Table of contents for Issue 188 in WellBeing

“Where are we going?” I say suspiciously to my fiancé Henry, as he leads me blindfolded to the car at 5am. He opens the door and carefully guides me in. “I’ve packed your hiking boots and your wetsuit,” he replies with a laugh. After 40 minutes of driving and a few cryptic clues, he stops the car and leads me outside. I can feel the sun on my cheeks and hear a few muffled giggles nearby. Henry tells me I can take off the blindfold; I do so faster than a five-year-old at Christmas. I spin around with excitement until my eyes land on two of my best friends. They rush to hug me, and I realise we’re standing next to a boat. I look around. The sun is rising…

By continuously learning and teaching tools to expand our consciousness. Releasing judgement because separation hasn’t worked for us as a human race and it’s not going to work now. @iammarialeonard I’m staying informed and educated. Acknowledging that I am personally responsible for becoming more ethical than the society I grew up in. @josephinezappia I’m reading and watching documentaries/movies on what people of colour have gone through. Also having conversations with my family and friends and exchanging awareness on the situation. Supporting businesses that are owned by BIPOC is also the easiest thing we can do on social media. If we don’t have diversity on our pages and social media feeds, we should start with that. @mindfulnessinthejungle By sharing as much knowledge as I know, and yearning to learn more, while…

COVID’s wildlife revelations In the early part of 2020 many countries around the world went into lockdown to control the spread of COVID-19. These tragic circumstances also brought about a unique opportunity. This unprecedented immobility on the part of humans offered the chance for insights into the impacts humans have on wildlife. Anecdotally, researchers observe that animal behaviour has changed with pumas, for instance, in downtown city streets and dolphins in waters normally dominated by human boat traffic. To make use of this window into our impact on wildlife, biologists all over the world have fitted animals with miniature tracking devices. These “bio-loggers” will yield a treasure trove of information on animal movements and behaviour. By looking at how animals are responding to reduced levels of human activity the hope…

It’s Sunday afternoon and I check in to my spacious two-person villa at Elements in Byron Bay, NSW. As I pull the soft white curtains back, I gasp: my home away from home is stunning. Light timber finishes in the kitchen, an airy back deck overlooking the rainforest, a fireplace, two big bathrooms, a freestanding bathtub and a plush king bed. In the bathroom, I find slippers and a white weave robe that I put on immediately. I am officially on retreat. Normal life no longer applies, and I flop onto the soft bed. A few minutes later, I reluctantly pull myself from the cloud-like mattress, throw on some warmer clothes and head outside to catch the sunset. Nestled on 20 hectares of pristine beachfront, with eight of those hectares…

Want to try the latest in natural beauty? Well, look no further than your pantry. The food you eat nourishes, nurtures and heals the body, helping it to work to optimal efficiency. But everyday foods can also soothe and beautify the skin, hair and nails. Oats, apple-cider vinegar, baking soda, raw sugar, coffee and almond milk are just a few staples that can be made into beauty products that are plentiful, affordable and natural. The business of beauty is complex, with corporate giants and global companies vying for a share of the lucrative skin, haircare and cosmetics market. There is a bewildering array of lotions, powders, gels, ointments, botanicals, infusions, serums and capsules to choose from. Take a stroll into your local pharmacy or cosmetics store, check the ingredients list…

One of the great medical misconceptions of the 20th century was that you do not grow new brain cells. The last few decades have shown that in the olfactory bulb (smell) and the hippocampus (memory and cognitive processes), new neurons can grow throughout life. We also know that health-promoting foods can stimulate neuron growth. For instance, polyphenol compounds (from foods like tea, grapes, wine, olive oil, cocoa, nuts, fruits and vegetables) and polyunsaturated fatty acids (from fish, corn, soybeans and sunflower seeds) lead to significantly higher rates of neuron growth in both the olfactory bulb and the hippocampus. To keep your brain healthy as you age, choosing the right foods is an important, and essential, first step. The Mediterranean diet There is plenty of evidence suggesting that the Mediterranean style…

“The first thing we do when we’re born is inhale. The last thing we do is exhale,” says Dr Noah Greenspan, founder of the Pulmonary Wellness Foundation and the Pulmonary Wellness and Rehabilitation Center in New York. It’s a mostly automatic, unconscious action that happens about 22,000 times a day. “Breathing is a thing you take for granted, until you have a problem,” remarks Greenspan, also the author of Ultimate Pulmonary Wellness published in 2017. Your daily breath On a global level our lungs aren’t in good shape. World Health Organisation figures show chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder (COPD) is the third leading cause of death globally. In Western countries, asthma is the most common chronic illness affecting children. Within Australia, lung cancer and COPD (obstruction of the airways caused by…

Ask people to name someone they think is charismatic and the answers will almost always include the likes of Obama, Brené Brown, Oprah Winfrey, George Clooney and Princess Diana. But ask the same people to tell you what makes these smooth operators so charming, and you’ll likely be met with blank faces. Singling out the charismatic among us seems somewhat intuitive, but quantifying what makes these people so magnetic is a whole other exercise. Unlike power, wealth or status, charisma is something altogether more amorphous: a vibe-like quality that draws admiration and trust from others. According to the Oxford English Dictionary it is “compelling attractiveness or charm that can inspire devotion in others”. Psychologists and research scientists have been studying this elusive “it” factor for decades. What is it that…

People are taking to the streets at an unprecedented level of frequency. Explosions of mass outrage have been growing more common since the mid-1940s, increasing by 11.5 per cent each year for the past decade. In 2019 alone, a tsunami of protests reached every continent and across 114 countries, from Hong Kong to Bolivia, marking an unparalleled amount of political mobilisation. Protest is vital for democracy. It gives the voiceless a means to shout in the streets, centring ordinary people in democratic life. In an era of instant feedback, protest offers an immediate form of action unshackled from election cycles, and as voting and lobbying are seen as less and less reliable, the masses are seeking change from outside the system’s walls. But is this new era of global unrest…

Welcome to the inaugural WellBeing Be-YOU-T Awards, Australia’s only natural beauty awards. We asked for your favourite natural beauty products in categories like anti-ageing, face, body, hair, make-up, baby and many more, then we got to work. After collecting more than 14,000 votes from the general public, our editorial team spent a year testing, sampling and smelling over 200 beauty products. Why? We want to help you navigate the natural beauty world by introducing you to good-quality, WellBeing-approved brands that actually work. Without further ado, please meet the winners of our 2020 WellBeing Be-YOU-T Awards competition. Drum roll. Lip colour The Organic Skin Co Cheeky Lips Blush and Lip I am head over heels for this product. It’s the best natural lip and cheek cream I have come across. Not…

Getting there: Mitchell River National Park is located about 890km from Broome via the Gibb River and Kalumburu Roads. Track conditions: The Gibb River Road is graded and usually opens to travellers in April each year. Kalumburu Road is far more rugged and corrugated and a high-clearance 4WD vehicle is required to cross the King Edward River and reach Mitchell Plateau. Pack spares, tools, water, fuel and know-how. Camping: Mitchell River’s free-range campground provides composting toilets, water and fire places ($11/adult, $7/concession or $3/child, plus a $13/vehicle entry fee). Glamping: Mitchell Falls Wilderness Lodge has peak season rates of around $690/couple, with breakfast and dinner. For fully inclusive packages, including flights in and out of the park, visit aptouring.com. Outback Horizons is just one company that offers luxury tours of…

The delivery of natural medicine education within Australia has been a rapidly evolving phenomenon. Over the past 30 years, educational standards have seen “entry to practice” level qualifications evolve from Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) Certificate (AQF 4) or Diploma (AQF 5) levels to Advanced Diplomas (AQF 6) and Bachelor (AQF 7) levels within a short period of time. With the introduction of professional Master programs (AQF 9) and Doctoral degrees (AQF 10), this issue has led to additional challenges for educational providers and associations alike. Here, we explore these issues and how educational providers and ANTA managed these issues. Educational programs The AQF was introduced by the Commonwealth Government in 1995. The purpose was to ensure that all higher and vocational education programs were delivered and assessed at an appropriate…

Now that we’re emerging from the depths of wintertime, I have two burning questions for you: Have you been drawn to eating more? Have you craved comfort foods that you don’t usually crave? If you answered yes to either or both of these questions, don’t worry, you’re not alone. Winter is comfort-food central and it’s important you embrace it. If you’re looking for a recipe that brings both comfort and nourishment in the same mouthful, my vegan lentil moussaka is the one for you. I assure you it’s ultra-tasty like you’re-eager-to-get-a-second-plate-of-it-after-only-the-first-bite kind of tasty, plus it’s one of those ambidextrous recipes that tastes even better the next day and is a freezer-friendly dish, meaning the leftovers (if there are any) can be frozen for another time. If you’ve never heard…

As 2020 galloped into full momentum, a large swathe of humanity suddenly found itself frozen in mid-stride, engulfed in the nightmare tsunami that has become the devastating legacy of the coronavirus. As the year has unfolded, and we have allowed ourselves to collectively exhale, we’ve come to realise that at least for the time being the heartbeat of our everyday existence has been seismically recalibrated. The air that we took so much for granted and breathed together has now become a source of our division. We now have to relate apart as social distancing, a term that was not part of our lexicon at the beginning of this year, has become the defining mode of our current daily interactions. We used to work and play together. Now we conduct our…

ALTERNATIVE MEDICINE PRACTITIONER STRESS FREE MANAGEMENT p (02) 9609 4881 e info@stressfreemanagement.com.au stressfreemanagement.com.au COUNSELLING & PSYCHOLOGY THE INDIGO PROJECT p +61 2 92125469 e hello@theindigoproject.com.au theindigoproject.com.au EDUCATION ACUENERGETICS 372 Darling Street, Balmain NSW 2041 p 02 9818 1522 e info@acuenergetics.com www.acuenergetics.com SYDNEY INSTITUTE OF TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE 502/25-29 Dixon St, Haymarket NSW 2000 p 02 9212 1968 e administration@sitcm.edu.au sitcm.edu.au AUSTRALIAN TRADITIONAL MEDICINE SOCIETY Suite 12/27 Bank St, Meadowbank NSW 2114 p 1800 456 855 e info@atms.com.au www.atms.com.au HART LIFE COACHING Suite 12/27 Bank St, Meadowbank NSW 2114 p 0414 364 494 e anne@heartlifecoaching.com.au hartlifecoaching.com.au MASSAGE & ORGANIC BEAUTY SAGE BEAUTY 292 Campbell Pde, North Bondi NSW 2026 p 02 9130 7064 e info@sagebeauty.com.au sagebeauty.com.au DENTAL DR SCOTT MAKIOL BIODENTISTRY p 07 3848 2320 biodentistry.com.au INTEGRATED MEDICINE THE HEALTH LODGE…

Fruit & vegetables Fruit apple (Lady Williams), banana, cherry, cumquat, grapefruit (pink and yellow), lemon, loquat, lychee, mandarin (Ellendale and Murcot), mango, melon (honeydew, rockmelon and watermelon), orange (blood and Seville), papaya, pawpaw, pineapple (smooth leaf), starfruit, strawberries and tangelo. Vegetables artichoke, Asian greens (buk choy, choy sum, gai lan, wombok), asparagus, avocado, beans (broad and green), broccoli, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, choko, cucumber, leek, lettuce, mushroom (Morel), onion (salad and spring), peas (green, snow and sugar snap), potato, pumpkin, silver beet, spinach, sweet potato, watercress and zucchini flowers. Inspiring activities • Catch some early morning sunrays at the beach with a new book and a warm cup of tea• Take up a hobby like surfing, tennis, squash or swimming• Book yourself into a pottery course and make some magic with…

I just received your WellBeing magazine issue #186 sporting a lovely, smiley, curly-haired girl on the cover; a welcoming sight given the current world we’re all living in. Over the past few months, my sleep has been disturbed. It’s been a while since I’ve had a good, solid sleep. I’ve had a few issues going on in my life and I’ve been turning to junk food, which makes me happy (but it’s short-lived). I’ve always known that plenty of good nutritious food and exercise is beneficial for my wellbeing, but lately my anxiety has the better of me. Reading the article on sleep and weight gain on page 6 has really opened my eyes. Now I understand that eating properly is so important to getting a good night’s sleep, which…

Foods against Alzheimer’s This study of 2800 people aged 50 and over looked to see if there was a relationship between intake of flavonoids from food and the risk of developing dementia and Alzheimer’s. Significantly, the study took place over 20 years. Flavonoids are found in foods like berries, apples, pears, onions, tea and wine. Low intake was defined as no berries, no tea and one-and-a-half apples per month. High intake was 7.5 cups of berries, eight apples and pears and 19 cups of tea per month. The researchers looked at three specific types of flavonoids. Low intake of flavonols (apples, pears and tea) was associated with twice the risk of developing Alzheimer’s and related dementias (ADRD). Low intake of anthocyanins (berries and wine) was linked to a fourfold increase…

Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the human body and essential in about 80 per cent of known metabolic functions, including as a cofactor for more than 300 enzyme reactions. It has been estimated that 60 per cent of adults in the West do not consume the average daily intake recommended and that over 45 per cent of adults are magnesium deficient. Magnesium deficiency Early signs of a magnesium deficiency are non-specific and include loss of appetite, lethargy, nausea, vomiting, fatigue and weakness. Pronounced magnesium deficiency presents with symptoms of increased neuromuscular excitability such as tremor, spasms, muscle cramps, tetany and generalised seizures. Severe deficiencies can cause cardiac arrhythmias including atrial and ventricular tachycardia. Cardiovascular disease Magnesium plays a critical role in blood pressure regulation. A meta-analysis was…

How did Outland Denim first come into conception and when? In 2008 I went to the cinema with my wife to see the film Taken, a fictional film inspired by the very real $150 billion illicit trade of human beings. It was my first introduction to the world of human trafficking. I later had the opportunity to travel to Asia with an anti-trafficking group and saw first-hand what it was like on the ground and how human traffickers prey on vulnerable young girls. I learned that once a girl has been rescued and integrated into her family or community, a sustainable career path is vital for securing her future. It was from here that the foundations of Outland Denim were placed as an avenue for training, employment and career progression…

Along with the daily meal, many people are unwittingly serving up small amounts of chemicals and heavy metals leached from cooking appliances, utensils, food containers, wrappings and water pipes. As you clean up and cook, you’re also potentially inhaling toxic vapours from stoves and cleaning products. On the upside, as masters of your own domain, you have the power to transition your kitchens into less toxic zones. Non-toxic cookware “An important place to start is by ditching non-stick cookware,” says Jo Immig, coordinator of the National Toxics Network in Australia. This includes non-stick woks, frypans, saucepans and baking ware. During cooking, non-stick particles can be scraped and dislodged by utensils into the food we eat, she warns. “The term ‘non-stick’ actually covers a broad range of proprietary brand coatings with…

A saying attributed to ancient yogis goes like this: “You are only as young and as healthy as your spine is strong, supple and flexible.” Over 5000 years ago, yogis knew the vital role that your spine plays in your physical health, wellbeing and spiritual development. Sadhguru, a renowned yogi mystic, spiritual master, author and a founder of Isha Foundation, teaches that the spine, called meru danda in Sanskrit, is the axis of the universe, and that “a human being can live just as a biological entity or transform themselves so they become the centre of the universe.” But before the yogic view of the significance of the spine is explored in this article and yoga practice is introduced, let us investigate what the spine is and what its primary…

It’s a simple idea: provide solar lights for poor families in the slums of India so they can stop using dangerous kerosene lamps at night and save the environment. For many idealistic entrepreneurs, that would be the end of the idea. Not for Katerina Kimmorley, who is the co-founder of Pollinate Energy and a climate and sustainability investor. For Kimmorley, what started out as lights for the poor became a mission to turn the light on for women around the globe. Lights on As a child, Kimmorley grew up in one of Australia’s most beautiful coastal areas: the northern beaches of NSW. Life was good; she’d go to university, perhaps she’d do medicine? A good student with a flair for the sciences, everything was possible. Until she saw something very…

Your life is like a movie on the big silver screen with you as the protagonist acting out your archetypal journeys. Ever notice how the protagonist in a film follows familiar patterns? They must defeat an internal or external challenge of some kind — save the world, save someone else, their career, a relationship, a cause, and they face obstacles along the way in order to achieve this. Within the first 15 minutes something usually happens — they have an accident, get divorced or are inspired to pursue a dream. This gives them a goal, followed by obstacles to the goal — discrimination, poverty, gender, lack of self-worth, oppression. The result: their journey. In facing their external and internal demons the protagonist is forced to grow and express their potential.…

Anxiety is debilitating. A relentless beast that demands time and energy, it can upturn days, weeks, months and years. It can present itself through panic attacks, physical ailments and stressful life moments. Experiencing the challenges of a generalised anxiety disorder has not only served many lessons for me physically and mentally, but it has helped me to become more acquainted with the musings of my soul. I understand what my body needs, what foods to eat, how to self-love more compassionately. Anxiety appears when your mind, body and soul are in a state of imbalance; it’s your spirit’s way of speaking to you and helping you on your life purpose and mission. Anxiety on a spiritual level has the power to transform your life. What you perceive as your greatest…

The Less Waste No Fuss Kitchen LINDSAY MILES, HARDIE GRANT BOOKS Walk over to your kitchen and open the pantry doors. What do you see? Flours, nuts, chips and biscuits all wrapped in single-use plastic? Rice and pasta packets hidden at the back of the pantry, shadowed by outdated tins of lentils and soup? If you relate to this common kitchen scenario, don’t worry … us too. Thankfully, though, The Less Waste No Fuss Kitchen book by zero-waste educator and author, Lindsay Miles, will transform the way you shop, cook and eat. In the book, Miles focuses on three pillars: plastic and packaging; carbon footprint and climate change; and food waste and landfill. As you read, you quickly learn how interconnected the three pillars are and what you can do…

When there are far-off dramas and traumas — like pandemics — I empathise with the situation but there’s not much I can do about it. So, I tend the pantry and I garden. When it comes to the pantry, I create order out of, well, not chaos, but very crammed shelves. Step one is throwing out all the outdated jam, pickles and chutney. Step two for global trauma is planting, growing and harvesting. There is nothing like reminding yourself of the deep and endless generosity of the earth to feel — literally — grounded again, your hands in soil, your face among the greenery and flowers. But what about when the soil is cold and the air even colder? There are still delicious fast- or slow-growing delicacies to plant. Everything…

This patient was a 65-year-old woman who was still working but who had had a couple of major events that impacted on her memory and concentration. The first was a heart attack five years earlier when she had a stent placed in the aorta. She had taken her prescribed medication religiously for a year or two but had been forgetting (or not wanting) to take them for a while. She was very concerned about the statins she was prescribed as these can be associated with memory loss. She had also had a business that had been taken over in a hostile manner, causing such severe stress that she felt that this was much of the problem. Her memory loss became much worse during this time, so she was now worried…

The psychology of toilet paper hoarding If you watched with bemused dismay as your fellow citizens responded to a viral pandemic by buying all the toilet paper they could carry, then this study may answer some of your questions. In March 2020 toilet paper sales increased by up to 700 per cent, so some savvy researchers got ahead of the game and between 23 and 29 March had more than 1000 adults complete surveys that covered demographics, perceived threat level from COVID-19, quarantine behaviours and toilet paper consumption. The thing that best predicted toilet paper stockpiling was perceived threat from the pandemic, but there was also a link to personality. People who scored high on conscientiousness (organised, diligent, perfectionist and prudent) were also more likely to stockpile toilet paper. The…

Almonds (Prunus amygdalus) are technically the seed of the fruit of the almond tree. There are two major types — the sweet almond and the bitter almond. Sweet almonds are a common food, whereas the bitter almonds are used for the production of almond oil or as a flavouring agent in foods and liqueurs such as amaretto. They are thought to have originated in Asia or North Africa and were first cultivated by the ancient Greeks — ancient Romans called them “Greek nuts”. Today almonds are mainly grown in many of the countries that border the Mediterranean Sea and also in California and parts of Australia. Nutrition A 70g portion (¼ cup) of almonds contains 5g protein (high), 4g carbohydrates, high fat at 11g and 3g dietary fibre, giving them…

E: hello@marniehawson.com.au W: marniehawson.com.au I: instagram.com/marniehawson Lifestyle and travel photographer Marnie Hawson is a former environmental scientist with an honours degree in zoology, so nature and conservation have long had a place in her heart. Working solely with ethically and sustainably minded businesses, Hawson’s purpose-driven projects are an ode to the natural world and those who live respectfully within it. Her shots are gentle and dream-like, celebrating texture and light in a way that pays homage to Mother Nature. This year, Hawson launched Prints for Wildlife, a project that highlights the work of Australia’s wildlife carers. Hawson snaps portraits of animals in care at wildlife sanctuaries and donates 100 per cent of profits from the prints to the sanctuaries. Alongside each portrait is the story of the animal — mostly…

For millennia, mushrooms have been used as delicious culinary delights and as a powerful medicinal ingredient. They are incredibly rich in a number of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre including the following. Beta-glucan Beta-glucan is a soluble fibre and naturally occurring polysaccharide present in the cell walls of fungi or mushrooms. This type of fibre remains undigested as it moves through the digestive tract and slows the transit of food through the intestines. A delayed rate of digestion helps satiate appetite, slow the release of glucose into the bloodstream and stabilise blood-sugar levels, and can support the transport of cholesterol out of the body, making it a valuable nutrient in mushrooms for those with high cholesterol levels or diabetes and for achieving and maintaining healthy weight. Most notably however is…

Recently, I’ve found myself absolutely enamoured of communities that are renowned for longevity. In my mind, these broad-smiling Italians sit in humble courtyards on low-to-the-ground seats (glass of wine in hand and a cheese platter nearby), surrounded by family and friends. They take slow strolls around their neighbourhoods, while away the hours in the garden, enjoy daily siestas and never ever rush. They don’t count calories, write to-do lists or keep a journal of the things that they’re grateful for because gratitude is just a natural part of their existence. They’re not pushing or striving to live long, healthy lives by stocking up on the latest superfood powders and walking the perfect number of steps each day. They’re not striving for anything; they are simply being, in the most delightful…

“Mummy. Henry and I like playing in the dirt.” “Yes, sweetheart. I know.” Sigh. We’ve all heard the message from experts: our children do not get enough outside playtime. We knowingly nod our heads in agreement. But then what? The recent Pokémon GO phenomenon is touted for getting screen-addicted kids outside. Youth participation in organised sport sits at between 60 and 70 per cent in Canada, the US and Australia alike. And still those persistent experts tell us we are not doing enough to get our children active and outside. Kids have a bizarre fascination with dirt. Set them on a patch of manicured lawn and their childhood fantasy play will not manifest in nearly the same ways as when they are set free on a pile of sand or,…

PREPARING FOR THE JOURNEY The Innocent/Dreamer Goal: To be happy. Fear: Doing something wrong. Gift: Faith, optimism, open-mindedness, hope, trust. Shadow: Denial of what’s really occurring, being too trusting. The Innocent wants to be free, happy and loved. This is the golden age where the individual is happy trusting and the world is a safe good place. The Innocent is not critical of the group they join as long as they feel liked. But in wanting to fit in they must decide which qualities to sacrifice to do this. My intellect so I can be the “fun one?” My conscience so I can belong to the group of criminals? Eventually the Innocent sees the world is not perfect. They won’t always be loved, and they experience “the fall” where they…

When you raise the topic of “criticism” it’s not long before someone will trot out the saying that “you should ignore what critics say as no statue has ever been erected for a critic”. That quote is attributed to Romantic composer Jean Sibelius, and you can imagine him huffing out those words as his wife read a scathing review of his latest work to him from the morning paper as he scoffed his breakfast Karelian pie (Sibelius was Finnish, should you be wondering). The thing to remember is that Sibelius died in 1957, and the world of the third decade of the 21st century is a very different one from the world he knew. Sibelius was venting the age-old lament of the artiste. Whatever you think of an artist’s output…

When it comes to regenerative agriculture, there is no cookie-cutter template. However, a number of techniques and elements often play an important part, either individually or combined together: • Integration of livestock. • No-till farming techniques and cover cropping. No-till has the important benefits of retaining soil structure and protecting against soil erosion. Plants are grown to cover the bare soil rather than be harvested. According to research by the climate change initiative Project Drawdown, no-till and cover crops fix about 0.5 tonnes of carbon per hectare annually. • Composting techniques. • Biochar. This type of charcoal is created by pyrolysing organic matter such as wood at a fairly low temperature. It is carbon-negative, boosts soil fertility and encourages humus development. • Perennial crops. • Crop diversity and polyculture systems.…

Downstream of Mertens Falls where a shady patch of rainforest cools the trail, rock art glimpsed by chance lures us unexpectedly off track. We wade and rockhop with backpacks and boots held overhead to come face to face with a long-extinct thylacine, etched in vibrant red and yellow ochre on hidden, overhung rock. A vibrant battle scene colours the rock face too, and its intricate, 30,000-year-old details mesmerise us as we float in the perfect plunge pool at its base, gazing upwards in the most surreal of art galleries. We’re on the trail to Mitchell Falls, a magical, four-tiered beauty which is quite literally the high point for all dusty road trippers who ride the rugged Gibb River Road to reach this remote bastion of wilderness in the Kimberley’s far…

Finally, a plant medicine book that speaks to our modern-day lives. In Plants for the People: A Modern Guide to Plant Medicine, expert herbalist, nutritionist and energetic healer, Erin Lovell Verinder, takes the reader on an in-depth voyage into plant medicine. In the beautifully photographed book, you’ll learn to celebrate plants, understand their powers and harness their healing qualities. Weaving ancient wisdom with a modern approach, Plants for the People offers readers recipes for teas, tinctures, syrups, balms, baths and more. You’ll also find easy-to-make tonics for addressing common ailments such as bloating, low energy, winter colds and anxiety. At the back of the book you’ll discover a comprehensive materia medica: an extensive history of plants, how to use them, what to look out for and their energetic qualities. Rosmarinus…

Have you ever thought your cracked lips, brittle hair or the white spots on your nails were messages from your miraculous body notifying you to increase particular nutrients in your diet? Micronutrients is the term given to vitamins and minerals. Micronutrients are essential for human life as they enable the body to produce enzymes, hormones and other substances fundamental to proper growth and development. Many micronutrients cannot be synthesised by the body and therefore must be obtained through the food you eat. A deficiency in micronutrients can present with an array of symptoms, some of which you can see when looking in the mirror. Are you showing signs or symptoms of a nutrient deficiency? Let’s take a look. Acne Possible deficiency in vitamin A, vitamin D, vitamin E and zinc…

By the time this edition of WellBeing is published, we may no longer be in COVID-19 stasis. I suspect our lives won’t be as they were before the pandemic and some restrictions will remain. But we may be back at work, and no longer spending 24/7 with our family, households and our pets. So, although most of what I’ve written here from my home office (bedroom) seems to apply to the COVID-19 isolation and social distancing era, it can be applied at any stage of our life with our pets. There’s been a lot of social media chatter about how dogs and cats, and other pets, are dealing with the now constant presence of their owners. I do love the memes suggesting that dogs love it, while cats wish they’d…

Cancer Sept 2–10 with its sensitive Full Moon and Earth and Water harmonies helps Cancer put in place some kinder routines and healing checkpoints, to safeguard against later regrets: Spring Equinox on Sept 22–23 is one of the year’s balancing points, but for you it activates your family, vocational and partnership signs. The focus is a trio of Capricorn planets bringing an obsessive energy to your partner sign. This applies to either you or someone close being in danger of pushing themselves too hard. You find a greater sense of balance by Oct 12 and Oct 26–27 brings a fortunate illumination. Virgo Life has thrown some curveballs your way, but late Aug reconnects you with your vision. In Sept, your Virgo strengths of creating systems, bringing order to chaos and…