Category: Natural Health and Beauty Tips

1. Stress Awareness Month: De-Stress with Holistic Treatments

   Posted on 9:00am Sunday 1st Apr 2018

   

   Happy April Fool's Day!

   This month is National Stress Awareness month so I will be writing a series of posts around this important issue.

   Stress can build up for a number of reasons and tends to be caused by a variety of circumstances such as:

   Too much to do   Lack of Time          Financial Worries                Workload
   Job Uncertainty   Family Troubles     Relationship Breakdowns   Bereavement
   Moving Home     Urban Life              Conflict at work or home    Isolation
   Redundancy         Retirement             Going to University            Planning a Wedding
   Pregnancy            Becoming a Parent  World problems and so on…

   Long term chronic stress manifests itself in many different ways and can have a negative impact on our physical, mental and emotional health.

   Some of the common effects of long term stress include:

   Headaches, Physical and Emotional Tension, Muscular Aches and Pains, Digestive upsets, Exhaustion, Hyperactivity, Anger and Irritability, Feeling Overwhelmed, Anxiety & Depression Over thinking Insomnia, Loss of Concentration Reduced ability to make decisions, Brain Fog and more.

   In terms of the Holistic treatments I offer they are all deeply relaxing and soothing for the Mind, the Nervous system and your Emotions. 

   If you have physical aches and pains caused by tension and your energy levels are depleted, then Swedish massage is your best choice. 

   If you have tension, aches and pains and/or your nerves feel frazzled, then an Aromatherapy massage with essential oil blend to soothe your body and relax your nervous system would be more suitable.

   If stress primarily affects your emotional state, then I would advise Reflexology, Reiki, Bach Flower Remedies or Crystal Healing.  Reflexology is also useful for people with multiple health conditions as each system (e.g digestive) and organ (e.g liver) is stimulated during a treatment.

   I also make customised aromatherapy products which will be personalised for your individual needs.

   Ok that's all folks stay tuned for further posts on Stress relief this month.

   Until next time

   Zoe

   x

   Note: If stress is causing you physical and/or mental health problems please visit your GP.

2. The Health Benefits of Reflexology

   Posted on 9:00am Friday 9th Mar 2018

    

   Reflexology is a popular holistic therapy that basically involves massaging the feet.  During a treatment, the therapist gently massages and applies pressure to various parts of the feet which correspond to different parts of the body and the organs located in those areas.  

   

   Image Credit: Om Feet

   If you believe in Chi (life force energy) and the subtle energy system,  by massaging the correlating parts of the feet in a reflexology session, Chi energy is stimulated throughout all the energy channels (meridians) in the body and the organs.  This is said to activate and boost the body's own innate healing mechanisms. After 24 years of being a therapist, I strongly believe that Reflexology and other holistic therapies create "the space" for the body to heal itself.

   On a more scientific level, there are literally thousands of nerve endings in the feet, Reflexology has a profoundly relaxing effect on the nervous system.  As we now know imbalances in the nervous system can be due to prolonged stress which causes a variety of health conditions. So regular deep relaxation is essential for both stress management and also to reduce the risk of developing stress related conditions. 

   During any form of massage, including Reflexology, endorphins, dopamines, oxytocin and serotonin are released.  These chemicals help to relieve pain and uplift the mood. 

   Massage also boosts the circulatory flow, bringing fresh blood, nutrients and oxgyen and releases stagnant lymph and toxins held in the body.

   Clincal research has shown Reflexology to be beneficial for

   • General pain managment: including musculo skeletal pain, menstrual pain, laboour pain etc
   • Migraine and Headaches
   • Recovery from a Stroke
   • Stress Relief and anxiety
   • Sleep disorders
   • Relief from the symptoms of Multiple Scerlosis
   • Peripheral neuropathy (numbing and pain) in the feet in people with diabetes
   • Asthma
   • Symptom relief for patients with breast cancer and other forms of cancer

   As you can see, Reflexology is a gentle but powerful holistic treamtent that can be used to help treat a variety of health conditions.  For relaxation and stress relief I would advise a regular monthly treatment of Reflexology plus some form of "me time" on a regular basis in between treatments.

   If you are local to Stockport, I offer Reflexology combined with aromatherapy by using an organic massage oil with an organic essential oil blend customised to meet your individual needs.

   Until next time

   Zoe

   x