How I got rid of the pain and cancelled the op !

When faced with a situation I cannot do anything to change, I find the best response is to put it on the back burner and think about what I can do while I wait for things to resolve. Getting the Diploma online was something I could do and I’m really excited about it. My new students are now enrolling. (Here is a link to the course contents. Here is a link to purchase the workbook direct)

Getting my first automated training programme online was another and I’m pleased to say I’m nearly there.

What I didn’t anticipate was the dramatic impact the new programme would have on me personally as well as professionally.

To explain, ? need to tell you that, pre Lockdown I had been dealing with the effects of a badly arthritic shoulder for over a year and a half. Exercises and physiotherapy had made no difference and the x rays shown to me by my consultant seemed to indicate the only option to relieve the pain was a full shoulder replacement.

The date was booked but the afternoon before the surgery was due i got an apologetic call from the hospital to say that, due to corona, the op was cancelled.

I was disappointed but understood why. I decided to get on with the research for my online training programme while I waited for things to resolve. Last week the hospital phoned to give me a new date for the surgery. 

I turned it down.

The pain has all but disappeared. I’m taking no medication and ? can sleep through the night without the discomfort waking me up several times. And it was only when i was proof reading my new programme that the penny dropped…

I had written my personal health goal into the training and achieved it without realising.

It’s connected to breath work but, surprisingly, it’s not the 7-11 technique. Next week I’ll say a bit more.

Meanwhile, here is an extract from the workbook. I hope it helps

Ten physical benefits of managing stress

Breathing in and breathing out. It’s something we do all of the time without giving it a second thought. However, it’s really worth noticing if your breathing pattern is shallow or fast so you can make a conscious effort to deepen it and slow it down.

The extra oxygen will benefit you and your mind in so many ways.

In fact, really understanding the many benefits of breath control for managing stress is what will motivate you to start a daily breathing practice and keep it up.

Here are a few of the physical benefits of learning how to breathe stress away:

#1 It relieves pain

Slowing down your breathing rate triggers the release of endorphins which not only helps create a peaceful feeling but also combats pain. When we are stressed the pain gateways open up and our perception of pain increases.

#2 It helps with asthma

Slow breathing exercises encourage the lungs to expand more fully which, over time, can help increase lung capacity while building muscle strength for overall fitness.

Controlled breathing also helps lower stress levels which is a trigger for asthma in many people, so reducing stress is also likely to reduce asthma flares

#3 It increases energy

The greater the lung capacity, the more oxygen circulates in the blood and the better our body functions. It also improves stamina.

Slow breathing also stimulates the lymphatic system and helps detoxify the body. Breathing is responsible for 70% of cleaning the body of toxins. The other 30% is taken up by the bladder and bowels so if you don’t breathe fully and completely, these organs have to work harder to release the toxins.

#4 It lowers heart rate and blood pressure

Slow, deep breathing activates the parasympathetic nervous system which decreases the heart rate and opens up blood vessels, reducing blood pressure. As your breathing becomes slower, your brain starts to associate it with a state of safety and relaxation, which also causes your body to relax other functions.

This happens through the body’s ventral vagal system; a more recently evolved part of the nervous system.

As humans evolved into conscious beings, our awareness of our self meant that, for the first time, the brain could directly tell the heart to calm down. Often we forget we have this extraordinary ability. 

#5 It improves digestion

The more you engage the Relaxation Response by regulating your breathing rate, the healthier the blood flow to the gut, which in turn promotes healthy digestion in the intestines.

Amazingly, we carry between 3-5 pounds of gut bacteria and the balance of this is directly affected by our stress levels. It’s a real micro system down there. In fact, we manufacture much of our feel good-hormone serotonin in the gut and your gut bacteria impacts how you feel mentally and physically as well as affecting how well you digest your food.

#6 it helps control diabetes

In the UK, nearly 30% of adults 65 years or older have diabetes.

New research shows controlling stress may be as effective as some medications in controlling blood sugar levels. Researchers have long known that stress worsens diabetes. Stress causes the release of hormones that lead to energy mobilization; the 'fight or flight' response

In a study 108 people with type 2 diabetes half of the patients were taught breath-based stress reduction techniques during their treatment, while the other half weren't. One year later, the doctors tested all patients. Of those who learned stress reduction techniques, 32% had lowered their hemoglobin A1c by 1% or more. That’s a significant change.

#7 It helps support good posture

Next time you breathe in, notice how you simultaneously lengthen and straighten your spine. In order to take a deep breath in, your lungs take up maximum space and your diaphragm pulls down, so in turn your torso straightens in order for this to be possible.

This is good for your posture, which in turn is also good for your spine, neck, shoulders and digestive system.

#8 It improves immunity

When your blood is fully oxygenated, it carries and absorbs nutrients and vitamins more efficiently. Essentially, the cleaner the blood, the harder it is for illnesses to stay put in your system. Researchers following participants in an eight-week study of breath based meditation at the University of Wisconsin, found positive effects on both the brain and immune function. 

Breathing through the nose (nasal breathing) has also been shown to increase the body’s uptake of nitric oxide which

#9 It reduces inflammation

Inflammation is at the root of most diseases. Inflammation begins the process of arteries clogging with cholesterol. More and more research programmes are showing that mind-body linked activities like controlled breathing, meditation and yoga, together with sensible diet and exercise, can have a significant effect in reducing overall inflammation in the body.

#10 It improves sleep

Our chattering minds can keep us tossing and turning at night and can lead to chronic insomnia. Sleep is not something we do so much as something we allow to happen. Slowing and counting the breath helps us to let go of anxious thoughts rather than get caught up in them because, as it turns out, we can only actually think one thought at a time.

The questionnaire attached is designed to help you focus on some of the changes you might want to see when you get your regular breathing practice established. It’s so easy to lose focus, let helpful new habits drift and return to our old habits and patterns.

Fill in the physical benefits questionnaire with as much detail as you can and I’ll see you in Module 4…

Fusion: responding to change

The Fusion programme has changed to embrace the new landscape in which we now find ourselves and, I have to say, I think it is much improved as a result. The need to adapt has provided an opportunity to respond to feedback from previous Fusion graduates that they would like less theory and more practical application.

Key changes include:

• New online interactive workshops delivered via Zoom
• Full integration of the Skills Certificate programme with the Diploma training bridging the theory-application gap
• Access to the unique Fusion five session manual during training
• Twelve months free membership of the Association for Coaching
• An accelerated pathway to coach accreditation
• The cost of the Skills Certificate programme is fully deductible from the fee for the Diploma 

The training information handbook has now been updated and is outlined below.

Places are already filling and numbers will be restricted. You can reserve your place by completing the application form here and returning it to [email protected]

Priority will be given to those who have already purchased the Skills Certificate programme. Here is a link to purchase the Skills Workbook direct.