The Little Lavender Room

05/07/2023

Well…hello!

That turned into quite some social media break. It was somewhat unintended although, in the end, quite justified, however many apologies for not keeping followers updated.

My surgery last year went very well but the recovery was a lot longer than I’d anticipated. It turns out that trying to walk properly again after your leg has been adjusted by 10 degrees is not that simple! 🦿However, with an excellent pair of physiotherapists and a lot of determination, I returned to sufficient fitness to be by my daughter’s side when she brought my beautiful little granddaughter into the world last summer.

My daughter and her little bundle came to stay with me while their new home was being worked on so the treatment room had to stay closed for much longer than planned and it seemed the perfect time to start organising some career training that I’ve been wanting to try for a number of years.

I’m proud to say that I am now a fully inducted member of the clinical support team at University Hospital Southampton, working on one of the medical wards as a health care assistant. This has been a dream of mine for a while as it’s the first steps towards a degree apprenticeship in nursing. The opportunities at the trust are many and varied so it is an exciting path to be on.

The good news is that I’m not thinking about abandoning my therapy skills. I will be working at the hospital part time and, as soon as I’ve adjusted to the new role (and the long days 🥱😉), I plan to restart offering appointments to reflexology clients. I very much hope that being involved in health care from another perspective will add something really positive to my practise as a therapist.

Please bear with me a little longer if you’ve been missing your sessions. 👣 I know some of you will have seen colleagues of mine so I’m confident you’ve been in safe hands! I am very much looking forward to being able to see some of you again soon.

In the meantime, I’m sure you’ll join me in wishing the NHS a wonderful 75th birthday. 7️⃣5️⃣🎉

Best wishes,
Helen 🌿

18/02/2022

As I’m currently horizontal, trying to allow my thighbone to heal, I could do without the house shaking and the bed moving, especially when escaping (very slowly) downstairs involves a set of crutches and muscles I never knew I had! 😂

Please stay safe until this passes. 🙏🏼

10/02/2022

The Little Lavender Room is now temporarily **CLOSED** as I’m undergoing knee surgery tomorrow (11th February). 🦵🏼🩺

I’ll need to take a few weeks to rest and recuperate.

Please feel free to drop me a message if you’d like me to refer you to another reflexologist locally. I’m more than happy to do that. If you are happy to wait, please keep your eye on this page for updates regarding re-opening.

Thank you! See you when I’m back on my feet.

H🌷x

18/01/2022

🍋 When life gives you lemons….😆

🍋 Well, this was supposed to be an entirely different post!

🍋 Right now I should have been undergoing elective knee surgery and the original plan was to tell you that I’d be closed for a while until I can fully weight bear without crutches.

🍋 However, yesterday, I got the call to say that my surgery had been cancelled as my (absolutely lovely) orthopedic surgeon has tested positive for Covid. I admit to feeling a bit steam rollered as those of you who’ve been down this road will know the intense preparation involved in the type of surgery which takes you off your feet for a while. But my thoughts are with my consultant and I hope he makes a quick and complete recovery.

🍋 So, I get to return to work! I’ve already made up the treatment room but I’ve decided to keep the online booking system closed for a while as I’m not too sure what is happening regarding rescheduling the surgery. If you would like to make an appointment, please drop me a message on here, leave a voicemail on 07742 096485 or send me an email at hello.littlelavenderroom@gmail.com

🍋 Life is full of things to keep us on our toes eh?! 😂

21/12/2021

When clients tell me they feel exceptionally tired at this time of year, I always think of this beautiful illustration and explain that it is simply nature telling us to rest over the winter months, conserve energy and protect our immune systems. I spent years feeling exhausted at the change of seasons but these days I just go with the flow and accept what is.

Today is the shortest day of the year and I’m going to go outside shortly with the doggo and enjoy the remaining winter light which I am growing to love.

Happy winter solstice everyone. 🕯

Do your stuff and then go and snuggle down. Your body will thank you for it.

I’m closed for Christmas and New Year now and will be back from 4th January for a short time before knee surgery. I’ll keep you posted about that but if you want to book in for early January, now may be a good time. Thank you so much for all your support during another turbulent year.

Please stay safe and well and, if you are isolating alone, lots of extra love to you. ♥️

H🎄x

🎨 Jessica Boehman

www.littlelavenderroom.co.uk

01/12/2021

🎄🎄🎄

It’s that time again (already!) 🛷

Breathe. 🍃 Take some time out and have the festive month YOU need. It’s also ok to put the sprouts on now. 😉

Easy does it. 🙏🏼

H🎄x

www.littlelavenderroom.co.uk

27/11/2021

I think I just spotted snow. 🤔🌨❄️

The wind is howling and I’m calling it a no go for dog walking on the Common today 🌳🪵as it’s only set to get worse. Instead of pulling out the Bronte novels and launching into a (dodgy) rendition of Wuthering Heights 🐱🎤🙉 I’m going to assemble the Christmas tree. (Yes, I really am. I walked past so many houses yesterday who are already ‘job done’.)

Whether it gets decorated will depend on how much of last year’s mulled wine is loitering at the back of my cupboard. 🍷🤪

In the treatment room, this little Christmassy blend from S.W. Botanicals is going to be warming for the next month. It smells festively divine and just as if you’ve walked into a Christmas market! 🍊

Have a wonderful, safe, warm and cosy weekend!

Hx

🎄🎄🎄

www.littlelavenderroom.co.uk

19/11/2021

Do you ever feel so happy that you get scared someone is going to take it from you? No? 🤔 Bear with me.

I was walking the dog the other afternoon, under a flaming, leafy, autumnal canopy, breathing in those damp, earthy smells that rise up on misty November days. This is my favourite season. Until Spring, when that one takes over but you know….Gemini here. I suddenly had an overwhelming sense of contentment but, along with that, came the sharp reminder that nothing is permanent and one day doggo won’t be here to force me outside in the colder months. In that moment, everything was just perfect and I didn’t want it to change.

Don’t get me wrong. My life isn’t perfect. Just over the horizon is major knee surgery which will see me out of work for several weeks which, as a self employed person, is no fun prospect. And, trust me, I have the usual life dramas and curveballs that most other people have.

It’s taken a lot to get to this point of being able to be truly satisfied with the littlest things, including many life changes. I’ve reinvented myself more times than Madonna. I’ve made awful life choices, recovered from them and then promptly made them again before learning. I’ve had to make difficult decisions and I’ve impacted the very forgiving people closest to me in the making of those decisions despite the fact that they were necessary and ultimately served a greater purpose in wellbeing and self development. I’ve negotiated grief. Correction: I am STILL negotiating grief. I’ve had, and continue to have, sleepless nights worrying about the young people in my life. I have the daily reminders of a painful degenerating condition. And, of course, I’ve had my own experience of life through a pandemic.

But now, just now, things are ok. Is that a finely tuned perspective because of everything I’ve experienced or is it the powerful effect of nature on mental health and well-being? I have no idea but I’ll take it.

If you can’t answer yes to my original question, don’t panic. Happiness will come. You have to work a little at it and sacrifice a few things but it is there and I’m wishing it for you.

Don’t forget that my ears work as well as my hands. 😉 My treatment room is a safe, warm and confidential space for you to leave any worries. I’ll take them with me on my next dog walk and the trees can absorb them.

In other news, I completed a course in gentle facial cupping last weekend so, once that is all neatly perfected, I’ll be adding it to my treatment menu, either as a stand alone treatment or as an add on to facial reflexology! Please do get in touch if you would like more information.

Much love & have a wonderful weekend!
H🍂x

www.littlelavenderroom.co.uk

11/11/2021

💜

09/11/2021

Good morning! 🙋🏼‍♀️

📺 I caught this mini documentary on the BBC news channel at the weekend and felt so sad that the interviewees were taken advantage of at a time when they were at their lowest. The story featured talk therapy but the parallels with all types of unregulated (or voluntary regulated) therapies are obvious.

A reference is made to the fact that most people accessing these services have no idea if their therapist is a member of a professional body. Maybe it’s not something they consider important or even know the significance of. But it really does say a lot about the person you are paying to help support you with your mental or physical well-being.

Being a member of a professional body (PA) isn’t something you can access just by paying a subscription. In my case, I was vetted to make sure I had achieved the National Occupational Standards and Core Curriculum for Reflexology. This involves a specific number of hours of face to face tutoring in addition to at least 100 case studies. Most complementary therapies will also include a comprehensive anatomy, physiology and pathology module. Once trained it doesn’t stop there. In order to remain a member of your chosen PA, you have to adhere to a Code of Practice and Ethics, hold Public Liability and Malpractice Insurance at all times and also commit to a points based program of Continued Professional Development (CPD) annually.

So, it really is an important factor when deciding which therapist to choose. If you see the letters MAR after a reflexologist’s name, you can be sure that they are working to a high standard and, if you are in any doubt, please do check the Association of Reflexologists website or give them a call. They are a friendly bunch who are super passionate about this wonderful modality!

We all genuinely want the best outcomes for you!

H🍃x

Remaining availability this week:

👉🏼 Thursday @ 11am & 2.30pm 👣



https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/stories-59162715?fbclid=IwAR1iPeNR9_bVuCYkkSzCWn4Rmy9nUxVs8QlK7JXA03WxXNrkaxy9CQrw7Rs

BBC News has spoken to people who had bad experiences with unregistered therapists they found online.

04/11/2021

🍈🍈🍈🍈🍈🍈🍈🍈🍈🍈🍈🍈

I’ve just got back from the fastest mammogram ever…they’ve really got this nailed now! No inconvenience whatsoever. The mammographer warned me it might feel a bit ‘spicy’ and referred to each tata as ‘she’ whilst keeping both of them firmly in their (squashed) place. 😂

I LOVE slightly crazy people, even when they have control of my precious assets. 😜

Going forward during reflexology treatments, I shall now be referring to tender areas of the foot as ‘spicy’. 😉👌🏼

So, ladies, this is your friendly reminder to get your melons checked. Do it. Please. 🙏🏼♥️

H🍈x

18/10/2021

𝒲ℴ𝓇𝓁𝒹 ℳℯ𝓃ℴ𝓅𝒶𝓊𝓈ℯ 𝒟𝒶𝓎 💝

I get quite a few enquiries about how reflexology can help during the peri-menopause and I also have clients who come to me for other reasons but who are also struggling with the fall out from a drop in reproductive hormones.

My view is that, if I could magic away the symptoms of menopause by finger walking over your feet, I’d be off to the South of France to live off my millionaire status! 😆🛥💷

It’s very important to manage expectations here. I opted for HRT, which helps, but even that can’t fully compensate for the missing oestrogen without raising the risk of oestrogen dependent cancers, so it has to be a multi pronged approach with little lifestyle changes. Some of those changes could be dietary, lowering alcohol intake or making time to exercise to maintain bone health and also mental health. 🥦🏃🏽‍♀️

Reflexology is not a magic remedy. However, it can have a very balancing and calming effect on the body, something which should not be under estimated when it comes to those with very stressful lifestyles. Releasing tension in the body can help to ease the joint pain often associated with menopause. Your therapist will also be exceptionally good at listening and sometimes that’s all we need, isn’t it? 👂🏻

I can create a warm, safe environment for you to relax and reconnect with your body, a body which is going though so many changes. 🥵😣

The benefits of reflexology are very individual to each person but you are more than welcome to have a chat with me to discuss this further. 📞 Come and try and session to see if you enjoy it. If you don’t like your feet being touched, try the deeply relaxing facial sequence 💆🏼‍♀️. If you have a workplace health insurance policy I can provide you with everything you need to claim back the cost of your treatments 🧾 which can help you make them a regular part of your menopause management program.

I look forward to hearing from you!

H🍃x

www.littlelavenderroom.co.uk