Author: lesleytuckerreflexology@gmail.com

Well, after a few weeks of sunshine and a wonderful week away in Pembrokeshire with friends I feel much stronger and ready to return to work. I still need to work on my fitness and stamina but already my step count is consistent at 7,000 steps each day and although I have some numbness in my feet it is receding.

Recuperation from illness takes a lot of hard work & determination as well as emotional support from friends and family. The urge to sit still and rest is very high and rest is important for the healing process but it’s a fine balance between resting and giving up. There are many factors to improving health and fitness, mainly a positive mindset, good nutrition and movement. Throughout my recovery I have set goals for myself, in the beginning very simple tasks such as being able to stand without any aids to wash my hands to walking up stairs with a cup of tea. As time progressed I had to remind myself of how far I had travelled as impatience started to kick in at my “lack of progress”.

Each day I made a conscious effort to remember all my achievements to date and to look forward and focus on new ones. As well as trying to push forward I also had to be kind to myself, accept that some days I just needed to rest & not try to hit my target steps or new challenge it could wait until tomorrow. I’m very grateful for the support from friends and family as well as the support from other health practitioners – the physio team at NDHT, South Molton Hospital and the Community rehab team, acupuncture from Gavin at The TCM Medic, reflexology from Chris at Reflective Feet, healing from Emms at Saltwater Gaia and Tracy from Inspirit Wellbeing as well as Chiropractic sessions from Rachael at Vibrant Life.

I’ll be working 2 days a week for now – Tuesdays and Thursdays with after work appointments on Tuesdays. As always if you can’t book in for the time you want either add yourself to the waitlist or message me to see if there is availability. I love my online booking system but I have programmed 30 minute gaps between clients which can block up the appointments offered. New appointments can be squeezed in by tweaking the diary manually – so always message me if there is a time you can’t see on the diary.

A big thank you to all my clients who have booked in already I look forward to seeing you on my couch xx

Those of you who follow my social media will know I have not been well recently.

At first I thought I was just dealing with a broken foot last October but was later diagnosed with Guillain-Barre syndrome and spent a number of weeks in hospital. I’d never heard of this condition before, but it’s where the immune system attacks the nervous system. It struck out of the blue but maybe it was triggered by a minor sickness bug I’d suffered from a few weeks earlier. I was glad to be looked after in hospital, I was too well for IVIG treatment, so I had to rely on painkillers when needed and sleeping/resting as much as I could – hard to do in a hospital environment.

As a holistic therapist I know the value of a positive mindset, good diet and gentle exercise so it was time to put that in action. I researched into what foods/vitamins are good for the nervous system, ordered a jumbo pot of B complex vitamins, My husband brought in overnight oats for my breakfast each day, I added walnuts, pumpkin seeds, bananas and blueberries so I felt I was doing something positive whilst waiting for my body to heal. Thankfully dark chocolate is also good for the nervous system so I had a square or two each day.

Before falling ill I was very active and regularly swam, cycled, walked long distances as well as recently taking up rowing, I was a member of Tarka Leisure and went to Body Pump twice a week as well as aerobics. It was very surreal not being able to move my feet or legs. I feel my fitness helped me cope with GBS as I had to use my upper body strength to get myself upright. I knew it was important to keep the brain/muscle connections so tried to do as much as I could for myself…I had plenty of time lying in bed. At the beginning hauling myself out of bed and shuffling to the toilet on the ward with a zimmer frame took nearly 30 minutes….. I spent a lot of time massaging aromatherapy oils into my legs and feet – I regarded it as physio and the smell was uplifting. My husband brought in my 1kg weights and I lifted them several times a day. In hospital you’re woken during the night for blood pressure checks, I found it difficult to fall asleep afterwards so I would have a routine of body massage, weights and listening to a sound bath via my headphones and eye mask (essential for sleeping in hospitals).
I recommend Path to Moksha on Youtube – Nervous system reset – I still listen to it now, it’s really relaxing and restorative.

I spent 2 weeks at South Molton hospital having rehab, such a great team of people who are really committed to getting you back on your feet. I was discharged home on 10th December with a walking frame, crutches, a shower stool and a stool for the kitchen.

9 weeks on from discharge I have improved so much. I’m now walking unaided and can do most household tasks, I still need to rest a fair bit but some days my life feels nearly normal again. I’m still having physio visits each week and I now take part in a Good Boost Aqua class at Tarka leisure which I love. I’m trying to get back to a daily practise of yoga – although at the moment it is only 5-10 minutes of stretching but it’s great to unroll the mat each day.

Recovery rates for GBS vary from 6 months to a year. I’m recovering well but it’s hard to say when I’ll be well enough to return to my reflexology practise, I need to be 100% fit so I can care for my clients.
I plan to have a phased return to work, opening just for 1 or 2 days a week. I will update my social media pages with my progress

I am delighted to announce I’m now proudly using Eve Taylor skincare.

This naturally beautiful brand uses essential oils in its products to create wonderful aromatic treatments, invigorating your senses and leave your skin glowing.  I am so excited to be using these products during my facial reflexology treatments, they smell amazing and have the bonus of being a British brand using 100% natural essential oils, sustainably sourced.

I am also a stockist for this brand so I can recommend & order any product suitable for your skin type to enable you to continue with your skin care at home following your facial reflexology treatment.

1 product = 1 tree Nature is at the heart of Eve Taylor’s products. Protecting the environment is vital to ensure future generations can enjoy our beautiful world and the plants within it. In support of giving back to nature, Eve Taylor is in partnership with Trees for the Future. The brand plants ONE TREE for every Eve Taylor retail product sold and commit to planting at least 100,000 trees each year. Every time you buy your homecare from me, you are helping the planet.

If you want to place an order please call/message me…check out the main Eve Taylor website to see the entire range

Who knew Ear Reflexology was a thing?  I was excited to book and attend an online CPD course on Auriculotherapy this month.  I thought it would be a useful skill to learn not only for my own knowledge and understanding but also to pass on self help points for clients to work on at home.

Wow – so much information to process and learn.  I’m currently working on the ears of friends and family to assess their health and work out treatment plans.

Auricular Reflexology has evolved from Auricular Therapy, Auriculotherapy and Ear Acupuncture.  These are all forms of Acupuncture and Acupressure techniques using needles, hands, ear seeds and probes on the ear.  In the West Auriculotherapy stemmed from the medical world and licensed practitioners used to diagnose an illness which was then treated manually on the ear and with various implements; patients may also have been prescribed medication or supplements.  There are records throughout history in many Eastern countries and cultures of the ears being worked for health and well-being.

In 1982 the World Health Organisation together with the Chinese Acupuncture & Moxibustion Association set standard auricular points known as the International Standard Auricular Points (ISAP).  The standard Auricular map shows 60 areas, each area is subdivided into points that correspond to parts of the body.  There are 90 points listed in the ISAP.  Most of these points relate to the organs, glands and parts of the body and others are named according to traditional Chinese medicine.

During a treatment the external surface of the ear is stimulated to alleviate conditions in other parts of the body, either by hand or using a probe.  Ear seeds (non invasive) may be applied to specific points so the client can stimulate the points for self care at home.

One Barnstaple is a forum of local voluntary, community and public service organisations in Barnstaple, they have been doing some amazing work in the town promoting and creating partnerships with organisations for the good of the local community.

One such initaitive is Wellbeing Wednesdays at Barnstaple Library – this is a pop up cafe from 10 -12 noon each Wednesday giving free health and wellbeing information to the public.

I shall be attending this event on Wednesday 26th July to promote using hand reflexology in times of stress and for day to day self care.  I have lots of self help cards with hand reflexology routines for alleviating stress, promoting sleep, help with migraines/headaches as well as digestive disorders.  Come along, say hello, have a cup of tea and a chat about how reflexology can help you live better.

For more information on One Barnstaple and their current projects check out their website: https://onebarnstaple.org.uk/about-one-barnstaple/

HOT FLUSHES? LOW ENERGY? Are you free on Friday 10th March?

Come and join myself and Chantal Law of Chantallawfitnessandpilates on a special workshop to help bring your bodies and hormones back to a more balanced state to help you feel better.
It will be aimed at all ladies, but particularly good for anyone wanting some help with perimenopause and menopause symptoms.

It will be held at Chantal Law Fitness & Pilates, The Pill, Bideford EX39 2PF @ 5.30pm.

You will learn:
– Facial Reflexology for general well-being, relaxation, sleep, stress and a few common perimenopause symptoms.
– A few natural face lifting techniques to lift, sculpt and brighten your complexion.
– A self care ritual
– You will also be taken through a Pilates workout to strengthen your muscles and help to increase bone density, which is hugely important for us as we get older. We will also focus on pelvic floor function and breathing techniques for relaxation.

We’re both very excited about running this workshop and hope lots of you can make it. If you are interested or have any questions then please do get in touch.

You can book online https://www.chantallawfitnesspilates.co.uk/book-now