Go On... Give Yourself Some Me Time

Self-care is the new big thing. Here are ways to start practising now...

- Lynn Cardy

Unchain yourself from that to-do list. For 2019, selfcare is our new well-being mantra. Self-indulgent? No way, our mini rituals help replace burnt-out you with the fun, able-to cope person you deserve to be!

1 Breathe!

Is that endless to-do list leaching your energy? Breathing right can help you reinvigorate. Celeb nutritionist Julie Montagu agrees: “I try to do five minutes of belly breathing each day to saturate my cells with oxygen, making me feel alive and well.” Here’s how...

-Inhale into the belly for four counts, and hold for four counts. Exhale everything for four counts, then hold for a further four counts. Repeat 10 times.

GOOD FOR... Reducing stress and lowering blood pressure.

2 Stretch!

Backache, shoulder tension and headaches come with the festive territory. Stretch each day to keep yourself limber and fit for purpose. Yoga teacher Emma Harding has a real doozy to help you unclench. All you need is a bed!

BEAUTIFUL BACK ROLL

-Lie on the floor with hips 30cm away from the bed. Bend knees up and put feet on the edge of the mattress – knees above hips.

-Breathe in, slowly peeling the hips and spine off the floor vertebra by vertebra so that you come up slowly into a gentle shoulder stand. Now breathe out as you roll back down.

-Repeat this, linking breath and movement, five to 10 times and hold the last one for five breaths if it feels good. Ooh, feel the kinks easing out of your body!

GOOD FOR… “Giving the heart and circulatory system a rest, as it’s an inversion,” says the flexible Emma.

3 Laugh!