Hi there, So last Friday I finally finished the last edit on my new guide to massages, spa treatments and healing (I now need a break from typing that expression!) Am loving the new cover, featuring pics of me at the sweat lodge (I am trying to put myself out there more - can there be more putting myself out there than me in a bikini on a boat on the back cover?) Anyhoo someone suggested I give you a little taste of what’s inside - so here it is! Chi-Nei Tsang – Thai Abdominal Massage I tried this treatment with Jo Lim at Triyoga in Chelsea (they also have other centres in London). It's a great relaxing space, with a café, shop, changing rooms and showers, but perhaps not what you might call a spa. Like the Shiatsu treatment I also tried here, the treatment takes place with you lying on towels on the floor. This is actually very pleasant and allows the work to move around without ever feeling that you might fall onto the floor. She is a very kind, gentle therapist who read my body expertly. It can be nerve wracking anticipating an abdominal massage, especially if you have soreness or lower back pain, but she was fantastic at finding sore spots and applying a deep pressure that eased tension without causing any sharp pain. Interestingly she lifted my knees and worked on my abdomen from the front, rather than back – which sounds as you may expect from this type of massage but which feels very unusual if you are used to a traditional back massage. Even though Jo was working intensively on my solar plexus, and (as she told me later) feeling tension in my liver and spleen, the treatment made me incredibly sleepy, almost like a trance, so I was very glad to be on the floor where I could flop. Although you know I love a full day at a spa with all the whistles and bells, this is a fantastic treatment that provides an intensive healing effect, not just for those times when you haven't a day (or the cash for a whole day) to spare, but also when you might want to slip home and sleep the rest of the day to get the full benefit. See also Acupressure, Samunprai and Thai Massage. ------ This year I am making the book available both online and in paperback and the official launch will be at the New Year Spa Break! It’s doubled in size since the last paperback edition too. Much love, Pearl