Health & Wellbeing

Meditations in nature: Splendid just to be amidst the flowers

by Susie Curtin

It is now early June, the most abundant month of our calendar. I am out walking today with no particular agenda or destination, just following where my whims and imagination take me. Sometimes, these are the best journeys in nature.

The sun is high and casting an iridescent light through the fresh green leaves, chiff chaffs are still ringing their repetitive songs, occasionally accompanied by the more joyous, complex trills of blackcaps.

Walking down the lane, the last of the cow parsley decorates the verge in a white haze and, above me, elderflower trees are in full bloom.

As I breathe in their sweet honey-scented fragrance, I recall my friend’s wedding in Denmark, where on the morning of her special day we collected armfuls of these exquisite flower heads to decorate the venue.

It was the perfect choice for a wedding, as in Danish mythology, the Elder Mother or ‘Hylde Moer’, enables the tree to provide natural gifts and blessings which in turn, proffer good health and prosperity.

Reaching the end of the lane, I decide to take the footpath towards the river down through the meadows.

Here, the ground beneath me is soft and yielding, and tall buttercups grace my fingertips.

Buttercups get their intensity from yellow pigments on the surface of their petals.

Just beneath this surface there is a minute layer of air that reflects the light like mirrors, giving buttercups their unique shine.

In the language of flowers, they symbolise joy, new beginnings, and happiness.

It is certainly hard to feel sad when walking among their swaying blooms.

I follow the river until I get to a field boundary and contemplate my map.

Where to now? It really doesn’t matter. Whatever route I choose, there will be something interesting to behold. After all, there is nowhere more beautiful than Britain in June.

There is rarely a situation in our busy lives when we are without purpose.

Modern life is rife with goals. There are lists of things to do and outcomes to be assured. Beyond the immediate satisfaction of achievement, there is sometimes little joy. Mostly, the joy comes from the journey rather than the success.

One of my favourite books is the Living Mountain by Nan Shepherd. In it she relates how, over time, she learned to walk in the Cairngorms aimlessly, just to be with the mountain, rather than conquer it.

That is how I feel today, my only desire is to be with nature as I would a friend, with no intention but to be with them. Dr Susanna Curtin is a nature writer and qualitative researcher (rewildingjourneys.com)

A walk around...Silton

by Chris Slade

This is an interesting walk of about four miles but, being in mostly sunken or hollow ways, there are few wide views.

Be warned that it can be a bit soggy in places, so wear waterproof walking boots or wellies.

Nether Compton is a fairly small parish a little to the west of Sherborne. You may notice that most of the houses are built of the local sandstone, as is the church.

Park by the village green

SOMERSET EAR WAX CLINIC

• Ear wax removal by irrigation • Ear check prior to Audiology • Fully trained and experienced nurse • Home visits can be arranged for the housebound

Sister Teresa Munro RGN 07962 106 045 / teresamunro@hotmail.co.uk Horizon Suite Frome Medical Practice, Enos Way, Frome BA11 2FH and visit the nearby church. Then head south-east, uphill, along the road for a furlong where you’ll see a smartly timbered house.

Here you turn right, then left, and enter the unpaved byway, Gore Lane, which curves round to the southeast, going down to a ford, then up a sunken, soggy, hollow way, often with water flowing down it.

The sides of the way get very steep towards the top where it crosses another track. You might spot a cave on the right.

Carry on, east-south-east until you meet the road at Stallen where you turn left, north-east, winding through the hamlet until, just round a bend, you come to another byway, Hart’s Lane.

That winds its way uphill for over half a mile to the north-east until, at Tucker’s Cross, it becomes a bridleway, Oatcroft Lane, continuing north-east along the high ground.

At the parish boundary there’s a T-junction. Turn left along the bridleway which takes you north-west down a combe until, on your left, you join another bridleway leading south, later wending south-west along a byway to the outskirts of the village where you can join the road and make your way southwest back to your car. Chris Slade is a retired Dorset rights of way officer.

Don’t live life on repeat: Why we need to put joy first

by Alice Johnsen

You know you feel better after an evening spent laughing – really belly-achingly laughing – with good friends.

You go home, sleep well and wake ready for the new day with an extra spring in your step and affection in your heart.

It’s all to do with the endorphins you released as you laughed.

Endorphins reduce stress. Hence how you feel.

Barbara Fredrickson, American Professor and author, scientifically links positivity and resilience.

In one of her studies, results showed those who scored higher on a resilience question in a study run immediately after the 9/11 attacks generally experienced more positive emotions of empathy, gratitude and love than those participants with lower resilience scores.

The two paths are inextricably linked.

The habit of practising gratitude is widely beneficial.

I see it with a lot of clients.

Taking time at the end of each day to look back and focus on three things you are glad about that day brings together pausing, processing, positive thinking, stillness.

All reminding yourself there were things that day to be happy about and that it wasn’t just made up of a broken washing machine and no milk in the fridge, for example.

I was talking to a client a few weeks ago about writing.

They enjoyed writing but didn’t allocate time for writing about their area of expertise because ‘the world is cluttered with writers on this subject’.

I felt that was missing the point of writing.

If you gain value, contentment, pleasure or joy from writing – or walking, or playing squash, or collecting old motorbikes – do it.

Not because it has value beyond your four walls but because it brings depth to your life.

Now more than ever, I’m pretty sure that is a good enough reason.

To quote Shannon Kennedy, author and fellow life coach: “There is gold around you all the time if you choose to look for it, engage and be present.

This is what gives depth to our lives.”

I think that depth is the nugget we all need to keep looking for.

Take away the depth and what are you left with? Just everyday life on repeat.

Let’s make time for the things that add the depth or our lives. Alice Johnsen is a life coach based near Sherborne (07961 080513; alicejohnsen.co.uk)

Take time at the end of each day to look back and focus on three things you are glad about that day.

PHOTO: Paul Stachowiack/Pixabay

Want to advertise your business?

contact:

Advertising Manager

Debi Thorne

07714 289409

Health & Wellbeing

Beetroot is packed full of goodness

by Rebecca Vincent

With this recipe we are combining beetroot and lettuce.

I have to admit it has taken me years to come round to enjoying beetroot, I’ve kept trying them over the years in various forms as they are wonderfully nutritious, but struggled.

This recipe is a recent favourite thanks to my Aunt, I really appreciate all her help finding beetroot recipes I can savour!

Beetroot are a great source of folic acid, fibre, manganese and potassium, magnesium, phosphorus, iron and vitamin B6.

Betacyanin is a watersoluble, nitrogen containing anti-oxidant that gives beetroot their vibrant purplecrimson colour but be careful when preparing them as this colour stains easily.

Lettuce is often maligned as ‘rabbit food’ but it’s a good source of vitamins A and K, and contains smaller amounts of vitamin C, calcium and iron. Lettuce also has a high-water content, up to 95 per cent, so contributes to our hydration.

I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do.

Beetroot and lettuce boats

(Serves 2-4) 2 medium beetroot Lettuce 2 tbsp live yoghurt 3 spring onions Pinch black pepper 1 tsp cumin seeds Zest of ½ a lemon

Optional extras: fresh herbs such as chives, dill or mint

Heat oven to 180 degrees. Wash the beetroot and wrap individually in tin foil. Pop on a baking tray in the oven for about 45 minutes, until they can be easily pierced with a knife, then set aside to cool.

Lightly toast the cumin seeds in a dry frying pan on a medium heat, being careful they don’t catch. Then set aside.

Peel the beetroot and dice into small cubes. Finely slice the spring onions and add to the beetroot with the yoghurt, cumin seeds, black pepper, lemon zest and any herbs you are using, mix well.

Separate out the lettuce into individual leaves, wash, dry and use them as boats to spoon in some of the beetroot mixture – little gem lettuce works especially well for this.

Lovely served as a light starter or addition to a selection of mixed salads. Rebecca Vincent BSc (Hons) is a BANT-registered nutritionist working in Wincanon (07515 019430); www.rebeccavincent nutrition.co.uk

How to find some inner peace

by Katrina Ffiske

It seems quite common these days to hear people saying they feel anxious much of the time. Anxiety seems to affect people of all ages from school children to pensioners. I spoke to Matthew Jackson, an osteopath and Chinese medicine practitioner from Glastonbury, to hear why he believes anxiety is more prevalent these days and offers some useful tips on how we can help reduce anxiety.

“I believe it is a mixture of two things that are making levels of anxiety higher in people,” Matthew said. “Firstly, we do not move around as much as our ancestors did, and then we are disempowered by life. For example, we cannot stop wars from happening, we cannot halt inflation, we may not be able to control day-to-day worries in the family or our work. When we feel out of control, there is a trigger which increases our blood pressure, this creates tension, then as a result, anxiety. Taking some degree of control in our lives, by simply giving attention to people and being kind to those around us, is key. Human connection is important, touch is so important – even hugging someone for 20 seconds minimum creates a feeling of well-being.

“Our way of life can be very sedentary these days – sat in front of computers, peering at phones and watching too much television. Preinternet we were so much more active and as a result less anxious. As a herbalist and practitioner of various forms of natural medicine, I’m obviously interested in the close relationship between the human body and the natural world. Spending time with plants, trees, flowers and water, including the sea, lakes and streams, is proven to have a healing and calming effect.

“Our physical and mental states are entwined. Many people get addicted to sport, the running and moving producing endorphins, that make them feel happy. Many of us don’t have the luxury of loving sport or being able to afford a gym membership, but there are many ways we can help ourselves just by moving a little each day. Small amounts of movement each day can shift our mind and thought patterns.

“Exercise, however small, can bring down the blood pressure. Set yourself small challenges. It can be as simple as walk to the end of your garden and back five times. If you do not have a garden, walk up and down the stairs five times a day. Perhaps you live in a bungalow? Walk up and down the kitchen ten times. Set yourself these small targets as achieving them gives a great feeling of satisfaction and the exercise will move the blood around your body. Taking action to move and following it through can divert the mind from your worries.”

Be more mindful in the moment

“Our minds are so good at controlling us,” Matthew said. “Worries can drop into our minds at any point and it is hard to push them away. It is really important to try and feel gratitude for things in life. Don’t worry if you have too much gardening to do, push that thought away by focusing on the petal of a flower. The news is overwhelming you? Turn the radio off, close your eyes and remember a happy moment in the past.

“We also all have a mechanism which can help control our minds – breathing. This is a simple form of meditation. People often think meditation means stopping thought – but that’s impossible. It is good to notice the breath or say a silent mantra and let thoughts come and go without giving them attention, thereby calming the mind.”