support4women.net

A couple of years ago I discovered a way to get people talking to me at parties rather than smiling politely and walking away – I would tell them I’m a hypnotherapist.  I’m assuming that the previous lack of interest was related to the fact that I used to be an accountant (which I would staunchly defend as not being a boring job at all, honest, but most people believe that it is). Or maybe I’ve just improved my small talk over the years!

Anyway, what I found was that most people have an idea of what hypnotherapy is either from seeing a stage hypnotist or from knowing someone who has used it to help them stop smoking or to lose weight. But not so many people are aware of what hypnotherapy actually is or the wide range of issues it can help with.

So, what is hypnotherapy then?

The technical definition is that it’s a therapy taken with the subject in hypnosis.

Uh? So what’s hypnosis then?

Ah, well, hypnosis is a naturally induced state of mind in which the mind is distracted or preoccupied, thus allowing statements or suggestions to bypass the critical factor and enter the subconscious mind. To put it simply, it’s like a day dream, or when you drift off during a boring meeting (I’m sure you’ve all experienced one of those in the past!).

The subconscious mind is the part of our mind that influences the way we think, feel, react and the choices we make. But it can also affect the physiological processes, such as our hormone balance or our perception of pain.

So, going back to what hypnotherapy is. Hypnotherapy uses this state of hypnosis, together with imagery, suggestion and other therapeutic techniques to help you achieve positive change.

I don’t have a magic wand, and I don’t know of any hypnotherapists that do, so we can’t cure you or make you change, or even make you want to change. You have to do this yourself and you have to want to do this yourself. We can, however, help you to find your way and help you to stay on track with a little gentle challenging along the way.

So, what’s it good for then?

I specialise in providing hypnotherapy for fertility, birthing and post natal issues, but see clients for a wide range of other issues as well, including anxiety, phobias, smoking cessation, weight loss, self-esteem and even tinnitus and IBS.

My decision to specialise in hypnotherapy for fertility and birthing was sparked by my own journey through fertility treatments.  Courtesy of IVF and the power of positive thinking I have two beautiful children that keep me on my toes.

I love my job (and that’s something I couldn’t say hand on heart as an accountant – although, it really wasn’t boring, honest!) and I love helping people to make positive changes in their life.

If you want to know more about how hypnotherapy could help you then you could take a look at my website www.cariadhypnotherapy.co.uk – and, if you see me at a party, remember, I’m always happy to have a chat with anyone interested in talking to me!

Thanks to Tracy Jones from Cariad Hypnotherapy for this week’s guest post. If you’d like more information about specific topics, Tracy is happy to do follow up posts. Please feel free to share your experiences.

This weeks’ guest post is about Reiki. I’ve had 4 sessions this year when working out that I needed to do something to help myself get back to normal after a traumatic couple of years. Reiki has worked for me, so I’m delighted that Carolyn, from Nurturing Life,  is making a start at explaining it for me!

Reiki (pronounced Ray-key) comes from the Japanese Rei and Ki meaning Universal Life Force. It refers to the energy that is everywhere around us and available to anyone who has been attuned to access it, a little like being able to tune in to a different radio station.

Reiki is an old tradition that was part of a whole way of life including healing techniques and self awareness, as a means of living life in harmony and happiness. Other healing techniques such as acupuncture and reflexology also aim to generate harmony and balance in your chi/Ki.

You don’t have to believe in Reiki for it to work, just an open mind and willingness to receive the energy. Reiki is not a religion or a cult, and you don’t have to be religious for it to work either! If you want to learn it for yourself, an attunement will start you off on the path, but practise is key to tuning into the energy more quickly and efficiently. Reiki is something you should always practise on yourself regularly once you’re attuned.

Reiki treats not just physical symptoms and illnesses, but also mental and emotional dis-ease, to create balance. While it can be used to target specific areas of pain or concern, Reiki may often find something else of more urgency to treat first. It’s a little like throwing a bucket of water over a piece of ground that’s full of potholes, some will fill up faster than others, some will be deeper and need more water to fill.  Reiki goes where it’s needed most.

So what is a Reiki treatment like? Well, it varies from person to person. To some, it may be a feeling of warmth/heat, while others may feel an icy cold (usually if they need it!). There may be a tingling sensation, or a feeling of butterflies, not always in the immediate area being treated. For some, there may be no sensation at all if you’re not in the mood for it. Whatever you feel, or don’t feel, you should experience a growing sense of relaxation. Sometimes you may be so deeply relaxed you doze off.

Treatment takes place fully clothed, either sitting or lying down, whichever is most comfortable. It can be hands-on or hands-off, with the person being treated in person or remotely at distance. This is often one of the hardest things for someone being treated to get their heads round, but it is just as effective at distance as face to face. In some instances it can even be more effective, if someone is particularly stressed out. The practitioner doesn’t even have to meet the person they treat at distance, often just a photo or name will be sufficient as a way of focussing the intent.

There are many different branches of Reiki, Usui Reiki being the most commonly practised method. I prefer to teach and practise a method called Kundalini Reiki, which is really simple to learn and use.  There are no complicated symbols to learn, all it needs is intent.

Reiki is a great healing technique for relieving stress either in yourself or others. If you’re pregnant, it can be a wonderful way of bonding with your unborn baby, by sending Reiki energy to your bump!  As a parent, it can reduce stress, increase your energy levels and help you manage the challenges of parenting…and is great to use on babies and toddlers.  I spent many a night using Reiki to help soothe my baby’s colic and teething pains.

On a simpler level, a friend’s husband swears their wine always tastes better once it’s had Reiki! It’s also a very effective technique to use with pets to calm them down. Last year, my dog spent the whole evening of 5th November sleeping through the fireworks outside following a Reiki session. On the evenings he didn’t get Reiki, he was on heavy sedatives but still obviously terrified.

Have you had a Reiki treatment? How was it for you? Are you interested in being attuned to use Reiki for yourself?

I’ve just got back from giving blood, and yes, I’m feeling smug about my do-gooding! But, the last time I should have given blood was in January – so you see, I’m really not that good at helping others.

I’ve found it really difficult to fit the session into my family’s busy schedule. continue reading…

Not about the election, although it is the first time ever I haven’t known how to vote. Had thought about doing a post on “Do you vote for a good trustworthy MP, or do you vote for the party politics you agree with most?”. Which I may do, although I think my Friday guest blogger is going to blow us away with her thoughts on party politics.

No, I’m excited that the first bra fitting agent for bras4mums is now trained and ready to go.

Tracy with T-J during her bra fitting training

This seemed a dream just a few weeks ago, but now I’ve done it! I’ve trained someone else. Passed on my knowledge so that she can share her new knowledge with women in her area and get them wearing comfy, suitable bras during pregnancy and when breastfeeding, whatever their shape or size.

When I first started bras4mums my ambition was to have bra fitters across the UK to be able to offer a home fitting service to pregnant women and new mums. Why? Well, the business started when I had a toddler and a new born baby, and I really couldn’t figure out how to go to a shop to get a bra fitting with a toddler and a pram. I was also horrified with the bra fitting advice and information that I was given during my pregnancies – virtually nothing, and some of it totally wrong. continue reading…

T-J asked me to write a post for her blog on how art helps you relax. So here’s a little bit about me, and a lot about the right side of your

Using clay to create

brain – your new friend.

Art and crafts have always featured in my life from early years having our ‘clarty’ (Northumbrian for dirty / mucky – where I originate from) table built by Dad, where we, (my little brother and I), could do all the painty gluey stuff and not be “in trouble for making a mess”. It was fun as a child and I never saw it as something relaxing to do as to me then it was fun and continued to be into my late teens.

So now later on in life I have an arty business, Fired 4 U a pottery painting studio.  I have looked into the benefits of arts and crafts as I have made various observations when watching my customers from the very young to adults, enjoy themselves over the past 4 ¾ years.

The children arrive excited and playful (boisterous sometimes) and settle quickly once painting then….. go silent, yes I said SILENT ! they do really honest. Art is magic or is it? continue reading…

What a fabulous Easter holidays I’ve had. I have so much more energy and enthusiasm and feel

How can you fail to relax here?

ready to take action on a number of fronts. It is the first proper break I’ve had in a long, long while (see previous post for some reasons if you’re interested), and I can now for the first time in a long time, reap the rewards of a break and a rest.

But why do I feel so good? And how can I repeat it in the future? What can I share with others? Here’s my view, but would be interested in what others think about holidays, rest and getting ourselves ready for all our future activities: continue reading…

I’ve just returned from training 7 bra fitters in the wider issues of bra fitting for maternity and nursing bras, using the RCM accredited Bra Fitting Awareness Course. During my long drive home it’s really struck me that, even though all these women have been bra fitters in the shops they work in, they still had very little understanding of how important bra fitting is to women’s health and well being, especially during pregnancy and breastfeeding. The exact point made by last week’s Which report I talked about previously. continue reading…

A Which report published this week could not recommend any

A measure is only a guide

High Street bra fitting service, stating, “Fewer than 1 in 3 shops measured up and no service was good enough to recommend.” Just style reported that even though the report focused on larger busted women (DD+), smaller busted women also got a poor service

I have to say I’m disappointed, but not surprised. My business was set up almost 6 years ago after I got awful advice from a ‘trained bra fitter’ running an independent business. But I still see women who tell us of their awful experiences in High Street Shops.

I’ve always based the bra fitting service we offer at bras4mums and bras4all on good fitting advice. We will not let a woman buy a bra we believe is ill fitting. If she insists, we make a note on her fitting record, in case she has cause to complain.

We allow up to an hour for each fitting at our shop and with our home fitting service. This allows time to educate the customer as well as try on a variety of styles and sizes to ensure good fit. At the shows we attend, this isn’t possible, but our fitters do their best in a very busy environment, and will spend as much time with a customer as required to ensure good fit and comfort.

One of our main frustrations as bra fitters, are the sizes available from suppliers. Even though bras4mums offers the widest range of maternity and nursing bras in the UK, we don’t feel there is enough for a lot of the women we see. We need more 28-30 back sizes, more F+ cups, and particularly more HH – J – L cups. Despite our good communications with our suppliers, they are still not listening as we’re only a small part of their income. For example, HOTmilk have decided to no longer manufacture 30 band sizes. It turns out that we’re one of the very few stockists of this size, and not big enough for them to manufacture just for us.

Yes, bra fitting services should be better and more consistent. But so should bra manufacturing! You can even buy a bra from the same manufacturer in a different size to normal due to the fabric being more/less stretchy. It’s frustrating!

So, if in doubt, give us a call. Our bra fitters are trained to offer advice by phone and by email. We may use a tape measure as a guide, but not as the final ’size answer’, as all bras fit differently. See how we size you up for an initial guesstimate and starting point.

Recent training sessions we’ve run have surprised the attendees, and disappointed sales assistants. During the day they’ve not only realised that they are uncomfortable in their current bra, but that the range that they are stocking will not fit most of the women who shop there! Stores need to start asking women what they want, not relying on suppliers who want to sell bra patterns they already have.

Don’t let anyone tell you it’s the right fit if it’s uncomfortable to wear. But please do remember, that you may not be wearing your bra right. Do listen to advice on this – an ill fitting bra really can affect your health.

Related article – Why aren’t we taught how to wear a bra at school?

If you’re anything like me, my Mum took me to M&S when my breasts started to grow and then I wore the same size bras for ever.

It was only when I got pregnant that I really started to become more aware of

Nursing bra by Bravado

my breasts and my bras. My breasts grew massive in the first few weeks of pregnancy, and was told by an M&S fitter that this was unusual, (I’ve since discovered that this is normal!). She put me in a sports bra, which wasn’t that comfy, but I thought they were the experts, so I wore it during pregnancy.

I discovered NCT bras for breastfeeding, which were OK. But looking back, I probably wasn’t wearing the right size. continue reading…

This week is the week many people will be starting their new fitness regime to get a new shape / lose weight / feel better at the start of 2010.

Don’t forget that a new bra can get you a new shape without the need to lose weight! You can surprise your partner and friends by getting the right size, bra shape and correctly fitted bra. Sometimes you need to reduce your t-shirt size as a good bra can make all the difference to how you look.

We have surprised women all the time in the shop, exclaiming, “I can’t believe the difference the bra has made”. It’s a great feeling to help women look and feel better. It’s the part of the job I love most.

So, how do we do this for ourselves? The most important thing is how you fit the bra. Think down or low for the bra band. This should be firm and sit in the smallest part of your back. This is often a lot lower than where you usually wear your bra, but you will benefit from the support and shape it gives you – it shapes your natural contours, and lifts your breasts naturally from a firm base. It will bring your shoulders back and help improve your posture.

How not to wear a bra

If you’re worried about the overhang, then get a bra that is deeper than usual. A lot of fashion bras have very narrow bands. Older ladies that wear longline bras don’t have this problem, as everything is held in by the length of the bra. continue reading…