When going for a massage, most people try to be in top condition: freshly washed and freshly shaved (even man-backs get waxed sometimes before visiting me which is sweet); and it makes sense, though really not essential from the therapist’s point of view.

However, some things cannot be easily hidden. Certain skin conditions – most common being psoriasis and eczema – are not only uncomfortable but also unsightly and can make the sufferer very conscious of their appearance. They usually present dry flaky skin with red blotches to varying degree. I remember the first time a client, upon arriving and getting ready told me in a tone that sounded almost ashamed, that he has psoriasis and he hopes I don’t mind. That tone spoke volumes and I hoped that it came from just discomfort and not a previous bad experience.

My son, who is now a mini adult, has suffered from severe eczema much of his life. I have spent over well over 10 years creaming him top to toe twice a day, sometimes with him crying in pain. I understand how bad it can be and I am well used to the feel of crusty skin and whatever else goes with it – I am more than comfortable handling bad skin.

So how should you go about it when you have an irritated skin and need a massage?

First of all, feel free to tell me. I’m a big sop for skin conditions as they remind me of my wee son, so I will likely go out of my way to help make it a nice experience for you.

You know what works for you so if you need me to use your cream, I will – saying that, the sports massage cream I use in my practice is fairly pure and on that first occasion I mentioned earlier, the client’s psoriasis started visibly healing during the time he has been visiting me for regular massages.

If your skin is ok to touch then all is well, we can get on with the massage. To be honest, receiving a deep full body creaming is probably not a bad idea in itself.  However, at times of flare ups it may be too sensitive to glide over. If that is the case and you feel that you need a massage regardless, I can work through the clothes on the muscles. This type of massage foregoes the gliding movements and concentrates on just muscle work.

My son’s present flare up was fairly traumatic for him, he did not let me touch him or even look at him until the skin improved from beyond unbearable to just plain awful. This flare up was also accompanied by regular full body shaking as if he was cold, which took its toll on his muscles. Now, after a course of antibiotics and other measures it is at a bearable state, and so he asked for a massage (strictly through the clothes) to help the muscles. It worked out just fine, and he feels just that much better for it.

So the bottom line is: don’t feel like you cannot get massaged just because you pulled the short straw when it came to skin.  As long as it is a non-contagious condition, adjusted massage can be done easily. It will likely bother you more than me.

We all know people that are really difficult to buy for this time of year. But despair no more: the solution is right here! Nobody with blood in their veins will possibly dislike a gift of a nice relaxing massage! Not only will you support a local business instead of throwing good ££ at large companies, but you may get yourself back into granny’s good graces with such a clever present.

Be the favourite child/grandchild/partner this year… 😉

Ps vouchers on offer are redeemable from the 27th December.

Ps ps becoming a favourite is not guaranteed and is not part of the actual offer.

We have a very controversial relationship with pain: most of us want nothing more than to eradicate it at first appearance. As a massage therapist I work with pain all the time and observe the different reactions to it.

When my children were young I went to great lengths to educate them on the nature of pain to teach them how to deal with it. I think this sort of teaching would be essential for most of us as we have forgotten how to address it.

Pain is not your enemy.

Pain is not there to ruin your life; it has no agenda to stop you from living well. Pain is nothing more than a signal from your body that something is not right and it needs your attention. When something starts going wrong inside, the body decides to start up a conversation with you, and the language used is called pain. Its sole purpose is to draw your attention to a specific area.

There is a rare disease called CIP (Congenital insensitivity to pain) where a person cannot feel any physical pain. Sounds like an absolute dream, right? Not so much. It counts as an extremely dangerous condition.

Pain is vital for survival. It helps us noticing injuries and diseases. Imagine touching a hot iron and not feeling it. Or breaking a bone without ever realizing. How can you even draw a nice bath safely without being able to feel the temperature?

So pain has a vital role but it also has a bad rep for it. We get distressed and our instinctive first response to it is to reach for painkillers. Hell, even doctors’ first response is to prescribe painkillers.  But this kneejerk reaction simply masks the signals the body so desperately wants to send us, leaving it no other option than to increase the signal over time.

I’m not advocating living in pain or ditching the pills; I just think there are healthier first responses to it.  Stopping for a moment and observing what is happening inside of us before reaching for the painkillers is a great start.

At times pain has a tendency of getting out of hand.  A lot of people live with acute pain, often where even pills cease to work. You can argue the reason behind it, I think there are many answers as to the “why” of it, ranging from emotional distress to the body’s inability to forget how NOT to produce that same pain every day (muscle memory is a nightmare at times). With the increasing number of conditions that seem rooted in just producing unexplained pain, a lot of research goes into how to deal with it. And the answer always seems to come back to mindfulness: breathing, meditation, awareness.

I have experienced stubborn pain disappearing almost instantly with energy work; I have once entered into a certain meditative state and within 10 minutes 90% of my acute lower back pain vanished for weeks. I have watched it move around on people’s bodies as I was working on them like a small frightened animal escaping capture. Pain is a strange organic thing, it goes way beyond the physical realm, which is why viewing it as a pure physical phenomena is a flawed approach that tends to fail us.

So when in pain, maybe try alternative methods first. Icing it, using essential oils, energy work, a clean diet, and of course a massage are all excellent ways of dealing with it.

I have recently completed my first 3 day fast.

I have been introduced to fasting during my month of “clean eating” that I did with a nutritionist’s help. The reason I signed up to it was that I alone could not find the self-discipline to control my eating and I was getting heavier than ever. And what is worse, the health effects were getting serious: my body was getting stiffer and sorer by the day; my blood sugar all over the place; the mind fog and the memory loss was getting worrying… and a lot of other small things that told me I’m heading towards some sort of self-destruction.

Being accountable really helped: I straight away snapped into it and stuck with my diet plan religiously. The diet consisted mainly of meat, slow release vegetables (squash and courgettes, nothing starchy), a ridiculous amount of green leaves and avocados, plus bagful of limes. My snacks were hummus with celery and nuts. There was no dairy, no floury food; fruit smoothie only once a week, zero sugar, and the emphasis was on quality ingredients and fully homemade meals to avoid all additives.

By the second week my body was in ketosis and the weight was dropping off me. I ate less and less as my meals were so nutritious that I didn’t need much. I have learned a lot about cravings. And then a day came when I was working away from home all day and had nothing to take with me – that was the first 24h fast I have done unintentionally. I was shocked to realise that I did not get hungry once during that full day: we are taught a lot of untrue facts that support consumerism, and I always thought that not eating for a period is bad for me.

So a few months later I have done my first 3 day fast. I have read up on it properly (Jason Fung is a popular source), and to make the commitment serious, I have documented it on Facebook – it really helps to be accountable. So here is a link to my fb page where the video is uploaded: https://www.facebook.com/pg/Newtownards1/videos/?ref=page_internal

What have I achieved during the fast? Well, I suddenly had a lot of free time and saved a ton of money! My system got a rest and it rewrote a lot of damaging “programmes” I have been running in my head. The bad cravings that were damaging me went away and my real cravings where my body signals its actual needs were audible to me for the first time in my life: I craved broccoli with butter! For weeks I managed to stay with clean eating as planned. I felt more myself, stronger, cleaner. And a lot of popular myths got debunked for me too.

Fasting seems to be becoming the next big thing at the moment, but then fasting has been a natural part of human life for thousands of years.

The proven benefits are as follows: weight loss, promoting longevity, detoxification, improving or restarting your entire immune system, improving insulin sensitivity (used in many places now to heal diabetes) and the list goes on. It is good for your heart, your skin, your blood sugar levels, for acute pain, even may help prevent cancer.

The reason I feel especially strongly about it is that I have experienced what 4 weeks of clean eating with intermittent fasting can do for my body. The dairy free has gotten rid of my mild asthma completely. Aches I had for years disappeared into nothingness. So when I work on a client who has acute pain that no practitioner has been able to shift for long, I always feel that while massages are great to give relief, a diet change is what could help best to recover permanently. For so many conditions, we have the power to heal ourselves completely: we just need to get real about what we put into or bodies.

This time it is personal: most success stories do not make it into the limelight, even though they are what keep me fiercely proud of my work. Looking at the number of reviews on Facebook – great as they are – it is clear how little they reflect the reality and depth of my everyday work. I’m all too aware that a client looking on social media for recommendations will only get a limited glimpse of what happens during treatment.

So I decided to write about some of the successes and fabulous or sometimes shocking results that happen on the massage couch on daily basis. Just this once, I’m going to honour some of my memorable results. Everything I write here is true to my knowledge based on events, my notes, and feedback.

I think the first shock I had was when a client came and apologized that he has not been for a year – he said he just did not need to come again as his shin splints have simply disappeared.  Now… looking back to my notes, he said at our first meet that he has been to physiotherapy and some other treatments, so his diagnosis comes from them. How it is possible that one massage session have removed the issue, was completely beyond me – yet a few months later the same thing happened with another client: shin splints have gone after one treatment. Maybe I have a magic touch when it comes to shin splints (*wink wink, cue sarcasm)

Another treatment that stands out for me was a lovely girl who came to me with severe neck tension that gave her serious headaches all the time.  It has been ongoing for about 3 years – especially at her young age I found this unacceptable to live with so much pain. She said the only thing that helped a bit was a physio who used acupressure point treatment, and that has eased the headaches for a while. She visited there every 8 weeks or so. I put all I had into the treatment, I stretched and eased all muscles involved and all other muscles that supported those muscles… when she got off the couch, she has regained full range of movement in her neck (which was fairly limited to start with), and she told me in amazement that she is completely pain free for the first time in 3 years! This has blown me away… I saw her again about 5 months later: she said she had no need to go back for any treatment since.

One more amazing change happened with a young man who had hemiplegia: in his case it meant that all the muscles on one side were much weaker than the other. The first treatment that was aimed to reduce hip pain and other muscle tension made a big difference for him so he came back a few days later. That time I worked more on the legs and noticed the weaker foot being all weak and floppy as he was lying on the couch – clearly no muscle strength to keep it up. He explained that for him to move that foot it takes conscious thought and concentration. Since he is very active and plays football, it is a clear disadvantage and has been a burden since childhood. I worked on specific muscles I thought might help, also stretched his legs as one hip was higher so needed to even that out. I’m fully aware that I have done a lot with energy too, and at that time I was going through a huge shift in the strength of my energy work. So after stretching his legs, I looked at his weak foot, and it was standing upright, almost straight. He looked at it, and there was disbelief on his face: his foot never had the strength in it to hold up like that. The difference was insane, rendered both of us speechless. Moving it also was much easier for him than normal. This is where a shift this grand can be life changing: for him to be able to kick a ball with his left foot is a dream he never imagined may come true. Treatments are to be continued to cement the results.

There is no need to list more here, but similar changes happen regularly, often daily during massages. I regularly get people who “have been everywhere” but this is the first time real change happened for them: I’m disheartened that massage is a last option for so many when I see what can be achieved. Some people who are more sensitive can have such a deep experience that they come off the couch acting as if drunks, giggly and light hearted, even if they arrived all gloomy.

I’m at a point where my energy greatly enhances my massage results, all too often improvements happen where they don’t make any physical sense. I’m trying to concentrate on the physical aspect, but I know which direction I am heading. I am delighted and humbled to be able to give amazing results for most people.

These past years there have only been a few percent of clients I feel I may not have been able to help to a level I am used to – and that’s ok. As long as it is only a few percent, I am happy. I cannot be the right therapist for every person, but rest assured: I try fiercely every single time.

Very excited to introduce my new venture into dealing with back issues: Deep spinal release therapy is available from the 15^th of October 2019!

Upon completing my Vertebral Techniques course, it soon became apparent just how deeply beneficial these unique techniques are as I slowly introduced them into my usual massages. I pestered clients for feedback as I have not worked with bones much before and also have not received anything remotely similar – I have not come across vertebral techniques anywhere around, as it is seen as an area for chiropractors.

Feedback was pretty much the same from everyone: some of it it feels strange yet pretty amazing and the loosening was clearly sensed in the back. A lot of people reported different sensations all over the body, tingling down the arms and legs and heat while working with the spine: which are all clear signs of blockages being removed both in the blood system and energy system: areas with stagnation starting to receive fresh nutrients and toxins getting removed. This is exciting, as it starts up a healing process all over your system, and that means an even deeper healing than just your back.

So without further ado, please check

http://www.flowsportsmassage.com/deepspinalrelease/ for full information, and I am looking forward to seeing you soon on the couch.

Touch is one of the main senses we use to explore the world with and to convey emotions.  There has been a lot of research into the effect of babies in a sensory deprived situation and the importance of touching and cuddling is very clear: without it loneliness and separation anxiety sets in. We are social creatures, plain and simple, and without it we wither away.

As we rush on in today’s modern world, physical meets are often switched out by text messages or skyping, and we are often way too overworked to be able to pay attention to people in need of connection, especially the older generation. Social isolation is a big source of suffering all around the western world. Touch has also been demonized to an extent, it has been given a label for danger – in a time where Santa cannot hold a child innocently without it being deemed dangerous we know we have entered a dark age as far as human connections go.

While the research is clear, the message is slow to trickle down into our everyday.

Lack of touch hurts us both physically and mentally: it has been related to cardiovascular diseases, depression, shorter life span, and decline of mental abilities. In my experience, and it is a sad fact, it is not only older people that seem to struggle, but people who are in relationships are just as affected. I think we have just stopped understanding the starving need for the intimacy and love that is offered through touch.

One wonderful movement that sprung up in many countries is the Cuddle Parties. First you spend an hour to learn about consent (I found that incredible, and it has taught me things I never considered before); you learn about different types of touch and are given the opportunity to practice asking for things or offering things. The party ends with a few hours of people enjoying a physical closeness and connection that is both innocent and healing. I never knew that big guys who are naturally always “big spoons” actually often wish to be held and be the “little spoon” for a while… I have visited quite a few events and the atmosphere was always wonderfully cosy and loving, not awkward, and the end result was a sort of euphoria, a wonderful natural high that lasted for days.

This type of physical contact is not something you can easily ask for in life, but thankfully there are a few other simple solutions available to help. Getting a pet, especially a cuddly one (fish are great but they don’t react well to hugging) is a great way to ease the feel of isolation. And massages are readily available when you need them and are all about touch.

During massages I can give every person the loving attention that should be our birth right, and through touch I often soothe not just the muscles but the soul as well. A massage covers most of the body too which is rarely available even in relationships. It activates the parasympathetic nervous system which lowers the stress hormones. It communicates a feeling of safety and care. The positives of a massage simply cannot be overstated; it is an outright necessity more than a luxury.

So please please consider the value of human touch in your life. Go see and hug your parents (by the way, a hug lasts for a minimum of 10 seconds and it needs to have feelings behind it. Anything less is just mimicking), cuddle with your kids as often as you can, and if you know someone who is alone, hold their hands a while.

You can literally save lives.

We are taught from a young age to be polite, and that can work against us at times. I remember, the last time I was in Hungary, I had booked some Thai massages. The first one was incredible, so I went back again. But the second time I had a different girl.

From the moment she touched me, I knew she had no idea what she was doing. You don’t need to be a masseuse to feel the hesitation on the touch, to notice how random the movements are, or that the masseuse stopping for minutes at times or standing on your thigh unmoving for 3 minutes is not very professional.

I should have stopped her. I should have gotten up and told her to go get someone else. But I didn’t. I paid dear for a service that was not provided and spent the day in disappointed frustration.

What has stopped me from speaking up? Probably not wanting to cause a scene – and also part disbelief. My polite ways have gotten me into a situation where I felt I just needed to take what is given. I have learned my lesson…

Let me ask of you to be better than I was.

Speaking up when something does not feel right is the healthiest thing you can do in any situation. Speaking up is not complaining, it is valuable feedback for the service provider that shows where changes need made, and you will also be able to get an improved service you will be satisfied with.

A few years back when I first started using an electric blanket on the couch, I left the setting on high even as the summer came. I never lay on it myself so I did not realize my mistake until a client eventually pointed it out. After they left I lay on it to try and it was uncomfortably hot – I was mortified how many people I may have “roasted” who did not say a word!

So please, please tell me when something is bothering you. Tell me if you need me to change something, be it the pressure I use, the music I have on, tell me if I talk too much or if I’m hurting you. Feedback is the most valuable gift you can give me as it shows me where I can make further improvements to my services. At any time during the massage, tell me if you need a glass of water or if anything does not feel right. Tell me if you are too warm or too cold….

…so I can get it JUST RIGHT.

Therapeutic Massage has grown out of sports massage, and it is the latest service offered at Flow Sports and Relaxation Massage.

Working on problem areas on clients I often felt that I could do so much more than just massaging a small patch of relevant muscles. I’m a total sucker for a holistic attitude and have studied too many subjects that went underutilized.

If I treat a sore neck, I deal with the related muscles but what about the vertebrae in the neck which are likely compacted?

What about the relating emotional reason that probably should be mentioned as it helps releasing the muscles?  And what if I feel cold areas, should I not do some energy work as that could help alleviate a lot of pain?

So of course, I could not stop myself.  I threw the book out the window and started doing what I felt appropriate, using everything I had combined together.  I can be icing an inflamed area on your lower back while elbowing your glutes followed by short energy bursts on iced part. I might be mentioning fears or possible relationship issues as these often relate to lower back problems, and quietly using Ho’oponopono cleaning techniques. And then of course finishing up with some sideways spinal stretches for good measure.

And this wonderful crazy mixture worked out wonderfully for many happy clients! Tackling the issues from so many angles gives a deeper healing experience as it works on all of the aspects of the pain or injury. 

Of course as usual I have again reinvented the wheel; I soon found out that it is already an existing thing called therapeutic or medical massage, where the practitioner uses all the techniques she knows combined to enhance the experience…

Flow Massage’s own Therapeutic Massage service was born, and already a lot of people have committed to it – and happy to say they reaped the benefits of it in spades!

For more details on the Therapeutic Massage itself and how it could help you, go to go to: www.flowsportsmassage.com/therapeutic