Blog (Get your mind and body ready for spring at The Marylebone )
Thursday, 23, March 2017
Get your mind and body ready for spring at The Marylebone
Spring into action
With the changing of the seasons and the shedding of layers comes thoughts of bikini bodies and summer silhouettes. To help get you ready to bare, The Marylebone has a whole plethora of wellbeing offerings. From Yoga lessons and brunch in the Marylebone Rooms, to spa treatments at Third Space Spa and expert juice recipes from The Juicery, a few days with us and you’ll be ready. To add to the offering, we’ve spoken to three health and wellbeing experts who lift the lid on how to get ready for spring.
Cindy Palusamy, founder of The Juicery
What are the next big superfoods we can expect to find in juices?
Blue-green algae is showing up all over the place – from juices and shots to unicorn lattes! Not only does it give the drink a magical blue hue, it’s also packed with antioxidants, B-vitamins and iron.
Chaga mushrooms, and other mushrooms are also popping up in smoothies, dusts and concoctions. Chaga is celebrated for its beauty enhancing benefits and is believed to support longevity and recovery.
Probiotics, or good bacteria, is another exploding field in the beauty, health and wellness world. We now know how incredibly important it is to have a healthy gut with lots of good bacteria flourishing. You’ll see more fermented beverages such as coconut water kefir and kvass as well as probiotics being added to juices and smoothies.
What juices should we be drinking in spring to be the best versions of ourselves?
Spring is the natural time for our bodies to shed excess weight, stored fat and toxins. It’s the best time of year to do a cleanse of some kind and to lighten the load on our liver and digestive system by eating lighter smaller meals that are plant-based. All the leafy bitter greens (dandelion, chards, spinach etc) are popping up fresh at the markets again and this is the time to really indulge in them. They are great for juicing and add lots of detox support for the body. From The Juicery’s menu at any of The Doyle Collection's London hotels, go for a shot of Spicy Greens, the London Greens juice or the Super Green Smoothie!
How should we change our diets as the seasons change?
Know that nature provides exactly what your body needs the most at that very time! In spring we lighten the load and start fresh with lots of greens such as cabbage and spinach, fresh berries and asparagus. We get a chance to reset and cleanse our bodies before the summer heat sets in. Once summer is in full swing, nature provides us with water rich foods like cucumber, fruits and tomatoes.
The seasonal summer foods are also high in antioxidants which can help protect our bodies from the sun. In autumn we get lots of apples to help flush out any excess heat in the body and prepare us for the colder weather. Hearty root vegetables and squashes are plentiful and help us get comfortably grounded and warm.
This continues through the winter, but once the fresh produce runs low, we can rely on pickled and fermented vegetables, more animal meats and grains to help keep our bodies warm and immune system strong.
What are the biggest health trends we’ll be seeing in the mainstream soon?
Sweating is so hot right now! Infrared saunas are amazing for helping the body sweat out toxins and more and more people are investing in small units for their own homes. We’re also seeing sauna focused spas and wellness centers pop up that have a cool ambiance and offer a healthy alternative for a night out.
Dusts, potions and powders are already a trend and I think we’ll see more of these targeted, customized and benefit driven supplements going forward.
Collagen is a word on everyone’s lips these days – who doesn’t want glowing, younger looking skin, right? Women are adding collagen peptides to smoothies and lattes to improve the health of their hair, skin and nail, but also to support a healthy gut!
Cauliflower! The latest trend is to put frozen cauliflower in smoothies or smoothie bowls. Sneaking in more vegetables wherever we can.
Meditation is really becoming a household name and is now really respected for it’s true powers. It’s not just for hippies and yogi’s anymore – anyone looking to improve their focus and performance, be it athletes, corporate executives or entrepreneurs with big mission, are turning to meditation for clarity and stress relief.
Ugochi Wokoh, Head Therapist at Third Space Spa
How can we prepare our skin for the warmer spring weather?
Be sure to up your exfoliating routine and moisturise thoroughly, So that by the time warmer weather arrives, your skin is beautifully soft and nourished.
What new beauty habits should we add to our routines?
Start using a facial oil. As we mature skin loses its softness, hydration and elasticity. All these symptoms can be helped by good face oil. I love Elemis Superfood Facial Oil – it’s a natural blend of highly concentrated plant-based superfoods including Broccoli, Flax Seed and Daikon Radish and really leaves a healthy, radiant glow.
What new treatments are going to be big this year?
We’re going to see a lot more of Omnilux Light Therapy, a relaxing skin rejuvenating treatment that works by emitting narrowband Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs) to stimulate the skin’s deep tissue, kick-starting fibroblast activity to boost collagen and elastin production.
How can spa treatments complement a healthy diet?
They can increase your body’s circulation, promote healthy cell regeneration and recharge the body.
What are the hottest new ingredients found in beauty products?
Stem cells.Plant stem cells are uniquely adaptable. Having the power to differentiate into any specialised plant cell, they are key to a plant's ability to renew, repair and grow.
What treatments can help people get over their jet lag – for our overseas visitors?
The Elemis Aroma Stone Massage is the perfect choice; Balinese stones bathed in Franigpani Monoi Oil are worked deep into the areas of tension. The result is sparkling vitality with the added bonus of intensely hydrated skin.
Kirsty Gallagher, Yoga Instructor
The Marylebone Rooms
Why is Yoga so good for us?
Yoga’s proven benefits are many - on a physical level yoga improves flexibility, builds muscle strength and helps to improve the posture. It also helps to take care of the joints of the body, helps the lymphatic system fight infection, maintains the nervous system and regulates the adrenal glands. Yoga is proven to reduce stress levels and help us to quiet the mind bringing us peace of mind, clarity and an ability to manage our stresses. Yoga also helps to tap into your own inner resources of strength and wisdom, increasing self-awareness and self-esteem.
How can yoga help us transition from winter to spring?
Yoga has an incredible way of helping us to honour the transition of seasons. Yoga makes us more aware of our body, energy levels, and state of mind and keeps us generally much more in tune. As we begin to become more aware of the shift not only in season but also in how it affects us physically, mentally and emotionally we can then use our yoga practice to help us to work with these changing rhythms, keeping us in a constant flowing state just like in nature. For example, many people tend to feel a sense of emerging, expanding and outward expression as spring comes. Our yoga practice during this time can help us to tap into this light, free-spirited feeling and put us in tune with the feel good energy of spring. As our bodies emerge from the slower, colder pace of winter spring yoga is the perfect way to detox your body and also to indulge in some play time on your mat, allowing yourself to move in ways that feel good and allow self-expression.
What can people expect from a yoga class with you at The Marylebone?
A sweet, soulful, mindful yoga flow with a lot of heart! As our Saturday brunches are all about easing our way into the weekend we start off slowly, gently easing the body open with some yin yoga, connecting with the breath and allowing the week to drop away. We then start to move into gentle flows building the practice up to become more challenging until we come back down to stillness and relaxation at the other side. The classes are suitable for all levels as I encourage everyone to take things at their own pace and level and listen their own body at all times. I also give variations and options as much as I can.
What type of yoga is it?
It’s a blend of Vinyasa yoga (moving and flowing, linking breath to movement) and yin yoga (holding poses for up to a few minutes at a time). I have an infectious passion for yoga and put my heart and soul into teaching and so hopefully that shines through! My main aim is to ensure that you float out of the practice ready for your delicious brunch and weekend ahead.
