That’s Christmas over with, what to do till Spring?

I love Christmas and New Year, all the decorations and celebrations and sparkle that go with them. But at this time of year, when the excitement is behind us and it seems like a long, dull slog until we reach the warmth and light of Spring, I can get quite down. It seems hard to maintain the brightness of Christmas, and keep my energy levels up. Last year I cheated, and went to South East Asia for the first 4 months of the year. It was very effective, but not necessarily practical to do every year. So this year, I’m staying in the UK, and making a deliberate effort do more than “just survive” these few months. Here are some of the strategies I’m going to try. If this is the “low season” for you too, maybe this will spark some ideas to get you motivated.


1. Use colour. After the decorations came down today (it’s bad luck to leave then up after twelfth night!) the house felt a bit plain and boring. So inject some colour. When I put the decorations back up into the attic, I brought down a brightly coloured throw and rug to go into the living room instead. I’m writing this wearing an orange jumper (and socks), and I treated myself in the sales to a yellow coat (trust me, it’s gorgeous). Even food can join in – cook warming foods in reds and oranges like tomatoes, sweet potato, and my favourite, beetroot. And remember that, in my house anyway, fairy lights are not just for Christmas.


2. See people. After the social whirl of the party season, you may, like me, relish a bit of quiet time. But that’s no excuse to become a hermit for 3 months. Book to see friends, maybe those you didn’t catch over Christmas, in mid to late January, and agree to make a bit of an effort. In my case, a good friend was in France for the festive season, so the “Kent crowd” will be meeting up in a few weeks. Dress up (posh togs or fancy dress, whichever appeals!) and maybe do a “secret Santa”. If you’ve overdosed on novelty presents, consider charity gifts such as World Vision’s Must Have Gifts – and make a game out of explaining why a goat or a bar of soap is a perfect reflection of your friend’s personality. Having fun with people we like is a sure bet for lifting the spirits.


3. Go outside. Although it can feel grey and miserable, the days are now getting longer, and I know I feel so much better if I get some daylight on my skin (and in my eyes, to regulate my hormones). Not to mention a bit of fresh, non centrally heated air, and, dare I say it, a bit of exercise! So I’ll try to go to the supermarket on foot (it is ridiculously local!) rather than popping in on the way back from somewhere in the car, and to walk into town. If all else fails, I might even just go for a stroll!


4. See the light. I got a light box (a very bright lamp that mimics daylight) several years ago now, and it’s made a huge difference. I sit in front of it while I eat breakfast, and sometimes lunch if I’m at home. If you have a degree of SAD (seasonal affective disorder) or Winter Blues, I’d definitely say it’s worth a try. Although bear in mind that it is most effective if used from about October - getting one now will have limited benefit, at least for this Winter.


5. Book a treat. Think of something you’ve always wanted to do, whether it be pure indulgence and pleasure, or something out of the norm for you, even outside your comfort zone, and book it. If possible, for a date in the next 3 months. (I feel I should point out that a 2½ hour Thai Massage with Hot Herbal Compress is both highly pleasurable and a bit unusual – just saying ☺) I’ll confess, I haven’t booked anything yet; I haven’t decided what it’ll be. Maybe a retreat weekend, maybe I’ll finally have a go on a climbing wall (or both). Whatever I plump for, it’ll give me something to look forward to (and anticipation is a fantastic feeling) and it’ll be a great experience. Most importantly, I’ll know that I gave that to myself, and in doing so recognised my worth.

Offers to help with any New Year health resolutions

If your resolutions include looking after yourself a bit more, or a healthier 2012, here's a reminder of some offers than could help you towards that goal.


1. Book a course of 10 Pilates classes with Carly Day for £60 (normally £7 a class) and get 50% off a Thai Massage with me.


2. Have 5 sessions with Lily Lai or Karen Chan, the Acupuncturists and Chinese Medicine Practitioners and get 50% off a Thai Herbal Compress treatment.
The Thai Herbal Compress is a great option as the weather gets colder. Steamed compresses of Thai herbs are used to gently work your muscles and joints, warming the tissues to soothe fatigue or stiffness, while the herbs nourish the skin. When it's chilly outside, this is a very comforting and nurturing massage. Why not indulge yourself, or buy a voucher and treat a friend?


3. As always, you can get a 20% discount when you book any 4 treatments with me. Just pay up front (the dates, and even the type of treatment, can be agreed later) and take all the treatments within 6 months of payment.

Hear the angels sing

I went to St Albans Abbey on Christmas Eve for Midnight Mass. (The Abbey is a special place for me - at school we'd have a school service there once a term, and now the Lady Chapel is one of the places I go to be quiet and to think.)


The first hymn was "It came upon the midnight clear" - I'm sure I've sung it before, but I've never noticed how lovely the words are - what a wonderful idea, that the Angels are singing, if only we can be still, put aside conflict and material struggles, to hear them.

...And man, at war with man, hears not,
The love song which they bring:
O hush the noise, ye men of strife,
And hear the angels sing.

And ye, beneath life's crushing load,
Whose forms are bending low
Who toil along the climbing way
With painful steps and slow
Look now! for glad and golden hours
Come swiftly on the wing
O rest beside the weary road
And hear the angels sing.

For lo! the days are hastening on,
By prophet bards foretold,
When, with the ever-circling years,
Shall come the Age of Gold;
When peace shall over all the earth,
Its ancient splendors fling,
And all the world give back the song,
Which now the angels sing.

“The Road Less Travelled” by M. Scott Peck

“The Road Less Travelled” is a book I go back to time and time again; when life gets “too hard” or I’m feeling a bit stuck, it almost always helps me to move forward. So I want to share my experience.

It took the universe three tries to get me to engage with this book. The first time was on my 21^st birthday, when my Great Uncle gave it to me with a wonderful letter, urging me to “read the relevant passages diligently” so I would be “miles ahead in my understanding of what love is and what it is not”. I had just graduated with a science degree, and thought I had my world view sorted – it was a rational and atheistic one. So one look at the word “spiritual” on the front cover and I gave the book away without even opening it (an arrogant act that now makes me cringe). The second time was through a counsellor I saw for a long time, who recommended it and lent it to me. This time I did read it, and liked some of what it had to say, but superficially. Once I returned it I couldn’t have told you anything I’d read. I’d skimmed the words but not absorbed the meaning.

But the universe is persistent. It turned out that when I’d given that first copy away, it hadn’t gone far, to my mother in fact. She’d kept it, with the letter, and a couple of years ago during a clear out she returned it to me. I was going through a difficult period, and questioning a lot of aspects of my life. And finally, the time was right for me to hear the messages in the book, and learn some of the lessons.

It was still a gradual process. I read the first section, often in tears as I recognised myself and my life. I started the second, but realised I wasn’t ready, so went back to the beginning. This happened several times before I made it to the end of the book. I have lost count of how many times I have read and re-read the book (I’m currently just starting the second section again) and even now I am much more comfortable with the first and second sections than the third and fourth.

Nevertheless, this book has had a profound impact on how I understand the world, and try to act in it. So much of it I read and get that wonderful feeling of “yes, that makes sense, that’s my experience”. But as well as explaining, this book gives guidance on how to live well in the world, how to break negative patterns and how to grow. Let’s be clear; there are no glib easy answers here, quite the opposite. The opening line is “Life is difficult” and a theme of the book is the necessity of facing and going through pain in order to progress. A hard message to accept, but delivered with extraordinary compassion. And with passion, for the joy that living with genuine love brings.

The book starts with a set of tools, or disciplines, to help us tackle life’s problems and so move to a higher spiritual level. This section alone is a fantastic guide to an enlightened life. If you stop here, as I did initially, you will still have got your money’s worth. The next talks about genuine love (and some types of non-genuine love) and is a real eye-opener. This love provides the will to use the tools from the first section. The last two sections talk about “religion” (the word is used to mean the set of beliefs a person holds about the world) and grace.

I am not the first person to find this book helpful. It was written in 1978, and spent years on the bestseller lists. I am sure that, as with my Great Uncle, it has been passed on many times by those who have found clarity, understanding, support and encouragement in its pages. And now it is my turn to pass on the guidance I have received. As my experience shows, it takes a certain amount of openness and attention to embrace the difficult lessons in the book. Yet if you are looking for a more fulfilled and meaningful existence, I suggest “The Road Less Travelled” may be a valuable part of your journey.

Merry Christmas

I'd like to wish everyone a very Merry Christmas, a Happy New Year and a Healthy, Prosperous and Joyous 2012.

10 Reasons to Have a Thai Foot Massage

Using a wooden massage stick to soothe
and release the tissues of the foot

1. We put our feet through a lot, they support us (literally) so deserve a little bit of TLC in return. Bearing our weight can cause tension and adhesions in the muscles and connective tissue. Massage can help to correct this.
2. Massage on the feet is incredibly relaxing for the whole body, and can promote sleep (most of my clients doze off during the massage; I’ve never had a Thai Foot Massage without falling asleep)
3.  Our feet are our connection to the Earth; clearing blockages can help us ground ourselves
4.  Any issues with our feet affect posture and if not addressed can start a ripple of aches and pains up our bodies
5. By working the reflex points on the sole of the foot, you get a work out for your internal organs as well
6.  Thai Medicine works with the Sen lines and four elements which make up the body. Imbalance in these elements (earth, air, water and wind) is held to cause disease. Clearing the Sen lines allows the wind element, or energy, to flow through the lines to balance the elements and the body.
7.  Only socks and shoes are removed, which is less intrusive than other forms of bodywork and means no messed up hair or make up
8.  It’s not just feet – the ankles, shin and calf are also massaged, great if you wear high heels a lot, or for runners
9. The cream and oil used are absorbed to nourish and soften the skin
10. It just feels great!!

Teaching, more teaching, and some offers

It's been a while, so time for an update on my activities.


The last few weeks have been dominated by massage teaching, with Jade College. I've had 2 weekends in Cambridge with the University Massage Society, getting their professional group started on the qualifying track with ITEC. It was a slightly strange experience to be back at the University, but satisfying, almost coming full circle, as I started my massage journey with the Society back in 1994. The group are a great bunch, and doing really well so far. They now have a lot of practice and self study to complete before I see them again in January.


Today was the inaugural Thai Foot Massage course with Jade, in Bedford. I'm pleased to report it went really well, and our new Thai Foot practitioners left with their wooden massage sticks in hand and a great new therapy under their belts. We intend to run the course again in the New Year, so if you're interested in doing it, please get in touch. The course is open to professionals and those just wanting to practise on friends and family.


I have a couple of offers at the moment with my colleagues at Revive Clinic, Apsley. Book a course of 10 Pilates classes with Carly Day for £60 (normally £7 a class) and get 50% off a Thai Massage with me. And if you have 5 sessions with Lily Lai or Karen Chan, the Acupuncturists and Chinese Medicine Practitioners, you get 50% off a Thai Herbal Compress treatment. This last is a great option as the weather gets colder. Steamed compresses of Thai herbs are used to gently work your muscles and joints, warming the tissues to soothe fatigue or stiffness, while the herbs nourish the skin. When it's chilly outside, this is a very comforting and nurturing massage. Why not indulge yourself, or buy a voucher and treat a friend?