Articles: "Executive stress cured"

Executive stress cured | Holistic facial | Hands on for 04

Executive stress, housewife stress, will I pass my exams stress, will it be alright on the night stress - call it what you like. It's all stress. And we have had to learn to live with it since we were children.

0f course as children it was relatively easy: If we didn't like something we'd scream at the top of our voices and sooner or later someone would take notice. Stress over and we'd all be smiles again.

As we got older people responded rather differently to our demands so we had to learn other tactics. Now it could be said, without cynicism, that much of our life is spent manoeuvering to get our own way. The importance we attach to getting what we want, is now the litmus test of our stress levels.

There is no doubt that some stress some of the time is interesting and essential. It could even be argued that a stress free life is hardly worth pursuing. Where would the challenge be - the excitement? So live with stress we must. But also it must be kept within reasonable limits and above all, we must keep our sanity - our 'happiness potential'.

Negative stress, as I call it, creeps up on us slowly. We store it away in our body, probably from childhood and then one day, almost suddenly, we simply do not feel well. Typical symptoms that the body is driving at the wrong speed and badly needs attention are nervousness, lack of concentration, headaches high blood pressure, pain, bad moods and depression. This can lead to relationship problems at home and work, excessive drinking and even heart attacks.

However well these problems are contained outwardly they do show. The face gradually shows fixed states of fear, anger or sadness until eventually the tension lines become inexorably set. This leads to a change in behaviour which is soon recognised by those around us. Laugh and the world laughs with you, cry and you cry alone! Just another way of saying that there are no pluses at all to feeling miserable.

According to Margarita Loughran, Director of Belle Vue Lodge there is a way out - but first of all you have to admit there is a problem and secondly that you are prepared to invest in the solution.

“We all spend readily on spouses, children, home, cats, dogs and cars” she says “but so often forget ourselves in the equation.”

It's crazy. The best investment we can make is in ourselves. We owe it to those we care for and who care for us. There is nothing more important than health and happiness - with that taken care of, the rest will follow. We can accomplish more with less energy.

Ms Loughran established Belle Vue Lodge in Chelsea with the objective of helping people break out of the vicious circle of stress, feeling bad, looking bad and more stress. One of the now renowned techniques she uses is called Rejuvenaessence. It is quite literally, the modern equivalent of the biblical laying on of hands.

To understand how Rejuvenaessence works, it is useful to have a little background on how muscles work. A tense muscle for instance, does not work properly. It inhibits the circulation of blood and lymph and therefore their ability to give nourishment and take away waste products from the body. The muscles will slowly shrink and ageing sets in.

A muscle consistently under stress cannot release emotion by itself. It stands to reason therefore,  that if you are wound up in any way you are not going to help the process either. This is where Rejuvenaessence comes in.

The effects of stress are concentrated upon - with individual areas carefully and methodically worked on to relieve tension.

Prepare yourself first of all. for 75 minutes of true bliss. You'll be gathered up in a woolly blanket and stretched out on a comfortable couch. Close your eyes and let Belle Vue Lodge do the rest.

A trained consultant, gently and precisely works on the connective tissue and the 91 muscles of the skull, face, neck and shoulders. In these areas, where the tension has inevitably built up, are the 'zone' points of the body: the meridians used in reflexology. This *is why, by releasing the tensions in the upper regions of our body, we let go of the emotion that has stored up in all other parts too. Miraculously, stress melts away.

Throughout Rejuvanessence, you will fall into a deep state of relaxation - even slumber. When you awaken, it will be an invigorated and quite perceptively 'younger you'.

Consider what feeling and looking younger could add to your life. Think about a return of old enthusiasms and -a letting go of past tensions. And then think about Rejuvanessence. In my view, it stacks up nicely thank you!

For more information please contact Julie here.