A JOURNEY THROUGH THE CHAKRAS WITH CRYSTALS

Chakras are rotating discs of subtle energy moving within the body’s aura that connect with the physical body.  They are located at specific points connecting both at the front and back of the body.  The word Chakra is derived from the Sanskrit word ‘chakram’ which means ‘wheel’.

There are seven major chakras aligned with the spine which govern the central nervous and endocrine systems.  Complementary therapists work with these chakras. In addition, there are 21 minor chakras located around the body, which are also used in holistic treatments, in acupuncture, shiatsu and yoga.

HOW DO CRYSTALS WORK?

All things in the universe vibrate and we can use the vibrations from crystals to help unblock stagnant energy, which then allows the body’s own natural healing abilities to work.

The seven main Chakra’s are:-

THE BASE CHAKRA – RED

This Chakra is where our life force energy and our will to live emanates from, giving us our strength and vitality.  The areas of the body that are governed by this chakra are the feet and legs to the base of the spine; bones, teeth, nails, prostate and suprarenal glands (situated on top of the kidneys).  These glands produce many hormones including adrenaline. 

The element associated with this Chakra is Earth and it is linked to our sense of smell.

Crystals with earthing qualities are used with this Chakra including:-

Garnet, Smoky Quartz, Ruby, Agate, Red Jasper, Bloodstone and Black Onyx.

               

THE SACRAL CHAKRA - ORANGE

The area of the body governed by this Chakra is the area between the base of the spine to just below the tummy button. This is our emotional centre that governs our sexuality, relationships and happiness.   It covers all the reproductive organs and glands, the bladder and kidneys. This Chakra governs all the liquids in the body including lymph, blood and water. 

The element associated with this Chakra is Water and it is linked to our sense of taste.

Crystals to balance the emotions are used with this Chakra including:-

Moonstone, Carnelian, Jasper, Orange Calcite, Topaz and Haematite.

THE SOLAR PLEXUS CHAKRA – YELLOW

The Solar Plexus Chakra is situated from just below the tummy button to just above it.  This is our centre of power and governs both our mental and intellectual abilities, as well as linking to our digestive system.  The gland associated with this Chakra is the pancreas and the related areas of the body are the lower back, stomach, liver, gall bladder and the autonomic nervous system.

The elements associated with this Chakra are Fire and Air and it is linked to our sense of sight.

Cystals with clearing and empowering properties are used with this Chakra including:-

Tiger’s Eye, Citrine, Yellow Flourite. Yellow Topaz, Amber

THE HEART CHAKRA – GREEN

This Chakra is linked to our physical heart and our ability to give and receive love.  The areas of the body governed by this Chakra along with the heart are the rib cage, upper back, lower lungs, skin and hands.

The element associated with this Chakra is Air and it is linked to our sense of touch.

Crystals to bring peace and harmony to balance this Chakra include:-

Emerald, Green Jade, Aventurine, Peridot, Green and Pink Tourmaline, Kunzite, Roze Quartz, Green Quartz and Lepidolite.

THE THROAT CHAKRA – BLUE

This Chakra is situated at the base of the throat and is linked to our throat, vocal chords, oesophagus, lungs, bronchial tubes and jaw.  It also governs the metabolism of both the thyroid and parathyroid glands.

Blue stones are used with this Chakra which are cleansing, cooling and calming.   They can help where there is difficulty with expressing oneself, lack of energy and motivation and any breathing or thyroid problems.

The elements associated with this Chakra are Air, Fire and Ether and it is linked to our sense of hearing.

Crystals used with this Chakra include:-

Blue Topaz, Aquamarine, Blue Agate, Turquoise, blue Obsidian, Lepidolite and Chalcedony.

THE BROW CHAKRA – INDIGO

This Chakra is situated in the centre of the forehead between the eyebrows. It is associated with our intuition, our higher self and broadening the mind.  It covers the sinuses, ears, nose and eyes, and part of the nervous system.

The Element associated with this Chakra is Ether and it links to all our senses as well as our extra sensory perception.  This Chakra governs the Pituitary Gland and thereby the release of hormones to all of the endocrine glands.

Deep blue crystals are used to bring balance to this Chakra, including:

Lapis Lazuli, Hawk Eye, Iolite, Sodalite and Sapphire. Violet and white crystals can also bring balance to this area.

THE CROWN CHAKRA – VIOLET

Located at the crown of the head, this Chakra links to the Cerebrum.  It governs the Pineal Gland and the sympathetic nervous system.  If this Chakra is out of balance we can suffer headaches, migraines and other mental or nervous disorders.

This Chakra is associated with the element Ether; and violet and white crystals are used to bring balance and harmony, including:-

Amethyst, Clear Quartz, Diamond.

Crystals for both the third eye and crown chakras.

Great News! 
We have been shortlisted for Tesco Bags of Help Scheme which will enable us to transform the Centre's garden in to a sensory delight.
To vote, you will need to make a purchase within Axminster or Lyme Regis Tesco store of any value.
You will receive one token per transaction.  Voting takes place from July 1st 2017
Please encourage friends and family to vote for our project.

Staff and Volunteers from the Axminster Health and Wellbeing Centre were pleased to join volunteers from HALFF, HospiceCare Axminster, Axminster Care Service and Silverleigh Care Home for a fantastic afternoon tea provided by River Cottage HQ.  The event was held to welcome walkers on 'The Great Big Charity Walk' to this area. Walkers from Batley in West Yorkshire are walking five different routes in the UK over three weeks in memory of Jo Cox, MP for Batley and Spen who was tragically killed on 16th June last year.

Small picnics and community events will be held across the UK a year on from the day the married mother of two was shot and stabbed in her Batley and Spen Constituency to commemorate the life of Mrs Cox who said that "in Britain we have far more in common than that which divides us".

Many thanks to River Cottage HQ for a splendid afternoon tea which allowed local voluntary community groups to meet and socialise together, as well as meeting the inspiring Big Charity Walkers and hearing their uplifting stories of the amazing people they had met on their journey.

Mindful Eating and Hypnotherapy week 3

Week 3

After being on the ‘F’ it plan for so many years, I will let you into a little secret. There has been a breakthrough, not an Earth shattering movement, but for the first time in many years (while not being on a diet) I have genuinely refused pudding. I didn’t do this to be ‘good’, reward myself, guilt or for punishment, it was because I had recognised ‘full’. What a lot of old rubbish I hear you splutter about now. What I really meant to say was I did not eat my way past full and into uncomfortable, I just…stopped and it felt kind of nice.

I was really excited to tell the group and was even more excited with this week’s topic, the power of the pause. How many of us really stop to think about what we are eating? Many people now are eating on the go, let alone allowing time in between forkfuls. So we pause. I am going to listen to those pauses from now on in the hope they have a little code waiting for me to crack.

Favourite foods were up next and why we love them so much. On some mindful eating courses they encourage people to eat as much of this food as possible to try to ascertain why we continue to over eat. I’m not sure they have enough crisps in East Devon for this challenge but it’s a challenge my husband thought would be fun. If I am brave enough, and I usually am, I will let you in on what a marathon crisp binge feels like. I will point out this was not part of this course and I have realised I didn’t buy any crisps on this week’s shop! So something is definitely working.

This week’s homework was to pause wherever possible and practice the art of enjoying our food. It was no longer a vessel fed by our hunger but something we just did and took pleasure in. This was most important because I see food as one of my best friends, sad I know, but I get so much pleasure from it that I realise now why diets can’t work for me. So like any invested relationship I am going to help ‘my friend’ be the best they can be and that means looking at all my food choices.

If you would like to know more I will be posting this blog for the next six weeks. Please like and share. For interest in doing a course please phone Katherine Locke on 07791182023 or email katherine@followyourfreedom.co.uk and for similar courses please phone the Axminster Health & Wellbeing Centre on 01297 32331

Mindful Eating with Hypnotherapy Week 2

Week 2

Frustration is in the air harked the group when we met up. Our minds had been so consumed by the way normal ‘diet’ plans work that we weren’t totally sure if we were doing things right. The simple answer was there is no such thing as right or wrong, just what’s right for each individual. This was a scary concept in the thought that we could be left to our own devices. We all agreed on being more aware about what we were putting into our bodies and were looking for little triggers: smells, tastes, touch, sadness, anger, loneliness and boredom.

Can you remember the last time you were hungry? I bet you CAN remember the last time you were full. Were you feeding physical or emotional hunger? It was safe to say in our room we weren’t feeding physical hunger. So what were we feeding if it wasn’t physical hunger? This part of the session was trickier, and we would be exploring this all through the course. It did highlight very different reasons for eating from person to person. Individuality was key to this session and being aware of how we related to our food. We finished with a group hypnotherapy session which took us a little deeper than the week before and left us relaxed ready to take on the next emotional challenge.

This week’s homework was to document how we felt about the food we were eating and how we behaved around it. Here’s hoping my emotional journey isn’t too deep this week - just some breakthroughs. It has started off well and I definitely want to eat healthier food but I’m still giving myself some rewards. But rewards for what? 

If you would like to know more I will be posting this blog for the next six weeks. Please like and share. For interest in doing a course please phone Katherine Locke on 07791182023 or email katherine@followyourfreedom.co.uk and for similar courses please phone the Axminster Health & Wellbeing Centre on 01297 32331

Mindful Eating with Hypnotherapy

Week 1

After an already hectic week I wasn’t sure how I was feeling about my new course. I knew relatively little about Mindful Eating, but what I did know was I needed to explore my relationship with eating. Over the years I have tried a lot of different ‘diets’ and needless to say I have a liberal sprinkling of scepticism about the course. This was totally my own fears and self-sabotage rearing its ugly head.

The best part about the introduction was finding like-minded people who were also exploring food relationships and a facilitator who understood frustration. It became quite apparent that this course was NOT about weight management, goal setting, unrealistic expectations or guilt. This was a welcomed start to our journey.

The introduction to the Mindful Eating Hypnotherapy was clear and targeted for the group, which made us all feel at ease. We all left with a feeling of calm and relaxation. In the days since the course we have been asked to be aware of how we felt about eating and ourselves when we are around food. There have been some interesting discoveries, at certain points I have decided to say ‘no’, I have wanted to eat a lot of childhood foods and generally felt food as something happy. I’m not sure what other developments, if any, will happen over the course but I will keep you posted. Aynsley

If you would like to know more I will be posting this blog for the next six weeks. Please like and share. For interest in doing a course please phone Katherine Locke on 07791182023 or email katherine@followyourfreedom.co.uk and for similar courses please phone the Axminster Health & Wellbeing Centre on 01297 32331

Thank you and a fond farewell to Nikki our volunteer

I began volunteering at Axminster Health & Wellbeing Centre in July 2015, having only moved down to Axminster from Bedfordshire two months earlier. I was welcomed in as one of the team of volunteers who man the reception desk, and I also took on the task of creating a computerised catalogue of all of the books held in the centre’s library – no easy task with approximately 1000 books to list! Originally when I began volunteering, I thought the main benefit would be to meet new people and hopefully make some friends along the way. However, after a few weeks here, I realised just how much they offer in terms of the therapies available and how they look after the team of volunteers to make sure that they are not doing more than they are able to realistically manage. 

Whilst here, I have been able to help with things such as the Wishing Well cancer support group, and help out at the annual Health & Wellbeing Exhibition which I thoroughly enjoyed as I got to meet and speak to hundreds of people. I have also been lucky enough to have some therapies here outside of my working hours, including massage and mindfulness. I have learnt a great deal more about the wide variety of complimentary therapies available as well, and will definitely be trying a few more!

In the last two months,  after being put in contact with an organisation called Pluss, I was given the opportunity to work more hours at the centre and be paid by Pluss (this is known as an Options Traineeship) to help me to get ready for finding permanent employment. Little did I know that, less than six weeks later, I would be sat here writing this blog post, on my last day working at the centre before starting full time work in the morning! It happened so quickly and everyone at the centre has been so supportive of my decision to apply for and then accept the offer of the job. I will miss my shifts at the centre but will still be helping at their events such as the Exhibition (Saturday 8^th October at Axminster Guildhall!). 

 I cannot thank them enough for the experience and support they have provided here. If you are looking for a volunteering opportunity then definitely get in contact with them as it’s a lovely place to work and meet new people from the local area.