By Paola Bassanese

From Wikipedia

Reflexology is the branch of complementary and alternative medicine that works on either feet or hands with precise thumb pressure and sequence to provide relief and relaxation.

The technique is based on the theory that hands and feet (and also ears) are a map to the internal organs in the body so applying pressure to specific points can have a beneficial effect to the corresponding organs. It is a popular form of relaxation and treatment as it is performed fully clothed so it is a good alternative to an oil massage for example at events, although one doesn not exclude the other.

Stemming from ancient Egypt and Greece, reflexology was the art of massaging hands and feet to release tension in the head and trunk.

Popularised and taught by physiotherapist Eunice D. Ingham (1889–1974), reflexology became established in the UK and US from the 1930s onwards.

Why choose reflexology?

Having had a treatment recently with Maria-Luisa Prezio at Tranquil Therapy  I am totally in love with this form of therapy as it is gentle yet extremely rebalancing.

1. You don’t have to undress, so reflexology can be useful if you are feeling a bit body conscious or can be excellent for teenagers
2. It makes you more aware of your body, because the therapist will talk you through what he/she finds along the way in terms of tension and blockages
3. It is a fantastic rebalancing treatment at times of stress and insomnia
4. It may help with digestive issues like constipation as during the treatment you can feel the peristalsis being activated through the reflex action
5. It may promote circulation in the extremities as massaging feet and hands works on the lymphatic and circulatory system

How did I feel after my treatment? I must say that Maria’s treatment was pure delight and I slept so much better that night after weeks of disturbed sleep and my abdominal area finally released after some bad cramping I have had that day.

By Paola Bassanese

On the 10th May 2012 the London College of Beauty Therapy tried to break the World Record for most manicures in a day. At an impressive 2219, the beauty students have pulled out all the stops to keep the college in the UK record but missed out on the world record by a few hundred manicures. I had my manicure with the lovely Gemma Cullen, a bright and focused student who will have a brilliant career as a beauty therapist.

With Gemma Cullen

I was so pleased to hear she is a keen social media user as this was the topic of my industry talks at the College: I emphasised the importance to all students of having a strong media presence by taking advantage of social networks.

The event was also attended by Aston from JLS who caused plenty of excitement among members of staff and the general public. I had already left by then but I was told the whole day was action-packed and good fun.

My manicure looks lovely and I am keen to show it off to anyone! The event also helped raise funds for two charities: the Eve Appeal and Rays of Sunshine.

With Claire Winstanley

Click on the image to view the full article (external link to Huffington Post).

“Injuries are common at all levels of the game. At best they can ruin your enjoyment of the game and at worst stop you from playing altogether. If you do suffer an injury it is best to seek medical assessment and advice straight away, but it is worth bearing in mind the old adage that prevention is better than cure.

Massage and stretching play just as an important role as training to perform well on the tennis court.”

By Paola Bassanese

Q: Why did you decide to start a dance school?

A: I used to teach freestyle dance to children in Norwich many years ago and since moving to London to concentrate on becoming a recording artist, I now want to go back to teaching dance.

I also want to pass my knowledge of street/freestyle dance to children and give something back to the communities in London. As I am a member of the IDTA (International Dance Teacher’s Association) I can put children through examinations in freestyle and street dance.

Q: When did you start learning to dance and sing?

A: Dancing at 8 years old and singing at 14 years of age.

Q: What is your all-time favourite performance on stage?

A: I did a gig for Radio Essex alongside Tina Cousins in Southend – amazing atmosphere and crowd!

Q: What is your exercise regime?

A: I go to the gym 3-4 times a week, attend a body attack class and of course dancing!

Q: How important is massage for you?

A: It is very important for me as I am leading a very busy and hectic lifestyle. I am always carrying heavy bags, which puts pressure on my back, so a good massage helps to me to relax and feel great.

Q: What would you advise to parents who would like to encourage their children to learn to dance?

A: Dancing is great way to socialise, meet new friends and have fun! All of the moves and routines are taught to current chart music.

Check out Deborah’s website Mad on Dance for class schedules.

By Paola Bassanese

Q: When did you first train to become an actress?

A: I knew I wanted to be an actress from a very early age. I started off doing amateur shows for local theatre companies and I absolutely loved being on stage! I then went on to train as an actress at East 15 Acting School. My passion was not only for acting, I also sing and dance and wanted to further my skills, so I later went on to train at London School of Musical Theatre.

Q: What’s the project you are most proud of?

A: Over the past year I have been working on a film pilot for a mokumentary style reality tv show called My Essex Girls. We’ve been working hard on putting together a really strong pilot to then send off to tv channels and hopefully become a tv series. I’m really excited about this, the crew and the cast are fantastic, so fingers crossed we get our break!

Q: What do you do to keep fit?
A: It is really important to keep fit in this industry because you never know what’s round the corner! I regularly visit the gym about 3-4 times a week. I also go swimming as this is great for an all over body workout. To keep up my dancing aswell I take dance classes at Pineapple Studios.
Q: How important is image in your industry?
A: Image is very important in this industry. The industry is extremely competitive and a lot of the time we are judged on our image. The industry is full of gorgeous, slim talented people and there is sooo much competition! Therefore it is important for us to look after our bodies and to look the best we possibly can.
Q: How important is massage in your day to day life?
A: Massage is so important in day to day life! I’ve only started having massages over the past year and I have noticed a huge difference in myself! It relieves all tension that we carry in our backs in day to day life. I’ve realised I hold a lot of my tension in the upper part of my back and I also get knots there from exercising. After having a massage with Paola my back feels so much better and I feel so much more relaxed. I would highly recommend massage to those who haven’t tried it, it’s amazing!
Q: You have worked in musicals and plays in theatres around the UK; what are your next steps?
A: I am hoping that My Essex Girls takes off soon as a tv series. A lot of great ideas and hard work has gone into it so fingers crossed! I will be continuing to practice my dance, singing and acting, and taking part in any auditions that come my way. Before I went to acting school I did quite abit of modelling which I absoloutely loved! I am planning on getting back into the modelling and doing some more photo shoots which I am really looking forward to.

See Nicola’s agency page on Leading Role Agency.

By Paola Bassanese

Q: Why did you decide to specialise in shoulder surgery?

A: I have been fortunate to be taught by the best surgeon in France, Laurent Lafosse who took me under his wing. I spent a year working for him as an apprentice after training at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital in London. I found the work very rewarding; I decided to specialise in shoulder problems by chance but I did injure my shoulder 8-9 years before and completely recovered and I wanted to gain more personal insight. I practised martial arts and did a lot of weight training.

Q: What has been the highlight of your career so far?

A: Well, things have been betting busier and busier but hopefully I haven’t peaked yet! I would say thought that I was very pleased with the feedback I received from my RSI article in the Evening Standard. The article was reprinted in Saudi Arabia and a Saudi industrialist came to see me in London to discuss his problems and he then decided to set up a wellness programme for his company after his visit to the UK.

Q: Do you manage to have a good work/life balance and do you have time for exercise and massage?

A: I wish I had more time! I work long hours, my wife works full time and we have two kids. I dedicate my spare time at the weekend to my family. However I do manage to train two or three times a week. I do core training outdoors, for example British Military Fitness Training, but it’s easier to do my own workout in my back garden. I wake up at 6am and train for one hour before work. I built an outdoor gym in my garden and I train with a rope and weights. Also now it’s so easy to learn to do your own workout as there’s so many youtube videos teaching you how to exercise safely.

With regards to massage, I only have one when I go on holiday but I am conscious I need to have it more regularly.

Q: What made you decide to open a clinic in Harley Street?

A: I started my Harley Street clinic recently and it is going really well.

My main clinic is at the London Bridge Hospital which is easily accessible from the City. However, patients from the West End, North and West London wanted to be able to see me near Central London and Harley Street is a convenient location. I am based at number 9 at the St Princess Grace Hospital.

The decision was purely based on the needs on the patients: they asked me to be available more centrally in London as people are busy and don’t have time to travel far to see a specialist.

Q: If someone is suffering from shoulder pain, frozen shoulder or repetitive strain injuries, what would you advise to do?

A: The role of a surgeon is to diagnose and explain a condition to the patient and provide viable options. The process consists of three phases:

1. assessment of the patient’s symptoms in the context of their work, activities, posture; you need to listen to the patient and what their work commitments and preferences are. Sometimes busy people working internationally may not find the time to see a physiotherapist for six months and surgery may be the most feasible option for their situation.
2. investigation and review, explaining the action plan to the patient
3. specialised treatment including injections, therapy (physiotherapy, massage) or surgery

80% of patients don’t need surgery but specialised treatment. Massage and stretching are an absolute must. For example most office workers with a sedentary lifestyle need to learn to stretch regularly, exercise and take breaks. They mostly suffer from neck, shoulders and back pain. I currently see 50 new patients each month with this problem.

For frozen shoulder the key priority is to get the pain down to allow a therapist to work on the shoulder using deep tissue massage and myofascial release.

The most rewarding aspect of my job is when a patient says “I am better”.

About Doctor Kochhar

Tony Kochhar is a Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon, specialising in the treatment of RSI’s. He is an expert in the treatment and surgery of the shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand. His practice is based at in Central London and Kent.

Mr Kochhar’s philosophy is that your condition may need treatment from several fields – it’s not just about surgery. In fact, most patients don’t need surgery. They do however need an accurate assessment by a highly skilled specialist and early and skilful therapy. If however, you do need surgery, Mr Kochhar is an expert in this field, with excellent outcomes and patient care.

Website: http://www.shoulderdoctor.co.uk

Click on the picture to go straight to the guest blog.

Excerpt:

“So many of us have used Photoshop to “improve” our facebook profile pictures or professional photography shots. It would be nice to have the equivalent of Photoshop in the real world but unless you want to have cosmetic procedures, those lines and wrinkles simply won’t budge.

If you like natural remedies, then self-massage is the most economical of all because it’s free. Of course, first you need to learn the technique to understand how to “iron out” fine lines and tone up facial muscles. Video tutorials are great for picking up some useful tips.

When performed on a daily basis, facial massage can really help to improve the complexion, the texture of the skin, the tone in the facial muscles and smooth out fine lines. Just like exercise, perseverance is key. The technique will not give the desired effects if you only remember to do it every once in a while.

Our enemies are time and gravity. We can cheat our way to a younger looking face by challenging our body into producing more collagen and elastin. A daily routine of cleansing, toning, moisturising and massaging can trick our face into thinking it’s just as young as before. The secret is to be relentless, disciplined and constant; an occasional massage or cleanse just won’t do. A weekly exfoliation is also essential to help products penetrate into the layers of the skin and to eliminate dead skin cells therefore helping new skin cells emerge to the surface. New skin cells make the face look fresher, dewy and more luminous while dead skin cells make the face appear dull, lifeless and grey.”

By Claire Park Professional Co-Active Life Coach

We spend so much of our lives at work, it is vitally important that we can get along well with our colleagues.

However it can be quite traumatic when people don’t get along with us.

You know the type of person, often quite loud, confident and nit-picky. You just can’t seem to do right for doing wrong with them. And most of the time you are the one left feeling in the wrong.

You start to question your actions and abilities; you may feel intimidated and begin to avoid this person.

Over the years I’ve had a few different jobs, especially when I was a teenager and I, like a lot of people, found myself in this situation too often.

I had no idea why.

Bosses who clearly didn’t like me, seemed to pick at everything I did, barked orders at me, made me feel incompetent….etc.

I worked hard and was popular with the other staff members. So why didn’t they like me?

I was left feeling upset, a little bullied and a bit bemused. I had no idea what I had done to make these people dislike me so much.

Over the years I have come to realise that it had little to do with me. I could have wasted hours and hours of my time analysing my behaviour, trying to figure out what I was doing so wrong.

If I had I would have wasted my time and energy because it was nothing to do with me.

Eleanor Roosevelt once famouslysaid – “No-one can make you feel small without your permission”

So, instead of wasting your time and energy doing character analysis on yourself or indeed on anyone else I’d like to point you to look at the truth.

The Truth – What do you know about yourself to be absolutely, unequivocally true?

This is great if done with a friend – ask each other.

What in life do I value so highly that I could not live without?

The answers you get will undoubtedly point you to your character, your core-values, your personality, your strengths and your weaknesses.

Once you know the Truth about yourself never ever will you let anyone make you feel small again.

About Claire Park

Claire is a Reflexologist and Life Coach who helps women who feel like they are running out of their “30’s” and think that they should have it all sorted out by now.

www.claireparktherapies.co.uk

By Paola Bassanese

Diet and exercise are the foundation to healthy weight loss and toning but what about those stubborn fat deposits and cellulite that no amount of sweat seems to break down?

That’s when a good massage comes in handy (pun intended).

The Energya® sculping/reshaping massage is an innovative massage technique based on deep tissue massage and manual lymphatic drainage.

The most important part of a session is a full consultation so the client has a chance to talk through their health history and their requirements.

The rule of thumb is that most women store fat around the abdomen, hips and tops of the thighs while men store fat in their upper body especially the abdomen and the chest (the dreaded “moobs”!).

While it is not recommended to rely on massage alone to reshape your body, a series of sculpting treatments will complement your exercise and diet regime helping the break down of fatty deposits and providing additional motivation.

Measuring the waist line of clients before and after a sculpting massage shows a 1-2cm reduction in size. Results may vary according to fitness levels: someone with a lower body fat mass will not see as amazing results as someone who has a higher body fat percentage.

The technique includes massaging the key areas (glutes, abdomen, back of legs, outer legs, front of legs) with the knuckles in a circulatory motion and with upward strokes. Manual lymphatic drainage is then applied to move the fat cells towards the lymph nodes for elimination.

Some bruising may occur as the pressure applied is strong but healthy skin heals within 2 days. It is therefore not advised to have this treament if you suffer from diabetes or have sensitive skin or taking medication.

A course of 8-10 sessions on a weekly basis is recommended.

To book a course of treatments call 07803961669 or email paola@energya.co.uk