We all experience stress from time to time. Some more than others.

It's good to know you have a wonderful peaceful sanctuary to retreat to in the South Downs.

 I'll confess, I've been feeling the stress over the last month or so.Whilst summer has been relaxing, there are lots of changes going on which can take time to adjust to.

So I'm updating my self care routine that keeps me in check.

I wonder how you ease your stresses?

Here are some reminder tips of how to keep a sense of balance and calm in your life.

Are you a sun worshiper or a shade chaser?

Personally I LOVE the heat and sun as long as I am under a large parasol or tree with a hot water.

August is being kind to us with some gorgeously hot weather.

Here are a few tips to help and remind you how to keep your cool for the remainder of the summer.

Are you looking forward to summer or are you one of many preparing to battle the symptoms of hay fever?  Does constant sneezing, runny / blocked nose, red, watery itchy eyes and associated itchy throat sound familiar? Then you are one of 2 to 3 million people in Britain who live with hay fever every year.

Many resort to taking antihistamines, nasal sprays or eye drops to combat these symptoms.  The side effects of some medicines can leave you feeling quite lethargic.  Is this the way you imaged your summer to be?

The Gua Sha facial tool is becoming more popular to use as part of your daily facial routine.

It is a way to enhance your natural beauty by plumping and toning the skin, smoothing fine lines and improving lymphatic drainage.

But what is it made of and where did it come from?

We all suffer from puffy eyes from time to time but ageing is the most common cause.

So how do we reduce our puffiness as we reach our midyears and beyond?

When you hear the word 'Wellbeing' does it bring image of walks on sandy beaches, glowing green woodland and fields to you? Perhaps even Yoga retreats and sunsets or rises?

Or does sound like an unreachable goal that you never seem to get to grips with.

I looked for the definition of wellbeing. The words that came back were comfort, health, happiness and prosperity.

I have realised from treating many reflexology clients that wellbeing means something different to each person.

Do you wake in the morning feeling like you’ve crushed your teeth, your neck and jaw muscles ache or you’ve had the worst nights sleep?

You could be experiencing jaw tension or Bruxism. It’s thought that 1 in 10 people in the UK experience jaw tension and most of those are women.

Happy New Year! Welcome to 2022!

The year where we can start over and make the most of life. What do you really want to do….who do you really want to be? It’s a time for New Years Resolutions, but maybe there is another way you can look at making a fresh start to the New Year…..

Tinnitus is the name for hearing noises that are not caused by sounds coming from the outside world. It's common and not usually a sign of anything serious. It might get better by itself and there are treatments that can help. There are several types and causes of tinnitus. According to the British Tinnitus Association, the exact reason why it occurs is not known. It seems it is generally agreed that Tinnitus can arise due to some kind of change in life. This can be physical, mental or emotional and does not have to relate to your hearing or ears.

Trauma can come about in many ways.  It can be the result of being involved in an accident, having gone through a major medical procedure, a sudden, dramatic change in your personal or working life. It can also come upon you unexpectedly.  Perhaps current circumstances in your life have triggered past painful memories bringing the feeling of trauma to the surface.

It’s a fact that menopause can have a detrimental effect to our skin health

Oestrogen is the hormone responsible for making you feel energetic and vibrant, helping you to maintain healthy skin, hair and enable you to feel clear headed and focus.

Some breeze through it and others can feel like their world is falling apart.  That’s not surprising when you read the list below of physical and emotional symptoms that menopause can bring.

Cold water!  The thought of immersing your body in it makes most people shudder!

But did you know that cold water bathing has regained popularity over a recent years?

Since training and treating clients with Facial Reflexology and Zone Face Lift Therapy, I have noticed a common pattern occurring amongst women of a certain age.

During the consultation, I ask them, “How do you feel when you look in the mirror..?”  Several women put their hands up to their faces and say ” I look awful!” or “I hate the way I look!”

Ally is 54 and lives with her partner in Eastbourne having previously lived in London and Edinburgh. She has a son, aged 17 who is currently studying for his exams. She has worked as an Aromatherapist for over 25 years and this has led to her starting her own business aptly named, “Naturally Healing” where she offers complimentary health therapies including Sukshma Marma Therapy, a healing method through transcendental touch; Asyra Bioenergetic Health Screening and Rahanni Healing.  In her spare time, she enjoys walking, yoga, dancing, swimming, reading and going to the theatre.

Lesley is 59 and married with 2 grown up children. She has had a busy career to date having worked in advertising, marketing and interior design. She now has her own company, the Ladies Who Lunch Boutique, an online business, which she runs with her sister and close frie

nd and creates a range of different jewellery, in fact pieces of jewellery that women want to wear. The business has grown over the years and now has a clothing range, bags and gifts. Her home is in a small village just outside Eastbourne having lived in various parts of Asia and Oxfordshire in the past. In her spare time, if she has any, she likes to paint, dance and go to art exhibitions. She describes herself as ‘very arty’!

Alison is 59 and shares her home on the beautiful seafront of Eastbourne with her wonderful cat Tilly. She has 2 grown up boys and 2 grandchildren aged 8 and 3. Alison has had a really interesting career and has no plans to retire and runs 2 very successful businesses, namely Aeracura Image, founded in 2012 where as an Image Consultant she helps women make the right clothing, style and make-up choices and she is also an independent consultant with Arbonne, the Swiss skincare and makeup company.  She admits that Aeracura started as a hobby but 6 years later, it has developed into a thriving business and as a qualified make-up and skin care consultant, she also offers expert advice on the Arbonne range of natural products. She recently sold the highly successful Natural Fitness & Therapy Centre in Eastbourne. Alison knows the importance of maintaining a work/life balance and she feels it is really important to take time out for herself and to relax, with includes indulging in a variety of therapies including reflexology.

2 Babies – 2 Very Different Scenarios

Jane Long has been practising reflexology since 2003 and now has her own successful business, Calm Therapy in Eastbourne, East Sussex. This wonderful seaside town is where Jane grew up although she did spend 23 years in London prior to returning in 2014. She has 2 children, Dylan 12 and Mia who is 10 and home is shared with 2 gorgeous female guinea pigs, Lemon and Peanut. In London she worked in retail before moving into the music industry. At one point she was working, training to be a reflexologist as well as trying for a baby. This was certainly a stressful time and she found that reflexology was a treatment that helped her relax and unwind. She didn’t see the music business as a long-term career and made the decision that she wanted her own reflexology business and you could say, the rest is history!

Emily is 37 and married to Mark, a telephone engineer and they live in Eastbourne with Ruben aged 5, baby Olive, just 10 weeks old and their cat, Honey. Emily works as a receptionist at a local garage and has always been involved with administrative and front of house duties. Her first baby had to be induced and she was keen to avoid this with her second child. She carried out some research and discovered that reflexology treatments might be the answer to avoiding this scenario again. 

Sarah is 31 years old and lives with her husband of 2 years in East Sussex. At the moment, home is shared with their pet cat and they spend many a weekend walking the family dog in the countryside. Sarah is a secondary school teacher and head of faculty at the school, which is a job that she really enjoys but it is not without its stressful times due to the heavy workload and the pressures associated with middle management.

The couple wanted to start a family but Sarah was having fertility issues, and so she started looking into alternative therapies.