As well as being an adoptee myself I am also the 51 year old late blooming mother of a beautiful, much wanted and hoped for adopted three year old son. Adopting my son was the conclusion of a long, deeply meaningful and epic journey and a new beginning. Finally becoming a mother has brought me complete untold joy.

Whilst I have blossomed into this new journey of motherhood, I have also faced another ending and a new beginning, that of passing through menopause, the end of fertility and entering into a new stage of my life. My blog therefore is really not just about being a late-blooming mama but what it means to be a woman blossoming into my ‘wise woman’ years. Learning for myself how to embrace it not as a time of fear and endings but of truly coming into the full ripeness of myself as a woman.

With my professional background in Aromatherapy, Natural Skin Care, Health and Holistic Therapies and with my own superficial fears of looking like ‘grandma’ at the school gates (!), I want to explore and ultimately celebrate a more positive vision of timeless, naturally glowing, radiant late- blooming beauty, which has less to do with the wrinkles on your face and more to do with a twinkle in your eye! Also to explore how I can achieve the boundless energy and shining health I will need to enjoy every moment of my son growing up, live as long and as I can as an older mother and achieve other dreams I have for myself moving forward.

Most important though my aim is to inspire myself and other wonderful late-blooming women (of which there are many) to look positively at this next stage of our lives and see it as a time of blossoming into our most vibrant, beautiful, creative, authentic, 'wise woman' selves.




Monday 27 February 2012

Aromatic Delights, Blossoming in New Directions, Neal's Yard Remedies and Special Announcements!



Everybody needs beauty .......places to play in and pray in, 
where nature may heal and give strength to body and soul. 
John Muir (Naturalist,Author and Preservationist 1838-1914)

Hello my blossoming beauty! I have some exciting news!


 I have decided to return to my first love of Aromatherapy and reintroduce it back into my practice. I have also become a consultant for Neal's Yard Organic Range. This combination has provided me with a wonderful new direction for my therapy practice, will work beautifully with the concept behind 'Blossoming' and will also have some fabulous benefits and offers for you too, which I will be sharing with you very shortly.....hurrah!


Firstly, if you can bear with me, I just wanted to tell you a little about my personal journey into the world of  Holistic Aromatherapy , the reason for my love of and connection to Neal's Yard Remedies and also what this will all mean for 'Blossoming' , my therapy practice and you, my late blooming beauty! 


The aromatic world of essential oils was something I was drawn to and intrigued in from fairly early on.Whilst pursuing an acting career and travelling, I continued feeling a strong instinctive pull towards working in the field of complimentary healing. I began with studying Reiki level 1 and 2 and working with energy healing, which I found to be astonishingly powerful. However it was Aromatherapy and the sensory pleasure of working with these beautiful but potent oils which continued to appeal.Opening each little bottle, inhaling their aromatic aroma's, creating heady blends that not only delighted the senses but which worked gently but powerfully together to heal the body by utilising the healing power of nature. 
NB I now work with both these healing energies together.


"..the art and science, of using essential oils in treatments. Aromatherapy is truly a holistic therapy, taking into account the mind, body and spirit of the person seeking help..." Patricia Davis


Sandalwood
Whilst appealing to my more esoteric, spiritual, sensual, right brained side I am also by nature quite a grounded person (despite a few friend's view to the contrary!) and Aromatherapy has its roots deep within the science of chemistry. The volatile oils are carefully extracted from the flowers, leaves, nut kernels, seeds, peel, roots, bark and wood of plants, trees and fruits. The chemistry of each oil means that it can have a multitude of different actions within the body including anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, anti-viral anti-microbial, anti inflammatory, cytophalatic, decongestant....etc The list of the positive actions the oils have is endless and it is the art of the Aromatherapist ,with their understanding of essential oils science and chemistry, to carefully blend oils together to have the most synergistic healing effect on the body. 


However Aromatherapy is so much more than that.The effect that just inhaling these oils can have can be quite profound too.Their scents have the power to evoke deep emotional response within people by working directly through the olfactory system straight to the limbic system. They have also been used throughout their rich history in spiritual and religious practise throughout the world to connect to the spirit world and transport us to heavenly realms. 


An Aromatherapy treatment can be one of these most blissful, sensual, delicious and delightful experiences you can have!



Neals Yard London


Anyway one day nearly twelve years ago, I happened to walk into a Neal's Yard shop, picked up a leaflet about a new Diploma they were offering in 'Aromatherapy and Essential Oil Science.' and everything fell into place.There was no doubt in my mind and in my heart that this was exactly what I was meant to do.It was the first year they had run their 'Diploma in Aromatherapy and Essential Oil Science' and I look back at that year of intense study with huge fondness. Not only were we blessed with fantastic teachers and lecturers but we got to study right in the heart of Neal's Yard in Covent Garden and at Chelsea Physic Garden.


 My happiest memory was our week long study trip to a herb farm located in the fragrant and picturesque foot hills of the Pyrenees near the old fortressed town of Carcassonne in southern France. There we received advanced level training in the French tradition of aromatic medicine from French Doctors/ Naturopaths on how to use the oils internally (orally and anally!) to treat illness. In the UK our practice is restricted to the use of massage, poultices and inhalation as our means of allowing these potent, volatile oils to enter the body. The french have a much more advanced system.


Lavender Fields of Provence
 We spent the week living together and studying in a wonderful old french farmhouse, surrounded by fields of wild lavender .Time off from study saw us relaxing over long lunches and leisurely evening meals made from fresh ingredients sourced locally, lovingly prepared by the staff and washed down with local red wine and fresh mint tea. After lessons  we enjoyed walks and early evening ambles through vibrant purple lavender fields and clambered up hill sides breathing in the warm scent of wild rosemary, thyme, mint and basil deep into our nostrils. Absolute heaven and the highlight of my wonderful course.


 Having qualified as a Holistic Aromatherapist and having gained my membership of the International Federation of Professional Aromatherapists (MIFPA) I left the UK to set up an Aromatherapy Practice and help run a Health Club in Southern Spain.


Aromatherapy Practice, Elviria, Spain
(Notice the beautiful Neal's Yard blue bottles in the background!)


After returning to the UK I left my Aromatherapy practice for a while. I decided to re qualify in Rejuvanessence (www.in-essence.co.uk) which has became the main focus for my therapy practice for the last two years.  However the universe has continued gently nudging me to return to my first love again and  recent events have served to reawaken this desire in me again. I will be starting to offer relaxing aromatherapy massage and clinical Aromatherapy in my practice very shortly. However this time I would like to particularly focus on oils for skincare particularly for skin rejuvenation and for the beautiful healthy glowing skin so desired and treasured by us 'Blossoming' late bloomers!


Becoming a consultant for Neal's Yard beautiful range of products works perfectly with this too.


I will go into depth about this over the next few days, weeks and months but briefly I will now be offering the following.
  • Neal's Yard Organic Parties with wonderful free gifts and benefits for the hostess and as an extra special gift of a free Aromatherapy massage to win from me for one lucky lady! 
  • Relaxing Aromatherapy Massage at Knowle Grange from April and Clinical Aromatherapy too by special arrangement
  • Special articles about which oils I believe are most beneficial for beauty to all us blossoming beauties and suggested Neal's Yard products that contain these oils.
  • Offering special personalised Aromatherapy Facial Blends for clients to use at home
  • Neal's Yard/ Aromatherapy Facials in the future.
For further details on  hosting parties, the Neal's Yard Organic range or even opportunities to become a consultant yourself please visit my NYR website.

https://uk.nyrorganic.com/shop/SamanthaComfort


Speak soon!


Love Sam xxx



3 comments:

  1. What a lucky woman you are! Those fields in France look soooo dreamy!
    Thanks for the photo of Neal's Yard - I always wondered what it looked like. It's simply too sad that I can't be an immediate recipient of one of your incredible sounding massage treatments...dang! I can't imagine a better practitioner than you.
    I just LOVE the party idea. You're going to have such fun.
    Well done and the achieving one (or more? ) of the goals you told me about aaaages ago.

    ReplyDelete