Migraines - When finding car keys feels like climbing Everest

When finding car keys feels like climbing Everest. Yes you did read it correctly.It's that moment in the day, dead of night, morning, noon when it creeps or it clashes into your head making an unwelcomed disruption. Some of us have triggers but more often than not it manages to arrive when it is least needed. The Migraine to non sufferers draws a very stony blank but yet to the 8 million U.K sufferers, it's just another moment in time to bring on the battle of daily life.  Before long many Migraine casualties have woven in an intricate set of routines, food groups, blackout blinds or even lucky pants to get us through the important events.. if we can concentrate long enough to be part of it. Read on we may be able to help.

For the fortunate unfortunates who know their triggers then life can be a little more tolerable but for the bigger group we are all left wondering whether daily caffeine, one glass of wine three days later or running up the stairs has brought on an attack. Is it just Karma from arguing with my daughter? The truth is we just don't know about the triggers that cause such interference. But we do know it can help when we make the correct lifestyle choices and have the correct therapy. The rise in the number of people turning their backs from conventional pain relief to complementary therapies have risen significantly in the last 5 years.

Long term medicine use, although important when prescribed by a doctor, can have a dramatic effect on the body. So are you one of the Migraine populace searching for ways to cope with pain relief or even to become Migraine free? The Health and Wellbeing Centre may just have the answers for you.
Many therapist will give you a brief, free consultation before embarking on any treatment and many complementary therapies can be accessed through the NHS So what have you got to lose? Drop in to the Centre and find out about some life changing results and where finding those car keys could be like a walk in the park.

The following link is a great site to find out what other people are saying all around the country and beyond if you want to find out more

http://migraine.com/migraine-community-blogs/

What is Mindfulness?

My name is Megan Wharton and as a new volunteer at Axminster Health and Wellbeing Centre I welcomed the opportunity to experience a taster group session in Mindfulness. This experience gave me an insight into what the centre has to offer. The group engaged in two practice exercises which included the body scan and the raisin test. This allowed me to focus on a particular moment in time however I found it hard to focus and not let my mind wonder and I feel this may take practice!

Practicing mindfulness allows us to be fully aware of our surroundings that allow people to enjoy a good quality of life while attempting to develop a non-judgemental awareness of their mind and body.  When you begin to practice mindfulness you will be taught to pay attention deliberately and as best you can try to become more aware of the actions that are taking place at that moment in time in your mind and body. Everyone has most likely experienced a difficult or troubling period of time throughout their lifetime and I have learnt that practising the act of mindfulness helps to lower certain levels of stress that people may experience in their daily lives as it gives people the opportunity to compartmentalize their feelings and try to focus on the moments that concern them immediately instead of being swamped with fears of the future. Mindfulness is all about becoming more aware of your senses and becoming more involved with the world around you which may include becoming aware of your thinking, emotions and even your breath. One of the most important aspects of mindfulness is to leave all your cares at the door and try your best to focus on the here and now while remembering that

 “Yesterday is history, Tomorrow is a mystery, Today is a gift”

Yesterday I took part in my first ‘taste of mindfulness’ I took part in what is known as the raisin test;

First, take a raisin and hold it in the palm of your hand or between your finger and thumb and focus on it.

Seeing

Take time to really see it; gaze at the raisin with care and full attention.

Let your eyes explore every part of it, seeing the contrasts between the dark and light areas

Touching

Turn the raisin over between your fingers, exploring its texture, maybe with your eyes closed if that enhances your sense of touch.

Smelling

Holding the raisin beneath your nose, with each inhalation drink in any smell, aroma, or fragrance that may arise, noticing as you do this anything interesting that may be happening in your mouth or stomach.

Placing

Now slowly bring the raisin up to your lips, noticing how your hand and arm know exactly how and where to position it. Gently place the object in the mouth, without chewing, noticing how it gets into the mouth in the first place. Spend a few moments exploring the sensations of having it in your mouth, exploring it with your tongue.

Tasting

When you are ready, prepare to chew the raisin, noticing how and where it needs to be for chewing. Then, very consciously, take one or two bites into it and notice what happens in the aftermath, experiencing any waves of taste that emanate from it as you continue chewing. Without swallowing yet, notice the bare sensations of taste and texture in the mouth and how these may change over time, moment by moment, as well as any changes in the object itself.

Swallowing

When you feel ready to swallow the raisin, see if you can first detect the intention to swallow as it comes up, so that even this is experienced consciously before you actually swallow the raisin.

Following

Finally, see if you can feel what is left of the raisin moving down into your stomach, and sense how the body as a whole is feeling after completing this exercise in mindful eating (Williams et al, 2007).

 

Poem

Consider the lilies of the field

how they grow:

Perfect in poise and balance.

So do wee birdies sing,

in utter exuberance, serene.

So would we sing:

making every moment of every day

an eternity of worship

and mirthful praise:

Love, Laughter and radiant similes. 

Michael Walton  

Wishing Well

Room Hire

Wishing Well

cancer self help support group

Wishing Well is newly re-launched and is hosted by Axminster Health and Wellbeing Centre

There are a series of talks planned for the next few weeks which may be of interest to you

25 June Meet the Complementary Therapists

2 July Care for Carers

9 July Mindfulness

All sessions begin at 2:30 pm and are open to people experiencing cancer and to carers, friends and family of people experiencing cancer

   NEW MINDFULNESS COURSES

   MINDFULNESS TASTER SESSIONS:-

   FRIDAY           19th June                                            6 - 7.30 pm

   FRIDAY           26th June                                            6 - 7.30 pm

    (£10 per session) 

  EIGHT WEEK MINDFULNESS BASED STRESS REDUCTION:-

  FRIDAY            10th July                                             6 - 8.30 pm

  THURSDAY     24th September                                   6 - 8.30 pm

 (£200 per course - some concessions available to those on low income)

PLEASE CONTACT THE HEALTH AND WELLBEING CENTRE TO BOOK

COURSES - 01297 32331.

What is mindfulness?

Mindfulness has ancient roots in the Buddhist tradition, but this approach, developed by Jon Kabat-Zinn in the late 1970s, is entirely secular.

Mindfulness means maintaining a moment-by-moment awareness of our thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations and surrounding environment, without judging them.

In mindfulness meditation we pay attention to very ordinary experiences - the sensations of breathing, for example - that we don't usually notice.

Research studies have shown that regular meditation produces a wide range of positive effects on a person's mind, body and behaviour. Mindfulness is now taught widely in many areas, including schools, hospitals, mental heath services, prisons and corporate settings.

How does mindfulness help?

• There is a lot of evidence of benefit for people with stress, anxiety and depression, and reducing the impact of chronic pain.
• It can train the mind to serve us more effectively, sharpening concentration and focus.
• It strengthens the immune system and lowers blood pressure.

Meditation calms the areas of the brain that produce stress hormones and activates those that lift mood and help with learning.  People who practise mindfulness often feel more serene about life in general.

Discover the science of yoga - Are you open-minded?

by Eleni Markante

In one of my yoga classes recently, I was approached by an enthusiastic fellow student of life with the following statement: “I really enjoyed your class today, my daughter has told me all about the chakras and now I believe they are true!”

I was at first so happy that someone has seen the light, but then the thought that followed was one of distrust in today’s belief system. What proofs do we need to believe? What are we seeking? and immediately plunged into a pool of yet again ones life’s questions. The combination of our biological system and cosmology has been a matter of much personal interest. It is during this study that I started researching the scientific topic of matter and energy, only to find that various definitions in modern thinking describe what philosophical scriptures refer on Yoga.

So, it is no coincidence to be drawn to a holistic approach for health and wellbeing, one that encompasses our physical body, our emotions our thought processes and their interdependence. It is this balance we strive to achieve when we are practitioners of Yoga and matter and energy manifest throughout this journey. A concept not much observed clinically that bears the science of Yoga and its inherent reference to Prana, the principal vital force of creation and maintenance.

Along this yogic path we examine the secretion of hormones in the physical body regulating our metabolism, mood and management of stress and their relation to the energy points in the subtle (non-physical) body that recycle vital force. The purpose of this is to free the flow of prana by observing the effects of potential blockages in order to express harmony. Harmony is a space where we can enjoy our best health.  In my humble opinion, you better have a pretty open mind for health! So join me this Saturday as we approach our yoga practice from a deeper perspective, a space where our whole being endeavours to be present.

Eleni teaches Hatha Yoga at the Axminster Health & Wellbeing Centre and will be leading a workshop introducing the Endocrine System and the seven Chakras this Saturday, 23rd May from 10am until 1pm.

Please call the centre on 01297 32331 to reserve your space.

In this workshop you will:

1.    Learn about the relationship of the endocrine glands and the seven chakras

2.    Practice a sequence in relation to each chakra

3.    Receive a guided meditation associated with awakening your inner vision

Cost:£25

About Eleni Markante: I had my first taste of yoga in 1997 at the Life Centre in Notting Hill, London and fell in love with the practice. Today, I am honoured to meet other souls and share the numerous ways yoga and meditation can transform lives, simply by exploring comfort in stillness. As a permanent student, I am trained in different styles and still investing in continuous education.

My classes are designed to cultivate breath awareness, as a means to explore the mind, while finding balance by engaging wholeheartedly. I teach group and private yoga sessions. Book by sending me an email on markante@yahoo.co.uk