What Happens When Wellness Lovers Meet In Miami? Takeaways From Our Recent Event

Just a few weeks ago, on a cool Miami evening, mindbodygreen partnered with Brazilian body care brand Nativa SPA at The Sacred Space Miami for our Golden Hours event: an IRL rendezvous centered around whole body care and well-being. From self-massage to grounding yoga poses to heartwarming meditation, we all left with that signature self-care glow.

To kick off our event, Brazilian model Gizele Oliveira shared a truth that set the tone for the night: Our true strength exudes from who we are on the inside… And our itinerary of mindfully curated workshops brought that to life, alongside Nativa SPA's mission to embrace whole care for whole beings. Between the art of self-massage with Jacqueline Tibbett, a spacious yoga flow with Mimi Garner, and an enchanting sound healing meditation with Andrea Mihalik, we got to experience self-care the Brazilian way (there's no going back now). And don't worry—you know we saved the top takeaways for you.

The first of many Brazilian beauty lessons: Nourishing the body is an act of self-love. So often, we smear on moisturizer for appearances (and just on the skin that shows). But what if we gave our body the head-to-toe TLC it deserves? In her art of self-massage workshop, Jacqueline Tibbett reminded us that what we need is "a self-love ritual instead of just a skin care routine." And one of the best ways to craft that ritual is through the practice of gua sha. 

"If you don't know what gua sha is useful for, it's excellent for lymphatics, for helping flush toxins out of the body," explained Jacqueline. "You can use it literally anywhere on your body with light pressure."

Start your new Gua Sha routine with the Nativa SPA Gua Sha Stone, made with black obsidian, and their Quinoa Firming line for moisturizing. "The omega-3s in quinoa oil are very, very good for your skin," Jacqueline said. Then check out these full-body gua sha tips for toning and firming.

Tending to our physical body is often the first stop for self-care. Yoga expert Mimi Garner reminded us that yoga is a surefire way to relieve tension and get the good-feels flowing… And you don't have to stand on your head or levitate to get the benefits. In her workshop, we learned simple side-body stretches and standing backbends while repeatedly drawing awareness back to the heart.

Give it a try: Standing or seated, set up your spine so it's nice and tall. Extend the crown of your head up. Inhale your arms overhead and find a steeple grip (interlace your fingers, release the pointer fingers straight up). On an exhale, gently bend to the right for a few breaths. Come back to center, then gently bend to the left for a few breaths. Come back to center, cactus your arms, and find a mini backbend, lifting your heart straight up. Just by moving your spine through a little lateral flexion and extension—you can free up new space.

To close out the evening, Andrea Mihalik guided us through a sound healing meditation that echoed the evening's nourishing theme of whole-body care. "When you actually love yourself as a whole," she explained, "you allow yourself to bring your essence into the world. You allow yourself to shine fully and bring your gifts. You let go of any competition and comparison and celebrate every other person around you." A self-love meditation within a sunset ambience and the soothing sound of crystal healing bowls? 10/10 recommend.

Yoga, self-massage, sound healing—sometimes you have to pull out all the stops in the name of self-care. But the throughline is: Every day comes with an opportunity to pause. And it can be as simple as spending 10 minutes with your favorite Nativa SPA product for deep nourishment. Their collection of quinoa-enriched products is rich in omega-3, -6, and -9 (30 times more than coconut oil!) and antioxidants, leaving your skin firm, toned, and strengthened. No more 10-second lotion applications post-shower… You'll want to make the most of this ritual.

If you find yourself regularly putting self-care on the back burner, rest assured you're not the only one. But in a busy, modern world like ours, setting time aside to show up for ourselves is practically required. We're big believers that if you need more self-care, schedule it! Block it off. Switch on Do Not Disturb mode… And try on these new practices!