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Over the past months friends have told me how well I look, have I been on holiday? Maybe it’s time I told them my secret. Although I haven’t left Shoreham during these dreary winter months I have discovered the perfect mini break right here on my doorstep. It’s called Facial Rejuvenation Massage.
Every fortnight I’ve slipped into a warm peaceful world of lovely scent and sounds and for nearly an hour basked in this blissful treatment. It’s like nothing I’ve experienced before: a series of gentle movements that soothe away anxious thoughts and emotions and leave you looking more alive… younger. Cynic as I am I was startled when half way through my first treatment therapist Linda Belcher suggested I sit up and look at myself in the mirror. There was a marked change to the side of my face she’d worked on - uplifted and somehow feeling ‘freer’ How come?
As Linda explained - ‘people hold tension in different parts of their bodies. When held in the face it is because thoughts and emotions which become habitual, lock into our facial expression. Muscles which inhibit movement and expression may encourage ageing and the formation of wrinkles because the face loses its muscle tone and elasticity and it then begins to sag.’
That seemed logical to me. Coupled with a period of anxiety in my life small worry lines had made their appearance. Concentrating on this area in a slow systematic way, Linda’s fingers released tension, relaxed muscles and, at least for a while, those lines disappeared. It brought home to me how closely mind and body are connected and how it’s up to me to think beautiful peaceful thoughts!
This is a rational conclusion as Linda confirmed: ‘The treatment also stimulates Chinese meridian points which are connected to organs within the body. Thus the effect is holistic, benefiting the whole body, rather than treating the face as a separate entity.’
And it’s true. Apart from the visible differences I’ve noticed about skin tone and texture, the banishment of those niggly lines, I’ve felt my self esteem and confidence increase too. I’ve grown to love these little escapes and return to the ‘real world’ feeling so much more capable of dealing with it.
Having lived in Europe for several years where many women look upon health and beauty treatments as part of their routine, I’ve often thought it sad that their British counterparts consider them a selfish indulgence. As Linda and I agreed, giving oneself time to breathe and relax, escape from todays stresses and strains is surely a necessity in order to cope. As they say: you can’t love others if you don’t first of all love yourself. JP Shoreham
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