Health, Wellness & Fitness at the Albert Docks
At the One Health Whole You Pop-Up Studio, Royal Albert Docks, Liverpool
Summer Membership was bought in full by LBV. This is not sponsored in anyway.
Wellness is the new Luxury
I really enjoy taking a break from my dissertation writing at mid-day to take in the stunning views from the studio.
The meaning of Health and Wellness has most certainly evolved in the last few decades, both for the medical community and in the mind’s of you and I, and the general population as a whole too.
Health & Wellness is more of a holistic state of being, where one’s mental, physical and emotional health are in sync
The ‘Image‘ or the ‘Idea‘ of Personal Well-being is now everywhere, from Instagram Influencers cataloging their lives by looking stunning, “feeling amazing”, sleeping well, sharing their food images… the list goes on. Wellness is the new luxury. To some extent, wellbeing has been commercialised, as if it is pretty package with ribbons you can just buy and *wow* you have it. It has been idealised not just as something to enjoy, but to flaunt. And somehow if aren’t the next wellness guru, then well maybe you aren’t doing it right. Comparison really is the thief of joy.
The reality of Wellness is that it is not something that you can merely achieve nor is it as simple as ‘you either have it or don’t’. It requires some form of work and commitment to yourself and it is likely to eb and flow between your good and bad days. The lives we live are so diverse and varied, our wellness needs are likely to change and so are very likely to be entirely different to anyone else and that influencer we follow.
Ultimately wellness requires the desire and necessary actions to INVEST IN YOURSELF.
My Journey to Health & Wellness
Today, I’m sharing a part of my journey to improving my health and wellness. As some of you may be aware, I was involved in a bad road traffic accident in December 2019, injuring my thoracic back, left shoulder and hip. What followed was one of the most challenging periods, as I felt like I had become a little old lady with my “hobbly hip.” What I was limited too was a far cry from the lady running around two cities, studying, working and popping into HIIT classes. The following 3 months involved lots of physiotherapy, doctor’s appointments, investigations and even specialist physio advice. Without my trusty HIIT classes to burn away the stresses of life and the sudden changes and cutting back in my life, I felt my mental health waver. My personal wellbeing and fitness were so interwoven together, I had to rethink how to build myself back within my body’s capabilities. It was an abrupt goodbye to high intensity, rapid movement and a gentle awakening to slow, controlled exercise.
As I began to regain some physical function, I decided to trial the new pop-up studio at the royal Albert Docks, Liverpool…
Wellness with Hailey Coxon
One Health Whole You Studio is led by the very experienced and inspiring Hailey Coxon. Hailey has a wealth of skills from her own wellness journey that has taken her across the glove. Hailey practices as a Holistic Mindset Coach, which adds a unique aspect to this studio. Hailey’s studio has committed to providing all aspect of wellness for those ready to delve in from fitness classes to evening talks (e.g ‘how to sleep’ with a psychologist guest speaker )and workshops (e.g breathwork).
When it comes to classes, I personally find that the instructor is hugely important, based on their style of teaching and building a good rapport to motivate and push me. Hailey and I have been working on improving my physical strength and stability, particularly with my upper body. I have been incredibly lucky to have one-to-one sessions with Hailey at mid-day to break up my dissertation writing. The positions within the Flowyou sessions (mat-based yoga and pilates fusion with tai-chi breathing) are sufficiently challenging to raise your heart rate and make your muscles ache without a feeling painful burn the next day. With regular attendance, I’ve seen so much improvement in these areas already and my body can feel it when I skip a session.
The FlowYou sessions are my surprisingly my favourite, especially as I have never truly enjoyed slow-paced yoga-style classes prior to this one. This session flows into the relaxing MindYou meditation session, where hailey employs her hypnotherapy techniques to aid you to complete relaxation. With your eyes closed, the meditation session often involves visualisation of a calming forest, with different sensations and colours taking focus based on the chakras. Each meditation has a different focus and uses affirmations leaving you empowered, like “I am confident that what I offer the world is enough.” In recent sessions, we have also incorporated calming breathing techniques into my meditation sessions.
At the end of the session, I sit up on my mat and open my eyes to take in the beauty of the Albert Docks view and the calming water. Often I stand for a few minutes outside of the studio to the same view, feeling the cool breeze on my skin.
In those serene moments, the world feels so calm.
