Mental Wellbeing Archives - Page 4 of 6

April 26, 2014April 26, 2014

Sex, Money, Love, Being?..

What’s your most taboo subject? What is it that makes you want to curl up and die inside when you hear a certain word or question in conversation?

Is it about love, especially your relation to it? Sex, o that’s so improper.. Money, a private affair? Feelings? How much or what you’re worth? Your addictions? Loneliness? Fears? Insecurities?

What are you most scared of opening up about yourself?

And why?..

I feel, the deeper we can get to the roots of our fears, then the best chance we have of liberating ourselves from them and moving on into the vastness of life. Opening ourselves up to all the parts of it we’ve been too scared to explore before..

Start that conversation with yourself or with someone close by (even an animal friend).. Feel the fear and break through it, we’ve only got 1 life in this body..

April 24, 2014

Asking for Help?

Do you ever ask for help?

Do you over ask for help?

An interesting question which keeps coming up with me, do we ask when we need help?

If not, why not?

Or, do we ask for help to often, i.e. before we’ve even sat down to try and work things out for ourselves?

Hopefully you’re the balanced sort, but personally I’m coming out of the place of never asking for help but still always giving it a lot when asked. I LOVE helping people, it’s in my nature (funny that considering my occupation.. lol); so I meet a lot of people who either seem to ask too much or too little to assist in their optimal growth.

My main conclusion on this is that is comes down to trust – either not trusting ourselves enough or not trusting in others enough. This has given me much space for reflection on my own trust ‘issues’ and it feels nice to see where I may be able to grow as a person by having more trust..

Much love xxx

March 27, 2014May 8, 2021

What is Kefir and How does it work!?

Kefir comes in 2 forms, milk or water kefir. I personally love the thick, and creamy milk Kefir; a super probiotic, tangy, thick and creamy yoghurt/drink, but on a more recent drive to lessen or stop (I’m going to listen to my body here and go with its flow) animal products consumption I’ve moved onto water kefir.

Hence, here I’ll share about both with you depending on your taste..

Eating Kefir can be of benefit to your body in many ways:

Helps to optimise good digestion
Regulate bowel movements
Heighten immunity
Help balance the guts in dysbiosis (imbalance between the good and bad bacteria in the gut)

For more information on Milk Kefir go here!

For Water Kefir head over here! 😛

I personally have found drinking it on an empty stomach first thing in the morning is the best, especially if your newer to super pro-biotic drinks, as depending on your internal bacteria and composition, it can have an adverse effect in needing the bathroom or feeling bloated. It’s probably important to add that not one glove fits all with foods and drinks, I love this stuff, it’s really been a help to me, I can drink it any time of the day without unwanted repurcusions but then I’ve been working with probiotics for about the last decade, when I learnt that they might be the key to helping me with my digestion and multitude of disorders which can come when the body is struggling to process foods. It took me a couple of years to work out my rhythm and what works best for my body. I see this as a bit of a medicine, in that not everyone needs it. As a child I suffered from a lot of ear aches and so had a lot of anti-biotics, as well as always having a fussy tummy (not being breastfed is one thing I’m curious if lead into this but can’t be sure) but having a diagnosis of Crohn’s disease in my 20s was a sure sign that my processing internally needed some additional support. This may resonate with you, it may not, if you feel the impulse to try, then try! There’s no harm in it, so long as if it doesn’t feel right that you discontinue trying 🙂

February 28, 2014February 28, 2014

New Moon Tomorrow – What’s your intention?

New Moon Tomorrow Morning, 8.00am in the UK to be precise 😉

This new moon is in the constellation of Pisces. This means it’s a good opportunity to set intentions for our personal growth and to make important life changes. This could be things such as:

Accepting ourselves as we are (loving our imperfections)
Gathering the strength to change what we feel isn’t serving us
Start a project which gets our creative juices going
To give ourselves enough space and time to find some inner peace
Sharing our dreams and collude with another

For me, this month I intend to:

Gain greater clarity in my decisions by listening to myself more
To focus my energy more when I need to and thus maximise all of productive, fun, and relaxing times
Being softer with myself (and thus also with others)
Do more of what I love to earn my living, dropping that which I no longer need and which I feel is holding me back (eeek scary one!)

What’s your intention?

Have a fantastic weekend xxx

February 27, 2014

Spring Awakening

Finally March is nearly here! We’ve made it through the coldest times!! Now to ditch the excess eating and hibernation habits.

The time is here to reawaken the spring in your step and put your best intentions forwards and into action.

What are you hoping to achieve this year?

Unless you’ve been in a cave you’re probably aware that we’re all undergoing a massive shift right now; from living in the head into the heart, the left side of the brain easing up to the right. Many people and places are having great shake ups to help dispel the pain and oppression we’re coming out through now. From Fukushima to Kiev, Venezuela to Iraq; Indonesia to Syria, Snowden to Assange; London to Berlin; the dolphins, the rain forests and needless frackin’..

Now is the time we need to consult with our real selves, our nature deep down, so we can be aware of the truth of our business and can get on with doing the things which truly matter to us..

The best and only place we can start is with ourselves – Yoga, Tai Chi, Meditation (however you like to find your head space) all help to tune into our truths; which can then take us closer to our real futures and each other. Feel the Love in Life.

Namaste, have a sparkly day 🙂

February 13, 2014February 14, 2014

Breaking out of my box

All this rage keeps welling up inside of me;

longing, desiring, KNOWING I am to be FREE.

Drag myself out of bed, stumble into the door,

Stick on some coffee, But still I need more.

So I stretch, bend, shaking out the sleep from last night,

And all those days, months, years, decades where they’ve made us fight..

“Be better than him, do more than her.

You’re going to need more money that one can occur!”

Force feed, watching the clock;

Wanted to be mindful here and not just fill up,

Over filling, compensating,

For the love that seems to just keep hating –

Hating the job, the rat race commute,

No body to hear my major dispute.

All day sitting in that chair,

The state of my body leading me into despair..

Everyone obey, with orderly strife.

Still winding up no closer to life.

Wanting to contribute to the world, dying to help;

These tools at my finger tips but no time while playing in this hell.

The duty -doody, the job we need to have to pay each bill

Doody = the crap that just makes me unwell.

I want to contribute, I really want to help,

But I know now, this must start with myself.

What is the gift I really need to receive?

What is the thing which can only be given by me?

I feel the peace we can all achieve,

Without everyday having to grieve.

Grieve for the love that we need not deceive,

Grieve for places we hope we can see.

Tension, anger, fear and doubt;

Is this what life is really about??

I’m not buying into that sh*t anymore,

Life is EXCITING, and it’s knocking at the door!

Expanding and living, feeling the love from within.

Stop wasting, instead tasting,

The the kind of world you want your family in.

Tune in, get livin’

😉

February 11, 2014

Plant Medicines: Ayahuasca

The ayahuasca vine comes from the Amazon and is a plant medicine used alongside a shamanic ceremony to help people see past and let go of their issues. It can be deeply powerful and purgative and if it’s something you’re open to, it can show you life in a whole different way. Enabling an individual to feel a part of the whole, and less dependent on the programming and ‘shoulds’ of other people, which often get in the way of realising your true self.

Have you ever had the feeling you don’t belong where you are but you don’t know why? Or feeling that everyone around you is mad, but you can’t put your finger on it? For me, ‘The mother’, i.e. Mother Ayahuasca which is the term used to describe the presence (however she is felt) helped me to see past the labels and bad feeling I accumulated whilst I was growing up. She helped me to feel into my own greatness, get a little closer to understanding my main intention in life, and to feel more OK about being me.

I’ve met the ‘mother’ on 4 occasions, and each time I’ve not gone into it with any great expectations, but the simple intention of learning to let go of what hurts me (as I felt letting go of painful things was my biggest issue); and I’ve greatly appreciated each journey. That’s not to say it’s for everyone, I’ve been around others who have been disappointed, but then I don’t know what they went in expecting from it. Expect no great epiphany but have in mind what you want to work with, and I’m quite sure that’s enough. That along with the detox prior to and following the ceremony (mainly just a chemical and animal products detox which was luckily in line for my lifestyle already); this is to make sure that the medicine has optimal effects, and also to minimise the need for physical purging during ceremony.

Many purge (vomit, cry or need the loo quickly) but not everyone, it really is a personal journey; my first nights purge was mainly laughter, which was a nice surprise after hearing many others around me retching into their buckets. Having more fun in life is one thing I’ve been working with since. I was rolling around on my bed, stretching into my body and feeling a freedom I’d never quite realised before. I feel it’s really helped me to be more confident in my body and my expression of it, in public or private spaces. But then again, being physical and getting into the body is something really inherent to me, thus this experience isn’t the same for most other people I spoke to; all of my nights have been different. The second night was about universal energy for me, and the availability of it at our finger tips; I think this, combined with a Reiki healing during the ceremony, is what showed me my path to this amazing and inspiring ancient tradition.

The other 2 nights were more about realisations on my placing in the world, how I could be of service to others, and what I could do more or less of to make my own integration smoother. A vow of silence is what I realised in my last session; which I considered to be impossible but profound; as if one keeps getting misunderstood (as I felt), then maybe saying nothing is better?. This later transpired during my Reiki and Seichem training to be silent and to listen, really listening deep to myself and to others; not trying to change things but allowing them to be. Wow – how often do people allow us just to be with our words without trying to project their own opinions? Thank you to the mother and to my teacher for showing me this powerful gift towards being a better listener.

Before I went to each ceremony I was in a pretty depressed and disparaged state. After each ceremony I felt uplifted by what I saw and felt, from both the medicine and the people who were with me, but that only lasted until I got home. The REAL work from this kind of medicine always happens after ceremony. The medicine shows you where to go, but you need to put this into practice in your life. It’s not a quick fix you can* use every week or month to reset a little; remember, it is a medicine; not for continual use. Moderation 😉

Thus, you may get it, you may not. If you’re curious to hear more there are lots of videos on YouTube with some other great insights and perspectives. This kind of plant medicine is for those who are stuck and desire change, but those who aren’t afraid to face their daemons. I saw a couple of guys have a really hard time during their journey, but both came out of it grateful for the release. IF you do decide to seek it out and give it a try, then I’m sure the path to a shaman will open up for you. Remember, don’t push, flow into it, and use the following points of advice to ensure your own safety, as this potentially leaves you VERY vulnerable for a few hours. Thus, you need to be in a honest and caring space, with a lot of trust and love.

Know your shaman, move through a personal recommendation (especially if going to the Amazon as being from Europe it may be a culture, spiritual and psychological head f*** otherwise)
Do the detox, it’s there for a reason
Feel comfortable in the space you join for the ceremony, it’s always OK to change your mind
Ensure it is as a part of a shamanistic ceremony, not just recreational (I know someone who did and it put them off for life)
Set an intention and drop expectations
The real journey starts AFTER the ceremony

To finish, here’s a journalist and writer who made a TED talk about it (not sure if it’s still banned but the link was working when I made this blog), another point of view.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y0c5nIvJH7w

Love xx

*well clearly you can use it more often but my personal experience is give it time. Trust in yourself and your abilities to move forwards.

February 5, 2014

I want to be me: Unadulterated Expression

I want to be me,

Not who you want to be,

Or who they want to be.

Just me.

With the chance of free expression,

Finding my passion,

I’ve no need for fashion,

Because I’ve got taste.

It might not be your taste,

It may look out of place,

But that’s fine.

Perfect imperfection,

Individual satisfaction,

Self -aware

Unadulterated expression.

Yours and mine,

Hers and his,

In this time,

They’re all fine.

TOGETHER,

Forever,

Mixing it up.

Interlinking, interweaving our different chemistry structures.

This space and time,

It’s our prime.

Time moving faster than ever,

We’ve ALL got to learn to live together –

Humans, sheep, wolves, trees, birds, fish and bees

It feels hard to do but it gets easy you’ll see.

We all need each other,

Remember, every man is your brother.

Love one another.

Peace x

February 3, 2014

The Secret to having a ‘Great’ day Everyday

Have you ever had one of those mornings, days, weeks, years; where EVERYTHING goes ‘wrong’? You’re late for work or an appointment, bad hair day and no time to re-wash it, destructive relationship, dead relative, or a major illness in your life..

Me too; too many times! Until I learnt the secret ‘Happy’ and ‘Successful’ people use to make everyday a ‘good’ day.

I dropped my definition of ‘good’ and with that, dropped my expectations of what ‘should’ happen in this portion of life I’m experiencing. This wasn’t so much of an overnight revelation as 6 months, back and forth, giving myself a little space and time to reflect on these ‘good’ and ‘bad’ days. For example:

I’m late for work or I missed my train (which usually happened on days where I was more tired) -> which meant I actually got a seat to relax in, or it kept me standing so I didn’t end up groggy at my destination.
My boyfriend was a bit psycho and I wasted a year in his company, feeling like sh*t -> he taught me a LOT about myself, how strong I am and what I don’t want in a relationship.
Hair goes mental with only minutes to spare to get out of the flat -> I learn a creative way to work my mane (today is pretty special if you see me!), or I wear a hat which gets me talking to someone really interesting who appreciates my ‘style’.
I got really sick and ended up in hospital for 7 weeks -> This gave me space to reflect on how I was hurting myself and time away from the life I was forcing which wasn’t right for me anymore.

And the list goes on.

So if you’re in a ‘bad’ patch, try to focus on what life is highlighting to you, rather than how your plans seem to have ‘failed’. Carefully listening to life to show you what it is you need to make you happy in the long run.

Love xxx

January 29, 2014

Dropping the past – A Powerful breakthrough

I’ve been so anxious to let people, potential clients and students in particular, know why I practice and teach yoga. To show everyone how far I’ve come, so they can see how far they can come also; or in all honesty, maybe even still to receive a small amount of sympathy for my past woes. Then I kept wondering why my past problems would keep recurring and getting in my way! Simple logic explains why..

Thus finally, during my Reiki and Seichem training last week, my teacher taught me further to listen to how my words were still plaguing me. She also then reassured me something I kept saying I knew; but now I am so happy I can feel it too. It’s that I need to be authentically who I am NOW! There is no need to justify or advertise my wounds to ‘convince’ people I’m genuine and can empathise with their pain; as all this will become apparent as and when it needs to.

You get EVERYTHING you ask for, in one way or another. So make sure you ask for nice things 😉

Love, light and health to all x