Spa co-op's women owners share 7 ways to infuse life with wellness


 

For Deja Redman, Chanelle Redman and Wuavette Duncan, self-care and caring for others isn’t something they choose to do—it’s rooted in their DNA. And they’ve made it the blueprint for how they live their lives, personally and professionally.

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In 2011, Duncan and her daughters founded Replenish, a spa co-op located in Columbus, Ohio. Replenish offers a wide variety of services, including yoga, energy and sleep sessions, massages, manicures, pedicures, facials, waxing and retail offerings. The co-op also offers group and organizational packages.

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The need for care is universal, according to Deja Redman: “In the age of information and technology we are losing human connection. To gather, connect and celebrate is a sacred gift.”

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The trio created Replenish to share that gift, evolving the business as it has grown.

 

“We are a space for well-being to awaken and restore the community to live a more beautiful everyday life. We offer restorative care that brings equanimity back to the mind, body and lifestyle,” Deja Redman said. “We intentionally hold space for self-care, family care, community care and out and into the world and in that order.”

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SHE, inspired by Red Roof is proud to highlight women owned businesses that align with our key pillars. In this interview, Redman shares her vision of wellness, how self-care has changed her life and her top ways for women to include “both/and” not “either/or” self-care in their daily lives, among other topics.

 

As a family-owned, black women-led business, how has your vision of wellness changed over time?

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“It has not changed; rather, it has evolved through building a healthy relationship with what challenges exist presently in our human condition and what challenges in society are putting a strain on our ability to care for ourselves and each other. Restorative care has the intrinsic power to defy old systems that no longer serve us. Our spa therapy experiences begin with a beautiful conversation. Our hospitality is an education of what's possible when we have reciprocity.”

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How has ‘wellness as a career’ changed your life? How has it changed other’s lives?

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“It has activated deeper trust within myself; my inner knowing has sharpened. [What we do] keeps me honest, accountable and integral in my life as a whole. This, too, is wellness—being honest about what is actually going on keeps us well. I am aware that this is tremendous work and requires a full embodiment of practice and leading simultaneously. We are home away from home for others to be an awakening light for others to see how beautiful they are. This is a profound gift that keeps giving.”

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Much of your time is focused on the well-being and self-care of others and on running a business – how do you make sure that you are taking the time to focus on your own well-being and self-care?

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“It is definitely not a perfect process but a present one. Sometimes motherhood takes over and work has to be reshaped for a time. Sometimes work is calling me to spend more time within it and so the ways we care for self changes as life circumstances shift. How I think about self-care especially as an entrepreneur is ‘am I leading from love or fear?’ Moving in fear will put self-care on the back burner.”

 

Women are so busy focusing on caring for others that it’s hard to focus on their own wellness. What is your advice for them to make themselves a priority?

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“The caregivers must receive. To care honestly and powerfully we must not be a contradiction. We are living in a time where capacity is a whole life study. It is possible to fill your teacup and care for others simultaneously. Your care might be divided up into increments of 10-minute actions of care three times a day and as long as it is scheduled on the calendar and has intention, we can still achieve homeostasis in our life and in our body.”

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What are your top ways for women to include wellness in their daily lives?

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1. Take your shoes off and receive the natural regulation that the soil can generate.

2. The power of intentional breath work. This keeps us in a proactive not reactive space.

3. Doodling and spontaneous writing. We call this downloading at night and uploading what is honest in the morning before you get moving for the day. This is a really great way to have reflective care.

4. Dance, free flow in space in time with no rhyme or reason. The body is whole and dance builds a healthier connection with right brain and left brain wiring.

5. Restorative massage more often. Our nervous systems are overstimulated. The power of human therapeutic touch is how humans recharge energy.

6. Drink fruit-infused water—choose an inspired fruit to elevate your mood with intention. Find beauty in contrast in your shower. Start with a warmer temperature that feels safe for you and then switch it to cool and then cold. This is really great for your lymphatic system and to support shifting through more dense feelings like anger or grief more quickly. Definitely make time for herbal baths, preferably during a full moon.

7. Face the moment. Give yourself a facial or schedule one. Our feelings are expressed on our face so to draw attention to this area of the body not only addresses skin issues/concern it also resets your emotional space.
 

What are you most proud of in your wellness journey?

“Trusting my intuition and allowing my spirit to lead over logic.”

 

Learn more about replenish, their upcoming community wellness center, The Livelihood, and how you can experience their unique brand of care at https://replenishwith.us/.

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Visit www.she-leads.com for more information about Red Roof’s SHE Leads Forum and for tools to help you manage your business, rise in the ranks and find the confidence to become a successful business leader.