CHAT, HUG, DRINK AND BONK AWAY THE BLUES...
Eighty-three per cent of women and 68 per cent of men questioned said having someone to talk to got rid of their blues. Hugging ranked second for both sexes at 45 per cent for men and 57 per cent for women. More than twice as many men chose sex to lighten their mood than women, who prefer spending time with the family. People in the North East most frequently said they used sex to cheer themselves up but people in the Midlands and Scotland said they would rather have an alcoholic drink to cope with feeling down. MARMITE AND GARLIC DRIVE AWAY MOZZIESPeople with HIV face an increased risk of contracting malaria and should take extra precautions. It is important for people to take anti-malarial medications prior to entering affected areas as well using anti-mosquito lotions, sprays and mosquito nets. Meanwhile a study from Leeds University has found that garlic and Marmite,
when eaten, act as perfect mosquito repellents. Dr Martin Schweiger said
Marmite gave off an odour through the skin that the insects found off-putting
but human
beings could not smell. Garlic acts in a similar way. |
SUPERBUG BREAKTHROUGH
Most bugs spread by close contact, and simple precautions, like regular hand washing, can protect medical staff and patients against potentially deadly bacteria. Now a retired lorry driver from Nuneaton has come up with a home-made hand cream which combats the hospital superbugs whilst trying to find a cream to treat his wife’s dermatitis. Mr Brian Bennett mixed a normal barrier cream with aloe vera, vitamin E
jojoba oil and evening primrose oil with a powerful anti-bacterial agent
Triclosan
and water repellent silicon. The resulting cream locks into the skin
and prevents cross contamination. Professor Tom Elliot, consultant microbiologist, said a three-month study
of 102 staff found a significant reduction in bacteria within seconds
of the lotion
being applied.
|
Mike Kaye describes how harmony and healing is achieved at one of the Edward Carpenter Community’s popular gay men’s weeks.
Getting together in groups has been a valuable source of healing and support
for many gay men over the years. The Edward Carpenter Community has run a variety
of gatherings since the 1980s, including its popular gay men’s weeks.
These weeks are freeform and develop in a way participants choose. Spirituality Weeks, of which Healing Spirit is the latest incarnation, are more structured and aim to take participants on a journey.
Here, I want to tell you about Healing Spirit and how it can be a journey into energy, light and community.
A journey from sickness to restored health is the basis of Healing Spirit
week. Contributors, including one living with HIV, draw on their own
journeys. Dramatic healing experiences can be brought about by releasing
repressed
and blocked emotions. We are not just mind, emotions and bodies; but something
behind and beyond all these, something deeper, more still, more expansive;
this is the sense of ‘I’ or ‘Self’.
By consciously undertaking to free ourselves from the dictates of mind, emotion and body and living from our deepest inner essence, we can transform our experience of life. Within heartfelt community a lot more can be achieved in a short time than we are likely to manage on our own. The path of the heart, using the power of love, especially when expressed unconditionally, takes us on a journey to a more beautiful and more fulfilled self. This path can take us into a state of harmony with existence. While it is a spiritual undertaking, the path is unique for each individual and need not have anything to do with religion.
Healing Spirit is arranged as a space for gay men to come together in an
atmosphere of trust and brotherhood, to address various healing issues
that have arisen
in our lives. It helps participants consider balancing mind, body, emotion
and spirit and how this generates health and well-being. At Healing Spirit,
HIV positive men are welcome. Activities enable and empower all to go
forward on their life journey while connecting to their feelings, beliefs and
the
forces of the universe.
Laurieston Hall in the south west of Scotland is the venue for this summer’s
Healing Spirit. It is a magical setting in the woods, with a beautiful loch
close by. It is a comfortable environment with open fires and a cosy feel.
In the grounds
there is a sauna and fire-pit and great walks and places to enjoy the peace
of the countryside. The week makes full use of the environment and involves
group
activity including massage, dance, song, meditation and heart circles. Participants
are encouraged to share and develop their own healing skills, and even lead
workshops so they end the week uplifted, enlightened and more deeply in tune
with their
own loving nature.
The week from June 5-12 is expected to attract between 35 and 40 participants
from all over Britain and overseas. Bedrooms sleep between five and eight
but those seeking more solitude can be accommodated. One option is to camp
out
in the grounds. Meals are eaten together and participants are encouraged
to take
part in communal chores such as collecting wood and washing up.
Workshops cover a range of topics including exploring the difference between religion and spirituality, and tackling defensive behaviours that act as a bar to spiritual experience. Others workshops are built around the elements of earth, fire and water.
The best ways to beat low mood are having someone to talk to and being hugged,
according to a survey by the Mental Health Foundation.
Dr Stephen Toovey told the South African Business Day newspaper that the
severity of malaria was directly proportional to the CD4 count in HIV positive
people.
It is estimated that hospital-acquired infections cost the NHS around £1
billion a year. Deaths from drug-resistant staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) have
increased from 51 in 1993 to 800 in 2002. 
COFFEE AND SHERRY ‘PROTECT YOUR HEART’