ARN + SHC: Read Move Nourish Club is a collective that celebrates practices nourishing to the soul and our aim was to create a community around that ethos of nourishment in all its forms. The club has been such a long time in the making, truly! The two of us have been working creatively together for years in many different respects. We’ve been one-time co-workers turned close friends, lovers of wellness (which The Standard Spa is a large part of!), and eternal devotees of every cozy coffee shop and wine bar in town. Since we were kids, we have been avid readers, spending our weekends immersed in books and wandering through the aisles of bookstores for hours. As adults, we have always moved and honored our bodies by engaging in activities that feel true to us and nourishing ourselves with not only the most beautiful food but also the most fulfilling activities. After considering what the major pillars our own wellness community would be, we settled on: Reading, Movement, and Nourishment. Our aspiration is to create moments of connectivity around these essentials within our community here.
ARN + SHC: Our book club at The Standard Spa is special because we’ve been partnering with Miami Book Fair to create truly singular experiences each club meet. MBF has worked to connect us with the local literary community in a spectacular way. Through the fair, we’ve been able to have conversations with locally-based and Floridian authors such as Ana Menéndez (author of The Apartment), and Annabelle Tometich (author of The Mango Tree), and this month, Patricia Engel (author of The Faraway World)! These intimate author chats are a thought-provoking look into the authors themselves and the worlds they’ve created. It’s the best! Not to mention, We have seen so many guests, who have since become friends, show up at every book club meeting. It's been wonderful to watch it grow and flourish. There is a beautiful and growing demand for people wanting to join the club and connect in an authentic way together. We are so full of gratitude as we enter our fourth month of The Standard x RMN Book Club!
ARN: Welcoming, Familiar, Nostalgic, Fulfilling, Educating
SHC: Ernest, Surprising, Curious, Artistic, Warm
ARN: Honey, Baby, Mine: A Mother and Daughter Talk Life, Death, Love by Laura Dern.This book opened my eyes and my heart, transforming my relationship with my mother and changing my perspective on our family's past and my future.
SHC: My pick that I always suggest to friends, family, and acquaintances is Love's Executioner and Other Tales of Psychotherapy by Irvin D. Yalom. I felt fundamentally changed by this book as it centers around true stories, psychology, relationships and the self. A must read, in my opinion.
ARN: My all-time favorite place to read is the beach! You'll find me there on a sunny Sunday, reading a book from start to finish with a Pubsub & Ghia Spritz in hand!
SHC: Caracas Bakery in MiMo!! My favorite spot to meet and grab a homemade pastry and catch up, maybe dive into a book if the bakery is having a rare peaceful moment. It’s become a cult favorite on my weekends.
ARN: Lately, unique pieces to me are discovering new brands or shops that pop up. One of my favorites recently has been Grove Grocer. I'm constantly introduced to new food brands, fresh veggies from local farmers, homemade bread, and raw milk from local suppliers. These are my unique treasures these days!
SHC: I’m a thrift and antique enthusiast so I’m always hunting for a find. Find me at Goodwill, an estate sale, or an out-of-the way antique mall looking for a treasure. Also, if I can catch Little River Flea, it’s always an afternoon well spent!
ARN: Hop on a bike or a convertible car and cruise through some of our neighborhoods like Miami Shores, Coconut Grove, Miami Beach, or Venetian Isles. Take in the architecture of both old and new homes! There's so much beauty in Miami's streets, rich with culture and abundant fruit trees to admire along the way.
SHC: I love going to the Rubell Museum for a dose of art culture. The size of their collection always astounds me, but also always guarantees there will be some new art on view that I haven’t seen before.
ARN: I always tend to go back to the ocean, the sand, and the sun. One of my favorite weekend activities is to hop in the car with my partner and head down to The Keys. The drive itself is a journey through the natural world, and the fresh seafood, caught right from the ocean in front of you, is pure magic. Standing at the tip of the state, overlooking endless amounts of water, makes you feel deeply connected with nature. I highly recommend a weekend getaway to The Keys!
SHC: I live on one of the smaller island clusters between the Beach and the mainland and I love spending time walking around my neighborhood for a little dose of beauty.
ARN: So many books on my summer reading list, but at the top is The Alternatives by Caoilinn Hughes.
SHC: The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
ARN + SHC: The Standard is such a rich oasis of wellness and nourishment, both literally and figuratively. We are so thrilled to continue The Standard Spa Book Club every month, but we also hope to tap into those other nourishing practices we aim to celebrate. We’re thinking of meditative beading, yoga, baking trades, and a walking club to name a few.
ARN: A little bit of mystery, a little bit of adult literature, a little bit of a memoir. Ha!
SHC: Young adult literature (lololol)
To join RMN Club at The Standard Spa, see when the club meets, stay tuned on the Happenings page for Book Club meet dates. RNM will also be curating other events within the community and you can follow along with them on @readnourishmoveclub on IG.
Photography: Maria Piracci & Christina Karst
