Hagbard @ Avena 'Mind & Body'


Hagbard – The travelling Thai masseur returns!

Once again, I’m back on my travels, in Thailand. I’m here for a further three months, studying more forms of Advanced Thai Massage & Bodywork. I flew in to Chiang Mai, in mid November and have recently completed, my first course, a two week, Acupressure Medical Therapeutic Massage course, with Naom […]


Do you have a ‘chosen adult name’? Why mine is Hagbard!

I am often asked about my ‘chosen adult name’ Hagbard – Where does it come from – Is it Scandinavian? – What does it mean? Below I will try and answer some of those questions – but lets first start with Hagbard…! Hagbard was a wonderful cat, who lived with […]


The ‘Medicine Wheel’ as a ritual & ceremony

The Medicine Wheel was the first Ritual & Ceremony I consciously decided to take-part in, back in 1990. It came at the end of a seven day Paul Rebillot workshop I attended, entitled ‘Owning the Shadow‘. Paul learnt how to use the Medicine Wheel through his friendship with Carol Proudfoot-Edgar – a Native American Shaman. […]


Why ritual & ceremony plays an important & life enhancing role!

You may well ask, where does Ritual & Ceremony come into my life. Well, we are creatures of habit and most of us perform different kinds of Ritual & Ceremony throughout our lives and often on a daily basis. We perform many of these without even realising we’re doing it! […]


Beware the Shaman…! 6

…and use of the word Shamanic! The other day I was reading through The Oracle, a free Holistic Therapy articles and listings magazine in Glastonbury. In the December edition there is a listing for someone offering Shamanic Hairdressing.  Now, I asked myself, what is Shamanic Hairdressing? I was never taught […]


When you inherently know something – it just is! 2

As a teacher and practitioner, I feel it is important to show you where my interest lie and how they began. Through a conversation I was privy to, it guided me to a lifelong interest in mind, body and spiritual matters, which ultimately led me to set up Avena ‘Mind […]