We are looking forward to Spring
We have had several new therapists joining us at the Blue Lotus Therapy Centre over the last few months.
Anya’s Ultrasound offering Gynaecological and Obstetric Ultrasound , specialising in Pregnancy and Gynaecological scans.
Laura Caddis, Aesthetics Nurse, providing injectable treatments with the aim to achieve a natural refreshed look.
Ruth Freeman, Colon Hydrotherapist also offering Massage, Manual Lymphatic Drainage , Acupuncture & Wellbeing Coaching.
Acupuncture and Spring
Discussed by Gemma Starling
Acupuncture is one of the oldest forms of healthcare and has been practiced in China and the Far East for over 3000 years. It is a gentle yet robust form of medicine that works to restore balance throughout the whole body.
Traditional acupuncture works on the premise that energy or ‘qi’ flows around the body in channels or meridians.
When the flow of qi is disrupted, symptoms can occur within the body. Acupuncturists help to alleviate these symptoms and regain balance and harmony, by inserting very fine needles (not much wider than the diameter of a human hair) into specific points along the meridians
As spring arrives, acupuncture can serve as a valuable aid in promoting health and vitality. Spring is connected to the wood element in Chinese medicine, and its associated liver and gallbladder meridians.. It is a time of rising yang energy, fresh starts and new life; where leaf buds open, shoots race towards the light and wildlife awakens after a period of hibernation.
Spring is the time of birth and regeneration. The burst of activity which surges out of the stillness of the winter has no equal elsewhere in the year; there is an energy and dynamic force aboard which brings life and vigour to everything (Worsley, J.R. 1998).
When someone’s wood element is in balance they are gifted with optimism when looking towards the future, and the realisation that starting over and change is possible or a good thing. This is similar to the bamboo plant which is able to flex with the wind and does not fight the direction it is momentarily taken in.
However when the wood element is out of balance a person can lack flexibility, energy and ambition. They can find it hard to plan or look forward to the future. A person with this imbalance might not deal well with change and can become rigid, impatient, angry, fatigued or depressed. They may have stiff, achy or arthritic joints or suffer from seasonal allergies, menstrual disturbances or headaches.
The wood element can also present as out of balance when there is too much flexibility. Just as trees need to be rooted to the ground, people also require a degree of grounding or anchoring. Without this, people may feel weak, timid or anxious; they might, in addition, experience difficulties in putting roots down in their life. They may also have physical symptoms such as clumsiness, dizziness or vertigo.
Acupuncture treatments during the spring can help address these imbalances and ensure smooth transitions as we emerge from the hibernation of winter. It can promote a sense of rejuvenation and vitality as we physically, emotionally and spiritually embrace the new beginnings associated with this season. It’s worth noting that the wood element can in fact become imbalanced at any point during the year, not just spring. Also some people will naturally experience greater wood imbalances than others, but can still be supported appropriately with acupuncture treatments throughout the different seasons. However, regardless of your specific imbalances or symptoms, if you have never tried acupuncture before, spring could be a wonderful season to embark on a new journey of health and wellness discovery.
If you would like to book an initial appointment or find out more about acupuncture and how it could help you please do get in touch. I wish you all happy and healthy new beginnings.
Gemma x 07779 377239 I
nfo@gemmastarling.co.uk
MBAcC (Member of the British Acupuncture Council)
Brian Tregunna
Brian is a very experienced Coach, Therapist, Trainer, Mentor and Facilitator who is passionate about helping people to achieve their full potential.
Brian helps people to recognise their personal strengths, improve their self-confidence, face-up to challenges and achieve the outcomes they want. His breadth of knowledge, experience and services means that he can offer clients a highly personalised approach based on their individual needs.
His services include:
Coaching: Personal Performance, Mental Wellbeing, Leadership
Therapy: Anxiety, Stress, Negative Emotions, Phobias
Training: Mental Wellbeing, Teamwork, Communication, High Performance
Mentoring: Leadership, Management, Coaching
Facilitating: Workshops, Performance Improvement, Problem Solving
If you would like to learn more about Brian’s wide range of services, please contact him via 07856571163 tregunnalifecoaching@gmail.com or www.tregunnalifecoaching.com
Martin Paine
Ecotherapy and Touch for Health
How do we cope with the Climate Crisis?
“Until the late twentieth century, every generation throughout history lived with the tacit certainty that there would be generations to follow. Each assumed, without questioning, that its children and children’s children would walk the same Earth, under the same sky. Hardships, failures, and personal death were encompassed in that vaster assurance of continuity. That certainty is now lost to us, whatever our politics. That loss, unmeasured and immeasurable, is the pivotal psychological reality of our time.” Joanna Macy
This statement has long had a profound influence on my work. As a therapist and healer I make the assumption that climate anxiety is an
underlying reality for all of us, whether we are conscious of it or not. Undeniable in the collective unconscious, it is of course becoming more apparent and recognised, rising in awareness.
What to do?
Some, many of us are driven to action. And, to quote Joanna Macy again: ‘The most radical thing any of us can do at this time is to be fully present to what is happening in the world’. The grief is immeasurable, that our species may be among those to disappear in the mass extinction event already underway. So too, limitless, is our capacity for joy and gratitude. Can we embrace both extremes of
these human faculties? There’s the rub…. Kahlil Gibran said:
Your joy is your sorrow unmasked.
And the selfsame well from which your laughter rises was oftentimes filled
with your tears.
And how else can it be?
The deeper that sorrow carves into your being, the more joy you can contain. Is not the cup that holds your wine the very cup that was burned in the potter’s oven?
And is not the lute that soothes your spirit, the very wood that was hollowed
with knives?
When you are joyous, look deep into your heart and you shall find it is only that which has given you sorrow that is giving you joy.
When you are sorrowful look again in your heart, and you shall see that in truth you are weeping for that which has been your delight.’
What is our delight? Henry David Thoreau the nature writer said: ‘Heaven is under our feet as well as over our heads’. And Cicero said: ‘“Gratitude is the parent of all virtues.”
“When people in great numbers choose to practice, integrate, and embody gratitude, the cumulative force that is generated can help create the kind of world we all hope for and desire, for ourselves and for future generations. Of all the universal themes that have been transmitted through perennial wisdom, the expression of gratitude continues to be the glue that consistently holds society and relationships together.” Angeles Arrien
To finish with yet another quotation – I would apologise, but others have put things so much better than I can – from E.F. Schumacher’s Small is Beautiful, published in 1973! “Everywhere people ask: ‘what can I actually do?’ The answer is as simple as it is disconcerting: we can, each of us, put our inner house in order. The guidance we need for this work cannot be found in science or technology, the value of which utterly depends on the ends they serve; but it can still be found in the traditional wisdom of mankind.”
To which I would add, we cannot do it alone….
Martin Paine, as Well on the Way, offers Ecotherapy, Touch for Health Kinesiology
and Systemic Family Constellations at the Blue Lotus Centre – see
https://www.wellontheway.net/ . He also facilitates Climate Cafes (see
https://climatepsychologyalliance.org/index.php/component/content/article/climate-
cafes?catid=13&Itemid=101) and workshops on Active Hope and The Work that
Reconnects (see https://workthatreconnects.org/).
Read more regarding Women’s Health
Ruth Bennett
Physiotherapist
Women’s Pelvic Health Physiotherapy for the Peri Natal Period
Our Specialist Pelvic Health Physiotherapist Ruth is really passionate about helping women to receive the support that they deserve during this important time of their lives. The post natal period can often be all consumed by baby’s needs but it is so important that mum is looked after as well!
There are many emotional/psychological and physical changes that occur during pregnancy and the post natal period. There are also a lot of questions during this time – is it normal to leak urine when I cough now? Why do I feel pain or heaviness down below? Can I do anything to help my C Section scar to heal? It can be difficult for women to talk about these symptoms and sometimes there is a tendency to reside to the fact that these symptoms are common – they definitely are common but
not normal and there is help out there!
The Mummy MOT®
The Mummy MOT is a comprehensive post natal assessment for both vaginal and caesarean births.
It is suitable from 6 weeks onwards and includes assessment of:
Pelvic floor and core abdominal function
Abdominal separation / tummy gap / diastasis recti abdominis
Perineal / episiotomy / C section scars
Breathing
Posture
Functional movements
It is never too late to have a Mummy MOT!
Mums need to bend, squat and lift many times each day so training our bodies to tolerate these movements is important. For mum’s planning on returning to exercise relevant functional movements will be assessed.
From this assessment you and Ruth will devise a graded return to activity/exercise programme then Ruth will send you a Report of Findings which includes the findings from the assessment and all advice and exercises as discussed in your appointment.
This post natal checklist (devised by Clare Bourne in the fabulous book Strong Foundations – Why
Pelvic Health Matters) helps you to identify issues that you can seek help for. If you tick yes to any
of the below symptoms then Pelvic Health Physiotherapy may be really helpful for you.
Post Natal Checklist (from Strong Foundations by Clare Bourne)
1. Do you still have any pain in your body? If you do jot down where it is.
2. Are you leaking urine if you cough, sneeze, laugh or walk?
3. Are you leaking urine when you get the urge to do a wee, but can’t get to the bathroom in
time?
4. Are you experiencing urgency to do a wee?
5. Are you finding you very frequently need to do a wee, over 8 times a day?
6. Are you experiencing urgency when needing a poo?
7. Are you struggling to control your bowels and experiencing faecal incontinence?
8. Are you struggling to control wind?
9. Do you have any pain in a vaginal tear/scar?
10. Do you have any pain in your caesarean scar?
11. Are you experiencing a dragging feeling or heaviness within the vagina?
12. Are you noticing a bulging up or dropping down of the tissues down the middle of your
tummy?
13. Have you experienced any pain during intercourse since giving birth?
Ruth would be really happy to chat if you have any questions with regard to your post natal
recovery.
To chat or book please email ruthbennettphysio@gmail.com or call 07738301884.
Laura Caddis, Aesthetic Nurse
At Inspire Aesthetics we believe that each individual is beautiful in their unique way and has features and expressions that reflect the person that they are. Therefore our ethos is not to change your appearance but to help you appear younger, fresher, and happier.
Through a holistic facial assessment and a personalised treatment plan, we strive to balance the harmony of your face, delicately fine-tuning small elements to enhance your features, whilst maintaining a natural appearance.
Our selection of treatments is designed to give you that subtle boost of confidence. Anti-wrinkle injections target fine lines, dermal fillers restore volume, and Profhilo revitalizes the skin—each treatment is meticulously chosen to achieve a rejuvenated, luminous appearance.
Book a consultation with Laura to find out how these treatments could benefit you.
Message 07398 408 863 or search ‘Inspire Aesthetics Cornwall’ on Facebook.
If you would like to book any treatments please call us on
01209 822400
Or email us on
bluelotusreception@gmail.com
