I have a dream.................

It has been a tragic week and one which has caused me to look back on something I wrote in 2010 on the 9th anniversary of the September 11th events which shocked the world.  I am reposting this  from 2010 with some adaptation but this continues to be my vision for the future.  I will never give up on this dream.

The Om Namah Shivaya Centre for Global Healing

On the 9th anniversary of the shockingly heart-wrenching events of the terrorist attacks in 2001, I find myself reflecting back to that awful time, as I'm sure many people are doing right now.


I was in some way cocooned from the shock wave which raced its way across the world 9 years ago. I was staying in Scotland, where we had no contact with the outside world and no television for the five days of an Advanced CranioSacral Therapy workshop. I can’t remember exactly how we found out that something terrible had occurred – I just remember finding a phone the day after and calling to ask my husband “Has something happened?” He repeated my words in disbelief. “Has something HAPPENED? You mean you don’t know?

Gradually, the shock-wave reached to every corner of our retreat and into the hearts of the participants on the workshop………and especially into the heart of the Irish lady whose daughter worked in one of the towers. Thankfully, through the Grace of God, her daughter was unwell that day and had phoned in sick. The feeling of disbelief was palpable, as it was across the world and we wondered “How could we not know about this until the next day? How could we not have FELT something through the collective emotions of the millions who were grieving? The purpose of the workshop we were doing was to “clear” ourselves of our own emotional baggage in order to become more able to help our clients with theirs. As you can imagine, it was a particularly powerful workshop with tears of grief for the suffering and bereaved and tears of gratitude for the safety of the people we loved…. all mingled with the tears of our “own” stuff.

The idea of building a mosque at the site of the Twin Towers has caused much controversy and I can’t get out of my mind the image of the Pastor who wants everyone to burn copies of the Koran (and keeps a GUN within reach on his desk – the desk where he probably also writes his sermons).

So I got to thinking what I’d like to see built on the site of the Twin Towers to honour the memory of those who died and to ensure that such a tragedy never happens again.

So here is my “DreamBoard” image for the site of the Twin Towers:-   (Now, 5 years later it is too late for the site of the Twin Towers but wouldn't it be wonderful to have Plazas like these all over the world.)

It is a vast site, so in the pursuit of knowledge and understanding, why can’t it become a multi-belief site? Why can’t we encourage tolerance and understanding by building a church/mosque/temple/synagogue devoted to all religions on the site? A Plaza surrounded by many places of prayer. Call me naïve,  I only know that when I walked into a Mosque in Turkey many years ago, I was struck by the sense of sacredness there. It was the most beautiful, peaceful place but I always feel just as connected to God in Anglican and Catholic churches, in Hindu temples and also sitting out in nature praying with Lakota spiritual leaders because I believe God resides in our hearts…..in the deepest core of our being - we just use different names for the pure Source Energy from which we came and to which we will all return.

My DreamBoard vision for the future contains an image of droves of people daily visiting their chosen place of prayer, having mutual respect for the beliefs of others and happily passing the time of day together, drinking coffee, chai and mint tea in the beautiful, flower-filled Plaza outside.

One of the buildings in the Plaza could be devoted to education, so we can learn about each others values and beliefs without judgement.

Sitting re-reading this blog, I just heard an internal voice telling me to open the Bhagavad Gita sitting beside me on my desk.

This is Ranchor Prime’s excellent interpretation of the Bhagavad Gita “Talks Between The Soul and God” which I received as a gift from a very good friend.

I opened it at random, as I often do when I have asked for inspiration and found myself at Chapter 10. Verses 9-11.

Read that again.

Yes, Verses 9-11.  I don’t believe in co-incidences!

This is what it said:-

Verse 9. With minds absorbed in me and lives surrendered to me, they enlighten one another and find deep satisfaction in speaking of me always, tasting transcendental bliss. (For me, the Plaza has just come alive a place of tolerance and blissful happiness.)

Verse 10. To those always absorbed in serving me with love, I give the understanding that leads to me.(And to non-judgement.)

Verse 11. Out of compassion for them, I dwell in their heart and destroy the darkness born of ignorance with the shining lamp of knowledge. (The Education Centre)

I think Ranchor’s interpretation of these verses (not mine – which are highlighted in blue) should have pride of place at the site, along with the Sanskrit Mantra “Om Namah Shivaya” which, as I understand it, translates as “I honour the Divinity that resides within me”.

If we all, collectively, dream of a tolerant, heart-centred world we might just make it - I hope it will be in my grandchildren's lifetime.


Namaste

Ranchor Prime’s translation of the Bhagavad Gita “Talks Between The Soul and God” is published by Fitzrovia Press. ISBN 978-0-9561846-4-1 

THE GOLD IN THE SHADOW......

OK - I’ve given in and come back to Facebook.  So many people have commented on my absence. Bless you all.  I’ve had phone calls to ask “Are you alright Jan?” and emails of the same nature.  I’m so sorry to have worried you all and my intention wasn’t to get you all to miss me, I promise.  But here is what happened..........

I had been unwell for some time and undergone lots of scans, unpleasant examinations and the like which had proved inconclusive (at least up until last week).  I was in some discomfort, not able to exercise, not able to sit for long periods of time, which has been difficult considering it’s tax calculation time and so I was sinking into the depths of despair.  Well, not quite..........I never sink that low thankfully because when I feel this happening, I get my self-help books out and practice some Jin Shin or do some EFT tapping.  Hence feeling unwell is a great learning opportunity - I treat it like a college course and then an A-HA invariably happens and I realise what’s being going on with me. 

Illness or pain are both great teachers.  We are taught in CranioSacral Therapy that pain is a cry from the Soul.  

As I dragged myself through this miserable “college course”, I found I was withdrawing into myself and spending increasingly more time on Facebook watching everyone else getting on with their lives and enjoying wonderful Christmas celebrations.......or so it seemed to me.  I didn’t feel I could contribute anything to the world of Facebook that would be cheerful and uplifting to read yet still, every time I passed my laptop I just had to open it and see what everyone was doing.   Watching what everyone was doing without contributing myself was acutely uncomfortable.  I had become a STALKER!  A curtain-twitcher.   I hated that feeling and I hated everyone who I was ‘Friends” with.  Especially the ones who were posting how great they were and how wonderful it was to be making such a difference in the world.  I, on the other hand, felt like Poo.

Now I should explain that this was my perception of what I was reading on Facebook and not necessarily what people were actually posting because I was obviously dealing with some deep inner stuff that surfaced during my Therapeutic Imagery & Dialogue course at the beginning of December.  I had become that part of my psyche who appeared to me during meditation as a little, ugly, wrinkled and miserly old lady who I refused to even look at.  She terrified me, but during my sessions I got to know her very well.  She was grieving the loss of her creativity, both in having children and the loss of her gifts of creative words and speech.   2nd chakra issues.

2nd chakra issues = pelvic problems = a big fat ‘AHA  So that’s what’s going on with me!‘    

With the support of my colleagues, all advanced practitioners in CranioSacral Therapy, I was able to integrate this old woman, this part of myself,  into my conscious awareness and allow her to become magnificent and fertile again.

Or so I thought.  

Until she resurfaced again through Facebook and became a Stalker.  Through me.

New Year came and went and I had to own up.  “My name’s Jan and I’m a Facebook-aholic”.  I realised that there are aspects of Facebook that should carry a government health-warning.  “Caution, spending too much time on here may cause a sub-personality to pop up and take over your life.”  There was only one thing to do and that was to avoid it completely.  It was surprisingly easy really.  I did feel tempted to go on and explain that I’d come off, so to speak!  But I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to stop at just one look.  Truly - how sad is that?  I consoled myself by adding up all the 5 minutes here and 5 minutes there that I had been spending stalking and let me tell you it’s shocking.  Try it.  Instead, those precious minutes have now been filled with creative inspiration.  I am writing again, planning some more meditations and the ‘little old lady’ part of me is glowing with health and magnificence. 

Physically,  last week’s tests were positive.   All organs sound and healthy but the problems and pain in my pelvis are due to the sheer amount of adhesions caused by open gall bladder surgery 11 years ago which are pulling on and shortening my pelvic ligaments.  I looked up the word ‘adhesion’ and found this definition:-  the adhesion of parts united by growth.  Strange that.  I feel like these adhesions (and Facebook) have led me to discover a part of myself which I didn’t know was there - that grumpy, sour, withered old woman who just needed to be acknowledged.  I hope we too can now be united by growth.

I think I can return to Facebook now and be gracious to all my FB friends.  I am choosing to look once a day only though in case my little old lady surfaces and starts stalking you again.

I would be really interested to hear if anyone else finds that Facebook brings up their sub-personalities - their shadow parts.   Be honest, for there is Gold to be had in that there shadow.  Maybe we should throw a big fancy dress party and each of us could come as our shadow-side.  I’d love to hear who you would come as?  

If anyone is interested in a journey of self-discovery using CST and Therapeutic Imagery and Dialogue, please let me know via email or - wait for it - FACEBOOK!

Namaste folks.

P.S.  In case you think I've completely lost the plot, I would like to add how refreshing it was to hear a GP on my course announce "Sometimes I REALLY hate my patients".  I'm not the only one with a grumpy old lady inside!

  

Our Autumn DreamBoard Day

What a glorious day we all had on Saturday!

I really felt the need to make a new DreamBoard and it's so much fun to do in a group situation so I invited some previous DreamBoard Workshop participants to join me.  It was very gratifying to hear how so many of them had manifested the things they placed on their previous DreamBoards.........and they were ready to focus on new goals!!

We had a great time, the sun streamed through the windows and we were actually able to have lunch outside.   With craft shops opening up in many areas, it was really interesting to see how much more creative and elaborate the DreamBoards are becoming.  

This was a very informal day, as everyone had previously done the DreamBoard Workshop with me, so there were none of the usual exercises and EFT tapping but lots of music and singing going on!  We had a REALLY lovely day.  Take a look at some of their DreamBoards.......not all were finished, including mine, which is a work in progress.

The actual DreamBoard Workshops will begin again in January and will include the full format of self-discovery exercises, Emotional Freedom Techniques and of course the much-loved DreamBoard Meditation at the end of the day.  If you are interested in signing up for a workshop, please email me with your details and I'll let you know as soon as I can confirm the dates.  Likewise, if you'd like me to send you more information about the full workshop, please email me with your contact details or postal address.

A Joyful Morning with Meadowlark

I was laying in bed this morning have a chat with my little granddaughter when she said, "Nanny, I'll find the little girl called Meadowlark for you.  She went across to my iPod, pressed a few buttons (she's 2 years and 8 months old) and managed to get the right one.   

She covered me over with the duvet and told me to close my eyes and take a deep breath in and then let go.  She told me to squeeze my body tightly and then let it go soft like a wobbly jelly then she went through all the actions of Meadowlark running through the meadow singing and waving her arms through the long grass - this was all before the actual track had begun.  She climbed up on to the bed and lay with me telling me the story as it unfolded and making the appropriate Prairie Dog squeaks.  We had to listen to the whole track before I was allowed to get up.    It was an absolute joy to discover that she had taken so much of her bedtime story in.

I frequently get feedback for my CDs from parents but to hear it from the mouth of a 2 year old was SO fulfilling.  She practically knew it word for word and hearing it again in it's entirety this morning has reminded me what an absolutely delightful story it is.   

When I am inspired to write, it comes so quickly that I sometimes cannot get the words written down quickly enough.  Once I am happy with the result of the project, I rarely re-visit it - I just 'put it out into the Universe'.   The result of this kind of inspiration is that I don't always remember writing it myself - it's as if it is just being given to me.  Perhaps this is why I am not very good at promoting myself - because I don't feel it's 'mine'!

This morning my little grand-daughter virtually forced me to lie down and listen to Meadowlark's story and I loved it all over again.  Now everything this morning has been about Meadowlark, she is drawing her, making her out of playdough, singing about her and has brought her alive again for me.   I have remembered too, that I dedicated this series to her.  She has made sure today that I have not forgotten Sweet Meadowlark and Little White Feather, even announcing "Come on, Nanny, we have an appointment with Meadowlark".  

Out of the mouths of babes, as they say.  It's time Meadowlark and Little White Feather had some more adventures.............

The Sweet Meadowlark and Little White Feather CDs are available to order from Diviniti Publishing Ltd. (See link below.)  And as I discovered again this morning, it isn't just the children who adore them.

  

Links: 

Diviniti Publishing Ltd - publishers of The Great Spirit Series for Little Souls and the Sacred Light Series of Angel Meditation CDs.  

For Children's Craft Projects and more information about The Great Spirit Series for Little Souls                                                                                               

Waves......Three Minutes of Bliss

Whenever you're slogging through the day at work and need some respite, click on this link,  join me on the beach and let your breath carry you over the waves..........


http://youtu.be/vIjFPpDnKNA

Self-Help at your Fingertips - The Central Harmoniser

Whenever I feel unwell and nothing I try seems to work, it is always to High Touch® Jin Shin Acupressure that I turn.  It is simple, I can do it anywhere and it always helps me to feel better.  I remember years ago, after open gall bladder surgery, I was in hospital feeling very low and very scared.  Then I remembered that I had taken my little High Touch ® Jin Shin Self-Help book into the hospital with me.  I sat by my bedside for hours, holding various fingers and acupressure points all over my body - much to the amusement of the nurses and doctors, but I desperately needed to do something for myself.  From that point on, I felt stronger, less vulnerable, my spirits lifted and I began to heal.   Following my recovery, I started to teach some of these simple techniques in one-day introductory workshops.  High Touch ® Jin Shin is a wonderful self-help tool which I can't recommend highly enough and I notice myself doing it without even thinking about it.  


Do you ever find yourself holding the fingers of one hand with the fingers of the other?  
Do you ever sit with your fingers on your forehead, deep in thought?  This is ancient knowledge......a form of self-healing that we instinctively know on some deep level but have long-forgotten.  


The following technique is known in  High Touch® Jin Shin as The Central Harmonizer.  You can do this lying down or even in the bath and it will leave you feeling calm and balanced.  I plan to re-introduce these one-day workshops over the coming months, so please send me your contact details if you'd like to be advised of the schedule.  

The Central Harmoniser
(Copyright Betsy Ruth Dayton.M.Ed.)

Step 1:            Right hand on top of head (crown)

                      (It should remain there until Step 8)

                      Left middle finger on third eye, between eye brows, a 
                      little above.

Step 2:            Left middle finger on tip of nose.

Step 3:            Left middle finger in "v" of throat

Step 4:            Left fingers on sternum, at the centre between the breasts 
                      (heart))

Step 5:            Left middle finger at base of sternum (solar plexus)

Step 6:            Left middle finger on umbilicus

Step 7:            Left middle finger on centre of pubic bone

Step 8:            Right hand (palm side or back of hand) on coccyx

                      (Left hand remains on pubic bone)

Hold each position for a minimum of 2-3 minutes or until you feel a pulsation in both sets of fingers.   Ideally for 3-5 minutes.

FUNCTIONS

Step 1:            Harmonises blood pressure; nervous conditions; revitalises ;     

                      brain; dissipates senility; supports pineal and pituitary glands; 
                      hold for insomnia or when you have no ambition.

Step 2:            Supports pituitary gland; influences rejuvenation 
                      and reproduction of cells and life (both partners hold 
                      when  having difficulty conceiving.)

Step 3:            Supports thyroid and parathyroid glands; aids reproduction;           

                      larynx; speech; strengthens artistic expression; creativity. Hold

                      when having irritable feelings.

Step 4:            Strengthens circulatory system; revitalises lungs (breathing) and

                      pelvic girdle (hip energy); supports the thymus gland which is 
                      the master gland of the immune system - hold as a prevention 
                      against illness.

Step 5:           Strengthens builders of the blood, harmonises red blood cells and       
                     white blood cells; controls secretions of digestive enzymes 

                     and hormones; strengthens lymphatic system; nervous 
                     system and muscle tone of arms and legs; harmonises spleen; 
                     adrenals; kidneys; liver; gall bladder and pancreas.

Step 6:           Breathing control; strengthens small and large intestine; 

                     physical digestion and assimilation; revitalises adrenal glands.

Step 7:           Influences growth; mental competence and lymph system;

                     harmonises reproductive glands; strengthens spine.

Step 8:           Balances reproductive organs, ureters, abdominal area; 

                     aids circulation of legs and feet (use for leg cramps, sciatica,

                     injuries to leg, ankle or foot, or cold feet).

I find the easiest place to do this is in bed, first thing in the morning.  It is definitely worth setting the alarm to wake you 20-25 minutes earlier than usual to prepare you for the day ahead.  I also support my right arm with a pillow to avoid any strain on the muscles.  

Notice how your breathing changes as you work your way through the steps.

You can apply this technique at any time of the day, whenever your energy is flagging.  It will give a "tune-up" to your whole being and energise the life source.


The Central Harmonizer is sourced from "An Introduction to High Touch®  Jin Shin for Self-Help" by Betsy Ruth Dayton M.Ed.   This booklet and additional materials are available from the High Touch ® Network.    See links below.  

For training in the oriental art of High Touch ® Jin Shin    (The High Touch Network)

My own excellent High Touch ® Jin Shin Instructor  (Heidi Ritz)

Don't Worry.......Be Happy..........

We come into the world with an exhalation,

to clear and empty us so that we can receive.

We never 'take' a breath.

We 'receive' a breath.

from 'The Touch of Healing' by Alice Burmeister.

Remember this thought, next time you are feeling anxious or stressed.  Your breath is your ultimate tool.

Just allow yourself to be as you are, go into your breath, then accept the gift that is being given to you with each inhalation.  If you encircle your left thumb with your right hand whilst you do this, you will be balancing your spleen and stomach, the organs which are associated with worry.  Change hands and hold the other thumb in the same way and you will find yourself becoming calm and relaxed.