As stresses in my life started to pile up, I noticed that my sleep quality took a steep downward spiral. I managed to be perpetually exhausted, yet stubbornly unable to sleep. A winning combo I’m sure you’ll agree!

What historically came very easily to me… now required a bit more effort. And so began my love of evening rituals

Over the past four months or so, I’ve made a huge effort to re-train my brain to slow down a bit to support the healing of my body. Again, I don’t want to be boring but let’s just recap briefly. I live with chronic back pain, it makes me very tired but in a cruel twist of fate, it also makes it very hard to physically and mentally let go

Meditation is the habitual process of training your mind to focus and redirect your thoughts. It has a host of physical, mental and emotional benefits from reducing stress, to tackling anxiety, increasing attention spans, improving sleep quality and promoting self-esteem. Basically, it’s like the ultimate spa retreat for your mind.

But how is it that we never have the time to practice a thing with such an impressive rostrum of benefits?

Ever in my pursuit of relaxing experiences, you can imagine my elation to hear of a local Gong Bath in a lovely little studio near where I live. There’s something magical about the sound of a “gong bath,” or is that just me?!

A treatment feels like a wonderful glowing radiance that flows through and around you. Reiki treats the whole person including body, emotions, mind and spirit creating many beneficial effects that include relaxation and feelings of peace, security and wellbeing.

Do you know how to rest? I thought I did.

But it’s only since learning what rest truly feels like for my body I’ve realised I never ever achieved proper rest. Not even close.

Gua Sha may be the latest trend in skincare circles, but it’s certainly nothing new. In fact, the use of curved stones as massage or to support ailments dates back to the Paleolithic Age, aka really old! Skip forward a few centuries and there are many historical records from the Ming Dynasty in China detailing the use of Gua Sha for medicinal purposes in the 14th century.