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fi tbody One-Person


Specializing in: • Newborns to 21 years • Preconception/Prenatal Support • Acute Sick Visits to Complex Care • Family-Centered Care • Nutrition Needs • Vaccine Counseling • ADHD/Autism/Allergies/Asthma • Needle-Free Allergy Treatment


Practicing in Central FL for over 30 Years


357 Wekiva Springs Road Longwood, FL 32779


www.MyCIPC.com Schedule a Meet & Greet with Your Doc!


321-280-5867


Let Master Stylist Nicole Nemeth bring out your natural beauty!


for any haircut ($25 value)


50% OFF


during the month


of November! New Clients Only


Also specializing in


Hair ExtiHa r Extensions, Hair Color European Highlight Technique, Kera n treatments and


ensions, Hair Color,


European Highlight Technique, Kera n treatments and


Yuko Japanese Straightening


Stella Luca Salon 460 North Orlando Avenue, Winter Park Village


407-234-5527 (rated #1 Salon by OBJournal) by April Thompson


Pampering ourselves isn’t a luxury so much as a necessity to refresh and renew mind, body and spirit.


A Spa Specialty Spas have been synonymous with pampering throughout the ages. “Every civilization around the world has had some kind of communal gathering place for people to practice ‘self-healing’,” says Jeremy McCarthy, group director of Spa & Wellness for the Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group and author of The Psychology of Spas & Wellbeing. From ancient Greek bathhouses to


Japan’s beloved natural hot springs, spas have long served as sacred places of healing and restoration. Indeed, many treatments provided at today’s eco- spas draw inspiration from traditional uses of herbs, honey and olive oil to care for skin and hair. Locally, natural spas’ pampering services may range from botanically based facials and mud masks to herbal body wraps and hot stone massage.


More Pampering Spots While busy people tend to put off self-care, there are treats to suit any schedule or budget—from getting a quick manicure or pedicure at a neighborhood eco-nail salon to visiting a yoga or wellness center. For a quick, healthy pick-me-up, visit an organic juice bar. Opt for businesses that feature fresh, whole ingredients rather than pre-mixed powders or sugar-laden juices; to give the immune system an extra lift, add a natural booster shot of ginger or turmeric. Most


32 Central Florida natural awakenings


Pamper Party Natural Ways to Refresh and Renew


grocery stores now carry cold-pressed juices that can pack as much as six pounds of produce into a single bottle. An honored ritual that continues to restore spent spirits is drinking a cup of tea. Whether sipped at home, as part of a British high tea featuring Earl Grey or as part of a traditional Japanese green tea ceremony steeped in Zen, tea time allows us to slow down and savor the moment along with the aromas in our cup. Also, antioxidant-rich tea is fortifying. Salt room visits, another healthy pleasure that has spread throughout the U.S., dates back 150 years to an indigenous Polish practice. Research indicates that salt therapy, or halotherapy, can help improve conditions such as asthma and allergies and support the immune, nervous and lymphatic systems (see Tinyurl.com/SaltRoomPampering). Universally restful salt rooms also offer a unique sensory experience. Another highly accessible way to treat body and mind is to move in a joyful way. Consider taking up a playful new class for de-stressing and stretching such as trapeze yoga, conscious dance or any other dance. Aerial yoga, using suspended trapeze- like supports, helps lengthen the spine and strengthen muscles in ways not easily achieved on the ground. Dance delivers health and fi tness bonuses in the midst of having fun. If we’re not in the habit of pampering ourselves, it’s time to stretch our beliefs about what we deserve. We’ll fi nd bliss is an attainable luxury.


Connect with freelance writer April Thompson, of Washington, D.C., at AprilWrites.com.


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