When I ask my patients how they are, all too often I hear them reply about how everyone else is instead; I get a list of family, friends, colleagues and how much they are struggling just now. Frequently, I have to ask several times before I find out how my patient actually is. And when they answer, they often follow it with ‘but that’s nothing compared to others’.
The truth is, it’s fine to acknowledge that there are people in the world who are in worse situations but Continue reading
You learn a lot when you study a massage diploma; from the basics to the complex. You study the muscles, all the body’s systems and much more besides. But you really start learning when you start seeing clients. There’s nothing like hands on (pardon the pun) experience to teach you what massage can actually do.
When I first started as a massage therapist, I was so excited to get my business going. I massaged as many different people as I could and started to realise that our bodies are so much more varied than we think. How and where we hold our tension differs Continue reading
What do you see when you look in the mirror? Do you see a person worthy of compliments, with a body that has adapted through growth from baby to adult, compensated for injuries along the way and generally achieved amazing things? Or do you see something else? A reflection staring back at you that, instead of inspiring compliments and love, inspires insults and negative feelings?
“Fat, disgusting mess’.
That was one of the many insults I
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“No” is the answer I get from around 80% of my clients, along with looks of fear or puzzlement, when I ask if they would like me to massage their stomach. But when it’s done well, stomach massage can be both wonderfully nurturing and incredibly beneficial. So why do so many of us shy away from it?
I get it, I really do. For years, I could not Continue reading
Me Time. Self Care. Time Out. Whatever you call it, making time for yourself is NOT an indulgence. It’s vital to your personal well-being, both physically emotionally and mentally. And if you are under prolonged periods of stress, it’s even more important that you take that time to look after yourself.
One of my most used phrases is that you can’t pour from an empty vessel. Life these days is often full on; Continue reading
I was on a training course recently where we did a couple of exercises to do with listening. You would think it would be easy but actually these exercises were a great reminder of how hard it can be to really listen. Someone is talking, you latch on to a particular comment or topic and your own brain starts whirring into action, pulling up your own memories or experiences to enable you to empathise or comment.
But it’s not just listening to others that is key. Listening to ourselves is also important. And, regretfully, often overlooked. Continue reading
Aromatherapy. That’s just smelling things right?
This is a question I get asked on quite a frequent basis and if you want to keep things simple then yes, aromatherapy is partly about smell and the use of essential oils. But the truth is that aromatherapy is so much more than just a nice smell.
At some point, most of us have experienced the power of aromatherapy, whether we are aware of it or not.
A certain smell might trigger a memory that could date back to childhood and we then often experience an emotional response. This known as the limbic system – the part of the brain that deals with emotion, memories, hormones and more. (If you want to read more about the limbic system, the following article gives more detail: http://www.quinessence.com/blog/the-limbic-system)
The use of aromatherapy dates back centuries to the earliest civilisations and there is plenty of evidence Continue reading
Stand up straight, don’t slouch, stop hunching your shoulders. How many of us remember those instructions from childhood? But in hindsight, it was all good advice. Our posture, i.e. how we sit, stand, move, not only affects how our bodies feel but also how well they function and how other people perceive us.
Imagine someone is giving a presentation, introducing a dynamic new product, the ‘next big thing’. As they come on stage, you notice that their shoulders are hunched and are slumped forward, their back seems curved the wrong way and they don’t look comfortable. How much do they convince you that their product is what you need? Continue reading
It’s been a while since I lasted posted anything on here so excuse the wait but now i’m back and i’ll be making more of an effort to bring you interesting articles, tips and information on all aspects of natural health. Feel free to send in your own thoughts and comments on anything I write or on things you have discovered that you want to share.
As I have grown older, the state of my health has become more important to me. It sounds an obvious statement to make but often it’s not until things go a little wrong that you think about what really matters. Continue reading
Thai Yoga massage has a wealth of benefits for everyone. Suitable for people of all ages, it involves the use of acupressure and yoga like stretching to leave you feeling relaxed, refreshed and ready to face the world.
It’s an amazing treatment and a therapy that I personally love. After I had my first treatment, Continue reading