This is a gentle, one-hour introductory workshop for long covid sufferers (NB not for acute stage!). It will be followed by a longer support programme offering help from several complementary perspectives. Whilst scientists search for specific remedies – and we hope they are successful - our multidisciplinary team will focus on practical ways to rebuild health and resilience; ways to recover balance and harmony in mind, body and emotions. The after-effects of long covid are many and diverse. They can affect different systems within ourselves. Our approach does not try to address specific symptoms but aims to support the bodymind as a whole in order to provide better conditions for Nature, the real healer, to do its work. This and any subsequent events will be open to anyone suffering after-effects of covid. You do not need to have had a positive test. Opportunities to speak or to try what is demonstrated will be given, but these are optional and you also can just tune in – even if you are in bed - and watch for as long or as little as you like. Click the link and you may find something that helps. The workshop will include some visualisation, relaxation, a little easy movement and some practical tips on nutrition (food, herbs, spices). We will share information about some of the holistic approaches that have helped others and we will listen to what you may wish to say about the kind of support you need.

Practical Support for Long Covid Sufferers: Embodiment - Nutrition - Aromatherapy This is the first in a series of ten workshops designed to support long Covid sufferers on their pathway back to health. It is not suitable for the acute stage. To find out more about what is planned please watch the video of our introductory event here: In this session there will be three modules. Resting, relaxing the body, orienting in space - with Alexander Technique teacher Sara Khoroosi We can learn to use thought and sensory feedback in a way that facilitates deep and expansive relaxation. We call it "constructive rest". Sara will guide you through this procedure so please prepare a space where you can lie down on a blanket with two or three paperback books to support your head . Ayurvedic Types - Vata: grounding and warming diet Dr Eleni Tsiompanou mentioned in the introductory event that people need to choose their food according to their personal constitution; a "one size fits all" approach to nutrition is not helpful. In this workshop Eleni will tell us about one of the three types, according to Ayurvedic practice - Vata. Helpful for Vata types is a grounding and warming diet. Being in nature, aromatherapy oils and self massage with Natural Movement teacher and Aromatherapist Anne Andenaes. It is often said the Nature is the real healer. This means both that we have our own natural systems that always try to restore balance and that we are part of Nature as a whole. Spending time in and with Nature can be very helpful in reawakening a sense of connection. Certain oils have been used for millennia to stimulate healing processes and Anne will suggest things to try that might be helpful.

Natural Breathing part 1 John Hunter There is a wrong and a right way to breath and there are many misconceptions about how respiration works. In this first of three modules on natural breathing we will explain the processes at work and how to find ways to cooperate with them. No deep breathing exercises, no holding the breath - just gentle cooperation with this most natural of functions. Nutrition Dr Eleni Tsiompanou Ayurvedic Types - Kapha (Water and Earth): light & nourishing recipes Curiosity for movement, natural movement, power of creativity Dr Hanna Poikonen We will understand the power of creativity in the healing process through a short talk and a calming embodied experience, which includes light movement, music and nature visualizations. The exercise can be made either standing, sitting or laying in bed. We enjoy the gentle movement and give ourselves a moment to rest in the aesthetic experience.

This is the third in a series of ten workshops designed to support long Covid sufferers on their journey back to health. It is not suitable for the acute stage. Natural Breathing part 2 John Hunter Following the presentation in our last workshop on the way respiration functions, this time we will look at simple, practical ways to help ourselves "cooperate with Nature". Nutrition & The Importance of Routines Dr Eleni Tsiompanou Nutrition Ayurvedic type – Pitta (Fire) and its relevance to inflammation: the importance of digestion and metabolism for our energy, immunity and mind. What are the best times to eat, what is the optimal number of meals a day, what to eat and drink to regulate the fire in our body. Routines The human body likes routine which adapts to seasons, our age and the wider environment. What are the everyday habits that we can follow to boost our immunity and stay in balance? We will talk about waking up, personal hygiene, eating and exercise, times to be still and connected, and sleeping routines. Calming Herbs to Aid Sleep and Relaxation Dimitra Makarona Medicinal herbs that have a calming effect on the nervous system, and how to use them.

This is the fourth in a series of ten workshops designed to support long Covid sufferers on their journey back to health. It is not suitable for the acute stage. The first three workshops and the pilot event are all available on video. Contact us for details. Natural Breathing part 3: Breath and Sound Sara Khoroosi In parts 1 and 2 of this series we have explored the principles of diaphragmatic, natural breathing and ways to promote it. In this session we will experiment with simple sounds such as humming. When practiced without tension and strain, voiced sounds can generate healthy resonance and vibration in the tissues of our body, helping the life force to flow. Sacred Geometry Julia Outlaw A brief introduction to sacred geometry and how it applies to nature and the human body. Life manifests in many ways and can appear as interconnected chaos - yet there is some order that can be found. Nature holds many recurring patterns, many of which also occur in the human body. We will look at a few of these patterns, including the golden ratio. What connections and beauty can we find in this? How can this help us on our path towards health? Keep in touch with your feet Anne Andenaes Spend a moment for relaxation together with Anne and take the weight off your feet. Anne will guide and help you to find your feet and regain a state of balance. Our feet have been there supporting us throughout our life since the moment they pushed off from the walls of our mother’s womb, propelling us into this world. Anne will spend some moments showing how you can help your feet to help you feel relaxed and invigorated (our feet have over 7,000 nerve endings after all), by natural touch techniques aimed at relaxing and releasing stored tension and fatigue.

Natural Breathing 4: Breath and Voice Sara Khoroosi Continuing our series on natural breathing, Sara will explore how we can use breath to support the voice and how the voice's resonance can enliven the respiratory mechanism. Nourishing Stories Malgorzata Jablonska Storytelling has been part of human culture since time immemorial. Stories recount history, teach, feed our psyche and connect us with our heritage. Sit and relax, lie down if you wish, and let Malgorzata take you on a light-hearted journey with this little-known tale from the Brothers Grimm. Self Figure Drawing ​Dr Eva Bojner Horwitz Eva will guide you through an embodied contemplation, where we will focus on a self-chosen theme that is important to us, using open awareness and focused attention to our bodies reflections. The exercise include visualizations, light movements without sounds. The exercise can be made sitting or lying down. We will also present a self-figure drawing concept. Please bring pen and paper! About this week's guest expert Dr Eva Bojner Horwitz, Professor of Music and Health at the Royal College of Music in Stockholm and researcher at the Department of Clinical Neuroscience Karolinska Institute (KI). She is Associate Professor in social medicine, cultural health researcher, specialized in psychosomatic medicine and the creative arts; co-founder of the Center for Social Sustainability (CSS), KI. She is anchored in interdisciplinary research, has doctoral students, authored scientific articles (ResearchGate), books (“The Cultural Health Box”, “Culture for your Health”, “Improve your Health with Music”, “Theatre for, by, and with patients”, “Culture and Public Health”, “Fibromyalgia – for the cause of stress?”, “Humanizing Health Care with music”, “Embodied Compassion”, and book chapters (i.e. Oxford University Press & Springer Books). She is known internationally for her implementation of cultural activities in health care systems for exhausted patients and staff, in school systems, and for her evaluation with video interpretation technique (VIT), combining quantitative (stress hormone analyses, heart rate variability) with qualitative research i.e., phenomenological hermeneutic methods and micro phenomenology. Research focus: performance evaluations with musicians, dancers and actors; music and health; music in end-of-life situations; music and social sustainability; music and public health; arts and humanities; nature related activities and health resilience; music and learning, creative learning and flow.

We are delighted to welcome two new presenters to join us this week in our Long Covid Support Project. Dr Joanna Byers, an HCPC registered occupational therapist, and Gabriella Burnel, an internationally known teacher of Sanskrit, singer and composer. The Programme Sanskrit Chanting with Gabriella Burnel Gabriella will share with us a seasonal chant in Sanskrit and teach us a simple mantra which can be used as part of your respiratory and vocal re-education. Gabriella comments: "Today, modern science understands that the whole existence is reverberations of energy, vibrations. Of the amalgamation of the whole of existence, certain mantra are like keys that open up different dimensions of life and experience within us." Seasonal Recipes with Dr Eleni Tsiompanou Our bodies follow the seasonal changes. How to adapt to the summer season, what foods, herbs and spices to choose, how to cook and, how to eat by following the circadian rhythms to stay in balance? How to understand our digestive fire and our body’s capacity to process different foods? Simple and creative recipes to help our digestion, boost our immunity and calm the nervous system by using harmony principles. Cognitive Fatigue Management Techniques with Dr Joanna Byers Joanna will be talking about simple tips and strategies you can employ to maximise energy resources and manage fatigue effectively. She will discuss evidence based practice methods and recommendations from occupational therapy that can be adapted for use in your daily routine. These will be useful for anyone managing challenging symptoms and in particular those finding activities of daily living more difficult than previously due to excessive fatigue.

This is the seventh workshop in our Long Covid Support series, Navigating a Path Back to Health. We have another rich programme lined up for you. Healing Dance with Dr Hanna Poikonen Healing is a journey to understand oneself, and to learn to take care of oneself. Through creative movement, we will explore the moment on which we are at our individual healing journey right now. The exercise can be done sitting, standing or laying in bed. Life Affirming Poems with Julia Outlaw When we are unwell, we, as a whole, are affected. How could it be different when our mind, body and emotions are so intimately connected? Healing can come about from multiple directions, and something that can help very much is feeling a sense of peace and belonging. Poetry has the ability to talk to parts of us we don't often contact - it can speak directly to our emotions and allow us to feel that our experience of being human is a shared one! Julia Outlaw will read a few short poems as you rest - to nourish your ears and your soul. When We Don't Know It's Rhythm with Bartosz Nowakowski Rhythm is the most organic part of music. Rhythm is our heartbeat and all the body movements we make from the first beat of our heart. The second so very intimate part of music is singing. The first breath is the first sound. Both coexist giving us life. With every breath with every heartbeat. The word 'rhythm' can be a rhythm in itself when we say it properly, just as the word 'music' becomes singing when we lengthen the vowels. Both these activities give a sense of harmony and are always great territory for discovery and healing. They also give birth to a third value of music and life that gives flavour to the previous two: laughter. Gelos - in Greek means laughter. I invite you to try Gelotology.

Subtle movement for quietening the nervous system with Philippa Castell Philippa will guide you through a non-strenuous awareness practice from the Feldenkrais Method, using subtle movement, imagination and calming breath. It's designed to help you unwind, restore, and refresh, and to enhance your ability to find deep rest, which is so important in any healing process. You can join in with this session lying in whatever position is comfortable for you, or in sitting if you prefer. Stream of consciousness - writing as an aid to healing with Małgorzata Jabłońska People have a special ability to capture their thoughts. It is writing. By writing down our thoughts, we can return to them to recollect, but also to reflect on them objectively. Writing has been an important form of self-description, self-reflection, and self-therapy. Self-disclosure, which consists of writing about one’s thoughts and feelings, is one of the important factors that make emotional writing therapeutic. Drawing on my own experience of many years of journaling in therapy, as well as recent research on the effects of writing on stress relief and its impact on improving cognitive processes, I will talk about some techniques and ways to use writing in the process of recovery. Connect to Natural Movement with Anne Andenaes Welcome to experiencing some gentle, natural movement to help you feel lighter and recharged as your body heals itself. The aim is to help rekindle the essence of your movement potential which is imprinted within us since we were a developing embryo. During the session, you will have the opportunity to sense any areas of heaviness or tension, lightness or emptiness and simply be encouraged to gently move through these areas using organic, rhythmic, non-linear movement patterns present in Nature and within ourselves. Enjoy the experience of yourself releasing, lengthening, expanding, contracting, restoring and rebalancing naturally, without any strain or pressure. Natural Movement helps restore the flow and rhythm of energy and power to our cells and systems by improving blood and lymphatic circulation for example, as well as encouraging gentle exercise for the respiratory system. (It is advisable to wear light comfortable clothing. No shoes are necessary.)

The Gut-Brain Connection with Dr Hanna Poikonen Recent studies show how the gut health influences the brain health. Indeed, our body sends messages to our brains through nervous and hormonal systems. Balancing the gut and the body functions can lead to balanced brain functions, too. We will talk about the brain-gut connection and make a short relaxation exercise to notice how calming down the body also calms the mind. Refreshing Summer Drinks with Dr Eleni Tsiompanou During summer and autumn, there is abundance in Nature - of herbs, flowers and fruit. Knowing how to use these fresh, and knowing how to prepare and store them to have later in winter and spring, can give us good material to help our bodies cope with the different challenges brought by seasonal effects on our systems. Learn about refreshing drinks that can bring harmony to our bodies and minds and to our external environment, connecting us with the natural worlds within and without; the inner and outer microbiome. The Vagus Nerve with Julia Outlaw and Dr Eleni Tsiompanou The vagus nerve is part of our autonomic nervous system and controls many different critical functions in our bodies, including digestion and respiration. Understanding more about these connections can help us manage an array of symptoms and soften the fight/flight/freeze reaction - or the ‘tired and wired’ state that many long Covid sufferers experience. Dr. Eleni Tsiompanou and Julia Outlaw discuss these inner connections and simple things that can help.

This is a résumé of the material presented in workshops 1 - 9 and advice on how to use it. Embodiment Work: Aromatherapy , Constructive Rest , Natural Breathing, Keep in Touch with your Feet, Self-figure Drawing, Healing Dance, Rhythm, Subtle Movement, Natural Movement, Gut-Brain Connection. Nutrition: Ayurveda (Vata, Pitta, Kapha), Calming herbs, Seasonal recipes, Refreshing drinks Soul Food: Sacred Geometry, Nourishing Stories, Sanskrit Mantras, Life Affirming Poems, Writing for Healing. Specialist Input: Vagus Nerve, Cognitive Fatigue Management Techniques. Building a Personal Routine: the importance of routines, how to use the resources on our website Sign-up and subscribe to view all videos at https://www.harmonyinhealth.org/long-covid-workshops