Since March 2020 our wonderful therapy world has been severely reduced by COVID restrictions and lockdowns. Globally all countries have been affected one way or another, with self-employed therapists experiencing long periods of no income, causing low morale and financial hardship.
Sadly, for some this has resulted in shutting up shop for good. The knock-on effect has seen some excellent and highly experienced therapists and therapy schools cease practice.
Close your eyes, settle your body into a comfortable position
Be aware of where you are holding your body tightly
Is your head comfortable?
Allow your face to drop and soften
Is your tongue touching the roof of your mouth? If it is, relax and let it sit loosely in your mouth
Your jaw should now feel more relaxed.
Raise and drop your shoulders, allowing them to settle in a comfortable place
Soften your arms, open your hands palm up and let them flop
Relax your lower back and let your legs and feet fall loosely.
Visualise a strong golden cord from above your head flowing centrally down to your solar plexus (just below your chest)
Going through your sacral and down to your coccyx (base of the spine)
Continuing down your legs and deep into the earth, grounding and anchoring you.
See the golden cord widening, creating a space wide enough to allow energy to flow freely through it.
Imagine a vibrant white light above your head, it is strong and pure as it flows down the golden cord to your third eye, to your throat chakra, into the heart, solar plexus and coccyx, flowing down your legs, to your feet and into the ground.
As the light becomes stronger and fills up the golden cord is starts to surround your body, until white light surrounds you in a perfect bubble.
The light has created a space for you, where you feel secure and protected.
Begin to clear this space of all the things in your life which no longer serve you. This could be lack of self-worth, anxiety, fear, toxic cycles, self-sabotage, whatever emotion that dominate your life.
Bring to mind your younger, more vibrant and energetic self. Invite them to help you clear your system of negative emotions while you work through clearing your chakras.
Visualise your root chakra (base of the spine), see it as vibrant red, strong and solid. Feel yourself become more grounded and secure. See this energy and strength passing through the golden cord carrying your emotions down to your feet and into the ground.
Bring your attention to your Sacral chakra (positioned just below your navel), see it bursting with the colour orange. Allow yourself to bask in the vibrancy of this colour as you feel a burst of confidence and creativity. Let those emotions flow through the root chakra, to the feet and into the ground.
Come to your Solar Plexus (just below your rib cage) and feel its soft, warm, yellow vibration, as you visualise the colour; soften and relax. Let go, visualise new beginnings, positivity, soften and release. Watch as the mellow yellow flows into the Sacral, to the Root chakra and down through the feet into the ground.
Visualise the Heart chakra as pink. See it overflowing with love, the love you feel for yourself and those around you. As the pink flows through to the Solar Plexus, Sacral and Root chakra, let go of anger, fear and resentment allowing it to flow into the ground.
At the Throat chakra you can see the most beautiful sky blue. Feel the cool, calming, tranquillity of the blue flow through your throat. Allow the blue to soothe away any restrictions, feel your throat clearing to freely express your thoughts and emotions. Release through the chakras into the ground.
Bringing your attention to your 3rd eye Chakra (just above and between your eyes) we see the colour indigo. Your inner eye opens and listens carefully to how you feel. Visualise the colour indigo expanding to create the image you wish to see in your life. Sit softly in this space for a few minutes, allowing your vision to expand throughout all your chakras.
The Crown chakra is white and just above your head. You are now connected to your higher self, the past you, the present you and the future you are all one and part of the earth’s energy.
Be aware of whatever comes to you at this point. Listen carefully to what your higher self is telling you. If it no longer serves you, release it through the lower chakras into the earth.
If your message is a vision of future aspirations or a life purpose, accept it, allow it to flow, to expand and let its vibrancy permeate throughout your system.
Feel the pure white energy of the Crown chakra fill your gold cord, replenishing your mind and body. Allow your system to feel at peace, basking in calmness and stillness.
When you are ready, bring your awareness back to our body, move your fingers, hands, legs and feet. Feel your feet firmly on the ground and awaken with a sense of peace and calm within your system.
It is wonderful to see reflexology supporting patients and carers in hospices, hospitals, cancer support centres and many other healthcare areas all around the world.
Our treatments provide relaxation, me time, reduces anxiety, improves quality of life and rebalances the mind and body when patients are at their lowest ebb.
However, Who Supports You?
I have delivered face to face training in ‘CPD Cancer Care Workshops’ for Massage, Reflexology & Reiki to over a thousand therapists in the UK & Australia. Over the years I spoke with many therapists who had problems attending face to face workshops, either due to family restrictions; cost of travel and accommodation, or simply not having the time. I was asked many times whether I could offer the training as an eLearning course.
When I first set out in business as a therapist in 1998, I struggled to think of a business name which represented me and after several days of brainstorming ideas I dismissed many suggestions.
Looking for advice, I read that your business name is your brand and is often the first element your customers will encounter. You would want it to be distinctive, authentic, memorable, and enduring, so it resonates with your target audience.
However, in my field of complementary therapies I wanted a name that resonated with me and embodied what I was offering.
When I was thinking about how to celebrate Aromatherapy week back in June, what posts to create, which blend of oils to recommend, I remembered an experience I had with a very special person and felt this was such a lovely story it had to be shared.
The more fragile the client’s system the lighter our touch will be. I call this a ‘Butterfly Touch’.
Describing to others what the appropriate level of touch is for fragile systems or end of life patients, proved to be the most important part of this teaching. I pondered on this for a long time, looking for a way to demonstrate easily so everyone would understand without any question or ambiguity.
Stillness
How does this serve you and your client?
I cannot claim to be anything other than a chatty person, as anyone who knows me will testify. I love meeting new people and I am genuinely interested in hearing about their lives. Yet, for all my chattiness I can still access deep stillness for myself and my clients.
We are so excited to have received the news that our very own trainer Marie Duggan has been nominated in the FHT Excellence Awards in the category ‘Tutor of the Year’, for the third year running.
All professional complementary therapists are required to complete Continual Professional Development (CPD) every year to demonstrate keeping up to date with industry standards and to expand their skills set.
