New Year, New Beginnings - brought to you by APL Media • Wednesday 7 January 2026 “C


areful, we’ve had clients report that they fell asleep on the way home


afterwards,” the receptionist says with a conspiratorial smile. We’re standing in the airy, cloud-white foyer of W London’s Away Spa, six floors above the bustle of Leicester Square. It’s intended as a warning, but to someone who’s spent their adult life chasing sleep, it sounds more like a welcome promise. “That’s exactly what I’m hoping for,” I reply, only half joking. Like many people embarking


Golden slumbers


Desperate to fix her poor sleep, Evelyn Richards signed up for a new treatment making waves in London’s wellness circle


REST AWAITS/AWAY SPA


on the annual ritual of pledging self-improvement for the New Year, I entered 2026 with the resolve to sleep better. An overactive imagination is useful in my professional life, but nocturnally it’s disastrous. So, when I discovered Away Spa’s Saturn Returns Treatment — the sleep therapy du jour with London’s wellness elite — I booked myself in immediately. The treatment, created in


collaboration with spiritual guide Caggie Dunlop and Irish skincare brand Seabody, promises a 90-minute journey into ‘deep, functional rest’. Seabody, founded by cellular biochemist Dr Helena McMahon, is known for its seaweed- infused formulations brimming with marine bioactives. Before any oils or poultices appear,


guests are encouraged to make use of the steam room and sauna. Both times I’ve visited the spa, I’ve been the only person in these little


pockets of heat — the sort of luxury that makes you forget, momentarily, that you’re above a thrumming tourist hotspot. By the time I’m led into the treatment room, I’m already half melted. The ritual begins with breathwork,


including a technique I can only describe as ‘extra sip breathing’: inhale until you’re utterly full, sneak in one extra sip of air, then release it all with an exaggerated sigh. It sounds ridiculously new age, like something from a corporate mindfulness workshop, yet it works. My limbs loosen, my worries drift out the door. Then comes the sound bath


— created by a drum filled with metal beads gently tilted back and forth, soft oceanic waves roll through the room as I lie face down, primed for surrender. My therapist works methodically from the feet upward: legs, back, arms, stomach, face, scalp. It’s a slow, hypnotic unravelling. The attention to detail is striking: hot towels, warm oil and the unusual sensation of massage interspersed with heated seaweed and lavender poultices. At the end, I’m told these little bundles exfoliate, detoxify and nourish, thanks to their infusion of minerals and antioxidants. But during the treatment they simply feel like warm kitten paws kneading away at my stubborn, tight knots. The closing sequence is almost


womb-like. A restorative head massage, then a cocoon of Seabody’s deeply moisturising Sleep Body


19


Balm, before a rose quartz mask is placed over my eyes. The weight is gentle, steadying — like someone is resting their palms on my face in a gesture that says: you’re safe, you can let go now. Quartz, I’m informed, was chosen for its associations with comfort and home. Although I didn’t stay overnight,


guests can fold the ritual into the wider Saturn Returns Stay, an overnight package designed to stretch that post-treatment serenity into the next morning — a tempting proposition for anyone less disciplined than I was about returning to real life. The spa’s ethos extends into the


W’s social spaces, where guests can order Saturn Sips — a range of three non-alcoholic cocktails crafted with Everleaf’s botanical aperitifs and themed around grounding, energy and renewal. At £250, the treatment is


undeniably indulgent. But for those of us who’ve spent years circling the slippery concept of rest, it offers something tantalising: the suggestion that deep sleep isn’t an impossibility, but a muscle that can, with the right coaxing, remember how to relax. As I drifted out into the glow of Leicester Square afterwards, I realised the receptionist may have been right to warn me. I was, for once, dangerously close to dozing off on the way home. The Saturn Returns Treatment is


available exclusively at W London’s Away Spa. Book at marriott.com


MR BENJAMIN BAKER CONSULTANT PLASTIC,


PROGRESS EDUCATION


PROGRESS EDUCATION EDUCATION PROVIDER


Progress Education is an inclusive education provider that combines personal guidance and skills development to raise attainment and boost social mobility. It empowers marginalised young people to build confidence, direction and purpose — equipping them with the knowledge and skills to overcome barriers. theprogress-group.co.uk


MAURITIUS LUXURY RESORT Heritage Resorts Mauritius offers a collection of luxury experiences within the Bel Ombre estate in the south of Mauritius. A member of Small Luxury Hotels of the World, the resort features two five-star properties; Heritage Le Telfair Golf & Wellness Resort and Heritage Awali Golf & Spa Resort. heritageresorts.mu


HERITAGE RESORTS


TRUST MATTERS LEGAL AND FINANCIAL SERVICES


TRUST MATTERS


Supporting clients UK-wide, Trust Matters has over 30 years of expertise in estate planning and inheritance tax solutions. It specialises in protecting your legacy and providing peace of mind through tailored advice on wills, lasting powers of attorney, tax- efficient investments, trust formation and probate guidance. info@trustmatters.co.uk


HERITAGE RESORTS MAURITIUS MY SPECIALIST APPINION MR BENJAMIN BAKER


APPINION HEALTHCARE PLATFORM My Specialist Appinion (MSA) is a digital healthcare platform connecting patients directly with verified healthcare consultants for fast, affordable and secure medical advice. Users can access health experts across multiple specialties without the long waits or high private fees. myspecialistappinion.com


MY SPECIALIST


WE ARE FIT ATTITUDE HEALTH AND FITNESS CLUB


WE ARE FIT ATTITUDE


We Are Fit Attitude (WAFA) is a women-only health and fitness club founded by coach Anna Jenkins, who created a bespoke strength-training method designed for women aged over 40. The programme helps build strength safely and effectively, supporting mobility, flexibility and balance as the body changes over time. wearefitattitude.com


RECONSTRUCTIVE & AESTHETIC SURGEON Mr Benjamin Baker is an award- winning consultant plastic, reconstructive and aesthetic surgeon who’s one of the UK’s leading experts in aesthetic surgery and complex reconstruction. He specialises in advanced breast reconstruction, aesthetic breast procedures, symmetrisation, revision surgery, body contouring and skin surgery. benjaminbaker.co.uk


WILDHUT HOME SAUNAS


Garden saunas are growing in popularity, and the Nordic-style stone-heated version is preferred by those in the know. Wildhut offers an upgraded version of the traditional sauna, where classic British design meets cutting-edge construction in a timeless asset that’s built to last, look beautiful and deliver the ultimate wood-scented sanctuary. wildhut.com


WILDHUT


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