NAtural Ways to better days…
Whilst deciding upon a name for my business, it came to me that my aim is to help improve my clients’ quality of life in a natural way, using massage, specific reflexology techniques and products that have natural ingredients
- Natural Ways to Better Days was born!
As we look towards an uncertain future with regards to our environment and perhaps our health care system, I know I am not alone in wishing to do all that I can to keep myself naturally healthy alongside the acceptance and appreciation of conventional medicine. The therapies I offer can bring relief from many day to day problems or can be enjoyed as a form of relaxation with the added benefit of having had a holistic treatment. Clients who have been given a Natural Ways To Better Days gift voucher either really appreciate the treatment chosen for them or love choosing for themselves which therapy they will experience. Many people have treatments to help maintain their good health. A client told me, just this week, that reflexology should be seen as a necessity rather than a luxury! Natural Face Life Massage (also called Facial Rejuvenation) is a non-invasive way of helping you to look youthful and well. As well as visual benefits, clients often describe how they sleep better and experience relief from various stress related symptoms. Please read on for more information about how stress can effect our well being and how I may be able to help.
Any of this sound familiar?
Stress is part of life, there is no avoiding it. In fact, we would be constantly in danger without our early warning system - know as the ‘fight or flight’ response. Before exams, hosting a dinner party or whilst playing sport we may well feel increased levels of adrenaline and the main stress hormone, cortisol, will have curbed functions not considered essential in the moment, such as altering the immune system response and suppressing the digestive system. Normally, once the stressful situation has passed, our hormone levels return to normal. This may be felt as a calm sensation, a sense of euphoria after you have performed well, or a release of tension in the stomach. Problems arise when we feel constantly ‘under threat’ and hormones do not return to a state of balance in between each stressful event. As well as actual events causing this, it can also be caused by our repetitive negative thoughts and it can be difficult to break out of this pattern of thinking. These days, the threat is not from a potential wild animal attack like it would have been for our ancestors, but rather from work, social media and the pressures that come with our modern lifestyles which can sometimes feel relentless. Being in a continuous state of stress can lead to a host of unpleasant symptoms such as headaches, insomnia, backache, anxiety, digestive problems and more frequent coughs and colds.
How can a treatment help you?
Please see the description of each treatment under the link for therapies for a more in depth look at each one but, in general, taking time out for any of the treatments allows you the space to ‘just be’. As you relax, hormones return to a better state of balance and clients often describe how they drift off to a place between wakefulness and sleep. This is restorative both for the mind and the body and leaves us feeling calmer and yet often more alert. Having taken the positive action of having a treatment, you may also become more conscious of any negative thought patterns in day to day life and perhaps be able to step back and challenge them.
Reflexology in particular can be enjoyed by people of all ages and stages in life. Children generally love this treatment. It can help with anxiety and sleep problems amongst other things. During pregnancy it is very relaxing and helps you to be in the best of health for the arrival of your baby. A client who dearly wished to be able to breast feed her third child was thrilled when, following a course of reflexology, she was able to do just that when this had not been available to her with her first two children. The older clients I visit in residential homes love their treatments. A 98 year old client tells me each time how it makes her feel better.
Chronic illness can be debilitating and lead to a constant feeling of unease as you wonder if you will ever feel well again. Allowing yourself to experience one of the therapies on offer at Natural Ways To Better Days will more than likely feel empowering and help set you on the road to being better able to manage your condition. Our aim is to move from a state of ‘dis-ease’ to ‘ease’. All of the therapies I offer work directly with the body’s nervous system to help you relax and to allow the body to achieve a better state of health both mentally and physically. This, possibly along with some lifestyle changes, may lead to a better sense of well being and a greater enjoyment of life. In the case of Natural Face Lift Massage, there might be the added bonus of a few less wrinkles and smoother skin!
Where will the treatment take place?
I work from my home in Balcombe, West Sussex in a dedicated treatment room which is located just in from the front door, next to a bathroom. We are fortunate in that we overlook a wooded valley and it gives me and my clients alike great pleasure to be able to look out at the ever changing seasons and to see the wonderful skies and natural light flooding into the room. We have parking at the front of the house which takes away the hassle of finding a parking space and paying for it in town.
RACHEL BOLLAND
ABOUT ME
My interest in complementary therapies started many years ago when my two boys were young. I would, like any parent, want to make them feel better when they were unwell and explored using essential oils for chesty coughs and ear candling to help relieve ear problems. It was after I had my daughter that I came across reflexology. My lower back was aching due to carrying her on my hip, as we do, and I came across a book showing the various reflex points. I was genuinely amazed to discover that the points on my hands relating to the lower back were tender and that my back ache was relieved by reflexology. This was enough for me to be hooked and want to train in this amazing therapy.
I qualified as a reflexologist in 2002 and since then my life has taken many turns as lives tend to do. I went on to do further training in maternity reflexology, and gained experience working with clients experiencing difficulties becoming pregnant and with women during their pregnancy. This, perhaps inevitably led on to treating children. My own children loved it and found it especially helpful around exam times. I also worked for many years as a teaching assistant at our local primary school before deciding to concentrate fully on building my business, Natural Ways To Better Days. I undertook training in further therapies and couldn’t be happier with the treatments I can now offer my clients. Over the last couple of years, I have worked regularly with older people, many of whom are living with dementia in residential homes. I find this work immensely rewarding and feel privileged to be able to make a difference to peoples’ days in a positive way.
My own personal journey towards better health is a continual one as it is for most people. I enjoy vegetarian cooking, walking, yoga, tennis, swimming and have recently embarked on a mindfulness course which helps me both personally and with my practice. I empathise with people as they look towards leading healthier lifestyles and finding ways to help themselves. I will always treat you with professionalism, compassion, respect and kindness.