👣 🌻 A bit about me, please get past the first two paragraphs, so a 3ish minute read ..... 😊
Hi I am Rachel, I am a Clinical Reflexologist with my own practice, Beech Tree Therapies in St Austell. I am married to Nath, and I am a mum with grown up children, of which I am hugely proud of. I absolutely love animals and we have 2 cats.
I originally trained in Reflexology back in 2007, I studied for 2 years and was really fascinated about the health and well-being benefits I could see in people I worked with. I maintained my passion and enthusiasm working on friends and family while continuing my career in education.
Then one day in June 2018, I had my serious health wake up call which literally floored me. I suddenly developed an electrical heart issue (Bigeminy), which did not stop 24/7, every other heart beat was abnormal. This went on for over 4 months. I was exhausted. The effects on my health and well-being were devastating. Very quickly I went from someone who was very fit and healthy, to someone who was in and out of hospital, unable to walk down the road without fear and being constantly breathless. Never ending tests and very strong cardiac medication, yet I still did not improve. I had no answers. My lowest ebb was being admitted into hospital and spending 2 weeks wired up on telemetry on the Cardiac Investigation Unit. The medical team were just amazing but I still didn’t get any better. Despite having very supportive close family and friends I actually felt alone. I felt scared, I was angry, why the hell me? How did this happen? I had always kept fit and did ‘all the right things’. This was not in my life plan!
Those months were quite a blur and they were the worst times of my life. Then in came the menopause too, jeez party on!!! After 4 months, I was referred to an Electrophysiologist for cardiac ablation, desperate to get better I went. Thankfully for me their attempt failed, (hindsight is a wonderful thing), and I returned home with plans to return the following week for a second attempt. It was during that time that I had a complete meltdown and realised that I needed to give my body more time to heal.
What was my body telling me? The medications just didn’t work on me. I was in limbo. I had to dig deep. I researched intensely, and gradually I made my own way back to health, without any medication. I used Reflexology on my own feet and had some Acupuncture sessions too. It is very important to say here that I remained under the care of the Cardiologist during this time, his words to me were “whatever you are doing keep doing it”, so I did.
I also realised that I needed to do something for me. For many years I had a burning desire to continue with my Reflexology studies and to open my own practice, but I just let life get in the way. So despite loving concern (and a bit of a telling off) from my husband as he was worried about my health, I then enrolled in my 3rd year Level 5 Reflexology studies.
I was very fortunate to be trained by an amazing Reflexologist and tutor, Hagar Basis at The Reflexology Academy in London. The travel was a bit full on and I remember my first day getting off the train in Paddington with my back pack feeling elated. It was an amazing time, such an opportunity and learning with like minded people, I was buzzing! The work was intense and yet so rewarding. I graduated a year later in December 2019. I then opened my own practice at the beginning of 2020.
In a nutshell, for me illness brought opportunity, sometimes you just have to go with your gut instinct. A quote from Dr Edith Eger, “It’s not what happens to us that matters most, it’s what we do with our experiences”. Yes, I am a really positive person, but I do understand how it feels to be really poorly and do I understand how it feels to be stuck not knowing when things will get better. I had to challenge myself to move forward with my life. In May 2019, I climbed Mount Snowden with my husband, just another way I could prove to myself that where there is a will, there is absolutely a way.
I knew that I had always wanted to open my own Reflexology practice, so here I am. Showing my vulnerability has been another lesson, posting this on my social media page is a big step for me. Thank you Kelly Hainsworth, founder of Love Reflexology for your mentoring support as I still learn the social media marketing platforms.
Since graduating, I have also completed Facial Reflexology and Zone Face Lift Reflexology training with Ziggie Bergman at the London School of Reflexology, her teaching is inspirational. What I love about Reflexology is that it is a safe, natural and non-invasive treatment, it works very well on its own, it also works very well alongside conventional medicine too. Stress within the mind and body can become all consuming, but there is always another way.
I am very fortunate to have such lovely clients that I love working with, and I am missing them all very much right now and cannot wait to re-open again. If you are interested in finding out more about Reflexology treatments, please contact me as I will re-open my practice as soon as I am permitted by my insurers.
Take care,
Rachel 👣 🌻
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