Mindful Massage

10/11/2025

10/11/2025

Studies find that holding a cold pack to your armpit during feelings of sudden anxiety can help relieve that anxiety in seconds by stimulating the vagus nerve and reducing sympathetic nervous system arousal.

The vagus nerve is a major component of the parasympathetic nervous system, which helps regulate bodily functions like heart rate, digestion, and breathing.

The sympathetic nervous system, on the other hand, is responsible for the “fight or flight” response, preparing the body for stress.

Cold exposure, even something as small as placing a cold pack directly to the armpit, activates the vagus nerve through a phenomenon called the diving reflex. This reflex is a physiological response to cold water immersion, causing a shift in the autonomic nervous system towards a more relaxed state.

When a cold pack is applied to the armpit, it stimulates nerve endings near major blood vessels and nerves, including those connected to the vagus nerve. This stimulation activates the parasympathetic nervous system, which leads to a decrease in heart rate, blood pressure and overall arousal.

PMID: 30684416

10/11/2025

Did you know that osteopathy can support so much more than back pain?

Osteopaths look at how your whole body moves and functions, not just where it hurts. By improving mobility, circulation and alignment, we help the body restore its own balance.

From sports injuries and headaches to joint pain and postural tension, osteopathy offers safe, effective treatment for people of all ages.

Supporting natural recovery through movement and gentle hands-on care. Based in , .

Learn more about how osteopathy could help you or your family.

10/11/2025

09/11/2025

Science has confirmed what many have long suspected sleep is not just rest, it’s metabolism’s secret key. When you don’t get enough sleep, your body changes the way it processes food, storing it as fat even if your diet is flawless. This discovery reveals how powerful sleep truly is in controlling energy, hormones, and weight.
During deep sleep, your body regulates insulin, cortisol, and leptin three hormones that balance hunger and energy. Without enough rest, cortisol levels rise, triggering your body’s “stress mode.” In this state, instead of burning calories efficiently, it holds onto them, converting carbohydrates and proteins into stored fat. Even if you eat clean and train hard, poor sleep can undo your progress from the inside out.
Researchers have found that just one week of sleep deprivation can reduce your body’s ability to handle glucose by up to 30%. It’s the same metabolic disruption seen in early stages of diabetes. That means fewer hours of sleep can push your body toward fat storage and away from energy production.

But the good news is that sleep is the simplest fix. Rest is not a luxury, it’s fuel for your cells, your mind, and your metabolism. A consistent sleep schedule can restore your body’s balance, improve muscle repair, and enhance how your body uses nutrients.
So before chasing the next diet trend, start with your pillow. The path to fitness and health begins not in the gym, but in your dreams.

27/10/2025

Sleeping on your left side has been shown to be incredibly beneficial for the body with, in my opinion, the most incredible benefit being the facilitating of lymphatic drainage.

The lymphatic system has a dominant flow toward the left side of the body, where the majority of the lymphatic fluid drains into the thoracic duct, the thoracic duct then drains into the left side of the heart, left internal jugular vein the left subclavian vein.

Sleeping on your left side allows gravity to assist in the drainage of lymphatic fluid making the process more efficient. By better facilitating lymphatic drainage, sleeping on your left side improves the function of the lymph nodes, which act as filters in the lymphatic system, trapping and destroying foreign substances like bacteria and cancer cells.

The lymph nodes also play a crucial role in the body by housing and activating lymphocytes, which are white blood cells that fight infection and disease.

Research also shows that sleeping on the left side enhances the glymphatic system, which helps clear waste from the brain, reducing the risk of neurodegenerative disease.

Sleeping on your left side improves blood circulation by preventing pressure on the vena cava, the body’s largest vein. This position allows for better blood flow to the heart and organs, especially the liver and kidneys and is also extremely beneficial during pregnancy.

Also, sleeping on your left side improves liver function by keeping pressure off the liver, improving blood flow and aiding the body’s natural detoxification processes.

See comments for more - running out of room here. ❤️

PMID: 33212927, See also Daniel Martin Simadibrata et al. World J Clin Cases. 2023.; Ozcan Ozeke et al. Sleep Breath. 2012 Sep.

20/10/2025

Standing ab exercises engage a network of muscles within your core that you use all the time. When you do an ab workout from a standing position, you’re working more of the muscles in that system.

Strengthening your core can help you:

🧍‍♂️Improve your balance
🧍‍♂️Maintain good posture
🧍‍♂️Protect your back from aches and pains
🧍‍♂️Better handle day-to-day movements that require bending, lifting and twisting

19/10/2025

Your body has a secret panic button reset that most people never learn about. Stanford scientists just proved this ancient breathing hack can shut down anxiety in under 2 minutes, and it's so simple you can do it right now while reading this post.