With the constant onslaught of fresh wellness techniques and the influx of health fads, staying up to date with the things that really have your best interests at heart isn’t the easiest thing to do. With that in mind, we’ve compiled a list of the unexpected people you didn’t know you needed in your life for the ultimate wellbeing, you heard it here first.
A Handstand Coach
Once reserved for circus performers and prepubescent girls, handstands have since risen as a bona fide method of exercise. Attempting to keep the body upright without falling over stabilises the muscles and in turn, strengthens everything from your abs to your hamstrings. It subsequently tightens the core and banishes the hellish plank for good. (Can I get an amen?) Dan Hardie, a personal trainer at Les Mills, incorporates handstand training alongside other unorthodox methods into his sessions to add a playful twist to workout regimes.
An Astrologist
As we delve into a new age of uncertainty, we’re increasingly turning to spirituality and mysticism for guidance rather than light entertainment, and Astrology, despite being around for centuries, is garnering a whole new following. Megan White, a specialist in both tarot reading and astrology, offers a full natal horoscope — an astrological chart which reconciles the date and whereabouts of your birth with the planets’ alignment — so as to get a better understanding of a person’s character traits, behaviour and life path.
A Breathing Coach
Always assumed that you could manage breathing perfectly well on your own? That might not be the case. Globally, around one in 10 people experience some form of breathing pattern disorder —from asthma to chronic snoring — at some point throughout their lives. The Buteyko Breathing Clinic in Ponsonby practises The Buteyko Method — a health education programme which incorporates breathing exercises and lifestyle guidelines to relieve everything from snoring and allergies to insomnia and asthma — providing therapy for clients throughout Auckland and online via Skype.
A Crystal Consultant
Whether housing a citrine to encourage creativity or piling up the shungite to improve sleep, decorating our homes with glorious natural crystals reaps just as many rewards for our health as it does our aesthetic. Consultant Zora Bell Boyd incorporates beautiful, natural crystals into the home in order to improve everything from a person’s balance to their mental purification.
A Horticultural Specialist
It’s no secret that we all need a little more green in our lives. Scientifically, plants help reduce the levels of carbon dioxide and other pollutants in the air, while aesthetically, the visuals of lush greenery can evoke an overall sense of calm — pulling our minds away from stress and instead conjuring a sense of peace. While we all like to think our eye for detail is on point, putting your trust in a horticultural professional isn’t always a bad idea. Greenery specialists Alex and Rachel Schanzer from Concept Botanica incorporate botanical styling into clients’ homes and workspaces in order to create a healthy, plant-filled space.
