A Self Care Game Changer...

Evening Darlings!

Bare with me here I'm not a writer...I literally type how I talk but you guys asked for some more information after sharing my experience on Instagram stories (as per the rest of my life!) so here goes!

It's been nearly two weeks since I popped to Heritage Beauty and had a treatment with Ben Barnett. If you haven't visited before you really must...all the ladies who work there are so warm and lovely and the building is just beautiful...(and there's DAHLIAS! You know I love a dahlia!) it feels like you're in the middle of nowhere, when really you're just outside of Bury St Edmunds.

I visited a week last Thursday to get my nails redone and whilst there I was introduced to Ben who travels from Folkstone to Heritage Beauty for massage clinics. This brought into conversation my complete lack of love for massage...I admit I'd only ever had one and I didn't enjoy it, I literally laid there like an awkward stiff plank of wood. I'd not long had our daughter Reilly-Mai so I'm talking like eight years ago and Chris and I went for a couples spa day as a treat before he left us for Afghan for six months. Anyway, I just remember feeling really uncomfortable and the staff were all prim and pretty and I just remember feeling really weird about being rubbed by a stranger. Rebecca (an absolute darling) from Heritage said I shouldn't judge massage until I'd tried it again so after a lot of pet talking I said I would try one with Ben because she was convinced I would love it. I won't lie to you I was absolutely regretting saying yes and spent the rest of the day and night worrying, I was so close to ringing and cancelling. I don't know why the thought of a massage weirded me out so much...I don't know if was the thought of having a stranger touch me, especially a male and having my post children wobbly bits out when only my husband sees them (lucky minx!)...I really don't know but I did it, I put on my brave girl pants and I went on the Friday morning. 

I met Ben again and he talked me through everything he was going to do and what he's all about, to be honest I was really surprised at how much he can do. He talked about how through massage he can read how your body is feeling, I know that sounds made up and believe me I was cynical but intrigued. Ben was absolutely LOVELY he knew I was super nervous but he was really calm and made me feel more at ease. He really wanted me to feel comfortable so he explains everything down to what he's doing to do and anything that is required of you. The panic of having my wobbly bits out was over as with a hydrotherm massage you don't turn at all and I was completely covered in towels.. (worrying over). I cannot even describe the bed it's like a layer of heaven...a warm layer of floaty water that at first feels really odd but then it's like you become moulded to it?

During the massage Ben talks to you (you don't to reply...weirdly I couldn't even if I wanted to it was like I wasn't there but I was?) He talks to you about what your body is telling him and that different parts of your body hold tension for different things. I can't completely explain the experience as it was so personal and each person will have a different experience but it completely blew me away. He was talking about certain things that he had absolutely no idea about yet it's like he knew. The only way I can truly explain it is like I had lots of tiny boxes inside and he was emptying them.

After the massage I literally cannot explain how I felt...I felt empty and floaty and I was actually quite emotional. I felt like Ben had emptied out all of the 'mind congestion' that I think I knew was there but didn't really know how much was there and how much it was having an effect on me.

I've always thought of massages as a bit indulgent and nothing I'd do but I have actually booked to go back and see Ben again in December. I can't explain how much that single hour has changed my mentality and continued to do so. I've been trying so hard to not 'park things' back in my little boxes and I really can't fully explain it other than Ben being a wizard...ha I'm joking but honestly he was such a kind man and so considerate of how I was feeling throughout. I am so thankful to Rebecca for chewing my ear and 'making' me book in I didn't realise how much I needed it until I'd had it.

Ben is back at Heritage Beauty on the 5th and 6th of December if you'd like to try it for yourself...I promise you won't regret it...I am a total convert. Literally look at me I've gone from totally freaking out to booking one...

I can't tell you the ins and outs or the technicalities of the massage but I can tell you how it made me feel and for someone who balances a lot of plates it's really, really helped.

Oh god did you get through all that?! I hope so... I'm such a waffler! I shall link some socials below for you so you know who and where I've been talking about.

Love 

Charlotte XX 

@heritagebeauty

@ben_barnett_httb