Tag: holistichealth

The connection between life-long learning attitude and holistic wellbeing

Posted on by Fiora Touliatou

Article by Fiora Touliatou

Have you ever met older people that are active, enthusiastic and look much younger than their age? On the contrary, have you met younger people with a fixed mindset that seem older than their age? Ever wondered why?

According to science, when you keep your brain active and stimulated with new knowledge, you are helping it build new cells and rejuvenate old ones; you are literally keeping it young and healthy by challenging it into new learning experiences. Neuroplasticity (aka brain plasticity) is the scientific term that refers to this ability of the brain to modify and adapt in response to changes in the environment. When we enrich our brain with new information, we create new connections between its neurons and effectively enhance its cells. New information can be anything from sensory, emotional, movement oriented, intellectual. Learning enhances your memory, increases the power of neural circuits and can even form new brain cells. On the contrary however, when you stop learning and simply compromise to a life of habitual survival, that will cause areas of your brain to start shrinking. This happens because, when the brain detects which neural connections are not used frequently, shuts them down to avoid wasting energy on them, while it will divert all energy to maintaining and reinforcing only connections that are actively used. So if you don’t use it, you will literally lose it!

The human brain is a dynamic, intelligent and adaptive organ with power to rebuild and adapt. Thoughts and emotions are either negative or positive energy within us which can either create either blockages and restrictions or bridges and platforms. The choice is ours and neuroplasticity enables us to adapt, respond and evolve our brains to the changes around us. Do you want to form millions of new connections that will lead you to a new enhanced better version of yourself? Then refresh your experiences, keep moving, keep learning, keep changing, keep adapting to new environment and, generally, commit to life-long learning! This powerful self care attitude will keep you healthy not only physically but also mentally and emotionally!

You are literally rewriting and rewiring your brain every single day! Think purposefully, move purposefully, live purposefully!

Photo by WARLEY VENANCIO from Pexels

The link between emotional stress and pain

Posted on by Fiora Touliatou

Article by Fiora Touliatou

In the universe, everything is energy and vibration. In a previous article, we analysed the healing power of positive words. In today’s blog post, we will talk about the power of emotions.

Whatever we feel is a vibration, an energy that we create. It affects not only our energy system and physical body, but also others around us. We essentially become a source of energy; we emit and vibrate what we feel, think and say. Of course, positive emotions create positive vibrations and strengthen us on all levels. But how do negative emotions affect us?

Whatever negative emotion we have, it creates a negative vibration firstly in our aura (our energy field) and then in our physical body. Having negative emotions is part of life and we all experience it daily. But problems arise when a negative emotion becomes constant due to circumstances or negative thinking. Essentially, this negative energy that vibrates becomes an embodiment and appears as pain or even as a health issue.

Our different energy centers (chakras) and parts of the body are “responsible” or otherwise represent and store different emotions. So let’s see what the different physical pains mean depending on the part of the body that they appear.

  • Headache – when we constantly think about the same problem or do not find solutions to a problem or situation. Also, over-analyzing a problem traps energy in our head and creates an imbalance in our energy field.
  • Neck pain – when we are stubborn and fanatical about our beliefs and behaviours, without accepting other people’s differences, opinions and beliefs.
  • Shoulder pain – responsibilities or emotions that weigh on us. It can either be a pain from the past that we carry in the present or problems of others that we tend to solve and become drained to our disadvantage.
  • Upper back pain (between the shoulder blades) – Lack of emotional support or love from family and our environment.
  • Lower back pain – Lack of financial support. Lack of emotional support from family and close relationships. Also lack of sexual satisfaction.
  • Elbow pain – Difficulty and rigidity in life’s constant changes.
  • Wrist pain – Fear of life’s changes. Inability to take and give to others.
  • Hip pain- Fear and resistance to and move on and go with the glow of life. Fear of the future.

So how do we get rid of these pains and what can we do to prevent them? The solution is to follow a holistic lifestyle. This means following practices that balance our wholeness, the connection of our mind-body-spirit. Some of these practices are:

  • Positive affirmations
  • Meditation
  • Yoga
  • Tai-Chi/Chi Kung
  • Martial arts
  • Dance
  • Holistic therapies such as massage, reflexology, acupuncture and Reiki (energy healing) and crystal healing

If you like to learn more and improve your life and health, you can book for a Holistic Lifestyle Coaching introductory session.

Photo by Andrea Piacquadio from Pexels

Five top benefits of dry brushing

Posted on by Fiora Touliatou

Article by Fiora Touliatou

Have you heard of dry brushing?

Dry brushing is an ancient Ayurvedic technique which combines exfoliation and massage. It’s daily practice has many health benefits:

  • removes dead skin cells,
  • reduces cellulite,
  • improves skin texture and condition,
  • encourages lymphatic drainage,
  • increases blood circulation.

The most important benefit of dry brushing is the stimulation of the lymphatic drainage, also known as lymph node drainage. But why is this so important and why is dry brushing so effective?

First of all, our lymphatic system is responsible for eliminating cellular waste products. Thousands of lymphatic tubules collect waste and toxins from our tissues and then they transport them to our blood and kidneys for elimination. This process is known as lymphatic drainage. When our lymphatic system is not working properly, waste and toxins build up. This can lead to lymphatic congestion which is a major factor of inflammation and disease. This is why we need to stimulate our lymphatic system and help it release those toxins. And that’s why dry brushing is such a powerful detoxification aid.

Dry brushing should be incorporated in our daily routine, ideally before our morning shower. Firstly, choose a wooden, natural fibre body brush with a long handle. Start by using long, smooth stokes, and brush your skin from the feet upwards towards your heart. Then brush your arms, starting from the hands and again towards the direction of the heart. Include the shoulders and neck but not the face (facial skin is more sensitive and could be irritated). Overall you can dry brush for 5 minutes, then take a shower and finally use a moisturiser.

Photo by Cottonbro from Pexels

Walking meditation

Posted on by Fiora Touliatou

Article by Fiora Touliatou

Have you heard of walking meditation?

Walking meditation is a form of moving meditation. Precisely, it is a mindful walking practice that has its origins in Buddhism and can be used as part of a mindfulness practice that involves movement and periods of walking between long periods of sitting meditation.

It can be practiced regularly, before or after sitting meditation or at any time, such as during a lunchbreak, after a busy day at work or on a Sunday morning in the park. In walking meditation the experience of walking is used as the focus. Traditionally, there are several different kinds of walking meditation, such as kinhin, theravada and vipassana, if someone wants to get more into the practice.

Walking meditation is more than a simple stroll in the park as it is usually done in a much slower pace than a normal walk and it usually involves coordination of the steps with the breathing. Techniques can be as detailed as breaking down each step into 2,4 or 6 parts. The general aim, as in any mindfulness exercise, is to keep the mind in the present moment.

Walking meditation can make a difference especially for people who are doing seated work for long hours or those who spend extended periods of time for daily commuting. Some of the benefits are:

  • Boosts blood flow and raises the energy levels as the walking practice helps to get the blood flowing, especially to the legs.
  • Improves digestion (especially after a meal)
  • Reduces anxiety and depression as it is a form of gentle exercise which releases endorphines, the happy hormones
  • Improves sleep quality
  • Increases clarity and focus which in turn can stimulate creativity.

The pace of walking meditation ranges from slow to extremely slow. You can let your hands and arms swing loosely by your sides, hold them behind your back or clasp them in front of your body around the height of your navel. Your gaze should be looking towards the ground just a few feet in front of you.

You can start by choosing a path or setting a time that you won’t be disturbed or you will have to rush. Once you decide the route, you can stat by observing your body and how it moves, then setting a slow walking pace. Afterwards, you can focus on your breath and synchronise your steps with the inhalation and exhlation. For example, you inhale and perform two steps, you exhale and perform another two steps. Gradually, you slow down your breath and inhale while performing for four steps, then exhale for four steps. Later on, you increase to six steps during inhalation and another equal six steps for the exhalation. The more often you practice, the more mindful you will become and you will start noticing the benefits of this wonderful yet simple mindfulness exercise.

Image by Tobi from Pexels

Belly breathing aka diaphragmatic breathing

Posted on by Fiora Touliatou

Article by Fiora Touliatou

Photo by Metadata

Breathing is the function that keeps us alive. Since ancient times, different spiritual practices have considered breathing the connection of our body-mind-soul and what brings our awareness to our bodies and the present moment.

Diaphragmatic breathing is the proper way to breath. Also known as belly breathing, it is a fundamental bodily function that mammals do instinctively. The process of breathing is facilitated and relies mostly on the thoracic diaphragm, the dome-shaped muscle located just below the lungs and heart, which contracts and expands continually during respiration.

During inhalation,the diaphragm contracts (flattens) so that the lungs fill with air. During this contraction, the diaphragm pushes down the abdominal internal organs causing the belly to expand. During exhalation, the diaphragm relaxes, thus the organs go back to their initial position thus the belly contracts. This bodily function is mostly done involuntarily.

However, because of several circumstances in our daily modern lifestyle, we unfortunately disrupt this natural process and we have developed a shallow breathing habit during which the diaphragm doesn’t move to its full capacity and the breathing is done with expanding the chest instead of the belly. Consequently, this causes several health issues such as stress, anxiety, panic attacks and even depression and severe mental health issues.

So what causes shallow breathing?

First of all, bad posture! For most of us nowadays, daily life involves sitting down in front of a computer. Even while using mobile phones, we tend to lean our hear down to look to our phone instead of lifting the phone higher to our eye level. Bad posture causes the shoulders to drop, the head to lean forward, the chest contracting and putting enormous pressure on the lungs and the heart. Consequently, as we cannot take deep breaths in, we start breathing shallow and faster which causes our heart rate to increase as well as the cortisol (the stress hormones) levels in our body. Moreover, we are inhaling less oxygen so our brain gets less oxygen too which lowers our concentration levels and while increases the possibility of headaches and migraines.As mentioned above, having a habit of shallow breathing creates chronic stress and anxiety disorders, even leading to mental health issues.

To reverse this shallow breathing and bring back the harmony and balance to our body-mind-soul, we simply need to connect to our breath. There are several ways to practice and relearn how to breathe properly. For a daily practice on your own, dedicate 5-10 minutes. Focus on your breath and your belly:

  • take a deep and slow breath in from your nose
  • let your belly rise/expand
  • count for 10
  • take a deep and slow breath out from your mouth
  • let your belly flatten/contract
  • count for 10

This can be practiced any time in the day, especially when you feel stress and you need to reconnect with your body and mind.

If you like to further your practice, you can start with holistic practices such as hatha yoga, meditation, taichi, chikung or/and internal martial arts which teach this principle as an essential practice for our energy system and overall welbeing.

The five beneficial ingredients of golden milk

Posted on by Fiora Touliatou

Article by Fiora Touliatou

Have you heard of golden milk and its amazing health benefits?

Photo by flockine from Pixabay

Golden milk is a traditional Indian drink (called haldi doodh) that has its roots in Ayurveda. Basically, it is a blend of hot coconut (or almond) milk, ginger, ground turmeric, honey, coconut oil and black pepper. Nowadays it’s also known as Turmeric Latte. Traditionally it is drunk in the evening as it promotes restful sleep.

Golden milk has numerous health benefits due to its ingredients:

  • Turmeric, it’s main ingredient, has been used as an Ayurvedic medicine in India for thousands of years. It has anti-inflammatory properties and is very healing for conditions such as breathing problems, joint pains, fatigue and digestive issues. Modern research also suggests that turmeric is a potent antioxidant with antimicrobial and anticancer effects.
  • Ginger is well known for its anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial benefits.
  • Coconut oil for an addition of healthy fat which makes the turmeric more available for our bodies to absorb because it is fat-soluble.
  • Honey is widely known for its many health benefits but mainly for its antioxidant, antibacterial and antifungal properties.
  • Black pepper also makes the curcumin in turmeric more bioavailable, so it’s an important addition as well.

How to make it!

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups of coconut or unsweetened almond milk
  • 1 teaspoon of turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon of raw honey (or coconut syrup if vegan)
  • 1 cinnamon stick or ½ teaspoon of ground cinnamon
  • a small pinch of ground or fresh ginger
  • a small pinch of pepper

Instructions:

  1. Add the almond milk to a small pot and heat on low temperature.
  2. Add the turmeric, cinnamon stick, raw honey or coconut syrup, and pepper and stir frequently for about 3 minutes until the milk is warm, but not boiling.
  3. Remove from heat and take out the cinnamon stick, if you used one.
  4. Add more raw honey or coconut syrup for taste, if needed.
  5. Add raw cocoa for a more chocolaty taste!

Enjoy and namaste!