[Natural Health ~ Meditation Reflections] Get Ready: From Winter To Spring!

March is here... one of my favourite time of the year! I did my first chakra meditation workshop this year over the weekend in trendy Shoreditch, Central London. I wanted to share the topic we went through! It was a lot of fun!

Get Ready & Tune in: From Winter To Spring!

There is a lot of new energy to take in these days… I can’t help but notice how the timing works out with our first Mercury Retrograde of 2013 happening right now (Feb 23rd – Mar 17th in Pisces) and this week’s full moon energy on Monday … some may say that is a bad sign lol! 

Mercury represents how we communicate and interact with others. Whenever Mercury goes Retrograde (or backwards) there is a tendency for all properties of this planet to go haywire. Mercury rules computers, cars, cell phones, travel, travel schedules and all things related to how we communicate and utilise these methods of communication. This is a time where things in this area seem to go wrong… you may already be feeling some frustrations in this area over the last week, before this event?

Fear not! 

This is a good way to end the Winter because we are now gently moving our energy upwards, from the lower chakras of Autumn/Winter into the Higher chakras from the Solar Plexus to our Crown… and the area to work on during the Mercury Retrograde is our communication throat chakra.

Take a huge step back!

Breathe deeply. Be patient and observe. Take this moment to notice how you are communicating with YOUR SELF first… especially when frustrating situations arise around you.

Our communication chakra is not just about how we express our Self to others and our outer world… it’s also a tool to re-connect with our own inner dialogue… the thoughts we have in our mind in our every day life.

The throat chakra is connected to the releasing process… exploring our feelings through words, creative activities and anything that will help channel our inner energy outwards. This way, we can channel any negative thought processes in a healthy way… instead of an unhealthy way (for example: through emotional eating, smoking, alcohol etc)

Each challenge you face during this Mercury Retrograde is an opportunity to really check-in and watch your instant re-actions… there are no rights/wrongs here, just  observe your Self in the next few weeks.

Questions for reflection & meditation work:

When I am confronted with a miscommunication with another person, do I …Take the time to listen/understand/find out the reasons behind it first? …Jump in with my own  assumptions/opinions/reactions?

When something negative confronts me, do I …Find it easy to let go? …Get caught up in my emotions, even long after the situation has passed?

When I am alone, how much of this time do I spend ...Enjoying the moment? …Worrying? …Giving my Self positive feedback? …Being creative? …Doing thing I love? …Planning for the future? …Thinking of the past?

Exercise: Shut Your Monkey Mind!

Mind monkey or monkey mind, from Chinese xinyuan and Sino-Japanese shin’en 心猿 [lit. "heart-/mind-monkey"], is a Buddhist term meaning “unsettled; restless; capricious; whimsical; fanciful; inconstant; confused; indecisive; uncontrollable”[Wikipedia info]

For this exercise, we will focus on the power of affirmations!

Steps:

• Get a piece of paper – or use this as part of your journal work.

• Split the page in 2 halves – by drawing a vertical line down the middle.

• On the left hand side, write down the top 5 regular negative thoughts you hear your Self saying in your mind.

• On the right hand side, next to each negative thought on the left, write down a positive affirmation that will turn this negative thought around.

For example:

Left hand side, negative thought – “I don’t feel good enough. “

Right hand side, positive affirmation: “I love and appreciate my journey as I grow and learn.”

• Now, every time you find your mind chatter saying any of these negative thoughts, quickly replace it with the positive affirmation. Say this affirmation a few times if you like. In time, this will re-program your thought patterns.

Other areas to work on as we slowly transition to Spring:

Get out!

In Autumn/Winter, the colder weather often gives us an opportunity to go into semi-hibernation and enjoy more nights-in and indoor life in general. As the days start to feel lighter and longer, maybe it’s time to slowly change your social routines too – by making more time to go out – by your Self or with friends/family. Wrap up warm if it’s still cold and get out more lol… even if it’s just to take a walk around your neighbourhood.

You might like to slowly increase your physical activity, even if you already go to the gym or work-out in other ways. Exercise is an awesome releasing and grounding tool! 

Simplify!

Indoor life can mean that we get attached to comforting stuff at home… a good way to shift the energy in your home life is to slowly simplify these things… an early Spring clean or an energy space clearing will allow new things/energy into your personal space – read more about this here!

Introduce more fruits into your diet

The colder seasons usually offer some great veggies – but as we gear towards the warmer times of the year, slowly add more fruits into your daily diet. More fruit smoothies and fruit salads are great 

Lighten up!

Colours have a powerful effect on us and in most parts of the world, Winter tends to be a much darker season – and this can often translate in our clothing! Slowly transition into brighter clothing and colours – let your colours be an expression of what you feel! Read more about this here.

Set new intentions for the Sun months

Spring/Summer/Sun months is about expression – moving from our inner world to our outer world, showing up and expressing all the inner work we have been doing during the Autumn/Winter/Moon months. Again, this is strongly connected to our throat chakra.

Set your intentions for what you would like to bring into this new time of the year…How can you express YOU in everything you do and show your inner light?

For March and throughout the Sun months, let’s March forward with some positive energy 

Therapist Files: What Your Teacher Never Told You After Completing Your Course

So, you've spent your time and money training in a field of holistic health and now what?!? Yes, you'll find an opportunity to work somewhere... perhaps in  a spa, natural health clinic, hospital etc, or even just with your family/friends... but what else is there to expect that your teachers might not have told you?

Here are some issues that might come up and that was part of my journey...

It gets (Self) personal

(Self) Personal: Being true to Self and what works for you, being open to others and defining your choices in life.

Every therapist I met has a personal story to why they became a holistic health care practitioner, most of which is related to issues and health that they had to overcome long before training.

Business becomes personal, where the clients we attract and the places in which we work now become a personal reflection of who we are as therapists. I'm interviewing therapists now and it is very clear that every therapist is conscious about where they work and how they feel about their general work environment (the energy, the people, the work space etc).

Reactions by others become personal. Some people in the health care industry truly believe (and will be open to expressing) that complementary health care is a complete waste of time and does not work. This can be fustrating at first, especially if you are trying to explain the benefits to someone who has already made up their mind. I have long since given up trying to convince anyone, it is a personal choice and I respect that.

Your health becomes personal. What can you do to maintain health in your own life? What will you need to learn to keep up-to-date with the latest research and journals that are constantly bringing up new information.

Your search becomes personal. The search for... the next place to work, your pass times and what will help you grow further.

Therapy swaps.

This is my favourite part!

So often do complementary therapists spend time working with their clients that it can become physically and emotionally draining if some time is not well spent taking care of Self too.

This is where the therapy swaps come in! As well as being such a nice way of meeting other like-minded people and networking, it is time well spent enjoying and exploring new therapies and the benefits of them - for free.

The way it works is that it would literally be an exchange of therapy sessions, where each therapist offers their therapy services in return for a therapy session back. And in between, there is usually time for chat, a cuppa tea and laughter!

My next therapy swap is with a Thai yoga massage therapist next week and I can't wait!!!

Your clients will inspire you!

Yes, they will!

I have regular clients who come and every week, it's an amazng thing to watch your clients grow and enjoy their journey. Most of my clients are pro-active with their own holistic learning so it's great to just be part of that.

The learning does not end there.

It just begins! Once you have ended your course in whatever therapy you have chosen, you are probably going to want to try and learn even more in future. It just opens up everything, where each therapy links and explores a different aspect of health.

Becoming A Holistic Therapist - An Insider Look At A Growing Field!

"How do I go about becoming a holistic health therapist?"

If I got a $ for every time that someone asked me this, I would certainly be well off lol! It is a very common question. And I love answering it again and again. Each time, I learn more and more and want to share it.

Mind, Body And Soul... Which path should I start from?

There are so many complementary therapies to choose from these days! Most therapists start their journey as a professional therapist because they have learned about natural health and how to use it in their own lives first... so you may already have an idea of which complementary holistic therapy is right for you. The components of health is made up of so many different sides - But to break it down to you, I would put them into categories of whether you are working mainly on the body (such as massage, yoga, nutrition etc.), mind (counselling, stress amanagement etc.) or energy (Reiki, healing, meditation etc.). If you really have NO idea as to what you would like to do, most therapists I know started off with one of the most popular ones - like swedish massage, aromatherapy and massage based therapies. Over the years, you will probably enjoy learning so much that you will add on to your knowledge and qualifications because you learn more about your Self first and what is right for you soon follows!

Get qualified by an accredited college or association

There are SO many courses out there! But I can guarantee you that maybe 40% of them will not be a recognized qualification to practice with - and it also really depends on which country you live in, the laws and regulations to get insurance as a practitioner. So play it safe and don't waste your money! It can be so frustrating when that happens, trust me! The best way to go about it, is to go directly to associations that cover the therapy that you wish to learn about and ask them which courses are best and what is needed to be fully qualified and insured. It is also worth thinking about whether you want to join an association afterwards for more support, keeping updated on scientific research, directories, journals, advice, legal action etc. For a list of international associations that can offer advice and get you started on your search, check this link.

Where can I work after I am qualified?

So you've made it through with an accredited qualification,you're insured, you may have already joined a therapist association and you are wondering where to go from here! During the course, you might have been give advice already- there are SO many options now! To name a few: Working at the gym, hospitals, therapy centre, own your own therapy centre/room, cruise ships, rent a room from a spa or salon, get employed by a spa or hair salon, work from home. Being creative and choosing hours of work is important - many people still choose to work on their family/friends first to build confidence before "getting out there". But with all these choices it is time to be very real about the responsibilities that you have to take on as a therapist. Consider it as a business, with all the highs/lows, marketing and hard work that comes from it. If you are thinking of doing this as a full-time thing to start off with, great! But know that most therapists work around their day job first to build their business before going full-time. The best advice I got when starting out is that it will take around 2 years or so to really build a client and business base so be prepared to work hard on it!

What are you doing to build your Self as a therapist?

As with all caring professions, it can take its toll on your energy if you don't keep strong. I work as an energy therapist so I know how crucial it is to really protect Self from being drained, physically/emotionally/energetically (for example: as a massage therapist, are you building your body and using the right posture to protect your back). This is done by truly working on your own Self growth. You are not just a health therapist for others, you must also work hard o your own health mind/body/soul! And bear in mind that sometimes you might need a break from it. In order to be a great healer, you need to also heal your Self. It is more than just a job.

Competition is tight!

When I first started doing Reiki, I was flicking through an article about competition as a Reiki therapist, which can apply to almost any form of therapy work. YES, there are many therapists out there just as passionate as you are about succeeding! What I liked about this article is that it took competition in through a holistic approach and said that although there s competition in this field, it is so important to bear in mind and TRUST that a client will choose the right practitioner for them as you will also attract the right clients for you. Competition is about respecting others in your field and networking to build, not to pull down others. And with this line of thought,you can work on networking with other therapists with positive intention - as well as knowing the intentions of others around you. It will tune you up.

It can get lonely!

...Following on from the networking info in the last tip, working as a solo therapist can get lonely if you don't actively seek out chances to build a support system - by going to events related to holistic health, association meet-ups, Reiki shares etc. You are not an island as a therapist, to keep in touch with the many growing legislation and information in this growing field, you will need to be prepared to work on meeting people. Many therapists start off because they wish to get away from office politics and working for others, but that doesn't mean that you should avoid people and expanding your own knowledge through them.

Re-invent your Self.

Because now is the perfect time to do so! Build your confidence to explore and re-define your Self. Re-invent is also a natural process of finding Self in transition. We are always changing and if we aren't, then we are not growing as a person. So re-inventing Self is not about trying to be something else - rather it is tuning into the new stage that you need to work on. Clients are attracted to therapists who are confident and have the energy that keeps them strong, alive and creative! Building your Self as a therapist is the time to show others and most importantly your Self, why you are passionate about Self growth and who you are!

Daily OM!

There are so many books and websites to keep you in touch daily! Fill your home space with them!

BBC Health Website Deletes Complementary Medicine

An Email To Pass Around:

Dear All, This may be of interest to you, and it would be really helpful if you could take the time to contact the BBC feedback link. If we all did this, the BBC would receive over five thousand emails in support of health freedom. Stephen Kane
__________________

BBC Health Website Deletes Complementary Medicine

Last week the controllers of BBC Health (http://www.bbc.co.uk/health) , the health section on one of the most accessed websites in the world, decided to remove all coverage of complementary medicine!They used to have substantial coverage with over 40 pages on this subject covering all the major therapies, their pros and cons, evidence for their effectiveness, how to find a qualified practitioner, etc. However the site has in recent months been sent a deluge of letters and emails claiming that complementary therapies such as homeopathy and cranial osteopathy should be removed.

As a result large chunks of this part of the site were simply removed overnight and now, following recent cutbacks, it was decided that,rather than update this part of the site, it should simply be removed altogether!

It may seem incredible that a public service site this prominent can deem complementary medicine so insignificant that it no longer warrants any coverage other than the odd news story. This is despite the fact that complementary medicine is used favourably by a significant proportion of the population(recent surveys have estimated that around 1 in 5 Britons use it at some point or other) and that increasing numbers of people are now seeking to train in these therapies.

However, as the 'quack busters' become more organised and active, evidence of the backlash against complementary medicine is appearing all over the place -such as the removal of PCT funding for homeopathy, the threatened closure of the homeopathic hospitals, many negative news stories in the press and soon.Rather than taking a reasoned view and considering the evidence from good research studies on complementary medicine some groups seem simply hell bentontrying to 'stamp out' complementary medicine in any way possible.

The BBC removal of complementary medicine coverage (which has been in place for almost15 years!) is one example.

If you believe information pages on it should be returned to BBC, please,please take just a minute to express your views using their online comment format: http://www.bbc..co.uk/feedback to make your view known.

As a public service company they have to listen to your views so your email will make a difference.

Apparently for all the many letters and emails that they received that were against complementary medicine they only received a handful in support. Therefore if you are in support please let them know so they may revise their thinking on this subject.Please act as soon as possible and pass on these details to anyone else you know who may also be willing to write in support of complementary medicine.
__________________

Mary O'Meara Complementary & Alternative Medicine Researchers Network (CAMRN)

Research Council for Complementary Medicine
The Royal London Homoeopathic Hospital,
UCLH NHS Foundation Trust
60 Great Ormond Street
LondonWC1 3HR

Email: camrn@rccm.org.uk
Website: www.rccm.org.uk

Developing the evidence base for complementary medicine The RCCM is a charitable trust dependent entirely upon grants and voluntary donations

2008 begins for me NOW...

A little late, maybe lol?!?

But seriously, January was a time that was still part of 2007 for many reasons so this month has been a time to re-create the New Year...

This blog has been a long time coming...

After moving forward and backwards through some testing times, I felt it was time to bring together a blog that celebrated much more than a personal journey... I wanted to explore London and fall in love with it all over again. In doing so, I wanted to also allow this space to fuse Black cultural London, creativity and the many holistic journeys that are transforming every day.

London is busy-busy. It's time to get lost in all of it.

Watch out for new interviews ("inner-views" as we like to call it!) and insights from all walks of life (UK & Europe) - plus the occasional insight from my Self.

Keep inspiring!

Bless-up ;o)