Health & Wellbeing

A walk around…

with retired Dorset rights of way officer Chris Slade

Shaftesbury

Because of the current shortage of daylight this is a short walk of only a couple of miles but might take longer than expected because of all the distractions. It’s all on the hill top where the antiquities, shopping opportunities and views prevail. Find somewhere to park on street at the eastern end of the old town then join the main road, Salisbury Street, the B3091. This takes you north west past (or via!) lots of small shops. The road curves round to the south west and changes its name to the High Street. It leads to the Town Hall which often has events and is next to St Peter’s Church which is magnificent. There is also an interesting museum, which is free to visit. Find your way south past these distractions and you’ll be at

the top of what (apart from Colmer’s Hill) must be the most photographed place in Dorset: Gold Hill, made famous by the Hovis advertisements of nearly a century ago! On this occasion (maybe next time) don’t go down the hill but take the level path to the south west which gives you magnificent views across the Blackmore Vale. It takes you past the Abbey and its gardens, which are currently closed, then turn right, north, along Abbey Walk to the B3091, left for 100 yards, then right to join a path that takes you north west to a green giving you wide views over Gillingham and Wiltshire. Go round the green and head south to rejoin the B3091 on a bend heading south downhill. After a few yards you’ll find an ancient graveyard on your right, then, further down, Love Lane and the parallel footpath which take you north eastwards back past the Abbey whence you can retrace your steps. Walking towards the future

January, and a new year has arrived. The 2021 Christmas festivities have taken place amidst uncertainties driven by an invisible agent that continues to pose a threat to our health and prosperity. Despite my resilience, this pandemic has, once again, dampened my spirits and worn me thin, and now, like many people, I am ready for a new start. As I walk out on the Cranborne Chase this bright January morning, the birds are singing and the catkins are hanging from their branches like chandeliers, bringing forth new promise. I feel excited for the year ahead. The nights are getting shorter, the bulbs are bursting through the soil, and some birds are already beginning to pair. Although still mid winter, there is change afoot. With my spirits lifted by the sunshine, my pace is as steady and as regular as my heart. Beat-by-beat and step-by-step, I am walking into the future, determining the paths I take and finding my own way. For me, walking is like life itself, a satisfying combination of enjoying each moment whilst still moving towards my goals. Here in the pine forest, green fronds glisten from the overnight rain and the earthy aroma of the forest floor is the sweetest of perfumes. I can hear the high-pitched trills of gold crest feasting high in the canopy and the chirpy two-tone song of coal tits. As my eyes drift upwards in search of them, it occurs to me that trees grow upwards towards their future whilst we move forwards in search of ours, yet both of us are in pursuit of light and nourishment.

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Leaving the darkness of the conifers behind and moving out into the open sunlight, I am struck by a different song, a punchy, insistent call that I cannot quite recall. Eventually I find the distinguished musician, as the brown and pale hues of a marsh tit wearing a fine black cap comes into view amongst the old oaks. I walk until my legs begin to ache and the sun has dropped beneath the horizon. Heading for home, I stop to marvel as a fine, ethereal mist begins to blanket the fields in a white shroud. As the sky turns crimson, I recall a Tibetan proverb that my grandmother would recount, that “the secret of living well and longer is to eat half, walk double, laugh triple and love without measure”.

Dr Susie Curtin (email curtin. susanna@gmail.com)

blackmorevale.net

Awaken your ‘joie de vivre’ by connecting to your ‘Chakras’

Finola Brennan Chakra balancing The Cedar Tree www.the-cedar-tree.co.uk

Bring more joy, passion and creativity into your life, connect with your energy flow. ‘Chakra’ meaning ‘wheel’ is a Sanskrit word, first cited in the revered texts of the Vedas, ancient Indian scriptures. The ‘wheels’ regulate the flow of energy between our mind, body and spirit. As long as the flow is balanced we feel aligned, in our ‘right place’. If the flow becomes blocked, we begin to suffer, depending on where the blockage occurs. Being aware of our chakras and recognising what each is responsible for, helps us stay in the flow. While they are complex and influence our life’s dramatically, having a brief synopsis of each chakra, its location and how they affect us, may help with that alignment. There are seven main chakras. The first is the root chakra, located at the base of the spine. When in balance we have good physical health, feel secure and grounded. When this chakra is out of balance we might have poor physical health, be out of touch with reality and have money issues The second, is our sacral chakra located in the belly, below the naval. When balanced we feel in control and happy with our direction in life, out of balance we may feel overemotional or flat. The third, our solar plexus chakra is located above the naval. When in balance we feel empowered and true in our self-belief, out of balance we may feel weak willed or be overbearingly dominant. The fourth, our heart chakra is located in the centre of the chest. In balance we are compassionate, open and loving, out of balance we may be possessive, jealous and closed down.

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The fifth, our throat chakra, is located in the base of the neck. In balance our communication is truthful and we express ourselves creatively, out of balance we may find it difficult to express our opinions or we could be very gossipy. The sixth, our third eye chakra is located in the centre of the forehead. When in balance, we are in touch with our intuition and imagination and are able to see the big picture, out of balance we may have mental confusion and be narrow minded. The seventh, the crown chakra is located at the top of the head. When balanced, we have a sense of gratitude and sacredness in life, out of balance we feel a lack of meaning in life, a sense of alienation. There are some really simple steps that we can do to help us stay in the flow and keep those wheels turning. • Step into nature, feel your feet on the earth and breath • Connect with water, walk by a river or the sea • Sit by a fire and watch the flames • Look up to the sky • Sing, without a care to how you sound • Pick up a pencil and doodle • Take a moment to be kind to yourself Enjoy, connecting to your chakras… SOMERSET EAR CLINIC WAX keep that • Ear wax removal by irrigation energy • Ear check prior to Audiology moving , • Fully trained and experienced nurse walk, sing, • Home visits can be arranged for the housebound dance… flow. Sister Teresa Munro RGN 07962 106 045 / teresamunro@hotmail.co.uk Horizon Suite Frome Medical Practice, Enos Way, Frome BA11 2FH

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Health & Wellbeing

Reboot, clear out and regenerate

By the time this article comes out it will be Christmas and we will have had the shortest day of the year, which is always incredibly exciting. Luckily, as I write, we should be able to eat, drink and be merry with our loved ones for a couple of weeks. I thoroughly enjoy my food and wine and by the time New Year comes along, I can’t fit into any of my clothes and am waddling around wondering how I am going to lose all the mince pies and brandy butter. So,

Fiona Chapman is studying naturopathy and herbal medicine at the College of Naturopathic Medicine

my self-imposed detoxing in January is very welcome – by me – but met with much rolling of the eyes, groans and misery from my husband, especially as I am saying he has to do it for two months! But it is a chance to reboot your system, clear out toxins, let your liver regenerate, sleep properly and deeply and really boost your immune system so that your body, which always wants to heal itself, has the chance to fight of any incoming bugs. You need to come off alcohol, sugar, coffee and processed foods. A word of warning, coffee can give you the most awful headache as the blood starts getting back up to your head. Coffee restricts blood vessels, particularly to the brain. It also aggravates your kidneys and bladder. It is better to stop dairy and grains as well, but that makes it very hard to eat at all, so cut down on both and make sure you eat good wholemeal bread. You need to alkaline your body. All the above makes you acidic which then restricts oxygen movement and uptake, which causes inflammation, damages organs, seriously depletes your immune system and can lead to heart failure and cancer. To alkaline your system, you need to eat a rainbow of vegetables, particularly dark green leafy ones, some fruit including dark berries and drink good quality water (tap water is not great so a filter is a good investment). Start your day with half a lemon squeezed into some warm water. If you have time and ingredients, you can add a spoonful of bicarbonate of soda and some organic apple cider vinegar, a sprinkle of cinnamon and sweeten it with a tiny bit of raw honey. This is contrary to what you might think is an excellent way to alkaline your system in the morning and is also what we call a kidney flush which is the start of the detox routine. pellyfiona@gmail. com

What’s working?

Alice Johnsen is a life coach based near Sherborne. 07961 080513 alicejohnsen.co.uk

There’s a template going round some social media platforms called ‘what’s working now’. People list what’s going well for them now in their professional and personal lives. It’s positive, interesting, encouraging even. It’s another form of gratitude. I’ve written about the value of gratitude before because it’s such a powerful thing. Here’s why. Gratitude – the practising of gratitude – encourages us to focus on what has gone well that day. Things we have done or things that have happened to us. The very act of stopping to consider these things is, in itself, positive. It means we pause and consider. We process. We re-live that day before moving on to the next. We notice the good stuff. So, to give you an idea of the sort of things you could list, I’ve put together a list of what’s working now for me. Early nights. Small business promotion on Instagram. Being outside. Flowers from an appreciative client. Porridge. Business plans for next year. My newsletter. Working from home. My clients. Advent carols. Good feedback from a client. Meeting a son for hot chocolate on Wednesdays. Challenging clients. Booster jabs. The NHS. When we stop to consider, our mind takes us over so many parts of our lives. For many, today’s pace of life is fast and there is rarely a chance to step off the merry-go-round. You have to make your own opportunities to do that. Just by spending a few minutes each day looking at our own worlds makes us more aware of the things we are doing, the things that are happening to us and the world around us. To quote Denis Waitley, “Happiness cannot be travelled to, owned, earned, worn or consumed. Happiness is the spiritual experience of living every minute with love, grace and gratitude.” If you want to make this a daily habit, it’s best done at the same time each day. Your list doesn’t have to be this long. Start with three things and build up to 10. Or whatever works for you – there’s no right or wrong amount and you can make this list in your head or write it down. As long as you are taking a few moments to pause and reflect on your day, looking for the good stuff, you’ll feel the benefits of this way of monitoring your life. blackmorevale.net