Francesca the Massage Therapist

No one ever asks me to focus on upper arms but it feels so yummy having that fleshy bit squeezed and they get really tough especially if your posture isn't perfect and your shoulders roll forwards. It's also satisfying to watch 👀 enjoy!

What shall we do this weekend? 🧐

If you've done all of these I'll take my little hat off to you pal... But I think I might have actually nailed the brief here for some new and hidden Dorset gems. 💎

What do we think? What are we trying first?

Link in bio to read 👀

STOP APOLOGISING... for falling asleep during your head massage.

I fall asleep in my massages without fail. I snore. I wake myself up snoring and I've certainly dribbled 🤣

So don't apologise for that stuff. As long as you're actually relaxed that's all I'm bothered about.

For sure you’ll have a person in your life who ‘isn’t a hugger’ and another who is incredibly ‘touchy feely’ right? We all have different levels of comfort when it comes to physical intimacy with other humans.

It’s a weird thing isn’t it that we get a deep sense of calm, assurance and wellbeing from touching our pets but that we don’t do the same for each other outside of our romantic relationships or even sometimes in any of our relationships?! I’m not suggesting you start petting your mates but I am suggesting you ask yourself these questions as an experiment…

How much and how openly do I offer physical touch to others everyday? (family/friends/partners) are they different depending on the type of person? Why do you think that is?

How comfortable am I with receiving physical touch from others? Do you find it easy? Do you need a lot? Do I get less than I’d like?

Maybe you’ve never given it much thought. I didn’t before I started this job tbh.

For sure it’ll be something to do with how much physical affection we’re given/allowed to give when we’re younger but it’s deeply important to our adult lives and how we trust and let people in right?

When people tell me they’re a bit nervous about getting a massage I totally understand because I was too the first time. All I can do is assure you that the more you get the less f***s you give and this can increase your general physical intimacy comfort levels.

The more you let someone touch you, the more comfortable you get with it and can therefore enjoy it without intrusive thoughts.

If you want to… have a go at being more ’touchy’ with the people around you and notice how you feel and how they treat you in return. :)

Just a footnote that obviously pushing your physical intimacy boundaries should always be done in a safe and consenting space with someone you trust. Don’t go touching anyone who you shouldn’t be! Some people have deeply painful reasons why physical intimacy is hard and this is a whole different ball game so be mindful and supportive and respect others boundaries.

UNREST 😴🥱

There have been a good many “snoozy snuffles” (we don’t call them snores) coming from the table this week and more than a few of you have said that you ‘needed that time out more than you realised.’

For some people its simply being able to get out of their house for a bit, for others it’s having the chance to jump back into ‘working on yourself’ in a kind way.

It occurred to me that although we’ve spent a huge chunk of the year inside, that really doesn’t mean that we’re in any way ‘well-rested.’

I’ve spent a fair chunk of this year off work with all the opportunity to ‘rest’ and all it did was leave me with a deep feeling of ‘un-rest’ that has only started to subside now that I’m working hard again.

There are a few little things that have really helped me start to shake off my feeling of un-rest so I thought I’d share them in case they’re helpful.

1. 📺 Stop re-watching the TV/films that you watched during lockdown. They may comfort you temporarily but I noticed that they were actually putting me back into that headspace and new stimulus actually gave my brain a break from the loops it was stuck in.
2. 📜 As the momentum of ‘real life’ picks back up I’m trying not to put myself under too much pressure to smash everything, everyday. If I manage to do ‘1 good thing’ a day for my life, that’s 30 good things I did this month - and thats good enough for me.
3. 🦦Go to the New Forest Wildlife Park. Random yeah. But can you actually think of a better way to spend the afternoon than watching otters play with pebbles? It’s the serotonin you’ve been looking for I’m telling you. ❤️

This is a public apology. If you've taken yourself to Poole Park for a calming walk during lockdown 3 you've probably heard me shouting motivational abuse at my sister as we run around the pond being judged by the swans. Poor thing has jogged her lil legs off and she's doing great. Here's me attacking her knotty hamstrings and hips... 💔 🤣