Eddison Books | International Rights Catalogue | London Book Fair 2019 by Eddison Books

Eddison Books Ltd I N T E R N A T I O N A L RIGHTS

CATA L O G U E

New Titles & Backlist Highlights

LONDON BOOK FAIR

2019

About Eddison Books

vibrant independent co-edition publisher of illustrated non-fiction, Eddison Books was founded by Nick Eddison

in 1982 as Eddison Sadd, which quickly became a pre-eminent mind-body-spirit publisher and packager. Relaunched in 2015 by new owner Stéphane Leduc, founder of Leduc.s Editions in France, the company has built on its MBS traditions and stable of renowned long-standing authors, expanding into self care and personal development, health and fitness, nutrition and general reference, to produce titles with an especially female-focused outlook. Bringing together a talented international team highly experienced in illustrated and trade publishing, Eddison is distinguished by the hallmarks of beautifully designed books that are meaningful, useful and relevant for today’s readers.

Eddison Books T: +44 (0)20 36098 809 E: info@eddisonbooks.com W: www.eddisonbooks.com Suites 322–323, 3 Shortlands, Hammersmith, London W6 8DA

International Rights

Séverine Jeauneau T: +44 (0)783 480 2306 E: severine@eddisonbooks.com

Chie Nakano T: +44 (0)203 609 8809 E: chie@eddisonbooks.com

Eddison Books Ltd

Self Care & Personal Development

Mind Body Spirit

Health & Nutrition

5 Self Care & Personal Development

Self Care & Personal Development

The Memory Diary Future-proof your life by capturing the unforgettable 215 x 165 mm (61⁄2 x 81⁄2 in) 176 pp | 20,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Spring 2020

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.

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.

• 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, for a milestone birthday, or as a self-purchase. • Specially commissioned illustrations by Sandra Dionisi, who teaches at Sheridan College and OCAD in Canada.

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 ]

[ 11 ] [ 00 ]

[ 127 ]

Self Care & Personal Development

Dare to Be Happier 25 steps to a joyous life through journaling 215 x 165 mm (61⁄2 x 81⁄2 in) 176 pp | 40,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Autumn 2019 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. W: www.daretobehappier.com

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 journaling 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. • Journaling has been shown to improve mental and physical health, including lowering blood pressure and stress.

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

“

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.

Consider these questions to help you live a fearless life:

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.

Self Care & Personal Development

Change Your Life in Five Clarify. Conquer. Choose. Celebrate. Commit. 215 x 165 mm (513⁄16 x 8 in) 160 pp | 30,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Spring 2020 Sue Belton is a Professional Certified Coach (PCC) with the International Coach Federation (ICF). She trained with the prestigious American Coaches Training Institute and has been practising for the past 10 years.

Divided into five clear sections, this workbook is your personal life coach and will help you work out what you really want in life and how you are going to get it. • The five parts contain journaling activities and visualization exercises to guide you on your path. • Includes self-care tips to ensure you are rested and ready for the change. • Sue Belton has helped hundreds of people change the pattern of their lives. • Taps into the increased trend for journaling and self-discovery. • Foreword written by Brian Tucker, Co-President of The Coaches Training Institute, headquarters in California.

CLARIFY : EXERCISE

CHOOSE : EXERCISE

Time to think about your life

The Choice Room

WHEEL OF LIFE Give a score out of 10 for each of the sections coloured in the wheel. What areas of your wheel need work?

Write down the answers to the following questions (when I say write down, I mean just go for it, freestyle, it doesn’t need to be perfect, just truthful). Check in with your mind and your body. When you think about your life, how does your body feel?

Money

Environment

Friends & Family

HOW DOES YOUR LIFE FEEL RIGHT NOW? Check in with your mind and your body. When you think about your life, how does your body feel?

lth

En vir

ea H

on m en t

If you feel stuck in a rut about something - perhaps your find your job boring and unfulfilling - this is your perspective. It is not a fact. What’s happened is that you have developed a way of thinking about it that has become habitual. You consistently gather evidence to prove yourself right until your belief or perspective becomes the absolute truth. Using the step-by-step method below, you can change this cycle once and for all.

STEP 03 CHOOSE AND COMMIT

Personal Growth These beliefs or sabotaging voices are not yours. They never were. They were passed onto you by your parents, teachers, family, culture or religion – by people who also had them passed onto them by the generation before. Unconsciously, people have been passing on someone else’s beliefs and ways of living for generations and generations. We have been absorbing and taking on other people’s rules of how to live as the way for centuries. For example, I was brought up in

the Army until the age of ten. My father was a Sergeant Major (and my Mum worked part time, mainly in shops on the army bases). As you can imagine, a sergeant major in the army has a very strong presence, some very strong views, and a very loud voice. And I certainly took on a load of his opinions and ways of living in this world that, through coaching, I identified how they were holding me back from living the life I really wanted to be living. Many of us have been running our lives according to those voices

67 44

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are better t ha hey n “T

“Th

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not skill ed

to do tha t” ugh no

’t matter ” esn do

As we grow up, we are told how to behave and think, and we learn how to behave and think in a way which helps us survive those first few years of our lives. We learn what we should do, what we can’t do, what we have to do, all in order to be accepted, loved, to feel we belong, and to receive all the things we need to survive as a human being in this world.

You may also want to create an anchor or structure to help connect you back with this new perspective – especially when you feel yourself slipping back to the old perspective. For example, an image of a beautiful beach, a rock or stone or an item of clothing to remind you.

“My o pin ion

Self-sabotaging voices

STEP 04 CREATE AN ANCHOR

CONQUER

“I don’t

de se

t” ei

Now that you have clearly defined those two elements, this is the fun bit. Try on some different ways of thinking and feeling about the issue. Move around the room, using any props within your space. Try lying down on the floor. Some people like to take on a character or an emotion as they move. For each new place or body position (maybe try five or six), really notice what you think, believe, feel, and would be doing about your issue. Try naming each perspective, such as the ‘on the beach’ or ‘from a window’.

JOB

STEP 02 TRY OTHER PERSPECTIVES

CAREER RELATIONSHIP

e” m

When you feel you have enough perspectives, revisit each one – either mentally or literally. Do you want to stay in that first one? No? Then move around and choose the one you most want to go with right now. Maybe you tried lying down on your sofa, and that reminded you of lying on the beach, and here you really feel that whatever the situation, anything is achievable. Imagine all of the things you would be believing and doing from this new place. Now it’s time to commit.

Place the issue – be it your career or your relationship – in the middle of the room, separating the issue from your perspective. From where you are in the room, admit your current perspective and realize how far you have convinced yourself of the it. Go there, embody it, even give it a metaphor or a name.

ne r

n Fu

Pa rt

STEP 01 CHOOSE A PERSPECTIVE AND NAME IT

Self Care & Personal Development

Power Skills A masterclass for women in communication and body language 205 x 148 mm (513⁄16 x 8 in) 176 pp | 40,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Spring 2020 Juliet Erickson is an executive coach, communications specialist and author. She teaches at Stanford University and works with business leaders, entrepreneurs, TED speakers, politicians and lawyers around the world. Born in California, she regularly commutes between Santa Fe and London.

This female-centred book will teach you how to communicate effectively and authentically to ensure that you can manage impressions, gain appropriate responses and achieve what you want. • A ground-breaking look at how women can communicate with ease and effectiveness. • Covers core areas of body language including movement, gesture, eye contact, facial expressions as well as areas of communication such as creating the right impressions and confrontation. • Learn new movements and gestures that will serve you more effectively. • Offers practical exercises that can be done at home. • Author is a leading expert in the field of communications.

Contents

The Foundational posture Consider this your go-to posture to clear your mind, regain your emotional and physical balance, sharper your awareness and calm your body. This neutral posture creates in the body a feeling of strength and being earthed. It is a place from which you can be more flexible – moving forwards, backwards or sideways with greater ease. Try this barefoot on an even surface:

Begin by standing with both feet on the floor weight distributed evenly between both feet, hip width apart. (Be aware of not falling into working the ‘s’ curve - note the desire to exaggerate side or forward angles in the torso).

Concentrate on keeping the weight mostly on both feet. You should be able to move gently forward and back without losing balance. Try it. Pause here for a moment to experience this feeling of balance and stability, forward or back.

Relax your shoulders and let your arms drop. You may feel some delicious length in your neck and spine and gentle length between your hip and ribcage.

Introduction 6

Communication style

Creating impressions

Facial expression and voice

Eye contact

Confrontation

Cultivating presence

128

146

Index 158

Allow the pelvis to relax into a neutral place, not tilted too far forward or back.

Notice how your feel feel when the weight is distributed on your whole foot – front, back and sides. Pause here for a moment to experience this wonderful feeling of balance and stability.

Your arms and hands are relaxed at the sides, wrists relaxed. An option is to bend the elbows in a 90-degree angle – keeping the shoulders relaxed – and bring the hands together gently in the front. This 90-degree angle for one or both hands is still a resting posture, yet it keeps the hands free and ready. It communicates a little more energy, stability and attention.

Take your dominant foot and step it, still hip width apart, just in front of the other – about where the heel of your dominant foot is at the same level as the big toe of your other foot. Don’t lock your knees.

104

Posture, gesture and movement

Now shift your weight ever so slightly to the middle of the front foot without affecting the position of the back foot too much. Perhaps your back heel is still on the floor but has less weight on it than the front foot. Feel how your upper body rises a little with this subtle weight shift forward, your body lengthens, shoulders are free to relax, and ribcage, chest and chin are naturally positioned without stress on the body.

6 Clothing and accoutrements

Eye contact Eye contact is where our thoughts and emotions are closest to the surface of our skin. This is good news and bad news. If you’re nervous or lacking confidence it is likely to show here. Likewise, if you are prepared, confident and grounded your eyes will reveal all. The power in eye contact lies in two places: your ability to use it appropriately with others in whatever context and as a personal ‘muscle-builder’ to help you cultivate focus, confidence, understanding and calm.

Self Care & Personal Development

Step Outside Improve your mental health with walking 227 x 165 mm (61⁄2 x 9 in) 160 pp | 25,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Spring 2020 Bianca Sainty is a personal trainer and mental health campaigner. She founded her company Pod Fitness over five years ago and she and her team deliver small group sessions in a park in London. She is passionate about the benefits of exercising outdoors and she frequently organizes workshops on health and wellbeing.

A self-help book that explores how walking outdoors is an important self-care strategy that can improve your mental wellbeing. • Covers 10 crucial benefits: Connecting to nature, Alleviating depression, Relieving stress, Building confidence, Enhancing creativity, Getting active, Boosting immunity, Improving brain function, Walking with others, Improving sleep. • Includes the latest scientific research on how walking benefits mental health by lowering cortisol levels and raising endorphins • Contains practical tips, simple exercises and mindfulness techniques. • Designed to inspire and get you outdoors.

GAINING HEADSPACE

‘We are soothed by the repetitive action of walking, tension in our muscles dissolves, and gradually we find we have space in our mind to think more clearly.’

One of the most invaluable benefits of getting outside for a walk is the potential for finding headspace. We all need headspace because modern life is fast-paced and over-stimulating and our bodies interpret this as stress.

WALKING MINDFULLY Being fully present in the moment gives our brain a rest and allows us to create space and a freeing sense of perspective. To aid mindfulness, we need to eliminate distraction, both external and internal. Here are some techniques to help keep you mind in the present:

Stress affects everyone, of all ages. It is a completely normal reaction that we will all experience from time to time when faced with situations that we feel under pressure in. We cannot avoid stress completely, but we can learn to deal with it better. Prioritising walking outdoors gives us the opportunity to break out. The very act of unplugging from technology, getting up from our desk, and stepping away, feels good. We win back a sense of control over things. By shifting our focus, we release the tight grip stress can have on us. Going outside helps us regain a sense of perspective. We feel small and insignificant in the world, in a good way. Nature and weather envelop us, and it is reassuring to see life outside our heads continuing as normal.

ANXIOUS WORLD When stress affects the brain, the rest of your body suffers too. Our extensive and sensitive nervous system makes sure of this. Stress can feel really unpleasant: your muscles become overly tense, your breath shortens and shallows, your gut knots up. Stress comes and goes as the external factors causing it themselves ebb and flow. When stress is left unchecked, however,

40. RELIEVING STRESS

anxiety can present itself. Anxiety is fuelled from within. It’s pernicious and pretty nasty, and increasingly becoming a normal part of daily life for many. In the U.S., anxiety disorders are currently the most common psychiatric illness. Anxiety exists thanks to the fight or flight mechanism that we developed in our cave-man days to keep us safe. It is triggered when our stress levels build up to too high a level and begin to overflow. Daily walking is a fantastic way of keeping stress levels under control, reducing the chance of it spilling over into pervasive anxiety. It gives us the chance to gain some perspective on the myriad of life’s little stressors. A good brisk walk outdoors can refresh our brain. The good news is you don’t need to walk for miles to access the benefits. Psychologists studying how exercise relieves anxiety suggest that as little as a 10-minute walk may be just as good as a 45-minute workout. Just 10 minutes out of your day! A brisk walk can deliver several hours of relief, similar to taking an aspirin for a headache. And that if you make your walking a regular activity, stress levels can significantly reduce over time.

UNPLUG Be sure to unplug fully from technology. Ideally leave your phone behind. If you can’t countenance this, store it in your backpack, not in your pocket, and certainly don’t carry it in your hand. RECONNECT WITH THE PHYSICAL Our brains, if allowed to, will provide constant internal distraction. Try absorbing yourself in how your body feels as you walk. Most of us learn to walk at a young age then take this wonderful ability to move independently

TUNE INTO YOUR SENSES Raise your gaze. Look up and into the middle distance when you’re walking. Take in the immensity of the sky and the horizon. Stop to soak in a view. What can you hear? Your breath, birdsong, the hum of traffic, water flowing? What can you smell? Stop and touch a tree trunk. How does it feel?

40. RELIEVING STRESS

ADDING VARIETY TO YOUR WALKS Once you get into a regular habit of walking outdoors every day, and you are feeling the benefits, the next challenge is to keep it interesting, so you don’t get bored and give up.

WALKING AND HORMONES Walking as a form of exercise has a potent effect on reducing stress at a hormonal level. What’s more it tackles it in two distinct but complementary ways: 01. Walking (like other aerobic exercise) produces endorphins — chemicals in the brain that act as natural painkillers and make us feel good. 02. Walking lowers the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol is our body’s natural response to perceived threat. If all’s well, then the body will naturally self-regulate. The problems start when stress is chronic. Cortisol is then released too regularly, and the body’s self-limiting stress-response system breaks down. This can result in a whole heap of serious health problems: a much greater risk of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease, anxiety, depression

Walking is a repetitive action, and as you become more familiar with this type of movement, it in turn becomes less taxing on your mind and body. Your mind is able to switch to autopilot and starts to drift off and dissociate. You are less engaged in the activity. Your fitness will be improving with every step, so your body no longer feels as physically challenged by your walk. The overall benefits start to plateau. How do we fix this? Doing something different is key to keeping you stimulated, both mentally and physically. Mixing things up will keep your mind and body engaged with your walk, and keep you motivated to continue for longer. Here are some ways you could add variety to your walks:

LOAD UP • Use a backpack to carry your water bottle and snacks (the bag will lighten as you go) • Add wet weather gear

ADD SOME INCLINE

SPEED

CONSIDER COMPANY

• Tackle a hill • Walk downhill • Climb steps • Look out for slopes and ramps

• Vary your walking pace • Choose a slow and steady amble or a fast and short power walk • Set yourself time intervals

• Meet a friend and chat as you walk • Arrange a Walk and Talk meeting with a colleague • Walk in a group and take it in turns to choose the route • Borrow a friend or neighbour’s dog for a walk • Try walking by yourself

CHANGE THE SURFACE

MAKE THE FAMILIAR UNFAMILIAR

• Step off the smooth Tarmac and tread on uneven surfaces • Walk on cobblestones • Tread on grass • Amble along a dirt towpath • Traipse across muddy park land • Walk on the beach and sink into pebbles and sand

• Take a detour • Cross the road and walk on the other side of the street • Set off on a favourite walk in the opposite direction to the way you usually start • Cross a bridge • Enjoy the different perspective • Start your walk somewhere different • Walk at a different time of day

and sleep problems as well as reduced brain function.

41 40. RELIEVING STRESS

totally for granted. Shift your focus away from your thoughts to the physical sensations of walking. Scan your body as you walk, from your feet up, and simply notice how every part of you feels. The gentle and repetitive action of walking can become a moving meditation. When thoughts pop up as they inevitably do, try not to latch onto them. Just notice that your mind has wandered, acknowledge the thought or feeling, and let it go. If it’s important, it will come back to you later.

Self Care & Personal Development

Motivate Yourself! Master the skills for achieving your fitness goals 215 x 165 mm (61⁄2 x 81⁄2 in) 160 pp | 30,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Spring 2020 Dr Josephine Perry is a Chartered Sport and Exercise Psychologist. She has helped athletes overcome barriers and taught them mental skills to make them more confident. She writes features for Runner’s World, Athletics Weekly and national newspapers.

Motivation is crucial for success. Sports psychologist Dr Josephine Perry takes keys areas we need to have in place to succeed and teaches us how to learn from our weaknesses and harness our strengths. • Divided into three key areas: competence, community and control. • Each chapter has relevant, guided journaling activities so we can work out how we can build on our strengths and get what we want. • Dr Josephine Perry is a well-known sports psychologist. • Accessible design with exercises and questionnaires.

What’s your type?

Measuring motivation

Using the statements below tick the ones which apply to you and your current sport so you can identify where your motivation lies 01. Intrinsically motivated

WHERE DO THE MAJORITY OF YOUR TICKS LIE? If you find that you are intrinsically motivated, you may naturally love your current sporting activity and so will stick with it, whatever obstacles are in your way. If you find that you are extrinsically motivated, then you may not have a natural love for your sport so we need to find ways to manipulate your

My sport is fun I feel good when I do my sport I enjoy training for my sport I enjoy learning new sports skills

Motivation is a psychological force. It enables our actions. But it is a bit elusive. We might be able to spot it in others when they persist with something long after others would have given up, regularly choose to do one thing over another or show high levels of selfcontrol to ensure they don’t sabotage their goals. But measuring it in ourselves is tricky. We can’t take a pill to get more of it. We can’t be sure it is the same level at night as it was in the morning. Our motivation peaks and troughs all the time. These fluctuations are absolutely to be expected. But, when it comes to fitness and sport, we should be able to identify our overall type of motivation for it; intrinsic, extrinsic or amotivated. Once we know our ‘type’ we can use it to our advantage.

Intrinsic motivation comes when we love fitness and sport. We do it for satisfaction of developing our knowledge because we love learning new skills and get a buzz from the physical sensation of participating. We may still be chasing PBs and wins and medals but even if there were no competitions and no peers or friends to train with, we would still be doing the training because the process of the sport makes us happy.

I choose to do my sport

02. Extrinsically motivated My sport is good for me I love doing well in my sport I enjoy competing in my sport I have to focus hard in my sport

motivation. Firstly, we will want to uncover if there is any intrinsic motivation, if there is anything about fitness that you do love and then boost it with external rewards. The stronger these rewards are (often having exciting goals) the better able we are to keep going even when we have that loud devil on our shoulder telling us to stop. There are loads of techniques in this book to help you do this. If you find your ticks are over to the right, highlighting we are amotivated then we need to spend some time soul searching and trying to figure out if your current activity is the right one for you or if there is something else out there which you’d enjoy far more.

03. Amotivated I do my sport because I always have I feel like I have to do my sport I get easily distracted in my sport My sport is too hard work I can get bored doing my sport I like the rewards of my sport

Extrinsic motivation is when we participate for some other purpose, to achieve goals beyond simply doing the sport. Sometimes the goals are to avoid negative consequences (such as being unhealthy) or they are to achieve things as a result of the sport (such as medals, scholarships, media coverage or social recognition from others).

MOTIVATE YOUR SELF

Know your strengths

We need to use our strengths to build more positive mental images our ourselves.

Amotivation comes when we have just completely fallen out of love with fitness and sport, or we were pushed into it and never enjoyed it in the first place. We might feel an obligation to do it but we would far prefer to be doing other things if we could.

MOTIVATE YOUR SELF

The smile and shining eyes of a child who has just achieved something that previously seemed impossible is joyful. The excited “I did it” makes even the coldest of hearts melt. Yet as we grow up many of us become uncomfortable blowing our own trumpet. We may be really proud of what we have achieved but over time are taught to be modest, and not to boast. This squashes our enjoyment and means we feel less excited about what we achieved, and less motivated to try hard again in the future. This cultural norm is bad enough but alongside this our brains are 30 COMPETENCE

wired with a number of cognitive biases pushing us to look on the dark side. We have a confirmation bias where we notice things which support what we already believe and a negativity bias where we focus more on negative information than positive. They make perfect sense from an evolutionary basis but in today’s world they tend to prevent us seeing ourselves in the great light that we deserve. Promoting positive elements, reminders and memories can help us overcome these biases so we start to look through a more positive lens.

Remembering our positive successes, experiences and all the skills we have worked so hard to learn is a key source of the confidence we need to be successful in sport. It gives us robust confidence, the very best sort, where even when we get injured, or we stall with progress, or we have a horrible competition we are able to pick ourselves up and bounce back. To maximise our motivation, build our confidence and boost success in our sport we need to identify our strengths and be proud of them. We need to use them to build a more positive mental MOTIVATE YOUR SELF

image of ourselves. They will illustrate what helps us perform well. What we bring to the party when we compete in our sport and what makes us special as an athlete. We can reflect, audit and nail down our strengths so we can build these into our build up preparations, our mental routines and develop unique competition strategies which focus on what makes us strong and special. This is what will maximise our chances of success. These then help us on competition day to focus on ourselves, our skills and abilities, not on those of our competitors. 31

Self Care & Personal Development

The Grief Matrix What to expect when a loved one dies 176 x 176 mm (615⁄16 x 615⁄16 in) 64 pp | 5,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Autumn 2019 Sophie Stout is a writer and brand storyteller. She lives in London with her husband and two sons. Letizia Perna-Forrest is Head of Patient and Family Support at Royal Trinity Hospice in London. She previously worked as a clinical psychotherapist at New York Presbyterian Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York City. She is also Vice Chair of Cruse Bereavement Care.

Using a simple, visual model, this compact handbook sensitively and honestly distils the experiences of early bereavement offering comforting and supportive words. • Looks at all aspects of grief: shock, other people, practicalities, emotions, coping, the day to day, spirituality and hope. • Foreword written by Letizia Perna-Forrest – the Vice Chair of Cruse Bereavement Care. • Written in friendly, honest and non-judgemental style. • A beautifully designed book that supports and acknowledges the difficult and complex journey of grief. • The perfect book to give to anyone experiencing bereavement and helping the bereaved.

Self Care & Personal Development

BESTSELLER AT THE

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Honjok and the Art of Living Alone 205 x 148 mm (513⁄16 x 8 in) 160 pp | 30,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Spring 2020 Crystal Tai is a journalist based in Seoul and Hong Kong. She is specifically interested in the historical and sociological reasons behind social movements and lifestyle trends. Her writing has appeared in Quartz, South China Morning Post and Lonely Planet, and she produced a weekly current affairs show on the Asia Television channel. She grew up in Canada and studied political science at the University of British Columbia.

Honjok is a South Korean term for those who identify themselves as loners. This beautiful book offers practical, psychological and inspirational strategies to embrace independence. • We are living in an era when internet literacy is at its highest. This contributes to the growing trend of isolation and living alone. • Contains practical strategies to embrace independence in a positive and meaningful way. • Written by a journalist who specialises in cultural trends and movements. • A beautiful gift book designed to educate, encourage and inspire.

HOW TO ENJOY TIME ALONE At our hands lie a wealth of activities we can partake on our own such as watching a film at a local theatre, to cooking at home, or going on day excursions to new and exciting places. It may seem intimidating at first, but the thrill of mastering or discovering something new may eventually overtake any apprehension. One Canadian woman I spoke with used to plan trips with her friends. Over time, she realised while she enjoyed their company, she came to the conclusion that not only did traveling as a group slow her down, she also realised it was difficult to enjoy spending time with her close friends within the context of these new, often foreign environments. In fact, she decided it was healthier for her friendships if they did not travel together. Three years ago, she began planning trips on her own. At first, she drove out to country parks for day excursions; soon, she began visiting new cities where she explored her surroundings exactly in the way she wanted. She went to bars, restaurants, joined groups and made so lots of new friends in these places. By the end of it, she realised she enjoyed traveling alone so much that she began backpacking across entire continents in search of discovering new cultures, languages and places as well as new parts of herself. For most of us, learning to enjoy your time alone is not something that happens overnight (I confess I am still working on this too). Like a hobby or interest, it takes time to foster and develop into a full-fledged affinity.

BEING ALONE With all the talk of the honjok and the rise of single-person households all around the world, “aloneness” somehow seems like a relatively new phenomenon. And yet, throughout history, and beyond religious seclusion, we have seen many great figures choose solitude over company for a variety reasons. From Socrates to Lao Tzu and Emily Brontë to Emily Dickinson, thinkers, philosophers, poets and artists often chose to lead solitary lives to better concentrate on their art or inner growth. While fencing yourself off, being removed from society and social interaction in a way that can be called true isolation is not recommended, it’s evident that spending some time alone to concentrate on a passion, or for self-reflection and introspection can actually be incredibly beneficial and healthy. In fact, studies have demonstrated that spending time alone regularly can contribute to happiness and overall wellbeing. Even for those that identify as extroverted, spending some moments alone with one’s thoughts becomes a wonderful way to better gauge emotions and anchor to being in the “now”. It can alleviate social pressures and inspire the only kind of confidence and esteem that comes with being able to enjoy one’s time alone. And while “aloneness” or enjoying one’s time alone is nothing new, in many societies beyond South Korea, honjok culture is still a relatively new phenomenon for one group in particular: women. Once viewed as the property of their husbands and male relatives, views on women’s rights and independence have changed drastically in the last century. Once chaperoned, segregated and highly-managed, women have an increasing amount of agency and autonomy around the world. Although gender equality for women and non-binary individuals still has a long way to go, the rise of the self-made, independant, career-oriented women in many developed regions contributes greatly to the rise of honjok cultures around the world. These days, as women often face the same social pressures and often arbitrary if not offensive deadlines such as “get married by XX age” or “have a child by XX age” they find themselves fielding intrusive questions from co-workers, acquaintances, older relatives or hometown friends when they choose to “deviate” from the beaten track.

A state of mind: lonely or alone?

While partnership or cohabitation comes with its own benefits, a 2017 study conducted with single and divorced women across the US between the age of 50 to 79 found that they were physically healthier than married women of the same age group. The pressure of having to settle down and the shaming of singledom is often at the heart of our existential uneasiness about choosing to be independent or alone. Generally, it’s harder to know what truly makes us content, when there are so many layers of expectations and social conditioning at the very surface of our concerns. It can take years of uncovering (through therapy or self-reflection) to reach an understanding of what we truly wish for deep inside. And yet, even when we are fortunate enough to know ourselves and discern this, in most cases we end up finding a halfway compromise between our desires, and societal expectations of who we are expected be. As demonstrated by the self-identified honjok of South Korea, this no longer has to be the case.

Getting lost was not a matter of geography so much as identity, a passionate desire, even an urgent need, to become no one and anyone, to shake oﬀ the shackles that remind you who you are, who others think you are.

Adventure: embracing solo activities

Starting small The beauty of starting out an activity alone is that it doesn’t mean staying alone. Going out and doing something new on your own often becomes a wonderful way to meet others who share similar interests or more people from all walks of life. While it may still seem overwhelming at first, I recommend starting small with activities: a a a a a

Read a book at a coffee shop. Go for a walk in a nearby park. Go grocery shopping and cook your favourite (doable) meal. Go to an exercise class. Explore a museum or art gallery.

Next, you can look to bigger or longer tasks. a Go to the beach, or nearby park for an entire day trip. a Head to a volunteering event and donate your time or expertise. a Sign up for dance classes. a Go to a museum or gallery opening (and meet others). a Visit a local pub with your book. Or try things that might be a bit nerve-wracking at first (but it pays off). a Go to a bar or pub alone with no book. a Go for dinner alone at a casual restaurant. a Go to an amusement park. a Watch a movie in a theatre. a Go to a concert.

Adventure: embracing solo activities

CHAPTER 2 A state of mind: lonely or alone? To free us from the expectations of others, to give us back to ourselves there lies the great, the singular power of self-respect. Without it, one eventually discovers the final turn of the screw: one runs away to find oneself and finds no one at home. Joan Didion

A state of mind: lonely or alone?

Self Care & Personal Development

Wabi Sabi Living Finding beauty in imperfection 227 x 165 mm (6½ x 9 in) 144 pp | 25,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Spring 2020 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.

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, more minimalist way of living.

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.

WA B I SA B I TI PS 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

Self Care & Personal Development

Ho‘oponopono The ancient Hawaiian practice of gratitude and forgiveness 205 x 148 mm (513⁄16 x 8 in) 160 pp | 20,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Autumn 2019 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 the French market.

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 details creation myths, quests, animal spirits, taboos and worships that underpin the practice. • Beautiful gift or self-purchase book.

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

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

105

Self Care & Personal Development

The Mood Diary A four-week plan to track your emotions and lifestyle 229 x 178 mm (7 x 9 in) 160 pp | 20,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Spring 2020

This easy-to-use therapeutic tracker monitors moods over a 28-day period, charting daily energy levels, sleep patterns, exercise, and food and drink, alongside emotions. • Allows reader to identify moods and compare them with food, drink, sleep, exercise, energy, and even medication intake.

Andrea Harrn is a psychotherapist, hypnotherapist, intuitive healer and expert in CBT, mindfulness and emotional intelligence. She is the author of the best-selling card packs The Mood Cards and Understand Deep Emotions, and The Mood Book.

• Freewriting pages with guided questions appear throughout. • CBT worksheets give you at-home therapist guidance to uncover triggers, blocks and any underlying conditions.

W: www.themoodcards.com W: www.andreahaarn.co.uk

• Weekly evaluations assess what you’ve felt and learned that week, a final evaluation chart identifies patterns and a conclusion helps you address recurring or long-term issues. • A therapeutic tool for parents to give to children or teenagers, or as a self-purchase, or for therapists to use with their clients. • Practical help whether you are suffering from anxiety, anger, mood swings, or suspect you have a serious mental-health condition.

WEEK ONE

WEEK ONE The Thinking Connection

DAY ONE

Leading to high energy levels and increased activity.

Would you say that you are more of a negative or a positive person? Does life feel difficult and challenging or does it feel exciting and stimulating? Do you make assumptions or judgments on yourself and others? Or perhaps you are a black-and-white thinker with more fixed ideas.

SLEEP

Don’t let negativity inhabit your head and steal your joy! Many people have ANTS (automatic negative thinking system) (aka NATS) which includes self-doubt, selfdeprecation, high expectations on self and others, all-or-nothing thinking, worst-case-scenario building, assumptions and judgments. Thoughts play a POWERFUL role in how you feel.

Negative thinking can create: Q Stress, worry anxiety and panic attacks Q Sadness and depression Q Resentment, anger and jealousy Q Criticism and judgment Q Fears and phobias Q Feelings of powerlessness and hopelessness

MOOD

OTHER

Think about yourself as an Energy Bank: Negative thinking leads to an ENERGY DEFICIT = physical illness, insomnia, food or alcohol compensation.

This can lead to low energy, physical illness, insomnia and possible addictions. Positive thinking creates: Q Peace, calm, joy and happiness Q Inspiration, determination and motivation Q Acceptance and gratitude Q Hope and opportunities

FOOD & DRINK

Positive thoughts lead to ENERGY CREDIT = strength, hope, self-love, acceptance, motivation, increased activity.

Let’s look at your thinking, taking an event like a job interview – though you can name your own. Consider how much evidence you really have for your belief and assign it a percentage from 1 to 100%. EVENT

NEGATIVE THOUGHTS OR BELIEFS

NEGATIVE EMOTIONS

Going for a job interview

I won’t be able to do it (50%)

Worry

They won’t like me (20%)

Anxiety

I’m hopeless at interviews (70%)

Powerless

I’ll never get this (80%)

Disappointed

I can’t communicate (10%)

Sad

POSITIVE HELPFUL THOUGHTS AND BELIEFS

POSITIVE EMOTIONS

I can see what the job entails (100%)

Interested

I’m hardworking and keen (90%)

Hopeful

I have some relevant experience (100%)

Proud

I’ll do my best (100%)

Determined

I have a good chance to get this (50%)

Motivated

I can communicate well and I will ask lots of questions (80%)

Happy

Today I felt….

INTRODUCTION

What went well?

Introduction

EXERCISE

What could have gone better? ENERGY LEVEL (FROM 0 TO 10)

anaging emotions is a challenge that we all face at different points in our lives. For some this comes easier but for others, especially those with anxiety disorders, mood disorders or depression it can be a lot harder. It is not just the events in our lives that cause us problems, but more our perceptions of them and our strategies for coping when things feel difficult. Some people tune out feelings altogether, while others become overwhelmed. We are all different and there is no wrong or right way for you to feel or behave. Sometimes we just don’t know what is right for us because we can become confused in self-doubt and negativity, and this is why mood journals, trackers and diaries are great tools to help us understand ourselves. Widely recommended by many counsellors and therapists, a mood diary is a beneficial and effective way of selfmanagement for positive change. Whether you are struggling to manage your moods, have a diagnosed illness or are simply going through a difficult time, this book will help you to educate yourself, take control and make required changes to lead a healthier, happier life. It can also be much easier and more fun than you think; once you get started you will find it enjoyable, informative and motivating.

Whatever you have been told in the past about you, your moods or your diagnoses, be prepared to have a new and open view of yourself. Don’t hold yourself back by limiting self-belief of what is or is not possible. Make a decision to enter into this four-week period with commitment and interest. Do not be stuck on the outcome itself. Embrace the journey. How Does It Work?

For just a few minutes each day, writing in your diary will be a powerful and effective way to assess and control your moods and be the creator of your future destiny. There are daily entries to complete, freewriting pages, CBT worksheets and weekly evaluations. Each day you are invited to complete the entries by:

HOW CAN THE DIARY HELP ME? The diary gives you an opportunity step back from yourself and see things as they truly are. It can be used alone or in conjunction with counselling, and it is your diary to keep as confidential as you choose. It will also help you to:

5 Filling out a weekly evaluation, including a general wellbeing check and your goals for the following week. At the end of the four weeks, you will complete the overall evaluation to assess your triggers and and responses and discover how making small changes can bring powerful results.

See patterns and identify themes that emerge Identify triggers or other negative influences that may be holding you back from living a life free of stress, anxiety or depression Get to the bottom of what bothers you most u Connect to your deepest emotions and feelings without judgment from others. This is your diary and you can keep it as confidential as you choose u Express yourself, in your own way, using your own style, words and language, which is therapy in itself u Develop strategies and goals using a CBT (cognitive behavioural therapy) approach u Learn strategies for wellness and positivity u See how changing your mindset can change your life. u

So are you feeling excited, energised and motivated to start? Let’s go……

1 Rating your mood, food intake, exercise levels, sleep quality, energy level and other factors by using a score of 1-10 (with 10 being the most positive) 2 Writing down how each day has panned out for you, taking account of the positives as well as the negatives 3 Plotting and charting the Weekly Mood Tracker (using the 1-10 rating)

4 Following a themed CBT worksheet

Self Care & Personal Development

BEST SELLING AUTHOR

SOLD IN 13 TERRITORIES

The Mood Book Identify and explore 100 moods and emotions With detailed descriptions of 100 moods, emotions, states of mind and quirks of personality, as well as some common mood disorders, this book helps you identify how you are feeling and recognize signs and symptoms. It provides an accessible way to increase your self awareness, enabling you to move forward in a positive way.

Spring 2019 Paperback 229 x 178 mm | 132 pp

The 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... 50 Cards Box: 177 x 130 x 40 mm (51⁄8 x 7 x 19⁄16 in)

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.

42 Cards Box: 177 x 130 x 40 mm (51⁄8 x 7 x 19⁄16 in)

The Witches Oracle

19 Mind Body Spirit

Mind Body Spirit

The Dynamics of Stillness 36 meditative practices to develop your senses and reconnect with nature 227 x 165 mm (61⁄2 x 9 in) 160 pp | 45,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Autumn 2019 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. W: www.thedynamicsofstillness.com

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 science 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.

Felt-Sense

HEALING AND SENSING

Finding Our Neutral

THE STATE OF NEUTRAL

FFINDING NNEUTRAL

OUR

CONTEMPLATION

BEGIN THE PRACTISE Let’s start with sitting quietly – ideally outside in a garden or in nature in some way. 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. 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

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.

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

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 –

talks to us, perhaps saying, ‘I really deserve better’. Our emotions raise their heads in subtle ways through grief, fear, anger and guilt.

that is, the automatic body systems, such as our breathing, our heart beating and our digestive processes in the body – has two parts: the

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

sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. The sympathetic system raises our heartbeat, blood pressure and

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

constricts our blood vessels. The parasympathetic system lowers or slows down these systems. These two systems work in harmony with

lives. This world of information overload bombards us. One consequence of this is that we can feel unhappy, empty

one another, with opposing effects. The sympathetic element deals with an excitatory phase – the so-called flight/fright/fight response.

and confused. We then find that we need to develop strategies for coping with these uncomfortable feelings. Some strategies lead to

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

more unhealthy feelings and physical sensations. However, it is

very short time. Modern lifestyles stimulate, excessively activate and

also possible to choose healthier patterns of behaviour to satisfy our deeper selves. There are age-old techniques that are designed to help us

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.

improve the quality of our lives, including prayer, meditation, yoga and taking exercise. But how often do we enter these with a

This heightened state of stimulation can also lead to an increase in pulse rate and blood pressure and it can constrict our capillary

quiet mind? Through these techniques, we may occasionally find a

beds. The effect of this is to decrease the blood supply to our organs.

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

out of gear. Our minds tend to be driving us ever onwards, to the next destination, thinking, always driving and striving onwards. In

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

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.

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

t is amazing how much chatter goes on in our brains! Every

waking second, we are processing information, making decisions 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

Holistic Felt-Sense

moment’s peace – thankfully – but we usually still bring along the chatter! Before we can potentially enter this world of stillness, peace

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 Now without employing your analytic mind or giving words, see if you can feel what the birds are saying. This is language beyond words, bird language – can you feel their communication? It is wonderful, isn’t it? 145

6 Posture 30 7 The Stillness Behind Everything 34 8 Pure Attention 36 9 Natural Stillpoints 40 10 Our Fluid Body 44 11 The Flow 48

12 Going with the Flow 52

Mind Body Spirit

Your Meditation Journey Over 30 exercises and visualizations to guide you on the path to inner peace and self-discovery 205 x 148 mm (513⁄16 x 8 in) 144 pp | 30,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Spring 2019 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.

A practical and accessible introductory guide to meditation that enables you to achieve a calm, balanced state of consciousness and self-awareness. • 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, mantras, guided and single-point meditations.

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LIGHT, SOUND AND NATURE

SOUND

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.

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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.

Mind Body Spirit

A Spellbook for the Seasons Welcome natural change with magical blessings 205 x 148 mm (53⁄4 x 8 in) 224 pp | 30,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Autumn 2019 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.

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.

THE AUTUMN GARDEN

utumn in the garden is a very busy time. There is plenty to do, from planting bulbs that give life and colour to the garden in spring, to creating a safe haven for wildlife to hibernate. This could be done by turning a plant pot on its side and putting some dry leaves inside for hedgehogs and other hibernating creatures to bury down into during the long winter. The autumn garden is alive with colour and magic. Five herbs that dominate this season; fennel, rosemary, sage, mint and oregano. However, the five plants of the autumn garden pentagram are as follows:

Fall daffodil

The Sternbergia lutea, sometimes called the fall daffodil or yellow autumn crocus due to its bright yellow petals, flowers throughout the autumn months into winter. The beautiful flowers bloom soon after the leaves appears. When the sun may not be shining quite so brightly, these flowers give off a shine like a miniature sun in the garden.

Candy cane sorrel

This attractive plant, the Oxalis versiculor, is otherwise known as the candy cone sorrel, and it is easy to see why. The beautiful flowers look very much like a candy cone with red stripes on a white background. They flower from late summer through to winter. This plant looks lovely grown in containers near the patio or near the house and in December it makes a natural Christmas decoration with its candy cone red and white stripes.

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Autumn

Saffron crocus

The Crocus sativas is more commonly known as the saffron crocus. The lilac purple flowers produce the red stigmas that have been used for flavouring dishes and making dyes since Roman times. It was prized throughout the ancient world. The spice saffron comes from the red stigma inside their lilac flowers.

Spring

Monarda ‘Squaw’

The Monarda plant is a member of the bergamot family. Its scarlet flowers have wonderful colour in early autumn and the subsequent black pepperpot seed heads last through the winter too. The crushed leaves of the Monarda plant exude a fragrant essential oil that has been used for centuries by the indigenous peoples of America. The Monarda is of the mint family and so has a bitter spearmint or peppermint taste. Its other names are bee balm, horsemint and bergamot, due to the fragrance of its leaves. However, it should not be confused with the actual Citrus bergamia that we get the tea from.

Barberry

Berberis is an amazing shrub with colours that encompass the colours of all seasons. Its leaves change from green into red, orange and yellow. It also has flowers and some varieties have black fruits, which give a wonderful gothic feel to the Halloween table or late autumn house and garden when used in a display of the black seeds of the Monarda ‘squaw’. Historically, the barberry has been used for everything from yellow dyes to cooking and herbal remedies. Scientists are now discovering that its effects are better than conventional drugs in treating certain ailments Autumn

Spring

Beltane Traditions Late spring is a time of flowers, fun, fairies and love. There are so many Celtic customs associated with the month of May in the northern hemisphere, primarily because of Beltane, the festival of the god Beli, or Belenus, as some refer to him, which is celebrated on 1 May. In Ireland, 1 May is viewed as the first day of summer. A public holiday is held on the first Monday in May in the British Isles. In the southern hemisphere the same festival is celebrated at the end of October. There are ancient places in the British Isles that were named in honour of Beli. Cornwall is one such place, as its ancient name was Belerion or ‘the place of Bel’. Bel or Belenus was a sun god and is often referred to as the ‘shining one’. There is so much magical heritage at this time at the end of spring, from May poles and spring processions to the Queen of May. People used to gather knots of hawthorn blossom together, which some believe is where the song comes from:

Here we go a gathering nuts in May...nuts in May...nuts in May. The ‘nuts’ are actually the knots of the hawthorn blossom. Flowers were gathered together along with other greenery as people went ‘a-maying’. The day actually began the night before with May Day Eve bonfires and just like the veil of the world at Samhain (see page 00) those who have crossed over can once again walk among us. At Beltane the veil between our world and the enchanted world is lifted, allowing fairies, sprites, elves and goblins to run free. Traditionally, young women washed their faces in the morning dew believing it would keep them young and beautiful forever. People would sing May carols and songs. To this day the choir at Oxford’s Magdalene College rise early and climb to the top of the bell tower for 6 a.m. to welcome the sunrise with the May hymn. Children would make a flower garland of two hoops with a doll in the centre called ‘the lady’ which they carried round the village. They would call for treats for themselves, although usually the treat was money.

In the Beltane festivities there is also often a man covered by a cage of leaves. He has many names, including the Green Man, Jack in the Green, Leaf Man, Wild Man and George Green. He symbolises the death of winter and the birth of spring. The Morris men of Britain are another traditional part of the Beltane festivities. They wear hats with ribbons, have large handkerchiefs, or sticks and also have bells on their legs. The idea of the stick and the bells was to stamp and drive out evil spirits. The stamping and the ringing of bells was said to waken the spirits of the earth after their long sleep of winter. In other parts of the British Isles the ground was beaten with sticks to dive out the spirits of winter to ensure a good harvest in the coming months.

119 54

Spring

Mind Body Spirit

Flower Spells For love, wealth, career and happiness 205 x 148 mm (513⁄16 x 8 in) 160 pp | 20,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Spring 2020 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.

100 easy-to-cast spells using the magic of flowers to influence luck, love, happiness, money, career and friendship. • Contains 100 easy spells to aid in all areas of your life. • Features ways of attracting wildlife and fairies to your garden. • Includes spells using herbs. • Contains information on the power of carrying flower crystals. • With stunning botanical illustrations, this is a beautiful gift as well as a practical spellbook.

Mind Body Spirit

Lucid Dreaming Guide your dreams and explore your subconscious 197 x 143 mm (55⁄8 x 73⁄4 in) 128 pp | 25,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Spring 2020

Unlocking the mysteries of your nocturnal mind through dreamwork exercises and techniques, this self-help book shows you ways to remember, understand and guide your dreams for greater self-awareness.

Lori Reid is a leading astrologer with clients around the world. The author of over 40 books, she writes weekly astrology columns and articles for women’s magazines and appears on television and radio in the UK. W: www.lorireid.co.uk

• An introduction explains lucid dreaming, out-of-body experiences and astral projection. • Learn how lucidity and dream interpretation can help identify the signposts and symbols in your dreams that can empower your waking life. • Use lucid dreaming as therapy with step-by-step techniques that will specifically aid decision-making, solve problems and promote creativity. • Overcome obstacles, journey beyond the laws of the physical world and play around with the extraordinary abilities buried in unused parts of your brain.

teachings, and those of Theosophy’s close cousin, Spiritualism, the astral body is supposed to be connected to the physical body by the ‘silver cord’, a kind of elastic, semi-physical or etheric feature.

WHAT IS THE OOBE LIKE?

DREAM DIET

PILLOW TALK

Certain foods tend to help promote strong dreams, the infamous example, of course, being cheese. As nutmeg is metabolized in the body to create a hallucinogen that can greatly assist the brain’s own mind-altering neurotransmitters in the production of robust dreams, a bedtime nightcap of eggnog would be a way of obtaining the nutmeg influence during sleep. Another dietary dream-enhancing option is vitamin B6. This vitamin significantly increases both the intensity and frequency of dreams. You can take this as a dietary supplement (remember never to exceed the dosage indicated on the bottle), as well as making sure that you eat foods rich in B6, such as eggs and fish. As well as food and drinks that aid dreaming, some do inhibit it: alcohol, for example reduces REM sleep.

Another way of giving yourself a head start in the dream stakes is by creating a dream pillow – these were used in the sickroom to ease the nightmares that may come with medicine. Stuff a small pillow with several ounces – even a pound – of dry mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris), obtainable from herbal suppliers or even some health food shops. Mugwort can promote vigorous dreaming, and American herbalist, Jeannie Rose, specifically recommends it for that purpose – she has described some of the dramatic dreams she has had using this herb. Put out this pillow on those nights when you want to focus on dreaming as part of your bedtime ritual. Do not use this pillow every night, and remember that mugwort contains a substance that can induce miscarriage, so do not use it if pregnant.

BEDTIME RITUALS

C ONSULT THE SAGE

Make the process of going to sleep with dreaming in mind as deliberate and conscious as possible. There are a number of ways of doing this, but they all essentially boil down to conducting personal rituals at bedtime. Undertake the type of deliberate actions that not only will focus the conscious mind, but that will speak easily to the subconscious mind – the whole purpose of ritual through the ages. You may like to burn incense (in a safe holder) that you use only in association with your dreamwork (another way of altering your sleeping environment); then stand at the foot of the bed openly intoning or mentally reciting a short intention to dream vividly tonight. This could be elaborated into your own ‘Invocation to Morpheus’, the ancient Greek god of dreams, perhaps:

Clary sage (Salvia sclarea) is an hypnotic essential oil, and in most people it will cause a pleasant relaxation (it is used to treat asthma for this reason). In many people, it will promote dreams as well, and a few may find it produces a sense of euphoria. (Unless you are particularly brave, be careful not to use clary sage in conjunction with alcohol, as this combination is likely to generate powerful hallucinatory nightmares. When clary sage is an ingredient in a base carrier oil, it is safe to apply it directly to the skin. Put it on those areas where it will be quickly and effectively absorbed, such as the ‘third eye’ position in the lower centre of the forehead, the temples, or the armpits. Apply just a small dab of the oil to one or more of these locations. To obtain the best effect from the clary sage, eat fairly lightly throughout the day, and do not use it with the mugwort pillow described opposite.

I appeal to you, Morpheus, Lord of Dreams, To grant me visions this night. Turn my pillow into a pillar of dreams, And cause my soul to take flight! It can be any set of actions you wish – even standing on your head if that helps! Make going to bed to dream a noteworthy and purposeful act, rather than just ‘crashing out’ tired without any specific intentions. Take the ‘perchance’ away from ‘to dream’.

INTRODUCTION 6

1 2

LEVELS OF CONSCIOUSNESS AND PLANES OF BEING 10 Recent Research From Wakefulness to Deep Sleep The Sleep Cycle Hypnagogia and Hallucination Why We Dream What We Do Awakening the Brain Astral Travel and Out of Body Enhancing Self-Realization

WHAT IS LUCID DREAMING?

Dream States Benefits of Lucid Dreaming Inducing the Lucid Dream

12 14 18 20 22 24 26 30

34 42 45

THROUGH THE GATE OF DREAMS The Language of Dreams Symbols and Archetypes The Awareness of Detail Imagery and Vision 20 Common Dream Themes Personalising the Message

FROM UNDERSTANDING DREAMS TO REALITY

100

Combatting Fears Answering Questions Enhancing Potential

102 106 115

GLOSSARY 122 FURTHER RESOURCES 123

DREAMWORK Supercharging Your Dreaming Experiencing Lucidity Guiding and Steering Dreams Custom-made Dreams Using for Decisions and Creating

54 56 59 61 68 70

INDEX 126 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 128

72 74 76 77 82 87 98

Co nte nts

Basically, a person’s centre of awareness, the ego or sense of self, seems to float around in free space near the physical body, most often above it. For example, an office worker saw herself from ‘about eight feet behind, two feet to the actual left, and four feet above actual height’; a commuter in a train carriage found himself ‘about 10 inches above myself looking down at myself’. Oobes can start in a number of ways. Judging from surveys by Celia Green, the British writer who recorded first-hand accounts, the majority of cases occur involuntarily. It could be caused simply by fatigue. More often it happens as a result of an accident or other powerful physical or psychological trauma or stress. Often the person views the physical body with detachment: ‘Then I saw on my left a group of white-coated figures, bending over “something” on the floor. Suddenly I realized that that “something” was me.’ About a third of Green’s respondents had their oobes while under a general anaesthetic or unconscious from some other cause. Many people, though have oobes for no apparent reason. In many of these types of out-of-body experiences, the physical body can carry on performing its physical activity – walking, driving and so on; even talking. A number of public speakers have reported hearing their own voices as if coming from somewhere else, and then feeling as if floating over the audience watching themselves, still speaking, on the stage or podium. But sometimes the physical body can be simply ‘going through the motions’ during an oobe. Not all episodes occur during waking life, in arousing, stressful or traumatic situations. A significant category of involuntary oobes seem to occur when people are falling asleep at night, having a nap, just waking up, or are otherwise in a highly relaxed, quiescent state. Usually people awake from sleep to find themselves looking down at their bodies in bed. In some cases, people enter an apparent oobe directly from a lucid dream. Many of the pioneer astral travellers recommended this as a way of inducing the experience, as they all had experiences that seemed to be lucid dreams in addition to (and in association with) a strand of experience they assumed to involve the literal exteriorization of the spirit or mind. Green found that subjects fell into two main groups: those who had just one involuntary experience in their lives, and those who were able to deliberately induce repeated oobes. Induction was usually performed when falling asleep or waking up.

The out-of-body experience

In an astral projection you may sometimes find yourself looking down on your body, usually from above or nearby. You may be in a duplicate of your body or simply be a point of awareness.

Supercharging Your Dreams

D re a m w o r k

Astral Projection

Sometimes referred to as ‘astral projection’, the out-of-body experience was introduced to the West in the nineteenth century by the profoundly influential Russian medium and author, Madame Blavatsky, and the Theosophical Society. The basic idea is that there are various levels of existence, with physical reality being the most basic. The next level is the etheric, which is intermediate between the physical and the third, astral level. It is the astral body that goes on ‘oobe’ jaunts, though the human being has higher ‘bodies’ that can operate in the mental and spiritual levels. In the Theosophical

Contents

Mind Body Spirit

Protection Charms Harness your energy force to guard against psychic attack Learn how to work with charms, symbols, chakras and talismans to create the energetic arsenal you need to align yourself with positive outcomes and ward off negativity and danger. • Practice energetic hygiene and space clearing to keep your energy unblocked and free to repel and attract • Work with spiritual forces and physical tokens, chakras and charms, such as the evil eye, sun cross, stars, khamsa, sigils and astrological symbols. 197 x 143 mm (55⁄8 x 73⁄4 in) 128 pp | 25,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Autumn 2020

• Create your own personal charm or talisman to protect you, and learn how to use it in daily rituals. • Learn to attract the best, and identify when charms aren’t working and re-charge them. A practising witch for the last 25 years and formerly editor of Prediction and Kindred Spirit magazines,Tania Ahsan currently works as a feature writer and columnist for Spirit & Destiny, Kindred Spirit and Soul & Spirit.

Palmistry Chart the lines of your destiny in your hands Learn how to predict the past, present and future by analyzing the lines and shapes of your hands in this beginner’s introduction to the ancient art of palmistry. • An introduction covers the basic six lines and seven mounts, as well as hand and nail shapes that reveal personality. • Colour-coded diagrams throughout easily allow you to identify and interpret the lines, and all their variations, to determine meanings.

197 x 143 mm (55⁄8 x 73⁄4 in) 128 pp | 25,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Spring 2020

• Dip into thematic chapters on career, talents, relationships, money and health to discover what your unique ‘map’ reveals about your life. Professional palmist and astrologer Roz Levin was a counsellor in alternative therapies focusing on heath and encouraging the potential in each of her clients. 25

Mind Body Spirit

Moonpower How to work with the phases of the moon and plan your timing for every major decision 205 x 148 mm (513⁄16 x 8 in) 176 pp | 50,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Autumn 2019

Learn how the moon affects more than just the tides – it also impacts every living organism, our moods and our decision-making. This book reveals how to live in tune with the moon’s cycles.

Jane Struthers is a professional astrologer, as well as a writer, tarot reader, palmist and homeopath. She has written 30 nonfiction 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.

• Whether you want to make a good impression at an interview, start a new business, get married, try for a baby, buy a property, 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.

W: www.janestruthers.com

• Includes reliable charts and timetables to help you plan ahead for optimum results.

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.

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

, orts st – ur eff inve et yo and ! targ nd save favour a ur w to u ho fire, in yo s yo re and are ow in n sh s, hi a w 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.

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.)

& RK

DEC

TAU

CAN

VIR

LIB

SAG

CAP

AQU

ARI

TAU

CAN

LEO

LIB

SCO

SAG

CAP

AQU

ARI

TAU

CAN

LEO

VIR

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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.

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

NOV

ARIE S TA U

US RI

OCT

CAPRIC OR

SEP

Chart 3 ZODIAC WHEEL

US TARI GIT SA

AUG

O PI R

JUL

SC O

JUN

LIBR A

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

MAY

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

APR

CANC ER

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

MAR

MINI GE

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

FEB

S U R

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

EACH MONTH

JAN

MOON-SIGN FINDER

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

MOON SIGNS ON THE FIRST DAY OF

GO VIR

YEAR

EXAMPLE:

MOON-SIGN FINDER

Chart 1 YEARS AND MONTHS

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

Mind Body Spirit

The Cosmology of Astrology Understanding your connection to the sun, moon and planets 246 x 189 mm (7½ x 911⁄16 in) 176 pp | 40,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Spring 2020

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.

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. She holds an MA in Cultural Study of Cosmology and Divination from the University of Kent.

• Easily explains how astrology works, the qualities of each star sign and how to create and read a birth chart. • Reveals the human 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 development of the western world view.

W: www.astrology-sphere.com

• 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 star maps.

Dualities:

Sky & Earth • Day & Night • Sun & Moon

CONTENTS 6

Foreword

Introduction: A Holistic View of Astrology

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

“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

Feng Shui Rebalance the flow of energy in and around you 220 x 170 mm (63⁄4 x 83⁄4 in) 160 pp | 30,000 words 2-colour illustrations throughout Publication: Autumn 2019 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.

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.

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. Rounded, symmetrical

Wind Chimes

furniture encourages

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 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

The I-Ching for Romance & Friendship Advice, insight and guidance for all your personal relationships Box: 218 x 152 x 30 mm (6 x 81⁄2 x 11⁄4 in) Book: 170 x 160 mm (61⁄4 x 91⁄4 in) 144 pp | 30,000 words 2-Colour illustrations throughout

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.

Three Metal Casting Coins

• A divination system based on the eight natural laws of the I-Ching: heaven, earth, water, thunder, mountain, wind, lake and flame.

Publication: Spring 2020

Rosemary Burr is a therapist, healer and journalist who has been working with the I-Ching for over twenty years. After a career in finance and publishing she retrained as a therapist specializing in colour, breathwork and sound therapy.

• 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.

17.

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

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 Earth 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. Over time, water wears down rock. If you continue to be true to yourself then Water 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. 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

T HE HE XA GRAMS 8

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

Mind Body Spirit

Chakra Crystals Promote balance and self-healing through crystal meditations Box: 236 x 201 x 38 mm (8 x 96⁄16 x 11⁄2 in) Book: 150 x 150 mm (6 x 6 in) 160 pp | 34,000 words 7 Polished Crystals + Pouch

Publication: Autumn 2019

Unlock and experience the power of crystals through harnessing the power of your seven chakras through visualisations and meditations, with the seven beautiful crystals included.

Dr Kate Tomas is a renowned psychic, witch and crystal healer who works to awaken people to their infinite potential and help them tap into their innate gifts. One of the most sought-after magickal practitioners working today, she holds a doctoral degree in philosophical theology from the University of Oxford and lives between London and New York with her spouse Ames, two rescue cats, George and Gershwin, and a rescue chihuahua, Dominic.

• 7 real natural crystals included: Blue Quartz, Carnelian Uruguay, Yellow Jasper, Clear Quartz, Green Quartz, Black Obsidian, Sodalite.

W: www.katetomas.com

• Keep a record of what you received, learned, saw or felt in the notes pages.

• Learn how to use crystals – from choosing, cleansing, dedicating and programming them to using them in meditations. • Discover the healing properties of the crystals and how to choose for your need. • Includes information about 21 other crystals to work with in relation to your chakras.

• C HAK R A E NE R GY •

the lOcatiOn OF the chakras

Crown chakra

The Brow Chakra

Brow chakra

Throat chakra

Heart chakra

Solar plexus chakra

Sacral chakra

turies, although the seven chakras we will be working with in this book were first described nearly 2,600 years ago in the ancient sacred texts of the Yoga Upanishads. For our work with crystals, we need only a good, basic understanding of the chakras; where each one is located and how they affect our energy. The original Sanskrit word, Çakra, with the ‘c’ pronounced as ‘ch’, means ‘wheel’. If you could see energy, you would be able to perceive that the energy emanating from the chakras spins like a wheel. There are considered to be seven major chakras, sometimes referred to as ‘energy centres’. In English they are named after their location on the human body: the base (at the base of the spine), the sacral (just below the navel), the solar plexus, the heart, the throat, the brow and the crown (at the top of the head). The location of the first five chakras has a corresponding main nerve ganglion on the spinal column, and the top two (the brow and crown chakras) correspond with the two main parts of the brain (upper and lower). In medical terms, a ganglion is a group of nerve cells forming a nerve centre, specifically one located outside the brain or spinal cord. It is a centre of power, activity or energy. We can see, therefore, that the seven main chakras are locations not only of spiritual, emotional and mental energy and power, but also of physical energy. The chakras are incredibly important parts of our being. Our bodies are made up of vibrating matter, and our chakras are centres for this vibrating energy. If the vibration of one or more of our chakras is out of balance, this can, over time, lead to physical, emotional or mental problems. The term ‘disease’ literally means ‘dis-ease’ or a lack of comfort and ease. Keeping our seven chakras clear and vibrating at their ideal frequency will create a strong sense of health and balance on all levels: emotional, spiritual, mental and physical. Understanding the relationships between our subtle bodies such as our auras and chakras can significantly improve our quality of life and prevent illness and disease.

Base chakra 27

° Crystal ° SODALITE

Set aside a particular time to practise this meditation when you know you will not be disturbed. Get comfortable and make sure that the room in which you are going to be meditating is warm enough. Prop yourself up on cushions if necessary, or sit in a chair that supports your body. Select the crystal you are going to be meditating with, in this case sodalite, and hold it gently in whichever hand feels most comfortable. You are now ready to begin.

106

INCLUDES 7 NATURAL CRYSTALS!

Mind Body Spirit

The Mystical Dream Tarot Life guidance from the depths of our unconscious 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) 160 pp | 40,000 words 78 Cards

Publication: Autumn 2019 Janet Piedilato is a transpersonal psychologist and a complementary health-care consultant. She has spent a lifetime studying the value of altered states as represented by visionary, dream and shamanic experiences, and was a student of Stanley Krippner, world-renowned dream psychologist.

134

WORKING WITH THE DECK

THE WAKING DREAM SPREAD

This four-card spread is used in the morning, when you are freshly awake from sleep. The act of shuffling the deck and picking three cards at random helps you focus on the issue most important for the coming day. A fourth additional card demonstrates the possible final resolution of the issue. To begin, focus upon a situation, problem or question – something that is a puzzle in progress – and formulate your question. Sample questions might be: • What should I focus on this day? • How can I be most productive this day? • What do I need most to resolve my present situation?

Card 1 The issue at hand Card 2 What influences its progress from the previous day Card 3 The new influence present in the coming day Card 4 Possible outcome

• The tarot will allow you to discover the wisdom and truth that lie beyond the limited view of waking reality, and to draw upon the power of the unconscious to meet life’s challenges and achieve your goals.

135

Susan needed advice on completing a project for work, and her question concerned the issue of writer’s block. She drew the following cards:

Eight of Swords

Two of Wands

Ace of Wands

1. Two of Wands Creative potential is not actualized. This card indicates the situation is in limbo, repressed, or in gestation waiting for the right moment. Too much thought may be blocking the creative process – hence, writer’s block. 2. Eight of Swords Misinterpretation leaves the truth of the situation hidden. Things are left unresolved due to lack of understanding of the true core of the problems.; what remains needs revisiting. Work to understand and resolve issues. 3. Ace of Wands Here is the potential of energy to move past blocks and difficulties, and to open to new positive pathways involving intuitive creative talents. A blockage is broken, with the rise of the hidden from the visionary realm. The day promises new insights on the difficult problem at hand.

MAJOR ARCANA

THE HANGED MAN

• Includes a deck of 78 cards and accompanying guidebook.

XI Sophia

Then lay out the cards as shown below:

• This powerful tarot emerges directly from the mystical realms of dream and vision, manifesting completely fresh imagery, never before seen.

SAMPLE READING

The Waking Dream Spread

Direct from the author’s own dream experiences, this original offering is rich with powerful insights designed to move us forward on our journey of self-discovery.

XII THE HANGED MAN å

Likewise, the Mermaid – wisdom of the unconscious depths – is a protector, the inner voice that helps the Hanged Man see truth. She manifests dreams, reminding him she has him securely within her protection, and that time is finite, as well as of the trials and sorrows it manifests. Through dreams and visions she helps Hanged Man remember the truth of his being, empowering him to hold secure and to see beyond the illusions of perception. Beneath, in the depths of the unconscious waters, is her mascot, Fish of Wisdom. It is Fish that sends a powerful back-fin to connect with the Hanged Man’s hair, awakening him to the wisdom of the depths as it rises in dream and visionary consciousness. Sacrifice and ordeal are part of the Hanged Man’s lot in life. Yet, with passion and devotion to principles of truth, with the wisdom of the unconscious he is not left to endure and rise above his trials without assistance. IN A READING

XII THE HANGED MAN å

he hanged man is suspended upon the wheel of time, the clock that holds his every movement through the journey of his days. He is accustomed to weathering the natural ordeals of the different seasons of life as the wheel of time turns, as he ages and grows and experiences equal doses of joy and sorrow, facing life as a series of fleeting moments. He demonstrates the ability to spring back after ordeals – a tenacity to survive and to thrive through many trials, the gift of understanding the truth of the passing of time. He knows that nothing is permanent and that all things, good and bad, pass into the halls of memory. He has the strength to endure and the will to move beyond all challenges. Thus, while he appears to exist in an impossible position, he knows the truth. He is accompanied in all things by his faithful companion Wolf, guardian and protector of his dreams. Outside of the sphere of time, Wolf keeps the Hanged Man focused on the great spiralling rings of Eternity – on the beyond – where time and space no longer hold one hostage.

Champion of all life, the Hanged Man is willing to go beyond all obstacles for love, for truth, for principles. This is an individual who is tied to a challenging road yet is not without resources. He hangs balanced upon the sphere of time, yet his tenacity and determination to go within the inner depths is demonstrated by his connection to his inner wisdom. He pays attention to his dreams and the messages that rise into consciousness through his intuition. He walks the solitary road, the path less travelled, yet is firmly set on it, accepting of the sacrifices along with the honours. This card may point to a delay or period of waiting, gestation, secrets, or shifting one’s view, turning things upside down to comprehend. It indicates a time of rest and meditation to re-evaluate the situation. There will be rewards in store for hard work and hardship – honour and sacrifice for beliefs. It signifies fiery passion and devotion to principles, a faithful champion of truth. Reversed, the Hanged Man may point to the victim, one who makes pointless sacrifices. It indicates someone who wavers in their decisions, unsure of themselves and their path – a person who fails to move ahead, and lacks the power and conviction to do so. The view of a situation may be upside down, seen from the wrong perspective. There is need to re-evaluate and revisit a situation from a new position.

Mind Body Spirit

The Witches’ Oracle Weave magic into your life Box:192 x 132 x 33 mm (53⁄16 x 79⁄16 x15⁄16 in) Book: 185 x 125 mm (5 x 71⁄4 in) 128 pp | 16,000 words 42 Cards

Develop your latent intuitive skills and discover Wiccan wisdom, with this beautifully illustrated divinatory oracle. • Features key Wiccan symbols and archetypes to aid connection to a deep inner knowledge to find the answers you seek.

Publication: Autumn 2019 Sally Morningstar is a bestselling author and a respected hedgewitch, healer and psychic investigator. She runs an international online training course in natural magic, and holds workshops based around relationships to the self and the natural world.

• Each card represents a quality of energy, and carries its own particular meaning in a reading. • Information is given on Wiccan history and traditions, the holy days in the Wheel of the Year and witchcraft today. • ‘High notes’ and ‘low notes’ are included, offering an idea of the possibilities and pitfalls you’re likely to encounter on your present course.

W: www.sallymorningstar.com

• Includes a selection of card spreads to address all lines of enquiry.

BLACK CAT

BLACK CAT Psychism

Black cats have long been familiars of magical practitioners. The cat is associated with Diana, Freya, Hecate and Bast – the Egyptian goddess of cats. Cats are intimately linked to the powers of the moon, and to the feminine principle of psychism, perception and intuition. Their nine lives link to the magical number of the moon.

k MEANING Black Cat says, keep your psychic feelers open in order to maintain clarity in your psychic space. However, it is not so much a case of ‘beware’ – more to ‘be aware’. The energetic realm is as real as the physical one, and energies around you at this time can guide you to great clarity. Patience may well be required. Tread with awareness, using your psychic skills. Black Cat also says, watch those in your circle of acquaintances, as someone may not have your best interests at heart. Increase your psychic protection, withdraw your energy for a while, and do what cats do best – curl up and rest!

...............

Vibration

High note Visionary skills guide your way

Keywords

Low note Psychic awareness is required

Third eye chakra

* Psychism * Clairvoyance * Psychic protection

The Ascension Spread

This spread is for those seeking spiritual advice, guidance or support through their awakening process. It focuses upon the seven major chakras, the centres of spiritual energy described in yogic philosophy, and gives guidelines on the kind of forces that are available for aligning or balancing each energy centre.

For this spread, lie down (if possible) and place each chosen card on its chakra in turn (see opposite). Focus on each card’s imagery, so that its energy vibrations can be exchanged with your own. Alternatively, you can also pick just one card for a particular chakra that feels out of balance or alignment, and ask the cards to reveal which particular energy would be helpful. To do this, shuffle and cut the pack and remove your chosen card. Again, this can be laid on the specific chakra or meditated upon, so that clarity is reached.

position 7 Crown chakra Your spiritual purpose; spiritual lessons This chakra is always open, and maintains a connection to our life current. It is responsible for clarity, consciousness, sleep patterns and nerves. It governs the central nervous system and pineal gland. Imbalances in this area can lead to spiritual confusion, delusions,

The Ascension Spread is not intended to remove us from the planet. Its purpose is to help us lift the veils of illusion that separate us from the Source, returning us to the pure state of consciousness that is present within us all.

mental breakdowns, sleep difficulties and apathy.

position 6 Third eye chakra Your mental attitudes, thoughts, ideas and visions Found in the middle of the forehead between the eyes, the third eye, or brow, chakra is responsible for the eyes, mental and emotional balance, and the pituitary gland. It governs

THE CHAKRAS

the autonomic nervous system. Imbalances in the third eye can lead to sight problems, psychic vulnerability, insomnia and negative thinking.

‘Chakra’ is the Sanskrit word for ‘wheel’. These energy centres draw in, and also radiate, energy. Where a chakra is depleted, there is likely to be a physical, mental, emotional or spiritual reaction. We are not separate from the fabric of the universe. Where there is an imbalance in the subtle bodies (the energies supporting us), a physical imbalance will shortly follow. Each chakra has a specific purpose, and supports particular organs and systems in the body. 120

position 5 Throat chakra Your voice; issues of communication, travel, study; walking your talk This is responsible for hearing, communication, memory, the bronchial tract and respiratory system, the lymphatic system, the thyroid gland and the shoulders. Imbalances can lead to communication issues, thyroid problems, asthma or upperchest infections. 121

Mind Body Spirit

The Elemental Tarot

FOOL

Use the symbology of the elements to help understand your life

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Box: 212 x 156 x 36 (6 â &#x201E;8 x 8 â &#x201E;8 x1 â &#x201E;16 in) Book: 205 x 148 mm (513â &#x201E;16 x 8 in) 128 pp | 25,000 words 1

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78 Cards

Publication: Autumn 2020

HARVES

F F IR Eis an internationally Caroline S O N OSmith renowned artist whose work features P O T E recurring goddess imagery. Together with her I am th N T IA L e and th late husband, leading astrologer and author ey can unlear ne learn fr d om m e John Astrop, she has created a number of powerful divination systems showcasing I am th FAT H E R e and m ruler of my y pow her bold style. er is fr offspring om

â&#x20AC;˘ No matter how you use it, the beauty and meaning of this tarot heightens your own awareness of life and its possibilities.

W: www.elementaltarot.com

I am co A M B IT m IO N one w passionate ho is pr an aised and I am crue l. d the one de I am the spised

10 M

PEAC

FI R E SO N OeFsun in summer

ATHEMAY

M THE MAJOR ARCANA

20 JUDGEMENT FORGIVENESS

SYNTHESIS

J UPITER /M IDHEAVEN

A SCENDANT /M IDHEAVEN The individual synthesis

I am the one who cries out and I listen I am the knowledge of my name

I am the first and the last I am the utterance of my name

A great and powerful pale, glowing figure stands with arms outstretched in an attitude of openness. He is totally exposed but invulnerable. Two wings from above brush his temples, indicating freedom and the power to transcend the mundane world. Around his neck is the glyph of Pluto, the planet of transformation. Behind the figure is a wall of vertical bars. Two figures, red with passion, anger and frustration, push against the bars and shout. Their prison is self-made.

MOTHE

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Generosity and contentment

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In the centre is a winged disc containing a square, the integration of heaven and earth. The face in the square represents humankind and the field of consciousness. Around the winged disc is the great symbol of the ouroboros. This is a serpent swallowing its own tail, a symbol of the endless cycle of life and death, destruction and renewal. At the four corners are the four symbolic triangles of fire, earth, air, and water, with the ouroboros forming the fifth element of spirit.

IN A READING

This card indicates that you are holding in some kind of anger â&#x20AC;&#x201C; most of which is directed at yourself. You have, in some way, failed to meet your own expectations, and are giving yourself a hard time as a result. Notice that the bars on the card image are only in front of the figures, not behind: somehow the future has come to a standstill, and there is no moving forward. The judgement is one that you have made; only you can release yourself from the situation and allow yourself to move on, towards happiness. This card is a gentle reminder that youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re not giving yourself a break.

Aeon means an immeasurable period â&#x20AC;&#x201C; an age of the universe. It is a card of true revelation, describing one of those rare moments when a sharp sense of clarity comes into oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s confused life â&#x20AC;&#x201C; a flash of real understanding about yourself and your direction in the world. For a brief moment, you can see who you are and what you want to be doing; there seems to be a real purpose in your life. This card is concerned with making real, life-changing decisions about where you are going to be in the future, and is of major importance to you.

â&#x20AC;˘ An extraordinary deck of specially commissioned stunning cards, created by Caroline Smith.

him

trollabl e n your guard

SHAM â&#x20AC;˘ A synthesis of the best interpretations of tarot, past and present, AN this book revitalizes centuries of mystical ideas and generations of symbolism in one tarot.

FAT E

4 Harness the power of the four elements â&#x20AC;&#x201C; fire, earth, A air, water â&#x20AC;&#x201C; and read them with the fifth V IC T O in conjunction RRY O F E A R T H E H T FA element: spirit. 7

EMPEROR

LIFE ASSESSMENT AND PHILOSOPHY SELF - VALUE

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;I stand outside myself and objectively observe my life in order to decide whether this is what I want to be.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;In order to move on and allow my life to grow, I must free myself from guilt, from things for which I have felt responsible. Just as I forgive others, I must forgive myself.â&#x20AC;&#x2122;

JU S

I am th T IC E and I ame judgemen t the ac quittal

READING THE CARDS

Sample Reading Jenny, in her forties, is contemplating a business venture with a close friend and asks: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Will the project get off the ground, and, if it does, how well will we do?â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Choosing a Celtic Cross Spread reading, we shuffled the cards and cut them into four roughly equal piles, the smaller decks representing â&#x20AC;&#x201C; from left to right â&#x20AC;&#x201C; fire, earth, air and water. We selected the earth deck to deal from, as the question is a business one.

THREE OF FIRE

1 The question â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Five of Fire This card shows that the question is basically about creative expression. A Five, meaning a forced change, suggests that Jenny has probably been pushed into this project by an outside source.

TWO OF AIR

FIVE OF EARTH

3 The background â&#x20AC;&#x201C; One of Air This card indicates that an idea planted in the past has been revived by the present situation, provoking an immediate and almost impetuous response.

TWO OF EARTH

FIVE OF FIRE

AMADAI

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WAT ER SO N OThFe sun in autumn

ABRAGIN

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â&#x20AC;&#x201C; ESHMUN ng and health heali

TRICKSTER

IR ER O F inAspring M O T HTh e earth

5 The present â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Two of Air The status quo is impasse. All is still at discussion stage. There is uncertainty, hence the question. Two of Air is often a card of frustration, showing a time for waiting when one really needs to get things moving.

POTENTIAL

MOTHER OF AIR

2 The influence â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Mother of Air A mature woman, successful, good at business, strong go-ahead drive. This probably describes Jennyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s friend.

4 Recent past â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Two of Earth There has recently been a promise of material gain, but so far nothing is fixed or resolved. However, Jenny probably overreacted and was in a state of extreme excitement and anticipation.

I am th F O R G IV eo EN I am th ne who crie E S S s e know ledge out and I liste of my name n

THE I am I am th the first an S IS d th e uttera nce of e last my na m

I am the ruler of my offspring and my power is from him

EIGHT OF WATER

â&#x20AC;&#x201C;

ONE OF AIR

FOUR OF AIR

114

115

FATE

PEACE

14 33

Mind Body Spirit

Kabbalah: The Tree of Life Oracle Sacred wisdom to enrich your life Box: 198 x 135 x 40 (55â &#x201E;16 x 713â &#x201E;16 x 19â &#x201E;16 in) Book: 180 x 125 mm (7 x 5 in) 144 pp | 35,000 words 57 Cards

Publication: Autumn 2020 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.

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;˘ Ancient wisdom of Kabbalah and astrology combined in one unique divination system. 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. â&#x20AC;˘ 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. â&#x20AC;˘ Can be accessed for instant or in-depth readings.

THE CARDS

THE WHEELS

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INTRODUCTION

K E TE R

DAAT

SENCE

i PE R I E N CE

E TZ A C

RPE UAT T

O Y ES D

ERET

MERCY

TIF

ECHO

E SE D

GEMEN

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SDOM

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ABYSS

STAN

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The Kabbalah and the Tree of Life

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Wheel 6 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.

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

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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

Celtic Totem Animals Working with shamanic helpers John Matthews Here is a fascinating collection of traditional Celtic stories to amaze and entertain. Animal tricksters, boasters and heroes all dwell herein, set amid the dazzling universe of Celtic lore. Readers can find their own totem animal and seek guidance from 20 totem animal helpers to find answers to lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s questions. Spring 2019 20 tear off cards PB | 205 x 148 mm | 160 pp

Y ORD B FOREW

FRED ER ED HAGEN

BEST SELLING AUTHORS

The Spirit of Nature Oracle JOHN MATTHEWS

The Wildwood Tarot MARK RYAN & JOHN MATTHEWS

Wild Magic MARK RYAN & JOHN MATTHEWS

25 Cards PB | 205 x 148 mm | 128 pp

78 Cards PB | 205 x 148 mm | 160 pp

Paperback 205 x 148 mm | 160 pp

Mind Body Spirit

The Druid Craft Tarot PHILIP & STEPHANIE CARR-GOMM

The Druid Animal Oracle PHILIP & STEPHANIE CARR-GOMM

The Druid Plant Oracle PHILIP & STEPHANIE CARR-GOMM

78 Cards PB | 242 x 155 mm | 192 pp

36 Cards PB | 197 x 142 mm | 176 pp

39 Cards PB | 206 x 149 mm | 144 pp

The Druid Craft Tarot Deck PHILIP & STEPHANIE CARR-GOMM

The Druid Animal Deck PHILIP & STEPHANIE CARR-GOMM

The Celtic Tree Oracle LIZ & COLIN MURRAY

78 Cards Booklet | 80 pp

36 Cards Booklet | 48 pp

25 Cards & notepad HB | 185 x 130 mm | 120 pp

Mind Body Spirit

SOLD LANGUIN 20 AGES

The Celtic Shamanâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Pack JOHN MATTHEWS

Angels of Light AMBIKA WAUTERS

The Angel Oracle AMBIKA WAUTERS

40 Cards PB | 205 x 148 mm | 176 pp

52 Cards PB | 182 x 125 mm | 128 pp

36 Cards PB | 185 x 125 mm | 112 pp

15 SOLD IN GES A U G N LA

White Eagle Medicine Wheel ELIANA HARVEY WITH WA-NA-NEE-CHE

The Moon Oracle CAROLINE SMITH & JOHN ASTROP

Oracle of the Radiant Sun CAROLINE SMITH & JOHN ASTROP

46 Cards PB | 205 x 148 mm | 160 pp

72 Cards PB | 205 x 148 mm | 128 pp

84 Cards PB | 176 x 130 mm | 144 pp

Mind Body Spirit

The Complete Arthurian Tarot CAITLÍN & JOHN MATTHEWS

Beginner’s Guide to Tarot JULIET SHARMAN-BURKE

The Sharman-Caselli Tarot Deck JULIET SHARMAN-BURKE

78 Cards PB | 205 x 148 mm | 240 pp

78 Cards PB | 175 x 120 mm | 192 pp

78 Cards Booklet | 64 pp

ION

E EDIT

DELUX

N ILLOIO D I.5 CM L S OPIES

15 SOLD INRIES O IT R R TE

How to Use a Pendulum DR RONALD L. BONEWITZ & LILIAN VERNER-BONDS

The Pendulum Kit SIG LONEGREN

Fold-out chart & pendulum with chain PB | 205 x 148 mm | 160 pp

10 dowsing charts, pendulum with chain PB | 213 x 169 mm | 128 pp

The Mythic Journey LIZ GREENE & JULIET SHARMAN-BURKE Paperback 210 x 1342 mm | 240 pp

Mind Body Spirit

Untold Tarot CAITLÍN MATTHEWS

I Ching CHAO-HSIU CHEN

Lao Tzu’s Tao Te Ching CHAO-HSIU CHEN

Paperback 210 x 149 mm | 224 pp

Includes three metal coins HB | 210 x 147 mm | 144 pp

Hardback 210 x 147 mm | 176 pp

Chinese Astrology MARTIN PALMER & MAN-HO KWOK

Chakra Workbook PAULINE WILLS

Singing the Soul Back Home CAITLÍN MATTHEWS

Paperback 229 x 178 mm | 128 pp

Paperback 234 x 157 mm | 272 pp

41 Health & Nutrition

Health & Nutrition

The Bone-strength Plan How to increase bone health to live a long, active life 229 x 178 mm (7 x 9 in) 128 pp | 32,000 words Colour photographs throughout Publication: Spring 2020

An in-depth look at nutrition, lifestyle and exercise to help improve the health of bones and prevent osteoporosis.

Alina Tierney, Msc, BSc is a nutritionist with nearly 10 years’ of clinical experience. She works alongside doctors helping men and women manage their gut health and autoimmune conditions with better nutrition. W: www.outstandingnutrition.co.uk

• Includes latest research and scientific information on how bones grow and why osteoporosis happens. • Details key nutrients and foods needed for bone health. • Includes exercise routines that can be done without additional equipment and in the comfort of your home. • Offers 30 snack, breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes.

EXPERT NUTRITIONIST

EXERCISE LIFESTYLE

Diagnosis and causes

THE SCIENCE

18 By the age of 30 our bones have reached their maximum strength and density, known as peak bone mass. After that, you lose slightly more bone than you make during bone remodelling. As bones lose their mineral density with age, they become weaker and weaker leading to porous bones that can fracture or break easily. This is called osteoporosis. Generally, the likelihood of developing osteoporosis depends on how much bone mass is attained by age 30 and how rapidly you lose bone mass after that.

Gender and peak bone mass

Osteoporosis usually doesn’t cause any symptoms and often it is not diagnosed until there is a fracture. However, signs like a loss of height, a stooped posture

and back pain could be some early signs of bone mass loss. There are many risk factors and causes of osteoporosis, some of which are:

Genetics

Diet

Osteoporosis seems to run in families.

That is deficient in bone building nutrients.

Medications

Smoking

Some medications, such as steroids, thyroid drugs, anti-seizure and antacid, have been associated with increased the risk of osteoporosis.

It has been shown that cigarette smokers (past or current) have lower bone mass and higher fracture risks.

Bone structure and body weight

Alcohol use

Petite and thin women have a higher chance of developing osteoporosis.

Excessive drinking can dramatically affect bone health.

Lack of weight-bearing exercises

Age

Weight-bearing exercises are one of the best ways to improve bone strength.

The older you are, the more likely you are to have fractures.

Low levels of sex hormones

Gender

Low levels of oestrogen in women and testosterone in men are associated with a higher risk of osteoporosis.

Women are four times more likely than men to get osteoporosis.

Osteopenia vs osteoporosis The chances are you might have heard someone saying that they have been diagnosed with osteopenia. So how does this differ from osteoporosis? Osteopenia is a precursor stage and could be seen as a wake-up call to future problems – the bones are weak but not as severely as in osteoporosis, so there is a lower risk of fracture. It is usually diagnosed when your doctor sends you for a DEXA (dual energy x-ray absorptiometry) scan that measures the mineral content of bone. The measurements, known as T-scores, determine which category a person falls into: normal, osteopenia or osteoporosis.

NORMAL

O ST EO P O R O S I S

O ST EO P E N I A

Most people are familiar with the many of the benefits of exercise, such as reducing the risk for heart disease and preventing obesity. Perhaps not as well understood is the importance of regular physical activity in building and maintaining healthy bones. Exercise is important for building strong bones when we are younger, and it is essential for maintaining bone strength when we are older. Exercise works on bones much like it works on muscles – by making them stronger. Movement causes muscles to pull on bones, and if this pull is ‘loaded’, the force on the muscles is stronger and the effect on bone is greater. Body weight itself increases bone loading so if you are under-weight there will be less pull on your skeleton and your bones may sometimes be weaker. Another benefit of exercise is that it improves balance and coordination.

This becomes especially important as we get older because it helps to prevent falls and the broken bones that may result. People who are frail or who have already been diagnosed with thinning bone should talk to their doctors about the types of physical activity that would be best for them. Weight-bearing exercise There are many different types of exercises and all of them offer health benefits. The type of exercise that is most effective for building strong bones is bone loading or weight bearing exercise (using your own body weight). As long as you are loading your bones with some weight, you are going to be increasing their strength. There are many ways to do this – including walking, jogging, running, and more static exercises that can be done outside or in the comfort of your own home. These exercises don’t require a gym or any fitness equipment – just your body weight.

Exercising outdoors ensures exposure to sunlight and Vitamin D – essential for healthy bones.

CHICKEN STIR FRY WITH SESAME SEEDS This dish is easy to prepare and is full of goodness. The lemons provide Vitamin C, rice provides essential calcium and chicken is a great source of lean protein.

150g basmati rice 1 tsp sunflower oil 2 chicken breasts, sliced into strips 1 large carrot, cut into matchsticks 1 small red chilli, halved and deseeded

1 small red chilli, halved and deseeded 2 tbsp clear honey Juice 2 lemons 3 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted Small bunch coriander, roughly chopped

1 Cook the rice according to the packet instructions and rinse in hot water. 2 Heat the oil on a large wok, add the chicken then stir-fry over a high heat for a few mins. Tip in the carrot sticks, then continue stir-frying for about 4 mins until the chicken is cooked and starting to brown. 3 Quickly stir in the honey and lime juice, bubble for 30 seconds, then add the sesame seeds and cooked rice. 4 Warm everything through briefly, then toss in the coriander and spinkle with more sesame seeds before serving.

Sesame seeds

These tiny, multi-tasking seeds are full of calcium, magnesium, copper, vitamin B1 and dietary fibre. They are rich in zinc – a mineral that has a positive effect on bone mineral density. Toasted or raw seeds can be added to cooked vegetables, put on top of salads, sprinkled on baked goods, and mashed and ground into spreads.

119 RECIPES/DINNER

Men have a higher peak bone mass than women. They accumulate more skeletal mass during growth than women and their bone width and size is greater. Women lose bone mass at a faster rate after menopause and so the risk of developing osteoporosis increases significantly. They also have smaller bones with a thinner cortex and smaller diameter making them more vulnerable to developing osteoporosis. Although women are more likely to develop osteoporosis, men are also at risk despite what many believe. The numbers show that 1 in 2 women and 1 in 4 men

will break a bone in their lifetime due to osteoporosis.

THE SCIENCE

WHAT IS OSTEOPOROSIS?

Health & Nutrition

The Anti-inflammation Plan How to reduce inflammation to live a long, healthy life An in-depth look at lifestyle and nutrition showing how to reduce and prevent inflammation in our bodies. • Includes the latest research and scientific information on inflammation and how it affects our bodies. • Details key lifestyle habits such as keeping hydrated and getting enough sleep that have an impact on inflammation. 229 x 178 mm (7 x 9 in) 128 pp | 32,000 words Colour photographs throughout Publication: Spring 2020

• Gives detailed analysis of the most nutritious ingredients that reduce inflammation. • Offers 30 snack, breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes.

The Immune-boosting Plan How to strengthen your immune system to live a long, healthy life An in-depth look at what affects our immune systems and how we can boost them with the right lifestyle choices, nutrition and diet. • Includes the latest research and scientific information on our immune systems.

229 x 178 mm (7 x 9 in) 128 pp | 32,000 words Colour photographs throughout Publication: Spring 2020

• Details key lifestyle habits such as the importance of exercise, getting outdoors and reducing stress that impact our immune systems. • Gives detailed analysis of the foods and nutrients that will boost your immune system. • Offers 30 snack, breakfast, lunch and dinner recipes.

Health & Nutrition

Wild Tea Brew your own teas and infusions from home-grown ingredients 246 x 189 mm (71⁄2 x 93⁄4 in) 176 pp | 40,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Spring 2020 Nick Moyle and Richard Hood are founders of the award-winning website Two Thirsty Gardeners, which chronicles their adventures turning what they grow and forage into drinks. The authors of the craft-beer book Brew It Yourself, sold in ten languages, they write for UK magazines and journals, have appeared on national TV and are regulars on the events circuit. W: www.twothirstygardeners.co.uk

Learn how to grow, forage, harvest and blend over 40 basic ingredients to make your own home brews for teas, infusions, and specialities such as bubble tea, cocktails and coffees. • Introduction explains general principles of growing, foraging, harvesting, drying and storing teas. • 40 plant profiles include history, health benefits, how to grow or forage, parts of the plant to use and single-blend tea recipes. • Over 30 step-by-step recipes for complex blends and specialist drinks, from Korean barley tea and bubble tea to cocktails, turmeric tea and chai. • Includes a glossary of ‘best of the rest’ entries – less common ingredients you might want to try but unlikely to grow, such as ginger, cinnamon, pomegranate, orange, valerian and oats. • Taps into the self-sufficiency, foraging, crafting and healthand-wellness demographic and will appeal as much to Women’s Institute members as millennials.

Blackcurrant The blackcurrant is among the most versatile home-grown ingredients in the teamaker’s caddy, with both its fruit and leaves being

Sticking a handful of leaves in a mug of boiling water makes an excellent mint tea, but for maximum minty pleasures, make yours a Moroccan. It’s a ritualistic process and everyone who creates it has their own theory on how it should be done. This is the version Nick was taught by French tea-maker Mario at a riad in a Marrakesh who claimed it was the by far the best method, and we have no reason to doubt him.

I N G R E D I E N TS

1 First rinse out and warm the pot with some boiling water.

Makes one pot

2 Put 2 tablespoons of green tea into the pot. Ideally you want dried

2 tablespoons green tea

suitable for brewing – the latter being full of

green tea) but you can get away with a few bags if you’re desperate (just don’t tell Mario, and don’t bother with points 2 and 3). 3 Fill a heat-proof glass with boiling water and pour this onto the tea leaves, letting it stand for around 1 minute before giving the pot a gentle swish and pouring the infused liquid back into the glass. This is good stuff and is known as ‘the soul of the tea’. 4 Now you need to wash the green tea that’s left in the pot to get rid of some bad stuff. Pour another glass of boiling water into the pot,

Used predominantly in cordials

let it stand for a minute, swish, then pour the liquid away. You’ll notice this is a dirty grey colour and it will also have a bitter flavour.

and drinks in the UK, the leaves

black tea. Used on their own, as a double act, or blended with other ingredients they reward the drinker with a healthy tea full of tart

are used to flavour vodka in

More than Mint

Russia and the berries are a

Although mint is the most

common ingredient in German,

variety of herbs in their teas.

popular, Moroccans use a

THE INGREDIENTS

5 Stuff a large handful of fresh mint into the pot along with the ‘soul of the tea’ and the sugar. Two tablespoons is a lot of sugar, but many Moroccans will add more than three times that amount. 6 If you have a pot that works on the hob then fill it up with water and bring it to a gentle boil. Alternatively, fill with freshly boiled water.

Experiment with variations

Danish and Lithuanian desserts.

curranty goodness.

loose leaves (Moroccans prefer a version called Chinese gunpowder

A large handful of fresh mint 2 tablespoons sugar

Did You Know?

tannin that produces a robustness similar to

A large number of varieties are bred in at the James

Moroccan Mint Tea

of this recipe using sage,

7 At this point we would usually reach for a spoon and stir the tea, but

lemon balm, lemon verbena or

if you want to impress your pals with your tea-making nous then stir it

whatever else takes your fancy.

the traditional way by pouring out a glass and immediately pouring it back into the pot. Mario repeated this five times. 8 For a final flourish of frothy authenticity, hold the spout high above the glass and pour.

124

with a teaspoon does the job but for those who like

Hutton Institute in Aberdeen and they name them

getting messy with purple stains a pinch between

after Scottish mountains, so you’ll also find bushes

finger and thumb also works) before adding the

called ‘Ben Dorain’, ‘Ben Hope’ and ‘Ben Tirran’.

boiling water, allowing to steep for as long as

possible for maximum flavour. You can also use

Grow It

dried or frozen fruits.

Blackcurrants are one of the easiest soft fruit bushes to grow. They’re sold as ‘bare root stock’ (the sticks

Leaves

have exposed roots) or in pots and should be

The leaves share some of the flavours of the fruit,

planted out during their dormant period between

along with a fresh ‘greenness’ and are packed with

late autumn and early spring. Before planting, give

tannin which gives your tea a bite. Give fresh leaves

Lime Flower One of the most overlooked summer

the roots a good soaking, then dig a large hole

a scrunch before adding the boiling water and

fragrances belongs to the lime* (or linden)

(around twice the diameter and depth of the roots

remove after four to five minutes to prevent the

mostly above nose height – but gather a

when spread out), half fill with compost, sink in the period is also the time to prune your currant bushes. As the fruit is more bountiful on younger branches, it’s the old ones that should make way, along with any that are weak or damaged.

tree – perhaps due to the blossom being handful of the delicate flowers, breathe in their aroma and you will be rewarded with a wonderful sweet perfume of ripe melon and

sticks and fill with more compost. The dormant

honey. The resulting tea is particularly popular

Blackcurrant berry recipe Amount per cup: Around 15 good-sized fresh or frozen berries or 2 teaspoons of dried berries Brewing time: 10 minutes

Brew It

in France, where its known as tilleul, and helps keep Parisians in a calm, relaxed state of mind after a hard day of boules-ing.

THE INGREDIENTS

The berries make an excellent rich and fruity tea with a distinctive tartness. To make, bash the fresh fruit (pressing them against the inside of the mug

such memory triggers.

that make the best tea – you can use them fresh

No relation to the citrus lime fruit, our tea-

but they are generally better when dried. The honey

making blossom comes from the Tilia* species of

aroma remains after brewing and the flavour is clean

trees. Known for their great age, the Westonbirt

and light, making for a tea that is both calming and

Arboretum in Gloucestershire, England, has a

refreshing. Sweet-toothed drinkers looking for extra

Blackcurrant leaf recipe Amount per cup: 10 mid-sized fresh leaves; 1–2 teaspoons of dried leaves Brewing time: 4 to 5 minutes

coppiced lime tree which is believed to be around

comfort can stir in a teaspoon of honey.

Health benefits Forage it

Some people believe that lime flowers will ease

Lime trees are often quite old, so look around

colds and headaches as well as regenerate the

established parks or country estates to find

THE INGREDIENTS

skin, but it’s most often used to help calm the

them. The flowers speckle the trees in summer as

drinker, making it a good beverage during anxious

the days reach their maximum length and are often

moments or before heading off to bed.

covered with bees – its pollen is much appreciated by bee-keepers for the tasty honey it produces. It is easily identified by its gigantic heart-shaped leaves

Blend with… Lime flower is most commonly blended with other

and intensely fragrant flowers. All parts – sap, bark,

sleep-inducing ingredients such as chamomile and

leaf and flower – are edible. You should be able

lavender. See Night-time Blend on page 118.

to gather enough blossom at head height but for maximum pickings a ladder will come in handy.

Brew it The leaves and even the bark of the lime tree can be used to make a variety of potions but it’s the flowers

in limeflower tea sets off a

the phrase ‘Proust’s madeleine’

being used as an expression for

2,000 years old.

Berries

? Did you know?

Marcel Proust, in his novel In

Search of Lost Time, describes

how a petite madeleine dipped

childhood memory and has led to

THE INGREDIENTS

Limeflower recipe Amount per cup: 1–2 teaspoons Brewing time: 5–10 minute

Health & Nutrition

Flower Essences & Edibles Using the healing power of flowers in food, fragrance and beauty 246 x 189 mm (71⁄2 x 93⁄4 in) 176 pp | 30,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Spring 2020 Clare Harvey is an acclaimed international expert and consultant in flower essences and complementary medicine. She is the author of seven books, including the Healing Spirit of Plants.

Discover the healing power and potency of 40 fresh edible flowers, plus their essences and essential oils, with ways to harness their benefits, from energy boosting to mood enhancing, in this homeopathic flower ‘herbal’. • Organized by flower, each entry outlines history, botanical information and health-giving properties. • Recipes for culinary use as well as home and beauty ideas show the reader how to utilize the flower’s wellness powers. • Includes recipes for healthy breakfasts, snacks, meals and drinks as well as how to use the flowers in skin and hair treatments, cleansing products, home fragrance and health remedies. • Authored by UK’s leading expert in flower essences Clare Harvey.

CONTENTS Introduction Using Edible Flowers and Essences

Hibiscus Sugar Body Scrub

This tea recipe can easily be doubled for a larger serving. When using herbs in tea-making, longer is not better. Heating the herbs for extended time can release unfavourable qualities and bitterness found in herbs. The key is to add more herbs to strengthen flavour.

Sometimes known as the ‘Botox’ plant for its natural age-reversing properties, hibiscus helps encourage an all-round fresher, smootherlooking complexion. The natural acids present help to purify your skin by breaking down dead skin and increasing cell turnover.

1.25 litres (44 fl oz) water 3 tbsp fresh hibiscus flower petals or 2 teaspoons of dried leaves 2 cinnamon sticks 2 tablespoons sugar 1 small orange, sliced

Handful of fresh hibiscus flowers 6 drops of hibiscus essence ½ cup granulated sugar 60ml (2 fl oz) coconut oil

Lavandula Lavender

Matthiola incana Stock Flower Musa acuminata Banana Blossom

102

Nelumbo nucifera Lotus Flower

106

Antirrhinum majus Snapdragon

Ocimum tenuiflorum Holy Basil

110

Paeonia suffruticosa Peony

Pelargonium crispum Lemon Geranium

Brassica juncea Mustard

Phaseolus vulgaris Bean Blossom

Brassica oleracea var. italica Broccoli

Aquilegia vulgaris Aquilegia Borago officinalis Borage

Brassica oleracea var. sabellica Kale Flower 42

Strain the tea into desired container, add sugar and orange slices and serve.

118 122 126 130

Rosa rubiginosa Rose

134

Tagetes Lucinda Mexican Mint

138

Crocus sativus Saffron

Tagetes patula Marigold

142

Cucurbita pepo Courgette Flower

Taraxacum Dandelion

Thymus citriodorus Lemon Thyme

Tropaeolum Nasturtium

Fragaria × ananassa Strawberry Blossom 70

Cover and steep for 20 minutes.

114

46 50

Dianthus caryophyllus Carnation

Tulipa × gesneriana Tulip

146 150 154 158

Viola reichenbachiana Violet

162

Hemerocallis Daylilyb

Viola tricolour var. hortensis Pansy

166

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis Hibiscus

Zingiber zerumbet Ginger Flower

170

Hyssopus officinalis Pink Hyssop

Index

174

Iris sibirica Iris

Acknowledgements

176

Fuchsia magellanica Fuchsia

Crush the hibiscus flowers in a pestle and mortar. Alternatively use the edge of the bowl or a rolling ;pin to gently crush the flowers.

Portulaca oleracea Purslane Raphanus raphanistrum Radish Flower

Clitoria ternatea Pea Flower Coriandrum sativum Coriander

Foeniculum vulgare Fennel

Bring water to light boil, turn off heat add the hibiscus flowers and cinnamon sticks.

94 98

Anchusa offcinalis Anchusa Flower

Allium tuberosum Garlic Chives

Hibiscus Cinnamon and Orange Tea

Gently warm the coconut oil until it has melted. Place the flowers into a small mixing bowl then add the brown sugar and coconut oil. Mix together thoroughly until it forms a paste. Transfer to a mason jar or other sealable glass container.

Variation: This makes a wonderful iced tea served over ice and garnished with wedges of lemon.

To use, gently massage the scrub over your skin, then rinse off.

Uplifting Flower Salad with Almond and Apple Flower Essence This is a great summer salad with plenty of taste and goodness. Almond flower essence provides balance and moderation to help with self control and calms the mind and nerves. It complements the apple flower essence, which promotes a healthy mind and outlook, and encourages inner peace. Serves 2 ½ cup of flaked almonds ½ cup of cubed papaya 1 avocado, sliced 1 apple, diced 1 medium carrot, grated 10 wild strawberries ¼ cup coriander leaves Handful baby salad leaves Handful lambs lettuce 80–100g (3½ oz) of hot smoked salmon 6 pansy blossoms 6 nasturtium flower heads

First make the dressing by mixing all the dressing ingredients together until emulsified. To make the salad, simple place the almonds, papaya, avocado, apple and carrot into a large bowl and combine gently to mix their natural juices. Add the strawberries, coriander, baby leaves and lambs lettuce, toss once more and pour in the dressing. Fold through so everything is well coated then decant the salad with your hands to a large serving platter. Flake the salmon over the top, and sprinkle with the pansies and nasturtium blossoms (nasturtium gives a hint of a pepper).

Dressing Drizzle olive oil 2 tbsp organic apple cider vinegar 2 tbsp grape juice 1 tbsp light soy sauce 7 drops almond flower essence 7 drops apple flower essence 7 drops tomato flower essence Juice of 1 lime

Hibiscus rosa-sinensis: Hibiscus 85 156 Tropaeolum majus: Nasturtium

Tropaeolum majus: Nasturtium 157

Health & Nutrition

The Vegan Kitchen Over 100 essential ingredients for your plant-based diet 246 x 189 mm (71⁄2 x 91⁄4 in) 176 pp | 45,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Spring 2020 Rose Glover is a vegan nutritional therapist. She runs a consultancy that guides and supports women with varying ailments. She is particularly interested in the link between hormones, digestion, sleep and immune issues and having a plant-based diet. W: www.roseglovernutrition.com

An essential guide to understanding what it means to be vegan, the know-how you need in the kitchen and how to embrace vegan ingredients to ensure that you have a varied and balanced diet. • Includes detailed information on over 100 vegan ingredients. • Contains nutritional information, cooking techniques and serving suggestions. • Vital information included on the different food groups and where you can find essential vitamins and minerals. • Offers 25 basic recipes for kitchen staples such as pastry, bread and pasta • Written by a qualified vegan nutritionist.

The Coeliac Kitchen Over 60 essential ingredients for your gluten-free kitchen An essential guide to understanding what it is to be coeliac, this book guides you through the science of the disease and how to manage it. There is nutritional and practical information on over 100 ingredients that you’ll be using in your gluten-free kitchen and basic recipes for cakes, cookies, pancakes and pastry, as well as main dishes and starters. 246 x 189 mm (71⁄2 x 91⁄4 in) 160 pp | 45,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Autumn 2020 46

Christine Bailey is a nutritional therapist, chef, author and broadcaster. She works as a consultant to numerous companies, writes for the national press and regularly appears in the media discussing nutrition and fitness topics.

Health & Nutrition

The Soup Detox Plan Over 80 recipes to clear toxins, lose weight and boost health 233 x 165 mm (61⁄2 in x 91⁄4 in) 176 pp | 40,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Spring 2020 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.

Reset your health with these vegetarian, gluten-free, lactosefree 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 60 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 ingredients and their health benefits. • A choice of soups for everyone – raw, cooked, hot or cold, cleansing, energizing, slimming, etc.

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.

179

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

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

TH E RECIPES

Health & Nutrition

Hildegard of Bingen’s Holistic Health Secrets Natural remedies from the visionary pioneer of herbal medicine 227 x 165 mm (61⁄2 x 9 in) 144 pp | 22,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Autumn 2019 Mélanie Schmidt-Ulmann is a graduate of the Hildegard Institute, a Hildegardian and Bach Flower practitioner and a naturalparenting consultant, offering support and guidance to future parents and promoting an organic way of life.

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.

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

HERBAL TEA

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? 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.

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?

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

ROLLED-OATS PORRIDGE

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.

68 HILDEGARDIAN NUTRITION

HABERMUS

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

FENNEL TEA

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

An infusion is the simplest way to get all the benefits from this plant.

CAUTION!

• 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.

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 & Nutrition

Sleep Well Everything you need to know for a good night’s rest 205 x 148 mm (513⁄16 x 8 in) 160 pp | 40,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Autumn 2019

• 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.

Night Ruler

Wake up

Abandon Get up sleep

Troubled sleep

Reading

Technology

Worries

Pain/Discomfort

Interruption Bathroom visit

Nightmares

Dreams

Exercise

Activity

Smoking

Medicine

Food

Caffeine

Alcohol

Wake up

Abandon sleep

Get up

activity / thinking

10 9 8 7 6 5 4

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

Fall asleep

Wake up

Tranquil and quiet sleep

Abandon sleep

Broken, wakeful sleep

Get up

Switch off

Day Ruler

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!

activity / sleep

factors will be disturbing your usual sleep patterns.

Refreshing sleep

Get up

Wake up

very refreshed

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

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

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

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

Broken, wakeful sleep

Tranquil and quiet sleep

The Diary

Sleep

Switch off

THE SLEEP–AWAKE RULER

HOW TO MEASURE SLEEP

Fall asleep

• Dr Chris Idzikowski is leading expert on sleep disorders, who is a sleep forensics consultant on criminal cases.

• Discover the mechanisms that control your sleep.

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.

This in-depth look at sleep, including all the most recent scientific developments, will help improve your sleep, health and quality of life.

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,

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

CHAPTER TWO

How to measure sleep

• uncomfortable bed / bedclothes • pain

which is ideal for home monitoring. It allows patients a convenient and fast way to describe what has happened to them during the night.

Health & Nutrition

Hiking The outdoor walking guide for a healthier body and mind 215 x 165 mm (6½ x 8½ in) 160 pp | 30,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Autumn 2020 Journalist and photographer Sarah Stirling writes for outdoor magazines, such as The Outdoor Adventure Guide, and is the assistant editor of BMC Summit. W: 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.

Escape your digital devices and explore the great outdoors with this beginner’s guide to going from 10,000 steps to fullon 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. • 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. • Other titles in the series include: Trail Running,Wild Swimming, Climbing and Stretching.

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.

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

Journalist and photographer Sarah Stirling writes for outdoor magazines, such as The Outdoor Adventure Guide, and is the assistant editor of BMC Summit. 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.

Health & Nutrition

Yoga for Inflexible People Improve mobility, strength and balance with this step-by-step starter programme 229 x 178 mm (7 x 9 in) 160 pp | 25,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Spring 2020

For those intimidated by classes full of bendy people or who are struggling with a limited range of motion, this inspirational book breaks down yoga postures into beginner, intermediate and advanced stages and shows amazing before-and-after photos.

Max Lowenstein is an AcroYoga teacher, yoga instructor, registered dietician and certified personal trainer. He runs the hugely successful Instagram account Inflexible Yogis (962k followers; @inflexibleyogis) that helps people learn how to achieve and progress yoga postures. Liz Kong is a registered yoga teacher, dietician and nutritionist. Max and Liz travel all over the world teaching yoga at festivals, workshops and wellness retreats. When they are not travelling, they teach yoga in Dallas, Texas. They are frequently featured in Cosmopolitan and Mantra and on Dallas Morning News, Fox4 News and News8.

• Results-driven, goal-oriented programme aimed at people who thought they could never practise yoga. • Presents before-and-after images from media-friendly couple Max and Liz’s inspirational instagram account. • Stages are all illustrated and annotated to show the exact progression of each pose from beginner to advanced through the use of straps, blocks and other accessories. •

The extensive health benefits of each posture is given and Next Level tips offer extra ways to enhance the pose.

W: www.mantramag.com W: www.instagram.com/inflexibleyogis INVERSIONS DOWNWARD-FACING DOG

F O RWA R D F O L D S

As one of the most recognized yoga poses, Downward-facing Dog is a standing pose and inversion that builds strength while stretching the entire body. An essential part of sun salutations, it is used as a transitional pose, resting pose and as a strength-builder. This posture energizes and rejuvenates the entire body, stretches the hamstrings, shoulders, calves, arches, hands and spine, while building strength in arms, shoulders and legs. It’s considered a mild inversion because the heart is above the head.

STANDING FORWARD FOLD This posture provides a strong stretch for the back of the body (calves, hamstrings, low back, back). It’s also considered an inversion because the heart is above the head in the pose. Because of the powerful and intense elongation of the back of the body, a Standing Forward Fold provides a strong stretch for the hamstrings and helps lengthen and stretch the spine. Like all forward folds, it is considered a calming posture and helps build strength in the legs.

For those with tighter hamstrings or back injuries, gentler variations of Standing Forward Fold include bent knees or placing hands on yoga blocks. 1 Start at the top of your mat in mountain pose, tadasana. 2 Inhale and raise your arms up and overhead. 3 Exhale and fold and hinge at the hips, arms reaching for the floor.

BEGINNER

I N T E R M E D I AT E

A DVA N C E D

8 Lift your tailbone up towards the ceiling as you rotate your thighs inwards. 9 Shift your weight slightly forwards on your feet so your hips stack over your heels. Hold for 5–10 breaths.

Pull your upper body closer to your legs

7 Engage your legs by lifting the kneecaps up towards the hips.

F O R WA R D F O L D S

9 Gaze between your legs or navel. Hold for 5–10 breaths.

Raise hips towards the ceiling

5 Open your shoulders to 180 degrees. 6 Rotate your arms externally.

Bend knees

Lengthen spine

Keep your legs straight

Keep your spine straight

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INVERSIONS

BENEFITS

Flexibility is the connection between mind and body and it is controlled by your central nervous system. With the proper techniques, coupled with breathing, a signal that you are safe and pain-free is sent to your brain. With this connection, you gain a greater understanding between your body, mind and breath. You gain insight into where your holding patterns are, both mentally and physically. Yoga and flexibility go hand in hand. Yoga is a discipline that includes breath control and specific postures that involve stretching and meditation. With mindfulness and using the breath, yoga can improve flexibility, increase range of motion and make you feel longer and leaner.

Helps with pain and muscle soreness – when muscles are looser and less tense, fewer aches and pains are felt. Corrects posture and improves balance – increasing flexibility helps spine alignment and strength.

The postures in this book progress in three stages – beginner, intermediate and advanced. How long it takes to move on to each stage depends on the individual. Everyone is different and people hold tension in different ways. Here are some general tips to progression. Be aware of how you feel during each stage. Breathe into the body, allowing parts to open and release. Mild discomfort is fine but if you experience a sharp, stabbing feeling in a particular area you are moving too quickly and this may lead to injury. Practising the postures regularly over time will aid the progression.

Improves state of mind – work on flexibility brings about feelings of relaxation.

Increases circulation and blood flow to muscles, helping the body to recover faster.

Stretches hips, hamstrings and calves; strengthens thighs and knees; decompresses the spine. Also helps release back pain from sitting. Aids digestion and may lessen menstrual cramps. The pose is grounding and introspective.

F O R WA R D F O L D S

113

PROGRESSING TO GREATER FLEXIBILITY

Being flexible

WHAT IS FLEXIBILITY?

Bend your knees to touch the floor

Open up the shoulders To loosen the spine, add little, dynamic movements such as pedalling the feet or shifting your weight from side to side.

INVERSIONS

Flexibility is defined as the range of motion of your joints or the ability of your joints to move and bend freely. It also refers to the mobility of your muscles, which allows for more movement around the joints. Good flexibility can lead to efficient, effective and comfortable movement in daily life.

Repeat all the steps opposite and as for Intermediate but keep your chest glued to the thighs and wrap your arms around legs. Hold for 5–10 breaths.

A DVA N C E D

NEXT LEVEL

INTRODUCTION

Repeat all the steps opposite but slowly start to straighten your legs, without feeling a painful pull on your hamstrings or lower back. Hold for 5–10 breaths.

Repeat all the steps above without the blocks while the legs are fully straight. Breathe into your hamstrings and calves and ensure you open your shoulders. Hold for 5–10 breaths.

Remove the yoga block

Press hands firmly to the mat

5 Keep your spine as flat as possible.

Keep space between your hands and feet

8 Sink your heels towards the floor.

4 Keep your knees bent, as the pose can feel intense on your hamstrings and calves.

Pull your chest to your thighs

Straighten the legs

Lengthen the body

I N T E R M E D I AT E

7 Draw your chest towards your thighs as you press your hands to the mat, away from you, lengthening and decompressing the spine.

2 Spread your fingers wide and press firmly through the palms and knuckles. 3 Inhale and then exhale, tucking toes and lifting your knees off the floor. Send the hips up towards the ceiling and draw your sitting bones behind you.

Straighten your knees but stop if you feel pain

BEGINNER

Repeat all the steps above but place a block underneath your hands to lift the upper body and straighten your legs fully. When this begins to feel easy and you feel no strain, remove the blocks. Hold for 5–10 breaths.

1 Begin on your hands and knees in tabletop position. Stack shoulders directly over wrists and hips over your knees.

4 Bend your knees as much as you need to so that your hands touch the floor and chest touches your thighs. Keep your knees bent.

6 Drop your shoulders back and down the spine and away from your ears.

Enhances physical performance – greater flexibility leads to better athleticism.

Prevents injuries – once strength increases, more physical stress can be placed on the body.

Health & Nutrition

The Healing Yoga Manual Work with your chakra energy centres to increase your vitality 235 x 190 mm (71⁄2 x 91⁄4 in) 144 pp | 45,000 words Colour photographs throughout Publication: Autumn 2019 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.

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.

In the series

• Includes a reference chart of beneficial postures for a range of common ailments.

118

Back extension posture

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.

• 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

NAṬARĀJĀSANA II

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.

119

SECOND ASANA Hasta Uttanasana

PAŚCIMOTTĀNĀSANA

INTEGRATION

Health & Nutrition

Yoga of Light Unlock your inner light and energize your life for wellbeing and enlightenment 229 x 178 mm (7 x 9 in) 144 pp | 30,000 words Colour illustrations throughout Publication: Spring 2019 Pauline Wills is a yoga instructor, 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.

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!

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

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6 Essential Oils You Can’t Do Without The best aromatherapy oils for health, home and beauty and how to use them Danièle Festy Essential oils possess hard-working properties that provide effective natural remedies. In this easy-to-follow guide you will find 300 amazing remedies and solutions using just six key oils for all your health and beauty concerns, as well as ideas for the home and garden. Spring 2019 Paperback 229 x 178 mm | 128 pp

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The Ketogenic & Hypotoxic Diet Lose weight and improve health with this low-carb, high-fat, anti-inflammatory plan Olivia Charlet This nutrition plan shows you how to get started on a gentle, antiinflammatory, fat-burning diet that is gluten- and dairy-free. It features key foods and their benefits, creative recipes, meal plans and tailored programmes for specific goals. Spring 2019 Paperback 229 x 178 mm | 128 pp

Natural Painkillers Relieve pain with natural remedies and exercises Dr Yann Rougier & Marie Borrel From a mild headache to crippling arthritis, pain is part of many people’s everyday experience. But there is a natural alternative to pharmeceutical medication. This essential handbook to potent natural medicine is a painkilling arsenal for combating a huge range of common ailments.

Spring 2019 Paperback 205 x 148 mm | 160 pp

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Health & Nutrition

LAVENDER 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.

BENEFITS

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

APPLICATIONS

Lavender Oil

BEAUTY CARE

• 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.

FOR MIND AND BODY

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

• 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

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

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

IN YOUR HOME

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

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

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.

16 YOUR 6 INDISPENSABLE ESSENTIAL OILS

LAVENDER 17

6 Essential Oils You Can’t Do Without 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 a week, the quality of your lunch is just as important.

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

Idea 1

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

The Ketogenic & Hypotoxic Diet 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!

• 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. 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.

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.

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, TRY IT!

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 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

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

10 FOODS THAT RELIEVE PAIN 75

Natural Painkillers 55

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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!).

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

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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

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Eating for Two 190 x 190 mm | 192 pp Colour photographs throughout

Quick & Easy Toddler Recipes 190 x 190 mm | 144 pp Colour photographs throughout

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