​In our relentless pursuit of progress, we often overlook the art of simply being. Our modern culture glorifies constant activity, leaving us trapped in a cycle of perpetual motion. Yet, within the deliberate act of non-doing lies a profound gift – a respite for our minds and bodies amidst the chaos.

The Science Unveiled

Beyond Relaxation

A Pathway to Wellness

Zone Face Lift isn’t just any ordinary facial; it’s a pilgrimage of inside-out transformation, it’s an odyssey for the soul that my clients cherish as an holistic oasis.

In the cocoon of this therapy, clients literally tell me they “melt into the couch”: their beings enveloped in bliss. It’s an experience that transcends the ordinary, working from within to radiate outward, a seamless fusion of facial reflexology, Gua Sha, crystal therapy, and revitalising essential oils.

Rediscovering Harmony: The Power of Zone Face Lift

Elixir of 15 Essential Oils: The specially formulated, organic Zone Face Lift Elixir is a sensuous concoction of nature’s treasures, which infuse the skin with antioxidants and shield it against time’s passage. It’s a potent blend to ward against premature aging, and represents a vibrant symphony of nutrients and gorgeous fragrances that awaken every fibre and cell of your being.

The Transformative and Unique Journey of Zone Face Lift

Awakening the Spirit: As the therapy commences, a sense of tranquility envelops. The facial reflexology unlocks energies, setting the stage for a harmonious balance between mind, body, and soul.

The Special Properties of the Zone Face Lift Tools

A Gateway to Radiance: Unveiling the Zone Face Lift Experience

An Invitation to Embrace the Spiritual Splendour of Zone Face Lift

Always bliss! – Michelle B

Bliss 😊 in addition to this, plenty of wise words regarding wellbeing. Thank you so much. 💓 – Ruth B

For me, this is the best facial treatment. I feel so much better afterwards – Catherine D

Amazing, 2 a month just isn’t enough. Thank you 🙂 – Lorna G

I received the zone face lift facial by Esther and can honestly say it has been the best one yet! – Kasey T

Other Related Articles:

Botox or Zone Face Lift?

Benefits of Gua-Sha in a Facial

The Wonders of Facial Reflexology

Zone Face Lift – a natural face lift to look up to 10 years younger

The Face and Spirit Lifting Elixir

Health – Our Greatest Wealth

The Preventative Power of Holistic Therapies

• Stress Reduction – Chronic stress is a major contributor to various health issues. Holistic therapies, including massage, reflexology, and holistic facials, are known for their stress-reducing benefits, which can prevent stress-related illnesses.
• Pain Management – Managing chronic pain conditions through holistic therapies can prevent the progression of such ailments and reduce the need for medications that may have side effects.
• Enhanced Immunity – A strong immune system is a cornerstone of good health. Regular holistic therapy sessions have been shown to boost immunity, making the body more resilient to illnesses.
• Optimised Sleep – Sleep is crucial for the body’s recovery and repair mechanisms. Holistic therapies are often associated with improved sleep quality, helping to prevent sleep-related health issues.
• Mental Wellbeing – A calm and relaxed mind is better equipped to handle life’s challenges. Holistic therapies contribute to mental well-being, which can prevent the onset of mental health issues

The Holistic Approach

Some recent testimonials:

2. Reflexology

Reflexology and the Theta Brainwave

Reflexology, in particular, is known for its ability to facilitate the body’s entry into the theta brainwave state, which is deeply meditative. This state has numerous benefits, including:

Some recent testimonials:

3. Holistic Facials

Some testimonials for Zone Face Lift:

I melted into the couch

Bliss (smiley face)!

For me, this is the best facial treatment. I feel so much better afterwards.

Always amazing! Thank you Esther.

Absolutely wonderful treatment, again. So relaxing, yet my facial skin feels and looks revitalised.

Lovely Zone Face Lift facial…deeply relaxing, think I’m definitely going to sleep well tonight 🙂 Will definitely be booking again and looking forward to trying out some of the other services too! Esther was lovely and informative, thank you 🙂

How to Take Advantage of the Cumulative Benefits of Holistic Therapies

Gua Sha has recently become a cult beauty trend. Model Kendall Jenner and actresses Emilia Clarke and Gwyneth Paltrow have incorporated Gua Sha as part of their skincare regime. We’ve also seen seen a plethora of YouTubers and Instagrammers championing the Gua Sha revolution.

But Gua Sha has in fact existed as an ancient Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practice for many thousands of years. It dates back to the Warring States dynasty period (475-221 BCE). In the Ming Dynasty between 1368 and 1644, the procedure was scientifically computed into major medical records.

Gua Sha can be used for both face and body (latter has been around longer). The facial version was first mentioned in the Song dynasty (960-1279 CE) and popularised by 1990s practitioners Zhang Ziuqin in China and Shimada Sumiko in Japan. Facial Gua Sha is a much softer, gentler technique. The body version on the other hand can be more vigorous and leave bruises, similar to cupping – check out an earlier article on facial cupping.

Pronounced Gwa Sha, Gua stands for “scrape” and “Sha” translates as redness of the skin. It’s all about rubbing tools in a particular way over the skin to introduce friction and create beneficial results.

The Benefits of Gua Sha

Gua Sha provides a host of benefits, not least of which the following:

• Breaks up energy stagnation in the sub-dermal fascia and promotes healing.
• Releases tension and tightness in the facial muscles and improves muscle recovery.
• Improves skin elasticity and promotes collagen production.
• Enhances skin radiance through stimulating blood flow to the epidermis.
• Reduces puffiness, inflammation and toxins in the skin by dispelling excess lymph fluid and aiding lymphatic flow.
• Can ease out wrinkles.
• Creates more sculpted features.
• Relieves sinus pressure.
• Helps with bruxism (teeth grinding).
• Can relieve headaches, migraines and neck pain.
• Balances the yin and yang energy in the face (those with too much heat/redness in the face have too much yang energy and those with too much yin have a pale or dull skin).
• Sweeps away negative energy.
• Releases pent-up emotions held in the facial tissues.
• Can be very soothing and therapeutic and put you in a meditative state of relaxation. Why not keep a Gua Sha tool near you whilst working at the computer and use this as an excuse to take a breather and relax your face and body? (Remember to apply a massage medium first though – see below).
• As part of an holistic facial treatment it can reduce anxiety, fatigue, stress and insomnia. That’s why the Zone Face Lift treatment I offer my clients (which includes Gua Sha therapy) is very uplifting, not just for the face and body, but for the mind and spirit too.

Contraindications

Gua Sha is not recommended for those suffering from severe acne or rosacea. It’s also contraindicated for sunburn, open wounds on the face, and extremely sensitive skin or areas where there are broken capillaries.

Which Gua Sha Tool to Use?

Traditionally Gua Sha was done with ceramic spoons and blunt coins. Today, Gua Sha tools are flat-shaped stones with a variety of contours or edges, sizes and materials.

The most popular and most widely sold materials are jade green or rose quartz. Although you can use others, such as white jade, green aventurine, amethyst, blue sodalite, bian (obsidian) stone and even stainless steel. Pretty much all have anti-inflammatory properties.

Green or feng jade is noted for its Qi / energy balancing properties, aiding the clearance of negative energy and reducing inflammation. So this stone is good for calming and soothing you.

Rose quartz on the other hand helps to dispel stagnation and awaken the skin. It’s deemed effective for spiritual healing and acne-prone skin.

Here’s a brief note for the other types of stones:

• White jade or Nephrite jade – reduces and prevents fluid retention and puffiness.
• Amethyst – loosens tense muscles, prevents wrinkles, and is anti-inflammatory.
• Green aventurine – eliminates wrinkles, especially frown lines, increases skin turnover.
• Blue sodalite – promotes grounding (elecrically reconnecting to earth) and is harmonising and soothing on an overactive nervous system.
• Bian stone – helps stress management and tension relief. It’s a heavier stone suited for deeper tissue work. Apparently this was the original Gua Sha stone.
• Medical grade stainless steel – prevents bacteria build-up as it’s non-porous, suited as a more eco-friendly, durable option.

However, in my opinion, the type of stone itself is less important than the technique and how often you use the stone.

How to Use the Gua Sha Tool

A Gua Sha tool has both convex and concave edges as well as a V-contour.

I use the convex side to scoop and sweep the contours and muscles in the face. Any scooping or sweeping techniques should always end up on the outside of the face, not moving inwards to the nose or centre of chin or forehead area.

Ziggie Bergman has taught me that you can do a zigzag technique: to go out from the centre-line of the chin or jowl, back in towards the mouth and nose area and then back out towards the temple, scooping up and underneath the zygomatic or cheek bone. With this technique you have to swivel the edge of the tool to maintain the correct angle (see below).

I use the concave side in 2 ways.

One for short, brushing backwards and forwards strokes across narrow areas, such as in the crow’s feet area of the eye and across the frown line (between the inner portions of the eyebrows).

The other as a lymph drainage technique, to stroke down the side of the face from both in front and behind the ear down to the collar bone (but never upwards, only downwards and slightly outwards).

The V-section of the tool is sometimes used to pull from beneath the chin up and along the jawline as well as scooping up under the cheek bone. However, this can cause a little too much friction on the skin and bone, making it uncomfortable. So do this with some caution, if at all.

It’s recommended to repeat the strokes multiple times for each area, either in succession, or perform a sequential routine across multiple areas and repeat the routine several times. The number of times will vary with each individual and their level of sensitivity to friction in the epidermis layer.

The angle at which you hold the edge of the tool to your face should be about 30 to 45 degrees. The pressure should be relatively firm on the fleshy or muscle areas, but lighter across bone areas. Always avoid excess pressure to avoid bruising or breaking capillaries.

It’s always good to put the Gua Sha in a cool place before using (even in a fridge) as this is very soothing on the face, cools down any overheating and reduces redness, puffiness and toxins. It will also help ease any tension headaches and migraines, especially by placing the stone flat onto the forehead

Always apply beforehand a cleanser, moisturiser or facial oil – anything that provides a bit of “slip”, thus preventing excess resistance and friction on the face. I use Ziggie Bergman’s facial reflexology oil or the Zone Face Lift Elixir for my clients. You can purchase these from me as a distributor for her beautiful products.

How often should you practise Gua Sha?

Like any skincare regime, consistency and regularity are key. It’s great to do this daily, am and pm, as you get up and before you go to bed. But if you can’t be that regular, incorporate it into your work breaks or as a wind-down to your working day whenever you feel inclined. Regular Gua Sha can make a significant difference to your complexion, your facial structure and your health, especially if practised daily over a 2-week period. Enjoy!

But best of all is a treatment done by an accomplished facialist, specialised in holistic facials, such as Zone Face Lift. Book your next/first session now to experience the delights of ZFL and Gua Sha.

A growing number of both men and women submit to the Botox needle in a bid to turn back the hands of time: to erase the worry creases above their forehead, to remove the picket lines between their brows or the crow’s feet from around their eyes.

According to an article in the Guardian newspaper (September 2021), approximately 900,000 facial injections of Botox are carried out every year in the UK.

But if you’re one of them, you may want to know a little bit more about what Botox is and does and how there may be a more pleasant and natural way to slow down and even reverse ageing.

What is Botox?

Botox is actually a brand name of a toxin made by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. There are other brands called Dysport and Xeomin, but Botox is mostly used (just like Hoover for a vacuum cleaner), because it was the first injectible botulinum toxin.

So yes, it is a toxin or poison, and in a large enough quantity is extremely hazardous. Some scientists have estimated that 1 gramme of trusted source of a crystalline form of the toxin could kill 1 million people and that a couple of kilogrammes could kill every human on the planet. However, when Botox is applied correctly in a therapeutic context, the dilution is so great that it is safe and has a few side effects only.

It’s interesting to observe that Botox has both cosmetic and medical uses. The cosmetic are well known and the medical applications can be to treat eye spasms or eyes that point in different directions, excessive underarm sweating, an overactive bladder and chronic migraine.

Botox is a neurotoxin so it targets the nervous system. It disrupts the signals of the nerves by inhibiting the release of a chemical messenger called acetylcholine. This chemical stimulates the muscles to contract or shorten. So Botox in effect causes temporary muscle paralysis by preventing this process of contraction. It’s these contractions that lead to wrinkles. So paralysis of the muscles in the face stop the wrinkling effect, but it can also lead to the feeling that you are not totally in control of your facial expressions. You won’t as easily be able to indicate when you’re displeased (by frowning) or when you’re surprised (by arching your eyebrows).

Some Interesting Facts About Botox

It may surprise or shock you to learn the following:

• Botox is more preventative than restorative. It’s not really the face iron that people expect. It simply freezes the muscles to prevent you from using them in a way that can cause premature ageing. This is a reason why Botox is on the uptake for a growing number of younger people, even as early as their 20s.
• Botox effects are temporary, lasting on average between 3 and 4 months with a shorter cycle for those that exercise more or tend to be expressive.
• Botox injections can be more painful than you expect and certainly more than the equivalent of a mosquito bite. You may expect to feel pain up to 30 minutes afterwards. An ice pack is likely to be applied. Be prepared for the weird sound of the contents being syringed into your face (someone likened it to boots crunching on snow or the crack of bending a glow stick).
• Botox will prevent you from doing certain activities immediately afterwards, such as exercise, lying down or taking blood thinning tablets (ibuprofen or aspirin) within the first 6 hours. All these could increase the risk of bruising to the face at the injection points. The idea is to keep your head level and not bend forward for at least 2 hours.
• Botox is affordable and not just for celebrities – it costs anywhere between £199-£399 in the UK, depending on how many areas on the face you wish to treat and where you get treated.
• About 1 in 6 people who have Botox injected into their face suffer complications such as bruising, headache, nausea and “frozen” features. A study into the anti-ageing treatment has found that of 188 Botox recipients 28% had flu-like symptoms or a chill, while 27% had a headache or migraine. Additionally, one in five reports mentioned skin reactions such as bruising, or muscle stiffness, weakness or pain, or dysesthesia, which is a tingling or burning sensation. More seriously, 1 in 8 detailed cardiovascular symptoms ranging from high blood pressure to an abnormally fast heart rate and heart attacks. Check out this Guardian newspaper article.
• A recent study by Cardiff University actually discovered that Botox could prevent women from orgasm because it stops them from being able to communicate their enjoyment of sex. This is a prediction similar to why not smiling can actually make it difficult to feel happy. According to Dr Michael Lewis, the research lead:

  ‘They [facial expressions] are an integral part of the feeling of pleasure and are important in the process of achieving orgasm. This demonstrates an important role for facial feedback within sexual intercourse and it is potentially a significant negative impact from BTX treatment.’

  Check out the surprising article here.

Whatever your view is of Botox, there’s always a bit of controversy.

As far as my opinion is concerned as a therapist, a key issue is around the inhibition of facial expression. The social impact of not being able to communicate effectively has the potential to curb our own sense of self-expression and identity as well as impair the relationships we have with others.

What is Zone Face Lift?

Zone Face Lift was created by Ziggie Bergman, a London-based reflexologist who’s treated A-list celebrities and royalty alike. I trained under her at the London School of Reflexology in 2018/2019.

Zone Face Lift is a non-invasive, truly holistic facial that incorporates the healing, rebalancing and soothing benefits of reflexology and the uplifting, revitalising movements of a stimulating facial massage. A special combination of invigorating finger/hand techniques and various tools, such as Gua Sha, dermaroller and crystals are employed to stimulate blood flow, lymph drainage and the release of elastin and collagen to restore skin elasticity and muscle tone. A special organic oil blend – Zone Face Lift Elixir – of 15 plant-based healing and conditioning essential oils combine to enhance the treatment further and provide extreme nourishment for the skin on every level. Also, the Elixir smells and feels divine.

Zone Face Lift at MindBody Oasis can be enjoyed as a one-off treatment or for best results it can be booked as a 12-week intensive course to reverse the signs of ageing, comparable to the effects of Botox, but without the associated risks or the pain/discomfort. At MindBody Oasis the 12-week course also includes the bonus of Chinese facial cupping and a free Gua Sha tool with customised demo to help you target any problem areas and continue to look after your skin’s health in between treatments and once the course is completed.

Zone Face Lift is unique because it not only works on the outside in, but also on the inside out. That’s why Ziggie nicknamed it a spirit and face lift. It produces a most calming effect on the psyche and spirit so that you leave the therapy centre more at peace with yourself and feeling more resilient and in control of your life. It is indeed a journey to access a more vibrant and authentic version of yourself (check out the Planet Mindful article).

After sinking into a blissful and drifting sense of deepest relaxation with facial reflexology, you transition to the massage and the lighter energy of feeling uplifted, recharged and revitalised, ready to take on the world with a different, life-reinforcing perspective. The combined effect is truly transformational.

If you haven’t yet tried Zone Face Lift, then why not give it a shot with our taster session? If you’re already a loyal fan, why not consider the 12-week course and give yourself not just a face lift but a spirit lift. If interested in the latter, simply drop me (Esther) an email at contact@mindbodyoasis.co.uk. Please do check out the testimonials below.

What Our Clients Say

Recently had a zone lift facial with Esther…..highly recommend treatment to lift skin and to combat ageing, it was also super relaxing. I found it so much more effective after 1 treatment than a course of CACI! 🙂

Alicia W

I recently had a zone facial with Esther which included the new ‘cupping’ technique. First of all the facial itself is so calming, I felt like I went on a lovely journey where I was able to leave all my daily worries for a while.
Then the cupping was like cushioned kisses kind of dragging across your face. I’m probably not describing it very well but it’s much better than how I’m making it sound! It’s definitely worth a try.
Overall the treatment is worth it as I felt lovely and relaxed when I left and my skin felt smooth and appeared more radiant somehow.
I’ll be back for more!

Michelle B

Relaxing and invigorating. Can see a difference immediately. Quartz stones were lovely. Thank you!

Deb A

All thoughts of Coronavirus disappeared when Esther gets to work with her magic hands. Another relaxing session.

Chris G

Such a talented therapist Esther is among the best. I’ve enjoyed her massage skills and her reflexology treatments are excellent. I’m pleased to be experiencing the recently introduced Zone Facelift and after just one treatment I can see the difference. Looking forward to completing my package and seeing the results. I can highly recommend Mindbody Oasis.

Cheranne K