Category Archives: Philosophy

The Meaning of…….

Life balance, Meditation, Philosophy

words….

It’s interesting how we put different meanings to words – depending on our

  • values
  • cultural upbringing
  • or perspective.

My background as a language teacher allows me to explore words both in English and Japanese. The artistic side of my brain is nourished by the beauty of the Japanese characters, whilst the logical side enjoys the structure which allows the character to be written in a balanced way.

Language and the love of words has always featured in my life and was nurtured by my grandmother who wrote “racy”novels for Mills and Boon in the 1920’s using a pseudonym as it “wasn’t the done thing to do” in her social circles in Colonial India. There is even the family story of being distantly related to a Poet Laureate, but not substantiated.

As a child in England, I have memories of the family sitting down and competing to get the best score in the Reader’s Digest Increase your Word Power and ongoing games of Lexicon and Scrabble. We didn’t have a TV until I was 15, then it was quickly disposed of when my grades at school plummeted.

I remember feeling surprised when talking to a student in a relaxed moment on a school camp, when he revealed that I was known to be slightly eccentric because of my extended vocabulary. Teaching students to find a better or alternative word became more than a passing interest after the tedium of marking essays filled with vernacular and repetitive words. The discovery an Edward de Bono book that had exercises using words was incorporated into language coaching classes and students given games to play using the thesaurus on the computer.

Even more recently, I was looking up a word in the dictionary – yes I still use a paper one – I ruminated on the words following…..

I was following up an idea about manifesting, as per  The Secret and all of that….(another post perhaps) when I noticed that the word following was “Manifesto”.

I bought a copy of the “Communist Manifesto” in a tiny bookshop in Nelson (NZ) in the late 1970’s that  my parents threw out when they “repacked” my stuff, not realizing that I bought it out of historical interest and not ideological alignment.

Again perspective comes into to the picture!

So how do you feel about the term Manifesto?

If an organization that you had contact with in the free, democratic world used it,  how would you react?

Do you see it as something that clarifies their position, states  their policy or something more?

If you are a Baby Boomer, as I am, what emotional attachment have you inherited from the word? Implications of control, compliance…….?

Then I turned the page and found some new words to ponder……………

 

What’s your baggage?

Coaching, Emotional baggage, Philosophy, Transformation

We all have baggage.
Some have a little and some have a lot.
Some baggage is more easily put down and left behind than others. 
I get curious about types of baggage and what purpose it serves the person carrying it.

Is the baggage a backpack?
Is it light or heavy?
Can it be easily removed?
Does it feel like there is someone putting stuff in and making it heavier while you are moving to your destination?

Is the baggage a suitcase?
What’s inside? Is it full of things that “might come in handy” or familiar, comfortable objects?
Does it feel like it’s making your arms or hands ache?

One of my favourite films, “Up in the Air” uses the metaphor of baggage really effectively.
So how easy is it to unpack the baggage and only take what is necessary for the journey and are you willing to let go and let someone else take the weight from you – even if for a short time?

The familiar or comfortable things need to be looked at first.
Familiarity doesn’t mean that it serves you now.
 Familiar could be an unhelpful habit or attitude that has outstayed its welcome.
Moving it on or leaving it behind can either be a joyful or gut wrenching occasion. It all depends on your perspective.
The comfortable may no longer be of use either.
Who hasn’t had that dearly loved pair of shoes or an item of clothing that is comfortable but has definately got that scuffed and tatty look or frayed at the seams………
Sometimes it takes another person, often a friend or family member, even a coach or counsellor to help us to see that it is time to make a change.
Having made a change, it is all too easy to slip back into previous habits, reach out to do the “same old, same old”, but looking at new options can be exciting and life changing.

Fathers Day

balance, Fathers Day, Heart Chakra, Philosophy, Spring

The official start to Spring in Australia, got off to a balmy start; a languid weekend of sunshine although still quite cool once the sun dipped below the horizon. Following on from the August “Blue Moon” the weekend included the low key festivities of Fathers Day on Sunday, followed by a magnificent Monday. This probably saw more “sickies” taken from work than usual, simply because it was a beautiful day. Hopefully it was an industry rostered day off!

We began the Fathers Day celebrations with the father in law on Friday, due to his other social commitments and I visted my 91 year old father on Sunday afternoon with a box of chocolates supplied by my son and his partner.  He was curious as to why he was getting a present, as Father’s Day is a relatively new tradition born of commercialism and we never celebrated it when I was a child. It is quite unlike the original Mothering Sunday which was celebrated in the Northern Hemisphere Spring, by the church. He happily accepted the gift as he has a sweet tooth, so much so, that he has only one left!

 My own adult children gave their father a couple of pots of tulips as he has been nurturing an aging bulb …yes …. that was singular….. for the last couple of years.
 
I find that tulips are intriguing flowers. Once highly valued and rare, they made their way from the Ottoman Empire in the late 16th century to Europe where they often were more valuable than gold. Now they can be found even in the flower section of the local supermarket for just a few dollars.
Selected breeding has created many different colours and shapes and they have evolved from the simple single flower on a stem to double or even frilled versions.  
The scent is exquisite…. almost imperceptible unless you take the time to stop and savour it.

One of THOSE days…..

Education, Hypnotherapy, Life balance, Meditation, Philosophy

Have you ever had one of those days when just about everything was just not working for you?

  •  Slept through the alarm clock,
  • got stuck in traffic, 
  • running so late that everyone thought you weren’t coming in,
  • burnt your mouth on the coffee you so desperately needed,
  • realize you had left an important document or report at home on the table where you had put it so you wouldn’t forget it, and on top of all of this,
  • everyone else seems to be in a foul mood.

 

Can you recognise what kind of state are you in?

State refers to your physiological and psychological responses to a situation.

Psychologically if you were having a day like this, you would probably be a little flustered and distracted, perhaps a little anxious.

How you manage your anxiety is what matters. Your awareness and recognition whether you are feeling anxiety, frustration or relaxation, all contribute to your wellbeing.

  • Are you experiencing events in a hurried, forced or leisurely manner?
  • Do you have particular triggers that cause us to feel in a certain way?
  • What are you picking up from non-verbal communication such as body language or voice tone?

Children often have a build up of excitement, as their birthday or a festive event like Christmas approaches and this is likely to be a state that is pleasurable, enjoyable………

….yet with a hint of anticipatory anxiety.

You may feel relaxed and at ease when the sun is shining because you associate this with holidays and good times, but another person may have a completely different perspective.

Take exams and tests.

You may have done really well as a child all through school, but as an adult when you studied for a test or exam for something that you really were not enjoying, your perception of your ability changed and you developed an anxiety around academic performance.

What is going on in your body while all this happens?

Changes in physiological state include changes in respiration rate, muscular tension, blood pressure, facial colour and temperature changes. Your “flight or fight” response is starting to kick in. Perhaps even a “freeze” response if the event is dire.

Sustained stress, including psychological stressors, will create changes in your physiology and if left unattended, will result in poor health.

Health issues that come about because of ignoring your stress responses are:

As stress increases, so too does the level of Cortisol inside the body. It’s a necessary hormone that the body produces to help us with stress, but too much stress equals too much Cortisol. An excess of Cortisol will raise your cholesterol and blood pressure, leading to Heart Disease. Stress hormones have the effect of thickening your blood, great if you are a warrior and get stuck by a spear or sword – it will slow down your blood loss, but not so good if you are sitting at a desk all day and your arteries begin to clog.

Social stress creates undue stress for many people and the emotions have been known to trigger cardiac events.

Cortisol also encourages fat storage, so if you are stressed about losing the excess kilos you have put on from stress related eating or the stress of dieting, you will continue to pile on the kilos…..

you can see that it’s a vicious circle…..

When you are stressed, you burn fewer calories and you are more likely to consume more food, particularly carbohydrates for quick energy. Unfortunately, this stresses the body further, as too much food is generally consumed, and the excess calories are converted to fat, which accumulates in the abdominal area. More people are turning to surgical solutions, such as the Gastric Band to create a smaller stomach in their quest to reduce weight. Imagine how easy it could be if you could use the power of your mind to do the same thing…….

Modern stress differs significantly in that the battles that we fight are not likely to be fighting the Sabre Tooth Tiger or a Woolly Mammoth, but a traffic jam on the freeway or a mountain of paperwork.

Other metabolic induced changes caused by an excess of Cortisol are:

  • Insulin resistance leading to higher blood sugar levels and Diabetes,
  • Reduced levels of oestrogen or testosterone which decreases the libido,
  • Suppression of immune cells leading to more frequent colds, flu or infections.

Chronic stress results in Cortisol and Insulin levels rising and signalling the fat cells to store as much as possible and hold onto the fat in case of “famine”.

The stressful event doesn’t even have to be real….. just the imagining of what “might happen”, the stress response will be the same.

So if you are overweight and cannot shift those kilos, you now know why.

Quite literally, you can put on weight even thinking about it!

Nature also gives us another hurdle to jump.

As we age, our metabolisms slow and a 50-year-old requires fewer calories than a 15-year-old. We also tend to move less as we age, thus not burning up the calories consumed.

Moderate exercise will relieve us not only of the burden of the excess kilos but also reduces stress, increases muscle tone and bone density. The flip side of the exercise coin is that excessive exercise can create the very stress that it is supposed to relieve, with élite athleteswho over train experiencing increased Cortisol levels, depression and weight gain when they stop training.

Another factor that leads to raised Cortisol levels is lack of sleep.

We are often “wired” in to our TV or computer in the evenings and long into the night. Excitement is provided by the latest “who did it” or action show and it is easy to lose track of time when engrossed in the plot.  Sleep deprivation – meaning less than 6 hours a night – will predispose you to insulin resistance or diabetes. The advent of the industrial age saw a good night’s sleep cut from around 9 -10 hours a night to the 7 or less hours we enjoy now.

Raised Cortisol levels affect the quality of our sleep in so many ways. An inability to relax in the early evening will cause the mind to become active later, resulting in insomnia that in turn results in feeling less than bright during the day. The fatigue that accompanies this cycle of events then leads to anxiety, forgetfulness, confusion and a tendency to more frequent infections. The increase in anxiety is caused by the stress hormones interrupting the function of neurotransmitters in the brain, causing physical changes in the brain.

The longer you go without doing something about stress and your response to it, the more chronic diseases such as IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome), Asthma, allergies, Crohn’s Disease and other inflammatory diseases begin to manifest. Therefore, if you have frequent gut or lung ailments it can be an indication that you are not managing your stress well.

Having a strong and supportive social network is a good start to managing your stress.

Exercise will enable the body to use the stress hormones in the way nature intended and managing the mind through meditation will reduce them further.

Naturally, these are simplistic solutions and there is more to managing your stress than these three suggestions, and if you have a medical condition you should continue your treatment and see your medical practitioner.

Call or email to make an appointment for a session on how to reduce your stress.

The unique therapy based coaching sessions will enable you to gain clarity in just a few sessions with the support of natural therapies such as Hypnotherapy, Homeopathy and Reiki should you require them.

Is time speeding up or am I slowing down?

Hypnotherapy, Life balance, Philosophy, ,

Well I’m not sure whether it is or not, but this weekend time will stop for a second as the clocks are adjusted and a second added.

Will we notice it?

Time seems to fly by at present. The time spent writing new course material, updating blogs (not that I have been very diligent on this one!) and keeping track of all the marketing through social media, it seems to me that time is at a premium.

Measured by the ticking of the clock, which some clients assure me they can hear on their hypnosis recordings, time is constant. It is what we do in that moment.

What distractions can keep us from finishing a task that is less enjoyable?

As one who is easily distracted by bright, shiny things and loves to wander down the path of endless learning, I am very clever at putting off the unpleasant or boring tasks. Setting out simple and achievable goals for the day and creating a routine is important. Yet, even in that split second that I paused after the last full stop, my eye caught on an uncapped pen which needed to be tidied up before finishing for the weekend.  Sometimes I reflect in wonder at the Diplomas on the wall, knowing that there were many distractions along the way.

So imagine what it would be like to be a time traveller, with the ability to manipulate time, feelings and outcomes.

Just take a moment to slip into the past to sort out the things that didn’t go as well as you expected or zip into the future to playfully fine-tune those outcomes and become extraordinarily successful, how would that be? Imagine how annoyed those who continually stare back at the past will be. Do you feel sorry for their continued aches and pains as their body inexorably trudges forward in time?

Is time travel really possible?

Well, the answer could be yes or no, as people are frequently moving their issues through time just by their use of language. The energy of what we say changes with the way we use tense to indicate where the issue is. We can move our issues through space and time in this way, and we can move our issues energetically to other people by generalizing or sharing your story or pain.

Typically a conversation that moves an issue to another person would go like this “ I have a horrendous meeting today – you know what it’s like when your stomach gets wobbly and you start to feel nauseous….” When you hear the words “….you know what it’s like….” There has been an energetic shift.

Here is an example of how you can manipulate time into past, present or future:

I have a issue

I did have a issue

I had a issue

I’m going to have a issue

I’m having a issue

I’ve always had issues

I’ll always have issues

I’ll always have had issues

How do you feel as you say each of these? Where are you? In the past, present or future and have you sped up time or slowed it down with the energy?

Now change issue to something pleasant. Like delight, pleasure, bliss, joy, exhilaration.

Notice how different that feels and how your thinking has changed. Notice whether you have used language in the past, present or future. Changing your words, can change your perception of time and outcomes!

Dreaming

Energy, Philosophy, self examination, Spirituality, Transformation

A restless and exhausting night with vivid dreams last night, the kind that stay with you for a while.
The dreams were of a place that seemed familiar yet not, if that makes sense. 
I was on a hillside with large limestone boulders shaped into a retaining wall and the scent of herbs. The air sparkled with the clarity of a summer’s day and there were people busy in the background.  Taking a break from tending the herb garden, I sat on the edge of a retaining wall and my feet brushed against something soft and unfamiliar. 
Looking down, I saw that my foot had made contact with a small swarm of bees who looked to be forming a hive in the spaces between the rocks.  A sudden jolt as I remembered that I am allergic to bees and I quickly took my foot away and moved some distance from them. “ Don’t think fearful thoughts” went through my mind, “as they pick up on that energy” , taking the time to gather myself and calm down. From a distance I observed them moving, protecting their queen, fascinated by the activity and the solidarity of the group.  Then a family member appeared, my mother-in-law, saw the bees and began spraying them.  Horrified, I knocked the can from her hand and felt a pain in my heart as I realized that she intended to kill them and hoped that I could stop her before any died.
I moved away to be alone and for a moment seemed to be on a boat of some kind with green canvas lashed to the railings. I was followed by several people and went round and round some kind of structure in the centre before losing them and finding myself back on the hillside garden. Searching for something elusive, I began turning over the rocks and quickly drew my hand away as a brightly coloured snake’s head poked up and glared at me.  Rooted to the spot, the thought that this was a harlequin snake came to me.  Brightly coloured with yellow, green and orange diamond shapes familiar to a harlequin’s suit adorned this snake. Not sure if it was poisonous, I kept my distance and with my heart pounding again, woke up with an incredibly dry mouth.
I dozed on and off for a little longer and then decided it was time to go for a walk. 

Choosing to walk a different route today and a little less isolated, I found it was quite easy to almost double my walking distance. Head cleared by the exercise, I returned to the car and on getting in, just glanced to my left as I saw a dark shape on my shoulder . As I brushed it off, there was an excruciating pain in my left arm & I realized I had been stung. I pulled up my sleeve & it was this action that caused the sting to come out of my arm almost immediately.  I ran around to the other side of the car to let the bee out and at the same time tipped the contents of my water bottle over my arm. Realizing that I didn’t have anything in the car’s first aid kit that would help, decided to chance it and drive home. “Stay calm….. use the trance state to numb the arm…….” Thoughts just rattled through my head. Every movement sent daggers down to my fingers – that was a good sign that it  was going downward…

Home and unpack the antihistamines, asthma spray and epipen in case they were needed. A dose of homeopathic Apis and an antihistamine and ice on the arm all helped. The throat tightened for a moment, was it fear or was it a reaction? Calm ……..
Another good remedy – a cup of tea and a sit and wait and during the waiting I delved into The Body is a Barometer of the Soul and read a little of Animal Dreaming.
Bee sting:  You have not told yourself that you need to look into yourself, so that you will not repeat what has been happening
Hmm! This message has been coming through in a couple of other ways over the last few days. Funny how the Universe makes sure we get the message!!
The High Priestess and the Fool tarot cards have been popping up for me as well.  The Sacred Pool card from the Enchanted Map Oracle cards has also been present. “….focus on self love and self esteem. We are all works in progress, so a detached self examination made with rigourous honesty is called for now…..”
From Animal Dreaming (Scott Alexander King) comes the information that the Bee is about Potential. “…images of bees once decorated the walls of beehive like tombs. It was believed that Bees were the embodiment of the souls of priestesses who had dedicated their lives to the goddess Aphrodite, whose symbol was a golden honeycomb. ……….Bee literally affording the Midas Touch to those who see the value in organized community, dedicated team work and group vision………if you are birthing a new business, view yourself as the Queen Bee working toward the development of your own hive……Honeycomb is an ancient symbol of the Universal Tapestry. Like a perfectly formed jigsaw puzzle, it demonstrates quite literally how one thing supports the next, with each person, creature and thing ‘slotting in’ in complete harmony with each other.
Snake is about Transmutation. …….
“The ancient Celts saw the Snake as a powerful symbol of fertility…..
While embracing the promise of a new life, the Snake can be seen as a representative of the healing we must accept if we intend to move into the next phase of our life in a complete and fertile way…..
Snake points out that we need to look deep within ourselves and honour those aspects that pose the greatest threat of making us ill. We have to hand them over so that we may see clearly again, allowing us to move forward with confidence and a renewed sense of purpose. 
Snake suggests that we look at our baggage, our burdens and our pain and transmute them into new opportunity, new life and the chance to start our journey over again. She offers us the chance to physically rebirth ourselves by strengthening us emotionally and deepening our relationship with Spirit”

Autumn

Education, Life balance, Meditation, Philosophy, , ,

In the Southern Hemisphere after an unusual summer, autumn has begun with a series of heavy downpours. Much of country NSW and Victoria have been hit again with flooding for the second year in a row. Small creeks, usually insignificant are now torrents of water and threatening to inundate townships.

Mornings can be grey and misty and as we approach the Vernal Equinox, the length of time between night and day becomes more equal. There is a crispness in the mornings that takes a little getting used to after the warmth of the summer.

As the first of the Autumn Full Moons approach, we can turn our thoughts to manifesting new goals for this season.

These can be goals for improving health and wellbeing, so that the winter months are not spent laid up with colds or flu.

Still thinking of the approaching winter months, plans can be set in place to occupy our minds and to prepare us for a new fresh approach in spring. Take an hour or so to plan the next few months productively.

As you move towards a more introspective mindset, you might want to consider what, if anything has been holding you back. Whilst you are in this meditative state, ask yourself if there is anything that needs to be changed. Is it a habit or an unhelpful memory that can be addressed by accessing your unconscious mind?

How are you going to nurture body, mind and soul?

What gifts are you gathering from this season’s harvest which will nourish you and show you the abundance of the universe?

Choice

Choice, EMF Balance, Energy, Philosophy

We all have choices
– as a child these were often made for us, and generally in our best interests, but as an adult, one always has a choice.
Whether we exercise that choice or not is what defines us.
If we are held back by fears from childhood or past experiences, then there comes a time to let these fears go and make life more enjoyable and meaningful.
 William Glasser wrote an excellent book “Choice Theory”, on how to choose the life you want to live and stay close to the people you need.
He writes of how we create our own quality worlds and how we are often reluctant to share these with others as we are afraid that we may be ridiculed or criticized.
We have a choice as to whether we will accept that criticism as valid and constructive or to set it aside.
Making choices means taking responsibility for your actions and allowing learnings to take place from the outcomes.
It is necessary to put aside the past, as our memories are notoriously unreliable.
We often create our memories on perceptions of an event. The unconscious mind can even create a “memory” using the imagination.
Using the imagination in a constructive way, we can then choose to reframe our existing and more painful memories in a positive and helpful way, so that we can take charge of our lives in a purposeful and empowered way.

Life Lessons

Homeopathy, Hypnotherapy, Life balance, Philosophy, Polarity Therapy, Reiki, , , , ,

I came across a saying at a training I went to recently:

“Are you ripe and rotting or green and growing?”

I would like to think that I am still green and growing, even though chronologically am scooting through the years.

The past 12 months have provided me with some great learning moments and the highs and lows of seeking to bring more balance into my life.

Challenged by new learning systems, particularly self paced study with webinars, and not face to face contact, I managed to achieve a bit over the months.  Difficult to find the balance between the detail that is required for submitting University papers and competency based  questions, I probably over intellectualized each question on the Cert 4 papers that I handed in.

The few face to face trainings that I did attend were quite unlike previous lectures or workshops and high energy and at times I was quite out of my comfort zone. All good though and I came away with new skills that I am putting to use on a daily basis.

Most of the year has been out of my comfort zone and parts of it have been a bit of a blur.

Physically, I was knocked out with a cardiac event – the date is indelibly marked in my mind – Thursday 10th February 2011. Emotionally, I was overwhelmed by the support of a few special people who have held my hand as I mended my heart. Particularly painful was the realization that family were not part of the healing process either at the time of the event or after the surgical ablation in July.

A bit like Humpty Dumpty, I felt like I had fallen off the wall and couldn’t be put back together again, but my “healing team”, consisting of a Homeopath, an Acupuncturist, a Hypnotherapist and a couple of Reiki Masters all worked hard to contribute to my improved health. I will also acknowledge the Cardiologist, in that he sorted out the electrical malfunction. New friends have been made and they may not be aware of the pearls of wisdom that they have given me at different times.

The lessons that clients bring are all part of the journey. It truly is a privilege to work with them and honour their trust as they go into a hypnotic trance. Each session has its special moments and it is quite profound to see the relaxation on their faces when they finish a session. Truly a trance-formation!

So the journey continues, veering down the spiritual road now, having picked up the tools of Reiki and Polarity Therapy  that I had set aside for so many years. Just recently I re-visited the EMF Balancing course that I did (OMG – that was last century!!)  And having picked up these tools, I am meeting and noticing people in my life that are claiming their spirituality, acknowledging the subtle energies of the body and feeling so much better for having them in my life.

Energy systems

Energy, energy fields, Hypnotherapy, Philosophy, Polarity, Reiki, Zen Chi

The energy exploration continues…. In the past week or so I have come across Vivaxis, which warranted a look at and a continuation of studying the human energy body.
In many cultures there has been a long and detailed study of the energy systems of the body – particularly in India with Ayurvedic Medicine and China with the energy of the meridians found in Acupuncture.
All of which leads back to where I started, going back to Reiki and Polarity Therapy, both of which I studied and now use on a daily basis.
Part of the daily practice in this year of energy exploration has been the use of the zen chi machine and I am now combining that time with listening to hypnotic recordings. Gradual changes in my personal energy are being noticed and I feel more centred and clear.