Greetings,

These are great times of change and as with the bar of soap squeezed in the hands, we can either go up or down. The choice is ours. There are many things to be grateful for and I find myself having to look for something each day. We have an early summer and I am loving getting into my garden again, and this year I have my mother here to share it (and the digging) with me. I was recently sent an excerpt of a speech which says it all for me and I quote below.

“Dr Muller, former assistant secretary general of the United Nations said in an audience in San Francisco “Never before in the history of the world has there been a global, visible, public, viable, open dialogue and conversation about the very legitimacy of war”.

A friend is a present you give yourself.

Robert Louis Stevenson

Today the human soul asks the question: What can I do to preserve the beauty and the wonder of our world and to eliminate the anger and hatred …?

What can you do TODAY… this very moment?

A central teaching in most spiritual traditions is:

What you wish to experience, provide for another.

Look to see, now, what it is you wish to experience - in your own life, and in the world. Then see if there is another for whom you may be the source of that. If you wish to experience peace, provide peace for another. If you wish to know that you are safe, cause another to know that they are safe. If you wish to better understand seemingly incomprehensible things, help another to better understand. If you wish to heal your own sadness or anger, seek to heal the sadness or anger of another.

Those others are waiting for you now. They are looking to you for guidance, for help, for courage, for strength, for understanding, and for assurance at this hour. Most of all, they are looking to you for love.

Holistic Health, No 70 Autumn 2001

Body Parts - The Temporals (the ear bones) from the Latin tempus, meaning time.

The temporals are compound, complex bones that begin to ossify (form bone) in the 7th week after conception. They hold the organs of hearing and balance in the inner ear.

The 7th cranial nerve (facial nerve - facial expression, taste buds etc) and the 8th cranial nerve (vestibulocochlear nerve - hearing and balance) pass through these bones. There are four muscles that can affect the status of this bone. The most powerful and important two that directly affect the temporals are the sternocleidomastoid muscle (from collar bone to ear) and the temporalis (from mandible over the side of the skull in a fan shape). The other two are neck muscles, longissimus capitus and splenius capitus (aren't they grand sounding names?) The strong mandible (lower jaw) hangs from the temporals and so plays an important part in its balance.

Trauma to the jaw and teeth, dental work and the action of the muscles of chewing all affect the temporal bones.

Whiplash, anger, suppressed rage, anxiety and tension affect the balance of the temporal bones via tension in the TMJ (tempormandibular joint - the joint where the mandible articulates with the temporal bone), sternocleidomastoid and temporalis muscles. Low impact trauma, such as falling on the grass while running can also displace the temporals. Compression and ongoing tension of the facial nerve can result in Bell's Palsy. The very short auditory tubes of infants readily allow bacterial infections to spread from the back of the throat (nasopharynx) to the inner ear. Breast feeding can help reduce ear infections in the newborn by up to 50%. Temporals often mirror what's happening in the hip bones. So if there's a problem in this area it can be felt in the temporals.

Balancing the temporal bones can help tinnitus, vertigo, nausea, hearing impairement or loss, autism, and personality changes after a whiplash injury. It can also be helpful for depression as balancing this bone can be create euphoria.

The Heart of Listening

Hugh Milne

The CranioSacral Introductory workshop held in February was a great experience and lots of fun. It felt as though the workshop continued on into lunch. Participants gained the knowledge of being able to help conditions such as headaches, back ache, period pains, neck and shoulder tension, fevers and help the body recover from surgery. The next workshop will be sometime in September.

Flower Essence of the Month

Light Heart Space - Personal Space Clearing Essence

Contains: Physostegia, Red Poppy, Cyclamen, White Yarrow, Peaceful Detachment, Red Clover, Speedwell, Pussy Willow, Passionate Life

Light Heart Space can be used to clear and infuse our personal energy field with light - it reminds us that nothing can harm our essential being and that we choose whether or not we allow ourselves to be disturbed by other people's emotional energy or by fear-based perceptions of life and events.

Light Heart Space encourages us to stay peacefully detached from emotional drama, to take responsibility for our own energetic integrity and boundaries and to make the time and space to restore ourselves and connect to divine awareness.

Indications: oversensitivity to other people's emotional drama; over-empathic, and drained; over-exposure to electromagnetic energy and radiation; for healers and therapists.

This blend can be taken internally as well as used as a body spray. It can also be added to bath water, to shampoo and to face cream.

Healing Grief

Contains: Cherry Plumb Fruit, Red Deadnettle, Sweet Pea, Manuka, Red Poppy, Honesty, Pussy Willow, Heart Mother, Crimean Snowdrop, Blue Delphinium, Sweet Hunza.

For embracing the full range of our grief, uncovering the healing which lies at the heart of grief; for making the time and space to grieve; caring for oneself in the process; healing the memory of trauma and suffering; for forgiveness, connection to spirit; nurturing new beginnings.

Indications: for the grief and broken-heartedness of bereavement or relationship breakup; shock and trauma of loss; unresolved anger, bitterness, and guilt; unfinished grieving; loss of confidence after loss or rejection.

Ë All available as drops or mist.

Story of Life - The Next 2 Weeks (of an embryo's life)

At five weeks the embryo measures 1/5 - 1/3 inch from head to tail bone. This is a very busy time of development for the embryo. Hands and feet begin to be seen at the ends of the legs and arms, which grow faster than the legs. At the same time the nose, eyes and ears begin to develop as does the pituitary gland (master gland of the endocrine system). The blood vessels that connect mother to embryo are developed now in one of the membrane layers that surround the embryo. The two chambered pump developed in the first four weeks separates vertically creating the right and left sides of a four chambered heart.

The genital glands (ovaries and testes) become visible and a duct is formed which is the beginning of the kidney-bladder system.

Bony developments appearing now are the lower jaw and collar bones. The brain and spinal cord are developing very quickly during this fifth week. We see the beginnings of the motor nervous system that drives the contraction and relaxation of muscles. The foundations of the autonomic nervous system are laid. This system functions beneath our level of awareness and innervates organs and tissues that are called on to help your body respond to increased levels of stress and adversity. [Can you imagine knowing what goes on in you liver, the arteries to you feet, every sensation in your skin, muscles and bones etc 24 hours a day!] Brain development is very rapid. All twelve cranial nerves now develop. The 10th cranial nerve, the vagus, can become trapped and/or can receive undue pressure at the base of the skull during delivery. “The result of this is a colicky baby or baby who doesn't breathe or swallow very well.” It's an easy procedure for a CranioSacral practitioner to relieve this.

All this work in just one week!!

The embryo grows to a length of about 3/8 - 5/8 inch during the sixth week. The legs and arms continue to develop. Cartilage development in the vertebral column, the skull and ribs is visible during this week. By the end of the week the tongue, larynx (voice box) the germs that will become the teeth, the rudimentary thyroid gland, the kidneys, the bladder and the beginnings of the genitals are all present. The nervous system and brain continue to develop and grow and the meningeal membrane system which contains the brain and spinal cord is apparent.

So once again, if you're trying for a baby it's a good idea to make sure that the building blocks for the baby are optimum i.e. Mum and Dad. Take a few months to make sure you're physically very healthy.

CranioSacral Therapy helps with this and helps make sure all Mum's and baby's systems are working well so that the foetus has the best possible chance. It also helps with the change the pelvis needs to make to during last stages of pregnancy and delivery.

Reference: Upledger, John E, DO OMM, 1996. “A Brain is Born”.

North Atlantic Books

Take time to work, it is the price of success.

Take time to think, it is the source of power.

Take time to play, it is the secret of perpetual youth.

Take time to read, it is the foundation of wisdom.

Take time to be friendly, it is the road to happiness.

Take time to dream, it is hitching your wagon to a star.

Take time to love and be loved, it is the privilege of the gods.

Take time to look around, it is too short a day to be selfish.

Take time to laugh, it is the music of the soul.

Old English Prayer (author unknown)

What's Happening

I am at Acuherbal on the Frimley Road, Camberley every Wednesday afternoon. To book a CranioSacral treatment, massage or for Light Heart Flower essences. ( Patricia on 01252-333738.

Children's Drop-in Clinic at Acuherbal. Wednesday pm. Drop-in or make an appointment. ( 01252-333738 or 01276-469888.

Courses in Reiki and Natural Healing. Please ( Ann 01252-834784 for further information.

Yoga class (mixed ability) - the Ash Centre, Ash Hill Road, Ash Vale. Thursdays 6pm to 7:30pm. For further details ( Dale 01252-333738.

Reading Drum Circle - African drumming for fun. 2nds + 4th Tuesdays. Susie ( 07879443847 : www.drumfun.co.uk

Yoga workshops - Satchidananda Wholistic Trust:

( 01420-563285

24th May - 10am workshop, 2pm lecture theme: Jnana Yoga in

Everyday Life

6th-8th June - Old Alresford Place Retreat

21st June - 10am workshop, 2pm lecture theme: The Essence of the

Bhagavada Gita in Everyday Life

5th Jul - Trust Therapy Day - 10.30am - 4pm

10th Jul - 10am workshop, 2pm lecture theme: The Essence of the

Upanishads in Everyday Life.

Ë Worry gives a small thing a big shadow

Author unknown

The Moon from Moon Magick by D J Conway

Moon Lore: If you move house during the waning moon, it will ensure you never go hungry.

Some farmers still believe that crops sown near the Full Moon will be ready for harvesting a month earlier than crops sown during a waxing Moon.

April, Growing Moon, Budding Trees Moon, Pink Moon. Full moon on 16th. The name April comes from the Greek Goddess Aphrodite. 8th - The Hana Matsuri, the Flower Festival, in Japan, to honour the ancestors and decorate shrines. The Mounichia of Artemis in Greece, a day of Moon cakes.

May, Flower Moon, Planting Moon, Frogs Return Moon. Full moon on 16th. The Greek Goddess Maia gave her name to this month. Some form of this goddesses' name was known to people from Ireland to as far as India. in the Celtic cultures May was called Mai or Maj, a month of sexual freedom.

June, Strong Sun Moon, Honey Moon, Strawberry Moon. Full moon on 14th. 14th - Birthday of the Muses. This was a time of masked sacred dances and mystery plays in Tibet. They had celebrations of the Medical Buddhas and of the birth of Padmasambhava, who was considered to be a great spiritual teacher.

Gift vouchers are available for birthdays or just for pampering. Ë

Yoga - a road to stability Dale Spence ND, DO, BWY Dip

Particularly in light of what is happening in the world today, I would like to talk about stability. Stability of both body and mind. To echo a question asked early in this issue - “What can you do TODAY… this very moment? …What you wish to experience, provide for another.” Another answer in similar vein as stated by Mandela who quoted Marianne Williamson, “If you want to change the world - start with yourself.”

In many ways Yoga is a road to stability. It starts in many different places, but one place to start is with the physical body. The asanas, or postures, aim at strengthening and balancing the physical body. You can't be stable if you are too weak to support yourself. You need the strength. But strength alone is not sufficient for stability. There needs to be awareness of what is working, what is not working. Awareness of when and where to apply strength. Strength is still there but it does not need to be applied to all places at all times. With awareness comes balance and the ability to relax.

With pranayama, or breathing practice, the breath slows and calms. As the breath settles relaxation happens. In the yoga teachings it is said that there is a close link between the breath and the mind. So as the breathing settles the mind follows suit. There is an automatic focussing of attention. This can lead to a deep sense of calm and quiet, of contentment and stability. Yoga practice is one way to develop this sense and awareness of calm, contented stability. This is a mental state which we can remember. We can move into this state as a matter of choice. To do so is a function of our own thought processes and attitudes (which is not to say that it is easy!). We can move into it in the blink of an eye - irrespective of what circumstances are happening around us. Equally we can look at the turmoil around us and let that dictate our mental state, after which our experience will be one of turmoil and discord.

So, can I do anything about the turmoil in the world today? Will anything I do make a difference? Yes to both. Experience a window of calm, contented stability inside yourself. Then we can say in all truth that there is peace, tranquillity and stability on earth today.

A Variation on a Taraka Yoga Meditation

There are many different approaches to meditation. This is one approach which I personally enjoy and find useful, particularly after asana and pranayama when the body, breath and mind are calm.

Sit comfortably with the back as straight as comfortable, with legs crossed or however is most comfortable. Take a few easy breaths to settle into the practice. Take the location of the focus of attention into the navel and then become aware of the facility of visualising. Perceive what visualising there shows you - be aware of any light, any texture, any colour, any movement or simply nothing at all. Then take the attention up to the centre of the forehead. Imagine breathing through that point and at the same time keep awareness in the perception of visualising. After an appropriate length of time move the focus of attention to the tip of the nose. Imagine breathing through the tip of the nose, and maintain awareness in visualising. Feel the difference in sensation between the different points of `in breath'. Similarly, move the points of `in breath' to the tip of the tongue, then the tip of the chin, then sequentially back up to the brow. Finally, take the attention back in to the navel and note any difference in sensation or perception from when you went to that place at the beginning of the meditation. You can vary the duration and sequence to suite inclination and available time as you like.