The Body Retreat - Page 6 of 11

What to expect at a Women Only Weight Loss Retreat

If you are thinking about attending a women’s weight loss retreat (not just a Body Retreat one… although of course we think we are the best), you will probably have a few questions as to whether it will be suitable for you, There a lot of options out there, from weight loss bootcamp to weight loss holiday the choice seems vast so the following information may help you make your decision.

First of all, note that a “women’s weight loss retreat“ will mean different things to different people, no matter whether they are running the retreat or attending it! We all have different ideas and expectations, so, you will need to do your research first to ensure you find the retreat that is most suitable for you.

Questions to Consider when choosing a Weight Loss Retreat:

What sort of events / activities will you be taking part in? Are they a mix of cardio, plus high and low impact exercise to not only burn those calories off, but shape and tone your body too? A variety of exercises and activities will help keep you engaged in what you are doing, so you (should!) enjoy them more;
How big are the groups at each retreat? Obviously, the smaller the groups, the more personalised and individual attention you will get – helping you to achieve your goals that much quicker and prevent the likelihood of injury;
Also who else is attending the retreat? Often the staff on Women Only Retreats are male and its not unheard of for advertised women only to take men, so ask the question. Is it a mixed retreat, could you be the only female in the group? Will you be in good company that can help and support you or is the environment competitive and strict?
What sort of diet will you be on? Some retreats will severely restrict your calories or put you on to a liquid only diet. Others, such as ourselves, provide tasty and nutritionally sound meals that provide the foundations to helping you shed the unnecessary weight – and maintain that weight loss;
Is the focus purely on losing weight, or does the retreat programme include looking at all areas of your health and well-being? For example, our weight loss retreats are designed to help you think about the relationship between your lifestyle, weight, nutrition and health – and creating a balance.
What is the age range on the retreat? Not only of the clients but also the instructors and experts. You will want to feel comfortable and have common ground with those around you.
And last but by no means least, what results can you expect to gain and maintain? This is an important question because the truth is that when you eat less and move more you will lose weight, but will you continue to lose or maintain the weight loss? Read the testimonials, ask to speak to a past client so you can find out for yourself what the post programme support helped them to achieve.

What happens at The Body Retreat Weight Loss Retreat?

There are a few things that make our retreats different to some others – our groups are small for a personalised service and we have an online support community after the event where you can talk to other women who have been, or are going on, the same life changing journey as you.

Ours is a holistic approach, and all our retreats are based on our 4 Pillars of Wellbeing, they are Behaviour, Nutrition, Exercise and R&R so our days are balanced to ensure that you have the time you need to not only make change but to really embed it so that it becomes habitual.

The experts we have chosen to support us on our retreat are women who have studied female health and wellbeing extensively, they have years of experience and more than that as all our team are women they understand the nuances of the journey each women makes to achieving the body and fitness she wants and deserves. You can be confident that you are always in the very best care.

And last but by no means least The Body Retreat venues offer you every comfort and luxury you would expect at a spa retreat, from the spa facilities, power showers and deep bath tubs, fluffy bathrobes and towels through to beautiful healthy food that not only is a delight for your eyes and tastebuds. We have designed a unique retreat experience that is based on results but hasn’t neglected pleasure and relaxation.

What is a typical day like on Weight Loss Retreat?

Depending on the type of weight loss retreat you are attending, a typical day may consist of around 8 hours of different activities – for example, a variety of toning and cardio activities such as circuits, Nordic walking, kettlebells, pilates, yoga, and boxing etc as well as health, nutrition and well- being workshops. Most retreats will have an early start with exercise before breakfast, we start our days with our Wake Up Workout, a short and snappy workout deigned to wake your metabolism and get you into fat burning straight away.

On some retreats you will be exercising outside all day. We try to get outdoors as much as possible (weather permitting) and show you how you can exercise and get fit without the need for lots of equipment or gym memberships. We are also lucky to have indoor exercise areas so that if…or should that be when the good old British weather lets us down we can still follow a full programme dry and safe from the elements.

Our venues have a pool and most have sauna, hot tub and steam room, so as well as take part in aqua aerobics sessions or pool workouts you can also have a leisurely swim and relax those muscles at the end of the day.

R&R is a very important part of making change stick, you will work hard on a Weight Loss Retreat and there will be challenges and change to overcome, so having time every day to relax, enjoy a complimentary massage treatment, have time to reflect on your decision to join the retreat, just have time for you …when was the last time you had time just for you?

While the other ladies at the weight loss retreat will be people just like you, you don’t have to worry about needing your own space. It is up to you as to how sociable you are during your free time. Some of our ladies will go off to their room for a hot bath and to watch the TV while others may sit together and chat over a herbal tea – it’s your choice!

At The Body Retreat, we don’t advocate any diet, diets do not work! What does work is making a healthy conscious choice that is just right for you and your body. Making a positive healthy choice because you want to, because you care about your body. And anyway, life is too short to spend it worrying about what to eat and not eat…or worse eating bland tasteless food in the quest for weight loss. When I hear of the latest Diet trend I’m always reminded of a great quote by Dolly Parton

“I tried every diet in the book. I tried some that weren’t in the book.

I tried eating the book. It tasted better than most of the diets.”

Dolly-Parton-It-s-All-Wrong-But-Banner-I4-N5TF-KJF8-SA9M-orig

Our retreat workshops will help you identify just what aspects of your life are influencing your weight and fitness choices. Lifestyle is a generic concept that encompasses a range of factors, all of which are important to understand and take control of if you are to start to improve your body and the way you feel about it.

There is more to a Weight Loss Retreat than “Eat Less & Move More”

So, you see a Weight Loss Retreat is more than simply doing exercises and learning about eating the right sort of foodstuffs. It is about establishing mechanisms to empower you to start having more self-confidence and to do things differently in terms of your overall lifestyle.

If this all sounds a little theoretical, then be reassured that at our retreats there’s lots of emphasis on fun and practicality! This is about groups of women coming together to participate in sessions that have been designed by women and for women, with the ultimate objective of helping you achieve your goals.

Whatever your age or fitness level ,or long term goal you are likely to find the approach here at The Body Retreat to be thorough, practical and above all enjoyable!

I hope you found this article helpful to support you in asking the right questions and making the right choice for a Weight Loss Retreat that works for you.

And if you ave any questions about our women only weight loss retreat, don’t hesitate to ask 🙂

Good Luck

Ditch the Diets…7 Healthy Ways to Eat Less

We hate Diets at The Body Retreat!

Now both in our 40’s and like a lot of the ladies who join us now on our Weight Loss Retreats we have both been through the gambit of almost every Diet going, The F-Plan, The Cabbage Soup Diet, Weight Watchers, Atkins, The South Beach Diet, The Dukan Diet, The 5:2 plan…… the list goes on and on and on. We are yet to meet a happy Dieter. The idea that excluding whole food groups or by meticulously weighting and measuring every mouthful is going to make you healthy let alone happy is really quite ridiculous to us.

What diets do is set individuals up for disappointment and dysfunctional relationship with food and yet it is almost a national pastime. Every new Diet fad to hit the shelves brings with it a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe this will be the one.

The problem is that chronic dieting can actually lead to weight gain in the long term, as metabolism and hormones are thrown out of balance. So, women have been left feeling unhappy about their weight and their bodies. They are confused about what they can and cannot eat and when they should eat it. Should they fast, or graze, or stick to three square meals a day? Is fat the enemy or is it now sugar? Many see the plethora of Diet foods available in he supermarkets as the answer, after all its all weighed and measured for you, surely those who produce the meals will know what is good. Yet the unwanted and unnecessary weight stays put. Diets don’t work in the long term, they are not deigned to be a way of life.

At The Body Retreat no real whole food is off limits. Following the 80/20 principle we advocate that you cut the CRAP from your diet. 80% of the time you eat clean and as close to nature as possible. Choosing meals based on meat, fish, grains, pulses, fruit and veggies with small amounts of diary and good fats. Then 20% of the time you enjoy eating whatever you like…literally. No points, no syns and most importantly no guilt!!

You can read more about the 80/20% Principle for Weight Loss here.

On our Weight Loss Retreats we look to empower women to regain control of their health first. Making conscious choices that respect and protect their body, learning to listen to what the body really wants and needs. When you put health first, weight loss will follow.

Our 7 Healthy Ways to Eat Less is a great place to start to build a better relationship with food while at the same time supporting your body to shed the weight that is unnecessary for it.

1. Only Eat When You are Truly Hungry.

How often have you confused hunger with thirst or emotion. Very often we eat when we are not really hungry and so it is difficult to hear the “I’m satisfied” signal from your tummy. This can easily lead to overeating and weight gain. Learn to listen to your body and only eat when you are truly hungry.

2. Eat Real Food.

If you can pick it, plant it or catch it then eat it. If the ingredients sound like a school chemistry experiment then stay well clear. I know that many of you will say “but I don’t have time to prepare and cook real food” but healthy food doesn’t have to be long winded. Scramble some eggs, grill a piece of fish or throw a potato in the oven. Yes it will take some time to get used to a new way of preparing food, but it is change that is well worth making the effort in the first instance.

3. Eat Protein with Every Main Meal.

Protein is more satisfying than carbohydrates. Getting enough protein helps preserve muscle mass and encourages fat burning while keeping you feeling full. So be sure to include healthy protein sources, like good organic meat, fish or dairy, nuts, or beans at meals.

4. Use a Smaller Plate.

Did you know that the average dinner plate has grown from 9 inches to 14-16 inches? Not to mention those lovely bistro bowls that are so popular now, you know there really deep ones so you can get all your delicious sauce to stay put. In their infinite wisdom some marketing chap decided that they can make more money selling us bigger plates and so the average dinner plate has evolved into something quite huge. The trouble is, is that your tummy hasn’t evolved to keep up, our stomach is the size of our own clenched fist. So in any one sitting you should not eat more than what would fill your clenched fist. Choosing to eat from a smaller plate helps your brian to become accustomed to less food without feeling deprived as a full plate sends a signal to the brain that you are having a full meal.

5. Sit Down & Pay Attention.

When you do eat you want to eat mindful of the healthy nutritious foods you have chosen. You want your body to have the time it needs to properly digest the foods so that you get the maximum energy and nutrition from every bite. So don’t eat on the go, sit down, even if its only for 5-10 minutes. Pay attention to the food on your plate and most importantly when its in your mouth. Chew slowly, really savour every mouthful.

6. Put Your Cutlery Down Between Each Mouthful.

This is one of the healthy habits we adopt on all our Body Retreats. Putting your cutlery down between each mouthful slows down your eating by about 25% therefore giving you time to properly digest the food and very importantly allowing time for the “I’m Satisfied” signal to reach your brain telling you to stop eating.

7. No Water While You Eat

Back in the day I can remember specifically being told that drinking lots of water with every meal made you feel full up faster and so you didn’t eat as much. True..BUT..and its a big BUT here.. the water you drink is absorbed in about 15 minutes and so you are left feeling unsatisfied and more likely to snack on fattening foods later in the day. Also drinking water at meal times dilutes your digestive enzymes and so your body is not able to get the maximum nutrition form the foods you have chosen, so it is kind of a lose, lose situation. Drink right up until you start eating and stop until about 15/20 mins after you have finished your meal.

Follow these simple 7 Healthy Steps to Eat Less and you will soon notice a huge difference in not only your waist line, but in your energy levels and digestive health too.

It really is time to ditch the diets and instead focus on making healthy choices about what we put into our body, because we care about our body, because we care about ourselves.

Ditch the Diet

What do you think? I’d love to hear your experience of dieting or even better how you quit dieting and started losing weight. Please leave me a comment in the box at the bottom and if you know a serial dieter who would benefit form reading this blog then please do share it with them…a ll you need to do is click the social media button and woos its done.

Beauty….It Is More Than Skin Deep

We have all heard the quote “Beauty is only skin deep” and with the average British woman spending £2,500 on beauty products every year it would seem to confirm this.

But the reality couldn’t be further from the truth. Beauty is a lot more than just skin deep.

Confession of a Beauty Product Junkie

Now, let me start this article with an admission…I used to be a beauty product junkie. Having previously spent 5 years working for a french beauty company I learnt a lot about how the skins works, how certain product ingredients work and what techniques and process make products work better. Combined with an almost pathological fear of developing jowls (my maternal grandmother had them…so they are on their way!!!) I bought into every new firming beauty product developed. In my 20’s I was using products marketed at 40 year olds, now I’m in my 40’s my skin care habit had become very expensive. No off the supermarket shelf products for me by now my beauty habit needs a bigger fix than that.

Every day we are bombard by marketing messages urging us to part with our hard earned cash and buy the latest anti-aging beauty products to help us conform to the current vision of what a beautiful woman looks like. Don’t you want to look like Cheryl, Isabella, Julia?? Perhaps this is little pot of cream could be just the answer.

Then I met our lead therapist Pippa and I got a beauty wake up call. Pippa had been working with us at The Body Retreat for almost a year when chatting together one day she revealed that she was in fact older than me. I was shocked, because I had always assumed that Pippa was in her late 20’s….maybe early 30’s at a push. As I looked very very very closely at her face I couldn’t quite believe what I was hearing. She looked radiant, glowing, her skin all firm and plump, her hair was glossy and her eyes sparkled and she didn’t have a pick of make up on. My next thought was..I need what ever product she is using and I need it now!

But there was no magic product. There was just ….and I use the term “just” ironically…. there was just a healthy lifestyle. Pippa was careful to eat clean foods, was active, got a good amount of sleep, she also liked to do yoga outside if possible every day, she naturally had a great skincare routine but rather than buy expensive products she used home made treatments for her skin. My first thought was it sounded a little hippy for a product junkie like myself. Or does it!

The Inside is more Important that the Outside

For me it was a light bulb moment. Here I was spending the price of a decent pair of shoes on a face cream to apply on the outside when the inside wasn’t in tip top condition. Its a bit like buying expensive wall paper and papering over a cracked wall. Its only going to look good for a short while, but the cracks will make themselves known very quickly. The same is true of lotions and potions, they cannot undo the impact of an unhealthy body.

How we look is more affected by what we eat and how we think than any amount of expensive creams and serums. Think about it, you know the pained face of someone who is ill, the weathered expression of someone who is a heavy smoker, the pale and drawn complexion of someone who is very stressed. You can recognise the signs of compromised health in yourself, dry skin, breakouts, course hair, dark circles under the eyes, flaking or weak nails.

There are a multitude of aggressors that make us feel and look years older than we really are, poor digestion, crash diets, high stress levels, food allergies, hormone imbalances to name but a few all contribute to compromised health and can actually increased inflammation with in turn speeds up the ageing process.

Beauty starts not with a wrinkle or in my case jowl free face but with a healthy digestive system and a calm mind.

If you want to improve the condition of your skin you need to start by improving the condition of your digestion. Right now you can literally begin to eat yourself beautiful. Begin to decrease the toxic load that processed and fast foods have on your system while at the same time increase the amount of antioxidant , vitamins and minerals you do eat on a daily basis. Learn to rebalance your stress levels and make time every day to be calm, even if it is only a for a couple of minutes. You skin will thank you.

I will admit that I haven’t thrown out all the creams and potions from my dressing table, but in researching the programme for our Beauty Detox Retreat I have become convinced that we should be spending more of our hard earn cash in the fruit and veg aisle of the supermarket rather than the cosmetic aisle. I feel genuienly excited to learn more from our therapist and experts on retreat about how to create fitter and firmer skin from the inside out rather than try to apply it from the outside in.

Joining us at our women only retreats to learn more about how create beauty from the inside out may not be right for you right now, but you can start to make small changes at home. Begin with small changes like adding the 7 Beauty Boosting Foods below and you will be surprised how in just a short while you will feel and see a difference in your skin, hair and nails.

The Body Retreats 7 Beauty Boosting Foods to add to your diet today.

Avocados: Enzyme and mineral rich, these little green fruit are the best fat to improve your skin texture and elasticity.

Salmon: Full of Omgea 3 Salmon will boost your skins glow and radiance.

Almonds: Contain Vit E these nuts can also help to protect your skin from harmful UV rays.

Chia Seeds: Another great source of Omega 3 and also a great source of protein a great addition to your daily diet.

Eggs: A good source of iron and can help to recent dark circles under your eyes.

Blueberries: Full of antioxidants which help to fight the free radicals than can cause premature ageing.

Water: Hydration is essential for good skin and good digestion. So aim to drink about 1-1.5 litres of still water every day.

True Beauty starts with Healthy Eating.

Great skin is 70% what you put into your body and only 30% is what you put on your skin. Creating a healthy lifestyle where you are concisely choosing to respect and protect your body, eating healthy clean food, taking exercise to keep your blood flow boosted, making time to reduce your stress levels and investing in the best quality skin care you can are all part of the beauty puzzle.

At the end of the day no cream is really going to put a smile on your face , but being in great health and the best shape is really what makes the difference.

Id love to hear from you, what is your beauty secret? Are you a beauty product junkie or do you favour a more holistic natural approach?

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The Danger of Pre Supper Snacking

Do you often arrive home from work feeling so ravenous you could eat a donkey with the saddle on?!?!

If you do then you might find yourself routinely grabbing snacks before you’ve prepared a proper meal in the evening. This isn’t the worst crime in the world of course but if you’re aiming to gain control of your weight and what you’re eating then pre supper snacking can be a real problem.

I can tell you from my own experience that keeping hunger pangs at bay after a long day at work is not easy. In fact, back in the day when I was office bound I even found myself coming home from a day at the office and rummaging through my fridge without even having taken my coat off!

But it doesn’t have to be this way. At The Body Retreat we believe that balance is the key to keeping hunger in check.

Follow our simple tips below and you will soon find yourself in almost zen like control as you open your front door of an evening. Believe me, you will feel a whole lot better for it!

The Hunger Scale

You may already have read or heard about the Hunger Scale but even if you have then it is worth looking at again because it is a really amazing tool. We use it all the time at Weight Loss Retreats because it really helps provide a focus when we’re trying to take back control of what we’re eating.

The Hunger Scale is all about thinking more precisely about how hungry or full you are whenever you eat. It isn’t a magic solution that works wonders overnight but if you use it for a while you are sure to see some very worthwhile benefits. The scale is easier to use on retreat because there’s more time to focus but, if you find a way to use it in everyday life too, then it can make a massive difference to the way you think about and enjoy food.

As you can see below, the Hunger Scale goes from one, which is where you are so physically faint from hunger you could barely lift a fork to your mouth, through to ten which is feeling so full up that you could be sick in a bucket…(yes it really is that gross).

The Hunger Scale
1. Physcially Faint
2. Ravenous
3. Hungry
4. A Little Hungry
5. Neutral
6. Satisfied
7. Full
8. Stuffed
9. Over Faced
10. Sick in a Bucket!

Ideally we want to stay between 4 and 7. When we don’t eat or when we don’t eat well and we allow our blood sugar levels to drop down into the realms of 1,2 and 3, we find ourselves at the mercy of a brain in survival mode.

The Problem with Flagging Blood Sugar

When your blood sugar levels drop low your brain, which always has your very best interest at heart, senses the lack of energy and sends out a very compelling message that it needs high energy sources ASAP. The result is that your brain will literally send you in search of fast acting carbs that can be easily converted to energy.

Now there is great sugar in a carrot, but, here’s the thing, when you are low down the Hunger Scale you make bad choices. You open the fridge door, you see the carrots, you see the hummus you see the natural Greek yoghurt, but no. You need or rather you want starchy CARBS!!! So you close the fridge and turn to the bread bin…

The problem with eating starchy carbs on an empty stomach

As starchy carbs are quickly converted into glucose you start to feel better, but your body is also producing insulin to convert the glucose either into muscles for energy or into your fat stores.

In large amounts insulin prevents fat burning and stores surplus nutrients in the fat cells. After some time (a few hours or less) this may result in a shortage of nutrients in the blood, creating feelings of hunger and cravings for something sweet. Usually at that point people eat more. This starts the process all over again and that’s why snacking can be such a problem and why the associated cravings are often so hard to control.

In a recent study at Cornell University, students who consumed starchy carbs before or at the very start of a meal ate 47% more calories in their meals than those who ate vegetables or salad.

If this all sounds a little too familiar then you will be pleased to know that there are some very simple steps you can take to break this vicious cycle.

The Body Retreat’s Top Tips for Avoiding Pre Supper Snacking

Avoid having a glass of wine while cooking.

There is no need to come over all Keith Floyd in the midweek kitchen. Not only is the sugar in the wine converted in exactly the same way as the sugar in the starchy carbs but on an empty stomach you may find yourselves being a little too enthusiastic in tasting the meal as you prepare. Ever found yourselves saying…. “Mmm, nice” and then having another couple of spoonfuls? Leave the vino until you are at the table eating.

Drink a glass of warm water and lemon juice instead of wine.

Lemon juice is traditionally understood to support digestive hydrochloric acid in the stomach to aid digestion. This is why in ayruvedic or yogic traditions it is drunk upon waking. But drinking a glass while you are preparing your meal can also help to take the sting out of your appetite.

Eat a good lunch.

Soup or Salad makes a great lunch

Having a high carb lunch will leave you feeling empty by supper time (see our blog on why sandwiches may damage your waistline).

Having a mid-afternoon snack is a MUST!!

Back to our Hunger Scale. If you allow your blood sugar levels to drop too low then you will put yourself into the snacking danger zone. Ideally you should aim to have a small protein based snack midway between lunch and supper. So if you lunch at 1pm and have supper at around 7.30pm then having a snack around 4.00pm will help to keep your blood sugar levels balanced.

The thing to remember is that no one plan suits everybody, so you need to learn to listen to your own body and eat when you are hungry and stop when you are satisfied. That way you are respecting your body and giving it the nutrition it needs and deserves. At The Body Retreat we work with all our clients to create a plan that works for their lifestyle and their goals so that they can build healthy habits that work for them. Our Weight Loss Retreats are based on the principle of balancing blood sugar which combined with the behaviour element of the programme ensure that clients are set up for long term success once they return home.

What are your thoughts and experiences of Pre Supper Snacking? We would love to hear from you, so please leave us a comment below.

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The Cup of Tea that Reduces Your Stress Levels

We Brits love our tea. Its estimated that in the UK we get through a staggering 165 million cups a day!

A cup of tea can be restorative, it can pick you up after a shock, it can soothe a troubled day. Research has discovered a plethora of health benefits of drinking tea, from its antioxidant properties to its ability to hydrate. Its little wonder it has become part of our cultural identity.

In the 1930’s there was even a famous song “Everything Stops for Tea”

“Every nation in creation has its favourite drink
France is famous for its wine, it’s beer in Germany
Turkey has its coffee and they serve it blacker than ink
Russians go for vodka and England loves its tea”

But beyond its role as a national streiotype what if I told you that taking one cup of tea each day could reduce your stress levels, make you feel less emotional and more in control, improve your working memory and give you more mental clarity. I’m not about to expose some newly discovered berry or leaf from far off lands with super powers. In fact it can be any cuppa of your choice and still have the same amazing effect.

I’m talking about having a Mindful Cup of Tea.

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction

I’m sure you will all be aware of Mindfulness, it has become a very popular topic in recent years selling millions of books, CD’s and Apps each year. But Mindfulness is no fad. Derived from ancient Buddhist meditation, in the 1970’s a scientist called Jon Kabit-Zin developed Mindful Based Stress Reduction technique based on the principle of being in the present moment, not worrying about the past or the future, but consciously connecting with the present moment.

Too often in today’s modern life the constant pressures seem to force us into an auto pilot mode. There is so much to do, so many demands on our time, we have become quite adept at multi tasking. Even reading this blog post you may be keeping one eye on your email inbox, compiling your shopping list, thinking about a task you need to complete later today. We are constantly “ON”. Over time this takes its toll on our health and wellbeing, both mentally, physically and emotionally.

Mindfulness is the perfect antidote to the pressure of modern life, it is a way of pressing the STOP button, of resetting the relaxation response. Repeated studies have shown that Mindfulness can rewire how the brian responds to stress.

Mindfulness In Practice

At The Body Retreat we have Mindfulness Based Practice built into every one of our retreats, from our Conscious Eating on our Weight Loss Retreat, Mindful Daily Routines on our Health & Fitness Holiday to daily Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction techniques on our Stress Re-Set Retreat. Even on our Detox Retreat we have Mindful Moments every afternoon amongst other mind detox activites.

One of the great things about Mindfulness is how accessible and easy it is to practice. You don’t need special clothing, a special room, there are no special magic words or incantations. What you do need is an open mind, a desire to change your current coping strategies and the commitment to practice. Because heres the thing, Mindfulness is both astonishingly simple and, for most of us who live in our heads, very difficult. At first Mindfulness can seem elusive and down right tricksy, we are creatures driven by the desire to succeed and get stuff right. Mindfulness isn’t a tangible and specific skill like driving a car or learning an instrument. Rather its personal and only you can be the judge of how effective your practice is.

Mindfulness practice is immensely rewarding, as plenty of people are discovering. I would argue that it is probably the most important life skill that any of us can learn to help us to cope with the stresses of modern living.

To help gain the Mindfulness Stress Reduction benefits it helps to have some practical techniques to help you to incorporate it into everyday life, that way you can quickly and easily see and feel the benefits. Then you can build out from one practice to bigger and more powerful techniques.

One of the Daily Mindful Practices we adopt at The Body Retreat is The Mindful Cup of Tea. Almost everyone takes a hot drink of some kind during their day. This simple technique takes something mundane and transforms it to become something truly restorative and relaxing.

Mindfulness Tea for Stress Reduction

This exercise takes something that is generally done on autopilot and brings it firmly into the present moment. Such a simple exercise but it bring benefits fast.

Sit down with your tea, do not drink it on the run, standing at the kitchen counter or in the car. You want to give your whole attention now.
Take three long slow deep breaths and relax.
Before you pick up the cup and rink it, really look at it. Notice the glass, cup or mug. Notice how the light reflects off it. Notice if there is steam rising, or ripples form having just stirred the tea. Notice the colour, the individual tones.
Now, pick up the cup and notice the tactile feel of the cup in your hands. Does it feel warm or cool to the touch, how heavy is it. Is the cup textures or smooth.
Next smell your drink. Spend a moment allowing the smell to fill your awareness.
As you now start to drink, take small sips of your tea. Allow yourself to really taste it. Experience the sensation on your tongue and taste buds, as you gently swallow hear the sound.
As you continue to drink you tea, be fully present with your tea. If you mind wanders off before the drink is finished, simply acknowledge that your mind has wandered, and just bring it back to the feeling, smells, tastes and sensations of drinking this cup of tea.

Once you have got used to Mindful Tea Drinking any cup of tea that you have becomes an automatic unconscious anchor to help you to remember to be mindful, to relax and be calm.

If you would like to learn more about Mindfulness and gain practical techniques to incorporate it into your everyday life to improve your health and well-being then join us on our next Stress Re-Set Retreat.

If you have found this article useful I’d really love to have your comments or questions. You will find the comments box all the way down at the bottom of the page, look forward to hearing from you. Please feel free to share on any of your chosen social media by using the buttons on the right.

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