Energising weekend

This plan will give you increased energy all weekend long - and well into the working week!

Energy is a vital commodity: If we could buy it, we'd all be racing to the store! Almost everyone complains that they don't have enough energy. It is not surprising as we are all living lives that are too busy, too stressful, too exhausting. When you feel in desperate need of revitalising, try this to restore your energy levels.

What you'll need:

Food for energy
Peppermint tea
Essential oil: lavender
Large sheets of paper, plus a set of crayons or paints

Find out how to get started with energy breathing

Friday evening: raising energy

This evening eat a light meal - maybe wholemeal pasta with vegetable sauce and a little parmesan cheese sprinkled on top. Bring in energy-boosting food for the weekend. Do some energy breathing and focus on colour healing. Finally, get a good night's sleep after soaking in a warm bath (add two or three drops of essential oil of lavender) or ask someone to give you a gentle massage, such as Ayurvedic abhyanga massage.

Energy breathing
This form of yogic breathing is called ujjayi, or the 'victorious' breath: it sends a balanced flow of energy through both body and mind. Try ujjayi breathing several times a day until you can do it at will.

Breathe in deeply, contracting the muscles around the top of your windpipe. Pay attention to your throat and you should hear a gentle hissing sound.
Breathe out as slowly as possible, closing off the muscles around the epiglottis. Your breath rasps, as if you were imitating Darth Vader from Star Wars.
Breathe in and out in this way six times.
Now relax and breathe normally.
If you have time, repeat this cycle (six ujjayi breaths then six normal breaths) for four cycles.

Colour healing
If you constantly feel tired or under par, you may need a dose of red therapy!

Imagine the top of your head is opening and a beam of clear, red light is pouring down into you, filling up your body with healing energy.
While you visualise the colour, repeat to yourself, 'I bring into my body and mind all the energy I need.' Keep going for around two minutes.
Now imagine the pores of your skin opening, so the light can filter through. As it escapes from your body, the light turns into a soft, pale mist that gently wraps itself around you, forming a cocoon of safety and healing.
You may feel a tingling of energy during this exercise. If you find it helps raise your energy levels, repeat daily.

The energy diet
Good food is the first step towards boosting energy. Follow these tips:

Cut out sweets and sugar. They may provide an instant energy 'high' but frequent consumption over-stimulates insulin activity and leaves your energy depleted.
Cut down on caffeine. Like sugar, it depletes the body's energy supplies.
Eat plenty of complex carbohydrates, vegetables and fruit (around 70 per cent of your calorie intake); a much smaller amount of lean protein and some fat (from oily fish, olive oil, nuts). Avoid processed and refined foods, 'junk' food and pre-prepared meals.
Get enough vitamins and minerals - in particular B vitamins, chromium and magnesium. Take good-quality multi-vitamins and minerals plus additional antioxidants and the energy-boosting Co-enzyme Q10.

Plan for a Saturday of energy-boosting food and fitness

Saturday: energy for well-being

Start the day with a salt massage bath, but use cool water instead of warm. Enjoy a good breakfast. Try muesli (or porridge oats soaked overnight in soya milk). Add some dried fruits and nuts. Drink a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice and eat a couple of slices of wholemeal bread with honey. Spend the rest of the morning de-cluttering and clearing your home. Clearing your home will enhance your energy levels enormously.

Energy mudra
Eat scrambled eggs on wholemeal toast plus some fruit for lunch and then go for a brisk walk, breathing deeply (you can try the ujjayi energy breath while walking but you may need to slow down if you aren't used to it).

On your return, drink a cup of peppermint tea - it invigorates both body and mind. Then try the Apan Mudra - a yoga posture you do with your hands! It is also known as the Energy Mudra as it brings balance and calm, focused energy to you:

Place thumb, middle finger and ring finger together and extend the other fingers. Do this with both hands.
Sit comfortably and rest your hands in this Mudra on your lap. Sit quietly for about 10 minutes or more.
Do this whenever you feel tired and in need of energy.

If possible, book yourself a massage this afternoon. Ideally, go for a dynamic form of bodywork, such as Indian rope massage (chavutti thirumal), shiatsu, tui na or Thai massage. These all work on the inner energy systems of the body and will balance and re-energise your entire being.

Evening meal
In the evening, eat a light protein-packed meal of grilled tuna plus a salad.

Get ready for a Sunday of exotic energising exercises!

Sunday: boosting your energy

Eat breakfast as for Saturday and afterwards experiment with chi kung, the Chinese system of energy exercise. Lunch is a baked potato filled with hummus, fresh tomatoes and chopped onions, plus a piece of fresh fruit. Then go for a gentle walk (again try ujjayi energy breathing). Dinner is Moroccan chicken followed, after a rest, by the spinning exercise.

Starting position of chi kung
The exercises look simple (and are) but they are deceptively powerful. Use them whenever you need a boost of focused energy. The following is the Starting Position of chi kung. It puts you in the correct position and helps you become aware of your entire body.

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Find your natural balance - if your weight is too far forward or too far back it will cause tension and tiredness.
Feel the rim of your foot, your heel, your little toe and big toe relaxed on the ground.
Keep your knees relaxed. Check that your knees are exactly over your feet.
Relax your lower back, stomach and buttocks.
Let your chest become hollow. Relax and slightly round your shoulders.
Imagine you have a pigtail on top of your head, which is tied to a rafter on the roof. Let your head float lightly and freely. Relax your tongue, mouth and jaw.
Stay in this position for a few moments with your hands hanging loosely by your sides.

Holding the Dantien
This exercise stimulates the Dantien, the storehouse of vital energy. The Dantien is located about two fingers' width below the navel.

Stand in the Starting Position.
Men should place their left hand on the Dantien and the right hand over the left. Women should place their right hand on the Dantien with the left over it. Relax your whole body and lightly concentrate your thoughts on the Dantien.
With legs straight but not locked, breathe into the Dantien. Your abdomen will inflate under your hands.
Slowly bend your knees and breathe out. Your abdomen will deflate into the body on the out breath. Repeat this exercise for at least two minutes - as you get used to it, you can continue it for longer.

The spinning exercise
The art and science of spinning is said to rejuvenate and energise your entire system. Simply stand erect with your arms outstretched, horizontal to the floor. Now, spin around clockwise, from left to right, until you feel slightly dizzy. Don't be surprised if you can only manage half a dozen spins to begin with - with time you will be able to build up your spinning. Before you begin to spin, focus your vision on a single point straight ahead. As you begin to turn, hold your vision on that point for as long as possible and then refocus on the point as soon as possible.