If you’re anything like me, you may have thought Reflexology was just for your feet and a bit like a fancy foot massage. Well feet are involved, and so are elements of massage, but it is so much more.
When I went to see Anabel Cutler, I was in a state of critical stress, and while my health technically speaking was in check, my well-being most certainly was not. Like many of us, I was adrenally fatigued and burnt out. Within a few minutes of my consultation this was crystal clear to Anabel, not only as a holistic health therapist but also as someone who had been there, done that and written a postcard on high octane and demanding corporate life.
In fact, while Anabel is now a trained and acclaimed Reflexologist and Reiki practitioner, she has spent much of her professional life building a career as a successful Journalist and editor for some of the UK’s top media outlets, including the Daily Mail.
It was after finding success professionally that Anabel wanted to be a part of something more personally and spiritually fulfilling and found Reflexology as her purpose when being treated herself and experiencing the transformational impact of the holistic healthcare treatment herself. Now she takes her experience as a former patient to help her clients on their journey and give them the space and time to heal.
As with most healthcare consultations, our session began with a clinical questionnaire. The usual, do you smoke, drink etc. but then it quickly became much more conversational, I immediately felt at ease and then without notice opened the flood gates of my current physical and emotional space. It was while we spoke that I began to sense that it wasn’t just my words Anabel was hearing, but that she was reading my energy too. It was this gauge as well as our conversation that led Anabel to choose the structure and focus of my treatment.
In fact, it is Anabel’s work with energy that further allows her to treat her clients more intimately and holistically, tailoring each session to an individual’s needs based on what she can sense in their energy and aura and in turn having a more profound impact on their health and wellbeing.
So, back to the treatment, Anabel started with some essential oils and balms to cleanse my face, the scents instantly transporting you to a space of calm and stillness. Anabel starts breathing slow and rhythmically, at first as a slightly pent-up individual I was like ‘what’s going on?’ and the moment I went ‘ahh just go with it’ I began to fall into the most serene meditative state, subconsciously following her pattern of breathing and being soothed by the sound.
It was then that my stomach decided to do its best impersonation of a large frog yelling for help after it had fallen down a drainpipe. Anabel said this was not uncommon, and no this was not just to ease my social anxiety but in fact reflexology can often stimulate the digestive system. In truth, Anabel even told me that a significant part of her practice was to be Intune with her clients energy, and in many cases she clicks with her patient and her body mimics the sound. So yes, it is exactly how you are imagining it. To the backdrop of a beautiful meditation track our stomachs began talking with each other – and it was great!
And that is another thing to note, when choosing the right treatment and practice for you, it is so important that you feel comfortable - and comfortable I most definitely was. Within 5 minutes of walking through to her treatment room Anabel managed to make me feel incredibly at ease, with the woody and aromatic smell of palo santo, the light blanket over my body and the feeling that I was with someone who was not only experienced but also cared about my journey and wanted to help me heal, frog noises and all.
What is so interesting about reflexology is the intimacy of someone touching your face and how scarce that is and how soothing it feels. Anabel lightly applies pressure to points on the face and performs Gua Sha with a rose quartz crystal. What I didn’t realise until my session, was just how much tension we hold in our face, as anyone who regularly grinds their teeth knows well. Just like the feet, the face provides a map to read what is happening within the body's internal organs, central nervous system and neuro-biological system. Points such as the temples and under the eyes all link to our other organs and body flows e.g. thyroid, spine, pituitary, kidneys lungs and even (as my belly sounds can attest to) our digestive system.
With the smooth pressure of the crystal against key points on the face, this tension is released and the body’s own healing mechanisms are activated, and this combined with the beautifully perfumed organic essential oils made my skin feel and look smoother and more toned too.
I would recommend Reflexology, Reiki and Crystal Healing with Anabel long before you reach burn out, but for anyone wanting to reconnect with themselves and enjoy a time and space purely dedicated to themselves and their wellbeing.