The capacity for repairing and rejuvenating itself makes the human body a pretty incredible thing.  Today many of our bodies support very unnatural lives: we sit all day and barely move, we hardly ever sweat, we eat things that aren’t grown anywhere but made in labs.  Many of the repair and maintenance systems in our bodies have begun to slow down if not turn off altogether, which has led to  toxicity of varying degrees, even immobility in some cases.  To get back to our naturally healthy, naturally balanced state, sometimes, the body needs just the right nudge from nature for those wonderful internal processes to begin again, restoring us to our pristine pre-toxic selves.

Whereas Calvert Rejuvenations’ Organic medi-facials and products encourage our skin’s internal process for reinvigorating itself to its full youthful glory, The Hot Spot utilizes heat therapy with far-infrared light to trigger the body’s most efficient mechanism for detoxifying and shedding the residue of a busy life: sweat. Deep, cleansing sweat, poured directly from your body’s subcutaneous fat. Your body stores excess fuel in the form of fat, and the fat stores all the body’s unusable residue, and there isn’t a person among us who wouldn’t benefit from shedding that stuff. Sweat is the release valve.

http://youtu.be/YtkrLU31bLM

Check out our video about eyelash extensions!

Good morning CR friends, Sometimes I find that discussing the “mind/body connection” is a little too esoteric for me to grasp…it’s not always accessible.  Sometimes I am just too much in my head, too wrapped up in my to-do list, in LIFE to wrap my head around anything but what’s next.

In my practice yesterday I explored the body/brain connection instead and, guess what?  Something clicked. In yoga; in self-nurturing acts like tea rituals (or coffee, i suppose), dependable monthly facials, massages, meditation, whatever… you are refining, tuning up and maintaining that which literally contains your brain and therefore your mind.  As you stretch, and tone, build flexibility and stability in your body, so too are you supporting those qualities and growth for your brain.  Furthermore, these acts of self-nurturing lead to a healthier, cleaner, more fertile environment for your precious mind (brain) to reside in!

Yogis across the ages have explored acknowledged the impact that cleanliness and order have on the mind’s ability to expand and be free of anxiety and mental clutter- I believe that this mind (brain)-body connection idea is an opportunity explore that concept in a way that is more accessible to those of us who are too oft to be bowled over and consumed by our to-do lists.

Next: to explore the mind-body-SPIRIT connection and how to access that cliche lesson in our every day.  What the heck does it really even mean?  I’ve got an idea and I think it may work for you, too.

Good Morning Calvert Rejuvenations friends!

I write to you this morning as I sit here sipping some of the new holiday tea that we stocked for this season (Vienna Cinnamon is my new favorite- oh. my. goodness.  So good!  slightly sweet, a little spicy, warming and so totally appropriate for the season.  Love it.), but I digress.  I thought you might appreciate to hear that estheticians also have skin issues occasionally and that it might be helpful to know how we treat ourselves when they pop up.

Just a quick note about skin and nutrition this morning…

Over the last 6 weeks or so I’ve been struggling with unusual redness and rash-like irritation around my nose and mouth…nothing too unsightly or worrisome, but still annoying.  I pulled all my usual esthetician tricks for this kind of thing: reduce retinoids, increase us of calming serums, wash my face just at night with a more gentle cleanser, focus on hydration (moisturizing throughout the day to reduce irritation from getting overly dry…)  My hydrating, organic medi facial infusion with Ina 2 weeks ago was helpful, but didn’t FIX it entirely.

I had to take a fresh look at what else may be contributing to the condition… it dawned on me that I’d started drinking coffee right about the time that this redness appeared!  That and with the Thanksgiving holiday my usually gluten-free diet had lapsed into a full blown carb-lover diet.  I’ve never been a coffee drinker- maybe one cup every 2 weeks, so this new daily habit was a HUGE dose of acidity, caffeine stimulation and the accompanying dehydrating effects.  Reluctantly, I gave up the coffee, switched to tea (one cup black in the morning- that Vienna Cinnamon is really special, and green or white or herbal throughout the day), started using Stem Factor serum at night  (to give my skin all the growth factors required for optimal skin function) combined with my Calm serum, Digestive Health harmonized water to help with the digestive issue and…As much as I’d like to keep up the coffee habit, I have to admit that the redness is gone after only about 4 days of the new routine, the flakiness is virtually healed, the bumps are barely visible.

Harumph.  No coffee club membership for Calvert. 

The moral of the story is this:  if you have some unexplained skin symptoms you can’t shake make an appointment with a knowledgeable esthetician to help you troubleshoot your at-home routine, pump your skin full of nutrients and clear the way for renewed skin. Then take a good hard look at how you’re fueling your body.  Everything you eat shows up in your skin and your overall wellbeing.
Coffee= acid, dehydration, stress and inflammation (which all = AGING…for real)
Gluten- if you have any intolerance, as I do, = see above.

Do you have a Halloween party this weekend, a dress-up day at work next week, or just want your kid to be the coolest drooling dragon-man on the block?

Let Ina do your Halloween makeup this year at Calvert Rejuvenations, Northern Virginia’s Best Spa! Now through Halloween night book your complimentary 15-minute session with Ina Bell, our own maven of makeup and go home with an appropriately ghastly phantasmagoric visage!

Whether you choose to be ghoulish or glamorous, Ina will help refine your prefect look.  Feel free to bring a picture of what you’re going for.  This is a complimentary service, though we do suggest gratuity for your trick-or-treat enhancement master.

Book here NOW!

A spiced, gingered pumpkin sugar scrub is applied to thoroughly exfoliate your skin. This glow-inducing ritual continues with a warm wrap around your body, delivering potent, multi-vitamin rich nourishment. Following further aromatherapy and a mind melting scalp massage your skin is intensely moisturized and elasticity restored with a custom-blended autumnal blend of ginger and pumpkin, incense and sandalwood essential oils.
The energizing, yet calming scent of Fall will warm your heart and delight your senses.
FREE GIFT! Included with this fabulous treatment, take home the artisan crafted Sandalwood Incense scented bar soap ($10 value). 

rebalancing, organic body treatment
75 minutes $145

Good morning!
With the arrival of some not-horribly-humid chilly weather and the beginning of my favorite time of year I begin looking for food to get me grounded, to feeling closer to the earth; choosing heavier, darker vegetables, starting to incorporate hot and slightly heavier dishes into the rotation of meals.
Generally, I’m not much of a kale fan. Though I admire it’s meaty texture and dark green leafiness, its bitterness is more often than not too hard for me to truly enjoy. Salad is not usually something I often get excited about either (unless its chock full of berries, nuts, cheese…as much “stuff” as there are greens), particularly in cooler weather. This kale salad, shared with me by Ginger, master esthetician and farm market expert, is so SO so good. I’ve already made and reluctantly shared with two groups of friends.

This dish is savory and sweet, chewy and crisp and oh so tasty.  Please tell me how it turns out if you give it a try…you’ll be so glad you did.  Promise!

Kale Salad
Serves 2 as an entreé. More, if serving as a side.
1/2 cup cubed kabocha, butternut, or other winter squash
Extra-virgin olive or coconut oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1 bunch kale (preferably lacinato or dinosaur kale), ribs removed and finely sliced, about 2 1/2 cups
1/4 cup almonds, cut roughly in half
1/4 cup crumbled or finely chopped Cabot clothbound cheddar (or any good, aged cheddar — if you can’t find aged cheddar, use parmesan)
Fresh lemon or lime juice
Pecorino, Parmesan or other hard cheese, for shaving (optional)

1.    Heat oven to 425° F. Toss squash cubes in just enough oil to coat, and season with salt and pepper. Spread on a baking sheet (lined with parchment for easier cleanup), leaving space between the cubes. Roast in the oven until tender and caramelized, about 40 minutes, tossing with a spatula every 10-15 minutes. Toast the almonds on a baking sheet in the same oven until they start to smell nutty, tossing once, about 10 minutes. Let cool.
2.    In a large mixing bowl, toss the kale with the almonds, cheddar and squash. Season to taste with a dressing of lemon/lime juice and oil (approximately 1 tablespoon lemon juice and 2 olive oil). Season to taste with salt and pepper.
3.    Divide salad between two plates or shallow bowls. Garnish with shaved pecorino cheese, if desired, and serve.

Put the squash and almonds, fresh out of the oven, on top of the bowl of chopped kale and tossed quickly and cover it IMMEDIATELY so it steams the kale. Serve immediately with cheese freshly grated on top.

Loved this article from the NYTimes today and thought to share it with you guys.  In the name of optimizing health, reducing inflammation and listening to our bodies:
http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/24/more-on-milk/?hp

highlights: “Nearly everyone who complained of heartburn, for example, later resolved by eliminating dairy, had a story of a doctor (usually a gastroenterologist) prescribing a proton pump inhibitor, or P.P.I., a drug (among the most prescribed in the United States) that blocks the production of acid in the stomach.”

“…involuntary or incidental withdrawal of dairy from the diet — a trip to China (where milk remains less common), or a vacation with non-milk-drinking friends or family — when symptoms disappeared, followed by their return upon resumption of a “normal” diet.”

“When a lifetime of suffering, medical visits and prescription drugs can be resolved with a not especially challenging dietary change, a certain amount of retroactive frustration seems justifiable.”

What is Reiki?

Reiki (Ray-Key) is a form of energy healing that is used to restore and support our physical and emotional health.  Originating in Japan, this treatment has been in use since the late 1800s and was first practiced by Dr. Mikao Usui.  The literal translation for Reiki is Universal Life Energy; in other cultures this concept may be expressed as Chi, Ki, Mana, Ashe, Prana, etc.  Reiki itself is often likened to flowing water that clears away old blockages and brings in a generous supply of nourishing energy.  This ‘universal life energy’ provides an energetic boost to our body’s innate wisdom to heal itself!

A typical session involves a series of sustained and gentle hand placements used by the practitioner to channel healing energy into the client’s body.  Common hand placements are used at the head, over the throat, heart, stomach, back and feet.  During a Reiki session, different sensations may be experienced such as heat, cold, buzzing or tingling at certain points in the body.  These are all signs of healing energy at work!  Please keep in mind that whether or not the client experiences such sensations, they are still receiving the healing benefits of Reiki.  All sessions are performed fully clothed and usually with a blanket to keep the client at a comfortable temperature.  Reiki can be used to focus on a certain healing intent, attain a deeply meditative state of mind or just for some good old fashioned relaxation!

For several decades now, Reiki has grown in popularity throughout the global holistic health care community.  The subtle yet remarkable effects of Reiki have also found support in many scientific and medical communities.

As a Reiki practitioner since the spring of 2011, I have had my own meaningful experiences with this healing art.  I was both taught and attuned to Reiki by Hallie E Sawyers, a Reiki Master of the Usui Ryoho tradition.  Whether I am using it as a daily practice to support my own well being, easing muscle tension for a good friend or bringing my skills to a local Reiki share, I am always fascinated by and thankful for this gift!

Erika Prater, CMT

Calvert Rejuvenations Spa
571-323-1088
www.CalvertRejuvenations.com