Relaxed Body, Relaxed Mind

WEEK ONE RELAXATION TECHNIQUE

This simple technique relaxes your entire body, thereby relaxing your mind. As through directing your attention to specific body parts, to tighten the muscles then let them go, a proven technique to calm your mind in the process.
As before, follow Kara’s preparatory tips, and, having shuffled around, to find your most comfortable position, direct your attention down to your toes, scrunch them over, to let them fall away, completely letting go of any tension in your toes.

Moving up to your calves, under enormous pressure when seated for long periods of time, gently tighten your calves, feeling them ball up, to release them, letting them go soft.

Keeping your lower legs relaxed, now tense up your thighs and hamstrings to let them release back. 

Now your glutes, tense them up, feeling your body slightly rise up from your chair as you do so, now let your glutes go, sinking deeper into your chair, your whole lower body now relaxed &  heavier, sinking deeper into your seat.

Next contract your stomach muscles, pulling them in, feeling them harden and tighten, to slowly and completely unwind them.

Sense into your chest, constricting your pectoral muscles or pushing your chest out, to then slowly let them loosen, softening.

Now your back muscles, picture and feel them tightening, sensing into them, constricting them, to let your spine settle deeper into your chair.

Keeping all these muscles relaxed, squeeze and lift your shoulders up towards your ears, to let them gently drop back, fully relaxed, feeling your neck lengthen as a consequence.

Moving onto your arms. tense your upper and lower forearms, to let everything go.

Next your hands and fingers, scrunch them up tight into a ball, to release them, feeling the calm this brings from everyday ‘doing’.

Gently move your head (as long as you have no neck impingements) from side to side, esing out any tension here.

Then squeeze up, scrunch up all your face muscles tight, letting them completely go, feeling the deep peace this brings.

Finally, with closed eyes, stare intensely into the back of your eyelide, making your eyeballs tight, to then let them sink back into their sockets, perfectly at ease.
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Just enjoy this feeling of complete bodily relaxation, and let your mind drift away.

Body Relaxation Adepts can perform this entire relaxation process in seconds, so familiary are they with the process, and, as seen on many You Tube videos, this process looks like a ripple or wave flowing through the person, from a highly practiced Meditator.

For further Information or Questions on this weeks Meditation  please contact Kara on: 97-743357
Guided Group Meditation & One to One classes are also available. 

Children’s books review #1

What’s this all about?

Reading books with young children is a special joy for parents, and of course it’s a great opportunity for toddlers to learn new words, understand the idea of stories, and expand their creativity and imagination. I’ll blog once a month or so with a round-up of interesting books that have been a hit – or sometimes a miss – with our own kids, as well as news of forthcoming titles and anything else book-related that occurs. As our oldest is only just over two, the focus will be on books for very young readers.

But first, a word about book buying in Cyprus

Some parents have complained about the expense of buying English language books in Cyprus. Yes, if you go to stores that are mainly gadget or toy shops – naming no names! – their titles are really astonishingly overpriced. However, it’s always worth popping into the Academic and General Bookshop (41 Ermou Ave, Shop 2, 6023 Larnaka, telephone 24628401), as they have some very good deals. Also, there is an excellent children’s section towards the back of the shop, and nothing beats letting children loose to find their own books – especially when the bookshop owners are helpful and tolerant, as they are here. The only other really great children’s section for English books I’ve seen is in Soloneion (24 Vyzantiou Street, 2064 Strovolos, Cyprus, telephone 22 666 799), but of course that’s a bit further afield. Other recommendations gratefully received!

Naturally, the internet’s often the cheapest option when you have specific titles in mind. Most people will be aware of Amazon.co.uk and Play.com, but both have high shipping costs that annoyingly aren’t factored in until the final bill is calculated. For that reason I strongly recommend The Book Depository, which not only has good prices for “as new” books, but also makes no additional charges beyond the original price quoted for the book. Other sites such as abebooks.com or alibris.co.uk are also good for finding older or more obscure titles.

Reviews

Orange Pear Apple Bear
Emily Gravett
Simon & Schuster, 2007
ISBN: 978-1416939993

It sounds unworkable: a book consisting of just five words, all nouns, which are repeatedly jiggled about into new combinations. But the simplicity of the idea shouldn’t detract from the brilliance of the execution. You begin with the four objects of the title. On the next page, the apple and the pear still appear – but now the bear is orange! And so on, each page bringing a new, absurd image (“apple bear” is a favourite of my daughter’s), until the fruit are consumed and the bear leaves with a triumphant “There!” There are two great things about this book. Firstly, the delicate watercolouring, which you can see in the cover image, really draws the young reader in and explains the humour of the concept to them. Secondly, the language games show toddlers, whose main problem in expression is exactly lack of vocabulary, just how you can make a small number of words dance in interesting ways. A real triumph and highly recommended.

Tyrannosaurus Drip
Julia Donaldson (words), David Roberts (art)
Pan Children, 2008.
ISBN: 978-0230015500

If you don’t already have books by the current British Children’s Laureate Julia Donaldson on your child’s bookshelves, both of you are missing out. At the very least, make sure to get hold of the near-ubiquitous Gruffalo, a near-perfect new story that has the deep resonances of traditional fairy stories. Donaldson, who mostly writes in verse for this age-group, has a lovely command of rhyme and meter, and knows how to write in such a way as to direct the reading parent’s voice. You can’t help but growl out the lines of the evil Tyrannosaurus father (and those of his grim and grisly bride), while Drip himself – a vegetarian duckbilled dinosaur unwittingly raised by carnivores – is a rebel of the best kind whose lines stay just the right side of sanctimonious. For proof of Donaldson’s skill, just look at the way that every significant word comes either at the end of a line or at the beat in its centre. Very nervous young readers might find some of the imagery of the bone-strewn tyrannosaurus nest a little strong, but this is a fun tale with dinosaurs for children and some really positive moral lessons for the grown-ups to enjoy.

Coming to Tea
Sarah Garland
Frances Lincoln Children's Books, 2008
(Originally published 1985 by Bodley Head)
ISBN: 978-1845077235

Two mothers with young children live next door to each other. One family invites the other round for tea. They prepare the food, then the older children play in the sandpit. Tea itself is interrupted by rain, but all is rescued and the two mums enjoy a long conversation. This is one of those books in which very little out of the ordinary happens – but of course toddlers enjoy reading about ordinary life just as much as they do about fantastic adventures. What I adore about this book is the controlled chaos of both households, which makes them seem very real to anyone who’s wrangled multiple children into useful activities. Each page is bursting with domestic detail (Garland’s dogs, cat and rabbit are all naturalistic delights) and your child will keep finding new things to point out each time. Although some of the fashions are a little bit dated (those dungarees! That spiky hair!), this is a lovely way to give British migrant children a real sense of British houses, lives and weather.

by James Mackay
LPN Dad

“James Mackay is Lecturer in Comparative Studies at European University Cyprus” 

Re-Vitalising Yoga Retreat

Date: Friday May 25th – Sunday May 27th 2012 

Venue: Tochni village (between Limassol and Larnaca)

Suitability: All levels

Hosts: Rachel and Tina are fully qualified British trained teachers, with over 30 years of combined yoga experience.

This Yoga retreat is a wonderful opportunity to reconnect with your inner journey and gain a new perspective in a calm serene and stress-free environment. The setting for this retreat is the tranquil picturesque Tochni village. Accommodation is traditional self catering apartments with a swimming pool.

The weekend will consist of Yoga flow, Tantric Yoga, Restorative Yoga, Meditations, lots of free time to explore and relax, plus optional therapies such as massage and reflexology, hiking and horse riding.
This is a beautiful occasion to discover and learn yogic techniques to help lead a more balanced and harmonious life.

Connect with other like-minded individuals and engage with a community that has a fresh, exciting perspective of the emerging of a new consciousness.

Invest in your soul!

There are only 15 Places so please secure your place with a €50 deposit.

Price: Early bird special €175 for 2 nights based on 2 sharing Bed and Breakfast. Book before 31st March 2012. Thereafter €215.

For further information or to book contact:

Rachel on 9633 6977 yogirachel@hotmail.co.uk

Tina on 9999 2896 tinaconidis@hotmail.

JustSoCrafty Charity Craft Fair

Saturday, 9th June 2012

JustSoCrafty, Oroklini

Just So Crafty

Come and sell your hand-made products at the JustSoCrafty shop to help out charity. Contact Sarah on 24647750 / 96396784 for more information. Nadias Nails & beauty will be there offering discount nail treatments.

Flower Shaped Easter Egg Holder

I am excited to share the first Emma's Lunch post here at Larnaca Parents Network.  With Easter around the corner I thought it would be perfect to start with a simple and fun Easter craft.

This is a simple craft which can be adapted for any age.  Leave it to gluing for two year olds, allow some cutting for the five year olds. Show the concept to older children and let them figure out how to make it on their own.




Materials needed:
One third of an empty toilet paper roll
Yellow paper
Green shredded paper
Glue
Scissors



Cut the yellow paper, making it long enough to go all the way around the toilet paper roll and high enough to be about twice its height. Cut one side of the paper into petals.  Glue it around the toilet paper roll and fold the petals back to form a flower.






Place some of the green shredded paper into the flower shaped egg holder and you're done! All you need is a beautifully decorated Easter Egg.
Happy Easter! 

Vanja