The Greatest Gift of 2020, Resilience.
This year has shaken us. It has tested our anxieties, friendships, and for many our livelihood. I honestly contemplated not doing this annual blog as I thought it could be in poor taste, speaking about gifts in a time when many American’s financial security hangs in the balance. What changed my mind? When I saw this year’s Rockefeller Center Christmas tree, something clicked. At first I was a little annoyed, couldn’t you just have found a nicer tree and given people the same holiday energy we are given year after year? Then I realized that pretending like everything is okay is not realistic. This flawed tree being dressed up real nice spoke a message. No matter how much we are put through, how much stress and not knowing what’s to come… Americans endure. We may not be at our most polished but we keep going and even though we see a lot of discord in our country, I still witness acts of kindness everyday. Neighbors offering kind words or favors, smiling eyes at the grocery store behind masks, and the deeply authentic community of small business owners in our little town.
Each year I have tried to weave a theme into the businesses that I highlight. Health and Wellness are front and center this year. For many this year and this virus have really nudged people to look at their own health and practices. Knowing how you feed, move, and speak to yourself has a direct correlation to your overall health. Did you know that we have some pretty amazing health workers right here in our community outside of your doctor’s office? So many that there is no way I could highlight them all. So, in addition to local artisans, business owners, and retailers I wanted to connect you to some amazing women who are doing important work in our community.
Remember, keeping your money local not only helps the business you purchased from it helps your entire community thrive. When stumped for a gift, experiences are almost always my go to.
Orofino Wellness
The Gift of Wellness
Alona Orofino is a Certified Holistic Health Coach with a Masters in Nutrition and Integrative Health. She received her training from the Maryland University of Integrative and the Institute for Integrative Nutrition in New York City.
Alona and I have been acquainted for years, both of us are lovers of movement, wellness, and food. This year I had the opportunity to get to know Alona and experience first hand her wealth of knowledge and clear insights about relationships surrounding food. She is just one of those people that I “clicked” with. Her warm and easygoing personality are disarming and refreshing. Alona resides in Fredericksburg, VA with her husband who is a chef from Italy. ogether they own an Italian restaurant, Orofino.
Alona runs a weight inclusive practice that focuses on intuitive eating. Her desire is to help women create a healthy relationship with food and their bodies, to break the dieting cycle and to heal from disordered eating patterns.
Contact Alona at alona@orofinowellness.com or click this link to schedule your free 15 minute consultation.
Phosphene
The Gift Of Doing Good
Phosphene Studio offers a collection of beautiful, ethically made women's clothing and fine lifestyle goods from independent designers and environmentally conscious brands.
If you haven't guessed already, I am a big fan of eco conscious products that are handmade by local artisans. Phosphene combines these loves right here in downtown Fredericksburg. The beautiful minimalist vibe of Rachel Berenbaum’s store makes you feel relaxed when you walk in. The space is bright, clean, and the pieces are beautifully displayed.
Some of Rachel’s current in store favorites are the “Everyday Oil, Black Pepper and Cedarwood Candle by Na Nin (soy based with essential oils, made in Richmond Va) and the Tea Tree & Grapefruit detox scrub by Palermo Body - uplifting and gently exfoliation for at home spa nights. “
Keeping up during the pandemic has been tough for most small business owner s but I know how our community supports their locals. with love and gusto.
“We’re so grateful for the support we’ve received in 2020 from our community - it allowed us to loosen the tight grip on ambitious goals we had set for the year (our first year in business- we opened in September 2019!) and refocus on keeping our business healthy and able to survive to 2021. We haven’t set *formal* goals for the new year (yet), but we have so many creative ideas we’re excited to develop and share. We’ll also continue to build on the foundation we’ve built during year one - offering ethically made, quality goods from independent designers and makers to our community.” - Rachel.
You can shop Phosphene online.
Talisa Cummings-Taylor, PT DPT
The Gift Of A Balanced Foundation
Talisa Cummings-Taylor is a PT, DPT that works at Fusion Rehab and Wellness. Potential clients can schedule an initial evaluation with me by calling Fusion Rehab and Wellness’s Spotsylvania location at (540) 710-0100
When I first heard that we had a new Pelvic Floor PT move to town, I had to meet her. Talisa Cummings-Taylor is the kind of person that puts you at ease. I was really warmed by her openness and her eagerness to share. Since having my babies, pelvic health has been at the crux of my teaching and programming. No matter if you had your baby 2 months or 20 years ago, the expertise of a pelvic floor PT is invaluable.
“Pelvic health rehabilitation is a non-invasive approach to rehabilitation of dysfunctions in the pelvis that contribute to bowel, bladder, sexual health, and pain complaints” (Herman and Wallace). In pelvic health PT, I facilitate treatments for a variety of conditions with targeted symptoms, such as but not limited to, urinary leakage, pelvic pain, discomfort during intercourse, abdominal separation, and persistent lower back pain. For women who are currently pregnant or are postpartum, pelvic floor therapy can be immensely helpful with tolerating or returning to daily functional activities without difficulty,” says Cummings-Taylor.
When asked what drew her to this work, “The spark for pelvic health PT began during my first year as a clinician when I had the opportunity of working with a woman who was 6 weeks postpartum at the time. She reached out to our clinic for physical therapy after developing pain in her pelvis following a vaginal delivery. Her goal was to be able to get her pain under control and to tolerate daily functional tasks, such as, getting into and out of her car, walking, navigating stairs, and safely returning to work. Witnessing her progress from start to finish expanded my interest to want to help women of all ages, with various pelvic health related dysfunctions.”
On top of being an incredible gift to our community, Talisa became a mom this year. When I asked her what it’s like being a new mom, I was moved by her answer,
“*inserts all bubbly, loving words that come to mind* This has been the most rewarding adventure that I have yet to experience in my 30 years of living. Everyday is a new adventure, a new milestone, and an added layer to love that I did not know was embedded in me. I was blessed with my son 7 months ago, and although the COVID-19 pandemic has been a very trying time, his arrival made this worth going through and experiencing. I honestly am always in awe of him and I am so grateful that I was chosen to be his mother.”
Sweat FXBG
The Gift Of Feeling Good
Sweat FXBG offers HIIT Sixty, Barre, and Cycle classes. Their state of the art equipment and knowledgeable instructors make this the premier fitness studio of the Fredericksburg area.
It’s no secret, I love to move and I love to be challenged. When I saw this concept opening, I really wanted to be a part of it. Having taken a break from teaching public classes for the last three years, I wanted to return to the energy of it. Not only did the concept intrigue me, the execution was what drew me to teaching here. Owners Robin and Carrick Longley are the type of people who make you feel comfortable. They have fostered a work environment that encourages their instructors to use their voice and let their personality and passion shine through each class they lead. I feel very fortunate to be a part of such a diverse and warm team.
Fitness has been a passion for Robin and Carrick for many years, each having a different path to where we are today.
Robin’s passion for fitness happened recently. When her mother passed away in 2016 she made health and wellness a priority. Fitness is both a mental and physical outlet. She loves group fitness, you just show up and the programming is done for you. That way you can leave life’s stresses at the door and have an hour just for you.
Carrick’s fitness for passion started nearly 25 years ago. His interest includes olympic lifting, HIIT workouts, rowing (both on and off the water), and cycle (outside and indoors).
“Sweat was born out of a desire to start a studio that wasn’t a “me too” product that we would be proud to own and operate. We had been talking about starting our own fitness studio for some time, but decided to move words into action in late July of this year. We both had experience working in and working out in a variety of gyms and studios and wanted to create something completely different than what we had seen before in Fredericksburg. We wanted to build a business focused on delivering a high quality, high end experience, while ensuring an inclusive and welcoming atmosphere to everyone who walked through our doors,” says Carrick.
Our initial design leveraged Robin’s love for group exercise and Carrick’s love for rowing to develop our HIIT Sixty concept. Sixty pairs high intensity interval training workouts with Concept2 rowing machines in a room that leverages high-end lighting, sound, and local art to create a sensory experience unlike any other.
After we designed Sixty, we turned our attention to designing and incorporating Cycle and Barre into our studio concept as well as building out a high-end personal training workout space. The result is Sweat FXBG.
Sweat is locally owned and operated and is a labor of love from a small team of passionate individuals. Regardless of your age or physical fitness level, Sweat is an all-inclusive group fitness studio that offers a variety of group and individual level programming. In addition to what we offer, we aim to differentiate ourselves from many other gym and fitness facilities by not using contracts to lock-in clients. Everything is month to month in our studio and we don’t use contracts. Our approach ensures we continue to deliver a high quality experience and removes the contract “penalty” out of the equation. We want Sweat to be a place you want to be and belong.
Sweat is located at 3453 Fall Hill Avenue, Fredericksburg, Virginia 22401 and is located next to the Navy Federal Credit Union and Wegmans in Central Park. Visit us on the web at https://sweatfxbg.com/
Paige Lynch, Functional Medicine NP
The Gift Of Balance
Paige is Functional Medicine Nurse Practitioner that owns a web-based private practice here in Fredericksburg.
Did you know that wellness isn’t always just about diet and exercise? On a deeper level, hormones play a huge part in how we metabolize food, our moods, and they can affect our energy levels. We are learning that hormones can be disrupted from pregnancy, lack of sleep, food deficiencies, and from chemicals found in everyday products. Trying to balance your hormones should never be a guessing game.
Lynch partners with women to identify the root cause of hormonal imbalances and chronic illness. She creates a comprehensive and individualized plan to reverse these imbalances, creating a life of happiness, health, and energy.
She offers patients longer appointments (60+ minutes), weekly group visits for community and learning, ongoing messaging and support, discounted medical-grade supplements, in-depth conventional and functional hormone testing and complete lifestyle makeover.
To contact Paige, go to www.functionalhealthandwellness.com
Soley Skin Studio
The Gift Of Glow
Andrea Pomrenke is a Licensed Master Esthetician who owns Soley Skin in downtown Fredericksburg.
The first session I had with Andrea I was very delighted in her approach to skin care. During a session, she perfectly balances the sharing of skinformation (please laugh) with a fully relaxing experience. Your skin endures so much and as we get older perhaps the desire to take care of it increases.
Her space, located at 319-2 William Street in downtown Fredericksburg across from Fahrenheit 132 is soothing. The last time I met with Andrea she said something that stuck, she wanted to create a “womb-like environment,” for her clients. What a perfect way to say it. The table is cozy, the room is quiet, and the music is settling.
“My passion for skincare was actually spurred by my struggles with acne and eczema. As a teenager, I began to pour myself into learning as much as I could about how lifestyle, nutrition, and my skincare products affected me skin. I found that everything was connected and just couldn’t stop learning, even through college where I focused my studies on Geology and Geography which also have surprising associations with skincare,” Says Pomrenke.
I asked her what was her favorite part of working in downtown Fredericksburg, “I absolutely love being a part of the close-knit community of downtown. There is such a contagious and homey energy that just doesn’t compare to other settings i’ve worked in. I love that I can pop by Hyperion on my coffee breaks, or grab a quick bite at one of the many great restaurants on my lunch!”
As for holiday traditions, “Growing up in and Icelandic household, there was a great tradition of gifting books on Christmas Eve. I have so many fond memories sitting around the tree and browsing through books until late at night. I love gifting thoughtful books or journals for the holidays because of that.”
You can schedule a service with Andrea by visiting Soleyskin.com
Core By Crystal
Gift of the Core Restore
Crystal owns and operates Core By Crystal, an online program focused on helping mothers restore their core after baby.
Crystal and I met through Instagram and we quickly learned that we had much in common. We are both yoga, barre, Pilates instructors that happen to be Prenatal and Postpartum Corrective Exercise Specialists certified through Dr. Sarah Ellis Duval at Core Exercise Solutions. Crystal and her family recently moved to Fredericksburg from Seattle.
Crystal facilitates an online six week program to help moms repair diastasis recti, prevent prolapse, and support overall health through properly restoring the core.
This course is great for busy moms, any mom who wants to take the time to focus on their health and wellness, as well as movement instructors who want to gain deeper knowledge on how to safely train their prenatal and postpartum clients.
This program includes practices from YogaFaith, a Christian based yoga practice.
Crystal’s next 6 week program starts Spring of 2021. Contact her at crystalhendrix.com
Francine Rodgers Holistic Life Coach, MSW
The Gift Of Zen
Francine is a Holistic Life Coach. She attained her Masters in Social Work from Virginia Commonwealth University in 2016.
You know those people what just keep showing up in your life? Francine and my paths have been crossing for the last 15+ years, from the early high school days, to our time waiting tables at Bonefish Grill, and to now when we have reconnected through motherhood. Each of our daughters practically share the same birthdays, perhaps our friendship is kismet.
Francine is one of those souls who lights up a room upon entering. She is real, warm, and a brilliant beauty that has much to give and to share.
“I provide life coaching services which are tailored specifically to each individual, couple, and family I work with. Solution-focused goals, positive change, attaining balance, and healing trauma are some of my areas of focus. I combine my education and ongoing work experience with holistic healing approaches. The most rewarding thing about my chosen life path is the incredible amount of resilience I see in all living beings. I think that that root of suffering often stems from the rejection and abandonment of the self. I enjoy connecting people to their true selves, as I am on my own journey of doing the same. I am open to an array of healing methods to include a focus of healing trauma, assessing motivation for change, meeting the person exactly where they are, energy healing, guided meditation, and breathwork. Most importantly, I provide a safe and nonjudgmental environment. It is an honor to work with those on their voyage, as I learn a lot as well. I am in the process of broadening my horizons to advance healing with body movement,” says Rodgers.
Contact Francine via her website to schedule a session.