You shower or bathe every morning, right?  So why not incorporate a dry body brushing routine before you step into the shower or bath – I guarantee, it will set you up for the rest of the day.

Body brushing uses a loofah or natural bristle brush with a long handle (or you can use synthetic gloves, but it doesn’t feel as nice).  To get the desired effect, the brush should always be kept dry.

Not only will body brushing leave you feel refreshed and energised after your shower or bath, but it will help your body detoxify, exfoliate dead skin cells, improve circulation and lymphatic drainage and reduce the appearance of cellulite.

The skin is the largest organ in the body and plays an important role in the elimination of toxins. and of course, smooth skin is particularly nice to have at this time of year when (hopefully) summer is just around the corner.

So, how does one body brush?  Well it's important to work on dry skin to get the desired effect and it's essential to work towards the heart because that stimulates the flow of lymphatic fluid.  It also helps if you can remember to keep your touch light and your strokes sweeping.  By the end of your body brushing routine, your skin should feel tingly, rather than sore or scratched.

Begin with the feet and ankles and then move to lower legs, thighs, stomach, back and arms.  Your back is the exception to the brushing upwards rule - for your back you are best to brush from the neck down.  And remember it's called body brushing - so stay away from the delicate skin of the face.

Once you're feeling full of zing from your brushing, you can jump into your shower or bath and wash away the dead skin cells.  And afterwards, if you've got time, moisturise for that nourished, smooth, supple skin feeling.

A couple of notes of caution: be careful of delicate skin areas and don't dry body brush over inflamed, cut or broken skin, or over varicose veins.  Also, have your own personal body brush and wash it regularly.

Give body brushing a try daily for 30 days and see the health and beauty benefits - better circulation and smoother skin.

Of course, if you run out of stamina, jump into the shower before you remember to do your body brushing, or just want someone else to take the strain, a reflexology treatment could be a good substitute.  It's relaxing, reviving and helps re-balance the body.  And there's 20% off your first treatment in May and June 2014.

It's April tomorrow and summer is not too far away (hopefully), so now is the time to pay attention to your feet and give them some TLC after a winter tucked away in socks and heavy shoes.  A few weeks of preening and pampering will bring them back to soft supple loveliness and here's how:

Help For Your Heels
If your heels to are cracked and dry, soak your feet in warm water then buff your heels with a pumice stone.  Dry your feet thoroughly, and rub on some cider vinegar before moisturising with vitamin E and jojoba cream (or whatever cream you have handy).  You’ll need to do this regularly for the best results.

For Tip Top Toes
Remove nail polish regularly because your toes need to have a chance to breathe.

Avoid Wet Sweaty Feet In Summer
Sprinkle some talcum powder (or specially formulated foot powder) in your shoes during the warmer weather to help keep them dry and slip free.

Revive Tired Feet
Give your feet a quick pick-me-up.  First dunk them in cold water for around 30 seconds, followed by steeping them in warm water for around 3 minutes.  Finish by wrapping both feel in a towel and lying with feet elevated for 20 minutes. This will improve the circulation in feet and legs.

Moisturise Your Feet
Use up extra body lotion by smoothing on the feet, or if you want to make your own use one tablespoon of malt vinegar and 5oz of plain yogurt.  Leave the mix on your feet for 5 minutes before rinsing off.

Easy Exfoliation
Take a trip to the beach, get of your socks and shoes and walk: the sand will exfoliate your feet naturally and leave them feeling much smoother than a pumice stone.

A little attention now and your feel with be soft and looking lovely, just ready to show off in your summer sandals.

And of course, if you really want to pamper your feet and the rest of your body, you could also book in for a treatment of Reflexology!

Retirement is that halcyon time when work has ended and we often feel that life is really begining.  It's a stage in life when our time is our own, we can slow down and relax a bit more and we're free to do whatever we want, whenever we want.

Many now see retirement as a time of change and the beginning of a new stage in life - a time to spend on new projects, travel and hobbies or perhaps continuing with work on a part-time basis or even starting a new business.  All of this needs energy and vitality and Reflexology can be the perfect support.

Reflexology can be applied vigorously or lightly depending on the needs of the client, so it's easily adapted to older clients with stiff or inflammed joints but equally can be a stimulating, vigorous treatment for more robust clients.

As a holistic treatment Reflexology works on a  physical, emotional and energetic level.  It's common, as people age, for them to feel that they can't do as much as they could when they were younger and that feeling can undermine confidence, especially if it's accompanied with health challenges.  One of the most common pieces of feedback I get from clients is that Reflexology helps them "cope better" - that feeling that they're going to be able to deal with whatever life throws at them.  I'd call that confidence!

Reflexology is an easy treatment to have - it only requires the removal of socks and shoes, so there's not a lot of fuss and bother and no stripping off - perfect for the more modest of us.

And it's relaxing.  

The benefits of relaxation - physical, mental, emotional and spiritual - are usually under-estimated.  Being relaxed:

• puts our body in a state of equilibrium and that can help reduce inflammation - particularly useful for joint pain
• helps to put our thoughts in perspective, so those anxieties begin to seem less important

And a Reflexology treatment is about connecting and caring: caring about ourselves and allowing ourself to be cared for.  Who doesn't need that!

If you'd like to treat your mother to a Reflexology treatment on Mother's Day just call Doris on 07724 197627.