We recently caught up with Jessie Whittaker; healer, massage therapist and founder and director of The Calmm. A studio space in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs, allowing clients to heal and nourish their bodies through a myriad of holistic massage therapies.
Follow along as Jessie shares insight into her biggest learning curves, the concept of Wabi Sabi and how she incorporates this into her daily life, and the pieces in her wellness toolkit helping to keep her grounded this festive season.
Tell us, what does The CALMM mean to you and what motivated you to move in to the wellness industry?
My fast paced life kept me busy 24/7, you wouldn’t catch me relaxing unless I was asleep. I reached 25 and had a lightbulb moment. If the show was to go on, I needed to fuel my fire… burn out wasn’t an option. My attention turned to wellness, and with this, so did my career path. The CALMM was born.
The CALMM offers a pause in your day, time to reconnect with yourself and notice how you are feeling, physically and emotionally. Our treatments are designed to down-regulate the nervous system, allowing you to sink in to your body with deep relaxation. This is where the real healing begins. Pain starts to dissipate, the regurgitation of thoughts slowly fade and your attention is on the now. You feel light, you feel content and taking your next step in the wild urban streets is a little easier than a couple of hours ago. See ya later stress, you are dismissed.
Self sustainability is our end goal. To spread the word about ‘how to’ create a more sustainable self, shining a spotlight on our movement diets, eating patterns, physical and energetic hygiene and hydration levels.
What has the biggest learning curve throughout your business journey?
Learning is a constant. The curve is a constant. I live by the concept of wabi sabi. We can never be perfect, making mistakes and learning every day is how we grow.
What does your morning routine look like?
The morning is my favourite time of day; the world is slow and quiet. I love feeling the warmth of the morning sunshine of my skin and a hot cup of coffee in my hands. I start my day with a 5 minute face massage routine to drain away any puffiness and brighten my complexion before applying my favourite face oil by Foile. To compliment the experience, I often burn Palo Santo and apply some essential oil to my pulse points.
Which essential oils do you have on rotation?
I have a slight obsession with essential oils. My go-to’s are lavender spike, petitgrain, vetiver and cedarwood; they ground me, support me and smell oh so good. I don’t think I could live without them.
What are some of your favourite relaxation techniques we can bring into our days?
I use the power of breath to ground me when I’m in my head. Slowly breathing in through my nose and out through my mouth, taking a pause at the end of each inhale and exhale. Try this ‘box’ breath set for approx 1-2 minutes when you are feeling racy or stressed. It's a simple and effective way to pull you back in to your body.
I also keep an essential oil blend on me at all times, applying a small drop on my wrists and neck when the going gets hard.
What treatments would you recommend for someone visiting The CALMM for the first time?
I can’t go past a good deep tissue massage but pending on where you are at, I would try the Lymph DETOX, finished off with a 15-30 minute face add on. The lymph DETOX treatment is designed to stimulate your lymph nodes which drains excess fluid in the body, reduces inflammation in the form of pain, rashes, bloating etc. You leave feeling uplifted and ready to take on the world.
For those who are feeling a little deflated and exhausted, I would tap in to the acupressure for a meditative type massage that supports and shifts emotional energetic blockages, sending you off to la la land. Who doesn’t love la la land?
How will you be styling our new Tailored clothing collection?
Ok so, this collection is nek level! I love the minimal aesthetic and the oversized shirt, it's a dream! Three buttons done up from the collar down, paired back with the relaxed short, the ultimate sophisticated Summer get up. I love me a suit style outfit. Don't forget the shoes, my ideal would be a pair of new balance runners in yellow. Always need a pop of colour in there to keep it fun.
