Health Benefits of a Sweat Lodge Ceremony

Sweat practices have been used by cultures throughout the world for health benefits.  Some examples include the American Indian sweat lodge ceremony, the Finnish sauna, the Russian bania, the Islamic hammam, and the Japanese mushi-buro.  From the earliest known Mayan sweat house in 900BC to the modern day Bikram Yoga and day Spa Saunas, sweating is a practice that has benefited humankind in a number of ways.

Primarily, the physiological benefits of “sauna bathing” are: increase in blood flow to skin, muscles and organs, decrease in diastolic blood pressure, increase in cardiac output, enhancement of lung function – increased lung capacity and ventilation.  In fact, some research has found that sweating has helped to prevent and treat some lung, heart and skin problems.  However, it is contraindicated for people who have unstable angina, aortic stenosis, chronic heart failure or arrhythmias of the heart.  Additionally people have experienced improvements in chronic pain conditions and sleep problems as sweating is very beneficial for muscle relaxation, calming the nervous system and promoting deep sleep.

 Improvements in mental and emotional wellbeing have also been noted in the research.  The practice of sweating in a group, with a community has proven to support mental satisfaction, energy and relaxation.  Emotional wellbeing outcomes have included improved mood and reduction in anxiety and frustration.  When the sweating practices is combined with traditional spiritual practices such as prayer and meditation, another depth of benefit is added to the experience for people.

A study done with sweat therapy groups found that groups participating in sweat ceremony had greater improvements in fatigue and revitalization that groups that participated in therapy without sweating.  The sweating participants also perceived to gain more benefit than the non-sweating participants.  The research article from Google scholar, referenced below, gives a further comprehensive literature review and description of benefits of sweating, which we have touched on in this blog.  Personally, as someone who has had lymph nodes removed, I have found the sweatlodge ceremony helps to reduce lymphodema even more effectively than all the movement practices that I do.  I feel a lot more relaxed and energised in myself for some time after a sweat lodge, and it is very nice not to have the discomfort of the lymphodema.

At Soul Nurturing we believe strongly in the benefits of creating time and space to connect with a restorative stillness and our inner wisdom.  A sweatlodge ceremony is the perfect space for this.  It is also an opportunity to practice gratitude for the simple things in life that we so often take for granted.  Just to name a few we are so fortunate to have fresh water to drink, mother nature and our beautiful earth that provides all we need for survival, sunshine that warms our body, stimulates healthy cellular function and provides us with light.  A sweatlodge ceremony is the place to sit in gratitude and remember these simple gifts we have in life.

For all our readers, we have a special offer to deepen your connection with your inner wisdom and are inviting you to book a 1 hour Kinesiology or Massage consultation with us for just $80 when you mention this blog.  We have some unique tools for supporting you to master your health through connecting with your body’s wisdom.  Phone Simone for Kinesiology 0427 320 302, or Michael for Massage 0417 534 647

References:

THE EFFECTS OF SWEAT THERAPY ON GROUP THERAPEUTIC FACTORS AND FEELING STATES By STEPHEN A. COLMANT Bachelor of Arts Stockton State College Pomona, New Jersey 1990

Master of Arts New Mexico State University Las Cruces, New Mexico 1994

Submitted to the Faculty of the Graduate College of the Oklahoma State University In partial fulfillment of The requirements for The Degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY December, 2005

Misbehaving Mind? Put Yourself in Time Out

MY FIRST SWEAT LODGE CEREMONY
By Simone:
It took me a while to get to my first sweat lodge ceremony as I had experienced a string of illnesses following major surgeries, which had me too unwell to participate. When finally my body was ready for the experience, I was blessed with many weekly experiences of sweat lodge ceremonies which boosted my immune system and emotional strength, and supported my body in maintaining its warmth. Excess cold in the body is a common after effect of surgery, which can cause other physical, mental and emotional illnesses.

The sweat lodge ceremonies that I embarked upon about 8 years ago, broke the cycle of perpetual illness, loss of spirit and vitality for me.  Each ceremony revealed new insights and resources for inner healing. This fostered my ability to step back onto my path in healing and traditional medicine, which I had given up in the wake of recovering from cancer. The ceremony also strengthened my relationship with nature and my spirituality and helped me to realise the many avenues of support available to heal myself. It was the perfect opportunity for me to practice being in stillness and peace, to sit honestly with myself and my feelings, rather than to fall into my unhealthy patterns of keeping busy to avoid the pain and hurt being harboured in my body.

Sweat lodge is an opportunity for anyone to renew relationship with self, spirituality, nature and healing. It reveals many resources for support, that are easily forgotten. Our Soul Nurturing business has been built on our passion for providing support and nurturing necessary for maintaining mindful hearts and spirited bodies, qualities that can easily be lost in the distractions of our modern society.  Our Sweat lodge ceremony is one of our heartfelt services that foster this.

By Michael:
I had no idea what to expect before experiencing my first sweat. I had made contact with a friend and we arranged to catch up. “I’m running a sweat this evening,why don't you join me and we can chat beforehand. Just bring a towel and make sure you are well hydrated during the day” he said.  "No worries",I replied, "I’ll see you this evening".

So I arrived early and we had a chat . Before me was a low dome covered in tarps and to the side some rocks being heated above a burner. People had begun arriving and it was now time to enter the lodge.  The heated rocks had been placed in the centre of the lodge and we began entering through a small door positioned in the East. We shuffled around until we finally settled in to prepare for ceremony. The door was closed and I found myself enveloped in darkness. The warmth from the rocks created a focal point, ,much like sitting around a campfire and being transported back to another time.

The ceremony began. Our facilitator guided us around a medicine wheel, to each of the cardinal points, East, North, West, South where we received gifts that could support us in life.
We then journeyed within a story, mythology, to learn a different way of seeing the world. We
chanted and had the opportunity to offer prayer, something I hadn't done since a child.  The heat was regulated by the facilitator placing water on the rocks as in a sauna. This process
created a dynamic that fitted the ceremony perfectly. The sweat poured from my body. It was as if receiving a spiritual and physical cleansing at the same time.

There is much more to a sweat ceremony. It speaks to each person differently. Its about your path and journey through life and it will offer you a chance to be regularly in ceremony and community.
I was “hooked” after receiving my first sweat. I looked forward to each ceremony to receuve and explore new insights into my soul's journey.
That was nearly eight years ago now, and since then I have trained and become a facilitator
myself. I consider it an honour to guide people through a Sweat ceremony.

If you wish to experience a Sweat Lodge Ceremony, phone Michael to book your place and be
supported in preparing for the Ceremony. Phone 0417 534 647 or email info@soulnurturing.com.au

Mental Health - Everyone's Business

Mental Health is an issue that every being will confront at some point in life.  People take mental health days off work and this is an accepted practice in many workplaces.  Compassionate leave and stress leave is another example of mental health issues being acknowledged.  Life throws many challenges, emotional, mental and physical which have a significant effect on how we feel within our mind and our body.  And then there are people who live with a mental health disorder, diagnosed in one form or another.  Mental health disorders is an area which is not dealt with so well in our system as it is today.  There tends to be a revolving door syndrome for people with mental health conditions frequently landing back in hospitals or being extradited from their community.  The stigma attached to mental health disorders puts a further wedge between integrating all people into society and community.  Conditions of anxiety and depression are also becoming more prevalent adding to the discord in community.  And maybe it is community and connection that has the solutions.

We have a friend whom unfortunately has suffered the effects of a mental health disorder for a large part of his life. Recently we noticed his mental health slipping and we as his community had a choice. Do we allow him to retreat to his room with his medication and face his demons alone?  Or do we unite and offer support and love to our friend?
A decision was made. We would support our friend by gathering up his community and offering a ceremony of healing and encouragement. Each of us attending had the opportunity to offer words and simple gifts from nature to our friend.
To see his tears of joy and smiling face on the completion of the ceremony was truly wonderful.
As Lewis Mehl Madrona (Psychiatrist and Cherokee healer) suggests, if a member of our community is ill and suffering, the whole community suffers and is responsible for the health of the individual. "Only the community as a whole can bring about the partnerships between modern resources and traditional healing that will capitalize on the best practices of both systems."  For eons the value of Ceremony has played out in traditional society.  Perhaps now is the time to return to these traditional ways.
So in times of struggle, let’s come together and support each other. It sounds so simple and it is so simple. The value of family, community and belonging are fundamental to our being.  Each of us can take responsibility for asking “Are you Ok” and each of us can take responsibility to reach out and ask for help when we know we need it. 

Our Soul Nurturing services provide the space for you to listen to the needs of your soul and consequently take the actions you need to take to remain strongly connected to serving yourself and your community.  Phone us today to explore the ways in which you can build healthier connections in your mind, your body and your community.

Simone 0427 320 302

Michael 0417 534 647

Mothers Day Reflections

As Mothers day approaches, it offers us the perfect time to reflect on the special and unique relationship we share with our mothers.

We often think of this shared journey as measured in time. Time measured  by the moment of our birth. Our age in years, months and days.  But perhaps we could consider a new view on this relationship. We could for start, acknowledge the time spent in our mother’s womb. In those nine months the fetus shares the ebb and flow of emotions and thoughts of the mum.  These experiences will often arise in a Kinesiology or breathwork session and can be an illuminating piece of the puzzle of life that has strongly patterned our behaviours.  The sharing of the mother’s life in those early moments is so strong – emotionally as well as physically sharing blood and nutrients that shape our physical bodies and our vitality.  The features and experiences we share with our mothers can be proudly carried in our lives to define our family and our place of belonging.

Well, can we now take a step further back …. We all have a soul, a soul that is on a journey.  As some spiritual practices suggest, can we consider that we have lived before? With each life we have had things to learn and experience in order to better ourselves and continually grow towards enlightenment. So with this in mind can we imagine the spirits that guide us, love us, and watch over us, confide with us on a soul level to choose the mother who will carry our soul into this life to also be an integral and loving gift to share our soul’s journey and lessons in life? We talk of finding our soul mate in relationships, and perhaps if we are fortunate, this may occur. But surely we have found our soul mate in our mothers.  

We live in a busy and often hectic world. And this sometimes hinders us from finding the time to reflect on what, and particularly who, is important to us in our lives. Mother’s day is that special day set aside to reflect and celebrate the love and life shared with our mothers. To acknowledge their unconditional love and support. To acknowledge the example they teach us on how to create and nurture a loving and supportive family.

 There are many of us whose mothers have passed away, but this does not mean we cannot acknowledge our mothers, perhaps by prayer, words spoken aloud or in quiet reflection.  Some may light a candle or hold a photo of mum near. Some may visit the resting place of their mothers to lay flowers. Whichever way you celebrate mother’s day may it be filled with love, togetherness and the fondest of memories.        

At Soul Nurturing we are honouring mothers with our Mother’s Day 2 for 1 special.  When you buy a massage gift voucher for mum you will receive a second 1 hour massage for free – for you or your mum to use.  This offer is only valid up until Mother’s Day so don’t miss this delightful opportunity for pampering your Mum. 

Email info@soulnurturing.com.au or Phone Michael 0417 534 647 or Simone 0427 320 302 to purchase your Mother’s Day voucher.

Melt Downs - Moments that teach us the art of transforming

Is there anyone in the world who has not had a melt down of some size or description?  If you are out there, I am curious to know your craft.

Then again, I look back at my own melting moments where my life has suddenly changed or internally I have been in a turmoil of change and I see what an amazing transformation I experienced...and the opportunity for a fresh new path.  The times I have had to relinquish relationships, old ways, workplaces or my mind and body as I knew it, I have come out the other end with a whole new perspective... a better perspective.  

Tough times tend to bring us closer to our spirituality, ourselves and our loved ones.  You only need to look at the generosity of spirit from people in times of floods, bushfires, terrorist attacks, etc. to witness this.  

It is very important in challenging times to strengthen yourself through taking time to be still and sit with your soul, honour your soul's journey in this moment and nurture yourself through it.  When we take this time to connect with our inner wisdom and resources, we affirm the power that we have for healing and transforming in ways that serve us.  

Find your bliss, even in times of pain.  For me, a bliss moment is with food, creating and eating delicious healthy dishes.  I am not necessarily talking the carbohydrate counselling and have never had a weight problem.  Eating is an essential part of wellbeing and spending time in the kitchen, creating recipes can be a part of that.  

So for anyone who loves the art of transforming food into delicious creations...  Home made food is a simple way to nurture the body and soul in tough times, especially when it is created with love - and this recipe was: 

Fig and Pecan Toasted Muesli

2 cups of rolled oats
1 cup of chopped pecans
1 cup of chopped dried figs
1 cup of mixed seeds (eg.sunflower, pepita, linseed, sesame)
1 tablespoon of fennel seeds
2 teaspoons of ground cinnamon
2 teaspoons of ground ginger
1 teaspoon of ground nutmeg
2 tablespoons of coconut oil
2 tablespoons of maple syrup
And for a bit of extra nurturing in tough times - add extra love and appreciation

Mix all ingredients in a baking tray and bake in a 160 degrees C oven for about 20 minutes (until toasty brown)

Melt down? Survival tips to swear by

In my previous blog, I mentioned “Melting Moments” as monumental moments in life that give us very loud and significant information…and “Melt downs” are no different.  This has been a topic I have been writing about for almost 10 years now, and finally I am starting to share some of these writings with the world.  So you may be asking “Why now, after all these years?”

I had a huge moment of synchronicity when reading The Biology of Belief by Bruce Lipton, which compelled me to ”Tune in and Take action”.  Uncannily, this is exactly what the synchronicity was about...  Previously I wrote to the title, Secrets to a Satisfying Life, which (in case you missed it) was summed up as…tune into your inner wisdom and the messages you receive, and take action on the things that truly speak to you.  When I was reading Bruce Lipton’s section, The Secret of Life, he writes about his discovery of synchronicity in identifying that cell membranes act like the silicon chips of the everyday computer (or Vice Versa!)  They are both semi-conductors with gates and channels which facilitate information in and out of the cell/silicon chip.  Technology is by no means my passion, or my specialty, so I am going to drop that part of the story like a hot potato and focus in on the cell biology (my cup of tea).

Put simply, the research of this passionate scientist has been based on the magic of the cellular membrane, which details my passion about the magic of tuning into our sensation.  The revelation is that our human cells have membrane receptor proteins which, on a micro level are equivalent to our sense organs – sensation of taste, touch, vision, smell, sound.  They are tuned to respond to specific environmental signals. i.e Secrets to a Satisfying Life, Step 1…Tune in!  AND cellular membranes contain effector proteins, which have an active conformation which prompts the cell to respond to the stimulus.  For example it can bind to an oestrogen receptor and activate a protein in the cell to do the “oestrogen jobs”.   i.e Secrets to a Satisfying Life, Step 2…Take action! 

Now I segue from this melting moment into a Soul Nurturing philosophy…When we honour the process of tuning in and taking action, we are honouring the process of life, from its very foundations, to its heights of creativity and inspiration.

Which brings me to Melting Moments/Melt Downs… they are change points – transitions in our life, and tend to happen when we need the loudest, most obvious, most compelling stimulus to maintain our commitment to honouring our soul’s contract.  So you can all relax about getting it wrong, or missing the boat, or being behind the 8 ball or losing your way etc. etc.  You WILL get to experience the beauty of your soul’s journey and purpose, one way or another!

 I learnt this 10 years ago when I was given the diagnosis of cancer at the age of 27.  In hindsight, I had missed many messages to make changes – I received the proverbial “letter in the mailbox”, then the “knock on the door” and the “stone through the window”.  All that I experienced to pull myself through that disastrous time in my life (not just the cancer-that was the easy bit) was the “house burning down”.  Now I am grateful for the opportunity I had to recreate myself and my life and regain my strength, commitment and passion for life.  Over time I have refined the process of responding to melting moments, and in doing so, the transitions in life have become much smoother, and even exciting!  It has become my heart’s path to support people through transitions in life so they come out the other end with clarity and wisdom to honour the soul’s journey and appreciate all that life has to offer. 

If you are interested in finding out how to turn a melting moment into a smooth flowing melting chocolate experience, Book a Soul Nurturing appointment with us... Breathwork with Michael 0417 534 647 and Kinesiology with Simone 0427 320 302 are 2 very unique tools for shifting the obstacles to experiencing a mindful and soulful life.... or email info@soulnurturing.com.au.  And for the first 5 readers who book an appointment we are giving a 2 for 1 deal.  Pay for 1 consult and get 2, because Rome wasn't built in 1 day and nor should you expect to be rebuilt in 1 session.  That is our other survival strategy, you make progress only by consistently chipping away at the limitations and stressors that are obstructing you on your path to wholeness and wellness.

Secrets to a satisfying life

Do you think to yourself, “I work so hard to create a satisfying life…why aren’t I there yet?”  Well maybe you are, and you just don’t see it, hear it, feel it, taste it, smell it…got the picture?

Probably not, since I just began with the end in mind.  Let me rewind and start at the beginning…

Today was a stunningly beautiful day at the Secrets in the Garden Festival.  In my opinion, this is a festival which joins many influential women, with some not so influential women, yet all women who have a passion for achieving their dreams and creating themselves a satisfying life.  No woman “better than” another, simply women living a soulful life through connecting with each other, connecting with their dreams, connecting with their passions and pleasures.  And when women get together to do this, magic happens.  I see it in my Nia classes regularly, people make connections with their bodies, their souls and each other and little lights go on all over the place.  Illumination point number 1! 

So back to the festival…I had the pleasure of listening to 3 women speak, and it was quite fascinating that all these three women had similar messages.  One of them Annette Stanton, even said in her talk…when you hear something 3 times, then you had better listen.  Michelle Bridges being 1 of the speakers also recognized this point and her take on it was “what you resist, persists”.  The message you need to hear, will continue to call to you and become louder and louder (and that loudness is not so pleasant, can be rather drastic in fact)...  Been there, and know that one well, but that is another story.  For me, the festival was a reminder of just how powerful the inner world really is.  And when I say inner world, I mean that magical place inside us that loves to experience with all the senses, that place that really hears when we listen and truly sees when we look.

When we take the time to tune into this, we tap into our wisdom – a very useful start to creating a satisfying life.  Then to take action on the messages we receive is the fuel we add to the fire of those heart’s passions.  And that is such a simple secret to success…

Tune in and Take action.  Illumination point number 1b!   So why is it not being actualized for so many people?

Throughout our life, we are gifted with what I call Melting Moments.  These are touchstone moments where it appears that this moment is so loud, so significant and so charged up, that it burns into your memory like no other moment.  It is more obvious when you look back on it and sense just how powerful that moment was, because it is embedded in your psyche as an easily accessed file, that just seems to pop up to the front of your brain, when it is most relevant.  If you subscribe to the teachings that all answers exist within, then this is a useful tool to have…Ask the question, let the answer arise.  And I am not guaranteeing it will arise immediately, but I am saying that there are opportunities literally everywhere for your consciousness to be illuminated.  Illumination point number 2

As an example, in this past month I have been acutely aware of my masculine overdrive tendencies affecting my life.  So I have been asking for support to become more attuned to my feminine and flowing abilities.  To cut a long story short, simply by being amongst women who have been where I have been and who are walking the path I am walking and sharing this so openly with the world, I recognized I am exactly where I need to be, doing exactly what I need to do, hearing just what I need to hear and taking all the necessary steps.  I have been doing all the things the coaches are suggesting to do and each step I have taken has been in the right direction.  That is what the feminine flow is all about – connecting with others and working with inner wisdom and intuition.  TICK!  It was always there, all it took was for me to take a soulful journey outside of my everyday grind and then acknowledge it.

There are so many reasons why people get stuck on the “Tuning In” aspect, or on the “Taking Action” aspect.  In this day and age, with so many distractions, so many people in our lives and so many products being sprouted and spruked, it takes a lot of awareness and focus to remain attuned to the song of the heart and to continue believing in that.  That is why we do what we do at Soul Nurturing.  We want others to share the soulful transformations that we have experienced.

So many of us are trained to “use our head” and this over activity in the head, or rather the mind, is like a wet blanket on a fire.  It is extremely difficult to get anything done when there is a whole panel of voices arguing their different standpoints (and you don’t have to have schizophrenia to experience this).  It is also difficult to be present to enjoy a moment or to enjoy the beauty of your soul when you are in your head.  The body is the vehicle for your soul, and it has nothing to do with your mind.

 Make a daily practice of connecting with your body and your senses and ask yourself, “Have I created enough opportunities to listen to my heart?”  “Have I taken a step to honour my heart on this day?”  And then you will know that vision by vision, song by song and step by step, you will be living your satisfying life.

If you would love to explore personalised strategies for you to achieve more presence with your soul and its wisdom, email us and we will get in touch with you for a free introductory consultation on the phone. info@soulnurturing.com.au

INSIGHTS INTO CHRONIC PAIN

Why is it that women are more likely to experience chronic pain than men?  While in Cusco at the beautiful hotel “Tikka Wasi” (translated as House of Flowers) , I came across a rather interesting article on chronic pain in a psychology journal.  It gave more passion and validity to our work at Soul Nurturing.  Women are the primary users of our service and usually driven by a pain of some form, physical or emotional.  And not only that, sorry more bad news for women, your gender also makes you more likely to have longer and more intense pain experiences than men.  It does beg the question of WHY?

The answer is in the hormones.  Oestrogen and progesterone play a role in pain processing and the pain experience.  I have always thought that oestrogen would be the perfect form of torture (not that I entertain the idea of torture).  It just occurred to me in a writhing PMT state one day, what an ordeal it is to be in a body that is overburdened with oestrogen.  It is quite common for women to have low progesterone levels which correlates with experiencing headaches and joint pain.  So it definitely pays to keep your hormones in check, more on that later.

There have been other interesting research findings into the condition of chronic pain – thanks to the Oppenheimer Centre for Neurobiology of stress, the pain medicine division at the University of Southern California and Northwestern Universities Journal of Neuroscience publication…

Brain imaging studies have found that people with chronic back pain have less grey matter in the brain than non-sufferers.  The longer people suffer with pain, the greater the loss of grey matter and this certainly does MATTER because this is the functional part of the brain that does all the processing and thinking.  Having this functionality is a damn site better than the foggy brain experience.  And for those of you who like numbers, if you suffer chronic back pain you could be losing between 5 to 11 percent of your brain size in a year, which is what a person would generally lose in 10 to 20 years as a result of aging processes.  And in fact, it is not only the grey matter, white matter is also involved.  That is pretty much the whole brain covered!  It has been found that white matter irregularities put you at risk of being a chronic pain sufferer.  White matter is the part of the brain that transmits the signals, ie the communication lines.  We all know how important communication is.  If you have ever lost your mobile phone or internet connection, you know what kind of angst occurs.

Much of the research has been focused on the internal mechanisms of pain processing and perception rather than external influences which emulates the core philosophies of Soul Nurturing.  We believe that true power comes from internal mastery, not from changing the world around us.  The phenomenon of centralization has been an important research finding in chronic pain studies.  The finding here is that even after the initial injury or source of pain has been removed the nervous system has centralized the perception and commands of pain and essentially is continuing to run that program without the stimulus.

And now for the good news…

The solutions revealed in the article were focused on cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), a psychology intervention which is basically modifying your behaviour through changing your thinking.  People whose personalities tended to catastrophise and whose thoughts remained focused on the pain and over-reacting to it, were less likely to make a good recovery.  An obvious change to make, and easily said, yet not so easily delivered. 

In the 15 years I have been working with people with anxiety and pain, I have found that the key to the solution is in the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous system.  Put simply it comes down to our primal survival mechanisms.  Number 1, there is nothing more important for the functioning of a body than that of survival.  When we are in a survival mode because of persisting stressful or traumatic situations, the body’s functioning is geared to that, and is not managing the hormonal system so well because of it. 

Over time people will develop deep survival patterns that govern their underlying modes of operating in the world.  The more we enact such patterns, the stronger the neural pathways become, and the harder it is to break that pattern.  Addressing the unresolved stresses that are plaguing the mind plus finding new ways of being, is the key to success, and it sure pays to have some help and support in this process.  Kinesiology is a marvelous tool in assessing exactly what survival patterns are running for people and diffusing the charge in that neural pathway.  This reduces the strength of that patterning, creating freedom to think and move in new ways.  Kinesiology also has some excellent methods to release stress that affects the white matter of the brain and therefore allow more pathways to be open for communication.  There are many success stories for women finding more hormonal balance using Kinesiology.  It can be a very illuminating experience for a woman to explore the causes behind her hormonal imbalances.

Soul nurturing offers many strategies to practice connecting to relaxation, inner wisdom, joy of movement and pleasure.  The more the brain focuses on these types of experiences, the more natural it becomes, leaving thoughts and feelings of pain and hurt in the past.

References:

A. Vania Apkarian1, Yamaya Sosa1, Sreepadma Sonty2, Robert M. Levy3, R. Norman Harden5, Todd B. Parrish4, and Darren R. Gitelman2,4, The Journal of Neuroscience, Chronic Back Pain Is Associated with Decreased Prefrontal and Thalamic Gray Matter Density

17 November 2004, 24(46): 10410-10415; doi: 10.1523/JNEUROSCI.2541-04.2004

Steven H. Richeimer, MD with Kathy Steligo, Confronting Chronic Pain: A Pain Doctor's Guide to Relief, John Hopkins University Press, 201

Our top tip for living soulfully in spring~

Don't just stop and smell the roses, take time out to simply beeee in nature.  New life is everywhere.  It is a time of renewal and joy for life.  Our bodies are so much healthier when they are fed with the sensation of joy and pleasure.   And we feel a lot better when we listen to, and acknowledge the messages our body gives to us…

Research in the field of psych-neuro-endocrinology tells us that…basically, the health of our body and all its necessary functions are directly related to our mental and emotional wellbeing. Positive, pleasurable and joyful thoughts and feelings give positive feedback for the body to perform well…and feel better! 

Feeling stressed undermines our body’s health in a multitude of ways.  Being in nature is an excellent stress buster when you are able to be present with its stillness and beauty.  Nature can speak to us in many ways, helping us to reflect, breathe more deeply, relax into the body’s natural cycles, and inspire clear thinking.

Mother Nature contains all sensations, from smooth to rough to spikey.  She expresses all the moods, from joy to sorrow, bright to dark.  Nature speaks to all the senses with smells, sounds, textures, tastes and visuals. If you want empathy, go out and experience Mother Nature.  She reflects your sentiments.  Honour this.  Your soul’s sentiments and her gifts are an enriching and nurturing experience.