Wellbeing

An holistic approach …

For me, wellbeing encompasses every aspect life - the food we eat, the way we move our bodies, our mental health and how we feel about our lives from work to family, friends and relationships. My experience is that therapeutic massage can play an important role in supporting our wellbeing by giving us time out, an opportunity to relax and be nourished, to work out tension we are holding within the body and to switch off from the distractions of daily life in quiet, held space.

If you are struggling with stress and tension, I would encourage you to take a holistic view of your life - where are the main stressors, how much balance is there within your life and space just for you, and how would you assess four main elements of wellbeing: sleep, food, exercise and relaxation? Therapeutic massage can make a contribution to all of these dimensions - although I like to see massage as just one part of the jigsaw; to make a real difference to your ongoing health and wellbeing you may wish to take a look at the four areas of wellbeing and consider if there are changes you can make. Taking time out for a massage can be a great opportunity to re-set, re-balance body and mind, release tension being held within the muscles, and provide a spring-board for addressing any other elements of wellbeing that may be out of balance - even small steps can make a big difference!

I see wellbeing as a journey, one that is constantly evolving. For me, I have focused on different areas at different times in my life, depending on my personal circumstances and what I feel I need the most. In my twenties running was a great passion and I found it made a really positive contribution to my mental health as well as my fitness and energy levels. Most of my thirties have involved being surrounded by a gaggle of young children, being utterly exhausted and needing to just stop. I ‘found’ meditation during this era and although I don’t use meditation every day or for long lengths of time - yet at least - it does make a profound difference to my happiness and overall wellness. I know that being outside, immersed in nature, makes my head and my heart sing.

What we eat is another key area of wellbeing. I love to cook simple, seasonal food, and I love to share it with others. I turned vegetarian when I was eight and although I’ve dabbled with eating fish at times in my life, I know that eating plant-based works best for me - but I recognise that this is different for everyone, and believe that intuitive eating, where we tune into what our body actually needs and how we respond to different foods, can serve us well. I share some of my favourite recipes in my blog, and you can come along and sample them yourself at our monthly Botelet Breakfast Club.

Everyone’s wellbeing journey is different, what we need at different times in our lives my change, and no-one’s journey will be the same as anyone else’s - the course of our lives are unique to us - as our preferences and needs all differ.

Here at Botelet, as well as offering therapeutic massage we also host a number of other wellbeing therapies, workshops and events in partnership fantastic local experts - for example personal coaching, meditation (one-to-one or small group) and retreats. Check the Events page of the Botelet website for a list of upcoming courses, and do contact me if you have any questions or would like further information.