Amy Milner Holistics

I am ✨very✨ excited to announce that, since September, I am now working from the beautiful treatment space at Santosa Wellness Centre Edinburgh on Albert Street.
Come and join me in this beautiful and restorative environment. Link to my website in my bio. 🌼

My Massage Gift Vouchers would be the perfect addition to a Pamper-kit Gift Basket for someone you love this Christmas! 🎄
I have put together a little 'recipe' for a nice collection of things that could be included:
- a relaxing herbal tea
- some bubble bath or bath salts
- a delicious, scented candle
- some warm, cosy socks
- one of my Massage Gift Vouchers!

Contact me if you would like to buy one of my vouchers for a Christmas gift. 🎁 They are £50, and include a 1-hour massage plus consultation. 🙏

A Massage Voucher makes the perfect gift for a loved one - You are giving them an experience, something to look forward to, and an opportunity to give themselves some love!
My vouchers are £50 and they include a 1-hour massage plus consultation. If you would like to treat someone to this lovely gift, just send me a message!

I always love seeing this guy when I'm walking along the water of Leith.
Here is a beautiful Mary Oliver about Herons:

'Some Herons'

A blue preacher
flew toward the swamp,
in slow motion.

On the leafy banks,
an old Chinese poet,
hunched in the white gown of his wings,

was waiting.
The water
was the kind of dark silk

that has silver lines
shot through it
when it is touched by the wind

or is splashed upward
in a small, quick flower,
by the life beneath it.

The preacher
made his difficult landing,
his skirts up around his knees.

The poet's eyes
flared, just as a poet's eyes
are said to do

when the poet is awakened
from the forest of meditation.
It was summer.

It was only a few moments past the sun's rising,
which meant that the whole long sweet day
lay before them.

They greeted each other,
rumpling their gowns for an instant,
and then smoothing them.

They entered the water,
and instantly two more herons -
equally as beautiful -

joined them and stood just beneath them
in the black, polished water
where they fished, all day.

It's a month until Christmas!🎄 Looking to treat someone you love?
Do you have a partner, parent or friend who doesn't prioritise themselves as much as they should?
A massage voucher could be the perfect gift! 🎁

My vouchers are £50 for a 1 hour Holistic Massage Treatment - PLUS a free consultation!

To get this beautiful gift for your loved one, just send me a message. I will create and send you a personalised voucher.

Managing to catch the sunrise is one of the few things that actually get easier in winter. I don't always manage, but wow is it worth it! 🙏

Available appointments next week:

- Monday 28th November at 3pm
- Sunday 4th December at 10am

Theo performing a beautiful QL stretch... he is a natural! 😺

As always, rainbows don't show up very well in photos, but in real life it was amazing! There's a metaphor in there somewhere... 😅🌦🙏

Yellow appreciation post! 💛
When I was walking through George Square last week I was struck by these two trees holding onto their leaves just a little longer than the others. So beautiful. 🙏💛
This was obviously before we started getting all this rain! Missing the blue sky, but feeling excited for winter. 💙

I am feeling so much joy to see this Cactus flower again for the first time in YEARS 🌵💕

This is her Recovery Story...

I got this cactus at a second-hand stall almost 15 years ago. When she flowered for the first time, I was amazed - I had no idea that was going to happen!
Every few months, she would burst into incredible bloom with her vibrant and extravagant flowers.

However, a few years ago, she had a rather traumatic experience - she was sat on!
She lost many of her branches and I think she went into shock. It took her a while to start growing again, and she hasn't flowered at all in over 3 years.

But, a couple of weeks ago, I saw her first buds emerge... and today I took these photos. She is flourishing again!

This made me reflect on the human healing process....

When we are recovering from something big, the healing process can be so slow that it can look - and feel - like nothing is happening.
But, just as you can't see a plant grow from one minute to the next, it doesn't mean that growth isn't happening. It may take a while, but we all have the potential to bloom again!

As my job is very physical, I have to make sure I am staying strong and flexible. Climbing is the perfect activity for practicing awareness of your whole body - and the strong fingers help!
However, I was climbing long before I became a massage therapist. It keeps me sane! It helps me to feel confident and good about myself and, of course, it is super fun! 💪🧡

I have one day left to take bookings next week. I will only be taking up to 3 bookings that day, so get in touch soon if you would like to claim one of these spots!
I can take bookings between 10am and 6pm on Thursday 24th November.

There is a LOT more to the history of Reiki than this, but I have done my best to summarise the origin story!

First of all, a quick look at the word itself:
In Japanese, REI means 'universal' or 'spiritual consciousness', or 'soul'. KI means 'vital energy' (like 'qi' in Chinese or 'prana' in Sanskrit).
Therefore REIKI is often translated to something like "Universal life force energy."

Now for the story:
Reiki originated in Japan. The story goes that, in 1922, Usui Sensei, a Bhuddist practitioner and healer, undertook a 21-day meditation retreat on Mount Kurama. Towards the end of this retreat he had an enlightenment experience, during which he became attuned to Reiki energy. When he returned to his community, Usui Sensei founded "Usui Reiki Ryoho" - the healing art of channeling the sacred energy of the universe.
Usui passed on the attunement to Reiki energy to 20 of his students who, in turn, became teachers. After his death in 1926, his students continued to pass on the attunement to others. This is how Reiki is taught to this day, and each Reiki practitioner can trace their lineage back to Usui Sensei.
There is a lot of speculation and
mis-information about Reiki. If you are interested in learning more, I recommend this book:
'An Evidence Based History of Reiki' by William Lee Rand (2015).

Some wisdom from the poet/goddess, Mary Oliver. 🌼

The colours of these chillies are giving me everything! 🍁 When I saw them I just couldn't resist, I bought them and planned the rest of my weekend meals around them. I had such a wonderful time creating a nourishing and ✨delicious✨ curry with autumn root veg and lots of warming spices.
Disclaimer: I did not use all the chillies in one go - I've made that mistake before, never underestimate the power of Scotch Bonnets! 🌶

Meditation is such an important part of my life. For me, it is both a form of self-care and a spiritual practice. But it can be really hard to maintain a regular practice - it has taken me years to properly commit to it as part of my daily routine.
If you are struggling to find consistency with meditation, or creating any other habit, I really recommend finding a partner. This doesn't mean you have to practice the habit together (although you can!), it's about creating a source of accountability and support. You can agree to check in with each other every day, so you will always have someone to remind/encourage you to show up for yourself. It is not always easy to honour our commitments we make to ourselves, but it is so rewarding when we do! Being supported in this, while supporting someone else yourself, can make it even more meaningful. 💕
If you are struggling with meditation, or just curious, feel free to get in touch. I am always happy to talk about this kind of thing! 🙏

We all know some of the more obvious benefits of massage, like relieving pain and muscle tension and inducing deep relaxation. But I wanted to share some benefits you might not have though of, more specific to my personal style. These are all things that my clients have reported experiencing in my treatments:

- Feeling safe and cared for
- Being listened to
- Receiving Reiki healing
- Connecting with yourself
-Finding presence in your body
- Advice on how to care for yourself

I aim to bring these six things into every single one of my sessions.

WORKSHOP NEXT WEEKEND!
Learn about and experience practices from the spiritual path of Yoga from Dada Da'naviira, a visiting Monk of the Ananda Marga Yoga organisation.

Join us at in the art room at The Salisbury Centre on Sunday 20th November, 2pm-6pm for wholesome and nourishing afternoon for the mind, body and soul.

The workshop will include Meditation, Mantra singing and Yogic dance. We will then cook and eat a plant-based meal together and learn about the Sattvic diet for steadiness of mind.

There is limited space so please reserve your spot below! It is free to reserve a place but we will ask for a minimum donation of £5 on the door to cover the room hire and food costs. TICKETS HERE:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/practices-from-the-yogic-path-with-dada-danaviira-tickets-463677119747?fbclid=IwAR1iimkaSgEIioREQtvk4Zr_KMLRax8ayQAm-3-xg9rrCPcLF69Fw7EjCqk

EVENT PAGE:
https://www.facebook.com/events/5598638750185979/?acontext=%7B%22event_action_history%22%3A[%7B%22surface%22%3A%22home%22%7D%2C%7B%22mechanism%22%3A%22your_upcoming_events_unit%22%2C%22surface%22%3A%22bookmark%22%7D]%2C%22ref_notif_type%22%3Anull%7D

Want a massage next week? I only have one free day left! Just send me a message or email to book your treatment:) 💙

Believe it or not there are still some raspberries! This is just a little picture of me on a day off, enjoying the last of the harvest 💕 I am trying to spend my days off outside as much as possible, embracing the colder weather with lots of wool and good company. I often think of mental wellbeing in terms of temperature - it is a lot easier to STAY warm than to get warm when you are already cold! I do everything I can in the autumn to look after my mental health while I am feeling well, so that I am more likely to stay well in the darker days. Sending love and light to those who find this time of year difficult. Look after yourselves 🙏🧡🔥

Today is the full moon!

It is the perfect time to celebrate all the successes of the last month, and to prepare to let go of what is no longer serving you.

Try making a list of everything you did in the last month that you are proud of yourself for. It doesn't have to be big flashy accomplishments. One of mine this month was crying more! We often forget our small victories and it can be beautiful and empowering to see a list of all the ways we are doing our best. Thank yourself for being you.

Next, consider what has been holding you back or bringing you down this last month. Write it down and set the intention to let go of this quality as the moon wanes. You can even burn it if you like!
My intention going forward is to let go of perfectionism! What's yours? Let me know in the comments!

Wishing you all fruitful full moon vibes! 🌜🌝🌛

We all need to hear this sometimes.
You don't have to do it all by yourself. You don't always have to keep moving. Sometimes we just need to be held. It's ok to rest! 🧡

A question I often get is 'Does massage need to hurt to be effective'? The short answer is 'NO!'
But here is a more detailed answer...

People sometimes want their massage therapist to go as hard as possible - they might think that if the massage hurts then they 'know it's doing something'. However, I have found this approach to be counter productive, as the body's natural response to pain is to tense up. So, while it may feel like you are really 'getting in there', you could actually be making things worse.

There is a certain amount of 'good pain' we might feel during massage - It can feel good to feel that someone has 'found the spot', and a certain amount of discomfort can help us connect to that area of the body and find relaxation. However, when it crosses the line into actual pain, the body is going to resist the touch. The breath will become short and shallow, and muscles will contract. This decreases relaxation and increases pain levels.

My approach is to work deeply yet gently into the areas of tension and to find the spaces around the tension. Working slowly with the breath, my goal is to encourage the body to release the tension itself, rather than trying to force the tension into submission! This approach requires more patience and attention from both client and therapist but I believe it is ultimately more powerful.

IMPORTANT: Always check if using a sauna or steam room is safe for any conditions you may have. For example you may need to be careful if you have high or low blood pressure. Swipe to see advice for using these tools safely!

These are some of the benefits of using saunas and steam rooms:
- The high temperature activates the nervous system.
- Sweating helps the body to eliminate toxins.
- Heat helps muscles to relax and release tension.
- The experience has been shown to improve mood and energy levels and to reduce pain.
- It is cleansing for the skin as it helps to loosen the dead cells.

Today was beautiful, and I am resting 💙🍂🙏

Reflections on Strength...
We often associate strength with things that are hard, solid, maybe even forceful. We might think of mountains, metal or muscles... but what about the strength that it takes to yield? To change?
I was reflecting on this when I took the photograph above. At first glance the pillars may appear to be the strong element: upright, solid, immovable, while the water moves around their feet, soft, fluid and permeable. But over time, the water will cause the wood to rot and the metal to rust and eventually these pillars will be consumed by the sea. Water teaches us the power of softness, the strength of flexibility.
Our culture doesn’t place much value on subtler, more gentle forms of strength, even though they can be just as powerful as the harsher forms (if not more so). There is, of course, a time and a place for all kinds of strength but, when it comes to healing, brute force doesn’t work. So here is to the subtle strengths - the strength of vulnerability, of kindness, of patience, of rest.

These are the times I have left for next week, get in touch if you'd like to book!:) 🗓 Share this if you know anyone who could do with a massage!

The clocks have changed and we are well and truly into autumn, approaching winter at high speed! I thought I would share a few ways we can look after ourselves over the next few months. 🧡
IMPORTANT DISCLAIMER: These tips are great for staying well, however if you are struggling with your mental health please, please, please seek support! I have provided the number for Samaritans in the above post, and I'll repeat it here: 116 123. They are open 24 hours a day, and talking to them could help you to access the support you need.