Festive greetings and saying No

A short Festive post for this week.

I try so hard to be organised at this time of year.  There are so many different focus points . . .  celebration, presents, cards, decorating along with the business of day-to-day life.  However I also realise that for my own health and sanity sometimes I have to say No.  I find this hard to do, I often put others before myself.  So I've been following my own advice, trying to make sure that every day has a little bit of calm and serenity before steeling myself to say No.

As time is short and sweet at this time of year I would just like to wish you peace, health and happiness at this time of year.  Thank you for your support and the time spent reading and I'll be back around the 27th.

This article links so many of my strategies for living a healthier life

This weeks blog article is actually linked back to another article.  Pamela from Reiki Medicine and Self Care posted a link to this article:-

6 Unexpected Ways Writing Can Transform Your Health

I love this article.  It links emotional healing (Reiki can help you with that too) whilst writing with your chosen instrument and paper (my beloved fountain pens and Filofax).  It also mentions how writing can help cancer patients and helps with gratitude and thankfulness (see my blog article on gratitude here).

So what are your thoughts?  Why not try writing down your health issues or what you are thankful for.  It doesn't have to be grammatically correct, just emotionally felt.  Here's to your good health. 

As always, thank you for reading and have a great weekend.

Heather x

It’s a ladies prerogative apparently – I’ve changed my Filofax set-up again

Sometimes I think I’d be a honorary member of the Filofax Anonymous Group.  You know the one where you sit in a circle (similar to any addiction support group) and plead your case. 

“Hi.  I’m Heather and I buy new Filofaxes at regular intervals AND change my setup frequently”

Don’t they say that admitting you have a problem is the first step to being cured.  Except I’m not sure I want to be cured.  You see I was beginning to lose my lust for my Filofaxes.  My IPhone did everything I needed my Filofax to do and I rarely checked my ‘Day to Day’ Filofax that I carry in my handbag (purse for my American readers).  Except I missed one appointment and several tasks and with the start of a busy project at work, I was beginning to fray at the edges (metaphorically speaking of course). 

I began to wonder how to solve this issue when I realised I could use a Pocket sized Filofax as a combined Purse (wallet for my American readers), diary, shopping list and task list keeper.  I already printed my IPhone calendars out in mini format for my Filofax – why not upsize slightly and print them in Pocket size.

I’ve not got the setup correct completely yet but I found the Cuban Pocket has the necessary back note pocket, a zip pocket for change, it’s wide enough to almost print my diary out on A6 size paper.  I managed to find a bargain price for the Cuban Pocket in brown and I just love the smooth leather.  Although initially quite stiff, it’s gradually beginning to soften and although it doesn’t lay flat just yet, I’m sure it will with a little more training.  Anyway, enough of the chatter, here are some photos of the gorgeous Filofax in question.  Some with the big brother, my household A5 Cuban.

As always, thank you for reading this blog and following my crazy flitting from one filofax (size and style) to another.  If you have any questions or comments, please chat to me below.

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William and Reiki on his last day

Hello all. I hope you're feeling well. This week I've taken my boys to the East Coast for half term. I love our family time and I'm grateful we have a bolt hole to escape the 'Rat race'.

  

I've always wanted to visit Northcote Heavy Horse centre and I had a real calling to visit this week. The weather was wet and windy but we donned our waterproofs and in our eagerness arrived before opening time. On arrival it was explained today wouldn't follow the normal plan as one of the heavies was very ill.

We loved meeting equines of all shapes and sizes; from the Shetlands to the enormous (and aptly nicknamed Rhino) Belgian Trekpaard.   In the sand school was a beautiful Shire who was in considerable discomfort. I dropped the boys into the cafe and enquired if I could offer the distressed Shire, William some Reiki.

I quietly entered the indoor school and stood just in the entrance offering Reiki. Waves of energy flooded through me and William appeared to settle a little, turning his body in whatever direction was necessary. I truly felt William knew his time was limited and after a while he hobbled off so I closed the session.

I continued to send distance Reiki throughout the day and several hours later whilst out walking, a beautiful rainbow appeared above us. My soul realised Wiliam had passed over Rainbow bridge. I therefore wasn't surprised when I read on Facebook that William had been put to sleep.

It was an honour to meet such a beautiful, magnificent creature.  I’m sorry it was in such sad circumstances.  I can only hope the Reiki made his transition more peaceful.

Please, when you’re next in Lincolnshire (check opening times at their website below) go and visit this small sanctuary where heavies are treated (entirely by volunteers I hasten to add) with complete love and respect.

Alternatively spend some money at their on-line shop and help support this wonderful place.  You can find their webpage here:-

http://www.northcotehorses.com/horses/

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Quick disclaimer; I am not a medical practitioner so therefore I’m not prescribing.  All of my blog posts are based on complementary therapies and not as a replacement for conventional medicine.  

Real Life example of Holistic Therapies and Teenagers

Hello all.  How are you?  I thought I’d use a real life example of how I integrate Holistic Therapies into everyday life for this week’s blog post. 

I was called away from work yesterday by my son’s High School.  My eldest son had been involved in an incident and had injured his neck.  Whilst the injury itself was not serious, the emotional impact on my sensitive eleven year old cannot be under-estimated.

We spent the afternoon discussing his feelings whilst watching a film together on the sofa.  After checking there was no heat or swelling around the neck area, we alternated cold and hot compresses.  I also used oral arnica tablets and Neal’s Yard Remedies Arnica salve in a gentle massage around the affected area.

I realised my son’s active imagination would mean falling asleep would be an issue so he listened to a meditation app, I placed a crystal grid around his bed and used Neal’s Yard Remedies to Roll Sleep on his pulse points.  Needless to say hands-on and distance Reiki have been continuously used.

Today is going slowly as I just want to check how he’s doing; patience has never been one of my strongest points. 

Are there any other holistic therapies you would have used in the same situation?  Let me know below, I’d love some more ideas.

As always, thank you for reading and I hope this advice helps someone lead a healthier, holistic life.  Any questions, please ask me in the comments below.

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Quick disclaimer; I am not a medical practitioner so therefore I’m not prescribing.  All of my blog posts are based on complementary therapies and not as a replacement for conventional medicine.  

Breast Cancer awareness month

October used to be a difficult month for me.  The promotion of Breast Cancer Awareness Month was a constant reminder of a painful and a scary experience for me.  However time (and counselling) has helped alleviate those raw feelings and allow me the hindsight to embrace Breast Cancer Awareness Month.  Therefore this month’s blog post is a list of some of the active, holistic steps I’m taking to hopefully prevent the cancer returning.

 I have made daily life-style changes to boost my immunity.  I no longer take my health for granted and aim to eat healthily with a balanced, nutritional diet.  Exercise is a key part of staying healthy and following chemotherapy I struggled to be strong enough to walk the 5 mile Race for Life.  10 years later I’ve completed a triathlon and ran the Race for Life this year. 

Stress can be an immunity zapper and I did tend to worry and fret about anything and everything.  Using Reiki as a spiritual practice has allowed me to stop, take a breath and ‘see the bigger picture’.  I also use crystals, meditation, aromatherapy oils, massage and EFT to ensure I stay calm and relaxed wherever possible. 

Counselling was a life changer.  Admitting I wasn’t coping with constant, niggling worries of the cancer returning prevented my new life from evolving.  I contacted my Breast Cancer nurse who referred me to the local Hospice for counselling.  

One of the most important elements in the prevention of breast cancer is regularly checking your breasts! If you find a lump or thickening (or any of the symptoms in the picture below), pop to your GP and have it checked out.

Finally, I try to reduce the number of toxic products in my environment.  I use eco-friendly household cleaners (some home-made with essential oils).  The products I place on my body (as our skin absorbs a vast percentage of what we place on it) are based on organic, natural, and ethical health and beauty products.  I’ve found the Neal’s Yard Remedies range so amazing I am now a stockist of their products and use their products in my treatments.  You can find these products here:- https://uk.nyrorganic.com/shop/HeatherWinterton

As always, thank you for reading and I hope this advice helps someone lead a healthier, holistic life.  Any questions, please ask me in the comments below.

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Quick disclaimer; I am not a medical practitioner so therefore I’m not prescribing.  All of my blog posts are based on complementary therapies and not as a replacement for conventional medicine. 

Macmillan Cancer Support fundraising

Help me raise much needed funds for Macmillan Cancer Support.  During this week I will be donating 10% of all sales to Macmillan Cancer support.  Orders for this event must be sent to me and NOT submitted through my website.  Please share this post with your friends and family; the more people that shop, the more money we can raise. 

Have a browse through my website https://uk.nyrorganic.com/shop/HeatherWinterton (or I can email you a brochure) but then CONTACT ME DIRECTLY and let me know what you would like.  As this is an online event, there will be a free draw for all ‘attendees’ contacting me direct to place an order.

Hassle free shopping in the comfort of your own home whilst raising valuable funds for Macmillan Cancer Support; it doesn’t get any better, does it? The event will be largely run through my Facebook page so please make sure you ‘like’ my Facebook page (link below) and then share this post with your friends and family.  

Last but not least, this fundraiser has no geographical limits (other than a UK postal address.) The more people that shop, the more money we can raise.  

Closing date for all orders, midnight (BST) on Friday 27^th September 2013.  Any questions, please contact me.  

Thank you

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Filofax on travels

I know some of you love to hear how my Filofax(es) fare in real life. This blog post shows how I use a Filofax as a travel companion.

 I use the Pennybridge in pocket size purple as my travel assistant. I use the Filofax to hold copies of my next 3 months diary, my travel itinerary, essential contact details and my travel journal. The card slots and the zip area of the purse hold my foreign currency and one debit card.

Whilst at the airport, the Pennybridge was invaluable for checking flight times, terminals etc. As you can see, as part of my carry-on luggage, the colours of the Pennybridge and my Radley handbag complement each other beautifully.

Here’s another photo of the Pennybridge enjoying mid-flight refreshments.



During the flight (even when devices have to be completely shut off) I was able to scribble notes and drawings in the spare notepaper.

At the end of every day I spent 5-10 minutes journaling on the day’s activities. When I’m feeling stressed, it’s lovely to be able to re-call those relaxing moments just by reading my journal.

Once again, the Pennybridge has proved its worth. I certainly wouldn’t like to travel without it now. As always, thanks for reading and any questions or comments, I’d love to hear from you below.

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Be compassionate towards yourself and others

In the final blog in the series on Reiki precepts, we look at compassion. I find it interesting that in the precept, self comes before others yet it is something many of us do not find easy.  I believe before we can truly show compassion to others, we must feel compassion for ourselves.  Why do we find it so difficult when we’ve made a mistake to show ourselves a little kindness.  How would we treat our loved ones in the same situation?

Treating others with compassion starts by realising we are all human and all have the same insecurities and the basic wish to feel loved and safe.  We have all suffered pain, loss, loneliness and we are all looking for ways to fill these voids.  We all have our own path and when someone treats us ill, we need to remember they may be in a current cycle of pain, fear and despair.  Can you recall how that felt when you were in that cycle?  Most of us are just doing the best we can at this moment in time.

Why develop compassion in your life? Well, there are scientific studies that suggest there are physical benefits to practicing compassion.  People who practice compassion produce 100% more DHEA (a hormone that counteracts the aging process) and 23% less of the ‘stress hormone’ cortisol.  Win – win.

I hope this series has helped you understand why I love Reiki and just the beginnings of its benefits. 

As always, thanks for reading and any questions or comments, I’d love to hear from you below.

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Quick disclaimer; I am not a medical practitioner so therefore I’m not prescribing.  All of my blog posts are based on complementary therapies and not as a replacement for conventional medicine.  

Reiki precept - Earn your living honestly

Welcome back to the series on Reiki Precepts. This weeks blog is discussing the precept "Earn your living honestly". There are also various translations which are similar to "Work hard".  On a superficial level, this sounds so simple. However if we delve a little deeper, there are so many layers to this precept.  

Earning a living can mean all types of work; not just your day to day paid employment. How about your day to day tasks; self development with daily Reiki practice, household chores, family responsibilities. 

Earn = money. There are some schools of thought who believe we shouldnt charge for Reiki. However, there are also beliefs that Usui himself realised there had to be an exchange of energy when offering Reiki to beggars. If, as a therapist, I have spent money training and developing my practice; should you not pay for my time?  
How about the people and places we associate with as part of our daily living. How we spend our time impacts the way we live our lives.  

How do you perceive your "living". Do you work diligently?  I'd love to discuss this with you further so let me know your comments below. 

Be grateful

Hello and welcome back to the third instalment of the blogs based on the Reiki precepts.  This blog post is based on the precept ‘Be Grateful’.

I find ‘being grateful’ is an amazing gift.  We could all moan and complain we don’t have enough money/time/friends/possessions …. Turn this concept around and I’m grateful I have enough money to live comfortably, I’ve been given the blessing of time with my family, I am loved and surrounded by family and friends.  I’m even grateful for having cancer; it was a life changing reminder to take every day as a blessing, to not take anything for granted and the opportunity to learn Reiki and help other people.  Being grateful for the littlest things every day reminds me what a fantastic life I am lucky enough to have. 

Some of the translations of the Reiki precepts have ‘Be Humble’ as the third precept.  These are similar sentiments; humble and grateful.  With Reiki, the practitioner doesn’t provide the energy, we are just a channel.  New clients are often amazed and ask how we acquired this ‘power’.  It can be difficult to clarify and it is honest and humble to explain that we merely provide a conduit for your body/mind/spirit to use Reiki as a trigger to heal yourself.  Reiki helps to provide a safe, calm and relaxing environment for healing to take place.

Reiki does not claim to cure; Reiki reminds us to remain humble and believe the outcome is for the greater good.  There is no room for arrogance and pride, Reiki helps us to serve others.

As always, I am grateful you have spent the time to read this blog.  If you have any questions or comments, please chat to me below.

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Just for today . . . do not worry

Last time we discussed the Reiki precept Do not Anger and this time I’d like to delve further into the precept Do not Worry. 

Worry is linked with the future and is not always an outcome we can alter.  Worrying is an easy habit to slip into, yet no matter how much of it you do the worrying itself will never achieve anything or change anything.  Doing Reiki on yourself can help you to achieve a less anxious, more positive frame of mind.

Worry is yet another negative emotion that drains and consumes many people. All negative emotions are energy stealers, and thus can cause physical, emotional and mental damage.  If you believe in the Law of Attraction, then the focus that worrying over an issue provides may actually work to invite that which you worry about to manifest. I'd rather use the Law of Attraction more positively, wouldn't you?

So how do I cope with worry?  Worry is something I know I suffer with and like any other addictive habit, admitting I have a problem is the first step.  I practice Reiki daily and if I have a situation where I am aware I’m worrying about I immediately send Reiki to myself and to the situation.  Reiki helps you realise the universe has a plan for you, one which you may not always understand.  Reiki is like taking leap of faith, 

Do you worry?  How about trying the suggestions above and let me know how you progress.  Let me know in the comments below and thank you for taking the time to read my blog.

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Just for today . . . do not anger

The first Reiki precept is “Just for today . . . do not anger”.  Although easy to recite, to put into practice on a daily basis can be a challenge.  However, it does get easier with time.  I’m sure Usui didn’t mean for us to ignore or swallow our anger but to acknowledge our angry emotions and deal with them.  So how do I work with this precept?

I’ve mentioned before that I recite and meditate with these precepts twice daily.  This allows them to become second nature.  Therefore when I do get angry, I acknowledge what has made me angry and take several large deep breaths.  This gives me 30 seconds of valuable ‘clearing’ time.  If I decide I need to outlet my anger physically I have a punch bag in my garage.  If I want to verbalise my anger; I can go and talk to someone away from the situation or even scream into a pillow.  I have been known to drawn or write my feelings on paper and then ceremoniously burn them.  Once I have dealt with my anger, I then perform a ‘brushing off’ style ritual (more on dry brushing in future blog posts) and do not dwell in my anger.  I have dealt with it and it’s now time to move on.  Silently repeating, “Just for today, do not anger,” like a mantra, over and over, distracting your mind until the anger or annoyance fades can also help whilst practicing self Reiki.

Just for today reminds us to be mindful and in the present moment.  Anger tends to be an emotion based in the past.  Holding on to your anger for any length of time can be very counter-productive health-wise.  Negative emotions set up a whole series of stressful chemical responses in the body and generally hurts us more than the one at which it is directed. It is always a good idea to remember that you always have the choice of whether to be angry or not.

How do you deal with your anger?  Let me know in the comments below and thank you for taking the time to read my blog.

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Reiki Precepts

This weeks blog will enable you to learn a little more about Reiki.

One of the fundamental factors of Reiki is the five precepts.  These are guidelines from the Reiki founder Usui Mikao. Although Reiki has no religious basis, many religious or spiritual practices have precepts.  A dictionary definition of a precept is “A precept (from the Latin: præcipere, to teach) is a commandment, instruction, or order intended as an authoritative rule of action.”

Mikao Usui, the founder of the Reiki lineage, referred to the Precepts as “the secret of inviting happiness through many blessings, the spiritual medicine for all illness” and included them in daily practice.  Understanding these precepts and that Reiki is primarily a personal spiritual growth tool, can aid self-healing and help us understand Reiki. 

The precepts are taught from Reiki 1 and should be recited morning and night.  However, reciting doesn’t help us fully understand these precepts.  I have spent several months meditating with these precepts, endeavouring to use them constantly in my day to day life.

·         Just for today, do not anger

·         Just for today, do not worry

·         Just for today, be grateful

·         Just for today, work hard

·         Just for today, be compassionate towards yourself and others

Please be aware when surfing the internet you may find slightly different versions due to translation but all have the same basic principle. 

In future blogs, I hope to work with each of these precepts and delve a little deeper.

As always, thanks for reading and if you have any questions or comments, I’d love to hear from you below.

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Quick disclaimer; I am not a medical practitioner so therefore I’m not prescribing.  All of my blog posts are based on complementary therapies and not as a replacement for conventional medicine.  

Hopi ear candles

This is a treatment which didn’t initially appeal to me however after a treatment I was impressed and decided to train and add this to the growing list of treatments I offer.

Hopi Ear Candles (also known as Thermal Auricular Therapy) are a pleasant and non-invasive treatment of the ears, used to treat a variety of conditions.  These ear candles induce a revitalising heat upon the head and ears, which soothes, relieves and relaxes. The candles work on a chimney principle, drawing any impurities to the surface where they can be gently removed. They equalise the pressure in the head and ears, making them suitable for most conditions.

The candles are made from a variety of natural ingredients including beeswax, honey extracts, sage, St Johns Wort, chamomile, beta-carotene and organically grown flax.  I only use the best quality candles.

Hopi Candles have been reported to help with a wide range of disorders in ears and/or sinuses and have a relaxing calming effect for stress disorders.  Ideal for people who have their ears syringed regularly, frequent flyers or before air travel.

I will ask you to lie on your side and the candle is then gently placed into your ear. You may experience a pleasant crackling sound as the candle burns and a warm comfortable feeling. The candle is then taken away while you lie there for a few moments before turning over to treat the other ear. Most clients find the whole experience very relaxing. Some fall asleep during treatment.

As we are due to fly in the couple of months, I intend to treat us all prior to travel to help with any ear pressure problems we may have.  

As always, thank you for reading this blog.  If you have any questions or comments, please chat to me below.

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