Best FACE forward

Although cleansing facialsleave my skin glowingin the short term, it soonreturns to its natural dullstate, The reason for thisis that my inner anatomy

needs addressing much more than the outer,Finding this non-invasive japanese facialreflexology treatment is a boon for this reasonsince it isn't like a superficial facial, rather aninvigorating facial massage with beautifyingside effects,

'The japanese Facelift' is very popular withcelebrity and public figures in japan, Thefacelift can be used as a one-off enhancingtreatment before a special occasion, or as aseries of treatments over a sustained period,helping to improve the overall texture of theskin, The theory of the facial describes thatworking on certain facial pressure pointscan promote inner well-being and restoreunderlying energy imbalances,

Holistic therapist and founder, LoneSorensen Lopez studied reflexology inDenmark over a period of 26 years, She wasinspired by the Mapuche Indians she sawmassaging each other's faces when she wastravelling in South America, Despite havingsuch a rich heritage, the treatment is stillquite new in the UK.

The facial uses a new japanese techniquenot only to lift and contour the fac'e, but itactivates the 24 neuro-points located on theface, It also combines elements of facialreflexology and lymphatic drainage withspecialist massage techniques, As well astreating the outer layer of the epidermis,it also works on the meridians and thefacial nerves on a deeper level, ensuring abalancing effect for the whole body,

Improved circulationThe treatment improves local bloodcirculation and helps to eliminate toxinsand oxygenate tissues, It also stimulates theproduction of collagen and elastin, which are'essential for good skin quality, The massageis profoundly relaxing, with most peoplefalling asleep and/or achieving a deep stateof relaxation, Continuous treatments canreduce wrinkles, flaccidity, and improve thetexture of the skin, It also helps to eliminatepigmentation spots, acne, and preventssigns of premature ageing, It dissolves stressand tension, improves sleep patterns andenergises the whole body, It is also possibleto improve the emotional state by stimulatingclassic acupuncture points in the face,

I arrived late at Rupert French's practicein a panic with only 45 minutes left for thetreatment instead of 60 minutes, I was anxiousthat I would be unable to relax during thefacial, However Rupert assured me otherwise,

He applied rosetta mosqueta organicoil on my face to prevent the skin fromdragging during massage, He began bygently massaging the acupuncture points onmy face in a circular motion, Then he beganmassaging my face with more intensity,firmness and pressure feeling beneath thesurface of my skin for internal imbalances,Only 10 minutes into the treatment, I beganto drift off and the only thing that my mindwas conscious of was the steady rhythmof my heartbeat. In previous treatments,even though my body felt revived, my mindwas always still thinking about my 'to do'list when I get out. However, this treatmentactually addressed that issue, and made mefinally 'switch off' as they say, into a 'state ofdeep relaxation', I was given the technicalexplanation of why this happened: the faceis very close to the brain, our main controlcentre, and a number of feel-good endorphinsare released from the brain by stimulativemassaging movements, The use of soothmgaromatherapy oils used as an element of thetreatment also playa part in this process,

Blushing complexionUpon waking, I felt released from stress,peaceful and deeply rested, the feeling youhave when you have had a really good sleep,But I couldn't help my stomach rumbling with

embarrassing noises that I hopelessly triedto conceal, However, I felt as if my digestionsystem had been cleared like an unblockedsink. Everything was running like clockworkagain. No blockages, no clogs, just a feelingof pure detoxification.

Rupert told me that I suffered stress in mystomach area by detecting some inflammationand knottiness on the cheekbone area locatedjust under the eye. (See the yellow area of theface in the photo opposite.)

I looked in the mirror and saw a blushingand radiant complexion. When analysing myface closely, I noticed my cheekbones hadslightly more definition in them than before,and from a side angle they were lifted andcontoured. I was relieved to know that theradiant glow on my face had come from theactivation of my pressure points, not a creamin pretty packaging. After regaining my senseof presence, a solid five minutes later, Ruperttold me that the treatment was completedusing a three-step procedure. The japaneseLifting was used during the first two stagesof the facial reflexology treatment and then,during the final part, lymphatic drainagewas practised by using the latest japanesestyle techniques, I was given a routine offacial exercises to practise regularly. I wasadvised to take up a high impact activity, e.g:boxing,that would alleviate the stress in mystomach. It was food for thought and it mademe realise how much stress gets embeddedwithin our bodies, which we all need toaddress on a regular basis. e

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