Whilst I’m a bit of a pacifist at heart and wouldn’t want to tread on an ant, I had an energising session of punching, kicking, elbowing and kneeing some pads HARD – and I loved it! On my recent visit to the W Maldives, I practiced Muay Thai for the first time in my life, guided by master instructor Mark Angeles, a seasoned Muay Thai practitioner from the Philippines. We taped up our knuckles, donnned gloves, and started ‘sparring’ on the powder-soft, white sand. Whilst it was an exquisite, picturesque setting, let me tell you it’s one seriously grueling workout – the equatorial sun blazing down from above, the instability of jumping about on soft sand, the constant movement, the concentration around coordination, and the powerful twisting explosive movements… it all got me totally exhausted! Click more to see this little post on what I found to be the benefits of trying out this wonderful, ancient and war art! (more…)