I’ve had many moments over the past 5/6 weeks of differing emotions, almost like a rollercoaster, as I know many of you have had too. One day I’m peaceful, happy and calm, the next day I’ve been completely knocked sideways, feelings of overwhelm and of being unbalanced. I’ve been extremely tired, I mean exhausted tired, which is so out of character for me. I’ve struggled some days to find any motivation to do anything at all. And all this whilst trying to keep some structure and normality for my children. Its such a surreal time. almost movie like. Is this really happening ? Yes it is, is the answer to that.
During the days that have passed, I’ve been keeping a journal and a gratitude journal. Both have been helpful and having the time and the peace to be able to just be and sit and be in the moment has brought many things to the surface. Memories, some good, some not so good. Fresh ideas for how I want the future to look for me both personally and within my business. I’ve made some decisions in respect of the latter and I’m very excited. Having all this time to hand has made me aware of how our lives are just continuous juggling and spinning of plates, constantly being on the go, rushing from one place to another, multi-tasking like there’s no tomorrow. When do we actually STOP and process everything that we do on a daily basis. I bet if you were to think about that, the answer would be quite often, never at all. I know for me, this unprecendented time has been a ‘wake-up’ call, as I am sure it has been for so many, time to re-assess and re-evaluate what we want from life, how we want things to look once we can resume our ‘new’ lives. What was once perhaps important to us, may not seem so important to us now. Of course this will look different to each and every one of us and that is absolutely okay.
As I mentioned, all this sitting and thinking and being present got me to assess how I want things to look for me. How I want to move things forward with my business. What is it that you, the Client wants from me. So I’ve had a good look back at where it all began and where it is now and where the path is leading me to next. For those of you who know me well, you will know I believe that everything happens for a reason and our paths are already set out for us, yes there are times when we can change course, but it’s already there for us.
It also came as a bit of a shock that it is 3 years ago that I opened the doors to Escape & Rebalance. Perhaps some of you don’t know about my journey, some of you will know all about it. So here goes, a quick recap ……. 3 1/2 years ago I had a breakdown, I won’t go into all the details now, but it was pretty awful and although a very difficult time, it was a turning point too. If I’m being honest with myself, I was actually in this state of breakdown for many many months before it came to a head. I made a tough decision to leave my job of 8 years, which I did love, working as a Learning Mentor in a local Primary School, as it was just not working for me and my family anymore. I needed more of a work/life balance. Luckily for me (and this is why I truly believe that everything happens for a reason), I had trained back in 1999 in Beauty & Holistic Therapy, mainly for something to do in the evenings. When my two eldest boys were very small, I used our spare box room to carry out a few treatments for a few clients and I enjoyed it, but it was just purely to keep me occupied while they were tiny. Life changed quite dramatically for me once I became a mum and I’m sure a lot of you will be nodding your heads in agreement with me here.
Anyway, back to 2017, my life changed for the better. During the time of my breakdown and being at home, recovering, I spent a lot of time looking after myself. I went for regular massages, I continued with yoga, I learned to meditate, I learned mindfulness, I got very creative, knitting, sewing, crafting. Spending time with people that were a positive influence on me and built me up. I walked and found a love of the Lake District. I really began to take care of myself, realising that to enable me to move on and be able to look after my boys, keep the house going and pull myself out of the pit I found myself in, I had to look after myself, really look after myself and not feel guilty about doing it either. I had to be 100% in order to function at full capacity and to be happy. If I was healthy and happy, my family were happy and healthy. You know what – it was tough, some days were just awful, but I did it. I was determined this was not how my life was going to be ! Christmas came and went and I knew I had to make a big decision about my job and I had some ideas floating around my head and I needed to seek advice. Firstly I asked a very dear friend of mine, who is also a Therapist and works for herself, what I was thinking and what she thought of these ideas I had. She said go for it, you will be great. Still unsure, the second person I went to see, was my dad and I knew if anyone would tell me I was making a mistake, it would be my dad. Surprisingly he said it was the best thing he thought I could do. That was all I needed to hear. I booked myself on a Thai Foot Massage course in Manchester, just to make sure I still enjoyed massage and it was really what I could see myself doing. The minute I walked out the door after that course I knew I was making the right decision. I still hadn’t handed my notice in at work because I was so scared. Was I doing the right thing. What if it didn’t work and I couldn’t get any clients. I was worried about my house not being welcoming, because I needed to work from home. I questioned my ability to work for myself, whether I was good enough, did I have enough knowledge. Why would anybody want to come for a treatment here at my home with me ! I talked myself in and out of it so many times, but in the end push came to shove and I just had to go for it. The seed had been planted and it needed to grow. I literally closed my eyes and threw myself into the unknown. I have to say, it was like a weight was lifted from my shoulders and it was then I realised that indirectly, the job had been instrumental in my breakdown, amongst other factors.
So April 2017 Escape & Rebalance was born. I was scared ! However I had to make it work, this was it now. I was very lucky to be surrounded by so many fabulous friends who were all very supportive. Facebook was pivitol in building up a client base and has continued to be so. It is an amazing platform to use. So off I went offering a few beauty treatments, a bit of waxing here, a few gel polish’s there, pedicures, manicures, the odd facial, multiple massages and all from the box room. Fast forward to the beginning of 2019 because this was the year that things changed. The 18 months previous had been great. I had built an amazing client base of lots of lovely clients, both male and female, who I am happy to say, the majority feel like friends and that is how I like it. Not only did I feel extremely privileged to have such fantastic people to work with, I began to notice that the path my business was taking was changing quite dramatically. I was beginning to meet more and more people who came for one reason, but after chatting, it became apparent what they actually needed was something completely different. This is when things changed, the lightbulb moment. Oh my goodness, I could really help people who were going through similar experiences that I myself had gone through. 2019 was my training year. I undertook so much training, right through from January to the end of September and then I needed a break and time to process everything. The last course I undertook in September was Body Balance Activation (BBA) and this was the final piece of the puzzle, because really up until this point I didn’t really know what or why I had chosen to do all the training I had that year. But it all made sense once I had trained in BBA. For those of you who don’t know what BBA is, it is an Energy Healing modality. It is very powerful in clearing blockages throughout your body using your body’s own energy system and works on physical, emotional, mental and consciousness systems. It really is an amazing treatment. Once I had completed the BBA training I began to put a package together, bringing all the training I had done so far, together in a series of 7 weeks to help and support in management of stress and anxiety. I ran the first one as a Pilot in October 2019 and it was a huge success. I am very happy to say that all 7 attendees have moved forwards on their journey and now have the tools to continue to grow and flourish. This was so very exciting for me and I am planning on running a second Workshop very soon, once we are able to commune once again. This has defined for me really where I would like to take Escape & Rebalance. I still enjoy the few beauty treatments I carry out and will continue to do so, but my passion for Wellbeing, Wellness and a healthy Mental Health are as strong as ever and I am now in the process of researching courses to continue my development in this area. I in no way claim to be an ‘expert’ because I believe as individuals we are learning constantly and this is something I strongly believe in, to be open to things that are put in front of you and accept them as a message. I want to be able to offer the very best support I can in each and every possible way to anybody who is experiencing certain difficulties and imbalances in their lives, needing some direction and to bring clarity and balance back and to be able to manage all of life’s rollercoaster rides effectively. I know looking at your body as a whole, mind, body and spirit, holistically, alternatively, all works, because I am living proof of it.
So, lovely people, another Stress & Anxiety Management Workshop is very soon to be offered. Regular Meditation classes will resume as soon as ever possible, but for now continue through a Private Guided Meditation Group through my Facebook Group. I now have a You Tube Channel, which I am still working on, which will soon offer various Meditations. I am having a new Website built and am very excited about this and am looking forward to enrolling on further training to be able to bring more to the table.
I did consider whether I was being too personal here, sharing too much information about myself, but on reflection, I wanted to. This is who I am. My business is a reflection of me and all I believe in and how I feel and what every single person who walks through my door means to me. It is most definately personal. Each time I open my door, whether you’ve been before or it is your first time, I welcome you into my home and my family’s personal space. It’s a big deal for us to share our haven with you, but you are worth it.
If you would like further information on the Workshops, the Meditation or any other treatment I currently offer, please contact me and I will be more than happy to answer any of your questions.
I very much look forward to seeing you very soon, whether you are a regular visitor or a new visitor and sharing space with you.
“ Go confidently in the direction of your dreams – live the life you’ve imaged”
With much love
Wendy
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