In fact, there is a wonderful meditation I like to do with my Dance for Parkinson’s clients at the beginning of each class, but it is a meditation that can be shared, enjoyed and valued by all. So you may like to try this at home.

Firstly find a comfy chair and sit with your feet connecting strongly with the floor and your hands resting on your lap, making sure you feel comfortable with good back support and that you are nice and warm. Then simply breathe in and out really deeply, feeling all the goodness of the world pouring into you as you breathe in…….1, 2, 3 and then let all the worries and concerns you currently have leave you as you breathe out…..1, 2,3.

Repeat this action over and over.

And as you do this imagine you are a tree.  But not just any tree. A strong,  proud, formidable, powerful tree, that has been in this forest for a very long time. Your body is your trunk  - standing tall and proud, your arms are your branches, reaching out to the light and swaying gently in the breeze. And most importantly – you can feel the energy, the sunlight from above, pulsing down through your body or tree trunk from head to toe – top to bottom. Lighting you up from within and sending energy right along your trunk and branches and down into the root structure you have set up over the years.  When this energy reaches down to your feet – imagine it going out through the soles of your feet and into the floor like tree roots – anchoring you to the earth and providing a conduit for sustenance and life. Breathe in all the goodness of the world. Breathe out any negativity and let a wonderful calm come over you. Simply bask in the sunlight and breathe in all the goodness that surrounds you.

This is a wonderful meditation to ground you at the beginning of each day, or to use if you suddenly feel overwhelmed or unsettled during your day. Stay with it for 10  - 15 minutes if you can and really settle into that grounded feeling and imagine the sunlight on your leaves [ arms] and the stability you feel through your feet making such strong contact with the floor. Sending those tree roots [your life force and energy ] out into the world to keep you grounded and centred.

Why does this meditation work so well? I think it is perhaps that there are so many elements that are relatable when you see yourself as that tree.

Firstly, as human beings we all like to take root somewhere and create a sense of stability in our lives. Sending out our energy into the world, grounded through the earth, gives us a sense of belonging and these tree roots also represent what bring us sustenance. The roots we send out into our communities represent all the connections we make through different social groups, family, friends, and the like. They feed us what we need as humans – love, compassion, friendship, guidance, human interactions and a sense of belonging.

Then we have our body and our sense of self – our tree trunk. And much like a real tree it needs to be at all times both strong and centred, but also flexible to sway with the changes and winds of life.

Then we have our branches and leaves. To me these represent the seasons of our life. Sometimes in full bloom and then at other times shedding all our leaves, to cast off the old and make room for the new. The new shoots. The new leaves. The new way of being and doing. A simple and repetitive cycle that is seamless, effortless and unavoidable. It is just “how it is”. A constant cycle of casting off, resting and then rebirth.

So imagine you are just like a huge and glorious tree.

You take root, ground yourself and rejoice in your very existence. Planting roots in all directions that on one hand ground you to yourself, the earth, the forest around you and your life experience here and now. But also these very same roots feed you, nurture you with everything you need to grow, flower, expand, contract, weather the storms and sway with the winds of change.You rest in the Winter, flower in the Spring, bask in the glory of Summer, allow your leaves to fall in the Autumn, and then continue your cycle of rest and rebirth and fulfil the true potentiality of your existence.

Magical in its simplicity and design.

As this glorious tree, you breathe in all the good and release all the negativity. Constantly cycling through the positive and negative energies that surround you. Keeping all that is good and releasing back to the Earth all that is not productive or nurturing for your particular tree. You feel strong and proud and naturally able to cope with all seasons and all times. You go with the weather and all it brings easily and effortlessly. And most importantly, you have taken root and assured yourself a constant and reliable support system and root structure that runs deep to support you through it all, supplying you with constant nutrients and a physical connectedness and centred-ness to all that is.

So welcome to your very own Tree of Life.

Enjoy it.

Love it.

Feel it.

Send out your roots in whatever direction will bring you the most stability and joy.

Allow your trunk to weather all storms and bend with the winds of change that can sometimes push you around.

Produce the flowers and blossoms that best show off your unique nature.

Bask in the glory of your summer. Rest in Winter. Enjoy the frivolity of Spring. Allow Autumn it’s time and place…….being open to fully experiencing all Seasons of your life.

For through it all – you shall remain constant, grounded, swaying in the breeze and taking in all the sunlight, rain and nutrients that comes your way to give you all you need to survive and flourish and grow.

#Discover You. #Love You. #Be You

Christine

At the conclusion of his presentation there was a Q&A with the audience and a man in the audience asked in ernest:

“ But what do you do when you are speaking with someone and they will not accept that you are right and they are wrong?”

Deepak responded with what I found to be the most profound answer. And it is something that I have taken with me into my life ever since. I guess you could say that it was one of those proverbial “ aha moments”!

Deepak responded with words to the effect of: “ I guess you need to decide what is more important to you. To be right. Or to be happy.

Wow – what a concept!

Quite simply – do you have an overriding desire to be RIGHT!

Or an overriding desire to be HAPPY!

In that instant the penny really dropped for me and it struck me that many of the world’s conflicts from the most global and serious, to the most inane and petty could perhaps be solved by taking this thought on, as the basis to the decision you make.

Funnily enough, the man in the audience who asked the question seemed unable to take this concept on board and asked again: “ Yes – but what if I am right and they are wrong?”

Again Deepak responded: “ But the real question is -  is it more important to you to be right or to be happy?”

The questioner was absolutely dumbfounded by the idea of such a thing and the discussion continued back and forth – or rather around and around for quite some time, in a rather circular motion.

As many of you are probably now thinking, in our own minds we might like to have both – that is, to be declared right and then feel the warm afterglow of knowing that we are superior in our thoughts, attitudes and perceptions to the other person ha ha ha.

But as many of you will also realize, life is just not like that and we all have our own ideas about things, that we are often times quite attached to and not so quick to give up. It is in these moments that Deepak’s comments become quite profound. And I think it is a great rule to live by.

At that initiation point of conflict.

At that point when the debate has become earmarked as fruitless.

At that moment when you realize that the person you are debating with, has a differing opinion to you, that they are not willing to change or relinquish.

It is here – at this very moment – that you have a choice.

Choice A = Continue on with a determination to be heard, to be right and to be the victor

Or Choice B = ………..decide to let it go, move on and be happy!

As Deepak says: is it more important in that moment for you to be RIGHT or for you to be HAPPY?

It is such a simple concept that can perhaps have far reaching results.

And as with most things in life, simplicity can often be hiding true complexity.

At this junction I hasten to add that I am not necessarily advocating that you always give way to another person’s viewpoint, as clearly there are many instances when you must stand your ground to defend a principal or value that is intrinsic to who you are or what you aspire to.

But – I do think it could be a helpful and useful tool to subject all such occasions to what I am now dubbing ” The Chopra Test” -  by simply posing the question:

“ In this particular case and this particular instance – is it more important right now to be RIGHT or to be HAPPY?”

To defend my position –  or capitulate in favour of peace and harmony.

Only you can decide which battles to fight.

Only you can decide when to stake your claim in an argument and decide not to give ground.

Only you can decide when to sacrifice your momentary happiness in the pursuit of a value, ideal or point of view that you hold dear.

And it is not for me to define those moments for you.

My purpose right here and now is simply to share with you the profound wisdom that Deepak Chopra shared with me all those years ago.

So

Discover You. Love You. Be You.

And maybe during this Festive Season you will approach some situations with this little thought in mind…..and see where it takes you.

Till next time

- Christine -

As with most things in life – less is more – and I found this brief and succinct verse to be most profound and touching in its simplicity and connection to the truth of our reality.

I invite you to claim your space for the next few minutes, settle in and read the verse below. Read it with intent. Read it with purpose. Read it without the need to rush onto and into the next activity of your day. Allow it settle within you and around you. Allow it to wrap you up like a huge blanket and give you permission to get to know you.

To find you.

To be you.

To honour you.

THE VOICE 

There is a voice inside of you

That whispers all day long

“I feel that this is right for me,

I know that this is wrong.”

No teacher, preacher, parent, friend

Or wise man can decide

What’s right for you – just listen to

The voice that speaks inside 

By Shel Silverstein

Now – I ask you to just sit once more with those words. Let them fill you up to the brim – overflowing with support and acknowledgement of who you really are.

Let them pour into every crevice of your being.

Let them flow into the very ends of your fingertips and down into the soles of your feet.

Let the words penetrate your mind, expand your heart and pour into your ears.

And now – read them once more.

Feel the clarity moving through every inch of your body.

Feel the energy starting to move.

Allow the thoughts, feelings and passions that represent your true self to surface and make their presence felt within you.

Acknowledge what matters to you.

Let those thoughts, those wants and those desires poke their heads up and get your attention.

Take 10 – 15 minutes to sit quietly with this verse and your thoughts and just observe what comes to your mind. See what rises to the surface, bubbling up to greet your new awareness of what lies within. What desires and passions have been lying dormant within you – waiting to be invited to the surface?

What thoughts flashed through your mind as you read the verse?

What longings did you feel in your heart?

Now – read it again. And again. Really let it float about within you and resonate.

Now – close your eyes and sit with it for another 10 minutes or so.

Okay – open your eyes.

Are you surprised by what thoughts came to you during that process?

Sometimes it is so difficult to clarify exactly what it is that we want in life, but the truth is that our most desired self is right there within us. Like a little gift- wrapped present just waiting to be opened.

But we can not open a gift if we refuse to see it waiting for us on the table.

And it is the all consuming fear of other people’s expectations, or society’s expectations or our parent’s expectations that can cut us off from this voice within and leave us feeling directionless. Empty. Lost. Hopeless.

Like a boat without a rudder.

A person without a purpose.

There is nothing worse than feeling that you can not live your life in line with your own values and beliefs. And it is these values, thoughts, beliefs, passions and interests that lie within our soul waiting to guide us to a life of purpose and contentment.

They are all a gift – a treasure – just waiting to be found and opened.

The truth is that we all know where our heart lies, if we are honest with ourselves.

We all know the topics that light a fire within and call us to action.

It may be scaling Mount Everest.

It may be baking cookies for your friends.

It may be setting up a new business.

It may be writing a book.

It may be finding bargains online and sharing them with others.

It may be spending time with family.

It may be working as an activist or advocate for an issue close to your heart.

It may be lying in the sun drinking cocktails.

It doesn’t matter what it is  – it just matters that you connect with your inner voice and acknowledge its guidance.

I believe with 100% conviction, that much of the disharmony in the world today is caused by people not being allowed to live their lives in line with that “little voice within”. There are so many people who feel “bullied” into living someone else’s life.

Living a life to someone else’s standards and ideals.

The life of an accountant may not be at all compelling or rewarding for someone who desires from their heart and soul and their little voice within to be an artist.

The life of a dancer may not be at all compelling or rewarding for someone who desires from their heart and soul and their little voice within to be a stockbroker.

The life of a Corporate CEO may not be at all compelling or rewarding for someone who desires from their heart and soul and their little voice within to be a social advocate for political change.

The life of an entrepreneur may not be at all compelling or rewarding for someone who desires from their heart and soul and their little voice within to have a regular job with regular benefits they can count on and little responsibility.

The key here is that what is right for one person may not be right for another and our happiness and contentment, rest in the acknowledgment of this fact and in our ability to recognize and utilize this Voice within.

This wonderful barometer of our soul.

This wonderful call to action.

This wonderful resonance that stamps our individuality and our true calling across our entire being and existence, with the ability to bring us a sense of peace and fulfilment regardless of our exterior world.

The irony of life on the Planet Earth, as we know it, is that despite having this wonderful tool as close to us as it could possibly get – right there within us – few people are actually aware of it and even fewer use it to facilitate the life they have always dreamed of.

But the key to this door can be found in the profound words of the little poem presented to you today. Once again I invite you to unlock the door and walk through to a new and exciting existence where you honour the truth of who you are.

Not your parent’s truth. Not your teacher’s truth. Not your friend’s truth. Not your preacher’s truth. Not your mentor’s truth. Not my truth.

Your truth.

There is a voice inside of you

That whispers all day long

“I feel that this is right for me,

I know that this is wrong.”

No teacher, preacher, parent, friend

Or wise man can decide

What’s right for you – just listen to

The voice that speaks inside

Thank you once more Shel Siverstein.

Discover You. Love You. Be You.

It really is that simple.

- Christine -

Turn off our laptops.

Turn off our televisions.

Turn off our i-pods, play stations and radios.

Turn off the lights.

And just be.

It is quite incredible the peace and centred-ness that can be found simply by turning off all the external “stuff” that we are constantly bombarded with each and every day.

To simply be is an amazing feeling.

The sounds of nature that you can tune into – even when living in an inner city suburb is quite overwhelming and beautiful. The connection is profound and totally different to that of connecting to a television programme or radio show.

They say silence is golden, and this is so very true if you just turn everything off.

To sit and reflect in this way can be a truly magical start to your day.

A time when your energy just settles into a beautiful rhythm.

A time when you can set your intentions and expectations for the day.

A time for reflecting upon what is important and of value to you for the day.

A time to create the feeling that you want to stay with you for the rest of the day.

I sometimes wonder at the value if sitting in front of the television before setting off for our day. In fact I rarely do these days as I have chosen to unplug at the beginning and end of each day instead.

But I do think that perhaps it is not surprising that people are so wound up and anxious on their way to work, University or school when they have had the day’s events, which tend to always be portrayed as rather negative, blasted at them for half an hour or so prior to leaving home.

Where and when can the connection and magic in your day take hold, if your morning has been spent being blasted by news and the negativities of the day?

A usual morning dose sees murders, road accidents, politics, diet products, cleaning products and stories about every other crisis or dilemma facing the world. Day in and day out it always seems to be the same. Nothing seems to change in the news cycle. I sometimes doubt we would miss much if we skipped it.

So why not do just that?

Is this morning and evening dose of negativity really informing us in any beneficial way? Is the news cycle telling us things we need to know or things that we can actively change? Is it really giving us news at all or is it really just social commentary designed to make us buy stuff to make us feel worthy, beautiful or safe as we go about our day?

Am I suggesting that you cut yourself off from the world.

No I am not. Not at all. In fact some of you may need to be abreast of world events for your work.

All I am suggesting is that a few times a week, for just a few moments you choose to

TURN OFF. UNPLUG. AND PLUG IN.

Just try it out and see how you feel.

Even as a family, you could sit for 15 minutes at the start of one day a week and just think about the day you would like to have that day. Simply sit in silence with your eyes shut. Feel your energy expanding around you. Listen to the birds and whatever other sounds pass by and think about the day you plan to have. How you plan to feel for the day.

Take a few deep breaths.

Open your eyes.

Onto breakfast.

Have breakfast around the table and discuss the day you plan to have. Feel great about the day you have planned.

And without listening to any of the reported doom and gloom of the hour simply go out into the wonderful, fun filled, productive day you have envisaged.

At the end of the day, the same thing can be really amazing.

Once you have had your dinner and the day’s activities are over.

Turn everything off.

Laptops. Computers. TV. Radio. Mobile phones. Computer games. I-phones.

You can even turn the lights out and just leave one small light on.

The sounds of the crickets and cicadas seem to reach in and grab you and you may be surprised at how early you are able to go to bed once all the artificial stimuli is gone.

Early to bed, early to rise, makes a man healthy, wealthy and wise.

Perhaps there is some truth to be found in this well -worn proverb?

If you are a regular visitor to this Blog and A Bridge To You, you will notice a flagrant use of the words maybe and perhaps in much of what I write.

This is because it is not my desire to tell people what to think.

Or what to do.

Or how to act.

But merely to present people with options and allow them to take the road of their choice.

We all have our own journeys and paths to take and no doubt you will find your own unique pathway too. But I can suggest, from my own experiences, that a few days a week of turning off all the technology and allowing yourself to re-connect to you and your own energy, can be a really rewarding thing to do.

In fact, I now turn off at about 6:00pm most nights and then do not turn back on till  about 9:30am the next day. It is not a rigid plan and sometimes I am up late working. Sometimes I watch a bit of TV in the evenings.

But most times my phone is off from 6:00pm till about 9:30am every day.

Does my world still turn?

Yes it does.

Most family, colleagues, business acquaintances and friends know that they need to make plans with me outside these times. Just like the good old days really, when you would not have dreamed of calling someone at their home after 6:00pm or before 9:00am any day of the week.

And as for emails – they are always sitting there waiting for me whenever I am good and ready!

I know that some people find this sort of suggestion quite shocking.

For some it is inconceivable.

But if you see some merit in the suggestion.  Give it a go.

You may just like it!

- Christine -

As someone who also finds it difficult to “hold her tongue” so to speak, and as someone who has an opinion on nearly everything, it does strike me as quite ironic though, that these three little words hold such a dear place in my heart.

As with many proverbs, the origin of this phrase is obscured by the passing of time, though there are reports of it dating back to as far as Ancient Egypt. The first example of it in English is said to be from the poet Thomas Carlyle, who translated the phrase from German in Sartor Resartus , 1831, in which a character expounds at length on the virtues of silence.

There is also reference to this proverb being used in relation to women in the 16^th Century with Silence being described as a “ woman’s finest garment”. As you can imagine, this third reference would not be one that I would be promoting in any way shape or form – but there it is regardless to taunt me in the writing of this article. I can only be grateful that I was not around in the 16^th Century to marvel at this type of thinking, as I do not think it would have ended well at all, to say the least.

But now, to the proverb itself and the importance or value I feel we can garner from it in the 21^st Century.

First and foremost, I feel that perhaps these wonderful three words can guide us to look inward for counsel, and encourage us to seek wisdom in the depths of our own silence. With the constant “buzzing” of our modern world coming at us from all angles and in all guises  – constantly and consistently – perhaps these three tiny words hold the key to our salvation in a world of madness and noise and confusion. Perhaps these three little words can pack a powerful punch if we take them at face value and literally and truly appreciate a little Silent Time each day.

Perhaps it is through this silence that we can hear our most treasured secrets and innate wisdom. And perhaps we have to take the time to stop and really listen. Perhaps we need to pause, and make room for the silence to expand and engulf us, to really soak up it’s true benefits. Perhaps we need to let the Silence speak to us. We need to give it time to breathe and be. We need to give it time to elaborate upon its nothingness, in order for it to show us the complete intricacies of it’s ‘everything-ness’?

This Silence is not something to be rushed, for it is in its expansion and timelessness that its true virtue can be found.

Perhaps in this space and time we need to recognize that this Silence is truly Golden.

A Golden Promise leading to our true selves.

A Golden Light shining in the darkness of our man made delusions and confusions.

A Golden Treasure waiting to be found and cultivated.

I encourage all of you to seek out this Silence and enjoy its full possibilities and promise.

In fact – take a moment right now to just sit in this Silence.

This beautiful, resounding, all encompassing Silence.

Let it eat you up and consume you. Let it take you away to another world – your Inner World. A world of peace and quiet and possibility and presence.

When you are ready – open your eyes –  regroup – reconnect -  and continue onward.

Now consider making that a regular and special part of your day.

The other aspect of this proverb that really speaks to me, is in relation to our interactions with other people.

So often, when in a conversation, we are listening to the other person speaking, but not hearing them at all. We are too busy thinking about our response. Too busy formulating our answer. Too busy figuring a way to sway the other person to our way of thinking. Too busy coming up with a witty comment to display our fabulous intellect or a way to Segway to a topic of our expertise.

But again we forget.

Silence is Golden.

If we can just silence our minds from our inward chitter chatter and silence ourselves from having to speak – perhaps we may find out something fascinating and intriguing about the other person that we did not know.

Perhaps, in giving them the time and space to speak and hold the floor, we may truly hear them and our interactions may be all the richer for the genuine attention and presence we have given to the other person in the conversation.

As I say these things however – do not think for a minute that I am an expert in reigning in of my own chatter. I am notorious for “not listening” to people and drifting off to some other place when others are speaking.  Unfortunately for me, my face is quite expressive and it is not too difficult for people to tell that I have no idea what they have just said when this occurs.

As with most of us – this distraction seems to reveal itself mainly when I am conversing with family.

Why I do not know?

With friends, acquaintances and clients I am known for being the exact opposite. 100% fully engaged and committed to the conversation. But put me with family and I can suddenly drift off into another time and place, looking blankly at a pillow or a wall.

So the point here is that we all, most likely, have some times, places and people with whom we can exercise this proverb and activate our own silence to the betterment of the situation at hand.

For our betterment and introspection when engaging with ourselves and our Inner World.

For the betterment of those around us to allow them to be fully heard when they are trying to communicate and share themselves with us.

In the end, I think perhaps that much can be learned about ourselves and about all those around us from taking on the role of Observer.

Silent Observer.

Silent Listener.

Silent Seeker of this Golden Treasure.

So once again – I invite you to take this concept and run with it in your own life.

See if it works for you.

Be aware of You and how You are in the world and in Your space.

Wishing you lots of nothing-ness and everything-ness.

Discover. Love. Be.

- Christine -