Glenfall Massage

07/02/2025

Glenfall Massage is now closed.

Thank you to everyone who has supported my business and adventure in retraining in a new profession over the last decade. I have learnt so much about the human body and life in general! One of my highlights has been the variety of conversations that have taken place on the massage couch.

It has been an exciting and, at times , unknown journey. Covid was tough. I'm so grateful I was brave enough to take the plunge into self-employment. There are zero regrets, however, in recent times my needs and the needs of my family have changed and it is now the right time to switch to a less physical job and more stable income for the foreseeable future so I have quietly been winding the business down for the last 3 months. I move forward with so many new skills and gratitude and am really excited for the future.

Thank you again to everyone who has visited for a massage or mentioned me to others.

Finally a special shout out to George and his team at A40 Fitness in Andoversford. Thank you for welcoming me so warmly into your fantastic community. Do go check A40 Fitness out if you are looking for a gym and/or support with getting healthier, happier and stronger.

All the best
Abi x

20/12/2024

Wishing everyone a happy and healthy Christmas.

Thank you for all of your support and custom this year and for everyone's recent understanding and good wishes whilst I've been a bit unwell. I have a waitlist in place and hope to start taking bookings again in January. Do get in touch if you would like to be added to this.

Bye for now, I'm off for a minced pie and some mulled wine!

💕

15/11/2024

Love this A40Fitness! Kindness makes the world go round 💚

“Kindness is the language which the deaf can hear and the blind can see.”
We love our community built on health and fitness led with kindness.
Happy international kindness day 💚🥰

26/10/2024

Sciatica is a sharp pain that shoots down the back of your leg and is worse when you bend over. It may also cause tingling, numbness or pins and needles in the affected leg.

Did you know that often sciatic-like pain is linked to having tight glutes, specifically the piriformis muscle, which can pinch and restrict the sciatic nerve. This is called piriformis syndrome and symptoms can be relieved by massage. The piriformis muscle can become tight if there is an imbalance in the muscles that stabilise the pelvis. If this is the issue pain tends to be felt in the buttock rather than the lower back.

So what do you do if you have pain shooting down the back of your leg? Ask yourself the following questions:

Is the pain in one or both legs? If pain is shooting down both legs, please seek help from an osteopath, chiropractor or your GP as soon as you can. This may be due to nerve compression closer to your spine which needs immediate attention and cannot be treated by a massage therapist.

If the pain is only in 1 leg. You could try these 4 top tips:

1) Don’t carry bulky items like your wallet and phone in your back pocket, and definitely don’t sit on them as this will further compress the sciatic nerve.

2) Check your seat – are your hips higher than knees? Think office chair, sofa and particularly the car. Several of my clients sciatic-like pain has quickly disappeared by simply raising their car seat.

3) Apply heat to your lower back and glutes by having a hot bath or using a hot water bottle or heat pack.

4) Book in with me for a sciatica massage that treats your back, glutes and legs to relieve muscular tension all along your sciatic nerve and calm your symptoms. At the start of the appointment we would do a few tests to rule out any spinal involvement to your symptoms, which would require help from an osteopath, chiropractor or medical health professional.

If in doubt get it checked rather than hoping the pain will go away. Please share this post to help your family and friends and get in touch if you have any questions or need support.

Have a lovely weekend.
Abi

18/10/2024

Today is World Menopause Day.

The purpose of this day is to raise awareness of the perimenopause and menopause and the support options available for improving health and well being. Please keep reading for my top 3 tips on how to find out more information...

Let's keep raising awareness and busting incorrect myths about it... for example "you are too young". I was about 37/38 when my symptoms started but I had young kids, there was a global pandemic and a lot of stress to explain my downturn in health and mood. No one ever thought about the menopause.

Luckily I benefitted from the recent movement to talk openly about the perimenopause and menopause and very slowly started to piece together the pieces of the puzzle. If you aren't feeling like yourself anymore or feel like you are daily "wadding through treacle" to get things done and survive the day please keep reading.

There is so much information out there and confusing symptoms so where do you start? Here are my top 3 tips to calmly start learning more:

1) Speak to your family to hear about their experiences - the menopause is strongly genetically linked.

2) Email me on abi@glenfallmassage.co.uk and I will send you my free 2 page guide to soothing stress to help manage your menopause symptoms. This includes recommendations on podcasts, books and websites to find out more about the perimenopause and menopause. Knowledge is power. (I won't spam you with other information afterwards - promise.)

A special mention goes to the balance Menopause app by Dr Louise Newson which is free and has a fantastically simple and easy to use symptom tracker.

3) Keeping talking about how you feel and know you are not alone. Speak to a friend, family member, your GP or look for a local support group. So many women keep quiet and downplay their symptoms as they don't want to winge or make a fuss and often overlook the fact they are managing multiple tricky symptoms.

For those living near Cirencester the "You, Me and the Menopause" group offers face-to-face and online support and can be found on Facebook.

Let's keep talking to help eachother and please be kind. Everyone's journey is different. You are not alone, please reach out if you are struggling.
Abi x

Credit to for the attached symptoms infographic. Seeing this was a light bulb moment for me, thank you.

14/10/2024

Some great businesses that provide menopause support services in the Cotswolds.
Credit to Claire Jane Wardell and the You, Me and the Menopause group for collating this information. Thank you 🙏

14/10/2024

There is a fantastic Menopause Fayre happening this Friday in Cirencester on Menopause Awareness Day. Scan the below QR code for more details and well done to Jane Wardell and the You, Me and the Menopause Group for organising another event this year.

If you have any questions or concerns about the perimenopause and menopause or simply want to find out more this is the event for you! There are some fantastic practitioners attending to support everyone.

Just 1 week to go!

If you haven’t booked already, follow the link below to secure your free ticket, or upgrade to VIP

Looking forward to seeing you there

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cotswold-menopause-fayre-celebrating-menopause-awareness-day-2024-tickets-907557959287

10/10/2024

Such an important message to share for every day of the year.

Being honest, I purposefully don't use social media much as it makes me anxious. It's not great for my business but this really works for me. That said I do miss prompts for important messages like the fact today is World Mental Health Day.

Really we should talk about mental health every day. I try to practice gratitude for my physical and mental health every day. On days when things aren't so good, I practice being kind to myself or try to talk to someone about what is worrying me.

My door is always open, please reach out if you need support ❤️

It’s 🌍 Take that first step to getting help.

Save and share this post and help us make sure there’s no mind left behind.

You could also try 👇

Papyrus Hopeline: 0800 068 4141 PAPYRUS Prevention of Young Su***de

Text SHOUT 85258 Shout

Samaritans Campaign Against Living Miserably The Mix

10/10/2024

Amen - I have released my November and December appointments on my website if you are looking for some relaxation and a reboot.
www.glenfallmassage.co.uk/bookings

Also I have reduced my hours slightly as I try to maintain a good work-life balance ... and factor in increasing taxi duties for my eldest 🙃

02/10/2024

Great advice from Leah Rose Nutrition following this week's BBC Panorama episode on menopause healthcare. If this programme has caused confusion or anxiety please watch Leah's video below...

I was deeply disappointed with this BBC scaremongering. There have been amazing advancements in recent years on having open discussions about perimenopause and menopause healthcare. Don't create fear, segregation and confusion now!

So many women, including myself, have been isolated, unwell and overlooked for receiving support with their menopause care. I have benefitted massively from the free resources Dr Louise Newson (Newson Health) has developed like the balance Menopause app.

Menopause often comes up in my massage clinic and I always recommend accessing this really helpful and free tool to help women track their symptoms. Thank you Dr Louise Newson for that golden nugget of supporting us to track our symptoms when we are totally overwhelmed, have debilitating symptoms like brain fog, insomnia and anxiety and frankly feel lost and "not like ourselves".

Equally my thoughts are with those who have not had positive experiences in their menopause care, whether that was with the NHS or privately. My thoughts are also always with women who are unable to take HRT. I would be lost without mine and I am very grateful I am able to take it.

Please let's keep talking and not judging eachother 🙏

24/09/2024

My amazing sister came to stay at the weekend and we turned the kids play room into a massage room 😂

I missed Strictly (I’m a big fan) but it was totally worth it to be able to gift my sis a lovely relaxation massage. Love you Nems ❤️🙌

❤️

13/05/2024

Repost from The Soul Journey with Sarah Moussa

Wonderful words that can also be applied to massage therapy…

Don’t wait until you are in pain, injured or super stressed to have a massage. Invest in your health proactively and you will reap the rewards.

I offer a block booking and a loyalty scheme to encourage my customers to visit regularly and you save a bit of money along the way. Message me to find out more.

Offering relaxation massage and holistic sports massage in Andoversford, Cheltenham.

Thanks Abi