Sleep on it

With the new year fast approaching it is time to make some positive changes and rise to the challenge of being the best version of yourself.

It’s a challenge we set most years but do we often achieve it?

This year to ensure our success we need to use the tools from our own personal toolbox and learn improved techniques to create better health, wealth and experiences for ourselves.

Learning is triggered by being able to focus our attention on a combination of meaningful events over time. This creates lasting changes thanks to the neuroplasticity of the brain. Put simply it’s brain training.

Neuroplasticity is the brains ability to learn, adapt and change over time. The brain is a bit like a house plant, given the right conditions it can thrive.

Water, nourishing food, nourishing experiences, human connection, sleep and resilience all add to the right conditions and enhance our feeling of wellbeing so we can attract more of the same.

To help people realize their goals I introduced the Mind Body intuitive goal cards and intuitive perfume.

Other forms of affirmations have been used with varying degrees of success for a number of years and their success mostly depends of a persons ability to make the skill real for them.

The one dimensional nature of a goal card means the attempt at change is usually suspended without too much effort and therefore does not have a great deal of influence on your psyche.

The problem these standard goal affirmation techniques have is the delay in reward. They require effort to do but it takes time before you see the benefits. Much of the brains ability to adapt and change is dependent on the ability to receive an instant pleasure response, (there are plenty of guilty pleasures out there all of which give that instant pleasure, and that’s the reason there are so many unhealthy addictions. But that’s another story)

Knowing this there are things we can use to trick the brain with an immediate pleasure response to lock it in while it’s waiting for a long term benefit.

Sound is one tool. Smell is another.

With this in mind I have created my range of perfumes and colognes linked to my intuitive goal cards.

The goals are focus on addictions, shock , growth and, self worth and the perfumes contain my own blend of essences and essential oils to create a aroma that is specific to the goal card.

The Mind Body perfume range gives the user the a self paced tool to have the power to improve their overall outlook and wellbeing. The aroma of the perfume gives the instant pleasure response and connects the words of the card to the intent of the day.

As a Kinesiologist I am all about congruency and this is a wonderful tool to add to your other skills so you have what it takes to achieve this year resolution.

I trust my gut

The link between emotion and the digestive system is much closer than previously thought. Have you heard of the brain in your gut, in which people refer to as the “Second Brain”. It makes sense if have you ever had butterflies in your stomach, or gone with your gut feeling?

The link between digestion, emotions , mood and health is really significant when you think of the fast paced, high stress world we live in and the diet choices available to us.

The Enteric Nervous System(ENS) has around 100 million nerve cells lining your gastrointestinal tract from the Esophagus to Rectum. so physiological stress response may be coming directly from the second brain to the first brain not vice versa. So that loss of appetite , tummy ache when upset, wind, bloating, indigestion, and IBS are thought to be linked with a greater selection of mental health problems such as depression and anxiety.

So it appears its the gut not the brain responsible for these increasingly common ailments and mental health problems we are seeing today.

So this is very interesting to me in my work as a Kinesiologist. I work with goals and incorporate body work to increase overall wellness.

Here are a few common goals I may use in order to improve the digestive system.

  • My digestive system functions at optimal levels.
  • I am able to digest and process stress in my life step by step.
  • I trust my gut.
  • I allow my digestive system to unwind, relax and let go.

©Beth Flynn

Real Food

Eating real food and making good food choices can have a profound effect on the muscular system.  Certain muscles are strengthened by specific foods. Choosing to eat certain foods is a cost-effective way to help to increase nutrients rather than taking supplements.

The gluteus maximus is one of the largest and strongest muscles of the body which helps to give support to our lower back as well as lends support to the reproductive area. Foods which support the Gluteus maximus are green peas, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, walnuts , green leafy vegies and cold water fish. So for lower back and reproductive health a diet rich in these foods can help nourish the body and reproductive system.

Here is my salad suggestion for reproduction health

Broccoli and Kale Salad

Kale cut finely

Broccoli diced

Green peas

Cucumber

Nectarine

Pomegranate

Sunflower seeds pumpkin seeds cranberries

1 avocado

 

Dressing

Lemon or lime juice

Mint leaves or any herb blended

Olive oil.

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Strategies to help with handwriting

Strategies to help with handwriting in children

 

Many children have difficulty with handwriting skills and brain integration. Primitive and postural reflexes have always been of interest to me especially supporting my children through school.  My knowledge is much better now than when they were smaller but everyone learns somewhere.

Starting at the beginning with the Palmer reflex. This is a primate reflex which emerges at about 11 weeks in utero and usually and lasts until about 4-6 months as a baby starts to focus and use hand eye coordination to reach for objects and begin exploring their world. This movement starts as a reflex and is most notable when a baby’s hand will grip whatever he touches and you need to pry their hands open. As they start reaching for items and developing their hand eye coordination the reflex is no longer needed.

The development of the pincer grip for picking up smaller items which often go straight to the mouth.  Using the thumb and forefinger is the forerunner for holding a pencil as well as being able to track and write from the board at school.  As a baby the hand will often then go straight to the mouth developing the fine motor skill incorporating hand and mouth movements. The Babkin Response (movement of the hand which will in turn purse the lips and open the baby mouth) is also key in developing handwriting but also because the mouth is also involved so smooth speech being able to coordinate hand and mouth movements together.

Task initiation can also be problem with children with hand writing problem. Problems in knowing where to begin planning tasks, starting projects independently, keeping track of possessions, keeping bedrooms and school bags tidy all seem to come up for children with poor hand writing skills

The early development of fine motor skills is crucial to handwriting skills , being able to shift focus from board to paper and spacial awareness and development of smooth speech.

These skills can be improved with exercise and coordination skills and developing core strength as the body core does not engage fully if a child has struggled with hand eye coordination problems.

Crossing the midline is great exercise for developmental skill. Helpful for visual tracking and reading and writing left to right, as well as throwing and catching a ball.

Kinesiology and fine motor exercise can build strength in the intrinsic muscles of the hand to help a child to improve their fine motor skills and develop  greater confidence in their handwriting ability, task inhiation and coordination.

Mind Body Integration 33 Fourth Street Lithgow 0448513171

This artwork pictured is a small peak at a scribble drawing by my daughter Beth Flynn and will be on display in Mosman Youth Prize from the 16th March 2018.

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Transform your Weight

Kinesiology is a great way to achieve lasting results with weight issues without personal self-sabotage.

Weight issues are complex and very individual.

There can be many triggers which prevent us from living a sustainable healthy lifestyle. Food addictions, emotional eating, genetics, poor self-worth, family culture, linage, advertising, self-sabotage all sorts of elements can be the catalyst to prevent the sustainable change we are looking for?

Kinesiology is all about setting goals and having the power to achieve them.

A goal balance is basically this:

# use an affirmation you wish to achieve such as “I am comfortable at my ideal weight”

If your body agrees with this statement you are probably your ideal weight already. If it doesn’t a muscle test will indicate just what is required to make this statement true for you. It may be working with a specific muscle group or group of muscles to regain tone but more important switching so that muscle works as it should. To manually strengthen a muscle can help can help implement change in the muscle and the state of mind.

Kinesiology can also suggest which foods can help strengthen your overall health.

Everybody is unique and following a certain protocol and making a statement like “I am comfortable at my ideal weigh” true for you. Done this way within time changes are sustainable.

Your body is always working in your best interests if we can remove the blocks to self-sabotage to doing so.

 

Some affirmations you might like to try for healthy weight are.

 

I release peer pressure around my body size.

 

I nurture and nourish my physical body every day.

 

My metabolism functions at optimal levels.

 

I am motivated to release excess body weight.

 

It is safe for me to be attractive to others.IMG_9231[1]

Why do I need Kinesiology?

Kinesiology helps to restore health by balancing the body physically, mentally and emotionally.

So physically it can help with aches and pains. By circuit locating muscles which are reactive. A reactive muscle is a muscle behaving too strong (bully) while other muscles are switched off and not doing their job at all. When this situation is reversed it restores normal muscle tone. Trigger points also can be helped as well by targeting specific lympatic flow assisting knots to be released usually without the pain of deep tissue massage.

Mentaly, Kinesiology can help with anxiety, addictions, depression, obsessions and phobias.

On an emotionally level Kinesiology can help devellop self confidence, goal setting, strong relationships, self empowerment, creativity,  or improve work, sports, or school performance.

The mind body connection is amazing and you can start feeling empowereded by seeking out what information your body has to share with you.

I love sharing the pictures of Beth Flynn please enjoy this anatony drawing recently completed at the National Art School.

Phone for an appointment 0448513171 Amanda Spargo 33 Fourth St South Littleton. I work between the hours of 9am and 7pm Monday to Friday and Saturday mornings by appointment.

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Remedial Massage v Kinesiology

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Feminine mosaic on display in the garden

Back Pain

Back pain is a complaint I deal with on a daily basis as a Remedial Massage Therapist and a Kinesiologist.

I just want to explain the two different methods I use and how they can effectively deal with a common complaint.

REMEDIAL MASSAGE

Firstly as a Remedial Massage Therapist searching for the area of discomfort . I take note of posture as someone walks through the door, I look for symmetry or lack of symmetry . I take a full medical history including recent pain but also listening for past illnesses or accidents which may be grounds for further investigation. I work above and below the area indicated where the pain is coming from looking for over tight or weak muscles. If a client has a definite spinal problem such as scoliosis or herniated disc I would incorporate Craniosacral Therapy.  My particular favourite is working with scar tissue or fascia because the results can be highly rewarding.

KINESIOLOGY

Kinesiology like Remedial Massage I take a full client history with slightly more details. I ask if the client has ever had a Kinesiology session before and explain how I do a muscle test.  A muscle test can tell me if there is a reactive situation happening between muscles which particular muscle is too tight and which muscles have turned off and not working to provide support.  A muscle test can tell me whether massage is appropriate , Cranoisacral , acupressure and which particular points, if there is a scoliosis pattern involved, how the pelvis is sitting, if the TMJ is involved or a local balance is required. Kinesiology can tell me how the energy is flowing often the meridian called the Governing Vessel has restricted flow and this can leave us feeling unsupported in life. The other part of the body that needs looking at for a back problem is the core muscles and how they contribute to you feeling supported and your posture. Kinesiology can provide a plan for what can be done to improve flow and general wellbeing sometimes with massage , nutrition, colour, sound or even an essence to increase the feeing of support.

Both Remedial Massage and Kinesiology provide great options to improve range of movement and reduce pain levels.

Call for an appointment.

Hyview

33 Fourth st, South Littleton

0448513171