wellbeing – Page 2 – Peacewellbeing.co.uk

Ayurvedic Yoga Massage training

July 26, 2022July 26, 2022 besspurser

About 10 years ago, I had one of the best massages I’ve ever had. It was called Chavutti Thimeral, and the therapist used her feet to literally walk all over me. Absolute bliss. I’ve been wanting to train in this style of supremely deep pressure (and supremely relaxing) massage ever since.

I was lucky enough to meet the gorgeous Robyn, of AYMChesterfield earlier this year, and she gave me an Ayurvedic Yoga Massage (AYM) that hit all the right deep-pressure spots. From that very first treatment, I knew I just had to learn how to give this massage.

When I enquired about the where in London the Ayurvedic Yoga Massage (AYM) training in the first two weeks of July would be, it was like coming full circle. The venue was in Brixton, which is where I lived when I did my Tisserand Aromatherapy training almost 20 years ago!

A fine view of the city from Brixton, taken from the top deck

It also felt serendipitous because I have a cousin who lives in Tooting, whom I could stay with, and it was only 1 bus ride from his house to the venue (with short walks either end). This is a dream commute for London! Not to mention my cousin and his wife have a beautiful house, they are both great cooks (I definitely put on weight, which is no bad thing!) and couldn’t have been more congenial hosts. I loved every minute with them.

Level one attendees, L-R me, Marie, Vivienne, Charli, Lucy & Joti (pic courtesy Despina Psarra)

The first week of the course was levels one and two, which felt as much of an unlearning for me as it was a learning. From the very first contact of the massage, the pressure is deep and meaningful. I was told off for spreading the oil and then going into the massage. The massage starts the moment you put your hands on and spreading the oil is an integral part of the treatment.

Myself and Despina using our heels for deep relaxation

We also learnt how to use our feet to massage, being careful to support our body weight with a chair or stool, and where to apply the weight so that it releases deep tension and is ultimately relaxing. It was an intense week with lots of techniques to learn, discovering new ways to utilise our bodies for healing.

Stretching out the adductor muscles (photo courtesy Despina Psarra)

The second week (levels three and four) involved learning more techniques such as stretches, tractions and joint decompressions, and putting everything together in a sequence tailored to our individual clients’ needs. AYM is a remedial massage, and we have been taught to think of the skills we’ve learnt as like tools in a tool box, you pick the tools you need to offer the best remedy for your clients.

At the end of the second week was our assessment, with a change of venue to Aldgate. A stunning apartment worthy of a magazine cover and the view from the roof garden was unbeatable! The assessment involved a brief consultation with a client and devising a treatment plan. We then proceeded to massage our clients according to the plan, using the techniques we’d learnt under the watchful eye of the course leader, Despina. I’m pleased to say that the three of us that completed the assessment all passed, with much jubilation and relief!

End of assessment smiles! L-R Despina, Joti, Vivienne and myself (photo courtesy Despina Psarra)

I still have a lot to learn, as far as piecing the techniques together (let alone remembering them all!) and until the end of September I’ll be offering half price Ayurvedic Yoga Massage. Each appointment will be 1.5 hours (I will offer 1 hour appointments once I’ve honed my skills) and will be £75 full price. To book your half price session, call or text me on 07980262358 or email Bess@peacewellbeing.co.uk

Book Reviews

Book review – The Book You Wish Your Parents Had Read… by Philippa Perry

April 7, 2022April 7, 2022 besspurser

This beautifully kind, wise and compassionate book has been a wonderful reminder of the parent I aspire to become. It goes without saying, of course, that I am not a perfect parent. Who is? The joy of this book is that it does not set out to achieve perfection (which would only set you up for failure), nor does it reprimand you for mistakes made in the past. It gently encourages you to explore your words, actions and the examples you set to your child, observing how they might affect your child(ren), how they affected you when you were a child and the possible long term effects on your relationship with your child.

It’s not about how many times you mess up, lose your rag and end up crying in a corner (with at least one child screaming on the floor at the same time). It’s about accepting that these things happen, putting actions in to place to minimise them (ie recognising your own limits and how to manage them), and ‘repairing the rupture’ by being compassionate with yourself and authentic in your restorative actions.

It has great examples and case studies of where parents have struggled with their child(ren), even to the point of wanting to leave the family unit, and offers tender, considerate and often humorous responses to the challenges we all face in our parenting (and indeed all) relationships in our lives.

It ties in perfectly with the La Leche League philosophy of ‘loving guidance’, which is one of the many reasons I kept going back to La Leche League. I knew I wanted to follow the gentle parenting path, I think even before I became pregnant, and it was demonstrated so admirably by the mums present at the meetings.

It reminded me that loving guidance is a long term investment (it also has short term benefits too), that patience is a virtue (no one has taught me more about being patient than my son), and that if you’re not looking back at your life and cringing at certain moments, you’re not learning and growing as a person, parent and human being.

Uncategorized

A Tea Tree in Sheffield

September 19, 2019 besspurser

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 essential oil, essential oils, massage, aromatherapy, Sheffield, winter gardens, Belper, Derbyshire — 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.

Uncategorized

Dunroamin

June 13, 2019June 13, 2019 besspurser

This is a personal one for me, I’m not one for wearing my heart on my sleeve or being in the spotlight but I’ve felt the need to reflect on and share where I’ve been, how far I’ve come and how I want to shape the future for myself and my beloved son.

2.5 years ago I left my husband after our marriage exploded and left me in a heap on the floor (literally). There had been a few rumbles leading up to the explosion, but nothing could have prepared me for the destruction and devastation of that day, or the waves of shite that kept breaking over me and swiping my feet from under me, again and again in the months that followed.

Mother, son, depression, anxiety, personal, grief, counselling, psychotherapy, wellbeing, Aromatherapy, massage, Belper, Derbyshire, essential oils — Making the most of few times my son falls asleep on me 😍

When I got married, I had a house’s worth of savings in the bank. By the time I left, I had incurred more debt than I’ve ever had in my life, and ever will have again. Debt that did not benefit me or my son and yet was in my name. There were other issues during the fall out that caused deep distress and led to ill health, both physical and mental.

I have long been ashamed by the debt and the circumstances that lead to the state I found myself in. This, and the inevitable grief of a relationship ending, led to a period of depression. But as the great Brené Brown says ‘Shame can not survive being spoken. It cannot survive empathy’. Which is why I wanted to talk/write about my situation, to shine light into the darkness, for myself and maybe others too.

When I look back on that time in my life, I see a woman who had been trodden down, rolled around in the mud on the floor and expected to be happy down there. I didn’t see it coming, or realised it was happening until I stepped away. And even then it took a while to see just how much I’d been in denial. If I just did this, or that, then everything would be better. It wasn’t better. Not for me anyway.

I am supremely fortunate, and eternally grateful, to have a wonderful mum who took me in (and my son, who was 2.5 at the time) and has supported me in so many ways over the last few years as I have rebuilt my life, piece by piece. I have amazing sisters who have provided loving shoulders to cry on and fabulous friends who have mopped my many tears.

I felt compelled to write this post as there are two significant events that have marked the end of the troubled times and the start of new, exciting and enriching times. The first is the end of my counselling sessions*, that I’ve had on and off for the last 2 years. I highly recommend being brave and digging around your life with the guidance of an experienced, qualified and compassionate counsellor or psychotherapist. It has helped me to grieve, stand up for myself, see situations from a different angle, be more resilient and confident in my ability to handle whatever life throws at me.

The second event is that I will very soon be getting the keys to my own house. I can’t tell you how excited I am about this, and what an impact it will make on myself and my son. I’m also anxious about it, as it is a huge responsibility for one person. I’ve no doubt it will be challenging and stretch me in unfamiliar ways but I also know that I’m up for the challenge and can’t wait to have my own space. A home to put my own stamp on and express myself in creating a warm, welcoming and comfortable interior, and a relaxing, healing garden.

depression, anxiety, personal, grief, counselling, psychotherapy, wellbeing, Aromatherapy, massage, Belper, Derbyshire, essential oils, st mawes, Cornwall, rowing, gig rowing, happy place — Me in my happy place, doing a happy thing ☺️

I can see a path of where I want my career to take me, and the people I will help as a product of that. I have ambition again, fire in my belly that I’ve not had for a long time. I can see my son and I building a wonderful home together and making lots of mess along the way. I can see myself going on dating sites/apps for the first time in my life. That’s a very scary thought, but you don’t get to feeling brave without feeling scared first.

Thank you to everyone who has been there for me in the last few years. Thank you to everyone who has offered a helping hand or a spare piece of furniture for my new home. It has been the worst of times, and the best of times. To quote Hannah Gadsby, “There’s nothing stronger than a woman who has rebuilt herself”. Here’s to the ones who have rebuilt themselves 💪.

* I had free counselling sessions via the NHS in Derbyshire via talkingmentalhealth

Walking, Belper, Aromatherapy, Wellbeing, massage, Derbyshire

Uncategorized

Walking for Wellbeing

March 28, 2019March 28, 2019 besspurser

I love a good walk. I like to feel my heart beating and my breathing quicken as I power up a hill. I like to stop and soak up the fresh air, the scent of the forest and flowers and gaze at a view not appreciated before. I like to be nosey into houses and gardens that you can’t see when whizzing by in the car. I like to observe the seasons changing; lambs in the spring, floral abundance in the summer, leaves turning red, gold, orange and purple in the autumn and frost coating the branches in the winter.

I like the opportunity it gives for talking, without actually being face to face, but alongside each other. After an argument I find it less confrontational and more like teamwork. It is soothing to be out in nature, not so fraught and confined. Problems seem to disappear after a good old slog up a hill and a moment’s pause for gratitude.

I like to explore new areas, discover new footpaths and uncover hidden places to rest, relax and regain my inner peace. I like going back to favourite haunts and reliving memories made there.

Travel, wellbeing, Aromatherapy, massage, Belper, Derbyshire, Spain, Altea — View from Aleta, Spain. November 2018

There’s no thinking about personal bests when I’m on a walk. I’m not in it for the competition, to be better than anyone else or myself. It is purely for my enjoyment, my fulfilment, my soul. But I also know that it is good for my health. Physical as well as mental, emotional and spiritual, for all the reasons mentioned above.

Where’s your favourite place to walk? Why? Where’s on the list to discover next?