Spanista » Self Care Rituals, Reflections & Resources for Joyful Living by Ginny Shiverdecker

  • Spa Style & Self Care Reflections, Rituals and Resources for Joyful Living

    photo Bloglovin_zps72269c6c.png

  • About Spanista

    Ginny Shiverdecker, Creator of Spanista is Spa Wellness Enthusiast, Adventurer Seeker and Brand Builder.
    Ginny is……Read more

J-Vineyards-Offers-Bridge.jpegPINIMAGEJ-Vineyards-Offers-Pond.jpegPINIMAGEJ-Vineyards-Offers-Room.jpegPINIMAGE

Dear Wellness Seekers,

J Vineyards Offers Spanista Ultimate Luxury Champagne Experience. Spoiler alert. Honestly. We loved everything about this modern, spirited, beautiful winery exploration from beginning to end. It was a full on sensory experience we enjoyed for 3 hours –  if it was not the end of their business day we would have stayed into the evening with great pleasure.

Because I have so much to share on the J Vineyards Experience, this will be Part 1 of the story and Part 2 will appear tomorrow. So do come back for the Wine Pairings in the Bubble Room.

Where to begin? Just walking up to entrance I felt the power of a Monet Impressionist painting wash over me – suddenly I was in Givernry Gardens in France. I turned to my friend Launa and asked her if she felt a rush of emotion. She smiled and said to me in her lovely Aussie accent exactly what I was thinking. It was a goose bumps moment as we share of love of The Impressionist Movement. A stylish bridge takes you over a Koi pond seamlessly flowing into gardens that are romantic, luscious and expansive. Wrap around outdoor patios frame the architecture where couples of all ages were relaxing, laughing, creating joyful memories. That is exactly what we planned to do!

Walking into the Visitors Center I checked in with a receptionist who welcomed visitors. It was clear by the warmth of the welcome J’s  genuine appreciation of your visit. Our reservation for the Bubble Room Pairings was confirmed. We were pointed to the Tasting Room to enjoy an aperitif of J Brut – our first taste offering of champagne at all the wineries. My LOVE of champagne stems from my extended work time in Australia – the culture embraces it as an everyday celebration of life. This Ritual has become part of Spanista way of life. A simple accessible joy  – especially welcome during the holidays. Something to look forward too to warm the soul during Winter Season. But for me it really makes life rock year round. Do you enjoy Champagne? Why?  What is your favorite type?

Amidst the crowd surrounding the open space Bar the vibe intensified with positive energy. The hum of happy conversations – champagne glasses full of magnificent bubbly effervescence permeated the atmosphere. While I waited at the bar for a tasting host, I scanned the open marketplace where it was clear great taste and chic style were carried through with attention to every detail. Scoring the lovely Brut – we toasted our arrival at J Vineyard and what was to come. We wandered through the many perfect presentations focused on quality modern glass and wine.

You can see by the pics the modern sensibility was calming, sophisticated and a unique expression of the owners vision.The story of J Vineyards & Winery begins in 1986, when Judy Jordan followed her dream of starting a winery specializing in sparkling wine. Her inspiration was born from spending time studying in Frances Champagne region where the dream was born to create a high quality champagne experience equivalent California style.

As a 25-year-old Stanford University graduate in Earth Sciences/Geology, Judy understood the basis of California land. Her belief that soil enriches the flavors of the fruit of the vine influenced her pursuit of unique terroir and “a sense of place” for growing wine grapes. This journey led her to Sonoma County’s Russian River Valley, known for cool climate grape growing and a great diversity of soils – perfect for Champagne method wines.

After a few years of making critically-acclaimed sparkling wines like her signature J Vintage Brut and J Late-Disgorged Vintage Brut, she came to the realization that her Russian River Valley vineyards would also be ideal for producing site-specific, varietal wines. Now she has extended her portfolio to developing Chardonnay and Pinot Noir.

J-Vineyards-Offers-Rack.jpegPINIMAGE

And it get better. Opened in 1999, Judy Jordan wanted a place where guests could fully experience elegant wine and food pairings – the first program of its kind in Sonoma County. The Bubble Room, a multi-course culinary affair, has received accolades from innumerable media and customers because it truly delights. When I read about the Bubble Room while preparing for the trip and saw some of the pictures on the J Vineyards website I knew this would be a fabulous highlight.  Sadly, this was our last opportunity to enjoy the fruits of the Valley on this trip so we settled into the welcoming and refined atmosphere. It exceeded our expectations.

Spanista endorses J sparking wine as a was to celebrate the joys of everyday life – it takes an average moment and makes it magic. Hope you it becomes part of your Spanista Rituals. It has for me.

Please check in tomorrow when I will share the J Vineyard Bubble Room gastronomy event. You won’t want to miss it if you are a wine parings lover!

To Your Self Care Journey To Joy,

Ginny

 

Back to TopEmail PostTweet PostSubscribe

Spanista-Suggests-NYTimes-Style-Magazine-Article.jpegPINIMAGESpanista-Suggests-NYTimes-Style-Magazine-Article-Spread.jpegPINIMAGE

Dear Wellness Seekers,

Spanista Suggests NYTimes Style Magazine Article The Meaning of Life by Tim Wu to start the week off on a note of mindfulness. Spending time in California Wine Country has many joyful emotional effects if you are open to allowing them to seep into your soul. Granted the physical satisfaction of great culinary experiences in beautiful surroundings is priceless but  there is also a spiritual side that is equally as beautiful to me. Getting off the beaten path of world-class wineries, for example, I have heard of place called Spirit Rock Meditation Center from my California friends. I had hoped to stop by to explore it for myself but time did not allow it on this trip, sad to say. So much to my surprise, I discovered this article, ‘The Meaning of Life’ by Tim Wu in The New York Times Style Magazine 10th Anniversary Issue, dateline Sunday

Spanista-Suggests-NYTimes-Style-Magazine-Tenth-Annversary-Cover.jpegPINIMAGEOctober 19, (BTW, it is a splendid edition for many reasons so if you get the chance do check it out. It’s a true celebration of American Luxury Culture through the eyes of Manhattan’s Fashion and Lifestyle Curators.)

The author touched on several themes that align with the Spanista Philosophy. Mr. Wu eloquently points out that “the spiritual enlightenment sweeping the America has strong ties Buddhism due to one huggable ex-monk in California.”  Much is keeping with my views, the article speaks to “The desire for more and more of us to find new techniques to deal with the challenges of daily living. And the origins of many of todays solutions can be linked to the principles of Buddhism and meditation practices championed by Wellness Seekers of the 60’s and 70’s especially in California.” He tells the story of the founding Father Jack Kornfield, who founded Spirit Rock and how he established methods to connect to society and expand awareness of the benefits of meditation. Helping these mindful practices to become more acceptable to the mainstream public. To Spanista to this such great news because my purpose is to bring this same message of the benefits of mindfulness practices to more everyday people.

Going deeper Mr. Wu goes on to point out, “Over time, Kornfield and his colleagues began to believe that Americans needed a particular meditation practice closely linked to concepts of self forgiveness and loving kindness – a training in the unconditional acceptance of imperfection”. Personally, I found this insight compelling. We do live in a complicated culture in America that has deeply influenced how we view ourselves and navigate in this world. We have such high expectations with layers of lifestyle values that have come from multiple generations of family and societal influences – ethnicity, religious, geographic, gender that builds a thick callous skin that is tough to penetrate. It holds us hostage to emotional intensity, driving ambition, self-criticism and guilt.

One could not help but think of visionary Steve Jobs and his passion for Buddhist practices as well as other prominent writers like Wayne Dwyer who professed the power of such mindful practices and beliefs. There passion brought greater awareness and interpreted how these practices could better align with the way we live today. Especially touted as beneficial for anyone is the practice of MEDITATION to calm the mind. I so admire people who have mastered this practice. I wish I could achieve it.  Have you tried meditation?

Honestly, I have never been one to fully absorb the principles of dedicated meditation practice – no matter how much I tried, I could not get into that groove. Now I know everyone is different, so I tried various methods to really ‘clear my mind’. But frankly, I could get into the medative zone ONLY if  I was in a mode of what I call ‘Slow Living’ for a few days (e.g. read as Spa weekend of vacation time ) and in this world that is as rare for me as it is for you. When I did experience deep focus it was blissful. However for everyday life, with experimentation, I discovered what works for me  with satisfying results is dedicated Reflection Time. With it I am not forcing myself to empty my mind which is really difficult in short windows of time. Instead it comes with short windows of private time devoted to “My Time” – something like a relaxing bath, massage time or walking alone.

If I make it a regular Ritual, this short times restores me  – give me a happier more balanced feeling. And the cumulative effect is a more joyful state of mind.

What is your experience with Meditation? Have you tried it? If this topic intrigues you too, may I suggest you check out the article ‘The Meaning of Life‘ by Tim Wu.

Spirit Rock is still on the bucket list.  But for now I am happy to indulge in the more accessible Spanista Values System that feeds my soul with joy an everyday person like myself needs to be happy.

Tomorrow stop by for Spanista’s Best of Sonoma Wine Pairing Experience.

To Your Self Care Journey To Joy,

Ginny

Back to TopEmail PostTweet PostSubscribe

Spanista-Friday-Wellness-Tip.jpeg PINIMAGE

Dear Wellness Seekers,

Spanista Friday Wellness Tip To Cultivate Inner Peace is a heartfelt offering.  Right now with the issue of health and wellbeing top of mind due the emerging Ebola fear, it is human nature to feel concern. If you travel a great deal like I do wherein your main mode of transportation is airplanes you can not help but feel an added layer of pressure and stress from the news unfolding. I had the pleasure of seeing the Dalai Lama speak in the US on a couple of occasions. It changed how I see my life. This quote stuck with me and I want to share it with you.

“We can never obtain peace in the outer world until we make peace with ourselves.”

― Dalai Lama 

This easy Spanista Self Care Practice can offer an antidote with positive compounding effect over time if your stick with it. It delivers a Style of Peace that will calm your heart while improving your health and wellbeing into the winter months to come.
Spanista Inner Peace of Heart Tip:
Spend 30 minutes today doing something you really like to reduce stress without distraction – i.e., soak in a tub, get a massage, play with your dog, listen to your favorite music with your eyes closed, etc. This is something do alone. When you identify your choice of practice,  you will know especially if you feel a twinge of indulgence in your gut. That is perfect! Do indulge yourself in that. 
Spanista-Friday-Wellness-Tip-Heart.jpegPINIMAGE
Ask yourself this question: Inner Peace – What does it mean to you? As you enjoy your Peace Time put the question in the back of your mind. No need to actively ponder and solve it. The idea is to float it – yes let it just gently roll around in your body. Imagine Peace flowing through your blood stream – through every part of your body. Can you feel the reduction of tension and stress. Shoulders relaxing? Shake the tension out of your neck and limbs – your body will just respond and want to do this – let it all flow out of your body. Replace it with the word Peace.
There is a warmth that replaces the tension – you will know it when your body responds.
For me, I find I inhale and exhale serenity and know that where ever I go, I will carry it with me.
Peace is as peace does –  My life is a Peace of Heart. I quietly and intentionally use my breath to saturate my mind, heart, and perspective with peace.
Because my mind is focused on peace, I encounter it in all types of situations. Peace enters the room just before I enter and lingers behind me when I depart. All that I do is infused with peace—my work, my interactions with others, and my time alone.
Contributing to Your Journey To Joy is the little things you do for yourself everyday. This Spansita Inner Peace of Heart Practice can help you. You simply need a bit of self awareness and the willingness to put yourself first ESPECIALLY on Friday.
My Spansita life lesson to share: Do not sacrifice your need to take time to check in with your emotional wellness and gently guide it. It will surface in less attractive ways if you suppress it. Be proactive to check in with your Peace of Heart on Friday’s after  along work week – to relieve the stress one builds up and reboot the tone of your heart, body and mind to one of calmness and peace.
Your thoughts on Inner Peace?

To Your Self Care Journey To Joy,

Ginny

 

Back to TopEmail PostTweet PostSubscribe

Spanista-In-Touch-Tableau-Self-Care-Transition-to-FallPINIMAGE

Spanista-In-Touch-Tableau-Self-Care-Transition-Into Autumn.

Dear Wellness Seekers,

Spanista In Touch Tableau Self Care Transition Into Autumn, celebrates the harvest season. The days and evenings are glorious this time of year as we hang on to the light of the night as long as we can before the inevitable time change thrusting us into evening darkness arrives. Can you feel the shift in emotional energy?

We are awash in the color of gold everywhere, so much so it inspired me to create this weeks Spanista In Touch Tableau with it as a theme: The Golden Best of Autumn Harvest.

Tonight’s At Home Self Care Experience will focus more time on extending my spa time by relaxing quietly away from the influences of the outside world in the comforts of our master bedroom. As I hear from Spanista followers, reading is a wonderful way to focus on something relevant to your life to uplift the spirit.

With all the scariness in the news headlines now, a personal trigger point we can benefit from is to look within to deal with the fear and put it into proper perspective so that we can lead positive and productive lives.

In this Spanista In Touch Tableau you will see the golden glow of nature’s gifts:

~ Harvest Sunflowers smile at me and I can not help but smile back. They make me feel happy.

~ Sonoma Cutrer Chardonnay from Sonoma Valley, the buttery taste warms my soul. I especially enjoy it while reading.

~ Sweet Peppers are refreshing and really pop with flavor in pairing with Sonoma Catrer. A healthy treat.

~ Honey Pair Candle is a gift from a friend I treasure who lives back in Wisconsin. Aroma is sensational.

~ Fire in the Heart, A Spiritual Guide for Teens by Deepak Chopra, I found it n an airport bookstore as a gift for a teenaged girl in my family but I thought the lessons were so fantastic as I read it on the airplane, I kept it for myself and purchased another for her. You may enjoy this thought provoking message from Deepak Chopra. I felt the call to visit my earmarked pages again and reflect on what has unfolded since the first time I read it. This book ‘Fire In The Heart’ can be found on Amazon.com.

~ My personal touchstone is the orange clay heart – I collect them, this one came from Nashville on a working trip to see a famous musician. She offered me a generous welcome southern hospitality at its finest.

~ Lastly, the amberish string of the beads have a very personal story that ties to a message in the book – should we get to know each other better someday I will share that story. So let me know if you are interested.

Taking the time to prepare this  has a two-fold benefit – sharing it with you and ultimately getting to enjoy it myself tonight. Cannot wait.

What will you so for your Self Care Time today?

To Your Self Care Journey To Joy,

Ginny

Back to TopEmail PostTweet PostSubscribe

Tampa-Hits-Top-10-List.jpegPINIMAGETampa-Hits-Top-10-List-Of-Snobbiest-Cities-Beautiful.jpegPINIMAGEDear Wellness Seekers,

Tampa Hits Top 10 List Of Snobbiest Cities In America?

Really. As reported by The New York Post. Well imagine my surprise. This is indeed a first. Who knew?

Spanista could not help but smile when reading this article “Do You Live In One Of The Snobbiest Cities?” that appeared in my mailbox. To see it yourself please click on the link:

http://nypost.com/2014/10/10/do-you-live-in-one-of-americas-10-snobbiest-cities/

I was so taken by it that I had to set aside my planned post about the San Francisco Bay Area where I spent some quality time working for Spanista, to shift back to the topic of my home – Tampa.

Those of you following Spanista since its launch in August know that Tampa has been my home for years. And you also know from my posts that I am very fond of South Tampa – SoHo, Hyde Park, Davis Island and the entire Bayshore Boulevard area. (Please see the Spanista Home Page – go to Category Listings and click on Reflection Walks and Spa Enthusiast Stories  where you care to check out Spansita’s pics and views about life in Tampa’s Soho District. Loads of pics.)

You will see my review of the new Epicurean Hotel and the Spa Evangeline which are referenced in the NY Post article – they each are marvelous experiences in this quaint, relaxed and intimate Soho neighborhood by the Bay. They are wonderful additions to the community so developed to please by long standing good citizens of the neigborhood who have class. An in addition there are many other great spots along Soho that add to its “snob appeal” too.

Calling this Port home as my career took new directions and traveled extensively, always gave me roots and stability when ever I felt my soul needed to catch up to me. Many of my best memories were created in Tampa – my hubby and I built a happy life together with Tampa as our anchor no matter where else we lived.

Over the years people have asked me why I love Tampa and I have used many descriptors to capture the unique lifestyle but NEVER would I have thought of the word SNOBBIE. It is notable that NEVER having been on this New York Post list before Tampa landed at #4!  It beat out major techno cool centers with vast wealth and attitude like San Francisco, and Dallas. Unfortunately not mentioned was our marquee event of true exclusivity – GASPARILLA! The longest and largest Pirate Festival on the planet. Check it out at gasparillapiratefest.com. And great people like Derek Jeter now retired form the NY Yankees now calls it home.

Living in New York, Kansas City and Tampa by choice and having the pleasure of taking in a range of experiences and meeting amazing people in each of them – some of which my hubby and I are fortunate to call friends – we feel lucky to call Tampa home for many reasons. Mostly because of the lovely, warm attitude of its people, the traditions of the neigborhoods, the beautiful environment and healthy focus on wellbeing- a Spanista Lifestyle. It is where Spanista took flight.

And now I have a whole new reason to appreciate Tampa and so do you! Maybe you can come to visit us?

So what do you think f the New York Posts top 10 list of snobbiest cities?

Love to hear your views!

To Your Self Care Journey To Joy,

Ginny

 

Back to TopEmail PostTweet PostSubscribe