Wellness Workshop - The Butterfly Project

It isn’t new to you guys that I’m part of a pretty fun blogger community called The Butterfly Project. It is such a fun, wholesome community led by the one and only Tammy Lim, once a ‘plus-size’ kitten, now a Keto-dieting, health-conscious leader. She put together the Health & Beauty workshop, a first-of-its kind for the community with workshops catering to the mind, body and soul. So on a sweltering mid-August Saturday, I put on a ‘neutral’ outfit in line with the dress code of the day, and made my way to the workshop.

The venue sponsor of the day was Hilton Kuala Lumpur, which name requires no introduction. The unique brand of Hilton hospitality is world-class for a reason. 

Delectable fruits by Hilton 

We were warmly welcomed by Jessica, and soon after arrival, were roped into a fun physical activity to get the heart pumping and blood flowing. Imagine the horror for those adorned in heels and full makeup when we had to stretch, squat and more.

Hilton KL wanted us to share about their gym and spa facilities, which unlike other hotels, is completely equipped to be your monthly gym. It has an incredible range of equipment, dance studios with free yoga and spin classes for members (schedule here), personal trainers on standby as well as spa facilities for those interested in taking it easy. With a pool, jacuzzi, Hilton-class changing rooms and showers as well as easy accessibility via KL Central, the Hilton Gym is most certainly a viable alternative from other mainstream gyms.

They have other perks as well which will make your money worth it, like… maybe you’ll meet your next business investor at the gym? Besides that very real but also half-in-jest possibility, a membership gets you 25% off ALL bills at Hilton outlets (I heard this even applies to drinks at their bar!) and a 25% discount off all spa treatments. With that, you’ll very quickly have the chance to ‘earn back’ the membership price of RM233.20 a month for 6 months or RM201.40 a month for a year. I pay RM220 for my commercial gym, so this is a decent price for a world-class facility.

If you’re worried about parking fees, gym members also get 2 hours free parking at Hilton Hotel – so even better!

https://life.hiltonkl.com/gym

As a blog reader, go ahead and see for yourself how the gym is. A one-day free trial is applicable. Simply quote ‘Butterfly’ at the front desk to be eligible.

After that introduction and tour, we had three fun workshops awaiting us for the day. They split us up into groups and got us to attend each workshop in turn, ensuring that the group never became too big so we could better learn from each session.

Self Care by Minc.Care

Hosted by entrepreneur and counsellor, Minnie Chang, Minc.Care’s offered services are fairly new in Malaysia but valued and highly subscribed overseas. Her services include 1:1 coaching services, journaling workshops or self-care, goal setting for emotional well-being and other helpful therapy.

For the workshop she hosted, we started off seated in a circle around yoga mats and asked to introduce ourselves in a word. The word she chose was kind. I, naturally, said talkative. It’s easy to describe ourselves with a less personal description, i.e. tall, short; or rely on our careers, i.e. lawyer, accountant; but to say simply – I am k i n d, was a little difficult for me. Because what if I taught I was kind? Or smart? But others didn’t think so.. So already in that simple exercise of describing ourselves, I found myself thinking a little more about the person I like to be identified as. And I think, if I were to repeat the exercise, I would say that I am joyful/positive/optimistic. That’s the outlook I believe I have, and what I am proud to embody – rather than just a characteristic.

With that over and done, we opened the goodiebags before us, and found an adorable pen, journal prompts, a self-care habit tracker template and a blank sheet with the word ‘Dear’ on top of it. We were to write a letter to our current-self, from the perspective of our future self. 

At least, that’s what I understood the instruction to be, and it was such a healthy and wholesome way to pay a little attention to our feelings at present which left me feeling more grounded and hopeful about the future. Through prompts from Minnie and sharing from the rest of the butterflies, a number of us got to share some of our struggles and thoughts in a safe environment.

Truly a workshop like no other, especially in an increasingly fast-paced world. I would imagine it’ll be  a really interesting activity to have for a primary school reunion (she can certainly adjust the intimacy level to be more appropriate – after all, most of us in the group hadn’t met each other many times before and we still got to have a good time) or if you’re interested in personal coaching for your goals or aspirations, feel free to get in touch with her. She also offers corporate training to companies seeking to incentivise their employees.

Therapy is a big deal in the US and is apparently a useful way to help us understand ourselves. Minnie’s programs are destigmatising and really, why is taking care of your mind so much harder than taking care of your body? If personal trainers work, a personal coach should too.

Use the code BUTTERFLY10 to get 10% off any of her services on her website. Code is valid till 18 December 2019.

Clay Mask Workshop by Naturally Handmade

100% natural, vegan, chemical-free, cruelty-free and environmentally-friendly. Naturally Handmade promises all of that, along with solid set up story that deserves a listen. Having grown up constantly hearing the idea that she needed to be fair to be beautiful, founder Bavani Gopala Krishnan found herself using all sorts of chemical products to bleach her skin, eventually damaging it.

She realised that in her pursuit of society’s ideals, she ended up causing more harm than good. With the realisation that skincare should be good for you and improve the way you feel rather than the other way around, she started preparing her own clay masks. They were so good that she turned it into a business, and Naturally Handmade now has a range of signature products ranging from natural insect repellent to lotions and more.

The workshop was fairly straightforward, as she introduced us to the variety of ingredients that form a claymask. Different clay bases perform different functions, and when mixed with the right super food (pomegranate powder anyone?) you get a cooling, moisturising and firming mask that is completely natural.

Just a note – although it’s natural, it does not mean that your skin won’t react adversely to it. When trying new products with ingredients you are not familiar with, it’s always a good idea to patch test first (smear a little on the back of your hand) to see if your skin likes it. If it does, mask away!

I brought home a powdered mask, that I’ll activate by mixing in with water, yogurt, or milk which will turn it into a clay paste. This is definitely the next sleepover activity I’ll be trying.

Aromatherapy Essential Oils with Plant Origins

The benefits of essential oils are not unheard of. The right combination can help you sleep better, help get rid of headaches, make you feel calmer and even reduce period cramps! With Plant Origins, you’re introduced to a range of affordable essential oils, perfect for using as a roll-on perfume or even to diffuse at your workplace or at home.

We were given the option to smell a variety of scents, some putrid in their intensity, others addictive in their sweetness. I ultimately chose a combination of Bergamot, Jasmine and Grapefruit, resulting in a scent so good, I’m convinced Jo Malone would bottle it.

If you’re interested in getting essential oils at wholesale prices, you’d want to check out Plant Origins. For a party or event, feel free to host your own essential oils workshop. All you’ll need are a few bottles of essential oils, a carrier oil (basically a base to hold all the scents together) such as coconut oil, and perhaps a roller bottle for your guests to mix it all in? You won’t need much – as each drop of essential oil is extremely concentrated, a little goes a long way!

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I had a great time at the workshop. Thanks again to The Butterfly Project for the invitation, and for all the workshop hosts for putting together such an enjoyable event.