Sometimes you might have a little personal problem or health issue that you need to work on. Friends and doctors can be supportive but sometimes it is better to ask a third person for help. Anoushka is a great person and definitely the right one to talk to. She is a yoga therapist and has a lot of experience in meditation and Reiki. She helped me look at my health issues from a different point of view. I felt totally at ease with her, and of course it is a different experience when somebody is coming to your place rather than going somewhere else. The journey that I took with Anoushka was unforgettable and she is on my speed dial list so that I can call her again in the future. Just visit www.anoushkasyoga.com, and you’ll see.

6. Make room for powernaps. The body wants relaxed moments between the busy ones. You can sense this when you loose your concentration, or that your eyelids feel heavily. However you can ignore these signals easily, but it is healthy to lift on this relaxed condition for five minutes. After five minutes you will feel refreshed and you are able to perform better, however the most important element of these powernaps is the physical effect. In a total relaxed condition, your immune system and regeneration system will be optimized to keep you in a good shape.

These six steps for stress control are for everybody an individual process. Most of these steps can be applied everyday, at least try to apply four. After a month you can feel if your stress problem improves.

http://wellbeingzone.carpediem.com/public/wellbeingzone/mind/stress_control

Q. Wellicious is aimed at stylish women who enjoy living healthy, how did you think of the concept?

Heike: The ethos behind the brand is about living life to the full without compromising your heath or ethical beliefs. I truly believe the most important thing is that every woman should listen to and understand her body. I created Wellicious to provide a range of products to compliment the lifestyle of women like me who value the good things in life and don’t believe that there should be a ethical cost in the process. I consider myself a Wellicious woman. I try to take care of my body and health but also have fun at the same time. Every morning I practice yoga and I’m often in the gym but I only do these things because I enjoy them not just because I feel I should. Like many women eating healthily is important to me BUT not at the cost of my enjoyment of life. Socializing is a big thing for me, I go out with my friends, I have a drink with them and from time to time I love burgers and chips.

Q. You have South American roots and wish to link that into Wellicious. In which way are you choosing to do this?

Heike: Wellicious is a very feminine and forward thinking concept. Our clothing flatters woman and we aim to support our clients giving them positive energy and motivating them to live more healthy. I am enormously proud of my South American heritage and my Peruvian family influenced me a lot, especially my mother. When I started Wellicious, it was very important to me that we not only create products ethically but that we proactively support a suitable cause. As such, Wellicious makes a contribution to society by donating 5% of its profit to a charity project in Peru. The charity supports the poor children living on the streets of Huacho, a slum in Fujimori in Peru. The underprivileged people of Fujimori constantly have to fight for survival and the young have no option but to beg for money and food from as early as three or four years old. As a consequence, they hardly receive any education, we support the Fujimori community by contributing to the local school named “Gotitas de Solideridad,” which means “Little Drops of Solidarity”.

Q. How do you think small designers can promote ethical fashion so that it’s seen as stylish and not just ethical?

Annika: Promoting ethical fashion involves a lot of work, because you have certain misconceptions to overcome – ethical fashion is commonly perceived as unstylish uncomfortable and poor quality. People seem to believe that you can’t have good looking, easy to wear clothing without someone somewhere in the world being exploited. Ultimately ethical clothing is seen as a fashion compromise and that’s something that we are working very hard to eradicate – with Wellicious we are very clear, our clients can relax safe in the knowledge that they don’t have to compromise on quality, style or comfort because we are committed to sourcing the highest quality materials without sacrificing our moral standpoint.

I have started doing yoga about 6 years ago at the Jivamukti Centre in Munich. Soon I became an yoga addict because I just loved the effect on my body and mind. I feel more balanced and relaxed in my personal life - believe me this has not always been like this. My body looks better too: I do not have any cellulite anymore, my hips look smaller and my posture has improved - and I do not have anymore back pains! I try to do yoga every morning, as it is a refreshing start into a new day. To me it is very important to combine yoga with some cardio workout as well to also push my heart rate.

5. Reframe your situation. Our reactions originate in the way we interpret our environment. There is nothing that creates stress; it is the way we see it. When you see a person, situation or event as threatening, the body will see it as stress. When you get stressed out by something, you see these things mentally, by the eye of the mind. You can make that picture first black and white. Let all colors go, than shrink it; it becomes smaller until it disappears. Every time you feel stress, or you see something threatening, try to do this and create a situation with colors you like and where you deal with the situation perfectly instead.
http://wellbeingzone.carpediem.com/public/wellbeingzone/mind/stress_control

4. Exercise everyday. Stress has got a big physical component. It is very important to release the energy and physical preparation for action. Twenty minutes in the gym or hiking for fifteen minutes in the fresh air helps you to relax your body. Exercise is one of the best ways to keep your body and mind in balance.

3. Try to make a positive change in your environment everyday. Research has indicated that the way people give expression to their environment makes them more relaxed. Try to do something everyday, put for example flowers in your kitchen, or bring a nice card to your office to create a nicer environment.