Alex Hurt Weavers’ House Spa Director explores how to really unplug and invest in yourself
Aren’t we all online? I don’t mean actually logged on to a computer, but online in life. We are consistently plugged in with our browsers open. Isn’t it exhausting? Doesn’t it feel like that search engine wheel continuously running and loading the next screen? As I can only exist in my own mind and not in yours, I can only share my thoughts and the insights we get working with our spa guests. We are all ‘wired’ in.
I appreciate that everyone’s thought processes are different, but I assure you the one thing we all have in common is that very few of us live in the present. I have talked a lot in my blogs about ‘the importance of being present’, so I won’t repeat myself, however I often have to remind myself to relax and just be.
As long-term member of the ‘anxiety club’, I am permanently tense. You wouldn’t know, and that is case with most ‘secret life members’ of my club. In fact, even when we sleep, we are tense, and we wake up exhausted and achy - sound familiar?
Sleep is our escape, restorative time to renew our cells and switch off - if you can. So how can we really unwind, seriously switch off and focus purely on self-therapy, free of digital distractions? You will need the following ingredients:
30 minutes to yourself
A download of your preferred ‘tinkly’ music
A bath or shower
A relaxing blend of body oil or an aromatherapy burner (lavender, geranium, vetiver all recommended)
Comfy lounge clothes or PJs
Space for a cat like stretch
So, you have been plugged in all day, thoughts running through your busy mind and you are time poor, the last thing you have time for is this list… and that’s where you are drastically going wrong. In fact, you can’t imagine how much more productive you will be if you only invested this 30 minutes every day in yourself.
Leave your phone in another room, fire up your chosen ‘tinkly tunes’ and take a bath or shower. Breathe. This isn’t about cleansing, this is about relaxation, feel the warm water massage your muscles and clear your mind from thoughts. Apply or prepare your choice of relaxation oils, don your comfy lounge gear and head to your space for stretching.
Sit cross legged on the floor, breathe in right down to your belly, and exhale slowly through your mouth. Imagine yourself with roots, being grounded like a tree, continue your deep breathing and listen to the soothing sounds. Perform your chosen stretches floor bound and then finish either sitting or lying down. Clear your mind, this isn’t when you plan doing your laundry. Zone out.
Guaranteed, you’ll have an improved sleep and a spring in your step the following day. There is no better investment than yourself.
My chosen oil is Temple Spa’s Driftaway relaxing bathing and massage oil paired with a spritz of Quietude - for those Weavers’ connoisseurs this will smell like the spa! I also use Scentered Escape balm - packed with oud, frankincense and sandalwood, its perfect for balancing the emotions, and I don’t leave home without it - a permanent fixture in my handbag.
If you need a heave ho in the direction of relaxation and a better night’s sleep, we have also just launched our Sleep-Well Massage. This lovingly created sleeping pill of a treatment is the feather touch you need for sweeter dreams.
For more details, visit our website www.theswanatlavenham.co.uk/spa, call 01787 246 246 or email weavers@theswanatlavenham.co.uk.