Happy Holi and recent updates

Hi All.  I hope everyone had a good February and made the most of the last of the plesasant weather.  Jaipur has certainly got warm once again.  Summer is almost here and the busiest period coming to an end.

 Holi festivities

Before all that though we have Holi! Happy Holi everyone.  I hope you all have a great time celebrating.  Have a briliant time!

The Indian Wedding

As many of you know, February was a busy month for me and I got married.  I haven't had an opportunity to share photos with everyone till now so am putting some here.  Dhruv and I got married over the 14th & 15th February.  It was a fun and special occassion and lovely to have our friends and loved ones there.  

 We have decided not to take our honeymoon now and will take it in the summer time instead.  It was a busy time getting organised for the wedding though and I took 10 days off which included spending some time with my sister and friends who visited.  I've been back massaging since February 20th.  It's been a busy time catching up with you all.

UK travel dates

The season is coming to an end!  I know many of us are especially busy in these winter months and when summer comes along it's time to take a step back, prepare for the next season and take some time to do things we've been putting on hold.....perfect time to look after our health and fitness.

For me, that time of year will be here once again and i will be heading to the UK for my therapy work, along with time with my Mum to help take care of her.  

I will be away from 3rd April till 21st May, just over six and a half weeks, whilst I attend to my UK clients and help care for my Mum.  We will have a mini celebration in the UK with my Mum who was too unwell to travel.  There's still three weeks to go so there's time to book your sessions in and to enjoy all the different treatments that we offer at the studio.

Dry needling

We've been providing a lot of dry needling within our treatments recently, as we continue to see more people with specific injuries, tightness and areas of restriction.  It's been great to use the needling to get in there further and to enhance the massage therapy especially when working into some complex issues.

Dry needling and massage therapy work well together as the needling allows us to get deeper into a muscle, and to hit trigger points in a way that is different from massage.  We need the massage element to warm up the muscles, break down the specfic tight spots and then the needle to be used after to target the problem area further.

Healthy smoothie receipes

With summer almost here, it's a great opportunity to cool yourself down with a healthy smoothie.  Smoothies are a brilliant way of getting your daily fruit and vegetable requirements met as you can pack lots in to one smoothie, not to mention how filling they are, so can be used as a meal replacement.  Their simply a cup of tasty goodness.

There are some basic and easy recipes in this link and you can move onto trying to make your own or explore some of the more complex smoothies on this second site.  

https://www.vegrecipesofindia.com/recipes/smoothie/

https://www.allrecipes.com/gallery/breakfast-smoothie-recipes/

The first link allows you to get a flavour for smoothies and is simple however it's even better if you can pack your smoothie with lots more fruit and veg.  Spinach and cucumber are great to add to smoothies

https://feelgoodfoodie.net/recipe/vegan-healthy-superfood-smoothie/

I know I'm going to be enjoying a lot of smoothies over this warm weather.

Importance of sleep

We all know sleep is good for us but do we know what sleep really does to help us?  

Sleep allows our body to heal and repair and this includes our brain and memory.  It allows our tissues to repair and so sleep is crucial for keeping ourselves healthy both physically and mentally.  Lack of sleep can leave you feeling emotional, unable to concentrate properly, lead to more aches and pains as the body hasn't had enough time to rest and a weakened immune system.  It can lead to elevated levels of cortisol, the stress hormone.

The phrase good sleep for good health is so true and with the right amount of sleep, which for most people is 7 - 9 hours, you boost your immune system, allow the body to repair itself which means quicker recovery, improve concentration and reduce stress levels.  Reducing our screentime and setting up healhty night time habits can help to have better sleep which in turn will affect how you physically and mentally feel.

As a reminder, I will be heading to UK on 3rd April and return 6 and a half weeks later on 21st May.  It's a long trip but it's important I spend time with my Mum whose health still continues to be problematic.  

So if you'd like a session before i go then we have several weeks but letting everyone know in advance so you can book in what you need to before my travels.

Have a wonderful Holi, full of light, fun and positivity!

Fit and Fab in Feb

 I'm late with the belated New Year wishes!  Hard to believe already a month of the year is over.  I hope everyones year is off to a good start.  That you've set some nice goals and intentions and are ready for a great year ahead.

It feels like winter is coming to an end and the warmer weather has already begun.  The warmer weather will certainly be benefical for all those aches and pains as the cold tends to make things worse.  

The new year is a great opportunity to start putting the health first.  So why not take up the challenge of getting Fit in Feb and by fit we mean not just phyiscally but mentally too.  It's time to give yourself an overhaul.

Yoga Class

At J.R.T we offer a regular Tuesday morning yoga class.  Several of you have expressed interest in attending, so maybe this is the month to do so.  Anna runs a class at 11.30am every Tuesday and is a very experienced yoga teacher with a real passion for yoga and well being.  She finishes with a lovely little meditation at the end after a thorough yoga workout.

Sound Meditation

Our regular sound meditation session has moved from the Saturday evening to Thursday evening.  It runs every three weeks.  If it's a little too long to wait inbetween sessions, you can also organise your own private group or individual session.

Sound meditation is a wonderful way of soothing the mind and body.  A way to switch off, to let go, to clear the thoughts and find that inner stillness.  Through the range of different instruments being played, it creates a rhythmical and cleansing space.  Sound meditation is ideal for people who struggle to meditate as before you know it, you've drifted off to a floating calmness.  It's ideal for people who've never meditated before or find it hard to switch off.

Benefits of Meditation - How to get started

I think many of us know the benefits of meditation, that it helps to reduce stress levels, provide mental clarity, enhances self awareness, allows you to think better and be less consumed and controlled by emotions.  Clients often ask me about how to meditate, as although they like the idea of it, they find it hard to do.  

To get started with meditation, it can help to have something to focus upon, some people use a candle flame others use an image on the wall.  By looking at the object and staying focused upon it, so that you are in the moment, the mind can begin to clear.  If you're struggling, you can focus on the breathing.  It can help to set an alarm so that you're only meditating for a few minutes to begin with and by having the alarm you can resist the temptation to see how long you have been meditating for.  In the beginning, meditating can feel long when it has only been 2 minutes.  

Setting yourself the intention of meditating for 5 minutes to begin with and three times a week are more realistic plans than trying to meditate everyday and so you're more likely to stick to this.   You can then build it up as time goes on. Music can sometimes help and it's always best to find a quiet place where you're not likely to be interrupted.

Goal Setting

Whilst January is often a key time for setting those goals and intentions, February is the perfect time too.  Pyshologists say that we are more likely to keep up the goals we set in February as opposed to the ones we make at the beginning of the year.  With goal setting, it's always best to set goals that may push you somewhat out of your comfort zone but are also realistic, so no goal setting that you'll go to the moon this year!  

If you set yourself between 5 - 7 goals for the year, it gives you a more achievable time limit to complete them within and doesn't leave you feeling overwhelmed.  You can review the goals on a monthly or regular basis to see how you're progressing towards completing them and if any need changing out as sometimes the things we thought we wanted, we no longer do. It helps to set monthly steps to work towards your goals so that you are making the practical steps to achieving them.  Perhaps there are goals and intentions you've had that you've been putting off and you could make them your target for the year.  Mine will be to work on my strength and flexibility as overall strength is so important for us.

Finishing for the wedding

As many of you know, i am getting married this month.  It's been a busy and hectic time to get here but we are looking forward to the celebrations ahead.  This will be my last full working week before i finish on the 9th Feb.  It will resume work from 21st Feb.  So if you do want a session before the wedding and my 10 days off, then send me a message and will get you booked in.  Sessions are filling fast.

That's all for this month.  Hope everyone has a great February😊