LIVING MORE OF A LIFE Jane Tarrant

I would like to publish this in memory of my 97 year old Grumpa, Terence Colin Granville-Jones, who deserved to be loved to the end, and was.


His Last Shave - An account of a granddaughter’s love


When I think back now to the memories of the end, this is the last true memory of my Grumpa as the gentle, independent and fastidious man that he was:


It was before his full deterioration, his mind starting to return to him and a feeling of peace for us both. I sat and watched in awe of him as he insisted on taking up his razor to shave. He was weak but determined, so with a seat in front of a filled basin, he used one hand to support his other and raised the razor to his face. He was slow but methodical, contorting his face to achieve the right tension in his skin and working with such nimble practised ease, despite his preferred blunt Bic razor, that I couldn’t help but admire him. Repressing the automatic modern response to film an achievement of a loved one, I sat fully present. Something deep inside me knew that after 80+ years this may very well be the last time he ever performs his own shave and I felt honoured to witness it. I sat patiently with love in my heart as I took in what is now one of my most treasured intimate memories of my Grumpa.


As I lie awake at 3am, 7 months after the death of my beloved Grumpa, I notice as my mouth goes taut, my lower lip curls downwards and my body finally succumbs to the delayed shakes of grief.


This week would have been my Grumpa’s 98th birthday and I’m so grateful he is not still here to witness it. 


I say witness it as it would have been no celebration at this point.


One year ago, my Grumpa who was still independently living, turned 97 with grace and gratitude for his health and family, having moved to be close to me 17 months before. I had asked him to move close to me so that I could be a more regular support for him and enjoy as much of a relationship with him as I could. From cutting his hair to massaging his feet and clipping his nails, I took great pride in doing the things that meant so much to him....



[Listen to hear the rest of the account.]

Written and narrated by Jane Tarrant, Founder of LiNK BREATHING 
www.linkbreathing.co.uk
@linkbreathing (on all social channels)

Breathing retraining was life changing for my client with a restricted airway and paralysed vocal chord causing breathing difficulties, snoring and sleep apnoea. As many as 25 years after his accident, he was recommended to LiNK BREATHING by his  friend (also an existing breathing and awareness coaching client), because he felt it could help him.

After 25 years, he was able to not only start running but take up paddle boarding. The difference I received via text during his recent trip was, "Lost breath a few times but I have jumped back on in seconds rather than minutes."

Having been forced to sleep separately on a yoga mat downstairs in order to protect his family's sleep, he has been able to return to sharing a bed with his wife and even enjoy camping without feeling embarrassed by his snoring.

Previously waking every 40 minutes to 2.5 hours and being fearful to go back to sleep after waking from an episode of sleep apnoea, he now feels comfortable sleeping through the whole night, averaging 7.5 hours without waking. This is without the use of a CPAP machine.

Energy is now a norm, not a luxury. Relationships have improved.

My client is now living a "More happy and healthy life. More positive and hopeful life."

Can it really be as simple as retraining your breathing? Yes it can. For some it is a massive missing piece. For others it is an accessible starting point to improve other health foundations via better awareness.

What is breathing retraining?

Breathing retraining with LiNK BREATHING is the process of taking breathing habits back to basics, improving awareness, addressing unhealthy habits and gradually training new healthier breathing habits over time. Conscious breathing habits then influence subconscious breathing habits, resulting in powerful changes to mood, productivity, sleep, concentration, physical performance and relationships.

What are unhealthy breathing habits?
Mouth breathingSnoringSleep ApnoeaOver breathing or hyperventilationShallow breathingFast breathingUpper chest breathing during restRestricted diaphragm breathing Intermittent breathingRegular sighing or yawningRegular stress breath holding e.g. during emails ' aka email apnoea'We breathe more than 20,000 times per day. Imagine if those 20,000 were just slightly healthier each time. That is incremental improvement with very little effort.

How do I know if LiNK BREATHING could help?
Book a free 20 minute call via www.linkbreathing.co.uk for a free assessment.

How much does breathing retraining cost?
LiNK BREATHING is aware that not everyone has the same means or available time. Each client will receive bespoke advice as to the most cost effective or efficient route for them, based on their needs and situation. With options of varying price ranges, there is always an option to suit.

We are back for Season 2 of LIVING MORE OF A LIFE podcast.

In the spirit of getting started, Jane Tarrant asked Vicky Shilling, host of Just Start Now podcast to join her in a discussion of the importance of just getting started, incrementally, even if you don't have it all figured out yet.

Vicky Shilling is a Business Mentor helping health & wellness practitioners turn their expertise into income. She is also the host of Just Start Now podcast.
www.vickyshilling.com
@vicky.shilling
https://www.instagram.com/vicky.shilling/

Jane Tarrant is a Breathing & Awareness Coach, Thai Massage Therapist and Host of LIVING MORE OF A LIFE podcast.
www.linkbreathing.co.uk
@linkbreathing
https://www.instagram.com/linkbreathing/
https://www.facebook.com/linkbreathing/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/janetarrant/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/link-breathing

Note from Jane: "I'd love your feedback on this episode and feel free to share it far and wide. You could even review it if you are feeling particularly kind." 

The time has come for me to wrap up Season 1 of LIVING MORE OF A LIFE podcast in order to focus my attention on other areas in my life. 


Season 2 will be back in early 2021, but in the meantime, I am launching the website for my new business before the end of 2020. 


Anyone who has read my homepage on www.canidoitmyself.com, will know that I have been on a journey to live a happier, healthier and kinder life. 


Behind the scenes I have been studying day in day out, some for my own health benefits, some for my business. 


If you want to take a sneak peek at what I’ll be launching my business in, check out @linkbreathing on Instagram. If you don’t have Instagram, the website will be up before the end of 2020. 


Season 2, will be focusing more on health and wellbeing. It is an area which I feel is incredibly important to us all. 


Links from this episode:
You can check out my new business on Instagram @linkbreathing. My website will be launching before the end of 2020. To follow more of my podcasting journey visit: www.canidoitmyself.com
In this episode I mention that I was inspired by Dr Rangan Chatterjee. If you’d like to check out his podcast, FEEL BETTER LIVE MORE, during the break  I’ve included a link. I highly recommend it. 

Katie Ellis and I have something in common. We both realised when spending time with our grandparents how much they struggle dressing themselves. We realised they could live more of a life. For Katie, her grandmother was unable to dress herself and struggled with the loss of independence and dignity due to Parkinsons. My Grumpa is 96 and still dresses himself but has arthritis and frozen fingers, making buttons incredibly troublesome. We have both come up with solutions within our abilities. For me, it was to edit his current clothing. For Katie, it was to set up a stylish clothing brand which has adaptive designs, hidden fastenings (such as velcro) and makes self-dressing easier for those with dressing difficulties. Katie Ellis launched The Able Label.
Visit my website for an image of the shirt I edited with velcro fastenings for my 96 year old Grumpa on my late Grannie’s sewing machine. You can hear the audio of my Grumpa trying to do up his old shirt and then how delighted he was when doing up his velcro edited shirt. 
Have you thought about whether your family members, friends or neighbours need clothes which are easier to get dressed into?

Check out The Able Label for adaptive or velcro Women's Clothing or Men's Clothing.

Please note, I have become an affiliate of The Able Label because I love what they do. I may earn from qualifying purchases but it does not affect the price you pay.

I have benefitted personally from the work that Maisie Hill has put into educating herself and others on the menstrual cycle. In this conversation I share how her book, Period Power, acted as a catalyst for increased self-awareness and educated me on how my menstrual cycle provides the opportunity to achieve great things but also requires self-care at the appropriate times. 
Having recently recovered from chronic fatigue, I look back on my journey of recovery starting with an all important habit of tracking my body and mind. Even during my fatigue, I was able to better navigate life, making the most of my changing creativity and know when to drop the housework duties.
We think because we go through it and experience it that we know enough about it. This isn’t the case when it comes to our menstrual cycle. So many of us live without the self-awareness, knowledge or compassion to live more of a life.
Do you know why you pick fights with your partner near to your period? Do you realise that you secretly want to be alone? Maisie mentions during our conversation that her clients who track are more self-compassionate.
I start by asking Maisie about period pain which she experienced. Period pain is common, but not normal. It is normal to experience some discomfort or mild cramping but not pain which interferes with daily life. 
We talk about existing and past menstrual education and focus on avoiding pregnancy, where we miss out on how to use the cycle as a tool and how we can care for ourselves throughout the cycle. It can improve our relationships, creative process and careers if better understood. Again, I have experienced this first hand.
We discuss the difference between menstruating and pregnancy or breastfeeding where knowing how to self care and how to plan our time can be challenging because we lose our anchor. Maisie was so pleased when she finally started menstruating again.
The knowledge of the cycle allows us both to identify when we need to be alone. It has improved our relationships through being able to clearly communicate.
We discuss the pill. We discuss how it stops you ovulating when taking the combined pill so you don’t have a menstrual cycle. The period you experience is only a withdrawal bleed. We discuss how the pill can dampen down our experience of life. It can be a positive or negative depending on who we are. 
Finally, we recognise and share that it is a personal choice and only the woman taking the pill or choosing not to take it can decide what is best. The issue is, most of us don’t have the knowledge to make an informed decision. There should not be judgement or regret based on our own or others’ decisions. It is however important to educate ourselves and others on the important topic of menstruation and not shy away from it. With this knowledge, society’s influence as it is today will change to a more positive one surrounding periods and the menstrual cycle.  
If you decide to buy Period Power, join the Flow Collective or find another way to learn, you too can enjoy the power of knowing your cycle and yourself.

Maisie Hill can be contacted via:
Website: www.maisiehill.com
Instagram: _maisiehill_ 
Facebook: Maisie Hill
In case you are also interested, here’s a link to The Flow Collective.

For links to her book Period Power or that of The Red School - Wild Power, visit https://www.canidoitmyself.com/living-more-of-a-life-podcast/power-of-knowing-your-cycle-and-yourself

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