Eddison Books |International Rights Catalogue |Frankfurt Book Fair 2018 by Eddison Books

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Eddison Books is a leading publisher for the international market with an exceptional commitment to authorship, innovative design and illustrations in the fields of health & wellbeing, personal development, mind, body & spirit, cookery, brain training, puzzles and parenting...

RIGHTS ENQUIRIES: SĂŠverine JEAUNEAU severine@eddisonbooks.com Benjamin EHALT benjamin@eddisonbooks.com

148 Kingâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Cross Road London WC1X 9DH United Kingdom www.eddisonbooks.com info@eddisonbooks.com +44 (0)20 7837 1968

Contents HEALTH, DIET & FITNESS

MIND BODY SPIRIT

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

PARENTING

5 HEALTH, DIET & FITNESS

HEALTH, DIET & FITNESS

246 x 189 mm (71⁄2 x 93⁄4 in) 176 pp | 30,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Spring 2020

Flower Feasts

Cooking with fresh flowers and flower essences for health and wellbeing Discover the healing power and potency of edible flowers and flower essences with over 60 recipes that not only look beautiful and taste delicious but provide benefits ranging from energy boosting to mood enhancing. •• Recipes for small plates, soups, salads, mains, desserts and drinks. •• Plant identifier pages on 30 flowers appear throughout the book outlining botanical information, culinary use and health-giving properties. •• Includes instagram-friendly styling tips on how to make the dishes look expertly sensational. •• Health benefits and nutritional analysis provided for each recipe. •• Co-authored by MasterChef semi-finalist Theo Michaels and UK’s leading expert in flower essences Clare Harvey. Executive chef Theo Michaels is a former MasterChef semi-finalist (2014) and author of three cookbooks, including Orexi: Feasting at the Table. A guest chef on ITV’s This Morning, he writes a weekly food column for Best magazine. Clare Harvey is the author of seven books including the Healing Spirit of Plants. -

HIBISCUS Hibiscus rosa-sinensis

Courgette Flowers Stuffed with Basil Ricotta Edible courgette flowers are packed with vitamin C, a nutrient that protects against infections. The flowers contain amounts of potassium that helps reduce blood pressure and magnesium to keep blood pressure steady. Courgette flower essence aids in restoring vitality and physical strength in times of stress or feeling at a low ebb. Serves 2 30g (1 oz)pine nuts 2 tbsp finely diced courgette 500g (1 lb) buffalo ricotta 2 tbsp chopped holy basil Juice of 1 lemon 2 courgette flowers olive oil 2 tbsp chopped fresh basil 2 tbsp chopped fresh chervil salt and pepper Dressing 2 tbsp Dijon mustard 2 tbsp white wine vinegar salt and pepper 65ml (2 fl oz) vegetable oil 65ml (2 fl oz) olive oil 5 drops courgette flower essence sugar to taste (optional)

Start by toasting the pine nuts. Place the pine nuts in a dry, hot pan and heat until they start to pop. Remove from the heat and set aside. Combine the diced courgette and ricotta in a bowl and then add the pine nuts. Add the holy basil and squeeze the lemon juice into the bowl. Mix and season to taste.

Growing Hibiscus

side of the world, the men of Hawaii have the same custom, tucking the brilliant red Kokio hibiscus behind the right ear to send a message that they are married; behind the left ear, it signals that they are single, and behind both ears, married but looking for another. The rare and endangered yellow Ma’o Hau Hele hibiscus, found in the Wai Anae Mountains, is the state flower of Hawaii, and the rose of Sharon, indigenous to Korea, has always been loved and treasured.

his large colourful flower with its showy single and double petals is native to warm temperate, subtropical and tropical regions throughout the world. It is from a genus of flowering plants in the mallow family, Malvaceae, comprising several hundred species. The red hibiscus, originating in China, is the national flower of Malaysia. It has enormous flowers with shades varying from pink to red and yellow, and are characteristic by their long stamens. In Indonesia the flowers are found in offerings decorating ceremonial objects and stone carvings and in Bali the red Pucuk hibiscus flowers are tucked behind men’s ears when they go courting. On the other

130

To prepare the courgette flowers, gently remove the stamen from inside and cut the tip oﬀ the opposite end. Scoop the mixture into a piping bag and then pipe into the courgette flowers. Set aside. Make the dressing by combining the mustard, vinegar, salt and pepper in a bowl. Gradually whisk in the oils in a slow, steady stream until emulsified. Add the drops of flower essence and adjust seasoning again; if not sweet enough, balance with sugar. Place the courgette flowers in an oven set to 200°C/375°F/gas mark 5 and cook for 6 minutes or until the courgette flowers begin to soften. To serve, garnish with the fresh basil and chervil and drizzle with the dressing.

Small Plates 48 Salads

Plant Identifier: Hibiscus

How to eat and medicinal uses Hibiscus flowers have had a lengthy history of use in Africa and neighbouring tropical countries, and is sacred in India The plant is described as having a number of medical uses and health benefits in Ayurvedic as well as Chinese medicine, including lowering blood pressure and high cholesterol, as well as helping digestive, liver, immune system, inflammatory and gynaecological conditions, as well as greying hair and hair loss. Its fragrant flowers have been used in sachets and perfumes. In Egypt it is widely known for the treatment of cardiac and nerve diseases well as a diuretic. In Iran, drinking sour tea for the treatment of hypertension is a popular practice as is the preparation of jams, jellies, and cold and warm teas and drinks. The peoples of the Caribbean islands, drink a deep crimson hibiscus brewed as an excellent thirst-quencher in the hot summer heat, where it’s sweetened with brown sugar, infused with spices such as cinnamon and clove, then served over plenty of ice.

Easy to grow in the Caribbean and other tropical climes, hibiscus flower all year round. In Europe the hybrid Hibiscus syriacus is hardier and needs a warm, sheltered, sunny spot in well-drained soil. It comes into leaf very late in the season – around early summer in some cases – bursting into flower and then blooming in spectacular shades of blue, pink and white in mid summer and will continue to delight and decorate the bushes until early autumn.

Dried hibiscus is an edible delicacy in Mexico, where it is often seen candied and a garnish, usually for desserts. The roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa) is used as a vegetable and the species Hibiscus suratensis is noted in Visayas in the Philippines as being a souring ingredient for almost all local vegetables and menus. Known as labog in the Visayan area (or labuag/sapinit in Tagalog), the species is an ingredient in their native chicken soup. The tea made from hibiscus flowers is not unique to the Caribbean but is known by many names around the world, served both hot or ice cold; with its characteristic red colour and tart flavour, it is respected for its high vitamin C and flavonoid and antioxidant content. In cocktails it is used to make hibiscus liqueur and is also made into a sauce or marinade, which will keep for three days (if refrigerated). The liqueur can also be used as a delicious drizzle on ice cream, in chocolate flans or meringue cookies.

As a Flower Essence Hibiscus, flower essence has the qualities of calming the nerves and de-stressing. It clears nervous stress and cools and relaxes the nervous system. Invaluable for anyone with insomnia, those who can panic, or feel anxious or over-stretched. Hibiscus calms our inner being, relaxing, refreshing and chilling out the nerve endings. It supports and helps to maintain the integrity of the nervous system and strengthens our inner self.

HIBISCUS TEA Add 5 hibiscus fresh petals or ½ teaspoon of dried leaves to boiling water. After 2 minutes of boiling, remove from the heat. Strain and cool slightly. Add organic sugar, honey or stevia to sweeten to taste if desired. Plant Identifier: Hibiscus 131

HEALTH, DIET & FITNESS

227 x 165 mm (61⁄2 x 9 in) 144 pp | 22,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Autumn 2019

Hildegard of Bingen’s Holistic Health Secrets

Natural remedies from the visionary pioneer of herbal medicine Learn natural-health wisdom from twelfth-century German Benedictine abbess Hildegard of Bingen, widely regarded as one of the true pioneers of holistic medicine and natural healing. A practical book featuring the 10 key Hildegardian principles, including preventative health care, the mind–body connection, fasting, meditation and ecological considerations. • Includes menu options and recipes for healing balms, elixirs and natural remedies based on medicinal plants. • Targeted advice for alleviating common conditions, such as digestive issues, insomnia, migraines, skin problems, stress – and more. •

Mélanie Schmidt-Ulmann is a graduate of the Hildegard Institute, a Hildegardian and Bach Flower practitioner and a natural-parenting consultant, offering support and guidance to future parents and promoting an organic way of life.

The morning ritual

6. FENNEL Fennel is one of the hot vegetables recommended by Hildegard. She also considered it to be an indispensible medicinal plant. ‘In whatever form it is consumed, it makes us happy, brings the body a pleasant warmth and good perspiration, and facilitates digestion,’ wrote Hildegard.

Stimulates the production of bile

Eases period-related pains

Hildegard placed particular emphasis on the morning ritual – the Miracle Morning before its time! She recommended some breathing exercises, a health/beauty ritual or a good breakfast composed

of her recommended key foods.

plus OR

HABERMUS

HERBAL TEA

(warm spelt porridge with a plant-based milk; see recipe on page 89)

of your choice (such as fennel or rosehip, for example)

OR ROLLED-OATS PORRIDGE

Helps lower blood pressure

Promotes the excretion of water through the urinary tract

(see recipe on page 92)

What a great way to start your day!

42 THE TEN HILDEGARDIAN PRINCIPLES

THE MORNING RITUAL 43

Who was Hildegard?

FENNEL TEA

A 12th-century German abbess, Hildegard of Bingen was born in 1098, the tenth child of a noble Catholic family in southwest Germany. From the age of three she began to experience visions, which she called ‘graces’, and around age eight she met Jutta, a young abbess in a nearby monastery.

An infusion is the simplest way to get all the benefits from this plant. Method: Place 1 teaspoon of crushed fennel seeds into one cupful of water. Bring to a boil and let it infuse covered for 10 to 15 minutes before straining. Drink before meals or an hour afterwards.

CAUTION!

• For the same reason, do not consume more than 7g (¼ oz) of fennel seeds per day.

68 HILDEGARDIAN NUTRITION

• Apply a face cloth soaked in cold water over your eyes for a few minutes. Or, alternatively, gaze at a stretch of green for a few minutes: ‘The green of this field eliminates eye disorders and makes them clean and clear,’ wrote Hildegard.

SPELT BREAD, DRIED FRUIT

(see recipe on page 57)

• Fennel in any form is not recommended in cases of hormone-dependent cancer (breast cancer, cancer of the ovaries or the uterus) because of its oestrogenic properties (it stimulates oestrogen production).

• For strong and healthy teeth put some pure cold water into your mouth and hold it there until the water becomes tepid. (This does not, of course, excuse you from also brushing your teeth!)

Have a solid Hildegardian breakfast made up of the following:

HOMEMADE OR INSTANT SPELT COFFEE

Fennel does, in fact, have a very positive eﬀect on the digestive process, and this has since been scientifically demonstrated: by stimulating the production of bile, it helps digest fats. With its rich mineral content – especially potassium – fennel also helps lower blood pressure and promotes the excretion of water through the urinary tract. It has diuretic and draining properties due to its water and fibre content. Furthermore, it is rich in antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic compounds, which are particularly helpful in easing period-related pains. In Hildegardian nutrition, fennel can be eaten raw or cooked. You can prepare it as a salad, soup or enjoy it as a sautéed vegetable. Like fresh fennel, fennel seeds also have digestive properties. You can take them as a herbal tea (see opposite), or chew a teaspoon of fennel seeds every morning on an empty stomach.

TO PRACTICE THE RITUAL

• Chew 1 teaspoon of fennel seeds on an empty stomach. This is an excellent aid to digestion.

Rich in antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and antispasmodic compounds

Helps digest fats THE TEN KEY FOODS 69

Jutta taught her to read, sing and compose, and introduced her to the ‘simples’ in the garden – natural medicinal plants. Aged fifteen, Hildegard entered the convent. Some years later, she moved to the convent in the small town of Bingen, whose name she would carry. Hildegard was a theologian, an intellectual, a scientist and an artist. Her many other works included the invention of a completely new artificial language, written and spoken by her alone, and with its very own alphabet! She is also recognized today as being the only woman to have composed sacred music in the Christian Middle Ages. In addition to this, she wrote two medical and scientific treatises: Causae et Curae and Physica. In her day, she was well known throughout Europe, travelling widely and dispensing her advice to the people. She died on 17th September 1179 – the date she herself had predicted! By this time she was already recognized as a saint, and Pope Benedict XVI extended this honour in 2012, making her one of only four women ‘doctors of the Church’. This exceptional title was in recognition of the importance of Hildegard’s thinking within the Catholic religious doctrine. VISIONARY NUN AND NATUROPATH Hildegard was also a healer, and pilgrims would travel long distances to benefit from her ‘miracles’. She was able to heal simply by laying her hands on the sick person, or even healing

8 WHO WAS HILDEGARD?

from a distance. Beyond these gifts, Hildegard also relied on the principles of accepted health practices such as remedies based on plants or minerals, and on European traditional medicine, which was on the rise in the Middle Ages, especially within the monasteries. Hildegard also had a thorough knowledge of the human body and nature, much of this based on her visions but equally, and most certainly, on her profound intuition. She was without a doubt a visionary: she addressed medical concepts that had not yet been discovered or proven by science until several centuries later! According to Hildegard, the body and the mind are one. Physical disorders must not be separated from psychological disorders and emotions. In this respect, it could be said she was a pioneer of early holistic medicine – a concept that still resonates today with astonishing modern relevance. HILDEGARD’S SUCCESSORS While European traditional medicine was gradually being supplanted by modern medicine, one man revived Hildegard of Bingen’s principles of health: Dr Gottfried Hertzka (1913–1997). After the Second World War, he delved into her many writings and, more specifically, into the remedies she called ‘simple plant-based’. He adapted her recipes for health and popularized them through numerous books, testing this form of medicine on his patients with success.

HEALTH, DIET & FITNESS

210 x 170 mm (63⁄4 x 81⁄4 in) 256 pp | 50,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Spring 2020

The Carb-Cycling Diet

Lose weight with this easy sugar-free diet Follow the principles of carb-cycling – eat very few carbs on alternative (DOWN) days, or at weekends only, with normal carb eating on other (UP) days – to recharge energy, speed up the metabolism and lose weight. Carb-cycling maximizes carb reduction and reduces sugar intake without being an elimination diet, triggering fat loss without depriving your body of the nutrition or energy carbs provide. •• Includes profiles of 75 key low-carb foods and carb content listings for 100 raw and cooked vegetables, fruits and herbs. •• 100 recipes, classified for UP and DOWN days, then by food type (seafood, meat, veggie, desserts). •• A four-week meal planner provides a balanced programme for weight loss. •• Explains complicated terms such as glycaemic index and glycaemic load in an easy-to-understand way. ••

Anne Dufour is a health journalist. Her books have sold more than 3 million copies worldwide. She is joined by journalist Carole Garnier, the author of many bestsellers with Éditions Leduc.s (more than 550,000 copies sold). TUNAand PEPPER SKEWERS

DOWN

WHAT ARE THE MAIN PRINCIPLES OF THE CARB-CYCLING DIET? There are three. And they’re very simple. It’s about controlling the quantity and quality of the carbohydrates you put in your mouth and also when you consume them, while

GOOD CHOICES

adapting your menus to your lifestyle rather than the other way round. So, if it’s your son’s birthday next Thursday, indulge with him and enjoy his birthday cake; don’t stay in a corner

Serves 4

Cut the tuna into cubes and divide

Heat a large frying pan and cook

Preparation time 15 minutes Cooking time 25 minutes

among four skewers. Brush with 2 tablespoons of the olive oil, salt and pepper.

the skewers for 2–3 minutes,

Cut the peppers in half, remove the core and seeds, and cut the

Serve with the peppers and sprinkle with parsley.

1 red pepper 1 yellow pepper 1 green pepper 1 onion, peeled and sliced 2 garlic cloves, peeled and sliced 4 tbsp olive oil 2 tbsp chopped parsley Salt and pepper

Refined grains Bread, flour, pasta and other simple dishes made from refined cereals (white bread, breakfast

from whole grains

cereals, cereal bars, etc.)

VEGETABLES

All – fresh or frozen

Vegetable-based processed foods – fresh, frozen or canned

FRUITS

All – fresh or frozen

Quantity

turning them over (the tuna should remain pink in the centre).

BECOME AWARE OF THE AMOUNT OF CARBS YOU CONSUME (AND FOLLOW TIPS TO REDUCE THEM) The goal of Carb Cycling is to eat fewer carbohydrates overall. But before you can consume

INGREDIENTS 600 g (1 lb 5 oz) tuna

BAD CHOICES

Whole grains (wheat, rice, millet, etc.) Bread, flour, pasta and other simple dishes made

STARCHY FOODS

with sticks of celery and cherry tomatoes! But on the days before and after, tighten your belt and eat less carbs. It’s as simple as that – and we’ll prove it to you in this book.

fewer carbs, you need to have an idea of how many you eat each day and which foods contain them. Many people are surprised – and rarely pleasantly – by what they discover on both counts. The first thing to be aware of is that you’re consuming carbs from morning to

Fruit-based processed foods – frozen, canned, fruit coulis, dried fruits, sweetened jams, etc.

night, even if you think you’re eating healthily. But the second is that by making some very simple adjustments, you can virtually halve the quantity, without completing changing your eating habits. Never lose sight of the fact that the body needs carbohydrates – they’re vital.

Fruit juices and other fruit-based drinks

But you need to choose them wisely and control the amount you eat.

flesh into small dice.

Fruit yogurts and other fruit-based desserts, including purées

Heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a frying pan and gently

with added sugar

FACT BOX

fry the peppers, garlic and onion over low heat, until they’re tender,

CARB-CYCLING DOWN MENU

about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

• Tuna and Pepper Skewers

According to Harvard Medical School, it is the quality of the carbohydrates you ingest that contributes to a healthy diet.

SWEETS

For example, low-quality carbs are quickly digested, often leading to blood sugar spikes and only a temporary feeling of fullness. But the protein and nutrients found in unprocessed whole foods can slow

Dark chocolate (in small quantities)

All – in any form. Sugary drinks – juice, soda, sweetened tea or coffee – are particularly bad

the glucose conversion of starches and sugars, preventing drastic spikes and making you feel full for longer. To improve the quality of carbs in your diet:

• Choose more whole grains

• Cucumber salad with dill

• Limit foods with added sugars

• Natural fromage frais with

• Avoid processed food • Cook food from scratch at home

cinnamon 18

DOWN

PRAWNSwith FENNEL

Serves 4

Peel and squeeze the garlic

Preparation time 10 minutes Cooking time 20 minutes

cloves. Trim the fennel bulbs and cut them in pieces. Add to a saucepan wih the garlic. Cook over

INGREDIENTS 500 g (1 lb) peeled prawns

a medium heat for 15 minutes until the fennel is tender. Add salt

1 clove garlic

and pepper to taste.

HOW DOES IT WORK?

ALMONDS

Heat the olive oil in a frying pan and sauté the prawns for a few

DOWN

minutes on each side. Add salt and pepper. Serve with the fennel,

Perfect as an appetite suppressant and protein supplement on DOWN days,

and sprinkle over the chopped fresh parsley.

almonds should be avoided,

CELERY / CELERIAC

Calories per 100 g (3.5 oz): 576 GL: 0

Satiety rating: *** Fibre, vegetable proteins, calcium, arginine (a good amino acid)

• Almonds are very rich in proteins and highly satiating fibre.

• Choose whole almonds, or shelled ones (but with their skins

• They don’t ‘make you fat’ if consumed in moderation; on the contrary, they help control the appetite, an asset that’s particularly appreciated on DOWN days.

on, as these are rich in fibre and antioxidants). Avoid blanched (skinned) almonds.

Calories per 100 g (3.5 oz): 18 GL: 0

food, which you need to consume in large quantities before you feel

so crunchy and such a good

compeltely satiated.

you eat the sticks or the root

• Full of of vitamins B6 and C, celery and celeriac stimulate the

Although it might seem strange,

production of noradrenaline, a

its crunchiness actually assists in

neurotransmitter that helps limit

helping you feel full, in contrast to

fat reserves.

soft-textured puréed or mashed

only, on UP days, when it’s

UP/ DOWN

appetite suppressant. Whether (celeriac), celery makes a noise.

or consumed in moderation

Satiety rating: * Very low calorie, high fibre

When you think about it, it’s rare to find a food that’s both

Like all crunchy vegetables – radishes, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower – celery makes a great way to start a meal or the perfect snack. It’s the perfect Carb-Cycling food for every day, UP and DOWN.

best not to accumulate both high carbs and high fats.

3 fennel bulbs

CUCUMBER

2 tbsp olive oil

Calories per 100 g (3.5 oz): 10 GL: 0

Satiety rating: * Calcium, potassium, antioxidants

calories 100 g (3.5 oz): 100

Satiety rating: ***

GL: 0

High protein, iodine and selenium

• Cucumber is the least calorific of all vegetables, four times less than green beans.

• Full of fibre and antioxidants, it is good for the skin and helps control your blood sugar. It also reduces the rate of cholesterol and triglycerides.

• It would be difficult to find a

• Prawns provide a good amount

2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley 5 peppercorns

CARB-CYCLING DOWN MENU UP/ DOWN

• Vegetable soup • Prawns with Fennel

Used fresh or in pickles,

• Goat’s cheese

cucumbers can be eaten every day, on down days as well as up. Munch on crunchy mini cucumbers as snacks, at a picnic or at the very beginning of a meal to take the edge off hunger.

• Low in carbohydrates, cucumber is full of water and potassium, thus positioning itself as the best diuretic vegetable. It helps to reduce excess water weight and bloating.

PRAWNS

food that’s richer in protein than

of selenium, an anti-ageing

prawns. As for carbohydrates

mineral that helps convert

and fats, apart from a few traces

thyroid hormones into their

of omega 3, they quite simply

active form. And these precious

don’t contain any!

hormones play a vital role when you’re watching your weight.

UP/ DOWN

• A good source of vitamin B3, prawns contribute to the production of energy. Great

A real Carb-Cycling wild card,

news: it’s thanks to B3 that you

prawns are welcome every

burn all those calories rather

day, whether DOWN or UP.

than storing them.

On DOWN days, you can count on them to fill you up, but as they’re low in both fat and calories, prawns come highly recommended on UP days, too.

128

100 CARB-CYCLING RECIPES

129

THE 75 TOP CARB-CYCLING FOODS

HEALTH, DIET & FITNESS

233 x 165 mm (61⁄2 in x 91⁄4 in) 192 pp | 50,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Spring 2020

The Soup Detox Plan

Over 80 recipes to clear toxins, lose weight and boost health Reset your health with these vegetarian, gluten-free, lactose-free and low-cholesterol recipes to use every day or on one of the suggested 3- or 7-day detoxes. Recipes are specially developed by a doctor for optimal nutrition and to keep you fuller for longer. •• Features more than 80 internationally influenced recipes, from gazpacho to vichyssoise. •• Includes meal plans for 3- and 7-day detox cures. •• Includes a selection of vegetarian, gluten-free, lactose-free and low-cholesterol recipes. •• Easily referenced charts of different ingredients and their health benefits. •• A choice of soups for everyone – raw, cooked, hot or cold, cleansing, energizing, slimming, etc. ••

Dr Sophie Ortega is a medical doctor specializing in nutrition. She graduated from the Faculty of Medicine of Montpellier, then went on to study dietetics and clinical and therapeutic nutrition at the University of Paris VII. She is the author of four books on nutrition and healthy eating. 3-DAY DETOX CURE It’s a good idea to add garlic and herbs to your soups as they help detoxify and slim: garlic has diuretic, detoxifying properties and its fibres help eliminate some sugars and fats; thyme fights bloating and aerophagia (swallowing excess air); parsley moderates the appetite and detoxifies.

CLASSIC CURE Repeat every day for three days Before breakfast: 1 lemon squeezed into 500 ml (16 fl oz) water Breakfast: 3 fresh seasonal fruits 1 cup of green tea

TIP In winter choose hot soups and mineral water rich in magnesium. In summer choose cold soups and sparkling alkaline mineral waters.

Before lunch: 1 lemon squeezed into 500 ml (16 fl oz) water Lunch: 300 ml (10 fl oz) green detox soup with chlorophyll (see page 116) 1 grilled chicken breast Vegetable salad, with 1 tbsp rapeseed oil 1 fruit At 5pm: 1 lemon squeezed into 500 ml (16 fl oz) water Dinner (vegetarian, gluten-free): 300 ml (10 fl oz) green detox soup with chlorophyll (see page 116) 1 bowl of rice, quinoa or steamed potatoes, sprinkled with seeds and 1 tbsp olive oil Salad 1 pot plain soya yoghurt

CHLOROPHYLL A helpful addition to the soups, with its purifying and antioxidant properties, chlorophyll is very sensitive to heat, so add it after cooking the soup. You can find it as a juice or powder, when the juice is dehydrated below 40°C (104°F). Eat 1–2 tsp per day, diluted in or sprinkled over your vegetable broth or soup at the beginning of the meal. If you’re doing intensive treatment, gradually increase the dose to double or triple for up to 20 days.

Dinner should be a light meal, preferably vegetarian and gluten-free. Gluten-free cereals help to rest the digestive tract and promote drainage. DETOX MEAL P LANS

DETOX MEAL PLANS

CUCUMBER AND FETA GAZPACHO This cucumber take on a traditional tomato-based gazpacho is garnished with feta, giving it a traditional Grecian feel while also providing protein and calcium.

SERVES

4 A

2 garlic cloves, peeled 40 g (1½ oz) pot natural yoghurt 100 g (3½ oz) feta 2 cucumbers, peeled and cut into cubes 1 spring onion (preferably silverskin), peeled and roughly chopped

These cures have been developed to include soups that maintain good hydration levels and increase the number of plants you are eating – which means you get more vitamins and minerals. They include proteins and carbohydrates to keep you full and, especially, they are short: 3–5 days. You will not suffer from any deficiencies, neither will you feel tired. The days following the cure are important, when your body will be relearning how to manage with more calories and it’s especially important not fall back into bad habits during this time. The slimming cure is a longer detox of 7 days and can be renewed every 3 weeks.

6 mint leaves, plus extra, finely chopped to garnish

Heat a small pan and lightly fry the garlic for a few minutes. Put the yoghurt, feta and about half the cucumber into a blender. Pulse for about 30 seconds, gradually increasing the speed to the maximum setting. Add the remaining ingredients to the blender. Mix for 1 minute at maximum speed, then place in the refrigerator until ready to serve. Season and serve chilled sprinkled with chopped mint with a drizzle of olive oil. Swap If you don’t like mint, try basil instead to complement the feta.

Olive oil, to serve Salt and freshly ground black pepper

TH E RECIPES

Extras Sprinkle with 1 finely chopped dried nori sheet. The seaweed provides omega-3 and iodine, and has a slight hazelnut taste.

179

HEALTH, DIET & FITNESS

229 x 178 mm (7 x 9 in) 128 pp | 32,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Spring 2019

The Ketogenic & Hypotoxic Diet

Lose weight and improve health with this low-carb, high-fat, anti-inflammatory plan Low in carbohydrates, rich in good fats, but also hypotoxic (gluten- and dairy-free, with only moderate amounts of organic animal protein), the diet offers the solution to a range of concerns, such as gut health, diabetes and obesity. Discover the health benefits of key ingredients and how to incorporate them in your diet in this essential guide. • Packed with recipes for soups, salads, breads, main courses, snacks and desserts, plus practical advice on how to put meals together. • Includes customized dietary plans for vegetarians, vegans, children, athletes, and for anti-inflammatory benefits and weight loss. •

Olivia Charlet is a nutritional therapist and practising naturopath. She is passionate about toxicology and all non-invasive natural health alternatives and offers her ketogenic diet to many of her patients.

Seasonings Spices

Healthy sprinkles Spices have a lot of healthy qualities. They contain many active substances (phytonutrients, essential oils, antioxidants), which fight aging and protect our immune system with proven anticancer effects. Every spice and medicinal herb contains one or more active substances that act on our bodies. Broadly speaking, they ease digestion, cleanse our digestive system and help to increase our intake of antioxidants. Some also have anti-inflammatory properties. This is true, for example, of turmeric, ginger, cumin and nutmeg. Almost all herbs and spices have the advantage of being low in carbohydrates, so they can be included in a ketogenic diet without restrictions. The exceptions are ginger, garlic and onion, although, if eaten in

The ideal ketogenic lunch

9 ketogenic lunch ideas

Whether you’ve decided to adopt a hypotoxic ketogenic

For a little variety, here are nine ketogenic lunch formulas to try.

breakfast or intermittent fasting every day or just once

Aromatic herbs small quantities, they don't present a problem. In fact, these are powerful antioxidants and it would be a shame to deprive ourselves of them. the right way to eat spices • Add a pinch of spices to every dish and enjoy all their health benefits. • They are delicious with coconut oil or coconut cream (try them with chicken, lacto-fermented tofu or cauliflower). • Mix together ground turmeric, cardamom, cumin, ginger, coriander and coconut milk – delicious on cauliflower tabbouleh, on cabbage and on other vegetables. • Blend fresh turmeric with coconut oil. This lightly spiced orange coconut butter tastes great and has strong protective properties for our cells.

A little extra flavour Like spices, fresh or dry herbs help to enhance the flavour of your dishes. They also provide healthy antioxidants, some of which aid digestion. Generally speaking, their carbohydrate content is negligible. the right way to eat aromatic herbs • In summer, as well as in winter, bring a little touch of green and extra flavour to all your dishes with a few herbs, such as parsley, coriander, mint, basil, tarragon, nettles, thyme, rosemary and bay leaf. • Fresh is better, but you can also opt for frozen or dried herbs

a week, the quality of your lunch is just as important.

Unpasteurized rice miso This is a very healthy food made from fermented miso and rich in probiotics that you can include in your daily diet in small quantities. Tips for use:

• To prepare the famous miso soup. • To season sautéed vegetables, make a salad dressing or flavour soups.

Please note! Be careful not to boil rice miso or it could lose its healthy properties. Preferably choose the unpasteurized kind: it will be rich in vitamins, enzymes, electrolytes and good bacteria.

Idea 1

Duck confit and ‘rice’ • Grated black radish with camelina oil • Duck leg confit • Cauliflower ‘rice’ (see page 114)

Idea 2

chicken-leeks • Organic chicken fillet or thigh • Leek fondue made with red palm oil

Idea 3

mixed salad • Salad made with endives, walnuts, pine nuts, avocado and cured ham

Idea 4

Seafood menu • Sardines or scallop carpaccio • Salad made with lamb’s lettuce, rocket, sprouted seeds, ground flaxseeds, flakes or chips of oily fruit and seeds, camelina and olive oils

Idea 5

vegetarian lunch • Broccoli steamed in coconut milk, sesame puree and poached eggs

Idea 6

Vegan lunch (living foods) • Sauerkraut (raw) and camelina oil • Avocado and lacto-fermented tofu with olives

Idea 7

Vegan lunch (living foods) • Avocado pesto with acai (see page 121) • Baby leaf salad (spinach, rocket, lamb’s lettuce) with pumpkin seeds, chia and shelled hemp seeds

Idea 8

Vegan spaghetti bolognaise (living foods) • Courgette spaghetti in tomato sauce with vegetable patties (see page 113)

Idea 9

Vegan pizza (living foods) • Keto-pizza (see page 117)

9 KETOGENIC LUNCH IDEAS 75

rosemary

thyme

Seaweed

An exceptionally rich resource

Replace sugar with … cinnamon Cinnamon is particularly beneficial as it’s rich in antioxidants and has a glucose-lowering effect. Enjoy its benefits by adding it to fruit and to replace sugar. A cinnamon tea with a few raw cocoa beans or a piece of 100 per cent raw cacao makes a delicious snack and can be enjoyed after meals.

Vegetables

Let’s sort these out!

Extremely rich in what are called ‘complete’ proteins (23 per cent

As an indispensable source of fibre, vitamins, minerals and

of its weight), seaweed contains all the essential amino acids.

phytonutrients, vegetables play a major role in the ketogenic diet. But be careful – not just any kind!

Seaweed also contains ten to twenty times more minerals than land vegetables. In particular, seaweed offers large concentrations of calcium, magnesium, phosphorus, manganese and iron. This abundance of mineral salts puts seaweed at the top of the list of remineralizing foods. An alkaline food par excellence, it helps to neutralize the body’s acidification, linked to excessive consumption of animal proteins and grains. It also contains chlorophyll (good for acid-base balance and detoxification of the blood), vitamins (B, C and A), active substances for toxin elimination and antioxidant substances such as phlorotannins or polyphenols, and a high iodine content (very important for healthy thyroid function). Seaweed also supplies high-quality polyunsaturated fatty acids – omega-3s in the form of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic

acid (DHA) and gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), depending on the type of seaweed). These are very similar to the omega-3s found in oily fish. Last but not least, seaweed is rich in fibre. This abundance is helpful for bowel movements and provides a feeling of fullness. So, there are plenty of good reasons to include seaweed in your daily diet! How to choose seaweed? • Fresh seaweed is best. If this isn’t possible, you can get it in the form of seaweed flakes in organic stores. These are guaranteed in terms of toxicological and microbiological criteria, subject to strict controls and grown in protected areas. • You could try sea lettuce, nori, wakame, kombu, dulse or salicornia (plants, such as samphire, that grow partly immersed in water and are not, strictly speaking, seaweed).

The carbohydrate content of vegetables can vary widely, with some having less that 2 g of carbohydrates per 100 g (cooked spinach) and others nearly 17 g (sweet potatoes).

Please note! The vegetables highest in carbohydrates are root vegetables (which have grown underground), such as sweet potato, potato and parsnip. They should be avoided.

Cauliflower

The cauliflower is a favourite ketogenic food. In addition to its low carbohydrate content, it makes for an ideal alternative to many starches. Tips for use:

How to use seaweed • As a seaweed tartare (found in organic stores – or make it yourself, see page 119). • In stocks and soups. • Seaweed flakes in salads.

50 KEY FOODS

SEASONINGS 51

energy booster! By consuming a small quantity of seaweed every day or several times a week, you’ll soon notice an increase in your energy, which may indicate that you were deficient in iodine and perhaps other minerals too.

42 KEY FOODS

• Puree it to replace potatoes. • When grated and cooked, use it just like rice. • When grated and raw, cauliflower has a similar texture to semolina, and is ideal for low-carb tabbouleh recipes.

Courgettes

The courgette is another favourite vegetable of the ketogenic diet. It’s 95 per cent water, low in carbohydrates and rich in potassium and rutin, a phenolic compound from the flavonoid group that promotes healthy blood pressure and is also an antioxidant. Tips for use:

• Cut into thin strips – courgettes make a great substitute for spaghetti. • Grated raw in salad. VEGETABLES 43

HEALTH, DIET & FITNESS

SOL D IN L

ANG UAG 13 ES

205 x 148 mm (513⁄16 x 8 in) 128 pp | 23,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Spring 2019

Natural Painkillers

Relieve pain with natural remedies and exercises An essential guide to understanding pain and the natural, practical and scientifically-proven techniques that will make it go away. Includes a detailed profile of the best 10 foods that bring relief – turmeric, cabbages, pineapple, and so on… • Enjoy step-by-step instructions to make your own potent herbal poultices, compresses, balms, massages, baths, teas, and rubs. • Target common problems from burns to backache and much more. • Learn relaxation techniques, deep-breathing, massage and posture exercises. •

Yann Rougier, MD, has devoted his more-than-30-year career in medicine to studying the intersection of mind, body, nutrition and the immune system, particularly as it applies to cancer and degenerative diseases. He is a founding member of the Institute for Applied Neuronutrition and Neurosciences. Marie Borrel is a journalist and author of books on natural healing. TWO HOMEOPATHIC REMEDIES

CRAMPS

Homeopathic medicine recommends two remedies, the effectiveness of which in reducing the pain and inflammation caused by strenuous physical exercise has been noted for more than two centuries.

These sudden, involuntary and painful muscular contractions harden the muscle to the point it feels like wood. They can occur at rest or when you’re moving and their causes are various, for example excessive sweating, mineral deficiency or overexertion. The first thing to do is stretch the muscle in the opposite direction of the cramp (for example by flexing your foot if the cramp is in your calf muscle). The cramp will usually ease in less than a minute. If it doesn’t, there are some natural remedies that can help relieve it.

TRY IT!

10 FOODS THAT RELIEVE PAIN

• Obtain a tube of Rhus toxicodendron 9C and a tube of Arnica 5C. • Take 3 granules of each (at the same time) three times a day between meals. • Repeat until the pain has completely disappeared.

Certain foods are particularly active in reducing pain and inflammation. These are mostly, but not exclusively, plant-based foods. Here’s a selection that will help you better manage your pain, provided you consume them regularly.

①

LEMON

②

PINEAPPLE

FULL OF NATURAL ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AGENTS This fruit contains manganese, a trace element that has both antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It also contains bromelain, which combats inflammation by modifying the synthesis of prostaglandins – compounds that are present in many forms in the body. Some of these compounds help cause inflammation, while others have an anti-inflammatory effect. Bromelain encourages the production of anti-inflammatory prostaglandins. Although bromelain is found mostly in the pineapple’s stem and leaves, which are difficult to eat, the flesh still contains quite enough of it to effectively reduce pain.

THE ANTACID PAR EXCELLENCE Not only is lemon a good source of vitamin C (always useful, especially to stimulate tissue healing), but it’s also an exceptional antacid. Remember: the organic acids it contains turn into alkalizing substances (including bicarbonate) in contact with digestive juices. Lemon juice diluted with water, drunk first thing in the morning for a period of two to three weeks (at each change of season), will greatly benefit your tissues by limiting the acidity that attacks them. As lemon is also slightly diuretic, it promotes the elimination of waste from the kidneys, including the acidic crystals that sometimes lodge in the joints and cause pain.

MARINE MAGNESIUM

HOT CLAY POULTICES Here again, heat is used to accelerate the disappearance of muscle soreness. But clay also plays a vital dual role: it ‘attracts’ waste that clogs the muscle tissue and contributes to the soreness and it diffuses through the skin minerals that will strengthen the muscles.

TRY IT!

Magnesium deficiency is very common in Western societies. Almost all of us suffer a nutritional deficiency of this essential mineral, which contributes to more than 200 enzymatic responses and is involved in the flow of information in the nervous system and the brain. Magnesium deficiency can result in cramps, so if you frequently suffer from them, even when you haven’t been involved in unusually strenuous physical activity, you would do well to take magnesium supplements.

In addition to using it as a seasonal cure (see above), you can use lemon juice every day in the kitchen. • In salad dressings, instead of vinegar. • To add flavour to certain dishes, such as fish, shellfish, poultry, fried rice, steamed vegetables and fruit salad.

• Fresh pineapple can be eaten raw, as a dessert. You can also use it in pies or fruit salads and it will pleasantly flavour stewed apples, pears and peaches.

• You can also add it to sweet-and-savoury dishes, with chicken breast in a curry, for example.

• Avoid canned pineapple: not only is it much sweeter, but it also contains less bromelain.

26 A PAIN-FIGHTING DIET

10 FOODS THAT RELIEVE PAIN 27

TRY IT!

• Magnesium is available in many forms – in phials or as tablets, for instance. • Choose marine magnesium because it’s the easiest for the body to assimilate. • Follow the packet instructions as dosages vary depending on the product.

Take it for at least three weeks and repeat every three months. • In addition, increase your intake of magnesium-rich foods, such as algae, almonds, walnuts, wholegrain rice, spinach, fish and seafood.

• Pour 6 tablespoons of powdered green clay (8–10 if muscle soreness is widespread) into a large bowl.

• Heat a little water in a saucepan. As soon as it begins to simmer, pour it very

A PAIN-FIGHTING DIET With pain, whatever its nature or cause, there is usually underlying inflammation. Take a common sprain, for instance. The ligaments that support the bones in the area affected will have been injured as a result of impact or a sudden forceful move. Inflammation occurs so that blood can flow to the injured tissue, helping to nourish and repair it. This happens in most types of painful injury.

gradually into the clay, stirring with a wooden spoon.

• Stop stirring as soon as a paste forms: it should be neither too sticky nor too firm and should spread easily without running.

• Spread this paste on the sore muscle (be careful not to burn yourself: wait a

Inflammation is not your enemy. It is often essential to recovery, which then eliminates the pain. It is one of the tools the body uses to repair itself. Inflammation, however, often lasts longer than it should and must be reduced in order to relieve pain. Diet can be one of the best means of doing this.

minute or two if the paste is too hot) and leave it to work for about 20 minutes.

• Rinse in warm water. Repeat twice a day. • Repeat twice a day.

74 A PAIN-FIGHTING DIET

TRY IT! TRY IT!

10 FOODS THAT RELIEVE PAIN 75

HEALTH, DIET & FITNESS

2.5+ M ILLIO N

DAN IELE E F STY

BOOKS SO LD

229 x 178 mm (7 x 9 in) 128 pp | 25,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Spring 2019

Six Essential Oils You Can’t Do Without

The best aromatherapy oils for health, home and beauty and how to use them Enjoy the full benefits of essential oils at home. Whether helping with beauty, health, housework, gardening, or health, each essential oil gets to work, offering its properties to provide effective solutions. Discover profiles and powers of six essential oils that do everything: tea tree oil, lemon, lavender, mint, rosemary and rose. •• Learn how to use them for health: effective remedies (angina, slow digestion, anxiety, insomnia, hypertension, arthritis...) and beauty treatments (massages, baths, foot care, face masks, etc.). •• An easy way to look after your house and garden: magic formulas and miracle solutions that make your home clean and fragrant. Banish cat or dog fleas or moths from your wardrobes, get rid of bugs on your pretty plants – for ever! •• 300 ways to use essential oils every day. ••

Danièle Festy, pharmacist, has shared her passion for essential oils for over 40 years. She is the author of My Essential Oils Bible (over 2 million copies sold worldwide). See www.danielefesty.com. 3 GREAT SLIMMING MASSAGES The goal is to reshape your body’s contours. How can essential oils help you do that? By toning, firming, and strengthening the skin, and flushing out the system to help get rid of waste products and break down fatty tissue. The combination of massage and essential oils is perfect for this. By stimulating blood and lymph circulation, an essential oil massage speeds up the elimination process, helping to remove stored fat, water, and cellulite.

LAVENDER

Use about 20 drops essential oil to 2 tsp of carrier oil.

TONED ARMS 6 MINUTES Mix 10 drops lemon essential oil with 1 tsp jojoba carrier oil.

• Pour a little of the mixture into the palm of your hand, then rub it strongly into the inside of your opposite arm, moving from the elbow up to the shoulder.

• Next, grasping the triceps muscle in your upper arm, knead the outside of the arm vigorously, working towards your heart.

THE SUPREME ESSENTIAL OIL

Its name alone evokes fields of glorious purple in the French region of Provence between Drôme, Mount Ventoux, Luberon, and the canyon of Verdon. Here, to the sound of cicadas, lavender exudes the fragrance so highly prized by the great perfumers. The familiar aroma is also widely used – perhaps overused – by industrial manufacturers but often in a synthetic form which does nothing for health or well-being. The true essential oil of lavender is something quite different – almost a cure-all, given the many different conditions it can treat. From head to toe, it heals, pampers, destroys germs, relaxes, tones, and purifies. It is the most versatile of all essential oils, the one which relieves a multitude of problems. It has another asset, too. Unlike other essential oils, it can be applied directly to the skin without being mixed with a carrier oil. It's also safe to use (in various forms) with pets, too. As a further bonus, this supreme essential oil can also help you look after your home. Its antibacterial action makes it a miracle product for bathrooms and toilets, and when mixed with vinegar, it creates a delightfully scented fabric conditioner for your laundry.

• Change arms and repeat on the other side. • Do this massage only at night, as lemon essential oil can increase

BENEFITS

the skin’s sensitivity to the sun.

• Regulates the nervous system • Antispasmodic, relaxing • Soothes, calms, antidepressant • Antiseptic and wound-healing

FIRM BUTTOCKS 4 MINUTES Mix 10 drops rosemary cineole essential oil and 5 drops lemon essential oil with 1 tsp Isopropyl (rubbing) alcohol 70% and 1 tsp macadamia carrier oil. Shake well before application.

• Pour a little of the mixture into the palm of your hand, and warm it by rubbing one hand against the other.

• Grasp a fold of flesh at the top of your thigh, and press and roll it upwards towards the top of your buttock.

• Repeat three times on each buttock. • Then take a buttock in each hand and knead firmly. You should definitely be able to feel

APPLICATIONS

the heat, but it shouldn’t hurt.

Lavender Oil

SOFT, SMOOTH FACE AND NECK 4 MINUTES Mix 2 drops damask rose essential oil and 1 tsp borage carrier oil.

• For this massage, your skin must first be perfectly clean. • Pour a little of the mixture into the palm of your hand, and warm it by rubbing one hand against the other.

• Place your fingers on the lower part of your face at chin level, then work upwards gently stretching the skin towards the temples – never downwards.

• Repeat the movement several times. • Then, use light circular movements on the skin just beneath each

BEAUTY CARE

eye, where bags can appear, working from the bridge of the nose to the corners of the eyes.

• It soothes skin irritation and a dry, itchy scalp. • It tones and softens skin. • It treats acne. • It is suitable for all skin types – it restores the skin’s balance. • It is especially good for treating sensitive skin.

• Lastly, pinch and gently knead the skin of your neck in the area where a double chin can form.

34 HOW TO USE THE OILS

BEAUTY CARE 35

FOR MIND AND BODY

• It has an anti-inflammatory and analgesic effect, helping to relieve disorders such as migraine, toothache, and stomach pain.

3 FANTASTIC FOOT TREATMENTS

such as skin ulcers, burns, irritated skin, itchiness, and infectious or allergic dermatitis.

Melt 4 tbsp shea butter using the bain-marie method (see page 32). Take the pan off the heat and add 5 drops lemon essential oil and 5 drops lavender essential oil, mixing them well. Wait until the mixture cools, then rub the cream into your feet until it is thoroughly absorbed.

• It has antimicrobial and wound-healing properties, treating wounds and problems

PROFILE Botanical name Lavandula angustifolia, Lavandula officinalis, Lavandula vera Family Lamiaceae Origin South of France Plant part used Flower spikes Aroma Fresh, flowery, with a sweet hint of camphor, slightly minty

REFRESHING FOOT CREAM

• It relaxes muscles, helping to relieve conditions such as cramp or contractures. • It alleviates the stinging pain and irritation of insect and animal bites.

ANTI-BLISTER OIL Pour ½ tsp sweet almond oil into the palm of your hand. Add 4 drops tea tree essential oil and mix together with your finger. Apply the treatment to the chafed areas of your foot, massaging it in well.

IN YOUR HOME

• Its lovely, ‘clean’ fragrance can be used to freshen your laundry, cupboards, vacuum

BLISSFUL FOOT SCRUB Add 5 tbsp bicarbonate of soda and 5 drops rosemary essential oil to a large bowl of warm water. Stir the water with your hand to mix them, then bathe your feet in the solution for 10 minutes. Take your feet out, but don’t rinse them or dry them. Take a handful of bicarbonate of soda and rub it vigorously into the upper side of one foot. Take another handful of bicarbonate and, this time, rub it into the sole and the heel of the foot. Change feet and repeat. Afterwards, rinse your feet carefully with warm water to remove all traces of the bicarbonate.

cleaner, shoes, and every room in the house. • You can use its scent on writing paper. Like all essential oils, it isn’t greasy and doesn’t stain. Try pouring a few drops of essential oil onto a piece of fabric or paper. The next day there will be no visible trace.

FOOT CARE

Flavour Spicy, hot, and slightly bitter Principal biochemical constituents Monoterpenoids: linalol Esters: linalyl acetate

16 YOUR 6 INDISPENSABLE ESSENTIAL OILS

Dry, rough, callused soles – imprisoned in footwear, it’s all they can do to protect themselves.

CAUTION Gentle, non-toxic lavender is a friend to all the family. Young children and even babies tolerate it perfectly. It can be used directly on the skin, in a spray, or ingested*. However, don’t forget the crook-of-the-elbow test (see page 8), as some people may be allergic to the essential oil.

Even when we put them in shoes that allow them to breathe, our feet are naturally dry, because of the action of our sebaceous (oil-producing) glands. Moisturizing and nourishing them is essential. Not just so that the skin becomes soft to the touch, but also because then they will carry us further, without reminding us with each step that they are stifling, burning, swelling, and creating corns. The essential oils selected for these treatments all have exceptional properties to help repair even the worst damaged skin.

LAVENDER 17 52 HOW TO USE THE OILS

BEAUTY CARE 53

HEALTH, DIET & FITNESS

229 x 178 mm (7 x 9 in) 128 pp | 25,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Spring 2020

20 Medicinal Plants You Can’t Do Without

How to use healing plants to remedy common ailments effectively and safely Discover the top 20 medicinal plants for safe and effective home use, with this indispensable step-by-step guide to helping you – and your family – stay fit and healthy every day. Introduces the basics of herbal medicine and horticulture. How to choose and use the right healing plants, from artichoke and hawthorn to blackcurrant and lemon balm. • Which preparations to select for maximum effect (herbal teas, capsules, tinctures, powders and sprays). • How to alleviate common digestive, cardiovascular and respiratory ailments, plus nervous disorders and skin conditions. • Complementary lifestyle advice on optimum diet, exercise, relaxation and acupressure techniques and more! • •

Dr Patrick Aubé is founding member of the National Union of Phyto-Aromatherapy and the European Phytotherapy Association. He is an acupuncturist and expert in herbal medicine.

TO AID DIGESTION Add 50 g (1¾ oz) fresh artichoke leaves to l litre (2 pints) boiling water. Leave for 10 minutes. Strain, then drink the decoction three times a day; the ﬁrst cup should be taken on an empty stomach in the morning. Caution Not to be taken by breastfeeding mothers.

WHAT IS PASSIONFLOWER EXTRACT USED FOR?

Passionflower

Passion flower is used medicinally and by tradition for the symptomatic treatment of children and adults who suffer from nervous disorders. Its ability to relieve anxiety is helpful for relieving excessive emotions, irritability, tachycardia, palpitations, distress, and insomnia.

HOW DOES PASSIONFLOWER HELP WITH NERVOUS DISORDERS?

HOW TO GROW ARTICHOKES Two methods

Passion flower extract is known for its sedative effects. Its antispasmodic and sedative action is linked to the plant's alkaloids. People who are emotionally hypersensitive can beneﬁt from this plant.

1 You can use the seeds to produce seedlings:

OTHER PROPERTIES OF PASSIONFLOWER EXTRACT

2 You can remove new shoots from an artichoke plant; these grow from the base of the stalk. Collect and plant them in spring for a summer harvest, or in autumn to harvest the following spring.

Antispasmodic and muscle relaxant

At the end of winter, in a greenhouse or under cover In pots, and they can pricked out (replanted into deeper compost to allow roots to establish) when the seedlings have two leaves Plant in the ground the following autumn, and harvest them in spring

Protect them from frost in winter Water them regularly but not excessively, and avoid getting the leaves wet Collect the leaves before the plant flowers, and use them while fresh

ALTERNATIVE, COMPLEMENTARY HERB Birdsfoot trefoil: the flowers of Lotus corniculatus

PASSIONFLOWER PREPARATIONS

32 THE 20 MEDICINAL PLANTS

ARTICHOKE 33

Infusion: for 1 cup, pour 200 ml (6¾ fl oz) boiling water over 1 tsp dried leaves. Leave to infuse for 10 minutes, then strain. Also available as liquid extract, powder, spray mist, dried extract and tincture.

Passiflora incarnata is a climbing shrub that can grow to 2.5 m (8 ft) or more in height. Its botanical family is Passifloraceae.

Questions & answers

Balancing your nervous system – an everyday plan

It was known to the Aztecs and introduced into Europe at the end of the 16th century. It is said to have been named by Christian missionaries as a symbol of Christ's passion – the leaves were the lance that pierced his side, the tendrils were the whips that beat him, the flower's styles were the nails, and the corona ﬁlaments his crown of thorns.

The intensity and damaging consequences of both types of stress can be reduced by strengthening our bodies to enable them to withstand the stressful atmosphere around us. Regular physical activity, a balanced diet, exercises, and positive behaviour can all help us to achieve balance. To adapt to stress and avoid its unpleasant consequences, follow this advice: think positive, make choices, don't be endlessly indecisive, be objective, accept yourself for what you are with your good qualities and faults, keep in touch with people, build strong social bonds, do good to those around you, be self-disciplined, and have fun.

The aerial parts, the leaves and flowers, are dried and used therapeutically for the treatment of nervous disorders.

It is essential to begin by managing your nervous system because that influences how other parts of the body function. Stress, sleep problems, emotional disorders, memory loss, concentration difficulties, habits, or addictions, are all linked to the damaging effects of our environment and the destructive nature of our rapidly changing society. What sort of day-to-day measures, what kind of health plan protects against them?

Helps people with emotional problems

HOW TO ENCOURAGE GOOD SLEEP To ensure that you get a good, deep sleep and wake up feeling refreshed, make sure you follow these rules for your bedroom: The room temperature should be no higher than 18°C (65°F). Lowering the external temperature is essential for our bodies to slow our metabolism and prepare for sleep. Avoid long, hot showers at bedtime. Pets shouldn't sleep in the bedroom. Almost half of all cat- and dog-owners share their bedrooms with their pets. The sleep pattern of dogs and cats is not the same as that of humans, and the disruption can cause sleep problems.

One of a trio of important herbal sedatives: passionflower, hawthorn, and valerian.

76 THE 20 MEDICINAL PLANTS

Stress is a technical term which can mean the physical pressure applied to test the strength of a metallic element. The concept of mental stress was developed by Dr Hans Selye, who was born in Eastern Europe in 1907 and spent much of his life in North America. He made the distinction between acute stress, which causes our body to release adrenaline, and chronic stress, which encourages the production of cortisol, often prompting physical and mental exhaustion, making us feel depressed, and lowering our immune defences.

YOUR GOALS To take better control of your stress, moods, sleep, and mental and cognitive function

PASSIONFLOWER 77

98 EVERYDAY HEALTH & WELL-BEING SOLUTIONS

BALANCING YOUR NERVOUS SYSTEM 99

HEALTH, DIET & FITNESS

205 x 148 mm (513⁄16 x 8 in) 160 pp | 40,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Autumn 2019

How to Sleep Well

Everything you need to know for a good night’s sleep This in-depth look at sleep, including all the most recent scientific developments, will help improve your sleep, health and quality of life. • • • •

Discover the mechanisms that control your sleep. Packed with simple but effective sleep-management techniques, exercises and advice on natural therapies for sleeplessness. Includes a 28-day Sleep Diary and a questionnaire to help you analyze your sleep patterns. Author is leading expert on sleep disorders.

Reading

Technology

Worries

Pain/Discomfort

Interruption Bathroom visit

Nightmares

Dreams

Exercise

Activity

Smoking

Medicine

Food

Caffeine

Alcohol

Get up

Wake up

Abandon sleep

A C F M S E D N I B P W T R

Broken, wakeful sleep

Sleep

Tranquil and quiet sleep

The Diary

Switch off

Fall asleep

THE SLEEP–AWAKE RULER

HOW TO MEASURE SLEEP

Night Ruler

Wake up

Abandon Get up sleep

Troubled sleep

Fall asleep

Wake up

Tranquil and quiet sleep

Abandon sleep

Broken, wakeful sleep

Get up

Switch off

Day Ruler

activity / thinking

What were you doing or thinking about when awake during the night? 10

activity / sleep

very refreshed

9 8 7 6 5

Sleep key Go to bed (with the intention to sleep)

Finally, the sleep rulers need additional notes to assess what factors are disturbing sleep. A few are listed below, but you will find a more comprehensive list and discussion in the diary section (pages 70–72).

• restless partners • partners who have ideas other than sleep • noise

Over many years I have measured sleep in various ways, using electroencephalography (EEG machines which measure brain activity using electrodes glued to the scalp) in laboratory settings, portable EEGs, actigraphy, various questionnaires and subjective ratings scales. I also use a particular form of sleep log, which I have called the sleep–awake ruler, which is ideal for home monitoring. It allows

Common sleep disturbers • children • bathroom visits • technology • snoring partners

CHAPTER TWO

How to measure sleep

• uncomfortable bed / bedclothes • pain

patients a convenient and fast way to describe what has happened to them during the night.

Medication:

Fall asleep

Notes:

Switch off

DAY RULER 1 • Date:

Go to bed

A bad night’s sleep

After 14 days, complete the summary page to get an overview of the entire fortnight, then turn to the questionnaire on pages 102–105 to help you assess your sleep and general status. Implement the recommended measures, before then completing the second 14-day diary section and summary page, so you can review how your sleep has improved. This gives you your ‘before and after’ overview!

Refreshing sleep

Get up

Wake up

Fall asleep

Switch off

not refreshed/ almost unwell

Go to bed

You should now be able to complete the rulers and rating scale for each night and day of the first 14-day set of diary pages. This is your two-week sleep-pattern test period. It takes this long to get a really good assessment of what is happening to your sleep. Try to fill in the diary in a typical period, not when you’re on holiday or away on business, when other factors will be disturbing your usual sleep patterns.

Complete promptly in the morning

The ruler is divided up into two 12-hour lengths – one for measuring, recording and displaying sleep during the night, and the other for recording daytime activity. Using the 24-hour clock for clarity, the night ruler runs from 21:00 to 09:00, and the day ruler runs from 09:00 to 21:00 (see below). In order to record significant sleep events, a set of symbols is used; these are shown in the sleep key (see right). Two completed night-ruler examples are shown opposite. The first shows what could be described as a normal night’s sleep: the sleeper goes to bed around 22:45, and within a few minutes tries to sleep; falls asleep within a few minutes; sleeps for around 7.5 hours; wakes up, stays in bed for a few minutes, and gets up. The second ruler shows someone who is having great difficulties with sleep. The sleeper goes to bed about 22:00, but doesn’t try to go to sleep until 23:00. They then take nearly an hour to fall asleep, but wake up again after about 1.5 hours. Half an hour later they manage to get back to sleep, but it’s a restless and disturbed sleep. Eventually, the sleeper settles down, but wakes up earlier than they had hoped. They stay in bed for another hour before giving up trying to sleep, but remain in bed anyway before getting up an hour later. By the end of this book, you will understand many of the reasons why this person’s sleep is so disturbed.

A normal night’s sleep

NIGHT RULER 1 • Date:

The sleep–awake ruler

Go to bed (with the intention to sleep)

Dr Chris Idzikowski, BSc PhD FBPsS is Director of the Sleep Assessment and Advisory Service and President of the Sleep Medicine Section of the Royal Society of Medicine.A Chartered Psychologist and leading specialist in sleep disorders, he has worked for a variety of organizations in an advisory capacity, including airlines, pharmaceutical companies and hotel groups, as well as with various sporting associations.

HEALTH, DIET & FITNESS

205 x 148 mm (513⁄16 x 8 in) 144 pp | 30,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Spring 2019

How to Meditate

De-stress body and mind for physical and mental wellbeing A practical and accessible introductory guide to meditaion to enable you to achieve a calm and balanced state of consciousness. Includes a variety of established techniques, from how to deal with internal chatter, to how to sit, practise visualizations and other traditional exercises. • Answers common questions about meditation, removing uncertainty and highlighting the connection between the health of the mind and body. • Discover the benefits: offers you the mental clarity to better deal with life, improves conditions such as anxiety, depression, stress and tolerance to pain and much more. • Meditation techniques include: basic breathing meditations, mantra meditations, guided meditations and single point meditations. •

Charla Devereux first started meditating over 25 years ago in a group in the US led by Fran Stockel, who was soon to become a friend and eventually a significant contributor to this project. Charla continued her meditation practice, helped to set up a number of groups over the years, and meditation is now part of her daily routine. Charla is also the author of titles on aromatherapy and dreaming.

112

LIGHT, SOUND AND NATURE

SOUND

113

PRACTICAL MEDITATION: THE BASICS

BREATHING

Breathing

Sound Certain broad-frequency background sounds in nature are very effective, from a meditational perspective – surf breaking on a beach, for example, or rain falling on a forest canopy; wind blowing through leaves, rapids in a turbulent river, or, in particular, the roar of a waterfall (interestingly, this latter type of location is favoured for initiation rituals by some indigenous peoples).

The colours of sound Scientists refer to ‘colours’ of noise. There is white, pink, grey, red/brown (Brownian) and violet noise – and more – all with their specific energy-distribution properties. For meditation purposes, we are interested in white, pink and brown noise.

White noise Most usually thought of as being the static hiss of an untuned radio, this contains all the frequencies audible to humans (roughly 20–20,000 Hz). Its energy – or, to put that more specifically, signal power per Hz (Hertz = cycle per second) – is distributed equally across all the frequencies. It is analogous to white light, which is a combination of all the colour wavelengths. The roar of a nearby waterfall is white noise. Pink noise This has the same wide, random range of audible frequencies as white noise, but its power decreases as the frequency increases. Consequently, the lower frequencies are louder than the higher frequencies. Unlike white noise, pink noise distributes its power evenly across octaves (the doubling of frequencies) rather than frequencies. The architecture of the human ear is such that we hear sound in octaves, and pink noise is perceived as smoother and more relaxing than white noise. It can be found in nature in the sound of gentle rain falling on foliage, a distant waterfall, or waves breaking on the beach.

Once you have organized your meditation space and made yourself comfortable, the next step is to completely relax your body. The natural – and most powerful – way to do this is through the breath. In the yogic tradition, the control of breathing, or pranayama, is considered to be the foundation of the practice of yoga. This is also true for meditation. Regulating the breathing pattern is an essential part of calming the mind. When breath is controlled, it can not only help to attain a state of altered consciousness but can also bring about a whole physical regenerative process. The development of proper breathing habits, while important in meditation, is also essential to maintain vitality and aid in general health, helping to alleviate many common ailments. There are three prevailing respiratory processes. Ranging from the more shallow to deeper breathing, they are: breathing from the chest, breathing from the ribs, and abdominal breathing. It is the latter, also known as deep breathing, that is the ideal. Deep breathing is primarily done via an action of the diaphragm (the muscular partition separating the chest and abdominal cavities). As you breathe in, the diaphragm pulls your lungs downwards. The abdomen extends as the diaphragm lowers, allowing more capacity for the lungs to expand as they fill with air. With your outbreath, the diaphragm lifts back against your lungs, which helps to expel carbon dioxide. Chest, or shallow, breathing inhibits the range of motion of the diaphragm, which in turn limits the amount of oxygen reaching the lowest portion of the lungs, sometimes resulting in a feeling of anxiety due to the shortness of breath; rapid shallow breathing can even cause loss of consciousness. In contrast, deep abdominal breathing nurtures a full exchange of oxygen – exchanging incoming oxygen for outgoing toxins. In addition to a controlled heartbeat, this deep abdominal breathing can also lower or stabilize blood pressure. The first breathing method given opposite incorporates all three breathing processes, and is designed to exercise all parts of the respiratory tract and lungs. Go ahead and give it a try now. It is also important to always breathe in through the nose, as nasal breathing filters out impurities in the air, something that inhalation of breath through the mouth cannot do. In addition to providing a protective filter, breathing through the nose also warms the air to a temperature suitable for the body. Breathing in cold air through the mouth can result in inflammation of the respiratory organs. Now try the ‘Cleansing Breath’ exercise, opposite.

EXERCISE: Complete Yogic Breath 1. Sit erect and breathe in through the nostrils, first filling the lower part of the lungs, then the middle, and finally the top. This should be done in one slow and steady breath. 2. Hold the breath for a few seconds. 3. Exhale slowly, holding the chest in a firm position while slightly drawing in the abdomen. 4. Lift the chest upwards slowly, as the air leaves the lungs. 5. Once the air has been exhaled, both chest and abdomen can be relaxed.

EXERCISE: The Cleansing Breath 1. Deeply inhale through the nose and hold the air for a few seconds. 2. Pucker the mouth and vigorously exhale some of the air through the lips. 3. Pause, holding the remaining breath for a few further seconds, before exhaling a little more of the air. 4. Continue alternating between exhaling some breath and pausing until all of the air has been exhaled. The Cleansing Breath is a valuable yoga breathing technique, good to use at the end of a meditation.

Brown noise The power of this quality of sound is based more on the lower frequency range even than pink noise. It can occur in nature as a steady wind, especially when blowing through trees. The science of sonic colours is more complex than all this, and involves factors such as pitch, but this need not concern us here. Similarly, research shows that these three kinds of sound can, variously, improve relaxation, sleep, concentration, and even memory, but again – while all most welcome benefits – this is outside our immediate frame of reference.

Using nature’s sounds for meditation Let’s take a large waterfall’s white noise as an example. I call this exercise ‘The Vasudeva Effect’, named after the wise old ferryman in Hermann Hesse’s wonderful book Siddhartha. In this, Siddhartha, exhausted and despondent after being on a failed spiritual quest for many years, stays with an old ferryman sage called Vasudeva. One day, when the two men are returning from taking a traveller across the river, the old man invites Siddhartha to pay close attention to the sound of the water flowing vigorously beneath them. Siddhartha does so, and in the roar of the river gradually discerns its ‘many-voiced song’. It laughs and cries. Its voice becomes full of longing,

CHAPTER THREE

Practical Meditation: The Basics

The reason for deciding to meditate can be as straightforward as simply wanting to learn how to relax, to reduce the stress of daily life and gain the health benefits that come from that. Or, you may find it to be a useful tool to assist in a personal spiritual quest. Whatever the reason, some basic preparation is key. This chapter offers advice for creating a meditation space in your home, as well as suggestions and exercises to help you prepare yourself physically, with an emphasis on posture and breathing.

HEALTH, DIET & FITNESS

205 x 148 mm (513⁄16 x 8 in) 144 pp | 30,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Spring 2020

How to Move

Re-learn natural ways of moving to alleviate aches and pains This practical reference guide to the human anatomy and how to improve its functionality will enable you to move with co-ordination, grace and vitality. Did you know that we have 206 bones, over 150 movable joints and 650 muscles? Or that the instability of the human body is perfect for movement! • Explains how the body is designed to move by releasing muscular tension making all the movements effortless and helping you to regain your natural rhythm of moving. • Let go of harmful postural habits, relearn your natural movements while walking, sitting, running, bending and getting up from chairs… • Packed with easy-to-follow awareness exercises and techniques including the Alexander Technique to practise at home. • Perfect for anyone involved in sport, dance, any other exercise such as Pilates and Yoga. • Alleviates back and neck problems, improves posture, reduces stress, calms the mind – and much more! •

Richard Brennan is the director of the Alexander Technique Centre in Galway, Ireland. He lectures extensively throughout Europe and the USA, and has been teaching the Alexander Technique for over 25 years. He is also the author of the bestseller How to Breathe – sold in 15 languages. Visit his website at: www.alexander.ie 54

You might also like:

SOLD IN 15 LANGUAGES

INSIDE YOURSELF

BODY MAPPING

RISING AND BENDING WITHOUT EFFORT

BENDING DOWN

Bending down

❍ Arm/body joint

❍ Hip joints

Again, before you read on, point to the place where you think the bones of the arm join the body. Many people imagine that the arms connect to the body at the outside point of the shoulder. This is because, when we look in the mirror, this appears to be where the arms meet the body, but this is incorrect. In reality, the bones of the arm continue under the skin and muscle and in fact connect to the sternum (see illustration below). The upper arm (humerus) is connected only to the shoulder blade (scapula), which in turn is connected to the collarbone (clavicle). It is where the collarbone meets the breast bone (sternum) that the arm actually joins the rest of the body. The ends of our arms are, in effect, only one or two inches away from each other. We therefore have five joints of the arm and not three, as is commonly believed:

Mis-mapping of the body often continues when it comes to finding the location of the hip joints. So, as you did for the previous joints, before reading on point to the place on your body where you think your hip joints are. When asked that question, most people will point to the top of the pelvis, usually in the region of the bone that protrudes at the side (iliac crest). This is not, however, where the joint is at all, but it is often where people bend from. The actual joint is situated lower and further into the body and is, in fact, located in the groin area (see below). When people bend down, they usually try to bend from where they think the hip joint is (at the top of the iliac crest). Consequently, they try to bend the spine (around the area of the lumbar 4th and 5th vertebrae) rather than the hip joint. This action can lead to many lower back problems, especially around the area of L4 and L5 and the sacro-iliac joints, which all come under pressure when bending in the wrong place.

EXERCISE 27

Bending down is an amazing balancing act! When bending down to pick up objects, many of us don’t bend our knees sufficiently – and sometimes not at all. It’s not uncommon to see people bending at the waist, where in fact there is no hinge joint: they are, in reality, bending their spine. This can not only cause direct damage to the spine, but can also cause the body to be completely out of balance, immediately putting enormous strain on the entire muscular system, especially the back and neck muscles, which have to tighten to prevent the person from falling over. The crucial point here is that, without realizing it, when getting up again they are actually lifting more than half their body weight every time they bend to pick up even a light object such as a pen, which causes far more muscular tension than is necessary. This sort of misuse is a disaster for the body if it becomes habitual, and can often directly cause lower back pain and neck problems. Furthermore, all the internal organs are put under pressure, which is apparent by a restricted breathing pattern. If you ever watch young children, indigenous peoples or professional weightlifters bending or squatting, you will see that they use their very powerful leg muscles; you rarely see them bending down without bending their hip, knee and ankle joints all at the same time. By way of example, there is an interesting story about some missionaries who went to Africa and encountered some native people. The natives were awe-struck by the fact that the white missionaries often bent down from the waist without bending their knees, and so they were given an African name which translated as ‘the tribe without knees’! All joints require natural and regular movement to keep them healthy, so by using your major joints in order to maintain balance and equilibrium, you will also be keeping your joints free from problems and your muscles perfectly toned.

1. Pick up a magazine or pen from the coffee table in your usual way. 2. Pause just as your hand reaches the object. 3. Ask yourself the following questions: • Are my knees bending? If so, by how much? • Do I feel in balance or unbalanced? • Can I feel any tension in my body, and, if so, where? • How much overall effort am I using in this simple activity? Now repeat the same exercise, only this time make a conscious decision to make sure you allow freedom in your neck so that your head can move forward and up and your spine can lengthen. At the same time allow your knees to bend, so that they go forward and away from each other. Allow them to bend more than you normally would, but make sure that you are not pulling them in towards one another. Does this feel more balanced and easier on your muscles and joints? Simply by pausing to choose to bend in this way during the hundreds of actions you perform every day, you will immediately help yourself to improve your overall posture straight away.

• wrist joint • elbow joint • upper arm to shoulder blade joint

• collarbone to breast bone joint

How to Breathe Richard Brennan 205 x 148 mm | 144pp Published

INSIDE YOURSELF

BODY MAPPING

Body mapping

• shoulder blade to collarbone joint 1

Collarbone

Shoulder blade

Humerus

Sternum

The head/spine joint is one of the main joints in the body, and the freedom of this joint is crucial to the proper functioning of the rest of the body. When asked to locate the position of this joint, many people think it’s at the back of the head, or even at the top of the shoulders. As you can see from the illustration below, the atlantooccipital joint is actually located not very far from the area in between the ear holes, and it is very important to envisage this area when thinking of the neck to be free. It will be much harder – or even impossible – to obtain a free neck if you are wrongly mapping this joint.

‘ Having a correct body map helps us to improve our posture as well as the way we move.’

❍ Head/spine or neck joint

You can test this out by placing the fingers of your right hand on the left collarbone, and then raising your left arm so that your left fingers are pointing up to the sky. You should clearly feel the collarbone moving.

One of the reasons why we move in harmful ways is that we ‘map’ our joints in different places to where they are in reality. Correcting our ‘body map’ is easy, once we have a more accurate mental image of own body. Our body map is influenced by the way we think we are constructed, rather than how we are actually designed, and having a correct body map helps us to improve our posture as well as the way we move. The following common body-mapping errors are a good starting point to begin re-creating a correct body map.

We move our head from the two neck joints which are located at the top of the spine. These joints are called the atlanto-occipital and the atlas-axis joints. It might be useful, before you read on, to point to where you think these neck joints are on yourself.

1 2

• The atlanto-occipital joint articulates between the top of the spine (atlas) and the base of the skull (occipital bone), and allows the forward and backward (nodding) movement of the head.

Iliac crest

Acetabulum (socket)

Femoral head (ball)

Femur

• The atlas-axis joint is located just below the atlanto-occipital joint, between the top two vertebrae. It allows the head to rotate to the left and right. It is interesting to note that this joint is the most moveable joint in the spine, with no intervertebral disc; this allows for free movement.

Atlanto-occipital joint

Atlas-axis joint

HEALTH, DIET & FITNESS

229 x 178 mm (7 x 9 in) 144 pp | 30,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Spring 2019

Yoga of Light

Unlock your inner light and energize your life for wellbeing and enlightenment A brand-new concept in yoga, this technique increases the intake of light into your physical body and enables mind and body cohesion via energizing chakra connections. • Discover how the practice of yoga awakens the triangles of light present within, raises vibrational frequency and moves towards the state of enlightenment. • Learn how to cleanse, open and work with all your chakras from which the triangles of light are formed. • Strengthen your physical body and create a sense of peace and wellbeing, through a variety of step-by-step exercises for asanas (postures), breathing, visualization and meditation. • Fully unblock all your chakra system to give you a new and healthier way of living! Pauline Wills is a yoga instructor, a reflexology practitioner, colour therapist and founder of The Oracle School of Colour. She teaches her own specialized form of yoga, which she calls the Yoga of Light.

THE SACRAL CHAKRA For this posture, if you find it difficult to bend forward from your hips, you will need either a foam block or a large book to sit on. This helps to project the body forward from the hips. If you are unable to touch your feet with your hands, you may also need a belt. (See also alternative posture, opposite.)

NAVASANA (Boat posture)

Sit either on the floor or on your block or book, with your legs extended in front of you. Inhaling, straighten your spine and take your hands down to your feet. (If you are unable to touch your feet, place a belt around them, holding it at either end.) Keeping the spine straight and the knees locked, exhale, and slowly lower the trunk of the body as far down onto your legs as you are able. This posture works with the hamstring muscles, and if these are not supple you may not, at first, be able to lower your body very far. However, with regular practice the posture becomes much easier. While holding this posture, bring your concentration into the sacral chakra, situated just below the navel, visualizing it as a bright orange orb of light. When you are ready, inhale and come slowly back to the sitting posture.

Sit on the floor with your legs stretched out in front of you. Place both hands on the floor beside you. Recline the trunk of the body back, while simultaneously raising your legs from the floor to an angle of 30–35 degrees. Your head should be in line with your feet. Now extend your arms out straight in front of you. If you find this difficult, an easier way to accomplish this posture is to place the back of your head against a wall, then raise your legs and extend your arms. This posture works with the base chakra.

If your body is very stiff, you can practise this posture from a chair. Sit on the edge of the chair with your legs extended in front of you. Place your hands on your thighs and slowly slide them down your legs as far as you can. When you have reached your maximum extension, concentrate on the sacral chakra as described opposite.

VISUALIZATION WITH THE SACRAL CHAKRA The sacral chakra is connected with the feminine energy and the water element. When women work with this chakra they need to review their lives to ascertain whether or not they are honouring and nurturing themselves. More generally, this chakra challenges us to flow freely through life, and, if we lack that flow, we must look to ways of removing whatever is obstructing it. Imagine you are sitting on the bank of a gently flowing brook on a warm summer’s day. Lying on the bed of the river are stones and boulders of various sizes, the larger of these jutting out of the water. Notice how the river smoothly winds its way around these stones and boulders as it happily wends its way to its outlet, the sea. Now visualize what would happen if these stones and boulders piled up against each other. The water would build against the stones until the dam they had formed was eventually broken by the force of the water. Now imagine the rocks and boulders as your unresolved emotional issues and the water as the tears shed as emotions are released. If you let your emotional issues remain unresolved, eventually – in an attempt for the body’s life force to flow freely through the nadis – your life force will try to break down the blockages you have created. Failing this, the only outlet these emotional blockages have is through the physical body, resulting in physical disease. As you reflect upon this scene, consider whether any barriers or problems in your own life are restricting your life force’s flow, preventing you from evolving as a spiritual being. Then, having looked at any such restrictions, consider ways of resolving them.

Before ending this exercise, visualize an orb of clear, bright orange light radiating from your sacral centre, and allow this colour to flood your body with energy and joy.

Two main triangles of light are formed on each side of the body with this posture. The first is between the base chakra and the minor chakra situated on the sole of the left foot and the minor chakra halfway along the left clavicle bone. A similar triangle is formed on the right side of the body.

THE AURA The aura, or electromagnetic field, that surrounds every human is ovoid in shape. The largest part is around the head and the smallest around the feet; it can be likened to an egg standing on its narrow point. The aura is filled with constantly changing colours determined by our thoughts, feelings and general health. It is also full of light triangles, which, I believe, form our personal web – the microcosm of the light web that connects all things present in the universe. The aura consists of seven sheaths or layers, the most familiar of these being the physical body that we are able to see, touch and experience. Each layer is slightly larger than its predecessor, but they all interpenetrate each other.

The layers

The second triangle is formed with the base chakra and the crown chakra and the minor chakra on the sole of the left foot. The same triangle is formed on the right side of the body, with the minor chakra situated on the sole of the right foot. Work with these triangles (and all others in this chapter) as described for Trikonasana.

The aura’s largest layer is known as the bodyless body. Here resides the essence of our being, our true Self – that divine part of us which has neither beginning nor end. It is this part of the Self that we aim to discover and become integrated with through our yoga practice. This discovery is the final goal of all spiritual paths. In yoga it is called Samadhi; in Christianity, God Consciousness; in Buddhism Nirvana, and so on. When we reach this state, the veil of illusion is dissolved and we radiate the light of our true Self. The aura’s sixth layer is known as the causal body, for it houses the cause for our present incarnation. When a soul is ready to incarnate, it chooses the family and country that will provide the conditions needed for its further evolution and enable it to pay off some of the karma it has accumulated. Karma is the law of cause and effect. In yoga it is summarized as ‘whatever good you do will be repaid with good; whatever evil, retribution will follow’. The Christ reiterated this when he said: ‘Whatever you sow, so shall you reap’. In his book Conversations with God, the contemporary spiritual teacher Neale Donald Walsch states that whatever situation we find ourselves in, at some level we have created it for ourselves. The fifth layer of the aura is called the higher mental body. Here lies the source of our intuition. As we evolve through our spiritual practices, we learn to ‘hear’ and trust our intuition. Working solely with the intellect can lead us into wrong action: using our intuition – which is, I believe, the voice of our true Self – can put us right. Haven’t you experienced occasions when you have intuitively felt that a course of action, bizarre though it might seem, was right? And when, perhaps reluctantly, you have followed this intuition, you have found that course of action to be the correct one, and that all subsequent events fell neatly into place?

96 THE TRIANGLES OF LIGHT 32 THE CHAKRAS

THE AURA 33

HEALTH, DIET & FITNESS

235 x 190 mm (71⁄2 x 91⁄4 in) 144 pp | 45,000 words Colour photographs throughout Publication: Spring 2020

The Tai Chi Manual

A step-by-step guide to the short yang form This easy-to-follow guide teaches the most popular style of tai chi – the short yang form – and provides the perfect antidote to the stresses and strains of modern living. The form is broken down into a structured learning programme of eight lessons, accompanied by step-by-step photographs and concise instructions that illustrate every movement. •• Diagrams indicating the correct foot and hand positions, plus orientation and weight distribution, are included for each stance. •• The fundamentals of tai chi are also explored, along with partner work and specific advice on how to get the most from the practice. •• Benefits of the practice include: alleviating pain, combating stress, boosting vital energies and guarding against illness. ••

Robert Parry has taught tai chi extensively at adult education level. His techniques are infused with a rich understanding of acupuncture and Oriental medicine, both of which he has studied formally.

GOLDEN PHEASANT STANDS ON LEFT LEG

Chang San-feng, the legendary founder of the original tai chi form, was inspired by a recurring dream in which a snake and a crane vied for a morsel of food. As the crane struck out with its beak, the snake would

This is very much a contrast to the previous movement. Whereas Snake Creeps Down was low and rather mysterious, here the Golden Pheasant is tall and very much ‘up-front’. This is the male bird showing oﬀ,

recoil; as the snake darted back, the crane would enfold it and throw it using its wings. Neither creature was ever victorious, symbolizing a perfect balance between the two great forces of yin and yang.

raising his wing and leg together. This is an unusual routine insofar as the most obvious part of the movement is accomplished on the in-breath rather than the out-breath.

right hand

DOWNWARDS AND UPWARDS

LEARNING THE FORM

SNAKE CREEPS DOWN (CONTINUED)

We begin, and indeed finish this section with a repetition of the Chorus – Grasp the Bird’s Tail right through to the Single Whip. Try not to speed up these movements simply because you are already familiar with them. Keep the rhythm and breathing at a constant level throughout.

ROTATING AND TURNING

left hand

right hand

90%

Here the emphasis is on rotational movements – work which involves twisting and turning, particularly beneficial for the lower organs of

left hand

ROTATING AND TURNING

GRASP THE BIRD’S TAIL

70%

the abdomen, and for the reproductive and urinary systems. This is mainly found in a lengthy

right hand

sequence called Four Corners, sometimes also known as Fair Lady Works at Shuttles, as the arm movements loosely resemble those of someone working at an old-fashioned loom.

From your Brush Left Knee and Punch Low at the end of the last section (see left), shift your weight back again, this time into the right side, and turn out your left toes. Then, as the weight starts to drift forward into your left leg again, and as your left foot begins to flatten on to the ground, rotate your waist anticlockwise and, from a relatively low position on your left-hand side, pick up a ball, left hand on top, right hand underneath. Keep your back upright as your waist turns.

Rotate your waist back to the centre and step forward with your right foot, heel first, and bend your knee. Bring the ball with you, the ball getting smaller and smaller as you go until you can ‘Grasp the Bird’s Tail’ – just like the movement you have done before (see page 27). Again, you finish up with the right arm slanting upwards and the fingers of the left hand pointing at the right palm. The ‘bird’ is held in your right hand, while the left hand rests on the long tail feathers behind. Remember to keep your right knee over your right toes.

Breathe in

Breathe out

left hand

front view 116

117

FOLLOWING

LOOKING INWARDS

The first piece of partner work we are going to look at – Following – uses the movements of your partner as a ‘mirror’ through which any flaws in your own physical condition can be revealed. For instance, there could be more specialized areas of tension or deficiency that you might not have been aware of previously. Once you recognize the problem you can deal with it: you may need to correct your stance to improve your balance, for example, or perhaps relax the muscles that are causing the tension in your body, and so on.

As you can see from these illustrations, both partners have their eyes closed during this exercise. This helps to develop the intuitive faculties and also encourages us to use the sense of touch more efficiently. You may not want to work with your eyes closed the very first time you do this routine, but thereafter do try to close them. You will soon get used to it, and if you lose touch at any time just open your eyes and start again. There is no contest, no element of competition here.

The leader’s job is merely to make the movements as interesting as possible, with plenty of variety. You are not trying to lose your partner by being clever, or to gain an advantage through force. Just enjoy it and share the experience in a spirit of harmony and trust. And remember, while you are working try to identify problem areas – is there tension in your shoulders, hips, knees or hands, for example? Look inwards and become aware.

90% 90%

78a

Still squatting down with your weight mostly in the rear leg, allow your left hand to continue on its circular sweep downwards and forwards, close to the ground, the fingers leading and the palm, therefore, facing south. Your hand moves on past your foot and, as it goes, your foot straightens to point east once again. Note that there is still a slight bend to the left knee, even though the leg itself is almost straight. Above all, relax. Be comfortable! And never view your tai chi as some kind of stretching exercise; that can be done in the warm-up (see pages 11–12).

Raise your body a little, and bring your weight forward, letting go of the crane’s beak in your right hand. This releases the weight from your right foot and enables you to turn it inwards again, pointing towards the south-east. As soon as this is accomplished, shift your weight backwards and turn your left toes out by pivoting on your heel (your left foot is the back foot in the next stance, so you need to turn it out now). Finally, bring your weight forward once more over your left foot. As you do this, your right heel comes up so that only your toes are touching the ground. You are now ready to go into Golden Pheasant.

Begin by making sure your left knee is over your left foot, then come forward and up, raising your right knee as far as is comfortable while almost simultaneously bringing up your right forearm too, so that your elbow settles close above your right knee. In fact the forearm, elbow, knee and shin should all be roughly aligned when seen from the front, and not sticking out to one side or the other. Your right palm should be facing north, while your left hand is relaxed by your side, palm facing down.

Slowly lower your right arm and leg, making sure that as your right foot touches the ground it does so alongside the left about shoulder-width apart and with the toes pointing outwards, roughly south-east. Allow your weight to settle in your right side and relax your right hand, with your fingers pointing slightly inwards, and your palm now facing the ground. Sink well into your right foot and prepare to raise your left leg in just a moment in order to repeat the movement on the other side.

Breathe out

Out-breath ﬁnishes

Breathe in

Breathe out

Prepare by standing facing each other, not too far apart, with one foot (it does not matter which one) slightly forward. For every follower there must be a leader, so decide now, before you begin, on who will be leading and who will be following. To start with, the leader’s job is simply to hold out their hands and allow the follower to place their hands lightly on top.

The leader then moves their hands very slowly and at random, in the typical slow tai chi rhythm – up and down, side to side – anywhere that seems appropriate. All the while, the follower tries to keep in touch with the leader’s hands, without exerting any kind of grip or pressure. In fact, you will find that the more relaxed you can make your hands and arms, the easier it will be for you to stay in contact. Once you feel confident, try to introduce some subtle body-movement – bend the knees, turn the waist a little or, eventually, take the odd step or two. But be sparing with the foot work, or you may lose the sense of calm.

Continue in this way for a couple of minutes, or for as long as the leader feels it is appropriate, at which point the leader signals to the follower that this part of the routine is at an end. This is done by simply bringing the palms together. This is an unambiguous signal to the follower that the first half of the routine is complete, upon which you simply reverse roles.

The leader now becomes the follower and the follower becomes the leader. Begin the exercise once more and continue until, again, the leader feels that the session is ready to come to an end and signals to their partner by bringing the hands slowly together to finish. That completes the whole sequence. It can be repeated as often as you like, and if there is a group of you, you can go on to change partners, too.

PARTNER WORK

100%

TAKING IT FURTHER

90%

HEALTH, DIET & FITNESS

BESTSELLIN G

SE RIES

235 x 190 mm (71⁄2 x 91⁄4 in) 144pp | 45,000 words Colour photographs throughout Publication: Spring 2019

The Healing Yoga Manual Work with your chakra energy centres to increase your vitality

A Hatha Yoga guide that teaches techniques for enhancing the chakra energy system. • Develop an awareness of imbalance within your body and rebalance your chakras and vitality. • Includes additional techniques such as: breathwork, gestures, visualizations, mantras and dietary advice. • Learn how to integrate an awareness of the panchatattva (the five forces of vitality or five elements) into your yoga practice. • All asanas are illustrated with clear, step-by-step colour photography throughout. • Includes a reference chart of beneficial postures for common ailments. Swami Ambikananda Saraswati is a Hindu monk who has been teaching yoga and Vedanta philosophy for over forty years in the UK and Spain. She has authored several translations of ancient Sanskrit texts and is the founder of the Traditional Yoga Association. 118

119

SECOND ASANA Hasta Uttanasana

NAṬARĀJĀSANA II

This is one of the most demanding postures of yoga and one of the foremost postures for activating Agni Tattva, and thereby eliminating accumulated toxins from our system, boosting our immune system and improving our circulation. As you bend forwards, organs like the stomach, liver, spleen and intestines are gently squeezed and massaged, and then as you release the posture they are bathed in a flow of blood.

CAUTION

Here, the long muscles of the back and the back of the legs are stretched. Indeed, the word paschimottanasana can be broken up as follows: paschima – ‘behind’ – and uttana – ‘extension’. That which is behind is the experience we have already undergone, and many of our past tensions are locked in these long muscles. Do this posture honouring that past, and allow the muscles time to stretch and release those long-held tensions rather than forcing them and driving the tensions inwards.

Inside the body, a perpetual dance is being performed by nutrients and chemicals necessary to maintain life. We call this dance metabolism, and its purpose is to build up and break down. It builds larger structures from smaller ones – for example, binding amino acids to make proteins, and binding proteins and lipids to create cell membranes. In this stage we call it anabolism. In its breaking-down phase we call it catabolism, and in this phase, larger structures,

like food, are broken down to become viable nutrition and energy. Natarajasana I, which we do to encourage the creative Akashic phase, belongs to the anabolic process of the body and mind. Natarajasana II, however, belongs in the Agni, or catabolic, phase. The great god Shiva, giver of the wisdom of yoga, takes on both postures to maintain life. Nataraj is the name given to Shiva when he’s engaged in this dance.

If you are in the first trimester of pregnancy, avoid this posture as it puts stress on the womb. After the first trimester, it can be practised gently, but keep the legs slightly apart so as to avoid any stress on the womb.

• With your legs stretched out in front of you, release your

weight down through your sitting bones. Become aware of your breathing. • Release your shoulders and let them widen as you release

MANTRA

As you inhale, extend one leg back, bending the toes against the floor. At the same time raise your head and extend the front of your throat and neck, looking up. Place both hands at the sides of the foot that is still flat on the floor. This position corresponds to the Fourth House of Jyotish, Sukha Bhava – House of Happiness and Comforts. It is a ‘moksha’ house, connected with spiritual realization. It will govern the mother, one’s degree of contentment, one’s emotions and one’s education.

FIFTH ASANA Chaturanga Dandasana

Om Ravaya Namah (I greet the Shining One)

MANTRA

As you exhale keep your arms extended above your head and move into a forward bend. Remember to keep your weight going down through your ankles and heels (not letting it come forward to your toes). If you are unable to get the heels of your hands on the floor, bend your knees a little. If you just let your fingers touch the floor, or allow your hands to dangle in the air, the pro-prioceptors (your sensitive internal sensors) get the message of instability and muscles will start to tense as they attempt to keep you upright. Once you are in the forward bend let your head go, so that its weight can stretch the long muscles of the back. This posture corresponds to the Third House of Jyotish, Sahaja Bhava – House of Siblings. It is a ‘kama’ house, connected to desires. It will govern one’s eﬀorts and adventures, one’s brothers and sisters, and all the desires and ambitions we are born with.

• Inhale and, as you exhale, lengthen the front of your spine

and lean forwards, pivoting the crest of the hips. • Continue this downward stretch until you have reached the

Asana Awareness Zone. If you are able, take hold of your feet – classically it’s the big toe that’s grasped, but you can also take hold of the outer edges of each foot. • Allow the weight of your head to drop forwards and the muscles at the back of your neck to lengthen further.

WATCHPOINT People often struggle in this posture. Pulling yourself forwards using your shoulders and arms won’t get you into the posture any quicker. In fact, the tension you create will cascade through the body and further tighten the muscles you are trying to release.

SIXTH ASANA Ashtanga Namaskara (the eight-limbed salutation)

MANTRA

MANTRA Om Bhavane Namah (I greet the One who illuminates all the planets of my birth)

As you exhale, extend the other leg back so that it is in line with the first, straightening both legs and allowing the arms and hands to take the upperbody weight and the toes and feet to take the lower-body weight. Be sure to drop your buttocks to bring the entire body into a straight line. This posture corresponds to the Fifth House of Jyotish, Putra Bhava – House of One’s Children. It is a ‘dharma’ house, connected to life purpose. It will govern children and grandchildren, the mind, rewards from past births, and our sense of destiny.

(four-limbed staﬀ posture)

Om Khagaya Namah (I greet the One who moves across the sky)

THIRD ASANA Padahastasana (hand to foot posture)

Lower your body on to the ground so that your toes, knees, chest, chin and hands are in contact with the ground and your buttocks are raised, lifting your tailbone. This is the Sixth House of Jyotish, Satru Bhava – House of Enemies. It is an ‘artha’ house, connected to wealth. It will govern health and illness, competitors and weaknesses, our daily occupation, extended family and appetite.

MANTRA Om Pushne Namah (I greet the One who cherishes and nourishes this world)

Om Suraya Namah (I greet the Lord of the Sun, initiator of activity)

1 Stand in tadasana (see page

40). Allow your weight to release down through your body, legs and feet, and feel your spine flowing upwards as the muscles of your neck lengthen and your shoulders release and widen. Feel your head aligning between your heels.

2 Take all your weight onto one WATCHPOINT If the muscles of your neck, shoulders and jaw become tense in this posture, place your arms on a stool, rest your forehead on your arms and remain there. Breathe deep into the lower back, feeling the muscles there expand and contract with the breath.

Keep your weight flowing down, contract the abdominal muscles to support the lower back and, as you breathe in, lengthen the whole spine, raising your arms until the forearm aligns with the ears, and go into a slight backbend. Feel the front of your spine lengthening and your chest opening. Having greeted the Friend of All you now open yourself wide, allowing its energy to penetrate you. When we raise our arms and leave our heart unprotected, we signal to energy that we are ready to receive and embrace it. This posture corresponds to the Second House of Jyotish, Dhana Bhava – House of Wealth. It is an ‘artha’ house, connected with wealth. It will govern finances, knowledge, education, speech and oration, domestic life and confidence.

foot and become aware of your head aligning above that heel. Feel yourself becoming tall over that leg, then bend the opposite knee and take hold of the ankle. Breathe in gently, and as you breathe out draw your leg back and raise the opposite arm. Hold your thigh lift parallel to the ground – even if you feel you can raise it further. Holding this position without letting your body drop forwards will gently open the hip of the raised leg and strengthen the opposite one.

Situated at the base of the throat, Vishuddha Chakra is the focal point of Akasha Tattva – the power of space. This is the prana transforming wave to particle – the beginning of coming into being. It has no substance and yet it occupies all substances. It’s the cellular wisdom coded into the strands of DNA and RNA locked in the cells of the body. It’s the space occupied by every cell and every body, and it’s the space between them – whether they are bodies in the same room or galaxies in space. It’s the epitome of order and refinement. There’s a wonderful Sanskrit word that Patanjali uses to begin his sutras: atha. It’s known as one of the auspicious sounds, and although usually translated as ‘now’ it’s a pregnant ‘now’, filled with possibility and intention. In this chakra, Akasha Tattva is that charged potential. It’s the very first vibration of prana as the intention to create.

PRANIC PHASE Prana is described as passing through five phases in the process of its flow. This universal vitality connects us with the outer limits of creation and invokes the universal being each time we breathe in – the inhalation being the first of the five phases of prana. Prana is both vitality and this first breath. The human form is called Ishvarapuram, the walled city of Ishvara. In a lotus floating in the centre of the heart, Ishvara is said to reside as the pranabrahman – ruler of the body and its vitality. Each ‘next breath’, or next prana, is taken under its auspices. And it’s under the auspices of Vishuddha Chakra that our independent life begins with that first breath. We aren’t yet fully formed, we haven’t yet come to our full potential – but we have begun the journey here when we take that first breath. It’s the impulse that becomes the tug on the crura of the diaphragm, causing it to descend, and the inhalation to begin.

EFFECT ON MIND AND BODY

VIṢUDDHA CHAKRA the power of space

Vishuddha governs our sense of hearing. It’s the ability of our whole being to listen to our true nature and to act on its whispered wisdom. For all of us, life began in the darkness of unknowing – in the deep passageways of the fallopian tubes, where two independent cells merged their creative energies to form new life. From this point on, our lives depend on the individual cells and on the body maintaining their integrity. Failure in this maintenance signals a loss of vitality in Vishuddha Chakra, and that it has gone into a tamasic state. As our cells lose their integrity, our mental processes become confused about who we are and what our true purpose is. As the chakra struggles to regain strength, we might find ourselves indulging in ritualized order that has nothing to do with the refining of matter that is the true power of Akasha. An overly rajasic Vishuddha Chakra can cause us to become rigid and stiff as we distort the

extraordinary sense of order of this chakra into habitual and compulsive behaviour, indulging in the futility of trying to impose ‘non-change’ on our world of constant change (order dislikes the chaos of change).

THIS CHAKRA IN ASCENDANCY If you are someone in whom this chakra has a natural ascendancy, you will always seek order in your world. Neatness and order won’t place a discipline on you – you will be naturally inclined to them. You will find that you live your life by certain principles, and that deviating from them causes you disturbance. You will have a gift for working out systems, whatever the field – whether in computers, cleaning or government. It will always be important to you that people live up to their obligations – even the obligation of something as seemingly trivial as arriving on time for meetings. You don’t like surprises – even pleasant ones. You are most comfortable when you can predict the outcome of a certain set of events. You may experience some difficulties letting go of things that have come into your life, but when you do cut the tie it’s with finality and precision, and you never look back.

ESSENTIAL ĀKĀŚA TYPE The essential Akasha type is the pandit performing prescribed ritual. No detail is left out: the sequence of movements, sounds and gestures follows a perfect and seamless order. The ritual isn’t questioned – it’s adhered to and its disciplines welcomed. Performing the separate elements of the ritual, the pandit brings its elements together to create a symmetrical pattern with graceful accuracy. The Akasha person is one for whom order and accuracy are of primary importance. Each situation will be addressed by separating it into distinct tasks.

VISHUDDHA – SPACE

the muscles in the back of your neck and allow them to lengthen. • For a deep but gentle stretch, draw the top thigh muscles up slightly towards the hips. Feel the backs of the legs being stretched and flattened onto the floor.

FOURTH ASANA Ashva Sanchalanasana (horse posture)

(raised arm posture)

MANIPURA  FIRE

YOGA AND THE FIVE FORCES

PAŚCIMOTTĀNĀSANA

Back extension posture

INTEGRATION

HEALTH, DIET & FITNESS

229 x 178 mm (7 x 9 in) 128 pp | 20,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Spring 2020

Core Strength

Develop your abdominals safely and gently An exercise programme specifically aimed at women to strengthen the core and shape the abs without straining the muscles or excessively bulking up. •• Discover workout programmes and targeted exercises – specifically designed for women – to tone muscles safely and gently, ensuring you avoid strains and pain. •• Routines to suit all schedules and no special equipment required! •• Includes step-by-step illustrations for all exercises. •• Targeted programmes for athletic training, weight loss, post-pregnancy, plus quick routines. •• Variety of exercises – crunches, floor exercises, twists, yoga poses, leg lifts and over 10 different types of planks – ensures you won’t get bored. Nadine Lebreuil is a fitness trainer with over 25 years’ experience. Drawing from her own experience as an athlete, she has developed a uniquely feminine approach to strengthening the abdominal wall; the pillars of her coaching technique are effectiveness, gentleness and wellbeing.

1 EXERCISE 2

DISCOMFORT > YOU SOMETIMES HAVE ‘LEAKAGES‘

page 22

your head lifted

urinary leakages when you exert yourself, sneeze, or laugh, your first step should be to consult your doctor to get a referral to a specially trained physiotherapist, who will teach you how to re-educate and strengthen your pelvic floor.

PLANK, PLANK …

2 EXERCISE 15 page 56

• The exercises that I am recommending enable you to keep your abdominal muscles strong and toned. This helps you support the pressure of your internal organs on your pelvic floor during physical exertion, such as running.

PLANK POSITIONS ARE GREAT! These positions give all your abs an intense workout and strengthen the muscles that help with posture, too. Your muscles stay contracted in most of these positions, so the exercises require concentration, but there is no risk of injury.

Lying on the floor • 5 controlled, deep breaths with your head on the floor • + 5 controlled, deep breaths with

• If you regularly experience small

Lying down, flex/extend legs at an angle • 8–10 times with each leg • + 8–10 times with both legs together

• Listen carefully to your body during these exercises, and always contract your pelvic floor muscles as you perform them. Be careful not to push down as you contract the muscles. Always think about making yourself taller.

EXERCISE 7

page 36

3 EXERCISE 19 page 64

• Repeat each exercise 4 to 6 times before moving on to the next one.

Twists • 6–8 times back and forth on each side CONTINUED u

94 MY ABS PROGRAMME

LISTENING TO YOUR BODY AND ITS NEEDS 95

EXERCISE 8

AT WHAT AGE SHOULD YOU START ABS TRAINING?

page 38

Like all physical activity, you should start it in adolescence and do it regularly. Before starting, it is best to discuss it and find out what it involves.

UP TO WHAT AGE CAN YOU DO ABS TRAINING? Most of the abs exercises I recommend can be done at any age – which is great, isn‘t it?

I AM VERY SLIM, SO I DON‘T NEED TO DO ABS TRAINING, DO I? Wrong! Even if you‘re slim, you need to make sure you have toned abdominal muscles for all the reasons mentioned earlier – keeping a strong pelvic floor, supporting your back, and maintaining good posture.

I HAVE LOWER BACK PROBLEMS, SO I NO LONGER DARE DO ABS EXERCISES.

HEALTH

That‘s quite normal. You must be careful and listen to both your body and your doctor. You can do certain of the exercises that I suggest, as long as the condition is not acute (such as a herniated disc or sciatica) and you have your doctor‘s agreement. All the isometric (static) exercises should be possible.

WHY DO I FEEL NAUSEOUS AFTER SOME ABS EXERCISES? I‘ve often heard that question from people doing a series of crunch exercises. It‘s quite normal, because this type of exercise compresses your internal organs, and if your stomach is sensitive and it‘s not long since your last meal, you might well feel a little sick. One piece of advice. Stop doing crunches and any dynamic exercises that suddenly compress your stomach, and wait a good while after a meal before doing your abs training.

EXERCISE 5 page 32

EXERCISE 6 page 34

EXERCISE 9

I‘M HAVING MY PERIOD. CAN I DO ABS EXERCISES?

CONTINUED u

page 40

My immediate response would be yes. Stimulating your abdominal muscles has no impact on menstrual flow. However, I should modify that reply, because at this time of the month you should listen even more carefully to your body and take good care of it. Also if you feel tired and are in pain, skipping one or two abs sessions does not seem unreasonable.

WILL MY STOMACH BE LESS FIRM AFTER THE MENOPAUSE? I‘m inclined to say no because I can speak from personal knowledge. I went through the menopause a few years ago, and now my stomach is flatter and more toned than it was

28 MY 20 FAVOURITE EXERCISES

PLANK, PLANK … AND MORE PLANK 29 KEY POINTS: HEALTH 117

HEALTH, DIET & FITNESS

229 x 178 mm (7 x 9 in) 128 pp | 20,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Autumn 2019

Osteo-Gym

Combat the effects of a sedentary lifestyle with six easy exercise programmes Osteopath Dr Marc Perez brings you his unique set of multi-disciplinary techniques that target five key areas – flexibility, toning, core strength, joint health and pain relief. • • • •

100 accessible and illustrated step-by-step postures and exercises to relieve and prevent muscle and joint problems. Features information to help you understand the origin of your discomfort and how to diagnose it. Techniques include: Qi gong, yoga, muscle strengthening, mobility exercises, stretching, strain-counterstrain, self-massage and acupressure. Practise daily, at your own pace, and you will soon feel the benefits!

Dr Marc Pérez is an osteopath, sports doctor and teacher. His daily practice focuses on natural medicine (acupuncture, auriculotherapy, phytotherapy, aromatherapy). 86 BUILDING CORE STRENGTH

CORE-STABILIZING WORKOUT 87

POSITION 7 ABDOMINAL RIGHT ANGLE

POSITION 9 PELVIC LIFT

• Sit down on the floor and raise your legs up in front of you to form a right angle with the top of your body. Your feet should be together with the toes pointing towards the ceiling. Hold your arms horizontal to your body with the palms parallel and turned inwards, thumbs uppermost. Keep your head, shoulders, back, and pelvis aligned, and look up. • Hold the position for 10–20 seconds and then repeat the movement seven times as you breathe gently in and out (count your breaths). Gradually increase the amount of time your hold the position.

• Lie on your back with your arms beside you, palms down, and your feet hip-width apart. Pressing down on your shoulders, lift your buttocks so that your knees form a right angle with the floor. Look up to the ceiling. Hold the position for 20 seconds while breathing slowly and counting.

Top tip You can also try an oblique sequence of this exercise, turning your legs to the right and your arms to the left, and vice versa.

14 YOUR NEW DAILY WORKOUT

QIGONG MOVEMENTS 15

MOVEMENT 3 SEPARATING HEAVEN & EARTH

MOVEMENT 5 SWAY THE HEAD & SHAKE THE TAIL

The aim of this movement is to boost the flow of energy and blood to the internal organs, especially to the stomach and the spleen. It regulates the digestive system by massaging the organs and stretching the abdominal cavity.

This movement encourages healthy blood circulation, aids digestion, and makes the lungs work more efficiently. It also benefits and balances the nervous system. In Chinese medicine, it is said to reduce yang and nourish yin. It calms the body and spirit.

STARTING POSITION

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, your knees slightly bent, and your arms down by your sides. Keep your back straight.

Stand like a horse rider – upright with your feet parallel, about shoulder-width apart, and slightly turned out. Your knees should be slightly bent (but not extending forward beyond your feet). Your back should be straight.

Top tip During this movement you should feel as if your hands are pressing against something that resists. But you should not stiffen your arms too much. They should be flexed but not rigid.

THE MOVEMENT

1 As you breathe in, bend your arms and bring your hands to the level of your stomach. The palms should face each other but not touch, with the right palm above and parallel to the left palm below it. 2 As you breathe out, bend your legs and move your hands apart. Raise the uppermost hand above your head with the palm turned up and fingers pointing towards the opposite shoulder. Lower your other hand and let the palm face down. 3 As you breathe in, bring the two palms back to stomach level, again holding them parallel to each other, but change their position so that the hand that was uppermost is now beneath the other hand. The palms should still face each other but not touch. 4 From this position, repeat step 2. Do this exercise three times on each side.

1 Place one hand each side of your groin with the thumbs facing back. Bend your body forward, keeping your back straight. 2 As you breathe in, place your weight over your right leg, which should remain bent, and circle your body in an arc towards the right, straightening your left leg. 3 Bring your right shoulder back so that your left side is in a straight line, stretching your head, trunk, and left leg. Look towards your left toes without bending your head, and hold the position for 1–3 seconds. 4 As you breathe out, bring your body back to the central position, with your knees again gently bent. Then do the same movement on the other side. Do this movement three times on each side.

POSITION 10 SHOULDER LIFT POSITION 8 SEATED ABS EXERCISES • As you are sitting, lift your feet off the floor, bend your arms and legs keeping both hands and both feet together. Hold the position for 20 seconds while breathing slowly and counting.

• Lying on your back, rest your weight on your hands, and straighten your arms, raising your upper body. Look up at the ceiling and, as you hold the position, ensure that your head, shoulders, back, and pelvis are all aligned. Your arms should be under your shoulders. Hold this for 20 seconds while breathing gently and counting. • This exercise strengthens the shoulders and arms.

PART 1

YOUR NEW DAILY WORKOUT Before we move on to osteopathic exercises, it is important to point out that a daily regime that safeguards your muscles, joints, and tendons is essential for keeping them strong and healthy. That is why my practice of osteopathy also draws inspiration from Asia – more precisely from a very ancient Chinese system called Baduanjin Qigong (‘Qigong of eight pieces of brocade’). This exercise, which is made up of eight movements, is part of what is called Medical Qigong. It is widely practised in China and throughout the world, especially in tai chi classes.

HEALTH, DIET & FITNESS

215 x 165 mm (6½ x 8½ in) 160 pp | 30,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Autumn 2020

Hiking

The outdoor walking guide for a healthier body and mind Escape your digital devices and explore the great outdoors with this beginner’s guide to going from 10,000 steps to full-on mountain hiking, while engaging mindfully with nature. Foreword writer and National Geographic Adventurer of the Year Jennifer Pharr Davis gives her personal advice and inspirations. •• Suitable for all fitness levels, the guide provides a gentle introductory training programme. •• Advice on different terrains, where to go, the gear to wear and take. •• Allows progression from short walks to overnight hikes. •• Exercises and stretches for strength-building and injury prevention. •• Mindfulness techniques enable an immersive experience in nature, while motivation exercises keep up momentum and interest. •• Includes plant-identifying tips, map reading, bushcrafting and safety advice. •• Other titles in the series include: Trail Running,Wild Swimming, Climbing and Stretching. ••

Journalist and photographer Sarah Stirling writes for outdoor magazines, such as The Outdoor Adventure Guide, and is the assistant editor of BMC Summit. See www.sarahstirling.com. Foreword writer Jennifer Pharr Davis is the ambassador for the American Hiking Society, the author of five books and a regular contributor to The New York Times, The Washington Post and Outside magazine.

Mindfulness techniques Absorbing yourself in the present gives your head a rest and helps you regain perspective. The gentle, repetitive motion of hiking lends itself perfectly to mindfulness practices. The more you engage in the awareness of yourself and your surroundings, the easier it becomes. Here are some technques to help keep your mind in the moment.

ESSENTIAL KIT

Body awareness To reduce inner chatter while hiking, try moving your attention from your mind to your body. Starting at your toes, work up, noticing how everything feels right now. You may well find that something needs adjusting – perhaps a rucksack strap is rubbing or you are hungry – and you had been too busy with your thoughts to notice! If your mind wanders, wiggle your toes to bring your attention back to your body and the present moment. Now try tuning into the sounds that you can hear, such as your breath going in and out, birds singing and rivers flowing. If thoughts come in, try to observe and file them for later.

In its most basic form, hiking is a natural and simple activity. You don’t need to learn any skills before heading out on a short, low-level outing in good weather, and all you need is a comfortable pair of shoes. However, as you progress to longer hikes and more challenging environments, technical gear will increase your comfort as well as your safety.

Walking boots and shoes Do you need walking boots or shoes? It all comes down to terrain and length of hike, influenced by personal preference. Walking boots are waterproof, versatile and dependable with soft cushioning, grippy treads and ankle support to prevent trips and falls. The fact that they cover the ankles also helps prevent water ingress when crossing boggy terrain and streams. The original (and some would claim best) material is leather, as it is rugged, waterproof and will last a long time. However, a downside is that leather requires maintenance. Nowadays synthetic boots are popular, because they are lighter, more breathable and don’t require much maintenance. Most have waterproof-breathable liners built-in. If you are heading out in dry weather on easy-going terrain and without a heavy pack, you won’t need walking boots, so might prefer to wear walking shoes. As well as being lighter, as they don’t cover the ankle, they typically oﬀer a softer flex and a finer tread pattern.

HIKING

Chunky treads are useful in muddy conditions, while finer patters are better over rocky terrain.

Walking meditation Practiced for thousands of years in some form, the easiest version of a walking meditation is counting your steps, while matching them to your inhalations and exhalations. Begin walking at a natural,

T H E T E N H I K I N G ESS E N T I AL S

slow pace and breathing naturally. The in-breath tends to be shorter, so keep that in mind; you might take three steps for an in-breath and four for an out-breath. Throughout your walking meditation you’ll be concentrating on your step-breaths, but your overall awareness should be open and welcoming. Cleansing breath exercise To calm your mind: inhale deeply and hold your breath for a few seconds. Pucker your lips and exhale some of the air. Pause for a few seconds, then exhale a little more. Repeat until all the air has been exhaled. Mantras A mantra is a short phrase that you repeat in your head or out loud to motivate or inspire you, to replace destructive chatter, and to keep you in the moment. Experiment with various phrases like ‘stronger and stronger by the mile’ and words such as ‘calm’. Alternatively you can thrive oﬀ your own discomfort by thinking: ‘I’m tough; I can push through this’, or try reciting a short inspirational poem, like the following by Trisha Reeves:

“Run close to the mountain Stay a heartbeat away Cover the low moon with your wings And walk tomorrow’s miles today.”

HIKING

If you’re ready to progress from short walks to hiking, here is your essential kit list:

Hiking socks ▶ Hiking socks ▶ Hiking boots or shoes ▶ Comfortable stretchy trousers or

shorts (not jeans!) ▶ Comfortable base layer or t-shirt ▶ Warm layer – e.g. fleece or insulated

jacket ▶ Waterproof or windproof jacket

(depending on conditions) ▶ Headtorch – just in case ▶ Rucksack – to put everything in ▶ Map ▶ Mobile phone – in case of an emergency

While standard cotton or synthetic socks are fine for short walks, they will probably give you blisters on longer outings. They may seem expensive, but it is well worth investing in proper hiking socks. There is a vast and confusing array of them available nowadays. The first decision is length and thickness. Go shorter and thinner for warmer climes and thicker and longer for colder ones. Thicker socks have cushioning built in, but for longer hikes in warmer weather, look out for thin socks with extra padding around the heel and toe to help cushion your feet from rubs and impacts. Arguably the best

hiking sock fabric is a blend of Merino wool and synthetic fibres. The key elements to bear in mind are that hiking socks need to fit well and have flat seams to prevent blisters. They also need to fit comfortably inside your walking boots.

H E A LT H Y M I N D, H E A LT H Y B O DY What you think about can make a huge diﬀerence to your hiking enjoyment and progression. You can use the outdoors as a place to encourage your mind as well as your body into healthy habits, connect with nature and delight in the planet’s riches. This chapter oﬀers postive mental techniques and physical exercises to help you get the most from your hikes.

Merino wool versus synthetic fibres Which of these is best to wear next to the skin? This is a common debate among outdoor enthusiasts the world over. Merino wool is a soft and comfortable natural fibre, which is breathable. and antimicrobial (the latter makes it odour resistant), stretchy, absorbent and comfortable even when wet.

ESSENTIAL KIT

HEALTH, DIET & FITNESS

215 x 165 mm (6½ x 8½ in) 160 pp | 30,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Spring 2020

Trail Running

The outdoor running guide for a healthier body and mind This beginner’s guide to running in the wild will show you how to go from ‘couch to 5K’, while engaging mindfully in the natural world around you and getting fit in body and mind. Foreword writer Dan Keely, mental health campaigner and adventure runner, shares his personal advice and inspirations. •• Suitable for all fitness levels, the guide provides a training programme to build up to longer distance runs. •• Advice on different terrains and finding trails near you. •• Basic techniques and exercises, including how to run uphill and downhill. •• Mindfulness techniques enable an immersive experience in nature, while motivation exercises keep up momentum and interest. •• Includes map reading, safety advice and troubleshooting. •• Other titles in the series include: Hiking,Wild Swimming, Climbing and Stretching. ••

Journalist and photographer Sarah Stirling writes for outdoor magazines, such as The Outdoor Adventure Guide, and is the assistant editor of BMC Summit. See www.sarahstirling.com. Foreword writer Dan Keeley is an adventure runner, mental health campaigner and public speaker. In 2012 he was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder and in 2017 he ran 1250 miles from the Colosseum in Rome back to the London Eye to share his story.

T he benefi t s of t ra i l runni ng

HOW TO RUN UPHIL L

If you were going to take up just one sport, trail running, which is essentially running oﬀ-road and typically on paths, is arguably the one that will give you the most physical and mental benefits for your time and money.

It’s just you and nature In a world stuﬀed with consumer culture, there’s an appealing purity to trail running. It’s just you and the natural world. Stripped down to the essentials, the only thing that you really need is a pair of trail running shoes. You don’t need to pay a club membership fee or buy expensive kit – unless you want to. But try riding a bike without a bike!

If you’ve decided to do some trail running, uphills will become part of the fun – honest! Running uphill gives you an added cardiovascular boost, improves your muscular strength and allows you to enjoy the view and feeling of success at the summit. It’s common to feel frustrated when trying to run up a hill for the first time, so I’ll let you in on a secret. A lot of trail runners walk up steeper hills, or steeper hill sections, especially on longer outings, and even in races. This is because most people aren’t much faster running up steep terrain than they are walking, so it can be more eﬃcient to save a bit of energy, actively rest, and perhaps have a drink and a bite to eat. Listen to your body and walk when you need to – everyone does it sometimes. The more you practice, the easier it will become and soon you’ll be able to claim that you can run all the way to the top of a hill. Here are some tips to get you started. ▶

114

Change gear If possible, pick a small hill that’s not too steeply-angled for your first attempt. As you reach the base of it, switch to a lower gear by shortening your stride – the steeper the ground the shorter the stride required. Your feet should be landing underneath you – avoid ‘pulling’ yourself up the hill with your legs. Pump your arms in time, open your chest, look up, whenever the terrain allows, and relax.

TRAIL RUNNING

▶

Simple to start and progress

Don’t overwork your legs You will find yourself working oﬀ your forefeet a lot when running up steeper hills. To avoid overtiring your calves, relax your legs, don’t lift your heels too high and don’t push with your toes. If your calves start feeling very tight, stop to give them a stretch.

Trail running is a simple sport – although some tweaks to your form will be beneficial, and training plans and skills tips will certainly help keep you on track, everyone essentially knows how to run. The key formula is simple – start slow over short, flat distances and build up your skills, speed and distance gradually.

Do it any time, anywhere! You can trail run almost anywhere in the world, from your local park to wherever you’re going on holiday this year. It’s a great way to explore a new area. It’s also an easy sport to fit in around other commitments and all you need to pack is your running shoes.

There’s less risk of injury Running on roads pounds the same muscles repetitively and hard, which can lead to injuries. When you run oﬀ road your foot lands slightly diﬀerently

▶

with each stride. You also tend to be on softer surfaces when trail running, which dissipates impact.

Works more muscle groups Trail running works more muscles than road running. Due to the uneven surfaces that you’ll encounter, lots of muscles, for example those in your core and ankles, will have to work to keep you balanced and in control. Throw in some poles for hill climbs and descents and you have an all-body workout! Because it’s such a good work out you’ll feel the benefits even from short bursts of running. Thanks to these added challenges, trail running burns more calories, too.

TRAIL RUNNING

Breathe and relax You’ll have noticed the repetition of the word ‘relax’. It really

M EN TA L CUES Are you ‘running tall’ and ‘driving from the hips’? Use these mental cues to check your body is in the right position. You do lean forward when running uphill but it’s best to angle from the ankles, not the waist. Why? This keeps you in balance so your body can work properly. Bending at the waist makes it a lot harder for your hip flexors to lift your knees – try it now and see! It also makes it harder for your glutes to extend your legs behind you and it restricts your breathing.

CON T EN T s Introduction: What is trail running? 8 1 Where to go 12

helps if you can stay in the moment and avoid thinking about how far you have to go. Look ahead, whenever the terrain allows, and imagine yourself as a balloon floating upward. ▶

Take it steady It takes time to get used to running over the terrain you encounter oﬀ-road, such as rocks, grass, bogs, scree and tree roots. Running uphill also requires more work from more muscles than

▶ In the hills or mountains

running on the flat. If you go out too hard you will end up with a muscle strain, so take it steady at first.

▶ Major terrain types

▶ How fit do you need to be?

1 10

114

▶ Running over technical terrain – rocks, scree

▶ Building up and training plans

6 Outdoor safety 1 30 ▶ Bites and stings

▶ Trail safety kit

▶ Rucksacks and waistpacks ▶ Extra essentials

▶ Orienteering

146 150

▶ Troubleshooting

▶ Kit for longer trail runs

Index

115

1 38

▶ Scratches and scrapes

1 22

▶ Running over slippery terrain – mud, wet grass

▶ Injury prevention and treatments

3 Get the gear 5 8 ▶ What to wear

▶ The right shoes

102

5 Techniques 10 6 ▶ Basic trail-running techniques ▶ Running uphill and downhill

▶ Solo running versus group running ▶ Running with a dog

▶ Stretches and strength exercises ▶ Fuel for fitness

2 How to get started 34

Walk if you have to If you are really struggling, then give yourself a break and walk for a bit. Look up and enjoy the view. Sometimes it feels comfortable to push oﬀ your thighs with your hands while striding up – but try not to bend over too much.

HOW TO RUN UPHILL

▶ Mindful awareness

▶ Distance versus speed

▶

▶ Motivation and mental preparedness

▶ Finding trails near you ▶ Long-distance paths

4 Healthy mind, healthy body 8 2 ▶ The benefits of trail running

▶ By the sea, lakes or woodlands

156

154

14 2

1 34

1 26

HEALTH, DIET & FITNESS

Healing Crystals for Women Must-have crystals and their benefits for every stage of life

This practical guide presents 30 essential therapeutic crystals every woman needs.

229 x 178 mm (7 x 9 in) 144 pp | 28,000 words Colour photographs throughout Published

• Clear advice on each crystal’s beneficial properties, plus selection and care, and how to use them for maximum effect. • Targeted advice for all four stages of womanhood: infancy, teenage years, adulthood and later life. • Aid sleep, soothes stomach pains, alleviate anxiety, deal with challenges at work and in love, boost fertility, tackle the menopause – and more... • Includes handy Q&A section, guidance on using crystals with chakras, plus quick-reference crystal charts. Catherine Mayet is a qualified graphologist, bioenergetician and geobiologist. Nathaëlh Remy is a lithotherapist and is also trained in Ayurvedic and Shantala massage.

HEALTH, DIET & FITNESS

BACKLIST

The Reflexology Manual Pauline Wills Paperback (with flaps) colour photographs 235 x 190 mm (71⁄2 x 91⁄4 in) 176 pp | 39,000 words

The Thai Massage Manual Maria Mercati Paperback (with flaps) colour photographs 235 x 190 mm (71⁄2 x 91⁄4 in) 160 pp | 35,000 words

BESTSE LLING

SERIES

The Tui Na Manual Maria Mercati Paperback (with flaps) colour photographs 235 x 190 mm (71⁄2 x 91⁄4 in) 144 pp | 39,000 words

The Alexander Technique Manual Richard Brennan Paperback (with flaps) colour photographs 235 x 190 mm (71⁄2 x 91⁄4 in) 144 pp | 50,000 words

HEALTH, DIET & FITNESS

BACKLIST

Dr Sarah Brewer is an award-winning health writer and licensed doctor who is also a Registered Nutritionist and Registered Nutritional Therapist. She writes regularly for newspapers and magazines on a wide range of health topics, and is the author of over fifty popular self-help books. Visit her website at: www.drsarahbrewer.com

LD IN 15 SO

LANGUAGES! Eat Well Look Great Paperback (with flaps) 4/4 colour 210 x 170 mm (611⁄16 x 81⁄4 in) 160pp | 45,000 words

Eat Well Stay Well Paperback (with flaps) 4/4 colour 210 x 170 mm (611⁄16 x 81⁄4 in) 176pp | 49,000 words

Live Longer Look Younger Paperback (with flaps) 4/4 colour 210 x 170 mm (611⁄16 x 81⁄4 in) 160pp | 45,000 words

• Make your beauty concerns a thing of the past! • Packed with nutritional advice based on the latest scientific evidence. • Features 40 superfoods, plus how to tackle more than 30 common beauty problems.

• Organized by ailment for quick-and-easy reference. • Features 20 superfoods for health, plus how to beat 50 common ailments. • Author is a leading media medic and Registered Nutritionist/Nutritional Therapist.

• Easy-to-follow, evidence-based advice on how to age as slowly and as gracefully as possible. • Aimed at the largest section of the population – the over-forties. • 20 steps to living longer and looking younger, plus targeted advice for over 20 body areas and functions.

Author and books frequently featured in:

BLOOD PRESSURE

GET GREAT SKIN BANISH CELLULITE

DIABETES

BEAUTY PROBLEMS?

MORNING COFFEE

BACKLIST

HEALTH, DIET & FITNESS

Heal Yourself with Chinese Pressure Points Laurent Turlin with Alix Lefief-Delcourt Paperback (with flaps) 4/4 colour 229 x 178 mm (7 x 9 in) 160 pages | 22,000 words Sold in 10 Languages, with 40,000 copies in print

Healing Body Meditations Mike Annesley with Steve Nobel Paperback (with flaps) 4/4 colour 235 x 190 mm (71⁄2 x 91⁄4 in) 160 pages | 37,000 words Sold in 10 Languages

How to Breathe Richard Brennan Paperback (with flaps) 4/4 colour 205 x 148 mm (513⁄16 x 8 in) 144 pages | 30,000 words Sold in 15 languages!

The Good Food Good Mood Cookbook Lina Bou Paperback (with flaps) 4/4 colour 233 x 165 mm (61⁄2 x 93⁄16 in) 176 pages | 25,000 words Includes vegan options

29 MIND BODY SPIRIT

MIND, BODY, SPIRIT

205 x 148 mm (53⁄4 x 8 in) 224 pp | 30,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Autumn 2019

A Spellbook for the Seasons Magical blessings to celebrate the natural shifts and transitions of our planet

From salutations to the sun in the summer to winter healing blessings, here are over 120 spells, prayers, blessings and rituals to embrace the changing seasons. •• •• •• ••

Draws on the historic deep knowledge of the Craft interpreted for today’s reader. Combines the trending interest in practical magic and witchcraft with concern for our living planet. Weaves spells with information on key annual events in the magical calendar, accompanied by atmospheric seasonal images throughout. More than thirty spells for each season to embrace change and prepare readers spiritually for the transition.

Sarah Coyne, also known as Tudorbeth, is a hereditary practitioner of the Craft. The rules and gifts of herb lore, scrying, healing, tasseomancy, numerology and candle magic have been passed down to her through several generations.

Winter: The First Snows Spell When there has been a forecast of snow take a clean plastic container and place outside. Try to catch as much as the first snow as possible. If you have had several flurries previously, do not worry – you are trying to catch the first snowfall that will cover the ground. When the container is full, bring inside, transfer to a freezer bag and repeat these words: Pure white snow, nature’s innocence. White and clean shinning vibrance. Bring me your strength and purity. In all my magical endeavours. An it harm none so mote it be.

Summer’s End: A Pagan Prayer to the Sun

Date and label the bag “first snow” to show that the snow has the purest of properties, and store in the freezer. The snow can be used throughout the year for a number of spells, from love to money to health.

Stand outside in the sunshine at noon and repeat these words:

Small plants, leaves and buds, growing in the soil. O fiery sun, may your rays of light and warmth bless us with abundance, and allow these plants to blossom with life.

192

Winter

Days Chart

We welcome you, and we honour you this day, celebrating your light, as we begin our journey once more into the darkness.

Day

Star Sign

Deity

Colour

Stone

Rules

Monday

Cancer

Diana

White

Moonstone

Home, Politics, Female Power

Tuesday

Aries, Scorpio

Mars

Red

Ruby

Sex, Passion, Desire, Ambition, Work

Wednesday

Gemini, Virgo

Mercury

Yellow

Opal

Communication, Magical Ability, Knowledge, Rational Thought

Thursday

Sagittarius, Pisces

Jupiter

Orange

Amethyst

Luck, Abundance, Career

Friday

Taurus, Libra

Venus

Green

Emerald

Beauty, Money, Marriage, Love, Fertility

Saturday

Capricorn, Aquarius

Saturn

Black

Onyx

Karma, Reincarnation, Work, Past Lives

Sunday

Leo

Sun

Gold

Goldstone

Snow Spell Charm

To make a charm, take a green apple and thinly cut it across to expose the pentagram inside. Cut at least five very fine slices of the apple to make sure they all show the pentagram. Then gather your fresh snow on a Friday. Lay the apple slices on on a plate, sprinkle over the snow and say these words:

For this prayer to be truly effective you should go out to your garden on a sunny day, stand barefoot in the soil, and feel the energy of the earth. If you can’t stand in your garden, then place your hands around a growing plant or herb and say the following prayer.

Depending on what day the snow falls, the energy of that day can be used to enhance the snow’s power; for example, Monday is the day of home, politics and female power and Friday is good for money spells (see chart overleaf).

Summer Solstice Prayer

The sun is high above us shining down upon the land and sea, making things grow and bloom. Great and powerful sun, we honour you this day and thank you for your gifts. Ra, Helios, Sol Invictus, Aten, Svarog, you are known by many names. You are the light over the crops, the heat that warms the earth, the hope that springs eternal, the bringer of life.

May these gifts of nature Pure brilliant snow of winter bright Charm these apple slices With financial strength and might Blessed be.

Summer 194

Winter

Joy, Happiness, Health, Leadership

Leave the apple slices on the plate for a full seven days, until the apples have withered and feel like leather. Then take one of the slices, put it in your purse, and place others in your bank book, with your credit cards, or wherever you keep money or financial paperwork. Keep the apple slices in place until you feel you no longer need them. Then bury them in the garden, giving thanks for all the good they brought. Winter

195

MIND, BODY, SPIRIT

246 x 189 mm (7½ x 911⁄16 in) 176 pp | 40,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Autumn 2020

The Cosmology of Astrology

Understanding your connection to the sun, moon and planets A holistic introduction to the core concepts of astrology, the book reveals the symbolic connections and mysterious relationships that underpin not just our connection to the stars, but also magic, herbalism and alchemy. •• •• •• •• •• ••

Easily explains how astrology works, the qualities of each star sign and how to create and read a birth chart. Reveals the human beings place in the cosmos, through relationships such as sky and earth, day and night, the zodiac and the seasons. Reclaims a view of astrology from the ancient Greeks, Mesopotamians and Egyptians – how astrology was originally intended before the western world view since the Industrial Revolution. Enables those new to astrology to reconnect with the wonder and magic of nature and the stars. Includes easy-access charts, maps and quick-reference tables. Illustrated by beautiful esoterica, historical woodcuts, engravings and cosmological maps.

A regular contributor and horoscope columnist to both magazines and community forums, Lisa Mendes has also been published on the popular astrology website Skyscript and runs a successful astrology practice and blog at www.astrology-sphere.com. She holds an MA in Cultural Study of Cosmology and Divination from the University of Kent. LEFT: The Sun and Moon from the ‘Nuremberg Chronicle’, 1493, the illustrated biblical by Hartmann Schedel that follows the story of human history from the beginning of time. OPPOSITE: Two scholars watching the Sun, Moon and luminaries, with an old man sitting in the rain centre. Coloured woodcut by Francesco Petrarca (1304– 1374).

As Above, So Below

CONTENTS 6

Foreword

Introduction: A Holistic View of Astrology

In astrological language, we use the terms ‘Above’ and ‘Below’ to refer to the interplay between sky and earth and the concept of cosmological mirroring, as reflected in the phrase from the Lord’s Prayer, ‘…on earth, as it is in heaven’. This idea has roots in an ancient cosmology which saw sky and earth as the primary relationship or pairing that underpins creation. Sometimes this was expressed mythologically as the marriage between a male and female god, such as the Egyptian Nut, goddess of the night sky, and her beloved, the earth god, Geb, who was often depicted lying on the ground, gazing up at her. However, this idea was extended into almost every sphere of life, so that for the Egyptians, the river Nile was seen as a mirror image of the Milky Way, which in turn, was conceived of as a river of stars, and so on. Archaeologists think that the desire to harmonize life on earth with the heavens may be the motivation behind the structuring of ancient towns and the orientation and placement of certain temples

and monuments in alignment with key celestial phenomena, including Stonehenge. Most experts think that the ziggurats or step pyramids built by the Babylonians were meant to mimic mountains in the desert, but also to act as platforms designed to elevate priests and kings so that they could be closer to the heavens, both for observational and religious purposes. On a cosmological level, the Hermetic expression, ‘As Above, So Below’ encompasses a deeper, more philosophical notion about the relationship between man and the stars, and between heaven and earth. One way of getting to the heart of this concept is to look at the relationship between the macrocosm and microcosm (see also pages 82–83). In essence, each and every person is considered to be a mirror image of the heavens: a cosmos in miniature. This concept is reflected in the visual language of an astrological chart, as we discovered earlier. For many modern psychological astrologers, this personal cosmos represents a map of our inner landscape: the

sphere of soul or psyche. According to this school of thought, our lives are an ongoing reflection of an interaction between the movements of the heavens above, and our own personal inner sky, which is established at birth.

The Luminaries In planetary terms, the Sun and Moon are considered to be the primary significators of duality and together, embody most of astrology’s first principles. As the main sources of light that illuminate our skies, during the day (Sun) and night (Moon), they are referred to in astrology as the luminaries. These two ‘leading lights’ represent the core cosmological duality between light and dark, night and day, male and female, and thinking and feeling in astrological symbolism. As such they have an overarching role that supercedes that of the other planets. Thus, the Moon rules over the coolness and wetness of the night (which associates her with a particular humour, according to Paracelsus),

68 ✶ Dualities: Day & Night, Sky & Earth, Sun & Moon

1 Time: Cycles, Seasons & Phases

2 Space: Maps, Domiciles, Aspects & Orientation

3 Dualities: Day & Night, Sky & Earth, Sun & Moon

4 Relationships of 3: The Elements & Triplicity Rulers

112

5 Relationships of 4: Angles & the Cross of Matter

136

6 Relationships of 12: The Zodiac & the Houses

162

Charts, Maps & Quick-Reference Tables

172

Index

176

Acknowledgements

womanhood (after all, her menstrual cycle is often synced to its phases), the domestic environment and all things fertile, from seeds sprouting and ripening, to an embryo growing into a foetus in the womb; while the Sun rules over the heat and light of the daytime, worldly power and wealth (gold being a solar metal) as well as the traditional realms of manhood, the public domains of work, leadership and social order. Carl Jung took these principles and translated them into psychological terms, so that the Moon became associated with introversion; and the Sun, with extraversion and so forth. Some alchemists went so far as to associate the Sun with the Macrocosm, and the Moon with the microcosm, but this can become problematic, especially if we begin to associate this polarity with gender. It is also the interplay of the Sun and Moon that give us the phases of the Moon, eclipses, as well as the concept of the lunar nodes. This polarity also forms the basis for an ancient technique used for classifying the planets and signs known as Sect, which we will look at next.

Dualities: Day & Night, Sky & Earth, Sun & Moon ✶ 69

Dualities:

Sky & Earth • Day & Night • Sun & Moon “In the beginning, God created the Heaven and the Earth…” Genesis, Chapter 1 Most of us know the above quote from the Bible, even if we are not religious. And yet, what we may not realize is that the biblical creation story actually originates from Mesopotamia, which also happens to be the birth place of astrology. Creation myths are central to any cosmology, creating a powerful foundation story upon which cultures can then build and flesh out their worldviews. Many begin with binary relationships, including the division of light and dark, night and day, male and female, and of course, the most fundamental of them all, that of sky and earth. In this chapter we will explore all the two-fold astrological relationships: ❂ Macrocosm (Sky or Heavens) versus Microcosm (Earth and Man) ❂ The Luminaries (Sun and Moon) and their interplay in lunar phases, eclipses and sign/house rulerships ❂ Diurnal (Day) versus Nocturnal (Night).

OPPOSITE: The 1888 printing of the Flammarion engraving. It has been used to represent a medieval cosmology: a flat earth bounded by a star-studded sky.

MIND, BODY, SPIRIT

205 x 148 mm (513⁄16 x 8 in) 176 pp | 50,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Autumn 2019

Moonpower

How to work with the phases of the moon and plan your timing for every major decision Learn how the moon affects more than just the tides – it also affects every living organism, our moods and our decision-making . This book reveals anhow to live in tune with its cycles. •

Whether you want to make a good impression at an interview, start a new business, get married, try for a baby, buy a property, have cosmetic surgery, sow seeds or harvest crops, matching the right action to the appropriate lunar phase will ensure the best results. Covers all categories: love and relationships, work, money, health and home and garden. Includes charts and timetables to help you plan ahead for optimum results.

• •

Jane Struthers is a professional astrologer, as well as a writer, tarot reader, palmist and homeopath. She has written 30 non-fiction books on a wide variety of topics that include astrology, tarot, and the British countryside. She is the weekly astrologer for Bella magazine, and regularly lectures on astrology and the tarot. Visit Jane’s website at: janestruthers.com MOON-SIGN FINDER

To find your birth sign, or pinpoint the moon sign for any given date, just follow these three simple steps:

The Quick-reference Planner on pages 166–73 lists the lunar phases giving you the dates of each quarter moon from 2018–2031, to help you choose auspicious dates for future events such as moving into a new home (pick a day when the moon is in Cancer), launching a new business (find the moon in Capricorn), or choosing that special day for anything from planning a wedding to the best time to plant potatoes! But what if you want to look back in time, to find out where the moon was on the day you got married, for example, to see what influence this has had on your relationship? Or on the day you started that new job? And what about your own moon sign (the sign at the time of your birth)? How might this have affected your vulnerabilities and susceptibilities? Every month, the moon zips through all twelve astrological signs, spending about two-and-a-quarter days in each one and returning to the same position in the zodiac on the same date every nineteen years. This convenient cycle allows us to draw up tables that track the moon’s movements day by day, forwards and backwards in time.

Failure or success – it can all hang on the day you choose! Hold a sale at full moon and your products will fly out of the door. Postpone your promotion for one week and your campaign will bomb like a damp squib. Yes, there are auspicious days to apply for a new job, hold meetings, forge agreements and sign contracts. The moon can affect the money markets, budgets and investments. Launch your new business on the right day and its chances of prospering are enhanced.

Go to Chart 1 Years and months Find your year of birth (or the year in question) in the columns on the left, then read across to find the moon sign listed for the relevant month (the chart lists the moon signs on the first day of each month).

Go to Chart 2 Days of the month

M K&

, orts st – ur eff inve et yo and ! targ nd save favour a ur w to u ho nd fire, in yo re s yo ow hire a win a sh a n s, ctio ntract ds of s se Thi sign co the od n n to whe whe and

Find the day of the month in question and check the ‘Add’ number below to discover the subsequent number of signs you need to count forward from the first day.

R WO

Go to Chart 3 Zodiac wheel Locate the sign you discovered in step 1, then, using the ‘Add’ number you discovered in step 2, count clockwise round the wheel to find your zodiac sign. (Alternatively, if you are looking to plan ahead, keep counting round the wheel until you find the sign you’re aiming for, noting the number you have counted, then check back to Chart 2 to find this number in the ‘Add’ column, and this will tell you the days of the month that apply.) 25

AUG

SEP

OCT

NOV

DEC

CAP

AQU

ARI

TAU

CAN

LEO

ARI

TAU

CAN

LEO

VIR

SCO

SAG

AQU

ARI

GEM

CAN

LEO

VIR

SCO

CAP

AQU

ARI

TAU

GEM

LEO

LIB

SCO

CAP

AQU

ARI

TAU

GEM

LEO

VIR

SCO

SAG

CAP

AQU

ARI

TAU

GEM

LEO

LIB

SCO

SAG

CAP

PISC

TAU

CAN

LEO

LIB

SCO

SAG

AQU

PISC

TAU

GEM

LEO

VIR

LIB

SCO

SAG

AQU

PISC

TAU

CAN

LEO

VIR

LIB

SAG

CAP

AQU

PISC

TAU

GEM

LEO

VIR

SCO

SAG

AQU

PISC

ARI

GEM

LEO

VIR

SCO

SAG

AQU

PISC

ARI

GEM

CAN

VIR

SCO

CAP

AQU

PISC

TAU

GEM

LEO

VIR

LIB

SAG

CAP

PISC

TAU

GEM

LEO

VIR

SCO

SAG

CAP

PISC

ARI

TAU

CAN

VIR

LIB

SAG

CAP

PISC

ARI

GEM

CAN

LEO

LIB

SAG

AQU

PISC

TAU

GEM

CAN

VIR

LIB

SAG

CAP

PISC

ARI

TAU

GEM

CAN

VIR

LIB

SAG

CAP

AQU

ARI

TAU

CAN

VIR

LIB

SAG

CAP

PISC

ARI

GEM

CAN

VIR

LIB

SCO

CAP

PISC

ARI

GEM

CAN

VIR

SCO

SAG

CAP

AQU

ARI

TAU

GEM

LEO

VIR

LIB

SCO

CAP

PISC

ARI

TAU

CAN

LEO

LIB

SAG

CAP

PISC

ARI

TAU

CAN

LEO

LIB

SCO

CAP

AQU

ARI

CAP

AQU

PISC

ARI

TAU

CAN

LEO

LIB

Chart 2 DAYS OF THE MONTH DAY

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 0 1 1 1 2 2 3 3 4 4 5 5 5 6 6 7 7 8 8 9 9 10 10 10 11 11 12 12 1 1 2 ADD (NUMBER OF SIGNS)

CES PIS

AQ U A

JUL

SAG

AQU

ARIE S TA U

US RI

JUN

LIB

CAP

CAPRIC OR

MAY

VIR

SAG

Chart 3 ZODIAC WHEEL

US TARI GIT SA

APR

CAN

SCO

O PI R

MAR

CAN

LIB

FEB

TAU

SC O

EACH MONTH

JAN

CANC ER

2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2024 2025 2026 2027 2028 2029 2030 2031 2032 2033

MINI GE

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014

S U R

1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995

MOON-SIGN FINDER

1958 1959 1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973 1974 1975 1976

LIBR A

MOON SIGNS ON THE FIRST DAY OF

1939 1940 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 1949 1950 1951 1952 1953 1954 1955 1956 1957

GO VIR

YEAR

1920 1921 1922 1923 1924 1925 1926 1927 1928 1929 1930 1931 1932 1933 1934 1935 1936 1937 1938

EXAMPLE:

We know Prince Harry was born on 15 September 1984, which means he’s a Virgo. But what sign was the moon in on that day? Find 1984 in Chart 1, then read across until you reach the column for the month of September. On the first day of that month, the moon was in Scorpio. Chart 2 shows that for the 15th day of the month, six signs must be added on from Scorpio. Now, locate Scorpio in Chart 3 and, moving clockwise around the wheel, count through six signs. This brings you to Taurus – Prince Harry’s moon sign.

MOON-SIGN FINDER

Chart 1 YEARS AND MONTHS

MIND, BODY, SPIRIT

220 x 170 mm (63⁄4 x 83⁄4 in) 160 pp | 30,000 words Two-colour throughout Publication: Autumn 2019

Feng Shui

Rebalance the flow of energy in and around you In this illustrated guide to living in harmony with ch’i, the life-giving energy, experts explain how to rebalance the flow of energy in your environment to bring health, happiness and good fortune into your life. •• Introduction to the principles of feng shui, including yin-yang, the five elements (wood, fire, earth, metal, water) and how to use a Pa Tzu compass. •• Explains how to become aware of, and improve, the ‘invisible architecture’ in the landscape, home and workplace. •• Includes step-by-step assessments of every room in the home, as well as both rural and urban landscapes. •• Written by feng shui experts from the international Wu Xing consultancy. •• Makes a great self-purchase or gift for anyone embracing their spirituality and interested in bringing positive influences into their life. Wu Xing is a feng shui consultancy group includes members Martin Palmer, Joanne O’Brien, Zhao Xiaomin and Eva Wong, who have written several books including Feng Shui: The Ancient Wisdom of Harmonious Living and Chinese Astrology. 90

I M P R OV I N G YO U R F E N G S H U I

INSIDE THE HOME

YO U R F E N G S H U I TO O L S

F E N G S H U I S O LU T I O N S

Water

The Living Room The design of the living room

The living room or sitting room is usually the place where family and friends gather, so you need to create an environment that is conducive to relaxation and conversation. If the living room leads directly on to the street or if several doors lead into the room, it can leave you feeling vulnerable. In contrast, a dark, confined living area creates oppressive conditions. Arrange your furniture to provide protection from the rush of energy that

can enter through a doorway or large window, and do not face sharp corners or angular objects – they cut through beneficial energy. The sofa is usually the item of furniture used most frequently; therefore it needs support from a wall or from another piece of furniture (the same principle applies for armchairs). As well as the seating arrangements remember to take into account the height of the room – if the ceiling is too high, ch’i rises and disperses.

should create an easy, relaxing atmosphere. Try to organize lights so they enhance this; do not use bright fluorescent tubes or bulbs directly above your head, since they may cause headaches and nausea. Avoid crowding the room with ornaments, sharp objects and angular furniture – ch’i moves more freely around curved edges and symmetrical arrangements.

Many Chinese homes or businesses have a fish tank or aquarium, since fish are

Water has strong life-giving qualities that encourage and nourish the flow of ch’i, but if it is low-lying or stagnant it then becomes a source of sha – malign energy. Fresh flowers in a glass vase can enliven the flow of sluggish or blocked ch’i in a room, while a fountain in a lobby or foyer attracts beneficial ch’i into the building. A fish pond or ornamental pool in a front garden is also said to attract good fortune from distant places. The gentle movement of water is life-giving and yang – this is seen in the flow of a river or the smooth swell of the sea – but when water is hit by violent storms or becomes stagnant it has strong yin qualities and can be destructive. This same principle applies to ponds, pools and aquariums. Healthy plant life that improves the aeration of the water, or fish moving through the water, enliven ch’i and have yang qualities.

thought to denote good fortune and healthy finance – the Chinese word for ‘fish’ (yu) sounds similar to that for excess (yu).

Curves and Symmetry Circles and round structures are a sign of something that is complete as well as being an indication of satisfaction and happiness. Round structures or architectural features enable ch’i to flow evenly and smoothly, whereas sharp features can pierce ch’i and cluttered spaces break its flow. If you are designing a garden, buying a house or choosing furniture, aim for curves and balance so that an overall symmetry is created. While it is not always

possible to find accommodation with domed roofs, features such as curved pathways, window frames, porches or arches all enhance the flow of energy around the site. Complete shapes also provide more positive readings than irregular designs. For example, a rectangular or square plot of land is preferable to one that has sides of different lengths, while a room with two bays is more balanced than one with one narrow extension. Sometimes a structure can accommodate unusual shapes or uneven sections if it creates an overall impression of balance and proportion and relates harmoniously to the landforms around it.

Wind Chimes

Rounded, symmetrical

Wind chimes were traditionally used in China to frighten away unsettled spirits or ‘Hungry Ghosts’. These are believed to be the spirits of the deceased who have been buried without adequate funeral rites and continue to wander the earth. At New Year they are frightened off with firecrackers but at the Hungry Ghost festival, on the fifteenth day of the seventh lunar month, their spirits are appeased with offerings, prayers and liturgies in the hope that they will be placated and respond benevolently. Wind chimes have now gained a wider usage and are hung to help dispel negative forces as well as activate ch’i in an area where it may be slow-moving. They are also a useful indicator of someone entering a room in situations where your view of the door is obstructed.

a smooth flow of ch’i

furniture encourages around a room.

Wind chimes activate slowmoving ch’i and dispel negative forces.

IMPROVING YOUR FENG SHUI

Ideally the front door should not lead straight

If the kitchen and living room are open-plan,

Do not create cramped passageways between

Too much ch’i can escape through large

into the living room. This is acceptable if the

try to screen off the kitchen area to prevent

furniture, since it funnels negative forces and

windows or patio doors, particularly if they

house or apartment is small, but if the living

smells and steam filling the area where you

limits the circulation of ch’i. If your living room

are opposite each other. Make use of blinds

room is large, block the force of the incoming

sit and relax. Clear away left-over food and

is L-shaped, do not crowd the narrower part

or curtains to control the loss of energy. The

ch’i with a screen, bookcase or partition.

empty the kitchen waste bins regularly.

of the room with furniture or ornaments, and

reading is, however, improved if the windows

place lamps in dark corners.

are divided into smaller panes of glass.

good feng shui

bad feng shui

improved feng shui

harmony

This part of the workbook takes you on a step-by-step journey through the rural landscape and into an urban environment, including readings for specific rooms in your home or workplace. The general principles and guidelines contained in each section are intended to help you understand the flow of ch’i in specific areas and determine why it may be disturbed or blocked. Suggestions to improve weak areas of your home or encourage a more even circulation of ch’i are offered throughout.

2 PART

MIND, BODY, SPIRIT

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The I Ching for Romance & Friendship

Advice, insight and guidance for all your personal relationships Simply throw the three coins six times to create a hexagram. Each of the resulting 64 hexagrams can be read for platonic friendship, an existing partnership or a new romance. A divination system based on the eight natural laws of the I Ching: heaven, earth, water, thunder, mountain, wind, lake and flame. •• Consult to find love, understand relationships and mend friendships. •• Includes three traditional casting coins. •• Stunningly presented box with pull-out ribbon drawer. •• Beautiful Chinese-style illustrations featured throughout. •• Suitable for beginners with no knowledge or experience of the Chinese oracle. •• Excellent gift for young adults interested in magic, astrology and fortune-telling. ••

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17 GO WITH THE FLOW

GO WITH THE FLOW

Lake Thunder x

his is a time to follow your intuition and let life flow. Imagine yourself as an emotional surfer riding the high waves and maintaining your balance as the wave decreases. Self-acceptance and forgiveness will help you remain balanced.

Respect and value yourself; then the people you attract into your life will enhance your emotional well-being and physical vitality. If necessary, seek independent counselling to help you boost your self-esteem and learn to release past disappointments.

Earth Lake

here is an opportunity to create wonderful new relationships and add emotional depth to existing ones. Make sure you use this time to build firm foundations that will survive the bad times as well as the good ones. You can renew your initial sense of joy, excitement and passion. Enjoy a new sense of vibrancy and vitality in this relationship. This is a great time to meet someone special and strengthen your relationship. Use this period to develop mutually acceptable goals and strategies that can last a lifetime.

Do your friends share your interests? It’s time to focus on developing more ties with people who share your passions and concerns. If need be, explore new places, groups or classes, as this will help to widen your social circle. As you develop new friendships with like-minded people, you will find old friends gradually moving away from you. Accept this natural process of change gracefully.

If you’ve been meaning to discuss a certain issue with your friend but have held back due to fear, go for it.

Don’t play power games with your loved ones or take their support for granted. If you do, you will lose their respect. Instead, take steps to boost your own confidence and inner strength. This is a time to show your loving and caring side. You can create a warm and supportive circle of friends. Spend more time on your personal relationships and focus less on material issues.

A sense of discernment and a greater level of detachment will enable you to increase your emotional well-being. If need be, go on a personal development course, seek advice from an independent counsellor or spend more time outside in natural surroundings.

You have learned the lessons of love the hard way – through trial and error. Now you can enjoy the fruits of your emotional experience. Any relationship you are in at present can benefit from your growing compassion and understanding.

Make sure you use this time well. Beware of fair-weather friends and partnerships based on lust rather than love. Spend time resolving any niggling issues in old relationships as well as developing new ones. Don’t neglect your family.

EXISTING PARTNERSHIPS

NEW ROMANCE

You might have decided that you had no time for romance or more friends, but this new person in your life will change that perception. Enjoy sharing your life with someone who understands the inner you.

NEW ROMANCE

FRIENDSHIP

PITFALLS

UNIVERSAL PRINCIPLES

Universal Principles

he I-Ching is based on eight universal principles or natural laws: heaven, earth, water, thunder, mountain, wind, lake and flame. These principles, each represented by a three-line configuration known as a trigram, explain the often confusing and chaotic world which we call reality, and are at the heart of all situations we face. If we can tune into these principles, or elements of energy, through our own thoughts and transfer the energy signature into a hexagram, we can reach the core of the situation.

MODEL OF REALITY

EXISTING PARTNERSHIPS

FRIENDSHIP

TH E H E X AG RAM S

This is a time to count your blessings. Sincere friends and loving partners can help you make the most of your life. Enjoy focusing on the moment.

You can develop this friendship further by letting it blossom in its own time. Make sure your own motives are genuine and you’ll benefit from this opportunity to strengthen the relationship.

Is the basis of this relationship true friendship and respect? Make sure your partner shares your sincerity and integrity; otherwise you’re setting the stage for emotional stagnation.

Your outer relationship reflects the inner you. This is a good time to meditate, grow spiritual and develop your intuition. Enjoy the daily ebb and flow of your relationship.

Don’t push a person who is not ready to get involved in a relationship with you. If you try to cling on to someone who wishes to leave, you will cause yourself heartache. Find true happiness within.

Your popularity is increasing and you feel more attractive and outgoing. Enjoy this sensation, but be discriminating about your choice of intimate friends and lovers. This is a great time to add to your circle of friends and to explore new activities that enhance your ability to enjoy life.

Don’t shut the world out. You can strengthen this partnership by making sure you don’t become isolated from friends and family. Make sure you plan to see friends on a regular basis – don’t leave your meetings to chance.

It’s too early to predict the outcome of this relationship, but have fun as you ride the emotional highs and lows.

W IND O W O F O P P O R T UNIT Y

MOVING LINES

19.

19 WINDOW OF OPPORTUNITY

The I-Ching provides a model of reality that explains why change occurs and describes the underlying laws at work. It is based on the assumption of a division between spirit and matter; spirit gives birth to and includes within itself matter. We see reality as dualistic – male and female, yin and yang – but this is an illusion: the only difference between yang (represented by a solid line ) and yin (a broken

T HE HE XA GRAMS 8

U N IVE R S A L P R IN C IP L E S

line ) is the space in the middle of the line. Neither condition is stable, but constantly changing, which you’ll see when you throw the coins to form a ‘moving’ line (see page 11).

UNIVERSAL HOLISM

The modern Western mind can find it hard to grasp the symbolism of the eight universal principles. Basically, heaven is the all-encompassing energy pouring forth its qualities on to the earth. These seven qualities each vibrate at their own level and have a different impact on the matter they come into contact with – one enlivens, one pacifies, one harmonizes, and so on. Similarly, we can view eight ‘building bricks’ of the I-Ching – the eight trigrams (or energy packages) that interact with and stimulate matter. Remember that we are just seeing a part of the whole. Life isn’t black and white – we all have the potential to widen our vision, and this book will show you how to do just that.

THE EIGHT ENERGIES

The energies combine in pairs to form sixty-four hexagrams, but what do the eight energies represent? This represents ‘God’, the ‘Great Spirit’ – the ‘universal energy’. In terms of the oracle it also represents someone who channels this energy, God’s messenger, a prophet, sage, pope or even a king. Heaven inspires and motivates us, and moves us to more elevated thoughts and feelings.

Heaven

Earth stabilizes us, provides a resting place – a place we can sow our seeds away from the harsh reality around us. We can nurture them until the time is right for the seedlings to emerge and flower. Earth helps to break down old patterns and thoughts, to transform negative into positive; garbage becomes manure.

Earth

Over time, water wears down rock. If you continue to be true to yourself then you can create change too. Just as water changes its form, so we can alter our appearance, but to be successful we must steer a lifepath using our souls as guidance. Go within and find your own truth. Thus you stay true to yourself and events are transformed by your persistent actions.

Water

Thunder creates a loud bang, which wakes people up from their slumber. The action of thunder is arousal – it indicates a situation that is overheated and has excess energy that needs to be channelled in a different form. Just as the air is clear after the

Thunder

thunder, so a good argument brings conflicts into the open and provides the chance for resolution. Mountains are large, still areas of energy, both obstacles and opportunities. They Mountain symbolize meditation and the raising of consciousness on the one hand, and outdated beliefs that have become obstacles on the other. Wind moves things from one place to another – it is a messenger, symbolizing Wind communication, the spreading of ideas. But ideas alone don’t create change – the catalyst for transformation is the person with the idea. Wind helps to create conditions where change may happen, but it can’t stabilize or make these changes on earth. Lake is a receptacle on the earth for water (which represents our soul potential, Lake activated through the heart). If we act according to our heart’s desire, we feel happy and joyful; so lake’s actions give us a cup overflowing with heart energy, bringing joy into our lives. Fire lights up our lives, letting us see at night and creating light out of darkness, but to make fire you need a spark and material to ignite. Flame’s energy is social – to shine brightly, you must share your heart with others. Only then will your passion be turned into a healing and transforming flame.

Flame

MIND, BODY, SPIRIT

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MIND, BODY, SPIRIT

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Kabbalah:The Tree of Life Oracle Sacred wisdom to enrich your life

This fascinating oracle is based on a Kabbalistic map of creation that dates back at least 1,000 years in the Jewish mystery tradition. â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;˘

Here, the Tree of Life â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a sacred symbol in many cultures of the world â&#x20AC;&#x201C; is used as a path to knowledge, linking the twenty-two letters of the Hebrew alphabet with astrological houses. Each resulting word is a rich and powerful â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;wheelâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; symbol that reflects a segment of the Tree, and is depicted on a card. Lay the cards on the reading sheet provided, in the zigzag line of creation, then consult the guidebook to receive guidance on any life issue. Ancient wisdom of Kabbalah and astrology combined in one unique divination system. Can be accessed for instant or in-depth readings.

â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;˘ â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;˘

Cherry Gilchrist and Gila Zur were two of the four original Kabbalists who worked on the original â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Galgalâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; Oracle on which the Tree of Life Oracle is based. Cherry is the author of over 20 books on astrology, divination, alchemy and mythology, and has trained and worked in the Western hermetic tradition for many years. Gila is an artist and expert in Hebrew. THE CARDS

THE WHEELS

t r

i x

t r

INTRODUCTION

K E TE R

DAAT

ABYSS

ERET

k m

SENCE

O Y ES D

PE R I E N CE

E TZ A C

RPE UAT T

MERCY

TIF

s HOD

E SE D

GEMEN

ECHO

SDOM

EV UR A

O KHM H

v G

The Kabbalah and the Tree of Life

STAND

OWN

BINAH

r A LK H U

q a

i x

h z

The wheel now includes Judgement and Mercy, the sefirot of Gevurah and Chesed. On the Tree of Life, Chesed is created first. â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;The world is tempered by Chesed, â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Mercyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;, and is filled therewith.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; The balance between judgement and mercy occupies a key place in human history. Poets, philosophers and playwrights have all struggled with the issue. Kabbalah tells us that both are necessary, but that the universe could not stay in existence without the presence of Loving-Kindness, another name for Chesed. When judgement has been exercised, what remains is love. This wheel brings this into a personal context, by including Experience. These four cards contain ambiguity, the sense of standing on the edge between good and bad, health and disease, approval and condemnation. Duality can never entirely be denied, and we must recognize both the good that lies at the heart of tragedy and the dangers inherent in blessings.

Wheel 6

p n

Now the sefira of Sense, the external world, has been left behind, throwing the seeker back on their inner resources. These are still based on personal experience, but include resources that constellate around the central truth of oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s being. The sefira of Tiferet represents the essential self. It has its individual perfection, but this may not mean perfection by human standards; each personâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s essence has its traits of character, such as avarice, impulsiveness or reticence. This is similar to the essential nature of an animal which may be predatory, slothful or excitable. We can rejoice in its nature because it is free from artifice. Discovering the inner light of Tiferet does not turn people into saints, which is just as well, since rumour has it that saints are hard to live with. Four very different types of people are described here, according to the four elements which rule each wheel.

e h

Wheel 4

p r

k m

w a

e h

We have reached the level where Essence, or Tiferet, forms the centre of the wheel. This is the highest sefira that human life can be based in; above is Daat, the Abyss, which is a gateway to the supernal world and not strictly speaking a sefira at all, while the topmost sefira is Keter, the Crown of Creation. We may have intimations of that Crown, but we can never identify with it. To centre on Tiferet marks the entry into a level of selfawareness. Two opposing approaches arise at this stage, but they are in fact two sides of a golden coin. The first is stasis, revealed in two of the cards, because there is the temptation to bask in the light of oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s essence and do nothing. The second is evolution, an impulse to movement that celebrates and transforms the energy at the heart of life.

Wheel 5

The next set of four cards is also based on the realm of Experience, but here we have a quartet of outlying sefirot, instead of a volatile threefold wheel. This set is also more stable because Tiferet, referred to as Essence, takes its place on the top rim of the wheel. Essence stands at the gateway between the personal world and the higher world, where the essence and principles of things can be perceived. The flow of Experience, symbolized by the waxing and waning moon, is grounded in Sense and illuminated by the calm solar radiance of Tiferet. As you can see from the oracles for these cards, this brings a certain glamour, but there is still a fine balance between alertness and illusion, between the manifestation of something and its loss or disappearance. The cards span a very human world, with its flashes of higher consciousness, its love of sensuality, and a certain degree of self-importance.

Wheel 3

SENSE

The Tree of Life

he Kabbalah is a mystical tradition that lies at the heart of Judaism. Its known origins go back to medieval times, when it emerged in Provence and Spain, but it is likely that its teachings extend further back by at least several centuries, and it perhaps evolved out of the wisdom schools of Assyria, Babylonia and Egypt. Stylized Tree of Life diagrams very similar to that used here can be found as stone carvings from these cultures, and other related traditions, such as astrology, have also passed along this route. Astrology and Kabbalah are close companions, and the Tree of Life Oracle makes use of the planets, houses and zodiac signs of astrology, especially in the layout of the cards. Kabbalah passed into European culture during the Renaissance, becoming one of the most important Western mystical philosophies from that time onwards. It also evolved further within Jewish teaching, and is increasingly practised as a way of understanding sacred cosmology. Kabbalah maps out the pathways between man and God. The gulf between us is not a hopeless, uncharted wilderness, in fact, creation is a process of step-by-step revelation, aided by Kabbalahâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s greatest symbol, the Tree of Life, which shows us how the cosmic principles operate, and how they can be found at work within everything, including the individual person. The Tree of Life begins with Keter, the Crown of Creation, the highest source of divine energy that we can know. The path of creation follows a course known as the Lightning Flash, zigzagging from right to left (see page 12), and as it does so, it sets up three pillars, the three vertical supports of the Tree of Life. Each pillar has its own meaning: the righthand one is masculine, creative and expansive; the left-hand, feminine side, forms and shapes. The central pillar balances the other two, and is known as the Pillar of Consciousness. As creation unfolds, ten sefirot, or emanations of divine energy, appear. From Keter the path leads to 9

MIND, BODY, SPIRIT

205 x 148 mm (513⁄16 x 8 in) 160pp | 37,000 words 20 tear-off cards Publication: Spring 2019

Celtic Totem Animals Working with shamanic helpers

A superb introduction to the world of Celtic Shamanism and Animal Spirits, you will discover the important role animals play in all shamanic traditions and learn how to meet them. Enjoy inspiring and original Celtic stories and let yourself be transported by shamanic drumming. Includes 20 beautiful cards featuring wood-cut depictions of the Totem Animals you will meet during your journey. Listen to shamanic drumming music with a soundlink to tracks. Select a card with the animal that appeals to you to help with a problem or assist in decision-making and follow the simple instructions for a guided visualization. Witness how the totem animals can guide and empower you.

• • • • •

John Matthews is an internationally acclaimed expert on the Green Man and Celtic traditions, giving seminars around the world. Visit his website at: hallowquest.org.uk

shamans or revealed in ordeals or initiations. Modern folklore records of Celtic families indicate that association with a particular Totem Animal continued into more recent times, as for example in the name ‘McMahon’, which translates as ‘Son(s) of the Bear’. Painted images of these sacred creatures became the source of the heraldic devices worn by men and women in the Middle Ages and after, and which to this day constitute a veritable bestiary of animal symbolism. The early Celts almost certainly would have displayed the head or pelt of their particular totem at the entrance to their settlement, whilst the warriors either painted their shields with devices of their own, or had them tattooed on their bodies. In the case of the elite Irish warrior group known as the Fianna, there is a text which has preserved a description of the images on the banners carried by the greatest of these men. Such images would have had a similar importance to the imagery displayed on their shields (see left). Indeed, whilst there is no exact parallel in Celtic literature, there are indications that the idea of magical or powerful shields would have been recognized among the native shamans of these islands. Among the Native American tribes such

The Banners of Fianna (by Chesca Potter) 22

THE

WISDOM

THE

shields were painted with magical pictograms. Shields could also represent the sacred directions (North, South, East, West, Above, Below) and the Totem Animals of both the tribe and the individual. Two poems from a ninth-century Irish text called The Proceedings of the Great Bardic Institution illustrate this further. Here the poet Dallan describes Dubh-Ghiolla, the magical shield of the King of Oirgiall, and makes several poems about it. The shield was made from one of the five sacred trees of Ireland. It is described as follows: Fast is thy shield As the wave which runs its course … A speckled shield, the feeder of ravens, Wards off the foe from his borders. [A] surprising and beautiful shield Is with Hugh the son of Duach … Bright as the speckled salmon of the wave! Dubh-Ghiolla! panic of the banded brave … Fenced with its thorny mail the holly stands – So round the prince the guardian shield expands: The bull’s strong hide the needle’s point defies – Thus vainly round him baffled ranks arise … Here the bull’s-hide shield is invoked as if containing the essence of the beast itself, and we can be sure that such painted guardians were seen as more than just pictures – they were the strength of the totem itself.

ANIMALS

dog named Bran, which is extolled in stories and poems alike: Yellow paws that are on Bran, Belly whitish-grey, heath coloured, Eyes like the sloe, crooked claws, And two sharp pointed ears, keenly active, Two ears alike, so red …

NAMES

THE

PEOPLE

have curative properties. A shrine exists at Nettleton Shrub in Wiltshire, dedicated to a Romano-British deity named Apollo-Cunomaglus (‘HoundLord’), which shows that in this area, and therefore probably elsewhere, there was an established association between hunting and healing, making the Dog a good companion when in search of the latter.

Eagle (Ir: iolar; W: eryr; G: iolaire; C: er; B: erer)

In folklore tradition we find a reference to three green dogs (certainly faery animals) named Fios, Luaths, and Tron – Knowledge, Swiftness and Heaviness. It is also notable that a surprising number of names, both Irish and Welsh, derive from the word ‘cu’ in proto-Celtic language. Thus: Cuchulainn (Hound-of-Culain), Cu-neglassus (Grey-Dog), Con-can-cness (Dog-without-skin), Kentigern (Hound-King), and many more. Interestingly, the word ‘cu’ is also sometimes glossed as meaning ‘hero’, so that we can see how important the dog was to the Celts. Frequent references are also found to the Cwn Annwn (Hounds of Annwn), a pack of red-eared, white-bodied hounds which hunt across the lands of mortals as well as in the Otherworld. They are said to be the same as the Wild Hunt, references to which abound in both Celtic and Germanic mythology, a pack led by the lord of the Otherworld, Gwyn ap Nudd (or sometimes Arawn himself) in pursuit of the souls of evil or unworthy people. The dog was also associated with healing, since its saliva was said to 150

THE

WHEEL

THE

TOTEMS

n Celtic tradition the eagle is often associated with the sun and with sun-gods such as Lugh (‘The Bright One’). In Welsh tradition the eagle has the ability to shape-shift and is generally recognized as the possessor of great wisdom. Thus, in the Mabinogion story of Math fab Mathonwy, when Lleu Llaw Gyffes receives a fatal blow from Gronw, his wife Blodeuwedd’s lover, he immediately transforms into an eagle and flies off to roost in the top of a tree. There he is discovered by Gwydion, who tracks him by following the signs of corruption which drop from his wings. An early Welsh poem, Arthur’s Dialogue with the Eagle, takes up the themes of transformation (the eagle is Arthur’s cousin Eliwod in eagle shape) and wisdom (the eagle is possessed of great knowledge) in the form of a riddling dialogue (see Part One). THE

PRIMARY

TOTEM

ANIMALS

CELTIC

TRADITION

151

MIND, BODY, SPIRIT

INCLUDES 3 METAL COINS

210 x 147 mm (53⁄4 x 81⁄4 in) 144 pp | 6,000 words 3 I Ching coins Publication: Spring 2019

I Ching A stunning and simplified edition of the oldest oracle in the world, created over 4,500 years ago by Fu Xi, the mythical First Emperor of China. • • •

Use the three I Ching coins provided to create your hexagram, then consult the oracle to receive a direct answer to your question. Allows you to gain insight on how to take appropriate action. A book to treasure that includes a new commentary with beautiful reflective paintings by the author.

Chao-Hsiu Chen is an expert on Chinese culture and a renowned artist who grew up in Taiwan studying Eastern influences. She is the author of over 40 books and regularly exhibits her art around the word. Visit her wesbite at: chaohsiuchen.com

HONESTY

INNER TRUTH

Move forward with honesty; unite your thoughts and actions. This hexagram shows the wind blowing over the surface of the water, and making a clearing in the middle. It means that you should empty and open your mind in order to learn from others, and behave with modesty toward yourself. Pass judgement with faith, and handle matters with loyalty. This attitude will help you to win the hearts of everyone.

Let the seeds develop in their own way. Thunder appears in the sky and awakens the myriad creatures, filling them with vitality. It is the right time to cultivate crops, but you must take care not to forge ahead; nothing can be forced to grow in a hurry.

139

A setback may occur, but if you adhere to the proper principles this event will resolve itself, and you will have an abundant harvest. 8

COMPLEMENT

Supplement your faith before you act. Water is on the earth, and this is a good sign. Those below are subordinate to those above, and both have faith in each other. The most important thing to keep the situation from falling apart is for both parties to complement one another with the same faith. ‘At home, one depends on family. In society, one depends on friends.’ Follow this old saying, and build up a good social relationship with friends.

65 31

MIND, BODY, SPIRIT

210 x 147 mm (53⁄4 x 81⁄4 in) 176 pp | 12,000 words Published

Tao Te Ching A contemporary, accurate and accessible translation of the original Chinese text. • •

Each of the 81 chapters is beautifully illustrated with the author’s distinctive art and calligraphy. The perfect gift book to inspire, guide and illuminate, taking readers on the spiritual and moral pathway that we all walk.

Chao-Hsiu Chen is an expert on Chinese culture and a renowned artist who grew up in Taiwan studying Eastern Influences. She is the author of over 40 books and regularly exhibits her art around the word. Visit her wesbite at: chaohsiuchen.com

TO O F F E R T H E S U R P L U S

THE HIDDEN PRESENCE Isn’t the Tao of Heaven like stretching a bow? When it is high, it presses down, when it is low, it lifts up. When it is surplus, it reduces. When it is deficient, it increases. The Tao of Mankind is the opposite: it reduces the deficiency in order to add to the surplus. Only the one who has the Tao offers his surplus to others. Therefore the sage benefits others, yet claims no gratitude, accomplishes his task, yet assumes no merit. It is only because he does not want to be considered as a virtuous person.

The Tao is based on harmony between emptiness and abundance. It is the deep source of the myriad creatures. It softens their sharpness. It releases their confusion.

167

It lessens their lustre. It merges with their dust. The Tao is so clear and so transparent that it is nearly invisible, nearly formless; no one can know its origin, for it came before all creation.

L AO T Z U A N D T H E ‘ TAO T E C H I N G ’

ao Tzu is the biggest riddle of Chinese literary history; his work ‘Tao Te Ching’ is a mystery. The only recorded trace of Lao Tzu comes from the ‘She Ji’, composed by Si Ma Qian (163–85 BCE). The ‘Shi Ji’ is the earliest organized Chinese history book. There it is said: Lao Tzu was born in the country of Chu [the region corresponding to Hunan and Hubei] (State of Ku) in a village called Li. His family name is ‘Lee’, his given name is ‘Er’ (meaning ‘ear’), his scholar name is ‘Buo Yang’ (meaning Count Sun); after his death he was called ‘Dan’ (meaning ‘long ear’) and, out of respect, people would call him ‘Lao Dan’ (meaning ‘Old long ear’) [in ancient China, to be called ‘old’ was the highest form of respect]. He was a courtier in charge of the Imperial Archives under the Zhou dynasty (1122–256 BCE ). This information has led Chinese experts on literature and history to believe that Lao Tzu was born around this time. In another document, it is said that Confucius travelled to the country of Zhou to learn ‘Li’ (meaning ‘courteous manners’) with Lao Tzu; and in the book ‘Luen Yu’, which was written by

MIND, BODY, SPIRIT

The Spirit of Nature Oracle Reconnect with the natural world and find your true self • •

BEST

•

SELLER

• Box: 217 x 158 x 40 mm (61⁄4 x 89⁄16 x 19⁄16 in) Book: 205 x 148 mm (513⁄16 x 8 in) 128 pp | 30,000 words 25 cards Publication: Autumn 2018

Inspired by the beauty of nature and the Celtic Ogam tree alphabet, this oracle will help you gain new and profound levels of awareness about yourself, your relationships and where you are headed. Contains 25 stunning cards which depict each trees that make the Celtic alphabet. The Spirit of Nature or Green Man is present in every image – sometimes obvious, sometimes hidden – inviting you to enter his world. In the practical book, discover tree lore, myths and symbolism, understand the deeper meanings of the spreads and integrate their messages into every aspect of your life. Foreword by Fred Hageneder, author of the bestsellers The Spirit of the Trees and The Heritage of Trees.

John Matthews is an internationally acclaimed expert on the Green Man and Celtic traditions giving seminars around the world.

“This is modern druidry at its best ...” Fred Hageneder, author of The Spirit of Trees and The Heritage of Trees

White Eagle Medicine Wheel Your gateway to Native American wisdom • • •

A unique and powerful divination system offering an introduction to Native American wisdom and a journey of self-discovery. Let yourself be guided by the Animals, Elders and Totem cards for problem-solving, healing, developing your intuition, finding harmony in your life and more. Two respected authors teach you how to communicate with the various sacred archetypes and forge a spiritual connection with the majesty and mystery of the animal world.

Eliana Harvey is a writer of Native American culture and the founder of Shamanka, a unique and growing school of women’s shamanism. Wa-Na-Nee-Che descends from a long line of medicine men and shamans who offers sacred teachings to the western world in seminars and workshops. Box: 210 x 153 x 35 mm (6 x 81⁄4 x 13⁄8 in) Book: 205 x 148 mm (513⁄16 x 8 in) 160 pp | 45,000 words 46 cards Publication: Autumn 2018

MIND, BODY, SPIRIT

Angels of Light

Bring the angels into your life • • •

Allow the love and grace of the angels of light into your life and find the strength and focus to meet your challenges. A beautiful feminine oracle including 52 angel cards offering guidance, insight and acting as protectors, helpers and healers. Includes a very practical book profiling the angels along with accompanying prayers, affirmations, card layouts offering clarity and directions in your readings and actions throughout the year.

Ambika Wauters is a professional psychotherapist and counsellor and has been teaching and healing for more than 20 years. She is the author of many bestsellers on angels, chakras and homoeopathy. Visit her website: www.ambikawauters.com.

Box: 198 x 135 x 33 mm (55⁄16 x 713⁄16 x 15⁄16 in) Book: 185 x 125 mm (5 x 71⁄4 in) 128 pp | 25,000 words 52 cards Publication: Autumn 2018

Sold in 20 languages: The Angel Oracle Book: 185 x 125 mm | 112pp 36 cards

Chinese Astrology

Forecast your future from your Chinese horoscope • • • • •

229 x 178 mm (7 x 9 in) 128 pp | 45,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Autumn 2018

A practical guide including an easy-to-use astrology system based on traditional Chinese methods. Reveals your character according to your Chinese birth date. Shows you how to forecast fortune for yourself, friends and family from love, career, personality, compatibility with others… Offers a wealth of advice for any situations. Written by two authorities on Chinese traditions and beliefs.

Martin Palmer is a world-renowned writer, broadcaster, religious historian, environmentalist and authority on Chinese culture, and the author of a range of titles on international traditions and beliefs. Man-Ho Kwok trained for 20 years in divination and was one of the first people to bring knowledge of the Chinese calendar to the West.

BACKLIST

The DruidCraft Tarot Philip & Stephanie Carr-Gomm 242 x 155 mm 192 pp | 57,000 words 78 cards

The Druid Animal Oracle Philip & Stephanie Carr-Gomm 197 x 143 mm | 184 pp 36 cards and a fold-out layout template

MIND, BODY, SPIRIT

The Druid Plant Oracle Philip & Stephanie Carr-Gomm 206 x 149 mm | 144 pp 36 cards and a fold-out layout template

Stephanie Carr-Gomm helps administer the training programme for the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids. She is co-author with Philip of The Druid Animal Oracle and The DruidCraft Tarot. Philip Carr-Gomm was trained by the Chief Druid Ross Nichols. He is Chief of the Order of Bards, Ovates and Druids and the author of many titles, including The Druid Way and Druid Mysteries. Visit his website at: philipcarr-gom.com

The DruidCraft Tarot Deck Philip & Stephanie Carr-Gomm 140 x 90 mm | 80 pp 78 cards

The Druid Animal Oracle Deck Philip & Stephanie Carr-Gomm 149 x 103 mm | 48 pp 33 Cards

MIND, BODY, SPIRIT

BACKLIST

The Wildwood Tarot Mark Ryan and John Matthews 205 x 148 mm 160 pp | 40,000 words 78 cards

Wild Magic Mark Ryan and John Matthews Paperback (with flaps) 205 x 148 mm 160 pp | 50,000 words

Untold Tarot Caitlín Matthews Paperback (with flaps), 4/4 colour 210 x 149 mm 224 pp | 60,000 words

BG TO TAROT 010-43 v5.qxd

20/2/14

12:11

Page 38

KNIGHT OF CUPS

K NIGHT of C UPS

of Pisces. A wide river, which represents this card’s connection with the element of water, meanders through the fields. The Knight of Cups holds his cup before him in his left hand, the side of creativity, and gazes into it intently. He is a romantic idealist, who is ready to do anything in the name of love.

Element: Water •

He holds the cup in his left hand of creativity

Fish are the symbol of Pisces

•

THEME

Winged helmet represents wings of spirit

• •

The river represents the feelings

THE MINOR ARCANA

The lover

he Knight of Cups is the personification of a ‘knight in shining armour’. He wears a winged helmet and rides a beautiful white horse, walking without haste through the pleasant countryside. The tunic he wears over his shining silver armour is decorated with fish, reflecting the zodiacal sign

Divinatory Meaning The Knight of Cups is a quixotic figure, traditionally known as a lover or one who offers marriage. He is essentially a dreamer, who longs for romance and ideal love. If the Knight of Cups appears in a reading, it may be time for you to pursue your ideals and dreams and your quest for the noble and beautiful in life. The zodiacal sign of Pisces is known for its propensity to sacrifice, especially in the name of love. As Pisces is a water sign, Pisceans have an essentially feeling nature, reacting to situations according to how they feel about something rather than what they think about it. It is certainly a matter of ‘heart ruling over head’ in the case 10of both Pisces and the Knight of Cups. Pisceans are often kindhearted and sympathetic, especially to the underdog, and in their most positive light they are inspirational, resourceful and 3 imaginative. The shadowy side of the sign, and therefore to some extent of the Knight of Cups, is a tendency to be moody, woolly minded and prone to getting lost in a fantasy world. The appearance of the Knight of Cups in a reading points to the spirit of romance entering your life, which might 1 manifest as a person who matches up to the description of 5 ‘lover or seducer’ or as an upsurge of romantic or artistic 2 emotions within yourself. 6

7 4

The Complete Arthurian Tarot Caitlín and John Matthews 205 x 148 mm 240 pp 78 cards

Beginner’s Guide to Tarot Juliet Sharman-Burke 175 x 120 mm 192 pp | 36,000 words 78 cards

Juliet Sharman-Burke is a practising psychotherapist and noted authority on the tarot and astrology. She has written several books on the tarot, and is co-author of the bestselling classic deck The Mythic Tarot. Giovanni Caselli is an illustrator with a passion for the classical world, its literature, art, symbols and myths. His characteristic style is the perfect medium for the tarot, where colour and detail have symbolic significance.

BACKLIST

The Celtic Shaman’s Pack John Matthews 205 x 148 mm 176 pp | 45,000 words 40 cards

MIND, BODY, SPIRIT

Singing the Soul Back Home Caitlín Matthews Paperback (with flaps) 235 x 155 mm 272 pp | 90,000 words

DELUXE EDITION

I.5 MILLION COPIES SOLD

How to Use a Pendulum Dr Ronald L. Bonewitz & Lilian Verner-Bonds 205 x 148 mm 160 pp | 48,000 words Fold-out chart and pendulum with chain

The Pendulum Kit Sig Lonegren 213 x 169 mm 128 pp | 35,000 words Includes 10 dowsing charts and brass-coloured pendulum and pouch

RUNNING HEAD

C O N T E N T S Introduction

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Life According to Me

Creating Your Memory Diary

Small Beginnings

Family

Friendships

Love and Romance

100

Travel and Places

120

Curve Balls

138

Loud and Proud Moments

160

Acknowledgements

176

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

215 x 165 mm (61⁄2 x 81⁄2 in) 176 pp | 20,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Autumn 2019

The Memory Diary

Future-proof your life by capturing the unforgettable Memorable life events deserve more than a captioned photo and a hashtag. Create a personal, lasting record of your most precious experiences – and those you want to pass on. ••

A modern-day diary with a self-discovery theme, guided questions and prompts drawout important signposts and cherished memories. •• Includes blank pages to record daily events, musings and drawings, capturing important life events as they happen. •• Organized thematically by experiences – childhood, friendship, family, birthdays, love and travel. •• Promotes expression of emotions, encourages reflection and explores challenges encountered as well as successes. •• Small enough to slip into a bag and use every day yet substantial enough to last years. •• An excellent gift for a bride or new mother, or for a milestone birthday. •• Specially commissioned illustrations by Sandra Dionisi, who teaches at Sheridan College and OCAD in Canada. Laetitia Erskine is the author of a memoir, Our Hearts Hang from the Lemon Trees, written to give her children a portrait of the grandfather they would never meet, and to clarify her own life in this new phase. She works in publishing and lives in London with her husband and two children. LIFE ACCORDING TO ME

LIFE ACCORDING TO ME

Words that describe me

What can’t I live without?

TRAVEL AND PLACES

Where were you on your 21st birthday?

When did you first travel on your own and where to?

Who was there and what did you do?

How did you feel?

LIFE ACCO R DIN G TO M E

With the myriad details of things to do and places to be in each day, living in the moment is always a challenge. In this journal you are able to capture the essentials of your life’s experiences as you live them – and why they are so important to you – as well as dive into your past memories and feelings and record them for posterity. Before you begin on this journey, take a moment to think about you as you are right now.

What excites me?

Where do I feel most at ease?

[ 126 ]

What scares me?

Where do I feel stuck?

RUNNING HEAD

TRAVEL AND PLACES

Now think about how you might have answered these when you were twelve years old, or twenty. Would you have answered the same way?

[ 10 ]

[ 127 ]

[ 11 ] [ 00 ]

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

215 x 165 mm (61⁄2 x 81⁄2 in) 160 pp | 25,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Autumn 2019

Dare to Be Happier

25 steps to a joyous life through journalling Through twenty-five ‘life lessons’ life coach and neurolinguistic practitioner Caroline Johnstone explains why people forget to invest in themselves and how to nurture themselves to change, grow and become happier through on-the-page prompts and Q&As. • • • • •

Each ‘lesson’ takes on a specific theme, such as: dealing with emotions, handling grief, coping with change, being ‘stuck’ or fearful, maximizing potential, as well as issues with relationships and self-esteem. Includes NLP (neurolinguistic programming) techniques from a master practitioner. Each chapter ends with relevant journalling activities, from thought-provoking quotes to impact a change in thinking to guided questions. Beautifully designed layout with space to write directly in the journal – all readers will need is a pen. Journalling has been shown to improve mental and physical health, including increasing the coping mechanism and lowering blood pressure.

Caroline Johnstone is a motivational speaker, life coach, NLP practitioner and poet published in the UK, Ireland and the USA. Originally from Northern Ireland, she now lives in Scotland where she runs selfimprovement workshops and courses. See her blog at www.daretobehappier.com.

Courage is the first of human qualities because it is the quality which guarantees the others.

Consider these questions to help you live a fearless life:

The Dalai Lama

1 What are you most afraid of?

Live your best life, intentionally. As someone who has been journalling for many years and run countless workshops, I know the amazing results it brings – the ability to transform your life is simply magical. It creates a space for you to slow down and reflect and it also supports you in making the changes that mean you are intentionally living your best life. Finally!

Winston Churchill

2 Is the fear rational? Have you reason to believe it or could this be someone else’s belief that doesn’t belong to you anymore?

“

Introduction

I believe that the very purpose of our life is to seek happiness. That is clear. Whether one believes in religion or not, whether one believes in this religion or that religion, we all are seeking something better in life. So, I think, the very motion of our life is towards happiness.

Fear defeats more people than any other one thing in the world. Ralph Waldo Emerson

When was the last time you stopped long enough to give yourself the space to think, breathe, listen to your heart and see if the life you are living is the life that you really, truly want? When we spend our lives racing from one person to the next, or one thing or place to the next, do we take time to consider whether these people, things or places are what brings us happiness and joy? When we pull out those long to-do lists that never end, full of must-do and should-do items, and add to them without stopping to ask ourselves if what we are putting on our lists actually needs to be done, is that us creating our best life? Where we allow ourselves to get caught up in situations and emotions we have no need to be involved in, allow others to demand things of us we would never demand of others, where we fail to set appropriate boundaries – or believe we need to be perfect, or be all things to all people – how are our own needs being honoured?

INTRODUCTION

wisdom

“

Write about what these quotes mean to you:

“

Let’s not kid ourselves; our ‘busy-ness’ serves a purpose unless examined. It stops us looking at ourselves in the mirror. It stops us listening to our thoughts, dealing with what is causing our feelings, or quietening that inner critic that reminds us (dishonestly) how unworthy we are in its attempts to prevent us from failing. It means we don’t come face to face with our insecurities or face what needs to be faced; we can numb ourselves and stay in our comfort zone.

What if you learned instead to be real, to trust what you are feeling inside no matter what anyone outside is telling you, if you started to say no to others and say yes to yourself? What if you were able to reconnect to what really matters, start reshaping your life so you were calmer, more at peace, mindful, happier? Don’t you deserve that? Don’t you think that all this time you give to other people means that you should balance that by ensuring that you are re-energized yourself? You can’t keep running on empty. Journalling is a tool you will find to be your refuge and retreat, as well as a joy, an agent of change, a blessing, a catalyst, a confidant. You will realize you are your own guru, teacher, healer, coach, best friend.

YO U R OW N D E E P I N N E R W I S D O M

If you’re like me, you simply need reminders that your happiness lies in your own hands, that you get too comfortable in your comfort zone, and that it takes courage to change. If you have ever been unhappy, confused, stuck, overwhelmed, exhausted from a too-busy life, run from your feelings, not done what you know you should have done, stayed too long, not stayed long enough, not set the boundaries needed to protect your values – then you have simply forgotten to access your inner wisdom or listen to it.

When you journal, as well as everything else listed above, you accept responsibility for change by seeing who you might be blaming from your past or present. It helps you develop a ‘growth mindset’ where you are willing to try, learn, and try again, rather

INTRODUCTION

3 Does this fear keep you safe? Safe enough? Or too safe?

“

There are very few monsters who warrant the fear we have of them.

One isn’t necessarily born with courage, but one is born with potential. Without courage, we cannot practice any other virtue with consistency. We can’t be kind, true, merciful, generous or honest.

4 If you were to let go of this fear, what great things could happen?

André Gide

Maya Angelou

5 What’s the worst thing that could happen?

120

LIVE A FEARLESS LIFE

We’re all frightened of something; don’t let it be life. Living a fearless life takes courage, obviously. Yet everyone is frightened of something – flying, dying, wasps, spiders, rats or mice, snakes, public speaking, family, neighbours or neighbourhood crime, being alone, being left-on-the-shelf, beginnings, endings, cotton wool or even shiny buttons. Yes, I really knew someone who is very frightened of shiny buttons. Many fears turn into phobias, which are instinctive reactions that we don’t even have to think about responding, it’s so deeply in our unconscious mind and automatic (and even that can be quickly changed by a neurolinguistic-programming tool called Fast Phobia Cure). Our fears protect us in some ways, so we move away from wasps or snakes for instance – but more often, they imprison us. When we let our fears about what others might say or what might happen, or we fear failure or rejection, it can severely limit our lives. We choose fear by how we think, and by what we do – and don’t do. I M P R I S O N E D B Y WO R D S

121

Live a Fearless Life

We also imprison ourselves by the words we use. We say ‘we must’, ‘we could’, ‘we can’t’, ‘we should’, all of which are possibilities for the future and driven by necessity rather than a desire to just do what we want to do. More often than not, those words of necessity could be changed – or should be challenged. If you change ‘I can’t’ to ‘I won’t’, or ‘I should’ to ‘I choose not to’, then you can sometimes see the honesty that lies behind your failure to follow your dreams or take that first step to change, or stand up for your life. What stops you daring to be who you are? What stops you daring to be happier, free, courageous, or present? Only you can answer those questions.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

227 x 165 mm (61⁄2 x 9 in) 160 pp | 25,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Autumn 2019

The Dynamics of Stillness

36 meditative practices to develop your senses and reconnect with nature This meditation guide will help readers disengage from ‘information overload’, reconnect with their self, their senses and nature, and develop a self-healing ‘state of neutrality’. •• •• •• ••

Written by an expert osteopath with 25 years of experience helping people deepen their connection with themselves, with nature and with stillness. Incorporating influences from Buddhism, Daoism and Aboriginal traditions, among others, the techniques blend holistic approaches with modern biology and fluid dynamics. Includes a wide variety of self-healing techniques that are simple to do at home. Helps develop and deepen a holistic ‘Felt-Sense’ – the ability to feel and sense wholeness within, for both beginners and those experienced in meditation and mindfulness.

Ian Wright, BSc(Ost), FSCCO (cranial osteopathy), MOCI (disability specialist), has been prasticing osteopathy and paediatrics internationally for over 25 years. His Dynamics of Stillness courses allow people to confront their emotions and fears, and to achieve deep relaxation in a state of dynamic stillness. He publishes a weekly podcast about health and wellbeing. See www.thedynamicsofstillness.com Felt-Sense

HEALING AND SENSING

Finding Our Neutral

THE STATE OF NEUTRAL

FFINDING NNEUTRAL

OUR

CONTEMPLATION

t is amazing how much chatter goes on in our brains! Every waking second, we are processing information, making decisions

Holistic Felt-Sense

and thinking. From the moment we wake up we are considering: what am I doing today, what shall I wear, what shall I eat? Alongside all these day-to-day simple thoughts we have, there are undercurrents of deeper murmurings: why am I unhappy, is this job right, am I in the right relationship, is my child really ok at school, why do I look this way? Different aspects of ourselves vie for attention, our ego talks to us, perhaps saying, ‘I really deserve better’. Our emotions raise their heads in subtle ways through grief, fear, anger and guilt.

t this stage in your practice, you should be familiar and proficient at a variety of practices. You can bring your mind to a quite neutral, where you allow, accept and finally just observe your thoughts, feelings and emotions. You can bring your awareness to the present moment, feel your fluid body and sense stillness in and around you. From the stillness, you can sense the motion of the Great Tide (see pages 64_67) as it slowly moves through nature. You have started to develop your sensory awareness, and re-pattern your senses, and in doing so have started to develop a Felt-Sense where you can expand sensory awareness to feel nature around you. For this practice, you will take things a little further away from your analytic mind, to open your sensory field of awareness. In so doing, you open yourself to new and beautiful impressions of nature. BEGIN THE PRACTISE Let’s start with sitting quietly – ideally outside in a garden or in nature in some way.

for example, we are listening to birdsong, or looking at a leaf, or feeling wind on our cheek. It is not important what primary

It doesn’t matter if it is nighttime or day. Bring your mind to the quiet neutral in the way you have done so many times by now, bringing attention slowly back to the softness in your breath. Allow your attention to rest on the great stillness that is everywhere and behind everything.

sense you use. I will use the birdsong example.

1. Choose a sound or object Now choose something in nature to observe or listen to, it doesn’t matter what. Let’s say, 144

2. Listen or observe Listen to the song, then try to listen to all the birds singing together. Allow your mind to sense them all as a unified whole. From here let your ‘felt–sense’ meet this wholeness of birdsong and try to feel it. Feeling it has a wonderful effect of connecting you deeply to the sound, doesn’t it? It is almost as if you become part of the unified birdsong.

With all these thoughts going on at the same time, it is amazing how we function at all! Our only respite is when we are listening to music, watching TV, talking or some other form of sensory excitement. These activities can be relaxing, connecting, calming and even meditative, but they can also be a distraction from our lives. This world of information overload bombards us. One consequence of this is that we can feel unhappy, empty and confused. We then find that we need to develop strategies for coping with these uncomfortable feelings. Some strategies lead to more unhealthy feelings and physical sensations. However, it is also possible to choose healthier patterns of behaviour to satisfy our deeper selves. There are age-old techniques that are designed to help us improve the quality of our lives, including prayer, meditation, yoga and taking exercise. But how often do we enter these with a quiet mind? Through these techniques, we may occasionally find a

moment’s peace – thankfully – but we usually still bring along the chatter! Before we can potentially enter this world of stillness, peace and inspiration, we need to find the right place to start. We need to learn to be able to take our minds out of gear, to Find Our Neutral. Our neutral is a place that can be likened best to taking the car out of gear. Our minds tend to be driving us ever onwards, to the next destination, thinking, always driving and striving onwards. In Neutral our mind relaxes its grip, albeit temporarily. We take it out of gear and we start to relax. This relaxation provides the groundwork for deeper practices to flourish. Our parasympathetic nervous system There are various parts of our nervous systems which can become excited when in a state of high alert. The autonomic nervous system – that is, the automatic body systems, such as our breathing, our heart beating and our digestive processes in the body – has two parts: the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. The sympathetic system raises our heartbeat, blood pressure and constricts our blood vessels. The parasympathetic system lowers or slows down these systems. These two systems work in harmony with one another, with opposing effects. The sympathetic element deals with an excitatory phase – the so-called flight/fright/fight response. This process uses a quick and large release of adrenaline in response to an emergency or perceived emergency. This release puts a great deal of strain on our nervous systems and can only be sustained for a very short time. Modern lifestyles stimulate, excessively activate and overstimulate this process. Parasympathetic response comes in to redress this imbalance and harmonise the body’s systems. Over time, this has a direct effect on several of our body systems. This heightened state of stimulation can also lead to an increase in pulse rate and blood pressure and it can constrict our capillary beds. The effect of this is to decrease the blood supply to our organs.

SECTION

THE STATE of . NEUTRAL 1 Finding Our Neutral 10 2 Accepting, Allowing and Observing 16 3 Timing and Tempo 20 4 The Gift of the Present 22 5 Developing A Practice 26

There are two elements to this sensing. The first is depth: you are sensing deeply, as if penetrating the superficial to sense a deeper story within the whole. The second is breadth: taking in the whole - not an overview but opening awareness to the whole.

3. Feel the communication

6 Posture 30

Now without employing your analytic mind or giving words, see if you can feel what the

8 Pure Attention 36

birds are saying. This is language beyond words, bird language – can you feel their communication? It is wonderful, isn’t it?

12 Going with the Flow 52

7 The Stillness Behind Everything 34

145

9 Natural Stillpoints 40 10 Our Fluid Body 44 11 The Flow 48

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

227 x 165 mm (6½ x 9 in) 144 pp | 25,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Spring 2020

Wabi Sabi Living

Finding beauty in imperfection Discover the Japanese tradition of celebrating the imperfect, transient and incomplete, and how to live simply and naturally in acceptance with yourself and your environment. Structured in three parts: Nurture (awareness of one’s imperfections), Nature (acknowledging the natural world) and Nest (using wabi sabi in the home). •• Includes self-awareness and mindfulness exercises to help the reader accept change, learn from nature and practise compassion for themselves and others. •• Practical ideas for the home, from flower arranging to informal dining and decluttering. •• For those interested in wellbeing, self-help and a simpler way of living. ••

Author, designer and curator Orianna Fielding has written four books, including Unplugged: How to Live a Mindful Life in a Digital World. and has launched an ethical, slow luxury lifestyle brand GRO.

Moribana Arrangements Moribana means ‘piled up’, and this style is presented in low, shallow containers called utsuwa and can either be upright or slanting. Upright moribana is considered the most basic style in

Practicing wabi-sabi is learning from nature, that impermanence is part of what makes things intriguing, embracing dying as part of growing, and cherishing

ikebana. The low container is representative of the idea of serving and is intended to inspire images of serving up an abundant bowl. In order to stabilize the arrangement a metal tool called

N AT U R E

kenzan (or ‘frogs’) supports the stems inside the container and keeps the display in place. As they are weighted, kenzan are never secured to the base The stems are pressed into the weighted

of the container with anything other than natural

kenzan, and the pins hold them in place.

plant materials or weights, which means that no artificial bonding or sticking agents such as glue or tape are used.

the unique and remarkable. Living things are always

The flowers and branches used in moribana are not only selected for their beauty, but also for the dynamic created by their placement together and with the style of moribana as a whole. Upright

changing, and those changes are truly extraordinary.

arrangements often use more rigid, straight branches for the tallest stems, called shin, while the slanting style is a softer display and creates a sense of movement by using grasses and branches that naturally grow in a slanting formation. When selecting flowers and branches to use, focus on how all the elements work together to create one poetic, creative, meaningful arrangement that is as much about your engagement with the Allow for imperfection among the precise

materials, the spaces in between and where it is

rules of arranging moribana style: the eye

going to be placed, as the final arrangement itself.

enjoys the unexpected.

The system for creating an arrangement is very precise and actually uses measurements and ratios as the foundation for creating the display (see diagram). First measure the height and width of your chosen vase and add these two measurements together. The shin should be no

N AT U R E : T H E WAY O F F L O W E R S

Perfectly Imperfect Entertaining Having people for dinner can feel overwhelming

The Japanese aesthetic of wabi sabi leads us

with all the decisions to make: what to cook,

to a more relaxed version entertaining — one in

what dishware to use, how to style the table,

which you can slow down to make the time and

and more. But what if being a good host meant

space to enjoy hosting and to enjoy your guests.

little more than sharing a cup of tea on the

Once you embrace the perfectly imperfect —

porch, or merely creating a warm, welcoming

beauty found in unusual, unfashionable places

environment for your guests? Entertaining is

or objects, and in moments usually overlooked

first and foremost about being together, no

or unappreciated — you will find entertaining

matter how, when or where, rather than trying

much more pleasurable. Let the time unwind,

to impress guests or achieve perfection.

the meal come at its own relaxed pace, take time to truly listen to conversation, relax with your friends and notice what is going on around you. Don’t feel you have to be fancy: you can entertain on a small scale. Have people over for tea and biscuits, or put out simple offerings of cheese, fruit and bread. Give yourself permission to laugh at burned food or spilled wine; if you don’t feel bad about it neither will your guests. With table decoration and setting, beauty and function go hand in hand, and every item should serve both aesthetic and purpose. The goal is to use wabi-sabi principles of accepting the imperfect to help you remove all that pressure that comes with hosting, all that need for perfect home and food, and replace it with thoughtfulness, ease, humility, and true connections and communications.

WAB I SAB I TIPS How to find harmony and serenity when entertaining at home:

• Welcome

your guests into your home quietly and thoughtfully.

• Slow

down: this not a race to get from the first doorbell to the last cab at night.

• Use

mismatched plates, cutlery and linens — whatever you have to hand.

• Bowls of lemons or an old jug filled with lavender stems are just as lovely as an expensive centrepiece.

• Make

simple uncomplicated food that are your go-to favourites.

• Be

spontaneous: invite people in for a coffee break on a whim.

• Be

present: listen to the conversation, watch people, notice everything and enjoy the experience.

• Use

natural materials to decorate and use only the essentials.

• Don’t

buy anything specially: ask your guests to bring an extra chair or wine glasses if they are needed.

• Invite

your guests to participate in making drinks, cooking, arranging a cheese plate or putting on music. It will make them feel at home.

RIGHT Delight in the old, the worn, the

mismatched, and choose utensils that are as individual as your guests.

LEFT Seek out handmade plates, artisanal

pieces or well-loved hand-me-downs.

134

N E S T : U N S T R U C T U R E D E N T E R TA I N I N G

135

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

205 x 148 mm (5 ¾ x 8 in) 160 pp | 35,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Autumn 2019

Meditations for Peace

Visualizations and affirmations to unite the world Eleven powerful meditations and affirmations inspired by the world’s cultures and religions will help readers find their inner calm and send a strong message of peace outwards to the world. •• •• •• •• •• ••

Easy-to-use guided visualizations to help every reader on their meditative path. Historical background given for each meditation’s philosophical and religious basis. Quotes, prayers and thoughts from scriptures and key figures such as the Bhagavad Gita and the Dalai Lama. Draws on cultures around the world – from Buddhism to Islam, the Jewish Kabbalah to Hinduism and Celtic mythology to African shamanism. Appeals to those who wish to deepen their spirituality and promote peace. A beautiful gift book or self-purchase, published for the Christmas period.

Claire Nahmad is a freelance writer specializing in healing, herbalism, spirituality, magic and folklore. Her previous titles include Love Spells, Fairy Spells, Earth Magic and The Enchanted Garden. The Lake of Pe ac e

M E D I TAT I O N 7

T H E C O N T E M P L AT I O N

[ 94 ]

MEDITATION

The great Hindu religion is fed by the mighty rivers of the Vedas (Books of

necessary breakthroughs to solve the problems of existence on Earth until

Knowledge), the Upanishads (Lessons), the Ramayana, the influence of Buddhism,

they let go of the assumption that reality can only exist in material terms

and the Bhagavad-Gita (Song of the Lord) contained within the Mahabharata.

and ascend into the knowledge of the Higher Self. Then all things (with-

The Bhagavad-Gita is the heart of Sanskrit literature and its eighteen chapters are recited and sung daily by Hindu devotees. They tell the story of the dialogue between the prince and pilgrim-warrior Arjuna (the

T H E L A K E O F P E AC E When the unsettling ripples of life’s setbacks and disappointment threaten your peace of mind, or guilt and fear rise from the depths to haunt you, find solace in Vishnu’s lake of perfect peace, ‘sanctified as the clear mind of a devotee’. Let the spiritual magnificence of the Hindu vision enfold you with gentle serenity in a golden dream of peace.

higher mind or soul) and Krishna, the spirit. When Arjuna becomes dis-

with Yama, the Overlord of the Dead. Naciketas asks: ‘Does a person continue to live after the death of the physical body?’ Yama reveals that

to win and enter the Kingdom of Heaven, Krishna speaks the verses of

the path to wisdom is to be found through the practice of yoga, which

the Bhagavad-Gita to him to encourage and strengthen him. Eventually,

brings quiescence to the mind and senses.

eer, the spiritual force that carries him and spurs him on to victory.

[ 93 ]

The Katha Upanishad tells the story of Naciketas and his meeting

pirited and refuses to fight the battle, a symbol of the individual struggle

Arjuna agrees to ‘fight the good fight’ and Krishna becomes his chariotHinduism is defined by its respect for all creatures and the colour and spectacle it brings to its vision of the eternal verities. Its esoteric teachings, the Upanishads, instruct that the one true purpose of exist-

‘When cease the five knowledges (senses), together with the mind, and the intellect stirs not – that, they say, is the highest course. This they consider as yoga – the firm holding back of the senses. Then one becomes undistracted. Yoga, truly, is the origin and the end.’ Krishna revealed to Arjuna the concept of karma yoga, a disci-

ence is to reunite the individual soul (atman) with the Universal Soul

pline of positive action in the world. He taught that this was a new way

(Brahman), from which it was originally separated so that it might come

of releasing the soul from its cycles of reincarnation because it is not the

to consciously know itself and Brahman. In so doing it would realize its

acts people commit in themselves that chain souls to the karmic wheel,

essential unity and non-separateness with Brahman and with all the other

but the self-seeking motives that inform them. Selfless action, in which

‘individual’ souls Brahman contains. The act of dividing, of individua-

the abandonment of selfish desire is practised, will purify the soul so that

tion, is seen as a negative force of illusion necessary for this process of

throughout its earthly existence it may dwell within and upon the waters

enlightenment.

of the Lake of Peace, reflecting the heavenly light of Brahman, unruffled

The Upanishads reveal that wisdom is an intuitive understand-

[ 95 ]

in the capacity of the Earth-cycle we are living through) will be made known to them.

by the vicissitudes of life and serenely at one with its deeper self.

ing, a clairvoyance of the higher consciousness that can only be attained by the atman’s complete surrender to the Universal Soul. It is a gift of Brahman and cannot be achieved through the expansion of the intellect alone, which is a gift of awareness, stemming from the ego or the lower self. Many spiritual teachers maintain that scientists will not make the

MEDITATIONS FROM HINDUISM Krishna: from ‘Dialogue on the Soul’, the Bhagavad Gita I AM THE BEGINNING and the

I AM DEATH that carries off all

AND KNOW, ARJUNA, that I am

middle and the end of all that is. Of all knowledge, I am knowledge of the Soul. Of the many paths of reason I am the one that leads to truth.

things, and I am the source of things to come. Of feminine nouns I am Fame and Prosperity; Speech, Memory and Intelligence; Constancy and patient Forgiveness.

the seed of all things that are; and that no being that moves or moves not can ever be without me.

OF SOUNDS I AM the first sound, A; of compounds I am co-ordination. I am time, never-ending time. I am the Creator who sees all.

I AM THE BRIHAT SONGS of all

songs in the Vedas. I am the Gayatri of all measures in verse. Of months I am the first of the year, and of the seasons the season of flowers.

KNOW THOU that whatever is

beautiful and good, whatever has glory and power is only a portion of my own radiance. BUT OF WHAT HELP is it to thee

to know this diversity? Know that with one single fraction of my Being I pervade and support the Universe, and know that I AM.

Th e L a k e of Pe a c e

M E D I TAT I O N 7

T H E G U I D E D V I S U A L I Z AT I O N

[ 96 ]

The rays of the rising sun smile suddenly over the waiting forest, and all is transformed.

You are wearing robes that look as though they are composed from the

comfortable and relaxed. Focus on your heart-centre and breathe gently,

[ 97]

newborn sunlight and the viridian green of springtime leaves. You notice that there are translucent jewels sewn into your clothing, which catch the light in dancing flashes and simultaneously give it out again in shades of their own mystic brilliance.

Sit upright, your spine supported if necessary, and ensure that you are

You realize that you have been given these shoes to

On your feet are soft shoes made from cloth of gold. The threads in them

tread softly

easily and slowly. In your mind’s eye, let your heart be as a jewel or a

shine in the sunbeams and, as you begin to walk deeper into the singing

upon the Earth,

crystal into which you are gazing.

forest, it is as if every step you take can heal and bless the Earth with

sacred gold from the heart of the sun.

You are standing beneath the boughs of a tree in a forest at the breaking of a summer dawn.

You realize that you have been given these shoes to tread softly upon the

A soft cascade of birdsong sounds in the still, cool air, a sweet liquid pip-

Earth, to revere and worship her by offering your human love, for she is a loving, living goddess.

ing and fluting that seems to be coming from far, far above, as though it is echoing in the grand, solemn space of a temple. The silver-grey light

Every step you take is one of jubilance and wonder.

of the early morning has a rapt, enthralled quality, like a beating heart in a lover’s expectant breast.

You listen to the birdsong; you taste and smell the clean, fresh, vigorous

scents of the woodland; you see the sunlight dancing on the leaves and

The rays of the rising sun smile suddenly over the waiting forest, and

the forest floor, and the sapphire vault of the skies rolling like a blue car-

all is transformed. The birdsong becomes a mighty chorus of joy. You

pet of peace over all the world.

listen and watch in rapture as small woodland animals appear in the forest glade before you, intent upon the business of the morning. They

It occurs to you that all creation is dancing with the goddess and that

are unafraid, showing only curiosity and friendliness as you turn your

it would be good for you to dance too. You dance in a shining glade

gaze on them.

among the trees, lightly, airily, like a spirit of nature, and it seems to

With you, they are aware of the presence of Brahma or the Great Spirit and, with you, they offer thanksgiving for the birth of this perfect day.

you in your joy that you dance with the scintillating stars and all the turning firmament.

to revere and worship her by offering your human love, for she is a loving, living goddess.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

205 x 148 mm (513⁄16 x 8 in) 160 pp | 20,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Spring 2020

Ho‘oponopono

The ancient Hawaiian practice of gratitude and forgiveness This gifty self-help guide will lead you through the four simple ‘laws’ of this ancient wisdom – repentance, forgiveness, gratitude and love – allowing you to heal yourself and your relationships with others. •• Organized in five parts: accepting your power to change; gaining perspective; forgiveness and gratitude; listening to your intuition; accepting love. •• Includes practices from traditional Hawaiian healing and spiritual shamanism, such as rituals and meditations. •• Enables change of habits from those that create unhappiness and negativity to those of positivity and personal growth, and cleanses emotional baggage and trauma. •• A glossary of Hawaiian traditions at the back of the book details the creation myths, quests, animal spirits, taboos and worships that underpin the practice. •• Beautiful gift or self-purchase book. A massage therapist and life coach, author Carole Berger discovered the philosophy of Ho‘oponopono while being trained in Hawaii, where she lived for four years. She has written several books on the subject for Leduc Edition.s.

CALMING YOUR OWN STRESS Stress: it’s a word that’s become so common in our mouths that we’ve come to believe (another belief!) that it’s a normal and legitimate state in this achievement-oriented world that demands ‘everything, right now’. Despite our best efforts, it turns up out of the blue and gatecrashes our minds and our bodies. How many times has the following scenario played out for you? You come back from a well-deserved holiday, where you’ve been away from everyday hassles, relaxed and full of life. You swear not to fall back into the trap. You even spend a few days amused at other people’s stress of others, smiling when you’re jostled by someone jumping the queue at the bus stop. You have enough hindsight to be able to put things into perspective and note that stress is pointless. And then, the first aggravation arrives to disrupt your day: you raise your voice, you get into a conflict. By the evening, you realize the stress is back and that sweet feeling of peace has vanished. Your holiday’s already a long way off, and stress looks like being your constant companion until your next break. Imagine if you could take the necessary time – and silence – each day to stop and unwind a little – a time apart where you could put your daily worries into perspective. By developing tools to silence the world, you can open the door for the language of the ‘invisible’, intuition and inspiration to take centre stage. The mind is merely an instrument at the service of our inner being. It becomes the way to project our thoughts but its role stops there. The world assails us on a daily basis: information, advertising, new techniques and human relationships often lead us to a state of emotional chaos that’s difficult to manage. Our heads become filled with thousands of major and minor aggravations. Our minds are weighed down with these day-to-day worries. The consequences soon become apparent: we forget to take the time to relax; we forget to set aside time every day for the few minutes of pure silence we need in order to calm down; we forget to consider what’s beautiful and look up and admire the magic of the world that surrounds us.

104

MAHALO NUI LOA: LISTENING TO YOUR INNER VOICE…

Daily meditations

CONCLUSION: THE ENERGY OF FORGIVENESS

Hawaiian meditation is very simple and the words come from the heart. To practice, Hawaiians isolate themselves in nature or in a comforting place, and calm their minds by concentrating on the life that flows through them through breathing.

The contents of this chapter may have stirred things in you and unsettled your state of mind. Your mind doesn’t like that, and yet it’s the best way to help it evolve! Think of a person you know who has hurt you and who you’ve been avoiding as a result. Choose someone who, despite everything, you would like to keep in your life – start with that simple idea of retaining their friendship. Visualize this person and tell them what you have to say to them (or, better still, arrange to meet them to tell them face to face). Don’t repress any words or any anger. Allow your feelings to rise to the surface. Free yourself with your words and experience your emotions, whatever they may be. Once you’ve said everything, seek the energy of forgiveness; breathe it in and feel it like a mother caressing your cheek. Let it enter you, without directing it towards a specific goal. Then, slowly and gently, allow it to permeate all your cells. Peace will return to you and you can now welcome it. Do so, and enjoy its power. Direct this energy towards the person who’s hurt you. See this energy spreading throughout your being, all around you and this person in front of you – imagine it, visualize it! When you’re ready, tell them that you forgive them. Even if you don’t understand their perspective, you can accept what has been, what has happened. That moment is now a thing of the past; you’re in the present and you can forgive. You have the wisdom and the strength to do so. You know that this will release blocked energies and that it’s for the good of all. Give them a smile and calm your heart. The task is accomplished.

Start with two meditations a day, one on rising to thank the Source (see also pages 150–1 ) and another in the evening, in order to cleanse yourself from the day. To do this in the morning, the Hawaiians give thanks for everything: their life, what they have, what they wish for, as if it were already there, their family, the sun, the trees, and the plants that feed them. They smile at all the beauty of life. In the evening, they cleanse themselves of the day, forgiving themselves and everyone else, and freeing themselves from the impressions they have given or that have been left on them. All the negative feelings flow away, like water. They thank and forgive.

Nature has the great power to offer each of us benevolent energies that feed, calm and ease us. Look to our animal friends; they also have this power.

HUI KALA: FORGIVENESS

CONTENTS Foreword Introduction

6 8

CHAPTER 1:MANA IHO Accepting Your Power A Clear and Honest Perspective

105

Love in All

82 106

CHAPTER 6: CONCLUSIONS 36

The Powers of Ho’oponopono

128

Hawaiian Traditions Index Acknowledgements

148 156 160

CHAPTER 3: HUI KALA Forgiveness

CHAPTER 4: MAHALO NUI LOA Listening to Your Inner Voice…

CHAPTER 5: ALOHA PONO 12

CHAPTER 2: APONO

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

229 x 178 mm (7 x 9 in) 128 pp | 35,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Spring 2019

The Mood Book

Identify and explore 100 moods and emotions • • •

Delve into 100 moods, emotions, feelings, states of mind and quirks of personality in this workbook created by a psychotherapist and expert in cognitive behavioural therapy. Learn how to identify signs and symptoms, how they manifest and how to deal with them. Explore at random, or check the A–Z listing to address something specific and gain clarity, self-awareness and confidence.

Andrea Harrn MA is a psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, intuitive healer and expert in mindfulness and cognitive behavioural therapy. Visit andreaharrn.co.uk or themoodcards.com for more information and find her on Twitter and Instagram @themoodcards.

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

Mood Cards:

Understand Deep Emotions

Explore more complex emotions and behaviours for healing, happiness and inner peace • • •

Follow-up deck to the bestselling Mood Cards. Explore more complex emotions and behaviours for healing, happiness and inner peace. Includes 50 cards, each focusing on an emotion or behaviour: insecure, vulnerable, hypochondriac, OCD, bipolar...

Box: 177 x 130 x 40 mm (51⁄8 x 7 x 19⁄16 in) Fold out: 392 x 139 mm (51⁄2 x 157⁄16 in) 8 pp | 5,000 words 50 cards Published

The Mood Cards

Make sense of your moods and emotions for clarity, confidence and wellbeing • • •

Fun and accessible way to communicate your thoughts and feelings. Includes 42 cards, each focusing on a mood or an emotion: joy, anger, fear... Ideal for personal and professional use alike.

BEST SELLER

Box: 177 x 130 x 40 mm (51⁄8 x 7 x 19⁄16 in) Fold out: 392 x 139 mm (51⁄2 x 157⁄16 in) 8 pp | 5,000 words 42 cards Published

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

The Way of Calm

120 simple changes to help you find peace in a stressful world • • •

Mike Annesley is the author of DK’s Practical Mindfulness and has shaped, behind the scenes, dozens of successful illustrated MBS titles for the international market. Steve Nobel is a successful author, book mentor, coach and former Director of Alternatives.

205 x 148 mm (513⁄16 x 8 in) 144pp | 35,000 words 2 colour illustrations throughout Published

Lessons from

THE EAST

The East has long been the source of profound ideas about the nature of existence and ways to generate peace. Buddhism, in particular, has contributed powerful concepts and inspiring exemplars – not least the Buddha himself, who taught the importance of letting go of our attachments. Every morning, in Chinese public parks, clusters of people take part in Tai Chi, an ancient practice with slow, balletic movements, originally evolved for self-defence and repurposed for inner peace. Many practitioners are likely to be elderly. If a regular attendant fails to turn up one day, someone goes to their home to check on their well-being. Contrast this communal aspect with isolated, music-fuelled workouts at the gym. It’s easy to become entranced by a romanticized vision of the East – the charm of haiku, the paradoxes of Zen, the scholar hermit in his hut. However, once we penetrate the clichés, we find wisdom that is relevant to our lives in the West today – and to our search for inner peace.

The Buddhist way

Much of what we take from the East comes from Buddhism. The Buddha taught a way to deal with suffering that involves letting go of attachment – to pleasure, desire, comfort, the past. All will fade; hence the suffering. By mindful attention to ourselves, through meditation, we can cease to crave. Mindfulness practice today draws from Buddhism the idea that, by inhabiting the moment, we can build tranquillity and insight and foster love and compassion. The 14th Dalai Lama, most famous of contemporary Buddhists, radiates easeful, companionable goodness and humour. Yet he is actively engaged in humanity’s suffering, working to bring about a more compassionate world, interracial harmony and the preservation of Tibet’s culture and natural beauty. He ends a Facebook post with a simple plea that shows there’s nothing complex or detached about true spirituality:

“In short, may I request you please to help others whenever you can and if for some reason you can’t do that, at least to refrain from doing anyone any harm.”

ORIENTATION POINTS Here are some of the ideas derived from Eastern thinking that can offer useful signposts in our pursuit of the way of peace. Spend some time contemplating the relevance of these notions to your own experience. Explore further, online or in the many books on these subjects.

IMPERMANENCE

Buddhism asserts that all conditioned existence, without exception, is “transient, evanescent, inconstant”. Our ego mind will tell us we will live forever, but mortal life is finite. Our mind may tell us that our diﬃculties are permanent but, similarly, they are not. Meditating on this idea helps us to treat each moment as precious.

KARMA

This is the Buddhist law of appropriate consequences. Although originally related to the idea of a person’s behaviour determining their level of being in the next life, these days “karma” is a useful term for the moral credit we obtain by acting virtuously. Central to it is the image of every action’s eﬀects rippling out far-reachingly into the world.

MANTRA

Used in meditation, particularly in Tantric Buddhism, a mantra is a set of powerful words or sounds. The Western equivalent is the aﬃrmation, by which we assert a positive belief about ourselves. The energy of that aﬃrmation makes it self-fulfilling.

NIRVANA

Those who attain Nirvana, the state of perfect enlightenment realized through meditation, no longer accumulate karmic consequences and will no longer be reborn into samsara – the cycle of constant rebirth in which all beings are trapped. “Enlightenment” is usually an exaggerated word used by the modern-day seeker who draws upon Buddhist wisdom without committing to a radically spiritual lifestyle.

AWARENESS

The experience of awareness is expressed economically in “Be here now”, which comes from a 1971 book of the same name on yogic spirituality, written by Ram Dass (born Richard Alpert), who was quoting the guru with whom he travelled in India. The power of the phrase comes from its intersection of living (being) with two dimensions: place and time. This is the essence of mindfulness.

TAO

Chinese thinking features the concept of living intuitively in the spirit of the Tao, which means “path” or “way”, a mystic natural order that informs the whole universe. The Tao Te Ching, an ancient Chinese text sacred to the religion of Taoism, emphasizes counter-rational truths – for example, how weakness can overcome strength.

HIS HOLINESS THE 14TH DALAI LAMA

134 HOW TO FIND DEEP PEACE

By making simple adjustments to our habits of thinking and doing, we can learn to keep stress at bay, enjoy all that is positive in our lives and find happiness even in times of difficulty. Includes detailed chapters on stress-busting, dealing with risk and change, calling on inner reserves when the going gets tough… Full of insights, guidance and practical exercises for dealing with stress and dissatisfaction in all aspects of life: each chapter concludes with a 10-point Thought Plan and a 10-point Action Plan.

Making relationships

WORK

The relationship PENTANGLE

When relationships present challenges, it’s worth asking yourself whether you are at least partly responsible. The best relationships tend to be those we consciously nurture, applying empathy, compassion and generosity to strengthen the bond, and communicating well for mutual understanding.

Below is a five-point programme for enriching any relationship. Follow it to make your connections with others more honest, more giving and more easeful.

We are, in a sense, islands – despite the poet John Donne’s avowal that “No man is an island” – but we send signals out to other islands and receive signals back. In this way, contact, friendship and community are formed. Often the two-way traffic of signals becomes charged with the ultimate value: love. Rewarding relationships don’t usually happen automatically. Sometimes, at the beginning, you may indeed feel that a relationship is selfseeding, growing without any apparent effort from either party. This is true of both romantic relationships and friendships. However, even such bonds may reach a point where a little corrective gardening is needed. To continue the metaphor, a relationship will often benefit from:

G NURTURE

The seeds may have rooted, but growth may fail unless you take positive steps to communicate well, be patient and compassionate with each other, and be sensitive to each other’s needs. Each party should also make it clear to the other what the possibilities for the relationship seem to be, from their perspective.

G WEEDING

This refers to tackling any issues that arise. All sorts of misunderstandings, resentments and irritations may take root, and tension may be caused when people have contrasting sets of priorities. Compromise and good, empathic communication are good weeding tools.

G SEEDING

Find new ways to communicate. If something has not worked in the past, trying the same thing with more force is unlikely to help. Instead, do something new and stop focusing on the problem. Consider new ideas about what you would like to do together.

“They whose minds are filled with kindness will never enter a world dark with woes.”

1 EMPATHIZE

Empathy is our intuitive understanding of others, which makes us sympathize and appreciate, with warm feelings. When the relationship is not strong enough to encourage deep empathy (for example, your contact with a financial adviser you see once a year), there’s a less intimate form of appreciation that we tend to call “respect”.

3 COMMUNICATE

5 STEP BACK

FROM CONFLICT

When a disagreement starts turning heated, make a conscious eﬀort to observe your own emotions and form a positive intention to be responsive rather than reactive. See if you can reach out and mend the fracture. Avoid getting stuck in your sense of being in the right.

2 SHOW KINDNESS

The open heart is not only compassionate; it also looks for ways to show this. “Kindness” is a catch-all term appropriate to every level of contact. Thinking about the needs of others and how to help to satisfy them gives us the peaceful sense of deep, loving purpose.

4 FORGIVE

Barriers are often broken down by open, flexible communication. This means avoiding platitudes and empty soundbites and conveying your meaning with sincerity, tact and warmth. Body language is also important – especially hugging and touching, when appropriate.

When you sense resentment building, ask yourself what is stopping you from forgiving. Give people the opportunity to show the best of themselves now and in the future, rather than dwelling on past hurts. Always let them come back into your life in a refreshed relationship.

POCKET MINDFULNESS

Carry in your pocket an item with positive associations. Possibilities might include a photograph or an item of jewellery given by someone you love. When you feel stress levels building, spend a few minutes meditating on the item, focusing on the experience of perceiving it visually – and perhaps also by touch – within the present moment. Look at all aspects of the physical thing, then relish its personal associations. Draw upon its energy to give you strength, confidence and courage.

VIEW FROM AFAR

When we’re stressed, our challenges can assume exaggerated proportions. It can be therapeutic to step back and look at the situation from afar. Close your eyes and imagine being beamed up to a satellite and using a highpowered telescope to zoom in on what is stressing you. Then zoom out and see this alongside the stresses others in the world are experiencing. When you open your eyes again, think of yourself as transformed in wisdom by your view from space.

The art of ACCEPTANCE The unexpected can throw us off-balance, stirring up emotions and distracting us from normal life. To accept unwelcome change, we need to be patient with ourselves while we learn to adjust to new realities. The same kind of approach is invaluable in ongoing situations that have become hard to accept – such as a never-diminishing in-tray. When something disappoints us or thwarts our plans, or we’re given bad news, it’s often impossible to process the new situation quickly. And yet we’re likely to regard the matter as urgent. If so, this tends to be because of emotions that make us react immediately, even when a quick response is unlikely to produce the best outcome. Stepping back and positioning the setback within a suitable mental timeframe can be difficult, since emotions are always crying out to us to be noticed and acted upon. Silencing the cry of emotions – the art of detachment – is an invaluable life skill. Philosophically it isn’t difficult to grasp the basic principle for putting acceptance into practice: change what we can change, accept what we can’t. The reality, however, is not so straightforward. There are a number of complicating factors, which are given here with optimum responses you might wish to adopt:

G Often it isn’t clear which aspects of the situation are within our control FURTHER QUICKIES

Once you have tried one or two of these quick fixes, try devising your own quick fix, perhaps with an element of breath control, creative visualization or affirmation, or a combination of these ingredients. Make your exercise relate in some way to what you value in life. For example, if you are a keen chess player, you might carry a king or queen with you, as a source of regal power, or a knight, as a shamanic talisman to promote nimble thinking.

Two final tips:

G Take regular breaks from any extended activity. Even if you are just doing jobs in the home, get out every couple of hours.

G Try to keep your sense of humour. Spend time with a friend who makes you laugh.

and which are beyond our influence – assess what you think you can influence and judge your likelihood of success.

G At the emotional level we may find it difficult to accept uncomfortable truths – identify the emotions you have and don’t judge yourself for having them.

G It can be easier to immerse ourselves in an uncomfortable situation than

to walk away from it temporarily – try to absorb yourself in something else for a while; then, when you come back to the problem, see if you have any new insights to apply.

Accept or change?

The main complication here is that we tend to entertain possible solutions to any problem, even if none of them is likely to bear fruit. For example, if a partner leaves you for someone else, you might entertain the idea of winning them back, even though their mind seemed made up when they

TIRUVALLUVAR (c.1st century BCE) LESSONS FROM THE EAST 135

120 HOW TO BE HAPPY WITH WHAT YOU HAVE

MAKING RELATIONSHIPS WORK 121

20 HOW TO BE STRONG AGAINST STRESS

THE ART OF ACCEPTANCE 21

210 x 130 mm (81⁄4 x 5 in) 96 pp | 10,000 words Printed 2/2 colour

The Smart Thinking Series 7 ways to make effective decisions and change your perspective •

Inspired by the latest scientific research, the Smart Thinking series focuses on ways to improve your decision-making by changing your habits of thought and perception. Each book combines 7 essential tips for improving your thinking, featuring 50 puzzles to help you to shift your perspective and hone your mental agility. Time to make your mark and Transform your mental performance

• •

Charles Phillips is the author of 35 books and contributor to more than 25 others. He has investigated Indian theories of intelligence and consciousness in Ancient Civilisations, probed the brain’s dreaming mechanism and examined how we perceive and respond to colour.

GOAL: Silence the critical voice

GOAL: Relax

Can you solve this one? Which of the five letter dice, A–E, will you get if you fold the plan, below left, into a cube ?

Mass’s Masyu

thinking. Squares on a grid contain white or black circles and your task is to draw a single continuous line around the grid

At the refugee drop-in centre, Ramon devised this domino grid

that passes through all the circles.

for the entertainments table. He calls it the ‘Ramonino’. The task: Can you lay out all the dominoes as listed in the check-

Massimo loves Masyu, and draws them for his partner Carter.

box (below) so the numbers match those on the grid?

MASSIMO’S RULES: The line must enter and leave each box in

the centre of one of its four sides. With a black circle, the line

Detective Dennison’s on a slow duty. He draws the mirror

straight through the box, and must turn in the next and/or

image puzzle for his colleague Winston Mac.

Can you help Carter complete the grid?

turns left or right in the box, and must pass straight through

previous box.

Imagine a vertical line straight down the middle of this grid, he

This puzzle tests your ability to think visually and to plot infor-

tells him. Can you fill in the two halves of this image so it is

mation in three dimensions. This is a skill you often need when

symmetrical either side of the line?

...

perspectives.

Visual puzzles stimulate many parts of the brain. Visual

7 ways to change your perspective

0-0

0-1

0-2

0-3

0-4

0-5

0-6

1-1

1-2

1-3

1-4

1-5

1-6

2-2

2-3

2-4

2-5

2-6

3-3

3-4

3-5

3-6

4-4

4-5

4-6

5-5

5-6

6-6

stimuli are initially processed in the occipital lobe at the brain’s rear, but other brain areas further forward come into

play to judge shape and how things fit together. Making and

FORTHCOMING Seeing The Big Picture

Top or bottom domino looks the place to start.

Start anywhere you like on the circuit, as long as you follow the directional rules described above.

sustaining connections between disparate brain areas is key

to finding new perspectives.

GOAL: Remember logic

Computing teacher Shaniqua devised this partition puzzle as a mental warm-up for her computer science students.

left this one on Ranjit’s desk: Can you place a queen, a bishop, a knight and a rook on this chessboard so that the marked squares are attacked, as indicated, by two pieces, three pieces or four pieces?

permitted in chess for each of these four pieces.

This puzzle will develop your ability to see connections and to

When you’ve done this puzzle, can you come up with a good game to play with a set of letter dice?

match those shown below the grid and each + must be linked to at least two walls. Can you help Shaniqua’s class to complete the grid? It’s a puzzle to boost visualization skills and build confidence in your spatial intelligence.

If you can visualize the central line, then you only need to draw in squares matching those already provided.

4.4.5.5.7

51 44

Fresh thinking

that each area contains two dotted squares. Area sizes must

7 ways to improve your recall

Balanced Thinking

The challenge: Draw walls to partition the grid into areas so

think objectively about a problem with many elements.

Memory Boosting

GOAL: Visualize

Shaniqua’s Maze

Lawyers Rakesh and Ranjit enjoy a little light-hearted competition – and challenge one another with chess problems. Rakesh

Can you help Ranjit find the answer? Bear in mind the moves

7 ways to boost your numerical thinking

Chess Trial A

Number Crunching

E P H

7 ways to widen your outlook

7 ways to harmonize left and right brain

GOAL: Manage your time

This is a Japanese Masyu puzzle – they’re great for logical

This puzzle tests visualization and logic.

you’re trying to freshen up your mental approach and find new

Fresh Thinking

Ramonino

the next and previous boxes. At a white circle, the line travels

dice while travelling on tour.

7 ways to make effective decisions

GOAL: Stay calm

Try this puzzle to reinforce your logical thinking and visualization skills.

Mirror Image

Davit’s Dice Davit’s a stand-up comic. He draws logic puzzles like these

THE SERIES Problem-Solving

Problem Solving

There are two vertical partitions along the top section of the grid. 45

PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT

BESTSELLING

BACKLIST

How to Think: Lateral Charles Phillips 184 x 127 mm | 96pp Published

How to Think: Creative Charles Phillips 184 x 127 mm | 96pp Published

How to Think: Logical Charles Phillips 184 x 127 mm | 96pp Published

How to Think: Quick Charles Phillips 184 x 127 mm | 96pp Published

How to Think: Tactical Charles Phillips 184 x 127 mm | 96pp Published

How to Think: Visual Charles Phillips 184 x 127 mm | 96pp Published

How to Think: Numerical Charles Phillips 184 x 127 mm | 96pp Published

How to Think: Objective Charles Phillips 184 x 127 mm | 96pp Published

Brain Balance Charles Phillips 210 x 130 mm | 96pp Published

Brain-Balance Workout Charles Phillips 210 x 130 mm | 96pp Published

Brain-Balance Booster Charles Phillips 210 x 130 mm | 96pp Published

The Memory Challenge Charles Phillips 210 x 130 mm | 96pp` Published

CHARLES PHILLIPS:

1 MILLION COPIES SOLD WORLDWIDE

67 PARENTING

PARENTING

BESTSELLIN G

AUTHOR

190 x 190 mm (71⁄2 x 71⁄2 in) 224pp | 45,000 words Colour photographs throughout Published

Annabel Karmel’s

Baby-led Weaning Recipe Book

Let your baby take the lead “The Delia Smith of cooking for children” THE GUARDIAN

“Any mother who does not have at least one of her books in her kitchen... should waste no time in putting that right’’ THE SUNDAY TIMES

A baby-led weaning manual from the authority on parenting and cooking for kids. Instead of feeding your baby, simply let him feed himself! While lots of parents start out with smooth spoon-led purées, baby-led weaning (BLW) is fast growing in popularity. • The cookbook includes 120 delicious recipes to let your baby take the lead. • From the UK’s No.1 children’s cookery author and international brand Annabel Karmel. • The ultimate companion book to the No.1 international bestselling New Complete Baby & Toddler Meal Planner (sold in over 20 languages!). • •

Annabel Karmel MBE is the UK’s No.1 parenting author, an award-winning children’s food guru and an international sales phenomenon. She has written various successful books (see backlist on p65). Her awardwinning baby food range is available in supermarkets internationally. Visit her website at annabelkarmel.com.

Scrummy Rice with Butternut Squash M A K E S 4 C H I L D P O RT I O N S

25 g/1 oz butter 50 g/2 oz onion, finely chopped 1 garlic clove, crushed 100 g/4 oz basmati rice 450 ml/16 fl oz boiling water 150 g/5 oz peeled butternut squash, cubed 3 ripe tomatoes (about 225 g/ 8 oz), skinned, deseeded and chopped 50 g/2 oz grated Cheddar cheese 1 tablespoon chopped fresh basil

A simple but delicious rice dish with butternut squash and a fresh tomato and cheese sauce. Heat half the butter in a saucepan, add the onion and sauté for 3–4 minutes until softened, then add the garlic and cook for a further 30 seconds. Add the rice and stir to coat it in the butter. Pour over the boiling water, cover with a lid and cook for 8 minutes over a high heat. Stir in the chopped butternut squash, reduce the heat and cook, covered, for a further 12 minutes or until all the water has been absorbed. Meanwhile, melt the remaining butter in a small pan, add the chopped tomatoes and sauté for 2–3 minutes. Stir in the cheese until melted, then add the cheese and tomato mixture to the rice and stir it through. Serve with steamed broccoli florets or Cauliflower in Panko Breadcrumbs (see page 58).

88 Vegetables

Annabel Karmel’s New Complete Baby & Toddler Meal Planner 190 x 190 mm | 240pp Colour photographs throughout Published

44 M MIILLLLIIO ON N C CO OPPIIEESS SSO OLLD D

PARENTING

BESTSELLING

BACKLIST

Top 100 Baby Purées 190 x 190 mm | 128pp Colour photographs throughout

Top 100 Pasta Dishes 190 x 190 mm | 144pp Colour photographs throughout

Baby Meal Bible 168 x 168 mm | 336pp Colour photographs throughout

Superfoods for Babies & Children 194 x 194 mm | 192pp Colour photographs throughout

Eating for Two 190 x 190 mm | 192pp Colour photographs throughout

Quick & Easy Toddler Recipes 190 x 190 mm | 144pp Colour photographs throughout

• • •

Top 100 Finger Foods 190 x 190 mm | 160pp Colour photographs throughout

Busy Mum’s Cookbook 245 x 189 mm | 224pp Colour photographs throughout

Quick & Easy Weaning 190 x 190 mm | 176pp Colour photographs throughout

Top 100 Meals in Minutes 190 x 190 mm | 144pp Colour photographs throughout

Annabel’s Family Cookbook 253 x 195 mm | 224pp Colour photographs throughout

Annabel Karmel’s Favourites Ten books: 140 x 140 mm | 96pp Colour photographs throughout

The UK’s number one parenting author Award-winning children’s food guru International sales phenomenon: over 4 million copies sold of her New Complete Baby & Toddler Meal Planner, the 2nd bestselling hardback non-fiction book of all time!

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