ZZ_OLD Articles

Sliding Doors - The Roll-on Effect by Jenny (3rd Feb 2016)

Do you remember the film ‘Sliding Doors’? The film portrays the life events of a woman from the perspective of catching a train and missing a train. The story shows us the roll-on experience of these two differing events, lived in parallel. In life, we generally only have one chance at making a choice that will affect the next minute, and we have all certainly experienced the impact of choices that were grace-filled and ones that were devastating. We all make choices all the time; we do our best, every minute, every second.

If we consider the possibility that we can create or change the next few minutes which then roll-on to the next day, week, month, year and life, how could we enlist this power to create a more positive experience for ourselves and those we care about?

What proportion of our daily choices are consciously made?
Which choices are purely habits or repetition?
Have we truly sought the knowledge and awareness that we can to make the best choice we know how, or are we relying on old knowledge or an out of date perspective which we don’t give the time to explore and update?
Are we allowing other people or influences to colour our judgement or squash our ideal next step?

Throughout my life experience and especially in my nursing career, I have observed the ramifications of the lack of awareness. Now, there is a delicate balance between learning from our experience and honouring that in hindsight we can see what we didn’t see at the time. However, in matters of health and well-being, people often come to a place of crisis and distress, which possibly could have been seen approaching, if gentle notice of warning signs were heeded, understood and interpreted. I have the greatest compassion for those that find themselves in this place, however, what an opportunity we have right now.

What veil shields us from taking notice of these warning signs?
Why do we sometimes have to wait until there is a scream from our body or soul to listen?

Very often, conventional healthcare is only engaged in these crisis times in life, which often present us with a dilemma as we enter a place of vulnerability, we end up giving our power away through fear or expose ourselves to greater risk than we would choose in a more objective circumstance.

Can we minimise this potential by making different choices before the point of crisis?
Can we empower ourselves through knowledge, self-awareness, changes of priority and being present more of the time?

Of course… we have so much power and influence over our experience each day. Let’s harness it, explore it, enjoy it and create what we intend for ourselves. Consider a choice you are about to make… think more expansively, challenge the normal decision and choose an upgraded version…what happens?

By engaging this perspective, we can actively unfold with greater intention, to live the consequences of our own choices and not the roll-on effects of another influence on us. Generally we make really good considered decisions for ourselves when we seek knowledge, contemplate the consequences and tune in to our own personal compass deep inside. As we are all here to contribute our own unique gifts, living from our own conscious perspective, we are more likely to unfold what we intend for others as well as ourselves if we more consciously choose our next steps.

Just getting through each day? by Jenny (11th Jan 2016)

Our world can be perceived as a busy, confusing and demanding place. We are presented with so many more choices, feel expectations and hold commitments than we have time to fully engage in. So easily we can feel overwhelmed, so how can we regain the feeling of having the space and time to create and enjoy our own life, the way we wish to each day.

You may be familiar with the concept of using the reflection of what appears around each one of us in the world as a tool to understand the nature of our inner environment – a potent tool to explore, for sure. If we feel anxious, do we have the presence to question why, or do we react from that perception. To unravel these reactions we need to place value on spending the time to notice, but why bother?

To cultivate the ability to respond and not just react in our interactions with others and with ourselves, it can be valuable to examine whether our precious commodity of time is proportionally given to those people and activities that we value most, and that are valued by others. For example, we may desire to feel healthier each day and know that by learning more about preparing good food would assist this, but we persist in spending time on non-specific internet surfing. We each have the choice to claim our time as our own, layer by layer, prioritising and refining the way we use it to impact each day.

A vicious cycle can ensue when we don’t step back and plan, consciously create our days, weeks and beyond. There is everything right and exciting about spontaneity, but reacting to the demands of the moment, to stimuli that shouts the loudest, dilutes our focus and influence to achieve what we are capable of. It is not our intention to have to make poorly planned decisions last minute, to crisis manage, but this is often the vulnerable position we find ourselves in when we have not taken stock to plan with foresight.

There can be an insidious yet powerful knock-on effect of this type of daily life. The impact of not being careful with how we use our time and where we place out focus can be vast. Close relationships can be diluted and affected, our health can be neglected.

When we are busy and perceive life is stressful we have already activated our adrenal response, draining our repair and restore ability. This, in turn, can influence our blood sugar balance and food choices tend towards stimulant, sugar or carbohydrate pick-me-ups to keep going. This creates acidity in the body which continues the cycle of perceived stress, and the reality we see outside of us continues to reflect this as our actions come from this mindset.

We each deserve to gift ourselves excellent self care, we are each precious human beings that have a unique role to fulfil on the earth. We are caring for many people we love and are loved by many people so it is important to take the best care of ourselves so we can really be the best version of ourselves, to enjoy our days and to care for others. When we are nourished and hydrated, using time wisely and encouraging healthy energy boundaries with others we are able to be patient, compassionate and we notice the little opportunities to be kind.

Life is dynamic and circumstances can be challenging but if we aim to consciously approach the majority of our lives with presence then we cultivate the ability to manage the challenging times with grace. If we value ourselves, take the best care of ourselves then we can experience life fully, see compromise for what it is and take time to savour the moments, to live with clarity of thought and conscious response.

Exploring Nourishment by Jenny (25th Nov 2015)

When we truly consider the concept of nourishment, nutrition, food and what we eat is only a small part. Each one of us has unique needs and values of what feels nourishing, depending on our life experience, our preferences, our current circumstances and the balances or imbalances that we may be accommodating in our daily lives. We can consider these influences by contemplating this diagram and the corresponding questions below...

Who are you really feeding? Your emotions? Your body? Your mind? Your spirit?

Where and how are you nourishing yourself? In the car? At the table? Quickly? Slowly? With love?

Why are you feeding yourself this particular food or drink? To feed your emotions? To fuel your body and mind? To inspire personal and spiritual growth?

What are you feeding yourself? Real, natural, vital foods? Processed and packaged foods?

If we spend some time becoming aware of our own unique answers to these questions, then we can start to unravel patterns, cycles and habits. Once we become aware of these factors, we can choose to nourish ourselves from a more wholesome position. This shift encourages healing and provides us with more information to take us onto the next step of bringing our body into balance every day. In addition, there are many other aspects to self nourishment, for example, taking physical gentle care of our bodies, being with those that we love and connecting with someone that really appreciate us.

Questions courtesy of http://heartofnourishment.com/nourishment/

Do we have a life purpose? by Quinn (3rd November 2015)

This week I thought I'd share my own perspective of what people mean when they say 'life purpose'.

Some people have a deep inner knowing that they have a purpose to live in this life, even if they don't know what it is yet, or there are others that can't really relate to that concept or are just unsure. Neither is right or wrong. Our own unique view on this is very personal and is influenced by the many factors that shape our outlook on life. This diversity could also be viewed as necessary for balance in the world.

Let's look at some ancient traditions from around the world to see what their insights were. Firstly the Vedic tradition of ancient India talks about Dharma or more specifically Svadharma meaning 'our own life purpose or service'. The ancient scriptures say 'Every person has a purpose he is born to accomplish in life enkindled to his soul'.

"It is better to do one's own dharma, however defective it may be, than to follow the dharma of another, however well one may perform it. Better death in the doing of one's own dharma: the dharma of another is fraught with peril. " - Bhagwad Gita

Amazonian shamanic healing work often involves restoring balance to a person who has been living out of alignment with their true nature.

Within in Taoism, according to the Tao Te Ching, the true purpose in life is to fulfil our own personal Tao, 'the natural flow of the universe'. There is an inner part of us that is connected to the eternal manifesting Tao as it expresses itself in the natural world.

There are many more examples like that from all around the world.

So are these teachings correct?

They are interesting concepts and I don't think anyone could know for sure. However, it appears for some people it is much more obvious than for others. There are many examples in the world of people that seem to have a clear direction in life to follow. For example, Mozart being born into a musical family and being immensely gifted from a young age or many others artists that seem to be just born with talent without having to be taught, as if it's just within them. However, this innate talent commonly has to be mastered through hours of diligent practice.

Another interesting example of a person that seems to have a destiny is the Dalai Lama. He was recognised as the reincarnation of the previous Dalai lama as a very young child, following a lineage identified by scholars of that tradition.

Now, of course, we can take the perspective that destiny unfolded for these individuals as a result of their upbringing, influencing their development and hence became the specific person because of those factors.

However, in some cases upbringing can also work in a detrimental way. For example, the farmer's son who wants to go to university to study but is not encouraged and instead is given the farm run. This person may then go on to live a life of resentment because they feel unfulfilled. Another example could be being born into the caste system in Indian or other parts of the world where by your economic status influences and often limits the options for life.

For many of us our life path is often unclear and something we have to work out with trial and success. It is very natural for there to be many stages in our unfolding life journey.

I feel there are many signs to look out for that can be helpful indicators if we are living in alignment with our true nature or really following our passions. We may not experience these all the time but they often feature at many different stages of a particular path.

A feeling of lightness in your body
A feeling of your heart singing
Excitement and enthusiasm
A natural drive and motivation
A feeling of peace and contentment
Feeling that everything you're experiencing is just perfect and exactly the way it is meant to be
Experiencing synchronicities in your life that bring clarification, validation and meaning, you feel you’re in the right place at the right time even in very difficult circumstances

Our feelings are usually an excellent barometer for guidance in life. However there are times when our feelings can get the better of us and hinder our growth if we let them. The perfect example of this is fear.

How many times have you not done something because you feared the outcome or the change it would bring even if you knew it was in your best interests?

For example, the artist that never picks up his paint brush because he fears he'll fail in his work or the office worker that gets a promotion but doesn't take the position because he fears the new responsibilities and challenges it may bring.

As we journey through life our development often involves accepting challenges that help us grow and evolve.

The fear of social rejection is a major stumbling block for many on their path to unfolding their true gifts. This is very much tied to our ancestral need for belonging in our tribe that assisted our survival in the past.

I think many people are put off by the term 'life purpose' or they don't see it as realistic because they expect it to mean that we all have some grandiose destiny to fulfil with a dramatic or adventure like tale to it. However I feel that everyday positions in life each have their perfect place for someone.

For example, being the best father or mother you can be to raise a healthy child so he/she can grow up with wisdom, respect, appreciation and awareness is an amazing purpose to fulfil. Or being the best teacher you can be as a solid role model, to inspire and motivate your students to really fulfil their potential. The vital role of being a companion to another person in their life so you can both share more enjoyment and growth must never be underestimated.

If you feel you have a purpose but just don't know how to find out what it could be, here are some things to consider. Write down as many answers as you can think of to the following questions. One answer may fit under more than one question.

What are your skills, character strengths or your talents?
What do you enjoy doing or are passionate about?
How can you contribute a service to others?
What would you ideally like to do if you could dream of anything?

Now look at the lists of answers and notice where you have the same answer under multiple questions. These will be the ones to really focus as they may be most in alignment with who you are. Commonly, as we engage in following our path, the resources and circumstances begin to support our progress as the reward for stepping forward on our path.

Here are my examples:

My guitar playing is a strength I have, I love playing the guitar. I can play music for people so that is a service and I have dreamed of playing the guitar in my life, so I do. Guitar playing is definitely a part of my life purpose.

My painting is a strength I have, I enjoy painting. I can create paintings for people to see and enjoy and I have dreamed of being an artist, so I am. Creating artwork is definitely a part of my purpose.

Learning and understanding natural health principles is a strength I have, I am passionate about the subject. I have found great personal support in applying these principles. I can serve others by sharing the information and being a teacher is something I have dreamed of, so I am. Developing Soul Integrity is definitely a part of my purpose.

So in conclusion, I do believe we have a purpose to fulfil, however I feel that our ability to really sense what it is can be greatly influenced by our level of health, awareness, perception and introspection. I also feel co creation with the universe is very important, whereby we co create our own reality based on our thoughts and actions.

Thoughts to ponder....

When you've reach your ripe old age and your sitting in your rocking chair looking back on your life, and you ask yourself, 'Did I go for it? Did I take the opportunities presented to me? Did I live my life? How will you answer?

Unravelling suppression to uncover hope. by Jenny (27th October 2015)

How often do we feel expansive and excited about our day? Not just because we’re going out for our birthday or to meet our close friend, but just feeling grateful to be alive, to notice all that we have despite our desires for different or more than we have. Do we cherish enjoying our freedom of choice, feeling peaceful, dynamic and confident of being able to handle life, even in the face of challenges? Are we truly active participants in creating our experience for the day ahead?

Many of us live each day, just doing our best, getting through our commitments, managing less than vibrant health and manipulating how we feel to be able to carry on, occasionally noticing happier moments that are shimmers of promise but that fade into ‘normal’ again. Is this acceptance of normal healthy?

We are each owners of miraculous vehicles that carry us through life, enable us to be and do what we wish, in theory. However, without us noticing, despite our best efforts, we very often settle for or experience less. Why is this? A big topic, a complex conversation but here are a few thoughts….

Our lives unfold as a result of decisions, circumstances, personality, knowledge, opportunity and expectations. The origins of these influences, resulting in different levels of lived experience, the cycles and patterns we imprint, are unique to each of us. Maybe we can view these dynamics at a level of our purpose on earth unfolding. We can choose to see through what is normal, double check the validity of this assumption, and learn from our deductions and experiences. Or we can hold inevitability or a blaming viewpoint. Which type of stance is moving towards feeling better inside each day and serving the purpose of creating an optimistic future?

Reclaiming our right to have truly independent thought and living from that sense of self responsibility is intimidating for many. We are surrounded by messages about who we should be, how we should act, what is cool, what is right. However, by just accepting the larger constructs that we function within as right or merely complying with unexplored trust in authority, we unknowingly collude with societal norms. Whilst being distracted by keeping going, ‘doing our best’, we can sometimes find ourselves in the trap of missing the biggest elephant in the room that we only notice when we get trampled on.

As many paradigms we live alongside and within are called into question by the greater exposure of different opinions, research and questions, we have the opportunity to see things differently, if we look. If we truly observe the health of our children, the vibrancy of our elderly, the number of healthy adults free of medicated health issues, would it be wise to move beyond not challenging the society that accepts this, to look beyond having no time or being too busy, by creating time for preparation and exploration, instead of being vulnerable to becoming the result of uninformed reaction.

In just one area of our lives, an example could be this. If we support our local growers of consciously cultivated food, we may shift the dynamic of how easy it is to eat naturally and healthily, in a way that our bodies and minds understand, without expecting them to deal with so much unnatural intake. When we nourish our bodies and minds with clean food, encourage this as a culture, we could avoid the experience of symptoms that encourage us to manage by entering into further levels of suppression to keep going, perpetuate the cycle, to further our feelings of disconnection from fulfilment each day.

If we consider those that are most vulnerable to suppressive measures, our children, who only get to claim their ability to direct their own path several years after many patterns have been set pretty firmly, creating their identity and expectations, we can see how the insidious impact can unfold. On the flipside, we can grasp the potential for exciting change with more conscious preparation for family life. Of course, having similar thoughts and habits, creates a sense of belonging, but if societal collusion is so powerful, is it not more caring for ourselves and others to use this power in a positive way?

By supporting each other to be our best, to question issues that seem, ‘not right or just’, then we may gradually create a daily experience where we are supporting each other to pursue our individual ability to be who we truly are, which not only may feel much better personally, but may create a more cohesive community. Of course, this path can be very intricate but we each play a crucial part of uniqueness in the world that deserves to be fully experienced by all.

So shall we engage in double thinking our assumptions, the choices we make… Are we choosing what we wish to experience? Are we accepting things for how they are without critical thought? Are we part of the perpetual cycle or can we step aside and consciously choose what step to take next?

Why create health? by Quinn (20th October 2015)

We’ll introduce the ethos behind our project by answering this simple question….

'Why create health in your life?'

Everyone may have a different way of answering this question from our own unique life perspective.

It doesn't matter whether we’re striving to restore our health, maintain our level of health or enhance our health to the next level to really express our full potential on earth, there are many motivational factors that can be relevant to all of us.

We can consider some of these factors with two further distinctions:

Being healthy so we can do the things we'd like to do
Being healthy so we can feel the way we'd ideally like to feel

OK, so firstly, if we wish to do things, one of the most influential factors that affect our ability and enjoyment whilst doing activities is our energy levels. How many times have you wanted to do something but you've felt so exhausted you couldn't bring yourself to do it? Or, you made yourself do something, but you didn't actually enjoy the experience, ending up more depleted than when you started.

For us, one of the main benefits of improving our own health has been the increase of energy levels and stamina we enjoy. By observing and managing those elements in our lives that drain our energy, which can be relationships, habits, environment, emotional or physical in origin, we can more consciously create our daily experience.

With an abundance of energy we can more easily:

access enthusiasm, creativity and solutions
discover our unique purpose and pursue our potential
express the best of ourselves with our family and community
perform at our best within whatever vocation we choose

All of these outcomes can help us create the feeling of fulfilment in our lives.

Then secondly, so many of us experience pain, fear, anxiety, or a depressed mood as part of our daily life. By creating health, by understanding what creates balance and imbalance, we can more frequently experience the peace, comfort and joy from just being alive. From this place, we can more easily exhibit many positive characteristics such as patience, kindness, and the unconditional love that we often feel is our true nature, but are sometimes too out of our natural balance to express.

Another reason to look after our health is how we feel about ourselves. People that feel healthy generally have a better self image. As we release aspects of ourselves that are not really us, whether by physical cleansing or healing energy work, a radiance shines through that is really palpable when we encounter this in someone.

Creating health = adaptability, feeling happy, excited, light in spirit, and appreciative more of the time

Obviously, there are times when it is natural to feel other emotions of life experience. It is healthy to truly embrace and express our many emotions, however, having foundational good health assists us to avoid dwelling too long in a contracted position that can bring prolonged distress.

We believe a special benefit of pursuing vibrant health is our ability to create a positive reality and manifest our dreams. If our cells are happy in our bodies, by encouraging nourishment and cleansing, then our true inner nature resonates out into the world, drawing in to our experience the synchronicities, opportunities and inspirational ideas that may assist us to take the next step to really unfolding our unique potential.

The information shared does not replace any medical advice, it is intended for educational and awareness purposes only. Full responsibility remains with each individual for the decisions made about their own health and life.