Decorating with Your Senses

BY BARBARA KAPLAN

EEven though our visual sense can be dominant, we must not neglect the other key senses we possess when decorating our homes. Generally, we look to see what is visually pleasing, but we often forget our other senses and ignore their satisfaction—and sometimes our own well-being.

For instance, what do we like to hear around us? Do we like the sound of birds singing? Or do we prefer the news playing on the TV in the background? What do we like to smell? Is it dinner cooking or the fragrance of flowers in a vase? What do we like to taste? Maybe it’s the first flavor of the day: juice or perhaps coffee with our favorite creamer. And what is our favorite thing to touch? Is it the fabric on our favorite chair or the soft skin of a child’s cheek?

Our senses help us express who we are, and they can both consciously and unconsciously show up in our behavior and choices. Our environment is full of stimuli which call upon our senses to react. We call upon familiar sights, sounds, smells, textures, and tastes so that we are comfortable.

We also look to the unfamiliar to provide a sense of adventure or stimulation and to arouse our interest. When we are unaware of what’s stimulating us, we may be pulled in a negative direction and struggle to make sense of our world. We may become sad, angry, or lose our patience. When we’re stimulated by something pleasant, like touching the fur of our favorite pet or tasting a delicious piece of homemade apple pie, we may suddenly feel happy, creative, or have a burst

of energy. Our environment and everything that surrounds us invokes a response that impacts our mood, viewpoints, and the choices we make. When choosing textiles or patterns to stimulate us positively, consider a color palette from nature or letting the outdoors inspire you through various textures and materials that allow you to connect with the earth around you. Work to maximize the natural light in your space through the addition of large mirrors or lighter paint colors. Lighting is key to creating the mood and feeling of each space in your home, and it can even evoke different emotions. Shadows created by low-level, warm-hued lighting add interest and ambience, making us feel cozy and calm, while daylight-hued bulbs provide full-spectrum lighting that makes us feel energetic and mentally alert.

Touch is the first sense developed after we are born and is associated with caring and love. It is equated to intimacy in our environment and helps to give us stability. When we consider touch and the feeling of fabrics, the amount of padding in a chair, or the way it surrounds our body, we must remember that our entire body is a receptor. Choosing the right textiles and furniture shapes and styles that provide us feelings of comfort and satisfaction, relaxation, or safety can be extremely unique to us as individuals. It is important for us to be aware of our senses and how our surroundings affect us, as they can either work for or against us in our everyday lives, and even in our healing process. When we become conscious of the world around us and how every part of our surroundings makes us feel, only then can we be fullyconscious advocates for our own health and wellness.

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BY DEBORAH L. MONROE

AAdrienne Jezick is one woman who discovered the healing power of deliberate cold exposure and is on a mission to share with the world how she transformed her life. It is her passion not only to share her story but also to teach others how to heal their bodies and, consequently, their lives.

Adrienne Jezick is the co-founder of The Morozko Forge Ice Bath along with her husband and President of the Company, Jason Stauffer. Adrienne created the Morozko Method, a sensory immersion meditation technique for deliberate cold exposure. She and Jason are also the co-creators of the Morozko Podcast, where they share the details of their spiritual journey of healing mentally, physically, and spiritually through deliberate cold exposure and discuss the many healing stories of clients who have used the Morozko Method.

When asked if there is a meaning behind the name of her business, she enthusiastically replied, “There sure is! Morozko is a Russian fairy tale, a Jack Frost-Father Winter type mythology. And there is a story that goes along with it and tells us that if you meet the cold with stoicism and grace, it will bestow great gifts upon you.” Adrienne’s battle with her health began in her early thirties when she suddenly became ill and was diagnosed in a short amount of time with three auto-immune disorders: Hashimoto’s Thyroiditis, Eosinophilic Esophagitis, and Urticaria. Over a few years, she experienced significant weight gain, started taking copious amounts of prescription pills, was administered two live antibiotic shots per month, and taking up to 20 pills and supplements per day. “Nothing was making me feel better. If anything, I was continuing to feel worse.” Jezick stated. In fact, she also began developing several debilitating allergies to foods and fragrances – things she had been exposed to for much of her entire life such as eggs, bananas, perfumes, and everyday products. As time passed, Adrienne’s condition worsened. Dealing with severe heartburn, debilitating leg pain, weight gain, and extreme fatigue, she felt as if she had exhausted the traditional medical options of treatment. With the help of her husband Jason’s “bird's-eye view” in his own career in healthcare data analysis, he began to see the patterns and futility of the efforts of traditional medicine as they were applied to his wife’s situation. He began looking for natural alternatives for her health and healing. In October 2017, he was introduced to the practice of ice bath therapy through a local yoga instructor in Phoenix, Ariz. Due to her busy schedule, Adrienne was unable to attend most of the ice bath gatherings. In his efforts to help her, Jason set up a makeshift ice bath in their backyard.

NINE SECONDS LED TO A LIFETIME OF HEALING Adrienne’s first experience with the ice bath immersion lasted only nine seconds, but the results were so profound it began her journey of healing. Due to that brief ice immersion experience, she said, “For the first time in years, the chronic pain in my legs was completely gone. And I felt a sense of empowerment like I’d never felt before. I realized quickly I had been

living my entire life in this state of blind confidence. This active fight, challenging energy state. My body was just tired.” She continued, “It was probably my third ice bath that I realized I couldn’t do this violent dropping in. I couldn’t do this hyperventilative, holotropic breathwork anymore because it was too high-energy for me to prepare myself for this ice bath experience. I had to find a way to calmly surrender to the cold. Partly because I knew if I could stand it for two minutes, I would get maximum health benefits, and partly because I became really afraid of dropping myself in.” Adrienne recalls a key moment of awareness when preparing to take her fourth ice bath when she called on her previous experience with dialectical behavioral therapy. She worked to calm her mind by bringing herself back into her body and engage her senses. “I’m looking around at the sunshine in the backyard, I’m hearing the birds, I’m feeling my feet on the ground, and I decide I’m just going to step in. And when I step in, I decide I’m just going to sit down and lean back and breathe. And I did. These benefits from deliberate cold exposure were happening every time I took an ice bath - it was like stepping out as a whole new person,” she said. Adrienne continued with this method for several months, and when Jason began to see the incredible progress in her health, the idea to create their own ice bath was born. The idea stemmed from the challenges they faced in creating an ice bath each and every time Adrienne needed to take a plunge. Jason researched countless online options available for at-home ice bath therapy, but at the time, the cost was exorbitant, and none would reach below 40-45 degrees to sustain the ice or create metabolic change in the body. Jason got to work with the couple’s then other business partner, Tom Seager, to develop a concept for an ice bath that would meet Adrienne’s needs and, likely, those of others who had a need for regular ice bath therapy at home. With much trial and error, they created a makeshift prototype in the couple’s backyard. In 2018, the team took the rudimentary prototype and founded Morozko Forge. They began research and development to turn into a beautiful, fully functional product and enlisted the help of locals to test the units, which Jezick says are still in use today. In January 2019, Morozko Forge sold its first unit, and as the word spread about the health benefits of deliberate cold exposure, so did the awareness of the company. “We’ve grown exponentially every year. We’re the leaders in this space - there are other people now that are making cold plunges - but we’re the ones that make ice. We get down to those freezing temperatures that we’ve seen have an effect on people mentally, physically, and emotionally,” she says. “From November 2017 to August of 2019, I fully reversed every trace of auto-immune (disease) in my system.” Shortly after her last doctor’s appointment, Adrienne realized that her doctor was not going to share her miraculous recovery with others. It made her angry.

“It was at that last visit seeing women in the waiting room who were overweight, depressed, unhappy. And I thought, ‘She’s not going to tell a single person that I cured the chronic illness that I would have had for the rest of my life.’” She continued, “The pills she said I needed to take in order to stay alive. She’s not going to tell anyone about that!”

After that appointment in August 2019, Adrienne made it her personal life’s mission to shout the healing benefits of cold therapy from the rooftops. She’s turned cold haters and non-believers into deliberate cold exposure evangelists. Along with the ground-breaking design of the Morozko Ice Bath, Adrienne also developed a guided practice to accompany ice bathers on their immersion journey, which she teaches at her studio in Downtown Phoenix - now called the Morozko Method.

“I developed a guided sensory immersive technique for helping people move through that fight or flight response to cold with a calm, meditative mindset,” she notes. “At Burning Man in 2019 – that was my first experience guiding dozens of people, every single day, through this process, using sound healing, scent healing, and light.” Adrienne’s mission today is to educate others on the tremendous healing power available inside our own bodies. She knows from experience. “We have the power to heal our bodies, and we can do it through natural remedies. The number one thing that we need to enforce our body’s healing is to create natural resilience, build our own immune strength. This can be done by introducing these outside natural healing factors like extreme cold or heat. Our bodies are magic mechanisms designed to be able to heal themselves.”

HOW IS THE MOROZKO METHOD DIFFERENT? Adrienne points out the difference in the Morozko method to other methods is the gentle guided process of immersion. It teaches people how to self-regulate their fight or flight nervous response. “Over time the body learns to self-regulate the fight or flight response. It is something that can be used in all areas of our lives,” she said. The approach includes gentle meditation, breathwork, and intention setting to give clients an overall awareness of their senses and purpose, bringing clients out of their heads and into their bodies, and using their ability to control their breathing and focus during the experience. With her gentle presence, Adrienne guides her clients through the fight or flight response and recovery. Adrienne is now offering services to trauma recovery centers and sober living facilities to help reframe and repattern brain responses. She also offers online training courses, sharing her technique throughout the world. She notes that many A-List celebrities and professional athletes have worked closely in their own healing practices with her and have incorporated the benefits of the Morozko Forge Ice Bath in their own homes. And while the process of healing physical, emotional, or mental wounds can certainly take significant time and may not always be under our control, Adrienne’s words ring clear and true: “How we choose to heal is up to us.” While Morozko Forge products are proudly handcrafted in Phoenix, their ice baths have been shipped throughout the world to international clients in Canada, Dubai, Germany, London, Paris, Portugal, Mexico, and Costa Rica. Morozko Forge7150 W Roosevelt St, Phoenix, www.morozkoforge.com

Restoration Resorts BY ANGELA FAIRHURST

AAt the end of each year, we have an opportunity to review, reflect, and rewind. Sometimes, having the right space and place to contemplate our year-inreview can make it just a little (or a lot) more enjoyable. Eco-hotels all over the globe are developing programs that make restoration of health and wellness a priority and are perfect to soothe your soul and re-energize for the year ahead.

Shinta Mani WIld. Photo by Elise Hassey

SHINTA MANI WILD – A BENSLEY COLLECTION Deep in the jungles of Cambodia is a luxury tented camp, Shinta Mani Wild – A Bensley Collection. With conservation and protection of the environment and endangered species in mind, the meticulously planned safari-style camp has 14 private onebedroom tents and one two-bedroom tent. These accommodations are perfectly positioned along the riverbank and among the waterfalls, offering first-class views in the lap of luxury and comfort. Arrival into the camp is as unique as the jungle paradise itself, requiring entrance by a 400m zipline over the forest onto the Landing Zone Bar. “Wellness at WILD” offers an immersive three-night all-inclusive wellness stay for groups of two to six adults. Guests may choose one of three programs to meet their individual needs: ReWILD caters to the fitness-forward guest and includes guided trail running, mountain biking and fit-yoga classes; Reconnect offers health-minded travelers a balanced wellness lifestyle program; and Restore is designed for guests to rest, reset and recover from stress. At Shinta Mani Wild, you will find fitness activities aplenty, including sunrise yoga performed atop a seven-story zipline tower overlooking the forest. “Wellness at WILD” packages also include a PostTravel Recovery Massage on your day of arrival, unlimited Khmer Tonics spa treatments, forest bathing, breath-walking, meditations and deliciously creative cuisine using local ingredients foraged from the jungle. Tailored to guests’ dietary needs and preferences, there are options available for all. A unique and engaging WILD spa experience will even teach you ancient Khmer beauty practices, including how to make your own body products from nature. Excursions include a half-day pontoon boat experience exploring the waterways ecosystem, kayaking, and joining the Wildlife Alliance rangers on an anti-poaching patrol. The stay includes personal Bensley Adventure Butler services to handle your every need, along with land transfer from Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville airports. https://wild.shintamani.com.

Photos by Elise Hassey

Photos courtesy of The Ranch THE RANCH ITALY AT PALAZZO FIUGGI Noted California wellness retreat The Ranch Malibu, has officially opened its first international outpost in the mountain town of Fiuggi, an hour south of Rome. The area is known for the unique healing powers of its waters, with The Ranch nestled in a 20-acre park located on an ancient hilltop surrounded by 100-yearold Sequoia trees. Focused on achieving overall health, fitness, and longevity while restoring and balancing guests’ strength and mental clarity during their stay, the five-star Ranch Italy at Palazzo Fiuggi combines the award-winning, results-oriented fitness program of its Malibu property with the expertise of a premier medical retreat. Limited to 25 participants each week, guests can choose between a four-night, five-day option (available year-round) or a seven-night, eightday experience from April – December. Each program features a daily schedule that is identical to The Ranch Malibu’s signature active routine, including a four-hour morning mountain hike in the Apennine Mountains, followed by nap time, afternoon strength and core training classes, yoga, and a daily massage. The rigorous routine is complemented by a nutritionally dense, plant-based menu with an Italian flair, created by The Ranch’s Executive Chef Meredith Haaz and prepared by three-star Michelin Chef Heinz Beck and his Palazzo Fiuggi culinary team. Meals are enjoyed as a group, in a private dining room overlooking the mountains and ancient hilltop town. Guests also receive a targeted evaluation and diagnostic consultancy with Palazzo Fiuggi's team of scientists and doctors to gain a deeper insight into their current health, along with where and how to make optimal changes. www.palazzofiuggi.com.

THE STANFORD INN BY THE SEA, MENDOCINO COAST, CALIFORNIA The Stanford Inn & Resort is an historic farm and eco-resort overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Mendocino. It is North America’s only 100% vegan resort destination boutique hotel and is ideal for retreats, events, and family getaways. The wellness program allows for reconnection and restoration with one another and oneself.

The Stanford Inn’s wellness center is a key feature of the resort. Run by Wellness Programs Director Sid Garza-Hillman and the resort’s co-owners Joan and Jeff Stanford, the Stanford Inn offers cooking classes, nutrition and healthy living classes, creative playshops, gardening classes, mushroom exploration walks, guided hikes, breathwork classes, meditation, Chinese medicine, acupuncture, acupressure, Tai Chi, yoga, and a variety of massage/spa offerings. The well-appointed rooms and suites have first-class views of the Pacific Ocean, Big River, colorful organic gardens, and the historic village of Mendocino. Full made-to-order breakfasts are included and served in Ravens Restaurant. “Lunch on the Go” and daily dinner are also available. While more than 95% of the resort’s guests are not vegetarian or vegan, the menu does feature gourmet plant-based breakfast dishes and dinners that offer unique takes on dishes using vegetables. Additionally, Ravens Bar provides a full wine list featuring wines from local vintners and a full range of cocktails. www.stanfordinn.com.

Photos courtesy of Stanford Inn

Photos courtesy of Avana Retreat AVANA RETREAT, MAI CHAU, VIETNAM Built during the pandemic amongst an untouched waterfall, terraced rice fields and a jungle mountainside, Avana Retreat incorporates local Hmong architecture and Thai building design to create the 36-villa resort in Mai Chau, a 3.5-hour drive from Hanoi.

The resort’s open-air yoga pavilion is perched atop a stream, while the property’s eight-treatment-room Orchid Spa is immersed in the lushest of landscapes, providing a wellness sanctuary that is both gratifying and mesmerizing. A comprehensive pampering package, Wild Reconnection, is a signature threehour transformative experience which includes a body exfoliation using local products, toning and firming wrap, relaxing facial, and signature body massage that uses firm pressure and the stimulation of acupressure points, as well as warm Vietnamese herbal packs. Guests also benefit from the use of healing herbs and oils in all of the facials and body wraps offered. Honoring all that is local is a priority across the board at this wondrous retreat. Avana’s all-day dining venue, Green Chili Restaurant, uses seasonal and hyper-local ingredients for its menu. Freshly laid organic eggs are sourced from the chicken farm on property, while other items are procured from local Vietnamese farmers and used in dishes designed to maximize their flavor and connection to the region. An homage to a local phenomenon, the Cloud Pool Bar is named after the regular occurrence of fluffy cloud cover that settles just below the property, providing a positively “heavenly” effect that encourages guests to unwind with a local tonic, cocktail, or glass of wine. Additionally, more than 90% of Avana’s staff are from the surrounding area. www.avanaretreat.com.

Pamper your valentine with a gift certificate for a holistic wellness escape at Scottsdale's Journey Beyond - A Holistic Center. The center's professional coordinators will design a personalized treatment day for your loved one, incorporating an array of holistic modalities including yoga, energy work, facials, massage, and more. (480) 594-0949, www.journeybeyondahc.com.

Find a warm, personal gift for yourself or your love, for Valentine's or anytime at Buffalo Boutique. Toast the occasion with a Buffalo etched wine glass, gift a hand carved onyx lamp to create the perfect ambient glow, write a love note in a locally handcrafted bison journal, or don a pair of stunning red coral + bone earrings for a date night with your favorite crush. 7032 E. 5th Avenue, Scottsdale, buffaloboutique.com.

Got a gut feeling about your sweetheart? Give them the gift of health with nutrient-dense, fermented tonics from Garden Goddess Ferments. Beet kvass is an ancient remedy shown to support healthy blood pressure, increase immunity, and lower sugar cravings. Get 20% off with code BEST BEET at www.gardengoddessferments.com.

Your sweetheart will thank you for the gift of wearable glass art from the mother-daughter duo at Studio BB Designs. Each bead is melted freehand over a torch fueled by propane and oxygen, and carefully crafted into one-of-a-kind bracelets, earrings, necklaces and rings. Visit www.studiobbdesigns.com and enter code GREENLIVING for 20% off your entire purchase.

Gift your loved one with an early Valentine's Day experience that won't soon be forgotten at Viberaiser. Join MaMuse, DJ Taz Rashid and metaphysical Reverend Joya in a community intention setting, followed by a rhythm-filled concert sure to awaken hearts and elevate consciousness through the power of community. January 22, 2023, 1-4 p.m. Sunkist Warehouse, Mesa https://viberaiser.eventbrite.com/?aff=GreenLiving.

The Sedona Yoga Festival celebrates 10 years of transformation in the undisputed spiritual center of the American West from April 27–30, 2023. Enjoy yoga, meditation, workshops, lectures, and more for all experience levels and interests. It's the perfect experience to share with a loved one — tickets are transferable and make great gifts. Emerge to imagine a more mindful world. Get 5% off tickets with code SYF-GREENLIVING. www.sedonayogafestival.com.