BlogTourCali Explores "The Well-Designed Life" & Elements of Wellness

What goes into the notion of wellness and how do you fully integrate the elements of wellness into life? Since this topic lies at the heart of SteamTherapy and Mr.Steam's belief in "Feel Good Inc.," you can understand why Mr.Steam embraced #BlogTourCali 2014, which took place along the California coastline.

This particular BlogTour differs from past ones which focused primarily on design inspiration to explore "The Well-Designed Life." As Modenus and BlogTour founder Veronika Miller explains, 

"Our overall theme for BlogTourCali was Living Well and The Well-Designed Life. Our mission was to prove that all areas overlap (design, health, wellness, food, etc.). Designers have an important influence on their clients' well-being in every sense, as they help them achieve well designed life."

The Elements of Wellness

Given the California focus, consider the University of California, Davis, which offers four definitions of wellness:

• Wellness is an active process of becoming aware of and making choices toward a healthy and fulfilling life.
• "...a state of complete physical, mental, and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease or infirmity," - The World Health Organization.
• "a conscious, self-directed and evolving process of achieving full potential," - The National Wellness Institute.
• Wellness is more than being free from illness; it is a dynamic process of change and growth.

The site details seven dimensions of wellness: emotional, physical, environmental, social, intellectual, spiritual and occupational.

All came up during #BlogTourCali as the group learned about new products, strengthened social bonds, experienced calming moments together, and considered how design affects presentation, appreciation of nature and general enjoyment of life. 

As with wellness, #BlogTourCali proved to be a holistic event.

Mr.Steam's Wheel of Wellness

BlogTour Cali kicked off in Santa Monica and continued along the Pacific Coast Highway with the first stop at Bacara Resort and Spa in Santa Barbara. 

During the drive, Mr.Steam VP of Marketing, Martha Orellana - aka Mrs.Steam, educated BlogTour participants about steam bath benefits, steamtherapy wellness tips and how steam showers fit into a well-designed life. 

You see her in the photo below with the Wheel of Wellness close by, ready to ask questions - for example, how long has steam therapy existed, what are the benefits of steam - as well as to answer questions and laugh (see 5 Reasons for Laughing: SteamTherapy Healthy Lifestyle Tips).

Living Well Includes... 

In addition to laughter and education, living well includes new experiences such as yoga and rejuvenating spa treatments. 

BlogTour Cali arrived in Santa Barbara after a short two-hour drive and made its way to the peaceful sanctuary that is the Bacara Resort. The group soon found itself on a grassy knoll overlooking the Pacific Ocean with yoga teacher Tamae ready to guide each through a soothing and invigorating yoga class.

From there, the group visited the resort's luxurious spa to experience steam and Mr.Steam's new TALA bath and body products first hand. (For additional perspective, definitely read Bring Hammam Spa Treatment Home with New TALA from Mr.Steam.)

The first treatment the group enjoyed:

• TALA Lava Clay, a mineral based clay extracted from the mines of the Moroccan Fez region. Add just a bit of water to the clay to create a paste-like material and then apply to the entire face. TALA Lava Clay can help reduce dryness, enhance clear skin and assist in unblocking pores. Consider using it as a mask once a week.

In applying the lava clay masks to one another, BlogTour bloggers experienced a significant social element inherent to the Hammam spa experience, and also to wellness. In the image below, having successfully applied the lava clay, the bloggers are about to go into the resort's eucalyptus steam room to remove the clay and emerge relaxed and with soft and supple skin.  

Shortly after the mask experience, the group tried:

• TALA Beldi Black Soap, a Moroccan soap that is an integral part of the traditional Hammam ritual. The soap is a vegetable paste made up of black olive pulp and oil soaked in salt and potash, rich in vitamin E. Use the soap to exfoliate the skin and help soften and nourish it.

And after showering, the bloggers tried: 

• Pure Argan Oil, also known as the liquid gold of Morocco. The soft oil helps nourish the skin and can even combat symptoms of aging. The oil can be used for the whole body and in hair to improve hair strength and softness.

Last but not least, they tried: 

• TALA Bath & Body Face Cream to hydrate dry skin and even possibly improve the firmness and texture of the skin to combat signs of aging. 

All in all, it was a memorable and inspiring experience in living well and caring for the body, while in the midst of a glorious environment filled with stunning views and spectacular colors...

The next stop on BlogTour Cali's agenda was the small coastal town of Cambria, filled with fresh ocean air and mother nature's natural soundtrack. BlogTour Cali participants stayed in a series of small oceanfront hotels sitting side by side in this charming village where they enjoyed wine, cheese and Central Californian hospitality.

From there, they visited the Caliza Winery in Paso Robles, a small and relatively new vineyard with captivating views over nearby hills through endless rows of grapevines. Enough to inspire you to fully embrace the well-designed life, elements of wellness and how critical it is to body and soul  to feel good.

Meet the Wellness Inspired BlogTourCali Blogger participants!

For additional perspectives of #BlogTourCali, be sure to read:

• The Truth about #blogtourcali and A Well Designed Life #Blogtourcali by Kim Salter.
• Road Trip-#BlogTourCali by Irene Turner
• Is #California ready for #BlogTourCali? by Chatti Patti
• Hello #BlogTourCali by Margot Austin
• Benefits of a Steam Room by Sharon McCormick
• Introducing BlogTour California by Arianna Trapani
• California Dreamin ~ Blogtourcali ~ part 1 and A Coastal Journey ~ Blogtourcali ~ part 2 by Carrie Leskowitz

What are your thoughts about wellness and the well designed life? Let us know in the comments.