Massage in early pregnancy

Having trained in pregnancy massage last year, and learning how wonderfully supportive it can be for an expectant mother, I was fully planning to spend my pregnancy on the couch for hours, soaking up all that care, nurturing and all round wellness for myself and my growing child.

Pregnancy massage can provide care, nurture
and coddling for you and your precious cargo
from the earliest weeks.

Then I actually got pregnant, and reality turned out a little differently! Nausea and exhaustion meant I wasn't up to hours of kneading, or even gentle effleurage. So have I turned against early pregnancy massage? Not at all. At the stage where most people around you aren't aware of the enormous changes you're facing, being able to share your experience and get some care and coddling can be invaluable. I just realised that, for me anyway, I needed to be more selective and specific in choosing my treatments.

Is massage safe in early pregnancy?

There is a misapprehension that massage isn't possible, or safe in the first trimester. This idea comes as far as I can tell, from two sources. There was an idea, even when I trained, that massage stimulates the system such that it can cause, or increase the likelihood of, miscarriage. This just isn't the case; any stimulation is no more than going for a walk, and except for rare cases with complications, will at worst do no harm. As long as certain simple safeguards are followed (like avoiding abdominal massage), there is no evidence  or reason to think that massage poses a risk to the pregnancy.

Unfortunately, many pregnancies do miscarry in the first trimester. There are a number of reasons for this, and most are unavoidable. However, if a woman has a massage just before a miscarriage, she may make a link between the two. Some therapists don't offer first trimester massage to avoid this situation, and a lot of insurance companies won't cover it for therapist who are not specifically trained in pregnancy massage. Hence you may see therapists who won't treat in the first trimester; you may need to seek out someone who does have pregnancy massage training.

How do I get the most from massage when I fall pregnant?

Every woman's experience of pregnancy is different, and even from one pregnancy to the next, but this is what I found useful to get the most from massage in the first trimester.

• Little and often beats long sessions. I was quite tender, so didn't want to be lying still for extended periods, and too much of the kneading exacerbated my nausea after a while. So shorter treatments suited me better.

• Find the right position. Later in pregnancy, you need to move into the side-lying or semi-reclined position; in the first trimester there is no bump to restrict you, but your body is already changing rapidly as your ligaments loosen up and your hormones surge, so what is comfortable for you may change. Discuss the options with your massage therapist, and experiment as necessary. You may find side-lying is gentler on a nauseous, tender abdomen, or that raising your legs eases your back. Maybe you need seated massage for a few weeks. If you need to change positions during the massage to be comfortable, that's fine too. You may like to mention it to your therapists in advance, so they have plenty of bolsters and pillows on hand for maximum flexibility.

• Identify what you need/want from the massage. Especially for shorter sessions, if you are clear about this up front, and can therefore communicate it to your massage therapist, you're much more likely to come away from the treatment feeling happy and satisfied. What you need is likely to to different at each treatment - sometimes you'll need a specific area worked on quite deeply due to physical aches and pains, other times you may need calming and grounding as anxieties crowd your mind, or simply to rest as the first trimester can bring an exhaustion that caught me by surprise and wiped me out for a period of time.

• Make it as easy as possible. This goes for everything during pregnancy, not just massage! So if you can, find someone near to home, or work, with hours that fit into your routine. If you are finding things a struggle anyway, you don't want to have a long trip out of your way for a massage, or to feel you have to rush back afterwards. If a particular time suits you, it may be worth booking up several sessions in advance, to reserve your preferred slot. This also means you don't have to think about repeatedly making appointments, and you may get a discount for booking a package of treatments!

These are my recommendations based on my own experience of early pregnancy. Do they strike a chord with you, or was your experience different? What other suggestions would you make for newly expectant mothers? I'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below.

Be kind to yourself. Treat body and mind through compassionate, healing touch - visit Lucinda's website

Go on, stretch yourself

In April I attended a workshop on Effective Stretching, with the Middlesex School of Complementary Medicine. Most of us know the importance of stretching when exercising, but it is not just valuable for athletes, or during a workout. We all use our bodies, and can get tight muscles, and so can benefit from a regular stretching practice. In return for a little time and persistence to form new habits, you could reduce muscle tension and aches, feel more relaxed in your body, have greater body awareness and improve posture and body alignment.

Of course, this depends on performing stretches that are appropriate, and doing them correctly. Here are some of the top tips I picked up from the workshop, and one of the most useful stretches we learned.

Top tips

• When exercising, prepare with dynamic (moving) stretches, and cool down with static stretches. 

• Fit a few stretches into your daily routine – when you wake up feeling a bit creaky, after sitting or standing still for a long time, or when you have a few minutes waiting for the bus or while the kettle boils. 

• Don’t bounce in a stretch, or push passed your comfort point, both are ways to injure yourself. 

• Stretching is easier and more effective if you relax. 

• Do not hold your breath while stretching; maintain an easy flowing breath. 

• Hold static stretches for 10 to 15 seconds to maintain your flexibility; to improve flexibility, stay at the end point of your muscle’s elasticity, where you feel resistance (and before it hurts!) for 30 to 60 seconds. You may feel that after 15 seconds or so you are able naturally to move into a deeper stretch, but don’t force it.

Piriformis stretch

The piriformis is a muscle in the buttock, underneath the major gluteal muscles. It can become tightened, especially if we sit for long periods, which can cause discomfort in the buttock and lower back, and may also irritate the sciatic nerve causing pain down the leg. This stretch is therefore a good one if you work at a desk much of the time, or do a lot of driving.

• Start by sitting on the edge of a chair, with your feet flat on the floor.
• Raise one foot and place on the opposite knee, with your shin as close to horizontal as it comfortably goes.
• There will be a triangle formed between your thighs and raised calf; slowly lean forward, aiming your belly button into the triangle. Hold for as long as necessary.
• Release gradually and repeat on the other side.

Do this stretch daily, or more. It’s a good one to include in your regular breaks when working at a computer.


Be kind to yourself. Treat body and mind through compassionate, healing touch - visit Lucinda's website

Help yourself to a straighter, less painful upper back

So many people who come to see me for massage have tension, restricted movement and pain in their shoulders and neck. It’s a blight of the modern lifestyle, with hours spent sitting hunched over computers, or behind the wheel of a car. A massage can work out the knots and tightness, so you feel looser, straighter and much more comfortable for weeks, or even months. Without a change in habits, however, stiffness and pain creep back in.

Massage can help you feel looser,
straighter and more comfortable

Giving up the computer work, or long drives, may not be practical, but there are other steps you can take to lessen the impact of day to day life on your body and prolong the benefits of your massage (and reduce the discomfort when you come for your next treatment).

Try this exercise: Focus on the bottom corner of your shoulder blades (feel where they are with your hands if you need to). Have the intention of pulling those corners down and in towards your spine.

This is a very gentle, passive way of encouraging your upper back, shoulders and neck into a good, neutral position. Thinking about pulling your shoulders down, or back, can cause you to tense in your neck and shoulders, which defeats the purpose a bit.

It also helps bring your head up above your neck, rather than hanging forward. (If it still feels pushed forward, bring it fully up by looking horizontally and bringing your chin in; imagine a string from your crown floating your head upwards). Your head is pretty heavy, so if it’s pushed forward your neck and shoulder muscles are doing a lot of work to counteract that weight. That can cause, or add to, tension in those areas. Once your head is balanced on your neck, the weight is supported through your spine and the pressure is off your muscles. Much better!

Practise this alignment of your back and shoulders whenever you think of it, especially during activities that can put strain on the back like using a computer or driving. Every time you do it you take the strain off your muscles for a few moments and give them an opportunity to relax. With time and repetition, this neutral position becomes more natural and normal, until you realise you’re doing it without thinking. Congratulations, you’ve learned to look after your back and may have saved yourself future pain and discomfort. As an added incentive, by holding yourself straight you may look taller too.

Be kind to yourself. Treat body and mind through compassionate, healing touch - visit Lucinda's website

"But will you…?" or making time to nurture yourself

I recently saw a discussion online between crafters and artisans, expressing their frustration at craft fair visitors who dismiss their work with “I could make that at home”. One participant had a great response, which was to ask them “but will you?”

There’s a big gap between what you could do and what you will do – time, energy, prioritisation and habit inevitably whittle down the list of great intentions to our actual actions. Sometimes, if you want that beautiful hand crafted gift, you’d do better to buy it from the expert at the fair than try to fit in making it yourself between work, family and all your other commitments (and maybe feeling let down if you don’t manage it).

A massage is time for yourself

For many years I used to see a therapist on a Thursday evening at 6 after work (back when I still worked in an office). I’d make sure I finished work in time to get to her, and planned other arrangements around those appointments. It was my commitment to looking after myself, and it worked well. The time came to end those sessions, but I still wanted to take the time to nurture myself, so I planned to continue to set aside that hour on a Thursday evening, for meditation and reflection, quiet down time for me. Then one week there was a deadline at

work, and I stayed a bit later. I decided it made more sense to go shopping straight from work and have “me time” a bit later – then I was hungry so I ate first, and tired, so an early night seemed like a good idea – that’s looking after myself as well, right? – and just like that the routine I’d had for years was gone; somehow I no longer had time for looking after me.

It turned out that, while in theory “I could do that at home”, when it came to “but will I?”, the answer was no.

A session with a massage therapist is time taken to look after yourself. There’s the physical work to ease pain and stiffness, and the emotional benefit of receiving touch from another person. But there are other aspects of the experience that you could do at home. Closing the door, turning off the phone, shutting out external distractions and being quiet for a while. Taking time away from work, family, chores etc to relax and recharge  Giving yourself permission to focus on you and your needs for a while. Creating a warm, welcoming, safe space to rest and reflect. 

But will you?

Maybe the answer is yes, in which case, good for you. If, like me, you find that real life trumps good intentions more often than not, don’t beat yourself up, you’re only human. Like buying a gift you “could make” but won’t, allow an expert to help you, and book a regular massage*. Once committed you will find the time to get to the appointments. It’s incredibly empowering to go from “I really should…” to “I make time for this”, and your body and mind will thank you for taking care of yourself.

Relax and recharge

* and by booking four or more massage treatments up front, you get a 20% saving - see here for details






P.S. If you are inspired to “do it at home”, whether occasionally or to create a regular habit, here are my tips.

• Choose the calmest room in your home, where you can sit or lie comfortably.
• Close the door and ensure you won’t be disturbed by other people (or pets) for a set time. Turn the phone and other devices off.
• Ensure you are warm – your temperature can drop when you are still for a while, so gather blankets to snuggle under.
• Turn down the lighting – use lamps or candles, to create a soft, warm atmosphere.
• Play soft music, something you find soothing (but not annoying or distracting). As well as adding to the atmosphere, this softens any external sounds that come in.



Creating a welcoming,
safe place to reflect

• Introduce pleasant aromas – with candles, incense, essential oils, flowers or creams (see below).

Now you are ready for whatever practice works for you, and feels good right now. Some suggestion are:

• Breathe. Simply that. Focus on slow, deep inhalation and exhalation, feeling your body rise and fall from your abdomen to your collar bone. One of the simplest ways to ground and calm yourself.
• Meditate – your own practice, or try one of the many guided meditations and visualisations that are available.
• Gently stretch your body, working through the different areas, easing through any tension and enjoying the sensation of length and movement, connecting with your body.
• If you practice yoga, do some home practice, listening to what your body, and mind, need.
• Write – take a pen and paper and pour your thoughts out. Don’t try to organise them too much, or to filter. Sometimes just expressing something that’s been going round and round in our heads can help to clarify what’s going on and illuminate the next step.
• Pamper your body. Take a luxurious body cream and slowly and lovingly smooth it into your skin. This smells great, feels great, reconnects us with our bodies and sooths us through touch.
• Daydream. Let your mind wander, explore your imagination, see where it takes you and experience your own creativity.

What do you do to nourish yourself? I’d love to hear your additions to the list in the comments below.



Be kind to yourself. Treat body and mind through compassionate, healing touch - visit Lucinda's website

Reflections from the beach

I've just passed a lovely, lazy week in beautiful Nikiana, home of Serenity Retreat where I worked for two months last year. This year I was off duty, just relaxing and rejuvenating. So I've had plenty of time to reflect on the year that's passed and where I'm at, and how lovely it is to be on holiday - and this is pretty much where I got to.

1.  Resting is not the same as Recharging.

I've been working more or less non-stop for months, plus in the few weeks before I went I moved house, never an easy process. Although I was (usually) getting enough hours of sleep, I realised when I got to Nikiana that I was weary. And that lasted for 4 or 5 days while I slept, chilled out, sunbathed - this last being very important, I swear I'm solar powered, the sun does me a world of good. The lesson learnt - to find ways to have a proper break regularly, and incorporate this into my life more than once or twice a year. It also ties in with some strands of ideas I have about what I can provide to my lovely clients, but it's early days on that still, so no spoilers.

2.  Mediterranean tomatoes are the best.

They just are.

3.  I don't read enough.

I got through 8 books in a week, and well into the ninth. That may be a little excessive for business as usual, but still - I like reading, I devour books when I get a chance, whether classics, fun light stuff (love supernatural fiction at the moment, I covered vampires, shamans and zombies this week) or practical books on running a business. Why limit something that I get so much out of to a few weeks in the year?

4.  Sometimes you have to permit yourself to do nothing.

Permit being the operative word - as in give yourself permission. Actively. When you're self-employed, it's easy to be always on, thinking about the next thing to do, constantly aiming to be productive. You're not constantly productive, it's impossible, but you always feel you should be doing MORE. I'm sure the same is true of raising a family, organising a club, running a household, all the things we do with our lives. A wise friend told me years ago that it's important, not just to slow down sometimes, but to STOP. To let go, step outside "normal life", and breathe. He was right.

5.  Swimming in the sea is my favourite form of exercise.

Some caveats - it must be warm, clear, turquoise sea, preferably in a beautiful setting. So this isn't entirely practical in Hertfordshire. Nonetheless, I think it's useful to know.

6.  Talking to lovely people outside your day to day life is good.

It gives you a chance to voice concerns, to air ideas you're not sure about without second guessing your listeners' reactions, worrying about the impact it might have on them or what they might think of you. There's no pressure to follow through on something you discuss, or explain. I think this is one of the nice things about travelling - often the people you meet who have gone to the same places as you, chosen to do similar things, are your type of people. It's easy to share ideas, think out loud, just chat and see where the conversation goes. It's about the present, not the past or future, as you don't have either together (except maybe the odd Facebook update down the road). This kind of holiday conversation can also be good practice in relating to people in a straightforward way, without hidden agendas or manipulation, which is always a useful reminder to have.

7.  I'd lost my connection to my body.

Being in my body was a lesson I'd learnt and valued. I'd built up a strong yoga practice and went outside and walked regularly, knowing it grounded me, made me better. But since I have been doing massage full time, I've become lazy. A little ironic - I think that as I was doing a physical job, I felt I was covered, wasn't I? Uh-uh. Doing massage, the focus is on my client's body, not mine, and mine needs some love and attention. Which this week it got - walking (a bit), swimming, basking in the sun, and three wonderful, nurturing, attentive massages. A double dose of TLC - from the lovely Jane, but also from me: noticing how it felt, where the tight bits were, enjoying the sensations and feelings of being stroked, kneaded, stretched. How lovely it would be to have massages every other day all the time! Unfortunately, it's just not possible, but I can have them every week or two (unsurprisingly, I know a lot of massage therapists) and I can attend to my body in other ways - self massage, yoga, walking. Even a simple bath can be a treat if taken with care and attention.

Treating neck ache and tension headaches

Have you ever noticed that sometimes the same experience keeps repeating, as if the universe wants you to take notice of something? Several times in the past couple of weeks I've treated clients with tightness in their necks that transfers into the scalp and causes headaches. This has prompted me to explain a bit about why this happens, and a simple technique you can use when it does.

Here's "the science bit"

At the back of your skull there's a ridge of bone called the occipital ridge. You can feel it by putting your finger on the back of your head and running it downwards until you feel it dip onto softer tissue. The ridge is most obvious just to the side of the central line, but runs across from ear to ear, just above the hairline.


This ridge is an area for muscle attachment. Muscles from the neck, and even the shoulder, run up and attach to it, and a band of muscle and connective tissue runs from here, over the top of the head, to the forehead. Any tension in the neck and upper back, whether from computer work, holding stress in the shoulders, an injury, or anything else, is therefore transmitted to the occipital area. From here it can pull on the tissue over the head all the way to the forehead. This is why a tight neck can cause tension headaches.


It is also why, during massage, we work on the soft tissue at the occipital ridge. This is true of Deep Tissue Massage, Indian Head Massage, Thai Massage; there's even an occipital move in Pulsing.


By manipulating the tissue, we can often release contraction in the neck and shoulder muscles, and in the scalp. This can ease any pain and discomfort.


You can also do this yourself, if your neck is tight or you feel a headache coming on.

• Put your index and middle fingers together, and place the tips at the back of your head, on the occipital ridge, pointing inwards.
• If you have long hair, it's easier to work from under your hair, and with it loose - tying hair up tightly can also contribute to headaches.
• Make a few small circles with your finger tips, then move them outwards a bit, still on the ridge, and repeat.
• Resist the temptation to press hard - just firm enough to move the skin, rather than just the hair, is fine.
• Continue until you get to the corner of the ridge under the ear; you can then make circles back towards the centre, or slide your fingers back and work outwards again.
• You can also do one side at a time if it's more comfortable, but try not to twist your head too much.

Of course, if you have an underlying issue elsewhere that's causing the problem, this technique won't address that. However, easing the tightness in the occipital area may relieve the discomfort until you're able to take more permanent steps, whether that's taking more frequent breaks from the computer, or getting a massage to release tension in the muscles throughout the neck, shoulders and upper back.


There's more about Lucinda's massage at www.lucindacracknell.co.uk

ABC of why to have massage

In case you were unsure, here's the A to Z of benefits massage might bring you.


Allow yourself to STOP
Bolster your natural defences
Calm your nervous system

Dissolve tension – physical and emotional
Ease stiffness in muscles

Mmmmmm...

Foster wellbeing and self-care
Ground yourself in your body
Honour your body, and your need for connection
Improve your flexibility
Just feel great
Knead muscles into glorious, squidgy release
Lessen muscle pain
Make yourself go mmmmmm……
Nurture your whole being
Open your joints for freer movement
Promote (practically) perfect posture
Quieten your mind – stop all those spinning thoughts
Relax! Mind, body and spirit

Zzzz...

Stimulate blood flow in your skin, muscles and connective tissue
Trigger the release of endorphins, the natural feel-good hormones
Uplift your mood
Vitalise skin
Warm and soothe your tissues
Xperience nurturance through touch
You really must try one, and – yawn - 
Zzzz Slip into peaceful, natural sleep

Sound good to you? Contact me to book a massage today.

Depression Awareness Week

This week is Depression Awareness Week.

This is a cause close to my heart, as I've suffered from depression. It is a terrible, debilitating disease, and despite the fact that 1 in 5 people in the UK are said to suffer from it, is still largely misunderstood. As the illness can cause shame and a desire to isolate yourself, many people are unable to speak out while they are suffering. It is also very hard to explain to someone who hasn't been through it. That is why initiatives like Depression Awareness Week are so important. I hope it will go some way to helping people, whether it's healthcare providers, employers, or friends and family, to understand the disease and how to support sufferers.

It may also reach those who are suffering but don't know why, and prompt them to seek the help they need. The good news is that there are things that you can do, and for most people depression is now treatable, or at least manageable. Things can get better.

If you think you, or someone you know, may have depression, it's important to see your GP as they can help you access a lot of the help that is available. I have always had wonderful support from my GPs, but I've also heard stories where this is not the case. If you don't think your personal GP will be sympathetic, ask if anyone at your surgery has a specific interest in psychological issues and arrange to see them.

There are many resources "out there" for people with depression and their family, friends and carers, here are a few I've found useful and/or interesting.

Depression Alliance

Black Dog Tribe via SANE

Help for partners

Self care is an important part of recovery from depression. Actually, it's important for everyone, but those with depression seem to have a lower tolerance for the strain we put ourselves under when we don't look after ourselves properly. The things that seem to really make a difference for me are:

• Getting outside. Fresh air really is a tonic. Sunshine helps a lot too, but even on a grey, drizzly day I felt better for going outside for at least 15 minutes.
• Exercise. If this is combined with going out, so much the better. Walking is great! I also do yoga, which helps me to relate to my body, and the meditative aspects of yoga practice are especially calming.
• Eating well. You see, this is not controversial, some might say it's stating the obvious, but it's so easy to not do when you're busy and a bit stressed and not paying attention to yourself. I would eat a large packet of crisps for dinner, even though I know that I feel so much better when I eat mostly fresh fruit and vegetables.
• Compassionate mind. This was a phrase my therapist used with me. He was basically saying, be nice to yourself. Treat yourself as you would a good friend - which means not expecting to be able to get a million things done in one evening. Not beating yourself up when something doesn't go to plan. It's incredibly hard to do for some of us, and may require the support of a counsellor or therapist. But if you can, even occasionally, tell yourself that you did your best and learnt something, or look at the things on the list you did achieve rather than the ones you didn't fit in, it can be the start of a change in outlook.

Please spread the word about Depression Awareness Week. Get help if you need it (or a friend does). Look after yourself. Read some of the information that's out there to find out a little bit more about what depression is and what it isn't. Maybe with greater understanding and compassion, we can reduce the stigma and judgement that there currently is around the subject.