TGiF! Enjoy one of our top picks in today’s Friday Faves…

Are you a gal who prefers bikes to cars, CFL’s to incandescents, and organic food to packaged meals? Good for you – you care about your health and the environment! You make eco-friendly decisions that benefit your health and vice versa. So when it comes to your water bottle, what do you do? Recycling is certainly appreciated, but it still adds up (Americans use 30 million plastic water bottles every day), and reusing reduces waste, but it can also be harmful to your health (due to plastic leaching and bacteria growth). So what’s an eco-friendly gal to do? Never fear—SIGG is here!

SIGG Swiss Engineered Water Bottles are the must-have product in Europe, and are available in the US and online. SIGG’s reusable water bottles greatly help reduce unnecessary environmental waste and they keep you healthy and safe. Their special internal coating reduces the chance of bacterial build-up and will not flake or chip even if dented on the outside. SIGG bottles exceed FDA requirements and have been tested to ensure there is absolutely no leaching; they are 100% safe. On top of all of this, SIGG is also a member of 1% For The Planet, donating 1% of all sales to environmental causes.

With 144 bottle designs and 22 interchangeable lids, you can customize your SIGG bottle to reflect your individual personality. Our favorite? SIGG’s lifestyle bottle, “I AM NOT PLASTIC.” Make an eco-statement with your water and drink to your health!

~Kristen

Related Links:
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In today’s Wellness 101 we bring you hydrotherapy…

Are you looking for a pleasant, nurturing way to sooth your aches and pains? How about a treatment that you can easily do at home? Then hydrotherapy might be just the thing for you. Hydrotherapy is a form of therapy that uses water to heal what ails you through the use of temperature (to increase circulation, reduce inflammation, release toxins) and weightlessness (to calm and relax).

In Turkey and Japan, public bathhouses were built to promote the use of water as an aide to increase health and well-being. Today, hydrotherapy can be used to treat spinal cord injuries, burns, strokes, paralysis, and is often used to reduce stress. There are a few different types of hydrotherapy—let’s take a look:

One form is called “packing.” This entails tightly wrapping the body in a hot, wet sheets and covering them with several dry blankets. This technique causes the body to heat up, which encourages sweating, thus releasing toxins from the body. A body wrap at a spa is on par with this. After treatment you should feel relaxed, rejuvenated, and hopefully less toxic!

Next is something called hot air baths—a term I hadn’t heard of, but realized that it simply means “sauna.” Temperatures are usually in the range of around 66 degrees centigrade (151 Fahrenheit) for curative purposes. Saunas are a great way to release toxins and increase circulation. Often times after a sauna an ice cold bath is sought to further aid in circulation.

Hot compresses, something we consider more of a first aid remedy, are also a form of hydrotherapy. Hot compresses can be administered either hot or, amusingly enough, cold. A hot compress helps aid in respiration, while a cold compress can reduce inflammation of the skin. These may be used for long or short periods of time, depending upon the condition being treated.

Finally, there are baths. A bath in your home or a bath at a spa will help to calm and relax , while a sitz bath assists in circulation. Alternating between hot and cold water is said to have a powerful effect on the cardiovascular system and general congestion problems. There are tons of products from basic epsom salts to fragrant bath salts and essential oils to add a touch of luxury and release to the treatment. In fact, you can even go a step further by dimming the lights, lighting a few candles, and tossing fragrant flower petals into the tub. Then hop in, take a deep breath and relax….

Hydrotherapy is easy enough to do yourself or at a spa for common ailments, but for more serious conditions, you should seek the help of a professional.

~Jennifer Rosen

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TGiF! Enjoy one of our top picks in today’s Friday Faves…

One of the most inspiring books I have ever had the pleasure of reading is The Alchemist, by Paulo Coehlo. I happened to read it while traveling in India, an opportune time to hear the author’s underlying message of chance and opportunity. I’m not one to hang onto books after I’ve read them, but this one is still sitting on my bookshelf, even years later. To say it changed my thinking would be an understatement.

The Alchemist is an inspirational story about a boy following his dream. The story shows us how chance meetings and unfortunate events can ultimately lead to a better life. The most striking aspect is that the even horrible and life-altering events end up leading to other, brighter paths – and even to a golden opportunity.

Understanding this helped me to look at life differently, to see potentially “bad” occurrences as possibilities for newer, greater things. The Alchemist is a tale full of life’s lessons, theories on controlled luck, and the idea that the universe will guide you on the path that is meant for you. It encourages you to follow your dreams.

~Jennifer Rosen

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Kick off the summer season this Memorial Day Weekend at Chopra Center & Spa  at Dream Hotel in New York. 

In conjunction with Chopra Spa’s Renewal Weekend program, Chopra Center & Spa at Dream Hotel will offer a special, limited-time treatment – The Ayurvedic Experience.  This 50-minute treatment helps loosen toxins and impurities in the body and enliven consciousness through marma therapy.

Choose from these Ayurvedic Experience Treatments:

• Full Body Massage: Using Ayurvedic techniques and dosha specific herbs and oils, this full body massage allows you to relax and let go of stress and anxiety
• Marma Therapy: Marma Therapy involves 108 energy points throughout the body to balance chakras and enliven the flow of prana energy in the body
• Sound Meditation: Utilizing the Seven Metals sound CD to aid relaxation and tension release

This event is hosted by Chopra Center founders Dr. Deepak Chopra and Dr. David Simon.

The Renewal Weekend teaches the practices of meditation, yoga, Ayurveda and mind-body medicine.  Program includes Primordial Sound Meditation, daily yoga, holistic techniques for reducing stress, and a daily routine for calm, renewal and balance. 

For more information or to reserve your space, call 888.736.6895.

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On Thursdays we take you to “the well” - your source for inspiration and how-to’s.

I believe that the most powerful lesson in life is learning to trust the one person you truly spend the most time with – yourself! After spending a good deal of time and effort learning to trust myself, I can tell you that the payoff is greater than I could ever have imagined. And in the hopes of inspiring readers to learn to trust themselves, I’d like to share my process with you.

Growing up, I always went to others for guidance: I looked to my older sister for advice, I turned to my parents for every major (and not-so-major) decision, and I always tried my best to please everyone around me. Eventually, I realized that I was trying to make everyone else happy, yet I never thought to consider how happy I was, and I knew it was time for me to start taking care of myself, respecting myself, and making my own decisions.

Not knowing where to start, I just began asking myself some questions: “How do I trust myself? How do I feel? What am I afraid of? What do I really want? How do I want to feel? What kind of life do I want? What are my values?” It was a good start, but I discovered that I was asking all these important questions yet I wasn’t able to answer a single one.

I quickly adjusted my approach and found a breakthrough by adding two simple words to all of my questions: “right now.” “What do I want, right now? How am I feeling, right now? What is best for me, right now? What do I love about my life, right now? What makes me happy, right now?” This was the trigger I needed to answer all of these great questions. And it was just what I needed to learn how to trust myself.

It’s been amazing to see the transformation in myself just by answering these questions. And although I continue to consult with my loved ones, I no longer look to them for my answers. I now look within myself and trust my own answers. And I hope that you will trust yourself too.

~Melissa Risdon

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