A Note from Ilana – October 2019

October – A Full Fall for all!

October has arrived and we are deep into a month of plenty ….. celebrating holidays, breast cancer awareness and numerous industry events taking place this month.

Being of the Jewish faith, I’d like to start by wishing our friends a Happy and healthy New Year…. Shana Tova, the greeting for Rosh Hashanah simply meaning “a good and sweet year” for all. Rosh Hashanah commemorates the creation of the world and marks the beginning of the Days of Awe, a 10-day period of introspection and repentance that culminates in the Yom Kippur holiday, also known as the Day of Atonement.

We also distinguish October as Breast Cancer Awareness, marked in countries across the world every October, to help increase attention and support for the awareness, early detection and treatment as well as palliative care of this disease. One of the biggest tools we have to fight health conditions is the power of human connection. That’s why awareness months are so important: They rally us together to spread awareness and show support.

Jumping back to holidays, on the 31^st we celebrate Halloween, which is believed to be the one night of the year when the barriers between the living and the dead break down – but what is the spiritual meaning of the spooky celebrations? Halloween evolved from the ancient Celtic holiday of Samhain, but over the centuries Halloween transitioned from a pagan ritual to a day of parties, costumes, jack-o-lanterns and trick-or-treating for kids. Personally I look forward to Halloween, because not only does it bring people together with a sense of community, but it also encourages generosity as well. Probably the reason I most love Halloween is that it’s the one time of year that, as adults, we get to dress up and transform into anything we’d like to be.

This year, October has already hosted and continues to host the spa industry with many exciting events, conferences and summits for the balance of the month. From IECSC (International Esthetics Cosmetics & Spa Conference) in Fort Lauderdale, which offered leading education and dynamic show floors this past week, to the high profile international wellness meeting of top leaders at Global Wellness Summit, which is being held in Singapore this year. Millennium Systems International, a business management software developed by the Parsippany, NJ-based company hosted their annual conference in Miami opening its doors to all industry professionals. Their conference was designed from the company’s promise to support its clients with a superior level of training and guidance. American Spa’s Women in Wellness is organizing for their conference, scheduled for the 28^th of October in California, calling out to all female leaders and women who seek leadership in the wellness industry! Women in Wellness offers powerful day-long conferences to address the most pressing issues women face as leaders and future leaders with compelling keynote speakers and breakout sessions.

Lastly to add to our excitement, up ahead on October 17^th at the Miami Convention Center, we are delighted to partake in FIBO Global Fitness, the world’s largest event for fitness, health and wellness which is coming to Miami for the first time. FSA will be providing relaxation experiences for FIBO guests at the Recovery Zone. Relax, Reset, and Recover is the sole purpose for our FSA vendor members to offer attendees with a much needed reset, featuring recovery technology by Hyperice, Soli-Lite therapy and O2 chair treatments from Silhouet-Tone, facial toning by NuFACE and massage by Auberge Beach Residences + Spa.

Performing relaxing services at the Recovery Zone is a significant opportunity for the FSA to partner with FIBO and promote wellness. Relaxation is our mind’s way of rejuvenating, and can assist in reducing the stimulation we experience from stress and/or anxiety. … Therefore, it is important that we invest time in both rest and relaxation, in order to optimize our mental and physical health.

See you at FIBO!

In wellness

Ilana