Tai Chi

Tai Chi

by | Aug 13, 2023 | Therapies

The Whiteinch Community Centre in Glasgow is an oasis of serenity every Wednesday at 10.30 —the Tai Chi class that beckons to all seeking a holistic path to well-being. With a modest fee of £5 per week, participants are invited into a realm where movement, mindfulness, and camaraderie converge. Guided by the experienced Bob McCafferty, a martial arts and Tai Chi virtuoso, this class transcends the realm of mere exercise.Tai Chi Glasgow Under the gentle sunlight filtering through the windows, attendees engage in the transformative practice of Tai Chi qigong—a fusion of flowing motions and conscious breath. Bob McCafferty's seasoned guidance elevates the class beyond physicality, encouraging an exploration of inner energy and equilibrium. The benefits of Tai Chi extend far beyond the confines of the class. Regular practice nurtures a profound connection between body and mind, fostering flexibility, improved posture, and a release of pent-up tension. It stands as a refuge from the chaos of modern life, offering a space for self-care and renewal. The class thoughtfully accommodates diverse mobility levels, incorporating seated Tai Chi to ensure everyone can participate fully. Inclusivity is the cornerstone, allowing individuals of all abilities to savour the rewards of this ancient art form. Bob McCafferty's expertise shines through his teaching, shaped by a deep understanding of martial arts and Tai Chi principles. His patient demeanor creates an environment of growth and camaraderie, where newcomers and seasoned practitioners find common ground. Beyond the practice itself, the class fosters connections. It's not just about movements; it's about making new friends and sharing a moment over a comforting cup of tea. The camaraderie extends beyond the mat, with participants coming together to savour the journey, support one another, and engage in conversations that warm the heart. So, if you seek solace from the urban clamour, a pathway to holistic well-being, or a chance to forge meaningful connections, the Tai Chi class at Whiteinch Community Centre is your haven. For a nominal fee of £5 per week, guided by Bob McCafferty's expertise, you can harmonise your body, find inner peace, and create cherished bonds amidst the bustling city of Glasgow. Any questions, email Bob or the Whiteinch Centre

Some helpful videos of Tai Chi at the CIC

 
The CovidWEL project by Dr David Reilly – Free course

The CovidWEL project by Dr David Reilly – Free course

by | Sep 19, 2021 | COVID-19

Some of you may know Dr Reilly. Until 2016 he was a Consultant Physician in The NHS for Centre for Integrative Care in Glasgow; and Greater Glasgow & Clyde Health Board’s Lead Clinician for people with CFS/ME. He is currently Director of TheWEL Programmes,  The Healing Shift Enquiry and  Founder and Director of TheWEL Charity. Dr David Reilly has offered an great opportunity to get involved with the COVID WEL project . The COVIDWEL course offers you immediately useful, hands-on support for your wellbeing, health and resilience during this difficult era, and then beyond, after COVID.  It will help you to help yourself.  ​​It is completely free as a contribution in these hard times. The course distils three hours from the full 20-hour WEL course - an evidence-based approach scientifically proven to help people transform their wellbeing. The COVIDWEL is in 2 parts: ​​
  • In Part 1, we explore the 'missing edge' of the Pandemic Triangle - your ability to resist infection and recover from it. This complements our current critical preventative measures and treatments.  We examine how the 'soil' of poor health allows the 'seed' of the virus to take deeper root. Then we focus on ways to tackle our mental health, wellbeing and coping challenges and ways that shift our perceptions and activate our self-care as we navigate the storms of the pandemic.
  • ​​In Part 2, we narrow our focus onto specific steps you can take immediately to strengthen your resilience to infection and your recovery from it. You will learn three key targeted areas for action with your nutrition.
  • Everything you learn in the COVIDWEL will be of great ongoing value to you when the pandemic is over, helping you turn your way of living around
If you would like to know more or do the course, please visit the website click here Good luck and hope you enjoy!
Press Release: In the middle of a Long COVID “epidemic”, it’s time to restore funding to Glasgow’s NHS Centre for Integrative Care

Press Release: In the middle of a Long COVID “epidemic”, it’s time to restore funding to Glasgow’s NHS Centre for Integrative Care

by | Apr 22, 2021 | Media

2021 logo Friends of the NHS Centre for Integrative Care Scotland has always been a trailblazer in person-centred, holistic care but this area has been systematically downgraded and starved of resources in recent years, according to the Friends of the NHS Centre for Integrative Care in Glasgow. They are calling for the award-winning NHS Centre to have its full funding reinstated and ring-fenced to protect core services, after systematic cost-cutting in recent years has substantially reduced its capabilities.  The NHS Centre for Integrative Care is the only purpose-built service for person-centred holistic healthcare in the UK. It was founded in 1880 as the first homeopathic dispensary in Glasgow and was known as the Glasgow Homeopathic Hospital when the NHS was formed in 1948. In 1999, the service moved into its current facility on the Gartnavel Hospital campus. The £2.78 million purpose-built building was funded by the community and legacy donations. When it was fully funded, the NHS Centre operated with a multidisciplinary team that included nurses, doctors and allied health practitioners, with a 15-bed in-patient ward and its own dispensary. The Centre was also funded to conduct clinical research and offer Integrative Care training to conventional medical practitioners from the UK and beyond. Rona Agnew, PhD, RN, former NHS manager and currently Chair of Friends of the NHS Centre for Integrative care in Glasgow said, “At that time, the Centre received more than 200 referrals per month, however the NHS Centre has had funding reduced over the years in cost-cutting exercises by the NHS Greater Glasgow & Clyde Health Board. “The demand for “efficiency” in the early noughties meant that we saw funding redirected to specialist clinics designed to treat individual symptoms or conditions. The pendulum has now swung back however, with recognition of multifactorial conditions such as ME and Long Covid highlighting the need to take every aspect of an individual’s unique situation and lifestyle into account in the pursuit of independently manageable wellness. “Only a holistic approach can do this effectively and we are calling for the NHS to reverse funding decisions to support the dedicated resource we already have, and to allow clinical research, clinician training and provision of care in Scotland to take a more person-centred approach once again“. A recent study of Long COVID patients*, led by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) at Leicester Biomedical Research Centre, acknowledged contemporary demand for a holistic approach, saying, "Our findings support the need for a proactive approach to clinical follow-up, with a holistic assessment to include symptoms, mental and physical health, but also an objective assessment for cognition. (There's) also the need for wide-access to post-COVID19 holistic clinical services to include mental health, memory and cognition, and rehabilitation services." The Academy of Integrative Health & Medicine** has also stated, “Our current public health crisis has highlighted health disparities and the need for a Holistic Integrative Health and Medicine approach to disease prevention and health creation.” Dr Agnew and the Friends of the Centre for Integrative Care argue that The Centre is ideally placed to champion the move to more integrative medicine but point out that since 2010, nursing staff have been cut from 22 full-time workers to two full-time workers and 1 part-time worker. Six doctor positions have also been cut, with only one replaced. The Centre has also lost its pharmacy, in-patient capability and weekend clinics as a result of NHS funding reductions. Dr Agnew argues, “The Health Board members have not honoured the wishes of the donors who gave their money in good faith to build a dedicated specialist hospital that they thought would contain inpatient services and other facilities, and provide access to NHS homoeopathic as well as other recognised holistic services. “We believe strongly that more person-centred, integrative care is the only realistic approach to the current mental health and post-viral pandemic we are facing in Scotland and urge anyone who is similarly minded to contact their MSP and urge full funding for the NHS Centre for Integrative care to be restored.” For further information, please contact Marjorie Calder on 07739 636609 or email [email protected].  Notes for editors * recent study of Long Covid patients ** Academy of Integrative Health & Medicine  httpss://aihm.org/covid/ ABOUT INTEGRATIVE CARE Also known as Integrative Medicine, this approach focuses on restoring and maintaining health and wellness by considering a patient’s physical, mental and spiritual aspects along with lifestyle influences. It relies on partnership between practitioner and patient. According to The Academic Consortium for Integrative Medicine & Health, "Integrative medicine and health reaffirms the importance of the relationship between practitioner and patient, focuses on the whole person, is informed by evidence, and makes use of all appropriate therapeutic and lifestyle approaches, healthcare professionals and disciplines to achieve optimal health and healing." Integrative Care contrasts with conventional medical practice where a patient sees a GP and gets referred to specialists based on specific symptoms, which are treated in isolation. ABOUT THE NHS CENTRE FOR INTEGRATIVE CARE, Glasgow Established in 1880, the NHS Centre is the UK’s only purpose-built hospital offering Integrative Care. The hospital offers a highly experienced clinical team which draws on their medical and nursing backgrounds for holistic assessment and treatments. In a 2016 survey, patients reported increased wellbeing, the reduction or elimination of pharmaceutical drug use, and less frequent visits to their GPs following care at the NHS Centre. The service is recognised as a centre of excellence in person-centred care and is award-winning, locally and nationally, including the prestigious ALLIANCE Best Self Management Resource in 2016 and Scottish Health Award 2017 in Healthier Lifestyle Category. The team were also finalists in the Care for Long Term Illness category of the Scottish Health Awards in 2016 and 2017, and have received many other nominations and awards, including finalist for Inspiring City 2018 awards in Carer(s) category, and Community Champions awards. The Centre for Integrative Care Nursing team were finalists for the 2018 Nursing Times Awards in the Managing Long-Term Conditions category with their Holistic Day Service model supporting self-management. The NHS Centre for Integrative Care accepts referrals from all healthcare professionals in exactly the same way as all other hospitals and clinics; there is no cost for referrals or consultations. Referrals can be made by a GP, hospital specialist, a specialist nurse, physiotherapist, or other healthcare professional. Website: httpss://www.nhsggc.org.uk/patients-and-visitors/main-hospital-sites/gartnavel-campus/nhs-centre-for-integrative-care/ ABOUT FRIENDS OF THE NHS CENTRE FOR INTEGRATIVE CARE Friends of the NHS Centre for Integrative Care, founded in 1995, works to ensure patients have access to the UK's only purpose-built health service for person-centred holistic care. The charity does this by helping the public and health practitioners understand the free referral process, being a voice for patients and carers to MSPs and government health and social care bodies, and offering online programming on complementary therapies. Registered charity #SC023842 | friendscic.org | [email protected] | 07532619335  ADDITIONAL RESOURCES* Ends
Localgiving Magic Little Grants – Friends MBSR 2021 IT Project

Localgiving Magic Little Grants – Friends MBSR 2021 IT Project

by | Mar 5, 2021 | Centre for Integrative Care

Localgiving (click here for more information) is working with People’s Postcode Lottery, a grant giving charity funded by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, to offer charitable organisations the opportunity to apply for 2000 grants of £500. The Magic Little Grants Fund provides charitable organisations the opportunity to access funding to deliver a range of projects which fit one or more of the below funding themes:
  • Improving mental wellbeing
  • Enabling community participation in the arts
  • Preventing or reducing the impact of poverty
  • Supporting marginalised groups and promoting equality
  • Improving biodiversity and green spaces
  • Enabling participation in physical activity
  • Responding to the climate emergency and promoting sustainability
  • Increasing community access to outdoor space
Friends were successful in gaining £500 from local giving. In partnership with the NHS Friends of the Centre for Integrative Care and the Whiteinch Centre, this grant helped us to develop a Mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) online class for beginners.    With the support from the Whiteinch Centre who provided the IT training and support, along with the grant that allowed us to buy the equipment needed, Friends supported 5 individuals to get online and take part in the course.   The preparatory work has taken place and the online class will start on the 13th April 2021@8pm.  Watch this space for further classes and updates.