Strong in Body, Peace in Mind

Have you ever had an itching urge to kick all bad habits, smoking, alcohol, bad food and lack of exercise in a desperate effort to cleanse yourself? It's a spring cleaning thing, I reckon. It happens to me every year around this time. 2010 was the Grape Diet year. For four days straight, I "cleansed" my body with this supposed anti-oxidant miracle remedy. I cut out alcohol and all things toxic a week after wards. I felt light on my feet, strong in my body and re-energised. 2009 was the year of the Master Cleanse. Terrifyingly difficult and torturous, I managed to pull through and I was rocket of energy for days on end. In 2011 however, I'm not so much in the mood to starve and torture myself. In 2011, it's all about feeling strong in body and having peace in mind without taking extreme measures and becoming an anti-social hermit because of it. 

Yeotown Main House

 Yeotown Suite

Being a bit of a yoga nut, I decided, last weekend, to drag my mother to a yoga retreat - one of the most respected yoga retreats in the country. Well, to be fair, I dragged her, but she treated me. Voted by Tatler as one of the top 10 spas of the world and Harper's Bazaar as one of the top detoxifying destinations in the country, Yeotown Devon truly is the ultimate place for a mind and body cleanse. 

 Yeotown Yoga Studio

Tree Pose  

Choose a yoga or a detox programme and get carried away by the amazing classes, food and natural beauty of the surroundings. It truly is one of the most peaceful places I've ever been to. And let me assure you, two hours of power yoga in the morning plus 2 hours of restorative yoga in the afternoon, a massage and walk in the woods, for 3 days straight, beat the hell out of a grape or master cleanse cure. No pain (not really), no starvation, no anti-social lock ins, you'll find yourself refreshed, empowered and addicted to a healthy lifestyle. 

"Artistic" shot of newly pedicured foot on basin of rose petals

Buddha sculpture in front of main house

So fine, if you're short on cash, need a quick and efficient cleanse and you're not afraid of low bouts of energy during work hours and missing out on the pub run with friends, the four day master cleanse is the right choice for you. And again short term gratification is the goal for this type of programme. If you're one to need a solid make-over, a long-term cleansing and empowering solution, then Yeotown is where you should be headed to next weekend.

A Weekend Getaway-Nowhere Better Than the Cotswolds

To start the week with a fresh set of eyes, there's nothing better than an imaginary escape to the Cotswolds, London's most popular, yet under-rated weekend destination. A little while back, a lovely gentleman took me to the English country side for a little romantic getaway. For the first time since I'd moved, I saw the beauty that lies beyond the capital's borders and immediately fell in love with English nature and culture.

 

After a smooth two and half hour drive out of London (on the left side of the road, mind you), we were both still alive- and better yet, we were ecstatic. The beauty of the landscape took our breath away and it was as if we could have stayed glued to the scenery like glued to a Van Gogh painting. The next morning, we woke up in our small bed and breakfast to take a stroll through the teeny tea-cup-seized village of Cirencester. After lunch we meandered slowly towards the Barnsley House Hotel and Spa for some much needed R&R. Built using local natural stone the spa features Cotswold Stone floors, dry stone interior walls, floor to ceiling glass and English hardwoods, the heavenly contemporary spa is comparable to a Swedish winter spa. One massage, one twirl in the outdoor thermal pool and one sweat in the steam room later, we were finally beginning to feel the after-effects of too much relaxation and rejuvenation- basically we were in heaven. 

 

The Barnsley House is a historical mansion built in the 17th century and absolutely worthy of the adjective "historical." This special place tucked away between the multitudinous hilltops of the gorgeous Cotswolds countryside could not be more breathtakingly beautiful. I found myself being blown away by the untouched and virginal feel of this perfect story-book, doll-house style property. 

 

 

Strolling through the romantic gardens, and breathing in all the fantastic floral and herbal scents, I could have stayed there forever- just moved all of my things, my life, my belongings from London and migrated to this English haven of peace and tranquility. The only potential problem would have to be the price of the hotel rooms, but hey, it's always good to dream, right?