A written rule nowhere says that to start the new year well you have to do things. All kinds of things: the ones you’ve wanted for a long time and haven’t tried yet; the ones you have parked due to lack of time; those that relax you and those that challenge you; the ones that scare you and the ones that entertain you, and above all the new ones, the ones that you would have thought of in life. Here is a list of plans to start thinking about that first week of the year.
Where? In the Mind Oasis of the store that Rituals has just opened on Passeig de Gràcia. If you have never managed to meditate, this is a good opportunity. You will enter a deep meditative state in 20 minutes following breathing exercises, 4D sound stimulations and haptic vibrations. A unique experience to rest the brain. And at a very good price, it does not reach 30 euros.
César Manrique designed several swimming pools that are today protected as authentic works of art. Among them, that of the Jameos del Agua and that of his own house, where the greatest parties of the eighties were celebrated. Bathing is not allowed in any of them, you can only do so in the Meliá Salinas hotel, in Lanzarote, a 1977 building designed by Fernando Higueras and which opened last summer. If you like to make summer plans in winter, going to Salinas and bathing in this jewel of landscaping will leave you feeling like new. Something to tell your grandchildren.
Thursdays are stew day in Madrid and also at the Ritz hotel, a trend that we owe to King Alfonso XIII. Tradition returns and the usual recipe returns under the glass dome of the Palm Court restaurant with chef Sergio de la Plata, and Silvia García, the hotel sommelier who strongly recommends pairing the stew with a good champagne.
If you are excited to learn how to make the most popular dessert of the new year, control the ingredients, don’t overdo it with sugar and mix the butter wisely, this is your plan. Pan Delirio is a bakery based in Madrid that confesses to being “honestly artisanal”, they have the best roscón in Spain and they are so generous that they teach the recipe in their Materia training space. You can try roscón, but also croissants, bread or vegan pastries. Spoiler: kneading the dough is a very relaxing plan.
You won’t believe the look on your face after giving your facial muscles this workout. The hands of the masseuses at the Work Your Face facial gyms, with studios in Barcelona and Madrid, redefine the facial ovule, lift the cheekbones, blur wrinkles, open the look and prevent the signs of aging. They only use their hands and tools like Gua Sha or a ball. The results are evident from the first session. Warning: they get hooked.
It is the most desired exhibition of the season, and it will be at the Victoria Museum
Mark Rothko deserves everything and a trip to Paris is never a sacrifice. What more can I tell you? The exhibition is a retrospective of 115 works, many of which have never been exhibited in Europe. A show that ends on April 2 in Frank Gehry’s monumental building, very close to the large-scale sculptures of Alberto Giacometti. I could upsell you on this plan, but I don’t think it’s necessary.
There was once a current in psychology that praised spontaneity and letting go. Flow as a vital maxim. We already know that that only takes us to Netflix and TikTok. You have to plan. If you want to improve the quality of your sleep, write down your sleeping and waking times. Dedicate yourself to observing yourself, and strengthening a routine. Be methodical and don’t get carried away that there is an algorithm out there eager to steal your attention and your free time. Sex therapists recommend the same to reactivate your sexual life. Write down the days to have sex in your diary and stick to it strictly. Don’t leave it for when you have time because you never will. Better sleep and more sex. Those are good New Year’s resolutions.
