Movement for the Mind: Different Pathways to Mental Wellness
“The body will become better at whatever you do, or don’t do. If you don’t move, your body will make you better at not moving. If you move, your body will allow more movement.
— Ido Portal
This year, the theme for Mental Health Week is: Movement: Moving more for our mental health, which offers us a profound reminder that movement doesn’t just helps our bodies, it nurtures our minds too.
Here at Treat Norwich, we believe that movement comes in many forms. Yes, exercise and moving our bodies is helpful but sometimes we need to nurture our bodies so that they can continue to move more.
We can give our bodies a helping hand through experiencing a relaxing massage or through the focused stillness of an acupuncture session which can work with physical injuries or other musculoskeletal issues but also the emotional blocks preventing us from moving. Then there are other types of internal shifts that can help us to move more and enjoy increased movement, perhaps prompted by life coaching.
Each of the therapies we offer at Treat are designed to help you move physically, mentally, and emotionally, moving you toward greater balance and wellbeing.
Movement Matters
In our busy lives, stress, burnout and anxiety have become more commonplace. This is where movement can help. Studies show that regular exercise can reduce the risk of depression by up to 30% and lower the risk of early death by up to 30%.
Movement isn’t just about going for a run or a spin class, it can also mean going for a walk in nature, kitchen dancing or gardening. The Mental Health Foundation encourages finding moments throughout the day to incorporate movement, such as walking to work, using a standing desk or taking a walk during your lunch break.
However, it can be difficult to engage with movement if there is an injury, mental health, or a time and energy issue. With that said, there are a range of therapies that can support your journey back into movement.
Treat’s Approach: Intentional Wellbeing
During Mental Health Week, and beyond, Treat Norwich offers a safe, supportive space to reconnect with yourself. Here's how some of our therapies contribute to mental wellbeing:
🌿 Acupuncture
Releasing emotional blockages or stimulating energy flow through acupuncture. Acupuncture helps by targeting points in the body to restore energetic balance. It has been shown to reduce anxiety and improve emotional regulation by calming the nervous system. Contact Rebecca, Liz or Sam to book a session (our multi-bed rates are just £38.)
💬 Life Coaching
Navigating your next chapter with life coaching can also offer your progression into more movement. Life coaching helps you clarify goals, break through limiting beliefs, and take actionable steps toward a more fulfilling life. It’s also supportive of other types of movement such as movement through insight and direction. Book a session or a series of session with our in-house coach, Cathy – working with her is literally life-changing.
🤲 Massage Therapy
Massage can be a godsend for enabling more movement. It can not only support injury recovery and muscle tension but it can also address stress directly. After all, touch is a powerful healer. Therapeutic massage can also lower cortisol levels, boost serotonin, and create a profound sense of calm, helping you release tension held in the body and mind. Did you know we have seven massage therapists who work for Treat Norwich? Between them they offer a huge range of different types of massage therapies.
✨ Cupping
Cupping encourages circulation and energy flow, helping remove physical and emotional “stuckness.” Cupping can take place combined with acupuncture or as a stand-alone treatment. You can also find out more about this technique here on a recent blog via Treat or book directly here.
💪 Physiotherapy
Physio can help improve strength and balance, and support recovery from surgery and other medical treatments. Additionally, physiotherapy can enhance balance, coordination, respiratory function, and even mental wellbeing. Many people experience pain relief and better mobility and/or flexibility after physio. Book in for a session with us here.
🦵 McTimoney Chiropractor
This is no ordinary chiropractic approach. McTimoney uses a low-force high-amplitude adjusting technique, adopting a range of adjustments, which might seem light, but focus on dexterity, speed and a better level of accuracy. It can help with a range of physical and emotional issues such as sleep, headaches, shoulder pain and overall wellbeing. Book directly here.
“Perhaps the greatest purpose of a movement practice is to open up our capacity to have experiences that are profoundly meaningful
— Rafe Kelley
Join Us This Mental Health Week
This Mental Health Week, Treat invites you to reflect on your own rhythms of movement. Whether you’re looking to increase your movement levels, support your ongoing wellness journey or deepen your self-care routine, we’re here to support you. This week (12-17 May) we still have some availability – mark the occasion and book a session with us. Let’s move - gently, intentionally, together, toward better movement, better energy levels, better mental health.
