Emotional Health & Wellbeing with Caz Campbell

Hello! My name is Caz Campbell. I’ve lived in Newbury most of my life, I’m a mum of two daughters who are 5 & 7 and I have three other job “hats” which are all on my website: www.happykindcalm.co.uk  I teach baby massage, I’m an emotional coach and I’ve published a book focusing on happiness, kindness and calmness. It’s called “Donkey on a Waffle” and includes topics which I’m going to talk about in this blog.

This week is National Complementary Therapy Awareness Week – which is quite long winded to say out loud!  As an emotional coach and baby massage instructor, these two therapies fit into the complementary therapy category. Also included is aromatherapy, acupuncture, yoga, mindfulness, reflexology, craniosacral therapy, meditation, other massage and hypnotherapy. Most of these practices have been either difficult or impossible to obtain or enjoy in this past year. I think touch is the sense we’ve missed most, not being able to touch or hug loved ones. However, every day we’re getting closer to being able to see people, hug and treat ourselves to things like massage.

Massage is so much more than touch, especially when it’s skin to skin, with someone you are close with or if you’re receiving massage for a specific reason like an illness or trauma.

There’s lots of research that demonstrates that massage affects our hormones to relax and diminish stress. It can increase serotonin and dopamine by about 30% each and decreases cortisol by 30%. Massage also affects the oxytocin system which activates painkilling endorphins so helps reduce pain, fatigue and improves sleep – which is great benefit in terms of baby massage, but sleep is so important to adults too!

Massage gently stimulates and helps our internal systems such as our digestive, respiratory, circulatory and lymphatic systems. (The lymphatic system gets rid of toxins and waste as well as producing immune cells). Massage can release strain and knots in our muscles or aid muscle recovery after sports or injury. It can improve congestion by opening and relaxing the chest. It can encourage drainage of toxins, food to flow in the right direction and blood to circulate efficiently and to where it’s needed.

There are hundreds of studies which have shown massage helps with a wide variety of medical issues. These include skin conditions, pain syndromes including arthritis and fibromyalgia, hypertension, autoimmune conditions including asthma and multiple sclerosis, immune conditions including HIV and breast cancer and aging problems including Parkinson’s and dementia.

With someone close to you such as your partner or baby, massage is a method of bonding so improves interaction, communication and connection. This is the best part of being a baby massage instructor – seeing babies look into their parents’ eyes and the intense love between them. I’m also a huge animal lover and there is lots of research surrounding the similar benefits of bonding and connecting with a pet.

My baby massage classes are allowed to be face to face again after Easter so I’m very happy! I host 5 week courses in Greenham. If you know anyone who’s had or having a baby soon, feel free to check out http://www.facebook.com/babymassagenewbury