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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

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

Head up, Shoulders Back

I remember at school being told to sit up straight with head up and shoulders back. It was part of the ritual of uniformity, but it was also about keeping a healthy posture. This little gem had been lost in my learning until last week when the most frequently presenting problem was that of sore shoulders. Here’s the tale:

WHAT?

People tell me that they have sore shoulders and then point to an area where the pain is. This could be the ball and socket joint of the shoulder, but quite often it is the ridge along the top of the shoulder blade or the beneath the shoulder blade. People are rounding their shoulders and letting their heads drop forward.

WHY?

The increase in desk based jobs and reliance on mobile technology has encouraged us to remain in static positions for a long time each day. This fixed position not only places increased strain on the muscles or the neck, shoulders and upper back, but it shortens the opposing muscles in the chest.

HOW?

How can we relieve this pain and readjust our body mechanics to prevent reoccurrance? Massage therapy will work on the muscles in the upper back, neck and shoulders, to increase blood flow and circulation bringing nutrition to muscles and tissues. This helps the muscle to recover from pain, increase it’s flexibility and even improve sleep.

In addition, we will work on stretching the pectoral muscles in the chest to enable the shoulders to sit in alignment once more. Here is an exercise you can do at home to help this process.

 

WALL STRETCH FOR PECS

  • Stand against the outer corner of a room or in a doorway. Bend your right elbow at a 90-degree angle so your upper arm is parallel to the floor at shoulder height.
  • Place your right forearm against the corner of the wall with your left side open to the room.
  • Gently press into your right forearm as you lean your left side into the open space of the doorway or room to feel a stretch in your right pec. Hold 15 to 20 seconds and repeat on the other side.
Head up, Shoulders Back2017-05-17T16:07:23+00:00

Face your fears

So my journey turns in full circle as my CPD recommends reading “Feel the fear and do it anyway” by Susan Jeffers.

I can reflect on my journey over the last three years where I have faced deep personal fears and stripped back the many layers of the emotional onion. I remember convincing myself that change wasn’t possible because …. That there was no way out because ….

One of my difficulties had been my fear of change and that the brain is comforted by repetition and patterns. The temptation is stick with the known so to minimise the fear.

The journey was was tough and is still morphing itself into the next stage for me. But one of the greatest breakthroughs for me was about facing fears. Once we begin to unlock that which was hidden, we allow ourselves to be vulnerable. Being vulnerable I had thought of as weak and unattractive. Because that’s what I’d learnt . Now that I’ve opened to it, I see it as a strength. Others can help me, they even seem to get pleasure from it. I have greater empathy for others and can pass on ideas or understandings.

Ive learnt to try things out without having to succeed or be the greatest. I’ve remembered how to play. And I’ve started taking care of myself. My whole self or holistic self.

Now I take time to rest. Remember to eat well. Make the most of opportunities. Look after my mental health. And greatest of all I have allowed myself to begin again. Fresh and renewed. I still have difficult days but I move forward at a much greater pace than in recent years because I dare to try.

How have I got to this place from the broken shell I was?

I opened up, became vulnerable and moved forward. Living my life with mindfulness, yoga and massage enables me to develop all sorts of skills and interests that I never thought possible.

Why not take that challenge, face your fears, and take time for yourself.

 

Come to Indigo Spring to start your journey towards a more balanced you .

Face your fears2017-04-20T13:52:19+00:00

Stretches for back pain

On sunny spring days like today, I feel like getting out of the house and  enjoying the outdoors. For me it’s a time to rebalance my body and mind.

 

For many people,  mobility problems, lack of flexibility or poor range of motion reduces these possibilities. Whether it’s from shoulder or hip pain, neck or back pain there are always some stretches you can do whilst outdoors to feel like you are connected with the seasons and extend your movement.

Here are some stretches to get you started:

Back Stretches-

We have already explored Cat and cow yoga poses on a previous post. You could add to these the Crescent moon

and the Half lord of the fishes.

 

For the Crescent moon. Stand tall with arms above your head. As you inhale stretch towards the sky. As you exhale, bend to one side. You can repeat this on each side. Only stretch as far as is comfortable. However if you continue to stretch usig the inhale and exhale approach you will increase you flexibility. you can do this from a seated position if needed.

 

The half lord of fishes begins seated. Cross one foot over the other knee. bend the leg on floor Place opposite elbow beyond knee as support. With each inhalation, lift the spine upwards toward the sky and each exhale twist around to face behind.

 

Good Luck.

Stretches for back pain2017-07-13T20:00:59+00:00

Lower Back Pain Relief

This week at Indigo Spring I have been mostly treating and researching Lower Back Pain. Lots of guests have found stiffness in their lower back and shooting through their bottom to their thighs.

This is a common ailment for men and women. It occurs when the SacroIliac Joint is compressed.

 

 

The Sacrum is the triangular shaped bone at the base of the Spine. The Iliac is the large bones that form the pelvis at the hips. Where the two meet are the SacroIliac (SI) joints. When these compress the nerves between them are restricted and pain is felt from their vertically downlards through the glutes and sciatic nerve or Ilial tibial band (ITB) down the side of the upper leg.

 

Massage is extremely effective at releasing this joint and relieving pain. But daily massage is not an option for most of us. In between our treatments, here are some exercises that will relieve the pain.

 

 

  1. Knees To chest – Lie on your back, raise knees to chest. Rock slowly from side to side to massage your SI joint
  2. Bridge – Lie on your back with your knees bent. Lift your bottom towards the ceiling creating a straight linebetween shoulders and knees. Hold for ten and release. Repeat 5 times.
  3. Hip Flexor – Lie on your back with knees bent. Drop your knees slowly to the floor on one side. Return them to the centre. Drop knees to the other side. Repeat 5 times.

Good luck and do call for any further advice. 07900900313

 

 

 

Lower Back Pain Relief2017-03-06T12:10:35+00:00

Pelvic Girdle Pain

February has seen an influx in guests arriving at Indigo Spring with Pelvic Girdle Pain (PGP) in Pregnancy. This debilitating condition causes restricted mobility and pain and discomfort in areas such as lower back, hips, thighs and pubic area. PGP is an umbrella term which covers pubic pain ( formally called symphysis pubic disfunction SPD) and all pains from lumbars spine down to the thighs either localised at the front or back.

 

WHAT CAUSES PGP?

Pregnancy causes the body to release a hormone called relaxin which softens the ligaments in the pelvis. To enable the baby to be born naturally. Sometimes this allow the joints at the front (symphysis Pubis) and at the back (sacroiliac joints) to become too mobile and the bones begin to rub together and trap nerves.

PGP can occur when people who in pre- pregnancy are very flexible such as dancers and gymnasts, it is also caused by a weaker pelvic floor or the extra weight of the baby.

 

WHAT ARE THE SYMPTOMS?
PGP can also be accompanied by  a weak bladder, a waddling walk or clicking or grinding.

The key symptoms are groin pain when: Walking, turning over in bed, weight bearing on one leg, getting in and out of the car, moving leg sideways.

 

HOW CAN I TREAT PGP?

Massage relieves the pain of PGP and is helpful from the onset. Direct massage of the sacroiliac joints and the lumbar spine make a significant improvement.

Firm massage to the hip flexors and sciatic nerves relieves pain and is possible to do at home.

Take a firm ball (eg tennis ball) and place under hip.

Roll your weight over the ball until you find the trigger point ( maximum pain).

Breathe in.

As you breathe out apply pressure to the trigger point.

Roll off slightly as you inhale.

Repeat 3 times.

 

Another effective treatment for PGP – particularly at the symphysis pubis is the use of sound therapy. At Indigo Spring we use the Peter Hess Singing Bowl technique for vibrational medicine. The vibration of the bowl, placed on the painful joint, is able to travel deep into the bone and disappate the pain through the circulatory system of the body.

CAN YOU HELP?

Yes Indigo Spring is ready for your call. This is a really painful and common condition in pregnancy. Whilst painkillers will block some of the pain, Massage will help to dissapate the pain.

Come and visit for your free consultation. 07900900313

 

Pelvic Girdle Pain2017-02-21T13:22:38+00:00
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