Manifest Goals 2023

Goals with Soul

Do you feel the pressure of the new year to create goals and achieve lots? Are you already being a bit hard on yourself? I share how to make goals with soul, that you can embody and manifest in a more real way. The goal/manifesting can be in relation to your work, finances, well-being, future partner, hobbies, time management, or whatever is right for you.

A new year or new intention is a chance for us to almost begin again and to be given another opportunity to upgrade, perhaps from things that didn’t go so well in the past. Some people fail to achieve goals, which in itself, is also fine, as it is often the path of learning the goal that something occurs, for example perhaps it isn’t what you actually want, or you see a different path. It may also be that the goal is not actually aligned with what you truly want. When I mean align, I’m talking in alignment with the next-level version of you and stepping into your power of taking responsibility for making something happen.

1. Write down 3 columns Predictable, Possible and Potential 

Give yourself some space to feel relaxed, have a hot bath, a walk, listen to some relaxing music and when the time feels right begin to write down some things you would like to achieve. If it helps you can break these down into 3 columns, predictable, possible and potential.

Predictable is what it says on the tin, the things you know will happen. Possible is what we get excited about, or what we want to create, but we haven’t achieved it yet, but we desire it as it feels good to us. This could be in the next days, or up to 12 months. Potential is the bigger pull, the 1 day, bigger dream, that still feels a long way away, perhaps in the next 3+ years.

2. Visualise achieving the goals

Manifest goals by imagining them as done

Once you have become clear in what goals you really want to bring about and feel good right now for you, imagine yourself having achieved it. Visualise it as best you can in your mind’s eye and bring that vision into your heart, how does it feel? What is different between the new you and how you are, or who you are today?

3. Alignment check-in

Are there any reasons why you wouldn’t want to achieve this goal? Are there any hidden doubts that could stop you from achieving this, are there any worries linked to achieving this goal? Allow yourself space to explore before investing in bringing about a goal.

4. What tools or support do I need to help bring this about?

Allow yourself permission to take all the practical and personal support that you need. This can look like learning, practical tools, emotional support, and time re arranging.

5. Map out the timings and stepping stones of the journey

Break down goals into steps

Start with where you are now, the mini figure above and in the opposite side of the page the future goal achieved, break down all the stepping stones along the way that you see you might need to put in place to achieve the goal. Do not worry if it isn’t clear right away, start with what you see the first step might be. The goal is there to inspire you, the steps are there to be practical and to make it happen.

Extra support – saying out loud, or writing down what you as an individual can do to take responsibility for achieving your goal and what the universe can do to support you. I give an example below of how this can be read. For more information on this table, check out Mike Dooley.

What I can do to take responsibility for   /  What the universe can do to support me.

I wish you all the best in playing with the possibilities and finding enjoyment in the exploration of this, allow yourself to dream as big or as little as feels right for you.

For more information and support, I am excited to be offering life coaching on a 1-2-1 basis where we explore these very things. I also can support you in shifting through any blocks that are holding you back. Blocks can be physical, mental/emotional and spiritual or energetic.

Be in touch here for support, or contact me via email hello@caringforyoutreatments.com.

Much love Emily

 

 

 

 

How to Make Better Decisions

How to Make Better Decisions 

Are you struggling to make a decision and get clear on something? Perhaps you have made a few rushed decisions before, that you realise didn’t sit right. You might find yourself at the point of wrestling with yourself and forcing an outcome to appear? 

It is sometimes wiser to commit to not making a decision at all (which is also a decision), take stock, unravel and be gentle on yourself. Relaxation offers the best support and trust in knowing you will arrive at a clear decision when the time is right, rather than forcing or rushing.

We are mostly in the mindset of having things we want quickly, taking medication to numb the pain, 24 hour shopping, fast deliveries, the amazing internet at offering the answer we want to anything in just a few moments, but what about making decisions? For sure we can ask the internet or ask friends what they would do, but ultimately the decision comes from us. There is also a responsibility in honouring that it is our choice, embodying that fully and taking ownership however the decision may unfold. 

I share 6 decision making tips to help you relax and make better decisions that sit right with you.

1. Getting out in the fresh air

Fresh air supporting your mind to feel clear

When we are sat around getting caught up in thinking, actually the freshness and change of scenery and getting in a different head space (literally) is a real support. Whether it’s the vastness of nature, seeing the bigger power than us, the sea, or a change of scene in a city, a fresh perspective is nourishing. A mountain top perspective is ideal, you don’t need to literally climb up somewhere higher, although you could, you can also imagine this in your mind and looking down from a birds eye view at a mini you and the decision choices.

2. Focus on relaxing in your body and mind

Women relaxing in the bath

Do whatever relaxes you, such as that refreshing post exercise feeling, your body being filled with fresh oxygen and energy. A relaxing yoga class, meditation, a healing treatment, or dancing. Whatever it is, do and enjoy that fully and be as present as you can with that. I have often read sometimes the best decisions come when you are in the bath. There is a gift in giving yourself a break and simply relaxing in the here and now, which can sometimes bring new insights rather than actively trying to think about it.

3. Be with friends

Taking support from friends in decision making

This may seem like a distraction list, but actually it’s getting you to re-connect with yourself in a round about way, so you are fuller on enjoyment, relaxation and kindness to yourself. Socialising with friends can bring us a smile, no matter how up tight we may seem in making this decision, it will happen easier if we can just lighten and relax a little. It may be we get to talk about it with our friends, the ones we trust and opening up and sharing can be soothing in itself. Your friend or friends need not say anything, simply listen to you, you can also take note of anything they do share and also know this is for you to reach a decision that sits right.

4. Write it all down

Writing down a list of pros and cons

Allow yourself to go there, with a pen and paper, all the things we hope, feel, hate, whatever it is, start by offloading it from your brain. This can look like writing a list of pros and cons about both decisions, which can allow you to see it all from both perspectives. It can be you re-visit this list, adding new insights, as it might be you have more to add, or actually what seemed like a block yesterday, is actually not a problem today. I would suggest setting a time limit on yourself for doing this, which can help bring focus in a shorter amount of time.

5. Focus on your loves

Reminding yourself of your qualities, your strengths, what you enjoy doing, can help shift you into a more abundant feeling. When we make decisions from scarcity and lack, it is harder to see the fuller picture and we want to focus on feeling more nourished in our self, to make the best decision we can. It may also be appropriate to remember any goals or ambitions you have and consider how this decision may support in bringing into your life what you really want.

6.Visualise both sides of the decision playing out

For those that have a more visual display, i.e. images/colours work more for you than words, you can visualise both sides of the decision playing out in your mind as if a yes looks like this, a no looks like that and notice how you feel in your head, heart and gut area as you do that. It might be a lighter or heavier feeling in your body, change of pace, temperature, sense or a change in how you experience both decisions, try as best you can to be aware of changes to your body and emotions as you do this. This is a simple exercise to test out and to not get too caught up in the thinking here, but it may bring knowledge to feeling more drawn or connected to one aspect of the decision.

If you are struggling with any of these exercises or in the decision then of course seeing a trained professional has its place too.

Mbit Coaching is a beautiful way to ask our three brains, head, heart and gut for their wisdom. Neuroscience now shows that neuro pathways are found in our heart and gut area, which demonstrates our natural intelligence we have to use there. Our heads offer creativity, our hearts compassion and our gut courage. Ideally we want all three brains aligned and listened to when making a decision that sits right, literally that sits right in our body and brains. You may find that your head wants one thing, but your heart or gut wants another and can often be why there is a struggle or wrestle in decision making. This is a beautiful relaxing process where we realise we have so much knowledge already within us to support ourselves.

Reiki also offers beautiful insights and asks for guided support from unseen beings, using oracle cards and light energy, which helps in removing blocks to chakras and can reveal a fresher energy and increased insights into what could support you.

Ultimately decisions can often work themselves out and knowing we can always change our mind or simply lean for the next decision. So, the key is relaxation, self care, doing what you love and enjoy and using mind visualising or writing to support you in becoming clear. 

Reach out if you need any support with this.

Love Emily x

Self Care for Grief

Self Care for Grief

Grief can express in many ways, from a bereavement of a loved one, a pet, or the loss of something, for example the realisation of not having children, or the ending of a relationship, or a change. I share all the ways to receive soothing support, as self-care, or from restorative treatments too.

Grief is processing a loss of something or someone and is really our great ability to love and appreciate a person, place or thing. At times it can be incredibly overwhelming, you can hear the phrase, struck with grief, being consumed and unable to do simple tasks. A mourning period is essential to process emotions, reflecting, cherishing and remembering what about that person or thing you loved and appreciated.

Everyone processes grief in their own way and time, for some it might feel easier to push feelings to one side to begin with, or have denial of a loss. It can even be even years later that you fully experience grief. It is in some ways a gradual unfolding of learning to process our thoughts and emotions overall.

There also can be other emotions stirring such as a clear seeing at the shortness of life and to not sweat the small stuff, this can jolt us into all sorts of behaviours. There may also be regret and or anger at something that did or didn’t happen.

Its important to know all of these strong emotions and thoughts are natural. They are also allowed to be in their very essence of energies in the body and with time and support there may even be learnings from dealing with this and from the loss of the connection.

Just as we process it uniquely, so to we can find ways to support us uniquely.

I share some self-care tips at home for grief.

 

These are suggestions only and at any point if you are really struggling then below there is practitioner supports further below too.

* Arnica – a Homeopathic first aid remedy in the strength of 30 c. Taken from the arnica flower, pictured below. It is specifically good for grief, shock and trauma. Bringing you back into your heart and soothing from emotional and physical stress.

arnica flower

 

* Star of Bethlehem Bach Flower Remedy – this is a flower remedy to support your body, emotions and mind in dealing with grief, stress and loss of a change.

Bach flower remedy for grief

* Writing down everything you feel onto some paper – giving yourself permission to unload whatever feels strong or that you want to write about onto paper. It doesn’t need to make sense, no one else needs to read this, it is a process of removing yourself a little from what is coming up for you.

The benefits of journaling

* Reflect on the love and appreciation – of the person, place or thing you are grieving for, you can also write this down as a cathartic process too. Holding your hands to your heart and really connecting in with that feeling, colour or sense of energy in your heart.

Reflecting on the love and appreciation of a person you have lost

* Focusing on what you feel will support you in this moment – a cup of tea and a piece of cake, a soothing bath, a walk with a friend, slowly you will heal. One day at a time – ask yourself what kind act can you do to support yourself today.

* Utilising your support network – whatever that looks like, a pet, family, friends, partner, neighbour, trusting in the people around you to offer you love and support.

Two people walking together and hugging

* Goodbye ceremony – Depending on your practices/rituals, I enjoy connecting with spirit guides and angels and asking for their guidance in the transition from the physical to the energetic realm, as I feel they have more awareness of this realm. You don’t need to take it that far, if this isn’t for you, it could be as simple as lighting a candle and holding an image of the loss in your heart, or bringing it to a meditation or taking a few breaths after reflecting. Do something that feels right for you and a familiar way to connect with the person or thing you have lost.

* Visualisations – imagine saying to the person or people involved anything you wanted to say that perhaps you didn’t have time for. You can imagine them listening to you and then it all floating away, like a basket on a river, or a washing away with water or a colour if that helps. This supports beginning to find closure and some distance from yourself and the person or thing you are wishing to let go of.

As always, home care tips serve as a great purpose until you see more support is needed, then below is support from practitioners.

 

Treatments

 

It may be a practitioner of some sort can help you make amends, perhaps there were things unresolved you now wish to process, or can help you move forward out of grief and putting into place now any learnings.

  • Bereavement counsellors – wonderful support if you want to speak to a trained professional in processing your loss.
  • Bowen for grief – whether we logically understand it or not our body is a connected unit and our thoughts and emotions can also be stored in our muscle memory and affect our physical body. Grief can affect the lungs, so a cough may be present, or feeling tightness around the chest area and other parts of the body. Such as stiffness, sore lower back and exhaustion from emotional stress. Bowen is a gentle realignment treatment which releases tension or stuckness from fascia, which is a web that surrounds all our muscles, tissues and cells. Bowen provides deep relaxation, releasing of traumas and tissue tension. Usually after a session you feel soothed, sleep better and have less pain. Read more about Bowen here.
  • Reiki for connecting in to your body and with a loved one – a beautiful gentle treatment to feel supported by angels, spirits and guides that are unseen beings supporting you, bringing you love, light and healing energy to your body, emotions and energetic field. Pouring this beneficial energy into each chakra point, releasing negativity and any blocked energy that you no longer need. Bringing you closer to any supports that could aid your healing situation, including sometimes messages from a loved one, or a deeper connection with them and, or a deeper settling into the process of change. Read more about Reiki here.
  • Mbit coaching – this is a powerful way to connect in with your body and three brains, (head, heart and gut) We become connected to any unresolved feelings, see patterns and discover inner guidance and support that might aid processing the change. Especially helpful if forgiveness is needed, or supporting a decision making process, or finding compassion for your self or the thing you have lost. Read more about Mbit Coaching here.

As always reach out here for support should you need anything.

With love

Emily

 

How to treat colds naturally

How to treat colds naturally

I share my top tips on how to treat colds naturally at home, using self-care tips, using natural supplements for self-healing. This can also be used for when you have Covid too.

Self care tips

Using the mind to support healing

Put your feet up and relax

Nutritional supplements

Herbal remedy for covid support

Fluids to hydrate

Press sinus points to relieve congestion

Relax with fear

Gentle movement

Support your nervous system

Tapping thymus gland

Fresh air natural care tips

Neck drainage when ill

Homeopathy

For more support and information, feel free to contact me here – Contact & Book.

What Treatment Should I Choose?

What treatment should I have?

Read more about how I care for you, using, Hot Stone Massage, Bowen, Reiki, Reflexology and Facials.

Breakdown of Caring For You Treatments and which one is best for you.

Find your symptom below & click on the box for the treatment solution.

Do you have poor posture? A misalignment? Feel out of sorts?

Bowen Technique can realign fascia (which envelop muscles, ligaments & joints) which increases flexibiliy, lessens tightness & improves posture. All done in a lush, relaxing way.

Do you have a old or new injury that is restricting you?

Bowen Technique can help support healing of past niggly injuries or new injuries. Whiplash, back pain, pulled hamstring, coccyx, shoulder, neck pain, no matter the area, come & receive gentle calming to the nervous system. It can ease pain, promote healing & reduce inflammation. 

Do you have back pain, sciatica, frozen shoulder, neck restrictions, pelvic tilt, joint or muscle restriction?

Bowen Technique usually provides benefits quickly, such as pain relief, emotional stress eased, more relaxation & balance to overall health. Recommended treatments 4, but benefits seen in 1-3 sessions a week apart, then top up treatments may be required as & when.

Are you a trader/labourer/have a physical job that is affecting your health?

Bowen Technique is a effective treatment to support the bodies own healing mechanism. It has quick results, it is very relaxing & can free up pain/restriction so you can continue working again.

Symptoms post Covid19 isolation

Bowen Technique has benefitted those that have loss of smell or taste to re-gain those quickly & aided overall improvement to re-gaining strength. Bowen has an ability to aid tissue health, immune system support & overall well-being.

Read more about Bowen Technique

Do you have tense shoulders? Muscular aches? Do you love warmth?

Hot stone massage – (that’s massaging with hot stones yummy), can soothe tension & provide deep heat to bust out knots. Amazing for overall relaxation, support to your emotional health. Choose from 60 or 80 minute treatment time.

Is your problem area your back? You want it massaged but you also love your feet being touched?

I can provide a Hot Stone Massage to your back, neck & shoulders & then a Reflexology session to your feet (I can work the shoulders/neck reflexes on your feet too) ta da!

Read more about Hot Stone Massage/Reflexology

Spoil me please. Its my birthday. My skin needs some support.

Luxury Facial is the ultimate yummy smelling organic relaxing pampering time for your skin, also your shoulders, neck, scalp all get massaged whoo! Combine with a full back massage & or reiki too for more luxury care.

Read more about my facials
 

I have a decision to make. I feel stuck or stagnant. I feel out of balance in terms of emotions/chakras. I want some gentle but powerful energetic healing. I want some crystals on me.

Reiki – receive an oracle card reading then a powerful, re-charging energy session to clear & refresh you with new insights & empowerment.

Read more about Reiki

I am Pregnant & want my feet squidged

Maternity Reflexology can support you & your growing baby throughout the stages of pregnancy & relieving any symptoms you might have, such as back pain, swollen feet, sciatica & heartburn. Its also great at prepping the body for labour. Can aid overdue pregnancies.

I have poor digestion. I only want my feet touched. I love reflexology.

Reflexology is very relaxing & non-invasive treatment. It allows the body to work in a balance by activating reflexes on your tootsies, that correlate to parts of the body. Seriously relaxing & suprisingly acurrate with sore points.

Read more about Reflexology

I would like support with fertility. I have endometriosis. I have menopause symptoms

Bowen Technique can amazingly support hormone balancing too, not only allowing you to relax, but to feel connected in your body & receive specific treatments to encourage hormones to work the best they can. I have had the great pleasure of supporting women to grow a baby, which is just the best.

Read more about Hormone Balancing

I feel stressed/out of sorts/tots emosh, such as- anxiety/depression/grief

Any of my treatments will support you, as they are all soothing & empowering for your body, mind & spirit. Be in touch if you are not sure, or just pick the first one you feel drawn too.

Contact & book a treatment

I am very happy to discuss any treatment options with you too when you book a consultation, so don’t sweat it if your not sure what treatment to  book. As always my aim is to create/adapt to making bespoke treatments just for you & your specific needs. 

Living with fear

Living with fear

What fear actually is, how it affects our little bodies and hearts and all my tips to support you little treasures in living with fear.

We’re swimming in it at the moment, it’s coming out of the news like hot cakes, on the headlines, in the paper, in the guidelines. Of course I understand some of the guidelines are to support us, but the media really have an lot to answer for, this ability to whip us up into a frenzy can be so harmful.

We also have every right to read up and listen to as much of the ever changing news as we like, so how do we live with all this fear around us?

Solutions have to come from within, finding your own way to process the triggers felt, mixed messaging and pressure coming from a place of fear. 

Fear, otherwise known as False, Evidence, Appearing Real, this is a good analogy if you are like me and scared of the dark, as soon as the lights go off, I can imagine a monster is going to come and gruesomely devour me! I also can’t watch those sorts of movies, you know the ones that leave you terrified before going to bed, they hang around and haunt me for ages. This fear analogy could also be used for some of the hype and media BS that we are being fed, false evidence appearing real?! Ooooo Emily, put your claws away!

Another saying I hear, is feel the fear and do it anyway, well in the current situation, I feel its more, feel the fear and simply batten down the hatches. However there is some truth in this saying, there are ways to push through fear if there is something you really want to do, you can tap into that courage and hunger, I share more about solutions for this below in the therapy section.

If your like me and agitated and triggered easily by the next scary monster around the corner, you might find my tips below useful on dealing with hype and fear that we are currently facing. 

Fear tips below

Focusing on my loves/passions/what I like to do

I always harp on about this but if you are sat there re-watching or obsessing over the news, you will be fed with more worry. I am not staying don’t keep yourself up to date, but focusing your time being poured into your loves, perhaps its creative writing, longboarding, dancing, gardening, baking, reading, whatever tickles your heart, go do it! It’s an act of kindness and nourishing self care. 

Exercise, that you enjoy

I love weight training and I am lucky to have an awesome PT, who really makes me giggle, so I get a double hit giggles, endorphins released and yeah my biceps are getting  bigger 😉 nothing wrong with small biceps either 🙂 

Fresh air

Walking, getting in that fresh air, Vitamin D from the sun and connecting with your buddies and nature in the physical is so important. It provides that time out, to gain a fresher perspective, literally, you are breathing in a different environment and gives an opportunity to gain the bigger perspective on things. Whenever I see the sea, not only does it calm me, but it makes me realise my problems/fears seems a bit small when facing a vast energy that’s always changing, the sea! 

Having a morning routine that isn’t harmful

being a human is full on enough, mornings can be full on enough for us non morning people, so starting with your stretches, cup of tea, music, just be super gentle on yourself, you don’t need to launch straight into the drama, but then again perhaps you need that to get you going?! Not my cup of tea, though, literally.

Knowing where my support is

Following, staying close to speakers, social media accounts, that I feel resonate, comfort and support me. It might be someone, something that makes you laugh, or speaks up when you feel you can’t, or simply makes you feel relaxed. I am lucky enough to have the presence of a guru in my life, which isn’t for everyone, for some its their football community or going to church, or listening to a podcast, whatever it is, make sure it supports you.

Preparing before I read the news

Reading the news to keep up to date, but preparing before I look, it’s 99% going to be something in the headlines, that I don’t agree with or will push my irritation buttons, so I ask myself, is now the best time to read this, do I want to do this to myself? If you feel strong and ready, then go right ahead. But its a good one to take a step back before going in, think of it like going into the fire pit and its a good time to check in with yourself.

Fear, what does it do to us?

What does it do to our bodies? It stimulates the hormone cortisol to be released from our adrenal glands, which sit above the kidneys, providing our nervous system with the stimulated fight or flight response. Are we preparing to fight and speak up, or are we retreating or freezing? Of course some fear is perfectly natural and beneficial, as we are wild creatures adapting to change, but too much and its going to agitate our nervous system and deplete our immune system.

What does fear do to our emotions? Fear elicits a response from our gut brain, (we have 3 brains our head, heart and gut) which often negates the heart brain, so yes, our hearts our closing off and we might not be as compassionate and our rational mind is gone off for a vacation.

If your struggling after trying self care tips at home, then check out the below therapy solutions

Reiki – the most relaxing, gentle treatment there is, opening up the heart chakra, soothing your nervous system and providing insight and clarity tailored just for you precious beings. Most people share they feel more refreshed, clearer and connected after a treatment. Check out zen Ted below, getting his chakras aligned.

Reiki practitioner Bristol

Mbit coaching – connecting in with your three brains (head, heart and gut) and most importantly listening to your heart, opening it up and engaging again with your heart felt values. A guided coaching session to help you feel more connected to your self.

Fear is felt in the front of the gut and courage is felt in the back of the gut, which can help push through the fear, once the nervous system is balanced and we are clear on what we want to achieve and what our blocks are.

Listen to your gut

Bowen – another lush treatment to soothe your nervous system, small rolling moves made over specific points on fascia, (a web network surrounding our muscles, joints, ligaments and nerves), to unravel, unwind and soothe, mind, body and emotions. Trauma and tissue tension is released, providing deep relaxation. 

Bowen technique back care

Arnica – a beautiful homeopathic remedy from the arnica flower, below, that is gentle and incredibly potent at bringing you back into your heart, soothing from stress, shock, trauma, injury and also blood clots. It’s a heart remedy for the physical and emotional. 

arnica flower

Hopefully that provided some useful tools and techniques in dealing with fear. Be in touch here if I can support further.

How to connect mind and body

How to connect mind and body

I’m chuffed as chipmunks that I am now an mBit coach!  What does that mean? I hear you ask, well it basically means I have another string to my bow, to support beings to be connected to their bodies, specifically to support people to connect mind and body together, yeay! 

Neuroscience shows that we have 3 brains, your head, heart & gut. Each one of these has its own function & purpose.

The head brain analyses, is logical & can produce creative solutions when balanced.

Listen to your head brain

The heart brain feels, values, shares our true wishes & offers compassionate support when balanced.

Listen to your heart

The gut brain identifies with our core self, our true identity, has an impulse for action & offers courage as the greatest support when balanced.  

Listen to your gut

Sometimes our brains have a conflict with one another, so you know deep down what resonates with you, but you just don’t take action & you freeze without any movement at all.

Or

You know your hearts wish, but you stick to what’s logical for you, but your always wondering what’s best for you?

Mbit coaching is for those that:-

  • You experience internal conflict within yourself between your thoughts, feelings & actions.
  • You’ve not acted upon your dreams, goals & plans
  • You do unwanted behaviours of habits & you don’t know why or have difficulty stopping
  • You find it difficult to make decisions
  • Something within you is making it difficult for you to motivate yourself to take action
  • You sabotage yourself from achieving your goals

Mbit coaching is useful for:-

  • Goal/outcome setting
  • Decision making
  • Problem solving
  • Harnessing your intuition
  • Cultivating understanding & perspective
  • Relationships
  • Health & wellbeing

Mbit coaching provides a framework for you to connect in with your brains, truly listen & access alignment.

This allows for:-

  • More relaxation,
  • Greater clarity,
  • You move forward with a clearer knowing of yourself & what it is you really want.
  • You feel more connected to your true self & balanced,
  • It is excellent for decisions &
  • supporting when you feel blocked or stuck.

Its neuroscience meets ancient wisdom & the best part is that you develop this by tapping into your bodies/brains own potential.

Hooray for that!

Drop me a message if you would like to find out more about mbraining coaching.

Healing with colour

Healing with colour

My experience of discovering my colour palette and using reiki healing

 

I have always loved using colour as a support, including staring off my healing journey at a colour therapy centre, when I was 14. I understood colour could carry a vibration, which could magically amend any energy that was blocked or not serving and magically restore an area that felt a bit hurty.

Colour therapy healing bottles

A few friends have had their ‘colours done’ meaning you go and see a colour stylist who suggests what season your skin tone/colourings suit. This can be, Spring, Summer, Autumn or Winter. Curiosity as the cat is me, I also wanted to explore what colours would support me best.

It was a totally beautiful experience of exploring colour and it made me reflect on how I have dressed and how it made me feel. For example baggy clothes can be used to cover ourselves up, when we don’t feel so nice, or don’t want to be seen, perhaps only wearing clothes with holes in if we don’t have much self respect or self-love.

Do you ever feel uncomfortable if you wear something that shows off too much skin? Or you might wear a bold colour if you want to make a statement and be seen? All of these are questions to ask yourself and reflect a little gently on how you use colour and clothing to express how we feel. Of course honouring clothing can perhaps be what’s comfortable and practical to fit into our lives.

What colour suits me best

This was me wearing some of my WOW colours, which you should wear close to your face. I was told that I am a deep berry summer and that lots of blues and reds are supposed to be good for me, what?! I never wear those colours, but actually when I got home, I realised I did have a lot of blues. Also I can wear purples, which is so good as I love purple! Other colours in my palette are primrose yellow, pinks and deep greens, but with no black! The idea is to wear 5 different colours, which actually is easier than you first think by the time you had socks, accessories, scarves etc.

Using colour to settle more into your body

Dressing and colours are simply another way to feel grounded and connected to your body and celebrating being as you are. They can boost your confidence and self esteem and give you support throughout the day.

I remember in one of my old jobs we had a dress up Thursday, we all worked from home and it was so fun to put on a pair of earrings, lippy, or a colourful scarf, so simple and yet can bring some fun and colour into our days.

I have really seen a shift in my choice of clothes and it feels good self-care practice and is so fun. It adds another layer of confidence and support to my days.

Colour and healing

Crystal healing caring for you

I love using colourful crystals in my reiki treatments and I place them over each chakra point (energy centre) to soothe and support. If a certain chakra is a bit blocked, of course the healing reiki energy and the crystal can unblock it, but it may also be a support to wear that colour or eat or drink that colour. For example your throat chakra is how we communicate to the world, where we share what we would like, we speak up for ourselves, its also our thyroid area which is part of our immune system. Wearing a blue scarf, a blue necklace, treating yourself to some blue flowers, or even a blueberry smoothie, can all aid supporting your throat chakra to feel its happiest.

I often recommend to clients using colour as a way to be playful, it could be doodling, colouring in, or even writing down some ideas on paper, as a way to get clear on a task, or to unburden it from our minds.

If you would like to know more about healing with colour, then do reach out here. I use colour to support in reiki treatments, which is a deeply relaxing treatment to align you emotionally & energetically.

House of colour was how I found my colour stylist.

Happy colouring.

Happy lady with colour tulips

Bowen Technique Bristol – Top 8 Injury Tips

Top 8 Injury Tips

How to speed up muscle strain recovery and care for your injury.

Emergency Bowen Appointment

To save time being in pain, or not earning money at work, or ruining your holiday/weekend activities, go and book an alignment appointment, as soon as possible. Bowen is what I love and practice so that is what I will share about here and is my go-to, when I have an injury. Yes it can be used immediately on an injury, think of me as an emergency musculoskeletal support.

Bowen is the perfect treatment to calm the nervous system immediately after an accident/injury and it removes the shock/trauma from the body, instantly relaxing you and prepping the body for restoration.

Bowen supports to align fascia, surrounding all muscles, joints and nerves, therefore benefits are pain reduction, more range of movement and quicker recover time.

The sooner the better, benefits felt from 1 treatment, but typically 4 are recommended, 1 week apart, however frozen shoulders may take up to 8 treatments.

In my own experience and my clients, recovery is quicker with Bowen and you can get back on with your life again. Find out more about Bowen therapy here.

Reflect & Protect

It is good to take note of what happened, so symptoms you feel and taking stock of what has been happening over the last few months to potentially weaken things or contribute to the injury. You could consider emotional stress, posture, repeated moves, walking/carrying yourself.

An injury is a perfect time to stop and check in on how to therefore take the best care of you. If you are not sure how to do this, I can support you in this process. 

I aim to get you back to your working self asap and then together, we can plan ways to support injury prevention.

Self-care

When are your symptoms worse or better? Use your own natural intelligence to work out what you see you need to do to support yourself, for most people, it is better for moving, such as walking and worse for sitting still.

Arnica capsules, used in homeopathy, 30c strength, are great at settling and aiding repair in the body. You can purchase these from health shops, or even better use a homeopathic pharmacy, like Buxton and Grant are in Bristol, or Helios are an online store. Ideally you would seek support from a homeopath, but these are a great first aid remedy and can be taken 15 mins either side of food or drinks other than water and re-taken when you feel the symptoms returning.

A maximum 10-minute ice pack can help if there is swelling and tumeric capsules can help with reducing inflammation.

Keeping an area warm for example wearing a scarf around your neck, or using a hot water bottle can soothe too.

Pain Relief

It is fine to take pain relief, such as ibuprofen or CBD drops, or your chosen support to help relax and ease things. Yes it won’t treat the cause but it might soothe things in the short term. 

Bow to Epsom Salts

There is a reason why athletes and dancers use these, they work! An Epsom salt bath can sooth aching muscles, relax you and provide yummy magnesium to soothe the body. Take extra care as they can make things slippy, also not longer than 20 minutes in the bath.

If there is inflammation and you would prefer to not use ice (for example we don’t usually suggest icing an area soon after a Bowen treatment as it can interfere with the fascia work we have done) you can put a spoonful of Epsom salts in a tissue and wrap them around the affected area.

Hydrate

Drink plenty of water, it will help aid your body to be hydrated and flush out toxins and support the body to do its job best.

Movement

Stretches aren’t always helpful, as they can exacerbate symptoms for some people, but for others it can soothe things, just start with a few gentle moves, here is an example. 

Start by lying flat on your back with your knees supported by something comfy.

Back care stretch injury care

Back care injury tips Bristol

Schedule Adjustment

Yes you may need to slow down and that can be tricky for some, but also there are benefits to relaxing back into your body and lifestyle. Re-consider your schedule, that includes training schedule.

Do something to support relaxation and being present in your body. I can support you here if you are unsure how to fully relax.

Book an Injury Treatment

What does it mean to listen to your body?

What does it mean to listen to your body?

Body awareness and listening to your body, can mean….

♥ Feeling connected and settled within your own skin suit.

♥ Listening to what is going on with your body, i.e where are the aches, tension, does something not feel right.

♥ Feeling grounded with who you are 🙂

♥ Feeling more grounded into your environment, ahhhh

♥ Recognising your limits and understanding when to stop when close to burn out.

♥ Honouring your energy patterns and cycles, i.e. some days we are more hungry, some days we are more tired.

♥ Feeling more in tuned with your period cycles

♥ big listening ears below 😉

Caring for you listening

The benefits of listening to your body?

♥ It is easier to relax as you are, into your skinsuit, with all your imperfections 😉

♥ It is easier to love yourself as you are and to honour your uniqueness

♥ You understand the areas more prone to illness ⇒ which means you can strengthen those areas.

♥ Better understanding of the areas more prone to illness = using them as a sign that you might be doing too much/managing stress.

♥ You feel clearer about what your body needs, knowing when to seek support.

♥ You are able to rest, be still and sleep more easily

♥ It may reduce the time and severity of acute illness

♥ Less likely to have emotions harbouring away in our muscle memory, which may lead to further complications physically.

♥ Better understanding of others

body awareness and listening

How I support you to feel more body aware and listen to your body 

Bowen Technique and reiki treatments

♥ Relaxation♥ Firstly taking time out to really allow your body and mind to have a recharge, a re-set and feel more at ease. Bowen is wonderfully soothing to all ailments and calms down the nervous system, so your body can feel relaxed.

♥ I check and feedback on postural habits, anything out of alignment, weaker or tension in a particular body area. We then work together to understand previous injuries/traumas, looking at your lifestyle and how you carry yourself into the world.

The therapies themselves can free up restrictions, re-align, reduce pain, soothe emotional stress and provide relaxation.

♥ After receiving a series of treatments, you then have the knowledge of which areas need strengthening and are encouraged to find an exercise you enjoy.

 Relaxing Bowen healing treatment room central bristol

Online or face-to-face programme, coming soon!

This is a programme delving deeper into body awareness, looking at:

  • each area of the body, the physical/emotional connection
  • recognising past events such as injuries/trauma
  • reflecting on your lifestyle
  • distant or in person reiki healing to unblock stagnant energy and align your chakras
  • meditation using body scans and either nature, water or colour to deepen your ability to listen
  • self soothing physical squidges to tune into tense areas and relieve them
  • group support ♥

Relaxing in nature and listening to the sounds

Be in touch here should you like to be supported to understand your body, listen to it and understand what it needs to thrive.

Shoulder pain relief

Shoulder pain relief

It’s time to look at those shoulders and receive shoulder pain relief. Apparently shoulders are our doing centres.

I share how are shoulders can feel pain and receive an injury, how I take care of them to make them feel better, so you can continue on with your life and shoulders.

Aw poor shoulders they are an area of the body that need some love. The shoulder joint is apparently the most mobile in the body, but with that it can be injured quite easily.

Due to the structure, frozen shoulders can often be lengthy to heal, bowen technique has a reputation for being the quickest solution for frozen shoulders and can still take some work too. I would suggest at least 8 treatments from my experience of treating others, with results seen usually in the first session.

How do shoulders get hurty?

I always love to remind people that we can physically injury our shoulders, or a build up from repeated movements over time and poor posture can cause irritation, this can often be from handbags! (My nemesis alongside those awful ballet pump shoes which offer zero support for our feet, but feet are for another time). However we also have emotional stress that leads to tension, pain and restriction. The expression ‘shouldering emotions’ can be true, is there something that you are not speaking up about? Do you feel burdened by the weight of the world and your responsibilities? Are you receiving coldness from someone else? Leading to a frozen shoulder. 

Now obvs we all get a bit of tension in the body and that’s normal, like your car tyres need pumping up from wear and tear, we are the same, its not to make you worry that you need to be always levitating on a cushion as then you wont have any pain, life is life and are little vehicles (bodies) need TLC from time to time.

Shoulder support is at hand

I love to support you to uncover why you might have an injury/pain/restriction, to get you back to your working self in the quickest time possible, offering my squidgy care and relaxation, but also to prevent any further pain.

Shoulder pain relief Bristol

That’s why I am here, your shoulder godmother to take the best care of them and support you to understand a bit more about taking care of your shoulders.

Whether its through massage, bowen, reflexology or reiki, I will relax your shoulders and let me them smile again.

How Bowen can help

If you have an injury, pain or muscular restriction i.e. you can’t lift your shoulder up to a certain height, then Bowen is what I would suggest. 4 sessions to sort that out, but if it is a frozen shoulder then 8 sessions are suggested.

Did you know Bowen helps to unravel restrictions and tension in a relaxing way, it also supports posture to be straighter and removes stress and tension from the body whooo, now that’s something to be cheery about.

Due to the wonderful connectedness of the body, I will be checking your lower back, pelvis and knees in particular, as often if one of these areas are grumbly it can impact the shoulders.

Be in touch here if you need any shoulder care.

Caring For You Community Manifesto

Caring For You Community – self care group

 

Caring for you treatments relaxation support

I wrote these in response to where I see my clients pain and struggles are, so I turned them into solutions and how I can support you.

You struggle with one or more of the below:

Physical pain – I am able to do what I love pain free

Musculoskeletal restriction – I no longer feel restrictions hold me back

Stress – I give myself permission to feel truly relaxed

Burnout – I give myself time to recover and feel refreshed

Tiredness – I feel soothed, comforted and at ease

Overwhelm and busy – I carve a daily schedule that supports me 

Lacking direction of how to treat my symptom – Firstly I am ready to love and take good care of myself

Unclear of how to feel supported with my physical or emotional symptoms – I start by feeling grounded and connected to my body

In need of guidance on how to take care of my body – I feel supported and clear on how to take care of my body

Unclear on my career choice – I am clearer on what it is I love to do

Doesn’t receive the healing touch I need – I deserve to feel well in my body

Past or current emotional trauma – I release pain points of the past

Emotional symptoms such as not feeling loved, doubts and or anxiety – I am gentle and squidgy on myself

Lack of sleep – I am allowed to rest easy at night

Feeling out of sorts – I now feel more myself

 

Would you like to know more about self-care? There’s a whole bunch of amazing women who have already joined and we are supporting each other with giggles, education and empowerment, click here to join.

If any of this relates to you, then I am here to support you. I love working with those that have the above difficulties and I truly believe every woman is deserving to feel relaxed and well within their bodies. I offer a gentle alignment technique, that is relaxing and restorative. It quickly reduces acute pain and provides alignment that holds, as it is so relaxing. I also soothes with trauma or emotional disturbances and releases them from the muscles and tissues of the body, so you feel relaxed, refreshed, cared for and more yourself. 

Alongside Bowen technique, I also love pressing sore points on your feet and squidging tense muscles to help promote relaxation. I also use reiki to tune in and ask for guidance that you might need. I offer lifestyle support to ensure we prevent injury/acute pain happening again in the future. 

Book a free call Contact & Book with me to see how I can help you. Approx 15 mins.

Touch Hunger

Touch Hunger

How to deal with touch deprivation

For all beings during this last year we have had to get used to not seeing as many of our loved ones, also not giving or receiving as much touch and receiving the message that the best thing we can do is keep away from everyone! For many of us this has been hard, especially those that have been living alone/feel more energy from being around others/are empaths or sensitive beings. Of course the internet and all the amazing tools we have to stay connected has been crucial, but it can’t replace touch. We probably didn’t even realise the amount of natural touch we received before in our interactions, taking it for granted even, a gentle tap on your arm from even a distant friend seems soothing right now.

Did you know when you receive touch, love and affection, oxytocin (a neurochemical responsible for building relationship) is released in your brain, this supports you in feeling connected, safe and loved and it can lessen anxiety and pain. I imagine at this time we are all a bit low on the neurochemical oxytocin, so symptoms can look like feeling alienated from other brings, a lack of bond with a community and finding it difficult to share appreciation and gratitude.

A way to boost oxytocin levels is through touch and hugging someone, here is how I have been coping with self-care to soothe touch hunger in lockdown.

Hugging trees

Okay you might feel a bit silly, but seriously trees have seen a lot more sh** that we have (literally), they are living, wise and ancient  beings, that can support us to feel rooted and connected to the earth. This can also soothe our root chakra, which is the energy centre associated with security and survival (quite big topics that feel shakey at this time). Also it can soothe with feeling love, touch and releasing oxytocin. 

If you think I am making this up, try it! Also this is essentially part of forest bathing, a huge movement in Japan where its actually prescribed to lower blood pressure and reduce anxiety and stress. 

 

Hugging trees to increase oxytocin

Wearing cuddly jumpers that feel soft on your skin

This always feels nice to wear softy, comfy clothes to feel soothed and cuddled, it also supports activating your touch receptors with different textures. Try stroking a fluffy cushion, wearing a cosy jumper, wearing yummy Brighton Lace underwear, even the texture of plants! Yes stroking plants, I see ways to feel soothed and I am sharing them as we all know at this time we need some support.

Feeling soothed by touch

Gentle squidy self-care

Putting flowers by my bed, as an act of love and self care and plus you wake up and the room smells amazing, perhaps not so good if you suffer from allergies or hay fever though. These are my fav flowers called hyacinth. Simply finding gentle ways to be caring and gentle on yourself, maybe its adjusting your schedule slightly, or having a bath with a few drops of lavender in, or self-massage to your feet. All of this will support relaxation and care of the self.

Flowers by your bed self care

 

Using colour as a self-healing tool

Maybe its painting your nails a really bright colour, picking out clothes with colours you feel attracted too, or doodling or colouring in, using plain paper of a colouring book. Using colours can soothe as it is allowing us to feel creative and play. Colour also carries vibration and can provide healing as it can nourish our chakra points (7 energy centres of the body that are thought to be connected to a colour). Did you know the colour blue is connected to your throat chakra, where we find our voice and speak up for what supports us, it also is connected to our thyroid and immune response. Apparently just looking at the colour blue can release oxytocin! You can also simply try imagining a colour being wrapped around you and feeling nurtured and safe, this is a simple visualisation tool.

Exercise

As it increases oxytocin! Exercise can look like trampolining for 10 mins, listening to your fav music and dancing around the house. Pick something that you enjoy!

Supplements

Caps moodoo from Ringana can improve mental resilience and provide greater serenity, which is ideal for restoring emotional balance if you’re battling with the autumn and winter blues or PMS. An extract of ashwagandha root promotes physical and mental relaxation processes and helps you to find peace.

Moo doo to support oxytocin touch hunger

Meditation

Whether its holding or looking at a crystal, being out and finding peace in nature, or seated/standing meditations, this can soothe to find peace within our mind. My fav is a simple body scan, where you can go through each part of the body and checking in how it feels and making sure it is relaxed, like turning a light on in each part. Some people find writing down their worries can support removing yourself from the stressor, remembering the bigger picture and also connecting to others going through the same suffering can also support.

Receiving healing

Failing all that if your really blue and down in the dumpsters, reach out as I am offering distant healing at this time. It is incredibly powerful to receive a flood of light energy in the body, blasting out the cobwebs and providing fresh energy in areas that feel stagnant. This creates peacefulness and feeling more yourself. I am also delivering Bowen technique at this time and hot stone massage as urgent treatments for those that feel they are struggling with physical pain and/or emotional discomfort.

To conclude

If you are lucky enough to have a pet that likes to be touched then yeay for cuddles with them. I don’t have a partner at current, or a pet, but I do hug plants, trees and teddies.

How do you stay healthy while using a computer?

How to stay healthy whilst using a computer

Ergonomic home office setup

Whether at work or at home, we spend a lot of time at our computer or electronic device, so I share all the ways to take care of your body when using a computer, ipad or phone.

Posture

Getting clear on how we sit when working, when watching the TV or driving can be very supportive in preventing poor postural habits and compensation patterns in the body, thus injuries. By poor postural habits, I mean, sitting wonky, or with one leg tucked in, or over the other leg etc. Imagine we sit wonky every day at work for a total of 4 hours for example (I am sure its more than this), times that by the total hours of the week, = 20 hours, times that by a month, that’s 80 hours spent sitting wonky.

In summary, that’ a lot of time where your muscles are having to adapt to strange postures, which can put pressure on other areas stretching to compensate. So check how you are sitting when at your computer or on your phone and reflect if it matches where you might have pain or tension.

Below is a suggested desk height posture for working on a computer. I use a portable adjustable laptop stand, but there are fixed stands available too. You can also get an iPad stand & a phone stand to save holding the item and looking down, its also way more relaxing! An ergonomic mouse really supports my wrists & a good chair is a great help too, here are some supportive chair options.

Self care correct posture working at desk

Of course you don’t need to feel restricted, tense or like a robot that always has to be in a ‘certain posture’ but its good to raise awareness of drawing attention to how you are sitting, then perhaps finding ways that might be more comfortable.

I have also been testing out using a back brace, which are quite cheap to purchase. They aren’t exactly comfortable, but for sure they do make you sit up straighter. The overall conclusion here is that exercise and posture awareness contribute to the affects of the back brace too, so we don’t just rely on the brace to make us sit straight.

 

Earthing Mat & Electromagnetic Chips

I love Wifi and the benefits of the internet and I am often seen with at least two devices! Yet I also give myself down time away from the screen, this can look like doing something else that you love, maybe going for a walk, or having a day without using a device, for example one day a week. There is this idea that Wifi rays can not be so good for us and we do not really know the long term side effects of living with Wifi. The truth is I am not sure what to believe, but what I do know is I love to take care and it feels supportive for me to sleep on an earthing mat. I buy earthing chips which can be stuck on all your devices too, which somehow stop any stress that the electronic items transmit passing through your body.

Sleep

I love the idea of putting our devices in a different room whilst we sleep, or at least turned off, or on aeroplane mode and away from your head. Electromagnetic stress is also a type of ‘stress’ on the body and its thought it can transmit signals, which might be extra noise for our bodies signals, that are busy repairing whilst we sleep. You can simply test out not sleeping with your device on next to you. It also feels nice to have a separation from device time and to not be alarmed first thing in the morning at an email or a notification.

Blue light glasses

These are inexpensive and a support in protecting your peepers from the glare of a computer screen, you can also download flux for free, which adjusts the glare of the screen after a certain time.

 

Exercise You Enjoy

Exercise will flood the muscles with oxygen and fresh energy that they need after being sat still, this does help to free up any tension and movement does feel good for the body. Pick an exercise that you enjoy, roller-skating? Swimming, Pilates, shat about Hula Hooping!? It will help boost the happy endorphins & to promote good sleep, which is essential at this time.

Relax Time 

Whether its meditation, walking, hot bath, just schedule in some time to allow your body to relax and your mind if you have a practice and that’s your thing.

 

Supplements

If you are feeling sensitive or affected by working a lot on your device, you can also consider CAPS protect they are real multi-talents when it comes to protecting us from within against external environmental influences such as air pollution, solar radiation, cigarette smoke and the blue light of computer or smartphone screens. They contain beautiful herbs and natural minerals that are yummy for the body. For example, they contain Copper with “anti blue-light effect” helps the cells to protect themselves against oxidative stress, providing optimum skin and hair pigmentation.

If you would like a bespoke desk consultation, or you are struggling to manage stress of any kind, or feel wonky or out of balance, then do reach out for support. I offer a free 15 minute chat, where we can see if I can support you and receive a relaxing alignment treatment to reset and restore you. 

 

Bowen Technique Bristol – Is Bowen therapy good for anxiety?

Is Bowen therapy good for anxiety?

I share how I can support you with anxiety, using Bowen therapy and many more solutions

Firstly, I was taught that anxiety is simply a label we have given to an energy in the body, we usually believe its a negative thought or feeling that we shouldn’t have and that we need to get rid of it to be better. In actual fact, everyone at some point has anxiety and its totally ‘normal’, so you can be gentle on yourself and know its okay to feel anxiety. Its more what it stops you doing that can make you feel limited, so lets look at solutions.

Of course there are many different practices for the mind, CBT, meditation, prayer, taking supplements etc the list goes on and its about finding something that resonates with you. I choose to practice short moments of strong mind, as it really soothes and supports me and I love the idea that no matter what I think or feel, it leaves no trace, like a line drawn in water, or a firework in the sky. For more info on this practice, you can click here.

So, to start with, you know you can be gentle on yourself and think okay its an energy in the body that will resolve and how can I best relax and take care here?

Bowen therapy and anxiety

Reflection

It might be a good starting point to ask yourself what is going on at the moment that might contributing to anxiety, is it work? When you are around certain people? Something you feel uncomfortable or low confidence about? All of these are totally ‘normal’ to have anxiety over and if there is no cause, don’t worry about reflection isnt leading to any useful insights.

On some level, we are simply cute beings that want to be our best at all times. 

Foods to nourish

Avoiding strong stimulants such as caffeine, alcohol and sugar could support, as these can exacerbate anxiety. Of course a little is fine if you don’t want to stop this, but I once had a client say ‘I don’t drink much tea’ and when I asked him what that meant for him, he said 7 cups! So its relative to you.

Exercise you enjoy

Exercise will get those endorphins flowing and usually brings relief from sitting with the feeling of anxiety. Perhaps try and join a class with a friend for extra support.

Remembering the bigger picture

Focusing on what things you do enjoy and what is it you love to do can soothe. Focusing on all the positives in your life can simply be enough to shift the focus from the anxiety misery. Of course these suggestions are all things to chip away at to support you, you can write these down or you might find it easier to catch yourself on the downward spiral.

Belly breathing can soothe 

Often we are breathing more shallow from the chest, when it comes to feeling anxious, especially with panic attacks. If our breathing isnt supportive, then this may lead to digestive problems, poor posture and stress, this may also lead to poor sleep and lack of concentration. So test out breathing in and letting your belly expand, as you breathe out let your belly fall in. You could try a cycle of breathing in for 3 and out for 3, or even increase this to 6 seconds. You could do this winding down before bed, or when you feel a strong overwhelm of anxiety.

Figure of 8 visualisation 

Visualisations can soothe, imagining the figure of 8, which is one of my favs to share, in that you imagine yourself and the ‘thing that is bothering you’, you draw a figure of 8 around yourself and the other person, place or thing, relaxing the whole time as much as possible, then you imagine a direct slice happening between yourself and the other person/place of thing and them flowing away in water. The idea here is that you remove yourself away from the stressor. You an be really gentle here and just test it out.

Bowen technique for anxiety

When you come to see me for a treatment, I will listen and understand and we look at solutions together on what could support you in your lifestyle, looking at all aspects of you. We have a beautiful move in Bowen called the respiratory move, which is very opening and soothing to the abdomen and rib cage, supporting the fascial front line. This picture below shows the front line, taken from Anatomy Trains book by Tom Myers 2007. This is showing our connectedness in the body and if one area is impacted, then most like the other areas running through this line might be. In terms of anxiety, you can see the chest, ribcage, abdomen and pelvis are all linked here, so releasing here will allow more relaxation, more opening of the ribcage and more ability to breath easier.

Fascia front line bowen therapy bristol and anxiety

Benefits of relaxing with bowen

Common tension areas I see in practice, are the jaw and temple area of the face, which I work over too. It also feels nice to give yourself an hour to relax on the couch, be listened to, understood and have sore points squidged, aligned and relaxed. The respiratory move also supports asthma suffers too.

The aim is to relax you and in doing so there are multiple benefits, one is that Bowen can re-set the ANS – autonomic nervous system – put simply the nervous system, which controls our fight or flight response, if we are in too much fight, from stressors, an agitated nervous system, too much caffeine stimulation, then more adrenaline is released in the body, you will have higher stress and anxiety. This impacts our digestion and sleep. When you are  relaxed and soothed, your body has a chance to kick back for a bit and operates in the PNS parasympathetic nervous system, which is our resting and sleeping state supporting with digestion, elimination, sexual response and immune system functioning.

To conclude

Whilst anxiety is a natural energy to feel, if its preventing you from doing something or getting you down, then its time to reach out, I have listed many options of solutions but coming for a Bowen treatment will be sure to relax, reset you and balance the body

If you would like to be squidged, aligned and soothed from stress and anxiety, then contact me here.

Healing treatment space

Therapist Review Bristol 

 

 

Bowen Technique Bristol – How do you heal a pulled hamstring fast?

How to heal a pulled hamstring fast

How do you heal a pulled hamstring fast?

Oooo the mighty and powerful hamstrings, (on the back of your things in case you didnt know) 3 muscles, all involved in hopping, skipping, running and jumping, there is no surprise that many athletes and those that train pull this baby.

Hamstring muscle injuries are the most common sports injury according to this trusted source. These injuries often have long recovery times booo and can return if not treated fully. However don’t be down my cherubs as I have good news for you, as the recovery doesn’t have to be long when you receive a relaxing Bowen Technique. Many sports players have used the hamstring procedure as a release and it can be used mid-match to support the on-going athlete to continue, but for sure a good month of healing is suggested for full repair.

In Bowen there is an amazing hamstring move, it not only releases tight hamstrings, but also tension running through the whole of the back line, which is a fascial line shown below. This line runs from your feet to your head, so any ailments in these areas, will also be supported. This alone can often ease headaches. In case you didnt know what fascia is, its a beautiful web of connective type tissue that envelops cells, muscles, joins and nerves. Of course the gluts and lower back will be tight with a pulled hamstring, as the other muscle groups are compensating for walking differently from the pain you might be feeling. 

Hamstring release tips bowen technique bristol

I felt a ping go one day, I had been over training at the gym and it was my left hamstring, probably my more weaker side. Two Bowen sessions later, it had fully resolved in terms of the pain and the mobility. Of course I took care to then strengthen and re-consider my training habits to one which is more long standing and preventative, after it was healed and my body was aligned.

Injury care with a pulled or painful hamstring

Get to me or another Bowen therapist as soon as you can, for an Hamstring injury treatment it is safe to treat immediately with an injury, because the treatment is so relaxing. I hear you, your worried it wont work if its that soft and fluffy, well in my direct experience of receiving and delivering Bowen, it does. It also releases powerful healing and settles emotions connected to your hamstring. Often stressors are stored in your hammies to protect the vital organs, it is a common area that we clench without meaning to and driving can also cause them to tighten. In a nutshell, they deal with a lot, it could be safe to say they are on the front line of supporting with stress.

Pulled hamstring pain relief

Often people experience an energising feeling with the hamstring release too, yeay for releasing those hamstrings.

Hamstring release with bowen

To conclude honour your body and all the amazing things it does without us asking for permission. Take good care to make time to relax and soothe stress, not over train, but a balance of exercise with rest and maintaining supportive postures can all support preventing injury.

Book a hamstring release treatment

If you would like to know more on injury tips, you can read my top injury tips here.

Reiki Bristol – Distance Reiki

What is distance reiki?

I share what distance reiki is, how it can help you and why it is actually so reassuring in these non-contact times to know that healing, relaxation and calmness are still here to support you.

If you are feeling a bit poopy and are in need of some support, read on –

I have a sense that if you are a squidgy, thinking human being in the pandemic, then you are feeling a lot, perhaps anxiety, fears about death/loved ones dying, feeling frustrated and restricted with all the lockdowns. Well firstly you are not alone, as there are many humans feeling the same way as you. If a physical, emotional or mental symptom is bothering you, preventing you from doing something, then its perfect to reach out for support.

It could be you have muscular pain but don’t want to go for any hands on treatment at this time (most alternative therapists are urgent appointments only in lockdown as of February 2021) you could have digestive complaints, insomnia, are feeling stressed, overwhelmed, anxious and basically a bit p**** off at life.

Fear not my darlings as that’s where I come in, to listen openly and offer any guidance I can give you to completely relax as you are, with whatever it is that is bothering you. Lets see what solutions we can find preventing you enjoying your life.

This is me below, in my treatment room.

Distant reikiHow does it work?

I will ‘tune in’ to your energy field using a reiki symbol, I use oracle cards, crystals and ask for support and guidance from beings at a higher source or vibration, what?! These other unseen beings are usually named spirits, angels and guides. Surely no matter what you think of this intellectually, a load of beings worked together to support you, sending you light and loving energy at this time, has got to be a good thing. A lot of our support structures or go to supports might have fallen away during the pandemic due to the restrictions, so if you feel open to trying this out, then it can only lead to benefit. Reiki can help us cope by encouraging relaxation and bringing balance to both mind and emotions.

Reiki healing oracle cards caring for you

What can I expect from a session?

We will have a chat online, via Skype or a preferred platform, then after the oracle card reading, you will kick back and relax somewhere warm, comfy and safe at home. You can select relaxing music if you prefer. I will be sending you reiki healing from my eco treatment room and placing crystals over your chakra points virtually. I have received both hands on and distant reiki myself and it is so relaxing and calming. I enjoy feeling each one of my chakra points come into a balance. Sometimes there is swirling and whirling of colours and thoughts, but it all settles into a nourishing refreshed feeling, like a good nap.

Some people do receive insights and information which may support to offer solutions. The whole session is around 1 hour and a bit and then I gently wake you and share any insights to support you. Benefits include stress relief, improvement to immunity, reduction in blood pressure, a sense of calm, clearing any blockages energetically and physically, a sense of purpose, clarity on a situation or in making a decision, this can come in the appearance of colours, images or words.

An image of our 7 energy centres, otherwise known as chakra points, which become balanced during a reiki healing session.

Long distance healing over chakra points

After the session guidance

To be super gentle on yourself for the rest of the day (always but in particular on this day) drink plenty of water, to support hydrating you from your energy repair session. Note any insights that come to mind as ways to support you improve your situation.

So, in a nutshell, if your struggling and remote healing ticks your boxes for practical reasons then do reach out. I would so happy to hear from you, feel free to ask a question if you are not sure if its suitable. As, I said relaxation and care is deeply needed at this time and yes we have had to be a bit creative here, but distance reiki isn’t a new creation for the pandemic, but a very valuable tool which can support you to be in a balance, mentally, emotionally and physically. If you feel like you would like a spring clean then its worth trying.

Book a distance healing session here.

“I don’t understand how it works, but just seeing Emily and her treatment was very relaxing. The cards she uses are always so profound and touching. As for the reiki healing, I just love to relax and be sent warming energy, even my cat seems to enjoy it as she will come and sit with me and we relax together.” Jade

“Emily supported me through a difficult time in my relationship, I found her guiding reassurance clarifying and soothing” Beatrice

Reiki healing review

Natural Facial Products – What products do you use for a facial?

What products do you use for a facial?

I share what products I use for an easeful facial routine at home to take care of your skin

 natural vegan skincare on your face

Facial routines and products are an individual choice based on what you feel supports your skin type, money comes into the choice, product ingredients, i.e is it natural? I hope by now vegan products are the most obvious solution, but do you also consider sustainability? Knowing that your creams will be washed off and end up in the ocean or do the containers end up in landfill? If you are like me and you love skincare, or whether you just want to slap on something you know will work best for both you and the planet, then have a read below, as I share what products I use for a facial in an easeful and simple way.

All the products I share are natural, organic where possible, award winning, vegan, made from a carbon neutral provider using sustainable packaging. I have been a lover of natural skincare as long as I can remember and offering luxury facials for over 5 years.

Cleanser – its there to remove dirt, make up and pollution. Its also there to cleanse your skin before you add any goodies to absorb into it, i.e serums or moisturiser, it also removes sebum to avoid build up of, wait for it *dramatic scary music*, blemishes.

I use – Ringana cleanser which has some yummy goodies in like sesame oil, ginkgo, jojoba and almond kernel in. It is vegan, housed in packaging made out of corn starch, its the prefect texture for me to enjoy massaging into the skin and it feels very softening and soothing.

How to apply – Apply to damp face, neck and upper chest area, massage in for up to 1 minute, to remove eye make up, pop some on two cotton pads, hold it there for a bit before wiping and removing, rinse off with a warm flannel. 

My favourite product to use caring for you treatments

Toner – its there to remove cleanser, but also to tighten your pores if your skin is oily, and soothe the skin if its sensitive. I once heard to not use toner is like not cleaning your shower, over time the scale builds up. Toner helps to restore the skin barrier’s ideal, which is a slightly acidic environment.

I use – Ringana tonic calm, as sometimes other toners have caused my face to feel stingy, so this one is perfect for sensitive skin. It has active substances from lactic acid bacteria that supply the skin with moisture, natural balance and reduce skin irritations. It also has hibiscus flower which rejuvenates and betaine from sugar which protects the skin drying out. For oily skin and large pores you can try tonic pure.

How to apply – a few squirts on a cotton pad and wipe over face

Tonic calm what products do I use

Serum – floods the skin with maximum moisture for smooth skin, it hydrates and prevents dryness, fine lines and goes to the depth and level where needed. The molecules are often smaller than a moisturiser, so they reach a deeper level of skin to moisturise.

I use – Hydro serum in the day with fresh adds glow to protect in particular from pollution as I live in a city. In the evening I just use the Hydro serum.

How to apply – 1 pump of each and lightly apply with fingers over the face, neck and upper chest area, only apply around the eye area.

Hydrating serum for your skin Fresh glow to soothe with pollution

 

Moistuiser – A high-quality nourishing cream is “daily bread for the skin”. It supplies the skin not only with fats and hydration, but also contains substances that protect it from everyday stress factors and environmental influences.

I use – Ringana medium moisturiser which is perfect for my normal to oily skin, they also do a light and a rich for more oily or dryer skin types. It contains the jiaogulan plant, which is also known as the immortality herb, it has an antioxidant effect and strengthens the skin barrier, it has substances from the rock rose to moisture in the skin and Cupuacu, mango and shea butter nourish the skin. Its also an award winning product!

How to apply – I apply after serum, both morning and night.

Amazing moisturiser caring for you

In the morning I wash with plain water and add serum and moisturiser, this suits my routine and skin, I very rarely wear make up and like the idea of not washing away natural oils on the skin, which is supportive in winter.

In the evening I use the cleaner, toner, hydro serum and moisturiser.

You can cleanse and tone both morning and evening should you wish to and I would encourage testing out what suits you best.

I haven’t mentioned exfoliator, eye serum, masks, lip balm, gua sha tools or face yoga, as I chose to keep this simple and I don’t use these items daily.

Just to touch on Nutricsometics – internal skin care health, is even more important, I eat plenty of vegetables and drink plenty of water, getting out in the fresh air and relaxation can all support with taking care of your skin too.

Want to know more? Book in a free online skin consultation to discover your skin type and I can offer product suggestions and a routine to suit your skin type.

Happy home facialing.

Home Self Care – Back pain tips

Back pain tips

I put together 6 simple tips for how to take care of back pain, in particular when its an annoying niggle and you are trying to work out what it is, where it came from and what to do to take care and improve the pain, have a read below.

1 Morning slowness movement

1. How do you take care of any back twinges? The first tip is movement. You have probably heard the advice, don’t sit still, yet are worried about moving as you are not sure which sort of movement could irritate it? Its true sitting still for long periods will make any twinges/tightness/aches worse. Move in a way that feels supportive, such as walking, a simple Pilates routine, or a gentle morning yoga video on Utube, I would suggest yoga where you are checking in with your body and feeling out your posture in a way that is good for you.

Stretches are beneficial, but overstretching isn’t! Just start with a few gentle moves, here is an example, I start every morning with gradually rolling back and letting my back align on the floor (it usually crunches for me) relax your shoulders, feel your spine fully on the floor, move your neck slowly from side to side. Start to curl up your lower back, so pelvis tilted upwards to move around the lower back/sacral area. Bring your knees in and hug them, rock gently from side to side, backwards and forwards along the spine, do a figure of 8. Circle your hips, then use your abs and momentum to sit yourself up. Yeay for moving our backs in a supportive way. 

2. Epsom salts or arnica in your bath

Epsom salts or a 30c arnica capsule in your bath. There is a reason why athletes and dancers use Epsom salts, they work! An Epsom salt bath can soothe aching muscles, relax you and provide yummy magnesium to soothe the body. Take extra care as they can make things slippy, also no longer than 20 minutes in the bath.

Arnica is perfect for relaxing tired, overworked muscles, especially good for bruising. If you don’t have a bath, you can take an arnica capsule internally or rub some arnica cream onto the affected area.

 

3. Schedule in relaxation time

Schedule in time to totally relax. Relaxation is the best medicine and that can look different for each person, for me it’s literally scheduling in some time to do nothing and asking your body what does it need to feel better. That could look like going out for a walk in nature, listening to the birds, going to the sauna (in our lockdown dreams), meditation, have a bath and an early night.

Whatever it is you need to do to make your back smile again, be gentle on yourself and know that you are a soft animal body that needs relaxing care right now.

PS Ted’s fav way to relax is to literally sit in bed and look at the clouds passing and the occasional bird flying over (we have a skylight)

Relax with ted caring for you treatments

4. Adjusting your schedule

That’s something we have all had to experiment with during the pandemic! ✨Sometimes unexpected things crop up (that’s life peeps) the same with an injury, it can stop us doing what we love, for example gardening or training, you may need to slow down and that can be tricky for some, but also there are benefits to relaxing back into your body and re-considering your schedule, that includes a training schedule.

✨Ask yourself, what actually is an essential task that can’t wait?
✨Clearing time to take care of your injury is numero uno priority, it’s also a perfect excuse to stop rushing around.

✨Don’t forget cherubs to keep your fluids topped up with plenty of water. Water will help aid your body to be hydrated and fascia loves to be hydrated, (fascia is a connective web that envelopes muscles, ligaments and joints). Water can also flush out any toxins and support the body to do its job best. If your body is inflamed, which it often is with an injury, water will support your lymphatic system to flush out any debris that is not wanted and reduce the swelling.

✨I would also recommend joint capsules such as these, they are natural and made by a company that is carbon neutral as well as housed in sustainable packaging. They have yummy things in to benefit the entire musculoskeletal system such as Turmeric, Frankincense and Calcium from an algae.

Back care tips Bristol

6 Reflect and protect 

Take note of what happened prior to the pain/niggle, so symptoms you feel and taking stock of what has been happening over the last few months. This could be mental/physical/emotional stress to potentially weaken things or contribute to the niggle or pain.

When are your symptoms worse or better? Use your own natural intelligence to work out what you see you need to do to support yourself. A maximum 10-minute ice pack can help if there is swelling. Keeping an area warm for example using a hot water bottle around your lower back/kidney area can soothe too.

To conclude

So there you have it, my 6 easeful tips to take of a niggly back and if your still getting trouble from your back, then reach out here for an alignment treatment and I will support you. We will work through steps to work out possible causes, reduce and eliminate your pain and send you off more relaxed and hopefully a bit clearer about taking care of your body.

The pros and cons of Bowen Technique

The pros and cons of Bowen Technique

I plan to share some of the many bowen therapy pros and cons. This is based on my experience of receiving Bowen over the past 20 years and practicing it for 5 years. In a nutshell, Bowen therapy is a relaxing alignment technique, providing pain relief and increase in mobility. 

❤ It is sooooooooooooooooooo relaxing – literally it calms down your ANS, er what is this? Part of the nervous system (system of nerves) that takes us out of fight or flight, (too much adrenaline/fight = adrenal fatigue) therefore it supports your digestion, sleep, blood flow and sexual response, oh so now your interested eh?

❤ It can help reduce pain & inflammation – I love working with peeps that are ready to commit to being pain free, you deserve to be.

❤ It can increase your movement in your joints and muscles – yipsters

❤ It provides freedom to do what you love to do, but pain free!

❤ It can support healing of trauma from old & new acute injuries

❤ It can relieve back pain, sciatica and spinal problems, see some of my case studies here.

❤ It can ease joint pain and restrictions

❤ It can ease respiratory conditions

❤ It can help pre and post recovery of an operation

❤ It can ease sports injuries, such as a pulled hamstring, athletes such as Michael Owen, Jonny Wilkinson and Bear Grylls have all received Bowen treatments.

❤ You become more aware of your weaker areas after receiving a treatment and what your body is supported by to prevent injury from happening again.

❤ It improves posture – over time and from repeated moves, fascia becomes sticky and restricted. Fascia is a web like substance which surrounds all the muscles, ligaments and joints. With Bowen Technique, we work to free up fascia, this supports to unwind, restrictions and free up compensation patterns, providing a straighter, freer, lighter you.

❤Its a nice relaxing way to receive alignment as opposed to through strong alignment manipulation – some manipulation therapies require forcing bones back to alignment but often this is stressful and dosent hold, with bowen, your body receives the moves and processes where to make the changes,  realigning itself in a relaxing way.

❤ It encourages the bodies own self-healing mechanism, so your body does its own healing – Bodies are so clever and many of us don’t really understand how they work or how connected they are, in bowen when we make a move all the stretch receptors in the skin tissue and the brain are communicating.

Bowen cons

❤ It is a lighter touch and it’s not hands on all the time, so those used to hands on all the time massage, might feel a bit like they want more squidging. Would you ask your dentist or osteopath for a massage? No, the same with Bowen its a technique to support those that need help and there is no need to fluff it up, however it is still relaxing, I often do some lovely moves around the face and feet for extra relaxation.

❤ Some can find it hard to understand how it works, if its not painful or hands on all the time. A lot of us are used to the idea that you need to feel pain to see an improvement, whilst its perfect to choose what you see best supports you, this is a myth that you need to feel pain to see improvement. Like many of our beliefs and systems in society, they can be a bit out dated. So, I also am very patience to educate and introduce those that are already and wiling to re-education in how we take care of ourselves. 

So, to conclude I hope I explained some of the many benefits of Bowen, its a relatively unheard of treatment, but the effects are so incredible.

Book a bowen treatment here