And still enjoying seeing clients for aromatherapy, Indian head massage, reflexology and Ayurvedic yoga massages.
I started the course last month (September 2023) and am due to graduate in summer 2026. So far so good, although it is, inevitably, affecting my availability to see clients. However, I still love giving massage and have no plans to stop for the foreseeable future.
The course is divided into theory blocks of 6-8 weeks, and work-placement blocks of 6-8 weeks. During theory blocks, I’ll be attending university in the week, so I can take appointments for evenings and weekends, plus usually one week day per week.
On work-placement blocks, I will either be working 3/4 shifts per week in a hospital (and therefore will have 3/4 days a week available for appointments) or in the community, which will be Monday to Friday, 8am – 4pm, so will have evenings and weekends free.
I know that there will be times when appointments have to be moved, and I apologise in advance for any inconvenience caused. I will always give as much notice as possible and I appreciate your understanding in this.
The skills I will gain as a midwife, combined with the skills I already possess as a massage therapist, will enhance and deepen my offering to you, my clients. I see the midwifery degree as an extension of my current practice and can’t wait to combine both sides of my work.
Give me a call and I’ll get you booked in for a relaxing massage asap.
I’ve been rather quiet on the blog front in recent months, as I’ve been studying since September. I’m doing an access course with Derby College so that I can start a midwifery degree this autumn. Midwifery feels like a cumulation of my career so far, in that I can pull from all the skills I’ve acquired as a massage therapist, volunteer breastfeeding supporter and care support worker. I’m looking forward to drawing on these experiences so that I can empower and hold space for women at a transformational time of their lives.
The first term of the access course has been tough. I’m a distance learner, so all the lectures are online, and finding my way around the software was the first challenge. Once I’d got the hang of that, getting into the flow of writing academically, learning how to correctly reference sources and going into enough depth to ensure I get the required grades has been an arduous task. I’m happy to say that I’m on target and I now know where the bullseye is. Although at times it’s turned me into a horrible person to be around!
So although I have a long list of blog posts that I would like to write about, it’s going to be a few more months (probably summer) before I have the headspace to put something down on paper. Or online, as the case may be. I still love my massage therapy work, and will always have time and space for aromatherapy, reflexology, Ayurvedic yoga massage, the list goes on. I’d like to do more with the Ayurvedic Yoga massage, including learning how it can be used in pregnancy, and I’ve been hankering after buying a tuning fork or two since my friend Emily reminded me of their healing power a year or so ago. That’s a whole other avenue to explore…
I was recently approached by a lovely lady to join a local directory of practitioners that can be called upon to serve our community in times of crisis. She asked me what I would like to appear on the directory and it got me thinking about how I could help and what I can offer. The first thing that came to mind was using essential oils as first aid, as they are what I use by default for so many of life’s unexpected occurrences. And if you’re stuck in the house, can’t get out and/or the supermarket shelves are empty, you might have an essential oil hidden at the back of your cupboard that you can put to good use.
Lavender, the panacea 💜
Of course, my numero uno essential oil for first aid has to be lavender. It is such a useful oil to have in your home and has a myriad of uses. It can be used directly on the skin (check it is a pure essential oil, and if it irritates you then don’t use it) for burns, bites, blisters, cuts and grazes. It is analgesic, vulnery (healing to the skin) and anti-microbial.
For sprains, strains, aches and pains I reach for cornmint essential oil, although peppermint will do the trick too. I prefer cornmint as it has a higher menthol content than peppermint and somehow smells ’cleaner’ (though this is purely personal preference). You can dab a drop of cornmint on your temples if you have a headache, and combine it with a few drops of lavender to rub onto achy muscles and sprained joints. Cornmint is analgesic, anti-spasmodic and cooling.
Eucalyptus is my go to at the first sign of a sniffle. A few drops on a tissue and inhale to help clear the airways, use it in a burner if someone in the office starts sneezing, and/or combine it with cornmint and rub into your feet before bed to help you breathe at night. Eucalyptus is expectorant (helps you cough it up), cleansing and uplifting.
For emotional and mental first aid, frankincense will help get you through. I see it as like a comfy conveyor belt, in that it gently picks you up and carries through (I wish I could think of a better analogy, if you have any suggestions, please let me know!). Dab on a tissue and inhale, add a few drops to your bath and use in a burner. According to Tisserand, frankincense is spiritually uplifting and expansive, it is also mentally rejuvenating, euphoric and gives strength.
I also keep a bottle of rose hydrolat* close at hand to soothe me during stressful times. A splash in a cup of hot water (often drunk when having a bath with added essential oils), gives comfort and solace from the inside out. Rose is nurturing, uplifting and has a balancing effect on hormones, for both men and women.
*Hydrolats, also known as hydrosols, are a by-product of essential oil production. They contain slightly different chemical compounds to the essential oils and share many of their healing properties. It is important to ensure you’re buying true hydrolats as many commercially available products, often sold as ‘rose water’, contain synthetic/artificial ingredients.
Please use your own discernment when using essential oils. If irritation occurs, stop using them.
Last weekend we should have been celebrating your 42nd birthday. We should have been having a garden party, dinner in a fine restaurant or drinks in a wine bar followed by dancing. You would have lit up the dance floor with your enthusiasm, exuberance and energy.
June 2018
We still haven’t celebrated your 40th birthday, flights to Spain and lunch in a Michelin star restaurant cancelled, twice, because of covid. In your head, that means you’re still 39. In my head, you are forever preserved as young, vibrant and joyous. You were born two months before me and now I am older than you. You will not get old. You have been denied that privilege.
Your birthday will be marked with sadness, loss and heartache in perpetuity. At present, I cannot imagine a time when these feelings won’t dominate each anniversary that passes. Each thought I have of you.
And yet I smile too. I smile at the memories of the adventures we had together. Of the mischief we made, of being led astray by you, of the incitement of naughtiness between us. The most fun I’ve had in my life, you were there, leading the charge with your charm, cheek and ginormous heart.
May 2021
You had a tremendous talent for making everyone around you feel included, special and beautiful. The light that emanated from you bounced off everyone you connected with. It was your reflection.
June 2014
The fight to keep your spirit alive is a daily battle. Some days are easier than others. Some days, surrender is the only option. The only way through. Grief is an expression of love. To deny that enunciation, in whatever way it exposes itself, is to deny your existence. This, I have learnt from your beloved Henry. He travels through his grief without repudiation.
December 2017
Henry is building a charitable foundation in your name. He is creating light, from the darkness of your death, and he is preserving, perpetuating and extending your light for the benefit of others. Your light loves on.
Le Petit Singe, the charitable foundation that Henry has set up, raises money to help those affected by sudden bereavement, heart conditions and international environmental and social issues that Richard was involved with. Please visit lepetitsinge.co.uk for more information and to make a donation.
I had a wander around the Winter Gardens in Sheffield the other day, a stunning feat of architecture with huge timber beams soaring cathedral-like towards the heavens.
Inside is housed a collection of plants often found in temperate climates and sections devoted to Australasia, including a tea tree. I don’t think I’ve ever seen one in the flesh before so I was delighted!
Tea Tree is one of the most commonly used essential oils as it has great antibacterial, anti-infectious and anti-fungal properties, to name just a few. It appears in many different products from skin cleansers to natural toilet cleaners. According to Tisserand, it is also an emotional tonic for lethargy, anxiety and depression. It is often known as the bottle brush tree due to the formation of the needles, as you can see below.
There were also some great examples of New Zealand’s Norfolk Island Pines, which have been around since the Jurassic period.
As far as I’m aware, these pines aren’t used in aromatherapy. I dare say they are used medicinally in some way in their native home though. Other plants I found that are harvested for their healing properties were eucalyptus, aloes, jasmine and the olive pictured above.
A selection of Aloes
Jasmine, it caught my nose before it caught my eye!
There was also some beautiful colours dotted around, although I don’t know the name of those plants as there’s no essential oils produced from them! The Winter Gardens are well worth a visit, I’ll definitely be hanging around in there again soon.
Peacewellbeing.co.uk 