Everyday Spirituality – Shen In Modern Life

I’ve just returned from a trip to China, where I was struck, as I have been on previous visits, by the ‘everyday’ approach to spirituality. It’s a way of living that I think we could learn a lot from. During visits to a selection of Buddhist and Taoist temples it was quite obvious that these […]

Acupuncture And Herbs For Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

Seasonal Affective Disorder (‘SAD’) is a form of depression which effects people during the Winter. In conventional medical terms, it is normally believed to be caused by a chemical imbalance in the part of the brain called the hypothalamus. It can range from a mild case of the ‘winter blues’ to a severe and debilitating […]

This Year – Avoid the Winter Slump

According to Taoist Yin/Yang theory, Autumn represents the time when Yin energy becomes dominant, in preparation for the ‘hibernation’ of Winter, which is the time of maximum Yin. And for lots of people, it can be a time of year when it feels like your-get-up-and-go, just got-up-and-went! Call it SAD if you like, or just […]

Can Acupuncture Help Cycling Performance?

I recently read an interesting article in cycling weekly about Vincenzo Nibali, this summer’s Tour de France powerhouse. Apparently, he and his team mates have been using acupuncture as part of their training regime. The article notes that as well as its use in healing injuries, can relieve muscle and joint pain, reducing inflammation, improve […]

Who’d win in a fight? The vegan or the meat-eater?

You know the cliché about vegans – Tired, anaemic, and frail. Don’t brush past one in the street, or they might snap. And yet…. This is a picture of Mac Danzig (click on it for full size), he’s what’s officially known as a ‘hard nut’ – He’s a cage fighter who’s won a string of […]

Why Caffeine Is Banned At The Olympics

When Olympic athletes get their routine drug tests, one of the substances that is monitored is caffeine, which has been on and off the ‘banned substances’ list over the past 30 years or so. (In fact, 2 athletes have been penalised for taking caffeine – Bakhaavaa Buidaa of Mongolia was stripped of his silver medal […]

Acupuncture And Chinese Medicine For IBS

IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) is a growing problem, but Western medicine has little to offer – however, the condition is well understood by Chinese medicine, and treatment can be extremely effective. IBS is a re-occurring disorder of the gut that causes pain or discomfort in the abdomen and alteration of bowel function – typically alternating […]

‘Kimchi-Kraut’ – A spicy fermented hybrid!

If you’ve been following me for any time, you’ll know I feel strongly about the inclusion of live (fermented) food in the diet. To summarise my views on the subject: Super good for you, easy and fun to make, tastes amazing! (For more on this subject, see the related posts at the bottom of this […]

Boost Your Productivity With Mindfulness

Apparently, meditation and mindfulness are becoming the ‘in thing’ in the corporate world, with companies such as Google, Ebay and, somewhat ironically GlaxoSmithKline, all providing meditation opportunities to their staff. As I wrote earlier in the month, the stars are at it too – the most recent example being ‘Amazing Spiderman 2’ star Emma Stone. […]