March/April 2011 - West & Central London - Wellbeing Magazine

Published by Haywood Media

March/April 2011

www.wellbeingmagazine.co.uk

Informative l

inspiring

SLEEP Quality over

enlightening

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AYURVEDIC

approach to childhood imbalances

Quantity

HEALING HONEY

Chemotherapy & Arthritis

INTERVIEW:

Our conversation with Dr John Demartini Barefoot Doctor Inspired Entrepreneur Curly Martin

s e i r o t s e f real li

MY BIG LEAP

NUTRITION

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FITNESS

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HEALTH

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TRAVEL

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COMPETITIONS

www.wellbeingmagazine.co.uk

CONTENTS

Wellbeing Magazine HEAD OFFICE

Haywood Media 2 The Hall, Turners Green Road Wadhurst, East Sussex TN5 6TR

Inside this issue...Mar/Apr 2011

Tel: 0800 881 5375

www.haywoodmedia.co.uk

Spring is in the air, at last, so this month we have 3 simple steps to help you detox (page 10). With the launch of the flm Love Eat Pray on DVD we were inspired to speak to three women who share their career and life changing stories with us, we hope this inspires those who are perhaps looking to make a few changes this year. We also see the launch of the new West & Central London edition and Johnathon Martin, the new publisher, spoke to Dr John Demartini about his own thoughts on the subject of wellbeing (page 5).

Enjoy & be inspired Rachel Branson

News

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AYURVEDIC APPROACH Childhood imbalances.........................

5

ANIMAL WELLBEING A cat’s healing purr...........................

LOCAL NEWS News from your area ...

HELLO LONDON Conversation with John Demartini........

Features

DETOX Three simple steps..............................

Hannah Rosalie

East Sussex Publisher

Tel: 01273 475402

hannah@wellbeingmagazine.com

Caroleann Block

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East Kent Publisher

Tel: 01303 241134

caroleann@wellbeingmagazine.com

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Johnathon Martin

West & Central London Publisher

Tel: 020 8987 0137

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8

10

TRAVEL Target Le Touquet-Paris-Plage..........

jam@wellbeingmagazine.com

Richard Branson

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Website richard@wellbeingmagazine.com

Associate Travel Editors

Regulars

Frances Barnes & Nick Hordern

24 & 28 Tried & Tested 12 35 Therapy Rooms

HEALING HONEY Chemotherapy & Arthritis....................

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MY BIG LEAP Real life stories...................................

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Tel: 0800 881 5375

rachel@wellbeingmagazine.com

MAKING SLEEP COUNT Quality over quantity.........................

NUTRITION Good & bad additives...........................

GARDENING Grow your own Parsley.......................

Rachel Branson

Kent Publisher / Editor

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Contributors l

l

l

5

Kate Arnold Pat Crawford Dr Lev G Fedyniak Wendy Rosenfeldt Charlotte Watt l

Whilst every care has been taken to ensure that the data in this publication is accurate, neither the publisher nor its editorial contributors can accept liability to any party loss or damage caused by errors or omissions resulting from negligence, accident or any other cause.

We are unable to check claims made by advertisers are legal and truthful and that all products and services are safe, Wellbeing does not accept any liability in relation to advertisements placed.

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Š Wellbeing Magazine Ltd 2010

Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is strictly prohibited.

Wellbeing 3

LOCAL

NEWS

Wellbeing news from around your area...

Welcome TO WELLBEING MAGAZINE!

HELLO LONDON

A

s I write this short introduction to Wellbeing Magazine (West & Central) London the launch issue is almost complete, just a final proofread & it’s off to the printers. Exciting times.

I was only very recently asked for this contribution & really there are only 3 things I really wish to say.

1) Thank You A huge from the heart ‘thank you’ to everyone whose contributed to this magazine. In particular I thank my friends & family for being. I thank Rachel (the owner of Wellbeing

4 Wellbeing

Magazine) for creating the opportunity & helping so much with this launch edition. A big thank you also goes out to our advertisers & members for their early bird support & faith, the writers who gave us such inspiring, educational & enlightening content & the readers who are open to getting well & improving lives. I also thank the practitioners &

of what’s on & in between the lines you will grow & heal. As you do so, without any effort those around you will grow & heal too.

And so it goes. The world needs a more ‘wellbeing’ perspective. If not now, when? If not you, who?

You can support Wellbeing Magazine London further by responding to adverts within the magazine,

businesses I had the great pleasure of reviewing for the Tried & Tested pages.

placing an advert or becoming a member, visiting our website wellbeingmagazine.co.uk attending one of our future events (staring in the summer) or distributing

2) Please get involved - the world needs you!

If you read this magazine & absorb some

Here Here

A unique softening is available Here.

Performance of an asana is An opening to the truth A tribute Allow the space There is no space between asanas There is just space There is no coming and going There is no getting into and getting out of a position There is this position The space is Here The space is available where One is.

That is Here.

Catherine Foroughi cyoga.co.uk

copies of the magazine for free to your clients, friends & visitors. Please call 020 8987 0137 or email jam@ wellbeingmagazine.com to discuss further.

3) Our overall message Buddha said the way to happiness was to purify your mind & help others. Swami Viushnudevananda said ‘health is wealth’ & Krishna said The Way was to keep your focus on the Oneness.

Spiritual Masters all seem to agree that the eye of the needle is in Love, Awareness & Now. Our greatest hope is to play a small part in your journey back to a well, abundant, authentic & great YOU. I hope you enjoy the magazine.

OM NAMAH SHIVAYA. With LOVE.

Johnathon

facebook.com/ johnathon.martin twitter.com/wbmaglondon

Wellbeing news

OUR CONVERSATION WITH

Dr John Demartini

Words: Johnathon Martin chat and find out his views on the subject of ‘wellbeing’

For the launch issue of Wellbeing Magazine London we wanted to bring you a big name.

We wanted someone loved & respected by millions. We wanted to give you a star! So imagine our delight when Johnathon Martin, our new Publisher of the West & Central London edition caught up with Dr John Demartini.

D

r John Demartini has written 40 books, talked in over 60 countries to millions of people and is possibly one of the world’s biggest names in personal development & human behaviour.

He travels and talks consistently around the world so a few days before our editorial deadline we were lucky enough to pin him down for a

Q: What is your understanding of the word ‘wellbeing’?

I love the word wellbeing. I prefer it to the more common concept of health. It represents WE, not I, WE‘llbeing, not I’llbeing. It represents wholeness, balance & action, not part-ness or reaction. When we place others high up above us or low down below us they are not where they belong, which is equally centred and whole in our hearts, where the seer, the seeing and the seen are all one.

Q: Do you have any specific advice for the modern day, city living person?

It’s not so much what happens to you that matters as it is your perception of it. It’s perception that counts.

How you see things.

The quality of your life is based upon to the quality of the questions you ask.

“How is whatever is happening in my life serving me? How can I relate to what’s going on around me in a way that I can live the best life possible?”

Stress comes from being unable to adapt to your ever changing environment & when you begin expecting only one-sidedness from life – ups not downs, highs not lows, light not dark, happy not sad. In reality - life contains both sides.

Everything is in balance & meets in the middle, which is LOVE. The wise one’s know there’s always a balance of trade offs.

It’s a question of working heartfully with gratitude with what you have & where you are.

Q: What changes have you noticed recently in people’s attitude towards wellbeing?

In the last decade people have started to take a lot more accountability for their own fulfilment, health & wellbeing.

More people have

awoken to the fact that to a large degree we are masters of our own health & wellbeing.

People have become more self-reliant and less dependent on the magical or not-somagical little yellow pill.

Q: Do you have any specific message for the London Wellbeing Community?

London strikes a great balance in between the extremes of gullibility & scepticism. In some parts of the world if someone tells people to eat a berry most will blindly eat it. Not so in London. Londoners have a strong selfimage & check things for themselves. If something passes their personal checks & is proven to have merit then and sometimes only then will a Londoner adopt it. This is essential for wellbeing.

To find out more about Dr John Demartini please visit www.drdemartini.com For Dr John Demartini & other leading events in London please visit www.olmaya.com

Wellbeing 5

LOCAL

NEWS EXERCISE YOUR INNER CHILD words Marc Faupel

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new fitness studio in fashionable Belgravia takes exercise back to being a child again. Out with barbells and machines, in with bars to hang, swing and stretch from.

The Studio’s creator and personal trainer Marc Faupel believes we can benefit greatly from taking a more varied and creative approach to exercise – an approach that includes mimicking the natural movements we see in our children and, many people have suggested – our ancient ancestors.

The new Studio is based within the oasis of calm that is the Light Centre – a well established and popular wellness centre located between Victoria and Sloane Square. With 60 classes of yoga, pilates and qiqong and 30 different therapists the Light Centre provides a one-stop-shop for workers and residents in the area who want to look, feel and move better. The Natural Fitness Studio has been designed to compliment the other services and provide a dedicated room towards Natural fitness and strength conditioning - in a way that doesn’t simply “de-train” it’s users by limiting types of movement to those typically found in a gym.

For information please contact the Light Centre on 0207 8810728 www.lightcentrebelgravia.co.uk

READERS’ OFFER: First 10 readers to call and mention the article can receive 50% off all classes and personal training in the month of April 2011

For the full articles. additional information and up to date news stories visit our website wellbeingmagazine.co.uk/magazine/edition/west-london

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THE URBAN SANCTUARY Finding Calm Amidst the Chaos

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n a time where yoga has become a global trend and studios are popping up like popcorn all over town, what makes one yoga studio differ from the next? What is the difference between any two things really?

Energy. It is an energy, a feeling, an atmosphere that is unique unto its own.

The product may be the same but the character and environment we walk into should have its own flavor. This is evolve, a yoga wellness centre that just makes you feel good the moment you step through the door.

Situated on a quiet mews off the Old Brompton road in the heart of South Kensington, evolve’s location already takes you off the map of busy London streets and offers you the opportunity to exhale and relax. Stepping through the door into the open-spaced reception, the feeling is like being greeted with a warm hug.

You are instantly comforted, calmed and know

words Corinne Blum that this is a place where you can come and be nurtured. Warm, friendly smiles meet you from the staff behind the desk, which is illuminated by the glow of candles and the inviting light that permeates the room. It is quiet, it is tranquil, it is a true oasis and you have only just stepped through the door.

If you have a yoga practice, or even if you are completely new to it, evolve presents a welcoming atmosphere to learn and build the practice.

For those new to yoga, check out evolve’s unique programme called Yoga For You where a private instructor will offer you guidance on classes and styles that best suit your skill level and accommodate any injuries you might have. evolve is also a leading resource for fertility, Grinberg Method and Yoga Therapy in London. evolve wellness centre 10 Kendrick Mews, London SW7 3HG. 020 7581 4090. evolvewellnesscentre.com.

A TASTE OF L.A. THE REAL DETOX

Wellbeing news

H

ome juicing has become an important component in many peoples’ diets. But most domestic centrifugal juicers leave a large proportion of the fruit and vegetables’ essential enzymes and nutrients in the pulp.

While living in LA, Natasha Clancy, the former face of Oil of Olay, noticed a significant increase in her energy levels, improved skin complexion and general well being when time constraints forced her to stop home juicing and started to use some of the many juice bars all over LA. ‘The difference was in the machine,’ says Natasha.

‘All the good juice bars were hydraulically pressing the fruit and vegetables so my body was getting flooded with a far more concentrated dose of vitamins, enzymes and nutrients.’

A modern cooked diet, no matter how healthy, can lose much of it’s nutritional value when heated over 50 degrees or pasteurized for supermarket distribution. Sugars, wheat and protein can leave the digestive system overworked and even fresh organic vegetables

lose a significant percentage of their nutritional value when cooked.

The shop bought fresh juices are all pasteurized and much of what the original juice contained is destroyed too.

Natasha has imported a hydraulic press and devised a series of detox programs based around her experience in LA. One, three, or five day courses are delivered to your work or home address A five day detox course will Spring clean the body, replacing much needed vitamins and enzymes and on average lose you a pound of weight per day.

‘You’ll feel much more energized, clearer-skinned and generally more healthy in a matter of days,’ says Natasha.

‘It’s more of a liquid feast than a juice fast. Putting down the coffee cup and staying off the alcohol.

Children’s Creative Wellbeing

Ask your child to draw “What Wellbeing means to you’ and we’ll send a goody bag to those whose pictures we publish.

The feature will appear in the September/October edition of Wellbeing Magazine London Please post all artwork along with the your postal address, email, childs name and age to Wellbeing Magazine London, 409, 560 Chiswick High Road, Chiswick London W4 5RR. Closing Date: 31st July 2011.

Pictures will not be returned unless a self addressed envelope is enclosed

Natasha Clancy www.rawtodoor.com

Wellbeing 7

COLOUR Kate Arnold

C

This month Wellbeing’s Nutritional Therapist, Kate Arnold discusses good and bad colour in food.

olour and the appeal of various foods is closely related. Just the sight of food stimulates neurons in the hypothalamus. In trials, people presented with food to eat in the dark reported an important missing element for enjoying their meal: the actual sight of the food. For the sighted, the eyes are the first place that must be convinced before a food is even tried. This means that some food products fail in the marketplace not because of bad taste, texture or smell but because the consumer never got that far. Think how picky we have become with regard to the shape, colour and texture of our food and if any of you saw The Great British Waste Menu, on BBC1 a couple of weeks ago, what happens to so much of our food is that its just dumped because it does not fit into what we find acceptable.

The sight and smell of food is vital to our digestion. We need the salivary glands to start working and good digestion starts with the eyes and the taste buds. Bland food is

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traditionally the food for people who are recovering from illness. Whilst visiting someone is hospital recently, the bland food epidemic so common in institutions was at the forefront of my mind. White macaroni cheese on a white plate followed by white ice cream in a white container failed to get my taste buds going. Not an ounce of colour anywhere and hardly appealing to the eye.

There are three main classes of colour in foods: natural colours, browning colours, which are produced during cooking and processing, and additives. The principal natural colours, most of which, in refined form, are used as additives, are the green pigment chlorophyll, the carotenoids, which give yellow to red colours, and the flavonoids, with their principal subclass the anthocyanins, which give flowers and fruits their red to blue colours.

There has been much interest in carotenoids in recent years especially in beta carotene - besides being a natural orange pigment (in carrots, mango etc) it is converted in the body to vitamin A and has antioxidant powers and may be beneficial in reducing the risk of some cancers.

Food additives Increasingly, food additive colours are based on anthocyanins derived from sources such as red grapes or beet but the first additive colours were the synthetic dyes. When synthetic dyes were discovered (mauve was the first, discovered in 1856 by the English chemist William Perkin) they were initially used in textiles, but by 1900 eighty chemical dyes were used in food in the USA. Chemical dyes have stronger colours than natural colouring agents such as cochineal. Many of these dyes were originally derived from coal-tar, and were commonly called ‘coal-tar dyes’. The term is still sometimes used although the dyes are no longer made from this source.

Chemically, the dyes are azo dyes, that is they contain the azo group, which confers bright colours which vary in hue depending on the rest of the molecule.

In 1937 the dye butter yellow (dimethylazobenzene) was found to cause cancer in rats. The other azo dyes became suspects and one by one they have been weeded out of the list of acceptable additives.

Today a limited range of azo dyes are still used. Several years ago, the makers of M&M’s which contain

KATE’S GUIDE TO GOOD AND BAD ADDITIVES a variety of different coloured chocolate sweets, added blue to its pack. Apparently, the result of a vote

by M&M fans. It does raise a few questions as of all the colours in the spectrum, blue is actually an appetite suppressant. Weight loss plans suggest putting your food on a blue plate. Or even better than that, put a blue light in your refrigerator and watch your munchies disappear!

Colour in foods can be seen mostly in fruit, vegetables, salad and herbs and as we are all meant to be eating five portions every day, we could be eating a rainbow of different colours on a daily basis. Colour is of course added to foods, and only as recently as ten years ago, buying a strawberry yoghurt still meant buying a pink yoghurt that had never really seen a strawberry but was full of colouring. We have come a long way now and most shoppers are savvy to the horrors of brightly coloured foods. I think its still pretty obvious if there is an artificial dye in a food, as it will look unnatural but still check the label. You can get wonderful natural colours like turmeric, saffron etc. Purified raspberries, blueberries or strawberries give terrific colours.

Even peas made into soup have a fantastic natural colour. Colour is also so important in children’s diet as it is hard enough getting the five portions of fruit and vegetables into their daily diet. Colour (natural not added!) can really help-children as we know love bright colours.

Kate Arnold 01323 737814 www.katearnoldnutrition.co.uk

Colours (E100 -E180) Good Riboflavin E101 Carotene E160 Bad Tartrazine E102 Coal or azo dyes E104-142 Caramel E150 Coal tar dyes E151-155 Aluminiun E173 Silver E174

Coloured foods and their health benefits

Green e.g’s artichoke, asparagus, beans, broccoli, celery, leeks, peas, pepper, sprouts, courgette, marrow, kale, spinach, spring greens. Benefits: phytochemicals inc lutein. Good for detoxing.

Preservatives (E200-290)

Red, purple and orange

Bad Sorbates E200-E203 Benzoates E210-E219 Sulpur-Sulphites E220-E227 Misc E230-E249 Nitrates E250-E252 Diacetate E262 Propionates E281-E283 Carbon dioxide E290 Good - there are very few good preservatives!

e.g’s beets, carrots, aubergine, pumpkin, squash, red cabbage, red peppers, sweet potato, tomato, yam, noni, pomegranates.

Benefits: high in lycopenes. May help decrease risk of prostate cancer.

Antioxidants (E300-E321) Good Ascorbates E300-E304 Tocopherols E306-E309 Bad Gallates E310-E312 BRA E320 BHT E321

Emulsifiers, stabiliser and others (E322-E925) Good Lecithin E322 Nicotinic acid E375 Pectin E440 Bad EDTA E385 Carrageenan E407 Sulphuric acid E513 Potassium hudronxideE525 Sodium ferrocynadeie phosphate E535 Sodium injositate E631 Monosodium glutamate E621 Chlorine E925

Leafy green e.g’s Bok choi, cabbage, chicory, chives, endive, kale, lettuce, parsley, spinach, swiss chard, watercress.

Benefits: good levels of magnesium and excellent for cultivating prebiotic activity in the gut.

Blue/Purple e.g’s bilberry, blueberry, elderberry Benefits: high in anythocyanins.

Good for the heart, improve circulation and prevent blood clots.

White/Green e.g’s garlic, onions, leeks, celery.

Benefits: high in allicin which is anti-viral, anti-fungal and antibacterial. Celery contains organic sodium which keeps fluids in joints healthy.

Orange e.g’s squash, pumpkin, carrots.

Benefits: rich in beta carotene - a by product of vitamin A which aids cell growth.

Wellbeing 9

3 SIMPLE STEPS TO x o t e d Words Dr Sarah Brewer

Most people would benefit from a Detox after the Winter months. As well as helping you lose any weight you gained, it also helps to support your body’s own elimination systems after a period of excess.

Detox is especially helpful for those who feel stressed, run down, tired all the time or have a tendency towards recurrent infections, headaches, poor concentration or digestive discomfort.

Detox can involve fasting and colonic irrigation, however it should also include a pleasurable routine in which you adopt a healthier diet and lifestyle that can continue long-term.

This means mainly eating fresh or dried fruit, raw or lightly-steamed vegetables, home-made juices, smoothies and soups. For protein, eat more pulses such as soy beans, chickpeas and lentils. If you want to eat meat, select fish and lean (skinned) chicken. Wholegrains such as oatmeal and brown rice provide fibre and energy. I usually add cottage cheese to my list of detox essentials (delicious with chopped pear and flaked almonds) along with probiotic yoghurts and drinks. These help to repopulate the bowel with bacteria that aid digestive health and play a role in boosting immunity. The yoghurt drink, Actimel, for example, contains the probiotic Lactobacillus casei which has been shown to

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boost cellular immunity in young, healthy women as well as middleaged adults.

You can eat as much or as little of these foods as you like, and do not necessarily have to lose weight if you are within the healthy weight range for your height. Ideally, fruit, vegetables and meats should be organic and locally grown or reared so they are as fresh as possible.

What you don’t eat is just as important as what you do. Avoid caffeine, added salt (sodium chloride), artificial sweeteners and alcohol. If you have previously consumed more than three caffeinated drinks per day, cut back gradually a week or two before starting a Detox so you do not experience caffeine withdrawal symptoms of headache, jitteriness and irritability.

For fluids, drink water (usually mineral or filtered) and noncaffeinated herbal teas such as mint, camomile or rooibos. While following a detox, it helps to take a daily probiotic to boost immunity and digestive health.

Other popular supplements to support a classic Detox include antioxidants, supplements to support liver function (eg milk thistle, globe artichoke) and supplements to aid digestion (eg psyllium, Aloe vera).

3 Simple Steps to Detox Step 1:

Select a wholefood diet supplying fresh fruit, vegetables, pulses, wholegrains and lean protein sources.

Step 2:

Drink water, juices, smoothies and herbal teas.

Step 3:

Take supporting supplements such as probiotics, antioxidants, milk thistle and globe artichoke.

A classic detox is traditionally followed for ten days before adding in other foods you enjoy. To maintain the benefits long-term, continue to eat a diet that is as healthy and balanced as possible. In particular, continuing with a daily probiotic such as Actimel helps to provide an on-going immune boost.

Dr Sarah Brewer, is a medical nutritionist and author of The Total Detox Plan (Carlton Books)

r o t c o D t Barefoo

TRANSPERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Hello, my name’s the Barefoot Doctor, or rather that’s my job title, my name’s Stephen and today, in honour of this maiden London edition of Wellbeing Magazine, I’m here to write about personal development for you, or rather what I’m calling transpersonal development.

You see, we’ve reached a stage in the human story when all this fine work many of us have done in shedding off the yoke of conformity to outmoded ideals and beliefs and finding our true inner selves instead, has led to something even more important: finding out who we all really are on a collective basis and developing that to instigate the next phase of human evolution.

From the ancient mystics to our modern quantum physicists, it’s been

posited that the entire universe is but the physical manifestation of one single unified consciousness, and hence that who we all are, are a myriad of different expressions of the same consciousness, or what Carl Jung, one of the forefathers of modern psychotherapy called the collective unconscious.

So though it’s crucial to get real with yourself first, whether you do it through yoga, tai chi, meditation, psychotherapy, or (even) more esoteric methods, if you don’t then transcend from the personal to the transpersonal level, if you don’t then use the newfound power generated to transform the collective unconscious into the collective conscious and thereby ameliorate conditions for everyone and everything involved here in this experiment called Life-onEarth, you’re essentially wasting your time. Any Buddha will tell you that.

Personal development is merely the bridge between the unenlightened state and the enlightened state. Once you arrive at enlightenment, you have to step off the bridge

and focus on collective evolution instead.

Otherwise it’s like painting a masterpiece the public never sees, or creating a symphony the public never hears. Pointless.

And though we’ve somehow learned in error along the way to be selfish, thinking mistakenly that will bring us the happiness and satisfaction we each crave, ironically by learning instead to focus on promoting collective evolution, promoting the greater good, true happiness is found.

Think back to a time you were facilitating the joy and happiness of those around you and you’ll remember it as being one of the more profoundly happy times of your life.

So my message here is simple: do what you do everyday to stay centred and empowered, do your meditation, your tai chi, whatever you do, but do it with the intention of contributing to the evolution of the species.

Just having the intention to contribute is enough.

And the beauty is, you’ll instantly feel bigger, your life replete with more meaning.

That’s my view and tip for this issue and I hope you’ve found it both edifying and heart-warming. With all these things, partly it’s the information shared but mostly it’s the love transmitted in the spaces between the words and even the cracks between the letters that counts.

Meanwhile if you do fancy getting dropped a small dose of daily wisdom like this, as soon as you get online go to www. barefootdoctorworld.com/ docbox/1/.

Barefoot Doctor is one of the original leading lights in the world of human potential, is author of 14 books including classic, HANDBOOK FOR THE URBAN WARRIOR, producer of innovative consciousnessaltering electronic music (go to www. movinsounds.com) and all-round superdooper guy, who looks forwards to seeing you again in the next issue – tell all your friends.

Wellbeing 11

GET INSPIRED

y e l s r pa

GROW TO IMPROVE YOUR WELLBEING

F

orget laurel to crown the victor – the ancient Greeks crowned winners of major sporting events with parsley wreaths!

Petroselinum has been used in herbal medicine for thousands of years. Hippocrates, regarded as one of the founding fathers of medicine - and his followers and students - made prolific use of both the curly and flat-leaved varieties.

Today many of the attributes attached to parsley centuries’ ago have been scientifically proven.

We know, for example, that it is especially rich in vitamins A and C and a range of minerals. During the Middle Ages, great use was made of parsley to ‘fix teeth’. Not as way out as it sounds because scurvy, caused by a deficiency if vitamin C, resulted in the gums becoming spongy - thus teeth either became loose or fell out. Around the same period, parsley was also prescribed for

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‘brightening dim eyes’ – and today we know that eyesight can be affected by a shortage of vitamin A! The benefits our Medieval forefathers perceived are still accepted and today we also use parsley as a diuretic and treatment for kidney stones. During the Middle Ages, the curly variety was sometimes used as a table decoration because it was said to absorb ‘unpleasant food odours’ – which is interesting because it is now recognised as a natural breath sweetener! Among many other modern claims, parsley is said to have beneficial effects on the digestive and circulatory systems and to help in cases of rheumatism and gout.

The culinary uses of parsley are multiple! In fact, it is the most widely used of all herbs. We associate it as a garnish - sadly this use is sometimes abused in not-very-good restaurants

that adorn inferior food with limp leaves of parsley! Deep fried, the curly variety is delicious as an accompaniment for meat and fish dishes. Traditional parsley sauce is especially good with fish – but it is also delicious served with ham and goes well with broad beans too. The addition of parsley benefits almost any type of soup, casserole or stew – it is an essential ingredient in a bouquet garni and also good in a sachet d’epice. Chopped, it adds piquancy to potato salad and other cold dishes. It is almost impossible to go wrong!

Pots of parsley – both the curly and flat-leaved varieties - can be bought at nurseries and garden centres and it is also sold ready-toharvest/use at farmers’ markets and in the supermarkets – but nothing can compare with growyour-own. Parsley grows well in this country – with one or two provisos. It needs warmth in order

Image courtesy of Suttons Seeds

Words Pat Crawford, for Hadlow College

to germinate – and even then, is slow - and unlike many herbs, parsley likes a fairly rich soil.

It’s a good idea to start the seeds off on a windowsill that catches the sun. Because some seeds may fail to germinate, sow a few extra ones. Use 4inch pots filled with a rich compost mix. Some aficionadas advocate soaking the seeds in warm water before sowing – 3 or 4 to a pot. Place the pots in a warm, light position.

Once the seedlings are about an inch tall, they can be transplanted. Harden the plants off and move to sunny locations outdoors - and a pot placed conveniently near the kitchen door will make it easy to harvest!

Both types of parsley have attractive leaves and can make charming surrounds to herb gardens or flower beds. They also do well in pots and tubs – but parsley needs more water and feeding than most herbs and so pots will need regular attention.

HADLOW, graded ‘Outstanding’ and one of the UK’s premier colleges, offers Degree, Further Education and Recreational courses in various branches of Horticulture including Medicinal and Garden Design. Telephone: 0500 551434 for information and advice.

Hadlow offers a wide range of career and recreational courses in Medicinal Horticulture. Telephone: 0500 551434

Wellbeing 13

HEALING HONEY Few people are aware of the vast importance of the honeybee to our everyday lives. While most think of honey, it is estimated that thirtythree percent of everything that reaches the table owes a debt to the honeybee. Over 90 fruits and vegetables including apples, melons, nut crops, cherries, berries, avocados plus alfalfa and clover seed for cattle feed are dependent upon honeybee pollination. As well as the importance of pollination, honey and other bees products have been linked to an amazing array of health benefits.

CHEMOTHERAPY PATIENTS

ARTHRITIS & JOINT PAIN

BOOSTING YOUR HEALTH

Patients experiencing the side effects of chemotherapy have been given hope in the form of a unique food supplement called LifeMel. Developed with over 30 years of research, LifeMel, made by honeybees, is proven in a number of cases to boost immunity before, during and after chemotherapy.

A low white blood cell count or Neutropenia, a common side effect of chemotherapy, is a blood disorder that diminishes the number of infection-fighting cells which destroy bacteria in the body, leaving sufferers open to developing illnesses and facing the potentially life-threatening situation where they are no longer well enough to carry on with the treatment needed to fight their cancer.

LifeMel is 100% natural and has been shown in a significant percentage of people to improve low white blood cell count. It is produced by honeybees in Israel, which are fed on a specific diet including selected herbs such as Siberian ginseng, echinacea and calendula.

LifeMel costs £37.50 and is available through pharmacies and health shops nationwide. www.lifemel.co.uk

When Bill Flynn’s daughter developed an arthritic hip, he turned to his beehives for inspiration.

He treated her condition with the reddish-brown scraps he collected from inside the hives, which emerged as an extraordinary means of curbing the pain of stiff joints. This chance discovery has earned Bill and his bees the thanks of thousands of people. This remarkable remedy is called Propolis - a sticky, antiseptic resin used by bees to seal and clean the inside of their hives.

Honey has long been known for its ability to destroy infectious bacteria.

It has been recognized that Manuka Honey from New Zealand contains additional antibacterial properties not found in other types of honey, making it even more effective in treating infection. It also has more vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants than ordinary honey.

Manuka Honey’s main claim to fame has always been wound care and treating even the hardest to heal infections such as MRSA and other antibiotic-resistant conditions.

However, it’s important to know that Manuka Honey can also be used to treat other infections throughout the body.

For more research and information visit www.lifemel.com

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l Every dot of propolis is different because it is gathered by many bees from many plants in all sorts of places on different days. l Many beekeepers suck a small piece to soothe sore throats, mouth ulcers and coughs. l Propolis was highly prized by “The Father of Medicine” Hypocrates. l In recent medical trials, scientists have found propolis to have amazing properties: anti-inflammatory, anti-fungal, anti-bacterial, antibiotic properties and it actually boosts our immune system.

Flynns Bee Farms, Minster-on-Sea, Sheerness, Kent ME12 3SS flynnsbeefarm.co.uk 01795 874935

When taken orally, Manuka Honey is effective in treating conditions such as stomach aches, stomach ulcers, sore throats, strep throat, acid reflux disease, gastritis, heartburn, irritable bowl syndrome, etc. When mixed with water, Manuka Honey can be used to flush out the nasal passage way in order to heal sinus infections and/or ear infections.

For more information on the benefits and research of Manuka Honey visit www.benefitofmanukahoney.com

Wellbeing mindfulness

MINDFULNESS slowing down and being present Words Daniel Yokan Miracapillo

How do we practise the letting go of the incessant, vortex-like, disturbing ripples of the mind, chief cause of physical and mental suffering?

Mindfulness is the path.

Slowing down, being present: re-discovering how to abide in the fullness of the present moment through mindful, yet playful attention to movement and stillness in our practice. The path is not different from the goal: the cessation of the disturbances of the mind is attained by being present to their arising and passing away, fully and wakefully participating in the wondrous process of living - experiencing the taste of peace amidst change and impermanence.

Mindfulness (sati in Pali language, smrti in

Sanskrit) is a manifold practice, rooted in the process of being present with all our senses (including the mind) to the arising and passing away of phenomena. In our yoga practice – asana (body postures, gestures and movements) pranayama (breathing) and meditation - mindfulness is a great deal more that just ‘present moment awareness’, as the term sati encompasses a wealth of meanings: whole-hearted vigilance and clarity (purposeful and compassionate) heedful and disinterested observation (steering clear of the Scylla of attachment and Charybdis of aversion) full awareness of the ‘here and now’ as a process (not as a ‘thing’) clear recollection

(continuous remembering of our intention) bare attention (neutral and non-judgemental) seeing things as they are (not as we wish them to be) fully sensing what actually happens (rather than imagining what might be going on) Mindfulness is therefore akin to wisdom: an alert, spacious, receptive yet discerning presence of mind - the process of directly living in the present moment with vigilance and clarity (rather than scattered distractedness), which opens space and time for joy, appreciation, contentment, healing and above all - gratitude.

Mindfulness practice embraces interconnected functions as it: protects the mind/heart (citta in Pali/Sanskrit), thus enhancing heartfelt, serene and inspiring faith; guards strongly, like a sentinel, the mind/heart from intruders, choosing what to allow in and how to act (ethical function), allowing time and space, instead of reacting or denying; strengthens focused, onepointed concentration and unification

opens to discernment and wisdom, bearing in mind the big picture: freedom In traditional Buddhist texts, the process of ‘presencing’ mindfulness can be applied to four main contexts: body (including the breath), feelings, mind-states and factors of reality. In our yoga practice, we may simply start with the body and the breathing, cultivating mindfulness during asana practice, sensing the interplay between movement and stillness as we journey in and through the poses.

We may then experience the possibility of letting go of the incessant disturbances of the mind, allowing the ripples to settle - serenely absorbed in the gestures and the stillness of the body.

Daniel teaches at the London Buddhist Vihara in Chiswick on Mondays, 7-8.15pm.

For more information email danielyokan@ gmail.com

Wellbeing 15

MY BIG

leap

The Stylist

When Lizzie Edwards found herself with low self esteem, an eating disorder and no direction, she decided to spend her last £1000 on a career coach. This turned out to be the best decision she could have made as she now owns a business as a Personal Style & Wardrobe Consultant, We talk to Lizzie about the circumstances leading up to that decision and her plans for the future.

At 33 I didn’t have a career and didn’t know what I wanted to do. I used to be a model and then went to university out of frustration and wanting to use my mind. Over the years I had worked in commercial media, garden design, florestry and finally found myself working in a health food shop. I felt that I needed to take a risk but knew I needed help as I was in a spiral of despair and in this horrible ‘ Hell Hole’.

It took a huge leap of faith to spend my last £1000 inheritance on a career coach but Suzy Greaves seemed like the right choice for me.

She helped me tackle my fear of what to do with my life and during the next few months supported by telephone coaching and lots of exercises, like having to ask my

16 Wellbeing

friends and family to tell me what they thought about me, I slowly started to improve my low self esteem and overcome my eating disorder and depression. The idea for my new business came quite quickly and the whole process seemed to move really fast. I enjoyed shopping and having had an eating disorder knew how some people felt about buying clothes and knew I could do something to help people.

At the beginning it was hard work and in business you get peaks and troughs. Sometimes I would ask myself “who do you think you are to run be able to run this business? The first time shopping with someone terrified me. Then shopping with my first paying client. Although I had done the same things quite a few times with guinea pigs and friends, it felt much more scary as I really had to be good and deliver! The fear soon disappeared the minute we got shopping.

All these things are normal now that they are a real example to me of how things are always more scary in your head than in reality, and the only way is to face the fear and do it! I also trained and invested

when I could to make sure I had the right credentials which gave the confidence to run my business.

My mentor was Brenda Kinsel, an American stylist, I bought her book and then sent her an email.

The timing was great as she was just about to do a conference so I signed up and joined the Association of Image Consultants. I still regularly attend conferences as running a business can be quite lonely so it is good to have people around who are happy to share their time and advice.

Life is too short to just tick over, I took a risk but I really didn’t have anything to lose. I am now looking to the future and have plans to develop my work in the corporate world. Of course, I have my off days like anyone else - it is steep learning curve, and I have to keep facing things I think I can’t do. With Suzy’s help I have proved to myself time and again that I can do anything – it’s just up to me to believe it, and achieve it! I could never have done it without her. www.babetstyle.co.uk The Big Leap www.thebig-leap.com

The Author

When Keris Stainton wanted change, but no matter what she did or how she felt, she always seemed to end up back in what was basically the same job, just in a different company, she decided to contact life coach Suzy Greaves and has now become a published author.

I was happily married with a gorgeous young baby, and my husband and I had finally managed to buy our own home, but I hated my job and was frustrated that I’d never managed to get a writing career off the ground. (I’d started writing a novel around ten years earlier, but hadn’t been able to finish it.) Mostly I was disappointed with myself.

One morning before work, I was reading Paul McKenna’s book Change Your Life in Seven Days and, just a few pages in, found an allegory that began ‘Imagine you woke up one day in a land populated almost entirely by giants.’ It went on: ‘Do as you are told. It’s easier to get along if you go along. Don’t cry. Don’t fight.

Study hard. Get a job. Do as you are told. Get married. Have children to support you in your old age. Do as you are told.’ Which is exactly what I’d always done. I’d been the good girl. I’d been conscientious. I’d studied and worked hard thinking

that eventually I would be rewarded, but instead I’d just been taken for granted. I got to the end of the story: ‘And then one day you wake up, and there is a tiny little creature staring up

Sometimes freelance work was a struggle. At one point, I had to go and temp for a couple of weeks, which felt like a huge failure. As it turned out, I hated it so much that I

at you. She has awakened in a land of giants. And because you love her, you begin to teach her everything you’ve learned about how to survive in this land of giants. And so, the cycle continues ...’ And I started to cry. I had my own tiny little creature - who was, at that moment, being taken care of by someone else - and I didn’t want him to grow up with a mother who was disappointed in her life and too afraid to follow her dreams.

I realised that simply reading selfhelp hadn’t been enough - I needed more direct assistance. I contacted life coach Suzy Greaves, who quickly helped me realise that, rather than being afraid of failure as I’d always assumed, I was actually afraid of success. I was also pinning all my hopes on having a novel published, which, should it ever happen, still might not necessarily mean I could give up my job. With Suzy’s advice and support, I remembered my teenage dream of being a journalist and, fairly quickly, got a commission from a national glossy magazine. I was worried that it was a fluke, but I also wondered if it could be the start of something. I started pitching to magazines and sold another article straight away. The payment for each article had been more than my month’s wages (I was working three days a week) and so, after discussing it with my husband, handed in my notice.

spent my evenings pitching with a vengeance and haven’t had to temp since. Getting an agent and then a book deal - for two teen novels - was a big boost too. The first book - Della Says: OMG! - came out in May 2010 and the next book - Jessie *hearts* NYC - is out in 2011.

What kept me going (and continues to keep me going) is being a good influence for my boys (I’ve since had another son, Joe). I want them to know that it is possible to do what you love in life and be good and successful at it.

It may not feel like it at the moment - it didn’t to me back then - but you are in control. Find what you love to do and then take steps to make it happen. They don’t even need to be big steps; tiny steps will get you there too and they’ll stop you feeling quite so trapped in the meantime.

I do credit the self-help author Martha Beck with giving me the tools to stick with doing what I love, even when it’s hard and of course Elizabeth Gilbert in her novel Eat Pray Love.

My next goal is to earn a full-time wage from writing fiction. I still do some freelance journalism now, but I’d like to wind that down completely and concentrate on novels. As for the steps I’m taking to achieve that... it mainly involves writing 1000 words a day. Every day. www.keris-stainton.com The Big Leap www.thebig-leap.com

Wellbeing 17

Wellbeing mybigleap

The Diver

When Polly Wood finally left her stressful job working for an IBM business partner, feeling unhealthy, both mentally and physically, little did she know that seven years later she would be running a successful dive conservation business and living in Belize with her new husband Roland.

I took a sabbatical from work, went travelling for over a year in which time I also worked as a PADI Diving Instructor in Fiji, which I loved! I then went back to the same job, but after another year or so, I decided that I wanted to make a long term change. I wanted to dive but at the same time help put something back into the environment. So, I came up with the concept of ReefCI where non scientists can come on trips, we train them to dive and/or the simple research methodologies and they help sustain us financially by assisting with the collection of the much needed data from the marine environment. Oh, and at the same time, they stay on a beautiful coral island in the Caribbean and have a great holiday.

Initially the whole process of starting up an organization, agreeing

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on a concept, forming a website and then having the conviction and courage to actually leave my secure well paid job was very much outside my comfort zone! I moved to a country that was so totally different from my home country, I had to learn to live without the usual home comforts (for the first couple of years we constantly had water and electric outages!) Dealing with locals, legal issues‌‌.equipment breaking and having no money to get them fixed!

The list was endless but how I dealt with it was to always stop, breath and then think about what I was going to do and then form a plan of action to deal with it. And never forget why you are doing it in the first place!

There were lots of times that I felt like giving it up, especially during the initial 5 years. In the early days I told myself that I would give it 5 years and in that time I would work as hard as I could and not give up. Then by the end of the 5 year period everything started to get easier, I got a business partner, Jo who concentrates on the marketing and bookings and shares the load.

Locally I gradually got accepted as part of a small town community, this

was mainly by not fighting adversity and continuing to support the local community, for example we run a sponsorship program that helps local underprivileged people to become PADI Dive Masters. And luckily during the years the extreme lows are usually accompanied by extreme highs, like swimming with Whale Sharks or witnessing a turtle nest hatch. And I never ever get complacent about how lucky I am to live and experience amazing things in such a beautiful country.

My husband Roland, my business partner Jo and my family, who were also supportive even though they thought I was crazy at the beginning, are my mentors and support. My husband and I worked together for 5 years before we got together, so we began our relationship as good friends and he has seen me go through all of the tough times. He is the most honest person I know.

I cannot imagine how I managed without the support and personal friendship of Jo and my family in England, who I speak to every weekend, especially my twin sister and my father and stepmother who run Woods restaurant in Tunbridge Wells and give me both business and personal advice and my Mother who is so standard driven with everything that she does.

My husband and I have just bought a new boat in which we are setting up a sustainable deep water fishing business. ReefCI is going from strength to strength, I am now enjoying it, my main goal is to keep on sustaining what we are doing and not to forget to be standard driven. www.reefci.com

TOUGH TIMES

can this be an opportunity to raise your sites?

Y

ou hardly need me to tell you that the world of work is changing. Most people find it scary. When your income is threatened, job opportunities seem to be shrinking and layoffs increase, it is easy to feed our fear. Our choices seemed limited. We can feel powerless.

But it can also be an opportunity to pause. Many people are losing jobs which in their heart they never really wanted anyway, they don’t particularly enjoy, working with people they don’t always get on with, doing work that isn’t massively meaningful to them.

As old ways of working and thinking about work are shrinking and dying away, new ways are emerging. I think personally and collectively we are being called to re-imagine work and the purpose it has in our lives, and how we create our work and workplaces. Eleanor Roosevelt said it beautifully when she said, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.”

Many people would say, “I just want a job!” but even more people are asking for, and creating for themselves, meaningful work, doing something that expresses their own unique abilities, that makes them proud, that positively impacts the lives of others, as well as pays the bills.

Now is really good time to start remembering what you dreamed of doing as a kid and in what you spent your time doing when you weren’t being examined. There is a good chance that there was a clue there about what you would be successful at as an adult.

And today, it has never been more possible to create your own work, or even a portfolio of work and projects. Too many of us have grown believing that you have your sell out on your soul to earn a great living, or that you can do something you love but the price you’ll have to pay is not earning much money.

Words Nick Williams

Today, a new opportunity beckons – do what you love and be well paid. This is not the domain of a gifted few any more, but is available to all of us. Not knowing how we do that stops too many people.

The world is full of people teaching you how to do things. The bigger question for you is this: what would you love to do?

The poet and essayist James Russell Lowell said ‘No one was born into the world whose work is not born with him.’ So what work was born with you?

What have you always dreamed of doing? There is now a greater possibility than there has ever been of you doing that successfully.

There is another response than fear. There are resources in you that are untapped. You can be more than you have been so far. Losing the job you never really wanted can be an opportunity for your renaissance, a rebirth. But sometimes the first task is to grieve and let go of what was. Whilst you are still holding on to what was, what could be can’t appear so easily. Have the courage to move forward boldly.

Nick Williams has spent the last 15 years helping to illuminate the world of work. The author of six books, including the best selling The Work We Were Born To Do and most recently The Business You Were Born To Create.

He is passionate helping people be happy and fulfilled in their work. He lives in London and his web site is www.inspired-entrepreneur.com, www.facebook.com/entrepreneurclub

Wellbeing 19

Words: Wendy Rosenfeldt

AN AYURVEDIC APPROACH TO CHILDHOOD IMBALANCES

C

aring for babies and young children can at times seem overwhelming. New parents often feel out of their depth when confronted by the ever changing health issues of their young child. Knowledge of Ayurveda and the theory of doshas is a useful tool for understanding your child’s physiology and the dietary and environmental influences on it.

According to Ayurvedic wisdom everything can be understood in terms of the three governing principles of nature Vata, Pitta and Kapha. Vata dosha is like the wind and has the qualities of being light, dry, quick, changeable, cold and rough. It governs all movement in the universe and can be seen in the bodily functions of

20 Wellbeing

thinking, speaking, circulation and elimination. Pitta is like fire and shares its hot, sharp, intense qualities and the colours of red, orange and yellow. It is responsible for all processing and energy that takes place from the heat of the sun to the metabolism in our bodies.

Kapha is comprised of water and earth and has its earthy qualities; slow, heavy, stable, moist and cold. It gives structure to the world around as well as our human bodies and provides lubrication and growth to our physiologies.

Each one of you has a different proportion of the doshas in your nature and this gives rise to the great variation of people, their appearance, personality, likes and dislikes.

A Vata predominant person

expresses the light, dry, changeable qualities of Vata in their slim build, wiry hair, enthusiastic nature and tendency towards dry skin. Pitta predominant people often have the colours of the fire in the hair and skin, have a warm body temperature and are passionate by nature. Kapha predominant individuals have a more emotionally stable nature, bigger build and better endurance than the other types. Their practical, hands on nature exhibits earthy Kapha’s qualities.

Due to diet, lifestyle, climate and time of life you can develop too much or too little of the doshas resulting in imbalances. Ayurveda uses diet, daily routine and other activities to restore balance and good health.

Wellbeing children’s health Coughs, colds and runny noses Babies and small children seem the most susceptible to coughs and colds. Childhood is Kapha time of life when the qualities of heaviness, oiliness and growth are predominant.

This is exhibited in their unctuous skin, lubricated joints and constant growing that takes place. The moisture and heaviness of Kapha is naturally balanced by a child’s active nature.

While congestion and mucous indicate an excess of Kapha’s cold, sticky qualities they often originate from a Vata imbalance.

Over stimulation, fatigue, travel, wind, cold weather and poor diet increase the light, dry, airy qualities of Vata and contribute towards dryness in the body’s tissues. Lack of rest and proper food compromises the body’s immune system and this is generally when you pick up a cold. The physiology reacts to the dryness of Vata by increasing Kapha, in the form of mucous or fluid.

The best prevention is to keep Vata balanced and strengthen your child’s overall immunity.

Due to their smaller physiologies a good routine of rest and meals is important for staying balanced. Limiting processed

food and ensuring that your child eats plenty of wholegrains, fresh fruit and vegetables will boost their immunity. Including spices such as such as cumin, coriander, turmeric, cloves and ginger in your family’s diet will make vegetables tasty and easier to digest while supporting the family’s immune systems.

Vata is aggravated by cold, windy weather so make sure that your children rug up and keep their heads, necks and chests covered in cooler weather.

Unless in warm climates, babies with little or no hair need their heads covered most of the year when they are outside as heat predominantly escapes through the head. A daily oil massage with warm sesame oil is great for immunity and pacifying Vata but should be discontinued if there is already a respiratory imbalance as the massage can push the impurities deeper into the physiology.

If despite your best efforts your child comes down with a cold or the flu then continue with pacifying Vata but reduce foods that increase Kapha. Avoid Kapha increasing foods such as cheese, yogurt, chocolate, ice cream and potatoes if there is congestion. Milk should be taken in small amounts and boiled first to offset its cold,

mucous creating qualities.

Barley, turmeric, cloves and leafy greens are useful for balancing the moisture of Kapha as they are drying in nature. A mixture of a quarter of a teaspoon of cold pressed (unheated) honey and turmeric powder can be given to a child a few times a day to help dry up mucous; smaller amounts can be given to toddlers.

A Maharishi Ayurveda inhalation preparation made of essential oils including camphor, eucalyptus, clove and fennel is very useful for clearing congestion from the airways.

Older children can inhale a few drops in boiling water while for younger ones a few drops can be mixed with sesame oil and rubbed into their chest. A drop or two mixed with sesame oil can be rubbed onto the breast of feeding mothers, just near where the babies nose is when they are feeding, so that congested babies can inhale while breast feeding. This solves feeding problems that often accompany babies with blocked noses as they can breathe through their nostrils while staying on the breast.

Part two in the May/June issue looks at Tummy Aches, Wind and Poor Elimination.

Wendy Rosenfeldt is a Maharishi Vedic Health Educator, Maharishi Ayur-veda (R) Consultant and teacher of Transcendental Meditation. Wendy gives personal Ayurvedic consultations and runs seminars in all areas of Maharishi Ayurveda specializing in women’s and children’s health. For more information email wendy.rosenfeldt@invincibleaustralia.org www.wendyrosenfeldt.com

Wellbeing 21

A CAT’S HEALING PURR Words Dr Lev G Fedyniak

W

e’ve always intuitively felt that a cat somehow knows when we’re not feeling well and even where it hurts. Got a headache and a cat just seems to wrap around your head. A stomach ache and a cat can’t seem to get off your abdomen. And purrs and purrs and purrs!

It was always believed that a cat’s purr was relaxing or stress reducing and that that led to any number of healthful benefits.

While that may be so, science has shown that the cat’s purr is much more than just relaxing.

Science has known for many years that vibrations at specific levels or frequencies cause healing changes in the body.

They can, for example, induce bone growth and regeneration.

Bone fractures heal faster and weakened bones begin to strengthen and rebuild.

Also, in the higher frequency ranges, the production of the body’s own natural antiinflammatory compounds increases thereby reducing joint pain and swelling. There is further evidence of muscle, tendon and ligament repair within these frequency ranges as well, which has led to some popularity in sports medicine and gyms around the world, especially in the former Soviet Union where so much of this research was conducted.

It was also known through

22 Wellbeing

various veterinary studies that cats rarely suffer bone or joint related diseases, including hip dysplasia, arthritis and ligament problems. Even bone cancers, such as myeloma or osteosarcoma, are almost unheard of in cats.

But it took researcher Elizabeth von Muggenthaler of the Fauna Communications Research Institute in North Carolina (FCRI), a specialist in the field of bioacoustics (the study of the frequency, pitch, loudness, and duration of animal sounds as it relates to the animal’s behavior) to put it all together.

Nature tends not to select traits without this evolutionary

survival advantage and contentment purring just doesn’t make the grade. There had to be another reason and Muggenthaler set out to find it.

She recorded and then measured the purr of 44 felids (members of the cat family) including cheetahs, ocelots, pumas, and domestic cats.

Felines, from your house pet to lions and tigers in the wild, generally purr in the range of 20 to 140 Hertz (Hz). Some are as high as 150 Hz but the average housecat comes in at about 25 and 50 Hz. Research has already shown that exposure to frequencies at that same 20 and 50 Hz

Wellbeing animal health level induces increased bone density, promoted bone strength and fracture healing. There’s even a popular saying amongst veterinarians “If you put a cat and a bunch of broken bones in the same room, the bones will heal.”

There is also substantial documentation that low frequency vibration induces pain relief and healing of tendons and muscles and cats purr at those very same frequencies.

Remediation of other illnesses due to the cat’s purring ability is also being put forward. For example, respiratory problems associated with heart disease in cats are almost non-existent. In fact, respiratory problems resolve quickly once purring is activated.

In effect then, by changing the frequency of their purring, cats may be fine-tuning their healing abilities which creates this distinct evolutionary advantage.

It is this unique healing advantage that has probably given rise to the notion of cats having nine lives. They survive conditions that normally kill other animals, such as falls from heights. In a study of 132 cat falls with an average fall height of 5 ½ stories, 90% survived. The record height for a cat falling and surviving is 45 stories!

The extrapolation of this research may prove vital. Dr. Clinton Rubin in a 1999 study discovered that such frequency exposure creates the robust striations of increased bone density, suggesting applications for osteoporosis, particularly in post-menopausal women and the elderly.

But it’s the cat’s “healing by association” that most people find interesting, that ability of a cat to sympathetically help cure illnesses in people simply by being around them. Studies have also shown that owners, especially senior citizens, who have cats have lower blood pressure and can live longer than humans who don’t own pets.

Many individuals swear they can ease or completely eliminate their migraine headaches simply by lying down with a purring cat next to their head.

Can’t hit that minimum recommended daily dose of bone-enriching calcium? Maybe grabbing the nearest cat and holding it close may just prove to be the answer to brittle-bones.

Having surgery? Perhaps after coming home, keeping a cat nearby will reduce your recovery time.

So, go get a cat. Keep it happy and purring. You’re both likely to be healthier and you’ll have a great friend who truly understands how you’re feeling.

Interesting facts about the anatomy of a cat n Cats have 220° field of view where humans only have 180°. n Cats’ sense of smell is 14 times stronger than that of humans. n Cats have 30 permanent teeth, while adult humans have 32. n Cats have 30 vertebrae, while humans only have 25. n Cats have 230 bones in their bodies, this is 24 more than humans. n Cats have a body temperature of between 101 and 102.2 °F (38 and 39 °C). n The lifespan of cats are usually between 15 and 20 years. n Cats have a heart rate of between 120 - 240 beats per minute. (This varies highly between different breeds cats) n Cats take between 20 - 40 breaths per minute in an inactive state. (This varies highly between different breeds cats) n The print on a cat’s nose is like that of a fingerprint of a human, each is unique. n Cats have a top speed of about 30 mp/h (48.28 km/h).

Dr Fedyniak runs the Jade Lion Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine clinic in Tunbridge Wells. DrLev@ JadeLionAcupuncture.com or 07852 870 030

Wellbeing 23

Over the last few months the wellbeing team has been out and about and here are just some of the places we can recommend to you.

Innergy Yoga Centre, Notting Hill / Kensal Rise W10 www.innergy-yoga.com An evening of chanting following by an excellent yogi meal does wonders for a person. This must be one of London’s most authentic old school yoga studios, run by Fausto the photographer in The New Book of Yoga by Swami Vishnu-devananda.

Raw to Door www.rawtodoor.com Cleansing drinks. The tasted excellent & we’re led to believe they work wonders.

Made in the early hours & distributed by couriers all around London.

The Himalayan Day Spa, Chiswick W4 www.himalayanspa.co.uk A Sunday evening signature massage was the perfect end to a busy week.

The masseuse seemed to know the human body in fine detail & the spa itself with its gorgeous smells was the ideal environment to just relax & enjoy a pamper.

24 Wellbeing

Govindas, Soho Krishna said if you meet a true disciple of his it is like meeting He Himself.

This vegetarian restaurant offers a wide selection of dishes and a fantastic inexpensive thali. There is also a temple & shop upstairs.

Heavenly Spa, Bayswater, W2 heavenlyspa.co.uk The things you can do with a mews house. This centre boosts several colonic-irrigation & massage rooms. Following a wonderful massage we were invited to swim in their Olympic training pool where you swim against a current & never reach the end.

London Tantic Temple, Bayswater, W2 tantricmassagelondon.net Well I’d never had a massage like that before! The focus was on spiritual awakening & self-realization through sexual energy, love and pleasure. A full body naked massage followed by a deep Na-

maste with the Goddess, who repeatedly whispered to me that I was Shiva (male manifestation of Divine energy)The expanse of energy generated during this massage can apparently blow away the most stubborn of blocks.

Bear Nibbles & MOMA We thank Taste the PR company for sending us samples of these gorgeous snacks. Our favourite Bear Nibble was granola & the MOMA readymade breakfast yoghurts were the best of their kind we’ve ever had.

The Green Centre, Ealing W7 thegreencentre.com We were invited to attend an Ego Workshop with Anushka. With no preconception or prior knowledge of what this involved we were keen to just go with the flow & see what happened. Anushka described the ego as a sum of internal programmes, eg. I am a winner/loser & then set up positioning conversations between the whole &

the parts. Transformative reprogramming.

The Journey www.thejourney.com The founder of The Journey, Brandon Bays had a basketball-sized tumour that she healed herself of in just a few weeks. In doing so she created a system for people to heal themselves from cell level upwards.

The Journey Intensive & the follow up work we have done is about emotional release, belief change, personal freedom & living with ‘Source’.

Triyoga, Primrose Hill, NW3 (& NW1) www.triyoga.co.uk Thank you so much to Jacqueline for my first ever reflexology session.

It was a deep massage of the feet where Jacqueline was able to diagnose different conditions in the body. She detected my back issue & offered me a new way of walking which rolls the feet more from heel to toe & in doing so massages the internal organs & systems

… Triyoga is always a fantastic place to visit. There were maybe 100 people doing yoga & the studio was almost silent.

Yoga West London, Chiswick, W4 yogawestlondon.co.uk Fredee is an excellent yoga teacher. She has a good knowledge & understanding of the body as well as the postures. Her best work in our opinion is with pregnant ladies & people recovering from injury. She teaches groups & individuals in Chiswick & Marlow (Berkshire).

Light Centre, Belgravia, SW1 lightcentrebelgravia.com With just a small entrance on Eccleston St, this is a fair sized venue with several studios & treatment rooms. It also has a Natural Fitness Studio where resident trainer Marc Faupel will help you get properly fit & strong, like a child or someone from pre-gym culture times.

You will have fun swinging, jumping, climbing & developing flexibility & strength in all areas. This is not gym-restricted fitness this is real life strength & rehab, where the outside is brought in.

Evolve Wellness Centre, South Kensington, SW7 – evolvewellnesscentre.com Situated in a quiet mews in South Kensington this

new wellness centres offers an excellent selection of yoga & pilates classes in addition to numerous events & treatments.

Evolves friendly atmosphere & community consciousness is a blessing to all in the area.

Lomi Lomi Massage, SW7 & SW1 hunaquest.com A full body massage where you experience the body as one whole rather than separate parts.

Zanna used long strokes from head to toe & kind of massaged the whole body at the same time. She also keeps both her hands on your body most of the time. She works at both Evolve Wellness Centre & Light Centre.

Ayurveda West 11, W11 www.ayurvedawest11.com Loretta has 9 years experience of Ayurvedic Massage & is an absolute pro.

She’s also an ex-popstar & ‘lifecoach with a contemporary ayurvedic twist’.

My face, head & shoulder massage reminded us of the beauty, knowledge & wonder of ayurveda. 9 years of ayurveda massaged into my face.

Thanks a million to all of the above businesses & individuals for the fantastic treatments & service we have received. You all received 100% most HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

Wellbeing 25

MAKE Quality SLEEPover COUNT Quantity Words Charlotte Watts

I

t is possible that you can spend nearly two-thirds of your life asleep yet many people place less importance on this time than their waking hours. Easy to do, after all we are unconscious, yet the quality of this time has great influence over the quality of our waking hours.

Sleep is all about recovery – physical, emotional and energetic.

In order to function fully whilst waking, we rely on the immune facilities, detoxification, tissue and muscle healing and emotional processing that occur during the wee small hours. If this downtime isn’t respected, we may quickly see symptoms like fatigue, irritability, poor concentration and poor recovery from stress, injury and skin complaints.

Lack of sleep, even at a small accumulative level can lead to craving sugar and stimulants as our bodies try to fuel up in the face of less vitally built-up energy. Indeed too little sleep has been associated with incremental weight gain through increased appetite for this very reason.

Research has shown that it is not quantity, but quality of sleep that counts.

Feel more rested and wake more refreshed with some simple solutions:

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Calm Brain, Better Sleep: Wind down for bed from 9pm – we can tend to ‘do’ rather than ‘undo’ late evening, often with a fear of coming down from stimulation like TVs and constant noise. Nourish a calm ‘alpha’ brain state ready for bed with a bath, reading non-thrilling books, listening to soothing music or a calm yoga practise or meditation.

If worries keep you awake at night, write them down – accept that your brain may be on ‘constant alert’ from daytime stress and realistically ask yourself if there is really anything you can do to resolve the problem at that time. Rather than gnaw at things you cannot change, write them down so you don’t feel the need to hold on to them.

Always kiss and make up with your partner before you go to sleep if you have argued – don’t take unresolved issues into your dreams.

Create Your Sleep Haven: Consistent bedtimes and length of sleep optimise sleep patterns best – aim to always get up at the same time, however poor your sleep in the night.

Keep the bed for sleeping in only (and making love). Create a safe,

cosy haven for sleep - make sure the bedroom is quiet and restful and enjoy fresh clean sheets. Keep this space free from clutter and mess to encourage a clear, calm mind.

Invest in heavy curtains - dark bedrooms create better sleep, as our pineal gland only produces the sleep hormone melatonin when it senses low light levels.

Wear ear plugs if you are easily disturbed or your partner snores!

Nutritional Considerations: Have three regular meals - including protein at each – meat, fish, eggs, nuts, beans or goat’s cheese – to produce sleep hormones and regulate energy to not rely on the sugar or caffeine that can keep you awake later.

If you wake in the night, have a bedtime snack – slow release carbohydrate foods like apples or oatcakes help prevent night blood sugar crashes that cause a stimulating adrenaline surge.

A few stalks of celery can calm the nervous system – a potent traditional sleep remedy.

Charlotte practises as a Nutritional Therapist and Yoga Teacher www.charlottewattshealth.com

Wellbeing thejourney

LIFECHANGING WAYS

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y enthusiasm for emotion clearing therapies is so well known, that I am often accused of writing on the subject as if I were selling double glazing.

But I have to say since Dr. Lynne McTaggart, a US scientist , well known New Age innovator of “Directed Intention” workshops and author of “The Field”, has made a public statement on the future of The Journey, the most famous of these therapies, my zeal is more than vindicated.

Dr. McTaggart’s supposition can be found on U-Tube. She claims this therapy could well become a major part of future medicine.

The reason, she says, is that it is now accepted that most illness is psychosomatically derived.

Although this might be bad news for the pharmaceutical industry, it must be good news for a pill popping society that has to take on the side effects that go with pills.

The problem is that all successful work in clearing emotions through processing is anecdotal. Such work has spread not through medical recommendation based on research, but through client experienced evidence. Yet a lot of this new cutting edge work in emotional clearance is finding its way into modern clinics run by psychiatrists, psychologists, hypnotherapists, without acknowledgement to the source of the therapy being used or its

innovator. In addition, there are not that many books published on the subject.

Pictured: Brandon Bays with her husband Kevin Billett

In fact, The Journey Therapy, to give its history briefly, was actually launched in the UK in 1992. It was pioneered by Brandon Bays, a Californian therapist, as a result of her own successful battle with a very large tumour that had grown in her womb. Journeywork has now spread internationally in its own right despite the bootlegging of its techniques.

So, looking into some emotional states, imagine having a trauma for several years and in a few hours being able to process it?

Imagine losing an addiction that has haunted you and brought pain to your family? Imagine clearing the emotional pain that has been driving your ill health? Imagine discovering that your own fears are blocking the successful navigation of your life?

Now, if you can imagine having these issues, or maybe you

Words Katharine O’Sullivan actually live with them, in such a state it is probably impossible to visualize getting rid of them easily, effortlessly and elegantly. Yet this is what emotional clearance work can achieve. But having said that, just because one can rid one self of one issue does not mean there are not other issues to be cleared.

Usually more than one session is recommended.

The success of emotional therapy work is based on easy techniques that reappraises painful or troublesome emotions which cause self-sabotaging behaviors.

The ensuing forgiveness of those involved in memories relating to such issues, leaves a state of freedom. This, In turn, can have a profound life changing effect on a client’s health, relationships, careers or even financial affairs.

So with such advancement in the field of emotional clearance, there is absolutely no need to live with challenging issues that make unhappy inroads into the state of our health, relationships and careers. Such burdens are no longer relevant to modern living, except as a deterrent to achieving our full human potential.

Katharine O’Sullivan is a writer and editor. She is also a qualified emotional clearance practitioner and practices privately in West London under the name of Katharine Walmsley. She gives talks and co-ordinates workshops by invitation. For further information go to: www.londontherapyworks.co.uk Tel: 0208 994 7208

Wellbeing 27

Wellbeing products HEALTHY BACK BAG The Health Back Bag is not only specially designed by doctor and chiropractor to contour the natural curve of the spine, but they also come in an array of colours and stylish fabrics including the Eco-friendly Earth bag (pictured) made of recycled PET (PolyEthylene Therephthalate). A polyester

material used for packaging materials, plastic bottles and containers is collected, sorted, and shredded into flakes which can then be heated and remanufactured. Recycled PET has been woven into tough and attractive textiles for the Earth Healthy Back Bags!

Small £56, Medium £62 www.thehealthybackbag.co.uk

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T SPHERES

T Spheres - tranquility spheres are a new and delightful concept in personal massage.

Pocket sized rubber balls nfused with peppermint-andgrapefruit, or rose geranium aromas natural essential oils T Spheres offers comfort to tierd aching muscles, headaches or simply pleasure, travel or an addition to yogo and relaxation classes. This natural way to relieve pain from the body uses the two most scientifically researched alternative methods for stress relief.

The infusion of aromatherapy essential oils into purified, perfectly weighted organic rubber compound has never been accomplished before, making t spheres the only massage ball with both beneficial attributes. Each set comes with a spray-top reinfuser easy instructions on “how to use” in a travel bag.

Available www.relax-uk.com

EAT PRAY LOVE DVD - Out Now If you have been inspired by our real life case studies on pages 16-18 then you will love ‘Eat Pray Love’ launched on DVD last month. Inspired by the book by Elizabeth Gilbert, the film, staring Julia Roberts, chronicals the journey of a married woman struggling to find direction and meaning

28 Wellbeing

to her life until she leaves her husband and sets off in search of her true identity.

She starts her journey in Italy, travels to India and eventually finds meaning and love in Indonesia. A true romantic movie to inspire the soul. www.eatpraylove-movie.net

WHAT IS TANTRA?

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hen people think of tantra they often think of; exotic sex, Sting, India and then the Kama Sutra. However the roots of the word mean “liberation through expansion”. It is an ancient spiritual path for attaining enlightenment or union with the divine. Tantra and its relative yoga are associated with Indian spiritual traditions but tantra’s origins are in ancient universal experiences of energy, the body and the mysteries of creation.

The central methods of tantra all include some way of using energy and awareness to aid spiritual evolution for the same purpose; union with the divine. What can certainly be said is that tantra is affirming of the body, the senses, emotions and sexuality.

All are seen as forms and channels of energy. The body is experienced as the temple of the divine and the bridge between heaven and earth; spirit and matter.

Another meaning of the word tantra is “practices”. Tantra is a practical science, tested over thousands of years in the laboratory of human experience by yogis, mystics Tibetan Lamas and ordinary householders.

The practices can be of great help to all teaching us to use the energies of our body to connect with others. For couples, tantric practices can help deepen a relationship making it a communion of body, mind and spirit.

For individuals, practices use the power of emotions and the body as fuel for the path of self-development and transcendence rather than a distraction, as they are often seen in most Western traditions.

So what happens in tantra workshops? The basic principle is honouring ourselves and the other as divine beings. We use movement, dance, and breathing exercises to deepen the connection with the body.

We also use mantras and sound to open up the subtle vibrations within us. As we connect more fully with our bodies and our energies and bring awareness to this process it is easier to connect with another. Couples have often got in to stale habits of communicating and connecting so this brings back the vibrancy of real communion. Ritual is another useful tool for creating a space for something different and magical to happen in; taking us out of our usual state of consciousness into a deeper more spacious place from which to connect. We send couples to their bedrooms for sexual meditations (you didn’t get homework like that when you were at school!)

“We have just experienced one of the most blissful, profound and life-affirming weekends of our lives.

It has been wonderful to share our transformation and begin this magi-

cal journey together. It is difficult to find words to describe the experience to our friends and family, the best we can do is tell them to try it for themselves! We have been so close since we left on Sunday, spending time connecting with, and listening to, each other. Our rituals have enabled us to approach things in a different way and to honour the light in each other. It is amazing how this feeling spills out and into the world around you.”

In singles workshops a great deal can be done to give the experience of deeper connections to the self and finding more self-acceptance and self-love. Tantra is not a therapy but certainly has “side-effects” which help personal development and growth. The principles of tantra can be applied to a form of whole body massage which can help heal blocks to our free flow of life energy.

Finally tantra has specific forms of tantric kriya yoga which can open the chakras, energy centres in the body which transform our raw life and sexual energies into heart energy and divine love.

Martin Jelfs. Martin is the founder of Transcendence, Authentic Tantra-Yoga and teaches tantra workshops with Hanna his wife. www.tantra.uk.com 0845 345 8593. tantra.uk@gmail.com

Wellbeing 29

THE NEXT COUNTY ...

TARGET LE TOUQUET-PARIS-PLAGE FOR A HOLIDAY WITH A BRITISH ACCENT

Words Nick Hordern & Frances Barnes

“Sarkozy orders holidays at home!” ran the Le Figaro headline, reporting the French President’s current veto of vacations abroad for his political troops. “What hardship!” we thought. From Dover on SeaFrance, we hurried across the Channel to share Elysee Ministerial privations. Of course we’re joking, because no country on earth is more perfect for holiday-making than France.

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e targeted Le Touquet, not only synonymous with tourism but obligingly less than an hour from Calais on the celebrated Cote d’Opale – truly a Next County destination. Coincidentally, it was a former proprietor of Le Figaro, Hippolyte de Villemessant, who was responsible for launching Le Touquet as a resort in 1876.

Some place-names put a smile on your face and Le Touquet is one of them, with its enchanting mix of beach, sea, pine forests and its unique atmosphere, at once cosmopolitan and familyfriendly. The very words conjure up an image of 30’s glamour, of stars and Royals like Noel Coward, Marlene Dietrich, Duke of Windsor, Ian Fleming - all

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habitués of the resort and still drawing admiring glances. View them at the 4-star Westminster Hotel & Spa’s Hall of Fame, where signed photos of celebrity guests are as much an attraction as fabulous Art Deco interiors, Michelin-starred restaurants and the famous oak-panelled English Bar. Enjoy a meal in the gastronomic restaurant “Le Pavillon” and its contemporary sister brasserie “Les Cimaises”, under the excellent Chef, William Elliott, a descendant of a Canadian WW1 veteran who stayed put in France. Elliott favours local produce and freshly-caught seafood, including lobster, turbot, sea-bass, and works with local market-gardeners in his eclectic vegetarian dishes. Sole meuniere washed down by a

white Bourgogne Aligote 2009 sent taste-buds orbiting.

The “West” is northern France’s greatest luxury hotel, built on the site of a charming wood-built casino, and owes its name to the Duchess of Westminster, who sponsored the military hospital which was housed in the casino in the Great War. Built in 1924 and located in the heart of the most fashionable district of Le Touquet, it is close to the Palais de Congress and the beach, between sea, golf courses and pine forest. The hotel has 115 rooms/suites and is one of the last in a tradition of legendary destinations where service is attentive, discreet and efficient under the inspired stewardship of General Manager, Monsieur Grattepanche. The “West” contributes hugely

Wellbeing travel

Spa treats at the “West”

to the fascinating history of the resort which next year celebrates its official Centenary as a municipality (when it added “Paris-Plage”), its fame soaring exponentially during “The Roaring 20’s.”

In fact, Le Touquet has a history well over 100 years. In 1855, Alphonse Daloz planted a pine forest in a desolate coast peopled only by wild animals.

Now the La Foret Golf Course (one of three) charts its way through Daloz’ trees, as do families on horseback, hiking or cycling, inhaling the fresh pinescented coastal air. Today, this quintessentially chic resort offers fine hotels as well as affordable gites and B&B’s, starting at less than 50 Euros per night. Golf, polo, swimming, sand yachting, sailing, horse racing, riding, tennis (hosts of Junior Davis Cup), Le Touquet deserves its Title for Paradise for Sports.

This January’s Endurospale, a world-class motorcycle and quad bike racing 2-day event, swelled Le Touquet’s less than 6,000 population to over 100,000! Here, For relaxation, too, you are spoiled for choice, with a selection of Thalasso Centres overlooking the sea,

not to mention the ‘West’ Spa, the epitome of glamour. Step into the foyer’s birdcage lift, all wrought-iron and retro (the ladies might expect Cary Grant to be there waiting to whisk them to dinner) and travel down a floor below the Michelin-starred Restaurants and English Bar. The Spa is an ultra-modern creation of cool, natural colours, wood furniture and stone walls; a partnership with therapy specialists Nuxe, who have acclaimed Spas all over France.

It features a Sauna and Jacuzzi plus a heated indoor pool decorated with 20s murals.

On offer are traditional therapies, as well as such novelty treatments as Ayurvedic and Californian massages and plant reflexology. A “Wellness for Men” programme features special Sports and Swedish massage.

Treatment rooms are spacious and uncluttered, and there is even a Double Cabin, where couples can enjoy therapies together. Chromotherapy lights give cool changing colours, while soft soothing music and heated massage tables ensure you float into a relaxed beauty sleep.. ahead of that date with Cary Grant!

CONTACTS SEAFRANCE: (0871 423 7119) www.seafrance.com/booking LE TOUQUET TOURIST OFFICE: (00 33 321 06 72 00) www.letouquet.com (FIGRA, March 23-27, 2011, International Festival of News Reporting)

WELLBEING SPECIAL OFFER ‘Romantic Getaway’ 285 Euros for 2

1 night, glass champagne, 3-course Dinner Brasserie ‘Les Cimaises’, B’fast

‘Golf Break’ 266 Euros for 2

1 night, Green Fees – other packages, meals/Spa – available upon request THE WESTMINSTER HOTEL & SPA: (00 33 321 05 48 48) www.westminster.fr QUOTE ‘WELLBEING’

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SHAKE, RATTLE AND ROLL A Brief Taste of Active Meditation Most of us dream of blue cloudless skies, a bright sun shining life into our world.

That image is a powerful metaphor for what goes on inside us as well. I know from experience that the ‘blue sky,’ the happy, warm state is always there inside me. Sometimes however it becomes obscured by clouds, the clouds of my own thinking. Sometimes these are wispy and light barely obscuring my view but at other times they may be whipped up into black foreboding storm clouds of my own making. Whenever a storm brews in my psyche I lose the ability to choose my course of action. Instead I am forced to react and that means battening down the hatches or donning uncomfortable smelly rainwear.

How nice it would be to be able to choose action rather than reaction consistently.

Meditation offers a spectrum of discovery to people.

At one end it can help relieve day to day stress whilst at the other it can offer a direct experience of ourselves. Awareness is only possible when our practice has taken us beyond ego, thoughts and words.

My own experience of meditation has changed my life and added a richness I intuitively sensed was there but was hitherto unable to access. I tried various sitting and breathing techniques all to no avail and it was only when I discovered Osho active meditations that I began to see the world differently.

The core idea that seperates Osho meditations from other techniques is his allowance for evolution in man. The people who walk the planet today are not the people who walked the planet 5000 or even 500 years ago. We are neurologically wired differently. Our cultures are very different and the ‘pace’ of life has accelerated out of all proportion.

The man of today processes information more quickly and has to deal with multiple decisions on a daily basis. We as a race have also lost touch with the natural world, we work to artificial rhythms.

Osho realised that the sort of meditation practice suited to a less cluttered mind may not be suitable for modern man, perhaps

Words Swami Dev Darpan some additional process was required to deal with this before true meditation could take place. Although over the next 10 years he developed numerous such techniques his most dramatic in terms of effect is undoubtedly the first meditation he developed his Dynamic Meditation.

Conducted in 5 stages to a customised soundtrack the meditation starts with 10 minutes of chaotic breathing to throw the mind into chaos, to break the chatter of the mind.

This is followed by complete catharsis, in which participants do whatever they feel, they may cry, scream, shout in rage, contort their bodies or just lie spouting gibberish. This is an emotional release par excellence.

Next is a jumping stage whilst crying ‘hoo hoo’, this stage is a call back to the ancient philosophy of the chakras (energy centres). The movement centres energy in your lower chakras by this process energising you at a fundamental level. After these 3 ‘cleansing’ phases the meditator now stops

dead, standing stock still for 15 minutes, becoming a ‘witness’ to himself/herself, watching objectively the body, the mind, the circulating energy. This is the stage of true meditation, the gateway to the soul.

The meditation ends with a dance of celebration or lying down.

The dynamic meditation is just one technique of many. Other techniques involve dancing (Nataraj), shaking (Kundalini), whirling (No Dimensions) and humming (Nadabrahma). Osho welcomed experimentation to find a technique suited to the individual. When that technique is found a natural enthusiasm blossoms and daily practice becomes easy and rewarding. The benefits for me have been many. I have more insight into myself and take time to understand a situation before blindly reacting with outmoded defences.

My life has become less stressed, my sky ‘bluer’.

The meditations have no ‘religious’ or ‘moral’ agenda and are suitable for persons of all ages and beliefs.

Details of centres offering these meditations can be found by googling Osho Active Meditations.

To contact Swami Dev Darpan, author of this article contact magpieman101@hotmail.com.

Osho

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READER COMPETITION

Spas at Mercure Hotels

T

ake a break from everyday life with an indulgent weekend or day spa treatment at one of our spas. Let off a bit of steam in our gyms, or simply relax with a pampering session.

Discover Spa Naturel Treat yourself at Spa Naturel with a beauty treatment and unwind with a steam or sauna.

You can pamper yourself with a nail manicure, facial or massage. We also offer a range of innovative treatments like hot stone therapy. Some

feature thermal suites that are designed to enhance relaxation and well-being.

Get your Mercure Health and Fitness Membership to stay in shape Our health and fitness clubs are ideal for both the experienced gym lover or beginner.

They offer state-of-art equipment, swimming pools and classes.

Personal training is also available to help achieve specific targets.

Discover our hotels & spas at mercure.com/spa

WIN A SPA BREAK FOR 2

WORTH ÂŁ250*

Win a 1 night stay for 2 persons, including a hearty breakfast and delicious 3-course dinner plus a 55 minute body massage and a 25 minute Decleor facial for 2 persons with full use of spa and fitness facilities.

To enter send your name, address and telephone number to Mercure Competition, Wellbeing Magazine, 2 The Hall, Turners Green Road, Wadhurst East Sussex TN5 6TR or enter online at wellbeingmagazine.co.uk/competitions before 30th April 2011 Terms and Conditions For a full list of available locations visit wellbeingmagazine.co.uk/competitions. *Approximate average value of the package is ÂŁ250.00 per night and varies according to location.

Subject to availability. The availability of facilities varies according to the location. Guests need to contact the hotel within 48 hours of reservation to book the spa treatment. Check in time 14:00. Check out time: 12:00 at the latest.

Wellbeing 33

WHAT’S ON Angelic Reiki 1&2 angelicreikiwestlondon.co.uk Monday 28th To Wednesday 30th, March 2011 Thursday 26th To Saturday 28th, May 2011 Angelic Reiki 3&4 Master Thursday 28th To Saturday 30th, April 2011 Inner Peace talk in Kensington bkwsu.org/uk/kensington.

Enlightening talks and discussion relating to personal and spiritual development through Raja Yoga Meditation by the Brahma Kumaris World Spiritual University.

Every Monday evening, except bank holidays, from 6:30 to 8 pm at the Radisson Edwardian Vanderbilt Hotel, 68-86 Cromwell Road, London SW7 5BT. Free of charge, but donations are welcome. (Near the Gloucester Road Tube Station) Inner Space www.innerspace.org.uk Large range of talks, seminars, courses & drop in meditation sessions in West End, Covent Garden, City & North West London.

Mamaheaven www.mamaheaven.org Mothers spend the weekend gently exercising and getting back in touch and reclaiming their bodies, receiving rejuvenating full-body massages, important nutrition advice and fantastic nurturing food. They’ve also

34 Wellbeing

had small breaks from their babies and quality time with them and the other mothers – swapping stories and feeling supported. They leave feeling rejuvenated, relaxed and re-empowered.

May the 13th - 15th at Penrhos Court, Hertfordshire Learn Buteyko www.learnbuteyko.co.uk Christopher Drake is visiting from S.E. Asia to give the following April Talks and Workshops.

Introductory talks on the Buteyko Method (entry free) Sun 10th Apr 2-4pm - Bodywise Bethnal Green Sun 10th Apr 6-8pm Special Yoga Centre Kensal Rise Mon 11th Apr 6.30 8.30pm St. James Piccadilly Workshop Mon - Fri 18th - 22nd April - The Window Islington London Yoga West London yogawestlondon.co.uk Classical Hatha Yoga Class in Chiswick Wednesdays 7.15 to 8.30pm Katharine Graves thehypnobirthingcentre.co.uk Hypnobirthing Courses all around London.

The WellBeing Programme www.hansmeijer.co.uk Teaching the basic psychology of communication and relationship-building.

It is a chance to do some-

thing different, nurture the mind and develop your ability to reflect.

Tantra with Roxana healingwithroxana.com Saturday 23rd April 10am - 5pm Workshop: Tantra for women - A deeply nurturing day to connect with our feminine essence. £85.00 14, Neal’s Yard Coven Garden Sunday 24th April 10 5pm Workshop: Tantra is Delight - A day of rediscovering our senses, opening to sensitivity, delight and loving awareness. £85.00 14, Neal’s Yard Covent Garden Chakra 2 residential retreat Friday 6th -Sunday 8th May Open to sensual flow and emotional freedom £330.00 Osho Leela, Gillingham, Dorset Weekend Vigyan Bhairav Tantra Meditation - 14th & 15th May - With Mahasatvaa Sarita. Osho Shubnam Centre, 120 Crownswood Way, Eltham Olmaya olmaya.com Business Mastery with Dr John Demartini Friday 8th April The Breakthrough Experience with Dr John Demartini – Friday 8th & Saturday 9th April The Journey www.thejourney.com 28th March - Liberating Kids’ Shining Potential with Debs Burgess 16th & 17th April - Journey Intensive with Brandon Bays

18th April – Advanced Skills with Debs Burgess Westnine Yoga www.westnineyoga.com Classes & one-to-one tuition around London Fitness Universal and Yes to Life present ‘Food Matters’ www.fitnessuniversal.com Wednesday, April 13 Providing people with cancer options they might not otherwise be aware of when they most need help.

Sivananda Yoga Centre Regular classes for all levels in Putney, SW15. Also courses, talks & satsang.

Pregnancy Weekend Retreat 13th - 15th May Littleton Mill, Wiltshire This unique weekend Retreat is specifically designed for expectant couples looking to spend some much needed quality time together, away from the stresses of everyday life, before the arrival of their new baby.

Come and experience a mixture of Yoga, breathing & relaxation techniques, hypnosis for birth, informative talks, invigorating walks in nature, indulgent holistic treatments and lots of tasty organic food!

For more info, contact Stephanie on 07780 601 381 / stephanie@yogawith.com or visit www. yogawith.com.

Therapy

Wellbeing clinics & treatments

ROOMS

Welcome to the Therapy Rooms, where you will find solutions and ideas to support your health and wellbeing. We encourage you to contact our clinics and therapists to find out how, they can help you to improve your health, fitness and knowledge. Enjoy and be inspired.

Wellbeing

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Wellbeing clinics & treatments

Wellbeing 37

SPIRITUAL WELLBEING THROUGH FITNESS

Words Curly Martin the grass during a warm summers day. Dancing, listening to music or drinking a hot drink after a snow ball fight. All of these examples and many more can make you feel spiritually blessed, if you choose to let it. The choice is always yours!

“What is the ultimate pleasure that I can choose to gain by keeping fit?”

I

t seems a strange thing to consider that becoming fit can also increase your spiritual wellbeing. If your body is physically fit, the chances are you will develop spirituality and radiate wellbeing attracting people who will want to be near you. Just for clarity, I am defining spirituality in this context with a connection to something “greater” than oneself. This usually involves a change in your emotional state, which, of course, naturally happens during exercise or activity.

Euphoric State There are many different ways of reaching the euphoric state of wellbeing, ranging from sexual intercourse to extreme sports. The link between the many natural (I mean not pharmaceutical) routes to euphoria is the body releasing endorphins. Endorphins can create a sense of well-being similar to taking opiates. They are released when you take part in strenuous exercise such as running, cycling, swimming etc.

‘The Wall’ is the term runners have for when they are near exhaustion,

38 Wellbeing

thinking they cannot go on, whilst at the same time continuing. What is said to happen is a sudden rush of euphoria which enables them to continue. ‘The Wall Effect’ can become addictive like a drug.

Researchers have discovered the endorphins the body produces at times of stress can be more potent than morphine, heroin or opium and work in the same way by using the identical neuron receptors as the previously mentioned drugs. It goes some way to elucidate the euphoric look which often is noticed on serious accident victims. This could be because they are not receiving the pain messages from the body whilst the endorphins are plugging the receptors.

I am not suggesting that you immediately take part in rigours exercise to self-induce euphoria, although please feel free to do so, if you are fit enough. You can achieve a similar outcome by communing with nature, for example, walking into beautiful woodland or along the shoreline. You can even achieve it by doing nothing, simply lie down on

The great thing about enjoying pleasure (fun) when at the same time you are exercising your body is that you gain on two brilliant levels.

You boost your physical wellbeing by releasing endorphins which also boost your spiritual feeling of wellbeing.

Wellbeing Activity Grab a pen and paper, find a quite room and create a very long list of activities you could do – as many activities as you can think of regardless of whether you would like to do them or not.

Mark each activity, between 1 to 10. 1 being, awful don’t want to do and 10 being fun and pleasurable to do.

Once you have graded your list, spend some time to select one or two activities you would love to experience and just do it. You will be amazed how easy it is to combine spiritual wellbeing with physical wellbeing!

0800 191 0200 www.achievementspecialists.co.uk