Rashia Bell knows a thing or two about good vibes. An energetic interior designer and crystal healer, she is a resident healer at the Four Seasons Hotel Downtown New York and Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia at Comcast Center. In fact, she consulted on the Philadelphia spa, advising on the use of crystals throughout the 57th-floor sanctuary. Bell is co-founder of The Cristalline, a crystal-healing lifestyle company that also incorporates the energetic and healing powers of crystals and stones into interiors. Bell also created a customized crystal grid beneath the floor of Taryn Toomey’s flagship studio for The Class.
A graduate of both the Fashion Institute of Technology and the New York School of Interior Design, Bell has also completed two Crystal Healing Certifications by the Crystal Academy of Advanced Healing Arts and is a level-two Usui Shiki Ryoho Reiki Healer, a LaHoChi Healer, and a movement practitioner. She specializes in personal healing work, leading workshops, private events, and retreats around the world. Here, Bell shares more about how energy impacts her own wellness journey and her go-to for destressing.
What does wellness mean to you?
To me, wellness is about energetic alignment. It’s something that we experience as a resonance when we are truly nurturing the self. And there isn’t just one insert-all answer as to how to approach it. At times, it could take a village to feel well, and at others, be about simplicity. For me, wellness represents a state of being where your energy is activated, you feel empowered and are at peace, you have clarity, and you are open and able to receive all the intuitive guidance that your inner self has to offer.
Is there a specific fitness activity that you love and why?
As a former ballet dancer, movement has always been a key component to my life. It really allows me to stop the multitasking and focus the mind on the task at hand and has always been the ultimate de-stressor. However, I lean towards different forms of movement at different times based on what my body needs. There are times when I crave intense cardio-based physical activity, something mat- or machine-based like Pilates, and others where a Yin Yoga class or a long walk hits the spot.
What is your favorite healthy beverage (alcoholic or non-alcoholic), and do you have any insider tips for preparing it?
My favorite beverage to give me a jumpstart in the morning is a hot lemon, ginger, and turmeric water. I like it extra spicy, so I like to boil a pot of water with pieces of ginger and cinnamon in it the night before, and let it sit. If you leave the skin on, you can strain it afterwards if necessary. In the morning, I reheat it and add the lemon juice and turmeric. It’s warming and helps get me going especially during colder seasons without having to rely on caffeine.
What is your greatest wellness achievement?
Personally, I would say that as I have gotten older, I have really learned how to surrender, trust myself, and try to make decisions that only support my highest self and wellbeing. Professionally, I am proud to have my work recognized and its value appreciated and of the relationships and partnerships that my brands have formed and nurtured with other likeminded people and businesses, such as Carbon38 and Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts.
What do you think is the most overused word or words in wellness?
Self-care for sure! It’s taken on this connotation where people think it’s all about these products or things that we must accumulate or how much money we must spend to experience it. Don’t get me wrong, some of those things do make us feel good, and there is nothing wrong with that. I just wish there was more emphasis on the internal and how we nurture and support ourselves rather than what’s supporting the external.
What is your favorite place for a healthy vacation or escape?
Hands down, it’s a trip to the beach! In that environment, I find it easy to relax and settle into a mode of not feeling like I must be rushing around to be somewhere, or to see everything while on vacation. Don’t get me wrong, I love exploring new places, but it always surprises me how easily I can shift into that mode of “the art of doing nothing.” It reminds me that I need to prioritize moments like that in my everyday life. One of my favorite beach escapes is to the coast of Colombia where we host our Tropical Transformation Retreats. I love being able to share a place that has been truly restorative for me with others and to support their personal transformations that take place.
What is your go-to for de-stressing?
When I’m stressed, it usually means less about doing and more about not doing. Even trying to de-stress can sometimes feel stressful. I love infrared saunas because you come out with your skin feeling great, muscles loosened, and I always have a much clearer head. If I don’t have access to a sauna, then a good old hot bath with Sleep Magic Deep Sleep Essential Oil Blend, Himalayan salt, Zeolites, some natural herbs, and whatever crystals I need most at that time thrown in will do the trick. During the stressful early months of the pandemic, this was my nightly ritual to clear energy.
What aspect of your wellbeing do you struggle with the most, or would most like to improve?
The biggest aspect that I have always struggled with is getting enough sleep. I’m someone who needs more hours than the average person, yet I get a second-gear cortisol boost late at night that makes it hard to tuck in. That’s why I am a huge proponent of natural ways to support our sleep wellbeing and why I launched my two-year-old natural sleep wellness company RE.VITYL. Harnessing the energy of nature and crystals is a big part of my work and everyday life, so it was only natural to want to share and create mineral-infused products and essential oil-based products that help support sleep health.
What wellness-related books or authors do you recommend, and why?
My current favorite wellness book is by an editor and author I was introduced to years ago through my work. The Gospel of Wellness, by Rina Raphael, explores the rise of the massive wellness industry, its hidden layers, and both the good and bad effects that it has on women.
