You are all aware that booking in for your regular, organic, holistic facials with me works wonders for your outer glow … and your inner peace; but did you know that there is so much that you can do for yourself in between treatments that has an equally beneficial effect on your skin?
Here are five simple ways in which you can hold back the visible signs of ageing when you’re not lying on my cosy treatment bed.
Those days when you're overwhelmed, spinning too many plates, juggling one too many jobs.
We all have them, and sometimes we have weeks or months of them in a row. We feel burned out, stressed, disconnected from ourselves and our loved ones.
Do you want to know a secret though? There is an antidote to the stress that our modern lives cause, and it's one that originates in Ancient Times, 2,000 years ago in the East, in Tibetan and Himalayan cultures.
This Ancient secret is called Sound Healing, and it's available to you right now at Transcendence Holistic Therapies in Wakefield, West Yorkshire.
It’s World Reflexology Week!
As one of my most popular treatments, I know that most of you will already have some knowledge of Foot Reflexology as I try to incorporate it into most of my treatments for you – while your face mask is on during your facial, as a balancing section during my Spa Rituals, or even as a standalone 60 minute treatment.
However, not quite as many of you have experienced the power of a Facial Reflexology treatment, so I thought I would share its’ magic with you to celebrate World Reflexology Week.
It was back in October 2018 that I had the honour of training in Facial Reflexology with Ziggie Bergman, reflexologist to the stars and founder of the Award Winning Bergman Method Facial Reflexology. From the moment I laid my hands on my model’s face in the training room that day, I fell in love with this therapy! Under Ziggie’s instruction the class spent the day learning the theory of, and the hands on practical application of Facial Reflexology.
I remember that the first training day started as a beautiful Autumn day at the London School of Reflexology at Regent’s University, with sunlight streaming into the classroom and the gentle sound of the breeze shaking copper leaves from the trees outside….but that is the last thing I remember of my surroundings. The training that day transported me around the world to the origins of this therapy, from the Far East where facial mapping originated to the Great Plains of the US where Native Americans developed their own facial techniques to care for the wellbeing of their tribe. I was completely absorbed in its unique global heritage.
Three years have passed since my training and I must have delivered hundreds of Facial Reflexology treatments since then, but the magic of that classroom experience has never left me and each treatment still sparks joy when my fingertips engage with my client’s face for the first time and I feel that surge of energy which is the magical connection between client and therapist as their two energy systems combine.
You see for me, Facial Reflexology is Foot Reflexology’s more spiritual sister treatment. Both are equally effective therapies that always seek to return the body to homeostasis, but I find that working on the face rather than the feet is a very different and energetic experience for my client.
This is because when delivering reflexology to the face, the therapist is in much closer proximity to the brain, cranial nerves and central nervous system and this results for many clients in sensations of tingling nerves from crown to toe followed by the deepest relaxation that they have ever experienced. It’s also not unusual for clients to tell me all about the beautiful colours and images that they have seen in their mind’s eye at the end of their treatment.
The mapping of all the body systems onto the face means that facial reflexologists are able to target any physical issues that might currently be an issue for you, in just the same way that foot reflexology functions. However, as the client’s face is much more visible to the therapist than the soles of the feet, a facial reflexology session begins even before the client is tucked into the cosy treatment bed – immediately on meeting her client the facial reflexologist is using the client’s face as a beautiful and precise tool to read what might be going on within the body’s internal organs, central nervous system and neuro-biological systems. Sometimes issues are apparent even before the therapist touches her client, for example it’s no coincidence that you might experience breakouts on your chin before your period – this area of the face houses the reproductive reflexes which mirror hormonal changes within your monthly cycle.
By using their knowledge of the reflex points of the face that correspond to the internal systems of the body, facial reflexologists are able to create bespoke treatments to suit the client’s needs on the day. If you’ve had a particularly stressful time of late, then I would be incorporating into your treatment reflex points such as the lungs and diaphragm to relax this area and encourage a deep slow breath, and possibly the digestive reflexes too if you carry your stress as a sensitive stomach or IBS, or the shoulders if this is where you hold your tension in the body. I would also be focused on your heart reflex point which is located just between the eyes to soothe emotional tension (it’s no coincidence that we are drawn to hold our own faces over this reflex point when we are feeling overwhelmed).
Through working on the Face, this type of reflexology is also the perfect choice to tackle conditions such as migraines, bruxism, bells palsy, sinus conditions and hay fever. I have had amazing results for clients with these conditions which has alleviated their need to reach for the usual pain relief tablets that they resort to.
Facial reflexology also has another wonderful point of difference to foot reflexology – you receive a mini facial within this treatment! My facial reflexology sessions always begin with a deep double cleanse with steamy hot towels to prepare the face for the application of a gorgeous organic facial oil. The oil generates just enough slip for a welcome massage to face, neck, shoulders and scalp to relax the client before I flow into the facial reflexology sequence of your treatment. Facial reflexology is experienced by the client as a soothing pattern of precise pressure point applications combined with relaxing effleurage massage to link areas together. The delivery can be quite hypnotic and is extremely soothing, so much so that it actually has an analgesic effect on the body, reducing pain by releasing natural endorphins. At the end of your treatment, your face is cleansed once more and eye gel and moisturiser to suit your skin type are applied so that you leave me feeling not only blissfully relaxed but also looking radiant.
Facial reflexology also has the added benefit of reducing the tension held in our face, thereby softening the fine lines and wrinkles that express our daily stress, making us look younger and more relaxed.
With all these benefits being delivered in such a relaxing and nourishing treatment, I’m sure you’ll understand now why I absolutely love it when a client hops onto the treatment bed to receive this treatment, especially if it’s their first time and they’re not quite prepared for the level of relaxation that they’re about to experience!
Why not try it out next time you’re here in the treatment room with me? If you’re a stalwart foot reflexology fan, switch over to facial reflexology next time you’re here – you won’t be disappointed with the results!
See you soon,
Vicky xx
I am so excited to be introducing Ear Seeding to my Treatment Menu when I re-open after the current Lockdown. Ear Seeding is a magical therapy that has its roots in Traditional Chinese Medicine and brings so many potential benefits to your Physical, Emotional and Mental Wellness.
If you haven’t come across this therapy before, Ear Seeding is simply the Practice of applying the tiny seeds of the Vaccaria plant to carefully selected Reflexology & Traditional Chinese Medicine points on the ear with adhesive tape. This provides continuous stimulation of the targeted points - you can think of it as a time-release reflexology session that is still active long after you’ve left the Treatment Room.
Seeds can be positioned to support all the issues that we often target with Foot Reflexology, for example, to offer support for mental and emotional issues such as stress, anxiety & insomnia, for the management of pain in the body, for digestive issues, or fertility issues. There are even protocols to help support your weight loss journey, or the release of addictions. Ear seeds are particularly effective in the latter two cases when the client is motivated to make positive changes and is looking for a way to be pro-active and hands-on in the improvement of their Health & Wellness. Seeding offers the client a unique and empowering opportunity to participate in their own healing, as they can easily apply gentle pressure to their ear seeds in between appointments in order to trigger the carefully selected reflexes and thereby maintain the benefits of their treatments.
Interested in booking in for an Ear Seeding session? Then let me give you more information on what to expect during your session with me. Ear Seeding is offered as a 15 minute add-on service to any other treatment on the menu; it works perfectly to strengthen the benefits of your Foot or Facial reflexology treatment between sessions, and is equally effective as a self-care add on to your favourite Massage, Facial or Spa Ritual to support any health or emotional issues that you might be working through. Depending on which treatment you’ve decided to add your Ear Seeding on to, you will enjoy your Seeding session either in a seated or reclined position on the warm & cosy Treatment Bed.
Your session begins with a massage & reflexology to the ears which awakens the many Nerve Pathways in this area. The ear is highly concentrated with nerve endings and is crossed by no less than three energy meridians (Triple Burner, Small Intestine & Gall Bladder), which creates a gorgeous stimulation to your senses and subtle energies when massaged.
Once the ears are warmed and energised, I then use a small metal probe to assess for any imbalances in the reflex points that we have decided will best support your desired outcome. Seeds are then taped on the targeted points of the outer ear and you can now apply gentle pressure to them yourself whenever you want to stimulate the support that they offer you. The process is relaxing and pain free, and gives you the unique opportunity to continue the effects of your session with me well into the week ahead. The seeds are tiny and taped over with a very small neutral coloured plaster, so are barely noticeable. They usually stay on your ears anywhere from 4 days to a week before they detach themselves, during which time you are in the empowered position of being able to self-treat by applying gentle pressure to your reflexes whenever you feel the need to.
I hope that this has given you an insight into the benefits of Ear Seeding; it really is a quick and effective way to boost your Health & Wellness on a Physical, Emotional & Mental level, and I look forward to delivering this Treatment to you very soon.
Love & Light!
Vicky x
Ladies, we are over two months into our Third Lockdown now and I’m here to check in and ask you – how is your back? I’ve had lots of messages from clients in the last few weeks asking to be added to the waitlist for a back massage as soon as I’m allowed to re-open.
If you feel desperate for a massage right now to ease tension in your back, you are certainly not the only one. So many of us have been working (not to mention schooling) from home on and off for the best part of a year now, and it’s very likely that your back will be paying the price for not having the support of a proper office chair or an ergonomic working environment.
So, until I can see you again and work my magic melting away those knots and tight muscles, I thought I would offer you a few very simple steps to consider that might help ease that strain you’re feeling in your back:
Your Chair
Firstly – if you’re spending most of your day seated at your laptop, then check whether your chair is supportive enough. Gorgeous looking feature chairs may be eye-catching at the dining room table or kitchen counter but most aren’t designed to support our alignment and posture for an 8 hour working day. Bear in mind that our head weighs 5kg, so it’s no wonder that if our chair isn’t automatically positioning us to sit up straight, then the weight of our head when we are hunched over our laptop, is constantly putting an uncomfortable strain on our shoulder and neck muscles. If your chair isn’t naturally supporting you in a fully upright position, then try to consciously pull yourself fully upright whenever you notice that you’re slouching. Also, if you feel that your lower back is rounding and isn’t supported enough by your chair, then use a rolled up towel for a bit of extra boost.
Your Posture
Your seated posture is affected by your chair height and seat depth, which will have a knock on effect on the angles of your hip and knee. When you’re sitting at your computer, check that your hip and knees are at 90 degree angles. You should also have a 90 degree angle at the elbow too and a neutral shoulder and wrist position so that your shoulders aren’t pushed forward. When your shoulders are forward, the neck will follow and you’ll soon find yourself hunching and putting strain on your back. Whenever you get up to make a cup of tea, use it as a chance to shake out and stretch and consciously re-set your posture as you sit back down again. Finally, don’t forget to think about your feet – ideally they should be grounded flat on the floor for full support.
Your Screen
The height of your screen is crucial to avoiding back pain. When seated your gaze should be straight ahead to avoid neck and shoulder pain. Use a couple of books to raise your screen if needs be so that your eyeline is true.
Self Care
Taking regular breaks is crucial for your back health. Set an alarm on your phone to go off every hour as a reminder to get up, move and stretch your back out – it’s also a good time to re-hydrate and get yourself a glass of water too! Keeping active in your free time will support your back health for the times when you do have to be sat at the kitchen table during the working week. Yoga and Pilates are excellent ways to strengthen your core which supports the overall health of your back. Here’s one of my absolute favourite yoga teachers with a routine to help to ease back pain and start to build strength.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=phuS5VLQy8c
So ladies, I hope these super simple checkpoints help you to adjust your WFH set up so that you can avoid causing any further pain and tension building up in your back. Fingers crossed I’ll be allowed to re-open the Treatment Room doors again in April so that you can hop on the cosy heated bed and let me get my hands (or even better…hot stones!) on your tight neck, shoulders and lower back to alleviate all your WFH aches and pains. If you’re not yet on the Waitlist for a gorgeous, stress-relieving appointment but would like to be, then just drop me an email to let me know and I’ll be in touch when the time comes for me to welcome you all back again.
Missing you all, Stay Safe!
Vicky xx
…Skin cells that are energised by the LED light will function better, stimulate more collagen production, and can renew up to 200% faster, accelerating regeneration and repair. This is why the treatment is so effective, for example, at improving the appearance of your crow’s feet, fine lines & wrinkles.
