BLESSED with a name like Clara Apollo, you have got to either be a rock singer or an alternative health guru.

Clara, a mother-of-one from the New Forest, has been both.

In the hall of her cottage-style home hangs a framed front page from the fabled music paper the NME, featuring Clara as lead singer of the glam rock revival band Eight Track Cartridge Family. She wore six-inch platforms and a white-blonde Afro wig for the photo shoot in 1988.

"I went into the band to make costumes and ended up being the lead singer. It was brilliant fun, but I blew my energy cake completely," she said.

"I had back disorders and shoulder strain dating from my time as a nurse. I was in my thirties and realising I wasn't bouncing back any more. I was burnt out."

And that was where the alternative health therapies took centre stage for Clara. Through other parents at her son Louis's school where they then lived on the outskirts of London, Clara started learning about the oriental art of Chi Kung.

What she discovered led to a complete life change, culminating in a move

from the big city to Beechen Lane, Lyndhurst, and a dedication to spreading the word about Chi Kung's ancient disciplines.

Chi Kung - or Qigong - claims to be the granddaddy of all eastern exercise regimes. With prehistoric roots predating Yoga and Tai Chi, Chi Kung was once the secret energy-stoking art of the Emperors of China, and forbidden to all but selected disciples.

The name 'Chi Kung' means 'energy art,' and its followers say it can be adapted to boost health, fighting strength - as in Kung-Fu - and even longevity.

As a Chi Kung teacher, Clara focuses on its gentle health-giving aspects. She leads her pupils through a routine of slow dance-like, repetitive movements which help focus the mind on the body within. The philosophical side of Chi Kung is not easy for Westerners - with our extrovert culture - to tune into. But Clara says persevere. The rewards are worth working for.

"Tai Chi and Yoga are already established in this country and Chi Kung has some similarities. But it is more accessible," said Clara.

"There is no sense of competition, it's easy to follow and the lack of anxiety about achieving the routine means you can focus on your own conscious mind. You can give yourself permission to forget the shopping list, the money worries and the quarrel with the next-door-neighbour and be introspective, self-aware and self-empowered."

Channelling your own body energy is a primary objective of Chi Kung. It needs imagination as well as movement.

"Chi, or energy, follows where the mind leads. It takes time to feel your chi flow - as tingles or hot and cold sensations - but eventually you will," said Clara.

She says Chi Kung could be the answer to our stressed-out culture - where we burn away our health and vitality in pursuit of success.

"If you want to work hard you need a firm internal foundation. Chi Kung helps build that. People turn to drugs to make themselves happier, stronger, more energised. Why take drugs if you can get what you need from a daily dose of Chi Kung?"

Clara is planning to hold several Chi Kung sessions in New Forest gardens during the summer - for more details phone her on 07901 933 779.

Clara's regular classes at Brockenhurst College and Ringwood School in Parsonage Barn Lane restart from September 16. For more information on Adult Education classes in the New Forest contact Brockenhurst College on 01590-625500.