Holistic Facials by Ellie Gill

What are the benefits of having regular holistic facials? 

I started doing facials almost by accident. I have been working as a freelance makeup artist for ten years and shortly after trained as a massage therapist. 

Quite a few clients were asking me if I offered facials so I thought why not? I did some training with Neal’s Yard remedies and nowadays this is what I love doing the most and am lucky enough to spend most of my time doing.  

When I first started out I had no idea quite how powerful and healing facials could be. Not just on the skin but on the mind and emotions. Holistic facials are incredibly relaxing and 99% of the time my clients fall into a deep sleep on the couch then drift out of the door in a relaxed haze. 

I use completely natural skincare because I have found pure ingredients to be incredibly effective; 

Something like rose water can help reduce redness and clay can help draw out any impurities from the skin. The skincare I use is all made in small batches by hand and many of the botanical ingredients are grown locally here in East Sussex. 

Our skin is the largest organ we have and absorbs whatever is put onto it, for this reason I would never put anything onto the skin which might contain toxic ingredients. 

During the first half of your facial I will cleanse, tone, exfoliate and apply a bespoke mask. Your hands or feet are then massaged while the masks works its magic then I spend thirty minutes massaging the muscles of the face and neck. 

Massage is the best anti-ageing solution in my opinion as it helps boost circulation, and helps to remove toxins from the face leaving you looking glowing and radiant. 

Having regular facials once a month is an ideal way to switch off and relax from the stresses of everyday life and help maintain a healthy complexion. 

If you want to know more about what will happen during your treatment give this video a watch

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0M_Bag-TCf0

Ellie Gill is here at the studio every Wednesday. You can book your appointment at reception or by calling us on 01342 457150

Holistic natural facial:  £75 for 60minutes

Discovering Kundalini Yoga by Ellie Gill

I have been doing yoga on and off now for the past ten years. During this time I’ve tried hot yoga, vinyasa, hatha, restorative, yin and acroyoga, the list goes on and on… I’ve enjoyed all of these styles but I’ve something was always missing for me and I couldn’t quite put my finger on it.

I’ve also tried out lots of different studios but of course no where can beat the chilled out vide of Yard Yoga! 

Last month I noticed a new class on the Yard Yoga schedule for Sunday mornings, Kundalini. I knew absolutely nothing about Kundalini (other than it being tradition to wear white during this practice) so I did some research and really liked the sound of it!

There are so many different styles of yoga and I think the various styles can suit particular individuals needs. I personally have a busy life juggling lots of things and can be prone to anxiety. For this reason I prefer yoga classes which can help me forget about work, relax my nervous system and calm my busy thoughts. I find it difficult to explain how Kundalini helped by as if by magic I definitely felt more calm and positive afterwards.

Right from the start this yoga class was completely different to any other I have been to before. Rather than being positioned in neat rows, we started the class by sitting in a circle with a candle burning in the centre. Our teacher Lydia was wonderfully warm and had a calming presence. I immediately felt a lot more relaxed when I entered the room. 

The class itself was very varied. It involved lots of meditation and chanting. There was plenty of movement too which was lead by breath work. 

The movements were very different to the other styles I’d tried, mainly because they were very rhythmical. It was impossible to worry about day-to day things whilst concentrating fully on the repetitive motion or while chanting!

It was also during this week of first discovering Kundalini that I had lots of personal issues going on including a sudden death in the family and I think that having a more mindful yoga practice really helped keep me grounded and able to offer support to family members. 

I know I’m not the only one who suffers with stress related issues. In todays society lots of us lead busy, demanding lifestyles and stress not only has a negative effect on our minds but also on our bodies too. Lots of pain and chronic illness can be avoided through stress reduction. 

I’m still completely new to Kundalini and there is lots of theory behind it which I don’t fully understand yet but I do know that it can be a powerful remedy. If you have a busy job, tense muscles or personal ‘stuff’ going on I would definitely recommend trying out Kundalini. The combination of such a relaxing, meditative class within the tranquil setting of Yard Yoga is wonderful. 

The timing of this class is perfect too, Sunday morning is an ideal time to give yourself permission to switch off and take some precious time for yourself.