HOT TOPIC Local experts offer stellar advice on wedding dilemmas MUSIC TO MY EARS We’re thinking of booking our entertainment online, but we’re a bit worried about booking someone we’ve never met. Do you have any suggestions? Firstly, we relate to this concern! Weddings are expensive, so booking and paying a supplier online can feel daunting and risky. The good news is that it doesn’t have to be. While this is time-consuming, research is never time wasted. Read reviews on Google and Facebook, which are great ways to see if and how the supplier responds. It’s not possible to hide less favourable reviews, so you’ll get a clearer picture of that business. Any supplier worth your trust should be happy to set up a quick call to put potential clients at ease. Lots of our couples book online, but we’re more than happy to offer a call to those who would appreciate a faceto-face chat before parting with their hard-earned money! You must ensure you’re happy with the supplier’s recordings. Check out websites, as this is where suppliers will showcase the best of their work, but I would also advise checking Instagram and TikTok profiles for live recordings. You can also search for their name on social media to see if others have uploaded videos or photos from real weddings; this helps you check that the quality matches up. Lastly, ensure you have fun during the process! Joanna Rottenbury | Artume String Quartet www.artumequartet.com REST YOUR HEAD I’m struggling to sleep at night during the run-up to our wedding. What advice can you share to help? A good night’s sleep starts first thing in the morning. Get out of bed as often as possible, which will help keep your circadian rhythms in sync and your body running efficiently. Physical activity plays a crucial role in promoting good sleep. Exposing yourself to bright light in the morning helps to banish lagging melatonin and feel energised. Engaging in daily physical activity, in a form that suits you, helps to build up sleep pressure and has been found to improve sleep quality. From yoga to more vigorous cardio exercise, find what works best for you. Take time to process thoughts and emotions before you get ready for bed. Many of us are kept awake by a mind racing with thoughts we haven’t had time to process during the day—experiment with writing a daily journal to download your thoughts to paper. Research has shown that simply writing a to-do list for the following day can help you fall asleep faster. Gratitude practices can also help to defuse anxious thoughts. Take time in your busy day to pause. Many of us dash through the day at 100mph, relying on stress hormones to fuel the constant demands on our attention. Regarding bedtime, we’re stuck in the ‘on position’. Practising breathwork, mindfulness or relaxation techniques during the day will make it easier to relax at night. We need to train the brain and body in the skill of relaxation. Hotpod Yoga’s new Sleep Sessions class encourages deep relaxation in a safe environment. It provides an opportunity to hit that pause button during the afternoon or to support your evening wind-down routine. You learn to practice the art of relaxation so that your mind and body become familiar with the state you need for restorative sleep. Many struggle to switch off at night! Chronic stress and poor sleep can push us into a chronic state of hyperarousal; we get stuck in ‘fight or flight’ mode. Yoga combines physical movement, breathwork and meditation techniques, which develop deep relaxation skills. Research shows that yoga helps people gain awareness and a sense of control over their minds and bodies, and there is evidence that regular yoga practice can help improve strength, the flexibility immune function, mental health, sleep quality and overall wellbeing. Dr Sophie Bostock | Hotpod Yoga Derby https://hotpodyoga.com/studios/derby EXPERT ADVICE 79
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MTA0NTE=