Spa retreats in Western Australia

Holistic health and wellbeing experiences awaits at these top spa retreats in Western Australia.

 

PURE LUXE
 
Indijup Spa Retreat

The place: A spa retreat surrounded by national parkland, sprawling vineyards and unspoiled beaches. There are 10 luxurious villas, each with a private plunge pool overlooking a secluded beach. As well as massages, they deal in invigorating sea salt scrubs, clay body masks and detoxing baths infused with Australian native ingredients such as juniper berry, cypress and lemon myrtle.

The experience: Rather than choose a specific treatment, go in for a private consultation. The gently handed, highly skilled staff will design a treatment experience especially for you.

Details: 1 Cape Clairault Road, Yallingup, (08) 9750 1300
WELLNESS
 
Kalyaana SPA & Wellness Retreat

The place: This tiny boutique sanctuary with an annexed spa for guests caps its guest list at four, creating an intimate experience amid five tranquil acres of gardens including a kitchen garden and sensory herb garden.

The experience: If you want a holistic health and wellbeing experience with delicious cuisine, extensive therapies and healing modalities, rejuvenating treatments and luxurious home comforts, this is it.

Details: Lot 705 Maslin Street, Bridgetown, (08) 9761 1420

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Finding the right meditation style for you

The key to finding the right style of meditation that suits you, is defining the reason why you’re meditating in the first place and your purpose.

 

To do that, you need to find a style that suits your goal, whether it is to find calm or discover clear thinking to reducing pain or connecting with the world, says mediation teacher and counsellor Nadine Cameron.

Here are a few meditation styles to kick-start your journey:

Mindfulness 

Also known as vipassana, is the most popular form in the Western world. It’s about ‘being present’ and letting your mind run. It’s not recommended for those with pre-existing mental illness or emotional difficulty because spending too much time in your head can do more harm than good.

Zazen 

As the generic term for seated meditation in the Buddhist tradition this is a minimal kind of meditation, done for long periods of time. There’s little focus on breath and with little guidance it can be hard to learn.

Transcendental meditation 

Put simply, you sit with your back straight (ideally in the lotus or half-lotus posture) and repeat a mantra. It’s a simplified version from the non-dual Hindu paradigm Vedanta. 

Kundalini

Also from Vedanta, the aim of this style is to become aware of a rising stream, which you ride to infinity through concentration on breath. Be weary though, this can have lead to the Kundalini syndrome, where people become hypersensitive to touch, light and sounds. 

NEXT: Discover the benefits of meditation. 

Detoxing: the good, the bad and the informative

Before you jump on the detox bandwagon, it’s important to look into the potential side affects to a full body cleanse. Here, the experts help us unpack the pros and cons to this weight loss phenomenon.

 

Starving yourself is not the way to go

Most detoxes promote a reduced calorie intake, which can quickly turn into starvation mode. According to GP Dr Fran Bruce of Wesley LifeShape Clinic, most detoxes are “low in protein which can result in fatigue, dehydration, light headedness, headaches, mood swings and constipation.

Our bodies are capable of detoxing on their own

As our liver and kidneys work together to remove toxins from our systems, our bodies naturally go through a detoxification phase. If you’re thinking laxatives are the way to go, think again. Unless discussed with a medical practitioner, they can lead to some serious complications down the track, says Gastroenterologist, Dr Phillip Chang.

Detoxing is not a quick fix

Although detoxing can promote fat loss, this weight loss isn’t always fat loss. “You can expect to lose weight, but mainly due to water and muscle loss after depriving your body of essential nutrients such as protein, says Dietitian Lyndi Polivnick.
Before you ditch the idea of the detox, there are ways to healthily cleanse your body.

Fuel your body with wholesome goodness 

There’s even more reason to head to the fresh food aisle of your supermarket because the most simple detox tactic is to avoid highly processed foods, says Dr Bruce. Avoid “foods that are high in fats and sugar, reduce your alcohol intake (if it exceeds the recommended guidelines) and limit caffeine consumption for a week or so.” Keep those energy levels high with nutrient dense wholefoods.

Go green

While most detoxes miss the mark on fibre and protein, get more from “natural, minimally process foods such as fruit, leafy green vegetables (cabbage or kale) and psyllium (natural insoluble fibre)” in you, says Dr Chang.

Don’t detox for the long haul

When it comes to intense detoxes, short term is better than long term, says Polivnick. Opt for raw foods rather than juices to help out with your fibre intake and befriend water. Lots of it. “Supercharge your body’s natural ability to clear toxins…drink plenty of water, get exercising,” she says.

A little evaluation never hurt anyone

If you’re looking to reassess your habits, you can benefit from a process of elimination. Stewart suggests, eliminating ‘all animal protein products including eggs,” which can slow down the detoxing process. The Liver Cleansing Diet focuses on high quality nutrients including veggies, fruits, grains, nuts and seeds, which are important for your metabolism.

Full article by Hannah Blamey, featured in the January edition of Women’s Health and Fitness Magazine.

The importance of sleep

If you want to give yourself a better chance of avoiding the curveballs, prioritise sleep.

 

 

Clocking less than six hours of sleep per night compromises the brain’s ability to regulate emotions, making it that much harder to deal.

And it only takes one night of insufficient sleep to make you vulnerable to meltdowns according to a new Tel Aviv University study that identified the neurological mechanism responsible for disturbed emotion regulation and increased anxiety due to sleep debt.

In effect, the brain loses its ability to discern between what is and isn’t important, reported The Journal of Neuroscience.

Hannah Bailey shows us eight ways to improve your sleep:
Behaviour:

Ditch the macchiato, doughnut and laksa.

“Avoid caffeine in the afternoon and avoid large quantities of food, particularly heavy fatty foods, immediately prior to sleep that may make you feel uncomfortable and prevent sleep,” Dr Eckert says. If you suffer reflux, avoid spicy foods, as when you lie down it may come back to bite you.

Order a mocktail
 
A couple of vinos may feel like they usher you backstage at lala land, but the sleep you have when you get there is likely to be flawed. “Alcohol prior to sleep can impair sleep quality, cause snoring and in some cases lead to sleep apnoea, and should be avoided,” Dr Eckert says.

Move your workouts
 
Vigorous exercise just before bed can impair sleep, but Dr Eckert says that exercise at other times is actually a sleep aid. “It is associated with increased levels of slow-wave (deep) sleep.”

Switch off
 
Working back at the office or with your laptop on the couch can hijack your sleep routine. “Overly stimulating activities prior to sleep can make it difficult to fall asleep and should be avoided,” Dr Eckert says. Likewise detailed tasks.  “Maintaining a regular sleep routine that includes avoiding these types of activities immediately prior to sleep is ideal.” Exorcise the bedroom of any screens, Eckert advises. According to a 2012 Harvard Health Letter, blue wavelengths from fluorescent lightbulbs, LED lights and computer and iPad screens wreak greater havoc than white light on melatonin. In an experiment, blue light suppressed melatonin for around twice as long as green light. Red light, on the other hand, had the mildest effect on melatonin.

Bedroom
 
Dim the lights
According to the National Sleep Foundation, bright light inhibits the release of ‘sleep hormone’ melatonin, which can only be stimulated in a dimly lit environment. Any bright light can prevent the release of melatonin, preventing the onset of sleep. If you can’t block 100 per cent of light, Eckert advocates using a sleep mask to mimic a dark sleeping environment.

Pull the blinds
 
Skip diaphanous window dressings – however romantic – and go for a heavy fabric or blinds that completely block light. The first exposure to light in the morning activates a part of your brain called the supra-chiasmatic nucleus according to the National Sleep Foundation. That means processes associated with being awake crank into gear, calling a premature end to quality sleep.

Snuggle up
 
Sleep temperature is integral to the quality of shut-eye. UniSA’s Centre for Sleep Research revealed that that normal initiation of sleep demands a core body temperature drop. Ordinarily, the body automatically turns down its heat dial about 90 minutes before sleep, while insomniacs who find it hard to nod off tend to maintain a higher body temperature. While your body should regulate its own degrees, a hot or frigid room can mess with the process. Eckert says the ideal room temperature for sleep is 22 degrees Celsius. If you use an electric blanket to take the chill off your sheets, turn it off before falling asleep.

Luxe your crib
 
You can call high thread-count sheets a health expense. While they’re not a magic sleeping pill, Eckert says good bed linen complements other measures to maximise comfort, including temperature regulation.

NEXT: Lack of sleep not only impacts on your brain function, it also kills your beauty buzz.