Taking Control : Mind/Body/Soul

Following Episode 5, 'India's Calling' during which Aline Dobbie, writer, travel writer and photographer describes her childhood in India, we catch up with Aline once more on her return from a recent 6 week trip. Aline has the rare talent of being able to bring words to life and once again, gives us a delightful and vivid description of life in India.

During this episode we take a trip down memory lane with NUJ Accredited Journalist and Photographer, David Corfield. David takes us back to the world of film photography and noisy newsrooms, through his journey with photography and the many famous people he's had the opportunity to interview. We also discuss photography as therapy due to the attention to detail required and of course, chasing the light. David can be contacted at https://www.davidcorfieldcommunications.com/

Heather Nelson was born in 1954 in Malawi, under British Colonial rule and she recalls a happy childhood, though in hindsight realises how different it was in so many ways. Moving to South Africa in the 1970's Heather went on to train as a nurse during the height of apartheid and in this vivid conversation, we hear about the "appalling" laws and segregation which depicted this period of time. Thanks to Heather for sharing a very personal journey.

In this follow-up episode, Samantha-Jane talks about her deep dive into the mind-body connection following a total physical, stress induced breakdown. The Habits of Happiness Programme evolved from Samantha-Jane's learning and practicing of daily gratitude and positive habits. This is now an education programme and Sam runs multiple courses to help others discover the tools which brought her back from the brink.

When women are attempting to be everything to everyone, as this current society dictates as the norm, sometimes the cookie crumbles. In this powerful and insightful episode, Samantha-Jane shares her personal story publicly for the first time. It serves as a wake-up call to women who juggle a busy career, marriage and motherhood in terms of how this can quietly impact the body negatively and result in a drastic health crisis. I'm grateful to Sam for being willing to speak about her experience and all the emotions around it. There is a positive outcome and Sam's empowering story of learning, self healing and what happened next will be revealed in a second episode....

Author, photographer and travel writer Aline Dobbie was born in Bareilly in Uttar Pradesh, India, the last generation of four who had served and worked in India. Her first book, 'The Peacock's Call' is dedicated to her late Father Colonel Frank Rose who served in The Jat Regiment of the Indian Army, and is officially considered a hero of the Indian Army. Aline is ‘a Child of Independence’ – she considers herself truly fortunate to have had the dichotomy of a birth and childhood in India coupled with life in her native Scotland where she and her family live. In November 2006 Aline received The Pride of India Gold Award from the NRI Institute of India in recognition of her writing and promotion of India. In May 2019 Aline was presented with The Art & Culture Award from The India Business Group at the House of Lords for her promotion of goodwill and information between India and the United Kingdom.In this episode of 'Taking Control: Mind/Body/Soul' Aline recollects her happy childhood in India, painting a vivid, heartfelt perspective of a land which clearly captured her heart and the conversation ends with some philosophical reflection across cultures. It's a delight to listen to Aline's musings and a unique insight into her life experiences of India and Scotland.

Do you take your eyesight for granted? Did you know that diabetes is the leading cause of eyesight loss in the working age population? Is excessive screen time damaging the eyes of our young people? As Ophthalmologist, Dr Louise Willins rightly says, we often don't pay attention to our eyes until there's a problem. Louise provides a fascinating and comprehensive insight into her 27 year career and we discuss various medical conditions, some of which can be picked up during a regular eye examination which Louise urges everyone to take advantage of - it's still a free service in Scotland.For more information on Scotland's NHS community eye care services, please copy and paste the following link into your search engine -https://www.nhsinform.scot/care-support-and-rights/nhs-services/eyecare/nhs-community-eyecare/

Craig French is an NHS frontline worker. On top of his work schedule which is demanding and emotionally stressful, Craig faces a daily challenge with food habits and has endured a lifelong battle with his weight. In this very personal and honest account, Craig discusses his 'toxic' relationship with food, including addiction to the wrong types of food and consumption of excessive portions. He delves into his younger years and attempts to find reasons for his habitual behaviour. Over the last while, Craig has made a momentous effort to lose weight and gain fitness and he's winning, though still facing one day at a time.Within the work I do as a Personal Trainer, I'm a Fitness Instructor part-time in a private residential addiction treatment centre - primarily drug and alcohol addiction. Whilst the idea of 'food addiction' remains controversial, I have no doubt Craig's description of his relationship with food reveals addictive behaviour and we explore this in the conversation. I know that many people will identify with Craig's story and I thank him for being brave enough to speak out. I believe that in doing so, and in subsequently helping others, he will empower himself further.