A mother-daughter duo aims to improve the well-being of residents in Stonewall and beyond.
Sandrine Stevens and her daughter Kelly Bowen have created unique herbal blends through their business Steeped Harmony.
At the same time, Stevens provides relaxation massages as well as stretch sessions based out of 310 Wellness, located at 310 Main St. in Stonewall.
She honed her massage skills through training in her home country of Jamaica before moving to Stonewall seven years ago. Whether you’re looking for a feather-light touch or a deep intense massage, Stevens is able to modify her approach.
“I’m mostly working on the tissues. I try to adapt to what my clients need,” she said.
“I also try to keep it unique to the individual. I work on the sciatica a lot, the hip flexors and the abductor muscles. I often treat people with a lot of back pain.”
And so far, the response has been positive from her clients, who keep coming back for more.
“One saying they like my massage because I work on their hands, their feet, their scalp, their face,” she said. “I make it a complete work so the tension is not left in one area.”
In addition to massage, Stevens offers 50-minute stretch sessions that can focus on the upper body, the lower body or both.
For those that prefer a little bit of everything, they can book a two-hour session that includes both a massage and a stretch session.
“I find that people are loving that one because I work on the muscles and the joints are being stretched out,” she said. “Everybody is happy.”
Adding to the options, she has created herbal blends to bolster a sense of well-being in herself and others.
“When I came here in January 2017, the first spring I got all these herbs and kept them indoors in pots for that winter because I was unfamiliar with the weather,” she said.
“Slowly, the chamomile garden kept growing and growing. In my mind, I wanted to grow tea and sell it. I didn’t vocalize it because I was waiting to have enough. A couple years later, I told my husband that I wanted to grow and sell tea, so I started going to the farmers markets in Teulon and Petersfield.”
She soon moved on to blending different herbs in response to her own personal situation.
“I was in a lot of pain — I don’t know whether it was the weather or getting older or all the bending to pick the chamomile. I was also having problems with concentrating and brain fog. I started looking at how I can help myself with these issues,” she said.
“I figured if I have these problems, then that means others have it. That’s when I started blending. I started selling it and the feedback has been great on those as well.”
She now has multiple different herbal blends available through her website, www.steepedharmony.ca.
The most popular blend is called Rest and Regenerate. Its ingredients include the herb ashwagandha, which Stevens said supports brain health. Other ingredients include chamomile, rosemary, all spice, gotu kola, basil, lemon balm, milk thistle, lavender and more.
“The ashwagandha relaxes or slows down over thinking and quiets the thoughts. The chamomile calms the mind. The rosemary is also good for memory. The other herbs promote soothing effects. It can help people to sleep. I encourage people to drink it in the evenings before bed to quiet their thoughts,” she said.
“But if it’s impossible for you to go through the day without overthinking or having extreme anxiety, you can drink it in the morning as well. Sometimes I drink it throughout the day if something is happening in my life and I need my brain to operate to the maximum.”
Another popular blend is Termi-Cold, which Stevens said can help to fight off common colds and flus.
“It has reishi mushrooms, echinacea, marshmallow leaves. It’s soothing,” she said. “It’s best to use it before you get the cold, right at that first introduction.”
In addition, Stevens makes tinctures, salves and oils, while her daughter makes reproductive herbal blends.
“My daughter and I work closely together. We are each other’s inspiration and motivator. She’s an integral part of what I do. I couldn’t do it without her,” she said.
“If we remain true to ourselves, we can help people and help ourselves too.”
