Peak Wellbeing is Closing

I have decided to close Peak Wellbeing at Christmas, a decision I’ve made for many reasons.  Principally because I’m in the luxurious position of not needing to work, and I feel drawn to help people on a voluntary basis.   I love interacting with each and every client and I will miss you all but it feels right at this time for me to look for new challenges, new ways of working to help people to find wellness, balance and peace in their lives.   The clinic will close on Friday 21st December.

I can whole-heartedly recommend the following two people for those of you who just can’t survive without a massage:
The first is Nigel Morgan, who has been working at Peak Wellbeing for over a year now as remedial massage & sports therapist.   He’s very good at getting ‘in deep’ and sorting out all your aches, pains and injuries.  He has clinics in Eastwood and West Bridgford and also offers home visits.  He can be contacted on 07816 06 86 96, ashwoodhealth@yahoo.co.uk
The second is Barbara Goodall, a very dear friend of mine who has been an aromatherapist for more than 10 years now.  She works with the essential oils to soothe, relax and harmonise mind, body & soul.   Barbara works from her home on Sandbed Lane in Belper and can be contacted on 07936 432 836, b.goodall.timeout@talktalk.net.  She is offering all Peak Wellbeing clients a 50% discount on their first treatment with her.

I would like to thank you all for being such wonderful clients, I really will miss treating you. 

In peace,

Bess

Bess Donald (nee Purser)

Wedding Pics

We had an amazing day and have loads of great memories.  The wedding photos are by the very talented Beth Swift of Burnt Orange Wedding Photography, I hope you enjoy them!

Thrive Movement - An unconventional documentary

THRIVE: What On Earth Will It Take?
www.thrivemovement.com

Visit www.thrivemovement.com for more information on THRIVE. THRIVE uses the Yekra player technology.  See www.yekra.com for more information.

Christmas greetings with love

Hello, how are you?  How was your day? It’s great that you’re able to take time to read this, thank you so much.

When your partner or child walks in the house what do you see?  What do you do?  Do you notice the stain on their tie, or their shoes that need polishing?  Do you tell them to ‘hurry up and get a move on because we’re going to be late’?  Or are you doing something important and merely glance in their direction, mumbling at them to get their homework done?  How does it make you feel?  How does your loved one feel?  Are you even aware?

During an (old) episode of Oprah the other week, one of her guests had a brilliant lesson on greeting your loved ones with joy.  It's a very simple thing to do, but makes a massive difference to the quality of your life and those around you.  The next time you greet someone, whether they’ve come home from work or school, or you haven’t seen them in a while, smile, make a fuss, get excited, run to the door to hug them.   Make them feel that they’re the centre of your universe, that they’re number one.  It only has to take a few seconds of your time and gives you both a lovely lift for the day.

Why not make this your new year’s resolution?   It’s enjoyable for all involved, meaning it’s far easier to keep to after the second week!

Why complementary medicine doesn’t stand up to conventional medicine (and why that’s a good thing).

One in ten people in the UK use complementary medicine each year and 50% of those are lifetime users, despite it receiving repeatedly bad press and coming under increasing pressure from European laws.

So why doesn’t it stand up?
When you look at the total effect of any intervention (treatment), be it conventional or complementary & alternative medicine (CAM), there are five aspects that contribute to recovery (the following model is based on research done on back pain over a period of six weeks).

1. Regression to mean. This is where the extreme cases, at either end of the pain scale, move towards the middle (mean) of the scale over time.  This accounts for around 10% of the intervention.
2. Natural history of the problem.  In the case of back pain, from your previous experience, if you give it a few weeks, it can get better regardless.  This counts as another 10% of the intervention.
3. Specific effects.  This is the actual treatment given, whether it be medication, remedial massage, ice etc.  It may surprise you to learn that this also counts for only 10% of the intervention.  Drug companies only have to prove 10% effectiveness of medication for it to be granted a license.   
4. Non-specific effects.  This includes your rapport with the practitioner, the ritual of the treatment given, the surroundings, if you got stuck in traffic on the way and your blood pressure shot up as a result of all the miles of cones on the motorway and not a blooming workman in sight!  Together with the context/meaning/placebo effects (see below), up to 70% of the intervention efficacy relies on these two factors!
5. Context/meaning/placebo effects.  We all know of the placebo effect, but it is often dismissed.   Placebo is actually a good thing, as it still helps, and clearly demonstrates the power (and importance) of the mind in healing the body.

CAM doesn’t stand up to conventional medicine in the way in which the specific effect (which only accounts for 10% of the intervention) is researched.   Conventional medicine takes a ‘reductionist’ view, isolating the symptoms and looking objectively rather than subjectively.  This is how statistics are produced (or skewed – but that’s a whole other story) to show that X drug is more effective than no drug, and it’s what double blind, randomised controlled trials were designed for.   It’s hard to do these trials when CAM is based on holism, i.e. looking at the whole person - what they’ve had for breakfast in relation to the discomfort they’re in now.  By it’s very nature it’s subjective: I’m yet to meet a human being that isn’t affected by the fabric of life.

Why is CAM so popular?
Where CAM does outshine conventional medicine is in the non-specific effects.   CAM practitioners stand out against GPs, consultants and other conventional medical professionals as they have the time to talk to people, listen, reach out and look at the whole person.  Their treatment rooms are generally less clinical (avoiding white-coat syndrome), you don’t have to wait for months for an appointment and you’re more likely to find, and deal with, the root cause of the issue.

Conventional medicine has only been around for the last 100 years or so, yet it’s grip on the western world is all pervading and mighty powerful.   So what we need is a new (or perhaps recycled) paradigm.  One where the effectiveness of the treatment is measured not by statistics but by the patients themselves, by case histories, by generational, traditional, tried and trusted methods, built on holism and the inter-connectedness of humans, animals, plants, the planet, the universe…  You get my drift. 

A Tough Month

The last month at Peak Wellbeing has been tough.  It’s no secret.  I had to ask Matt to leave after a series of incidents led to a loss of trust.   I’ve handled the situation as best I can.

I’m taking it easy over the summer to recuperate, heal and please myself.   I need time to decide the best way for me to go forward.   I’d like to write a health-e-newsletter for you all but it needs to come from a place in my head & heart that I just can’t get to right now.   You’ll know when I’ve been able to write it as it’ll land in your inboxes.

I’m seeing clients at the clinic for Asyra Health Screening (see offer below) and Aromatherapy Massage, and am doing a course on TFT Tapping next month (taught by the lady in the video - click the link to view), so will be able to help with trauma, fears, phobias and stress (it will be a great healing experience for me too!).

Thank you for all the lovely messages I've received, you're all invited in for a cuppa next time you’re passing by the door.

I’d also like to give special thanks to Wendy, who sadly I had to make redundant.  She has been an exemplary employee and become a wonderful friend.

A tribute to the Wonderful Wendy Woo,

Bringing light and love to everything you do,
I only had to ask,
And each and every task,
Was a delight and a pleasure to do,
‘Cause you’re the Wonderful Wendy Woo.

Top Tips for a Great Night's Sleep

1.    Blackout your bedroom
Make sure your bedroom is as dark as possible – Your delicate circadian rhythm needs darkness at night (and natural light during the day) and to operate at it’s best.   Use blackout blinds, heavy curtains and avoid things that glow (electrical equipment – see below) in your bedroom.  I also like to use an eye mask when necessary, which gives an extra layer of light protection.

2.    No electrical equipment
Bedrooms should be free from all electrical equipment including TVs, mobile phones etc.   All electrical equipment emits electromagnetic radiation that is harmful and can disrupt your sleep.  They also normally have at least one glowing light or digital clock that glows that lights up the room.   If you regularly fall asleep in bed with the TV on, move it out of your room.   At the very least, unplug it from the wall before going to sleep.  Use a battery powered alarm clock or if you use your mobile as your alarm (as I do), experiment to see if the alarm will still work when the phone is switched off.  If it’s a smart phone, switch it to ‘Airplane mode’ so it’s not sending a signal out through the night (though it will still emit electromagnetic radiation)

3.    Switch yourself off
Can’t stop thinking?  Thoughts running through your head?  There’s nothing worse than lying in bed thinking/worrying too much and not being able to drift off or waking in the night and not getting back to sleep again for what seems like hours.  I’ve got a few techniques up my sleeve for this, my favourites being

1. Essential oils - Everyone knows lavender essential oil in the bath before bed or on the pillow can help, but have you ever tried frankincense or valerian massaged into your feet?   These essential oils are grounding and balance out all the energy whizzing about in your head.  Putting them on your feet adds to the grounding effect, so that you can quieten down the ever-chattering internal voice.
2. Bach Flower Remedies - These work in much the same way as essential oils, in that they help to calm the mind.  You can get Rescue Night (or Healing Herbs’ ‘Rest’ – available at Peak Wellbeing) which is Rescue Remedy (5 Flower blend) with added White Chestnut, for ‘Unresolved, circling thoughts’.  A couple of squirts under your tongue will help to get you gently off to the land of Zzzzz.
3. Visualisation - I also like to visualise the energy/thoughts leaving my body.  I do this either by imagining the energy flowing down through my body and out the soles of my feet into the ground, where the Earth absorbs and takes it away, or with every out-breath, I visualise the thoughts leaving my body with the breath and dissipating into the atmosphere.   If I have a specific problem I need help with, to add an extra dimension, I visualise (on an in-breath if you like) the energy coming back to me through the night in a calming, positive way, enabling me to get a good night’s sleep, waking up with a new way of looking at things and hopefully a solution to the problem.

A combination of all these techniques will help to create the right atmosphere conducive to a good night’s sleep.  Of course it goes without saying that a healthy lifestyle also plays a big part.  Do you have any tools and techniques that help you get to sleep that you’d like to share on our Facebook page?

The Art of Vulnerability

What does it mean to be vulnerable? The dictionary defines it as ‘More or most likely to be exposed to the chance of being attacked or harmed, either physically or emotionally;’ [Wiktionary.org].   It may be seen as a sign of weakness to be vulnerable, but according to Brene Brown’s recent TED talk (see below), without vulnerability, we are unable to experience joy, happiness and gratitude. 

Brene has been researching human connection for over a decade, looking at courage, authenticity, shame and vulnerability.   What she found is that the people who have a sense of worthiness, ‘A strong sense of love & belonging’, believe they are worthy.  Those who struggle to connect, to be good enough, believe they aren’t worthy.  Simples.

So what underlies this belief in worthiness?  She discovered these people have the courage to be seen as imperfect, the compassion to be kind to themselves first in order to be kind to others, and connection to others – they were able to let go of who they thought they should be, in order to just be them selves and connect authentically.

And what about vulnerability?  These people believe what makes them vulnerable, makes them beautiful.  They embrace their vulnerability.  They say ‘I love you’ first, they’re not afraid to try, or afraid of failing, they ‘breathe through waiting for the doctor to call after a mammogram’.   It’s not comfortable, nor excruciating, but it is necessary to feel vulnerable in order to feel the opposite – strength, resilience and self-assurance.

By denying vulnerability, by numbing unpleasant feelings with drugs, alcohol, food, you also reject the pleasant feelings - joy, excitement, satisfaction.  Beware the downward spiral of denying all feelings to avoid pain, eliminating the opportunities to feel good and opening yourself to love & laughter.   In the words of Jill Scott ‘Just because you have a nightmare, doesn’t mean you stop dreaming’.

So what makes you feel vulnerable?  Is it asking for help when you live on your own?   Initiating sex?   Talking about the passing of a loved one?
And what/how did you gain from expressing your vulnerability?  A new friend?  The most amazing sex ever?  The joy of a shared memory?   Share it on our Facebook page.  

TEDxHouston - Brené Brown

Besslow's Hierarchy of Universal Needs

The idea for this came from a client of my clinic, who I was talking to about the ANH group I run. She thought that Maslow’s hierarchy of needs was relevant, and worth discussing. So I thought about it, and decided to turn the pyramid on it’s head, start at the bottom, and reach to infinity. It’s all a process (See Deepak Chopra’s thread “Insights on Healing…” on the ANH forum), and as it only took about an hour from conception to upload, it will evolve as I get your feedback on it.
It was originally just going to be my pyramid on it’s head, but when I looked further into Maslow’s process, I discovered that later models include transcendence, which overlap with the universal process of increasing the peace. So then I decided to add Maslow’s pyramid to the bottom of mine, so that it became an integrated part, rather than a separate entity.

I'd love you to share your experience of this.

Peace

Bess