We are delighted to be welcoming Jeanette Svensson to our team this summer. Jeanette bring Cranio Sacral Therapy (CST) to WNT, a treatment we have been keen to offer for some time and we hope will be a boon to many of you!

CST is a fantastic treatment that is really less of a 'treatment' than an empowering self care session. Gentle touch is used and Jeanette listens with her hands and the body responds. Profound releases can be felt and also profound relaxation. CST is gentle, non-invasive, calming and can be powerful. 

Jeanette grew up with CST, her mum was a Cranial Osteopath so she experienced it through her childhood and came back to it in her adulthood for self care and in feeling it's efficacy she felt compelled to share this with others. Jeanette is also a yin yoga teacher and runs sound healing workshops. She is a space-holder in all of these environments and we think she will be a safe and warm space-holder with us at WNT.

Jeanette is used to bodies with a background in dance and her brand name now is 'Magic of Stillness' which really gives an idea of her approach and how she aims to support people. We are glad she has decided to share some of her magic with us at WNT and we hope you will enjoy benefitting from what she has to offer. 

Read more about Jeanette on her profile page and her own website.
Jeanette will be at WNT various hours over the summer, including weekdays and weekends. You can see her availability and book online here.

We have a couple of jackdaws that come to nest in the wall of our workshop every year. The first couple of years we lived here they drove me crazy, I was only aware of them when I came out of the workshop door and they suddenly flapped away. I’m a bit squeamish with flappy birds (ironic for a Duck I realise) and the fact that I forgot every time and then it gave me a sudden fright meant that I often ended up swearing and cursing them.

Then I learned something that changed my approach entirely. I learned that jackdaws mate for life and that they return to the same spot each year to have their babies. I learned that they are so clever (in my arrogant human terms) that they recognise specific people and choose to trust them. In this I learned that they trusted me, despite my cursing, and that they felt ours was a safe haven for their precious young.

I also learned – or rather realised – that this was a seasonal thing, that their arrival marked the beginning of spring and that their arrival would be quiet at first but as the weeks went on we would begin to hear little chirps of their babies and those chirps would get louder as the babies got bigger.

I still get the occasional fright if my mind is elsewhere when I go out that door on a May morning, but this is totally diminished now by the delight in hearing those little chirps, a delight my 2 year old daughter shares. We are now very fond of Maw and Paw Jackdaw as we call them and I hope we’ll keep seeing them for some years yet.

This annual ‘event is part of a host of things that are now now becoming rituals in our life on a rural smallholding. Before we moved up here we had imagined all the things we would be doing – planting, growing, keeping chickens and goats, making our own preserves etc etc. And then life intervenes with all the things it brings to interrupt our fantasies and we do not have goats or chickens, my veg patch is currently ¼ it’s intended size, the greenhouse is out of action and the polytunnel is full of aphids causing blackened cucumber plants, so sometimes I don’t think we are ‘smallholders’ in a true sense at all.

However, with my kinder eyes I see the little rituals that we have developed that my kids enjoy getting involved with and how, gradually, without our forcing them, they have become annual events that mark the passing of seasons, the children growing older and are little touchstones for us. And also fun things that keep us well oiled, fed and juiced for the rest of the year 😊
Some of these are:

• Picking elderflower in May and making cordial for drinking or making ice lollies
• Picking roses from our wonderfully aromatic rose bush in June and infusing oil that lasts the rest of the year for my skin
• June brings strawberry harvest and the beginning of pea season that has us all popping pods obsessively for a good couple of months, or more depending how well I did at planting stage!
  
• Picking Calendula that I started growing in 2018 and it now self-seeds rampantly with a beautiful array of yellows and oranges scattered through the veg patch, then using this to make calendula oil (equally vibrant in colour) for baths and skin and a fantastic calendula salve for cuts and scrapes that we also call ‘bum balm’ as it is a great nappy rash protector / healer
• July also brings the ripening of raspberries that are littered through our garden and as we get to the end of the month the gooseberries kick in – we have some enormous bushes so we eat these daily, and use them for jam as well as blackcurrants and redcurrants
  
• If we’ve left enough elderflower heads there’s elderflower syrup to be made in late summer as the brambles get going and we come home from walks purple with faces and fingers
• Apples are next and these go to eating straight up and then we’re into crumble season and some apple jam
• My husband, Wayne, is the jam maker and he also makes wines with brambles, apples, rhubarbs and gooseberries
  
• I’m the veg grower and preserver, so if I’ve gotten on well with squash we get some of this baked so we have pumpkin pie filling ready for Christmas and I get stuck into preserves in Autumn – usually some tomato chutney with whatever is left and then fermented chilli sauce and pickled beetroot are favourites

Add to this the ‘opening up’ of early spring when we start planting seeds and preparing beds and the ‘closing down’ of late Autumn when we clear older crops and mulch the beds for next year and we do really get a sense of living with the seasons and the passing of the years.

From discussions with the WNT team and exploring the idea of rituals as more enriching than habits,  my yearning now is that these annual events or duties can be firmly approached as rituals so that we are doing them with intention and attention and reaping even more reward than soothed skin and tasty preserves 😊

I turned 60 recently and was very excited to receive my wonderful London Oyster card and find out that I now qualify for free prescriptions but wanted to find out what other positives there are about reaching this milestone and while searching the internet was informed that it is a time of ‘celebration of resilience, wisdom and possibility’.                                                                              
 
As far as resilience and wisdom go this may be true, as by this age, we have had decades of experience dealing with sometimes challenging situations that we have hopefully managed to overcome.
 
Possibility however, will really depend on our financial security and physical ability. If we are fortunate to have a mortgage-free home, a good pension and with that, some spare cash, we can happily embrace a work-free future and spend more of our leisure time on hobbies, holidays and fitness. Ah yes. Fitness. This is the most important thing of all, as without it, possibilities may be limited.
 
From the age of 30 our bodies start to change. We start to lose lean tissue, muscles start to atrophy (3-5% per decade) and we see an increase in fat. Bones may start to weaken, skin starts to thin, joints start to stiffen and we start to lose height as the discs in our spine begin to dry out.
 
So what can we do about it?

I see a lot of clients who are over 60 and I am pleased to say that the majority of them have realised that they need to take their physical health more seriously.
 
According to current figures the average life expectancy is 81 for women and 79 for men (longer in more affluent areas) so when we turn 60, we can expect to live for another 20-30 years. Therefore we need to be able to move, have balance and be strong. Now is the time (if we haven’t already) to implement changes to save our bodies.
 
Fitness doesn’t have to be an expensive business.

• Walking. Walking is free, good for you and if you join a hiking or rambling club, also sociable.

https://www.ramblers.org.uk/go-walking/ramblers-groups/south-bank-group

• Running. No equipment needed apart from a pair of running trainers, love of the outdoors and some will power!

If you would like to start running and would like a very friendly beginners course, the Dulwich Park Runners run two courses a year in March and September. Members receive a 10% discount on Sports Massage at West Norwood Therapies.
https://www.dulwichparkrunners.co.uk/

• For something a little more challenging, why not look at Windrush Triathlon Club

Where you can run, cycle and swim with a friendly, encouraging bunch. They run weekly training sessions and also get a 10% discount at West Norwood Therapies.
https://windrushtri.co.uk/

• Cycling. A fantastic and inexpensive way to keep fit as you can always pick up a fairly decent second hand bike or borrow one from a friend if it’s for an occasional ride. Take a look at this website if you don’t know where to start.

https://tfl.gov.uk/modes/cycling/cycle-skills

• Gym. Join the local council gym who have vastly reduced swimming sessions, exercise classes, and gym access. Active Lambeth offers a 15% discount to over 60’s (£43.85 per month) while Better offer a discount from age 66. If you are unstable on your feet, Active Lambeth offers a couple of chair-based exercise classes and aqua aerobics.

 
If you can afford it, I would really recommend finding a Personal Trainer and seeing them twice a week. If only once, ask them to design a simple exercise programme that you can either do at home or in the gym (with a few bands or hand weights) a couple of times per week.
 
If you think you can’t, look for concessionary seniors classes connected to local libraries, hospitals and community centres.

• Swimming. Have a few swimming lessons if you need them and then take yourself to the local pool or to one of London’s fabulous lidos.

 

• Pilates. If you book a block it can be cheaper and you will be going regularly so it is worth the investment. I would suggest that if you are new to Pilates, you choose a mat class rather than a reformer class. The reason being, if you have a weak core, you will learn the foundations of how to engage and strengthen it in a mat class. Whereas, the reformer equipment moves on springs and if you have little core strength to start with, this can be challenging and occasionally dangerous (you could fall off).

It is a good idea to find out the qualifications of a practitioner. At least a Level 4 in mat and reformer.

• Yoga.  Again check the qualification of the instructor. Do some taster classes to find out what kind of yoga is for you as there are many types. Yin (more stretching) to Vinyasa Flow (faster moving) and others in between.

 
N:B if you have been diagnosed with, or suspect you may have, hypermobility please inform your teacher as it is very easy to over-stretch tendons and end up with injuries.
 
Class Pass gives access to many different classes from gym to yoga and a two week trial costs £1. https://classpass.com/walkthrough/getclasspass

• Walking Football and Walking Netball

Great for those who are new to the sports or have previously played but are returning from injury or want something less stressful on the joints.
There are a few teams in South London
https://thewfa.co.uk/directory/pride-of-lions/
https://www.englandnetball.co.uk/play/walking-netball/

• Tennis, Padel and Pickle Ball

All of these court based sports are a lot of fun but can be expensive (padel for sure). And, if you are a beginner, it is very easy to get over enthusiastic and play too often.
Although they are wonderful fun and great for aerobic fitness, they can cause knee, hip and shoulder issues as there is a lot of ‘stop/start’ movement which puts stress on the joints.
https://www.lta.org.uk/support-centre/competing/competing-in-padel/what-is-the-gb-seniors-padel-tour-and-how-can-i-enter/
 
By keeping strong we will have increased mobility and energy to really benefit from the free oyster card travel to galleries, museums, parks across London, visiting friends and family and trying different exercise classes. AND greatly reduced the need for those free prescriptions.
 
Tessa Glover
Clinical Sport and Remedial Massage Therapy
ISRM/BTEC (Level 5) Professional Diploma
07966 473738

Frankincense as a ritual tool.
Rituals are ancient and found in all cultures in human history around the world. Pagan or religious, rituals and ceremonies have marked important milestones, cycles and events in the lives of our ancestors and can help us today to reconnect to values, to nature, to ourselves and the divine in a way that has been lost in time.

Rituals and ceremonies for Rite of Passages, such as coming of age like the First Moon (Menarche), for Closure and Beginnings like deaths, births, healing, marriage or separations, to celebrate the harvest or a new season, to crown the new king or queen with the anointing of the ‘Chism Oil’ - these all express a desire to honour and bring the sacred into our life.

When we are in ceremony we enter a profound connection with ourself and Source, whatever that means to us. We experience a glimpse of our divinity. We bathe in the bliss of eternity as we alter our consciousness and we perceive ourself as soul beings, as part of something bigger. Ceremony holds the mystery of eternity that unfolds the experiencing of our divinity.

Rituals nourish the soul, nurture healing and support our spiritual growth.

In ancient Egypt rituals were a daily sacred task performed in the temples with mystical aromatics like Frankincense, age old incense, used by many civilisations. Aromatic fragrances, ritual and the divine in ancient Egypt were inextricably interconnected.
"Scents were believed to originate from the gods, to have sprang from their eyes or their bones, in particular the eyes of the sun-god Ra" - Lise Manniche.
Sacred Scents were believed to be a link to become ‘one’ with the Divine, to be the very fragrance of the gods, derived from the sacred essence of gods, from their particular manifestation.

FRANKINCENSE
Frankincense has been described as the 'golden resin of the sun'. Spiritual and holy, Frankincense is evocative of ceremonial rituals from the land of the Pharaohs, it fills your space with the mystical scents of an ancient temple, bringing the sacred from the distant past into your present life. The history of the precious Frankincense resin can be traced back through ancient texts.

Revered by the ancient Egyptians, considered as valuable as gold, incense was central to the worship of the deities of the Ancient Egyptian Pantheon and large quantities of Frankincense  were burned every day in temples throughout Egypt. Olibanum, “the substance being conducive to a divine state” is documented in many hieroglyphic texts and it was listed as one of the seven sacred oils in temple rituals. Believed to help the soul of the deceased to find its way to the spiritual world, it was also found in the tomb of the young pharaoh Tutankhamun.

Frankincense is fundamental in my daily meditation, rituals and ceremonies, to open sacred space, purify my energy and cleanse the room, inviting blessings and protection and open the connection with self and the Divine. It immediately grounds me and connects me with source when the mundane feels too distracting and overwhelming.

Frankincense resonates at a high vibrational frequency, and yet it grounds you deeply on Earth while connecting you to the Divine. It provides spiritual protection, purification and energetic transmutation, dissolving the illusion of separation between the physical and spiritual realms. Centering and uplifting, it enhances focus, alertness and clarity.

PURIFICATION RITUAL WITH FRANKINCENSE
Fire Ceremonies are incredibly powerful to release the old and heavy, to burn away that which is holding us back from expressing all that we are fully and shining our light vibrantly.

Fire has the powerful ability to transmute energy and transform it. To transcend dense and disharmonious energies into resonant ones.

In many cultures and traditions, Frankincense, burned as sacred smoke, is believed to have the power to protect, purify and transmute heavy, negative energies.

For cleansing and purification purposes, the smoke of the burned resin can be smudged on yourself, your space, or any object you intend to purify by passing these objects through the smoke of burning frankincense. There ancient incense can be burned for DAILY MEDITATION, PURIFICATION, BLESSINGS & PROTECTION.

HOW TO BURN FRANKINCENSE
To release its scent the frankincense is burned over hot coals. The bamboo coals provide a natural alternative to standard commercial charcoal which contains saltpeter and interferes with the scent and therapeutic benefits of the frankincense.
Place the coal inside a censer or a small ceramic bowl, or anything that can tolerate heat. Once the coal is completely light up and white, place a piece of resin on top of it. Just a small tear of resin will produce enough scented smoke that will linger for hours. More resin can be added if needed.

FRANKINCENSE IN CEREMONY
In my Sacred Sound Ceremonies and healing sessions I integrates the ancient Temple Tradition of Sacred Aromatics.
One of my very favourite ceremonies is the Sound Journey with Sacred Frankincense Purification Ritual.

A Sacred Smoke Smudging Ritual is performed in preparation for entering the Inner and Outer Temple in this Sacred Sound Ceremony, using the sacred smoke of the Frankincense resin, green Hojari Frankincense (Boswellia sacra) from Oman and sacred instruments to clear our body on a cellular level as well as our energetic and electromagnetic fields.
In this ritual we offer sacred smoke to our own divine being and body temple. I instruct you how to perform this purification ritual, a skill you will take home with you.

This vibrational re-calibration will reset your unique energy signature to its original resonance. Both the sound frequencies and sacred scents have been used since ancient times for purification and healing purposes. Sacred smoke was offered to the gods and goddesses in ancient Egypt temple rituals; they believed these scents to be derived directly from the gods and be a link to become ‘one’ with the Divine.
A cascade of sounds from gongs, crystal singing bowls, flutes, chimes and other instruments then immerse you into a transcendental experience as set and promoted by the Frankincense.

Source: https://sothistemple.com/royalgreenhojarisacrafrankincenseresin
To learn more about Frankincense visit  https://sothistemple.com/sacredoilssoulessence/sacred-hojari-frankincense
and https://sothistemple.com/sacredoilssoulessence/sacred-hojari-frankincense
Source: https://sothistemple.com/royalgreenhojarisacrafrankincenseresin
 
ABOUT VERONICA
Veronica Massa offers unique multisensory soundscape experiences bringing the healing power of sound into ritual and ceremony. In her Sacred Sound Ceremonies, she integrates the ancient Temple Tradition of Sacred Scents - using Sacred Oils and ancient resins - connecting to the spirit medicine and soul essence of plants. She is the creatrix of Sothis Sacred Oils and founder of Sothis Temple where Sacred Art, Sacred Scents and Sacred Sounds meet in unison to celebrate life, nourish the soul and nurture healing and spiritual growth. www.sothistemple.com. Veronica is a visionary artist Spirit inspired and a multidisciplinary intuitive healer; in the past two decades she gathered experience in the Holistic Healing Arts and as a workshop facilitator.
Learn more about Veronica Nilah https://sothistemple.com/my-journey
 
WHAT IS SACRED SOUND
Everything is frequency and in a state of vibration. All matter vibrates at specific frequencies, including our body, our organs and the cells in our body. We are in optimal health and wellbeing when we have a normal resonant frequency, but if that frequency begins to shift then that part of our body is vibrating out of ease, we say it is dis-eased. This is basically the principle of using sound as a transformational and healing tool: “Sound can change molecular structure” restoring that part of the body back into its healthy resonance to repair damaged tissue and cells within the body and reinstate the harmonious energetic, emotional and mental function. The impact of Sound on human cells has been extensively studied since the ’80 but we also know that the ancient Mystery schools held a deep knowledge of sound and vibrational medicine, using sonic energy for healing and to achieve altered states of consciousness.
A sound immersion bathes you in deep relaxation restoring self-alignment, synchronizing the brainwaves and facilitating the rehabilitation of your cells to normal vibratory frequency, or to resonance which is your original vibratory frequency.

In the previous 2 articles we have explored how our mind shapes our reality. We also looked at how our actions (training) can shape our mind and body.

Going a bit deeper into the psyche, I wanted to talk about the nature of Responsibility and how the patterns of our mind lead to goodwill (grace) or ill-will (shame).

Feeling overwhelmed?

I came from struggle. Not that I had any physical needs unmet. I definitely did not come from wealth, however I always had shelter and plenty of food. (At least until my uni days. :D )

However, mental struggle was my normality.

I felt overwhelmed on a daily basis. Life, or rather the people around me were too much to handle.

So I developed an avoidant relationship with responsibility.

Not to say that I was not a caring and kind child. I think those qualities have been with me and strengthened by my family and teachers over the years.

Yet, due to the overwhelm, I tried to avoid taking any additional responsibility. To the extent of having difficulty with making decisions even about what I want to eat. Indecision.

Now everyone's story is slightly different, however I see a lot of overwhelm and avoidance in my clinical practice.
We will come back to this shortly..

On Shame..

When someone feels overwhelmed, their reality becomes an unsafe environment for them. 
In such situations the brain is forced to 'think their way out' of this non-safety. It is looking for an escape route.

This seeking, or rather avoiding usually leads us down the path of shame and guilt. Being brought up in a very critical and unkind environment, naturally enhances our mental story of not being enough.

Those shameful internalised voices are further strengthened by the constant overwhelm, where we rationalize our inability of handling our 'unsafe' environment as shameful.

Often we also develop a deep desire to help those suffering around us. However as someone incapable of fulfilling their own needs, we often feel guilty for not being able to help others.

Thus we naturally start to associate our self-worth with how we feel in relation to other people.

This is crucial to understand. Our feelings have an effect on our worldview. Our nervous system is wired in a way to protect us, even if that results in us feeling shameful on a daily basis.

Children are very sensitive to suffering. And they do not have the logical understanding that it is not their responsibility to help adult figures. So the guilt deepens.

Naturally a child cannot control their environment. However as an adult, we definitely have the power to make (even if the tiniest) changes in our life.
Please keep reading on...

So how does shame and guilt affect us?

Think of yourself like your phone battery. When you go on about your day, feeling okay, your battery will slowly drain but it probably still be around a comfortable 30% when you retire to bed.

Now think of running apps on your phone. Editing videos, playing games, running an antivirus program whilst also watching a movie.

The more app you run on your phone concurrently, the quicker it will drain the battery.

Emotions and mental rumination do the same to us humans.

When we feel unsafe in our environment, the mind automatically keeps running an (antivirus) app to scan for danger around us.

Whenever a threat is found, our mind will start (Google) searching for all the possible reasons of how it might hurt us.

Then our brain has to come up with a coping mechanism. 
So the brain runs another app for distractions (Netflix or social media) or even a special app for dissociation (avoidance of sensations and emotions). 

All of these further and further drain our energy, and feed into our mental story of 'I cannot do anything about it'. A.k.a, Mental despair.

Naturally when one is overwhelmed and also exhausted, they will find ways to avoid further responsibility. Including looking after themselves.

Goodwill or ill-will?

I had a mini-breakthrough after listening to one of Ajahn Brahm's (Buddhist monk) talk on ill-will and compassion.

It is so obvious, yet easy to miss:
Entertaining shameful thoughts is an act of ill-will.

It is literally an activity which results in our own direct suffering, or the indirect hurt we cause to other people around us.

It is as simple as that. We must find omni-directional kindness within ourselves, in order to reduce the suffering (us and them).

Grace is defined as courteous good will.

Some Christian traditions define it as unmerited favour, kindness, and mercy. 

In Buddhism, a close equivalent may be compassion. The resolve to connect and accept one that may or may not be favourable to us.

In my opinion, regardless if you are a person of faith or not, Grace or compassion is the way for us to resolve those deeply engrained patterns of ill-will.

Thus, it is our primary responsibility to look after ourselves. As that is the only way we can truly care for others.

How can we get there?

Faith has been an options for thousands of years.
Today you also have a choice to seek help from others to strengthen your muscles of compassion.
Looking to feel better in your body?

Please reach out by email to enquire about your first Holistic Coaching session!

Available both in person and online.

I love having a variety of different tools in my 'life toolkit' and these are my favourite go to tools!  As I was writing them down it made me realise who the vast majority of them are for down-regulating my nervous system.  Sometimes my practices as higher energy, activating and releasing but more often than not they help me to balance the fast pace of juggling a busy London life 😆

Movement & Music - both of these, without fail, help me come back into my body and ground me.  Whether it's soothing music and yin yoga, something more uptempo and Vinyasa yoga or resistance training or an all out disco for one and shaking my tail feathers, EVERYTHING feels better afterwards!

Nature - plugging into Mother Earth always soothes my soul and settles my mind and nervous system 💚 I feel really grateful I live near a beautiful forest.   I love seeing the seasonal changes and how the little buds are starting to peek through now!  My go to 'happy place' is always the sea 💙. I can happily while away hours watching and listening to the sound of waves and contemplating the vastness of the oceans.
 
Pranayama & Breathwork - a topic I could talk about for days!  It's our most accessible 'tool' that has the quickest impact on our nervous system and it's totally free!!!  I regularly check in with how I'm breathing and where I'm breathing into.  I often catch myself when I'm in a stressful moment and take a moment to reset my breathing and take a long slow breath.   Here is a breathing meditation I shared a few years ago that always helps me.
https://youtu.be/Z00E7bFmua0?si=44XQPprHUwPUHJfm
 
Meditation - my main practice is Vipasanna but I also love Yoga Nidra and listen to a variety of wonderful teachers.  This particular Yoga Nidra is one I am currently recommending to my clients and friends as I find I always feel so present and calm afterwards. 
https://insig.ht/iyHo2EndERb
 
Journaling - The Morning Pages is a practice I come back to time and time again.  I was introduced  to this journaling practice via a yoga teacher mentoring program many years ago and found it to be a real game changer.   It helps clear the mental chatter and clutter and I notice improved mental clarity and feel much more spacious and clear.
 

How can Tai chi help to build resilience and confidence?
 
As a therapist of the Eastern arts, I have come across many modalities that help people grow, become more confident, resilient and overall content with their life.

I am generally fascinated by both psychology, medicine and eastern philosophy. Yet, what I would call the most powerful tool in my toolbox would -hands down- be Tai chi.
 
It is a martial art that goes way beyond the martial and directly creates a reflective experience where healthy resilience naturally grows.
 
Resilience is the fruit of effort. The work resulting in mental, physical and emotional strength and pliability, leading to self-confidence.
 
One of the fundamental aspects of Tai chi is the engagement of the mind within the body.
 
So how does it help us build resilience?
 
When you practice the art, you are asked to leave all other thoughts and feelings behind. Instead, allow the mind to saturate into the flesh. This develops mindfulness of the body.
 
When you go through the practice of body opening/loosening, it requires sustained mental effort to meet your discomfort. To look compassionately and intimately towards your own limits. Maintaining awareness and acceptance. This develops mental fortitude.
 
During the standing meditations, you first of all create a structure which you must hold for a period of time. Within this structure you relax and release the muscles, thus your habitual tensions. You experience sensations and connections that you have never felt before. This creates a change in your perception and gently pulls you out of your general one-sided thinking. Opening the mind and body.
 
In both seated and standing meditation, you work on maintaining your focus in one physical/energetic location. This develops attention and one pointed focus.
 
Whilst practicing the form/moves, your brain will keep shouting and shaming you for not doing it correctly. You are forced to face your critical self and develop a new, compassionate relation with it. This develops your character, balance and coordination.
 
The constant effort to maintain awareness in the body, whilst experiencing a multitude of sensations, both pleasant and unpleasant, builds a doorway to your nervous system, which you have control over once you have developed enough awareness
 
You can choose to fight it, flee from it or simply accept it for what it is. This builds direct resilience in the nervous system.
 
You see, it is very difficult to get through life without resilience.
 
But we are so lucky to have a tool (and I am sure there are others out there as well) which builds:
 
- the strength and resilience of mind,
- the fortitude and flexibility of the body,
- the stillness and openness of the heart
 
Whilst also balancing our energetic body and the nervous system.
 
Furthermore, throughout the partner drills we also have the opportunity to work on how we relate to one another. How we respond to the touch, emotions and thoughts of others. This is a big part of developing resilience.
 
Thus, we become strong and kind towards our internal and external environments. This is true resilience.
 
Maybe now you can understand why my passion lies so deep in this art.. :)
 
Looking to build resilience into your life?
I am currently running 2 beginner friendly courses in Crystal Palace:
 
Mondays: 18:30 – 19:30
Tuesdays 18:00-19:00
 
- Small groups of around 8-10 people
- Hands on corrections
- Always welcome to ask questions
 
Investment: £12.50 per class
Location: Kin Wellbeing studio and Crystal Palace Osteopaths

Excited to try something new to change and/or grow resilience in your life?
 
Please email me at
[email protected]
Or WhatsApp me on:
07308889603
 
Looking forward to meeting many of you at class,
Miha

From a February fug to a spring in her step, acupuncturist Philippa Summers reflects on what matters to her in her life and what resources she can draw on to live her optimum life

Feeling Like Spring
 
Light spills over the hills
Winter becomes a fable
Here are the flames of spring
The flickering March to April
 
                                        Lemn Sissay

I don’t mind the winter. Being out in all weathers often makes me feel more alive, but this year the cold, wet, dreary weather seemed to drag on. Not much in the way of cheer in the news either, to put it mildly.  It brought on an introspective February Fug. I know I wasn’t alone in feeling that way.
 
So where do we look for the support and resources when our inner world feels a bit wintry? What are the things that help to keep us grounded, inspired, uplifted and connected, and what helps to sustain us. We are all different and we will all need different things at different times. What are those things for you?
 
When I thought about this for myself I was drawn to noticing the things that make up the tapestry of my daily and weekly routines and how they create this fabric of support, connection and sustenance. It is easy to take these things for granted. Mine is filled with friends, family, meals together, cooking, gardening and the allotment, Brockwell Park in all its glory, nature, films and books. A particular focus of the last few months has been generally getting fitter and building strength so going to the gym and swimming are now also firmly on the list. I have gone from pushing myself to do them, to carving out time for them.
 
That routine is peppered with variation and excitement like bright beacons of light, a meal with friends, bookclub, Gin club(!), poker nights, a night out dancing and moments of spontaneity, exploration and curisosity. Together they create a balance of sociable and quiet times, some reflection but not too introspective.  It’s a gratitude list of sorts and a reminder to notice and acknowledge the things that nourish us, make time for them and to reach out and connect.  I deliberately chose not to focus on the bigger events like holidays.
 
Thinking back to that February Fug feeling. There were a couple of specific bits of advice and support that I found especially helpful. One was a reminder from my husband not to judge any feelings, not to label them as good or bad, not to fight them or try to make them go away, just notice and accept them and let them be there. Maybe to observe them with curiosity.
 
The other from a friend was an app recommendation, Insight Timer, which presents a varied selection of mindfulness, meditation, yoga Nidra, relaxation and breathwork resources . There are guided exercises and short sequence programs with some wonderful presenters. If you are looking for something you can use at home to build a meditation habit or help you to de-stress and relax then do check it out. Thanks for the recommendation, Angie!
 
And of course, the change in weather and season certainly helps. The sun is out, spring is springing up, the birds have that frisson of excitement in their chirrups, green shoots are appearing and the swans in Brockwell are on their nest.  The fug has lifted and life has a spring in its step. I hope you feel it, too.

The older you get the quicker a new year seems to roll around, 2025 and suddenly a quarter into the 21st century. How did that happen?
 
I recently listened to the Radio 4 program ‘25 Years of the 21st Century’ discussing pivotal events that shaped the world we live in today. Life is remembered backwards but lived forward as Kirkegaard said. I find it useful to orientate myself in time this way and get some perspective as years often blur together. Good to be reminded and reflect on events and their impact.
The new year can be a good time to do some of that and let that be the starting point for plans, hopes and dreams for the year ahead. Perhaps a time to initiate and implement new routines that shape into habits down the line.
 
Admittedly this is not my strongest point. Last year at around this time a friend sent me a lovely compendium/work book to help. It guides you though various questions prompting memory of what was good, challenging, accomplishment, discoveries, who influenced you and who did you influence/impact. Before you move to the year ahead you forgive yourself for shortcomings and let go of last year. Then you move on to the year ahead. A very good resource and while I didn’t engage with it as much as it called for it was nonetheless useful. Writing this might just spark a revisit.
 
Apparently at this point in January many resolutions for the year or month are given up on, that might make all this sound like nonsense and waste of time.
 
But we could instead view it as an opportunity for deeper insight and understanding of ourselves. Giving it thought and examining what happened and how we felt when we gave up could lead us to make better choices next time. It might just have been unrealistic and needed adjusting or it could show what we do when met with resistance or difficulty. It could also be the complete opposite and a form of self-sabotage if things were going well. Chances are there is a pattern and if we take a softer approach, be amused rather than accused, it can allow for change.
 
I finish this with a lovely example of a New Year’s resolution. Recently at dinner one of my friends declared he has had the same one for a good few years. He claims he keeps it and is keeping it. The resolution is to remember peoples’ birthdays. He does this by sending or giving a everyone a humorous birthday card. At the beginning of the year he transcribes from last year’s diary all birthdays into the new year’s diary by hand. Cards are bought in batches whenever he finds amusing ones as well as keeping a supply of stamps. Every week he looks ahead at what’s coming up. Initially I thought that is sweet and simple but on reflection it is quite profound. A lovely expression bringing love and joy to people in your life and keeping in touch. The act of transcribing is a reminder of who and what last year contained and provides a moment for reflecting on that, simultaneously putting nice events and people into the plans for the year ahead.

NB: Erika's existing clients can enjoy £10 off a treatment in February with her - please mention this offer when booking either online or directly with Erika

Continuing our series focusing on all the treatments we offer at WNT this time we are focusing on 'Other Treatments' - read on to find out about what these are and the practitioners who offer them. (And see our earlier focuses on Acupuncture and Massage)
Our interviewees here are:
Veronica Massa - Facial Therapist extraordinaire
Laura Devonshire - Reflexologist, Reiki and Sound healing practitioner
Miha Rosta - Acupuncturist and Holistic Coach (here with his holistic coaching hat on)