Posts Tagged ‘giving’

Hair Donation

I’ve been a bit behind in my social media admin of late. Unless a story is at the top of my newsfeed it will probably go over looked. One story however leapt of the page last week. An old school friend has spent the last two and a half years growing her hair to donate to charity. The photos said it all. There she was sporting a super new, very stylish short cut whilst holding two bunches of hair, 50cm of hair no less! The hair will be sent off to the Little Princess Trust who will turn the real human hair into wigs for children who have lost their hair through cancer treatment or illness. All free of charge.

I do love a good real life story and one that involves acts of kindness for others. Especially when my friends are at the helm of the big-heartedness. Emma’s personal experience of her own hair loss through stress-induced alopecia inspired her to help those with more severe hair loss.  Here’s Emma story:

“Having seen friends loose their hair through the different stages of cancer treatment, and seeing how loosing their hair had a massive impact it had upon them and how they felt, I have been growing my hair for the last 2.5 years in order to be able to donate my hair to create real hair wigs for those who have lost their own hair through illness. 

I lost a small patch of hair myself through alopecia a few years ago, but managed to cover it up by permanently wearing my hair up in a ponytail. I was so self-conscious about it, and it really knocked my confidence in so many aspects of my life until it grew back (very slowly).  I was lucky, my alopecia was caused by stress (doing a Masters, moving house, starting a new job, relocating and planning a wedding was quite stressful), and i have been lucky enough not to suffer it since. 

Others aren’t as lucky as me, which I why (before I go completely grey!) I decided to do my bit to support those who have no choice and need a helping hand (or hair!).  My hair is now 20 inches long, and on Thursday 18th April 2013 it will be cut short to provide the maximum amount of hair donation I can achieve.  If you know YOU couldn’t do this yourself, then please donate to support me doing it.”

Emma’s fundraising page has already reached above & beyond her original target of £50. At the time of publishing she’d raised £746.50!! If you would like to donate to Emma’s fundraising page hit this link, your donation is kindly appreciated thank you.

http://www.justgiving.com/hairtogo

Love Seren xx

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 ©Seren Holistic Lifestyles Blog 2013
 (please share the love with full credit thanks)

Click on image to enlarge

©Seren Holistic Lifestyles Blog 2013

(please share the love with full credit thanks)

Treat Yourself!

When was the last time your really gave yourself a treat that made you feel fully enriched and grateful to be you? It doesn’t have to be big or expensive. It doesn’t have to cost you anything at all actually. Taking some YOU time is important, it makes your soul happy!

There is nothing wrong with giving back to you. Do not feel like you are being frivolous, self-indulgent or vein. We need to take some time to honour ourselves every now and again to recharge and get in touch with our core.

I am very proactive in my life. I’m not one for sitting back and letting others do all the work. I take action and responsibility for myself. If I want something done or I wish something to happen I go out there and make it happen. This can be a huge double-edged sword. I tend to take on too much, try to do it all by myself and not ask for help. I hate letting people down so I do more than I should. My efforts are always 110% and I go hard to get everything achieved. In order to get everything done I often ignore the messages my body is telling me intuitively to the point a physical message is needed. The result is I break. Usually I physically manifest shoulder pain or exhaustion. At this point I’m so far involved I mentally I start hating the people putting pressure on me or draining my resources. It’s not their fault at all it’s me not setting my boundaries.

Over the past eight months I have really learnt to slow down and take care of myself before I break down. Being in a slow state of mind and listening within has really helped me discern how to use my time and skills wisely. I fall off the wagon for sure. This is a reminder to come back to my authenticity, lead from within. When I physically break, it’s my soul telling me I’m not aligned with how she ticks. This is why I have started to give myself regular treats and me time. This nourishes and takes care of both my physical and spiritual body. I lock it into my schedule to make sure I do take the time out.

As I said earlier it doesn’t have to cost you anything. You could simply take a twenty-minute soak in a hot bath whilst reading a novel or chilling to your favourite music. You can’t get much cheaper than a walk on the beach! I call these moments ‘mini me time.’ Every week I take time out to oil paint, read, watch a movie or pamper myself at home with a pedicure or facial.

I do however invest my hard earned cash back into a big monthly treat. I head down to a divine day spa in the city for a treatment, usually a massage. It is higher end than most people would like but I love it. I first discovered the spa a few years back because of it’s 100% organic philosophy. This is something that is important to me, even more so now as I try to avoid harsh chemicals.

There is nothing more relaxing than having a massage. I’ve built a bond with the staff  as they take the time to get to know their clients. I do not mind paying the higher price as I love the whole package I get. The soothing environment, indoor voices, plinky plunky Tibetan bowl music, fluffy towels & tea & fruit in the chill out lounge afterwards. I literally drift out of there feeling relaxed and happy on all levels. A two-hour retreat at the end of a busy week what more could you ask for. I don’t even justify the cost any more. I just do it. My body tells me it’s happy and rewards me for looking after it so that’s enough for me. I did give up my treat for nearly a year in 2011 & wow did I miss it. Now I’m back in the spa routine I’ll never sacrifice it again.

What do you do to have some ‘me’ time? Please share in the comments below we’d love to hear from you…

Love & light,

Seren xx

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