Beauty / Wellbeing

Jeannie Bourke of Venustus on the meaning of ‘meaningful’ work

Hannah Holman @ IMG wears RUNNING BARE bra and shorts.

Meaningful work. A concept we all strive for, yet somehow it can still elude us. Jeannie Bourke, the founder of holistic Venustus Spa, has found it. Or perhaps it found her. Regardless, Bourke is living proof that it exists. It may be hiding under a crystal ball or between the doors of Venustus, but don’t worry, we’ll wait while you look.

I truly love my work. It is meaningful work and I believe I am here to help the people that come into my space by sharing everything that I know. I am truly blessed to have found what I love early in life, finding a way to consciously connect because it has allowed me to master my craft while continually improving.

Venustus Paddington is a space people gravitate towards for various reasons. Energetically, it’s a place to surrender, to decompress after a big week, to come back into balance, or simply have a moment of stillness long enough so you can hear yourself. I am lovingly referred to as, “I'm going to see Jeannie for some hocus pocus.”

Venustus is a place where I can do some good in the world, some good for others. We can greet those feelings of despair and sadness so you leave with hope in your eyes, feeling relief that there can be change, which can bring inner peace.

I design bespoke treatments to aid the ailments we feel as an over-stressed culture. I then design and make the products required for the treatments. My darling partner Gary works with me in the production of these Australian-made, cruelty-free Venustus products.

The ultimate experience is where we take the time to talk so I can better understand how I can help them. This one-on-one time helps me provide bespoke treatments that really change people and raise the bar. Then there’s a hands-on treatment where we work physically, visually & energetically. I have studied many different healing modalities and use that knowledge to enhance the treatments. Connecting energy work into beauty and bodywork enhances every treatment and takes it to another level. Some of my favourite healing modalities include reiki healing, aromatherapy, crystal healing, and smudging with palo santo.

I believe it’s essential to know what you’re great at and be OK with what you’re not. I am great at my work and I truly love it. What I’m not great at is cooking and keeping my desk tidy. But I am grateful when someone else tidies for me.

I live by the core values of loyalty, ethics, love, trust and being authentically myself.

These are some of the quotes I use to help myself, my team, my clients, and my friends stay aligned:

Ethics, honour, love and courage.

Be the truth seeker in your own life, for yourself.

Help good people be extraordinary.

You need to be, beyond reproach.

Behave as though you already have it.

Hand it over to the universe and wait, just wait.

Love of self, love of another, communal love and universal love, in that order.