Mindfulness in a busy Kidderminster Car park!

I may not have been on a beautiful beach, but a busy car park in Kidderminster provided me with an opportunity for calmness.

Mindfulness can mean different things to every individual who explores it but for me the essence of mindfulness is quietening my busy mind. Before I began mindfulness I believed I simply could not meditate or clear my head, it was just too full of thoughts! But now I have learnt that by focusing on the experience of being in a moment, rather than trying to clear my mind, is profoundly calming.

Last week I was waiting for a lift in Kidderminster, perched on a wall. I was initially frustrated as I would normally be independent and drive myself but  due to a back problem (now resolved)  I could not drive. I had arrived early so I didn't need to rush so I had 25 minutes on my hands. At first I did what I often do, reached for my phone and checked my emails, then I checked my schedule in my diary, thinking of lists and work to do.  Still over 20 minutes to wait. I could feel myself starting to ruminate on the issues of the day, churning over thoughts and feelings. 

I decided to put some mindfulness into practice. Firstly I focused on the sounds I could hear, just listening and not judging or hoping to change anything. Simply bringing my attention to the sounds around me. When my mind wandered, as it naturally did, I just bought it back to the area of focus I had chosen. The great thing about mindfulness is there is no self criticism involved as you can not get it wrong. It simply is whatever happens at that moment.  I found myself listening to the constant sounds then noticing the intermittent yet regular sounds. I could soon pick up on noises I had not been aware of before. 

I next took my focus of attention to my internal experience. Taking time to experience the sensations of my body, not thinking about what they meant but noticing the sensations and no more.  My mind did wander away from my chosen focus but without tutting at myself I gathered it up and focused again.  

This episode of mindfulness felt like a few minutes but when I checked my watch I realised my lift was actually late and  25 minutes had gone by. I am pretty sure if I had continued with my mind churning and ruminating I would have by now been pretty frustrated with my wait, but I felt calm and content. 

There are many aspects to mindfulness but my experience in the Kidderminster car park was a simple exercise in mindfulness. I spent my time simply being within the experience and switched off my doing busy mind. It was a lesson to me in how making plans and ticking boxes is not always the best way to feel on top of your day.

More on stress management and understanding stress.

Coping with Challenges using Reflexology and Hypnotherapy

My clients often say I must be the most chilled out relaxed person as I have so many techniques at my fingertips. In some ways that is true, I am far more relaxed than I was before I began to use complementary therapies, but life still throws challenges at even the calmest people!

During the last few weeks I have taken on a number of challenges, some by choice and others have arrived uninvited! I have to admit despite my love for holistic therapies my knee jerk reaction is often panic and fear just as it always has been. The difference is now I can eventually take a step back and use some of the wonderful techniques open to me.

My first challenges was updating my website to ensure it was compatible with mobile devices. I am not a techy person so my first reaction when I learnt I needed to do this was panic and anxiety. I had a very sleepless night before I took a moment to step back and calm down. I often talk to my clients about using the support networks around them, so many of us believe we have to cope alone. After getting advice from some techy friends I felt my website mountain was not such an impossible climb. I also took time out to use some confidence boosting self hypnosis and some mindfulness to encourage  kindness to myself. Gradually I began to enjoy the challenge and although there are still some things to iron out I am proud of myself for rising to the challenge. 

The next challenge was one I had chosen to embark on. Last year I tried twice to complete a 'leap of faith', this entails climbing up a tall post, standing on a small platform and jumping off ( you have safety equipment on of course!). I was so frustrated that twice i had reached the top and twice I had failed to stand up. I was determined to succeed this time. I used EFT to prepare myself for the task along with using the power of my imagination to really see myself succeeding. These both helped me to believe I could do it. And i did it!  The pride I felt was immense and I hope I've saved that feeling firmly in my memory to call on whenever I need a boost.

Leap of Faith at Condover Hall 2014...I couldn't stand up on the platform.

My third challenge was not something I chose at all. With a simple sneeze I damaged my back and have spent a frustrating week with little mobility and a fair dose of pain. As usual I spent the first day or so completely forgetting about the resources I have to help myself. After getting checked by my GP to ensure I hadn't seriously damaged any nerves etc I began using reflexology to help myself. Reaching my feet was hard at first so I just enjoyed some relaxing warm foot soaks with calming essential oils. Once I could finally get my hands on my feet I was shocked by how much tenderness I found. My spine and hip reflexes were all very painful but I did feel the discomfort was worth it.  I felt an improvement in my movement although I am still a long way off full mobility.  I also tackled my frustration with daily mindfulness meditation. This really has kept me grounded and held my annoyance at bay.

Challenges can be chosen or land in your laps when you least expect them. I wanted to share how a therapist copes with difficulties because I believe it is important for my clients to know two things 

1. I am human just like them and I can be completely daunted by life's difficulties and feel that I do not have the ability to rise to the challenge
2. After my panic passes I do practice what I preach because I believe truly in all the therapies I provide.

Stop Smoking day March 2015

Ways to stop smoking include nicotine replacement, hypnotherapy and will power. Which will you choose?

Deciding to stop smoking will be one of the best decisions you can make for your health and wellbeing. When I smoked I really didn't believe I would ever be a non-smoker, and if you are thinking of giving up smoking you may feel the same. But you can do it, it is absolutely possible when you find the techniques that are right for you.

I stopped smoking in 2007 after over 20 years and many many failed attempts, but I have to say I am still immensely proud of myself for finally becoming a non-smoker.  I tried will power and nicotine replacement which didn't work for me, but despite my reservations it was hypnotherapy and EFT the tapping therapy that helped me stop smoking. When I began to understand that I could control the cravings and they no longer controlled me I knew I could do it.

I don't know which method will work for you, but if you have decided to stop smoking there is one exercise you could do to help.

Firstly spend some time listing all the benefits of not smoking. Write down the positives such as " I will smell of my beautiful perfume" rather than " I won't smell of smoke". Take time to write a long list, include every positive change you can think of regardless of how small they may seem.  Try to include your feelings as well as practical items. When you have a long and personal list take a moment to rate out of ten how much you want to quit smoking. If it is ten out of ten then that's great, you are absolutely ready to stop smoking.  If you find you are maybe eight out of ten then spend some time looking at what makes up the two out of ten; why do you want to smoke? 

Once you have decided why you feel you need smoking it's time to use your imagination. Write down anything you could do at these times instead of smoking. These alternatives may seem ridiculous to begin with but the process will help you start to see that you could do things differently. Over the next week or so try out these alternatives, as long as they are safe and legal!! It doesn't matter if some of them don't work, but by making changes you can build your confidence and change your eight out of ten into a ten out of ten. 

You may already have tried many methods to stop smoking, I know I did, but there are lots of methods of support available to you.  You can find online advice from the BHF here and from the NHS here.

I found hypnotherapy helped me alot because it helped me to feel more relaxed and positive generally. I used smoking for stress relief and with the hypnotherapy I found that I was calmer and less anxious. I began to actually believe I could become a non-smoker.  Once you understand why you smoke from the exercise above you can choose the techniques that suit you best. 

Hypnotherapy for confidence and relaxation

Anchoring is a hypnotherapy technique that can help you gain confidence and manage your stress and anxiety.

When I was lucky enough to be chosen to run with the Olympic torch in Kidderminster I felt both proud and privileged. Whilst running through my home town on the torch relay I was filled with such confidence and feelings of support and happiness. When I see pictures of that day I can see all those feelings showing on my face. These positive affirming emotions could be available to me whenever I choose with the technique called anchoring.

An anchor is a physical or mental signal or stimulus that elicits a response. In day to day life we experience such anchors without even realising. We may feel anxious when we hear an alarm bell or feel calm when the sun light is on our faces. This stimulus–response process can happen without us being aware of it, but we can control it to enable a particular event to be linked to a desired response. The stimulus can be anything sensory, such as touch or sound.

Learning to anchor desired feelings, such as a sense of calm, can be beneficial in many ways. Anchoring can be helpful for anyone experiencing unwanted anxiety or stress, poor confidence or lack of self esteem. This technique can also help when coping with cravings such as cigarettes.

The anchor can be developed during hypnosis utilising the calm relaxed feelings experienced during hypnosis. You could be guided to squeeze your a thumb and finger together whilst enjoying the relaxation and calmness promoted during hypnotherapy. By anchoring the feelings to the behaviour you can bring to mind those feelings whenever you want to. This process benefits from repetition and practise and may require a number of reinforcements to be fully successful,but it is worth taking time to secure your anchor as its positive influence on day to day life can be significant. Reflexology clients can anchor the relaxation they feel during reflexology without even trying, many report how just hearing the music in the treatment room immediately starts the feelings of deep relaxation.

An anchor can be developed when you are not having hypnosis.  Thinking of a situation when you felt the desired feelings and really focusing on the details and most importantly the feelings is the first part of the process. It doesn't have to be a hugely important event, just some time when you felt the positive feelings powerfully and sincerely.  By bringing to mind that situation then experiencing the feelings you can then anchor those feelings with a stimulus of your choice. This method also requires repetition and you can use more than one event to really develop those positive feelings.

Home Treatment Room

What is a home treatment room?

Your Questions Answered.

Breathe holistic therapy has been based at a home treatment room in Kidderminster since 2008. Clients regularly comment on how calming and relaxing the room is, but before they arrive some have questions about what to expect.

• Is it like being treated in you sitting room?

 The treatment room is used exclusively for Breathe Holistic Therapy treatments. It was initially a bedroom many years ago but is now equipped as a therapy room. Clients find it a calming and private setting, many say how just entering the room helps them to begin to relax. When arriving you will be greeted at the front door and shown to the treatment room. This does not involve passing through any family rooms, simply up a flight of stairs. If you have difficulty with stairs please do contact us to discuss your options.

• Is it noisy?

Every effort is made to ensure a quiet and calm environment. There may be outside noise but as the room is situated on a quiet street this is generally minimal. The most regular noise is from the birds in the bushes outside the window. Any household noises are avoided as much as possible. Clients have commented on how they find salon or spa based  rooms quite noisy at times, especially if situated near to the reception or in a busy town centre. At Breathe Holistic Therapy there is no reception outside the room so no chatter from clients coming and going, or receptionist busy with phone calls. 

• Where can I park?

The therapy room has a car parking space on the drive outside. This means you can park right outside the door. Appointments are arranged so clients leave before the next appointment arrives. This ensures that no cars get blocked in.

• Are there toilet facilities?

There is a bathroom next door to the treatment room. This is cleaned prior to clients and all personal effects are removed from sight. Whilst therapies are taking place the toilet is used only by the therapist and clients. You will not be disturbed by people using the facilities during your appointment. 

• Do I meet other household members?

This is a common concern, but your appointment is with the therapist and they will be there to greet you and show you to the room. At no time do you meet any other household members or pets.

• Is the therapist distracted by household concerns?

When working the therapist is focused on the client. Their attention is on your needs and not those of the household. Your treatment is the priority and the setting of the treatment room does not impact on that. Many clients say that they feel the therapist is more focused because they are not thinking about clients already waiting outside.

If you have any more questions regarding the home treatment room or any treatments please do not hesitate to call on 07531 121199.

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Hypnotherapy

What is hypnotherapy?

I am currently working towards completing my training in clinical hypnotherapy. The most common question asked me is simply: what is hypnotherapy?

There are widely accepted to be  three main aspects to the process of hypnosis. These are relaxation, imagination and enactment. When someone enters hypnosis their conscious rationalising processes are reduced or quietened to allow access to their subconscious mind. This altered state of awareness is achieved when everything apart from what you hear fades into insignificance. This is similar to being engrossed in a television programme when everything else just falls into unimportance.

Whilst experiencing hypnotherapy the subconscious part of the mind continues to hear all that can be heard but is not subject to the same degree of rational conscious processing. You can hear everything that is said but you are not over thinking or analysing what is said. This allows therapeutic change to take place. During hypnotherapy you are not asleep or unconscious. 

The process of hypnotherapy includes deepening the state to enable the constant chatter of your mind to be quietened still further. The process is sensed as a deeper feeling of relaxation. Most people feel that hypnotherapy is wonderfully relaxing and calming. Some people may feel their body becoming heavy or alternatively quite light and floaty. When under hypnosis you are still able to move if you need to, for example to change position if you become uncomfortable.

Many people worry that they loose some of their control when going into hypnosis. This is not the case. A therapist cannot force a client to enter hypnosis but instead is only instrumental in helping the client to use an inability that we all possess.  Hypnosis can only be achieved with the co-operation of the client.

Another worry commonly expressed is that you are at the mercy of the hypnotherapist whilst hypnotised. This has largely been strengthened by stage hypnosis which often shows people performing ridiculous acts. A hypnotherapist cannot force someone to do something against their will. The people who participate in stage shows volunteer because they want to take part and they want to be entertaining. They are happy to be hypnotised to entertain the audience. If you chose to stay in your seat and not take part the hypnotist could not hypnotise you to get up onto the stage.  

Your conscious mind is quietened during hypnosis but it is not removed. If you received a suggestion that black was white it would intervene to ensure the correct perception was formed.  You are always protected by your rational and analytical conscious mind. 

Hypnotherapy sessions conclude with a reorientation to conscious awareness. This often takes the form of a count from one to five. People report feeling relaxed but alert and wide awake after hypnotherapy.

Hypnotherapy is largely experienced as a calming pleasurable therapy which can have very profound results. The application of this therapy is wide ranging. Hypnotherapy has been used sucessfully for things from phobias to an anaesthetic for dental surgery. Even as a therapist experienced in hypnotherapy I was still amazed to see the open university video of a women having tooth extraction and replacment teeth pegs drilled and positioned with hypnotherapy and no anaesthetic.

I am excited to be completing my training in clinical hypnotherapy and keen to offer the service to my clients. I am consolidating my skills and will be offering hypnotherapy in kidderminster later in 2015. Hypnotherapy and reflexology have been combined by some therapsits and this will also be something Im excited to explore.

Holistic Therapies gaining more recognition

Patients, service users and the public will be able to choose a complementary healthcare therapist belonging to a register vetted and approved by the Professional Standards Authority for Health and Social Care (PSA) 

The Federation of Holistic Therapists’ voluntary register, of which I am a member, has been accredited under a new scheme set up by the Department of Health and administered by an independent body, accountable to Parliament.

Complementary therapists on the FHT Complementary Healthcare Therapist Register will be able to display the Accredited Voluntary Register (AVR) quality mark, a sign that they belong to a register that meets the Professional Standards Authority’s robust standards.

Harry Cayton, Chief Executive of the Professional Standards Authority, said: ‘We are very pleased to accredit the FHT’s register of complementary healthcare therapists. Bringing complementary healthcare therapists into a broad framework of assurance is good for patients, service users and the public and is the best way to promote quality. The scheme offers enhanced consumer protection to anyone looking for health and social care services, and gives practitioners the opportunity to demonstrate their commitment.’

I am very proud to belong to the FHT’s accredited voluntary register. It demonstrates that the FHT meets the demanding standards of the Professional Standards Authority and offers reassurance to those seeking help and support from a complementary healthcare therapist, alongside their conventional care.

I am also pleased to let you know that Bupa has just advised the FHT that practitioners registered with an AVR, such as myself, will be reimbursed when providing approved treatments for a Bupa Cashplan policy holder. Bupa Cashplan has a number of policy products that offer complementary therapy to policyholders including  reflexology. If you are a BUPA member I would recommend you check your policy to see if you could be reimbursed for reflexology treatments. This is a very new development and I will advise you of more details when they become available to me.

Father's day : the gift of relaxation.

Gift vouchers available from Breathe Holistic Therapy Kidderminster.

Dad's need pampering too! If your thinking of treating your Dad to something special this year then why not give him the gift of relaxation? 

Life can be very hectic and stress can creep up and up, or difficult events can send stress levels rocketing. It's important to find ways to manage stress to avoid the damage caused by long term stress.

Reflexology is a wonderfully relaxing treatment enjoyed by men as well as women. Often men can be  nervous about holistic treatments but reflexology simply involves kicking off your shoes and relaxing back in a super comfortable recliner chair. Great for Dad's who aren't used to pampering!

To buy your voucher or for more information call 07531121199 or e-mail me

More on reflexology.