Body Realignment, Reflexology & Facial Rejuvanessence® Open Day

Coming up this Saturday & Monday we have two fantastic Body Realignment, Reflexology & Facial Rejuvanessence® Open Days with Anusha Pillay. Anusha began her career in body work 9 years ago as a Pilates instructor and has since trained in complimentary therapies, practicing at St Lukes Cancer Hospice as well as her own private practice in Surrey. 

Anusha is offering treatments at a very special rate of £40 for 90 minutes and £30 for 60 minutes. Truly unmissable..and our clients think so too! The Open Days are totally booked up but due to the enthusiastic response we are working on arranging 2 more dates for June!

For those who are unfamiliar with the treatment of Body Realignment, it is described by Anusha as a 'powerful yet subtle method of setting free physical & emotional trauma or damage by releasing myo-fascial restriction’. Body Realignment treatments benefit conditions such as:

Chronic muscular or skeletal pain 

Chronic headaches

Emotional imbalances

Slow healing after injuries or operations

Scar release and post-operative problems, such as adhesions

Poorly healed fractures & skeletal displacements

Deeply held physical or emotional trauma

Sports injuries including old, reoccuring and new

The peaceful treatment room here at Golborne Place

During a 90 minute Body Realignment session Anusha will assess the body with an indepth consultation. Using gentle pressure on key points Anusha enables the body to release any muscle-holding patterns which are distorting the natural alignment of the body. This release restores circulation of energy & blood to the affected area & stimulates a self-healing process. Muscle knotting can be eliminated, the whole body can be realigned & compensation patterns corrected.

Normal price £100 for 90 mins, Open Day offer £40

Facial Rejuvanessence® is a natural therapy that reduces patterns of tension we hold within our 

face. By working on the connective tissues that encase the muscles in the face, neck & shoulders 

Anusha creates space for the muscles to relax, become more elastic & tone.The skin is shaped 

towards its optimal, natural harmonious form.

Benefits include:

Improved definition of jaw line

Softened fine lines & wrinkles

Minimalisation of scar tissue

Releasing of tension in jaw & headaches

Detoxification

Enhanced flow of nutrients to the skin

General improved youthful apperance of skin

Normal price £100 for 90 mins, Open Day offer £40

Reflexology is a unique method using thumbs & fingers on specific reflex areas in the feet & hands. 

It deals with the principle that there are reflex areas in the feet & hands which correspond to all of our glands, organs & parts of the body. Stimulating these reflexes properly using massage & pressure techniques can help many health problems in a natural way. It improves circulation in areas of congestion, helps overactive glands & organs return to a state of balance, frees lymph vessels & therefore helps expel waste the body doesn’t need. New vibrant energy is directed along natural pathways to untangle stagnation as well as relax and soothe the body & mind. 

Benefits of Reflexology include:

Stress Related Conditions

Migraines & headaches

Sinus & breathing problems

Digestive discomforts

Sleep problems--Oedema (swelling of body tissue)

Fertility issues

PMT & Menopause

Improving general well being

Normal price £60 for 60 mins, Open Day offer £30

To make sure you don't miss out on our Open Days, Work Shops and general good, healthy news please send your email address to amy@golborneplace.com

Portobello & Golborne Markets

Now that summer is (almost) in the air it's the perfect time of year to explore the Portobello & Golborne Markets. Good news is that on Thursday 16th, 23rd & 30th May, as well as 6th June the Golborne Market will be open all day rather than closing early afternoon. After the markets were awarded "Best Street/Outdoor Market 2013" we, as ever, think they're worth a peruse if you've not spent much time trying the Moroccan foods, checking out the gorgeous antiques and vintage stalls and generally getting involved in the fun community vibe down here!

Whilst you're on the Golborne Road come by to number 70 and find out what delights we have on offer in the studio. It's an exciting time at Golborne Place with the success of the first ever UK Antigymnastiqe workshops with Andrzej Szkandera, some plans in the pipe line for Body Realignment Open Days and the brilliant Everybody Ballet classes for beginners through to pros.

Hopefully see you soon!

Ministry of Cooks

We love hearing about new creative endeavours and the Ministry of Cooks is no exception. Having cooked for the good and the great over the last few years, Nicola Easton has branched out with her partner Sophie Thursfield to set up her own company. As some of you foodies out there may already know she has been cooking for Downing Street for the last ten years, making breakfasts for the Prime Minster, lunch for city bankers, and afternoon tea for Michelle Obama.

Nicola & Sophie talk passionately about what they do and the range of culinary challenges they take on:

"Unsurprisingly, ingredients are really important to us. They are always free range and, wherever possible, organic, Fairtrade and British. All our food is freshly prepared on the day.  

We relish the whole process of meeting and collaborating with clients, adapting our menus to suit their needs, whatever the event, from a small dinner party to  larger celebrations.

Quality, inventiveness and taste are essential, but we also know how important it can be to work to a budget. Special dietary requirements are never a problem."

For more information on menus, Nicola and Sophie's history and photographs of their incredible dishes head to their website www.ministryofcooks.co.uk

Antigymnastique at Golborne Place...

First ever UK workshop!

We are very pleased to have welcomed Andrzej Szkandera to the Golborne Place studio this last weekend to give a number of 3 hour workshops on the technique of Antigymnastique. Andrzej is the very first teacher to bring this movement therapy to the UK so we are privileged to have had him here with us!

Antigymnastique is described as a 'unique method of body work comprised of subtle but powerful
movements'. Over the course of the sessions participants regain mobility, vitality, health and independence. Explained as a 'voyage through one's body and its history' Antigymnastique  draws attention to how the body has quietly reorganised, adapted and protected itself over time.

Andrzej in the Golborne Place studio giving a duet workshop this weekend

During the sessions participants are led towards a reawakening and rediscovery of parts of the body,
initially some of the muscles engaged seem foreign, little by little new connections develop between the
poorly known muscles and the brain as muscular vocabulary becomes richer, new possibilities of movement are discovered. Contractions, stiffness and muscular joint pains that shrink and restrain the body disappear allowing the body's movement to regain natural amplitude.

Andrzej with Monica & Kunle

Andrzej's background belongs to the theatrical world as he spent time as an actor as well as theatre director. Andrzej has found the Antigymnastique ® movement therapy to be useful in developing the body awareness of actors. He is currently the Director of the Municipal Theather School in Segovia, Spain and is a certified Shiatsu practitioner, Chi Kung teacher and Chiromassage therapist.

For more information on classes with Andrzej at Golborne Place get in touch at amy@golborneplace.com or give us a call 020 8969 8907. And for more info on the Antigymnastique system please visit their website www.antigymnastique.com 

A positive start to 2013!

Welcome back everybody! We just about have the whole Golborne Place team back in the studio and treatment room. It's been an exciting start to 2013 already with some fabulous write-ups in the likes of Harpers Bazaar for Everybody Ballet and in The Evening Standard for our very own Kirsten Kitchen, the fabulous Aromatherapy Massage Therapist.

And here is the lovely Kirsten, described by the journalist as 'charm and calm itself'. We can certainly verify that!

Kirsten Kitchen

To quote from The Evening Standard: 

"Science: Good odours are a great way to calm and de-stress because they trigger the parasympathetic nervous system which prepares the body for rest and relaxation. After a thorough consultation Kitchen prepares your own oil mix, tailored for your needs, to help ease you into the massage. 

Results: One of my greatest fears is that stupor of deep relaxation: I worry that i will never function again. Thankfully Kirsten is both a great listener and a talented masseuse so I felt a perfect combination of chilled but still bouncy"

To find out more or to book you can call us at reception on 020 8969 8907, email golborne@golborneplace.com or if you wish to speak with Kirsten to ask her any questions about the massage and make a booking with her call her directly on 07958536779 or email info@kirstenkitchen.co.uk

Reception opening hours: Monday 11-8, Tuesday 8-1, Wednesday 3-8, Thursday 8-1, Friday 2-8

Christmas Party!...

It's now one week on from our annual Christmas Party and I think we've all just about recovered!

We want to say a huge THANK YOU to all the lovely Golborne Place clients, teachers and therapists who came along as well as the lovely Everybody Ballet (our wonderful co-hosts!) and their gorgeous clients!

Karis, of Everybody Ballet, made some very tasty cookies, (sprayed gold and silver for the festive glam look!), we had prosecco flowing and some cute goody bags for our very special clients to take home with them.

Our clients came bearing gifts too for Monica, Isabel & Karis...

We hope you make the most of the rest of 2012 and we at Golborne Place & Everybody ballet wish you all the best for 2013!!

Thoroughly Modern Milly loves GP...of course!

I've just been taking a look at a few of our favourite blogs and came across a lovely piece about Golborne Place on Thoroughly Modern Milly.

"Golborne Place is a calming sanctuary away from the hubbub and chatter of the Portobello excitement."

(We couldn't agree more!)

Milly came over to our studio at the end of the summer to receive a massage from therapist Amy Moffat and take a look at our beautiful space. We're thrilled she had a great treatment and loved the space.

"I felt completely relaxed almost immediately when lying down on the massage bed and soon fell into a light doze. Amy released tension in my upper back systematically kneading the knots and balancing the body".

It was pleasure to meet Milly and we hope to see her agin soon!

Thank you!

Milly Kenny-Ryder

In the news...

It's been a busy week of news articles, following on from Isabel's interview in The Dancing Times, Everybody Ballet & Golborne Place seem to be a hot topic. 

First off, in the November issue of Tatler, the lovely Trasierra was on the top list of 'Where to go, to be bang on trend'. It's great to see our first ever Gyrokinesis & Ballet Retreat is making waves!

"Aimed at complete beginners to intermediates, the daily ballet class mixes stretching with not-done-since-a-near-toddler- barrework, while the Gyrokinesis class emphasises fluid core work"

And we couldn't agree more with Tatler's description of Trasierra being 'Simply heart-stopping'.

"Surrounded by olive groves, cork forests and mountains...partly 16th century, with cobbled paths, courtyards, barns and two pools."

Our other pleasant surprise today was opening the Daily Telegraph's Art section to read the renowned journalist, Rupert Christiansen's, review of his first Everybody Ballet Class! After having tried Ballet in the past as part of a keep-fit regime, and eventually giving up, feeling hopeless, he has put his faith in the wonderful Everybody Ballet!

Karis leading the group class at The Royal Opera House

"What has drawn me back is the discovery of Everybody Ballet, run by former Royal Ballet soloist Isabel McMeekan and Karis Scarlette. Isabel and Karis hold weekly classes in Notting Hill and Chiswick, but for incurable romantics such as myself there is a special allure in their Wednesday evening seven-week beginners’ course, which starts on October 31 in the Royal Ballet’s studios at the Royal Opera House. Who knows, you might bump into Alina Cojocaru or Carlos Acosta in the corridor and end up comparing échappés"

Isabel teaching the group class in Chiswick

Of course we know how fantastic the classes are, and what inspiring and welcoming teachers Isabel and Karis have proven to be, but it's always nice to hear it from some else..

"I went to a taster session to sample Isabel’s and Karis’s methods, and found them clear in their instructions, challenging without being intimidating – and absolutely adorable to boot".

For the full article grab a copy of The Telegraph today (Monday 22nd Oct) or look online here...

"Trade in the treadmill for a balletic workout" 

The Dancing Times...

Last week Isabel, of Everybody Ballet, had a lovely interview in The Dancing Times. Talking about how she started her fabulous Ballet classes, which are becoming ever more popular here at Golborne Place, and giving us an insight in to the structure of her classes.

Here are some snippets from the interview...

Isabel teaching the adult beginners group class 

"I started off just teaching friends, one summer,” explains McMeekan. “I retired from The Royal Ballet three years ago. Carlos Acosta let me go and stay in his place in Cuba, so I went there for a holiday, and started teaching two friends of mine who came with me. Everyone was really enthusiastic, it felt great for their bodies. So I set up a class at St Peter’s in Portobello, and it developed from there.” 

On stage with Carlos Acosta in Sleeping Beauty, 2006

Backstage at The Royal Opera House during rehearsals with Tom Whitehead for Agitator

How do her classes work? “The Everybody Ballet method is divided into three parts. We start on the floor, doing specific stretching and strengthening work. It’s a culmination of all the experience I’ve gathered from Pilates, gyrokinesis, ballet, stretching. We target specific muscle groups, to strengthen them.

The Everybody Ballet and Golborne Place first retreat this year at La Trasierra, Spain

“Then we get them onto the barre. It’s a gentle barre: plies, tendus… Last, we come into the centre for ports de bras, tendus, jumping and sometimes turning. They’re just blown away by it. They’re also surprised by how mentally taxing it is. It’s like bridge for the body!

Everybody Ballet students at the barre in La Trasierra

With a young, budding ballerina in the Golborne Place studios

What do McMeekan’s adult beginners get from ballet? “It’s a lifestyle thing,” she says. “There’s a real sense of well-being – it’s starting to know how to look after yourself, physically, mentally, nutritionally. There’s a cultural element, they start going to the theatre a lot more!

To see the full interview, click here

For information on Everybody ballet classes, click here

Tarifa, the coast of light!

Golborne Place is now running in to the Autumn term and everyone is returning from their holidays. We thought we'd share with you a little gem of a place called Tarifa, on the southern most part of Spain, where Moni has just returned from looking particularly relaxed and sun kissed. She's also spent the holiday period catching up with family...

Moni with her nephew, Sergio (so cute!)

Whilst with her sister in Malaga they took yoga class in the area of Estepona. Moni loved the classes and recommends, if you're in that part of the world and in need of a great teacher, to contact Kathrin Sattmann. M: +44 6789 73369 E: sattmannk@hotmail.com

After some family time Moni headed down to the south coast to visit Tarifa, which sits on the Costa de la luz in Cadiz, or the coast of light, named quite obviously for its stunning light.

 Moni describes it as a place where bohemia meets traditional Spanish life. Ideal for surfers, wind surfers, beach bums, yoga enthusiasts and history lovers. Tarifa receives the hot winds from Africa and the cooler winds from the Atlantic as well as being the location where the Med meets the Atlantic, hence the numbers of surfers descending on the town throughout the year.

Looking out to sea from Tarifa sits the north coast of Africa. So close you can almost touch it! Here's a view of the Rif Mountains from Tarifa's coast...

After her beautiful trip, Moni has a few personal recommendations, in case you are tempted by the stunning landscape!

YOGA

Whilst in Tarifa Moni came across the EcoCentre where she discovered the work of Kundalini Yoga and Sat Nam Rasayan Meditation with Inaki, a teacher specialising in yoga for wind and kite surfers as well as for people from all walks of life. Inaki describes the meditation technique as 

"a powerful and sophisticated healing art....It is like opening up to a dimension of sensitivity and inner silence that is who you really are - and always have been - and at the same time a wholly new way of relating....It helps to release tendencies and limitations in body, mind and emotions - the common reasons for sickness."

The Ecocentre also offer many other types of yoga as well as meditation and capoeira classes and runs education projects, a restaurant with organic foods and regular music events, where she came across the talented singer Rocio Madreselva giving a special and intimate performance. 

www.tarifaecocenter.com

And for those who have a particular love of Vinyasa Flow/Ashtanga Yoga Moni also recommends Tarifa Yoga where she took classes with a lovely lady called Silvia.

HISTORY

In Baelo Claudia, just outside Tarifa, lay the most comprehensive remains of a Roman City on the whole of the Iberian Peninsula, no where else can you see such a complete view of a Roman City. For information on opening times and more on the history please see the website 

www.tarifaspain.net/roman-ruins-baelo-claudia-bolonia.html

ACCOMMODATION

If you want to see stay in town definitely check out La Casa Amarilla

In Tarifa's Natural Park you can find Cabanas, wooden holiday chalets in which to enjoy the bohemian side of nature loving Tarifa. 

From the Costa Sur website

Another great place is The Hurricane Hotel which is a little bit out of town but closer to the beach of Valdevaqueros, it's where Moni took her Vinyasa Flow/Ashtanga Yoga classes with Silvia, mentioned above.

 Tarifa is easy to reach by car, just 45 minutes from Gibraltar airport. 

Balanced and energised, Moni is now back teaching Gyrotonic, Gyrokinesis and Teacher Training at Golborne Place. Welcome back!