Journals Archives | Page 21 of 37 | The Hundred

gratitude

Expressing gratitude isn’t always easy, actually sometimes it’s work.. Really hard work! Why? Because we can get so caught up being busy with our to-do lists and keeping up with everyone in the fast lane, that some days can leave us completely losing sight of all the gifts that are all around us.  

You see, gratitude isn’t something that only happens to us when good things come.  It’s something we practice and cultivate and give.  ‘Gratitude unlocks the fullness of life.  Gratitude turns what we have into enough, and more’- Melody Beattie.  It’s so easy to look at the ‘little’ things and think of them as small and non-important.  But let’s shift that perspective and look at each and every one as a little miracle.  And the everyday miracles and gifts in our lives were meant to be acknowledged, shared, and passed on.  

To help you on your gratitude journey, here are a few tips to become more aware and able to practice gratitude in your daily life. Simply choose 5 minutes (or more) a day to sit quietly and express your gratitude by writing them down – big and small. This practice alone will improve your overall outlook on life. So, go ahead, write 10 things, or write 50! The number isn’t important… Just give it a try! 

This month, we have a special challenge for you.  Pick a friend, family member, colleague or whoever, and agree to share daily 3 things that you are each grateful for. You could also do this on social media possibly, by paying it forward and sharing stories of giving (maybe highlight a friend or small business who is doing great things for others!)   Let’s help each other appreciate and celebrate the blessings all around, and right in front of us!  You never know how your little gesture of thanks — whether a text to a friend, an open door, a small donation, a smile, or an unexpected long hug will completely change someone’s life. 

Make thanks AND gratitude happen today.  Let’s get started right now! What are YOU grateful for? Let us know in the comments below or tag us on social media @thehundredwellness 

Quick exercise: Thank someone RIGHT NOW.  If you are reading this, you either have a phone or a computer, so make the call, send that text or write that email.  You never know how your kind gesture it will affect and change a person’s life. 

 

 

goals

 

Ready, set, goals! Here we are in January! With another 12 months to really push ourselves to live the best way we can. Twelve more full months to live intentionally and be the people we want to be. 

It’s so easy to get caught up in our bad habits, routines that no longer serve us and relationships that are sometimes more negative than positive. 

It’s easy to keep doing everything the same. It feels comfortable. It feels safe. It gives us that much sought after feeling of security. 

But here’s the thing … when you change things up and push yourself to step out of your comfort zone and change usual patterns, you’ll never regret it. New goals don’t have to be loud and ‘big’ to be powerful. What they need to be, is sustainable and real. Connected to what matters to you. Authentic to your life, right now where you are. 

To get some clarity and direction, take a few minutes of quiet for yourself this week, turn your phone on silent and answer these questions. 

01. What’s your word? —With a whole year ahead of you, what is one word that you would like to define your everyday actions going forward? What one word resonates most with you, pulling together everything you want to grow and nourish? Your word can be taken as a mantra, a reminder, or even a promise. And the good news is that a word can’t be ‘broken’ like a resolution — so, it feels more gentle and forgiving somehow. 

Note*: When you are thinking about your word, it can be for the season ahead, not for all of time. It doesn’t have to be perfect, and you can always change your mind later!  

02. What’s important to you? —What areas of your life, and your personal journey need the most attention this year? Get real with why you want these things to happen, what you will need to do, and why they are important to YOU. Answering these questions will help you act on your goals. 

03. What you are saying YES to, and what you are saying NO to? — First off, there are no wrong answers here. Examples can be: saying no to ‘comparison’, and saying yes to ‘less time on social media’. Remember you are making decisions, and by saying no to one thing, you are saying yes to something better! These two lists will help clarify where you are going and where you DON’T want to go in 2018. 

Share your thoughts, words, and lists with a close friend, or even with us here in the comments to keep yourself accountable! 

wellness on trend 

With each new year, comes new health and wellness trends. In 2017 as we became more focused on sustainability, gut health and better nutrition, and it set 2018 up to see a flood of new health products that better support our general health and wellbeing. To give you a heads up on what wellness trends we expect to be huge hits in 2018, we compiled a list of a few: 

01. DNA testing for optimal fitness performance—DNA testing has become more popular than ever over the past year. The promise of genetic testing is that it can tell you more about the way you’re built, so that you can tailor your lifestyle to fit your biology — and ultimately change up your fitness routine to get the best results. 

02. Gut Health—Fermenting – Have you been noticing more kombucha, kimchi and sauerkraut around these days? That’s due to the role of bacteria in gut health, which is linked to everything from Alzheimer’s, immunity, and obesity. A Google Trends analysis (June 2017) showed ‘gut health’ as one of the most growing search terms when it comes to managing health through food. 

03. Mindfulness trackers—Move over fitness trackers, because 2018 is all about the mind trackers. We’ve already seen apps such as Headspace and Buddhify, but now mindfulness trackers are being developed to help monitor our breathing patterns with a view to working out exactly when and what causes you stress. It’s thought that these devices will also pay attention to the way in which we sleep, recording different levels of sleep and again relating it to how stressed we may be feeling. 

04. Digital detox—Digital detoxes are also becoming more and more necessary in our constantly switched on society.  (We have been promoting this trend all year long!) As much as we try we just can’t ignore the pings of status updates, WhatsApp messages and Insta-stories. We predict that the phrase ‘disconnect to reconnect’ is going to be massive in 2018, as more and more of us start to notice the impact that social media has on our health.  

05. Cooking—While it may seem silly to include this in our list, but can you believe that a large percentage of the world’s population still doesn’t engage in cooking daily sometimes not even weekly? Cooking from home doesn’t just ensure the quality of your food, and your ability to control what ingredients are actually used, but it also can be super relaxing!  

06. Plant based diets— It’s not just about fancy superfood salads anymore, it’s actually creating delicious, sustainable, and healthy menus surrounding plant-based food. We have started to see restaurants pop up with with whole food menus, and our fingers are crossed that this trend will stick and grow bigger into 2018. 

07. Ditch the fad detoxes—This is one trend that we wish had been gone a long time ago, so we’re predicting that these harsh detoxes will die down, and be replaced with whole food resets/ lifestyle programs, that use more evidence-based science which shows that whole foods and compounds support our body at what it already does best- detox every minute of the day. *Spoiler alert: Stay tuned for more on this from us early 2018!!  

 

So, tell us, what are the trends you’re predicting for 2017? What about trends you wish would go away!?

the hundred wellness centre new years reminder

Preparations are in full swing for the new year, and everyone’s getting ready to turn the page and close the last chapter of 2017. So, as a gentle reminder to keep us all moving in the right direction we at The Hundred Wellness Centre decided to put together a few thoughts on how to keep up the great work! 

Reminder 01- Little steps do add up. While we haven’t necessarily made perfect progress on all of our goals this year, we have made little-by-little progress. And embracing this imperfect progress will help you to not completely give up when things don’t go as planned (and we all know that happens quite a bit). Remember, that in the right direction, small steps forward (even with a few steps back) are adding up. 

Reminder 02- It’s okay to grow slow. In fact, the best thing ever IS to grow slow and steady. Think about it: do you plant a seed and expect to get an all full-grown tree by the next morning (even though we might wish for this secretly sometimes right?) We often crave overnight results but that often leaves us with roots that are not deep enough to sustain our growth. All good things grow slowly— love, babies, flowers, big dreams/goals and meaningful relationships.

Reminder 03- Changes can be hard, but as challenging as they are sometimes… they might actually be good for you! So, open your heart and mind to the possibilities. 

Reminder 04- Finally…. You know all those things you’ve always wanted to do? You really should go do them. 

Happy 46th National Day, UAE

It’s December, and we all have a special few days ahead! Because before we end 2017 we get to wish our beloved UAE a happy 46th birthday! Somehow time has flown by, and it feels just like yesterday that we put together a video with some of our team to celebrate the 45th UAE National Day last year (you can see it again here!), and as well all know the celebrations get more colorful every year, so we can’t wait!  

UAE, you continue to steal the hearts of so many. There’s something about you that resonates with us all – something that fills our souls and makes us feel safe and happy. Personally, through my work I have met so many people that traveled here, and keep coming back. After returning a dozen or so times more, they feel like they’ve gotten a grasp on what this generous country has to offer, which leaves them wanting to come back yet again and continue digging deeper into all the beauty that lies within the UAE.   

Every year as our National Day draws near, a great sense of pride and gratitude towards the country sweeps over us all. It’s a heartwarming tradition to see everyone involved- old, young, locals and expats alike. In addition to the spectacular fireworks, everywhere you look you will find the National Flag hanging, and many also paint their car windows and adorn their car mirrors with small National Flag covers to spread some love and patriotism on the road. 

It’s surreal to think that it’s only been 46 years since the United Arab Emirates came to be! And as all locals and expats can attest, it’s an amazing country that has been built from a sand dune covered desert into a world-leading, happy, modern city with low crime, social harmony as well as economic success. 

On behalf of myself, and the entire Hundred Wellness Centre team and community —We extend a huge ‘Thank You’ to the UAE and its rulers for the immense opportunities, security, peace, happiness and all the lessons in between —and for opening your arms wide and embracing everyone that considers you to be their second home. We love it here, and we’re so thankful for all that you provide. 

 

 

sunset yoga in the garden

Sunsets are proof that no matter what happens, every day can end beautifully. – Kristen Butler

Catch your breath under the magical Dubai sunset in our Hundred Wellness gardens, listening to the sounds of the city in the cool early evening breeze, all while restoring your inner balance. During this special Vinyasa flow, not only will you strengthen your core, but you will also get in touch with your inner energy amongst the natural elements of the outdoors. Led by the latest addition to The Hundred team- the fabulous Nicky Rinks, this session will allow you to harness all your positive energy, and relax after your hard days’ work. Focusing on your breath you’ll be able to build a strong foundation of mindfulness and presence through fluid movements and asanas, finally concluding the session with a mind quieting meditation… We can’t think of a more beautiful way to end the day, can you? 

Details:

When: Sunday the 10th December. 6pm sharp (75 minute session) 

Where: Outdoors in The Hundred Garden 

Offer: Bring a friend and both of you are FREE —Single entries are also possible but with a 90AED fee (so our recommendation is to grab a friend 😉 ) 

No experience is necessary. 

Reminder: Limited spots available, so you must register and RSVP via email or call us on +9714 344 7333 to book your spot.

universal children's day

‘It is time for parents to teach young children early on that in diversity there is beauty and there is strength.’ – Maya Angelou 

November 20th is Universal Children’s Day. This day was chosen in an effort to raise awareness about the sometimes overlooked and unique issues that children face as they learn and grow in a very fast moving adult world. And here in Dubai things move oh so fast! We at The Hundred Wellness Centre is celebrating this observance by sharing advice in helping children growing up in this modern world.

One of the truly wonderful things about our modern UAE world is the diverse cultural background that many of us enjoy, and the unique acceptance of that diversity within all the communities. Take a moment to reflect on your own family background, and what holds you together. What character traits, physical features, ethnicity, and interests come together to make your family unique. And with all these differences, every family has a different set of expectations for behaviour and attitudes towards self-expression. These ‘differences’ however can sometimes lead children to have negative comparisons or struggle with poor body image, and this happens when young people are desperate to ‘fit in’ and don’t realize that we all fit in just the way we are! 

We can all agree that we want our children to grow up in a world that is free from bias and discrimination, to reach for their dreams and feel that whatever they want to accomplish in life is possible. We want them to feel loved and included, and never having to experience the pain of rejection or exclusion. So how can we best prepare children to meet the challenges and reap the benefits, of the increasingly diverse world they are growing up in? We can raise children to celebrate and value their own diversity, and to be proud of themselves and their family traditions. We can teach children to respect and value people regardless of the color of their skin, their physical abilities, or the language they speak. 

Teaching diversity to children helps them to respect and celebrate the differences in all people, while learning about different cultural aspects of their peers. One of the most impactful ways of doing this is to model it through our own behaviours, and how we deal with different people. This also helps them realize that we’re all humans, despite differences in how we look or dress, or what we eat or celebrate. An important perspective that we need to teach our young children is that while we are all different…we are all the same.  ‘When I see you through my eyes, I think that we are different. When I see you through my heart, I know we are the same’ – Doe Zantamata. 

 Please share with us in the comments below what you think is the best way to teach kids about diversity?

organic market

We’re making Saturdays even more fun again! Straight from the farmer to you, we are super excited to be kicking off a healthy new season of our weekly organic farmer’s market again! 

 Our weekly organic market is dedicated to significantly increasing access to sustainably grown food. In partnership with Integrated Green Resources (IGR), every Saturday from 9am until 1pm The Hundred Wellness Centre is proud to offer you the very best local, sustainably grown organic produce at reasonable prices. Offering a variety of freshly harvested UAE-grown vegetables including kale, cucumbers, broccoli, fresh herbs, squash, carrots, cauliflower, chilis, capsicums and so much more.  

So, mark your calendars for November 18th and come out to support local organic UAE farmers every Saturday, while also taking care of your body from the inside– with fresh, local, organic vegetables at our organic market, which pop-ups every Saturday between 9am and 1pm. 

For more information about our local organic veggie market call us on 04 3447333 or drop us an email 

 The Hundred Wellness Center Kindness Meditation

“Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.”

– Mark Twain 

November 13th is World Kindness Day. It’s a day to perform random acts of kindness and show the world that we are all in this together. It’s also an opportunity to show others that, despite the busy-ness in our lives, kindness exists and is always possible. And what better way to celebrate this day than by being kind to ourselves first? 

Join us on November 13th at 5pm to participate in a one-hour guided meditation by Dr Mariam Ketait. When you practice any form of self-love, self-care or self-nurturing, including a kindness meditation, this means that you are giving to yourself first so that you are better able to give to others. This meditation will help center into your heart space and touch more into kindness for yourself, others and the whole world. 

We believe that by practicing together, we begin to weave a broader web of kindness and generosity throughout our community. And the more of us, the better! So come to this session (it’s COMPLETELY FREE), and invite your friends and family to do the same. Let’s fill the centre and create a field of kindness, intention and grace that can be felt all the way out into the world. 

 

Date: Monday, November 13th 

Time: 5pm sharp 

Location: The Hundred Wellness Centre 

This session is suitable for complete beginners through to experienced meditators. 

The Kindness Meditation will be led by: Dr Mariam Ketait, a general practitioner specializing in family medicine, with masters in quality in healthcare and various alternative healing certifications including Theta Healing, Spiritual response therapy, Pranic healing and Access Consciousness. 

 

RSVP to save your spot. You can call us on +9714 344 7333 or email us  

 

We hope you take of this opportunity to join us for this wonderful healing meditation. 

Yoga for athletes | meet Nicky

Today, Yoga has become one of the most popular choices in fitness regimes. It not only improves physical and mental health, but it also comes with numerous other health benefits that far surpass the advantages of your regular aerobic workout. And most fitness enthusiasts that practice yoga regularly also prefer to include some form of cardio exercise in their fitness regime – be it running, circuit training, swimming or cycling.

And with that in mind, we are excited to introduce you to the newest addition to The Hundred Wellness team- Nicky Rinks. Nicky is a vinyasa flow Yoga Alliance certified & RYT 200 registered yoga teacher who has been practicing for 12 years, and teaching for over 5 years, in London and Dubai.

In Nicky’s classes you can expect intense verbal cues, in a dynamic high-energy vinyasa, or a slower pace for her restorative Hatha style sessions. All of her classes are built around creative and coherent sequences, in a supportive environment. With a style that integrates all the lineages that she’s learned from in the exploration of physical movement; the multitude of yoga traditions including flow, dharma, Hatha, Bikram and rocket, combined with her love of active sports including running (training, racing and marathons), wake-boarding, surfing, snowboarding, cycling and dancing.

Nicky’s yoga is a practice that is very physical yet equally breath balanced, that in turn teaches the importance of yoga to counterbalance any other sports you are practicing – from running, to cycling, climbing, swimming, wake-boarding, surfing and everything in-between including daily living!!

We sat down with Nicky to get to know more about her and her Yoga classes:

 

Hi Nicky! Can you tell us a bit about yourself, and how you first got interested in yoga?

I first tried yoga 12 years ago, whilst on a traveling stint through Thailand. From then on, I increasingly included yoga in my daily routine back in London. At the start I attended yoga classes for the physical ‘activity’, but as my practice evolved I increasingly found myself at a session desperately seeking the only hour of ‘calm’ in my hectic London lifestyle.

I’ve always combined yoga with my other sport passions – including running, cycling and snowboarding. But after my first marathon 5 years ago which left me with runner’s knee and unable to run for a few months, I started to focus on yoga more seriously than ever. At this time, I was due to head off for a snowboarding season on sabbatical in California. Whilst there, for 3 months my daily routine consisted of snowboarding all day, and yoga every morning/evening. I felt great.

On my return to London, I decided to take the next step and embark upon my yoga teacher training. I did my yoga teacher training with a brilliant London based yoga school called Stretch yoga, in partnership with Frog Lotus Yoga International, based out in Seville, Andalusia. I completed my 200 RYT Yoga Alliance Certified training 3 months later, training every weekend Friday evening through to Sunday whilst working a full-time job. I then embarked upon setting up my own business, Rinky Dink Yoga, in London. I taught weekly classes around the city in various unique locations, including at a Skate Shop, and at the UK’s first co-working space Headspace.

I moved to Dubai in February of this year, and re-launched my yoga business as SoulFlex – working with clients including Adidas and a range of private students. I’m excited to be joining The Hundred Wellness Centre, to bring more yoga to the centre and to continue pass on my passion, and the benefits I’ve experienced from the practice to others.

What was the first asana (yoga pose) you tried?

Adho Mukha Svanasana (Downward Facing Dog Pose). This is still one of my favourite poses, even today! It’s the pose you come back to again and again during a practice. It’s brilliant for me as a runner, as it stretches out the hamstrings, always much needed after a long marathon training run. It also stretches out the chest and lengthens the spine, and energizes you –providing additional blood flow to the head.

What do you love most about teaching yoga? And what advice do you have for people who have never tried yoga?

I love the realization that my students experience after heading along to their first few yoga classes – that moment when they understand that yoga is an utterly brilliant way for anyone, with any level of physical ability, to feel better in their body and feel better in their mind. There’s a saying that I love, ‘I bend so that I don’t break’, and it’s so very very true. The body and mind need to flex, strengthen stretch and bend to enable you to achieve.

If you spend one hour flipping yourself upside down, bending in half, stretching out parts of your body you’ve probably barely considered in your life, whilst focusing on your breath, it’s impossible not come away with a different physical and mental set of feelings and realizations. This is my ‘why’ for teaching yoga.

 

You lead a very busy life – what are your 5 musts, and 5 non-negotiables?

These crossover, my musts are my non-negotiables, so I’ve included more than 5— all of the below I have to weave into my daily life:

  • Daily yoga
  • Daily running
  • Daily laughter
  • Daily time spent outdoors
  • Daily 7-8 hours sleep where possible (the older I get, the more I value my sleep)
  • Daily fresh, healthy, often raw, vegetarian foods
  • Daily reading, even as little as 30 mins, at the start of the day after my run/yoga where possible – of whichever book I’m currently fixated on (currently ‘Malcom Gladwell, Outliers’)
  • A daily drive to achieve new dreams, I love making lists of all the things – short term, and long term – that I want to achieve (and ticking them off!). Dream and drive towards those dreams, daily.

What other mindfulness practices are important to you?

Meditation. I always include meditation at the start of my yoga practice. This usually consists of 5-10mins of stillness, breathing, and focus on the breath and being present. I use it to clear the busy chattering mind of my to-dos in the day and week to come and to focus – the mind, body and soul as one. I find this helps in both my practice, and my daily life. I am calmer and able to deal with the inevitable trials and tribulations and stressful times of everyday living much, much better.

I often try to apply this meditative practice whilst running, running at a comfortable pace in my training where I’m at home with myself I’m able to meditate. Or running through the agonizing highs and lows of the marathon race, where I focus on transcending the pain – becoming mind, body and soul as one.

What words do you live by? (or favourite quotes)

Here are some of my current favourites:

“Life is the greatest experiment. Each of us is an experiment of one-observer and subject- making choices, living with them, recording the effects.” {Dr George Sheehan}

“I will not last forever. But I am absolutely going to know I have been here.” {Dr George Sheehan}

“Energy is eternal delight” {William Blake}

 

Thank you so much, Nicky! If you have been wanting to try Yoga, or wanted to try something different from what you have been doing, don’t miss out on Nicky’s classes! For more info on her schedule, you can check here, or call us on +971 4344 7333

See you on the mat!