Health

60 The West Dorset Magazine, February 11, 2022 Health Walking West Dorset

with retired Dorset rights of way officer Chris Slade

CHILFROME

Park near the church, which is worth a visit. Look for bees flying from the roof to the right of the porch. They’re said to have been there for 30 years and are on a ley line of churches and houses with bees stretching from Upwey to Rampisham. Walk up the lane as far as the corner where there’s a gate that takes you into a field. Go through the field, turning left to meet Wraxall Lane. That’s a pleasant walk but takes you over the parish boundary so I’m not including it today. Instead, turn left and go southwards down a hollow way that was featured in a film a while ago. At the bottom of the lane, turn right and head west along the road as far as a bend to the right. You’ll have passed a gateway into a field with a spring and stream in which watercress grows, but we’re not going that way today. At the bend in the road join Lower Drove, a track that takes you west for half a mile where you’ll see a bridleway sign pointing south, uphill. When you’ve crossed the first field you’ll be in Access Land where you can wander at will admiring the wide views and the wild flowers and insects. Make your way to the top of the hill and follow the hedge line east for half a mile until you come to a field boundary with a stile. Use it to enter the next field that takes you north eastward down to the road. Turn right, south east and you’ll soon come to a footpath on the left which takes you along the hedge/ditch line until you meet a footpath heading north west across a field and back to the church.

Imagine it, draw it... then achieve it!

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

I love what I do. I love it because I always see the potential in people and I know how powerful hypnotherapy can be. It can quickly get to the root of problems and turn them around so we can begin to become the people we are supposed to be – and not just the result of our experiences and conditioning. When I heard this magazine was starting up I was keen to do a weekly column focusing on issues people send in for me. I love helping people and I have years of experience both in hypnotherapy and self help. I am also a trained addiction therapist and I do voluntary work with Reach, the local drug and alcohol service. As no one has had a chance to send me any requests for help yet I thought I’d write a bit about what we want to achieve in 2022. Try taking yourself somewhere quiet for ten minutes or so, and take a couple of pieces of paper and a pencil with you. Now I want you to think about what you really want to happen in this new year. How do you want to be? This time next year, what do you want to have achieved? Write it down and keep the piece of paper somewhere where you can see it. Now, draw a picture or something to symbolise what it is you want, again put it somewhere you can see it. If you have time, colour it in using bright colours. Your subconscious loves symbols and pictures and takes more notice of them than words. Now I want you to imagine it’s a year from now and picture yourself at the end of the year and everything you wanted to happen has happened. Now step into that picture and really feel how it feels, see what you see, hear what you hear. Make the picture big and bright in your mind. Use this visualisation any time you want to and your subconscious mind will begin showing you ways and opportunities to make it a reality. Have fun doing it. If you have any issues you’d like me to address in this column please send them to me at info@HilarysHypnotherap y.com and I will do my best to answer them. Hilary Charman DHHP MAPA AMACCPH

HilarysHypnotherapy.com n 07900 652755

The West Dorset Magazine, February 11, 2022 61 Health Make a date with the memory café at Shire Hall

Love will be in the air at a memory café event to be held at the Shire Hall in Dorchester this Valentine’s Day. The Shire Hall Memory Café is held every second Monday of the month from 10am-12pm. Shire Hall has recently been named Dementia Friends by the Alzheimer’s Society, and staff have undergone dementia awareness training. The memory café will be held in the learning room, a light and open space. People will have the opportunity to interact and socialise, alongside delicious food. As the sessions progress, organisers will be introducing activities. There is disabled access around the building. Anyone who might like to attend is urged to email info@ shirehalldorset.org. A spokesman said: “We understand

that it may be a case of waiting until that morning to decide, but a rough idea would still help us a lot. Thank you.” The theme for Monday’s session is Valentine’s Day and days of romance. Shire Hall Memory Cafe is supported by David Upshall Insurance. The next sessions will be held on February 14, March 14, April 11, May 9 and June 13. You’ve got the power to decide now

A Bridport-based solicitor is urging people to consider what might happen if they became physically or mentally challenged in later life. Christine Davies, whose practice is called Winterborne Legal Services, says arranging powers of attorney now could save so much heartache later on. Powers of attorney are used to organise who will be responsible for making decisions about your financial affairs if you become incapacitated. They are also used for deciding what you want to happen in the case of a serious illness – such as whether you want advanced treatment or a Do Not Resuscitate order. She said: “I’ve been a solicitor for more than 15 years and have always done private client work, including wills. “I believe every adult should have powers of attorney organised. It’s so important to make decisions about the issues that might arise in the future. “It’s about planning for the future to make sure you’re properly looked after by someone of your own choosing.” Christine says people should not just assume their nearest and dearest will make the decisions they themselves would choose. She said: “People think the person they want to make those decisions for them will automatically be able to do everything for them but there’s no automatic right for anybody to have those powers. So a lasting power of attorney will give them those rights. “I find it rewarding helping people in these matters. People like to know that things are not left to the vagaries of fate. You know you’ve made your own plans about things that are important to you if you

LEGAL MATTER: Christine Davies of Winterborne Legal have issues in the future.” There are two types of powers of attorney – one covers financial decisions and another covers health and welfare decisions. She said “If you only cover financial matters you won’t have anything to say you would like treatment withheld in certain circumstances, and decisions about care homes for example, so it’s better to have both. “This means you can absolutely identify what’s important to you for end of life care and your wishes about how you’re cared for – such as whether you receive advanced treatment. It can be as detailed as you want it to be.” Christine offers face to face appointments in your home or by Zoom. n Call 01308 424808 or go to winterbornelegal.com