Wellness Wednesday: Soul food

i've had a music-buying fest on Amazon this past couple of weeks...
the first CD is the debut album from Lee Mead who won the lead role in Joseph beating 10,000 other guys!! i would LOVE to see him live :o)
the second i just ordered blind having seen how many blog friends are listening to Feist... she does have the most hynoptic voice...
and i 'discovered' A Fine Frenzy on my dear friend Zorana's blog - she had a link to this video... i'd never heard of Alison Sudol, but she is soooo talented with the most beautiful voice - and that hair!! she looks like my alter ego's younger sister :o)

Music is an important part of my life - i won't confess to how many CDs i have... if i'm down, i play music to reflect my mood; if i'm happy, i play pop or dance music; if i'm working, i play classical or jazz... i can find music to mirror every facet of my soul, and i'm sooo grateful for this most precious of talents - i may not possess it myself, but i sure know how to appreciate it!!!!


Thank you for all your lovely comments on last Wellness Wednesday. i'm amazed how quickly my body has healed - the graze on my temple has almost gone and my sprained ankle is almost fully mobile :o)

Sacred Life Sunday: Archetypal Reiki

i bought these cards last Christmas after my Reiki I attunement and i used them for a while... then on friday, thanks to Annie's inspiration, i pulled them off the shelf again.

they are lovely little cards that fit in your palm - i've never liked big cards, and with only one working hand, these are the perfect fit!! the author, Dorothy May is a Jungian psychologist and reiki master - a perfect combination in my mind!!

i sat with my journal and spread out the cards... i just asked the cards to tell me where i should begin... and i chose one 'random' card... it was THE CAVE....

go within yourself, into your deep unconscious. willingly enter the dark places within yourself and be utterly honest. bring these parts of yourself into the light where you can see them clearly.
in ancient cultures the cave was a sacred place of initiation... there is ancient wisdom stored in the cave of the unconscious... the cave in archetypal reiki work symbolizes a place of entry, a place deep in the womb of the earth... when you draw this card it is a signal for you to go within yourself, into your deep unconscious...

ever since i bought myself a set of story beads from deborah, i have known that this winter i have to hibernate, to draw into myself and listen to bear wisdom, and let my body heal... as the nights lengthen and the darkness closes in, i will embrace my own shadows and not be afraid...

Wellness Wednesday: Everything's aching

Sorry, it's not an uplifting picture - i fell over last night, and everything's aching, especially my right ankle, knee and hip, not to mention my left temple...
it's my first fall, and it scared me... i usually really focus when i'm walking - especially outside - because i know i could fall...
i was getting ready for bed, pulling out a drawer to get clean pj's, and i must have lost my balance...
thankfully my dear hubbie was here to help me up and get into bed; and i managed to sleep pretty well...

i decided to post about it, because something like this does focus your mind... especially on all we take for granted... our brains are constantly working and processing our every move - the feel of the surface you're walking on, the weather if you're walking outside - i've found a gust of wind can really throw me off-balance - not to mention all the data our eyes and ears are picking up...

since the stroke, my poor brain has had to relearn sooo much, and i'm so grateful - and impressed - at what it's achieved!!! today, i will sit quietly and let my body heal itself...

if you have a moment, just ponder everything your body does for you, movement by movement, minute by minute every single day... and give thanks for every bone, muscle, joint, organ that just does its job without you being aware of it...

Sacred Life Sunday: Sacred reading

I've recently finished this wonderful little book!! Like The Seven Whispers I read in the summer, this tiny book holds a wealth of wisdom...
The first chapter talks about the 'domestication of the soul' we all experience - we grow into the belief patterns our parents, grandparents, school teachers, church leaders impart to us. There's nothing wrong with this, it's what our elders do. What's worrying is if we never listen to our own soul's innate wisdom; to never learn what our own soul wants to teach us...
This sooo spoke to me - I'm only just starting to listen and trust my own soul - aged 43!!! I've spent so many years absorbing my parents' beliefs - not to mention my church leaders' - which I've finally admitted my soul honestly doesn't believe!! I'm slowly learning to express what i do believe, and it's soooo liberating!!!!

The actual four agreements are so practical and basic commonsense, yet we rarely actually do them...

1 Be impeccable with your word - basically mean what you say and say what you mean!
2 Don't take anything personally - people live with their own selves centre-stage, basically it's never about you!
3 Don't make assumptions - this is my killer agreement. I get so caught up in assuming my nearest and dearest understand me and my needs, I fail too express myself clearly and assume way too much!!
4 Always do your best - don't beat yourself up when you slip into old patterns of behaviour, just do your best moment by moment...

I now want to work through the exercises in the companion volume - slowly and deeply listening to what my soul wants to say... I'll let you know what I hear :o)

Wellness Wednesday: Week 1

Yesterday I did this test to assess how my chakras are doing...

These are my results:Root: open (50%)
Sacral: open (50%)
Navel: under-active (13%)
Heart: open (31%)
Throat: open (56%)
Third Eye: open (31%)
Crown: over-active (88%)

First of all, I was pleasantly surprised to see how many were open :o) It's good to know my meditation and breathing exercises are 'working' - I can feel the difference in myself, but it's always good to get a third-party assessment.

My under-active navel chakra means: When the navel chakra is under-active, you tend to be passive and indecisive. You're probably timid and don't get what you want. Friends who have known me for years will laugh at me being 'timid'!! But I have to say, since the stroke, my confidence has been knocked, and it's very hard being so dependent...

The over-active crown chakra was very interesting: If this chakra is over-active, you are probably intellectualizing too much. You may be addicted to spirituality and are probably ignoring your bodily needs. I do indeed live in my head, but how can you be addicted to spirituality??? But I take onboard the need to focus on my body - that's why I started practising yoga two years ago, and why I'm having 1-2-1 sessions as part of my stroke rehab, and why I'm being aware of exactly what I'm eating and drinking...

So this week, I will be especially mindful of my navel chakra, and really breathing deep into my belly... I will try and express what I want, rather than deciding it's too hard and shrugging, 'I don't mind'... And I'll try and be a little less in my head, and more bodily present...

Sacred Life Sunday: Breathing art

A couple of weeks ago, while Tina and I were driving up to Leeds for a night at the theatre, we talked about our hopes and dreams... at one point I remember saying, 'I wish I were a millionaire, then I could support dozens of struggling artists, I could be their patron...'

Well, as we all know, thoughts become things - and no, sadly, I haven't won the lottery - last week I stumbled across this website while looking at this artist's beautiful work on Etsy, and lo and behold, I've become a Patron - and it's FREE!!!!!! I receive daily emails about featured artists and their creations, I can send e-cards of my favourite pieces - and I'm fulfilling my dream...

I really believe those of us who are passionate about art can support others creating art, no matter what we earn. The internet has opened up so many wonderful opportunities to share our thoughts and dreams, and expose each other to websites we may not have come across on our own.

So you will notice several new buttons along the sidebar... check out my favourites on Etsy - I add to them daily, both things and artists :o) There is so much talent and beauty in this world, let's share some...

PS Thank you so much for all the supportive comments last week - I sooo appreciate it!! Esther returned safely on Wednesday and had a great time - she wanted to stay longer! She tried rock climbing, caving, abseiling, quadbiking... and has returned sooo grown up and even more confident - what more could a mama want????

Sacred Life Sunday: Being a brave mama

i had a private cry in the shower this morning, so i could put on a brave face as we waved goodbye to my poppet as she ventures forth on a school trip. she will not be home until wednesday...
her bags have been packed for two days, and the excitement has built each week for six months!!!
the first pic shows esther (right) and her best friend deana (left) - look at those smiles!!
the next pic as she boards the bus, her pink packpack full of treats to share with her friends on the 3 hour bus trip.
the third, some of the brave parents in the school courtyard - the school was started in 1872...
i know i will cope till wednesday - i survived sam doing the trip two years ago. but esther is my poppet, my ally in a house full of men - my husband, my son, my father, my brother - and she understands me - i don't have to spell everything out!!!!!!!!
i haven't let go of my prayer beads since she left... i pray she will be safe and happy and thrive on the adventure of it all, and that i'll survive a house full of testosterone!!