Lovely afternoon!

Practicing some 'laxing with my daughter! Very fun! The Relax Kids Quiet Spaces CD is great... Highly recommend...

New Relax Kids courses

Really looking forward to the start of the next Relax Kids course in February.  Let me know if you would like to come along.  Places are limited!

New Year Dream Board

Haaving enhoyed creating my dream board last year, the time has  come to review it and think about the year ahead.

Here are some great tips from the Relax Kids website:

http://www.relaxkids.com/tips/entry/New_Year_Dream_Board/251

Enjoy!

Send a friend a blessing

Brighten your day by giving someone a ray of sunshine:

You are an amazing star who shines with so many talents

Whose day will you brighten?

1,000 Hands

Someone once told me that we are all supported by 1,000 hands - we cannot survive without the support of others.

This is my space to give thanks and recognise the support I have received, from people and the universe!

Belly laughs!
Belly bowls
Birth
Breath
Brothers
Candles
Coach
Connection
Counselling
Creativity
Death
Dreams
Education
Energy
Esther and Jerry Hicks
Family
Friends
Hope
Husband
India
Intuition
Journals
Krishnamurti
K. Sridhar
Laddie
Laughter
Lava lamp
Letters in the wind
Live Aid
Light
London Marathon
Love
Matha Beck
Meditation
Milla
Microlight
Orchids
Orissa
Pregnancy
Quentin Blake
Singing bowl
Sisters
Snap dragon at my back gate!
Spirit
Thailand
Trust
Truth
Yew tree
Yoga
Yoga teachers

Been a while!

I always find the approach to the new year a special time to reflect on what has been happening and review what I would like to happen in the new year. 

What has been special for you in 2011?


What would be your wish for 2012?

How about making it your best year yet?  Wouldn't that be fantastic?!

I am offering you the opportunity to access a most powerful personal development process - the words you really need to hear most.  Personally designed affirmations to help you enjoy 2012 in ways you never would have considered possible!

Watch this space or get in touch for further details.

Pass the peace

One of the things I love during the Relax Kids class is the 'Pass a piece of peace' where we all hold hands and one person squeezes the hand of the person next to them, and they pass it to the next person and the piece of peace goes round the circle.

Can you pass a piece of peace today - perhaps not in a circle  - I'm sure you can find another way!


With thanks, Charlie

Looking forward to this evening!

Hope to see you at Clements Hall for the workshop!

Relax Kids

I have just taken part in the two day training with Marneta Viegas, who has designed a fantasic set of resources to help people teach children to relax.

Inspirational, thought-provoking and very exciting!

Thank you, Marneta!

Gift a stranger

What a great way to pay it forward: http://www.giftastranger.net/

A friend of mine emailed me this link, saying it reminded him of me.  It certainly struck a cord!  I remember sending a book to a friend of mine many years ago.  I didn't see her all that often and promptly forgot all about it.  I few months later she got in touch to say she had had a life changing experience and a random book she had been sent had really touched her life.  I had thought I had put a slip in to say it was from me and obviously I didn't - we had a good laugh about it.

It made me appreciate how special it can feel to be sent something without knowing who or where it has come from.  It helps to restore your faith in humanity and the universe, whether you are the sender or the recipient!  A great way of giving and receiving simultaneously!

There is peace in sharing and appreciating that together we have what we need.

Essence

“And waking towards dawn, meditation was the splendour of light for the otherness was there, in an unfamiliar room. Again it was an imminent and urgent peace, not the peace of politicians or of the priests nor of the contented; it was too vast to be contained in space and time, to be formulated by thought or feeling.
…
meditation was the very essence of life.”

Krishnamurti’s Notebook Part 6. Bombay and Rishi Valley, 20th October to 20th November 1961.

Peace in unusual places

Today I discovered peace in a tuba!  A local brass band has set up a session for complete beginners and I would certainly say I am that!  It was fabulous to try out something so different, and to appreciate the importance that breathing consistently plays...

Peace is...

“Peace is not something you wish for; It's something you make, something you do, something you are, and something you give away."

Robert Fulgham 


I like the idea that is is something you give away - I like the idea of 'paying it forward'.  Thank you, Robert!

Freedom to choose

Between stimulus and response there is a space. In that space is our power to choose our response. In our response lies our growth and our freedom.         
Viktor E. Frankl (incredible man - Man's Search for Meaning is very inspiring)

I love this quote as it reminds me of my freedom to choose.  I find it challenging, facinating and enlightening to practice finding that space.  It is a wonderous place to learn about ourselves, our assumptions, values and beliefs.  It also gives us the opportunity to rewrite our own story, and genuinely change our behaviour as a result.

There is peace in power and freedom.  Powerful stuff!  Thank you, Viktor!

So what can I actually do?

I love the idea that there are 3 simple things that are always in our power to do, that will help us to start with ourselves:

1. Breathe deeply
2. Drink more water
3. Reach for a slightly better feeling

I have found my breath is a helpful indication of how connected I am feeling with peacefullness.  I have found breathing deeply is so helpful in so many situations, where I would otherwise felt out of control or powerless.

I notice myself that I often have a little nagging feeling that turns out to be thirst, and my lips are a good indicator as to how successful I have been in remembering to drink more water.

I like to try experimenting with all the different ways I can perceive a situation, and look for a way that feels slightly better.  There are some great examples of reframing in NLP (neuro-lingustic programming) which highlight there is no right or wrong - just our perception of a situation.

For example, you see a man pushing an old lady to the floor.  You label him a evil villan.  You then notice he is pushing her out of the way of a falling piano.  You label him a hero for saving her.  Is he either of these?  Or both?  His action has remained the same and how you view that action has changed...

What would you like to try in your own life?

With thanks to Esther Hicks, and her book and CD 'Getting into the Vortex', which suggests beautifully the 3 simple steps outlined above.

Creating True Peace

Thich Nhat Hanh is such an inspiring writer!  I love his book 'Creating True Peace', where he explains the importance of starting with ourselves first, and the influence this can have on our families, communities and the world.  So often we want others to be different in order for us to be able to be, do or say what we want.  And actually we can start our pilgramage back to our true nature now.  Small steps now in the right direction lead to significant inner transformation over time.

The UNESCO Manifesto For a Culture of Peace and Non-violence is in the back and is a great reminder of simple participation that can have enormous influence.

A lovely intention for the start of 2011!

Small and powerful!

I love having the opportunity to spend more good quality time with my daughter - she is such a fabulous teacher, helping me to see the true value of the present moment.  Her clarity, ease and enjoyment of the world she is discovering is very inspiring.

With thanks to my daughter, demonstrating the power of peace perfectly at aged 2.

Singing bowl delight

I knew singing bowls were magical, and I did not quite appreciate just how magical until I got one for Christmas!  The sound is so pure, all encompassing and yet beautifully simple.  A delightful way of getting grounded.

Visioning the future

I love making vision boards that remind me of what's important - this one is hanging in my living room.

The sting ray represent diversity, the value of difference and the beauty of swimming collectively.

The circle of people represent community and the circle of life.

The potter represents creativity - life is a work of art + art is what you create = life is what you create!

The sunset represents stillness, tranquillity, the beauty of peace.

The large bird represents hope - I always feel honoured when I see such a graceful creature and anything seems possible.

The feet represent relaxation, taking things slow and remembering to chill out!

The eco house represents sustainability, for ourselves and for our children.

The wave reminds me that we are filled with a power that creates worlds and moves mountains.

The two children represent my life's work, to walk along side others as they journey through life.  It also reminds me of the importance of innocence, being playful and our interdependence with each other and the earth.

With thanks to Resurgence magazine for these fantastic images!

Joy x 3

I love to spend some time at the end of each day (or perhaps more accurately when I remember to!) reflecting on what I have enjoyed about the day, what has made me laugh, what has been special, who and what I am thankful for.

I then love to spend a bit of time thinking about the next day, and what I am looking forward to, and doing some positive intending. What do I plan to enjoy?  How can I contribute?  What do I want the focus of the day to be?

And then, when the actual event is happening, I get to enjoy it all over again!

3 x the joy - how exciting!

With thank to Esther and Jerry Hicks for 'The Amazing Power of Deliberate Intent' which gave me the idea!