Workin' The Tease at the Oaks at Ojai

My burlesque brand Workin’ The Tease was at the all inclusive spa the Oaks at Ojai last weekend for a body empowerment seminar Beauty is an Inside Job– How to LOVE Yourself Naked and our presentation and accommodations were simply fabulous!

It was a fantastic weekend of sharing all the amazing lessons we have learned from interviewing women, and men; of all shapes and sizes comfortable enough to take off their clothes for perfect strangers.  Beauty is an Inside Job's seminar aims to empower you to in the real world, the bedroom, and everywhere in between!  We spent the weekend discussing body image, confidence and beauty with women almost three times our age in the most beautiful setting: The Oaks at Ojai! 

Nestled in northern Ventura County, a 90-minute drive from Los Angeles, the Oaks at Ojai is a peaceful, healthy fitness retreat offering guests everything from guided hikes into the mountains, to aquatic workouts under the warm Southern California sun, and winding down the day with calming restorative yoga.  The Oaks was voted by Refinery29 as one of the “20 of the Coolest Spas in the States” along with being “One of the top five destination spas in the U.S.” by Conde Nast Traveler. 

Founded by internationally known fitness expert Sheila Cluff, who began her career as a Sonja Henie professional showgirl skater.  Cluff, known as the Grandmother of Aerobics, is a wellness visionary who created cardiovascular dance in the 1950s, later known as “aerobics,” and pioneered the concept of the modern destination spa in the 1970s.  Long before the fitness industry came up with the term “aerobics,” Cluff drew from her choreography as a professional ice skater to create “cardiovascular dance,” adding a spark of fun to exercise. 

 

In the ’70s when those seeking to lose weight on vacation had little choice but to trudge off to the grim “fat farm,” she conceived of a contemporary spa that combined luxurious European body treatments with exciting exercise and healthy delicious food. Thus was born The Oaks at Ojai, which would come to be declared the best destination spa in the United States by Spa Magazine.

In 2005 after a 45-year absence, Miss Shelia Cluff returned to figure skating as Mrs. Santa Claus in Holiday Magic on Ice and helped raise thousands of dollars for Ventura County Foster Children, a role she reprises each year. Since 2006, Cluff has competed in the Ice Skating Institute Adult Skating Championships and in 2011 she swept the competition by skating to perfect scores and wins in six events.

Here’s to life being delicious, ice skating at any age, and always remembering Beauty is an Inside Job!

The Art of Pampering Yourself at the West ISPA Event

Edible Skinny was lucky enough to attend West Coast International Spa

Association Media Event a few weeks ago at the Montage Beverly Hills where we discovered the art of pampering yourself.

From creating Tangerine scrubs with the Oaks at Ojai, to the healing vibrations of Miraval Resort Tibetan Healing Bowls (on both our feet and head), to dinning on cocktails, ceviche, and trail mix ice cream cones we definitely embraced the art of indulgence.  

While crafting our Pixie Tangerine (which is exclusively grown in Ojai) scrub we learned more about the all-inclusive destination spa of the Oaks at Ojai.  Nestled in northern Ventura County, a 90-minute drive from Los Angeles, the Oaks is a peaceful, healthy fitness retreat offering guests everything from guided hikes into the mountains, to aquatic workouts under the warm Southern California sun, and winding down the day with calming restorative yoga.  The Oaks was voted by Refinery29 as one of the “20 of the Coolest Spas in the States” along with being “One of the top five destination spas in the U.S.” by Conde Nast Traveler. 

 

Founded by internationally-known fitness expert Sheila Cluff, a wellness visionary who created cardiovascular dance in the 1950s, later known as “aerobics,” and pioneered the concept of the modern destination spa in the 1970s.  Long before the fitness industry came up with the term “aerobics,” she drew from her choreography as a professional ice skater to create “cardiovascular dance,” adding a spark of fun to exercise.  In the ’70s when those seeking to lose weight on vacation had little choice but to trudge off to the grim “fat farm,” she conceived of a contemporary spa that combined luxurious European body treatments with exciting exercise and healthy delicious food. Thus was born The Oaks at Ojai, which would come to be declared the best destination spa in the United States by Spa Magazine. 

 

Another spa that we discovered while at the Montage was the Miraval Resort in Tucson, AZ.  Situated on 400 acres in the warm shade of the Santa Catalina Mountains, Miraval is a top-rated all-inclusive destination resort and spa dedicated to helping guests live life in the moment.  Since 1995 the property has been consistently ranked as one of the world’s top destination spas by Travel + Leisure, SpaFinder, and Condé Nast Traveler.

While being housed in a vibrating Tibetan Healing Bowl we learned of Miraval’s Himalayan Sound Bath treatment.  This spa treatment tunes your body into its natural state and creating a balance emotionally, mentally, and physically as the sound from these ancient healing bowls radiates profoundly through the water.  The result is an increase in mental clarity, stress relief, and a decrease in anxiety as you float effortlessly in the warm water of their therapeutic pool and surrender to the healing vibrations.

So where ever you end up, here’s to treating to treating yourself and life being delicious!