Managing wellbeing with Access Bars

* My Access Bar session was gifted by Access Consciousness.
We all know how important it is to look after both our physical and mental wellbeing and the benefits that taking some time out, or some time for ourselves brings. Today on National Stress Awareness day I’m sharing more about my recent experience of having my bars done which aims to ‘relax your brain, and relax your body.’

What is Access Bars?

The Access Bars are 32 points on the head, which when lightly touched can help facilitate a reduction in stress and trauma throughout the body. The sessions are usually a 30 to 90 minutes hands-on treatment - mine was 60 minutes - which involves light touching to various points on the head which can help reduce stress throughout the body and increase positive attitudes towards life.

Before my session I knew that each session can be different, and the treatments can be different for every one and my therapist reminded me of this before the session started. The other thing I learnt was that during the session it’s important your fingers don’t point towards each other directly as this interferes with the energy flow.

I’ve previously paid for some Craniosacral Therapy sessions (a gentle hands-on technique that relives tension and stress) and so I had some idea of what Access Bars might be like, though I was curious about the focus being on the touch points on my head. My therapist said at worst, I’d leave feeling like I’d had a really good massage, and who can argue with that - the video below shares more about what you can expect from the session.

Before I share more about how I got on I want to share a couple of photos of the hotel where the event took place. The public areas of the Clermont Hotel in Victoria are stunning and it was a real treat to be in such surroundings. I’m sure that the hotel has been refurbished since I last visited, which looking back was in 2018 for a friends wedding - how time flies!

So how did I get on?

As I said above I was curious about how the Access Bars would work, but I was open to finding out how I could feel like I’d had a good massage by only being touched on my head. During the session I felt myself relaxing, and I felt what I’ll call tensions release. These felt different in different parts of my body, we all have our known niggles and sometimes more than others. I knew my left calf was tight, and of course my troublesome toe is still healing (I hope) slowly, but also I’ve recently been experiencing symptoms of Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, which are thankfully improving following advice from practice physio, so I was keen to see how these, and other areas of my body reacted and felt afterwards.

As I relaxed I could feel the tension release in my legs, I know that I tense my hips (strangely!) so that was welcome. At one point I also felt what I can only explain as a ‘shooting tingle’ in the top of my right thigh which didn’t feel too dissimilar to having a mobile phone vibrate in my pocket, but without it being there. It was the feeling in my wrists which most surprised me though, and a pleasant surprise at that. It felt as if the energy in my wrists was buzzing, not in the pins and needles, or numb way that I’d previously experienced, but in a more positive, vibrant way - it’s hard to explain, but it felt good.

This video shares more about what it’s like to receive an Access Bars session.

And after the session?

Following the session my therapist advised me to listen to my body, and said I might crave water, sugar or salt. I didn’t expressly crave any of those, though as normal practice following any therapy session I usually up my water intake, something that I’ve found helps all round.

Immediately after the session I felt a little spaced out, again nothing bad, but almost like I was trying to process what I’d just experienced. I didn’t have specific plans for after the session but I did feel more aware of my surroundings, and the multiple vases displaying cut flowers in the hotel lobby, along with the unseasonably warm temperatures outside encouraged me to wander rather than to head straight back to the station.

My unplanned wander led me past Buckingham Palace and through St James’ Park, and it was great to be outside on a warm October day, especially without a coat. I felt more aware of my surroundings, this isn’t a route I normally take - or have probably taken before, and that calf I mentioned before seemed to be loosening up, which I was grateful for.

After stopping to watch the pelicans for a while, with many other people, I found myself back on The Mall and in much more familiar territory so rather than head back the way I came I carried on to Charing Cross station to head home. So I also managed to fit in over twelve thousand steps to my day, including my walk to and from the station at home. And the bonus was I felt relaxed, and planned to take it easy for the rest of the day too.

So for me it was an enjoyable session, and one that was good to experience first hand. I’m still curious though, and am looking forward to reading Dr Dain Heer’s book which promises on its back cover to be a ‘very different book’ providing a set of practical and dynamic tools for generating infinite possibilities and dynamic change.

* With thanks to Access Consciousness for inviting me to experience Access Bars, as usual all views and opinions are my own.

Silly Greens on tour

This post contains items gifted from Silly Greens.

Did you know you can receive micro greens to grow at home by post? Me neither, but you can - and that’s where Silly Greens comes in.

Silly Greens post seeds that grow straight out of the box, the micro greens, which are seedlings of herbs and veg, and they add a burst of flavour to your meals. They’re short-lived crops, which cut and come again and arrive through your letterbox ready to go, no need to do anything other than open the box.

And it really was as simple as opening the box. In your first pack there’s a leaflet explaining more about the seeds, and the seaweed jelly that they grow in - that helps keep the seeds in place during their journey, and keeps them hydrated too - when they arrive they are well on the way to germinating so you don’t have too long to wait to see them spring into action. And when your micro greens are finished the jelly shrinks back and because it’s natural it can be composted, and the packaging can be recycled.

Radish, Rocket and Turnip

My box of micro greens arrived a week or so before we headed off to my brother’s wedding in Yorkshire last month, and so to get the most of them they came with us. Of course they did! MOH wasn’t sure I was serious to start with, but then remember he knows me well and realised I was serious. In the wedding hotel, they happily sat on the window ledge. They moved on with us when we headed for our week in the North East and were a great way to pep up salads, and even in our burgers - in fact, with less condiments available than we’d have at home it was a great way to add some zing.

The seeds in my first box were pungent, peppery radish, a classic rocket and an unexpected inclusion, turnip. The picture below was taken three days after they arrived, and as you can see they’re well on the way to growing into proper micro greens. You can probably also see some root hairs, or fluff - don’t worry - the booklet explained simply that “root hairs were good, mould was bad” so all is well.

Not unsurprisingly the radish were quick to get growing, much like when you plant them in the garden or vegetable plot. They’re a quick cropping crop which is why you can grow them alongside slower growing crops there.

The advice that comes with the seeds is to keep them covered until the seeds lift the card, and suggests you can also weigh down the card. I didn’t believe that the little seeds would be able to lift the card. However I trusted the advice and even so was surprised when they actually did. Isn’t nature wonderful?

For me the rocket was the slowest growing, and as you can see on the card above it suggests covering it over will help it stretch - I kept mine covered the longest of the three, but had the least success with the rocket, but even so they still grew, just perhaps not quite as long (or tall) as I thought.

Each box is £5 including postage and packing (which is all recyclable); the boxes change each week and there’s details about each micro green on the Silly Greens site. If you’re wondering why you’d want to grow these at home, that’s a fair point. Apart from their ease of growing and their versatility, growing them at home means they’re fresher than buying them ready cut from the supermarket - plus you get to see the seeds grow, and to see them lift that card (they really do!)

We enjoyed adding these to our meals, mostly sprinkled over the top of salads - which worked well for us. I like salads, but I do get bored of them quite quickly so I’m always looking for new additions to change them slightly, and these worked for us as they kept on growing for a couple of weeks.

My second box arrived yesterday - and this month’s box includes a heritage pea mix, coriander and amaranth and a spicy mix. The box is opened and the card is waiting (and weighted) to be lifted. I’ll share how I get on with these.

With thanks to Silly Greens for providing this box of micro greens for the purposes of this review.

Reflecting on my week #105

* This post contains items that were gifted by the London Graphic Centre

I’m not quite sure how it’s Tuesday already, but general opinion says it is. The weekend was a busy one, and the start of the week has continued. It’s quite usual for me to not know what day it is, but this week even more so. At one point towards the end of last week I thought I might be succumbing to the inevitable germs that seem to be in full flow around the office, but a concerted effort to actually eat the satsumas I’ve been carrying in and storing on my desk seems to have done the trick. So far at least, let’s hope that continues.

I had Saturday to myself - which is always nice - and even got some chores done, and completed my Christmas shopping. Unheard of for me, but also helped by the fact that my family ‘Christmas’ is actually on 30 November. I am done though. Apart from the wrapping. I’ve been so organised that I’ve even managed to buy MOH’s present to me, he’s never been so organised either.

One of the parcels I collected was from the London Graphic Centre, a favourite shop of mine in Covent Garden. It’s a shop that I used to visit as a teenager, in awe of its contents, and now not much has changed really, apart from me no longer being a teenager. When they got in touch, they’d asked what art supplies I was interested in, and so opening the package was a bit of the unknown as they’d selected items based on the crafts I’d given.

There’s plenty to keep me occupied, and what I’m most keen to test out is the dual brush pens with some modern brush-style lettering. My biggest problem, apart from getting started, is what my project should be. More thought needed, but not too much, as I’m itching to get started.

The weather changed this week too, with a distinctly more wintery feel. We had our first frost here this morning, and typically it was the day my car was at the garage for its MOT. I must have known though as I’d dropped it around to the garage last night, so at least I didn’t have to deal with a frosty car.

This weekend we will - most likely (weather dependent) be out in the gardening tackling all the leaves that have come down, and more I’m sure. There’s plenty to do out there, and it’s never as bad as you think once you actually get going.

Next door’s work is continuing, and from a peek out the window on our top floor, it seems they’ve got a bit of an unplanned pool on the flat roof. Of course, this might not be new, it could have been doing that all the time, but now it’s just more obvious. I’m sure the newest water feature will be staying…

It’s coming along though, but there is still much more for them to do. I can tell you for nothing, that I don’t miss having building work underway.

* The items in this post from London Graphic Centre were gifted for the purposes of a review, once that’s taken place I’ll be sharing more about the products and my project.