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.

Dignity

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A dear friend is hopefully gently slipping away tonight, having had a battle with that insiduous disease – Parkinsons – and several other traumas on the way.
Strong of will and clear of mind, even after the disease and the drugs had deformed that once impeccably dressed and fit body, she simply has had enough. An infection last week which has travelled to her lungs will be recorded as having contributed to her decline. A few of us were gathered by her bedside in hospital today as she slipped in and out of awareness. She still battles with her will to either stay or go, the pain and anxiety relieved by powerful analgesics. Given the dignity of a quiet room with a window, the bed was turned so she could have the winter sunlight on her face.  Instructions given for no further interventions.
Messages quietly sent to friends alerting them of the situation and still we sat. Bitter sweet moments as we know that death will be a release and hope that it comes gently to her in her sleep.
Returning home and waiting for the inevitable message to come through.  Her best friend stays and will sleep again in the chair next to her bed so that she is not alone.

Oh stormy winds, bring up the clouds
and paint the heavens grey
Lest these fair maids of form divine
should angel wings display
and fly far far away.
Munesade Yoshimune d. 965

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.

Energy

Education, Homeopathy, Philosophy, Polarity Therapy, , , , , , , , , ,
So what is energy?
the definition according to
It’s a noun, plural -gies.
1.  the capacity for vigorous activity; available power: I eat chocolate to get quick energy.
2.  an adequate or abundant amount of such power: I seem to have no energy these days.
3.  Often, energies. a feeling of tension caused or seeming to be caused by an excess of such power: to work off one’s energies at tennis.
4.  an exertion of such power: She plays tennis with great energy.
5.  the habit of vigorous activity; vigor as a characteristic: Foreigners both admire and laugh at American energy.
6.  the ability to act, lead others, effect, etc., forcefully.
7.  forcefulness of expression: a writing style abounding with energy.
8.  Physics . the capacity to do work; the property of a system that diminishes when the system does work on any other system, by an amount equal to the work so done; potential energy. Symbol:  E
9.  any source of usable power, as fossil fuel, electricity, or solar radiation.
No mention here of the subtle energies of the body or energy healing.
Is energy visible?
I would say yes and no.
The effects of energy can be observed in different ways.
Energy can be measured by calories or kilojoules present in our foods and some foods, particularly organic or biodynamic foods have a different kind of energy to those foods grown in depleted or toxic environments.
Someone lacking in energy seems quite “wilted” and drab, as can vegetables that are past their use by date.
Those with an over abundance of energy  can appear lively and sparkling, even repelling us if we are not in the same frame of mind.
It’s more of a feeling!
Energy can be observed by moving a switch to off or on.
Either the TV, kettle or other electrical appliance works or doesn’t.
What of the human body?
What energy fields lie within?
Many centuries ago the Chinese mapped the energy fields and called them meridians. They found that if certain points were stimulated, energy flowed through the body more effectively and improved health. Modern medicine now acknowledges the efficacy of Acupuncture in treating many conditions, including its use in anaesthesia.
Tai Chi is an energy based exercise. Gentle, graceful movements that stimulate blood flow, stretch the muscles and still the mind. Ch’i, Qi or Ki (気) may be regarded by sceptics as hocus pocus, even though many cultures have, for millenia, accepted that there are subtle and inexplicable energies that can work on the body and spirit.
Even though there is a vocal band of sceptics who denounce the existence of energy in this context, in the name of rational science, there has been a growing acceptance of the role of energy medicine across the globe.
Samuel Hahnemann was disenchanted with the way medicine was practiced in Germany in the 1780’s and by 1796 he had come up with a way of treating patients that fitted with the Hippocratic Oath “..first do no harm…..”. His system was Homeopathy. It was based on the premise that like cures like – using a substance that could create symptoms in a perfectly healthy person to cure those same symptoms in someone who was sick.  He also discovered that dilution of the remedy caused it to work more effectively in many cases. Today, Homeopathy is used across the world and is available on the NHS in the UK and widely used in India and Pakistan where is a cheap and effective medical alternative.
Another famous German, Rudolph Steiner, continued the exploration of energy fields and medicine in the late 19th century through to the 1920’s.  His major work was in providing an education system that nourishes the spirit of the child and is still recognised today with the acceptance and growth of the Steiner School system worldwide.  Steiner spoke of us having four bodies:
  • the physical or material body that contains the elements of the earth – minerals, gases – nitrogen and oxygen; water and other fluids
  • the etheric body, which plants and animals also possess
  • the astral body, which animals and man both have
  • and the Ego or centre which is surrounded by the other bodies which envelope and sheath it.
Another interesting philosophy to come out of Europe in this era of enlightenment, was Dr Randolph Stone, born in Austria in 1890, who trained as an Osteopath, Naturopath and chiropractor.
He developed Polarity Therapy which melded ancient Eastern philosophies with modern European natural healing practices.
Dr Stone investigated the pathways in the body that energy could be felt to move in and drew upon his vast knowledge to create “maps” of these pathways that therapists could use to locate and move around energy.
He found that energy is constantly moving and we all have a positive and negative polarity.
By using the hands to manipulate the energy in a particular spot with varying pressure, some conditions can be alleviated quite easily.
Dr Stone said that ” the awareness of life as energy currents is the key to the natural art of health building.”

Another adventure

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January saw the Tasmanian Adventure (which I only just posted) and this month a different kind of adventure….
an unfolding of events, so as to speak.
Back from Tasmania just as the school year started and not back at school which was a good and comfortable feeling.
Overall the last place was good, but time to follow my passion.
Like the advert for the Northern Territory says, ” You’ll never never know, if you never never go….”

So off to be a full time Hypnotherapist and consultant.
Day 1 and into the office with clients. Felt great.
I did have to deal with the mirror that had fallen off the wall in my absence, but all OK as it wasn’t broken. Last time it fell down, it nearly came down on a friend’s head – time for it to retire.

The first week back was busy, picking up on juggling time in at the office and taking my aged father to medical appointments and tests. That’s what baby boomers do…..In the evenings I listened and took frantic notes from the webinars I had signed up for, blogged and planned a marketing campaign and fitted in a quick trip to Queenscliffe to pick up my new lenses.
Chinese New Year arrived & I briefly contemplated holding a celebration, but too much… jet lagged. That’s how I felt, curious because the flight from Tassie only takes an hour. Frustrated because I wasn’t seeing so well and couldn’t read the paper. Made some time for meditation and spent the Sunday on the couch dozing on and off after having been unwell overnight.

Post trip tiredness….. need a holiday after the holiday, I thought!
The new week began with a whirl of activities, more Doctor appointments for Dad, clients (Yay!), networking (20 minute talk for the next week) and usual family stuff (cooking, shopping, diabetic dog and mad cat). Thank goodness we had the cleaners still coming on Thursday!
I attended to my marketing campaign, printing the letters and envelopes at home, then a quick trip to T2 to get some nice teabags to staple to the letters for an added impact and down to the office to get the postcards to insert into the envelopes.

All of a sudden the day went a bit awry. Pear shaped….

Palpitations!
No, not swooning over a handsome man.
I was driving & alone.
Mental note – “go away, I’m not stressed, all is good”.
Hmmm!
Putting in the alarm code and things went a bit black. Sat down in my room and decided to give the Hypno Lounge chair a bit of a try out. Sip of water, deep breath and start to go into trance to calm down and slow the heart rate.
Listen to some trance music to help with process and noted the palpitations had now gone on for about 10 minutes.
This was not fun.
Calm…. think calm.
Not anything to worry about……

Check the symptoms.

  • pressure in the chest      Well of course there was pressure, I’d just had a racing heart for 10 minutes!
  • breathlessness               ditto
  • sore shoulders
  • pain in the jaw              “are you sure you’re not imagining these?……..just relax for a little longer…..”
  • cold and clammy          “oops, maybe something really is not quite right.”

All the time thinking that I might be imagining the symptoms, because after all, they are on the fridge at home because I worry about other family members.
Time to listen to another motivational podcast or was it one of the Hypnocaster ones… I really don’t remember.
I do remember thinking about my friend who was going to have her spleen removed and wondering if this was the time she was being operated on and another couple of friends that have had heart problems.
Obviously the trance music and relaxation was working, because I was feeling really kind of spacey.
After an hour and a bit and still a bit shaky, I felt it was time to get moving.
I finished doing the envelopes and realized that I didn’t have enough stamps, so headed off to the Post Office on the way home.
By now, I was really in a ditzy frame of mind and the woman behind the counter asked if I was OK and suggested that I call my doctor when I said I felt a little weird.
Not one to usually take other peoples suggestions quite so readily, I did call the surgery when I got back in the car. Damm! Regular doctor had gone home and no appointments left.

Then I admitted it…..”I’ve got chest pain…” –
“Come straight up”.

Straight down to the nurses room and sat there like a stunned mullet for a little while.
“Is your Dad here?”
No.
“are you OK?”
No.
Hooked up to the ECG, glass of water with aspirin and the ambulance on the way.
Difficult call to make to home…… difficult to see the buttons on the phone & dial……

“Um,  can you come up to the doctor’s to pick up the car, because I’m going to hospital in the ambulance…” This sounds insane……I’m totally disassociated with the events unfolding….. an interested observer…..

Then the family is there, the ambulance is there, and I’ve got a canula in my hand, a patch on my chest, leads everywhere and a machine that goes “ping” every so often.
We were about to head off to one place, then there was a little blip and we headed off in the other direction to the local major hospital. Peak hour traffic, but I don’t care as I’ve been given something for the pressure on the chest. It feels like I’ve fallen off the motorbike, but without the bruises everywhere else….. just winded big time.
The morphine has kicked in and I’m really quite chatty with the ambulance officers (lovely ladies) and the nurses in Emergency. Then they take blood and hook me up to more machines. We have to wait for the blood results to come back before I can go home.
Eventually, a surprised look on his face, the doctor comes in and says
“You’ve had a heart attack…..”
– the blood pressure shoots up immediately and I realize that I’m not surprised.
My husband’s face registers shock…..
They decide to admit me to the CCU but the pain has to go first. I fib a little and say it’s gone because it’s really late and want to get some sleep. We say our goodbyes and I head up to the ward and he goes home.
Next blood test is good. Levels have dropped, but still pressure and nausea & I end up vomiting. This is not good.
The next day an angiogram is scheduled and nearly doesn’t happen because it is so late in the day by the time I get down to the lab. That would have meant staying in for the weekend and getting done on Monday. After a long wait down near the Cath Lab, it’s all systems go.
Results are good. No disease. No clots. Just an electrical malfunction that may or may not happen again.
My best friend Peter comes in to visit. The cardiologist thinks he is my husband and we joke about having breakfast together.
Eyes pop on the other side of the ward!!
I even leave with him – it was OK to go home and so I did.

Just over a week has gone by since coming home and I have been touched by the support of those friends who have been in contact. Some of my newer friends have said some lovely things and offered support that I never expected.
So for those wonderful people who have helped or offered to, I am learning to say “yes” to your offers and to say “no” to doing other things that no longer serve me well.I might leave the reactions or lack thereof of, of various people to a different essay, when I don’t feel so fragile.
Please be patient with me, I am learning a new way of feeling, seeing, listening, thinking and doing.
I’m learning to move on from old relationships and fairweather friendships, even though there is sadness in that. I’m celebrating feeling.
Here’s a link to an oldie but good one…..
A little help from my friends
for those I love.

Tasmanian Adventures

labyrinth

The Tasmanian adventure started by the announcement from Random Books that I had won 8 days in a Maui campervan anywhere in Australia (except Broome). I had entered a competition to suggest where Judy Nunn’s next book should be set.
After thinking about a Red Tent Woman road trip after a retreat experience and floating around the idea of a trip with other friends, the inablilty to co-ordinate a suitable time with everyone made it all too hard.
Never having made it over the ditch to the Apple Isle, and aware of the cost of taking the 4WD & Ultimate by ferry, Tasmania seemed like a good option. I booked the trip for the end of January, hoping for warmth, relatively speaking and settled on a 4 berth van. We booked flights over using frequent flyer points and were set.
Originally, I planned to go a couple of days earlier to spend some time with an old friend, but Dad needed medical tests, so I had to postpone that part of the trip.
Arrival at Hobart was late on the Saturday afternoon, so we missed out on the Salamanca Markets, but not having that shopping gene, it didn’t bother me.Viewing the images on the link is sufficient for me.
We checked into our harbourfront hotel and enjoyed the view, before setting off for a bit of a wander.
The Sea Shepherd catamaran Gojira was in port for some repairs and it was interesting to see how the black hull blended in with the sea and the wharf. An interesting afternoon wandering about and checking out the old buildings. Dinner at the hotel was supposed to be a Tasmanian taste sensation – unfortunately not living up to its description.
Sunday morning was very quiet. We wandered about a bit more and I met with my friend for afternoon tea at the old IXL factory and introduced her to a lovely therapist at a little place tucked away in the complex.  Fish and chips for dinner from one of the floating takeaway places on Coronation wharf. Much nicer than some of the pretentiously labeled  dishes from the harbourside restaurants!

Monday we headed back to the airport to pick up the camper & found we had been upgraded to a 6 berth camper. Lots of room! After a quick stop to get provisions we headed south. We had lunch in Huonville and stopped at a boat building place, headed off to the Huon River and an airwalk. (powerwalk for me as it was quite breezy and there was a definate sway happening).
We made it down to Southport for our first night in the van and got ourselves comfortable. A chilly evening followed by a brisk morning!
Good thing I packed a warm sleeping bag!
We meandered back up to Hobart with a few detours. To the top of Mt Wellington and the sub alpine environment so close to town and then down again and off in a westerly direction.

We ended up just before dusk at Lake St Clair, which seemed like a good spot to stop. There seemed to be 3 distinct groups of campers here. The serious bushwalkers, in their designated area, the family campers and us mob in the hired campers.
We headed west again the next day and lunched at Queenstown which was sleeping in the Australia Day sunshine. Michael had previously visited here with a mate on a motorbike tour in 1977 around this time of year, whilst I was in Queenstown, New Zealand at about the same time!
After a burger at the cafe with tabletop jukeboxes, we headed off to Strahan, punctuating the trip with stops to see waterfalls and nature walks. Some beautiful places and so much nicer than the towns and tourist “attractions”.
We found a spot to stay in Strahan and organised the next day’s activity, which was to go on the boat up the Gordon River. All very interesting and even headed out through the entrance to the harbour which wasn’t very wide at all. We saw the salmon farms and a tiger snake basking in the sun, whilst out on one of the walks.
Back on dry land, we fired the motor up and headed off for Cradle Mountain. The predicted rain came in, the temperature dropped and by the time we got to Cradle Mountain it was about 5 degrees.
Overnight it dropped further to about 3 degrees and on opening the curtains of the camper we discovered clear blue sky.
The wind was cool, so we took hats and jackets on our walk around Dove Lake. In my element here, taking photos and enjoying the scenery, letting the athletic types leap and bound past in their quest for their PB time around the lake. I got the photos dude!
We got back on the road again and headed for LaTrobe. I dropped Michael off at the Axemans Museum and backtracked to the Quiet Cone to have a look. Very quiet – in between session times, but the owner was accommodating and allowed a peek inside. Would be interesting to spend more time there for a full session.

However, time was short and the days ticking over and we had a mission to make the East Coast that evening. And we did. Bypassed Launceston and down the highway a bit and then a  left and off to St Helens. We got there just before 6 and set ourselves up for the night. I was quite weary as I had done most of the driving that day and it was predominately mountain roads.
By now it was Saturday. Only 3 days left and so much more to see. Bay of Fires, Bicheno, Freycinet – we did it all on Saturday and managed to see the woodchop competition in the morning! All places to come back to and spend a bit more time to explore and savour.

Sunday saw us heading south again and we detoured via the Tesselated pavement which was fascinating. A natural rock formation that looked as if the stone had been quarried. The lines were amazingly straight and all kinds of creatures lived in the little rockpools along the beach.
Time got away with us here and we arrived at Port Arthur a little later than expected. Not to worry, as it was open until late,. The ruins also spectacular against the afternoon sky in a curiously morbid way. Friends had suggested that the energy from the convict past would be unsettling, but I didn’t feel it. The site of the Broad Arrow Cafe felt incredibly sad and we paid respects and moved on. Unfortunately  the rain came down and while we wandered about for as much as possible it was time to call an end to the day and retire to the camper for a dinner of freshly caught oysters and locally smoked fish.
Last Day!

We travelled around and visited various clifftop viewpoints before heading off to Richmond for our last look at the historic side of Tasmania and lunch.
A nice, easy drive.
Over the bridge at Richmond and into the bakery for fresh bread rolls filled with salad for me and the remnants of the Vegemite for Michael. Finished tidying up the van and gave some perishables to some fellow travellers from Donald and we were off to return the van, and head back to Melbourne.
After a delay of about an hour and a half, the plane was back and ready to board and we were homeward bound.
A different kind of adventure from our usual trips and a pleasant interlude.

And I got to see this!

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The Air Element

Polarity Therapy

The Air element in Polarity Therapy relates to the middle finger, middle toe and moves inward from the Earth and Water Elements.
In Polarity diagrams the flow of energy is shown coming in through the crown and moving in a downward, fluid action through the torso and the arms in a continuous circular motion.

In astrology, the Air elements are Libra, Aquarius and Gemini. This triad of elements has an effect on the body in many ways. The body can be divided into 3 zones; positive, neutral and negative and each of these zodiac signs has an influence.

Gemini is the positive pole in the Air element and has an influence on the shoulders and lungs.

Libra, the scales or balance, has a neutral effect on the body.
The parts of the body  that are ruled by this sign are the internal organs, the kidneys and the adrenals.

The negative part of the Air element is Aquarius and its influence is on the ankles.

When a person with any of the Air element signs or an imbalance in that area becomes stressed, then the following symptoms may be experienced:

  • scattered head
  • bladder infections
  • sore shoulders
  • asthma
  • respiratory disorders

The foods most suited to this element are fruits, nuts and seeds – all of which are grown in the air, not underground. Green is the favoured colour for this element and touch, especially massage, are most beneficial in maintaining an equilibrium.

The positive attributes found in Air elements are contentment and virtue, whilst the shadow side is excessive desire and greed.
When the Air element is unbalanced, you may find that your thoughts are scattered and that it is extraordinarily difficult to concentrate.
Air is in constant motion and follows on after the emotions of water.
The negative side of this is procrastination, brought about by a plethora of thoughts – too many to be able to give full attention to even one.

It will be interesting to see if current events in Australia continue to follow a cycle – with northern Australia having just experienced an excess of Water with the Queensland floods and most recently Cyclone Yasi with an excess of Air energy, and Fire in Western Australia and South Eastern Victoria.

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How positive physiology benefits

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It really is all in the mind! It’s about how the mind can be used to change how you feel or react to a situation. Let me explain.
I’m a Baby Boomer. Nothing special about that really.
I am a statistical average.
Female, married, adult children at home, professional with university education, aging parent…….
Aaahh! the aging parent –  having parented the children, now it’s time to parent the parent, so as to speak. I’m not complaining as we have a much better relationship now than when it was the other way around, but as the eldest child and the daughter, it is now up to me to provide the support as the body begins to fail and the medical merry go round starts.
Fortunately I have some fantastic tools to work with.
By consciously focusing on maintaining a positive body posture, then not only do I maintain a positive physiology, but my mind set is more positive. I can also see and hear those around me reacting in a positive manner as well. I am constantly calibrating, checking in to make sure that I have a ready, genuine smile, that I am relaxing my neck and shoulders.
I have learned to be present in the situation for my aging parent as the doctor delivers the words “…..cancer…..” and listening as he presents the options, so as to be of service to the parent later. And to reassure and be there for Dad and to take him to the next appointment and listen in again, as with age comes deafness.

I have learned that by maintaining the positive physiology in waiting rooms acts as a calming effect for an anxious & fiercely independent parent, who does not want to end up in a nursing home bed like the love of his life with whom he sat with every day for 5 years as she slipped into dementia and then death.
In amongst all of this, I am being taught some amazing philosophical lessons on living and dying by my 89 year old parent.
We have discussed death and dying in a matter of fact way.  He is remarkably pragmatic about it all and has clearly stated to his medical practitioner about his wishes not to have agressive interventions.
While he sits in the medical centre waiting area, he makes out his shopping list for the next week, confounded this week with the option of stocking up on food because some things might become scarce or more expensive because of the flooding or keeping things to a minimum because he doesn’t want to have too much in the pantry!
A friend commented that I seemed to be very detached from all of the goings on and it may appear that way. I am finding that the constant checking in on the body and what language I am using around the  events of each day is actually relieving the stress, rather than creating it.  I have a Tony Robbins book in the car to take into all the waiting rooms to read, so I have extra help in maintaining a positive outlook and physiology.

Bypassing Ego

Philosophy

I was faced with a difficult decision recently and felt quite uncomfortable with the impending situation, so I decided to trust in the tools that I can now access.

The closer the event of the date loomed, there was more of a “gut reaction”. Undefined stomach aches, nausea, headache and a real sense of gloom. Unusual, because life in general was pretty good at this time.

The rational mind kicked in – “Procrastination”, it said. Other words came up like “avoidance”, “Egotistical” and the like.  No matter how much the mind went to and fro over the matter and presented logical (& illogical) arguments, the fact remained – an undefined sense of unease.

It is extraordinarily difficult to work on yourself and when studying Homeopathy, the lecturer quoted someone famous and said “The physician that treats himself has a fool for a patient”. Some truth in that, as I have on occasion, given myself a painful healing reaction from self administration of remedies! Getting closer to the event, I was now manifesting more physical symptoms, so I decided it was time to bypass the conscious mind and set the intent to go to the original cause of this feeling of unease.  I was also mindful that I needed to ask for help in solving this problem. Luckily, I have a circle of fellow therapists, one of whom assisted most ably.

Having written about Spiritual Hypnotherapy just recently, I decided that this would be the perfect tool to use to access the subconscious, bypass the ego and resolve the issue. With the aid of my fellow hypnotherapist – to guide me by asking appropriate questions and as we started,  I set the intent to get an answer and went into trance quite rapidly.

An interesting lifetime emerged and it related to the current issue. The life ended by hanging and the main characters were also central in this lifetime. 2 hours of vivid sights, sounds and smells – better than a movie at times – but a little scary to be physically experiencing the tightness around the throat and difficulty in breathing. The next step was to release and cut the ties both to this event and people, so that any residual emotions that I had been holding onto would dissapate.  I also released any vows that I may have made in regard to poverty and service. There was an amazing clarity and a profound sense of peace and relief on return to the room.

Returning home, the doubting Thomas within needed to validate the inner journey. And validation came. An email from a distant cousin which gave family details back to that time and beyond. Further research into the era experienced turned up the names of those involved (they remained the same & I discovered one was married to that distant ancestor)and recorded on the pages of the internet, a scenario almost as I described it in trance. I have no recall of having read that information before. The more I read, the calmer I became about the situation. Here was an explanation that transcended the conscious and effectively bypassed Ego.

That night I slept well and woke for the first time in weeks, refreshed. Needless to say, I wholeheartedly recommend the use of hypnotherapy as a tool to help the subconscious to resolve a difficult problem in whatever way appropriate.