Introducing our Group Head of Spas, Amie Jones, the original Cowgirl...

'I joined Cowshed in 2005, about six months after Clarendon Cross opened as our first London spa. I was asked whether I’d be interested in going to work with the team at Clarendon Cross as assistant manager. The Electric had opened on Portobello so there was definitely a lot going on with Soho House. Back then Cowshed was quite unknown. People who went to Babington House or Soho House New York definitely knew of it and it had its following but I still remember getting on the tube with my Cowshed shopping bag and people looking curiously at the name!

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It's fair to say award-winning journalist, consultant and freelance beauty director Joanna McGarry knows beauty inside out. Currently studying for a degree in Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture, she is expecting her first child, which made her the perfect person to try out our maternity treatment.

'Filed under ‘things they don’t tell you about pregnancy’ is the surprising truth that for many women, the notion of touch – a caring touch – while growing a baby, sort of disappears. I’d become quite protective of my growing body, and – admittedly – a little unnerved by my rapidly changing shape.

So, save for the well-meaning hands I find cupped across my belly from time to time, and the warmth of my husband’s arms, I’d made myself an island, moving through the world with an invisible force-field around my body. And for the first trimester, my love for massages was, obsequiously, put on the back burner.

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Can't get to our Bloom & Wild flower arranging workshop? Don't worry, we've got some tips for you to tie your own posy at home.

1. Choose a jam jar or a selection of bottles and grab some floristry scissors (or secateurs) and twine.

2. Choose between 3-5 stems for your posy and don’t cut the stems down to size yet. Start by taking each stem and stripping the base of its leaves, when leaves get into the flower water they can cause the flowers to spoil sooner, so keep your stems clean. Place each stem in a pile so that you have all of your flowers laid out and ready to style.

3. Fill up your jar with fresh room temperature water and flower food. Flower food is fantastic as it keeps the water clean.

4. Now start by creating a tee-pee shape with your foliage, criss-crossing the stems in odd numbers to balance the posy. Then gradually start to add in your flowers in the same way, layering in wilder flowers with bigger blooms.

Our favourite stems right now:

• Lilac: beautiful scent and colourways like lilac and white that are effortlessly romantic

• Viburnum: gorgeous lime colour and floppy stems that have a natural shape

• Scabiosa: small puffs of joy that are stunning, peering out of a posy in a wild way

You are invited to a Bloom & Wild flower arranging workshop hosted by Cowshed. Bloom & Wild florists will teach you how to create your own beautiful posy bouquet using seasonal flowers and Cowshed therapists will be offering scalp or hand massages whilst you enjoy St Germain Cocktails. Tickets are £30 with £10 redeemable against products on the night.

When: March 27, 6pm - 9pm

Where: Cowshed Primrose Hill, 115-117 Regent's Park Rd, NW1 8XP London

Book your tickets here

This spring we've teamed up with Bloom & Wild to create a three piece bouquet collection inspired by the wild beauty of the English countryside, where Cowshed was born 20 years ago. The three floral designs - the Babington, the Clarendon and the Amie - are available to order from Bloom & Wild's website with a selection of our favourite products to make each one even more special. You can also enter our competition to win a year of flowers from Bloom & Wild and a luxurious Moody massage here.

We talked to Bloom & Wild co-founder and CEO Aron Gelbard about his favourite flowers and how he came up with the concept of the 'letterbox bouquet'.

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This spring we have partnered with Bloom & Wild to create a floral collection inspired by the British countryside - where our story began. The two bouquets and potted rose can be ordered from Bloom & Wild's website along with a selection of Cowshed products to make your gift even more special.

The Babington

The Babington is a letterbox bouquet designed with lisianthus, snapdragons, september, limonium and erika. This bouquet was designed with delicate colours and textures, reminiscent of the English countryside in early spring.

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Brownies that are delicious, easy to make and good for you are the dream.  Here's Natural chef and food blogger Ceri Jones' recipe for her seriously delicious cacao espresso no bake brownies. Check out her blog Natural Kitchen Adventures for more inspiration and ideas...

'I believe that brownies should be rich, gooey and so unbelievably chocolately so I rarely find that ‘healthier’ versions hit the spot.  These no bake ‘raw’ brownies are quite different to your average coffee shop brownie but the gooey dates, and rich chocolately raw cacao ensure they deliver on my non-negotiables.  I’ve added a touch of coffee extract to my topping for added oomph too.'

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Sleep. It's vital to health, wellbeing and happiness, but it's all too easy to neglect. We asked Lisa Artis from The Sleep Council to explain why a good night's sleep is so important and for some straightforward suggestions to help you get a more restful, refreshing slumber.

'Stress and worry are the main contributing factors to sleepless nights.  Stress causes the heart rate to go up and in turn the mind starts to ‘race’. This causes the brain to become too alert and stimulated to sleep. We often find that parents’ sleep issues are down to a child not sleeping which in turn affects a family. Partner disturbance is also cited as a common reason why someone doesn’t sleep – that covers everything from duvet hogging to more serious issues such as snoring.

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We sent our Digital & Operations Director Aalish to try out the newly revamped Slender Legs treatment at Cowshed's Carnaby Street spa. Here's what she thought...

'I was certain I’d just heard the words “Would you like to review Cowshed’s recently updated Slender Cow Legs treatment?” But nothing that good ever happens at 5pm in the office on a Monday evening. I heard it again. Phoebe, Cowshed’s Editor poked me in the arm. “Aalish, would you like to review the Slender Cow Legs…?”. I didn’t even let her finish her sentence the second time round. “I’m there!” I said. “Just tell me where and when and what I have to do! I’ll do anything!”

I spent a larger than strictly productive proportion of the next week mulling over what Cowshed’s Carnaby spa might have in store for me. Whilst I’ve tried nearly every one of our treatments over the past few years I haven’t ever plumped for Slender Legs. Surely, I’d be better spending the hour in the gym? And yet, I kept hearing great things about the treatments and the Slender Cow products continue to fly off the shelves. I knew I was guaranteed a gloriously indulgent hour in the newly refurbished Carnaby spa – Cowshed always delivers ten out of ten on the relax and forget the world front. But would I really have slender legs? My inner sceptic raised her eyebrows.

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Women's Health's digital editor Amy Hopkinson is the perfect person to ask for tips for starting 2018 with a healthy, happy and balanced mind and body. Here she shares what she's learned from her wellness journey, from working out what 'fit' means to you, to always wearing the right trainers for your workout...

'I used to work for a women’s lifestyle site and while I was there Nike asked me to live tweet a cycle from London to Brighton. To get fit enough in three weeks I trained with one of their trainers, Sonia Moses. I’d done running before but I'd never worked with a Personal Trainer. I got a real buzz from it, did the cycle and went back to work. I wasn’t that happy in my job and my outlet was going out drinking which meant I always felt tired and hungover. I started adding in more exercise until I was training five times a week.

The job came up at Women’s Health and it felt like a bit of a calling in life. My nan’s a yoga teacher – at 76 she still teaches 12 classes a week! My mum's also a yoga teacher and she teaches 20 classes and does summer retreats in Ibiza so it’s always been in the family. So that’s where I am today – three years in at Women’s Health, it’s been a journey but a great one.

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