Salt 2.0

I’m at it again with another post about…salt. Yes, another activity I was recently introduced to involves salt. Actually, Pink Himalayan Salt to be exact. Halotherapy, or salt therapy, is an alternative treatment that uses salt. Just the other year, I purchased salt lamps and became hooked! I read about the amazing benefits of these salt lamps- air purification, mood booster, sleep promoter, eases allergy symptoms, etc. One of my friends told me about “salt caves”, where you can lay in a room filled with Pink Himalayan Salt and reap all of its amazing benefits! So.. I got myself on Groupon and snatched up a deal for a local salt cave nearby (Naperville Salt Cave). 
This specific salt cave location is very calming and feels more like a spa. I called ahead of time to schedule my 48 minute session with my friend and one of the staff members instructed us to wear loose fitting clothes to fully soak in the benefits of the salt. They also told us to wear white socks inside of the cave (the ground is all salt too). 
Our appointment was actually with a group of other people. We put our things away in lockers- which is great because NO PHONES allowed! We each reclined on our own zero gravity chair with a blanket as they they dimmed the lights and we were guided through a meditation and pretty much put to sleep! There was zen music playing the entire time to help us fully relax. Out of respect for the other attendees, I didn’t take many pictures- but I was able to grab my phone from the locker afterwards and capture the below. When our session was coming to an end, we were guided out of our meditation and slowly re-awakened to reality.

I woke up feeling calm, relaxed and ready to conquer the day! I loved my experience so much that I am making it a priority to check out more salt caves regularly. If you are in need of a little R & R, I highly recommend giving halotherapy a try. 

Halotherapy on everyone!

XOXO,
Gina 

Float Away With Float Therapy

You may have heard of Sensory Deprivation, also known as Float Therapy. I previously shared photos on my Instagram Stories of the float tank and received a lot of questions about the experience and why it’s beneficial. I first heard about Float Therapy from Groupon and researched it more to see what it’s all about. I knew that it was supposed to help you chill out and relieve sore muscles, but once I tried it for myself, I couldn’t wait to come back for more (so I purchased a float package)!
Here are some answers to the questions you guys had:
What are the benefits?
Just to name a few- reduces stress, improves sleep, reduces blood pressure, reduces swelling, decreases fatigue and helps to alleviate sore muscles and chronic pain.
How do you actually float?
The tank has 1,000 pounds of epsom salt to keep you floatiabove water. Your entire body is floating, even your head! The craziest concept for me to grasp was the fact that I didn’t need to hold my head up. Don’t worry, they give you ear plugs so you don’t get water in your ears!
Did you feel trapped in the tank?
Not at all! The tank is spacious and has enough room for you to lift your arms up if you wanted. If you are claustrophobic, you can leave the tank open while you float.
Is the water warm?
The water is set to skin temperature of 93.5° Fahrenheit.
Do you fall asleep?
The float sessions at the place I go to are 60 minutes long. It usually takes me a few minutes to settle into the space and really quiet my mind, but then I do fall asleep! The first time I tried float therapy I wasn’t able to sleep the entire time because I was still grasping the whole concept. I highly recommend going more than once so you can settle in and actually sleep and be more meditative during your session. 
If you have any questions, feel free to comment on this post and I will answer. I highly recommend finding a float therapy place near you and giving it a try!

Float On!
XOXO,
Gina Nicolette 

0 IS a Size Too

You know how your mother or teacher always told you, “If you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all”? Well this is true but what happens when people say things that aren’t nice? What are you supposed to do? I typically bite my tongue because I don’t like confrontation, but lately I have talked to many women about this specific topic and feel that it’s an important one to share. Skinny shaming. Yes, I said the word that people think doesn’t exist. Body shaming of ANY size is just wrong. Again, the whole if you don’t have something nice to say just keep quiet thing. 
I think it’s important to share this topic because we have all been guilty of body shaming someone at one point, even if it was yourself. Every person is truly beautiful and unique, yet we are so focused on outside appearance and what size we aspire to fit into, that we loose sight of what’s on the inside. There’s a famous picture of Sophia Bush wearing a shirt that says “0 IS NOT A SIZE” and while I love her, I don’t support that statement. 0 is a real size just like every other size out there, I promise. Telling someone who is a size 0 to “eat a cheeseburger” will not magically make them a size 4. Just because you’re a size 0 and might not have a lot of curves doesn’t mean you’re not sexy OR just because you do have curves doesn’t mean you’re not sexy either. 
I scroll through Instagram and see the Kardashians photos in their yoga pants and I can promise you, it doesn’t matter how many XXX you add in front of XS, I still won’t have those curves. For some reason I have associated curves with being “sexy”. I like to eat. A LOT. I love pasta, chocolate, and wine. I also love juice, yoga and vegetables. One day I might have curves or I may not, but it does not define what is meaningful in life. I have friends of all shapes and sizes and we don’t ask each other what our sizes are. Okay, only when we are shopping together and find an item that is on sale or too cute to pass up. I don’t care what size my friend is, when I need someone to talk to at 2am they are there. 
I challenge myself and everyone else to stop focusing on size. Rethink your definition of beautiful and sexy. When you get out of the shower, stand in front of the mirror and admire your body for what it is and be grateful for everything it’s capable of; getting you up out of bed, walking, moving, etc. 
More body love and self love. 

XOXO, 
Gee Nicolette 

Shirt: Spiritual Gangster. Find here
Denim Jacket: Ci Sono
Yoga Pants: T.J. Maxx
Photography: Ashley Dahl Photography