Havening was created by Dr Ronald A Ruden; it is a Psychosensory technique that uses the power of touch to generate calming and low frequency delta waves in our brain that are generated typically when you're in a very deep sleep. The calming delta waves communicate with the brain cells where trauma has been encoded, informing them to unplug AMPA receptors that are no longer needed. This permanently removes any unhelpful images and sensations that have been encoded as part of the traumatic event. It uses the palms of our hands, stroking our shoulders all the way down our arms, or even our face, to help reduce the emotional charge and any trauma encoding; it is designed to de-traumatise the memory and remove its negative impact from our body and psyche.

I have witnessed many benefits of Havening for my clients including: improved mood, less anxiety, better sleep, improved focus, increased calmness, a reduction in pain and inflammation, improved immune functioning, and better overall health and well-being.

Neuro Linguistic Programming studies the way our thoughts and our language impact our behaviour. Neuro-Linguistic Programming was first defined by Dr Richard Bandler (a Mathematician) and John Grinder (an Associate Professor of Linguistics) in the early 1970s. They were interested in exploring what made the difference between people who are competent versus people who excel, so they examined patterns in a series of individuals by investigating their mental processes, physiology and their language. They found that the primary difference was the way successful people used language to encourage both themselves and others.

As highlighted by the American Board of Neuro Linguistic Programming, "NLP shows you how to understand and model your own successes, so that you can reproduce them. NLP is the study of excellence. It is the study of both the conscious and unconscious processes that combine to enable people to do what they do. The key to success is often unknown at a conscious level. Using NLP, you can elicit these unknown pieces."

Neuro Linguistic Programming can be used to:

Program the mind for better habits, help shift perceptions, change behaviours, heal wounds or traumas, improve communication and influence, become aware of and better manage internal processes, improve communication, help you become more resilient to change, and gain clarity on your vision, purpose and values. Furthermore, it can be used to overcome limiting beliefs, build self confidence, manage difficult people, strengthen leadership capabilities, develop new strategies for problem solving, and understand the capabilities, strategies and mindsets of successful people.

Mindfulness is the practice of bringing our awareness to our minds and bodies to be fully present in the moment, and accepting the present without judgement. It brings our awareness to where we are, and what we are doing.

Mindfulness has many benefits, including: enhancing your sleep, increasing your attention span, alleviating anxiety and depression, lowering blood pressure, reducing stress, and so many more!

Take a moment to focus on your breath, once you establish some concentration, take a few minutes to observe your thoughts, emotions and bodily sensations. Your mind may start to wander, for example, it may start to plan your next activity, or criticise what is going on, but take a moment to gently redirect it to the present. It may not always feel comfortable, but stay with it, and over time it will bring an increased sense of peace, and become a useful grounding tool during times of stress and anxiety!

Meditation is the act of giving your attention to only one thing to become calm and relaxed. It is essentially taking charge of our minds, so many things in life are beyond our control, but it is possible to gain greater control of how we respond to situations that we find ourselves in throughout our lives.

Mindfulness requires us to be aware of what's around us and how our bodies feel. Meditation is a practice that reels in our thoughts to calm the mind. It gives us the permission to pause, breathe and reset in a frenetic world.

Meditation works best with regular sessions, and while there is no set rule for how long a session should last, 20 minutes is a good guide. It is advisable to find a comfortable place where you can sit with good posture. You can bring mindfulness into your meditation, for example, become consciously aware of your senses, for example, what can you smell? What does the floor feel like? This might help you to feel more connected with your body and less concerned about your thoughts. Once you are ready to begin meditating, with your eyes closed, simply breathe in while saying "breathe in" in your head as you do. Then breathe out and say "breathe out". If your mind begins to wander, don’t worry, this is natural. The challenge is to take note of this distraction and shift your focus back to your breath.

When you feel it's time to end, stop repeating the words and focusing on the breath, but stay in the same position with your eyes closed for a couple more minutes. Once you feel ready, gently open your eyes. Stay seated for a little longer before getting up. Ending a meditation like this gives you a calm transition into the next part of your day.