Healing ways with Maria Christofi
Although we are grateful for conventional medicine and its advances, here at Beauty Bible we have always been devotees of integrated medicine where complementary therapies are offered by qualified and experienced practitioners alongside the conventional armoury of drugs, surgery and technology.
Over the last decades, we’ve seen a consistent realisation by conventionally trained doctors that integrated medicine is the most helpful way forward. (This includes ‘social prescribing’, now a mainstream NHS resource: see Sarah’s feature here.)
In Hastings, Jo and Amy both turn to Maria Christofi (below) who has practised Chinese medicine and massage for over 20 years. Her history as lead acupuncturist of the IVF Clinic at Hammersmith Hospital in West London until 2011 exemplifies integrated medicine at its best.
As Jo says, ‘adopting a preventive medicine approach to your health is both practical and powerful. I know that Chinese medicine works for me and I completely rely on Maria for health tune-ups. I don’t wait until I’m ill to see her; I consult her regularly at least once a month, more often in winter. Maria has also helped my family, both with physical ailments and anxiety and exhaustion.’
We asked Maria Christofi for simple suggestions that we can all use to help us through these current testing times:
Soak your feet – the absolute golden ritual. This is an effective way to bring warmth into the body, to boost sluggish circulation and to detoxify your system. It also feels incredibly grounding and super relaxing, which is very important for us now. All you need is hot water in a large washing up bowl and some magnesium flakes. Add your favourite essential oils if you like (e.g. immune-supporting rosemary, relaxing lavender, geranium, ylang ylang, or circulation-stimulating peppermint). Light candles for a soft gentle atmosphere.
Practise this ritual in the evening to help you wind down. Turn off phones, tablets and television for at least an hour before bedtime to allow your mind and body to prepare for quality sleep, which is the seed that helps strong immunity to flourish.
Release anxiety with acupressure. When you feel tense, the chest area is often tight and you can instinctively want to release it. Stimulating a point below your rib cage is an effective way to do thIs. Bring both hands together in loose fists so the knuckles rest against each other in the centre of your chest. Keeping them like that, move your hands down your breastbone until they fall into the soft area below your rib cage. Press in a little and take a deep breath – you will feel the release and relief immediately.
Calm your heart. Chanting and toning have been used for millennia to calm and harmonise the mind, body and emotions. Sit in an upright chair, feet planted on the floor, or cross-legged on the floor if you prefer. Breathe in slowly and then as you exhale, gently chant ‘aaaaahhhhhh’ from your upper body. The vibrations give your heart and lungs a gentle massage. Even a few seconds can be enough to reset your system into a calmer mode.
Stimulate the lung area with gua sha. This ancient technique (now often used in facial beauty treatments) uses a tool made from stone, crystal or metal to create friction in the muscular tissues. This boosts blood flow and releases inflammation and toxins.
If you have a special gua sha tool, usually made of jade or rose quartz, do use that (we love Hayo’u Body Restorer/£38). Otherwise, a good substitute is the curved edge of a metal or ceramic dessert spoon, or even the lid of a jam jar.
Breathing deeply and regularly, gently massage in smooth strokes around the upper chest and shoulders, including the furthest end of the collarbone as it joins the shoulder. (This is the acupuncture point Zhongfu, which helps treat respiratory issues and may feel a little tender.) You will see some redness over the area - this is the ‘sha’ signifying the release of toxins and stimulation of blood flow.
Extend your gua sha ritual to your arms and legs, and then soak in a warm bath with Sea Magik Salted - Magnesium Spa Flakes/£5.99 for 1 kilo.
Write out your emotions: getting it all down on paper – in any order, any form (no one else needs to see it) – helps to release the ‘stuff’ we all carry, particularly during these strange and scary times. Read The Artist’s Way: A Course in Discovering and Recovering Your Creative Self by Julia Cameron and/or Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within by Natalie Goldberg.
