As spring approaches and we start to shake of the winter blues, we  slowly  begin the routine of spring cleaning. Purging our homes of extra  blankets and woolen socks, storing away our heavy jackets and boots. Some take the ritual inwards, greeting the sun and flowers with an internal cleanse or a renewed commitment to the gym. Spring is also an appropriate time to devote some attention to your largest organ, your skin, and make sure it is in healthy shape.

During the winter, our skin toughens and becomes slightly dry to protect us from the elements. When our lower dermal layers become dehydrated, protective oils in our skin are lost. In addition to skin left unprotected from the elements, this loss can also occur from normal aging and harsh products that can strip and irritate the skin.

Investing in a deep cleansing facial can help assist with reversing any damage while unveiling beautiful glowing skin. After winter, a mild exfoliation is important to remove the buildup of flaky dead skin cells that can create a dull or sallow look in the skin. It also allows better penetration of products and facilitates lymph stimulation which assists in detoxification. There are different ways to achieve this exfoliation, from manual exfoliation products like Eminence brand’s Pear and Poppy Seed Microderm Polisher or the Osmosis line’s Cranberry Enzyme Polish Mask to a mechanical exfoliation through the use of a microdermabrasion treatment. Once the skin has been prepped it is the perfect time to feed the skin with natural and active ingredients like Vitamin A and C and stimulate the circulation to provide the skin with oxygen and nutrients. Finishing with a surge of moisture is like a drink of cool water for your parched skin, helping to restore the epidermal layer.

For clients interested in revealing their healthy and beautiful skin we are offering a complimentary Replenish Repair Serum when you book an Osmosis Medi Facial in the month of April. And be sure to mark your calendars for April 26th! pHresh is hosting a “spring cleaning” event from 5-9pm.  Bring in your old skincare and makeup products and receive a 20% discount towards the purchase of a new product.  Our talented and knowledgeable staff will be on hand to answer questions and assist you in the process.

April 1st marks a very special day for Kate and I.  We are celebrating our 3rd Anniversary of owning pHresh Spa + Wellness Club!  It has been quite a journey getting to this point.  We have experienced moments filled with overwhelming fear, intense frustration, pure joy, a sense of satisfaction, giggles and fun and, more recently, a sense of pride for what our team has accomplished.

Kate & Kathy

As we move into March, I am reminded that a favorite day of festivities is fast approaching. Saint Patrick’s Day has always been happily anticipated, mostly due to the tradition of merry family gatherings at local pubs, but also partly due to my love of the springtime colour green.

Most of the people I know confuse love with possession. It’s easy to understand why; it’s built into the fundamental assumption of our culture. “You’re mine” says the popular song and “we belong” together”. Hardly anyone stops to question the sentiment.

As soon as we feel love, we immediately attempt to possess. We speak confidently of my boyfriend, my wife, my child, my parent. We feel justified in holding expectations about those people. We consider that perfectly reasonable.

Why? Because all our concepts of love ultimately derive from romantic love—and romantic love is furiously, frantically possessive. We want to be with our lover, to have him or her to ourselves, to possess. So strongly do we equate love with possession that we may even feel that if someone doesn’t want to possess us, he or she doesn’t really love us. Yet I would argue that what we call romantic love isn’t love at all. It’s a kind of emotional storm, an overpowering thrilling attraction –but it isn’t love.

Real love isn’t possessive. It can’t be. Love involves giving, not taking. Yet the desire to possess actually springs from the lovers own need—the need for approval from the beloved, for support from a parent, for straight A’s from a child, for status—for something. A possessive lover is overly focused on what he or she is getting. Not giving. A lover may dignify this dependency with the name love, but it’s a lie. How can you really love somebody when you’re dependent on him or her for things you need? That isn’t love—that’s just manipulation to keep the needed stuff coming you way. And love isn’t the same as need.

Of course, a loving relationship will produce interdependencies. But too often the pleasure of freely giving changes to a fear of not getting. This person—your lover, your girlfriend, your child—is suddenly so important that you worry what’s going to happen. And at that moment love stops.

People sometimes wonder if they’re feeling real love. The same people never wonder if they’re sexually aroused, or sad. Then what ’s the problem about recognizing love? Most often, it’s because they’re sensing a conflict. They feel the depth of their need, not the heights of their love.

There are ways to know real love. It feels calm. It’s steady and it can easily last a lifetime. It’s nourishing. People grow under it’s influence, they become who they really are, not what someone expects them to be. Real love isn’t blind; on the contrary people feel understood, accepted for who they really are. It’s healing.

So whenever you hear that love is blind, or love can’t last, or love is destructive, you can be sure that you’re actually hearing a description of lust, of desire, or need. It’s an accurate description because needs really are transient and destructive.

But love is something else entirely; an emotion of deep caring that asks nothing in return. It’s an emotion that is fulfilling without any expectation at all, and so rare that most people in our society can’t imagine it. They may even believe it doesn’t exist.

But it does. And it’s the best thing there is.

Despite the Valentine’s Day hype, we know that love is not all about heart-shaped chocolate boxes and diamond rings.  Love is both an action and a sensation.  Loving is that indescribable feeling of bliss and euphoria that comes from letting yourself go and existing in a space of complete comfort and intimacy.

Sharing a relaxing experience such as a couples’ massage or spa package with your loved one can enhance these feelings.  Taking the time to indulge in yourselves and each other will create a stronger bond between you and your partner.

Loving yourself is equally important and not to be forgotten!  For all of you single ladies and gentlemen out there, make sure you take some time this month to pamper yourselves.

You deserve it.

With temperatures dipping to down to -7C, Vancouverites are pulling our their woolies. We can still all be thankful we’re not on the prairies where temperatures reached -54C with the windchill. Brrr! This bone chilling weather is expected to last a few more days. Here are 2 ideas to help you heat up from the cold:

Infrared Sauna

Warm your bones with an Infrared Sauna session. Temperatures stay significantly lower than a traditional sauna so you may sit comfortably for 45 minutes and burn up to 600 calories at the same time! Bring a book, relax and warm up!

Hotstone Massage

What better way to soak up some heat than have skilled hands massage warm basalt stones over your entire body. Close your eyes, bliss out and imagine yourself under a palm tree on a tropical beach far, far away!

Since we all tend to over-indulge during the holidays, our body’s natural state of homeostasis is thrown off balance by toxic substances such as refined white sugar, red meats, alcohol and cigarettes. In order to return the body to its balanced state, a detoxification program is a safe and healthy method of eliminating these unwanted toxins.

And so, just as the old year will be swept out with the last scraps of wrapping paper, so we would like to start afresh in 2012 by clearing out those toxins our bodies have accumulated over the celebratory season. The resolution: to reach a renewed sense of balance and good health. And pHresh can show you how.

Infrared Sauna Therapy

Infrared Sauna Therapy is a great tool for detoxification as it effectively maximizes the body’s sweat response to produce up to 3 times the elimination of waste products than a regular sauna. The infrared-waves that the sauna produces can penetrate skin and muscle tissue up to several inches, expelling toxins deep below the surface, including heavy metals such as lead, mercury and aluminum.

Tired and stiff muscles are relieved, and congested skin is freed from impurities, revealing an improved complexion. Cellulite and toxins stored in fat cells are broken down, and up to 600 calories can be expended in a single 30-minute session. All while you lie back and relax in a tranquil environment.

Acupunture / Cupping

In Chinese Medicine, there are many ways to help the body rid itself of toxins. One of the most effective ways is through Cupping.

Cupping involves applying glass cups to the body. This is done by waving a burning cotton ball, that has been soaked in alcohol, through the cup quickly to create a vacuum. You do not feel the heat, but you will feel the cup pull up on the skin. Once attached, the cups will be left on for approximately 15-20 minutes minutes, and removed by pressing down on the skin to let the air out. They may leave a mark on the body, which could last between 2-12 days depending on the condition. This is a useful diagnostic tool! Depending on how dark the mark is, it indicates how much stagnation/toxins there is within the muscles.

Pain and other illnesses stem from the stagnation of circulation in the muscles and body tissues. Cupping improves the circulation in these areas and pain is alleviated and underlying health issues are often helped.

But we need your help!

From now until December 22nd, bring in any 3 items on the Food Bank’s Most Required List and receive a $25 pHresh gift card* or a free session in our infrared sauna!

(* Please note that gift cards can be used towards spa services only, not on products or boutique items.)

Most Required Items:

• Canned meat/fish
• Peanut butter
• Bags of whole wheat pasta/rice
• Pasta sauce
• Canned fruit/vegetables
• Cereal
• Baby formula
• Baby food

Please note, the Food Bank is not able to accept the following items:

• Homemade items
• Expired baby food
• Products containing alcohol
• Open packages of food

Donations can be dropped off at:

pHresh Spa + Wellness Club

3rd Floor – Sandman Suites Hotel

1160 Davie Street

http://www.theprovince.com/life/Food+bank+critical+need+Christmas+miracle+donations/5832330/story.html

Her specialty is Advanced Constitutional Facial Rejuvenation™, which is a holistic therapy designed to organically treat the aging process.

The basic concept is that by inserting needles locally on the face, circulation is increased, flooding the area with red and white blood cells and allowing collagen and elastin to form. Depending on the individual constitution, acupuncture points are chosen either to relax or strengthen muscles along energy meridians, or at the meeting point of a muscle and nerve. The focus is normally on two to three areas of concern at a time keeping the energy contained and focused.

The benefits of Facial Acupuncture are both internal and external. If a patient has symptoms such as headaches, insomnia, constipation and anxiety, this will be addressed, treating the patient holistically. Some of the external benefits include improving muscle tone, eliminating fine lines, as well as reducing bags and sagging jowls.  FRA is also very esthetically effective in tightening the neck, lifting drooping eyelids, tightening the pores and improving facial color. Significant findings are that it can reduce symptoms of Bell’s palsy, TMJ, neuropathies, and helps stroke patients.

As an alternative to Acupuncture, Julie offers a unique treatment, Facial Soundscapes – harmonic renewal (a tuning fork facial)™. It is a specific sound-healing protocol using tuning forks on acupuncture points to correct imbalances throughout the body and improve facial tone. It is a method of toning and firming the skin using tuning forks in tandem. The face, according to Traditional Chinese Medicine, reflects both the body’s overall health and the equanimity of spirit. When a face is clear, it allows the spirit to shine through.

Soundscapes offers an option to those who seek the benefits of facial acupunctur without the needles. It improves circulation of the blood and lymphatic system which accounts for its firming effect. Tuning forks is an extremely unique therapeutic treatment which relaxes the body, mind, and soul.

For more information or inquiries please go to our website, or call pHresh.

As an introductory offer, if you book before Nov.1^st you will receive 20% off your first treatment!

All services (except Facial Soundscapes) are covered by Extended Health if applicable to you!