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Acorn Health Blog

What we love is great health...

...and we like to write about how we can all achieve better health, naturally. Sometimes tips on how you can DIY to better health and sometimes on the therapies that can make a difference to you, your health and wellbeing.
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Meditation Musings with Eileen

Workshops & Classes Posted on Thu, February 23, 2023 11:21AM

Meditation?? Nah, not got the time for all that!!

By Eileen Strong

Facts of life:  we’re all busy!

So you’ve heard all about the potential physical and mental health benefits of Meditation.  It is, after all, always being featured in the latest Health & Wellness magazines, E-zines, Blogs, Pods, Celebrity “secrets of my success” interviews, etc etc etc.

BUT .. you’re busy! Life is hectic! It’s full of demands on your time that you simply cannot escape from and you’re pretty full on already without trying to cram something else in.  Sound like you?  We’re all the same in that respect.  Life can be pretty full on and we all have stuff to do, and roles to fulfil: carer, worker, brother, sister, mother, father, lover, worker, student, house-keeper, shopper, run-a-round, rescuer … I bet you could probably add a few more roles to that list of your own. 

And if you know you’re a bit of a stress-head, or you suffer with anxiety, overwhelm, overthink, or stress-related symptoms of illness,  you will most probably already  SUSPECT that Meditation would probably be a good thing for you to get into … BUT .. you’re busy!!! You’re just never going to fit it into your already busy, hectic day! 

Well, let’s see if we can help you find a way, because as the famous quote by Henry Ford/Buddha/Yoda/OtherGuru goes ….

“If you want to get something different from what you’ve always got,

you’ve got to do something different from what you’ve always done”

So, back to last month’s Meditation Questions on what the whole idea of Meditation is for you, how long do you think you need in order to Meditate?   1 or 2 hours of sitting cross-legged on a cushion on the floor with an empty mind, humming “Ommmmmm” to yourself?

Well, that is an option for you.  And that IS a practice for many thousands of people who regularly meditate.  If you read our Acorn newsletter last month, you’ll recall the 3 simple factors I highlighted about Meditation that everyone should know and none of them are difficult.  And there are also many many MANY different ways to DO Meditation.  We mentioned a few of those last month too.  (Here’s the link for last month’s blog on Meditation if you want to check back for a 3 minute read:   Meditation: What’s it mean to you?)

What’s all this mean for me? 

What all this means is  that simply by  INTENDING to do it, we can shift ourselves PDQ from our busy, stressy, doing, fretting, over-thinking, over-worrying state, and within a minute or so,  drop into what I call a more “meditative state of being”.  i.e. being calm, focused, yet relaxed.  Yep .. in just a minute or so. 

How cool is that? And -more importantly – how many minutes are there in a whole day?

Well, 24 hours in a day.  Let’s delete 8 hours of those for a good night’s sleep (Meditation can help you with that too, by the way, if you need it!) which still leaves 16 hours with 60 minutes in every hour.  Let’s do the math. 16 hours x 60 mins = a whopping 960 minutes.  Could you promise yourself just  1, 2, or 3 mins of that, every day, to introduce some regular Meditation into your life.  Just 1, 2 or 3 mins for YOU?  Investing in YOUR physical and mental health?  You – you beautiful soul –  deserve that at the very least, and I know you can do that, with just a bit of determination.  So why not give it a go?

HOW, exactly, can you fit it into a busy day?

Well, take a look at your day.  It might seem absolutely rammed full of all that “stuff” you have to do.  Think about all the routines, or little habits, that you already have in place in your day.

Morning face-wash, morning cuppa, breakfast, morning dog-walk/school run, mid morning coffee break, lunch break. How about the afternoon, tea-time, time to exercise, evening family time, pre-bed relax time, bed-time.  Look at all those habits and routines you already have in place .. and ask yourself, where can I add (or include) 1, 2 or 3 mins to just stop and BREATHE?  And if you’ve got more time, like a whopping whole 5 or 10 mins YOU time, try it then too?  

So what do I do then, if its all so easy?

 Of course, there’s a bit more to meditation to simply stopping, and breathing.  Or .. is there?  Well, it’s a great place to start.   You might be quite surprised what a difference just that teensy little 1, 2 or 3 minutes can make.

Literally, just STOP, and BREATHE.  This is a very mindful practice.  It’s a great place to start, really it is!  Could you do it for the next 7 days? 

Why  not give it a whirl.  Let  us know how you get on with this!  We’d love to know!

Want to learn more?

I’m delighted to be hosting a monthly meditation class here at Acorn in the studio.  If you’re fairly local to Heanor, why not come along and join us. 

 It’s very friendly, informal and welcoming .. and you’ll learn loads about Meditation, how to do it, get to practice it, and meet some other folks too who are finding out more about it just like you, and beginning to reap the rewards of it in their lives. 

This isn’t a same-old same-old class either; we don’t do anything by halves here at Acorn Natural Health Centre!!

Regular members of the class can expect to:

  • Get well practised in the basics of a solid Meditation practice for use at home and other times in your day!
  • Practise  different Meditation techniques (there are hundreds; that should keep us going for a while!!) A great opportunity to just have a go!  Have fun with it too, why not?
  • Enjoy a beautiful, relaxing Guided Meditation every month (a different theme each month, usually aligned with the seasons, for some variety!)
  • Meet guest Meditation Teachers from time to time whom I invite along to join us so you get a fresh perspective and new experience .. all good!
  • And other exclusive bonuses just for class regulars.

To pre-book your place on Eileen’s upcoming monthly Meditation classes, visit EileenStrongCoaching-Events and buy a ticket,  or for any extra help with anything discussed in this Blog,  contact her direct at eileen@eileenstrongcoaching.com



Meditation Musings with Eileen

Workshops & Classes Posted on Thu, January 26, 2023 10:33AM

Meditation .. what’s it mean to You anyway?

By Eileen Strong

Did you know .. that there are 100’s of different ways to “do” Meditation?

I was talking to a guy just before Christmas who had been warned by his GP that he really needed to get his blood pressure a bit lower.    I asked him if he’d ever done any Meditation, or had he thought of learning how to do it, because Meditation can and does tick all the health and wellbeing boxes for the majority of people who try it and get into a regular practice of some sort. Lowering blood pressure is just one of many of those benefits.

  “Oh no,” he said, shaking his head.   “I’m not into all that kind of hippy-woo stuff!”

And I thought to myself, oh, that’s such a shame, if only you’d just give it a try! And what did he mean by “hippy-woo stuff” anyway?

Well, I do know what he means by “hippy-woo!”  Many people think of the social revolution of the 1960’s/early 70’s when they hear the word Meditation, and associate it with .. well, whatever else he associates it with that doesn’t appeal to him about hippies or woo.

Isn’t it a peculiar thing how we all seem to have our own different ideas about Meditation.  I mean, what is it that pops into your head when you hear the word “Meditation”?  

A Tibetan Monk sitting in a cave? 

Maybe a hippy with a guitar, smoking a joint?
Or maybe it means  “meditating” on a problem, and being in deep thought?

Or engaging in some kind of religious prayer or pagan ritual perhaps?

Or maybe you do Yoga or Tai Chi and  just associate Meditation with those or some other relaxing practices.

Truth is, it’s all those things, and more.  There are moving, walking, talking, dancing, sitting, standing, cross-legged, singing, talking, humming, Omming, out-of-body, pain-relief, mindful, compassionate … and a whole lot more Meditations!  Meditations you can do in a minute, or over a couple of hours?

And you know, every different “sort” has it’s own rewards and it’s own benefits. 

I first starting teaching Meditation in 2014 and I like to keep things simple and easy to do.  Maybe I’m just a bit lazy like that.  But why make life more complicated that we need to?

So,  I personally just like to highlight 3 things that 98% of different meditation practices have in common.

Simple Fact No 1: We all breathe while we’re doing it.  Yep. Otherwise, we wouldn’t still be here having this conversation right now.

Simple Fact No 2: We can all attain and enjoy deeper states of calmness and peace while we’re doing it.

Simple Fact No 3: We are mentally alert, yet physically relaxed while we’re doing it.

When we meditate, we can shift ourselves out of our busy, stressy, doing, fretting, over-thinking, over-worrying state, and – simply by deciding to do so – drop into what I call a more “meditative state of being”.  i.e. being calm, focused, yet relaxed.

Even just knowing we can shift from stress-mode to relaxed-mode within the space of 60 seconds is empowering in itself! Would you agree? 

Did you even realise you can do that?

And would you like to find out how easy it can be to do that too?

And, then some, what ARE all those health and wellbeing benefits of Meditation anyway?

We hear about it all the time these days in health and wellbeing circles everywhere, you’ll find it practiced all over the world, and it’s been around for 1000’s of years!  So, there must be something to it, right.

Would you like to find out more about Meditation and how you can easily learn to do it for yourself?

Why  not come along to the monthly Meditation Class that I host here at Acorn.

It’s very friendly, informal and welcoming .. and you’ll learn loads about Meditation, how to do it, and meet some other folks too who are finding out more about it just like you.   

And  before I finish, I’d like to add that I still go to other meditation classes myself too! 

The day we think we know it all

is the day we stop learning.

Would you agree? When there’s 100’s of different ways to “do” it, why just stop there?!

To pre-book your place on Eileen’s upcoming Meditation classes, visit EileenStrongCoaching-Events  or contact her direct at eileen@eileenstrongcoaching.com for more information.



Do you want more PASSION in your LIFE?

General Health & Wellbeing, Workshops & Classes Posted on Mon, December 30, 2019 10:32AM

When you think about the word PASSION, what is the picture that springs to mind?
If you type it into Google images, all you’ll get in the search result is flowers, fruit and sex. And that’s possibly what most of us think about when we hear the word “Passion”.
Of course, there’s nothing wrong with flowers, fruit and .. who wouldn’t want a passionate sex life too? BUT, let’s hold our hot sweats and high heart rates for a moment, and look at Passion from a slightly different angle.
Gallup is an American analytics and advisory company that carries out public opinion polls conducted worldwide. In 2017, they published statistics that’s showed only 13% people worldwide are engaged in their jobs i.e. getting true satisfaction and fulfilment in a role that they love. Unhappiness in work, romance, personal finances and body weight all contribute to the number of people who are experiencing life by just “going through the motions”, not living life to the fullest. The good news is that the Passion Test was created to turn those global statistics upside down.
I have been teaching The Passion Test workshop since 2014. On every workshop, I ask the question: what would a Passionate Life feel like to you?
These are some of the answers. Maybe you could add some too?

So where are you on the Passion Scale?
On a scale of 0 to 10, with 10 being “yay, full on, living life to the max” and 0 being “squat diddly zilch” .. how much passion do you have in your life?
Again, think beyond purely Romance, Chocolates and Flowers in your life. The Passion Test encourages you to THINK BIG! Include all areas that are important to you, such as:
Spirituality House&Home The Environment Relationships Family Health Fitness
Finances Socialising Personal Development Sport Travel Hobbies

Think of all those areas of life, and give your Passion a rating. How did you do? Are you happy with that score?
If you have a high score, then Good Job! You are already mastering the creation of your ideal life and just have a few little tweaks to make.
If you have a really low score, don’t despair! You may feel a bit stuck or blocked or downright disillusioned just now, but you can change that. And it may be that you’ve just not really stopped to think about this before, and you’ve just been “getting on with it” because that’s what you’ve always done.
If you scored somewhere in the middle, then you have some clarity about what you want and where you are going, but maybe just need a few pointers and little tips to help you bring more passion into your life.
And don’t worry too much. Remember, it’s pretty much a socially accepted norm to be unsatisfied, unfilled and generally unhappy (remember that Gallup survey I mentioned earlier?) But it doesn’t have to always be that way.
The Passion Test will show you how, because Passion comes from the heart, and not the Head. And when you tap into your heart energy, you tap into an unlimited resource. I mean, you never run out of love do you? Your heart energy (the source of your passion, courage, and a wealth of other wonderful resources) just expands and expands the more you use it.
When you live your passions, you will align your life more closely with what you love, and feel more empowered about life too. The better your feel about life, the more your inner light will shine; and then you will be in a better position to uplift and inspire other people around you too.
Sounds good? The Passion Test will help you define your Top 5 Passions so you can align your life more with them. And a whole lot more too. Join us on 15 Feb and take your life to the next level.

WHEN IS THE PASSION TEST WORKSHOP:
Sat 15 Feb, 1030-1330hrs, The Studio, Acorn
All workshop materials and light refreshments are provided. The number of places is strictly limited so don’t delay, book your ticket today .. and we’ll see you with the rest of that 13% living a life filled with Passion.

ORDER YOUR TICKETS HERE

MORE INFORMATION/ TESTIMONIALS HERE

Eileen Strong
Certified Passion Test Facilitator



Using energy to realign posture with the lightest touch

Therapies, Workshops & Classes Posted on Tue, August 20, 2019 06:15PM

See Powerful, Practical Energy Healing in Action!

Find out more about Quantum-Touch energy healing.  And see the body alignment demonstration: no bone crunches! Just the lightest touch.

The event is limited to 1 hour.  As time is limited, attendees will get special event bonuses on QuantumTouch taster sessions and treatments with me, and find out how to get more than £50 off the price of my next QuantumTouch 2-day training.

The event is free, but places are limited so please book by clicking the following Eventbrite link.

CLICK HERE for your ticket to see energy healing in action.

Is it possible?

Being able to alter posture using energy is something that conventional science claims to be impossible.   

However,   I have learnt that it IS possible!  

In fact, as a QuantumTouch practitioner and massage therapist, it’s something I do often as part of my treatments … and there is no bone-crunching or force involved because it is pure energy-work, creating changes on a quantum or sub-cellular level. 

It’s a foundational part of all my therapy work.  I have not only used energy to help realign human structure, I’ve used it for animals too and it’s extremely effective.

Below is a picture of a diary cow having her first QuantumTouch session to help realign her pelvis after a difficult calving.  I’ve worked with an ex racehorse too, and numerous other 4 legged friends that were having issues with pain from structural imbalances.

Seeing is believing

When I first saw someone realign posture using energy,  I wasn’t sure I believed it. It happened in less than 2 minutes and there was no force or manipulation involved. 

That was over 10 years ago at my first ever QuantumTouch weekend workshop.  I was no stranger to energy-work at that time and was open-minded and eager to learn.    I’d already been using Reiki and  Meridian Energy Therapies for several years. 

It was fascinating to watch.  The Instructor invited a member of the audience up to help with the demonstration, and several of us had the opportunity to measure the alignment of the lady’s hips both before and after the demonstration – just like in the picture below.  The pelvis was out of alignment and was 2inches higher on the right hands side, with a pelvic tilt forwards too. 

Everyone in the room held their breath while the healing demonstration was in progress.  Eyebrows were being raised, and people were quietly murmering to eachother.  “Did you see that?”   “It’s straightening”  “The bones are moving!”   At no time during her 2 minute healing session was the volunteer alarmed or worried or concerned about the sensations she was feeling.  She said she had a feeling of peace and calm flow over her and she had a soft smile on her face.

After the 2 minutes were up, her hips were re-measured .. and they were now completely level.  A few of us got up to check and re-check and check again for ourselves!   Yes, we all had to agree, the hips were level and the entire pelvis had realigned, not only left to right, but front to back too.  I was amazed at the speed of it.  I honestly had not seen anything quite like that before.

It’s a beautiful thing to witness the human body in it’s natural rhythm and flow.  It knows what to do to heal itself.   And when you know that,  you can trust it more and more, and just do everything you can to support it.

We are all healers.

It’s a very natural human thing to want to help others, isn’t it?    We all have basic human needs that include love, touch, social support and a sense of connection.    

  • If you have ever felt the desire to help someone else who is in physical pain, you are a healer.  
  • If you have ever reached out to hug someone who was upset and needed comfort, you are a healer.
  • If you have family, friends or pets that you wish you could do more to help, you are a healer.

This basic desire to help comes straight from the heart.  Don’t ever doubt it.  You are already a great healer.

Woo woo or voo doo

When you connect with your heartfelt desire to help,  you are already tapping into a limitless energetic resource you can use to do energy healing.     When you learn how to access this resource, you can do wonderful healing work.  

But what if the concept of energy fields and healing may be a little strange to you.  Perhaps it’s something you think is just some kind of woo-woo or voo-doo and something to that brings up feelings of fear for you.

Or perhaps you are a natural skeptic, and won’t believe anything unless you can see it.

Or, maybe you have thought about energy healing in all its different forms (there are very many!) and wondered if you have to be born a certain way or with a specific gift to be able to do it.

I would just like to say to all of you, you don’t have to believe it.   Nobody is trying to make you believe something you don’t want to. 

But if you are interested, I’d like to invite you along to my upcoming event so you can find out more about it, and see what happens for yourself.  You may even get the opportunity to be a volunteer too.

The event is limited to 1 hour.  As time is limited, attendees will get special event bonuses on QuantumTouch taster sessions and treatments with me, and find out how to get more than £50 off the price of my next QuantumTouch 2-day training.

The event is free, but places are limited so please book by clicking the following Eventbrite link.

CLICK HERE for your ticket to see energy healing in action.



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