Wellness Magazine January - March 2020 by Wellness Warehouse

JANUARY - MARCH 2020

FOOD / HEALTH / BEAUTY / WISDOM

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WITH WELLNESS

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YO U R S EL F W EL L

MOVE

YO U R S EL F S T RO N G

B R E AT H E YO U R S EL F C A L M

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E D I TO R ’S N OT E “As a doctor, I’m usually hesitant to use the term. But it looks like a true case of burnout.” I stared at my well-meaning GP, misty-eyed and deflated. I knew he was right, but conceding would feel like admitting defeat. I’ve always felt grateful for a life worthy of genuine enthusiasm. A career I really care about, meaningful personal relationships, and no shortage of stimulating experiences. But in the weeks leading to this fateful appointment, I’d started to feel as if I was being backed into a corner, one deadline and demand at a time. When you define something or someone, you inevitably limit it. Or her. From being someone who loved to try new things and generally avoided the easy option, I found myself wondering around in my pyjamas, looking out at the world instead of living in it. When I was fully dressed and in human company, I’d wear my burnout badge as a signal not to make eye contact, expect too much of me, or – god forbid – hum near my desk. Needless to say, I didn’t want to be tethered to this state. I wanted to hop on a plane, take on a new name, and invest in a glamorous and eccentric hat collection that would offer both sweet anonymity and a touch of novelty amidst the tedium of it all. I started with the low-hanging fruit instead. Adrenal support supplementation, decaf not-quite-coffee, and a vitamin B shot in the bum that had morphed to fit the shape of a couch.

While the physical and psychological terrain of burnout still felt intimidatingly foreign and largely unnavigable, I was no longer listening to podcasts on nihilism or running from ringing phones. It was a start. The next part was more challenging. It was time to win back the affections of the life I had once so loved. I found Pareto’s 80/20 principle particularly helpful in the endeavour. Instead of applying it to wealth and income distribution, I took a good look at the 20% of things in my life that were contributing to roughly 80% of my energy depletion, eventually whittling it down to one person, two projects, and a bad attitude about something I could quite easily change. Far from absolving myself of responsibility for the muck and mire of my misery, I finally took advantage of my ultimate agency in the situation, eliminating the 20% in a quick succession of blows that were both totally terrifying and lastingly liberating. Fast forward through a spot of scrambling to rearrange my personal reality in the aftermath of it all, and I’m back to believing that humans are designed for extraordinary heights of experience rather than simply moving forward in the routine of everyday life and hoping nothing goes horribly wrong. May 2020 be the year you apply your own 80/20 principle, tame your monkeys and cruise down the highway listening to Bohemian Rhapsody with the windows down. Or at least buy some fancy hats.

Lara

CO N T E N T S

JANUARY – MARCH 2020

REGULARS 6 H E A LT H Y H A P P E N I N G S Get outside, retreat yourself, move in a new way and more with our exciting lineup of upcoming wellbeing events. 8 E D I TO R ’ S C H O I C E From superfood snacks to natural beauty hacks, we review this season’s must-have products. 1 0 S N A P, C H AT & W I N We share some of your Wellness moments, and reward our latest favourite. 1 2 F RO M O U R C E O Simon Alston shares what’s sprouting at Wellness this year. 1 3 STO R E D I R E C TO RY Find your nearest Wellness Warehouse and enjoy living life well with us. 50 WIN WITH WELLNESS From coffee table books to teatime treats, we’ve got a great lineup of giveaways in this edition. 82 ON OUR BOOKSHELF Learn about intuitive eating, the science of habit formation and more with our current favourite reads.

FOOD 76 E AT T H E R A I N B OW 1 4 Explore the benefits of eating a rainbow of different colours S U P E R S P I N AC H PA N C A K E S 2 0 Jamie Oliver shows us how to (really) pimp a pancake. A F R I C A’ S L A R G E ST V E G A N E V E N T 2 2 We get ready for The Vegan & PlantPowered Show – a celebration of plant-based food, drink and sustainable lifestyle products in Cape Town. ROA ST E D B U T T E R N U T & R E D O N I O N W I T H Z A’ATA R & TA H I N I S AU C E 2 6 Try your hand at a delicious healthy Mediterranean creation.

H E A LT H H E A LT H & W E L L N E S S C H E C K L I ST F O R WO M E N 2 8 An overview of the most important check-ups for each decade of a woman’s life T H E I N S & O U T S O F M A L E S E X UA L H E A LT H 3 4 A doctor explores the often-oversimplified field of men’s sexual wellbeing. C H RO N I C PA I N : O U R E X P E RT S W E I G H I N 3 8 We ask our in-store Wellness Consultants for their advice on addressing chronic pain. I C E , I C E M AY B E 4 4 We take a plunge into the Wim Hof Method that many are currently practising for improved wellbeing. 4 \\ W W W. W E L L N E S S WA R E H O U S E . CO M

B E AU T Y SKINCARE ESSENTIALS 52 Advice for using essential oils in your natural beauty regime

E CO H O M E C R E AT I N G YO U R Z E RO -WA ST E H O M E 5 8 We take a look at the facts and fiction of the zero-waste lifestyle.

WISDOM 72 T H E E CO N O M I C S O F E N O U G H 6 4 We explore how to evolve from a paradigm of perpetual growth to one of all-encompassing prosperity. T H E M O ST G O O D YO U C A N D O 6 6 Join the Effective Altruism movement for real change T H E TA L K I N G C U R E 6 8 Psychologists share their thoughts on the transformative power of authentic relating. CO N F E S S I O N S O F A T E E N O N S O C I A L M E D I A 7 2 A 17-year-old shares what itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s like to be a teenager on social media today. AS WITHIN, SO WITHOUT 74 Can life coaching help you discover who you really are and why you experience the world the way you do? FINDING THE QUIET INSIDE 76 We explore why so many view meditation as the secret sauce to a happier, healthier and more productive life.

G E TAWAYS 86 L OV E & L U X E I N L L A N D U D N O 8 4 Escape on a Hello Happiest Wellness Sanctuary weekend

CHARITY E FF E C T I V E A LT RU I S M 8 6 Maximise the effectiveness of your charitable donations through Effective Altruism Funds

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Wynberg novalis.org.za

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Cederberg ecoventures.co.za

Sea Point arttherapy.co.za

19 - 22

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25 - 29

26 - 29

KARO O YO GA R E T R E AT

7 SACRED MIRACLES R E T R E AT

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DEEP DIVE Y O G A R E T R E AT

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Malmesbury artofliving.org

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Loxton joellesleebos.com

India smilingsoulcreations.com

E D I TO R ’ S C H O I C E P U R P L E P OW E R P OW D E R There are some mornings when I startle myself by making noises uncannily similar to those produced by my coffee maker. Luckily, I’ve found a way to transform from groggy ol’ gal to limitless lass before I have to leave the house… Call on Auntie Antioxidant, superhero of the circulatory system! The tastiest and easiest way I’ve found to get my daily dose of antioxidants is by adding a sachet of Viberi Blackcurrant Powder to my morning smoothie. With double the antioxidant content of blueberries and up to four times the amount of vitamin C as oranges, it’s little wonder the blackcurrants leave me feeling duly transformed. A N T I - AG E I N G A N T I OX I DA N T I must confess that when I received a bottle of Ubiquinol from Solgar, I had no idea what to do with it. Grandpa Google says it’s an ‘electronrich form of coenzyme Q10’, with ‘the natural ubiquinol form of coenzyme Q10 being 2,3-dimethoxy-5-methyl-6poly prenyl-1,4-benzoquinol’. Of course! When I finally discovered that it is in fact another addition to my antioxidant arsenal, I started taking it with reckless abandon. Apparently it’s found in every cell in the human body, so it must be rather important. It’s involved in the conversion of carbs and fats into energy, and supplementing with it is said to help mitigate the harmful effects of the free radicals and oxidative stress directly related to the ageing process. Bring on the 2,3-dimethoxy-5-methyl-6-poly prenyl-1,4benzoquinol!

S U P E R S N AC K S I’m not sure about you, but I’m prone to snackidents at the most inopportune of times. I was delighted to receive some of Wazoogles’ new Snack Bombs, and now have at least one packet in my handbag at any given moment. The superfood snacks are mostly covered in chocolate, with crunchy quinoa pops, chewy sun-dried fruit and coconut chips thrown in for good measure. Choose between Berry Bombs, Choc Bombs, Cacao Coconut Crunch and – as in any good line – Cheeky Monkey Bombs. You may like that they’re 100% organic, vegan and dairy- and gluten-free. I like that there are unicorns on the packaging.

M U LT I M E I’m never really sure how much of a difference taking a multivitamin makes to my overall wellbeing. While our merchandise manager likes to tell me to imagine just how weak/sick/ stressed/sad I’d be without it, I’m not always convinced. Except when I’m taking Metagenics PhytoMulti, that is. I’m not sure whether it’s the ‘proprietary blend of concentrated extracts’, the phytonutrients or the added iron, but something in those green tablets really does transform me into a morning person who never skips leg day. Try it in tablet or capsule form, with or without iron, to meet your very own 2.0 self.

SHOP THE PRODUCTS IN STORE, OR SCAN THE QR CODE TO BUY THEM ONLINE 8 \\ W W W. W E L L N E S S WA R E H O U S E . CO M

C A L L O N CO L L AG E N Collagen supplementation appears to have emerged as the latest breakout star of the ingestible beauty industry. A structural protein found in our hair, skin, muscles and bones, collagen is naturally made by the body. But as we age, we produce less of it, leading to achy joints, weakened muscles, less lustrous-looking hair and dull skin. If you’re not quite ready to encounter this sexy version of yourself, you may be encouraged to learn that findings are showing promising results for the ability of collagen supplementation to help mitigate the effects of the decline. The most efficient delivery method is via a powder, and while I’d like to pretend that I’m above the hype, I’m sipping on pulverized bovine collagen in my coffee as I write this.

SWEET SOLUTION We all know that date we want to enjoy with everything. Sweetness in the morning, over the midday hump, after dinner… The best thing about this one? It’s not only irresistible, but also good for you. Try Silan’s 100% natural date syrup in your smoothies, breakfasts, desserts and more to enjoy a match made in heaven.

G I V E AWAY

S N A P. C H AT. W I N

share your wellness moments

C O N G R AT U L AT I O N S @ T H E G O O D RO OT S We hope you enjoyed our July edition along with your rooibos chaga latte! Weâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re rewarding you with a R500 shopping voucher to continue living life well with us.

Share your Wellness moments with us on social media and stand a chance to WIN a R500 voucher to spend at any Wellness Warehouse! Remember to tag us in your posts: @WellnessWarehouse on Facebook and Instagram, and @Wellnews on Twitter.

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F RO M O U R C E O

A Word

F RO M O U R C E O Our staff are committed to helping people live life well, and are proud of the role that they play in our customers’ lives, regardless of how big or small this may be.

nvironmental consciousness has become a defining feature of our times, and rightly so. While the sheer enormity of the task we face may seem overwhelming, awareness is the first step towards change - and it is reassuring that there is growing momentum in the right direction. At Wellness Warehouse we believe that health and environmental consciousness are two sides of the same coin. Our customers understand this, and the shift towards a more plant-based diet is one way we are working together to make a difference to the planet and ourselves. Similarly, we continue to see a growing demand for natural beauty and cleaning products as people make holistic changes to their lives. We also believe that all businesses have a duty to make a positive contribution to the world, which is why care, community and courage are values that we try to live by. Care for our customers, each other and the planet. Community because we understand that our success is linked to the success of others. And courage because making – and upholding – principled decisions isn’t always easy.

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After the successful opening of our Ballito Junction store in KZN in October, I’m excited to announce that in November we opened new stores in Constantia (Cape Town) and Southdowns (Centurion). We opted for a large-format store in Southdowns so that we can bring the widest range of quality health and wellness products - including a dedicated plant-based store-withina-store - to Centurion for the first time. Thank you for your continued support and passion for our brand. With 30 stores nationwide plus a thriving online shop, we’re really looking forward to playing our part in building new communities of health- and environmentallyconscious consumers across South Africa. What’s more, in an effort to make shopping for your favourite Wellness Warehouse products even easier, we are trialling a click-and-collect option at our Kloof Street store. Although currently only available to our Cape Town customers, we plan to roll this out to other stores selectively over time. Lastly, I have great pleasure in wishing you all a happy and healthy 2020. I have no doubt it is going to be another exciting year for us all!

Yours in wellness,

Simon Alston

T H E D E TA I L S

OUR STORES

helping you live life well Publisher: Dr. Sean Gomes Editor: Lara Potgieter lara@wellnesswarehouse.com Designer: Inge Smit inge@ivdesign.co.za

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W W W. W E L L N E S S WA R E H O U S E . CO M // 13

FOOD

E AT T H E RAINBOW It’s important to eat a variety of veg and fruit, as each contains a whole spectrum of different vitamins and minerals - all of which play a part in keeping our bodies healthy and happy. Explore the benefits of eating a rainbow of different colours with this handy list...

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RED Red fruit such as tomatoes, peppers and chillies are all a source of vitamin C, which our bodies need for many different things – from maintaining healthy teeth, gums and skin to supporting immune function. Peppers and chillies are also a source of vitamin B6, which is important for metabolic and nervous system function. What’s more, red peppers are high in folic acid, which we need for immune function.

FOOD

Â© James Verity, 2015 Jamie Oliver Enterprises Ltd 16 \\ W W W. W E L L N E S S WA R E H O U S E . CO M

PINK Pink fruit like strawberries, raspberries and pomegranates arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t too dissimilar to red fruit in that they provide a source of vitamin C and are also often a source of vitamin B6 (particularly pomegranates). Some, like strawberries, are also a source of folic acid, which we need to make red blood cells and prevent tiredness and fatigue.

ORANGE Orange veg and fruit - including carrots, squash, sweet potatoes and oranges â&#x20AC;&#x201C; provide sources of vitamin E, C and A. Beta carotene, a form of vitamin A, is what gives them their orange colour, and is important for maintaining normal vision. Our bodies need vitamin E for cell protection.

YELLOW Yellow veg and fruit, such as yellow peppers, yellow courgettes and sweetcorn, contain folic acid, which our bodies need for many different things, like metabolic and immune function. Yellow peppers, like their red versions, are also high in vitamin C, while sweetcorn also provides a source of thiamin, which our hearts need in order to function. The popular banana is a source of potassium and vitamin B6, while lemon juice provides vitamin C.

FOOD

Â© Sam Stowell, 2015 Jamie Oliver Enterprises Ltd 18 \\ W W W. W E L L N E S S WA R E H O U S E . CO M

GREEN Green veg provide us with a wide variety of nutrients. Folic acid is found in a large number of green veg, and is needed for many different functions, including red blood cell formation and helping to prevent tiredness and fatigue, as well as for immune and metabolic function. Vitamin K is found in very high amounts in kale in particular, but also in broccoli, green beans and other green veg. Vitamin K is important for maintaining healthy bones. Potassium, found in lots of green veg (like courgettes and fennel), is important for maintaining blood pressure and for muscle and nervous system function.

DARK GREEN Dark green leafy veg (like spinach), in particular, can also be a source of calcium and iron.

PURPLE Purple veg and fruit like aubergines, red grapes and red cabbage contain potassium, which we need for maintaining healthy blood pressure and muscle function. Some can also be a source of vitamin C, in the case of red cabbage and cherries. Blueberries are high in manganese, which we need for maintaining bone health.

FOOD

Super Spinach Pancakes WITH AVOCADO, TOMATO, COTTAGE CHEESE, CHILLI & CORIANDER

Â© David Loftus, 2019 Jamie Oliver Enterprises Ltd

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METHOD 1. Halve, de-stone, peel and finely slice the avocado and quarter the tomatoes, then place in a salad bowl with a quarter of the spinach. 2. Trim, finely slice and add the spring onions and pick in the coriander leaves, then squeeze over the lime juice. 3. Drizzle with 1 tablespoon of extra virgin olive oil, season to perfection with sea salt and black pepper, toss to coat and put aside. 4. Crack the egg into a blender, and add the flour, milk, remaining spinach and a pinch of salt and pepper, then blitz until smooth. 5. Place a large non-stick frying pan on a medium heat, rub the pan with a little olive oil, then pour in a thin layer of batter, swirling it up and around the edges. Cook on one side only for 2 minutes, or until lightly golden, then stack up on a serving plate and repeat. 6. Top each pancake with dollops of cottage cheese, the avocado salad, and a few good shakes of chilli sauce. Really nice served with extra lime wedges for squeezing over, and a fried egg on top, if you fancy.

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FOOD

AFRICA’S LARGEST

Vegan Event By Janine Walker

More and more people are starting to explore a plant-based diet, whether for health, ethical or environmental reasons. The Economist even labelled 2019 ‘The Year of the Vegan’, marking the lifestyle’s firm entrenchment in the mainstream.

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Celebrating inspiring plant-based food, drink and sustainable lifestyle products. Whether you live a full-time â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;VGN' life, are just trying out meat-free days, enjoy tantalising your taste buds with innovative plant-based food or are exploring sustainable and eco-friendly products, this show offers a great day out you will not want to miss!

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FOOD

This year will see the launch of Africa’s first large-scale vegan and plant-based expo – The Vegan & PlantPowered Show (VPPS) - which will take place at the Cape Town International Convention Centre on 30 and 31 May.

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The two-day event will feature local and international celebrity chefs presenting live demos, as well as over 120 food, drink and lifestyle exhibitors showcasing the latest products to emerge from the vegan and plant-based industry in South Africa and around the world. Heidi Warricker - the driving force behind VPPS - is no stranger to large-scale trade, consumer and food shows, and has been integral in the organisation of successful events the likes of the Johannesburg National Boat Show and the Good Food & Wine Show. “South Africa is ready for this platform, which will make the traditionally fringe industry more accessible to a wider audience,” she shares. “Consumers want to live more consciously and be more mindful of the animals with which they share the planet. Vegans do believe it’s moral to avoid animal products, but they also feel it’s healthier and better for the environment. At the same time, chefs and foodies want to be inspired to create delicious meals with exciting new ingredients. It’s a food revolution: we are launching in Cape Town this year but will - in time - take the show national.” Designed to cater for the whole family, The Vegan & PlantPowered Show will include The Plant Kitchen – a live cooking theatre with an exciting lineup of famous foodies in action as they demo delicious vegan and plant-based dishes. Another highlight will be the Plant Power Talks Arena, which will be hosted by Wellness Warehouse and ProVeg International. “VPPS is an opportunity to sample and even learn to cook tasty, healthy and sustainable food. While the event is largely food and drink focused (there will be a Vegan Wine Walk), there will also be other sustainable living offerings, from eco-friendly home deco and personal accessories to vegan beauty products, a yoga zone and more,” concludes Warricker.

For more information visit www.veganandplantpoweredshow.co.za. Bookings will open on Webtickets on 2 April.

FOOD

Roasted Butternut & Red Onion WITH ZAâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ATAR & TAHINI SAUCE

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Serves 4 INGREDIENTS *1 large butternut (about 1 kg), peeled and sliced 1 cm thick, seeds discarded *2 medium-size red onions, peeled and quartered *45 ml (3 TBSP) extra virgin olive oil *Salt and freshly ground black pepper *15 - 20 ml (3 - 4 tsp) za’atar spice (or a blend of oregano, thyme, cumin, coriander, sumac, sesame seeds and salt) *A bunch of wild rocket, rinsed *80 ml (1/3 cup) whole almonds, toasted and chopped (or 30 ml/2 TBSP roasted pine nuts) *A handful of fresh parsley or coriander leaves, roughly chopped TAHINI SAUCE *60 ml (1/4 cup) tahini (sesame paste) *30 ml (2 TBSP) freshly squeezed lemon juice *60 ml (1/4 cup) water *1 small clove garlic, finely grated *Salt and freshly ground black pepper METHOD 1. Preheat the oven to 220 °C. 2. Arrange the cut butternut and onions in a large roasting or baking tray, preferably in a single layer. 3. Drizzle with oil on both sides and season with salt and pepper. 4. Roast until tender and starting to brown (about 25 minutes). 5. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with za’atar, and return to the oven for 5 – 7 minutes more, taking care not to burn the sesame seeds in the spice mix. 6. Remove from the oven and leave to cool. 7. For the sauce, place the tahini, lemon juice, water and garlic in a jar and season generously. Shake well until smooth and creamy. 8. To serve, arrange the rocket on a serving platter, then top with the roasted vegetables, nuts, parsley/coriander and a generous drizzle of tahini sauce. Enjoy at room temperature.

Excerpted from Cape Mediterranean by Ilse van der Merwe, published by Penguin Random House and available for R360 at leading bookstores.

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H E A LT H

HEALTH & WELLNESS CHECKLIST FOR WOMEN By Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng

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Each decade of a woman’s life brings with it new needs and opportunities. While the best advice, generally, is to know your body and recognise any unexpected or abnormal changes, you may also want to follow this general overview of suggested check-ups…

I N YO U R 2 0 s It may not feel like it now, but your body is going to require some attention to ensure health and longevity. Exercise will help with strengthening your bones, promoting a healthy cardiovascular system and keeping the kegels - the pelvic floor muscles - healthy.

W E L L WO M A N V I S I T Go for annual check-ups that include a skin examination, a breast check, STI screening tests, your first pap smear and tips on how to perform a breast, pelvic and vulva self-exam. This will include a discussion on contraception choices, sexual pleasure and STI prevention.

D E N TA L A N D O P T I C I A N V I S I T Taking care of your teeth and eyes is so important, and it’s advisable to make annual visits to the dentist and optician. You are never ‘too young’, and may even find you need to make use of assisted visual aids such as glasses.

BLOOD PRESSURE SCREENING Know your family history of hypertension. Use of the combined oral contraceptive pill will help determine your risks and how often you need to check your blood pressure. Simple lifestyle changes, such as exercising and eating a well-balanced diet, may be sufficient for you.

C H O L E ST E RO L S C R E E N I N G If you have a personal history of coronary artery disease, tobacco use, high blood pressure or obesity, seeking advice and early intervention is important.

VACC I N AT I O N The tetanus vaccine booster is recommended once every 10 years, and with advice during pregnancy.

H E A LT H

I N YO U R 3 0 s This is the time to focus on building on your foundation for good health and to address any concerns. You may feel agile and strong, but your body is starting to age.

W E L L WO M A N V I S I T A regular pap smear with HPV testing is recommended. A discussion with your healthcare provider about reproductive issues, fertility, assisted fertility options and relationship advice are all topics that should be covered.

NUTRITIOUS DIET Hair, nail and skin health are all partly impacted by diet. Bone, cholesterol, joint and muscle health, as well as cardiovascular and mental health concerns will inform your choices about diet and supplements.

SKINCARE Sun exposure over the years may result in hyperpigmentation or even cancer. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s never too late to use sunscreen! Fine lines appearing around the lips and on the cheeks may be due to smoking.

M E N TA L H E A LT H Identify and seek medical advice for any behavioural concerns such as mood, cognitive (e.g. memory and concentration) or eating and sleeping pattern changes, as well as the use of substances and substance abuse.

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I N YO U R 4 0 s You may become so focused on the balance between life, work and family, but do not neglect your health in the process! This is also the time when the benefits of healthy habits of yesteryears come to fruition. Many lifestyle risks such as diabetes, cholesterol and cancers become diseases and illnesses in your forties.

W E L L WO M A N V I S I T The frequency and screening tests done during your well woman visit may change based on past test results. It is important to remember that it is never too late to start annual well woman visits.

B O N E H E A LT H A bone density scan to monitor the health of your bones may be recommended, especially if you have a history of using the Depo-Provera injectable contraceptive.

B R E A ST H E A LT H A mammogram may be advised at this age. As with many screening tests, the appropriateness is based on your individual risk factors and family history. An ultrasound of the breasts may also be performed.

R E P RO D U C T I V E H E A LT H Your menstrual cycle might start to change, and a discussion about the symptoms of menopause is important. Reviewing contraceptive options and their effectiveness and appropriateness is useful at this stage.

H E A LT H

I N YO U R 5 0 s At this point, you may be on medication for a chronic illness, or the lifestyle and preventative healthcare changes made in earlier years will continue to pay off. You might start to have more regular tests and checks done during this decade.

B O N E H E A LT H Once menopause starts, bone density begins to decrease as your body produces less oestrogen. A bone density scan to monitor the health of the bones, especially if you have a family history of osteoporosis, is advised.

C H RO N I C D I S E A S E Management of conditions such as diabetes, hypertension, mental illness or obesity may take some dedication and getting used to. You may be on hormone replacement therapy post-menopause.

B R E A ST H E A LT H A mammogram and ultrasound of the breasts is recommended. Some are scheduled every two years starting from age 50 to help in the early detection of breast cancer.

CO L O R E C TA L S C R E E N I N G A colonoscopy is the most effective screening tool, and the recommendation from your healthcare provider will suit your particular circumstances in terms of polyps and cancer.

VACC I N AT I O N S Boosters as well as new vaccinations may be recommended.

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mobile I N YO U R 6 0 s With age, the risk of developing some cancers increases. It is never too late to stop smoking, and exercise in any form is good for your cardiovascular system, bone health and mental health.

M E N TA L H E A LT H Learning new skills, doing puzzles or crosswords, reading and socialising keep the brain healthy. Diseases such as dementia are common as one gets older.

OPTICIAN VISIT Screen for vision, mobility or cognitive issues that might impact your ability to be a safe driver.

A B O U T T H E AU T H O R Dr Tlaleng Mofokeng - affectionately known as Dr T - is passionate about making sexual health and wellbeing services available to all, regardless of their sexual and gender identities or economic status. Her book â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Dr T: A Guide to Sexual Health and Pleasure â&#x20AC;&#x201C; was published by Pan Macmillan this year, and is available for R290 at leading bookstores.

H E A LT H

THE INS & OUTS OF MALE SEXUAL HEALTH By Dr Anthony Smith

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ur sexuality lies at the core of what makes us human, contributing significantly to our sense of overall wellbeing and – in particular - what it means to be a man. The term ‘sexuality’ carries multiple meanings and interpretations that differ from person to person and change throughout the various stages of life, relationships and states of health. A man’s sexuality is often defined by his penis. There is no escaping the fact that, when something goes wrong or the penis doesn’t behave in the desired manner - the problem is evident. Because of this, traditional male sexuality has often been over-simplified, assuming that a penis is always ready for action, and that anything short of this constitutes failure. The reality of male sexual wellbeing is very different and more complex, and understanding the foundations of a healthy, satisfying and enduring sex life requires a much broader approach.

P RIO RIT IS E PL E A S U R E Enjoying a good sex life means prioritising pleasure - both for yourself and your partner. Vital to the pursuit of pleasure is knowing what you and your partner enjoy, and developing the ability to communicate your needs, wishes and desires. This type of communication will ensure a consenting, respectful sexual partnership that cultivates trust - the true lubricant for deepening the sexual connection. Many societal norms remain opposed to certain types of pleasure, and overcoming these is an integral part of freeing yourself to experience a wider range of possibilities. It’s also important to remember that pleasure is not about performance. Presence and connection are far more important than any acrobatic or intricate moves meant to impress.

H E A LT H

C ULTIVATE IN TIMAC Y Intimacy is the bedrock of a healthy sex life, and requires time to flourish. Set aside time with your partner that’s uninterrupted by the intrusions of work, family and routine domestic chores. Problems in your relationship will eventually find their way into your sexual life, and while it’s normal to disagree, if there are major conflicts, reasons for anger or signs of contempt, you will need to attend to these as a priority. A relationship counsellor could help. Sex is an intimate form of communicating, and even before you step into the bedroom you can create a sexual language with your partner that expands your sexual vocabulary and increases your erotic potential as a couple. KN OW YO UR B ODY Keeping a healthy and vital body is essential. Physical strength and fitness and following a healthy diet boost self-esteem, elevate your mental state and optimise sexual potential.

In long-term relationships, your sex lives become a journey, and will no doubt face many obstacles and challenges - including the changes of ageing. Respecting and accepting these will allow for ongoing rewarding sexual activity.

However, even the healthiest body can be vulnerable to sexually transmitted diseases. Young men not in established relationships, those with multiple partners or those who are older and recently out of long-term relationships need to be particularly aware. Equip yourself with the knowledge of what you need to do to protect yourself and practise safe sex. It may even be necessary to think about PREP – or pre-exposure prophylaxis - if you are at risk of being exposed to the HIV virus.

BE RE AL As men age, there will invariably be times when libido, erectile function and intensity of orgasm wane. While this is natural, studies have shown that these factors need not necessarily decrease sexual satisfaction.

Older men need to be aware of the close association between erectile dysfunction and the state of their blood vessels. A poor erection can be the canary in the mineshaft warning of atherosclerosis and problems with your coronary arteries. It’s also important to be mindful of prostate health and screen for prostate cancer.

Should you run into a sexual challenge that you can’t seem to resolve, there’s no shame in seeking professional advice.

For many men, the ageing process is accompanied by a decline in libido. While this is generally par for the course, if it disappears altogether or is accompanied by fatigue, depression and reduced muscle strength, you may be suffering from hypogonadism, or low testosterone levels. This is something that can be assessed by a doctor and treated proactively. A variety of other medical conditions and medications can also affect sexual performance, so start the conversation with your doctor, as he or she may not address it directly.

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As each man’s sex life is unique, comparing yourself to some imagined ideal or being inflexible can cause further challenges, whereas a relaxed and non-judgemental approach will serve you well.

A healthy male sexuality is something that’s cultivated over a lifetime, and should be an ongoing priority that includes a combination of meaningful relationships, good physical health and mental equilibrium.

A B O U T T H E AU T H O R Dr Anthony Smith is a family physician and sexual health practitioner working in private practice. He is a Fellow of the European Society for Sexual Medicine and the President of the Southern African Sexual Health Association.

H E A LT H

C H RO N I C PA I N our experts weigh in We ask our in-store Wellness Consultants for their advice on addressing chronic pain.

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“This is a perfect all-in-one, from circulation to digestion to flushing the system. Helps to put a spring back into your step.” - Lainy

Pain is an unpleasant experience associated with real or potential damage to the body. It usually serves as a signal that tissues are being damaged, and that the sufferer needs to move away from the painful stimulus as quickly as possible. It also urges rest and recovery to allow healing to take place. There are two main types of pain. If it does not outlast its cause - such as a burn or cut - it is referred to as acute pain, and serves an important warning function. However, if it outlasts the initial injury and healing process, it is referred to as chronic and can become debilitating and difficult to treat.

“Great product! Improves energy levels and keeps blood pressure in check.” - Elrina

“I have a lot of joint pain and have played around with different forms of turmeric. This is a no-mess option” - Tracey

Chronic pain may have a cause that cannot be removed, such as cancer or malfunctioning nerve cells. It can involve hyperalgesia (increased sensitivity to painful stimuli), allodynia (pain caused by stimuli which would not normally be painful) and spontaneous pain with no obvious cause. There is no one prescribed protocol for addressing pain, and when I encounter a customer facing this challenge in his or her daily life, I focus on the individual - investigating the different pain pathways and disorders, as well as the issue of referred pain. The good news is that there are a number of natural solutions that can help significantly, and at Wellness we are committed to helping people find the best fit for their needs.

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H E A LT H

ABIGAIL CRAFFORD Nutritional Therapist and Wellness Warehouse Woodlands Store Manager

Pain is classified as chronic if it lasts for more than 12 weeks. It can be sharp or dull, and cause a burning or aching sensation in the affected region. The heat you feel in the area is caused by inflammation – the body’s reaction to a cellular injury that leads to damaged tissue. It’s so easy to pop painkillers in the face of chronic pain. But these only suppress – rather than address – the root of the problem. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) refers to qi (ch’i) - the life energy that flows through us. When pain and inflammation occur, it is believed that there is a stagnation where the qi or energy is not flowing, and that we need to bring the body back to a state of balance – primarily by cleaning out the liver and kidneys. One TCM remedy formulated to cleanse the blood and kidneys is Replenish Essence from Chinaherb. Add Sfera’s Milk Thistle and Dandelion to further assist in cleaning the liver, and the Metagenics EPA-DHA 720 Omega 3 for the long-term relief of pain and inflammation. You can also make your own herbal ‘golden milk’ with turmeric, ginger, all spice and ashwagandha. Turmeric is anti-inflammatory, ginger is anti-spasmodic, all spice may assist with circulation and pain relief, and ashwagandha is the Ayurvedic root popularly used to heal tissue damage.

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In 2013 I underwent a shoulder operation, after many failed treatment interventions that included physiotherapy, anti-inflammatory and cortisone injections and anti-inflammatory medication. Two months after the operation, the pain was still unbearable. I went to a different doctor for a second opinion, and the x-rays he ran showed further damage, this time to the neck. He suggested another operation, but I refused. When I started working at Wellness Warehouse, I got to know a product by the name of Bio-Curcumin. I did some research on it, and was very impressed by what I read. I started using it myself, and was amazed by its effects. I experienced real relief for the first time in three years, and would recommend it to anyone struggling with chronic pain and inflammation. Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s also great for headaches, migraines, period pain and back pain. Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll never take another (allopathic) painkiller!

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urcumin, the most active compound of turmeric, is one of the most powerful botanicals in the world today, and clinically proven to support a healthy inflammation response. Curcumin arrests inflammation and its damaging effects, relieving inflammatory problems like arthritis, and eliminating the building blocks of cardiovascular problems, blood sugar imbalance and other diseases that have a foundation in chronic inflammation. But its benefits have been hampered by its poor absorption and availability to inflamed tissues. A superior-absorbing curcumin formulation has up to seven times the bioavailability of commercial products.

BIOAVAILABLE CURCUMIN: SUPER-ABSORBABLE, NATURE BACKED BY SCIENCE Curcumin is difficult for the body to absorb. Many companies have attempted to create a superior absorption curcumin option. Black pepper blends, micronised and liposomal blends have flooded the market in the appropriately labelled “curcumin wars”. Many claim to have the “best” form ‘‘Curcumin, the most of curcumin, but based on studies and active compound of customer response, one stands well above turmeric, is one of the the rest. Bio-Curcumin® BCM-95® is a most powerful botanicals 95% curcumin extract with essential oil of turmeric, which has shown in studies in the world today, with to increase absorption up to seven times. published studies proving Bio-Curcumin® BCM-95® is the it to support a healthy world’s most preferred and highly inflammation response.’’ bioavailable curcumin extract, with 58 clinical studies validating its unique health benefits and superiority. This patented proprietary blend of pure and natural curcumin (Curcuma longa) and essential oil of turmeric rhizome (Ar-turmerone) provides the highest level of oral bioavailability to support enhanced absorption and retention. This innovative product does not contain any artificial components to render curcumin more bioactive. With efficacy proven by extensive scientific and clinical studies, “free” form Bio-Curcumin® BCM-95® provides the actual benefits into the bloodstream with no negative side effects and with a proven safety profile. 42 \\ W W W. W E L L N E S S WA R E H O U S E . CO M

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H E A LT H

ICE, ICE MAYBE Wim Hof, also known as The Iceman, is a Dutch extreme athlete noted for his ability to withstand freezing temperatures. He has set Guinness World Records for swimming under ice and prolonged full-body contact with ice, and still holds the record for a barefoot half-marathon on ice and snow. Lara Potgieter, also known as The Editor, is a South African extreme non-athlete noted for her inability to withstand cool temperatures. She has set a world record for remaining in an ice bath for the shortest period of time ever completed by a participant on a Wim Hof Method training weekend.

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Before he became a global phenomenon, Wim Hof was just an eccentric Dutch guy with a penchant for plunging into frozen canals. For 15 years, he went about his seemingly absurd business in relative obscurity, less health guru and more neighbourhood weirdo. But there’s no business like snow business, and Hof eventually rose to fame after breaking a number of records related to cold exposure, including climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in shorts, running a half marathon above the Arctic Circle on his bare feet, and standing in a container while covered with ice cubes for more than 112 minutes.

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DIABOOST Diabetes Support But why? Initially motivated by an attempt to navigate the grief of losing his wife to suicide, Hof came to ‘embrace the majestic force of nature’ as ‘a natural path to an optimal state of body and mind’. Inspired by the effects of the cold exposure in his own life, he developed the Wim Hof Method to share his ways with the world. The method has attracted a veritable army of followers dedicated to maximising their potential through the three pillars of cold exposure, breathing and ‘commitment’. Hof asserts that ‘proper’ exposure to the cold - in combination with specific breathing techniques and commitment to the method – has the ability to catalyse a cascade of health benefits. The list includes ‘the build-up of brown adipose tissue and resultant fat loss, reduced inflammation that faciliates a fortified immune system, balanced hormone levels, improved sleep quality, and the production of endorphins – the feel-good chemicals in the brain that naturally elevate your mood’. That’s a lot of benefits, and at least partly why I found myself spending a Saturday morning in a makeshift ice bath filled with strangers at a Wim Hof Method retreat hosted by Erwann Fabre, Mathieu Schlachet and Jim Harrington of Innate Integrity at Bodhi Khaya in Stanford. I’d been sent a lengthy disclaimer in advance of the weekend, signing my acknowledgement of the fact that by participating, I may be injured either physically or mentally. But because a ferally handsome and irresistably charismatic old Dutch guy promised me that his mission is to make me happy, healthy and strong, I took the plunge anyway. Although the retreat opened with our instructors espousing the benefits of the technique, it was clear that everyone (else) present was already at least R4000 convinced.

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H E A LT H

While my fellow retreatants revelled in the bizarre cocktail of masochism and selfcare, I found myself longing for the very pleasant, climate-controlled lifestyle that Hof and his proponents maintain to be at the root of much of my malaise. I can’t say that I’m attracted to the idea that discomfort is in itself productive. I didn’t go to bed the night after my first ice bath thinking, “I may have achieved nothing else today, but at least I have suffered!” And yet my less than enthusiastic response to the programme appeared to stand in stark contrast to that of most of the other participants. Perhaps it’s because I gave up. I really like hot showers, and I do not like suffering – even if it will make me stronger and less cancerous. I’m probably exactly the kind of person who would have been devoured by a wolf in the caveman lifestyle Hof so admires. “The comforts of modernity have made us weak and sad and sick,” he asserts. Sounds about right. While I am left cold by my brief introduction to the experience, there’s no shortage of first-person accounts of people claiming to benefit significantly from the Wim Hof Method, and documentaries on the topic are indeed very watchable. But anecdotes, while interesting and entertaining, do not constitute scientific evidence. Like pretty much everything Hof says, the line between what is science and what is sophistry is slippery. However there is early research to suggest that he may be onto something.

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According to his team, Hof ‘welcomes cooperation with scientists under the motto to measure is to know’. Researchers at the Radboud University Medical Center in Nijmegen have investigated Hof’s physical capabilities, finding that he does indeed appear able to assert some control over his immune response.

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However, despite his assertion that anyone can do what he does, analysis of the Wim Hof Method – rather than of Hof himself – was still in order. Perhaps the most important scientific result to this end came in 2014, with the publication of Voluntary Activation of the Sympathetic Nervous System and Attenuation of the Innate Immune Response in Humans by Kox, Pickkers et al. (PNAS, 2014). In this research, 12 healthy volunteers were trained in the Wim Hof Method and 12 others were not. They all received an injection of an endotoxin from the e. coli bacteria. Normally the body reacts quite vehemently to this, but the trained volunteers were able to keep the reaction at a far lower level than their untrained counterparts.

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Kox and Pickkers suggest that this was mainly due to the breathing technique, as the hyperventilation reduced the normal response of the body to the endotoxin. Importantly, they emphasise that the experiment was conducted with healthy volunteers, and has only proven that a short-term effect can be obtained. Suggesting that it might lead to an effective treatment for people who suffer from an overactive immune system remains pure speculation. Morever, Cambridge-trained cardiologist Dr Rohin Francis urges us to remember that the reports of fewer flu-like symptoms experienced by the 12 participants involved in the intervention group are subjective claims, and should be viewed as such. While there were noteworthy objective measurements - such as the transient respiratory alkalosis caused by hyperventilation and the elevated adrenaline levels - there was no difference in cortisol between the groups, and the increase in antiinflammatory cytokines was likely in response to the adrenaline. It’s also worth noting that the 12 people who were randomised to receive no training were in fact disappointed, as they had signed up hoping to learn the Wim Hof Method, and were promised instruction after the study was over. This suggests that the kind of person volunteering for the study was perhaps already a believer in the method, which may compound the effect caused by the placebo. While the use of a control group in the study was a step in the right direction, it didn’t eliminate the case of the placebo effect, as both groups were unblinded (it was obviously not possible to run a doubleblind trial when the intervention group was involved in 10 days of training). In fact, the reseachers published a follow-up paper on the role of optimism and mental expectation in the outcome of the study.

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H E A LT H

One piece of science around the technique that has been outrightly disputed is that relating to brown fat, or - more accurately - brown adipose tissue. In a nutshell, there are two types of adipose fat tissue in the body – white and brown. While white fat is used for energy storage, its brown counterpart is a much more rare species. We have a lot of it when we are babies, and it gradually reduces as we get older. For a long time, it was believed that Hof’s repeated cold exposure allowed him to activate his brown fat in a special way. And despite findings disproving this about five years ago, you’ll still find websites citing it. Two studies have investigated Hof’s brown fat, showing that he does not activate it in any remarkable way at all. While he does have more than is typical for someone his age, his identical twin brother – who doesn’t practise the method at all – also has high levels. Slightly higher than Wim’s, in fact. So it does seem, in this regard at least, that the Hofs are genetic outliers, and that this could contribute to Wim’s ability to withstand the cold. All this said, the Wim Hof Method does appear to offer health benefits to many of its practitioners. Scientists speculate that this is likely due to the ‘good stress’ involved - i.e. the activation of the sympathetic fight/flight/fright response in a controlled way through the breathing techniques and cold exposure. While it’s difficult to tease out which elements do what, perhaps this isn’t important if you’re going to do them all anyway. While the cold exposure pillar is what’s captured the attention of the global media, it’s perhaps the aspect of the method with the least evidence. A committed programme of meditation and breathing exercises actually has a body of hard science behind it, and could be the largest contributing factor to the success of the method (at least after the charisma and feats of its creator).

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H E AL TH

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Can many of the benefits of the Wim Hof Method be explained by the placebo effect? Probably. And that’s ok. It isn’t trying to replace conventional medical treatment, and unlike something like a very restrictive diet, there appears to be little potential for harm. Dr Francis’ stance on the matter seems to me the most sane in the midst of both the laudatory hype and the sobering scepticism: “As doctors, we’re not unwilling to try new things. We just need to feel that the potential benefits outweigh the potential harm, and I feel that the Wim Hof Method fulfills that. If a particular ritual or regime helps you tap into the plaebo effect’s potential, why not take advantage of it? I only get uncomfortable when people exaggerate the potential benefits of the method. I wouldn’t regard it as a miracle cure for any specific condition, but more a potential pathway to better overall physical and mental health.” If you’re interested in the Wim Hof Method, you may as well give it a try. The anecdotal evidence of it helping individuals is supported by some science, and it’s unlikely to cause harm if you follow the basic guidelines. Are you going to be able to accomplish the same feats as Wim Hof? Probably not. But as Dr Francis quips, “Just because you’re not going to become Michael Phelps, doesn’t mean you shouldn’t take up swimming.”

Visit www.innateintegrity.com to find out more about joining an upcoming Wim Hof Method retreat and give it a try for yourself.

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A B O U T T H E V E N U E Situated in the picturesque Cape floristic region of the Overberg, Bodhi Khaya hosts a range of different retreats - from Wim Hof Method and yoga workshops to leadership summits, meditation escapes and more. Visit www.bodhikhaya.com for a lineup of their upcoming events for 2020.

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C R E AT I N G YO U R Z E RO -WA ST E H O M E By Stella Hertantyo “Refuse what you do not need, reduce what you do need, reuse what you consume, recycle what you cannot refuse, and compost the rest.” – Bea Johnson, Zero Waste Home (Simon and Schuster, 2013)

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‘Zero-waste’ has become the new buzz term in eco-conscious circles. A zero-waste lifestyle involves being conscious of your consumption habits and producing minimal unnecessary waste in pursuit of reducing your environmental impact. It’s often regarded as being too time-consuming, expensive and restrictive, but moving towards a zero-waste lifestyle is much easier than you’d think. We explore the truth behind the myths, and share some tips for moving towards a truly ecoconscious lifestyle.

MYTH ONE: ZERO-WASTE MEANS YOU CAN’T PRODUCE ANY WASTE T R U T H : If you are following the tenants of a zerowaste lifestyle but still producing some waste, it does not mean you are doing it wrong! Don’t get stuck on the word ‘zero’. ‘Zero-waste’ is actually an industrial term that’s used to refer to a circular economy that designs products that don’t produce waste as an end product. You don’t have to cut out all waste from the get-go, and you are allowed to take your zero-waste journey one step at a time. The main aim of the zerowaste movement is to encourage people to rethink their waste, cut down on the amount they produce, and become more mindful consumers. Our consumer culture is based on creating items that are disposable and can be repurchased. If you’ve started making small changes to your consumption patterns and waste production, you’re on the right track! A great way to kick off your zero-waste journey is by doing a waste audit. Keep track of the waste you produce for a week, and take note of which items you throw away the most. This will help you understand where you generate the most waste, and what items you can begin to eliminate. Cutting out single-use items is the best way to start.

TIPS Buy loose fruit and veg as much as possible Make use of reusable shopping and produce bags Carry a reusable water bottle and coffee cup Decline the straw when you order a drink Start composting your organic kitchen waste

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MYTH TWO: ZERO-WASTE IS EXPENSIVE T R U T H : Most of the time, you will actually be saving money. Going zero-waste is about using what you do have, for as long as you possibly can. When you can no longer use what you have, it’s about finding a sustainable alternative. A lot of eco-friendly swaps are very inexpensive, as long as you are willing to get creative. If you’re investing in a more expensive eco-friendly alternative, it will probably last for a while, which means you’ll be saving money in the long run anyway.

TIPS Reuse glass jars as storage containers Cook at home instead of ordering takeaway Mend and tailor your garments instead of tossing them out If you do need to buy, try to buy second hand Use old material scraps as cleaning cloths

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MYTH THREE: ZERO-WASTE IS TIME-CONSUMING T R U T H : The main ethos of zero-waste living is learning to simplify your lifestyle and reduce the items that you think you need. When you simplify your life, you spend less time making choices about the things you have. Using less, and consuming more mindfully, means that you reduce the amount of time spent grocery shopping and deliberating which clothes to wear and what skincare to use. Youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll soon realise that you have more time and money, and that there is so much joy in learning to live with less.

TIPS Learn to embrace outfit repeating Buy in bulk wherever you can Only buy what is necessary or what you really love Buy reusable items so that you donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have to buy disposable ones as often Simplify your skincare regime

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When we evaluate the things in our life, we begin to realise that there is so much that we don’t need. Going zero-waste doesn’t have to be expensive or time-consuming. More than anything, it requires us to change our consumption mindsets. We need to stop thinking disposable and start thinking sustainable. Keep an open mind to the alternatives and give yourself some time to get used to them. We should all be able to incorporate principles of zero-waste living into our lives in whatever small ways we can. If you’re looking for some further inspiration, take a look at the tips below. ZERO-WASTE TIPS KITCHEN *Make your own cleaning products *Grow your own herbs and veggies *Use beeswax lunch wrap as an alternative to cling film *Make use of fabric napkins *Try silicone Stasher bags instead of plastic Ziploc ones BATHROOM *Make your own body products *Opt for toiletries with minimal packaging (such as soap bars) *Invest in a reusable safety razor *Consider using a menstrual cup and/or reusable pads *Use earbuds that are made of cotton or bamboo BEDROOM *Buy second-hand furniture *Use bedding made from natural fibres *Opt for indoor plants as natural air fresheners *Move towards a capsule wardrobe

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WISDOM

THE ECONOMICS OF

Enough by Maria Kostelac

“Growth is one of the stupidest purposes ever invented by any culture,” commented systems thinker Donella Meadows at a 1994 sustainability conference in Costa Rica. “The only reason it can be sold so easily in every policy arena is because there is no alternative vision on offer,” she continues. “We’ve got to have enough.” The Limits to Growth (Universe Books, 1972) – the seminal work she co-authored - reasons that infinite growth expectations of a finite planet must be tempered by the questions: Growth of what? For what? Why? For whom? Who shoulders the cost? How long can it last? What’s the cost to the planet? And - of course - how much is ‘enough’? The authors’ statistical modelling revealed that the momentum of our economic system’s demand for exponential growth would reach propulsion too excessive to stop the inevitable consequences. They posited that timely policy change at technical and cultural levels would lead to a ‘sustainable’ future. In the 1970s, Dennis Meadows explained that ‘sustainable development’ meant that the developed world ‘got to keep what it had’, while the developing world would be able to move up the ‘ladder of comfort’ following the developed world. Everyone would be able to keep doing what they were doing, only it would not have as much impact on the environment. In his 2012 address to the Smithsonian Institute, Meadows emphasised that this outlook was no longer a realistic one for policy development, but that the shift to ‘resilience’ over ‘sustainability’ was a more realistic objective to policy design 40 years on. The economic models tracking our ‘prosperity’ today were built for the burgeoning industrial era in the 1850s - by early economists whose sole experience of the future was the idea of mechanising both agricultural processes and the production of goods.

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Their commentary is in response to the foundational premise of our reigning global economic model: the need for ‘perpetual growth’ and ‘mastery of consumerist forces’ directing supply and demand of goods and services to divine and maintain a prosperous society. This model drives the behaviours and thinking of power structures and human life on the planet to this day, and has been doing so since the 1850s. To say it is antiquated is - literally and figuratively - the understatement of the century. We’ve not only bypassed the eras of mechanisation and automation, but have entered the digital age. In the 1850s, the world’s population stood at 1.2 billion, in contrast with today’s 7.7 billion and the projected 9.7 billion of 2050. While debate has raged for 40 years as to how a sustainable economic model might look and be put to work, the window for meaningfully addressing the matter of achieving slower self-consumption (sustainability’s basic idea) has closed. We now have to regroup around models that support resilience while envisioning and establishing new paradigms. The effects of bidding adieu to the paradigm of perpetual growth will perhaps come as a long-awaited relief to many. To others, the anxiety it provokes will be almost unbearable. Those holding (or striving to hold) power within the current paradigm will push back hard. However, those impacted by the deleterious effects of the current system are kicking up enough dust to keep the call for change imminent.

To appreciate the scope of what’s happening, it is necessary to zoom out from personal circumstances to outer space 10 to 100 years from now and several generations hence - to gain true perspective in one’s thinking on the subject. Today the covert, depleting effects of perpetual growth are more and more overt at all levels: social, environmental, political, philosophical and governmental. So, what’s the alternative? What and who are we fighting for? In many instances, our ideas of ‘prosperity’ eclipse our appreciation of the degree to which we could prosper by means other than those defined by the current system. Kate Raworth undertakes to answer this question in her exploration and system synthesis for a new 21st century economic model. She presents avenues she believes will lead to a new experience of prosperity and regenerative economics. You’ll have to read her book, Doughnut Economics (Random House, 2018), to enjoy all the nuance and detail of her vision. In short, she sees our system moving from one centred around individual advancement (meconomics) to collective advancement (weconomics) - from competition to cocreation, determined distribution to devotional design, mechanical equilibrium to dynamic complexity, national economic man to socially adaptable human beings, and more. In her vision of the future, growth models follow circular patterns (spirals) instead of linear ones (staircases). Simply put, the model echoes nature’s undulations and the movements of the cosmos.

Raworth is not alone in her vision of the future. While her work is itself a synthesis of that undertaken by modern economists and futurists, she enjoys the echo of her efforts in the form of Japan’s national envisioning enterprise. “Japan is committed to Society 5.0...the vision of an emerging form of society... ‘Creative Society’ enabled by the digital transformation (which)...provides augmented abilities to people, enabling them to pursue their dreams...some of which shall make a major contribution for [sic] global agenda including sustainability and social inclusions, and other major breakthroughs to push the human race forward.” – Booklet, Society 5.0 - Co-creating the Future, KEIDANREN (Japan Business Federation) Japan’s vision incorporates recognition of modern population trends like lowering birth rates, longevity, geopolitics, environmental collapse and the UN’s 17 Sustainable Development Goals, and how technology plays into all these arenas. Our work as concerned citizens and compassionate humans is to join the reimagining of our world - its rejuvenation, rewilding and ultimate all-encompassing prosperity. We are limited only by the constraints we place on our dreaming. Such author activists as those mentioned above, as well as Charles Eisenstein, Lynne Twist, Frederic Laloux, George Monbiot and all their influencers are here to help us explore, question, debate and re-envision. Go forth! Challenge business. Spend consciously. Read. Listen. Question. Reform. Reflect. Reimagine. Vote. Unlearn. Discern. Influence. The future is counting on you!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Maria Kostelac is the founder and owner of Contrapposto Consulting. IT governance can no longer be considered separate from the world of business governance, and business leaders are challenged to incorporate the requisite people, practices and inputs necessary for informed oversight over IT to be empowered across complex organisations. It is Contrapposto’s mission to provide and grow the means to support and reinforce the necessary corporate thinking and conversations among these accountable role players in exercising good governance over the businesses, supporting environments and communities reliant upon their duty of care. For more information or to get in touch, visit www.contrapposto.co.za or e-mail mariak@contrapposto.co.za.

WISDOM

THE MOST GOOD YOU CAN DO By Quentin Crofford

ccording to moral philosopher and utilitarian Peter Singer, we should be donating every spare cent we have to charity. As you can imagine, this hard-line moral obligation argument has not enamoured Singer to all. The guilt-inducing example for which he is most (in)famous is that of a child drowning in a shallow pond. If you walked past said pond, would you jump in and save the child’s life, or would you not want to run the risk of ruining your expensive clothes? If you saved the child, congratulations - you have proven yourself to be a moral human being. But there’s a catch. You’ve just implicated yourself into a moral obligation to the 15 000 children under the age of five who die every day from curable diseases brought on by extreme poverty. According to Singer, the life of a faceless child in a distant country is just as important as that of the child in the pond. And if we’re not giving everything we can to save the former, we’re not the virtuous human beings we’d like to think we are. If you’re anything like me, your reaction to his accusation could include a combination of guilt and indignation, and you may even want to stop reading this article. Please don’t! It’s too important of a topic.

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While Singer’s view is certainly admirable and his shock tactics do grab the attention, he’s too extreme to be persuasive – at least to most of us mere mortals. Voltaire’s aphorism that ‘the best is the enemy of the good’ seems particularly apt here. Singer’s philosophy has inspired the modern Effective Altruism (EA) movement, but it has also been (sensibly) refined and reframed into a more sustainable and palatable ideology. Toby Ord and Will McCaskill, two young Oxford philosophers and in my humble opinion modern-day saints, have been instrumental in catalysing the movement through eloquent argument and truly putting their money where their mouths are. Both have pledged to donate most of their career earnings to cost-effective charities. Take a moment to think about that. What were you doing in your early 20s? I certainly wasn’t thinking beyond my day-to-day welfare and the satisfaction of my hedonistic desires. The occasional few coins in the SPCA tin at the local grocer was pretty much the extent of my charitable commitment.

Ord and McCaskill have established a charity fund (givingwhatwecan.org) and a non-profit organisation (80000hours.org) offering advice on careers that will enable you to do the most good over a typical 80 000-hour career. They’ve also created the effectivealtruism.org site, which introduces the movement’s philosophy, objectives and guidelines for giving effectively. Included here are suggestions such as using charity evaluators like givewell. org to contribute to effective global health organisations, and animalcharityevaluators.org to support successful animal welfare projects. Effectivealtruism.org rates charities using rational thinking and verifiable metrics the likes of which you would expect from your financial adviser. You wouldn’t invest your hard-earned money in anything about which you weren’t well-informed, and you shouldn’t do so when it comes to charitable giving either. This approach negates the common and often paralysing concerns around how much of our money will actually be used to help those in need, and whether the programmes we are supporting are actually effective. Research has shown that there are vast disparities between the effectiveness of charities, making reputable evaluators invaluable resources. One of the EA movement’s aims is to reduce ‘guilt-riddled’ donating. If you don’t feel positive about giving, you probably won’t do it again.

McCaskill encourages people to start small, but make sure that their efforts are effective. Giving needn’t negatively affect your lifestyle. Rather, it has the power to elicit a sense of joy and purpose that will no doubt see you donating larger amounts soon enough. This brings us to what is probably the most logical and well thought-out arm of the EA philosophy. Achieve exemplar status by donating what you can while maintaining your lifestyle. The joy in your heart will be palpable, and your improved sense of wellbeing will inspire your friends and family to follow your altruistic path, potentially increasing your charitable impact exponentially. Seems like a no-brainer, right? Then why aren’t we all jumping at the opportunity to do good? Is this evidence of Richard Dawkins’ ‘selfish gene’ theory in action? Our genes will be selfish unless it serves them to be altruistic. So we need to view altruism as an evolutionary imperative for the success of our species. As in the pendulum theory, cultural trends tend to swing from one extreme to the other. We started out in egalitarian societies which, while seemingly utopian, certainly had their limitations. Modern society has driven us to the antithesis of this, in which we see most interactions as zero sum games. Could the EA movement be the impetus required to shift us gradually and thoughtfully into the synthesis of an evolutionary stable system in which all boats rise on the same tide?

A positive intent example used by McCaskill is that of imagining yourself running into a burning building and saving a child. You’d feel like a true hero, wouldn’t you? According to the philosopher, we have the opportunity to experience this very feeling every year, or even every few months depending on how much we can afford to give.

By giving what we can, we have the opportunity to alleviate poverty and suffering on a grand scale while maintaining our lifestyles and finding joy and purpose that inspires others to do the same.

It costs approximately R50 000 to (literally) save a child’s life. It’s rather heartbreaking that we can actually put a figure to this. One of the more controversial EA objectives is to replace less effective charitable donations - which are directed toward salient charities only due to their proximity to us with rational effective decisions driven by data derived from in-depth research. Rather give to Evidence Action’s Deworm the World Initiative than to your local hospice, for example.

Philanthropists the world over echo one sentiment: giving away their money has brought them joy in far greater orders of magnitude than earning it ever did. If your initial response to this is that it’s easy for these individuals to do and say this because they have millions or even billions to give away, remember that if you earn approximately R500k per annum, you are in the top 1% of earners in the world. In fact, I’d recommend visiting globalrichlist.com and entering your income to see your ranking in terms of percentage and actual placing.

I was initially a bit put off by this, as my natural inclination is to help those closest to me and then, where possible, expand my circle of compassion from there. I’m still grappling with the concept, but if we agree that every human life is of equal value, we should surely make the decision that has the most benefit to human life, regardless of who or where that life may be. Perhaps the fact that we live in South Africa makes this less applicable to us than to those based in Europe or the USA.

I for one have definitely run out of excuses to avoid being more charitable, and have set up a small debit order that will hopefully snowball over time. It is my hope that reading this article has inspired the effective altruist within you, too.

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Wired for Relationship By Professor Gillian Straker & Dr Jacqui Winship

desire for connection and understanding is deeply wired into the human psyche. From the moment of birth, we are neurologically primed to seek out close attachment bonds with others, as human babies cannot survive without someone to take care of their basic needs.

herself. Nevertheless, unconsciously she seeks out a familiar relationship pattern in which she subjugates herself to an abusive other because this is what she knows, expects and feels she deserves. Alternatively, she may defensively assume the role of the aggressor and bully others.

Most psychological and interpersonal difficulties stem from unfulfilled needs in these early attachment relationships and are thus ‘relational’ in origin. Caregivers usually do their best but, because of their own historical issues and inevitable human flaws, they cannot ever be the perfect or ideal parents or custodians. Failures in connection and understanding are thus common experiences and most of us will suffer the fallout from these failures at some point in our lives. There is much truth in psychologist Alfred Adler’s adage that the only normal people are those you don’t know very well.

Truly understanding these patterns is the first step to being free of them. But we struggle to achieve this understanding alone, as our approach to relationships tends to be driven by our unconscious mind. By definition, we cannot be conscious of our own unconscious.

We can be highly successful in our careers, and even in our social circles, and yet be concealing significant internal anxiety and angst. For those who have had less than optimal childhood experiences of attachment, this distress can be particularly intense and troubling. This is especially so in the context of relationships in which we may unwittingly repeat painful patterns. A glaring example of this is the abused child who, in adulthood, may unconsciously choose an adult partner who will re-enact an abusive relationship with her. Of course, consciously she would not wish this for

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Even if we do manage to gain an intellectual understanding of our patterns, a deeper, more experiential recognition is generally required for us to practise and achieve meaningful change in our lives. For this reason, we often need the help and understanding of another to make real progress. As children, we intuitively seek understanding and wisdom from our caregivers. In the right circumstances, we learn that telling our stories to an attentive, concerned and (hopefully) wiser older person amplifies our joys, soothes our sorrows and calms our terrors, allowing us an alternative perspective. As children, we are also primed to trust our caregivers, although some children are more naturally inclined to trust, and some caregivers are more trustworthy than others.

However, some parents, even with the best of intentions, may be incapable of providing for the emotional needs of their children because of their own psychological baggage. For example, a child’s anxiety may provoke an anxious response in her mother. This may result in either an escalation of the child’s fears or an internalised message that her mother would feel better if these fears were masked. In later years, she may not feel safe enough to trust that her partner will continue to love her if she reveals her fears, fragility or vulnerability. As we grow older, and are under pressure to ‘grow up’, many of us lose the capacity to turn to others in a relatively uncomplicated way. We become worried about how we will be perceived or judged, especially if our early experiences of turning to others have been less than ideal. We also lose our capacity to tell our stories authentically and honestly as we increasingly feel the need to shape our images and to hide our true feelings. This seems to be particularly the case in the contemporary world where social media has become a dominant medium for connecting with others. Social network services such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram encourage us to manicure and curate our images to the point that we often feel ashamed of the less than perfect aspects of ourselves. We are tempted to photoshop our images and to present our lives as glamorous and cool, and our relationships as untroubled. In doing so, though, we risk losing contact with what to realistically expect from ourselves and others. RELATIONAL PSYCHOTHERAPY In highlighting common psychological struggles and how they emerge and are ameliorated in psychotherapy, we reference a type of therapy that we will refer to as relational psychotherapy. Relational psychotherapy is a form of talking cure which has its origins in the work of Freud. Interestingly, the term was coined not by Freud but by his patient Bertha Pappenheim, underlining again the importance of what the patient brings to the field. It has largely been forgotten that the term ‘the talking cure’, which is now used to refer to many psychotherapies, was invented not by a therapist but by a patient, to whom we are duly grateful. Relational psychotherapy is like psychoanalytic therapy in that there is a focus on understanding the role of the past in determining the present, and on bringing unconscious processes into conscious awareness. However, it differs from traditional psychoanalysis in that the therapist and patient

work more collaboratively. The therapist–patient relationship is used to understand more about the patient’s troubles and their origins. This increases the capacity for the patient to change relationship patterns that are obstacles to leading a fulfilling life. This type of psychotherapy is influenced by the notion that what brings about change for patients is a deep feeling of their inner worlds being understood, coupled with an empathetically communicated view from the outside. We believe that self-help strategies and virtual relationships can only go so far, and that more significant psychological struggles are best addressed in the context of a personto-person relationship of a therapeutic kind. In relational psychotherapy, the therapist offers hypotheses to the patient based on careful observation, experience and thought about the patient’s style of relating in the consulting room as well as by an analysis of the patient’s story. These hypotheses are designed to help the patient understand the meaning of their unique way of being – comprising their unconscious and conscious thoughts, beliefs and fantasies about themselves and others, their emotional states, and the way in which they automatically ‘do relationships’ – and how it might impact themselves and others in unintended ways. A self-help book or an online support forum might well provide cognitive insights, but a ‘lived experience’ is more likely to lead to lasting change. We would encourage the reader to take the step of entering therapy and embarking on a guided inner journey that is every bit as interesting and engaging as exploring new countries and terrains. There is much to be gained for those who are prepared to engage in this process, as it promotes personal authenticity along with in-depth relational understandings. An ability to look inwards offers us a moment of pause between the impulse and the act, so that we are less quick to react. Looking inwards also enables us to value ourselves without the constant need to have our value affirmed by others. In short, we become more dependent on ourselves and less dependent on others. At the same time, we become more deeply connected to others and more prepared to exist openly and authentically in the give-and-take of affirmation and affection. But to truly understand what drives us, and to interrupt and shift this, is no mean feat. The first step involves a desire to understand and to value our inner lives.

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THE MENTAL HEALTH FIELD The desire to look inwards is on the wane, not only in contemporary society at large, as we have indicated, but also among many mental health professionals. There has been a trend in mental health circles to increasingly define psychological distress in terms of visible symptoms and external behaviours which can be categorised into diagnoses. Unquantifiable internal meanings and feelings receive little attention in such a model. Alongside this, there has been a growing tendency to pathologise what in the past would have been considered ‘normal’. In 1952 there were 106 diagnoses in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) used by mental health practitioners. In the latest edition, published in 2013, the number of potential diagnoses has more than doubled. In the run-up to the publication of this edition there were even debates as to how many months a person could grieve a loved one before being diagnosed as mentally ill. This attempt to define when grief crosses the line from being a painful and universal human experience into becoming a mental health disorder epitomises what we see as a shallowing and narrowing of psychological understanding. It represents a movement away from an in-depth engagement with the complexity of the individual human psyche and encourages an ‘us and them’ approach to mental health. It also pathologises the ordinary madness we all have as human beings. We all struggle to be our full, authentic, real, complex selves – and so we should. This search for a deeper understanding of our psychological selves is a core part of being human. All too often, though, our attention is directed away from our own selfdevelopment, and our own contribution to difficult relationships, to a focus on how to survive the other person’s shortcomings.

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AN AMAZING WEIGHT LOSS BREAKTHROUGH

Of course, strategies for dealing with the problematic behaviours of others are helpful. But in our experience there is no substitute for understanding the effects of our own difficulties on others with the aid of an empathetic therapist who can both understand our pain while also offering a trained outsider’s perspective. Similarly, focusing on behaviour change without addressing underlying issues has its limits. We can refrain from eating chocolate if we try hard enough, which is helpful if we are trying to lose weight, but feeling less desire to eat chocolate in the first place would be a more positive outcome. Relational psychotherapy addresses both the behaviour and the desire, and this is done within a context that affirms that to struggle is human.

P R O D

U C T S

FITNESS IS NOT A DESTINATION, IT’S A WAY OF LIFE.

Prof Gill Straker is a highly experienced clinical professor at the School of Psychology at Sydney University. She is a passionate believer in the transformative power of authentic relating, and is firmly of the belief that we are all engaged in psychological struggles that we tend to hide, including from ourselves. Dr Jacqui Winship has more than 20 years of experience as a clinical psychologist, psychotherapist and supervisor. She works with adults, adolescents and couples, and believes in the power of the therapy relationship to enable individuals and couples to grow, heal and thrive. Prof Straker and Dr Winship are the authors of The Talking Cure, published by Pan Macmillan and available for R330 at leading bookstores.

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WISDOM

CO N F E S S I O N S OF A TEEN ON SOCIAL MEDIA As adults, we can postulate about the effects of social media on the younger generation. We may feel concern about our children’s engagement with the platforms, or even wonder what life would have been like if we had grown up in a world captured on – and largely dictated to by – Instagram, Facebook (although already outdated), Twitter and Snapchat. But how accurate are we in our assumptions of the toll the technology is really taking on the youngsters of today? We ask 17-year-old Tayla de Bruyn to enlighten us.

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Being a teenager is tough. And with the ever-pervasive presence of social media, it’s become even harder. We’re plagued by daily doses of comparison and FOMO (fear of missing out, for those not in the know) that can send us down an endless spiral of negativity and self-doubt.

Even more concerning is the increasing number of cases of cyberbullying being brought to light each day. Thousands of teenagers across the globe are falling victim to this, with too many of them resorting to suicide as their only perceived way out.

As with any technology, social media can of course offer a host of advantages – if approached with good intentions and used sanely and in moderation. But for many a teenager, the nasty or inappropriate remarks that make their way into our inboxes and comments sections can have lasting emotional consequences.

Catfishing – the act of drawing someone into some form of relationship by means of a fake online persona – is also on the rise. In many instances, young girls and boys are being lured into sharing sexually inappropriate content, or into other dangerous situations in which they are harassed or otherwise abused – usually by an older person.

While social media is supposed to bring us closer together, we have really never been more out of touch with one another. Our eyes are glued to the screens of our phones, rather than focused on the world around us – and the people in it.

Perhaps the most contradictory aspect of the technology is its ability to foster international solidarity (such as around the recent issue of genderbased violence) while simultaneously distancing us from the people closest to us.

As part of a generation raised in a social mediasaturated world, I have experienced moments of overwhelm in which I could only but view it as a waste of time at best, and a dangerous technology at worst.

Although social media does have the potential to expose us to important issues around the world, the majority of the content consumed by the kids I know is narrow, superficial and largely unhelpful. While citizens of our country are being raped, murdered and oppressed, we’re learning the art of the perfect contour or counting the calories in our bestie’s breakfast.

My peers and I know full well the negative effect it is having on us, but we are creatures of habit and can’t stop ourselves from going further down the rabbit hole in spite of it. It’s little wonder there are now rehabilitation centres and facilities dedicated specifically to helping people overcome social media adddiction. Particularly as teenagers, we want to feel like part of the crowd – to stay ‘in the loop’. So we check our feeds all day every day, commenting and comparing whilst criticising ourselves (and others) in the process. While scrolling through Instagram, I’ll see something that piques my interest and start digging deeper – invariably comparing it to what I do or don’t have. A boyfriend, a bikini body, a ski holiday – the list is endless. And it really does have the power to push me into a dark crevasse of longing and self-loathing.

If we’re able to leverage social media’s ability to move us forward technologically, economically and – in some instances – socially, there is of course much good to be gained. But as someone who has been exposed to it my entire life, I’ve really seen more negative than positive results. At the end of the day it’s not really something we can escape, so it’s up to each of us to learn to navigate the risks and rewards in as sane a way as possible. Just remember that nasty things spread on social media just as quickly as good things do – if not faster. Like my mom always says, “Whatever you put on the internet stays on the internet forever.”

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WISDOM

AS WITHIN, SO WITHOUT T

here are many things people do to try to improve their lives. In a society such as ours, most of us can look forward to decades of good health and material accruements unimaginable by our predecessors. And yet so few of the millions striving to tick all the boxes of a ‘successful life’ are actually taking the time to examine what they believe this to be. Consisting of our beliefs, habitual thoughts and emotions and unique experiences, memories and relationships, it is our personal realities that are the true deciders of how our lives turn out (or at least how we experience them). Reality isn’t simply the world out there – it’s personal.

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So many of us are trying to build lives on the shaky foundations of a deep lack of knowledge about who we really are and why we experience the world the way we do. We remain mysteries to ourselves, in many cases blindly following outworn conditioning and suffering the inevitable accompanying sense of self-judgment and –doubt. Kept in motion by the routine of everyday life, we are unable to see beyond the illusion while we continue to participate in it. “What we observe is not nature itself, but nature exposed to our method of questioning,” said German physicist Werner Heisenberg. It is on this premise that Cape Town master coach and trainer Peter King has built his private practice and group training programme, Making Lives Work. “The quality of our lives is based on the quality of the questions we ask,” asserts King. “Because we are meaning-making machines, we must be careful about the stories we tell ourselves.” Not one to ignore the deep water, King is passionate about uncovering both the limitations and the potential of his students’ personal realities, which he views as far more malleable that many would suppose. Rather than descending down the spiral of psychocritique, King’s primary aim is to encourage people to see themselves as free agents capable of conscious change and lives motivated by higher values and insight. As his private practice has reached capacity and he can only accept new clients on a referral and application basis, his current focus is on empowering others to share his work, whether through a formal coaching career or simply with those with whom they interact in their dayto-day lives. “The Making Lives Work Introduction to Coaching programme is broad and deep,” explains King. “It will teach you a way of coaching that will become an integral part of your life.” The immersive experience involves 140 hours of in-person lectures and monthly one-on-one coaching sessions over a 14-month period. Divided into three modules, it begins with a ‘toolbox’ for transforming your own life, and is followed by comprehensive training on coaching tools and techniques as well as the finer details of running a coaching practice, should you choose to do so.

SOME OF THE MANY TOPICS COVERED INCLUDE: Free will Gratitude and abundance Thoughts, feelings and results Action and reaction Values and beliefs Roles and agreements Intention, attention and energy Responsibility and accountability

After speaking to King, we took his advice about being curious and asking the right questions, and spent some time gaining insight into the experiences of some of his current students… “Doing the course has been like getting a set of keys. Every day I encounter new doors down the corridor of life, and I finally know how to unlock them.” – Mark “I didn’t come to become a coach – I came to learn to navigate better through life. Bored with the societal trappings of ‘achievement’, I wanted to stop merely scratching the surface. My time here is definitely helping me to gain a deeper understanding of myself and the people in my life.” - Stuart “I’m grateful to have been sent on the course by my employee, who sees its value in improving how I work with my team. So far I can safely say that it has changed my conversations, and thus my relationships.” - Kate “Making Lives Work has been beneficial for both myself and my relationship with my partner. We have come to gain a better understanding of our own internal workings, and a deepening of our relationship has naturally unfolded as a result.” - Tash

For more information or to apply for a 2020 intake, visit www.peterking.co.za or contact peter@peterking.co.za.

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WISDOM

FINDING

The Quiet Inside You’ve no doubt read or heard something about meditation as the secret sauce to a happier, healthier and more productive life. If this simple and free practice really does enable us to tap into the golden luminous nature of existence that doesn’t sweat the small stuff… why aren’t more of us doing it?

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The physical world is what confronts us on a daily basis. For many, going beyond the mechanical side of life is not even on the agenda, let alone a priority. There’s a yawning gulf between the things we must do in a day – waking up, getting dressed, going to work, and so on – and the understanding of the consciousness in which it all plays out. Rather than expending our energy probing around in the dark unknown, we chug along with the stamina of a steam engine, thinking that if we slow down, the dream machine will come to a halt. When I first started meditating over a decade ago, my intention was clear. I wanted to come to know myself as the user of the brain rather than the brain – the traveller in the body but not the body. The thinker of the thoughts who is far from any thought. I wanted to learn to be in the world but not of it. I was tired of being my own prisoner, playing the part of jailer and inmate at once. I may have been (relatively) young, but I had a keen sense that I was hardly ever landing in the moment I was in, and missing out on much of the richness of life as a result. One of the first - and possibly most - important things I learnt in my early meditation practice was that meditating didn’t stop me from thinking any more than it stopped me from feeling. It simply helped me become aware of my thoughts and emotions sooner, practising the mental jumping jacks required for continually moving from thought and sensation to the awareness thereof. Duly emboldened by this first taste of life in high def, I was ready to tighten my strings to vibrate to a higher note. Was it possible that I could tune into the entire radio band, rather than just a single channel? The German physicist Max Planck said: “I regard consciousness as fundamental. I regard matter as derivative from consciousness. We cannot get behind consciousness. Everything that we talk about, everything that we regard as existing, postulates consciousness.” Simply by being conscious, we participate in the mindmade world, and help create it every day. If creation springs from consciousness, could it be possible that we can play a part in reshaping reality from its source? Can we experience a sense of wonder that we even exist, participating in the feast of life while simultaneously looking in on it all?

WISDOM

Meditation, for many, is one of the most powerful ways of going beyond everyday awareness into this exhilarating state of meta-awareness. Choosing a meditation practice can be as overwhelming as confronting the myriad options in the cereal aisle at the supermarket. Mantra, meta, mindful. Transcendental, primordial. Open, focused. As meditation teacher Olivia Rosewood quips, “There are as many ways to meditate as there are to make an egg.” When I first learnt to meditate, I had to sign up to a course by a visiting teacher, wait in eager anticipation for some months for her arrival, and then continue the practice alone after a short weekend of instruction. The endless buffet of apps and online courses available today would probably have overwhelmed me anyway. There is much to be said for both the didactical and discursive advantages of an in-person, group-learning experience, and I am encouraged that there are people like Mimi Cooper of The Quiet Inside dedicating their lives to sharing the joys of meditation with anyone wanting to learn. Presented in a charming little studio with a glorious ocean view in Sea Point, Cooper’s evening meditation classes are an easy option for the harried and hassled to pop in after work. She covers the theory and practice of a different meditation style on each of the four evenings, which are spaced a week apart so students can have a chance to practise and reflect on each before the next session. Her curriculum includes: *Anapana Breathing Meditation *Compassion and Loving Kindness Meditation *Breathing to the Chakras Meditation *Transcendental/Self-Discovery Meditation There is scientific evidence to suggest that the brain indicates similar effects and results whether you focus on your breath, a sensation, an image or a mantra. While I experience a rather marked difference between such anchored relaxation techniques and open awareness or more investigative meditative practices, there are those who will argue that at the end of the day, it’s all cereal.

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Regardless of which form you choose, there is some serious science to support many of the claims you’ve heard about the benefits of meditation. Here are just a few of the myriad insightful studies and results… *Sara Lazar, a neuroscientist at Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, conducted two separate studies that showed – in brain images – how meditation reshapes the brain. She compared the brain scans of people from the Boston area who meditated regularly with those of people who didn’t. In regular meditators, she found several regions in the brain that had more grey matter – primarily the frontal cortex, which is the part that controls memory and executive decision-making. While it’s been well documented that this part shrinks as we get older, the scans showed that 50-year-old meditators had as much grey matter in that region as their 25-year-old counterparts. Lazar’s findings also show that meditation shrinks the amygdala - the part of the brain that controls anxiety and fear. *Richard Davidson, PhD and his colleagues at the University of Wisconsin, along with popular mindfulness proponent Jon Kabat-Zinn, put a group of stressed biotech employees through Kabat-Zinn’s eight-week Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) programme. They found that the employees who completed the course had more activity in the left prefrontal cortex – the happy, calm zone of the brain - than those who didn’t do the training. Researchers also gave both groups a flu vaccine at the end of the training, and found that the meditators produced more antibodies in response. *A study done by research scientists at UC Davis showed that meditation can lower the amount of cortisol (otherwise known as the stress hormone) in the body. *It’s been shown that, when we go into meditation, we release up to 65% more of the feel-good and pain-relieving hormone dopamine, as well as endorphins. *In 2009, Elizabeth Blackburn, along with Carol Greider and Jack Szostak, won the Nobel Prize for their work on telomeres - the protective structures at the end of our chromosomes. When our cells divide, these telomeres shorten and fray. Shortened telomeres are associated with ageing and cancer. In 2012, Blackburn and scientists at UCLA found that as little as 12 minutes a day of meditation for eight weeks could increase telomerase activity by 43% *Research conducted at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine and published in Jama Internal Medicine showed that meditation can provide relief from the symptoms of anxiety and depression similar to that of antidepressant medication. Prescription-free peace!

And then, the most marked benefit in my own life… While we all have what psychologists refer to us our ‘happiness set point’ or our individual capacity for joy, it’s been shown that we can actually grow new neurons through a regular meditation practice that can reset this. As meditation teacher Amy Budden enthuses, “Meditation can trump environment and genes to help hardwire happiness.” The fact that there is no cap on the amount of happiness a human being can experience should surely be motivation enough for you to give this meditation thing a go.

W IN

A MEDITAT IO N CO U R SE The Quiet Inside is giving one lucky reader and a partner the chance to join an upcoming meditation course in Sea Point. To enter, send an e-mail to lara@wellnesswarehouse.com and let us know why you would like to learn to meditate (or deepen your existing practice). T’s & C’s: By entering, you agree to opt into promotional e-mail correspondence from The Quiet Inside. Competition ends 31 March 2020.

UPCOMING MEDITATION COURSES WITH THE QUIET INSIDE *Thursday evenings from 16 January – 6 February *Thursday evenings from 27 February – 5 March To find out more about The Quiet Inside or book your place at an upcoming course, visit www.thequietinside.org or contact mimicoop@gmail.com.

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G E TAWAY

Love & Luxe IN LLANDUDNO

The week before I was due to attend a Hello Happiest Wellness Sanctuary weekend at 26 Sunset Villa in Llandudno was not a great one for me. I’d been compensating - of course - by moving faster and faster, and the idea of sitting with my fretful self on a quiet retreat seemed far too punitive to bear. I’ve been accused of being a retreat crasher in the past (apparently wine in the hot tub is not a good way to spend a Friday night…who would’ve thought). Personally, I feel it a crime against the human spirit when the structures, programmes and regimes serving as blockages to our instincts are extended to apply to our ‘downtime’ too. On this Friday more than ever, I was not ready for any heavy sage burning, om chanting or enforced austerity. Although some would probably have argued that I needed it, I wasn’t in the mood for a shamanic clearing, metaphysical assessment, astral transportation or whatever other form of esoteric navel gazing threatened to lie in wait. My largely destabilised personal ecology was craving the pleasure pursuits – food, wine, sleeping in, linen sheets, sleeping in in linen sheets. I didn’t have much faith in my ability to go from crazed to calm in two short days, and hoped beyond hopes that this was not a retreat that would take itself too seriously.

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Enter Christi. Appearing as if she’d just stepped off a brilliantly produced morning TV segment, our host greeted us with a benevolent tsunami of love. Like a ship guided by the singular, foundational intention of making us feel at ease, she glided through the villa with us in tow. And what a villa it was. Like one big piece of transcendent, priceless art, it was filled with both simplicity and grandeur, quiet and celebration. This was a place for easy, natural things. Beethoven’s Ode to Joy played in my mind as I took a moment to enjoy the special sweetness of realising that something has superexceeded my expectations. An angel waiting in the wings with a goblet of endorphins, Christi gifted us with full use of the haven and its facilities for the weekend. Drink up! It didn’t take long for all the beauty to rub off on me. My shoulders glided down and my edges began to melt as I unzipped the casing of the week that was, observing with quiet gratitude as the ferocity of it all started to dissipate, like a rushing river drying to a trickle.

U P CO M I N G H E L L O H A P P I E ST E V E N T S & R E T R E AT S 2 4 JA N UA RY Sunset Yoga, Champagne & Canap s

2 5 JA N UA RY Morning Yoga & Brunch

7 F E B RUA RY Forkit Evening Yoga & Interactive Cooking Experience

8 F E B RUA RY Forkit Morning Yoga & Interactive Cooking Experience

1 4 – 1 5 F E B RUA RY Cacao Sanctuary The perfect gift at the perfect time, this retreat was one of beauty and fluidity. With a rare exuberance that goes great with her eyes, Christi bent things to fit us at every turn. The yoga was all juice, no push. The sound journey, with its bowls and chimes and gongs, facilitated an inner attunement more valuable than any outer attainment. The food was made with an intention as pure as it tasted. There was cabernet courage and there were hearts in hands as we leant in, listened up and reminded each other of the fact that everything matters, and nothing is important. As we practised (and I use the term loosely) our last yoga class on Sandy Bay beach, a smile curled up in my cells as I was reminded that we too can be like the ocean, perfectly calm at our depths while the waves continue to pound at the shore. Like Camus’ invincible summer in the depths of winter, the weekend really did surprise me. Rich with gratitude for the smoothies and the saunas, the massages and the moments that just held it all, I left the villa with one of my favourite Mary Oliver poems front of mind: You do not have to be good. You do not have to walk on your knees For a hundred miles through the desert repenting. You only have to let the soft animal of your body love what it loves.

2 1 F E B RUA RY Sunset Yoga, Champagne & Canap s

2 2 F E B RUA RY Morning Yoga & Brunch

20 MARCH Sunset Yoga, Champagne & Canap s

21 MARCH Morning Yoga & Brunch

3 APRIL Sunset Yoga, Champagne & Canap s

4 APRIL Morning Yoga & Brunch

24 – 26 APRIL Weekend Wellness Sanctuary

3 1 O C TO B E R – 8 N OV E M B E R Mauritius Chakra Retreat For more information or to book your space at an upcoming event, visit www.hellohappiest.com or contact christi@hellohappiest.com.

W IN Hello Happiest is giving one lucky reader and a partner the chance to enjoy a fully-inclusive Wellness Sanctuary weekend in Llandudno! To enter, send an e-mail to christi@hellohappiest.com with ‘Wellness Sanctuary’ in the subject line.

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R E CO M M E N D E D R E A D I N G

ON OUR B O OKSHELF

G O O D TO G O : HOW TO EAT, SLEEP AN D REST LIKE A C HAMP ION Christie Aschwanden | Macmillan When Christie Aschwanden was a serious athlete in the 1990s and 2000s, recovery was a state of being – something you hoped to reach while not training. Today, it’s pursued with almost as much gusto as physical activity itself. From gadgets and gear to rituals and beliefs, Aschwanden explores (and largely debunks) the myriad new ‘solutions’ of the recovery industry. Pairing scientific enquiry with refreshing irreverence, she shows readers how the most potent recovery tools really can’t be bought.

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S O R RY I’ M L AT E, I DIDN ’ T WANT TO CO M E : A N IN T ROV ERT ’ S YEAR O F LIV IN G DAN G EROU S LY Jessica Pan | Penguin Random House At once relatably vulnerable and riotously funny, Sorry I’m Late offers a first-person account of the introverted author’s time spent in the battlefields of social engagement. Awkward, outright and ultimately uplifting, it’ll leave you rooting for Pan (and possibly yourself) to finally move past ‘safety behaviours’ and into a life of enjoyable, authentic relating.

G O OD H A BITS, B AD HABITS: THE S C IENC E META H U MAN : U N LEASH ING YO U R O F MA KING P OSITIVE C HANGES THAT ST IC K INF INIT E P OT ENT IAL Wendy Wood | Macmillan Deepak Chopra | Penguin Random House Hailed as a leading global expert on habit formation, Psychology and Business Professor Wendy Wood shares scientifically proven ways to make positive changes in every habitual area of life – from what we buy and eat to how we respond to the people around us. Rather than presenting a rote prescription for productivity or success, Good Habits, Bad Habits is ultimately about achieving and enjoying a state of mind that calmly responds to cultivated cues and contexts, rather than succumbing to the often debilitating anxiety of perpetual overthinking.

Renowned for applying the methods and findings of science to helping people improve their lives, Chopra offers a 31-day guide to attaining the higher state of consciousness that he believes is available to all of us, here and now. Meta Human encourages readers to go beyond everyday awareness to a true selfknowledge that sees us bearing silent witness to the many different mental and emotional states that inevitably move through us.

Q U IC K ID G U IDE: WILD F LOWER S O F T H E C AP E P EN IN SU L A TH E FORMUL A : THE SC IENC E B EH IND Hugh Clarke & Corinne Merry | Struik Nature WHY P EOPLE SUCC EED O R FAIL If you like to ‘put a name to Albert-L szl Barab si | Macmillan a face’ when encountering

Penned by one of the world’s leading experts on the science of networks, The Formula draws on big data research to reveal the often-surprising principles of success. Far more than a tired endorsement of ‘networking’ in the simplistic sense of the term, Barab si’s work offers a sane overview of how best to leverage both individual performance and the power of the collective to drive the real engine of success.

JUST EAT IT: HOW INTUITIVE EAT IN G C A N HELP YOU GET YOUR S H IT TOGETHER AROUND F O O D Laura Thomas | Bluebird In many circles, being ‘healthy’ has become synonymous with restrictive dieting and disordered eating. When it comes to diet culture, Registered Nutritionist Laura Thomas isn’t afraid to say it like it is. Standing in stark contrast to the growing trends in orthorexia and deprivation, intuitive eating advocates for a keen awareness of your body and its signals rather than a strict monitoring of calories and carbs.

a beautiful wild flower on your explorations through the Cape, this handy companion is for you. Written for everyone from the keen anthophile to the beginner hiker, it’s filled with vibrant images, key identification features, suggested walking routes and more.

G AR DEN IN G WIT H K EIT H K IR ST EN Keith Kirsten | Struik Lifestyle Keith Kirsten has been a household name since the first publication of his South African Gardening Manual in the late 1970s. Aimed at both old-hand and first-time gardeners, his latest release includes a comprehensive guide to indigenous species to inspire us to experiment with local plants in whatever space we have available – from a compact rooftop garden to sprawling acres of land.

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CHARITY

E F F E C T I V E A LT R U I S M

If you would like to make a charitable contribution but are unsure where to start or how much of your money will actually be used to help those in need, Effective Altruism Funds (www.EffectiveAltruism.org) is your answer to doing the most good you can. Research has shown that there are vast disparities between the effectiveness of charities, making reputable evaluators invaluable resources. Pioneered by young Oxford philosophers Toby Ord and Will McCaskill, Effective Altruism Funds rates charities using rational thinking and verifiable metrics, allowing you to donate more effectively through philanthropic funds managed by experts. It operates like a mutual fund, but for maximising the effectiveness of your donations, rather than your investment returns. The site allows you to choose how you want to split your donation across four funds: *Global Health and Development *Animal Welfare *Long-term Future *Effective Altruism Meta You can make a single donation or set up a recurring payment which is automatically split according to your allocation. Each fund will pool your money together with hundreds of other donations from the community, and the expert fund managers will find the highest-impact organisations to which to make the grants on your behalf. Why donate in this way? *By drawing on the expertise of grant managers at trusted, highly-effective organisations, you can give with confidence that your donation will make a real difference. *By pooling your donations with those of the rest of the community, you can contribute towards opportunities that arenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t open to individual donors. *Your funds will be able to move fast and be as responsive as possible when new needs emerge, allowing for maximum leverage.

EffectiveAltruism.org is an initiative of the Effective Altruism community, a global movement of people using reason and evidence to do the most good they can. For more, see our article on page 66.

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For more information, please contact Thea Greeff - 083 573 8748 Tanya Kinnear - 076 439 5856 Pam Golding Properties Pretoria: 012 365 9000 pretoriaeast@pamgolding.co.za