Mindfulness

In a world of daily stress, anxieties and expectation, the human mind can often come under a lot of pressure which directly affects our mood, making us less positive and self assured. Meditation has a profound, rich and calming effect on the human body and is said to clear our minds and advocate feelings of peace and a sense of awareness. It is a chance to tap into an abundance of creative energy that is said to give a more meaningful experience of life that will enrich us permanently.

Christmas may be fun but it can also be a hectic time of the year thanks to all the parties, shopping and festive preparations. Most of us will drink and eat too much and the season may have a not-so-festive effect on our health, predominantly energy levels, digestion and immune system. So as well as indulging in the festive fun, make sure you also make time for your overall wellness by keeping fit and staying healthy. 

Women are blessed with the awe-inspiring duty of endowing a new life unto the world. Often called “The Miracle of Life,” this phase of a women’s life is regarded as the most life-changing mile stone for good reason. Women go through changes ranging from physical, emotional, and spiritual while being keenly aware of what it means to give birth to their own little child, therefore, nothing is more important than ensuring their baby starts out happy and healthy. However, this concern for a healthy new-born can sometimes be all engrossing and an impediment to a healthy pregnancy as early research indicates the more stress the mother exhibits during development, the higher likelihood the baby will present anxiety and attention difficulties at birth. Luckily, we offer programmes to relax and prepare you for a healthy birth during the fragile stages of pregnancy. Here are our top mum-to-be spa wellness breaks.

Change your life in ways you may never have thought possible on The Mind Makeover Retreat™. Led by international master of mind-improvement and celebrity coach, Steve McKeown, this ground-breaking wellness retreat promotes positive mental well-being and launches this September at the luxurious Macdonald Monchique Resort & Spa, in the western Algarve.

The mind and body have an intimate bond – the way you think or feel can have a profound impact on your physical health. Your body has specific ways of responding to different emotions, often referred to as a somatic response. Turning our spotlight on stress, when upset or anxious, your body reacts congruently, telling you that something isn’t quite right. Call it evolutionary advantage; a physical manifestation waving a red flag when something inside you goes haywire. On the downside, when left uncheck, this opens us up to a number of health risks, with some more detrimental than others. Negative emotions cause negative effects in our bodies and in the same vein, good feelings and positive emotions have positive and therapeutic effects, with the potential to heal us and make us healthier and happier inside out.

Diving deeper into the topic, here, we expound on a few points to further explore the mind-body connection and it’s relation to our health.

Stress is the 21st Century version of a health epidemic. At its’ subtlest level, stress will ruin your day; but at its most harmful, it’ll ruin much more than that – your self-value, relationships, sleep, and health. The worst thing is, we often don’t notice how stress creeps up on us. So isn’t it about time to fight back and address it ourselves?

Searching for a mindful makeover in a dream destination? Look no further as whatever your wellness whim, create some headspace and combine mindful living with a fitness practice for the ultimate mind and body experience. From oriental palm-fringed retreats in Thailand and secluded jungle stays in Sri Lanka to beachside tropical escapes in the Caribbean and luxury hotels fit-for-royalty in Spain, our new collection of Mindful Triathlon Holidays is available in 15 stunning locations around the world, offering an ideal wellness escape for the health-conscious traveller.

Stress is the ultimate 21st century syndrome. It can creep in at any moment and can be caused by almost anything in your life, whether it's work, family or your social life.  Although stress is perfectly natural it needs to be kept under control as excessive amounts can be harmful not only to your body and mind, but can also lead to unhealthy habits, such as over eating and smoking.

 What led you to discover meditation and mindfulness?

I spent a lot of time in the pool as a teenager, training as a competitive swimmer. My coach would always talk about the power of the mind over the body, so I was always aware of how I was thinking and looking to maintain positive mental attitude. I got injured at 17, and had to stop swimming. That was a huge period of confusion and depression. My whole identity was wrapped up in being an athlete and performing. If I couldn’t do that, who was I?

By re-connecting your mind and body with the present, the practice of meditation and mindfulness can help to work through destructive thought processes. Although these should not be viewed as an alternative to medication or therapy, there is research to suggest that mindfulness and meditation retreats may be able to help treat depression.

Daniela Herzberg

Daniela Herzberg is a Life Coach, Nutritionist and certified Feng Shui and Chinese Astrology consultant from Abama Golf & Spa Resort in Tenerife, and is responsible for the award-winning Abama Total Wellness programme. Together with her partner she founded 5-elementos.com, a widely known internet portal for healthy living. Her comprehensive knowledge about the Chinese philosophies is a result of her work with Derek Walters, one of the most respected Feng Shui masters in the world and several other internationally renowned teachers.

When we think of mindfulness, and the process of becoming self-aware of our emotions, thoughts, feelings and senses, most of us envision a method of passive meditation. Although this may ring true when practiced by its founding Buddhists, the reality is, we do not need to be physically still and shut away from the world to find our inner-calmness. In today’s fast-paced society where finding a spare hour (or six) is nigh on impossible, this is most certainly a good thing! Active mindfulness is concerned with maintaining an introspective state of consciousness whilst engaging in everyday activities. Still a bit confused? The following guide turns a spotlight on mindfulness, complete with key tips on how to practice and apply it to your life.

Yoga, spa holidays and meditation retreats are just some examples of the popular wellness activities that tourists are looking to take part in, or are even the sole purposes for their travel.  Meditation helps you to de-stress from contemporary life, re-energise your mind, body and soul, and revitalise your way of thinking.  If you’re planning on travelling to the most remote parts of the world on a meditation retreat to become healthier, or somewhere closer to home, we recommend these steps to help prepare yourself for your spiritual journey.

The mind and body have an intimate bond – the way you think or feel can have a profound impact on your physical health. Your body has specific ways of responding to different emotions. When upset or under stress, your body reacts, telling you that something isn’t quite right. Call it evolutionary advantage; a physical manifestation waving a red flag when something inside you goes haywire. On the downside, when left unchecked, this opens us up to a number of health risks, with some more detrimental than others.

According to new research by Professor Siegfiend Lehrl of the University of Erlangen in Germany, a specialist in mental performance, taking a two week fly and flop holiday, particularly a hot one, can lower your IQ by as much as 20 points because inactivity reduces oxygen to the brain. Add dehydration caused by heat and alcohol into the equation and brain cell volume may decrease by up to 15%, according to the article in the Daily Telegraph.

Aircrafts above us, cars next to us and building sites surrounding us; the modern urbanized world is overflowing with noise pollution that is destructive to our health and well-being. It is therefore no surprise that people long for silence and tranquillity to bring clarity to their lives. The thought of spending time in complete silence, as you sometimes would on a meditation retreat, can seem intimidating and daunting at first; but if you familiarize yourself with the topic, you will discover how useful and important this is for modern society.

Get more out of your next holiday than a fly-and-flop week spent vegetating on the beach. Utilise that precious ‘me time’ by learning a new skill and achieving a life goal that will benefit you long after you get home on a healthy holiday to enhance your life. At Health and Fitness Travel we will whisk you away on an overseas adventure that combines learning together with improving your physical, mental and spiritual well-being.

With National Stress Awareness Month held every April since 1992, during this annual thirty day period, health care professionals and experts join forces to increase public awareness about both the causes and cures of the modern day stress epidemic. Encouraging people to embrace a healthier lifestyle through stress management wellness holidays, our specialist retreats offer a focused solution and an escape from the daily grind. With an all-encompassing approach covering diet, exercise and lifestyle management, our stress management wellness retreats are designed to manage stress long-term through specific lifestyle changes.

by Toby Maguire

A Taoist Master

Is it possible to develop our concentration so that we can work more efficiently and prevent our mind from being distracted? Is it possible to control our thoughts rather than let our thoughts control us? Is it possible to learn how to let go of negative emotions such as depression, fear, anxiety, stress and anger?  Is it possible to improve our memory, learn things more quickly and become a more calm, friendly and confident person?