I don’t know about you, but most of my new beginnings and New Year resolutions tend to be rather short lived. For instance, last year I swore off shoe shopping for six months… until few days later stumbled (quite accidentally) upon an irresistible sale in the Saks Fifth Avenue shoe department.
Or each time I tried to cut sweets, but was offered a chocolate by a friend, I, inevitably, ended up breaking that rule (surely, it would have been rude to refuse). Anyway, similar examples are ample. And I have a sneaky suspicion that my transgressions might sound familiar to you too (wink, wink). Yet, I kept wondering if there is a way to cheat the system, so to speak, of how not to cheat on one’s resolve.
And then, I was invited by Sparadise Spa to try their new wellbeing programme. Being a yoga virgin, I was somewhat apprehensive and not sure what to expect, but I shouldn’t have worried. A warm and friendly atmosphere enveloped me from the minute I entered a well established fitness studio. Ladies were chatting with friends or greeting acquaintances, an attentive and encouraging instructor was willing to accommodate everyone’s needs according to their abilities.
The session was fluid, relaxing and very enjoyable, and I my body felt instantly flexed and strengthened, yet the better was still to come. My next discovery was the Spatox bar serving most delicious health boosting concoctions, offering cleansing and cure for any ailing known to the humankind, served either as a scrumptious shot or an elegantly presented cocktail.
As I sipped my passion fruit iced-tea (shaken, not stirred), I was already making plans to come back. So, I realised, that if you offer yourself an incentive or a reward afterwards and customise it to suit your own needs, it soon becomes so ingrained into your weekly routine, that you will start wondering how on earth did you survive without it before. Indeed, there is no universal recipe for an ideal health regime as each of us needs to discover our own formula.
You might be more of a Zumba girl or an inborn jogger. You might crave some company after days spent with only a gurgling toddler, or you might want to escape your noisy household of moody teenagers and immerse yourself into an indulgent solitude of “me-time”. You might choose tea over juice, but the key to success of sticking to your wellbeing routine, is to find a right balance between challenging and rewarding yourself, creating a ritual, and making it into a habit.
The goal should be not to loose X amount of pounds, but to feel good. Believe me, that invigorating feeling of contentment in your own body and soul is very addictive, and ever so much more enjoyable if done with a bit of class. Anyway, suffering for one’s beauty is so 2018! In the New Year we want our wellbeing served in a nice elegant glass… shaken, not stirred. Happy new beginnings!
Aisté is a Socialite, Writer, Language Tutor and Advisor for International School of Etiquette, living in Bahrain and London. To share your feedback, email: aiste.anusaite@ gmail.com
