Barefoot Reflexology - My Blog

  I never fail to be amazed by the power of Reflexology!   A  review of 168 research studies  found that Reflexology can increase blood flow to organs, enhance organ function, lower high blood pressure, reduce anxiety, cause positive changes in brain wave patterns, and reduce pain linked to arthritis, kidney stones, and diabetic neuropathy.  It can alleviate the pain of migraines and tension headaches and other forms of chronic and acute pain.   However, during a recent visit to my chiropractor, the importance of taking responsibility for my own health in between visits, was driven home in a very painful way!  I have been going to him for about 3 years now, for knee and lower back problems and I suppose I’d become a bit complacent - turn up for the appointments, pay the bill and forget about it until the next appointment.   This time, as I was lying on the table, with his thumb pressed firmly on a point on my psoas muscle (the one just inside the pointy bit of the hip bone) and grittin

·        Are you thinking about starting a family? ·        Been trying for a while, but with no luck? ·        Not sure if you’re ovulating? ·        Do you want to optimise your chances of getting pregnant? ·        Have you been pregnant before but finding it hard this time around? ·        Have you had miscarriages but don’t know why? ·        Are you having assisted conception treatments, such as IVF, IUI or ICSI? ·        Do you have PCOS or endometriosis? ·        Are there sperm count or motility problems?   If this is you, and you want to do something different this time - something that will also help with stress levels and hormone balance - then you may want to consider Reproflexology ™  (Reproductive Reflexology).      Some couples struggle to get pregnant, and this can understandably be very stressful and emotional.    This stress, in turn, can impede your chances of conceiving, and so the vicious cycle continues.   The Reproflexology ™  treatments that I specialise in, he

Did you know that around 20% of adults in the UK suffer from some kind of sleep deprivation?    Are you one of them perhaps?    Sleep is essential to our health, both physical and mental - and not getting enough sleep can have dire consequences.    Reflexology encourages balance and sleep, so that clients can reap the many rewards of getting their 8 hours.   So here are 9 benefits of getting those precious 8 hours a night: 1. Improved memory and concentration 2. Reduced mood swings 3. Reduction in the harmful effects of stress 4. Increased creativity 5. Stronger immune system 6. Increased libido 7. Increased energy 8. Feeling younger  9. A healthier heart If you're having problems getting off to sleep or staying asleep, maybe these 6 tips could help you to optimise your sleep environment: ·        Tryptophan helps sleep - snack on foods high in this, (such as cheese, nuts, pineapple, turkey and lettuce) an hour before bedtime.    Tryptophan helps the pineal gland produce melatonin

  Trying to conceive?     It’s worth knowing about your cycle and when your ovulating, so you can spot the signs and get your timing right.     Here are some tips to help you on your journey:   1.  The average woman’s’ cycle is 28 days, but it could be anything from 22 to 35 days long.  Ovulation normally happens about two weeks before your next period, so if your cycle is 28 days, you will ovulate around day 14, but each woman’s cycle is different and ovulation can occur anything between Day 9 - 25!    2.  Your egg lives for up to 24 hours after leaving your ovary, so if you are having sex around your most fertile days, you’ll have the best chance of conceiving.  However, your partner’s sperm can live for up to five days, so it’s a good idea to also have sex before ovulation occurs if you are trying to conceive.    3.  Your partner will release around 250 million sperm during ejaculation, however only a small proportion of these will be viable, and only around 200 - 400 of these sperm

  It might.     Stress can interfere with getting pregnant, but it's not always that simple and having difficulty conceiving can be a real stress in itself.    People may tell you to just relax and wait for it to happen and although this can be frustrating, there   is   an element of truth in it. Stress can affect the hypothalamus (a gland in your brain), which regulates the hormones that are required to release your eggs.    This gland also regulates your partner's testosterone levels.   Your body is likely to be used to every-day stresses, so your cycle will probably not be affected by these, but of course, everyone reacts to stress in different ways and if the stress is acute enough, it may cause physical changes: ·        a traumatic event can throw your cycle off and interfere with conceiving ·        it could be a change of routine, such as a business trip, that delays your ovulation  ·        if you're stressed, your cervical mucus may indicate that something's n