If you continue to experience high levels of stress and fatigue without resting and recovering, it quickly begins to have a huge impact on your mental and physical wellbeing.

Some obvious signs that good stress is turning bad are:
Anxiousness or worry about the past or future
Emotionally reactive, argumentative, or defensive
Feelings of heaviness and lack of motivation
Negative, pessimistic or overly judgemental
A constanty racing and darting mind, difficult to stay focused
Struggling to perform tasks because you are too tired
Always in a rush, not fully completing tasks
Unable to listen to others perspectives
Poor sleep.

Rest is the best anecdote to stress, and massage is a great way to get it. Massage triggers a relaxation response. When this is triggered it allows you to rapidly recover from stress and fatigue and increases your resilience, vitality and overall wellbeing.

Making massage a regular habit is a really effective way to stay on top of stress levels.

Relaxing protects your heart

While researchers aren’t sure exactly why, the research is unanimously in favor of relaxation for your hearts sake. There are studies to show that stress is comparable to other risk factors that we traditionally think of as major, like hypertension, poor diet and lack of exercise

Relaxing boosts your memory

Research showed that short bursts of stress impaired the centres of the brain involved in memory and learning.

A number of studies have also found that stress increases the amount of certain proteins in the brain that have been linked to Alzheimer’s, possibly accelerating development of the disease.

Relaxing keeps you slim

Cortisol increases appetite, and may even specifically encourage junk food cravings.

Relaxing lowers your risk of a cold

Study’s show that chronic stress lasting more than a month but less than six months doubled a persons risk of catching a cold.

More recent research has tried to figure out why, and results point to inflammation. It appears that stress hampers the body’s ability to fight inflammation, by making immune cells less sensitive to the hormone that ‘turns off’ inflammation.

Relaxing lowers your stroke risk

A 2007 University of Cambridge study found that people who coped the best with stressful life events had a 24 percent lower risk of stroke. It may be partly due to the fact that people who handle stress well often are healthy in other ways, like exercising regularly and not smoking.

A 2011 study examined the specific effects of work-related stress, and found that among middle- and upper-class men, psychological stress caused about 10 percent of strokes.

Relaxing keeps you safe from depression

In humans, the prolonged presence of stress hormone cortisol can reduce levels of serotonin and dopamine, which are linked to depression.

Relaxing helps you make better decisions

It’s no surprise that when you’re under stress, you might not always be thinking so clearly. But a 2012 study found that stress seems to actually change how we weigh risks and rewards, and can cloud our judgment when we are faced with important decisions.

Counterintuitively, stressed out people actually tend to focus on the positive and may ignore the cons of the decision they’re about to make

The compulsion to get that reward comes stronger and they’re less able to resist it

Relaxing eases acne

It’s a vicious cycle: You’re stressed about that presentation at work, so you break out, and then you’re stressed about the breakout! Researchers aren’t exactly sure why, but stress seems to up the amount of oil in the skin, clogging pores and causing acne, according to WebMD.

Flare-ups of other skin problems, like psoriasis, have also been linked to stress, and can be equally stressful themselves. But relaxing really helps: A 1998 study found that psoriasis plaques cleared up more quickly in people who regularly meditated.

Relaxing will keep you in the mood

One of the big reasons that women lose that lovin’ feeling is stress, but men aren’t immune either. In fact, Kinsey Institute researchers found that stress zaps the libido in around 30% of men (although another 21 percent said it actually increased their sex drive.). “Men are more likely to see sex as a stress reliever, whereas for many busy women, their husband’s desire is just another demand on their time and energy,” Alice Domar, Ph.D., director of the Mind/Body Center for Women’s Health at Boston IVF told Ladies Home Journal

Relaxing could slow breast cancer

While research on the effects of stress on cancer growth are largely inconclusive, there is some evidence pointing toward a link between stress and breast cancer aggressiveness.

Relaxing not only seems to delay the progression of disease but may also speed recovery.

And if you’re currently cancer free, relaxing now can keep you healthy later. A 2003 study found that stress may double a woman’s risk of getting breast cancer down the line.

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It introduced me to a teacher, and he introduced me to the world of energy!

So, what is energy? It is a system that we each have, and just like our cardiovascular system or nervous system, it has structure, centres, and a flow and direction of movement. If the heart isn’t working correctly, we have problems in the cardiovascular system which inturn can affect other systems such as our lungs, our brain etc. It is the same for our energy, if a centre or chakra isn’t working, it will affect the flow of the whole system and inturn affect others such as our physical body.

Our energy is smart, intuitive and strong. And like our heart, it will continue to work for us without our conscious effort. However, we all want a healthy body, so we eat well, we run, exercise. We want healthy minds so we read, learn, listen and meditate. But what do you do for your energy system? The answer is that many of us without knowing it, are looking after this system through our conscious effort to look after the body and mind. Because all these systems, mind, body and energy, are connected, each affecting the other.

So what can you do to specifically look after your energy?

Meditation is a wonderful tool.   When we quiet our minds and relax the body we are able to begin to explore our energy. With consistent effort you can feel it, and you can feel where it needs attention.

Sound and vibration are fabulous tools to help with the movement of energy.

Breathing exercises or pranayama is one of the best ways to control, move and heal your energy system.

Nature! Just get to the beach, dive in the ocean, walk in the bush and stand under a waterfall. Have you ever noticed how energised and revitalised you feel after doing these things? That is because it is one of the best ways to nurture your energy – the trees and plants around you hold a beautiful energy of their own and they give without taking.

Energy Healing. Some of us need some extra help at times, and just like massage helps to relieve stress in the muscles, energy work from a trained and experienced professional can help guide your energy in the right direction.

At Enrich we have a beautiful energy therapist or healer that will not only heal and revitalise your energy, but also give you tools and techniques for ongoing health and wellness.

Please come in and see us soon to learn more.   This is a very basic introduction to energy and there is an immense amount to learn. I will be writing another blog, diving deeper into the conversation soon.

Appointments available with Negin – 022 030 9366

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I spent many hours researching the different New Zealand charities and Oxfam to me stood out as the best of the best, with support not only going to our local community but also spreading across the South Pacific where poverty is much more severe.  I have also specifically chosen a project that sits close to my heart where every dollar is seen making a huge difference to the beautiful women of Papua New Guinea.

This is Mama Rasta.  Mama’s hand was cut off by villagers after she was accused of practicing sorcery. Thankfully through Oxfam’s support she received life-saving help, a prosthetic limb and is now on the road to rebuilding her life.

IMPACT

• On average, Oxfam rescues three women a week who are facing extreme violence.

• Our network is fast becoming the major provider of services to eliminate violence against women in PNG.

• More women are able to financially support themselves and their children and feel empowered to move on from violent relationships.

• More people have access to safe water and sanitation, meaning less work for women and children.

• More women and men are speaking
out against violence and challenging discrimination against women and girls.

In NUMBERS

68% of women have experienced physical or sexual violencece

77% of rural people don’t have access to safe water

156 PNG’s ranking out of 186 countries on the UNDP’s Gender Index

2.7% proportion of seats held by women in National Parliament

THE CHALLENGE

Papua New Guinea (PNG) is a fragile state. Its social and geographical complexity means its people face many development challenges.

Women in Papua New Guinea lag behind men on all development indicators, including education, economic opportunity, political empowerment and health.

Chronic gender-based violence is a daily reality. Across the country, 68 per cent of women are reported to have experienced physical or sexual violence. Health experts warn that critical gaps in the treatment of survivors are placing thousands of women at serious physical and psychological risk.

Violence, the payment of bride prices, polygamous marriage, and accusations of practicing sorcery severely damage the status of women in PNG.

Rates of HIV and AIDS infections are high across the country; girls and women are particularly vulnerable to infection.
PNGs maternal mortality rate is one of the worst in the world, with 250 women dying

for every 100,000 live births. Women remain seriously under-represented in all areas of government. And PNG is unlikely to achieve any of the targets in the Millennium Development Goals by 2015.

OXFAM’S ROLE

Women’s rights are at the heart of what we do. Of the more than a billion people living in poverty in our world, the great majority are women. Working for gender equality is not only an important part of Oxfam’s work, it is vital to eliminating global poverty and injustice.

We work with local groups and communities in PNG to transform attitudes and behaviours towards women, as well the policies and government programmes that have an impact on the status of women.

We help women develop economic opportunities so they can have more control over their own lives. Providing access safe water and sanitation dramatically reduces the daily workload for women and children and improves health.

ENDING GENDER VIOLENCE

Oxfam works with courageous women, men and community organisations to stop violence against women and girls and help them rebuild their lives and their independence.

We are working with partners to provide protection, counselling and support for women and children who’ve endured abuse. We help women get the medical and legal support they need and help them rebuild their confidence and independence so they can restart their lives.

We are also challenging the low status of women and working with communities to protect and promote everyone’s basic rights.

Oxfam and our partners help women affected by violence to rebuild their dignity and their confidence, and we help them develop valuable skills so they can earn an independent income. Being able to support themselves and their families financially 
is essential for women to be able to walk away from a violent relationship.

Oxfam’s partner in Jiwaka Province is Voice for Change. Together, we help women become more independent by training them to grow organic food. This enables them to feed their families, as well as producing a surplus of food to sell at local markets, which brings in much-needed income. When women have a stable livelihood, they are empowered to make decisions for themselves.

WATER AND SANITATION

Barely 20 per cent of the rural population in PNG has access to clean, safe water and only 15 per cent use a toilet. Women and children often have to walk long distances to collect water.

This leaves them vulnerable to sexual assault, particularly in areas where tribal fighting is common.

Oxfam works with communities to install
 a range of water supplies and toilets. 
Good latrines ensure privacy and dignity, particularly for women. With water tanks and tapstands nearby, women spend much less time fetching water, leaving them more time to spend on productive work.

So next time you visit Enrich for your own health and wellbeing you can relax in the knowledge that you are also supporting Oxfam’s work with women in PNG.”  

Thank you.

The post Enriching your life while enriching the lives of others. appeared first on Enrich.

Pregnancy, what a glorious time in a woman’s life; a true miracle and blessing.

Why after millions of years of women being pregnant and giving birth is it still such a wondrous miraculous experience?  For newly expectant mothers (and their partners) it is often as if they are the first to be experiencing this.

You are literally creating and carrying new life!!  You have a new shape with purpose and it is perfectly feminine.  You glow! You will usually put on weight and, finally, have a damn good reason to do so!  Your body is doing what it must to keep you healthy and nourish your baby too, as mother nature has done for eons, ensuring your baby’s survival.

I personally have not been through this magical time (yet) and I’m sure every woman has her different view on it; however, no matter how lovely the idea of pregnancy, I’m sure it’s not all roses and pink powder puffs.  But as an onlooker it is still truly beautiful.

I’m one of five children, and have often listened to my mother talk about the joys of her pregnancies and subsequent births.  She was blessed with easy pregnancies and births, but makes no secret of the difficulties and discomforts either.  She laments that pregnancy massage was not available when she was pregnant with me and my siblings.

Pregnancy wellness is an area I am growing increasingly interested in; not just because of my obvious affinity to this stage of life, but because as a therapist pregnancy massage is my favourite type.  My client base in this niche market is growing so rapidly and organically, and it’s difficult to keep up!

It seems like a natural progression that I begin to specialise in this area – from yoga to massage. I have been reading literature written for mid-wives, and am purchasing luxurious pregnancy massage cushions for your added comfort. They allow the ever-expanding mother to lie on her tummy, right up until full-term! I have used a similar cushion when practicing in Australia (a number of years ago) and had wonderful results and the most rewarding feedback.  There are some schools of thought that advise side-lying as best.  This is more relevant to pregnancy massage tables where the belly is accommodated by a hollow in the table – the difficulty with this is that the pelvic ligaments are over-stretched.  With the pregnancy-cushion the belly and the ligaments of the pelvis are fully supported and the expectant mother will experience the heavenly relief of lying prone for her blissful hour of massage.

Benefits of pregnancy massage

Massage reduces muscular aches and pains.

The body is changing shape, and from all this shifting and stretching we often find lower back pain and leg pain during pregnancy. Massage therapy relieves your body of this dis-comfort by relaxing the muscles and increasing the nourishing blood flow to these areas to aid in your bodies own healing process.

 Massage alleviates depression and anxiety

It is proven that regular massage during pregnancy significantly decreases chances of depression and anxiety, not only during pregnancy but onward to the postpartum period. In turn newborns are less likely to be born prematurely and with a low birth-weight (75% lower prematurity rate and an 80% lower incidence of low birth-weight)

The stress hormone cortisol is significantly reduced in both mother and new-born – so we have calm and happy mothers and calm stress-free little’uns.

Massage can abate labor pain and longevity!

In a study woman who received massage therapy experienced significantly less pain, and labors were on average 3-hours shorter with less need for medication!

Some suggest that massage effects can be explained by the ‘gate theory’. This is a kind of metaphor for the pain message traveling more slowly than the pressure message from massage. Pressure messages travel more rapidly than pain messages, reaching the brain faster and closing the gate to the pain message.

Another theory is that medium-pressure-massage increases vagal activity. The vagal nerve controls activity occurring within the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS). Where the Sympathetic nervous system gives rise to a liberation of energy, the PNS is usually more concerned with slowing and conserving energy – it helps digestion, storing of energy, cellular replenishment and reproduction. So, increased vagal activity results in the activation of the PNS meaning decreased heart rate, lowered cortisol, and increased tissue replenishment and growth.

Massage therapy also increases cerebral flow in different parts of the brain. One area of importance being the hypothalamus which governs the hormones released for stress regulation and depression.

My personal experience as a massage therapist and summary

In my personal experiences with woman, I have seen improved sleep, diminished anxiety and depression, immediate and on-going relief of aches and pains, reduced swelling and an overall new sense of well-being and energy.

It seems to make perfect sense that at a time when a woman is giving so much of her body to grow and nourish a new human-being, that she too should be nourished and cared for in the very best way, and in a way that supports her for the responsibilities that lie ahead, when baby finally arrives.

For me, it is truly a special time, an honor to be part of, and to be able to share my skills to make the miraculous (but undoubtedly, demanding) experience of pregnancy and childbirth a little special and a little more comfortable.

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For my last entry on headaches I will choose to talk about the Suboccipitals!! It’s all very exciting!

I’ve chosen these because I can give you a wonderful technique to release them yourself.

First of all, where are they and what do they look like?

The Suboccipitals are a set of very small muscles at the base of the skull. You can find them by poking right below the edge of the skull from behind the ear, all the way to the other side.

Where do we feel the headache?

They frequently refer their pain to the side of the head and behind the ear, but also can create pain at the base of the skull.

What stresses them out?

They are stressed by activities that require you to extend your head or look up. Forward head posture also triggers pain in these muscles as they work to balance the head on top of the spine.

The suboccipitals are also partly “antagonised” (balanced) by the jaw muscles. This is quite the interesting pairing. The way this usually works in our body is when 2 muscles work in opposite directions to create movement at a joint – for example Biceps and Triceps: When flexing the bicep muscle (in this case the agonist) the tricep (in this case the antagonist) simultaneously relaxes so there is minimal tension and the bicep can contract to it’s optimum without interference.

The jaw muscles however, do not affect the spinal joints, and cannot directly work against/with the suboccipitals to balance the head. Nevertheless, they do: muscle studies have shown that the jaw muscles behave much like they would in a more normal push-pull relationship with the suboccipitals. They function together and dysfunction together. Both of these muscle groups routinely harbour trigger points that cause headaches.

How can we treat them?

If you have ever seen me for a treatment you’ve probably experienced the intense sensation of me pressing my fingertips just under the base of your skull – it’s a feeling easily remembered through it’s intensity and also dramatic relief of pain.

A way you can do this yourself at home is using a yoga block:

Lay on your back with the base of your skull (or just bellow on the more fleshy part) on the edge of the yoga block. The weight of your shoulders and head will create pressure where the edge of the block presses onto your suboccipital muscles. Roll your head slowly to one side until you feel a spot that creates the same pattern of pain as your headache and hold there – breathe and relax until the pain subsides but hold no longer than a minute. Do this up to 3 times. Roll to the other side and repeat.

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Trapezius Muscle

Aptly named for its shape the Trapezius is a master of referred pain, leading you to believe the problem is in your temples and ears when actually the problem lies in your upper shoulders!

Trapezius is a broad flat muscle that covers the back of the neck and most of the upper and middle back.

Trigger points in the upper fibres refer pain to the temples, angle of the jaw, down the neck behind the ear, deep behind the eye, and to the back of the head.

Unlike SCM which I spoke about in my last blog, Trapezius will actually ache over the whole muscle as well, we often feel a general ache over the tops of our shoulder and up the back of our neck.

What is really interesting about the function of this muscle is that it actually works as three separate parts AND with opposing actions. The upper fibres of the muscle shrug our shoulders to our ears and extend the head back. The middle and lower fibres pull in the opposite direction, drawing our shoulder blades downward and inward towards our spine.

This is a unique feature of trapezius and is why it so commonly becomes imbalanced.

The body is constructed for maximum efficiency – so when one muscle contacts (Bicep for example), it’s opposing muscle (the tricep) is inhibited or becomes relaxed – this means that the contracted muscle has no opposing force and is able to contract to it’s maximum.

The same happens here in the different fibres of trapezius. The fatal flaw here is what tends to happen is that if one muscle is being used a lot more than it’s opposing then it’s a quick path to hypertension in the overused muscle and weakness in the muscle that is always relaxing – sometimes leading to complete inhibition of the muscle where it stops working all together.

What causes imbalance of the Trapezius?

Posture – Our every day seated posture where our head is slightly forward of our shoulders and our shoulders roll forward slightly while we work – this causes lengthening of the middle and lower fibres and tightening of the upper trapezius.

Stress! – A common posture we take on when stressed is to bring our shoulders to our ears – causing contraction of our upper trapezius and inhibition of the lower fibres. It is proven that there is a direct connection between mental and emotional stress and muscular contraction; in practice I see this most commonly in the trapezius muscle

Handbags – Yes ladies – clear out some of your handbag contents as it could be detrimental to your health. A function of upper trapezius is to stabilize the shoulder in position when a downward weight or force is applied. You don’t need that massive makeup bag in there – you are all beautiful as you are, especially when your neck is long and shoulders open and elegant.

How to treat?

Stretching – Hold your left hand with your right behind your back – gently pull down on the left hand as you take your right ear to your right shoulder. Roll your head forwad and back a little until you find that delicious stretch – you may even feel the trigger point acting up and referring to one of the areas mentioned above. If so, hold that position, breath fully and smoothly and focus on letting go through that area, breath here until the pain fades and then relax and repeat up to 3 times.

Massage – the most effective treatment I find for trigger points in upper trapezius is to pinch that lump of muscle all the way along the tops of your shoulders, breathing calmly at each point and pausing at any referrals as above. You may even like to incorporate a little stretch as you pinch a trigger point, this is very effective in helping that bundle of contacted tissue to let go and leave you alone.

See a masseuse – like me

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