» Listings for July 2017

1. Do Virus's Get on Your Nerves!

   Posted on 12:00pm Wednesday 26th Jul 2017

   Do Virus's Get on Your Nerves!

   

   Many people are suffering with the effects of virus again this winter whether it be the identifiable flu virus or any number of other nasty little virus that get into our system at some time and prove difficult to shake off. Sometimes a virus can recur again and again even as frequently as once every month or so and it is often difficult to know why we are feeling down, fatigued, lacking in vitality and suffering a number of bolt-on symptoms like gastrointestinal upset, headaches and unexplained body pain. A friend of mine was once bitten by a mosquito in Portugal whilst on holiday and her GP told her she had a virus probably passed on by the insect that adversely affected her for 2-3 years. Years later she still believed that the same virus can return when she is stressed or run down.

   The bad news is that antibiotics don't help but the good news is that we can create a better environment in our bodies to deter these little critters and at least keep them at bay for longer. One of the problems with the virus as with some microbes is that they can hide in the nerve endings when they are under attack from our own immune combat antiboties. These little friendly soldiers in our blood stream do a good job but at times when we are particularly tired or under stress we make less and the virus pops out again reaking havoc with our well being. Also when under additional stress our inflammatory levels can increase adding to our discomfort.When we are under stress and fatigued the virus creeps out of the nerve ending and starts their little negative romp again in your body. It's strange also how the virus seesm to attack weak areas in your body...so if you have a perennial problem with a tooth you can experience tooth ache...or if you suspect you have "arthritis" in you neck, your knee, you back etc then you may experiece pain in those places.

   It is also worth noting that recent research has discovered that the virus can be responsible for an increase in bodily inflammation and we now know that inflammation is the sub clinical cause for a number of degenerative illness that can catch up with us in later life such as cancer, cardio vascular disease and others.

   So start creating an environment in your body that will deter the virus. Try and keep to a diet with plenty of fresh produce such as fruits and vegetables. Have these raw whenever you can for better effect. We know that other nurtrients can ward off the virus such as garlic (if you don't like the taste or smell try an odourless tab) and make sure you have enough vitamin C and B in your diet.

   It can also be useful to move towards an anit inflammatory diet even if only for one week per month by ensuring you have plenty of whole grain as well as the raw foods and fresh produce...in addition take one of the useful anti-inflammatoy supplements such as tumeric or one that is more effective for YOU.

   In tandem with this be sure to have plenty of anioxidants in your diet to combat the effects of any inflammation that gets through that can damage your cells. There are antioxidants in good fresh produce and raw foods but you can also top up with other nutrients...the thing is your need to have a number in the diet as individual antioxidants target different parts of the body...one useful mineral antioxidant is zinc, a good all rounder and also good for the immune system... there are others too....if you think you might be zinc deficient and there is a lot less zinc in foods now due to soil deficiencies then you can have a FREE zince test at the Mind and Body Centre by arrangement...it takes less than 5 minutes and is non-invasive requiring only a spoonful of water containing zinc tester which is swirled around the moth for ten seconds and either swallowed or spit out. This will give you an indication of your zinc levels.

   Barry Todd

    

2. Reflexology yourself

   Posted on 3:00pm Sunday 23rd Jul 2017

   Self Reflexology

   

    

   If you have never experienced a reflexology therapy you don't know what you are missing. Reflexology relaxes you right from the top of your head to the tip of your toes. However, it is more than that. Working on the energy channels running through the body a reflexology massage is able to relieve and address blockages and even pain. To put your feet into the trusted hands of a reflexologist is an out of this world experience. However, if you cannot manage it you can always do it for yourself it's not as relaxing but can still ease painful areas and address conditions in the body.

    

   Here's how.

    

   All you need is a little oil or cream That can be simply a good quality body cream or even hand cream.

    

   First massage a little of the cream into your hands.

    

   Hand Massage

    

   With left palm facing up, place the the thumb of your right hand on the top of your right hand near the write below the little finger. Support your left hand with the fingers of your right hand. Press your thumb down and forward, lifting up and coming back again (a bit like rolling pin movements over pastry). Continue with this movement until your progress forward to the base knuckle of your little finger. Repeat starting at the base and moving up to the knuckle of each finger in turn including the thumb. Finally make circular movements with the right thumb over the left palm.. Press thumb into palm, one inch below the middle finger of the left hand and hold for a moment. Repeat this entire procedure on the right hand.

    

   With back of hand facing up:- Slide right thumb between each knuckle on left hand, down to wrist and stop. Repeat on the right hand, using the left thumb.

    

   Keeping the back uppermost over and working from below the nail on each finger in turn, use the same movement as you push and progress down the fingers to the base of the fingers and thums on each hand in turn

    

   Press right thumb into side of left thumb, starting from the end of the thumb, moving down to the wrist, pressing again after each advance. Stop at wrist and then work on side of right thumb in the same way, using the left thumb.

    

   Foot Massage

   

    

   Using a similar action to the hand massage technique you will need to lift your foot up on to your thigh bending the knee, so make sure you are sitting comfortably. First give the foot a good all over massage then with the movement described above work on each individual toe manipulating the neck of the toe also. Then start working across the bottom of the foot from the toes to the heel. Work around the ankles and manipulate your ankle to give some movement, on the top of the foot run between the toes with the gradual pushing movement all the way up to the ankle and finish with an massage of the entire foot. Make sure you get to every part of the foot and particularly the sides of the foot and ankle. As you are in a crouched position you will need to time each foot and don't plan to spend to long as you may end up needing a body massage to compensate for your awkward posture. Little and often is the key to self reflexolgy whereas going to a reflexologist you can just relax and spend 45 mins in their hands.

    

    

   Follow this link for a free reflexology foot and hand chart that will tell you which part of your feet and hand relate to the various parts of your body. Or try this link for an interactive funky map of the feet and hands

3. Heart Attacks and Drinking Warm Water

   Posted on 2:30pm Sunday 23rd Jul 2017

   Heart Attacks and Drinking Warm Water

       

   
   
   This is a very good article. Not only about the warm water after your meal, but about   Heart Attacks. The Chinese and Japanese drink hot tea with their meals, not cold water, maybe it is time we adopt their drinking habit while eating.
                                             
   

    

   For those who like to drink cold water, this article is applicable to you. It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a meal. However, the cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed. It will slow down the digestion. Once this 'sludge' reacts with the acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than the solid food. It will line the intestine. Very soon, this will turn into fats and lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup or warm water after a meal.
   
   Common Symptoms Of Heart Attack...
   A serious note about heart attacks - You should know that not every heart attack symptom is going to be the left arm hurting . Be aware of intense pain in the jaw line.
   
   You may never have the first chest pain during the course of a heart attack. Nausea and intense sweating are also common symptoms. 60% of people who have a heart attack while they are asleep do not wake up.. Pain in the jaw can wake you from a sound sleep. Let's be careful and be aware. The more we know, the better chance we could survive.
   
   
   A cardiologist says if everyone who reads this message sends it to 10 people, you can be sure that we'll save at least one life. Read this & Send to a friend. It could save a life... So, please be a true friend and send this newsletter to all your friends you care about.

4. Memories - A picture journery through 2014

   Posted on 12:00pm Sunday 23rd Jul 2017

   At the beginning of the year Zen was a mess

    

   Then we had open days

    

    

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   We've had great summer solstice art and chakra workshops bringing out the talents in participants

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   Hypnotherapy and yoga training/yoga deepening

    

    

   Charity events

   

   

   and some very weird and wonderful happenings

    

    

    

   Halloween and ghost talks

    

    

    

   Christmas

    

5. 10 Essential natural remedies that are a must for your Holiday 1st Aid Kit.

   Posted on 12:00pm Sunday 23rd Jul 2017

   10 Essential natural remedies that are a must for your Holiday 1st Aid Kit.

   

   We all hope there won't be an emergencies but best be prepared in case there is:

   1.  Rice or Barley grains.  Perfect to boil up and drink the water for an upset tummy.  Just add a small handful of the grain to about 2 cups and water and simmer.  Drink the cooled water. Excellent for calming the tummy.  If you can't boil or simmer the water then boiling water from the kettle would do.

   2. Echinacea tablets This is included because it’s just so  useful. Echinacea helps support a healthy immune system. It also has antibacterial and antibiotic properties. If you start to feel something coming on, dosing yourself with echinacea is a good way to help you stay healthy. At the very least, you won’t stay sick as long. It works well in conjunction with vitamin C Your bonus item.

   3.Ginger.  Stomach troubles are one of the most common issues among travelers. Ginger is adept at soothing stomach upsets. It works with remarkable speed and  has properties which actually aid your body in digesting. Ginger is good for combating motion sickness and nausea, so great to suck on the plane if you buy the sweetened natural ginger lumps.

   4. Aloe Vera Gel  Getting sunburned can ruin your holiday, especially when you have to carry a backpack on those firey red shoulders. Rub some aloe vera on: - it promotes healing and relieves that burning sensation. Your sunburn will ease into a tan faster.

   5. Calmomine Tea Bags.  Very calming and relaxing to drink but don't throw the bags away.  Wait until they cool and then pop them onto your eyes to calm the area around your eyes or pop them onto any particularly stinging sunburn patches.

   6. Arnica Gel and  homeopathic tablets.   The gel, when used externally, is wonderful for removing bruises, bringing down puffiness or swelling, and easing deep aches. Internally, it can be used to alleviate headaches and help your body recover from trauma.

   7.  Zinc lozengers:  If you're on a plane the air conditioning is the worst it has ever been and any germs being carried by your fellow passengers are circulated time and again through the stale air.  More people get sore throats after being on a plane journey than ever.  Take some zinc lazengers.  Zinc is a powerful immunity enhancer and sucking the lozengers help stop the absorption of the germs into your system.  They taste a bit urg but not that bad.  WE sell practitioner quality Zinc tablets and zinc lozengers.

   8. Mint Tea Bags:  Mint is really good for settling the stomach for also for dispelling built up gases.  Air density changes in the plane, plus different food and water often create more gases than we are used to and it can be uncomfortable.  Make sure you have the mint tea to help your digestions.

   9. Tea Tree Oil:  Tea tree is a great astrignent and discinfectant.  You should always dilute in water.  Helpful in cleaning scratches and cuts, as a mouth rinse and mosquito repellant.

   10.  Liquorice Tea: Liquorice tastes delicious, is naturally sweet, and is super if you have a sore throat. It has mucilaginous properties that help keep dry throats from being scratchy, especially useful when traveling through smog and pollution. The tea can also be used to help get your digestion moving if the change of diet proves a little binding.  In it's natural form, a root, it is very useful for chewing on the plane to overcome smoking desires.  You can also buy the concentrated extract which comes in the form of solid black sticks.  You can break a bit off and add boiling water to drink.  The sweets and other products (even those sold in the 'health shops' are really only confectionery and have so many other ingredients that they cannot be counted for these purposes)

   The key to using herbal and alternative medicine while traveling is to be prepared. Plan to use more than you would at home. Remember that some things are hard to find when you’re far from home. Knowing the Latin names of certain plants is a good practice to get into.  When using a herbal tea as a medicine it is worth knowing that you need to make a stronger brew than normal (at least 2 bags) and once you have added the hot water it is best to cover  the cup for 10 minutes so that much of the properties are not able to escape with the steam but drip back down again.

6. Improve your eyesight

   Posted on 12:00pm Friday 21st Jul 2017

   

   Have you got vision problems?  Do you need spectacles?

   The eyes are muscles like many other parts of our body.  If they are not exercises correctly then they get weak and stop working at their most eficient.  You may have seen the black glasses with holes in them being used to exercise the eye focusing abilities and the eyes exercises by Aldous Huxley and later Bates and others who all claim that regualr exercise can improve your eyesight and reduce the need for vision aids.

   For generations the people of Tibet have used natural methods to correct visual weakness and improve their eyesight. Chief among the methods employed has been the use of certain exercises which have proved useful over long periods of time. The figure below was designed by Tibetan Lama Monks to give the necessary corrective exercises and stimulation to the muscles and nerves of the optical system. The eye Muscles focus similar to a camera shutter. The purpose of these exercises is to strengthen the eye muscles to improve vision. A few minutes practice morning and evening will bring immediate effects and over a period of months a most definite improvement will result.  WE think they are a little easier than other methods we have come across.  Why not give it a go!

   

   How to do it.

   These exercises are to be done without eyeglasses or contacts. Do each movement for 30 seconds while in a sitting position, spine straight and do not move the head side to side. Move only the eyes.

   First print off the image and pin it on a flat surface (wall etc)

   1.) With the palm of each hand cup both closed eyes to relax them.

   2.) Move the eyes clockwise around the outer circle of dots

   3.) Repeat this movement in a counterclockwise rotation

   4.) Move the eyes back and forth between the dots at 2 and 8 o’clock

   5.) Repeat this movement back and forth between dots at 4 and 10 o’clock

   6.) Blink the eyes briefly and finish therapy with the palming same as exercise #1

   Repeat exercises as desired being careful to avoid strain. After beginning therapy wear eyeglasses and contacts as little as possible. In time these crutches will become unnecessary.

   The process of repair and the reforming of the curvature of the back of the eye require specific exercise and the increase of the nutrients used only by the eye for its repair and maintenance. Like any other muscle the more exercise the more nutrients are needed.

   The nutrients will reverse the loss of light processing and by taking extra selenium remove the deposits of ceroid lypofucsin, rancid vegetable oils, stored as cellular and subcelluar lipids in the form of darkened and discolored spots on the urea.

   This type of damage is from the vegetable oils in the polyunsaturated configuration of the oils treated with hydrogen, (Trans fatty acids), causes the rancidity (free radical damage) of cellular fats.

   Practitioner grade Selenium available from Mind & Body