WELL-BEING

FIND CALM THROUGH MEDITATION

Channel inner peace with mindfulness.

by SHANNON BROOKS

The pandemic has proven to be one long endurance test when it comes to fi nding ways to stay sane and cultivate patience amid continued uncertainty and ever-changing, trying circumstances. As fear and anxiety levels surged, mental health experts and wellness gurus touted the benefi ts of getting grounded in the present moment and focusing on taking things one day at a time. So it’s no surprise that meditation and mindfulness apps saw a massive surge in users seeking tools to help them cope with this once in a generation global crisis. Meditation is the ancient practice of training the mind. e Latin word meditatum means “to ponder,” and meditative practices have been linked to many religions and cultures throughout time. Meditation is all about bringing the mind into the now and fi nding peace in the present moment without worrying about the past or being preoccupied with what’s going to happen in the future. According to Los Angeles-based yoga instructor and meditation guide Natalie Burtney, “Meditation is practicing awareness of your body, emotions, and thoughts with curiosity and compassion. Just like all things, it is a practice, but over time, the benefi ts from meditation are cumulative and show up in many ways in your life.” Meditation can actually create new neural pathways in your brain. Among its many benefi ts are improved cognition and emotional health, increased insight and resiliency, and heightened concentration abilities. And the coolest thing is there’s no one “right” way to meditate. Anyone can do it anytime, anywhere. ese tools and resources can help you fi nd a meditation practice that works for you.

READ UP

If you want to learn more about meditation before you delve into it, there’s a whole universe of books out there fi lled with research and how-tos. Wherever You Go, ere You Are by Jon Kabat-Zinn and e Miracle of Mindfulness by ich Nhat Hanh are tried-and-true, longtime bestsellers in the space. For a fresh female perspective, LAbased spiritual coach and wellness expert Kelsey J. Patel’s recently released Burning Bright: Rituals, Reiki, & SelfCare to Heal Burnout, Anxiety, and Stress is packed with accessible advice for beginners.

GUIDED MEDITATION CLASSES

Guided meditations are a great starting point for beginners. Trained practitioners lead you through breathwork, oftentimes accompanied by soothing music like crystal bowls and chanting. Local meditation and yoga studios pivoted to virtual classes during the pandemic, allowing students to practice in the safety and comfort of their homes via Zoom and other streaming platforms. For example, Cultivate LA off ers a regular schedule of thematic meditations like Hypnotherapy, Emotional Awareness, and Dream & Deep Rest.

YOGIC SLEEP

Yoga Nidra is a very unique form of guided meditation that brings you into the state between sleeping and wakefulness. Studies have shown that 20 minutes of yogic sleep can give the body the benefi ts of three to four hours of sleep. LA-based Certifi ed Divine Sleep® Yoga Nidra instructor Sydney Cutler says, “Yoga Nidra meditation is a wonderful way to rest deeply while cultivating presentmoment awareness. While lying down you are guided into a deeply restful state where you can safely take off your ‘armor,’ release what no longer serves you, and invite in the realization that you are perfect just as you are. And it is so easy to do—all you need to do is get into a comfortable resting position and listen.”

WALKING MEDITATION

You don’t have to be seated and still to meditate. Walking mindfully connects breath and movement by going slowly, and paying attention to each step and breath. Take it a step further with the Japanese practice of shinrin-yoku, also known as “forest bathing,” which can be done in any natural setting. at means you can do a walking meditation while hiking Pasadena’s mountain trails, doing a secret stair walk or even strolling through e Huntington’s botanic gardens.

TRANSCENDENTAL MEDITATION

e Transcendental Meditation Technique (“TM”) is one of the most famous meditation practices. Its life-changing benefi ts have been touted by some of the biggest names in show business like Oprah Winfrey. e exclusively individualized practice entails receiving a personal mantra and one-on-one training delivered through four consecutive sessions.

THERE’S AN APP FOR THAT

Popular subscription-based apps like Calm and Headspace off er a variety of meditation tips and tools including breathing exercises, journaling prompts, and sleep sounds. A leader in the meditation studio space, LAbased Unplug Meditation launched their own app with on-demand guided meditations including sound baths, imagery, and breathwork. 

LOCAL LA MEDITATION RESOURCES

• Ananda Meditation (anandameditation.com): Virtual group and individual Yoga Nidra guided meditations led by Sydney

Cutler • Cultivate Meditation (cultivate-la. com): Livestream meditation classes and private sessions • One Down Dog (onedowndog. com): Yoga studio with locations in

Eagle Rock, Echo Park, and Silver

Lake offering livestream guided meditations, workshops, and sound baths • Pasadena Meditation (pasadenameditation.org):

Meditation studio offering online guided meditations and individual consultations • Transcendental Meditation (tm. org): Individual meditation training program with LA locations • Unplug Meditation (unplug.com):

Meditation studio with livestream and on-demand classes, plus a dedicated app • YogaWorks (yogaworks.com): Yoga studio with multiple LA locations offering virtual Meditate and Yoga

Nidra classes

3 SIMPLE MEDITATION TIPS FROM A PRO

Natalie Burtney (wolfpackyoga.me) is an LA-based, trauma-informed yoga teacher who teaches public classes at One Down Dog, as well as Yoga and Mindfulness for the workplace for companies.

• Create ritual around your

meditation practice. Do it around the same time of the day when you start out and make it something you “get” to do versus “have” to do. This helps create the habit, and also may help your mind and body slip into practice more easily. • It doesn’t have to be perfect. If my meditation gets interrupted by something or someone, or if my legs fall asleep and I need to adjust them, it’s fi ne. You are human and these things happen.

Even if you can only get in fi ve minutes of meditation, you will receive benefi ts.

• Give yourself permission to

start again and again. When you lose focus, allow yourself to gently come back to your primary anchor of your body and breath.

I often teach this by having students hear the word “return” or

“coming back.” The act of noticing when your mind is wandering strengthens your awareness.

A NEW APPROACH

From virtual services to outdoor treatments, local spas share how they’ve adapted their businesses in response to COVID-19.

by KAMALA KIRK photo courtesy THE SALT STUDIO

The current global pandemic has aff ected all industries across the board and the spa sector is among those that have been hit particularly hard. For an industry that relies primarily on touch, spas have faced a new set of challenges due to social distancing and stay-at-home orders. Many have been forced to temporarily close their doors or reduce the number of clients they see, which has caused a detrimental impact to their businesses. Despite the limited access to spas at present, the need for self-care and wellness has become even more important as a result of COVID-19. Many spas have pivoted their services and come up with new ways to cater to clients, demonstrating their resilience in the face of adversity. To help clients recreate the spa experience in the comfort and safety of their own homes, Burke Williams— which has 11 spas across California, including a Pasadena location—created exclusive At-Home Spa Kits and Summer Gift Kits. e kits feature a variety of their signature products and include essential oils, bath soaks,

shower mists, and other spa day essentials like bathrobes. Diff erent themed sets are available, such as the Self-Care Sunday Kit and Stress-Free Solitude Kit, and can be purchased through Burke Williams’ online store.

“It is in times like these that we look toward our mission ‘To transform your day’ to fi nd ways that we may provide transformative experiences to our guests, even when we must do so from afar,” says Diane Kim, vice president of guest experience for Burke Williams. “Our guests have been incredibly excited about our new off erings. Self-care is vital to our health and mental wellbeing, and guests love getting to experience a bit of Burke Williams from their homes. Many have said the off erings have sparked excitement for the spas to reopen and we can’t wait either!”

Chuan Spa at e Langham Huntington, Pasadena recently launched a partnership with Knesko Rose Quartz Collection products to off er diff erent self-care sets for athome use, including the Antioxidant Discovery Kit, which comes with a rose quartz roller, face and eye masks, and a cosmetic bag. e sets are available exclusively in the spa’s boutique and can also be ordered over the phone.

“ e Langham Hotels & Resorts co-branded Knesko Rose Quartz Antioxidant Collagen Masks and gemstone roller are great for at-home skin care, to calm and repair skin, and protect it from free radicals,” shares Susan Williger, director of communications for e Langham Huntington, Pasadena. “ e rose quartz opens the heart chakra and the pink is a perfect fi t with our brand color, Langham Pink.”

Deisy Suarez, who owns DESUAR Spa in Downtown Los Angeles, has off ered several virtual spa experiences for her clients on Zoom. rough these interactive sessions, she provides live DIY tutorials that show how to make things like face masks and moisturizers from scratch, along with massage technique demonstrations. In addition, Suarez has started to off er select spa services on the rooftop of the Chester Williams Building in DTLA. “At the moment all of our current indoor amenities are unavailable to the public,” explains Suarez. “However, our new rooftop location will feature a beautiful outdoor space that overlooks Broadway Street and the city skyline. It will allow our clients the opportunity to sit and relax while enjoying the gorgeous city views. e space will host two gazebos that can easily accommodate either a single occupant or a couple, and will allow for us to accommodate a total of three guests at a time. Services that will be off ered include massages, showerless body scrubs and wraps, slimming treatments, select facial treatments, and limited waxing services. Our plan is to stay in this outdoor location until we are safe and able to go back to performing services indoors.”

While her spa was closed for several months, Diana Martin Del Campo, who owns e Salt Studio in Pasadena, began expanding her focus on distance sessions and taking online courses for healing work. A licensed master of Reiki for 15 years, she has been off ering distance healing sessions over the phone. During these sessions, Del Campo channels energy to her clients to help bring them calm and peace, ease pain, and promote healing for specifi c concerns.

“During this time they may feel relief or new calm, or they may fall asleep,” says Del Campo. “ e Reiki continues to fl ow for at least another 24 hours after the session. When we have been stretched in every way out of our norm and routines, self-care is more important than ever for our mental and physical health. We have this opportunity to listen to our bodies and take care of ourselves, because it is essential for overall health, immunity, and survival.” 

5 WAYS TO LIVE CLEANER EVERY DAY

These days almost everyone is obsessed with detoxing, whether it’s through a sauna sweat session or juice cleanse, but the process doesn’t have to be so laborious or extreme. Holistic nutritionist Christina Shadle shares a few simple tips you can implement in your daily life.

by CHRISTINA SHADLE

W

hile we can’t move to a cleaner planet (yet), we can focus on optimizing our digestion and detoxing our everyday lives to support our health and bolster our immune systems. By choosing specifi c foods over others, being aware of the products we consume, and making other small changes, here are a handful of ways you can start supporting your detoxifi cation pathways today. 1 . Drink lots of water. Consuming half your body weight in ounces per day will help fl ush toxins from the body. 2. Limit alcohol. Alcohol bogs down the liver and when the liver is sluggish, you can feel depleted, exhausted, experience skin issues, and more. 3. Exercise regularly, but gently. During times of stress, intense exercise places further stress on the body and promotes infl ammation. Be sure to take rest days to stretch and recover. 4. Eat nutrient-dense, unprocessed whole foods like leafy greens, cruciferous vegetables, beets, lemon, ginger, and turmeric. 5. Incorporate detoxifying herbs like milk thistle and dandelion root, which contain powerful antioxidants proven to be highly eff ective in the removal of heavy metals and harmful chemicals from prescription medications, chemotherapy, air pollution, and so much more. 

For more wellness and nutrition tips from holistic nutritionist Christina Shadle, visit sidebenefi tsnutrition.com.

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