New ager: Ayurveda

Judith Woods fromThe Telegraph writes on Ayurveda, an ancient Indian healing system based on the idea of balancing our three life forces

 

What is it?

Ayurveda, which means “the science of life” in Sanskrit, is an ancient Indian healing system, popular with celebrities, including Sting, Madonna, Christy Turlington and Gwyneth Paltrow.

It’s based on the idea that there are three life forces, called doshas. Vata, pitta and kapha (representing a combination of space, air, fire, earth and water) must be balanced to maintain good health. Each person has one or two dominant doshas, but all three are in a combination as unique as a fingerprint, that determines body type, character and constitution.

Vata people are thin, creative and restless. Pittas are of medium build, very intelligent but critical and prone to anger, kaphas tend to put on weight and are stable, caring but inactive.

The key to Ayurvedic medicine is to restore imbalances in the individual that cause physical and psychological ill-health.

What are the benefits?

Ayurveda is largely about prevention rather than cure, but it is commonly used to treat stress-related disorders such as anxiety and depression, chronic fatigue syndrome, stomach ulcers, eczema and psoriasis.

What does it involve?

The practitioner will take a medical, lifestyle and emotional history. He or she will examine your tongue, lips and nails as well as your eyes, ears, nostrils and mouth. Treatment varies tremendously and can include massage, yoga, meditation, essential oils and herbal medicine. It will almost certainly include dietary recommendations and exercise advice.

Vata types are advised to avoid stimulants, to help their equilibrium. Pittas can find that their sense of wellbeing improves through massage and meditation. Kaphas will find their metabolisms are kick-started with aerobics and high-impact sports.

Is there proof that it works?

Evidence is largely anecdotal. One small trial in the US looked at people with chronic illness and reported that almost 80 per cent of them experienced a very significant improvement in health after using Ayurvedic medicine.

The Hale Clinic has 5 leading Ayurvedic practitioners, Doja Purkit, Sumudu Godagama, Angela Hope-Murray , Dr Mudassar Hussain and Dr Godagama.  Dr Godagam has over 40 years of practice, Dr Godagama has acquired immense knowledge, experience and expertise in Ayurveda. The result of his vision and ambitions towards enhancing the recognition of Ayurveda in the West has been immeasurable
In 2001 Dr Godagama was appointed by Lord Hunt, Minister of Health to the Medicine Control Agency as a panel member for borderline medicines in the UK and was invited to St James Palace by H.R.H The Prince of Wales for discussions on the future of Ayurveda and alternative medicine in the UK. Following this, in 2005 he became the Director of the European Herbal Practitioners Association as well as ministerial advisor to the Department of Health on herbal medicines.

Dr Godagama formed and became the Dean of the College of Ayurveda with Dr Sathyamoorthy and Dr Athique, which has now become the first institution in the UK to provide a Bachelor of Science in Ayurveda at Middlesex University.
Dr Godagama has become renowned worldwide as an expert in the unique healing tradition of Ayurveda.
Publication: The Handbook of Ayurveda. 2001

To book an appoitment with one of our wonderful Ayurvedic practitioners please call The Hale Clinic on 0207 631 0156

To read more, visit The Telegraph Website

 

Thought for the Day

Sometimes the questions are complicated and the answers are simple.
~Dr Seuss

Reflexology: The answer to Pregnancy’s Swollen Feet

Many pregnant women suffer from swollen feet; this is all part and parcel of being pregnant. A lot of us learn to deal with it, trading
in our Christian Louboutin’s for some flip flops. Our bodies and especially our feet retain a lot of water, bringing excessive pressure on our ankles. The pain can sometimes become unbearable.

Well you don’t have to suffer in silence. Reflexology is one of the best therapies to help with water retention and reducing the swelling in
the feet.

A natural and effective therapy based on the application ofspecific pressure techniques to the reflex points of the feet which correspond
to the body’s glands organs and structures.

A reflexology treatment can restore the body’s natural balance and clear the pathways that can become blocked or out of balance due to
the stresses and strains of everyday life.

Reflexology is a natural non-invasive treatment which aims to alleviate tension, promote relaxation and increase circulation by bringing
about balance and wellness in the whole person.

Reflexology promotes healing by stimulating the nerves in the body and encouraging the flow of blood. In the process, reflexology not
only quells the sensation of pain, but relieves the source of the pain as well.

Reflexology has also been known to relieve a wide range of conditions including:

Anxiety                                                Stress

Headaches and Migraines               Back
and Neck pain

Insomnia                                             Hormonal
imbalance

Skin allergies                                      High
Blood Pressure

IBS                                                        Fatigue

It also boosts energy levels, Relaxes the mind, body and soul and Improves circulation.

To get back into your dancing shoes this summer, or to simply reduce to strain on your feet then book in to see our wonderful
practitioner Kiran Jhite on 0207 631 0156

Kiran Jhite is a highly experienced, professional reflexologist; Indian head massage therapist and Reiki ll energy healing
practitioner.

She has grown up with and lived amongst a set of well-established spiritual teachers, all of whom have enabled her to open her intuitive
sensitive healing abilities and guided her into the world of holistic therapies.

Kiran qualified from the London School of Reflexology in 2004, a year after she received her Reiki attunement and she completed her Indian
head massage study a year later.

Kiran is a member of the Association of Reflexologists and has been working as a fully qualified holistic healer for over 7 years now,
assisting all manner of clients from the corporate sector along with her regular private clients.

She has worked with some of the largest companies in the world, including Virgin Media, Walt Disney and the BBC as well as an endless
Celebrity following.

Kiran is a true professional; she conducts her treatments in a calm manner, is fully aware of her clients’ needs and works with a sincerity
and compassion that flows through her healing hands.

Julia Hart: Lovingly makes your skin youthful

Julia is a leading holistic skin therapist who combines high-tech treatments and
skincare with an in-depth knowledge of nutrition and natural therapies. She
draws upon her 15 years of experience and training to visibly improve her
client’s skin conditions and believes in a preventative approach to anti-ageing.
Julia’s philosophy is that “all skin’s can be measurably improved”.

Julia offers a bespoke skincare service, tailoring her treatment menu to
the client’s ever changing needs and marries her carefully selected skincare
products and treatments with advice on nutrition, exercise and stress
management. She believes in a progressive, rather than aggressive approach to
improving the texture, tone and clarity of a client’s skin.

With a large celebrity following, Julia Hart continues to develop innovative techniques to improve skin texture, tone and overall look and feel.

Julia has recently launched a new treatment. Shinso Natural facelift, the treatment works deep into the skin to boost collagen levels and reduce wrinkles. With followers such as Madonna and Jennifer Aniston who swear by this treatment, it’s no wonder more and more people are opting for the natural way to look younger.

To book an appointment at The Hale Clinic with Julia Hart call 0207 631 0156

Pranic Healing: Alleviate the stress & anxiety you are carrying Today!.

Many of us carry enormous amounts of worry, fear, and anxiety on a daily basis.

Our minds are filled with thoughts and emotions and often expectations that we put on ourselves or we feel others have put upon us. This can cause us to feell overwhelmed, irritable and often depressed if we fail to clear these thoughts and emotions from our system.

In other words, if our day is marked by negative and stressful events & thoughts, then that is exactly how we will feel at the end of the day: continuously carrying this load will start to affect our physical body. This can often manifest as sickness, causing headaches, back pain, skin irritation and inflammation and many other ailments.

“A calm mind, balanced emotions and a general state of harmony are the best prevention of sickness”.

Pranic Healing focuses on clearing the mind,  the imbalanced emotional state and the physical body, creating a sense of clarity, removing the anxiety, tension and stress, thus alleviating the physical ailments. Pranic Healing also provides you with tools through Meditation, Yoga, Feng Shui and other physical exercise to maintain the calm mind and harmonised body in order for you to manage stressful situations more effectively.

Patrizia Brunelli has a BSc (Hons) degree in Health Sciences, Homeopathy from the University of Westminster in London
and she has been practicing Energy Medicine for the past 20 years in Italy and Switzerland. She specializes in Pranic Healing, providing clients with a therapy which in today’s fast paced society we all need in order to be at our optimum and sustain the challenges we face.

Her aim is to help people to find their inner balance and peace in order to re-gain health and well-being on all levels.

Her approach is” wholistic” in as much as she addresses all areas of the individual’s life in order to detect and clear all possible causes of dis-harmony within and around the person.

The therapy is very gentle and non-invasive and it promotes relaxation and detoxification of mind and body. The second step is to re-charge the person’s whole system with new energy and fresh & healthy stimuli.

In order to maintain that newly acquired state of balance and harmony the patient is given some simple tools
breathing exercises, meditation, physical exercises, Superbrain Yoga, Feng-shui advice and other simple techniques) to use in daily life to assist in
maintaining a balanced and positive state of mind and body.

Here she shares one of her recommendations with us:

 

“ Take a bath at the end of your day and add some fine salt to the
water. The water absorbs all negativities and the salt disintegrates them“

(You will feel much
more energized and balanced on all levels)

Patrizia explains that,

“The aim of a good therapy is
always to empower the person to become again the Master of the emotions, the
thoughts and the body instead of becoming their slave”.

This therapy is ideal and safe for children and can help teenagers to overcome hormone related problems, learning difficulties and emotional issues.

Call The Hale Clinic on 0207 631 0156 to book an appointment with Patrizia Brunelli

Thought for the Day

“If there were in the world today any large number of people who desired their own happiness more than they desired the unhappiness of others, we could have a paradise in a few years.” ~ Bertrand Russell

Top Tips fromThe Hale Clinic Practitioners

The Hale Clinic’s Herbalist Deborah Grant gives us a very short but sweet tip on skin care.

Deborah Grant is a leading Consultant Medical Herbalist. She has a Bachelor of Science Honours degree with a commendation in Herbal Medicine and has diagnostic and clinical training at degree level. Deborah has a passion for looking after people’s health and has appeared on live television to discuss health issues and is often featured in newspapers and magazines. She is regularly asked for expert comment and endorsement by health journalists and regularly writes and publishes health articles.

Deborah treats the underlying problem and not just the symptoms. Her prescriptions are formulated to meet each patient’s unique needs rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. She has experience in treating a wide range of conditions, attaining a high rate of clinical success.

Deborah has a general practice and is also renowned for her treatment of Interstitial Cystitis (IC) or Painful Bladder Syndrome; recurrent Cystitis; gastrointestinal problems including Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS); Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS); Menopause; Chronic Fatigue; Fibromyalgia; and Stress with Adrenal Exhaustion.

“ Try to use pure skin products. Why? Because 60% of what you put on your skin goes into your bloodstream”

To find out more, or to book an appoitment at The Hale Clinic, call 0207 631 0156

Top Tips from The Hale Clinic Practitioners

Emma Read is The Hale Clinic’s resident Yoga teacher. She gives us some great insight on how simple yoga postures can help aid better sleep and combat cold and flu.

Emma has been practicing yoga since 1992, attending her first yoga class aged 13.  She immediately sensed that the practice came naturally to her and from the age of 13-18 she received careful instruction in Iyengar yoga which focuses on precision, attention to detail and correct alignment. Then from the age of 18 she began to develop and evolve her own yoga flow using the breath to connect each posture.

As a result of her dedicated daily practice Emma has become an expert in the Hatha tradition. Her style is distinguished by a harmonious mix of static and dynamic asanas (postures) combined with careful attention to breathing and inner concentration creating a flow that promotes flexibility and strength with balance and relaxation; helping to clear the mind, replenish the body, and make room for inner peace.

My tip for health is a yoga posture which should be practiced under the guidance of an experienced teacher as it is an intermediate to advanced posture – Salamba Sarvangasana (the shoulder stand) this posture has an endless list of benefits – some of which are : rejuvenating the whole body, helping to balance the hormones, stimulating the thymus and thyroid glands and when practiced daily will ensure you are free from colds and flu.

To book an appointment with Emma Read, contact The Hale Clinic on 0207 631 0156

Thought for the Day

“Knowing something is not as good as liking it. Liking something is not as good as rejoicing in it.”
Confucius

Top Tips from The Hale Clinic Practitioners

Resident Somatic Coaching and Psychotherapist Clare Myatt, offers us her wonderful tips, that we can utilise each and everyday.

Clare Myatt is insatiably curious about what makes us inspired, empowered and satisfied in life. This curiousity drew her to the world of human resources initially, followed by psychology. Clare has been working with clients to enhance their lives for the past twenty years in both California and the UK. Partnering with clients to reveal their dreams and aspirations, Clare uses a wide and integrated approach to help shift insight into action.

Following a traditional Master’s degree level training as a psychotherapist in California, with an emphasis in marriage and family therapy, Clare continues her professional development, most recently focusing on how the wisdom of the body can be used to sustain change and realise potential. Certified by Strozzi Institute in California as a Master Somatic Coach in 2001 and one of their first Associates, she is now a highly sought-after practitioner of somatic coaching, being the Institute’s most experienced coach throughout the UK and Europe. She works with executives and leaders, coaches, other professionals, and those committed to self-development.

Clare also has a deep background in trauma and addiction, contributing “The Power of Somatics in Sobriety” to Being Human at Work by Richard Strozzi-Heckler, Ph.D., and has undergone extensive training in the Generative Somatics model for healing trauma.

* Remember to set a ping on your computer at least every hour to remind you to take a mini-break to stretch, roll your shoulders backwards and forwards, move your body in some way that feels good

 

* Use the applications available for iPhone and androids to remind you to randomly (or routinely) breathe a little more deeply, drink water, go to the bathroom, smell the roses, feel the ground beneath your feet … whatever will remind you are a human being not a human doing

 

* Seeing your dental hygienist every three months rather than the routine six months may help you remember to floss more regularly

 

* Walk to see a colleague and have a conversation rather than text or email – that’s how relationships are enhanced

 

* Feeling the soles of your feet when you’re standing on the tube will help promote balance and groundedness

 

* You will feel better if you make eye contact and say thank you – we are made to be in relationship with one another

 

* To borrow from Stephen Covey, is what you’re about to do “important?” or (potentially time-filling and more likely to be) “urgent?”

 

* If you had 24-hours to live, would the important people in your life know you loved them?

 

* A good conversation opener is “what makes you feel excited and hopeful?”