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/

I met Aisling from The Lovely Wellness Company just before Christmas, as having recently moved to Teddington I wanted to meet some people in the area who were in similar industries to me. 
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Aisling teaches yoga classes, specialising in pregnancy and post natal wellness and runs yoga retreats. She has a lovely air about her and I would highly recommend going to one of her classes- whether you are pregnant or not!

https://thelovelywellnesscompany.com/

I have finally got round to writing my monthly resolutions for 2019! I've started January with Whole30 which is a great way to kick start the year.

Whole30 is all about eating foods that are natural, non-refined, and good for your body. It cuts out sugar, dairy, gluten, grains, additives, legumes, alcohol and carbohydrates for 30 days. During these 30 days you can definitely notice differences- in energy levels and general well-being. I love doing it in January to help reset the body for the year ahead. 
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I've tried to be realistic with my goals this year as it's going to be a busy year for me what with planning my wedding! I've focused on goals that will keep me interested, and active. 

Hamna Tabu...It means no worries, and that is exactly what you will experience in my lovely treatment room in Teddington. 

Although "Hakuna Matata" (the name of my Putney treatment room) is the more well known phrase, "Hamna Tabu" is actually used more often in Swahili.

I've been loving working in this new space, and my clients seem to love it too. The treatment room is nice and cosy, and smells calming. It does back out onto the train tracks but I use sound cancelling headphones so that you can truly relax and drift away into another space. Book your session in here now!

The treatment room in Teddington is now OPEN for business! Please get in contact if you would like to book a treatment in my lovely, cozy treatment room. I am also available for treatments in the local areas now too- including Hampton Wick, Twickenham, St Margarets and Kingston. The treatment room is a short walk from Hampton Wick station, and is situated in the garden at the back of my home. We are on the train tracks, but I have the option of using sound cancelling headphones if this is a problem for you, allowing you to peacefully drift off and zone out during your treatment. I will be offering the following treatments in the Teddington treatment room:
Reflexology, Maternity reflexology, Aromareflex, Natural Facelift Massage. 
If the demand for hot stone reflexology is high then I will also offer that in the future. 

A new month, a new monthly challenge. Can’t believe we are on 11/12 already!! Already planning my 2019 resolutions...
This one comes at a great time, just before the craziness of Christmas begins. Looking forward to feeling the benefits of cutting sugar out for a month. More energy, better sleep, and hopefully less pesky cravings by the end of the month.

Last week I went on a two day course with Hanne Marquardt on "Reflexotherapy". The course was really interesting and has yet again ignited my long standing passion in reflexology. Hanne is an incredible 85 year old woman, who has a lot of experience and knowledge behind her. She trained with one of the leading pioneer's in reflexology- Eunice Ingham, and has set up schools and lectures around the world. I learnt so much from Hanne and it was a very inspiring couple of days.

Two things I will take from this course are the 5 grips we learnt which can help to stabilize the Autonomous Nervous System, and the Reflexotherapy techniques for treating scars on the body. Scars that have been left by operations, accidents, or other reasons can often held a lot of emotional blockages, and can take a while for people to process. I learnt a technique from Hanne of how to work on these areas in the feet, by promoting blood flow to the area and so unblocking the stuck energy.

Hanne also taught us an interesting saying that "solutions lead to solutions"- meaning that the body's process of healing after a treatment (which can often mean getting rid of all the waste products through urine, faeces, snot and even tears) can lead to solutions of problems, whether that be a blocked digestive system, insomnia, pain in different areas, or any other reasons that led you to have reflexology in the first place.