Category Archives: Health

Meditation for beginners in Blackpool

Anyone who has ever tried meditating after hearing about all the wonderful benefits – increased happiness, reduced stress, peace of mind, improved sleep (the list is endless) – and imagining the zen-like yogi they will become, will know just how difficult it can be to calm your thoughts for more than a few seconds.

I’ve tried numerous times over the years, mainly to help with insomnia, but always gave up after becoming more frustrated by my lack of ability than before I started. I had an epiphany recently though; meditation takes practise. Just as you wouldn’t expect to pick up a violin and play like Vanessa Mae on first attempt, you can’t simply meditate like a Buddhist monk the first time you give it a go. After reading up on the subject, downloading some guided meditations and generally attempting to go it alone, I decided to change tack and go back to basics with a lesson.

005Keajra Meditation Centre on Holmfield Road in Blackpool is a Buddhist Centre that offers Meditation and Mindfulness workshops aimed at beginners. I saw details of a workshop on Facebook and instantly enrolled, and so I found myself knocking on the centre’s front door with trepidation early on a Saturday morning.

I like to think I’m open-minded but I will admit to being a tad nervous about who and what to expect. I was relieved to discover 15 other like-minded ladies ranging in age from twenty to seventy, all in search of inner peace. I was equally relieved that our teacher Kelsang Wangchuk, an English Buddhist monk, was friendly and completely down to earth.

We removed our shoes as is customary but didn’t have to sit cross legged unlike Wangchuk, who sat aloft a throne of cushions as he talked to us about how to bring meditation into our lives.

Wangchuk told his story and talked about Buddha, the creator of Buddhism (and a human being, not a god as you might mistakenly believe) however the focus was not on the religion but entirely on putting meditation into practice and the positive impact it can have in daily life. People from all faiths (or those who don’t subscribe to any faith) are welcome, you don’t have to be a Buddhist. Having said that, in my view, it’s hard to have adverse opinions about a religion that extols love and happiness above all else.

It was a half day session and time flew; we stopped midway for tea (herbal or builders’!), biscuits and a good old chat (Wangchuk included).

006Some points that struck a chord with me and have helped me become more mindful; negative emotions – anger, hate, greed etc – only harm the person feeling them; on the flip side a compassionate approach will enhance your life and the lives of others. And the never ending quest for material things is a sure-fire journey to discontent.

Wangchuk did most of the talking but you could ask questions and he gave two guided meditations which I found very effective, particularly one that involved visualising inhaling love in the form of white light whilst breathing in and breathing out dark smoke to signify negative thoughts. I’ve continued using this at home in my own meditations.

The workshop reinforced all the things I’d read about meditation but put them into real life context for me and the guided meditations were useful as an example of how to focus your practise when alone. Combined with a few ten minute sessions every week, I’m seeing an improvement. It’s a joyous feeling to complete a meditation and realise your mind only wandered a couple of times! I’ve also learned a couple of techniques that help me get back to sleep when I wake up too early.

I think you also have to accept that, as with everything in life, you have good days and bad days, and while I’m a long way from becoming that zen-like yogi, precious moments of clarity and calm are priceless. I took up yoga in the new year, which also requires practise, but I think it goes hand in hand with meditation. They complement each other, meaning progress in both is swifter.

The half day workshop cost £10 which I thought was wonderful value for money and there’s plenty of free street parking nearby. To get the most from embarking on an experience like this, do so without scepticism – you have to believe. If you’re struggling, take confidence from the fact that the positive effects of meditation on physical and mental health are proven by masses of medical research – do your own research if you want to be sure!

Keajra Meditation Centre also runs regular classes, which are suitable for beginners and more experienced meditators, in Blackpool, Poulton and St Anne’s, although I haven’t tried any yet.

I recommend Keajra’s workshop as a great starting place to set you on the right path. Wangchuk is a welcoming and open teacher and I believe everyone will find something in his words that rings true and helps to make meditation work for them.

Find out more on the centre’s Facebook page

Great Manchester Run is good for heart and soul

On one of the hottest day of the year so far, I ran alongside around 40,000 people from all over the country; all ages, sizes, speeds and abilities, from wheelchairs users to blind people, yet all united in one aim – running to remember and hope for loved ones and at the same time raise money and awareness for their chosen charities.

I take part in a charity race every year for a charity close to my heart, the Alzheimer’s Society, and have tried a variety of events from 10km trail runs to the Great North Run half marathon. The Great Manchester Run was one of my favourites; very well organised and a joy from start to finish.

Created back in 2003 as a legacy after the 2002 Commonwealth Games, the event has grown rapidly in popularity and is now the biggest 10km run in Europe, favoured by celebrities including a host of Corrie stars and BBC news readers. There’s an elite race for the world’s top athletes and junior events – a 2km mini run for 3-8 year olds and 2 miles for 9-15 year olds.

The atmosphere at the start was electric as I lined up next to fairies, superheroes and the occasional banana. Many people display the reasons for their participation on their t-shirts, which is both moving and motivating. If you’ve ever considered doing a charity run but worry that you’ll fail, fear not. The back of the pack with your fellow charity runners is where the fun is at. There’s no talk of personal bests just an outpouring of love and unspoken sense of all being in it together.

IMG_2437The race starts and ends smack bang in the city centre and the route allows for some sight-seeing, including Manchester United Old Trafford football stadium and the iconic Imperial War Museum building. There were bands roadside and a wall of sound from Key 103 radio station to help you along the final stretch.

It’s a road race and, with the exception of a couple of stretches on A roads, supporters lined the route cheering and clapping putting a spring in my step (even at the 9km mark in the searing midday sun) and a smile on my face.

However my favourite bits are the points where charities pitch up to cheer their runners on. The Alzheimer’s Society not only send you training and fundraising tips but also a t-shirt with your name on (as do many other charities) and nothing beats running past your charity points and hearing your name shouted out by a team of supporters. It’s a wonderful boost and a reminder of why you’re there.

The mass of supporters at the end of the race is almost overwhelming and the closest I’ll ever get to a moment of sheer adoration!

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You’re rewarded with a medal and goodie bag and as you’re in the city centre, you can take your finish line feeling to any one of numerous places to eat, drink and be merry. Never will you have earned cake more than in these circumstances!

I firmly believe that everyone of reasonable health can run 10km with a little dedication, and the pain of pounding the streets on those first few training runs is rewarded ten times over by the sense of achievement that finishing a race and reaching your goal brings. Some believe that the runner’s high is an urban myth but even if your body doesn’t feel euphoric at the finish line, your soul will be elated.

My place was subsided by my charity – it costs around £40 to enter individually. It’s expensive but it’s a huge event to organise and marshal not to mention providing water for all those runners. Lots of charities offer reduced price places so if you’re feeling inspired, why not see if you can sign up with your charity of choice?

Find out when the next Great Manchester Run takes place

Twilight relaxation at Ribby Hall Spa

DSC03514On a chilly February evening, my friend and I, feeling more than a little jaded following the Christmas and New Year come down, headed to Ribby Hall Spa in Wrea Green, near Blackpool in search of restorative relaxation.

We’d been planning it since before Christmas, after hearing lots of good reports and to give us something to look forward to during the bleak first couple of months of the year.

The Spa Hotel stands alone within Ribby Hall Village and offers an impressive range of day spa and overnight packages plus various beauty and relaxation treatments. It’s adult only and welcomes Ribby Hall guests and visitors alike.

We opted for a Twilight Aqua Thermal Journey, available from 6pm-8pm at a cost of £29 each. We arrived early at 5.30pm, were given robes, slippers and towels and shown into clean changing rooms with ample lockers, showers and dressing tables.

The idea is to follow the aqua journey in a special sequence, designed to ensure you get the most from each experience, with two hours being the recommended time to really feel the benefits: aroma room, aroma steam room, saunarium, Balinese salt inhalation room, herbal sauna, pedidarium (reflexology foot baths), outdoor rustic sauna, tepidarium (warm room with heated loungers), ice fountain, plunge bucket and rope shower and monsoon experience showers plus indoor hydrotherapy pool, terrace hot tub and a number of relaxation rooms. This mix of hot and cold experiences promise to detoxify, relax and revitalise. Yes please!

Thursday proved to be a quiet night to visit with only a few other women sharing the journey with us. One of the best things about a trip like this is the forced relaxation – there is nothing to be done but kick back, let go and immerse yourself in the experience. It also provided a welcome and uninterrupted opportunity for a good old fashioned chinwag.

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For me, the steam rooms were a dream (I’m not a huge fan of dry heat but have impressive stamina for steam rooms) and the hydrotherapy pool with its overhead water jets provided a robust shoulder massage. We both approached the plunge bucket and rope shower – a suspended bucket of cold water released by pulling a rope – with trepidation and darted away on first contact of cold water on skin, screaming like little girls. But after ten minutes in the complementary sauna, we were racing each other to get underneath the bucket and cool down!

The piece de resistance for me was the outdoor, terrace hot tub. Under the night sky, with ice crunching underfoot we made our way into the heated tub and sat back under the night sky as the stars twinkled in the peace and quiet – bliss. We could have stayed there all night. I would like to return to experience the contrast of a summer’s evening.

By the end of the journey, as we laid back on heated loungers, our conversation dwindled and we both enjoyed a sleepy period of quiet before reluctantly making our way back to the changing rooms to shower and dress.

Finally, we were treated to a glass of bubbly in the bar (included in the package) which provided a tantalising peek into the restaurant, The Brasserie, with delicious smells wafting through. We spent three hours at the spa, and at £29, I felt it was great value for money. And mission was most definitely accomplished; I left feeling relaxed, cleansed and grateful for the time spent with my friend.

There are all sorts of spa packages and treatments you can add, to suit all budgets. And I’ve heard that the food in the restaurant is lovely too.