We recently connected with Joanna Tarnava and have shared our conversation below.
Joanna , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Alright, so you had your idea and then what happened? Can you walk us through the story of how you went from just an idea to executing on the idea
The VibeSpa was born late last year with an opportunity to bring a massage space to an event called “Afrobeats to the World” for their 1 year anniversary party. The producer; Blaq Pages brings a multitude of events during day and night curating incredible vibes of music, dance and community, it’s truly an honor to be aligning with him and his vision the people who gather in celebration. This wasn’t the first event I’d brought healing to, but it was the first in a new atmosphere where the patrons aren’t used to experiencing this kind of offering.
What I created is more than just a chair massage experience, it’s an opportunity to drop in, connect, and slow down during an amazing and highly stimulating event. I bring not only chairs and hands, but vibration tools, hot and cold towels, tuning forks and sound bowls, essential oils, reiki, breathwork, meditation and connection. I was blessed to be approached by Bre and Kam over the past few months requesting to join along and amplify the business with their gifts with a background of massage and thai yoga. Together, the three of us are committed to creating something inspiring, transformative and influential in the Southern California music and healing scene.
Our mission at The VibSpa is to bring a new element to the party. By giving patrons an interactive and receptive way to experience a dance event, we are creating an atmosphere of expression and celebration beyond the normal standard.
We love what we do and think the spa and the club belong in harmony. We are ushering in a new wave of party.
The Metta Babes are professional healers dedicated to their craft. We are providing a unique and valuable offering that sets event production apart. Bringing the VibeSpa to events sends the message to guests that you are thinking about them beyond ticket sales; that you are curating an event that is part of the Dance Dance Evolution, and that you are contributing to the future of entertainment in a multi faceted method. We are also available to lead meditation, blessings and ceremony and provide sound and breathwork experiences to events, workshops, festivals and retreats.
The feedback from guests has been that of clarity, grounded energy, ability to connect deeper with other attendees, hear the music with fresh ears, and step into a more profound embodiment of enjoyment. It may be hard to believe that in just 5 or 10 minutes you could get a total reset, but it really is that simple!
This isn’t the beginning of my journey as a curator, but the one I am most excited about without a doubt.
As many other healers on their chameleon path of spiritual growth, I have transformed my business as I have grown and evolved as a human being. Always enjoying the navigation of my environment and the search for possibilities to contribute to it, my path is ever unfolding.
Whether that was through creating art installments, multi sensory experiences with plants and music, or my first business venture of Maitreya’s Haven. Maitreya’s Haven created a chill lounge zone with an outlet for party attendees to have some tea, relax and reset, and find the support they needed during events. It was very successful throughout Western Canada for several years, leading to a manual of efficacy I provided other events with to ensure they were creating safe spaces for their patrons regardless of my presence, a multi year commitment with the mental health department of Burning Man, and ultimately connecting me with professionals around the world with similar paths writing a book. “The Manual on Psychedelic Support”. You can download it at psychsitter.com or purchase at maps.org. After retiring Maitreya’s Haven I shifted to more specifically creating altars and decor with fabrics, crystals and earth elements. Bringing my spiritual and artistic expression transforming bare walls and event centers into magical healing spaces and adorning rooms with crystals, intention and beauty. No matter what, I do my best to show up, contribute, and relay myself in a way for all to enjoy. All I have to figure out is what the environment needs and who is along for the ride with me. Luckily, it always flows into the right person, right place, right time formula for success.
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
Joanna: A multi tool, multi sensory, multi method healer. I dedicate my life, my practice, my art and all it entails to healing and growing by any means necessary. I infuse practices of bodywork, coaching, reiki, quantum healing, movement, nutrition and integral lifestyle. The most important thing for me is that I surround myself with people who bring out the best in me, so I can bring out the best in them, and we can discover the best in ourselves. I am a conduit of the divine, transforming energy into tangible reality. I wish for all of us to find out passions, joy, pleasure and connections in life while detaching from the constructs placed around us. My spiritual path began in 2008 with yogic theory, Buddhism, Taoism, Tantra, esoteric philosophy, reiki, and psychology. I incorporate that into my physical practice of bodywork, coaching, fitness and healing. I assist my clients in detaching from their traumas, pains and misalignments. I am proud of witnessing the profound changes that seem to happen effortlessly for my clients when they find those “aha” moments of grounding, awareness and clarity. I want people to know that it is okay to have boundaries, it is definitely okay to make your healing your #1 priority and full time commitment, and it is okay to be a bit of a mess of a human while you figure it all out. We are all exactly as we are meant to be, its up to us to choose what to hold onto. I created Ritual Metta as a way to bring all the modalities and certifications I hold together in a transformative offering for my coaching and hands on clients, and I am committed to forever complimenting it with more trainings as I humbly continue to learn and heal. I offer online coaching, in person healing, and in person immersive experiences. I facilitate the VibeSpa, the FitSpa, guided breathwork and meditative experiences. I host workshops and events, and am always happy to collaborate on podcasts, bring my meditations to your albums, create content together and merge gifts and talents for profound healings.
Bryanna:
Bre is an amazingly talented yoga instructor and thai massage therapist. She is the owner of Midas Muse Yoga. Bre offers private and group yoga sessions, chair and table massage, and private stretch and goal setting sessions helping you tune into your body and energy to live in harmony with your existence. Bre brings to the team a grounded and confident Capricorn energy of inspiration and wisdom. Her ability to tap in with ease and communicate with you feels as if she’s been your friend for 20 years.
Kamyrn:
Kam is an energy healer, bodyworker, and workshop facilitator. She works at the intersectional community center Sovern www.sovern.la which is focused on supporting BIWOC+ healing and arts. She teaches couples massage workshops, offers chair and table massage in house and mobile to you. You can learn more about her at www.healingmassagebykam.com She is a local LA native dedicated to her healing path and transformation of her communities. Kam brings to the team wisdom beyond her bones and a readiness to adapt to heal you in the exact way that you need.
Do you have any insights you can share related to maintaining high team morale?
From all my years of being team leader, manager, business venture initiator and spearheading my piscean dreams that definitely need teams, my advice is simple: Bring in people you see as equals, stay humble, rise and grow together and beyond all else – remember it’s not possible alone. Life is a celebration and the party is always better with a full dancefloor.
Can you open up about how you funded your business?
I put my business together piece by piece. There was no initial investment, there was no benefactor and there was no shark tank endorsement. I go day by day and goal by goal and trust the process every step of the way. There is no “right way” or “right time” we are all out here doing our best within our environments and striving for those beautiful moments of growth and transformation. Noone is going to do this for you. Trust yourself, trust you are enough and trust that there is no better time than today to put yourself out there.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.ritualmetta.com
- Instagram: @ritualmetta
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ritual-metta-a739a8229/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/ritual-metta-encinitas
- Other: www.healingmassagebykam.com instagram: @midasmuseyoga @healingmassagebykam
Image Credits
Xavier Plater