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Category : Consciousness

  • Being, Truth, & Presence

    Being Truth & Presence  The cure for healing collective trauma is to embody being, truth, and presence. Given the state…

  • - SOS – A Call For A Greater World Service

    A program update for your operating system is available.

    Where are those happy days, they seem so hard to find?

    Do you feel stuck, or need to control your environment and people, you might find yourself engaged in competitive battles, needing to  feel better than, entitled, arrogant, or  feeling resentful.

    When you see the world as moving parts to be manipulated and accumulated to  have more than others, your SOS might be up for repair.

    If you are running on competition to achieve superiority. Struggling to earn a sense of worthiness. Denying authentic emotion. Crafting a performance of self. Manipulating and controlling circumstances. Attacking those who seem to threaten your safety. Defending yourself, assigning blame and avoiding personal responsibility. Seeking endless possession and consumption to fill the emptiness.  Fear, perfectionism, attachment, obsession, comparisons, judgment, and chasing the arrival of happiness, your SOS needs a tune up.

    Perhaps your operating system from the past is unsuited for the challenges of the future because it is based on a faulty premise of separation.  Based on fear which is a response to the illusion of being separate from Love.  Fighting for limited resources

    This operating system has become so efficient, it has produced a world that is consuming itself. We move faster, try harder, struggle more in an attempt to outrun a distorted culture of personal and global imbalance. The result is exhaustion, depression, disappointment and shame and trying to convince ourselves to be satisfied with what we have.

    ‘A crust eaten in peace is better than a banquet partaken in anxiety’.  – Aesop

    An obstacles to spiritual growth and happiness is a tendency to hold on to old habits and identifications. 

    Emotions that might appear rational – such as feeling righteous, or depressed about a catastrophe your life  – stands exposed as the result ofirrational thinking. 

    The result of this thinking will tune you  into a frequency of scarcity and limitation. You end up  manifesting more of the same. Your experiences of reality will reflect this back to you.

    The universe is perfect – it does not  take sides. It listens to the repetitive stories you tell yourself and serves it right back you to  in a tangible forms you cannot possibly miss.

    If you can manage to wake yourself up by focusing on being grateful for every experience, every failure,  success, breath, smile, heartache, everything becomes infused with gratitude and comes alive tenfold.

    Gratitude sparks a life of aliveness, creativity, joy, wonder, compassion, empathy and love.

    Thank You is the magic key to a well- oiled Spiritual Operating System.

    Bless your wounded self that was taught to believe there is not enough, that you might not be worthy.

    Bless your ambitions to pursue the best version of yourself. Bless your shadow, you may not always  want to admit you have hiding in the dark places in your heart.

    Bless your need to love and be loved, to make a difference , bless everything and be grateful for everything .  You will stop fighting and all of a sudden begin to know the kind of curiosity about life that leads to miracles.

    Everything becomes affected — your thoughts, actions, interpretations, and life circumstances.   It’s upgrading to a better, happier you .   

    Happiness inspires you to interpret and respond differently to various experiences in your life.   When you  allow these transformations to happen.  


    Living from the Heart is way of life that  operates on a System of  consciousness

    Everything in the universe is alive, conscious and wondrous, you  can align yourself and your life with a higher truth of oneness. You can step into the field of connectivity and access resources that have been previously out of reach.

    “The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen nor even touched, but just felt in the heart.” Helen Keller

    The intelligence of the Heart, can be described as the flow of awareness, understanding, and intuition you experience when your mind and emotions are aligned.

    When you live from your heart, you feel at peace, at ease, and in control of yourself because of a deep inner knowing. You take actions with love.

    You learn how to care for yourself and love yourself. You relax because you know that everything is going to be alright. Living from the heart brings balance.

    When the heart is in control, your body finds good health and exists like a well-oiled machine instead of a broken-down car.

    You might be so used to letting your head be in charge of your life, when you start reacting with your heart instead, it feels like a miracle, like a whole new existence…

    …and it is! The heart is the centre of your body universe and the centre of your feelings.

    Your head is at the edge of your body. You cannot  balance when you are living from there. Your head is not grounded in the reality of your body.
    Let your heart be the centre and watch your life transform.
    When you compartmentalise your life and forget what matters most, you tend to listen to those critical voices in your head… “I’m not worthy”  “I can’t” and “I tried, ”it’s not fair” nonsense and suddenly you are less than you could be.

    Book now

     

    SOS  Retreat with Living from The Heart

    Will help  know who you are, what makes you happy, your strengths and weaknesses, what makes you tick, understanding that while you are not perfect, you can the best version of yourself.

    You will be encouraged to: Live truthfully, authentically, and honestly.

    Cultivate and nurture what is of value in your life, not from your head, where logic rules, but from your heart, where you can feel what is right and real for you.

    When you Live from The Heart, chances are things are going to be just fine

    The evening retreat will introduce you some practices to manifest your creativity and potential through living from the heart .

    Sign up for SOS Mondays here and the Retreat in January 2020

  • You Matter because you are Energy – You are Atomic!

    All matter has form and substance made up of a collections of cells, consisting of collections of molecules, atoms, protons, neutrons, and electrons.

    • Protons have a positive charge and reside inside the core (nucleus) of the atom.
    • Neutrons have no charge and also reside in the nucleus.
    • Electrons have a negative charge and they revolve around the nucleus at various speeds, in various directions, and at various levels. (Basic Science lesson over)

    Opposites attract

    People push and pull like a magnet in a relationships. Opposites attract,  likes and similarities repel. When you hold two magnets together and their opposite charged surfaces connect they pull together, when you turn one around and try to push them together you can feel a force pushing them apart (electromagnetic force).

    What are the atoms made of? 

     Space and sub atomic particles. The atom consists of 99,9999 % space, but this space is not empty. It´s filled with pure energy.  It means that you are an energy being. This fleshy, bony “thing” you call your body is actually an energy-body moving around in an ocean of energy.

    What does connecting with people really mean?

    Abraham Maslow’s ‘hierarchy of needs’ shows that the need to belong is secondary only to your survival needs, John Bowlby’s attachment theories suggests that a child needs a trusting connection with a caregiver to prosper as an adult, connection is essential.

    At the Heart of your Relationships lives Connection.  

    ‘Real connection is more than just talking to others or sharing interests. When you touch someone’s heart and emotionally attach. Your atoms, the building blocks of your presence in the universe become entangled.’

    When you think of someone you love deeply or a mother’s inexplicable knowledge of their child in danger; stop and look at the evidence. There is proof that we are all connected, and it has more to do with the creation of the universe than the simple fact that we are all humans.

    The Energetic Body

    Your body is energy; it is electrical nature. If you shuffle your feet across a carpet and then touch something made of metal, you get an electrical shock. If you step on a piece of glass you feel pain immediately, because it is electrically transmitted along the nerves to your brain.

    There is a vast ocean of energy, even though you cannot perceive it with your five senses, they have an effect on you.  Qi, chi or Prana is a Life force that exists inside you, through you and around you. Your physical body moves in the world of matter, a subtler aspect of you, woven within and throughout your physical body, moves and interacts on a level of pure energy.

    The Energetic Heart

    The Heart is the most powerful source of electromagnetic energy in the body, creating the largest rhythmic electromagnetic field of the body’s organs. Your heart has “electrical circuits,” you can measure the electrical activity by using a electrocardiograph. The magnetic field produced by the heart is more than 100 times greater in strength than the field generated by the brain and can be detected up to 3 feet away from the body, in all directions’ (Heartmath Institute). 

    Communication is not only expressed through the external, facial movements, voice qualities, gestures and body movements. It is also subtle and energetic operating just below your conscious level of awareness. When people are engaged in deep conversation, they begin to fall into a subtle dance, synchronizing their movements and postures, vocal pitch, speaking rates and length of pauses between responses important aspects of your wholeness and wounding also can become linked and synchronized with another person. More about the Power of Touch. 

    The Heart and Emotions

    More profound than conversation, true connection happens without words.You are broadcasting emotions all the time. Thoughts and feelings are energy frequencies that transcend space and time. You transmit and receive information through your thoughts and feelings all the time. This can be overwhelming. More about The power of thought. 

    Align your Energy

    Let go of habitual unconscious and energetic emotional patterns and underlying stress. Learn to replace these with new, healthier patterns that establish increased emotional stability, mental clarity, and balance as a state of being.

    Join me on the Heart of Relationships workshop on Sunday 20th May 2018 10 – 4pm in North London Hampstead. £160 

    Book Workshop

    Guided meditations with Aisha will help you to open your heart, encouraging you to connect deeply and creatively.  Teaching you how to tap into the your own life-force, flow and creativity.

    Book Meditation session

  • Freedom & Commitment in Relationships

    Balancing freedom and commitment in your relationship. Being emotionally mature is the ability to identify, respond, understand and manage your emotions,…

  • Some of your most basic beliefs about love & intimacy are all wrong.

    For over twenty years, I have worked with people from all walks of life, who get stuck in a cycle of pain, disappointment, finding it hard to sustain a healthy relationship. By changing your view of relationships and widening your perspective on intimacy, it creates an opportunity for relationships to not only survive, but thrive!

    Love addiction, intimacy avoidant beliefs & patterns of behaviours;

    • You feel disconnected from your sense of inner peace and happiness
    • You fall in love easily and quickly, but have a hard time coping with long term relationships
    • You neglect yourself and have distorted thoughts about the relationship
    • You fear intimacy because you think you will be drained, engulfed, or controlled.
    • You feel disappointed – that you have not found the right person.
    • When attraction fades, you lose interest and neglect your relationship.
    • You jump from one relationship to another in search of a wonderful feeling you once had
    • You value instant attraction, rather than meaningful connection
    • When you bond with someone, you find it impossible to let go
    • You fantasise about love – your ideal partner you hope to meet, or a previous partner whom you once loved
    • When you are in love, your fantasies distract you from important, everyday tasks
    • Your relationships with family and friends suffer when you are in a romantic relationship

    What causes love addiction or avoidance of intimacy?

    It is hard to feel love when you are angry. Happiness depends on the quality of your inner life, your thoughts, emotions, beliefs and desires when directed towards finding inner peace and love. In essence, you might develop addictions or avoidance to shield yourself from love, or painful feelings. Suffering with negative, inflexible thoughts and emotions, fraught with anger, resentment and criticism, experiencing a loss of connection, perhaps not having experienced hope or love for a long time. You might expose yourself to a serious emotional vacuum and mistake intensity in a relationship for intimacy and love.

    The causes are fairly easy to identify: a history of abandonment, inadequate or inconsistent nurturing without proper bonding, or a lack of emotional connection with a parent rooted in a mature, stable place that nurtures and supports a child. No consistent positive role models of loving relationships. Holding unrealistic fantasises, values and beliefs about love. People struggle with an unconscious fear of of both abandonment and of intimacy.

    A quintessential characteristic of avoidance is a person who, consistently keeps an emotional and mental distance from their partner, feels overwhelmed by their partners’ desire for closeness, feels stifled by thoughts or pressures of vulnerability, they rely on escape, through distancing strategies. A person who is blocked from love, both desires and fears relationships, because they did not have a connection in childhood that comforted them, from fear or the emptiness of abandonment, they did not learn that relationships can be healing. People, often create intensity outside of their relationship, to relieve feelings of disconnection and unhappiness.

    Conscious Fear                            Unconscious Fear

    Love Avoidant

    Intimacy                                 Abandonment

    Love Addict

    Abandonment                               Intimacy

    Emotional Growth & Intimacy

    People who lack emotional maturity, find it hard to deal with their emotions and challenges in life. This is very painful; relationships are often short lived; they find it challenging to maintain relationships of any depth. Compromise is almost impossible, their capacity to understand or respond to another person is limited. They find emotions difficult to handle. In an attempt to avoid feelings, they control their world by creating an idealised version, being extreme in their behaviour, or having black and white thinking.  Over coming this mind set is an important part of growing emotionally, which involves learning to develop coping strategies and relationship skills.

    Relationships are places where this wound shows up. When you are not in a relationship, you can navigate life on your own terms, addressing your needs and wants. You are rarely confronted by the needs of another person in a meaningful way or need to listen to or contemplate someone else’s experiences. You feel in control, most of the time. When you become involved, you are forced to deal with another persons’ desires and needs. You may struggle and blame other people for your problems, situations or circumstances, for your feelings of anger, sadness and depression, without looking within.

    https://www.facebook.com/RussellBrand/posts/10155118538833177

    Mr. Brand’s thoughts about Love addiction;

    ‘At the root of all addiction is narcissism, a constant thrumming attention to self. If you are self-absorbed you are suffering, and if you suffer you seek ways to stop it — through drugs, alcohol, sex, maybe Facebook “likes.’
    He goes on to say;

    “We are trying to solve inner problems externally — whatever it is in our lives that is missing,” he said. “Eckhart Tolle said it perfectly: ‘Addiction starts with pain and ends with pain.’ Here’s the point. Drugs, booze, sex … It’s not the particular addiction that matters as much as the fact that your life is out of control because of it.

    Healing Relationships from love addiction or avoidance of intimacy is a process of self discovery and emotional growth.

    Growing emotionally involves; breaking through denial, acknowledging repetitive patterns, owning harmful consequences of behaviour and thoughts, and interrupting the cycle. Only then is it possible to let go and address the underlying emotional pain at the core of this disconnection. If you avoid intimacy, you run away from difficult emotions. Learning to become present and aware of your feelings is important. Have you ever met a person who is sincerely concerned for your well being and is there for you when you need them? This is a compassionate, empathetic and loving person. For some, this comes naturally, for others, it takes work. Empathy is not the same as compassion. You can be compassionate with someone but able to fully understand what they are going through.

    When you feel something strongly; struggle, loneliness, self criticism, or insecurity, face it head on. Look at the situation, determine what is making you feel that way, and decide what positive steps you will take next.

    A solid relationship with a skilled psychotherapist trained in working with relationships, love and sex addiction can help guide you towards a sustaining a conscious loving relationship.

  • ARE YOU READY TO FIND YOUR FLOW?

    There are moments in life when everything just seems to feel right.
    Things go according to plan, relationships are full of energy and love, and life just flows.

    When you feel strong, you feel safe, feeling safe allows you to feel your vulnerability.

    FLOW a short and simple word describes a sense of seemingly effortless movement.

    When your concentration is focused. Your mind does not wander; you are totally involved in what you are doing. Your energy is flowing very smoothly. You feel relaxed, comfortable, and energetic.

    HELLO FLOW,

    Have you ever felt like that?

    A blissful feeling that warms and enlivens you. When you know who you are and what you want in life. When you are on a path to achieving goals that you truly value. You feel excited and motivated. You feel focused and full of energy. You feel connected. You feel alive.

    Everything you experience joy or pain, interest or boredom is embodied in both mind and body as information. If you are able to manage this information, you can decide what your life will be like.

    “Life is a series of natural and spontaneous changes. Don’t resist them; that only creates sorrow. Let reality be reality. Let things flow naturally forward in whatever way they like.” Lao-Tzu

    Flow happens when there is order in consciousness. This happens when your energy or attention is invested in realistic goals, and when your skills match the opportunities for taking action.

    FIND Your FLOW  

    Flow is a form of energy that can create more positive energy.

    Finding your Flow weekend workshop will explore the process of achieving happiness through achieving mastery over your inner life. You will begin by considering how consciousness works, and how it is achieved.

    “Flow with whatever is happening and let your mind be free. Stay centered by accepting whatever you are doing. This is the ultimate.” – Chuang Tzu

    Working together, we can find flow by:

    • Increasing your self awareness
    • Creating new definitions of success
    • Setting clear and realistic goals
    • Understanding your motivation
    • Being proactive
    • Not stressing about your performance or trying to force yourself to do things
    • Cultivating an environment that is conducive to flow by healthy habits
    • Giving yourself enough time
    • Minimizing interruptions and distractions
    • Being mindful and monitoring your emotional states
    • Recognising your achievements
    • Practicing gratitude

    When you are in flow, you work towards freedom and security. You have balance and direction and you are doing what makes you feel alive.

    YOU are responsible for your happiness.
    Fear of vulnerability creates tension, being on constant guard, terrified of a future that does not yet exist creates suffering. The belief is that if you are protected or feel safe, you cannot be harmed is not the same as being strong.

    No matter how much structure you create in your life, there will always be things that you cannot control; if you allow it, these things can be a huge source of anger, frustration and stress.

    When you resist it’s like trying to swim upstream against a strong current getting nowhere. You may end up completely exhausted and out of breath!

    The simple solution: learn to go with the flow.

    “Smile, breathe and go slowly.” – Thich Nhat Hanh

    Going with the flow, this means rolling with the punches. Accepting change without getting angry or frustrated. Embracing what life gives you, rather than trying to mold life to be exactly as you want it to be.

    Finding your Flow is a fully immersive transformational weekend workshop, where you will be guided finding your flow. Through your senses, sound, movement and stories you will begin to move into flow, enabling the energy of your heart to flow fully. You will journey towards your authentic self finding strength in vulnerability – without the need to hide or run away. When you are in flow you become fully available to yourself and others, opening you up to give and receive love.

    London NW3 | 10 -4pm

    Book Now

  • Remerge with your soul on Living from The Heart Chi Kung & Meditation Retreat 7th – 14th September 

    Order brings sameness. Chaos brings newness every moment.
    The problem is first overcoming your fear of chaos, and then mining for the great ideas and bringing them back home.

    There is a lot of chaos and creativity in the world at the moment.

    The world is changing at an ever increasing rate.

    Globally politics, society, and culture is in the midst of transformation, old structures are no longer working.

    Your personal Renaissance

    Renaissance periods happen after a time of great darkness. things “seem” to be getting darker, those with the light within them are shining even brighter, and searching for answers beyond the veil of corruption.

    The Renaissance changed the world in just about every way you can think of. Each new intellectual advance paved the way for further advancements.

    Consciousness is the product of carefully balanced chaos.

    There are times in life when you may feel motivated, ambitious, eager, and anticipatory. Great strides can be made in many different aspects of your life as a mental renaissance takes place…the cold, hard, dark age of the mind is over and a new light; the light of innovation; shines down upon your mental and emotional landscape, giving birth to something quite extraordinary.

    Do you feel called to look inward for answers?

    I am a great believer that life always offers you an opportunity for greater consciousness, if you can see that everything in your life is there in support of your growth.
    It is said that humans, are a small universe interacting with the ‘big’ universe.

    As a Psychotherapist, I know well how the mind can either heal us or harm us. Your thoughts are potent and can affect you profoundly.
    In meditation, I have practiced shifting the monkey mind; which is constantly chatting about negative thoughts and worry; into a loving calm energy of the heart.

    Join me for  Living from The Heart Retreat in Portugal 7th – 14th September chi kung, meditation, retreat. It will be a Soul boosting Week of Personal & Professional Development with +30 hours of CPD (if required)

    Fill your life with renewed energy, feel alive, increase your awareness with careful attention and balance of meditation and activity.

    Evaluating your belief system and developing a positive one that nurtures your mind, body, and spirit may help you find more loving calm and peaceful experiences with yourself and in your relationships.

    Free yourself from your worries. Do you sometimes ask yourself?

    • How can I access my inner force and develop my unique talents?
    • How can I build better relationships?
    • How can I evolve and extend my view of the world?
    • How can I face the realities in my life?
    • How can I nurture unconditional love and compassion for myself and others?

    During the week on the chi kung, meditation, retreat you will;

    Find freedom from stress and enter a calm, relaxed and natural state of clarity

    • Activate your life force and strengthen and energise your body and mind
    • Be truly present in the moment and deepen your awareness
    • Contemplate, reflect and widen your understanding of life
    • Learn about the intelligence of the heart and its unique consciousness and power
    • Develop your health and unlimited potential.

    On the chi kung & meditation, retreat; you will cultivate a sustained and gentle attentiveness to the movement and stillness of body, heart and mind. As you bring investigation and kindness to this constantly changing experience of life, the entanglements that bind you become more visible, allowing you to soften and open to the simple perfection of the moment.

    Through this cultivation you can access a spaciousness, which allows your natural compassion and wisdom to become more available to you.

    The Chi Kung practice is very much part of a meditative inquiry, using simple standing and moving exercises suitable for all levels of experience and health

    The retreat will be run in a tranquil location in the forested hills of Central Portugal, situated far from the crowds, just 3 km from the beautiful ‘Castelo de Bode’ lake and 8 km from the small town of Cernache de Bonjardim. The small valley is surrounded by eucalyptus, pine and oak. The trees full, lush foliage create masses of the Qi or Chi (pronounced chee) life force that deflects toxic energy. The old manor house which has been lovingly restored with many of the original features preserved, provides en-suite bedrooms.

    Attend alone, bring your partner, friend or family member to a build a more successful relationship or rejuvenate an existing one.

    Bring all aspects of your physical, emotional, energetic, mental and spiritual bodies back into alignment and harmony.

    This week is open to both individuals and couples.

    On this intimate retreat, you will clear anger, resentments, disappointments and grievances to move towards expansion and growth.

    Working within a group allows you to explore your history to create a future of experiences where you are the director of your life, creating a new context within which to live your life.

    You will experience a calm oasis within a small valley surrounded by eucalyptus, pine and oak Trees. Full of of chi, Trees with full, lush foliage create masses of the Qi or Chi (pronounced chee) life force that deflects toxic energy. A wonderful place to Heal the Heart.The environment lends itself to profound healing and meditative work to gain perspective and healing introspection.

    There will be a heart-expanding exploration within the group work, meditations, reflective exercises and mind and body practices. The morning session will usually consist of breath work and Chi Kung; the afternoon sessions will be a mixture of meditation and various group exercises centered on healing the heart with time to digest the work and complete self directed tasks allowing time to stop and stare, while enjoying the surroundings of forested hills and nearby lakes and rivers.

    There are places in the world, where you can feel the connection with the divine one of them is Dornes by the Lakes and rivers, known for its strong energy field. Such a place can provide answers to a long unanswered questions and make you feel the energy on a more concentrated spiritual level.

  • Loving Kindness & Compassion

    ‘When love has carried us above all things . . . we receive in peace the Incomprehensible Light, enfolding us and penetrating us. What is this Light, if it be not a contemplation of the Infinite, and an intuition of Eternity? We behold that which we are, and we are that which we behold; because our being, without losing anything of its own personality, is united with the Divine Truth.” Ruysbroeck

    The darkest week of the year marked by the Winter solstice has arrived along with Mercury retrograde, this is always a time of truth, when communications seem disrupted and misunderstandings are rife, misunderstandings themselves are part of the truth of being human. Mercury is retrograde from 19th December – 8th January, giving us a chance to address short comings and mistakes and correct the course of events.

    The experience of darkness, shadow or Dark Night of the Soul, is necessary in order to feel the emerging light as celebratory, many people want to avoid the darkness. There is something fearful about the absence of physical light because it evokes the dark side of the psyche; your fears and depressed moods, your envies and secret longings.

    Ask yourself; ‘What truth does this reveal to me, and why have I needed it revealed in this way at this time?’

    In the darkest part of the year when the days are shortest, Mother Nature reminds every body to slow down, enjoy time with loved ones, to be open to listening. A time to move towards the vibration of compassion to become more effective in your relationships.

    The days after the winter solstice begin to lengthen, shifting from the darkest part of the year back into the ever increasing light, is a perfect time to clear the old to make room for the new.

    Many people feel unsettled about the global changes taking place, this has been accompanied by low vibrational emotions such as anger, blame, self-judgment, hopelessness, frustration, fear and worry, that do not serve consciousness nor good decision making.

    Distress is alleviated by attending to yourself and your inner turmoil.

    Everything you do and think affects the people in your life and their reactions to you. The choices you make have consequences. Each of us carries within the capacity to change the world in small ways for better or worse.

    Every single effect within the world, upon the earth has a cause, an original starting point.

    All paths have an original first step and from that first step comes a chain reaction of events with further offshoots spanning out in all directions and so on duplication and replication takes place.

    All your thoughts and your behaviour and movements affect the entire universe according to the law of cause and effect.

    When was the last time you were truly kind to yourself? Not just rewards and gifts, but true kindness?

    Only when you have established a kind relationship with yourself can you begin to be truly loving with others; love is generated and experienced from within. In this state you are able to really open your hearts in our treatment of others.

    Learning to treat yourself with kindness, to open your heart to yourself and others is the first and most important step in cultivating loving-kindness and compassion;

    The passage of Mercury retrograde is a gift from the heavens giving you an opportunity to reflect, take stock, review, and correct mistakes you may previously have made in the rush, take your time to make conscious choices and plant seeds of new perspectives.

    When you experience the true depth of the darkness of despair, tears might well up spontaneously, it can have a soothing effect. It changes your physiology from sympathetic nervous system defense and denial patterns into parasympathetic relaxation states. It improves your perspective on the world, especially if this disclosure is shared with another person. When you give into the exhaustion, you might fall into a restful and healing sleep, a sleep that could last a few minutes or hours. You can awaken feeling loving kindness compassion renewed and rested.

    Being in contact with your bodily sensations, hidden rage towards a current or past injustice, an unexpressed desire for fulfillment or failure is not about acting on them but simply about feeling them. When you do this, what you have hidden from yourself in darkness can now be revealed in the light of awareness. You can become more completely yourself, more confident and more fully alive.

    If then, we would indeed restore mankind by truly botanic, magnetic, or natural means, let us first be as simple and well as Nature ourselves, dispel the clouds which hang over our brows, and take up a little life into our pores. Do not stay to be an overseer of the poor, but endeavor to become of the worthies of the world.” Henry David Thoreau

    Sometimes the “life” you need to take in feels like a retreat and a loss. Nature herself waxes and wanes, grows and recedes, lives and dies. In the midst of this shifting and change is one certainty.

    The inner eternal light will naturally follow the dark time of the soul; it’s the way of the earth and of all her creatures.

    By practicing the relaxation techniques on a daily basis, you learn to let go of the unhealthy emotional states that lead to the physical and emotional tension. Meditation includes a strong element of bodily relaxation.

    You can learn how to directly affect your emotional and mental states, promoting calmness and contentment. Learning how your body/ mind interacts will help you to influence your emotional states by regulating your posture and breathing and lifestyle.

    Restoring Mind, Body, Spirit Retreat can help you to become more aware of how to make conscious choices that lead to outcomes that are more supportive of your well being and happiness.

  • Why Stress Is Deadly?

    Stress causes deterioration in your Mind and Body, rendering you more susceptible to illnesses ranging from heart disease, posttraumatic stress disorder, depression, chronic stress has been linked to ailments as diverse as intestinal problems, gum disease, erectile dysfunction, growth problems and even cancer.

    Stress is a measure of your mental and physical resistance to circumstances beyond your control.

    Stressors are threats, demands, or changes to which you attach special, significant importance, you may struggle or feel discomfort or uncertainty in your responses.

    Your autonomic nervous system (the part that regulates how your unconscious physiological processes function) is divided into two parts – the sympathetic and the parasympathetic autonomic nervous systems.

    The sympathetic nervous system is responsible in part for the “fight or flight” response. It is stimulated when you are under pressure, and results in increased arousal.

    The parasympathetic nervous system does the opposite; it returns your system to a balanced, or homeostatic, state.

    The hormones your body produces boost heart rate, increase respiration and increase the availability of glucose (cellular fuel) in the blood, thereby enabling the well-known “fight or flight” reaction.

    These responses use a lot of energy, stress affects physical processes such as digestion, reproduction, physical growth and some aspects of the immune system; to shut or slow down.

    There are different types of stress that can be harmful to your well being.

    Cumulative Stress slowly accumulates over time. It’s just one small thing after and another, until you are overwhelmed and can not take it any more.

    Chronic Stress does not easily go away. You may wake up every morning with it and can not stop to think about it on the bed every night. Many people complaining of enduring back pain tend to have chronic stress. Many people injured in their 40’s or 50’s suffer from never ending pain that can not be easily be cured by medical procedures. They are in an irritable state and easily get angry when confronted with even a small problem!

    Catastrophic Stress can affect people after an intense and unexpected traumatic event, such as an accident, hurricanes, or act of violence, it can be devastating, especially for those who are immediately affected. A trauma is a  life-altering event, a horrific kind of stress. Some people are unable to recover from catastrophic stress. Many people suffering PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) can take many years to recover from catastrophic stress. The death of a loved one is catastrophic. People build strong attachments over time, once broken, it brings a lot of personal pain. Grief is not something that comes or ends swiftly. People can often become overwhelmed by the complexity and dilemmas of their personal and professional lives.

    Control Stress People feel more competent, stronger, and safer when they have control, often situations in life do not allow us to have that opportunity. You may end up time poor without enough time to devote to your favourite activities. Once an energetic, positive person, with dynamic personality,  you may find yourself constantly exhausted, thinking things will never change, dreading  going to work, cranky, and suffering from stomach pains and migraine headaches. Your have no mastery over your life life with no ability to make choices based on your awareness.

    Taking Responsibility for your Responses 

    Taking a step back from life enables you to move forward with greater ease and grace with renewed clarity towards what you wish to create.

    Attending a retreat with Living from The Heart provides such an opportunity for growth.

    In life what is an unhealthily stressful situation for one person may be a bracing challenge for another.
    Stress is your response to external circumstances. You can learn coping behaviors and live in a more balanced way. New behavior patterns have to be learned, not adopted as an act of will.
    This involves taking responsibility for your mental, emotional and physical states, training yourself to alter how you respond to experiences, especially difficult ones, to affect outcomes both internally, in terms of mental and emotional states that you experience, and externally, in terms of the situations that you create that can become more conducive to your well being and happiness. When you become deeply aware of the patterns that your mind and emotions give rise to including the patterns of responses that you experience as stress.
    You become more aware, for example, of how you might blow things out of proportion, to add to your woes.
    You might become aware of how you indulge in anxious thoughts, so that a neutral thought about something you have to do leads to worrying about what will happen if you do not do it, and how this leads in turn to you actively seeking things to worry about.
    Once you are aware of these internal activities, you clearly are in a better position to do something about them.
    With awareness comes choice. Once you are aware of a pattern of experience, you can choose to act in a different way.

    No awareness = No choice

    Restoring Mind, Body, Spirit Retreat can help you to become more aware of how to make choices that lead to outcomes that are more supportive of your well being and happiness.

    By practicing the relaxation techniques on a daily basis, you learn to let go of the unhealthy emotional states that lead to the physical and emotional tension. Meditation includes a strong element of bodily relaxation.

    To begin to understand how this works you can listen to a body awareness and relaxation exercises on the Meditation page.

    You can learn how to directly affect your emotional and mental states, promoting calmness and contentment. Learning how your body/ mind interacts will help you to influence your emotional states by regulating your posture and breathing and lifestyle.

    https://youtu.be/I1wg1DNHbNU

  • Remember that the clocks change on 30th October at 2am.
    They are going backwards meaning the UK will revert back to Greenwich Mean Time. There will also be an hour less sunlight in the evenings.

    In the UK, daylight savings time was officially introduced following the The Summer Time Act 1916. The law followed a campaign by builder William Willett; the grandfather of Coldplay singer Chris Martin; who was a lifelong advocate for Daylight Savings Time (DST).

    He believed in the summer it would save on energy costs and enable people to have more recreation time outdoors

    “Everyone appreciates the long light evenings,” Mr Willet wrote in 1907 ‘Everyone laments their shrinkage as the days grow shorter, and nearly everyone has given utterance to a regret that the clear bright light of early mornings, during spring and summer months, is so seldom seen or used.”

    Shadow Work is a way to bring your true self out of shadow and into the light.
    Shadow Work is a way of transforming parts of your character that you would like to change with compassion and understanding of these diverse parts.

    The World needs Conscious People. Our World Is a Reflection Of Everyone’s Consciousness. Yes, your consciousness makes a difference.
    Your commitment to bring consciousness to your inner world can make huge shifts personally and globally, it can have a profound influence on what occurs in the physical world.

    Fear lives in the personal and collective Shadow. Many people are afraid of the darkness within, they project it outside and fight these monsters that are projected into the world.

    On your journey towards greater self-awareness and spiritual expansion, you encounter the Shadow Self.
    This is hidden from your conscious self-image.
    The Shadow represents the rejected, repressed, undeveloped and denied.
    These are dark disowned aspects of your being.
    When the full extent of the shadow is revealed, it can be quite a shock.
    Yet there is positive undeveloped potential in the Shadow because it is always with you and holds so much of your life energy.

    The key is to recognise it and transform it in useful and positive ways.

    Making a shift requires you to remove what is not in harmony or alignment, physically, emotionally and spiritually in your life.

    When you go into the darkness inside yourself and face that darkness, you discover that it is not that dark after all, the fears that you had, have the potential to be transformed, you can discover the light that is hidden within the darkness, the light that holds so much potential and creativity.

    Many people blame relationship problems on a lack of love and the other person not ‘being enough’.
    In truth it is the challenge of being close and loving in a relationship that uncovers the difficulty.
    A close relationship is a powerful light, and like any strong light it casts a large shadow.
    When you stand in the light of a close relationship, you will encounter the shadow.
    ‘There is a psychological law that says when we don’t own and consciously recognise a significant inner conflict the situation has to be played out through external circumstances. This is sometimes known as “fate”

    Jahnavi will be working along side me during the workshop, she will lead the Kirtan during this workshop using sacred sound. Jahnavi was raised in a family of bhakti yoga practitioners at Bhaktivedanta Manor in Hertfordshire.
    She is a multi- disciplinary artist, trained in both Indian and Western classical dance and music, as well as writing and visual arts.
    After graduating with a BA in Linguistics and Creative Writing, she travelled internationally with the sacred music band, ‘Gaura Vani and As Kindred Spirits’, for five years, presenting the dynamic stories and spiritual culture of India for a fresh, contemporary audience. She now helps to run ‘Kirtan London’, a project which aims
    to make sacred mantra music accessible and relevant to a wider audience, including schools, mental health institutions. She writes regularly on spirituality and the arts for various publications, as well as on her blog – ‘The Little Conch’ (www.littleconch.com). She has released her debut sacred music album, ‘Like a River to the Sea’ in July 2015 and was nominated for a Grammy in 2016 for the charity album ‘Bhakti Without Borders’.

    To Book a place Shadow workshop