Not all stress is bad, and a little bit of stress can actually improve our performance.  However it’s the stress that continues over a sustained period of time that can and will have an affect on your body.

This stress is stimulated by emotions such as worry and anger and can leave your body in a permanent ‘Fight or Flight’ response with an excess of adrenalin, nor adrenalin and cortisol in your system.

Over a period of time this can lead to serious health problems such as raising blood pressure, suppression of the immune system, irritable bowel syndrome, insomnia, weight gain around the middle, hormone imbalance leading to infertility and increased risk of heart attack or stroke to name a few.   Some studies indicate that between 60 and 90% of visits to healthcare professionals are for stress-related conditions.

Is your Stress response ‘on’ most of the time?

The thing is that the body doesn’t distinguish between a psychological threat or a physical threat so whether you are stressed over an impending deadline or traffic jam or financial problems, it reacts as if it were faced with a life or death situation. And if you have a lot of worries, your emergency stress response may be ‘on’ most of the time.

Suffering from headaches?

Stress also affects the muscular system as well.  We naturally tense our body when stressed and typically most of us hold this tension in our neck and shoulders which can, if left untreated lead to stiffness and decreased mobility, muscle pain and long term headaches and migraines. It can also affect the accessory breathing muscles leading to us taking quicker shallow breaths.

Recommendations for reducing stress

Most of the time stress is caused by situations happening which are out of our control. So it’s very hard to make these things go away.  However you can treat the symptoms of stress which in turn will relax the body and over time, start to relax the system returning it to its normal status quo.

Massage is the solution for tension headaches

MASSAGE: How many times have you had a tension headache and just reached for the painkillers? Maybe you should consider a massage instead to help solve the problem.

Regular Therapeutic Massage will help ease tight muscles and thus improve breathing, tension headaches and improve mobility. Sports Massage is a deep tissue massage which although uncomfortable can treat tight muscles on a far deeper level.

Aromatherapy Massage focuses more on lymphatic drainage.  Although it isn’t a deep tissue massage, it will help to relax tight muscles on a surface level but in addition, the essential oils used can help on an emotional level.  The Freya Natural Therapy Destress Yourself blend has been blended specifically to combat the effects of stress. Freya Natural Therapy Total Relaxation has been blended to relax the whole body and is an excellent aid for insomnia.  And Freya Natural Therapy After Sports blend contains pure essential oils that are chosen to relax muscles.

Reflexology massage: Reflexology is a powerful rebalancing form of massage using specialist compression techniques. It is deeply relaxing and is based on the principles that reflex points on the soles, tops and sides of the foot are connected to corresponding areas throughout the body. Reflexology is great for stress related problems, re-energising and pain relief and is very helpful with chronic problems e.g back pain, migraines, hormonal imbalances, digestive problems and is generally a great aid to overall rebalancing of the body.

Acupuncture: Acupuncture is primarily concerned with regulating the individuals life force or ‘Qi’.  It is a safe an effective tool for stress, usually resulting in a feeling of well-being and relaxation.  The practitioner focuses on finding where the energy imbalances are and then uses acupuncture to readdress any imbalance as required.

YOGA:  If you are in a permanent stressed state Yoga could be the solution.  It has both physical and mental benefits.  The obvious physical benefits include increased flexibility through stretching your tight body in new ways and over time this will lead to improved flexibility which in turn leads to improved muscle tone.  However Yoga is also an excellent tool in relieving stress.

As mentioned before when you are stressed your breathing is altered becoming shallower.  Yoga breathing exercises called Pranayama focus the attention on the breath and teach us how to use our lungs better which in turn benefits the entire body. Plus the physical activity is good for relieving stress and in turn releases endorphins – our bodies natural feel good and pain reliever.

EXERCISE:  This is the obvious solution but also the easiest to come up with an excuse for not doing!  The usual answer being “I’m too busy!”  Twenty minutes exercise that raises your heartbeat a day will quickly help reduce the more serious effects of stress.  Exercise increases the heartrate, improves circulation, and produces endorphins. It clears your head on a mental level and gets into your body on a physical level. You feel refreshed after exercise and more mentally alert.   The easiest exercise?  Get out and WALK!  It reduces the risk of coronary heart disease and strokes, helps lower blood pressure, reduce body fat, enhances mental well being, controls weight and helps with flexibility and coordination! Personally, I believe the combination of all of these things will help reduce the affects of stress long-term.

My number one recommendation for managing stress…

My final recommendation is to buy an Aroma Diffuser.  If you are suffering from stress and don’t already have a aroma diffuser – get one!  The ones I sell are air ionisers as well so it improves the air quality.  It looks great but more importantly you can put a few drops of my Destress Yourself or Total Relaxation blend and leave the smell to pervade into whatever room you keep it in.  And the essential oils work a treat on an emotional level. Immediately restoring calm. My clients all report that it works wonders and they love the smell which lingers for quite a while. Its completely safe to use, with ordinary tap water and there is an automatic cut off when the water gets below a certain level so you don’t have to remember to switch it off, unlike a candle!  Prices start at £34.99 for the Bliss Diffuser or £45.99 for the Zenbow diffuser which has colour changing mood lighting! I hope you have found these tips helpful. In my experience, the vast majority of us just soldier on thinking that it’s “just a bit of stress”. …  you now have the tools to manage it and stay ‘in control’. After all, if you look after your body, your body will look after you!

Freya Keith, Holistic Therapist, Freya Natural Therapy Ltd

023 9257 1655

Simply ‘LIKE’ our Facebook page, then email your skin type (normal/combination, dry/sensitive, or mature) and address to mail@freyanaturaltherapy.com

Click here to enter

Winners will be picked at random. Offer closes Saturday 11th June at 6.00pm. Good Luck!

This is where natural solutions come to the fore. Logic would suggest that if there is no medical reason that the doctors can find that is affecting your or your partners fertility then there must be another invisible reason that is affecting it.

This could be diet, lifestyle, environment, state of mind e.g. stress, or a combination of all of these factors that could be affecting the natural balance in your body.

Reflexology is an ancient traditional holistic therapy treatment which aims to restore the body to its natural balance and its becoming increasingly popular with couples who are trying to conceive.

Imagine the feet being a map of the entire body. They are divided into ten energy zones. Through special thumb and finger compression manipulations to stimulate reflex points on the feet we can identify areas of blockage within these zones and can pinpoint which reflex within the body it relates to. By gently working over the area we can help restore balance by freeing up the blockage and encouraging the body’s natural defence resources to work again.

Reflexology is a gentle treatment which aims to restore balance and stimulate the body to heal itself.  Typically the feet are used, however reflexology massage can sometimes be used on the hands.  This is useful if you have an area on the foot that cannot be worked on. It is not designed to be a miracle cure but it is an effective, relaxing, rebalancing and energizing treatment using the feet to treat the whole body.

In my experience Reflexology helps regulate monthly cycles, address hormone imbalances, shorten longer cycles, and address luteal phase defects as well as overall rebalancing after years of taking contraceptive medication.  It also helps significantly with clients suffering from endometriosis and can have a very positive affect on pain relief.

Freya Natural Therapy Reflexology Fertility treatment

The recommended programme for fertility rebalancing treatment is to have a 45 minute treatment once a week for the first month, thereafter I recommend a treatment every other week.  Depending on where you are in your cycle I will be giving a holistic treatment but also focusing on the pituitary gland, ovaries, and uterus reflex points.

Once you have conceived, I recommend you continue to receive reflexology at least once a month to continue to maintain balance and to help relieve you from some of the other side effects of pregnancy.

I treat clients at Freya Natural Therapy in Blendworth, near Waterlooville, Hampshire, PO8 0AB. But am happy to travel to clients homes up to 30 minutes away for an additional £10. This is especially beneficial in the later stages of pregnancy!

Maximise your success with the holistic approach to fertility

On a final note, quite often its not just one thing that prevents you from getting pregnant so alongside Reflexology I would recommend that you and your partner take specialist fertility vitamins, follow a healthy diet with plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables avoiding any prepackaged food, take a good amount of exercise outdoors – ideally together, and cut down on any stress in your lives.

If you have any queries please don’t hesitate to get in touch at info@freyanaturaltherapy.com or visit the website www.freyanaturaltherapy.com

Freya Keith
Holistic Therapist
Freya Natural Therapy Limited
023 9257 1655

Add to that the fact that being pregnant comes with its long list of symptoms and side effects including headaches, nausea, upset stomach, heartburn, raging hormones, backache, to name just a few for starters. Plus your normal painrelief solution comes with its own set of risks with ibruprofen and codeine on the avoid list and even aspirin later on in your pregnancy.

I wanted to come up with a solution using natural ingredients that could also help not only with the side effects of pregnancy but also be of benefit to you and your growing baby.

Essential Oils – Mother Nature’s rescue remedies!

I see essential oils as Mother Nature’s rescue remedies!  They are highly concentrated, volatile substances that are obtained from aromatic plants (flowers, herbs, fruits, resin etc).  Some call them the life force of the plant.  Research over the years has proven that they have both physical and psychological (mood enhancing) properties and the oils are easily absorbed into the body either through inhalation or via the skin where the aromatic particles are absorbed into the blood stream.

Mother Nature is all – powerful and these essential oils are no exception due to their highly concentrated nature and even 1 or 2 drops can make all the difference. Its therefore very important to use only oils recommended for pregnancy and in the correct low dose as essential oils can cross the placental barrier and affect the foetus.  However the oils are not something to be afraid of and by using the right oils in the right quantity you and your baby can benefit from their amazing healing properties.

Freya Natural Therapy Simply Pregnant blend

I have devised a very gentle yet effective blend which is entirely suitable for pregnancy.  The essential oils include Bergamot, Neroli, Mandarin, Sweet Orange, Rosewood and Patchouli and the result is a gentle citrussy smell.  I’ve chosen these oils for a number of different reasons.  Bergamot , Neroli (orange blossom) and Sweet Orange all have a very positive, uplifting effect on your mood. Mandarin  and Neroli are excellent for the skin and are well-known for helping to combat stretch marks, plus Sweet Orange and Bergamot are tonics for the stomach and help with digestion as well as being and good for combating heartburn and nausea.  Patchouli is great for circulation and fluid retention which is a common occurrence in pregnancy and is also good for mood swings!  Rosewood is another gentle yet fantastic oil that is great for energizing and is an effective immune stimulant helpful for keeping colds and sore throats at bay.  In terms of muscle pain relief, Rosewood and Bergamot have analgesic properties which can help with the back pain that many pregnant women suffer from as their pregnancy progresses.  All these oils are very gentle and are safe for pregnancy.

Recommended uses for Freya Natural Therapy pregnancy products

The Freya Natural Therapy Simply Pregnant range is available in Bath Oil, Bath Foam, Body Lotion, Shower Gel, Massage Oil and also in its neat 100% essential oil blend.

A lot of people these days prefer a shower to a bath.  Our Freya Natural Therapy Simply Pregnant Shower Gel contains oxygenated Aloe Vera which also has healing properties and is very gentle on the skin.  Being a natural product the gel is a little runnier than some shop bought gels but it creates a good lather and smells lovely.  As the Shower Gel is a wash off product, I would recommending applying some Simply Pregnant Body Lotion afterwards to help lock in the moisture and help keep the skin supple. This body lotion contains organic Cocoa Butter which is known to help treat stretch marks and also is used in the treatment of excema and dermatitis. I recommend you massage in the body lotion at least once a day.

Alternatively if you are a bath person you have a choice of Bath Oil or Bath Foam.  In my experience you will normally prefer one to the other.

The Simply Pregnant Bath oil contains Sunflower oil, Sweet Almond oil and Jojoba oil – all selected to leave your skin silky smooth and because they also contain numerous vitamins which are beneficial for your pregnancy (Vitamin A, B1, B2, B6, Vitamin D and E).
The Simply Pregnant Bath Foam contains gentle coconut based cleansers and no harmful sodium lauryl sulfates plus contains a little Evening Primrose oil which contains the skin strengthening fatty acid GLA.

Simply Pregnant Massage oil
Bonding with your baby is a vital part of pregnancy and there is no better way to do this than through gentle massage. This is also something you can involve your partner with too.  Our massage oil contains our bestselling Simply Pregnant blend together with Olive Oil, Jojoba oil and Sweet Almond oil. These oils will work well in keeping your skin smooth, and moisturized and will work hard to minimize the effects of stretch marks.  Don’t forget to massage your breasts with oil before you give birth as they will continue to increase as the milk comes through!

100% Simply Pregnant Essential oil blend
This is perfect for burning in an oil burner or aroma diffuser if you want to get the uplifting effects of the essential oils. Alternatively you can use it to add to olive oil to make your own massage or bath oil. To 30 ml of Olive oil you need to only add between 3 and 6 drops. This blend comes with a set of clear instructions.

Best practice says with any aromatherapy product that you should avoid the use of all essential oils in the first trimester.  These products are safe to use for the remainder of your pregnancy.

Wishing you a happy and health pregnancy!

Freya Keith
Holistic Therapist
Freya Natural Therapy Ltd
023 9257 1655