| Interviews |
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Below is an interview that I did with my personal internet business Coach Damien Senn. To find out more about Damien see http://www.senn-sational.com/
The Interview
Huia Crosby: Kia ora Damien, thank you! I come from Aotearoa / New Zealand. It is a Maori name, the name of an extinct native manu (bird). My Mum & Dad were discussing whether or not I should be named Amanda, Alice, Susan or Sarah when Dad came home one lunch time and said “I’ve registered her, she’s Huia.” End of discussion. Interestingly my Father is the Pakeha (white one). When I was younger at school I wasn’t so comfortable with my name. It has only been with the course of time that I have begun to honour it, for it is quite a prestigious name: ‘The Huia, above all other species in the forest, was sacred to Maori. She was closely associated with the great chiefs of the land, and only chiefs of distinction could properly wear the tail feathers’. My Mother is of Te Rarawa & Te Aupouri blood – tribes in the very north of New Zealand and despite my appearance, I do feel very connected to my Maori roots. Damien Senn: So what inspired you to become a holistic health practioner? Huia Crosby: It soon became hugely apparent to me that personal training was too limiting for what I was about. Although personal training is powerful, I felt that there is more to a person and that I did not have enough tools to assist in focusing and managing someones lifestyle. I was fortunate as my growth was accelerated by my travels - ever since I could remember I wanted to travel the world. So at a time when I was searching for more tools I just happened to be embarking on my lifes greatest adventure, leaving the shores of New Zealand. Being young, hungry for knowledge, relatively carefree with little time constraints it was amazing where the flow of life took you with each question you asked someone. Some people say that I’ve trained in too many things and that people won’t take me seriously. But I feel differently. For me it is a logical progression incorporating aerobics instruction, personal training, yoga, various massage forms, naturopathy and herbal medicine….. I see this more as a stage of gathering information and as the years fly by the teachings will become more concentrated. Holistic health & healing encompasses a whole person philosophy: looking after a person in their entirety. Different strategies will work for different people so I believe it is important to have a range of varied approaches to connect with each person. Anyone entrusted to heal should strive to encourage the innate ability of the individual in distress to restore balance and harmony. Damien Senn: What does it actually mean to take a holistic approach to health? Huia Crosby: ‘Holistic’ comes from the Greek word ‘Holos’ – meaning ‘whole’. Holistic Health is the understanding that Human beings are more than just physical bodies- we harbour emotions, have thoughts, nurture souls, live within families, within communities and a society which is in itself dependent on the health of the environment. [William Bloom – ‘SOUL-ution’] It is about having a balanced approach to life, ensuring that all areas of our lives receive adequate attention and care. A whole is always more than the sum of its parts. Demands in a person’s life and their requirements can often change from week to week, let alone month to year. So you are certainly kept on your toes! The trinity: Mind-Body-Spirit, although often carelessly splashed about hold incredible power. Sadly in the west too much emphasis is placed upon the body. Imbalances are commonplace and everyone experiences them: It is said that every person suffers from at least one mental illness during their lifetime or abusing the body with chemicals, over/under weight, poor food choices, extreme exercise or inactivity etc. and regardless of your faith preference, spiritual disharmony and feeling disconnected also delivers its fair share of woes. All life is inter-connected and as the worlds populations continue to tame their environments, producing concrete jungles and becoming more and more urbanised, we are losing touch with the natural order. Damien Senn: One of your great passions is Yoga? What drew you into practicising this ancient holistic art? Huia Crosby: I discovered just how powerful yoga can be whilst travelling through India. At that stage of my life I had not long left the shores of New Zealand and had only a few stamps in passport. I had my PE degree and not so much life experience. I was not ready for India, at all. My first two weeks there I spent the whole time crying and trying to hide the sights with my hands. The smells, the sounds, the people, it was a sensory overload with such intensity. The complete absence of rubbish bins and the poverty rocked me to the very core of my being. I was in big trouble. I was attracting crowds grabbing at my hands, arms, shoulders, tapping my back, catching my eye all trying to capitalise on my vulnerability with their hunger. I was not coping! Whilst walking through the tiny twisted maze of ancient skinny streets in Varanassi, of Beatles fame, dodging cows and their poohs I came across a simple sign: ‘Benares school of Yoga’. (Just don’t stop the yoga!!) ‘Yoga’ means union – the union between body and breath – the union between the trinity: mind – body – spirit. For me it was the ability to link everything together. It appeals as it is the oldest science of life, some texts even state that it dates back to over 2000 years ago. Damien Senn: Yoga can look quite intimidating to the uninitiated. How would you recommend someone curious in Yoga to get started? Huia Crosby: Yoga is a wonderful discipline to try your hand at. Go for it! Even if you do not follow it for long, the skills that you will learn transfer into your everyday life and always stay with you – correct breathing, clearing your mind, releasing tension from your body. Everybody will have their own style to learning and through a medium that they feel comfortable with. It might start even with a book or a dvd from the comfort of home, a beginners 8week course at a gym/health centre, asking a friend to show you the basic sun salutation sequence, searching out a yoga centre or if finances permit, private tuition. You will find that wherever you start your body will feel so sound that your curiosity will start to get the better of you and lead you further down the path anyway! Please don’t be shy, it is not a competition with anyone else in the room or with yourself (I often get people to close their eyes in class anyway), it is a feeling. You feel a little bit of discomfort and then with your breath you unlock your body and it opens. Yoga does not limit or discriminate against anyone – regardless of age (both young and old), religion (you can use it to deepen your own chosen spiritual practice, If indeed you have one), financial position (the tools necessary are your body, your breath, whatever time you can surrender and a wee bit of space) and physical ability - if you can breathe, you can do yoga, I’m serious. Yoga is unique in that it strengthens as it lengthens. Unlike the lifting of weights in a gym which strengthens through shortening. The weight applied is tailormade – that of your own body, you get strong for you – which is all you really need in life: to be able to handle yourself. It is balanced, both sides and muscle groups are kept in wonderful equilibrium. 'An upright posture and a few relaxed breaths can make a great difference' --BUDDHA-- Damien Senn: Many people will be thinking about getting into better shape in 2007 right about now. Where should they start? Huia Crosby: At the very beginning. Purchase a blank notebook and start by taking a silent moment alone slowing your breathing right down to calm deep breaths. Allow your mind to clear maintaining focus and concentration. Connect with why you wish to change - envisage what the change would do for you and the direction you need your life to be moving in. Always keep it positive, as you wish to create positive changes not to sit about wallowing in negative ruts. When you have the thoughts and the accompanying energised feelings open to the blank front page and record what you felt and thought. The more honest you are the more power the writing will have as a motivating directing force. Read and reread your intention over and over again to reinforce why this is so important to you. I appreciate and know that this might seem difficult and ‘over the top’ to some people, but it is the first step that I use when people come to me wishing for change. To change you need to set the intention to change and you need to be very clear on what it is exactly that you intend to do. We all need as much help as possible when wishing to create change and that is why the notebook also comes into play. By starting a book specifically for your purpose and writing in your handwriting on the very first page where you intend to go sets the wheels of change strongly in motion. It also allows you to record your achievements, chart your progress, add cut outs or information that will aid you on your path and explain your frustrations to blank pages when things might not be going so well. It can also be presented to health professionals to fine tune your training or nutritional intake. Support your process of change by getting informed – search the net, read some books, associate with like-minded groups, try something new, visit your health food store, find out where healthier food options are closer to your work, find a friend to join you ….. anything that will help to keep you on track and excited about where you are going. Reaffirming to yourself ‘think-do-be’. Damien Senn: What are some simple, easy to follow dietary tips that people could follow to start feeling healthier in the new year? Huia Crosby: ‘let food be thy medicine and thy medicine be thy food’ - Hippocrates - rainbow: try to eat a rainbow a day! Nature gives you clues and colours her fruit and vegetables to help you so. Eating the different colours will ensure your receive the best possible range of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. The more colours the better. - variety to prevent allergies: people get stuck in the same routine, eating the same breakfast cereal and meals day after day. Although this may seem convenient it seems that in the long run it won’t be. Your body does require a full range of nutrients to perform the HUGE number of processes it needs to carry out and it seems in its own funny way it will start to develop allergies to the usual foods given to it in order to receive that variety it requires. For example, wheat. One in three are gluten intolerant in Ireland, which has the highest rate in the world! - softer sugars: white refined sugar spells danger, serious danger. It is unknowingly added into most products without the consumer realising. It is harmful – rots teeth, alters moods, feeds cancer cells and creates an acidic environment. Try fruit, honey, stevia. - essential fats: a very trendy topic, but true. Essential fatty acid deficiency signs include: dry skin, dry hair/dandruff, abnormal wound healing, excessive thirst, dryness of joints decreased mental power etc etc Our diets are particularly lacking in omega 3, this doesn’t have to come from fish oil it can also come from spirulina, which is also a rich source. - superfoods: get clever and excited about adding natures helpers to your usual diet enriching yourself with essential amino acids, energy, minerals, vitamins and age-defying antioxidants: bee pollen, chlorella, goji berries, wheat grass, hemp protein, LSA ..etc Damien Senn: What approaches do you take to get the very best out of your clients? Huia Crosby: The big bonus with having a health professional support you in your goals is exactly that: support. So that’s my job and why I love it as it is a complete pleasure to be trusted enough to work with someone to reach their goals. Of course you don’t necessarily need to hire someone, some people are incredibly strong goal setters in their own right and that motivates them enough. Also, team up with a friend to support each other – that can be just as powerful. I encourage people to listen to their bodies. Our bodies are consistently giving us clues and answers to what it needs and how its coping, but often we’re so busy living our lives at 100 miles an hour that we don’t hear it. More often though, we just don’t want to know and block it out! By starting to take the time to listen to ourselves our whole lives start to harmonise. At the end of the day, nobody knows your body like you do. I also really emphasise the role of nutrition in sound health. By even encouraging someone to eat breakfast you have already changed 33% of their day and that’s huge! Please watch the movie ‘supersize me’ to wake yourself up to the crippling fast food industry. Movement! Everyday move your body. Your lymph system (the sewerage system) does not have a pump like your cardiovascular system does, therefore it requires movement to flush the toxins out. In this computer age world, long hours spent sedentary it is so essential – for the health of your spine also! Fresh oxygen to help with concentration and to give you vitality will also flood your body. I encourage clients to understand that some days are better than others. Sometimes everybody has days where they slip up, it is human nature and not too worry too much. Remembering that each day is a fresh start. Damien Senn: What sort of results have your clients experienced? Huia Crosby: I always like to take the approach that they themselves have been responsible for their experiences, I see my role as a mere catalyst. - freedom of movement Damien Senn: How can a healthy mind and body help people to express themselves more fully in the world? Huia Crosby: When you are more in tune with yourself there is clarity with knowing the direction you need to be heading in and the actions and choices you need to make in order to get there. We’ve all become disconnected with ourselves at times in our lives and the frustration and emotional turmoil that accompanies the indecision is a tremendous drain on precious energy. Everbody has their own style of reconnecting with themselves but once you’ve reestablished that connection again, respect it and go for gold. Damien Senn: Do you think anyone can live an inspired life? Huia Crosby: Damien, life is pure magic. Absolutely! I’ll leave you with one of my favourite quotes which sums that up: ‘It’s never too late to be who you might have been’ ….and a new year is as good a time as any to set forth wherever you wish to go! |