Head 2 Toe encapsulates my own personal journey in the wonderful world of complementary therapies as well as the range of treatments I now offer my clients.

As far back as I can remember I suffered from various niggling health issues such as ear infections, sinus problems, mild hair loss and digestive disorders. These were not particularly serious problems but nonetheless they but were enough to leave me feeling congested, tired and generally 'under the weather' most of the time. In fact I almost got used to not feeling great and whenever I felt particularly bad I headed off to see my doctor who usually prescribed a course of antibiotics or other such medication.

In the 1990's I began to explore the world of complementary therapies as I woke up to the fact that perhaps my health problems could be cleared up if I got to the root, rather than continually addressing the symptoms. Following advice from my sister Aine (see her food blog on http://www.oprah.com/ainemcateer) who was studying diet and nutrition I began to make changes to my diet and found that by reducing the amount of dairy products I consumed, my sinus congestion and ear disorders were greatly relieved. I became fascinated with Aromatherapy which appeared to help my digestive problems, Indian Head Massage which improved the condition of my hair, Facial Rejuvenation which did wonders for my skin and my self esteem, Ear Candling which alleviated my ear disorders and Reflexology which had an overall balancing effect on my whole being from head to toe! I gained qualifications in all of these therapies and moved from my job as a teacher of children to practising and teaching complementary therapies full time.

I now teach courses in Anatomy & Physiology, Indian Head Massage, Facial Rejuvenation (Natural Face Lift Massage), Natural Facials, Ear Candling and Ayurvedic Kansa Vatki Foot Massage in the UK and Ireland and have a busy private practice in South West London. I have co-written 2 books which were published by Hodder Arnold – "Indian Head Massage in Essence" and "Ear Candling in Essence" (now available in German!).

I recently started making environmentally friendly candles with soy wax, beswax and essential oils as I have always loved burning candles in my home, so watch out for a one day candle making course some time!

I once heard a quote which really resonated with me and it was "Find a job that you love and you will never have to work a day in your life". I vowed that one day I would feel this way about my job and I can now honestly say that I do.

Mary Dalgleish's Qualifications: