Why Gossip is No Good

If you have ever been to a Hatha yoga class, or pretty much any non health club chain Yoga class, chances are you have done some Pranayama (breath control) exercises.

These may have involved blowing rather harshly out your nose, doing the bellows breath or even some alternate nostril breathing. 

Yesterday, we leant how to teach these techniques to children, (hence the tissues), and 

why the breathing exercises are so important.

Now for some Yogi talk.

So Prana, is your life force or inner vital energy.

Obviously the more Prana you have, the more content, and better off you are as a whole.

So how do we improve our own inner Prana or energy?

By the nutritious food we eat and drink and by exercising  and doing Yoga.  By doing breathing exercises, and drinking lots of water to cleanse ourselves. Meditation is also extremely powerful in increasing Prana.

The converse of the above obviously drain Prana.

And I don't think that anyone would disagree that when you are eating well, exercising and feeling rested and content you feel fantastic.

However,

Prana is also lost through Gossip. 

Hearing this today, made sense to me in a very profound kind of way.

I have noticed that over the past while, I don't feel very peaceful within myself whenever I have spoken negatively about someone to others.

And this this concept of Prana, also ties in with the post I wrote about:

Five things I've noticed about the People around me who are at Peace with themselves.

I think that what I label as inner peace, is perhaps also high Prana?

What do you think? 

Yoga for the Special Child

I began my Yoga for the Special Child course this weekend, and so far it has been incredible.

Our teacher has been practicing Yoga herself for over 40 years, and the Yoga centre that she set up in North London, now sees over a 120 children a week for 1:1 Yoga by a number of teachers.  Many of these children have special needs.

She is truly inspirational, in her approach to life, and in her working with Children with special needs.

I have learnt so much already, and we still have another five days to go.

I  love the foundations on which she feels this approach is based:

Love

Love for the children that you work with, but love without attachment.  In line with this, we have detach from something in our lives this week as homework, this could mean an object or thought process.  She says that in order to be useful, one can't have too much baggage. I'm detaching from something that I know I will be freer as a result of.  

Can you think of anything that you could/should detach from?

However, to love the children that we treat, we first need love for ourselves.

Patience

Not only the obviously required patience with the children that we are working with, but with ourselves  too.  And not putting expectations on the child nor yourself, place intention, but not expectation.  There is never a 'bad session', it's about the child, not you.

Seriously trying to quieten my Physio voice with this one...as physio treatments are so outcomes and goal driven.

Trust

Trust in ourselves, trust in the child and trust in Yoga.  When a child feels trusted, they are less likely to

be uncooperative.

Soul to Soul Connection  

You need to see the child within , and see the light inside of them.  Connect with them, and you will achieve so much more.

A year ago, I would have had a little chuckle at this last statement.

But now I couldn't agree more.

I can think back to so many children and adults that have worked so well with me in their Physio sessions, because of the connection that we have made.  

And I can think of others, where we just didn't connect, and we didn't progress nearly as well.

I'm looking forward to what the rest of the week holds.

Have you had a think what you could detach from yet?

Have a Happy Monday Friends,

What goes on here

Happy friday friends, and Hi to any of Megan's readers from Across the Pond, who have popped over!

I thought I may give a little summary about what goes on over here...

 I am Lulu (real name Andrea, I know, how unrelated!). I'm from South Africa, and grew up on my Parents beautiful farm, 20km from a rather rural little town, which most South Africans have never heard of, called Kokstad.

After five years at a boarding school for high school, which I loved, I went to University and studied to be a Physiotherapist.

I then came to London for what was supposed to be a year to work and travel, but which has somehow turned into almost seven.

Four years ago, I met Pete, also a South African here in London.  I still can't believe that I came all the way to London to meet someone from a three hour drive away from my home town. Well in someways I can believe it, there are soo many South Africans living in London.

In January 2012, I was diagnosed with melanoma cancer for the third time, and had a large chunk of tissue removed from my right shoulder, and I am SO fortunate that they got all the cancer out.

I was waiting for the usual lecture on not going in the sun or ever using sun beds, which I certainly DO NOT, when my Doctor asked me if I eat blueberries everyday.  She told me that I really should, and that ultimately they could save my life.  And so I began my quest to a happier and healthier lifestyle, which I share on what I like to call this, Wellness Blog.

And hence the Berry Diaries name too.

In October last year I started my own business, a Physiotherapy practice for Women and Children and

I am fortunate to absolutely love my job.  I am also doing my Yoga teacher training, and tomorrow start on a course on teaching Yoga to children with Special Needs, I can't wait!  The meditation business is proving  to be a little difficult to master though...

In December, Pete and I got married, in the tractor barn on my Parents Farm.

The Barn underwent a pretty impressive transformation as you can see here. 

And you can see more of our Wedding Pictures here.

On this blog, you will find my musings on the subject of happiness, and what makes me happy, answers to some of the physio questions that I'm often asked, and the odd healthy recipe too.

But mostly you will see me sharing my journey as I trying to be healthier and happier, one step at a time.

Two of the most popular posts on my blog are here and here.

Thanks so much for visiting, I would love it if you left a comment to say hi, and I hope that you all have a fabulous weekend!

Angelina, I admire you

Angelina Jolie revealed here this week that she has had a double mastectomy, as she is at a very high risk of developing breast cancer.  She lost her Mother to breast cancer, when her Mother was only 56, as a result of the BRCA1 gene, which Jolie also carries.

She has shared her story to raise awareness of her plight, and the fact that many other women may also be in her position.

At one stage last year, I was treating 3 ladies with physio and lymphatic drainage massage after they had breast cancer treatment, who were all younger than me.

And that was really the first time I learnt anything more than just the name of what this mutation involves.

All of these ladies that were 28 years old and younger, carried the gene, and all of them had had family members also affected by breast or ovarian cancer.

And one of them learnt something about her family history through her diagnosis.

The BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes are genetic, obviously, and so are passed down through the generations.  They are also five times more likely to be found in people (mainly women) who are descendants are the Ashkenazi Jews. (www.cancer.gov)

Wikipedia says:  Ashkenazi jews are an ethnoreligious group who trace their origins to the indigenous Israelite tribes of Canaan in the Middle East, and probably began settling along the Rhine in Germany, from Alsace in the south to the Rhineland in the north, during the early Middle Ages. Today, "Ashkenazim" is a descriptive term for descendents of these settlers, including those who established vibrant communities in Central Europe centuries later.

The descendants of this Ashkenazi Jewish group, now live all over the world.

I find it fascinating, that all these hundreds of years later, so many people, like the lady I was treating, are finding out their family history roots through their diagnosis.  After her treatment, she did some investigating, and she learned that her Family were in fact descendants of this population.

Now not all breast or ovarian cancers are caused by the BRCA genes, only 5-10% of breast cancers are genetic, and only 3-5% of these are due to BRCA.  And not all carriers of the BRCA genes are of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, but you have a five times higher chance of having the gene if you are.

And as Jolie as explained, if you do have the BRCA gene, you are at a considerably higher risk of getting breast or ovarian cancer, and so you may want to take action.

The below information is from the National Cancer Institute in the US.

BRCA1 and BRCA2: Cancer Risk and Genetic Testing

Key Points

• BRCA1 and BRCA2 are human genes that belong to a class of genes known as tumor suppressors. Mutation of these genes has been linked to hereditary breast and ovarian cancer.
• A woman's risk of developing breast and/or ovarian cancer is greatly increased if she inherits a deleterious (harmful) BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation. Men with these mutations also have an increased risk of breast cancer. Both men and women who have harmful BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutations may be at increased risk of other cancers.
• Genetic tests are available to check for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations. A blood sample is required for these tests, and genetic counseling is recommended before and after the tests.
• If a harmful BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation is found, several options are available to help a person manage their cancer risk.
• Federal and state laws help ensure the privacy of a person’s genetic information and provide protection against discrimination in health insurance and employment practices.
• Many research studies are being conducted to find newer and better ways of detecting, treating, and preventing cancer in BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutation carriers. Additional studies are focused on improving genetic counseling methods and outcomes. Our knowledge in these areas is evolving rapidly.

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If you are concerned that you may have the BRCA genes, then contact your Doctor for further advice...

And Angelina Jolie, I admire you so much for your bravery and for helping to spread the awareness of this often deadly gene.

Read here how to examine your own breasts.

10 things that make me really happy

I thought that today I may jump on Jenny from Story of my Life's 'blog everyday in May' challenge for a day.  Today is Day 14, Ten things that make you really Happy.

And you all know how much I love a happy list:)

And so here we go.

1. My Family, and the very cool family that I have married into, and that everyone gets on so well.  And the fact that Pete's sisters boyfriend asked for my Dad's number this weekend so that they can go fishing together. 

2. My job, and that I get to spend my days, mainly on the floor playing with toys and making up stories with children.  And that I am lucky enough to have my own business. 

3. That the Apprentice is back on TV, I love that show.

4. Flowers. Any type, any colour.

5. The Yoga course for Children with Special Needs that I am doing, begins on Saturday, and I'm nervous and excited at the same time.

6.  Excitement for friends of mine that have just got engaged or pregnant, or who are about to get married or pop out mini versions of themselves.

7. London in the springtime heading to Summer time.

8. That my Mum just finished a screen printing course, and when I go to South Africa in December she is going to try and teach me too:)

9. That this time next month we will be on our way to Italy for a friends Wedding and a holiday.

10. But the thing that I am MOST happy about today is....that in 18 sleeps Pete's exam will be over! And I will have my husband back.

How is your happy list looking?

Mini Spa Break

On Friday night, I went on a girls spa trip to a hotel near Windsor.  

There was some initial panic at the reception desk, when we were trying to check in and there appeared to be no record of mine or Bindy's booking.  A second receptionist came to try and help and they still couldn't find Michelle's name either, despite the fact that Michelle and Karen had booked in hours before.

I knew that there were a number of hotels in the same chain, and I had simply googled the one we were off to, typed the address to my sat nav, and driven where it had told me to.

Almost ten minutes later, there was still no sign of our booking, and my iPhone was being very stubborn and refusing to locate the booking confirmation email.

I called Michelle and she said she would come to reception.

I suddenly had the most terrible sinking feeling...

"Bindy, maybe I entered the wrong hotel in the chain's address into the sat nav? If Michelle doesn't appear in the next few minutes, we have a serious problem..."

    

Fortunately Michelle walked in soon afterwards, and the source of the confusion was established.  Michelle had made the initial reservation and used our married names, and us rookie newlyweds kept giving our maiden names to the lady at reception!

The gardens are gorgeous, and the hotel felt like we were staying in an old fashioned country manor house.

We spent loads of time in the heated half indoor/outdoor pool catching up and solving the worlds problems in general.

The therapists were lovely, and we had full access to the spa facilities on Friday and Saturday.

The package that we bought included, a nights accommodation, access to the spa,  a 3 course dinner and a drink on Friday night, breakfast on Saturday, and the choice of a 30 minute treatment on Saturday morning.

At £110 each, I thought that it was fantastic value for money and would highly recommend it for a very affordable and enjoyable spa and hotel break.

It took 45 minutes to drive there from South West London.

And as I've discussed before here, these kind of breaks are really good for you!

You can find similar deals to the one that we got, here.

It was so relaxing that I felt like I had been gone for longer than a night:)

Mango for breakfast...

I LOVE mangoes.  And Pete really does not, which is quite fortunate for me really, as there have been a few of them in our recent weekly fruit box deliveries.

They remind me of sitting around the breakfast table whilst at home from boarding school for the holidays, and getting elbow deep in juicy deliciousness whilst trying to fend off my brothers as they requested pieces of my newly deskinned treat.

The mangoes in London don't seem to be as juicy or messy, but they are just as delicious.

And then last week, the lovely people at Chobani, sent me a box in the post, with their new Plain Yoghurt enclosed.

Oh my hat, it is delicious.

 I added Mango, and a little drizzle of honey, with some blueberries, of course.

And then a few more...

Their Plain Yoghurt is soooo delicious, it honestly felt like I was having dessert for breakfast.

How on earth can it really be fat free?

I think I will be having this again tomorrow.