The Five Paths of Harmonia by Francesc Miralles

First of all, the word “diet”, in this context, mustn’t be regarded as a regime or restriction but as a method of eating healthy.

In Asian traditional cultures, we can observe how often the subject “diet” is addressed in the daily life: Diet is the first medicine. This statement is perhaps one of the most popular in Chinese medicine. This millenary disciple looks at food in a very complex way, both regarding the taste and the specific quality of each ingredient. Ingredients are classified in therapeutical types using the same methodology that applies to medicinal herbs. Herbs and foods are considered to have effect in the health, a different effect in each person and under different circumstances, like physical condition, age, sex, weather, activity, etc. From this perspective it’s understandable that there is neither a miraculous diet, nor a diet for everyone.

Nevertheless, Harmonia diet follows a few fixed rules:

• Harmony with Earth.

Harmonia diet uses mostly local and seasonal ingredient to ensure a meal healthy, simple but full of taste. Local and fresh ingredients are the stars and our Chefs’ masterworks are conceived to exalt the virtues of the food and create a unique gastronomic experience.

• Harmony within the Body.

Harmonia diet is designed to increase the absorption of nutrients at the lowest energy cost, minimizing the competition of food that slows digestion and creates inflammation. Harmonia diet tends also to balance the internal acidity indexes, limiting the presence of acidic food, sugar and excess of carbohydrates. Our diet is also very vigilant with cholesterol, triglycerides, sodium, sugar and other products harmful for the body. Vegan, vegetarian, pescatarian, detox and assisted fasting options are available.

• Harmony with Heaven.

Harmonia embraces the synchronicity of the body function related to the Sun, what is commonly called “internal clock” or circadian cycle. All Harmonia’s activities, especially diet, are programmed according to the moment of the day and season.

Family nutritional program. Harmonia method also offers the possibility to design a personalized nutritional program through finding a pattern compatible to all members completed with a minimal number of add-ons.

The concept cleansing and detox doesn’t need any further explanation, being a common practice to spend part of our holidays following anti-aging programs in order to get rid of toxins, loosing extra weight and embracing a healthier lifestyle.

Francesc Miralles has developed a set of actions addressed to assist in the cleansing anti-aging process of both, the body and the body function. The methodology of cleansing has been inspired by the classical Chinese medicine theories, compatible with the conclusions of modern scientific research.

The Way to Cleansing follows the traditional way of the Three Burners or Sanjiao (三焦). According to this classical Chinese medicine perspective, the body is divided in three “burners” or three metabolic centers – Upper, Middle and Lower – where all the necessary physiologies take place. Harmonizing the function and preserving the health of the Three Burners is the key for a long, healthy and happy life.

Harmonia diet is a vital part of the process because is designed to nourish and assist the three metabolic centers during the cleansing process. To expand the effect of Harmonia’s personalized diet, Francesc has implemented a comprehensive body work therapy called HAT or Holistic Acupressure Therapy, combining acupressure, stretching, fluid drainage with multiple options to adapt the experience to each person’s constitution. The HAT synthesizes the best of many techniques, like Shiatsu, Thai massage, Tuina, myofascial release, Swedish massage and Classic Asian medicine methods.

In Harmonia, “shining” refers to the quality of projecting externally the internal beauty. When someone’s body, mind and soul are in Harmonia – harmoniously aligned – there is a magic glimpse that arises from inside, a natural and charming beauty that doesn’t need much to be perceived by others. This is the context of “shining” in Harmonia, an aura beyond the concept of beauty arising from the spirit of the person.

The Way to this shining is included in all Harmonia methods, diet, exercise, manual therapy, cleansing, meditation, etc., but Francesc has designed an special set of treatments, called Harmonia Body Sculpturing and Painless Acu-tonic visage lifting. Both techniques can be added to the Harmonia’s Way to Cleanse to emphasize radiance.

All this methods are absolutely natural and using organic products.

Activity is basically the natural way to build up resistance, activates the metabolism, increasing the absorption and elimination of toxins and substances in excess, keeping our joints, muscles, tendons and bones in good health. But if we look at activity from a broader perspective, movements is the balance for mind activity, so a key part in our psychological “metabolism” and affective health. But all activity is good? All kind of movement is healthy? What is the measure?

Harmonia develops the kind of movement according to each person but also bringing something extra to normal training. Movement is about energy but energy needs a container, that we call “conscience” or awareness. Movement addressed exclusively to burn calories doesn’t bring more benefits but conscious movement, including full awareness activities, is both a physical and spiritual practice.

Spirituality is the appreciation of the life observed under a focused but relaxed state of mind. This double statement can seem contradictory but isn’t. A muscle cannot do an action without contracting but, before contracting needs to be relaxed. The mind follows this analogy too: focalization and relaxation are both qualities of the mind that are practised in all Harmonia activities bit especially in focalization classes during the practice of the Way of Harmonious Movement, as well as during the deep relaxation techniques implemented specifically. Mind training is necessary to go on a real spiritual journey that we call The Way of a Curious Soul, where the mind can be set free.