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Sometimes, we need to take a step back from what we’re doing and go right back to the basics. We can become so bogged down in the everyday round of chores and activities that we stagnate and stop heading in the direction needed to achieve the future life we’ve been looking for. Sometimes, we need to stop doing to focus on just being.
That’s what this issue encourages you to do. Step back and take a look at your life and your business. As we evolve, our needs, desires and priorities change. What worked for us previously may no longer suit. That’s why this issue of Holistic Therapist is focussed on self-reflection, working out what you want and guidance on how to achieve change. You’ll find features on controlling your costs, working with freelancers, podcasting and building word of mouth to help re-energise your business.
On a personal note, this will be my last issue in charge of the magazine. The universe has been throwing some interesting opportunities at me and a couple are too fascinating to turn down.
I’ve loved my time here and I’m happy to introduce Nicole McLaren as your new editor. As both an osteopath and a writer, Nicole will bring her skills, enthusiasm and industry experience to the magazine and doubtless move it forward. It’s an exciting time for the team.
We’re here to help you create the business and future you deserve. Love,
MANAGING EDITOR
Julie Mallam Managing Director
Alison Daniels Managing Editor
Billy Flanagan Sales Director
Richard Hejsak Art Director
Sarah Jones Social Media & Digital Marketing Manager
The SOiL product range brings vitality, energy and a sense of well-being to life. SOiL was built on the love of farming and nature. From farm to shelf, the commitment to quality, integrity and fair trading means that SOiL products are not only conscientious but effective too, delivering results that you can really experience.
Could using freelancers help build your business? 26 Craniosacral Therapy
Discover more about this gentle technique
Journeys
Meet therapist Orla Ryan 30 Massage special: Power up Discovering TECAR 32 Health Special: Arthritis and joint pain
How holistic therapy can help
Arthritis and joint pain
Jordi Mascio shares the latest research on supportive supplements 36 Pioneers The trailblazing Almeric Payne Massage Corps
Our roundup of the latest research 50 Small changes, big differences 50 ways to make your life a little better
52 Oooh! That’s new New products worth seeking out
54 Highland Recovery College
Donna Booth shares her work
55 Spring bookshelf
Our pick of the latest new releases
56 Eight factors of healthier aging Fundamentals for optimising your healthspan
57 Hot stuff
The effectiveness of fire acupuncture
58 Back Page
All the bits we couldn’t fit in elsewhere
Openers
All that’s new and interesting in the world of holistic therapy…
UK COMMISSION TO INVESTIGATE
DECLINING WORKFORCE HEALTH
An Independent Commission for Healthier Working Lives, supported by the Health Foundation, is being established to investigate the issue of declining health in the UK workforce and recommend action that can be taken by both the government and employers.
Ill health among working-age people has dramatically increased over the last decade, to the point where it is now impacting economic growth. The Health Foundation estimates 3.7 million people are now in work, but struggling with a health condition which limits what they can do and how much they can earn.
This is a similar number to those with work-limiting conditions who are not working, making a total of around 7.4m people who are not living full lives and not fully contributing to the economy or being self-sustaining
HOMEDICS IN US MASSAGE GUN
RECALL
HoMedics have issued a safety recall for 87,000 massage guns in the US and Canada due to overheating when charging, posing
economically.
Statistics show that women, older workers, those who are not university educated and those of Bangladeshi ethnicity are most likely to have a work-limiting condition, with cardiovascular and musculoskeletal disorders being the most common.
In addition, rates have doubled among younger workers over the last decade, driven by increasing levels of mental illness. A final report is expected in 2025.
fire and burn hazards. One user reported burns and 17 reported overheating issues to the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission. The products affected are known as HoMedics Therapist Select Percussion Personal Massagers with model number HHP-715. Products sold in the UK have not been recalled.
CHESHIRE POLICE SWOOP ON SUSPECTED MASSAGE PARLOUR BROTHELS
Police in Cheshire arrested two women after raiding suspected brothels in Widnes and Warrington after receiving reports that vulnerable women were being sexually exploited at two massage parlours.
Raids were carried out at premises on Lovely Lane, Warrington, and Albert Road in Widnes. A 48-yearold woman was arrested at the Warrington site on suspicion of allowing a premises to be used as a brothel, breaching immigration bail and two counts of modern-day slavery - trafficking and forced labour.
A 41-year-old woman was also arrested at the premises in Widnes on suspicion of allowing a premises to be used as a brothel and modernday slavery - forced labour. Both women have since been released on
conditional bail.
Speaking after the warrants, Detective Sergeant Joe Davies of the Northern Exploitation Team said: “Intelligence suggest that the premises were both being used as brothels.
“Often, those working in premises of this nature are some of the most vulnerable people in our communities. Many of them are trafficked to the UK where they often become victims of modern slavery offences and further criminal exploitation.https://searchtopics.net/ index.php
“We strongly need the community to come forward with any information or suspicions they have and report them to us. Together we can help protect the vulnerable and punish the perpetrators.”
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NIH ANALYSIS REVEALS A SIGNIFICANT RISE IN USE OF COMPLEMENTARY HEALTH APPROACHES
An analysis conducted by the US National Institutes of Health’s National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) reveals a substantial increase in the overall use of complementary health approaches by American adults from 2002 to 2022, particularly for pain management.
Researchers utilised data from the 2002, 2012, and 2022 National Health Interview Survey (NHIS) to evaluate changes in the use of seven complementary health approaches, including yoga, meditation, massage therapy, chiropractic care, acupuncture, naturopathy, and guided imagery/progressive muscle relaxation.
The key findings include:
n The percentage of individuals who reported using at least one of the seven approaches increased from 19.2% in 2002 to 36.7% in 2022.
n The use of yoga, meditation, and massage therapy experienced the most significant growth from 2002 to 2022.
n Use of yoga increased from 5% in 2002 to 15.8% in 2022.
n Meditation became the most used approach in 2022, with an increase from 7.5% in 2002 to 17.3% in 2022.
n Acupuncture, increasingly covered by US health insurance, saw an increase from 1% in 2002 to 2.2% in 2022.
There was a notable rise in the proportion of U.S. adults using complementary health approaches specifically for pain management increasing from 42.3% in 2002 to 49.2% in 2022. Ref: DOI:10.1001/ jama.2023.26775 (2024)
ACUPUNCTURE AND TCM BRAND WTHN RECEIVES EXPANSION FUNDING
US wellness omnichannel brand WTHN has received $5 million Series A funding from a consortium of investors including Catterton, the founders of SoulCycle and
Goop founder Gwyneth Paltrow. The brand offers TCM services like acupuncture and cupping from its studios as well as herbal remedies and wellness products.
Inventor Justin Wiggan is creating a new haptic suit that massages people by translating the electrical impulses and frequencies from vegetation and minerals into vibrations.
Wiggan composes soundscapes from plant, tree, rock and crystal energy – a process known as biosonification – and believes the suits “will be a game-changer in the integration of human empathy and emotion in green spaces for spas”.
“They’ll be fully immersive vibrational cocoons, almost like a green womb, to experience a grounding connection to nature and to detox,” he said, adding it’s a twoway conversation between plants
and humans as readings change in accordance with the energy levels of the person near it.
Previously, Wiggan’s healing soundtracks have caught the attention of several global spa companies.
BHUTAN PLANS MINDFULNESS CITY
The King of Bhutan has announced plans to create a 1,000sq km economic hub inspired by the Bhutanese culture of respect and compassion for others and nature in Gelephu, Bhutan.
Referred to as the Mindfulness City, the masterplan for the future Gelephu Special Administration Region (SAR) is informed by Bhutanese culture and its strong spiritual heritage, as well as the country’s Gross National Happiness (GNH)* index.
The masterplan includes a Vajrayana spiritual centre, an international airport, railway
connections, a hydroelectric dam, public spaces and a tapestry of interconnected ecosystems and neighbourhoods shaped by the flow of the 35 local rivers and streams.
HANDS ON SUCCESS
Mark Shields outlines the importance of taking action to ensure the future success of your business…
HOLISTIC therapy, rooted in timeless principles, must navigate the ever-changing currents of consumer preferences, technological advancements, and societal trends. The world today is a very different place from the last decade and the rate of change is increasing, so it’s vital to get a grip on these changes so your services remain in demand. Understanding the dynamics of change is essential for practitioners to remain effective and meet the evolving needs of their clients.
Understanding Consumer Preferences
Holistic therapy clients are increasingly diverse, with varied preferences and expectations. From a preference for virtual sessions to a demand for more specialised services, practitioners must stay attuned to the changing dynamics of the consumer landscape.
Nurturing Growth: The Digital Evolution of Holistic Therapy Businesses
In the ever-evolving landscape of holistic therapy, success is often intertwined with a strong online presence. As practitioners seek to expand their reach and impact, embracing the digital realm becomes paramount.
In today’s interconnected world, prospective clients turn to the internet as their first source of information. Establishing a robust online presence is not just an option; it’s a business imperative. Embracing digital platforms empowers holistic therapists to connect with a
broader audience, share their expertise, and ultimately thrive in a competitive market.
Before delving into action steps, it’s crucial to comprehend the digital landscape. Social media, professional websites, and online directories are vital tools for reaching potential clients. Crafting a compelling online narrative that reflects your expertise, values, and the unique offerings of your holistic therapy practice is the cornerstone of success.
Actionable Step 1: Optimise Your Website
Your website serves as the digital storefront for your holistic therapy business. Ensure it is user-friendly, visually appealing, and provides valuable content. Incorporate testimonials, showcase your services, and include a blog to share insights. Implementing Search Engine Optimization (SEO) strategies will enhance your website’s visibility, making it easier for potential clients to find you.
Ensure your website works well on mobile devices such as phones, as this is now the most popular way people search for services. Keep in mind that potential clients will be offered lots of choice and have very short attention spans, so you need to grab and hold their interest.
Actionable Step 2: Engage on Social Media
Harness the power of social media platforms to connect with your audience. Share informative content, engage in conversations, and build a community around your holistic therapy practice. Platforms like Instagram and Facebook are particularly effective for visually showcasing your services, client success stories, and upcoming events. TikTok was predominantly used by the younger generation, however, that is changing rapidly with creators from all age ranges now utilising this popular platform to convey their message. Educational and storytelling content being the most favourable to their algorithms.
With the digital foundation laid, it’s time to explore actionable strategies that will propel your holistic therapy business to new heights.
Actionable Step 3: Develop Online Courses and Workshops
Extend your expertise beyond traditional sessions by offering online courses and workshops. Even if you’re modality is hands on, it might be possible to offer guided self-maintenance treatment packages online. This not only positions you as an authority in your field but also provides
an additional revenue stream. Utilise platforms like Zoom or dedicated learning management systems to host virtual sessions, reaching clients globally. This will meet the demand for convenience and accessibility and the world WILL be your oyster.
Actionable
Step 4:
Collaborate with Influencers and Partners
Forge partnerships with influencers or other businesses aligned with holistic wellness. Collaborations can amplify your reach, expose your services to new audiences, and foster a sense of community. Whether it’s cohosting events, participating in joint ventures, or featuring on each other’s platforms, strategic alliances can be a catalyst for growth.
Actionable Step 7: Diversify Service Offerings
Adapt to changing preferences by diversifying your service offerings. Explore niche areas within holistic therapy, such as specialised modalities or targeted wellness programs. This not only attracts a broader clientele but also positions your practice as dynamic and responsive to emerging trends.
Actionable Step 8: Regularly Assess and Update Practices
Implement a regular assessment of your holistic therapy practices. Solicit client feedback, stay informed about industry trends, and be open to adjusting your approaches accordingly. A willingness to evolve ensures that your services remain aligned with the evolving needs and expectations of your clientele.
In today’s interconnected world, prospective clients turn to the internet as their first source of information.
Actionable Step 5: Leverage Email Marketing
Build a mailing list and harness the power of email marketing. Regularly communicate with your audience through newsletters, exclusive offers, and updates. This direct channel creates a more personalized connection, fostering loyalty and keeping your holistic therapy services top of mind.
Actionable Step 6: Collaborate and Network
Build connections within the holistic therapy community and beyond. Collaborate with professionals from related fields, participate in industry events, and stay connected with emerging trends. Networking not only expands your knowledge base but also positions your practice at the forefront of industry developments.
In conclusion, the hands-on success of holistic therapy businesses can be achieved by adapting to changing consumer preferences and emerging trends, embracing technology, diversifying services, regularly assessing practices, cultivating a strong online presence, and fostering collaborations. Practitioners can navigate the evolving landscape and ensure their holistic therapy businesses thrive in an ever-changing world.
Embrace the digital realm and watch your holistic therapy business flourish in the hands of a global audience. n
iMark’s AKA The CAM Coach is a best-selling author, award winning educator and the creator of CAM Transformational coaching methodology. He is CEO of The Life Practice Group which offers accredited training. Find out more at www.thenlpcoachingcompany.com or email info@thecamcoach.com.
THE COMPARISON GAP
Elizabeth Ashley warns against disappearing down the rabbit hole of online comparisons…
WE often make the mistake of comparing the success of almost every aspect of our lives with that of others. Once it was a matter of keeping up with the Joneses’ when the delivery of a new TV or car next door, or seeing your friend swanking about in a new fur coat led to feelings of jealousy and inferiority. In turn, these sparked a desire and demand for acquiring similar goods and the perceived status that came with the purchases.
Now, the comparison trap is much more dangerous. Whenever we are online, we are constantly bombarded with signifiers of other people’s success and we tend to compare ourselves with these standards, even though they are often illusionary.
We see images of perfect poolsides and luxury holidays, compare their smiling children and amazing families to our mono-syllabic teenagers, look at their amazing figures, incredible wardrobes or how easily business success seems to come to them and we’re left with a profound feeling of dissatisfaction with our own work, home, bodies, families and lifestyles. We increasingly focus on the negatives, holding ourselves up to impossible standards. Not surprisingly, this takes a toll on our mental wellbeing. The numbers of people reporting significant depressive symptoms and psychological distress grew by almost two-thirds from 2009 to 2017 in the USA. Disturbingly, the numbers of young US adults reporting suicidal thoughts over the same period increased by 47%.
The figures for children and teenagers are worse as they spend more time online, having grown up with social media and screen time. In the USA, 13 and 14 year olds who spend more than ten hours a week on social media were 56% more likely to feel unhappy, a third experience anxiety and 60% had suffered from cyberbullying.
Ways to break free of the comparison trap
Firstly, we need to realise that this won’t be easy, after all 94% of people in one study reported that they feel troubled when they didn’t have their phone, with 70% feeling depressed, panicked or hopeless. When we get likes or feedback online, we get a hit of dopamine, which encourages more posting and hence more comparisons. We get a tiny, short-lived feel-good buzz combined with a lot more psychological damage.
Step away from the phone
Studies have shown that limiting your scrolling of social media to just ten minutes a day for 21 days significantly reduced feelings of loneliness and depression. A good first step is to try and cut down to thirty minutes a day, or to turn off your phone in the evening.
Realise that not everything is real
We live in a world of filters, disinformation and people buying things with money they don’t have, just to gain more likes and that desperate hit of dopamine. This means we need to think critically about what we see online and the comparisons we make. We’d all look better with a hairstylist, makeup artist, someone to choose
our clothes, look after our children and clear our house, so we shouldn’t compare ourselves to those we see online. Before social media, we were more aware of the difficulties or flaws in the lives of those we compared ourselves to, but now what’s presented online is heavily edited and we need to realise this. Factor in AI and we’re now feeling bad by comparing ourselves to people who don’t even exist.
n Sometimes we don’t realise we’ve fallen into the trap of comparing ourselves to others, so check-in with how you’re feeling before you start to scroll. By noticing our emotional state before we start, we can more quickly recognise when our emotions change and whether this is having a detrimental effect on our wellbeing.
n Understand these changes in mood for what they are. You may be feeding yourself material which makes you feel upset, sad or depressed or causes you to take this negativity out on others who you somehow blame for not giving you a perfect life.
n By understanding these emotions and labelling them for what they are, we can better manage them and become less reactive to their influence. Just because we feel a certain way doesn’t make it an objective fact. Think of all those celebrity couples who you’ve seen smiling out from magazine pages only for them head to the divorce courts, hurling terrible accusations at each other.
n Take time to reflect. Ask why comparing yourself to a particular person causes you to feel bad. What is it they seem to have that you think you want, deserve or need? Are the comparisons you’re making reasonable? Consider what you can learn from the situation and make plans to change anything that you feel dissatisfied with, while recognising that sometimes we’re responding to manufactured social expectations rather than what’s achievable and matches our personal values.
Not all comparison is unhealthy. For some people, upward comparison can provide inspiration and motivation for change, but it can also make us feel hopelessly inadequate. Downward comparison can spark gratitude, but it can also make us despise the less fortunate, so it’s important to actively choose what we compare ourselves to. If you find yourself stuck in the trap of comparing yourself negatively to others, then work on ways to feel more positive about what you’ve achieved and how far you’ve come in your own life.
Envying others is rarely positive for the psyche. Envy does not make us taller, it doesn’t cause 30lbs to magically disappear overnight, nor does it produce that perfect partner, lavish lifestyle or enormous bank balance.
Happiness is something that comes from within ourselves and from being true to our own values and worth. Constantly comparing ourselves to others only leads to dissatisfaction and feeling unhappy. Instead we each need to recognise and celebrate all that makes us special, all that makes us unique and all that makes us us. n
iELIZABETH ASHLEY is the UK Director of the National Association of Holistic Aromatherapists, and the author of The Secret Healer series of essential oil manuals. She is a prolific youtuber and writer. To follow her work, visit: https://linktr.ee/thesecrethealer
success HANDS ON
7 ways to get your new business off to a great start
Working for
yourself
can be daunting, especially if things are slow to begin with. So, here are seven of our best tips for getting off to a great start…
WE all know that starting a business from scratch takes time, commitment, skills, hard work and a little luck. One in three new businesses lasts less than a year, only one in ten will get through their first decade, but there are things you can do to make sure your new business survives and thrives.
ONE: Don’t splurge where you
don’t have
to
When you’re setting up your first practice room, whether it’s at home or in a rented space, it’s tempting to buy far more than you need. If you’ve come from full-time employment, you
may find the first year or so sees a considerable drop in income, so economising makes sense. Think about what you need to have and what you’d like to have and make two lists. See if there’s anything on either that you can get for free or second hand. For example, you might be able to get a gently used massage couch or decide to opt for sustainable reusable towels rather than paper towels.
Shop around for the things you can’t do without, whether it’s your professional insurance or massage oils. There’s never any harm in explaining you’re just starting up and asking for trial products to see if you like them before you order.
Similarly, there are probably things you really don’t need. By all means, buy business cards
and create leaflets or posters, but recognise that ordering a thousand pens with your logo and website is an unnecessary spend.
Anything you save in this way can go towards your advertising and marketing budget.
TWO: Get the word out
This is probably the most important thing you can do to ensure a successful start to your business. There’s no point in being quietly diffident about your start-up. You need to bring in as many clients as you can handle from day one. That means you need to get the word out about what you can offer. There are plenty of ways to do this. Create posters for use in local shops, supermarkets, health centres and anywhere people gather. Tell your friends and family and ask them to put up leaflets at their work if it’s in your catchment area. Take a walk round the area and post flyers through letter boxes and post on local social media groups.
training to help you keep your points up. It’s also worth checking in with your local business support organisation. These have different names like local enterprise agencies of Business Gateway. Most offer free online training or seminars in business subjects like marketing or basic finance and may offer free consultancy that can help you bring in more clients. Depending on factors like your age, location and ethnicity, there may be grants and other forms of funding available to you. For example, some local councils offer free or greatly reduced rentals for empty business premises while other have reduced business rates. The caveat her is that free or reduced rent is only an advantage if the premises are suitable for your needs and also located in a place where you and your clients feel comfortable coming to.
services after work, or say in January when they’ve been making health resolutions.
Consider using some of your marketing budget for social media if you have a fairly tight, identifiable, clientele in a defined area.
SIX:
Make sure your website is optimised for mobile browsing
THREE: Look for places where your clients will be
Depending on your modality, you may find your customers fall into groups that mean many of them can be found in the same place. For example, if you offer sports injury rehabilitation of some sort, it makes sense to advertise in local gyms and sports clubs, while someone who specialises in infant massage classes should advertise in community centres which offer parent and toddler classes, neo-natal units and with organisations like the Natural Childbirth Trust as well as similar online groups.
FOUR: Take advantage of free training and help
Your professional association may offer free CPD
FIVE:
Leverage your social media
Social media can be your best friend when you’re starting a new business, or it can be a dispiriting drain or your time. Look for local buy and sell community sites, holistic and wellbeing groups and free business networking sites. Consider using some of your marketing budget for social media if you have a fairly tight, identifiable, clientele in a defined area. That way, you can specify the location and characteristics of people you’d like to see your ads, whether that’s on Google or on Facebook. It might make better use of your budget to allocate your funds at certain time periods if you think people are more likely to seek your
Assuming you have a website, and if not, then you should get one as soon as possible, then make sure it’s optimised for mobile browsing. These days, most people scroll through social media feeds and browse online on their phones. At home, it might be a phone or tablet. Either way, your site needs to be instantly engaging because the average online attention span is just six seconds. If you don’t spark a potential client’s interest in that brief period, then you’ve lost them to something silly on TikTok.
SEVEN:
Make it easy for your clients to book
People are no longer just 9-5. They expect to be able to interact with your business no matter what time of day it is. There are two ways to deal with this. If you value your sanity, then you can enable people to book online or by leaving a voicemail message. You can also pay for a call answering service. Alternatively, you can divert all calls to your mobile phone and answer between set hours. Don’t be available no matter what time it is, as you need to set time aside for your own life and needs. However much you want your new business to succeed, you need to keep in mind that it’s not your whole life. n
Even in a world dominated by online likes, building word of mouth remains the most reliable way to bring in more customers…
PEOPLE talk to each other about great service and companies they like. They also talk about places where the service they’ve received hasn’t lived up to their expectations. Once, budding marketeers were taught that on average a satisfied customer would talk about a business to four people, while an unhappy one would tell sixteen people what went wrong.
Now, with online reviews and online communities, there’s even more at stake when it comes to building great word of mouth about your practice. According to the US Office of Consumer Affairs, if customers are unhappy, there’s a 91% they won’t do business with that company again. Now, dissatisfied customers typically let 9-15 other people know about it.
Looking at positive experiences. 42% of consumers will make a repeat purchase if their customer experience has been good. The same holds true for reviews. People will often go to the effort to leave a review if they’ve has a poor experience, rather that when they’ve had a good one. Only one in ten happy customers will leave a review.
IT OUT SHOUT
The US-based business magazine Inc. reckons that it takes four five-star reviews to make up for each one-star review, you can figure it takes 40 positive customer experiences to make up for a single bad review. The damage that’s caused to your business by a single unhappy, but vocal, customer has a disproportionate negative effect on your business.
The benefits of good word of mouth
If you can persuade your happy clients to leave reviews and provide testimonials, you can positively influence potential customers and grow your business. Zendesk conducted a study which showed that 88% people had read an online review that influenced their buying behaviour. In fact, according to American Express, a recommendation from family or friends would influence their purchase more than a sale or promotional activity, so word of mouth can mean you can get more clients without discounting your rates.
Positive reviews and testimonials enhance your brand’s reputation and essentially act as free marketing for your practice. You can get even more mileage from positive reviews by using them on your website and as social media posts and advertising and thanking the reviewer.
Asking for reviews and referrals
Asking someone to provide a review or help you grow your business by telling people about it and referring them to you can feel a bit daunting. Maybe you feel it’s a bit pushy or rude? The truth is that most people are happy to help and maybe even feel a little flattered to be asked, provided they don’t feel pressured into doing so.
Unlike a review, which is about leaving your opinion of a product or service online, referrals are about asking if they know anyone who experiences similar issues and who they’d be happy to tell about your business and point them in your direction.
It’s best not to ask people for a review or to make referrals on their first visit. Wait a few sessions so that you’ve established a rapport. Ideally, the subject of reviews and referrals should come up naturally, perhaps during a conversation about how your client has been feeling or the progress they’ve made, for example:
‘I can’t believe how much better my shoulder feels, I should really tell Sarah, because she’s always complaining about her knee’.
‘What’s the issue with her knee, then?’
Client explains ‘Ah, it sounds like whatever, but I’d need
to see her to see if I could help ease the pain and increase the range of mobility. You’re such a good friend for thinking of her. Does she live locally? If so, I’ll give you my card for her.’
Asking for reviews is even easier to work into a conversation. The best times are when the client is experiencing some type of success with your treatment and feeling better about their physical health, mental wellbeing or future. Asking at times when things aren’t going well risks a negative review and we can all do without those.
In this case, the conversation would be something like:
‘I can’t believe how much better my shoulder feels, I can even reach above my head now. You’ve worked a miracle!’
‘Thanks, I love it when my clients make such great progress. It would really mean a lot to me if you’d give us a review on Facebook. So many of our clients find us through Facebook and reviews make it easier for them to find us.’
f what you offer is product-based, the best times to ask are a suitable period after a purchase or when the customer re-orders the product. Similarly, if you find they are browsing your website for other products or if they tag your brand on their social media. You can include a request as part of your email newsletters or on the self-treatment materials you send to your clients. Some companies, such as HelloFresh or slimming classes offer incentives for referrals. This could be a discount like 20% off their first treatment for their friend and 20% off a treatment for them when the voucher holder has booked.
If you use voucher codes that show they’ve
referred another customer to you and they’ve purchased, that can also be a good time to request a review. The time-frame for asking for a review depends on the nature of the product. For example, asking for a review of your book after purchase is great because the customer has had a chance to form an opinion. If you make birthday cakes, then asking the following week makes sense. If you sold a mindfulness app, a good time would be when the customer had just completed a run of a few days or achieved some form of milestone.
Finding the right time to ask for a review is important as reviews help build trust even before you meet a client face to face. According to BigCommerce, people take reviews as proof that a product or service is good. In fact, having 50 or more reviews means an extra 4.6% increase in conversion rates. Recent reviews are more effective than older ones, so asking for reviews should be incorporated into your standard practice.
If someone does leave you a review, make a point of thanking them both online and in person. They’ve made an effort to help you grow your business and will probably continue to do so if suitably encouraged.
So, if you want more customers, asking for reviews and referrals is a simple low-cost or even no-cost way of doing so! n
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KAMPO, THE TRADITIONAL MEDICINE OF JAPAN
Japanese traditional herbal medicine is making slow, but steady inroads in the UK…
TRADITIONAL Chinese Medicine is so ubiquitous that it’s easy to overlook other forms of traditional medicine such as Tibet’s Sowa Rigpa or Japan’s Kampo.
Over 80% of Japanese practitioners prescribe Kampo medicine and it is available on the Japanese equivalent of the NHS. Kampo originated in China and came to Japan in medieval times, where it developed during the centuries when Japan was largely isolated from Western influences. Diagnosis is through examination of the pulses, palpation, tongue inspection and similar techniques. Kampo is
said to be particularly useful in treating subtle chronic conditions as it has fewer strong side effects. Just as in China, there are clinical research programmes exploring the efficacy of many of the herbal compounded medicines and ingredients.
Kampo is, in many ways, more accessible to those wishing to learn oriental traditional medicine than TCM because rather than having a materia medica consisting of around 3000 drugs, Kampo uses fewer than 400.
A recent study from a research team at Japan’s Okayama University has suggested that Kampo developed from the teachings of
Jianzhen or Ganjin, a Buddhist monk who arrived in Japan in 753 CE. He is said to have brought kinds of herbal medicines, each with different pharmacological effects and recipes for different combinations to treat a variety of diseases. The researchers’ findings show that the prescriptions by Jianzhen form the basis of herbal medicinal practice in Japan.
‘People in Japan can buy Kampo medicines as over-the-counter drugs at pharmacies. This unique system in Japan has derived from a long history of systematic prescription of Kampo medicines and would have an origin in Jianzhen’s prescription in the 8th century,’ observed lead author Prof. Matsuo.
Much like the various doshas in Ayurveda, Kampo uses the concept of sho, or overall conformation, to classify various physiological types. The three sho types are known as Jitsu Sho, Kyo Sho and Chuyo.
Jitsu Sho means strong, full or excess; Kyo Sho means weak, empty or deficient and Chuyo is the ideal balanced state in between Jitsu Sho and Kyo Sho.
People with predominantly Jitsu Sho conformations tend to be, ‘work hard, play hard,’ excess-prone types with good physical strength, self-motivation and energy. They can be very active and recover from illness quickly. Sometimes, they fail to notice or dismiss symptoms of illness and so illnesses can be advanced when medical help is sought.
Those classified as having Kyo Sho conformations tend to be less strong physically, tire easily and are less keen on action. They are prone to catching minor infectious diseases like colds, can be slow to recover, but are more likely to head to a doctor when they feel ill or run down.
Chuyo is the state of balance between these extremes, but conformations shift all the time and maintain a balance is difficult. n
iIf you’d like to know more about Kampo, there are currently around 20 qualified practitioners in the UK, many of whom are based in SE England and are listed on the Kampo UK website at www.kampouk.org.
PODCAST YOUR WAY TO PROFITS
Michael Olatunji, of Outset Studio explains why you should add podcasting to your portfolio of marketing techniques…
YOU may know your asanas from your chakras, your micronutrients from your polyunsaturated fats and your Swedish massage from your shiatsu, but do you know how to make more people aware of your knowledge and skills? You may be an excellent holistic therapist, but are you making use of the variety of marketing tools at your disposal?
Welcome to the world of
podcasts
In the UK alone, over 21 million people regularly listen to podcasts, including 22% of people over 56. Roughly half of all listeners tune in to learn and develop their understanding, so podcasting can be a great way of demonstrating your knowledge and positioning yourself as an expert. Even a short series can attract hundreds of thousands of listeners.
Don’t assume your modality is too niche to attract an audience. We worked with Mining Journal. Despite their specialised subject matter, in just 10 episodes their podcast reached over 200,000 listeners – enough people to fill Wembley stadium twice plus the O2. That’s not 200,000 half glances at a leaflet, that’s 200,000 people choosing to pay attention to what’s being said.
However, there’s more to podcasting than just knowing your stuff. Successful podcasting involves navigating a learning curve. Content needs to be interesting and engaging, and technology and production skills need to be at a sufficiently high level - and that’s just for audio. While podcasts started as primarily audio content, many now combine audio and video content. So, there are challenges, but there are also stadiums worth of listeners to be reached.
Podcasts are popular
The main reason to consider starting a podcast for your business is simply that people like listening to them. They are also borderless since you can publish to Spotify or Apple Music, for example, and reach a global audience. This is ideal if you deliver products or can offer online consultations.
The challenge is in how to cut through the noise. While it is hard to pin down a specific number, there are estimated to be between three and five million podcasts worldwide. Getting noticed by your target audience can, therefore, be tricky.
The main reason to consider starting a podcast for your business is simply that people like listening to them.
One way of getting noticed is to demonstrate your commitment. By releasing between three and five episodes in one go, you are much more likely to become featured in the ‘New and Interesting’ section on Spotify and Apple Music.
Another way of getting found is to use podcast SEO. Just like regular SEO, you need to understand your target keywords and use them in a well-curated podcast description as well as your episode synopses. It’s always a good idea to include transcripts of the podcast as well, not
only for great SEO but also to benefit those who are hard of hearing. Transcripts can also be converted into captions for video content.
Podcasts are interactive and engaging
Of all forms of content, podcasts are one of the most interactive. You can podcast about anything, whether it’s incredibly niche or fairly broad and generic, and there will be people interested in listening and learning more.
What’s more, people will have opinions, meaning you can get real interactions with your listeners. Interaction tends to happen in one of three ways: asynchronous interaction via comments, instant interaction via livestream commenting, or real-time interaction via call-ins.
Find ways to include interaction within your podcast and you’ll create a lot of audience engagement. Comments can also be very useful when coming up with new content ideas, or you could include a Q&A segment within your regular podcast.
Podcasts are multi-format
One of the best business cases for podcasts is that the content can be easily chopped into a multitude of different formats for different channels. A long-form podcast can be chunked into clips for social media and YouTube, segments for marketing and advertising, and even turned into blog posts.
Among all content types, podcasts are perhaps the most multi-purpose, making them one of the most cost-effective as well. A single 30-minute episode could produce a hundred pieces of content in the form of social clips, soundbites, and blogs.
Getting content that can be chunked down into pleasing soundbites is, however, harder than you might imagine. It’s all down to your pre-production. It takes a lot of planning to find the ideal structure for the episode. You also need a good host who knows how to summarise things neatly, when to pause and when to move things along.
Guests add interest
If you are featuring a guest, let them know the questions in advance so that they can prepare useful and concise answers that are far richer in information. It’s always hard to think of everything in the moment. It is then the job of the host to make the questions seem natural and organic despite the preparation.
It can also be useful to coach less experienced guests on how to minimise filler words like ‘err’ and ‘erm’ and when to take
pauses. A guest who talks at length, with lots of filler words and very few pauses, makes for a difficult editing process. How can you chunk up an endless stream of speech?
One idea can be to have an agreed signal, such as the host raising their hand slightly, so the guest knows when to bring their sentence to a natural end so the host can speak. This also helps minimise crosstalk – another nightmare for the editing room.
If you are setting up cameras to record video content at the same time, it’s always best to have a few different angles set up. Then, when it comes to editing, you can simply switch between angles to make the cuts appear seamless.
A final tip to help with editing is to have someone off camera making note of the times when particularly interesting things were said. This makes the editor’s job a lot easier and means you know how to market the episode before the final edit is complete. Podcasts can be an amazing marketing tool for businesses. They do, however, take a lot of planning to get right. Between content, production, marketing, guests, hosting and
editing, there are lots of pieces that need to align.
These tips should help you get started. However, it’s always useful to have at least one person on your team who is experienced in producing podcasts, or alternatively, use an agency that can get these things right the first time.
Production quality really does matter. Not only does it keep your audience engaged but it ensures that the content can be used for a multitude of channels, giving you the best value for money.
iMICHAEL OLATUNJI is co-founder of Outset Studio, a full-service podcast and video production studio in London. Outset specialises in pod- and vlog- casts, live streams and live shopping. The team works collaboratively with the client to make high-quality content that attracts an audience and increases engagement. www.outsetstudio.com
As a small business, cost control can help boost your profitability and ensure a brighter future…
LET’S start with the obvious point. No one starts up their own holistic therapy practice with cost control at the top of the list of things they’re looking forward to tackling. It’s up there with paying tax and cleaning toiletssomething we know we need to keep on top of, but very little fun.
Yet, just like dealing with HMRC, getting a grip on your outgoings and any spending that’s slipping under the radar is essential, or the business dreams taking a serious nose dive.
Understanding your costs
How much does it cost you to run your business? There’s rent, various forms of insurance, business rates, training, equipment, consumables, bank fees, card payment unit rental and processing fees, utilities and broadband, your phone, website and marketing costs, software subscriptions, background music streaming or CD costs, or a radio licence, staffing and benefits, VAT and other taxes and so much more. Start by making a list or downloading a template or using an app. There are lots of free versions online. Just choose whichever method that you’re most likely to stick with.
A GRIP GET
Then you’ll need to check how much you’re paying to run your business for each category and set up ways of tracking this on a monthly basis. You should also categorise your expenditure as essential and non-essential, but you may also want to break this down further. The process involves setting yourself a budget in each category, monitoring your costs against this and exploring anywhere you’re spending too much or too little. Ideally, it should be a monthly activity, but at least monitor the situation every three months.
Tackling major costs
Start with your biggest costs and explore how these could be reduced. In some cases, this may involve researching to see if there’s a better choice of bank that doesn’t charge fees, a lower interest rate corporate credit card, or a more cost-effective tariff for your electricity and gas. In other cases, cost control is about understanding patterns of use. For example, if your heating and power costs are high, could you reduce the amount of time the heating is switched on? Are you heating your premises when they are empty? If you have irregular work patterns, a thermostat you can control remotely from your phone may make good sense as you could reduce practice room temperatures when you’re not there. Similarly, reducing your boiler flow temperature and lowering the temperature by a degree or two can all help control costs without sacrificing client comfort, especially if your clients are under a blanket for treatment or you have a heated bed.
Depending on where you live, how long you’ve been going and how your local council classifies your business, you may also qualify for a reduction in business rates or other incentives. Checking takes very little time and could help bring your bills down.
Shop around
Never automatically renew anything like insurance, car breakdown, broadband or phone packages. Visit comparison sites and explore the best deals. This can save hundreds of pounds each year. Even if you don’t switch, it provides leverage for a discussion with current service providers about reducing their bills.
A little negotiation can make a big difference
As a nation, we’re often not comfortable with the idea of haggling or asking for a discount. We expect our loyalty as customers to be valued, rather than taken as an opportunity to make a bigger profit. It’s fairly routine to find that, for example, car breakdown cover or insurance renewal quotes can easily be double the size your bill ends up being after a little comparison shopping and polite negotiation.
Negotiation works best when you start your conversation armed with other quotes and can point out that while you’ve been a
longstanding loyal customer and would prefer to stay with them, that their competitors are offering a more attractive deal. Often they will match or beat your best quote and it rarely takes long. In general, saying you want to leave means you’ll be put through to the retentions team, who have more leeway to reduce your quote. Ask about additional benefits too, such as a longer contract or special offers.
It’s easy to think that because something only costs a few pounds, that it makes very little difference to your business costs.
Little costs add up to big profit drains
It’s easy to think that because something only costs a few pounds, that it makes very little difference to your business costs, but often small expenses add up over the course of a year to a serious chunk of money. For example, if you buy fresh flowers each week for your reception area, £5 or £10 a week means you’re spending £180 to £360 a year, whereas, you could replace your flowers with a houseplant or two, still create a calming atmosphere and make a considerable saving.
Improving your efficiency
Improving your efficiency is another effective way of controlling costs. For example, if you see 21 clients a week over five days, could you reorganise your work week so that you only work three days a week? This would then have a knock on effect on your running costs. Similarly, if you have long gaps between clients, are you using that time effectively or scrolling cat pictures and Instagram posts on your phone?
Where could you make more?
How well do your premises meet your needs and those of your clients? Is there, for example, wasted space used for storage that could become a second treatment room that you could then rent out? What about sharing your treatment room with another holistic therapist if you only work part time, but pay for full-time premises? Do you have expensive equipment that you no longer use and could sell on?
Similarly, check if you’ve been reclaiming all the tax you could be by having a talk with your accountant. In some cases, the amount won’t be so big, but, as the supermarket ads say, ‘Every Little Helps.’ For example, if you have clothing you only wear to work, like a uniform or even a t-shirt with your logo, you can claim up to £125 a year for doing so, and this can be backdated for up to four years. You can also claim for the repair and replacement of small tools used in your work, like massage guns.
You could also claim tax back for additional expenses associated with working from home like the costs of a home office, stationary and business phone calls.
Remember, cost control is an ongoing process. Regularly assess expenses, explore cost-saving measures, and adapt as needed to ensure the financial health of your business. n
USING FREELANCERS TO HELP BUILD YOUR BUSINESS AND BRAND
Bringing in the skills you need as you need them can be a cost-effective way to grow your business, but it’s not without its risks…
VERY few of us are good at everything. Just as we hopefully don’t attempt DIY dentistry or rewiring the house, so we should consider bringing in temporary expertise to help with some aspects of our businesses. Choosing the right people can mean that things get done more quickly, less expensively and, ultimately, to a better standard, than attempting to muddle through a project alone. You may already outsource some of your business functions, such as dealing with payroll or your corporation tax, but accountants aren’t the only people you can turn to in order to grow your business.
Where to look for freelancers
The best starting point can be to ask your friends and colleagues if they know someone. This is particularly useful if you need someone local, say for a few hours admin, bookkeeping, reception or work connected with your website or social media. You could also try advertising on the notice boards at a local college or university, or by getting in touch with their careers department.
Many business and design courses, for example, have student placements as part of their courses. These can last from a few weeks to nine months and can be an excellent way to get a project, such as designing and launching a branded range of products, done.
If you’re happy to work with remotely based freelancers, there are a wide range of websites which match freelancers up with projects. These vary enormously in quality, but broadly, you can expect more experienced freelancers to cost more than those in low-cost countries or with little experience of the work you need done. Many projects seem to attract bids from people who don’t have the specialist skills required, so you may need to sift through the bids to find the people you need. Have a look at People Per Hour, Toptal, Fiverr, Guru or UpWork, but there are plenty of sites to choose from.
It’s worth checking out some of the projects on these sites to see what people post, typical remuneration rates and to check the calibre of workers available before posting your own project.
Choosing suitable projects
There are some things that you shouldn’t outsource unless it’s completely unavoidable. These are mainly concerned with preserving the reputation of your business. That means
you probably don’t want to have anyone else selling your business or carrying out your services where these directly interface with your customers.
Freelance sales people can either be incredibly aggressive or simply not up to the job. No-one wants to work on a commissiononly basis when they can have the security of proper employment. Similarly, it would be better to employ a part-time holistic therapist, or rent out your practice space for a couple of days than use a freelancer under your own banner, unless they are known to you and trusted to work to a high standard.
That said, many people have had good experiences working with freelance writers, marketing specialists, researchers, software and app developers, PR and social media experts, translators, bookkeepers, virtual assistants and business advisors. Whatever your project, there’s probably someone out there with the skills to do it.
Defining scope and deliverables
People have poor experiences when using freelancers when there’s a mismatch between the expectations of the project owner and the capabilities of the person tasked with carrying it out. This means you need to be very clear about the project deliverables, including timescale. The more information you can supply, the better quality of applicant and the more accurate the bids you’ll receive. This should include a close definition of the work needed and what you expect to receive when the work is completed. If possible, build in review points along the way.
interact with them and at what stages you need to have further discussions and see the work in progress. This will help you define your project brief and timescales. The more information you can provide, the better the end result.
Avoiding costly mistakes
Freelance sales people can either be incredibly aggressive or simply not up to the job.
Start at the end and think about what you want to receive and when you need it by– say a marketing strategy, twenty new customers, a new website, the contact details of 200 medium to large local businesses who might be interested in corporate wellbeing programs, or 12 weeks’ worth of engaging social media posts. This will be your project deliverable. Then you need to work backwards through what someone would need to do to get to that point and work out where you need to
Look for people with a proven track record of success and relevant experience and be very clear about what you need them to do. If you’re not clear on this yourself, then you need to do some more work to define your project scope.
Set measurable goals. It’s not enough to post a project like, ‘Design my brochure’ without specifying how many pages the brochure should have, what size it should be, how it will be used, whether you have images and a logo, or colours that you need to be included, whether you expect them to pay for stock photography as part of the quote and whether or not they also need to come up with the words. You’d also need to specify technical criteria, like image resolution or file formats.
Payment for project-based work can be a source of problems. Many people post their projects with an unrealistic level of payment for the amount of work required. No-one with any level of skill is going to research a list of email addresses for greenhouse growers in Japan for £12, nor is it reasonable to expect someone to produce a bespoke business plan for £80. Be very clear about how long you would expect the job to take and offer a fair level of remuneration to attract better applicants.
Obviously, your freelancer will wish to be paid as soon as possible, while you should only pay for the work when you are happy with what has been produced. You can either offer staged payments when certain milestones are reached in order to help build trust, or use the escrow systems offered by many of the freelancing websites. In some cases, you can pay for the project in advance, and the funds are released to the freelancer when you confirm the work is completed. You should note that these sites take a hefty brokerage fee, often around 25%, so the freelancer may lose up to a quarter of their recompense. You’ll also want to ensure that the freelancer is responsible for their own taxes, National Insurance etc., so it can make sense to use someone based in the UK and set up as a limited company. n
CranioSacral THERAPY UNDERSTANDING THE THERAPEUTIC PROCESS IN
Gabor Vajnai explores the dynamics of CranioSacral Therapy from Fix Me to Selfhealing…
AT the outset of an enquiry or an initial consultation, new clients often ask, “Can you fix my headaches, back pain, IBS, PTSD, or sleeplessness…?
Will this treatment work for me and how many sessions will I need to get better?”
There is no simple yes or no answer. At best, we, as therapists can talk about our personal experiences and the collective experience among CranioSacral Therapy (CST) practitioners of many successful treatments for those and other conditions.
What is CST?
Dr John E Upledger, the developer of this form of CranioSacral Therapy, seamlessly integrated medical science, psychology,
and spiritual development, creating a direct and gentle treatment for the whole body. The initial aim is to assess and facilitate the release of tension, which corresponds with the client’s symptoms and often stems from long-established physical or mental health problems. There is an emphasis on the close relationship between physical and emotional wellbeing. There’s an intention from the start to develop connection and communication with the innate intelligence, the inner wisdom of the body, “Your Inner Physician”, to quote the title phrase of Dr Upledger’s book. This involves active imagination or memory recall of past events, and it might take a few therapy sessions before a new client begins to appreciate the subtle ways of this method.
Dr. Upledger emphasised that, “Every treatment protocol should be dictated by the wisdom of the patient’s own body”. Each person’s circumstances, treatment, and healing processes will be different, but it all comes down to the power of self-healing. Each client brings unique possibilities to the treatment process, and each session can be different. The therapeutic process in CST calls for honouring your ability to change and to participate in your own healing.
A CST therapist respects the client’s symptoms, looks for their sources, and for an understanding of their development from the structural-physical perspective, as well as from an emotional and spiritual background.
Infections, accidents, injuries, and surgeries leave physical marks, followed by restrictions or compensation patterns developing later. These can manifest as pain, reduced mobility, scar tissue, as well as breathing, circulation or digestive problems, reduced energy, low stamina, disturbed sleep, and poor concentration.
Combining the external and internal
Many clients anticipate that a health problem can be fixed by various external means. Those are based on a purely materialistic medical model. In my practice, I frequently see clients who have gone through months or years of medical tests and consultations, are taking various medications, might have had surgery, and visited several other therapists, yet still have the same problem, if not worse, that they started with.
Emotional trauma, suppressed emotions, and unresolved conflicts affect you on a different level at first but, over time, various physical health problems develop. Functional problems can be appreciated and treated in the context of the whole rather than separate issues. Your birth and early childhood development, even events experienced in the womb, can have lifelong reverberations. On a spiritual developmental level, our karmic path can also be related to our current health and healing process. For some people, this might be relevant and accessible but, naturally, your belief system and spiritual awareness determine how this is integrated into the context of your biography and treatment process.
Of course, there are many other aspects, including genetically determined conditions and environmental effects to consider. The human body is often likened to a machine, and the brain with the peripheral nerve to a complex computer system. Implying parts can
be looked at and analysed separately and, if they malfunction, can be replaced or repaired.
Thinking of clients as musical instruments
In CST, I prefer the analogy of a highly sensitive musical instrument or even a whole orchestra. The treatment involves tuning and fine-tuning and then playing various pieces of music to hear your instrument. Through each of those pieces, you express something deeply significant about yourself. Each part can only be looked at in the context of the whole. The goal of the CST process is to improve the functioning of the whole of You, so that you are able to realise more of your potential.
On this journey, an illness or dysfunction can play a significant part, a symptom carries a message or a teaching. Solving this riddle is part of the process and the path. Sometimes only one treatment is needed, but usually a series of treatments is recommended to build up the beneficial effects over time.
The self-healing intention
Clients often say that they heard about CST from another client and they believe that, “I can help them” with their health issues. With this we come to another aspect, the realm of therapeutic space and relationship. I ask myself how to awaken and facilitate your mindset of self-responsibility, your self-healingwill. This gives an intention to the treatment session.
The starting point is to feel and map the tension patterns and energetic blocks in the body. Beginning to release those while simultaneously getting to know your illness from within, to develop your own understanding of how the symptoms developed and then became a significant part in your life. This exploration may take you back to past experiences, and early childhood memories, recalling forgotten episodes and events that are significant to you now.
Your beliefs, and the attitude in the family towards illness, can play an important part. The more challenging a problem is, the more relevant and revealing it can be.
The 3 I’s
CST therapists facilitate the treatment process rather than lead it. We acknowledge that an inner voice, an inner understanding led you to seek CST - very often after trying other therapeutic methods. This voice comes from your own space of healing and calls for nurturing support, facilitation, and recognition.
Over time, the voice of your Inner Physician becomes more audible to you. “Healing is a process - not an event” This phrase is deeply embedded in the mind of CST Therapists and we learn more about this from each client we treat. As your treatment evolves, the three IsIntention, Immersion, and Integration describe the depth of the therapeutic process.
A CS therapist’s Intention is to connect and communicate with your Inner Physician. Through this, we support the client’s needs for health and well-being. The Inner Physician is part of what lies hidden in non-conscious awareness, and can help the client and therapist to access this information and guide a process towards your healing. It’s an immersive healing journey, exploring memories and images, sometimes communicating with characters who, in the imagination, represent physical or emotional states, i.e. sadness, pain, childhood self, the “warrior”, etc.
Integration of everything that discovered, and the changes that occurred in the client’s body, is necessary to complete the therapy. This part of the process often continues long after the treatment session. It is a reflective process.
The challenge for clients is to accept that in CST, the therapist can affect nothing that your Inner Wisdom did not call for and would not accept. What happens in the treatment is guided by the client’s Inner Wisdom, Inner Physician, in collaboration with your conscious self, and the help of the therapist. It is my role to tune in with that guidance, blend in with the process that the body is initiating, and support you throughout the treatment. n
iGabor Vajnai CST-D MCSS has been a student and practitioner of Upledger CST for over 20 years. He practices in Tunbridge Wells, Forest Row and Maidstone and part-time at the Blackthorn Trust in the Chronic Pain Management Programme. Find out more at csthealing.co.uk
The Upledger Institute UK offers training programmes both for those already working as therapists and for those new to the field interested in a new career. Find out more at www.upledger.co.uk
JOURNEYS:
Orla Ryan
Orla Ryan meditates on her life lessons…
My recovery was due mainly to the wonderful family support I received
AS an introvert I’ve always been drawn to the inner world of thought and feeling. In my final two years in school I had a wonderful teacher who gave me a lifelong love of learning. In college I studied all the great French, Spanish and South American novelists and poets. This deepened my understanding of what it is to be a human being. Subsequently, I did a Diploma in Counselling, Hypnotherapy and NLP.
I’ve always been drawn to alternative and holistic therapies. I have tried many massage therapies over the years with a particular fondness for shiatsu and Thai massage. I have always used homeopathic medicine to treat my family’s various health issues as they arose. I also used bio energy healing and cranio sacral therapy. Having discovered meditation along the way I eventually did a ten day silent Vipassana meditation which proved both challenging and wonderful. I still practice meditation but perhaps not as consistently as I ought to. I worked for over ten years as a Certified Employee Assistance Professional, providing a work based counselling and referral service to staff in a large government department including a health and well-being programme. I favoured the humanistic Carl Rogers approach. I believe that genuineness on the part of the therapist is key. Listening is in and of itself a healing process while empathy and unconditional positive regard
for the client is the basis for effective therapy. I also, where appropriate, practised twenty minute hypnotherapy sessions with clients for stress and pain relief. I am proud of the fact that I was able to help many people deal with both personal and work related issues over many years.
I had a major setback in my early twenties in Amsterdam. I experienced a drug induced psychotic breakdown, which resulted in hospitalisation including ECT and a suicide attempt. My recovery was due mainly to the wonderful family support I received. Falling in love shortly afterwards meant I quite literally never looked back. I have no regrets and have always viewed it as simply life being an adventure where good and bad things happen. It is all part of who I am today. We learn far more from our struggles than we do from our happy times. When an offer of voluntary redundancy came, I surprised myself by opting for it as I had loved the work I was doing helping people with quite challenging issues. I had always wanted to write. While on a course in self-mastery, in the famous UNESCO geopark known as The Burren, I had the idea to write a book on physical, mental and emotional health. A chance encounter led me to a year-long course in KI / Energy training. This involved callisthenics, chanting and meditation. It added a new depth to my understanding of the universal energy system in which everything exists. It also added a whole new dimension to the book I was intending to write. It took me three years to research it and a further two years to write and edit what has become, ‘Of Human Being - an A to Z of the power and art of human being.’
While the book has 52 life lessons in all, the one piece of advice I would suggest is use kindness to be the change you would like to see in the world. My hope now is to travel to some far off place, perhaps to teach English or engage in counselling or simply to scrub floors if required. n
WHAT’S THE BUZZ ABOUT TECAR THERAPY?
Discover more about diathermy and Tecar therapy for injury rehabilitation…
TECAR therapy, which is sometimes known as diathermy or just Tecar, is a useful weapon in the bodyworker’s armoury of tools and techniques.
Tecar is a Spanish acronym which stands for Capacitive and Resistive Energy Transfer. The therapist uses a machine which uses radio frequency electric current to produce biostimulation in the deeper tissues of the body.
In the UK, it’s mainly used by physiotherapists and those involved in sports injury rehab, because the machines are not cheap, ranging from £5000 to
£30,000 each.
Historically, diathermy has its roots in the work of Dr. William Beaumont, the Director of Physical medicine at Westminster Hospital.
Beaumont developed a machine which produced heat endogenously and conducted studies on its effectiveness on a variety of conditions. The technique fell out of fashion until the first modern form of Tecar therapy was patented in the mid-1990s and more rigorous studies were published in professional journals.
How it works: the science bit
Tecar machines are based on electrical capacitors. These consist of two conductive elements or plates which are separated by an insulator and connected to an electrical generator. This creates a potential difference between the plates, increasing the positive charge in one and the negative charge in the other.
The body tissue acts as the insulating component and the charge runs from the handpiece to the return plate. The strength of the current produced can be adjusted and produces long-wave radio frequency waves which penetrate the tissues. There’s no heat produced on the skin’s surface, but the deeper tissue is affected by the radio waves. This means that Tecar therapy can be effective at a deeper level than surface therapies.
Tecar treatment produces a temperature increase that occurs in a uniform and controlled manner within the tissue, leading to an ionic flux with a micro-hyperemia that releases cortisol and endorphins and reduces the level of pain experienced by the client. Treatment can also reduce inflammation and oedema, making it useful in treating joint injuries. Studies have shown that Tecar increases the blood supply to tissue in the treated area, facilitating regeneration and shortening recovery times as well as boosting the immune system.
Tecar techniques
There are two main Tecar treatment techniques. In the resistive mode, the tissues with the highest levels of resistance, such as bone, cartilage, deep muscles and tendons, are subject to the concentration of electrical charges and the associated biological effects. Soft tissues such as superficial muscle, adipose tissue, and the lymphatic and vascular circulatory systems are treated with the capacitive mode. The electrode handpiece normally has an insulated coating in this case.
In either case, a thermal effect reduces the client’s pain perception at the nociceptor level. Thermic treatments are particularly effective in dealing with chronic pain conditions. Greater effectiveness is reported when the client provides constant feedback on the perceived levels of pain and heat, allowing the intensity of the treatment to be adjusted.
It’s also possible to offer an athermic treatment, where no heat results. This is mainly used where a high level of vascularisation is not desirable, such as acute inflammation or trauma, where it reduces the degree of swelling, immediately after an injury. This is most commonly used in professional sports therapy, to treat injuries such as sprains and pulled muscles, where heat would aggravate the injury. Athermic treatments tend to be of greater duration than thermic treatments due to the nature of the
injuries involved.
The majority of studies suggest that subjects experienced improvements with just 1-2 treatments of 20-30 minutes in length, making Tecar an attractive addition to the bodyworker’s armoury of tools and techniques. Typical charges are in the region of £30 to £50 a session, depending on duration, the customer base, the size of the area to be treated and the therapist’s location. Those treating elite athletes or working in private healthcare can charge considerably more.
What happens during a session?
Most Tecar sessions involve the patient lying on a couch, but it’s also possible to provide treatments sitting up or even moving about. The latter can be helpful if specific movements will help the healing process.
processes, reducing inflammation.
Contraindications and conditions where treatment is recommended
Since Tecar therapy involves sending an electric current through the body, there are several groups of people who the treatment is not suitable for. These include those with cancer, metal prostheses such as replacement hips or metal plates in their bodies, those with electro-medical devices such as pacemakers, hearing aids, metal intrauterine contraceptive coils or insulin pumps.
Those who are bleeding, have a fever or suffer from phlebitis, or arterial diseases, those who have epilepsy, children under the age of 14 and those who are pregnant.
It’s advisable to pre-warn clients that the treatment is applied directly to the skin of the affected area, so clothing that can be easily removed or sleeves that can be rolled up, for example, make treatment easier.
The skin on the treatment area is normally swabbed with an alcohol wipe or similar, then a conductive gel is applied before the therapist places the appropriate handpiece and the return plate so treatment can start.
Typically, sessions are carried out two or three times each week over a period of four or five weeks. While some improvement can be expected even with a single treatment, four or five sessions are usually required to provide lasting improvements.
Where Tecar is provided before manual therapies such as massage or kinesiology, greater improvements are reported as the thermic and vascular effects essentially prepare the tissues for treatment, reducing the viscosity of the elastic muscle fibres and reducing basal muscle tone. This can help increase mobility and reduce joint friction. Tecar can also be provided after manual therapies where it has been shown to aid muscle recovery and if athermic treatment is used, it promotes metabolic recovery
Treatment should not be undertaken in glandular areas of the body, the armpits, pubis and genatalia, the sternum, sternum, supraclavicular and subclavicular fossa, iliac crest, or the tibial crest as the bones are areas of high resistance and, as a result, may experience a sudden increase in temperature.
These areas aside, Tecar offers treatment possibilities for many areas of the body and chronic conditions. As you might expect, it’s useful for treating joint conditions of the elbow, hands, wrists, knee, ankle and foot as well as problems origination from wear and tear or damage to the back and spine, lumbar region, sacral, and cervical vertebrae.
Parts of the body subject to problems that can benefit most from a diathermy treatment are shoulder, elbow, hand, wrist, spine, cervical, back, lumbar, sacral, knee, ankle, foot. It can also be used to ameliorate a wide range of pain-causing chronic conditions including muscle strains, contractures and bruises, neck pain, slipped discs, lower back pain, lumbosciatica, tendon issues, whiplash and cruciate ligament injuries.
As with all technologies, it’s important to do your research properly and invest in training before committing to buying new equipment. n
HELPING CLIENTS WITH ARTHRITIS
Around ten million people in the UK suffer from arthritic conditions. There are several different types which are managed in different ways, but all have no cure. Generally, arthritis becomes more common as we age but it can even affect children and teenagers.
THE symptoms of arthritis include pain, swelling and stiffness in a joint or joint. It can affect any joint in the body, but is most commonly seen in the hands, the spine, knees and hips, which bring a range of mobility issues, from opening doors or jars, to bending, walking, working and driving and making many aspects of life difficult and painful. One of the main frustrations people with arthritis of any type experience is the inconsistency of the disease.
One day you may feel fine, then be in pain the next if you experience a flare up.
Arthritis, especially given that it comes in several forms, can be caused by many factors. In some cases, particularly in the elderly, it may be mainly down to wear and tear of the cartilage in the joints. Injury or infection, whether viral or bacterial, can also be an underlying cause, as can autoimmune diseases and metabolic irregularities. Risk factors include genetics, obesity, age and gender, with women being more likely to experience arthritis than men.
Osteoarthritis
Osteoarthritis is the most common form of arthritis found in the UK. It affects around 8.25 million people. Affected joints often appear swollen as the synovial fluid and capsule that surround the joint become thickened and inflamed. Osteoarthritis often begins with the cartilage becoming thinner and rougher and tiny bone spurs called osteophytes may grow on the ends of bones, causing considerable pain and stiffness as the body attempts to repair itself. Being overweight, female and over 45 all make it more likely that you will develop osteoarthritis. Regular exercise can help keep the joints strong.
Typical treatment involves non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs such as ibuprofen or NSAID creams applied at the site of the pain. Hip and knee replacements are the treatment of last resort.
Gout
Many people don’t even think of gout as a type of arthritis, but rather something that affected portly Victorian gentlemen with a fondness for roast goose and too much claret. Like several other Victorian diseases, including Scarlet Fever and TB, gout is making a comeback, with numbers rising every year. It tends to affect men from their twenties onwards while women are more likely to experience it after menopause, suggesting that female sex hormones may offer a degree of protection.
Gout is an inflammatory arthritis which often affects the big toe, which becomes red and hot, and the skin often becomes shiny and peels off. It is caused by high levels of uric acid which can crystallise in the body. Should these crystals find their way into the soft part of the joint, extreme pain and swelling can result.
Having high uric acid or urate levels may have a genetic component, but it’s also associated with over-imbibing on certain types of food and alcohol. It can also affect other joints in the body and, like osteoarthritis can flare up suddenly.
Sometimes calcium crystals can be deposited in and around the joints in a similar manner to uric acid crystal formation. Calcific periarthritis can cause painful swelling around the joints. It can occur in tendons or in a fluid-filled bursa that cushions the joint allowing smooth movement of muscles, tendons and ligaments. Sometimes these crystals migrate into the soft tissue around a joint leading to sudden pain and swelling. This often occurs a day or two after
injury or over-exertion. The shoulders are most commonly affected, particularly as large crystals can make movement difficult, but hands, hips and other joints can also be affected. Typically, once crystals start to shed into the soft tissue, they will continue to do so until they are all gone. Fortunately, the calcium crystals don’t tend to regrow in the same site, but that does mean the condition can migrate to other joints.
Deposits of calcium crystals may be due to changes in the body as we age, an overactive parathyroid gland, malfunctioning kidneys or diabetes. It’s possible to relieve the pain using ice packs to reduce swelling, or a medical professional can insert a needle and draw out the fluid into a syringe, which provides immediate relief. This is often followed by steroid injections and treatment with ibuprofen. Alternative treatments include a series of treatments designed to break up the crystal deposits using high frequency shock waves. This is most frequently used on the tendons of the shoulder, causing the crystals to shed into the soft tissue.
Rheumatoid arthritis
Rheumatoid arthitis affects around 1% of people in the UK, with the majority of cases
being women in the 40-60 age group. Men in this age range can also be affected. Rheumatoid arthritis is an auto-immune disorder, rather than resulting from wear and tear as the body ages. Essentially, the immune system turns against the body, sending extra blood and fluid to an area to fight off a perceived infection. The inflammation and excess fluid makes moving more difficult, stretchingg the joint capsule, irritating nerve endings and damaging bones and joints. It can be particularly bad in the morning and can be accompanied by fatigue and feeling unwell.
How holistic therapy can help
At the primary level, any therapy which improves the range of movement can be of benefit to those living with arthritis.
Supported forms of exercise, such as waterbased exercises, can be helpful, and specific programmes of home bodywork exercises can help with maintaining flexibility. Massage and bodywork can be helpful as can therapies that reduce pain through mindfulness or movement.
Where arthritis is associated with diabetes, or obesity, nutritional therapy can help with weight loss and anti-inflammatory food choices, or anti-inflammatory supplements. n
and
arthritis JOINT HEALTH
Jordi Mascio of Goldman Laboratories shares the latest research on supplements for arthritis…
ONE-third of all adults are living with some changes in joint structure, and about one-fifth have clinical arthritis. These numbers are especially high in older adults.
Arthritis causes significant pain, distress, and disability. It may also adversely affect general health and well-being if not managed properly. Thus, poorly controlled joint pain may cause sleep disorders, depression, and other health issues.
Arthritis is characterized by joint inflammation and is not a singular disease, with myriad possible causes. To effectively enhance joint health and address joint pain, it is essential to first delve into its diverse origins before exploring potential solutions.
Arthritis causes
It is essential to understand the causes of arthritis, as it can help choose the right
preventive and management approaches.
When it comes to joint disorders or arthritis, osteoarthritis is the primary cause. Most cases of arthritis are due to this single condition that mainly affects large and weight-bearing joints like knee and hip joints. In this condition, the pain is often asymmetrical.
Although osteoarthritis is regarded as a disease of wear and tear, it is mainly a degenerative disorder. Some individuals with specific nutritional deficiencies and lifestyle choices are at a greater risk of the condition. It is especially more common in those living with gene mutations affecting the production of collagen II, IV, V, and VI.
Another common cause of arthritis is gout, which mainly occurs due to an accumulation of uric acid in joints.
Then, there is a large group of autoimmune disorders causing arthritis. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is one of the most common kinds
of autoimmune disorders causing arthritis. Autoimmune arthritis may also affect smaller joints like fingers, and pain in the condition often tends to be symmetrical.
Tissue degeneration, destruction, and inflammation underline all joint health issues. Thus, most people can benefit through specific lifestyle interventions, nutrition therapy, and herbs, irrespective of the cause of arthritis.
Vitamin C and arthritis
This water-soluble vitamin has many roles in health. It can boost immunity, prevent infections, and lower inflammation. However, more importantly, vitamin C can boost collagen production and wound healing.
Vitamin C is also among the most potent antioxidants. Even more interestingly, it can boost the production of other antioxidants, including alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E). Hence, vitamin C can slow down inflammation and counter various degenerative processes.
Since it is an immune modulator, it can also alter immune responses. Thus, it is also suitable for those living with autoimmune arthritis. Further, it is worth understanding that vitamin
the course of certain diseases.
Curcuminoids and arthritis
Curcuminoids are mainly derived from the golden spice turmeric. Although there are many kinds of curcuminoids, curcumin is the most popular and well-studied. It provides the typical yellow color to the spice. However, it is also a potent antioxidant and has anti-inflammatory properties.
In recent years, it has emerged as one of the most popular joint health supplements. Numerous studies show that it can help lower pain and inflammation. In fact, some studies show that it is as effective as some of the commonly used painkillers in relieving joint pain.
C is also quite good for microcirculation. It may also reduce fatigue, capillary fragility, and widespread weakness of connective tissues.
Collagen type 2 and arthritis
alter the course of diseases. They work in multiple ways. Both of these work best when taken together. They contain molecules that are building blocks of joint cartilages, that is, glycosaminoglycans. Hence, they are especially good for preventing and managing arthritis of larger joints like knee and hip joints.
These two products are so good that they are even sold as prescription drugs in some nations.
Recent studies show that these compounds do not only nourish joints but can also modulate immunity and lower inflammation. Therefore, researchers are even testing them to manage various other inflammatory disorders.
These are some of the most popular ways to nourish joints and reduce inflammation. However, many other nutrients and herbals, like MSM, omega-3 fatty acids, vitamin D, calcium, magnesium, and boswellia serrata, are suitable for joint health.
Collagen is the most abundant protein type in the human body. Hence, increasing dietary intake of collagen has many health benefits. This protein is especially needed for the production of connective tissues and plays a vital role in maintaining joint health. Collagen is vital to maintaining joint structures like cartilage, ligaments, and tendons. However, it is vital to understand that collagen is not just needed for the production of connective tissues. Type II collagen may also act as a signaling molecule. It is known to modulate immunity. This means collagen II is not just good for degenerative conditions like osteoarthritis. Still, it may also help reduce inflammation in autoimmune disorders like rheumatoid arthritis. Studies suggest that collagen is good for both improving joint health and reducing inflammation. Its regular intake may help alter
What is good about
curcuminoids is that they are good for different types of joint pain. Thus, they are good for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis and can help manage other autoimmune disorders causing joint pain. This is because curcumin is a potent immune-modulator. Unlike pharmacological drugs, it is safe and good for prolonged use.
Glucosamine and chondroitin for arthritis
Glucosamine and chondroitin are by far the most popular joint health supplements. These are only supplements that are even recommended for osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis treatment by some guidelines. These two compounds are proven to work. They are known to nourish joints, prevent degeneration, modulate immune responses, and lower inflammation. They not only help manage joint disorders but may also
To conclude, joint disorders are pretty common. Though joint disorders are not rare in young adults, they are particularly common in older adults. Thus, most adults above the age of 70 are living with joint disorders. Joint disorders can be prevented. It is vital to understand that they do not occur in all adults. Those living with certain nutritional deficiencies are at a greater risk. Certain genetic factors may also put a person at risk due to lower production of specific molecules like different types of collagens. However, fortunately, with the help of the right kind of nutrition therapy, most joint health issues can be prevented. n
iJordi Mascio has more than 14 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.
PIONEERS:
ALMERIC AND PAULINE PAGET, FOUNDERS OF THE MILITARY MASSAGE CORPS
Almeric and Pauline Paget brought physiotherapy and massage to injured soldiers during the First World War…
ALMERIC Paget was a businessman and politician who came from a distinguished military family. He was the sixth son of a sixth son and had thirteen brothers and sisters, so it was clear that, although an aristocrat, he would need to seek his own fortune. He left school at sixteen, becoming a cowboy in America before going into real estate and partnering with a member of the Whitney family in several business ventures. In 1910, Almeric Paget was elected as the Member of Parliament for Cambridge, a position he held until his resignation in 1917.
He married an American heiress, Pauline Payne Whitney in 1895. Pauline was born into an incredibly rich and leading family in the USA. She was considered attractive, intelligent and sociable and recognised as an accomplished linguist, musician, horsewoman and tennis player. More unusually, she was also known as a supporter of women’s suffrage and said to have socialist leanings. The pair met on a transatlantic liner voyage.
Pauline had suffered diphtheria as a child and had a weak constitution as a result. She frequently visited spas at Aix-le-Bains for her health and, in later life, spent time in Egypt each winter to recuperate. Together the pair founded and financed the Almeric Paget Massage Corps in 1914, at the outbreak of the First World War. The pair proved formidable and resourceful organisers, getting the organisation up and running within a fortnight of the start of the war and recognised by both the War Office and the Red Cross.
Initially, the Corps consisted of fifty trained female massage workers who offered massage, physiotherapy and electrical treatments to soldiers recovering in military hospitals in the UK. Corps members had to have the certificate of training issued by the Incorporated Society of Trained Masseuses (ISTM), and the society’s council encouraged its members to join the Massage Corps. Two of the new corps’ executive of three were ISTM members, including Essex French, another aristocrat who was the daughter
of Sir John French and Eleanora Selby-Lowndes. Trained masseuse Miss Essex French acted as organiser and Hon. Secretary and was reported in the Daily News of October 1914, as spending 2 hours per day at Charing Cross Hospital providing massage to wounded soldiers.
their uniforms, which consisted of a navy blue jacket with patch pockets measuring 6 inches long and 8.5 inches wide, fastened with dark blue leather or imitation leather buttons and an optional belt. This was paired with a navy blue skirt which was required to be 6 inches from the ground.
As demand for their services increased, the Paget family opened a day treatment centre in London which was based in a house at 55 Portland Place belonging to Lady Alexander Paget. Before long, the clinic staff treated up to two hundred patients each day. Many of the first staff were volunteers, but some were paid a salary of two pounds a week by the Pagets.
By 1915, the Massage Corps was so successful that there were 200 women employed as masseuses and a further 129 attached to military hospitals
The Pagets and their team were all exceptionally well connected in military, political and media circles, and several press articles encouraged women to join the organisation. A feature in the Evening Standard of 22nd November 1915 said, ‘…no woman can hope
to do more valuable work on behalf of the wounded soldier than a masseuse attached to that corps and it is sincerely hoped that a sufficient number of recruits will be forthcoming to cope with future developments.’
Other papers carried more detailed reports praising the work being carried out, such as, ‘At an Almeric Paget institute in a convalescent camp, the work is almost visibly curative. A man may come in on crutches and walk out unsupported within a few days. A considerable number of treatments can be administered simultaneously, and every patient is having something done to him. It might be a score of operating theatres rolled into one, but without anaesthetics and practically without pain. Some of the men are partially buried beneath big mounds. These are being submitted to radiant heat, and the mounds are ‘ovens’. From several parts of the room comes buzzing of vibrators and batteries and here massage is being applied. Skilled hands move deftly, firmly and apparently tirelessly. Watching this varied and buzzing activity a sergeant was moved to observe ‘If Kaiser Bill saw it he would say the British Army is being tortured to make it go to the front’. Contemporary accounts suggest that the work was physically demanding with each woman treating between thirty and forty patients per day providing a range of physical therapies including massage, remedial
gymnastics, electrotherapy and hydrotherapy in a concerted effort to get men back to the front.
By 1915, the Massage Corps was so successful that there were 200 women employed and masseuses and a further 129 attached to military hospitals. The corps practiced in in 110 military hospitals and institutions, including newly founded convalescent camps in Eastbourne, Dartford and Epsom.
In 1916, Sir Alfred Keogh, head of the army medical service, inspected the work of the corps and was so impressed that the corps was asked to take over the management of physiotherapy services in all military hospitals and convalescent facilities. In recognition of this the name of the organisation was changed to the Almeric Paget Military Massage Corps. The army took over funding the service through a grant from the government and the staff grew to over 2000 practitioners, including men, by the end of the war, with over 3400 people having been employed by the corps since its foundation in 1914.
When Pauline Payne died in 1916, a group of wounded soldiers acted as pall bearers at her funeral. Her memorial can be viewed in St. Mary’s Churchyard in Hereford.
When peace was declared, the Almeric Payne Massage Corps became the Military Massage Service as part of the Army and Pensions Massage Association and all existing members were offered the chance to join the new organisation which was controlled jointly by the War Office and the Ministry of Pensions. Almeric Page was elevated to the peerage as Baron Queensborough and Essex French was awarded the OBE in 1919. n
FTHE SURPRISING THING ABOUT SEAWEED
Simon Ranger, founder of Seagreens, shares why everyone should include seaweed in their diet…
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.
ROM 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
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.
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
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.
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.
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!
In the most evident cases, such as allergies and intolerances, or in special needs diets, seaweed really comes into its own.
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
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 underreplenished soils back to the ocean.
Knowledgeable use
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.
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. n
iSIMON 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 https://www.seagreens.co.uk/. Trade practitioners should contact Natural Dispensary on 01453 757792. Nutrition and training enquiries to info@ seagreens.co.uk or 01444 400403.
IN THE STARS
LunaClair looks ahead to Jupiter’s move into Gemini, from 25th May 2024 to 9th July 2025…
ON May 25th, 2024, Jupiter, the planet of expansion, growth, and divine luck, will leave Taurus and move into the mutable air sign of Gemini. We all eagerly anticipate Jupiter’s presence in our signs, as this opportunity only arises once every 12 years. This time, the sociable, curious, multifaceted Geminis will have the privilege of enjoying just over a full year with God’s blessing in their sign.
Jupiter is beloved for its ability to magnify and amplify everything it touches. It brings opportunities, good karma, or luck if you will. Known for wisdom and inspiration, Jupiter is a teacher figure that guides individuals to walk the path of dharma and divine truth, encouraging open-mindedness, higher knowledge, clear thinking, good judgment and expanded horizons. This fortunate transit will particularly benefit air and fire signs, with Geminis being the most blessed.
Jupiter will bring us luck and opportunities if we apply our energies in the Geminian way, such as being open to learning, communicating, and engaging in numerous social interactions.
Jupiter in Gemini will bring luck when individuals engage with the energies of
the house occupied by Gemini using whole sign astrology. It encourages curiosity, learning, sociability, and exploration. The most benefits from this transit can be reaped through being curious, learning, writing, social engagement, travel and communication – the main characteristics of both Jupiter and Gemini.
Jupiter will bring us luck and opportunities if we apply our energies in the Geminian way, such as being open to learning, communicating, and engaging in numerous social interactions. It favours activities like writing, speaking, networking and traveling, breathing and deep thinking. The upcoming year’s effects can be determined based on your ascendant sign. You can calculate your ascendant for free on www.lunaclair.com.
Aries:
As Jupiter expands your 3rd house of learning, communication, siblings, and neighbours, it brings blessings to your thinking, social media and media in general. Embrace the opportunities that Jupiter presents, as they will lead to a flow of divine grace and improved relationships with siblings, neighbours, colleagues and people in your everyday environment.
Taurus:
With Jupiter moving from your sign to your 2nd house of money and values, you will encounter opportunities to increase
your income, possibly through travel, studies, or foreign affairs. Your cash flow is likely to grow, and you may make a significant purchase. Your self-worth will rise and your confidence in your ability to achieve your goals will strengthen.
Gemini:
This transit will enhance your vitality and health, leading you toward a more joyful and fulfilling path for the next 12 years. Embrace actions aligned with your dharma, which will ultimately lead to true happiness. Seize the opportunity for a major change that aligns with the bliss of your soul rather than your ego.
Cancer:
Jupiter’s influence expands your house of behind-the-scenes matters and faraway lands. You may find yourself traveling for spiritual retreats or to culturally diverse locations. Use this time for soul-searching, as Jupiter provides protection and guidance. It’s an opportune moment to address past karma and resolve lingering psychological issues.
Leo:
With Jupiter in your 11th house, many of your worldly desires will be fulfilled. Your social circle, benefactors, networks, groups, and communities will expand. You may reap rewards based on previous actions in your career, such as financial gains or the achievement of longterm goals.
Virgo:
Jupiter brings luck and expansion to your career for the next year. This is a time to take inspired action in alignment with your worldly responsibilities. A promotion or higher status, as well as potential marriage, may be on the horizon. This marks the beginning of new career opportunities that will bring true happiness over the next 12 years.
Libra:
With Jupiter expanding your horizon in the 9th house of travel and education, you may feel inspired to embark on a journey of learning and self-discovery. This could manifest as a spiritual quest or a pursuit of higher knowledge. You may find yourself connecting with a mentor or guide who can help you manifest your aspirations through faith and wisdom.
Scorpio
As Jupiter moves into your 8th house of sudden changes, you may encounter a transformative event that leads to growth, both financially and psychologically. This could involve an expansion of your resources through partnerships or unexpected windfalls. Be open to the potential for increased financial stability and support from those around you.
Sagittarius
Jupiter’s influence in your life may bring significant new connections and relationships. These individuals could hold deep meaning for you, potentially leading to long-term partnerships or collaborations. For those seeking love, this period may bring the blessing of a meaningful relationship. If you’re already in a committed partnership, expect renewed inspiration and support from your significant other.
Capricorn
With Jupiter entering your 6th house of work and health, you may find opportunities for growth and prosperity through your daily routines and well-being practices. Embracing new health habits and behaviours can enhance your vitality and overall balance. This period may also offer insights into creating wealth through diligent work and self-care.
Aquarius
During this transit, you may experience an expansion of joy, creativity, and romantic experiences. This could manifest as the discovery of new talents, hobbies, or enjoyable activities. For those with children, this period may bring moments of delight and fulfilment. Additionally, opportunities for personal growth and support from benevolent figures may arise, particularly in your professional endeavours.
Pisces
With Jupiter moving into your 4th house, you may find opportunities for growth and abundance within your family and home life. Support from family members and potential expansions within your household are likely during this period. If you’ve encountered challenges related to property or home improvements, this
year could provide favourable conditions for addressing these matters. n
iLunaClair is a dedicated teacher, professional astrologer, and lifelong student of eastern philosophies. Her approach to astrology combines ancient traditions with contemporary techniques, focusing on guiding individuals through their soul’s evolutionary journey with healing and remedial work. To learn more about her work, visit www.lunaclair.com/
Vegan delights
Viva! The
campaigning vegan charity shares a selection of scrummy recipes from their new cook book…
Mushroom Bourguignon with White Bean Mash & Kale Crisps
Well, here’s a deliciously simple take on a French classic. Enjoy a medley of mushrooms and herby goodness in a rich, gravy-like red wine sauce. Serve on a bed of our creamy white bean mash topped off with kale crisps and take your comfort food to the next level.
Prep: 20mins | Cook: 40mins |
Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
BOURGUIGNON
30g dried porcini mushrooms, soaked in boiling water for 15 minutes (You can use 30g extra mixed mushrooms if you don’t want to use any dried)
2 tbsp. vegan butter or oil)
600g mixture of mushrooms, big ones halved and small ones left whole
125g shallots or pearl onions, halved or quartered if large
2 carrots, thickly sliced
120g vegan lardons or 2 handfuls of pre-cooked chestnuts, roughly chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp. plain four (use gluten-free if needed)
1 tbsp. tomato purée
375ml fruity vegan red wine
250ml vegan stock (use 1 stock cube in boiling water)
6 sprigs thyme
1 bay leaf
Salt and pepper, to taste
Handful of parsley, roughly chopped
INGREDIENTS WHITE BEAN MASH
500g floury potatoes, peeled and cut into even chunks
2 x 400g tins butterbeans or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
35g vegan butter
50ml unsweetened plant milk
1 tbsp. lemon juice
1 tsp salt
¼ tsp black pepper
KALE CRISPS
Steam the kale if you prefer or serve with salad or other green vegetables
100g kale or cavolo nero leaves, hard/ thick stems removed
½ tbsp. olive oil
Very light sprinkling of salt
METHOD
BOURGUIGNON
Heat 1 tablespoon of vegan butter in a large saucepan on a medium heat. Add all the mushrooms except the soaking porcinis. Heat until cooked but firm, stirring frequently. Remove from the pan and set aside. Add 1 tablespoon of vegan butter to the pan and add the shallots/onions, the carrot and the vegan lardons or chestnuts. Cook for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently. Stir through the garlic and cook for a further 2 minutes. Pour in the flour thoroughly combine with the other ingredients. Heat for 1 minute.
Drain the porcini mushrooms then add them to the pan along with the tomato purée, red wine, stock, thyme sprigs and bay leaf. Simmer on medium for around 20 minutes or until the liquid has reduced down significantly and you have your desired consistency. You can make your mash while the stew is simmering. Stir through the cooked mixed mushrooms and heat for 2 minutes. Top with fresh parsley.
METHOD MASH
Place the potatoes in a large saucepan, cover with cold water and add a little salt. Bring the potatoes to the boil then simmer on low – medium until tender but not overcooked. Add the butterbeans for the last five minutes of cooking. Drain and leave them to steam dry for a couple of minutes. Fry the garlic on a medium heat, in a little oil for 2 minutes. Mash the beans, potatoes, lemon juice, garlic, butter, plant milk, salt and pepper together or use a food processor for a smoother mash.
METHOD
KALE CRISPS
Preheat the oven to 130°C/265°F/Gas Mark 1. Massage olive oil and salt into the kale leaves, then set out onto a baking tray so the leaves don’t touch. Place in the oven for 15-20 minutes, or until crispy, turning once.
Double Chocolate Overnight Oats
One breakfast that will have you bouncing out of bed! Quickly prep these indulgent oats the night before, ready to grab and go the next morning.
Prep: 5mins | Serves: 1
INGREDIENTS
50g rolled oats (use gluten-free if needed)
180ml unsweetened plant milk
½ tsp vanilla extract
1 tbsp. nut or seed butter of your choice
2 tsp chia seeds
1-2 tbsp. (depending on how chocolatey you like it) raw cacao or cocoa powder
Using a small mason jar or small airtight bowl/box, add all of the ingredients and stir until thoroughly combined. Add any of the toppings you like or you can add them the next day if preferred. Leave
overnight in the fridge ready to grab and go the next morning!
Spicy Coconut Noodles
500ml vegan stock
1 x 400ml tin coconut milk
Enjoy a soupy, noodl-y South East Asian blend of fragrant spices, lemongrass and chunky tofu puffs. A light and healthy dish to be enjoyed year-round.
Prep: 10mins | Cook: 15mins Serves: 2
INGREDIENTS
SPICE PASTA
Thumbnail of ginger, peeled
3 cloves garlic, roughly chopped
2 red chillies (seeds included), roughly chopped
2 stalks lemongrass, outer layer and ends removed and roughly chopped
1 tsp coriander seeds, ideally lightly toasted until they release their fragrance
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tbsp. neutral oil (e.g. rapeseed)
NOODLES
200g dried vegan noodles
1-2 onions or 4 shallots, finely diced
130g-150g mushrooms (mixed mushrooms work really well but any are fine)
200gspinach
100g deep fried tofu puffs, halved (available online and from Asian supermarkets)
Handful of fresh coriander, roughly chopped
Optional toppings:
Juice of ½ a lime, roasted cashews or a sprinkling of crispy fried onions
METHOD
Blend the spice paste in a high speed blender or food processor. Set aside. Cook the noodles according to the instructions on the packet, drain and set aside. Take a large saucepan or wok, fry the onion for 5 minutes. Add the mushrooms and fry for a further 5 minutes. Stir through the spice paste, stirring frequently. Add the stock and coconut milk, bring to the boil and then simmer for 10-15 minutes. Add the spinach, tofu and the noodles and simmer for a further minute.
Remove from the heat (do not drain – it’s supposed to be slightly soupy), serve up and sprinkle with fresh coriander and optional toppings.
Speedy One Pot Kale, Bean & Lemon Stew
This stew is very quick, hearty and healthy. It can be batch-cooked and frozen or popped in a flask for lunch the next day. The fennel seeds, lemon juice and chilli flakes really give this dish its unique flavour, so best not to leave them out.
Prep: 10mins | Cook: 18mins | Serves: 4
INGREDIENTS
1 onion, finely diced
2-3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp fennel seeds
½ tsp chilli flakes
3 medium carrots, diced or finely sliced
1 tsp sugar or syrup
1 x 400g tin chopped tomatoes
600ml vegan stock
1 tbsp. red wine vinegar
2 bay leaves
180g kale leaves (stalks removed), sliced into 1cm strips
3 x 400g tins butter beans, chickpeas or cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
Zest of half a lemon, finely chopped
1 tbsp. lemon juice
2-3 tbsp. nutritional yeast (optional)
Salt and pepper, to taste
Optional toppings:
Drizzle of chilli or olive oil, fresh parsley, lemon wedges, vegan feta, vegan Parmesan, vegan plain yoghurt
METHOD
Take a large saucepan, fry the onion in a little oil until lightly golden. Add the garlic, carrot, sugar, lemon zest, fennel seeds and chilli flakes and fry for a further couple of minutes then add the tomatoes, bay leaves, vinegar and stock. Simmer on a medium heat for 10 minutes.
Pop in the kale, beans of your choice and lemon juice and simmer for 5-10 minutes.
When the carrots are soft, add salt, pepper and nutritional yeast, if required.
Serving suggestions:
Crusty bread, green salad, mashed potato, potato cakes or rostis, quinoa, rice, roasted or steamed vegetables, vegan feta, vegan plain yoghurt
iCelebrating their 30th anniversary in 2024, Viva! is the UK’s leading vegan campaigning charity, specialising in undercover investigations, high-profile animal campaigns and recipe creation via its own Vegan Recipe Club. The new cookbook Everyone Can Cook Vegan (£12) can be purchased now at vivashop.org.uk/cookbook Photographs by Rebel Recipes
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.
Dryness and sensitive mucous membranes For women with
Vaginal dryness and dry eyes are some of the complaints that women typically experience before, during, and after menopause. Omega 7 Pharma Nord is a formula developed specifically to help maintain healthy and well hydrated mucosa at this stage of life.
• Scientifically documented
• Suited for vegetarians and vegans
• With vitamin A that supports normal skin, vision, and mucous membranes
Omega 7 Pharma Nord contains the SBA24 extract that is made from both the berries and seeds of sea buckthorn to ensure the widest spectrum of beneficial nutrients.
Sea buckthorn is one of nature’s richest sources of vitamin A, a nutrient that is best known for its ability to maintain normal skin, vision, and mucous membranes.
Pioneers
NEW NEWFRONTIERS FRONTIERS: RESEARCH ROUND UP
THE LATEST SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH OF INTEREST TO HOLISTIC THERAPISTS AND THEIR CLIENTS…
MINDFULNESS AND EXERCISE BOOSTS MENTAL HEALTH
A new study from the University of Bath suggests that life changes which combine both physical activity and mindfulness are most effective at lifting mood and improving health and wellbeing more than either exercise or mindfulness alone. The findings applied to those on poor health as well as those without health issues.
The research team discovered that mindfulness can help to unlock exercise by helping to motivate people to start in the first place, whilst overcoming minor pain, discomfort or feelings of failure when exercising gets hard. Mindfulness to be highly effective at reducing worry, stress, anxiety, and helping people to live healthier, happier lives. Ref: 10.1016/j. mhpa.2023.100575
50 YEARS OF SLEEP AND EMOTION RESEARCH SHOWS DEPRIVATION MAKES US LESS HAPPY AND MORE ANXIOUS
A University of Houston psychologist finds that losing sleep has the power to make us unhappy, increase anxiety, degrade mood and altogether undermine our emotional functioning. The study, published by the American Psychological Association in the journal Psychological Bulletin, examined over 50 years of research on sleep deprivation and mood.
Emotions govern virtually every aspect of our daily lives, and even when sleep is only mildly deficient, there are measurable negative changes in how we react to everyday events.
Periods of extended wakefulness, shortened sleep duration, and night-time awakenings adversely influence human emotional functioning. The team analysed data from 154 studies spanning five decades, with 5,715 total participants.
Research has found that more than 30% of adults and up to 90% of teens don’t get enough sleep. Ref: 10.1037/bul0000410
OMEGA-3 FATS MAY SLOW PULMONARY FIBROSIS
University of Virginia scientists have found that higher levels of omega-3 fatty acids, found in fish and nuts, can slow the progression of pulmonary fibrosis lung scarring and delay the need for lung transplants.
Pulmonary fibrosis is an irreversible condition that leaves the lungs unable to exchange oxygen and carbon dioxide properly, leading to shortness of breath, weakness and fatigue. It is becoming more common, with smoking being a major risk factor.
Other studies have shown that Omega-3 fatty acids may lower the risk of heart disease, stroke-causing blood clots, breast cancer and other cancers, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia. Ref: 10.1016/j.chest.2023.09.035
ENDOCRINE-DISRUPTORS FOUND IN MENSTRUAL PRODUCTS
On average, women will use over 11,000 tampons or sanitary pads before menopause. Now a team from George Mason University have reviewed studies conducted since 2103 that measured chemicals in menstrual products and that measured human biomarkers of chemical exposure and determined that endocrine-disrupting chemicals were found in menstrual products including tampons, pads and liners.
The study found that menstrual products contain a variety of endocrine-disrupting chemicals including phthalates, volatile organic compounds, parabens, environmental phenols, fragrance chemicals, dioxins and dioxin-like compounds.
Endocrine-disrupting chemicals can interfere with human hormones and cause gynaecological conditions such as endometriosis and uterine fibroids, affecting fertility and reproductive health. Ref: 10.1111/1471-0528.17668
YOGA NIDRA MIGHT BE A PATH TO BETTER SLEEP AND IMPROVED MEMORY
Two weeks of 20-minute yoga nidra sessions led to a higher percentage of delta-waves in deep sleep and better memory, decision-making, and abstraction in novice practitioners. The study used objective polysomnographic measures of sleep and a battery of cognitive tests.
After two weeks of yoga nidra, the researchers observed that participants exhibited a significantly increased sleep efficiency and percentage of delta-waves in deep sleep. Subjects recorded faster responses in all cognitive tests with no loss in accuracy and faster and more accurate responses in tasks including tests of working memory, abstraction, fear and anger recognition, and spatial learning and memory tasks. Ref: 10.1371/journal. pone.0294678 n
SMALL CHANGE, BIG DIFFERENCE
This summer, why not make a few small changes that could make a big difference to your life? We’ve lined up fifty ideas to get you started…
5 ways to feel better
1. See a friend and have a chat.
2. Set a time limit on your social media. Doom scrolling and comparing ourselves to others on social media makes us feel bad about ourselves and promotes a poor self-image.
3. Take a walk in nature, even if it’s just through your local park.
4. Watch a favourite feel-good movie.
5. Treat yourself to a scented bath with chill out music at home or go for a sauna at your local leisure centre.
5 ways to look better
1. Posture makes a huge difference. Stand tall rather than slouching apologetically.
2. Consider having a makeup lesson or getting an instore makeover. Often our hair and makeup makes us look older because we stick to what was fashionable when we were young.
3. Smile and take an interest in other people.
4. Stand barefoot on the grass so you’re grounded in nature. It will make you feel happier and look better.
5. Understand what colours, fabrics and shapes suit your body and you’ll develop your own distinctive natural style, reflecting your authentic self.
5 ways to work better
1. If your body is your tool, take care of it. Look for massage tools that save your hands, or learn some techniques that don’t put you at risk of strains or RSI.
2. Check that your prices are competitive and sustainable. All too often we sell ourselves short and end up on a treadmill of having a lot of customers but not making enough money.
3. Step back and ask yourself what you’d do differently if you were starting all over again. If there are things you’re still doing that you’d prefer to do differently, then make a plan to eliminate what you don’t like. For example, if you hate admin or cleaning, would it make more sense to have someone else do that for you? If you’d prefer not to work alone, start thinking about a venue where you can work with other therapists.
4. Consider your working pattern. What would your ideal be? Could you work four days rather than five, or change your hours without a significant impact on your finances? Make a plan to work towards the changes you’d like to make.
5. If you work for yourself, schedule an afternoon or a day off each month just to run errands and keep on top of your life, catching up with friends etc.
5 ways to improve your work/ life balance
1. If you’re overwhelmed with junk emails at work, unsubscribe to as many as possible and opt out of cookies whenever you visit a new website.
2. Make time for a real social life by scaling back your social media.
3. Buy some plants for your practice room or plant bulbs in a window box.
4. Plan breaks into your schedule to deal with admin and marketing.
5. Make a wish board of how you’d like your life to be. Visualising what we want is not just a creative activity, but it can also set us on a life path, particularly when your image choices are very different from your current way of living.
5 ways to boost your mood
1. Make a cheesy upbeat playlist, sing and dance around. Maybe wait till you’re alone though.
2. Write down three things you’re grateful for each day.
3. Laugh. It might be a bad joke, your favourite line from a sitcom or movie or a silly memory.
4. Self-forgiveness is a healthy practice. Use the Hawaiian Ho’oponopono prayer: I love you. I’m sorry. Please forgive me. Thank you.
5. Take quarter of an hour each day to do something just for yourself. It might be reading, journaling, meditating or a hobby.
5 ways to get more creative
1. Visit an art gallery and see what inspires you.
2. Doodle. It doesn’t matter what you draw, whether it’s a pattern, a tree or a face.
3. Paint your practice room an uplifting colour or frame a collection of images that inspire you. It could be anything from children’s artwork to poetry or postcards from favourite places.
4. Use your phone camera for something other than selfies. Look out at the world and document everyday beauty.
5. Take a workshop or a creative class. Check out local evening classes or try Hobbycraft, who offer a wide range of online and instore workshops at reasonable prices. Alternatively, ask a friend to share their creative hobby.
5 ways to sort your finances
1. Do a financial health check. Go through all your direct debits, standing orders and subscriptions and cancel any you don’t need or use.
2. Using cash makes us more mindful about what we’re spending compared to just waving your bank card over a card reader. Small shops often prefer it as they aren’t charged for the transactions. You can also put your change in a jar and may find you have £60 or £70 to treat yourself with after a few months.
3. If you’re wavering about a purchase, hold off for a day or two to see if you still feel you need it. Sometimes you’ll change your mind.
4. Never auto-renew for things like insurance and utilities tariffs. Check you’re getting a good interest rate on savings and whether you could lower the interest rate on loans and credit cards. It might not be fun, but a couple of hours can save hundreds of pounds.
5. If you can, put £10 or £20 aside in an envelope each week and you won’t be stressed about festive expenses or have a huge credit card bill in January. You can do the same for a travel or treat fund too.
5 ways to help others
1. Make a small direct debit payment each month to your favourite charity. Even £2 can make a positive difference.
2. Put something extra in your shopping basket or make a donation to a local food bank.
3. Smile and say hello to people you meet.
4. Check in on those you love. All too often we resort to text or WhatsApp rather than meeting face to face or talking on the phone. Loneliness can take years off people’s life expectancy.
5. Feed the birds in your garden or attach a feeder to the kitchen window. It’ll make you feel good too.
5 ways to eat better
1. Spend a little more on fruit. M&S or
your local farmers market may be more expensive, but their fruit actually tastes better, so it’s more satisfying and there’s less waste
2. Plan your weekly menus ahead of time. It saves money and waste and you’ll eat a better balanced diet too. If you’re very organised, you could meal prep your lunches and batch cook and freeze dinners
3. Try something new. Either try a new recipe once a month, or visit your local oriental, Asian or East European retailer. Ingredients like spices are often much cheaper and there are so many new and interesting things to try.
4. Sit down at the table to eat mindfully, rather than gobbling a ready meal in front of the TV. Take the time to eat and chat in a relaxed fashion, maybe invite friends for an informal supper.
5. Try Slow Food Sundays. Cook from scratch, make your own bread, maximise flavours. Homemade soup is a great place to start and you may have enough leftovers for work lunches.
5 ways to sleep better
1. Develop a routine. Go to bed at the same time each night.
2. Wind down by reading a book in bed. Not a Kindle or tablet as the blue light can disturb sleep patterns. Joining your local library is free and easy.
3. Stretch before bedtime. Consider some soporific yoga nidra.
4. Keep electronics out of the bedroom. That means no TV and keeping your phone in a different room. Use an old-school mechanical alarm clock.
5. Invest in blackout blinds or curtains.
OOOHHH! THAT’S NEW!
New products designed to make your life that bit better…
Green People Scent Free Mineral Sun Cream
A decent sunscreen is a summer essential. Organic skin care brand Green People have just launched a new organic water-repellent Scent Free Mineral Sun Cream SPF30 for the face and body. Dermatologically tested and certified organic by Soil Association COSMOS, this 100% mineral, non-nano Zinc Oxide sun cream reflects and protects for instant, high-factor defence against UVA and UVB rays. It’s easy to apply and soothing on the skin thanks to the Bisabolol from Chamomile and moisture-retaining antioxidant Sequoia Leaf Cell Extract. Suitable for all skin types, this mineral sun cream is fragrance free, eczema-friendly and clinically proven to be kind to sensitive skin. Available from www.greenpeople. co.uk for £30
Hapi patches
Hapi patch offers a range of transdermal patches designed to assist with a wide range of health, beauty, and wellness concerns. The active ingredients and essential vitamins are delivered directly into the bloodstream, bypassing the liver and digestive system, through its range of all natural, fully organic and biodegradable patches which are vegan, cruelty-free and made in the UK. The range includes patches designed to boost skin and hair, act as a natural HRT alternative, provide mental focus, alleviate hangovers, raise the libido, help with sleep, boost energy and help with weight management. They cost from £11.99 to £29.99 and are available from www.hapipatch.com
The Northumberland Candle Company
This candle company has an amazingly wide range of scented candles, including duplicated scents of many leading perfumes and, at the other end of the scale, laundry freshening products. There are over 200 to choose from. The candles are soy wax and they also offer wax melts, diffuser oils and room sprays that could be useful for freshening up your practice room. Explore the range at www. thenorthumberlandcandlecompany.com
Myla’s Moss
Sea Moss is a new one on us, but this new superfood may be worth exploring further. It’s an organic wild crafted sea moss gel, packed with nutritional benefits. It’s tasteless, so can be added to sauces, smoothies and salad dressings and contains the essential 18 minerals the body requires. It’s also high in fibre, rich in iron and iodine and is said to offer a host of health benefits from supporting the immune system to controlling the appetite, promoting collagen production and emotional wellbeing. Find it at www.mylasmoss. com for £25 for 720ml which is sufficient for 24 to 25 servings.
REHAB.’s Dose 0 Matcha Hair Oil
Hair oils seem to be enjoying a resurgence, so these new Macha hair oil capsules from REHAB are hitting the market just in time for summer. Matcha is rich in anti-oxidants and the oil is said to nourish your strands from root to end, promoting stronger, fuller, healthier-looking hair. Matcha also improves circulation to your scalp, helping to reduce hair loss and encourage new hair growth. Its antiinflammatory properties soothe irritation and help to control dandruff and excess oil. The oil is used before shampooing and best applied with REHAB’s Oiling Comb which helps to stimulate the hair follicles, so your hair is ready to absorb the oil. The oil is £26 and the comb £16 from www.rehabyourhair.com.
WHY
YOU SHOULD SWITCH YOUR PROFESSIONAL
ASSOCIATION
MEMBERSHIP TO COMPLEMENTARY HEALTH PROFESSIONALS
Exclusive Premier Membership Benefits: (we are a multidisciplinary association)
• access to our fantastic discounted insurance scheme
• use of our logo on your marketing materials
• free lapel badge (worth £4)
• 10% discount off Physique therapy products
• 15% off essential oils and aromatherapy supplies at Base Formula
• exclusive therapy illness insurance cover option with PGMutual that also gives you a lump sum on retirement
• free to call from a mobile therapists advice phone line - there is always an experienced therapist to talk to
• free access to CNHC Registration as we are one of the CNHC verification organisations
• use of MCHP after your name
• directory for public referral
• London Special Treatment Licence exemption
• full support in the event of a complaint
• access to benefits and support materials for your practice in the Member Login area of our website
• regular newsletter with up-to-date information on regulation and legislation as part of a free copy of Holistic Therapist Magazine (worth £24 per year),
• discount accountancy scheme for your accounts and tax return
• unlimited expert advice whenever you need it and free reviews of your marketing materials
• discounts on CPD courses from our accredited schools—see our Events page for course dates
• Regular expert blogs on the website in a range of complementary therapies
• Facebook forum to share information
RECOVER YOUR SELF AND YOUR BUSINESS AT A RECOVERY COLLEGE
Donna Booth explains the ways in which a recovery college can help people get back on track…
THERE’S no doubt the double whammy of the pandemic followed by the cost of living crisis has left many people struggling with their mental health. Self-medicating is ever more common.
Like many others, the pandemic left me feeling like I wanted to do more than what my private practice allowed. I was lucky to have some contracts offering classes and coaching for third sector organisations during the pandemic and it seemed a natural progression to take on the role of launching the Highlands’ first recovery college.
A recovery college is a safe space where people can learn more about their mental health and wellbeing and how to better support others. These colleges are usually peer led, focusing
strongly on the benefits of lived experience – making a connection, knowing you’re not alone and finding hope in the future can be more powerful than any medication or therapy. Combine them and you have a solid toolbox to help move through the ups and downs of recovery. Our educational classes run alongside laughter therapy, yoga, gardening, creative sessions, nature walks and hearty doses of tea, biscuits and blethers.
Our student body suggested the name Discovery College for our recovery college. They acknowledged that mental health is becoming more widely discussed, but stigma still exists. They felt that ‘Discovery’ portrayed the journey of self-discovery in a way that made it accessible to anyone who could benefit.
Many recovery colleges in other areas are NHS
led and require a diagnosis or referral to access the services. We decided early on to make our college open to anyone. The courses are free to join, don’t require evidence of need and you can self-refer. The feedback we get over and over again is how great it feels to join sessions with people from all different circumstances and without having to tell your story, know that everyone understands the struggle.
We have medical professionals, business owners, individuals in residential care, parents and retirees - people from all walks of life. Our youngest student is 16 and our oldest is 83. Our team of peer supporters builds relationships with our students and makes it as easy as possible to come along, no matter how nervous they might be.
From a holistic therapy perspective, I would highly recommend finding out about any recovery colleges in your area. There are bound to be sessions that you or your clients would find interesting.
There may be opportunities to expand your practice, at a time when we’re all feeling the impact of the financial crisis. The college might employ you to offer classes, holistic therapies or counselling for their students. If you are a trainee, it is the perfect place to build up your case studies and practice hours. If you want to give something back to some of the most vulnerable in our society, these colleges are always looking for volunteers.
Taking on this new challenge has been frustrating, eye opening, inspiring, and so rewarding. To navigate difficult times, we need to find a place where we belong and can find hope for the future. Discovery College has provided that for me and many others throughout the Highlands. n
DONNA BOOTH is an award-winning wellbeing specialist, owner of www. vitality-retreat.com and lead of the Highland Discovery College. She loves wild gardens, wild seas and relaxing under a heated blanket with a good book and her pugs. Find more at https://centred.scot/ discoverycollege/
Summer reading BOOKSHELF:
Our pick of the best titles for Summer reading…
Prajna:
Ayurvedic
Rituals For Happiness
Author Mira Manek brings the ancient concept of Prajna –the Sanskrit word for wisdom – and the traditional ayurvedic rituals that help us sustain happiness into an accessible practice for modern life. There are simple rituals and routines for the entire day, from the moment you wake up and need the energy and positive mind set to help you start the morning, to night-time practices that allow you to wind down, relax and get the most benefit from the healing power of sleep. You’ll also find a collection of breathing exercises, mindfulness techniques, yoga stretches and simple recipes designed to help you destress and reset, bringing you back to yourself and to lasting peace and happiness.
Flourish
Steph Edwards has created a charmingly pretty and calming source of gentle inspiration. It’s a gentle reminder about taking time to explore the nature of self and embracing our inner strengths rather than stressing over our weaknesses and flaws. The book functions as a beacon lighting the way to our infinite capacity to bloom beautifully, both within ourselves and in the world around us. It’s the sort of book you buy yourself as a treat, then end up buying several copies as gifts.
The Heart and Its Healing Plants
Heart diseases and conditions of various types constitute one of the leading causes of death in Western society. Ethnobotanist and cultural anthropologist Wolf D. Storl examines ancient civilisations’ heart beliefs, heart-strengthening herbs and folk remedies for cardiovascular diseases. It’s a retrospective insight into the gulf between our modern perception of the heart as a simple pump which often becomes clogged with the debris of poor diets and lack of exercise and the ancient concept of the heart as the home of the soul and the source of love and vitality. As such, heart sickness was not seen as a result of poor nutrition, too much stress, or lack of exercise, but reflected an imbalance of the heart’s emotional and spiritual energies. Storl explores the plants and folk remedies used across the Americas, Europe, Asia and Africa as traditional heart medicine worked on the mental and spiritual level to help make the heart happy again.
Super-powered Immunity Starts in the Gut
The immune system became big news during the pandemic as people sought natural solution to ward off viruses and boost physical resilience. Michelle Schoffro Cook, a board-certified doctor of natural medicine, doctor of acupuncture, herbalist and nutritionist is particularly well placed to
write on the subject of immunity and gut health, give that that’s where some 70% of the immune system is located. Not only is Super-powered Immunity a useful practical guide for anyone seeking to reinstate good gut health and immunity, but she delves into the benefits of helpful supplements, pro and prebiotics, herbs and fermented foods before providing a seven step restorative pathway.
Oracle of the Mythic Heroes
Letao Wang has produced a delightful forty card oracle deck and 256 page guidebook that draws on ancient Greek and Roman heroic mythology combined with astrology to provide subconscious humanistic insight into modern questions and serves as a guide for spiritual practice. The stories of Helen of Troy, Daedalus and Orpheus, along with 33 other heroes and heroines and four sacred creature are enriched with archetypal and astrological meanings. Following each myth in the guidebook are real-life examples from the author’s spiritual counselling sessions and an exploration of the card’s teaching, helping you to interpret and apply the heroes’ historical lessons to your own life.
All titles can be ordered from your local bookshop, publishers’ websites or online retailers.
EIGHT KEYS TO SLOWING AGING
The American Heart Association has identified eight key factors in slowing the aging process…
ONCE, it seemed that each generation in the UK could expect to live longer, healthier lives than their parents, but now things seem to be suffering a setback. Not only is obesity on the increase and with it the rates of many lifestyle diseases, but a recently published study by Oxford University shows that the pandemic has shortened life expectancy in many countries including the UK.
Life expectancy fell by more than six months compared with 2019 in 22 of the 29 countries analysed in the study, which spanned Europe, the United States and Chile. There were reductions in life expectancy in 27
of the 29 countries overall. There were greater drops in life expectancy for men than women in most countries, with the largest decline in American men, who saw life expectancy drop by 2.2 years relative to 2019.
The good news is that the American Heart Association has identified eight factors which promote good heart health and, in turn, may slow the aging process by up to six years. Better yet, many of these key factors can be influenced by holistic practices and we can control how they impact on our health. Their findings are based on a study of more than 6,500 adults with an average age of 47, which was presented at their recent US conference. Keeping body weight, blood
sugar, cholesterol and blood pressure in check while maintaining healthy sleep and eating regimes, doing regular physical activity and not smoking may slow the ageing process by around six years.
They’ve even published Life’s Essential 8, which is an online health assessment tool. It’s freely available from https://www.heart. org/en/healthy-living/healthy-lifestyle/lifesessential-8 and may be a useful tool for use with your clients.
‘These findings help us understand the link between chronological age and biological age and how following healthy lifestyle habits can help us live longer,’ said Donald Lloyd-Jones, the chair of the group which created the tool. ‘Everyone wants to live longer, yet more importantly, we want to live healthier longer so we can really enjoy and have good quality of life for as many years as possible.’
Four of the 8 keys are modifiable lifestyle factors, while the other four are modifiable health markers. The first of these is eating a healthy diet, which is where nutritional therapists and supplements can have an impact. Eating a healthy diet also helps with key number 5, which is maintaining a healthy weight. Many forms of holistic care, from health coaches, sports massage and bodyworkers, yoga and movement therapists can all help with maintaining a healthy weight as well as facilitating key number 2, which is becoming more active. Similarly, the fourth key, getting a healthy sleep is one which many forms of holistic therapy can help with, from sleep therapists and medical herbalists to digital detoxes and TCM, mindfulness coaches and anything which focuses on relaxation. Hypnotists and Cognitive Behavioural Therapists can help with the third key to a longer life, which is quitting smoking.
The remaining three keys to slowing aging all stem from getting these basics right. They are controlling cholesterol, blood sugar levels and managing blood pressure. Ideally, these should be managed through good diet and an active lifestyle, but medication can also help.
The average actual age of those with good heart health was 41, yet their average biological age was 36; and the average actual age of those who had poor cardiovascular health was 53, though their average biological age was 57, so improving your cardiovascular health can slow down your body’s ageing process. n
CURRENT RESEARCH IN FIRE ACUPUNCTURE
A new study suggests that fire acupuncture can be used to lessen the symptoms of psoriasis. We explore this niche technique…
FIRE acupuncture is a traditional Chinese medicine technique that dates back over two thousand years. It is first mentioned in the Huangdi Neijing, regarded as the foundation document of Chinese Traditional Medicine. Fire acupuncture techniques also occur in other oriental traditional medical practices. Unlike normal acupuncture, where very thin needles are inserted shallowly, fire acupuncture involves needles which are heated to red heat, around OC and then rapidly inserted into the appropriate acupuncture points, penetrating to greater depth, manipulated then rapidly withdrawn. The fire element of the treatment is said to nourish the soul and body, though it is more painful than cold forms of acupuncture.
More recently a modified treatment protocol
has emerged in Korea, where the needles are directly heated after insertion. This treatment is said to be effective for treating damage to dense connective tissues, including ligaments, fibrous articular capsules, and tendons. Previous studies have shown that fire acupuncture can be more effective than conventional acupuncture when dealing with people living with post-stoke spasticity conditions, provide the treatment occurred within six months of the
stroke occurring. It was also associated with better recovery rates and improvements on the Modified Ashworth Scale.
A further Chinese study, published in Medicine this March reported that fire acupuncture offered significant clinical outcomes when used to treat people with plaque psoriasis. The small study, involving just eight patients aged 18-60 and showed a reduction in the lesion area along with reduction in severity of the disease and pruritus. At the twelve week follow up point, six of the eight subjects were judged to have achieved significant results, with the remaining two subjects, who had the most severe cases, being judged as having effective results.
Currently, there are several large scale research studies in China which are exploring fire acupuncture as a possible treatment for Lumbar disc herniation (LDH). Lumbar disc herniation occurs when there’s a displacement of disc material (nucleus pulposus or annulus fibrosis) beyond the inter-vertebral disc space, which may result in back pain or radicular symptoms of the lower extremities due to degeneration disc and exterior pressure on the spinal cord or nerve root. It’s believed that LDH affects 2% to 3% of the world’s population, but is significantly higher in China at around 7.62%. It mainly occurs among working adults aged around fifty. In the USA, the annual treatment costs are over a billion dollars, with nearly $300 million dedicated to surgical procedures.
Around 15-20% of LDH cases require surgery, but many doctors prefer non-surgical treatments as the condition often recurs and spinal surgery can also result in damage to the paravertebral muscles, nerve retraction, and lumbar instability. Previous studies have shown that fire acupuncture can improve clinical symptoms and relieve pain of LDH, while other research notes benefits in enhancing immunity, regulating blood circulation, and preventing diseases. It is thought that the heat provided by fire needles promotes microcirculation in the lesion area through the regulation of cutaneous nerves, which is beneficial for the absorption of inflammation and metabolites. Furthermore, the high temperature of fire needles directly kills the microorganisms in the nodules and achieves anti-inflammatory effects. n
PAGE Back
All the stuff we wanted to share but didn’t have room for elsewhere…
Lavender, marjoram and ivy best for cleaning air pollution
This immune response, including repair activities, is led by mast cells -- which are immune cells that fight infection and allergens.
Mast cells release chemicals called nerve growth factor, which drive overgrowth and increase sensitivity of nerves. The result is pain and urgency.
The researchers were able to address these symptoms in mice busing molecules that suppress production of the mast-cell generated nerve growth factor.
Nature-based men’s wellbeing programme launched in Wiltshire
similar rise for white collar workers. Researchers speculated that job loss and lowered incomes may hit bluecollar women harder that white-collar counterparts.
New research from the University of Surrey suggests that planting a green wall is a great way to clean up the air without taking up too much room. 10 different plants were trialled, with the researchers discovering that leaf shape and micromorphological properties of the surfaces made a difference to the effectiveness of removing pollutants. Mixed planting seems to perform best, with evergreen candytuft and ivy leaves were found to be especially good at trapping pollutant particles, while lavender, candytuft and marjoram were all good at washing off pollution particles. Ref: 10.1016/j.scitotenv.2024.170950
Early retirement impacts on women’s mental health, Chinese study shows
In China, women in blue-collar jobs face mandatory retirement at 50, while those in white collar jobs typically retire at 55. Yale School of Public Health researchers used hospital records found that for blue-collar workers, rates of hospital admissions for mental illnesses, including anxiety, depression, and stressrelated disorders, increased by 16.6% following retirement, but there was no
Currently, approximately 20 million new retirees enter Chinese society annually. Male workers retire at 60. Ref: 10.1016/j. ehb.2024.101367
Recurrent UTI pin mystery solved
People with recurring urinary tract infections (UTIs) often experience persistent pain, even after antibiotics have successfully cleared the bacteria. UTI’s account for a quarter of all infections in women. Now researchers have identified the likely cause -- an overgrowth of nerve cells in the bladder. The finding provides a potential new approach to managing symptoms of recurring UTIs that would more effectively target the problem and reduce unnecessary antibiotic usage.
A free wellbeing course designed to help men improve their mental health has been launched by Wiltshire Council and the Wiltshire Wildlife Trust. The outdoor-based course is designed to support those aged 20 to 59 with stress management and mindfulness.
Participants will be involved in hiking, woodwork and bush craft skills as well as being taught techniques to help manage anxiety, stress and depression.
Programme leader, Imogen Jackson, explained, “There’s been a crisis for a long time now when it comes to men’s mental health. Programmes like this that are supporting men to get outside in nature and do something active seem to be effective.”
The course lasts for 12 weeks with two more being scheduled to run later this year in Trowbridge and Chippenham.
The research team found evidence that sensory nerves were highly activated in the UTI patients, explaining the persistent sense of pain and urinary frequency.
“Typically, during every bout of UTI, epithelial cells laden with bacteria are sloughed off, and significant destruction of nearby nerve tissue occurs,” said Byron Hayes, lead author of the study and previously a postdoctoral fellow in Duke’s Department of Pathology.
“These events trigger a rapid repair program in the damaged bladder involving massive regrowth of destroyed nerve cells.”
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