about amanda
I have always been intrigued by the human condition – the purpose and mystery of existence.
My quest started at the age of 13 with the practice of yoga. This led me onto exploring Ayurvedic medicine – the ancient medicine of India dating back some 5000 years. I attended many lectures by Ashvin Barot, who is an Ayurvedic practitioner and I went on study visits to India and to the colleges and hospitals practising Ayurvedic medicine there.
The philosophy of Chinese medicine answered further fundamental questions on life and the structure and functioning of the human body. I studied Acupuncture at the International College of Oriental Medicine – a full-time 4-year course. After completing my thesis I graduated in 1991 and I have been practising since then in East Sussex and London. I am a fully insured member of the British Acupuncture Council. The understanding of the philosophy of Acupuncture requires ongoing study and is a lifelong interest and it is enormous fun to be constantly learning something that interests me.
The aim of my treatments is to bring you to a state of internal balance and from this place you can then find joy and purpose for your life.
After the water births of my two daughters, (my first with Yehudi Gordon the obstetrician who pioneered Active Birth and water births and my second birth at home) I became fascinated by the whole process of pregnancy and birth. I trained as an Active Birth Teacher and I have run pregnancy and birth classes since 1997. I have helped many parents, through the process, challenge and joy that pregnancy, labour and birth brings. I am also intrigued by what this journey means for us all, not only with the physical experience of birth, but what this can mean when applied to all aspects of our lives. There is a ‘birth’ process in all that we do.
I am committed to bringing in the awareness of the sacredness of birth and I have attended many births as a birth companion.
I have been invited to be a speaker at two conferences held in Damanhur on the ‘ Spirit of Birth.’ In 2010 I developed a new approach to birth preparation called Birthing Together©. I am in the process of writing a book on this approach.
My fascination with how our beliefs and our daily thoughts influence our life, led me onto studying with the One Spirit Interfaith Seminary and being ordained as a One Spirit minister in 2006. I now offer Happiness Counselling alongside my Acupuncture practice.
I have done a training with St Ethelburgas centre for Peace and Reconciliation on Conflict Resolution as I am interested in how conflict affects our health and our peace of mind.