It did seem a bit bizarre to go all the way to Heathrow when I wasn’t going on holiday just to get a facial. But it was worth it, in the end.

Getting there was a pain, it’s just further than you think it is, and the Piccadilly line takes ages. I had hoped to arrive early enough to enjoy the sauna facilities, meaning I was relaxed and detoxified for my treatment. Instead I was 15 minutes late, stressed and lost. The Sofitel Hotel is easily accessible from the Piccadilly line at terminal five – but it’s a long, slightly lonely walk down some creepy corridors.

The spa is situated in the basement of the hotel, and the heavy wood décor and lack of windows make it very claustrophobic. Maybe it’s just me, but spas make me think of green fields, and dew, and sunshine and fresh air – there was none of this to be seen. It was also deathly quiet. I could well have been the only person there. 

Once I’d filled in a fairly involved questionnaire about my age, health, favourite foods, hopes and dreams etc, I was escorted by my very nice therapist into the treatment room. More low lighting and heavy wood, but it was spacious, luxurious and had a very exclusive feel to it. 

The preliminary consultation with my therapist was a bit weird – I was asked to sit in a low-slung armchair with my feet up, while she stood above me, explaining in far too much detail what she was going to do, then doing it, and then telling me what she’d done. The concept was nice, and the entire thing was designed to ensure that she gave me the right treatment, but it just could have been done in a more relaxed way than her standing over me, repeating things in a rather robotic manner. I just felt a bit uncomfortable.

That said, the rest of the experience was amazing. I had a Skin Brightener Facial – just the thing when you’re feeling worn out and slightly ‘wonky’ in the run up to Christmas. It was a freezing day and as I was left alone to whip off my clothes I wondered whether I’d get cold, but climbing onto the heated treatment table it suddenly became clear that luxury was the order of the day.

Soft towels, delicious smelling cleansers and body oils, relaxing eye masks and the most sublime head and neck massage followed. It was informative too – my therapist spent time looking at my skin under a special lamp, identifying problem areas, adjusting the treatment accordingly and all the time explaining what she was doing. It felt totally bespoke, angled towards what I needed and what my skin would benefit from most.

There was no patronising overtone when they discovered my current facial routine is to stumble bleary eyed into the bathroom, throw water at myself, hunt for some form of soap and then stumble back to the bedroom. And the obligatory product sell at the end, although rather long winded, was clear and precise and targeted towards what I needed the most. 

At £80 a pop these aren’t cheap facials, but they’re definitely value for money. I never once felt rushed, or processed. My skin looks and feels amazing and a week on it is still clear what good it’s done. I’ve appreciated the information about things I can do to help my skin, and the reasonably priced cleanser I bought is working wonders. If you’re flying from Heathrow this Christmas and have time, I’d definitely recommend saving your pennies and indulging in a relaxing Espa treatment. A perfect way to start a winter break.

The Spa
Sofitel London Heathrow
Terminal 5
London Heathrow Airport
TW6 2GD
 
Monday - Friday:  9am – 9pm
Saturday: 9am – 8pm
Sunday: 9am – 6pm
 
For reservations please contact the Spa Manager Carly Griffin on 0208 757 7742 or email H6214-TH@accor.com

This post is from The London Word and should not be republished elsewhere without prior permission. Please check out our site for more great stories and features.

No related posts.

Don’t feel bad if you haven’t yet heard of Bikram yoga – you’re not alone. Until yesterday it was utterly new to me too, but the clue is in the title. Bikram is known as ’hot yoga’. And they really mean it.

Bikram yoga is a series of 26 postures performed in a room heated to – wait for it – 40 degrees celsius. Yes, that’s 105 degrees fahrenheit. There are two reasons for this. The first is eminently sensible: when your muscles are warm, they are more flexible and you do them far less damage when you contort your limbs into bizarre positions. So why bother warming up when you can just pump hot air into the room?

The second reason: when you’re hot you sweat. You drip. You look, throughout the whole 90-minute session, as though you’ve just stepped out of a steam room. And of course the idea is that all of those toxins that undoubtedly lurk in your body will inevitibly leak right out of you.

And what on earth prompted me to go to such a class? Well a very health-conscious friend of mine enthused about it with all the zeal of a convert, for one. ‘It’s so good for you. You can feel it doing you good.’ Wow. Pretty strong accolades, there.

The second reason, I fully admit, was the introductory price. The Hot Bikram Yoga company, with studios in Fulham and Balham, offers a special deal: unlimited yoga for ten days, all for £10. Almost as incredible as the heat of the room, eh? Given that most individual yoga classes in London cost more than that…I couldn’t resist. So off I mooched to the Fulham studio in Parson’s Green.

The lovely receptionist sweetly informed me about the class and the procedures, then told me that I shouldn’t worry if I became dizzy or nauseous during the class. That, it seemed, was perfectly normal. Hmmm…I hope I kept a straight face.

Entering the room for the first time was a shock to the system, of course, but within minutes I felt as though I was acclimatising, and I wondered if I had completely overreacted to the idea of such heat. It soon turned out that I hadn’t. Paul the instructor informed me and two other newbies that the room was about to get much hotter. Oh, and it did.

It was a dialogue-led class, with Paul sitting majestically on what appeared to be mirrored steps that ended up near the ceiling, like some sort of Buddha on his way to enlightenment. I kept to the back of the class so I could copy everyone else, which was definitely a sensible strategy, but it had a drawback – the heaters were just above my head, so I felt the full blast.

So how was it? Hardcore. Not the postures themselves, so much; I’m fairly flexible and I’m also too stubborn to let people see me struggle. But I admit to coming close to fainting a couple of times, not to mention feeling pretty queasy. ‘Keep your eyes open at all times,’ Paul advised earnestly, ‘It’s all too easy to fall over if they’re closed.’ Excellent idea, as it turned out.

Anyway, long story short, I really struggled to stay there for the full ninety minutes, but I stuck it out. Whether it did me any good is another matter. But there are two things that I will definitely say for it: one, my skin felt amazingly smooth afterwards; and two, after any strenuous exercise I generally ache in every muscle in my body to the extent that I can barely walk, but on this occasion…I could walk.

I still hurt, but I wasn’t in agony, so there’s definitely something in the heating-the-muscles thing. I’ve still got another eight days in which I can go as many times as I like, so let’s see if I can make it to another class. And I would recommend it to anyone up for a challenge and wanting to try something a bit different.

Hot Bikram Yoga Fulham
Ground Floor Studio
25 Heathmans Road
SW6 4TJ

Tel: 020 7384 4454

www.hotbikramyoga.co.uk

This post is from The London Word and should not be republished elsewhere without prior permission. Please check out our site for more great stories and features.

No related posts.

A complete lack of exercise in my life drew me to Fulham’s Dance Attic Studios, along with a friend who wouldn’t take no for an answer. It’s hard to maintain the British ‘don’t care’ attitude when you’re gyrating in a room full of strangers to the Holly Valance version of Kiss Kiss. It helped that I could actually do it, I admit. No one likes to find out that they’re hopelessly inflexible and uncoordinated.

The hour-long Tuesday class at the studio began with some warm-up moves, which is where you find out exactly how Beyonce and Shakira do those things they do, and realise that they’re not so impressive after all. You also realise at this point that your arms have never really had much of a work-out before, as you snake them around like Cleopatra. “It should hurt a bit,” teacher Fleur Estelle calls helpfully from the front.  That’s a relief. 

We learn how to shimmy, and the wonderful thing about this class is that at least half of the women – and they’re all women – have those Turkish belly dancing skirts on, so the room is filled with the sound of light jangling metal and giggling. It’s a great way to feel less self-conscious about the fact that you’re wiggling your bum as fast as you can, while watching the fat on your stomach wobble in the mirror. 

“Let it all go,” beams Fleur, “it’s cathartic!”  She, of course, is absolutely tiny, with not an ounce of fat on her, and her T-shirt is pulled up so that we can see the precise movement of her hips along with everything else, so it’s easy for her to say.

After all this wriggling around, during which time the class has relaxed, we do some basic routine action, with our leader in front calling out instructions as we follow. It’s a lovely experience actually; you feel as though you have truly learned something and had a great time doing it. And if belly dancing’s not your thing, you can also learn ballet, salsa, Latin, ballroom, hip-hop, street dance and even breakdancing, all at beginner level if need be. And Fleur is an excellent teacher. I shall try not to begrudge her her flat stomach. 

Dance Attic Studios
368 North End Road
SW6

Tel: 020 7610 2055
www.danceattic.com

Image by Alaskan Dude courtesy of Flickr

This post is from The London Word and should not be republished elsewhere without prior permission. Please check out our site for more great stories and features.

No related posts.

In this age of ‘budget boutique’ hotels that pride themselves on shab-chic, The Park Plaza Victoria doesn’t quite keep up with the style set. Sure it’s comfortable in a conservative, corporate, non-descript kinda way, and well-equipped with conference and guest rooms. It provides a place of quiet repose after a day pounding London’s pavements. But it’s not hip, and it’s definitely not rock ‘n’ roll. Here you’re more likely to find American tourists donning matching rucksacks and pastel sweaters (oh-so-casually draped over the shoulders) than the Primrose Hill set trashing TVs and snorting coke off grand pianos.

But if you wanna unwind there’s a pretty heavenly little health spa tucked away in the hotel’s basement. It’s nothing to match Agua at The Sanderson - with its dainty, white-curtained, cloud-like ambience - but it offers no-end of remedies tailored to de-stress and revive.

Victoria Therapy Suite has a sauna, steam and relaxation area, and two therapy rooms offering Swedish, traditional Chinese acupressure and lymphatic drainage massages, as well as a full range of beauty treatments including facials, manicures, pedicures, body wraps and hand and foot healing.

From the hotel lobby head downstairs via the lift to the third basement where the gym is, past the pent up, off-duty office workers hammering the treadmills like little rodents on running wheels, and there you’ll be greeted by one of those opaque glass cube walls that were big in bars in the ‘80s (think Cocktail), which borders a secluded therapy area behind reception. The whole look is pretty dated with white towels draped over cane chairs and trance tunes blaring from tinny speakers, but the Victoria experience is not about décor or sound systems, today it’s all about my 30-minute Swedish massage.

After completing the prerequisite consultation form (name, address, medical history…yadda yadda yadda) my polite therapist, Alina, whisks me off to a darkened den where I bask for half an hour in aromatherapy-oiled heaven as she kneads my back and shoulders like putty in her hands. Hunching over a computer all day means I’m about as relaxed as a paedophile in a playground, but with Alina’s healing touch I drift off into a state of bliss for one precious half hour. Who needs a pretentious hotel suite when you can have sweet relaxation?

A 30-minute Swedish massage costs £30.00

Victoria Therapy Suite
Park Plaza Victoria London
239 Vauxhall Bridge Road
London SW1V 1EQ

Tel: 020 7769 9885

thefitnesssuite@pphe.com
www.victoriatherapysuite.com

This post is from The London Word and should not be republished elsewhere without prior permission. Please check out our site for more great stories and features.

No related posts.

In a society where we want it all and we want it now, gradual weight loss, healthy eating and exercise is tedious and time consuming. When I rock home from work at nine in the evening I stuff my exhausted face with more sugar than a piñata at a fat American children’s party. 

I have never exercised to enhance my life-span, for fun, to quench an unattractive competitive streak, or even for the pursuit of endorphins. It (sadly) has always been in the hapless quest for a hotter body. But, try as I might, I remain as far from that as Katie Holmes is from freedom. 

In the past I tried exercising like Mr Motivator on death row: pumping, boxing, running, swimming. But the trouble is I always want a pay-off: if I put in I want out. I consider endorphins an urban myth (exercise does not make me gleeful), so my pay off is food - ergo the more I run the more I eat (nothing, oh nothing, will be left on my plate). It transpires that by eating cheese like one will an apple, doesn’t make part of my five-a-day. 

Girls in my office will have Ryvita (best intentions – but what is the point in eating cardboard food?) with a Cadburys Dairy Milk chaser, and constantly whine (wine) that they can’t shift the pounds. “I’m no dietician, but I have a sedentary job. I don’t exercise, the fat fairies aren’t going to come and chip away at me like 1920s South Americans carving Mount Rushmore.”

I have the staying power of a swimming brick, and am as good at dieting as Madonna is at growing old gracefully. If I created my own aftershave it would be called ‘Excess’ and smell of chips and beer.

Every Sunday I sit and squidge my fat for a good self-loathing half hour, sometimes seeing how deeply I can immerse the remote between my tummy rolls, sometimes getting it so deep it ends up looking like a cheap little burger on an oversized bun. I vow, after one last binge, to clean up my act from Monday onwards, but inevitably one biscuit tips the scale and I wander down the same old ‘naughty’ path for the remainder of the week.   

When you’ve gone down one path and come to not only a dead end but a dead end with someone laughing and spitting in your face - as I did with exercise as a means of paunch removal - then it’s time not to take a different path but a MOTORWAY. 

I decided to up the ante in the war on my lard. Google, the modern man’s moral/social/educational compass, led me to a new little treatment for slim-fatties like myself. 

I’ve always kept myself fit, eaten relatively healthily and have never been overweight, but still my stubborn little paunch will not concede. Summertime requires specially tinted sunglasses to hide my incandescently green-with-envy eyes when other lads peel off their shirts to reveal a perfect undulating six pack; with precisely carved rivulets perfectly framing each individual muscle mass. 

Following my visit to Google the oracle, I find what I am looking for: Advanced Smartlipo at the Wimpole Aesthetic Centre. A state-of-the-art treatment which can achieve exceptional body sculpting results and is best suited for targeting small fat deposits in healthy people; in short, SmartLipo had my name all over it. 

During my comprehensive consultation with the warm and enigmatic Dr Berkowitz he tells me I am the perfect candidate as I am fit and healthy, and not overweight, but my tummy has not responded to diet and exercise. Dr Berkowitz explains that Advanced SmartLipo is designed specifically for body re-shaping/contouring, and to tackle ‘difficult to shift’ fat deposits such as saddle bags, abdomen, love handles and double chins. I book in to have my upper and lower abdomen treated immediately.

On the day, Dr Berkowitz and his team lay to rest any nerves I have with their professionalism and generally lovely demeanours. The procedure itself is carried out using local anaesthetic: a small cannula is inserted through small incisions into the fat. The laser beam of intense sound breaks down the unwanted fat, almost like grapes being shaken free from the bunch. Those fat cells are permanently destroyed, meaning you will not gain weight in the same place again. Some of the melted fat is sucked out right there and the rest my body will process and dispel over the next few months. 

“There will never be a magic wand of cosmetic surgery, but this technique certainly comes close to it,” Dr Berkowitz says.

Far less invasive than its primitive liposuction predecessor, swelling, bruising and pain is minimal and I am able to return to work the following day. The incisions are insignificant and heal within a few days. Having been given a little nudge in the right direction I have begun to enjoy exercising more and I have already had some positive comments. I look forward to seeing what happens over the coming months, as I inch ever closer to my goal. 

This post is from The London Word and should not be republished elsewhere without prior permission. Please check out our site for more great stories and features.

Related posts:

1. Colonic Irrigation at the Integrated Medical Centre
2. Hot ‘n’ Sweaty Bikram Yoga
3. Divine Detox at Espa Heathrow

Once synonymous with seedy sex, massage parlours are moving into a new realm. The parlour of the Noughties is a spiritual haven of relaxation and serenity, as I’ve discovered at The Innes Lounge.

In the heart of the West End’s urban sprawl is a cluster of chic shops, quaint pubs and expensive restaurants all huddled together in the narrow streets and alleyways of Shepherd Market.

This village-styled Mayfair square was, in Victorian times, notorious for its bordellos. Nowadays the quiet cobble-stoned enclave is frequented for its fine eateries, exclusive residences and charming boutique shop fronts.

One of these, on Shepherd Street, is a Japanese-inspired relaxation spot and therapy centre which is helping to shift perceptions of the area by breaking away from the traditional massage parlour mould.

Pass through its doors and you will be immediately captivated by the spiced aroma and calm atmosphere of this tranquil space, forgetting about the frenetic metropolitan jungle outside.

The relaxing ‘revivals’ room of The Innes Lounge is a comfortable wi-fi enabled reception area and café where you can indulge in a healthy selection of hot and cold drinks, smoothies and Japanese snacks. Moving images of nature are projected on a wall, a wholesome arrangement of teas and organic chocolates are displayed on chunky wood tables and neat lines of aromatherapy oils and scented candles are exhibited in the window.

Visitors can use the space to readjust in one of the deep leather armchairs after their treatment, or simply pop in without having made an appointment.

I am introduced to a friendly and softly spoken Japanese therapist who takes my jacket and replaces my shoes with a pair of, what look like, loofah slippers. She provides me with a cup of refreshing green tea and politely asks me to complete the guest form, which stipulates my contact details and the type of treatment I will be requiring today.

If you don’t know your reflexology from your reiki the decision-making process can be tricky: I could treat myself to a Thai foot massage to eliminate toxins; an Indian head massage to ease insomnia; a shiatsu massage to improve posture, or a reiki healing massage to stimulate the body’s own natural healing capacity.

I opt for a Swedish massage which is designed to increase oxygen flow in the blood and release toxins from the muscles using a combination of relaxing massage strokes. This combined with a personalised blend of aromatherapy oils should help to reduce stress and give me an overall sense of wellbeing.

The masseuse reappears with a black case full of miniature bottles of about 50 different types of oils derived from the flowers, leaves, stalks and roots of certain plants and trees. She carefully selects the chosen few which she thinks will suit my requirements (to de-stress and detoxify): Ylang Ylang, Frankincense, and Geranium.

Downstairs in the softly-lit treatment room I undress in private while the therapist blends together a soothing concoction from our combo of oils. What follows is an hour of bliss as she massages me from head to toe and I drift off into another state of consciousness.

The session certainly lived up to my expectations. I smell delicious and feel completely content and at ease. With the advice to replenish with plenty of liquids I head out into the bustling city outside, equipped with a bottle of water (in a biodegradable ‘plastic’ bottle) to help me on my way.

This post is from The London Word and should not be republished elsewhere without prior permission. Please check out our site for more great stories and features.

No related posts.

We’ve all heard it. The ‘O’ word. But what does ‘organic’ actually mean? And is it really that good for us?

We city slickers can be cynics - naturally suspicious about the authenticity of organic food. Particularly when it’s (typically) more expensive than super-brand supermarket produce. So on recognising this lack of general knowledge about the issues surrounding food production, I’ve dug up some of the finest unadulterated wholefood joints in the big smoke to put the city cynics to rest.

London life can be a fast-paced, frenetic, and sometimes frugal existence. Urban dwellers in the capital are faced daily with the threat of air pollution, noise pollution, air conditioning, road traffic, crowds, crime and congestion. Between the office, the tube and home, it’s a wonder we have a chance to eat at all. Never mind lose sleep over the cocktail of poisonous compounds coating our cornflakes.

Now thankfully we can count on a host of healthy, organic-educated eateries in London’s West End to raise both our spirits and our awareness.

These inner-city gems proudly provide organic produce free of any artificial poisons, which won’t contain the highly toxic pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, antibiotics and growth hormones used in intensive farming.

As well as this your food will be free of artificial colourings, flavourings, additives, sweeteners and the thousands of other unnecessary chemicals used in food manufacturing today.

But how do we know it’s organic?

Thankfully, to ensure that consumers are not misled, anyone in the United Kingdom wanting to grow or process food which is to be sold as organic must by law be registered with UKROFS (United Kingdom Register of Organic Food Standards) and adhere to regular check ups. In short, if it’s food and says it’s organic, you can bet your bottom dollar that it is. Naturally grown and ripened produce is the way forward. Here’s just a few of the best in the West, tried and tested:

Bünker
41 Earlham St, Covent Garden WC2H 9LD
Tel: 020 7240 0606

Fancy a pint? Try The Soho Red, a thirst-quenching organic dark ale concocted on site at this micro-brewery. The basement bar is brimming full of signature beers using only the finest natural ingredients. While you’re there tuck into some wholesome pub grub, including wild boar and apple sausage or bier battered fish and chips. It’s a heaving haunt so book a table or arrive early.

Fresh & Wild
69-75 Brewer Street W1F 9US
Tel: 020 7434 3179

Always popular Fresh & Wild is a health-hedonist’s haven. Their Brewer Street branch (one of six stores in London) serves wholesome organic hot and cold dishes from the salad bar, which you can enjoy in the humming café or on the run. Specialties include pumpkin and sage soup, honey and ginger tofu kebabs and a variety of salads and baked goods.

Planet Organic
22 Torrington Place WC1E 7HJ
Tel: 020 7436 1929

Firm believers in organic and natural food, Planet Organic is the UK’s original organic supermarket. A fresh juice bar, salad bar, health and bodycare centre, bookstore, dining area and grocer’s reside under one roof. They staunchly ban genetically modified foods, hydrogenated fats, and artificial ingredients from their shelves. Try their revitalising juices and smoothies, including the Fatigue Fighter or Rise and Shine.

The Grocer on Warwick
21 Warwick Street, London W1B 5NE
Tel: 020 7437 7776

A sophisticated concept in casual dining The Grocer serves fine modern organic cuisine in the heart of the West End. Its window neatly displays pastries and sandwiches, enticing you inside the stylish surroundings. There you’ll be greeted by the aroma of freshly baked bread, baskets of cakes and croissants. Using seasonal ingredients free from anything artificial they boast an array of quality ready meals, soups and preserves to buy.

Aveda
28-29 Marylebone High Street W1U 4PL
Tel: 020 7224 3157

At the Weymouth Street side entrance of this concept salon and experience centre you will find Aveda’s environmental café. Chunky wooden tables and candles add to the earthy atmosphere. Blackboards display a diverse range of organic choices on the menu. And while you wait for your wholesome meal to arrive you can pop into the adjoining salon for a soothing massage.

Total Organics
6 Moxon Street, Marylebone W1U 4ER
Tel: 020 7935 8626

This funky hideaway serves scrumptious salads, paninis, omelettes and sandwiches in a cosy café at the back of the store. They’ve created a colourful menu of healthy super juices like The Alfie (carrot, apple and wheatgrass) and The Akai, a natural berry harvested in the Brazilian Rainforest mixed with guarana. You can knock back a wheatgrass shot on the run or buy dried pastas, soups, breads, fruit and vegetables in their store.

Vita Organic
74 Wardour Street W1F 0TE
Tel: 020 7734 8986

Pile your plate high with Vita Organic’s delicious vegetarian and vegan gourmet cuisine. Specialists in live, enzymatic and gently cooked food they have an extensive raw food menu as well as a juice bar. Relaxed and fulfilling, this is a truly uplifting experience without breaking the bank.

Organic Delivery Company
68 Rivington Street W1
Tel: 020 7739 8181
email: info@organicdelivery.co.uk
web: www.organicdelivery.com

This Soho-based company delivers organic vegetarian produce to the whole of London in the evening and fruit boxes to central London offices during the day. You can order on-line at: www.organicdelivery.com or if you prefer you can call them on 020 7739 8181

This post is from The London Word and should not be republished elsewhere without prior permission. Please check out our site for more great stories and features.

No related posts.

Whether you know your sushi from sashimi or your nori from your nigiri, you’ll never be far from a Japanese food joint in the West End.

Sushi is rapidly becoming the capital’s fast food of choice for the health-conscious urbanite, and is the perfect bite whether you are on the move or convening by the conveyor belt. And because London’s love affair with sushi shows no sign of waning, we’re celebrating some of the best in the West.

Gili Gulu
50-52 Monmouth Street, Covent Garden WC2H 9EP
Tel: 020 7379 6888

This self-described “ultimate conveyor belt sushi” establishment in Covent Garden offers a great value set meal deal for £7.50, which includes six plates from their conveyor belt, plus a tasty bowl of miso soup.

Itsu Wardour Street
103 Wardour Street, Soho W1V 3TD
Tel: 020 7479 4790

You don’t even have to venture inside to purchase your lunch at this popular Soho sushi spot. A friendly and efficient takeaway service operates outside, where you can grab your chilli crab crystal roll or warm eel teriyaki from a stand by the shop front window. Be prepared to queue on week days.

Ikeda
30 Brook Street, Mayfair W1K 5DJ
Tel: 020 7629 2730

This authentic Japanese eatery is regarded as one of the best in London. With kimono-clad staff and fantastic food, it’s not cheap. But there’s a tempting range of recommended sushi including salmon nigiri and California roll, as well as hot dishes and the chef’s daily specials.

Defune
34 George Street, Marylebone W1U 7DT
Tel: 020 7935 8311

Superb set meals and lunch time bento boxes are served at this simple sushi bar and restaurant. The service is pleasant and professional without being intrusive and there is a good selection of vegetarian dishes.

Ikkyu
67a Tottenham Court Road, Fitzrovia W1T 2EY
Tel: 020 7636 9280

It’s easy to miss this basement den, but it’s worth the effort to find. Tucked away down a narrow staircase on this busy main thoroughfare, Ikkyu is a long-standing Japanese restaurant offering fresh raw fish and genuine Japanese food. It’s small, and popular, so space is at a premium.

Hi Sushi
40 Frith Street, Soho W1D 5LN
Tel: 020 7734 9688

Funky sunken tables in this basement restaurant provide the perfect place for group gatherings, while upstairs in the bar there is a dine-in or takeaway service. A variety of top nosh is served including sushi, sashimi and tempura. Or you can indulge in the ‘Sumo’s Appetite’ special and eat as much as you like between 5.30 – 10.00pm.

Yo! Sushi Poland Street
52 Poland Street , Soho W1F 7NQ
Tel: 020 7287 0443

If you’re strapped for time there’s no quicker pit-stop than Yo! This sushi empire delivers fresh fish and hearty soups faster than you can say “chicken teriyaki”. Grab colour-coded plates from their futuristic conveyor belt, which offers a tempting array of sushi rolls and desserts to die for.

Nambu-Tei
209a Baker Street, Marylebone NW1 6AB
Tel: 0871 332 7824

A hidden gem behind a Chinese herbalist in an arcade on Baker Street, Nambu-Tei would be easy to miss. But the fact that it’s utterly discreet gives it such charm. The food here is simple, authentic and well-presented. The perfect place for a quiet lunch-time rendezvous.

This post is from The London Word and should not be republished elsewhere without prior permission. Please check out our site for more great stories and features.

No related posts.

Forget Nike Town and Top Shop. The frenzy of Oxford Circus seems a world away from this inner-city sanctum. At one of London’s most frenetic intersections, I discover an oasis of calm.

Polished wooden floors guide my newly naked feet to a welcoming reception of landscape paintings and aquamarine life. Guests lounge on puffy cushions, whispering quietly, and encouraging quotes suspend from the wall: “Take good care of your body and keep it clean and tidy”.

As I scan the airy room, honing-in on a giant bowl of fresh fruit salad, a friendly looking woman behind the service desk catches my eye.

“You’re booked in with Master Oh,” she proclaims with delight once I introduce myself. I feel like I should be impressed. Whoever this Master Oh is, he must be an important guy. So after completing the obligatory health check-list I flick through a deck of brochures and press cuttings in a bid to unearth the mystery of Master Oh.

I am impressed. A survivor of stomach cancer, Master Oh turned to Ki (pronounced ‘kee’) energy treatment 20 years ago after growing increasingly frustrated with conventional medicine. He’s been practicing and teaching the 6000 year old South Korean healing technique ever since, and is now the most experienced practitioner in the West.

A unique and revolutionary therapy aimed at helping patients with various ailments, Ki is drawn from ancient Taoist healing traditions, and uses specific sounds and breathing techniques to remove blockages from a person’s energy system. This enables the patient to overcome both mental and physical problems, ultimately leading to a healthier and more fulfilling lifestyle.

The Ki Health Centre is a non-profit charity which strives to improve the health and wellbeing of communities world wide, assisting organisations like Crisis, Breakthrough Breast Cancer, fire brigades, ambulance services and even athletes in the London Marathon.

Praising testimonials from around the world pay tribute to their ability to cure everything from eczema to depression, Multiple Sclerosis, infertility, stress and even cancer. And though I don’t suffer from serious illness, I’m keen to regenerate a body and mind fatigued by the stresses of urban life.

Soft-spoken Master Oh is decked-out in martial arts gear and a gleaming smile. He asks me to draw a deep breath as I lie on my back, fully clothed, in his treatment room.

What follows is a series of hissing and belching noises as he zaps my invisible energy knots with acupressure, jabbing my abdomen, back, neck, legs, head and arms. Drawing from my own experience full stomachs are not recommended, though the noises from the man himself make it highly entertaining as he draws out my toxins and neutralises them.

Ki treatment is fast and the effect is immediate. Within 15 minutes I am back on my bare feet while Master Oh explains what he sensed from my energy flow.

Strangely, he reveals that I have weaker than average kidneys (that explains the kidney pains I suffered as a child): “The kidneys are like a car battery…everything in your body relies on them to keep it going,” Master Oh explains.

His knowledge is immense and his devotion to helping people is inspirational. “We had one woman with arthritis who couldn’t even write her own name when she came in, and within a couple of treatments she could.”

I leave the Ki Health Centre with a strange sense that my head is floating, and a realisation that Master Oh’s dedication to helping others is driven by none other than a profound love and respect for life.

As I collect my shoes and descend into the madness of the city circus, I hold tightly onto that peace of mind.

This post is from The London Word and should not be republished elsewhere without prior permission. Please check out our site for more great stories and features.

Related posts:

1. Mayfair Massage for the Body and Soul
2. Colonic Irrigation at the Integrated Medical Centre
3. Victoria Therapy Suite: The Epitome of Anti-Cool

Junk food, booze, smoke, stress and pollution. Sound familiar?

With the festival frolics of summer almost behind us and the bleak months irrevocably approaching, we’re doomed to feeling sluggish, bloated, pale, and exhausted during winter’s looming reign. But the formidable grey season needn’t tempt us into a spell of gluttony and debauchery. As autumn closes in outside, I head to London’s Marylebone for an internal spring clean.

The repercussions of contemporary urban life can provoke an imbalance in our bodies, contributing to a host of health problems. When there is this imbalance the colon (responsible for eliminating body wastes and protecting us from infection and disease) struggles to eradicate waste products and they solidify within us. If this waste continues to sit in our bodies toxins are then reabsorbed back into our liver and bloodstream, which can lead to a multitude of ailments including headaches, fatigue, pimples, bad breath and sluggishness to name but a few.

Further disorders can also result, including constipation, diverticulitis, haemorrhoids, colitis and even bowel cancer.

Colonic hydrotherapy, or irrigation, is a gentle internal bath using purified water to help soften and eliminate stored faecal matter, gas, mucus and toxic substances from the colon. Additional benefits include clearer skin, increased energy, mental clarity and fewer headaches, with circulatory, immune and weight problems often improving.

My experience of colonic hydrotherapy begins at The Integrated Medical Centre in Marylebone. Their philosophy supports conventional, complementary and traditional medicines, and the clinic welcomes me with the scent of spice from their street-front health shop.

On meeting my therapist, Anna, I’m immediately put at ease. She’s exuberantly friendly and has an obvious zest for life and a passion for colonics. We discuss my medical history, diet and lifestyle, and I learn more about my digestive system in those few moments than I did in five years of school biology.

All this chat about my insides makes me feel queasy, but Anna’s enthusiasm is infectious and she confides that she’s never met a patient who wasn’t nervous when experiencing colonics for the first time. So with Anna’s reassuring cheer ringing in my head I go away, strip down to basics and return, anxiously trembling, in a blue paper gown.

It’s unlikely this get-up will make it to the catwalks this season but at least my modesty is preserved. Aromatic oils burn in the room which is comfortable and clean. I feel in safe hands.

Once I’m at home on the bed’s crisp, white linen the inexorable course of action begins. A small speculum attached to a plastic hose is inserted into my body via the rectum. This connects to the colon irrigation machine mounted on the wall. As water is gently introduced into the colon the volume, temperature and pressure of the flow can be adjusted by Anna. She talks me through the whole process as she works her magic.

The colonic itself takes 45 minutes during which time the water filling up inside me induces peristaltic contractions in the colon, and I begin to expel faecal matter through a tube. Anna tells me to prepare for an uncomfortable sensation as she is about to increase the water pressure. I can tell her to stop at any time. I do. Almost immediately. It’s not at all painful, just odd. But soon my body learns to override the initial nerve response and I begin to feel at ease.

As Anna gently massages my belly, circulating the water inside, I take this opportunity to indulge in the workings of colon conservation. Is this for everyone? “Anyone should have a colonic, it is a preventative. It keeps you in optimum health”, Anna enthuses. “Anyone on medication or taking recreational drugs should clean out the colon to ease pressure on the liver. Those who should avoid colonics include people on heavy steroids, with ulcerations on the bowel and with Crones Disease”.

We lead to the inevitable topic of diet. Anna recommends eating natural live bio yoghurts and foods that are close to their natural environment, such as fresh fruit and vegetables.”Experiment with different types of grains and aim for eating on a rotation system. Foods high in essential fats are good such as fish, seeds, nuts, avocados, olive oil and coconut oil. Avoid foods like sugar, coffee and alcohol. They have absolutely no nutritional value at all and only dehydrate the body. Milk builds a lot of mucus so avoid it if you are intolerant. And never take laxatives as they cause your bowel to become lazy and it won’t function as well.” 

I remember Anna’s earlier comment, that some individuals feel tired or euphoric post-colonic. I feel neither, but I do feel enlightened, both mentally and physically. This feeling of overall wellbeing may or may not be psychological, but I undoubtedly have the best sleep in a long while that night, waking up just before the alarm’s thunderous siren. My head is cloudless and my snooze button redundant. In fact, I feel clearer and more alert for many days following, until I visit Anna again. By which time I’ve made conscious changes to my lifestyle, like cutting down on alcohol and drinking more water.

Following a third session in ensuing weeks I’m still reaping the benefits. And with Anna’s mantra ‘to create healthy habits’ buzzing in my brain, I’m on my way to becoming as exuberantly excited about life as she is.

Integrated Medical Centre
43 New Cavendish Street
London W1G 9TH
Tel: 020 7224 5111

This post is from The London Word and should not be republished elsewhere without prior permission. Please check out our site for more great stories and features.

No related posts.