Health

Ayurvedic Therapy

Ayurveda is a Sanskrit word meaning “Laws of Health”. Ayurveda originated as part of “Vedic Science”. It was the healing gift of the ancient enlightened Vedic culture in India and has been practiced since before 4000BC.

Ayurveda therapy is interested in the whole person that includes, the physical, psychological and spiritual attributes of a person. Its the theory of three elements, air, water and fire which are taken very seriously. Ayurveda believes that a person must be considered as a body, psyche and soul without separation.

Ayurveda has what they call three Doshas. The body is divided into three areas according to the characteristics of the three doshas, which are Vata, Pitta and Kapha

VATA: belongs to the function of the air. This is then connected to the respiratory system the throat and the digestive tract. It controls the movement in the body such as breathing, swallowing etc.

PITTA: belongs to the sun, and connected to fire and earth elements. Related to the liver, spleen, heart and eyes, which is connected to the way food is taken into the body. As we chew our food, saliva is produced the element water which helps when it enters the stomach and starts to produce heat element fire. The transport of the food from the stomach through the liver and other organs produce blood that is carried to the heart, this pitta movement helps our circulation.

KAPHA: belongs to the moon and connected to the water element, which controls the flow of moisture in the body. The secretions in the skull to maintain efficient working of the brain, salivary juices and cardiac fluids and gastric juices are all under the control of the Kapha.

Ayuveda is to maintain the balance of all three of these doshas within the body. An example: If we take asthma, an Ayurvedic therapist would observe that the element air was excessively dominant. They would then prescribe a diet that excludes any Vata foods such as rice and spices and then use a remedy, which would stimulate the other two elements. In a chronic condition the physician would first begin with diet before medication, on the assumption that the milder the remedy, the less the danger from side - effects. Once you know which type you are then you can see if your body is in balance. I was born Pitta but I now have a tendency towards Kapha.

VATA

Physique: tall, thin Weight: low Complexion: dull Skin: dry, cold Hair: scanty, dry, wavy Eyes: small, dry, brown

PITTA

Physique: medium, moderate Weight: moderate Complexion: red, flushed Skin: warm, moist, freckles Hair: moderate, fine, greys early Eyes: medium, inflame easily, green

KAPHA

Physique: short stout, well developed Weight: heavy Complexion: white and pale Skin: thick, cold, moist Hair: abundant, oily thick and wavy Eyes: wide, prominent, attractive

In Ayurvedic, diseases are products of disharmony of the three doshas. The biological humors are factors of both physical and psychological disease. They indicate wrong humor, emotional disorders or imbalance in the mind. With Ayurvedic this aims to balance the humors and to neutralise the disease process. It is not interested in the classification of the disease as in Western medicine it is more concerned with what is the underlying cause, so this may be rectified. As you study Ayurvedic more deeply you find that each dosha is then split into five parts, and each part reflects an area of the body and which foods should or should not be eaten. I have investigated Ayurvedic and it’s combination with aromatherapy which can then take you off into another direction completely!

If you are interested to know more please let me know. colette@need4change.com

Mental Health Awareness and Support

With May being mental health awareness month, we want to take the opportunity to highlight the wellbeing bene ts of leading a creatively and physically active life.

The evidence clearly shows that exercise improves mental health by reducing anxiety, depression, and negative mood and by improving self-esteem and cognitive function. Exercise has also been found to alleviate symptoms such as low self-esteem and social withdrawal. What isn’t discussed so much is how the lack of exercise can lead to mental health problems. For example, not getting enough physical activity into your daily routine can actually cause depression, anxiety and even dementia to varying degrees. The good news is that you really can feel better after taking just ve minutes of moderate exercise. The key thing is to get a bit out of breath, so that your body releases chemicals such as dopamine and endorphins that make you feel happy. Not only is your brain releasing feel-good chemicals, it’s also getting rid of ones which make you feel stressed and anxious. Exercising for half an hour (only 2%) of each day can make a massive physical as well as emotional di erence to your health. Do you want to meet new people, share experiences and be part of a group with similar goals? Do you feel the need to exercise but want advice and support to help? Get in touch with us at ‘sd@bromsgroveandredditch.gov.uk’ about our upcoming C25K and other programmes. The evidence is equally conclusive that leading a creatively active life is hugely important to emotional wellbeing and mental health. The arts are some of the most powerful tools we have to connect with one another and explore what matters to us. Many of us have found listening to music, reading and accessing culture online has been vital to our wellbeing during the last year – and as things start to open up again there will, we hope, increasingly be opportunities to come together in-person and share creative experiences with another. Whatever creative activity you’re interested in, the chances are that Arts in Redditch and Bromsgrove Arts Alive – the two local cultural forums with which we work – will have a member organisation dedicated to it. In relation to mental health awareness, we’d particularly like to highlight our partners the Word Association, who are currently o ering a programme of online mental health and LGBTQ+ support creative writing sessions to residents. For more information visit www.the-word-association.com or contact ‘holly@hollywinterhughes.com’

Welcome back with Bromsgrove BirdBox

The BirdBox has fluffed up its feathers and new signs have been installed to welcome visitors back to Bromsgrove town centre.

With the help of the Government’s Welcome Back fund, and because they needed replacing, the new signs now invite people to perch – but to do so safely. Sadly, the funky BirdBox graphics also need to be replaced due to recent vandalism.

The Birdbox was launched last year as a space to hold events from pop up restaurants and craft markets to youth festivals and multimedia evenings.

In between lockdowns last year the space opened to support local businesses, providing seating and tables for visitors to buy food and drinks from local traders, plus popups. All-weather seating means people can sit down and enjoy a coffee, their lunch, a book and now, since the easing of Covid restrictions, meet with up to five friends.

BirdBox was delivered by North Worcestershire Economic Development and Regeneration on behalf of Bromsgrove District Council.

Bromsgrove centres manager Simon Creed said: “I was very sad to see the vandalism caused over the past few weeks. We need to respect our town centre and its public spaces.

“Birdbox was bustling last year and it was brilliant to see so many people enjoying themselves in the space and benefiting our local businesses who hadn’t been trading for months, at the same time.

“With our Welcome Back campaign, we want to encourage people - now more of our shops and businesses are open - to shop local and to enjoy what’s on their doorstep.

“The BirdBox is no exception and while we are quite limited on what we can do there at the moment, I am working with our events team to ensure the BirdBox flies high again soon. In the meantime, please continue to enjoy this wonderful space.”

If you are interested in booking the BirdBox to hold an event visit www.bromsgrove.gov.uk/events

Dipomed stretch mark reduction now available at 3D Body Sculpt

3D Body Sculpt Bromsgrove is pleased to announce the addition of a revolutionary new stretch mark reduction treatment which is coming to our clinic in May.

DIPOMED

BEFORE AFTER

Dipomed stretch mark reduction is like no other treatment available and is taking the world of aesthetics by storm. Client’s typically see a reduction of between 30% - 80% improvement in their first session! A maximum of three treatments can be carried out per area (if needed). Our launch offer is a 50% DISCOUNT on all early-bird bookings (sessions are normally £275). If you’d like to take advantage of this new treatment, or would like to find out more give us a call on 01527350401

BEFORE

BEFORE AFTER

AFTER

Natalie Bailey

Tel: 01527 350401

Dipomed Stretch Mark

Reduction Approved

Provider, Bromsgrove www.3dbodysculpt.co.uk