How to improve confidence

For me, body and mind are not disconnected parts of us that can be dealt with independently.  Body and mind are actually one Body~Mind unit interconnected and this 20 min video shows you how much that is true.
Body language affects how others see us, but it can also change how we see ourselves. Social psychologist Amy Cuddy shows how! Posture can affect testosterone and cortisol levels in the brain, and might even have an impact on our chances for success.

Let me know on a 0 to10 scale how confident you feel in the comments below.
If you want help improving that score or your posture or both of course then contact me for a free 30 min taster session.

The secrets of language!

Watch the video for a different take on the use of language.
I help client re-phrase their desired outcomes or goals from sessions as they often don't know how to phrase what they really want. They can tell me what they don't want and this makes it difficult for them to achieve their real desired goal. Language is very powerful so watch what you say and what it really means.  For example, I don't think of what I do as work but as play, in the way that a child learns through play and exploration. This is because work implies effort and this is the opposite of what I want to achieve in the muscles when I want them to relax, I want softness, ease and freedom.
When you understand how the everyday language you use can keep you trapped in a life you don't fully want and begin to re-phrase things, it is much easier to change it.  It does take awareness discipline though to stop saying things like "I want a break" and say "I want a rest" instead.

Enjoy observing yourself and let me know what phrases or words you used and how you have changed them. If you don't know how to change them let me know in the comment box below and I will see if I can come up with something for you. Have fun!

Get rid of catarrh with a bottle of water and a straw! Easy tip

I have been looking after my mother since she broke her hip skiing.
After my first night there, she had been coughing during the night, and woke complaining that she had a lot of catarrh stuck at the back of her nose and throat. When she blew her nose it had no effect.

I decided to test one of the exercises I had seen, while I was training as a nurse. This was used in the hospital by the physiotherapists for post-operative care to reduce the risk of lung infections.

It consists of a large bottle almost full of water and a pipe. The best I could do to replicate this was a 2 L bottle of water and a straw. I gave it to my mother and said: breathe in through your nose, then blow out through the straw that is as deep in the water as possible. Do this about 10x3 times a day.

That night I notice she had not been coughing much. When I got to see her in the morning she declared the catarrh had cleared.

The reason this works is because your body produces catarrh to fight chronic hyperventilation which occurs when most of the breathing is done through the mouth rather than the nose. Breathing against the pressure of the water also ensures the lungs function better.

This particular practice along with square breathing (as described in my blog about sleep) is also helpful for conditions such as asthma and other chest complaints. Cutting down on cow's milk and taking garlic are also helpful. For chesty coughs then Bronchosan A Vogel remedy is also helpful

To find out more about how breathing affects many aspects of your health, you can also learn about the Buteyko method. 

If you have any other tips for breathing then please share them in the comment box, thank you.