Holistic Therapist Magazine - Issue 45 Spring 2023

Adapting to the current economic climate poverty and health

Does discounting help build a customer base?

The benefits of using a PR

BouncingResilienceback

from business or personal setbacks

The link between

and how to help those in need

DISCOVER

Shalajit

PLUS, the latest news and research, books, recipes, inspirational people, new products and so much more…

Hello again,

This issue is all about resilience, the ability to pivot and adjust to new circumstances and triumph over setbacks.

It’s a theme which is particularly appropriate for the magazine and those of us involved in creating it, as the magazine has just undergone a change of ownership. The process took rather longer than we were anticipating, which is why this issue is rather later than we’d have liked – but better late than never!

New owners naturally bring some changes with them. The principal one being that the magazine will be digital only, rather than producing print issues. As you’ll all be well aware, the costs for everything are out of control just now and printing and postage was no longer a viable option. The choices were go digital only, or die.

This new approach also gives rise to a host of new opportunities. We’ll be able to offer more content online and make it easier to access the wealth of previous features, as well as building an amazing online community. We’re looking forward to this new stage in the magazine’s evolution.

We’re here to help you create the future you deserve.. Love,

Openers

LAUNCHES RESCUE APPEAL

One of the UK’s oldest yoga centres has launched an appeal to stave off the threat of closure. Charity Brighton Natural Health Centre may be forced to close after 41 years due to spiralling costs and the knock on effect of the pandemic. The centre also offers dance, Pilates, meditation, tai chi, movement therapies talks and events as well as some low-cost and free classes for disadvantaged

COLORADO LEGISLATES FOR ACCESS TO PSYCHEDELIC MEDICINES

UNIVERSITY OF HUDDERSFIELD STARTS WORK ON £60 MILLION HEALTH & WELLBEING ACADEMY

The new building, which will be named after Daphne Steel, the UK’s first black matron, is the first of six buildings to be built on the university’s pioneering £250 million National Health Innovation Campus which will be instrumental in training the next generation of nursing and health professionals.

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facilities and will house clinics open to the public.

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groups. The centre has set up a £10,000 appeal to keep operating and to develop a more sustainable model, working with community partners. More than 50 yoga teachers and other yoga studios have supported the appeal, which has so far raised just over £8,000.

WREXHAM WELLBEING STUDENTS TREAT NHS WORKERS

A group of 12 Hair and Beauty students from Coleg Cambria Yale provided complementary wellbeing treatments for clinicians, medical students, and administrative workers in the Medical and Dental Education Department at Wrexham Maelor Hospital, which included haircuts and back and scalp massages.

Andrea Taylor-Clutton, Medical and Dental Education Manager at Wrexham Maelor Hospital commented, “A variety of wellbeing treatments were provided by the college’s expert staff and students and the day

was hugely popular, everyone involved worked extremely hard to make sure our colleagues received an excellent and professional relaxation experience – the feedback has been outstanding.”

Voters in Colorado have passed the Natural Medicine Health Act which will eventually allow licensed centres to treat people with fungi-derived psychedelic compounds such as psilocybin and psilocin for therapeutic reasons. The act also allows legal use of the compounds for personal use including growing psychedelic plants and fungi at home.

The state will now set up a fifteen member advisory board to oversee how the industry should be regulated. Recent research suggests that psychedelic

TRY

substances can be effective in treating depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health conditions. It is thought the first centre licences will be granted in 2024.

THIS… HASKAP BERRIES

The haskap berry, also known as the honeyberry, has long been used by the Ainu people of Japan for longevity and good eyesight. The berries contain high levels of anthocyanins and Vitamin C. Try adding a teaspoon of Haskapa Superberry Powder to smoothies, shakes, stir into breakfast cereal, porridge, and yogurt or into baking. Find out more at haskapa.com

The campus will feature specialist clinical teaching facilities, world leading research

THAILAND PLACES HEALTH FOR WEALTH AT CENTRE OF PLANS FOR ECONOMIC RECOVERY

Thailand’s plan for economic recovery is focussed on the herbal products and medical tourism markets – worth 50 billion baht (£1.16 billion) and 1 trillion baht respectively. The growth plan is based on the idea of a medical hub, where the spokes include traditional Thai medicine, alternative medicine, herbs, Thai local wisdom and medical tourism. The country has also legalised over-the-counter sales of cannabis.

Dr Thongchai

Lertwilairattanapong, who heads up the Department of Thai Traditional and Complementary Medicine, has said the department will focus on providing Traditional Thai medicine

and alternative medicine in every area of the primary healthcare system, improving the quality and sustainability of the herbal production sector, promoting cannabis and hemp and developing leaders in traditional medicine.

WORDS OF WISDOM…

Even if you’re on the right track, you’ll get run over if you just sit there.

Will Rogers

PRINCESS RELINQUISHES ROYAL DUTIES FOR ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE BLUE SPACES COULD BE GOOD FOR US

Norway’s Princess Martha Louise has relinquished her royal duties in order to focus on her alternative medicine business with her fiancé, Durek Verrett. Mr. Verrett, who describes himself as a sixthgeneration shaman, is a Hollywood spiritual guru. Previously he has suggested that cancer is a choice and also sells a $222 medallion on his website which he claims helps the wearer overcome COVID-19. The princess, who will keep her title, has previously worked as a clairvoyant. She commented, that she was, “aware of the importance of research-based knowledge. I also believe, however, that there are

components of a good life and sound physical and mental health that may not be so easy to sum up in a research report. Spirituality, intimacy with other people and animals, yoga, and meditation could be important supplements.”

There has already been considerable research suggesting that green spaces, from parks and countryside to wilderness have a positive effect on our health and wellbeing. Now researchers are finding that ‘blue spaces’ such as the sea, rivers and ponds have a similar effect. Globally, humans became a majority-urban species in 2007. As urbanisation increases, our access to nature continues to dwindle.

“Blue spaces provide us with distractions that take our mind away from the day-to-day hassles of life,” explained Kate Campbell, a health psychology researcher at Te Herenga Waka-Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand. “The sound of the crashing waves, the smell of salty air, the crunching of sand beneath our toes…The sensations relax our bodies and tell our minds to switch off.”

A recent study from Glasgow Caledonian University showed that spending time in blue spaces lowers the risk of stress, anxiety, obesity, cardiovascular disease and premature death.

All that’s new and interesting in the world of holistic therapy… YOGA CENTRE

ADAPTING AND THRIVING IN THE CURRENT ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT

CAM Coach Mark Shields introduces the SLEPT model…

IN todays challenging and forever changing times holistic practitioners have to work harder than ever to continue to make a success of their business.

We are currently faced with increasing office costs, massive heating bills, high inflation, an influx of new clients post pandemic as well as a host of other challenges. All of this plus the majority of clients

are suffering with the cost of living crisis making it harder to pay for the services they so desperately need.

Emotional resilience and perseverance

believe it’s important to accept from the outset the most important quality entrepreneurs and business owners need are firstly resilience and secondly perseverance. With this in mind it is common today for therapists to have their own coach to help work on these two areas on a regular basis. This, coupled with the fact that under 10% of businesses last 10 years and just 30% survive 3 years, means that having a clear vision, mission, annual goals and actions and a thorough and regular review process are more important than ever.

That’s why this article is about a strategic business model that is particularly appropriate at the moment in the current economic and political crisis. It’s known as SLEPT.

Research Model – SLEPT

Every year we advise our new and existing business, that they must do their due diligence - research and analysis. When conducting this research you need to have a clear vision of what your practice is going to look like and the type of clients you are hoping to attract. All your research should focus on the Big 5:

n The Client n The Service

n The Practitioner n Market size

n The Competition

And everything you do in relation to the Big 5 has to be what we always refer to as, “the difference that makes the difference”. Your proposition has to be better than all of the competition around you. You must aim to offer a service to your client that is second to none. We’ll come back to this later on.

Visiting potential practice rooms, finding the right location, researching competitors and formulating your personal business vision and model all adds up not only to an enlightening experience but is great fun as well. But the serious side is that you have to get this right if you are going to form the foundations of a successful future business.

With the power of the Internet there is very little we can’t find out quite quickly, so what you might initially think would take weeks to research in reality can just take a day or two.

When conducting research The SLEPT model is as good as any to use as a framework for business analysis especially when economic challenges are prevalent. It also provides an effective review and action process and should be conducted annually and reviewed quarterly, sometimes more regularly depending on the economic climate

SLEPT simply breaks down the different and important areas of research to:Social, Legislative, Economic, Political and Technology

Often most of us wouldn’t have the business skills or knowledge to even think about these key five areas of potential impact let alone research and plan around them. SLEPT enables us to research confidently outside the world of

the clinic and look objectively at high impact influences that will influence the success or failure of our business going forward. Let’s look at this in more depth.

Social

This enables us to look at how our market is growing and establish any trends that may help or assist with our business development. For example, although the figures vary and tend to be national rather than local, overall we know that the Complementary Medicine market is still on the up, a lot of it down to public awareness and regulatory change. Therefore this indicates this is a good time to enter this market.

Legislation

Rules and regulations are always changing and evolving as the world of complementary medicine and talking therapies moves further and further towards potentially full regulation in the future.

On top of that, even though we’ve had BREXIT for a while, many CAM practitioners need to know the impact of new EU legislation on the availability of nutritional supplements and herbal remedies, which may prevent some supplements being available in the UK.

For example, there has been a rise in workrelated stress conditions and mental health disorders are on the increase; the economic impact on businesses and the NHS is often being reported. What this means is that there demands and opportunities for practitioners who can address this issue is increasing.

Think about our current mental health challenges following the pandemic. Look at the cost of living crisis and increase in gas and electricity prices. All of these need to be factored in and managed accordingly.

Political

This relates to changes in government influence which can directly influence and effect new businesses and new initiatives. For example, the UK government is launching a new initiative to support and encourage entrepreneurs and new business start-ups. There are often many other initiatives happening at local government and regional level. Get tuned into these.

Technology

As technology progresses and develops, we can reach more people are quickly and can establish a national presence within months. With the right knowledge and marketing skills, you can reach your target audience via Google, social media, and data-based marketing campaigns in the first few months of setting up. You don’t need to be a geek to take advantage, but you do need to be up to speed with what’s possible. Keep up to date with new social media trends such as Tik Tok etc

As business owners we need to have a positive approach to change and keep an eye on all the economical and political challenges we face all the time and be in a position to pivot and change accordingly. n

Ensure you understand the implications of current legislation and the future impact it may have on your business. Ensure your training and qualifications meet the requirements of the day and keep abreast of change. Your professional body should be on top of this.

Economical

Understand the current and ongoing economic situation and how this may impact on your business. This doesn’t mean you have to subscribe to “The Economist” and start reading the “heavy” newspapers, but simply means spending some time looking for health-related economic stories and statistics.

Mark’s best-selling CAM Coach book can be found on the “in practice” degree syllabus at numerous colleges and universities. It is often described as the world’s leading resource for those looking to set up in private practice and work 121 with clients.

Contact mark@lifepractice.co.uk or his website www.thenlpcoaching company.com

We are currently faced with increasing office costs, massive heating bills, high inflation, an influx of new clients post pandemic as well as a host of other challenges.

HISTORICALLY, the concept of resilience was mostly applied to a company’s sales team. When turnover dropped and people stopped spending, could the salesforce summon the wherewithal to keep on knocking that next door? We’ve all been through the wringer this past few years, and I think most of us are very tired. Having lived through the joint experience of a global pandemic, we all had to innovate to survive and now, with the cost of living crisis, people’s wallets are certainly not opening so wide. For many of us, it’s not only a battle to keep the doors open, but to even want to do it anymore. So many times recently, I’ve heard colleagues say that they are, “so over it now”. If your resiliency is beginning to wane, we’re here to remind you of some techniques you probably knew but may need to dust down to put the bounce back in your business.

Why is resilience important?

It’s a key weapon against feeling overwhelmed. When deadlines loom, staff let you down or a competitor snaffles a key client, resilient people thrive in the quest to pull things back. I think of those sailors who navigate the world. What turns them on is the moments when water lashes at the boat and they have to hang onto the ropes for dear life. Calm waters are just very boring days. In the same way, resiliency supports change, excitement, and challenge, so you never feel like you are simply trying to tread water.

Developing a resilient mind set

Avoid seeing setbacks as fails. A key skill that resilient people have is their belief that they can cope and weather their storms. They identify themselves as competent problems solvers. Again, this comes with practice of course, but never underestimate the power of lots of small wins to boost your self-esteem. A great exercise to remind you of this is to have a go at juggling balls. Start with two and try and move up to three. Simply throw the ball up in the air and try and catch it. Simple. But of course it’s not (especially if you are as uncoordinated as I am!) most people will drop balls left right and centre. And here’s the point…Every time you drop a ball, smile, and tell yourself “That was a learn.”

Not a fail. Simply a learn. Pick it up and start again. It’s amazing how liberating it is to let your brain see that new things are learning experiences.

feels like a win. Recognise the contribution that everything you make offers to success.

Plan to unplan

What’s that old joke? How do you make God laugh? Tell him about your plans! So on one hand, planning is essential to business success, but on the other it’s so important to find ways to be flexible if things need to adapt. Resilient people calmly look at situations they are presented with and make new plans. When things go wrong “Hmmm, interesting! I wonder what I can do next…”

joy that makes you howl with laughter or encourages you to think, “Look what I did! All of these build self-esteem and confidence, but ultimately a happier and more balanced you. Lastly, be real with yourself. If you feel like you’ve had enough, maybe you have! There is no shame in changing tack. Speak to people you trust and formulate a new plan. Resiliency isn’t about always plugging on the same course regardless, it’s about what finding the best route through, and maybe the best route is to just stop. Remember my dad’s tip. All you have to do is get up more times than you go down. What you do when you stand up is up to you. The world, as they say, is your lobster.

Henry Ford once said, “Whether you think you can or you think you can’t, you’re right”. Whether you perceive the obstacle you face as a mountain, or a molehill, potentially that will be the truth of the situation. Step back. Take a breath and deal with the problem in hand, not the perceived outcomes you expect it to cause.

ELIZABETH ASHLEY is a professional aromatherapist with over 30 year’s professional experience. She is the author of The Secret Healer Manuals and the creator of the latest inhalation trend, Aromythology. Her book about the Melissa officinalis is available from Amazon. You can find details of all her work at www.thesecrethealer.co.uk

Look after yourself

HELPING YOUR BUSINESS BOUNCE BACK

THERAPIST 2023

What is resilience?

Fundamentally, resilience is the ability to adapt when things are not going to so well, to get up, dust yourself off and try again. As my Dad used to say, “All you have to do is make sure you get up one more time than they knock you down.” I don’t know about you, but some days I feel like I’ve gone six rounds with Nigel Benn. Getting up isn’t as easy as it once was. But, like boxing, it is training yourself to get up again – doing it over and over again – that eventually builds resilience.

Play the long game

Back in the nineties, I knew a guy who sold private jets doing telesales, cold calling from a list. He was quite the optimist, as you might imagine, and always had a smile on his face. He once taught me that the secret to success was to celebrate the journey, not the destination.

He did this by calculating how many calls he would have to make to eventually get his sale. Then he divided his sale price by that number. So, then every time someone answered the phone to him, regardless of whether they bought or not, he’d say thank you very much that’s another fiver in the bank. His method meant that the journey was paid for and positive, rather than a load of rejections every day. Try to break your own job into steps towards success, so that simply doing the step

This world weariness is not a mirage. It’s a fact and actually, given all we’ve been through, it’s appropriate. Be kind to your physical body. Eat well, get your vitamins and minerals in, get sleep, and exercise – hell, go and treat yourself to a massage one afternoon!

Importantly, try to separate work from home. Imagine yourself opening the front door with a golden key that locks all your work stuff outside. The golden key opens the door to better time with your family, less worry, and more balance out of hours.

Cultivate a network of support. Work colleagues are wonderful for a way of sharing the work stress, but sometimes people have absolutely no interest in your job are just the tonic your need.

A cruel reality is the busier work is, the more you need to make time for a hobby. Again, we’re going back to the small wins here. Find something that fills you with

Resilience: 11 HOLISTIC THERAPIST 2023

Feeling run down and pessimistic about your prospects? Elizabeth Ashley looks at how to put the bounce back in your business…

Work colleagues are wonderful for a way of sharing the work stress, but sometimes people have absolutely no interest in your job are just the tonic your need.

FINDING YOUR

INNER STRENGTH

Dr. Lisa Turner shows how to shore up your resilience…

IF you’re like many healers, coaches, therapists, and practitioners, you likely came into the industry as part of your own healing journey. Having suffered through challenges or trauma in your past, you experienced profound healing from working with a practitioner and now you want to give back.

You went on to train as a practitioner.

You’re passionate about helping others. You want others to recover and experience the transformation that you have.

As a result of your past, you’re probably extremely compassionate, understanding and empathetic. When you’re in the presence of someone in pain you will likely feel their pain.

You don’t need protection

Although you might be tempted to think that you need protection to prevent yourself feeling that pain, the opposite is actually the deeper truth. Yes, it can be uncomfortable to be in the presence of others who are in pain, but it’s this that makes you so damn good at your job!

Your sensitive superpowers

Your ability to sense others’ pain, often even before they are consciously aware of it, is what will make you an exquisite healer. You know exactly what to say, what question to ask and how to identify the source of their pain.

Your sensitivity and empathy are your superpowers! Even if protection did work (and why it doesn’t is another story), it would simply numb you out, even dissociate, and prevent you being the highly sensitive and attuned healer that you are!

Your empathy and your compassion is your superpower! You need your sensitivity to do your job well. Just as you wouldn’t want your dentist or surgeon to wear welding gloves whilst operating, you need to be open, available and fully present to your client’s needs so you can serve them. That being said, your sensitivity does come with some challenges and drawbacks, and some things to be aware of.

Signs and causes of burnout

Firstly, it’s important that you avoid burnout. Many people think of burnout as simply being overworked. But there are actually six different causes of burnout, others include lack of reward, fairness, control, community and the ratio of inner strength to outer demands.

If you’re like many deeply compassionate healers, my guess is you’re not charging enough. I know that’s controversial in the holistic

community, but trust me, if you don’t feel adequately compensated in the long term, you’ll start to feel resentful, cynical and burnt out. Yes, you can still offer SOME services for free or very low cost. But make sure YOUR needs are met and this includes your financial needs.

Their pain is your pain

When we apply the spiritual principle of the mirror, that everything we experience in another is a reflection of our inner selves, the pain we feel in another comes from within ourselves. When we’re triggered by the painful emotions of another, this is a sign that the source of the pain is within us, and we may not have fully completed our healing. It means that within us are the remnants of some unconscious, and yet unresolved trauma from our past. That you feel it is a good sign, and means you’re ready to let it go. Research shows that many of the commonly recommended coping strategies of positive thinking, or saying affirmations, and using protection, have been shown to have little long-term effect. A modality such as Conscious, Emotional Transformation (CET) does pretty much what it says on the tin. It enables you to consciously transform your emotional pain. Not only does it clear trauma and pain from the past, CET also raises your consciousness, vibration, and most importantly, your emotional resilience.

Increase your emotional resilience

One of the causes of burnout is when the outer demands on us exceed our inner strength and emotional resilience. There are four main factors to emotional resilience: Emotional wellbeing, support structure, mindset and the presence of any trauma in the neurology.

Emotional Wellbeing

Your emotional wellbeing is a measure of how well you can manage your emotions and state. It’s not about being happy all the time. It’s about knowing how you feel and why, and being able to handle those emotional states with maturity and grace.

The ideal to aim for is to be able to welcome all emotions and realise those feelings that we might label “negative”. Knowing that they are simply information that we need to use to guide us towards what we want in life and away from what we don’t want.

For example, if you feel angry when someone treats you badly, the anger is there

to let you know it’s time to stand up for yourself or leave the situation.

Support Structure

Being resilient isn’t a solo game. Although resilient people have great inner strength, they know the importance of a support system. They actively cultivate a network of people, places and practices to turn to for support, feedback and advice.

Your support structure is the foundation to which you return when you are out of balance, seeking perspective and healing. It’s those people who ground your thoughts and keep you focused on what you’re aiming to achieve. A strong spiritual connection is also a great help at any time. Especially if you’re the sort of person who has a big vision and higher calling to make the world a better place. As a healer or therapist, ensure you cultivate a great support structure as it’s essential to you avoiding burnout and being brilliant in your work.

Mindset

Your mindset score is a measure of your optimism, attitude, beliefs, outlook and how open you are to change. You can have a fixed (limiting) or growth mindset.

Do you feel you are in control of your life and circumstances? Or do you feel things are down to luck or chance? You can cultivate a growth mindset by being open minded and learning new things including other healing modalities.

Trauma

Trauma is the result of events in the past which have caused changes to your neurology in ways that limit, restrict or disempower. It’s not the events themselves, but the lasting effects of them.

It takes energy to have trauma. It takes energy to hold on to painful emotions. It takes even more energy to suppress the pain of trauma. Holding on to trauma limits our ability to help others.

Clear your pain, raise your resilience, become a better healer

By increasing all of these four areas you can raise your overall emotional resilience. When you have fully cleared painful trauma, you are able to witness the pain of another without it negatively impacting yourself. This makes you a far better therapist; you are braver, more resilient and more inspiring to your clients. You’ll effortlessly attract more clients who will sense, at the level of the higher self, and unconsciously, that YOU have the strength to help them. n

DR LISA TURNER is the founder of CETfreedom, a spiritual and consciousness awakening organisation, specialising in training professional coaches and practitioners in her signature process Conscious Emotional Transformation, (CET) and is author of CET Yourself Free. Readers can take a 2 min quiz, and receive a free copy of my book “CET Yourself Free” - Take the quiz here

CASECASESTUDY STUDY

Understanding the needs of the LGBTQ+ community

Riley Milligan provides a unique insight into Wolverhampton LGBT+’s new holistic therapy space and the needs of this diverse community…

As an organisation, Wolverhampton LGBT+ has held several consultations focused around the demand our community has for various services. One of the things that was most requested was a space for beauty treatments and holistic therapies. Members of the LGBT+ community, especially trans people, can find it very intimidating to access these services. This is especially true for services such as massage therapies and bodywork where they are placed into a vulnerable position with their bodies. We wanted to create an environment where we could ensure that people of all expressions would be guaranteed to be safe and treated with respect.

From the outset, we knew that creating this space would be challenging. For a start, the project had zero funding. We started with a bare – and still rather run down - spare room in our building. We’re constantly trying to make our user-requested services a reality, and so set about contacting local businesses and organisations to help us achieve a relaxing and functional space. This project has been brought into existence purely through hard work and the kindness of people dedicated to the cause. We had help from Howdens Wednesbury, Crown Paints, Sainsbury’s St. Marks and our local NHS Sexual Health service even donated an electric couch! Brighter Teachings & Awarding Care, who are dear partners of ours and help us to deliver our leading counselling service made an amazingly generous donation which paid for the plumbing, flooring, electrics and the installation of cupboards and equipment. One of our lovely volunteers even donated their time to paint the room.

We put out a post searching for therapists and had a handful apply and be interviewed by our team, however we are still looking for

another male therapist, as well as a nail technician and hairdresser/ barber. These have been the most difficult positions to fill.

So far, it’s going great! This project has been launched alongside our WLGBT+ VIP Membership. VIP members will receive a significant discount on treatment, and will be the first to hear of offers, offers from our partners, and will get priority access to new events and treatments.

When it comes to serving LGBT+ clients, think respect and understanding is key. Members of the LGBT+ community and particularly transgender people like myself don’t want to be treated as aliens in any environment, but particularly when such a focus is placed on the body as it is for so many holistic treatments. I’d never considered accessing services like massage therapy despite the fact that it would do my often aching muscles a lot of good, purely because of fear.

For many of us going for a haircut at a new salon is a terrifying experience, let alone getting dressed down enough to have a thorough back massage.

Things such as being talked to like any other human being, having my boundaries respected, and knowing that won’t be made to feel as if I stick out are of the utmost importance to me in every situation to feel comfortable. also think that holistic therapists would attract more LGBT+ clients if they tried to show their acceptance of LGBT+ people year round. Small things like adding ‘LGBT+ friendly’ to your marker on google maps could show that no matter how limited your experience, you are willing to accept and learn, can be the difference that gets someone to try your services.

So far, Indian Head Massage, Hopi Ear Candling, and Reflexology have been our most popular services, I’m not sure we can yet speak on what services the LGBT+ community loves though since we haven’t been open for long.

Massage and bodywork are often complicated areas no matter who the client is. There have been notable cases where clients have been sexually assaulted by male therapists and there are female bodyworkers who choose to work with female clients because of requests for ‘happy endings’. As someone who isn’t a massage therapist, I can speak with only so much conviction on this subject. Personally I think in a situation like the one described, gay men regardless of their sexuality, are still men, and though many are not men in the same sense that straight men are, this still isn’t a comfortable situation for a therapist who only takes female clients.

A situation feel is likely far more of an issue in this day and age would be if that same female therapist only taking female clients then went on to refuse a transgender female client. If you considered your business to be LGBT+ friendly but denied a trans woman service on the basis that she was once a man, could you still consider yourself to be an LGBT+ friendly business?

I think by denying service to a specific type of people based on the assumption that they are dangerous, you are generalising that entire group as dangerous, and I suppose would feel the same way whether that person was excluded for being a man, or a woman, or transgender, or Asian, Jewish, or disabled.

It’s a messy situation that can only be solved through open discussion, and the people most qualified are not people like myself, but the therapists who are delivering these services.

Our services are open to anyone, including straight people. If anyone causes issues they will be treated as individuals, being promptly escorted from the building and given a lifelong ban. We consider this

to be the correct course of action however this is what we feel is right for our situation, and again, we cannot speak with any conviction on the situations of others.

Our therapists, indeed, anyone who works with us, have undergone Enhanced DBS checks. Obviously this does not entirely remove every risk, however it does help us to ensure that our community will not be placed in harm’s way by the people they encounter via the charity.

If you’re a holistic therapist who would like to work with LGBT+ clients, then I think that education is the foundation for working more closely with any community you wish to interface more closely with. Research! Learn! Perhaps book some LGBT+ training sessions with an organisation, such as ours that offers them.

Holistic therapy and beauty treatments are just a small piece of what we offer here at Wolverhampton LGBT+. We have a wide variety of other services, the most important of which consider to be our free LGBT+ counselling service! This is designed to help cut down some of the difficulties and frustration caused by those long NHS waiting lists and lack of aftercare. We also offer many more fun services such as our yoga sessions, walking club, exercise classes, and a variety of social groups.

You can find out more about the work of Wolverhampton LGBT+ at www.wolverhamptonlgbt.org.

The Federation of Holistic Therapists’ editor and communications executive, Molly Denton, looks at how keeping up-to-date with your CPD points can help build a strong, fulfilling business…

AS a working holistic therapist, it’s more than likely that you know what Continued Professional Development (CPD) points are, but do you really understand the benefits of them for your business? Below are a few reasons why keeping up-to-date with your learning can keep you on top:

Continued Professionalism

Therapy work is very personal by nature and requires a high level of trust from your clients. Earning your annual CPD points not only demonstrates that you can work safely, effectively and legally, but it shows you are personally committed to providing the best possible practice for your clients. At the FHT, we offer a range of support materials to keep you on track with developing your CPD, including access to our members’ hub where you can view and download a multitude of new and archived articles, access to our annual skill-development conference where you can develop your therapy skillset, a range of puzzles and questions for you to brush up on your physiology and anatomy knowledge, as well as a range of FHT hosted training courses that have been vetted and approved by us – so you can be sure they meet the highest industry standards.

Building confidence and credibility

It’s a well known fact that the more you know of your subject, the more confident you are when practising it. CPD can boost the confidence of those starting out in therapy, as well as the most experienced of therapists. Further knowledge in your chosen therapy fields can strengthen your professional credibility and help you become more creative in tackling new challenges.

By completing any CPD certified course, you’re able to declare

a recognisable qualification within your portfolio, enhancing your business scope and attracting a wider client-base. Just make sure you are also insured for any new practices learned! The FHT can offer a range of tailormade insurance policies to suit you and your therapy practice need (find out more at www. fht.org.uk/member-benefits).

Life-long learning

CPD is a great way of keeping up-to-date with changes in the industry, honing your skills and learning new ways to support your clients. It is a common misconception that CPD requires attending a training course – or spending lots of money – but reflective practice, case studies, developing a marketing plan and attending local group meetings can also count. For a simple way of gaining CPD each working day, try adding a ‘reflective’ section to your client summary form, reflecting on how the therapy has benefitted your client mentally and/or physically.

Knowledge is fulfilment

Apart from helping build your professionalism and credibility, earning CPD points also develop your personal skills too. The best thing about CPD points is that there is no limit to how many you can earn in a year. Applying focus and attention to important areas of your own development provides the framework for you to take appropriate action to reduce any shortfalls in knowledge; allowing you to give and treat with a well-rounded point of view, giving scope for a more successful and fulfilling career.

Although CPD points don’t carry over into the following year, the more you earn, the more you know and the easier it is to continue developing them for your own personal growth and development. n

MOLLY DENTON is the FHT’s editor and communication executive. The FHT offers students and qualified practitioners a range of membership benefits to help support them, every step of their therapy career. For further information, visit www. fht.org.uk or call 023 8062 4350.

BENEFITTING YOUR BUSINESS FHT BUSINESS HOLISTIC THERAPIST 2023

HOW TO BUILD

CONFIDENCE THAT LASTS

Antonia

explores how to build self-confidence…

IT’S been almost four years since I qualified as a Systematic Kinesiologist, but I still have days where I really struggle with my self-esteem. I know I’m not alone in feeling this way, but why is it that so many holistic therapists lack confidence when they provide such a wonderful service?

Over time, I’ve come to realise that confidence really is an inside job. It’s also something that we can explore, learning to sift the layers of self-esteem, challenge negative subconscious beliefs and sidestep the comparison traps.

Establish a support network

Back when I was training, I was on such a high, which is no surprise given how transformative and powerful the journey is. During training or learning something new, we’re surrounded by others with the same excitement and passion as we do. It’s also somewhere that is safe, supportive and empowering, where it’s ok if we make mistakes and we can ask questions at any time. It is a place of acceptance where we can show vulnerability and allow our confidence to bloom.

Leaving this cocoon or supportive learning environment can knock our newfound sense of self-esteem and enthusiasm.

Suddenly we’re on our own and perhaps for the first time in our lives, we’re charging for our services, outside of the safety of our support system. This in itself can be deeply stressful, especially if we’ve taken a leap of faith and changed careers complete with the financial pressures involved.

To fill the void, I strongly suggest finding a supportive network of other holistic therapists who are in the same boat. This community can then become your refuge where you share your struggles and successes. Search people out, whether it’s through social media or within your community, because finding your tribe will get you through the hard times and provide a much-needed sounding board when faced with opportunities, as well as challenges.

You can be a work in progress and help others at the same time

Many of us fall into the trap of thinking we’re not good enough because we lack experience. It feels like we’re the only ones who don’t have a clue what we’re doing, so we’re making it up as we go along and hoping that no one notices. It’s called Imposter Syndrome and you’d be surprised to know just how many people feel the same way.

We must recognise that we can be a work in progress and help others at the same time. It doesn’t matter if we have ten years of experience or none at all, what matters is our intention. If our intention is to help people and to do what we love, then that is all that really counts.

Clients don’t remember what you do, they remember how they feel. If you listen and truly care for each and every client then they will feel it and you will both hugely benefit from the sessions.

One of the best pieces of advice Claire Muller, Principle of TASK, ever gave me, is to, ‘keep it simple.’ Simplicity, whether it’s in treatments or marketing, is the most powerful and effective thing we can do. It also reminds us that we’re enough.

In our industry we often over-give and under-charge, something that also stems from not believing we can help people and earn a living at the same time. I know many of us feel guilty for charging clients, yet this is merely our deep subconscious programming overshadowing the truth. We only need to

remember that we’re providing a service, like any other business, and our time and energy requires a fair exchange.

Trust the timing and stay present

It’s usual to go through busy and quiet periods of clients, especially in the first few years. This is totally normal. So, rather than taking a self-esteem blow, remember that it takes time to create a successful business and it’s not something to rush.

The highs and lows of the journey shape who we are as practitioners but, if we’re impatient with these lessons, we only prolong them. Remember that impatience creates resistance so we must be patient with ourselves, knowing that when we accept the present moment with grace, we allow resistance to melt away.

In a state of impatience and it’s all too easy to fall for people selling you the promise of instant success, magical marketing to net you thousands, or the perfect way to manifest dozens of clients a day. My advice? Stay clear and stay rooted in your integrity. We’re in this business to help people and be of service, but when we put pressure on ourselves to be an overnight success, we lose our humility.

It takes a lifetime to truly master a discipline, but it is not a race and there is no finishing line. When you accept that you will forever be a student, learning as you go and sharing your wisdom with your clients, you can begin to relax, knowing that there’s no rush or expectations apart from the ones you place on your own shoulders. Don’t forget who you are.

Care, don’t compare!

Another trap we fall into that damages our confidence is the comparison trap. In this digital age it’s all too easy to compare ourselves to those who have more experience, better social media visibility or smarter websites, and thinking that we’re somehow lacking.

In reality, it’s all an external distraction,

keeping us distanced and separated from our own authentic voice which is where our true power lies. The truth is, there is no one like you who offers what you do.

This is why, when you start your practice, it’s vital that you cultivate your own authentic voice and unique energy. Don’t try to copy the blueprints of someone else’s success because what works for one, won’t work for you. That’s their story and you need to write your own. The more you nourish your own sense of self from the inside-out, exploring what makes you so wonderfully unique, the more you can use it as a platform to grow in confidence.

Self-compassion

The final, and perhaps most important, piece of the puzzle that will allow you to gracefully navigate the highs and lows of confidence on your journey, is to have deep compassion for yourself.

Whether you’re an old hand or the ink on your certificate is still damp, remember that you answered a calling when it would have been so much safer to stay where you were. Not only that but you’re doing something that helps people, which is hugely rewarding and empowering.

There will be ups and downs on your journey so be gentle with yourself. Perfection is a myth, so just keep being you and just watch how life rewards you. n

i

ANTONIA BEAMISH is a Systematic Kinesiology Practitioner based in Cambridge. Alongside working with clients, she also writes frequently on the themes of courage and fear, as well as leading self-awareness workshops in the UK and abroad. You can find her at www.antoniabeamish.com.

Beamish

COULD DISCOUNTS WORK FOR YOU?

How to harness discount sites and strategies to build your business…

WHETHER it’s sites like Groupon, discounts for signing up to a company’s newsletter, furniture stores who seem to have a sale every weekend, or our browsers applying coupons before we pay for online shopping, we live in a world of discounts and special offers. How can we get the balance between offering a discount and building our long term customer revenues right?

There are several reasons you might want to offer a programme of discounts, but you should never implement this until you understand your goals in doing so and how the numbers stack up. Without these in place, you might as well flush tenners down the toilet. Start by thinking about what you want to achieve. The chances are that you think offering your services at a lower price will bring in more customers. This, particularly if you work with a local or national discount offer site, is likely to be true – but will these new customers be the right customers for you and can you afford them?

People use discount sites in a number of ways. For some, it’s a way of feeling confident about making the buying decision to try something or somewhere new. We might risk a visit to a restaurant we haven’t tried before, or a different holistic therapist because the price is reduced and we have less to lose. This type of customer can, provided you build rapport and deliver immediate benefits, become a longterm client. For others, it’s about getting things as cheaply as possible and they bounce along from one offer to the next, without becoming a repeat customer.

Explain your goals and put a limit on both the number of voucher deals available and the period of validity.

Interestingly, a study from Claremont Graduate University showed that US consumers had raised oxytocin levels and lower stress levels when redeeming a discount coupon. They found this more enjoyable than getting a gift! An unexpected discount makes consumers feel excited, while an expiration date creates a sense of urgency. Moreover, they will spend extra money to use a coupon that has a minimum spend level.

Let’s say your goal is to bring in twenty new regular clients. The first thing you need to know is how much it costs you to run a session, because you should never discount so deeply that you are making a loss. You must cover your costs and ideally you need to find a balance point where you still make a profit, yet your potential customer feels they are getting a real benefit.

We’re all getting a bit savvier as consumers and are learning not to believe offers that look too good to be true. Let’s say you’re looking for some online training and see two courses that are similar in concept. Both have a full price of £500. One offers a 15% discount for sign up by the end of the month, the other offers 95% off. Which are you more likely to buy? A discount that is too deep suggests the full price for the product or service was hugely inflated and that what you are buying has little real value.

Too large a gap between your discounted offer rate and your regular price can be too much of a gap for people to justify coming back, particularly during the current economic

climate. It can also make you look desperate for business, and suggest to potential clients that you may not do your job well.

If you do decide to use a discount site, don’t be pressurised into offering a higher discount than you can comfortably afford or making your offer too open. Try offering a package of four appointments for the price of three or six for the price of five. This gives you a chance to develop a good rapport with your new customer.

You can also look at limiting the number of discount appointments available in a given week or trying to schedule these in your less busy times. On no account should your longstanding clients feel they can’t see you. These are the people who must be prioritised. Think of all those broadband and insurance offers where new customers get a better deal than those who show loyalty, or companies who routinely send a renewal quote that can be significantly reduced when the customer phones to say they are considering switching to a different provider. Why would you choose to irritate the people who keep your business in profit?

Look at the discounts from similar services on online sites like Wowcher and Groupon as well as any local discount sites. What levels of discount do they offer, the type of service or package being offered and what prices are they asking. If you know any of the therapists offering discounts, or you’re feeling cheeky, get in touch and find out how well the site works for them. There may be lessons to be learned here.

Explain your goals and put a limit on both the number of voucher deals available and the period

of validity. Never rush into discounting because you feel panicked or that you’re not doing as well as a colleague or competitor. Business decisions that are made in a state of panic tend not to be based on a good understanding of the way the numbers stack up or how goals will be achieved and so end in an expensive disaster.

There are other ways to bring in more customers without using discounts. You could offer special treatment bundles, longer sessions, add-ons like a hand or head massage, or more evening availability. You could allocate the same amount of money you planned to give away as discounts to a targeted online ad campaign, or spend the money on posters to put up in local shops, businesses and supermarkets.

Make sure you have a way of tracking your discount offer and how well this works for you. Compare appointment levels with the same period the previous year, or the preceding months of this year, depending on how seasonal your business is. You need to know if discounting is an effective weapon in your marketing armoury. You need to understand what it really costs and the return on your investment. If you find it’s not bringing in the numbers of new clients you planned for for, or if they aren’t becoming regular full-priced clients, it’s time for a rethink.

IS IT TIME TO GET A PR?

Jo Hanby on what to consider before working with a PR…

PRstands for public relations and refers to the strategy of communication between a brand and the public. It can be used to build brand awareness - bringing a brand into the eye of a potential consumer, to maintain a positive image of a brand - encouraging consumers to stay loyal to or switch to the brand. A PR strategy can also be used to respond to any negativity associated with the brand such as telling the brand’s side of the story or implementing a crisis communications plan. There is only so much one person can do outside of the time spent working “in” their business - which means that working “on” your business, with PR and marketing, can slip backwards on your “TO DO” list. Outsourcing your PR and marketing to a dedicated team or a consultant ensures completion and continuity.

How can a PR consultant get you brand awareness?

A PR can work to get your service/product reviewed - the general public love and trust a real and honest review (even if the reviewer isn’t an “influencer”). FOMO (fear or missing out) also comes into play – if your audience is seeing your brand or service talked about in the media, they will want to try it themselves.

PR consultants can elevate the consumer’s perception of their client, positioning them as an “expert” who can offer tips and advice shows your potential

customers why they should use you rather than someone else.

Getting to know the brand and the people behind it

PR consultants can show the public the people behind the brand, with real-life stories, features and interviews, or by adding some comments from their client. They will be aware of requests for stories that may fit your personal or business experience and can then present a tailored pitch.

PR can be more effective than advertising

Compared to advertising, PR can be significantly cheaper. Even a low budget campaign can offer great results, and local and/or national coverage can be gained for a very reasonable monthly sum. Every client varies – your consultant will be able to give you a realistic overview once they understand you and your brand and know your goals.

Let me provide an example. Many years ago, when I owned a media agency offering website, design and print, I was featured in an article about businesses owned by couples who were in a relationship too. It was published in a very well-known national women’s weekly magazine. A few weeks later I was contacted by an English lady who lived in France with her French husband. They needed a website revamp and some design work. She said she wanted to use us as she liked the

article and identified with us as a couple who owned a business!

This is an example of why editorial works – the consumer resonated with us and our interview. She got to know a little about us, to like and feel a sense of trust towards the brand and the people behind it, without feeling “sold” to.

If I had taken an advert out, would this lady have got the same impression and feeling about working with us, as she did from reading the editorial feature and seeing the faces behind the brand?

I doubt it. Also, the price of a half page of advertising in this magazine cost thousands, yet I didn’t pay anything. Fortunately, the journalist called me, after seeing my marketing of the business.

Getting your pitch to stand out

PR consultants tell the media about you and your brand. They can talk to trade, national or local press, as well as relevant online media. PR consultants know what the media are looking for and can craft copy that reads well and meets the pitch requirements. Journalists work on deadlines so will often dismiss emails that haven’t got the correct info and assets, aren’t supplied in their preferred format or arrived too late.

Choosing a PR

Your PR consultant should have a good understanding of you, your brand and your goals and make you feel that your business and its success is important to them too.

A good PR consultant will take the time to form a relationship with relevant media for their client, will be quick to respond to both media and client, and give the media what they need, in good time.

PR consultants have media contacts they know and trust and the relationship works both ways. When a PR has built up a

professional reputation, their media contacts are more likely to work with them again and actually open their email pitch, because they know the PR provides pitches that feature people and news that are right for the media’s target audience.

Your budget might dictate the type of PR consultant you work with. A smaller agency or sole PR consultant may be more flexible to your needs if you are a micro business or sole practitioner. You may be able to negotiate shorter retainers, perhaps seasonal contracts, or even flexible allocation of hours each month.

You could get a more personal service as you are dealing with the same consultant, rather than working with a team at a bigger agency.

Be clear on what you want

It is important that your PR consultant is clear on what you want from a campaign or any ongoing work, but do be realistic. Also, be aware that they cannot guarantee coverage nor what is printed and when, as they don’t have control over what the media will publish.

Don’t forget, if you only work with your PR for a few weeks, they may not be able to show

you much coverage, as often the results are yet to come. Media work weeks, and often many months ahead.

How to avoid mistakes

Ensure your PR has the correct information and assets, such as images or video. Carefully check copy they prepare on your behalf before you sign it off – the shine and feelgood glow from a fantastic piece of coverage could be dulled if there are errors within the feature. Check copyright on photos that the right photos are being used and any dates or statements are correct.

Using a PR can be a great, cost-effective way of getting your business story out to a great number of potential customers, enhancing your reputation and expertise and bringing in more clients.

JO HANBY has 20 years’ experience in running businesses in various sectors, including beauty and holistic therapies. She is a Reiki Master Practitioner/Teacher, Master NLP Practitioner and Spiritual Life Coach. Jo also supports small businesses with marketing, PR and business coaching. Contact jo@getyourbizseen.com

It is important that your PR consultant is clear on what you want from a campaign or any ongoing work, but do be realistic.

MEET THE MAKER DAMIEN ADLER

built a busy group private practice, where I first discovered my passion for utilising technology to make life easier for health practitioners.

It was gratifying work because people with significant, long-term mental health problems can sometimes lose hope, so it was great being able to help people regain their confidence and drive.

Once my wife and opened our private psychology practice, I worked four days a week in the practice providing psychological treatment to individuals and couples and one day a week working building our team, processes and referral base. Client presentations are mostly commonly related to depression, anxiety, self-esteem and confidence, and relationship issues.

I would also work with people to enhance their performance and achieve professional goals, mainly using Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) and Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). I found it particularly rewarding to work with young to middle-aged males in male-dominated industries like construction, mechanics, factor workers etc. This was a historically hard-to-reach population who sometimes held stigmatising views on mental health or seeing a psychologist. It was wonderful to see this change over time, and to see increasing numbers of males being referred to our clinic, and also to find out a current or former client had referred them.

Power Diary was born!

The combination of Paul’s experience and my own experience from a health practitioner’s point of view was an excellent combination to develop a product that brought technology and security together with the operation of a health practice.

When COVID hit, the needs of our users changed over a very short period of time. This included needing new features such as telehealth, online forms, and credit card processing, as well as requiring more support from our Customer Team.

I’m proud that we could rise to the occasion and meet these needs, but it was a challenging time as we had to scale several areas of Power Diary simultaneously. It was well worth it, though, and as is often the case when the pressure is on, we have come out the other side stronger and with better systems in place.

Power Diary has grown, I have had to learn to become much better at delegating.

The focus should always be on doing the things that provide the most value to the business. These are the things you are in the best position to do, i.e. set strategy and vision etc. With hindsight, I realised I should have delegated more and earlier.

When I’m not at work, I enjoy mountain biking, gardening, pretending to be a handyman, and exploring near and far with my wife and my nine-year-old daughter. My daughter also took up horseback riding a couple of years ago, and after watching her have a lot of fun, I recently decided to get in on the action and start riding myself. I’m enjoying learning a new skill, and it’s a great, and sometimes scary, way to get out of my head and shift gears.

If I have one piece of advice to offer others, it’s that persistence is vital. It’s an essential ingredient of any form of success. Often, the difference between those who do well and achieve the things they want to do and those who don’t comes back to persistence. It’s not about ideas- ideas are relatively plentiful. It’s persistence and the ability to keep going if you have a setback. That’s the difference. If you’re having a hard time with something and feeling stuck, keep pushing. The people who persist come out ahead.

I’VE been a registered psychologist in Australia since 2003 and have a background in health administration, previously holding senior positions in the public health sector. My wife, who is also a psychologist and

I began my career working in the public mental health system. My job involved providing psychological treatment to a caseload of clients with significant mental health issues. I would work with the clients and their families to help them understand and manage their illnesses effectively. The focus of treatment was to assist clients in minimising the negative impact of their condition and helping them achieve their life goals.

Once we opened our private practice, I quickly saw that there were many inefficiencies and administrative overhead inherent in operating health businesses. I expect that’s familiar to most Holistic Therapist readers. Seeing clients and providing health services turned out to be the easiest part! Managing the client records, treatment notes, invoicing and payments, insurance claims, referrals, correspondence, and all the other paperwork was zapping too much energy, time and money! We also realised that this would get worse as we grew the practice. Despite looking everywhere, was surprised that there weren’t any really good solutions on the market then. To cut a long story short, my brother Paul, a technology specialist, and I decided to build a product that would meet the needs of health practitioners. From there,

Power Diary started out special from the beginning because of the ideal combination of Paul’s tech skills and my own skills and perspectives. I had first-hand experience and insight into what pain points we needed to solve in private practice, and Paul had a strong background in technology and development.

From these humble beginnings, Power Diary has grown to be what it is today because of the wonderful engagement and contribution from our customers and team members worldwide. It feels like a collaborative project that has grown to have a life of its own. Everyone involved really cares, and that’s special to me.

As Power Diary has grown, I have had to learn to become much better at delegating. It is simply impossible to do all things well and at scale. And even if you can do a particular task well, that doesn’t mean you should do it if other people could do it for you instead.

Over the next few years, I want to continue to grow Power Diary and help more health practitioners free themselves of the administrative pains of private practice, and do more of what’s most important. I’ll never get tired of seeing the difference Power Diary makes in practitioners’ lives. On a more personal level, I’m looking forward to resuming our pre-COVID travel habits. We used to get overseas at least once a year which I really enjoyed. There is something about getting a long way away that I find helps me reflect and gain perspective, which haven’t been able to replicate with closer-to-home breaks. Oh, and I’d also like to learn to ride well enough so that I am not always left in my daughter’s dust! n

You can find out more about PowerDiary at www. powerdiary.com, explore Power Talks webinars: www.powerdiary.com/ webinars/ or listen to The Practice Power Up Podcast: www.powerdiary. com/podcasts/

Psychologist turned software maker Damien Adler knows a thing or two about making businesses run smoothly…

JOURNEYS: JOURNEYS:

AntoniaBeamish

Kinesiologist Antonia Beamish shares her path…

LIKE most of us, didn’t set out in life to become a holistic therapist, I fell headfirst into it. It’s only when you look back that you can see all the dots that connect together. At the time, none of those dots made sense to me!

The seed was sown after seeing a homeopath when I was younger. remember is being in a warm space, being looked after, and thinking that this would be a lovely way to spend my time. Years later, I began to explore the world of holistic therapy, looking for the one thing that felt like home. finally landed on Kinesiology. I fell in love with the way it used muscle testing to communicate with the body’s intelligence and reveal the answers.

I started my career in market research. However, the constraints of the corporate world and lack of passion didn’t suit me, so I moved into the wellbeing space where I worked for a boutique fitness company. After four years, I succumbed to severe burnout, leading me to Kinesiology and setting in motion an incredible chain of events that led me to where I am today.

One of my main challenges is that getting up and running takes another level of courage and confidence that has taken me several years to build. After we qualify we’re all so freshly enthused and impatient to share what we’ve learnt with the world that we forget to take our time. Confidence means

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having trust in what you’re doing and trust comes with time and patience. I found mine through lots of regular treatment swaps with other Kinesiologists, being patient with myself and working on my selfesteem on a continual basis. We also forget that we’re allowed to enjoy the journey! We never want to let our anxiety or fear overtake the joy that we feel from doing what we love.

now recognise that there’s certain themes, or challenges, that thread through my life. One of the main ones is my self-esteem. I’m continually unfolding the layers to understand who I am, at my core, and heal the parts of me that don’t feel good enough to follow my heart’s desires. It’s so easy in this world to look to the left and right and see other people seemingly doing better than us, so I often have to pull myself out of comparison and back into trust that my life is unfolding exactly as it’s meant to, even if it looks a little different to others.

Writing is a real passion of mine. I write a blog, centered on the themes of living a life of courage over fear. I’d love to write a book. I also hope to build from my Kinesiology foundation course and start helping people on a wider scale to heal that core self-esteem wound that so many of us have. There’s so many things I’m passionate about but, like the dots that led me to Kinesiology, I’m sure they’ll start making sense soon!

There is something beautiful that I’ve learned recently and it’s simply this; life picks up when you pick yourself up. By taking responsibility for our lives, rather than blaming the external, we shift from being powerless victims to empowered creators. Taking responsibility doesn’t mean judging or punishing ourselves for the situation we’ve found ourselves in, it means having deep awareness and self-compassion. Loving ourselves when we’re struggling is so powerful. When you do this, things really start to shift and change, and it’s just wonderful to experience. n

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I now recognise that there’s certain themes, or challenges, that thread through my life.

SHAPING

YOUR SUCCESS

four wellness dimensions. Demand was particularly high amongst millennials and Gen Z.

Key trend 1: Consumers are tired of greenwashing

McKinsey’s survey suggests that US consumers are becoming less interested in products labelled as ‘natural’ and in concepts such as ‘clean eating’ and ‘clean beauty’. This obviously impacts on those whose services fit in the better nutrition and better appearance categories. McKinsey suggest these terms have been overused and often subject to greenwashing, though the cost of living crisis may also be having an impact on the sales of organic food and beauty products which may be perceived as more expensive. This makes it important to differentiate your products and services from those of competitors and offer educational reassurance that you are not simply greenwashing.

Key trend 2: Personalisation is increasingly popular

Aside from medical conditions and chronic pain, stress, anxiety, urban living conditions, poor nutrition, lack of routine and the use of screen devices can all contribute to poor sleep. McKinsey see this as the area with the greatest unmet need, so holistic treatments that are designed to improve sleep – from herbal medicines and mindfulness to yoga for sleep, sleep retreats, soporific and relaxing bodywork and digital detoxes are all areas of potential demand.

Key trend 4: Corporate wellbeing

In the US, there’s an increasing sense that corporations almost own their employees. They expect them to be available outwith working hours, to give up family events to cover shifts for absent colleagues and, generally, their health insurance is tied to their employment, so businesses have considerably more control over their employees than UK or European businesses. Even here, corporate wellbeing can involve monitoring mental wellbeing and physical health, but not always for supportive reasons.

to this segment, such as tapping influencers or celebrities for marketing campaigns or working with social media channels such as TikTok or Instagram. Although TikTok is associated with younger 14-25 age groups, the heaviest consumers tend to come from the 25-34 age bracket.

Key trend 6: Changing priorities

research and consulting giant McKinsey have published The Future of Wellness, which drew on 2000 surveys to show that consumers consider there are six dimensions of health and wellbeing. These are: Better health, better fitness, better nutrition, better appearance, better mindfulness and

USbetter sleep. McKinsey note that consumers tend to think about all six dimensions holistically, looking for solutions that will help with several areas at once. It’s also true that not every consumer, even those with identical socio-demographic backgrounds, will place the same emphasis on each dimension. Some people may have their mental wellbeing and sleep sorted, but want to improve their nutrition, fitness and appearance, for example.

The exact mix will depend on the type of holistic therapy you offer to clients. Sports massage specialists should emphasise that their treatments offer better fitness and health with additional benefits in the other categories. Someone offering a vegan mindfulness retreat should emphasise better nutrition, better mindfulness and, again, the fact that this could lead to better sleep, better health and better health, and hence better appearance. Once of the most interesting conclusions McKinsey reached was that consumers felt their needs were unmet, suggesting there is untapped demand for more targeted services and products that fit well with consumer trends. Around 37% of surveyed consumers expressed a desire for additional products and services in both the sleep and mindfulness segments, with almost a third of customers wanting more across the remaining

Bespoke products, from cars to tailoring, used to be the province of the wealthy, but now consumers are increasingly expecting bespoke wellbeing products and services. McKinsey notes that this phenomenon is particularly strong among millennials and Gen Z, of whom 49% and 37%, respectively, expressed a strong preference for products, services, or apps that personalise their experience. Personalised blends of supplements, individual aromatherapy blends or massage oils, bespoke aftercare and individual nutrition and exercise plans all fit into this trend.

Key trend 3: Poor sleep is becoming big business

Sleeping well is a prerequisite for good health and mental wellbeing, but this is unachievable for many people. It has been suggested that 31% of UK adults have, or are currently, experiencing insomnia and over 60% of adults globally have poor sleep quality. It’s an area where the NHS can do little to help, as there are very few sleep clinics across the country and drugs may add to the problem in the long term.

McKinsey’s researchers noted that since the start of the pandemic, there’s been an influx of wellbeing-related employee benefits. To remain ahead of this curve, McKinsey suggests exploring corporate partnerships that enable them to offer their products and services as part of staff wellness programmes – itself a growing segment. Provided that employee privacy is observed, particularly in cases of mental illness or where physical issues could make redundancy more likely, it could be worth contacting local employers to discuss opportunities to provide wellbeing services to their staff.

Key trend 5: Millennials splash the cash

McKinsey’s survey results show that US millennials – those born from 1981 to 1996 – place more priority on their health and fitness than other generations. Again, the US healthcare system may be a factor here. Millennials were more frequent purchasers of wellness products than any other generation.

McKinsey notes that companies should invest in marketing that’s tailored to appeal

One of the main consumer trends to come out of the pandemic and the cost of living crisis that we’re currently experiencing is a shift in spending priorities. This appears to be a long term shift, rather than a temporary retrenchment. There’s now more interest in concepts like Buy It for Life, which sees consumers spending more to purchase goods that will last for years rather than require replacement after a few months or years of use. Cast iron cookware, traditionally made sturdy boots and dishwashers which promise to last twenty years all exemplify this trend. Consumers are trading down on some things and spending more on special items. So, discount supermarkets like Lidl and Aldi benefit, as do second-hand marketplaces like Vinted.com. At the same time, people are eating out less and reducing the number of streaming services they pay for in order to spend a little more on items that make their life better.

Holistic therapists can either choose to market themselves as an essential service or as a more luxurious experience, depending on the type of therapy offered and clientbase serviced. Consider offering a mix of core treatments and some more bespoke packages for those seeking a special experience.

A note of warning

Keep in mind that these trends were based on US consumers. While some may well translate directly into the UK market, others will change to suit British consumers. Think about the trends you see amongst your own customer base and how you can adapt to meet emerging needs.

Understanding what your customers will want in future can help you create a stronger business and ensure you offer the services that will be in demand. Here’s our pick of the latest health and wellbeing trends that will shape your success…

HEALTH AND THE COST OF LIVING CRISIS

Last year, 50,000 more people died in the UK than in a normal year. That’s the biggest number of excess deaths since 1951, if we discount deaths during the pandemic. Factors such as NHS understaffing, considerable delays in hospital treatments, a shortage of social care places and rising costs of fuel and food mean that it’s not going to improve anytime soon. So what can we do about it?

How the numbers stack up 650,000 people died in the UK last year. That’s 50,000 more than in an average year. The Office of National Statistics figures for England and Wales from March 2020 and December 2021 show that the total number of non-COVID excess deaths was 133,629. The Scottish and Northern Irish figures are not yet available, but are expected to follow a similar pattern.

Many of these deaths need not have occurred. Over 7000 were as a result of conditions associated with old-age and frailty, over 3000 were from cirrhosis and other liver diseases and almost 2700 from diabetes complications. For men, ischemic heart disease was the leading cause. Those aged 70-74 had the highest number of excess deaths, up 4.4% on the previous five year average, while the death rate for those over 80 rose by 43.4%, accounting for 2381 excess deaths.

Most of these octogenarian deaths were women, simply because more women than men live in to their eighties. The number of excess deaths that occurred at home was up by a third to 75,668, suggesting that many who might have survived if admitted to hospital, never made it there. At the other end of the age spectrum, for those aged one to nineteen, the numbers of excess deaths are much lower and the causes of death tend to be related to violence and mental illness. Poor nutrition, poor housing, fuel poverty, urban air pollution and rural deprivation all play a part in the excess death figures being

independent benefit checkers you can use. Moneysavingexpert.com is a good place to start. It’ll take about 10 minutes and is both anonymous and confidential. It doesn’t cover all eventualities, but serves as a guide to which benefits you may be entitled to and where to get more information. Find it at https:// moneysavingexpert.entitledto.co.uk/home/start

While some benefits are means tested, others are not. Entitledto.co.uk reckons that around £16 billion in means tested benefits alone is going unclaimed. That’s seven and a half million households who are not receiving money

across the UK say they provided 1.3 million emergency food parcels between March and September 2022. In general, foodbanks provide supplies for those who have been referred by social work or other organisations and are for those most in need.

Food insecurity is compounded by a lack of access to fresh food and sometimes by the ability, equipment and money to be able to cook from scratch.

If you’re helping a friend or family member, or need help yourself, it’s worth checking whether you have a local community larder. This is an organisation which redistributes food that is surplus to requirements or that’s donated by food retailers and local people. You don’t need to be referred by social services and everyone is welcome to take what they need for free or donate what they can. Many also supply toiletries and welcome donations in cash or goods if you can afford to help.

Useful apps

higher amongst the poorest people and areas compared to better off locations. Those living in the worst areas of multiple deprivation die a decade sooner than those in the least deprived areas of the county.

A practical approach

You may well have friends, relatives or clients who find themselves at increased risk of suffering serious illness due to their housing or financial circumstances. Many are faced with a choice of heating or eating. This all adds to stress, increasing levels of anxiety and depression and physical illness. It’s a situation that feeds off itself, growing worse over time. Given that so few holistic therapists make an above average salary and the costs associated with running a practice are rising so quickly, you may even find yourself becoming physically run-down and mentally worn out by the day to day financial struggle that 2023 has brought to many of us. We know that health and mental wellbeing are tied to a complex array of socioeconomic circumstances. It can be a delicate topic, particularly if you are dealing with a proud and stubborn elderly person, but start by checking whether the person you are trying to help is entitled to any benefits that they may not be claiming. There are a number of

that they are entitled to. It could make a huge difference to all aspects of someone’s life, health and wellbeing. Some of the commonest not being claimed are discounts on council tax for living alone or having someone in the home with certain conditions like dementia or Parkinson’s disease, Pension Credits and Attendance Allowance for those who need help with care. Attendance Allowance is not means tested and covers a wide range of conditions including arthritis. The full range of conditions is available at https://www.express. co.uk/finance/personalfinance/1605983/

attendance-allowance-full-ist-56-conditionsqualify-dwp-benefits. The lower level of weekly payment is £61.85 which can be used in any way the recipient likes. Attendance Allowance is a gateway benefit in that recipients are automatically eligible for several other additional benefits like increased fuel allowances. The application process is simple.

Food insecurity

Figures suggest that one in five parents is missing meals in order to ensure their children are fed. This rises in the case of single parents, who live below the poverty line more often that families with two parents.

The Trussell Trust, who operate foodbanks

Food sharing apps are another idea, particularly if you live in a town or city. Available food – often at or near the sell by date – is listed and you respond and collect if there’s something you’d like. Again, the idea is to prevent food waste, so anything listed is free or at a very reduced price. Popular apps include Too Good To Go where restaurants, cafes and bakeries list leftover food that would otherwise be thrown away. Users can then browse the map for food near them and pick up a ‘magic bag’ for a fraction of the original retail cost. Registration to the app is free and users can specify their dietary requirements. Karma is similar, but users can see what they are getting. Olio is a neighbourhood food sharing app where neighbours to share unwanted food and other items, all for free. Olio volunteers also collect and distribute surplus food from supermarkets. Apps like NoWaste and Nosh can be used to track what you’ve bought and their expiry dates, plan menus and shopping lists and save a lot of time and money. KItche is another useful app if you’re trying to manage your food budget as it offers thousands of recipe ideas based on what you have in the cupboard. The average family throws out £70 worth of food a month, so using apps like Kitche can help considerably. The main thing is to realise that there may well be help available and that there is no stigma associated with needing a helping hand.

ALL ABOUT COMMON COLD AND FLU

Jordi Mascio of Goldman Labs gets to grips with cold and flu…

COMMON Cold and flu are just a part of life. They aren’t serious illnesses for most of us, but can be harmful if not treated properly.

Understanding the common cold and flu can be a daunting task for anyone. After all, these ailments have similar symptoms but different treatments, making it challenging to determine the best way to combat them.

Common cold

It is a highly virulent and contagious disease caused by several viruses belonging to the family Rhinoviridae. It is an acute viral infection of the upper respiratory channel that can affect adults and children. Common cold symptoms include a frequently runny nose, sore throat, sneezing, coughing, headache, muscle aches, and fatigue.

The common cold is a widespread illness, with epidemiological studies showing that the average adult experiences two to four episodes a year. The common cold incidence is highest among children

aged 5-9 years old, with one study reporting up to 12 episodes in a year.

The common cold causative organisms are rhinovirus, coronavirus, parainfluenza virus, enteroviruses, and respiratory syncytial virus. These viruses are spread mainly by droplets from sneezing or coughing and can also spread through contact with contaminated surfaces or objects.

In the common cold’s pathophysiology, the virus binds to cells in the upper respiratory tract, such as nasal epithelial cells, initiating an inflammatory response. This leads to a cascade of events involving the release of proinflammatory cytokines, increased vascular permeability, and mucus production resulting in the typical symptoms associated with the common cold.

The treatment plan for the common cold is mainly supportive care, as there are currently no antiviral medications available to treat this illness. This includes adequate rest and hydration, overthe-counter medications to relieve symptoms, such as decongestants or antihistamines, and steam inhalation to loosen mucus in the airways.

Prevention of common colds can be achieved through frequent hand washing, avoiding close contact with people who have a cold, avoiding touching the face, avoiding smoke and other air pollutants, and getting the flu shot yearly.

Some complications can occur as a result of a cold, such as bronchitis or pneumonia that require medical attention if they occur. With proper treatment, most people recover from colds without any major problems. However, it is still crucial to be aware of the potential complications that can occur.

Flu

Flu, or Influenza, is a highly contagious respiratory illness caused by various strains of influenza viruses. Its epidemiology varies markedly between different parts of the world and even within regions. Each year, it causes an estimated 3 to 5 million severe cases worldwide and up to 650,000 deaths.

Generally speaking, flu season usually begins in late autumn and lasts through early spring. The incidence of flu increases during these months, and it tends to peak in February or March.

The primary cause of the flu is infection with a type of influenza virus. The four main types are A, B, C, and D. Influenza A viruses are further divided into two important subtypes based on two important proteins on the surface of the virus namely hemagglutinin (H) and neuraminidase (N).

The pathophysiology of influenza is not entirely understood, but it involves a combination of direct viral infection and immune-mediated inflammation. When a person is infected with an influenza virus, their body releases cytokines to fight the disease. This activates other immune cells, such as macrophages and neutrophils, releasing additional inflammatory molecules that can damage tissue. Flu spreads via airborne droplets and via contaminated surfaces.

The treatment plan for flu depends on the severity of symptoms and how quickly treatment is sought after onset. Generally, rest and fluids are recommended, along with overthe-counter medications, to relieve symptoms such as fever and body aches. In more severe cases, antiviral drugs may be prescribed.

Preventing the flu is essential for personal health and safety, as well as helping to prevent the spread of the virus to vulnerable populations. Though there are various ways

and one of the most effective ways to prevent contraction is through the use of preventive medications such as Tamiflu, Relenza, Xofluza, or Rapivab. These antiviral drugs reduce the risk of getting infected with the flu by up to 80%. Additionally, regular handwashing, avoiding close contact with people who are unwell, and disinfecting commonly used surfaces can help keep you and your family safe during flu season. Vaccinations remain one of the best methods for preventing both seasonal and pandemic influenza viruses. Getting vaccinated yearly helps protect against strains that may cause serious illness or even death in high-risk individuals.

diet and supplementation. Fruits such as oranges and vegetables like broccoli are excellent sources of vitamin C; other good options include bell peppers, strawberries, papaya, and kale. Taking 500-1000mg daily can be beneficial for those looking to boost their immunity.

Vitamin D - Vitamin D helps us protect against respiratory infections, such as colds and flu. Those with low levels of vitamin D fare worse during cold and flu season. Additionally, it’s believed that vitamin D helps regulate our T-cells, which are important components of the immune system that help fight off invading bacteria and viruses. Fortunately, there are plenty of natural sources of vitamin D - like sunlight, oily fish, some mushrooms, dairy foods, and fortified breakfast cereals - so we can easily add this essential micronutrient to our diets. It’s definitely worth taking the time to ensure your diet contains sufficient vitamin D for optimal immunity.

Complications from the flu can include pneumonia, dehydration, and ear infections. People at high risk for complications from the flu include young children, elderly adults, pregnant women, and people with chronic medical conditions.

Immune boosters

Immune boosters such as vitamins C, D, and glutathione can play a significant role in managing and preventing the common cold and flu.

Vitamin C - Vitamin C is an essential nutrient and plays a major role in immune health. It helps the body produce antiviral proteins to fight off infections and increases the number of white blood cells which attack pathogens. Vitamin C also reduces oxidative stress, which can weaken immune response. Studies have indicated that taking supplemental vitamin C may both reduce the duration of cold symptoms and reduce the overall frequency of illnesses. For maximum benefit, it’s important to get enough vitamin C through

Glutathione - Glutathione is an important antioxidant that plays a critical role in maintaining good health and boosting our immunity. It works to protect our cells from free radical damage, as well as help to break down toxins so that our bodies can more effectively eliminate them. Research suggests that people with higher levels of glutathione are less likely to get sick and can even heal faster from illnesses. Additionally, this molecule stimulates the production of white blood cells and other immune system cells, reducing the risk of infection or illness and improving overall immunity. n

JORDI MASCIO has more than 15 years’ experience in the Bio Medical industry both in highly technical positions and in distribution and managing roles. He holds an MSc in Bio Medical engineering and an MSc in Molecular Physics. He provides courses and seminars on liposomes and innovative molecules to many practitioners around Europe. Find out more at www.goldmanlaboratories.com.

Preventing the flu is essential for personal health and safety, as well as helping to prevent the spread of the virus to vulnerable populations.

CAN DIETARY SUPPLEMENTS SLOW

BIOLOGICAL AGEING IN HUMANS?

Nutritionist

LAST year, the UK’s Office of National Statistics reported an incredible 63,000 excess winter deaths (EWD) in their latest figures. This is the number of people dying in the winter that is in excess of the number who died in the summer of the same year. Older people become more susceptible to illness and death during the colder winter months because their ageing immune systems mean that winter viruses take a greater toll on their respiratory and cardiovascular health. A newly published study has found that when elderly people take certain supplements (specifically CoQ10 and selenium) this may reduce their biological age; and that this may reduce the risk of dying, especially from cardiovascular disease (Nutrients. 2022 Aug 15;14(16):3346).

What do we mean by biological age?

Living to 100 is a goal held by many; and happily, the number of years we spend alive has increased in recent times, mainly due to medical advances. But what’s of more interest is how many of those years are spent in good health. This is more associated with biological age. Our biological age can be measured through a combination of various functional and laboratory tests that reveal the health of our cells, tissues and organs. Using such data, one person may have a body and brain that is deemed healthier (less ‘worn out’) than another person of the same chronological age. If our cells and body systems are in better condition than the average for our chronological age, we are said to have a younger biological age. To get a healthier

quality of life in our later years, including a lower risk of death or serious harm from winter bugs, we need to aim for a younger biological age.

Ageing and telomeres

One of the laboratory measurements that scientists are using to determine biological age is that of ‘telomere length’. Telomeres are the protective caps that cover the tails of the chromosomes that house our DNA. (They are often likened to the plastic tips that sit at the ends of shoelaces to protect them from fraying.) Every time our cells divide, these telomeres get a bit shorter and scientists have worked out that the faster our telomeres are shortening, the older our biological age. When telomeres become too short, the DNA becomes prone to damage, causing the cells to

become senescent, no longer able to divide. This leaves us prone to diseases, especially cardiovascular and immune system problems.

What causes telomeres to shorten?

Telomere shortening is a life-long process and tends to speed up in the presence of obesity, significant psychological stress and lifestyle practices like smoking and excessive alcohol consumption (J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2011 Jul;66(7):815-20, Eur J Epidemiol. 2012 Oct;27(10):81522, Biol Psychiatry. 2011 Sep 1;70(5):465-71.)

What may help telomeres to maintain their length?

Some cells produce an enzyme that triggers telomeres to re-lengthen. This enzyme is called telomerase. Scientists are keen to identify factors that can stimulate telomerase, with the aim of delaying the ageing process and associated diseases.

Lifestyle practices such as good sleep and a healthy level of exercise may help. And now a new study has shown that the mineral selenium and the vitamin-like compound coenzyme Q10 are able to protect telomeres from shortening too quickly, helping cells to remain ‘younger’ (Nutrients. 2022 Aug 15;14(16):3346.)

Increased telomere length with CoQ10 and selenium

In this recent study, published in the journal Nutrients, 118 elderly healthy men and women were supplemented with either a combination of selenium (200mcg) and coenzyme Q10 (200mg) or placebo. At the end of the 3.5 year study period, it was clear that the participants receiving the two active supplements had longer telomeres than the participants in the group that got the placebo pills. In other words, taking the CoQ10 and selenium extended the expiry date of the

cells, which in turn could have a significant impact on the speed of biological ageing.

Translated into reduced risk of mortality

This study was undertaken by analyzing blood samples that the team of scientists had already taken from their earlier study, known as the KiSel-10 study, published in 2013.

KiSel-10 studied 443 elderly participants over a five-year period and concluded that the participants taking the selenium and coenzyme Q10 had a 54% lower cardiovascular mortality rate compared with the placebo group.

(As cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in old age, these findings sparked a quest to find a mechanism by which selenium and Q10 could so significantly reduce the rate of mortality. So they set about analysing the huge number of blood samples they’d collected and were in deep freeze storage.)

Amazingly, this new study found that that the participants who were more likely to have survived ten years after the original KiSel-10 trial, had longer telomeres at the end of the 3.5 years of supplementing the selenium and CoQ10.

The scientists hope to use their findings to help elderly individuals stay healthy to a ripe old age.

Why is this study so important?

There are many studies showing the benefits of supplemental nutrients like CoQ10 and selenium in curbing ageing in cells in laboratory conditions. This new study is important because it has demonstrated that these supplements can slow biological ageing in human beings living in the real world. So it shows that the supplements were welltolerated, were absorbed from the human gut

and were able to get inside cells to exert their positive action, helping elderly individuals stay healthy for longer.

Do you have sufficient CoQ10 and selenium?

Selenium is an essential mineral needed for antioxidant and other crucial roles in the human body. The average selenium intake in the UK and large parts of Europe is relatively low because there is little selenium in the agricultural soil compared with other parts of the world. Studies show that we need more than 100mcg of selenium daily but the average intake is less than half of that (Front Nutr. 2018 Jul 19;5:55).

Coenzyme Q10 is a vitamin-like substance that is used in the mitochondria for energy production and to protect against oxidative stress. Most of the body’s CoQ10 requirements are met by endogenous synthesis but the capacity for CoQ10 production decreases substantially with increasing age (Adv Exp Med Biol. 2019;1178:103-112), meaning that organs can suffer unless we look to supporting healthy levels.

Hence, with the new data evidencing these molecules’ powerful contribution to telomere length and healthy ageing, it has perhaps never been more important for each and every one of us to consider whether our CoQ10 and selenium status is optimal. And with the onset of the cold winter months that are associated with a greater risk of respiratory and cardiovascular deaths, now could be the time to make this a priority. n

i

LORRAINE NICOLLE

MSc (Nutr.) is a Registered Nutritionist (BANT) in practice for 19 years.

Lorraine teaches nutrition on university degree courses; and also delivers CPD courses and mentoring to practitioners.

Lorraine Nicolle stakes a look at the effect of CoQ10 and selenium on biological aging…

SATURN IN PISCES

Astrological heavyweight Saturn moves in to Pisces from March and remains in the sign of the fishes until February 2026. LunaClair considers what this will mean…

SATURN, the lord of time, brings difficult days and long life lessons wherever it goes. In March, Saturn will leave Aquarius, his own sign for a good 27-28 years, and move into Pisces, the last constellation. With that, Saturn will have done a full circle in the zodiac, so its ingress to this watery, sensitive sign marks a time when we need to withdraw and bring order to the chaos. Saturn teaches us limits, brings responsibility and the ultimate goal is to create shape, structure and strong foundation for manifesting in the material world.

What happens when you have Saturn in Pisces on your plate? What changes on the menu for you in 2023-2026? To have a clearer picture of this confusing time I advise you read this for your ascendant. You can discover your ascendant at www.lunaclair. com/calculate-your-chart

Aries

Saturn will activate your area of retreats, behind the scenes, faraway lands over the ocean. Saturn delivers extremely heavy tests of faith and belief behind the scenes to your subconscious mind. You must deal with the consequences of the thoughts, desires and actions that you’ve engaged in the past, the last 26-27 years. It is time to confront your karma. This is the end of an old cycle, and you must deal with the skeletons in your closet.

education, or seek to broaden your horizons and perspective through travel. However, long distance journeys may be stressful or could come with delays unless they’re undertaken for educational or mind expanding purposes.

Your overall life philosophy, ethics, moral and higher mind will be questioned. Through this process everything that you’ve learnt can be turned into wisdom and a more mature perspective.

Leo

Expect more responsibilities, it might be some time before you settle into this new type of work situation.

Scorpio

Taurus

Having moved in to your area of long term goal and wishes, tribes, society and benefactors it’ll test your faith and beliefs amongst your groups and will bring a variety of lessons to master this topic.

Saturn wants to eliminate everything that is inauthentic. Fake people will be stripped away from you, old mates that no longer share your sense of purpose are going to vanish. Your friendships and associations may be tested and streamlined.

Gemini

When the lord of time and discipline enters the achievement area, you are challenged to prove yourself and discover what success means to you. Saturn focuses your attention on your ambitions, your role in society, how much authority you have and the work structure you’re using to attain your goals. Your faith, beliefs are going to be tested against reality. It will depend on your age and what you’ve achieved so far how you’ll respond to the call.

Cancer

This transit is good for learning, studying and deepening your understanding of life. You might enter higher

You might be called to put effort into managing other people’s resources. Saturn’s restrictive nature could bring some harsh lessons in the themes of joint accounts, investments. Limitations around the cash-flow or lack of emotional support from partners may arise. An old tax issue could be asked to be dealt with. An old psychological problem can emerge and you finally decide to visit a shrink. It is time to eliminate hidden, emotional and psychological blocks that are deeply rooted in the past.

Virgo

During Saturn in Pisces, there might be some demands, ultimatums or rules that are imposed on you by another person, which is most likely your partner, but could be your business partner, or clients. Lessons such as becoming more responsible, mature, disciplined, hardworking are coming from those people, with heavy handed responses. Someone will be pushing you to apply yourself, to be accountable, responsibilities in your relationship may increase. It is very good for business, but can be draining, strenuous especially for personal relationships.

Libra

Saturn’s transit through Pisces opens up new opportunities to master the area of work, daily duties and health. You are going to start putting order in your life. Saturn is going to increase your workload. There will be an opportunity for you to start a new job with this new cycle. It won’t be easy, but you will have the perseverance you need.

Saturn blocks the inspirational area of your chart and denies access to having fun, because of outer restrictions or heavy responsibilities. It cuts you off from the joy of life and your aura that was shining before, might be dim a little, the heart chakra closes somewhat. Romantic experiences could be lacking, or be more painful, delayed, dry. You need to be ok with less time to spend with romance, accept more regulated love and more responsibility around children.

Sagittarius

Saturn in Pisces is going to introduce responsibilities, restrictions, rules and regulations, repetitive mundane activities in the area of your home, family, property, the feeling of safety and inner security. Your feelings are a bit more pinched, you are emotionally less expressive. You might feel a bit withdrawn, heavy or even lonely sometimes within the family. It may appear as though you don’t have much support at home, or that you have to work very hard. This can sometimes escalate problems within family members.

in the area of communication. You might learn a skill, something to do with your hand, such as writing or hand craft. It could be a communicative expertise that you will master, such as social media or editing websites.

Aquarius

Capricorn

Saturn wants you to restructure your skills, master your thoughts, to up level your communication. But he often does that through giving you lots of work and testing your knowhow. By the end of this transit you have very good productive results

Your mood will start to brighten up because Saturn moves out of your sign and gives you a relief, a breather. Now Saturn in Pisces in your area of earning and finance will test your values. You will be working hard on your dreams, choosing spiritual ways, relying on your intuition to create security and safety. This is a chance of making your financial dreams a reality. Spirituality, healing, using your imagination, praying should be all on your agenda when it comes to making money.

Pisces

Saturn will bring a great new beginning, a brand new cycle to your life which only happens every 27-28 years, where your

life direction and your path of life changes. These new beginnings however won’t be as easy and with discipline they have to come through your own repeated efforts. Saturn will open doors for you but it’ll make you work really hard on it. There will be tests. The results however will be long lasting, so choose with good care. n

LunaClair is a teacher, professional astrologer and forever student of eastern philosophies. Her approach to astrology is rooted in ancient tradition but embraces contemporary techniques too. She focuses on allowing the soul’s evolutionary journey through healing and remedial work. Find out more at www.lunaclair.com/

Saturn teaches us limits, brings responsibility and the ultimate goal is to create shape, structure and strong foundation for manifesting in the material world.

zero waste recipies time Crunch

Martyn Odell and Oddbox share some recipes from their new zero-waste cook book…

ANY-VEG RISOTTO

Prep: 20 minutes, Cook time: 30 minutes | Serves 2.

Lots of veg to use up? With a really tasty risotto base on the go, you’re free to chop up and chuck in a little bit of anything you fancy. We’ve included leek and courgette on the ingredients list, but fennel, kale, squash and spinach work just as well. If you’re batch-cooking, try taking out freezable portions while the rice is slightly undercooked. That way, when you reheat it with a glug of stock, you’ll end up with perfectly cooked rice with a bit of bite.

until it’s absorbed. Keep going until all the stock is gone.

At the same time, sauté the leek and courgette in another pan with a drizzle of oil and season with salt and pepper. Gently fry for 2–3 minutes or until the veg is tender and lightly caramelised.

Add the veg to the rice, then mix through the cream cheese, peas, herbs, lemon zest and juice. Give everything a good stir and cook for 1–2 minutes, to warm the peas through.

Serve with a salad and crusty bread.

Swaps: No onion? Use shallots, fennel, or leeks. No courgette or leek? Use sliced mushrooms, fennel, asparagus, or finely diced celeriac, parsnips, squash. No peas? Use broad beans, rocket, or baby spinach.

Ingredients

600ml veg stock

60ml olive oil

1 white onion, diced (150g)

3 garlic cloves, grated or sliced

180g Arborio rice

1 leek, thinly sliced (200g)

1 courgette, diced (160g)

100g cream cheese or vegan alternative

150g defrosted garden peas

Handful of fresh basil and parsley

Zest and juice of 1 lemon

Salt and pepper

Method -

Heat the stock in a pan and bring to the boil.

Pour a glug of olive oil into another large saucepan and gently fry the onion for 2–3 minutes. Then add the garlic and fry for a further 1–2 minutes.

Pour the rice into the pan with the onions and garlic and toss it around gently.

Add the stock to the rice pan a ladle at a time, mixing constantly

VEGGIE HASH WITH EGGS

Prep: 5 minutes, Cook time: 15 minutes | Serves 2.

Crispy potatoes for breakfast? Yes please. The beauty of this dish is that you can add almost any veg you like – check the fridge, chop it all up and go wild. (And if you went wild the night before, you won’t find a better meal for

the morning after.) You can even parboil the potatoes in advance, or blanch and refresh the kale (see page 27) if you have guests and want to get ahead.

Ingredients -

1 large potato (450g)

100g kale, chopped 6 chestnut mushrooms (150g)

40ml olive oil, plus extra for frying the eggs

1 tsp smoked paprika

Garlic cloves, thinly sliced 2 eggs

Handful of fresh herbs

Salt and pepper

Method -

Dice the potato into small chunks, skin-on, and drop into boiling water. Cook for 5 minutes, or until the edges are turning soft. Scoop them out and set aside. Blanch the kale for 1–2 minutes, then drain.

Slice the mushrooms in half. Place a frying pan over medium heat and add half the oil, then fry for 4–5 minutes, turning once or twice to add some colour. Season with salt and pepper. (If you move mushrooms about too much they leach liquid and lose their flavour.)

Meanwhile, in a separate large frying pan, heat the remaining oil, add the potatoes and fry for 10–15 minutes. When they’re cooked through and crispy, add the paprika, garlic and kale.

Keep cooking for 1–2 minutes and season with salt and pepper.

Add the mushrooms to the potato and kale mixture.

Meanwhile, pour a little oil into the empty mushroom frying pan and heat over a low to medium heat. Crack the eggs, and gently fry them for 2–3 minutes or until the whites have just set.

Mix any fresh herbs you have (parsley, dill or coriander, for example) through the potato hash, lay your eggs on top and get stuck in.

Swaps: No potatoes? Swap for parsnips, sweet potatoes or celeriac. Swap spinach or a leafy green veg out for the kale. No mushrooms? Use sliced peppers, diced courgettes or diced aubergine.

SMOOSHED-FRUIT MUFFINS

Method -

Prep: 10 minutes, Cook time: 30 minutes | Makes 12.

The joy of these muffins is that you can use any fruit you fancy. Just make sure you cook everything down until you have a nice, soft compote. If you’re baking for a party or brunch, the muffin batter can be kept in the fridge for up to five days, then mixed with the compote just before they go in the oven.

Ingredients

100g blueberries

20g caster sugar

100g any butter, melted

2 large eggs

100ml any yoghurt

125g soft brown sugar

250g self-raising flour

50g oats

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp bicarbonate of soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

Swaps: No blueberries? Use raspberries, blackberries, chopped strawberries, mangoes, apples, pears or a mixture.

Preheat the oven to 180C/160C fan/350F/Gas 4. Pop the blueberries in a saucepan with the sugars and a splash of water and gently heat until they’re soft and sticky. Keep the compote chunky if you prefer, or cook till super smooth. Meanwhile, whisk together the melted, cooled butter with the eggs and yoghurt to make a wet mixture. In another bowl, mix the rest of the ingredients. The pour into the wet ingredients and mix well to make a batter. Gently stir the blueberry compote through the muffin batter to create a ripple effect. Dollop into cupcake cases or a greased muffin tin (fill halfway to the top). Sprinkle a few oats on top. Bake for 15-20 minutes until cooked through, then enjoy. Don’t worry if the mixture goes a funny purple colour when you stir through the compote – it’s just the blueberries doing their thing.

ODDBOX is a UK-based subscription box on a mission to reduce food waste. They work directly with farmers to deliver thousands of boxes of fantastic fruit and vegetables every week, with the community growing bigger and stronger every day. As of 2022, Oddbox saved 25,000 tonnes of oddly shaped and surplus fruit and vegetables. The book is published by Harper Collins and available from bookshops and online retailers.

ENJOY OUR SUBSCRIPTION OFFER

Holistic Therapist Magazine is collectable, and will guide you in business, as well as provide you with stories and features especially for you and your health… so to guarantee your copy delivered to your door each quarter, simply subscribe using the easy payment method on:

NEW NEWFRONTIERS FRONTIERS: RESEARCH ROUND UP

THE LATEST SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH OF INTEREST TO HOLISTIC THERAPISTS AND THEIR CLIENTS…

FERTILITY: SPERM COUNT DECLINES

It may seem strange to be reporting on declining sperm counts when the global population has now gone over 8 billion people, but new studies indicate that men are becoming significantly less fertile. An article in the Journal of Medical Virology suggests that COVID-19 is also expressed especially in the cells of the testicular tissue. A comparative study of 100 men who had contracted and recovered from COVID-19, and 100 men never had COVID-19 showed that sperm concentrations in those who had contracted COVID was significantly lowered. Ref: doi.org/10.1002/jmv.27971

In a separate large-scale study, an Israeli team has shown that global sperm counts have declined by more than half over the past 50 years. The data comes from more than 57,000 men in 53 countries, making it the largest meta-analysis on the subject. The concentration of sperm fell from 101.2 million to 49 million per millilitre of semen. The rate of decline appears to be accelerating, although there is no agreement on the definitive cause.

ENVIRONMENTAL TOXICITY: ANTIBIOTIC RESIDUES IN WATER

Researchers at Sweden’s Karolinska Institutet have discovered that antibiotic residues in wastewater and wastewater treatment plants in the regions around China and India risk contributing to antibiotic resistance, and the drinking water may pose a threat to human health.

China and India are among the world’s largest producers and consumers of antibiotics. 92 different antibiotic residues were detected in the Chinese zone samples and 45 in the South

East Asian sample set.

“Antibiotic residues in wastewater and wastewater treatment plants may serve as hot spots for the development of antibiotic resistance in these regions and pose a potential threat to human health through exposure to different sources of water, including drinking water,” lead researcher Nada Hanna commented. Ref: 10.1016/S2542-5196(22)00254-6

NUTRITION: TIME-RESTRICTED EATING SYNCHRONISES CIRCADIAN RHYTHMS IN MICE

Previous laboratory studies have shown that time restricted eating, such as intermittent fasting, has benefits such as weight loss and increased life-span. Now scientists at the Salk Institute have demonstrated that time-restricted eating influences gene expression across more than 22 regions of the body and brain in mouse experiments. Gene expression is the process through which genes are activated and respond to their environment by creating proteins. The authors found that 70 percent of mouse genes, including 40% of those in the adrenal gland, hypothalamus, and pancreas respond to time-restricted eating, with the result that by changing the timing of food, the researchers were able to change the gene expression not just

in the gut or in the liver, but also in thousands of genes in the brain, changing hormone regulation and the possibility of managing diseases as diverse as stress disorders and diabetes. Ref: 10.1016/j.cmet.2022.12.006

AGING: GOOD HYDRATION LEADS TO BETTER HEALTH

Adults who stay well-hydrated appear to be healthier, develop fewer chronic conditions, such as heart and lung disease, and live longer than those who may not get sufficient fluids, according to a new National Institutes of Health study published in eBioMedicine.

Adults with higher levels of normal serum sodium (above 142 mEq/L) were more likely to show signs of faster biological aging and up to a 64% increased associated risk for developing chronic diseases like heart failure, stroke, atrial fibrillation and peripheral artery disease, as well as chronic lung disease, diabetes, and dementia. Conversely, adults with serum sodium levels between 138-140 mEq/L had the lowest risk of developing chronic disease.

The US National Academies of Medicine suggests that most women should consume 1.5-2.2 litres of fluids daily and men should consume 2-3 litres, including liquids derived for food. Ref: 10.1016/j.ebiom.2022.104404 n

These observations have resulted in a third theory whose proof is in its infancy but which elegantly combines both previous hypotheses. There are indications that Shilajit is a fossil substance and therefore far more ancient, and that the ‘younger’ elements are merely taken on or acquired in the particular location in which it is found. This would also explain the presence of alkaloids from the Euphorbiaceae or spurge plant family in the samples examined in India.

Shilajit Discovering

Wolfgang Windmann introduces Shilajit, an Ayurvedic adaptogen anti-ager and immune booster…

IN its pure form Shilajit is a homogeneously viscous and tar-like mass with a distinctive, smoky and aromatic fragrance. Depending on its geographic origin, it can be yellow, black or brown. The surface is smooth and shiny and its properties depend on the atmospheric humidity. As a powder, it is highly hygroscopic (attracts water) and in its deep-frozen state it is a glass-like, solidified molten mass.

Shilajit is found in the Himalayas and mountain ranges in Central Asia, the Altai Mountains and South

Kazakhstan. It is also found in Afghanistan, Australia, China and even Antarctica. Researchers have offered two theories about the origins of Shilajit, one based on a purely plant origin and the other on a purely animal one. Each theory has its strengths and weaknesses, but while both describe Shilajit exclusively in terms of the substances found within it, neither particularly addresses the formation process.

Formation and composition

Indian scientific publications frequently make use of the term ‘humus’ and the way Shilajit forms is not dissimilar to the process of composting. Common to all deposits are a long and intensive exposure to sunlight and the fact that the air in these regions is particularly clean. Shilajit is almost exclusively found on the southern elevations of mountains (never on northern slopes), and geologists have discovered that it oozes out of rocks only during months of intense heat when temperatures cause a drop in its viscosity and the substance starts to flow from the rock.

On a chemical level Shilajit has an extremely complex composition. The principal ingredients are humic acids and decomposition products and precursors such as fulvine and fullerenes. Fullerenes are very complex chemical compounds that have been shown to occur in fossils and in comets and meteorites. The probe which landed on comet 67P Churyumov-Gerasimenko in 2014 confirmed the presence of fullerenes under the ice of the comet. In this respect, the ancient religious notion of the origins of Shilajit as a substance ‘sent from heaven’ is both quite plausible and fantastical at the same time.

Going way back into Earth’s history, the geological conditions in the area of the Himalayas would have been ideal for the formation of Shilajit, which occurs in much the same way as with crude oil and coal, only with different raw materials. This would also plausibly account for the amounts of Shilajit encountered, which cannot be explained by normal composting, as there is not a corresponding amount of biomass at elevations of up to 4,700m. Furthermore, cross sections of rocks yielding Shilajit have revealed fine capillaries that contain the substance, suggesting that Shilajit does not penetrate into the rock but instead is pushed out from inside by pressure within. The

description of the substance formulated in 1995 as ‘a complex, macromolecular organic/mineral metabolic product of aerobic microorganisms, created through the decomposition process of plant matter, lichens and resins’ seems to be a good compromise as a summary, at least until new research can describe it more precisely and confirm a particular theory.

Traditional uses in folk medicine

Shilajit has long been valued in Ayurvedic medicine and the traditional medicines of the mountainous regions of Central Asia where it occurs. It’s used for building a strong immune system, enhancing cognitive performance, protection from toxic stress, healing inflammation and for its anti-aging benefits. Today, Shilajit is used to treat gastritis and enteritis, broken bones, osteoporosis, immunodeficiency and allergies, haemorrhoids and colds. In traditional folk medicine, it has been used for a wide range of treatments including metabolising mineral deficiency, especially iron, selenium, magnesium, zinc, iodine, potassium, calcium, sulphur, manganese, molybdenum and copper as well as treating impotence and infertility, bronchial problems, gum disease, inflammation of the veins and to improve wound healing.

Scientific studies into Shilajit

Naturally, much of the research into Shilajit has been conducted in India, Germany, China and Russia, with the resultant findings published in those languages. Some research papers refer to Shilajit as Mumia, Mummy, Mumijo, Zhaxun or Zha-xun depending on the researchers’ nationality. There are papers stretching back decades which cover the composition, geological distribution and formation of Shilajit and its uses in various folk medicines. More recent papers have studied its efficacy as an antibacterial and antiviral agent in test-tube studies, explored Shilajit’s use in helping heal fractures and regenerate bone growth and for treating gastric and duodenal ulcers, male

infertility, arthritis in dogs and even Alzheimer’s disease.

Ensuring quality

Good quality can be obtained when the producer manufactures the substance in Europe or the USA, where stricter laws on foodstuff quality are in force. This is not the case for many products imported from India, Pakistan or Russia, countries in which there can be a lack of quality consciousness and/or an emphasis on commercial interests. Products from wellknown Indian firms such as Dabur conform to western standards, which is not always the case with items bought at bazaars with no product description. To ensure product reliability the Shilajit in Germany is always analysed for purity, pesticides and heavy metals. If unsure when making a purchase, always ask questions. Many smaller online merchants may not have the testing facilities to ensure consistent quality.

WOLFGANG WINDMANN, Ph.D., holds a degree in pharmacy and a doctorate in natural sciences from the University of Würzburg. He has been working with Shilajit since 1994 and has twice traveled to Central Asia to study its formation and extraction. He runs a pharmaceutical company with a focus on natural products and lives near Leer in East Frisia, Germany.

Shilajit has long been valued in Ayurvedic medicine and the traditional medicines of the mountainous regions of Central Asia where it occurs.

OOOHHH! THAT’S NEW!

New products designed to make your life that bit better…

PMD Clean Acne

PMD Beauty is known for its awardwinning at home beauty tech devices and their latest is a godsend for those with acne or problem skin. The PMD Clean Acne deeply cleanses the skin with its silicone bristles that are gentle yet thorough. The blue light function on the reverse side is designed to treat and help heal acne and breakouts. In tests, 91% of users said blackheads diminished, with 77% reporting improvements in blemishes and 88% feeling that the appearance of pores was reduced. You can find it at harrods.com or www.uk.pmdbeauty.com with an RRP of £209.

Stoov’s Big Hug

Stoov’s Big Hug XL is a heated chair cover that can also be used as a throw or perhaps on a massage couch. Perfect for knocking up a marketing campaign in your office chair, or keeping a client cosy. They also do some rechargeable huggable heated cushions that work wonders for soothing muscle pains after an overenthusiastic exercise session. The range can be ordered from www.uk.stoov.com

Moonbird

Moonbird is a wonderfully tactile handheld device that offers a natural and effective solution for immediate stress and insomnia relief by using the power of your breath. It’s very intuitive, helping you slow your breathing and increasing relaxation levels in just a few minutes. The inevitable accompanying app offers a range of breathing exercises which involve breathing along to the calming pulsations and biofeedback. With insomnia and poor sleep quality affecting more and more people, this is a great way of reducing feelings of stress or anxiety through gentle breathing exercises that slow down your heart rate and breathing, calming your amygdala and helping reduce feelings of panic. The makers say that it can help you fall asleep 28% quicker and help you stay asleep for 26% longer than usual. £159, available from www.moonbird.life/product/

Massage robot

Admittedly, this is one you probably won’t want to buy, but we thought you should know about anyway. Massage Robotics launched their new MR-01 which uses a pair of robotic arms that come fitted with a variety of attachments designed to provide a customised massage. The machine is voice activated, being able to follow commands to move right and left, and increase or decrease pressure and, hopefully, stop! The company expects the first units to be in use this summer.

Mylee The Mighty Mani Gel Polish Kit

Get perfectly polished with Mylee’s The Mighty Mani Gel Polish Kit. It’s surprisingly easy to create a salon quality, chip-free, glossy gel manicure that lasts for up to three weeks. The kit comes with Mylee’s Pro LED lamp, which can cure gel polish in as little as 15 seconds, four pigmented gel polish colours and everything you’ll need to easily remove your manicure, in as little 10 to 15 minutes, so you can keep trying new looks time and time again. The kit is 100% vegan and cruelty-free. Find it at Boots or www.boots.com for £95

•

Spring reading BOOKSHELF:

Our pick of the best titles for lighter evenings…

Facial Reflexology for Emotional Wellbeing

Alex Scrimgeour’s new title isn’t out till towards the end of June, but it’s worth waiting for. We’re familiar with facial reflexology being used for cosmetic purposes, but Scrimgeour demonstrates how to integrate Vietnamese Dien Chan with Qigong and Chinese medicine as well as recent developments in neuroscience and cognitive science to treat a variety of emotional issues, from anxiety and stress to trauma and PTSD.

The helpful diagrams represent the major Dien Chan facial maps and protocols for working with different emotional states and there are lots of easy self-care techniques that generate immediate effects and how the ability to feel safe, peaceful, and content within your body can in turn transform your perception and experience of the world. There’s also a section on using Dien Chan techniques for spiritual self-development and self-inquiry, complete with nine meditations that combine Dien Chan with Qigong and traditional Eastern meditation practices. RRP £19.88

Super Powered Immunity

We all know that bacteria are becoming increasingly resistant to our arsenal of antibiotic drugs, so other ways to fight off both

viruses and bacterial organisms. In this book, Dr. Michelle Schoffro Cook takes a natural approach, providing natural remedies against viruses and superbugs and supercharging the body’s immune system. Looking at the role of the digestive system and the microbiome in a healthy immune system, she discusses probiotics and specific foods that boost immunity, as well as foods common in the modern diet that can temporarily put the immune system out of commission. She also has chapters on essential oils, herbs, mushrooms, minerals and supplements. RRP13.52

Hagitude

We’re still in two minds about the title, because hag is such a loaded word, but Sharon Blackie’s book is a powerful guide for women over fifty who aren’t willing to fade to invisibility. It’s an uplifting guide to making your maturity a dynamic and exciting time of life, filled with new possibilities and freedoms. Blackie draws on everything from mythology and archetypes to modern exemplars to provide wisdom and inspiration.

Hagitude is about grasping the opportunity to be your most powerful authentic self. Maybe we shouldn’t need to wait till fifty to learn how to do so. RRP £16.99

Become the Fire

Elisa Schmitz’s new title is about overcoming the obstacles that can especially block the progress of women and BIPOC and

finding your way to self-defined success. She uses the metaphor of fire, not as a consuming or destructive power, but as a wat to ignite your motivation and drive, passion, and grit. She offers lessons on how to read whatever situation you are in, becoming visionary and owning your authentic self, getting comfortable with being uncomfortable, being gritty and courageous, making friends with failure and being your best, despite your circumstances. RRP £16.99

Self-healing with Chinese Medicine

Acupuncturist

Clive Witham focusses on harnessing

Traditional Chinese Medicine addresses how to restore ourselves back to health from many common ailments and conditions.

It’s a well-illustrated, practical and clear guide that builds from basic concepts to step-by-step instructions for self-care for common health issues like colds or high blood pressure.

It’s also a useful primer on the concepts that underpin the TCM approach to health and illness, with a positive approach that encompasses maintaining wellbeing and initiating healing from within through the use of hands-on treatment modalities and techniques such as food and lifestyle changes and manual therapies like acupressure, massage, and Gua sha. RRP £22.

A

multinutrient

for everyone

NEW and improved multinutrients from BioCare.

At BioCare, we’re always leading the way with our research and development alongside nutritional experts. That’s why our new and improved multinutrient range has been redesigned to meet even more specific health needs and offer greater personalised support for men and women. More effective. And no additives. With more specific botanicals and effective nutrients that are easily absorbed and used by the body like methylfolate, methyl B12, vitamin K2 and D3. So whoever the person, we have the multinutrient for them.

THE SURPRISING THING ABOUT SEAWEED

they are called micronutrients. Any excess to fairly immediate requirement is normally broken down for its useful components or excreted.

Even in an imbalanced or restricted diet, in recuperation, or nutritional therapy, seldom more than a few grams are needed, but daily use is essential because the most valuable micro-nutrients are neither manufactured by the body, nor readily stored.

For most people, a gram a day of seaweed of a known, balanced composition is enough.

That’s just a quarter of a teaspoon of dried granulated seaweed.

intake should not exceed this level without professional guidance.

Micronutrients can become toxic at higher levels, yet seaweeds can freely absorb levels of natural, as well as man-made, contaminants and allergens. Seagreens® monitors and provides practitioners with long-term scientific data to guarantee its quality. While Seagreens® nutrition products are 100% seaweed, our certified ingredients are used by other brands in many foods and health products. These ingredients typically improve nutritional balance, or replace salt, or boost iodine in special diet and free-from foods, reduce the glycemic index in carbohydrate foods, assist weight management, aid fat digestion, and help protect against degenerative diseases of brain and body.

Pukka Herbs, Viridian Nutrition, and Cytoplan have all developed targeted nutrition products containing Seagreens®, while Heath & Heather blends it in ‘organic imperial matcha and seaweed’ teabags!

enable these relationships.

In the most evident cases, such as allergies and intolerances, or in special needs diets, seaweed really comes into its own. It contains many nutrients which must otherwise be obtained, for example from wheat, such as whole vitamin E with all its isomers, or from dairy and fish, such as all the Omega fatty acids and the soluble trace mineral iodine with all its co-factors, or from meat, such as all the amino acids, B12, iron, DHA and EPA.

In my view this is because seaweed is a primordial food which has changed little since before the earliest land vegetation. Seaweed is in many ways the polar opposite of land foods. The most nutritious seaweeds grow in the coldest, most inhospitable climes. It is nourished from the ocean instead of soil, feeding through ‘leaves’ instead of roots. Land-grown foods have comparatively limited nutritional profiles, so we need to eat a good variety, but seaweed contains a little of all the nutrients, including all the minerals and trace elements which leach from our over-worked and under-replenished soils back to the ocean.

Knowledgeable use

We continued to develop new methods and technologies and in 2009 established the first production of this kind in Scotland. Five years ago we completely removed fossil fuels and today we also produce Seagreens® in Ireland and Iceland.

This led us to develop, together with the Biodynamic Association and others, the first production standard for seaweed for human consumption, introduced in 2016 as the Nutritious Food Seaweed quality assurance scheme and standard (NFS), which uniquely provides full transparency. Not only must the nutritional profile meet particular levels, but be available at the point of sale to consumers purchasing an NFS certified seaweed product. It enables Seagreens® to be used in all age groups and health conditions with predictable outcomes. Our corporate goal was ‘to deliver goodness and value in all our relationships’. As I approach my 74th year, we are forming Seagreens Trust to maintain the brand’s integrity under the guidance of its consortium partners and customers. It will never be sold.

Our future lies in strengthening local communities of practitioners, consumers and retailers through the knowledge and practice of seaweed nutrition. We have seeded this in the UK, USA, Scandinavia, Europe, and Australasia. Small steps, which others will hopefully follow and take far into the future.

FROM the amount of attention given to seaweed, from celebrity chefs and being featured in beautiful cookbooks, you’d think seaweed is one of those fashionable rediscovered vegetables, like massaged kale or barley grass, yet seaweed has been used for its health benefits for centuries.

Seaweed should be included in everyone’s diet. It should be treated as a dietary supplement, taken in tiny amounts on a daily basis. This is how it is used traditionally, in Japan and elsewhere.

Here’s the surprising thing. Whole seaweed is a uniquely complete source of all the micronutrients not replicable in land-grown foods or formulated supplements. Micro-nutrients are deficient in large sections of the population

and in our agricultural soils, and are profoundly imbalanced in manufactured foods.

Seaweed can correct these deficiencies and imbalances, improving health and wellbeing in many ways.

The role of micronutrients

Unlike proteins, carbohydrates and fats which fuel our daily activities, micro-nutrients are the catalysts for thousands of daily processes which defend, detox, digest, grow, repair, and above all, balance the nutritional profile of our daily food.

They are taken up by receptors in the body, in tiny amounts, but frequently, which is why

Seaweed as a foundational food

Traditional use of between 4 and 5 grams daily in the Japanese diet corresponds to what we and other researchers have found to be a therapeutic amount for shorter periods, where the desired outcome can be professionally identified and monitored.

All of the nutrition products which flowed from the Seagreens® project, are based on years of researching and producing our native wild seaweeds specifically for human nutrition. Even where these nutrition products are mixed and matched - and that is the best way to use them because different species have complementary attributes - the total daily

The benefits of seaweed Seaweed as a micronutrient food should underpin the daily diet, not replace it. I have always called it a ‘foundational food’, because nutritional relationship and balance is the foundation of health, rather than the nutrients in food per se. That is to say, the value of nutrition lies less in the individual food, but more in the relationship between its components, and between these and the individual who is ingesting them, since each of us can interact with the same food very differently. In many ways the micronutrients

Precisely because of its extraordinarily broad and valuable composition, any seaweed for human nutrition, wherever in the world it is produced, must be subject to scrutiny and monitored using independent, accredited compositional analysis. This, sadly, is not always the case. Some seaweed on the market today has dubious provenance, both from small artisan and industrial scale production and increasingly deeper water species from off-shore cultivation, driven more by investment in carbon capture than for its nutritional use.

Our approach

We made radical changes to conventional seaweed production when the Seagreens® project first began in Norway. We reduced the amount of a plant we cut because this helped us avoid crustacea, and dried within hours of harvest to retain the integrity of nutrients.

SIMON RANGER is the founder of Seagreens, a leading authority on the composition and health benefits of our native wild seaweed species. This year marks the company’s 25th anniversary. Their products are produced in the UK and Nordic region and are available through clinics, health stores and online at Seagreens.shop. A free booklet ‘25 Years in Seaweed Nutrition’ is available from info@ seagreens.co.uk. Trade practitioners should contact Natural Dispensary on 01453 757792. Nutrition and training enquiries to info@seagreens.co.uk or 01444 400403.

Simon Ranger, founder of Seagreens, shares why everyone should include seaweed in their diet…

In the most evident cases, such as allergies and intolerances, or in special needs diets, seaweed really comes into its own.

CONCEIVING YOUR DREAM

LIFE WITH IMBOLC

(CELTIC FESTIVAL FROM 1ST FEB)

IMBOLC translates as ‘i bolg’ in Irish or ‘in the belly’ in English, representing fertility, pregnancy and new beginnings. Imbolc is traditionally celebrated on the feast day of the Celtic Goddess Brigid – 1st February. This marks the beginning of spring, the budding flowers and new, fresh energy. The rosebuds are beginning to sprout during this time. They are not quite ready to be in full bloom; they still need tender care, but progress is being made on their growth. We can look to nature for wisdom around what we are conceiving too. Maybe your intentions, dreams and desires are also making progress, but not in full bloom just yet. This is the time to now nurture and tend to your intentions. There is a sense of hope in the air; a feeling like the light has come, finally.

So whatever intentions and dreams you planted during the darker months is now beginning to come into fruition. Go gentle and nurture these desires. The energy around this time is about tending to your dreams, in the same way you would tend to a new baby, or your favourite plant. We can harness this energy as we not only work with the season we are in, but we can also look within at our inner seasons.

The menstrual cycle –follicular phase

The Follicular Phase is the phase in the menstrual cycle where our bleed has just finished, and the egg within the follicle begins to grow in preparation for ovulation sometime next week. This is the ‘Inner Spring or Inner Imbolc’ phase of our body. The outside seasons are always a reflection of our inner seasons too.

Here is an excerpt of my book WOMAN: A guide to living your best life, by setting yourself free and coming home to your true nature, to explain…

‘My bleed has finished and O.M.Goddess! What a relief; the hormones are beginning to settle. I am gently creeping out of my period cave – although not fully just yet. (We may like to pop in and out as we please during this phase). However, we do have a little bit more energy. This is a nice time to begin to get creative with the ideas that you dreamed up during your moon time (when you were bleeding). Now you can put pen to paper as you bring these into reality, but not for the world just yet, just for YOU.

You may have a surge of creativity and energy around now. I really like to act on this in a gentle way because remember, we are cyclical beings; there are times of the month where we want and need to hibernate, like the menstrual phase. So we can actually work with this energy to make these times easier. This may look like organising your diary or your to-do list so that you can have a lighter workload when you really have no energy!

I like to get as much done that needs focus as possible during this week, and the next week, so that I can fully, unapologetically rest during my dark moon time.

GUILT FREE. This is a good time to begin to tune into the energy of your eggs as you will be ovulating shortly; this phase is called the follicular phase because the follicles that grow contain our fertile eggs. The eggs are the most creative life force on this planet. They create human beings! So if you’re not looking for a human being to be created, what do you want to create? A romantic partner, a new job, home? Or are you working on a creative project and birthing that? This is your time to plant that seed and intention into your follicles and watch as they grow and grow…

This time is generally a time when our sexual and sensual energies are rising, so embodiment practices like dance, selfpleasure, fun, pleasure with a partner, massage, baths, essential oils, and so much more, are really beautiful around this time for getting the creative juices flowing. That way you are magnetic. This week, the men are beginning to appear hotter than ever before… Blame biology!’

Lunar Cycle

In the same way as our inner seasons reflect the outer seasons, the moon cycle or lunar cycle also reflects our inner cycles as women. In ancient times, because so much time was spent outdoors, the women would generally ovulate with the full moon, and bleed

with the new moon. The women of the tribe would also sync up with one another. So when we take the follicular phase, where the follicle is growing. We can compare that to the waxing moon.

This is the time where the moon is growing from a new moon (dark in the sky) to full moon (full in the sky). It is a half-moon. This is a nice time to really watch the moon grow bigger, as you plant your intentions into your eggs and watch as they too, grow. like to visualise the growing moon in the sky as I watch it each night, nurturing my intentions.

This is a time of expansion and growth. No more playing it small. Expand. Be seen, WOMAN.

‘Conception is the spark of cosmic life force that creates a life or creates your life. It is the seed in the earth that begins to sprout; the embryo in the womb that begins to grow. Now we will get clear on your soul’s deep desires so we can move into their conception.’

The Maiden

When I speak about Imbolc, the feminine Archetype of the Maiden comes to mind. In all of us throughout our life, we embody archetypes that represent who we are at a given stage in our life. To keep it simple, in women, the main archetypes we see are the Maiden, the Mother, The Wild Woman and the Crone.

For this particular season of our life, we are looking at the Maiden energy.

‘The maiden energy is an energy of youthfulness, of enthusiasm about life and all it has to offer. She is hopeful and innocent, and the world really is her oyster. We then go through life collecting things to be ashamed about. Our bodies, our sexuality, our intelligence, our looks and so much more. We then begin to believe we are not worthy of the things we want. The maiden reminds us of this eternal innocence and beauty. That we are worthy of it all.’

Womb whispers for Imbolc

Light a candle, press play on your favourite soundtrack, grab yourself your favourite cuppa and ponder on these questions.

n What is being conceived within me this Imbolc?gained through the development of the human sense of intuition.

n What where the desires deep within in the darker months?

n Can I see these finally coming to fruition?

n What do I need to tend to, and how does that look?

n How am I showing up in the Maiden energy?

i

Sarah Richardson on gathering the power of spring to nurture your intentions…

BOOST YOUR WELLBEING SEVEN WAYS TO

play, and who are we to disagree? Revisit your teenage years by dancing to a playlist of the soundtrack to your angst-ridden years.

Watch something funny or inspiring

Revisit a favourite old movie. Films have been shown to boost mood and create a sense of wellbeing. Our picks would include 1940s and 1950s screwball comedies for the costumes and snappy dialogue, Shrek and Despicable Me 2.

SOMETIMES we get so caught up in the pace of everyday life and doing our best to make sure everyone around us is happy that we never seem to have time for ourselves. Taking a few minutes for yourself isn’t selfish, it’s essential for our mental wellbeing.

Grow your own

There’s a certain satisfaction that comes from seeing something you’ve planted flourish. Sprinkle some wildflower seeds on

a patch of unused ground or in your lawn, boosting biodiversity and making you feel more connected to the earth. Salad leaves or radishes offer a quick crop in a container, while a bush tomato plan or a chilli plant can easily be grown on a window ledge. You can even recycle your food waste! Spring onions left in a jam jar of water will sprout and, if you’re patient, an avocado pip will eventually put forth roots and green leaves. If you’d prefer not to eat your new friends, consider a houseplant. Spider plants, air plants and peace lilies are almost impossible to kill, while succulents and cacti take up very little space.

Regress to childhood

Have a shot on the swings, try the climbing frame, make a sandcastle, create something with clay or Lego or roll down a hill in the park. Jung said that all creative thought stems from

Take a dip

Check out safe local spots for wild swimming, or just go for a paddle on your nearest blue flag beach. Nowhere in the UK is further than about 70 miles from the sea, so you could even have a day out. If you prefer your water warm, treat yourself to a scented, candlelit bath and some relaxing music.

Go Alfresco

Have lunch outside. It’d doesn’t matter if it’s a meal deal sandwich in the park or a salad and something sparkling in the garden, just taking the time out can make it special. If you can spare a few hours, make a picnic or head to the seaside for fish and chips.

Explore

We often overlook our local scenery and attractions. Be a tourist in your own town. Head for your local art gallery, museum or heritage attraction. Many are free to visit. Take a walk in a local woodland, potter in the grounds of an National Trust property or just take the time to really look at things through new eyes. Pick up a postcard of a painting you really liked or the view you admired and keep it on your desk at work.

Do nothing

Seriously, do absolutely nothing for half an hour. Lie down, get comfy, cover yourself with a throw and unplug from the world. Abandon your chores, forget your to-do list, and just take some time out. No electronics, no emails, no multitasking, just let it all go for half an hour. Trust us, you’ll feel relaxed, rested and all the better for it. n

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All the stuff we wanted to share but didn’t have room for elsewhere…

Canadian Massage Therapist fined for using phone during treatments

Najia Xu, a Registered Massage Therapist who works in British Columbia, has been fined by her professional association for massaging patients with just one hand while using a mobile phone in the other. Ms. Xu admitted to checking her phone multiple times while treating multiple patients between June 2021 and February 2022, after an undercover investigator was sent to explore client complaints. Camera footage showed the massage therapist using her phone “three times for between 30 seconds and five minutes,” during the massage. As part of the agreement with the association, Ms. Xu was formally reprimanded, fined and ordered to undertake extensive retraining and must not take her phone into any treatment room where she provides massages.

Acupuncture now part of Italy’s National Health System

Acupuncture has now been recognised as a treatment for pain in in Italy’s National Health System – the Guidelines of the Istituto Superiore di Sanità. This comes as

US Study suggests that highly processed foods found to be addictive

A new US study suggests that highly processed foods meet the same addiction criteria as tobacco and might benefit from health labelling in the same was as other addictive substances. They study notes that highly processed foods, “rapidly deliver high doses of refined carbohydrates and/or fat appear key to their addictive potential.”

The One Stop Shop for all your Digestive Health Needs

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a result of a three year self-financed study by the Italian Federation of Acupuncture Societies and developed with the support of external consultants, including researchers from the Mario Negri IRCCS Institute for Pharmacological Research in Milan. There are just 133 public acupuncture services in Italy, with the majority being in the north of the country.

Census suggests shamanism is growing

According to the latest census for England a Wales, the number of people identifying as shamanists has grown from 650 people in 2011 to 8000 in 2022.

GP numbers falling in England and Wales

New data from the NHS showed that in October 2022 there were 36,854 full time equivalent (FTE) GPs, an increase of 538 (1.5%) since October 2021. However, the number of FTE fully trained GPs, and the number of FTE qualified permanent GPs, had both fallen since October 2021 by 389 (1.4%) and 250 (0.9%), respectively. This equates to a drop of almost 1900 fewer full-time, fully-qualified GPs since September 2015.

Sword Health launches movement based pain management solution

Sword Health has launched Sword Move, a new movement health solution as part of their mission to free people from pain, and stop it before it starts. The company says that Sword Move will apply the best of its clinically validated digital physical therapy model to fitness, delivering a holistic, personalised solution that gets people moving. By using wearable technology to scale the human expertise of certified Personal Trainers, Sword Move will keep users engaged while simultaneously driving trackable results.

Wirral Holistic Care Centre launches charity appeal

A Merseyside nurseled charity that offers holistic therapies and counselling for people with cancer has launched an urgent appeal for help with running costs. The centre supports around 1600 adults a year and has a staff of eight, supported by over sixty volunteers. Running costs are in excess of £150,000 a year and the charity would like to be able to expand its services. Find out more at https:// www.wirralholistic.org.uk/

Co-ton (a natural herbal remedy to maintain bowl regularity), TNT (the Ultimate Herbal Laxative), ASP (antispasmodic complex); Probiotics; sundry equipment for Colon Hydrotherapists.

You may be a massage therapist, or other type with various tools already in your really glad you added. Participants repeatedly tell us how the way they work, at the new insights into how the body functions and how they treat. at venues around the country: Brighton, London, Launceston, Midlands & Scotland.