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| The wonderous Avni Trivedi, an oesteopath and zero-balancer |
I first met Avni Trivedi four years ago, shortly after the birth of Evie, having returned to work where I found sitting at a desk prompted neck and shoulder pain. After a thorough assessment which involved her studying me physically (and spotting my lop-sided shoulders) we discussed diet and lifestyle. Avni got to work gently cracking my neck into alignment. It felt amazing and I floated out of the consulting room feeling physically lighter and mentally uplifted.
Avni specialises in mother and baby osteopathy; she obtained a Masters in Paediatric Osteopathy at the Osteopathic Centre for Children and also trained as a doula. Babies can benefit hugely from a trip to her, not only enjoying the sensation of touch but also being relived of colic, reflux, feeding and sleep issues. Avni puts emphasis on the power of touch as well as posture, nutrition and creativity so working holistically. Just being with her, induces a state of calm.
The next time I saw Avni was in the lead up to Lola's birth two and a half years ago. At 32 weeks my shoulders and neck had become tense and painful and over a few sessions Avni was able to work her magic: gently casting away tension and realigning my spine. After each session, I'd feel a huge sense of relief and in the final few weeks of Lola's pregnancy I felt calm and had a surge of energy which no doubt helped me make a speedy recovery from her birth (a straight-forward scheduled c-section).
Avni was there again for me when I returned to work a year after having Lola. We'd moved house and had it renovated when Lola was a newborn (not recommended!) – that coupled with sleep deprivation, I found my stress levels were soaring. I felt like I was running on empty batteries and explained I had started running to help. Looking back that seems nuts when I was so active scrambling around after my girls and dashing into central London for work three day weeks. As well as gentle manipulation, Avni told me to slow down a bit maybe have my thyroid checked and to think about calmer exercises like yoga and swimming.
Most importantly, Avni made me think about how a few simple adjustments in my life could benefit massively. In the last year I have made strides towards a better lifestyle investing in a juicer (life changing, seriously!), taking a bit more time out for me and generally maintaining better poster. Small but significant steps. Yoga, swimming and more sleep are next on the agenda. And maybe I'll even get my thyroid checked. Actually, I think might be time to go and see Avni again...
An session with Avni Trivedi costs £110 at the Osteopathic Consultancy, 58 South Molton Street, London W1K 5SL (020 7706 1997/www.osteopathuk.com). Bond St tube.
