'One hundred and twenty years means dying young.' According to the Daoist monks.

I attend qigong classes weekly but need to get into the habit of doing these exercises more regularly.

https://upliftconnect.com/6-qigong-exercises/

Compromised immune systems

I do not have a very resilient immune system so have to be careful not to spend too much time in schools - they are very unhealthy places in terms of viruses, stress, lack of natural light and fresh air - why we send our children there instead of Forest School for the first 7 years of their lives as they do in other countries such as Finland and Denmark is something I hope will change here in the UK. 
In the meantime I have a course of strong antibiotics to fight off an infection and will have to dose up on probiotics to help my system recover.  Something I haven't tried is dry brushing of the body to help my lymphatic system to its job.  I first heard about this from Helen Rideout a friend and herbalist.  I suspect that my lymphatic system needs a helping hand so tomorrow I will go and get a natural bristled body brush and give it a go.  I discovered a little video to show the correct way to do this.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kqKPaG0gAnk 

Festival of Shiatsu 2018 - Derbyshire

5 Element Healing Program

Why is it that in times of stress or emotional turmoil we look for the mountains, forests, rivers, desert, and seashore? Why does nature give us a sense of well-being and serenity? What is it that draws us to these natural environments?

The answer is simply that at our core we are nature. We are part of these natural systems and the energy that runs through them runs through us. When we forget that we are nature we suffer. This simple, yet profound, realisation that we are part of the natural world is at the heart of the Five Element System of Chinese medicine which form the basis of The Ki’s 5 Element Healing Program run at woodland on an organic farm in Derbyshire.

Mental ill-health is on the rise and in England it is estimated that in any one year at least 1 in 4 people will experience a ‘significant’ mental health problem. The Ki – 5 Element Healing Program uses the Five Element System as a beacon that we can use to illuminate our path towards taking charge of our own health and well-being, especially when our path appears to be unclear or blocked with obstacles. The program emphasises the unity that we share with the natural world. Its teachings give us a way to understand our lives in the larger context.   When we have the experience of being part of the natural world we feel at peace.  By remembering who we are we can begin healing ourselves and the world around us.

The Five Elements are Fire, Earth, Metal, Water, and Wood. These elements were the way the ancient Chinese saw the world (macrocosm). The early masters realised that these elements were also within us (microcosm). One of the laws explaining the Five Elements is the Law of Mother-Child or the Sheng cycle. This cycle illustrates how each element is connected to the other elements in a never ending cycle of Birth-Growth-Harvest-Death-Rebirth. This cycle is clearly manifested in the external world by the seasons. Wood-Spring (Birth) feeds the Fire of Summer (maturation) creates the Earth-Late Summer (Harvest). Out of Earth comes Metal-Fall (Dying back, letting go) continuing on to Water-Winter (Quiet Rebuilding Reservoirs), which
goes on to support wood.

The power and relevance of the Five Element System is that it places us in the reality of ever changing nature and the cycle of life and death. Through our immersion in nature at any season we experience life springing forth and life dying back. We are part of this system.  The greater our acceptance of this fact the greater our experience of peace and serenity. 

It is in our nature to seek out the natural world. Our connection to it is non-verbal, oftentimes unconscious and always profound. Nature directs our behaviour. Remembering that we are part of the natural world which is the most important step we can take.  It is as vital as the food we eat and the air we breathe for our own personal health and well-being.  

Every person is characterised by one of these elements or seasons (or a combination of them). In our life cycle we travel through different phases - corresponding to different elements. Each season with its own rhythm.  While all five elements are present in every person, one or a blend of two or three elements are dominant and form the personal rhythm. This tells us a great deal about that individual's health challenges, personality and spiritual journey.Each element has certain strength and certain vulnerabilities.  When one element is excessively strong or weak, physical, emotional, and spiritual imbalances may occur. 

The Forest School Leaders and Shiatsu Practitioners running this course provide opportunities for people to experience each element in their natural surroundings and to become more in-tune with the natural rhythms and cycles. This program provides opportunities for a reconnection to nature and an exploration of the 5 elements in ways that are harmonious with your being.

Fire - will be explored as we light our own campfires using traditional methods and cook seasonal foods.  Sitting by the fire or in the sun we will feel the warmth of this element and how it opens you up, opens your heart to be filled once again with love and joy. Creativity around the fire allows heartaches to begin healing and space to experience love for yourself and for all the world.

Earth - to interact with nature we must first be grounded and centred – touching the earth we connect to the planet and in bring awareness to this connection we appreciate our dependence on her.  Taking the time to explore the space and objects such as trees and stones we will feel the energies of the different spaces and the body sense that they evoke.  Familiarising ourselves with the structures we can explore how they impact on us bodily playing and interacting with them.  Walking bare foot upon the earth or lying down allows us to re-establish a connection with the Earth’s energy so that healing can begin.  Planting and foraging among the abundance hedgerows and forests allows us to experience the generous beauty of our "Mother".

Metal - working with metal tools such as the axe, saw or knives to create art and craft objects or to manage the woodland or create a shelter allows us to develop our sense of self-worth as we develop skills that are being lost and forgotten.  Using the tools and green wood to create objects of beauty to take away with us allows us to experience the purity and essence of metal. Imagine the vast quantities of earth needed to extract the rare flecks of these metals. Metal allows us to realise the importance of quality and essence in our lives.

Water- placing our feet in water and feeling it run over our skin as we explore the abundant habitats in the streams and pools or listening to the sound it makes running through the woodland and meadows or the rain falling through the canopy of the trees we observe how the land holds the water and how it has been carved by it.  Water forms a part of our life that we can at times take for granted. But no life could exist without it. Water grants us the ability to flow, to replenish the reservoirs, and to wash clean. It is fearless and patient wearing down the hardest rock and flowing everywhere.  It allows us to reflect on our life journey and where we want that journey to go next.

Wood - observing plant life, from the smallest sprout to the tallest oak tree, all with energy to grow and move upward we are encouraged to examine our own spirals of decline and abundance asking the questions; where am I frustrated and thwarted in my life? Where have I grown and where do I need to grow?  Where is my energy leaking out of the system?  Where can that energy be harnessed?

A wonderfully nourishing practice to heal through nature is to bring our awareness both to our five senses (sight, sound, smell, taste, and touch) and to the five great elements. Finding time each day to direct attention toward our senses in the context of the five great elements allows us to more fully appreciate our lives. Since our mind-body system is a unified, giving our attention and appreciation to this experience allows balance and healing to emerge.

Inducing Labour

I was asked to give a Shiatsu treatment to a friend who was overdue and who told me that they had tried all the old wives suggestions to get the birth going but to no avail.  I treated my friend and included all the points I had avoided during her pregnancy envisioning the Ki moving downwards through the body.  I felt some really buzzing ki in the pelvic area.  By 3am the next morning labour had started.  Amazing stuff this Shiatsu.  I wish I had known about it when I gave birth - I was induced after being two weeks over my due date - pumped full of Oxytocin which launched my body into overdrive with it all happening way to quickly.  Surely we should try every natural way possible before going down the chemical route.  A couple of the points I used are in the diagrams below.

Interview for The Wendy Centre - a brilliant bunch of people.

Check out this interview with The Wendy Centre Collective's awesome Kerry Lowes who is a Shiatsu Practitioner, Forest School Leader, Permaculture Designer & Bee Keeper.

What are your Core Values?
I see human beings as part of nature rather than apart therefore if we harm nature we are harming ourselves.
Equality of opportunity – not dependent upon class or income.

What are you passionate about?
Connecting to nature – if I don’t do this my health suffers.
Outdoor learning – this should be the norm for children of all ages as they need access to nature’s classroom to develop a love, respect, connection and empathy for the natural world. Where would we be without it?
Permaculture – it has taught me so much and just makes sense.
Shiatsu – we are more than the physical and it is another way of people connecting to the natural world. We need to start with people care.

What is your well-being weakness?
My sweet tooth - something a lot of people struggle with, sugar. However, in true permaculture fashion I’ve turned the problem into the solution and use natural honey (unfortunately some people feed sugar to bees instead of leaving them with enough of their own honey to get through winter), eat dark chocolate with a cocoa content of 80% and above and enjoy it.

How are you involved in THRIVE?
With Fran Smith I will be running an Introduction to Shiatsu workshop on Saturday October 14 th at the Wendy Centre,
Any change has to come from within and to do this we often need to look at our own body’s health system. Shiatsu is a physical therapy that supports and strengthens the body’s natural ability to heal and balance itself. It works on
the whole person – not just with the physical but also with the psychological, emotional and spiritual aspects. I’ll also be running some discounted introductory treatment sessions throughout October at the Wendy Centre.
For the big finale of THRIVE on Saturday 29 th October I will be on the Wendy Centre table discussing Shiatsu but I will also be on a table with Brendan McDowell called ‘The Ki’. This is a new and exciting project combining health
and well-being, growing organic local food and Forest Schools. If this issomething you’d be interested in then please come and talk to us.

Why did you join the Wendy Centre Collective?
My own health and well-being is something I’ve struggled with. It’s only through connecting with others who shared their knowledge and skills that I am now in a better place. As such I would like to pass on those skills and knowledge to
others and the Wendy Centre gave me the opportunity to do this.

What are your visions for the future of the Wendy Centre?
My vision - The Wendy Centre is a successful health hub for the city and a model that is rolled out to other communities across the UK / Internationally where individuals create their own ‘natural health system’. I’ve worked on this myself looking at spirals of decline in my own health system and how I could turn these into spirals of abundance. I’m not saying we don’t need western medicine but we can create opportunities for everyone to be able to be more in tune and
in control of their own systems.

If you could change one thing in the world what would it be?
It has to be that people see themselves as intrinsically linked to the natural systems. Whatever they do to harm our natural systems has a direct impact upon their own health and well-being. If this was the case we would live in communities that put cyclists and pedestrians first, generate their own green energy, strive to produce no waste, have forest schools as the norm allowing each and every child to connect with
nature as the heart of all learning, grow their own food, plant forest garden cities full of organic natural food, celebrate the natural rhythms of life as communities who come together to share food, skills, knowledge, music and laughter, harvest rainwater, develop science and technological innovation that
supports and works with nature, create eco-friendly self-build projects so that everyone can have a home that doesn’t cost the earth but instead produces it’s own energy and as a bee keeper lots of natural bee-keeping as bees once again
return to their healthy state. Get the idea?

What’s your vision for the future?
I think the above covers it.

If you could have a superpower what would it be and why?
A bullshit detector – every time someone says for example ‘oh fracking is safe and necessary’ the bullshit detector goes on display and everyone can see that they’re full of it so they can no longer get away with it thus eliminating bullshit
altogether eventually. If they continue with the bullshit then they get composted! Not sure how organic that would be though!

What is your top health, well-being or empowerment tip?
Go visit nature. A walk in woodland is best. They call it forest bathing in Japan. Trees are amazing things and very healing.

Sun or Moon and why?
Such a simple question yet so tricky. I love the moon and all its influences with regard to planting and the tidal systems. However, I do not do well in winter so for me it has to be Sun. Having lived in Latin America for nine years, Spain for
two and Japan for one, where the sun was a lot more intense, I know that I really do function at my best with plenty of sun. x

THRIVE - Festival of Health, Well-being and Empowerment

A great event tomorrow at the Polish Centre in Derby.  I will be giving 10 minute seated Shiatsu sessions in return for donations to The Wendy Centre.