Words by Anne Jones, author of ‘How to heal’

Family, friends and partners are important elements of life, and our happiness levels are affected by whether these relationships are positive and uplifting or toxic and depressing. A great deal (at least 50%) of my work as a spiritual healer is to help people improve the vibrations of their closest connections. I help clients to release the yearning for lost love, to heal current associations and to be open to finding a new partner.

The people who are closest to you, who spend the most time with you, are connected to you by energy cords. Your thoughts are energy streams and constant thoughts create links to the people you spend time with. If your relationship is loving, then the cord that connects you will be vibrant and strong with love flowing constantly (apart from the odd tiff!). However, if a friend, family member or colleague is too demanding, needy or overwhelming they will be stealing your energy and the cord between you will be heavy and toxic.

Here are just some of the situations that can occur with people you share time with or who are constantly in touch with you.

Hooks

If a relationship is out of balance and the other person clings to you with hooks and takes a ride on your vibrancy and enthusiasm for life, they will drain your energy. You will be exhausted after spending time with them.

Negative thinking and depressed

If you spend time with a pessimistic, depressed, or miserable person you can be affected by their heavy energy and theirnegative thought forms of worry, concern and depression will bring down the vibration of your own energy.

Controller

If someone close tries to manipulate or control you by bullying or making you feel guilty then you will lose your self-esteem, lose your confidence, believe what they tell you and become programmed by their sense of superiority or their demands.

Angry or emotional

A person who allows their emotions to boil over easily will make you feel insecure. When you are the target of someone’s irrational and emotive venting, you will become weaker in yourself, unable to make decisions, vulnerable and low spirited.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

The connections between you and other people are energy streams created by your thoughts. If you want to change the status of your relationship you need to start with an intention to transform the energy that flows between you. Forgiving and opening a positive dialogue can help and you can shift the energy between you by channelling positive vibrations into the link, the cord, that flows between you.

Here are several ways you can manage the health and positivity of your relationships at home and work.

Clearing toxic energies

The cords that connect you to people you know well are created by your thoughts and the energy vibrations are affected by the emotions attached to those thoughts. So, if you are angry with your sister-in-law then a stream of heavy energy will reach her and affect the way she feels. Your cord to her and her cord to you are intertwined by your association so anything she feels will flow through to you.

Here are simple steps that can help clear the toxic energy that flows between you and someone close and can also release you from their controlling or manipulative attitudes and behaviour:

Prevent your energy from being zapped

Protection is the best option when dealing with the negative fall-out of other people’s issues. By protecting and sealing your energy field you can prevent yourself from being overwhelmed by another person’s negativity. Whenever I work alongside other people, I do what humans have always done when they are attacked – I create a castle! Here your intention is to imagine a fortress that is a barrier to heavy and negative energies that can invade and contaminate your own energy. It is highly effective!

Other protective measures include pulling down a garage door when someone starts to vent their anger or frustration at you, ideal if you work with the public. Another is to visualise a large egg with thick walls that repel negative thoughts – they bounce off the outside layer. Any of these rituals will put you back in control and prevent other people’s emotions from disturbing or stealing your life force and vitality.

If a person is depending on you or leans too heavily, they will become a burden, and this will tire you. Burdens sit on your shoulders like boulders. Every day imagine sweeping these heavy burdens of dependency from your shoulders.

Bringing a new relationship into your life

There can be several reasons why you are struggling to find a loving partner. If you have been badly hurt and abused in a previous relationship you will need to heal the wounds and imprints to your heart. You will also need to bring down any barriers you have put up yourself. The healing you need will depend on the intensity of the pain of the breakup and is best helped by a therapist. However, to get you started, here are some basics steps you can take that will help you free yourselfand clear barriers to new love:

You will need to clear any old cords that may still be attaching you to past love. If someone leaves you, they will take their cord, but you may still be attached as you yearn for your lost love. Now is the time to cut yourself free – ready for new love. Do it now, get out the scissors. Take a thread and cut it, set yourself free right now.

2. Vows, contracts and promises

You may be tied to someone by a vow or promise – as in a marriage ceremony or even the words you say “I will be yours for ever and ever” – wonderful if you are still together but not so good if that person is long out of your life. Release any redundant vows by saying: “I clear and release myself from all vows and contracts I wish to dissolve, now, right now, right now.”

You may have closed your heart deliberately when hurt by rejection. So set your intention to be open to love by placing your hands together in front of your heart centre (in the middle of your chest), these are now the doors to your heart. Open them slowly and deliberately three times and say: “I open my heart to receive love, now, right now, right now.”Now use the healing symbol to receive healing for heartache and grief and after you have traced it in the air, place your hands on your chest.

Edit Suits Co., is a men’s custom-made tailoring and casualwear brand utilising the highest quality British and Italian cloths from Loro Piana, Ermengildo Zegna and Scabel to name a few.

Edit Suits Co. was co-founded by Reto Peter and Patrick Jungo to fill a personal need after they found that off-the-peg clothing didn’t quite fit, while custom-made was too expensive. Relying on their insights from working in global fashion and finance, the Swiss-born duo were able to dramatically reduce supply chain costs by making garments to order while operating a modern showroom model rather than traditional high street stores. As a result, they can now create custom-made suits from as little as £349 and shirts from £69, alongside made-to-measure chinos, overcoats and field jackets to shorts.

During an appointment, a personal stylist works with clients to understand their requirements and runs them through an extensive array of customisations and fabrics. Each custom-made suit takes around three to six weeks to create, depending on fabric choice, and if any alterations are required they will be carried out locally.

Launching a new beauty and grooming range into an overcrowded market is incredibly difficult. One brand that think they have cracked this conundrum with a different and unique selling point is BAST PARIS.

Every sport has its own challenges and pains. BAST PARIS believe that mental and physical preparation is the secret of overcoming any obstacle, they have decided to explore how products combined with mental and physical routines can support athletes in reaching their goals. 

Created in 2015 by David Frossard and Mats Johansson, a combination of French fighting spirit and Swedish craft.

BAST – Is a body care brand that supports and champions active lifestyles both pre & post workout. All BAST body care products are developed and produced in Halmstad, Sweden, and are designed to help feel good fitness enthusiasts prepare for physical routines, prevent injuries and take care of the skin, body and mind take care to prevent other negative effects of rough training and more.

 (Image by Jason Goodman)

This summer, the UK has already seen some of the most record-breaking high temperatures, and for many, the struggle with what to wear to work in the heat can cause real annoyance.

Fashion experts at Karen Millen have revealed the best hacks to help you stay cool at work while looking stylish at the same time. Alongside the tips is some guidance on which items to opt for this summer if you’re heading into the office.

(Image by Austin Distel)

Hack 1: Wear more clothes – It may sound odd but wearing more clothing on hot summery days can prevent you from working up a sweat. Obviously, avoid heavy layering with items like tights and thick jumpers – but try adding some lighter layers into the mix. Covering up in light layers will help to keep you protected from sun exposure and keep your skin shaded and cool.

(Image by Memento Media)

Hack 2: Stay clear from dark clothing – If your dress code is strict on all black – you might want to skip to the last hack! But, if your workplace is lenient with colours, try opting for lighter coloured clothing pieces which will reflect heat and light. Black clothing will absorb sunlight and lock in heat so try to avoid dark colours if you can. Whites, creams and beiges are your safest bet for summery days, and they will help to keep you cool and sweat-free!

(image by Jud Mackrill) 
Hack 3: Wear your workout clothes – Don’t just wear your workout gear to the gym; try it out in the office! Most workout clothing is designed to keep you cool whilst enduring physical activity; therefore, the fabrics and linings of these pieces are often created in breathable, lightweight and airy fabrics. Not only will workout pieces keep you cool, but the athleisure trend is extremely popular, so no one will bat an eyelid.

(Image by Memento Media)

Hack 4: Wear breathable fabrics – Not only are materials such as cotton always a cooler option, but linen is also a solid trend which returns every summertime. Its textured weave will keep you feeling fresh all day, and while this lighter fabric absorbs the heat, the light colour will reflect most sunlight anyway. Cotton is also a staple in every wardrobe, so if linen isn’t something you want to venture into, a cotton t-shirt or dress will do the job perfectly!

(image @thegentlemanracerltd)

Luxury leather & travel goods brand, Carl Friedrik’s new Rover collection of premium bags designed to support today’s modern traveller

From hybrid working to digital nomad travel, Carl Friedrik introduces innovative materials and multipurpose styles to meet the needs of today’s on-the-go consumer. A clear expression of the brand’s continued mission to Carry With Confidence, the Rover collection, combines luxuriously soft nubuck and Vachetta leather detailing with functional, intelligent design.

The new five-piece collection seeks to blend effortless style with optimum utility. It brings innovative, practical features into the fold, whilst upholding the brand’s standards of high-quality materials and prime craftsmanship, with a new relaxed and refined aesthetic.

The introduction of nubuck, made by brushing the leather surface to create a soft, velvety feel similar to that of suede, but much more durable, is what gives Carl Friedrik’s Rover collection of bags its lightweight, multifunctional and effortlessly portable feel.

The collection features a range of soft and unstructured silhouettes, including two backpacks  a garment weekender, a compact weekender and a tote available in tones of black, charcoal, chocolate and olive. Standout pieces include the Everyday Backpack which makes every type of travel stylishly convenient, with its expandable capabilities and hidden passport & laptop compartments, and the Getaway Weekender  which supports a sophisticated wardrobe with a crease-proof suit compartment and pockets for two pairs of shoes. In addition, the Anywhere Tote includes a unique zipper locking system that allows you to use it both as a shopping tote and office laptop bag.

This new collection comes at the helm of the brand’s 10-year anniversary this November, and the recent launch of The Creator’s Club, where Carl Friedrik used direct customer feedback to influence the product designs.

“The launch of our soft nubuck bag collection is evidence of our continued commitment to supporting urban travellers, who, now more than ever, want multi-purposeful designs but with a more casual aesthetic.” – Niklas Oppermann, Co-Founder.