Are you having a BAD HAIR day?
 
Stress is something I am very aware of that this time of year.   It can build up to the point where we are constantly on high alert – ready to react to anything and everything.   
 
So what happens when we are stressed? A video I watched recently explains it perfectly (here is my synoposes).  
 
When we are stressed, we experience one of four things:
Fright – we get jumpy, sensitive to loud sounds, or feel uncomfortable in new places
Flight – we run
Fight – we kick, yell, hit
Freeze – withdraw or cannot move
 
All this happens because our thinking brain gets turned off, and our reptilian brain goes into action (this is our place of instinct).   We are having a healthy response to an unhealthy situation, and it happens on auto pilot.
 
Adrenaline is quickly released from the adrenal glands – this gives us a boost of energy so we can act quickly in response to the situation.  
 
Cortisol is slowly released from the brain.     It’s the cortisol that stays in the body a long time, which is why we can get re-triggered again very quickly if another “danger/stress” is perceived i.e. we are on “high alert”.
 
The antidote to stress is oxytocin which is released into the body by the brain when we interact with people (and our pets) in a positive way through cuddles, hugs, smiles and, of course, massage!   It is important to know that we have to actively engage with the interaction – to receive the hug, to allow yourself to feel good, to enjoy it – then the oxytocin is released.   
 
It’s a bit like walking through a park.   If you stop to look at the flowers, enjoy the colours, admire the trees - just experience the beauty of it for a few minutes - you will feel uplifted and refreshed.   However if you were to walk through the park thinking of your shopping list or work, there is no change.  You know what I mean?  Well it’s the same with human interaction.   We have to experience it to receive the benefits of it.
 
In an earlier blog of mine, I talk about another chemical the brain releases called DHEA which helps us when we are stressed.      This is released in the body when we get into “appreciation/gratitude” mode AND go for a walk at the same time (which moves the DHEA around the body).  
 
There is always a point after an event where we can take a few slow deep breaths, and allow ourselves to calm down, a time where everything is okay again.    You know what I mean?  
 
So remember to give each other hugs and smiles throughout this busy time.   To receive each other.  Take the time to be grateful and appreciate what you have and what is around you.  Smell the roses and enjoy the beauty of our country.   Stress will naturally melt away.
 
Elayne Lane is a massage therapist and hypnotherapist.   She specialises in relaxation massage and hypnotherapy for stress relief.    Click here to get in touch.

Take time out for yourself
Connect
Relax
Rejuvenate.....

This one day workshop on Saturday the 20th October focuses on pampering you!   

The workshop covers:
* The gentle stretches to release physical tension
* The Inner Smile Meditation
* The Microcosmic Orbit
* The 6 Healing Sounds
* Restorative Chi kung.

There may be some women who cannot do a long day due to family commitments, so there are two options for the course:-
a) 9 am - 5 p.m. with a shared lunch $100 (you won't get to do the Restorative Chi Kung/Six Healing Sounds in the evening)
b) 9 am - 9 pm with shared lunch and dinner $150 which includes the Restorative Chi Kung and Six Healing Sounds.

If you book 1 week in advance you can take $25 off the price and if you bring an extra full paying person you can take a further $25 off the price.

Date:     Saturday the 20th October 2018
Venue:  Nelson (address to be advised)
Bring:    Comfortable clothes and food for shared meals
​BOOK NOW
​

Stress appears in all shapes and forms in our lives.  But do you know what causes stress? It’s the meaning we give to our situation.  "Really" you say, well just stay with me for a minute and I'll explain....
​
If your car breaks down you could choose to judge the situation as “bad” and choose to feel angry and frustrated.  Your agitation puts your adrenal glands in ‘fight or flight’ mode, it pumps out cortisol, your digestive system shuts down, you pace the pavement, and you are hyped up.  

Alternatively, you could choose to withhold judgement, and choose to stay calm, call the breakdown service and meditate while you wait.

Things happen in our lives, sometimes as a response to our own actions, or the actions of others, or things happen just because they do!    We cannot control what happens, but we can choose how to respond to it. And how we respond affects the outcome.

Here is a simple technique which will help you to reframe stress:
Take 5 deep slow breaths, filling up your lungs and your belly like a balloon. This calms the autonomic nervous system.

1. Now reframe your response to the situation. Ask yourself these questions:
   1. What is the benefit of this situation?
   2. How will this serve me?
   3. What lessons am I getting that will help me in the future?
   4. What do I need to learn to move forward?
2. Did you know that expressing gratitude causes the brain to release a chemical called DHEA?  This chemical neutralises cortisol (the stress hormone). So start to focus on what you are grateful for:
   1. In this situation.
   2. Expand the gratitude to what you have at home, or the sunny day, for food in your tummy.
   3. Feel the feelings of gratitude (let gratitude lift your attitude) then the DHEA comes in.
3. Move your body – yes, go for a walk and physically move! It enables the body to clear the cortisol and pumps the DHEA chemical around your body, making you feel better.
4. ​

 Change the meaning – change the feeling – get a different outcome!

If you feel stressed and anxious and want to feel better, book a relaxation massage or hypnotherapy session with Elayne.    

The article above was inspired by this video.

Beginner's Massage Classes - Option 1:  1/2 September 
Option 2:  6/7 October
Intermediate Massage Classes - 18/19 August
Crystal Healing one day workshop - one day workshop 15/9/18
Restorative Chi Kung Classes for Women - 4 weekly classes starting 4/9/18 6.30 - 8 pm
Massage special offer until end of August - $60 for a one hour massage (usually $70).  Pick one of these:
Back, neck and shoulder massage
Aromatherapy relaxation massage
Pregnancy massage
Gift Vouchers Available
Book Now

Do you feel like your batteries are running low?  Would you like to have more energy?
 
We think we get our energy from just our food.   However have you noticed how much more energised you feel when you have been walking in nature?   It feels good, doesn't it?
 
The Chinese say that we receive our energy through the following routes:

• enjoying nature (walking, swimming, gardening)
• eating healthy food slowly
• drinking water
• breathing properly
• cultivating our energy through the practice of chi kung

Lets look at each one of these for a few minutes....
 
When I talk about enjoying nature, I mean really enjoying it.   It is no good walking through a park and thinking about your grocery list - you are not really there.    It works when you really participate with and enjoy the nature around you, like a good walk on the beach with a sea breeze and waves crashing on the shore.
 
Did you know that you can increase your energy levels by eating your food slowly?  Paul McKenna says in his book "I Can Make you Thin" place the food in your mouth, put your knife and fork down, taste the food, chew it 20 times, swallow and then take the next piece of food.  You will find that a) you eat less food and b) you will have more energy.  Try it and find out for yourself.
 
Breathing... stop a moment and notice how you are breathing.  Are you breathing in your upper chest, or do you breathe deep breaths right down to your belly?    Oxygen gives us energy.  Take a few minutes to breathe deeply and notice the difference in your energy levels - you will feel more relaxed too.   
 
Opening your energy system through chi kung.   Wikepedia gives this definition of chi kung: "Qigong, qi gong, chi kung, or chi gung is a holistic system of coordinated body posture and movement, breathing, and meditation used in the belief that it promotes health, spirituality, and martial arts training".   Tai chi is a form of chi kung and so are the martial arts - you remember the Karate Kid movie?    There are many forms and schools of chi kung, so you can choose from something very easy, to a full on exercise programme (although its much more than that!). 

If you are a woman, would you like to experience Restorative Chi Kung with me on Tuesday nights starting the 12th June?  I am running some beginners classes in my home for four weeks.   You can recharge your batteries without a hard workout and learn about your unique energy system.     
Click here for more information.
 
Elayne 

Stress and anxiety are not pleasant feelings to experience are they?  Most people know that long term, they are not good for our health.   

Fortunately most forms of anxiety and stress can be turned around and used to make us stronger.

Anxiety is a build up of energy, coming up in response to something going on around us.  We might feel we are not coping and this brings up fear, shortness of breath, and other physiological responses.   

I am always interested in the different ways people deal with anxiety and stress, and recently I watched a video by Kerwin Rae which had an interesting take on it. He says:

1.  Breathe deeply and slowly.   This calms our nervous system and enables oxygen to get to all our organs.   It helps us to get back into a calm and even flow.    I have noticed when I give massage how often people breathe in their upper chest with shallow breaths, as soon as they start breathing deeply, right down into their bellies, they start to relax.   It helps them get back into their bodies.

2.  Kerwin says that we need to neutralise what is causing us to be anxious by asking these questions:

• What is the benefit of this?
• How is it serving me?
• What is this giving me, that I didn't have before?
• What lessons am I going to take from this experience, which will allow me to be better what what I am going to do to move forward?

Through answering these questions we start to feel more in control, learn new ways of responding to situations and become stronger.

Please feel free to share this with your family and friends.

Elayne

Note:  If you have long term anxiety, it doesn't have to be this way.  There is lots of professional help out there and most people start by visiting their GP, a Counsellor or Psychologist.