A Massage With A Difference

Us brits can have a bit of thing about going for massages, we simply don't do it nearly as much as other cultures do.  Maybe our reserved reputation is getting the better of us, making us shy or uncomfortable about stripping down till we're in our pants only while a stranger kneads us for a good hour. And yet, it's funny as many think nothing of baring all while a beautician rips the hair from their nether-regions. It's almost as if we think that just because there are no immediate visible benefits, it's not worth spending the time or money on.

Having just had an amazing massage from one of our wellbeing experts Claire Farman I am wondering why I don't go for them more often. Claire is a gifted yoga and meditation teacher as well as a qualified homeopath. She has been studying many sacred arts of healing for over 20 years. Her own yoga and healing centre is in the aptly named Vale of Health, over looking a quiet green piece of Hamstead Heath. Full of light and energy, the treatment room is beautiful.

"So what's going on with you," asks Claire in a totally relaxed, completetly non-judgmental way. I immediately feel like I'm engaged in a heart-to-heart with a lifelong friend. After a ten minute chat, through which Claire intuits any problems or energy blocks that might need healing, the massage begins. Working her hands deep into my muscles, she covers me in skin softening shea butter. She is not always gentle, tugging on my limbs and pressing hard into my shoulder blades, with a strength that belies her slender frame. I do say 'oww' several times, but I also feel my muscles start to soften and relax. After this she places Tibetan healing bowls, each corresponding to different organs, on my body.  Each bowl is gonged in different ryhtms and patterns and I can feel my whole body vibrating pleasantly. Claire tells me the Tibetan healing bowls  use sound vibration to balance and realign the body's subtle energy systems.  

Turning me over, she asks me to pick a coloured vial (I pick pink) from a spectrum and then uses it to spray an aromatic mist of divine roses over me. It's 'gem medicine', she says, made of potentised gems and crystals such as amythyst and rose quartz.   She also gives me carefully selected homeopathic remedies that she says are to help clear emotional and pyshcial blockages.  

I leave feeling tired to my bones, it's been something of an emotional release. All I want to do is go home and go to sleep.  Which I do, and I'm out like a light.  It's a deep and delicious slumber, and the next morning when my alarm goes off I actually get out of bed with a spring in my step. Whether it's pyschological or phsycial, I certainly feel more energic and lighter- hearted. It makes me think that there is more to massaging than relaxing indulgance.

Ready to be Reformed

There's been a lot in the press of late about the benefits of Pilates, with the lovely Miss Pippa Middleton outting the muscle control method as the secret to her killer figure.  It seems important to note at this moment that the style of Pilates she was using was based around a machine called 'The Reformer', a terrifying name for a piece of Pilates apparatus designed to shape, tone and scuplt your muscles. The traditional mat based Pilates, although highly beneficial for posture and body control, does not deliver as immediate or as intense results as a Reformer.

For those of us who get a bit too little exercise, are a bit too time-starved and spend a bit too much time sitting down, a Reformer based Pilates class sounds pretty much ideal. Toned muscles, better posture, stronger core you say? Where do I sign up!

Saying that, I'd somehow managed to avoid trying a session despite endless invitations from our friends at Ten Pilates, a company that has been going from strength to strength in the fitness world. To be honest, I think the name Reformer had put me off a bit.  And, I had seen pictures - it resembled a Medieval torture wrack.

Despite this, swayed by the outstanding testimonials from people who had tried the classes, plus the dread of baring my pasty thighs in skirts over the summer,  I found myself flat on my back, heels up in one of these devices, wondering if it was all it's cranked up to be. No pain no gain right?

I needn't have been so worried. The begginners class was suitably gentle, and our instructor for the evening, Ken Fitzmaurice, a humorous Irish gentleman helped us get to grips with the equipment. I won't lie, it was hard work, but in a satisfying 'Yes I can feel myself working out right now and it feels damn good' way. It was also gentle enough to do it fairly easily.  I could feel muscles in my legs and behind that I didn't even know existed. And that's when I see the appeal.  I'm lying down and this equipment is really helping me workout muscles that other kinds of exercise just don't get to. I also feel like my spine is protected by the padded shoulder blocks on the Reformer, so my back and pelvis stay nicely aligned througout.

The next day I do feel a bit sore and stiff in my body, which I think is a good sign.  I swear my thighs seem a teency bit firmer, even just after one class, and that's enough to tantalise me into wanting to go again.
For people preparing to go on holiday, or coming back from a spa holiday I think it's a great way to get into shape and stay that way.  There are a whole variety of levels and classes to choose from so you won't get bored, and the results and benefits for your body are incredible and will help you a heck of a lot if you're sitting on your rump in an office all day.  It's definitely worth clearing some space in the diary for. 

You and Your Bump

Last night Wellbeing Escapes went to the book launch of our Chinese Medicine Expert Emma Cannon at Wodka restaurant near Hight Street Kensington. A delighted and glowing Emma was there to promote her fantastic new book You and Your bump which is all about wellbeing through pregnancy.

Using a gentle blend of ancient Chinese medicine wisdom with conventional Western medical practice, the book starts with a '360 degree' health check that takes you through some general conventions for assessing your health so you can start working on areas with any deficiencies. It has great recommendations for how to eat well to address certain problems you might be experiencing, whether in conception or pregnacy.  A must for any mother in the making!

Emma regularly contributes health tips on all areas of life to our website. Read more about her, and have a look at her wellbeing tips, this month our experts discuss Stress and Burnout

For more on our spa holidays visit www.wellbeingescapes.co.uk

Catch the Zumba Fitness Blog

In my quest to find enjoyable fitness pursuits I have recently discovered Zumba and am hooked.  For those who have not caught the Zumba bug yet, it is a high energy fitness routine based on Latin American dance moves.  The music just makes you want to move, and the one hour workout they tell me burns between 500 – 800 calories (depending how hard you work and on your base metabolic rate).  You also need to keep up with the routines so your brain gets a bit of a workout too.  Many of the spa holidays we offer include fitness classes but I was delighted to hear that our partners at Aphrodite Hills have just introduced Zumba to their weekly spa schedule.  If you are visiting, I highly recommend you give it a go as a top up to our Flexible Fitness Holiday there or even for a bit of high energy if you are having a relaxing spa holiday there.

If  you want to incorporate Zumba as part of your fitness regime at home then check out classes at your local gym or in your local newspaper.

Stella

Workplace Wellbeing

Is your workplace helping you thrive? We spend most of our lives at work, many of us hunched over our desks staring at a screen without taking regular breaks. Unhealthy habits at the workplace can damage your posture, eyesight and sanity. Luckily some simple things can be done to keep you feeling tip top at work. So grab a glass of water, sit up straight, uncross your legs and read on >>www.wellbeingescapes.co.uk and find our more about our fantastic Luxury Spa Holidays

Office Health Tips

Expert Monthly Tips - May Office Health Tips
Considering most of us spend the majority of our time at work, it's suprising that we make our health in the office our lowest priority. Stressful and competitive work environments, can stop many people from taking a proper lunch breaks, eating well or fitting in regular exercise. It can be hard to even make little changes (like stretching out in front of baffled colleagues, or allowing yourself to take that walk around the block) but if you are brave enough to you'll find you feel infinitely more refreshed productive and probably have less sick days off. Our experts have some top advice for tackling the office health minefield. Visit our spa holiday website
www.wellbeingescapes.co.uk for our expert's tips!

Office Health Tips

Expert Monthly Tips - May

Office Health Tips Considering most of us spend the majority of our time at work, it's suprising that we make our health in the office our lowest priority. Stressful and competitive work environments, can stop many people from taking a proper lunch breaks, eating well or fitting in regular exercise. It can be hard to even make little changes (like stretching out in front of baffled colleagues, or allowing yourself to take that walk around the block) but if you are brave enough to you'll find you feel infinitely more refreshed productive and probably have less sick days off. Our experts have some top advice for tackling the office health minefield.
Margo's Organic Pharmacy Tips	Emma's Chinese Medicine Tips	Lynne's Lifestyle Tips
The Food Doctor, Ian's Nutritional Tips	Claire's Holistic Yoga and Meditiation Tips	David's Fitness tips