Self-education is an essential element of the Evolution Cycle of Health, because it is the foundation from which everything else flows. A true state of equilibrium can only be maintained within the parameters of a positive cycle of health (as shown here).

So self-education is key – and our willingness to pick up a book, to take a course or to work with a coach or fitness consultant is necessary for the journey of health and inner discovery to begin.

Of course, this means that these first steps can be the hardest for most of us to take.

Imagine it as a mission to travel into space! At first, the effort required to launch a space shuttle is huge, gravitational pull is powerful and momentum is minimal. But once the limitations of gravity and the earths atmosphere have been transcended, the shuttle moves with minimal energy and quickly pulls away – free to explore a whole new world of opportunities.

Your body is that space shuttle. At first, finding direction and building momentum is a challenge. But then, as a positive health cycle becomes more dominant, you’ll find that your energy increases – and the resulting psychological wellbeing and physical capacity make the positive cycle self-perpetuating.

So take action today. Take the first steps towards the Evolution Cycle of Health and take responsibility for your health!

Neuro-linguistic programming is a fascinating and intricate set of mind tools and techniques, which enables change at an unconscious level.

NLP is essentially the study of excellence, which describes how our thinking produces our behaviour, enabling us to understand the workings of our own minds. It allows us to model the excellence of others and reproduce that behaviour in ourselves.

These differing practices essentially all work towards helping you to achieve a better physical being and a deeper understanding of yourself.

Key benefits include increased physical awareness and health, increased understanding and awareness of the inner emotional state and Self, and increased understanding and control of the psychological state.

Meditation is another wide-ranging field, which features many differing practices from many different cultures.

However, in essence, it is about quietening the mind to reveal the true Self – a key element in achieving optimal health, increased sports performance and a wonderful experience of life.

Water is vital to the billions of chemical reactions that happen in all of the body’s billions of cells every day.

Every single one of those chemical reactions shapes our state of health and perception of reality.

Drinking enough clean, fresh water is one of the simplest things we can do to improve our energy level and overall state of well-being.

Organic food and metabolic typing is another critical link in the health cycle. We are what we eat – it really is a simple as that! Eat rubbish, be rubbish. Do you want your eyeballs to be made out of dodgy, low-grade burger protein!?

By eating organically grown food we can work towards optimising our chemical state, which will optimise our health.

We are also making an important contribution to the health of the planet by supporting farms that respect the environment.

It’s simple: buy real food, be a happier and healthier person, support the regeneration of the planet. It’s no brainer!

In our modern lives, sleeping seems to be very underrated.

But a good night’s sleep is thought to be critical for optimal hormonal balance, contributing towards a better psychological state, optimal weight, increased mental ability, better recovery after exercise – and less stress all round.

A process of daily self-evaluation – taking time to contemplate the day, what was achieved, what you felt good about, what did not go so well and how would you like to do it differently next time – allows us to live a more considered life. It builds greater efficiency and effectiveness, and also helps build inner awareness of our goals and greater clarity about how to achieve them.

The ability to develop acute mental concentration is always an asset – but especially for sport.

With regular sessions on practising concentration we can learn to still the mind and have absolute focus on what we are trying to achieve in the present moment.

Sports massage therapy is a vital part of the process to bring the body back to a state of health and vitality.

We all have a unique pattern of muscle imbalance and muscle stress, which ideally needs to be worked out of the system to avoid injury and optimise performance.

This aspect of training involves a combination of stretching, stabilisation training and weight training – all in ways or patterns of movement that directly correspond to the way in which your body works.

Functional weight training will not only enhance the way you look but also make you more effective in your work or sports environment.

We all know that aerobic training is a key to overall health and vitality.

It’s important for heart and lung health, it promotes a sense of well-being and it can contribute towards a shape change programme.