So, as a complementary therapist, why am I talking about a healthy mind? Simple, the mind and body are one integrated system and mind affects body and vice versa. A healthy body needs a healthy mind. So, what is a healthy mind? Good question. Some of the characteristics that demonstrate a healthy mind would be: positivity; equilibrium; optimism; calm; flexibility; openness and of course there are lots of others. And what are the characteristics of an less than healthy mind? Well what about: anxiety; fear; obsessive thoughts; not being able to switch off; negative emotions such as envy, self-recrimination, guilt, excessive sadness, over-excitement, etc. One of the main characteristics that distinguish a healthy mind from one that is less so, is the speed and intensity of thoughts and not being able to switch off. But it can be difficult to make changes to the way you think. How DO you stop thinking certain unhelpful thoughts and begin thinking other more helpful thoughts? It all happens so quickly doesn’t it? Your brain just races around certain thoughts or ideas and the faster it goes, the more difficult it is to stop. It’s like a race car. Well, the answer might surprise you. You have to STOP before you start again. Imagine you’re driving a car at high speed. You've got your pedal to the metal and you're racing ahead on a straight road. If you want to change direction – say you want to do a U turn - you have to stop, because if you don’t stop before you change direction you’ll crash and burn. The speed of the car will prevent your attempt to change direction. But if you change down gears, braking gently as you do so, you can stop and change direction easily. Your brain works in just the same way. If you slow everything down gently, it will be much easier to change your thinking. And would you like to know how you slow everything down? RELAXATION. Yes, that old chestnut. Doing regular relaxation or meditation will allow your thoughts to slow down to a pace where you will find it much easier to change direction and adopt a new mindset that will serve you better. It’s about recognising that the more slowly your brain works the more conscious control you have over it. So if you want to control and change your thoughts, a bit of relaxation or meditation is just the job – BUT the only way you’ll know if this is true is to give it a try. And if you find it too difficult to slow down under your own steam, you can always try a treatment of Reflexology or Indian Head Massage! To book contact Doris on 07724 197627. And you get £5 off your first treatment.
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Here's a great video from the Association of Reflexologists explaining more about Reflexology. Enjoy! I first wrote this article around this time last year, and I make no apologies for re-posting it again today... Because I heard recently that most people manage about 9 days of their New Year resolutions before they give up. So if you've had great intentions regarding the changes you'd like to make this year, but find sticking to them much more difficult than you'd thought, here are a few tips to strengthen your resolve:
1. If you've got a goal - WRITE IT DOWN and look at your written goal every day. 2. Be clear about WHY you want your goal - and how much better off you will be once you have it - and write that down too. Write down lots of benefits that achieving your goal will bring you and think about them every day. 3. Imagination is stronger than willpower, so imagine yourself AS YOU WOULD LIKE TO BE. 4. GET EMOTIONALLY INVOLVED. Generate strong feelings of how it would feel when you achieve your goal, get yourself really, really motivated to achieve your goal. 5. Think only in the positive - the brain doesn't process negatives (try NOT thinking about an orange elephant), so FOCUS ON WHAT YOU WANT, rather than what you don't want. 6. Check you can MEASURE PROGRESS towards your goal and break your goal down into smaller manageable chunks. Monitor your success and if you're not meeting your targets, use that as a reason to get even more motivated. Good luck! Lothian Reflexology provides Reflexology for Stress, General Health & Wellbeing, Fertility and Pregnancy. Gift Vouchers Available JANUARY OFFER: Detox Reflexology - 3 treatments for the price of 2 only in January and February. I hope you had a wonderful Festive Season full of food, fun and friends. But now that the New Year is here, most of us feel the need to get back to a stricter regime. As a reflexologist, I often see an increase in foot sensitivity in the colon and kidney reflexes at this time of year - a response to the over-indulgance of the holiday season I expect. All these little party snacks and nibbles are packed full of trans-fats, sugar and salt that can take your body out of balance. And that's without factoring alcohol into the equation. How would you know if your body's straining under the effects of the party season? Well, a drop in energy levels, poor skin condition, dull eyes, constipation, or poor sleep patterns may all indicate that your body's in need of some tender loving care. Fortunately your body's a very efficient detox machine and will comfortably clear your system of toxins, but there's no harm in helping things along. Here are a few tips to boost your body's natural detox process:
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