Coffee lovers everywhere are rejoicing in new research which suggests the health benefits of our morning brew are more significant than previously thought - let's face it these days we are more used to being told the things we love are bad for us – however that does not mean we can drown ourselves in the stuff, over-indulgence is still a no-no.

Many people are confused because they are unaware that the term “Zen” has a few meanings. Basically, the word “Zen” means meditation. Sometimes it may refer to a transcendental glimpse of cosmic reality, or even the transcendental reality itself. Often Zen is used as a short form for Zen Buddhism. The following examples illustrate the use of “Zen” in these four meanings:

• I sat cross-legged on a hard pillow, closed my eyes gently and practised Zen.
• My teacher came in and hit my head to test if I had a Zen experience.
• I was shocked when he said he did not hit me, but years later I realized my kind teacher was trying to make me aware that there was no hitting, and no nothing, in Zen.
• Lacking a deep understanding, many people may think Zen masters are mad.

By Jennifer Hobbs

Honey, super sweet, unctuous and delicious, a symbol of luxury and riches for millennia. “The land of milk and honey” refers to a place where riches abound. From Biblical times, "milk and honey" have been said to denote fertility and the phrase itself was used in the bible referring to what is now known as Israel. Honey figures large in contemporary language too.“You catch more flies with honey than with vinegar” which means a sweet-temper will get you what you want faster than an ill-temper and surely terms of endearment like 'honey' and 'sweet-heart' refer to exactly this idea.

Core Stability is becoming a more frequently used word in the health, fitness and the sporting industries. But when I look around at the quality of training that presents its self, I can see that training the “Core” it is a very misunderstood subject.

Part 1

By Richard M. Mooney

I have been studying Asian martial arts disciplines since 1970, and meditative disciplines since 1987. In the past twelve years of cultivating qi (internal energy, also often spelt as chi in Chinese, or ki in Japanese) I have been able to realize a certain amount of success and have made public my results. I have been greeted with scepticism by a great many people, and have since shown that my abilities are valid in the realms of healing and martial use of qi derived from the practice of qigong (the Chinese art of energy cultivation and utilization).