Sign up to receive the Singing Dragon New Titles Catalogue, Autumn/Winter 2013-14

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front coverOur Singing Dragon New Titles catalogue for Autumn and Winter 2013-14 is now available. With full information on our expanding list of books in Chinese Medicine, Qigong, Daoism, Yoga, Aromatherapy, and a variety of other disciplines, our new titles catalogue is an essential resource for complementary health practitioners and anyone interested in enhancing their own health, wellbeing and personal development.

To receive a free copy of the catalogue, please sign up for our mailing list

You may also request multiple copies to share with friends, family, colleagues and clients–simply note how many copies of the catalog you would like (up to 20) in the “any additional comments” box on the sign-up form. Please be sure to click any additional areas of interest as well. You should receive a copy of the catalogue within two to three weeks.

The secrets of Facial Enhancement Acupuncture – Interview with Paul Adkins

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‘Facial Enhancement Acupuncture’ by Paul Adkins

So Paul, can you give us an idea of where Facial Enhancement Acupuncture came from?

Well, Facial Enhancement Acupuncture is my own protocol. I have taken historical points and used them to create this system of treatment. But facial acupuncture itself goes back at least a thousand years to the Song Dynasty when the Chinese Empress and Emperor’s concubines received acupuncture for anti-ageing purposes. So Facial Enhancement Acupuncture is a modern take on a very old tradition.

How does it work?

The first way is by lifting and tightening faces. I use acupuncture needles to give facial muscles a workout. It’s like getting your face to do a sit up, and just as a sit up will tighten your abs, this tightens jowls and other sagging skin.
The other way it works is by treating lines and wrinkles; the lines at the corners of your mouth or the “number 11s” at the top of your nose between your eyes. I insert needles to create a minute injury and the body makes natural collagen to heal the trauma and fills in the line, just like repairing a scar. It’s very subtle but after a few treatments you see a real difference. I recommend patients to have 10 weekly or fortnightly treatments and then top-up sessions every few months.

What are the benefits of Facial Enhancement Acupuncture?

The major benefit is that it reduces and slows the signs of ageing. The effects are quite amazing; it’s a real long-term lift for the face. Patients look better and they also feel better. The treatment integrates body points as well as points on the face and they have the side-effect of improving wellbeing.

What are the advantages of the treatment over cosmetic surgery, Botox or anti-ageing creams?

The main advantage is that it’s totally natural; no chemicals or invasive procedures. Also the recovery time is next to nothing, there’s no redness or irritation and so treatments can be done at any time of day.

Many people use acupuncture for treating pain, is it difficult to get people interested using it for cosmetic purposes?

My regular patients have already gotten into acupuncture and so are open to using it in a different way. I’ve become known for doing Facial Enhancement Acupuncture and so patients come to me looking for an alternative to Botox. It’s becoming much more recognised and is really catching on with plenty of celebrities raving about it, and that leads to people phoning the clinic to find out more.

What sort of reactions do you get from first-time patients?

They’re often really surprised! The treatment uses over 80 needles and so people can be a bit apprehensive. But then they realise it’s pain-free and say they can see a difference from the first treatment. They also feel a lot better after a session.

Finally, do you have any advice for practitioners considering incorporating Facial Enhancement Acupuncture into their practice?

It’s definitely something to look at. Acupuncturists will already have a potential client base of all their existing patients so it’s a really good source of income. Most people are already having facial treatments at the beauty parlour in the form of facial massage, facials, and chemical peels. They already trust you, so why not keep the treatment in house? It’s always worth having more strings to your bow.

Paul Adkins is a qualified acupuncturist who trained at the CTA Leamington College of Five-Element Acupuncture. He established The Mitchell Hill Clinic (www.themitchellhillclinic.co.uk) in the south west of England and has been practising acupuncture there for over eight years. He is a member of the British Acupuncture Council and has trained acupuncturists in over 30 countries to perform this natural, anti-ageing treatment. As well as lecturing on facial acupuncture both in the UK and worldwide, Paul became a Zita West Affiliated Fertility Acupuncturist in 2008.

© 2013 Singing Dragon blog. All Rights Reserved

How complementary therapists can help older people

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Complementary Therapies for Older People in Care by Sharon Tay

In this extract from Complementary Therapies for Older People in Care, Sharon Tay gives practical advice on how therapists can adapt treatments to suit older people with age-related medical conditions, such as Arthritis, Parkinson’s Disease and Cardiovascular Disease.

Click here to read the extract.

Sharon demonstrates how the role of a beauty and natural therapist is valuable in providing care and attention to frail and elderly people who can no longer cater for their own needs. Simple treatments such as an application of make-up, a session of reflexology or a manicure can greatly restore dignity and confidence to help these clients face the challenges in their physical and mental well-being that ageing brings.

Sharon Tay is a beauty therapist and natural therapist who has worked in the industry for eighteen years. She specialises in health and beauty care for women of all age groups, particularly with older women residing in both nursing homes and private residences. Complementary Therapies for Older People in Care is available to purchase from the Singing Dragon website.

Singing Dragon Bodywork Catalogue 2013

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Click on the box below to browse through our online Bodywork catalogue. Including titles on massage, reflexology, shiatsu, cranio-sacral therapy, yoga, and aromatherapy, this is an indispensable resource for anyone who cares for the human body.

All the titles, author names, and covers are interactive; just click on them to be taken to the book or author page on the Singing Dragon website.

Master Wu brings spiritual practices back to the British Acupuncture Council

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Wu 12 AnimalsMaster Zhongxian Wu made one of his rare visits to the UK to attend the British Acupuncture Council conference. He gave a series of workshops focusing on “shaking the blues away” with Classical Qigong. The technique of shaking the body is connected to the thunder trigram which is associated with new energy and new life. Each morning of the weekend-long conference a crowd of delegates and exhibitors made their way across the lawns towards the sounds of the Qin – a recording of Master Wu playing the ancient Chinese zither. After an hour and a half of constant movement, shaking limbs while focusing on the energy in different parts of the body, it was clear that everyone could feel a real difference; eyes were brighter, everyone was energized and talkative, and all needed huge breakfasts.

Conference manager, Kevin Durjan, was thrilled with the positive reaction to Master Wu’s presence at the conference. He said he has been trying to “bring back the spiritual side of Acupuncture to the BAcC” as it is such an important part of the practice.

Hicks, John 1 - smallerSinging Dragon authors, Angela Hicks and John Hicks were among those being honoured with BAcC fellowships. John made quite a stir with his acceptance speech as he called for the British Acupuncture Council to “lead the way in the integration of Chinese Medicine and have one umbrella organisation for Acupuncture, Chinese Medicine, and Herbal Medicine.”

The conference was a great success and left attendees with a lot to think about. The final day closed with a shaking session with Master Wu so people could go back to their practices feeling inspired and invigorated.

How to breathe more easily with COPD

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Brindley_Breathe-Well-an_978-1-84819-164-8_colourjpg-webAn exercise taken from Janet Brindley’s Breathe Well and Live Well with COPD to help easy relaxed breathing using a check list of  problems to look out for.

Click here to read the extract

Janet Brindley came across therapeutic breathing exercises in 1998. They dramatically improved her asthma, and that of her fourteen-year-old son. She then left her job as a hospital biochemist and taught yoga and Buteyko breathing techniques. She has since worked with doctors, physiotherapists and nurses to develop a professional training course. This training course was used as part of an MSc Respiratory Physiotherapy module at Coventry University. She lives near London, UK.

Singing Dragon’s US e-catalog is now online

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We are happy to present Singing Dragon’s US catalog in an easy-to-use electronic format. This is a convenient way to explore Singing Dragon’s growing list of books on Qigong, Chinese Medicine, Bodywork, Martial Arts, Yoga and Alternative Health, complete with links back to our website for ordering or more information.

To browse this catalog, click the image below. It will enlarge automatically to allow for easy reading.

Although this catalog contains US pricing information, you can still use it if you reside outside the USA. All the links embedded in the catalog lead back to the Singing Dragon website where we process orders from around the world.

If you would prefer to receive a paper copy of this catalog…

Click here to sign up for our mailing list.

Early therapeutic uses of light and colour – extract from Colour Healing Manual

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Taken from Pauline Wills’ Colour Healing Manual, in this extract the author discusses how colour, light and healing have traditionally been linked across a range of ancient civilizations – and what these can mean for today’s uses of colour therapy.

Click here to read the extract

Pauline Wills is a qualified yoga instructor, reflexologist and colour practitioner and pioneered the integration of colour with reflexology. Her first introduction to the healing power of colour was through yoga and then through the Maitreya School of Colour Healing. She is the co-founder of The Oracle School of Colour in London, where she teaches and practises colour therapy and reflexology. She has written numerous books on complementary therapies.

© 2013 Singing Dragon blog. All Rights Reserved

Receive one of five free copies of Heavenly Streams by Damo Mitchell

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Mitchell-Aspell_Heavenly-Stream_978-1-84819-116-7_colourjpg-webDamo Mitchell’s new book, Heavenly Streams: Meridian Theory in Nei Gong, is quickly becoming a must-read resource for practitioners of Qi Gong, Nei Gong, Taijiquan, Chinese Medicine and internal martial arts.

Singing Dragon is pleased to make a copy of this indispensable guide available for free to five people chosen at random who sign up for our mailing list by Friday, September 6, 2013.

Please click here to sign up for our mailing list and get a chance at a free copy.*

Heavenly Streams provides step-by-step instructions on how to experience the various elements which make up the energy body, explaining how to identify and feel these, and how to diagnose imbalances and restore harmony. The author, Damo Mitchell,  describes the nature of the five elements, the meridians and the meridian points, inviting the reader to experience them through guided internal exercises using the body, breath and mind. Instructional drawings and photographs are included throughout the book.

Damo Mitchell is also the author of the bestseller Daoist Nei Gong: The Philosophical Art of Change.

Singing Dragon also publishes a wide variety of related books and resources, including:

If you are already on our mailing list, you may still enter. Simply fill out your name and email address on the form and unclick the check-box that says “please add me to the email mailing list”. We’ll make sure that you don’t get added twice.

If you are a recipient of one of the five free copies of Heavenly Streams, we hope you will consider writing a review of the book and sharing with your friends and colleagues on book review sites and social media.

*Of course, you don’t have to join our mailing list to enter the draw. If you would like to enter without signing up for the list, simply unclick the check-boxes on the sign-up form that say: Please add me to the postal mailing list; Please add me to the email mailing list; and Please send me a copy of the complete catalogue.

How facial exercises and massage promote both health and beauty – Interview with Leena Kiviluoma

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Leena KiviluomaHow did you first become involved in facial muscle care? What drew you working towards working with the face?

As a physiotherapist I aim to help my clients to improve and maintain their overall health and well-being. The musculoskeletal system does not end at the neck, and so I felt it was important to enhance my knowledge of facial anatomy and physiology, and develop my skills to also treat the facial area.

I hope that Vital Face will help people with jaw problems or anxiety about their ageing face, both telling about the reasons behind their problems and concerns and giving advice on how to deal with them.

We use our faces every day in expression and interaction. What can we tell about a person through their face?

Facial expressions show us emotions. Basic emotions activate different facial muscles, producing different facial expressions. We process people’s facial expressions quickly and instinctively, and facial expressions are contagious. When viewing a person with a genuine smile, seeing genuine enjoyment evokes a similar response in the observer’s facial muscle activity, and, consequently, a similar emotional experience.

Interestingly, even though people can fake facial expressions and try to not to show negative emotions such as anger, you may be able to see a tiny involuntarily microexpression appear in their face for a very brief moment, revealing their true emotions.

With the help of Vital Face people will develop an improved awareness of their own faces and ability to release facial tensions. A relaxed face with an enhanced awareness of facial expressions helps to give a positive impression to whoever you are communicating with.

How does facial massage affect overall health and vitality? What health benefits have you noticed with your clients?

MimiLift Facial MuscleCare and Therapy contain massage and stretching techniques which relieve tension from the face, head, neck and shoulders. This reduces tension headaches, stiffness of the lower jaw, neck-shoulder pain, and helps people who suffer from teeth grinding. Relaxation of the face, head, neck and shoulders also relieves stress, relaxes the whole body, and helps with sleeping. All of these can greatly improve overall vitality.

My clients have, for example, reported instant relief of headache and facial tightness, improved mobility and relaxedness of the lower jaw, improved voice production and the improved ability to notice and avoid harmful oro-facial habits such as holding extra tension in the jaw.

Kiviluoma_Vital-Face-Faci_978-1-84819-166-2_colourjpg-webHave you noticed facial massage changing the way your clients look?

Generally, after a one-hour MimiLift Facial MuscleTherapy treatment clients look relaxed and well rested. What has surprised my clients most has been the visible reduction in facial lines and creases. In particular, lines between the eyebrows and across the forehead were considerably diminished.

Facial massage can be done on oneself or by a therapist. MimiLift Facial MuscleCare presented in Vital Face and MimiLift Facial MuscleTherapy feature the same kind of treatments with the same kind of results. The only difference is that the latter is the treatment performed by the therapist.

How do you hope this book will help professionals working with the clients?

Vital Face explores the facial structure and function and how the facial musculoskeletal system affects health and appearance. We have tried to make the book easy and enjoyable to read, with rich illustrations and practical tips, so that it is easy to acquire information and brush up one’s knowledge of the facial area.

The book also presents a wide variety of specific, medically-based self-care exercises and techniques, and explains their scientific basis and effects. These will be very useful as they help professionals in the field of health and beauty to select individual home programmes for their clients.

Vital Face is useful especially for professionals such as physiotherapists, massage therapists, dental hygienists, speech therapists, singing teachers and beauty therapists.

Can MimiLift facial rejuvenation be used alongside other therapies?

MimiLift facial rejuvenation is perfect for licensed beauty professionals to use alongside other non-invasive therapies such as electrotherapy, or for anyone to use alongside home treatments and products.

Leena Kiviluoma is a physiotherapist working as a teacher and consultant in the fitness, beauty, health and rehabilitation industries. Her clients have included the Finnish National Opera, the Finnish National Theatre, The Parliament of Finland and many other companies, and she has contributed to numerous articles on fitness and beauty in magazines and newspapers. She began to develop her medical-based, facial muscle care technique and therapy in 1990 and her two books on the subject have been translated into many languages. She lives in Helsinki, Finland.

© 2013 Singing Dragon blog. All Rights Reserved