Simple breathing for better energy

TRY THIS SIMPLE 2 MINUTE BREATHING PRACTICE FOR BETTER ENERGY

By Clair Yates

Last month I told you there was an exercise so powerful that within a couple of minutes practice it could lower your heart rate, boost your digestion and improve your sleep and that this same exercise practiced to extreme can have hallucinogenic effects and create out of body experiences – let me remind you, it’s called breathing!

Breathing for most of us, most of the time is totally automatic, governed by our autonomic nervous system, it happens all by itself. However, we can override our natural breath and if we know how, we can create an effect within a few minutes of practice. If you are already practicing yoga, you may have realized that there’s an infinite number of breathing practices, but what may not be so clear is that there is a finite number of results. Breathing practices can promote one of three different nervous system responses:

1. a balancing effect on the nervous system 2. a downregulating effect on the nervous system, stimulating the parasympathetic response that can feel calming 3. an upregulating, sympathetic effect on the nervous system that can feel energizing.

• Balancing breath practices are always a good choice, day or night. They can be used freely without any concerns. • Down-regulating breathing techniques, relieve stress, and can help put you to sleep. These practices can leave practitioners feeling groggy and soporific so use with care. • Up-regulating breath practices, wake you up and prepare your body for activity. They can over stimulate the nervous system and can lead to feelings of restlessness, they can disrupt your digestion and they dampen the impulse to breath, so we should exercise caution when practicing this type of breathing technique.

This month I want to share with you a very simple, easy balancing breathing technique. This technique has an adaptogenic effect on your nervous system - if you’re up, it will bring you down; if you’re down, it will bring you up. You can use this technique any time, day or night, before high-stress activities to balance your nerves and when you’re feeling sluggish to balance your energy so you can get on with what needs doing. Like sipping a glass of water throughout the day to keep you hydrated, it’s always a good choice. Using this practice, we are aiming to breathe at around 4-6 breathes per minute.

• Inhale through your nose counting slowly 1-2-3-4, small pause at the top of the inhale • Exhale through your nose counting slowly 4-3-2-1 small pause at the end of the exhale • Repeat for 10 rounds

That’s right, that’s it. It is that simple. I encourage you to try it a few times a day and see how you feel. Let me know how you get on. Take care of yourself, Clair.

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TRAVEL IS BACK

By Harden Holidays

Hello sunshine! Last week the team at Harden Holidays set off to the Costa del Sol in Spain to experience current holiday conditions, and see if it’s possible to have an enjoyable family holiday this summer. Some of you may have followed our trip live on Facebook @HardenHolidays #HHCostaDelSol where we posted lots of images and videos – here you will find the full details of our experience.

Pre-Departure – Most countries included on the travel corridor list have their own requirements for Passenger Locator Forms. For Spain we had the option to fill this in electronically 48 hours before departure or we could have opted for a paper version on the aircraft or upon arrival at the airport. The form takes 10 minutes to complete and it is very straight forward: a section about you, your details, travel details and accommodation details. It produced a QR code that we then had to present on arrival.

PRE-DEPARTURE TIP – Make sure you check your options for entry forms as some countries may only have the electronic version. We help guide our clients through this – if you are not sure come and talk to us.

Airport Experience – After a very quick and easy drive we arrived at Stansted Airport, parked up, put our masks on and made our way into the terminal. At first glance it looked really quiet until we quickly realised we were at Arrivals end of the terminal, as soon as we approached the check-in desk there was a real buzz of people (mainly families) dropping off luggage and heading through to security. Hand sanitisers were widely available and some of the vending machines were updated to sell masks and hand sanitizers. Very little food & drink facilities open landside – we found a much better selection once we were airside. Security procedures remains the same – belts and shoes off – the only difference is the mask. You could tell staff were glad to be back!

purchase a comfortable mask before you travel. We wore ours throughout travelling, which was 5+ hours, and it was only briefly removed for a drink or snack.

Flight Experience – Our flight was approximately 70% full, mainly families and the masks and seat belt sign stayed on for the duration of the flight. We were asked to remain seated and press the call button should we need to use the toilets. Everyone on the aircraft was compliant with the new rules which made the journey straightforward. The crew delivered the in-flight service very efficiently and with a big smile from under their face masks. Again, you can tell how happy everyone was to be back!

Hello Costa Del Sol! Once we landed in Malaga, we had our temperature taken and the staff scanned our QR codes. This was the only major difference to the arrival process really. Social distancing was complied with throughout Malaga airport and all of the staff we came in contact with were very friendly and polite.

We opted for a private transfer and our drive was waiting to take us to our first stop – Benalmadena. The day before our arrival the whole region of Andalucía made it mandatory to wear face coverings in all public areas including out on the streets. This felt a bit uncomfortable to start with because of the heat however we adapted to it quickly and felt safer by having it on. This was also helped by the fact that 99% of the people around us were wearing theirs.

We checked in at Royal Oasis Diamond Resorts Pueblo Quinta for one night, self-catering in a one bedroom apartment. It is a great location for self-catering as you have a really great choice of food and drinks up and down the sea-front promenade. The hotel was really strict with their new H&S measures, we were asked to sanitise our hands and wipe our shoes when we came in. Our luggage was sprayed with disinfectant, the staff were wearing masks and gloves – the check-in was completed contactless on a tablet. Our apartment had a seal on the door to show it has been cleaned to Covid standards and it has not been accessed since. The process took a lot longer than usual, however seeing all the measures that have been implemented made us feel safe.

The masks were allowed to come off around the pool area and if you are sitting on the beach or in a restaurant/bar where tables are at a safe distance from other guests.

Most of the restaurants and bars were open along the seafront, all keen for business – one restaurateur was so excited to hear English speaking guests - he asked where we were from and he did a little dance at the confirmation that ‘planes started coming in from England!’.

The food was delicious, the sun was shining, the sea was warm, and the local hospitality was just great.

Hello Palladium Costa Del Sol! Our trip was followed by a 4-night stay at the Palladium Costa Del Sol, a bit further down the coast from Benalmadena. We wanted to explore the resort – all-inclusive type holiday.

This area lends itself to being all-inclusive as there are few options for food & drink within walking distance.

We arrived on re-opening day – we could tell the staff were a bit nervous and excited at the same time. Hand sanitizers and Covid related signage

were available throughout the hotel. The hotel itself was spotlessly clean. Most facilities were open with the exception of the Spa. We were given set times for our breakfast, lunch and dinner which we mostly followed, these were served in the main dining room buffet style. The staff were serving the food from behind a glass shield – no self-service, however the same buffet principles applied – they were happy to serve you anything you wanted and as much as you wanted.

The hotel is right on the beach built into a cliffside with fantastic sea-views from wherever you were. We enjoyed the warm clear sea, the 2 pool areas – one adult only with an infinity pool and one family friendly with a couple of slides and a jacuzzi. In the evening we particularly enjoyed Nix Sky Lounge – a roof top area with 3 jacuzzis, day beds and a lovely bar and seating area. The atmosphere in the evening was great with various DJs and singers taking centre stage. The highlight for our 6-year-old was a group of flamenco dancers that set the floor alight in their Vodevil Theatre on the night we arrived.

It was really difficult to pack up and leave – we were very tempted to extend our stay by a couple of nights but off we were back to Malaga airport at 9 am as scheduled. The airport was fairly quiet but looking on the departure board we could see that between 0900-1630 there are over 60 flights departing! It is compulsory to wear masks at all times and there are PA’s to remind passengers of this at all times. There are signs on all the seats so you can distance correctly and there are also announcements telling you to follow the social distancing guidelines. It was a bit slow to get through security however once airside, Duty free shop was open, and they have some amazing deals! Obviously, we ended up shopping! Burger King, Costa and Jamie’s food place were all closed, but there were some other small shops that you can buy sandwiches and drinks from. Arrival back into the UK – An entry form needs completion on re-entering the UK, not earlier than 48h before arrival. The Passenger Locator Form can only be accessed online, and it asks for very similar information as the pre-departure form i.e. personal details and where will you be staying in the UK. Please be aware there is no option for paper copy, we have seen many caught out by this and trying to fill it in at the airport on their phones as they won’t let you pass security without it. A bad signal could delay your arrival processing.

Travel this summer is a very personal choice, we understand and promote that. Our experience from the last few days has shown that despite all the restrictions the key elements of a holiday still exist. We enjoyed delicious food, cocktails aplenty, lots of fun by the pool and exploring the warm sea, made new friends and enjoyed the local hospitality.

For more photos and videos visit out Facebook Page @HardenHoldiays or pop in to see us in the town centre.

Note: This article was written prior to the change in the travel advice from the FCO to Spain. As we have seen during the last few months advice and regulation change quickly and frequently. This may well have changed again by the time of publication.

Call - 0800 023 8974 E-mail - tim@hardenholidays.co.uk Website: www.hardenholidays.co.uk Visit us at: Unit 1B Henley House, Home Gardens, Dartford, DA1 1AS (Opposite Prospect Place & Costa, next to Subway)

• ALL TYPES OF INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL DECORATING • AROUND THE HOUSE MAINTENANCE JOBS • FREE ESTIMATES • REFERENCES AVAILABLE • RELIABLE, INEXPENSIVE AND QUALITY WORK BY LOCAL TRADESMEN CAN WE HELP YOU?

Please call Mike or John on: Tel 01322 406439 / 01322 525708 Mobile: 07742 085333 Email: mikeperry5001@aol.com Partners: Mike Perry and John Petherick