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8/19/2020 6 of the best essential oils for sleep Essential oils for sleep
Sleep is essential for your physical health. For example, sleep is involved in healing and repair of your heart and blood vessels. Ongoing sleep deficiency is linked to an increased risk of heart disease, kidney disease, high blood pressure, diabetes, and stroke. The statistics show that as many as 16 million UK adults* are suffering from sleepless nights as a third (31%) say they have insomnia
Could aromatherapy be the answer? Aromatherapy is the use of concentrated plant extracts or essences extracted from plants and flowers. These essences (called essential oils) contain powerful therapeutic properties. As a trained aromatherapist I've been using these oils with my clients for years with amazing results. Here are 6 of the best essential oils for sleep Lavender Always has to be top of the list when it comes to relaxation! Lavender is the most popular and versatile essential oil in aromatherapy. It has a harmonising effect on the nervous system. It assists our response to any kind of unproductive stress. It provides a sedative or stimulant action depending on your needs, acting as a sedative in conditions of mental & emotional stress, calming the mind and alleviating fears, while it uplifts & revives the spirit for someone feeling emotionally depleted. It’s the first choice for the treatment of insomnia especially when it’s due to mental stress or anxiety. Bergamot Bergamot essential oil is produced from the peel of the nearly ripe fruit of the bergamot tree, it has a citrusy scent and it has a sedative yet uplifting quality. It’s a great oil for if you are feeling tense or anxious. It has an affinity with the heart chakra and is useful when the heart chakra is affected by grief. It balances the body's energies and helps you to relax and let go. (Bergamot is phototoxic avoid exposure to the sun after having used bergamot in a massage or in a both) Roman chamomile Chamomile has long been known for its therapeutic properties, chamomile flowers have been used for many years to aid digestive problems. The sweet scent of roman chamomile is calming and soothing. It is particularly well known for its ability to alleviate stress and anxiety and insomnia. Not only has research shown that Roman chamomile can calm anxiety and promote better quality sleep, but it also has the potential to reduce nightmares. Sweet marjoram Marjoram is one of the most sedative essential oils and has the ability to strengthen and relax the nerves. It stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system (rest & restore response) and lowers the sympathetic function (fight or flight state) . It's ability to relax the nerves makes it a perfect addition to any essential oil blend to aid sleep. Sweet orange Cold pressed from the ripe outer peel of the orange fruit. According to traditional Chinese medicine sweet orange helps to circulate stagnant Qi (energy) especially when it accumulates in the liver, stomach and intestines. Sweet orange has a calming effect as well as lifting the spirits, it is well known for its ability to alleviate stress, restlessness and anxiety. Ylang ylang Ylang ylang has the ability to slow down over rapid breathing and overrapid heartbeat, it’s well known for treating frustration, depression and anger. Ylang ylang helps to reduce stress and anxiety. It helps bring feelings of peace and dispels anger which can hinder healing, spiritual connection & meditation. And it smells divine! How to use Essential oils must be handled carefully. There are only 2 oils that can be applied directly to your skin and they are lavender & tea tree. All other oils need to be added to an oil, body cream, bath or diffuser. Sleep easy bath/body oil Here’s a sleep easy blend for you! Add to a carrier oil such as coconut oil, sweet almond oil or Neal’s Yard create your own body lotion click here to purchase - It’s divine and great for making your own essential oil creations! To 50ml of oil or lotion add 5 drops of sweet marjoram 5 drops of lavender 5 drops of roman chamomile 5 drops of bergamot Mix into the oil or lotion and then use the oil as a body oil/lotion or bath oil just before bedtime! Make your own sleep pillow spray You will need a 50ml bottle with spray pump Add 70% of the bottle with alcohol - vodka is the best as it doesn't have a strong scent Fill the rest of the bottle with spring water or distilled water Add 5 drops of sweet marjoram 5 drops of lavender 5 drops of ylang ylang 5 drops of sweet orange Spray liberally around the room and on your pillow just before bedtime! Click here to check out my Etsy shop for a range of aromatherapy products to calm mind, body & soul. You can purchase organic essential oils from Neals Yard here * ONS mid-2016 population estimates. There are 51,767,543 UK adults aged 18 and above in the UK. Statistics taken from https://www.aviva.com/newsroom/news-releases/2017/10/Sleepless-cities-revealed-as-one-in-three-adults-suffer-from-insomnia/ 8/7/2020 Fragrance oils vs essential oils Be kind to your body & mind!
When I first started making soap a few years back I started to learn all about the difference between essential oils & fragrance oils. I quickly realised that many of the everyday products we use such as soap, shower gels, hand washes and shampoos contain products that, let's just say, aren't as natural as they're made out to be. The thing is what we put on our skin ends up in our body and the more conscious we become about what products we use, what we put on our skin may become just as important as the food we eat. What are fragrance oils? Fragrance oils are synthetic man made fragrances. You will find them in a wide range of products to give them a scent. You'll know if a product contains a synthetic fragrance by looking at the label, if the ingredients list says the words fragrance oil, FO, perfume or parfum it's not natural. They are made from synthetic compounds and can have potentially dangerous side effects such as headaches, dizziness, skin irritation or coughing. Many fragrance oils are derived from petrochemicals (petroleum based) and could 'possibly contain diethyl phthalate, a chemical found in 97 percent of Americans (Silva 2004) and linked to sperm damage in human epidemiological studies (Swan 2008), and musk ketone, a synthetic fragrance ingredient that concentrates in human fat tissue and breast milk (Hutter 2009; Reiner 2007).' )(from ewg.org) Why use a fragrance oil? For someone looking to make a soap or candle fragrance oils are the easy choice because they hold their scent better than essential oils and they are much cheaper. As a consumer you get the fresh clean linen scent that you love or the scent of fabric conditioner in your candle. Fragrance oils smell great! Essential oils cost more and are trickier to get a great scent throw from. That's why when you see an aromatherapy soap or candle made from essential oils it's bound to be more expensive and probably won't have such a strong smell. Fragrance oils aren't all that bad otherwise manufacturers wouldn't be able to use them! As they are made by a synthesis of chemicals to imitate a natural product, the issue can occasionally lie within the exact individual chemical component of the finished fragrance. What are essential oils? Essential oils are made from the flowers, leaves, fruit or stems of plants. They are obtained from natural raw material either by distillation with water or steam, mechanical processing or dry distillation. They are widely used for their therapeutic benefits. Many essential oils are absorbed into the bloodstream when they are inhaled or applied topically and these essential oils have an effect on the mental states, nervous system or the endocrine system. For example lavender is well known for its calming and relaxing effects. But not all natural plants are safe, think poison ivy! Essential oils aren't as harmless as you may think, they are not to be used internally, most are not to be used directly on the skin and essential oils do have some of the same allergens found in fragrance oils. Why use essential oils? Here's why I will only use products fragranced with essential oils. They are natural extracts of plants and flowers. I choose not to have chemicals found in fragrance oils on my body or even worse burn them in a candle producing a toxic chemical vapour. But also for the therapeutic benefits, as an aromatherapist and holistic therapist I've been using them for years to help people with a range of conditions. Many of my clients swear by my muscle & joint ease balm to take away joint and muscle discomfort, and they smell divine too! Visit my Etsy shop! www.etsy.com/uk/shop/LouisaBApothecary Refrences. https://www.ewg.org/research/not-so-sexy#.Wmnzw65Ku01 12/11/2018 How to stay stress free this Christmas! How to stay stress free this Christmas!
Christmas – I LOVE IT!! It's my favourite time of the year! I love everything about it, the tree, lights, the family time and of course the food! But it is that time of year when there seems to be so much more to do! There are presents to buy, Christmas parties and school plays to attend, and then there's the Christmas food shop to do! A time when every other person in your town is in your local supermarket! - So much fun bashing trolleys and trying to get your hands on the last bag of sprouts! So how can you stay calm and serene during the festive season? Here are my top tips #1 Get organised - Make a list, not just any old list. Three is the magic number as far as the brain is concerned. It thinks like one, two, three, too many. So make a list in three categories EG Gift shopping, household chores and food shopping and then list what you have to do under these 3 headings. Any more than 3 things and the brain goes into overload mode. So list everything you have to do in 3 categories (no more) Then your list wont look so long and your beautiful brain wont get overloaded! #2 Breathe If you feel yourself getting stressed or overwhelmed, take a moment to take a few deep breaths. Sounds simple right? Breathing is one of the simplest and easies ways to change your state. Breath in for 5 seconds then breathe out for 5 seconds, do this 10 times. Controlling your breathing calms your brain and helps regulate your blood pressure. #3 Meditation Many of my clients say they find it difficult to meditate, their brains are too busy and they cant switch off. This is true for most people who start to meditate. The best way to start is by listening to a guided meditation. As if by magic I have recorded a guided relaxation meditation for you! It's 5 minutes long. My suggestion is to listen to it in the morning after you wake up and in the evening before bed. Enjoy! Click this link to access the meditation www.podbean.com/media/share/pb-9ymek-9d2a35 Our work at Louisa Brown holistic therapies is to help you to manage your stress or anxiety using a range of holistic therapies. If you feel like 2019 is the year you take control of your health then why not book in for a complimentary chaos to calm consultation with Louise. In this session you will be givensome of the top tips Louise gives to her clients to help them with stress or anxiety. You will be guidedthrough a short meditation to release stress from the body. You will be given a sample of aromatherapy bath salts to use at home to calm the body and mind and Louise will share with you how i help people to achieve, optimal health more calm and peace in their lives. Interesting article https://www.forbes.com/sites/daviddisalvo/2017/11/29/how-breathing-calms-your-brain-and-other-science-based-benefits-of-controlled-breathing/#10db1fc32221 4/4/2018 The journey from 9-5 to FREEDOM! Last night I had a dream, I dreamt that I was in America, I was in one of those all you can eat diners and i was with a bunch of people. I have no clue who these people were but they were kind and friendly and kept bringing me food (my kind of people!) Then I realised that I was going to Orlando so I started to prepare for my journey. I had no real plan, I had not researched this journey so I thought, I'll just jump in the car and drive a few hours to get there, but then I realised I was in Chicago, and then I woke up. I've since googled that Chicago is a 17hour drive from Orlando. So I though to myself what does this mean? I often use my dreams as a way of changeling information to give to my clients, and then it came to me.
When I quit my toxic job (the scariest thing i've ever done in my life) the job I hated, my goal was to set up a business making and selling soap. I watched a TV programme one day where the presenter was in a beautiful shop full of handmade soap and the owner was showing her how to make it. I'll do that I thought, it looks like fun. I started to make soap, I made a lot of soap! And most of it ended up in the bin. Finally when I got the hang of making soap I started to sell it, it sold it online, on twitter and I would go here there and everywhere doing craft markets. Did I have a plan, a plan about the vision for my business, did I know my numbers, have a marketing plan, have amazing branding, know exactly how much each bar of soap cost to make – erm no! Nada, no clue! At the same time as doing this I had a part time job and was training in reiki, massage and reflexology. I continued doing this, being mad crazy busy, not knowing whether I was coming or going until I came home from a craft fair one day, exhausted, I had made £80 and the stall fee cost me £40 and I realised that all this soap making was a ton of work for not much money, i'll scale this down and just focus on my holistic therapies, I thought, which is what I did. The reason i'm telling you this story is that when you do decide to quit your crappy day job, the one that you hate, the one that ties your stomach in knots every time you go in the door, the journey isn't always straightforward. It isn't perfect, you don't need to know exactly what you want to do, you will possibly start things, realise you don't want to do that anymore and change and do something else. You may get a part time job just to tide you over while your business picks up. It doesn't matter, what does matter is that you do something! Your ego will try and keep you in the same place by telling you any of the following... I'll quit my job when i've saved up some money I'll quit when i've finished this training course. When I get more clients, then i'll quit my job When my pet parrot dies then i'll quit and start my own business the list could go on and on and on In a way I was lucky I had got to the point where I said enough was enough, I cant take this anymore. I don't care if I go bankrupt and end up with nowhere to live, I don't care because no matter what happens I couldn't possibly feel as bad as I feel right now. I was deeply unhappy, unfulfilled, my misery resulted in an eating disorder, I was physically il too and i was 40 years old. I was not where I thought I should be at this point in my life. But i thought If i don't do it now i never will! I remember my last day in work. I was a learning and development exec (a posh name for a trainer) and I was working from home training a bunch of lovely people online. In between training these lovely people, I would cry, I cried all day, I was scared as hell. I had no clue what was in store for me. It was July (the 19th, it's a very important anniversary for me) a warm sunny day and I had the window open and as I sat there crying a butterfly flew in the window, flew round the room and flew out again. What do butterflies mean? Change and transformation. I din't go bankrupt and I kept a roof over my head, I paid my bills and I made a tons of mistakes, I went on the most amazing journey of my life and it's the best thing i've ever done. I survived. The 19th of July 2012 is a very special date for me, it's the day broke free, the day I finally said i'm doing what I want to do with my life, I'm taking charge now and i'm going to create something amazing. To get there I had to do a TON of work releasing my emotional baggage, letting go of limiting beliefs and creating new empowering ones, building my confidence and self esteem, learning to love myself and doing a ton of forgiveness work. And then I thought maybe I should learn something about business! But the most important work is the mindset work, thats absolutley the most important thing. My journey continues, now I help people to do what I did, as a miraculous manifesting coach I help aspiring ambitious spiritual entrepreneurs quit the crappy 9-5 and build a heart centred business that they love and manifest the life of their dreams. I love what I do because I know with all of my heart that you can do the same. Join my tribe https://www.facebook.com/groups/449613325455074/ and find out more about manifesting and mindset to achieve your desires!  Most of us of heard of foot reflexology developed by the late Eunice Ingram, the theory being that all areas of the body have a corresponding reflexology point on the foot. For example the top of the big toe represents the brain. Applying pressure to this area can affect brain functioning.
The right foot corresponds to the organs on the right side of the body, and vice versa. Facial reflexology works on the same theory that points of the face correspond to an area of the body so the theory is that by stimulating these points we are bringing balance and harmony to the whole body. So why is is such an incredible treatment if you are feeling stressed? Firstly i have come to realise over the years that facial massage is extremely important and powerful in helping clients reach a deep state of relaxation, we often forget that the face can hold a lot of tension through clenching of the jaw, frowning or scowling. Facial reflexology can help to relieve this tension and as one of my clients once said to me "i don't want my life to be written all over my body' particularly the face! - wise words. Secondly stimulating a facial reflexology point affects the part of the brain that stimulates a particular organ so location comes into play here. When working the reflex points on the face, there is a shorter distance to reach the associated parts of the brain, basically it works much more quickly that when working on the feet. I can usually see that by the time i have reached the 4th or 5th reflex point on the face the client is showing visible signs of being deeply relaxed, a much quicker route to achieving calm and peace. Thirdly we use Neal's yard organic facial oil during our facial reflexology treatments, we use either frankincense, orange flower (neroli) or rose essential oils, so you will be soothed by these wonderful scents during your treatment. Frankincense can help relieve chronic stress and anxiety, reducing pain and inflammation and boosting immunity. Rose essential oil can help alleviate depression and is great for the skin and orange flower essential oil is great for reducing stress & symptoms of the menopause. Next this treatment can be tailor made to your personal requirements, are you suffering from hay fever, migraines, stress? During the consultation we will discuss who you want to get out of the treatment and the session will be tailor made specifically for you, if you are suffering from stress or struggling to sleep we can work more on certain reflex points to help you. And finally this treatment balances the whole body using the principles of reflexology, working the whole system to restore balance. Not only this there appears to be something quite special about facial reflexology and i know this from the reports i've had from my clients. It takes people into a very deep state of relaxation, clients have reported seeing colours, going on journeys, floating all sorts of amazing things! And all reporting that they have felt deeply relaxed afterwards So there are the 5 reasons why facial reflexology will make you feel less stressed! If you would like to book a session with Louise please call 07966688465 or email louisabrownholistictherapies holistictherapies@gmail.com Louisa Brown Holistic Theapies Feel Good, Knowsley Road, Ormskirk, Lancs, L394RB Tel 07966688465 web www.louisabrownholistictherapies.com 5/28/2017 Thinking of going vegan? According to a recent article in the Times, the number of vegans has risen by 360% in the last 10 years and i am one of those people. Why did i, and so many others recently go vegan? I had been vegetarian for 3 years and then i met a few people on my travels who were vegan, it was something i thought in the back of my mind i might venture into but it seemed to be a huge lifestyle change, what on earth would i eat? Would i need to buy different shampoo, make up, shoes?
One of the people i met on my travels is what i would call a vegan warrior, posting on Facebook the horrors of the cruelty that are just as bad in the diary industry as they are in the meat industry, this was the main reason for me, i just couldn't bear the cruelty that is inflicted upon animals so that we can consume meat and dairy. I won't go into this here but if you are on the verge of veganism many people watch a film called earthlings that will probably tip you over the edge, personally i can't watch any film with cruelty to animals in it, it keeps me awake at night, so if you are like me don't watch it! The main reason many people go vegan are for the health benefits. Supporters of plant-based eating say vegans typically have lower levels of cholesterol and blood pressure, a lower body mass index, and reduced risk of death from heart disease and cancer. There are also the environmental and welfare issues that are contributing to the rising number of people turning to a plant based diet. I personally have felt great since i went vegan about 6 months ago. I love to cook, which is something i didn't do a lot of before, but now i have found a base of great recipes (if you love curries there are tons of vegan versions) that i cook, prepare and freeze. Pinterest is a great source of recipes. I feel i have so much more energy i don't feel like i am missing anything and a bizarre thing i realised the other day is that i no longer get heat rash! Is that because of cutting out dairy? who knows, but I've had heat rash for 20+ years and i got a little bit red in the sun recently and not a rash in sight! The hardest thing and the last thing i gave up was butter, i loved toast with tons of butter on and i found that really hard to give up, so i stopped having toast in the morning and then found flora do a lovely spread made from plants and now i love that on my toast! There are vegan shampoos & conditioners available in most health food stores and for body lotions, moisturisers and deoderants i use Neals' yard as all of their products are organic, cruelty free and most are vegan and there are quite a few companies who make vegan beauty products, in fact i am setting up a vegan beauty website where you can shop for these great products - watch this space! Most supermarkets now stock vegan products, milk alternatives are easy to find, plant based yoghurts and deserts, many Linda Mcartney products are vegan, i don't have to go any further than my local supermarket for my weekly shop. I think my top advice is to do what you can, don't beat yourself up if you have to eat dairy. Many vegans are quick to criticise other vegans who, for example, might eat eggs from a friend who keeps free range chickens. I find this extremely unhelpful to say the least! Sometimes if i have to travel for work or go to a seminar it can difficult to find vegan food so i might have to eat dairy, i have met a few vegans who say the same. It's ok, do your best. If everybody in this world cut out meat & dairy for one day what would that do for the beautiful creatures of this earth as well as the earth itself? It would make a massive difference i'm sure. I am still at the beginning of my vegan journey i have lots to learn but it's a decision i'm glad i made. If you are considering going vegan? I have a little something that may help, its a book called the vegan miracle by Marie Duboule it's a simple book that will help you make that transition to veganism, with information including the basics of the nutritional balance of a healthy diet to what to do when your non vegan friends invite you round. There are also some recipes to get you started and some great resources for you to check out, click here to find out more Wishing you lots of luck on your vegan journey! let me know how you get on! Click here to shop for Neal's yard products. 5/30/2016 May 30th, 2016 Tales of a Kundalini yoga Virgin!
From the start of this year I have been regularly attending Hatha Yoga class with a fantastic teacher who has taught all over the world. She would chant and challenge us with the postures and teach us how to correctly sing 'om' My friend and myself loved it, very spiritual, not just about exercise, but sadly a couple of months ago she stopped the class, don't blame her really as only me and my friend would turn up most weeks and I understand that it's not good business sense to run a class for just 2 people! So I have been in Yoga limbo land for a while, not being able to find a class on the right day, then I cant quite remember how I came across Kundalini yoga, I think somebody had left some leaflets in the clinic about local Kundalini yoga classes. I knew there were different styles of yoga but I had no idea what Kundalini yoga was so after a little while of should I go, shouldn't I go, I decided to give it a try. At that particular period of time I was going through the 'spiritual wobble' so was feeling very flat, lifeless and depleted of all energy and enthusiasm (see pervious blog on the spiritual wobble) but myself and a friend decided to go. When we got there we were greeted by a lovely lady all dressed in white including a white headband, who was very passionate about Kundalini yoga. She excitedly told us a bit about how the class would run and a little bit about Kundalini yoga “it's a bit different from other types of yoga” she said. I was thinking how different can it be? So we took our places and unrolled our mats. We 'tuned in' with a mantra that we had to sing, a little odd maybe and then some alternate nostril breathing, ok I've done this before this is ok. Then the first of the asanas (yoga postures) We were instructed to sit on the floor cross legged, put our arms above our head and wave our arms around, in no particular fashion, to the music. I'm thinking to myself what this hec is this arm waving about, why am I doing this. So for the first 5 minutes, which actually seemed like 20 minutes we all sat there waving our arms above our heads to what I can only describe as indian sounding dance music. Did I feel self conscious? kind of yes, but I closed my eyes and went along with it. The next move was to stand up and basically wiggle our hips and wave our hand above our head for another 5 minutes, what on earth am I doing here, I thought, this is madness. I feel like i'm a five year old back in 'music and movement class' I am the kind of person that needs to know EVERYTHING about what I am doing, so i'm wondering what on earth is this doing for me? Things got a little bit more 'normal' after that with some more regular yoga moves although I did not recognise any of them from previous yoga classes. There was lots of breathing involved but not just gentle in and out breaths, it was sharp inhalations and exhalations as each move took place. At the end of the session we all 'tuned out' singing a nice little song called the long time sun, I felt like I was back in the brownies. I was tired and unimpressed, my friend loved it, I was not convinced. I went home and went to bed, still feeling flat uninspired and a bit down in the dumps. The next day I woke up and sprang out of bed, I felt incredible, positive, happy, like a weight had been lifted, I couldn't believe it, I felt incredible and back to my usual positive happy self, marvellous! My yoga teacher messaged me later that day to say that she hoped I enjoyed the class, I messaged her back saying how terrific I felt. I had changed my mind about Kundalini yoga in an instant. For the whole day I felt incredible, on a high. I found that it really worked for me on a energetic level, like it shifted something that needed to be shifted, all that arm waving and hip shaking had blow away the cobwebs indeed. I am now on a quest to find out what how Kundalini affects the body, this is taken from the kindaliniyoga.org.uk website 'Kundalini Yoga, the Yoga of Awareness, consists of simple yogic techniques that can be enjoyed by everyone, no matter his or her age or physical ability. It is a complete science that includes breath (pranayam), yoga postures (asanas), sound, chanting (mantra) and meditation. It is designed to provide you with the experience of your highest consciousness through the raising of your Kundalini. Kundalini Yoga is a potent and effective system of self-transformation and personal development. Kundalini Yoga stimulates individual growth through systematic techniques that strengthen the nervous system and balance the glandular system (the guardians of health), for increased stability and vitality. Meditation improves mental concentration, sharpens awareness and give the direct experience of consciousness. Kundalini Yoga encompasses and draws from all yogic systems and techniques' Kundalini is a vast reservoir of natural energy that lies dormant in the root chakra in most people, until ‘activated’. This activation is a process: it happens naturally and slowly as we evolve. But the process of evolution can be accelerated through disciplined spiritual practice. When the kundalini ‘awakens’, our consciousness changes: we become much more aware. Kundalini yoga aids this process, the breathing exercises stimulate the flow of energy. As a transformational massage therapist, I am all about revealing the brilliance that within all of us by gradually facilitating the release of trauma, caused by the ego from the tissues in the body. I am all about transformational work. It is said that in Kundalini yoga 'The breath work within the kriyas is so powerful that it starts to strip away the layers that veil our consciousness' Just incredible! Our Yoga teacher said that Russell Brand had called Kundalini yoga, the crack cocaine of yoga, and I can see why!! I have since been to another three classes and have researched becoming a teacher, something I always do when I find something I love and resonate with, I want to know everything about it and teach it! If you are into numerology my life path number is 1 so you can see why!! The second class I went to shook me up a bit, made me realise a few things about myself, made me question my thinking about the barriers I put up in relationships and how when I check out reality the situation is very different to what I had in my head, powerful stuff. Todays class was fantastic, each session has a different focus, I can't for the life of me tell you what the focus of todays class was but I feel great. So I am hooked, I love it, another avenue to help me shed my old self and 'strip away the layers that veil my consciousness' If you live on the Ormskirk area, check out Vicky's Kundalini yogas class, i've added a link to her Facebook page at the bottom of the page. I am sure there is much more to Kundalini yoga than what I have written here and I look forward to learning more about it as I continue my practice. PS If anybody know's why all Kundalini yoga teachers wear white please let me know!! Until next time! Louise H Vicky Yoga Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100011000413890&fref=ts Refrences http://www.kundaliniyoga.org.uk/information/what-is-kundalini-yoga https://www.3ho.org/articles/what-kundalini-yogahttp://www.elephantjournal.com/2010/08/awaken-the-snake-a-tale-of-kundalini-and-orgasm/ 5/23/2016 The spiritual 'wobble' For the last 4 years or so I have been totally dedicated to the spiritual path, meditating morning and evening, reading, having regular holistic therapies, writing and singing affirmations, the list goes on. What lead me to find this path was years of being deeply uncomfortable with myself, a spoilt brat, a complainer, never happy in any job, moody, a nightmare of a sister & daughter, snappy & selfish, I was a major pain in the ass!! Then everything just came to a head and the only way I could find to deal with my deep hatred of myself and the world I lived in was to stop eating, I strictly controlled what I ate and lost weight quickly, I had anorexia. At the same time I became physically ill and It felt like life was just too much, I was desperately unhappy, small situations at work became to much for me to handle, I was stressed beyond belief, I was on the brink of a meltdown. Then somebody at work, who was a reiki master, gave me a book by Lorna Byrne called Stairways to heaven and that book changed my life. I began to ask for help from the angels (I had never believed in angels before but I needed help so thought what the heck) and then my spiritual path unfolded before me in quite a dramatic way. I stared going for reiki sessions to help myself get better, I met another person in work who was on the spiritual path who gave me suggestions of other books I could read and I was away. I would scour the self help section of any bookshop looking for anything that resonated with me (Louise Hay – You can heal your life was a massive help) I read anything I could get my hands on about the law of attraction and spiritual development. I became a self help junkie and yes I did all of the excercises in the books, I knew there was more to life than what I had been experiencing. I began to meditate. I went on workshops, I used affirmations, gradually I began to get better, I began to feel good about myself and my life. I learnt to love myself and to cut a very long story short (another blog maybe) I to started to eat properly again, I trained to be a holistic therapist, I quit my job and set up my own business, marvellous!! I am on the road to happiness!
So after 4 years of devotion to stripping back the layers, retraining my thoughts into better ones, discovering more about myself, learning to have faith & to trust in the universe, learning that the divine is within me, within all of us, that we are all one, that I am powerful beyond measure as we all are, that I can manifest my dreams, to love wholeheartedly, comes the 'wobble' It was actually 'wobble Wednesday' that turned into 'Wobble week' It started with an angel card reading that i do for myself regularly and the fact that i've had a quiet few weeks in work, no new clients, no enquiries for reiki training, nothing exciting happening, the angel card I had drawn was forgiveness, I have done a lot of forgiveness work so was slightly confused, have I not done enough? But who angels do I need to forgive? I asked, and the answer that came back loud and clear was– YOU! So I soon realised that I hadn't forgiven myself for being horrible to my sister and mum, I remember a time when I was about 7 years old and my younger sister was about 3 we were having a picture taken and my mum said “hold your sisters hand” but I didn't want to because she had eczema and her hand felt all scratchy. I always felt bad about that but I was 7 and her hand did feel scratchy!! Why do we beat ourselves up over such silly things? So I wrote a letter of forgiveness to myself, I let the feelings of guilt go, I actually wrote 3 letters another 2 forgiving myself for being a horrid spoilt brat to my mum and then I burnt them. Adios to the guilt, I let it all go, it felt good, like a weight had been lifted. Then the wobble started, I began to feel vibrationally low, I had re trained myself into feeling vibrationally good, grateful & joyous but I did not feel this way, I felt low and down and flat – I am not used to feeling this way, I cried out to the angels,why do I feel this way? Then I began to get frustrated a few days of feeling like this did not feel good at all, I was tired, I was not feeling grateful, I was future tripping, why is my business so quiet? My business is supposed to be expanding and on top of that I was unsure on where my business was heading, what do I do next angels? No answer. Deep frustration set in so a conversation with the creator was required, it wasn't really a conversation It was me sat in my treatment room at work during an previously unheard of gap between clients, shouting WHY GOD? WHY DOES EVERYBODY ELSE GET WHAT THEY WANT AND I DONT?? I NEED A SIGN TO SHOW ME IF I'M ON THE RIGH PATH, I NEED A SIGN NOW, I HAVE DONE ALL THIS SPIRITAUL WORK AND HERE I AM GOING NOWHERE. WHY DO I FEEL SO HORRIBLE? There where a few pillows nearby so they got the battering of their life. Did I feel any better, no, oh dear. I was tired so I tried to get more sleep, but I still felt flat, my friend and I had heard of Kundalini yoga class so we went along. My next blog will be about this unusual experience as it was very different to a regular Hatha yoga class. I was yawning all the way through the class, what is a spiritual soldier to do mid wobble? So the very unusual yoga class finished, my friend loved it, I was very unsure, a bit too much arm waving and funny music for me, I went to bed early. The next morning I felt like a different person, I stepped out of bed and said thank you, I bounded around the house shouting my affirmations, I felt alive, I felt great, I AM BACK!! Phew, I was beginning to worry there that all this spiritual practice had gone to waste and i was never going to feel good ever again. That day I also had a gap between clients but I didn't feel like my world was going to end because of it, I meditated I wrote a list of things to put in my wish box. I came up with the idea for this blog, I feel clearer, I am still on track, I feel better than I did before. So what happened? When we clear out the emotional baggage there has to be a shift, a shift in energy and perception. I think the arm waving yoga class helped me release this pent up energy & frustration. I had forgiven myself and for some reason this dip made things that were not great feel terrible. Being quiet in work and struggling with the direction of my business had made me feel super frustrated, but now I no longer feel I need to be in control, I let go and I hand everything over to a power much greater than I. I thought I had already done this but it wasn't enough. I needed to let go some more. I have realised I need to take more care of myself to get more rest. I learnt that from the wobble comes more clarity, I am full of energy yet I am calm, I have become clearer on my goals. I had lost sight of 'the present' and what amazing things I have accomplished over the last 4 years. When I think of the things I wrote about in my letters they do not make me feel bad anymore,I have released the attachment to the feelings I used to feel when I thought about these events, now they are just things that happened in my past, no longer things that happened that made me feel guilty, bad, ashamed of myself. I do not get that tight ball in my stomach that signifies not good feeling, a feeling of guilt about who I was many years ago. Was the wobble because of the forgivness work? Who knows, I'm pretty sure that when we have a wobble like this we step up on the spiritual ladder, to move forwards we need to clear out some rubbish and make space for more light. I am grateful for these past experiences for they have made me who I am today. Wobble Wednesday or week may come again but I will recognise this and accept it for what it is, it is growth, a shift. All of us on this spiritual path have them. A fabulous quote a heard today is - 'The wound is the place where the light enters you' – Rumi. I was wounded and another small aspect of my psyche is healed. How do you pick yourself up from a wobble? I think it's individual, ask the angels, do a card reading, look for the signs, go to a crazy kundalini yoga class, talk to a like minded friend, take a walk in nature, It will come to an end and this is how growth occurs, release the old patterns and look for miracles. Wobbles are good, even though they don't feel like it at the time, let that stuff go, let go of the guilt, of feeling bad about a situation that happened, it does not serve you, move onwards, move upwards be the best you can be, keep on spiritual soldier, keep on the world needs your light. 1/12/2016 What is NO HANDS® massageWhat is NO HANDS® massage? Just over 2 years ago I went on a training course and on the table was a leaflet about NO HANDS massage, I asked the instructor what's NO HANDS massage? The instructor was heavily involved with the massage company and she enthusiastically told me all about it, at the time I was planning to leave my job to work as a therapist full time and I thought it sounded like something a bit different that would add to the portfolio of therapies I had already trained in, so I though i'd try it out. I completed my first year of training, my 'immersion year' in 2014 and I am now about to start my second year at mastery training. I have loved every minute of it! What a journey. NO HANDS massage is approximately 90% of the treatments I give, its extremely popular, so why is it so popular and what exactly is NO HANDS massage all about? If you're not using your hands what do you use? Elbows? No we don't use elbows unless you want deep tissue work. Is it that woo-woo stuff where you just hover your hands over the body? - No it's definitely not that, there is touch involved! NO HANDS massage is a technique developed by Gerry Pyves a massage therapist and psychotherapist, he developed repetitive strain injury after years of massaging and could no longer use his hands, rather than loose his valuable clients he developed, over many years, a range of techniques using primarily the soft part of his forearm. Using the forearm (the soft squishy bit just before the elbow) ensures the strokes are always soft, but what about depth? When you go for a NO HANDS massage you will see the massage table is set up very low, much lower than conventional massage, this is so the therapist can use their bodyweight to get the depth. So the massage is always soft but can be very deep or light, the choice is yours. Why is it so effective? At the start of the session a NO HANDS therapist will ask you a few questions, this is to determine the outcome of the massage, what would you like to get out out of this treatment today? So you may want to feel more calm, looser, energised, clearheaded, balanced? It's your choice, unlike conventional massage where the same routine is used on each client no matter what, with NO HANDS the choice is yours, not just about what the outcome of the session is but about the style of massage you would like. I say to new clients that it's like the Tesco of massage, you choose what you want. The therapist will guide you through the different styles of NO HANDS massage and the choice is yours. You can choose from: Releasing – Allow the body to realign itself and feel free, loose and balanced. Connecting – Improve your body awareness and bring your mind back to your body Nurturing – use the flow to go into that safe space from which your body can heal itself Energising – helping you to feel cleansed, revitalised and rejuvenated. Repleting – Take time out for yourself to be still, replenish your energy and feel uplifted Transforming – Discover your truth and become who you were born to be Looking after the therapist As i am not constantly using my hands, i will have a very long career as a therapist, the average massage therapist is usually only able to continue in their career for an average of 10 years before developing some sort of repetitive strain injury in their hands or wrists. I can work strain free for as long as i decide! Why have a regular NO HANDS massage? Massage has a cumulative effect. Just like going to the gym, where you can reach a level of fitness, but need to maintain it by regular visits. Massage can help to make you feel good, but the feelings and benefits last longer by continuing to have regular treatments. Your body “remembers’ how good it felt after the previous session, and automatically starts to release tension the moment you get on the table! This means that your third session is ten times more effective than your first. This is just how 'touch medicine’ works. It is probably the most ancient medicine on the planet. You owe it to yourself to make it part of your general health and wellbeing. Hopefully this has helped you to understand more about this fantastically effective massage, if you have any questions please don't hesitate to call Louise at Louisa Brown Holistic therapies on 07966688465 or email louisabrownholistictherapies@gmail.com Right now we have a fantastic offer of 4 x NO HANDS massages taken over 4 weeks for just £100! Spaces are limited so don't delay!   Hello!
It has been a while since I last blogged, a lot has been going on in the land of Louisa Brown Holistic Therapies! I attended the transforming touch massage course in Morecambe in February which was fantastic, such a powerful massage technique and a fabulous way to massage without damaging the therapists hands. We use the soft front of the arm and body weight to create pressure, the moves are quite technical from the therapists perspective but It creates massage movements that can bring about release from whatever you need to let go of. The instructor was fantastic, it was a great three days, very tiring but I enjoyed every minute! Needless to say the response from my customers has been fantastic, I've had some really great feedback from the transforming touch massage. The next course in next month so watch out for a great introductory offer for a new range of massages (without the use of hands!) The next therapy that will available is aromatherapy massage, this will be available in mid June. Aromatherapy has been used for centuries, it is a form of therapy that stimulates the part of the brain connected to smell (the olfactory system) a signal is then sent to the limbic system which controls emotions and retrieves learned memories. This causes chemicals to be released which make the person feel relaxed, calm, or even stimulated. When essential oils are used with a massage this further enhances relaxation – a double whammy so to speak! The essential oils used are tailored to your requirements and each oil has it's own benefits, so If you are feeling stressed a set of oils will be chosen that to alleviate that condition for example in the case case of stress lavender, chamomile and frankincense would be used. There will be more information about aromatherapy massage in mid June when this treatment becomes available at Louisa Brown Holistic Therapies. There will of course be a fantastic introductory offer as always, so watch out! Also available in June will be flower remedies. Flower essences are herbal infusions of a plant or tree which address a certain charactersitic or emotional state such as fear, stress, discouragement or dispondency. Dr Bach, a medical doctor, created the 38 flower remedies as a way of transfering the vibrational essence of the plant into an essence which could then be taken to relieve a range of emotional issues. He believed that to heal the mind was to heal the body. Dr Bach explains how the remedies work using a metaphor ‘they are able, like beautiful music, or any gloriously uplifting thing which gives us inspiration, to raise our very natures, and bring us nearer to our Souls: and by that very act, to bring us peace, and relieve our sufferings.’ I am so excited about being about to offer you a consultation and to pescribe flower remedies, having used them myself I know how powerful they are. There will be much more detail about what flower remedies are and how they work in a later blog. The session will include 30 minutes reiki healing session as well as a full consultation and a bottle of remedy for you to take. This will be available from the 2nd June. If you have any questions about this please do not hesitate to contact Louisa on 07966688465 And finally, we love an offer here at Louisa Brown holistic therapies so here's the latest!! Introduce 2 friends to us to have a treatment and you will receive a treatment FREE!!! How fabulous!!! So round up your friends, tell them about the fabulous treatments we offer, get two of them booked in for a treament and once they have received their fantastic treatment, then you can have a wonderfully relaxing treatment free, on us, gratis, complimentary, on the house, FREE!! Phew! That's it for now, dont forget we also offer, Indian head massage, Thai foot massage, reiki, natural lift facial massage, hot stone massage and reflexology all from my treatment room in positive energies, Stanley Street, Ormskirk. Check out the website here. There will be more about flower essences and aromatherapy in my next blog but if you have any questions in the meantime please do not hesitate to contact me on 07966688465 or email louisabrownholistictherapies@gmail.com Have a great weekend!! Louisa B |
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