Creating a Calm Space For Your Clients by Heidi Nymark

I absolutely love creating zen spaces and I wanted to share with you some of my favorite rituals that l implement into my life and carry over into my work space.

Tea

The holistic approach to self-care for stress management provides insight into helpful nutritional choices, lifestyle practices, and herbs that can transform your response to stress and enhance your well-being. This beautiful Calming Tea recipe comes from the herbal academy where I have been learning herbalism. I love to make this for myself as well as offer it to my clients before their appointment.

Ingredients

• 2 parts lemon balm (Melissa officinalis) leaf
• 1 part chamomile (Matricaria chamomilla) flowers
• 1 part linden (Tilia spp.) bract and flower
• 1 part rose (Rosa spp.) petal
• ½ part spearmint (Mentha spicata) leaf

Directions

• Blend the herbs together in a bowl and store the tea blend in a glass jar until ready for use. Note: each part can be any measure you’d like—1 teaspoon, 1 tablespoon, or 1 cup, etc. depending on the batch size you’d like to make.
• To brew a cup of tea, use 1-2 tablespoons of the tea blend per cup of water.
• Place the herbs in a heat-proof glass vessel with a tight-fitting lid, and cover with boiling water.
• Cover and let steep for 10-15 minutes, strain, and enjoy 3-4 cups per day while encouraging your stress & anxiety to melt away.

Aromatherapy

Aromas can impact our central nervous system immediately through a psycho-olfactory relationship. Many essential oils demonstrate a pleasant sedative effect when inhaled. Certain aromas have even been shown to lower heart rate, calm breathing, and reduce saliva cortisol levels associated with stress.  Here are a few oils that would be wonderful to infuse in your home or work space:

Lavender

Lavender (Lavandula angustifolia) is often used in spas and relaxation places for its stress reducing properties. It has been shown to reduce migraines, decrease high blood pressure, stimulate memory, treat anxiety and insomnia and improve one’s breathing. 

Bergamot

The peel of the bergamot fruit is often cold pressed and extracted to lift the fresh, sweet citrus scent. This is another oil that blends well with other essential oils to enhance your mood and promote relaxation.

 Jasmine

Another essential oil to use when in need of stress relief is Jasmine since it is known to soothe the nerves, reduces anxieties, treats depression and restores energy. It also blends well with other essential oils used to promote relaxation, such as lavender, cypress, sandalwood, rose and bergamot.

 Frankincense

Frankincense oil has soother properties for one's nervous system and helps clear the mind, promoting deeper breathing for relaxation. 

Himalayan Salt Lamp

Want a wonderful way to add healing benefits to a room with such a lovely visule? Himalayan salt has long been known to provide healing health benefits. While Halotherapy (aka: salt therapy) has been around since ancient times it’s recently been gaining in popularity in spas around the world.

Himalayan salt is said to:

1. Cleanse and deodorize the air.
2. Reduce allergy & asthma symptoms.
3. Increase energy levels.
4. Neutralize electromagnetic radiation.
5. Improve mood & concentration.
6. Help treat Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Tools

Supplies
Herbs & Oils

Creating a calming space for all the senses can help clients feel more at ease in your studio and during a procedure. It’s also grounding when you’re having a stressful day. Who doesn't have those?)

Learn more about Heidi and drop with your favorite rituals in the comments or with us.

P.S.  Heidi also shared her sugar scrub recipe with us!