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Welcometo the first issue of Holistic Health Magazine.

Welcome to the launch edition of Holistic Health, the magazine that puts Holistic Health on the map! We bring you a fresh, inspiring and informative magazine firmly located in the local community.

Holistic health approaches dis-ease by taking into

consideration the whole person. Holistic just means the whole, the whole person: mind, body and spirit. Working together with the medical model, this can provide a more preventative approach to your health.

Our exclusive publication aims to showcase local practitioners in the Holistic Health business, offering the best quality products and service, an opportunity to learn about the many different types of Complementary and Alternative Therapies available and real life stories from local people.

Holistic Health is a quarterly magazine and will follow the seasons – Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter – and is available by distribution to subscribers, from one of the featured practitioners, selected Doctors’ Surgeries and, of course, your place of work upon request. In fact, this magazine can be available from wherever you request it to be.

In this first issue edition we profile Life Coaching, Meditation and the arrival of a new Stress Clinic in Witney.

The Editorial Team

Editor – Lisa Cherry

Advertising – Sue Carlisle

Subscriptions – Sue Carlisle

All enquiries – magazine@holistic-health.me.uk

All of the writers in this publication are writing from their own experience. None of the contributors, advertisers or Holistic Health would claim they were able to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any illnesses you may have. The information provided in this publication is for educational and informational purposes only. It is not intended to diagnose, prevent, treat, or cure any disease.

If you have any ideas or suggestions for future issues, to advertise or to subscribe, please email: magazine@holistic-health.me.uk

design and print by

www.mackstudios.co.uk

aromatherapyoils

Peppermint

is stimulating and refreshing, known for reducing fatigue

and depression.

A short guide…

Essential oils can be used in a burner, added to a base oil like Sweet Almond to create a massage oil or a

few drops can be added to the bath or the pillow (like Lavender) when sleep is proving elusive! Only ever use a few drops and oils should never be taken internally. If in doubt, find a qualified Aromatherapist to seek guidance from.

Aromatherapy

Oils

Lavender induces sleep, stress relief,

relaxation and can reduce headaches.

Neroli is to relax, de-stress and can help to cure

insomnia.

Eucalyptus

is balancing and stimulating all at once. It has antiseptic

qualities well known for relieving cold and flu

symptoms.

Geranium is also used for relaxation but is perfect for balance.

It’s good for PMS and menopausal symptoms.

Lemon as to be expected, is

refreshing and stimulating, improving your mood and

waking you up.

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holisticjourneys

Hi, I’m Sue and I’ve been busily designing adverts and editorial for

all our lovely contributors this issue. I have experience running my own local magazine, including design, interviewing, writing articles and features. So if you would like to advertise in the next issue, but aren’t sure how to get your message across, I would be happy to help with your design or wording.

My own story involves Holistic Therapies which is why

working on this magazine appeals to me so much. About eight years ago I suffered two miscarriages; I was then told that it was virtually impossible for me to have any more children. But, never wanting to be told I couldn’t do something and being open-minded and determined I used acupuncture, herbal medicine and yoga to heal and help me go on and have a second child!

Now, as a busy mum of two with multiple businesses, I regularly use reflexology, massage and meditation to keep me balanced.

If you would like to share your holistic story, a book that’s inspired you or have a burning question that you would like answered by one of our experts, we will be featuring a reader in each issue, so please email me at magazine@holistic-health.me.uk.

Look out for the next issues where I will be sharing my introduction to Reiki and my course on learning to read Tarot cards! How exciting!

See you soon.

holisticJourneys

Sue x

holistichealthOpen Day

1st October 10am–1pmMini treatments

Yoga

Neal’s Yard samples

Meet the therapist

Refreshments

Hexagon Business Centre Avenue Four, Station Lane,Witney, Oxon, OX28 4BN

holistichealth

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Mindful MeditationF or the past 45 minutes I have been

practising Mindfulness: walking, sitting, breathing, listening and watching my thoughts ‘mindfully’.

It is described as meditation for daily life. Well actually I try to practise most of the time, when washing up, going upstairs, brushing teeth and so on. This is hard, because like most of us, I tend to dwell on the past or what might happen in the future. In Mindfulness, it is now that is the focus, this very minute, and by dwelling in the moment I can ease away the stresses of the past and the future, aiming for awareness and acceptance of things as they are.

First, some basic facts; developed in the Western world out of Buddhist meditation, it isn’t in any way religious. It doesn’t get in the way of any belief that you have, certainly not replacing it. Over the past 30 years scientists and psychologists have proved Mindfulness is one way of coping with life, often avoiding recurrent depression as well as relieving stress and anxiety. In some cases it can be as effective as anti-depressants, but there are many who continue on anti-depressants while practising Mindfulness. (Never, ever stop taking anti-depressants without talking to your doctor first.) Even more remarkably, it has been the subject of rigorous scientific testing on the brain, proving that the good, useful bits that make you feel happier (I won’t try their proper names) develop and grow when Mindfulness is practised.

We are lucky locally, Oxford being one of the world’s leading centres for Mindfulness. When I realised I needed personal guidance rather than just using self-help books, I enrolled on an 8-week course, 2 hours a week plus an all-day retreat, also doing up to an hour’s practice daily. It was hard, at times frustrating, often painful yet incredibly rewarding. The course is recommended if the practice is to become a habit. Google ‘mindfulness’ and you will find loads of information for yourselves.

If you visit your doctor feeling depressed, stressed or anxious, they may well suggest you try Mindfulness and I believe some prescribe courses. Personally, I say take the opportunity and, like me, you may well feel that you have ‘come home’ to a way of being. It is about making a space for yourself, and developing resilience, calm and compassion. And now I need to do a 3 minute breathing space – lovely… Jackie, Banbury

I can ease away the stresses of the past and the future

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What can it do for you? How does it work? In this opening series of columns for Holistic Health

magazine, find this out and more.

For me, coaching is a positive, action-based process of making change. It is about creating the

life you want through understanding yourself and your current situation and what you want your future

to look like. My Aspiring Change coaching tag line is: clarity, action, success. This essentially sums up

how coaching works for me.

In its purest form, life coaching is a technique using powerful questioning, aimed at supporting

and facilitating you in finding answers for yourself. What I like the most about life coaching is unlike its cousin, counselling,

which traditionally centres on the premise that something is wrong or need fixing, coaching starts with the premise that you are a whole,

healthy individual who is fully capable of coping with all that life has to offer - you have the answers, you may need a

little help finding and defining them.

Coaching is NOT about fixing you. It is about uncovering what is wrong with what you are currently doing and understanding why the

status quo isn’t healthy for you at the moment and finding what you can do differently instead. It is about getting to a point of reference from which you can stride forward, head high, excited and positive about what lies ahead. It is about

finding balance in all aspects of your life.

Coaching helps you to create the ‘more’ of you - so you are the best ‘you’ you can be. It is about developing a more certain path to the future you want, fully equipped with all the tools and techniques you need to make change and create it.

So what islifecoaching?

If you have any questions for Kirsten, please email them to – kirsten@aspiringchange.com and we will feature one in the next issue of Holistic Health.

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homeopathicway

What causes and constitutes sickness? How do we heal? And what does it mean to be healthy? I never used

to ask myself these questions before entering the world of homeopathy. I shared the quite common understanding that sickness is caused by some sort of fault in the body like, let’s say in a car where a part is malfunctioning and needs to be fixed. Fixing or removing the problem part equals healing and the whole machine running smoothly equals health. You just need some expert mechanic to deal with the issue.

Turned out it’s not quite that simple. What a disappointment! There is such comfort to be found in a mechanistic view of health: surrender responsibility to an expert, let them identify the problem and make it go away – or not. That’s where the uncomfortable bit starts. Why doesn’t it go away? Can I please just get on with my life?

Well, that depends on whether your life as it is provides the environment for healing to occur. I discovered that true healing tends to be a bit uncomfortable. It involves questions like: why do we develop symptoms in the first place?

Homeopathy is based on the assumption that our mind-body system is pervaded by a vital force that governs the vital functions of our body and mind. Part of its job is to respond to internal and external influences and to adapt to

them in order to maintain balance. The ability to do that is what homeopaths call health. If the vital force is thrown off balance, it will display symptoms in order to re-balance. Displaying symptoms in itself is a sign of health as it means that our system is trying to adapt. If we now just try to make these symptoms go away without addressing their cause, we actually interfere with our system trying to heal itself.

Homeopathy therefore takes another approach. A homeopath tries to understand the total expression of the vital force in mental, general

and physical symptoms and then matches this symptom picture to the most similar remedy picture.

The idea is that vital force and remedy vibrate on the same energy level. The remedy is given in potency strong enough to override the

present symptom picture and thereby stimulate the

vital force to heal itself. Basically, remedy and symptom picture cancel each other out. What remains is what caused the vital force to be thrown off balance in the first place. If this maintaining cause is not addressed, the vital force will keep displaying symptoms to re-create balance.

And that’s where the responsibility is back in our hands. Homeopathy reminds us, invites us, encourages and supports us in order to deal with what we struggle to adapt to. It is our choice whether we are going to accept the invitation and how far we want to go in our personal healing journey. Dani, Thame

The homeopathic way

Renew your spirit

From 1st September 2011, Holistic Health will be based at: Hexagon Business Centre, Avenue Four, Station Lane, Witney, Oxon, OX28 4BN

Lisa Cherry, an experienced holistic complementary therapist, offers a range of natural therapies to women in

Oxfordshire who need some ‘me’ time.

From Lisa’s Therapy Room a peaceful sanctuary awaits you. Here you can relax in complete privacy in a tranquil treatment room.

Full or half body Holistic Massage | Reflexology | Hot Stones MassageOriental Face Massage (the natural facelift) | Reiki

All treatments are bespoke, individual to your own requirements.

bookings@holistic-health.me.uk | www.holistic-health.me.uk

feel a deep sense of calm

restore balance in your lifeimprove sleeping patterns

reduce body pain and tensionunlock your sense of well-being

initial consultation contact Lisa today on

07775 446313

FOR A

FREE