Recently by Shirley Meerson

This Ramadan, Anantara Spa at Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea invites guests for a one hour Experience called "Replenish" during the Holy Month of Ramadan.

"The body is going through changes. And Replenish is a chance to breathe life into your tired skin with nutrients and oils" said Shirley Meerson, newly appointed Director of Anantara Spa at Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea.

"Replenish offers a purifying sampling of treatments from head to toe.  Beginning with a back scrub followed by a massage using detox oils that helps to eliminate toxins and stimulates the circulation, continue on with a relaxing foot treatment, and ending with a nourishing face massage with honey" explained Shirley, the creator of this spa experience.

At over 10,000 sq meters in size the Anantara Spa at Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea boasts 20 treatment rooms, a large studio where guests can learn and practice the art of Yoga and Meditation as well as several breathtaking outdoor therapy pavilions, 28 spa friendly hotel rooms (Singles & Suites), a Moroccan Hammam (with traditional treatments), outdoor and indoor Jacuzzis, steam rooms, indoor natural Dead Sea water pool, Asian therapies, and indigenous treatments using salt and mud. The Spa also has installed a hydro pool full of bubble seats and wall jets, and a panoramic creative lap pool that features star-sky fiber-optic lighting, complimented by heated beds for relaxation and meditation. It is considered as the largest spa in the Middle East.

Europe's oldest luxury hotel group, Kempinski Hotels was founded in Germany in 1897. Kempinski's impressive portfolio of distinctive properties includes historical landmarks, unique hide-away resorts and vibrant city hotels throughout Europe, the Middle East, Africa, South America and Asia. Rich in tradition, each Kempinski hotel celebrates the local culture and customs of its destination whilst maintaining the impeccable personalized service for which Kempinski is renowned. Put simply, they are the first choice for the discerning luxury traveler.


Kempinski is a member of the Global Hotel Alliance. Based on the airline alliance model, Global Hotel Alliance is the world largest alliance of independent hotel brands. It uses a common technology platform to drive incremental revenues and create cost savings for its members, while offering enhanced recognition and service to customers across all brands. GHA currently comprises Anantara, Cham, Dusit, Kempinski, Landis, Leela, Marco Polo, Omni and Pan Pacific, encompassing 160 upscale and luxury hotels with over 46,000 rooms in 41 different countries.

To book or for further information visit

www.kempinski.com/press · www.globalhotelalliance.com

For more information please contact:

Ashraf Abulhuda, Area Marketing Manager

Kempinski Hotel Ishtar Dead Sea & Kempinski Hotel Aqaba

Email: Ashraf.Abulhuda@kempinski.com; Tel. +962 5 356 8888

Sleeping is a behavior.  And there is a very important connection between health, happiness and a good night's sleep.   

Certainly some people can crawl into bed and shut their eyes and they are off.  Yet to understand the behavior and preparing for your slumber will assist in you getting optimum sleep.

A considerable amount of information is available about the importance of proper nutrition and exercise.  Yet not enough attention is given to the importance of sleep.

There are huge debates over the amount of sleep that each person requires.  The fact is that the amount of sleep the average adult needs each night varies.

What is most important is to create sleep rituals.  Do this by giving your body signals that it is time to slow down and sleep.  Try to establish your sleep cycle into a regular rhythm and you will feel better. You should go to bed, and wake up, at the same times each day, even on the weekends. This will help regulate your body's inner clock.

If you are not relaxed it may be difficult falling asleep and staying asleep.  So get into the habit of unwinding and calming down before you hit the bed.

Music to unwind before and during bedtime is one of the best relaxation tools. I highly recommend you check out this Sleep CD  There are more soothing gentle music selections available at this website - take a look around.

For an overactive mind with thoughts spinning, worrying, and writing to-do lists.....then try relaxing breathing, meditation, prayers, or a few stretches can help as a sleep aid.

Exercising regularly is important for you overall - however refrain from exercise a few hours before bedtime.  

Avoid heavy meals late in the evening.  Eliminate coffee or alcohol directly before bedtime.

Turn off all electronics - TV, computer, phones at least 30 minutes before bedtime.

Keep your bedroom dark, quiet, and well ventilated.  Remove the clock from view.  

Take a hot bath or shower before bed.  Try an aromatherapy bath - it is outstanding and a sure cure.

These suggestions will encourage your relaxation and deepen the quality of your sleep.  Create a soothing atmosphere in your home.  An hour prior to bed - turn on relaxing music, dim the lights, use candles, add aromatherapy touches. This will help balance your mind and body even after you fall asleep.

With a good night's sleep, you will be more alert, fresh, and focused the next day and reap the health benefits overall.          

Good night and sleep well!

Quiet brings the calm.  Meditation is the intentional quieting of the mind - allowing us to touch and hear more than the continuous thoughts of work, tasks, family, and our physical bodies.

Are you feeling overwhelmed - muscles tense - worried?

We all know that stress is not possible to completely eliminate from our lives- but we can change the way we react to it.

To manage stress - introduce balance.  Too much work requires play.  Too much input requires solitude.

There is much more going on within the silence of your spirit. 

Quiet brings the calm.

Listen to your breath and feel your heartbeat.  

Some people may like to chant a mantra.  A mantra is a sound, a word, or a group of words that is used as a tool of concentration.  These vibrations then divert the mind to allow transformation and harmony to occur.

Breathe and relax. 

Meditation has no judgments.  

Thoughts come and go.  Let them rise and diminish, like waves crashing on the beach.
 
Simple instructions for meditation

* Pick a quiet place.  You can create an atmosphere if you like, with flowers or objects that are found in nature and have a special meaning to you.

* Sit comfortably with your back straight but not rigid.  It may be on the floor or in a chair.

* Your hands are placed in your lap or on your knees.

* Close your eyes.  Or lower your gaze and eyes are half closed.

* Allow your breathing to be natural.

* As thoughts come - allow them to be like the waves.  Let them come and go.  Don't attach to these thoughts.  Go back to your breathing.

* Silence is best for healing.

Begin with sitting in meditation about 10 minutes.  If a longer time feels correct - let it come about naturally.

One result of meditating is that you are calmer and less stressed.  Tensions begin to melt and slip away.

Your body's natural healing processes can now activate.

That is why meditation improves health and well-being.

This relaxed state of meditation brings about an ability to deal with issues in your life and to keep them in perspective.

 
Photo Credit © Dreamstime.com Agency | Dreamstime.com

Heat experiences for health can be uplifting and will work wonders for your body and mind.

Heating the body for health is something that has been around since the days of Hippocrates, the founder of modern medicine.  Over two thousand years ago, he taught that raising the body temperature -brings about curative results.  

If you spend some time relaxing in a heat experience - I am sure that you will go away feeling refreshed and relaxed.

What 

What are these heat experiences?

There are two heat experiences that are common today - sauna and steam.  This discussion will talk about these two basics - and not the extensive water bathing rituals which exist throughout the world.  That is an additional huge subject - I will talk about, in the future.  

Where

Sauna and steam facilities can be found in the following settings:  in a spa, gym, health club, apartment complex, hotel, swimming pools, and in homes. Sauna and steam have always been popular.  

For years - gyms and health clubs have incorporated sauna and steam rooms into their locker room area facilities.  

The 'spa world' over the last ten years has taken this concept and expanded it into plush 'heat experiences' as it is called.  Some world class spas have based a large part of their concept on thermal spa experiences. And can offer as many as six chambers, each housing a different heat treatment - with temperature and humidity alterations. In my opinion, that is a bit over the top - not needed.  I say this in light of my experiences in the creation, building, and operations of spas and fitness facilities worldwide.

http://whitestarwellness.com/
 
Advice

What is important to know - is that these heat experiences form a powerful and therapeutic element of your spa journey.  Or your gym regime - or your relaxation and detox day.  
 

So my tip is this:  to allow yourself plenty of time to use the heat before a massage.  It definitely relaxes your muscles.  Some spas will offer this as part of the cost of your treatment.  Other businesses shy away from offering or have strict rules because they feel it is a drain on their expenses of laundry and amenities.  If the spa has the facility, ask about this when you make your appointment. 
 

Another tip:  whether it is a spa, gym, or health club.  There are times or reasons that you do not want to splurge on an expensive massage or purchase a year membership at a new gym.  Ask if they offer a day use pass.  I have successfully created these in gyms and spas and people will buy - so that they can enjoy the heat experiences and the relaxation areas.
 
Caution:  Pregnant women can not use heat treatments because they are not to heat their body core.

Heart patients with a blood pressure condition or others suffering from any disease - do consult your physician first.  

Note that rules change everywhere.  There are many locales worldwide, which actually enforce mixed-gender nudity-compulsory facilities.  And no sitting on towels - it is not allowed, in some countries.

It is customary to have these rules and signs posted in spas, pools, and fitness facilities worldwide.

Don't consume alcohol.

Do - drink plenty of water before, during, and after your time in the heat.
 
My suggestions:

    * It may sound fun to go to a co-ed sauna or steam, but in actuality - some do mandate a bathing suit.  I much prefer to relax with a towel around me in a female only sauna - and I can drop that towel, as I wish.
    * Always sit or lay on a towel - especially in steam room
    * This is a time for you to de-compress.  I advise you to go alone.  Or take a quiet friend - not the chatterbox type.
    * Look for off peak hours - when you can have the facility all to yourself.  Or with as few people as possible.
    * Many saunas have lights inside.  If the staff is not around - and you see the switch near the door - turn it off.  It is truly much more relaxing than having a naked light bulb in your eyes.

The most beneficial way to use the heat experiences is to relax for 10 - 15 minutes in one of the heat experiences and then take a rinse in the shower. Cool down and rest a bit - give yourself some time.  Even if the facility does not have a luxurious lounger - no problem.  You can still rest on a bench.  Then - if you have the time and you feel good - go back into the heat again.  

Alternating the heat with sufficient time to cool down and rest - is the most important.  If you have allowed the time - don't rush.
 
Benefits

Sweating helps the body rid itself of excess sodium, drugs, and some toxins.  

Sweating in a sauna or steam room dilates the blood vessels and thereby improves general circulation.

The skin is the largest organ of your body.  Heat treatments cleanse by opening the pores and flushing out impurities. 
 

Benefits of heat treatments may include the following and more:

    * soothe and relaxes tired muscles
    * improved blood circulation
    * enhanced detoxification processes
    * increase in energy
    * improved sleep
    * a strengthened immune system
    * improves skin and body tone
    * tension and stress relief

All in all - heat treatments have a lot going for them.  At the top of the list is that by doing so, you will be contributing to your healing processes and promoting feelings of relaxation and well-being.

When you do take some significant time for your heat treatments - afterwards you will feel like the edges of your body are not so solid.

Floating.....how wonderful ! 

Photo courtesy of http://www.amerimerc.com/sauna_n_steam/steam/acrylic_modular_steam_rm.asp

As the season of spring is upon us - it is time to take a good look at our health and our lifestyle.  And all the possibilities to enhance it.  

Spring is a time to get energized and renew your spirit.  It is a time to simplify your life.  A time to get back on track.  Or a time to reinvent yourself.  You will enjoy following the seasonal guidelines below that suit you.    

Exercise:  This is a time to stretch. Get outside and enjoy the fresh air. But don't succumb to the weekend warrior syndrome. If during the winter, you were inactive or reduced your activity level you may be tempted to exercise at the same level you remember that you had done. But that enthusiasm can lead to early injuries. If you changed your routine for the winter, you need to get back into shape slowly.  Try to get some exercise 3-4 times per week on alternate days.

De- clutter:  Clutter blocks the energy flow in your home.  Take time to clean and freshen your house. Pay specific attention to the kitchen area by cleaning the refrigerator, drawers, and counters.  This will make room for any new opportunities to enter into your home.  Also do your best to sweep out as many of the worries, in your mind.  That fresh air mentioned for your exercise, will help to clear your mind.  In addition - it is useful to become aware of your breathing patterns in order to balance your emotions. 

Food:  To keep in harmony with nature - foods for spring should promote a healthy detox from the heavier foods we ate during the winter months. Spring is not a time of heaviness, of feeling weighed down or burdened.

Plan your spring meals to feel light and airy. And don't overeat.

We should choose our foods to be lighter, leaner, and easier to digest - in order to increase our metabolism.
 
Eat springtime foods to include an abundance of fresh greens such as spinach, romaine lettuce, and Swiss chard. Other favorites of the season to look for are:  asparagus, green beans, cherry tomatoes, sugar snap peas, avocados, apricots, strawberries, cherries, and blueberries.    

Search out these seasonal foods and look for them in farmer's markets.  Not only does your food taste better if you buy it in season - but it has a higher nutritional value.  

Fashion:  Now let's focus on the color of Spring - green !

Bring it into your life.  One way to do this is with fashion.

According to the Pantone Institute Color Fashion Report: Three greens, each with their own distinct personality are on the top trend colors for Spring '09.  Listed are:  vibrant green being strong and leafy - dark citron as a citrus inspired mix - lucite green, a clear more subtle shade.  Add something green to your wardrobe - a sweater, a scarf, or a t-shirt.  It may possibly change your mood.

Living spring:  Bring some green plants or flowers into your home.

The early spring flowers that you will find are - crocus, daffodils, hyacinth, iris, and primrose and many other gorgeous representations.  

Aromatherapy:  And to carry on with more sensory pleasures - I suggest letting your nose get involved.  Spring indicates a light, airy scent, full of life, energy, and even a hint of romance!

Essential oil scents that work well during this time include: citronella, eucalyptus, geranium, ginger, grapefruit, jasmine, lemon, lime, palmarosa, rose, spearmint, & ylang ylang.

Your aroma oils may be used in a diffuser, candles, incense, room sprays, soaps, baths, massage oils, and skin care.

Activate your life. Simplify your life.  Be gentle on yourself.  Be open to all possibilities.  What do you want to create in your life? Positive thoughts bring positive changes.

Invite spring in to your life. 

And have fun !