Stress Management reviews

On 8 July I was in Leeds for the Forward Ladies Positive Women’s Day and it was one of those karma days in life. At 9am I attended Georgie Oldfield’s workshop on Stress Illness.
The previous day I had been to see my consultant neurosurgeon and was told that my MRI scan showed good alignment of the two cervical discs he had replaced in 2007 (on my 50th birthday – now that was a day to remember!) and that the nerve conduction studies showed no nerve damage in either arm. He told me that further surgery would be a last last last resort to resolve the pain I was feeling in my neck-arms-shoulders. This left me feeling crestfallen. I had chronic pain in my neck, constant headaches, tingling sensations down both arms to name but a few of my bodily pains (I hadn’t told my consultant about the pain across my back, in my left thigh, my right ankle or my left thumb).
At the start of Georgie’s workshop, she asked us to form a circle and for each of us to say something about our initial impressions of each other. One lady said that I looked wistful. How so very right she was. I was feeling maudlin. My thoughts were all over the place; further surgery on my neck wasn’t really an option…maybe I have MS or cancer or……
After the initial introductions I sat listening to Georgie speaking about stress related illness and in my head I kept hearing yes that’s me…and that…and that ….it was that Eureka moment in life and I suddenly realised that my consultant neurosurgeon has only been treating the pain/symptoms arising from my neck and not all of my other symptoms.
The very next day Georgie emailed a copy of the SIRPA recovery cd. On 11 July I sat and listened to the cd and made pages and pages of notes, as what Georgie was saying struck many chords and triggered many thoughts/memories.
I booked an initial-assessment with Georgie on 18 July and the following day the chronic pain in my neck-arms-shoulders had eased.
I signed up for the SIRPA Recovery Programme and between weeks 3 and 4 of the programme my pain break through occurred; any pain in my right thumb, my right ankle and my left hip eased. I have more rotation in my neck now than I have had for at least 5 years. The techniques work, and I feel younger than I have for many a year. I am making great progress towards a pain free life, which is just around the corner for me, ably supported by Georgie.

Nicola Farmer
11 October 2011

IT was a fantastic location in the countryside and a really good weekend - perfect balance of exercise and very useful workshops. I've loads of new info to take home and work on and feel like I've shifter my backside! Although those who are already quite fit may feel like they could be pushed a bit more, if you speak up they WILL do that (don't be afraid to speak up).
I'd thoroughly recommend this to kick-start a healthier lifestyle though if you want a bigger kick the 5-day option would probably be more effective for you.
The team are BRILLIANT.

I had a fantastic weekend with EQ Retreats. It is not a classic bootcamp packed with excercise all day long but the work outs were mixed with relaxation and educational sessions (Nutrition, How the brain works) which I found very useful. The varied workouts were done by a PT who managed to motivate all of us, no matter what fitness level. We stayed in a nice hotel in beautiful surroundings and had most of the exercise outside in the lovely garden area. I left with sore muscles but relaxed and energised. I would recommend to anyone looking for a sensible start to a fitness regime combined with healthier eating habits or someone looking for a weekend retreat that has a good balance of exercise and relaxation.

This place represents exceptionally poor value; so much so that it seems more like a cult than a holistic health place.

At around double the cost of a premium gym membership and with none of the facilities it is simply the assumptive and passive aggressive sales technique - giving you a massage, asking if you feel relaxed, saying its great for your health and then asking you if you care about you health until you pay-up simply to escape - which ensures this place is still in business, either that or its a front business for a money laundering exercice (I don't want to get sued - I'm sure it is not, I was joking).

The favourite exercise appeared to be hitting oneself rhythmically 300 times in the stomach.

I was surprised by the openness of everyone in the group - we all felt completely at ease. Each time i leave the class i am much more relaxed and calm. I have recommended the sessions to friends and share with them the benefits its had on me.

Flow Training came to my office when we were experiencing a particularly stressful time. We experienced a sense of well-being, joy and and an insight into to looking at the world with different eyes. Even now years later my colleagues still practise the exercises.

Great Reading! I received a lot of medical attention last year and this year I really want to focus on getting healthy, eating well, and detoxing. Cathleen sensed exactly where my blockages were energetically and released them. Last night I felt my energy stirring up after the reading, which Cathleen advised could happen for up to 3 days after treatment do to the energy release that occurs, but today I feel a sort of calm and relaxation that I haven't felt in months. So, thank you Cathleen! Your work is amazing!