By Lisa Cherry, on January 11th, 2012%
I have always been fascinated with the idea of meditation and have often wondered how some people appear to have the ability to sit calmly and quietly, focusing on breathing and not much else. But it was one of those things I felt was inaccessible to me. I have a very busy head, filled with excitement and ideas and creations and I can sometimes appear quite unfocused, which I’m actually not especially but my focus is untidy and a little unstructured sometimes and left unchecked, can make me feel very tired.
In May last year, I went away for a week to enable me to have some space to write, away from the distractions of daily life with a company called Serenity Retreat where I met a lovely woman called Anne who was running a Course there on Mindful Meditation. This was the first time I heard about it and I was stunned that I could even participate in short 10 minute group meditations without completely distracting myself.
I have gently and slowly built upon this introduction over the last few months. Mindfulness is about paying attention to purpose, having awareness, being conscious. I had never been able to deal with my continuing thoughts through meditation, but Mindfulness just acknowledges them in a non-judgemental way. They are not good or bad. But by awareness of them and redirecting awareness away from negative thoughts and using an anchor to bring thought back to, their effect on our lives diminishes and we can then create a space where calmness and contentment can be and can grow.
I often joke that I need to be a Massage Therapist as it’s the only time that I stop, mentally stop and become very purposeful and ‘in the moment’ about what I’m doing. I have become very aware that I Massage in a mindful way. I am completely focused on the person I am working with and what I am actually doing, the purpose, and this is even more true when I use Reiki. I also have some CD’s with short 10 minutes mediations on that I use for myself and also with my clients during a massage (as an introduction) and I have found, even in this very early stage of bringing mediation into my life, very helpful and centring.
Here are some suggestions if you’re looking to create some space in your mind away from negative harmful thoughts.
- Find out about mindfulness and see if it resonates with you at all. Hugh Poulton runs courses in Oxfordshire which, although I haven’t been on one, I’m reliably informed are amazing and life transforming!
- Try out some CD’s. Sometimes it’s just about finding a voice that you can relax to. I have a mix of accents and of male and female…you have to feel comfortable.
- Become purposeful and aware in your every day activities. For example, don’t just eat, eat consciously. Don’t just walk, walk and know that you are aware of walking and what your body is actually doing to make this happen.
- Become aware of your breathing without trying to change it. It’s not about doing it deeply or through the nose or mouth. It’s just about becoming aware…as it is.
I would love to hear about your experiences as mine are very new and from a beginners perspective and please do share about any courses, practitioners or CDs that you have tried and can recommend….Many thanks and please share the love, mindfully!
. . . → Read More: The Mindfulness of Massage
By Lisa Cherry, on December 14th, 2011%
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_i5WhTQ-NYE&feature=relmfu”>httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_i5WhTQ-NYE&feature=relmfu
I have had many treatments and types of massage and healing and most Complementary and Alternative Therapies you can think of but I have never had Acupuncture.
I met Phil Haxby-Thompson on twitter. There are many tweets that pass my eyes in a day and people are always trying to meet or engage or sell or all the other tweeting things that go on, but Phil got a meeting with me in Café Nero in about 5 tweets, two emails and a facebook page. No-one has ever managed this quite so swiftly so I put it to him, that he must be incredibly good to have managed that and when we met, I understood how and why!
An extremely knowledgeable Practitioner, relocating to Woodstock after running a busy practice in another area, Phil was seeking to connect with other practitioners in the field in the local area which is definitely one of my main tips when setting up a business…Network Network Network!
After meeting a few times, Phil managed to persuade me to have a treatment which is no mean feat for someone with a fear of needles. And yesterday was the day. The first thing that is striking is the gorgeous room that Phil works from, The Garden Clinic, with parking outside the front door (always important). The Clinic is created beautifully and I immediately felt awash with calm as soon as I walked in.
Meet Phil….
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_i5WhTQ-NYE&feature=relmfu
The Consultation was the most thorough I have ever had and this enabled Phil to build up a picture of me that was ‘spot on’ in terms of any particular health concerns I may have. I was very impressed and I’m not easily impressed it has to be said!
As for the needles? I still don’t like them and the sensation of them while they in my body felt a little stifling but Phil even takes of that by giving Reiki while they do their magic.
Would I do it again? Yes. Definitely. Phil is also offering a very special discount price to anyone who would like to try out Acupuncture…just mention my name and the rest will be sorted out by Phil.
I love trying out new therapies. It’s a tough job but someone’s got to do it!
. . . → Read More: My Acupuncture Experience…
By Lisa Cherry, on November 17th, 2011%
What is The Healing Crisis?
Therapists often talk about The Healing Crisis which can occur after treatments, particularly Massage and Reflexology. Not everyone will have this happen as a result of a treatment but if you do, it’s good to understand what is happening to you, that it is OK and that it is a positive thing.
The Physical element of this is whereby the body is attempting to eliminate toxins faster than it can do so and is trying to cope with stored toxins that may have been in the muscles and fascia and that have then been released into the blood stream through being released during the treatment.
The Emotional element of this is where unresolved emotional stresses or traumas are stored in the body through being supressed. The body becomes a ‘cupboard’ for unexpressed, pent up emotion. Once released, the body can clear itself of all the negativity. The body is asking you to let go of the emotion you are holding onto. An emotional release is most likely to surface in any Healing Crisis.
Symptoms
Everybody can react differently but generally, these may include:
- Lethargy
- Headaches
- Extra need to go to the toilet
- Dehydration
- Muscle aching
- Nausea
- Unexplainable/uncontrollable crying
- Feeling ‘low’
- The best ways to deal with this are:
- Drink lots of water
- Be restful
- Listen to your body
Understand that this is a good thing and it probably won’t last more than 48 hours!
If you are seeing a Therapist for Treatments, then you probably already understand that you are taking responsibility for your health and wellbeing and working preventatively to maintain a sense of balance and feeling of ‘wellness’. Everybody will have a different reaction to a treatment depending on your own physical and emotional condition. The Therapist can therefore not take responsibility for the way that your body reacts to a treatment. We can, however, work together to ensure that you have the right treatments for you and that you have treatments at a time where you can go through The Healing Crisis as calmly and as comfortably as possible.
. . . → Read More: The Healing Crisis
By Lisa Cherry, on November 1st, 2011%
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1qQ5V1ICXI8″>Katherine
The clocks have made their way back an hour, the evenings are now dark and I’m starting to notice people catching colds, feeling rough and coughing their way through conversations. As a self employed, single parent, being ill isn’t really an option for me so I have learnt over the years how to make sure that I am strong and healthy and able to cope with what life sends me.
So how can you look after yourself during this time? Or more importantly, how do you maintain a healthy and robust immune system, because that is essentially what will protect you from illness?
Poor diet, lack of self-care and nurturing, not listening to your body when it’s tired, stress and emotional angst, will all leave you open to picking up colds and flu.
These are my practical top tips for looking after yourself this Winter:
- At least once a week, and certainly if you feel symptoms coming on such as headaches, aches in general, sore throat and sniffles, drink some Manuka Honey and lemon in hot water with a splash of Ginger and a smidgen of chilli. Katherine Jenkins swears by it and always drinks her own concoction before she sings to nurture her vocal chords and stave off illness.
- Wash your hands. Simple but true as germs linger on all the door handles and escalators and stair rails.
- Go to bed by 10pm at least twice a week and rest your body and soul. The importance of sleep cannot be underestimated.
- Make time for yourself. Whether that’s your monthly Massage Treatment, reading a book or spending some time alone with your own thoughts. This is true all through the year, but Winter is a time filled with stressful situations. The uncontrollable weather, the memory of a bereavement from the Winter months gone by and with Xmas and all of those prolonged family engagements, this can all prove very stressful to manage.
- Understand the rhythm of Winter. It’s a calm time, a time to do projects that you wouldn’t entertain at any other time of the year. Sorting out your photo’s, making a scarf (wish I was good enough to make a jumper!), cleaning out your cupboards or learning to paint. This is the stuff of Winter.
- I asked Natali Knibbs, Qualified and Certified Nutritionist, what we can do from a Nutritional perspective and she suggests the following:
Immune supportive diet:
- High in colour-the power of phytonutrients
- Oily fish and EFAs
- Quality protein
- Low in sugar, sat fats , alcohol etc
Garlic: Include raw fresh garlic in your daily cooking.
- Anti-bacterial, anti-viral, antifungal
- Potent anti-oxidant
- Try use 4 cloves daily to fight infections
Reishi & Shiitake Mushrooms
- Potent anti-oxidant
- Help immune system to recognise and attack harmful invaders
Supplementation:
Echinacea
Echinacea can help prevent and treat colds and flu, but don’t use it for longer than 2 weeks at a time – always have a break of at least 2 weeks between. Echinacea doesn’t actually kill the bugs, but improves the ability of our immune systems to defend itself against attack.
Goldenseal: Strengthens the mucous membranes and great taken together with Echinacea. It’s a powerful immune boosting herb, with the potential to target viruses and bacteria directly.
Good multi-vitamin with Anti-oxidants and Vits A, C, the B- complex and selenium
Fish oils: Fish oils are a good source of Omega 3 fatty acids, which are important for all aspects of health including immunity. Oily fish such as mackerel and sardines are the best sources of omega 3’s. Sadly not many of us consume enough of these foods and therefore supplementation with fish oils is helpful.
******
Rather disturbed by the News this morning regarding the amount of deaths that occur in the elderly population during the Winter and how fuel poverty will increase the numbers dramatically, it’s also a time of year to think about how you can be helpful in your local community. It’s well known that kindness, thinking of others and helping other people makes us feel good and that’s’ got to be the best boost of all!
Make this the Winter that you don’t have to feel rubbish. Taking some simple steps will ensure you have a healthy immune system, a healthy Winter and a lovely time. Enjoy!
. . . → Read More: Avoiding Winter Flu…
By Lisa Cherry, on October 20th, 2011%
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIqLsGT2wbQ”>
As I become more mindful through actively seeking to do so and the passing of the years bringing a more conscious connection with myself and my environment, I have become deeply aware of the Emotions of The Seasons. I’m sure we all feel this in different ways as we reflect on the moment and I find each season brings with it a whole heap of emotional baggage, hope, and excitement in equal measure.
In Spring, I love the newness, the flowers bursting open, life almost tentatively creeping out from behind the trees craving to have some time in the light. I love that feeling of gaining an extra day in every day as the evenings become filled with activity in the light again when the clocks change. If this season had a soundtrack, it would be Jimmy Cliff singing I Can See Clearly Now….
Summer’s soundtrack would be Long Hot Summer by The Style Council with it’s sense of being free and young and warm and barefoot and kissing a boy called Graham in Battersea Park. Memories and anticipation of fun and happiness and beaches and BBQs and flowers and trees in abundance all gently swirl around my presence.
Intrinsically linked to the commencing of the school year, Autumn’s September has a sense of knuckling down, crisp new books, reading lists and focus. I loved being a student and I loved getting a new reading list as the new year began, believing with every bone in my body that I would in fact go and get all of the books, reading each one crisp page by crisp page. It was such a feeling of utter engagement that would barely make it to the first half term. I almost yearn for the gorgeous colours of the leaves in Autumn, singing and dancing their way off the trees in a cool breeze making the statement that they make every single year providing comfort in the predictability of a yearly ritual. My favourite memory of this time is the sun low, piercing it’s way through the windscreen, with my music playing and the heating on driving to work in the morning (even though I have long since finished commuting into a workplace). The soundtrack of Autumn goes to Van Morrison, Moondance.
But Winter….If all the seasons bring memories of different points in my life, Winter seems to have the saddest emotional memories than any other season.
Watching people scraping ice off the car this morning I remember that sound from childhood. I remember the first time my ex-husband did it for me and I was dismayed that anyone would stand in the cold and clear my car for me. A lovely memory tinged with the sadness of what followed. Christmas looming and that feeling of being squeezed of everything , the TV placing images of life that I cannot connect with. The elderly being cold, my Gran dying and being broke in January all spring to mind. I think of break ups and make-ups and dishing out food to the freezing homeless on The Strand thrown out by supermarkets on Xmas Eve. Working as a social worker with young people who have left care knowing that they spent Christmas Day staring at the TV alone, almost banging down our door on the first working day back looking for money for food and desperately needing human contact and reassurance that this living hell would soon be over, the first sale advert being a Xmas gift unashamedly stating, it’s over. Normality will be resumed shortly.
For me, this is not a time of year to think of yourself aside from a short burst of reflection from time to time against the backdrop of a cosy night in. This is a time to think about being useful and helpful. I think more and more people will suffer the Winter harshly this year with the current economic situation and there are so many people for whom this is the season to ‘get through’ somehow.
My biggest tool this season is knowledge. I have learnt that self-pity and gratitude cannot sit side by side each other. It’s just impossible. I know that by focusing on what I can do for other people stops the self-absorption that this season brings and all of the dis-ease that comes with it. My soundtrack for Winter is Queen, A Winter’s Tale.
While writing, I thought I could have A Little Competition. Do you struggle with Winter? How do you get through this time? In the spirit of the season, I will offer a FREE one hour treatment here in Witney, to the best suggestion/top tip/story ….please comment below. x
. . . → Read More: Seasonal Emotions….
By Lisa Cherry, on October 10th, 2011%
I’m often asked what Holistic Health is all about so I thought it was time to give a little background as to why the treatments I offer are holistic.
“Holistic” comes from the Greek word “holism”, meaning “all, entire, total”. When I talk about “holistic” health I mean I treat the body as a whole, rather than dealing with its individual parts. Conventional medicine often only deals with symptoms without discovering the root cause. The body is a complex mechanism of systems, cells and organs and it’s often the case that the cause of a disorder is not necessarily the body part experiencing the symptom. Alongside this is the understanding that along with the body, we also have to nurture and heal the mind and the spirit.
The World Health Organisation (WHO – www.who.int) describes health as ” more than simply the absence of illness. It is the active state of physical, emotional, mental and social well-being.” In other words, being healthy involves your entire self being balanced. That perfectly describes holistic health, where a person is seen and treated as a whole being rather than as someone with an illness.
So why is massage a holistic health therapy? To answer that, you need to understand what effect massage has on the body. When soft tissue is massaged – for example, the back and shoulders – the physical manipulation relaxes the muscles and releases tension, but the effects go deeper than that. The act of massage stimulates the nervous system and sends electrical signals around the body. These signals have a wide range of effects, including healing damaged muscle tissue, stimulating circulation and draining the lymphatic system, which helps clear waste products from the body. Massage also stimulates the production of endorphins, which act as natural painkillers and mood elevators, and reduces the levels of stress-causing hormones.
Massage has been found to be one of the most effective treatments for musculoskeletal problems including back pain, arthritis and sports injuries. However, because massage stimulates circulation, it can also be used to treat other physical problems not connected to the skeletal form. For example, researchers at the University of South Florida (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16267371) found that massage lowered the blood pressure levels in hypertensive people. In Korea, The Red Cross used skin rehabilitation massage therapy (SRMT) on burns survivors and found that the damaged skin healed faster, the scar tissue was healthier and side effects such as pruritus (itchiness) were decreased in those patients that received the treatment. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17435407)
Massage is also very effective at balancing the body’s emotional and mental state because it stimulates the release of hormones essential to our well-being. This means massage can help treat a wide range of other disorders, such as stress and depression. The University of Miami (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15809216) studied a group of women with breast cancer and found that those women who received regular massage treatments had lower levels of stress, depression and anger than those women who had been given relaxation exercises to do, or who had been given no treatment for their emotional symptoms.
So at Holistic Health, we work together, where I use massage, combined with other holistic therapies such as Aromatherapy, Reiki and Reflexology, to benefit your physical, emotional and mental health, enabling you to have a renewed sense of well-being.
. . . → Read More: What is Holistic Health?
By Lisa Cherry, on September 1st, 2011%
One of the first things I ask my clients is “what do you need today?” Such an important question that a lot of people don’t know how to answer. Such a simple question that in itself, can be very enlightening as to how a person is feeling in their life. They might not know what they need. They may not have ever thought about what they need. Some people are uncomfortable with the thought that they need anything at all. We all have needs and we all need to stop and rebalance ourselves sometimes because there are areas in our lives that have become unbalanced.
If you are coming to see me, you have a need that you have identified. Whether that need is for a better feeling of health and well-being, to improve poor sleeping patterns, or you are over tired needing an hour of self-focus. You may have stiff shoulders, or you are just plain old worn out with everything because life feels to much, we can work it out together.
This working with all areas of a person is known as an Integrative approach that looks at every aspect of ourselves. By undergoing this exploration we often find that the symptom is not the cause! Within this process, you have an opportunity to think about where you are, a chance to reflect upon what’s going on for you in all areas of your life. By asking you what you might need, I can then create a bespoke treatment that will ultimately give the biggest benefits and results that continue for far longer than the hour we spend together.
We can explore what oils I might use dependent on whether you need to relax, be calmed and soothed or be invigorated. We can look at your emotional needs and establish whether you need to talk, be silent, or be in a deep state of relaxation.
We might do Reflexology to get the body back into a state of balance or a massage with all of it’s healing, soothing, and/or invigorating abilities with endless benefits in it’s own right. We can maybe use some Reiki in the treatment if the deepest relaxation and healing is needed. Or maybe Hot stones which are fantastic for loosening up stiff muscles with the heat itself being very comforting. The treatment incorporates whatever is right for you on the day you come and see me.
So spend some time thinking about what you need today. Whether it’s to make sure you get your appointment with me in the diary, or it’s 10 minutes reading or walking or doing a breathing mediation. Maybe you need to cook your favourite meal or see your best friend for an overdue catch up. Whatever it is, do it! Because if you come and see me for a treatment, I’ll only give you something lovely to do for yourself for Homework anyway!
. . . → Read More: What Do You Need?
By Lisa Cherry, on July 17th, 2011%
I am constantly reflecting upon changes and growth in my personal and professional life and development and I always love how the Universe (life force, God, The Divine, whatever you choose as your spiritual connection) seems to ensure change and movement when we are not necessarily ready for it, haven’t appeared to ask for it and aren’t necessarily feeling that it’s required.
Right now, it seems that so many people I speak to are in a state of movement and growth, moving house, losing relationships, gaining relationships, confronting ‘stuff’ that was presumed long dealt with and it’s fascinating how we all deal with this process in different ways.
I always find for me that if people are not meant to be in my life, the Universe removes them quickly without me having to do very much at all. It’s the same when I meet new people that the Universe feels should be in my life, they just appear when I least expect it and I am so grateful for that intervention.
Currently, I’m enjoying the process of watching my work growing and developing and can’t wait to move my practise to an ‘office’ (soon to be gorgeous room of serenity and tranquillity). Through doing lots of joint pieces of work with Kirsten from Aspiring Change offering Life Enhancing Workshops, expanding my personal and professional development and seeking to build a virtual team of practitioners to ensure complete bespoke treatments consistently underpinned with healing, continues to be a fantastic journey. Through having my Massage room in Witney, I shall be able to have other practitioners offering their services such as Life Coaching sessions, Homeopathy, a Stress Clinic and…..who knows what else.
And that’s the wonderful thing about being open to what is available to us and also believing that we can create something bigger than we dare. It has taken me a while to feel able to take on my own room but now I’m chomping at the bit to get going and can’t wait to open on 1st September.
So what I would offer you to consider as my reflections would be, give yourself space to dream, then visualise them and be open them, believing that you deserve them, for they are usually just the very beginning of something much bigger than you could imagine.
. . . → Read More: Moving on…
By Lisa Cherry, on June 21st, 2011%
When that time in your life comes hurtling towards you, screaming at you that life cannot go on like this, the pain so great that it takes you to your knees forcing you to plead in your aloneness for help because you cannot take anymore, it won’t feel like it but it is indeed a wonderful thing.
This juncture, this fantastic turning point, comes in many different guises. A breakdown, a divorce, a bereavement, constant battling with food drugs and/or alcohol, living with depression, these are all clear messages that something has to change, that your life isn’t working for you, that your choices are causing you harm and you haven’t been listening to the endless messages you’ve been receiving.
However it comes at you, it hits hard but there is another way, a path that is about personal responsibility, self-love, self-investment and consciousness.
I have had to surrender many times but my first and most powerful surrender came at 20 years old through the glass of a whiskey bottle. The beginning of the life I was meant to lead rather than the life self-hatred had shown me was about to begin.
I have learnt that there are a few things that will help us when we start on a path of recovery or when we are going through pain and change.
- Be kind to yourself. Forgive yourself. Sleep well and eat fresh food, regularly through the day.
- Nurture yourself. By this I mean, walks in the countryside, visits to the seaside, reading a nourishing book, spending time with people you love and who love you.
- Start living in a state of self-awareness. Along with what my previous points, this is the time to start taking responsibility for your life, health and wellbeing. Personal growth and self-acceptance have amazing impacts on yourself and those around you.
- Make your health your business. If you’ve been suffering from depression and taking endless pills and then more pills to quell the side effects of those pills and you still feel the same, then maybe it’s time to approach life in another way. I am absolutely not advocating stopping doing anything without consultation with your GP, but there are lots of people who manage a host of issues holistically through diet, complementary therapies and preventative strategies rather than reactive ones.
- Stress management is so important. Again, think preventatively and ensure that you have time allocated to yourself whether it’s for long lunches with friends and family, walks that put you in touch with nature and your spiritual self, meditation, massage, reading. Whatever it is, book an appointment in the diary with you!
This is just the beginning, and living responsibly, lovingly and pro-actively will eventually become a way of life. Not looking after you will no longer be an option. Not having your healing time will feel wrong. Surrounding yourself with people you love and who love you, eating lots of fresh wholefood and taking responsibility for your health will define you, not the label that brought you to a place of surrender and change. This point is the beginning, the beginning of a journey that will take you beyond your wildest dreams…
. . . → Read More: There is another way…
By Lisa Cherry, on May 11th, 2011%
My self identified project on Blipfoto, another one of my many creative pursuits, has been The Body and today’s picture is my mid back. I have a huge respect for my body as I think it is absolutely amazing. The way that the systems of the body work, would outwit any invention to try and do the same thing in a human-made machine! I think people take their body for granted and unfortunately it is not until it is not working properly that a realisation of it’s importance dawns.
Take the spine for example. The spine is made up of 33 vertebrae and is divided into five parts. Starting from the top there is the Cervical (7 Vertebrae), then the Thoracic which has 12 Vertebrae, The Lumbar Region (5 Vertebrae), the Sacral (5 fused Vertebrae) and the Coccygeal which also fused Vertebrae (between 3 and 5). Damage in any of the regions affects different parts of the body. For example, damage above the T1, affects the arms and the legs. Damage the spine and you will prevent some part of your body working…..the spinal cord runs up the spine through to the brain, the control centre of the body.
I see a lot of people with back pain which tends to be brought about by poor posture, phone held under the chin and shoulder, carrying a baby/toddler or laptop bags and so on. A good massage once a month will ease the discomfort, get rid of all the knots and crunchy bits of crystal that get caught in the scapula and around the neck and shoulders. For more serious back problems, I will always refer a client to a good Osteopath or Chiropractor who can work far more deeply than I can and who also have far more extensive knowledge than a massage therapist would have. However, it’s very likely that they will also refer a client for massage in between sessions as well so the two professions can work well together for some clients.
So how do you look after your back?
Stay active. Some people mistakenly believe that back pain heals when you rest it but this is not the case. Walking is particularly good for prevention and easing problems should they start.
Keep on moving! Ensure that you have good posture so no slumping over your laptop on the sofa, or sitting at your desk.
Use correct lifting techniques when lifting, so bend your knees!
Drink lots of water, it keep the intervertebral discs hydrated.
In my experience, if you get knotty in your upper back and shoulders and neck, have a massage once a month. If you don’t, it’ll get worse and will eventually cause headaches. Prevent problems arising by exercising good back care. And remember….you only have one back. Without a healthy back, you’ll know about it!
. . . → Read More: Back to Back…
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