Beat Winter’s Blues In Atlanta’s Top Spas

{Previously published via Parlour Magazine}

“In the midst of winter I found there was within me an invincible summer.”

— Albert Camus

“In the midst of winter I found there was within me an invincible summer.” ~Albert Camus

The winter chill is upon us. Mittens, hats, scarves and every other item of clothing you’ve piled on to stay warm this season can only temporarily hide your chipped polish, dull locks and chapped lips. You’ve got to come up out of your clothes at some point and unless you’re going for grizzly bear chic, those unshaven legs just aren’t the best look.

Just because it’s the dead of winter doesn’t mean grooming habits are deceased. In fact, this is the best time to step up your rituals. Protection and preservation is the name of the game when it’s frosty out. And since there’s nothing like a good day at the salon and spa to help you rejuvenate and beat down those winter blahs,* here is where Atlanta goes to perk up and get fresh in spite of the cold:

Fabu Face Spa 335 West Ponce De Leon Avenue, Decatur, GA 30030 (404) 377-6363

This spa and boutique offers up quaint comfort and serenity, with the option to shop. First timers can get a sample of the services offered with the Fabu Petite package, which includes a 30 minute botanical facial and 30 minute Swedish massage for only $85.

Glam Bar 244 Peters Street SW., Atlanta, GA (404) 521-0800 ‎

Specializing in hair, nails and makeup, this full service salon offers amenities such as ipod shuffle rentals, front desk concierge service, and wine by the glass while you wait. The vintage 50s boudoir décor sets the stage for lavish pampering at reasonable prices.

Brash Brow & Lash Lounge 297 Candler Road SE., Atlanta, GA 30317 (404) 244-3799

Located two minutes from downtown Decatur, if your brows are in need of a doctor, you must see owner Jeffrey Stewart. Stewart and his Brash team will artfully sculpt your brows with your weapon of choice, either wax or razor. Other services include eyelash enhancements, facial waxing and brow coloring. First time clients get a special rate of $7 for razor brow service.

Sugar Coat Nail and Beauty Bar 256 Pharr Road NE., Atlanta (404) 814-2121

Sweet and sassy is the best way to describe this local beauty bar that prides itself on being one of the most sanitary places around. Pretty nails and feet are not the only things in store for you at Sugar Coat. This beauty bar offers body waxing, lashes, massages and organic spray tans.

Jeju Sauna  3555 Gwinnett Place Drive, Duluth, GA 30096 (678) 336-7414

Modeled after traditional Korean bath houses, this co-ed sauna features dry and wet sauna rooms, large heated and cool mineral pools and an indoor spa with a selection of services that includes acupuncture massages and full body scrubs. Get away and get a dose of R&R any time of the day or night, as Jeju is open to soothe your spa needs 24 hours a day. Added bonus, their authentic Korean restaurant on-site makes the 20 minute drive outside the city well worth it.

*Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a real joy stealer. If you or someone you know is suffering from SAD, seek support and remember that the seasons must change and brighter days are on their way.

Day 8: Calm Your Spirit Using Everyday Mindfulness

Namaste, beautiful people! Welcome to Week 2, day 8 of the 31 Day Mind, Body, Spirit Re-set. If you've been jamming with us since day one, congrats! If you're just joining... we're glad to have you! Please make sure you're signed up to receive the extra goodies that we have exclusively for subscribers here. This week we have a meditation calendar to help guide you through the exercises and concepts, so be sure to get yours! It's absolutely FREE! 

Here's a quick overview of a few things that you can do to create an atmosphere that's conducive creating a flow of good energy day to day. ALSO, keep in mind that with a regular meditation practice, you will find that the generation of light, positive energy will come quite naturally as a result of your inner work. In fact, don't be surprised if perfect strangers start to tell you that you seem to have a glow about you. Meditation tends to have that effect. And who doesn't want a shine that is evident from the inside out? Your natural spirit self is radiant. Let it show!

Set daily intentions

Setting a daily intention can be as easy as when you open your eyes in the morning have a positive conversation with yourself: by saying things like, "I'm going to have a good day," or "I am going to be productive today." Whatever it is that you need, create the intention before you even get out of the bed.
 

Practice feeling good

You know the saying, "Follow your bliss?" That's exactly what you should do from day to day by choosing to follow thoughts, actions and feelings that feel good. This concept can take some practice, but it's exceptionally helpful whenever you find yourself in a tight spot or just dealing with a difficult or stressful situation to breathe and ask yourself, 'What's the path of least resistance in this moment'? and go that direction. Decide what's the easiest thing for you to do with your words and actions in whatever situation that you find yourself in that is positive, productive and anti-dramatic. You may not be the source of drama or able to control it, but you can control how you react. Choose what feels good, true and right for you. Even if that means walking away (even temporarily) from situations (and crazy-making people) that don't align with your bliss (more on this in a later broadcast).

Tune in to positivity

Try to limit your time watching regular TV as much as possible this week. Maybe allow yourself the luxury of 1 hour per day.

Fill your extra time with content that feeds your spirit instead. Consume whatever inspirational talks, sermons, music, guided meditations, inspirational audio books, or feel good comedies (it's good to laugh) that you can get your hands on to cultivate an abundance of good energy from day to day. 

Close the day mindfully and with gratitude

Each night before you drift off to sleep think about all of the good things that happened during the day: Did the sun come out? Be thankful. Was a stranger kind to you? Send them appreciative thoughts in your mind. Notice when you felt good during the day, what was the cause, and reflect on it.

Soon you'll find that with a little dose of mindfulness everyday, you'll better be able to notice how you feel, choose your thoughts, and move through your day more joyfully. This is the foundation of what I like to call daily mindful, meditative (thoughtful) behavior in action. You will find that answers that you seek in life will come to you easily when you are in a good head and heart space to receive them. Go forth, be and spread light!

Tweetable Tip of The Day: 

Be sure to join the wellness chat on Periscope at our NEW time 9 PM, EST for more wellness. Also, please officially join the 31 Day Sassy Wellness Reset and get access to additional tips, downloadable tools, recipes and resources only available to subscribers. Click the button below to sign up now.

Sassy Wellness: 31 Day Mind, Body & Spirit Reset

The year is coming to a close and for the past couple of weeks I've been thinking a lot about the things that I want to do better or more of in the New Year. Not really one for resolutions, I prefer to think of the start of the year as an opportunity to reset my life--mind, body and {creative} spirit and set some attainable goals.

Let's hit re-set together, click HERE now!

I truly believe that in order to successfully accomplish our goals it's important to have a good foundation. And for me, that means moving forward with balance and purpose, hence the reason for this 31 Day Re-set. Because I think that too much change at once-- as with say, lofty resolutions, can be overwhelming. Instead, I approach the New Year as an opportunity to reflect on what is working in my life, and the habits or practices that have served me well the past year. I look for opportunities to add more of the rich things that I enjoy to my life rather than detoxing and completely cutting things out. I think that when we start out building on a foundation of things that we already do, our chances for successfully implementing improvements increases exponentially.

By filling my life with more of the good stuff, the less desired habits and such won't have space to co-exist. Many of the tips and resources that I plan to share are things that reflect The Sassy Nation's core values, and are things I already do or use (some more consistently than others, of course). However, these practices are ones that I definitely want to experience more of in the New Year to have the sassiest year ever!

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I really hope that you'll join me. If you do, here's what you'll have to look forward to: 

1. I'll be doing a daily vlog that will stream live on Periscope: @TheSassyNation, so I hope that you will connect with me there. We can chat and share our wins face to face while I share the tip of the day, plus the resources that will help you reset and recharge your 2016. 

2. Also, each week I'll send out an email that'll outline the plan for the week, including some downloadable tools and To-dos that I'll be sharing exclusively with my email subscriber boos to help along the journey. If you want these extra goodies, and I think that you will,  you can sign up for FREE below. 

3. A whole new world of opportunity to get right for 2K16... with the whole squad of #Sassy supporters behind you. Together, we're going to ROCK this thang! 

Week 1:

Since health is a hot topic come Jan. 1, we'll be talking about ways that we can treat our BODY better, starting with the foods that we eat and our physical fitness habits.

Week 2:

“Meditation: Because some questions can’t be answered by Google.”

— Someone Smart & Sassy, Obvi.

Get ready to get lifted-- in SPIRIT, that is. This week we'll be talking about various forms of meditation, plus using mantras, affirmations and manifestation journals to help you get balanced from the inside out. Good stuff.

Week 3:

Looking for some mental stimulation? This week is all about places you can go to get your MIND right. We'll be sharing books, Youtube channels, magazines, journals, podcasts, documentaries, music and all things #Smart&Sassy.

Week 4:

Work is such and integral part of all of our lives. This week we'll discuss tips on how to not only bring more balance into your workspace, but also how to tap into the CREATIVE side of life.

Bonus: Days 29-31

We'll be reviewing what we learned, the things that we enjoyed exploring and what new tidbits we loved and plan to keep. It's time to get real about our goals, what we really hope to accomplish, and outlining how we plan to make them a reality. For some of us that will mean defining new routines for ourselves. So, if you're ready, just say YES and join the squad!

2K16, we're coming for you-- get ready!

Lemony Turmeric Iced Yerba Mate

It’s National Iced Tea Day and this ain't your granny’s sweet tea! Chill out this summer with tall glass of Lemony Turmeric Iced Yerba Maté.

Turmeric, the bright yellow spice, has long been used as a powerful Eastern medicinal herb. It’s known to have excellent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. 

Amongst many other things, it can help with:

Weight management

Digestion

Cholesterol reduction

Immunity support

As if that weren’t enough, drinking Yerba Maté will not only help keep you alert with its high biocaffeine (that means natural) content, but it’s give green tea a run for the money when comes to nutritional properties. It’s what I drink daily. 

Benefits include:

Enhanced ability to focus

Supports cardiovascular health

Weight control

Enhanced physical endurance

Boosts immunity

Detoxifies blood

High anti-aging antioxidants 

Give this sweet alternative a try!

A video posted by Talia Witherspoon (@thesassynation) on Jun 10, 2015 at 5:12pm PDT

Recipe

What you’ll need:

12 ozs. Hot water

2 Tbsp. Loose Yerba Mate

½ Tsp. Turmeric

¼ Slice of Lemon

Honey to Desired Sweetness

What you’ll do:

1. Boil water

2. Add  yerba mate to a french press (or other tea strainer)

3. Stir in Turmeric and honey. Let tea seep as long as desired

4. Press/Strain tea and pour over ice.

5. Squeeze and add lemon

Enjoy! Makes 2 servings

10 Awesome Benefits of Meditation

Why #meditation? While I’ve always enjoyed yoga, probably for many of the same reasons why I love meditation, I only recently started practicing regularly. It never occurred to me that I should until after a particularly tumultuous 2014, I made the a decision that this year was going to be the year that I proactively do something and take an active role to make sh!t happen for myself. I thought, well yoga has always served me well, why not toss in some meditation for good measure. I decided to create an environment that was conducive to tuning out the noise of the exterior world and to spend all of my spare time aligning myself with my internal guide. I ate more nutritiously, I read, I listened, I breathed, I got quiet.

After the first 30 days of doing all of my new things every day I was pretty impressed. The second month into the year I decreased my yoga and meditation practice significantly and I could really tell the difference in what I felt internally and how I moved through the day, externally. By the third month, I’d resumed my daily habit and ritual of meditating (at the very least) and doing yoga every day that I could. And now I’m totally convinced that the benefits of dedicating time to my practice and rituals are no fluke. 

What’s funny is that before I even had a loose meditation practice, I started to look around at my life and the evidence that something was off was clear to me. But for the longest time I couldn’t quite put my finger on what to do about it. At the end of last year I’d been reading about the power of gratitude and the laws of attraction, just feeling like I needed to learn and absorb more if I was going to get out of what felt like a rut. A couple of days before New Years Eve, I had an epiphany that I needed to look within myself to figure out why it seemed things in my life— relationships, finances, progress towards my goals— were in a disarray. Note that I say that it only SEEMED that way. The confusion was purely an illusion that I’d projected into the universe. So, I also knew that if I was going to “fix” what was going on, the answers were also within. 

While I don’t think meditation  benefits are one size fits all in terms of “results,” I do believe that whatever it is that you personally need to connect with in your #spirit is what you will find. There’s a saying, “What you seek is seeking you.” Based on the effect that meditation has had on my life within a short, short span of time, I have definitely found that to be true. Everytime I get still and tune in to the quiet, which is always there, I feel renewed from the inside out. It’s like mentally hitting reset everyday— it cuts through the BS of life and helps me focus on what’s important in the moment. 

Here’s my top 10 benefits describing what meditation has done for me: 

 1. Increased focus & clarity of thought 

 2. Increased productivity 

 3. Increased sense of connectivity with others 

 4. Increased compassion for others 

 5. Increased self-awareness 

 6. Better sleep 

 7. Heightened intuition and discernment 

 8. Better ability to balance emotions and re-center self as needed 

 9. Increased capacity to use my will and direct the current of the law of attraction favorably 

10. Increased sense of positivity from day to day 

This is a non exhaustive list, by far. I’m sure if you hook up my brain or body to some fancy medical devices there’s sure to be something amazing going on in there. But I think you kinda get the point, right? Meditation is awesome in more ways than one.

Talk back, what has meditation done for you? Or do you find yourself having problems with the process? Let’s talk about it. Leave a comment.