Heavens Above

Coaching,

We all know about Mercury Retrogrades….. things like electrical equipment go awry with no explanation….. but have you heard of Mars Retrograde? – Retrograde means to appear to go backwards. I hadn’t considered how this may have implications to our daily lives until I started to do some reading about it. The reason a Mars Retrograde isn’t more commonly known is because it doesn’t happen as regularly as the Mercury one. For instance there isn’t one at all in 2021, which could be a good thing as I think we might just be over any astrological triggers for 2020.

I’m not an astrologer, but from the articles I’ve been reading we are just about to enter a period where Mars goes retrograde. September 9th 2020 to November 13th 2020. Rather than paraphrase the articles I have read, this one seems to be the most comprehensive and includes towards the end how it affects your sun sign and your ascendant.

Against the backdrop of the Stage 4 COVID lockdown extension, I thought that this is  an interesting time to be entering into.  Social media is running hot with a myriad of views and conspiracy theories and it seems that there is a “my way or the highway” attitude to having an opinion.

The article suggests that during this Mars retrograde,

“We might stew in anger at times, not finding a direct or straightforward channel for releasing it. This is a time for really getting in touch with what we’ve been accepting on the surface of things, but that has been building inside as emotional slush.”

There are many ways to get in touch with and deal with that “emotional slush” and I have found the combination of applying Emotional Intelligence coaching with hypnotherapy to get to the root cause is the most effective way.

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The Stress Response

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In these challenging times I have been able to work with several groups (online) and deliver workshops that explained the stress response. Participants received tips and strategies for managing stress.

After delivering these Stress Management presentations some participants have asked for copies of the slides. I have a conundrum…..to share or not to share – that is the question. There are polarizing views about slide sharing. One is if you have put up a presentation, then they are in the public domain and should be freely shared. At the other end of the spectrum the viewpoint is that the slides are secondary to the actual presentation.

After a recent presentation some participants shared slides, regardless of permission, that they saved by taking screen shots. With this in mind, I am going to share some of the graphics here, taken from a variety of presentations alongside some of the commentary I used.

Managing stressThe stress response is elicited when we realize that we can’t control events. When this happens, we can often start to feel anxious.

In turn this can lead to a cascade of other emotions or behaviours.

Clearly  we need to have the appropriate tools and strategies to manage this response. Subconsciously our nervous system is on high alert as we look out for the risks in our environment.

Currently, many people are experiencing  fear regarding either their or a loved one’s health with the end result of the flight/fight or freeze stress response.

One of the first things I suggest is to develop a regular deep breathing session which helps to dampen down the effects of the stress response. Wearing a mask can anchor your emotion to your subconscious mind.  Therefore it is important to spend a few moments in deep breathing after removing your mask, so that you minimize your stress response.

managing stressThe next step is to acknowledge the problem and then to view it from a new perspective.

By understanding the phases that we go through during times of change, we can come to a degree of acceptance.

This is similar to the five stages of grief that Elizabeth Kubler Ross wrote about in her groundbreaking work in 1969. Another helpful strategy is to use a Gratitude Journal. 

The stress response causes various hormones to be released in our bodies. The most well known are adrenaline and cortisol. These are released in response to a fearful or dangerous situation. Long term stress can impact upon your health. Stress lowers your immunity, increasing blood pressure and has an impact on your digestive system.

This is why it is so important to have strategies that you can use automatically when faced with a stressful situation. However, not all stress is bad. There is a flip side.  Eustress – when this is experienced, you get a flood of what I like to call “stress managementhappy hormones”.

By making sure you take time to look after yourself – remember when we could fly and the pre-talk was about using the oxygen mask for yourself first?

Meditation, being out in nature, exercise, eating healthy foods and love and laughter are all key elements how you can get these “happy hormones” and manage your stress response.

 

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In the cards

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Prompted by using a retro post for social media, I decided to take a peek at what is in the cards for me at the moment regarding my business. Covid has meant no face to face consultations and as we move to more on line interaction, some facets of business – not just mine – will change for ever. So what was in the cards for me today?

I used the same oracle card deck as before – The Ascended Masters by Doreen Virtue and drew four cards, as one fell out with the last one. The cards were:

  • Stay Focused – always an apt  card for me – ” A reminder to stay focused on your intentions, desires and priorities. Don’t allow yourself to be distracted by short term situations, dramas or other people’s demands”. A timely reminder that I have been procrastinating about finishing an assignment for my current studies!!
  • Purification – this one puzzled me until I read further….”This could be a signal to purify your motives and intentions so that they are purely about service and not about fear or competition…… Or it could simply mean adjusting your life so that all of your actions are in integrity with your true beliefs”.
  • Flow of Prosperity – “Tap into your manifestation power by focusing on abundance instead of worrying about money. You have nothing to fear. A new flow of prosperity is supporting you and your loved ones.”  There’s that word “Focus” again!
  • Positive Change – “Your likes and dislikes have changed. and you’ve outgrown situations that once appealed to you. These are positive developments signalling your spiritual growth. Some of these situations are blessings in disguise, as they’re pushing you to make necessary and positive changes. You may feel pushed beyond your comfort zone in multiple areas of your life shift and flux, yet the universe always stands ready to support you  with whatever you ask for. Let go and enjoy this ride, because it is truly for the best. An additional meaning for this last card was to let go of procrastination – which certainly ties in with the earlier reminder in the cards.

Discounted

lessons learned

DiscountsRecently I had planned a series of workshops to offer to a local community at a heavily discounted rate to my usual hourly rate. I used the rationale that if I worked on getting discounted Emotional Intelligence sessions out into the local community during these difficult times, then I would be contributing to a grassroots movement in thinking in a more emotionally intelligent way.

Unfortunately, with an increase in COVID infections, no face to face presentations could take place, but I was still willing to offer the 6 session workshop online. I was a little disappointed to receive the news from the venue that they had got feedback from their community that the discounted price point was too high. This got me to thinking…. do people not value what is delivered online, when the preparation is as great – if not more – than a face to face presentation?

Don’t get me wrong – I do give my time freely to various charities and not for profit organizations, but when I was offering a heavily discounted rate and for it to be suggested that it was still too much…. I cancelled.

What I have to offer is worth more.  For each hour of a presentation there are 6 or more hours spent in preparation. So for a 2 hour weekly presentation, I was going to be getting around $3 per hour/ per person. When I broke the figures down like this – I realized that  I was selling myself  and my mentors short – big time. I have realized that what I was offering is worth much more and will no longer be offering discounts like this.

 

Focus

A Balanced Life, Focus, ,

So here we are….. in lockdown #2 for Melbourne.  I’m actually not complaining as I have more than enoufocusgh to keep me busy with the distraction of Lucy the Labrador and studies that not only nourish my mind and soul, but will create a new focus in my business later in the year. It’s a well known adage that what you focus on, you will find. If you have ever been shopping for a new car and decided on the make and model, then you will most likely start to see these more frequently. Likewise, if you start to focus on negative things or calamities, then you will most likely start to see or experience these things too.  I know a person who constantly expects the worst of people and businesses that they buy from and you can guess  what they create.  Vehicles that  break down or have defects,   dream holidays that turn into nightmares (& litigation) .. the list goes on….

In regards to the current situation, I certainly don’t want to minimalize the seriousness of the situation, but if the precepts of the Buddha are applied, then a positive outlook will support  you at this time.Imagine your good health (& take appropriate steps), keep in regular contact with like minded, positive souls to check in and buoy your spirits, reach out to those who you think might be struggling and offer some time to listen and affirm how they are going.

Let me explain…. if you are fearful – then you are in a stress response. Your stress hormones will signal  – and animals are sentient to this – your current emotional state.  Are you in  flight, fight or freeze mode?

Your imagination can create any amount of scenarios – good, bad or catastrophic.  By regular meditation/visualization/hypnosis- whatever you want to call it, you can create in your imagination a better or positive future, which your subconscious mind (like a 2 year old) will think is your current reality.  Imagine feeling good more often than feeling fear – you still need to to be sensible about precautions around social interactions.

 

 

Distraction

Abundance, balance, ,

It’s been a while since the last update but I do  have a legitimate distraction…. I started studying just as the first lockdown started and have regular assignments to complete. A bit of a backstory to the area that I’m studying in first….

At High School I did Art and my art  teacher was very understanding, letting me hide out in the art room when I should have been in a Japanese or French class. I’m sure they were also aware of home issues at the time and just let me find a space, but that’s another story. End of Year 12, results in and I was offered a place in the highly coveted Art and Design course at the Institute of Technology. Parental influence prevailed – because it would be a waste of time “because I would only get married and have children” – so off to the workforce. At the start of this year, a chance email came in offering  a chance to enrol in a Diploma of Art Therapy, just at the time I was tossing up whether to take on a training course.

Allowing my intuition to guide me (a novel idea) I signed up for the Art Tdistractionherapy course and have to say I am loving it. It is as much for me and allows me to have a second chance at what I set aside all those years ago. The distraction is not about the the course content as such. Each unit requires a portfolio activity with an image/art work to be completed as practice for becoming an art therapist.

Regardless of the assignments, each New Moon I record something in my vision journal. The New Moon in May coincided with an assignment to go beyond vision boarding but to create a ‘Scene Map’  of something as if it had already happened.

Just a few days after creating this image, I received a phone call from a rescue service that I have been registered with for over 4 years… “we have a dog… we know you were looking for a male dog…but…..” .. A meeting was set up and we met with Lucy. An interesting background and when we arrived for the initial “meet and greet” with the foster family- there she was looking out of the window as we arrived.

DistractionSo….. just a few weeks on ….. here’s Lucy! Just 2 years old – a teenager in dog years and a very affectionate nature. Before second lockdown, we were able to take her up to the retreat where she really enjoyed the wide open spaces to run and do “zoomies”.  In the city and in second lockdown she gets to go for twice daily walks. The two occasions she got to meet with grandchildren, she was overjoyed to be around little people and was exceptionally well behaved.  There are moments…. when she gets over enthusiastic about my socks or shoes that we are not in sync with each other but as we get to know each other our respective boundaries will be observed.

Leadership

A Balanced Life, Archangel Oracle Cards, Ascended Masters Oracle cards, ,

leadershipLeadership can be interpreted in many ways and that is very evident in the differing styles of leadership exhibited by our world leaders. Today I drew this card – Leadership – from Doreen Virtue’s Archangel Oracle cards. The writing on the face of the card suggests that it is time to lovingly guide others and comes at a time where I am about to return to face to face delivery of workshops.  In these workshops it is my intention is to inspire and guide others to learn more about how they can live with greater Emotional Intelligence.

I do enjoy the messages that the oracle cards can give me, and this one particularly resonates.

My oracle cards have been sitting quietly on the bookshelf for some time and having a good selection of them, I’ve decided to use them as a stimulus to create more regular blog posts.  You can look up the meaning given by the authors with Google, if you don’t have the deck yourself.  During this time of inner reflection I have also revisited several books, one of them being Sacred Contracts by Caroline Myss. The insights from that book have also been as valuable as the last time I read it.

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Hibernation

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coming out of hibernationThe past few months have felt like an early winter hibernation, with a reasonably mild autumn here in Melbourne. Usually the winter months are when we seek to withdraw from the world and hibernate, but the recent world events have changed all that.

Self isolation and social distancing have become the new “normal” and it has been a wonderful opportunity to review what’s working and what’s not. Hibernation is a time of withdrawal after gathering together the summer fruits. During hibernation we can set the intent to release old, unhelpful beliefs and heal the old “stuck stuff”. Meditation will help you to re-evaluate and move into a new and better vision for the future. Choosing to be grateful for what you have also helps you to be open to even more.

Hypnotherapy will help you to release those stubborn, subconscious blocks that you didn’t realize you had. This is a time of opportunity to create new ways of thinking, not only for yourself but in the wider community. It can be difficult at times to know where to start, but all you need is the kernel of an idea. Much like an acorn, with the right environment and nourishment, it will grow into a mighty oak. This could be the start of something big for you too.

Stretch not Struggle

A Balanced Life, intention, , ,

stretch not struggleSo much has changed since I started this Ten Weeks of Intentions journey. Most of the time it has been a stretch not struggle to get a weekly post up in what started out as an “occasional blog”.

So how do you feel after a stretch?  There are times when we need to stretch, not just physically like a cat, but emotionally. When faced with making a change, there is a conscious and an unconscious response to the impending change.  Conflicting thoughts and emotions result in a struggle as we overthink, filter the information and maybe even jump to negative conclusions about the outcome. An emotional stretch may involve changing habitual actions or thoughts and our inner self talk can often sabotage even the best intentions. A little bit like what we are going through at the moment. This is where you need someone to walk alongside you and cheer you on as you stretch to move out of hibernation and towards setting some goals for our “new normal”.

One way to make reaching your goals a pleasant stretch not struggle, is to use the SMART method of goal setting.   Setting a goal or intention using this formula works. Make the goal or intention Specific, Measurable, Actionable, Realistic, and Timed.

Specific: Write down as much detail as you can about your goal. It helps if you have a genuine belief that the goal can be achieved. ? It helps to create a vision board to focus your attention on the end result and in Reiki classes we have a saying “Where attention goes, energy flows”.

Measurable: How are you going to measure that you have obtained your goal? Trackers are great as you can see your progress.  Start with the end in mind and work backwards to now or when you commit to starting.

Your bank account?  x amount of $ saved per week/fortnight/month

Your ideal weight?  x amount of kilograms/pounds reduced by each week/fortnight/month

Actionable: What are the actions you must take to reach your goal? They can be baby steps or great big scary steps. For example – how many subscriptions do you still have that are being used? Which ones can be suspended so that you can save precious dollars while we are in uncertain times? If you find that you have been making too many trips to the fridge or pantry – what actions must you take to get to your ideal weight? Being honest about food intake/portion sizes or daily activities will help to get you to goal weight.

Realistic: Is your current spending rate going to allow you to save for something special or do you need to economize on certain expenses? If you love a garment that is 3 sizes smaller than you currently are, will you realistically fit into it once social distancing rules have been lifted?

stretch not struggle

Timed:  Mark the date that you want to achieve your goal on the calendar, regardless of social distancing rules.  If the goal is a big one, then it is a great idea to break it down into smaller time frames. Likewise with reducing weight. Adjusting your timeframe to acknowledge that you may have a couple of occasions where there is the likelihood of not reaching your weekly or monthly target, will mean that you are less likely to have a negative self talk session with yourself. Make it a stretch not struggle.

My intention for this week is to reflect on the journey thus far and to use the energy of The Fool from the Rider Waite Tarot to continue journeying on.

The Power of Intention

A Balanced Life, intention, , ,

the power of intentionThe book by the late Dr Wayne Dyer “The Power of Intention”  is an easy read and over the Easter weekend I have delved back into it as a distraction from the current situation. I’m treating social distancing as an opportunity to have a pause from the “normal” and to re-visit many of the books on my shelves as part of my Ten weeks of Intention project.

In an early chapter he writes “Intention is something that I believe we can feel, connect with, know, and trust. It’s an inner awareness that we explicitly feel, and yet at the same time cannot truly describe with words.”  

He says that there are four steps to intention. These are:

  1. Discipline
  2. Wisdom
  3. Love
  4. Surrender

Collectively we can use this time to re-calibrate and use the power of intention to create a draft itinerary for when we can emerge from this hibernation and begin to work in our new normal. The book is packed full of practical strategies to help you with developing your power of intention in a creative way.  It is important to pay attention to your feelings as well as the way you think. A journal is helpful here – so that you can later reflect and notice any recurring themes. It’s well documented that what you focus on is often what you get.

For instance if you are focused on what is scarce in your life, then you will continue to experience scarcity.   Set yourself an intention to change your thoughts and feelings to a more positive mindset. The vibration of your positive thoughts will contribute to a change in the energetic field around you. This will have a ripple effect as the changed energy within you will also be experienced by others. As you continue to work with the power of intention, release any fears as you work towards creating a new and extraordinary lifthe power of intentione.

Apart from reading over the Easter break, I have been planting trees   – with the intention of creating a productive and organic supply of fruit. Every so often I have stopped as I catch a glimpse of something out of the corner of my eye …. I’m sure there are garden fairies watching and I was amused to get this card from the Healing with the Fairies oracle deck by Doreen Virtue – You are now allowing yourself to experience and express your true power. The fairies ask you to affirm, “It is safe for me to be powerful!”

 

The Power of Intention – Learning to co-create your world your way. Dr Wayne W Dyer. Hay House, Carlsbad, California 2004