You must Goa to Goa!

Late last year a long term relationship came to an abrupt end & I felt my world had been turned upside down.... as I'd been considering going on anther yoga retreat & doing more training I thought it was the perfect time to go away!

Part of the opening and closing ceremony (respectively)

India had always been somewhere I wanted to go being the birthplace of yoga, and as I'd decided to combine with a special birthday treat for my Mum I thought Goa was a good location to go for. My aunty had already been to Ashiyana and highly recommended it so I decided to check out their up & coming retreats....
                                           Alicia doing her thing

A chakra retreat in January almost seemed like it was meant to be - I do want to go & fully immerse myself in the mountains of Rikishesh one day but for the purpose of this trip I thought somewhere a little more westernised & familiar was a good shout.

 Mum & I in inversion action! 

Everyone can benefit from working on their chakras - myself with what was going on my life at the time & Mum just having a marked birthday (60th - sorry mama!) It really was like self therapy from the opening ceremony to this present day - as I've carried on the readings, breath work & practices daily....

We went from this to this in the space of a week 

The resort itself was beautiful - set in an Indian fauna just off the beach, with its own private path down to the sand :) The rooms were lovely, spacious & clean with everything we needed.... including an extra bed in our room for film nights!

Our lovely hosts Alicia & Didier

Animal magic around the resort

The retreat included a 2 hour class in the morning with pranayama, followed by a nutritious breakfast - all vegetarian with vegan & gluten free options. A few hours free time in the afternoon was usually spent lazing on the beach, buying handmade products from the lovely ladies selling their work.... then back for an afternoon workshop.

The beautiful surroundings of the resort

The workshops varied from day to day from shaking, to breathing & chanting - all of which myself, Mum and the other guests thoroughly enjoyed! Included in the price was a massage & we opted for an extra one at the spa both of which were amazing....

Beach time

The week really allowed for self reflection, not just by giving you time to think but through the practices, meditation & whole experience. I wish I could go on the next retreat the hosts Alicia & Didier (yoga teacher & bodywork coach respectively) are doing! Mum enjoyed it so much is going to Spain on the next retreat & flex readers can get 10% of the price here


I came away feeling energised, happy & healthy & ready to face my new life at full throttle :) 

Missing these views!

Alicia & Didier will also be returning to Ashiyana in Goa for the chakra retreat later this year & early next year - email her here for details! 

From Brooklyn to Manchester, via heaven! 

Set in the beautiful space of Charnock Farm where I teach my lunchtime yoga class you will find Lisa Messina - a licensed massage therapist, Massage Training Institute member & owner of Brooklyn Wellness Mcr

The lovely Lisa - don't be fooled by that sweet smile - she can go tough if you need her to! 

My consultation with  Lisa who studied & worked in NYC was very in depth - finding out as much info as she could pre-massage to be able to tailor it towards me & my problems.... I went for a full body deep tissue massage & it was bliss (at some points ;)

The 60 minute treatment was the right combination of enough pressure whilst I still felt relaxed.... she literally left no stone unturned in terms of areas that needed attention! She worked on all places with tension from tightness in my shoulders to massaging even my little fingers! 

The sumptuous massage room - left me feeing very zen.... 

Lisa & Brooklyn Wellness Mcr celebrated their 1 year anniversary of business in Manchester in January & luckily for you Lisa has decided to extend the special offer from this celebratory occasion -  £15 discount of all single sessions in February! Just use the code flex15 & with Valentines Day coming up it's worth knowing she does gift vouchers - every body loves a massage :) 

Lisa also offers treatments in Chorlton at the Manchester Acupuncture Clinic where next Sunday 18th Feb they will be hosting an open day.... 

Specialising in Deep Tissue, Pre/Post Natal Massage & Corporate Wellness Lisa has recently made clients aware its Raynauds Awareness Month. Raynauds is a circulatory issue which causes areas of your body (most commonly fingers & toes) to feel incredibly cold & numb! Massage at its most basic function helps to increase circulation and blood flow which helps with this.... 

The calming yoga room at Charnock Farm :)

And for you yogis out there she will be at lululemon in St. Anne's Square on Saturday February 24th offering short chair massages after the class :)

Her massages comes in  60, 75 & 90 minute increments & she also offers swedish, sport, trigger point & medical massage along with massage for migraines & infant massages with your baby! 

More info on offers:

- For every 2 new clients you send her, you get a complimentary 60-minute thank you massage

- There is a discount on packages of 5 and 10 sessions

- 15% off a block of 5 massages and 20% off of a block of 10. You don't need to schedule all the sessions at once and you can share them with another person or gift one to a friend in need 

- For all of you celebrating a birthday this month you get £20 off one massage so be sure to schedule that ASAP! 

Follow Brooklyn Wellness Mcr on Twitter & Instagram here & here x 

Feeling like rockstars at Rockcliffe! 


Rockliffe Hall in County Durham was a bit of a drive from Manchester City Centre (in my super comfy new Beaumount Organic jumpsuit) but well worth it when we got there! On arrival at this beautiful spa 5* hotel we were made to feel like celebrities with valet parking & all our luggage taken to our room....

The double room in the New Hall was spacious and light with lovely views over the sprawling green lawns at the back of the hotel. There was enough room for me to lay my Artogi mat out from it's Ana Heart bag, to do some yoga in front of the open balcony doors & some quick exercise videos for Fabletics

I then headed down to the gym with my wireless KEF headphones and boohoo FIT gear where I found a nice airy room with all the equipment you could think of with a nice space to stretch out.... Workout done & NEOM'd up we headed down to the spa to make the most of the gorgeous full size pool, hot tub & spa garden in my boohoo bikini. We then had a fun couples spa treatment - the himalayan salt ritual, which basically involved a full body scrub in a heated room with a tropical rain wash to rinse it off! 

Dinner was booked for us in The Brasserie where there was a great selection for vegetarians and carnivores alike.... & a lovely wine menu - both of which we made the most of! They were also happy to help with little alterations to dishes based on intolerances :) 

Breakfast was served in the The Orangery in the Old Hall, which was an amazing room with natural sunlight beaming through & a great view onto the gardens.... after a delicious vegetarian full english there was time for a quick nosey in the old part of the hotel which was gorgeous with loads of character!

All of the staff were so friendly and helpful, as well as the fellow guests - until next time Rockcliffe, you rocked x

BEAUMOUNT ORGANIC ARE OFFERING FLEX READERS 15% OFF UNTIL THE END OF THE MONTH WITH FLEX15 CODE AND ROCKCLIFFE HALL A FREE ROOM UPGRADE WE YOU MENTION FLEX AT BOOKING :) 

From Mexico to India 

I've travelled a lot in the past few weeks - well I say I have, I mean my mouth! My tastebuds have been treated to what now are my 2 fave eateries in Manchester

First up we visited Mexico, make that Mexica on Blossom Street in the up and coming Ancoats area

As always I was on the hunt for a relatively healthy meal, and Mexican cuisine may not be associated with this (cheese, red meat, more cheese, fried beans and maybe some extra cheese) but this place is far from a greasy mexican mess! 

Although there were no salads on the menu our very helpful waiter sorted out a deconstructed burrito as a salad, so some lovely lean beef with most of the extras (minus the cheese, which I did later regret) but it saved me a few calories for some cocktails ;)

A spicy margarita and a smooth espresso martini were devoured pre/post meal respectively and my guest went for the typical beer and burrito combo, accompanied by some super hot sauces which he thoroughly (with steam coming out of his ears) enjoyed! 

Keep a lookout for regular great offers here-at the moment every Mon-Fri from 5-7pm the beer & burrito combo is just £10!

They also have vegetarian options on the menu to please everybody :) PLUS 20% FOR ANYONE WHO MENTIONS 'FLEX' 

Ariba ariba.... Deliveroo also available!

Next stop was India for some amazing street food at the new (to Manchester) Bundobust - hidden away in a cool basement space on Piccadily Gardens. Originating from Leeds (via India obvs) they don't shout about their vegetarian menu as really this is what you should expect from a traditional Indian Street food establishment....

To be honest my guest may have been a little disappointed on arrival (as a carnivore) about the lack of meat on the menu, but he was a happy man with a happy belly on departure! The tasty 8% craft beers may have had something to do with that also....

On a serious note all of the dishes were (seriously) tasty!! With a few recommendations from our lovely waitress Solgor we had 2-3 dishes each combining crunchy okra fries, smooth onion bhajis, super tasty samosa, a lovely egg bhurji & paneer/mushroom skewers and the zingy salad.... With lots of vegan and gluten free options you really are spoilt for choice and you can actually order a combo for 6 (which includes every dish on the menu) for £66! 

With a great drinks menu too I happily sipped a few mango and rosewater gin brambles and saved a bit of room for the only desert on the menu - a deliciously creamy kulfi, a traditional Indian ice cream on a stick, which for £2.50 and takeaway available (with 10% discount added!) I can see myself popping in there in the summer before going to sit in the newly renovated Piccadilly gardens in the sunshine.... one can dream

Although I won't be leaving it until the summer to return - the onion bhaji butty on the menu needs to be tried and tested! Will keep you posted 

Deliveroo not yet available in Manchester for Bundobust but you can order online through their website

Now wheres that map? Need to decide on my next destination 

Until next time 

Lex 

complete bliss!

flow are a manchester based vegan yoga pop up, so when i was invited to their event at the WONDERFUL wonder inn i couldn't wait

the event promised delicious, nutritious vegan food, a guided yoga class, meditation and a motivational speech - all of which it delivered....

on arrival we were greeted with herbal teas & spring water in relaxed seating and encouraged to get to know each other before our day began. it was really nice to meet like minded people and hear of peoples journeys with yoga, some complete beginners and others experienced teachers!

the wonderful sonya took the yoga class which was an amazing 90 minute pranyama and asana practice, perfectly setting us up for the day. simply focusing on the breath and the body was really refreshing first thing on a sunday morning :) 

after yoga we were treated to a delicious breakfast - i went for vegan porridge topped with banana, dates & almonds- nom nom, there was also freshly ground coffee & baked bread/organic preserves on offer

after breakfast we went into an empowering discussion with life coach max kohanzad who focussed on not constantly judging ourselves and learning to live in the present moment - it was really thought provoking and after much debate it felt we were all on the same level - bliss

after meditation and saying our goodbyes to jonathen the organiser, we were given some more delicious vegan treats and a goody bag containing a candle, incense and an affirmation card - mine was communication - so here you are! 

it was a wonderful day and wish i could spend every sunday doing the same, flow are due to be back soon with more events so maybe my dreams will come true :)