Read our latest Blogs
How often should you get a massage?
Almost every day in work I get asked, "How often should you get a massage? It would probably not do you any harm to have a massage every day if you wanted to! However most of us do not have the time or the money to do this. So how often do you need to have a massage...
What anxiety does to the body
When people experience anxiety they often get physical sensations which can be really uncomfortable. In extreme cases this can end in a panic attack. This is caused by our "Fight or Flight response". FIGHT OR FLIGHT RESPONSE The fight or flight response is your...
Is Social Anxiety stopping you from living your life?
It is normal to feel nervous before meeting someone new or before a gathering. Social anxiety is more than that and people living with it start to find even everyday social interactions difficult. Symptoms of social anxiety intense fear of being judged...
Understanding Chronic pain and the link between mind and body
Many of us don't realise that chronic pain can be triggered by childhood traumas or stressful events in adulthood. We then take painkillers which aren't addressing the root cause. We end up in a vicious cycle where we experience side effects from the medication...
What’s your greatest fear?
I'm not a great one for poetry but one poem has inspired me so much - so much so I have a picture of it on my clinic wall. It spoke to me about something that was holding me back. Was it really laziness, or a lack of time or motivation or was there something deeper...
Why self care isn’t selfish
Self care is a buzzword at the moment and if you look at marketing it suggests self care means buying a new moisturiser or getting your hair done. Don't get me wrong I love a new moisturiser or hairdo but is that what self care is about? Self care - taking care...
Are you stuck in a rut of negative thoughts? How to break the cycle when you feel down.
In CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) we look at how our thoughts and behaviour can influence our moods. Often we aren't aware of our thoughts as they occur and we have set ways of thinking that can make us more or less likely to experience distressing emotions....
How to cope with negative thinking with CBT
CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy) is a style of counselling that looks at how thoughts and patterns of behaviour affect mood, I am going to do a series of blog posts about CBT. This one looks at Negative Automatic Thoughts or NATs. What is a NAT? Imagine you...
RElax Therapies and the environment
We've just had the COP conference so the environment is big news at the moment and for good reason. It's a fact that the world is getting warmer and that we are experiencing more adverse weather events. I think it's really important for everyone to do what...
How can Massage help with anxiety?
Life can be stressful and more so the past couple of years with COVID 19 bringing uncertainty and lockdowns. Whilst some anxiety is normal and unavoidable (everyone feels anxious before a big event like a job interview) in some people it can take over and become...
Is it just Muscle soreness post exercise or an Injury?
Ever been stiff and sore the day after heavy gardening? Or struggled to climb the stairs the day after doing some squats? Muscle soreness is something practically everyone gets this from time to time. How do you know if it's just muscle...
Why Everyone Should Walk More
How much do you walk on a daily basis? I am always saying that we need to be more active to feel our best. Most of the time people think of activity as lifting weights, running, or an intense aerobics class. But did you know that walking can have a major impact on...
Feeling anxious about coming for massage? Let me put your mind at ease.
I understand that if you have never had a massage before you might be anxoius about what to expect. Here are six commonly asked questions. If you have any questions not answered here please contact me and I will do my best to help! 1) Do I have to be naked? No, you...
Work Causing You Pain? Here’s Some Ideas To Help You Feel Better.
Are you getting work related pain? Maybe after a day at work you feel stiff and achey? Some work related injuries and issues can get worse over time and eventually might force you to take time off work or need medical interventions like medications which bring side...
Preventing injury by building Core Fitness
Following on from last week's blog on muscular imbalances this week I am talking about core fitness and how this can prevent injuries. WHAT IS THE CORE? Your core consists of several groups of muscles in the trunk of your body. You can split them into two groups - the...
3 Simple ways to reduce back pain and injury
Throughout May I’ll be talking about the common causes of muscular pain and injuries and how you can prevent them. This blog is about muscular imbalances. What is a muscle imbalance? A muscle imbalance is when one muscle or muscle group is too strong compared to it’s...
Top 5 Self care tips post lockdown
We've had a week of less restrictions after the last lockdown! Now things are getting busier self care is more important than ever! I don't know about you but I have enjoyed getting back to work and seeing people again but it's been a bit stressful suddenly feeling...
10 tips to injury proof your gardening
The latest lockdown, the advent of spring and a bit of sun has sent a lot of people (me included) into their gardens to get those jobs done. Gardening can be heavy physical work and while it's great to help you keep fit if you aren't careful you can get an injury....
The importance of movement
Have you heard the phrase “sitting is the new smoking”? We all know about the dangers of smoking but are we aware of the dangers of being inactive? More people are working in a sedentary job where they sit all day and then they come home and sit again. How many...
Why posture isn’t the answer to your back pain – this is.
“Stand up straight and don’t slump”. “No wonder your neck hurts - you've been slumped over that desk for hours”. How many times have you heard this or similar? There is a grain of truth in this. For example in the short term slumping can...
Sports Therapy – the lowdown
Not quite sure what Sports therapy or therapeutic massage involves and what to expect? Sports Therapy or Here is a quick guide about what to expect on your first visit. What is Sports Therapy or Therapeutic Massage? First of all sports therapy isn’t just for...
Happy Ending – Just a harmless joke right?
My name is Anna and I founded Relax Therapies in 2015 because I am passionate about health and wellbeing. I wanted to make a difference to people and help them feel well and pain free. Anna from Relax Therapies I work with people with chronic health conditions...
5 tips for Surviving the Christmas Holidays
5 Tips for Surviving the Christmas Holidays The holidays are both fun and stressful. For all the ‘Most Wonderful Time of the Year’ jingles, it’s also the toughest for many people. Especially after the year 2020 turned out to be with lockdown many people have...
Relax Therapies use Ecologi to offset carbon emissions
Relax Therapies is now working to offset carbon emissions with the aim of making the business carbon neutral. This is really important to me as I want to make a positive impact on climate change. I've always been environmentally concious. I have run my business the...
Why you need to start doing squats
Things like BMI (body mass index), blood pressure and waist hip ratio are often used to gauge a peson's health status and undoubtedly can be useful. But we rarely assess strength and mobility. Strength and mobility are super important at all ages. Especially in the...