When Holistic Therapist Magazine randomly picked a winner from their autumn 2014 competition, little did they know they were about to create a piece of history.
For the winner, professional massage therapist Trevor Frost of Corpus et Animus in Hertfordshire, was about to become the first male practitioner of the unique Face The World choreographed facial massage.
Trevor successfully attended the next training day in his region, held in the Holistic Training Courses centre in Hatfield on 12th Carolynn Binnie, Claire Wild and Kirsti Johns to literally get to grips with the patented facial “routine.” The Face The World holistic facial incorporates music therapy, aromatherapy, massage techniques and natural, ethical products – taking clients on a memorable virtual journey around the world.
The advanced one day course, aimed at professional therapists, covered all aspects of a facial from cleansing the skin to acu-pressure of the facial meridian points. Some mini Thai Foot, Tibetan Hand/Arm and Indian Head massage techniques were also taught for during the Ocean Rain Mask stage. To round off the experience, a sachet of overnight serum is given to the client to take home.
January. He joined fellow students, Trevor says of his win “Thank you for a super course yesterday. I really enjoyed learning some new skills, and also being able to use some of my current skills in a different way. The whole package is excellent and the music enhances the treatment so much more.”
To find out more about the facial, visit http://www.face-the-world.co.uk – or call Liz on 0845 544155 (liz@face-the-world.co.uk) for the latest offers and training dates.
In the Hertfordshire/Bedfordshire border region? You can book your multi-sensory Face The World Facial with Trevor by contacting him at info@corpustherapies.co.uk or on 07428 590511.
There was much excitement in the house when the news that a new, powerful blender would be arriving imminently. My 14 year old daughter couldn’t wait to try her hand at soup, smoothie and sorbet making! So, when it arrived we were all keen to have a play… and it didn’t disappoint.
I’ve had an interest in ‘clean’ eating for a few years now and 2014 saw that interest become more of an obsession! I’ve done a 21 day raw vegan cleanse, various 3 day juice detoxes and have a juice or smoothie most days. The Optimum 9400 out-strips any blender I have tried before as it is both hugely powerful and also seriously easy to clean – and I love the lightweight jug. Plus, an extra bonus is that it is quieter than some of the cheaper options.
My first blender was a cheapy £20 one that I soon realised was not up to the job as it did not crush ice and really didn’t have the grunt to make smoothies actually smooth… there was no point even trying making anything thicker in it. My next blender was the Duronic BL1200 and it has done a reasonable job over the past 12 months; it crushes ice, is OK with frozen fruit and I have made a few raw cheesecakes with it too, though without a plunger it was a bit fiddly. I did have a couple of issues with it which required new parts. I can’t fault the Duronic customer services though, they have been speedy and helpful. So I would say it’s a good one to get if you’re just dipping your toe in the water.
The Optimum 9400 though is for you if you’re serious about incorporating more healthy food into your diet – it is awesome at everything: smoothies, soups, desserts, salad dressings, dips… anything you want to make that is unprocessed, good for you and of course delicious!
Other, cheaper blenders will tide you over but you need something more capable to last the distance and take you to the next level when it comes to being able to experiment with more recipes and really up your raw/veg/fruit experience.
My daughter and I have had lots of fun experimenting with recipes and this is just the beginning. I have a list of smoothies, soups and more that I want to try out that will take me months to get through. There is such an abundance of fabulous recipes available both in the supplied recipe book and online that you really are spoilt for choice as to what to try next!
Speaking of the recipe book, you do get one supplied in the box and it gives a lovely range of recipes that will get you started with your blender. So, if you’re completely new to blending then you will have something to get you started. We’re working our way through them all!
Rather brilliantly, you also get a nut milk bag in the box – which means you can immediately make your own nut milks, which are super easy to do and of course much healthier than any you could buy in the shops.
I am delighted with the Optimum 9400 – it’s a wonderful blender that opens up new possibilities for healthy eating. I would recommend it to you highly. In fact I now have a growing number of friends who own them and they are all ridiculously in love with their blenders! haha – if you want a blender that will last and enable you to do anything you could possibly want to do with a blender then try the Optimum 9400. You won’t be disappointed!
We also have been having a go at hot soup (yes you literally just add veg and then let the blender heat it up – magic!!)
I’ve also used the Optimum 9400 to make passata and other sauces that I’ve mixed in with say mince or lentils to create a thick, tasty sauces without the need for flour or other thickeners.
[Sneaky parent tip] if you have children you can blend up all sorts of great veggies and add them to say a bolognaise or cottage pie and they are non-the-wiser! A brilliant way to get more veg into their diets. Also, most children love smoothies and even more so if they can make them – I have seen my daughter easting far more healthily since we started blending and she loves any excuse to have a go with it and make something. It’s also encouraged her to try LOTS of things she wouldn’t ordinarily try, which is fantastic.
What do you get?
The base unit
A BPA free lightweight plastic jug with ‘plunger’ lid
Nut milk bag
Recipe book
Spatula
The Specs:
– Powerful Industrial High Speed 3 Horse Power motor – The Most Powerful motor for any blender – Incredible speed of 44,000 rpm, able to freeze ice cream and heat soups – Variable Dial- 9 Speed Control Settings – Heat-Resistant BPA FREE 2L Jug – Wet & Dry Applications – Approved by FDA, UL and the European Commission for Food Safety – High quality tamper tool – State of the art Two in One Stainless Steel blade cutting assembly – Crushes ice, nuts and fruits in seconds – Built-in sensor to detect over-usage; prolonging life of blender – Green Energy Consumption: Proprietary carbon brush motor only draws the power demanded
Some recipe ideas from Froothie:
See lots more Froothie Optimum 9400 blender recipes on their YouTube Channel
If you’d like to connect with other food folk that are interested in healthy eating, juicing, smoothies and more then head over to my Raw, Juicy, Foody, Smoothie Folk Facebook group. You’ll find recipes, ideas and a whole load of helpful, motivating and positive people in there.
A few of my favourite healthy food websites where you can find more tips, recipes and info:
Back by popular demand and in all it’s glory, this years MBS festival did not disappoint.
There really is something for everyone at these events so whether you are fresh on your spiritual path or completely embedded and own every Hay House and Watkins book ever published you will feel right at home.
After doing my usual lap of the hall to become familiar with my surroundings and begin to take it all in I was able to experience some Free Hugs being warmly distributed by the MBS team. Pretty good way to start the day it seemed and I began to settle in nicely.
I Decided to start off nurturing my body with some scrummy raw goodness from the guys at InSpiral, re-fueling with a Pina Colada Juice, Raw Pizza, Salad and topped off with a raw mint choc chip ice cream, Divine!! {Editors note: too jealous! Sophie}
Whilst enjoying my food I was entertained by the very wonderful Ruby Wax as she talked passionately with host Tim Wheaton about mindfulness and how we can all be responsible for where we are at with our own thoughts and learn to self regulate these “become the master and not the slave of your mind”. Ruby was fascinating, razor sharp and totally inspiring.
Although I did not manage to see Ruby at her full two hour workshop I did purchase her book Sane New World, I am looking forward to more of her deadpan humour which seems to work wonders for me.
As it seems so easy to loose track of time at the event my top tip for future MBS goers is to follow the line up of speakers on the website and book onto the ones you absolutely do not want to miss, there will always be others you are guided to over the course of the event. Best to not be disappointed though as we have another year to wait for the next London one.
I was thrilled to meet up with so many fabulous exhibitors in particular MBS regular Clare G Harvey from Flowersense and author of her new and updated – The New Encyclopedia of Flower Remedies, this lady is so connected to plants and how they can help us it is incredible. The aromas were so uplifting I could have been on their stall all day.
I was able to hear the story behind the girls new start up “Angel Feet” who are certainly worth checking out.
I finished up my time at the show by enjoying the Kindred Spirit Holistic Business Awards, presented by the lovely Robert Holden and team, it was a great way to end my day at the event and witness just how many fantastic business’s there are in this arena now and how many people are thriving and flourishing because of it.
Thank you MBS for another spectacular event we look forward to seeing you next year for your come back to your home ground at Olympia.
Just because you have an interest in holistic treatments and therapies doesn’t mean you have to train to be a practitioner. Many people enjoy deepening their own connection with self, expanding their awareness, increasing their understanding of what is available and how it can be used in self healing and also in healing of loved ones.
There are a number of workshops available that give you that step into deeper understanding – where you can find out more about the subject you want and then use it on yourself and your friends and family.
Theresa offers introductory workshops for:
Massage | Reflexology | Reiki | Angel Healing | Crystal Healing | Working With Crystals | Angel Card Reading
So you can learn new skills and also discover, if you’re considering training but aren’t quite sure what to do, what is a good fit for you.
Want to find out more?
Connect With Theresa Maddison:
Light Up Your Soul Therapies and Training who offer accredited Training courses in Holistic therapies and Beauty and bespoke well being, stress management & Healing therapies. Theresa also specialises in Crystal & Colour and Angel/Reiki healing.
The Holistic Directory is an online resource for health and wellness and also a hub for business and marketing support for holistic professionals. We’re building a supportive community – come and join us!
Join us as we learn more about Theresa’s experience in the holistic world and find out about her vast knowledge in so many different subjects.
We talk about Reiki, crystal and angel healing; the many benefits, how the therapies work, why they are so closely linked and lots more.
We also discussed Face The World’s amazing ‘holistic’ facials and other treatments.
Theresa really is a mine of information when it comes to holistic health and wellness.
Want to find out more?
Connect With Theresa Maddison:
Light Up Your Soul Therapies and Training who offer accredited Training courses in Holistic therapies and Beauty and bespoke well being, stress management & Healing therapies. Theresa also specialises in Crystal & Colour and Angel/Reiki healing.
The Holistic Directory is an online resource for health and wellness and also a hub for business and marketing support for holistic professionals. We’re building a supportive community – come and join us!
Well, after our interview (which you can watch here), we got chatting about how some holistic professionals can feel a bit lonely, working by themselves and how it’s a common issue for therapists and practitioners to feel undervalued, under confident and unsure out what to charge for their services.
And we want to help change this!
So we thought we’d video our thoughts on the matter.
This is a 20 minute video of Laura and Sophie talking through ideas and issues around being a holistic professional and also discussion solutions and tips for dealing with overwhelm and empowering you to feel more positive and attract more of the things you want in your life and your work.
We’d love to hear your thoughts so do comment below or get in touch.
Connect With Laura:
New Thought Singer Songwriter : Metaphysical Mentor Devoted Labyrinth Walker: Inspirational Speaker Campaigner
The Holistic Directory is an online resource for health and wellness and also a hub for business and marketing support for holistic professionals. We’re building a supportive community – come and join us!
Join us as we discover more about the world of Laura Topper; New Thought Singer Songwriter, Metaphysical Mentor, Devoted Labyrinth Walker and Inspirational Speaker Campaigner!
We discuss how Laura discovered her passion for the holistic world, about her workshops, designed to empower you to really connect with your true self on a deep level and enrich your life.
We speak about prayer, meditations, connection and living in a positive energy to attract positivity and prosperity.
We find out about Laura’s passion for music and how she has used her voice to create a series of songs that can be listened to as part of mediation.
Also about the magic and symbolism of labyrinths and how wonderful they are as a meditative tool to discover your inner voice.
We end with a wonderful Top Tip from Laura about connecting with the power within us.
We’d love to hear your thoughts so do comment below or get in touch.
Connect With Laura Topper:
New Thought Singer Songwriter : Metaphysical Mentor
Devoted Labyrinth Walker: Inspirational Speaker Campaigner
The Holistic Directory is an online resource for health and wellness and also a hub for business and marketing support for holistic professionals. We’re building a supportive community – come and join us!
Another year ends and a new one begins, the beginning of a new year is a great time to let go of the things that no longer serve you. The world is an energetic place, our thoughts are powerful and create our reality, all of us carry ‘baggage’ around with us that we need to let go of and we can do this by thinking about it and letting it go. An old relationship, an incident you regret, a habit you want to stop, anger, sadness, whatever it is there are a few ways that can help you to let go and move forward. You may not even think you have anything to let go of, even still this process can still be uplifting. Letting go is refreshing, it allows us more space to connect with our true self rather than the self we try to be or think we are or are worried about being.
I once read a story about a university lecturer, who got his students to put potatoes into a zip bag, they had to put one potatoe in for each time they hadn’t been able to forgive someone for something over the course of their life so far, they didn’t have to share what it was but they had to be honest with themselves. They then had to carry this bag around with them everywhere for a couple of weeks; I mean everywhere, bus, classes, bed, toilet, shopping etc. Where they went the bag of potatoes had to go. Over the course of the few weeks the potatoes began to rot, when they rot they turn to a mushy black liquid.
The bag of potatoes is of course very symbolic, firstly because of the weight they had to carry around, carrying un-forgiveness in the heart is a heavy burden. Not letting go of the things that no longer serve us is also a heavy weight around the heart, it can hold us back and prevent us from reaching our true potential. Secondly the substance that the potatoes turn into is quite symbolic, continuous carrying of un-forgiveness rots the soul, also not letting go of whatever it is that eats away at you will rot the soul, cause unnecessary stress and turn sour and bitter.
I said earlier that our thoughts are powerful, they are, they create our reality and you can utilise this when ‘letting go’.
Go to a place where you will be undisturbed for about 20 mins, it can be a special place, or your treatment room or anywhere you can get peace and quiet.
Sit still and quiet bringing your breath to a calm rhythm.
Connect to the heart centre, allow it to open and become alive.
When you feel the heart open see a channel of light from the soul, you may visualise the soul as a sphere of white light above the head, allow the channel of light fall down over you connecting into the heart centre and further down into the earth centre below your feet.
Fill your body and auric field with this light (the auric field surrounds you from fingertip to fingertip when arms are stretched out)
Now use your mind to scan the auric field for any lines of energy coming into it from outside. You do not need to know where they are from this does not matter, you are letting go not holding on.
Now ask up to the soul for the light love and power to release these ties from your energy system
Take as long as you like seeing these lines fade away, you might like to see it as a bright white dishcloth washing the outside of your auric field of ‘grime’.
Really enjoy the cleansing experience and know that you are letting go of that which no longer serves you.
When you finish you might like to secure the ritual with a mantra or prayer or give thanks, please note this is not essential but an option, I know of people who always finish with a mantra, I know of others who like to give thanks. It’s personal choice.
Pamper yourself afterwards, the aftercare is just as important as the letting go, perhaps run a relaxing bath with your favourite oils or crystals, or a nice shower if you prefer. Use the water to help seal the cleansing process.
This process can be repeated as often as you like, every day if you need to, once a week, once a year, it’s entirely up to you.
This time of year is always manic, whether you are busy with client offers for Christmas, Christmas shopping, trying to plan the festive holidays and working, let alone dealing with every day family life. You are bound to feel overwhelmed, tired maybe chaotic, I have a great tip to pick yourself up and you don’t need many tools or spend a fortune to do it.
Crystal elixirs!
You have probably guessed by now that I LOVE crystals! They’re are beautiful, amazing and fabulous! I have worked with them for a decade and have experienced many benefits, which is why I am passionate about giving out tips on how to use them to reap those benefits.
This time of year there are so many bugs and colds about, every other person has a cough, sore throat or runny nose. A great way to make yourself feel better inside and out is making a crystal elixir. You need a few tumble stones, and they need to be tumblestones, rough pieces are not safe for elixirs and you need to be aware that some crystals are poisonous if ingested.
You are pretty safe with the standard clear quartz, rose quartz, amethyst, carnelian, blue lace agate, smoky quartz – if in doubt Google it to see if the tumble stone is safe or ask a qualified crystal therapist.
You need a glass of water, some people I know say it has to be mineral water but I have used normal tap water for years and have had great effect. Saying that if you want to use mineral water that’s fine. Select your crystal, you can use your intuition and go with what you are drawn to, you could dowse using a pendulum or you could consult a crystal book.
Clear quartz is energising so a great one for lethargy
Amethyst is harmonising so great for stress
Rose quartz is supportive and loving so one for loneliness
Smokey quartz is transmuting and relaxing another one for stress, it may help aid sleep
Carnelian is protective and warming maybe a good one to help prevent a cold or to warm you up when the days are extremely chilly
Blue lace agate is a stone of communication therefore a good stone for sore throats.
You may feel you need more than one energy, this is fine although I wouldn’t do more than two at a time. Once you have selected your crystals place them into a glass of water and leave them on a window sill that attracts natural light for a couple of hours. The light will help to activate the crystals and energise the water with the crystal energies.
In a couple of hours take your drink and sip it, DO NOT down in one as this will effect your grounding and make you feel dizzy. Take your time to sip the elixir, you do not have to drink it all at once but go back to it.
I hope you all have a fabulous Christmas and a happy New Year.
Join us as we get more of an insight into Ali Brown and her holistic coaching business Ali’s Therapy Academy. A professional and successful holistic practitioner herself, offering many treatments including; massage, reflexology, Reiki, sports massage, vertical reflexology, Indian head massage, Hopi ear candles, hot stone massage, Thai herbal compress massage, aromatherapy and stress management, Ali has got a new mission in life – to help holistic business owners get started and be successful.
During the interview we discuss the Academy and how membership can be useful and also a couple of the top difficulties faced by new holistic business owners:
1) Start-up overwhelm – so much to do and just feeling overwhelmed with where to start and what is most important.
2) How to get more clients – an issue faced by businesses old and new.
Also Ali’s tip tip for businesses: Implementation!
Among other things, we also touch on networking and how important it is for marketing, confidence and referrals. Ali runs a workshop designed specifically for those who find the prospect daunting, or even terrifying, to give a gentle introduction to networking and how to get started.
The Holistic Directory is an online resource for health and wellness and also a hub for business and marketing support for holistic professionals. We’re building a supportive community – come and join us!
The Holistic Journal 