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Global Wellness Day (GWD) took place on Saturday, 8 June, and saw thousands of properties around the world participate in celebrating the concept of living a healthier life.
The Saxon Spa in Sandton, Johannesburg hosted its first ever GWD event, where guests were invited to take a one-hour ‘silent yoga’ class on the pool deck, followed by talks on different aspects of wellness presented by experts in their fields.
Utilising wireless headphone technology, the ‘silent yoga’ class enabled guests to zone in directly on the instructor’s voice and soothing background music. The session focused on breathing, posture and oneness with self.
Dr Judey Pretorius, a biomedical scientist and product development specialist, known for her pioneering work in formulating cosmeceutical skincare brands, presented a talk entitled, ‘Let’s stop skin abuse’.
Her presentation was based on the premise that the most nurturing environment for skin is the womb, hence her study of the ingredients of amniotic fluid.
“The most nourishing ingredients you can put on the skin to prevent it from ageing are vitamins A, B, C, E and K, hyaluronic acid, proteins (peptides), liposomes and water – all of which surround a foetus in the womb. From the moment we exit the womb, our skin begins to age. It is important to keep your skin’s pH level at between 5.2 and 5.8,” she said.
She noted that the skin needs to be protected against oxidative stress, notably as caused by pollution and blue light. “The moment the skin becomes inflamed, it starts ageing prematurely,” she stressed. “Feed your skin twice a day with the above ingredients and stop skin abuse.”
Tanya van der Westhuizen, a nutritional advisor, NLP life coach and wellness coach, spoke about the importance of limiting the intake of acid-forming foods. “Ideally, our diet should be 25% acid and 75% alkaline. We can heal our bodies by changing what we eat. All illness and disease starts in the gut. The pH level of your blood should be between 7 and 7.5.”
Van der Westhuizen advised guests to eat good omegas (i.e. avocados, nuts and seeds); to cook with coconut oil or olive oil; to have a teaspoon of flaxseeds every day; and to eat plenty of green leafy vegetables.
Emotional intelligence (EQ) expert, Richard Cullinan, explained that emotions are the impulses that we experience which cause us to act in a certain way.
“We need to look after our emotions as they directly impact on the body. There are five core emotions – happy, sad, angry, afraid and ashamed.The pursuit of happiness lies within yourself.
“I would advise you all to practice three things in your lives, the first being empathy, which is the cornerstone of EQ. Empathy means ‘feeling into’ and being compassionate. You need to generate a ‘support response’ instead of the ‘shift response’ – the latter is where you shift the focus of what the person talking to you is saying to yourself.
“The second thing I would advise is that you become an ‘artful critic’ where you don’t criticise character but rather offer constructive feedback on what can be done to change a situation.
“Finally, I believe that you should live in the present – the present is a gift and the past and future are products of your imagination. Happy people live in the present, so to live in the moment means you have to accept your past and not to set unreasonable expectations on yourself.”
The Saxon Spa’s GWD event was organised by spa manager, Tanya Lopes, and ended off with the serving of healthy, designer snacks created by The Saxon’s executive chef, Jane-Therese Mulry.
Among the brands supporting the Saxon Spa’s GWD event were QMS Medicosmetics and Elemis.(Report by Joanna Sterkowicz)