Issue 7 - November 2021
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Keeping you “Inform”ed with all the news, products, services, events and opportunities available in St Albans!
THE
The Place To Be or Shop. Dine. Discover. Businesses COMMUNITY
Contents
What’s in store for you in this month’s Inform Magazine?
eeping kids safe with PhoneSmart K The Woo Hoo Awards How Virtual Tours Benefit Businesses
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The Best Gift You Can Give This Year
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Talent Spotted - Kevee Lynch
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Upcoming Events across St Albans 14 The Return Of The Christmas Postboxes
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Flagship Wine Fair Christopher Place
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Exciting New Business Club Launches 22 Get Sustainable
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#ShopLocal 26 Local Products 32 5 Questions We Asked A St Albans Business 34 The November Local News Round Up 36
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More Local Talent with Kick Pistol
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Jelly Co-Working Is Back!
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Breathwork & Meditation
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THE
Businesses COMMUNITY
It’s November! Wow! Another month has just flown by and there’s lots of exciting things coming up - especially in the run up to Christmas! In this month’s issue we have features on local talent, 5 Questions We Asked A St Albans Business, #shoplocal with lots of festive products on offer, plus a great feature on our cover stars, Christopher Place, and tons more.
We’ve got new and exciting events coming up including Peer2Peer Club, The Woo Hoo Awards, and additional coworking opportunities. So kick back, grab an eggnog latte, and enjoy, The TBC Team x And, if you have news to share - get in touch at inform@ thebusinessescommunity.com we’d love to hear from you
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Top Tips with Tania Bringing you tech tips from BT Skills for Tomorrow
Preparing your kids to be safe and kind online It can be pretty daunting getting your childs first mobile phone. So the folk at EE, in collaboration with Internet Matters and WeAreFutures, have created the PhoneSmart Licence. It’s a free online course that ensures kids getting their first phone know how to stay safe and be kind online. Having a phone as a child opens up a whole new world and provides a glimpse of independence – often of many wonderful things. However, for both parents and children this can be quite daunting as the phone world can be full of some worrying things too. The PhoneSmart Licence teaches them how to use their phones safely for good, not hate. There are four modules to complete to earn your PhoneSmart Licence • Online Hate • Digital Wellbeing • Staying Safe Online • Digital & Media Literacy
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As well as some great online resources for parents, to help them have the conversation about phone safety with their children. Available to any kid, on any network, visit www.eephonesmart.co.uk to get signed up Tania Young leads on BT’s Digital Skills programme for older and vulnerable customers.
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THE WOO HOO AWARDS 2021 The 2021 Woo Hoo Awards are back! This time a little bit different, and even bigger and better.
Book your tickets and check out the incredible sponsorship opportunities now! 04
They will be here before you know it! Get Thursday 2nd December in your diaries for THE event of the year! The Woo Hoo Awards 2021! Get your gladrags on and join us for a "brilliant" night at Rothamsted Conference Centre with the amazing David Jenkins of Brilliant Theatre Arts, our very own Sue Wybrow of TBC and Popdance fame, and the fabulous John Acton of TBC, Peer2Peer and DPI Europe hosting. It's fun, it's relaxed, it's fast, and it's the perfect way to celebrate and recognise incredible business achievements. Bring your team, your family, your friends - let them see the amazing local businesses and what they get up to. You are guaranteed a fantastic night out, great food and drinks, amazing company and connections. Book your tickets today and why not sponsor a Woo Hoo here Find out about how to nominate here
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5 Ways Your Business Can Benefit from a Virtual Tour 1. Virtual Tours can increase visibility of your business Recent Research shows that 81% of people conduct research online before making a purchase. 3D virtual tours simply help your business listing stand out. There is no doubt that Google search results are competitive and a business with a virtual tour on its listing will always outshine competing results. 2. Virtual Tours can help attract new customers
As more and more businesses look for innovative ways to promote their facilities and premises, 3D virtual tours have seen a strong level of growth over the last 12 months. Whether it’s a retail business looking to give customers a virtual show around, restaurants providing diners with an opportunity to choose a table online or nursery schools providing parents with a virtual show around, 3D virtual tours are being used more and more to help bring more exposure to a wide range of projects. So here’s 5 ways your business can benefit from a 3D virtual tour…
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Online viewers of your 3D virtual tour are even more likely to visit your business in person. Businesses that can provide visitors with a preview of the experience they’ll have before they physically walk through the door will always stand out from the crowd. It lets people who are interested in your business decide if what you offer meets their needs. Even more importantly, it helps people understand their surroundings and familiarise themselves with your space. 3. Virtual tours help keep people on your website longer Keeping people on your website as long as possible is an important part of promoting your business. Virtual tours get over five million visits a day because they spark
interest and are an important component of the decision-making process for customers. Naturally, people spend 5-10 times longer on websites with an embedded virtual tour than those without. 4. Virtual Tours help you stay ahead of the competition Virtual media and 3D virtual tours are growing rapidly so you don’t want to be left behind. 70-80% of people research a business online before visiting. As such, if you’re using a 3D virtual tour as part of your marketing you’ll be viewed as a business that embraces the newest technology and is forward thinking. 5. Virtual tours influence rankings in Search Results In a recent online study, it was confirmed that virtual tours have an influence on how strong that listing is and how often it appears in organic search on Google and on Maps. Businesses with 360 virtual tours are generally shown higher in search listings than those without and will generally see a 16% uplift in appearances in search results.
We’re a local family business providing 3D Virtual Tours in St Albans and the surrounding areas. Want to know more about how a 3D virtual tour can help transform your business? Then contact us for more information... www.immersivewalkthroughs.com enquiries@immersivewalkthroughs.com
Take A Tour Want to see how other local businesses are leveraging 3D virtual tours? Then why not view some typical examples of 3D Virtual Tours that we’ve created for local businesses by clicking here...
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The best gift you can you can buy this Christmas is a future for a child.
The pandemic has exacerbated the challenges families were already facing. Isolation, anxiety, mental health struggles & an increase in domestic abuse have had a detrimental effect on children. Babies & young children have missed out developmentally through lack of interaction & socialisation during lockdown; a need has also become apparent for parenting support for Dads. In general, parent’s confidence in providing a positive environment for their children has significantly declined.
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Last year, you helped us raise £21,443 through our Big Give Christmas campaign. Following the success of this campaign, we have our pledgers and champion offering a helping hand to launch another massive double packed fundraiser. Every donation we receive between 30th November7th December will be DOUBLED! This fund will help us provide more support to families Hertfordshire who are fragile and vulnerable. It will help parents recover from the effects of the pandemic and rebuild their lives so that they can help their children thrive. “My volunteer helped me by just being here. I have no family or friends and so simple tasks I found hard. It was also lonely, as I did not have the confidence to get out. My mother passed away when my baby was 6 months old so it felt even harder. Just knowing that once a week I would see someoneI could have a brew and finish it! Clean, leave the house, take a rest, get advice- the simple things most take for granted.”
Home-Start family As part of our Christmas fundraising, we are wiggling in our winter woollies for our annual Christmas Jumper Day on Tuesday 14th December. Home-Start set up this campaign across the County in 2018, inviting businesses, organisations and schools to take a picture in their festive woollies, donate and post it on social media. ‘We had such fun raising funds for Home Start. Not only were we able to support a great charity that does such amazing work with local families, but we were also able to honour the work of our founders at St Columba’s College, The Brothers of the Sacred Heart, whose mission for the last 200 years has been to support the most vulnerable children in society, worldwide.’ Jim Lewis, previous Head of Development at St Columba’s College. Our Christmas campaigns are important to us because whilst many are enjoying the festivities, there are families who will be suffering mentally and financially this time of year. In the last five months, our referrals for support have doubled from 5 per week to 10 per week. Taking part in our Big Christmas Give and Christmas Jumper Day will help us provide support to more families across Hertfordshire. Your donation is a gift that will be valued for life.
Follow our socials for more updates; Facebook: @HomeStartHertsisfab LinkedIn: Home-Start Hertfordshire1st Twitter & Instagram: @HomeStartHerts Website: www.home-startherts.org.uk
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Talent Spot We love finding out about local talent in all it’s forms - this month we spoke with Kevee Lynch, Musician, Builder, DJ, Author and all round good egg!
A chain of events briefly, Ten years ago cycled London to Paris. Met some wonderful people, cycled Route 66 in America, raised a few quid for charity. Broke finger in 3 places playing for the Vees! Had 3 weeks off work wrote a book about Route 66.
Thanks Sue and the team for this opportunity to talk about things I do. I’ve tried a lot of things, I’m always having a go, I might not be very good at them all but it’s fun trying isn’t it? I’ve always loved music from a very young age, discovering a new band at the local record shop or dancing away at an all nighter or just listening to the radio all day at work. I’m a bricklayer by trade and I am fortunate to work for our family business creating beautiful gardens and a bit of extension work. We’re always busy at work…too busy! So the music, here’s the thing. I played in bands in the 80’s and 90’s, had children and my priorities changed so gave up for twenty odd years.
Interviewed at radio stations, ended up with a show on Radio Verulam (cheers Denise Parsons for training and Dave Ellis for the belief) Wrote a short story book, had an evening at Waterstones promoting and talking about it. Wrote a song about my Dad when he passed away. Encouraged by my friends and family formed a band,Sko-mads wrote an album, got a deal with Nub music who released it digitally worldwide. I was frontman and a tad of guitar. Played a reunion gig with Terminal Twist, Released an album recorded 26 years ago. I played drums with them. Released some solo Ep’s produced by Dolly, Got picked up on an official Spotify playlist (highlight)
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Left Radio Verulam and the bands ( a tad burnt out)
If you really want to do something just
Recorded a solo album with help from Dolly, Frisco and Andy…. Then Lockdown.
lately with the effects to life that COVID
Released album without gigs as there was nowhere open! 4 weeks off due to lack of materials, wrote a lot of punk songs and started painting non stop.
go for it. We’ve all had a rethink I’m sure caused. I think we all appreciate time is precious and sometimes you can spend your life thinking about what you are going to do, when it’s nicer to think back and say I’m glad I did that whilst I had the chance. I’m very humbled to have been able to have tried all these things. Music is a passion, the lyrics are very important to me. I suppose every song is a story or observation. I love the fact people can hear my song, read the lyrics and look at the artwork…. Who knows an exhibition next! Thanks for reading, I’ll see you at the Christmas lights switch on, can’t believe they keep asking me back to talk on the stage! Thanks Kevee
Nearly up to date... Formed Determinated released a mini album The Cusp Of Revolution (I was born on the cusp) Had a piece of artwork displayed in St Albans summer scapes exhibition ( I was overjoyed with that) Played gigs at the legendary 100 Cub and Dublin Castle last month. So it’s been a mad few years, one cycle ride for charity morphed into so many opportunities. I’m lucky to have such a fantastic supportive family, Sandra completing the London marathon just recently was a highlight for me, she trained so hard for that. All our family was at the finish to welcome her.
Ps... Cheers Sue and Team for rounding up guests from the business community for the radio show every month it really helped. Big thanks to everyone who used to tweet, Facebook and Instagram about the show, it certainly gave me confidence.
Click on the links below for Facebook, Spotify and Fundrasing links Facebook Here Spotify Here & Here Fundrasing Link Here
If you know any local talent, we want to hear about them - email inform@thebusinessescommunity.com to find out how to get involved
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EVENTS Check the TBC Calendar HERE for all events 2nd November - Watford Business Networking Group – Mums Unltd 3rd November - GDPR & Data Protection explained 3rd November - Women Only Yoga Online 4th November - Breathwork for Managing Stress 4th November - Employment & Immigration Update & Looking Ahead To 2022 4th November - Dance Teacher Online Meet Up 4th November - Mums UnLtd Online Networking Meeting 5th November - Fashion & Gifts in aid of Breast Cancer Now 5th November - Jelly Co-working event 6th November - Rothamsted Manor Murder Mystery Night 8th - 13th November - Harpenden Pop Up Shop - Captain Tortue 8th November - Breathwork for Managing Stress 8th November - Mums UnLtd Evening Group 8th November - Evening Redbourn Networking Group – Mums Unltd 10th November - St Albans Mums UnLtd
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10th November - The Business Network South Herts – Networking + Educational Seminar 10th November - Managing your Mindset when starting a Business 10th November - Women Only Yoga Online 11th November - Athena St Albans South 12th November - Mums UnLtd Online Networking Meeting 14th November - Rothamsted Manor Afternoon Tea 17th November - Excel for Business Owners 17th November - Athena St Albans North 17th November - Womens Only Yoga 18th November - Co-working/Jelly event 18th November - November Chamber Lunch 19th November - Peer2Peer Club 19th November - Cappuccino Connections Bedfordshire and St Albans 19th November - Confidence on Camera and in Person 22nd November - Mums UnLtd Online Networking Meeting 23rd November - Mums UnLtd Hemel Hempstead Group 24th November - Womens Only Yoga 25th November - Harpenden Business Networking Group – Mums Unltd 26th November - Rothamsted Movie Night – Official Secrets (15)
Do you have events you’d like more people to know about? They can be any kind of event, not just business - get in touch with us at stalbans@thebusinessescommunity.com to find out more
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It’s that time of year again - it’s time for St Albans Postboxes December 2021! Youth Talk desperately need funds to provide more counselling sessions for those who need them
Now in its 4th year, this fundraising campaign run by volunteers promises to be bigger and better than ever - and that’s saying something after their incredible 2020 campaign raised over £26000. This year the team are raising vital funds for ADD-Vance - a Hertfordshire based charity that supports families affected by ADHD, Autism or a related condition and the professionals who support them - and Youth Talk - who provide free, confidential counselling to 13-25 year olds who live in the City and District of St Albans. Demand has risen phenomenally during the pandemic and is showing no signs of easing.
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All the #stalbanspostboxes toppers have been made with love, imagination and possibly some swearing, and at no cost, by volunteers. Business sponsors have been identified and generously gave their money, and prizes! Admin, emails, phone calls, helpers, web designers and hosters, map artists, app designers, photographers, Facebookers, bloggers, Instagrammers, all donating time and expertise behind the scenes. None of this would be possible without our fantastic, talented, creative and dedicated team of creative magicians. This year the team at DigitalJen are coordinating all the making/assembly. As always, all our creative miracle workers donate all their time and materials. We have craft clubs, WI’s, community groups, individuals and friends working together – this is a huge effort by some many people! Organiser Clare Suttie says: “This year is going to be incredible - with lots of new toppers, more toppers than ever before, new businesses on board sponsoring toppers - we are very excited at Postboxes HQ!”
Jenny Soppet-Smith from DigitalJen added: “We are very grateful for all the wool donations - always needed! My team have been busy sorting, fixing and planning. Some days I can hardly see Roselle behind the wool and topper mountain. We are so grateful to Sarah Torode and her team at Excalibur Auctions for running an online auction for the first 12 toppers, starting us off with a fantastic £3500 for our charities.” You can join in now by downloading the Eyes On St Albans app so you’ll be ready to find out where all the toppers are, and learn more about the businesses who have donated to sponsor them. You can also enter the Scan and Win Trail, for some fabulous prizes. Thanks go to Jez Levy for supporting St Albans Postboxes again. We hope you have a great time finding all the postboxes. How many will there be? A great question more than ever!
Remember to share your photos using the hashtag #stalbanspostboxes, and follow us on social media where you’ll find great photos and stories thanks to the mysterious, and rather fabulous, T. And most of all, please do donate. You can scan QR codes on the toppers, or you can donate online: Here
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Flagship Wine Fair 2021 We hope this tickles your taste buds... Wines to taste at the Fair will include:
Date – Friday 19th November 2021 Venue – St Saviours Church, Sandpit Lane, St Albans, AL1 4DF Time – 7pm to 10pm Tickets £25 per person – must be bought in advance Why not bring your friends to enjoy tasting 80 Wines, Champagnes, Ports, Sherries, Madeiras and Gins & there will be the UK agent or winemaker with expert knowledge at each table to give you insight into the wines. Try the wines you like at your own pace, and chat to friends working your own way through the tasting list where the wines range from £10 a bottle. You can also order on the night and receive 10% discount, try before you buy to stock up your wine rack or cater for an occasion.
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- many new wines including some from France, Spain and Italy - also delicious additions to our range from Australia and New Zealand - more natural wines from Graft Wines - dessert wine stars - special offers for Christmas and lovely packaging too - and many more……… There’ll be a masterclass or two to join in with too… We know the Ports, Madeira and Sherries are firm favourites with our customers and also with Christmas in mind we will have a range from port houses such as Grahams, Dows and Warres, Sherries and Madeiras. There’ll be lots more on the night plus the usual high quality delicious canapes and also some cheeses. See you there.
Rothamsted Conference Centre are hosting a delicious, 3-course Christmas lunch, with crackers, decorations, festive music and all the trimmings in Harpenden on 8th December. Tables for up to 10 people available, from £22.95 per guest. Great for an office Christmas do, an excuse for a festive get together or just a yummy meal with friends. Find Out More
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Head into the festive season in style, with the fresh Autumn/Winter looks at St Albans' favourite fashion destination
New season collections at Christopher Place Shopping Centre.
Are you a start-up or SME business?
Cl ub
Do you: Feel uncertain that you're doing the right things? Feel overwhelmed or isolated from time to time? Want to scale your business?
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Be Bold, Be Balanced, Be Brilliant.
Peer2Peer Club is completely FREE until Q2, 2022! Giving you plenty of time to see the fantastic value for your business in the Club - so no charge for November, January, February AND March. £49/month as of April 2022
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Top Sustainability Tip Nevina who runs Peekaboo Studios in St Albans, specialises in high-end maternity and newborn photography. After running her business for 10 years and, just days ago, achieving title of Child & Family Portrait Photographer of The Year 2021, she has always had a vision for running a sustainable business but never knew where to start. Nevina admitted that not being able to work for the best part of a year as a ‘non essential’ business, during the pandemic, gave her the time she needed to research the changes that she could make in her business in order to make a significant impact on Climate Emergency. This is something that has always been close to her heart.
St Albans Photographer pledges to plant 25 trees for every baby she photographs to offset carbon footprint Local businesswoman, Nevina Holland, has been working closely with Ecologi, the leading Climate Action organisation in the UK, to make her small business more sustainable. Her goal, moving forward, is to help tackle the huge issue of Climate Change and she urges many other local businesses to follow in her footsteps using similar ideas that work for them or by simply signing up to Ecologi themselves. As a starting point, she took part in St Albans’ very own Sustainability Festival in May 2021.
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Through the funding from Peekaboo Studios, Ecologi will help the small business offset its carbon footprint by planting 25 new trees in Madagascar, Mozambique and Nicaragua every time she photographs a newborn. Nevina will name the mini forest of trees that she plants after the family of the baby that she shoots. That family will then be able to track the progress of their trees throughout their lives and even visit the trees if they wanted to!! Ecologi also funds other climate projects around the world. So far, Peekaboo Studios has already helped to turn waste into biogas in Thailand and produce fuel efficient stoves in Honduras. Dennis Hettema, Head of Sales at Ecologi Head Quarters says, “We are absolutely delighted to be working with Nevina and look forward to the impact we will be making together.
The trees that Nevina will be planting will continue to counteract climate change for at least 25 years which we believe to be a hopeful message for the future.” As part of her sustainability drive, Nevina has also started to offer every newborn parent she works with, Mama Bamboo nappy samples to trial, which are more Eco Friendly and natural to use.
Laura, Founder of Mama Bamboo, based in St Albans, says, “Being a professional newborn photographer for the last 10 years, Nevina understands the conflicting desires and pressures of the modern parenting world. She does a fabulous job of introducing all her newborn clients to our Eco Friendly Bamboo based nappies and wipes right at the beginning of their parenting journey in a subtle way without pressing the agenda.” Master Photographer, Nevina says “I feel so proud to be supporting Ecologi and Mama Bamboo to help save the planet and taking part in this years, Sustainability Festival 2021. I realise that currently, I will never be able to change every aspect of my life to become fully Climate Positive but if I can at least make a start, by taking baby steps like this, then I can feel a sense of achievement that I have started to take some sort of action. The world is not going to save itself so this is the right thing to do and I hope others will join me in this battle.”
The Master Photographers Association, the UK’s leading qualification body for professional photographers, have been instrumental in supporting Nevina’s ethical ambition. They have recently launched their own strict Climate Positive Certification Process whereby photographers have to undergo a rigorous submission test to qualify their business as Climate Positive. The first task is to collate a solid Sustainability Policy, which they helped Nevina create. It involved scrutinizing her business from top to bottom to highlight the changes that she could make which would make a big difference in the long run. Paul Inskip, Chief Operations Officer from the MPA says, “Nevina has built upon her ten years and award winning success by embracing sustainability and building climate positive initiatives into the very core of her business. She will be one of the first ever MPA photographers to achieve the new Climate Positive certification for her business.”
Some of the steps, Nevina will be taking: • Planting 25 trees for every newborn she photographs • Taking the Climate Positive Certification with the MPA • Taking part in Hertfordshire’s Sustfest Campaign – 23 May 2021 • Offsetting her carbon footprint through the Ecologi subscription • Offering Eco Friendly nappies to clients • Converting one of her cars into a fully electric vehicle • Changing her Energy Supplier to be one that uses only renewable energy • Frequently urging her current suppliers to be more Climate Positive
www.peekaboostudios.co.uk
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Local Products and Services #ShopLocal Accountants the barefoot accountant ltd Accountancy services for creative businesses www.thebarefoot.accountant
Advertising My Mustard Looking for targeted, cost effective, measurable results? Look no further. My Mustard & Google AdWords, a winning combination. www.mymustard.co.uk
Arts & Culture Trestle Theatre Company Trestle Theatre Company are a mask and physical theatre company running Trestle Arts Base where they offer creative workshops and opportunities, space hire, performances and training. Trestle provides high quality, creative opportunities to everyone. Find out what their current offer is at www.trestle.org.uk/whats-on
Business Coaching Talia Zamora I help determined achievers (specialising in those with Neurodiverse families) to become the go-to business in your field and attain the income you desire! I help to form transformational strategies which enables you to live your dream lifestyle. www.taliazamora.com
Business Consultancy Good Beyond We work with forward thinking organisations that want to lead with vision and create healthy happy workplaces that change the world. www.goodbeyond.com/talk St Albans Enterprise Agency (STANTA) Free business advice and training for Hertsbased micro businesses under 3 years old, but we specialise in helping businesses in postcode areas AL1-10 www.stanta.co.uk
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Business Support Grow With Vision We help businesses do business better. From streamlining processes, to Software implementation and training, we show you ways of working faster and smarter. www.growithvision.com The St Albans Business Community Effective marketing for your business from a community you can trust www.stalbans.thebusinessescommunity.com/ work-with-us Mums UnLtd Mums UnLtd offers business support for Mums running or starting a business www.mumsunltd.co.uk Jaxstar Solutions Jaxstar Solutions is a Business Support service focused on assisting you to grow your business no matter the size. We offer several different services from a GDPR audit to a Xero Review and Fix package. For more information, get in touch today. www.jaxstarsolutions.co.uk/jaxstar-solutionsservices/ Accord HR Consulting Ltd Accord HR Consulting will help businesses to resolve their tricky people management situations. www.accordHRconsulting.co.uk Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) Is legal, H&S, GDPR, HR, and pensions auto enrolment an expensive chore for you? Get it sorted in a day at no extra cost. Tap into the bargaining power of 165,000 members for key business services. We are not-for-profit, all fees go to making business services accessible to all. Call Loreta on 07464 892 681 to discuss your application. Rocket Girl Coaching My life and work is dedicated to personal and organisational development to improve inclusion and understanding in society through Executive Coaching, Consultancy and Disability Equality Training. www.rocketgirlcoaching.com
Charity Harpenden Spotlight on Africa HSoA delivers projects in challenging environments, transforming the lives of some of the poorest people in Africa. www.hsoa.org.uk
Coaching Peer2Peer Peer2Peer is all about helping business leaders build the best businesses possible, but to also, making sure they enjoy the ride. We’re an inclusive group, everybody is welcome as long as you’re serious about being the best you can be and building a great business. Simply ping me an email johnacton@dpi-europe.com
Commercial Photography Striking Places Photography Professional photography for all your business photography needs. www.strikingplaces.com
Dance School Rinceoiri le Cheile Irish Dance Academy Irish dancing classes for boys & girls from 3yrs+ www.instagram.com/rcirishdance
Digital Marketing Wagada Wagada is an award-winning, results-driven digital marketing agency, working with ambitious companies to help them to reach their goals and acquire new customers through engaging and strategic marketing campaigns. www.wagada.co.uk Darcy Salinger SEO & Analytics Service to help improve visibility within search engines jon.salinger@darcysalinger.com and www.darcysalinger.com
Family Louise’s Antenatal Classes Hi I’m Lou the Midwife. I deliver antenatal and hypnobirthing classes and offer antenatal and postnatal care. www.louantenatal.com
Family & Portrait Photography Annie Griggs Photography Capturing a wide range of photography genres, including families and children, business headshots, events and product photography. All at a high professional standard. www.anniegriggs-photography.co.uk
Finance Visionary Accountants Providing professional services including Tax Returns, Tax Advice & Planning, Management Accounts, R&D, Bookkeeping, Payroll & Workplace Pensions www.visionaryaccountants.co.uk/contactus
Flooring Carpet store Quality flooring at affordable rates Tothecarpetstore@aol.com
Food Dizzy Bee Kitchen Food Gorgeous Granolas www.dizzybeekitchen.co.uk Rothamsted Manor Rothamsted Manor is a Grade 1 listed manor house in the heart of Harpenden, offering afternoon tea, music concerts, weddings, parties, wakes and much more. www.rothamstedenterprises.com/events
Graphic Design The Brandit Super simple, super effective, super amazing logos, branding and communications for your business www.thebrandit.co.uk
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Hair/Barbering Headcase Barbers proper haircuts in an unpretentious environment www.instagram.com/headcasestalbans
Health and Beauty Karen’s Temple Spa Spa Experiences in your own home www.templespa.com/karenfrancis Caroline k facial treatments I offer luxury skincare treatments, procedures and products. For information or to book call 07949138145
Health and Wellbeing Victoria Bell Nutrition Nutritional therapy programmes supporting women with digestive health and the perimenopause www.victoriabellnutrition.co.uk Forever Living (the Aloe Vera Co) by Nicky Packman I can advise on and supply a wide range of Aloe Vera & Beehive based products to help support skin, digestion, gut health, immunity, mobility and general wellbeing for all ages. www.thealoeveraco.shop/GkHcYFOe Moveology A wide range of treatments to help with injury recovery and fitness improvements. www.moveology.co.uk
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Home and Decor Verulam Tile Warehouse Ceramic, porcelian, natural stone wall and floor tiles for inside and outside. www.verulamtilewarehouse.co.uk Blissfully Organised Professional Organising www.blissfullyorganised.co.uk
Illustrator Hannah Sessions Design I offer bespoke illustrations of your house/ school/ favourite place. Makes a great gift and now have some packages to choose from. Get in touch. www.facebook.com/hannahsessionsdesign
Insurance Broker EIC Insurance Services Limited We help business owners sleep at night by protecting the things they care about www.eicinsurance.co.uk
Language Services Atlas Translations We offer personal, certified and professional language services. A world-class, ISO 9001 and ISO 17100 certified translations agency. www.atlas-translations.co.uk
Marketing
Popdance Learn fun dance routines to pop music from the 80s, 90s, 00 and current pop track - for all ages and abilities www.popdance.co.uk
Amber Mountain Marketing Cost Effective Marketing Communications Book a free power hour too boost your marketing here; www.ambermountainmarketing.co.uk/ contact
Positive Reflex Therapy I offer deeply relaxing, rejuvenating and destressing Reflexology and Reiki treatments in the comfort of your own home or workplace. www.positivereflextherapy.co.uk
Joolz Joseph Email Marketing Services & Training. Marketing Motivation and Mentoring for small businesses. Find out more at JoolzJoseph.com www.joolzjoseph.com
Music Kick Pistol Show your support for local indie band, Kick Pistol, by following them on Instagram www.instagram.com/kickpistol
Networking The Business Network South Herts Visit us to enjoy networking with likeminded people and an educational seminar www.business-network-south-herts.co.uk/ events-seminars The Athena Network Bedfordshire & St Albans Business Networking and Development Club for Women in Business www.theathenanetwork.com/katecherry or email me at kate.cherry@theathenanetwork.com Women In Business Network Connections, Support, Business Potential for Women In Business through networking www.wibn.co.uk
Network and Internet Countrifi Networks We provide advice, guidance and solutions for improving your internet and wireless coverage around your home or business. We also offer a range of CCTV and Alarm solutions. www.Facebook.com/CountrifiNetworks
Office Space BubbleHUB bubbleHUB is a new, high end coworking space in the heart of St Albans www.bubblehub.co
Optometrist EYES on St Albans We ROCK your new eyewear..! www.eyesonstalbans.com
Painters and Decorators St Albans Decor Kitchen Cabinet Painters + Renovations Painting and Decorating www.stalbansdecor.co.uk
Performing Arts School Brilliant Theatre Arts We are youth theatre and drama school combined offering training through performance. Aimed at young performers aged 7 - 21 who have a serious interest in performing www.brillianttheatrearts.co.uk
Print Macpro Design & Print Ltd. Providing professional artwork, design and print to local SME’s. Visit our website for more information www.macprodp.com
Photography Stephanie Belton Photography Portrait photography for families and businesses www.stephaniebelton.com Immersive Walkthroughs We create unique 3D virtual tours to help you promote your business www.immersivewalkthroughs.com/tourexamples
Retail Atelier Ferrari Monti ladies made to measure www.ferrarimonti.com Dress Up & Dance Dancewear, dance shoes, gymnastics clothing, fancy dress costumes for sale and hire, accessories and costume make up www.dressupanddance.com Floral City Goodbye Flowers, Floral Gifts and Flower Subscriptions www.floralcity.co.uk
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Retail Flagship Wines A great range of delicious wines, Champagnes, Ports, Spirits and craft beers www.flagshipwines.co.uk, Flagship Wines on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook Lift Your Spirits Online We aim to ‘Lift Your Spirits’, explore gifts that create a true understanding of our Company’s name. www.liftyourspirits.online Lou Murphy Styles Styling and shopping with French fashions from Captain Tortue www.facebook.com/ groups/1620092258294835
Senior Care & Dementia Care Tea & Memories Reminiscence Vintage Tea Party Activity for Seniors. Suitable for groups in care homes, community care venues, or private homes. Ideal for celebrations. Email terri@teaandmemories.co.uk Tel: 07505 141707
Telecommunications Trio Telecom Trio Telecom are rate 5* on Google and provide local businesses with Voice over IP phone systems, broadband and ethernet connectivity, and call answering and virtual numbers. www.triotelecom.co.uk/contact-us VOIspeed Ltd VOIspeed offers a fantastic business phone system with collaborative tools ideal for hybrid working that can be used anywhere on any device. www.voispeed.co.uk
Video Production Yellow Lizard Media Professional video production for a range of industries, services and events www.yellowlizardmedia.co.uk
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Web Design Gold Nugget Designs Bespoke WordPress websites that get your business seen! www.goldnuggetdesigns.co.uk/websiteworksheet
‘TIS THE SEASON TO BE THINKING ABOUT YOUR XMAS COMMS!
GRAPHIC DESIGN & COMMS FOR YOUR BUSINESS
LOCAL PRODUCTS
#ShopLocal - all these products are available via our cover stars, Christopher Place! Tomoka Spirits Pirate’s Grog Spiced 5 Year Old Rum from Tomoka Spirits - £31.95 here
The Pudding Stop Mix and Match letterbox brownies - £25 from The Pudding Stop here
Hobbs Beautiful Callie Wool Cape - £89 from Hobbs here
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Flying Tiger Limited edition Christmas Socks from Flying Tiger £4 here
The White Company Fir Tree Large Pillar Candle The White Company £30 here
Neals Yard
Wagamama
Stocking filler minis from Neals Yard - £10 here
Wagamama Gift Cards from £5£500 the perfect gift for foodies here JoJo Maman Bebe Christmas Fair Isle Knitted Baby allinone - £26 - JoJo Maman Bebe here
Do you have a product or service to offer in St Albans that you would like to feature in an issue of Inform Magazine? • • • • •
Simply send us: an image of the product or service a simple sentence about it how much it is a link to where people can buy/order from you
That’s it - we want to make #ShopLocal as easy as possible for people in St Albans Send your info to - stalbans@ thebusinessescommunity.com
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5 Questions We Asked A St Albans Business Sue Wybrow, Chief Legwarmer Wearer of Popdance World, takes up the challenge of answering our famous 5 questions! 2. What does Popdance offer its customers?
1. Hi Sue, so what prompted the start of the business? I really wanted to go to a dance class and learn fun dance routines to pop music from the 80s, 90s, 00 etc. I wanted a class where I could have some “me” time, away from the demands of work and a young family, where I could get active, tone up and have fun learning fun dance routines to the likes of Wham, Madonna, and also the latest pop tracks. So, working with amazing dance teachers, we launched Popdance, here in St Albans, in 2009.
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Well, since 2009, we’ve grown quite a bit! From one dance class here in St Albans, we now have Popdance, Popdance Fit, Popdance Kids, Popdance Tots and Popdance Seniors all across the globe - which enables us to bring fun dance classes to people of all ages and abilities - from here in the UK, to USA, Switzerland, Hungary, Wales, Ireland, Dubai, Cyprus, India, Scotland, Turkey and Kenya! 3. What kind of customers do you work with? Are there any types of businesses you collaborate well with? We work with all ages and abilities, as well as schools, brownies, guides, cubs, scouts, clubs and associations, nursery schools, leisure centres, hotels, wedding venues (as we offer hen parties and wedding dances too). We work with many businesses on projects such as teambuilding events, and corporate events - it’s a fun way to get the whole team together!
We also work with incredible dance teachers across the globe and are currently recruiting - so if you know any amazing dance teachers or schools, do point them our way. 4. What’s the toughest part of running your business? Wanting to do all the fun stuff, and putting off the things you don’t want to do. We’ve overcome this by delegating and working with a fantastic team which has massively helped. 5. What piece of advice could you give to another business owners?
Find out more about Popdance and how you can book them for your school, party, wedding, teambuilding event, club or to find your nearest class - or, if you are a dance teacher and would like to find out more about working with us - head to www.popdance.co.uk
If you would like to answer our 5 famous questions and be featured in an edition of Inform Magazine, simply send your answers, along with any images and a call to action link to inform@ thebusinessescommunity.com
Delegate the things you don’t need to be doing - we know it can be chicken and egg with this sometimes, as you may not have the funds to do it, but it really does work and enables you to do the things that you are great at and love to do.
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News Round Up Earthworks are back on the St Albans Farmers' Market! Depending on season we have greens herbs apple juice honey beans potatoes sweet peppers chillis marrows squash aubergine... you name it! All produce is organically-grown by Earthworkers. St Albans Farmers' Market second Sunday of every month. Pick up your produce and support our Earthworkers or just come and say hi! www.earthworksstalbans.co.uk
Rothamsted Conference Centre are hosting a delicious, 3-course Christmas lunch, with crackers, decorations, festive music and all the trimmings in Harpenden on 8th December. Tables for up to 10 people available, from £22.95 per guest. Great for an office Christmas do, an excuse for a festive get together or just a yummy meal with friends. Find Out More
www.rothamstedenterprises.com/event/christmas-lunch-atrothamsted-conference-centre-weds-8th-december
Our fabulous St. Albans and Hatfield Women In Business Networking group is back face to face in November and December 2021. We meet 12-2 2nd Tuesday of the month and would love to meet more local business women in the area. You can find out more information here
Been made redundant or just come off furlough? Want to set up a business but don’t know where to start? St Albans Enterprise Agency (STANTA) provide 12 hours of free business advice and training. Email advice@stanta.co.uk to make an appointment or ring 01727 837760. www.stanta.co.uk
Are you a female-led startup or small business looking to attract your ideal customers and stand out from your competition? I can help with my strategic brand and web design service. Visit lacondesign.co.uk or email Natalie on hello@lacondesign.co.uk
My Mustard ® Google Ads aficionados ppc fanatics and Hertfordshire’s friendliest Google Premier Partner specialising in pay per click and social media advertising for businesses. Get in touch today. www.mymustard.co.uk
When it comes to CRM systems for small business owners how does one begin to choose and what’s our favourite? First think about what you want your CRM system to do. For example if you want your CRM system to talk to your invoicing system but there’s no link or integration between the two systems then there’s no point. Find out how to make the best CRM choice for your business here www.jaxstarsolutions.co.uk/choose-the-optimal-crm-for-small-business
At Visionary Accountants our team of dedicated tax and accountancy specialists are trained to work with SMEs not only to deliver accountancy services accurately and efficiently but also to provide support and advice to improve business performance. Our goals are to reduce your costs increase your profit and minimise your tax. For a free initial consultation contact us here: www.visionaryaccountants.co.uk/contact-us
Does your Mac have the dreaded coloured wheel of death and is its speed driving you mad? Before you heave it out of the window or visit an Apple store with copious amounts of money give me a free call to find a cure. Remember don’t touch a mouse ’till you’ve spoken to the Rat MacRat, Apple computer support that comes to you Simon www.macrat.co.uk
Do you have video and desk-top sharing and mini-crm on your phone system? This month we are launching these features now essential to effective hybrid working on our new User Interface. www.voispeed. co.uk/newui_videoconference_desktop_sharing Don’t hesitate to contact us at VOIspeed Ltd on 01727 848186 for an informal discussion about how you might reorganise your business communications.
Stuck on repeat treading water working in the business not on the business? Then join us for a free two hour session to find out how to take Action. To find out more visit www.stalbans.actioncoach.co.uk/events/actionclub-taster-sessionsnovember-2021-2
Would you like to end your year with a networking bang? At The Athena Network we’re passionate about helping women to grow stronger more profitable businesses. Join one of our brilliant and productive online networking meetings this November our last for the year. You can also register your interest for our Winter Networking event at The Luton Hoo on 1st December tickets on sale soon. For more details contact me at kate.cherry@theathenanetwork.com
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Having just celebrated our 10th Birthday and winning two Inspiring Herts awards Wagada has had a successful few months. With a growing team in both our St Albans and Cheltenham offices we are looking forward to the next year! www.wagada.co.uk
bubbleHUB is a creative co-working space for ambitious professionals looking to achieve their business goals. We are offering an exciting free trial day to give you a taster of what our contemporary hot-desking space can do for your professional growth. www.bubblehub.co
Our brand new vegan-friendly Aloe Body Wash is packed full of Aloe Vera and other botanicals to leave your skin clean soft and hydrated. A lovely treat for yourself or a gorgeous gift for someone special! www.thealoeveraco.shop/iRyRuq76
We are looking forward to Christmas. Are you ready for Cocktails? We have fantastic Shakers Mixers at www.liftyourspirits.online
Get busy planning for the new year with this fun colourful calendar featuring our fabulous local pubs. www.Etsy.com
Novembers Art of Breathwork and Relaxation with Stacey Landau is about Stress Management. These 90-minute experiential sessions will be held online on 4th Nov @9.30am and 8th Nov @7pm. For more information visit The Art of Breathwork and Relaxation
Wiggle in your Winter woolly for our annual Christmas Jumper Day! Wear your festive frock on Tuesday 14th December and make a donation of £2. Help us raise funds to support more families with young children who are going through difficult times. www.home-startherts.org.uk
Stunning Kitchens designed to suit your style. Make your dreams a reality www.auduskitchens.co.uk/brochures
If you struggle with email marketing content, check out Joolz Joseph’s online Compelling Content for Emails course. www.joolzjoseph.podia.com/creating-compelling-content-for-emails
St Albans District Council invite you to their Business Summit on Wednesday 17th November discussing the major issues and opportunities affecting the local economy. Speakers from Hertfordshire Growth Hub, Hertfordshire LEP, Oaklands College and Hertfordshire Growth Board, plus Q&A sessions. Sign up Here to Register!
Would you like to feature your business/news/products/ services/events in the Round Up? It's just £25 PAYG or £99 for the whole year - plus the round up goes out separately as an email and across social media too!
Book to feature in the December issue here
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Local Talent... Kick Pistol on projects for artists such as Madonna, Prince, Puff Daddy, Eric Clapton, David Bowie, The Beatles, Oasis, Keane, Beach Boys, Jessie J and Rod Stewart - so we are very excited to release the track as we’ve been working on it for well over a year now. The single is getting a fantastic response and airplay from lots of radio stations and we can’t wait to see how far it goes.
An interview with Kick Pistol Hi guys, so we hear it’s been quite an exciting year for you all? Yes, very much so, from playing at the infamous “The Dublin Castle” in Camden, following in the footsteps of incredible bands such as Madness and Blur, to releasing our latest single, Apparitions, on 29th October which we are incredibly proud of it was produced by Monochrome Productions and mastered by Barry Grint who has worked
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We worked with a fantastic team for the Stephen Lawrence Livestream Day earlier this year, and we are thrilled to have been invited to headline at the Stephen Lawrence Awards at Lingfield Race Course.
We hear that there’s been a change to the Kick Pistol line up? Yes, our drummer, Nate, is currently in Israel, so we’ve been working with Jack and Max from The Muted, who’ve been great fun to gig with. It’s been different working as a four, but Jack and Max have fitted in really well and bring extra ideas to the table too.
So what are your plans for 2022? More gigs, lots of festivals and the release of 2 more singles. We love playing live gigs and it’s great fun gigging in different areas of the country - although we always love to play in our hometown of St Albans!
So you mentioned that your latest single, Apparitions, came out on 29th October - how can people have a listen or find out more about Kick Pistol? You can download the single from spotify, deezer etc. You can visit our website for all the latest gigs and news (we also have a shop on there, if you fancy supporting us with one of our T-shirts) www.kickpistol.com - and please do give us a follow on instagram @Kickpistol
Thanks, Kick Pistol, and good luck with it all - remember us all when you are famous!
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Jelly Co Working Events
When you work from home or by yourself, sometimes it can be isolating - especially with what we’ve all been through over the past year or so!
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Rothamsted
That’s why we are thrilled to be “back in the room” with the jelly co-working events. The online events we ran during lock-down worked really well and we will still include them from time to time, however, it’s so nice to work in a different environment, with the buzz, the chat, the comaradery!
So that’s two co-working events per month:
And, we are so excited to announce that the Jelly Babies are back too! We start back at the Holiday Inn Express St Albans on Friday 4th November hosted by the fabulous Talia Zamora. And, a big thank you to Rothamsted Enterprises for having us there the next one is on Thursday 18th November.
Which gives people the opportunity to come and work with other business owners, share ideas, get motivation, work in a different environment and get things done.
Holiday Inn - first Friday of the month Rothamsted Enterprises - usually the 3rd Thursday of the month
It’s FREE to TBC members, and just £5 to non members
BubbleHUB
Holiday Inn
We will also have a “do not disturb” table or area, for those that want to get things done and join the chat when they can - so you can really get your head down.
Plus, check out BubbleHub for hot-desking, fixed desks and other working opportunities - it’s an absolutely stunning and inspiring building to work from - a total break from the norm - find out more here
Find out more about the co-working events and why we call ours a jelly here
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THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN BREATHWORK AND MEDITATION In this article, I would like to talk about the relationship between breathwork and meditation since it is a topic I often get asked about. And of late I am seeing the two lumped into the same basket implying that they are somehow one and the same. Indeed, the way I view, and how I have experienced these practices to date, there is a definite overlap - but meditation does not equal breathwork.
(For more info please do take a look at a previous blog on breathwork and its relevance today). Bear in mind, breathing exercises are not new; yogis have been practicing pranayama – the 4th limb of Patanjali’s Sutras – for a very long time! And over the last few decades in particular, science has begun to catch up. Studies are proving what the yogis have always known; that breathwork is a powerful instrument for change and healing, as of course is meditation.
Meditation
Breathwork So, let’s take a step back and consider for a moment: what is breathwork? To make it brief I will simply say that it is a very general term for breathing exercises. When we practice breathwork we are consciously choosing to alter our regular breathing pattern (which is unconscious), in order to change and/or bring about a certain state of being. For example, you could use breathing techniques to shift you out of lethargy; to balance your nervous system, to destress, or to move stuck emotions. There are endless possibilities. However, within the spectrum of breathwork, the bottom line is: you are choosing to interrupt your natural flow of breath and use it as a tool for change.
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So, what is meditation? Whilst there are many different ‘techniques’ to choose from and a wide range of benefits, meditation is ultimately an inner journey (as is breathwork). If we can train our ‘monkey’ mind to remain focused; bring it back when we drift; we can create some space between our thoughts, which are continually coming and going. When we ‘slow down’ that onslaught, we create an opportunity for clarity and personal insight. What ‘technique’ you use will be up to you.
So why the confusion I think the reason why this misunderstanding about breathwork and meditation is coming about, is because we will often use the breath as a focus point on which to hold our attention when we meditate. For example, we may simply sit and watch the breath flowing in and out of our nostrils. We could call this being ‘mindful’ of our breath (or breath awareness); we watch our breath but we are not interfering with it as such. This may in turn lead you to noticing that you have certain patterns of breathing and some of these patterns may be sub-optimal.
And as you continue to sit and watch your breath, it may even change. You may become aware of a slowing down; a quietening of your breath and your thoughts, leading to a place of more stillness and calm. A place where insights can surface more easily.
I truly hope that the above offers some explanation about how breathwork and meditation overlap and yet are different. To summarise, I would simply like to say that breathing techniques are: • •
Essential and invaluable self-care tools for daily life. They can be used to address various ailments including asthma, COPD, high blood pressure and much more.
They are balancing, as well as restorative, and can aid you in:
The Art of Breathwork and Relaxation The Art of Breathwork (as I have referred to it over the last few years) is a powerful practice. And there are many, like myself, who have undertaken extensive studies to understand these practices and offer them safely to those who choose to work with us. I say safely because the way we breathe impacts our physical, mental and emotional bodies and we should respect and honour our breath as we would our best friend. So, let’s take an example such as stress. Often when I am feeling anxious, I can feel the excess energy cursing through my system and it can be really hard for me to sit still and meditate. At this point I usually need to release the stress that has built up and is causing me agitation. Some people may choose movement to do this, like a run or an exercise class. Sometimes I will use mindful yoga – coordinating breath and movement and this too has a wonderfully calming effect. But here’s the thing. You could also use certain breathing techniques to diffuse the pent-up energy and bring about the change you want to see to move out of that stressful state to a calmer state of being. Once you have brought about a release, you may then be able to gain clarity through meditation as to why you are feeling like this in the first place. In fact, physical sensations are important messengers to be heard and releasing that first layer can often open us up to then being able to sit in the discomfort and just breathe into it.
• relieving stress and calming the mind • improving sleep • improving focus and concentration • boosting the immune system • easing chronic pain • reducing depression and anxiety • increasing energy • addressing emotional blockages and so on. If you would like to learn more, you can find further details about the Art of Breathwork and Relaxation on my website – www.staceylandau.com. Or if you have any questions, you can contact me on 07563 577666.
About Stacey Stacey Landau is a qualified Breathwork Teacher; a Yoga Therapist; an iRest Meditation Level 2 Teacher and a Theta Healing Practitioner. She practices in and around St Albans although her breathwork classes are primarily online and open to anyone. She also offers 1 to 1 sessions. Stacey works mostly (though not exclusively) with women who are juggling family, home and possibly work too. They are often dealing with high stress levels and tiredness and are pushed to find enough time for self-care. But the years have taught her that if we don’t look after ourselves and recharge, then we are less equipped to help or look after others and are more prone to illness. Stacey will empower you with easy yet effective self-care tools to manage stress; build physical, mental and emotional strength and resilience which is essentially at the core of her offerings.
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There's lots of ways in which we support local businesses From free features in Inform Magazine to different packages to suit different requirements We all know that we need to be seen, be known and be trusted in business and that takes hard work and commitment. We also know that many of us are stuck for time and feel overwhelmed with all the places we can be - such as instagram, facebook, twitter, LinkedIn, Google My Business, website, blogs, email marketing - the list goes on So that's where we come in - we make it super simple to ensure your business gets seen, gets known and gets trusted - every single month! Whether it's the "promote my business package" at £25 PAYG or £99/year Or The Full Monty at £45/month We make sure your business is front of mind, is consistently in front of the people in St Albans, and we make it super simple for your business to be included. Sound good? Find out more about working with us here
Amy Wybrow Artworks Get in touch here for any design and artworking queries.
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