Hello!
I’m really enjoying writing these newsletters, and sharing with you through them. It feels quite personal, just like a massage! I hope you’re all enjoying reading them and I’d be really interested for any feedback you have.
As a couple of you have asked me this week what I am doing, to clarify, I am currently back in North Somerset and will be for the majority of the time between now and the start of September. This means I have much more availability and flexibility for appointments, so hopefully I’ll see you in the next few weeks. Scroll down to see dates available, but also don’t hesitate to message me if there is a specific date you have in mind as there’s a good chance I can make it work! I’m taking the leap into self employment for as long as I can sustain it, so my diary is wide open ready for bookings.
Hot weather and massages
It feels like in the last month we’ve travelled from a pretty cold spring right into the height of summer! The warmer weather is maybe my favourite time of year, and the sun definitely puts a smile on my face.
I want to do my best to keep massage treatments comfortable for you throughout the hot weather, and with (hopefully) some more warmer days looming, this month I will not be offering appointments between 12 & 4 pm to help avoid the highest temperatures.
If you do have a booking on a hot day, I would suggest to use a lighter sheet or blanket rather than a towel to help keep you cooler during the treatment. Anything else you are able to do, such as using a cooler room in your house, closing the curtains in the room for a few hours before, or having a fan to use, will help keep both of us as comfortable as possible.
And as always, drinking an extra glass of water - or even 2 if you can manage it - after your massage will help keep you hydrated, flush out any toxins, and keep the benefits of the treatment lasting longer.
I thought I’d share with you some of the benefits massage therapy at the extremities of the day, so you can see what would enhance your daily routine more. What do you think would suit you better?
Benefits of early morning massage:
You know how people go for a run at literally 6am and come back buzzing in SUCH a good mood? Could never be me. But, the ‘runner’s high’ is a result of all the endorphins that are released during exercise, and our body similarly releases endorphins and happy hormones during a massage, so you can get that same mood boosting effect, just from lying there for an extra hour!
A morning massage can really help set you off on the right foot for the day. As well as improving your mood, it gives you an hour to centre and ground before having to begin the day. If you’re having a stressful time at work, or there are more kids at home than usual due to holidays, it can give you that much-needed time to yourself before you begin to go about your day. Just knowing you’ve done something for yourself, to make yourself feel mentally and physically better, can make the world of difference to how you go on to deal with challenges.
If you would like to end your morning massage feeling slightly more alert and ready for the day than being in a zen-like state where you want to stay still and quiet, please communicate this with me! There are lots of techniques I can use to help wake the body up towards the end of the treatment, so you still feel calm and rejuvenated, but a little less sleepy and more ready to face the day.
Benefits of evening massage:
I honestly think my dream would be to end every day with a relaxing massage, helping me wind down, and then I could just roll straight into bed after. Actually, If it was on my own table I might even sleep there….
A massage in the evening or just before bed helps to get your body ready to sleep, so for anyone who struggles to wind down it can be extra beneficial. Our body enters the parasympathetic nervous system during a massage, the same state as when we are sleeping, where our breathing is deeper, heart rate slower, and all our internal organs functioning (that’s why your stomach may start rumbling during a treatment - it’s just busy digesting while your body doesn’t have much else to do).
If you want the treatment to send you almost to sleep, please communicate this with me and I will make sure to not use such deep pressure, instead lots of long, slow, and soothing motions to truly help you relax. Head, Foot and hand massage is also especially good for entering a deeply relaxed state, due to the high concentration of sensory receptors, so maybe ask for extra attention there, too.
And to help keep you feeling this relaxed right up until you fall asleep, try your best not to reach for your phone or TV remote after I have left, as the blue light will begin to wake up your brain again. Instead, maybe go for a calming herbal tea and a few pages of your book before bed.
**One more note on massage at this time of year, please remember to protect your skin from sun damage! But if you have burnt yourself and it is painful to the touch, let me know, we can either make a treatment plan that doesn’t involve the problem area, or rearrange the appointment to give your skin time to recover.
If you can’t see a time that suits you and have another date in mind, drop me a message and I will do my best to accommodate.
Active Relaxation
Relaxing well and giving yourself a break is so important for your physical and mental wellbeing. Sometimes a lot of weight is given to relaxing in stillness - meditation, breath work, and massage included. But active relaxation is just as effective in calming us down. This includes creative activities like drawing, cooking, moving our bodies. The key is to do it mindfully. So that may mean going for a walk and leaving your phone at home, or not listening to music or a podcast. Really just allowing yourself to be present in the moment and immerse yourself in the experience or action. Why not challenge yourself this next week to engage in active relaxation, letting yourself be fully present in the act of creating, moving, playing. This is something I can sometimes struggle with too, so I will take on the challenge with you!
This month’s newsletter has been longer than the last two, so if you have still made it all the way to the end, well done and thank you very much! I’ll leave you with a picture of me in Wales last week, looking a little grumpy but I promise I was having a great time!
I hope to see you on my table again soon, and I hope you find some time this month to do something just for you, that makes you feel a little calmer.
Rebecca x
Contact for more info or to book: 07990 162374 | WhatsApp