Do you know what one of the biggest health and wellness trends is for 2018? Breathwork is conscious, controlled breathing done for relaxation, meditation or therapeutic purposes. In their book “The Healing Power of Breath”, doctors Richard P. Brown and Patricia L. Gerbarg write, “By changing the patterns of breathing, it is possible to reduce stress, calm an agitated mind and improve physical health and endurance.” Nanaimo Parks and Recreation has many programs, including a variety of yoga and fitness classes that incorporate better breathing techniques. Check out our Activity Guide, visit our website at www.nanaimo.ca or call us at 250.756.5200 for details.
Community News
Benefits of Seeing a Counselling Psychologist
Counselling Psychologists can help you: – Feel heard. One of the first steps to personal wellness is finding someone you can trust who will listen to you non-judgmentally. They are trained to support you unobtrusively, allowing you to sort through feelings and beliefs and find your own way to solving your problems. – Be accepted. A good therapist will be able to accept you compassionately and share empathy with you. This means they will be able to understand your feelings and your underlying needs, helping you to gain insight and new perspective. – Heal. They can give you tools and skills to support you on your path to a full and satisfying life.
Live Your Greatness
Life and health are gifts that don’t last forever. Saver them, appreciate and care for them as though they are your most cherished assets because they are. What would you love to do but have never done? Imagine what it would be like and the impact on your life. Set a plan in place as if your life depends on it, never give up on the possibility. Connect with the plan daily, never lose faith in it and soon it will be yours. Live the dreams you were born to experience, the ones buried deep within your heart. Let yourself live your greatness!
Breathwork Breathing Exercises
Pursed Lip Breathing Method – With relaxed shoulders, take a normal breath in for 2 counts. Then with puckered lips exhale, for about 4 counts and repeat. 4-7-8 Method – Exhale through your mouth, close it and inhale through your nose for 4 counts. Hold the breath for 7 counts, release for 8 counts. Repeat at least three times. Belly Breathing Method – With shoulders back, place one hand on your chest and one on your belly. As you breathe in deeply for about 2 seconds, you feel the air expanding your stomach, breathe out slowly through your lips. Parks and Recreation has programs including a variety of yoga and fitness classes that incorporate better breathing techniques.
Wellnessnews Women’s Expo – February 10
The Wellnessnews Women’s Expo is the place to Explore, Indulge, Escape & Shop. It will be a day of fun and new approaches to nutrition, fitness and overall wellbeing. Bring your girlfriends, mom and neighbours to visit over 80 exhibits, indulge in pampering in the Diva Oasis, participate in the activity area and attend sessions on Nutrition/Healthy Aging. The Expo is FREE. VIP tickets can be found where you get your Wellnessnews, from an exhibitors or off our website. While not required to attend, tickets redeemed raise funds to help women in our communities. See you on February 10th at the VI Conference Centre in Nanaimo.
When not to Engage in Gambling
When post-holiday debt piles up, it is easy to become overwhelmed and unwittingly allow our financial pressures to influence our judgement. The stress of overdue bills can tempt us to seek a quick fix to get some financial relief. This is one of the riskiest times to engage in gambling activities. Gambling is meant to be a form of entertainment. It is not a high-risk high-reward bail out or windfall. Avoid stoking the campfire into a blazing forest fire. Talk to a credit counsellor, financial advisor, pastor or trusted friend. Get financial advice, seek assistance and ask for support.
Lymphatic Massage
Lymphatic massage is a light form of massage assisting the lymph flow. The lymph is a liquid that flows throughout our body by stimulation from muscle contractions or outward pressure applied via gentle manipulation. It collects wastes and toxins that cannot be absorbed through the blood capillary vessels. Our lymphatic fluid is cleaned via lymphatic nodes that are found all over the body; especially in the groin, armpits and trunk. Lymphatic congestion may result from many health conditions. The lymph drainage massage helps lymph to circulate thus assisting the immune system in its effort to keep the body healthy and clear of edema (swelling in tissues) and a buildup of toxins.
Choosing a Seniors’ Living Residence
Once you have made the decision to start looking at options for your future living arrangements, there are a number of things you should keep in mind. Focus on what you want, not what anyone else thinks you should want. When looking, remember that first impressions count. Consider things such as the building design and the services and activities offered to see if they appeal to you. Are the residents and staff friendly towards you and to each other? Check out the dining room and ask the residents about their dining experience. If the first impressions are favourable, book a tour with the Site Manager.
Trouble Falling Asleep?
If you have trouble falling asleep, here is something that you may not know. The National Sleep Foundation suggests that having warm feet when going to bed sends a signal to your brain that it is bedtime. Sleep research indicates a correlation between falling asleep quickly and increased blood dilation in our extremities. Wearing socks to bed warms your skin and dilates your blood vessels. Having a restful night is essential for a good day so go to bed wearing a clean pair of socks. Today there are socks with built in technology that will not only keep your feet warm but may provide relief from restless leg syndrome.
The Healing Power of Vibration and Sound
“Sound healing uses a frequency and vibration that is conducive for healing,” says Joshua Leeds, the author of The Power of Sound and an expert in the field of psychoacoustics, the study of the effects of sound on the human nervous system. Sounds, vibrations and frequencies support the immune system, help with insomnia and assist in relaxing muscle spasms. Neuroacoustic Research found that different frequencies target the various densities in the body. British doctors have developed a revolutionary new therapy using high power sound waves that can precisely target tumours without surgery.
Concussions and Whiplash
Most people think that concussions and whiplash occur separately from each other but when a person has one, they often have the other one too. The human head weighs on average 10 – 12 lbs and is mainly held in place by ligaments and tendons. When a force is exerted on the body, the head accelerates by 2.5 times that amount, meaning that when a body changes speed by 30 km/hr, the head and brain change speed by 75 km/hr. This is how whiplash and concussions can occur. To learn more, come to our next Health Night on 26 Feb 2018!
