Every teachers inspiration to teach yoga is very individualistic and often comes from their lifestyle and personal circumstances for example working with children or bringing it to their favoured sports people. This is a good thing because it can put some purpose into applying yoga skills to professional practice. It is often a more powerful drive than simple claims to sharing the benefits of personal practice. Of course we have to do both when we get down to it but these days more than ever with all those budding yoga teachers emerging every year we would do well to have a personal calling or niche.

Teaching yoga is often a great addition for those with a dancing background as they are already used to “performing”and many of these adhere well to vinyasa or flow yoga where if they are also creative can offer some interesting choreographed sequencing.

We have to remember that while the West currently holds the stage for yoga and tends to demonstrate this mostly as asana practice there are other areas of yoga that can be exploited and can still have appeal to many students.

It's easy to forget the great value of yoga breathing and also meditation which is probably the strongest part of Patanjalis message in his great Yoga Sutras on the shoulders of which most modern yoga practice is built.

You may be strong in this introspective part of yoga and in creating a relaxing mood with candles and incense or knowing just what kind of music to play and lighting to create the right ambiance.

You may have a more playful style of teaching that appeals to those looking for that off beat kind of teacher.

There are also those often overlooked areas in this modern day of the dynamic and physical and that is Restorative Yoga with its supportive props and therapeutic and remedial approach. You may have to provide the props but if you can get the cooperation of a venue for storage then this has growing appeal for those who want to sink into the releasing experience of calmness and ease.

I have only mentioned a few but you probably get the idea and if you are thinking of teaching yoga now's the time to start thinking of who you want to appeal to and with some idea of a theme. A teaching course should give you the methodology and safety and start of anatomy knowledge etc but start thinking now of your target audience and what difference can you make. Whatever flavour of yoga teaching you want to adopt you will still have to strongly bring yourself to the attention of the “yoga community” and tell them all about it.

I have taught in may gyms as well as having my own studio and I know that many people find it convenient to add the yoga experience to their gym membership which is fine but there are also many who want the personal and close contact of the studio and more yoga that doesn't just resemble aerobic exercise.

It's not easy to set up a private practice even in an already existing yoga studio. It takes time and patience. Once a budding yoga teacher I new who had a marketing background said the best way to build a yoga class was to get out into the community, find out what people want and then give it to them. A good marketing slogan but the fact is so many people want different things these days and that's probably because they are also different. So why can't you as a new yoga teacher be different and then sell them the difference. Remember in the end you are trying to bring your students a unique experience one where they can go away feeling more whole and human.

You may also find my post on Yoga:To Teach or not to Teach, useful reading.

Barry Todd, Senior Yoga Teacher at Mind and Body Yoga Studio and Course Tutor on Yoga Teacher Training

Children can be taught to use their imagination to tackle frequent bouts of stomach pain, research shows.

A relaxation-type CD, asking children to imagine themselves in scenarios like floating on a cloud led to dramatic improvements in abdominal pain.

The US researchers said the technique worked particularly well in children as they have such fertile imaginations.

It has been estimated that frequent stomach pain with no identifiable cause affects up to one in five children.

The research, published in the journal Pediatrics, follows on from studies showing hypnosis is an effective treatment for a range of conditions known as functional abdominal pain, which includes things like irritable bowel syndrome.

There is really a dearth of information on how to manage children with abdominal pain Professor David Candy

In this study, the children had 20 minute sessions of "guided imagery" - a technique which prompts the subject to imagine things which will reduce their discomfort.

One example is letting a special shiny object melt into their hand and then placing their hand on their belly, spreading warmth and light from the hand inside the tummy to make a protective barrier inside that prevents anything from irritating the belly

The researchers, from the University of North Carolina and Duke University Medical Center, said a lack of therapists led them to the idea of using a CD to deliver the sessions.

In all 30 children aged between six and 15 years took part in the study - half of whom used the CDs daily for eight weeks and the rest of whom got normal treatment.

Among those who had used the CDs, 73.3% reported that their abdominal pain was reduced by half or more by the end of the treatment course compared with 26.7% in the standard care group.

In two-thirds of children the improvements were still apparent six months later.

Anxiety

It is not clear exactly how the technique works but studies have shown it is partly about reducing anxiety but there is also a direct effect on the pain response.

Some researchers think hypnosis-like techniques reduce "hypersensitivity" in Hypnosis and Childrens Stomach Painconditions such as irritable bowel syndrome.

Study leader Dr Miranda van Tilburg said it was especially exciting that the children were able to use the technique on their own.

"Such self-administered treatment is, of course, very inexpensive and can be used in addition to other treatments, which potentially opens the door for easily enhancing treatment outcomes for a lot of children suffering from frequent stomach aches.

"Children are very good at using their imagination - when you use this in adults you have to overcome a barrier first."

Professor David Candy, a consultant paediatric gastroenterologist at Western Sussex Hospitals, said his team had tried hypnosis in a small group of children with severe abdominal pain problems and had 100% success rate.

He added they are now keen to try the guided imagery technique to see if they can replicate the US findings.

"There is really a dearth of information on how to manage children with abdominal pain and it's a very common problem which keeps children out of school."

BBC news

Andrea Lowe is a Senior Hypnotherapist and Trainer

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

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.

At the beginning of the year Zen was a mess

Then we had open days

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

Hypnotherapy and yoga training/yoga deepening

Charity events

and some very weird and wonderful happenings

Halloween and ghost talks

Christmas