In response to ‘Lashes outdated way to punish children’ https://www.nationnews.com/2023/05/21/lashes-outdated-way-punish-children/

A controversial one but a much needed conversation. Even though I grew up in the culture of scbigystcf, (If you get that, you get it!) I don't believe in physical punishment for children. My reasons are plentiful but as brief as I can explain:

Can you guarantee the "lash" will be the same strength each time? Or, after the car breaks down, a busy day at work, a stain on your favourite top and an argument with your partner, will the lash have a bit of weight behind it?

Do you find you have to give lashes for repetitive behaviours? Maybe, just maybe the lashes are not as effective as believed to be. The child may wince at the sight of a slipper but it begs the question does the child really understand why they are getting hit? Is the lash accompanied by a discussion - is the child required to give words of accountability for their behaviour? Are they taught or given the tools to develop emotional intelligence or conflict resolution? If not, it is likely the behaviour will be repeated. 

My happy face outside the Barbados Museum and Historical Society

There were many interesting artefacts and paintings that would require another visit to take it all in. However, the thing that captured my attention the most was the Black anatomical model in the medical section of the Children’s Gallery.

Throughout studying for my herbal medicine degree, and the other courses I have done over the years, I have never seen a Black anatomical model. You may be thinking, “but Louise, the structures and the organs are the same”, and of course you would be right but there was something more important for me.

Patience is considered to be one of the Seven Capital Virtues. However, how practical is it to be patient every day?

Over the last few months, there have been a lot of posts online and reports in the news of violence. CCTV footage of shootings are becoming a common occurrence. The scenes are very disturbing and the language used around them, I feel, pulls us further away from understanding the root causes and therefore the ability to find solutions.

“Gun violence” or “knife crime” are ambiguous terms that place the emphasis on the object and almost suggest that if those items were not available that the violence would not occur. As seen in many of the comments online, people are questioning where the guns are coming from, calling on the police and the army to have a greater presence or advocating for the death penalty. 

It is terrifying that these things are happening on this small island, often in broad daylight but when I see the reports and videos, I see people who are in a huge amount of pain - and I don’t just mean the people whose loved ones have been killed and whose families have been torn apart, I mean the people who are killing and committing violent acts.

An important part of my health journey has been my journey in education., so I am extremely excited to be able to share this treat with others.

How do you stay clear and intentional in your daily interactions?

Where does the time go? I find myself asking this question a lot during the week. I use several apps to help manage the various tasks I have to complete and keep some order to proceedings. Although the majority of these apps are used for business, some are invaluable for my personal life too but are not always well received.

Scheduling apps such as Calendly are used for scheduling meetings, more specifically it allows people to choose my available times to book a meeting. The appointment is neatly synced to my calendar and I receive notifications ahead of the meeting. It is easy to see how useful this would be as a business tool but what often makes people recoil in disgust is when they receive a Calendly link from a loved one to book an informal “catch-up”.  Understandably this may seem like a boujee, detached way to connect for some. However, the opposite is often the case.

Is eating just about us getting our basic macronutrients and micronutrients or is it more of a sensual experience?

I loved the monthly train journey to Manchester for my Cranio-Sacral Therapy training. A couple of hours watching the English countryside unfold culminating with the view of the Peaks always helped to reset my nervous system. (The daily London commute on the tube was a lot less pleasurable and makes me shudder now when I think of it). 

Waiting for the steam train to depart at Nicholas Abbey Heritage Railway, was another level of excitement. Every wave of excitement came with a flashback of being at the Abbey as a small child with my family. After the train snaked around the luscious grounds in St Peter, we took a tour of the main house, and it suddenly felt as though we had been transported to another time in history.  

Mindfulness is not just about sitting still in awkward poses for hours on end. It is about being present, as much as possible, in everyday activities. This might be in conversation, brushing your teeth, or eating.

The volcanic eruptions of St Vincent’s La Soufriere provide many moments of clarity.

Recent terminology used in the press and by politicians to discuss the pandemic has reminded me of the saying 'what we resist, persists'. Paraphrased from the psychologist Carl Jung, this means when we attempt to resist anything within our reality or present, the more that thing will remain in our reality or present. The more thought, effort and energy we place on trying to stop that thing, the more power we give to it. Another way this is expressed is in the Law of Attraction. This philosophical approach states that positive thoughts (which are a form of energy or vibration) produce more positive thoughts. Conversely, negative thoughts produce more negative thoughts.

In the 70s-80s we had a War on Drugs followed by a surge of drug use, addiction and drug-related crimes and incarcerations. It is estimated that 21 million Americans aged 12 years or older has one form of substance use disorder. In the 00s there was the War on Terror which led to acts of terrorism around the world, major wars, thousands of people killed, and millions displaced. Despite all of this, the war has lasted for over 19 years.

Military terminology and metaphors have also infiltrated healthcare. We often hear that someone is “battling cancer” or someone is “fighting a flu”. This suggests that somehow there is a winner or loser in this battle, that the patient must be “strong” throughout their process or that they were not strong enough to overcome their disease. Now we have been told there is a war on an invisible and deadly virus. We must “suit up” in personal protective equipment and healthcare workers are described as working on the “frontline”.

We are all sensual beings, this is evident in the language we use – ‘a sight for sore eyes’, ‘hard ears’, ‘heart-warming’. Sensuality is ‘the enjoyment, expression, or pursuit of physical, especially sexual, pleasure’ or ‘the condition of being pleasing or fulfilling to the senses.’ The terms sensuality and sexuality are often used interchangeably however, sexuality refers to our ability to experience and express our sexual feelings. Our sensual experiences do not have to involve sexual activities, but we cannot have sexual experiences without sensuality.

Sensuality connects us with our senses and our sensory organs – sight, taste, touch, hearing, smell and affects the way in which we perceive the world and how we are perceived. As we can see, being in tune with and expressing our sensuality may involve far more than just sex or sexual experiences. It is about connecting us with our bodies, our emotions, our memories, and with our truest expressions of self.

Despite the festive cheer and merriment, the holiday season can be one of the most stressful and challenging times of the year for many people. Here are a few tips to help support your well-being this holiday.

How a few words made me incredibly aware of my physical being and helped shaped my view on beauty.

This year began with a seismic shift, which meant most mornings were spent with news of rising death tolls, feelings of frustration and helplessness as I felt my freedoms were being violated, and constantly trying to stay grounded under a blanket of fear of this invisible thing. It took me a while to navigate how to “be” during this time and I am still trying to understand it.

Now, the entire globe has turned its attention to the horrific atrocities that have taken place in the USA. These events are not merely headlines with second-hand accounts of what happened but have been filmed in sound and colour for the whole world to see. The murder of Mr George Floyd sent shockwaves around the world, igniting protests and riots, and it caused the debate of institutional racism and white privilege to overshadow a global health crisis. Similarly, as with the beginning of the year, I started to feel those feelings of frustration and helplessness, and constantly felt the need to stay grounded under a blanket of fear of this invisible thing. It took me a while to navigate how to “be” during this time and I am still trying to understand it. Same feelings – different monster.

Our everyday lives are filled with a considerable amount of uncertainty. How we choose to react may determine how we weather the storm.