When we’re deep in the cold, wet clutches of winter, all we can think of is the lazy, hazy summer days. Picnics, barbecues, days spent lounging outside, and sunshine are all we remember from the last summer.

Then, when we reach summer time, we remember that summer has stresses of its own. Who hasn’t day dreamed about the last summer vacation but forgotten the fact that driving hours to get there left the entire family hot, cranky and dehydrated? Or that on the second day of the break, one of the kids had an allergic reaction to a bug bite and spent the entire week whining about it itching?

With the kids at home, the planned fun and games can also turn into fighting and complaining about being bored. Some days you just wish it was fall already! That’s why, whether you have kids or not, and wherever you are planning to spend time this summer, you need to schedule in some down time. Summer can really stress you out, so making sure that you’re well prepared with pre-vacation treatments and a massage or two to give you some extra relaxation and also help you make your summer holiday about you as well as everybody else.

Remember that even if you are always planning things for the whole family, you deserve some time to yourself too. It might be a cliché that gets over used but there is a lot of truth to the statement ‘you cannot pour from an empty cup’ – get your fix of self-care up front and you’ll feel much more equipped to give to everyone else.

Top Tips for Stress-Free Summer Months:
Spend time in the sunshine – it really does improve your mood. Load up on sun screen and head out into the back yard with a book and a cool drink, even if it’s just for 30 minutes. Get the kids out on a play date and make some time for you.

Sneak in a nap – sleep can be compromised over the summer when the temperatures rise, so if you have an opportunity in the day time for a nap, take it and stock up in advance on sleep.

Enjoy a yoga class – perfect for regular relaxation and you can take a few of your favorite moves away on vacation with you, too.

Turn off the iPads – and other gadgets. Give yourself a tech detox for an hour or so a day, or even an entire day/vacation if you think you can. Just escaping from the constant ping of notifications can be a great way to unplug stress and chill out.

Don’t neglect your down-time. Schedule in time for YOU in among the fun family days out and other activities.

Enjoy your summer!

Seeing as we're celebrating Pride Month, it seems like a great time to make the point that as far as we are
concerned, this is an all-welcome, judgement free zone. There has been too much in the news in recent times about setting people apart so we just want to make it very clear to all of our current and potential clients that we will treat every single body with respect at our establishment, and we welcome diversity in all its many faceted forms.

We are more than happy to accommodate transgender clients – you need not worry about being treated any differently by our staff. Everyone is trained here to be accepting and welcoming, and we are also well aware of some of the issues that can affect transgender men and women when they are enjoying a spa or massage treatment. No body judgement here. If you have any specific concerns about your treatment with us, or don’t know what to expect, just give us a call or send us a message and we’ll be happy to talk you through anything that’s concerning you.

Some people report that they’ve have had bad experiences with massage before; that could be being ‘mis-gendered’ by a therapist, or just feeling uncomfortable removing their clothes (or the pressure to remove more of their clothes than they feel comfortable with). We totally understand that you might feel a bit awkward – and that not everyone is confident in their body; that applies to cis-gender people too. You might not know whether a massage therapist is going to be accepting of you as a trans person – will they be they body-positive, and trans-friendly? We want to assure you that we will.

We are happy to work with all body types and needs, and don’t judge on age, body type and size or sexuality either. Naturally, we want to provide a comfortable and welcoming environment for all of our clients; the whole point of a massage or spa treatment is that it’s supposed to make you feel great, and judgemental attitudes are not conducive to an atmosphere of relaxation. If there’s anything you may feel uncomfortable about, please just let us know beforehand.

We believe that well-being should be accessible to everybody. That also includes you if you have a medical condition or specific disability that you may think prevents you from having a session with us. Just ask! We aim to be as helpful as possible and communication is key in helping us get to know who we are working with. We will do our very best to make sure that you have any treatment that you want. Some services may need to be changed to suit your specific needs so please, if you do have any concerns call or speak to us in advance so that we can be ready to treat you and have everything in place for your visit.

We also understand that children enjoy getting massages and spa treatments too, and in most cases we can accommodate services for minors too. Just be aware that we may have to tailor some treatments to be suitable for younger skin or bodies, and that we need a parent present to give consent. Some treatments may be unsuitable for younger people, but if that’s the case we’ll explain why and suggest something else. We’re sure that you understand, after all, our goal is to treat your children with respect and care.

We hope that whatever your age, race, sexuality, gender or ability status, you’ll book a treatment with us soon – everyone deserves to feel good about themselves and anything we can do to help with that is a bonus!