Mabon - Spa at Home Rituals

It’s Migraine Awareness Week and this post is dedicated to my friends and family who supported me through mine;
In support of The Migraine Trust’s Believe Me Campaign

BELIEVE ME

A Mabon Wellness reflection for Migraine Awareness Week 2026

“It’s just a headache.”

Except it isn’t.

And if you have ever lived with migraine, you probably don’t need me to explain that to you.

You already know.

I have lived with migraine since my twenties. For many years it was an unwelcome, unpredictable presence in my life — sometimes arriving as migraine, and sometimes as something even more frightening: hemiplegic migraine.

For me, that could mean numbness down one side of my body. Weakness. Changes in my face. Symptoms visible enough to look frighteningly like something else entirely.

And then there was everything people couldn’t see.

The pain.

The aura warning me about what was coming.

The overwhelming need to retreat.

The knowledge that whatever I had planned might have to disappear from my diary.

And the uncertainty of not knowing quite how long it would be before I felt like myself again.

My attacks could last two or three days. One particularly bad episode lasted around five.

Sometimes an ordinary migraine would begin and develop into a hemiplegic one. Sometimes I knew what might have contributed to it.

Sometimes I didn’t.

For much of my life there was a strong hormonal connection. Migraine often joined the already unpleasant collection of symptoms that arrived around my period — aching legs, aching back, premenstrual symptoms and then, sometimes, migraine on top.

But hormones weren’t the whole story.

Strangely, something I began to recognise over the years was that migraine sometimes appeared around the things I was most looking forward to.

Christmas.

My wedding anniversary.

A party.

A night dancing with friends.

Something exciting.

I’d look forward to going out. I’d plan it. I’d get excited.

And then the aura would begin.

Eventually, something quite cruel happens when that pattern repeats often enough.

You don’t only become frightened of the migraine.

You become frightened of looking forward to things.

You wonder whether getting excited will somehow bring another attack.

You worry about making arrangements because you might have to cancel them.

And when you cancel often enough, people don’t always understand.

Perhaps they think you’ve changed your mind.

Perhaps they think you’re unreliable.

Perhaps they wonder whether you really wanted to go in the first place.

And there you are, in a darkened room, missing something you desperately wanted to be part of.

Believe me. I wanted to come.

Believe me. I didn’t choose this.

Believe me. This isn’t “just a headache.”

That is why the theme of Migraine Awareness Week this year — Believe Me — means something to me.

Because migraine doesn’t only take hours from people.

Sometimes it takes days.

It can take birthdays, celebrations and nights out.

It can affect work.

Relationships.

Friendships.

Confidence.

And eventually, even the way you make plans for your own life.

A migraine isn’t necessarily something you can sleep off for a couple of hours.

There were times when sleep was exactly what my body needed — but that might mean being in bed for two or three days.

And hemiplegic migraine brought another layer entirely. The symptoms can include temporary weakness on one side of the body, alongside other migraine symptoms. It is rare, and because some of those symptoms can resemble a stroke, it needs proper medical assessment.

My own journey towards finding things that helped wasn’t quick either.

There were years of appointments. Different medications. Trying to understand my own patterns and my own body.

Eventually I received acupuncture through the NHS, and personally, I felt it made an enormous difference for me.

That is my experience rather than a promise of what will work for somebody else. Migraine is deeply individual, and what helps one person may not be the answer for another.

Thankfully, over approximately the last five years, my own migraines have become much less frequent.

I don’t take that for granted.

Perhaps that is partly why I want to talk about them now.

Because I remember.

I remember the darkened rooms.

I remember the cancelled plans.

I remember losing days.

I remember knowing that I was genuinely unwell while wondering whether somebody else thought I simply had a bad headache.

And I remember the strange loneliness of an illness that can make your entire world stop while everybody else’s carries on outside the bedroom door.

So during Migraine Awareness Week, I’m not going to tell somebody living with migraine to drink some water, get some fresh air or simply have an early night.

I’m going to say something much simpler.

I believe you.

I believe that it hurts.

I believe that you’re exhausted.

I believe that you wanted to go.

I believe that you’re disappointed too.

I believe that cancelling again feels awful.

I believe that sometimes you’re frightened of the next one.

And I believe you when you say:

“It really is that bad.”

Perhaps one of the gentlest forms of wellbeing we can offer another person costs absolutely nothing.

We can believe them.

Mabon Holistic Therapy
Calm. Held. Nurtured. Human.

Migraine Awareness Week 2026

21–27 September |

Mabon

Beauty is in the Seasons

Mabon begins with balance.

At the Autumn Equinox, light and darkness meet as equals. For one brief moment, neither asks for more than the other.

And then, gently, the year begins to turn towards rest.

That is where Mabon Holistic Therapy was born.

For me, holistic therapy has never simply been about providing a treatment. It is about creating a moment in somebody’s life where they are allowed to stop.

To be cared for.

To be nourished.

To receive instead of constantly giving.

Life asks so much of us. We work, care, love, organise, support, carry and keep going. Often, the person who receives the smallest share of our care is ourselves.

Mabon is an invitation to redress that balance.

Through massage, skincare, touch, relaxation, carefully created treatment journeys and spa experiences within the comfort of your own home, I create space where you can put everything else down for a while.

There is nothing you need to achieve here.

You simply get to be looked after.

Because rest is not wasted time.

Rest replenishes us.

The natural world understands this beautifully. Autumn does not apologise for slowing down. Trees release what they no longer need. The earth withdraws its energy. Darkness gradually stretches across the evenings, and beneath what appears quiet, the next season is already being prepared.

Perhaps we are allowed to do the same.

Taking an hour for yourself does not diminish everything you give to other people. It can help restore the part of you from which all that giving comes.

Rest now, so that when your season to shine comes again, you have something left to shine with.

And there is another kind of balance within Mabon that means something very personal to me.

I have a great deal of care and nourishment to give. Being able to offer that to another person — whether they are a client who has booked a treatment, or somebody I care about who seeks out my hands, my skills or simply a little comfort — gives something back to me too.

There is a beautiful reciprocity in care.

When somebody arrives tired, tense or carrying the weight of life and leaves feeling softer, calmer, nurtured or simply a little more themselves, a small part of me is replenished too.

That is balance.

And it is why I consider every person who places themselves into my care a privilege.

Some might call this my work.

I think of it rather differently.

I think of it as a calling.
A blessing.
A privilege.

A chance to be one small, quiet piece of somebody else’s journey.

Mabon will continue to change with the seasons, just as we do. Treatments, rituals and experiences may evolve, but at the heart of Mabon there will always be space.

Space to stop.
Space to breathe.
Space to receive a little care and nourishment.
Space to rest without needing to earn it.
And perhaps, somewhere within that quiet, space for a little balance to find its way back.

That is what I hope to offer through Mabon: time that belongs entirely to you, thoughtful care, restorative touch and a little pause from everything waiting beyond the door.

Not because self-care is another thing you should be doing.

Simply because you are worth caring for, too.

Mabon Holistic Therapy

Calm. Held. Nurtured. Human.

Beauty is in the Seasons.

🍂 MABON — SEPTEMBER HIGHLIGHTS

Getting ready for a snuggly September…

September brings a lovely change of pace. The evenings become a little cooler, the light softens, cosy jumpers come back out and a warm drink and blanket start to feel very welcome.

At Mabon, September is about comfort, nourishment and taking good care of ourselves as we gently move from summer into autumn.

🍎 Seasonal Wellness — An Autumn Reset

A new season can be a lovely time to check in with ourselves.

It doesn’t need to mean a strict new routine or changing everything at once. Think small, kind choices.

Get outside in the autumn light. Move your body in ways you enjoy. Cook something warm and nourishing. Make time for sleep and rest. Enjoy the simple pleasure of making your home feel cosy again.

Perhaps ask yourself:

What would help me feel well, rested and happy this autumn?

💧 September Skincare — Nourish & Replenish

After summer sunshine, warmer weather and plenty of SPF, our skin may be ready for some extra care.

September is a lovely time to focus on hydration, nourishment and protecting the skin barrier.

Keep wearing your SPF — we still need it in autumn! Add a little more moisture if your skin is becoming drier, and use gentle exfoliation to help brighten dull skin without overdoing it.

And don’t forget your neck, chest, hands and body. Beautiful skin doesn’t stop at the jawline.

🤎 A Little Mabon Body Care

As the temperature begins to cool, massage feels especially comforting.

September might be the month for:

🌿 Back, Neck & Shoulder Massage — 30 mins | £25
A lovely little reset for tired shoulders and everyday tension.

🌿 Full Body Massage — 60 mins | £35
An hour to rest, relax and give your whole body some care.

🌿 Mabon Signature — 75 mins | £45
A longer treatment for those times when you need a little more nurturing.

🌿 Indian Head Massage — 60 mins | £40
Beautiful for relaxing the head, neck and shoulders and giving a busy mind some quiet time.

🌿 Lighter Legs & Feet — 50 mins | £45
A treat for hardworking legs and tired feet.

🌿 Beautiful Back Ritual — 50 mins | £50
Skincare and relaxation combined for one of the most forgotten areas of our bodies.

🕯️ Getting Ready for a Snuggly September

Find your favourite blanket.

Bring out the candles.

Take an evening walk in the cooler air.

Make something lovely for tea.

Run yourself a warm bath.

Put your phone down for a while.

And give yourself permission to have an early night simply because it feels good.

Summer doesn’t suddenly disappear when September arrives. Instead, the season slowly begins to soften around us.

Here’s to a September filled with warmth, comfort and a little more time for you. 🍂🤎

Mabon Holistic Therapy
Calm. Held. Nurtured. Human.
📞 07821 414838

September appointments now available — message me to book.

The bar opening hours will be extended to 12am for this Saturday's World Cup Quarter Final clash between ENGLAND and NORWAY. Showing in the bar, lounge and darts room. Saturday 11th July 2026.

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