article by Vinings’ Herbalist, Ms Yaso Shan

The current heatwave may have brought many of us to the beaches and the great outdoors but for those who are wary of excessive sun exposure and the risks to skin health, a good quality skincare product containing sunscreen is a must. A report by the World Health Organisation (WHO) revealed that “up to 90% of the visible changes commonly attributed to ageing may be caused by sun exposure”. It is therefore hardly surprising that many of us want to protect our skin whilst enjoying the benefits of the sunny outdoors.

There is a lot of information out there about sunscreen safety however, not all of it is reliable. To those who are keen advocates of natural skincare products not least of which is a desire to be environmentally friendly, it may be difficult to determine which source of information is worth taking seriously as many of them seem unnecessarily alarmist whilst others are misleading or downright confusing. Terms such as nanoparticles, carcinogens and coral bleaching are all legitimate terms but they certainly don’t apply to all suncare products so it is worth taking a moment to consider the facts.

We all have a basic psychological need to look after our minds and bodies. This is one of the prime directives of our unconscious minds and mentioned in the list of basic needs identified by the Human Givens Institute

It stands to reason that we have evolved this as a psychological driver. If we were not intrinsically designed to look after ourselves then surely, as a race, we could not survive. This drive exists across the natural world, every living thing lives with the overall drive to survive physically and mentally (within its capacity to do so).

What is amazing is the extent to which we, as humans, appear to push against this need!

Our lives today are stressful – there’s always so much to do, never enough time … which is exactly why we need to learn to relax. We know deep down that relaxation is good for us, but rarely do we allow ourselves the “luxury” of time to “be” rather than “do”. The benefits of relaxation are many and varied, from reduced blood pressure to a greater sense of wellbeing: what’s not to like?

Come and join us for another series of talks by various of our resident therapists, each explaining different ways of relaxing. Which one feels right for you?  Scroll down to see full details.

The sessions run from 7pm – 8pm each Tuesday evening starting Tuesday 15th May, and are totally free of charge. Places are limited, so if you would like to reserve your space, please call 01444 441 201 and leave a message with your name and phone number. We look forward to seeing you there!

This week – 30 April to 6 May – is Healing Awareness Week, co-ordinated by The Healing Trust.  The idea behind the week is to raise awareness of healing across the wider community.

Carole Thornton is our resident healer and Reiki practitioner and will be around this week to answer any questions you may have about this treatment.

Carole has also released a short guided relaxation meditation especially for Healing Awareness Week – you can listen to this on her website.