“Too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around.”

We calm our pets by stroking them, we greet each other with a hug or a handshake, and we soothe our children by holding them. No other form of connection is as powerful and universal as touch. 

A pat on the back, a caress of the arm—these are everyday, incidental gestures that we usually take for granted but cutting edge research into everyday forms of touch has documented incredible emotional and physical health benefits that come from touch.

From this frontier of touch research, studies by neuroscientist Edmund Rolls shows that touch activates the brain’s cortex which is linked to feelings of reward and compassion. It signals safety and trust.

Basic warm touch calms cardiovascular stress. It activates the body’s vagus nerve, which is intimately involved with our compassionate response, and a simple touch can trigger release of oxytocin, aka “the love hormone.”

“Touch therapy” or “massage therapy” has got hard science on its side. It’s not just good for our muscles; it’s good for our entire physical and mental health. Stroking the skin activates nerves that calm down the body’s stress response and stimulate the brain’s happy hormones. The more you’re stroked, the more your blood pressure is reduced, pain vanishes and pleasure takes its place. 

Tiffany Field, director of the Touch Research Institute at the University of Miami Medical School, points out that massage can reduce inflammation which may be involved in pain and actually enhance cell recovery.

What I find interesting and more expansive is the wonderful tool that massage gives us for everyday life. Massage techniques can be taught so people with families can learn to massage each other, parents can massage kids, couples can massage each other, so flooding their bodies with anti-stress hormones that are beneficial for better health and wellbeing. 

There are plenty of ways you can put touch to work for your good health. Massage therapy, for instance, may make you more alert and lessen symptoms of depression such as fatigue and irritability. The healing power of touch extends across our life span, from helping babies grow and children concentrate at school to decreasing chronic illnesses and disease.

Bodywork and relaxation go together, an hour-long bodywork session… even one focused on pain relief or structural alignment can create a sense of well-being, calm, and energy. But why do we as human beings crave the touch of another?

Whether in giving or receiving, touch is as essential to human survival as is food. Infants deprived of touch, even when they are getting adequate nutrition, will fail to thrive. Elders isolated by loss of partners and friends become depressed not only because of the absence of social interaction, but also because of the simple loss of being touched.

 Many women ‘know’ when they are pregnant.  This intuitive feeling is probably due to the early outpouring of female hormones, followed by the production of human chorionic ‘gondotrophin’ by fetal tissues as soon as the embryo achieves implantation.  For other women, ‘mild symptoms’ may be the first signs of pregnancy.

Nausea and vomiting is thought to occur in approximately half of all pregnancies, usually between the sixth and sixteenth weeks.  This is a rough guide as some can experience it as early as their last period, whilst for some, it can continue throughout pregnancy.

Although this is seen as a normal part of pregnancy, it can be extremely distressing and impact greatly on a women’s normal life.  Some life-style changes can be helpful, and Victoria Busk, acupuncturist at Vidatherapy gives her patients the following advice:

“It is essential to avoid dehydration.  Try to drink small amounts frequently.  Soups are an excellent way to take in fluids, as well as herbal teas (ginger and peppermint) and carbonated drinks if belching helps relieve the symptoms.

Having small regular snacks will help balance blood sugar levels.  Try to have something small every one to three hours, before hunger sets in.  It is often helpful to give up the regular breakfast, lunch and dinner and instead spread food throughout the day…little and often is my motto!

 Suggested foods – almonds, raisins, crackers, dried fruit, pasta, rice, pears, peaches, peppermints, unrefined white bread, potatoes, organic commercial baby food, yoghurt.

 Odors – if you have developed a heightened sense of smell, try oil burners around the house with oils such as lemon, peppermint or grapefruit.  You can also decant them onto a tissue and carry them with you.

 Rest -There is a tremendous change taking place within your body so resting is definitely beneficial during this time.  If you feel tired by 7pm, try to listen to your body and go to bed!

Constipation is another symptom that is considered a normality in pregnancy and is often due to hormones softening and relaxing the digestive tract, rendering bowel movements sluggish.  Dietary factors and other self help measures can be very helpful at easing the symptoms. Hear are a few tips to follow:

• Try to increase fruit such as apricots, prunes, raisins and figs (which are also nourishing   for the blood).
• Sunflower seeds, nuts and soaked linseeds can be sprinkled over food or carried as snacks.
• Six to eight glasses of room temperature water can be useful to soften the stool.
• Hot prune or lemon juice in water half an hour before eating.
• Light exercise such as walking will be helpful.

As well as these self-help measures, acupuncture can be an extremely supportive treatment, offering women a drug free alternative for a multitude of problems that may arise during pregnancy and childbirth. But if not for symptoms it also facilitates deep relaxation to calm the mind and release body tension, helping to make your pregnancy a much more fulfilling and pleasurable experience.

Victoria Busk BSc, LicAc, MBAcC, IEB, OCR, Acupuncturist at Vidatherapy Spa, Teddington.

It seems the wonders of our early childhood dimly fade as we conform to the standards that we think the world expects of us. We learn to hide our feelings of excitement and the joy of simple pleasures, first from others and then from ourselves.

We’re bombarded and enticed by commercials and adverts for things that promise to make us feel happy and fulfilled and as we accumulate more and more, we need more. Soon we forget the simple innocence of life to the point where even the basic awareness of the breath is gone.

Unfortunately anxieties take over, drama occupies our attention, we numb ourselves with TV, web-surfing, social media etc. We tell ourselves that we’re just avoiding boredom. But beneath the surface there is agitation, restlessness, sadness, emptiness, fears and joy.

We seem to have lost touch with what is real and eternal inside us. What was once our perfect place of peace within us has now become a mystery. We’re afraid to look inside ourselves, for fear that what has been suppressed will overwhelm us. And so we do not linger in the awareness of the inner Self. 

Perhaps we need to embrace the prospect that if we settle the mind and find ‘stillness’ we can achieve peace from within and become more fulfilled in our daily life.

The concept of ‘Mindfulness’ is a state of present awareness. A relaxed state of mind, in which we are conscious of our experiences, these include sensations, thoughts, feelings, breathing, and surroundings, all with an attitude of non-resistance, peace and acceptance.

‘Mindfulness meditation’ is a type of meditation that essentially involves focusing your mind on the present. To be mindful is to be aware of your thoughts and actions in the present, without judging yourself.

Finding the stillness in a body free of tension is where we ultimately want to be! There are many ways to learn mindful meditation through the Internet, books, Apps or personal teacher and as a self-help therapy it is a fantastic tool to quiet the mind. Research suggests that ‘mindfulness meditation’ may improve mood, decrease stress, and boost immune function. 

My advice to anyone who wants to learn is to meditate frequently but for short periods of time—ten or fifteen minutes. If you force it, the practice can take on too much of a personality, and training the mind should be very, very simple. So you could meditate for ten minutes in the morning and ten minutes in the evening, during that time you are really working with the mind.

Follow a simple practice to start with, sitting in an upright chair with your back straight, close your eyes softly and bring your mind to the present moment, focusing on your breathing.

1. Notice the sensation of air as you breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth, feel your belly rise and fall.
2. Concentrate on slowing the breathing and making the out breath longer than the in breath. Do this by counting in for 4 and out for 6.
3. Watch every thought come and go, whether it is a worry, fear, anxiety or hope. When thoughts come up in your mind let them drift in and out, don’t ignore or suppress them, remain calm and use your breathing as an anchor.
4. If you find yourself getting carried away in your thoughts, observe where your mind went off to, without judging, and simply return to your breathing. Remember not to be hard on yourself if this happens.
5. As the time comes to a close, sit for a minute or two, becoming aware of where you are. Get up gradually.

The mind is the most powerful tool in the universe. And for most of us, it is the master. So the secret is: If you can be gentle with yourself when practicing your meditation technique. Then, guess what?… You have already arrived at a place where few have been before!

Annie Moore MCThA, RCCA, ITHMA For free advice or a consultation contact info@vidatherapy.com,                   T: 020 8614 1199, www.vidatherapy.com

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Feeling that you look your best can be a real confidence booster. The key is, knowing how to enhance your natural beauty, first by ensuring you have a good skincare regime, then finding the best cosmetics to suit your looks for day and evening.

Start by following the Aveda 3-stage skincare routine, cleanse, tone and moisturize, morning and night. When cleansing your face, do so gently in upward motion strokes – don’t pull or scrub too hard to prevent irritation. A mild toner from the Aveda Botanical Kinetics range has natural ingredients to freshen and close up the pores. Keep your skin hydrated with a moisturizer that is compatible with your skin type, try Botanical Kinetics hydrating lotion. Make sure your daytime moisturizer contains SPF to protect your skin from the sun’s harmful rays. 
Treat yourself to an Aveda customized facial once a month.

Your daily makeup regime should follow a similar pattern, foundation, blush, eye definition, brow shape and mascara, followed by lip tint/gloss.

With a cleansed skin you now have a smooth canvas for your foundation. Choosing the right foundation is all about getting the right texture, color and blending know-how. Aveda’s Inner Light mineral dual foundation balances skin tone as it diffuses light, minimizing the look of fine lines, pores and imperfections. When testing out shades, pick one that matches the tone of your jawline exactly. If you’re unsure of what to use, many salons offer free consultations to help you feel products before purchasing.

Apply foundation to your cheeks, forehead, and chin using a foundation brush, sponge, or clean fingertips. Blend it all the way to your natural hairline with long, light strokes. Continue over the jawline and onto your neck to achieve a natural, seamless look.

Use Aveda’s Inner Light liquid concealer for the area under your eyes to hide puffiness and cover spots and imperfections. Gently pat over dark under-eye circles, blend with your ring finger. The reflective minerals add radiance to the skin.

To achieve that all-day flawless finish a light dusting of Inner Light mineral loose powder sets the foundation and concealer, giving your face a velvety, more natural finish. It also provides smooth blending for eye makeup and blush to follow. Tip – dip a powder brush in loose powder, shake off excess and apply over entire face & neck.

Sweep your chosen blusher, such as Aveda petal essence face accents over cheek bones to highlight the apple of your cheeks, blend the three shades in one palette evenly to create a natural glow. The petal soft texture provides a crease-resistant colour.

For natural looking brighter eyes apply petal essence eye colour, using a light base eye shadow over your entire eyelid from lash line to brow bone. Define the crease of your eyelid using a medium or dark shade. The deeper the shade, the more dramatic the look! Tip – to open up your eyes so that they appear livelier, place a dot of a light shade in the inner corner of each eye,

Define your eye with a smooth fine line of eyeliner along the top of lashes, followed by Aveda ‘mosscara’ conditioning formula to top and bottom. Tip – Apply extra mascara to outside edge of upper lashes to open the eyes.

Eye brow shaping calls attention to your eyes, by framing them and makes them appear more open. Tip – to fill in the brow hold the pencil in a vertical position with the point at the inner corner, lightly draw a line to outer edge. Finish shaping with eye brow brush in upward strokes to separate brow hair.

To make lips, plump and glossy, choose Aveda nourish-mint lip definer that matches your lipstick or a flesh tone shade for a soft, natural look. Fill with Aveda satin smoothing lip colour for dramatic fullness or a subtle stained re-hydrating lip glaze for a softer natural look.

When shopping for makeup think of the season’s tones as accessories; you can use makeup color just as you would wear a bold piece of jewelry. Don’t feel you have to do the whole full on look, all you need to do is highlight your best feature – whether its your eyes or lips – with your favorite new Aveda Jewel shade and you’ll be right on trend!

Aveda specialist makeover artists – Louise Green and Hollie Moore at Vidatherapy Spa, Teddington, Middlesex

Call 020 8614 1199 E info@vidatherapy.com, www.vidatherapy.com

Muscles that form knots are muscles that have gone into a muscle spasm either due to injury, overuse, or a sedentary lifestyle, and then have remained “stuck” in that tense state. The knot causes your muscle to remain flexed and unable to relax, which is the reason why they can become so painful.

A “knot” is a place where a muscle has become ‘tight’ for one reason or another. Overwork is the most common cause. That doesn’t mean that ’you’ are working too much–it just means that some of your muscles are! One common cause for muscle knots is a forward-head posture. This posture puts a lot of strain on your upper back muscles.

While many people tend to believe that a muscle knot is most likely due to a “pulled muscle” or an overuse injury, in fact the main causes are from a sedentary lifestyle containing short bursts of activity.

The neck and shoulders are an area that often gets mistreated with tension and pain. This usually stems from too much activity, not enough activity or from spending long hours in a fixed position in front of a computer or television. If you do sit hunched over a computer all day, you train your muscles to behave abnormally, which will make it more difficult to prevent injury when you exercise.

A knot is a clue for you to fix something!

If you have only a few knots, the very best way to encourage them to go away is to massage them briefly several times a day for several days. Massaging these knots can be painful, and you should be exerting targeted force directly on the knots. This helps the inflammation to go down and “trains” your muscles to relax.

If you have numerous or very painful muscle knots, it is advisable to receive a more focused massage using trigger point therapy from a licensed massage therapist.

Periodic muscle knots are inevitable, but if you have a lot of them, there are several things you can do! Potassium and calcium help to prevent muscle knots, and drinking plenty of water can work wonders. Become more mindful of the way you move your body. Avoid hunching over, and if you are at work or studying, take frequent breaks to walk around. Stretch both before and after you exercise, don’t do exercises that are intensely painful. Pain during exercise is an indication that your muscle is tooweak to perform the movement, not that you should “push through” the pain!

Neck stretch

Take your left hand and place it on the right top side of your head. Slowly pull your head down to the left so your ear goes toward your shoulder. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds, release and switch sides. This is called “neck lateral flexion.”

Shoulder stretch

This is a shoulder stretch that can be done from a seated or standing position. Extend your right arm across your chest. Wrap your left arm underneath it and bend your elbow. Use your left arm to pull your right arm across the front of your body. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds and switch sides.

One thing for sure is that chronic muscular pain is the body’s way of forcing you to take a long hard look at your lifestyle and your belief system. In essence the body is forcing you to change your life.

Annie Moore MCThA, RCCA, ITHMA For free advice or a consultation contact info@vidatherapy.com,                   T: 020 8614 1199, www.vidatherapy.com

Japanese men don’t develop prostrate cancer but Western men do. Japanese women appear to be protected against breast cancer. They have a different lifestyle to the West, which makes one wonder what it is we are doing that encourages defective cells to become diseased?

How can we change our lifestyle so that it doesn’t happen? According to the World Cancer Research Fund, the majority of cancers – 70% can be prevented by a change in our behaviour. There is not a single drug that can do that, so it’s up to each of us to use our body’s natural defences.

The best way to start is to let the body practice what it was designed for: movement and physical activity. Many studies have demonstrated that the defence mechanisms that contribute to fighting cancer can be directly stimulated by exercise.                                                                                                 

Anyone living in Teddington will be aware of our wonderful Bushy Park facilities, the best gym in town! Thirty minutes exercise 4 to 5 times a week will give you the minimum required to keep you active. This could be from dog walking, running, jogging, buggy aerobics or simply just a walk. The benefit to being outside is you can’t beat ‘fresh air’…taking fresh oxygen into the lungs will kindle energy levels.

When you exercise it makes you feel good in your whole being, due to the stimulation of endorphins in the brain. How else can this feel good factor be promoted within our bodies? The Chinese practice of Qigong and yogic breathing helps the body produce endorphins for a feeling of well being and there are healing treatments that stimulate the body’s production of pain-killing endorphins. They include acupuncture, massage (including shiatsu) and hydrotherapy, which can involve underwater massage with jets of water.           

Recent studies have shown that chronic stress, anger and depression cause the body to manufacture chemicals that can inhibit the healing process and shorten life expectancy, But the euphoria created by exercises and certain treatments protect us from stress, illness and premature death.

Every day, at every meal we can choose food that will defend our bodies against the invasion of cancer.

• Green Tea is a powerful antioxidant and facilitates the death of cancer cells.
• Turmeric reduces cancer growth but to be assimilated by the body must be mixed with black pepper and olive oil.
• Ginger is a powerful antioxidant and anti-inflammatory, acting against cancer cells.
• Cruciferous Vegetables – broccoli, cabbage, sprouts contain anti-cancer molecules.
• Garlic protects against carcinogens.
• Soy blocks dangerous hormones.
• Seaweed contains molecules that slow cancer growth.
• Fruits and Vegetables rich in carotenoids such as carrots, yams, sweet potatoes, squash, tomatoes apricots and beets protect. 

The factors contributing to cancer are so numerous that no one should ever blame themselves, for developing it. But we do have the opportunity to learn to change our ways. It doesn’t have to cost you loads of money to look after your body, you just need to love, respect and get it to sense its own desire to live.

For free advice or consultation contact info@vidatherapy.com, T 020 8614 1199, www.facebook.com/vidatherapy, www.vidatherapy.com

Do we make excuses for coping with stress? Do we explain away stress as temporary “I just have a million things going on right now”.  Do we blame our stress on other people or outside events?

Our stress level will remain outside our control until we accept responsibility for how its been created. Sadly unhealthy coping tactics may only temporarily reduce stress and cause more damage in the long run, such as:

• Smoking
• Drinking too much
• Overeating or under eating
• Zoning out for hours in front of the TV
• Withdrawing from friends, family and activities
• Using pills or drugs to relax
• Sleeping too much
• Procrastinating
• Filling every minute of the day to avoid facing problems
• Taking out your stress on others

Since everyone has a unique response to stress, there is no “one size fits all” solution to managing it. We should try to experiment with different strategies and focus on what makes us feel calm and in control.

Learn to say “no” – Whether in your personal or professional life, refuse to accept added responsibilities when you’re close to reaching them. Taking on more than you can handle is a definite recipe for stress.

Avoid people who stress you out – If someone consistently causes stress in your life and you can’t turn the relationship around, limit the amount of time you spend together.

Take control of your environment – If traffic gets you tense, take a less-traveled route. If going to the supermarket is an unpleasant chore, do your grocery shopping online.                                                                  Pare down your ‘to-do list’ – Analyze your schedule, responsibilities, and daily tasks. If you’ve got too much on your plate, distinguish between the “shoulds” and the “musts.” Drop tasks that aren’t necessary to the bottom of the list or eliminate them entirely.                                                                                                                                        Alter the situation – If you can’t avoid a stressful situation, try to alter it. Figure out what you can do to change things so the problem doesn’t present itself in the future.                                            Express your feelings – If something or someone is bothering you, communicate your concerns in an open and respectful way. If you don’t voice your feelings, resentment will build and the situation will likely remain the same.                                                                                                                                                Manage your time better – Poor time management causes stress. When you’re overstretched and running behind, it’s hard to stay calm and focused. Plan ahead, making sure you don’t overextend yourself.                    Make time for relaxation – With a take-charge approach and positive attitude, you can reduce stress in your life by nurturing yourself. Regular time for relaxation will put in abetter place to handle life’s stressors as they crop up.

Do something you enjoy every day. Make time for leisure activities that bring you joy and stimulate your ‘feel good factor’ endorphins.                                                                                                    Keep your sense of humor – Laughing helps your body fight stress in many ways.                                                                                                                            Deep breathing – Reduces high blood pressure, raises energy levels, relaxes muscles and improves physical performance. It also helps release tension and reverse the body’s fight & flight reaction to stressful situations.

Massage therapy – Often viewed as a luxury, this hands-on healing is terrific for removing blockages and improving quality of sleep as well as dealing with stress, headaches and muscular pain.

Aromatherapy isn’t just for spas… Inhaling lavender or rosemary can put you into a more relaxed state. These aromas help lower your levels of the stress hormone Cortisol.

There are few things you can do to impact your life more powerfully and profoundly than learning how to cope with everyday stress. All you need to do is take the first step by taking enough time to slow down and relax.

Annie Moore MCThA, RCCA, ITHMA at Vidatherapy Spa. www.vidatherapy.com, info@vidatherapy.com.

Many of us will develop a headache at some stage, usually as a result of too much stress going on. But for countless people headaches are a serious health concern. Some just suffer with the pain, but many need to find relief in order to function. Prescription drugs often have side effects that sound more awful than the problem they are meant to treat. 

Worst though are migraine headaches these are painful and recurrent; some also cause visual disturbances, like blurry vision or nausea. The exact causes of migraines are unknown, but they involve a chain in your blood’s flow to the brain, usually due to constriction of the blood vessels and a reduced blood flow. After constriction, the blood vessels often dilate, triggering a rush of blood to the head that can increase the severity of a headache.

There are several things you can try to prevent headaches one of which is Ginger, often in the form of tea, it is commonly used for stomach issues, which may also be helpful with headaches that lead to nausea. Tension headaches may be treated best with ginger because this herb has anti-inflammatory properties. It is also used to treat headaches related to PMS. Ginger tea may seem a bit spicy if it is steeped long enough, so you may want to sweeten it with honey. You can also add ginger to many dishes, such as stir-fries. It’s available as a whole root, pickled, or in capsule and pill form.

Butterbur and Feverfew are both known herbs that can help prevent migraines. Butterbur helps prevent blood vessels from constricting it’s also an anti- inflammatory, so is valuable in preventing headaches and can help reduce the frequency and intensity of migraines. It is wise to use Butterbur under the guidance of your doctor or a skilled herbalist, because on rare occasions it has been found to cause liver damage.

Feverfew has long been considered an important herb for treating frequent headaches and migraines. Its effectiveness is thanks to its ability to reduce serotonin levels in the brain. Serotonin causes blood vessels to constrict, which is often a cause of headache pain. As with Butterbur, pregnant or nursing women should not take this herb, nor should individuals on blood thinners.

You can also prevent the onset of migraines by providing sufficient nutrients to your body that are likely to prevent blood vessel constriction. Magnesium and Vitamin B12 may prevent or reduce the frequency and duration of them, including those triggered by hormonal changes during menstrual cycles in women. Taking 200 mg magnesium at night with a multivitamin will ensure you’re getting adequate levels of other nutrients.

Self-massage can be soothing if you feel a headache coming on, here is a simple technique you can try:
First lie back on a reclining chair or sofa. Dim the lights… bright light can intensify a headache. Begin your massage with the areas above and around your ears.

• Place your hands on either side of your head; using the pads of your fingers, press down gently and move the skin back and forth about 1 inch. Move your scalp rather than sliding your fingers across the skin. Continue to massage your scalp in this way until you’ve covered your entire head.
• Place the pad of your middle fingers on your temples. Press down gently and move your fingers in small circles.
• Repeat this technique on the back of your neck in the area at the base of the skull. Use your thumbs to press up under the skull bone.

Massaging your head or getting someone else to do it for you can be an effective way of banishing that headache or migraine.

Annie Moore MCThA, RCCA, ITHMA.

For free advice and consultation call 020 8614 1199 or info@vidatherapy.com, www.vidatherapy.com.

When you are in a relaxed state the tension melts from your muscles, all those niggling worries seem to vanish from your mind. Drifting in and out of wakefulness, you feel peaceful and somehow replenished, Whether achieved through massage, guided meditation or yoga, instinctively we all know that deep relaxation is good for us.                                                                                                                   Research has found that deep relaxation switches off disease-causing cells, while switching on cells that actively protect us from conditions ranging from high blood pressure to pain, infertility and even arthritis. The changes according to research are the result of what is called ‘the deep relaxation effect’, a phenomenon that could be as powerful as any drug – but without the side effects.

A group study from Harvard Medical School found that after two months of practising relaxation exercises every day, genes that help fight inflammation, kill off diseased cells and protect the body from cancer and other forms of damage all became active. Plus the benefits increased with regular practice.

“This research is very exciting, it shows how our state of mind affects our body on both a physical and energenetic level”, says Annie Moore from Vidatherapy. It also explains how relaxation induced by massage and meditation plays a role in healing and preventing illness. So why is the relaxation effect so powerful?

The effects of stress on heart rate, blood pressure, immunity and brain activity are well documented. Under stress, the body’s energy is channelled towards survival, this is known as the fight and flight response – stress hormones are released, heart rate rises and blood pressure shoots up. Our muscles contract and tighten and non-essential functions such as immunity and digestion close down.

Unfortunately deep relaxation isn’t the sort of unwinding you do with a cup of tea or lounging on the sofa. What you are looking for is a state of profound relaxation where tension is released from the body on a physical level and your mind switches off completely.

There are various techniques we can adopt to encourage deep relaxation and improve better digestion, memory and immunity. The more regularly you practise, the greater the benefits will be. Practice the following for 15 minutes once or twice a day –

Breath Focus: Sitting comfortably, become aware of your breath; inhale in and out through your nose. Scan your body while you breath, starting at your head, slowly work down to your arms and feet, observe how you are feeling. Are you tense or anxious? Once you reach your feet, work back up your body, scanning each limb, muscle and organ.

Focus on letting go of any tension in your body and be aware of how your breathing pattern changes from short breaths to slow deep breath and then complete stillness.

When our body and mind are still we are able to achieve peace and deep relaxation.

Annie Moore MCThA, RCCA. For a free consultation call 020 8164 1199, info@vidatherapy.com, www.vidatherapy.com

Great, but how do we get out of our countless worries, tensions and fears that life burdens us with? Tell yourself that you are good, healthy and capable… that’s positive thinking, but is it that simple?

The art of positive thinking can be mastered if you have a strong desire to improve your attitude and become a better person.

Every action you take begins with a thought. Your thoughts drive your attitude in a positive or negative direction. Positive thoughts will propel you toward your goals while negative thoughts keep you stuck and frustrated.

Unfortunately, negative thoughts seem to come more easily than positive ones. You really don’t have to work at having negative thoughts. Part of this is due to how you are constantly bombarded with negativity from the world around you. You don’t have to learn how to have negative thoughts; they come spontaneously.

Positive thinking, on the other hand, is an art form. The positive thinking artist will never stop pursuing the masterpiece of positive thoughts. There is no single recipe to follow in order to achieve consistent positive thinking. But when we speak to ourselves in positive terms, we tend towards self-healing and we can build up positive statements like:

 

• I am healing myself positively.  
• Positive energy is keeping me healthy.    
• Today I am feeling better than ever before.  
• Tomorrow I am going to be perfectly all right.

Hear are three simple steps to start you off !

Waking in the morning is a critical time of your day. Many people lie in bed and start worrying about their day. You will have a better day if you get up and start moving. Exercising boosts energy levels and releases endorphins in the brain, giving you a feel good factor. This will help you begin the day with positive thoughts instead of fretting over the day ahead.

Many of us drive or take public transport to work. This time can have a dramatic impact on your day and the thoughts you will have. We often drive mindlessly and after battling traffic congestion our thoughts tend to be negative ones. Make a point of listening to audio programs by Norman Vincent Peale that can help you learn about positive thinking.

How you treat other people affects how you think. When you treat other people as if they are important and listen intently when they talk you impact yourself as well as them. You will also notice that you will receive more positive input from others. This all works together to significantly enhance your ability to think positively.

I hope these ideas can make their way into your day and help you master the art of positive thinking.

Annie Moore MCThA, RCCA, ITHMA, For free advice and consultation call Vidatherapy Spa 020 8614 1199, info@vidatherapy.com, www.vidatherapy.com