Lose that tension (From Penarth Times)

Lose that tension

A PENARTH woman is helping scores of local people to relax with special tension-relieving classes at two town locations.

Julia Steinson, a self-development and spiritual growth teacher for 20 years, is running classes at Rest Hall, Arcot Street, and will soon be starting more at Penarth Leisure Centre.

Classes help create a relaxed and flowing body and mind and teach people how to let go of stress and find inner calm.

Penarth resident Julia, who has an 11-year-old son Alexander, got interested in self-development while working for the John Lewis Partnership aged 19.

There, as a central buyer and manager, she had to focus upon how people working for her could be happy in themselves.

After 15 years she left to start the Healthy Living Centre in London where Julia taught meditation, yoga and healing.

Following that she went to Spain where she combined a therapy practice with jointly running a successful craft shop and bringing up Alexander.

She said: "I began facilitating residential courses at Spain's leading self-development centre, Cortijo Romero, work that has remained an important part of my yearly schedule."

She also works at the College of Healing at Runnings Park, West Malvern, where her first ever course was a popular healthy living weekend.

On Penarth, she said: "I wanted to somewhere to live that was a community and safe for children. It felt good here. But I felt I wasn't contributing to Penarth and so, have set up the classes here."

She said: "Stress is a deep, ongoing anxiety within us. We often feel overwhelmed by life and all the things that we have to get done.

"Most people do relaxing things that don't relax them like going for a drink, watching TV, things that are already quite stressful. What happens is the mind is activated but the body is not moving, so the result is a dynamic which creates more stress.

"Many of the things we put into ourselves to relax do the opposite like tea, alcohol and coffee. They are all stimulants."

To relax, Julia says one should find stillness and silence.

She said: "Focus upon your breathing, listen to soft, beautiful music, learn to meditate and go to relaxation classes. Gradually you will become aware of your soul's need for stillness and you will seek it out."

Julia also advises taking ten minutes before you go to bed to write in a journal to help clear the mind.

Classes start with 15 minutes of stress-busting dance work. Julia was inspired by dance teacher Gabrielle Roth who said the way to still your mind was to move your body.

Next comes deep breathing work to calm the body down. Then Julia teaches simple Tai Chi and afterwards takes people on a visualisation session followed by mediation and finishing with complete deep relaxation through every bit of the body.

Julia said: "There's no competition and there's nothing you have to achieve. You just get into your own little world."

To go alongside the classes, Julia advises people on what they can do to help themselves, for example, looking at their diets.

Julia said: "Most of our Western diets are heavily acidic and this produces stress. We've got to angle towards an alkaline diet that is as simple as possible, so avoid made up foods and buy the ingredients to make things. Drink lots of water and juice and eat plenty of fruit and vegetables - ideally, change to organic eating."

Classes run at the Rest Hall, Arcot Street, from 7pm until 8.30pm on Mondays. More classes will start at Penarth Leisure Centre on Fridays from April 19 from 1pm until 2.30pm.

On Sunday, April 28, from 10am until noon, a life dance workshop is at the Rest Hall.

For details call Julia Steinson on 2063 5221.