Labyrinths

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In ancient times, labyrinths were often used in religious or spiritual contexts, such as in the construction of elaborate stone structures or in the creation of mazes used for meditation and spiritual contemplation.

Today, labyrinths can be found in varied settings, such as parks, gardens, and public spaces, and are often used for therapeutic or recreational purposes.

Labyrinths are different from mazes in that they typically have only one path that leads to the centre and back out again, whereas mazes have multiple paths and dead ends. The goal of a labyrinth is not to confuse or frustrate, but to provide a meditative or reflective experience for those who walk its paths

The labyrinth in the pictures was created some years ago over an Easter weekend and it is time to renew and refurbish it this Easter. Travel to the labyrinth was impossible during two years of lockdowns and the recovery from a broken leg have resulted in it becoming somewhat rundown and overgrown. The addition of rocks, whilst a good idea to define the edges of the path, has resulted in the grass growing up through them, making it harder to maintain.

Emotional Intelligence

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Emotional Intelligence (EI) is the ability to recognize, understand, and manage your own emotions—while also noticing and responding to the emotions of others in real time.

At its core, EI means being aware of how you feel, knowing how to regulate those emotions, and using that insight to communicate and connect more effectively. This is especially important when working in teams, whether you’re in a workplace, community group, volunteer setting or as a young person navigating the way forward.

Research continues to show that strong emotional intelligence is a key factor in both personal and professional success. People with higher EI communicate more clearly, build stronger relationships, and are better equipped to handle complex or challenging social situations.

Emotional intelligence is also linked to improved mental health. It helps individuals cope with stress, build resilience, and navigate adversity with more clarity and confidence.

EI includes several essential components such as self-awareness, stress management, empathy, teamwork, collaboration, and other core social skills. The good news is that these abilities can be strengthened over time through intentional practice and supportive training.

As a Certified Social and Emotional Intelligence Coach, I offer regular workshops and presentations designed to help individuals and organizations develop these skills and create healthier, more emotionally aware environments.

 

Art Therapy and Stress Management

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Art therapy is a form of therapy that involves using art to express oneself and explore emotions. It can be a helpful tool for managing stress, as it allows you to process your feelings in a non-verbal way and can provide a sense of relaxation and mindfulness.

One way art therapy can help manage stress is by providing a creative outlet for you to express yourself. Creating art can be a way to release pent-up emotions and reduce feelings of anxiety or tension. The act of making art can also be calming and meditative, allowing you to focus your attention on the present moment and let go of worries about the past or future.

Art therapy can also help you to gain insight into your feelings and thought patterns. Creating art can be a way to access and explore the subconscious mind, which can lead to new insights and a greater understanding of oneself. Therefore the process of creating and reflecting on art you can learn to identify and manage sources of stress.

Finally, art therapy can be a way to connect with others and build a sense of community. Participating in group art therapy sessions can provide a supportive environment where you can share experiences and feel validated and understood. This sense of connection and belonging can help reduce feelings of stress and isolation.

Overall, art therapy can be a valuable tool for managing stress and promoting overall well-being. If you’re interested in exploring art therapy, consider reaching out to me and I can guide you through the process, helping you to develop a personalized plan for managing your stress through art.

Colour

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Colour is important in art therapy as it allows the client to express emotions and feelings. The colours may be chosen consciously or unconsciously.

Each colour can convey specific feelings or meanings in the creation of an image. 

By also understanding that there is a positive and negative polarity for the qualities of each colour, it is possible to better interpret one’s emotional state. There may be an instinctual or unconscious response to the use of a particular colour. 

Colour can influence our emotions in a number of ways.

The warm colours (red, orange, yellow) often evoke strong emotions – both positive in energy and negative in that these colours can overwhelm a sensitive person.

Green, blue and purple are classed as cool colours and can evoke calmness although blue in particular, is often associated with sadness or depression. Reaction to a colour can be based on personal experiences with a subconscious association to an event (either happy or sad).

It is also important to take into account cultural and personal interpretations to each colour. 

Some colours have a deep cultural significance, such as the meanings attached to black and white. Black is used for mourning in European countries and white for mourning in some Asian countries

Leadership Coaching

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Coaching at balance4lifeWhat a great start to 2023! Feedback from last year’s Leadership Coaching for Women has been great and I’m looking forward to replicating the success with a small group for a company that operates nationally.

It may be my bias, but I prefer coaching to counseling as the focus is on the future and what you do want as opposed to what you don’t want. Combined with Emotional Intelligence strategies, this can make the workplace a much better place to be. Of course results will vary for each person – depending on whether they step up and embrace new ideas. My own experience of group coaching is that often a problem brought to the table by another attendee and the subsequent coaching by the facilitator is exactly what I needed to hear for my  own issues!

Collecting seeds

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After a slow and slightly wet start to summer, it’s great to enjoy the retreat. However this means taking some extra care of my seedlings that I’m growing for an autumn planting session at the retreat.

The challenge has been in collecting seeds and growing them up into small trees that can then be planted out. Some of the previously planted trees have succumbed to last summer’s high temperatures, the resident hare and the kangaroos.

The chestnut trees were one casualty and as my friend’s chestnuts were eaten by cockies, I bought some from the supermarket. Next step was to pop them in the vegetable crisper for a couple of months. I was happily surprised when they sprouted. They were potted up and a couple have already gone in the ground at the retreat.

 

A Jacaranda tree grown from a seed of a neighbour’s tree has also gone in and is doing really well. I’m still deciding whether the Magnolia trees (also grown from seed) will make an appearance up at the retreat or to leave them in here in the city.

Another mini forest in the making are some peppercorn trees from seeds of a tree in the local town. I’m thinking of arranging these in a well spaced circle (20metres apart) from the oak tree in the centre of the paddock. Much like a Medicine Wheel or a living labyrinth.

Speaking of labyrinths – both labyrinths are in great need of refurbishment. Heavy rains (one day a neighbour recorded 70mm) have washed away the little labyrinth. I’m toying with the idea of creating a raised straw bale spiral garden instead to grow herbs and other useful shrubs.

The larger labyrinth is very overgrown with native grasses.  The jonquils in one of the central rings did get to flower this year. The pomegranates and olives around the perimeter continue to survive and the application of some organic fertilizer has helped the remaining oak trees to finally grow some height.

The previous attempt to refurbish the outline of the rings with rocks gathered from the paddock was a good idea in theory, but has affected the water flow and now looks untidy with the grass growing up and through them.

Seasons Greetings

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Seasons Greetings to all. If you are one of the many who find this time of year difficult, keep in mind the following wisdom from Arthur Ashe:

Start where you are.

Use what you have.

Do what you can.

Stay in the moment. If you find yourself a little anxious at a gathering, focus on 3 things you can see or hear or touch. Do it quickly and as often as needed.

It’s OK to say “No”.  No to extra helpings if you are full, no to demands on your time and energy. By saying no, there is the opportunity for you to say yes to something else – like your peace of mind.

For some there will be an empty chair at the table this year. Focus on the happy memories – it’s  OK to laugh and be sad at the same time. Acknowledge your emotions, rather than stuffing them back down. Rescue Remedy is a  wonderful thing to have on hand at this time.

Remember to breathe….. deep breathing will help you to still the stress response.

Vulnerability - strength or weakness

Storytelling

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The concept that humans are storytelling creatures comes about through the oral traditions that have been passed down through millennia in every culture. These stories sought to preserve the history and share knowledge acquired. The stories may reflect knowledge about the animal kingdom or natural events that needed to be made sense of. exam anxiety

For instance, many cultures share the same stories of a great flood – this is the story of the Ark in early Biblical history as well as the story of the Seven Sisters (Pleiades) and the kidnap of the youngest by Orion as people across the planet observed the night skies. This story is found in both Northern American indigenous tales as well as our own first nations people.

We tell stories to children – often as metaphor and the Steiner education system allows children to explore these stories, appropriate to their stage of cognitive development. The stories start with the Grimms fairy tales, Norse myths and progress to Greek myths in Year 5 and stories of the Romans in Year 6. 

As adults we often tell of our life experiences and some choose to be defined by their stories that may be coloured through their own lens of perception.

Trinkets purchased on trips overseas help us to remember the travels that we can no longer take and we can reminisce and retell the story of our experiences as we visited different lands and cultures.

We like to sit and listen (particularly around a camp fire) of stories big and small of travels, (often embellished) emotions experienced along the way and we can learn and draw our own conclusions from these stories.

Stories of family history were (and still are) passed down from generation to generation, along with favourite recipes and gardening tips. The stories can be listened to, without the need to be able to read or write and therefore even young children of pre school age are avid listeners as their social and cultural mores begin to be imprinted into their subconscious.

Art Therapy Workshops

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The past few months I have had the opportunity to be presenting lots of workshops, including Art Therapy workshops to a variety of organizations and audiences. The Art Therapy workshops have been face to face, whilst the Emotional Intelligence workshops have either been online or hybrid.

For participants in a group Art Therapy Workshop it can be challenging to know just how much to “share”. At each session I set the boundaries – what is said in the room, stays in the room  and only share if comfortable. Some of the activities are designed to encourage mindfulness.

One activity that springs to mind is “Going Dotty”.  This is a nod to the artistic works of Georges Seurat who created amazing masterpieces using pointillism. My own example of a sunflower shows how solid colour is not necessary to create an image. Taking the time to create it  kept me “in the moment” or mindful.

After it was finished I took some time on reflecting why I chose to create that image. It reminded me of the time I flew across the country  to have a last visit with my mother in hospital. During a break I went to the local shops and there were buckets of sunflowers. I bought a bunch, took it back to the hospital and used them as a focus for a meditation and Reiki session. Something shifted, as my mother recovered and we were able to have a conversation and another visit a year or so later.

Inner Worlds

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creative flowWith the world around us in a state of flux and change, many people are now seeking to enrich their inner worlds.  There are many ways to do this – meditation or other spiritual practices, journaling or being in nature.

Art therapy allows us to be in a non judgemental and supported space where we are free to explore the deeper meanings behind our thoughts and emotions.

Through meditation or other meditative practices such as prayer and reflection, or dream journaling, you can begin to access your own inner world. This in turn can lead to an expression of your spirituality and these can include the creation of paintings, Mandalas and sculptures which reflect your innermost thoughts and dreams.

Carl Jung is associated with using the Mandala as a means to access his patients inner worlds. He felt that the therapeutic act of reflection upon an image could lead to further insights and reveal deeper, subconscious thoughts, which when brought to the surface resolve a long forgotten issue