Following on from my last post on SAD (seasonal affective disorder) self-help, looking at how to utilise light therapy as a method for dealing with winter depression, here is my guide on choosing and using light therapy for winter depression. Winter depression can be quite debilitating and frustrating but it doesn’t have to be like that year-in, year-out. Personally, I find the hardest thing about winter to be getting up whilst it is still dark outside, I have been using a sunrise alarm clock since 2006 and I definitely find it makes waking up that little bit easier
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Are you feeling SAD these days? You might be craving light now that the days are getting shorter and darker. For some people the lack of daylight in autumn and winter can lead to seasonal affective disorder (SAD). SAD is a condition that typically causes feelings of lethargy and sadness throughout the winter months. Have you noticed a change in your motivation to attend your usual activities such as Yoga class or going to the gym? Maybe you feel less centred, you get irritable more easily and you feel like pulling the blanked back over your eyes when your alarm rings in the morning. Even sweet cravings can be a side effect of feeling the winter blues.
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What I like about the Zone exercises is that they integrate mind and body both of which affect each other. Studies have shown that emotional tension is held in different areas of the body depending on what they relate to. Some people carry their tension in their shoulders others in their lower back. Zone related movements can help release and balance tensions a person holds which means you can also affect your posture in a positive way by practicing Zone exercises. You do not have to understand how it works or believe in the approach for it to work. If you prefer to just see this as a gentle exercise routine you will still experience great benefits as you practice with consciousness and awareness of how you body responds to each movement. It is about being in the moment, getting to know your body and listening to how it feels. If you are not ready for traditional still sitting meditation you might find the Zone exercises are a good intermediate step on your way to integration more mindfulness in your life without causing yourself the emotional stress that the thought of still meditation might trigger for you.
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Like many of you, I have over-exercised by running too many miles and instructing unhealthy numbers of exercise classes each week; none of which resolved my body image/ weight issues and largely contributed to my mental and physical ill health. Yes I know, it is commonly prescribed to exercise more and to eat a lot less, but does it work? Does it make you feel good, is it sustainable long term, will it change your body shape permanently? Well – no, generally it does not. There is a limit to what your body can cope with in the long run. If you keep doing several intense classes at the gym or running many miles each week you will eventually experience symptoms of over training see the list
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You know you lead a stressful life in Leeds, you have been thinking about adopting a mindfulness practice to manage your stress but you are not sure what method would suit you? Your friends are recommending yoga but you feel bending into strange shapes it is not for you after trying it? You feel intimidated by the idea of sitting meditation because you think you are not allowed to have thoughts or feel you need more movement in your life? Have you thought about trying a form of Tai Chi Qigong?
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“What can I do about this?” (a young girl pinching herself into the non existing tummy fat) is one of the most common questions I get after exercise classes I teach in Leeds. I felt I should share a little bit of education on the reasons for why your belly may not look how you would like it to even though you are training your abs every day. Read this before you even go in and attempt to do something about the body fat, you may be surprised how many things other than exercise affect your body fat and belly fat. I want to help you stop wasting time and energy addressing the problem with the wrong tools.
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Why we need to work on getting better sleep For people with AS it is even more important to be able to sleep because the body needs the time between 10pm/ 2am to repair physically and to sort out thoughts and emotions between 2am and 6am. I generally do not advocate taking any medications, but when things get really bad, an aspirin can save the night allowing a fresh start the next day.
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You go hard in the gym, you party hard and spend more time than 9-5 at work, it is likely that your body is sending you signals pleading for stress management and me time on a regular basis. You think stress management is a waste of time, boring or too spiritual? You haven’t tried the Leeds Tai Chi Body Flow class yet. It works whether you believe in chi/ qi which is described as life energy or vital force or not. All you need to do is join in and breathe you will increase your vitality or chi automatically.
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Whether your muscle pain has been caused by a strenuous workout, a strain, by bad posture, sitting at a desk all day or by a chronic inflammatory condition such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or ankylosing spondylitis (AS) below are 3 non-invasive things that can easily give you relief without breaking the bank.
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