Energise your soul
From ‘yogalates’ to flamenco, from reiki to pranic healing, they’re all on offer at the Health and Wellbeing Festival
While we often complain about minor stresses and problems in our lives, sometimes a passing mention of how we feel to a friend or family member just isn’t enough. As stress becomes an accepted part of everyday life, it seems that the pressures and demands of modern day living can be tough to deal with at times. There’s the pressure of work, bills to pay, family commitments, relationship issues and the list goes on and on. But if stress isn’t dealt with, it can really take its toll on our physical wellbeing.
If we just took an hour each day to unwind with yoga, meditation or a similar relaxing activity, our mental state could improve dramatically.
Did you even know that you could try out such a thing as ‘yogalates’? As a powerful combination of yoga, pilates and relaxation, it calms body and mind. Or how about reiki? An ancient Japanese technique for stress reduction, it is administered by a real hands on approach, based on the idea that an unseen ‘life force energy’ flows through us. The aim of reiki is to create a feeling of glowing radiance flowing through you and around you.
You can learn about all this and much more at a Health and Wellbeing festival to be held the Venus Beach Hotel in Paphos this coming weekend. With lectures, presentations, classes, and over 70 exhibitors, it’s the perfect chance to become better acquainted with the world of alternative therapies and healing.
“It’s an opportunity to come along and learn about yourself, with just about every topic connected to health covered, from nutrition to exercise,” says one of the organisers of the event, Victoria Constantinou. “It’s a chance to try out new things with some lecturers arriving from overseas especially for the occasion.”
Apart from the obvious introductions to yoga, healing with angels and sound therapies, you can also delve into regression therapy, pranic healing, and the Bowen technique. For those unfamiliar with Bowen, the practitioner applies small movements on the body, stimulating its own natural resources to heal itself. As signals are delivered to the nervous system at specific locations, it can result in the relief of many specific injuries and health problems.
There will also be plenty of lectures on positive living, the power of the mind, and journeys to enlightenment. A very special talk will be giving women dealing with breast cancer insight on how to come to terms with the illness positively. “With lectures every hour and so much to busy yourself with I would encourage people to come early and spend the whole day at the festival, with the entrance fee covering all the events on offer,” says Victoria.
If you want to lose weight but just haven’t found the right way to go about it, you can learn about metabolic typing, nutrition and various types of fitness regimes. Metabolic typing is particularly interesting as you discover exactly what kind of diet is best for you according to your individual metabolism. Often named the ultimate nutritional technology for this century, you can find out what you should be eating, and what foods to make sure you avoid.
Still not enough to tempt you? Then maybe a little belly dancing or Spanish flamenco will do the trick. If you’re looking for an excuse to be pampered, the massage taster sessions are ideal. In the main exhibition hall you can also do a spot of shopping with all sorts of health-related products on offer.
If you want to get hold of a full schedule of events, pop down to the Venus Beach Hotel or selected outlets around Paphos including charity and hospice shops.
Health and Wellbeing Festival
With lectures, presentations, classes and over 70 exhibitors. February 9 and 10. Venus Beach Hotel, Paphos. In support of the Friends Hospice and Paphos Cancer Patients Support Group. 10am-6pm. Entrance fee per day, €5. Free for children under 16. Tel: 99-891811/ 99-892478
