All posts filed under: Mind and Body

Hotpod Yoga arrives in Dulwich

Published by Around Dulwich

Europe’s largest yoga company is celebrating the launch of two new London locations. Fresh out of the relentless indulgence of the festive period, the first month of the year is renowned for being a little depressing. From the cold weather, to being back at work with no payday in sight (not to mention the endless hangover after a month spent mainlining gin and mince pies), it’s no wonder that most of us want to spend the month hiding in bed until it’s all over. Step forward Hotpod Yoga – an otherworldly purple heated cocoon of glowing lights, heady aromas and enveloping soundscapes – taking you a million miles away from the grey streets of London. This is yoga reinvented. Breathe deeper. Stretch further. Sweat harder. Melt into it. To understand it you’ve got to experience it. Heated to a blissful 37 degree temperature (warm enough to banish the chills, not so hot that you can’t bear to move), it’s designed to be a physical escape, the next best thing to sneaking back under the duvet …

Health Matters: Why do we resist change?

Published by Becca Teers

The New Year tends to be a time that we think about making positive changes, whether it be creating new habits or making healthier choices. Often though, we consciously may want to make these changes permanent but they tend to be short-lived. The subject of change and how we resist it is an interesting one. The nature of evolution relies on change. Life is full of cycles and natural transitions; the change of the seasons, the changes our bodies go through as we grow and get older. And with the advances of technology and science we’re constantly moving and changing with the times and what’s new and innovative. But if change is so natural and inevitable then why does it often feel so unsettling and uncomfortable? There are a couple of reasons that our brains don’t like change; We are creatures of habit and learning something new takes a lot more effort than just following the same habits or actions that we’re used to. To change the way we do something, at the beginning our …

What does an ideal week of exercise look like?

Published by Leanne Spencer

This is a question I get asked a lot, and obviously it varies from person to person, and you need to make it personal. It needs to work for you. You know that old question, what’s the best type of exercise? Well, it’s the one that you can maintain. Consistency is key. Here’s what an ideal week looks like, taking out all the personal nuances of you and I – low intensity exercise, medium intensity exercise, and high intensity exercise: Low is activities like walking. It’s while I’m standing here in front of the camera. It’s while I’m walking around. It’s your basic daily life movement, so you should be doing that on a relatively constant basis seven days a week. Moderate activity three to five times a week. That could be a brisk walk, a light jog, something that just gets your heart a little bit higher, but it’s not high intensity. High intensity exercise two to three times a week. That could just be for two minutes or 10 minutes a day, getting your heart rate …

Is Worrying a Waste of Time?

Published by Becca Teers

Is Worrying a Waste of Time? We all worry at times. Worrying shows we care about our lives and the things and people that matter to us. But when worry becomes excessive it can make our lives less enjoyable. Time spent worrying is really time spent not living! This vicious cycle of negative thinking takes us ‘out of the moment’ and either back into the past, going over what has already happened, or into the future stressing about what may happen. The mind tends to want to remember and keep hold of worries. This makes sense if we are actually in danger. For example, if we’re being hunted by a hungry lion. In this situation we would definitely not want to lose the worry, we need the adrenaline to run away and save ourselves. But most worries are not life threatening or immediate and so replaying these thoughts in our minds like an endless cycle, hinders rather than helps us. And did you know that research has shown that about 80% of the things that …

Is it good for me to take a nap or not?

Published by Leanne Spencer

I used to have a very dismissive attitude towards napping. I wouldn’t have it. I thought no, I don’t need to sleep. Sleep’s for the evening. But, I completely changed my mind. I equate sleep to going out for a long day and taking a spare battery to boost your mobile phone. Taking a nap is the same thing. If I’ve got a long day, a hard day, a creative day, or I’ve had a bad night’s sleep, no problem. I’ll just go and have a 20, 30-minute nap if I can. Recharge my batteries and then crack on again. Is taking a nap good for you?  Science confirms that yes, it is. But, there are some conditions. A nap is ideally taken between 12 and 2pm. Any later than that, and you might be cutting it a bit fine, chipping into your evening sleep. It’s very good to bolster a poor night’s sleep. But 20 to 30 minutes won’t take you deep into that sleep cycle of REM sleep. It’s been found to improve …