Lent: Say goodbye to negative emotions

AS LENT begins tomorrow, Wednesday, a leading Kilkenny-based author and complementary health practitioner has some novel suggestions for season resolutions

While many people choose Ash Wednesday to give up smoking, alcohol or chocolate and do something positive for their health during Lent, Breda Gardner suggests that people should consider giving up something completely different.

“This Lent, I would love everyone to say goodbye to their negative
emotions”, she says. “People should think about giving up fear, anger, worry, complaining and negative attitudes. All of these emotions can and do have a detrimental effect on our health. But a positive outlook can work wonders for our well-being.”

The Galway-born, Thomastown-based author of ‘Words of Wisdom for Your Health and Happiness’ adds: “We all know that our bodies respond to our diet: what we put in is what we get out.  But many people don’t
realise that the same is true of our thoughts.

“If we think negative thoughts, we attract only more negativity into
our lives.  If we can break this vicious circle and think more
positively, the result is better health, more happiness and greater
contentment in our lives.

“Positive thinking plays a crucial role in our health. We all need to
take much greater responsibility for our well-being, as well as
developing a better understanding of why exactly we get ill.”

Ms Gardner says that in her experience, disease is often present to let people know that their physical, mental, emotional and spiritual sides need to be treated.  For example, stomach ailments like gastritis or heartburn might be brought on by a person not being able to ‘stomach’ what is going on around them.

Or perhaps the heart and lungs are under stress as a result of someone suffering from a let-down, sadness from a loss, or from holding on to anger and as a result, physical symptoms such as angina or recurrent chest infections manifest themselves in the body.

“If you don’t believe in the link between illness and a person’s overall wellbeing, ask someone who suffers from cold sores”, Ms Gardner points out. “Often this condition will be at its worst when people are at their lowest ebb, stressed at work, or have suffered from some trauma.

“I’ve worked with many clients who have got back on track by watching
what they put into their bodies (both food and thoughts), and who got
better due to a holistic approach with positive thinking, supported by
a good diet, a healthy lifestyle and homeopathic remedies.

“So this Lent, I’d encourage people to try something different.  Don’t
just watch what you are eating - think about what you are thinking.
The health benefits of positive thinking might astound you,” she stresses.

Breda Gardner’s first book ‘Words of Wisdom for your Health and
Happiness’ has sold over 800 copies since its launch. The Waterford
and Kilkenny-based former nurse has a client base of nearly 2000
people.

The foreword of the book was written by the internationally acclaimed
health guru Jan de Vries who observed: “Personally, I feel that this is a
book that should be in every household”.

Breda has been practising as a complementary health therapist in
Ireland for seven years and has a considerable knowledge-base founded on many thousands of consultations working with people on their health
issues.