TIMES COLONIST | timescolonist.com
ADVERTISING FEATURE
TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2023
C3
Managing Menopause: Replacing Hot with Hot+Cold Can Help
Awakenings: Communication T
F
or this month’s issue of Healthy Living I’m focusing on the Communication part of my coaching practice. Improving communication skills is an aspect of development that clients often bring to coaching. When a client says they want to focus on being a better communicator I ask them about their listening skills. What I usually observe is that they are hearing the words spoken but not the meaning. Most of us are good at hearing but not so great at actually listening. Personally, it wasn’t until I took my coach training that I even became aware of how to listen versus just hearing the words. Author Steven Covey has said, “ Next to physical survival, the greatest need of a human being is psychological survival – to be understood, to be affirmed, to be validated, to be appreciated. “ This is what it means to be listened to/ heard. These are the results we feel when someone listens and this is why we want others to listen to us. Take a look at these 2 different types of listening, which one do you use? 1. Internal Listening – this is a place of information gathering. It’s where we spend most of our time. We are working on problem
solving and we pay attention to your own judgements and opinions. In this space one is self absorbed, allowing their own thoughts to wander to their own issues. 2. Focused Listening – from this place you focus on the words but you are also watching expressions, emotions and the energy. You notice what they say and what they don’t say. This type of listening uses empathy, clarification, collaboration and reflection. You push away your own mind chatter, judgements and opinions. The key to this type of listening is awareness. Internal Listening is what we actually do all day. Think about being in a conversation with someone, have you ever noticed what you’re focused on? ( When are they going to take a breath so I can interject and let them know I can relate to what they are saying?) Or maybe you’re waiting to one up them with your own story? Or perhaps you’re focused on something else you have to do after this person is done speaking, errands, a phone call, getting home, never truly putting your full focus on them. You’re in Level 1 listening. Focused Listening is a practice.
A wellness space focused on elevating patient health through hands on care
It takes a conscious effort to do it by making a choice to do things differently than you have in the past. Here are a few ways to become a better listener. • Learn the skill of empathy. • Maintain eye contact when the other person is speaking. • Push away your need to solve their problem. • Stop judgemental thoughts by replacing them with curiosity. • Thank them for sharing with you. In coaching clients are working on new skills to improve their listening by practicing empathy, clarification/ reflection, non judgement and curiosity. By checking in with their coach on a regular basis to reflect on what they are observing and how they are responding their skills begin to grow. No matter what area of your life you’re wanting to change, it’s going to take COURAGE to do it. Improving your COMMUNICATION will make a difference in all aspects of your life. Deeper CONNECTIONS come with focus and practice. Book a FREE 30 minute Sample Coaching session to get a feel for coaching. It can change your life.
H
ydrate iV Wellness Centre has a new look and refreshed feel! We have grown over the last 6 years since we opened our doos to offer naturopathic IV care. We are so much more! We are a naturopathic licci offering full naturopathic care including IV therapy, Medical aesthetics, and regenerative medicine.
he sauna and cold plunge combination, also known as “hot-cold therapy” or contrast therapy, can help the body recover from exercise and sports. It can also be a way to relax, manage stress and get a mood boost. One of the emerging areas of research into this age-old practice relates to its benefits for women going through menopause. Many women find that doing a Nordic Circuit—that is, taking a hot sauna then doing a cold plunge into water, then relaxing—helps reduce symptoms such as night sweats, hot flushes, low mood or anxiety, and improves sleep quality. We hear it each week as Womens’ Wellness Wednesday guests leave the spa: “I’m going to sleep SO WELL after this.” And it’s true! There’s something about the experience – whether it’s the release of stress, the detox from sweating, the happy mood of endorphins, the physical “reset” of the cold plunge, or the chance to spend two hours among friends— these all help deliver the most amazing sleep. (Not to mention, having a fun night with friends that doesn’t focus on alcohol means you skip the sleep-disturbing
impact a few glasses of wine can deliver.) “I feel that it’s been easier since starting this. The night sweats haven’t been so bad. I’ve also found my anxiety levels don’t feel as bad either,” mentioned a recent guest. Cardiovascular health gets a boost too: the heat of the sauna generates the same mechanism in the brain and body as a cardio workout. Heart rate and blood flow increase, blood vessels dilate as your body works to cool down and regulate its own temperature. And yes, even calories are burned! Why does cold plunge work? Immersing in frigid water triggers the release of stress hormones, such as noradrenaline and cortisol, which give provide an immediate wake up. Then, after each dip, studies report increases in “happy” brain chemicals that regulate mood, such as dopamine and serotonin. For many women, it’s become a new ritual. Ritual Nordic Spa is an urban sauna house in downtown Victoria that offers a Nordic Circuit of sauna, steam, cold plunge, Nordic bucket shower, salt lounge and outdoor patios. All you need is your swimsuit! Learn more at: RitualNordicSpa.com
Enhance your Health at Hydrate: • Medical esthetics: botox, filler, Morpheus8 and IPL, PRP Hair rejuvenation • IV Nutrient therapy and advanced IV therapy: high dose vitamin C, glutathione, NAD, chelation, Ozone • Functional medical testing, such as hormones, allergies, environmental toxicity
Please check out our new look and website! www.hydratewellness.com
250 590 1482 | hydratewellness.com 1103 Fort Street | on the corner of Cook and Fort
Clinical Research Ltd.
Do you have Irritable Bowel Syndrome? A local research site is looking to evaluate a new investigational probiotic on IBS and psychological symptoms of participants who are: • Age 18 – 70 years with diagnosis of IBS • Not on antidepressants and/or anti-anxiety medications • Not pregnant or breastfeeding • No diagnosis of lactose or fructose intolerance, or celiac disease • No exclusion diets (unless stable ≥3 months)
Please feel free to contact PerCuro Clinical Research at 250-382-6270 if you have any questions.
Immerse. Rejuvenate. Repeat. SAUNAS | COLD PLUNGE | MASSAGE | MEMBERSHIPS BOOK ONLINE RITUALNORDICSPA.COM | 778-440-9009 Finnish Sauna Tradition in Downtown Victoria
• Ghassan – ext 2480 or ghassan@percuro.ca • Maddy – ext 2486 or madelyn@percuro.ca • Claire – ext. 2484 or claire@percuro.ca