My employer recently set up some free wellbeing events at work. Such a great idea, workplace health and wellbeing is moving up the corporate agenda and more and more businesses now recognise the benefits of taking care of their most important asset – their staff. It aims to increase productivity, mental clarity and creativity of staff and improve morale and job satisfaction, which in turn creates a happy workplace environment.

The sessions were run mainly over the lunchtime period and you could choose a 20-minute head massage and/or a 20-minute hand massage. I wasn’t sure how I felt about a head massage in a room at work, would I be able to relax enough? What state would my hair be in afterwards when I returned to work?

I needn’t have worried. The room booked was in a separate, more quiet building. Lorna Jackson runs these corporate sessions and when I arrived she explained how it would all work. Lorna is trained in Indian Head Massage and Reflexology. She advised that no oil would be used (phew!) and she promised that the technique she used, including a back and shoulder massage would not disrupt my hairstyle. I sat down in a comfortable chair, I only had to remove my jacket, and there followed 20 minutes of absolute bliss. I’d gone from thinking I could never relax at work to finding myself closing my eyes and completely chilling out. With some relaxing music playing in the background, I could easily have been at a spa for the afternoon.

My session the following week was with Janine Swindale. I was booked in for a 20 minute hand massage. Janine used a relaxing massage balm on my hands and arms and once again I experienced 20 minutes of chill time in the same room as my head massage, with relaxing music playing in the background. Janine is happy to chat or happy for you to relax and close your eyes during the massage. I used a wipe at the end just to remove any balm from my palms, but it wasn’t greasy at all and when I (unfortunately) returned to work there were no smears on my phone screen or keyboard.

Janine has such a lovely air of calmness about her. She also runs Blacketts Retreat in Allenheads alongside her husband Mike. It has bed and breakfast accommodation and is ideal for stargazing breaks boasting some of the darkest skies in England. They offer a variety of treatments such as aromatherapy massage and facials, hot stone therapy, beauty treatments such as pedicure, manicure, eyelash tint and hypnobirthing sessions. She has great reviews on TripAdvisor, I hope to try out the retreat at some point, but check out the photos and reviews on her website and you will see for yourself how amazing it looks – I feel relaxed just looking at it! Janine is returning for more hand massage sessions in a few weeks and I am really looking forward to it – there is no rule to say that you can only have one hand massage after all, is there?