Spotlight on Philly: Eviama Life Green Spa & Boutique & Eat-A-Pita

Center City Day Spa with an Eye on the Spiritual

Midtown Good & Fast Eats

There’s nothing like the perks of being a blogger! To be sure, it’s a full-time job which has yet to pay off monetarily; but it is great to be invited to blogger events like the one last week at eviama life green spa & boutique. For readers familiar with Center City, the spa is located in the busy section of 13th Street near El Vez, Verde, Zavino’s, Capogiros – on a side note, did you know there’s a blog called we love 13th street?

After some time to gather and mingle and partake – we were offered spa treatments.  I enjoyed an Arm in Heaven massage (great for any of us on a keyboard all day) given by Cassandra, who coincidentally, is also a screenwriter.

Penny Ordway – pic from Eviama website

How much do you know about aromatherapy?  It’s always been an interest of mine, as I’m highly sensitive to scents. Eviama Life Spa owner Penny Ordway, provided us with an informative talk on the subject and here’s a little of what I learned:

Essential oils are concentrated, volatile aromatic compounds extracted from the leaves, seeds, root, bark, flowers of aromatic plants. It’s part of the plant’s immune system which is why the oils are very strong, so never apply directly to your skin. Best to add them to a base oil (jojoba, almond, sesame, olive) you can also put essential oils on a tissue or cloth and keep it with you. Or what seems to me the best way – add the oils to distilled water and use it as a mist in a spray bottle.

Not a shot of the aromatherapy oils, but it’s one I took of the boutique

The following essential oil mixtures are designed to help restore you mentally and physically and are available in little viles in the eviama boutique –

Anxiety Rescue – Myrtle, Bergamot, Angelica Root and Lavender
Balance – Mandarin, Rose Geranium, Orange, Myrrh and Frankincense
Clarity – Basil, Rosemary and Rose Geranium
Cold Season Comfort also builds your resistance to colds and flu – Penny didn’t give the essential oil formula for this, but it’s the one I’m going back to purchase.
Purification (sort of an essential oil Lysol) Lemon, Thyme and Rosemary (sounds more like a salad dressing).
Recharge – Clary Sage, Immortelle (Helichrysum), Lemon Mint and Hay

Your essential oils should be kept in a cool dark place, like the refrigerator to extend their shelf life.

eviama life spa staff top row; *bloggers second row

• I didn’t get a chance to get a make-over, but when I posted to facebook that I was attending this event, one of my very chic friends Mia, who damn her, always looks so put together 😉 says she swears by Dr. Hauschka’s make-up, particularly the eyeliner. These products are featured here at the spa.

• Eviama spa of course offers body treatments and wraps, specializing in facials and waxing; but this is different, they offer services for teens and young adults.  

• They also offer over a dozen types of massages including prenatal and a one good for those that suffer from TMJ (me). When my money is as it should be, I’m also going back to try Lymph Drainage, sounds nasty, but your lymph glands are where most cancers start – an ounce of prevention…  

Meditation Room and Hallway Leading to Treatment Spaces

• I try not to be over the top with it, but I’ve always been a person who is open to and tries many spiritual healing methods. I’ve done the regular things like Reiki, Acupuncture, Guided Meditation, but I once also had a spiritualist work me over like a piece of meat, turning me this way and that, upside down, inside out, walked on me, and tickled me till I thought I’d lose my mind. I feel it did some good. Anyway, eviama doesn’t go quite that far, but they do offer several spiritual renewals, including Maya Spiritual Healing – a practice to wash away the residues of unpleasant life experiences, like fear, grief and guilt.

•  Not that I wish to be planning one for anybody, but for those of you who are or have to – eviama life spa is also a
  great place to have a spa party for a bridal shower, bachelorette party
  etc.. 

Our blogger spa day ended with complimentary lunch coupons for Eat-A-Pita on 12th Street closer to Walnut St.  Here’s a good healthy alternative to fast food! The heart and soul of The Eat-A-Pita concept is the “Pick Your Own Pita” menu. Guests can “pick” their own PROTEIN, PRODUCE, and POUR – the key ingredients in the low-cal pita. If you’re really weight watching you can skip the Pita and put the ingredients in a salad.

We chose the signature pockets – my friend and fellow blogger, Doreen Creede of Style Manic (*pictured above) went with The Gobbler:

roasted turkey breast, cranberry mustard, brie, spinach – she rated it 3.5 Tines.

I had the Salmon Croquette

crispy salmon cakes, lemon-tahini sauce and it tasted really fresh, plenty of actual flaky salmon, but I think instead of the lemon-tahini, I’d have preferred plain old tartar sauce. You know me, I always got to add in some fat and when something tastes healthy, it’s hard for me to rate it – so in terms of me feeling satisfied, I gotta say 2.5 Tines, in terms of quality 4 Tines.

Tinsel & Tine Rating System:
* Excellent – 4 Tines /
* Great – 3 Tines 
/ * Good – 2 Tines /
* Fair – 1 Tine /* Poor – Tarnished 

And that’s this week’s Philly Spotlight!

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