Our Latest Bi-Annual Newsletter - Spring 2006

I am writing this on February 1 st. Where does the time go to? In spite of the cold weather, the spring flowers are growing rapidly. In our garden, the daffodils are well up and some have buds ready to open on the first sunny day. Roy took this picture of hazel catkins in the middle of January. In spite of the country appearance, this is in our local park. Not seen in the picture, the M4 flyover and the Glaxo headquarters tower over them in the background.

In the week of this picture, the media made a lot of the fact that the 23 rd January was the most depressing day of the year. Fact! they said. Christmas was over and the winter was still with us. Take no notice of such negative news. It’s all negative, if you let it be. So let’s use our affirmations and positive thinking and notice the beauty of nature around us. How about making a resolution to notice one beautiful thing each day? On that very day, I was in the garden and saw a wren hopping about the border finding caterpillars. It was so tiny and matched the soil so perfectly, I only noticed it when it moved. Also, there was a pair of blackbirds in the garden. Bluetits, great tits and robins have also started their spring songs.

February 1 st is also St. Brigit’s Day and the 2 nd is Candlemas Day. In the old Celtic tradition of the British Isles , it is the celebration of spring. It is one of the great fire festivals of the year. The days are beginning to lengthen and the light grows brighter. As the spring bulbs begin to grow and flower, it is also a time for us to plant ideas, leaving them to grow and germinate. As the spiritual teacher, White Eagle, says, don’t keep digging up the bulbs to see if they are growing. In our homes, our thoughts begin to turn to spring-cleaning when the sunlight shines into the dusty corners that were hidden in the darkness of winter. Similarly, it is a good idea to turn to more wholesome foods after the warming heavier foods of winter or to detox the body by spending a weekend on fruits and vegetables or freshly extracted juices. After a detox, one of our favourite foods is a stir-fry of mixed vegetables with rice and sunflower seeds and nuts or tofu. Try varying the rice. You can now easily get wild, red, brown and brown basmati. These different kinds of rice are all more nourishing than white. You can add a protein dish of your choice Try sprouting your own seeds to add to the stir-fry mix. This will make it more nourishing. You can also add raw sprouts to sandwiches and salads. There are many recipe books available that will give you new ideas to make your diet more interesting and varied.

MEDITATION

Continuing our theme of spring-cleaning and new life, the meditation is about spiritual cleansing.

Begin your meditation by centring yourself and focusing on each breath as it comes and goes. You can feel the breath at the tip of the nose. As you breathe in, the breath is cool. Breathing out it is warmed by the love in your heart and the warmth of your body. You can feel the warmth at the tip of the nose. Continue to breathe a few more of these breaths. Then follow the breath into your lungs and chest. Feel your chest and diaphragm expand with the breath, bringing new life and energy into you. Follow the breath as you breathe out, feeling the diaphragm and chest fall, warm breath flowing out of your nostrils. Do this a few more times. Then begin to visualise yourself sitting in the sun by the shore of a beautiful lake. The surface of the water is perfectly still, so still it is like a mirror. It reflects the trees and shrubs all around the shores and the blue sky above. Everything is peaceful and the only sounds are the sounds of the birds singing and the humming of insects. Butterflies flit past, settling on the wild flowers and shrubs.

You decide to bathe in the lake. It is shallow, but deep enough to swim if you wish. The water feels just right. It is so pure you can see the bottom. Visualise yourself floating or swimming, or just going for a paddle. Feel that all cares and worries are floating away from you as you bathe in this refreshing, life giving water. Take some time to really feel the reality of this. Then you start to look around the bottom of the lake. You see a beautiful shell lying there. It is quite a big one. You bend down to pick it up. Gather water into it and pour it over your head, your hands, your body. The shell contains the waters of eternal life that heal you as you continue to pour the water over yourself. You feel refreshed and invigorated as you release any worries you might have. See them dropping into the waters of the lake and being washed away. Then return to the shore, feeling renewed in strength and confidence. Release the visualisation and again become aware of your breathing and the chair or floor where you are sitting. Open your eyes when you are ready. Have a good drink of mineral water.

Evaluate your new positive feelings that are with you from the meditation. Repeat the meditation whenever you need to revitalise yourself and release old negative patterns.

CONGRATULATIONS

Seven more students have successfully passed the yoga teachers’ course with KEYS. Congratulations to Paula Marsh, Kathryn Ellington, Ann Hodgson, Helen Trenor, Ann Zielonca, Pamela Myers and Rebecca Lennox, (all pictured with Kathleen) and Susannah Hervey.

Kathleen is currently running two more courses. Details of future courses will be announced when the dates are planned.

WEEKLY YOGA CLASSES continue on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings and Thursday mornings. The style of yoga taught is classical, which includes proper breathing, yoga postures, relaxation and meditation. We specialize in a gentle approach, encouraging people to work up to their full potential gradually.  

PRIVATE CLIENTS

Kathleen continues to see clients for zero balancing, massage and aromatherapy treatments and for personal yoga training and relaxation.

INDIAN HEAD MASSAGE

Kathleen has now trained in Indian Head Massage, a popular therapy, helpful for headaches, sinusitis, frozen shoulders, depression and other conditions.

Please ring if you are interested in any of these classes or therapies.

ANGEL WORKSHOPS continue to be successful. The next Angel Workshop will be on April 1 st. The course costs £50 and will run from 10.00am to 4.00pm . It will cover meditation with angels and crystals and the Tree of Life. For further information, check out the website or send for a brochure.

CRYSTALS

If you are interested in grade 1 crystals, for healing, feng shui or collecting, ring for an appointment to view. We also stock books, tapes, CDs, yoga mats, angel cards and books, incense, and Native American smudge.

CONGRATULATIONS TO KATHLEEN

2006 is the 30 th anniversary of Kathleen teaching yoga. In 1976, two friends asked her to teach them yoga and from that KEYS grew.

Best wishes to you all from both of us.

Kathleen, Roy

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