Category Archives: Health and Wellbeing

Health and Wellbeing, Uncategorized

Holistic therapies

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I’ve just returned from a very relaxing reflexology session at The Natural Health Clinic, and thought I’d share as would very much recommend this clinic to anyone living in Bristol!

It was first recommended a few months ago when I had a very useful 1 to 1 session with the doctor at The Penny Brohn Centre, as I wanted to get advice on holistic therapies which can work alongside traditional medicine, and I had just completed 6 rounds of Chemo, surgery and then radiotherapy, I am still undergoing treatment and wanted something that helped with my recovery.

I had an initial consultation with Sam who talks through your current health and what you want to get out of treatment and we agreed on both reflexology and acupuncture. I have the reflexology with Val to just generally balance and de-stress me and the acupuncture I have with Sam who focuses on the side effects from the drugs I am on which are pushing me into early menopause. I have had several sessions now with Val and Sam and I find them both very helpful to calm my mind and body and I do find my side effects are improved when I have an treatment.

I think we all are living extremely stressful and hectic lives and any chance to take time out and re-balance yourself is important!

Health and Wellbeing, Thoughts ...

Serendi-pilates

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I love my pilates class. I have been going ever since I arrived in Bristol four and a half years ago.

Good for core strength and general well-being, it has become a firm staple in my weekly regime or ‘rhythm’ as a yoga friend pointed out to me. ‘Rhythm’ has more positive connotations! I absolutely agree – think music or heartbeat. There is something about the unenforced nature of ‘rhythm’ which makes it a more pleasant concept than ‘regime’. It is a constant, something that gently underpins and triggers a natural flow. There is something healthy and life affirming about the term ‘rhythm.’ So, yes, let’s go with that!

Anyway, suffice it to say, pilates is now an absolute essential to the balance and wellbeing in my life – physically and mentally. I have even invested in pilates balls, band and cushions lately so I can practise a bit at home. This really has been a very organic, unforced development, and underlines to me the power of sticking to something regularly … for a long period of time … to allow it to evolve naturally and in its own time. An ‘organic’ approach I guess. I think this is the longest I have gone regularly to a class, and it is without doubt the one I have gained most from. In so many ways.

Not only do I feel better for the regular practise and more and more confident about practising at home, I have also made some real connections with my fellow pilates classmates. Greeting people and chatting at the beginning of the class yesterday, I realised how central to my life this class now is. Not only is the familiarity of the other members of the class now a comfort to me, a really pleasant bunch of people, but so many good things have happened for me from our pilates connection.

Through this lovely class, I have been introduced to the Bristol Botanic Garden, helped to edit their magazine, been invited by a participant to the Bristol Arts Trail, enjoyed photographic collaborations here on our blog, broadened my social media connections, learned to give a  head massage, made some lovely French connections, resurrecting my French, and been given help talking through the option of going back into teaching again with two ex-teachers in the class.

The point of this post? Just to satisfy an urge to express my cheer at all this, to exemplify that stuff happens and life blossoms in ways and from places you might least expect … a celebration of serendipty! And also, to give a shout out to Joyce’s fab Walktall Pilates and fellow pilates goers :)