Highland Hypnobirthing

HYPNOBIRTHING

Stepping up to motherhood

One of the first questions a woman asks when she finds out she’s pregnant is ‘am I really ready to be a mother?’ It’s normal to associate being a parent with being an adult; and for many of us it’s a major step! It calls time on our lie-ins and late nights out. It forces us to become smart with money and time. Babies require a new level of forward planning as ‘just nipping to the shop’ becomes a major expedition. Perhaps for the first time we are not just thinking about ourselves; we also need to trust ourselves to make the right decision if our baby has a temperature or a little sniffle. We need to know when to call the GP and when to nurture and hug our little one close. Hypnobirthing, a practice and a concept designed to help you have a more calm and comfortable birth is the first preparatory step for many women entering motherhood. Instead of just leaving it all to the midwives or consultants women who use hypnobirthing want to learn how they can influence birth themselves. Instead of relying on pain medication or an external source to advise them how to move or breathe in their most vulnerable (and powerful) moments, they are instead able to tap into their own inner resources and strength and have faith in their own abilities. Women who use hypnobirthing techniques for labour know how and when to accept outside support, but more than anything they have learnt to ‘come into their own’ because they know themselves inside out. They have faced their fears prior to setting foot in the birthing room and have taken ownership of the birth they would dearly love to have. They have birth preferences for the day, and they trust themselves to ebb and flow with whatever needs to happen. They are not afraid as they enter the birthing space because they have already come to know themselves, their doubts, their fears, and their capabilities. Using hypnobirthing techniques (system of breathing, thinking, movement and mindset based on science and physiology) offers no guarantee that you will have the birth of your dreams (nor can any other method!), but it helps you equip and empower yourself with everything you need so that you can feel as safe, secure, calm and relaxed as possible, no matter what path your birth takes. Sophia Hanson is a hypnobirthing teacher and women’s confidence coach. She offers private hypnobirthing sessions online and in person.

Call: 01343 547374 / 547393 - 20 NORTH STREET • BISHOPMILL • ELGIN • IV30 4EF

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TRAVEL VACCINES & IMMUNISATIONS

Booked your Holidays yet? Make sure you know what vaccines you need before you go. If travelling abroad come in and ask for details.

Health Care and Advice

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The rapid antigen test with fit to fly certificates are now available in the shop. Customers must complete the online application at etraveltool.com before For all your travel needs, complete coming to the shop. the form at Please check with your airline and Bishopmill, Elgin’s only independent Pharmacy, has been open and serving the public etraveltool.com destination country for their specific throughout the pandemic. Then contact the shop with the requirements. We cannot offer any Pharmacists’ doors have always been open code to arrange an appointment. advice on destinations. offering confidential advice and delivering all your pharmaceutical requirements. Lateral flow tests, paracetamol or something more complex We are now a selected distributor there is always a friendly efficient member of of staff on hand to assist. PalmSafe Premium scented hand sanitiser gel.Prescriptions were delivered to your door if Scottish company producing sanitiser you were unable to come in person, that is kind to your hands.making sure you were always taken care of. CALL: 01343 547374 / 547393Much has been said in the media etc over the last two years about how grateful we all are for our front- line 20 NORTH STREET • BISHOPMILL • ELGIN • IV30 4EF staff our local heroes and such. Please spare a thought for your pharmacist and his staff. They deserve a huge debt of gratitude as I’m sure many of you would have been lost without them. Bishopmill are obviously still there offering Lateral Flow tests and PCR’s for those planning to travel to any Country who still require them. It is up to you to check what tests and vaccines are required before travel, once you know, then book them at Bishopmill before you go. Flu Vaccines are also still available, it’s not too late. Bishopmill has much more to offer, from antiseptic to aspirin, hand gel to honey and shampoo to silk scarves If you are looking for the perfect Mothers Day gift you will find a beautiful range of cashmere and silk scarves for only £20.

We are now a selected distributor of PalmSafe Premium scented hand sanitiser gel. Scottish company producing sanitiser that is kind to your hands.

51 HIGH ST, ELGIN, IV30 1EE LUXURY TRAVEL BOUTIQUE IN ELGIN

Murray Travel – which has been shortlisted for Luxury Travel Agency of the Year at the TTG Luxury Travel Awards – has opened its new premises on Elgin's busy High Street.

This new travel boutique in the heart of Elgin is the first for Murray Travel outside of its headquarters in Inverness.

The move follows last year's takeover of Alba Travel and Beaver Travel, which came with a commitment to maintaining a presence in the Moray town.

The local Murray Travel team in Elgin (l-r): Aimee Morgan, Jacqui Peat and Alison Jones.

Director Scott Murray, who runs Murray Travel with wife Sarah, said: "We're delighted to have opened our new travel boutique in Elgin, delivering on our commitment to retaining travel industry jobs and access to high quality travel services in Moray. Following the template set by its Strothers Lane HQ, customers are put at ease as soon as they walk through the door. The relaxed atmosphere and inclusion of a complimentary bar and coffee add to the experience.

"When we brought Alba Travel and Beaver Travel into the Murray Travel family last year, we knew it was important that customers should be able to continue to book holidays with the agents they have come to know and trust over the years.

"Those local relationships are so important to us, as people and as a business, and we are proud to be able to continue the tradition of providing first-class travel advice in Elgin." Mr Murray added: "Our ethos has always been to focus on quality of service rather than pushy sales. We want our customers to feel relaxed and to enjoy the experience of booking their holiday – the team's only goal is to help travellers find the trip of a lifetime." Murray Travel (formerly Inverness Travel) was established in 2014 by husband-and-wife team Scott and Sarah Murray, who added to their portfolio in 2021 with the takeover of local agencies Alba Travel and Beaver Travel.

The Murray Travel team has won numerous awards for its high-quality customer service and innovative business practices.

The new site will allow the team of local travel agents to work with customers in store and remotely, offering true flexibility. A third site in Forres in planned for later this year. Murray Travel is a member of ABTA, AITO and the Scottish Passenger Agents' Association. For more information, visit www.murraytravel. co.uk or head to @themurryatravel on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. 53