Knightsbridge is one of the most exclusive and expensive areas in London. It is renowned for its haute couture and designer boutiques and upmarket department stores. It is equally well known for its exquisite and opulent hotels, stylish restaurants, art galleries, museums, and auction houses. To have premises on Sloane Street in Knightsbridge is to be at the forefront of fashion excellence. It is the equivalent of Madison Avenue, New York; the equal of Rodeo Drive, Los Angeles. It is a shopper’s paradise – of the exclusive kind. Spend a few hours exploring the boutiques and then stop into one of the many restaurants or cafés to quench your thirst and rest your weary feet. This certainly sounds like a day well spent, but it is unlikely that after a day spent shopping and sight-seeing all you will be left with is weary feet. You are more likely than not going to be left with some stress. It might be just a modicum of tension, or you might find yourself quite tense after a day spent with so much activity. There is a very slim chance that in our fast-paced, objective-driven lives that we can possibly avoid stress. It is everywhere, in most of life’s situations: driving in the traffic, at our places of employment, and even after a day’s shopping. While it may not be possible to avoid it, there are means of counteracting it and its negative effects. One very effective and popular option is massage therapy, which BTS offers as a mobile service to many areas in London, including Knightsbridge. The relaxing benefits of massage therapy are well known and it is a very popular practice for easing tense and strained muscles. A long term method of stress relief that can be combined with massage therapy is to learn the practice of invoking the relaxation response. The relaxation response, a state of deep rest, is the polar opposite of the stress response with which we are all so familiar. The relaxation response brings your system back into balance by deepening your breathing, reducing stress hormones, slowing down your heart rate and blood pressure, and relaxing your muscles. The relaxation response is not lying on the couch, sleeping or being lazy. It is a mentally active process that leaves the body relaxed. It is a process that becomes more beneficial and rewarding with practice. Relaxation techniques such as deep breathing, visualisation, progressive muscle relaxation, meditation, and yoga can help you activate this relaxation response. When practiced regularly, these activities lead to a reduction in your everyday stress levels and a boost in your feelings of joy and serenity. What’s more, they also serve as a protective quality by teaching you how to stay calm and collected in the face of life’s curveballs. Once this technique has been mastered a day spent shopping and enjoying the sites and sounds that make up life in Knightsbridge will be a day to be better enjoyed. | 
