But despite my outward academic success, I knew something wasn’t right. At 25 I’d never had a romantic relationship, and my relationships with my family were formal at best and at times hurtful. My mum recommended that I start seeing a psychotherapist, which I did. I also started practising Zen and began a daily meditation habit which continues to this day.

Through the lenses of psychotherapy, yoga and meditation, I started to discover the behavioural patterns that I’d developed as a result of two traumatic events that had happened in my childhood: when I was a toddler, I was sexually abused by my father, and when I was 13 my mum and stepdad were in a car accident where he died and my mum lost three limbs. I realised how my unconscious had learned to hold people at arm’s length in order to protect myself from further hurt. I also uncovered a great deal of repressed anger and came to see how desperately I wanted to relate to people better.

Looking back now, I see that I used my academic work in astronomy as a distraction. My brain worked out that if I buried myself in study, I could avoid having to face the painful aspects of my life. And what better way to escape my earthly life than going to the furthest reaches of the cosmos?! The way I dealt with my trauma was certainly positive with regards to my academic work, but negatively affected large swathes of the rest of my live. I ended up very heady, emotionally distant, and with skewed priorities with regards to family and relationships.

The practice of mindfulness (the common thread in psychotherapy, yoga and meditation) allowed me to let all my emotions and feelings arise, be seen and acknowledged, but not judged as bad (or good). At its root, mindfulness is a technique for letting things be and letting things go. I recognised I couldn’t change the events that happened in the past; all I could do is see them and accept them for what they are – and by doing so I became increasingly content with how I was.

During my degree and research training, it felt like reason and logic (generally perceived to be a function of the brain) were held up as the ideals to strive for, while intuition and emotion (which are more body-centred) were not just put aside but actively discouraged. As a result I felt like, and was often treated like, a brain on legs!

It took me a long time – including a decision to shift gears out of astronomy and several years practising and teaching yoga and meditation, including a period as an ordained Zen monk – to consciously realise how out of balance I’d got. My perception that science was only about linear, intellectual thought covered a much deeper truth. I’d become a scientist because I was in awe of the Universe and was seeking to understand its hidden depths. Awe and wonder are not just thoughts, they’re embodied emotions. The reality was I’d become lost in logic, facts and the academic pressure to publish, and I’d forgotten the magic of just looking up at a starry sky.

But surely I’d taken up yoga and meditation in order to understand the hidden depths the Universe too – this time the inner universe of my mind. So I began to explore how I could bring these two pursuits together in such a way that helps us improve our wellness and better understand who we are in this vast Universe. So let’s explore a couple of practices you can do today to do just that.

Generating a sense of awe

Look up your favourite space image on the internet. Here’s a couple of examples that work well: Westerlund 2, NGC 6503. Make the images as big as you can on the screen and look at them as you would in an art gallery. Let your eyes explore and become aware of how you’re feeling as you observe. Allow yourself to be captivated by the beauty and magnificence of what you see. Read the caption if you want, and see how that added information changes what you feel or think. You might be dumbfounded, inspired, confused or simply awed; you might get an explosion of questions arising that you want to research immediately, or you might just sit quietly.

When we take time out of our hectic lives to appreciate the beauty of our Universe, it’s like hitting the pause button. We stop worrying about our todo lists and enter a timeless space that’s much more about feeling than thinking. A growing body of research shows that experiencing awe (the feeling we get in the presence of something vast) leads to a wide range of benefits to our wellbeing, including improvements in mood, satisfaction with life, a sense of generosity and feeling more connected.

Mindful stargazing

Choose a night when it’s reasonably clear and go outside. Sit or lie down and take a moment to relax your body. Look up and notice what you see. Just take a moment to observe. Try not to think about what you’re seeing or judge it to be good or bad, just look.

When you first go into the dark, it can take up to 15 minutes for the eyes to fully adjust. So as your pupils gradually dilate, notice how fainter stars slowly appear. There’s no need to look around. Just allow your eyes to be filled with the vista of the night sky.

If thoughts arise about what exactly you’re looking at (which constellation, what type of cloud, etc), or any other kind of thoughts arise, don’t worry. Put them aside. Simply do what you can to really immerse yourself in what you’re seeing.

Mark Westmoquette is an Astrophysicist, Zen Teacher and the author of Mindful Thoughts for Stargazers, Stars, and The Mindful Universe, about exploring the connection between astronomy and mindfulness. See more at markwestmoquette.co.uk

The post What does astronomy have to do with wellness? appeared first on CEO Medium.

So, what better way than to talk all things IBS than with some quick and handy tips to help you through your hard days and maintain good gut health that keeps you and your good bacteria happy for the long term.

Gut Tips

• Try – keeping a diaryas this will help when you speak to your doctor to get a diagnosis or manage the condition if you have already been diagnosed. Typical information to make sure you are recording on a day-to-day basis would be food that you eat and drink every day, as well any symptoms and their severity (toilet habits, pain, bloating, mood). This will also help you to identify what common symptoms you have, how often, what may trigger the symptoms, as well as how long it lasts.

• Eat – morecreatively but take the time to explore how to cook ingredients in a fun way whilst maintaining a good balanced diet. Add more plant points to your meals with brightly coloured vegetables like peppers and zucchini, as well as fruits like berries that will still benefit your health in several ways. Having IBS doesn’t mean you will not meet the essential needs of your body and avoid the long-term risk of health issues by ensuring you eat foods rich in sources of antioxidants, polyphenols and flavonoids. 

• Swap – foodsto add sources of prebiotics (fuel source for the gut bacteria) and probiotics (live sources of bacteria) that help support gut health and maintain a good balance of good gut bacteria. Foods like oats, bananas and artichokes that are rich in prebiotics and resistant starch as well as other low FODMAP foods like tofu, pak choi and carrots to name a few, will still provide the necessary micronutrients essential for good overall health as well as provide an abundance of variety, textures and flavours to your diet that can still get inspiration from abroad. Noodle soups, stir fry’s and herbs are a good way to add some flavours (as well as antioxidants), so you don’t feel that your meals have to be bland or devoid of any flavour. 

• Avoid – foodsthat can be hard to digest or that are high in FODMAPs (fermentable oligo-, di-, and mono-saccharides, and polyols) – which are carbohydrates that ferment in the gut and create surplus fluid and create an imbalance in bacteria promoting growth of the unhealthy ones that worsen IBS symptoms. Foods like cauliflower, broccoli, beans, garlic and onions to list a few, can be irritating to the gut for those with IBS but can be substituted with things like garlic oil, spring onion tops and other vegetables with the support of a dietician and the likes of the MONASH food app. Once you feel you have your condition under wraps, and know your food triggers, you may try to add some foods back to your diet slowly to give you some food freedom and avoid the feeling of complete diet restriction. 

• Never – think you are alone. IBS networks, online advocates, dieticians and gut charities can help support you and provide information. Knowledge is key when trying to overcome a chronic condition and thinking you have to manage it alone can seem like a long and lonesome battle, so make sure you communicate and connect with people that will help you on your good and bad days. 

• Reduce – foods that are oily, spicy or full of artificial sugars as they are known to be typical triggers for those with IBS. It is so much easier to lean towards creature comforts when we feel down, and fried foods can be one of those that help to satisfy that. Try baking, grilling or even air-frying to still get that satisfactory crunch and texture to your food. 

• Do – look outside just your diet as other triggers can worsen symptoms. Namely stress and tiredness. Try to maintain a good balance in life that provides sufficient sleep (try and get 6-8 hours daily) regular exercise (15-30 minutes light to moderate exercises daily) and keep hydrated (try kombucha, kefir water and try flavouring your glass of humble water with fruits and herbs and aim for 2-3 litres a day) throughout. 

Dr Sunni Patel is a rising BAME millennial chef, gut health influencer and founder of Dish Dash Deets. You can also follow Dr Sunni’s celebrity cookalongs @dishdashdeets

The post Do I Have IBS? 6 Hacks to Help You Beat It appeared first on CEO Medium.

The post Success Story of Erin as Reiki Practitioner appeared first on CEO Medium.