“It’s the small changes that can help transform your life…” Bharti Vyas
Spring is the perfect time to reset your life and make those perhaps small but important changes in your life that will truly enhance your health and well being.
We give you our top tips on detoxing your mind body and spirit, so you can release the old and welcome the new and truly put a spring in your step.
These can overlap whatever age you are, but the important thing to do is take time out to step back, reassess your lifestyle and plan on what you need to do.
Mind
In today’s society, in which we lead such hectic and busy lives, where our minds seem to be switched in 24/7. Having access to the internet and social media can have a profound effect on our health and well-being.
Mind reset
So how can we start our reset?
De clutter your environment: Get rid of or reassess your environment. Offload items that no longer fit or that you’ve fallen out of love with, take them to a charity shop or a recycling bank.
Give your room / house a good clean: Open the windows to let old stale air out and let fresh air circulate to let fresh air in to uplift the room. If possible move things around, change the direction your pillows are facing, buy new bed linen, wash your curtains and even rotating your mattress can make a difference.
Be a minimalist and remove excess clutter: Don’t have clothes lying around or things on the floor. Tuck away chairs and box things like toys.
Practice mindfulness meditation: Sounds complicated but it is essential to take time out of your day to do nothing, even if it is 10 minutes of just emptying your mind being still. If you can set aside the same time daily, you will train your mind to ‘re wire’ and learn to be still. Priti Vyas , Cognitive Behavioural Hypnotherapist at Bharti Vyas, suggests you use the ONE technique.
- Find a place where you will not be disturbed for 10 minutes at least. You don’t have to be lying down. Even if it is a park bench or a comfortable chair.
- Get comfortable, then take three slow deep breaths in and out, with each breath take one big deep breath in and hold for 7 seconds then release through your mouth for 7 seconds.
- Close your eyes and become aware of your breathing and how it slowing down. Focus on that breath.
Then choose a word, it can be as simple a word as ONE. Other words are love, breathe, OM, peace or calm.
- Repeat the word over and over. If any thoughts come in to your mind, stop, let them pass and start again. Soon the word will just become a word. You will notice that with practice you will get to that place free of interfering thoughts.
De clutter negative people around you who bring you down: Surround yourself with positive people, who uplift you and don’t make you feel negative. There is a difference for being there for people, and being the person they come to moan with. Negative people can have a negative effect on you and bring you down with them.
Watch things on social media or TV that uplift your mood: Watching the news can get you down and send you to sleep in a negative frame of mind. Watch things that make you laugh or interest and relax you.
Body
Eat well, move well and sleep well.
A healthy body is a healthy mind and it is really important to give your food the nourishment it needs. As we age what our body needs can differ, so we need to adjust our diet accordingly. Here are just a few…
Teens, 20’s and 30’s
Lifestyles might include moving to higher education, starting a new job, perhaps settling down, having children, buying or renting a house or getting married. Growing bills, higher stress levels, work pressures. Probably working hard and playing hard too!
Skin: Every ten years our body naturally changes and it as this time that we start to become aware of small changes in our skin and hair. The hormonal changes can have an impact of our skin; we will often hear how clients had blemish free skin in their teens but find that in their 30’s they are having a break out of spots, getting constipated , feeling physically tired and stressed.
What to do?
Cut out wheat and dairy for 12 weeks from your diet; then cut back on the amount you eat. Wheat can become stodgy in your system and effect the way your body assimilates vitamins and minerals. This can make the skin look dull and lifeless. Dairy can heighten the skins sensitivity.
Drink a glass of warm water on an empty stomach in the morning and a glass before you go to bed. Then throughout the day, take sips of water. This is a great way to help ‘flush out’ your system.
Avoid eating foods that are too acidic like tomatoes, processed foods, dairy, oranges and peaches.
Choose lacto free milk or almond milk instead of soya milk. Soya mimics oestrogen, cause an imbalance in the body.
Keep moving: You are probably at your fitness peak, so make sure you regularly do some form of exercise, running or speed walking is really good for you as well as being a great way to release stress releasing hormones into your body.
Connect your mind and body – A great way to this is by practicing yoga. There are many types, find a practice that suits you. Hatha Yoga is a more slower focussed exercise focus on breathing, where Kundalini is more active.
Cognitive Behavioural hypnotherapy: If you’ve not tried hypnotherapy give it a go. It can teach you to re programme your mind and help you to take control of the way you think, feel and react to stresses in your life.
Vitamins : Zinc and magnesium supplements are great for the skin
Iron supplements can be beneficial if you suffer from tiredness or heavy periods
Beauty Treatments : It is important to invest in your skin as looking after it now, will really help it long term. Every month have a good facial, one in which the therapist can work on your circulation, keep it free of dead cells. The therapist can extract any spots or whiteheads and focus on helping to maintain good skin health. Our most popular treatment is the BVM Microdermabrasion Facial or our IPL Facial.
Home routine
Polish daily: If there is a build-up of dead skin cells on the face our body it can block pores and allow bacteria to breed on the skin as well prevent it from doing its job of excreting toxins. If these toxins build it up it can speed up the skins ageing process. Use our MD Aloe Polisher, which contains pearl and diamond shavings will gently cleanse and remove dead cells, stimulate circulation and reduce any stagnation in the skin, so preventing spots and scarring. Once you have cleansed with the polisher apply some Meso Serum, which will speed up the skin’s healing process and hydrate it. Finish off with the Super Aloe Moisturiser. Use during the day, to help protect and nourish the skin.
40’s, 50’s and 60’s
Lifestyle: In our 40’s and 50’s we are well into the stride of working hard, bringing up children, running a home and seeing growing bills. As we get into our 60’s we are ready to wind down as the children fly the coop and we are in a better position to do more pleasurable activities like travelling or semi retiring. All of these seem to happen so fast and often we neglect ourselves as we focus on keeping our lives balanced.
General health and skin: These are the years we start noticing those fine lines and wrinkles. We also start noticing how tired we are beginning to look and feel. These years are when you body starts to prepare for the menopause and this change in hormonal levels can have a huge impact on your body. Insomnia an increase in stress and anxiety, lethargy, depression are just a few. We see clients who complain of having recurring colds/ coughs, stress headaches, water retention, stiff joints, back ache, thinning hair. If you have used harsh products in their younger years, it can show by thinning, sensitive skin, which might be prone to red veins. Stress and hormone changes can stimulate skin changes, for example, skin tags and hyper pigmentation
What to do?
Hormones are the biggest factors in our 40’s and 50’s so it is worth focusing on a diet that will have a balancing effect on the body
Eat more nuts and seeds – Nuts and seeds are packed with minerals and vitamins. Including magnesium and Vitamin E. Keep a bag of mixed nuts and seeds to snack on during the day…the best ones are almonds, brazil nuts, hazelnuts, walnuts and cashew nuts . Seeds including chia, flax, sesameseeds are good sources of fibre and omega 3, 6 and 9.
Stay away from soya based foods: Soya can replicate oestrogen in the body, which can increase the effects of hormonal change in the body. Try Almond milk, lacto free, rice, or goats milk instead.
Reduce the three S’s stimulants, sugar and salt.
Keep Moving: Swimming, cycling and walking are great exercises to help calm your system and boost circulation. One thing to remember is to do it regularly. Even if you do it for 10 mins 2 x a day it will help.
Yoga and pilates: Excellent mind body exercises to strengthen your core and help you deal with stress and anxiety.
Herbs and Vitamins: Later in life we see a lot of people with high blood pressure, cholesterol and arthritic pains, Garlic and turmeric are both great herbs to take regularly ( speak to a health care specialist when buying them, if you have any medical conditions.
Skin care: Keep it simple: Due to hormonal changes the skin can become sensitive and unpredictable. As we age, our skin tends to become thinner and prone to hyper pigmentation and dehydration.
Use our Harmonising cleansing Face Therapy Oil packed with aromatherapy oils to help balance and nourish your skin. Follow with our Face & Neck Polisher, to polish away the excess oil left on the surface and stimulate the skin. Rinse off, and use the Extra Serum, with hyaluronic acid to help plump up fine lines and wrinkles. Finish off the Super Aloe Moisturiser with SPF to protect your skin. In the evening use Bharti’s Special Oil to nourish the skin. It contains Saffron, hemp, argon and rose-hip to oil to name a few healing and nourishing aromatherapy oils.
Body – Many people find it hard to sleep due to tired aching legs or general body pains or find that their skin looks dull and life less they get tired. Use our Salt Scrub scrub on dry skin every night to slough off those dead cells, stimulate circulation and loosen up ingrown hairs! As well as containing essential therapy oils the Dead Sea Salts used at the scrub will heal and stimulate the skin.
Beauty Treatments – go for the more Anti-aging treatment to boost your skins health but also your confidence. There are fantastic non surgical treatments on the market that will help you maintain youthful vibrant skin. It is worth investing in regular treatments to maintain a healthy skin as often one hit wonder treatments do not maintain healthy skin – our most popular treatments are the HIFU (High intensity Frequency ultrasound) treatment, which is the closest thing to a face lift! Or the High Frequency or Super Facial, which all work on different levels to stimulate the skin. With all our facials in the salon, we use the Flowtron lymphatic boots, which are placed on your legs, to stimulate your body’s lymphatic circulation, which will help boost your immune system and general well being.
Remember, the whole idea of a reset is to reassess where you are at and what you need. It can be one thing or a combination but it is about you taking that time to focus on you..and don’t forget you can always email us or call us on 0207 935 5312 if you need any advice…