Journal

Posted on

Hello November: balancing energy

A little hello as we enter November and an invitation to check in with yourself. How are you finding a balance between the busy days and weeks, meeting the needs of family, friends, community and work – AND looking after yourself, preparing for the lovely – and sometimes frenetic- weeks ahead? Have you got something/s in the diary to look forward to, something just for you, to nourish you deeply, enabling your patience and calm to deepen and last longer?

Practising what I preach, I love my weekly yin yoga class, candle-lit hot baths, foot massages (instructions for a self-foot massage here), meditation and the soft quietude of my morning coffee in the dark of my garden: my little ritual before the rest of the house is awake.  Also, super important is balancing the stillness and cosiness of my work, with “good stress”, higher energy and the rawness of the elements, building strength, discipline and resilience in body and mind. A (school) run in the rain, strength work out or HIIT class (check out awesome local instructor Jen here). My aim is to mix up the energy AND the calm, seeking a level of harmony for my nervous system, helping return me back to myself. How are you tending to yourself this month, finding harmony in body and mind? Balancing your energy? Is there enough down-regulation of your nervous system, to meet all of the go, go, go? If you think you’re too busy for this…. this is exactly the time you need to think about it! I offer you two simple solutions: a massage or a deep rest class to help you relax in Oxford. Read all about both here and book by email or message me on 07739 460676.

86D29904-CB9A-4994-9D78-659BAC7FEBF3.JPG

Posted on

Massage in Oxford for women: replenishment in the hidden heart of Headington

Beautiful garden cabin for massage in Oxford

Let go of stress and float in a sanctuary of calm

Our shoulders carry more than tension — they hold emotion, pressure, and stress. They carry babies, toddlers, rucksacks, school bags. Laptops, nappies, clothes. Work and family pressure. And our experiences settle into our shoulders as extra tension, adding to our emotional and physical load. Through individually tailored massage, I help women in Oxford release tension and find lightness again, in body and mind.

My 75 minute appointments allow time to really understand you and your needs and my unique special touches help you to relax the moment you walk through the door. Massage appointments take place in my dedicated cabin, pictured above, overlooking my garden, hidden away in the heart of Headington, Oxford. You’re welcomed with a warm foot-bath, choice of herbal tea and time to talk about what you need. Your massage lasts 60 minutes with time allowed to change and suggestions to help you get the most from your appointment and support yourself.

Book your massage in Oxford here today and let me lighten your day.

Posted on

Women in Oxford – a bowl of goodness to balance hormones, energy, everything!

More substantial than a salad, this can be eaten warm or cold, full of protein, wholegrain carbs and colourful veg to help balance and support hormones, energy, immunity, digestion, nervous systems and so much more. This might look like loads of ingredients but more than half simply involve opening a jar/packet and adding it to your bowl.

What you need:

  • Seasonal greens – any sort – they all contain a variety of vitamins, micronutrients and fibre – essential for feeling full and supporting bowels. Cut into mouth sized pieces and prep them according to what you have – so for green cabbage, I would saute this with rapeseed oil. For kale, I’d use this raw, rub with olive oil and a little salt to soften it up
  • Sundried tomatoes
  • Packet of tomatoey lentils, precooked
  • A jar each of cooked beans and chickpeas – I LOVE Bold Beans from most supermarkets
  • Jar of pickled red cabbage
  • Jar of pickled beetroot
  • Jar of pickled sliced red onions
  • Jar of gherkins
  • 2-3 garlic cloves sliced and sauted
  • Carrots (half per person): chopped into small pieces/grated whatever you prefer
  • Peas, green beans, broccoli (florets or chopped stem): boil/steam
  • Butternut squash/small pumpkin (one serves four)/sweet potatoes (one per person)
  • Small cauliflower (2-3 florets per person)
  • Packet of quinoa cooked in broth/stock according to instructions

Combine all the above. Eat. Enjoy. A healthy, winter salad, full of protein, energy-boosting, nutrient dense carbs, fibre and tastes delicious. Add in whatever else you have in the fridge that needs eating, half a red onion, avocado, bit of feta etc. Take out whatever you don’t like/don’t have – just ensure you’re keeping in some protein (peas, beans, lentils, quinoa) and some carbs (butternut squash, pumpkin, cauli, quinoa) to ensure you’re getting the full range of nutrients you need.

Amounts will depend on how many you’re cooking for, but I tend to make a giant one and it sorts me for lunch all week. I might then add a smoked mackerel fillet or wholemeal pitta bread with hummus, depending on what’s in the fridge and how energy dense my day looks. This is also something I might serve along with a more traditional roast, and definitely the kind of thing I put on the table on Christmas day, balancing my hormones, energy and maybe even my patience?!

Posted on

Is rest lazy?

woman relaxing deep rest yoga nidra
Katie relaxing in a deep rest yoga nidra session

Is thinking that rest is lazy, or not for you or that you don’t have time, holding you back from trying out a deep rest yoga nidra class with me in Oxford? What if I told you that rest offers power? That resting give you a chance to pause and think about what you really want. What you really want to say. What you really want to do. What choices you make, for yourself and others. What food you nourish your body with. What words and phrases you choose to speak or write, and the tone you use. And the words and tone you choose not to use…

Rest is not lazy. Rest offers you the ultimate in soft power. A chance to pause and make considered choices. What difference might that make to your day, your weekend or week ahead?What difference would a rested version of you make to how you feel about yourself?

Join me for a beautifully relaxing, deeply restful experience where you’ll be nurtured and nourished, enabling you to emerge radiant and replenished – able to make choices of how to use your time, your words and actions as the best version of you, the rested version of you. Join a small group of women in a deep rest class in Oxford – all the dates and booking details are here. Give yourself permission to rest and replenish. Read all about deep rest in Oxford here and testimonials here.

Posted on

Self-massage instructions for the feet with Katie Wheater Wellbeing (Oxford)

Close up hands massage foot

Receiving a foot massage must be one of the loveliest experiences. Giving a foot massage is an act of love – either to yourself, or as a gift to someone else. It’s so simple, can be done in two minutes and can improve sleep, rest, relaxation, a sense of gratitude and bonding.

You can do this for yourself or ask a partner. No oil is needed but if you want to use some, any kind will do, olive oil, coconut oil or any other moisturiser. I often massage my own feet as part of a my bedtime routine – blog on this coming soon – and it makes a huge difference to how relaxed I feel and how quickly I fall asleep.

Set yourself up in a comfortable, supported seated position, in bed or on a comfortable sofa/chair. Take a quick body scan and note if you’re holding tension anywhere in the body. Inhale noticing, exhale releasing each part of the body below:

  • Forehead, eyes, jaw, cheeks, throat, chest, shoulders, arms, hands
  • Belly, pelvis, hips, legs, feet
  • Spine, neck, head.

Rub the hands gently together to create warmth. Take some deep breaths and bring your awareness into the sensations in your feet. Notice how the feet feel – their temperature, quality of the skin, if they feel achy or a bit puffy from standing all day? Relax your shoulders and bring one foot into your hands in whatever way feels comfortable for you to do this. You might want to support yourself with more pillows/cushions behind your back, under your knee, anywhere that needs support.

Begin by cupping your hands around the forefoot – the part in front of the toes – and stroking upwards towards the knee. You can pause at the ankle and take some circles.

Taking hold of the fore foot, gently curl and uncurl the sides of the foot towards and away from the midline of the foot, if this feels good for you.

Bring your hands to the underside of the forefoot and massage in a circular motion using your thumbs, into the fleshy pads under the toes.

Coming to the mid-foot, thumbs one on each side of the sole and stroke gently along the arch. I like to stroke towards the toes using the side of my thumb but find what feels good for you. Remember to relax your shoulders and soften your whole body.

Taking both hands to the outside of the foot, use fingers and thumbs to knead up the side of the foot. Again you can stroke/gently pull the flesh towards the outside of the foot.

Cup the heel in the palm of your hand, and using either the palm and fingers of that hand, or fingers of the other hand (or both), knead into the underside of the heel. You can work up to the ankle and around the ankle joints.

Notice how the massaged foot feels compared to the other. Repeat on the other side.

For more on massage in Oxford for women, deep rest and relaxation classes in Oxford, nutrition, lifestyle tips and resources, send me your email to be added to my mailing list. All the details here.