Sommer Wagstaff - Holistic Body Therapy Ltd

06/09/2025

September Full moon: Blood Moon eclipse in Pisces

Inviting deep release at the start of Eclipse Season. Something's shifting, and you can feel it. Maybe it's the restless energy that's been building for weeks. The sudden clarity about what needs to change. Or that deep knowing that a chapter of your life is ending, even if you can't see what's coming next. You're not imagining it. Eclipse season is here.

On September 8th (NZ), a Blood Moon in Pisces tears open the veil between what was and what wants to be. This isn't just another full moon, it's a cosmic reset button that begins the most transformative 34 days of the year.

This isn't just an astrological event - it's a cosmic threshold. Eclipse season is a roughly 34-day window when two eclipses fall about two weeks apart. Because they happen in the same season, what culminates or comes to light around September 7-8 often seeds what begins on September 21-22.

In spiritual practice, this creates a potent energetic arc: endings around the lunar eclipse and new beginnings around the solar eclipse. Spiritually, this moment signifies heightened emotions, clarity through contrast, and release through revelation. It's a powerful invitation to reset your energy, close karmic chapters, and step into a more aligned version of yourself. The Pisces Blood Moon reminds us that answers don't always come from logic. They often arrive through intuition, imagination, and trust in what can't yet be seen. This eclipse is an invitation to let go of control and allow your inner knowing to guide the way. - Janet Rae Orth

If you are feeling the need to heal deeply, connect, refresh, re-set, and revitalise yourself then this is for you! This is the ninth full moon for 2025 - we are over half way through the year!

Prepare for the energy of the September full moon eclipse in Pisces, moving through the second half of the year in a more grounded state.

Renewal and transformation is our theme for 2025, ultimately, this is a sacred opportunity to align with our intentions, heal from the past, and envision a brighter, more balanced future. In the spirit of holistic well-being, we invite you to create sacred space for reflection, mindfulness, and self-care. This year is a catalyst for newness and change.

Book in for a bowen therapy session to help reset and embrace $100 for an hour or a ionic foot detox for $60 at Stonefields Om Yoga Studio text or call to book with me 0221978800

30/08/2025

Apricots seeds versus cancer? Aka the body asking for help.
-Step 1. Buy organic apricots
-Step 2. Eat the apricot and save the seed.
-Step 3. Get a mini mallet and crack open the seed. Eat the seed.
-Step 4. You're healed.

Book: World without cancer story of the attack apricot seed.

29/08/2025

Got a text today from a fit, outdoorsy client who’d had a big fall yesterday.
He was surprised he wasn’t nearly as sore as he expected this morning.
His words? “It must be the Bowen treatments – that’s the only thing that makes sense.”

I hear this a lot, especially from farmers and tradies.
Bowen seems to help the body remember balance – so when life throws it off, it can find its way back quicker.

Pretty cool, right?

29/08/2025

26/08/2025

😔 The Sad Reality of High Cortisol: When Your Stress Hormone Becomes Your Silent Saboteur 🔥💧

Cortisol — your built-in alarm system, your “get up and go,” your life-saving stress hormone.
But what happens when this short-term hero becomes a long-term villain?

Let’s uncover the hidden toll of chronically high cortisol — and why it may be silently sabotaging your lymphatic flow, immune resilience, and overall health.

⚠️ Cortisol: A Blessing in Balance, a Curse in Chaos

Cortisol is released by your adrenal glands during stress. It’s designed to:
• Increase alertness
• Raise blood sugar for energy
• Suppress non-essential functions (like digestion & detox)
• Help you survive a crisis

But here’s the reality most don’t talk about…

In today’s world, most people aren’t fighting lions.
They’re fighting inboxes, deadlines, trauma, grief, financial strain, chronic illness… every day.

And that means cortisol never switches off.

😞 The Hidden Damage of High Cortisol

When cortisol remains elevated for weeks, months, or years, it becomes toxic to your system.

Here’s what it does:

🧠 Brain Fog & Mood Swings

Cortisol shrinks the hippocampus (memory center) and disrupts serotonin and dopamine production.
Result: depression, anxiety, emotional numbness.

🛏️ Sleep Disruption

High nighttime cortisol means you feel “tired but wired.”
You fall asleep late, wake up early, and never feel restored.

🍽️ Weight Gain & Belly Fat

Cortisol tells your body to store fat, especially around your abdomen — to “survive” the perceived stress.
It also causes insulin resistance, bloating, and inflammation.

💧 Lymphatic Stagnation

This is where it gets scary:
• Cortisol stiffens fascia, compressing lymph vessels.
• It raises fluid retention by triggering aldosterone imbalances.
• It shuts down detox priorities — because survival doesn’t care about drainage.

Result? Puffy face, swollen limbs, brain fog, sluggish detox, recurring infections, and autoimmune flare-ups.

💔 Heart & Hormone Havoc

Chronically high cortisol:
• Increases blood pressure
• Throws off progesterone and estrogen
• Suppresses thyroid function
• Elevates inflammatory cytokines

This leaves you tired, inflamed, irritable, and disconnected — often without knowing why.

🧬 Is This You? Common Signs of Cortisol Overload:
• Wired but tired
• Puffiness that won’t go away
• Frequent colds or infections
• Midsection weight gain
• Poor sleep and vivid dreams
• Low libido
• Anxiety or “shut down” feelings
• Brain fog and memory lapses
• Sluggish digestion and bloating

🌿 How to Lower Cortisol & Reclaim Balance:
1. Nasal Breathing + Grounding – activates the parasympathetic (healing) state.
2. Manual Lymphatic Drainage (MLD) – gently resets the nervous system and reduces inflammation.
3. Adaptogenic Herbs – ashwagandha, rhodiola, and holy basil can support adrenal recovery.
4. Gentle Movement – like walking, yoga, or rebounding to move lymph without spiking stress.
5. Left Side Sleeping – improves drainage from the heart and calms vagal tone.
6. Screen & Noise Detox – especially before bed.
7. Safe Emotional Release – breathwork, therapy, journaling, crying — your body needs to let go.

💔 Final Thought:

Cortisol was never meant to be your constant companion.
It was meant to protect you — not imprison you.

If you feel like your body is breaking down, your mind is tired, and your soul is flat…
You may not need “more willpower.”
You may need less cortisol.

Let’s not normalize burnout.
Let’s normalize nervous system safety, lymphatic flow, and emotional healing.

Your peace isn’t a luxury — it’s a biological necessity.

📚 References:
• McEwen BS. (2007). Physiology and neurobiology of stress and adaptation: central role of the brain. Physiological Reviews.
• Tsigos C, Chrousos GP. (2002). Hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis, neuroendocrine factors and stress. Journal of Psychosomatic Research.
• van der Kolk, B. (2014). The Body Keeps the Score.
• Fasano A. (2012). Intestinal permeability and systemic inflammation.

©️

25/08/2025

Your Thoughts Are Loud, But That Doesn’t Make Them Right

Ever notice how convincing your brain can be when it’s spiraling?

One weird text, one off day, one awkward pause — and suddenly you’re a failure, an impostor, a total mess.

Mercury retrograde doesn’t help. It turns up the volume on doubt, rewinds old stories, and distorts what’s real.

But remember: Mercury only looks like it’s moving backward. Same with your thoughts. Just because a negative thought appears doesn’t mean it’s true.

Truth bomb: Your brain is built to predict, not prophesize. It’s trying to keep you safe, not accurate. So don’t confuse noise for wisdom.

Why it matters: When you believe every anxious whisper or self-judging script, you live in a reality that’s way harsher than it needs to be. There’s a softer way.

Reflect: If you could mute one recurring thought this week, what would it be—and what might take its place?

Action Step: Every time a thought pops up that drags you down, try this: Pause. Label it. “That’s a fear thought.” Or “That’s a perfectionist loop.” Then decide: Do I want to follow this… or let it pass?
Remember: You are not your thoughts.

You’re the one noticing them. That’s your power.

23/08/2025

Are You Really Letting Yourself Rest?

Look, it’s alright. I’ll be the first to admit, I haven’t really been resting either. My mind and body feel it deeply. Even when I’m “off,” I’m not really off. I’ll sit down for a meal, but in my head, I’m already rushing to the next task. I’ll step away from my laptop, but I’m still replaying emails, unfinished to-dos, and deadlines. I’ll even hurry through something I enjoy, just so I can check it off the list. And when I finally crawl into bed, my brain keeps running laps.
It’s like I never put the weight down, I just carry it into every corner of life. That kind of “rest” leaves the soul starving. No wonder we wake up already tired.

True rest is different. It nourishes. It’s not about being still so you can work again, it’s about being still so you can simply be. It doesn’t have to be complicated. It’s the slow sip of tea where you taste every note. It might be lying on the couch with a book you love, sitting outside for a few minutes, or finally letting yourself nap without guilt. It’s the kind of pause that leaves you feeling a little more like yourself afterward.

It feels unnatural at first, even uncomfortable, because we’re so used to measuring our worth by output. But that’s exactly why we need it.
I’m still figuring it out, too. Some days I manage five deep breaths. Other days, I forget until my body reminds me with headaches, fogginess, or that heavy ache behind the eyes. And maybe that’s the point: rest isn’t something you “achieve.” It’s something you return to, over and over, in small ways.

So if you’re like me, feeling stretched and restless even in your downtime, maybe today, just for a moment, stop. Drink some water. Let your shoulders drop. Lie down in a dark room and breathe. The world can wait. Your soul cannot.

22/08/2025

The next time you’re about to reach for your phone, take 10 seconds to do one thing your future self will quietly thank you for. It could be folding the blanket you left on the couch or closing the tab that’s been nagging you open for days. These tiny resets stack up — making tomorrow feel a little kinder.
It’s small now, but soon you’ll see how it changes the weight of your whole day.

20/08/2025

“Remember, you have been criticizing yourself for years and it hasn’t worked. Try approving of yourself and see what happens.”

Louise L. Hay

Think about that for a second. How much energy have you spent tearing yourself down, replaying those same old harsh thoughts that don’t serve you? Why don’t you start giving yourself a break? Not because you have to, but because you deserve it.

Self-approval isn’t about being perfect or getting it right every time. It’s about choosing kindness for yourself in the moments you need it most. So when that inner critic shows up, try flipping the script. Say something true, gentle, and real. It might just change the way you move through your days.
You’ve been your toughest judge for too long. Maybe it’s time to be your own best ally.

19/08/2025

Try Bowen Therapy Fridays or after 4pm during the week Om Yoga Studio $100 per session for 1 hour
Text or call tp book 0221978800

Bowen can help your lymph system ⭐️✨⭐️

💚 The Lymphatic System: Your Body’s Hidden Hero

✨ It doesn’t make a sound — but it saves your life every day.

We often talk about the heart that beats, the lungs that breathe, and the brain that thinks.
But have you ever heard about the system that works in silence — removing toxins, fighting infections, balancing fluids, and supporting immunity?

Meet your lymphatic system — the most overlooked yet essential part of your body’s wellness network.

🌿 What Is the Lymphatic System?
The lymphatic system is like your body’s drainage and defense network.
It’s made up of:

Lymph vessels – highways that transport lymph
Lymph nodes – filtering stations packed with immune cells
Lymphoid organs – including the spleen, thymus, tonsils, and bone marrow
MALT & GALT – immune tissue lining your gut and mucous membranes
It’s a one-way system, meaning fluid only flows in one direction — away from your tissues and toward the heart, eventually emptying back into the blood via the subclavian veins.

And here’s the catch:
🫀 It has no pump. It relies entirely on your movement, breath, hydration, and nervous system to flow.

💧 What Is Lymph Fluid?
Lymph is a clear, protein-rich fluid that originates from the 20 liters of plasma filtered out of your capillaries each day.
Most of that fluid is reabsorbed — but around 3 liters remain behind in the tissues and must be collected by the lymphatics.

This fluid carries:

Cellular waste
Dead cells
Pathogens
Environmental toxins
Excess interstitial fluid
Fats (from the gut)
Immune messengers
If this waste doesn’t drain… it stagnates.
And stagnation = inflammation, swelling, fatigue, and immune burnout.

🦠 What Do Lymph Nodes Actually Do?
Lymph nodes are biological security scanners.

As lymph fluid flows through a node, T-cells, B-cells, and macrophages check for invaders (like viruses, bacteria, or even cancer cells).
If something is detected, the node mounts an immune response — often swelling as white blood cells multiply.

Fun fact:
👂 You have around 600 lymph nodes in your body — mostly clustered in the neck, armpits, chest, abdomen, and groin.

🧠 Did You Know Your Brain Has Lymph, Too?
Until recently, doctors believed the brain had no lymphatic system.

But in 2015, researchers discovered the glymphatic system — a brain-based drainage pathway that clears toxins and metabolic waste during deep sleep.
It helps remove substances like:

Beta-amyloid (linked to Alzheimer’s)
Tau proteins
Excess fluid and inflammatory debris
💤 This is why deep, uninterrupted sleep is critical for brain detox and mental clarity.

🤒 How Do You Know If Your Lymph Is Sluggish?
Your lymphatic system will send you signals when it's overloaded.
Watch out for these signs:

Puffy eyes or facial swelling
Persistent fatigue
Brain fog or low mental clarity
Swollen ankles or hands
Cellulite or skin breakouts
Hormonal imbalances (especially estrogen dominance)
Frequent infections, allergies, or immune flares
Digestive bloating and food sensitivities
When lymph flow slows, toxins back up, and the immune system becomes reactive and inflamed.

🌱 How Can You Support Your Lymphatic System?
Fortunately, your lymph LOVES gentle support — no fancy tools required!

💧 1. Hydrate generously – Aim for 30–40 ml per kg of body weight
🚶 2. Move your body – Walking, rebounding, stretching, dancing
🫁 3. Breathe deeply – Your diaphragm is a lymphatic pump
🖐 4. Lymph drainage therapy – Especially in areas of swelling or fatigue
🧴 5. Castor oil packs – Especially over the liver or abdomen
🥗 6. Anti-inflammatory diet – Limit dairy, sugar, and processed food
🛌 7. Prioritize sleep – For glymphatic (brain lymph) detox
🌿 8. Support gut health – 70% of immune tissue is in your gut lymph (GALT)

🔬 BONUS: Why Lymphatic Support Helps with Hormones
Your lymph system clears estrogen metabolites and inflammatory messengers.
If lymph is congested, these compounds recirculate, which can worsen:

PMS
Endometriosis
Acne
Weight gain
Anxiety
Supporting lymph flow helps restore hormonal balance — naturally.

🌈 Final Thought:
Your lymphatic system is more than just a detox tool.
It’s a living, breathing communication network that links immunity, circulation, digestion, and hormonal health.

It doesn’t force. It doesn’t shout.
It whispers: “Flow with me, and I will protect you.”
e

16/08/2025

I had a client ask me today if her puffy ankles were a normal part of getting older.

For me the answer is no, they’re not a normal part of getting older. It can be common, but it doesn’t make it something we should accept.

Because as with most symptoms, they’re a sign that things aren’t quite right.

So what can puffy ankles represent?

Ultimately, it’s a sign that there’s insufficient fluid removal power from the lower limb.

What system does this come under?

The lymphatic system.

Our lymphatic systems flow in one direction, upwards towards the heart.

When there’s congestion at one of the many sites on the way north, however, our lymphatic fluid cannot just re-route and find another highway to follow.

This means we get backed up flow. And so we can develop puffy ankles because the sites north of our ankles are congested, inflamed or traffic jammed, and the fluid has nowhere to go.

And this is something we shouldn’t neglect or ignore. Because if theres lymphatic congestion there is inflammation, and if there’s congestion within the gut cavity (which is 99.9% a given if you have puffy ankles) it can be a sign of long term systemic inflammation that is likely creating a hurricane of other symptoms within you.

In this instance however, it’s not really the ankles that are the problem. Nor will the ankles probably grizzle about the situation.

Instead the congested lymphatic system can manifest as many other symptoms (headaches, skin issues, autoimmunity, inexplicable pain, constipation, brain fog etc) because ultimately a congested lymphatic system means inflammation within the body is building up. I’d go so far as to say puffy ankles is a red flag and should absolutely be checked and addressed 🙌

This is because our lymphatic system is our waste disposal system - and if we cannot eliminate our waste our body bathes in it. And then we can liken it to living in a block of toilets in which the plumbing has faltered - aka stinky, smelly and unsanitary.

So back to the question of puffy ankles being normal…

It’s my thoughts that if you observe that you have puffy ankles (and you haven’t had recent injury to your ankles) then I’d encourage you to embrace some lymphatic stimulation and drainage, as well as understanding what might be behind the lymphatic congestion. And doing so sooner rather than later would be my encouragement 🙏🤞

Because the puffy ankles can be seen in my eyes as the messenger to other things going on in the body 🙌

Love your body.
Love your lymph.