Optimal Wellbeing Blog

What is hypnotherapy? The hypnotherapist employs hypnosis; a natural state of mind to focus the client’s rational attention on relaxation while suggesting behavioural changes through verbal cues and imagery in accordance with the client’s desired outcome. Have you ever considered Hypnotherapy to assist with your health? Let’s look at what hypnotherapy and hypnosis are, and […]

Acupuncture may be a natural health option if you struggle with a common health issue such as stress, pain, fertility, fatigue, or the like. No two Acupuncturists are the same. This is largely due to their skill, experience and personal touch. Choosing an Acupuncturist is a very personal choice and can be likened to that […]

Are you health conscious or looking to improve your overall health? Are you looking for alternative forms of treatment? If you answered yes to any of these questions, then naturopathy may be one form of alternative medicine worth looking into. Naturopathy is often misunderstood and misconceived. Some of the most common myths are: that naturopathic […]

Japanese Mindfulness Traditions and Health Japan is one of the several other Asian countries influenced by Traditional Chinese Medicine, and is also one of the few developed countries where mindfulness has traditionally been an important part of mealtimes.  Children are taught to eat mindfully and with a sense of appreciation at both home and school.  […]

Why is Hypnotherapy one of the best performing ways to give up smoking? Let me explain why… As a human being we have three very different and distinct minds and these minds do not communicate very well with each other. We have the conscious mind We have the subconscious mind We have the unconscious mind […]

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is more than just acupuncture and the odd herbal formula. Nutritional advice plays a key role in our holistic treatment plans, with colds being no exception. The common cold is most often classified by TCM principles as Wind-Cold attack, although some presentations are known as Wind-Heat or Summer Heat Dampness. In […]

There is a time to sow and a time to reap. There is also a time to let the soil rest, it’s called cover cropping. It’s when a Winter crop is planted with the intention to till back into the soil to increase the nutrients available to the seeds sown in Spring.   When we […]

Nutrition in TCM has the main goal of restoring the body to balance, in order to correct states of deficiency or excess. For example, heating foods such as chilli, ginger, deep fried or alcohol should be avoided in “hot” conditions like those involving acute inflammation. Cooling foods, such as watermelon and cucumber, are advised against […]

Clinical research and practice are constantly evolving in the world of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), but its origins can be traced back to thousands of years ago. Long before detailed acupuncture point charts and herbal medicine texts were written, the basic principles of TCM theory were born in the I Ching. The I Ching, or […]

Traditional Chinese understandings of our world’s natural cycles categorise the five seasons according to specific climates. Summer is related to Heat, late summer to Humidity, autumn to Drought, and winter and spring to Cold Wind. All climates are seen during all seasons, but their manifestations are stronger in the matching ones. Just as in nature, […]

Tea, which has been enjoyed in China for well over 2,000 years, is available in many different forms depending on the level of fermentation. Green tea is unfermented, while yellow, white, oolong and black tea are slightly, mildly, semi- and completely fermented respectively. Dark teas, such as Pu’erh, are post-fermented.  This fermentation not only affects […]

In ancient China, it was believed that babies should be exposed to music while still in the womb to boost their intellect. Though this might sound strange at first glance, there could be modern scientific evidence to back it up!  Musical development has demonstrated several positive effects on brain development, such as improved sensory and […]