How can we care for ourselves a little extra right now?
The answers may vary: meditation, cooking something nutritious and nourishing, yoga, journalling — and they’re all right. Still, the realm of wellness is largely untapped, and you may not yet be introduced to a whole world of holistic approaches or wellbeing. Then you might ask, where do we start looking?
We found the answer last year at Supparetreat in Bali where we met Jasmine Aliya Ho and Joylyn Koh. The two friends are also business partners who together founded ohmBOX, a monthly themed wellness box filled with crystals, and other alternative modalities of self-healing.
Every box is different, following themes like ‘Goals’, ‘Clearing Space’, and ‘Protection’. ohmBOX was also founded with the intent of working with small local business in the niche holistic market, giving them a platform to promote healing and spirituality, such as Practical Magick by Rhiannon and its all-natural, hand-rolled incense sticks, and herbal remedies by Nadiiku Natural Solution.
Prestige speaks to Joy and Jasmine about their personal journeys with self-care that have ultimately led to ohmBOX for all, and what’s next for 2021.
Joy: Self-care is having the awareness that you need time for yourself to grow or develop in any way. And it is different for everyone. You don’t have to do yoga, meditate, be vegan or travel the world. Self-care is simply making time for yourself to do things which make your soul shine.
Joy: I slap on a face mask, switch my phone on silent mode and binge watch a favourite tv series — crime and comedy!
Jasmine: I am on a daily routine with my face mask once the kid are sleeping (I can finally relax, being a mum is a 24hrs job) and then I will light an incense stick and enjoy a nice cup of organic green tea or my homemade JUN tea, it’s the champagne of Kombucha.
Joy: Being at home allows us to appreciate what we often take for granted in the midst of a hectic lifestyle. It’s the simple things, being healthy and enjoying the company of family with a roof over our heads.
Joy: I have always been an indulgent person with a ‘go big or go home’ mentality. If it’s not a new business idea, it would be another travel destination to explore or another party to attend. I never allowed myself to have a quiet time to be alone with my thoughts. When I finally did and opened myself up to healing and forgiveness through meditation, I accepted that that I was finally shedding my old skin and transforming.
Jasmine: I only started this journey a couple of years ago, it was not planned and like Joy, I never allowed myself to have quiet time to be alone with my thoughts. I was always on-the-go, and was like a way to numb myself. Keeping myself busy means I didn’t have to think about things and instead, I get to avoid thoughts that actually needed my attention. Over the years, it made me so empty and realised that I need more than that. Being spiritual doesn’t mean being religious. It’s more about being able to come to terms with yourself and accept you and your flaws and how to be a better me. Working on me meaning coming in terms that I am not perfect but I do want to be better and – shedding my old skin and transforming into a butterfly.
Joy: Jasmine and I have been friends for over 10 years, and we were casually speaking on the phone about crystals — which we somehow didn’t know we were both huge fans of. I started telling her about crystal subscription boxes that I used to buy from overseas. After a long list and an even longer phone call, I met her the next day only to realise she didn’t bite the bullet. And in a lightbulb moment, we went, “Why not create our own box?!”
Joy: When we decided to create our own box, we knew we wanted to be more than just a crystal box. It would be a box that could make a difference in people’s lives, a box put together with heart and soul delivered to your doorstep each month. We wanted to also support local businesses too and when we were hit with MCO last year, it served as clarity to stay true to our vision and that ohmBox is doing the right thing.
Jasmine: We have a different theme each month that draws attention to different avenues of a holistic lifestyle. We do make our ohm brand products however we also work with local vendors and test out their items personally before featuring them in our box. We are here to support and promote local businesses however maintain a stringent standard on quality so only the best products get our ohmBox approval. Basically we do the legwork which can serve as a guide so it’s a learning box each time!
Joy: We are open to working with everyone as we believe that there is a multitude of amazing local products and services that our subscribers have yet to know about. We love discovering new things and have worked with various businesses. Some items we’ve featured in our past boxes include handmade crystal soap, lipstick, candles, all natural sunblock, honey, keto snacks, soy sauce, Sarawak pepper, grow your own microgreens kits, an aromatherapy card reading, virtual chakra healing… The possibilities are endless and we love it!
Joy: Feeling independent and having a clear conscience.
Jasmine: Being able to give back to society and do my little part. That’s why ohmBOX was created: to help women who are struggling with their mental health.
Joy: We hope that ohmBox will be a household name, championing mental health and wellbeing. We are also looking forward for ohmBox to ship internationally. Right now, we ship to Singapore, Brunei and Jakarta and we look forward to adding more countries in the future!
Check out ohmBOX here on their website and Instagram page.
(Images: @imaverick.studios)
