I'm late ....

Firstly, may I apologise this blog post is a day late. I've been very busy at work and along with a bug, I've struggled to complete all my tasks. So rather than write the blog post I had planned here's another example of using all my holistic tools to speed recovery.

• ·         I've put myself first. I find this awkward to achieve, I like to serve and help others but I've come to realise I can't do this if I'm suffering from burnout. For me this has meant cutting down the physical exercise, taking time off work and going to bed ridiculously early for several consecutive nights.
• ·         massage. I know I'm struggling with a back issue that isn't going away with my usual Range of Motion exercises. I can't wait for my massage on Tuesday.
• ·         plenty of meditation
• ·         oodles of self Reiki
• ·         Prioritising my To Do list. Some items have been carried forward for days now but they're not essential. Some have been delegated and some simply deleted.
• ·         Crystals - I've been sleeping with them, carrying them round with me. Next up, a crystal bath pamper session.   Drinking crystal essences
• ·         nourishing foods. I'm normally quite a healthy eater but I'm craving carbs. So I've been listening to my body and tried to make healthy carb choices. (Although I'm not sure home-made apple cake is that healthy!!).
• ·         hugs. Snuggles on sofas with my boys are top medicine.
• ·         I'm sure I've got a mild version of SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). I miss the sun.  I use my lamp every morning but yesterday I stood outside in the back garden leisurely sipping my Earl Grey tea in the afternoon sun.

So what other tips could you offer?

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

Follow me on Twitter

Follow me on Facebook

How to make your dreams come true

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.

Follow me on Twitter

Follow me on Facebook

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.

Follow me on Twitter

Follow me on Facebook

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. 

Friday ramblings

Just a short and obscure blog this week.

Initially I thought about discussing aesthetics; specifically those relating to human beauty.  You see, sometimes I am guilty of not noticing when someone has a new hair style or has lost a few pounds.  I don’t believe I’m being ignorant but I notice people as a whole – not just their body and image but their soul.

For example, as a child I had a crush on a high school teacher.  This teacher certainly didn’t fill the category of what most teenagers called attractive but his personality shone through.  I saw the teacher holistically. 

In TV programmes, I tend to admire, respect and am attracted to those characters who appear wise, kind, humorous and caring.  My home-made pin-up calendar at work (don’t ask why!!) raised a few eyebrows.  Not because of their body or good looks, entirely the opposite. 

Perhaps this is why I enjoy holistic therapies.  I look at the person as a whole; not just the physical but the spiritual and emotional.

Any guilty crushes you’d like to admit?

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

Follow me on Twitter

Follow me on Facebook