Qualifications
My two formal qualifications were in teaching in 1976 and BodyMind Therapeutics in 1991.. I began to study, what are broadly called the healing arts, when I was eighteen. It is still my passion and I can't imagine a time when I will not want to attend courses and study.. I have studied Shamanism, Buddhism, Chinese Medicine, Herbalism, Spiritual Healing, Meditation, Yoga, Dance therapy, Qi Gong, Healing Sound, Chanting, ACIM, and Pathwork I have had some truly wonderful teachers. Ram Dass, Zhixing Wang, Kim Rosen, Krishna Dass., to name a few. In 2020 I took my first Core training in Frequency Specific Microcurrent (FSM). I have repeated the training and I suspect I will continue to study FSM until my last breath. It is an incredible modality which has improved my own health immensely and given me a new perspective on healing. Since 1991, apart from a short break, I have been working as an Holistic Massage therapist and teaching : massage, personal growth, bodymind exercise, relaxation and meditation.. Holistic massage is an absolutely wonderful healing modality. I have given thousands of massages and yet always learn something new with every treatment I give. I balance working one to one sessions with teaching which I also get an enormous amount of satisfaction from. What could be better than supporting people to live a healthier more relaxed life ? Beliefs
I believe when facing any challenge or looking to improve our quality of life an holistic approach is vital. Walking around a problem, looking at it from many different angles, trying different approaches, helps us to stay open and move from the places we are stuck, congested, ill at ease. And, when I say holistic, in this context I mean considering all the options available for improving our physical, mental and emotional well-being, including seeking medical help when necessary. The 3 basic cornerstones for health of : a nutritious diet, exercise and quality relaxation are basic , accessible foundations we can provide ourselves with in a practical day to day way... Of course there are other essential elements, : the giving and receiving of love, enjoyment, fulfilment etc, and these require cultivation for a full healthy, happy life .But, the basic cornerstones of nutrition, exercise and relaxation are a sound bedrock from which we can build a stable foundation for our lives. We all have a base line, a starting point on the scale of health and wellness. Many of us are born with physical limitations and most of us suffer ill health at some point in our lives. We have to accept ill health and death as part of life and yet look after ourselves to work at building our health up from our individual base lines.. Loving ourselves, caring for ourselves, despite whatever limitations we have so that we can live our lives to our fullest possible potential is being truly alive. We are all highly sensitive beings. In addition to the practical stresses and strains in life of providing ourselves with food and shelter and the emotional challenges of relating to friends and family. we live in an immensely difficult time where it is all too easy to drown in mass media hysteria and negativity.. The age of instant messaging technology makes it even more imperative that we learn to switch off. Many of us have forgotten how to deeply relax, we suffer poor quality sleep, and ever increasing tension due to a vicious cycle that is all too easy to get trapped in...
Personal experiences
I started meditating at 18 years old. I spent years and years in and out of practicing and not practising, and trying different approaches until I 'got it'. Not enlightenment, no earth moving moments, I 'just got' that I am physically, emotionally and mentally healthier and happier when I do have a daily relaxation/meditation routine. I began to fall in love with that feeling and want it in my life. At this point my daily 'practice', daily routine of relaxation/meditation rather than something I felt I had to do became something that I enjoyed and wanted to do. If you are looking for an inspirational teacher who through their lifestyle of meditation, exercise and a healthy diet is a brimming with health and vitality and totally zen at all times, I am not for you. I have suffered challenging health issues all my life and struggled with stress. It is ill health and looking for ways to cope with the inevitable stresses of life that have been my greatest teachers. They have motivated me to keep searching for ways to enrich my life. I can only imagine what I would be like without the support systems I provide for myself. It is not a pretty picture. The riches of this lifestyle are subtle. The practices don't give one 'control'. Rather they provide ease, like a soothing balm with which to glide more gently through life. Physical health may totally improve, we may be healed, it certainly does happen, but the physical body may stay sick while the emotional and mental bodies heal enabling the physical hardships to be less overwhelming. In most cases there is general improvement on all levels, the 'raising of the bar', the raising of that base line I mentioned earlier. It is in the subtle teachings, the intangible subjects of loving kindness, self acceptance, effortless trying, that we find the deep truths of our healing journeys.. These lessons cannot be bought, grabbed or rushed. They require a gentle, patient long term approach, a gradual lifestyle change. To everyone already started on this journey of self discovery I encourage you to keep going and when something doesn't work for you, the path you have chosen no longer has heart in it, doesn't “feel right', try a different approach, stay open. To those of you tentative about stepping into this world, just do it. a wonderful life awaits you.
