Is it possible that food is only to be viewed as a means to an end?

We need to eat to survive; end of story. Or is it? 

There was a time in days gone by when we were more in contact with what went on with the food we ate before it reached our mouths. The old ways meant being wise and resourceful when it came to food because this was the difference between seeing it through the Winter or not, for food or a lack of it, was a matter of life or death.  We could be found to be actively involved in gathering and foraging in the hedgerows and fields. We would toil the land and tend to livestock. We were governed and guided by the seasons. We were part of something much greater than ourselves and we took nothing for granted. We were aware, conscious even, of the importance of everything that was brought to the table and of our being involved with it.

Now, we live in different times but, if you choose it and with a little effort, you can connect with an old way of being more conscious when you prepare, cook and bring your food to the table.  

1.Get Back to Basics

To cook consciously means putting yourself  in charge of choosing the optimum ingredients that make up what you eat. You decide that only the best will do and settling for second best or a pre-prepared option that you weren’t involved with, just won’t do. You choose to get back to preparing your food from scratch and this choice ensures you will be fully conscious through this process of nurturing, by being on board from the very start, to the incr’edible’ finish.

2. Where does your produce come from?

There is only one optimum answer here, your own back garden. Zero miles, zero carriage, zero loss of nutrition. The optimum journey for your food is from the ground to your kitchen and subsequently your body in minutes. The next best option is to seek a locally grown source. This may take a little time and effort to find your nearest farm shop or grocer. Find a place that still smells of fruit and veg and is perhaps a bit chilly. Find a place where you can touch the produce, see it close up and even smell it! Find a place where you can choose what you want and put it in the bag. Be engaged and ask questions of your fruit and veg. Has this produce travelled from Europe? Is there an English equivalent that will serve equallyas well? Being conscious means being bothered.  

3. Get to know your fruit and vegetables, from their names to what they provide in terms of nutrition.

Nutrition is about how what you consume enhances your physical body.   

To be conscious means connecting on a deeper level with your ingredients. You do this by finding out more about the nutritional value that is being brought to not only your table but in to your physical body. You find out more about the why and how and wonder of the produce. Take time to visually enjoy the shapes and colours of your fruit and vegetables. Find, within you, a deep appreciation for what you hold in your hand. Revel in the vibrant orange of an orange cleverly protected by its smooth and yet tough skin, filled with its juicy, gorgeous goodness that is vitamin C, so good for the immune system. Languish in the deep luscious green that is spinach, full of folic acid and vitamin C again vital for so many systems in the body. As you prepare the food see it in your minds eye, in its natural state. Visualise how it grows in the ground and draws its nutrients from the good earth. Give thanks for the constituents of vital vitamins and essential minerals, that will be utilised by your body. Be gratefully conscious. Affirm to yourself that through knowing, understanding and connecting with these key constituents you boost your immune system and nurture your well being. Vegetables have so much health to give to us if we would only let them.

4. Take pleasure in the prep.

Too often we look for the easy way out or the easy option when it comes to preparing our food. It’s called convenience. We don’t have the time (no really, I don’t have the time!) or the inclination to peel spuds or chop carrots. The real message you send yourself and anyone who partakes in the food you opt out of preparing is actually this, you don’t have the time or the inclination to nurture yourself or them for that matter. What you are actually opting for is to dis-connect with food because there are more important things to be doing. If you want to cook consciously it is time to review your priorities.  There is real pleasure to be taken in the preparation of your food and that pleasure is part of the process that helps to keep you conscious. You let the joy of knowing you are fuelling and nurturing yourself and the people you love, flow from your heart and spill into the chopping and peeling. The food you prepare becomes a beautiful expression and limitless extension of your love.

5. Sit down to eat, share, take time with and taste your food.

Eating is an exquisite pleasure. There is a multitude of tastes and flavours that we as human beings are so privileged to be able to experience. To keep that conscious connection to the incr’edible’ end means that when the food is ready to be eaten you remain in that place of deep appreciation. You take the time to let your senses be flooded by  the smells, tastes and textures in your mouth. Let yourself be so moved you cannot help but comment on the sweetness of those brussel sprouts or the vibrancy of the garlic. Share your pleasure by teaching your friends or your kids that its ok to express the gorgeousness that is exploding on your taste buds, by expressing it yourself. Remember that through consuming your glorious vegetables you are consuming the exquisite energy of nature. There is only gorgeous good happening in your mouth and how can you feel guilty about that!

In the end, what conscious cooking really becomes is a source of constant joy and a means of enhancing your journey through food, with a sweet song in your heart and a sticky smile on your lips.

CLEARING ON CASTLEMAN TRAILWAY - VOLUNTEERS REQUIRED

Sunday 8th January 2010

10am - 3.30pm

Meeting point “Holly Grove Farm Crossing” just off the Verwood Road

Clear vegetation, clear ditches and install fencing - tools & refreshments provided, wear old clothes suitable for a bonfire.

Contact Paul Jones - Ranger East, 01425 483809 email p.jones@dorsetcc.gov.uk  

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YOGA CHAKRA WORKSHOP 

Sunday 19th February 2012

 11am-4pm

 at the Ringwood Waldorf school, Folly Farm Lane BH24 2NN.

We will be offering a wide range of therapies including, energy healing, reflexology, Indian head and full body massage, astrology and aura readings and much more. There will also be health and beauty stalls where visitors can buy products and find out more about treatments, such as Alexander Technique, acupuncture, chiropractic treatment and homeopathy.

Coffee, herbal teas and delicious cakes and homemade soup will be on sale in the hall foyer;

Mini workshops in qigong, Shiatsu yoga, mindfulness and chakra meditation will be happening in a separate room on the day.

Contact Nicole www.qihealing.co.uk  

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Sometimes it appears as though there is a great deal of disturbance and drama unfolding in the world around us. From riots and rebellion to financial crisis and uncertainty, external events that we are witness to can be so very dramatic that we  become caught up in them even when they are not directly happening to us. We can be effected deeply across many levels and not just as individuals but as a collective, because as a collective we are all connected to each other and we are all effected by each other. Sometimes it can feel as though the disturbance and drama we are witness to are beyond our control. We feel upset and angry and even afraid but most of all we feel helpless and powerless. But this in itself is part of the drama because you are not powerless at all. There is one thing and one thing alone that you can do in the face of any disturbance or drama that may seek to undermine you and that is to remain present in this moment and grounded and centred in the here and now. But what does being grounded and centred actually mean?

What is “being grounded” (apart from the term used to keep a naughty teenager at home)?

What can you do to get grounded and stay grounded?

Being grounded means being centred within yourself. This means being here fully, now. You are not thinking about later today or tommorrow or something that happened yesterday or last week or the week before. You are fully present now.  When you are fully present therein lies a deep sense of inner calm. This inner calm is not superficial in any way. It is an inner calm that is unshakeable and it will always be unshakeable. Some people call it an inner knowing and this knowing is a deep sense of You, who you are and what makes you tick. It is also a deep sense of trust in your own abilities and capabilities. Your inner You knows you can overcome any life challenge you encounter.

Being grounded means you are less inclined to be swept off your feet by external life events which can lead to overwhelming emotions or anything else that appears beyond your control.  You are less inclined to doubt yourself and the world you exist in and you are more inclined to trust, period.

Being “grounded” is literally what it says on the tin and means that you are in touch with the ground. You have your feet on the ground in the physical sense, which is the starting point, but you also have your feet on the ground in an emotional, psychological and spiritual sense too. Nothing can be advanced spiritually without sound grounding. To ground you connect with the good earth through which you are always supported from the moment you put your feet down in the morning to the moment you lift them up to go to bed at night. Through this state you continually have a sense of perspective as a result of having your feet on the ground. You maintain a handle on the so-called reality of a situation and do not get caught up with the ”head in the clouds” mentality.

A grounded approach is also reflected in your ability to have an idea and see it all the way through to fruition. This process of being able to see something through is a huge process that not only involves your physical body and the “doing”. It also involves your energetic body through your chakra’s and your “being”. Your spiritual self connects you with an idea through your crown chakra which is at the top of your head. You move this idea, as energy, down through the whole of your chakra system until it arrives with your base chakra at the base of your spine. Your base chakra is all about your physcial self, your reality and what you choose to make happen within it.

Here are a few easy techniques you can use that will help you to connect with a sense of being grounded. 

1. Connect with the earth - Get out and walk in nature. It’s so simple but deeply effective. You cannot help but be moved in to a different mental and emotional state by getting “out there”. Nature has the means to stop you in your tracks with its sights, sounds and smells so you are immediately pulled in to this moment only. Barefoot walking will also have a profoundly calming effect on any chattering mind as your energy is in direct contact with the earths energy, which is gravity. So the only way for mental chatter or high emotion to go is, down. Leaving you in a place of calm.

2. Connect with your breath and your body - Through your ability to breathe comes an incredibly easy way to centre and ground. You just have to notice it! Take a moment to inhale deeply and then release on the exhale. (Do it now!) Immediately you are aware of a different state that is more internal and calm as opposed to external and agitated. Any kind of physical activity will further support you in getting out of your head and in to your body. Being grounded is all about being physical. Yoga, swimming, walking, running, cycling. When you have a sense of what it feels like to “be in - your skin” you fuel the fire of your inner confidence and trust.     

3. Connect with your Self - You need time alone to get a sense of who you are without external influences. This is the foundation of feeling centred. When you take time with yourself you learn what makes you tick, you are not being told what makes you tick. Time alone doesn’t necessarily mean meditation, although that will help. Time alone walking, relaxing or pottering brings you back to who you are and helps you to connect to your inner self and your inner peace. 

4. Connect with and effect your reality- Notice if you have ideas/thoughts/hopes/desires. But also notice if you have the desire and the drive to do anything about them. If you do, great, you are already moving through the process of grounding your ideas and seeing them to fruition. If  not, take the initiative and consciously choose to see one idea all the way through from thought to form. Write down what you need to do to make it happen,  step by step. Through the simple but brilliant process of physically writing down your ideas you start to ground them!  Doing this may take time but moreover it will take determination. Tick off each part of your step by step approach, that you complete. Keep connected with what you want every step of the way, until you make it a reality. When you have made it a reality you ground it! And the only way you ground it is by being grounded yourself. 

Here is a quick guided technique to help you ground yourself - Alone;  sit, stand or lie on the earth. Close your eyes. Take a few deeper breaths. Feel your points of contact with the earth whether they are your feet, sitting bones or head, back and heels depending on whether you are sitting, standing or lying. Visualise your imprint on and in the earth. What shape of imprint are your feet making? What shape of imprint are your sitting bones making? What shape of imprint does your body shape make? Let yourself sink and feel the support beneath your body. Let the earth energy flow over you, like waves lapping on the shore, so you feel submerged and submersed. Feel the certainty and solidity of the ground. Remain for as long as you can or as long as you feel you need to. Take your time as you return to your world with a different sense of it.

It is important to allow your physical self and your inner self to feel and be supported. Just this very simple sense of being supported by the ground has a huge impact on your energetic and psychological state as it will help you feel reassured and connected with something solid, something real in this world of uncertainty.

More importantly if enough of us can keep our feet on the ground when all else are loosing their heads, in the days to come, we shall journey forwards in to a grounded brave, new world built on trust and inner peace, together.

Happy landings! Pxx

In a very physical sense a portal is “a doorway”, “a gateway” or ”an opening through which something may pass”, “a bridge” and my particular favourite “a point of access”.

But what is a portal when it is not of the physical world?

And, how does it act as “a doorway” or “a point of access”; to where?

An energetic portal is challenging to define. Like a Vortex which is dynamic moving energy, it is not necessarily seen although it can be felt. More it is moulded, than defined, through being visualised in the mind. It could be visualised as a circular opening in a space or an opening in the ground. But however you choose to see it, it connects from “here” and” now”; to” there”.” There” could be any number of different places.  A place of infinite love and healing. A place of Source or God and a place of higher understanding. From a here that consists of upset and discourse, to a there of healing and love. From here of current life to there of past life, or other life.  Portals are often revealed via a trigger that is significant. People, places, smells and dates can open an unexpected doorway to another time or another place. They can also be opened intentionally for a specific purpose such as clearing or healing.         

A portal has the power to transport you to another time, another place, to an alternative reality that you didn’t know existed. Portals shift and change as we shift and change. They are never permenant, they come and go, open and close, and can be opened and closed if you know how. They may remain for a time or just for as long as they are needed and they can be utilised for healing. This healing comes through honouring, remembering and connecting.

Sometimes a portal may appear as a significant person. In this form the point of access will be the person’s eyes and your connection to it happens as soon as you look in to their eyes. The moment you connect you find your self transported to another time, maybe to another place. In that significant person’s eyes  you see and are shown a lost part of yourself or perhaps a part you would rather run away from. Through the portal of the eyes  comes the power that will stir up feelings within you that you cannot account for.

I remember someone I worked with a long time ago when I was just learning about energy. When I connected with their eyes I could feel myself falling and spinning. It was quite disturbing. The energy was dark, fed primarily on fear and I could feel I was being pulled into the portal that presented through this person. It was as if I was locked in to and locked on to and although I didn’t know much back then, I knew I did not want to work with this gateway. 

Significant places are also very powerful as gateways to other worlds and other dimensions. Sacred circles and ancient sites act as catalysts for inter dimensional travel. They provide us with a means of welcoming the ancient energies in to our lives now, bringing the wisdom and understanding of the generations that have gone before. Returning to a significant place, which could even be your school,  may trigger memories from a current life that have somehow got stuck in time and a portal may open to reveal your childhood. Through the power of a significant place you may even be transported in to a past life. As a result of this portal being opened your reality and your past life memory overlap and intermingle. This merging of memory or “bleed through” can be most disconcerting but not unheard of.

At a past life workshop many years ago someone  recounted their experience of this. When they arrived at a particular restaurant they found the decoration and style of the restaurant to seem strangely familiar. Once seated they became aware of a particular smell of herbs that whafted through. The portal was activated through these triggers. At that point the walls of the restaurant appeared to shift and change and the person experiencing this portals power, was transported to the inside of an ancient temple, where they were sat at a table as one of the last of two temple keepers. They were about to take poison in the form of a herbal polstice because the pyramid was under attack and this was the agreed means of ending their life.   

Significant dates such as 6/6,  11/11 or 9/11 become anchored in our minds, our hearts and in the fabric of time. The physical impact of the loss of many lives, creates a huge portal that is activated by the wave of emotional attachment that follows in connection to these dates. This portal connects us to the people that lost their lives. Through it we are helped to release and clear our emotional baggage may it be guilt, grief or anger and work our way towards allowing love to flow back through the gateway to heal us. We are reminded of the fragility of our life. The energy of significant date portals is renewed when we celebrate or commiserate annually. The portal is re-energised and held open. This enables healing and clearing to take place. These types of portals will only close when there is no one left to honour the significant date. No one left who remembers. The fuel that fed the portal is gone and so it gently closes.

To activate a portal intentionally for a specific purpose, you must work with your awareness in a responsible way. Make sure you are  psychically protected by calling on your guides, angels and by evoking a positive intention such as “for the highest good of all”. Perhaps there is heavy stagnant energy in a place. You could activate a portal of light to transport the heavy energy to Source for healing and ask for new lighter and brighter energy to flood the place with a warm loving feeling. You can visualise the exchange taking place, as dark a colour dispersing in to the portal as a light colour floods out. You can sense the shift in the feeling of the place, from heavy to light. When it feels complete then thank the guides and energy that have worked with you and helped to facilitate the process. Then close the portal. See the circular image in your mind , becoming smaller and smaller until there is only a pin point left and then see that disappear. You have closed the gateway.  

As our separate worlds merge more and more and we gain access to dimensions that are beautiful and supportive, the portal carries a reminder to us; a message as old as time itself

“There is no separation of time - all is here and now.”

Happy travelling!

The Metta what? The Metta Bhavana

No, what’s that all about? The Metta Bhavana is a meditation for developing loving kindness.  

What does that mean? Well, the word Metta means love, friendliness or loving kindness and “Bhavana” means cultivation or development. So this meditation practise involves cultivating very positive emotions towards ourselves and others.

Crikey! How do I do that? Primarily you focus on the following words coming from your heart  ”May I be well, healthy and strong. May I be happy. May I abide in peace. May I feel safe and secure. May I feel loved and cared for.”

Then you focus on these words coming from your heart, to another. Someone you like, someone you find challenging, a stranger and so on. 

So what’s the point? To ultimately create love, harmony and peace within ourselves and promote love, harmony and peace with others.

Where can I find out more?  Google it and check out www.wildmind.org and www.rachelgreen.com for the full story and application.

For many of us the idea of going on retreat or to a retreat is a luxury that remains beyond our reach and not really a necessary part of our lives. Or perhaps we believe retreats are for those who are “way out there” and not really in touch with the reality and stuff of every day life.

So what is the reality of the retreat and what are the benefits to you, if any?

It is true, retreats do come in many different forms from weekends of pampering, facials and massages to early morning meditations, yoga and “selfless service” and even ”Boot camps” to get you fit, help you loose weight and eat more healthily. Whatever you feel drawn to or intrigued by it is the opportunity to “get away” that we seek. 

Hidden within the word “retreat” is a suggestion, a nod to you of that chance to “get away” and to take a step back from your every day life. In the past, to “retreat” on the battle field was not so much about running away from or avoiding the on coming attack, it was more about recognising the right time to fall back and regroup.  This is actually a moment of conscious choice. A moment of pure empowerment. When you choose to go on retreat you recognise that enough is enough and it is time to regroup and take stock before you continue onwards with the responsibilities of your life. Then rested and refreshed and with a new sense of vigour and ardour you can return.

Retreats are to be found in remote places like the country or in the mountains. This does mean leaving your home and your comfort zone. Usually the connection with  nature when on retreat is immediate and accessible. You step out of your door, you look out of your window and not only are you surrounded by it, you are actually in it. This is one of the vital pre-requisites; nature and its incredible capacity for healing. Already you are absorbing an environment that is different somehow. A time and place that is far removed from your everyday experiences. You are urged in to a different frame of mind and you are reminded how to breathe deeply of natures peace.

Generally when you do venture in to a more rural setting to take time out you will be agreeing to and participating in a lack of inter-net access, WI FI, servers, mobile phones, blackberries, TV and so on. If the thought of not being able to access face book for ten or check your emails for five fills you with anxiety you need a retreat more than you realise. The upshot here is to break you out of your habitual way of living and help you realise you can live and survive without it. Your constantly being digitally connected does not nurture your connection with your self. You can only find your self by being with your self. A retreat will  help you get a sense of perspective on your life and let’s face it,  nothing and no one else is more important, really. 

Further to this you are often going to encounter others on retreat, that you have never met before. Sometimes scary, often daunting but totally refreshing. Already you are moving in a different circle of people from your typical every day social circle and  no one knows you either. How liberating. You can be completely yourself or someone else entirely and no one would know. You might even discover the person you have longed to be. In another vital way, when you choose to go on retreat, you give yourself a break not only from being you but you also  give yourself a break from the expectation of the people you are surrounded by in your everyday life. You can breathe more freely, more Truly when you are away from them. You reclaim a bit more of your True self.

The retreat experience is not fully complete without the food. Usually it is grown or sourced locally and cooked on the premises by someone else. Yes, someone else. You don’t have to think about menu’s, shopping or preparation. You just turn up and eat! Even better you don’t have to wash up or load the dish washer or  have an argument about who is. When you have finished you can just drift away to your room. The food is another vital piece of the retreat jigsaw. When you relax and take time with your food your body’s ability to absorb the nutrients that food provides, is increased. You are deeply nurturing your body by resting, not stressing and eating, not not eating. Sometimes you may experience a hunger that you never knew you were capable of.    

Being on retreat means that you choose to surrender your every day routine. A gentle itinerary may be offered to you but you are in a place of pure power, you have the choice. You may choose to be involved in what is on offer or you may not. You have the choice to opt out. There is absolutely no sense of having to be somewhere at a certain time doing a certain something. In fact it is quite the opposite and sometimes this amount of freedom to choose what not to do, can be a bit un-nerving to begin with. You may actually feel a bit lost and out of place, this is the indication that your mission has been accomplished. You have arrived on and in your retreat which is absolutely the perfect place to “be”.

The reality of the retreat can provide you with the respite you deserve from the stresses and strains that surround you in every day life. You will return from your retreat refreshed and renewed, yes. But perhaps a different person, someone who is reaffirmed on a deeper level and possibly a step nearer knowing your True self.

Who? Baird Hersey and Prana

Never heard of them. What are they about? Prana is an overtone singing choir comprised of professional singers. 

What’s so special about that? Overtoning is about shaping the mouth and throat to assist in resonating the voice. Prana apply these fundamental overtone techniques to their “natural voice”. These techniques are from and form the Tibetan Buddhist multiphonic chant and Tuvan throat singing used by monks when chanting.

What else do I need to know? Prana was formed by Baird Hersey, composer and guitarist; a multi genre artist.

How do I find out more? Check out the website www.pranasound.com

You have to hear it to believe it, particularly the collaboration they have done with Krishna Das called “Gathering the Light”. Just beautiful.

We are all sustained throughout our physical lives by something incredible. This  incredible something can only be witnessed through and experienced by, you directly. It is that certain something that makes you, you and how you use it or not is also unique to you.  It is something that is difficult to define on an intellectual level but it is easy to connect with and relate to when you learn how.

This incredible sustaining, something is your life force and it is your vital essence, known as prana. 

It is easy to be generous with your life force. It is easy to give it away, offer it up and be generally unaware of the impact that this will have on you, physically, mentally and emotionally. You see,  your life force and how you use it or abuse it determines whether you feel vibrant and healthy or exhausted and lethargic. What, who and how you invest your life force in, in life, determines how sustained and nurtured you are. Whether you choose to invest in a particular person (risky), group of people (also risky) or a philosophy (sometimes helpful). Perhaps you remain with your life force invested in days long gone by (exhausting) or are you already investing your life force in the future (endlessly unfulfilled). Whatever and wherever you choose to invest there are ways to make sure you do not end up depleting your life force. 

Being mindful of what you do with your life force is something that you can put into practise every day of your life and in every situation you encounter. So here are six simple ways in which you can begin to do this and conserve your life force for a fulfilled, centred and connected you!

1. Become watchful - Before you are due to meet someone or encounter a particular situation that your life force may be invested in, have the intention of being watchful. This means that when you are actually walking up to the person or walking in to the situation you become quiet. You still say “hello” or whatever is appropriate but within you, you become quiet. Your body is quiet, your mind is quiet and your demeanour is quiet. This is the only way you can begin to become aware of what you do with your life force in a given situation.

Become quiet; sit; do nothing but watch; say nothing but listen.

When you become watchful there is a lot going on that you won’t usually notice. Your life force will be giving you a constant stream of energetic information about whether this is a helpful investment or not. Usually you are too caught up and involved in what’s going on to notice this information. So it is important to have the intention beforehand, to stop being involved in what’s going on and choose to become watchful instead. This is the first step to finding out how you use your life force and where your life force is going.

2. Watch yourself and watch others. This means that you continue to move in a space that is watchful and quiet, either with the person you are meeting or with the situation you are now encountering. You fully observe all that is going on firstly, by watching yourself. How do you stand? How do you sit? How do you interact with what you encounter? Are you tense or anxious? Or are you calm and self assured?

Secondly, you watch others. How do they stand? How do they sit? How do they interact with what they encounter?By being watchful what do you notice about that person or that group of people, that you have never noticed before? What is the response of your life force?

Now to move beyond this you must watch further,  see more deeply and realise your life force is somehow invested in this scenario. Whatever it may be and however difficult it may be to accept responsibility for. You are never separate from what it is you are witness to. Always there is Yourself; Other and the situation unfolding.

Is this really where you want to be investing your life force? This is the second step. 

3. Watch for “I have to be … something”. As you continue quietly notice if you have the thought or feeling that you have to behave in a certain way with this person or in this situation. If it’s a social occasion “I have to be entertaining and funny” is a common one because you must surely be boring and dull otherwise. Not helpful to boosting your life force.

Watch and rather than “I have to be …..” could you just “be” and be comfortable with that?

I put this to the test at a party recently and when I was sat with a few other people I watched myself, them and the entire scenario. I noticed the conversation was strained and I felt strained,  so I relaxed within myself. This ensured my life force was centred and just with me. I also became quiet. It was as if the room became quiet and rather than fill the uncomfortable gap (which I would usually have done) I enjoyed the relaxed, comfort of the quiet in that gap. It was an opportunity to choose to charge my life force and not waste it. Eventually one of the others in the group broke the silence and  said something. The thing is there will always be someone else who will feel more uncomfortable than you. So conserve your life force, let others expend their life force and watch and be.

4. Watch for expectations, yours and others. Being watchful and being quiet involves not having expectations. Expect nothing. Expect nothing of yourself, expect nothing of the other person and expect nothing from the situation. It is what it is. An expectation may go along the lines of a thought such as ”I had better make the effort” particularly if it seems no one else is. 

You don’t. When you realise you don’t, you stop wasting your life force.

What you do is conserve and preserve your life force, you stop giving it away for the sake of others.

5. Watch how you feel after you have met the person or encountered the situation your life force is invested in. Do you feel any less of a contributor by just watching and apparantly not contributing? No, of course you don’t. You have succeeded in conserving your energy. You have been present and yet you feel no effect. No ill effects and no good effects either. Contributing would be giving of your life force to make something happen the way you wanted it to happen. By being watchful more frequently you will find that in the case of your life force, less is more. If you are over zealous you will loose life force by giving it away. Over expression whether appreciation or frustration are all a waste of your life force. It is the lesser stated gesture and humble demeanour that conserves and preserves your life force.

6. Acknowledge that you do need to recharge your life force regularly. Simply put this means investing your life force in what you love doing. It is a simple paradox in that when you invest your life force in what you love, you are actually investing in yourself. This represents a completed circuit of self- sustainability.

Other techniques such as yoga, meditation and tai chi will also help to give your life force a boost. If you are a natural giver of your life force, these techniques or others like them are a necessity, until you learn how to choose to give of your life force, on your own terms.

So invest in those you love, invest in what you love, invest in yourself and “be” sustained.

Happy watching!

“Do you believe in angels?”

The question hung out there for a nano second, poised over the dinning table of the Gastro pub where we (my husband and I) were enjoying a meal with three of our more mature friends. It wasn’t so much of a babycham moment, I mean the pub didn’t go quiet with all eyes on me or anything, but the words uttered had a definate ”hanging”quality about them.

The angel at my right shoulder lent forward and whispered in my ear “I believe that’s for you” he said.

I should’ve seen it coming really and so by the time I realised it was for me I had used up my alloted time to formulate an answer. So my dear mature, male friend actually answered for me! 

You see it had been one of “those” questions, which he had never really wanted an answer to. The question was simply an opportunity to share his answer.

“The other evening we had a woman at our club who gave us a talk on angels!” he elaborated with real incredulity.

Aah, I thought. 

“Yes” with a gaffaw his wife (our other lovely dear friend) interjected “this woman said she has parking angels that she asks to get her a parking space when she can’t find one!” more incredulity.

Oh dear, I thought and sensed the angel that had been at my right shoulder now heading for the door!

“She even asks for angels to help when she has a problem with her computer or washing machine!” it continued. The small glimmer of hope about perhaps sharing something that is really magical about this existence of ours with its many realms and dimensions, faded gently in to the background with the final nail in the metaphysical coffin yet to come as the attention swung back to me.

“So do you? Do you believe in parking angels and all that?”

Where’s that angel when you need him, I thought. So taking a deep breath I said “Well, yes. Yes I do.”

Then someone must’ve kicked my husband (I blame the devil!) because suddenly he was able to answer for me too!

“Oh she believes in all sorts so that’s definately up her street”

Thankyou and good night. So from then on I did the quiet thing. I sat in my heart and I let it unfold without thoughts of changing the world but knowing what I would have shared with them if I had been given the chance.

“I don’t believe in any of that” my friend said “I believe you create your own luck”.

The etheric door firmly closed shut denoting the end of the conversation. 

I actually do believe in angels. I belive in many aspects of this reality that may seem fanciful and downright weird. But do you know what, I know it’s weird. I also know that there are many other people who see and believe in what could be, weird stuff too. From energy to spirits, from fairies to pixies, from angels to ancients there is alot of stuff going on that we can’t always rationalise away. Yet somehow it exists within the concept that is our reality. But no, I wouldn’t have spoken of this on that evening, not immediately anyway. What I would’ve shared is this story of an earth angel  and an answered prayer.

A few years ago when I was a new mum, finding my way with a new baby I had a horrible night. My son was quite young and I was quite shattered and it was late. I was pottering around at stupid o’clock, which you do frequently when you have a small baby. On my own because my hubby was at work. He worked shifts so was often out over night. I was upstairs when some horrible, scarey moaning and crying sounds came over the baby intercom. It was my boy. I rushed through to his room in time to sit him up before he projectile vomited everywhere and I mean everywhere. The cot was covered, the bedding was drenched, I was vomit personified, he was covered and crying a horrible moaning cry which sent fear into my heart.

I crumbled. I was alone. I couldn’t leave him to start clearing up but even worse I couldn’t console him. It seemed like an eternity, alone in the night. So I prayed to the angels. I prayed with only the hope that a sense of peace might descend over my boy, long enough for me to try and sort everything out. I prayed and I waited.

After a few moments I heard a voice “Hull0-0h”.

Now don’t get me wrong. This wasn’t one of those “God” experiences when “He” spoke to me or anything. This was an actual voice. Now, I was a bit spooked and tired and my brain was woolly and not very good at computing what was going on. So when I heard it again “Hullo-oh” I rushed to the bedroom door. On opening it I heard the letterbox rattling and there was my husband shouting through the gap.

I couldn’t believe it. I was crying with relief and disbelief. I positively leapt down the stairs and unlocked the door. Together we began the clean up operation and while I showered and de-vomited he settled our baby. Who was actually fine and not very seriously ill or anything. The incredible thing was my husband had had a job in the area near our house, thought I might be pottering and still awake so he decided to pop round and see. He had never had the inclination to do it before and has never done it again since. I believe when I asked for the angels help that night, he was heaven sent. 

So don’t be too quick to judge if someone else has a differing view of reality from you. Perhaps if you take time to listen to this differing view you may hear something wonderful. Incredible but wonderful and no, you don’t have to believe all the of the incredible and wonderful things you might hear about but I bet that angel at your shoulder wishes you would. 

Wishing you earth angels to help you on your journey and love from the other angels!xx

When it comes to writing I usually have one eye open, one ear open and a door in my mind slightly ajar for inspiration to come and visit me. Sometimes it does and I am swamped with ideas, sometimes too  many to harness and sometimes it doesn’t. Yet I have always worked with the philosphy that if it isn’t happening I’m not going to force words on to the page that aren’t really “there”. So, although I have still been jogging, I have even done a couple of 10k’s this year, I haven’t been jog blogging!

That is until today.

Today I felt the familiar urge of being guided and drawn to run at the majestic Hengistbury Head. So full of ancient energy and wisdom, it was a no-brainer. So off I dutifully trotted.

When I stepped out of the car I was immediately welcomed by the wind, nothing new there! But something had changed about this wind that greeted me today. Let me see if I can tell you why.

Over the past few years I have noticed we have been privvy to a biting Easterly wind. I remember many weeks of looking longingly out of the window at beautiful clear blue skies, with not a cloud in sight and gorious sunshine beckoning, beckoning. Beckoning me to come out and play. Come and skip and breathe and be free. Yes, welcoming from the inside of a sheltered, cosy house, but there was a sting in the tail of those glorious days and that sting was the bitter Easterly wind. With it came the capacity to chill you to the bone and with it came the destruction of all hope of expansion and connection.

The beautiful day was just an illusion because reality ”bites”.

Instead of expansion I wanted to withdraw. Instead of connection I wanted to hide under fleeces that provided not just physical protection but a metaphor for energetic protection.

But today, today this wind that welcomed me has changed and as I ran I began to connect, I began to see and I began to understand what nature is showing us through this wind of change.

Today as I ran with this wind I was warm. Today I was soft. Today I could breathe deeply and run freely. When I held out my arms like a child playing at aeroplanes the wind did not push me back. Today the wind moved round me and I saw it part around me like the aerodynamics in a wind tunnel that map the movement of air currents over a sports car or fighter jet.  Today I moved through the wind. There was no battle, no pushing, no struggling. This wind asked me to stay centred, yes, but it did not force me to. When I leant into this wind it would not support me.Through its lack of force it gently insisted I support myself and remain strong in that self support as I continued to move forwards. The message that came with the wind is this.

Many of us are experiencing great change just now. It is tangible. We are living it.  Change means that there is movement and we are witness to that movement. Perhaps you are witnessing this unfolding in your work or in your relationships or in your health. Or maybe everything is already in upheaval or you sense the potential for it to be in upheaval. You are asked not to fight or struggle or battle with any change that is happening. Do not with draw under layers of protection and hide away for it will still find you. If you are walking the spiritual path right now, change is inevitable.  

To be able to endure the wind of change you must become warm. You must open your arms to embrace what is to come. You must become softer, more flexible and readily adaptable. You can not allow yourself the luxury of rigid complacency anymore. You must take nothing for granted. Be mindful of your expectations for the wind of change may not support you in the way you expect it to. You may find you have to support yourself.

To support yourself does not mean being selfish! To support yourself you must uncover what it is that strengthens your heart energy.

What is it that makes your heart full and  strong?

Who are the people that help you connect with  your heart that is full and strong?

Where is the sacred place of a full and strong heart for you?

Is it out there with the masses or in a quiter more peaceful place of family and community?

Is it in another county or even another country?

Go deep in to your heart and seek out that wistful wish that you made last year. Hear the quiet calling of your heart that said “All this - it isn’t really you, it’s just an illusion.”

You must leave no stone uncovered, no question of heart unanswered. This is the time that you are being given the opportunity to reassess and realise what really matters to you.

If you are already fulfilled within your heart you are already supported from within. Within your heart strength you become unshakeable. Within your heart strength you could watch the material world fall around you but you will remain stoic, deep in your heart and you will survive.

So step out into this welcoming wind, open your arms and welcome the warmth of change like you have never welcomed it before. But be clear, this time change comes not on anyone else’s  terms anymore not even yours. This time it comes on your hearts terms.

From my heart to yours.xx