yoga

The Subtle Power of Qigong

It’s easier than tai chi and less physically strenuous than yoga. It builds a subtle strength and flexibility throughout the whole body and you feel great afterwards.  Entrenched in Chinese medicine and having stood the test of time (5000 years by some accounts), Qigong might just be the perfect activity …

Dealing with Stress in the Workplace

I’m lucky enough to be able to work for myself now but I spent the best part of 20 years in a corporate career. Whilst I didn’t always feel that way, many times over the near two decades people would frequently comment on how un-stressed I was at work. My …

This week in the UK it is mental health awareness week. According to the charity Mind, approximately one in four people will experience a mental health issue every year, and one in six people report a mental health problem – such as anxiety or depression – every week.   These …

Qigong

Okay so let’s get the two most important and commonly asked questions out of the way first:   What does it mean? How do you say it?   You will see it translated as ‘Energy Work’, ‘Energy Cultivation’, ‘Working with Energy’, ‘Energy Life Cultivation’ – and other similar terms.   …

Tai Chi for Asthma

Of all the chronic conditions we face in the modern world, asthma seems to be one of the most prevalent. According to the Office for National Statistics, 1320 people died in England and Wales alone. In the UK, 5.4 million people are currently receiving treatment – this includes 1 in …

Mindfulness of Breath – a meditation in four parts…

Following on from my blog post of yesterday, where I wrote about the importance of a good breathing practice – here is a very simple meditation that I learnt when I used to visit the Brighton Buddhist Centre on my lunch breaks. Working in technology and computing, these lunch breaks …

Breathing for Life

Of all the things which sustain us, our breath is one of the most vital. We can go several days without food and water, yet the world record for absolute longest breath hold is 22 minutes. This is an almost unbelievable time (by a world champion free diver) – but …

The Best Medicine: East Meets West

Western medicine is amazing, one of the wonders of the modern world and how could I fault a medical system that keeps billions of people alive by curing illness, disease and improving quality of life for many who live with chronic conditions? Including members of my close family. There are …