The Sanctuary Holistic Therapies

31/12/2025

Best wishes Everyone for 2026 🥰

25/12/2025

Merry Christmas Everyone and best wishes for 2026🙏🧑‍🎄

21/12/2025

The Winter Solstice marks the longest night of the year. A powerful pause point in the natural cycle. It is a time that invites stillness, reflection and deep rest, reminding us that renewal does not begin with doing, but with being.

In holistic traditions, this turning of the wheel symbolises the return of the light, both around us and within us. Just as nature slows, restores and gathers its energy beneath the surface, we too are invited to listen inwardly. To honour fatigue, acknowledge what has been carried, and release what no longer needs our energy.

For reflexologists and holistic practitioners, this moment is a gentle reminder of the body’s innate wisdom. Even in periods of quiet or darkness, healing is taking place. The nervous system softens, balance recalibrates, and the seeds of growth are quietly forming.

As the days slowly begin to lengthen, may this solstice offer you permission to rest without guilt, to trust your body’s rhythms, and to step into the coming season with grounded intention rather than urgency.

Wishing you a peaceful and nourishing Winter Solstice. ❄️💜

21/12/2025

Happy Winter Solstice🙏

04/12/2025

Look out in clear skies tonight for the final full moon of the year the Cold Moon, which is so named after the long and dark nights as winter's grip tightens. But, falling in the festive season, it's also often referred to as Moon before Yule or Long Nights Moon 🌕

01/12/2025

Dear December,
Please bring peace, cheer & magic ❤️ x

30/11/2025

A gentle reminder that your feet have supported you through every step of this week. 👣 👣
They carry your weight, your pace, your responsibilities - often without a second thought.
As we head into the weekend, take a moment to acknowledge that work and offer your feet a little care and gratitude.
In reflexology, we view the feet as a detailed map of the body, and even brief awareness can help create a sense of grounding, balance and ease.
Here’s to a calm, steady start to your weekend! 💙 👣

29/11/2025

18/11/2025

Reflexology is much more than some people think it is. It’s calmer shoulders, deeper breaths, and your nervous system going, “Ahhhhhh, finally.” 💆🙌💜

   

17/11/2025

It’s not unusual to feel sleepy, heavy, or even emotionally drained after a reflexology session, and it’s actually a good sign that your body is responding.

Reflexology activates the parasympathetic nervous system - the “rest and digest” branch responsible for slowing the heart rate, lowering blood pressure, and triggering recovery processes. When the body shifts out of a chronic stress state (sympathetic dominance), it finally has permission to relax, repair, and rebalance.

That deep relaxation can sometimes feel like fatigue, especially if your system has been running on adrenaline or stress hormones for a long time. The tiredness isn’t a side effect. It’s a signal that your body is resetting its internal balance.

📚 Research supports this response:

Studies, including McVicar et al. (Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice, 2007), show measurable reductions in heart rate, blood pressure, and anxiety levels following reflexology - clear indicators of parasympathetic activation.

A 2011 pilot study published in the Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine found that reflexology sessions produced significant decreases in salivary cortisol (the body’s main stress hormone), reinforcing the link between reflexology and stress reduction.

Improvements in sleep quality and relaxation have been documented across multiple clinical settings, from cancer care to maternity wards, all pointing to the same physiological mechanism of rest and regulation.

💧 How to support your body afterward:

Drink water to help the body process metabolic by-products released during deep relaxation.

Avoid caffeine or alcohol immediately after your session to prolong the calm.

Rest if you can, even a short nap or quiet time helps integrate the benefits.

Feeling tired after reflexology is simply your body exhaling and catching up on the rest it’s been asking for. 😴

15/11/2025

Acupuncture Council of Ireland The ACI is responsible for the regulation and maintenance of a Register of Acupuncturists in Ireland. Only suitably qualified and insured practitioners can become members of ACI. All members are bound by a Code of Ethics and Code of Practice, which is enforced by the E...