Detoxing - does it really work? While the market continues to grow, current research has thrown doubts on stringent detox plans, although some people swear by such regimes, claiming that it makes their skin clearer, gives them more energy and sheds unwanted pounds. But whether you're an advocate or not, have you ever thought about cleansing both body and mind to bring about renewed clarity and focus?
If you want to chill out...
Listen to 'Ten minutes to relax – mind', £9.99 (for stockists call 01926 816177 or visit www.gaiamdirect.co.uk). Forget counting sheep or making shopping lists - rest a busy, restless, stressed-out mind with 40 minutes of flute melodies and guided mental imagery. As well as a sleep inducer, it also reportedly boosts mental clarity - like a detox for your head.
Or check in to the
SmartSpa at the Hyde Park Towers Hotel, a private therapeutic space providing isolation from hectic schedules, ever-ringing phones and the relentless pace of life. The standalone unit provides a choice of treatments - try the zero gravity SmartchairT, breathe in botanical essences combined with oxygen, or escape to a virtual paradise of negative ionisation, soothing metamorphic ceiling displays and dreamy soundscapes.
If you want to eliminate toxins...
Drink HealthAid Weekend Detox Plan, £7.99 (call 020 8426 3400 for stockists and mail order), a liquid containing 13 active herbs including milk thistle and dandelion root, which act on the liver, lungs, colon, kidneys, skin and lymphatic system for a fast and effective pick-me-up.
Inhale through a straw, sticking the tongue out. Exhale through the nose, 26 breaths, long and slow. This is great for stress and anger
Or try a DIY body treatment. According to Hayley Adams, Spa Supervisor at The Sanctuary, London: 'Body wraps work by keeping the body temperature up and opening the pores to allow products to penetrate into the skin and allow toxins to release. At home, try a mini treatment - exfoliate or body-brush the skin, then apply a layer of mud to the skin and sit in a warm robe for 20-30 minutes, or alternatively, allow the minerals from the mud to dissolve in your bath water.'
If you want to calm the mind...
Pick up renowned yoga teacher Carolyn Cowan's DVD, 'Kundalini Yoga: Elevation, a Guide to Meditation', £17.95 (available from www.devotion.co.uk), a step-by-step guide to releasing tension through easy-to-follow yoga postures and mantras, allowing peace and stillness to be attained by the viewer - ideal if you lead a busy life, suffer from stress or tension or have little time for reflection or rest. Try the following excerpt to get started:
- Inhale deeply then blow the air out long and deeply five times through puckered lips into cupped hands.
- Focus on a mantra for one minute: 'I am' is excellent. Resist all thoughts, just 'I am'. It is surprisingly challenging, but gives you a break from the mind.
- Curl up in 'child pose'. Sit on the heels, then exhale forward so the belly rests on the knees, then lower the forehead to the mat. Let the whole body relax and breathe deeply for two minutes or longer. This calms the subconscious mind.
- Inhale through a straw, sticking the tongue out. Exhale through the nose, 26 breaths, long and slow. This is great for stress and anger.
- Break the inhale into four parts, so you fill the lungs in four sharp bursts. Hold for five seconds, then exhale in four sharp bursts so the lungs are completely empty at the end. This is good for patience.
Thinking about taking up yoga but having trouble motivating yourself? All About You editor Bernadette Fallon took up the yoga challenge recently, read her diary here
If you want to find focus and guidance...
Book a session with the brilliant Psychic Sisters at the Urban Retreat in Harrods. Medium, clairvoyant and psychic Jayne Wallace and her professional 'sister' Lindy Murray assist clients through their varied extra sensory skills, utilising tarot, aura reading, psychometry, crystals, clairvoyance and mediumship. The sisters are also available alongside a professional intuitive and complementary healer to meet the increasing demand for this type of service. For appointments, which cost £60 for half an hour, call 020 7893 8333 or visit the website.
If you want to regenerate mental agility...
Take Cebrium, £39.90 (call 020 8398 9744 or visit www.cebrium.com), a food supplement containing a unique combination of amino acids and peptone designed to boost brain power and strengthen and protect the neurones in your brain, helping you feel alert, calm and focused.
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