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.

The Water Element

Birdsville July 2010

More than 75% of Queensland is now flood affected as well as parts of NSW and Western Australia.
Nothing can prepare you for the images of great expanses of water or the graphic videos of cars being tossed about on the torrents.
There are many communities isolated and in the city where so many were isolated before, there is a sense of community as strangers help one another to safety.
The power of the water is not to be underestimated either. What looks tranquil and is life giving at one moment can also be deadly and can sweep away all in its path, the next.
Water is the source of life and in Polarity Therapy is the element most associated with emotion. When in balance, the Water element allows us to relax and let go, so often demonstrated by the falling of tears. We may use the term “go with the flow” and relax into our emotions. However, when there is a lack of balance we may be challenged by our attachment to worldly things.

The Five Elements need to be in balance for us to function well, physically and emotionally. An over abundance of Water affects the Earth element and our thinking may become “stuck in the mud”, but conversely too much Water and we become “flooded with feelings and emotions”.  Water always flows  to the lowest point.  Too much of anything is not good for you – too much Ether and we become “spaced out”, too much Air and you may find you just cannot concentrate (ask any teacher about windy days!), too much Fire and procrastination abounds. Projects are started, fire up and burn out just as quickly.
On a physical level, the Water Element governs our lymphatic system, blood and tears. There are a number of diseases associated with imbalance of the Water element, such as menstrual difficulties, prostate, pelvic & lower back problems, allergies and even feet problems.
There are several Polarity sequences to get back into balance as well as the Polarity Diet which is an excellent de-toxification program. A simple re-balancing technique if you are feeling stagnant is to massage your Ring fingers and fourth toes. When you are in balance, you are able to flow with ease and cleanse and renew.

Renew those New Year Resolutions

Life balance, Philosophy, , , ,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Getting into Shape

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



Spiritual Hypnotherapy

Hypnotherapy, Philosophy, ,

Spiritual Hypnotherapy – an interesting term. Historically, most religions have used the trance state to reach enlightenment. Meditation and prayer can result in ecstasy states for some fortunate people.The Sufi have their Whirling Dervishes and the monks of old had their Gregorian Chants. Look into the religions and you will find many activities that lead to altered states.

Trance states abound in modern society. Television is our most common mesmerist. The subtle (and sometimes not so subtle) beat of music can lead to  an altered state of awareness as well.So if your teenager is listening to their “doof doof” music while doing their homework and they get that far-away look in their eyes, it could be a great time to offer some suggestions about cleaning up their room…….!

Many people will be familiar with Hypnotherapy used in a Clinical sense – most commonly for stopping smoking or other addictions. It is used effectively in the Medical and Dental settings for anaesthesia and allaying anxieties.

Some will have even experienced stage hypnosis and clucked like a chicken or forgotten names or numbers. But Hypnosis is not mind control – all Hypnosis is actually self Hypnosis. You will only go into trance if you want to.

How long can you stay in trance? For as long as you want to! In Spiritual Hypnotherapy you may have a Past Life Regression session lasting  2 or more hours. A Lives Between Lives session can go for 4 or more hours.

So why Spiritual Hypnotherapy? The mind/body connection is not fully understood and I must admit I was very sceptical about this area when I first came across it. I had a Past Life Regression out of curiosity. What came out of that gave me goosebumps – the session was recorded and I have gone back over it several times. I spoke in another language and the session was validated several weeks later when I met a person who “knew” me, but I had never met. When we discussed my session, she produced her autobiography (which I had never read) and details matched. I had thought the session was an interesting “story”, but now there was a twist!

When the opportunity to train as a Past Life Regression Therapist, I went along for the experience. Again a smidgen of scepticism. Each session is different and I do enjoy being there as the “tour guide” to the client’s experience. Some sessions seem more vivid and real than others. One client in particular stands out. For the purpose of this article, I shall call her Jenny.

Jenny presented for a Past Life Regression partly out of curiosity, partly because she had a niggling problem that seemed to have no medical reason. She is a Reiki Therapist and very aware of the various metaphysical connections with aches and pains and had explored the physical and the metaphysical in search of an answer. She was open to whatever would come up in her session. Jenny went into trance very easily, helped by her meditation and Reiki practice and slipped into her past life with no effort at all. She described a town in old rural Japan where she was an educated young woman. Jenny was caring for and teaching some children when the town was attacked and she was speared in the abdomen and died.

Some weeks later, she was working in her clinic and one of her clients slipped into trance during a Reiki treatment and described the town and Jenny’s death, thus validating her experience for her. She realized that she had no longer experienced abdominal pain since having the Past Life regression. Knowing how she had died in that life appeared to remove the need to continue experiencing the pain in this lifetime.

Finishing the year

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The last couple of days have been spent reflecting on how the year has gone, the friendships made and those put aside, achievements and disappointments and cleaning the house in preparation for the New Year.
For most of the year, it was a continuation of the year without alcohol. This stretched out to 14 months before I actually had a drink & when I did, I felt so wretched the next day that I decided I would be better off avoiding it again. Of course, just to make sure, I did have another drink or two or more before going back to the alcohol free life! Being alcohol free has challenged others more than me at times. There were times that I felt like I could have had a drink, but I resisted.
The year started with some confusion as acknowledgement of a teaching position didn’t come through officially, but when I phoned the school, I was assured that I was to start at the end of January. Disappointment followed upon finding out that I was to be paid at graduate level as I had not worked in the State Education system. Negotiations continued in the first week as the contract had not been drawn up and eventually I was offered a rate above graduate, but not commensurate with my years of experience. Still, an opportunity to teach in a small school and to put aside some money to continue my education and to pay the rent on my rooms.

Easter came and we made the trek to Heathcote, looking forward to playing in the labyrinths. The weather was great, yet I didn’t do any work on the labyrinths this year, except for a small tidy up. One of the other campers was in an unresourceful state, so after long deliberation, we have decided not to return in 2011- which will break a 20+ year tradition – we will do something different!

In June we headed off to Cape York. I had an uneasy feeling about it before leaving, yet nothing happened on the Cape York part of the trip! It was on the homeward leg from Birdsville to Innaminka that got tricky and took 5 and a bit hours to do about 100km.

Back in Melbourne and a week of NLP. Love it! Goes so well with the Hypnotherapy. Most weeknight evenings were spent online listening to lectures for the Cert 4 of Business & Diploma that I have undertaken. So much information, some challenging and taking up the challenge has been a journey.
New friends through new ventures and a wardrobe restyle for a new look. So much has changed this year. There is the saying “Change your mind, change your life” and this has been so true. The time came to make a decision about teaching and in a way that was made for me, when a child struck out at me and then picked up his chair and came at me. Neither he nor I wanted to be at school at that time and place. Days later my back gave out and I couldn’t walk for a week. The gift was being able to meet with some amazing people and teach some incredible children in that time and have positive memories to take with me.

One door closes and another opens. I’m taking a tiny peek through the door to 2011and loving the feeling of excitement that I’m getting……..

The Rhythm of the Days

Homeopathy, Life balance, Philosophy, ,

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Birth to 7 – Moon

7 to 14 – Mercury

14 to 21 – Venus

21 to 42 – Sun

42 to 49 – Mars

49 – 56 – Jupiter

56 to 63 – Saturn

63 to 70 – Moon

70 to 77 – Mercury.


5 keys to making your New Year’s Resolutions effective

Life balance, Philosophy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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