Zenana Spa and Wellness Center

I had the pleasure of sitting down with Alisha and her lovely 8 month old son for an hour or so. It was so enjoyable to get to know her better and see what her world is like. I hope you enjoy hearing about her and her journey as much as I did!

Alisha is one of the newer additions to Zenana Spa and Wellness Center (ZSWC) and we couldn’t be happier to have her as part of our wellness team. She is a nurse practitioner as well as a certified nurse midwife who offers pre, peri, post, and what she calls well-women care which includes family planning, STI screening, annual exams, pregnancy care, and basic primary care.

You might be asking yourself why Alisha Chose ZSWC as her venue to practice. Alisha felt it was a serendipitous move and found herself wanting to offer a different kind of care. The alternative setting helps to dissipate stereotypes surrounding women’s health care and hopefully bring a sense of ease to those who may see these services as uncomfortable. Alisha also saw choosing ZSWC as a way to tap in to the protective nature of women and offer a safe space for women to feel comfortable and to be proactive about their health.

It was fascinating hearing about what brought Alisha to nursing and midwifery. She describes it as a calling. Alisha began school in Alabama where she attained her bachelors degree. In Alabama at that time, it was actually illegal to be a midwife and perform midwifery services. So, she worked in labor and delivery, learning the ins and outs. Her next destination was Tennessee where she also practiced nursing with a focus on labor and delivery. From there Alisha decided travel nursing was the next step and decided to pursue that avenue. She traveled to California, Hawaii, Colorado, and eventually to Portland. It was during her time as a travel nurse that she became introduced and worked with midwives and the practices of midwifery.

In 2002 Alisha’s journey brought her to Oregon where she entered the masters program in midwifery at OHSU. After graduation, she worked at Willammette Falls Hospital- a small community hospital. It was her work here that helped to lay the ground for becoming comfortable with out of hospital births. In 2008, after feeling a little burnt out and disconnected with her patients, she began searching for that “something” to keep her profession more fulfilling. She applied to Chinese medical school. Shortly after enrolling, she was offered a position with Vivant midwifery, performing home births, and a teaching position at OHSU. She decided not to continue with the pursuit of a chinese medical degree. Today, Alisha is no longer with Vivant but still teaches at OHSU and attends births part-time. Near the end of her pregnancy, Alisha met Dr. Jess Desbrow and they began contemplating together the idea of a small practice and the possibility of sharing space together. And, that is how they both fell upon ZSWC.

Since the birth of her son, 8 months ago, Alisha has not taken on any new prenatal clients but has recently started to introduce the idea back in to her practice gradually. I asked her a little bit about how her work and life has changed since becoming a mother. She described it as a great reminder that balance is the most important thing and that without taking care of herself, she would not be able to care for her son or her patients. Alisha loves the connection and continuity of the life process with the women she cares for. She loves the journey and the empowerment aspect of encouraging women to take their health seriously and to take their health in to their own hands.

Alisha does strive to meet people where they are so she does offer a sliding scale for those in need or without insurance. She also accepts any and all insurance providers. If you have a questions about Alisha’s services or about affordability, please feel free to contact ZSWC or her directly.

We left with a hug, and this advice: “Trust yourself and follow your intuition, trust and surrender in the birth of life and the choices you make, take care of yourself 1^st and then you can do everything, don’t be afraid and use money as an energetic exchange- give it less power.”

A body scrub is the perfect indulgence for this time of year. The sun is finally starting to come out, the layers are coming off, and the skin is beginning to show! Why not feel more radiant and luminous?

A couple of weeks ago, I saw Grace for a scrub at Zenana Spa. It was awesome! As a person who likes to spend their “extra” wellness dollars on massage, I thought of a body scrub as an extra treat. What I didn’t think about what was it was doing for my health, and how it was every bit as beneficial to my well being as a massage… maybe even more so, since I don’t receive them regularly.

During this service, Grace really went the extra mile- as she does with all of her clients. She made sure the table and room were the perfect temperature so as the scrub went on and I was wet, I didn’t get cold. She added peppermint and orange essential oils to the face cradle so I was inhaling sweet mint while on my stomach (so calming and clearing!). She gently applied the yummy coconut scrub while seamlessly answering all of my many questions. She warmed the shower for me. And, then wrapped up the service with a moisturizing treatment and “mini” massage. I felt amazing. I felt calm. My skin looked, felt, and smelt like heaven!

Why receive a body scrub? Besides because you deserve a treat, exfoliation is a key component to maintaining healthy skin and is the main purpose and benefit to a body scrub. We know that exfoliation is good for the skin, but we might not all think of how exfoliation benefits the rest of our bodies and its systems. Exfoliating the skin helps it glow, it helps remove dead skin cells and other debris, it helps prevent breakouts, it helps the skin retain its elasticity giving it a more youthful appearance. Removing debris from the skin allows light to shine through, giving your skin a more illuminant quality. Glowing skin looks and feels more healthy! By removing debris from the surface of the body, you are also aiding all of your other body systems to function more smoothly. You are moving lymph, blood, nutrients, increasing circulation- sound familiar? These are all also benefits of massage.

I talked with Grace about how regularly one should exfoliate and she said that it really depends on the skin and method of exfoliation. The ayate cloth is more gentle and can be used everyday to every other day. Other types of exfoliants should be used less often- including a scrub. The body scrub service at Zenana Spa uses a sugar scrub by Eminence. Sugar is a natural enzymatic exfoliant so it is good to use with steam or warmth to open the pores.

Mention this blog and receive 10% off a body scrub experience at Zenana Spa, an ayate cloth to exfoliate your skin, or any massage or body treatment with Grace through the rest of June! If you have any other questions about the service, refer to the the website, or shoot me an email- yogaficionado@gmail.com

Here are some sunscreen tips from one of our massage therapists Dawn McAllister!

I know it is hard to believe after the near-solid month of rain we’ve had but, summer is on its way!

Sunblock is good to wear because it helps protect our skin from dangerous UV rays and can help prevent a variety of skin related health complications. But, it is important to carefully read labels to avoid some harmful chemicals that are included in many commercially available sunscreens.

Oxybenzone is one such chemical. Oxybenzone is found in almost all commercially available sunscreens and is particularly dangerous because of its ability to help other chemicals absorb into your skin. A 2008 study by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control found that 97% of the U.S. population is contaminated with oxybenzone and a Mount Sinai School of Medicine study, also published in 2008, reported that the chemical is linked to low birth weight in baby girls whose mothers are exposed during pregnancy. Numerous other studies have linked oxybenzone to health concerns including endocrine/hormonal disruption, cell damage, and cancer.

It is recommended to use sunscreens without oxybenzone (also known as benzophenone-3). Choose those with zinc or titanium oxide as the active ingredients instead. We carry several safer options at Zenana Spa and Wellness Center from our Eminence Skin Care line: Tropical Vanilla Sun Cream, Tomato Sun Cream, and Eminence Sun Defense.

The Tropical Vanilla Sun Cream is an SPF 32 and uses Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate (also known as Octyl Methoxycinnamate), a clear liquid compound that absorbs UVB light to protect your skin from the sun. It also contains Zinc Oxide to block UV rays, Shea Butter to calm and moisturize, and Vanilla to sooth and improve circulation.

The Tomato Sun Cream is an SPF 16 and uses Zinc Oxide to protect the skin from the sun. In addition, it contains Aloe Vera to help calm and reduce irritation, Orange Oil to soften and enrich, and an antioxidant booster of Vitamin A, C, E, Coenzyme Q10, and Alpha Lipoic Acid.

The Sun Defense line from Eminence is a water resistant, hypoallergenic, anti-inflammatory/anti-bacterial mineral make-up. It helps to even out skin tone while protecting your skin from the sun with the use of Zinc Oxide. It comes in a convenient tube so you can carry it and apply it anywhere. It’s even safe and easy to use on kids!

Eminence also carries a Tropical Vanilla Sun Cream for the body that has an SPF of 32. We don’t carry it regularly at Zenana Spa and Wellness Center but would be happy to special order it for you! Mention this blog and receive 10% off a sun screen product of your choice this week (June 10th-16th) only!