Harmony in Health

Music has the potential to bring people together and can make a huge contribution to our practical exploration of harmony. 

In this episode, Julia Outlaw talks to team member Sara Khoroosi about her work with music in the community: with children, displaced people, professional musicians and complete beginners.   They explore how to create space for freedom of expression, the richness that comes from working towards a performance and how to find harmony in difficult situations.

Foraging has been gaining in popularity as people recognise the benefits of living more harmoniously with nature.  Of course, it used to be a way of life for many.   

In this episode, Konstantinos Tsiompanos shares his gentle wisdom and experience as environmental educator, forest school teacher and lover of foraging in a conversation with Julia Outlaw in which they touch on many related projects including; foraging for health, supporting refugees in western Greece, permaculture, medicinal herbs and mushrooms as well as ideas about how to forage harmoniously.

Hippocrates, the renowned physician from Ancient Greece, is often referred to as the Father of Medicine. Although his contribution to understanding the causes of and treatment for all sorts of illnesses (including airborne diseases) was vast, many of his theories on health have been forgotten. 

In this episode, Julia Outlaw talks to Palliative Care consultant, Ayurveda practitioner and expert on Hippocrates, Dr Eleni Tsiompanou, uncovering many of these hidden gems and guidelines for coming back to health.   They discuss different diets for different types of people, seasons, natural exercise and more, exploring the holistic nature of Hippocrates' teachings and how we can use these to take responsibility for our own health today.

Julia Outlaw talks to Gaiea (aka Gabriella Burnel) about her life-long study of the Sanskrit language, with its strong associations with Vedic Mantras, chanting and healing. 

Gaiea will also perform some mantras to give a taste of the extraordinary power of language.

This is a trailer for our exciting Harmony in Health event on June 20. Details and booking on Eventbrite.

Julia Outlaw talks to presenters Anne Andenaes and Malgorzata Jablonska about the Summer Solstice in Norway and Poland. Ruth Routledge of Mind and Voice tells us about her work and will teach us a seasonal song on June 20.  A new presenter for Harmony in Health, Toral Shah, talks about the importance of circadian rhythms and seasonal food. She will cook something live at the event later this month.

Julia Outlaw talks with fellow team member Anne Andenaes, ex-competitive swimmer, aromatherapist and teacher of natural movement, about her fascinating early life leading to working with movement and the senses in Norway in a highly individualistic way.

Harmony team member Julia Outlaw, herself a Long Covid sufferer, discusses this condition  and the impact of our course with two women who are navigating their path back to health with us.

Here are some quotes from the podcast, on Ayurveda, natural breathing and other ways to help restore balance.

• I'm understanding more the idea of working with my body and am getting to know what might help me heal
• The Ayurvedic input on nutrition is another really helpful element..    I am cooking with more spices now.. and more warming foods
• I've been concentrating on allowing the natural exhale after the breathing session; my breathing, my voice, everything, has improved quite significantly over this last week - just from that little snippet
• It's very inclusive, it's very gentle - it's about taking things at your own pace - taking what works for you..   but there's so many gems, so much input there - and encouragement.   something for everyone.
• ...finding ways to rebalance yourself and moving forward not only to healing with long covid but beyond that to a more balanced life..   yes quite transforming

When we were developing our Harmony in Health team, we were very keen to include people from the world of theatre.  Anyone who has read Stanislavski or Grotowski, for instance, knows that in their training actors explore mind and body in a profound way. The Harmony principles of interconnectedness, interdependence, diversity and adaptation - for example - are crucial in a theatrical production.  Performers can experience both different states of consciousness and the freedom to "play" within boundaries.  Theatre researcher and doctoral candidate Małgorzata Jabłońska talks to Julia Outlaw about this fascinating subject.

Julia Outlaw discusses this fascinating topic with team  member Dr Hanna Poikonen. Hanna is a dancer, neuroscientist and the founder of the WiseMotion method.

The microbiome is central to contemporary discussions around gut health and the immune system, but is only part of the complex ways in which mind and body interact. Neuroscience is no longer limited to a study of what happens in the brain and is increasingly investigating the pathways of communication between mind and body which were once, thanks to Cartesian dualism, thought of as very separate entities.

Julia Outlaw discusses the benefits of singing with Harmony team member Ruth Routledge (mindandvoice.com). Particularly during the current crisis singing can be of enormous benefit as a way of connecting with people - even over Zoom - and as a subtle form of therapeutic exercise affecting lungs, heart-rate,  the parasympathetic nervous system and emotional wellbeing.