Miscellaneous

Words are so important

~ Jane

The language we use – both to communicate with others and our “self-talk” (that voice in your head) – affects our lives. Our word choices produce feelings. Think about something really sad … you’ll soon feel sad. Or think sexy thoughts and see what happens! So, we definitely know that our thoughts create our emotions. And emotions create behaviour … which is how we interact with others and the world around us. Therefore, choosing your words can change your life. In fact, research has now shown that the words we use actually changes our DNA – our blueprint for life.

Here are some suggestions for changing your thoughts and therefore your emotions and therefore your life. Make these swaps and see what happens:

  1. SHOULD, MUST, GOT TO, HAVE TO, OUGHT TO … replace with COULD, WANT TO, WOULD LIKE TO. Example: I should look for a new job …. I want to look for a new job.
  2. BUT … replace with AND. Example: I love you but … I love you and your quirks. BUT can negate a positive – and create one. Example: I feel really tired … BUT it’s a lovely day (ie, find a positive).
  3. I DON’T MIND … replace with I’D LIKE TO. Take control of your choices.
  4. TRY … replace with nothing (delete it). Example: I’m going to try going on a diet this week … I’m going to go on a diet this week. That sounds much more likely!
  5. JUST … replace with nothing (delete it). Example: I’m just like that – I just get these dark thoughts. (This sounds really passive, permanent and beyond your control.) I’m like that – I get these dark thoughts. (Sounds much less permanent and like something you could change.)
  6. ALWAYS, NEVER, EVERY TIME, COMPLETELY, MY WHOLE LIFE … question whether these are actually true. Nothing is forever. We can usually replace these with SOMETIMES, OFTEN, OCCASIONALLY.

These ideas come from NLP (neuro-linguistic programming) and are things I’ve learned from the amazing therapist Ben Oakley.

Vegan Cauliflower & Chick Pea Coconut Curry

~ Jane
Vegan Cauliflower & Chickpea Coconut Curry

This lunch (or dinner with rice) ticks lots of trendy boxes! For a start, not one ingredient came from a supermarket. It’s 100% organic and vegan. It’s also really simple to make … here’s how:

  1. Empty a can of organic coconut milk into a large pan (check the ingredients of non-organic versions for emulsifiers and preservatives). You can add water if making soup.
  2. Grate in some organic turmeric root, ginger root and two cloves of organic garlic. These three ingredients are natural chelators of toxicity – they bond to chemicals to make them safe for removal from our body. That’s why it’s important to buy them organic. I get mine at Down to Earth in Dorchester (from Riverford). Optional: fresh or dried chilli
  3. Add a sliced onion or leek and bring these ingredients to a simmer for 5 minutes with the lid on.
  4. Add the cauliflower cut into small florets and any other vegetables you fancy (I’ve added a red pepper). You could add potato or sweet potato for a more substantial meal. I get all my veg from Riverford. Organic veg not only tastes better it is proven to be higher in nutrition.
  5. Simmer for 10 minutes and then add the chick peas. Buying these in a glass jar means you avoid the BPA-lined metal cans – these chick peas also taste really good. I get these in Down to Earth, Dorchester too.
  6. Simmer until the veg is cooked.

  • Buying food in jars means less toxic ingredients and better flavour
  • Check out these ingredients and compare to other (non-organic) coconut milks!

The thymus thump: fanning our inner flame

~ Jane

The thymus gland is located behind the sternum (breast bone)

If you want to improve your immunity and fan your inner flame with self-love and self-respect, then thymus thumping while saying affirmations is a very powerful Kinesiology self-help tool. It’s ideal for low self-esteem, chronic illness or auto-immune conditions.

Thymus comes from the Greek for heat or energy and this gland controls our very life force or vitality. It is also where white blood cells are trained how to protect us from bacteria, viruses, etc. The thymus is very sensitive to stress and it shrinks when we live with fear or anxiety.

The thymus gland loves to be tapped – especially in waltz time (1-2-3, 1-2-3). You can strengthen and build it up by smiling and laughing more … and also by saying affirmations while tapping or thumping. I suggest the following phrases (but it’s much more powerful if you find your own):

  • I am strong
  • I am worthy of love and respect
  • I love and respect myself
  • I am what I am
  • I have everything I need

Donna Eden is the Queen of Energy Medicine. If you want more energy and to be balanced and grounded, practise this five-minute tapping routine every day:

As Dr John Diamond said: “a true cure always involves a major change in a person’s attitude towards themselves and towards life”. He wrote a seminal work on the thymus gland in the 1970s:

 

Rahanni Celestial Healing

~ Jane

I was attuned to Rahanni in November 2017. It has had a profound effect on me and my work as a therapist. For the previous 20 years,  I could always feel heat and sensations when working with my hands but I hadn’t ‘formalised’ their healing ability. Rahanni gives me a channel and specific guides to call on for help in all three aspects of my work: kinesiology, massage and healing. If you want to find out whether Rahanni is for you, here are the answers to some frequently asked questions:

What is Rahanni?

“Rahanni” means Of One Heart. In other words, there is no separation between us – we are all connected to each other and to divine energy. Rahanni is a form of hands-on and hands-off healing which channels high-level vibrational energy to balance and clear the physical body, mind and soul. Rahanni is particularly focussed on the heart centre and provides love and compassion to everyone.

Who can benefit from Rahanni?

Absolutely everybody and every living thing! Adults, children, pets and even plants can benefit from the healing energy of Rahanni. Rahanni does no harm – the body will take as much healing as it needs/wants. Please contact me if you have any concerns about whether Rahanni is right for you.

What can I expect as a Rahanni client?

When you book in, I will ask you to complete a short online questionnaire. For your appointment, you relax fully-clothed on a massage couch (or seated in a chair if you prefer). I will connect to the Rahanni healing energy and call on guides to bring you the healing you need. Some clients report feeling heat, seeing colours, feeling sensation/movement in their body, etc. Others fall into a deep sleep. This is all perfectly normal and varies from person to person. The healing usually lasts between 30 and 45 minutes. Afterwards, you are encouraged to drink plenty of water and to have nothing much planned for the rest of the day. It’s quite normal to sleep deeply the night after a session as healing is continuing to take place.

Rahanni sessions cost £30 at my home, £35 at Dorchester Yoga & Therapy Centre. Or £75 and £90 for three sessions (recommended) in those respective places.

How/where can I be attuned myself?

With effect from May 2018, I will be trained to attune others to Rahanni. You too could become a channel for this beautiful healing – for yourself, family and friends or as a therapist. It’s a simple one-day course (first date: 19 May 2018 in Dorchester) – please contact me for more information.

Water

~ Jane
Drinking plenty (1.5-2L per day) of pure unadulterated water is the simplest and best step you can take to improving your health.
I’ve been researching the best drinking water for more than a year and I’ve finally taken the plunge (groan!) and bought myself a Big Berkey filter.
The water tastes delicious, it’s had up 99.9% of contaminants removed by the huge charcoal filters and its pH is more alkali – win/win/win. I’m very pleased with it and so I’m happy to recommend them. Read the Big Berkey lab results for more information about what is removed. Update February 2019: this independent lab report confirms that Big Berkeys remove 100% of glyphosate (Round-Up). Excellent news! 
 
One of my concerns about charcoal filtering was that the beneficial minerals such as zinc, selenium, etc are also removed. So, I’ve added some Yve-Bio raw mineral and gem stones to the bottom of my Berkey. 
UPDATE: Ever concerned about nutrients … I’m adding a few drops of this Electrolyte supplement to my Big Berkey water. This replaces some of the important minerals which are filtered out.
Finally, if you currently use a plastic bottle (or even worse you refill mineral water bottles with tap water), we know that this can leach plastic chemicals (BPAs) into the water – you should consider investing in one that’s stainless steel (or glass but that’s not really practical for carrying). I use this insulated 750ml bottle on the move and a glass Kilner type bottle at home.
Cheers!   Salute!   Chin-chin!

FODMAPs

~ Jane

A low FODMAP diet often helps alleviate symptoms of IBS, colitis, indigestion, etc. FODMAPs are naturally-occurring sugars found in lots of healthy foods such as onions, apples, cabbage and lentils. FODMAP stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides, and Polyols. Most people have no trouble digesting them but for some they cause symptoms such as: flatulence, bloating, stomach pain and acid reflux. These symptoms can be mild and tolerable or really uncomfortable and debilitating. 

However, I don’t think this intolerance is a condition in itself … and cutting all these healthy foods out of your diet on a permanent basis is not a good idea. I think not being able to tolerate FODMAPs is a sign of dysbiosis; that is an imbalance in gut bacteria. This should be addressed (with herbal remedies, enzymes and probiotics) so that these healthy foods can be reintroduced and tolerated.

Here are the five different groups of FODMAPs and the main foods in which they can be found:

Fructans: artichokes, asparagus, beetroot, broccoli, Brussel sprouts, cabbage, aubergine, fennel, chicory, dandelion leaves, garlic, leeks, onions, radicchio, lettuce, wheat, rye, inulin, FOS (a prebiotic supplement).

Galactans: legumes – all beans & peas including kidney beans, soybeans, lentils, chickpeas, baked beans.

Wheat is a FODMAP

Lactose: milk, cream, ice cream, custard, dairy desserts, yoghurt, soft cheeses 

Polyols: apple, apricot, avocado, blackberry, cherry, longan, lychee, nectarine, pear, plum, prune, mushroom, sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol (sweeteners).

Excess fructose: honey, apple, mango, pear, watermelon, high-fructose corn syrup, agave syrup, dried fruit, fruit juice

It may be that only one or two groups cause symptoms. To find out which, try eliminating all groups for a month and then introduce one group at a time week by week.

However, addressing the underlying digestive imbalance is the best solution. Kinesiology can identify the cause and find which natural remedies are needed. Contact me for more information and to find your way back to a happy relationship with these foods.

Could nail varnish be to blame?

~ Jane

I wonder whether the fashion norm of painted finger nails could be involved in increasing breast cancer rates? Nail varnish contains some really nasty chemicals and everything we put on our bodies ends up in our blood stream. When I was doing Aromatherapy training decades ago, I proved this theory by taping a slice of garlic to the sole of my foot. It could be smelled on my breath within minutes.

The breast cancer/nail varnish question came up on a recent training day with my professional association. Chris Astill-Smith mentioned that long-term exposure to low levels of an irritant can be worse for our health than a short, sharp exposure to a larger dose. I also knew this from my Aromatherapy training – and personal experience. I managed to sensitise myself to lemon type essential oils by diffusing the delicious essential oil May Chang day after day. Sensitisation is much longer lasting and potentially more dangerous than an immediate reaction. Chris also said that traces of the chemicals in nail varnish can be found in the lymph nodes in the armpits. This really got me thinking … about a client of mine who has had breast cancer and who always has her nails beautifully manicured and varnished.

A few days later, my lovely stepdaughter was chatting with a friend and I overheard that another of their friends has been diagnosed with breast cancer.  All this got me thinking … and googling. It seems there are very definitely strong reasons to NOT have permanently painted finger nails. This article explains why. And this research does too … and this study looked at just one chemical: TPHP.

The picture on the left shows three of the nasty toxins in commercial (ie, non-natural) nail varnish brands. These are all Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals – ie. they interfere with normal hormone function. Breast Cancer UK launched a campaign called Ditch The Junk this year aimed at highlighting the potential cancer-causing toxicity of so-called beauty products. Nail varnish is top of the toxic list. (Another really worrying chemical is Triclosan – found in handwash. It’s almost impossible to find a handwash without it in.)

I think it’s time to think twice before painting your nails! Let’s go back to the natural look please! Rub a little coconut oil into your cuticles and push them back with a cotton bud, then buff up your nails with a soft cloth. Wear your natural nails with pride – and protect yourself against cancer. It’s a win/win.

And if you want to paint your nails for a special occasion, then this Dorset natural nail varnish company make stunning colours WITHOUT the nasties. I recommend investing in the base coat and top coat – my LivOliv painted Summer toe nails last for four weeks without fading or chipping.

Cook for Health

~ Jane

On 8 July 2017, twelve lovely eager people cooked up a storm of delightful dishes at St Aldhelm’s Church Centre. They made two different types of slaw, nori rolls, hummus, chorizo omelette and courgette muffins. At the end of the evening, we all tucked in to the tasty and nutritious breakfast and lunch alternatives.

I introduced myself and shared how my health has been turned around by eating like a hunter-gatherer – my version of the Paleo diet. I showed them all the blouse I’d bought 4 years earlier – I didn’t try before buying and when I got it home it didn’t meet anywhere near in the middle of my body! When I wear it now, it has enough room in it for at least half another person! Cook for Health is not just about losing weight, it’s also about gaining health and vitality, as well as having the energy you need to lead the life you want.

Cook for Health is about learning how to make simple everyday dishes which are nourishing and tasty and will keep you healthy, slim and full of energy. It’s not about exotic ingredients or fancy knife skills … it’s about basing meals around great veg (generously supplied for this particular evening by Dorset Riverford), good sources of protein and healthy fats. Cook for Health will change what you eat and therefore your health!

Here’s what some CfH participants said: “very inspiring – feel motivated to have a go!” “very informative – especially for someone who doesn’t know where to begin” “incredibly interesting – more classes please” “loved the new ideas – could listen to you talk about nutrition for hours!” 

Next weekly course starts: Thursday 14 September 2017 – 6-9pm at St Aldhelm’s Church Centre, Weymouth, Dorset. Cost: £95 for five weeks (includes all ingredients)

Bonus! On 28 September 2017, the evening will be led by Ben Oakley – Ben is an expert in change – he’s a life coach and he uses techniques from NLP (neuro-linguistic programming) and hypnotherapy to help people get the life and health they want. The transformations he achieves are nothing short of incredible – and he does it in a fun and humorous way. I’ve invited him to lead this Cook for Health session because I often see a reluctance in clients to change their eating and/or lifestyle habits, even though they know it will be good for them. Ben will share practical skills to help make the changes you want, easily and happily. Read more about Ben’s work. 

Systematic Kinesiology: a case study

~ Jane

C was referred to me by her chiropractor in November 2016. At her first visit, we recorded the following 8 main symptoms/issues to address. Last week I asked her to rate her level of improvement after Systematic Kinesiology sessions with me:

  1. Tired all the time – even on waking/after 9 hours in bed.
    General tiredness 90% better, on waking about 60% better.
  2. Fear of fainting – 70%
  3. A sensation like an air lock at the bottom of ribcage, bubbles in throat. 100%
  4. Belching and indigestion – 90%
  5. Eating a restricted diet (no wheat, yeast, mushrooms, dairy, vinegar, oranges, cocoa, chocolate, oats, eggs) – 90%
  6. Difficulty (fear of) driving – 60%
  7. “often anxious/stressed”. Not doing hobbies.
    “This is tricky as stressed at moment (due to a life event), had improved, but not now.”
  8. Pain in nape of neck – 60%

What did Systematic Kinesiology (“SK”) do to help C?  In every kinesiology session, I address whatever comes up as a priority for the person, at that time. With SK I am seeking to establish a ‘silent dialogue’ via gentle muscle-testing. I can then look in the four realms of health: structure, bio-chemistry, emotions, energy – to see what needs to be addressed. I then muscle-test a choice of nutritional supplements, herbal remedies, essential oils and Bach flower essences. When I have identified all that tests positively, I balance the person using techniques which include lymphatic massage, neuro-vascular work, acupressure points, meridians, chakras, etc. I then re-test to make sure the balance has worked. At the end, I check all the remedies and supplements that have come up in the session and make recommendations.

In C’s case, in the first session, wobbly blood sugars showed and Chromium and Fish Oil supplements were what I recommended. We also did a lot of emotional release work using Bach flower essences, affirmations and tapping. I made up a bottle of Mimulus flower essence and gave C some tapping and affirmations to do for homework. At the end of the session, we also muscle-tested some of the foods C had removed from her diet years before (as a result of Vega testing) and she agreed to try reintroducing wheat, eggs, cheese and butter.

At the next visit, C reported driving was “a lot better”, the ‘air lock’ sensation was “not as bad”, no big belching, she wasn’t waking up hungry in the night, she’d been eating wheat and eggs nearly every day with no ill-effect and she’d got her first period in four months (an unexpected improvement). In this second visit, we checked more foods, did more stress release work and some structural work on her jaw. The flower essence which was helpful this time was Hornbeam. Again, I gave it and some stress releases as homework.

At the third visit, C reported the “air lock” sensation had gone, tiredness was better, driving was ok, digestion was “better” and she was very happy with the new foods she was eating (especially chocolate!). At that visit, we worked on balancing female hormones.

So, in just three sessions we made massive improvements. C chooses to continue to come every 4-5 weeks since – for a ‘balance’ and to address whatever issues come up. At visit 7, C reported that she felt ‘vibrant’ and that she hadn’t felt ‘this good for 3-4 years’. She’s continued to make steady progress, despite some life events which have increased stress levels.

Here’s what C says about kinesiology: “don’t understand really how it works! but it does! My diet has really improved so very much, it was such a negative thing for me, but my progress has been rapid and very positive. I am still working on the stress-related elements as these are quite deep-seated and so I expect they will take a while to resolve, however I have made really great progress. My lifestyle balance is improving every time I see Jane.”

It’s been a huge privilege to help C with her health – I love what I do! Contact me to see how I might help with your list of symptoms. I practise Systematic Kinesiology in Weymouth and Dorchester, Dorset.

Allergies & intolerances – June 2017 special offer

~ Jane

Our young cat Sam made my eyes and nose stream when we first rescued him.

Does your pet make you sneeze? Are you missing out on cuddles with your cat? Is grass pollen season a nightmare time for you? Are there foods which give you indigestion or bloating?

If so, there are lots of Kinesiology techniques which can help alleviate or reduce the symptoms of allergies and intolerances. Hay fever, pet allergies, food intolerances … they can all be tested for and symptoms improved with relevant kinesiology techniques. (We can also test for supplements to support your immune system.)

As hay fever season is well and truly upon us, I’m offering a 55-minute “allergy” appointment for £25 during June 2017. You will need to bring a small amount of whatever gives you symptoms – grass seeds, pollen, pet fur, foods, etc etc. This price is for existing clients only – all new clients will need to have an initial assessment appointment first (1.5 hours at £50).
I used to get awful hay fever type symptoms from just about everything and kinesiology has really helped me. I hardly suffer at all now and never need to take an anti-histamine – thank goodness. However, when we rescued our little cat Sam last summer, my eyes and nose were streaming within days. I went to see my kinesiologist with some fur from his brush. We established that the Energy Mismatch technique was relevant (my body was confused and treated him as an enemy of my immune system). She did a fix there and then and I repeated it for homework, along with cross-crawling with the little packet of fur on me. Within a week I had no more symptoms and I can now give him all the cuddles he deserves!
Contact me ASAP to book in for June – let’s see how kinesiology can help alleviate your symptoms!