Category Archives: Life balance

Monday Meditations

Education, Hypnotherapy, Life balance, Philosophy,

Yes, check the calendar, it’s Tuesday! The last 2 Monday evenings have been set aside for meditation and although the group is small, I am getting so much more than I thought possible from it.

I scheduled ten  sessions, each with a different topic and designed for both the regular meditator and the beginner.

Week one began with breath work, using different styles of breathing including counting the breath, and alternate nostril breathing. That one can be tricky if you have a cold or hay fever!

Week two was progressive muscle relaxation. We did going up the body from the feet to the head and then down again in a different style. There are as many variations on progressive relaxation as there are teachers, but I based the first on Ian Gawler’s interpretation and the second was what I use in some of my hypnotic inductions.

We had a short discussion whilst waiting to see if more people were to arrive about Chakras meditations, but we may not touch on this until the Mandala and meditation session in late November.

The mind is much clearer and the manual is on the way to being written. So many other books to read and reference from, but it seems that Mindfulness meditation is the path that I am most drawn to. It is a joy to sit a record the exercises, although there are a few “office noises” invariably just as the session is about to finish. It just means that I treat that as a rehearsal and do it again, and find that I relax more as I get into the flow of recording.

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Eating for Energy

Education, Life balance, Philosophy, Polarity Therapy, , , ,

This requires thought…. too often we just grab something quick and easy without awareness and eat it too quickly and too much.

What do you habitually choose?

Breads and carbohydrate rich foods are easy to get access to and have their place if you are involved in an activity or occupation that requires strenuous muscular effort.

Fresh vegetables and fruits are abundant in Australia and even though the price of bananas has been high due to tropical cyclone & flood damage, a few bananas are a better alternative to processed convenience food laden with artificial chemical additives, trans fats and sugars. It is more than worth the effort to read the labels and choose foods that have fewer ingredients listed on them, for your long-term health.

There are some simple rules to observe when eating for energy:

  1. Eat when you are hungry. Sounds obvious, but we often eat when we are not, for a variety of reasons. These could be emotional eating, regulated meal times or that we have eaten too much at the last meal.
  2. Avoid eating at times when you are tired, run down, stressed or ill. Stress causes the body to divert its attention away from the digestive process, so take a glass of water, a few minutes to meditate or calm down and  wait until you are feeling hungry.
  3. Eat slowly and with mindfulness so that you can truly be aware of the flavour and texture of your food and become aware of the life force within it. (assuming you are not eating processed food!)
  4. Plan your meals to occur at regular times. Include snack times, so that you have something to eat about every 3 hours.
  5. Eat breakfast – this should be your biggest meal and dinner the lightest, which is completely opposite to what most of us do. Ensure that your last food intake is at least 3 hours before going to bed, so that digestion can begin effectively.

There are several schools of thought about what you should be eating.

You might want to consider the following:

  • food miles – how far has your food travelled to get to you?
  • food combining – this means not combining carbohydrates with protein or acid fruits. Proteins can be divided into 3 more groups – animal flesh, dairy and nuts/seeds.
  • Mono meals – choosing one particular food for a meal and eating nothing else.
  • Vegetarian –  choosing to forgo eating animal flesh for either ethical reasons or religious reasons. 

Eating for energy is not a diet plan, it is a method of making better choices about what food to fuel your body and for the planet. Learn which foods are acid forming and which are alkaline. Alkaline foods are vegetables, salads, fruit (except plums & cranberries), almonds and milk. Acid foods are all animal proteins, cheese, nuts and foods made from cereals. Check for sugar content. Refined sweets & sugars are metabolized quickly by your body and will result in that “sugar crash” and further stress your body, leading to long-term to insulin resistance in susceptible individuals.

There are any number of websites and books that can further educate you on which foods are best for you. Ultimately it is up to you to experiment with what types of foods give you the most health and energy.  Sue Dengate’s book Fed Up is useful to discover what additives are in your food. The food combining plan devised by Dr William Hay has helped many people regain health. The Polarity Diet by Dr Randolph Stone is a wonderful way to regain energy and health.

De-Hypnotise yourself

Hypnotherapy, Life balance, Philosophy

I like to joke with my clients about my habit of choosing black to wear.

It’s not that I live in Melbourne, where black is a favoured colour at all, but it’s the case of the “pot calling the kettle black!”You see, I’m an expert on stress! Not only do I give presentations on how to identify it and reduce it, but being competitive, I can probably do stress better than most!

So how has stress served me? Apart from giving me a topic to talk about; when I removed a major stressor from my life – working in schools – I experienced a post stress, cardiac event earlier this year. Which of course has given me another topic related to stress to talk about!

Working through the stages of grief that so often accompanies a life changing situation, that Elizabeth Kubler-Ross identified, I went straight into the first stage:

  • Denial – it’s not happening to me. So much into denial that I put myself into a hypnotic state and waited for the symptoms to go away, which of course they didn’t.
  • Anger – I got angry with everyone; myself, family, the doctors, the nurses….. I was ready to get up off the hospital trolley and go home because NO-ONE was telling me what was happening to me, prior to the angiogram.
  • Bargaining – this was a fairly brief stage,  more along the lines of how I might re-organize my lifestyle and having to come to terms with asking people to help, which was a new and difficult experience.
  • Depression – debatable whether I got to this stage. I did experience anxiety as I was continuing to have symptoms and sought professional help to manage this. Unfortunately the psychologist I saw, considered that my symptoms were more mental than physical and I went back into the “angry” stage, contemplating cancelling a scheduled cardiac procedure, which subsequently showed a physical issue.
  • Acceptance – I have now accepted that the events happened and through my own process, have come to the conclusion that I happen to have a condition (insert your own condition here…)that can be treated by…… you guessed it….. Hypnotherapy!

William James put forward the theory that 95% of our mind works at the unconscious or sub-conscious level taking care of biological functions as well as so much more of what we do and think. Like an iceberg, only 5% is on the surface. If this is so, then we can harness this unseen energy to change our focus.

It’s all about mindset.

So if you have just been diagnosed with a health problem, perhaps Type 2 Diabetes or a Cardiovascular issue, are you the person with the disease or do you just have symptoms of the condition?

We know that the potential of the human mind has barely been used and if this is so, then it is possible to de-hypnotise yourself from the suggestion that your future will be the same as the next person’s, without taking into account differing lifestyles.

If you are anxious about your health, or have been recently diagnosed with a health condition or experienced a series of cardiac symptoms, then a few sessions of Hypnotherapy combined with some powerful coaching techniques will help. Call to book a half hour complimentary session to discuss how you can use Hypnotherapy to successfully manage your mindset and reduce anxiety.

Club secretaries or organizations may be interested in the one hour presentation on 10 Keys to Managing your Health  as this is particularly relevant to the Baby Boomer generation.

 

Homeopathic prescribing

Education, Homeopathy, Life balance, Philosophy, ,

If you are working as a therapist you may decide to use some of the homeopathic remedies readily available in the health food stores. This could be for your personal use or to use with a client – it is suggested that you do some research or take a training to help you understand the actions of the remedies you are working with, possible side effects, duration that the remedy will last and key features of the remedies.

If you have decided to use Homeopathic remedies in your practice, once you have identified the likely needs of your client, you need to become what is described as the unprejudiced observer. This can be applied to all therapies, not just Homeopathy.

Is your client presenting with a label? Do they actually want their symptoms removed or is there secondary gain? There are lots of labels in our busy world, some are disease labels; others are behaviour labels. An awareness of the difference between disease and drug symptoms, along with a good drug reference guide, is essential.

What we must do, as an astute homeopathic prescriber,  is to observe each person as a whole.

Needless to say, each person has separate needs and experiences. So, what is trauma or difficulty for one person may have little long-term impact on another. It is this difference in reaction or non reaction that makes Homeopathy an effective treatment. A detailed history is taken to search for that remedy that most suits the individual and while one person may get one remedy for a cold, a family member or another person may get something entirely different, based on their symptoms.

There may be times that the therapist or practitioner requires a remedy. It must be stated that it is extraordinarily difficult to treat oneself, family or close friends. Seek professional advice. You are of no use if you give yourself a remedy that causes an aggravation of symptoms. Remedies have been known to bring back old, suppressed symptoms of long forgotten illnesses.

Trauma can be physical or emotional. It can be caused by any of the issues below. It can be held in the body at the cellular level and homeopathically can be seen as generational, giving rise to the theory of Miasm or disposition to a particular set of disease symptoms.  Homeopathy seeks to strengthen the body at the cellular level, so with this tool, we have a greater freedom to avoid the patterns of our ancestors.

Some likely needs of the clients you might see are:

  • Grief
  • Abuse
  • Post traumatic stress disorder

As each person’s needs are quite different, so a different remedy will be needed even if there are the same or similar conditions prevailing.

The major Contra-indications to giving a remedy are;

  • If the client is already under constitutional Homeopathic treatment. Taking another remedy may interfere with the action of the remedy given by the Client’s primary Homeopathic care provider.
  • When the client is known to have great sensitivity to mainstream medications or allergens. (Seek professional advice before giving a remedy – you may prefer to use a flower essence or Rescue Remedy)
  • When informed consent has not been given.

For those interested there is a course in Emotional First Aid, outlining some basic grief and trauma remedies run by Balance4Life Programs. Contact us to find out more details.

Balancing the brain

Education, Life balance, Philosophy

You will probably favour using one side of the brain more than the other, but let’s take a quick look at how each half performs and you can work out which dominance you are. The left side of the brain is logical and linear whilst the right side governs the emotional and esoteric. Right now you have probably worked out which side you use more naturally. Generally, people who are good with maths and science, will use the left side of the brain as it controls logic and analytical processes. Those who are naturally inclined to the arts or music and use emotional responses or feelings to gain insight are said to be “right-brained”.

If we can learn to use both sides more equally, then we can become more balanced. Imagine being logical and scientific yet spiritual and insightful at the same time.

Meditation is one way of balancing the brain, particularly focused meditation. An ideal way to focus is to find an image that causes your perception to shift.

Let your eyes move over the image and find a spot to focus on. If your eyes move, your perception of the image changes and you may start to notice movement. Different areas will dominate. Keep focusing on the centre of the image and then close your eyes and allow the image to fade away.

You may notice an awareness in your head, if it feels like a headache you have concentrated too hard!

Another method of balancing the brain is to walk a labyrinth. The labyrinth walk allows you to cross the midbrain when the tiny hairs or cilia in your inner ear react as you move first left and then right.

Can’t access a labyrinth?

Then enlarge the picture to the right and make a finger labyrinth and trace around the pathway with your index finger until you reach the centre, pause and return to the exit. You may feel an unusual sensation in the midline of your head if you do this too quickly. It is just the result of your brain being used in a different way from usual.

To gain even more from the exercises above, use alternate nostril breathing to help balance your brain. If you have a cold or blocked sinuses, this exercise is best left until you are able to breathe easily through both nostrils.

Place your hand over your face so that you can block off a nostril with your thumb and the other nostril with your little finger. The palm of your hand will be toward you. Rest your index & middle fingers in the centre of your forehead.

  1. Close off the left nostril and breathe out through the right
  2. Keep the left nostril closed and breath in through the right
  3. Close off the right nostril and breathe out through the left
  4. Keep the right nostril closed and breath in through the left
  5. Repeat the process until you get into a comfortable and relaxed routine.

As you finish the exercises become aware of how you feel.

Balanced and grounded.

Meditation

Education, Life balance, Philosophy, , ,

There are many forms of meditation around and there is sure to be one style that suits you. Make it a regular practice and you will enjoy the lasting health benefits too.

Four styles of meditation that I teach and practice are

  1. Mindfulness
  2. Focused
  3. Relaxation
  4. Visualization

Mindfulness Meditation is simply that. Being mindful of what you are doing now. I read recently that the future is only an illusion and it is important to be mindful of your actions and be fully present. Mindfulness can be practiced anywhere and the more you do it the sharper your focus becomes. For instance, I am typing now and mindful that as my thoughts come on this topic, my fingers move automatically over the keys. I am aware of the touch of the tips of my fingers on the keys and the difference in texture of the home keys under my index fingers. I am also aware of my eyes tracking the characters as they appear on the page and the cursor acts as a stop, thereby focusing my attention no further than the word being typed. I can then turn my attention to how I am sitting and the ambient air temperature – a chilly Melbourne morning! I am also aware of the sound of the keys as I quickly type this post and the gentle hum of the computer hard drive as it processes the information.

Focused meditation is just that. Focus. You can focus on anything you choose. Starting with the breath is just fine and creating an easy rhythm of in and out breath is very relaxing. Using a candle is another simple and accessible method. Light the candle and focus on the area between the flame and the wick – it’s usually a blue colour. Why focus here? The flame will move around with drafts and the process of burning  and that can cause your attention to wander. The centre of the flame is more likely to be still.

Relaxation meditation such as clenching various muscles & then relaxing them, from the top of the head down to the tips of the toes combined with breath awareness is a wonderful way of winding down after a busy day. Doing it with the eyes open or closed doesn’t matter, but if you have your eyes closed and then gently open them at the end of the relaxation, then you will notice that your perception of the light and surroundings will have changed. If you are doing this in a group, take a few moments to gather your thoughts and you may even notice how different other people look as well. The tension that was stored in the facial muscles has miraculously melted away.

Visualization meditation is only limited by your imagination.

Where do you want to be today?

In your mind’s eye, you can go anywhere, create anything. This form of meditation is often used as a guided meditation where the facilitator will take you on a tour using metaphor and your imagination provides the images. Not just for escape, as by using the creative power of your imagination, you can gain insight and clarity for problems that you previously thought were insurmountable.

Renew those New Year Resolutions

Life balance, Philosophy, , , ,

“Cheers to a New Year and another chance to get it right” – Oprah Winfrey

Did you make your New Year’s resolutions and keep them? We are a couple of weeks into the new year now and are they just a distant memory? Did you experience remorse on New Year’s Day or shortly after when you realized that your first resolution had been broken? Be kind to yourself and ask where the lesson is in this. Change your thinking and see this as feedback that will enable you to make successful goals in the future.

“A New Year’s resolution is something that goes in one year and out the other” – Anon.

There are common new year resolutions on every continent and the top 5  made every year are:

  1. Getting into shape – and that includes weight loss, fitness, giving up smoking or drinking
  2. Getting more organized
  3. Getting a job or changing to a better job
  4. Spending less or clearing debt
  5. Improving the mind and getting an education.

Well, no need to despair or feel as if you have yet to achieve those goals.  If you didn’t stick to those resolutions you made with good intent, then change them so you can,  How so, you may ask? There is still time to review those resolutions you made and set new and achievable goals, just in time for Chinese New Year which falls this year on February 4th.

Take the top intention from the list and let’s apply the SMART goal setting system to your resolutions and you will go from resolution to evolution – creating the change that you really want.

Getting into Shape

S is for Specific – What is it EXACTLY that you want to achieve?

  • Do you want to lose weight – how much & by when;
  • get fit by walking/running/aerobic exercise/gym & what level of fitness will you be happy with;
  • stop smoking/drinking or reduce your intake?

M is for Measurable – How will you know WHEN you have achieved your goal?

  • Set your time frame,
  • clothes size,
  • weight,
  • cigarettes reduced etc.

Remember Rome wasn’t built in a day…..

A is for Achievable – are you capable of getting to your goal?

  • Who do you need to support you to get there? You can’t expect to lose 20kg in a couple of weeks, after all it did creep up on you – all those chocolates and treats while writing reports, that extra slice of Christmas pudding, the broken biscuits that don’t count, finishing off those fries for the kids….

R is for Realistic – are you going “cold turkey” on the booze and ciggies?

  • How likely are you to relapse? Again, you need to put in your support systems. If you are serious about your health and the risks involved in excessive consumption (of anything) then have a plan. Fail to plan and plan to fail.
  • Speak to your Primary Health Practitioner, get your patches or see a Hypnotherapist for your smoking cessation plan or alcohol detox.

T is for Timely – this is where you set the date for when you expect to achieve your goals. You need to have done all of the above to make your resolution a success.

The Year of the Rabbit, is an ideal year to achieve your success as it is a much quieter and more relaxed year than that of 2010, the Year of the Tiger. However, the Rabbit influences of comfort, good taste and refinement may lead to over indulgences and putting off unpleasant tasks.

Make your resolutions fun and enjoyable using the SMART goal setting techniques and you will enjoy the new year and a new you!

“An Optimist stays up to midnight to see the New Year and a Pessimist stays up to make sure the old year leaves.”  Bill Vaughan



The Rhythm of the Days

Homeopathy, Life balance, Philosophy, ,

Every day has its own special rhythm. To know and understand more about these rhythms creates a sense of security. The overlying theme is circular and can be felt in the breath – breathing in and breathing out.

At school a rhythm must be set from the earliest years. In the Steiner tradition there is a morning circle, followed by play and morning tea. Steiner observed that chaotic behaviour in the child is not the child’s fault but a lack of rhythm by the parents and teacher.

Each day is governed by a planet and each day has a different grain or colour assigned to it. By including a different grain each day, the diet becomes more varied. Colours can be used either in the clothing of the child or the adults, even by using different coloured tablecloths in the home or classroom. For the teacher, it is useful to know what day of the week a child is born on as this also determines, according to ancient wisdom, the constitution of the child. The Homeopathic Repertory also lists remedies suited to constitutional disorders, which is helpful when treating children.

Monday is ruled by the Moon and rice or rice water is the appropriate grain. The colour to wear or use is VIOLET. The metal is Silver and the Chinese Medicine element is Water. Astrologically ruled by Cancer, the body parts most affected by the Moon are the brain, nervous system and bladder. The child born on this day may have a sensitivity and awareness, frequently reflect on events and have a good imagination and memory.

Tuesday is ruled by Mars and Barley should be consumed. The colour to wear or use is RED. The metal is Iron and in Chinese Medicine it relates to the Fire Element. Mars rules the blood in the body, including blood pressure, temperature and adrenal glands. The head, face and reproductive system are affected by the planet Mars and the months  are Aries and Scorpio. The child born on this day may have  fire, passion, energy, assertiveness and willpower.

Wednesday is ruled by Mercury and Millet is the appropriate grain. The colour to wear or use is YELLOW.  The Mercury constitution is often disordered by coughs and colds. The body parts affected are the respiratory system, nerves and the mind can be quite active although changeable. The Chinese Medicine element is Air and the astrological signs are Gemini and Virgo. A Mercury child may have an active intelligence, good communication skills, the power to reason and a love of learning through speech and writing.

Thursday is ruled by Jupiter and the grain that should be consumed is Rye. The colour to wear or use is ORANGE. The metal is Tin, and areas of the body affected may be the liver, gallbladder, digestion, thyroid, hips, navel and feet. Sagittarius and Pisces are Jupiter months. The Chinese Medicine element is Earth. A child born on this day may have enthusiasm, optimism and a benevolent nature, wisdom beyond their years and the capacity to create opportunity and growth.

Friday is ruled by the planet Venus and Oats should be eaten. The colour to wear or use is GREEN. The metal for Venus is Copper and the astrological connections are Libra and Taurus. The urinary & reproductive systems are ruled by Venus and the Chinese Medicine element is Water. Children born on this day may have a sociable and affectionate constitution. They enjoy harmony, comfort and beauty.

Saturday is ruled by the planet Saturn and the grain is Corn. The colour is BLUE. The metal for Saturn is Lead and the Chinese Medicine element is Earth. Astrologically it is ruled by Aquarius and Capricorn. The body parts most affected by Saturn are the spleen, bones and joints and the spinal column. A child born on this day may be noticed by its love of order and discipline. They are often idealistic and have a strong moral sense, living life in integrity.

Sunday is ruled by the Sun and Wheat should be eaten. The colour is WHITE. The metal for the Sun is Gold and the astrological connection is Leo. The Chinese Medicine element is Fire and the heart, circulation, blood and vision may be areas to watch.  Children born on this day may have energy to spare, vitality, leadership and willpower, tempered with compassion, love and generosity.

In Lotus Alchemy, which emphasises the transformation of the human being, there are also the 7 stages of life that correspond to the planets:

Birth to 7 – Moon

7 to 14 – Mercury

14 to 21 – Venus

21 to 42 – Sun

42 to 49 – Mars

49 – 56 – Jupiter

56 to 63 – Saturn

63 to 70 – Moon

70 to 77 – Mercury.


5 keys to making your New Year’s Resolutions effective

Life balance, Philosophy

It’s that time of year again tables laden with calorie rich food and drink are set all over Australia. The kilos start to creep on and with the New Year looming fast, you probably haven’t even started thinking about your New Year’s resolutions, as you are enjoying yourself too much. The regret comes in the new year.  The most common resolutions made are: to lose weight; to stop smoking and to stop drinking. And the problem lies in making and keeping those resolutions strong.

Often the resolutions are a cliché, a rote response with little thought or meaningful reflection on the outcome.

Follow the 5 keys to making your resolutions effective and permanent.

1. Clarity – be 100% sure about your goal. This has to change this year. Be specific about the goal and the date you want to achieve it by. Take it seriously and take time to reflect on it. If you have chosen something you think you should do, or someone else has suggested that you do it, then there is no power behind it – it is a cliché, no more important that those rote replies when someone asks you how you are. Take the time to examine your goal mentally, spiritually, consciously and unconsciously.

2. Shift your perception –  How do you see what you are going to achieve? Make it fun and pleasurable for you and you are more likely to be successful. Be creative in the way you approach your goal and decide that this is now your new way of life. Revisit key number 1 and set your goals. If it is weight loss, then define how many kilos you are going to set aside and envisage a permanent lifestyle change. Make the decision to act with clarity for yourself.

3. What’s your belief system? – If you believe that you will achieve your goal – you will. Sometimes you may have a core desire to do something but you may not fully believe in your possibilities. If this is so, then what are your limiting beliefs? Be fully present and examine your beliefs about the outcome. If your beliefs are congruent to the resolution, then change will happen. If not, work on removing the belief system and replace it with small achievable goals. Remember that every journey starts with a single step.

4. Gratitude – enjoy your journey and show gratitude for  the small successes. Each mini goal will add to your eventual overall success. The journey may be slow and gradual but will lead to permanent lifestyle changes.

5. Connection – connection with your goals on a daily basis will help you to remain focused and clear about your outcome. Write your resolutions and goals down and put them so they are visible in a multitude of places. Post-it notes on the mirror in the bathroom, on the fridge, reminders on your calendars – electronic and paper reminders. Tick them off as you achieve them and congratulate yourself on your new way of life.

Polarity Therapy and the Number 3

Life balance, Philosophy

The Polarity Triune is the Positive, Negative and Neutral flows of energy.

These energies can be seen in several ways.

Within the body there are three principles of energy:

  1. Fire energy – from the sun and found in all living things
  2. Air energy – the breath of life
  3. Water energy – the body fluids which contain the chemistry of life

Randolph Stone believed that all motion is triune and that nothing is an independent unit with everything relying on and interacting with other units.

The Polarity Triune can also be seen in the process of creation. Dr Stone gave as another example, The Garden of Paradise where there could be found:

  • A tree of life
  • A tree of Knowledge of good and evil
  • The snake as the tempter

The 3 energies…..

1. Positive energy moves away from the centre and is fiery, repelling and centrifugal, It starts in the umbilical area, spiralling outward in a clockwise direction. The right side of the body, superior areas and back are also imbued with positive energy.
Other qualities of this energy are male, yang, expansive, fire, outgoing and sympathetic. The Right hand is positive , as is the top of the body and limbs.
Within the hands, the middle (fire) and little (earth) fingers have a positive energy.

 

 2.    Neutral energy

This is found in the East West currents.
It flows from left to right at the front and right to left in the back.
The middle of limbs, the torso and head are neutral areas.
The thumbs on both hands have a neutral energy

3. Negative energy flows in the long currents of the body, called the North South Currents.
On the right side, the energy flows down the front and up the back, whilst on the left side it flows up the front and down the back.
This energy can flow out through the toes and fingers in a circular manner.
The negative energy is found on the left side of the body, front and inferior areas. It is essentially a female, yin energy, receptive and affects the parasympathetic nervous system, is in going and has a water element to it.
The left hand and the bottom of the torso, head and sections of limbs have a negative quality,
The left hand is negative and the index fingers (air) and the ring fingers (water) are also negatively charged.


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