women Archives - Claire Cutler Casey

Do you want to get by or do you want to get better? Is food intolerance getting in your way?

Food intolerance may only be the start of the story……. Do you want to get by or do you want to get better_

Food intolerance is on the rise, with nearly 20% of the population believed to suffer symptoms including:

- Diarrhea
- Abdominal pain
- Rashes
- Runny nose
- Bloating
- Headaches
- Nausea
- Fatigue
- Reflux
- Hot flushes

Food sensitivity testing identifies the foods the body is struggling with and elimination diets can provide some relief, however, food may only be the start of the story.

In Traditional Chinese medicine the stomach is the ‘home of emotions’, where we experience a vast array of emotional responses.

Consider a time you were nervous, did you experience butterflies in your stomach?

butterflies are a common sign of anticipation, excitement and nervousness

The stomach is the organ that begins processing all the nourishment we take in, be it physical or emotional. Metaphorically we ‘chew things over’ before swallowing, if we take on board something that is against our better judgement it can leave a bad taste in the mouth and decisions or situations that are indigestible to us, can cause emotional upset, making the stomach churn. If we cannot let something lie it can repeat on us resulting in physical and emotional pain as we go over it repeatedly, dissecting it to look for other information to support our decision.

emotions

Exploring our emotional diet alongside our physical nutrition creates a robust mechanism for supporting the body to better digest physical food, build emotional resilience and eliminate emotional situations that do not nourish us.

What emotional sustenance are you taking in that is not nourishing you? Are you self-critical, do you compromise your own values to maintain the status quo or are you holding on to some anger or resentment from previous experiences? Do you get stomach ache, headaches, nausea, diarrhoea or constipation? Do you suffer with IBS or bloating? Does your body react uncomfortably to the food you eat?

Whilst elimination diets provide a respite for your physical body they do nothing to address the emotional strain your body is experiencing, in fact, the added pressure of reading labels, checking restaurant ingredients and ensuring foods you can eat are accessible, whenever you need them, can create additional stress, increasing the body’s sensitivity to foods. The relationship between food intolerance and stress is difficult to untangle, ironically they ‘feed’ each other, dragging you down in the perpetual cycle.

Reducing the amount of stress and emotional turmoil you experience every day gives your body a greater opportunity to heal because every extra bit of stress perpetuates the downward spiral, be it stress from food or life.

Break the cycle, create space for the healing to begin.

out of order

In your personal kinesiology food sensitivity session you will receive a full kinesiology session to balance your system, before we go on to test over 150 common foods, to ascertain which ones are the most stressful to your system, helping you to eliminate these from your diet for a specified period, allowing your body space to recuperate.

During this period you might choose to address other emotional issues to support the healing process, it’s up to you, it really depends on how quickly you want to get back to the life you love.

Food sensitivity

We will discuss your concerns. You will receive practical tips and support to take away with you, enabling you to deal differently with the foods and situations that are not supporting your health. You’ll also receive valuable insights into the mechanisms your system has created to help you cope and what you can do (or stop doing) to improve your own comfort and build resilience, helping you take it one step at a time so you can build on your success everyday.

woman Jumping

So, ask yourself, do you want to get by, or do you want to get better?

Claire Cutler-Casey is a professional Kinesiology Practitioner and Touch For Health instructor as well as delivering a variety of business and well-being workshops designed to help you navigate the process of change.

If you would like to book a 1:1 Kinesiology session, please click here.

You can also join our online community here.

Feeling blessed

I feel humbled to be considered as one of 365 inspirational business women.

I am feeling blessed. Just before Christmas I was invited to be interviewed by the lovely people at the Shecan365 project.

Such a wonderful project and, as well as feeling blessed, I feel humbled to be considered as one of 365 inspirational business women.

The project captures a different woman’s story, every day, for 365 days, in just 365 words, which is as challenging as it sounds.

My story is here and there are loads of other inspiring stories to read, with new insights added every day, there is even a physical book, i’s super glossy and a lovely addition to any coffee table, great to pick up and flick through when you feel the need for a little inspiration.

I hope the story of how I got where I am today will help you in some way, even if it is just to understand a little more about how I became involved with Kinesiology (plus there’s a cute picture of pTerry the puppy).

Many of the women talk about overcoming adversity or experiencing significant life changes to get where they are now and I am feeling blessed to be counted in their number.

Enjoy.

If you would like to book a 1:1 Kinesiology session, please click here.

You can also join our online community here.

Walk your unique meridian pathway and unlock your inner purpose

The greater awareness you have of your own energy system, the quicker you can pinpoint imbalances and correct them. It also makes it easier to identify any recurring glitches and ascertain how to transform them, like a computer installing an update when the operating programme is corrupted. If you have an old, outdated, programme running part of your system it could be time to have a look at it and see what you can do to bring it up to date.

Walk your unique meridian pathway and unlock your inner purpose. So, what’s all the fuss about meridians?

Quite simply meridians are channels in your body that hold and distribute energy (Qi) around your system.

Many traditional practices work with meridians and the Qi that runs through them, including:

Kinesiology balances and harmonises your unique meridian energies to help restore peace and calm to the system.
Acupuncture precisely activates meridian points with fine needles.
Yoga stretches and tones meridian pathways, helping improve energy flow.
Reflexology stimulates associated points on the feet, hands and/or face to improve well-being.

Scientific studies used state of the art body scanning technology, with contrast dyes, to isolate and confirm the location of meridian points on various parts of the human anatomy, showing their distinctive anatomical construction and precise location(s).

There are two types of meridians each with their own distinctive functions and creating a pattern of unique meridian energy within you.

Ancestral meridians, also known as extra-ordinary meridians store Qi until your body requires it. The Qi energy is stored deeper inside your physical body, when these reserves get depleted acute feelings of fatigue, immobility and apathy can be experienced, these can easily become chronic and debilitating.

Ancestral meridian Qi is inherited from our parents at conception and provides a useful portal to a wealth of ancient wisdom, forgotten talents and exceptional knowledge, granting direct access to all the lessons your ancestors learned that ensured your genetic line survived.

Working with ancestral meridians allows you to uncover the unique mix of intelligence, skills and creativity ensuring your genetic line survived. Use these energetic super-highways as a fast track to access ancient wisdom and re-invigorate your intuition.

Working with ancestral meridians can also enhance past life work, providing firm foundations for soul retrieval and accessing akashic records, making it easier to work with your own etheric body.

Superficial meridians, also referred to as ordinary meridians, tap into the stored Qi and transport it along pathways, creating a connected circuit, distributing a unique blend of energy, vitality, wisdom and knowledge round your system, nourishing and regulating specific organs, emotions and/or endocrine functions.

Your superficial meridian system relates specifically to you, evolving as you develop. Beginning in the womb it creates your personal energetic map, drawing on your inherited energetic blueprint, helping you transform your inherited Qi, making it relevant for the world that you emerge into, grow up in and, eventually, shape.

Learning to tap into these reservoirs and streams of energy enables you to notice when things are out of kilter and super-charge your efforts to more easily achieve the profound shifts you desire.

The greater awareness you have of your own energy system, the quicker you can pinpoint imbalances and address them. It’s easier to identify any recurring glitches and transform them, like a computer installing an update when the operating programme is corrupted. If you have an old, outdated, programme running part of your system it could be time to have a look and see what you can do to bring it up to date.

Working with your energetic blueprint allows you to interrogate the beliefs, habits and behaviours that drive you.

Do you sometimes feel that you’re ‘off track’? Unsure how to set yourself back on the right path for you but certain that you have disconnected from your true purpose? Working with your own energetic blueprint via your unique median system enables you to better explore your inner purpose and connect with you own soul’s journey? Stepping back onto the correct path with ease.

The more you work with your own energetic blueprint the easier it becomes to manoeuvre and create a smoother journey through life. Elegantly drawing on the extra wisdom and insights needed to get you where you want to be without force or struggle, using all your vitality to progress rather than wasting your precious resources wrestling with your past.

A great way to start is by exploring your personal energetic blueprint, understanding what makes up the Qi that powers you, the responsibilities of each meridian and what experiences may have affected your personal energetic evolution.

To find out more about the next step to freeing up your own extra-ordinary energy click here

If you would like to book a 1:1 Kinesiology session, please click here.

You can also join our online community here.

Qi – Unravelling the mystery

get into the flow of the wu-wei, the space where attainment is easy, achievement without effort.

Qi (pronounced chee) is the universal force of life, responsible for movement, motivation, reproduction and growth. Contained in all living organisms, in many ancient philosophies it is disturbances in the manifestation, movement, retention and dispersal of Qi that lead to dysfunctions in the person, creating dis-ease and discomfort.

Qi combines with Jing (the substance of transformation) to create our individual constitutional make up, it is both supporting and nourishing, , helping every cell in our body to reproduce and perpetuate the 7 year cycle of transformation in women (8 years in men), imbuing organisms with potential, the possibility of development.

Nothing rests, everything moves and vibrates, pure energy vibrates at different frequencies, as can most easily be seen in the light spectrum, with different frequencies creating different colours.

Even at rest your body is transforming, taking in air, expelling carbon dioxide, cleansing blood, releasing hormones, generating T-cells, extracting nutrition from food, sorting thought the issues of the day. That these processes happen effortless in our sleep reminds us that life is a space of constant change and our ‘job’ is to find the most graceful, peaceful ways to find our own personal state of balance, to get into the flow of the wu-wei, the space where attainment is easy, achievement without effort.

Energy is no one force or thing, 32 distinct types of qi have been identified, they combine to create ‘the one Qi’ also known as prana or life force; found in all living things, it has five main functions:

Movement – including physical agility, dexterity and coordination
Protection – on all levels including physical, emotional, biochemical, physiological, energetic and spiritual
Harmonious transformation – the graceful and consistent transformation from one state to another
Retention of substances and organs – your body’s physical ability to contain itself and function optimally against both internal and external forces, such as gravity, inertia etc.
Temperature regulation – imbalances are more at times of menopause when hot flushes are accepted as an expected symptom.

Qi come from 3 main sources:

It is transferred between parents and child at the moment of conception, it is partly responsible for our inherited constitution. Stored in the kidneys it combines with jing to determine our unique constitution, personality and make up.

It is derived from the digestion of the food we eat. Consider your personal constitution when eating fast food, a plant rich diet, excessive carbohydrates. Does your mood change? How is your digestion when you eat on an argument? Qi is not just about the composition of our bodies it affects how we feel in our bodies.

It is extracted by the lungs from the air we breathe. Do you feel different in specific locations? Are you affected by a polluted city, an air conditioned building, a forest, being on or near the water.

5 main types of Qi include:

Organ Qi – each organ has its own distinct qi and metaphorical associations
Meridian Qi – normal or upright qi as it flows through the superficial meridian system .
Nutritive Qi – an essential force in the nourishment of the body, this qi transforms nutrients in the blood
Protective Qi – described as being ‘fierce and bold’ it resists and combats ‘external pernicious influences’
Ancestral Qi – aids and regulates rhythmic movement of breath and heart beat.

Exploring and understanding the factors that influence your unique Qi blueprint enable you to address your own well-being and health aspirations from a completely personalised perspective. Creating a bespoke personalised combination of techniques and simple lifestyles adjustments enables you to address your own unique situation from an informed perspective, where you can use your unique understanding of your own story to realise your full potential.

Join us as we dive deeper into the mysteries of Qi, learn how to identify your own imbalances and bring them back to harmony to help you more easily get into the flow of the wu-wei. For full details of the next workshop, please click here

If you would like to book a 1:1 Kinesiology session, please click here.

You can also join our online community here.

Impostor syndrome, but at what cost?

Is impostor syndrome holding you back and preventing you from realising your full potential? Read on to find out how to stop feeling like a fraud and enjoy more of what you love.

The true cost of impostor syndrome, defined as ‘the persistent inability to believe that one’s success is deserved or has been legitimately achieved as a result of one’s own efforts or skills’, can be more significant than we realise.

Impostor syndrome is often accompanied by high levels of anxiety and feelings of self-doubt, impacting the person’s sense of their own worth, impeding their progress and preventing them from easily realising their full potential.

Impostor syndrome does not discriminate by profession, gender or age. Anyone can fall prey as it worms itself into the psyche, creating an internal narrative that questions one’s ability, experience and, eventually, one’s very existence. Thoughts take the form of ‘who do you think you are’ and present a less than humble view of ourselves, suggesting egotistical self importance and dishonesty.

Trying to rationalise impostor syndrome is like trying to talk down a tired toddler on a sugar rush; infuriating, exhausting and futile.

Impostor syndrome often occurs when a person embarks on a learning journey and wishes to share their knowledge and experience with others, reaching a stage where they know more than the average person in the street yet still with more to learn, to master the subject fully. Realising the impact the learning has had for them they take the courageous step to share it with others.

As a practitioner, instructor, teacher or sharer of information/knowledge/experience, we provide a safe space where students may explore different ideas and their own relationship with them, where questions can be asked and debated. It is no teachers job to be the font of all knowledge, but a guide imparting wisdom, stimulating the curiosity of those who wish to learn, wherever they may be on their journey.

Authenticity is the new rock ‘n roll

It is impossible for authenticity and impostor syndrome to co-exist. The authentic practitioner/teacher knows and works within the current limits of their own learning, seeking to continually deepen/broaden their knowledge and allowing themselves the space and time to grow.

Knowledge + Experience = wisdom

Human beings are effective recycling units, accumulating knowledge and experience and passing it on as wisdom, providing a foundation for the next generation to springboard from. The more we go through in life, the more we learn. Impostor syndrome makes us doubt our own wisdom and prevents us from sharing it with others. True, we may not yet know the answers but we know the combinations we have tried and can pass on the baton to give those that follow a running start.

Impostor syndrome prevents that baton from being passed on. The richness of your knowledge and experience is lost to history and subsequent endeavours must start from zero. Consider for a moment the impact of that on your own life. Quickly think of 10 things you know about because someone else shared their wisdom with you. From ironing a shirt to splitting the atom, all learning builds on the input and experience of others.

Impostor syndrome perpetuates the negative internal narrative that holds us back, reinforcing our lack of self worth and impeding our progress.

Just for today, consider what could happen if you shared your wisdom and it helped someone else have a better day. How would that be?

Tips to combat Impostor syndrome

Acknowledge how far you’ve come / how much you’ve learned.

Reflect on where you were before you began studying your subject of interest. What have you learned? How have you changed?

Seek feedback

Asking for feedback can feel terrifying but it serves a dual purpose. Feedback encourages your clients/students to reflect on their experience and learning, it also provides you with regular insights into your practice, what is working for people and how you might improve/refine your practice. Written feedback can be easier to process but, either way, ask your clients and students for feedback on 4 aspects:

What did they learn
What did they enjoy
What didn’t they enjoy
What changes could you make to improve their experience

Make a record of ALL your achievements

From learning to walk to passing your last exam, from getting out of bed on a challenging day to working with your first client/student. Recording and reviewing personal achievements creates a firm foundation from which to build self confidence plus it’s a great tool to get you back on track on a difficult day.

Talk about it

You will be amazed how many of the people you respect and admire have experienced impostor syndrome. Allow yourself to learn from them and stand on the shoulders of giants.

Impostor syndrome is one of the unhelpful belief systems I help people to acknowledge, address and change in my 1-2-1 kinesiology clinic sessions.

When you’re ready to step into your true self and realise your full potential, please get in touch to find out how.

I look forward to working with you

If you would like to book a 1:1 Kinesiology session, please click here.

You can also join our online community here.

Workshop menu

Up to date details of all coming workshops and privilege early bird booking discounts.

I create and deliver various workshops to educate and empower you within your own healing journey.

If you’d like to receive regular details and be first to hear about privilege booking offers sign up my newsletter here

Many ancient traditions worked readily with these profound energy systems and traces of this can still be seen in practices such as yoga, tai chi and Qi gong.

In these workshops you have the opportunity to reconnect with this inner wisdom and explore these systems for yourself.

With a better understanding of the subtleties of these energy fields we can enhance our relationships with ourselves, those close to us and the wider world in general, creating ease and peace that transcends all our interactions.

Imbalances in this subtle energy system can include physical illness, physical, emotional and psychological discomfort, anxiety, hormone imbalances, lack of focus, poor communication, lack of confidence and self esteem, difficulty sleeping and lack of motivation and purpose.

Learning how to identify and harmonise your own imbalances is empowering, enabling progression towards peace, happiness and the life you desire, without force or effort.

Each workshop is a mix of theory, group discussion and guided practical application.

No prior knowledge or experience is required.

Group numbers are restricted to create supportive learning and sharing environments for sharing questions, exciting curiosities and exploring how you can work with each aspect for yourself, make it relevant to your current situation and fire up your dream of the future.

Light refreshments and a simple lunch are provided, please feel free to bring along anything that supports your personal dietary preferences.

Please note: I am sometimes ably assisted by my very handsome work colleague, a small, white fluffy bichon/maltese cross dog named pTerry. He will be on paw at the workshop to provide moral support and accept belly rubs. pTerry (the p is silent) is hypoallergenic and very people friendly.

Workshop details are below, please click on the booking link below each item for full details of current dates and prices for each workshop.

Introduction to meridians

Introduction to ancestral and superficial meridians

In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) the meridian system transports energy, also known as Life force, Prana or Qi, around our bodies, regulating, developing and harmonising us with our internal and external world.

Together we will discover the subtleties of the different meridians and develop a deeper understanding and respect for ourselves, those we care for and our wider communities as we explore

Superficial and ancestral energy meridians
Energy, what it is and where it comes from
How energy systems develop and grow as we mature
The different meanings, symbolism and associations of the superficial and ancestral energy meridian systems
How to develop your own energy meridian systems to support your personal goals and aspirations
Practical methods to enhance and harmonise your personal meridian flow

To find out details of the next workshop and privilege early bird booking information please click here

Introduction to deeper chakra energies

Introduction to Chakras for wp

Did you know there are 114 identified chakra points on the human body? Whilst we don’t have time to explore all of them we will spend time gaining some useful knowledge and increasing our own personal understanding of the following:

What chakras are
Where chakras are found in the human system
How chakras work
How to identify chakra imbalances for yourself
Practical methods to rebalance and harmonise chakras and the energies associated with them
How to claim these powerful energies and utilise them to support your own personal development

With access to the subtleties of these energy centres we have the capacity to finely tune our life to be the experience we desire, without force or fear.

Full details of the next workshop and privilege early bird booking information can be found here

Introduction to auras and auric field energies

Introduction to auras 1019

Develop an understanding of auras and auric field energies, their similarities and differences. Learn the associations with these energies, how to connect and work with these subtle fields to support you own personal well-being and development.

Create your own healing framework to resolve issues from the past and design the life you desire.

Whether we are able to see coloured auras or not, these fields of subtle energy surround and support us every day.

Reaching out beyond our physical body these fields connect us to the world and the universe beyond, providing useful links to the natural, supernatural, spiritual and cosmic realms.

Together we will learn how to access and utilise these energies to help us achieve the life we desire as we explore

What auras and auric fields are
Where auras are located
How auras and auric field energies support us
How to identify auric field imbalances for yourself
Practical methods to cleanse, strengthen and harmonise your own auric field energies
How to connect with these powerful energies and utilise them to support your own personal development

Full details and privilege early bird booking are here

Let go with grace, enjoy the peace of space

December workshops learn to dump your emotional baggage and tap into your inner guide (1)

When was the last time you had a really great nights sleep and woke up feeling refreshed and ready to take on the demands of your day?

Are you suffering with cough and colds and blaming it on the change in the weather?

If you’re already struggling then take heart, When we feel out of synch with the energy of the season we get tired, sick, irritated without reason, on the edge of tears, feel unable to cope; all signs that our bodies need some support to adjust to the changing seasonal energies around us.

Nature gives us signs to help us adjust but we are often too caught up with bugs, back aches and unsteady feelings that we miss them.

In this accessible, online workshop we will explore simple techniques you can use at home to help yourself to let go of emotions and habits that no longer serve you and experience the freedom of peace and smoothing your journey through the inevitable trials and tribulations of life.

As we progress through autumn, it’s a time to have a good clear out, physically and metaphorically. What are you holding on to that is no longer serving you? Are you accumulating personal clutter that is getting on top of you, is it time to empty your emotional back pack and set yourself free?

We share useful tips and techniques, stretches, diet information to enable us to nourish and care for ourselves better, in season, as well as discussing some of the emotional associations with each meridian and how we can synchronise ourselves with these.

Grab your favourite mug, fill it with your preferred drink, cosy up in your slippers and snuggle into a comfy chair to join us, online as we explore the simple secrets of feeling better, everyday.

Please click here to book your seat.

Tame your fire, take back control and live

Tame your fire, take back control and live

Wherever you are in your cycle, or the cycle of life, this online workshop will help you take control of your hormonal ebb and flow, knock hot flushes out of the ball park and live the life you love.

With exploration around what is happening in the meridian energy flow and some useful practical techniques, finally you will be well equipped to take back control.

This 2 hour interactive session is hosted via Zoom, so you can participate from the comfort of your own home, wherever you are in the world, we’d be happy to welcome you.

Book your place and receive the workshop link and password. You will also receive 2 useful fact sheets to keep, via email, shortly before the workshop.

Join us and learn simple techniques to keep your cool, improve sleep, reduce anxiety and reclaim your life.

For details of the next workshop please contact me.

How to be assertive, without trying.

When we pursue what matters to us we become a more powerful version of ourselves.

To be assertive is a powerful feeling, the confidence to pursue our personal desires and to direct our personal resources towards the attainment of our aspirations.

Too often we let judgements get in the way of our own power to be assertive, not wanting to be seen as ‘pushy’ or ‘arrogant’ we drop back, taking up the cause for another person’s dream, deeming that to be more important than our own.

Here’s the thing though, when we put our own energy into something that matters to us, that energy becomes the thing that drives us, it’s like a self filling fuel tank, pursuing our dreams becomes the driver to pursue our dreams.

The more assertive we are, the more assertive we become.

Obstacles become the very platforms we climb up on to see further into the future. The challenges we face, and overcome, build our resilience, testing our strength. When we pursue what matters to us we become a more powerful version of ourselves.

There is a powerhouse within you responsible for continual growth, a part that constantly refreshes and redefines who we are, in the light of our own personal experiences. That is the energy of the liver.

The liver is the only organ that can regenerate itself, you could donate some of your liver to another person and you’d both have a fully functioning liver. And fully functioning is a colossal job, at any given time 10% of your blood is in your liver, filtering 1.4 litres of blood every minute.

The ultimate multi-tasker, the liver performs over 500 functions, simultaneously. Helping blood clot, breaking down alcohol, chemicals, and other debris, making bile to break down fats and making and storing glucose for a quick burst of energy, on demand, it’s your own in-house laboratory, watching, identifying, removing, creating, storing, excreting and fueling everything you do, or want to do.

When we hook into the energy of this internal powerhouse we mainline right into our own confidence, ability and creativity. No room for doubt or timidity, we are fuelled by the thrusting energy of personal renewal and regeneration, able to take the risk required to achieve the outcomes we value.

Consider the flower bulb beneath the soil. The heat of the sun warms the earth and roots sprout, the bulb is doing 500 tasks simultaneously then, all at once, it thrusts up through the soil ‘here I am ready or not’; pushing through the barriers, making a decisive entrance into the daylight – that’s liver energy in action.

No compromise, no doubt, just confident assertiveness, in action.

So, what are you waiting for?

It’s time to claim your space, to assert yourself and achieve your aspirations.

If you’re struggling to hook into your internal powerhouse to motivate and fuel your own aspirations contact me to find out how I can help.

If you would like to book a 1:1 Kinesiology session, please click here.

You can also join our online community here.

Hydration, why it’s never too late to re-hydrate

Hydration, why it’s never too late to re-hydrate. Your body is approximately 70% water, we are the most amazing pieces of organic engineering, creating power, strength, resilience and sustainability out of water.

Your brain and heart are approximately 73% water and your lungs are about 83% water.

If your car or your mobile phone ran on water you’d make sure they were fully recharged every day, to ensure you have all the power and functionality you need, yet we still find it difficult to drink enough water to stay hydrated and function well.

it's never too late to rehydrate

Water is fundamental to our survival, not liquid, just water.

As soon as you add anything to water it becomes a food, then it must pass thorough the whole of your digestive system before the water can be extracted.

Think of it like legos. A cup of coffee is constructed from some water bricks, some coffee bricks, some milk bricks and some sugar bricks all bonded together. The blocks can be broken apart again but that department is in your small intestine. So all the tissues that make up the oesophagus, stomach and duodenum don’t get any direct hydration from the liquid you drink, they have to wait a few hours and hope they get some from the water that is absorbed through the lining of the small intestine, and into the blood stream. They have to join the queue only, now, they are at the other end.

Your hydration is important to us, you are held in a queue and may be answered ... eventually

Meanwhile your body is performing at much less than optimum, because everything that your body does uses water. There is not one single bodily function that does not rely on hydration.

Think about that for a moment. Every thought, action and breath. Literally every thing your body does relies on water.

Signs of dehydration include

Fatigue, weight gain, reduced mobility, aches and pains, headaches, inability to concentrate, fuzzy head (like a hangover), irritability, dry skin, chapped lips, wrinkles, flaky skin, halitosis, poor urination, urinary tract infections, constipation, acid reflux, indigestion, changes in blood pressure, nausea, dizziness, increased resting heart rate, poor memory, slower response times, reduced dexterity, depression, anxiety, tension, mood swings, confusion…… and the list goes on.

Understanding the bodies need for water and the impact that can have on our system it’s time to get real.

How much clear, pure water do you drink, every day, and how much do you need?

Using a baseline of average adult (I know you’re not average, I know you’re amazing) but let’s use average as a starting point.
The average adult needs about 4 pints of water a day.
This adult is having a fairly decent time of things, no stress, no caffeine, no bugs to fight off, sleeping and eating well and taking moderate exercise.

So if you have stress, stimulants, illness or take more exercise you will need more water to keep you hydrated. How much is difficult to say but there are rules of thumb that we can use to help

For every cup of coffee drink twice as much water again – for 250 ml coffee drink 500 ml extra water
In times of stress drink more water, stress is very dehydrating. Drinking more water reduces the anxieties around stress and also helps the body recover more quickly from the effects.
Working out – drink more water. Yes, you’re sweating but did you know that water is responsible for the elasticity in muscles? If you’re really interested in building resilience into your workout – drink more water.
Feeling ill, recovering from a bug or laid up with something – drink more water. If the bug creates mucus, your body is using water to make that. If your body is fighting something off, your immune system uses water to make and distribute the anti-bodies to the internal battlefield, and to clear away the debris to keep your system clear.

As you run through the calculations you may begin to wonder how you’re going to have time to drink all that water, here’s the pay-off.

The better hydrated you are the better your system functions.

Stress reduces so extra water intake can too, drinking more water means you are naturally drinking less coffee because there are only so many hours in a day, right?
This reduces stress (again) so you will need less water.
Your sleep improves so, yes, you guessed it, you’re less stressed and so you need less water.
Your immune system functions better so you get less bugs so you need less water to be well hydrated.
You lose weight so your body requires less water to move you about.

In a fairly short period of time you reach that sweet spot of balanced hydration, where 4 pints of water a day is enough to keep you hydrated and you are more responsive to your bodies need for extra water as/when required.

It’d never too late to rehydrate and experience the benefits that decent hydration has on your physical, emotional and biochemical systems.

So, what are your waiting for?

Hydrate, sleep well, live better

If you would like to book a 1:1 Kinesiology session, please click here.

You can also join our online community here.

Let’s talk about lymph

Let’s talk about lymph. When you’re feeling tired, rough, sick or even hungover, hydration alone may not quite cut it, here’s why.

When our bodies fight against anything, stress, fatigue, bugs, alcohol or any of the other stuff we chuck at them, they create toxins.

Toxins are the waste materials from the fight, the shell casings if you like.

These toxins are mobilised out of the body via the lymphatic system, passing into the blood stream and leaving the body through urination, perspiration and exhalation.

The lymphatic system relies on you moving about, to move it about.

Now, here’s the thing. The lymphatic system is pumped by movement.

Unlike the heart and lungs, which have their own integral pumping stations, the lymphatic system relies on you moving about, to move it about.

So, when you’re feeling sluggish, tired, sick or hungover, do yourself a favour, get up (if you can) take a full body stretch, fling your arms around, do some marching on the spot. If you can, wrap up and take a walk outside.

Lymph is a colourless fluid full of white blood cells and lymphocytes, the goodies that fight bacteria in your blood. Lymph bathes the tissues, collecting up any nasties and drains, via a network of vessels and nodes, called the lymphatic system, exchanging into the bloodstream.

When the lymph gets sluggish it is harder to move the nasties out of your body so keep drinking the water too.

Your body will thank you.

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Perspective. How many men does it take to dig a hole?

I was reminded of a profound lesson recently, whilst discussing the impact of perspective with a group of my colleagues, it is the topic of many philosophical debates, that’s for certain.

Each person has a unique individual perspective, colouring their view of the world and making the same world appear totally different to anyone else’s.

Our perspective pre-programs us to select certain information from every situation; information that reinforces our own personal world.

When we find ourselves in situations that are wholly contrary to our own perspective it creates some uncomfortable ‘culture shocks’, these can have a dramatic impact.

What we look for is what we see, even if what we look for isn’t even there.
This is known as a self fulfilling prophecy.
Try it yourself with this simple exercise:

Go to your sock drawer and say ‘I can’t find my favourite socks’. Do you see them? Now go back to your sock drawer and say ‘I’m just finding my favourite socks’. Do you see them now?

In my work and personal life I have witnessed people who are, seemingly, surrounded by love, friendship and warmth, experience such profound ‘culture shocks’ that they are lead to question everything about the situation, unable to perceive a space where this happens. It always saddens me when this happens because I realise anew, each time I see it, that love is not the universal currency I might think it is, sometimes I demonstrate love or friendship to people and they are suspicious, questioning what they are feeling because they do not recognise it.

In my long and varied career I have worked in situations where £1 can mean the world to one person and has no value at all to another, it all depends on perspective and I try to keep myself level by recalling this lovely quote ‘To the world you may be one person but, to one person, you are the world”

Perspective informs our world view, of course, so when we decide to broaden our perspective that can feel extremely uncomfortable. We may start to witness behaviours in ourselves that do not gel with a broader world, or we may experience perspectives that we find difficult to accept. This is where we can learn to accept other perspectives, we don’t have to agree with them, we can choose to acknowledge them as part of life’s rich tapestry and move on.

We each have the opportunity to create the reality we experience and that is a courageous choice, it can mean freeing ourselves of all the emotional baggage and pain we carry around with us. It can mean looking at life and seeing what is, rather than what we expect to be.

When I embarked on my own therapeutic journey I didn’t feel brave; anything but. I felt exhausted and desperate. My perspective of the world was: whenever I took a step forward I would be pushed 2 steps back. My perspective of me was that I was broken. In many ways I was.

When I reflect on that time in my life now I realise that while I may have been shattered on the outside, inside me a small light still burned, I think of it as my inner pilot light, because, in the worst of dark times, it kept me going.

When I began my therapeutic journey I remember feeling very scared. What if I couldn’t get beyond this state of broken, what if I couldn’t mend, what if my experience of life was all there was?

Then I would focus on that little light inside myself and ask softly ‘and what if it’s not?’

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When we change the things we look at, the things we look at change. I started to look at wellness rather than illness. I began to value and acknowledge the small changes that occurred for me. Slowly I started to focus on being whole and, funnily enough, rather quickly, that is what I became.

I was reminded of a childhood riddle my Father asked me once

Q. If it takes 2 men 4 hours to dig a hole, how long does it take 1 man to dig half a hole?

I remember thinking, OK, it takes 2 men 4 hours so it would take 1 man 8 hours so if the hole is half then it would take one man 4 hours – rushing off to tell my Dad, full of pride at my working out and he replied ‘You can’t dig half a hole, a hole is a hole, is a hole’.

Don’t let your perspective dig you into a hole, allow yourself to open up to to a future that contains all the things you have previously desired but decided are ‘not for you’.

The only person who can make that choice is you, once you’ve made it get in touch and discuss how I can help you in your transformation.

I look forward to working with you

Claire

If you would like to book a 1:1 Kinesiology session, please click here.

You can also join our online community here.