Tag Archives: comfort zone

Echidna

EcEchidnahidna crossed my path – actually the road on the way to the retreat on Saturday after a challenging Friday evening that saw me getting home around 3am. We stopped to take a photo, but after scurrying into the scrub on the side of the road the Echidna did what it does best….. it curled up into a rather large and spiky ball. I took a photo, jumped back into the car and we continued on.

Thoughts of the Echidna stayed throughout the afternoon and I decided to research more about it. I found that it is closely related to the platypus and lays an egg in its pouch. After hatching, the young one stays in the pouch for some time. I love to discover the metaphysical or spiritual messages that come from random encounters like this one.

Scott Alexander King says Echidna is a symbol for Rebirth and Personal Protection. He goes on to say that Echidna warns us not to be overprotective to the extent that you shut everyone out. Be aware if you are closed to the possibility of change and the distinction between denial and determination.

Ann Williams-Fitzgerald and Karen Osborn in Wisdom of the Australian Animals entry for Echidna gives the following information. Echidna is about Persoechidna crossingnal Boundaries  and Comfort Zone with Echidna urging us not to be like him. The shadow side is suggesting that we have become unapproachable and do not welcome change into our lives. Time to move out of the comfort zone perhaps to learn something new, join a new group and become more involved in life. Tear down the brick walls that keep people out, but use the boundaries for your own protection.

I also spent some time looking up Dreamtime stories for how Echidna got his spikes which you can also do if you are so inclined. The stories are quite varied and different regions of Australia have different stories. All of them are worth a read!

Life Lessons

I came across a saying at a training I went to recently:

“Are you ripe and rotting or green and growing?”

I would like to think that I am still green and growing, even though chronologically am scooting through the years.

The past 12 months have provided me with some great learning moments and the highs and lows of seeking to bring more balance into my life.

Challenged by new learning systems, particularly self paced study with webinars, and not face to face contact, I managed to achieve a bit over the months.  Difficult to find the balance between the detail that is required for submitting University papers and competency based  questions, I probably over intellectualized each question on the Cert 4 papers that I handed in.

The few face to face trainings that I did attend were quite unlike previous lectures or workshops and high energy and at times I was quite out of my comfort zone. All good though and I came away with new skills that I am putting to use on a daily basis.

Most of the year has been out of my comfort zone and parts of it have been a bit of a blur.

Physically, I was knocked out with a cardiac event – the date is indelibly marked in my mind – Thursday 10th February 2011. Emotionally, I was overwhelmed by the support of a few special people who have held my hand as I mended my heart. Particularly painful was the realization that family were not part of the healing process either at the time of the event or after the surgical ablation in July.

A bit like Humpty Dumpty, I felt like I had fallen off the wall and couldn’t be put back together again, but my “healing team”, consisting of a Homeopath, an Acupuncturist, a Hypnotherapist and a couple of Reiki Masters all worked hard to contribute to my improved health. I will also acknowledge the Cardiologist, in that he sorted out the electrical malfunction. New friends have been made and they may not be aware of the pearls of wisdom that they have given me at different times.

The lessons that clients bring are all part of the journey. It truly is a privilege to work with them and honour their trust as they go into a hypnotic trance. Each session has its special moments and it is quite profound to see the relaxation on their faces when they finish a session. Truly a trance-formation!

So the journey continues, veering down the spiritual road now, having picked up the tools of Reiki and Polarity Therapy  that I had set aside for so many years. Just recently I re-visited the EMF Balancing course that I did (OMG – that was last century!!)  And having picked up these tools, I am meeting and noticing people in my life that are claiming their spirituality, acknowledging the subtle energies of the body and feeling so much better for having them in my life.