Born and raised in a Los Angeles suburb, Vivian Henein has always led an active lifestyle. It’s no surprise she would find herself engaged to someone who shares her love of fitness. She also has a passion for skincare. As the new director of wellness at Four Seasons Los Angeles at Beverly Hills, Henein gets to promote both her passions with innovative programming that enhances mind, body, and spirit. After studying business administration at California State University, she landed a job as a spa coordinator with a Newport Beach hotel that had recently been reflagged from being a Four Seasons property. Because it was still operating as if it was a Four Seasons, she was able to learn about the company, which eventually led her to a spa director role at the Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel and later senior spa director for the Americas. She also served as opening spa director for Ambassade Biologique Recherche, the brand’s flagship in Los Angeles. Here, she shares how she incorporates wellness into her everyday life.
What does wellness mean to you?
Wellness to me is a holistic approach to living your life the way you see fit. I look at wellness as a lifestyle, which includes nutrition, physical activity, sleep, hydration, spiritual health, mental health, and so on. We make so many decisions each day, and if you can make one extra positive decision each day, you can make a larger impact on your overall health in time. I think there is balance that is necessary in life, as it is not always realistic to live in extremes.
What are your favorite things to do to maintain your personal wellbeing?
Maintaining a well-balanced lifestyle is important to get through my hectic daily schedule. I do my best to make time to do the things I love and that make me feel good, even if it is putting these things on my schedule or calendar directly. I feel best when I’m able to get my cardio session completed first thing when I wake up. This is something my fiancé and I do together. We wake up around 5 to 5:30am, head to the gym together, and run on the treadmill. He is so competitive that if I’m on a higher incline or speed, he has to double my number, so we are consistently racing one another on the treadmills. Although he always wins, it is still fun.
I also drink green juices, which my body has been craving a lot lately. Sleep is extremely important for me to function well the following day. For that reason, I prioritize sleep and create a ritual, so I am excited by the time I get to bed. I love my Four Seasons mattress and Comphy Comforts sheets. I diffuse my Doterra essential oils, and spray Osea pillow mist. I usually fall asleep within a few minutes of resting my head on the pillow. I take about 15 minutes before bed to do my skincare routine, nourishing my skin with forever-evolving skincare products. I adjust my routine as needed, depending on what my skin needs.
Is there a specific fitness activity that you love and why?
Fitness is big in my household, as it is important to both my fiancé and me. We try encouraging one another to do something active together when we feel less motivated, which helps as usually one of us is motivated when the other needs it. We really love riding our bikes down to the beach from Culver City to Manhattan Beach and back, which is about 20 miles. My fiancé and I will make this a weekend activity and stop at Uncle Bill’s Pancake House in Manhattan Beach for breakfast before heading home. I have two gym passes: one to LA Fitness where I train with my fiancé with weights and another to Equinox where I go to clear my mind and be by myself. I love using the steam room after a great workout. I find it relaxing, especially when I’m feeling stressed.
What is your favorite healthy food, and do you have a favorite way of preparing it?
I love preparing a salmon dish that is so simple and clean. I place a filet of salmon en papillote with broccoli, oil, lemon, lime, salt, and pepper. It is so light, yet so filling, and always a crowd pleaser.
What is your favorite healthy beverage (alcoholic or non-alcoholic), and do you have any insider tips for preparing it?
I stick to basics right now: peppermint tea and water with lemon.
What is your greatest wellness achievement?
My biggest wellness achievement this far has been completing my training with a private fitness gym in Los Angeles named Ultimate Performance (UP). They taught me about nutrition, how to read food labels, and understanding meal portions for my specific body. The most impactful takeaway was how to work out properly using proper posture while on weights, as I was always discouraged from lack of knowledge. I began training with UP in 2019 after my father’s passing.
My father suffered with a stroke for years, which left him paralyzed and later bed ridden. Although my father had disabilities physically, he was mentally sharp. No matter what condition he was in, he would always push through and exercise. As time went on, his exercises became limited. After his passing, I pushed myself mentally and physically just as he would have, and I would do it not just for myself and to keep my body healthy but also for him. Being able to walk, run, lift, stretch, and ride is a privilege, and I saw that privilege taken away from someone I love dearly, so I decided not to take it for granted. Our coaches at UP encouraged my fiancé and I during COVID to focus on the things we can control, which were our nutrition and fitness. They got us through that interesting part of our lives, and we continue to use the knowledge we learned in our daily practice.
What person in wellness do you most admire and why?
I personally admire my fiancé, Sherif. His personal goal is to look and feel better each year on his birthday, and on the weekend of his birthday each year, he steps on stage at a body-building contest, competing and winning medals every year. He makes time each day to eat clean meals, work out one to two times five times a week, and still work, as he owns his own business. Sherif does not make any excuses, even on the hardest days. I see the struggle a body builder goes through, and it takes a lot of mental strength, commitment, discipline, and dedication to step on stage confidently.
What is the best piece of wellness advice you have ever received and from whom?
You must take care of yourself before you can take care of others. Words of wisdom from my mother when I moved out for college.
What do you think is the most exciting wellness innovation you have recently discovered?
What is exciting to me is more about the awareness of sustainability from larger companies such as Four Seasons that can truly make a big impact. As we make changes, we hope to influence other companies to make sustainable decisions as well.
What is your idea of balanced healthy happiness?
I truly enjoy the spa and wellness industry and have been working in it for more than 16 years. Working with Four Seasons has been such a great experience, and combining my passion for the industry and my love for the brand has given me an opportunity to feel fulfilled in my professional life. As much as I love my job, I also think it is as equally important to have a fulfilling life outside of work. I need to spend good quality time with my family and fiancé, eat well 80 percent of the time, move my body, listen to music, be silly at times, and give my dogs as many kisses as they can possibly handle. These are the things that make me feel balanced, healthy, and happy.
Do you have a secret health or wellness tip you would like to share?
To keep consistency, you really must enjoy what you are doing, and if not, find something that you enjoy. I have tried and continue to try many new things, and some things stick while others do not. I try to train my mind to make better choices for myself daily, but when I need to splurge, I do because I know that is all part of the balance.
What is your favorite place for a healthy vacation or escape?
I love anywhere with warm weather and beaches. I have been fortunate to be able to travel with Four Seasons, and one of my favorite properties was Four Seasons Jimbaran Bay, Bali. I received the most magical spa experience package named the Blessings of Bali, which began with a private yoga instruction in their beautiful private oceanfront cabana. After, you have a cleansing ritual with a Balinese priest followed by a Balinese massage with the most amazing massage therapist. I’ve never felt more uplifted and restored as I did after my afternoon at the spa.
What is your favorite self-care routine?
I am extremely consistent with my skincare routine. I will rarely skip a day, no matter how tired I am. I am currently using Biologique Recherche milk cleanser, glycolic from Natura Bissé, masks from 111 SKIN and KNESKO, and I rotate the serums, creams, and eye product. Overnight hydrating masks are the easiest to use and that is usually my go-to when I need to cut the routine short.
What is your go-to for de-stressing?
I am currently doing acupuncture and cupping and finding it extremely helpful in managing stress and the effects that stress causes in my body. I find the gym to be a great space to unwind my mind and focus on myself for a moment in time.
What aspect of your wellbeing do you struggle with the most, or would most like to improve?
With everything, there are good days and bad days. I try not to be hard on myself for struggling with anything. However, the thing I truly struggle with the most is my water intake. I can go a whole day at work without having any water, which is not ideal. I love my water cold, although I know it is better for digestive room temperature. I will add lemon to encourage myself to drink more water. It’s my ongoing struggle, and I am aware of it.
What wellness-related books or authors do you recommend, and why?
Think like a Monk: Train Your Mind for Peace and Purpose Every Day by Jay Shetty. I love listening to Audible when driving and find that this book is so easy to follow. I learn something new each time I listen and gain different perspectives.
How do you celebrate small victories?
I think all victories are great to celebrate, and small victories lead to larger victories. I love taking pictures of moments so I can refer to the moment, which sparks joy every time I look at the photo.
What brings you joy?
As I am getting older, I continue to be grateful for the small moments in life, as it passes so quickly. I love celebrating people around me and living in the moment. It makes me happy when I spend time with my mom doing something she wants to do because it makes her happy, and she does not ask for much, if anything, at all. I love seeing my nieces and nephews and how they are transforming into their cute little selves. I am also obsessed with my French bulldogs. They bring me joy every day. It makes me especially happy when I get them new toys, and it is truly the best day of their lives playing with them. The love I share with my fiancé brings me much joy and getting ready to be married in August brings tons of hope and excitement for a positive future.
