Now more than ever we need to find ways to reduce our stress and manage how we will move forward from the pandemic of 2019, which has stretched well into 2023. We are learning to pivot and change the way we move out of this historical trauma. Many people have lost so much and need time and space to heal and learn to live without past connections and create new and hopefully better and more grounded connections with friends, family, colleagues and even strangers who will become new friends and enrich our lives more than we can anticipate or even dream about. Taking time to honour your souls purpose and be the person who shines a light for yourself and others to glow in will help heal this world and the people in it - one person at a time :-)

Take a moment to nourish your soul and break free from the holds of loneliness, COVID fatigue, depression, and new fears of getting back out there.  The world has a lot to offer and you have a lot to offer the world.  Be brave, step forward, embrace your heart and let your inner light shine. Practice self-care to help you be the best you can be, take a walk in the park, go barefoot on the beach or in the forest and listen to the trees, sing a song while driving in your car, dance and sing in your kitchen while cooking a new meal, meditate, do yoga, play the piano, strum a guitar, write a story, the list is endless... you have the solution in you - just listen to your heart!
​ 
If Reflexology is of interest to you then find a qualified reflexologist to give you a relaxing, healing session or learn to practice on your self. Your hands are always available and they have over 17,000 nerves to transmit a healing message to your brain to help your body and mind heal itself -so take a moment to rub your hands or follow my self-help instructions below for a simple way of helping yourself be a better you!  

​Using your thumbs you can gently press and release as you move along the palm surface of your hands to release tension and stress from your mind and body. The image below shows areas to concentrate on to help release some of that built up lung congestion.

Your ears are a tell all spot for what is going on in your body at this point in time. 
Take a look at your ears in the mirror, the whole body is reflected in the shape of the ears. Imagine that the ear lobe is in the shape of your head, the outer edge (helix) is the curve of your spine as you imagine a fetus ready for birth would be in the womb. The arms and legs are curled into the center of the ear with the internal organs protected in the inner curve.

A very simple way to quickly reduce stress is to thumb roll around the outer edge of the ears and to press gently onto the SHEN MEN POINT.
​There are well over 90 pressure points on the ears that reflex to the organs and systems within the whole body, so by just rolling the fleshy part of the ear lobe between your thumb and index finger (imagine rolling a small seed between your fingers) you can help reduce stress by allowing the ear to communicate to the body systems to help harmonize the whole body.  This technique also works great if you have trouble sleeping.
Take three deep cleansing breaths (breath in for count of 3, hold for count of 2, breath out for count of 3) and use your index finger to Press and Hold the SHEN MEN point for a few seconds, place your thumb at the back of your ear to balance the pressure and squeeze the point gently,  if you feel a little tenderness you have the right spot.
Practice this technique any time during the day or night for 2 to 3 minutes when you are feeling overwhelmed or need a moment to take a breath and relax.
Please remember this is an alternative health acupressure / reflexology practice and is not intended to replace the advise of your physician. 

Above are diagrams of the palm and dorsal views of your hands.
The colours represent reflex areas of the hands which you can work daily for 5 to 10 minutes per day to help you reduce your stress and boost your immune systems. These reflex areas can also help you reduce any symptoms you may experience relating to a cold or stress.
PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THIS INFORMATION DOES NOT REPLACE THE ADVICE OF YOUR PHYSICIAN - this is a self care suggestion only.

The blue area represents the lungs and is located on the ball of the foot as well as on the top and palm of the hand just below the fingers.  You can thumb walk all over this area to help relieve chest congestion.
The Orange dots represent the lymphatic drain points at the webs of the fingers or toes and wrist or ankle and at the base of the thumb or great toe. You can press on these points several times throughout the day - DO NOT press to cause pain - reflexology does not need to hurt to be effective.
The green area represents the kidney and bladder on the palm of the hand or the sole of the foot. You can thumb walk along this area to boost your elimination of toxins from your system.
The red area at the base of the thumb or at the ball of the great toe (mainly on the left foot or left hand), represents the heart. You can thumb walk on this area to increase circulation and thus help boost your immune system.
The purple line along the top of the thumb or toe represents the vagus nerve. You can walk or press on this line to help harmonize and relax your body systems.
The purple line along the side of the thumb or the medial side of the great toe represents the spine reflex. You can thumb walk along the edge of the thumb or great toe to help relieve tension and stress and to help harmonize your whole body.
The pink dots along the tips of the fingers or toes on the palmar side or plantar view represent the sinuses. You can press on these points to help relieve sinus congestion.

Again I remind you that these self care tips are not intended to replace the advise of your physician and should only be used as a compliment to traditional medicine. Reflexology is an ancient healing art and in the hands of a professionally trained therapist you can be assured you will receive significant benefits to your health and well being. When using reflexology on yourself as a self care tool - you can do no harm to yourself when you only use your own hands (do not use tools unless you have been trained to use them) - you can only help to give your body a chance to relax and help heal itself.

Your body is capable of wonderful things - look how you have grown and accomplished so much in your life time and here you are learning more about how to help yourself be a healthier, more relaxed human. 
​
Thank you for being you!

If you have any questions please contact me and I will be happy to help as best I can.

I have recently been reminded of a simple but powerful truth that enables us to regain our calm and balance.
Conscious Breathing
This simple act has the power to lower your anxiety, lower your blood pressure and reboot your system to regain your calm and balance.

As the story related to me tells of a patient with severe chronic hypertension was admitted to the hospital with unrelated hyperemesis (extreme vomiting) due to food poisoning.  As a result of the gravity of the situation the patient had an alarming spike in her blood pressure (195/105), the nurse on duty did not offer the presecribed medication immediately, instead she asked the patient to focus on her breath and to breathe deeply into her abdomen, (gut), with each deep breath she had her imagine the air flowing to all cells of her body, another breath from her lungs to her gut, another breath from her lungs to her fingertips, another breath from her lungs to her toes, another breath from her lungs to her heart, another breath from her lungs to her head...after 7 breaths and about 5 minutes, the nurse took her blood pressure again - it had reduced to a normal rate of 128/78 - a successful non-medicated outcome from a medical professional who has embraced alternative health practices.

The patient now has a useful tool that will enable her to calm herself whenever she needs to, without medication - a true win for alternative health!

We often forget to breathe deeply, as we rush through our busy days, we are sometimes holding our breath and then wonder why we feel so exhausted at the end of the day.  If we can take the  moment to take a deep breath and breathe deeply into our gut, we will instantly calm ourselves and then be better able to manage our busy hectic days.

Conscious Breathing has helped me in my practice of reflexology. I encourage all of my clients to take that initial deep breath and to focus on the area of their body that needs a little love at that moment. By taking that deep breath and engaging the energy of love , every reflexology session can have a profound healing effect.

Reflexology is the therapeutic application of specialized pressure techniques to the hands, feet or ears to stimulate specific reflex areas that correspond to every part, gland and organ of the body. The intention of this massage is to produce a beneficial response in all parts of the body. These non-invasive, manual techniques stimulate pressure sensors along the body’s meridians via the central nervous system, triggering a relaxation response which allows your body to function optimally and begin to heal itself.     Reflexology encourages good health, aids the lymphatic system to eliminate accumulated toxins, promotes relaxation, eases pain, helps to prevent disease and generally improves quality of life for everyone from newborn to elderly.
Research as well as personal success stories demonstrate that Reflexology can create a positive change in the body thus improving the functioning of virtually every part, gland and organ and therefore making a positive difference in how we age. 
Reflexology research has proven that  the specialized pressure point massage as provided by qualified practitioners in reflexology sessions are safe for everyone and achieve positive results, improves body function, and enhances the effectiveness of  traditional medication,  homeopathy, Chiropractic, Reiki, physiotherapy, etc.  
Self-help reflexology will provide you with  the opportunity to help yourself and assist the effectiveness of professional sessions. Marie will teach you a few simple ways to help yourself with Reflexology during your session, and you may take one of her classes to learn about Reflexology at a deeper level.
 Reflexology also aides in recovery from illness or surgery, alleviates pain, migraines, constipation, inflammatory responses and other troublesome symptoms in patients of all ages. 
Incorporating regular Reflexology sessions into your everyday life at an early age can bring health benefits many decades into your future. Weekly or monthly professional sessions as well as helping yourself daily will reduce daily stress so you can live the healthy balanced life you deserve.
Like any positive move toward better health –  
        It is never too late to start! ​