NG2 Studio

I thought it time I posted a few pics showing the new workspace at my home. Located on the first floor, next year we are hoping to have a balcony/sun terrace to walk out onto.  The room, when time allows will get a few pictures put up and a some other fixtures & fittings to complement the colours & decor.

The room is a very quiet and relaxing space.  I can offer massage treatments here with the exception of Chair Massage but a similar Indian Head Treatment is available.  I also offer Spray Tan treatments here too.  I can treat clients here Monday to Wednesday day time, and Monday to Friday evenings up to 8pm. 

Here is a link to google maps showing whereabouts I am; https://maps.google.co.uk/maps?hl=en&tab=wl

As at Little London, payments are cash/cheques only.

Hope to see you soon.

My fat loss story

As those of you who follow me on Facebook or Twitter(@synergymichael if you are interested), the last 6 months have seen me shed almost 12kg of unwanted flab!  I'm now being asked on a regular basis how I did it and what what my secret is, and I'm embarrassed really cos to be honest,on the surface, I haven't done that much different.  Now I am finding my  loss is inspiring others, which is great, but apart from a few little tweaks here and there to my diet, I'm still basically eating foods I've always liked, and having a glass or 2 of wine in an evening and still achieving my goals.

So what prompted me to start losing the weight?  As someone who has always attended some gym or fitness club since the early 90's, I was of the mindset that I could eat what I liked cos I trained hard, so I must burn it all off. 

Over the years, yes I have gone up a few sizes in jeans, but you know I'm fit, I go to fitness classes, I must be building muscle. Friends & colleagues compliment you on how good you are looking cos you work out and eat fairly sensibly so the fact that I don't like seeing my body in tight clothing any more is not an admission of getting bigger, but a realisation that I'm getting older and dressing more age appropriate. Yes, my tummy does wobble a little bit and I don't like looking at myself in the mirror and I've bought a pair of Gok slimming pants for men, still does not mean I have a problem.  I was well and truly in denial. My other half even says that I need to lose a few pounds which I take as a personal attack. What does he know, he doesn't even train that often, I do, and I'm ok.  

What set my mind off that I was fighting a losing battle with the flab came after the International Fitness Convention at Blackpool in March.  All those fab looking fit people everywhere, me with my fleece on covering up my stomach despite it being a scorcher of a weekend, not because I was fat, but I had my business details on the back!  I saw a picture of myself taken with some friends, and the first thing I thought to myself was "FFS! You are a fat bastard!" Not as in huge but so unlike how I thought I was looking in my head.

Me on the left with friends at IFS March 2012. 

What happened then was a few weeks of "I'll start making a difference on Monday", Sunday would arrive the following week, "Oh tomorrow, for sure" etc etc.  A dear friend then put me onto a free app for my phone called myfitnesspal, which allowed you to monitor your exercise, food & drink intake, and stay below an agreed amount of calories.  Being slightly sceptical at the best of times, I downloaded it and thought I'd give it a try for a few days.  It has a bit of social media attached to it as well so would fit in with my Facebook/Twitter routine.  I have used it everyday since without fail; it has changed the way I view food, what I'm putting in, how I exercise etc.  The weight began to gradually come off, 1-2 lbs a week, I was amazed but thought it wouldn't last.  As the weeks progressed, others started to notice a distinct change in my shape which spurred me on.  I began to alter the way I exercised, and take on board nutritional advice from experts on twitter and whom I know personally such as Rachel Holmes and her clean eating/Kick start Fat Loss programme & introducing short high intensity workouts into my gym stuff on top of the other classes I was doing.  No longer was I downing loads of toast and low fat cereals for breakfast, I was, for example, having a chicken omelette.  Lunch- bye bye a good old fashioned plate of fish fingers or fish cakes, I was tuna steaks and veg.  I binned all the low fat/low sugar/fat free foods after watching a series of programmes on BBC2 due to the hidden sugars/chemicals etc in them. These programmes were both enlightening & frightening.  I have virtually given up bread as well as my all time fave baked beans, just to reduce the constant bloating I was experiencing. My incidences of attacks of IBS have reduced too.

So here I am, in October, 25lbs lighter, 5 inches off my waist, wearing clothes that have been sat idly in the loft for the best part of 10 years, feeling much better about myself (yes I think some of my anxiety issues were due in part to my weight but refused to admit to them as I couldn't look at myself).  A health check last month, told me I am at an ideal weight for my height & build and age, my risk of heart disease, diabetes etc is almost negligible and that I was fitter than I was 14 years ago!  This got me to thinking, how bad would it have been if i hadn't had that photo taken months before and kept my head buried in the sand!  Still, moving forward, I intend to continue with the app, the cleaner eating, the training more sensibly;I wish to lose another 8-10lbs for myself and prove that I can do it, not because I have to.  I put another one of my sources of anxiety and confidence bashers to bed this week;  Because i subconsciously knew I was bigger than I liked, I would never venture into the gym swimming pool.  10 years passed of paying for it and not using it.  6 years had passed since I'd swam anywhere, the last being at my cousins' pool in Memphis in 2006, and that had been a struggle to take my kit off in the Tennessee heat for fear of having to look at myself or anyone else having to also.

Here we are again at Big One North, September 2012

With the legendary Rachel Holmes after another 2 classes at Virginactive Nottingham

  

Several Mondays ago I finally did it, I went swimming in the gym pool.  I cycled for ages trying to talk myself out of it, trunks under my shorts, as I feared ridicule from others or self loathing from myself. To say my legs were wobbly when I eventually got in to change is a fair assessment of the torture I was putting myself through.  But I did it, and felt a rush of emotion that is hard to describe without welling up again, but a sense of achievement let's say.  I even did it in a pair of such skimpy speedos so part of my head was thinking positively somewhere.  30 lengths completed and out.  I'm now make it a weekly thing, as to quote the book, "I faced the fear and did it anyway". 

See, told you nothing earth shattering was the cause of my new shape, its been a journey of self rediscovery if I'm honest in some respects, and what has worked for me might not work for someone else.  I think I've learnt not to give up, persevere and be strong, and through sheer bloodymindedness you can achieve your goal, be it weight loss or anything else.  Don't beat yourself up if you have a cheat day and then think all your hard work is wasted, it's not.  Just get back on it the next day.  I was told to regularly have a blow out and eat what you want for 24 hours; your body, so used to being sensible that this shock of to the system encourages it to work harder.  I was dubious at first, not wanting to put the pounds back on and I'd levelled out and not lost for 3 weeks, but I had the huge tray of chips and kebab meat and when I weighed myself the following week, I'd lost 3 pounds!! So that's hat I do, every 2 weeks, I eat what I like for 24 hours.  Funny thing is now, my stomach has shrunk so much, I can't eat as much of it anyway :)

Don't be disheartened, small steps, be sensible and persevere, and you can achieve those goals.

Treatment Menu Spring 2013

Below is a copy of my most current treatment menu.  You will notice that a * next to a particular choice is available at my NG2 address too though I do not offer facial treatments here.

*denotes available at NG2

GIFT VOUCHERS AVAILABLE; PLEASE ASK MICHAEL FOR MORE DETAILS

*PREGNANCY MASSAGE

Massage in pregnancy is a great way to ease out physical aches & pains, as well as soothing stress & anxiety.  When your back aches, your legs are swollen & sore; this may be just the treatment for you.  Lying on your side, you can choose from an upper body massage or a full body massage, you decide.

Upper Body; 40mins £25

Full Body; 60mins £35

(After the first trimester, providing no under lying medical conditions e.g. eclampsia)

*BODY MASSAGE

Ease away muscle tension; address those aches & pains with a firm, deep tissue massage with Therapeutic Vibration Massage which penetrates deeper into muscle fibres for an even more effective result. Blended essential oils are used to relax the mind and heal the body, allowing stress to slip away.  

Therapeutic Vibration Massage may also aid in body detoxification and weightloss as part of a balanced diet and exercise programme.

Regular massage is an ideal way of avoiding injuries caused from sports, over exertion or after a period of inactivity.

*EXPRESS MASSAGE 30MINS £15

For time & budget conscious clients; choose from Back, Indian Head (seated), and Foot.

*FULL BODY MASSAGE 75MINS £38

Using a fusion of massage techniques to ease away tension & discomfort within the body; Legs, arms, glutes (remain covered), back, feet, scalp is treated.

*BACK MASSAGE 45MINS £26

Michael’s most popular massage;A highly therapeutic treatment to choose if you are prone to stiffness, tight shoulders, lower back pain etc.  Michael uses deep pressure to achieve results which is why this has become a firm favourite amongst fitness professionals. If you want to feel like you’ve had a massage rather than a gentle light stroke over your muscles, this is the treatment for you! Try it for yourself today.

*LEG MASSAGE 45MINS £26

To ease tightness in the lower limbs, as an aid to injury recovery, or as an injury prevention method

*ABDOMINAL MASSAGE 35mins £20

Gently rebalances the digestive tract, easing problems associated with constipation and bloating.

SKINCARE

Using wherever possible natural skin products that do not contain damaging alcohol or parabens

A good skincare routine is essential to maintain skin health & prevent premature ageing.

Suitable for both sexes, everyone can now look great on the outside and feel fantastic inside.

Facials include steam cleanse and extraction by request

SO SIMPLE FACIAL 50MINS £30

Skin maintenance made easy; ideal way to refresh & rebalance the complexion.  Includes relaxing facial massage. For all skin types.

COLLAGEN FIRMING GEL FACIAL

50MINS £30

Using plant derived collagen, this anti-ageing facial firms the skin, softens the appearance of fine lines, leaving your skin wonderfully soft. All skin types

REHYDRATING FACIAL

50MINS £30

For dry, stressed skin.  Boosts hydration levels in facial tissues.  Includes facial massage

DEEP CLEANSE FACIAL/BACIAL

50MINS £30

All skin types but especially oily, blemished, teenage skin.  Impurities are removed, bacteria are diminished, oil levels are rebalanced, blemishes are soothed, leaving the skin looking and feeling happier. Great for razor burn too.

NB: This treatment also available to treat blemished shoulders & backs. (Bacial)

*ROSE & FRANKINCENSE FACIAL MASSAGE

35MINS £15

A relaxing and rejuvenating stand alone facial massage, Michael uses a subtle blend of oils to help you switch off & find an inner peace. Areas treated incl arms, shoulders, décolleté, neck & face.  Muscles are conditioned, firmed and toned, skin feels softer, and your complexion is enhanced as the natural balance of oils is restored. The massage is also a great way to lower stress levels which can also affect the appearance of the skin.

All skin types, especially mature.

*LASH/BROW TINT AND TIDY

Tints £10 up to 30mins

Brow tidy £8(with tint £16)

*HOPI EAR CANDLES

50MINS £15 at Little London, £10 at NG2 whilst stocks last

This treatment can help ease the symptoms of excessive ear wax, sinus problems, glue ear, snoring, tinnitus etc. A great way to rebalance ear pressure after flying, swimming or prolonged exposure to loud music.  Concludes with a facial massage to drain, release & remove toxins.

Corporate & Home Wellness parties also catered for.  Please ask for details on which treatments can be offered

TO BOOK, CALL MICHAEL ON;

0779 408 4666

Cancellations; at least 24hrs notice is required; failure to do so will incur a fee of £10 or 50% of the price of the treatment missed, whichever is the greater.

Email me at; synergy-therapies@gmx.co.uk

*More treatments available online at;

www.michaelbondholistics.webs.com

 Follow me on social media sites

Facebook.com/michaelsynergy

 @synergymichael

 michaelsynergy.blogspot.com

Stress & negativity on the body

As I sit and write this on yet another miserable Autumn evening in the UK, I found my mind drifting back to a passage I read in the book I am currently reading, Tapping for Life by Janet Thomson MSc.  In a concise way as possible, this book explains and demonstrates how by using Thought Field Therapy(TFT) through a series of specific tapping routines along the energy meridians of the body, negative behaviour, emotional traumas, fears and phobias can be treated, enabling individuals to move beyond these feelings that are holding them back into a more motivated, positive future.

So here I am, sat grumbling at the awful weather, getting more and more fed up and bored.  But what are these thoughts doing to my body? In fact what do all negative thoughts, feelings of stress & depression etc do to our bodies?  This book looks at these feelings from a different angle; by looking at them as verbs (ie things you do), you can say you do stress as opposed to an infectious disease such as flu, when you can state that you have flu rather than doing it. Confused? I was as well and I'm reading it!

So is there proof that negativity really has an affect on the body? It would appear so.  Quoting research by Bruce Lipton PhD who looked into the effects of thoughts & emotions on our cells.  He views cells as memory disks in a computer which can be programmed by external forces(eg our thoughts).  In effect our thoughts can programme our cells, our emotions, beliefs are absorbed into the living cells of our bodies;  So quite literally we become what we think!  Again, the link between mind/body is brought into play and how often have we heard that before, so there must be something in it, right?

Moving onto another body of research, this time from Japan, a doctor of alternative medicine, Dr Masaru Emotos.  The actual logistics of his experiments are not mentioned( for the cynics out there, a bit like myself, I can see the eyeballs rolling and hear the tuts of disbelief), however is research looked into the power of our thoughts on water.  Water adapts to its external environment;eg it freezes when it's cold, evaporates when it is hot.  His research demonstrated the change in water when exposed to different thoughts and words, one sample to good vibes and positivity, the other to more negative thoughts.  How this is done is again not mentioned, ( I had visions of lots of people with tourettes swearing at a bowl of water when I first read it).  After the water had been exposed, it was then frozen, and then the ice crystals were examined.  The negative sample showed ice crystals that were deemed ugly as opposed to the positive sample, where the crystals were beautifully ornate.  His research also included blessing water from polluted areas, freezing it then examining the changes.  His research was published in the book "Messages from Water" and below is one of the pictures demonstrating the change in the type of ice crystal formed

To conclude this particular section with all this information, the author asks the reader to consider how as beings we are all roughly 75% water, all our metabolic reactions in cells occur in a wet environment, and then to think how our own negativity might actually effect our own cells and their structure, it is therefore an important feature of our own well being and good health to perhaps start altering our thoughts to help generate some good looking healthy cells.  

I am always a cynic, and I'll leave you to make up your own mind. I had a hard time coming to terms with aspects of The Secret, that our thoughts and the energy behind them create our lives and everything within them.  Maybe there is something to this and it is something to consider and draw from it what we will. I will add one interesting thought.  Since I started being more upbeat in my life several months ago, I have definitely had more of a feeling of wanting to achieve more and strive to better.  And I have also lost 24lbs in weight, by following just a few little basic rules about food & nutrition. How’s that for wanting you to take a more positive spin on your life.  And who cares if it’s still raining….. 

Welcome to the new blog

Welcome to my new look blog, I hope that as the next few weeks and months progress, to be able to keep adding lots of interesting content.  If you have joined me from my previous blog, thank you for making the swap.  

The reason for all this change?  I realised some time ago that I was sending out a lot of mixed messages where my business was concerned;  I'd be known as one thing on one page, and something entirely different elsewhere, usually with a different colour scheme and/or logo.  Over the past month or so I have been steadily sorting all of this out, creating a single logo/colour scheme/message for my work.

My in-store leaflets and promotional flyers have all been tweaked as well; it feels like I am finally on the a track that is finally right for me and my vision of what I want to be doing and the type of client I'm wishing to attract as well as not upsetting the ones i already have.  I think the term "upping my game" seems to make much sense to me at the minute.

As all of this has been occurring, I have finally started accepting clients to my home based studio.  Although all the DIY isn't over yet, I am at last in a nice enough position to open my doors and start working from home.

Once again, thanks for finding this page and please do keep returning as I continue to add more content.

MB