This article is released to coincide with Stress Awareness Month. I have given multiple talks in workplaces and in the community to explain what stress is and how it affects our health and well-being. And more importantly, what we can do to mitigate and overcome the damaging effects of long-term or chronic stress.

A New Look at Stress

Stress is a physiological response in our body to a challenge, threat or danger. It activates the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) of the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS).

The ANS system works automatically to control 99.99% of everything going on in the body at any given moment. For example, we have 5 trillion bits of information coming to the brain every second, but we are only aware of about 10,000 bits.

There are 2 parts to the ANS: the Sympathetic Nervous System (SNS) and the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS). Both have to be in balance for the body to work efficiently and effectively. Just like the accelerator and brakes on a car: the accelerator is the SNS (revving us up to get out of a tight spot or a difficult situation) and the brakes are the PNS (slowing us down and alleviating the strain and heat from the engine, aka our body). Essentially the SNS response is supposed to save our life from a critical threat. It’s like a fire alarm system, that’s only supposed to go off in an emergency. The PNS, on the other hand, helps our cells and tissues to repair, heal and grow.

Stress is a manifestation of an imbalance in the ANS – the SNS is revved up too much relative to the PNS. And we’ll discover shortly what is actually fuelling this imbalance or stress. But first let’s discover more about what happens in the body when we’re in the fight or flight response (SNS) and how it impacts our physical health and well-being.

Whilst in the SNS response, the blood flow changes and no longer moves to the stomach to support digestion, it no longer goes to the frontal lobes of the brain to stimulate creative thought and it no longer goes to the liver to clear toxins or to the kidneys to balance electrolytes. PNS activity is curtailed. Most of the blood gets diverted to the muscles of your limbs to allow you to escape danger or contend with threats. It also narrows your focus (you get tunnel vision, i.e. you lose peripheral vision and only see what’s directly in front of you).

The other very important impact of stress is that the immune system is put on hold whilst we’re in fight or flight (SNS mode). That’s fine if our immune system doesn’t have to fight bacteria or fungi for 5 minutes, but the issue today is that we’re either in prolonged phases or in continuous states of fight or flight.

Stress is an energy problem – we deplete the battery of our cells – the mitochondria. Where there is an energy shortage in the cells, there will be cellular damage and eventually disease. That’s why we so often hear that stress is the biggest killer. It can lead to greater toxicity and inflammation in the body and it compromises our body’s ability to fight off viruses and harmful bacteria. And the tricky thing is that stress is not always easy to recognise – it shows up in many guises – nor is it simple to “turn off” in our modern times.

Guises of Stress

Stress or energy depletion in the body can occur when…

1. We over-medicate

Antibiotics will frequently kill mitochondria along with bacteria. Too often we use antibiotics for respiratory tract infections, which are viral. But we know that antibiotics have no effect on viruses, yet they are frequently prescribed. And a study was published that show women who received eight or more doses of antibiotics before their 18th birthday had a dramatic increase in breast cancer.

So it’s important to refuse antibiotics for the common cold and ear infections or when we know it’s not going to have any major effect. And what’s important to note is that all medication or pharmaceutical drugs only really treat the symptoms and not really address the cause of illness (an imbalance in our nervous system and the breakdown of our endocrine and immune system).

2. We are over-active

We subject ourselves to physical or mental over-activity. We’re often rushing around, trying to be all things to everybody as well as over-exert the body. Plus we’re mentally overstimulated by electronic gadgets (TVs, cell phones, computers) or with content overload, setting tasks or goals. The problem arises from “DOING” – which is an SNS function. We’ve forgotten about the “BEING” element of “human being” and the vital role of PNS, which is a BEING function.

3. We submit to a broken program of limitation & not enough

We are part of a societal or cultural program and conditioning that creates fear of insufficiency and inadequacy (aka limiting beliefs): we’re not good enough unless we achieve certain goals or certificates and then we set ourselves new goals and standards to chase. We think we’re not happy enough unless we have material riches. We’re not valued enough unless we’re recognised and validated by others. We’re always on a quest for “more”: to do more and have more. All this momentum and fear of “not enough” creates an energy drain and puts huge stress on the body.

4. We focus on the negative

We are mostly focused on the negative: it’s a tendency of the mind to ruminate on the past (be angry, sorrowful, regretful) or be anxious about tomorrow (FEAR – false evidence appearing real). What we now understand is that thoughts and feelings are creative energy. When we focus on negative thoughts and feelings, we have a negative or low vibration in the body. This is a contracting or depletion energy, which obviously has a direct impact on our mitachondria. And in the quantum field like energy attracts like energy. We get more negativity happening to us when we’re in this low vibration state.

When it comes to health conditions, overly focusing on symptoms, creates more fear, more tension and stress in the body and therefore generates more symptoms to be worried about. Google can therefore be your worst enemy if you feel that something is wrong with you. Information can be helpful to expand the mind and knowledge, but if we’re using it to contract the mind into fear paralysis or psychosis, then we are helping to create more damage in our mind and body.

5. We store trauma in our cells

We now have a better understanding of epigenetics (the energy environment of our cells) and quantum physics (look up Dr Bruce Lipton – The Biology of Belief and Alexander Loyd/Ben Johnson – The Healing Code). These authors articulate very clearly that all cells have a cellular memory (captured as images) and this applies to past trauma. Moreover, trauma experienced by our ancestors can also be passed on energetically in the cells. Dr Lipton even goes as far as saying that all congenital diseases originate from stress further down the ancestral line. What this tells us is that trauma and the energy drain or stress it creates can be insidious and difficult to detect. Just like some of the limiting programs we’re not always conscious of.

5 Effective Ways to Reduce Stress

So what are we to do about stress? Well we know now that anything that activates the PNS (Parasympathetic Nervous System) is good to re-balance the Autonomic Nervous System and take us into the healing and growth cycle. It will also boost the immune system and make us less prone to infection or illness.

And we also know that anything that helps to release emotional trauma and energetic resistance generated by limiting beliefs in our cellular memory will help raise the energy in our cells. We will find that our energetic frequency changes and moves from a low vibration to higher vibration: which underpins manifestation and the Law of Attraction.

So the following are my top 5 recommendations for combating stress:

1. Activating the Vagus Nerve through Vagus Nerve breathing.

The Vagus Nerve (10th cranial nerve) is a key component of the Parasympathetic Nervous System. It helps to transmit signals from the brain to the body and from the body to the brain. When we undertake Vagus Nerve breathing we help the Vagus Nerve send signals to the brain that indicate that we are calm and relaxed. We do this by breathing in through the nose for a count of 4, holding in for a count of 7 and breathing out through the mouth for a count of 8. And as you breathe out make a shhh sound (like that of the ocean waves). It’s a white noise that induces calm and relaxation. You repeat the breathing sequence at least 6 times.

2. Self-love and self-empowerment mirror affirmations

Put the following affirmations on a sticky note and apply it to your preferred mirror (bathroom/bedroom). Stand in front of this mirror, look deeply into your own eyes and read and repeat out loud (try and memorise in time so you don’t have to read it from the post-it note):

“I am an amazing human being, I am truly blessed, I am God’s living enterprise and God cannot fail [you can switch out God for Spirit, Source or Universe]. I love myself just as I am. I am good enough and capable enough. I am right where I need to be right now. I am powerful beyond measure if I simply let be and allow the Universe/God to guide me in every moment of every day.”

This affirmation is meant to be said regularly, preferably 2-3 times a day. The words may feel awkward and alien at first, but in time your subconscious mind will adjust to them as will your conscious mind. This affirmation will help combat many self-sabotage and self-limiting belief patterns. It will help create a sense of ease, and invite a powerful surrender to flow energy (which is creative or source energy). What’s important is that you feel the energy and power of the words and let them become your mantra, your “go-to”, whenever you’re feeling less than worthy, disappointed, upset or frazzled.

3. Mindfulness in Nature

Sit in your garden or go for a gentle walk in a park, along a country lane or in a woodland, and begin to notice small details. This is when you activate all your senses. So start by listening to whatever sounds are out there: birds calling or tweeting, a stream or water running, the rustling of leaves by the breeze, the sound of the wind, the pitter-patter sound of raindrops, the call or movement of an animal, the drone of a bee. Then notice what smells you can pick up: pungent earth, newly cut grass, salty tang of the sea, far-off smells of cooking perhaps. Then activate the sense of sight: notice the different hues of green on different types of grass, see how many shades of colour you can see in a flower, dragonfly or butterfly, see the different tones and textures of the tree trunks and branches, notice the colour and texture of the sky and the clouds. Then move to the sense of touch: thread some grass through your fingers, pick up and scrunch some leaves, touch the bark of a tree or even pick up some earth or a stone and roll it between your fingers. Then finally move on to taste. This is a more difficult one, but perhaps find a herb or grass that has a pleasant taste and suck on it.

When we activate the senses in this way and begin to notice our environment (nature provides a calming, soothing environment), we become more present in the moment. We being to release the thoughts of yesterday and tomorrow and anchor ourselves to the present moment (breathing facilitates this too). In the present moment, there is no stress, there is no fear, there is no “not good enough”. Deep diaphragmatic breathing and a gratitude practice in nature amplifies mindfulness and peace. All this helps move you into PNS (anti-stress response).

4. Gratitude Practice

Gratitude as a practice is so often underestimated in its efficacy to reduce stress. That’s because we don’t always understand that stress has different origins, including the origin of fear of insufficiency and limitation.

Gratitude is about becoming aware and expressing thanks for what we have, no matter how minor. We can start to notice that we have access to running water in our homes, we can be grateful for our pet or our child, we can be grateful for the clothes on our body and so on. We can be grateful for the many people that make up the food chain: putting food in our supermarkets and offering us so much choice. Even if our health is not 100%, we can always be grateful for something in our bodies. We are breathing, we are able to read, we are able to listen to music and so forth. Start a gratitude journal or start a mental and emotional gratitude practice in nature (nature is a great reminder of abundance from the plethora of flora and fauna).

Gratitude creates an instant shift in consciousness and in emotional frequency. We move from a lack consciousness to an abundance consciousness. And we move from a low vibration frequency of feeling inadequate, feeling poor, deprived and anxious to a high vibration of having and being enough right in this very moment. Gratitude showers us with many blessings. We attract more things to be grateful for. Being grateful is a great antidote to low mood, stress and anxiety.

5. Energy Healing

There are many forms of energy healing to deal with stress and trauma. In my capacity as therapist and energy coach, I offer 2 main services:

Reflexology

I believe reflexology (foot or facial) to be the most efficacious touch therapy to reduce stress in the body. It instantly activates the PNS and allows the body to enter a deeply relaxed and meditative state. This creates the optimal environment for the body and mind to rest, heal and regenerate. All my clients, without exception, feel lighter after a treatment (their energy vibration has been raised) and they feel more rested and at ease. Better quality sleep also ensues, which is another sure way to raise energy levels. The Federation of Holistic Therapists undertook a survey of its members and their clients to determine the most effective therapy to reduce doctor visits. It turns out that reflexology topped the bill and was also the most efficacious in dealing with stress and anxiety. Check out the following blog post: Reduced Doctor Visits After Complementary Therapy.

Energy Alignment Method & Healing Code Therapy

The Energy Alignment Method (EAM) is a form of energy kinesiology – using the body sway to tap into and diagnose energy blocks in the body (whether limiting beliefs, heavy emotions or trauma). I help my clients to uncover what is creating resistance in their energy (conscious or unconscious), release it and align to higher vibration / emotional energy.

Then to cement the effect further I apply the Healing Code created by Alexander Loyd & Ben Johnson. It’s a 6-minute practice that releases all stress from the body on a conscious and unconscious level. I help you to apply this practice, but in a way that is uniquely mine. I call it the joy activation method of the Healing Code (where I use joyful music to enhance the effect of healing the heart of any stress issues).

Conclusion

If you are interested in having a reflexology treatment, you can book here or save on a package – check this out on the Packages-Offers page.

And if you are intrigued or interested in energy healing using EAM/The Healing Code, please book a taster session at a special price of just £65.

This article is released to coincide with Stress Awareness Month. I was invited to talk about how to cope with stress at home and at the office by a group of professional women employed by a leading bank in London. This post is a more detailed account of my understanding of stress and some of my own strategies for handling stress applicable to both the work and home environment.

What is Stress?

Stress, according to an online dictionary, is defined as a state of mental or emotional strain or tension resulting from adverse or demanding circumstances.

Stress is our body’s natural response to danger, threat or uncertainty. It causes the body to flood with hormones, specifically cortisol, epinephrine (adrenaline) and norepinephrine (noradrenaline). These hormones form part of the sympathetic nervous system and are called in to prepare the body to evade or confront danger or challenges. It’s a survival instinct. It’s commonly known as the fight, flight or freeze response mechanism.

The physical impact of stress is that it:

• increases our heart rate and blood pressure
• accelerates our breathing
• activates the sweat glands so that you sweat more
• tenses our muscles (ready for action)
• increases alertness (therefore counters drowsiness and sleep)
• inhibits the rest and digest mechanism (the parasympathetic nervous system).

Types of Stress

There are 2 forms of stress.

Acute stress is short-term stress connected to an isolated incident or event, such as a one-off argument with a colleague or spouse, moving house, changing jobs or even meeting an important deadline.

Chronic stress is more prolonged and serious in nature. Sources of chronic stress can be around lack of time or money, losing a job, persistent family problems, an unhappy marriage or a strained business alliance, divorce, bereavement or some other traumatic experience, such as abortion or pregnancy loss.

Long-term Effects of Chronic Stress

Chronic stress can have devastating effects on our health and well-being.

The physical effects can cause:

• unexpected weight gain or loss
• tension headaches and migraines
• muscular tension, cramps, pins and needles
• tightness in the chest and constricted breathing
• excessive sweating and body odour
• nervous spasms or twitching
• disturbed sleep or insomnia
• tummy upsets, constipation, diarrhoea

And over a sustained period of time, chronic stress can:

• compromise the immune system and make us susceptible to autoimmune diseases and infection
• make us more prone to heart disease and heart attacks
• make us more susceptible to strokes
• increase the risk of diabetes
• cause stomach ulcers, IBS and other digestive tract issues
• lead to adrenal fatigue, which has implications for women going through the menopause (possibly exacerbating symptoms of peri-menopause – check out this earlier blog post).

The mental and emotional fallout of stress include:

• long-term anxiety
• depression
• other mental health disorders, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
• lack of focus and mental perspicuity
• poor recall and memory
• lack of motivation
• lack of self-esteem.

Stress on the Rise

Stress is on the increase due to changes in culture and global events.

Women and men are now in interchangeable roles switching between breadwinner and care-giver. Whilst we have more technology at our fingertips to reduce the burden of mundane, repetitive tasks both at work and in the home, we also have the distraction of IT and growing consumerism that puts pressure on us to “have” more, rather than “be” more.

Terrorist attacks (Lockerbie, 9/11, London 7/7, Manchester Arena), Covid-19, the environmental degradation of our planet and even more recently the Ukrainian War are all examples of large-scale stressor events which have affected the global psyche and global stress levels.

Stress, especially for working parents, often arises from:

• multi-tasking in the office/work environment and at home
• conflicting priorities
• feelings of guilt
• overwhelm
• burnout
• perfectionism
• pressure to have and do more
• tight or unrealistic deadlines.

The 4A Strategy to Cope with and Manage Stress

1. Aware

• Be aware of your emotions. How are you expressing yourself? Do you feel angry, impatient, worried, overwhelmed? These are all low vibration energy emotions. Start a journal to determine how you are feeling morning, noon and night.
• Be aware of your body’s response to stress: tightness in the upper back or chest cavity, clenching of the stomach or gut area, constriction in the throat or nasal passages, fogginess in the head or tiredness around and dryness in the eyes.
• Be aware of your focus – what is your self-talk? Is it negative? Are you judging yourself and others? Are you focusing on what you haven’t achieved rather than what you have? Are you focusing on lack of time and money, rather than being grateful for what you already have?
• Be aware of how you’re spending your time: are you getting easily distracted by family or colleagues gossiping, are you succumbing to social media pressure and over-exposure. Is being sucked into social media a form of procrastination or self-sabotage? Acknowledge and be truthful with yourself. No judgement, just curiosity and awareness.

2. Avoid & Adapt

Avoid the following and adapt your perspective and approach accordingly.

• Multi-tasking – do one thing at a time and give it your fullest attention before moving on to the next. Setting clearly defined, manageable goals for the day and week ahead.
• Information and assignment overload – we can get easily overwhelmed and stressed by expecting too much of ourselves and setting ridiculous targets. Be realistic. Take a step back and assign importance and urgency ratings to each task you plan to do each day. Start the task with the highest score and work your way down. This can apply to work-related tasks or jobs at home.

• Compromising your energy by not communicating your wants and needs – this is your need for balance, creativity and self-expression. Communication and leadership when interacting with others are key components to self-regulation.
• Long periods of physical inactivity – leads to lymph stagnation and restricted blood flow (causing all sorts of physical ailments, such as swelling of joints, high blood pressure, headaches). Try switching your mode of transport to involve more walking. Take a lunchtime break that involves walking. Take the stairs, not the lift. Get your 10,000 steps in or go to a workout/fitness class. Dog walk or offer to dog walk. Walk to the shops. Start swimming before work or after work (great to de-stress).
• Insufficient water intake – as with lack of physical activity, this will cause more physical (and therefore more mental and emotional) stress. Our body is mainly made up of water and water is vital for the efficient flow of blood, transport of nutrients to our cells and lymph flow (a vital part of our detoxification and immune system). Have a thermos flask on your desk with some herbal/fruit tea or with some (lemon) water or low calorie squash.
• Poor eating habits – avoid sugary or fatty foods (junk food is often the first port of call when stressed). Processed foods and our guilt around eating less nutritious foods add to the stress spiral. Instead eat complex carbohydrates, lean proteins, fatty acids found in fish, meat, eggs and nuts and more fruit.
• Over-exertion and lack of rest – know your physical, mental and emotional limitations and boundaries. Take regular 10-15 minute breaks throughout your day (2-3 x am and 2-3 x pm), You will benefit in terms of greater productivity when you do come back to your tasks.
• Toxic environments, people and media – move away from negative talk (yourself and other’s dialogues), reduce consumption of sensational media (tabloids, social media and TV in particular). Listen to news in a short, succinct format (radio). Listen to inspirational podcasts or books on audible. Some great podcasts include: Dare to Lead by Brene Brown, Oprah’s Super Soul, Say Yes with Carla Hall, The Marie Forleo Podcast.

3. Accept

• We are not victims, we are creators of our reality, so be “response-able” (read Viktor Frankl’s “Man’s Search for Meaning”). If there is a situation that we don’t like and it’s causing us stress, look within to see what’s activating this. The Law of Cause & Effect works to create an external reality that is a reflection of our internal state. If we’re ill at ease, feeling constrained, lacking, stressed and worried, then you will create or rather manifest more of the same on the outside. Also read “As a Man Thinketh” by James Allen.
• We are all human and deserve forgiveness, compassion, kindness and validation. We all can deviate and follow the wrong track in life when misguided by ego self or others’ demands and expectations. Offer support, encouragement and give compliments regularly. Not only the person receiving this will benefit, you too will raise your energy vibration in doing this.
• Negative thinking gets you nowhere: it’s a fixed mindset. Embrace positivity and a solutions-focused, not a problem-focused mentality – a growth mindset.
  As an example in relation to money. Instead of thinking, “I am terrible with money, and I will never be able to control my finances or get out of debt,” try this new thought and manifestation mantra:
  “I’ve not made very wise choices in the past with my money, but I’m resilient and I learn fast. I am willing and able to adopt a more healthy mindset around money. Money is a beautiful expression of energy and worth. It flows to me effortlessly when I think grateful, appreciative thoughts about myself and others in my life. Do read The Having: The Secret Art of Feeling and Growing Rich by Suh Yun Lee and Jooyun Hong.
• Your body needs to rest and recover sufficiently to be able to function optimally (mental and physical rest are intertwined). Find yourself a calm setting to just be on your own for a bit during the day. Sit out in the garden if working from home and the weather is clement, or sit on a park bench, or go out to a café in a garden centre or a pub with a beer garden or conservatory. Just absorb the environment, look at and listen to the birds, observe the flora and fauna. Don’t feel the need to do anything. Book yourself in for regular reflexology treatments (foot or face). Reflexology is an incredible, yet extremely underrated, way to de-stress and re-energise.
• You only have 24 hours in a day and a third of that should be allocated to sleep or some form of rest. Being all things to everyone serves neither yourself nor any member of your family or work community.

4. Amplify

• Your well-being and self-care by doing a yoga and/or breathing practice, booking in a complementary therapy (massage/reflexology). Why not indulge in a scented bath or listen to calming music in a room by yourself. Fragrance the room with a diffuser incorporating essential oils: lavender, geranium and bergamot are great to calm and restore mood.
• Your joy by doing creative things. If your job does not provide a creative outlet and is fairly mundane, adopt a sideline interest or a hobby that draws on and satisfies your creative spirit (we all have this urge to create within us and this is expressed in different ways depending on our talents, abilities, knowledge, insight).
• Your contribution – helping others helps you. We are wired to feel good when we help others. Offer to mentor, to be an accountability partner or just be a considerate, attentive listener to someone else. Alternatively, do volunteer or charity work.
• Community spirit – build or join a community of positive-thinkers and share your experiences and expertise. Look for or create a networking group that supports working women’s self-development and fosters work-life balance.
• Your capacity to self-regulate – start a meditation practice (in particular a body scan meditation which involves progressive muscle relaxation), try out journalling and deep heart-centred breathing.
• Your self-love, by treating yourself to verbal/written compliments (write a self-love and self-appreciation journal daily or several times a week) and give yourself little gifts/rewards for achieving both minor and significant milestones. Listen to this self-love meditation I created.
• Your self-belief by saying positive, self-affirming affirmations: I am capable, I am strong and resilient, I appreciate myself, I am good with money, I manage my time effectively, I look after my health and know it to be an expression of self-love and self-worth. What I focus on, I grow.
• Your ability to manifest positive things in your life – start visualising morning, noon and night (best time is just before sleep or immediately after waking, when your subconscious mind is most receptive to positive manipulation from the conscious mind). But instead of thinking of your ideal life, think from your ideal life. Embody being the person who is in your ideal life scene: feel their feelings, their higher vibration energy of having everything they desire accomplished. Look at the big movie screen and also components of it (enact in your mind individual scenes or scenarios, injecting positive emotion into these). Einstein said imagination is more powerful than knowledge and is the “preview of life’s coming attractions”. I recommend you read Neville Goddard’s Awakened Imagination.

If you need more help or support in tackling a stressful situation or environment, do not hesitate to reach out and connect with me one on one. I do not have a medical or psychology degree or a counselling background, but I am trained in holistic therapies and as an Energy Alignment Method mentor (someone who specialises in releasing resistant energy from the head, heart and body and guides you to embrace a more positive, higher vibrational state).

We so often consider massage as a self-indulgent luxury and pampering exercise, that we spend money on now and again. Usually more infrequently, than frequently.

But massage is really short for massage therapy and is in fact more a therapy than a relaxation technique.

Believe it or not, there are around 80 distinct types or styles of massage, each one with its own specific set of benefits. For example, sports massage is aimed specifically at aiding recovery from a sports injury or reducing soreness in muscles after an exercise workout. In contrast, a prenatal massage will be designed to ease pelvic tension and backache in pregnant women.

Massage therapy of the types or ranges that MindBody Oasis offers can be very beneficial on many levels.

1. Massage Can Reduce Stress

Massage has been known to decrease the stress hormone named cortisol in the body and to activate the parasympathetic nervous system. This allows the body to move out of the freeze, fight and flight response into “rest and digest” response.

The reduction of cortisol is supported by the physical release of tension through the hands-on manipulation of fascia and muscle tissue.

2. Massage Can Improve Metabolism & Weight Loss

Studies have shown that massage can improve metabolism and help break up fat deposits in the body. Massage improves the circulation of blood flow and lymph, and therefore it can aid detoxification and weight loss.

Additionally as stated under 1. above, the parasympathetic nervous system activated by massage allows you to digest food. When you’re too much in stress mode, you’re more likely to put on weight as the energy is diverted away from digestion and into a heightened and sustained state of alertness (causing muscle tightness and spasms).

When combined with a good exercise regimen and a natural whole foods diet, massage can help reduce excess fat and weight in your body. It can therefore ultimately help improve  body image, awareness and general self-esteem.

3. Massage Improves Circulation, Muscle and Skin Health

The friction and rubbing movements in massage help to warm up your tissues and increase blood flow.

As blood is a key carrier of oxygen and nutrients to all cells, improving blood flow and circulation enhances the delivery of nourishing compounds to muscles, connective tissues, and the skin.

You can experience enhanced physical performance (muscle suppleness and tone and limb mobility) as well as a speedier recovery of muscle/tissue tension, strain or damage if you opt for regular massage.

Massage also helps rejuvenate the skin through improved blood flow and desquamation (shedding of dead skin cells to aid skin renewal). Detoxification and draining of stagnant lymph, which can cause puffiness in the skin, are also benefits of regular massage.

4. Massage Can Improve Sleep

So many are afflicted these days with restless or poor sleep. This can be down to:

• anxiety caused by Covid-19
• lack of job or financial insecurity
• tensions in relationships
• chronic pain or other health issues
• overwhelming stress
• irregular work shifts
• certain medications
• sleep apnea or some other form of sleep disorder.

In fact, there are many causes of sleep disruption. And not getting enough sleep affects not just our physical health, but our emotional and mental well-being too. We become fractious, irritable, and are less able to cope,  concentrate and focus.

Tossing and turning in your sleep can also create sore muscles, knots and tension.

Massage can really go a long way to calm your nerves, soothe your mind as well as placate your feelings. It can also reduce the stiffness and discomfort of tense, aching muscles from restless tossing and turning.

Overall, massage will help improve the quantity and quality of your sleep.

5. Massage Can Reduce Pain & Injury

Massage can physically loosen tight muscles, release muscle adhesions (scar tissue) from past injuries, ease out knots and increase the range of motion around a joint, all of which can mitigate pain and stiffness.

Additionally, massage releases endorphins. These are feel-good hormones that help to block or override pain receptors (nociceptors) and thus minimise the perception of pain. If further interested in this idea, do check out an earlier newsletter post on Reflexology and Pain Gate Theory.

With regard to injuries, massage through improved blood flow helps provide the injured site the vital nutrients it needs to rebuild and repair. It also helps remove waste products, dead cells, and inflammatory compounds surrounding the injured tissue.

In cases where an injury leads to an enforced state of inactivity, massage can provide the necessary stimulation to the inactive tissues to keep them nourished and supple.

6. Massage Relieves Anxiety and Can Stimulate Emotional Healing

As mentioned already, massage triggers a shift to the parasympathetic nervous system. This calms your body and mind and can ease away anxiety and overwhelm.

Massage can support emotional release and healing as my example below will elaborate.

Recently, I had a client come to me for a back massage. It was her first time. At the end of the massage, she experienced a massive emotional release (she began to cry almost spontaneously and uncontrollably). She admitted that not long before Covid, her husband had passed away, but for some reason, she wasn’t able to accept or come to terms with it at the time. After her outpouring of grief she felt so much better and more able to cope with her loss.

It is important to know that past experiences and traumas are stored not only in our mind and memories, but in our bodies too. Massage can help release not only physical pain, but emotional pain too. You do not need to worry about feeling over-exposed or out of place if and when this happens. As a massage therapist we are trained to maintain a safe and confidential space for clients to release and heal.

7. Massage Can Improve Focus and Mental Acuity

Massage can improve focus and mental clarity by balancing your nervous system, connecting your mind and body, decreasing cortisol levels, and encouraging alertness and mindfulness.

While many people associate massage with relaxation, massage can also have an invigorating and energising effect since it can increase energy levels by letting go of pain, tension and strain in the body (which have the effect of sapping energy from the body).

9. Massage Can Boost Your Immune System

Massage promotes the flow of lymph, a fluid that carries immune cells throughout the body and helps fight infection and inflammation.

Massage has an anti-inflammatory effect by lowering levels of cortisol and cytokines (small proteins that control the growth and activity of immune cells).

Massage leads to greater balance of the immune system and helps it reach an ideal anti-inflammatory state.

There is also some evidence demonstrating the ability of regular massage to reduce symptoms and disease severity in those with autoimmune diseases.

Massage therapists recommend drinking a lot of water and taking immune-supportive supplements like vitamin C and zinc to augment the immune benefits of a massage.

10. Massage Can Boost Your Mood and Lower Depression

Massage stimulates the production of feel-good endorphins and oxytocin. Both compounds elevate your mood and help you feel happier, more optimistic, and energised.

Conclusion

Perhaps it may be time to consider massage as less of a luxury and as more of an essential healing and well-being therapy that your body, mind and soul will thank you for now and in the future.

That’s why at MindBody Oasis we have developed 2 new payment plans to make it affordable to have monthly treatments.

For the optimum therapy frequency we have the Winter Boost Package which only costs £70/month for 2 treatments a month.

Alternatively, you can purchase the 5-month payment plan, providing you a massage or any other treatment of choice within the plan for just £39 / month. This is called the Power of 5 Wellness Package.

To go direct to our booking site for these payment plans visit the Fresha Booking App today.

What Our Clients Say

We have several testimonials published on our Testimonials page, but additionally here are more recent quotes from clients:

The best massage I’ve ever had. Didn’t hurt at all, just perfect. I feel so relaxed tonight. I will definitely be back 😊 thank you so much. What a lovely lady. – Fiona T

Lovely relaxing massage, by Esther. I felt safe too. – Dawn E

Heavenly experience! Esther was amazing 🤩. I will definitely recommend this to everyone. – Chidubem A-N.

Wonderful added bonus for the hotel. Fantastic, relaxing massage. – David D

Great massage and wonderful to experience. – Stuart E.

Another lovely treatment – completely relaxed me and didn’t want it to end – thank you. – Sadie H.

Absolutely amazing, perfect relaxation. Wonderful! Will be back. = Jenni J.

Sensational. Best massage I’ve ever had. – Huw J.

First class. 10/10 = Justine M.

Absoluately amazing! – Laura R.

Massage is the manipulation of soft tissues of the body using manual or mechanical methods. It can be used for relaxation, stimulation or rehabilitation of the whole body or part of it. It encourages suppleness of the muscles, improves circulation, drainage of lymph / toxins from the body and reduces stress.

The word “Massage” originates from many different languages. In Latin “massa” means “that which forms a lump”, with massage seen as a technique for removing “lumpiness” of the body and making it smoother. In Greek, massein means “to knead” and kneading is one of the key movements in massage therapy. In French “masser” means “to rub” and the fundamentals of all massage is rubbing the skin and tissues. In Arabic, “mass” means “to touch or feel” – again fundamental elements of massage.

In many parts of the world massage therapy is highly respected as an holistic healing method. However, in the UK the benefits are still under-stated and many people do not consider it an important part of self-care nor do they fully recognise its key function in the prevention of illness and disease.

Massage has huge short-term and long-term physiological and psychological benefits.

In the short-term massage will:

• improve skin tone and colour by removing dead cells and increasing blood supply to the skin;
• improve circulation therefore ensuring more efficient delivery of nutrients and oxygen to the cells;
• drain lymph and accelerate waste / toxin removal;
• speed up digestion;
• promote general relaxation and well-being;
• encourage deeper, more efficient and relaxed breathing and sleep;
• reduce stress, anxiety and depression;
• relieve muscle fatigue, soreness and stiffness (especially tired limbs and stiff joints);
• energise by invigorating all body systems;
• reduce fatigue and trigger a more positive mood.

In the long-term massage will:

• improve skin elasticity and slow down skin ageing;
• improve circulation and help regulate blood pressure (treat high and low blood pressure conditions);
• boost immunity against illness and disease;
• improve muscle suppleness and tone;
• improve neural communication and relax the nervous system (preventing muscle spasms caused by anxiety);
• enable deeper, more effective respiration;
• enable sustained relaxation of body and mind;
• relieve insomnia;
• balance the digestive system / help treat IBS;
• improve body image, awareness and general self-esteem;
• increase energy levels (with less energy expended on holding the body in a state of tension and strain).

Book your next massage here.

A ruffled mind makes a restless pillow” – Charlotte Brontë

The World Health Organisation (WHO) and the National Sleep Foundation stipulate that as adults we should sleep an average of 8 hours of sleep per night. But staggeringly two thirds of the adult population in the developed nations (and three quarters within the UK according to Medical Technology) fail to achieve the recommended sleep quota. This may not be a surprising fact to most of us, but what may be surprising are the consequences of inadequate sleep.

Routinely sleeping less than 6 or 7 hours of sleep a night (according to WHO) causes our immune system to break down and more than doubles our risk of cancer. Insufficient sleep is also a lifestyle factor in determining whether or not we will develop Alzheimer’s disease. Even moderate reductions of sleep over a week can disrupt blood sugar levels and can be the precursor to diabetes and serious weight gain. It is important to note that dieting on insufficient sleep will be of no avail as you will lose lean body mass rather than fat. Our metabolism is compromised. Sleep deprivation can also cause the coronary arteries to become blocked and brittle, increasing the risk of cardiovascular disease, stroke and congestive heart failure.

The WHO has recently signalled a sleep loss epidemic across industrialised nations (including US, UK, Japan and South Korea). Our inexorable lifestyle of working long hours against demanding deadlines, multi-tasking and our increasing exposure to electronic devices (smartphones, laptops, tablets, monitors, TV screens) and energy-efficient technology (fluorescent light bulbs and LED lights), etc are taking their toll. The fact that we do less outdoor physical work compared to generations past is also a contributor to our growing sleep problems.

Of particular significance is the increased exposure to blue light particularly in the evenings as we browse our social media channels on our laptops, tablets and phones or as we watch long hours of TV. This disrupts our circadian rhythm, suppressing the release of melatonin from the pineal gland (a small pine cone shaped gland deep in the back of the brain), which is our body’s trigger for sleep. Released during the day on the other hand, blue light from the sun is actually beneficial to our mood and alertness.

Sleep loss also contributes to psychiatric conditions, such as depression and suicidal tendencies. It can negatively impact our ability to concentrate and adjust to challenges.

So turning this on its head, what are the key benefits of having adequate sleep?

SLEEP…

• can improve our memory and ability to learn – during sleep our brain consolidates our learning.
• extends our life expectancy.
• helps us to keep our weight under control through improved metabolism and by triggering a hormone that signals food satisfaction. Researchers at the University of Chicago found that dieters who were well rested lost more fat than those who were sleep deprived, who instead lost muscle mass. It is also no coincidence that we want to eat more, even though we are satiated, the longer we are awake (midnight snacks come to mind here).
• curbs the inflammation linked to heart disease, stroke, diabetes, arthritis and premature ageing.
• regulates our blood pressure and keeps stress levels down.
• can regulate cholesterol levels in our blood and reduce our proneness to heart disease.
• reduces the incidence of auto-immune diseases through the strengthening of our immune system.
• stimulates creativity – during sleep our brain not only consolidates, but organises and restructures our memories.
• improves our stamina and physical performance (a Stanford university study found that college football players who attempted to sleep at least 10 hours of sleep a night over a 7 to 8 week period actually improved their average sprint time and had more daytime stamina).
• boosts our positivity and mental state, staving off dark moods and depression.
• makes us look younger, by reducing dark under eye circles, improving our skin tone and elasticity (in conjunction with sufficient water intake and adopting a healthy balanced diet).

The Power of Reflexology in Aiding Sleep

If you have an overactive mind or if you find it very difficult to fall or stay asleep, there are lots of suggestions you can follow:

• Go for a long walk in the evening, preferably out in nature.
• Remove all electronic devices, including TVs from your bedroom and do not use these up to 2 hours before sleep – read a traditional book instead.
• Avoid consumption of caffeine for up to 6 hours before sleep (that’s how long the effects of caffeine take to dissipate in our body). Even decaffeinated drinks are not non-caffeine drinks (they contain a small dose of the stuff).
• Keep the bedroom cool keep a window open at night) – the ideal room temperature is between 18 and 22 degrees Celsius.
• Drink camomile tea or take a dose of plant-based valerian if you have real difficulties in nodding off.
• Keep to a regular sleep schedule.
• Ensure your mattress is not too firm or not too soft and offers the right support for your body’s weight and movement.
• Remove pets from the bedroom who can disturb you.
• Do not eat heavy meals late in the evening.
• Avoid consumption of alcohol (a stimulant).
• Avoid smoking – nicotine is also a stimulant.
• Write down all the whirling thoughts and “to-do” lists that are keeping your brain over-active at night. Transmitting them to paper helps vacate them from the brain.
• Listen to some very soothing music or a special sleep meditation.
• But the best by far (WARNING: I am biased as a therapist) is to have a course of reflexology treatments – either foot or facial reflexology (or combination thereof).
• Reflexology – through the activation of the pineal gland and its hormones – balances our circadian rhythm. It helps us to be more alert during the day and promotes sleep at night. All our clients without exception have expressed a feeling of wellbeing, a deep state of calm and the ability to sleep more soundly after a reflexology treatment.

Special Offer

To celebrate World Reflexology Week (23rd-29th September 2019) we have a special offer running throughout this month of £10 off any reflexology treatment – £35 instead of £45 for a 45 minute treatment. Please use the coupon code Reflex19 when booking – Book here.

Sources: Matthew Walker’s “Why We Sleep“, World Health Organisation, NHS, Best Health Magazine, health.com, NRI digital’s Medical Technology, September 2019 issue.