Just Breathe ~ Part 2
This is part 2 of the breathing techniques I have been sharing over on my Instagram and Facebook pages.
With everyone either staying at home right now or for those of you that are working the front line keeping all of us safe, fed and warm these simple breathing techniques are perfect to help to keep your grounded, calm and perfect for optimizing lung health.
If you missed the first installment here you go: JUST BREATHE ~ Part 1
1: BREATH COUNTING
- To begin the exercise, count “ONE” to yourself as you exhale.
- The next time you exhale count “TWO”, and so on up to “FIVE”.
- The begin a new cycle, counting “ONE” on the next exhalation.
- Never count higher than 5 and only count when you exhale.
- Try to do TEN minutes of this form of breathing.
2: DEEP MUSCLE BREATHING
- To relax your face, knot your eyebrows together and release.
- To Relax your neck, tilt your head down towards your neck, an push your chin to your chest, then release.
- To relax your shoulders, make a shrugging motion, then release.
- To relax your arms, push both arms away from the torso, stretch them out, and then relax them by your side.
- To relax your legs, point your toes as far away as they will stretch, and then relax.
3: BELLOWS BREATH
- Inhale and exhale rapidly through your nose, keeping your mouth closed but relaxed. Your breaths in and out should be equal in duration, but as short as possible. This is a noisy breathing exercise.
- Try for three in and out breath cycles per second. This produces a quick movement of the diaphragm, suggesting a bellow. Breathe normally after each cycle.
- Do not do this exercise for more than 15 seconds on your first try. Each time you practice Bellows Breath, you can increase your time by five seconds or so, until you reach a full minute.
4: C02 REBREATHING
- Cup your hands over your mouth and breathe slowly. You can also try using a small paper bag – the idea is to prevent the expulsion of carbon dioxide and get it back into your lungs so that you regain the balance of C02 in your system.
- Keep breathing as you would normally to reagin the carbon dioxide levels.
5: GUIDED VISUALISATION
- Head to your HAPPY PLACE, no questions asked.
- Breathe deeply while focusing on pleasant, positive images to replace any negative thought.
6: NADI SHODHANA (Alternate nostril Breathing)
- Start in a comfortable meditiation pose
- Hold your thumb over your right nostril.
- Inhale deeply through your left nostril.
- At the peak of inhalation, close off your left nostril with your ring finger.
- Exhale through your right nostril.
- Continue pattern, inhaling through your right nostril, closing it off with your right thumb, and exhaling through your left nostril.
Don’t panic just colour
When life feels like it is hitting the proverbial fan then don’t loose your proverbial reach for your colouring pencils.
Sometimes I may be sitting in front of 15 tabs open on my computer and my phone binging away with emails that need to be answered all the while preparing dinner, planning my kids weekly schedule, play dates, homework projects and run my beautiful business.
Now don’t get me wrong I love everything that I do, but sometimes it all comes in on top of me.
My go to is something that I used to do as a child, colour.
I was always doodling on anything and everything growing up, maybe it was out of boredom or even defiance against my teachers (sorry by the way Mr. Quish), but now as a semi grownup I need to do it to calm my mind.
Some of the benefits of colouring are:
Your brain experiences relief by entering a meditative state
Stress and anxiety levels have the potential to be lowered
Negative thoughts are expelled as you take in positivity
Focusing on the present helps you achieve mindfulness
Colouring can be done by anyone, not just artists or creative types
It’s a hobby that can be taken with you wherever you go
It helps you unplug. The great thing about colouring books? No technology is necessary, giving you a break from the smartphone and computer.
It’s de-stressing. Colouring can be beneficial for adults because it has a de-stressing effect. The act of colouring requires repetition and attention to detail, so you are able to focus on the activity, rather than your worries
Colouring brings out our imaginations and helps us recall childhood. For a lot of people, we had less stress as children than we do now
Anyone can do it. You don’t have to be artistic to reap colouring’s benefits. Personally, I get stressed that I’m not creative enough. Colouring takes the pressure off. The lines are already there, so you really can’t mess up. Relax, lean into it and don’t worry about it being pretty or creative enough. With colouring, there is no right or wrong
It’s inexpensive. Colouring books range from €5 to €15, and a pack of gel pens or coloured pencils will only set you back about €5. (I get mine in Deals or TXMax)
So, my advice to you in take time to sit on the floor with a hundred colouring pens around you, pick a page in a colouring book, stick your tongue out the side of your mouth in concentration and just let it all go, one picture at a time.
I would love to get a colouring class up and running once a month at the centre, just come sit on the floor and relax. Would you be interested?
I’m off to colour now but talk soon.
Claire
It’s good to talk
written by: Claire Kenny 06/09/2018
Since opening the centre, now over 5 years ago, I have been asked countless times “why don’t I incorporate an online booking system to make life faster and easier for the clients and students that we have the pleasure of looking after.”
There is no doubt that these new systems have increased efficiency by leaps and bounds, but what has been sacrificed is human interaction and a direct connection to the exchange of value.
Have you ever booked online for a yoga class and arrived with your new mat and baggy tracksuit bottoms, as you are a complete beginner, and been met with a packed studio of twenty somethings in very tight Lycra doing handstands against the wall jammed in like sardines? I have and boy did I hot foot it out of there and vowed that I would never try Yoga again. Don’t worry I have since.
Have you ever booked online for a massage as a treat after a really hard long week to be met by a deep tissue therapist, who yes is amazing at what they do but you feel like you have been beaten up with a baseball bat and all you wanted was sounds of whales in the background, candles lighting and a little hug of a massage? I have, and was left disappointed, not by the therapist, but by the system and not being able to ask for a relaxing light massage and sip of herbal tea afterwards.
Now I do understand that life is so fast paced and there is an app for everything to make life simpler, but at what cost?
If time is so precious; then what if you do make that mistake of booking in for the wrong class or with the wrong therapist? If you take the time to make a 2 minute call to us here at the centre, we will know exactly what you need and what would suit you best. So rather than make that mistake that will cost you an hour or more from your already busy life, give us a call as we like to talk here at the centre.
For the full list of classes that are all starting new terms this week and next just click the following links:
For a full list of therapies that you would like to try but may not know what exactly is involved use the link below:
www.riverholistic.ie/therapies
Then you guessed it, just give us a call and let us help you make the right choice the first time.
Claire
Why athletes should include massage into their fitness regimen
Why add massage into your fitness training regimen.
By: Claire Kenny 23/07/18
The overexertion of muscles through rigorous physical training and exercise can affect athletes’ performance and increase their risk for injury. In between those strenuous workouts, the body could use some pampering.
Regular massage supports the relaxation and recovery process after workouts, helping to prevent injuries; reduce swelling, muscle stiffness and fatigue; and achieve peak performance. And there are numerous other potential benefits that are conducive to your overall health and well-being.
Massage therapy helps improve muscle flexibility (which helps prevent injuries like muscle pulls and tears) and shorten recovery time as well as relieve muscle tension and pain, a remedy for common issues like delayed-onset muscle soreness.
But massage can benefit more than muscles, some research suggests that massage may also help:
- Lower anxiety
- Increase range of motion
- Improve your mood
- Lower blood pressure
- Enhance blood flow and alertness
Massage is good for the body either before, during or after athletic events. Sports massage incorporates Swedish (for improved circulation) and deep tissue techniques, among others. Athletes, or anyone who does strenuous exercises on a regular basis, should speak with a massage therapist about specific needs and concerns in order to determine how often massages are necessary and which techniques are most appropriate.
Your injury or needs will determine the focus of the therapy. Often times, an athlete has a specific area in which they are experiencing pain, limited range of motion, etc. That area, in addition to the supporting muscles and connective tissue, is addressed.
A full body massage at another time, maybe within a week or two, is also very helpful for the whole body compensates for an injury, and an injury heals more quickly when the rest of the body is free of limitations.
How massage can affect your overall health
How massage therapy can improve your overall health
By Claire Kenny 17/07/2018
Some people still believe massage therapy is an indulgence purely for relaxation. The health benefits of massage, however, have proven otherwise.
Today we know that our mind-body connection means excessive stress brings on or exacerbates illness by reducing our own natural immunity to disease. People who value their health know that, like a healthy diet and exercise, regular massage treatments are a valuable part of a stress-reduction plan.
Anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions can be better managed with massage therapy, according an article on the Mayo Clinic website (mayoclinic.org). In addition, massage helps reduce or alleviate headaches, joint pain, digestive disorders, fibromyalgia and much more.
Massage therapy has many forms, applied according to a therapist’s training and a client’s ailments. Some commonly known techniques are Swedish, hot stone, deep tissue, prenatal, and sports massage.
Holistic massage is a combination of various movements used to manipulate muscles through the application of pressure to either soothe or stimulate the whole body. It aims to balance the “whole” person and the effects will vary with each individual.
This therapy helps in the relief of a wide range of problems physiologically and psychologically, they include:
Relaxation of the whole body, reducing stress and anxiety
Gives a “lift” to the emotions and increases positive feelings
Encourages deeper and therefore more efficient and relaxed breathing
Relieves muscle fatigue, soreness and stiffness
Encourages sleep
It promotes suppleness of the muscles, improves circulation and reduces stress.
Balances digestion and waste removal.
With regular Holistic Massages you will find that you have increased energy levels as there is less energy spent in holding the body in a state of tension and strain. In this fast moving world, shouldn’t we all have some real time out!
Hot Stone massage involves the use of water-heated basalt stones of varying sizes in combination with Swedish massage techniques. The heat of the stones helps muscles relax more quickly than in traditional massage, allowing manipulation of a greater intensity.
The benefits of Hot stone massage
Muscular aches, pains, sprains and strains.
Poor circulation
Rheumatic and arthritic conditions
Back pain
Stress, anxiety and tension
The term deep tissue massage refers to increased pressure applied by a therapist aiming to alleviate chronic pain and increase range of motion. This type of massage can be painful. Although some call it a “good pain,” any massage therapy should be done only to the client’s tolerance.
Deep tissue massage is a specialized massage aimed at the deeper tissue structures of the muscles. This massage uses many of the same movements and techniques as Swedish massage, but the pressure will generally be more intense. It is also a more focused type of massage, as the therapist works to release chronic muscle tension or knots (also known as adhesions).
PREGNANCY MASSAGE can help alleviate many of the symptoms and conditions associated with pregnancy. During this amazing time of physical and emotional change, pregnancy massage can be of enormous benefit to both the mother and baby.
Amoungst many benefits, massage during pregnancy has been found to help alleviate the following complaints:
Muscle tension,
Muscle spasm & cramping,
Sciatic pain ,
Swelling oedema
Back, neck and shoulder discomfort caused by hormonal and postural changes.
Improve quality of sleep
Reduce headaches
Relieve heartburn
Balance mood-swings and help depression.
It reduces stress and allows the mother to relax, both important for during the pregnancy and labour.
The health of the baby is enhanced by the pregnancy massage through increasing blood circulation, lymph circulation, reducing oedema and increasing cellular respiration. Massage helps the mother to feel nurtured and pampered and this can then be passed onto the baby. Pregnancy massage assists in reducing tension in the weight bearing joints and other bone and muscle structures.
It also helps maximize breathing capacity which is needed during labor and delivery.
Sports massage can help relieve soft-tissue aches and muscle stiffness to prepare for events or recover from exercise. This type of massage isn’t just for sports injuries though. It can be beneficial to anyone who engages in repetitive physical activity, which is hard on the body.
It’s always best to check with your doctor before starting any new health regimen, including massage therapy.
Massage therapy is good for almost anyone, whether they are active or sedentary. So the next time you’re stressed, overwhelmed or in pain, consider getting a massage. It may help your overall health to massage that issue out of your tissue
www.riverholistic.ie/therapies
The Lightness of Being
The Lightness of Being
An Introductory Workshop
The most essential aspect of our nature is the part of us rarely accessed due to the busyness of our mind and our thoughts; our very Being.
In this workshop you’ll be introduced to an exercise of connection leading to the direct experience of Being and the depths of peace and relaxation residing there. Each person will be invited to name how and what they experience as a result of making this connection and to know that it is ever present, no matter what is happening in the outer aspects of life.
The second part of the workshop will introduce exercises and practices promoting and assisting living more and more in the quality of Being and less in the busy mind which always experiences life as problematic.
Aine has practiced as a Psychotherapist and Craniosacral Therapist since 1992 and 1994 respectively. As a result of her experiences she saw how the deepest most essential part of the person has always resided peacefully and has never been affected by difficulties or traumas experienced along the way. To restore a sense of wellbeing she sees that this relationship, at our very core and always stable, is the key to living fully alive, and reducing any sense of contraction, fear or anxiety held in the body/mind system.
Venue: River Holistic Centre, Raheny
Date: Sunday 01 July 10am – 2pm
Cost: €50
Contact: Phone Aine on 0868165871 or Reception on 018310888
Meditation is good for your heart health
In the immensely stressful lives that we are living in the present times, it becomes imperative to include practices such as meditation and yoga in our lifestyle. Apart from reducing stress and generating immense positivity, meditation helps in keeping our heart healthy as well. People who meditate regularly are lesser prone to risks of heart attack and stroke. Meditation can produce changes in the brain activity and can also control heart rate, blood pressure, breathing rate and release of cortisol hormone in response to stress.
What is meditation?
Meditation means awareness. Anything which is done with awareness is meditation. It is not a technique but a way of life. Meditation is referred to a stage of consciousness when the mind is free of scattered thoughts and ideas. It is considered as a practice which transforms the mind. It helps in improving concentration, helps in getting more clarity, provides emotional positivity and helps a person have a calm way of looking at the nature of things.
Engaging in meditation enables a person to learn about his/her patterns and habits of mind. It helps a person cultivate new and more positive ways of living. A nourished and positive thinking mind can further transform into extremely peaceful and energised state of mind. Inculcating the habit of meditation in your lifestyle can make you a more enlightened person personally and publically.
meditation
Regular meditation can make you a more enlightened person
There are various kinds of meditation which provides several physiological benefits. Mindful meditation helps you focus efficiently in the present and accept it without any judgement. Guided meditation, for instance, a kind of meditation which uses mental images, helps you relax and calm down. Transcendental medication is a kind of meditation which uses repeated sounds and phrases in order to clear your mind.
These meditations need to be done for at least 10 minutes in a day in order to get physiological benefits from them.
How meditation helps your heart?
The National Institute of Mental Health states that around 19% adults experience anxiety within the past year. Around 31% adults were reported to suffer from anxiety disorder at some point in their lifetime. We all experience stress in one way or the other. Excessive stress can contribute to high blood pressure, high cholesterol levels, overeating and physical inactivity. All these factors contribute to increased risks of stroke and heart disease.
Mindful meditation helps in reducing both stress and anxiety. Meditating regularly gives a boost to the immunity, eases inflammation in chronic conditions and reduces pain. Those who meditate regularly experience increase in gray matter in the brain, have improved levels of focus and concentration, reduced levels of stress and more will power.
Mindful meditation, when combined with cognitive behavioral therapy can thus be considered as an effective treatment for anxiety.
We have a number of one to one therapies here at the centre from Psychotherapy , Hypnotherapy, Acupuncture to name but a few.
We also a number of classes that are a perfect introduction to meditation and mindfulness along with weekly Yoga,
For a full list of our weekly classes just follow HERE…
Yoga and Sacred Sound
Yoga and Sacred Sound
This class will be a unique fusion of gentle yoga and sacred sound to support you in raising your vibrational energy, whilst nurturing and enabling your unique healing process. When we work with chanting mantras, singing bowls, solfeggio tones and gongs the resonance absorbs inwards supporting our cells to reprogram and remember their innate vibration.
Through use of sacred sound and movement we begin to shed the dense heavier energy of daily life, thus rising our vibrational energy, allowing us to effortlessly attract higher frequency people and experiences into our lives.
This combination of sacred practices have the potential to support you in making transformational change, in a gentle sustainable way.
Each class is unique but will include a combination of yogic movement and sacred sound- chanting of sacred mantras with harmonium (kirtan), sound baths with singing bowls, solfeggio tones and gongs. Classes will finish with a deep relaxation to support your healing process, and encourage your physical, energetic, emotional, thought and subconscious layers to move back into a deeper space of harmony within.
No experience of music or sound is required to participate in this class, just an open heart.
When: Wednesdays from 6 – 7.15pm. Next 4 week term 14th, 21st, 28th of June & 5th of July 2017.
Where: River Holistic Raheny
Cost: €55 per 4 week term or €16 drop in (space dependent)
Bookings: https://www.innercalmyoga.ie/sacred-sound or info@innercalmyoga.ie or 085 8225450
Places will be limited to 8 people and must be pre-booked / pre-paid
10 Reasons to incorporate more massage in your life
10 reasons to incorporate massage in your life.
When you think of massage, odds are you think of an hour of relaxation – a little “me” time. Massage certainly offers a great way to escape from the stresses of our everyday lives, but more and more studies are showing that regular massage gives you so much more: a range of emotional and physical benefits. Here are the top 10 reasons to incorporate more massage in your life.
- Massage reduces stress – A single massage can lower your heart rate, cortisol and insulin levels, all of which are tied to how stressed you feel.
- Massage helps you relax – Long after your massage is over, you will still benefit from a host of brain chemistry responses that encourage feelings of relaxation, lowered stress and improved mood.
- Massage improves posture – Massage helps your body to reinforce healthy and natural movements, which will help correct any posture problems you may have.
- Massage improves circulation – The pressure from massage moves oxygen-rich blood through the body to damaged, tense muscles so they can heal, while removing lactic acid and other metabolic waste.
- Massage lowers blood pressure – Studies have shown that massage can lower both diastolic and systolic blood pressure.
- Massage relaxes muscles – Sitting causes a lot of chronic back pain and massage can help with persistent pain by relaxing those tense muscles.
- Massage improves flexibility – Sedimentary lifestyles and age can make joints less flexible. Massage helps improve fluidity and range of motion in your joints and connective tissues.
- Massage helps you breathe better – Massage can relax muscles in the upper body, which, if they become too tight, can constrict breathing.
- Massage relieves headaches – Regular massage reduces your chance of developing a headache in the first place by relaxing muscle spasms and trigger points. Already have a headache? It can decrease the pain.
- Massage strengthens the immune system – Studies have shown that regular massage can improve your body’s overall immune functioning.
With all of these benefits, it’s no wonder today’s client is beginning to see massage as an integral part of their well-being journey. As we all re-examine our wellness choices, massage therapy is shedding the stereotype of being an occasional indulgence. Instead, it’s become a highly integral body maintenance experience that offers any number of health benefits when consistently incorporated with other total body care actions.
Exam Stress and how to help.
Exam Stress and how to help.
With exam season around the corner, help-lines, psychologists and psychiatrists have seen a rise in students battling exam-related stress disorders. It is observed that many children go into a panic mode during examinations and suddenly find that they can’t recall the information that they have learned, or suffer from “brain block”. During exam time, it may be impossible to avoid stress altogether, however there are several things you can do to help alleviate as much stress as possible. For instance, boosting children’s confidence and self-belief, helping them let go of anxiety over things they have no control over, and helping them take some time to relax!
The examination season is marked with sky-high stress levels, anxiety, pressure and tension on part of both the students as well as the parents. Parents often feel like it is them who are appearing for examination instead of the child. Lives begin to revolve around a flurry of tuition’s and tuition teachers, strict time-tables and academics. We as parents believe examinations to be the most important aspect of a child’s life to the exclusion of everything else and pass this message along with the tension to our wards as well.
Some of the symptoms, such as depression, not interacting with others, decrease in sleep and appetite, fatigue and lack of concentration, are indications that a person may need some external help. It is a difficult task for a parent to convey to their children the importance of exams while making sure that they do not add to their children’s stress and at the same time handle their own personal anxiety as well.
Parents have a huge role to play in managing exam stress in children, especially in today’s world of cut-throat competition and pressure on children to perform. It is natural for a parent to expect his/her child to achieve good results and perform better. They also become anxious about their child’s performance in examinations for getting admission into that elusive college/university. However, one of the most important lessons we need our children to learn is that success is a process, not a destination and that it has many definitions, academic results is just one of many definitions of it.
A few options that are available for both you and your children are at the centre are:
- We have a Mindfulness for Teens class starting on Thursday the 27th of April, which runs for 6 weeks.
- Drop in Mindfulness and Meditation for adults, both morning and evening options available.
- Reflexology sessions, for both Parent and Child
- Hypnotherapy (Once Child is over 16)
- Talk therapy
