About Morag Scally

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So far Morag Scally has created 52 blog entries.

One thing at a time?

Happy New Year folks. If you’re even a little like me and those around me, you’ll be starting up new projects, or picking up the threads once more to continue weaving life’s rich tapestry. As I hear and tell these tales, I notice that many of us are doing lots of things at once. Multi-tasking seems to be a badge of honour and achievement. But at what cost? It used to be said that women are great multi-taskers. But I see men women, young and old living in this frenetic hi-tech, multi-screened world, doing many things at once.

But is it really good for us? To work at this fast pace, making decisions without thinking things through? Searching for answers whilst communcicating with no-one. Relying on Google in place of research. Sometimes we need to slow things down and take one thing at a time. Reach out to others and practice gratitude for the small things.

One of my favourite Meditation Exercises is the 5 finger Gratitude.

Five finger Gratitude

  1. On each finger of one hand, count somthing that you are grateful for.
  2. Each day (or week) choose 5 new things.
  3. It can be difficult to think of new things, especially if life is tough right now.
  4. Remember it could be that its not raining, or that you can rest.
  5. It is impossible to feel depressed in the same moment as grateful. The more you practice this, the more positive you will become.
  6. Sometimes the simplest of ideas are the best.

 

One Year after I launched Indigo Spring, I am delighted by its success, and surprised at the turns it has made in response to it’s guests needs. Massage Therapy has been the foundation of the business, but increasingly it is becoming about holistic care and wellbeing. The stories people share with me and the advice I pass on are often things we learn from others around us; treating ourselves as we would others, taking time to heal, compassion and understanding for ourselves and others.

 

So this Year I am launching our Wellbeing Journey. By commiting to regular appointments, we will be able to track your development both in mobility and pain management, and overall wellbeing.

This package comes with membership at Indigo Spring. You can visit once a month for our RELAXED membership or twice monthly for our BLISSFUL package.

Membership enables you to:

  • Have priority Booking
  • Reduced charges
  • Emergency Appointments
  • Wellbeing tracking

A 30 minute appointment once a month (R30) is £27.50

A 60 minute appointment once a month (R6o) is £55

A 30 minute appointment twice a month (B30) is £54

a 60 minute appointment twice a month (B60) is £105

Please call 01183320300 0r email [email protected] to join our community.

 

Get in touch.

Come and visit.

Take one thing at a time.

 

 

One thing at a time?2018-01-11T13:46:08+00:00

Meditation for protection

 

Every few weeks, I notice that I see a pattern in the stories my guests tell me about their lives and their well being. It would seem that these difficulties raise their heads for many of us and that we can be learning from eachother about techniques which alleviate.

 

Recently I have spoken to lots of people about the golden egg meditation for Protection. “You what?” I hear you say. Do you ever feel like all your energy is being drained by others around you? Do you absorb negative energy that is directed at you? Do you feel others’ pain with an empathy beyond usefulness? Then here is an exercise for you.

Some visualise a golden egg, and others a shining bubble ( in the style of Glinda the good witch from the Wizard of Oz). I’m sure other imagery that resonates for you will work just as well, so long as it surrounds you entirely and is a little distant from your skin.

Here’s how to do it.

 

Sit comfortably. Close your eyes and begin to observe your breath, going in and out.

Not trying to change it, just observing as it travels in and out.

Imagine the air you inhale is light and cool and fresh and nourishing.

Imagine the air you exhale is dark and warm and stale, and leaving you.

Now imagine a golden egg or bubble surrounding you, an arms length away from you. It completely covers you. This is your protection or shield. It shines and is positive. In here you are calm and feel at peace.

The egg keeps out all the negativity coming from others and the space around you. It also keeps out the negative feelings from within us, negative thoughts and harmful self talk.

As you breathe, in and out, you can visualise the negativity bouncing off the surface of the egg.

This space only contains positivity, compassion and kindness.You are safe.

You can use this technique whenever you need to and by practicing it before it is needed, will strengthen its power.

 

This and other mindful meditations are available as part of the holistic therapy offered at Indigo Spring.

 

Meditation for protection2017-11-22T08:44:33+00:00

Gritting my teeth

People have different ways of dealing with conflict. They may live in the moment, allowing words to tumble out uncensored, full of the raw emotion they feel. No thought for the feelings of others or the consequences of those sentences. Others may seek for common ground, finding compromise and negotiation, the only way to move forward. Some will use violence and misappropriate percieved power. And for some, their response is to do nothing. To suck up the opposing view, store it away for later, and not deal with the conflict at hand. Be it large or small. This can lead to tension in the head, face and neck or to stress and anxiety.

Have you ever wondered what happens to energy, to emotion when it isn’t expressed at all? Like all energy, it can never be destroyed, simply converted into another form. When we fail to communicate in such situations, we might say we are “gritting our teeth”. Holding back words for another time. So this energy, often negative and frustrated, is squeezed between our teeth, locked into our jaw and neck, and is held.

When I massage people’s necks I sometimes feel these lines of tension, making vertical stripes around their necks like metal collars. I’ll touch the hinge of the jaw and feel it locked. I ask if they are gritting their teeth, maybe trying to hold their tongue in conflicting situations, and they seem surprised that I know.

Our bodies are maps of our lives and the muscles reveal tales that we don’t always see ourselves.

Gentle massage is required to aid this tension. Drawing on the lymphatic system we can softly draw away tension through the auricular and clavicle nodes. Softly releasing and enabling people to let go and find a different resolution. Some people may find themselves grinding their teeth at night or tension through their jaw. Gentle face and neck massage combined with breathing and relaxation techniques can significantly improve these symptos and often leads people to make simple but important changes in their lives.

I recommend booking in for an Indian head massage to alleviate these tensions. In the meantime try following these instructions for gentle self face massage.

 

Facial Massage

  1. Using your ring fingers, gently place either side of your nose under the eyes.
  2. very lightly stroke to temples
  3. slightly lower at nose move again to sides of ears and again a little lower
  4. lightly stroke downwards just infront of ears down neck to collar bone.
  5. Repeat
  6. use forefingers and middle fingers, draw small circles at the join of your jaw.
  7. Yawn widely and feel how open the back of your throat is.
  8. Try to keep that open relaxed position s you continue your face massage.
  9. draw light zig-zags across your brow.
  10. Lastly using your ring fingers press and relase each of these points:
  11. chin, sides of lips, beneath nose, by the inside corners of your eyes, forehead, hairline.
  12. Stroke your hair gently away from scalp

Hope this helps.

 

Gritting my teeth2017-11-07T17:34:54+00:00

Hidden Feelings- one perspective for mental health awareness week

Hidden feelings

To start with, I would hide my feelings of not being able to cope,  Deny them and throw myself into the next big thing. Distraction was sure to be the solution. “Think positively” “time to move on” people would say with best intentions. But mental health problems don’t simply go away .

Next was the shame. Why can’t I cope? I’d been able to manage my life until now. I had embraced the waves of up and down that most creative people travel but never this lost. I felt so ashamed and believed that people would not want to know me if I shared how I felt. I was sure I’d lose my job.  I’d create elaborate strategies to hide my state of mind.

Some days I would dress sharply and wear make up and stylish hairdo’s. Other days I could hardly get out of bed. Eventually I broke and needed lots of help.

Those times were very dark.

But you know, the people that hung around, are still here now. And the more I’ve learnt to talk about my experiences, the more people understand and begin to share their own experiences and support others .

In recent years there has been a tidal shift in acceptance of people’s difficulties with mental health. And a plethora of  ideas for self-help. It is becoming much more possible to seek help and in turn help others with their difficulties.

Schools have had emotional literacy as part of the curriculum since 1999, and as the generation that has learnt it reaches adulthood, we see those people leading the way in openness, tolerance and support. We also recognise that people have many facets and that they won’t all be strong at the same time .

I see in my own children a much greater openness to emotions and mental health.

My own journey led me to finding a new career and helping others find balance in their lives. Massage might not be my only career but it helps me to live in balance. It helps me find techniques to manage my mental and physical health, and whilst I will always be managing symptoms, the balance of giving and taking, helping and being helped. DOing and just BEing, keeps me inspired and hopeful.

At Indigo Spring, massage is the access point to all sorts of services and helps others to begin their journey.

Its hookline is “Take time for yourself”.

So although I wouldn’t wish mental health problems on anyone. I have found a path, through my own vulnerability and I am happy to help others find theirs.

Hang in there folks. And talk to each other .

 

( If you are really suffering today please call your GP)

Hidden Feelings- one perspective for mental health awareness week2017-10-11T10:52:29+00:00

5 reason why some people never get a massage.

I talk to lots of people about massage, my friends and family, people on facebook, my guests and their families and friends.

Because it is my passion, I’m really keen to understand what it is that makes some people NEVER get a massage?

My research has led me to come up with 5 key reasons why people don’t book a treatment.

 

  1. Body Image

Firstly, some people are not ok with their body image. Both men and women of all shapes and sizes may not choose massage therapy, because they don’t want to undress. Can I take a minute to alleviate these thoughts?

You can have a seated, clothed massage. It is still wonderful and treats all sorts of areas. Back, head, neck and shoulders, legs and feet and arms and legs. If you are not sure you want to strip off for your massage, ask for a seated massage.

Massage therapists work with people of all ages and shapes and sizes. We are advocates of massage and know how much it can help people. I work with people with eating disorders, fluid retention, post operative, gym bodies, wobbly tummys, the whole works…

In fact we are interested in your whole wellbeing so we will understand.

 

2. Because my partner wouldn’t approve.

Massage has a rich and varied history and although people have been massaging for centuries, the term  Massage Parlour has been used to describe certain adult services. The key thing to look for in a legitamite establishment are the words Massage Therapist .  A massage therapist will have learnt anatomy and physiology, and have studied at least one discipline of massage. Their certification should be available if asked for.

Men sometimes don’t take a massage because they associate them with beauty treatments rather than health practitioners. Indeed some massages are given by beauticians and tend to be lighter and generic. Massage therapists are muscle specialists and work with you to help improve your over wellbeing, as well as specific ailments. Some men have also reported that they didn’t want a sports massage because it was too painful. Sports Massages are exactly what they say, specifically for sportspeople. When a muscle has been worked really hard in a sport, it needs a specific treatment to release it. However Deep Tissue Massage is also effective.

Some Women are resistant to spend money on themselves because  they think their partner sees massage as another beauty treatment and a luxury. A way forward in this could be to re-educate both parties. Regular Massage therapy should be as commonplace as regular dental trips. It keeps all of your 13 Systems in the body working in harmony. A solution Ive found works is if both partners have massage, then they aren’t jealous of each other

 

3. Because I can’t spend the money on myself.

An age old problem, is that of guilt at taking time for yourself or spending money on looking after yourself. Both men and women young and old can fall into this trap. And whilst I’m not advocating living beyond your means, too many of us put our own health needs right at the bottom of the priority list. We believe our inner voice that tells us to put others first. These days everything seems to come higher on the list to us. The difficulty with this approach is that eventually we will break under the burden of it. We need to keep ourselves in balance in order to help others.

 

4. Fear of relaxation

Of course when we don’t look after ourselves, our physical pain increases and our emotional armour just becomes tighter. To receive a massage, loosens the armour and some of the worries come out. If we are not processing some of them, it can be quite daunting. Talk to you massage therapist before your appointment to explain your concerns. They will have experienced this before and I certainly offer routes and ideas for people to move forward.

 

5. Fear of getting turned on

When we relax sometimes our bodies become sensitive and aroused. Most massage therapists will have made it clear whether they offer an adult service. If they don’t they still understand that sometimes people get aroused. Don’t worry, we’ve seen it before and won’t embarress you. But equally we won’t focus on it either.

 

Hope that helps. Don’t be put off.

 

Book an Indigo Spring Massage today on 01183320300

 

5 reason why some people never get a massage.2017-10-05T14:48:11+00:00

Becoming a Wise Woman

I’ve been slow to write a blog this week as I’ve been ovecome with a little sadness. Next week my youngest child, goes to University. Having been through this process once already, with his sister, I know that all will be fine, and everything is as it should be. He is ready and packed, has been taught all about budgeting and cooking on the cheap. He has even applied for a part time job up there. But it doesn’t stop me reflecting on this change for us both and the shift in my identity.

I became a mum aged 23, pretty much straight from University. Being a mum was something I had always wanted and having reached the end of my education, I now could allow myself to embark on this wonderful journey. And wonderful it has been. Being a mum has helped me to grow in so many ways and I can’t believe that nearly 23 years have passed since. I threw myself into motherhood and caring for their every need became a mark of my success as an adult.  Both of my childrenhave turned out clever and kind and good. They make me so proud.

But now my role in their lives shifts a little and they learn independence. So what happens in that space for me now?

I see this topic written about year after year, and yet it is only when it happens to you, that you really understand. Our children are borrowed, to help and shape. And when they move on, there is a new space for care and nurture to happen.

Maybe I was anticipating this when I developed my Massage Therapy Business. I’m now ready to help others, and through Indigo Spring, I can highlight some of the opportunities and pitfalls to watch for. I learn so much from my guests and am able to reflect this, through my blog.

  • I’ve learnt that we all hold our emotional stress at the top of our back and across our shoulders.
  • I’ve learnt that we need to reset our bodies and minds after difficulties or change
  • I’ve learnt to Be and not always to DO
  • I’ve reminded myself that getting things wrong is essential for progress and development.

 

When I became a mother I was only just a woman. Now, as I embark on my next stage, I feel my children have made me wise. As I approach my crone years, I am starting to see that it was them who made me a real wise woman.

 

Becoming a Wise Woman2017-09-12T12:05:32+00:00

Spa versus Massage Therapist

I have to say I’m a bit of a fan of Spa’s. I love to treat myself to a day off unwinding with hot and cold, steam and sauna and a little massage. People often ask me if I still enjoy receiving a massage now that I am a massage therapist. The answer of course is still yes, as any massage is better than none, however I have been observing what the real difference is between a spa massage and an individual consultation and massage therapy.

Spa Massage

Short consultation on any contraindications to massage
Light massage for relaxation
Pre designed treatments
One off treatments with a new therapist
Lovely experience for one hour

Massage Therapy

15 minute consultation on first visit to gain full medical history and lifestyle profile.
Objectives of the treatment.
Personalised treatment for your specific needs.
Varied techniques used for different areas.
Tailored treatments to include physical and mental strategies to improve symptoms and overall difficulties
Regular treatments with assessments to analyse effectiveness.
Amazing treatments with progressive tools to enable self healing with stretches, and breathing techniques to aid recovery.

So if you are feeling like you would benefit from a massage therapist, why not come visit Indigo Spring and feel the real difference between the two.

Spa versus Massage Therapist2017-08-29T13:05:51+00:00

Rebalance your mind and body.

This week, I have been approached by a number of people for whom life has taken an unexpected turn.

They came to me to help rebalance their mind and body to help them find strength going forward. In this time of super technology we can forget that communication is key to moving through life’s hurdles. By being compassionate to yourself, as you would be to a child, you can start to give yourself kindness and understanding in difficult times.

Massage helps the body’s 13 systems to work in harmony together and to process change. By lowering blood pressure, improving circulation, easing tense muscles and relieving stress, we can work with you to move forward.

 

So whether you have had a loss or bereavement, changes in relationships or career, why not book a massage to Rebalance once more

Rebalance your mind and body.2017-08-01T17:11:50+00:00

7 benefits of Indian Head Massage

7 Benefits of Indian Head Massage

 

It sounds divine doesn’t it?  A real treat! But actually, Indian Head Massage isn’t simply a ‘treat’ – the benefits are really rather crucial and can assist with a variety of physical and emotional problems and concerns. Here are a few of them:

 

  1. Helps prevent migraines, headaches and back pain

Often tension in the upper back, neck and head can lead to migraines, headaches and back pain that can make for uncomfortable living on a day to day basis and sometimes even lead to depression.

A massage therapist will start the Indian Head Massage by applying pressure to points in the upper back, arms and shoulders that will release muscles and knots. They will then move to the neck and head to reduce headache-causing blockages and encourage better circulation of the cerebral fluid.

 

  1. Promotes hair growth

This is a lovely side effect of the Indian Head Massage (if you’re trying to grow your hair anyway…). The massage increases nourishment and oxygen to the scalp and hair follicle that in turns stimulates hair growth. It’s a one way ticket to long, luscious locks!

 

  1. Detoxifies the body by stimulating lymphatic drainage

Indian Head Massage stimulates and improves lymphatic drainage and blood flow to the neck thus helping to remove waste products from the body.

 

  1. Relieves sleeplessness, restlessness and insomnia

These are often side-effects of stress and Indian Head Massage will immediately relieve stress and promote relaxation by attacking the physical symptoms, thus allowing for a deeper sense of wellbeing and relaxation and opening your body to better rest.

 

  1. Relieves symptoms of anxiety and depression

Massaging the head encourages the supply of oxygen to the brain which is one of the best ways of reducing anxiety and of lifting one’s mood. Oxygen helps you think clearly and creatively and a similar effect is experienced through exercise.

 

  1. Renews energy levels

An Indian Head Massage works with the Ayurvedic concept that goes beyond the limits of healing and places emphasis on balance. Working on the chakras through Indian Massage has a powerful effect in bringing the energy of the body back into balance.

 

  1. Boosts memory capabilities

Often we have short-term memory difficulties because our brains are overloaded with disorganised thoughts, making it very difficult for us to efficiently ‘log’ and collect thoughts and occurrences.

Indian Head Massage slows us down, sensual awareness takes over, thoughts quieten and awareness is brought to the forefront. Think of it like someone pressing your ‘reset’ button.

7 benefits of Indian Head Massage2017-07-26T11:05:19+00:00

Finding Focus

Isn’t it funny how when something slots into place in life, it is echoed in other areas?

My yoga and mindfulness practice has been looking inward and focusing on feeling specific points with all my attention. This has helped me work out my own phsical and mental blocks.

This has transferred to my work at Indigo Spring as a massage therapist. I have been using my focus to give my full attention to the bodywork with my client.

How do I get there?

Environment.

I have created an environment where all the senses lead to the desired mood. Usually peacefulness and tranquility. The lighting colours and effects, layout and objects in the room, the plant choice, aromatherapy and music choice, all contribute to this.

Preparation

Before I receive a guest I spend time analysing their notes, looking at progression and focusing on them. I spend some time doing breath work  and some yoga stretches.

During the treatment

I ask questions to help the guest feel themselves focus on their body and mind. I breathe in time with my guest. I react to what I feel, and I vary my pressure, speed and focus on different areas.

After the treatment

I reflect back to my guest on what I found and ask for their feedback too.

Outcome

The outcome of this approach has pleasantly surprised me. Every single guest has reported a much deeper relaxation and the ability to “go there”. The reported feedback has been 100% positive.

So why not give a little more focussed attention in areas of your life? And see what happens…

Finding Focus2017-07-13T19:57:15+00:00
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