Kapha out of balance can cause breast swelling, fluid retention, lethargy and depression before the period. During menopause Kapha’s excess heaviness can contribute towards weight gain, lack of motivation and elevated cholesterol. Getting up early in the morning; regular exercise; reducing sweet, cold, heavy foods and favouring a diet of fresh fruit and vegetables and wholegrains will help keep Kapha balanced.

Instead of trying to treat each symptom, general Vata pacification will help to balance all the problems associated with Vata. A warm oil massage; favouring warm, easy to digest foods and avoiding cold, raw foods; having early nights and more rest; and keeping a regular routine of sleep, exercise and meals will offset Vata’s dry, light, cold, variable nature.

Too much Pitta can cause premenstrual irritability, skin breakouts and feeling too hungry. Hot flushes, anger and skin problems during menopause are also a result of excess Pitta. Pitta’s heat is soothed by cooling foods such as sweet, fresh fruit and salads; taking time out for meditation or walking in nature; reducing caffeine and stimulants and avoiding acidic foods such as tomatoes, pineapples and oranges.

The cycles of menstruation and menopause are an opportunity for renewal and rebalancing. The menstrual cycle allows a woman to get rid of impurities each month. This is more effective if she follows some simple guidelines for rest and diet. While menopause is the time that we move from our Pitta dominated time of life, to a time when Vata is more prevalent. If Vata or Pitta are out of balance the effects become more noticeable during this transition phase. However this discomfort can be understood as a signal that some rebalancing needs to take place and if properly treated menopause can be a time to restore balance and improve overall wellbeing ensuring a more balanced phase of life in the later years.

Wendy Rosenfeldt is a Maharishi Vedic Health Educator and Teacher of Transcendental Meditation. Call Wendy on 5499 9580 for more information or to book in for an Ayurvedic health consultation. Special Offer for March 10% of all consultations for women.

HAVE YOU ever thought that you might be too acidic? If you’re feeling tired and sluggish, you probably are, but go through the following information and ask yourself – do  you have some or most of the following symptoms as these are definite indicators of excess acidity.

• General mental and physical fatigue
• Joint pain or stiffness especially in the morning
• Hormonal symptoms such as nasty PMT, heavy or painful periods and menopausal symptoms such as hot flushes
• Symptoms of intolerance to carbohydrates like cravings for sweets, always hungry, bloating
• Blood sugar handling problems such as sleepiness after meals, get tired when you stop
• Feel flat, depressed, non motivated (it is virtually impossible to feel good when you’re acidic)
• Weight gain and fat storage – because of the sluggish metabolism, acidic people struggle with their weight and find it very difficult to achieve and maintain effective weight loss

Clinically, I find, without exception, a person who feels unwell and fits the above picture, is too acidic.
I would like the opportunity to help you fix these problems.

Is it a challenge?  Yes, it can be, but when you learn how to get well, it doesn’t get much better than that. Optimal health is a great achievement.  Invest in yourself.

siaholistichealth.com.au

Dr John Pirie

Chiropractor & Applied Kinesiologist

19 Coral Street, Maleny

Phone 5435 2155

ITS AMAZING how simple small changes can brighten you up and liberate your energy. These changes might include a shift in attitude. Remember that thoughts powerfully influence your body chemistry.

Dr Larry Dossey quotes Dr Bernie Siegel, assistant clinical Professor of Surgery at Yale Medical School as saying, “I am convinced that unconditional love is the most powerful known stimulant of the immune system. If I told patients to raise their blood levels of immune globulin’s or killer T cells, no one would know how. But if I teach them to love themselves and others fully, the same changes happen automatically.”

Reassess your diet and where possible make improvements. Fresh fruits and vegetables increase your enzyme levels and so make digestion more efficient, liberating nutrients and making them more available to your body. Ensure that you are drinking enough clean water daily otherwise it’s a bit like bathing each morning in dirty bath water and wondering why you don’t feel fresh.

Attend to the things you keep putting off. Procrastination is exhausting, on so many levels it drains us of our enthusiasm and sense of personal power. Do what needs to be done and you’ll feel freer and less burdened. Ask for help if you need it.

Move your body differently, check your posture, dance while you brush your teeth, don’t sit so still, move to some internal music, compete with the cat for the best stretch.

And if you still lack that energy and zest get a health check to make sure all’s well.

Marisa Kliese is a Clinical Member Aust. Counselling Assoc. Fellow Hollistic Life Coach. Reiki Master. Fellow Aust. Natural Therapists Assoc.

Marisa can be contacted on 5494 2627

search for perfection. Mars goes direct on Thurs 11 March, preparing to start

moving forwards again – which means that the frustration and feeling of getting nowhere of the past three months will start easing. You can now start to make progress on stalled projects and other aspects of your life.

The New Moon in Pisces on Tues 16 March represents the possibility of a new cycle in our relationship to spirituality and our sense of the divine. With Mercury and Uranus part of this New Moon line-up, expect communication to play a significant role this lunar month – through messages which bring profound insight or may even be shocking orrevolutionaryinsomeway. Atitshighestlevel,thisNew Moon brings the opportunity to begin a new cycle in authentic, conscious communication.

The Equinox falls on Sun 21 March. Day and night are of equal length, a point of balance in the year as the Sun moves into the pioneering sign of Aries. This a good time to reflect on where in your life you may need more balance.

The Full Moon in Libra on Tues 30 March puts the spotlight on our need to relate to others, with an emphasis on the need to find a balance between the needs of the self and the needs of the other, between the need for independence and the need for compromise. It also highlights the need for balance between being assertive and needing to keep the peace, so use the energy of this Full Moon to reflect on these questions in your own life.

With love Chirone

Copyright © 2010 Chirone Witsen All rights reserved. An extended version of this New Moon update is available on the Stargazer Astrology website www.chironewitsen.com

Chirone Witsen DFAstrolS, MA, Grad Dip Counselling member Association of Professional Astrologers Ph: 07 5494 8852 mob: 0421 814 459 web: www.chironewitsen.com ASTROLOGY CONSULTATIONS, REPORTS & COURSES AVAILABLE

Ian Gawler and Gawlery Foundation senior therapist Paul Bedson

IAN GAWLER is Australia’s best-known cancer survivor. His revolutionary book You can Conquer Cancer has sold more than 150,000 copies world-wide. Ian’s ideas and concepts have now received wide-spread scientific recognition and validation both in Australia and internationally.

Ian Gawler will visit the Sunshine Coast to conduct a single, one day retreat at J Junction on April 6.

Ian Gawler was diagnosed with bone cancer and his leg was amputated in 1975, but the disease recurred later that year. At one point he was expected to live for only a few weeks. Ian then developed an effective self help program with key principles: good food, positive attitudes, meditation and loving support.

Drawing upon a truly holistic approach he was fortunate to experience a remarkable recovery.

Ian’s development of mind/body/medicine techniques led to his belief that there is a process by which the body can regain its natural state of health. Ian Gawler sees cancer as a symptom of immune deficiency and explains how the immune system can be reactivated.

Dr Gawler established the Gawler Foundation in 1983 as a non-profit , non- denominational body to further his work. He has studied meditation with Dr Ainslie Meares, Indian, Buddhist, Zen Christian and other western meditation masters.

He is known for his clarity and good humour, and he has a gift for translating wisdom into a modern context.

The 1 day retreat /workshop will be a balance of theory and practice, ideal for beginners and those seeking to deepen their understanding and experience of meditation. Ian will teach on Mindfulness-based stillness meditation, using imagery for healing. The meditation teachings are intended for those who want to use meditation therapeutically as well as for self development.

This is a unique opportunity to learn from an expert about using meditation to manage stress. This retreat is also intended for health practitioners and for those helping people with illness.

Above: Ian Gawler and Gawlery Foundation senior therapist Paul Bedson

TUESDAY APRIL 6 - Registration 9.30am for 10am - 4pm

VENUE: THE J - 60 Noosa Drive Noosa Heads.

COST: Adult: $110 Concession $85 (seniors, students and Health Care Card holders) - healthy morning tea provided, BYO lunch or buy locally

BOOKINGS: Essential - online at www.insighthealth.com.au

ENQUIRIES: Contact Ina on 5447 9930 or 0403 409 772 after 7:30pm or Angela (03) 5966 6102

Cheques to Insight Health Services PO Box 575 Yarra Jt. Vic 3797.

For more details contact In Van Puymbroeck Ph: 0403 409 772

Before I discuss the reasons why you’re overweight and fatigued, I’d like you to go over the following list of complaints and see what applies to you. Ask yourself, do you:

• suffer from physical fatigue, that ‘worn out’ feeling •
• feel mentally tired, eg the inability to concentrate •
• suffer from low blood sugar ie feeling jittery, agitated, moody •
• experience intestinal bloating and have ‘gas’ •
• feel sleepy after meals, especially after eating carbohydrates •
• have increased fat storage and weight •
• suffer from depression, lack of motivation or anxiety.

If some or all of the above complaints apply to you, there is a very good chance that you are not tolerating the type and amount of carbohydrate you are eating and as a result, you are producing excess amounts of insulin. The insulin then converts dietary carbohydrates into fat and inhibits the burning of stored fat for energy. Hence you stay overweight, your metabolism gets sluggish and you remain tired. In females especially, all this has undesired side effects on your thyroid and your menstrual cycle.

So why not get this sorted out sooner rather than later. Give our Centre a call, I’d love to be able to help.

John Pirie

Brain scanners can now image a thought as it moves through our brain, and though we have known for quite a while that our brain can regulate and influence our bodily functions, we are learning, as a result of scientific research, how we can use that knowledge to self adjust and create optimum health and wellbing.

We can at last clearly see that the mind and body work as one energy unit and the way that we feel about, define and interpret experiences and events that we move through, is now emerging as one of the most powerful factors that influences the way our hormones, our immune and digestive systems work to name just a few.

The way that we eat, what we read, what we watch on TV and the company we keep powerfully influences our thoughts, the choices we make, our coping skills, and our expectations of outcomes and these factors influence the way our bodies react to germs, viruses, and the like.

So keep your coping skills high, don’t entertain overwhelm, talk yourself up not down, filter what goes into your biocomputer, and nourish body, mind and spirit. it seems that you and your body can work together to make some of the best medicine to keep yourself healthy.

Marisa Kliese is a Clinical Member Aust. Counselling Assoc. Fellow Hollistic Life Coach. Reiki Master. Fellow Aust. Natural Therapists Assoc. Marisa can be reached on 5494 2627

The people most likely to develop this condition, are usually women, overweight people, or people who have a job that requires a lot of walking or standing on hard surfaces. People with very flat feet or very high arches may also be more prone to plantar fasciitis.

A diagnosis of plantar fasciitis means you have inflamed the tough, fibrous band on tissue connecting your heel bone to the base of your toes.

Helping to prevent pain

Ensure that you wear appropriate supportive well-fitting footwear when exercising, walking or standing up for long periods. If your weight is a contributing factor, consult a health professional for a healthy weight control plan. Physiotherapists can provide you with a sensible exercise program tailored to your needs and taking into account your foot problems so that it is not aggravated. Stretching the archilles tendon and plantar fasia, as demonstrated by your physiotherapist especially before and after exercise may help to prevent the problem from returning.

Treatment after diagnosis

Your physiotherapist can evaluate the way you walk to determine if there is a biomechanical cause of your condition. They may recommend insoles to support your inner arch and exercises to strengthen the muscles and/or stretch the muscles and fascia. You may reduce the pain and inflamation by using ice or heat, or electrotherapeutic modalities like interferential or ultrasound. Stiff joints around the foot and ankle can be treated using mobilisation, where the physiotherapist gently moves the joints manually to remove the stiffness and restore the normal range of movement. Stretching the plantar fascia is very important for encouraging the tissue to regain its normal alignment.

Ask about the range of techniques and equipment for stretching at home. Your physiotherapist will show you how to tape your foot to support the plantar fascia and relieve some of the strain. If not treated, plantar fasciitis, may become a chronic condition, which is much more difficult to treat, as it could lead to problems affecting the foot, knee, hip and back.

For further help with feet or any other treatments phone Maleny Physiotherapy on 5494 3911. Appointments with podiatrist Ben Stasiak also available on Thursday afternoons.

Yogic flying refers to the ability to lift up off the ground in a seated position motivated by an effortless mental impulse. The knowledge of yogic flying comes from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras which are part of the ancient Vedic texts. While in the west yoga is mostly used to describe physical postures it actually means union and can be understood to mean the union of the individual awareness with cosmic awareness or the state of pure consciousness.

Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras have been misunderstood and therefore the ability to lift up off the ground has been lost and thought by many to be a myth or something only attainable by saints like Francis of Assisi. The missing link has been the technique to experience Transcendental Consciousness. Unless the individual is in a state of Transcendental Consciousness, or in other words knows how to access the level of pure consciousness in the mind, the sutra or mental impulse is useless.

Maharishi brought to light that the Unified Field discovered by Quantum physics is the same as pure consciousness and brought out the technique of Transcendental Meditation whereby the individual is able to access this state in their own awareness. Yogic flying is part of one of the advanced Transcendental Meditation techniques.

Knowledge of the quantum level of life reveals that there are different laws of nature at work at the subtler or subatomic levels. Objects can appear in two places at once; the scientist’s prediction of an experiment has been found to influence the result; outcomes such as these have previously been thought by science to be impossible. Reality at this level is not the concrete, predictable world we have grown accustomed to. Instead of set laws of nature there are probabilities. The probability is that we will remain under the influence of gravity but the possibility exists that we may not.

By training the awareness to function from this level it is possible to achieve the unlikely. However simply lifting up in the air just for the sake of it is not the goal of yogic flying. In fact, while the ancient texts record that in its advance stages yogic flying can lead to floating in the air, during the first stage the body lifts up in a series of blissful hops which may to the outsider not seem so spectacular. However it is the outcome of maximum coherence in the brain waves, feelings of euphoria and the ability to function from the level of the unified field that is really the benefit of this unusual feat.

Wendy Rosenfeldt is a Maharishi Vedic Health Educator and Teacher of Transcendental Meditation. There will be Introductory Talks on Transcendental Meditation on Sunday the 7th of Feb. at 2pm &Tuesday the 9th of Feb at 10am in Maleny. Please call Wendy on 5499 9580 to book for the talk or for an Ayurvedic Consultation.

The meetings are suitable for people who are experiencing depressive symptoms and anyone who has a loved one who they wish to support. Depression is close to being the world’s second most debilitating condition by 2020. There are now more medications available to treat depression but it is still on the rise in all age groups. It is a complex disorder and research shows that a three-pronged treatment is the best approach. The three suggested ways of tackling depression are through medication, counselling/psychotherapy and self help.

It is best to discuss this thoroughly with your G.P. The support group sessions will contain some talking, some listening and some learning. Margaret Devoran says, “I think it is helpful for people to know that others are struggling with similar issues and that there is hope and help available. Whilst taking the first step to attend a meeting is difficult, it can be empowering for people to feel that they are actively trying to resolve their problems”.

For further information please contact Margaret Davoren. Mob: 0403 571 572. The first meeting will be held on: Wednesday 24 Feb, 2010 from 6.30 - 8.30pm and then, the last Wednesday of every month. Venue: Downunder Room. Maleny Soldier’s Memorial Hospital, Bean Street Maleny. Cost: $5 per person each meeting. (This will help with photocopying handouts and for tea/coffee/refreshments).