Black Country Holistics

03/12/2025

As usual I've misplaced my glasses. I'm on the hunt for them as off to Bingo later whilst the footy is on.

Im back to work Friday and my day is full of clients, im looking forward to catching up with you all.

I've got 1 spot left on Sunday at 3pm if anyone wants it.

❤️ loving the 🌈 in my pic

26/11/2025

Taking some time out to recharge my own batteries 🔋

Starting with a meal out tonight and a concert tomorrow night with my daughter.

Appointments still being booked for 5th December onwards

Sorry to disappoint anyone wanting an appointment before the 5th

See you all soon x

25/11/2025

December availability is limited

Due to social events and taking time off to sort Christmas at home with family and how the days fall within my working week.

If there's other dates you want. Please message so I can check my diary around my other job and family commitments.

24/11/2025

December appointments are limited

Due to availability of room hire and my availability around the party season

I've added extra dates where I've been able to

Will post the times available soon.

24/11/2025

Gift vouchers
Available
Perfect
🎁

21/11/2025

If you've got high stress levels or even lots of micro stress then give your body the chance to rest and recharge. See below how stress can affect you.

Taking time out and listening to your bodies needs is good self care and can help you to feel more aligned.

Scheduling in time to take care of your well being is the most important thing you can do to help yourself.

😔 The Sad Reality of High Cortisol: When Your Stress Hormone Becomes Your Silent Saboteur 🔥💧

Cortisol — your built-in alarm system, your “get up and go,” your life-saving stress hormone.
But what happens when this short-term hero becomes a long-term villain?

Let’s uncover the hidden toll of chronically high cortisol — and why it may be silently sabotaging your lymphatic flow, immune resilience, and overall health.

⚠️ Cortisol: A Blessing in Balance, a Curse in Chaos

Cortisol is released by your adrenal glands during stress. It’s designed to:
• Increase alertness
• Raise blood sugar for energy
• Suppress non-essential functions (like digestion & detox)
• Help you survive a crisis

But here’s the reality most don’t talk about…

In today’s world, most people aren’t fighting lions.
They’re fighting inboxes, deadlines, trauma, grief, financial strain, chronic illness… every day.

And that means cortisol never switches off.

😞 The Hidden Damage of High Cortisol

When cortisol remains elevated for weeks, months, or years, it becomes toxic to your system.

Here’s what it does:

🧠 Brain Fog & Mood Swings

Cortisol shrinks the hippocampus (memory center) and disrupts serotonin and dopamine production.
Result: depression, anxiety, emotional numbness.

🛏️ Sleep Disruption

High nighttime cortisol means you feel “tired but wired.”
You fall asleep late, wake up early, and never feel restored.

🍽️ Weight Gain & Belly Fat

Cortisol tells your body to store fat, especially around your abdomen — to “survive” the perceived stress.
It also causes insulin resistance, bloating, and inflammation.

💧 Lymphatic Stagnation

This is where it gets scary:
• Cortisol stiffens fascia, compressing lymph vessels.
• It raises fluid retention by triggering aldosterone imbalances.
• It shuts down detox priorities — because survival doesn’t care about drainage.

Result? Puffy face, swollen limbs, brain fog, sluggish detox, recurring infections, and autoimmune flare-ups.

💔 Heart & Hormone Havoc

Chronically high cortisol:
• Increases blood pressure
• Throws off progesterone and estrogen
• Suppresses thyroid function
• Elevates inflammatory cytokines

This leaves you tired, inflamed, irritable, and disconnected — often without knowing why.

🧬 Is This You? Common Signs of Cortisol Overload:
• Wired but tired
• Puffiness that won’t go away
• Frequent colds or infections
• Midsection weight gain
• Poor sleep and vivid dreams
• Low libido
• Anxiety or “shut down” feelings
• Brain fog and memory lapses
• Sluggish digestion and bloating

🌿 How to Lower Cortisol & Reclaim Balance:
1. Nasal Breathing + Grounding – activates the parasympathetic (healing) state.
2. Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) – gently resets the nervous system and reduces inflammation.
3. Adaptogenic Herbs – ashwagandha, rhodiola, and holy basil can support adrenal recovery.
4. Gentle Movement – like walking, yoga, or rebounding to move lymph without spiking stress.
5. Left Side Sleeping – improves drainage from the heart and calms vagal tone.
6. Screen & Noise Detox – especially before bed.
7. Safe Emotional Release – breathwork, therapy, journaling, crying — your body needs to let go.

💔 Final Thought:

Cortisol was never meant to be your constant companion.
It was meant to protect you — not imprison you.

If you feel like your body is breaking down, your mind is tired, and your soul is flat…
You may not need “more willpower.”
You may need less cortisol.

Let’s not normalize burnout.
Let’s normalize nervous system safety, lymphatic flow, and emotional healing.

Your peace isn’t a luxury — it’s a biological necessity.

📚 References:
• McEwen BS. (2007). Physiology and neurobiology of stress and adaptation: central role of the brain. Physiological Reviews.
• Tsigos C, Chrousos GP. (2002). Hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis, neuroendocrine factors and stress. Journal of Psychosomatic Research.
• van der Kolk, B. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score.
• Fasano A. (2012). Intestinal permeability and systemic inflammation.

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21/11/2025

The Menopause reflexology sequence i follow, Stimulates the Endocrine system which helps the hypothalamus to work more effectively and can help to keep you calm and reduce your anxiety levels.

Reflexology works on calming the parasympathetic system, which helps to get you out of fight or flight mode and back into rest and digest mode.

Reflexology is a great tool to use to support through Menopause.

20/11/2025

1.45 -2.15 as become available for tomorrow's available appointments based at The Gallery in Dudley

Perfect for a back massage or any other 30 minute treatment

Dm to book the appointment slot

Treat yourself to a bit of selfcare

17/11/2025

❤️ this

It’s not unusual to feel sleepy, heavy, or even emotionally drained after a reflexology session, and it’s actually a good sign that your body is responding.

Reflexology activates the parasympathetic nervous system - the “rest and digest” branch responsible for slowing the heart rate, lowering blood pressure, and triggering recovery processes. When the body shifts out of a chronic stress state (sympathetic dominance), it finally has permission to relax, repair, and rebalance.

That deep relaxation can sometimes feel like fatigue, especially if your system has been running on adrenaline or stress hormones for a long time. The tiredness isn’t a side effect. It’s a signal that your body is resetting its internal balance.

📚 Research supports this response:

Studies, including McVicar et al. (Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 2007), show measurable reductions in heart rate, blood pressure, and anxiety levels following reflexology - clear indicators of parasympathetic activation.

A 2011 pilot study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that reflexology sessions produced significant decreases in salivary cortisol (the body’s main stress hormone), reinforcing the link between reflexology and stress reduction.

Improvements in sleep quality and relaxation have been documented across multiple clinical settings, from cancer care to maternity wards, all pointing to the same physiological mechanism of rest and regulation.

💧 How to support your body afterward:

Drink water to help the body process metabolic by-products released during deep relaxation.

Avoid caffeine or alcohol immediately after your session to prolong the calm.

Rest if you can, even a short nap or quiet time helps integrate the benefits.

Feeling tired after reflexology is simply your body exhaling and catching up on the rest it’s been asking for. 😴

14/11/2025

If you're feeling the strain this time of year and your anxiety levels have increased. Feeling a bit burnt out with the mental load.

The weather is not helping today either

Just take some some to breathe.
Factor in some me 🕐
To recharge and re address your priorities.
Selfcare needs to be your number one priority.

Reflexology is a lovely treatment to help you into that calm state your body is looking for

I have availability today at 1.30 for a treatment.

If you've seen this post. It's your sign to book in that little treat to yourself.

12/11/2025

This CPD course i did 2 years ago to extend my reflexology knowledge has been invaluable.

I've helped many of my clients to
☆ Regulate hormones/menstrual cycle
☆ Regulate sleep
☆ Reduce frequency of headaches/migraines
☆ Reduce hot flushes
☆ Help with urinary issues
☆ Help to reduce stress/anxiety levels.
☆ Digestive issues
☆ Reduce brain fog
☆ muscular aches and pains reduced

Whatever symptoms you've been suffering with. Reflexology is a relaxing therapy that helps to calm the parasympathetic system and reduce cortisol levels. Helping you cope better with your Menopausal symptoms.

09/11/2025

The lymphatic system and the vagus nerve are worked during a reflexology session.

Stimulating the vagus nerve point helps to calm the parasympathetic system.

Lymphatic system helps to boost immunity. As it helps to with detoxification.

💥 Trauma & Lymphatic Congestion: The Hidden Link Between Emotional Wounds and Physical Stagnation

Trauma is often seen as invisible — something carried in the nervous system, the subconscious, or the soul. But what if trauma also leaves its imprint in the body’s physical landscape — in the lymphatic system, the body’s silent river of detoxification and immunity?

Modern research is uncovering a profound mind-body connection, showing how unresolved trauma may contribute to lymphatic dysfunction, systemic inflammation, and chronic illness. Understanding this link could transform how we approach both healing and lymphatic care.

🧠 Trauma Is a Physiological Experience — Not Just Psychological

Trauma isn’t just “in your head.” According to Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, author of The Body Keeps the Score, trauma literally reshapes both brain and body. It can leave the nervous system in a chronic state of fight, flight, freeze, or fawn, activating the sympathetic nervous system long after the danger has passed.

This dysregulation:
• Elevates cortisol and adrenaline
• Disrupts the vagus nerve (which modulates inflammation and lymphatic flow)
• Impairs immune regulation
• Affects fluid metabolism and neuroimmune communication

🌀 How Trauma May Contribute to Lymphatic Congestion

The lymphatic system is a low-pressure drainage network that relies on movement, breath, hydration, and nervous system balance to function optimally. When trauma disrupts these elements, it may lead to chronic lymph stagnation.

Here’s how trauma affects lymphatic flow:

1. Chronic Sympathetic Activation

Trauma can place the body in a sustained state of sympathetic overdrive, which:
• Constricts lymphatic vessels (they’re surrounded by smooth muscle and innervated by autonomic nerves)
• Reduces peristalsis of lymph
• Inhibits detoxification of cellular waste and inflammatory proteins

🔬 A 2021 study published in Nature Immunology confirmed that neuroinflammation can inhibit lymphatic drainage from the brain via the glymphatic system, impairing both detoxification and cognition.
Reference: Da Mesquita et al., Nature Immunology, 2021

2. Vagal Tone and Lymphatic Coordination

The vagus nerve plays a key role in immune modulation and anti-inflammatory signaling. Trauma lowers vagal tone, impairing:
• Lymphangiogenesis (formation of new lymph vessels)
• Lymphatic pumping via diaphragmatic movement
• Gut-lymph communication (critical in trauma survivors with gut issues)

🧠 Reduced vagal activity is linked to impaired lymphatic clearance in neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s.
Reference: Benveniste et al., Science Translational Medicine, 2017

3. Myofascial Freezing and Lymphatic Blockage

Trauma often lives in the fascia — the connective tissue that houses many lymphatic vessels. When fascia becomes restricted (through protective bracing, dissociation, or fear-based posturing), lymphatic vessels may become compressed, reducing drainage.

⚠️ Studies using manual therapy and somatic release have shown measurable improvements in lymphatic flow following fascial and craniosacral techniques.
Reference: Schleip et al., Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies, 2020

🌿 Healing the Lymphatic System Through Trauma-Informed Approaches

If trauma can congest the lymphatic system, then healing trauma may liberate lymphatic flow — and vice versa.

1. Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD)

Gentle and rhythmic, MLD stimulates superficial lymph vessels, and has been shown to:
• Reduce sympathetic dominance
• Soothe the vagus nerve
• Calm the limbic system
• Alleviate emotional overwhelm

2. Somatic Experiencing & Polyvagal Therapy

Therapies that gently restore nervous system regulation support lymphatic flow by:
• Improving breath depth and diaphragm movement
• Restoring fluidity to fascia and interstitial spaces
• Encouraging parasympathetic (rest/digest) dominance

3. Trauma-Sensitive Detox Protocols

Flooding the body with detoxification can be too much for a frozen system. Trauma-aware protocols prioritize:
• Slow drainage support
• Liver and gut pacing
• Emotional safety
• Electrolyte and nervous system support

🧩 The Mind-Lymph Connection: A New Frontier

The overlap between trauma and lymphatic congestion highlights a truth that’s long been whispered in holistic healing: The body remembers. The lymphatic system may be the bridge between unprocessed emotional pain and chronic physical illness.

Healing is never one-dimensional. When we support the lymph, we support the release of physical toxins — but often, we also invite the release of stored trauma, emotional patterns, and old pain.

📚 Key Research References:
• van der Kolk, B. A. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score. Penguin.
• Da Mesquita, S. et al. (2021). Neuroimmune responses regulate meningeal lymphatic drainage. Nature Immunology.
• Benveniste, H. et al. (2017). Glymphatic function in humans measured with MRI. Science Translational Medicine.
• Schleip, R. et al. (2020). Fascial tissue research in sports medicine. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies.

🩺 Disclaimer:

This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your healthcare provider before making changes to your health regimen, particularly when dealing with trauma or chronic illness.

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