September means back to school! So my challenge for September is "Learn Anatomy"! I studied anatomy and physiology as part of my course to qualify as a reflexologist in 2011 but feel like I need to refresh what I know. There are constantly new things being discovered and things can be forgotten. I'm going to go back to my study books and online groups and learn new things about anatomy and physiology...

August's monthly challenge is: Explore London! I am lucky to live in this amazing city but definitely take it for granted and don't make the most of it. So this month I am going to become a tourist and try to see or do things that are undiscovered to me in London. Any suggestions would be great! 

I'm loving the new additions to the Hamna Tabu treatment room. I opened up Hamna Tabu around November 2018 and since then it has had lots of lovely visitors. The treatment room is located between Hampton Wick and Teddington in a peaceful,  leafy area. We are situated by the train tracks but I use sound cancelling headphones which really allow people to drift off into another space where they can completely switch off. I am always trying to improve the treatment room and often finding new things to put in it. Recently I purchased a new bolster cushion which is unbelievably comfortable and a gorgeous smelling candle. Hopefully see you for a treatment in Hamna Tabu soon! 

I had another great year working at Lovefit. The relentless rain on the Friday didn't put the amazing festival goers off and they stuck it out until the sun finally came out on Saturday morning! My bell tent treatment room didn't enjoy the rain so much, and when I went to open up on Saturday the floor was completely drenched. Nothing a bit of sunshine (and a hot yoga tent!) couldn't fix though. 

Yet again I was overwhelmed with how lovely everyone at the festival was. It must  be a magical mixture of endorphins from all the exercise they're doing, all in a beautiful setting, with great facilities and like minded people all around. 

I was booked out from the Friday afternoon to Sunday early evening. I think I managed to convert lots of people who had never had reflexology before- It's a great introduction to it having a half hour treatment and lots of people came back to me the day after their treatments telling me how their various ailments were feeling better. 

I'll definitely be going back next year! 

I loved doing my daily meditations last month, and I think I'll even try to keep the habit up. I use the "Calm" app and find it really useful not only for meditation sessions but for relaxing music, sleep stories and even stretch sessions.

This month my challenge is to "read an interesting book"! So I have bought myself "A Little History of the World" by E.H. Gombrich to learn more about this wonderful world that we live in. I can't wait to get stuck into it.

This month I am doing "daily meditation". The countdown to my wedding is on now so this one was timed perfectly to keep me calm during the run up. I use the "Calm" app which is great. It's got daily meditation, sleep stories and music. I find the sleep stories great for switching off before bed and if I'm having trouble sleeping during the night. 

I am also looking after my own well-being this month by having regular reflexology sessions myself. I have booked my sessions in and am really looking forward to them. 

April is over but it seems to have left its showers behind! April's resolution was "no shopping"! I did this last year and found it was a great way to kerb my spending habits. I get quite addicted to online shopping and find this is the only way to bring me back to a "normal" amount of shopping.

However(!) this month I failed!! What with having my own wedding coming up in June, and a friends wedding in Spain, I found I HAD to buy things. So, I will be doubling up resolutions and re-doing this one in September.

For the month of May I will be doing "new workout app challenge". I've been following lots of different fitness influencers on Instagram to get some inspiration and will be mixing up my exercise routine this month. I've bought myself a new resistance band and can already feel the burn after using it for just a couple of days. One thing I've always learnt from going to different classes and doing different workouts is that your body will only change if it's put out of it's comfort zone. So i'll be challenging my body this month!

March's challenge was to try cooking 1 new recipe each week. I love cooking, but I find I get stuck in a routine of cooking the same things. So I really enjoyed this because it meant I had to try something new each week, and I even did more than 1 each week!

Here is what I tried (with links to the recipes):
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• Ottolenghi prawn and sweetcorn fishcakes with sweet potato mash with herb and lime salsa.
• Anthony Worrall Thompson baked plaice with olive tapenade 
• Diana Henry Harissa harissa roasted carrots with white bean puree. 
• Paleo baked eggs with pancetta and mushrooms
• Beef Massaman curry in the slow cooker
• Duck Panang curry

You can see some pictures of my "creations"! on my Instagram page: 
https://www.instagram.com/retreat4yourfeet_reflexology/