Mind body medicine at The Restoration Room
The question "what do you do here?" is one some of you may have asked yourselves. And to ensure there's continued integrity and purpose, I regularly ask myself the same question...
It's not always easy putting what I do into one snappy title because it's built up over time and I appear to do lots of different things now. But really, I still only do one thing and that's use holistic mind body medicine ~ use natural & non-suppressive methods to treat mental and physical symptoms.
Over the past 4 years I've committed to building, what I hope, is an honest and down to earth practice that makes this mind body approach accessible and easily understandable whilst teaching and inspiring people to care for themselves in a way that works long term.
Health, wellness and change
“It’s not all in the pill” was a saying that stuck with me right from my early training as a homeopath. I understood it to mean that you can't just rely on tablets or a single treatment, of any kind, to miraculously solve things. There is more to it than that.
That's why the practice here includes support & education around stress regulation, mental & emotional health, coaching, nutrition, movement, gut health, therapeutic relaxation, meditation and spiritual inquiry.
What really takes the pressure off the NHS is health, but good health is made of three layers, not one – mind, body and spirit.
What really makes us happy is integration of those layers and the resulting freedom it brings. Not only in our physical bodies, as in freedom from pain and disease, but also the freedom that comes from being content in the centre of our selves, inside the bit that makes us tick.
It's all about energy and balance...
Every ancient healing philosophy has as it's heart the teaching that we are more than our physical bodies, and that we are animated by an immeasurable underlying force. The Chinese call it chi. The Japanese name it ki. In India the seers and sages of yoga have for thousands of years written of prana. Throughout two hundred years of homeopathic writings it's referred to as the vital force.
Without this force, we cannot be. Without this force in balance, we are not in health.
In his Organon of Medicine, the Father of Homeopathy, Samuel Hahnemann, wrote about this balance beautifully, saying...
"In the healthy condition of man, the spiritual vital force (autocracy),
the dynamis that animates the material body (organism), rules with unbounded sway,
and retains all the parts of the organism in admirable, harmonious, vital operation,
as regards both sensations and functions,
so that our indwelling, reason-gifted mind can freely employ this living, healthy instrument
for the higher purpose of our existence"
What mind body therapies do I offer?
Homeopathy is a dynamic, effective and intelligent medicine that works with both the material and the subtle energetic body - that's why it can be used to treat everything from post viral fatigue, eczema and gastritis to OCD, anxiety and depression. It also assists with pain and healing in injuries such as fractures, soft tissue damage & surgery. The modern world is not utilising this powerful form of sustainable, non-toxic medicine enough. I use herbal medicine too, mainly for supporting and healing the physical layer.
Reflexology we love you! I regularly write this because I and so many others seem to fall completely in love with it! Reflexology was the first thing I trained in back in 1998 and since then it has delivered over twenty years of therapeutic bliss, fascination and positive effects. Reflexology is a wonderful stress reliever and through stimulation of the Vagus nerve and deep relaxation it can help people manage pain, inflammation, anxiety, insomnia and digestive dysfunction.
I use specific Reflexology for maternity and fertility and also to treat the symptoms of Lymphoedema. On top of all that it also feels absolutely lovely and many people find it more relaxing than massage.
Level 5 Soft Tissue Therapy Massage is wonderful type of bodywork that, as the name suggests, is designed for treating all the soft tissues; fascia, muscle, ligament and tendons. It's great for reducing pain and increasing range of motion as well as looking at root cause. It was developed by the man who first coined the phrase Sports Massage in the late 80’s and is an intentional progression from that early treatment. Soft Tissue Therapy uses all the traditional massage techniques but incorporates movement assessment and advanced hands-on techniques that work with the nervous system. This combination enables it to be versatile and remedial, treating all sorts of acute and chronic pain issues, injury, restricted movement, scarring, the effects of stress and RSI.
Holistic Massage is for relaxation, safety & connection. These sessions use long slow soothing strokes, light tissue stretches, nurturing holds and a balance of pressures. “Deep” is not about pressing hard. Humans need touch, and scientific research shows that we respond differently to relational touch through a class of mechano-sensory nerves called "C-Fibres" that make light, slow touch of great therapeutic benefit.
This massage works in harmony with that and with you, aiming to initiate a natural state of calm and a space in which to safely let go. Connecting to our body as well as our inner self & that innate sense of peace where nothing is wrong is vital for our health and wellbeing. Treatments are fairly intuitive, and often no two session are exactly alike.
Reiki is a system of energetic healing applied in a seated or lying position with hands on, as well as off, the body. It typically initiates a sense of peace, calm, clarity and a sense of grounding in the receiver. Reiki isn’t anything to do with mediums nor is it what some people know as “spiritual healing” because it doesn’t ‘come from the practitioner’. Rather, it comes from the universe and is an energy we all have access to once we have become quiet and still enough.
It was originally part of a very personal self-healing practice that was taught by Dr Mikao Usui to his disciples. The practice was and still is based on ‘knowing one's true self’.
Holistic Health Coaching these are two way discussion sessions for you to explore all levels of health from nutrition to thought patterns. They include looking at energy, lifestyle, beliefs, behaviours, health, stress, meditation techniques, and personal / spiritual development.
I am influenced by the ancient teachings of Advaita Vedanta and the path of Yoga as well as Buddhism, A Course in Miracles, and Reiki. I also use modern research including work on trauma, pain, polyvagal theory, psychotherapy and Neuro Linguistic Programming.
I offer advice and referrals onto other therapies and trusted therapists because, as well as it "not all being in the pill" the journey can often include more than one therapist.
Feel better, naturally...
If you would like to see how the holistic approach could help you feel more at ease in your mind and body then I offer a free telephone consultation where we can discuss what you would like help with and where the best place to start might be. Sometimes the very best place to start is by doing nothing more than allowing the body to stop, rest, and listening to what it has to say next.
I look forward to working with you,
With love,
Alex