Philly Gammell » Massage

What does healthy really look like?

Philly Gammell — Thu, 29 Mar 2018 13:04:35 +0000

We hear a lot – too much, perhaps – and from many different quarters about how to be healthy. One could almost say we are bombarded with information on what to eat, do, think, change (the list is endless) in order to be healthy but we are not often asked the question ‘what does it mean to be healthy?’ ‘What does healthy look like?’.

We are often swayed by the physical embodiment of healthy; thin, big muscles, glossy hair, clear skin and these can, of course, be evidence of being physically healthy but I am not convinced that these in themselves denote all round health.

In Chinese Medicine health is described as being “embodied to the degree that we accurately perceive life, and illness is embodied to the degree that our interpretations deviate from reality.” (Lonny Jarrett). This means that our health is directly related to our ability to see what is really going on in our life, enabling us to respond accordingly, rather than react based on our perception, which is always tainted by our life experiences, beliefs and attitudes.

When we are living in accordance with the Dao it is said we are therefore able to live spontaneously, by which, I don’t mean impulsively and according to our desires, but rather in a fashion that is not rigid and governed by our subconscious.

By living in accordance with the Dao we live correctly in each season; resting in winter, being more active and sleeping less in the summer, eating cooked seasonal vegetables in the autumn and raw cooler foods in the summer. In doing this we don’t follow one dietary rule all year round regardless of the season but instead, adapt to our surroundings. In the same way, emotionally, when living spontaneously, we respond to life rather than reacting to it; the latter being driven by our subconscious and rarely positive or productive for that very reason.

These examples illustrate two interpretations of the Chinese understanding of health and I can’t help thinking that is it is a fascinating concept to look at and keep in mind when we are trying to evaluate our health and when we are looking for solutions. Health is not simply going to the gym every day and eating salads all year round regardless of how we feel and what season it is. It is far more subtle and dynamic; rather than prescriptive, it is personal and demands conscious thought and action.

Trouble catching some zzzz’s? Acupuncture can help with sleepless nights!

Philly Gammell — Mon, 06 Jul 2015 10:44:32 +0000

Do you have trouble getting to sleep? Do you find you can fall asleep but then continue to wake throughout the night and have trouble to get back to sleep? Or do you wake at 5am and then can’t get back to sleep for those last precious two hours before the alarm signals the beginning of the day?

If any of these scenarios sound familiar, then try acupuncture! With our increasingly stressful and demanding 21^st Century life sleep disorders are becoming more and more common. A wide range of issues can disrupt sleep patterns, but when sleep becomes an issue it is usually hard to break out of it and get back to a healthy sleep pattern alone.

Acupuncture works to calm our whole system down while nourishing our energy, which, in turn helps us to sleep. If you have ever had acupuncture you will know what I am talking about – patients regularly leave my treatment room feeling as if they have been on a mini holiday! Not only do I see the evidence on a regular basis in my clinic, there are many studies that show that acupuncture does indeed help with sleep issues.

Along with acupuncture treatment there are various other ways that you can help yourself such as:

Keep coffee down to one a day – preferably before 12pm
Keep the bedroom a ‘gadget’ free zone – no iphones, ipads or computers
Log off said ‘gadgets’ at 10pm and dim lights if possible so you can start to adjust to the dark and set off wind down process within your body
Lie with your legs up against a wall for 10 minutes concentrating gently on your breath. (To get into this position put you hips right up against the wall, and gently place your legs stretched upwards against the wall so you make a right angle shape.) This pose is very restorative and calming so can help if you are ‘tired and wired’ which I see in my clinic more and more.

If you are interested in booking in a consultation to see how I can help with your sleep patterns then please contact me and I look forward to hearing from you!

Best Massages in England – Tatler Feb’15

Philly Gammell — Tue, 20 Jan 2015 12:38:03 +0000

I was very honoured to be featured in this month’s Tatler Magazine as one of the top Massage Therapists in England – they featured my Mindfulness Meditation Massage.

“Do you feel sad and don’t know why?

If the answer is yes, you might not think that a rub-down is the answer (Prosecco? Prozac? Both at once?), but you would be wrong. An hour at the hands of Philly will leave you transformed, body and mind. After a career as a professional skier ended in a life-changing accident, she chose to devote herself to healing. In the past 14 years she has studied sports massage, shiatsu, craniosacral therapy, acupuncture, Chinese Medicine and meditation. Session complete, you feel like you’ve had three treatments – a lesson in mindfulness, a thorough massage and some extraordinary craniosacral. You’ll roll out of bed the next day feeling elated, hell-bent on recommending her to every overworked person you know.”

If you are interested and want to book please call me on 07801 813 385 or email on philly@phillygammell.com

How Massage and Bodywork can help you…

Philly Gammell — Wed, 10 Sep 2014 11:15:00 +0000

With the rising pressure of living today we are increasingly in need of antidotes in order to help stabalise our stress levels. Stress can be, and has been, linked to many illnesses that are presently plaguing our society, such as depression, cancer, high blood pressure and heart disease.

Massage has been proven to lower reduce the stress hormone cortisol, while releasing dopamine and seretonin, therefore making it ideal for combating both stress and the side effects of this modern epidemic. Stress does not only manifest itself by way of these rather serious diseases but begins to show signs in the body as extreme muscle tightness, mostly in the neck, shoulder and back areas as well as a host of digestion issues.

We can find ourselves constantly in a “fight or flight” mode causing us to hold ourselves in a tense and static fashion which is very different to if we were on holiday for example, this causes a domino effect of tension echoing across our body. In turn this can lead to chronic muscular tension and tension headaches due to a reduced blood flow to the head. Massage can be of huge benefit to those under such stress to help avoid more serious joint injuries due to muscle imbalances, as well as calming the mind and spirit. It is important to remember that the tension in our body reflects the tension in our minds.

Massage has long been relegated to the realms of ‘pampering’, a luxury as opposed to a vital part of our own preventative medicine. We all tend to wait until it is too late when it comes to looking after ourselves, we tend to battle on through until we are literally brought to our knees by physical ailments or mental disorders. It is essential to start looking after ourselves, not only by going to the gym and eating well, but also by looking at how we feel, both physically mentally, paying heed to any warning signs.

A massage is not going to ‘cure’ you instantly, however, a regular weekly treatment can go to considerable lengths to ease away build up of physical and mental tension, creating an inner peace and calm. This ancient healing art still has much relevance to us in our modern world today.