Positive Health Online

Allan Armstrong – Tribute Obituary -  20 July 1951 - 5 June 2024

He was
a hole in a flute
that Christ’s breath moved through
listen to this
music
Hafiz

The Very Reverend Allan Armstrong peacefully took his last breath in the presence of his family on the morning of Wednesday 5th June 2024.

https://www.the-sanctuary.org.uk/

The Very Reverend Allan Armstrong

Married with two sons and four grandchildren, Allan Armstrong spent much of his adult life exploring and developing an understanding of spiritual disciplines, including: prayer and meditation; symbolism; liturgical studies; mysticism, kabbalah, and spiritual healing methods. In 1975 he joined the Order of Dionysis & Paul, a contemplative order within the Holy Celtic Church dedicated to the spiritual life, an order that consists of men and women committed to living the contemplative life whilst dwelling in the secular world.

Allan served the order as Prior-General since 1991 and headed up a Study Society called the Fellowship, a society open to all who wish to develop a greater understanding of the Western Mystical Tradition. The-Sanctuary.org.uk, the website of the Order of Dionysis & Paul, is also the website of the Fellowship, a study society whose members explore various spiritual traditions, and embrace a curriculum of Prayer & Meditation; Healing; Comparative Religion; Liturgical Studies, Spiritual Hierarchies, Kabbalah, and much more.

Allan was one of the kindest and compassionate people I have ever been privileged to know and became, over many years, one of my favourite people with whom to speak with honesty and truth.

Allan Armstrong was the author of several authoritative and spiritual articles on Positive Health PH Online: https://www.positivehealth.com/author/allan-armstrong/allan-armstrong

• The Secret Garden: Secret Life of the Inner Soul
• The Four Pillars of Meditation
• Reflections on Meditation - Personal Thoughts on an Enigmatic Subject
• The Sacred Mountain
• The Perfection of Creation - A Brief Discussion about the Perversity of Human Nature!
• The Ten Commandments

Allan Armstrong, formerly the Prior-General of the Order, was diagnosed in early 2021 with Pulmonary Fibrosis, probably caused by the Covid epidemic that was emerging at the time.

The subject-matter of his podcasts is concerned with the ancient tradition that constitutes the basis of order life & work. For example, Allan’s introduction to Kabbalah in six episodes is based upon his book, The Secret Garden of the Soul, published in Bristol, 2008. It traces the origins of Kabbalah as an esoteric system unto the present time. Another example is an episode discussing the esoteric significance of the Sphere, focussing upon the subject and nature of Light, life and consciousness. See: Kabbalah 6 - The Thirty-Two paths of Wisdom;  Also, The Sphere

Allan was the director of a small publishing company called Imagier Publishing, specializing in books on the Western Mystical Tradition. Along with his own books he published works by other authors and new editions of past works that expressed the depth and richness of radical streams of Western esoteric spirituality. From 2021 he focussed more upon producing Audiobooks and Podcasts.

Further Information

For further information, please contact page, or to learn more about the Order and Fellowship please click on www.the-sanctuary.org.uk.

‘The Allan Armstrong Podcast’ is available on the following platforms:
Apple Podcasts,  Spotify,  Amazon,  Youtube,  Podbean. The-sanctuary

Essential Oil Resource Consultants (EORC) and the International Clinical Aromatherapy Network (ICAN) Join Forces for their Next Education and Networking Event: ECA2025 !

Save the date for the next Essence of Clinical Aromatherapy International Seminar:
July 12th & 13th 2025
University of Bath, England

Following hot on the heels of the highly successful botanica2024 conference, EORC and ICAN are now preparing for the 5^th edition of the Essence of Clinical Aromatherapy Seminar. ECA2025 is an in-person clinical aromatherapy seminar taking place at the University of Bath, UK.

https://essentialorc.us4.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=3d8bdd5660bc5b0b10098f59b&id=daa9e31d59

With a special focus on delivery of aromatherapy in clinical care, ECA2025 will be highlighting important work across the world, with doctors, pharmacists, nurses, researchers, aromatherapists and allied health professionals joining the event to share their experiences and research and to support aromatherapy as an important integrative care modality.

The ECA seminar series has been running since 2017 and is now in its 5^th edition.
It welcomes international speakers and delegates for two full days of lectures, networking and trade show.
ECA2025 is followed by a unique post-seminar Masterclass on July 15^th & 16^th  that will be facilitated by Rhiannon Lewis.
Rhiannon Lewis is also the host of the leading professional platform for learning sharing, and growing clinical aromatherapy International Clinical Aromatherapy Network which has 1600+ users from more than 80 countries. ICAN is a main sponsor of ECA2025.
ICAN Members who attend ECA2025 enjoy special benefits including an exclusive pre-event tea party and social gathering at the University of Bath.

Rhiannon says

“I am delighted to be hosting ECA2025 at the University of Bath! We are currently building another world-class program for this in-person seminar. ECA is a unique event that provides a 2-day immersion into the field of clinical aromatherapy. We are already taking registrations of interest and I hope to see you there!”

Further Information

Registrations of interest for attending ECA2025 are being taken: http://eepurl.com/iTBQy2
Join the ICAN community: https://www.clinicalaromatherapynetwork.com/
Check out Essential Oil Resource Consultants:  https://essentialorc.com/

New Study Reveals How Altrient® C The World’s Most Coveted Liposomal Vitamin C Supports Fuller, Healthier, Stronger Hair

Taking 2 sachets a day resulted in 37.5% reduction in loss of intact hairs & 19% more hair.

https://www.abundanceandhealth.co.uk/en/altrient/
98-altrient-c-liposomal-vitamin-c-by-livon-labs.html

A recent independent clinical study conducted by Princeton Consumer Research UK highlights the remarkable hair benefits of taking 2 sachets (2,000mg) of Altrient Liposomal Vitamin C a day for 12 weeks. Here is what the data revealed:

• 5% reduction in loss of intact;
• 89% reduction in loss of broken hairs;
• 93% increase in hair count;
• 66% increase in hair strength;
• 21% improvement in thickness of hair;
• 67% of people agreed that their hair felt thicker overall, that their hair thinning had decreased, that they noticed an increase in new hair strands, that their hair growth rate had improved.
• 100% of people agreed that they felt an overall improvement in hair health

Summary of Why Altrient C Works So Well on Maintaining Healthy Hair

• Collagen: Vitamin C contributes to normal collagen production which plays a role in supporting cellular activity in hair follicles, wound healing and tissue repair. 
• Antioxidant: Vitamin C contributes to the protection of cells from oxidative stress which over time may cause damage to hair follicles.
• Skin: Maintaining optimal collagen levels can help strengthen the scalp's dermis and epidermis to create a healthy environment in which hair can grow.
• Capillaries: Hair follicles need oxygen-rich blood to grow, vitamin C contributes to normal collagen formation for the normal function of blood vessels.
• Iron Absorption: Vitamin C increases iron absorption which boosts haemoglobin production. Low iron levels, a condition known as iron deficiency anaemia, can be linked to hair loss.

The Altrient C Hair Trial

The team at Altrient knew from an earlier double blind placebo controlled skin study that taking 1 sachet of Altrient C a day for 3 months resulted in a 35% increase in skin elasticity, firmness and a reduction in the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles - over the whole body. For those taking 3 sachets a day the increase in elasticity was a staggering 61.4%. Those given placebo treatment showed no change at all.

They were curious to see what effect taking Altrient C would have on hair and commissioned Princeton Consumer Research Centre to conduct an independent hair study.

Macrophotography was used to capture high resolution digital images of a designated area of the scalp where thinning hair was evident to assess hair counts before and after 12 weeks. The Brush Friction Count Method (BFCM) captured fallen hairs, separating broken or damaged hairs from intact hairs (full length from the root) which were all then examined under a microscope.

Further Information

Altrient C is available from www.abundanceandhealth.co.uk

Sayer Complementary Health – Homeopathic Practice and Training Courses in Homeopathy and Reiki

I am often asked to send homeopathic remedies to my clients to help with acute situations.  One such situation recently was a call from a client requesting help for her daughter who was becoming apprehensive as her driving test approached.  I forwarded on to the client the appropriate remedy for the anxiety/apprehension her daughter was experiencing.

Another request came from a client explaining his child was generally feeling unwell but with no specific symptoms that would have necessitated a visit to the GP and he did not want to use an over the counter medicine, i.e. Calpol or Neurofen.  In this instance, as the client was in possession of a homeopathic first aid kit, I was able to offer guidance on which remedy would be best suited.

A third instance involved a fall resulting in minor cuts and bruising without the need to visit the accident and emergency department of the hospital.

https://www.homeopathinessex.co.uk/

On each of these occasions the homeopathic remedies proved invaluable. The anxiety was reduced considerably and the person passed her driving test.  Remedies such as Aconite, Gelsemium or Argentum Nitricum are all great remedies to have on hand in a homeopathic first aid kit.  Whilst I have mentioned three remedies each one has a different symptom picture.  With Aconite there is great fear, with Gelsemium the fear shows itself by the person explaining that they feel trembly and as if they have butterflies in the tummy.  With Argentum Nitricum the fear expresses itself by a craving for sugar and/or diarrhoea.

For the child with the general unwell feelings, the remedy Ferrum Phos was recommended.  Ferrum Phos does not have the fever symptoms associated with a remedy such as Belladonna or the ‘flu-like’ sleepy, lethargic symptoms that would have called for the remedy Gelsemium.  (Yes, Gelsemium has been mentioned above for anticipation and fear but it is a broad acting remedy and helps to relieve the symptoms of ‘flu’).

The third remedy for those who have a brief knowledge of homeopathy is Arnica.  The bruise remedy par excellence.  A remedy that majority of people have heard of.  Its mode of action is amazing in that bruising is reduced very quickly and any internal shock that associated with a fall is also dealt with.   A point to note here is that Arnica is available in tablet and cream form.  The cream can be massaged into the bruised area but do not apply if the skin is broken.

My practice, Sayer Complementary Health is based in Burnham on Crouch, Essex. I see the majority of my homeopathic and nutritional client appointments take place on-line with either Zoom, Skype, Messenger or Facetime and this allows the client to reap the benefit of the consultation without the need for them to travel.  It also enables the client to make best use of their time since adding travel time into the consultation time can mean that they are out of work/home/ for some considerable time.  An initial consultation can take anything from 1-2 hours depending upon the client and their presenting concerns.

Aside from my homeopathic practice, I also provide training courses in Homeopathy and Reiki.  The Homeopathy at Home course is designed to help you learn how to select homeopathic remedies that will address minor ailments such as coughs, colds, headaches and sore throats and may even negate the need for a visit to the doctor.  Homeopathic remedies are non-toxic, non-addictive and safe for all ages.  This course is easily accessible via Zoom.

The Homeopathic Practitioner Diploma course is an in-depth apprenticeship style course spread over three years.  You will learn about the history of homeopathy and the philosophy of working with acute cases through to understanding the depth of a more chronic case and how to prepare a case protocol.  Anatomy and physiology as well as pathology and disease are also covered.  Home study and written assignments are essential to the course.  Upon successful completion of all the necessary criteria you will be entitled to register as a homeopathic practitioner with a registering organization and build your career as a homeopath.

I also teach three levels of Reiki.  Level one and two are one-day courses.  Shoden, level one opens you up to the healing power of Reiki and enables you to carry out Reiki healing on yourself and your family.  

Reiki level 2 Okuden, is suitable for people who have already studied level one and are familiar with the Reiki healing energy. At the end of level two, you will be able to offer Reiki sessions to the general public although you will need to have the relevant complementary health insurance cover in place to do so.  Pre-course material is provided for both Shoden and Okuden so that you may study the materials prior to attending the practical course.  A Certificate of Attendance is provided on completion. 

Should you wish to take your Reiki one stage further then the Reiki Master/Teacher Course also comes complete with a comprehensive manual as well as audio and visual materials and it is this course you would need to undertake in order for you to be able to prepare others on their journey with Reiki.   Reiki consultations are held in Burnham on Crouch, Essex.

Further Information

For further details on any of the above, please Tel: 01621 730664 or email me at june@betterhealthnow.co.uk  or visit www.homeopathinessex.co.uk and please mention Positive Health when making contact.

A Beginner’s Guide to ME-CFS – Advice Applies Directly to Long Covid

I have often wondered how a book published in 2014, long before we’d ever heard of Covid, can help to prevent the public health problem which currently threatens to overwhelm not just health systems, but economic systems, worldwide?

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Beginners-Guide-ME-CFS-Guides/dp/0957181744

A Beginner’s Guide to ME/CFS focuses upon the importance of rest, and the dangers of exercise to people suffering the illness (or illnesses) included within these labels.  Rest?  Just rest?  Isn’t that just giving up?  Shouldn’t we be fighting it?

Our human body, like that of every living creature, inhabits a world of predators, some external, but most living complex lives within – bacteria, fungi, viruses; our body has developed many, extremely complex ways of counteracting these.  These include ways of identifying and developing defences against ones not previously encountered.  But these processes require energy.

The term for the entirety of these incredibly complex processes is the ‘immune system’.

Medicine does not, in itself, cure illnesses.  But it can help the immune system do so, in a variety of ways.  Vaccines help speed up and enhance the immune system’s ability to identify and produce cells to attack aspects of a virus’s functioning.  Specific drugs can kill specific pathogens.  Many drugs simply suppress symptoms caused by the immune system’s attack on an invading pathogen, often having the effect of prolonging the illness itself.

The rapidly evolving virus which continues to cause successive waves of Covid is extremely complex in its nature, and its effects on a range of organ systems. 

We now know that this includes the ability to cause a chronic, disabling illness, virtually indistinguishable from ME/CFS[1];  the numbers of those affected already runs into the millions, and that these numbers are already having a noticeable effect on a diminishing workforce.

Resting, as completely as possible, as soon as possible from the inception of any illness, but especially from a potentially disabling one, is the opposite of ‘giving in’.Your immune system, encountering this new threat, needs all your physical energy to be available in its battle to save you,  There is even a part of your brain that tells you to crawl into a warm, safe space, and do nothing – while your immune system does its work. Those who tell you to fight this feeling, get up, carry on, don’t give in, completely misunderstand your situation. 

It’s your immune system that’s doing the fighting!

Making such misguided physical efforts, which are advised in too many Long Covid rehabilitation centres, could cripple your immune system’s ability to overcome what is making you ill – and condemn you to the life of disability which many Long Covid sufferers are now experiencing.

The advice in A Beginner’s Guide to ME/CFS applies directly to today’s new challenge, Long Covid, and needs to be as widespread as possible.

Reference

1. Wong TL, Weitzer DJ. Long COVID and Myalgic Encephalomyelitis/Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (ME/CFS)-A Systemic Review and Comparison of Clinical Presentation and Symptomatology. Medicina (Kaunas): 57(5):418. doi: 10.3390/medicina57050418. PMID: 33925784; PMCID: PMC8145228. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33925784/ Apr 26 2021.

Further Information

Further information about The Beginner's Guide to ME/CFS is available here. Available from  Amazon

Turning Point Training – Postgraduate Courses in Craniosacral Therapy and Homotoxicology

Turning Point Training offers postgraduate courses in Craniosacral Therapy and Homotoxicology. Our students come from a variety of backgrounds both in conventional and holistic disciplines. This allows an exchange of information and experience that enriches the learning experience. Courses are mixture of leading-edge, scientifically based theory and clinical and practical tuition. Students are encouraged to explore and develop their gifts and talents in bringing their unique experience to the disciplines taught. Students are thus empowered.

Jonathan Lawrence BA DO Cert Ed and Rosemary Lawrence Dip BFD Cert Clin Hom Cert Ed
Middle: Electroacupuncture and Practitioner Course: Bottom: Craniosacral Course 2019

Small groups help to facilitate this experience. Turning Point teachers are enthusiastic and experienced practising therapists who keep their knowledge up to date. The philosophy of Turning Point encompasses the idea that medicine is an art informed by science. We believe that the conventional materialist paradigm is very much out of date and that scientific knowledge has now reached a point where much of holistic medicine can incorporated into a new paradigm.

Turning Point courses introduce the concepts of research and encourage students to critically evaluate current information.

Craniosacral Therapy is based on the relationship between the structure and function of the body and the expression of health. Specific, gentle and skilled manipulation can restore the structure-function relationship supporting the patients ’own homeostatic mechanisms. This non-invasive and safe therapy can be used on patients of all ages from the new-born to the elderly.

The Practitioner Course consists of 8 modules over 5 weekends and 20 hours Zoom support days. In addition, students must complete a portfolio of case studies and complete an exam. Practical skills are assessed during the course. This course is recognised by the CMA. This course is held in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. Check the website for 2025 dates. This course is led by Jonathan Lawrence.

Homotoxicology  is based on the idea that disease results from toxic load. In modern life we are subject to toxins from a variety of sources. This has the effect of stressing the immune system leading to ill health. Accurate prescribing can help the body gently detoxify aiding the restoration of homeostasis.

The remedies used are single potency homeopathic remedies or combinations of remedies to achieve a specific physiological response.

The Online Diploma in Homotoxicology is via the Society of Homotoxicology, UK. Contact us for access to this course.

Electro-Acupuncture According to Voll (EAV) is a postgraduate course. This method involves electro-acupuncture assessment of organ meridians to find imbalances in the body. The 12 traditional Chinese meridians are tested plus the addition 9 Voll Meridians discovered by Dr Reinhard Voll.  Training is via small tutorial groups led by Rosemary Lawrence. For 2025 dates email  enquiries@turningpointtraining.org

Further Information

For information about training in these disciplines visit www.turningpointtraining.org

Natural Therapeutics – Passionate about Essential Oils and Essential Oil Training

At Natural Therapeutics, we are passionate about essential oils and essential oil training. We offer a wide range of courses, including a diploma as an Essential Oil Practitioner for people who do not want to train in massage as an aromatherapist does. We have taken the UK core curriculum for aromatherapy and stripped out all of the massage elements, so you do all the rest of the training and will be qualified to blend for clients using all the same products as an aromatherapist would. It includes a separate diploma in anatomy, physiology and pathology and if you already hold a recognised APP diploma, we can exempt you from that part of the course, so you will only need complete the essential oil modules. The course is fully accredited by Complementary Health Professionals, known for high standards who offer membership for practitioners and a discounted insurance scheme.

https://www.naturaltherapeutics.co.uk/

In 2023 we launched our level 5 upgrade course for aromatherapists who wish to deepen their knowledge and gain a higher-level qualification. These are all modular and include modules on advanced chemistry and blending, elderly care, care of chronic conditions, energy work with essential oils, working with fertility, pregnancy, childbirth and children as well as aromatherapy to support mental health conditions. You need to complete each module and then write a 3000-word thesis on a subject of your choice to gain the level 5 diploma. You can start this anytime as you can with all of our courses and work online at your own pace.

We also offer lots of essential oil CPD courses for aromatherapists and essential oil practitioners and although all is done online, you have access to a real live person to ask questions whenever you need to! You can email or video call for support and all of your coursework is marked by a tutor and you get copious amounts of developmental feedback and extra snippets of information. If you do not believe us, check out our Google reviews from past students.

We do also have some in-class courses on essential oil blending as well as neuroskeletal re-alignment therapy and remedial massage and trigger point therapy. These are currently held in Thetford. You may also enjoy our Aromatic Tour at Kew Gardens, which we do every June. It is a wonderful day out exploring the flowering plants that give us our essential oils and share information on the oils, their properties and blending.

If you are new to complementary therapies, we have some cheaper introductory courses online so that you can dip your toe and these include essential oils and herbal medicine.

Further Information

For more details, visit www.naturaltherapeutics.co.uk and please do get in touch if you have any questions.

Michael Mosley – Journalist, Science Presenter and Author –  Tribute Obituary 1957-2024

On 5 June 2024, Dr Michael Mosley went missing on the Greek island of Symi while on holiday with his wife. He left St. Nikolas beach to walk to Symi Town, approximately 2 miles away, where they were staying. After four days of searching, his body was found on 9 June, on the rocky slope above Agia Marina. It appeared that he had taken the wrong path  after leaving the town of Pedi. His body was located 100 yards from a restaurant and 150 yards  from an area earlier searched by his four children, who had all flown out to support the search. An initial post-mortem established that based on the position of his body and the lack of any fatal injury, Mosley had likely died from natural causes at around 4 pm on the day he disappeared.

Michael studied PPE [Philosophy, Politics and Economics] at Oxford and then became an investment banker…before realizing that this really wasn’t the industry for him…so he retrained as a doctor. After studying medicine at the Royal Free Hospital in London and qualifying as a doctor…he realized that this wasn’t really the industry for him either! Michael joined the BBC as a trainee assistant producer and over the ensuing years has made numerous science and history documentaries for the BBC, first behind the camera and more recently as a presenter.

https://michaelmosley.co.uk/biog/

Michael was executive producer of Q.E.D., Trust Me I’m a Doctor and Superhuman. He has worked with John Cleese, Jeremy Clarkson, Professor Robert Winston, Sir David Attenborough and Professor Alice Roberts. He devised and executive-produced three of the most popular science and history programmes of the last decade: Pompeii–the last day, Supervolcano and Krakatoa. He has also made a number of business programmes including, Trouble at the Top and Back to the Floor. Michael presented many series for the BBC including, Medical Mavericks; Blood and Guts; Inside Michael Mosley; Science Story; The Young Ones; Inside the Human Body; Eat, Fast Live Longer; The Truth about Exercise; Pain, Pus & Poison; The Genius of Invention and Life On The Ward.

In 2021 he presented Diagnosis Detectives on BBC Two, as well as How to Keep a Healthy Weight on Channel 4. Michael most recently explored issues around the obesity crisis in the UK, in Channel 4’s Michael Mosley: Who Made Britain Fat? (2022). His smash-hit BBC podcast Just One Thing regularly tops the Apple Health and Fitness Podcast Charts and is currently the  #1 most played podcast on BBC Sounds so far in 2024.

Following the extraordinary interest in and success of Eat, Fast & Live Longer, Michael co-authored  The Fast Diet with Evening Standard journalist Mimi Spencer, published by Short Books in February 2013. Michael has written a number of international bestsellers since, including The Clever Guts Diet and The Fast 800. Based on his popular podcast, his latest book, Just One Thing, was published in 2022 and was a Sunday Times Bestseller. He has won numerous awards, including being named Medical Journalist of the Year by the British Medical Association in 1995. Michael was a regular columnist for the Daily Mail having written for The Times and The Independent, as well as magazines, Focus and Eureka.

Dr Michael Mosely did a lot of his recent work with his wife, Dr Clare Bailey, by his side. They had four lovely children together. Michael had an incredible career, was loved by many and has left behind an inspirational legacy. He will be missed dearly by his family, friends, colleagues and those that admired his work from afar.

Further Information

For further information please see  https://michaelmosley.co.uk/biog/