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 -

Imagine a woman who trusts and respects herself. A woman who listens to her needs and desires. Who meets them with tenderness and grace.

Imagine a woman who acknowledges the pasts’s influence on the present. A woman who has walked through her past. Who has healed in the present.

Imagine a woman who authors her own life. A woman who exerts, initiates, and moves on her own behalf. Who refuses to surrender except to her own truest self and wisest voice.

Imagine a woman who names her own gods. A woman who imagines the divine in her image and likeness. Who designs a personal spirituality to inform her daily life.

Imagine a woman in love with her own body. A woman who believes her body is enough, just as it is. Who celebrates its rhythms and cycles as an exquisite resource.

Imagine a woman who honours the body of the Goddess in her changing body. A woman who celebrates the accumulation of her years and her wisdom. Who refuses to use her life-energy disguising the changes in her body and life.

Imagine a woman who values the women in her life. A woman who sits in circles of women. Who is reminded of the truth about herself when she forgets.

Imagine yourself as this woman.

Patricia Lynn Reilly

Taken from the book: The Strength of Women

There really is not very much I can add to the profound wisdom of this passage and I thank Patricia Lynn Reilly from the depths of my being for writing it. It is funny how certain words find you at the perfect place and time and give you exactly what you need in that moment.

I happened upon the little book that contained this writing, one sunny day in a Post Office queue in Mackay, North Queensland. I have a tendency to shop in Post Offices and Airports, so it was not surprising that my eye wandered whilst waiting in the Xmas throngs. But what was surprising was that it was a book of this nature that caught my eye. It was unusual that this little book took my attention for some reason.

I was not there to buy a book.

I was not needing to read a book.

I just saw the book and felt immediately drawn to it.

For most of my life I have lived with a certain amount of annoyance at having been born a girl. In a world that is so heavily weighted towards men, it just seemed like an uphill battle sometimes. Apart from having to deal with a whole list if issues that come with the simple reproductive capacity we bring to the world, it just seemed like men had all the fun. Made the rules. Called the shots. Had less to worry about.

Then one summer’s day – I found this book and read this insightful passage and the world of my womanhood opened up like a brand new book, waiting to be explored and read for the first time.

The impact each verse had on me was quite overwhelming.

For the first time in my life I felt like part of an incredible Sisterhood!

Part of a wise council of elders.

Part of an incredible group, blessed with the role of giving life to the planet.

Part of a special force for good.

Part of a sensual, beautiful, loving and nurturing energy.

I actually felt glad to have been born a woman.

This was a huge leap for me, and one that has been gradually unfolding over the past few years. Whereas in my younger years I always preferred the company of men, I found myself meeting more and more incredible women.

Strong women.

Inspiring women.

Fun women.

Really funky, and cool women.

Headstrong, and opinionated women.

Compassionate women.

Women who set their own course and knew their own value.

Women who stood their ground and made their own way in the world.

Sexy, smart, empowered women who supported the other women around them.

And the oh so very wise women who took me under their wing and guided me to pastures new.

It is interesting to me that I chose two very male dominated professions on which to build my earlier life: tap dancing and drumming. Perhaps there is something in that? Perhaps I set myself a struggle that I need not have had?  But like all things in life, perhaps it was these very experiences that have informed who I am now and guided me to the work that I now find so enjoyable and empowering?

Who knows?

Time will tell?

But what I do know – in this moment – is that the passage above in pure gold!

It will no doubt mean different things to different people – and that is the beauty of the written word. It can be digested and reviewed in any number of ways subject to the readers experience and expectations.

So I invite you to go back

Sit quietly.

Read it again.

Take from this wisdom whatever it is that feeds your soul in this moment.

Revel in being a woman.

Revel in the women around you.

Find strength and courage and heart and fire in the sensuality and assuredness that is your right as a woman on the planet.

Discover You.

Love You.

Be every inch of the Woman that is You.

- Christine -

This is a topic that I have found quite fascinating in recent times, as I didn’t actually connect the dots myself till relatively late ha ha!

As we go through life we tend to be really fond of people who support what we want to do, what we say and what we think. But the truth of the matter is, that in order for us to truly develop our ideas, concepts and goals we need to have both Mr Support and Little Miss Challenge there beside us along the way.

In fact, I would go so far as to say that without these two elements of cheer squad and opposition, it would be very difficult for us to actually figure out what we truly believe in and what avenues to pursue. What we are prepared to fight for? What opinions we will defend to the end? What matters? What is the best path for us to take to get where we are going?

This thought struck me whilst defending my position and plans during a rather robust conversation one evening. My opponent was most decisive in his opinion and was striking blow for blow as we went through our paces. I must admit that I was struggling to keep up at some stages as I was battered with statistical analysis of various types and loads of facts and figures. I guess I tend to argue a point from a more emotive, humanistic or creative/artistic standpoint and the grilling I was getting was substantive. But struggle on I did. So as this was all going on, my mind suddenly wandered off and I thought to myself – “ I really care about this project and I will keep on debating this topic.  It will work. I am sure I can make it work. I want to know more of what I think can work actually. I want to know more of what my LITTLE MISS CHALLENGE for the evening thinks. He has really brought up a lot of great points and I am going to find answers to them. Mmmmmm – I hadn’t considered that etc etc etc ”

What?

It was a light-bulb moment for sure.

In that very moment, I suddenly realized the huge advantages of LITTLE MISS CHALLENGE. Sure she can be incredibly irritating to say the least – but she gets the job done.

She gets you thinking.

She takes you to the next level.

She takes you to the place of fixing the problems before they have actually shown up on your doorstep.

Without her, you would not even have considered all those unforeseen issues.

But what of MR SUPPORT I hear you scream – is he not of equal importance.

Well – indeed he is.

If all we heard was LITTLE MISS CHALLENGE in the background criticizing every plan we had and shooting down every idea that came to us, we would curl up in a little ball and just roll back quietly down the hill to where we belong. But fortunately, life has furnished us with two equal and opposite forces that compliment each other ideally and perfectly.

Whilst LITTLE MISS CHALLENGE is doing her utmost to convince us that our plans are inconceivable, unachievable and non redeemable, MR SUPPORT will be beefing it up in the corner, assuring us that we have a perfectly splendid idea that will easily make it to the Heavy Weight Division of the World Title Bout.

The challenge here is to accept and use both lots of input to get you going full steam ahead on your mission. You simply need to recognize both aspects for the wonderful gift that they are. Acknowledge that both LITTLE MISS CHALLENGE and MR SUPPORT are both contributing vast amounts to your success.

One is giving you the confidence to go forward.

The other is giving you the forethought to look at otherwise unseen problems and an opportunity to hone your responses when attacked for your project or idea.

The perfect match.

Happy Days.

If you have LITTLE MISS CHALLENGE and MR SUPPORT in your life, you are a lucky person indeed.

So look around you, and cast your eye around for people who represent both of these aspects.

If you are surrounded by “Yes Men” – a cheer squad that never dares to question your ideas or suggest alternatives – you could be missing out on honing your vision to perfection.

And if you are surrounded by “ Nay Sayers” who constantly put you down and tell you that you have no chance of achieving your vision – you could decide not to try at all.

So having both is a healthy and natural balance that can catapult you toward your goals and dreams like nothing else can.

The heavy hitters should always be in your corner.

As soon as you see one of them walk away, make sure to go find some replacements.

LITTLE MISS CHALLENGE has so much to offer and will make sure all risks are summarily accounted for. So listen, think, adjust, be flexible and take in all she has to say. You don’t have to agree – but you would be wise to listen and consider.

And MR SUPPORT – well, he will make sure you have the confidence to step out and take the plunge, despite all the questions, judgement and antagonism thrown at you along the way by LMC. He may not always be realistic – but that’s OK – he has other skills on offer. Another agenda. Giving you self-confidence, hope and an unending energy to deliver on your project.

So go out and assemble a great team.

A balanced team.

A team with both support and challenge.

And you will be on your way.

- Christine -

Sometimes it just seems easier to whinge and wallow. But is this really helping the situation? Perhaps not?

The molehill does not always have to turn into a mountain.

Infact – nothing in insurmountable. Nothing is a problem. Just a different pathway to where you are going. A little less comfortable perhaps. A less familiar path. But why not just “live on the edge “ a little?

Be happy to explore new things. New possibilities. Not for any reason – just because you can. So your life has gone a little off course. Perhaps it was meant to – and when you look back and see the bigger picture you will be happy that you turned off the road when you did.

Perhaps the reward is in the doing. Perhaps the reward will be in the trusting.

Just because.

At these times of challenge, stay alert to all the goodness in the world. Switch off to the negative, because you just do not need it.

Glow. Glitter. Radiate your knowing and trust, that everything will be OK out into the Universe.

Be open to the possibilities.

What possibilities?

Do not bother yourself with such details all the time – as when the time is right all will be revealed to you. When the time is right the possibility will arrive at your doorstep in a blaze of glory, like a knight in shining armour, beckoning you forth to a brand new space, a brand new day, a brand new you and will provide you with all the guidance you need to embrace this new time, this new experience, this new moment.

You just need to trust and to surrender to it.

Contemplation can be a wonderful thing – but nothing beats just getting out there and doing it. But don’t get ahead of yourself and bog yourself down with superfluous questions. They will bog you down like quicksand.

Rise above your questions and let the reality of existence show you in real terms the path that is yours. Be true and honest and nothing can stand in your way.

Light the path.

Water the seed.

Follow the yellow brick road.

Know that if you are doing something, that it is your Destiny and You are learning something invaluable from it.

Learn the Lesson.

Embrace the Light.

Love the Process.

Look for no reward.

The reward is the process.

Try the new and the unexpected.

Dare to fail.

Dare to not care what others think.

Dare to simply be.

No reasons. No excuses. No explanations. No need.

Just Be.

This is the key to a joyful experience on the planet. A place that abounds with exotic, wild, joyous, intoxicating and humbling experiences.

So next time your world seems to not be going to plan, take a step back. Take a deep breath and trust that all will be OK. Be open to other possibilities that you may not have considered before. Take action to rectify the situation – but remain open and flexible to things you may not have considered before.

I am sure we can all agree that hindsight is a wonderful thing. So think back to another occasion in your life when everything went “pear shaped” but yet years on you realized that it was the best thing that could ever have happened to you. This is so very often the case and we can sometimes look back and think “ I can’t believe how upset I was over that when in fact it turned out to be he best thing that ever happened to me”.

I can think of at least four occasions in my own life, when I felt truly devastated by the turn of events in my life, but then years later I thanked my lucky stars that the apparent misfortune befell me. It is incredible how so often the best of Good Fortune comes to us masquerading as Sad and Sorry Days of Grief and Woe.

So – keep a level head and a clear mind. For as sure as the nights are long – the next day will turn up and life will go on no matter what your attitude to it. So you might as well, employ an element of trust that all will work out for the best and step into each day with hope, positivity and possibility.

And that is the key.

So many people simply do not allow for the possibility of things going well.

They do not allow for the possibility of a negative situation turning into a positive one.

They do not expect anything good to come from a perceived “bad” situation.

As I have said in previous posts. You can only manifest in your life what you can conceive of. So conceive that this dastardly occurrence in your life may actually have some lesson, positive outcome or tipping point that is going to change your life or impact your life in a meaningful and or positive way.

If you want possibility to exist in your life than you have to open the door to it and beckon it in.

Like anyone or anything, if you slam the door in the face of possibility all the time it will stop coming to call and the doorbell will remain un-rung.

So next time there is chaos in your life take a different stance.

Look for the lesson.

Choose the best path available.

Be open to possibilities that you may not even have considered and trust that the best option will be made clear to you.

Discover. Love. Be. Trust.

-Christine-