Yoga

After this last year I think it is pretty fitting to talk about how practicing yoga can help you maintain a healthy headspace.

I knows it’s been a wild ride since last March and I hope this shines a light on something that I know has certainly helped me and many others.

With worrying statistics that almost a third of children aged between 2 and 15 are overweight or obese¹, and recent warnings that children are bingeing on social media like they would junk food², it would appear there is a health pandemic amongst our youngest generation. To break the vicious cycle of unhealthy habits, we urge that families need to provide healthy experiences to promote positive well-being for their children. From encouraging exercise and good nutrition, to taking active and healthy family holidays, parents can take small steps towards creating the foundations for healthy behaviours that will last their children a lifetime.

Poor nutrition and lifestyle choices can leave you feeling run-down and lethargic, leading to stress and inactivity, which cause a build-up of toxins in the mind and body. Offering benefits from weight-loss to increased mental vitality, a great way to re-energise your system is to embark on a spring cleanse and enhance your well-being on a healthy detox holiday. Helping to support your body's natural elimination processes, detoxification offers numerous health benefits through a tailor-made approach of healthy nutrition and carefully chosen treatments.

Today is World Osteoporosis Day (or at least that is when we published this article), we wanted to raise awareness around osteoporosis prevention and help you to understand how you can maintain and even optimise your bone health to help prevent osteoporosis. 

Shining the spotlight on the power of yoga to tackle stress, Mr. Sandeep Agarwalla, head of yoga in Ananda in the Himalayas, India, shares the benefits of taking up the practice of yoga.

Man, I feel like a woman. Visiting a spa may not be every bloke's cup of tea, but massages and facials aren't only for women. Are you stressed and need some rest and recovery? Looking for a quick getaway to be pampered or need a good detox? Why don't you pop into a spa and be restored. OK, I know what you're thinking, men… going to spas… ahh what a complete joke! Those places are a hazard for men, one foot in and I will come out like a hairless chicken, smelling like peaches! But that's not the way to think.

Paul Joseph, co-founder of Health and Fitness Travel talks about how yoga changed his life for the better.

Ten years ago I had a car accident which sent me down a path of holistic health to discover  yoga through rehabilitation. I had damaged my lower back and was trying to avoid a back operation by having weekly osteopathy which really helped. I was unable to stand for long periods of time without being in pain and had to give up my favourite sports as well as regular gym sessions.

Paul Joseph, co-founder of Health and Fitness Travel talks about how he found yoga and why it's changed his life for the better.

Ten years ago I had a car accident which sent me down a path of holistic health to discover yoga through rehabilitation. I had damaged my lower back and was trying to avoid a back operation by having weekly osteopathy which really helped. I was unable to stand for long periods of time without being in pain and had to give up my favourite sports as well as regular gym sessions.

According to new research by Professor Siegfiend Lehrl of the University of Erlangen in Germany, a specialist in mental performance, taking a two week fly and flop holiday, particularly a hot one, can lower your IQ by as much as 20 points because inactivity reduces oxygen to the brain. Add dehydration caused by heat and alcohol into the equation and brain cell volume may decrease by up to 15%, according to the article in the Daily Telegraph.

by Justine Glenton

Ashtanga & Zen Yoga Teacher

Yoga Postures to Increase Energy and Reduce Fatigue

Sometimes unusual mental or physical exertion, stress, and lack of sleep can make people tired. Prevention in these cases simply requires self-observation and needs us to listen to our bodies. It means not pushing the body and mind beyond its limits. Other times it means walking or doing some physical work to help increase the energy levels.

by Angie Newson

A Yoga and Pilates Expert

Practising yoga improves our self-control, our willpower and our ability to overcome any bad habits. Yoga enhances self-discipline - practising with precision and control of how we place our body on the mat, in turn improves the mind, our thinking, our outlook, our attitude, and studies show that being kind to ourselves and to others also improves our willpower!  Learning breathing exercises enhances our concentration so we become more centred, more present and more focused.  Being 'in the now' - although often challenging to do - and taking a few moments before the start of our practise or workout or even on the pitch for a game of football, will help us become more successful in whatever we set out to do. Think of the successful tennis players who sit quietly before the match and in between the games and sets to become present and focused. 

Karsten Kroll is the resident yoga teacher at Paradis Plage, and has been practising yoga and contemporary dance for over 25 years, giving him deep of knowledge of form, technique and an appreciation for the grace, potential and limitations of the human body. The drive towards having the ability to focus on the present moment, of finding mind-body connection and to bring overall well-being, led Karsten to study with several yoga training schools in Bali and Morocco. Karsten has further developed his skills as a yoga teacher by learning Yin and Yang styles as well as Myofascial Ball Roll & Release. He invites his students to explore their potential through his classes.

Laurie is the Founder & CEO of REVĪVŌ Wellness Resort Bali, a leading new resort that brings together the ultimate in health and wellness through mind training and self-awareness.

Today we are excited to introduce to you our Fusion Fitness™ Holidays, this exclusive healthy holiday collection was designed for those seeking a truly tailored approach, allowing you the freedom to select only the things you love for the ultimate bespoke wellness holiday.

Kamalaya in Koh Samui, Thailand was honoured with the award for Destination Spa of the Year: Asia & Australasia at the World Spa awards hosted in London last night.

Countries around the globe are opening to the LGBTQ community. With Australia being the latest example to legalise same-sex marriage, many other countries used the past years to work on a more open-minded environment to make LGBTQ travellers feel welcomed and secure.

World Renowned Teacher in Portugal from 5 - 10 September

Health expert and Fitness TV Presenter Angie Newson, is launching an exclusive Yoga and Pilates retreat at Longevity Wellness Resort in Portugal from 5-10th September 2012. Internationally renowned yoga and Pilates expert, Angie Newson will be taking her talents to the luxurious 5 star health and wellness resort twice a year. This exclusive five night tailor-made retreat is available through Health and Fitness Travel, experts in tailor-made active and wellness holidays worldwide for a special price of just £595 per person.

Tell us about the resort – what makes Santani special?

Santani is a relatively new architect-designed property built on 120 acres of former tea plantation and owned and run by Sri Lankans in central Sri Lanka, about five hours by car from Colombo (you can also take a seaplane to Kandy, which would be a great way to arrive). The last part of the drive, from Kandy, is on a climbing, winding mountain road. You can’t even see the resort until you’re there, that’s how tucked away it is.

Holidays, a time to re-charge and escape the stresses of everyday life. For most of us, dreaming of our next holiday destination is what keeps us going most of the year! Helping you to maximise your free-time, here, we get the inside scoop from Paul Joseph, Co-founder of Health and Fitness Travel, about how to make the most of your annual holiday leave, from deciding on the length of stay to when to book.

Yogis wanting more than just the usual yoga break can now combine their yoga holiday with a range of other pursuits and interests, as we introduce our inspiring collection of specialist yoga holidays. Whether beginner or expert yogi, with the percentage of yoga practitioners growing by 20-25% every year, everyone can embrace a new lifestyle on a yoga holiday with some secret extras. Part of a larger wellness trend, complement transformative yogic practice with our range of specialist yoga holidays; from diving in Bali and luxury spa retreats in Italy, to SUP in Ibiza and meditation in India.