EXTRACTING THE GOODNESS FROM THE YEAR

Find the gold in your year and nurture yourself with appreciation

Can you feel the pulse of our society changing?  I really enjoy this time of year when the push to productivity settles, and a more ‘footloose and fancy’ feeling moves in.  While the sunlight intensifies, and my body melts more into relaxation, I find this time of year the perfect opportunity to take stock of my year and myself and sift out the gold I have received.  By capturing what I have learnt in the year, and reflecting on what I am needing, I can create an intention for myself for the coming year.

I noticed a sense of exhaustion as I moved into 2020 and so created an intention to simplify, rest in awareness, and pare back.  An undertone of exhaustion has continued at varying intensities throughout the year which has guided me to remain attuned to what my body is feeling and needing.  I have become more accepting of downtime, yin time, doing less, slowness.  I have learnt to honestly evaluate what I can realistically achieve and to be discerning in acting only on the things that matter. Along the way I have discovered underlying patterns and grievances that my body has needed to release.  I am very grateful for my Kinesiologist - Sahaja Springer for all her support with this.

In keeping with my intention for the year, I allocated more space for time off work and the pandemic took that to another level by giving me a month of lock down.  I was able to have more time to indulge in simple pleasures such as dancing, cooking and reading.  I picked up a book that I had put down when I became busy with publishing my own book Melting Moments.  In this book Women Who Run With The Wolves, the author Clarissa Pinkola Estes discusses the 7 year life cycles that women traverse.  Upon learning that I had just entered the cycle of ‘finding the far encampment’, suddenly everything made sense and I felt a big exhale in the honouring of my soul’s journey at this point. I have learnt to take the pressure off myself, take on less, and love that part of myself that enjoys quiet time, resting, dreaming, imagining.

Something else I had decided for myself for this year was to cut out criticisms.  I was amazed at how habitual this can be.  Sometimes they get past the keeper, and I have said things I regret, and sometimes they continue to cycle around in my head. Yet, on many occasions I have been able to take a second look and see through the eyes of love and appreciation instead.  For example when my husband says he is going to clean the house and all I see is him sweep the floor in one room of the house, I look again and see that his notion to clean the house is an act of love for me, because I know that he couldn’t care less if the house was clean or not and probably does not see the dirty bath, sink, windows, mirrors and carpets.

Despite this year having so many challenges on a global level, I have never felt so much appreciation.  It randomly pops into my heart and ripples up to my mind, as I am reminded of just how much love and beauty there is when I am truly present and resting in awareness. When centred in my own heart and my own life, the views are marvellous.

Appreciation forms an important part of my Kinesiology consultations with my clients.  It is the perfect bolster for the heart and spirit.  It is an invitation for more of those heart warming things to enter our lives.  Appreciation fosters our connection with all that is good, reminding us of the reward in our spiritual connection and relationship with self and others. Giving appreciation to someone else is a delightful gift that can light them up, and inspire the good in them. 

Neurologically, appreciation is like fertiiser for neural connections.  Blocks in appreciation affects brain integration, and the ability for the left and right brain to be to work together to facilitate processing of sensory and intellectual information.  When these kinds of blocks are cleared, it helps us to make sense of our experiences and respond appropriately. This kind of coherent brain function lowers stress levels and lifts our mood. 

On this note, I invite you to create your own memoirs of appreciation.  Extract the gems and gold you have received from the year.  Sift through the experiences that you have grown from, and set your intentions to sail through the coming year like a captain.

Blessings to your good health and to all the goodness you have received this year.  I hope you find your own silver linings and can feed yourself with appreciation and in turn choose and attract more of the goodness for your coming year.

These were the things from this year that I appreciated:

Publishing my book, Melting Moments, the delectable art of nourishing your soul.

For over 12 years, it has been a dream of mine to publish this book.

Thanks goes to everyone at ‘Ocean Reeve Publishing’ as well as friends and family involved in the process - from editing, all the way through to my book launch and continuing sales. It is no mistake that it was this year that my book was published, given that the purpose of this book was to nurture and support people in the dark times and melt downs in life.

Improvements in my relationship with technology.

Time on the computer with Zoom and video conference calls is not such a bad thing when it is the only way of connecting with friends and family.  

My online booking system has saved me a lot of time and energy in scheduling, rescheduling and reminders for appointments.  Thank you everyone who is using this system.  I hope it has been just as convenient for you all.

I was introduced to ‘The Healy’, a frequency device which has been very supportive for my physical health and wellbeing.  I have found it great for balancing my hormones and digestive functions.  My energy levels have picked up and I have felt more resilient to environmental stressors, electromagnetics, and witnessing other’s trauma and grief.  

The many beautiful places in nature that we have had access to.

Nature is my ‘go-to’ for wisdom, inspiration and healing.  It is the perfect place for stress relief, rejuvenation and a reset.  It reminds me to breathe deeply and be present to the beauty and wonder in the world.  Nature’s reflections have an inspiring wisdom that supports me in staying connected with the rhythms and cycles of life.

When the New Year comes, I will be sitting in nature and divining what my intention will be for the coming year.

If you are curious to hear more about anything from this blog, I would love to chat with you and connect in a way that can bring some illumination for what your beautiful body and soul requires.

Soul Nurturing blessings to you for 2021.

Intolerances Exposed

Image thanks to Dmitry Grigoriev

The majority of people who walk through my door these days have a food or environmental intolerance. Whether it is electromagnetic sensitivity, inhaled substances or ingested substances, intolerances can play havoc with our body’s and our brain’s ability to function.  Intolerances can be correlated with symptoms of ill health such as, irritability, problematic mood, abdominal bloating and discomfort, brain fog, headaches, fatigue, hormonal imbalances, food cravings, adrenal imbalances and energy swings. Please note that this article is not related to allergies, which is a life threatening condition to be addressed by the medical system.

These are the mechanisms that I work with as a Kinesiologist to expose and address intolerances.

1. Identify triggers

Often there is emotional associations and stored memory of trauma in the body around the time that the intolerance started. This stress can then perpetuate the food intolerance and the physical symptoms related to the food intolerance. When we can identify these triggers and the event that first caused the intolerance, we can help the body to let go of its reactive physical and emotional patterns.

Trauma or distress can affect the ability for the energetic and physical body to be centred and stable. It also affects our ability to be completely present to the here and now, rather than reacting to something that may have happened in the past. Being present and centred physically, mentally, emotionally and energetically,  is a key factor in supporting the body to develop more resilience to the environment. 

2. Identify any other toxins associated with the intolerance

There are certain toxins that can affect the body’s immune system and therefore immune reactions such as inflammation and irritation. For example, some medications can have side effects that affect the gut. Heavy metals and pesticides can also play a part in disrupting immune and digestive functions, as can overgrowths of candida (a natural yeast present in the body). The balance of bacteria in the gut can be impacted by all these kinds of toxins, and then there is the immune and digestive knock on effect such as intolerances. 

Another hugely toxic substance to the body is cortisol. If we have too much stress, for too long, the body will produce too much cortisol for the body to handle. Among many things, this affects the fine balance of hormones, digestion, immune and brain function. Stress has a lot more impact on our physical wellbeing than we might think. So above all, to reduce your stress levels and to treat yourself with compassion, is to take a big step in the direction of health and recovery from intolerances.

3. Support the body to ‘Rest and Digest’

If the body’s nervous system is not in balance it can affect the ability to digest food and to recover from injuries. A food intolerance is often perceived in the body as an injury to the digestive system. An inhaled intolerance such as pollen or mould can be perceived as an injury to the sinuses, and therefore causes the inflammatory types of responses involved in sinusitis. When we are stressed or in overdrive, the sympathetic nervous system is over-active. This does not allow the parasympathetic nervous system to function so well, which is the system for ‘rest and digest’. When we can help these neurological patterns to calm down, the digestive system, hormonal systems and immune system work more effectively to deal with foods and other environmental influences. The adrenal system will often need to be addressed as well when it comes to specific food and inhaled intolerances.

It can be a bit of a search and release kind of process when it comes to addressing intolerances. We are often able to re-introduce foods and have less reactivity to environmental factors when the relevant factors are addressed. When it comes to allergies, I am not qualified to treat these. Allergies are serious and life threatening and need to be dealt with by the appropriate medical professionals.

When the Psychological Belt is too Tight

It’s time to consider the balance between “tight and loose” so here are a few stories for you to notice where you sit on the spectrum to find the balance for yourself. The “tight but loose” concept is something that I have found helpful for keeping my stress levels in check.

I have been working in Fremantle for over 4 years now and love my workspace at In Touch Wellness Centre. Fremantle generally has a very loose atmosphere where there is an “anything goes” kind of landscape. There are all walks of life parading the streets in their own style of clothes. Mounted police allow their horses to graze in the parks and be shared with the people on the streets. I have to say however, the atmosphere in Fremantle lately has been pensive, to say the least. Since the “black lives matter” movement, police presence has been omnipresent and stifling. There is not a day goes by that I don’t hear at least one police siren. In fact just this morning on my 30 minute walk from Fremantle to North Fremantle, there were two events where traffic was interrupted with a police vehicle frantically making its way with lights and siren blaring. 

A few weeks ago, there was a feeling of the belt being tightened as I walked a few blocks to a shop just the other side of the Fremantle Mall. A brawl was occurring on a street corner, which is sadly not an unusual occurrance in Fremantle. The thing that got me thinking about the state of affairs, was the series of events that took place for me on that 10 minute walk. I passed two mounted police, then walked around the corner to confront a marked police car with lights and sirens mounting the curb to attend the brawl. A second later an unmarked police car with lights and sirens appeared around the corner as I looked back to see two police on bikes, cycling to the scene. From my left a police woman and a police man wearing bullet proof vests crossed my path on their sprint from the police station to the scene. It begged the question, “why is there such a massive police presence all of a sudden?”.

Back tracking to a few months before, when COVID was becoming the topic of concern, I stepped into a newsagent to make a purchase and was confronted with this same kind of pensive, tightly reigned atmosphere. The woman behind the desk was anxiously ordering people to stand in designated boxes and move in the allocated directions while juggling masks, gloves and the customer service tasks at hand. A man at a distanced watched over her with eyes of authority, appearing to keep a check on procedures. There was no smile, warmth or friendliness from her as I would usually experience in this country town. It was another memorable experience that again spelt out “heavy policing and tightening the belt”.

When experiences like this are loudly and boldly in the front of my mind, I like to take an enquiry into them to find the gift that is wrapped in the problem. On this vein of thinking, my recently published book “Melting Moments” is an expression of the way our challenging life experiences can be turned into moments of gold. There are so many experiences in life that give us opportunities for unwrapping the gifts inherent in the problems of life. 

Through witnessing the global tightening and the sense of pressure and tightening that many clients are experiencing, it has become evident that there is learning involved with finding our balance between tight and loose. We have had tight coming at us from many angles. The COVID restrictions of social distancing, hand sanitising and suppressing our normal human behaviours of hugging and greeting with physical contact have meant that we have had to keep a tight reign on ourselves. The financial impacts of COVID have meant that many people have had to tighten the belt financially. Around the world, the increased activity of policing the streets was evident with the Hong Kong protesting and then on the streets of places enforcing lock down rules and then carried on into the black lives matter movement. That then extended into policing online material that eluded to any racial discrimination or stories involving the world’s history of exploiting the lives of the Indigenous.

I took a step back to look at the big picture and got the sense that many of us are having to tighten our belts, so to speak. The psyche is forced to tighten the belt on modulating the wild indigenous spirit that lives in us all. This wild spirit is the representative of the loose. It gives us our sense of freedom and paradoxically our sense of connection with all of life. It is untamed and necessary for our innate instincts to keep us safe and protect us in a truly threatening situation. It keeps us attuned to our own truth in order for us to live a fulfilling and meaningful life. Policies and procedures can only inform us to a certain degree. There is always going to be unique situations that policies haven’t had the chance or knowledge to figure out. 

There is only so long that we can tighten the belt before we start to want to crack and impacts on our ability to breathe deeply. To take that very long and relaxing exhale is what we tend to need at these times. Here lies the opportunity. I believe that when we repattern ourselves by taking that big exhale and make a conscious choice that takes the pressure off, we are empowered to change our inner world. According to the Huna philosophies, all power comes from within. 

We have the power to keep a check on how heavily we are policing ourselves. 

We have the power to put pressure on ourself or not, to tighten the belt or not. 

There is a lot of people suffering with anxiety at the moment and this is the beginning of the “too tight” sensations in the body. So if you are feeling the pressure, or hearing the inner critic laying down the rules and regulations it is time to take charge in a different way. If your free spirit is suffocating then it is time to take a step back and know that you have the power to adjust your inner world and your inner compass to do things differently. 

Mental Health Super Heroes

Brighten your day with these 4 mental health boosters

We are in a time when mental health is being challenged from many directions. I won’t go into them. You have probably already spent enough of your thoughts, worries and energy on that. What I am presenting to you today is some simple strategies for keeping yourself in good mental balance. There are many body chemicals that help us to be healthy mentally. These are a few (called neurotransmitters) that are super important:

Dopamine

Serotonin

Endorphins

Oxytocin

This blog will give you some easy and delicious ways to build these neurotransmitters which can get depleted in time . Things like sleep deprivation, stress, poor diet, behavioural conditioning and toxicity can deplete and interfere with these neurotransmitters. I have included all the references as you find them. There are some great websites listed here that go into more detail in case you wanted to boost your mental health with some more learning.

In this blog, I have mainly focused on foods to give you a boost. We all need to eat, so I figure this is a convenient and import place to start for improving mental health. There are also lifestyle factors which can boost your mood. Some examples include getting enough exercise, staying well hydrated and spending time in the sunshine, so food is just a start. Don’t underestimate the power of the simple things in life. Sunshine, drinking plenty of water and exercise, all give the body and mind a boost in so many ways. 

Of course there are stressors and mental and emotional matters which will perpetuate mental ill-health if not addressed. Many of them can be unconscious, which is why I love Kinesiology. It helps to reveal the unconscious patterns and stresses that are contributing to ill health. Muscle monitoring used in kinesiology is a great tool for discovering and validating the things that are a priority for health and wellbeing. Do yourself a favour and get the help you need by finding a health professional that can guide you through a personalised approach to this process of establishing good mental health. Your happy healthy self is an absolute gift to yourself and to others.

Here are the 4 super heroes for mental health:

Dopamine - can help to improve mood, energy, motivation and sleep:

Dopamine is made from the amino acid l-tyrosine which is commonly found in protein-rich foods.

These foods contain l-tyrosine or increase dopamine directly:

• all animal products (meat, poultry, fish, eggs, dairy)

• apples

• avocados

• bananas

• beans (legumes)

• beets

• chocolate

• coffee

• green leafy vegetables

• green tea

• nuts

• oats

• olive oil

• oregano

• peanuts

• rosemary

• sea vegetables

• sesame and pumpkin seeds

• turmeric

• watermelon

• wheat

• Foods high in natural probiotics such as yogurt, kefir, and raw sauerkraut

• Fava beans, also called broad beans, are one of the few foods that contain l-dopa, a direct precursor to dopamine

• Curcumin in turmeric crosses the blood-brain barrier where it boosts levels of dopamine

• L-theanine, a unique compound found in green, black, and white teas also helps this

Here are a few other options for boosting dopamine

• Listening to Music

• All kinds of pleasurable touch eg. Patting Pets, self massage, hugs

• A therapeutic massage increases dopamine and serotonin and reduces the stress hormone cortisol.

• Meditation

• Physical exercise - all kinds e.g. walks, gym, yoga, tai chi, or qi gong

• Sunlight can increase the number of dopamine receptors and create vitamin D which activates the genes that release dopamine

• Seeking and finding (Eg. I find doing jigsaw puzzles great for a dopamine boost)

• Setting and achieving goals (Eg. I love creating and ticking off my “to do” list)

• Learning new things

Resource: How to Increase Dopamine Naturally

Created by Deane Alban | Reviewed by Patrick Alban, DC.

Last updated on November 15, 2018.

https://bebrainfit.com/increase-dopamine/

Serotonin helps with sleep, calm, and sense of wellbeing

• Nutrients in veggies and fruits help to naturally give you the neurotransmitter cofactors you need for making serotonin

• It is important to eat enough protein. The foods that are particularly helpful building blocks for serotonin are tryptophan containing foods - banana, cottage cheese, turkey, red meat.

• Do not limit healthy carbohydrates. The brain needs some good carbs in order to open the gates for tryptophan to get in, and in turn to make serotonin. Include whole grains, root vegetables, beans, and fruits in your diet)

• Massage, hugs and touch all give serotonin a boost.

• Keeping your gut healthy by avoiding highly processed foods, alcohol, artificial sweeteners, artificial colours and preservatives.

• Making sure your bowel flora is in balance helps your small intestine to make serotonin. (More info for gut health below)

• Plenty of water and sunshine is also very important for serotonin balance.

Reference: Peter Bongiorno’s books: 

http://www.amazon.com/Holistic-Solutions-Anxiety-Depression- Therapy/dp/0393709345 

http://www.amazon.com/How-Come-Theyre-Happy- Not/dp/1573245801 

Endorphins help you to feel elated and are produced whenever we exercise or do something that makes us feel good. In fact Finnish researchers found that the brain produces endorphins whether you eat a tasty pizza or drink a tasteless nutritional drink. Endorphin production post eating is why we often will want to eat when we feel flat or bored.

Reference: University of Turku. Eating triggers endorphin release in the brain. ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 28 August 2017. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/08/170828102719.htm>.

Endorphins also help us to keep a focus on things that we love to do in life and are therefore important for our mental health. Find out what lights you up and keep exploring what other things you can enjoy in life as well. It is not so healthy to stick with just one thing that gives the feel good factor, because what happens if you lose that thing in some way? For example, someone who only gets joy from running and is then unable to run due to illness or disability is going to experience a huge loss and go through a dramatic re-adjustment. This kind of single mindedness also limits the opportunities that we have for feeling good. When our brain can associate many activities with joy and pleasure, we have an expanded capacity for joy and pleasure in everyday life.

Oxytocin helps with bonding, reduces stress and anxiety and gives that loving feeling

Foods to boost oxytocin:

• Foods rich in Vitamin C (fruits and vegetables such as green pepper, citrus, tomato, cauliflower, Brussels sprouts, broccoli, and cabbage) 

• Foods rich in Magnesium (spinach, chard, pumpkin seeds, almonds, avocado, dark chocolate and bananas)

• Foods rich in Taurine (animal proteins such as beef, lamb, chicken, dairy, offal)

• Foods that support good gut bacteria. Your body uses high fibre foods such as fruits, vegetables, psyllium and wholegrains to regulate gut bacteria. Fermented foods such as kefir, sauerkraut, miso, kim chi and sourdough breads etc. may help. However, be warned, there can be other underlying conditions that can cause these products to upset the gut health further. I am careful to muscle test foods like this for people before I recommend them. 

• Caffeine boosts oxytocin. I have often wondered why I feel like I am in love with the world after having a coffee. Now I see!

• Chamomile tea is also a helpful drink.

Reference: Jordan Fallis, 29 Effective Ways to Increase Oxytocin Levels in the Brain, March 20, 2020, sourced from https://www.optimallivingdynamics.com/blog/25-effective-ways-to-increase-oxytocin-levels-in-the-brain 

(Something I loved about this website is that it offers a free shopping guide for brain health foods.)

Another great thing about oxytocin is that it can help re-pattern brain function. If you wish to change unhealthy thought patterns and enhance your relationship with yourself and others, oxytocin is the neurotransmitter you need. Interestingly, it is boosted in the body when we have social connections with others. Hugs and soft and gentle touch can also help to stimulate oxytocin.

Reference: B Kok et al, How Positive Emotions Build Physical Health: Perceived Positive Social Connections Account for the Upward Spiral Between Positive Emotions and Vagal Tone, Psychological Science. 2013; May 6. Published online https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0956797612470827?casa_token=2_mKxwzPO-QAAAAA%3Aw46w5Ndga8RZ1Bibn9mmZxoQ8V3zuj57ECkVwbbQPVEOPdsSunbAVSle8kmqLq1ve4NO9aznM0Jn4KM

Something I find helpful for relaxing myself and re-patterning myself to be more gentle and peaceful is by treating myself as if I were a young child. My inner talk and love and kindness to myself changes when I consider this innocent part of myself. There is a child in us all, who will have had trauma or unmet needs, which affects the way we behave and how we feel about ourself. When we can process and integrate the wounds of the child, we become more whole and loving towards ourself and others, which can ultimately bring happiness and sense of wellbeing.

If mental health is something that you would like help with, get in touch and I am happy to listen and find out what your needs are and develop a plan that is tailored for you.

Communication and its Essential Service

Photo thanks to Unsplash - Ryan Hutton

Have you ever had the frustration of being misheard, misunderstood or even not heard? When there is a break down in communication in our relationships it can put quite a strain on the relationship. And you can probably recall a time when the frustrations of inadequate or dysfunctional communication with phone service, internet and technology have put a strain on you. Have you considered your body’s own internal communication systems and how essential they are? The nervous system and the endocrine system (hormonal functions) are two aspects of our body function that are of primary importance for this fundamental aspect of life - communication. This article will focus primarily on your nervous system and brain function for powering the essential services that each of us has to offer the world. Neurological communication in your body may seem like something elusive that is not in your arena of management, yet you may be surprised about how much you can do for yourself to support this essential function.

Let’s start with some fun facts … 

The human nervous system has over 1 trillion neurons – about the same number of stars in the Milky Way.

This vast network of communication in the body is essential for our every move, every bodily function, behavioural patterns, decision making, learning abilities and emotional process. And here lies the key to creating more health and happiness in life.

Your nervous system is like a garden - It has support cells and growth factors necessary for flourishing.

There are cells like your lattice trellises and archways for climbing vines. And like an enchanted garden, the body secretes growth factors which enhance and guide the growth of neurons.  It’s like sprinkling fertiliser on your neurons to support healthy body functions.  The more you use your body to move, learn, sense, communicate etc. the more fertiliser your body makes to do those activities.  - Therefore –practice makes perfect, Or at least better!

Nerves go through a pruning process to allow for more efficient functioning.

If you don’t use it, you lose it … so don’t keep doing those bad habits and patterns that you want to let go of and instead put your focus on the things that you want to be better at doing. Sounds simple, yet what can often make this more difficult is insufficient sleep. We need at least 4 hours of uninterrupted sleep to allow for a complete sleep cycle for neuronal pruning. Ideally 2 sleep cycles (8 hours of uninterrupted sleep) will give you optimal neurological health. Quality sleep is also important for replenishing the neurotransmitters which are also essential communication agents.

The nervous system functions like an electrical system.

It needs plenty of water to conduct its electrical message. And, like any other electrical system, it can get burnt out if there is too much electrical load for its functional capacity. In the body this type of burn out looks like anxiety and panic, then mental or emotional breakdown, depression and exhaustion. These are times when you are going to need extra support for restoring your neurological function. 

Knowing all this, there are some key factors that can help with your internal communication systems which can then in turn support communication with others.

In summary, the 6 essential communication supports I would suggest are:

1. Get at least 8 hours of good quality sleep.

2. Stay well hydrated. At least 1.5L of fluid (not including caffeinated drinks)

3. Reduce the stress you put on yourself - Eg. don’t take on too many activities in your day and your life (something many of us have learnt with the global pandemic) Be mindful of any negative talk or pressure that you could let go of.

4. Allocate time in your day for relaxation, exercise and activities that bring you joy and help with stress relief. Meditation and quiet still time can be super helpful for hearing the communication that your body is giving you.

5. Listen intently to the feedback that your own body gives you about what it needs and what it does not need. Dedicate yourself to communicating your needs to others and to having your needs met.

6. Feed your body with the appropriate nutrition. There are certain foods that can help to boost your neurotransmitters. Fruit and vegetables offer a range of vitamins and minerals that are essential factors for neurological function. Certain amino acids found in protein can also be helpful. This is best determined by a health professional, yet there is also benefit in having an exceptional relationship with your body’s wisdom and what it is communicating to you that it needs. Get in touch with me for a free half hour phone consultation if you feel you need some clarity about diet and lifestyle practices that are most suited to you. I also have resources focused on nutrition for the nervous system that I can email to you. 

Just like when you need tech support to get your computer up and running again, the nervous system can also require specialised diagnostics and re-patterning which is why I find Kinesiology such an essential service. By getting feedback from your nervous system using a muscle test, it can assess how your nervous system is functioning, as well as work out exactly what it needs to get back to its optimum function. Many people are curious to know how Kinesiology works and it is difficult to put in words my 20 plus years of training, research and experience. If we are talking about neurological communication in the body, the simple way to understand kinesiology is that I use acupressure points to assess and release stress in various neurological pathways and brain functions. When we calm down the brain functions that are contributing to the fight/flight/freeze kind of responses in the body, and support the brain functions that help us to process information in creative and logical ways, we are able to respond more appropriately and more gracefully to everyday situations along with stressful situations that arise.

Do get in touch if you have any other queries in relation to supporting you with your communication needs. I can email you a neuro health checklist if you are curious to know how you are travelling with this area of your health.

Soul Nurturing blessings from Simone 0427 320 302

Resources: Dr Charles Krebs, Brain Integration Manuals from the LEAP program, Taught by Jacque Mooney, Published at Bayside Learning Enhancement, Melbourne

SELF MASTERY AMIDST A WORLD OF DISEASE AND FEAR

The secret to success on the journey of the soul - space and time for the unfurling of your truth.

Has anyone asked you lately what your soul’s perspective is, amidst this world of disease and fear? There are media beat ups, statistics out of context, mis-information, conspiracy stories and insidious agendas, all let loose on the public at the moment.  Frankly, it messes with my mind, and then I am back in square one, where I have been aiming to step out of. So I put in practice my usual medicine of putting pen to paper to give and gave it my soul’s perspective. I hope you enjoy the read and find some gold in it for yourself. 

What is this square one? It is a reality where the mind receives so much of my focus and attention and therefore my energy. Why is this a problem? Because it tires me and mis-directs me. Because it does not allow me to hear and honour the wise knowing of my heart, the keeper of the soul’s code and purpose. Then the joy drops out of life.  Additionally it disconnects me from my organic self, my body, a vehicle for my soul to travel it’s journey on this earth. When I listen to my body I am in connection with my true nature and all of nature and I move in sustainable ways. When I disconnect my awareness from it, I push myself beyond my limits and then the body calls me back with a dis-ease or ailment or physical pain. And then the joy drops out of life.

I know that my greatest learning in life is born from shedding old patterns of driving myself into the ground and instead remaining connected with joy, intuitive flow and the pleasures that life has on offer.  We are currently in a time where there is a huge disruption to ‘the norm’ and it leaves us wide open for learning a new way. Learning is a crucial skill that we all need to have to be able to thrive in this world and it is something I am passionate about facilitating in my Kinesiology consultations. So what are you learning about yourself in this time?

Beyond Blue have named some of our current top mental health issues to be exhaustion, loneliness and anxiety about coping with change. If this is the state of our minds, then what a perfect opportunity to learn about ourselves and turn our own inner crisis into a practice of awareness. Self mastery, and therefore self empowerment and the ability to meet our essential needs stem from self awareness. 

I have been grateful to have had a break from my normal duties of running a business, which I find all too seductive, something I could possibly thank my workaholic father for, but I am not going to give my power away that easily. Since stepping out of my business, I have had the opportunity to reflect on what truly feels to be supportive and what is unsupportive in my life. I have realised just how essential and supportive it is to take more than 2 weeks off.  It is at the 2 week stage I found myself truly unwound, unravelled and thus realised just how tired I was.  So next year I won’t be waiting for a global crisis to give myself time off for deep restoration.

I have also discovered since renewing my relationship with my organic self, the joy and necessity of afternoon tea break. It has become an essential and sacred practice for me. At this time of day my body’s needs would usually be drowned out by a mind flaunting a business suit and air of importance. Instead, my heart has stepped in and reminded me of afternoon tea rituals with my mum when I was a young girl. It was the one time in the day that I saw her at rest and thus creating a sacred space for me to connect with her, and ask the big questions like ‘why does the moon looks like that?’. I had the opportunity to truly see her and her love for exotic fruits, such as custard apple and mango.  I basked in her passion for her garden and her fulfilment in learning from the Australian Geographic magazines. At any other time of the day her identity and her spirit was obscured in the business of farming and pragmatic ‘mothering duties’.

My body has gleefully shown me just how much it needs that sustenance at afternoon tea time. When normally I would push on to tackle that next task, moving at my fathers pace of a brisk march, I now exhale and refuel in preparation for an enjoyable afternoon, not only for myself but also for my adored husband. Many times I have snapped at him in the evenings and in hindsight, it was the hungry woman inside me that couldn’t help but have her say in a misdirected way. Now that I am meeting my needs of food and sacred time of stillness and connection, that woman does not hunger and she is accepting of the pace at which a meal arrives and of how and where her husband is placed.

These things may seem small and insignificant, yet they are in fact a retrieval of the spirit. They represent a calling back of the soul from times gone by, from life-sapping habits and from disempowering patterns. The power of a fully present soul is a power that surpasses the illusions that the world throws at us. It transcends the red-herrings and inappropriate agendas that swim around us. It contains our life force energy for creating a life worth living. Clarissa Pinkola Estes states it eloquently in her book ‘Women who run with the wolves’. ‘The central psychic fact remains that our connection to meaning, passion, soulfulness, and the deep nature is something we have to keep watch over. There are many things that try to force, sweep, seduce away … seeming simple things like saying, “Later, I’ll do that dance, planting, hugging, finding, planning, learning, peace-making, cleansing … later.”

So now I challenge you, what soulful practices will you be commencing?

What practices will you be keeping when the world changes again? 

What holds you steady and supported in this ever changing world?

What do you truly value in yourself at this time on earth?

If you are having trouble concentrating, focusing or learning, or feeling disconnected from this question itself, it may be your body’s way of telling you that stress is hijacking your state of wellbeing. Here are some suggestions for a daily practice… 

For your morning, to shed the accumulated stresses of yesterday and start your day fresh:

• Journal the stories and sense the learning or explore the silver lining… often a gift comes wrapped in a problem.

• Get outside and enjoy the sun on your skin, let it melt away the tension.

• Stretch your body and shift out of those postures of stress.

• Spend quiet time in meditation focused on your breath, body and heart’s desires.

• Wash it away with a swim in the ocean

For the end of the day, to shed the stresses and prepare yourself for a relaxing evening and a good quality sleep:

• Step your mind out of your work world and into a world of enjoyment with music, art, walking in nature or any activity that you love and brings you joy.

• Treat yourself to your own foot massage.

• Have a relaxing bath or shower and lovingly pamper your body. Make it delightful with your favourite body products.

• Sit back with a cuppa and contemplate the things you loved about your day and the things that you want to put behind you.

• Sit in meditation and slow your breathing to allow your body to unravel its tension.

• Journal the golden moments from your day.

• Have a chat with a companion who listens well with their full bodied spirit.

Reference

Clarissa Pinkola Estes. 1995, Women who run with the wolves, Random House Publishing Group, USA, P. 242.

Prevention Is The Way

Photograph thanks to https://unsplash.com/@luddyphoto?utm_source=squarespace&medium=referral

Now is the time to be still and strong in the centre of your being, like a still lake that mirrors back the Beauty of the world, and gives a sense of peace and comfort to all.

Yes, we are being bombarded with a huge amount of information about a threat to our livelihood. Yes, there is a big focus on the fears and threats of a virus, and people are going into panic and acting out insecurities. These catastrophic moments in life, where the world is no longer what we thought it was, are good moments to take stock and practice awareness to rise above the mass malaise. With the intention to rise up and focus us all on some higher perspectives, I offer this blog. I have always turned to writing in challenging times and found that it helps me to connect to a greater wisdom that lives in us all. My recently published book ‘Melting Moments’ was the product of this process that evolved over 12 years. I published this book as a reminder to people to stay connected

to the the silver linings,

to the star that shines brightest in the dark and

to the power of a wise and loving heart.

So it was very interesting that this book ‘Melting Moments’ was in its final days of production when the devestating fires were in full force in Australia. COVID19 has occurred exactly around the time I was planning to release this book in Western Australia. Yet now is the time that it is most critical to stay connected with the loving wisdom in our heart and soul and to share this gift with the world. Now is the time that your loving soulful self is most needed. As they say, prevention is better than cure, and there is currently no cure for this illness, so prevention is mostly certainly THE WAY.

Here is my take on things just now.

Immunity

It has been reported that this virus is most damaging to people who have pre-existing illnesses so now is the time to  boost your immune system. Viruses are ever present in life and this virus is no different. I spent many of my nursing days nursing patients with highly contagious illnesses, and was never fearful that I would fall unwell or pass it on to anyone, because I was educated about illness and health. I took care of my immune system and practiced nursing protocols associated with infection control, and fared well. That illness was not passed onto any of my other pages because of what we know about the spread of disease. This virus is now demanding that we all take these precautions in our everyday lives, not just in a hospital setting. When we can put things into perspective and learn what is needed to know to thrive, we do. When we take responsibility for our own health and align ourselves with the body’s wisdom and its ability to heal, we make it through life in good stead.

The fact that this virus has spread world wide gives me the impression that there is a very big message in it for all of humanity. These grand scale changes are always opportunities for learning. Perhaps this will be the beginning of humanity at large having the awareness to self isolate and be mindful to stay at home to recover in times of illness.

Perhaps we will learn to value health in a whole new way.

Perhaps it will teach us to take more care of our bodies, our elderly and vulnerable. 

Perhaps we will learn to keep our hearts full and our spirits uplifted to create a better environment for health in our communities. 

There are many ways you can keep your immune system strong to combat illness, so now is the time to educate yourself about what constitutes good health. 

It DOES NOT entail being fearful or taking on a victim mentality. 

It DOES entail loving yourself enough to take good care of your body’s needs. So here are my top 10 immune boosting tips…

1. Make sure you are getting enough quality sleep.
   An average of 8 hours a day is usually enough however everybody is different with their needs
   and some times in our life we need more sleep than others. Listen to your body’s needs. Quality sleep is periods of at least 4 hours of unbroken sleep. This is essential for your body to move through all the sleep phases and be able to restore itself.

2. Keep well hydrated with plenty of water, fruits, vegetables, soups, herbal teas. Drinking warm drinks regularly is a very helpful way of flushing viruses out from the mouth and throat so it does not spread to the lungs.

3. Nourish your body with a balanced diet. A simple whole foods diet, high in brightly coloured vegetables and including herbs and spices is the nourishment your body needs for immunity. Foods that are particularly supportive to boost your immune system are high in …

   Vitamin C: Currants, Citrus fruits, Berries, Pineapple, Paw Paw, Broccoli, Parsley, Spinach, Capsicum, Raw cabbage, Guava  Zinc foods: Nuts, Egg, Herring, Oysters, Ginger, Sunflower seeds, Pepitas, Wholegrains

4. Avoid over-indulging in alcohol or putting strain on your liver.   Processed foods, sugar, trans fats (eg. deep fried foods) are all compromising to the liver and immune system.

5. The lymphatic system is a very important part of immunity as it helps to eliminate toxins from the body. Embrace a movement practice every day to support your body’s ability to eliminate toxins and improve circulation and oxygenation to nourish every cell. Try exercises such as walking, swimming, dance, Qi Gong, Tai chi, Yoga or any other movement practice that gives you a sense of wellbeing.

6. Practice relaxation such as meditation or breathing practices. This will help your body move out of the active fight/flight type of nervous system function and into a rest, digest and restore nervous system function which powers our organs for health and healing. If the body is placed under too much stress, it is not able to fight illness so effectively.

7. Be sure to engage in pleasurable and joyful activities such as spending time with hobbies, in nature and connecting with the people who make you feel loved. The endorphins and wellbeing body chemicals we get from these activities are helpful for the immune system.

8. Negativity and attacking thoughts such as self criticism, guilt, fear, shame and anxiety have been scientifically proven to undermine the immune system. A focus on loving and caring for yourself and your body is a lot more effective in supporting your immune system than what you might have imagined. It will also be helpful to others when you give them this same loving respect. Expressing your gratitudes, showing appreciation to yourself and others and counting the blessings in your life are uplifting practices.

9. Support your body’s energetics and bioresonance by having time in nature. Walk bare foot on the earth, swim in a river or the ocean and get outside and breath the fresh air in a leafy space. There is a huge amount of electromagnetic activity in our ethers at the moment and there is a trend, and for many a need, to spend more time in front of a screen. This has an impact on the electrical energy and our nervous system function and the ion balance in the body. These electrically charged particles can be rebalanced with these three practices. Currently some people are needing large scale energetic balances to cope with the electromagnetic resonances, so if you feel you just can’t get on top of re-balancing your energy levels and connecting with a centred state of being, then a Kinesiology balance could be ideal for you. Feel free to get in touch if you have any queries about this.

10. Gut health is super important for immunity. Your gut microbiome is upset with a high sugar and low fibre diet. It is also affected by physical stresses such as parasites, bacteria, viruses, heavy metals and pesticide residual on your food. Mental and emotional stress can also upset your gut health. Symptoms of bloating, foul flatulence, constipation and diarrhoea can be indicators that your gut health needs support and the foods that can help the microbiome are sprouts such as alfalfa, mung bean and lentil sprouts, organic kale and leafy vegetables, apples with the skin on, figs, bananas and dates.

Social distancing

A catch phrase at the moment which is important to be taken literally. Let’s also look at the metaphor. I believe that at this time in life, the element of social distancing is important with respect to not getting caught up with the fear and drama that is being touted and enacted. I am distancing myself from that kind of mindset, while still being mindful to practice due diligence with sanitation. I have decided to continue practicing as a health practitioner at this time as I think it is crucial that people have access to a service that is going to support all aspects of health. We are more than just a body susceptible to a virus. There is so much more to health and immunity than we realise and each client I have seen these past 2 weeks has had unique needs for boosting their health and releasing stress. Kinesiology is the only modality that I know that can be so exact in giving people the resources they need to recover from illness, setbacks and mental, emotional and energetic dysfunctions. 

Is the social distancing concept an invitation to distance our mindset from social media negativity and instead focus on maintaining a connection with faith, love, and the goodness that life has to offer?

There are still loved ones in our life who we can talk to and joke with (even if it is at a distance or over the phone). We can still be mindful to choose what we are feeding our bodies, minds and hearts with. We have so much to give to self and others when we stay connected with this kind of wisdom.

Self Isolation

Another common phrase at the moment, and gratitude to all those people who are doing this with the intent to keep us all safe and prevent this virus from spreading. Currently there is a big picture on a global scale which is encouraging us to taking time out to reset and restore. In some cultures, a vision quest is practiced to support this process. There have been times when I have taken leave from my life and gone on a vision quest, sitting quietly in nature, and it has been immensely helpful. It gave me the space to unravel many elements of stress and pain and allow myself to be restored and re-focused in a new way. My book ‘Melting Moments’ covers this story in the way I wanted it to be shared. 

Perhaps these times of winding back productivity with cancellations of events and closing of some businesses is an opportunity for humanity at large to learn to be more balanced in life. In life we always have the two elements of yin and yang, feminine and masculine, dark and light, rest and activity.

I wonder if we have had too much emphasis on the masculine qualities of activity and productivity and these latest events are a divine invitation to have more time with rest, calm and connection with intuition.

I have been feeling this personally in my own body since the end of last year and decided this year I would make changes to create more space and restoration time for for myself. So I was very interest to witness a global movement in this way. It really does make me believe that when we change from within, our world changes around us.

Self Centre

This is a theme I am seeing at the moment in my Kinesiology consultations. When we get a shake up in life like this, it is an opportunity to rebuild and re-pattern ourselves in a way that serves us better. This is another topic discussed in my book ‘Melting Moments’. Here are some quotes from my book which capture this.

‘A crisis event often explodes the illusions that anchor our lives.’

—Robert Veninga 

‘As with an old house, in order to renovate and redecorate the place, you first have to tear it up. Then you put it back together.’

—Chin-Ning Chu 

In light of current events I will not be having a face to face book launch event in WA in person. I have decided to tear down my technology prejudices and discomforts and re-decorate my online presence. I will be kicking off my online book launch this week. Stay tuned to our Soul Nurturing Facebook and Instagram pages to watch some gems from this book be revealed.

Sending blessings of restoration and vibrant health.

xo Simone

Simple Strategies for Feeling Better

Soul Nurturing tips for the body, mind and spirit

In this fast paced, high productivity, super technicalised world we live in, there is a particular system in our body that is feeling the pinch. If you are one of those people who feels that your body is not quite keeping up, feeling fatigued, and not functioning to your fullest capacity, then these simple facts about your body may provide you with some answers and solutions to that question, ‘How can I feel better?’ It probably comes down to what your nervous system is doing. One particular neural system in the body that is super important for health is the Vagus Nerve.

Fun Facts …

The vagus nerve originates in the medulla of the brain and is also known as the 10th cranial nerve. The word vagus means ‘wanderer’ and this nerve gets its title from the fact that it wanders and extends into so many areas of the body. It reaches from the brain to the ears, tongue, neck (larynx, pharynx, esophagus) heart, lungs, stomach, pancreas, spleen, liver, gall-bladder, kidneys, ureters, bladder, reproductive organs and intestines. This important neural system involves both motor nerves to innervate these areas and sensory nerves which supply feedback from the organs.

The vagus nerve plays a major role in parasympathetic nervous system function, which supports the rest and digest types of body processes. It is sensitive to our emotional state of being and triggers visceral responses such as diarrhoea, constipation, cravings, loss of appetite or nausea with heightened emotional states. It is an interface between the psyche and the body.  Diaphragm function, breathing and heart rate are all influenced by the vagus nerve in response to emotions such as nervousness and calm. The vagus nerve can also help with the mental state of ‘flow’.

Another interesting role the vagus nerve plays is in monitoring the microbiome and pathogens in the gut. It regulates inflammation, particularly in the gut, and helps with the absorption of Vitamin B12.

A 2010 study correlated that a high vagal tone (ie. activation of the nerve) has a positive effect on emotions, physical and mental health.  The neurotransmitter acetylcholine is released when the vagus nerve is activated, which supports immune functions, memory and learning. Acetylcholine also has an anti-inflammatory effect.

The vagus nerve stimulates the production of oxytocin, the love and bonding hormone, and has been called the ‘nerve of compassion’ because of the warm fuzzy feeling it gives when we are hugged for example.

Problem Solving for recovering your health …

When you can identify the health problems you are having and the possible reasons for the problem, you are empowered to help yourself to health.

The vagus nerve is often involved in health problems such as:

fatigue

swallowing or vocalising issues

food sensitivity

bowel and digestive problems

weight gain or weight loss

chronic illness

anxiety and depression

inflammatory conditions such as Arthritis, Crohns disease and Ulcerative Colitis

hiccups

tinnitus

frequent urination

infertility

blood pressure and blood glucose imbalances.

When the vagus nerve is compressed, problems in the body can occur. Because the nerve passes through the front of the atlas, an incorrectly positioned atlas can impair this nerve. 

It can also be affected by inflammation in the atlas or cervical vertebrae. This can cause a set of symptoms such as heartburn, vertigo, dizziness, nausea, stiff shoulders, cervical pain, headache, difficulty swallowing or a lump in the throat feeling, excessive sweating, insomnia, cold hands or feet, chronic constipation and thyroid problems.

Please note: It is best for you to see your doctor to get an accurate diagnosis for these types of issues.

Damage to the vagus nerve can occur as a result of surgical complications or trauma to the body. An example of this is crushing or laceration injuries from a car accident, or surgery to any of the digestive organs or for the treatment of laryngeal or thyroid cancer. Chronic illness such as Parkinson’s disease and viral illnesses such as HIV or Epstein Barre Virus can also damage this nerve.  Smoking and excessive alcohol consumption can exacerbate vagus nerve damage.

Low vagal tone is also an imbalance to be aware of, and can occur with chronic anxiety, depression and excessive anger. Low vagal activity has been noted in newborn babies born from women who experienced these states during pregnancy. These babies also showed low levels of dopamine and serotonin.

Kinesiology Application

There are many things that we do as kinesiologists that can support and empower our client on the path to health. 

Addressing highly charged emotional issues and using emotional stress release techniques is a beneficial contribution for the vagus nerve. Balancing the body can calm down the sympathetic nervous system and amygdala fight/flight kinds of responses. By helping our client to move out of these states and into more restful and calm states of being, we are supporting the parasympathetic nervous system and thus the vagus nerve.

Balancing muscles around the atlas, such as the capitus muscles, the neck flexors, upper trapezius can help.  Other muscles we can assess and balance to support the vagus nerve is the diaphragm, pectoral, sacrospinalis, psoas and iliacus. Balancing the posture of the body can also be helpful. Balancing, and strengthening the abdominal muscles is also supportive for vagus nerve function.

We have techniques for balancing scar tissue from physical injury. When we address the emotions corresponding with the injury it makes for a more effective correction, so that the emotion does not continue to re-trigger the memory of the pain and trauma in the body. 

Balancing the microbiome of the gut is highly important for supporting the nervous system. There may be food sensitivities that need addressing. Other specific organs and meridians may need balancing such as the stomach, pancreas, heart, lungs, gall-bladder and liver.

Home support tips

There are some simple strategies for you to support your vagus nerve function.

This includes:

• Long deep breaths using the diaphragm: slowly breathe in through the nose, count to 4, hold the breath, count to 6 and breathe out through the lips with a count to 4.

• Socialising and connecting with people who provide a safe space for expression, bonding and positive emotions such as compassion and gratitude

• Including activities that promote a sense of relaxation, calm and slowing down.

• Having adequate amounts of sleep.

• Minimising stressful activities.

• Practice meditation, yoga or tai chi to combat anxiety and stress.

• Exposure to cold such as a 30 second cold shower or a cold towel on the face each day.

• Dance and gentle exercise that stimulates the digestive organs and supports good posture.

• Singing, humming, mantra songs and laughter.

• Massage for the neck and feet.

• Dietary changes - avoiding or reducing flours, simple carbohydrates, pastries, refined sugar, artificial sweeteners, highly processed meats, dairy products.

• Foods that support the vagus nerve: green vegetables, papaya, figs, garlic, onion.

References:

S Breit et al, Vagus Nerve as Modulator of the Brain–Gut Axis in Psychiatric and Inflammatory Disorders, Front Psychiatry. 2018; 9: 44. Published online https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5859128/

B Tresson, Vagus Nerve: Activate your Natural Healing Ability!, Kindle edition, 2019.   

HOW TO BE EMPOWERED IN TIMES OF CHANGE

Many people are feeling the demands of the soul to rise up and meet the challenges of life in a more empowered way.  These stories come into my clinic doors on a daily basis these days.  There is a knowing that there is outdated thoughts and patterns of behaviour that show up while we are doing our best to focus on where we would rather be or where we know we need to be in life.  I feel that as a collective we are all in a hasty process of evolution in consciousness, and the physical body-being the denser part of us-is not keeping up so well.  To feel at peace in ourselves, it is essential that the body, heart and soul harmonise in the growth process. 

A highly functional brain and neurological system is the secret to effectively and joyfully integrating the expression of the soul on earth.  This is the bulk of what I do for people in Kinesiology sessions.  I release the toxicity and stress in the body and upgrade its function so that people can co-create their life experiences. 

Life changes can be challenging.  They can happen in an instant or they can be like a coffee or a wine brewing process and drag out over time.  I am here to assure you that your higher self-that divine part of you-has got something special in stall for you … especially if there is that feeling of percolating and changing going on in you.  These are the strategies that I have found supportive through the death and rebirth experiences that I have had in life.  They are the ways for you to learn for yourself to ride the waves of change like a pro.

Number 1~ Know thyself

At each point of uncertainty in life, there is an invitation to deepen our relationship with our true self and with life itself.  So use this opportunity wisely.

Connect with yourself and your centre…when we go into the well of the self, we come to the place where all the answers to our questions exist.  The more you practice this, the easier it becomes to decipher exactly what questions you need to ask yourself and to clearly and undoubtedly receive the answers.

To start you off, here are some questions you might like to consider playing with:

What do I want most in life?

What are my gifts to the world?

What supports me and gives me strength?

What do I already have, that I treasure above everything else?

What brings me a sustainable sense of happiness?

What makes my life meaningful?

What or who inspires me?

Rest in Awareness – a deep trust and faith helps to remain centred and know that you are supported in every moment.

Number 2 ~ Know your game

Commonly in a transition time, we are presented with a fork in the road, or a number of options and it is super helpful if you adopt an attitude of curiosity while you play this out.

How exciting – you get choices!  By exploring your curiosity for all the different paths and options, you will avoid getting down the track and finding the remorseful feeling of wondering what the other options would have been like.  

If it makes it more joyful for you … treat it like a shopping trip.  Try those clothes on and explore every aspect of them … colours, sizes, styles … and have some fun with it.  You can usually take something back and exchange it, so drop those fears of getting it wrong.  Changes after purchase may just cost you a little more sometimes!  

Be mindful of the energy and resources of time etc. that you have to spend on changing.  When there is more push than pull in the process, it can be taxing on your energy.  

Remember that opportunities can continue to arise in life, so be prepared to dance and change with them – adopt a loose and flexible approach to all your decisions so you don’t become stuck and frustrated.

Here is a practical strategy for playing the game of choosing:

Write out all your pros and cons for your options and be aware of the ones that come from your heart, these are the ones to truly honour.
Number 3 ~ Connect to Sensation

Be guided by dreams and heartfelt connections 

Indulge in day dreams and ask for guidance in your dreams each night.  When you wake, be sure to stay still in your body and revisit your dream to capture it and sense the feelings it leaves you with.  Write your dream and take note of what parts of your life are being symbolized in the dream.  The feeling you experience in the dream will be the guidance to act upon.

Spend time in meditation and prayer to dream, create, ask and receive.  

Spend time in nature and take note of any activities in nature that speak to you.  Be aware of the creatures that are reflecting your situation back to you.  Be guided by the events that move you and touch your heart and your soul – you will come to know them … they feel like unforgettable, magical moments, etched into your memory and your soul.

Be guided by joy and pleasure, not by fear or worries

Try this exercise to feel into your options

Sit quietly with your eyes closed and scan through all areas of your body.  Connect with your body sensations in the present moment.  Are there any areas of tension or uneasiness?

Picture yourself in your new situation/option.  Take time to fully experience what this scenario could be like – engaging the senses, the emotions and feelings, mental activity and expression of your spirit.  Scan your body again and reassess your body sensations.  Has anything changed? For better or worse?

Number 4 ~ Wait with Awareness

Be prepared to wait until the moment pulls you.  Do not force the timing of things.  Develop trust and faith in your own wisdom and the higher processes of life.

Remain centred and receptive in yourself to effectively flow with change.

If all else fails – play the game light heartedly - flip a coin and go with that option, you will soon find out if it feels right or not!  And you will soon find out if it works or not!

How to stay immune & avoid serious illness

There are unprecedented numbers of people being severely affected by viral infections this season and in some most critical ways. It begs the question … why?

There are some things that affect the immune system that many health professionals won’t tell you. The world we live in has a big focus on the external threats and horrors as well as excessive mental activity. This can create a deficit in the area of body intelligence that is crucial for good health. It is not our mind that fights illness, and it is not the environment that is responsible for our health, it is our body. Bacteria, viruses, moulds, fungus and other “pathogens” are always going to exist, it is up to us to listen to our body to ensure we stay immune to them. Our bodies have innate immune system functions that allow us to eat, sleep, drink, rest and restore in a way that helps us to ward off infections and illness. When we are not listening to the body and over-riding its wisdom for healing, we are putting ourself at risk. The more we ignore our body’s wisdom and our body’s needs, the more stress we put on the body and reduce our resilience in the face of further stress - be that physical, environmental, mental or emotional.

Here are a few more easy strategies for staying well.

• Primarily the key is to hear and address your body’s needs.

DIET

• Nourish your body with plenty of hydrating fluids and a balanced diet. Processed foods, sugar, trans fats (eg. deep fried foods) are all compromising to the immune system. A simple whole foods diet, high in brightly coloured vegetables and including herbs and spices is the nourishment your body needs for immunity.

• Gut health is of primary importance for maintaining a good immune system. Over-eating or consuming excessive amounts of alcohol or sugar can disturb the gut microbiome and digestion. A high fibre diet can help to provide your gut the resources for a balanced microbiome. Stress and anxiety can also impair your body’s ability to digest food which will in turn upset the gut health, causing bloating, inflammation and food sensitivities. In my clinical practice I have found that many people have food sensitivities without realising it, and when we address the gut health and the body’s ability to rest and digest, the immune system and state of wellbeing improves immensely.

• Vitamin D is super important for immune system health and the best way to get vitamin D is to spend some time in the sun. 10 minutes per day is generally enough for vitamin D production.

  DETOXIFICATION

•  The lymphatic system is a very important part of immunity as it helps to eliminate toxins from the body. Embrace a movement practice every day to support your body’s ability to eliminate toxins and improve circulation and oxygenation to nourish every cell. Try exercises such as walking, swimming, dance, Qi Gong, Tai chi, Yoga or any other movement practice that gives you a sense of wellbeing.

• The liver is also and important organ for detoxifying and supporting the immune system so treat it like your best friend. Don’t be too hard on it with your dietary intake and the amount of chemicals you expose it to. Don’t let yourself get excessively stressed because your liver is going to have to process all those stress hormones. They are considered toxins. This can become quite a burden to detoxify when added to the job of processing all the toxins that what we are exposed to in the environment.

  REST

• Make sure you are getting enough quality sleep.
  An average of 8 hours a day is usually enough however everybody is different with their needs and sometimes in our life we need more sleep than usual. Quality sleep means having periods of at least 4 hours of unbroken sleep. This is essential for your body to move through all the sleep phases and be able to restore itself.

• Practice relaxation such as meditation or breathing practices. This will help your body move out of the active fight/flight type of nervous system function and into a rest, digest and restore nervous system function, which powers our organs for health and healing.

  LOVE AND JOY

• Be sure to engage in pleasurable and joyful activities such as spending time with hobbies, in nature and connecting with the people who make you feel loved. The endorphins and wellbeing body chemicals we get from these activities are helpful for the immune system.

• Negativity and attacking thoughts on yourself such as self criticism and guilt have been scientifically proven to undermine the immune system. A focus on loving and caring for yourself and your body is a lot more effective in supporting your immune system than what you might have imagined. Our heart chakra energy provides a huge support for our immune system functions, so maintain connection with your heart, self compassion and things you love.

Feeling Healing Answers

Many people ask me about why they are not healing or how long it will take to heal.  There is no straightforward answer to this, yet part of the obstacle to healing is very much pandemic in society.   This is tied up with over-active mental processes and destructive inner dialogue.  The mind has become a false God in society and there is an incredible amount of “power of the mind” and intellectualisation bandied about.  Yet the mental is very much meaningless and ungrounded and washes around aimlessly when it is not directed by the heart and supported by the instinct and deep sense of self.  I am seeing many people in overwhelm and experiencing destructive mental chatter with very little anchoring of thoughts into meaningful actions.  You may be seeing it in the people around you or feeling it happening in your own self.  It is time for us to take charge of our own inner world and inner dialogue so that we can make a conscious heartfelt change to “the norm” or tiredness, exhaustion, frustration and hurt.  You may wonder why I am referring to these things as “the norm”.  I have heard it from so many people.  “I’m just getting old and therefore this is normal” … I have never been able to sleep well, therefore this is normal” … “I’m a busy mum so I can’t be expected to feel any better than this” … “Life is just like that”.  

What state are you in?  Is it really what you want?  Get curious about the stories that you have that are determining how you are feeling in yourself.  They can be illuminating when we get really honest with ourselves and recognise how they are limiting us. What I have witnessed and what I know in myself is that the people who recover more quickly are the people who are willing to take responsibility for finding their own answers and have the courage to connect with their feelings.

Returning this week from our annual Australian Kinesiology Association conference I am feeling an even greater pull in my purpose for supporting people to function at their greatest capacity of living joyfully from the heart and soul.  We have the ability to embody this in our every choice and movement and yet there is so much frustration, hostility, pain, exhaustion and emotional turmoil going on in this world .  One very strong point from our conference stood out to me which captures my purpose in the way I work with Kinesiology and teaching the expressive dance practice of Nia. This was a common thread throughout many of the presentations…  Our body is designed to be led by the heart and when we can connect with this part of ourselves we can heal in the most extraordinary ways.  When we stand in the body’s natural posture, the heart is slightly forward of the head, which suggests that we are designed to Govern from the heart.  Many of the ancient wisdoms have know of this for years.  We have seen recently what a disconnection from the heart can do with the tragic deaths in New Zealand.  It has been heartening to see a Government, Jacinda Ahern beautifully model leadership.  It is now put plainly in front of us, do we give energy to our heart and inner soulful intelligence or do we give energy to the disconnects that are our obstacles to our heartfelt, soulful self.  It is time for us all to step up into true power and be discerning about how we are Governing our own self and our own life.  So I wanted to start with this simple notion.

Feel.  

Have the courage to be completely honest with how you feel.  Have the compassion to allow your feelings to arise without judging them or making them into a story.  Give yourself the gift of feeling so that you can be guided to feel better.  

Feelings are a powerful guidance system.  We need to feel to heal.  We can’t heal while we are closed to our feelings because of fear of being hurt.  Shutting out the hurt, also shuts out the joy and pleasurable which can arise out of healing from the hurt.  Feelings are the guide to healing choosing a better way, the way out of the hurt.  So no matter how painful those feelings are, let them rise and move.  Emotions are in fact temporary states of being, and by feeling them we honour that process of allowing them to move.  If you don’t believe me just observe a young child for a day and see how many emotions they move through.  As adults we have the intelligence to witness them rather than act them out.  By denying them, suppressing them or avoiding them we block that process and become stuck with pain, frustration or exhaustion.

Feelings, give the awareness to hear and respond to our primary needs.

For example if you are aware of thirst, you can drink to respond to your need for hydration and water in the body.  If you feel physical pain, the body is warned about damage to the system and can mobilise physical healing responses. If you feel emotional pain, you can become aware of unmet emotional needs and respond with an appropriate action such as conscious choice, love or nurturing space.  

In essence, when we remain in communication with our heart and feelings, we open to receive more of our soulful passions and purpose.

For a practical daily action to stay connected with this aspect of yourself, start your day by gifting yourself with stillness.  Take 5 minutes of time and space to connect with your feelings.  Slow and deepen your breath to access the peaceful loving state of the heart and sense what it is feeling and longing to give and receive on this day.

It is one thing to know all this and it can be another to put it all into practice and embody a whole new state of being. If your heart is pulling you and your body or mind are holding you back, I am here to help. Together we can explore the landscape of your body, heart and mind to find the answers for you to find your own way in healing.

Balancing Organisation & Flow

I would like you to meet “The Organiser”.  She lives in my head and has a prime position there because she is a bit like the CEO of my life.  (Well at least she thinks she is, but we won’t shatter her dreams just yet.  That story is coming)

My organiser has been very busy at the moment managing more departments than usual and so she certainly is fired up with all the organising that needs to be done.  She has been overseeing all the small business matters - managing client bookings, scheduling and preparing for Nia classes, learning dance routines, and then overseeing and tending to household chores such as shopping, food preparation, cleaning, washing. Then there is the everyday duties of responding to email, Facebook, text message, phone message and face to face communications.  The usual stuff.  On top of this she has some work arrangements that she has been organising for a trip to Merredin and Southern cross for the months to come as well as organising to go away for a wedding which requires a business related visit along the way.  She thought she was doing a mighty fine job in the way she had stepped up to the plate and was working so well with her modern day organising app and online calendar… until yesterday.

Meanwhile, she has a partner in the business who we will call “Flow”.  Flow is not into structure and organisation at all and is quite happy to simply go along with things.  She is really quite playful and knows how to milk the joy of every moment.  She thrives on spontaneity and is attuned to the unfolding of the great mystery of life.  She is someone who I have been intentionally spending time getting to know and listening to her more and more lately.  In fact, in Nia classes this month we have been dancing with the intention of flow and it has been feeling very supportive and nurturing.  Now back to yesterday.  It seems that “The Organiser” went on strike, or was perhaps burnt out because she was uncontactable on several occasions when asked a question.   After sitting in a car for a few hours with plenty of time for reflection, I noticed that she forgot to pack the dress to wear to the wedding and she has left for her trip a day early and does not have a plan for the following day and night.  Secretly, I think “Flow” might have instigated all of this because A) I have been wanting to get a new dress for a while and B) It is about time “Flow” got a bit more of a look in.  So  “Flow” is going to have a lot of fun with this and I trust in her to find that dress before the wedding (even though I have no idea where I am going to find a shop that sells a dress that will fit me, let alone one that I like.  Most of what I have seen for this trip is wheat fields and bushland in the great southern)  I put my faith in Flow for accommodation and an itinerary and I am giving “The Organiser” a well deserved break.

This whole event interested me so much because my specialisation in Kinesiology is in Brain Integration and supporting neurological function and intuition.  This is a fascinating arena to work in and gives potency to our existence in life.  The Brain and Nervous System is the interface between our spirit and our physical existence which don’t always work together so well.  I support the body and soul need to work together to achieve to be able to move through the ups and downs of life and achieve your heart’s desires and highest potential.

If you feel you are going into melt down or have anxiety or overwhelm with all that you need to juggle in your life, Kinesiology is a wonderful modality for addressing this.  There are many techniques for supporting neurological function and helping people to get out of fight/flight/escape/anxiety types of patterns and be able to access more of the higher levels of brain function which allow for multi-tasking, prioritising and organising.  On the flip side to this, there can also be a tendency to get stuck in the organisational brain functions and not be able to access other parts of our being which allow us to feel and choose from a place of instinctive knowing.  Connection with our intuitive being allows us to receive abundance, opportunities and joy in life and I have been supporting many people with this ability in the past few weeks.  If any part of this article has touched you, feel free to get in touch and we can talk about a strategy for your unique situation.

Sweat Lodge Ceremony

Michael Miller Sweat Lodge Facilitator

SWEAT LODGE WELCOME AND CODE OF CONDUCT

On behalf of Simone and Michael we welcome you to our Sweat Lodge Ceremony.

For many of you this may be your first Sweat Ceremony so firstly a brief outline of the Sweat Ceremonies. Throughout the world many communities have sought a refuge, safe sanctuary to hold Ceremony and seek council and guidance from the Ancestors. The Lodge offers us such a place. The heated stones within the lodge represent the ancestors. They may speak to us during ceremony and indeed in our daily lives. We are encouraged to be still within the Lodge and face the ordeal of heat to bring clarity into our lives. The Lodge invites us to step out of the ordinary and immerse ourselves within sacred space on our spiritual paths... the true path of our hearts.

There may be several “rounds” in the Ceremony. These include periods to be still, to receive the virtues and gifts from the cardinal points within a medicine wheel, to hear mythology and engage in a meditation process. As we journey with the ceremony the heat, and therefore the ordeal will increase, but you are encouraged to be still, focus on your breath and your journey. Call upon your inner strength to aid you.

Before commencing your first sweat a facilitator will speak to you or the group show you the lodge and answer any questions you may have.

We therefore ask all participants to arrive on time or early. This will enable us all to prepare for ceremony. The time prior to commencing the ceremony should be a time to check in on our intention and state of being and to begin to find stillness and reflection.

We ask that you respect others and be aware of each other’s space. Generally we undress and cover ourselves with a sarong or similar. Places to undress and prepare will be provided. Once in the lodge it is up to each individual to choose whether they may shed some clothing or not.

Bring your drink bottle or other hydrating drinks along to the sweat to maintain your hydration, however there is no drinking in the ceremony – the time in the sweat lodge is less than an hour.

As we emerge from the Sweat Lodge, after ceremony, we ask to allow everyone to reflect on their journeys in quietness and begin to integrate in their own time.

Once everyone has had a chance to reflect, and re-dress, it is intended that we share a light meal. We have found this sharing of food and thoughts is a wonderful time to form friendship and community.

Please bring to the sweatlodge: a sarong or similar to change into before entering the sweatlodge and a towel to dry yourself off afterwards. If you wish to shower please speak to the facilitator about these arrangements.

Please familiarize yourself with the “Preparation for sweatlodge” document. PREPARATION FOR SWEAT LODGE CEREMONY

For Hydration:

Drink at least 2 litres of water in the day leading up to the sweat. Ensure to drink much of this in the morning to allow your body time to adequately hydrate.

Drink plenty of fluids after the ceremony and through the next day. Rehydrating drinks that assist in replacing electrolytes such as coconut water can be helpful after the sweat.

Avoid alcohol and recreational drugs and stimulants on a sweat day. Reduce caffeine intake through tea, coffee and energy drinks. Tapering off caffeine in the days preceding the sweat lodge can assist the central nervous system and purification process.

Other tips:

Avoiding eating for about 6 hours prior to the ceremony can allow for a better ‘purification’ experience and outcome

Rest and replenish with food and fluids for an hour or two after.

Do not wear metal jewellery - can become too hot and burn the skin

Do not wear contact lenses – best practice for eye health

During the ceremony:

The temperature will be increased in the first few rounds and then decreased in the final round – the prayer round

If you are finding it challenging:

*Focus on the breath and the chants

*Lying on the ground will allow you to get cooler and more oxygenated air

*Breathe slowly and deeply into the base of the lungs

If you feel you need to leave:

Ask yourself the Questions “Have I journeyed as far as I can go?”, “Is there anything that can be gained by staying?”

Ask the ceremonial leader for permission to leave.... This will be granted, yet it is courteous and respectful not to leave during the prayer round, this will be a cooler round anyway

How to take charge of your saboteur

I am loving the buzz around at the moment with the talk of fresh new energy, new insights, new year’s resolutions, intentions and goals.  Wouldn’t it be great if we could sustain this degree of positivity, hopefulness and attention on the meaningful things in our life for the whole year?  Yet I am sure many of us can identify with that nasty little saboteur that lurks about and pounces every now and then to divert us or bring us down.  If you are human there will be those moments and those days.  A very strong memory for me arises when I think about this.  I remember my first day as a sweet and innocent little 11 year old, settling into boarding school and a picture on the wall caught my eye and my attention.  It had a teddy bear sitting with several tissues scattered around and the inscription with the picture read ‘there will be days like this’.  And yes indeed there was a lot of days like this and a lot of moments in that five years of rigid institutionalisation where my saboteur reared its ugly head.  If I hadn’t taken charge of my saboteur and maintained my focus, I would have come out of there a lot unhappier, and I would not be the person I am today.  So firstly I want to say, it is ok to have your down days and a touch of self pity and whatever other feelings arise for you on your journey to fulfilling your dreams and goals.

There are indeed moment in life when we feel like the victim and struggle to take an empowered path.  So how do we stay on the path of self empowerment in crafting our life without allowing the sabotaging self to derail us?

There are a few things I have learnt to be helpful. 

#1 Be absolutely clear in your intentions.  If the intention/goal you have is not all that important to you or not aligned with your core values, then there will be a lot of opposition within yourself for achieving that thing.  You may as well save your energy for the things that really matter.

#2 Maintain a relationship with your heart and soul as well as with the Divine/God/Spirit.  Keeping open communication with these parts of yourself builds a deep sense of inner knowing and gives you very clear guidance.  This kind of guidance is often opposing to the saboteur mind, so the more you give energy to your absolute truth as opposed to your mind, the more you can back yourself.  I have this intention for myself this year - to let go of the mind chatter with its worries and doubts and let the miracles happen.

#3 Keep your eye on the ball - i.e, focus attention and energy into what really matters - your clearly defined goal and intention.  And what also matters is how you feel about things.  If you are feeling a block, a resistance, anger, frustration, fear, whatever it is, it needs to be heard.  You can push it down and soldier, do the emotional eating, or any other avoidance pattern you know well and it will still be within you, draining your energy from what you really want to be putting it into.   We use an incredible amount of energy to combat and compensate for our inner stresses.  Muscle testing in Kinesiology consults shows a very good demonstration of this.  Many people present saying how exhausted they are and when muscle tested for their energy level for healing it is 100%.  Yet when muscle tested for the amount of stress they have, it is a rather high percentage, well over 50%, which is a lot of resources being spent on something you don’t want.  The energy they could have available for healing or having a joyful life, is being used to hold the self together amidst the underlying, unresolved stress and trauma.  So to address the sabotaging self that does not have enough energy, or likes to procrastinate with avoidance patterns, give yourself some space and time to recognise your feelings and release any physical or emotional blocks associated.  It is handy to have some self healing tools to support you with the letting go process.  If you are stuck with something deeply rooted or very traumatic, I would highly recommend the support of an experienced practitioner that you can trust to support you with body work or emotional release.  It is also very supportive to release the everyday stresses which arise.  Use of breath, movement or sounding techniques are three incredible tools for shifting stuck energy and stress from the body.

Something else which can support you to remain focused is to have a daily practice which dedicates your attention to that thing you have your heart set on.  It is a bit like investing in the bank account and the old adage applies, energy flows where attention goes.  To amplify it even more and get yourself some extra interest in this account, you can add in sensations of joy or pleasure with your dedicated practice.  In this fashion we are working with the laws of how the body works.  Neurologically when there is pleasure or reward attached to an action, it sticks better in our memory and our neurological programming and we more quickly learn to naturally do that thing or have that experience.  It’s like muscle function, the more you use it the stronger it gets.  The more you travel a neurological pathway ie. do that activity, the stronger that pathway becomes - yes a habit… a good habit.

What about when that saboteur is so strong, and there has been so many adversities to surmount and you feel like you have nothing left and you feel like giving up?  Ridiculous as it sounds, that is something to celebrate, because it is often the moment just before the breakthrough, like that saying, “it is darkest before the dawn”.  I have heard so many stories and had many moments myself where I had nothing left and gave up.  You could call it surrender I guess.  Sometimes the surrender/time out was for a long time, sometimes a moment.  It doesn’t matter the time.  The beauty in this life is that we get to choose, so there is no need to beat yourself up if you didn’t get back on that horse straight away.  Whenever you take that step is ok.  It’s not what you do that matters most, it is how you do it.  Let your heart show you how and when.

So on this note, Simone has stepped back into teaching Nia classes to support self healing with expressive dance, martial arts and healing arts.  This practice is hugely rich with principles for crafting your life and your relationship with yourself for staying focused on the things which serve you.  And Michael has stepped back into holding sweat lodge ceremonies now that the opportunity has arisen at a venue in the Margaret River area.  We are getting a lot of wonderful feedback about how supportive this has been for people in allowing them a space and process for healing and to become clearer in their visions and heart space.

If anything in this blog has sparked something in you which you want to share or ask about, we would love to hear from you.  You don’t have to take on your saboteur all on your own.  And sometimes it helps to have others around us to spot it and release it.

info@soulnurturing.com.au

Phone Simone 0427 320 302

Phone Michael 0417 534 647

Summer Solstice Soirees - The discomforts and their rewards

Tis the season to be not only jolly and merry, but also to move through our obstacles and challenges.  Let’s face it, Christmas time and end of year parties are not always tinsel and sparkle, peaches and cream.  In the heat of summer and the sizzle of our human foibles, difficulties do arise and challenge our ability to be our divinely lighthearted, joyful self.  Many opportunities to transcend our old and tired ‘unhelpful’ ways can present.  Relationships with self, family and peers will often reflect back to us things we don’t like. It can be all too tempting to escape, avoid or attack, overshadowing the joys that are inherent in our everyday experiences at this time of year.  Yet there is another way through it, which we love to share with people at this time of year.  Summer solstice invites us to ‘be in the north’  so to speak.  

For anyone who has attended our sweat lodge ceremonies, ‘being in the north’ is a state of being where we embody a state of stillness, courage and strength to become greater than our ordinary human foibles.  This practice is something that becomes deeply embodied through participation in sweat lodge and helps us to become transformed as powerful, conscious and loving beings on this earth.  From the moment of inception, where the thought, or invitation to join a sweat lodge presents, our sabotaging mind can threaten our ability to embark on the opportunity to sit with the pain and shadows that hold us back in life.  In a sweat lodge we have the opportunity to acknowledge and dissolve them.  Often it is tempting to distract ourselves from the discomfort of this process, yet it gives us a liberating experience of shedding the thoughts, painful memories and patterns that are doing us a disservice. The rewards for letting go in this way, are countless and immeasurable.

It is very common for people to talk themselves out of attending sweat lodge, and not just because of the first time anxiety of the unknown.  As someone who has participated in sweat lodge ceremonies for around 10 years, I still feel a few little saboteurs surfacing at times in the lead up to a sweat lodge ceremony.  I describe it as a heaviness or resistance, to the effect of “I don’t feel like playing today”.  At times it has shown up as feeling that it is too hard, wanting to hide away, having an argumentative mind which questions the effectiveness or validity of the experience, and physical malaise such as headaches or bone tiredness.  These are the times that I have had the greatest rewards and transformations with sweat lodge.  The headaches get washed away with tears, the argumentative mind finds peace and stillness, the tiredness and heaviness gives way to a lightness of being and the feeling of hiding becomes an open hearted and expressive feeling.

Last night we were blessed to introduce our unique soul nurturing sweat lodge ceremony to many new people and reflected on the obstacles around coming to a first sweat lodge experience.  Having participated and facilitated in hundreds of sweat lodge ceremonies over the past ten years we know all too well some of the saboteur experiences and thoughts that come into play for both ourselves and others. Michael himself revealed the barriers and challenges he felt leading up to the ceremony. Having not facilitated one for over a year, he soon realised that if he allowed himself to be carried by the story all would flow as it should. These are some of the saboteur experiences people have shared with us over the past ten years:

• Doubts about coping with the experience

• Worries that it would be disruptive for their days following sweat lodge

• Life became too busy and out of control

• Fear of being affected by dark energies

• Fear of entering into a life threatening experience

Very interesting reflections, considering that the crux of a sweat lodge experience is about dying to our old ways of being, shedding our dark energies and letting go of all control and doubts to experience the wisdom and power of our intuitive and wise self.  When we emerge from the sweat lodge, our new self is birthed into the world.

In response to questions and worries about participating in this ceremony, these are some of the things I can share to enlighten you.

• You are always the master of your journey in a sweat lodge.

• You have the choice to leave the sweat lodge at anytime that your body wisdom tells you to 

• In the process of participating in a sweat lodge you access a kind of strength and guidance that you would not receive in ordinary circumstances

• So long as you drink adequate water and do not fall into victim mentality, you are able to feel balanced and centred in the days following a sweat lodge.

If you wish to start the New Year with a ceremony that prepares you for new life and to be rejuvenated to create your new self for 2019 we are now taking bookings for sweat lodge. We are planning a sweat lodge ceremony to be held at Witchcliffe near Margaret River in the first week of January and would love for you to join us. We welcome your enquiries and feedback by email, Facebook or phone Michael 0417 534 647.

Or if you feel to let it all go with a massage or Kinesiology session, a debrief, bodywork, laughter, and any other ways of releasing that organically arise in the session, we are available for consultations over the Christmas and new year period. Phone Simone 0427 320 302

Wishing you a Summer Solstice of positive transformation

The Secret Life of Hormones

Unlock your potential by connecting with your hormones

Most women are well aware of challenging moments with hormones.  From first menstruation to the monthly hormonal changes, hormonal surges at pregnancy and then the dreaded menopause.  In fact, in our society it has become the norm to expect and experience pain, mood swings, irritability, bloating and a number or other tortuous states of being with hormonal imbalances.  Yet it does beg the question, ‘Does it really have to be like this?’ 

With the advent of my own personal hormonal challenges and menstrual pain, alongside witnessing other women’s challenges in my Kinesiology practice over the past 20 years, I have made enquiries into the truth about our hormones. Many women can probably relate to feeling the need to strive to harmonise with the highly productive, technologically and intellectually driven world we live in now.  I have felt it too.  There is always more work to be done, housework, office work, keeping up with emails, phone messages, social media messages and whatever other method people are choosing to contact you.  We can take on high expectations as women to be a good mother, wife, daughter, friend, colleague, teacher, businesswoman or any number of other roles in life.  It is all a perfect distraction form the earthy, cycles of mother nature and our own innate body wisdom.  While the corporate and commercial world calls on us to take on masculine ways of being in this world, we miss out on connecting to our feminine ways, our hormonal cycles and ups and downs.  I’m not saying that the masculine is wrong or bad, I’m just saying that there has been a loss of balance.  While our focus is on the external world of productivity, commercialism, violence, threat and toxicity, we can miss the opportunity to experience our visceral, intuitive, highly sensory self, which has a guiding wisdom to give us a sense of dynamic ease in life.

Let’s consider the endocrine system, our body’s internal communication system which regulates our hormones (chemical messengers).  When this system is in balance, all of our body functions are appropriately informed and supported.  And as we know, hormones regulate the monthly cycles.  They also regulate our digestive functions, metabolism, mood and a whole host of other bodily functions.  Becoming attuned to your body’s natural functions and cycles can be a very nourishing process.  To hear and honour your own internal communication systems through awareness to sensations and feelings in the body sets you up for strong physical foundations and an intimate relationship with yourself.  What we are experiencing internally is quite often mirrored in what we experience externally.  Therefore, when that feeling of “I wish people would listen to me” arises, it can be a beautiful guidance system to listen and honour yourself some more.  Then hopefully others will come to that party with you too!

Let’s look at the first significant hormonal experience menarche, the first menstrual cycle.  In some cultures some women are celebrated at this time and don’t have the negative associations with menstruation that many women in our culture have.  Imagine if this one simple change was made in the lives of women, where menstruation was seen as a natural gift and a sacred process, attaching a sense of joy with the experience, rather than disdain or inconvenience.  This in itself could make a profound difference to a woman’s life and encourage a relationship of deep intimacy and love with the self and this amazing body that carries us through life.  After all, a considerable portion of a woman’s life is involved in menstrual bleeding when you add it all up.

It can be difficult to feel connected with all of life and with others when there is a gnawing distraction of pain and isolation that can come with pre-menstrual and menstrual moments.  Yet positive feelings and experiences are also possible at this time in your cycle.  There has been times in my life when I felt very much in balance in myself and my menstrual cycle was a beautiful experience.  It can be a highly sensual, and powerfully intuitive time for me when I am in good health in myself.  There has been times in our history when women would take time out to menstruate together, rest the body and connect with each other and with the gifts and wisdom that nature offers.  I have started this practice for myself to a degree and find that it helps me to experience more joy at this time and I tend to then have more energy throughout the whole month.

A friend of mine has her husband cook the meals and support her with the children in the first 3 days of her cycle.  My practice has been to take on less work and take more time out to do activities that nurture me, such as walking in nature and taking long hot baths.  I am a fan of creating in the kitchen and like to bake beautiful things for myself and my husband at this time.  Sometimes it is difficult for me to be exactly on schedule with taking days off for my cycle as it is not as regular as it use to be, however, all aspects of me seem to be well trained for this practice now and usually my cycle will wait until I have days off before it hits the heavies, so to speak.

We don’t hear many positive stories around menopause or see a woman being acknowledged for her transition into eldership.  I am lucky to have met some women who have experienced a smooth menopausal  transition and have asked them about what the secret is.  One woman I know is an open hearted woman who has always advocated for tuning into what feels right.  She is a beautiful living example of woman’s wisdom in the way that she intuitively honours her body and her emotions.  Another woman I know swears by detoxifying the body and nurturing the body with good nutrition.  A dietitian I once spoke to, believed that menopause was the time when you addressed your buried emotions and that menopausal symptoms were the result of the energy of these emotions rising up and releasing from the body.  A journalist I followed wrote about how menopause was an initiation into honouring the self.  She painted it as a time when you relinquish taking care of others because you become so outraged about the rest of the family not taking responsibility for themselves and therefore refuse to continue investing your energy in making their appointments and organising them.  

I love all of these frames of reference, yet the question is - what do you want to make of your hormonal experiences?  We have these amazing lives to live and celebrate, and our choice in relation to how we do that can make all the difference when it comes to having happy and healthy experiences.  If everything in life is simply energy, this gives us an empowered perspective because energy cannot be destroyed, it can only be transformed from one state to another.  Can we train those negative thought waves to intuitive frequency waves?  Can we change those body pains to a communication for a need to be met?  Can we change our erupting emotions of fuming fire and watery sadness to an expression that honours the natural cycles of giving and receiving, birthing and dying?
I have developed a checklist for hormonal health for you to get some feedback for how you are traveling in this arena and how you can support yourself.  It often appears to be a secret as to what women experience and as to what is happening in these mysterious bodies.  Yet when we bring these secrets into the open and explore them, they can create treasure filled adventures.  Our innate sensual being is something divine when we allow it to be expressed and heard.

You can request my Hormonal Checklist and Support Tips by emailing Simone at info@soulnurturing.com.au

How to break the cycle of mental overload in five seconds flat

Have you ever experienced those days of mental overload, overwhelmed with organising everything that needs to happen in your life and then can’t put one foot in front of another?  It is so easy to lump many actions in and responsibilities in our lives onto the mind and brain.  It can almost become a habit and a cycle of endless jobs and lists, over-riding the sense of pleasure and joy that life can offer us.

Pleasure encompasses so many things. We receive pleasure by simply tuning into our senses and being open to experience the magic of life. This simple act is extremely helpful in breaking the cycle of mental overload in order for you to come back to your responsibilities with fresh new energy and fresh new eyes.

When we stop for a few seconds and take in the natural beauty of a sunset or sunrise,  a forest, ocean, river or stream, a vast desert, mountain range or clouds, rainbow or star filled night sky, we create pleasure.  

Here are a few more examples to inspire your senses:

The smell of the ocean or a field of flowers. Essential oils.  The scent of a loved one.

The taste of your favourite foods or drink that brings delight to your taste buds.

The myriad of sensations and pleasure we feel as we move with the sense of Touch.

Ah soothing pleasurable sounds that can come with music, nature, or the voices and words from loved ones.  

Awareness of self.  That tingling and internal flow of breath and energy we feel as we tune into our life force.

So much pleasure is available to us by simply being present and open to receive through all of our senses.

Pleasure is important as it connects us to expansive mindsets, positive thinking, and healthy body functions. Your immune system, hormones, cellular regeneration processes are all supported by pleasure sensations. 

We are dedicated to this pleasure movement and are offering some special offers on our massage this month.  For a limited time only we are offering a half price 1.5 hour massage to anyone who has not yet experienced our deluxe massage.  That is just $60 for a 1.5 hour massage.  

A reminder that we have a quarterly draw to win a massage for anyone who refers a new client to us.  We really appreciate your support for building our business.

7 Warning Signs That Your Health is Deteriorating in Winter

Time for warmth, spice and celebration of food, family and friends

Is winter a time when you are more challenged to feel like you have your health under control?  Do you feel more emotional and heavy in your body, like so many parts of you are fighting against the health you have your focus on?  No matter what your health goals - weight loss, healthy eating, fitness and exercise or the ability to love your body and yourself, there is always going to be times when you feel a deterioration or a backward step, which can make it feel so easy to give up on yourself and the things that matter.  This is the perfect time to stop and take a deeper look at it.

Winter can certainly be a time when we experience some warning signs that there is deterioration going on in the body and emotions, just like nature’s cycle of winter when there is a lot more moisture for decomposition and more hours of darkness to face.  The darkness we may face at this time of the year may include physical pain from emotional hurt that has been buried, or exhausted from not listening to your primary needs, or from pushing yourself or over-extending yourself for unrewarding ventures.

According to Chinese medicine, winter is the time when the Kidney and Bladder meridians and organs require our attention.  It is common for people to have cold and flu symptoms at this time of the year because the immune system is not as strong and resilient when we are not honouring our body’s need to rest and recover.  Indications of the kidney and bladder energy being out of balance and requiring support can include:

*Low back pain

*Low energy, especially between 3 and 7 in the evening

*Emotions such as fear, anxiety, continual worries, lack of resolution, frustration

*Needing to urinate frequently, urgently or having incontinence

*Fluid retention - swollen ankles for example

*Ear and hearing problems

*Low sex drive

These are all signs that your health and your reserves of energy in the body for health are depleted and there is only so long you can compensate for this energy imbalance, before greater, chronic illness symptoms begin to set in.  Getting on top of your body’s warning signals early can save you a lot of heartache and strain on your life and finances down the track.

The weather in winter can force us to wind down and go inward, where we find our hidden shadows and buried emotions.  We tend to want to be inside more and move less, to do more cosy restful activities like sleeping in, having nurturing warming drinks and foods and cuddling up next to a fire. And perhaps this is exactly what you need to do for yourself?  This can give you the opportunity to transform those warning signs into good health and excellent relationship with yourself and others.  

Some tips for maintaining good health in winter are very much in keeping with honouring this winter period.  For example keeping the body warm with hot drinks, soups and slow cooked stews and roast, using spices such as ginger, turmeric, chai spice blends and pepper and rugging up with clothing, scarves and beanies.  Chinese philosophies also promote this time as a time to celebrate food, family and friendships as well as taking time to listen to the inner voice. 

Specific imbalances in the body in relation to kidney and bladder energy can arise from a number of factors.  These organ systems are related to the element of water, which can bring up many emotional issues, fears and anxieties.  Allow yourself that time with your emotions and your shadows, so they can inform you.  Witnessing the emotions that arise within us, without judging them, can also be a very nurturing practice.  Being truly heard and acknowledged can be extremely healing.  When we can do this for ourselves, we are empowered to hear and honour our own needs so the body, mind and soul can be set free.

If deterioration in your health is bothering you, there could be a story inside you that needs unravelling and acknowledging.  Warning signs for deteriorating health can easily be misinterpreted or can take a lot of trial and error.  If you are like me and love to be super efficient in taking control of your health, then you might want to try a Kinesiology session.  It is an exact science that can reveal your unique needs on all aspects of your health, physically, emotionally, mentally, and energetically.  I would be honoured to come on that journey with you so that you can see the revelations for yourself that so many of my clients experience in a Kinesiology session.  Together we can clear the stress that contributes to those warning signs of pain, fatigue, tension and illness, and in the process empower you to know exactly what you need for your health.

Click on this link to find out what people are experiencing with our healing sessions.

Everyday ways of connecting with your intuition

Let’s start by eliminating distractions and stimulation in order to tune into our intuition.  We can remove ourselves for a moment from people, unwanted noise, unnatural visual stimulation, electronic stimulation and find that place where the prospect of interruption is minimal. We live in a world of constant advice coming from all angles telling us we should do this or that.  Behave in this way or that. Speak and act a certain way. Fit into the box of society and the system it feeds.  

We have that inner voice as our guide just waiting to be heard. It tunes into our truth and desires and mirrors them back to us. We can’t deny or mask these truths as they know us well and wish for a life of ease rather than dis-ease. Perhaps you may feel that intuition resides in the heart or gut, or both, hence that gut feeling when we chose the correct, or incorrect course of action in life. So allow yourself to feel into your gut brain and your heart brain. We can shut down from our intuition if we ignore it and withdraw to the brain thoughts. We all know that everyday feeling from the gut as we make decisions throughout the day. It can feel unsettled if things don’t sit well with us. Our gut will immediately notify us if we have made a bad choice or put ourselves or others in danger. And we all know that feeling of dis-ease that lingers from these moments. An example could be if our lifestyle or work choices don't sit well within us. Often many of these behaviours  can lead to gut and heart health problems. As we tune into our intuition we bring harmony into our lives.   The heart brain has been a hot research topic in recent years and it has been found that the wisdom from this aspect of ourselves helps to activate, transform and harmonise energies in the body.  Its powerful electromagnetic force is something that we can tune into and find that sense of intuition which guides us into our purpose and the joy, love and pleasure that accompanies it.

In the moments we have time we can create that space and vision to nurture our intuition. Simply five minutes a day in this space is a good practice for strengthening this ability that we all have.

It can be such a simple place to find if we close our eyes and imagine ourselves in our favourite place and environment. I’m imagining myself sitting on red dirt in the warm sun with a small tree to lean on for support and that perfect amount of shelter. It’s far away from everywhere and a place of peace. From this place my mind thoughts drop away and my intuition sits with me, available to be called on if needed.  From this place, I can ask a question and my intuition is ready to assist me with an answer or suggestion. I will know if I have allowed the answer to come from a pure source as to how it sits with me. I will know intuitively. There will be a measure of dis-ease otherwise.

So finding time everyday for connecting with this place of stillness is a supportive way to build your intuitive connection. Keep it as simple and uncluttered as possible.  Focusing your awareness to the heart, the gut or your vision can be all that is needed. 

In our Soul Nurturing consultations, we work with people to support them to release conditioning and internal barriers to connection with intuition.  When this aspect becomes re-integrated into our everyday life, the ability to govern the physical, mental and emotional, aspects of the self becomes easier and allows for optimum sense of wellbeing and self mastery.  So if you are feeling stuck in yourself in anyway, it may be a good time to stop and listen to your intuition.  For more ideas about working with your intuition you can contact Simone on 0427 320 302 or Michael on 0417 534 647 or email us at info@soulnurturing.com.au

How Stories are Like Sand

Soul Nurturing and Stories ~ Kinesiology; Massage; Ceremony

At Soul Nurturing this month we have been exploring story and the ways in which it can change a life, define a life, disempower a life or enrich a life.  We have observed how our own stories have changed in so many ways, like a sandy landscape that is blown around by the wind and modified by the water and sun.  Yet sometimes life takes hold in the sandy landscape and things may grow and flourish when the sand has the right conditions, and our stories can provide us with those opportunities too.

Stories from Simone

I am very blessed to be surrounded by some amazing souls who have shared their story with me.  In my clinical practice as a nurse and a Kinesiologist I have keenly observed people’s stories and noticed how they can be so rock solidly concreted into their being, like sand in an amalgam of fear or emotion which perpetuates the story and gives it more and more strength.  Sometimes these stories are helpful and give structure to the being, other times, they are destructive stories and are keeping the body in a very rigid and tense state of being.  Either way there is much to be gleaned and gained from enquiring into our stories.

Through witnessing my own stories I have observed that they are like a sand dune landscape that is constantly shifting and changing. There was a time in my life when this wasn’t acceptable for me.  Being born a Taurean and brought up in a family whose hallmark was loyalty and dedication, it seemed to me that it was very important to be consistent and to stand strong in my beliefs, which I would call stories.  And this in itself was a story.  

This all changed for me after many dedicated years of eating like a saint, avoiding alcohol, coffee and toxins, practicing meditation, yoga, Qi Gong and any other self healing practice I got my hands on.  At the age of 28 I was diagnosed with cancer, and realised that the world was not what I thought it was.  Healthy practices did not guarantee a healthy body and spiritual dedication did not guarantee a smooth life. 

Long story short, there were many other losses for me around that time and it was quite traumatic, yet through it all, I dropped more deeply into a place of compassion for myself and others.  Through my experiences of healing from the cancer and all the surgical and medical treatment involved, I surrendered many of my old stories and focused on the things that brought a sense of joy, love and pleasure.  This time of my life birthed a lot of creativity for me and I painted, danced and wrote like crazy with the illumination that came to me in the darkness.  I learnt to mine every gem out of that heavy underground place and am looking forward to sharing some resources and transformative heartfelt expressions in my soon to be published book.  This is something that I have developed over the past 12 years and while the sandy landscapes in life morph from one thing to another.  Watch this space for more on that.

Reflections of Michael’s Journey

The other day I read through a blog I had written just over a year ago that briefly explained my spiritual journey, it’s origins and the practice and beliefs I held at the time. Wow, how things have changed, evolved, and opened up. 

It has become intensely personal and a time for me to move quietly, with the utmost humility, and with the deepest respect for what has come, and what may come in the future. 

At the end of a training course last year we were asked “ What is it you would like to learn next?”. I remember replying something, almost jokingly like, “ for the great mystery to be revealed!!!”. 

Well it feels like that request is slowly manifesting. Put it out there, and the universe will respond. 

I wish and will strive to see and live life in the magic and mystery that allows us to dream, and our senses flourish. I still remember the beauty of being read fairy tales and stories as a child. Mythology and Magic. 

Life is a beautiful journey, and hopefully we can all find time to sit quietly with ourselves and listen deeply to our inner voice.

I am excited about experiencing and receiving gifts and insights that will allow me to grow and understand more. 

Some things happen or come to us and we recognise them as gifts or messages. Perhaps we may wish to shout theses experiences from the rooftops, but there are times when silence is far more appropriate.  

We have lived many lives before and carry an abundance of wisdom that has come from that.  I see this life as an opportunity to learn, acknowledge and correct past patterns, and to move towards a kind of enlightenment to a higher self. 

I am learning to accept the twists and turns of this journey and in doing so experience a full set of emotions rather than flatline through life.  Not always easy, but certainly never dull. 

It is my desire to listen to my soul and live appropriately, and where possible allow its expression through Art or creativity. 

So I hope everyone who is seeking, finds their unique gateway and path that will help them move forward to a greater understanding of this life.