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Relax Your Mind

Think positively

Positive thinking isn’t about wishful or dreamer thinking; it’s about making the most of the situations that you find yourself in and avoiding any tendency to add negative overlays.

• Use visualization techniques. While you might not feel calm and relaxed, imagining a calm and relaxed scene in your mind can do wonders to improve your outlook. Picture beaches, lying down resting, going for a hike, etc., to help you stay relaxed.
• Use affirmations to change your outlook on life, to stop yourself from always jumping to the negative reasoning. Affirmations are short, powerful statements that build you up and increase your confidence, helping you to expect positive outcomes.[4] Be careful about the words you choose – the things you say about yourself over and over again will ensure that you believe your own rhetoric – use positive, believable, and caring words about yourself.
• Teach yourself to step back and see the “big picture” when you’re in the thick of things that don’t seem to be going well.

Learn how to use logic and less emotion

If you learn to think more sequential and logical, then things will be less stressful.

• Change your ways. If the problem is something you’re doing, then change the way you act or react. Stop and listen to those around you to figure out and correct what it is you might be misunderstanding or doing wrong.
• Focus on the beauty in everything.

Find a quiet place when you are feeling overwhelmed and pamper yourself

• Draw a warm bath. Light candles around the tub, dim the lights, add bubbles or lavender, if desired.
• Lie on your bed or sofa. Play some soft music or nature CDs. Relax listening to ocean waves, waterfalls or birds.
• Read a good book. Curl up on the couch with a blanket and a cup of chamomile tea.
• Imagine a personal paradise. Close your eyes and envision a different setting. What do you see around you? Is there a breeze? What do you hear – birds or water? Imagine the calming sound of ocean waves reaching the shore. Enjoy a moment in your special place.
• Even the stall of a bathroom at work is an ideal “quiet spot” for a breather if you have no other place to go.

Stop feeling guilty

Guilt is a potent source of stress. Get rid of the source of guilt by behaving yourself; stop engaging in behaviors that make you feel guilty. Seek professional help, if necessary, but don’t allow destructive behavior to escalate and sabotage your life and health.

Learn to prioritize

Make a list of tasks for the day. Organize the list by importance. Learn to be proactive and take care of things before they become a big problem. Time spent more productively means more free time to relax.

• Work! Although this may sound counteractive to your goal of relaxing, procrastination never feels as good as having nothing to do. Get it done now and then you can truly relax

Practice meditation

Remove all thoughts and emotions from your mind by concentrating on your breathing. Meditation takes you into focusing on your whole being as a form of relaxation, rather than just focusing on one area of your body as any other relaxation technique tends to do. It can take a while to master but it is well worth the effort.

• Begin with a sitting posture for a minimum of 15 minutes per session, and build up to 45–60 minutes per session.
• Try to meditate regularly.
• Find a respected mentor if you are having difficulty learning meditation by yourself.
• Avoid being intense, competitive, or frustrated about meditating – all of these emotions defeat its purpose!

Consider self-hypnosis

Focus on something, take a few deep breaths and let yourself become hypnotized. If you have trouble with self-hypnosis, go to a licensed hypnotherapist. Do not allow an amateur to try to hypnotize you, and beware of subliminal messages.

Do activities or hobbies that relax you

Get your mind off the things that normally stress you out. You may just need a break every now and then.

• Go fishing, sew, sing, paint or take photographs.
• Try singing a song using numbers instead of words. Singing can help to distract you from stress to suddenly relax.
• Use music as relaxation therapy. Play it as loudly or as softly as you like, whichever calms you the most.

Spend time with your pet

Cuddle or play with your pets. They’ll love it and so will you. Talk to your pet about all the stress and anxiety you’ve been going through and you’ll feel a lot better. Pet therapy is a genuine means for relaxing; you can also learn a lot from watching how your pet relaxes (note, animals don’t carry guilt around!).

Smile and laugh

Laughter is the best medicine. Rent, buy or see a hilarious movie. This is guaranteed to help. Smiling and laughing releases endorphins, which fights stress, helps to relax and reminds you that life is more than just work. Even if it feels strange at first, make it a point to smile more often.

Relax Your Body

Practice breathing techniques.

Slow down your breathing and actively concentrate on it. This is always the easiest way to self calm, provided you remember to resort to it.

• Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.
• Inhale deeply, count to five, then exhale slowly, counting to five. Do this ten times to relax your muscles and nerves. Always relax on the out-breath.

Make Healthy Food Choices

• Avoid excessive sugar found in granola bars, pastries or soda. Carbohydrates, such as pasta, convert easily to sugar. These can cause severe ups and downs and agitation, upsetting your body’s ability to efficiently utilize energy.
• Avoid excessive coffee. Instead of regular coffee, switch to decaf or an herbal tea with little or no caffeine. Warm water will help you to relax.
• Eat fresh fruits, vegetables and whole grains that are free of refined sugar, such as apples, grapes, carrots, broccoli, brown rice or whole grain breads.
• Eat plenty of low-calorie protein, such as chicken, fish, whole grains, legumes, dark leafy vegetables or low-fat dairy. These proteins are a better source of energy.
• Take a multi-vitamin. Some vitamins relieve stress. Vitamin B and Vitamin D are especially good for stress.

Exercise Every Day

• Try at least thirty minutes per day of moderate activity.
• Walk in the park, in the woods, or on a treadmill.
• Take the stairs instead of the elevator.
• Park a little further away from the entrance of a store.
• Ride a bike.
• Go swimming. Try your local pool, a nearby lake or a friend or relative’s home.
• Increase your activity, once you’ve built endurance, if desired.
• Stretch. Lower your shoulders to help relax. Be more consciously aware of the tension that is quick to accumulate in your shoulders and neck region.

Try traditional, respected and known relaxation techniques

• Do yoga. Yoga relaxes your body and clears your mind of the stress and rush of the day.
• Try tai chi, ki, or aikido.
• Ask your local gym or spa for a relaxing workout suggestion – some places will even build a program suited to your body type and energy levels.

Try A Massage

Go to your local spa for a great massage. Undoing the body knots is a good pathway to undoing the mind knots.

Join us next week as we go over ways to relax your mind.

Preparing To Relax

Missing your joy of life? Knowing the importance of relaxation and knowing how to relax is vital for ensuring your ongoing health and well-being, as well as restoring the passion and joy in your life.

Your health is your responsibility. Allowing life’s stressors to impact your health negatively will end up with you feeling under par in everyday activities and could eventually lead to illness.


The three areas to focus on are:

1. Relaxing your body

2. Relaxing your mind

3. Staying relaxed around non-relaxed people

This week we will be going over 3 steps to relax your body.

1. Recognize stress and don’t suppress your innate discomfort.

Obviously, some stress is good for us – it adds interest and excitement to your life, and motivates us, in the right balance. It is when the level of stressors in your life cause you to put up with things that are harming or distressing you constantly that you risk sliding into being too stressed. You might be too stressed if:

• All you do and think about is work, non-stop, be it your own business, a career, a salaried position, a stay-at-home mom or dad position, or anything else that is soaking up your time and life one hundred percent, and this over-concentration is leaving you passionless, disappointed, unhappy, and unfulfilled.
• You experience constant body tension, including headaches, neck aches, back aches, soreness all over, etc.
• You’re always irritable, short-tempered, and perhaps unable to focus on completing tasks. Trivial things set you off easily.
• You feel as if you have too much going on and that you can’t “get off” the merry-go-round.
• Your sleep is a battlefield and you wake up feeling less rested rather than refreshed. Insomnia has become your norm rather than an unusual event.
• You’re eating too much or too little. Or, you are choosing unhealthy food options.
• You can’t remember the last time you had a good laugh and your sense of humor is sadly lacking.

2. Prepare to relax.

Once you have accepted that there are negative stressors impacting your life, it’s important to make room for relaxation amid all those busy things you’re doing. Adding relaxation to your day will improve your productivity, not lessen it; while not adding relaxation into your life can lead to burn out, fatigue, stress-related illnesses, and constant insomnia. Ways to prepare for adding relaxation back into your routine include:

• Let go of guilt. Many religious and cultural beliefs instill the value of hard work very deeply. Over time, and increasingly so with the advent of smart technology that keeps us hyper-wired 24/7, many of us have come to believe that being “on-the-go” constantly is the only way to prove our value. Having an unrealistic interpretation of “hard work” will end up wearing you down – hard work is giving your tasks the attention they deserve at the time they deserve, not letting it bleed into all hours of your day!
• Accept that sleep is a very important part of life. During sleep, your mind continues learning in ways that are not possible during waking hours. Sleep restores and refreshes your body in myriad ways that do not occur when awake. Do not be tempted to devalue the worth of sleep. Moreover, the alleged ability of some people to thrive on four hours sleep per night is the exception, not the rule – most of us need the 6-8 hour sleep cycle for full restoration.
• Recognize that finding your own optimal ways to relax may take time, and some trial and error. Don’t give up – keep searching until you find the right combination of activities that relax you and rejuvenate your enthusiasm for living fully.

3. Make the time.

Make space for relaxation in your diary or daily schedule. The following sections of this article will help to guide you through many ways of relaxing your body and your mind. However, you still need to make the time available to take advantage of the benefits of relaxing!

• Block out times in your diary to relax.
• If you’re at home, mark time for relaxing in black ink on a calendar for everyone to see – that way, the whole family will appreciate the importance of making time to relax.

Make sure you join us next week as we talk about the first way you can relax, in body.

What is Sports Massage?

If you happen to enjoy playing sports, you are likely familiar with the occasional sore hamstring or other pulled muscle. If you play hard and train hard, getting a sports massage may be a great way to keep your body in optimal condition for performance. Sports massage is used for a variety of different reasons from injury rehabilitation to simply allowing a player to train more efficiently with less risk of injury.

Sports massage is different from traditional massage mostly in that it focuses more heavily on problem areas of the body. If you traditionally have tight calves when you train, a sports massage therapist will focus on massaging that area and getting the muscles to loosen.

Sports massage also tends to be shorter than most massage treatments. Generally speaking, sports massage is broken down into four major areas:

• Pre-event. This kind of massage is performed 15 to 45 minutes before a sporting activity. It is most pointedly directed towards the parts of the body that will be undergoing the most strain during the event.
• Post-event. This massage is given within an hour or two of completing the sporting event. It helps to normalize the body’s tissues.
• Restorative massage. A restorative massage is given during a training event in order to allow an athlete to train more rigorously with less risk of injury.
• Rehabilitative massage. This massage is for athletes who have suffered some sort of strain to their body. The massage is again concentrated at pain points for maximum effect.

With all of this in mind, the next time that you come to Ho’ola Spa, make sure to ask us about the varieties of sports massage that we offer. We are happy to cater to many different athletes with a variety of needs. Contact us today to learn more.

Bridal Hair and Makeup: What to Do?

When planning for your special day, the amount of details to take care of simply to get the event off the ground can seem overwhelming. Planning a wedding can easily take up months or years, and there are many different factors that need to be considered in order to ensure that the event goes off without a hitch. Many people leave concerns about their hair and makeup to the last minute, mostly because they are dealing with so many other things!

The fact of the matter is that it is very important to look your absolute best on your wedding day. Every woman understands this, but it can be difficult to make time in order to take care of yourself properly and do your own hair and makeup on the day of the wedding. For this reason, we like to recommend that clients work with a trained technician in order to ensure that somebody who has the skills and supplies and time necessary will help you look your best.

Another great thing about working with a professional when it comes to preparing your hair and makeup for a wedding is that they will be able to take on a whole new perspective of colors and hairstyles that will help you look glamorous and beautiful on the day of your wedding. After all, one of the disadvantages that we all have when it comes to beautifying ourselves on a day-to-day basis is that we get too used to looking at the canvas. Working with a professional can open up incredible possibilities for beautiful hairstyles and makeup schemes that you may not have been able to concoct on your own.

Feel free to contact us today at Spa Beaubelle to learn more about our bridal hair and make up packages. We adore helping women to look their best on the most exciting day of their lives – and our passion shows in the beauty of the final result!

The Facts on Facials

Many people who come to a spa will do so for a facial. Most of the time, the first experience somebody has with a spa facial is so incredible that they will continue coming back for similar treatments again and again. On the other hand, the uninitiated might wonder what a facial actually does, and how spa technicians can use a variety of different techniques to improve the health of your skin with them.

A facial is a process where a trained spa technician will concoct a mask that is comprised of several different elements depending on the makeup of the client’s skin. Everybody’s skin is different, and this is why working with an experienced spa technician is so important. Getting the makeup of a facial right is essential to providing a comprehensive and effective experience.

Depending on the kind of facial that you receive, you may end up with the mask on your face for between 15 min. and an hour. Certain kinds of facials also include massage during the process, which is designed to enhance the effectiveness of the mask. Some facials also come with massage for your legs, arms, and hands as well.

Different facials have different end results. All of them are designed to improve the health and look of your skin. There are a variety of different facials that you can choose from to get different effects. For example, some facials are designed to reduce the appearance of wrinkles, while others are geared more toward the removal of blackheads and other impurities.

We at Spa Beaubelle our proud to be able to offer our clients a variety of unique facials that are guaranteed to better the health of your skin. Our trained technicians can consult with you and help you choose the best facial for you. Contact us today to learn more.

Making the Most of Aromatherapy

For those who are looking to add an extra dimension to their next massage experience, consider the benefits of undergoing aromatherapy massage. Aromatherapy massage is virtually the same as any other variety of massage, with the exception that the spa technician will utilize a variety of different essential oils to benefit your body during the process.

It is well known that the body will react differently to different stimuli. The organic makeup of essential oils can help provide a variety of positive additions to your massage experience. For example, an aromatherapy technician can concoct a blend of oils that can help you with everything from sore muscles to tension headaches.

Keep in mind that aromatherapy massage requires an experienced technician in order to perform it correctly. Aromatherapy massage centers on the incredible benefits of essential oils, and essential oils must be high quality and pure in order for your body to react properly. Essentially, just because a masseuse lights a candle during a massage session, this does not necessarily make it aromatherapy!

There are several different combinations of essential oils that your technician might choose when you are undergoing an aromatherapy session. Popular essential oils include lavender, bergamot, peppermint, and eucalyptus. There are a wide variety of different oils that can be used in order to enhance the benefits of a massage, and your aromatherapy technician will be able to select different blends based upon your body’s needs.

Aromatherapy adds another wonderful dimension to the world of massage. For those who are looking to make their physical massages more effective, choosing an aromatherapy addition to a massage session is a great way to make the impact of your massage that much more powerful. For more information about aromatherapy massage sessions, make sure to contact us today.

Melt Away Tension With Hawaiian “Pohaku” Healing Stone Massage

One of our most popular offerings at Spa Beaubelle is our Hawaiian “Pohaku” healing stone massage. Stone massage has been practiced throughout the centuries for good reason – it works!

The practice of stone massage is when the massage practitioner massages your body with stones – in this case, pohaku stones. A pohaku stone is one from a volcanic river, and these stones are chosen for two main reasons. The first reason is that the stone retains heat very easily, and thus is well suited to long massage sessions, and the second being the smoothness of the rock. Pohaku stones start out life smooth, but once they are carefully selected and used for the art of massage, they absorb oils easily and gleam. It might sound a little strange to you to be massaged with rocks, but trust us; once the magic of the pohaku is being worked across your skin and the heat is absorbed deep into your muscles, you’ll become a believer!

These wonderful stones are the key to rest and relaxation during your time with us at Spa Beaubelle. We use only the finest pohaku stones and our massage practitioners understand how best to use them in order to help relax and invigorate your muscles. A long session with a pohaku stone is just the ticket to making you feel great once you are done with a long day at the beach!

Pohaku massage is good for the body and the mind. Massage in general helps to restore the body – there is a reason why it has been considered a medicinal technique in many countries for centuries! To learn more about pohaku massage and how it can help you feel like a king, make sure to contact us at Spa Beaubelle.

Benefits of Pregnancy Massage

The Benefits of Pregnancy Massage

We at Spa Beaubelle are proud to offer a comprehensive Hapai (Pregnancy) Massage to our patrons who are mothers-to-be. Our comprehensively-trained massage technicians understand that a woman who is pregnant has special needs when it comes to massage, and know best how to apply therapeutic massage techniques to a pregnant woman’s body in order to improve her health and well being.

Many people believe that massage is simply a technique to cure aching muscles, but there are several medical benefits to massage as well, particularly for pregnant women! A woman’s body undergoes several different periods of transition while she is with child; appropriate and soothing massage techniques can really help the body bear up better under these changes and lead to better health prospects throughout the trimesters. Check out this list of benefits that are commonly associated with comprehensive pregnancy massage:

• Reduced swelling in feet and hands
• A lessening of sciatic pain
• Helps relieve discomfort in the lower back, neck, and calves
• Can reduce tension and tightening that is often experienced by pregnant women
• Increased flexibility
• Stronger immune system
• Improved blood circulation

There are many discomforts that are associated with pregnancy, but pregnancy massage is a great way to alleviate some of these discomforts. There are special considerations that are made in order to make massage both safe and comfortable for expecting mothers – for example, women who are 22 weeks pregnant or later should not lie on their backs for massage, as the weight from the baby can press down on blood vessels. Depending on your stage of pregnancy and special needs, your massage technician will recommend a variety of soothing and invigorating massage methods.

Massage doesn’t have to stop once you become pregnant. In fact, if done by the appropriate technicians, massage can make pregnancy easier on your body and help keep you happy and comfortable. Be sure to give it a try the next time you are at Spa Beaubelle!