Wellbeing

Age-defying therapies

Try these complementary practices to feel instantly younger from the inside and out

Acupressure

“Acupressure is a traditional Chinese therapy that involves applying pressure, normally with the fingertips, to points around your body to stimulate sluggish ‘qi’ energy flow,” explains David James Lees, traditional Chinese medicine practitioner and therapist (wuweiwisdom.com). “Stimulating your kidney energy is vital for overall health as you age. This is because there is a powerful acupressure point in the centre of your lower back known as ‘ming men’ or ‘gate of vitality’, which is positioned directly over your kidneys. Pressing this will help boost your energy levels and general wellbeing. There is also a range of anti-ageing acupressure points around your face, head and neck that can be used to revitalise the facial muscles, plus improve general complexion and skin tone.” To try acupressure for yourself, apply firm (but not painful) pressure on each point with your index finger, or you can use a pencil with a soft rubber at the end. Do this for one minute and repeat if you wish.

Try these for yourself

• Third eye point – located in the middle of your forehead between your eyebrows. Pressing this point is thought to stimulate the pituitary gland to enhance skin health and relieve fatigue.

• Heavenly glow point – located behind your jawbone and a few centimetres below your earlobes. This is thought to improve facial muscle tone and firmness.

Acupuncture

Acupuncture, the therapy of inserting needles into the body as a means of stimulating its own healing chemicals, can be very helpful in treating a wide range of health issues that are typically associated with ageing. “To help support your hormone balance, brain functioning, bone strength, hearing, eyesight and teeth as they age, it’s important to tonify the kidney energy,” says David. “A powerful acupuncture point is ‘kidney 3’, also known as ‘supreme stream’, which is at the source point of the kidney energy channel, located close to the inner ankle. Many people suffer from tightness and stiffness in their joints and muscles as they age. In combination with rebalancing the kidney energy and supporting the liver energy, this can be very effective in helping ease any general aches and pains. Another great point for this is ‘liver 3’, also known as ‘great rushing’, which is on the top of the foot. Your skin condition will naturally decline as you age. If you’re suffering from particularly dry or sagging skin, then stimulating the lung energy acupuncture points can help revitalise your skin, which is the largest organ in the body. Facial acupuncture also tonifies the face and neck muscles and boosts circulation in these areas. Maintaining your physical energy levels is essential as you age. A very powerful acupuncture point for a revitalising treatment is ‘stomach 36’, also known as ‘leg three miles’, below the knee – so if you want to run a marathon in your old age, this point is for you!”

Aromatherapy

“Essential oils have many anti-ageing benefits due to each of them having nuanced functions that work actively on physical and emotional problems,” says Michelle Roques- O’Neil, founder of Therapie Roques O’Neil (roquesoneil.com). “Often people do not fully comprehend the immense versatility and accuracy these oils offer. Physical imbalance is a result of emotional stress which can impact on many physical functions including hormones. This can affect your vitality. Many essential oils are phytoestrogens (substances found in certain plants which can produce effects similar to that of the hormone oestrogen) and are easily absorbed through your skin. Due to this they help to reduce dryness, as well as enhance skin tone, particularly in mature skin. After a few sessions, you will notice a visible difference. Key oils that promote skin rejuvenation and health include patchouli, as it’s moisturising, geranium, as it heals and improves circulation, and rose, which is anti-inflammatory and refining.”

Reflexology

“This ancient art is immensely powerful and targets the feet and the hands,” explains Michelle. “Most of your nerve endings can be located in your feet. By stimulating a series of points, you can influence your body’s internal balance. Your feet are like a map, with the spinal column running up the arch of each foot, and the head and neck at the big toe, and continues to reflect the layout of your body with the hips and pelvis at the heels. A practitioner will work systematically across this map, focusing on areas that feel blocked or have ‘grittiness’. An aromatherapy body oil can be used to enhance this treatment, as your feet are one of the quickest body parts to absorb essential oils. Reflexology can help to clear deep physical blockages, influence hormonal balance and detoxify. Collectively, it will boost body health, relaxation and vitality, and profoundly enhance repair and rejuvenation.” Try it for yourself!

Osteopathy

“Ageing means a loss of fluid, especially when you compare this to babies who are made up of more than 70 percent water,” explains osteopath Avni Trivedi (avni-touch.com). “As we age, this figure drops to less than 60 percent. Osteopathic treatment, which is the process of detecting, treating and preventing health problems by moving, stretching and massaging muscles and joints, can help. It maintains fluid circulation around your body, including blood, lymphatics (that get rid of waste and transport infection-fighting white blood cells) and cerebrospinal fluid (that nourishes the nervous system), as well as keeping cells plump and healthy. Having regular osteopathy will keep your spine and other joints moving, freeing large muscle groups, such as the gluteals in the buttocks, to do their job. Osteopathy looks at the fascial connections – connective tissues which form a web-like structure throughout your entire body – and works by a principle called tensegrity, which uses tension and compression to keep your body working well. When the fascia isn’t doing its job, your body is prone to sagging, especially at the front in places such as your neck, chest and belly. Osteopathy works with tensegrity to ensure there’s more uplift against gravity.”

Massage therapy

“Massage therapy is not to be mistaken simply for its pampering benefits,” says Tom Austin, founder of Tom Austin Massage and Sports Therapy (tomaustin.org). “A good massage will not only improve physical and mental health, but the various techniques that a massage therapist uses will also help to stimulate circulation and blood flow. This encourages collagen cell growth, which keeps your skin rejuvenated and healthy. Most therapists are taught to work towards the different lymph nodes, and these are responsible for flushing all the waste products that accumulate around the soft tissues into the lymphatic system. By reducing the toxic waste build-up under your skin this maintains the look of youth. Massage therapy is also well known for its stress-relieving properties, and stress is a contributing factor to ageing. When being massaged, a hormone called oxytocin is released, which activates the parasympathetic nervous system, not only slowing down your breathing and heart rate but also relaxing muscles. Finally, the most obvious way in which massage therapy decreases signs of ageing is by maintaining correct posture. The more flexibility within muscles, and the increased range of motion in the joints, the younger you are going to feel.”