Health

64 The West Dorset Magazine, April 8, 2022 Health Walking West Dorset

with retired Dorset rights of way officer Chris Slade

FROME VALLEY

FROME VALLEY TRAIL – THIRD WALK This walk is four-and-ahalf miles long and has some very muddy bits so I suggest you use wellies and a stick. For the first time this Frome Valley Trail walk actually goes alongside the Frome for a while! Park near the church in Maiden Newton. Just past the church is a gate giving access to a field. As soon as you enter the field you’ll see a finger post pointing to the right with a symbol of the Frome Valley Trail. Follow the well trodden path across the field and down to a bridge over the river and along the river bank through a disused water meadow. Towards the end of this section is a place where you’ll be glad of your wellies! Go under the railway bridge and continue upstream until you find another finger post pointing left. Follow the path which soon leaves the water meadow and cuts across the corner of an arable field to a small gate. From there it crosses a field and exits onto a road next to Chilfrome Church. Walk northward up the road until it turns right. Here you go through a gate into a field and the path wends to the left and joins another road leading north. After a while the Tarmac runs out and it’s wet in places. Eventually you reach a very rutted junction where you turn right down to Sandhills Cross. Re-trace your steps but, when you reach the point where you joined the road, carry straight on down a holloway that featured in the film Rogue Male. When you reach Chilfrome carry on until you get to Maiden Newton, turn left crossing the Frome and a mill stream then left again and you’ll be close to your car.

You can choose to think better thoughts

Hilary Charman is a hypnotherapist based at Partners in Wellbeing, Poundbury.

Something that is really comforting to a lot of people is to be told: “You are not your thoughts, you are the one listening to those thoughts.” And that means you can choose NOT to listen to them. You can, figuratively speaking, put your fingers in your ears and go la la la la if a thought comes up you don’t like. Or you can say to your subconscious, “Thank you for that thought but actually I choose instead to think...” and replace it with a more helpful thought. But where do thoughts come from then? A lot of our thoughts and negative self talk comes from people in our past. Maybe family members, teachers, kids at school. We come into life like an empty container and it’s filled with information from all our life’s experiences and everyone we meet. That’s okay if it’s accurate and positive but often it’s just others people’s beliefs and opinions. If you’re listening to that voice in your head you’re listening to a filing cabinet of information coming from people who were trying to find their own way through life and had their own negative thoughts based on things they had heard and experienced from when they were little. The other thing we have to take into consideration is that our subconscious is only interested in keeping us alive. Not to make us happy or fulfilled, it’s only interested in our survival. So it doesn’t like change. It doesn’t like us taking risks or stepping out of our comfort zone. If our sub conscious had its way we would stay at home wrapped in cotton wool, order all our food in, never go anywhere, never meet new people or try new things. And of course we could probably live a long life like that but actually it would be pretty unfulfilling. It’s in our true nature to want to grow and evolve, to feel like we’re becoming something more than we are. So we need to question those negative, fear-based thoughts. As soon as you hear that voice in your head say anything that’s not supportive you can simply say, “Thank you for that thought but actually I choose to think...” and replace it with a new, improved thought. It takes a bit of practice but each time you do it you’ll be becoming more empowered as you begin to take charge of your own thinking. Hilary Charman PHHD AMACCPH HilarysHypnotherapy.com info@HilarysHypnotherapy. com

The West Dorset Magazine, April 8, 2022 65 Health Town clock to light up blue for Parkinson’s

Bridport’s town clock will be lit up in blue on April 11 to shine a light on World Parkinson’s Day. The Bridport Support Group of Parkinson’s UK holds free monthly social meetings at St Swithun’s Church Hall for those with the condition and their partners or carers, plus informal coffee gatherings at a town cafe. The group’s organiser Frances Morgan holds a variety of activities including a pub lunch outing, a tea dance and a sound bath. She said: “I aim to provide an interesting and supportive year of activities and all are welcome. At our last meeting we had a useful talk from our local advisor but we usually have activities and there’s always a raffle and great tea and cakes from our volunteers. “Come and join us.” While millions of pounds have been spent on research, and new treatments are trialled, there is currently no cure for the fastest growing neurological condition. The statistics are staggering –one in 37 people in the UK today diagnosed with Parkinson’s in their lifetime. This disease is often misunderstood, not surprising given the range of symptoms and how it affects everyone differently. Judy was diagnosed at the age of 49. She said: “It’s hard for people without Parkinson’s to understand the problems that are unique to it. At one time you may not be able to move, but then an hour later you could be walking around. “Losing balance when walking can make people think you’re drunk. “Educating the public is important. While it is a condition that is more commonly diagnosed in people aged over 65, younger folk can get it too. Very rarely, children can get Parkinson’s.” Tremor, slowness of movement, rigid muscles, fixed facial expression are some of the more noticeable symptoms. Pain, fatigue, difficulty swallowing are among others. Mental health can be affected with anxiety, depression, apathy, sleep disturbance. But not everyone gets all symptoms and though Parkinson’s gets worse over time every person will progress differently. What all those living with Parkinson’s have in common is a shortage of dopamine due to the death of some of the brain cells that make it. Bridport group organiser Frances can be contacted on 07876 692006. More information at parkinsons.org.uk