I had a brief exchange with one of our clients friends at the spa last week as she was looking over our journals in the boutique. I pointed one out that I bought for myself and showed her how beautiful the inside pages were, how cute the cover was, etc. Her response was one I’ve heard from so very many people, even myself from time to time- “I don’t know how to write in a journal, I just don’t have time and don’t really get it”. We put the journal down and moved on to talk body butters and glitter eye liner. 

I came to reflect on that conversation again this morning as I found myself feeling conflicted about writing in my own journal, my shiny, new, empty journal for 2012. “Is someone going to read this some day? Should I edit for future generations-  make it interesting for my grandkids? Am I writing for ME? If so, why not just keep it in my head and not bother putting it down on paper?” – All these questions.

I have two journals, actually. One is for yoga musings and study, basically, the other (the new one I christened this morning with my first entry) is for more personal reflections.

my beautiful journals

I started writing in a journal after purchasing it because I thought it was just so darn PRETTY and that I’d surely be inspired to at least pick it up and touch the textured cover and un-do the magnetic closure every now and again.  Turns out that you can take notes and write down quotes and explore lots of things on the pages of a journal!  I took my tiffany glass one (blue above) to a yoga retreat and used IT as my notebook.  How beautiful it felt to have a gorgeous, special, inspiring book with me every day to absorb my notes and hold space for reflections on those notes. Ol’ Tiff is all but used up now and she’s a really useful resource for me as I go back through to see what I was studying, what I found to be useful or meaningful in 2010 and ’11.  I’ve now moved on to the spiral bound, cool paged journal for 2012.  Each page has new designed paper, somewhat wavering lines and is exciting to flip through even before I write a single word in it.

I guess what I’m getting at is that there is a ceremony, a ritual, if you will, of intending to keep a journal, in selecting one that you find visually pleasing, one you feel you’ll want to write in because it deserves to be written in.  If my journals weren’t pretty, I probably wouldn’t write as often as I do, but I see them sitting there, empty, waiting, asking to be opened and caressed and it inspires me to write.  Not for me, but for them.  I jest, but there is some truth to it.

What got me off the journaling couch this morning was a passage in one of the books I’ve got going right now.  I got to thinking about it and couldn’t really continue reading because I was stuck on that one passage.  It became clear to me that that was my way in! That was my way into my first journal entry of 2012- I was going to start with that quote and then sort out all the feelings I was having about it.  It started so simply and 4 pages later, after shifting topics and unleashing a whole bucket of thoughts I can’t share with anyone without a mountain of disclaimers, I came to rest.

My journal frenzy behind me, I took a breath and acknowledged how easy it was to get my journal started.  I realized how easy it can be to take time (no longer than it would have taken someone to eat a bowl of cereal or watch a quickie morning news show) and I thought of that dear client friend at the spa.
Writing in a journal is not for the poetic, the skillfully introspective, it is not just for artists or those with an abundance of free time.  It starts by choosing your medium, it starts by selecting the home for your rogue thoughts, your frustrations, your favorite or least favorite quotes of the year, it starts by wanting to be able to journal and wanting to have or make time to care for yourself a little better, a little more tenderly.

With light and love, Namaste,

Calvert

We at Calvert Rejuvenations are proud and excited to announce that we’re unveiling our new So Sound Table at the Valentine’s Day Party on Wednesday evening, February 8th.

This has been a long time coming at Calvert Rejuvenations. We fell in love with this technology while visiting spas in the Pacific Northwest in 2011, and we’ve been working to bring it to our spa ever since. The Sound Table provides an experience of music most of us have never had before. As you relax on the table and enjoy the familiar auditory sensation of listening to music, the table transforms that music into waves of acoustic vibrations, thereby engaging your entire body in the sensory experience. Music tends to relax us, to take our minds away from what is in front of us and bring us to a calmer, meditative state. With the So Sound experience, this therapeutic effect is magnified as every muscle, head to toe, is engaged. Simply, we’re taking what soothes and relaxes us mentally and emotionally and spreading it out over the entire body.

It’s a truly wonderful experience, and here at Calvert Rejuvenations, we’re cooking up custom playlists and aromatherapy combinations to really drive home the relaxation. We can’t wait to show off what we’ve done, and we’re debuting the whole thing this Wednesday evening. Look for more specific ways to enjoy this experience both as an upgrade to your massage or facial or as a stand-alone treatment in the coming days!

Are you feeling a little yucky after indulging in holiday treats? Here’s a beautiful and tasty way to support your liver and gallbladder as they rid your body of toxins. I’m calling it the “Save Your Gallbladder Salad“. Enjoy this and feel free to improvise – listen to what your body is drawn to.

One shredded beet
One chopped apple (I used fuji)
A handful of chopped kale
The juice of half a lemon
Olive oil, drizzled on
Agave nectar (a gentle sweetener, to balance the tartness of the lemon)

Mix all together and enjoy. These amounts served two.

Kale is very high in beta carotene, vitamin K, vitamin C, lutein, zeaxanthin, and reasonably rich in calcium. Kale, as with broccoli and other brassicas, contains sulforaphane (particularly when chopped or minced), a chemical with potent anti-cancer properties. It’s a superfood! Beets, too, are packed with nutrients, and have been used for centuries to protect against oxidative stress, an imbalance linked with many diseases. And apples, as we all know, are delicious. I’m sure they’re healthy, too. Something about keeping the doctor away . . .

You could also throw in a handful of chopped walnuts, pecans, or some goat cheese. Have fun with it!

- Cheryl

Cheryl, in addition to being a wonderful Massage Therapist, is a Certified Health Coach, one who happens to be bursting with just this kind of excellent, practicable advice for developing a cleaner, healthier way of life. To schedule a Health Coaching session with Cheryl, please call the spa at (571) 323 1088.