Many people describe a sense of well-being when they walk barefoot on the earth. I know I do. I love the feeling I get walking on the beach where I live. The connection is so profound. Ancient, really. Throughout history, humans have walked, sat, stood and slept directly on the ground, oblivious that such simple contact transferred to them a natural electrical signal. Only recently has the knowledge and significance of this connection been explored by scientific experts in geophysics, biophysics, electrical engineering and medicine. And the verdict is this: grounding our feet to the earth is good for our health.

That’s because the earth is a negative electron machine. And our bodies – made up mostly of water and minerals – are excellent conductors of electrons. As long as there is direct skin contact with the ground, free electrons transfer easily up into and throughout the body. Disconnected from the earth, the body is vulnerable and prone to inflammation-related disease and accelerated aging – a startling theory just beginning to gather scientific momentum.

I learned a lot about this concept – and about our connective relationship with the planet we live on – from Clint Obers’ book, Earthing. Clint Ober was a pioneer in the cable industry who, for more than a decade, has pursued a one-man mission to awaken a skeptical world to a simple and forgotten fact: the earth contains a healing energy. And connecting ourselves to this energy is immediately beneficial and completely protects us against electromagnetic frequencies (EMFs) found in our cell phones, iPads, and laptop computers. It baffles me why more people aren’t talking about the potential negative effects of our constant exposure to EMFs. What can the effects of using these devices be in the future? And what can we do now to protect ourselves?

According to Clint Ober, the simplest action we can take is to take our shoes off. And take a walk outside. When we wear shoes – which most of us do, and most of the time we are cut off from the healing energy and connection of the earth. Think about how many days you go without ever touching toes to grass. The simple act of walking barefoot restores and maintains the body’s most natural electrical state, which in turn promotes optimum health and functionality in daily life – the ultimate anti-inflammatory/anti-aging medicine. One of the most prevalent aging theories is the inflammation theory – which states that our bodies (and skin) age due to chronic inflammation caused by diet (lack of omega 3’s), sleep deprivation, stress and…not being connected to the earth. Putting your feet on the ground actually reduces heat (inflammation) in the body and floods it with negative ions (proven through infrared imaging).

Traditional exercises such as yoga, tai chi and qigong have long been practiced without footwear. A central focus in Chinese practices involves “growing a root” and has to do with opening communication between the bottom of the feet and the earth. This process occurs through the “yong quan point” also known in acupuncture as the kidney 1 point.

Reconnecting to earth can also involve the use of conductive bed sheets or floor pads linked by wire to a ground-rod outside your house or office, or plugged into a wall outlet with a modern earth ground system (every house has it – it’s the third hole under the outlet). I am currently sleeping on a grounding sheet and love it. It looks just like an ordinary sheet (only half the size) with a cord that I plug into my wall outlet. What we are doing is akin to what is well-known in the electrical world as “grounding,” the common practice of connecting equipment and appliances to the Earth to protect against shocks, shorts and interference.

For me personally, just in walking the beach barefoot (as often as I can) and sleeping daily on a grounding sheet – I am definitely feeling a difference. Following are some of the benefits you can expect from grounding – and more are likely to emerge with ongoing studies:

1. Diffuses the cause of inflammation and improves or eliminates the symptoms of many inflammation-related disorders
2. Reduces or eliminates chronic pain
3. Improves sleep in most cases
4. Increases energy
5. Relieves muscle tension and headaches
6. Protects the body against health-disturbing environmental electromagnetic fields (EMFS)

‘Earthing’ is also helpful in reducing or eliminating jet lag. One of the first things I do after any long-haul flight is to toss my bags in my room, head outside and kick off my shoes (I’ve been known to take my shoes off in some pretty cold places).

With love,
Charlene

Ancient cultures, such as China and India, have relied on the treatment of the human energetic system for wellbeing for thousands of years. But energy healing hasn’t always been understood by mainstream modern culture. Being something that we feel – rather than see directly – has made energy healing difficult to discuss, even in the spa industry.

But now, with the greater acceptance of quantum physics and awareness, there is a growing mainstream interest in energy healing and the part it plays in the maintenance of health, beauty and well-being.

And thanks to doctors like Dr. James L Oschman (Energy Medicine, The Scientific Basis), Dr. Jacob Liberman (Light Medicine of the Future) and Dr. Bruce Lipton (The Biology of Belief), we can talk about energy and concepts like coherence, kinetic energy and light in a grounded scientific way.

Kerstin has always been interested in energy in all its forms, particularly light, color and the effects of positive thoughts, the latter because “our guests can feel it,” and has always explored how we can incorporate them into our treatments. While healing energy has always been part of our philosophy, our introduction of energy “technology” happened this year with the launch of our K-Lift, Age Management System. Impressively quiet and highly sophisticated, our K-Lift treatments combine three non-invasive, anti-aging technologies: red LED (light emitting diodes) light therapy (light energy), impulse micro-currents (kinetic energy) and transdermal delivery.

The red LED light helps to improve dermal density and trigger collagen production; the impulse microcurrents (which target anti-gravity muscle groups) re-educate muscle tone, firm and lift the skin while also stimulating cellular energy. While the third technology, transdermal delivery, helps to deliver essential rejuvenating nutrients to the skin. The technology behind this machine comes from NASA experiments and Nobel Prize winning laureates.

Over the years, I’ve become more and more ‘results oriented’ because let’s face it: our skin becomes thinner and more susceptible to wrinkles and a loss of elasticity as we age. Along with meditation, breathing, nutrition, water and exercise, there are an increasing number of non-invasive energy technologies emerging that can benefit the skin’s physical appearance – K-Lift being one. We are living in the future now.

With love,
Charlene

I’ve just returned from two amazing Dorchester properties: the Dorchester, London and Coworth Park in Ascot (just outside of London). And I must say, my experience at both was brilliant. The Dorchester Collection has nine properties – in London, Beverly Hills, Paris, Milan, New York and Ascot – and we are fortunate to work with two of its most prestigious spas.

The Dorchester Spa was reopened in 2009 (after a complete transformation) to exude 1930’s Art Deco glamour combined with a contemporary edge, and it was a thrill to return. Kerstin and I were asked to meet with a group of British journalists who (after Katie Holmes’ endorsement of our Caviar Facial), were interested in hearing about the launch of our new Correcting Eye Rescue pads. After meeting with the British press, we spent time with the spa’s estheticians who – like the entire Dorchester staff – deliver impeccable service.

This hotel (and spa), if you have never been, is truly a must. The staff is warm, friendly, and the atmosphere so very elegant. As you enter the spa, there is a spectacular chandelier of South-Pacific pearls and an indulgent Spatisserie with the ethos ‘a little bit of what you love is good for you.’ The spa features nine spacious treatment rooms and a sleek navy blue relaxation room. Kerstin and I spent two nights there before driving south to Coworth Park in Ascot.

I love the city (especially London), but it was a treat to head to the English countryside. A short drive from central London and Heathrow Airport, Coworth Park is built on 240 acres, spilling with wildflower pastures, a polo field, equestrian center, green grass and the most gorgeous huge trees including acorn and horse chestnut. The hotel is like walking into someone’s modern country estate (only 30 rooms in the main building). It’s said the muddiest boots are welcome here, but you wouldn’t catch me trudging any mud into this beautiful place. The attention to detail is exquisite. Where else would you find wildflower and herb seeds as an amenity gift in the room (loved that!), and beautiful modern décor and windows everywhere looking out onto the pastures.

The Spa at Coworth Park is an idyllic English country retreat. It has a really tranquil atmosphere. And yet, it is cutting-edge green. Built primarily from sustainable timber structures with lime-hemp walls, Coworth Park’s groundbreaking eco-luxury spa has great green credentials, with a Living Roof adorned with thyme, lavender, chamomile and other herbs. The pool (with underwater music) has a line of approximately 14 of the most spectacular large, raw-cut, amethyst sculptures which add an ethereal quality to the whole experience. This serene feeling was only further magnified by my end-of-visit massage with Aiisha, whose hands are truly angelic. Her treatment was the perfect send-off for the long flight back to California. I definitely look forward to my next visit.

With love,
Charlene

A juicing and green smoothie revolution is underway in our corporate office in Southern California. The craze started about a year ago, and it’s not unusual to hear the whir of the juicer or blender throughout the day. Many of our staff members have made a personal commitment to add more greens to their diet. Why? Studies show that green vegetables such as kale, dandelion greens, spinach and parsley have incredible healing properties, and nourish the body with an array of vitamins, minerals and chlorophyll – benefiting cholesterol, boosting the immune system, digestion and contributing to healthy looking skin.

One of the key nutrients in greens is chlorophyll, the phytochemical that gives plants, leaves and algae their green hue. Magnesium-based, chlorophyll is alkaline rich (a key factor in maintaining an alkaline environment in your body) and loaded with vitamins and minerals. Chlorophyll is also a detoxifier – prohibiting the absorption of chemicals and metals in the body and an outstanding healer.

When you first start juicing, start with a smaller amount of simple greens like spinach or parsley – which provide green energy but without excessive amounts of fiber that, at the beginning your body might not be used to processing. As you get used to it and your palette becomes more adventurous, you can include things like kale, dandelion greens, cilantro and wheat grass.

An incredible reinvigoration of life-force energy, greens also work topically. To apply a concentrated source of chlorophyll externally (with all of the benefits listed above), I recommend our Rejuvenating Spirulina Masque (yes, its green) for normal to aging skin.

Aside from their obvious nutritional value, smoothies go down easily and make a quick, portable meal. You can experiment with your favorite healthy ingredients to find the flavor combinations you enjoy. A standard blender is fine to start. But once you’re into it on a regular basis, I recommend investing in a high speed Vitamix or Blendtec blender which blends anything with ease. As far as juicers go, I like the Omega juicers or of course the top of the line Green Star (for advanced greenies). Following are a few of our favorite organic recipes. And, as you juice and blend, we’d love for you to share a few of your favorite green drinks too.

Kerstin’s Favorite

• Big handful of parsley
• 1/2 green apple
• 1/2 lemon (with peel removed)
• Tiny pinch of habanero chile pepper
• 1/2 banana
• 1 inch piece of fresh ginger root (peeled)
• 8 oz. glass of pure spring water
• Blend or juice (if juicing take out the banana)

Kellie’s Recommendation (Director of Marketing & Advertising)

Makes approx. 32 oz. I like to have this for lunch with a handful of raw nuts, or split the batch for two yummy snacks throughout the day.

• 16 oz. pure spring water
• 1/2 lemon with rind (for additional antioxidant benefits)

Fill blender container with spinach and blend well, then add:

• Handful of kale
• 1 cucumber
• 3 stalks celery
• Handful of parsley
• 1″ fresh ginger root
• 1/2 avocado (optional)
• 1/2 banana for smoothness
• 1 small apple
• 2 pineapple spears for sweetness

With love,
Charlene

The eyes are said to be the windows to our soul. They reveal our joys, sorrows, accomplishments and disappointments. They are (in my opinion) our most beautiful and soulful natural asset.

But the dry, fine lines and puffiness surrounding them? I prefer to do without ‘laugh lines’ (as I call them – from all the smiling we do in life). Fortunately, for the most part, we can all make that choice because bright, hydrated, luminous eyes are possible. No matter what our age.

The reason wrinkling occurs around the periocular area is simple really. The skin surrounding (and especially under) our eyes is the thinnest and most delicate part of our face and has very few oil glands.

For me, living the beach life in California always makes me think twice about my eyes – from wearing sunglasses to keeping my body and face, and especially eye area, hydrated. And as I often do – I researched the best methods to help me. Interestingly, my answer came from the sea – via Chitosan a pure-marine fiber.

Chitosan is now the prime ingredient in our new Correcting Eye Rescue treatment, an under-the-eye pad to treat dark circles, puffiness and yes, fine lines. The Chitosan we use comes from a very specific species of shrimp shells – Pandalus Borealis – found only along the pristine coast of Norway. It is extracted from the shrimp shells (which would normally be discarded) through a sophisticated process that removes the protein (the cause of most shellfish allergies) reducing the probability of any allergic reaction.

The benefits of Chitosan are great. Similar to collagen, Chitosan has been proven to quench the skin’s thirst, improving softness by 20%, smoothness by 114% and to decrease wrinkles up to 35%. Treatment is easy, and can be done anywhere – at home, on an airplane. Here’s all you have to do:

• Gently hold an eye pad in the palm of your hand and spray with hydrating Neroli Water (orange blossom) until the pad is completely saturated.
• Lift the eye pad to your under-eye and place close to the lower lash line. Smooth any air bubbles gently with fingertip.
• Repeat process for the other eye and leave pads on for 15 minutes, making sure the pads remain moist.

Note: Please avoid using tap water.

Follow with our Correcting Brightening Eye Crème.

When applying eye crème, gently tap it on, starting from the outer edge of the under eye area and working your way to the inner edge. The results are fantastic. Great for special events or when you need an immediate pick me up!

Here are a few more tips for keeping the skin around the eyes healthy:

1. Drink plenty of pure spring water.
2. Feel joy. It shows and it’s contagious.
3. Avoid unnecessary tugging and pulling on the delicate tissue.
4. Wear sunglasses to protect the eyes from squinting but remember opening our eyes to full spectrum light is essential to nourish our light being and aids our overall wellness. Balance is the key.
5. Use gentle cotton pads when removing eye makeup.
6. Avoid prolonged sun exposure which results in age spots, uneven pigmentation and unnecessary premature aging.

With love,
Charlene

The search for “The Fountain of Youth” – a legendary spring said to restore youth to anyone who drinks from its waters – is ageless. From Spanish explorer Juan Ponce de Leon (who claimed to find the eternal spring in 1513 in what’s now Florida) to modern-day scientists, the quest to live longer, look younger and stay healthy continues.

While I’m certainly a fan of healing waters and the power of therapeutic minerals, I do not believe there is any one body of water that (in one sip or dip) will turn back the hands of time. But I do believe that knowledge is power, and those of us interested in longevity, health and maintaining great skin are wise to know what we’re working with – and against.

One of the latest aging theories comes in the book The Immortality Edge by Michael Fossel coauthored by Greta Blackburn and Dr. David Woynarowski who examine the Nobel Prize-winning theory of telomere science – increasingly seen as the latest ‘answer’ to healthy aging. Telomeres are found at the end of our chromosomes and are the biological time clock or fuse representing how much life we have ‘burned off’ and how much time we have left.

In telomere science, the goal becomes to either slow down the loss of telomere segments or add length to reverse the aging process. Internal supplements, called TA–65, made from an isolated constituent found in the ancient Chinese herb Astragalus, are confirmed to lengthen and/or slow your telomeres slightly. These supplements are expensive. The book takes a combined look at diet (including taking TA65), exercise, lifestyle, meditation and other approaches. Research is happening at a feverish pace to find skincare ingredients able to slow or add length to telomeres. We at Kerstin Florian International definitely have our eyes on this cutting-edge research.

For now, the best investment we can make on our road to healthy aging (alongside sipping and dipping in healing waters) is to eat lots of veggies, drink pure spring water, reduce (or cut out completely) sugar intake, supplement with omega (DHA and EPA) oils, essential fatty acids and foods rich in antioxidants (decreasing free-radicals and chronic inflammation), meditate, and think positive thoughts. We must also pay attention to the ingredients we are putting on our skin via cleansers, exfoliants, moisturizers, eye crèmes, body oils and lotions. Our Caviar and Correcting lines specifically target aging skin conditions with the latest effective ingredients like peptides, vitamin C, multi acids and botanicals to protect, nourish and rejuvenate the skin. My personal arsenal of products includes Caviar Age-Defense Serum, Rehydrating Neroli Oil, Correcting Brightening Eye Crème, Correcting Intensive Renewal glycolic 15, Correcting Multi–Vitamin Day Crème SPF 30 and Rehydrating Neroli Cleansing Milk.

And in the future, I hope to include a Kerstin Florian telomere-lengthening product to the list.

With love,
Charlene

In her best-selling book (and movie), Eat, Pray Love author Elizabeth Gilbert escaped to Rome to find La Dolce Vita (the sweet life). Recently I, too, soul-journed to Rome with some friends and my two daughters Alexxa (8) and Milan (6) in tow. But where Gilbert’s passion was to learn the language, find romance and consume pasta, the tug on my heart strings came in the city’s antiquity – its ancient Roman empire and influence on the western world. And as a spa girl, I was also enthralled with its incredible spa history. It was after all, the Roman emperor Nero who allegedly coined the term SPA – salus per aquam “health by water.”

During our amazing few days we visited The Pantheon, dedicated to pan theos “all the gods” and one of the best preserved Roman buildings, toured the Vatican and fell in love with La Sorelle, a restaurant near the Spanish Steps – quaint atmosphere and incredible homemade Italian. We also ate and shopped like locals at Campo de’ Fiori (farmer’s market) where vendors set up booths spilling with lemoncello, grappa, olive oils, pastas, herbs, sauces and the freshest produce. We went twice during our stay in Rome to load up on fresh fruits and veggies…

Of course, I couldn’t leave Rome without visiting Terme di Caracalla, now the site of the Teatro dell Opera which seats up to 20,000 and has hosted such talent as Jose Carreras, Placido Domingo and Luciano Pavarotti. The Baths, dating back to 212 AD, were one of the major spa complexes in antique Rome, and one of the richest for its splendid decoration which today, in part, has been lost. The Baths consisted of a frigidarium (cold room), double pool tepidarium (medium) and a caldarium (hot) as well as two palaestras (gyms where wrestling and boxing were practiced). The bathing building contained a natation or swimming pool – roofless with bronze mirrors mounted overhead to direct sunlight into the pool area. The entire bath building was on a 6 meter (20 ft) high raised platform to allow for storage and furnaces to heat the building – very clever and innovative, despite the Romans’ Barbaric reputation.

Rome’s modern-day spa face is not nearly as elaborate. While I liked our hotel, The Parco de Princepi – the food, service and pool (a saving grace from the heat as was my Kerstin Florian Sun Protection SPF 30) – the spa is not one I can recommend. A better hotel spa option is the Hotel de Russie, a five-star luxury hotel located between the Spanish Steps and Piazzo del Popolo and where I hope to stay next round. The grounds are also lovely. Terraced gardens provide a tranquil oasis from the bustle of Rome. And also link back to the city’s history. It is said that once upon a time, on a sunny day, you may have spotted Pablo Picasso or Jean Cocteau peeling and eating the oranges they picked in the hotel garden…

Now that’s sweet.

With love
Charlene

“Imagine a world in which medicine was oriented toward healing rather than disease, where doctors believed in the natural healing capacity of human beings and emphasized prevention above treatment. In such a world, doctors and patients would be partners working toward the same ends.” – Dr. Andrew Weil

One of the great joys (and perks) of my job is spending table-time in the spas that weave our products into truly extraordinary treatment experiences. One of these is Miraval, a destination spa located just outside Tucson, Arizona, where I’ve just returned from spending three incredible days.

Oprah put Miraval on the map in terms of high-profile exposure (after declaring it her own personal favorite place, she brought 60 women on a getaway). But it is the more recent partnership with Dr. Andrew Weil (and experts representing exercise physiology, equine activities, nutrition and spiritual fields) that catapulted Miraval into a true place of integrative health and wellbeing.

The days there have rhythms to them – classes are offered throughout the day and guests pick-and-choose from mind-body, physical fitness and lifestyle offerings, designing and customizing their own program. The staff is incredible, so friendly, and the food both healthy and delicious. An open smoothie bar provides guests with fresh-chilled vegetable juices throughout the day (it was 113 degrees while I was there so this was quite a bonus) including fresh ginger, beets, carrots, celery and fruit.

During my stay, I experienced two treatments: the TAIZ Sensorium and the Qi Journey. My favorite Kerstin Florian designed treatment there is Outdoor Sweet Slumber, a 75-mnute Miraval signature. The treatment begins with an exfoliation with custom-blended organic lavender oils and natural minerals followed by an application of lavender body spray, a body wrap, scalp massage (yes, with more lavender oil), pressure-point face massage and ends with a foot treatment. My favorite part of the ritual here is that the whole treatment is performed in the outdoor treatment garden, under the Sonoran desert sky.

I was invited however to stretch my wings and try two of the spa’s newest treatments. The TAIZ Sensorium is a unique adventure that stimulates the senses and leads you into a realm of personal imagination and meditation while relaxing the body and releasing tension. The treatment, combining sounds of nature and composed music, strong and soft, heals on a vibrational level. The experience starts face down with inhalation of pure aromatherapy essences – spruce and other unique aromas. I felt my therapist, Kep Taiz’s hands on me once but no massage. He was applying energy and I could really feel it. For 50 bliss-out minutes, compositions of music, exhilarating base rhythms and elemental sounds from nature bathed me with a full-spectrum of vibration that nourished and penetrated into deep layers of my body. The treatment takes place in a customized bed, found only at Miraval. At one point, I felt like I was a rocket taking flight and at other times, like I was gently flying through the air.

My second treatment, the Qi Journey, is a fusion of Nuad Bo Rarn, or ancient Thai massage (performed on the floor wearing loose clothing and combining deep stretching with massage), acupuncture and craniosacral therapy, which features gentle movements to the skull and spine to encourage movement of spinal fluid. Thai massage gently opens the body and joints allowing your muscles to release tension, which simultaneously stimulates the Chinese meridian system. Acupuncture needles were carefully placed around my knee and foot to address my imbalances, followed by craniosacral to release any remaining restrictions in my body. I have had a lot of body work, and during this one, I could feel my shoulder starting to twitch as my body worked to rebalance my energy.

The highlight of my visit, however, came during a 6 a.m. three-hour hike into the foothills behind the property. With backpacks, plenty of water and Kerstin Florian Multi-Vitamin Day Crème SPF 30 (a top seller here), we hiked the desert, spotting an enormous desert turtle, wild hare and Horney toad, all the while learning about indigenous flowers and plants. Our guide Sharon Bockisch, a local expert, had a great passion for the desert and encouraged us to embrace – literally and figuratively – its beauty. At one point, I put my arms around the oldest Saguaro cactus, which had to be over 500 years. Its trunk felt leathery and wise, and as I breathed in its powerful spirit and connection to both earth and sky, I felt wise too. Knowing. And magically calm – instinctively understanding the mystical, uplifting feeling that draws so many back again and again to Miraval and the Sonoran Desert.

Perhaps next time, we make like Oprah and all go together?

With love
Charlene

Water permeates our entire existence. We drink water, cook with it, shower in it, bathe…

Our bodies are comprised of more than 75 percent water, as is our planet. We are, at our very core, water beings. And yet, most people think of water as a simple – and separate – substance.

Being in the spa industry and living the beach life in California, and born from Swedish roots (where water abounds), I’ve always had reverence for water in one form or another. But it wasn’t until a day in Bath (England) that my appreciation for water – blossomed.

I remember staring into the pool at the Bath museum, which has an incredible mysterious past, and feeling so serene – as if I was looking into a mirror of the past kings and all who’d been healed from its therapeutic waters. While I have always linked water to cleansing and anointment and healing, something about the water in this particular place was an awakening and defining moment.

Soon after my experience at Bath, I was exposed to Dr. Masaru Emoto (Japanese researcher)’s work on water whose basic premise is that water has an impressionable crystalline structure. His ground-breaking work shows how water – when frozen – crystallizes differently after being exposed to words and phrasings like “love,” “thank you,” “truth,” and “you make me sick.” My discovery of Dr. Emoto’s work caused me to think: if words and thoughts can do that to water, and we are water beings (composed of more than 75 percent water), imagine what our thoughts can do to us. He performed similar experiments with rice.

Dr. Emoto is not the only scientist, of course, to believe that water absorbs vibration and the energy around it. I’ve been reading books by Victor Schauberger (Austrian scientist) on the subject and there is also a very interesting movie called “Water” worth watching which quotes researchers from all over the world. Many people are talking about structured water and how, in research, it helps plants to grow much healthier and transmit information more efficiently.

I recently visited the Water Brewery in Costa Mesa, where pollutants are being filtered from regular city water, exposed to 528 hertz (heart vibration) and positive words like ‘love,’ and then alkalized (appropriate for most but not all) and vortexed (spiraled counterclockwise in a funnel-like motion). There’s even a crystalline picture of the brewery’s water on the wall, Dr. Emoto style.

Most cities don’t have a place like the Water Brewery to purchase water and so we are left to fend for ourselves in regard to the purity of our water. In the research I’ve done, the best drinking water is pure spring water – and I drink (and serve my family) only live spring water. Yes, it is more expensive than using inexpensive filters or turning on the tap, but it’s worth it. We all have to do the best we can with our budgets and what is available to us. But knowledge is power. And water clarity is our first (and perhaps most important) step to outrageous physical and emotional health. Personally, I can’t think of a healthier way to relax, stay hydrated and absorb valuable mineral salts, herbs and nutrients. The water we consume and surround ourselves with plays a key role in our health.

With love
Charlene

Just back from Sweden where I presented global spa trends and future longevity trends to members of Spadagarna – the Swedish spa hotel association’s annual conference – held in Varberg on the west coast. I love going back to Sweden which I do often (four times this year). I have probably been to Sweden 60 times and I look forward to it every time. Nature abounds in all directions, there is water everywhere, and the smell of the forest and birch trees is intoxicating.

Kerstin lives in Sweden six months each year in the countryside outside Stockholm, and every time I travel the dirt road to our family home and see the sheep, big-horned cows and goats grazing in the open-grass fields, I am reminded how bountiful life can be. Here, Kerstin grows rhubarb, raspberries, strawberries, herbs and tomatoes. The list goes on and is expanding. Our family home is surrounded by the Baltic Sea (archipelago) and natural forest with wild blueberries, cherries and mushrooms – and Kerstin, a true Swede, can catch a fish, filet it and make any number of delicacies from forest (pine sprout soup) and garden elements. I am doing my best to learn these skills passed down from my grandmother to Kerstin.

My trip was a race as Sweden was not the only country visited, but I did have some time in Stockholm to visit a few of my favorite places and discover a new one:
Light lunch and yoga: We have the most beautiful Swedish trainers at the KERSTIN FLORIAN training Institute in Stockholm and knowing my love for raw vegetarian food they suggested I try Yogayama. A very simple restaurant (which could improve on its ambience) Yogayama makes a beautiful salad, great homemade hummus and Swedish style cracker bread. It is located near incredible shopping and offers yoga classes for drop-in guests (nice for travelers!).

Healthy Market: For fresh fruit, vegetables and fish, my shopping place of choice is Ostermalmshallen. If you travel to Stockholm, you simply have to visit this beautiful indoor market with great restaurants and cafes. I make a point to go there every trip.

Modern Swedish Cuisine: My last day in Sweden, following a short filming for a Swedish TV program on Kerstin, we celebrated at Restaurang Sturehof. The food is fantastic, very authentic modern Swedish. Beautifully prepared fish, shrimp, lots of fresh herbs and veggies and it has lovely outdoor seating, great for people watching.

And Spa, of course: Sturehof is connected to Sturegallerian – A boutique style shopping mall and home to Sturebadet, the exclusive membership spa in Stockholm and which Kerstin is a part owner. In 1985 a fire destroyed the original bath-house, and while there’s no longer communal bathing in this new version, there’s a lovely Turkish bath for private bookings and a 15-room spa tucked into the womb of the new construction that really pays tribute to Sweden with its sleek lines, glass sauna, low-lit candles and relaxation room featuring a tile mosaic of white birch trees. One of my absolute favorite treatment rituals, the Sami Zen, honoring the healing traditions of Sweden’s Sami people, is available here. The body ritual (bath, scrub, massage) is performed to traditional jojk music in a treatment room reminiscent of a Sami tent, featuring a starry sky, wooden bath tub and warmed birch oil. Upstairs, on the main floor, the ambience is very much a health-club vibe. The pool, quite stunning, is a hot-spot during the week especially among locals.

With love
Charlene