New Ways To Give Yourself Some TLC
Let go of your stress and unwind with these brand new remedies.
By Tay Suan Chiang,
Wellness and fitness practitioners are going beyond run-of-the-mill exercise and de-stress routines to offer more creative ways to feel and look better. Here are three new options to consider.
Want to look younger and more radiant without costly facial treatments? A daily routine of facial exercises might do the trick, says entrepreneur Christabel Chua, a certified Face Yoga Method teacher. The Face Yoga Method was created by Fumiko Takatsu, a yoga practitioner who came up with a series of facial exercises to readjust her asymmetrical face as a result of a car accident.
Chua was inspired to be a certified teacher after seeing the results on her own mother, who practised face yoga to treat spasms on her face. “My mum’s face is now more symmetrical and looks younger,” Ms Chua, who also noticed that she herself now looks less tired and more radiant.
Some supposed benefits of face yoga include increased blood circulation for more radiant skin, a more youthful look and a defined jawline.
Chua demonstrated a series of exercises at the recent Glow On, a wellness event.
Want to relieve some face tension while working? She suggests saying ‘wow’ in an exaggerated manner, opening the eyes and mouth as wide as possible.
Another move to relax facial muscles is to blow raspberries by pursing the lips and blow. And to get the blood circulation moving around the face, slow tap the top of the head and then move down to the temples and jawline.
While the exercises can be done at any time of the day, Chua says it is best to do them when the face is well-moisturised and not to do it too often, lest it might lead to more wrinkles.
Chua will be showing more moves on her Instagram page @faceyogahome. Those who are interested to sign up for a course from Takatsu can do so at faceyogamethod.com
The perfect way to destress for chocolate lovers would be to take part in a cacao ceremony – a two-hour heart-opening workshop to connect, play, reflect and relax.
It’s not about doing yoga while eating pralines, though. Wellness practitioner Celeste Chong explains that cacao – the seeds from which cocoa is made – has a rich history in ancient Mesoamerican civilisations, when it was used in sacred rituals. Participants start with a bowl of cacao that is unsweetened and mixed with water – the active ingredients are said to relax the mind – and followed by a series of exercises and a relaxing heart awakening guided meditation sound bath.
Chong, founder of The Inside Job, which offers wellness programmes says: “Our fast-paced lives mean that many of us exist mostly in our heads which have become cluttered noisy spaces that can result in chronic stress.” But “when we slow down and turn our attention inwards, we become more self-aware, which is a key component of emotional intelligence.”
Chong left feeling warm and connected after attending her first cacao ceremony in Ubud. She wanted to share the experience with more people and underwent training.
“A cacao ceremony is not religious, and the format varies depending on the facilitator. This unique experience can be enjoyed alone, with a partner or with friends. It is also ideal for community and corporate team building,” she says.
To book a session, see theinsidejob.sg/book-a-private-cacao-ceremony
The Suples Bulgarian Bag isn’t the latest designer handbag, although fashionistas might appreciate its crescent shape and leather finish.
Instead, it is a bag that weighs from about 3kg to 38kg that users grip and swing around, all in the name of fitness. The Suples Bulgarian Bag and its training system was created by Bulgarian Ivan Ivanov, a highly decorated Olympic wrestler. His training system not only caters for Olympic wrestling preparation, but also for general health and fitness.
The Suples Bulgarian Bag is not commonly found in local gyms, and in Singapore, there are only two Suples Pro certified trainers – Brendan Foong and Ashley Chong who were personally coached by Ivanov.
Foong and Chong are also the founders of The Gentle Art Academy, a top Brazilian Jiu Jitsu school in Singapore. Foong says that the Suples Bulgarian Bag is more comfortable to use than other traditional weighted tools and helps to ease back strain and related problems commonly caused when weight-lifting in a gym or using a barbell.
“It is also a great asset for training lateral and transverse dynamic movements that would be unsafe to perform with other weighted tools,” she says.
The lessons are suitable for people of different fitness levels as the intensity and weight of the bags are catered to the individual. First-timers are given a lesson on the basic moves, before joining the 45-minute long workouts, which can help to build cardio endurance and strength.
While training with the Suples Bulgarian Bag allows wrestlers to build better grip strength, Foong says, “even non-wrestlers will benefit from the training as it is a great tool for overall body conditioning”.
For lessons, sign up at The Gentle Art Academy at thegentleart.co
This article first appeared in The Business Times