Self-Care Blog January 2021

Back in my first blog back in July 2011 I talked about how ‘the times were a changing’ and in 2021 change continues! 

 In England, we are once again in lockdown due to Covid-19. 

As a therapist and teacher, I am unable to do close contact therapies with clients. Despite not being able to have close contact therapies at present, we still need to find ways to look after ourselves physically, emotionally and mentally and self-care is great way to achieve this. 

 Today I thought about how the winter weather, central healing and the fact that we are again in lockdown can affect us. So I had a relaxing bath and had some me-time using my much loved Neal’s Yard Remedies Organic products. I treated my skin to some self-care by giving myself a facial and also by exfoliating my body with Geranium & Orange Exfoliating scrub. 

If you would like to find out how you can give your skin some self-care, I am running free Winter Skincare Self Care sessions on Facebook via a private group/Zoom and other online mediums. 

You can purchase Neal's Yard Remedies Organic products from here 

 I have also done some more “Lockdown Learning’ and did a Self-Massage Indian Head Massage course. I was pleasantly surprised how relaxing giving yourself a massage is! This is now something I am offering to my clients. 

 This is some feedback from one of my clients :- 

 Given that one to one therapy sessions are not practicable in the current lockdown environment, l was very pleased to find that Julie Wootten is offering remote sessions, using whichever communication system the client prefers. I signed up for the Indian Head Massage via FaceTime.  Julie led me through warm up exercises and then moved on through the hands, arms, neck and even my hair was involved at the end! The session left me very relaxed and I was very impressed at the professional manner in which Julie guided me through the remote therapy. I will definitely be back for more! 

 Meditation is another self-care method and especially great for our mind and emotions. I meditate regularly and it helps me greatly. 

I have written a Blog about the benefits of meditation and it can be viewed at here.

During lockdown, I have been recording meditations for my clients for £5 a month for 1-2 meditations per month. Here is one that you can listen to for free at here 

 It was recorded for the energy of 11th November, but it can be listened to at any time! But it will have special significance when an 11 is involved with the date or time of listening – e.g. 11th January, 11.11 am, 1.11pm 

Another of my favourite self-care activities is taking some time out with my crystals. Just by holding a crystal and asking it to help you some way can bring great benefit. I like to sit or lay in a layout/grid of Carnelian, one of my favourite crystals (as regular readers of this blog will know!) For this layout, you will need 6 pieces of Carnelian (I sell mail-order crystals if you don’t have any Carnelian!) 

 This is the layout:-

 

Try this for 5 minutes or longer if you can.

You can read more about the benefits of this layout in my Blog from January 2015 at here.

We should all try and take some time out for ourselves for some self-care, even if it's just for a few minutes.

Why not try some of the suggestions in this Blog or leave a comment with your own favourite self-care tips.

Please comment below if you are interested in finding out more of any of the above.

Enjoy these changing times and take good care of yourself.

Julie

Permission is granted to copy and redistribute the blog on the condition that the content remains in tact and full credit is given to the author

Lockdown Learning

Lockdown gave me the opportunity to learn some new skills.

I learnt to make Sourdough bread using gluten-free flours.

I made Sauerkraut with home grown cabbages.

I pushed myself very much out of my comfort zone and did recordings of songs at home for the choir I belong to.  The results of the recordings can be viewed at https://www.youtube.com/c/SweetCharityChoirUK/videos

I also undertook courses in Tsuboki Facial Massage and Tsuboki Hand Massage. When I couldn't do the planned training face-to-face, the tutor sent me reading materials so I could learn the theory until we could meet up in person. 

When we could meet up and complete the training, this was done with face visors and in the garden.

After this, I was then able to start my case studies. At first, I was only able to do Tsuboki Hand Massage case studies and I was grateful to my local friends who allowed me to practice on them, out in my garden.

When the go-ahead was given for facials, I was able to complete my case studies for Tsuboki Facial Massage too.

I am pleased to say that I passed the training and am now qualified in both Tsuboki Hand massage and Tsuboki Facial Massage.

So what is Tsuboki Massage?

A tsubo is an acupressure point. Ki is the Japanese word for energy.

Tsuboki uses massage and acupressure techniques to benefit the area worked on and also all the tsubos and meridians in the area worked and beyond! I say ‘and beyond’ because if working on the gallbladder meridian that goes through the face, the whole gallbladder meridian will also have benefitted from this.

Tsuboki Hand Massage

We use our hands constantly - they work very hard for us and we tend to take them for granted!  It is only when they begin to let us down with arthritis, loss of grip or dexterity that we realise how important they are!

There are thousands of sensory nerve ending in the hands, so they are particularly sensitive to touch. The whole body is mapped out on the hands just as it is on the feet.  There are also 6 meridians and 49 acupressure points on the hand and lower arms, and by working these we can have a profound effect on the body and on the mind and emotions.

There is no need to undress to have this wonderful therapy and it can be performed sitting, lying or reclining hence suitable for people with disabilities too.

Tsuboki massage is beneficial for these hard working parts of our body and can help release tension, increase flexibility and pay attention to all the important areas of your body running through  the meridians your hands.

 Your hands and forearms are massaged, kneaded and stroked.

Allowing tensions to be  soothed away leaving your hands feeling soft, supple and relaxed.

STAGES OF TSUBOKI HAND MASSAGE

Stage one massage to the forearms as most of the muscles that move the fingers are in the forearms.  This reduces tension in the forearm and increases circulation to the hand.

Stage two massage of the hands without lubrication to get into all the nooks and crannies & reach the tiny muscles.  Massage helps to keep the many joints of the fingers flexible and healthy. Crystals are also used during this stage to impart their healing qualities onto the skin and beyond.

Stage three massage of the hands with lubrication to pamper the hands & prepare them for stage four, as the more relaxed the tissues are, the more easily the meridians can be accessed.

Stage four working more than 49 tsubos and 6 meridians on the hands and forearms. The meridians on the arms work the Fire and Metal elements and are particularly linked with calming and detoxing – two very useful qualities in today’s world.

Tsuboki Face Massage

We have more than 50 tsubos on our face running through 8 meridians.  7 of these meridians are yang meridians, which are more energising meridians and because of this clients often report feeling deeply relaxed, but balanced and energised after a Tsuboki Facial Massage

A Tsuboki Face massage works on deep & superficial muscles of the face, reducing the development of wrinkles, improves the appearance of the skin,  & encourages the elimination of metabolic waste products. It is the equivalent of a natural facelift!

The stimulation of acupressure points and meridians will help to balance the whole body and includes:

· Neck massage

· Detailed face massage

· 50 acupressure points

· 8 meridians

· Lymphatic drainage

The Japanese believe that beauty is more than skin deep. The fantastic thing about Tsuboki Japanese face massage is that it works on many levels at the same time, from the inside and the outside.

By working SUPERFICIALLY, we improve skin tone and lymph flow.

By working with the MUSCLES at a deeper level, we can positively affect muscle tone and general appearance.

By working the MERIDIANS that run through the face, we can balance the health in the whole body. In addition, many of the TSUBOS have a specific beneficial effect on the appearance of the face.

By working with the LYMPHATIC system, we encourage the removal of metabolic waste products.

STAGES OF TSUBOKI FACE MASSAGE

Stage one massage to the neck & shoulders to increase circulation to the face and reduce tension in these areas.

Stage two a detailed face massage with oil including traditional Japanese massage techniques. Crystals are also used during this stage to impart their healing qualities onto the skin and beyond.

Stage three working more than 50 tsubos and 8 meridians.

Stage four lymphatic drainage to eliminate toxins.

Face massage is incredibly relaxing to receive, but 7 of the 8 meridians that run through the face are the yang, or more energising meridians.

This may explain why clients often report feeling deeply relaxed during the massage but balanced and energised afterwards.

 

 SUITABILITY

In some circumstances Tsuboki Japanese Face Massage may not be appropriate.  If you are in any doubt as to whether the massage is suitable for you, please consult your practitioner.

The cost of either treatment is £35

Neal’s Yard Remedies Organic Remedies products are used during these sessions to give the session a special quality.

 

Lockdown also gave me time to learn more about Neal’s Yard Organic Remedies products and undertake more training.

I have been running outdoor feet pamper sessions for groups of 5, but as the weather gets more autumnal, I am now offering Facebook Live sessions for feet pampering, facials and hand pampering sessions via private Facebook groups.  If this is of interest to you, please contact me via the comments. Thank you.

Look after yourself and keep safe and well 

Julie x

 

 

Meditations

Whilst in the bath one morning (my favourite place to meditate), a meditation came to me! So I scribbled it down.

This meditation helps you to experience love and healing and share this love and healing throughout the world!

I have recorded this meditation and it can be accessed from this link free of charge.
Click here to listen

Spoken words copywrite Julie Wootten, Body in Balance Music by Cumara MusicYou don’t need to have a Soundcloud account to access it.

I have also recorded a (shorter) meditation for children as I am missing doing the children’s crystal meditation group.

This short meditation is also perfect when you are short of time as it is just 12 minutes long!

It can also be accessed from this link free of charge.
Click here to listen to the shorter meditation

Or if you wish to purchase either or both of the Meditations so you can keep them and play them at any time, please contact me via the comments. 

The cost is £10 (for both meditations on one CD) including postage.

Thank you for listening and spreading love throughout the world.

Thank you

Crystals to Boost the Immune System

An immune system that is compromised can be vulnerable.  If the immune system is not functioning at its peak, it cannot defend against bacteria, viruses and fungi.

As we face many challenges at present, I thought that a blog about how we can strengthen the immune system would be useful.

Fortunately, it is possible to strengthen the immune system with crystals, crystal grids and crystal elixirs.

Immune-Enhancing Crystals

Sitting or lying for half an hour inside a crystal grid, or immersing in a bathtub full of immune-enhancing crystals substantially tunes up the immune system but it reaches its optimum performance after a night spent with crystals.  If immunity is low, keep the grid permanently in place around the bed, and carry an immune-stimulating stone during the day. 

Regular readers of this blog will know that I am a great believer in Crystal elixirs and I would strongly recommend making a crystal elixir to boost your immune system. Instructions on how to make a crystal elixir can be found here 

The thymus gland plays an important part in keeping the immune system healthy. Rutilated Quartz, Bloodstone and other thymus-stimulating stones can be worn over the thymus (just above the heart) throughout the day. For acute infections, immediately place over thymus gland and keep there for as long as possible.  

Crystals that boost the immune system include :-

Amethyst, Aquamarine, Aragonite, Azurite with Malachite, Black & Green Tourmaline, Bloodstone (Heliotrope), Calcite, Chalcedony, Clear Quartz, Jade,  Lapis Lazuli, Malachite, Moss Agate, Onyx, Sardonyx, Smithsonite, Turquoise, Yellow Jasper.

Crystals to boost the Thymus Gland

Aqua Aura, Aventurine, Bloodstone, Clear Quartz, Dioptase, Green Tourmaline, Lapis Lazuli, Rutilated Quartz.

I hope that there is something here that you can try. 

If you require crystals, I can post crystals to you if I have them in stock.. Crystals will be chosen specifically for you. A photo of the selected crystals and prices will be emailed to you.  When you are happy with the selection, the crystals will be posted out to you. Depending on the crystals chosen, postage usually cost between £1.06 and £3.55 (for UK)

Crystals for Phoebe the Cat

Happy New Year to you.

When the owner of Phoebe the cat contacted me to ask if I could supply some crystals to help Phoebe with her pregnancy, I was delighted to be able to help.

I ascertained that Phoebe had seen a vet and was receiving veterinary care.

As well as crystals for the pregnancy, Phoebe's owner also asked for crystals for the birth, pain relief, calming, reassurance and to help Phoebe bond with her kittens.

When selecting crystals for orders by mail, I do a little bit of research but then always dowse to see which crystals would best suit the client. Although when you look in a crystal book, certain crystals may be indicated for a condition, they might not be the best crystal for the client (for many reasons, including ones that I am not aware of - e.g. lifestyle, previous illness or even past lives!)

The crystals that were indicated for Phoebe were:-

Hematite,Smoky Quartz, Moonstone, Carnelian, Rose Quartz, Amethyst, Lapis Lazuli

For the kittens to help them adjust and bond:-

Citrine, Jade, Clear Quartz, Rhodonite

I suggested that prior to the birth, Phoebe’s owner make a crystal elixir spray for Phoebe and also one for the kittens as this is a great, safe way of using crystals safely around animals. Instructions on making Crystal Elixirs can be found in my blog at https://julie-bodyinbalance.blogspot.com/2011/10/crystal-elixirs-elixir-of-life.html

Then nearer the birth I suggested placing Phoebe’s crystals be placed around her.

Close to the birth I received this message:

“Phoebe is due any day now and enjoying chilling with her crystals. Today she was laying on her Hematite and playing with her Moonstone. She’s super relaxed.”

A few days later I received this message

“Mummy and babies thriving. All have their crystals with them.

5! Three tabbies one black and white and one black

Mummy Phoebe is amazing we are in awe of her. She had them all with no noise or fuss. We missed them arriving but they came between 1 and 4am on Wednesday”.

The next message I had was:

“Phoebe and her kittens are doing very well. My thoughts are turning towards the coming weeks when the babies will soon go to their new homes. We will be keeping two and three have wonderful home lined up. Their departures will be staggered so as not to distress any of them too badly.

I would really like a crystal for each kitten to go to with them their new homes.

I will tell you little bit about their personalities which may help and would you mind choosing the appropriate Crystal and sending it to me for each one please and also something to help Phoebe with her separation and grief. She has been an excellent mum and will miss them for sure but they are more than ready already at six weeks of age! They are thriving. But they will go in two weeks - eight weeks and one will go at nine weeks of age."

"Bella is very bold and brave. Loves her food and is keen to interact with humans. She has had a lot of visitors from her new owner. I’m not worried about her one bit."

"Kiki is a shy tabby that in the last week has really come out of her shell is enjoying being handled and interacting with the group. She sits back and thinks about things before diving in but once she is comfortable she has a really comical character. She is a picky eater."

"Buzz has the greatest challenge ahead of him. He is a sensitive chap and prefers to sit back and think about things before he attempts them. He eats really well and has started to show good hunting instincts. He is shy of being handled."

"I would like to think we can help them with a crystal or two in their beds for the first few nights.

Do you think this is something you can help with please?”
I dowsed and came up with the following:-

Kiki - Hematite (give confidence to timid females)

Bella - Clear Quartz

Phoebe - Amethyst & Chrysoprase

Buzz - Aventurine and Rose Quartz - dissipates fears, gives confidence & love

The kittens went off to their new home with a little package of crystals to help them adjust to their new lives.

Phoebe had crystals to help her to adjust to life after kittens.

I felt privileged to be able to help Phoebe and her kittens.

If you feel that crystals would help you or your pets, please do contact me. Crystals can help with our physical, emotional, mental and spiritual wellbeing. Crystals will be chosen specifically for you. A photo of the selected crystals and prices will be emailed to you. When you are happy with the selection, the crystals will be posted out to you. Depending on the crystals chosen, postage usually cost between £1.06 and £3.55

Please note, crystals should be kept out of reach from inquisitive animals and small children so they can’t be “eaten’ or become a choking hazard. This is why crystal elixirs are a good way to use crystals with children and animals (and adults too!)

How I Use Crystals (part 1)

As you know, I love crystals (perhaps that is an understatement!)

I was recently invited to give a talk about crystals to a lovely group of people in Lymington.  I talked to the group about how I use crystals in my life and I thought I would share some of what I told them in this blog.  Sometimes it is good to have a reminder of what we can do to help ourselves.

How I use crystals

For me, I use crystals in:-

Elixirs – one of my absolute favourite ways for using crystals.  The crystal energy goes straight into your physical body.  Once you’ve purchased the crystals, it is the ultimate reusable product.  I have three elixirs on the go and as soon as one bottle is emptied, I refill the bottle, leave it to infuse and drink the next one in line!

Instructions on making elixirs can be found on my previous blog http://julie-bodyinbalance.blogspot.com/2011/10/crystal-elixirs-elixir-of-life.html?m=1

Meditation – I feel that meditating with crystals takes the meditation experience to the next level.  If you haven’t tried holding crystals whilst meditating, I suggest you give it a try.

For those who live local to me, I run crystal meditation sessions. Please enquire for details.

Self Healing from crystals– whenever I can, I use crystals for self healing, by placing them on my body. I try and spend a few minutes each morning putting crystals on or around my body.  I keep some crystals close to my bed and choose some (using my intuition – what I am drawn to) to put on or around my body.

I also keep some crystals by my bath and hold them and/or put some on my body.

The usual 'rules' of cleansing/energising and programming crystals applies to help you get the best out of them.  See http://julie-bodyinbalance.blogspot.com/2013/10/cleansing-energising-and-programming.html?m=1

I will continue this in a future blog. I hope you are able to try some/all of my suggestions to see how crystals can benefit your health and wellbeing.

Meditation - Your New Year's Resolution?

Happy New year to you!

Last year my Blog (see January 2017) commented on ‘how the New Year gives us time to reflect on our lives, and work out what we want to achieve and how we can go about it.  We can turn over a new leaf, start afresh.

Many people make resolutions about improving health or fitness.  Sometimes our spiritual health gets overlooked. 

I believe we need to take a holistic look at our lives and as well as working on our physical health, we also need to look at our emotional, mental and spiritual wellbeing’.

The blog also went on to look at how choosing a crystal and sitting with it can help us spiritually, to find calm, give us healing and perhaps give us answers to questions.

This year I want to revisit the topic of meditation (see Blog February 2012). I regularly spend time meditating myself and feel that its helps my sanity! Having the time to calm my mind brings peace to my whole being.  It often also brings me clarity, new ideas and wisdom.

Meditation doesn’t have to time consuming (although you can spend time on it if you choose to!) Just focusing on your breathing for 5 minutes can bring calm to your body and mind.  Give it a try, focusing on slow deep breaths, breathing right in to the abdomen.

There are many different types of meditation  and these days there are lots of ways to experience them through apps, YouTube videos, CD’s etc.

I have recorded 3 Meditation CD’s  (Morning and Evening - CD 1, Calm -CD2 and Chakra Meditation -CD3).  This year I want to record an updated Chakra CD that works with the 12 Chakras, so watch this space.

I also very much enjoy running Meditation sessions for groups and individuals of all ages.  It is very gratifying to see how people grow spiritually during these sessions.

I felt privileged to run a session for two young girls just before Christmas.  During their session they did three meditations and found inner peace and got such great insights into their lives. Seeing them so refreshed and relaxed at the end of the session was truly special for me.

If you feel that Meditation would be beneficial to you, I urge you to give it a try.  Buy a CD, try and app, find a class.

I run classes from my home in the New Forest.

I will be holding a Meditation session on Friday 12th January from 10.30am - 12.30pm

During these monthly guided Meditation sessions we study and meditate with a different crystal/angel/topic each month.

The session on Friday 2nd February will be a Crystal Meditation session.

These cost £10 per session.  The cost includes refreshments.  For Crystal and Angel Meditation sessions, you will be given the crystal that you meditate with and a handout.

I also run bespoke meditation sessions for individuals and small groups run at mutually acceptable times.  I can tailor these sessions for specific requirements e.g. spiritual development/angel/crystal/dragon meditations or to help with relaxation, anxiety, depression, moving forward in your life etc.

Please contact me via the comments below for location details.