The Lightning Process

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Food for thought – or Thought for food?

by Lauren Stoney

The power of thoughts and our neurology

We have around 60,000 thoughts a day and every single thought produces a chemical response through the release of hormones and neurotransmitters. Just for a moment, take yourself back to a momentous life event – something that really impacted your life in a positive or negative way.

How does it feel to connect with that memory?

Essentially, you’re accessing the neurology that triggered a very specific chemical response and, in doing so, you trigger that chemical release in much the same way. Even something as simple as thinking about a drink you managed to poison yourself with – sambuca, whisky, whatever it might be! Think about it long enough and you’ll do a great job of triggering off those nauseous feelings again. So when we access thoughts and memories, we produce feelings and emotions, which produce changes in our chemistry.

Which brings us to the question – if what we focus on and the thoughts that we have, have a physical component, what does this tell us about the power we have to influence our health?

Mind-body in the wider world

Interestingly, the principles of mind-body connection show up a lot in examples of ‘placebo’, but they are also used a lot in sports performance.

In one study, researchers asked a control group lift a weight with their little finger, whilst the other group did nothing physical, but simply IMAGINED they were lifting a weight with their little finger. Over time, they found that BOTH groups had developed muscle mass in their little finger despite the fact that only one of them had physically exercised that part of their body.

But it’s not just about imagining yourself well or believing that you are being healed with some magical treatment that influences our physiological health. It’s the way in which we speak to ourselves, the beliefs that we hold about our own lives, and our capacity to thrive that influences our health for the better. It’s the way that we respond to the environment around us and the choices that we make in our lives that get us on the path to health.

Thoughts feed the body, like water feeds the soil – psychology feeds our neurology; neurology feeds our physiology.

So how can you influence yours?

We are delighted to welcome Lauren and The Lightning Process to Oak Park Clinic, with courses running for socially distant small groups currently due to Covid restrictions. If you would like to discuss The Lightning Process or any of the information in this blog, Lauren would love to hear from you:


Contact her directly at lauren@laurenstoney.co.uk / 07554841880.
Find details of future Lightning Process courses here https://laurenstoney.co.uk/lightning-process-brighton-farnham-reading-southampton/

Relief is Nigh – Massage Therapies Available Again

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We have all reacted differently to the lockdown restrictions and we all need different support to come out of it. You may have started jogging, cycling or have taken up another form of strenuous sports activity – perhaps you have overdone it and are now in some discomfort. Equally, your physical activity level may have gone down, perhaps you have been shielding (maybe you still are). Maybe you are eager to get back into an activity you had to abandon, and you are worried about potential injuries a long period of inactivity may have caused. Any change in the level of physical activity can affect how you feel physically and mentally.

We are delighted to say that we can help you feel more comfortable in your body again. Whether the discomfort comes from too much or too little activity. We are now able to offer massage therapies and sports massage. Our experienced therapists – Bernie Hughes and Sarah Sewell – are keen to be back and miss their regular patients. Whether you are a new or returning patient please contact our reservations team to make a booking.

REMEDIAL MASSAGE

Remedial massage uses varied techniques to restore muscle balance and help remedy chronic musculoskeletal problems caused by postural imbalances, frequent computer use, overuse etc. It incorporates massage, myofascial release techniques, manipulation of soft tissues, exercise and stretching advice to reduce symptoms of overuse injuries, treat muscular aches and pains and correct postural problems. The whole body is considered to identifying and treat the cause of the disorder, not just the symptoms, after assessing soft tissue condition through conversation, postural assessment and palpitation.

SPORTS MASSAGE

Sports massage (sometimes referred to as Deep Tissue Massage) is suitable for all, not just athletes. People often think of massage as a nice way to occasionally pamper themselves, but regular massage provides a powerful tool to help you take care of your health and wellbeing. Clinically based musculoskeletal and neural techniques are used to provide a bespoke treatment targeting muscles, tendons, ligaments and fascia and the pressure may vary from a light stroking or kneading to deep pressure. Regular massage can improve your quality of life and aid recovery from training. Kinesiology taping is also offered to support injury recovery.

OTHER HELPFUL THERAPIES

In addition to the massage therapies we can also support you with osteopathy. In the past months our skillful practitioners – Charlotte Rooney and Nicki Tottenham – were only able to offer emergency and urgent appointments. We are now delighted to start taking bookings for regular appointments.

Another therapy, which may be of help is acupuncture. Last week we welcomed to the team our very own accredited acupuncturist – Juliette Brickley. You can read more about benefits of acupuncture in our recent blog post.

WE CAN HELP – BOOK NOW

As the government releases new guidelines we are delighted to offer a broader range of therapies, so please get in touch with our team who will be able to advise which one would work best for you (01252 850 800 or info@oakparkclinic.co.uk). You can also book online.

From August we expect to be able to offer a full range of therapies. We will regularly post news here on our blog and on our Facebook page, so please look out for updates.

To ensure everyone’s safety our therapists wear PPE and carry out risk assessments prior to every consultation. If your practitioner feels that face to face appointments are not appropriate at this time, a telehealth appointment may be offered. Alternatively, we may be able to offer you a face to face appointment in the short term future. All our friendly practitioners are happy to chat this process through, call to arrange this at your convenience.

Welcoming Our New Accredited Acupuncturist

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In amongst the uncertainty, changes and restriction we are all currently living under, behind the scenes we are working hard to move forward and be ready to welcome you and help with any symptoms you may have experienced during lockdown. Many of you may have suffered with lockdown-related anxiety and stress. You may also feel nervous about going back to normal life, interacting with friends, family or colleagues, or beginning to pick up elements of life which you have not engaged with for several months. Our wonderful team of practitioners is looking forward to supporting you during this next phase.

Continue reading “Welcoming Our New Accredited Acupuncturist”