NEW ROOTS COACHING

Rising from the embers of separation and divorce

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Did you know that getting up to dance to a great beat, is instinctual, and the rhythm helps the brain with communication and emotions as well as pumping the heart and lymphatic system, and improving muscle tone and much more?

In any overwhelming situation, such as going through a stressful divorce, dancing is incredibly beneficial as a therapy.  I encourage dancing, slow or fast to help with stress busting and perhaps with this song by Beyonce, how about using her words, “the one I love, the one I need” to be your own words from your higher self, and dance away.

It’s a great good morning song too for anyone !

http://newrootscoaching.com/864-2/

Reflexology for You

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When was the last time you had a talk with your poor tired feet, neglected, forgotten, now getting scrunched into boots along the wintery slippery sidewalks in my area to speak of? Are they aching for attention with all the work each of their 26 bones do to support every other part of the musculoskeletal system, helping to keep you upright and straight, balancing the rest of the body while helping you to move forward through the steps in life, the dance of life, and connecting to earth?

Our feet do so much more than helping us to step forward though, or cha cha cha, twist and shout as they are also part of the important gatekeepers to the nervous system, organs and glands.  They can either shout or whisper and tell the stories of your holistic health, and how you walk and balance yourself in mind, body and spirit.

Suffering from a headache, separation and divorce horrors, neck and shoulder tension or feeling anxious and stressed out?   Experiencing pain and setback from plantar fasciitis?   Pain in the hip and thinking its actually a hip problem?

Reflexology, yes Reflexology sessions can provide huge relief and bring a holistic concept to facilitate healing the entire body and mind, especially through stressful situations, and offers a deep sense of grounding and BEing more aware of body symptoms. Sometimes you forget and don’t realize how tense your shoulders are until someone puts their hand on them!  Then, might not think that Reflexology can be beneficial for this type of tension also.

Most souls (pardon the expression…soles) don’t take the time to sit still for an hour or more, without DOing something else, and combining distractions.  Some find it odd to have someone working their feet only, and being so fascinated about all the points using a technique which is what Reflexologists call a thumb walk…much like someone taking a little time to sensitively help you to find your feet again.  A Reflexologist is able to map the body into zones, and with sensitivity can feel the referral areas on the feet (or hands, or ears if qualified) that are creating blockages through the body that manifest as tension, pain, stress, anxiety and structural problems. 

A Reflexology session is offered either on a massage table or a zero gravity chair (lounge recliner) most often, and covered with a blanket if desired, soft music and sometimes candles.   In my practice environment for my clients is especially important.

Classic reflexology starts off with ensuring you are comfortable, assessing the feet, with some warm ups, and pressure via the thumb or fingers along the zones and organ referral points.  Some reflexologists such as myself who are also Acupressure therapists may spend longer on the acupressure points of the feet and ankles for added benefit.   Regular sessions last approximately 60 minutes and additional time may be added with a lower leg & foot massage, sometimes known as ‘the dessert’, or with the additional use of warm stones and placement, or adding an acupressure shoulder and neck release technique that further helps to relieve strenuous neck tension.  

Although Reflexologists do not ‘diagnose or prescribe’ from the sessions, feedback may assist the client to be more aware of their holistic state, and sometimes there are suggestions for client care at home.

This is a great time to reflect on your own feet, have a little chat with them, wiggle your toes, check in with your shoulders, and see if they are asking for a Reflexology session!  This is also an opportunity to find that Christmas gift through a gift certificate for the person who has everything but is stressed and overwhelmed and might like to experience something new.

It is also a time to invite you to become more curious and to reach out to your local Reflexologist to ask any questions to see how they can benefit you in the best way and pssst, a Reflexology Session gift certificate makes a wonderful self care gift for someone you care about!

Happy Holidays,

Cherie Griffiths

CDC Certified Divorce Coach, Naturopath (Qc), RCRT Reflexologist, TCM Body/Mind Acupressure Therapist

Mindfulness through Separation

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Mindfulness, mindfulness, a word that is inching its way into everything.  Be mindful, practise mindfulness, do mindful mediation, and you’ll feel so much better, even your finances will be enriched with mindfulness, relationships will be perfect, and your reality will be perfect.   Wait!

Mindfulness is a way of being, a tool, a habit and an exercise that does help but there are many different layers and forms of being mindful. While going through separation or divorce, the todo list becomes even more overwhelming when the thought of sitting down to meditate or learn to be mindful is brought up. It doesn’t need to be though, as the ability to focus on one aspect of mindfulness at a time honours an aspect of the sums of totality.   The act of acknowledging awareness of the moment, in the present time embracing the moments and thoughts that are best to be passed without judgement, and to let them flow and knowing this will help to relieve some of the parts of overwhelm is a huge relief itself.

Some forms of mindfulness include:

Meditation and breath work
Mindful Communication: Speaking aligned with Listening and vice versa
Mindful Eating
Mindful Walking
Mindful Emotions, watching them through the breath
Mindful Communication

During a separation, if mindfulness during communication is used as a tool, the understanding of self and responsibility plays a valuable role in the outcome of a difficult conversation.

If you ask yourself, HOW do you listen? HOW do you speak? HOW do you share your story, and to whom do you have permission to share it with?

It takes energy to both speak and to listen. While having difficult conversations in a relationship, through a separation or divorce is challenging one of the benefit of knowing this is that when you remember that energy must be there (physical energy, mental energy, emotional and heart energy) to create a mindful atmosphere for those involved in the conversation and that time spent…

When a difficult conversation and lack of mindfulness is not aligned, how can you create the space for it to be the best?

These are some of the detriments to staying mindful during communication…

THE 5 DETRIMENTS TO STAYING GROUNDED AND MINDFUL

1. Divorce (scrambles up the neurotransmitters)
2. Cellphones and internet distractions
3. Sugar & fast food, Alcohol & Drugs
4. Lack of nature connection
5. Fatique – not enough energy to hold the conversation

The next time you need to have that dreaded conversation, one of the best ways to create the space is to be mindful, listen deeply and through the heart to what is being said before speaking, and before reacting. When you are speaking, be mindful of your words, your language, and to whom you are speaking to. Speak wisely and clearly as you would like to be spoken to, and listen not only with your ears, but with your heart, through your cells, through your eyes, through your feet, and soak up the speech.

You may learn something new about mindful communication…

Blessings

Cherie Griffiths