Holistic stress management

Holistic healing is gaining popularity this year as we all become familiar with the calming effects and stress busting qualities that complementary therapy can deliver.

We can all too easily forget to look after our health with the pressures and stresses of every day life, but maintaining our health does involve creating a balance of body, mind, spirit and emotions.

Stress has become a way of life this year, but waking up feeling anxious and after a sleepless night isn’t a good start to our day and can result in illness further down the line. Over time, a build up of stress can show itself in several ways, and can start with tension in the neck and shoulders, leading to headaches and migraines, irritability and fatigue. It can be a root cause of insomnia.

Did you know that if you often wake up at 2am unable to get back to sleep, this can be down to cortisol levels being at their highest? Unbroken sleep is important as sleep is when the body repairs itself. It is really important to check in with our body and know when we are feeling overwhelmed. Then we can put things in place to help combat stress.

Holistic therapies can bring a natural balance to the body, restoring our overall well-being and mental capacity to handle life’s challenges. Many have found that the overall benefits of holistic healing can bring a natural balance and eliminate toxins. These toxins can lead to illness.

Different therapies work on different conditions but they all have one thing in common, calming down the central nervous system - the parasympathetic system - responsible for the production of our happy, feel good hormones and things like good digestion. This helps to combat the stress hormones such as adrenaline and cortisol which unless managed can lead to acute stress and burnout.

The overall benefit of holistic treatments are that they improve quality of life, because regular therapy can be a ‘pick me up’, putting our body back on reset so we can overcome and stay on top of stress build up and move toward stress elimination.

As much as we all try, managing stress is a challenge this year, and whilst we can’t stop it from building, we can put measures in place to stay on top of it.

Aromatherapy

Aromatherapy and the use of essential oils can bring a sense of calm and tranquillity to the mind and spirit. It is designed to engage our senses and tap into our emotions and has several benefits, helping to alleviate stress and pain reduction to improvement with digestion, energy levels and the immune system. The highly concentrated plant oils have different properties; some are calming whilst others boost energy levels. Some deal with the symptoms of menopause and anxiety.

Indian head massage

A relaxing holistic treatment, this uses acupressure massage on the head, face, neck and shoulders. A build up of stress in the neck and shoulders can create headaches and if left too long, lead to migraines which are debilitating and cause fatigue and agitation. By freeing knots of muscular tension, it relaxes connective tissues and can aid in the elimination of accumulated toxins. Some practitioners use a mix of massage and reiki to create a dual effect of heat sensation and massage on an affected area if it is particularly painful. The benefits of reiki

Reiki 

This is a healing technique based on a principle that the therapist channels energy into the client by touch and this is a proven way to release tensions and assist in the body’s natural healing processes.

We all have an unseen ‘life force energy’ through our bodies and energy healing helps with the flow of energy and the removal of negative toxins which can lead to anxiety, aches and pains, depression and illness. It helps to return our body to a state of relaxation where it is able to heal any damage brought on by stress, injury or disease and strengthens our nervous system to cope better with daily pressures.

The reiki practitioner doesn't cause the healing, they are just a channel for the energy. But there is proven evidence that it can also help with the management of some chronic diseases. For people going through cancer treatment, reiki can alleviate anxiety and improve pain management.  

Our most common reiki practice is by touch but by using distance healing, the therapist and the client do not have to be in the same room and intent is sent a bit like radio waves that are transmitted and received by an antenna. https://lifestyleholistictherapy.com/distance-reiki-healing. When used with crystals, which hold natural healing abilities, reiki can promote deeper relaxation, to rebalance and revitalise. Reiki crystal healing 

Reflexology

This deeply soothing treatment involves applying the appropriate pressure and massaging certain reflex points on the hands and feet, which energise other body parts and organs helping to relieve symptoms of chronic pain or illness. Reflexology works on the energy pathways of the body to realign mental and physical stresses.

A complementary therapy, it is designed to make that person’s emotional and spiritual health improve whilst also improving quality of life and minimising pain by up to 40%. Especially beneficial for sufferers of arthritis, fibromyalgia and high blood pressure. You really need to try this treatment to experience the amazing benefits. Ambient music, hot towels, foot sprays and aromatherapy oils are combined to make the treatment more effective and peaceful. Top ten benefits of reflexology 

Hopi ear candling

An alternative to ear syringing, this is most beneficial to those who suffer from sinus problems, vertigo, pressure imbalances or who have issues with a build up of ear wax which can affect hearing and tinnitus. This in turn can be stressful and cause much anxiety and insomnia.

A much talked about treatment where a six weekly course is advised for optimum benefit, however; just one treatment alone can bring relief, and recent feedback from our clients indicates improved hearing, reduced sinus pain and in some cases alleviating migraines. What is hopi ear candling? 

Hot stones massage 

A deeply relaxing treatment to sooth and calm using hot volcanic basalt stones and a relaxing oil blend. This luxurious massage targets areas of deep tension, muscles, knots, aches and pains. The heat of the stones helps to penetrate deeper into the muscle tissues. It's great for helping treat injuries, pulled muscles and to break down tension. There are the added benefits of an increase in circulation and rebalancing of energies. It is proven to help treat arthritis, fibromyalgia, and chronic pain conditions.