StressDown Studio: For several decades I thought of Stress & Anxiety as a separate mental health issue and worked on calming the mind. I had low awareness that our body shares all the same resources, the air we breathe, the food we eat and the stress we put our body and mind through impacts our physiology, and by changing our relationship with oxygen, nutrition and exercise after checking biomarkers and learning specific techniques the health benefits I have been searching for over the latter part of my life, are now available.  Nowadays the top 3 killers are chronic metabolic disorders that present as Cardiovascular, Cancers’ and Lung disorders’ and according to evolutionary human biologists and many functional doctors, can be prevented or at least reduced through changes in nutrition, breathing and exercise and with more accessible technology we are in a much better position to take responsibility for our own physical and mental wellbeing. While I still believe therapy has a key role in wellbeing for many and continue my counselling studies, I also offer coaching and workshops in Self-Care and Longevity that not only help Stress & Anxiety but help move towards metabolic homeostasis.

The Stress Response is a complex array of biological changes in the brain and body that involves the release of chemicals into the blood stream, and changes in gene expression especially in the hippocampus, all of which affect metabolism. They comprise a person’s response to adversity and set the stage for fight or flight, which for most of the time we do neither, and instead we stay put but may experience emotions that make us feel angry or anxious, irritable, frustrated, overwhelmed, confused or sad. Different stressful situations result in different behaviours and emotions. These are all normal stress responses, but they take a metabolic toll. The body uses energy to produce these changes meaning less energy is available for other critical functions. Metabolic resources are being mobilised, the heart is pumping faster, blood pressure is increasing, blood glucose is rising, hormones are flowing, inflammatory cytokines are being released all for the body to defend itself. When the stress is mild, healthy resilient people deal with it, however if a body is metabolically compromised or if the stress is extreme people can be pushed over the edge. Stress can exacerbate every known metabolic disorder. People with depression may get more depressed, people with alcoholism may fall off the wagon, people with diabetes may have their blood sugar skyrocket and people with cardiovascular disease may have chest pain or heart attack, and some people literally die from Stress.

Genetics If you are unable to pinpoint the cause of your symptoms, there hasn’t been any trauma, and you have had symptoms for as long as you can remember, then you may have a genetic disposition to anxiety, and even though you can’t repair the gene you can supplement the deficiency. Gary Brecka has made genetic methylation testing and treatment popular to those interested in optimum health and wellbeing, but can also help people with mood imbalances, depression, mania, attention deficit and obsessive-compulsive disorders, addictive behaviours, motor control disruption, anger, aggression, sleep issues, thyroid function, gut function, inflammation, detox, and restlessness. I have the privilege to partner with Stride to provide advanced genetic testing, gut diversity and blood biomarkers. StrideDNA is an at-home DNA test providing personalised and actionable lifestyle recommendations for long-term health and wellbeing. Stride utilises gene array testing, also called gene expression profiling, a cutting-edge molecular biology technique that simultaneously analyses the activity levels of thousands of genes. SNPs, which are single-base pair differences in DNA sequences, are commonly found throughout the human genome. In gene array testing, SNP analysis identifies genetic variants associated with specific predispositions, nutrient needs or drug responses, and genetic variations among individuals. This information allows us to offer valuable insights into an individual’s nutrition, fitness, mental cognition and skin health predispositions, empowering them to make informed decisions about their health and wellness. Stride’s genetic testing takes place in their state-of-the-art, UK-based laboratory with an industry leading turnaround time of 10 business days. This direct approach eliminates the need to involve third-party laboratories, typical among other testing partners. With our model, we guarantee cost efficiency, high-quality and fast results, and ongoing innovation in research and development.

Building Immunity and Resilience: Increasingly in today’s world emotional and physical toxicity is on the rise, we are constantly bombarded with toxins, and we need a strong immune system and microbiome to maintain homeostasis. Our body requires essential nutrients, 91 essential minerals, 3 essential fatty acids, 9 essential amino acids -the building blocks for proteins, and if we are deficient in any of these, we get the expression of disease. They are classed as essential because the body does not produce them and must be sourced through a healthy diet. These days it’s unlikely we can obtain many of these required nutrients from the commercial food chain and quality supplements are advised for optimal physical and mental wellbeing. I currently offer lab testing and personalised supplements called StrideDaily. Or Cytoplan which is the pioneer of Wholefood and Food State supplements in the UK. Over the past 30 years they have developed a range of ethically and sustainably sourced supplements including multivitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, and individual vitamins plus much more. Discounted rates are available at YOMA for either route.

Daily Routines are a critical component to optimal physical and mental health and including the benefits of hormetic stress practices can be life changing especially cold exposure (cold showers or swimming in the sea), hypoxic breath work, Intermittent fasting, HIIT,  Saunas and Yoga. Also its important to include mineralised water, sunlight, grounding, breath work and exercise as a minimum. Understanding your health markers such as HRV (Heart Rate Variability), RHR (Resting Heart Rate), Respiratory Rate, and Sleep Performance especially restorative sleep are extremely useful for knowing what to focus on to build resilience. 

Thai Massage is the combination of Hath Yoga and Acupressure and a great way to let go and help with physical fatigue, chronic pain, psychological disorders and emotional imbalance. Negative emotions like fear, anger, anxiety, depression, and worry can cause damage, although problems can also be caused by overwork, stress, accidents, surgery, drugs, toxins, poor food, and bad posture.

Thai Abdominal Massage (Chi Nei Tsang). The ancient Taoists realised that negative emotions cause serious damage to one’s health, impairing both physical and spiritual functions. They understood that each human emotion is an expression of energy and that certain emotions could indicate the negative energy behind many physical ailments. They also identified a specific cycle of relationships between the emotions and the organs. For example, the experience of a “knot” in one’s stomach indicated the presence of worry, the negative emotion that accumulates in the stomach and spleen. The Taoists discovered that most maladies could be healed once the underlying toxins and negative forces were released from the body. They developed the art of Abdominal massage to recycle and transform negative energies that obstruct the internal organs and cause knots in the abdomen. Abdominal Massage clears out the toxins, bad emotions, and excessive heat or heat deficiencies-that cause the organs to dysfunction.

Heart Coherence™ is a state of cooperative alignment between the heart, mind, emotions, and physical systems. This expands into personal, social, and global coherence, and thanks to the HeartMath Institute we have the tools and technologies to learn coherence and its benefit, based on over 30 years of scientific research. Learning to activate qualities of the heart such as care, kindness and acceptance increases our Personal Coherence™. This results in less mental and emotional pressure, more effective choices, and increased resilience.

Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) Founded by Jon Kabat-Zinn in 1979, is based on ancient contemplative practices integrated with western medical approaches. It is an effective method for reducing physical and psychological suffering while building resilience, balance, and peace of mind.

Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT), developed from Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) and Cognitive Based Therapy (CBT) and includes ideas from Buddhist teachings, and is renowned for reducing the relapse of depression by working with thoughts, emotions, and sensations through mindfulness practices.