The pressures of our 24/7 connected lifestyles, where we have a lack of time to feel or think about things outside of our daily routine have initiated a rise in new health and well-being issues. We are increasingly turning to alternative holistic lifestyle solutions such as mindfulness – to sleep better, relieve stress, decompress from our busy lives, improve digestive health and importantly, enhance our quality of life.
Mindfulness is the act of consciously focusing your mind on the present moment without judgement and without attachment. Through it, we tune in to what our bodies are feeling and experiencing internally and externally – with powerful results for both physical and emotional well-being.
Zen recommend | The Inner Connection Ritual – 90 minutes, £145
Unite both body and mind back to equilibrium with this well-being ritual. Hot stone massage alleviates tired muscles while Yogic breathing and guided meditation soothes and quietens a chattering mind, bringing your awareness from the external world to the inner world, You emerge revived and rejuvenated
At Home | Discover your own mindful moment
It can be simple to include a little mindfulness in our daily lives. This easy exercise will help you discover a more conscious awareness of your body and its surroundings, relaxing your breathing and muscles, and clearing negative clutter and anxiety from your mind.
- Pick an activity that is part of your daily morning routine, such as cleansing your skin, shaving, or taking a shower. With an attitude of openness and curiosity, completely focus attention on what you are doing: the touch, smell, sight, sound and so on.
- For example, when in the shower, notice the sound and temperature of the water and the new weight of your wet hair, notice how your shower gel feels against your skin, and the smell of it – try and acknowledge each note of the fragrance, one by one.
- When distracting thoughts arise, acknowledge them, and let them pass by. Again and again, thoughts will surface. Gently acknowledge them and bring your attention back to the present.
By Nicky, Specialist Massage Therapist.
Nicky has spent the last 20 years working in the spa industry for high profile spa partners, specialising in holistic health, Ayurveda and Yoga. During this time Nicky travelled extensively educating and training therapists predominantly in India and Asia, it was during this time that her love of yoga was reignited and led to more formal learning of this discipline, deepening her knowledge of Ayurveda, meditation and wider wellness and enabling the integration of much of what she has learnt into her wellbeing treatments today.
