Julie James Wellness

01/22/2022

An offering of 6 hours of audiobook 'Living without Stress or Fear' in memory of Thich Nhat Hanh

Tea is an act complete in its simplicity.
When I drink tea, there is only me and the tea.
The rest of the world dissolves.
There are no worries about the future.
No dwelling on past mistakes.
Tea is simple: loose-leaf tea, hot pure water, a cup.
I inhale the scent, tiny delicate pieces of the tea floating above the cup.
I drink the tea, the essence of the leaves becoming a part of me.
I am informed by the tea, changed.
This is the act of life, in one pure moment, and in this act the truth of the world suddenly becomes revealed: all the complexity, pain, drama of life is a pretense, invented in our minds for no good purpose.
There is only the tea, and me, converging.
Thich Nhat Hanh

Beloved teacher and author Thich Nhat Hanh passed away peacefully on January 21, 2022, at the age of 95. 💙 Thay, as he was known to his students, launched so many of us at Sounds True on our journeys into the miracle of deep presence.

If Thay touched your life in some way, we hope you’ll take a moment to breathe, and then to appreciate and remember him with us.

In celebration of his life and teachings, please enjoy a complimentary copy of his 6-hour audio program Living Without Stress or Fear.

Download here >> https://bit.ly/3fKWE10

01/06/2022

Solace Facials ~ with acupressure, facial cupping and Gua Sha

One of my favourite places on the body to work is on the head, face, neck and shoulder segment. I’ve naturally always been drawn to this area as a body worker and many years ago I created the Solace Facial. The face is such an expressive part of the body being that the muscles of the face are responsible for the expression of all kinds of emotions and feelings. The impression of facial beauty is directly related to the tension held in the face, head and neck muscles. What we can perceive as an attractive appearance is characterized as much by a relaxed muscular state as well as by the appeal of clear and glowing skin. Being trained in acupressure, I naturally have developed and attuned to giving acupressure facials with a focus on inner beauty and releasing tension in the body paired with my organic aromatherapy skincare products. It is more than a beauty facial and clients often remark on the deep sense of well being and nourishment they feel during and after the Solace Facial ritual. Almost all of the meridians or their branches go through the neck and a majority of them travel through the face as well. The release with holding facial acupressure points tends to reduce stress and facilitate relaxation through the entire body.

As I continued to develop this treatment I took a few courses and added Facial Gua Sha and Facial Cupping to enhance the offering for specific facial work during the treatment. We can focus on areas such as crows feet, fine lines/wrinkles, dark circles, blemishes and scars, face lifting and lymphatic drainage. These techniques promote blood circulation and rejuvenates your skin. Gua Sha is an ancient treatment with a modern appeal that originates from the original Chinese Medicine Gua Sha treatment. Facial Gua Sha is handled more carefully than the traditional body Gua Sha because the skin around the face is more sensitive and it is also intended to be soothing and relaxing. It is effective at improving the blood circulation on your face and increases cellular growth to balance the skin and maintain a youthful glow. Gua Sha massage uses a gentle jade stone tool, and is very helpful to detoxify, tone, fight signs of aging and give a natural glow.

Facial cupping massage is also incorporated to further support lymphatic drainage. Your facial skin will also increase absorption as to better absorb the lovely Solace Rejuvenating Facial Serum. Facial cupping is a lifting of the tissues and facilitates dilation of blood vessels below the cup flushing away stagnant blood bringing a fresh blood supply of oxygen and nutrients. This localized erythema stimulates the skin’s colour and promotes healing and cell functioning. It is cleansing, refining, regenerating, stimulates blood and lymph circulation, hydrating, softens scar tissue and is naturally moisturizing and relaxing.

I also created an EYE RITUAL that is a 30 min add-on as I love focusing on the eyes, a segment of the body that I find many people have a lot of tension and strain and also often express tiredness, exhaustion and headaches. This treatment includes an kombucha eye mask, Gua Sha and acupressure. I think I will save more writing on the beautiful eyes and this healing treatment for another post! Stay tuned….

One of my favourite pairings with any of the above Solace Facials is a foot reflexology treatment with special care and focus given to Lymphatic Drainage. I am currently studying lymphatic drainage massage and I will have more to speak on this in future posts as well.

I look very forward to seeing you in the treatment room for one of my specialties!

01/01/2022

Reflections & Intentions

The winter season, solstice and new year is always a time to reflect on the past year and set intentions for the new one.

I am reminded of the past two years and the struggles we have all had and I am reminded of the things that have steadily brought me peace and grace to get through difficult times. This past year I reflect on how I have built my resilience to the cold with the very popular cold plunging, where you emerge into 12 degree cold water. I embrace it and I love it. It is yet another practice where I focus inward on the quality of the sensation of inner connection to my inner fire (qi) that regulates me and ensures me of survival and I find the joy of living!

What brings you joy? What can you let go of to make more spaciousness for new things? What are you practicing? How can you be more kind to yourself and nourish your body, mind and heart? It's a good time to brew some tea and listen to your inner guidance. Maybe it means less busyness and more self-care, such as art time, tea time, bath time — or spa time!

2021 certainly had its challenges. Change is constant and as I move through more change I am reminded of my practice of surrender. The past many years for me personally, after recovering from a major MVA, I have faced a lot of change and I have learnt at my core to listen deeply and surrender. In 2021, out of necessity in my business, I found myself returning to the treatment room a lot more. I am reminded of my joy to work hands-on with clients again, which reignited my passion and brings me full-circle to why I started this business 17 years ago. I am feeling healthy and confident in giving regular treatments again so you may see more of me in the treatment room in 2022! Surrendering and embracing the changes we face can open new possibilities and I am grateful to listen to my inner wisdom and follow my heart. You can now book me personally again for some of my favourite treatment to give ~ acupressure, facials, reflexology, skin treatments, hot stone massages, medical or regular pedicures, as well as our carefully curated spa packages that I love to put together!

12/31/2021

The winter season, solstice and new year is always a time to reflect on the past year and set intentions for the new one.

Do not be dismayed by the brokenness of the world.
All things break. And all things can be mended.
Not with time, as they say, but with intention.
So go. Love intentionally, extravagantly, unconditionally.
The broken world waits in darkness for the light that is you.
~L.R. Knost

Like the season of Winter, it seems only natural that we move slower, become stiller and listen deeper. I always love our first snowfall of the season... the quiet heart centred pause with the delight of the beautiful white covered earth.

I am reminded of the past two years and the struggles we have all had and I am reminded of the things that have steadily brought me peace and grace to get through difficult times. A few weeks ago we had our seasons first snowfall. On this particular morning, upon waking I went outside and instantly arrived with my bare feet onto the snow and simply observed the stillness and how alive I felt! This past year I reflect on how I have built my resilience to the cold with the very popular cold plunging, where you emerge into 12 degree cold water. I embrace it and I love it now and I almost crave it over the warm.... - well actually, they are equal and I notice the feeling and charge of energy in between both cold and warm. It is yet another practice where I focus inward on the quality of the sensation of inner connection to my inner fire (qi) that regulates me and ensures me of survival and I find the joy of living!

What brings you joy? What can you let go of to make more spaciousness for new things? What are you practicing? How can you be more kind to yourself and nourish your body, mind and heart? It's a good time to brew some tea and listen to your inner guidance. Maybe it means less busyness and more self-care, such as art time, tea time, bath time — or spa time!

2021 certainly had its challenges. Change is constant and as I move through more change I am reminded of my practice of surrender. The past many years for me personally, after recovering from a major MVA, I have faced a lot of change and I have learnt at my core to listen deeply and surrender. In 2021, out of necessity in my business, I found myself returning to the treatment room a lot more. I am reminded of my joy to work hands-on with clients again, which reignited my passion and brings me full-circle to why I started this business 17 years ago. I am feeling healthy and confident in giving regular treatments again so you may see more of me in the treatment room in 2022! Surrendering and embracing the changes we face can open new possibilities and I am grateful to listen to my inner wisdom and follow my heart. I have an amazing team at Solace Spa with amazing therapists and we are actively seeking another therapist as well. I am also excited we have added another treatment room. You can now book me personally again for some of my favourite treatment to give ~ acupressure, facials, reflexology, skin treatments, hot stone massages, medical or regular pedicures, as well as our carefully curated spa packages that I love to put together!

I want to personally thank all of you who have come to the spa to enjoy our offerings as it is our pleasure to host you in every way! You are the spa enthusiasts that keep us going and we love you dearly. Wishing you all a happy new year with health and well-being and LOVE!

— Julie James
Owner, Spa Director and Lead Therapist

12/17/2017

08/24/2017

“Remember to breathe. It is, after all, the secret of life.” ~ Gregory Maguire Prana or life force is the vital energy that keeps the body alive, and channeling that energy to the different organs in our body is equally important to maintain a state of good health. Our bones are living organs too