A Little Bit of Waxing History
Waxing is a semi-permanent form of hair removal, which removes the hair from the root, unlike shaving or depilatory cream which remove hair from the surface. Because it removes from the root it takes much longer to grow back giving you a longer hair-free period. Another benefit of waxing is that it generally, especially over a number of treatments, grows back softer and without the harsh, stubbly effects that you get with shaving or creams.
So how long has waxing been around? Around 60BC! The ancient Egyptians developed the method of sugaring (using honey) to remove hair. Egypt at that time priced hairlessness on women as a symbol of beauty and youth. Later the ancient Greeks and Romans also adopted the fashion of hairlessness beauty and developed various different methods of removal including waxing using resin or pitch.
Us Brits didn’t really catch on until 1960s with the invention of the bikini!
More recently though it has become more popular with the gentlemen as well as the ladies. The trend started with sports people and models who wished to show definition of muscle and not to mention the whole sweating, chaffing thing!!
YES, BUT DOES’NT IT HURT I HEAR YOU ASK? NO! Provided your therapist is well trained in removal technique the pain should be minimal. There are different types waxes now available for different areas and they are skin friendly. Waxing isn’t like it used to be.
So now you know a little bit more about waxing!
For your appointment with super smooth, hair-free skin, call Ananda Healing on 01342 842098 or follow the link http://www.ananda-healing.co.uk/treatments-services/waxing/
Why Did We Leave Corporate Careers To Start Up ANANDA HEALING?
Recently, I had to do a presentation to a room full of strangers who had little or no idea about Ananda Healing, who we are, why we started the business, our ethics, our passion. So, I told them our story, our why!
It struck me afterwards, that probably few of you know the whole story and so I decided to share it with you too
Firstly, who are we? Lets start with Duncan, Duncan is a Reiki Practitioner, Master Hypnotherapist, and Master NLP Practitioner (Neuro Linguistic Programming). He comes from a very practical, no nonsense background, his family had a carpentry & building business, they ran a small holding and the extended family were all farmers. He left school to join the Royal Marines and then the Police Force. Maybe not the background you think of when you think of a therapist? He loves Mathematics, computers and logic (I prefer shopping myself!). But how you go from IT to Hypnotherapy and NLP? To Duncan it is simple – if you can program a computer, you can program a mind – if you can fix a bug in a pr0gramme, you can fix a problem in the mind! And I have seen him do this so many times, and sometimes at lightening speed! It never ceases to amaze me.
I have seen him fix phobias, fears, self-esteem issues, sports performance, smoking and weight – he is the registered Hypno-Band practitioner for the area (some of you may have heard Paul McKenna talking about this recently – it is basically providing the benefits of a physical gastric band but without the pain, risks, surgery of massive cost! Not to mention an over 70% success rate!). Duncan is also amazing at dealing with children’s issues, including self-esteem, bullying, psychology impact of divorce etc.
So now you know a little bit about Duncan but why did we set Ananda Healing up? What was behind this ‘crazy’, according to my Mum, decision to give up successful corporate careers to start a therapies business? What are out core values?
We are passionate about well-being, we want people to feel good about themselves. We want to help people see that there is always a choice.
Both Duncan and myself have had to come to terms with serious health issues in the past and continue to live with these now. Duncan was a serving Police Officer, aged just 28, when he broke his back whilst riot training. He could have just given up at this point but he didn’t. He took a masters degree, carved a new career and, this is the interesting bit, if you ask him about the accident now, he would tell you it was one of the best things that has happened to him.
I too have had a difficult ride with regards to my health, since babyhood really, including a heart condition and Type 1 Diabetes but I would echo Duncan’s thoughts. I would say the decision that made the greatest difference to me personally was learning to meditate. My dad considered meditation to be as important as learning to read and write, but then my dad was something special – a story for another day. For Duncan it was learning to become a Hypnotherapist & NLP Practitioner. We always say to our clients, “Everyone’s journey is different and you have to find what works for you” – we are just here to facilitate.
We both took responsibility and made positive choices – choices regarding our lives and our well-being. Many people do not even know that have a choice. My Dad, who I have already explained was extraordinary, always told me “You may not have a choice in what happens to you but you always have a choice in how you deal with it” AND THIS IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT THING WE WISH TO GIVE OUR CLIENTS
Before we started Ananda healing though we took time to talk and form our ethos that would drive and guide our philosophy. We decided that money would not drive our business, service would. We made the conscious decision to provide the very best for our clients, even if that meant recommending they go to someone else! And we have stuck to that throughout.
We began by specifically offering treatments that enhance well-being and by doing so we saw this was giving people back some control. I could go on about the research on massage etc and the chemical/physiological changes that happen in the body but, again, that is for another day. Gradually we also discovered that beyond the holistic therapies, our clients also responded profoundly with treatments that made them look good, which in turn made them feel good. It started when I was asked, many times, by clients, if I could recommend a skincare range that was natural and, or, provided help with problem skin, children’s skin etc. It took me two years of research and putting some very strange stuff on my own skin until I eventually found Arbonne, the Swiss formulated, botanical skincare range – it is phenomenal! (Do let us know if you would like to trial it). It really is the skincare industry’s best kept secret as it is only available through consultants such as ourselves. Forget what the Celebs are advertising – this is what they are using!.
Because of our discovery about how people look and the effect on their well-being since starting Arbonne, we have decided to now start moving more into the beauty side of the business. We have recently launched the Gelish 21 day manicure system that DOES NOT DAMAGE YOUR NAILS and DOES NOT CONTAIN FORMALDEHYDE.
During the summer we will be launching other beauty services BUT THIS WILL BE DONE, AS ALWAYS, WITH YOUR WELL-BEING AND HEALTH IN MIND.
Your well-being is our passion.
9 Healthy Reasons To Make A Massage Appointment Today (the benefits of massage)
With more and more research now being done to support the health and well-being benefits of massage, we are delighted to share this blog with you. It has been taken from the Huffington News (we would recommend this online site to anyone interested in all things health & well-being) and each point is supported by research. We hope you find them interesting and some surprising, so here goes -
1. Managing anxiety and depression as it reduces the stress hormone ‘Cortisol’ Could be useful for the January blues?
2. Eases pain, especially back pain and arthritis – just ask Amanda’s Mum – she can play golf again!
3. Improves sleep due to it’s effects on the delta brain wave pattern associated with deep sleep. Our clients would definitely confirm that!
4. Boosts immunity by increasing the number of white blood cells
5. Reduces PMS symptoms including pain, bloating and mood swings
6. Improves alertness (though probably not whilst you are having it done!)
7. Reduces the number of tension headaches and migraines in sufferers
8. Your skin loves it! It increases blood flow & lymphatic drainage giving you plumped up radiant skin.
9. Massage relieves the symptoms associated with serious illness including cancer – All of the cancer patients we have on our books will agree
So, officially, regular massage is good for you! But you already knew that didn’t you?
Need to book yours? Call 01342 842098 or go to the link below for further details
http://www.ananda-healing.co.uk/treatments-services/massage/
So Why Do Women Love Beautiful Nails?
In the last few years, despite recession and difficult times, the nail industry remains in growth – WHY? Well I have my own theory
A fabulous lady called Rita Davenport once said to me “Women can cope with being poor but they refuse to be ugly”. Rita was a TV Presenter, President of Arbonne (our fabulous botanical Skincare range) and motivational speaker – a force of nature and a truthful lady. So, is she right? Is that our motivation? – a refusal to give in to our perception of ugly?
I continue to be amazed that whatever work I can do as a healer or a massage therapist, still does appear to give the joy I see one someone’s face when I transform short or weak nails into something beautiful, sexy or elegant. I do believe, from my own research, that when we look down and we see our own nails looking great, it takes us from the mundane, it lifts our spirits and makes us feel more beautiful. Whatever we see in the mirror, whatever the year on our birth certificate, the balance on our bank statement, the one thing that can be relied upon to make us feel we are still out there, still a woman – whether you are 19 or 91.
The price for this wonder drug we call stunning nails? £19.99
The results and effects? – Priceless
How to choose the right therapist for you-My Top Tips
OK, so you have decided you need or want a treatment and need a local therapist – what do you do now? Google one? Look one up in the Yellow Pages? Then you find there are 20 in your area alone so which one? Well here are my top tips for finding the right one for you.
1. Ask your friends if they know anyone. Personal recommendation is always a good place to start, especially if you know someone who has actually tried the therapist themselves.
2. Once you have a name, hopefully by recommendation, but if not, the same applies, give them a call. Ask them some questions. Do they sound friendly? Knowledgeable? Do you think they are someone you could trust and be happy in their company for the hour you are paying for!
3. Ask them to clarify their qualifications and experience. No therapist who is qualified is going to mind you asking.
4. Are they listed with any governing body, ie. The Beauty Guild
5. Are they insured? This is vital! You are putting your well-being in their hands. You need to know you are covered.
6. Confirm the price and length of time the treatment will last before committing. You don’t want any embarrassing surprises on the day.
7. Check if take your means of payment. Again, many small business do not take credit or debit cards. (We do btw!)
8. Do they insist on a proper consultation before treating you? Yes, this may seem like a waste of time and invasive, especially if you are busy, but it is vital to all concerned that an accurate picture of your health is gained BEFORE any treatment takes place. Personally, I would be very concerned if no discussion was had and no medical history taken.
9. Discuss your expectations with the therapist. You don’t want to waste your time and money and you don’t want to waste theirs.
10. Trust your gut! It will tell you when you have found the right therapist for you.
I hope you have found this informative and helpful. Let me know if you have or if there is something else I should have added. Its all about sharing!
Contact either Amanda or Duncan on 01342 842098 to discuss your needs. It costs you nothing for a telephone call and we always promise to make sure you get the right treatment for your needs.
Gardening and how great it is for you
Gardening has always been a real love of mine. Health wise it is a great form of exercise but I also find it very therapeutic, and not just heavy gardening but planning, planting, deadheading, general tidying and of course, just sitting in it. There is nothing better than planting seeds, bulbs or small plants and watching them grow. Mentally I can get totally lost whilst gardening and not think about anything else. Since starting my Container Gardening Business, it has enabled me to share that ‘feel good factor’ with other people.
One of my clients is over 90, she loves her garden and really enjoys sitting out on the patio. It is quite a small garden with lots of pots – the kind I like best – but she can no longer look after it herself. I arrived one morning for my regular visit and she was feeling quite down. 2 hours later I had tidied and weeded the flower beds and containers, trimmed and deadheaded and planted some hanging baskets. She turned to me and said ‘You don’t know how much better I feel now’. Of course, that made me feel really good too.
For the past 5 years I have planted up and maintained the beds and containers at a local Pub which has won a Horsham in Bloom prize every year since I have been doing it. Many people stop as they pass by and comment on it. They say how lovely it looks, how they love walking by and what a good job I am doing. I have got to know a lot of them really well now. They seem to enjoy it as much as I do.
I also make up planters as gifts for birthdays, Christmas, Easter and any other occasion. It’s nice to see peoples face light up when I deliver their gift.
Of course, it is not just outdoor plants that are good for you. Indoor plants can lift the spirits and give a nice feel good factor but they are very beneficial to your health too.
They can purify the air, absorb toxins, and give off health-giving oxygen and water vapour.
Some of the beneficial effects proven by research are:
- Increased positive feelings
- Reduced feelings of anxiety, anger and sadness
- Reduction of sound levels
- Faster recovery from mental tiredness
- Improved concentration
- Reduction of absenteeism in the workplace
- Control of Humidity
- Improved concentration and productivity
So the message here is gardening is good for you, plants are good for you. If you can’t manage to do this yourself, then I can help. I can offer advice on what plants to have in the home and what type of plants to plant in the garden according to the type of soil, position and conditions.
Eve
www.gardeningofeden.co.uk
Tel: 01403 275048 | Mob: 07940 756323
STRESS – Is It Killing You?
STRESS – Is It Killing You?
We have always know that long-term stress is bad for you – the constant and prolonged release of the stress hormone cortisol is associated with a number of serious effects including high blood pressure, suppressed immunity, decreased bone density, impaired cognitive performance and many others. However, have you noticed the amount of recent research on exactly how bad it is for you there has been lately?
A recent study for the Lancet by Prof Andrew Steptoe indicates work related stress causes a 23% increase in the risk of heart attacks
Researchers in the US have now analysed the brain tissue from depressed & stressed individuals and discovered a brain shrinkage. It is believed the stress blocks the formation of new nerve connections disrupting the circuits associated with mental and emotional function, how stress and depression shrink the brain
More recently, Professor Sarah Berga of Emory University of Atlanta has released her research on the link between stress and infertility
SO - WHAT CAN YOU DO?
You have got to work. You can’t give your teenagers away (nice thought maybe) and the house/garden etc is not going to do itself. (Roll on the invention of the self-cleaning house we say!)
It is all about finding something you can do , for yourself, to reduce your personal stress levels and increase your levels of relaxation. What you do is going to be down to personal choice, but you have to find it, schedule it in and commit to it. After all, how hard would it really be to schedule in a weekly massage take a 20min walk in the park/ practice meditation? ANSWER – Not very hard, unless your stress levels are already becoming chronic and impacting on your mental well-being – then what? We would always recommend you visit your GP to get a correct diagnosis and then, any good GP will recommend a talking/counselling therapy. Again, who you choose should be a personal choice but we would recommend an ‘off the record’ chat with any potental therapist before committing. We always provide a free consultation either in person or by telephone before we would even allow a client to make an appointment for our hypnotherapy or NLP. You really need to feel you could trust and feel comfortable with your therapist to ge the best results.
We believe prolonged and/or chronic stress is a silent killer of our age. Do not ignore it. Have a look at some of the symptoms listed below:
- Difficulty with sleeping
- Palpitations
- Constant tiredness
- Aching/tense muscles
- Deminished Libido
- Weight gain or loss (not due to dieting)
- Increased alcohol or drug intake
Do more than one of these apply to you?
Yes? GET SOME HELP
Sensory Rooms and they can optimise a child’s life
When we heard about Christina, an interior designer with a difference, we became intrigued about her work with children with special needs. Several of our clients have children with such needs so we thought you would like to know more about her too.
Here Christina explains about her design of Sensory Rooms, their history, and how they can optimise a child’s life.
As well as being a qualified interior designer, I have over 36 years in Nursing and Health Visiting and have worked with families whose children have Special Needs. By using these two skills together I can enable children/people to optimise their communication, their well-being and help parents by listening to and working with parents. Communicating differently, face to face non-verbal communication and using smell, touch, lights, sound, colour and vibration, being more visual. Parents may be signing to their child, for example Makaton. I work with parents/carers to incorporate all of this to put together a bespoke Sensory Room for their child.
WHAT IS A SENSORY ROOM? It is therapeutic, it can be educational, it is a haven to relax in, or somewhere to chat to friends. Multi-Sensory Rooms or MSRs provide a sense of well-being, enhancing the quality of life, through stimulation and using the senses we have and optimising them; for example the Olfactory system (our sense of smell), pleasant smells can remind us of certain times in our life – toffee apples, newly mown grass, a certain perfume can evoke strong memory & subsequent feelings. All of these can be re-created in a Sensory Room. Auditory (hearing) senses help heighten our awareness, similarly visual, taste and touch can have the same effect. All these can be brought into the Sensory Room as required. Many people think of Sensory Rooms as being dark with lights but this does not have to be the case. In fact bright and cheerful rooms can equally be pleasing for a child. Sensory Rooms are individual for a child because what is pleasing for one child may not be for another.
WHAT IS THE HISTORY OF SENSORY ROOMS? They evolved in the late 1970s, when two Dutch psychologists thought about Snoezelen rooms to use as a therapy for those with learning disabilities. It soon became evident that the rooms had benefits for people with different disabilities. Eventually, a wide range of Multi-sensory stimulations was used to provide special environments for people with a variety of needs and conditions, including in a field autism, brain injury, chronic pain, and for those in palliative care. Snoezelen Rooms, Multi-Sensory Rooms tend to be used interchangeably hence the name MSR.
WILL IT BE EXPENSIVE TO INSTALL ONE? No, I work with your budget and you will be surprised how reasonably it can be done for. My design fee is £350 per room and for this I will discuss your ideas, provide a written client brief, measure up and take photographs (prior to project & after), provide sample board and 2D CAD plan.
We hope this information has been of interest to you – we were fascinated.
If you would like to know more about Christina’s work her contact details are as follows –
Christina’s Interiors Telephone: 01403 257074 Mobile: 07970 989640
Christina@christinasinteriors.co.uk www.christinasinteriors.co.uk
Massage, Meditation, Hypnotherapy, Athletes & You
Massage, Meditation, Hypnotherapy, Athletes & You
With everyone glued to the splendour of the Olympics and those amazing athletes, we can only wonder at what it has taken in training, sacrifice and determination to get them there. We strongly suspect that whatever admiration and awe we are watching with now will only increase with the start of the Para Olympics.
We have been lucky enough to look after a number of marathon runners this year at Ananda Healing. We have seen first hand what it takes to drive yourself forward through rain, pain and mental torment – when every fibre of your being is telling you to stop. Athletes seem to be built from stronger stuff than us mere mortals, but are they? Could it just be they have a stronger why? It seems to us that the only thing that separates us is their reason why. Could it be that if you dug deep and found a reason to do something that became so strong it would elevate you to a different league in your chosen area?
Some of you may also be wondering where Ananda Healing fitted into the sports training programme. Well, mainly with massage but also with meditation, hypnotherapy and NLP. Research is now proving the benefits of massage to athletes, with improved cell repair rate, in particular. Meditation – we you know that is our pet subject and everyone should do it! Duncan is also finding a number of sports people in particular are benefiting from the mind training techniques of Hypnotherapy & NLP which is invaluable to them to improve their game – the mind needing as much training as the body!
So you are not a top athlete or even aspiring to be one – how can you benefit from therapies?
Everyone can benefit from massage in particular as it lowers blood pressure, reduces pain (even in chronic conditions such as arthritis), releases “happy” hormones to improve your feelings of mental health and well-being. . As for meditation – again, don’t even get us started – we have a recent client who has just finished her meditation course who says she cannot believe the impact it has had on her life; she feels centred and peaceful for the first time in years! And finally, the hypnotherapy & NLP – maybe your first step to improved health is to give up smoking? Perhaps you don’t want to run a marathon but would just like to get through the day without that fear, phobia or habit controlling you?
If you’re having difficulty in getting your why clear and bright enough to drive you, speak to us about our Vision Boarding & Goal Setting workshop!
We made a promise to ourselves when we started this practice – we would be here to serve and to do what we could to improve life for you. That drive started us out four years ago and it drives us today – THAT IS OUR WHY!
Guided Meditation & Its Benefits
Amanda and I often will always recommend that people learn to meditate, and you always have that option at Ananda Healing. But, what if you don’t want to learn to meditate? What if you don’t have the time right now? How can you quickly and easily gain the benefits of meditation (more about those in a bit) without having to go through the process of learning the skills? Guided meditations are an easy way to gain some of the benefits of meditation, the easy path if you like. You get the deep relaxation and the health benefits that brings whilst listening to a Cd (or even an mp3 on your phone, or mp3 player). Now, I’m not suggesting that this is instead of learning to meditate with Amanda (which is a brilliant course, and worth every single penny), but simply that you can get some benefits immediately.
What are the benefits of meditation?
The benefits of meditation are many-fold, such as:
- Reduced Stress and anxiety by an opportunity to spend time by ourselves, without feeling at the beck and call of others.
- Reduced probability of heart disease. There is a growing awareness of the link between our state of mind and physical health. Quite often physical ailments are symptoms of inner turmoil.
- Happiness and Peace of Mind. Is there anybody who does not, in some way, seek after happiness? Meditation takes us to the source of happiness, which is to be found in our own peace of mind.
- Reduced pain for existing injuries and illnesses (I know a great deal about this one, and can definitely vouch for the power of meditation to ease pain).
- Control of your own thoughts. Increased positivity. Have a look at the Happiness Revolution for example.
- Detachment. It’s easy to get caught up by the rush of today’s world and it’s demands on us, detachment helps us to gain perspective.
- Concentration which is essential to fulfill our potential. When we have concentration we can do more in less time.
- Spontaneity and Creativity. Your creativity comes from your unconscious mind, and meditation helps us to access this part of the mind, allowing our creative side to come to the fore.
- Discovering the Purpose of your life. If you feel perfect contentment and happiness then, at the moment, meditation is not necessary, if not then meditation can be of great help. In meditation we gain a new perspective of life, uncoloured by our own egoistic perspective.
Why Guided Meditation rather than a Meditation Course?
Meditation takes time and perseverance, which is where a course comes in. You can’t expect to gain all the above benefits in the first few attempts and without some form of guidance. It takes time and effort to tame the mind. This is where a guided meditation comes in. During guided meditation you will be directed on a journey to deep relaxation, a place of wonderful peace. So you can gain a number of the above benefits without the need for meditation courses or tuition.
Also guided meditation helps to remove external distractions. The use of background music and noise help to block out external noises that otherwise may distract your meditation. In addition it provides a “story” to follow which will engage the mind and draw it gently to the meditative state.
Above all guided meditation allows you to start meditating immediately and helps to remove distractions.
So what’s so special about the Guided Meditations from Ananda Healing?
Each of our meditation tracks:
- is written and recorded by experienced professionals, mainly Amanda, so you receive the benefits of targeted language.
- uses soothing soft background noise to mask external and internal interferences.
- utilises bilateral sounds across all soundtracks to facilitate brain hemisphere synchronisation.
- adds Brainwave Entrainment techniques. Binaural/monaural beats and isochronic tones.
What we have done is to combine ancient meditation techniques with the modern science and the best technology available to deeply relax the mind which will help you to relax easily and effortlessly, and get the most out of your meditation time!
Amanda and I will be organising meditation groups soon, and we hope to see you there!
