Back pain and tension in the body can cause much discomfort and pain, such as a stiff sore neck, tense shoulders, tight muscles in the lower back or legs. Millions of people suffer with pain daily around the world.
Many of the clients that come to see me, suffer from some pain or tension in the body, often the pain and tension that they have is often caused by lifestyle factors, stress, being dehydrated and not drinking enough water that the body needs to function, unhealthy diets, not enough sleep, too much exercise and not enough rest, go, go, go attitudes and lifestyles.
Pain in general can interfere with a person's work and personal life and effect their mental and physical wellbeing. That is why it's really important to address the reasons for the pain and tension and to incorporate a healthier lifestyle and natural alternatives, rather than needing over-the counter pain medication to help relieve the pain.
The great thing is that you get to choose how you can help yourself out of this pain. You are an empowered individual who can make positive changes that will make a difference to your life from now on.
You are a unique individual and the uniqueness of your journey is the reason why I have created a one-size-fits-all plan for you to follow. In keeping with holistic principles and setting before you the best opportunity to recover and to free yourself from pain, for good. As an empowered individual, the choices are always yours.
Lets look a bit deeper at the reasons why you may be getting the pain and tension that you may be experiencing... And ways to help combat it in the first place, these are key aspects...
What Can Cause Back Pain And Tension In The Body:
1. Not enough water and a lack of water can cause chronic pain and tension in the body, pain is the bodies natural alarm response to the stress that it is feeling from being without enough water for it to fully function well. It will go into panic and let you know through pain, tension, stiffness and then chronic pain, until you give it what it needs, plenty of water that the body needs to function every single day. The pain that you can feel in certain areas of the body are represented in the organs that are depleted from the water, such as the liver, kidneys, stomach and intestines, such as lower back pain, as well as neck and shoulder pain.
We are made up of water. The human body is composed of 25% solid mater and 75% water, brain tissue is said to consist of 85% of water. Every cell in your body needs water to function properly. Humans are able to survive without food for several weeks, but without water, we will die only in a few days. So it's essential to life. The body has no means of storing water, so the body needs a constant supply of fresh water everyday to replenish the fluids that you loose through sweating and urination. We should all be drinking at least 8-10 glasses of water ( 2 litres - 4 pints) each day and increasing this amount if it is a hot day or if you are exercising or playing sport.
Don't wait until you are thirsty, as thirst is an indication that you are lacking the water that you need. Leading to dehydration causing fatigue, headaches, dry eyes, dry mouth and find it difficult to concentrate and focus, physical and cognitive impairment.
Water also helps with movement of the muscles, bones, ligaments, tendons and joints, as well as lymph and blood, as they all need water to function. Even just a temporary reduction of just 2% in your water intake balance will significantly affect how your body functions on a day to day basis. Many people are almost permanently dehydrated due to a diet of processed packaged foods, drinks, alcohol, and caffeine. which either does not deliver enough water to the body, or acts as a diuretic to speed up the increased release of water out of the body, leaving it chronically dehydrated.
Sign of Dehydration:
Extreme thirst
Dark coloured urine
Any dizziness
Any Fatigue
Lethargy
Joint pain
Tiredness during the day
Headaches
Any confusion
Not much urination
Nausea
Smelly breathe
Very dry skin
Sagging skin
Constipation
Muscle cramps, pain and tension
Having Food cravings - especially for sweets and sugary foods as well as salty snacks. Craving for sugary foods and sweets are more common as your body is experiencing dehydration and it is finding it difficult to break down glycogen to release glucose into the bloodstream to use as fuel. Because organs such as your liver, which uses water to release glycogen (stored glucose) and other components of your energy stores, this can then go onto create cravings for sweet or salty foods or both. Drinking more water will help your organs to function optimally, thus preventing having food cravings in the first place.
Heartburn
Rheumatoid pain
Back pain
Anginal pain (heart)
Leg pain and cramps
Colitis
2. Not enough rest and restorative sleep can cause your body to ache, and cause pain to your body, because it wasn't able to rest and recuperate while you was sleeping, or not sleeping.
Studies have shown that there a clear link between sleep deprivation and pain that many people suffering from chronic back pain and muscle aches, do not have healthy sleeping patterns. I see this situation in the many of my clients that I see on a day-to-day basis. Insignificant sleep and low-quality sleep increases the risk of developing pain, especially as we age
As we know sleep is so vital to not only our physical health, but also to our mental and emotional health and wellbeing. We need sleep to enable our body to regenerate, fix what needs fixing and to heal. Especially if you have a recent injury, not getting enough sleep will mean that you will need a longer time to recover. So sleep is vital for recovery and healing the body. We need to be having as an adult at least 7-9 hours of sleep each night.
Low-quality Sleep May Look Like This:
Waking often during the night
Not being able to go back to sleep
Uncomfortable bed
Breathing difficulties
Sleep deprivation and lack of sleep can lead to some very serious health problems, such as obesity, heart disease, high blood pressure and diabetes, to name but a few.
Lack of sleep can also cause inflammation in the body, which can result in muscle aches and pain, tension and can exacerbate inflammatory conditions like arthritis.
Thats why it's really important to do whatever you can to increase your chances of a restful night's sleep and getting enough hours of sleep each night for your body to stay healthy and pain free...
Check out my recent blog post on the importance of sleep here...
Tips To Get A Good Night's Sleep:
Give yourself a set bedtime - just as you would set your alarm clock for getting up in the morning, consider setting an alarm at night to remind you when its time to go to bed. Having a sleep schedule will help you to get into a healthy sleep routine. Going to bed every night at the same time and waking up naturally the same each day.
Limit caffeinated drinks, avoiding them entirely after 2pm!
Try to implement a wind-down ritual in the evening to relax your body and mind, perhaps a relaxing warm bath, a relaxing sleep herbal tea (with no caffeine in), some meditation.
Avoid using electronic devices in the evening after 8pm, this includes your mobile phone, computer screens, any hand held devices and television screens. As the stimulation can make it difficult for you to sleep.
Make sure that you have a comfortable supportive mattress and pillow, that fully supports your neck, head and all areas of your body.
Make sure your room is cool and comfortable, not too hot, not too cold.
3. Wrong type of food/diet can make your aches and muscle pains worse. Mystery aches and pains are usually caused by localised inflammation in the body, this can be hugely impacted by your diet and nutrition. By avoiding certain foods, you can prevent inflammation from occurring in the first place, preventing pain and tension as a result.
The Top Foods And Drinks That You Should Actively Avoid Are:-
Caffeinated beverages, such as caffeine which can alter your bodies pH balance, resulting in an increase in acidity, which increases inflammation by changing the bodies natural chemical processes. This also goes for alcohol. If you are drinking these throughout the week and weekend. You will run the risk of draining vital stores of key nutrients including magnesium and vitamins B and C.
Processed Sugar and artificial sweeteners, cause the bodies insulin levels to spike and makes you even more sensitive to pain. Any food and drink that has added sugar in them. This includes diet sodas, fruit juices, they all have added sugar in them to make them taste sweeter. Its best to avoid these, as they will not help. Especially if you suffer from inflammatory conditions such as; gout and fibromyalgia.
Avoid nightshade vegetables, if you suffer with pain caused by inflammation, such as tomatoes, eggplant, potatoes, white bread, peppers, aubergines, alcohol, coffee creamers. They contain a chemical called solanine, which can cause a chemical reaction in the body and this can increase inflammation in the body and contribute to pain.
Meat, especially red and processed meats
Citrus fruits such as lemons, limes or grapefruit
Diary foods, especially milk
Processed foods, especially baked goods, like flour baked goods, cakes, crisps, white bread, white rice and any sources of refined sugar or any fast foods
Salt
Aim to reduce your intake of saturated animal fats by keeping your intake of read meat, diary products and eggs to a minimum. Over loading of these foods can contribute to a build up of arachidonic acid, which is inflammatory and won't help your muscular aches and pains.
Foods And Drinks You Should Be Having:
Eating more green vegetables, will help to reduce inflammation and pain in the body. Such as kale, spinach, cabbage, Swiss chard, broccoli, cauliflower and Brussel sprouts, which all have anti-inflammatory properties.
Oily fish, such as salmon, herring, sardines, Mackerel and anchovies, all rich in omega-3 and can have a positive effect on inflammation.
Plant based diary free alternatives, such as coconut, nut milks or tofu.
Eat some exotic fruit such as pineapple, papaya, kiwi, mango and guava. These contain naturally-occurring digestive enzymes which could help to reduce acidity in the body.
Eat more oats, dried fruits such as figs, prunes, apricots, seeds such as pumpkin, sunflower, sesame seeds, as well as beans like kidney, black bean and legumes like lentils, which all have a lot to offer in terms of nutrients.
Instead of salt, substitute it with some fresh herbs and spices, which can add more variety and flavour to your meals and are anti-inflammatory, such as turmeric, ginger, cinnamon, garlic, parsley, oregano, rosemary, basil and thyme.
Drink plenty of fresh water, everyday, as I mentioned above. At least 2 litres a day
Eat fewer carbs, avoiding foods that have been processed should be limited as they are less nutritionally beneficial for you and are more likely to include added extras such as sugars, salts, that can all aggravate achy muscles by increasing inflammation.
My advice is to read the food labels, if it has a huge label and list of ingredients, may mean that there are too many processed ingredients in it. Processed food has no nutritional value, there are no nutrients in the processing of food, all of the good stuff has been stripped off and your left with empty calories that can only increase weight gain.
4. Lack of physical awareness of the body - such as not being aware of your posture when sitting at your desk and working hours on your computer, then to find that your neck and shoulders ache 5+ hours later. Poor posture at your desk for long periods of time is likely to result in muscle fatigue and in neck and back pain, causing inflammation. It's all about being aware of your body and the fact that you have a body. Most adults have some kind of postural imbalance that has developed as a result of work, leisure activities, and family habits.
When you recognise when you are hungry, thirsty, or tied, or when you feel your body needs to rest. Take some time off and do something relaxing, such as have a facial, Reiki or have a relaxing massage, this is you exercising body awareness. Its important for us to be aware of our body and how it is feeling in the moment. We may not appreciate the depth of the physical effects that can come from our underuse of our physical body, sitting immobile for hours does not burn any calories, instead we counteract this, by spending our spare time frantically working out at the gym, running, jogging, cycling or swimming. These activities only exacerbates the problem. Just imagine the shock that the body gets from the underused body experiences going from hours of underuse, to short and high bursts of physical high intensity activities, especially if we don't warm up correctly before any type of exercise.
As fluid beings, we are designed to move and to move our bodies each and every moment of the day. For as long as we keep moving our body, it will remain fluid. But if we stay in one position for more than 2 minutes, our body thinks we want to make a permanent change and starts to harden and eventually becomes tight and stiff.
It develops over hours, days, week and months, when things get really bad, muscles become less able to stretch and move very easily without feeling pain or discomfort and its always impossible to fix in a 25 or 60 minute massage after veery little movement or overuse of muscles, it just doesn't work like that. We all have to be proactive in the way that our body feels and to go with what feels healthy and right at that moment, to give the body what it needs in that moment.
So it's really important to know what we are doing daily to our bodies, we put our bodies through so much, it's really important that we regularly give back, check our posture, how we are feeling, what we need - water, rest, time-out, some stretching, some exercise, movement and fresh air.
This leads me nicely onto...
5. Lifestyle - How we live our life, do we smoke, drink, lack regular movement, such as daily exercise? Physically caring for yourself means not abusing drugs or alcohol or anything else that hurts your body or makes you feel crappy. It means not binging on food, eating late into the night, skipping meals, consuming too many unhealthy foods, (such as take-outs and processed meals or snacks to keep you going), staying up too late, missing out on sleep because you are watching a Netflix series or browsing Facebook.
It means having a healthy attitude both to your physique and accepting that your body is intrinsically linked to the mind and not a separate entity. It's about being nice to your body, respecting it and giving it all the good things that it needs.
It Involves all physical activities that improve your physical health and wellbeing, such as eating healthy food and exercising. And to provide you with enough energy to enjoy life.
Such as exercise, Walking, Yoga, Pilates, Stretching, Swimming, Dancing to your favourite songs, Join a class, learn a new sport, go running with your dog, Cycling through the countryside. Exercise 3-5 times a week. Joining a gym, getting a personal trainer to help you stay fit and keep you accountable to your long term health and wellbeing goals.
Our bodies are designed to move. Exercising regularly brings a whole heap of health benefits both short and long term to every aspect of our health. Improved cardiovascular exercise reduces blood pressure, increases muscle strength and endurance, increases bone density, increases lung capacity, improves metabolism, increases energy, improves brain function, mood and reduces levels of anxiety and depression as well as improving your digestive health and allowing your digestive system to function fully and consistently.
Regular exercise, preferably in the fresh air daily is key to a healthy bowel and gut health.
It does not have to be in large amounts and it doesn't have to be intense, it can be 10-15 minutes of walking, two to three times a day outside, as long as its done consistently every day.
Its important to do many different types of exercise and find the type that you enjoy doing, such as walking, hiking, cycling, jogging, skipping, dancing, swimming, aerobic exercise or taking part in some sports such as football, tennis, hockey, netball, squash, rowing etc...
Regular exercise stirs up the lymphatic system and opens up the lungs, helping to get everything moving in the body. This really helps your body and muscles to stay health and able to clear itself daily more effectively. So regular exercise is key.
Some tips to get you moving each day:
Cycle or walk to work/shops in good weather. If you take the bus why not get off a stop or two earlier and briskly walk the last section of your journey
Set a regular reminder throughout your working day, such as every 30 minutes, to stand up from your seated position and to move your body with a few dynamic stretches to engage your muscles and increase blood flow.
Take a walk with colleagues on your lunch break, aim for about 30 minutes or more, if you can, walking and talking is a great way to increase your heart rate!
Standing desks have become popular in the work place recently. You don't have to stand all day, alternating between standing and sitting increases muscle activity in your legs and body.
When watching TV perform small exercises during the ad breaks, such as 10 squares on the first break, 10 sit ups on the second and 10 jumping jacks on the third.
When talking on the phone or brushing your teeth, pace the room or walk up and down the stairs.
Moving more combined with regular exercise could greatly contribute to your overall health and wellbeing and the health of your body.
Say "NO"to invitations when you feel too tired to enjoy yourself.
Don't push yourself to do anything if you feel rundown or unwell. Taking the time to rest, visit doctors if you feel unwell.
Caring for your physical health can also mean looking after what you are consuming on a daily basis. Such as eating healthier foods such as quality nutrition like organic food, extra fruit and vegetables that fuel your body and staying hydrated and drinking plenty of fresh water. We are privileged enough to live in a first-world country where quality food is available to us.
Make sure that you take regular breaks - And commit to them! Where you can get up and move your body regularly, such as walking around your office or getting outside for some fresh air. Make sure that you are taking your lunch break, that time is for you to not only eat and refuel but to also recharge and rest after eating. Getting some fresh air, getting some exercise and nice walk in a park or window shopping around the shops or meditating in a park to help you to feel refreshed and ready to get back to work. Regular breaks are great for you to come away from whatever you are doing, coming away from a screen, resting your eyes and moving your body so it's not stuck in the same position for hours on end. Its vital for your physical, mental and emotional health, so take your breaks and keep your body moving...
It should be incredibly empowering, not daunting or intimidating, that WE control the choices that lead to wellness. We can become healthier with smart choices. The human body is truly amazing, and if we desire to live a long healthy, satisfying life, we can choose to harness this power that we have available to us.
6. Stress, this is apart of life and we will experience different life situations at different stages in our life, good and bad. We just need a healthy way of processing what we experience and work through it in a healthy way. Stress is overwhelm, it's a feeling that we can't cope, can't achieve it, can't make it, that it's all bad!
But it's not, stress can be a great way to teach us that we can do the things we can't, that all will be okay, that we need to let go of some things that are causing us stress or overwhelm, to take a holiday, to take a break and to reassess our life and our choices that we have in our life and what we can change and adapt if need be.
When we feel stressed, we secrete higher levels of adrenaline, noradrenaline and cortisol (our primary stress hormone). These hormones do double duty as stimulating nerotransmitters, which can make you more reactive to situations and other people. Over the longterm, elevated cortisol wears down the body, destroying brain cells, and can lead to adrenal fatigue and exhaustion, a condition characterised by dizziness and fatigue.
If this continues, Exhaustion, because our body doesn't have a chance to regain equilibrium and settle down to normal functioning.
Our calming neurotransmitters, which allows us to feel calm and relaxed, get suppressed, making it harder for us to feel relaxed and calm about what is happening feels out of our control, making us more anxious and stressed.
Most of us have experienced one thing after another going wrong, stressing us out to the point where even the slightest negative thing makes us want to weep or scream. This is an example of the body going through new stressors repeatedly occurring before priovious ones are resolved. The result of this physiological and emotional roller coaster is what is commonly called a "high stress level"
Any type of stress, especially high stress levels and anxiety can all cause tension, aches and pains, stiffness in the body, that is why managing stress is so important if you wish to live moderately pain free. Stress will always be here, and we will experience it from time to time, some more than others, depending on life circumstances, lifestyle, the career that you have, etc... So being mentally and physically prepared when stress can come in is vital for a healthy body and healthy mind.
Check out my recent blog post on stress, where I mention some helpful tips and advice to help you to manage your stress levels and to live a more peaceful life here...
Signs of Stress are:
Headaches and pain in the head and neck region
Chronic Pain - Aches and pains, such as chronic back pain, shoulder pain and body aches
Frequent Sickness - constantly having a cough or cold, weakened Immune System. Stress can increase the time it takes you to recover from an illness or injury
Decreased Energy and Insomnia, disturbed sleep, increased sleepiness and restlessness at bedtime
Changes in Libido - low sex drive and lower levels of sexual activity and satisfaction
Erectile dysfunction and risk of infection for male reproductive organs like prostate and testes
For women, effects menstrual cycle, irregular periods, heavier, painful periods and magnifies the physical symptoms of menopause
Digestive Issues - Diarrhea and constipation, Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) or Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD)
Nausea, vomiting or stomach ache
Appetite Changes - no appetite or a ravenously hungry or eating without being hungry, weight gain or weight loss
Depression or depressive episodes
Rapid Heartbeat - Increased heart rate and blood pressure
Heartburn
Acid Reflux - Increased Stomach acid
Rapid breathing and shallow breathing - breathing from the chest rapidly, instead of slowly from the stomach and hip region
Pounding heart - makes your heart pump faster and makes it work too hard for too long. When your blood pressure rises, so does your risks of stroke or heart attacks.
Sweating - Excessive Sweating
Irritability
Breathing Problems - makes it harder to breathe
Check out my recent blog post on stress, where I mention some helpful tips and advice to help you to manage your stress levels and to live a more peaceful life here...
7. Fear, worry, anxiety - What you are thinking about? Do you find that you can get feelings of anger, fear, worry? Any hidden or repressed emotions or feelings can find its way into your muscles, nerves and tissues in your body, causing muscles to feel tense, sore, tight and restricted in their movement and flexibility.
A lot of it stems from social conditioning, trauma and psychological stressors. When any events or situations in our life results in fear, stress, anxiety, anger, frustration, sadness. Most of these emotions we are unaware of as they are within our subconscious mind. If these emotions are not consciously dealt with, the energy of that emotion can be stored within the body, resulting in muscle tension and pain which can contribute to numerous other illnesses such as fibromyalgia, digestive disorders, mental illnesses and even cancer.
This is also the case for your kidneys and liver. Any Issues with the kidney and liver creates pain and tension in the body. By releasing and cleansing your mind and body of any past or present anger, fear, worry, and over thinking of anything that is happening in your life, can help you to feel less pain and tension from these organs also, as they affect all areas of the body. This works both ways, if you have an imbalance in any of the bodies organs they will bring on negative effects, such as ways of thinking, behaviour, what choices that you make, etc...
Feelings of anxiety and anger can affect many different areas of the body, such as tension and pain on the back and sides of the neck, top of the shoulders, shoulder blades, whole of the back, lower back, buttocks, legs, feet, arms and hands. The muscles in these areas can feel tight, tense, nerve pain, aching, pins and needles, burning, tingling, numbness, weakness and pressure. This pain that you can feel is the brains way of protecting you from emotions that you feel that you do not want to deal with, subconsciously, such as anger, fear, anxiety, anything that is unpleasant for you to experience, our brain has built the ability to repress any unpleasant, painful or embarrassing emotions. Many pain and tension related issues in the body, are always caused by a repressed emotional feeling within that area in the muscle and the nerves that are connected to the particular muscle groups in the body.
By being aware of how you feel and your emotions, will help you to know when situations and emotions need to have the light of day, instead of pushing them down and repressing them. This only causes more pain, more tension and eventually more physical issues and physical disabilities preventing you from living a life of fullness, such as doing your normal physical daily activities. By being fully aware of how you are feeling, aware of your emotions and the emotions that you had experienced in your life, that has impacted you. It's important to identify the sources of stress, anxiety and anger in your life, because the pain that you are having isn't caused by a physical problem, but emotional.
By voicing these, owning these feelings and emotions, pain and tension can be released. Sometimes instantly, somethings it takes much longer, depending on how much repressed emotions there may be.
A great way of being more aware of your emotions and how you feel, is to talk about how you are feeling, stress, overwhelm and issues around responsibility can all have a huge effect on your mental and physical health. By talking about how you feel to a professional counsellor or therapist, who's only role is to listen and to allow you a safe space to voice your feelings, thoughts and emotions that you feel need to be released. Will help you immensely.
I offer Holistic Counselling to all of my clients, especially if they have chronic pain and tension, that other therapies cannot treat, and the offer of surgery is not something that many of my clients wish to have and want to avoid.
Holistic Counselling is what I would recommend. By identifying the source of your emotions and feelings that you are experiencing or have been coming back up for you, due to triggering events. By working through these, can help to let these emotions and feelings go, allowing you to feel more freer and in control of how you deal with situations in the future.
All the methods used are gentle, safe and support natural healing principles. To help you to break free from behaviours and repressed emotions that limit you at all levels, so that you can find within the strength and resources to make the changes necessary to overcome difficulties and to move life forward.
Have you ever noticed that when you experience stress, it can take a physical toll on your body by giving you symptoms like a headache, achy muscles, or an upset stomach? This is a simple example of how the mind, emotions, body, and spirit are all interconnected.
It is not just about fixing one area of your life, it is about integrating all aspects of yourself: giving you new insights of how to consciously become aware of how you are investing your energy.
It's about how to manage your emotions and to use them in a way that expands your awareness about yourself and the world you live in.
Helping to improve different areas of your life such as - work, friendships, personal development, relationships, intimacy, wellbeing, family and so much more...
What Can Holistic Counselling Help With?
Stress
Anxiety
Anger
Depression
Overwhelm and Burnout
Work/Study-related issues
Relationship issues (incl. pre-marital issues, divorce)
Grief and Loss
Chronic illness/pain
Conflict
Low Self Esteem
Lack of Confidence
Parenting issues
Decision Making. It's a gentle approach to seeing situations and things in different ways and perspectives. Holistic Counselling May Help You Achieve:
Greater self awareness and self acceptance.
A more peaceful, centred approach to life.
Greater health and vitality.
Emotional well being.
A deepened sense of understanding and awareness.
A greater ability to cope with traumas such as death, divorce and abuse.
An enhanced feeling of optimism and self esteem.
A calmer way of being
A relaxed body and mind
Clearer, more focused way of seeing things and living
Being more effective in your personal and social life
Hopefulness and able to take control of your life and health
Your mind and body open to new possibilities
Giving yourself permission to be, do and have what you really want.
Greater respect for your body and how it works as a whole
More balance in life
Improved levels of self discovery
And so much more.
The Holistic Counselling that I offer is a person-centered therapy that believes that the client has all the answers within, and it simply facilitates the process of awakening and recognition. It focuses on empowering the client in accessing their own inner wisdom and healing rather than the practitioner imparting their wisdom, knowledge or healing to the client.
"Holistic Counselling aims to allow the balancing of the mind, heart and body to support the client to return to their authentic self that restores them to greater health, happiness, and freedom, and allows them to achieve Wholeness and Wellbeing in their lives and in their relationships. Connected to their authentic self the client can walk their journey with grace, strength, trust, courage and wisdom.”
If you feel drawn to any of the above therapies either Holistic Coaching or Holistic Counselling, please contact Kelly to schedule your free 15min call to discuss your needs and if Coaching and Counselling is a good fit for you.
8. Staying stuck, not being flexible in your body and your mind - Life is constantly evolving and changing as are we every single day, and nothing is showing this to us more than ever right now with what is happening in the world around us at present.
It's a period of complete change, disruption and in some cases chaos.
But it's all part of the process of change and evolution, everything has to change, to shift, to move and that includes you, your body, your energy and your soul.
"Surrender to what is. Say Yes to life and see how life suddenly starts working for you, rather than against you" - Eckhart Tolle
It's important to remember that everything you fight with has power over you, and everything that you accept doesn't.
This means accepting everything that happens to you. When you surrender, you stop trying to control the circumstances and events in your life and allow them to unfold in the same way that you let the weather change.
It's really important to understand and accept the Illusion of control.
We cannot control when it rains or when it shines, or when its hot or cold. We just adjust accordingly.
We also can't control ANYTHING even what happens outside of us, such as events, people or situations. It's just the way that life is and its important that we learn to accept this with open loving hearts of acceptance and grace.
Everything in life is uncertain and we know that now more than ever since the start of this pandemic. Nothing is certain. That is why we have to be resilient to change, be flexible and adaptable to the constant waves of change and movement. Nothing in this world is ever meant to stay the same, it's always moving, changing and evolving, just like we are, every since day, if we like it or not. it's the natural flow and order of life. It's okay to feel out of sorts, to feel anxious and apprehensive about the here and now and the future. This is completely natural and completely normal. If you didn't feel these things then I would be worried that you may not be completely normal! Feeling these things are not bad, it's all normal and natural to feel this way and many other different emotions and feelings.
"Peace comes from within. It is not outside of us. Do not seek it without"
Buddha
The important thing to remember is that we are all able to cope with whatever comes our way, we just don't yet release it, but we will once we have been through it. You can get through all the tough times and the good times just as well. You just need to have faith and trust in yourself and the process of life and all that unfolds and is there for us.
We are all growing and evolving and there isn't anything in this world that isn't impossible for us, it may be challenging and we may have to do some things differently than what we have done before, but this is all about learning and developing and growth, our own human potential and personal growth and development that helps us through life.
Trust that life will support you and move you forward to where you are meant to be. This may not always be where you want to be, but where the universe and the collective wants you to be instead. All of which will bring about all that it is that you deep down dream about, but you do need to have faith and trust in the wings of change and moving forward, wherever it may take you.
Deep breathing and remaining in a calm, ventured relaxed state throughout every situation or event in your life, will prove imperative when feeling grounded in the present moment.
When we truly surrender to the natural flow of life and change, we let go, release the strain and control of life, we feel more relaxed, free and able to move forward, instead of feeling stuck, trapped and frustrated and tired of trying to control and change things.
In all my therapies be it massage, meditation, facials etc... I always allow my clients to fully relax, to completely let go, to let go of their muscles, bones, ligaments, body, mind and thoughts and to just go with whatever comes up during the session. Which is always a deep sense of relaxation and sleep and rest on a much deeper level, that some of my clients often haven't experienced in a long time, if it's there 1st session with me.
No rushing, no pushing, no intense actions - slow, steady, relaxed, peaceful - letting things go and leaving it to that. Just being where you are now in the present, being happy, content,
So I highly recommend that you allow the times to move and flow, to go with the flow and to have faith and trust in the universe and trust and faith that all will work out for the best, whatever happens. It always does in my experience... Why not try yourself...and let me know how you get on, by just letting go of the reins every now and then...
9. Taking care of your body - This is really important to help to maintain a healthy body and a healthy mind also. Having regular massages, taking self-care of your body, such as self-massages, taking responsibility of your health and body without the aid of a medical professional, listening to your body and what it needs.
Developing a regular sleep routine, healthy diet, taking a lunch break, eating breakfast, get regular exercise before or after work. Taking action to preserve or improve your own health, dedicating time everyday, that would otherwise be spent on other people, or activities and instead spending your time doing healthy and enriching things for you and your body, that will benefit your bodies health and wellbeing.
Another way of taking care of your body is by having regular salt baths, which are really beneficial for aches and pain and I often recommend to my clients to have regular salt baths; such as Epson salts, Dead Sea salts and Himalayan salt baths. And to soak themselves in a warm bath with any of the above mentioned salts or all together, for at least 20 minutes, to get the full relaxing and relieving effects which the salts can give. If they haven't got a bath, they can use the salts as a body scrub and wash off the salt scrub off in the shower, or you can soak your feet in some healing salts for up to 20 minutes, while watching your favourite program on TV.
Why not try my Organic Himalayan Bath Salts which are uniquely handmade with only the purist therapeutic high grade essential oils and Himalayan Pink Salt to help to bring balance, detox, harmony, relaxation, peace, happiness, less tension and a better nights sleep to name but a few.
Himalayan Pink Salt is pure, hand-mined salt found naturally, deep within the pristine Himalayan Mountains. Crystallised over 250 million years ago these Himalayan Salts are naturally rich in 84 nourishing and skin replenishing minerals all vital minerals for maintaining good health and human life and is the most purist form of salt on the earth as it hasn't come into contact with external chemicals and untouched by pollutants.
Some Benefits Of Himalayan Salts Are:
Promotes healthy sleep patterns
Prevents muscle cramps
Strengthens bones
Lowers blood pressure
Improves circulation
Boosts energy levels
Helps with weight loss
Detoxifies the body of heavy metals and toxins
Cleanses your energetic field/Aura
And so much more... please read more about the many more benefits of Himalayan Salt and what it is here.
My Top Treatments That I Recommend For Helping To Treat Pain And Tension:
Reflexology - Find out more as to how Reflexology could help with pain relief here
Naval Candling Therapy - Find out more how Naval Candling Therapy could help with lower back pain and tension
Reiki - Find out how Reiki could help with pain relief here
Aching Muscle Massage Melt - Find out more how this Aching Muscle Massage Melt Treatment could help to offer you pain relief here
Aroma Bliss Massage Therapy - Find out how this Aroma Bliss Massage Therapy could help with pain relief using essential oils
Some Tools To Help You To Release Everyday Tension That You May Experience:
There are so many massage tools out there now, but I wanted to share with you some of my top favourite and most popular tools that I use for myself at home, and what I often recommend to my clients to use, to help manage their pain and tension, in-between their massage sessions with me. It's great to have them handy, whenever pain and tension may hit.
Deep Tissue, Effective Acupressure, Trigger Point Pressure Massage Tool
Compact massage device- lightweight and portable for quick pain relief anytime, anywhere.
Can be used for on the neck, back, leg, palms of hand, for muscle pain and tension relief. Great for trigger point relief of tense areas.
Four Way Massage Tool
can be used directly on the skin or over clothing
Allows gentle massage using 3 of the 4 heads, and for a deeper massage you can use 1 or 2 heads applying more pressure
Ideal for use on neck, shoulders and back areas. Also recommended for upper and lower leg
Cranio Cradle
Rest away your aches and pains! This is one of my favourites and has worked for so many of my clients. This is an easy to use, very effective therapy system. Simply place at base of cranium, relax - revive - restore tired muscles. Instant relief for head, neck, shoulder tension, tight tense muscles in the face, jaw, eases headaches, eases stress and anxiety.
Great for gently stretching and relaxing tight muscles that are attached at the head, neck and shoulders. Allows the shoulders to drop down and the neck to regain its ability to turn freely.
Use the Base position for relieving tight tense muscles of the face, head, neck and shoulders. Eases headache symptoms and relieves pain caused by Bruxism (teeth grinding), TMJ and Whiplash.
Use the Stillness position for easing stress, tension, anxiety, headaches, ADD, ADHD, insomnia and restore your body to a deep state of relaxation.
Essential Nutrients, Minerals and Vitamins That Can Help Reduce Pain:
The body needs essential nutrients, minerals and vitamins daily for it to function optimally. Here are some of the nutrients, minerals and vitamins that I would recommend to clients who are suffering with pain and tension.
Magnesium - Could easily be considered a wonder mineral, due to its influence it has on the body. It can aid everything from your mood, to improving your sleep, to reducing muscle pain and it is particularly beneficial for joint pain also.
It is a very important mineral that is crucial to maintain health and wellness and plays a huge role in many of the bodies natural processes, such as maintaining proper muscle and nerve function, helps the body to absorb other important minerals such as calcium, keeps the cardiovascular system functioning the way its meant to. It also helps with the synthesis of your DNA and the metabolism. It can also play a huge role in managing stress and reducing pain levels associated with chronic neck and chronic back pain.
But so many people suffer with magnesium deficiency and it can contribute to inflammation in the body, which is one of the most common causes to pain and discomfort in the muscles and the joints of the body. Such as neck pain and back pain. Having low levels of this mineral it has been linked to a host of chronic health conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer and Alzheimers.
By increasing your magnesium levels in the body it can lower the amount of inflammation in the body.
Ways to get more magnesium daily:
Is to eat more organic Leafy greens,
Nuts and seeds,
Beans and
Dark Chocolate in moderation
If you find that you are unable to get the adequate increase of magnesium through food alone, there are many high quality supplements available for transdermal or oral use. I recommend both, but I promote transdermal method, as your spray the magnesium directly onto the skin and absorbs in to the skin and into the bloodstream directly, increasing magnesium levels much faster and more effectively. A lot of my clients and using it myself for many years, report that when using magnesium oil on their skin transdermally, the pain that they have, seemingly melts away, giving them almost instant relief and they always come back saying that they had the best nights sleep in ever.
Vitamin D - Is vital for bones and muscle functions, it can also have anti-inflammatory effects on the body. It can play an important part in relieving joint pain and tension in the body. A deficiency in Vitamin D can cause muscle aches and pain, spasms, back pain, weakness, low energy and bone pain in many people, symptoms of fatigue, as well as mood disorders, such as depression. It can also cause hair loss, loss of appetite, sleep changes and can make you feel under the weather, with frequent coughs and colds. Many people are considered to be deficient in Vitamin D and it is a major public health concern across the globe. If you are deficient in Vitamin D and have back pain, it could make the pain worse, if this is the case.
How To Get More Vitamin D:
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin that aids calcium absorption, which promotes growth and mineralisation of the bones. Take a vitamin D supplement daily, ideally in the evening after food. It can also come in liquids and you can also get it in foods like eggs, fish and fortified milk. As well as getting regular exposure to sunlight is another way to get vitamin D.
Turmeric - Is known as the pain and inflammation miracle supplement. Its a wonderful yellow spice that is most often used in Indian dishes and curries, but it has been used for centuries as medicine for its potent healing properties for reducing inflammation in the body, as well as improving the immune system response. It contains an active ingredient called curcumin, which is an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory. You can use the powder and make it into a paste to apply to problem areas or in a capsule form, and to use daily.
Omega- 3 Fatty Acids - Increasing your intake of omega-3 fatty acids daily can help with inflammation which can cause back pain. They can come in liquid or capsule form. As well as increasing your intake of oily fish that is high in omega-3's such as salmon, sardines, mackerel, as well as dark leafy greens and some flaxseed oil daily.
A daily supplement of Vitamin C, Vitamin B complex, Vitamin E and calcium
All of these supplements help to keep the body healthy and helps to lower inflammation that causes back pain and tension in the body. By taking a daily capsule that contains all of the above can considerably reduce pain in the body.
If you would like to find out more about any of the above mentioned tools, as I do stock these in my therapy room for clients to take home with them or any of the therapies and treatments that I offer for pain relief, please contact me here to find out more. I hope this blog post has been helpful and if you would like further advice and guidance around pain relief, please contact me to find out more or if you would like to book a massage therapy treatment, please get in contact with me here...
Wishing you a Pain Free Month Ahead!
Until next time, keep safe and well.
Best Wishes
Kelly
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From Pure Bliss Holistic Therapies
Email: pureblissretreats@mail.com
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