Discover new ways to take care of your mind and body with our round-up of techniques and trends
Spirituality is on the rise
As we all search for greater meaning in our lives during these uncertain times, many of us are embracing spiritual practises such as crystal healing, aura cleansing or angel cards.
Searches for crystals have risen over the past year, with many people harnessing the power of amethyst for its calming powers, whilst searches for ‘raise my vibration’ have risen too.
Puja McClymont, presenter of the Self-Care 101 podcast, explains how we can raise our vibrations for the year ahead: “Try listening to vibrational, meditative music or a sound bath, or even the repeated sound of ‘om’ or nature. With headphones on, you can feel the vibrations and it can be very calming connecting you back to yourself.”
Discover what qigong is all about
This ancient practice has seen a revival in popularity, and combines meditation, controlled breathing, and gentle movement. “Qigong, which translates as ‘life force practice’, is quite simply transformative exercise. By strengthening your life force on the inside, you will see the results on the outside” says Katie Brindle, founder of hayoufit.com which offers Qigong classes online.
“Life force is the very thing that makes you feel alive and energised and healthy – and the minute you start to practise you’ll feel the difference. If you are feeling tired, lacking in energy, out of shape or simply not feeling great, then Qigong is for you. It will leave you feeling relaxed yet energised, rather than exhausted yet restless.”
Herbal healing
“Currently there is nothing offered by conventional medicine for the prevention of post-viral complications,” says Jenya Di Pierro, Herbal Medicine Practitioner and CEO & founder of Cloud Twelve wellness and lifestyle club.“As we all know, prevention is the best cure.
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Herbs in the category of adaptogens, immune modulators, adrenal tonics and gut trophorestoratives (like reishi, cordyceps, Siberian ginseng, echinacea, liquorice and slippery elm) do such a great job of strengthening the body’s internal defences and helping it get vitality back after debilitating disease.”
“Our recent history has taught us that the sooner you start looking after your body, the better chances you have of being resilient to disease and having a good quality of life.
Embracing herbs, reducing toxic exposures, having a diverse antioxidant-rich diet, moving your body, allowing sufficient rest and feeling love and gratitude on a daily basis is how you get there.”
Wellness subscriptions
From wellness boxes to fitness classes and even sustainable toilet paper, the subscription market has grown by 435 per cent over the last nine years, making wellness more accessible and easier to incorporate into your daily routine.
The meditation and mindfulness app Headspace, for example, now has two million subscribers, whilst The Massage Company is helping people incorporate massage into their monthly wellness routine through a subscription model. Rather than a luxury one-off treat, massage can become a regular wellbeing staple, proven to aid mental health, stress and overall physical health.
Bringing the outdoors in
We all know that house plants can clean the air, connect us with nature and make us feel good, but ‘plant-first design’ takes it one step further. According to Pinterest, searches for ‘stair gardens’ have seen an increase of 175 per cent, so if you’re thinking of freshening up your home for spring, consider letting greenery shape your space.
Indoor plants can reduce 87 per cent of toxins in the air, and other known benefits include stress relief and a boost in concentration and mood. Try a mixture of spider plants, peace lilies, succulents and Monstera.
Dopamine dressing
If the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s that life is short and we should live it well. And with so many of us now working from home and no longer regularly sporting formal officewear, it’s no surprise that our clothing preferences have changed.
Whatever your age and gender, dressing yourself happy is something we can all get on board with for the year ahead. But that doesn’t mean racing out to buy a bright new wardrobe – it’s about digging out the items of clothing that bring you joy.
Perhaps they bring back treasured memories, evoke nostalgia of a time gone by, or simply have a pattern that lifts your mood. And whilst you’re there, pull out anything that doesn’t bring you joy and list it to sell online.
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This article first appeared in issue 21 of Planet Mindful magazine. Want to live more mindfully? Check out more wellbeing techniques here.