Wishes for the Week
After a tough week for many with lockdowns for more than half of the country, let's start this week afresh and focus on our blessings for the week. "May your troubles be less and your blessings be more".
𝙈𝙮 𝙁𝙖𝙫𝙤𝙪𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙃𝙚𝙧𝙗𝙨 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙎𝙡𝙚𝙚𝙥: 𝘾𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙖𝙣 𝙋𝙤𝙥𝙥𝙮
Think of a field of bright orange poppies, and by poppies, I am referring specifically to Californian Poppy here... The true magnificence of this flower already has the effect of making you feel at peace, bathing you in serenity, wouldn't you agree?
Californian Poppy is a beautiful herb with great medicinal qualities 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘹𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. It is from the same family as the opium poppy, but without the same cautions or contraindications. It is a safe herb and can even be used for bed-wetting in children, however, it's always important to speak with your health professional first.
𝘌𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘴𝘤𝘩𝘰𝘭𝘻𝘪𝘢 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢 is its botanical name, even though related to the ‘opium poppy’, contains a different class of alkaloids and does not have a narcotic effect. Its qualities are antispasmodic, sedative, relaxant, and analgesic. It is gentle and mild and is used to treat sleep disturbances, nervous tension, and anxiety. Due to its analgesic effects, it is very effective in treating painful conditions involving the irritation of pain fibres, which can cause a night of disturbed sleep.
Californian Poppy has been used by Native Americans as a pain killer, especially for 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘴. However, the most common use has been a tea infusion for treating insomnia, 𝘳𝘦𝘥𝘶𝘤𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘹𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘱.
I use a magnesium combination that contains Californian Poppy and Lavender, which combines wonderfully to promote deep sleep.
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#herbsforsleep #psycohtherapistbuderim
"𝙊𝙪𝙧 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙥𝙪𝙧𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙞𝙣 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙥 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣'𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙥 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢, 𝙖𝙩 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙙𝙤𝙣'𝙩 𝙝𝙪𝙧𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢" ~The Dalai Lama
This life we live is a gift and we should treasure every moment. When we connect with others and help, we open ourselves to even more joy, abundance and self-love.
𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗛𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗰 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘀𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴
“𝘞𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘭𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘣𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘦 𝘶𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘸𝘦 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮.” Albert Einstein
𝘋𝘪𝘥 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘏𝘰𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘤 𝘊𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘢𝘺 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘪𝘮𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘴𝘭𝘦𝘦𝘱 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘰𝘭𝘴 𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘺𝘰𝘶? The approach is based on treating the whole person, as such, we are made up of different aspects or parts. During a session, l help you identify specific aspects and their interconnectedness with your emotions and feelings, so you can see the relationships and how they can influence or affect you and your wellbeing. This understanding helps to bring about the transformation and healing, whilst being in a safe and caring space provided by myself.
If you would like to improve your sleep quality, you could look at how the different aspects of you may be contributing factors. For example, consider these 3 scenarios, which I often see playing out in my clients' lives:
1. 𝗢𝗻 𝗮 𝗽𝗵𝘆𝘀𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹- you could identify that you have dropped your exercise routine and as you know that exercise helps you sleep better, you could start exercising again.
2. 𝗢𝗻 𝗮𝗻 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹- you identify that your workload has increased, which has caused you more stress and less time to exercise. So, you could set some boundaries around working hours.
3. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝗮 𝘀𝗽
𝗠𝘆 𝗙𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗯𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽: 𝗛𝗼𝗽𝘀
This is one I am sure you're familiar with! You have probably tasted 𝘏𝘶𝘮𝘶𝘭𝘶𝘴 𝘭𝘶𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘶𝘴, more commonly known as 𝘏𝘰𝘱𝘴, 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘳 before. Whilst the value of Hops in the beer-making process is known, the plant’s medicinal uses are less talked about. One of the most widely studied medicinal properties of Hops is its ability to assist with inducing sleep. The qualities of Hops are bitter, hypnotic, spasmolytic, and sedative, and you can get the benefits of the herb without the alcohol content or need to drink a beer! Therapeutic levels of the herb can be found in capsules and tablets, making it an easy-to-use herb to aid in your sleep.
Hops have been used to improve the taste of beer in Germany since the 11th Century. Paracelsus (1493-1541) used hops as a digestive aid. It wasn't until the 1800’s when various authors reported on the sleep-promoting properties of this herb. In traditional Ayurvedic medicine, hops has also been recommended for restlessness, headaches, and indigestion. Western Herbal Medicine uses this wonderful herb for treating insomnia, poor sleep quality, anxiety, nervous dyspepsia, and menopausal insomnia caused by hot flushes.
Next week I will introduce you to the last great herb in the series for aiding sleep before we move into herbs of the mind.
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#herbsforsleep #psychotherapistbuderim
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙇𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙗𝙚𝙩𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙣 𝙈𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙎𝙡𝙚𝙚𝙥
You may have 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢 𝘮𝘦𝘥𝘪𝘵𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦, as you heard it is beneficial for relaxation and sleep. You may have already tried a few different practices, but found it difficult to stick to them? And yet you still might wonder, how meditation could improve your sleep?
Meditation has been practiced for thousands of years with different views, methods and intentions. Ultimately, 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗲 and not intended to induce sleep, as a matter of fact, the intention is the opposite, to be aware and present. However, 𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗶𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀 𝗱𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗼𝘁𝗲 𝗮 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗮𝘅𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻. 𝗜𝗻 𝗽𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿, 𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗳𝘂𝗹𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻, has shown to bring about a relaxed state of mind that can improve sleep quality.
As sleep disturbances are often related to an overactive mind and nervous system, centering calming mindfulness practices can downregulate the nervous system and quieten the mind, which is conducive to falling and staying asleep.
The 𝗧𝗶𝗯𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗻 𝗖𝗮𝗹𝗺 𝗔𝗯𝗶𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 practices, a form of mindfulness meditation, are calming the mind through a focused presence practice. They are easy to learn, and 𝗜 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗰𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺. Stay tuned, as new classes will start soon at the
𝗠𝘆 𝗙𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗯𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽: 𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗳𝗹𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿
Passionflower is the next in this wonderful journey down the 'sleep' lane😊!
I am sure you have seen these beautiful flowers on vines of passionfruit!
𝘗𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘧𝘭𝘰𝘳𝘢 𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘢 is a fantastic herb to aid in settling your mind and body. It can be safely used by adults and children, however, it is always recommended to speak with your health professional first. It is known for its very mild sedative and calming effect on the nervous system.
Passionflower has been used since the 16th century for medicinal purposes to treat insomnia and symptoms of anxiety. It is a wildflower that was originally used as a sedative by indigenous Americans, including the Aztec.
Today, Passionflower is recommended as a powerful nervine tonic that may assist in supporting stress, anxiety and induce a good night’s sleep. Additionally, it has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory qualities too.
There are several ways in which to take this herb: as a glyceytract in droplets or as an alcoholic tincture, powdered in capsules, or compressed in tablet form. Your health professional can advise the best form suitable for you.
Stay tuned until next week, when I will introduce you to another great herb that may aid with sleep! I know you'll love it. 𝗛𝗶𝗻𝘁: Think of a cold refreshing drink on a hot summer's day😉.
𝙉𝙤 𝙊𝙣𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧!
Embrace your uniqueness. There isn't another soul on this planet like you. You have so much to offer and share with the world. Remind yourself, that comparing yourself to others is not only unnecessary, it's not worth the energy. They are not you, and you are not them. Know your power and let it shine!
#mondaymotivation #psychotherapistsunshinecoast
How Craniosacral Therapy may assist you with Sleep
One of the main principles of Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy (BCST) is to help enhance the body’s ability to heal itself. BCST works closely with the autonomic nervous system, which helps the body to rest and regulate our stress response. The regulation of the autonomic nervous system enhances the body’s function to relax, digest and think clearly. Thus, BCST may support symptoms of insomnia and dysregulated sleep.
Craniosacral Therapy has been practiced since the 1930’s by certain Osteopaths and has become more known through the UpLedger institute in the 1970’s. From these origins the therapy has developed further, and today there are a few different schools worldwide. Biodynamic Craniosacral Therapy is considered the gentlest and least invasive approach.
Craniosacral Therapy is based on working with the subtle rhythms of the cerebral fluids, which are breath-like movements, that are found in the body, and are critical to our health and well-being. A Craniosacral Therapist listens to the craniosacral rhythm in the body and feels for blockages and restrictions of flow. By being present with the body and bringing awareness to these blockages, the flow of the rhythmic movements can be restored, which benefits both mental and physical health.
During Craniosacral therapy sessions the body can go into deep states of relaxation followed by a rapid eye movement cycle (REM), similar to the REM cycle during sleep. When we enter these deeply restorative phases, the body can release tension and rejuvenate. Craniosacral therapy can also contribute to deactivating the RAM (Reticular Alarm System) of the body, which is responsible for regulating the body’s sleep-wake transitions. As insomnia is often connected with other health issues, a holistic approach is beneficial for its treatment.
BCST is a non-invasive therapy that stimulates your body to heal itself. If you would like to know more about this beautiful hea
𝗠𝘆 𝗙𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗯𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗦𝗹𝗲𝗲𝗽
Have you ever tried using herbs to improve your sleep? You may know about commonly used herbs such as 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘦, 𝘭𝘦𝘮𝘰𝘯 𝘣𝘢𝘭𝘮 𝘰𝘳 𝘭𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 that are often used in tea infusions to calm the body and mind before sleeping. However, I would like to introduce you to some of 𝗺𝘆 𝗳𝗮𝘃𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗯𝘀 for aiding sleep that you may not be familiar with yet. 𝘏𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘡𝘪𝘻𝘺𝘱𝘩𝘶𝘴?
𝘡𝘪𝘻𝘺𝘱𝘩𝘶𝘴 𝘫𝘶𝘫𝘶𝘣𝘢 𝘷𝘢𝘳. 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘰𝘴𝘢 is a wonderful herb that has been used in China for more than 3000 years. It appears in Chinese medical texts around 300 BC. Traditionally it was recommended for heart and abdominal issues and to increase longevity. In the past two decades, there have been many studies done on the numerous health benefits of Zizyphus and I will only focus on the most common uses of Zizyphus here.
Zizyphus is an excellent sedative. Its constituents help the body and mind settle. Certain active constituents called jujubosides, found in Zizyphus are responsible for its sleep-inducing effect. Research has shown that whichever time the herb was taken by those suffering from insomnia, significant improvement in deep-sleep states has been seen.
Jujubosides also assist with relaxation and may calm anxiety without creating sleepiness, when taken during the day.
Zizyphus is also considered to be an antioxidant due to its flavonoid content. Furthermore, it qualifies as an anti-inflammatory due to its triterpenoid saponins, another active constituent of the herb.
Last but not least, Zizyphus has been seen as useful for women suffering from peri-menopausal insomnia and sweating.
Next week I will introduce you to anothe
Finding the barriers
𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝘽𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙧𝙨
I love this quote from Rumi as it is something that comes up time and time again. "𝘠𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘬 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘬 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘬 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘪𝘭𝘵 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘪𝘵."
#motivationmonday #Brisbanepsychotherapy #traumatherapistbrisbane
Important information! I have moved the Brisbane Clinic from Chapel Hill to Paddington, so I am closer to the city now. I am also setting up a clinic in Buderim. So if you or someone you know would benefit from an appointment, keep an eye out for the new address in Buderim or simply book into the Paddington clinic via FB or email: [email protected]
Somatic Meditation Session 1
ocean sounds
1 Minute of peace at one of the most beautiful places on earth:)
(Listen to the sound of the ocean - it regulates your heart beat)
Somatic Psychotherapy & Counselling, Trauma Healing & Cranio Sacral Therapy, Somatic Meditation Class
