trendy imported drinking waters at all of their properties. The choices now are Six Senses sparkling or still, or local water. The Six Senses drinking water is produced to the highest international drinking water EPA standards and is processed on-site at each of the group’s resorts. In other Six Senses news, Soneva Fushi in the Maldives, installed the largest solar power plant in the Maldives in an effort to achieve a zero carbon footprint. It has also inaugurated Eco Centro, a project that converts the waste generated by the resort operation into good use. Hilton Worldwide’s LightStay initiative is a system that calculates and analyzes environmental impact. It measures energy and water use and waste and carbon output at Hilton properties. By the end of 2011, all 3,600 properties within the global brand will use LightStay, making it the first hospitality company, says a spokesperson, to require property-level measurement of sustainability. This past July, Motel 6 in Northlake, Texas, became the nation’s first LEED certified economy lodging property. The Intercontinental Hotel Group introduced Green Engage, a new group-wide online sustainability management system that works like this: Hotels input their site data into Green Engage which then generates reports and benchmarks against similar hotels globally, then advises the hotel on specific actions needed to reduce impacts, depending on location. To date, 900 hotels are set up to use this. Wyndham Green is Wyndham Worldwide’s initiative, and involves numerous efforts, including training and educating 20,000 employees, using green guestroom key cards made from 87 percent recycled content (there are 370,000 cards in use), purchasing power from renewable energy sources, installing solar panels, and minimizing waste. Great Wolf Resorts, North America’s largest family indoor waterpark resorts, was the first to have all U.S. properties Green Seal certified. To date, 85 hotels in 20 states have been certified by Green Seal, a 20-year-old non-profit that certifies hotels as green after a rigorous reporting and inspection program. The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company recently introduced environmentally friendly water bottles at its North American and select Caribbean hotels. After learning of the waste that was caused by using nearly five million, 16-ounce plastic bottles per year at the properties, Simon Cooper, president and COO, challenged his sustainable team to find a solution. After 18 months of research, the company has developed a partnership with Prima and created a co-branded sustainable bottle that’s made 100 percent from plants and that can decompose in 30 days or be reprocessed. In April, The Ritz-Carlton, Charlotte was awarded LEED Gold certification. The company’s spas are pulling their green weight in different ways at different locations. The Ritz-Carlton, Naples features a specially designed Eco-Room and some of the more creative, results-driven organic treatments we’ve tried. More and more organic offerings and product lines are popping up at spa menus at the Laguna Niguel, Key Biscayne, Denver, and Georgetown hotels.

Photo top: Siz Senses Soneva Fushi; Photo right: Elephant Camp at Anantara Golden Triangle; Photo left: The Ritz-Carlton, Naples

Element Hotels

As frequent travelers can attest to, it often can be difficult to stay healthy and eco-minded when on the road. With this in mind, Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide have unveiled Element Hotels, a chain of design-conscious, newly constructed properties that focus on healthful and green living and that—in a first for the industry—are each required to be LEED certified. In addition to implementing sustainable operational practices and incorporating recycled materials in the décor, the hotels—which rolled out in earnest through 2009—are wellness- and eco-friendly in lots of clever ways: Every room has a full kitchen with Energy Star-rated appliances (to promote healthy eating) and filtered drinking water (to cut down on plastic bottles); paper “Do Not Disturb” signs have been replaced with door magnets; hybrid cars enjoy priority parking; and the on-site pantry stocks goodies from Whole Foods. Popular with long-stay and corporate guests, the hotels are also just really comfortable to stay in, offering complimentary evening guest cocktail hours, well-thought-out work desks, free bikes, 24-hour gyms and chlorine-free pools. At press time, there are six Elements currently open (in cities like Dallas, Denver and Las Vegas), with several more—including a Times Square location—scheduled to open over the next two years. www.starwoodhotels.com/element —Sandra Ramani

SOUL: River Rafting Retreats

margaretcoventry — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 12:46:39 +0000

If you’ve ever had a hankering to take to the river and enjoy the great outdoors and all its offerings, check out River Soul Journeys. Offered by much-lauded Idaho-based Row Adventures, now in its 32nd year, the multi-day trips are spiritual river rafting retreats that feature guides who lead journaling, meditation, and yoga. In addition to this, there are lots of river-based activities in secluded portions of the American West, including hiking, fly fishing, and different levels of whitewater challenges. Upcoming trips: June 16th on the Grande Ronde; July 3rd on the Rogue River; and August 28th on the Salmon River. rowadventures.com

7 Simple Ways to Detox

margaretcoventry — Mon, 12 Sep 2011 10:21:47 +0000

1. Sweat it out.

Whenever I’m feeling the need for a good cleanse that helps to not only detox my body but clear my mind, I head to the sauna for one of my favorite rituals: a 45-minute hot/cold experience that leaves me super-focused. I learned how to do this at a resort spa years ago, and it’s one of the best things I’ve applied to my lifestyle. Since I don’t have the time or money to visit a spa on a weekly basis, this is something I do at my fitness center on a weekly basis. First, I spend 15 minutes in the sauna, then rinse off under a cold shower and drink a glass of water. I do this as a circuit three times and end up feeling immensely refreshed and detoxified. Other good ways to sweat it out? Any form of exercise that you enjoy.

2. Soak up the heat.

Did you know that infrared sauna treatments can help to lower blood pressure, cholesterol, and aid in weight loss? Those are some of the health benefits reported by The Journal of American College of Cardiology. And, according to the experts at Sunlighten, makers of at-home infrared saunas, infrared sauna treatments have also been clinically shown to help detoxify the body and provide pain relief. (For those who love their gadgets, the Sunlighten Signature line features a Blaupunkt sound system with MP3 player compatibility and an ergonomic backrest.) These saunas are also energy-efficient and run on less electricity than your average hair dryer. Keep an eye out for their new mPulse Infrared Sauna Series debuting in March, which will be the world’s first biofeedback sauna—tracking heart rate, calories burned, and core body temperature data and sending this data wirelessly to a wellness website for personal use (www.sunlighten.com/mpulse).

3. Take a bath.

Take time out and immerse yourself in a nice warm bath with a detoxifying bath blend. I’m a big fan of Dr. Singha’s Ayurvedic Mustard Bath (www.drsingha.com), which comes in handy packets that I don’t travel without. I also love the bath oils and Thermal Spring Salts from Kneipp, (try the balancing Lavender or energizing Spruce, www.kneippus.com). Another favorite is the Detox Duo by Dr. Dennis Gross. The set includes botanical- and vitamin-rich Purifying Bath Salts and an Antioxidant Enzyme Buff that exfoliates nicely (www.mdskincare.com). After bathing, apply an organic oil to your entire body. Amrit Organic offers some excellent certified organic oils; try the Organic Sesame Oil that’s a topnotch conditioner for your skin and known for its anti-inflammatory and detoxifying properties. (www.redcherrygroup.com)

4. Try a tonic.

Dr. Steve Arcuelo from ChicagoHealers.com created this detoxifying and immune-system-building Scallion and Ginger Tonic cocktail: First, combine 1 bunch of chopped scallions, 6 coin-size slivers of fresh ginger, a splash of Shoyu (a high-quality soy sauce), and 4 cups of water in a saucepan. Bring to a boil. Lower to a simmer and reduce by half so that you’re left with 2 cups. Drink both cups while hot. If you’re feeling under the weather, he recommends soaking in a very warm bath after you finish the tonic, followed by a sound night’s sleep bundled up in a sweatshirt and sweatpants. Says Arcuelo, “The scallion promotes sweating, which helps to rid the body of toxins and fight off viruses, while the volatile oils in ginger warm the body, helping the body to sweat, break a fever and eliminate toxins. Ginger is also a metabolic enhancer and body-cleansing herb.”

5. Head to the spa.

Many spas offer really good (and discounted) special packages at this time of year. From January 3rd to 10th and January 17th to 24th, Red Mountain Resort & Spa in Utah is offering a detoxification program geared to not only improve your mind, body, and sprit, but also to provide products and support for a complete 28-day detoxification program. The eight-day, seven-night program is gluten-free and includes everything from acupuncture to personal nutritional consultations to lymphatic drainage treatments and classes such as a Detoxification Yoga workshop and Detoxification Cooking class (www.redmountainspa.com).

6. Make it mud.

Mud has long been used to draw out toxins and impurities. Try a weekly at-home facial mud mask. I recommend the Hungarian Herbal Mud Treatment from Eminence (www.eminenceorganics.com). It’s a clarifying, stimulating, and detoxifying treatment for all skin types, but if you’re sensitive to cinnamon, do a patch test first (they also make a good Blueberry Detox Firming Peel for at-home use.) This is a good time to book a mud wrap at your local day spa. Sharon Ronen, founder of Skin Haven WellSpa in Los Angeles (www.skinhaven.com), offers a Black Baltic Mud Wrap. “It kicks up circulation to flush out toxins, bacteria, and other impurities, and the mud enhances cellular function and imparts firmness and uniformity to your skin. It’s a very stimulating treatment, and the client is wrapped in several layers to enhance the detox process,” she explains.

7. Expand your mind.

Best-selling author Debbie Ford’s, The 21-Day Consciousness Cleanse (Harper One), aims to show you how to purify your mind and thoughts and gain inner peace by “cleaning out the container of your own consciousness.” According to Ford, “Most New Year’s resolutions don’t work because if we don’t cleanse out the toxic emotions and experiences from our past and get honest about the present, we will be stuck with the same old thoughts, patterns, and regrets and end up with the same results.” In the book, she walks you through an intense three-part process that includes simple daily exercises, cleansing rituals, and prayers (www.amazon.com).