Stress is something we all suffer from at some point in our lives. The human body is able to undergo a huge amount of stress and still heal itself. This speed of this process is increased though if we help it along by finding ways to relax. Yoga is perfect for this. Yoga exercises blend stretching with deep breathing. This helps to loosen tense muscles and relieve stress on the discs and joints of the spinal column. The act of stretching the muscles aids in removing toxins from the body. It is vital the comfortable yoga clothes are worn to allow the body to stretch effectively. Deep, yogic breathing allows more oxygen to enter the bloodstream.  This not only helps to create a feeling of relaxation, but can also fight infection and help the body heal itself. Wearing light yoga clothing can help to stay cool and relaxed during a workout. The meditative aspects of yoga also assist in the relief of stress. When the mind is in a meditative state, it is not distracted by outside disturbances. This is an ideal time to view and contemplate any fluctuations in your emotions, helping not only to relieve stress, but find the root causes of it. Yoga combines all the stress reducing benefits of controlled breathing, stretching and meditation. It relives and rejuvenates tired muscles, while releasing the body of negative energy and replacing it with positive energy. It is an effective method of coping with the stress we have in our everyday lives.

Antonia Strickland has been practicing deep tissue, reflexology and thai massage for over 15 years. She is based in West London and offers personalized massages to help relaxation, to battle jet lag and stress as well as strengthen during pregnancy and the great thing is she will come to your home so there’s no need to go anywhere afterwards. Her speciality is a deep massage to the muscles with no fuss, just straight to those points which require treatment and a soothing touch to soften. Vogue Magazine has already named her “one of London’s finest” and Daily Candy, Tattler and the Evening Standard highly regard her talent. Experience one of Antonias fabulous massages and book your appointment today +44 79 56 953 976.

At Wellicious we understand the power of relaxation, which is why we are proud to offer you all the loungewear and relaxation accessories you need to relax in style! But how exactly can you relax, whilst the modern world bustles outside your window?

Yoga
If you want to reap the relaxation benefits of a challenging discipline that encourages meditation as well as exercise then you can’t go wrong with yoga. At Wellicious we are proud to offer you a wide range of Yoga clothing, which will make your yoga experience as fun and as comfortable as possible and essential if you want to loosen your mind as well as your body.

Simple Meditation
If the idea of yoga is giving you aching muscles just thinking about it and never fear! Meditation can be a simple as just taking a half hour by yourself with the TV off and you’ll be surprised at exactly how good this makes you feel, and in no time you’ll be feeling the health benefits.

Laughter
By far the easiest and quickest way to relax is to laugh. At Wellicious we feel that in anything you do you should always laugh and have fun! And why not do it in style in some fun and sassy Wellicious loungewear?

The great thing about these relaxation techniques is that no matter where you are, who you are or how bad it gets and all you need to relax is yourself is some tried-and-tested yoga techniques in comforting and stylish yoga clothes.

Kirsty Norton is a very experienced yoga teacher in London. Her classes are fun, nurturing, strengthening, toning and detoxifying, you’ll walk out feeling renewed. Here are some yoga tips from Kirsty:

Finding your strength
If you are feeling you need to find some inner strength practice standing poses like the Warrior, Triangle, Yogic squats, they help you to find your feet so you can stand strong in the time of change.  They build up your internal heat so when the pose gets strong imagine there’s a fire inside and you are throwing all that ‘rubbish’ onto it.

Headaches
If all that thought and stress is getting to you and giving you headaches then try doing forward bends and reclining asanas like shoulderstand.  They soothe your head and release tension from your neck and jaw.  Also try blowing out through your lips to create a blubbering sound or keep your lips closed and blow into your cheeks, hold for 3 seconds and then release.  Probably not one to do in front of your colleagues but it works so give it a go!

www.kirstynorton.co.uk

Lemons are generally know as vitamin-packed fruits. They are not only good for colds but also good for headaches, for bad moods and for beautiful nails.

-If you are in a bad mood and need a little bit of a mood lifter the fragrance of a lemon could help you feel refreshed.

-If you have a terrible headache add the juice of a lemon to your strong coffee. Lemon juice helps to support naturally pain surpression of the body. However, people with a delicate stomach should not drink it.

-You can strengthen spongy nails by massaging lemon juice into them. Your nails will look beautiful and healthy.

The Sharpham Park Shop in Shepton Mallet, Somerset is a must if you are in the area. The shop brings together the very best organic and seasonal food and beauty products from a 50 miles radius.  There is also a butcher, bakery and cheese counter in the shop. After your shopping you can either enjoy delicious foods sourced from the shops Jardines at the Harlequin Cafe or unwind in the Wellness rooms choosing from their range of organic and complementary treatments like reflexology or beauty acupuncture. There is even a Mulberry outlet just around the corner!

We just loved it!

www.kilvercourt.com

Be Wellicious and change your life! Healthy living it’s not just about what you eat and how much you exercise. Modern life can be busy and stressful, and that can be just as much of an impediment to healthy living as a bad diet and lack of activity. Believe me…I know what I am talking about.

If you’re serious about healthy living, you need to examine how you deal with daily obstacles, as well as how often you take time to reflect and rest. Healthy living isn’t just an idea, it’s a lifestyle, and that means that the changes you make have to be committed and lasting.

Overhauling your diet and exercise regime are obviously the first step towards healthy living. The next is curbing destructive habits like smoking or alcohol abuse. But what most people don’t realise is that stress can be as harmful to your body and wellbeing as any other toxin.

Managing stress and getting adequate rest is crucial to wellness. You might want to explore soothing activities that release tensions and lower levels of adrenaline, such as massage, acupuncture, aromatherapy and hypnotherapy.

If you are serious about managing stress and creating and fostering the mind-body connection over the long term, you might want to take up training activities like yoga or Pilates.

Be Wellicious and you’ll see how your life will change!

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

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.