Recently in Relaxation Category

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!

Tired of walking around with those extra pounds on your body?


For many women, a slow metabolism is part of the problem when they try to lose weight.

You may have tried many diets, personal trainers, and all kinds of exercise videos. However, with these simple tricks to rocket launch your metabolism you'll finally lose those pounds, feel better and look great.

Frequent, Small Meals

Some people eat 1-2 big meals each day. This can elevate your leptin levels and put your body in starvation mode.

Not good.

Eating every couple hours is a great way to rev your metabolism. Just be sure to eat healthy foods and don't overeat. Eat enough so your stomach feels comfortably full.
 

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

Life is about choices and commitment... It is a great gift...
To be able to give to others...
To help make the world a better place...

Be gentle with yourself in this Life...
Know that you also need to be able to ask for and receive help...

But live your Life passionately...
Keeping your center and balance...

Have faith that through living in and by... trust and love...
Happiness will come out of all circumstances...
This requires willingness and openness...
On your part to see all the possibilities of Life...

The most important thing in Life is...
Human warmth and affection...

How simple... how wise... how human...
Can we be a little kinder... a little gentler...
More loving to those around us?

This first principle serves as an antidote to fear and sorrow by encouraging you to experience life as joyous. When you feel momentary happiness, or you want to burst out laughing, or you smile for no apparent reason, you are glimpsing eternal reality. In time, these moments of joy will begin to knit together. Instead of the exception, they will become the norm.

My Girlfriend passed this article along to me... had to share.

READ THIS VERY SLOWLY... IT'S PRETTY PROFOUND.

Too many people put off something that brings them joy just because they haven't thought about it, don't have it on their schedule, didn't know it was coming or are too rigid to depart from their routine.

I got to thinking one day about all those women on the Titanic who passed up dessert at dinner that fateful night in an effort to cut back From then on, I've tried to be a little more flexible.

How many women out there will eat at home because their husband didn't suggest going out to dinner until after something had been thawed? Does the word "refrigeration" mean nothing to you?

How often have your kids dropped in to talk and sat in silence while you watched 'Jeopardy' on television?

I cannot count the times I called my sister and said, "How about going to lunch in a half hour?" She would gas up and stammer, "I can't. I have clothes on the line. My hair is dirty. I wish I had known yesterday, I had a late breakfast, It looks like rain." And my personal favorite: "It's Monday." .She died a few years ago. We never did have lunch together.

Because Americans cram so much into their lives, we tend to schedule our headaches. We live on a sparse diet of promises we make to ourselves when all the conditions are perfect!

We'll go back and visit the grandparents when we get Steve toilet-trained. We'll entertain when we replace the living-room carpet. We'll go on a second honeymoon when we get two more kids out of college.

Life has a way of accelerating as we get older. The days get shorter, and the list of promises to ourselves gets longer. One morning, we awaken, and all we have to show for our lives is a litany of "I'm going to," "I plan on," and "Someday, when things are settled down a bit."

When anyone calls my 'seize the moment' friend, she is open to adventure and available for trips. She keeps an open mind on new ideas. Her enthusiasm for life is contagious. You talk with her for five minutes, and you're ready to trade your bad feet for a pair of Roller blades and skip an elevator for a bungee cord.

My lips have not touched ice cream in 10 years. I love ice cream. It's just that I might as well apply it directly to my stomach with a spatula and eliminate the digestive process. The other day, I stopped the car and bought a triple-decker. If my car had hit an iceberg on the way home, I would have died happy.

Now...go on and have a nice day. Do something you WANT to......not something on your SHOULD DO list. If you were going to die soon and had only one phone call you could make, who would you call and what would you say? And why are you waiting?

Make sure you read this to the end; you will understand why I sent this to you.

Have you ever watched kids playing on a merry go round or listened to the rain lapping on the ground? Ever followed a butterfly's erratic flight or gazed at the sun into the fading night? Do you run through each day on the fly? When you ask "How are you?" Do you hear the reply?

When the day is done, do you lie in your bed with the next hundred chores running through your head? Ever told your child, "We'll do it tomorrow." And in your haste, not see his sorrow? Ever lost touch? Let a good friendship die? Just call to say "Hi"?

When you worry and hurry through your day, it is like an unopened gift....Thrown away.... Life is not a race. Take it slower. Hear the music before the song is over.

"Life may not be the party we hoped for... but while we are here we might as well dance!"

Upgrade your outlook and keep your day from unraveling with these mental strategies

Start Small

Don't overwhelm yourself with big changes. Alter one small thing--a morning habit, a food choice. Over time, these will add up to the intentional life you crave.





Connect

Put love and friendship first in your life, scheduling dates with others as you would doctors' appointments. Connection may help improve heart health, prompt the release of the stress-relieving hormone oxytocin, and allow you to sidestep the health risks of isolation. While you're at it, get a pet--you might further reduce stress and ease depression.

Focus on Now

Rather than disperse your energy with multitasking, take one job, one person at a time. The more mindful you are, the quicker you can stop stress and turn yourself around. Learn to be present...live consciously!

Write it out

Release stress by getting negative feelings out of your body. Pick up a pen and write down your thoughts, keep a journal.

Own the News

Change the way you approach the bleak information you get from the media. Don't shy away from knowing the facts--apathy can prove as damaging to your spirit as stress or depression. But use what you learn to become part of the solution. Send light, positive energy and prayers to those suffering, while finding tangible ways to get involved. You're in a position of power and control. Embrace the media--look at it and use it as your classroom.

Walk softly

When we're stressed, we tend to hit the floor hard with every step. Imagine you're walking on a lotus flower--tenderly, gently. Unplug through your feet, and you'll calm down to a more tranquil mental place.

Try a Mini-Meditation

Memorize a three-to-five-word phrase, a mantra that will bring you back to center when things get rough, such as "I am strong or Spirit will guide me." Also, keep a peaceful image mentally on hand (a beach scene, a quiet forest) to call up in stressful moments.

Love your commute

See your travel time as a chance to cultivate patience and compassion. If you can use calming breaths to stay relaxed and unruffled in traffic, you can handle anything.

Practice gratitude

It's hard to feel gratitude and stress at the same time. Devote five minutes a day to giving thanks for all the gifts in your life--starting with your breath, the source of everything.

Take stock

Make a list of things that bring you joy--and another list of things that drain your energy. Do these 10 minutes daily for a week, and then review your lists and see how your own life matches up.

Relax with these ultimate at home pampering spa treatments. These delicious spa tea recipes are as pure and natural as you can get... and they're easy!   Most of us already have these ingredients in our fridge or pantry.  How about a Serenity Now  tea bath, a Radiant Beauty facial scrub, or a Chocolate Tea body scrub?  Start the kettle and enjoy a delicious relaxing getaway.

An important tip: Because these homemade treatments do not contain the preservatives like their store-bought counterparts do, you will want to make them fresh before each use.


Radiant Beauty Facial Scrub

Drinking white tea not only promotes healthy teeth and gums, but also radiant skin. Many factors can affect the skin's appearance, such as too much sun exposure, diet and stress. These factors can damage the skin and cause it to prematurely age. Through the consumption of white tea, you can protect your skin and help reverse some of the existing damage, leaving you with a healthier complexion.

-    4 medium-sized strawberries
-    ½ cup of oatmeal
-    2 tablespoons of rice flour
-    2 tablespoons of honey
-    2 tablespoons of sugar
-    1.5 tablespoons of Radiant Beauty (Organic white tea by ONO Tea)                                 

1.    Wash strawberries and remove the stems
2.    In a food processor, all the ingredients except for the sugar. Mix until pureed. Place in a glass mixing bowl and stir in the sugar until it is completely dissolved/
3.    Apply a small amount to your face and with circular motions, work the product into your skin. Repeat until you face is covered. The product may be left on your skin as a 10-min mask or removed immediately. You can keep this in an airtight container, in the fridge, for up to 4 days.


Chocolate Body Scrub

Maté, an extraordinary South American herb, helps the skin maintain a healthy-looking, youthful vivacity. This delicious body scrub is packed with antioxidant rich mate infused with white chocolate chips, Madagascar vanilla and espresso flavoring.
 
-    ½ cup of oatmeal
-    2 tablespoons of rice flour
-    2 tablespoons of sea salt
-    2 T of ONO Mate Toscana  (chocolate flavored mate tea) 
-    2 tablespoons of warmed runny honey

1.    In a bowl, combine all ingredients except for the honey.
2.    Incorporate the warm honey into the mixture last.
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Rooibos has also been found to be rich in anti-oxidants and minerals (iron, potassium, calcium, copper, zinc, magnesium, fluoride, manganese, and sodium) and has 50 times more SOD than Green Tea. S.O.D. (Super Oxidant Dismutase), which acts as an anti-oxidant agent, keeps free radicals in the body in check.
 
Various studies have shown a variety of health problems can be helped by drinking Rooibos including the ease of irritability, headaches, nervous tension and insomnia; relief of stomach cramps and colic; and an overall boost in the function of the immune system. Rooibos  also contains alpha-hydroxy acid, known to promote healthy skin.
Enjoying this blissful spa treatment at home is as easy as making a cup of rooibos tea.

Serenity Now Body Bath

-    Cheesecloth or large tea filters
-    String
-    1 cup of ONO Serenity Now  
-    Optional:  dried milk
-    1.5 tsp of Serenity Now  per  8 oz of hot water

1.    Make yourself a cup of Serenity Now tea and let it steep until the bath is ready.
2.    Place a small stool nearby for your cup of Serenity Now.
3.    Place 1 cup Serenity Now inside the center of the cheesecloth of tea filter and tie together with string.
4.    Place the bag in the tub and start running hot water for 3-5 min until the bag is submerged. Then start adding dried milk (optional) and lukewarm to cool water to adjust to your perfect bath temperature.
5.    Light some candles, play some relaxing music., and start your soak.


***Did you know - Rooibos tea leaves can be quickly dried after picking to prevent oxidation and this is called green rooibos. When rooibos tea leaves are fermented, they turn an orange red color. The unfermented green rooibos, which is the base tea of ONO Serenity Now, has a higher antioxidant level.