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Current NewsFor latest news see our Newsletters“The Heart of Well-being” Lecture & Book Launch, London, 10 August 2010Jan Alcoe, a writer, publisher, and holistic health practitioner, gave this year’s Janki Foundation Lecture on 10 August at Global Co-operation House in London on the theme of “The Heart of Well-being”. This is also the title of a new book Jan has written, published by the Foundation and the British Holistic Medical Association (BHMA), and launched on the same day before an audience of nearly 300 people. Jan said well-being is essentially about how we relate inwards to ourselves, and come to understand ourselves at the physical, emotional, mental and spiritual levels. A further dimension is how we relate outwards – to others, our community and our environment. The new book, with accompanying CDs, enables individuals to improve their ability to function at all these levels through the use of a series of tools: relaxation, creativity, thinking positively, laughter, valuing yourself, and discovering peace. The event was chaired by Dr Craig Brown, GP, a trustee and medical advisor to the Janki Foundation, who is also Chair of the BHMA. He said science is offering a growing understanding of what constitutes wellness. Dadi Janki, President of the Foundation, offered words of advice that made wellbeing seem very simple. “We need to give up worry, desires and fear; we need to maintain good relationships; and we need to nurture contentment, tolerance and patience,” she said. The evening was interspersed with cello performances by Jonathan Hughes and songs by singer and song writer Lou Beckerman. To purchase The Heart of Well-being please see order form. Personal Information Therapy, London, 11 August 2009Lord Stone lead the Janki Foundation's Lecture that followed the Foundation's Annual General Meeting. The evening started with a beautiful musical contribution by Lou Beckerman, who uses her voice as a healing tool creating an uplifting atmosphere. Lord Stone then shared what inspired him to create the unique and award-winning website www.healthtalkonline.org featuring people's experiences of health and illness. Researched by the DIPEx Research Group at the University of Oxford, it enables everyone - patients, friends, family and healthcare professionals - to find out more from other people's experiences. His inspirational talk, delivered with great enthusiasm, passion and compassion and peppered with great humour, was attended by around 200 people. Sister Jayanti concluded the evening with a message from Dadi Janki, the President of the Foundation, who could not be travel to be present at this event. See leaflet. Lifting Your Spirits, London, 30 July 2009Jan Alcoe, the author of Lifting Your Spirits - Seven Tool for Coping with Illness, focused on the seven tools that helped her recover from cancer. Her sincere sharings, together with the reflective exercises and meditations, deeply touched the 20 participants who attended this workshop. Many shared how inspirational her story was and that it gave them greater courage and hope to deal not just with illness, but with any problems they face in life. Healing Through Laughter, London, 17 July 2009This uplifting workshop was run by Margaret MacCathie, a laughter therapist full of energy and enthusiasm. 40 participants attended the Janki Foundation offices to ‘laugh their hearts out’ and ease away their sorrows by using laughter to lighten up. Margaret shared her experience of depression and how she had given up hope in living until she was recognised by the famous Dr Patch Adams for her unique laughter energy! She expressed her joy in how opportunity knocked at her door and how her specific way of laughing made her come out of her darkness. She encouraged the participants to dance away wearing the various props she had brought and made everyone feel that it was fine to be ridiculous in order to create a new space within. The atmosphere was colourful throughout this afternoon session and happiness was in the air! The Art of Self Care, London, 27 May - 8 July 2009A series of 7 workshops were conducted weekly to support the staff of the charities and organisations working in Moran House, the same building where the Janki Foundation offices are located. These workshops were based on the seven tools described in the book Lifting Your Spirits and explored practical ways of coping with stress and offered methods of empowering and uplifting the self. Empowering the Practitioner, Canterbury, 3 July 2009This was the second session on values in healthcare organised by the Values in Healthcare Canterbury group was held at the Post-graduate Medical Centre, Kent and Canterbury Hospital. It was well received and future meetings are planned. The topic was burnout and what we could do ourselves to prevent it. There was a short introduction on the subject of burnout in the medical profession and a powerpoint presentation on the Janki Foundation. The group of 20 then went into two workshops to discuss, share and learn together some self care stategies. The session was chaired by Dr Julia Ronder, Consultant Child and Adolescent Psychiatrist. Acknowledging the spiritual client: an ethical essential?, Cirencester, 30 June & 1 July 2009Dr Sarah Eagger, a psychiatrist for the elderly and one of the Scientific and Medical Advisors to the Janki Foundation, attended this conference organised by The Association for Pastoral and Spiritual Care and Counselling held at the Royal Agricultural College in Cirencester. In her keynote speech 'Psychiatry and spirituality: a whole person alliance' she shared the importance of providing spiritual care having carefully assessed the spiritual needs of her clients. She also spoke about the educational programme Values in Healthcare which has a module on 'Spirituality in Healthcare'. Spirituality in Healthcare, London, 28 June 2009At the Janki Foundation offices, Joy Rendell conducted a three hour workshop based on module seven in the Values in Healthcare pack. Self Care - Dealing with Stress, London, 11 June 2009Mai Newe conducted a two hour workshop at the Janki Foundation offices. She spoke about the causes of stress and methods to alliviate it. Ayurvedic Practitioners Association Conference, London, 6 & 7 June 2009Dr Craig Brown, a Scientific and Medical Advisor to the Janki Foundation conducted a three hour experiential workshop on 'Sprituality in Practice'. Inauguration of the New Janki Foundation Offices, London, 30 April 2009 Dadi Janki, the president of the Janki Foundation, inaugurated the new offices with over 70 people attending this auspicious occasion. She spoke about how the experience of sorrow leads to ill health and manifests as pain in different parts of the body. Doctors give medicine to remove the physical pain but the method remove sorrow is to tap into the inner resources of the self and access the inner power of peace, love and truth. Essex Mind and Spirit Conference, Chelmsford, 22 April 2009Dr Sarah Eagger, one of the Scientific and Medical advisors to the Janki Foundation, who is the Chair of Special Interest Group at The Royal College of Psychiatry, set the scene in her keynote speech 'Resources for the Journey'. She shared her clinical experiences on the role of spirituality in healthcare and spoke about two Janki Foundation publications: The Values in Healthcare; a spiritual approach an education programme she helped develope, as well as, the book Lifting Your Spirits - Seven Tools for Coping with Illness. Making the Impossible Possible, London, 16 March 2009The Royal College of Nursing organised this one day conference in honour of the International Women's Day. Julia Head and Samixa Shah facilitated a workshop called 'Valuing Yourself' based on a module in the Janki Foundation's educational programme Values in Healthcare. Reflection, movement, visualisation and action planning exercises were included in this workshop that was well received. See newsletter. Caring for the Practitioner, Canterbury, 16 Jan 2009More seeds of Values in healthcare take root in Canterbury…… Dr Craig Brown, Scientific and Medical Advisor to the Foundation and Jan Alcoe, author of Lifting Your Spirits and the Training and Publishing Consultant for the Foundation, both of whom played key roles in the production and writing of 'VIHASA', spoke about the purpose and place of values such as peace, compassion and co-operation in healthcare today. They particularly emphasised the need for self-care, and good listening, in practitioners, and Jan spoke of how she drew on the reflections and other supportive practices described in VIHASA during her own successful treatment and recovery from cancer. Neville Hodgkinson, writer and journalist, reviewed recent mind-body research that points to the need for this kind of support in the healthcare field. A further meeting has already been planned for May 2009 and several people have signed up to do the facilitators training program. So the event was well received and the first shoots of a new program are already sprouting down in the fertile ground of Kent! For more information on the local group, contact Zofia Veness on zofia@sececetra.co.uk
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