I first met Tina Reardon on Saturday the 21st of April. We met at the Grand Opening of Sanctuaire Brisbane, a candlelit Pilates, Yoga, and Meditation Studio founded and operated by Tina. I was not only struck by her alluring smile and effortless charisma, but also by her warm hospitality and attentive demeanour.

I was lucky enough to sit down with Tina and discuss her successful career in self-care, as well as her admirable determination to teach her clients about the power of love and self-acceptance. Tina began her career in self-care as a Beauty Therapist, and she owns and operates a beauty salon in Kangaroo Point. Her services cater exclusively to women, and she offers a diversity of treatments so that customers can escape to tranquility and a sense of calm.

Tina’s interest in the beauty therapy industry was kickstarted by a passion to “help women feel great on the outside despite any preconceived ideas, things they have been told, or what they hear in the media.” She continued, “I want women to embrace being who they are, being different to everyone else, and loving what that means.” Tina first turned to Pilates when she sustained a muscular neck injury. “It changed everything for me, and gave me the ability to lead a normal life without pain as well as making my body strong and changing its shape, which I loved!” Tina realised that Pilates perfectly complemented her efforts as a beauty therapist, as the combination allowed people to “work on the inside as well as feel beautiful on the outside”.

Sanctuaire Brisbane is the first Brisbane-based studio to hold classes in candlelight, and I was intrigued by this notion. Tina explained “I love candles. They release soy into the air and give the mind and body an extraordinary sense of calm. Candles make everything look flattering so it’s great for your self esteem, and they are believed to assist with digestive problems, skin problems, PMS, blood sugar fluctuation, and joint pain.”

The studio is serviced exclusively by Tina’s hand-poured candles, which she sells alongside a range of natural goods. As soon as I met Tina, I recognised a trait that is very rarely glimpsed nowadays; generosity. It is perhaps unsurprising, then, that Tina’s favourite part about her job is “seeing the look on someones face when they finish a session or treatment, and hearing about how they feel and how much they enjoyed it. All of those dreams, goals, and good ideas fall apart if you’re not in the right mental space. Our instructors take you on a journey of self discovery, and you leave feeling good about yourself, happy, motivated, encouraged, and inspired.”