Wellness Month - Holistic Therapist

This week were diving right into our inner senses and how our body and mind can change with a simple natural scent.
Essential Oils…

I have our Holistic Therapist Sandra from 'Serenity Station' sharing her knowledge on what essential oils you can incorporate into your daily lifestyle and how these can make you feel uplifted and energised to a happier, confident you - ready to concur your day!

Many don’t realise we use various forms of aromatherapy in everyday life from the smell of fresh coffee, the fragrance created when cooking with herbs such as basil and lemongrass or even the aroma of freshly cut grass. Something as simple as slicing a lemon or orange can leave and an uplifting and refreshing effect on the body. It’s all aromatherapy in its simplest form!

Aromatherapy is both science and art, which uses essential oils to create blends to be used in a variety of ways. For example, in skin care products, lip balms, perfumes, hair products, candles, diffusers and treatment baths.

Essential oils are sourced from plant materials including flowers, leaves, roots, woods, resins, buds and berries. They are all highly concentrated, for example to produce one drop of rose oil, 20 kilos of rose petals are needed! They are essentiallythe concentrated essence of the plant material.

Essential oils can help with a variety of ailments such as headaches, coughs, colds, acne, eczema, psoriasis, hormone imbalance, muscle aches and pains, indigestion, asthma, insomnia, anxiety and depression.

Aromatherapy in relation to complementary therapies is designed to treat the whole person using essential oils to help the body balance the emotions and improve general health and wellbeing. Benefits can include:

• Alleviation of stress and tension
• Induce a sense of deep relaxation
• Renewed energy levels
• Enhanced psychological and physical well-being
• Pain relief
• Mood enhancer
• Increased cognitive function
• Promotes positive emotions
• Improves self esteem

There are numerous preblended aromatherapy products available on the market, but due to its popularity, more and more people are experimenting with essential oils.  The potency of these oils and the potential dangers they bring, if not used correctly, is not widely understood amongst non-practitioners. If you are unsure, please seek advice from a qualified Aromatherapist. Here at Serenity Station, we are all happy to guide and advise as fully qualified, insured and FHT accredited Aromatherapists.

Top tips for using essential oils:

·      If you are considering a personalised aromatherapy treatment, please ensure your therapist is both qualified and insured. Most therapists show which association they belong to along with links to check for yourself.

·      DO NOT use essential oils undiluted on the skin. The only exceptions are lavender commonly used on the temples for headaches or pulse points for relaxation and tea tree which can be applied directly to pimples, blocked pores, acne, warts and verruca’s.

·      DO NOT ingest essential oils under any circumstances.

·      Ensure that the essential oils are pure, most will show not only the common name but the Latin name also, for example Lavender which is known as Lavandula in Latin. Do not use fragrance oils as these contain unnatural chemicals that do not provide the therapeutic benefits of essential oils.

If you choose to have a massage treatment, a qualified Aromatherapist will take a case history and through discussion with you, will decide on the most appropriate blend of essential oils to use. These are then added to a carrier oil and applied to the skin through massage. The oils are absorbed in minute and safe quantities and thus have a direct effect on the body. An individual session can be very beneficial but for help with specific problems, or as a preventative treatment, regular sessions are usually recommended.

Thanks to Sandra, our knowledge on oils can be used and created into our daily routines to help with any of our problems or issues we may have within our mind and physical body.

Literally a great natural healer without using drugs. Natural is the way forward and I believe we should all try natural remedies before diving in deep.

I have lots of questions for Sandra, to dig in deeper as to what and why essential oils are good for us.

Catch the Q&A blog on Thursday 

Sophie xx

Image Consultant Q&A

How did we all get on with Sara Mirror Confidence tips?
Have you been incorporating them into your morning routine maybe?
Or a quick mirror selfie mid-afternoon?

The positive vibes I get from doing just that is amazing, we shouldn't let anyone knock us down, its how we feel on the in and outside that matters, we are all different and we should embrace our natural beauty.

Now lets delve in deeper and ask Sara the Body Questions we've all been dying to know…

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I RE-WRITE MY MIRROR MESSAGES?

As often as you feel necessary. If the message has sunk in and you truly believe it without questioning it, write another that will push you forward onto the next level of feeling confident. If it makes you feel uncomfortable to start with, you're on the right track. Don't rush it.

WHAT ARE THE BEST WAYS TO MOTIVATE MYSELF IN MAKING THIS A REGULAR POSITIVE MIRROR EXERCISE?

Incorporate it into your usual morning or evening routine, so write it where you will see it naturally. You can do it whilst getting ready for work or before you go to bed. Daily is great, but just doing it once a week or on a certain day, is a great start. 

HOW CAN I AVOID FOCUSING ON THE AREAS I DISLIKE?

Look at yourself as a person first, as a whole first, thinking about all your good qualities as a person (physical, emotional and mental) How great your body is a vessel of carrying you around in your life. If the negative or critical voices start around a certain body area, here it, acknowledge it and then just let it go without starting a conversation in your head. Then go back to your strengths or look at a bit of your amazing body that you do quite like.

CAN I REALLY LEARN TO LOVE MY BODY?

Yes of course, but as with anything, it takes time. If you do it consistently and frequently it will get a whole lot easier. Just remember to treat your body and mind too. It deserves to be loved and cared for.

HOW OFTEN SHOULD I TREAT MYSELF?

How long is a piece of string? When you feel you need to and have the time, the budget and the inclination to.

SOCIAL MEDIA EFFECTS A LOT OF US, HOW CAN WE KEEP A POSITIVE OUTLOOK?

Just try to remember that images in magazines are often airbrushed and photoshopped. Celebrities and models are never completely satisfied with their bodies either, no one is perfect and perfect doesn't exist. We are supposed to be unique as human beings so comparing ourselves to others is really not a valid thing to do and a waste of your time in the whole scheme of things.  You are you and they are them. Watch/read/follow more positive role models who celebrate their differences eg Iris Apfel. 

DO YOU HAVE ANY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR BODY CONFIDENCE?

Read The Image Tree Blogs lol.   Follow the Embrace (Taryn Brumfitt) body positive movement on all social media channels.  Absolutely recommend watching the film too. 

CAN WE TURN OUR NEGATIVES INTO POSITIVES?

We always have a choice in how we see things, so choose to be positive and see them. IF YOU LOOK AT THINGS DIFFERENTLY, THE THINGS YOU LOOK AT CHANGE. (A quote from someone, but cant remember who lol)

A massive thankyou to our Image Consultant Sara, starting off wellness month we such positive vibes.

Now let embrace ourselves and feel good all the time!

Next Tuesday we have the next guest blogger; Sandra - Hollistic Therapist talking all things Essential Oils!

xx

Wellness Month - Image Consultant

June is finally here, which means we are officially in summer, AND were half way through the year!

But lets turn that into a positive because the sun is shining, flowers are everywhere and our happy levels are high right?

Even better, I have dedicated this whole month to our Wellness, featuring 4 fantastic guest bloggers to help you feel happy and confident by sharing their top ticks and tricks in how we can incorporate these positive changes into our lifestyles in small easy steps.

I may be a makeup artist, and my services focus on the outside, but I wanted to put a special feature together to help us focus more on the inside and the outside will come easy.

Every Tuesday will be the weeks guest blogger, sharing her knowledge and tips with you, then every Thursday will be 10 follow up Q&A's to delve deeper into what we are all dying to know about.

Lets kick our first week of with our 

IMAGE CONSULTANT - Sara from 'The Image Tree'

Sara is focusing on Mirror Confidence when it comes to our appearance and style. Something we might all judge ourselves on when we first wake up…

I think it’s fair to say that we girls give ourselves a bit of a hard time in the old beauty stakes. Always comparing, buying, trying and reading about how we can make ourselves look more gorgeous, which to be honest can be really time consuming and can often leave you feeling a bit down. 

Don’t get me wrong there’s absolutely nothing wrong with self-development and I’m all for learning to Rock What You’ve already got in new ways but sometimes we forget to start at the beginning and actually take the time to look and really appreciate what we have at skin level already.  When was the last time you looked in the mirror bare faced and thought…”you know what… I’m okay with me”?

If you’re now thinking “flippin eck I can’t remember when” or “I’ve never ever done that”, then maybe today is the day you give it a whirl.  If you can feel ok without your make up, imagine how great you’ll feel with it on!  If Make up is our war paint ladies then our skin is our under armour.

I know, I know, you’re probably feeling a little uncomfortable at the thought of staring at your naked face and feeling all fabulous at this stage, as mirrors can fill you with a sense of dread, but if you don’t want them to make you feel this way then why not read on.

So as a bit of a starting block, I’ve written a few of my mindful tips below to help you think about or try and start planting those positive first seeds. On a lighter note it’s funny to notice that they spell SWEAR lol… An ironic suggestion I feel.

·      SMILE the next time you look in the mirror.   Try not to focus on any imperfections you believe you have, instead, look at the face looking back at you with a less critical eye and just smile. The smallest of steps really are the important ones and smiling alone creates a physical and emotional response within.   Smiles are both priceless and an infectious start to the day if you do it first thing.

·      WRITE something positive on your mirror in lipstick or on a stick it note. I often use the popular phrase “I AM ENOUGH” but you can use whatever resonates with you. Maybe find a meme you like and print it out.  With anything, the more you do it, see it, and hear it, the more the message sticks. Consistency is a powerful thing

·      EDUCATE yourself to seek the good stuff.  It takes time to season your mind to ignore the negative things you see in the mirror but it always helps if you’re aware that there’s lots of support out there with people feeling exactly the same as you and talking about it.  Surround yourself with positive peeps and likeminded folks who are singing from the same song sheet and listen to their advices.

·      APPRECIATE your skin and enjoy it with “you time”.  You can’t beat the satisfaction you gain from a bit of self-care and pampering, whether it is with a relaxing facial or a nourishing treatment. The more you feel deserving and relaxed, the more you’ll respect and be welcoming of being YOU.  Enjoy treating yourself.

·      REMEMBER that ANY negative belief you have about yourself is just that… a BELIEF. It’s not based on accurate facts or reality and may well have been planted by someone else’s opinion, belief or judgement and is therefore not valid. Its their belief and not yours and you don’t need to adopt it... You have a choice. The next time your inner voice says something critical about yourself when looking in the mirror, acknowledge it and tell it to sit the hell down!

It’s not rocket science to learn that liking yourself potentially helps you in all matters of life but it’s often something we forget to do or even not carry out in the first place.

So with these points in mind, you can enjoy your make up routine and skin pampering treats with much more gusto and pride. Woohoo.

As an Image Coach and Body Positive Advocate with a holistic approach to Colour, Style and Confidence being YOU has never felt better.

Such a great guest blog from Sara, our go to Image Consultant!
On Thursday she will be answering 10 questions, delving deeper into the subject of image confidence and mirror work.
xx