Love is in the air this Love Month at Nurture Spa Village!

Stressful environments pervade around us – be it bad traffic, irresponsible and rude drivers, meeting our cash flow requirements, keeping our businesses afloat. While there is not much we can do about the presence of stress around us, there are many things we can do to take control of how we respond to the stressful situations surrounding us.

The following 38 tips from the Benson-Henry Institute for Mind Body Medicine serve as a useful guide us in in dealing with daily stress:

1. Start off your day with breakfast.

 2. Occasionally change your routine by meeting, a friend or co-worker for breakfast – allow time to relax and enjoy it.

 3. Find some time during the day to meditate or listen to a relaxation CD.

 4. Instead of drinking coffee all day, switch to fruit juice.

 5. Organize your work – set priorities.

 6. Don’t try to be perfect. Don’t feel like you must do everything.

 7. Avoid trying to do two or three or more things at a time.

 8. Develop a support network.

 9. If possible, reduce the noise level in your environment.

 10. Always take a lunch break (preferably not at your desk).

 11. Optimize your health with good nutrition, sleep and rest.

 12. Get regular exercise.

 13. Celebrate birthdays and other holidays. Turn more events into special occasions.

 14. Look at unavoidable stress as an avenue for growth and change.

 15. Avoid people who are “stress carriers.”

 16. Avoid people who are “negaholics.”

 17. Don’t watch the 11 p.m. news.

 18. Give yourself praise and positive strokes.

 19. Develop a variety of resources for gratification in your life, whether it’s family, friends, hobbies, interests, special weekends or vacations.

20. Treat yourself to “new and good things.”

 21. Be assertive. Learn to express your needs and differences, to make requests, and to say “no” constructively.

 22. Seek out the emotional resources available to you- co-workers, spouse, friends and family.

 23. Don’t be afraid to ask questions or to ask for help.

 24. Allow extra time to get to appointments.

 25. Take deep breaths when you feel stressed.

 26. Try to find something funny in a difficult situation.

 27. Find ways to protect yourself…take an occasional “mental health day.”

 28. Adopt a pet.

 29. Take a mindful walk.

 30. Understand that we do not all see or do things in the same way.

 31. Practice mindfulness – learn to live in the moment.

 32. Become a less aggressive driver.

 33. Show kindness and consideration: Open a door for someone, pick up litter, etc.

 34. When stressed, ask yourself “Is this really important?” and “Will this really matter a year from now?”

35. Resist the urge to judge or criticize.

 36. Become a better listener.

 37. Be flexible with change – things don’t always go as we planned.

 38. If religious, pray; speak to God, a higher power, or your inner guide.

Book Now! and Get up to 30% OFF.

*Offer available for bookings made through out January for packages with an overnight stay from Sunday – Thursday.

*Offer valid until 31st January 2012 and is subject to availability. This offer is not to be used inconjunction with existing promo.

*Book before the end of January and recieve the full 30% OFF.

Nurture Spa Village
Pulong Sagingan Brgy. Maitim II West Tagaytay City, Philippines
M: 0918-888-8772; 0920-590-5724; 0922-898-8654
T: (02) 584-4228; (046) 483-0805 E: info@nurture.com.ph
www.nurture.com.ph

All romantic package includes garden dinner for Two with a romantic music serenade. It also comes with Magsing-Irog massage using sultry seductive blend of Ylang-ylang, Cedarwood, Rosewood, Palmarosa and  Sweet Orange essential oils that surely ignite passion!

Valentines Day Packages

Kundiman  -Php.11.999 nett (Overnight Package)

Twenty Two (22) hours overnight stay in an air conditioned room, One (1) hour full body massage, a choice of Facial or Foot massage, Set breakfast and Lunch for Two plus Romantic  set up dinner with serenade.

Pangako -Php.9,999 nett (Whole day Package)

Four (4) hours stay in an air conditioned room, One (1) hour full body massage, a choice of Facial or Foot massage, snacks for Two plus Romantic  set up dinner with serenade.

Suyuan -Php.6,499 nett (Day tour Package)

One (1) hour Full body massage, a choice of Facial or Foot massage plus Romantic  set up dinner with serenade.

We long for a place to decompress, reconnect with ourselves, feel peace and find peace : our very own personal sanctuary. But why go to a bar, a restaurant or a spa outside our homes? Many times we run to these places to escape when we can actually create our own haven in our home: be it a simple apartment, a condominium unit or a mansion.. A sanctuary does not have to be expensive nor grand- it is all about the FEEL of the place- the emotions that it evokes in you, It is not only about architecture or interior design- it is about the psychological embrace it gives you when you walk into it- knowing that finally, you have come HOME!

CREATING THE FEEL OF HOME

The first step in creating your sanctuary is to create your personal vision of what makes it your sanctuary. Everyone has different definitions of their sanctuary: the smells, the colors, the look and feel of what makes us feel comfortable and secure, no doubt coming from our own unique experiences built all the way from our childhood.

To create your vision of your sanctuary, stimulate your unconscious by going through a fun and simple exercise. Gather a bunch of magazines with lots of beautiful colored pictures which attract you. You can ask for old  magazines from beauty salons or your can buy dated magazines at sale price. Leaf through the magazines and cut out pictures of your sanctuary. Choose images that strike your fancy, words that capture the feel of what you are trying to create in your sanctuary. Have fun- dream away! Remember it is not about how grand your sanctuary is- it is about what it looks like, feels like. What colors would you bathe your sanctuary in? what items would you place in it to evoke happy memories? Pine cones which evoke romantic memories of Baguio? Sea shells to remind you of Boracay? Let your imagination take the lead here, knowing that the first step to make your dreams come true is to have your own very personal vision.

ASSESSING YOUR HOME

Next step is to look at your home with a cold, realistic eye. Where can you locate your sanctuary? If it is an apartment or condominium unit, would it be possible to slowly change or redecorate your place towards the dream sanctuary that you have? If budget issues prevent you from a major overhaul, can you start with a corner? A room? Perhaps you can start with your bedroom or study and slowly do the other rooms one by one….remember- with the vision you have crafted, you have already created a road map to guide you.

CHOOSING YOUR SACRED SPOT

Choose a spot with lots of natural lighting and cross ventilation so that you are as close to nature as possible. Choose a quiet place away from noisy neighbors where you can enjoy the peace that silence brings and provide you moments to meditate or read a good book. If possible choose a spot with a window which provides a good view of a beautiful garden. If not, create your own view outside the window with plants lovingly and artistically arranged and maintained.

Clear the area and remove all unnecessary clutter. Choose a nice comfortable chair or sofa to sink yourself into and escape from the world. Have a low table close by for your books and favorite things. Take it a step further by having a foot stool to rest your tired feet. A beautiful table lamp close by will add character to your sanctuary, a soothing ambience at night and provide illumination as you read your book. A potted plant at the corner and a vase of fresh brightly colored flowers on the table will clear the air and bring the outdoors in. Sunshine and fresh air go a long way in making you feel happier and in harmony with the world.

Finally, you have rediscovered serenity…… WELCOME HOME!

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The Philippines is an active member of the Asia Pacific Spa & Wellness  Coalition. In 2008, the Spa Association of the Philippines initiated a European Union grant called the Asia Invest Program which undertook the training and licensing of 2000 spa therapists in 4 countries : Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines  to European standards. Under the project, an additional 4000 therapists will be trained inhouse, along with skills upgrading in spa management for spa operators.

The spa industry has also seen the growth of the spa products sector, with many producers of coconut oil and its by products, local essential oils, herbal teas, soaps and candles becoming more visible in the local and foreign markets.

Today, the Philippine Spa Industry is growing, inspite of the financial crisis and the presence of the many home spas sprouting all over the metropolis. Center to many of the spas is the Philippine Hilot Massage, which has becoming increasingly popular to both local and foreign clientele alike. With the influx of many luxury 5 star hotels and resorts into the Philippines, and with the increased interest in spas because of their healing modalities, it is expected that the Philippine spa industry will continue to grow and mature as an industry.

• December 24, 2011 – Open until 5:00pm only
• December 25, 2011 – Closed
• December 26, 2011 – Opens at 1:00pm
• December 31, 2011 – Open until 5:00pm only
• Jan 1, 2012 – Open at 1:00pm

Happy Holidays from your Nurture Spa family! We hope you visit Tagaytay and have a great time with us.

Join our Nurture Romance Facebook Contest. Here, you can send us your romantic photo through Facebook, and the winner gets an overnight accommodation with breakfast, lunch, and romantic dinner. Couples will also get a full body massage, and Dilag Facial, or foot massage for two.

Anyone can submit pictures until December 31,2011, and voting starts at the January 1st!

Do not forget to avail of our Nurture Spa Gift Certificate for Christmas.

To Wellness and Good Life

Experience Christmas in Tagaytay with this offering: Save 10% on all gift certificates.

According to the Global Status Report on Noncommunicable Diseases 2010 released by the World Health Organization (WHO) noncommunicable  diseases  (NCD) specifically cardiovascular diseases, cancer, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases – are now the leading global causes of death with 80% of the diseases occurring in the world’s low and middle income populations .

The report says that a 10% rise on NCDs is associated with 0.5% lower rates of annual economic growth. This matter is of grave importance to the Philippines as a developing country.

According to Dr. Margaret Chan, Director- General of the World Health Organization, consequences in poorer countries are devastating as people get sick sooner and die earlier. When the diseases are detected late, the patients need extensive and expensive hospital care for severe complications or acute events. Most of this care is covered by out of pocket expenses, leading to catastrophic medical expenditures. They cause billions of dollars in losses of national income , and they push people below the poverty line each and every year.

For the Philippines, the global NCD epidemic would have disastrous effects on our national goals of reducing poverty levels.

Commonly called lifestyle diseases, a large percentage of heart attacks, strokes, cancers, diabetes, chronic respiratory diseases have been found to be caused by people’s modern lifestyles.  As people in developing countries have increased their consumption of tobacco, alcohol and junk food due to global marketing and increased availability of these products, more and more deaths globally have been attributed to NCDs.

According to the report, 36 million or 63% of all deaths in 2008 were due to lifestyle diseases. In the Philippines, there were 309,600 deaths due to lifestyle diseases with more males dying from NCDs (175,700) as compared to females (133,900).  The report also said that more people are dying younger from lifestyle diseases in lower income countries- where 19% of NCD deaths occur among people below the age of 60. In the Philippines, 67.6% of men die below the age of 70 from NCD as compared to 55% in women.

Aging populations, rapid unplanned urbanization and the globalization of unhealthy lifestyles are cited as the primary factors driving this global epidemic. These have resulted in the increase of the 4 main risk factors for NCDs:  tobacco use, physical inactivity, harmful use of alcohol and unhealthy diet.

Some facts cited by  the Global Health Report:

Tobacco: Almost 6 million people die from tobacco use each year from direct tobacco use and second hand smoke. By 2020 this number will increase to 7.5 million. Smoking is estimated to cause about 71% of lung cancer, 42% of chronic respiratory disease and nearly 10% of cardiovascular disease.

Insufficient Physical Activity: Approximately 3.2 million people die due to insufficient physical activity and have a 20% to 20% increased risk of mortality. Regular physical activity reduces the risk of cardiovascular disease including high blood pressure, diabetes, breast and colon cancer, and depression.

Harmful Use of Alcohol: Approximately 2.3 Million people die from the harmful use of alcohol accounting for 3.8% of all deaths in the world. More than half of these deaths occur from cancer, cardiovascular disease and liver cirrhosis.

Unhealthy Diet: Most populations consume much higher levels of salt than recommended by WHO for disease prevention; high salt consumption is an important determinant of high blood pressure and cardiovascular risk. High consumption of saturated fats and trans fatty acids is linked to heart disease.”

The good news is that NCDs  are highly preventable and deaths from NCDs could be significantly reduced through changes in people’s lifestyles. Adopting a  lifestyle of wellness and preventive health can go a long way in solving the disasters potentially caused by the NCD global epidemic.

The World Health Organization calls for the various sectors of society including  policy makers, the academe, health officials, relevant non health  sectors and civil society to develop a comprehensive approach focusing on prevention and health education to help address the problem of the global NCD epidemic.

Interventions which can help address the Global NCD epidemic*

• Protecting people from tobacco smoke and banning smoking in public places
• Warning people about dangers of tobacco use
• Reducing salt intake and slat content of food
• Replacing transfat in food with polyunsaturated fat
• Promoting pulic awareness about diet and physical activity
• Restrictions on marketing of foods and beverages high in salt, fats and sugar especially to children
• Food taxes and subsidies to promote healthy diets
• Healthy nutrition environments in schools
• Nutrition information and counseling in health care
• National physical activity guidelines
• School based physical activity programmes for children
• Workplace programmes for physical activity and healthy diet
• Community programmes for physical activity and healthy diets
• Designing the build environment to promote physical activity

 *Source: Global Status Report on noncommunicable diseases 2010. World Health Organization