Introduction to Quest for Life

A big thank you to Dan Fischer who gracefully compiled this video as an introduction to the Quest for Life Foundation. Thank you to Gino Nalini who did the original filming. Great job!

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Building Resilient Children

There has never been a time in history where children are so subjected to information about and pictures of, suffering. Some families are eating dinner while there are images of great suffering on the television news and both print media and radio news can conjure up pictures that children may find anxiety provoking.

Children can often be overlooked when there is a world tragedy, family or school upset or when adults around them are dealing with relationship breakdown, separation issues, illness, grief or depression. Some people think that children are mostly oblivious to these peripheral stresses in their lives but this is a great error in judgment.

Science has now proved what intuitively our grandmothers knew: a happy stable loving child grows up in a happy stable loving environment. The neurochemistry laid down in the first three years of life has a profound impact upon the child’s growing brain. While children don’t understand the intellectual underpinnings of many adult conversations, they are acutely aware of the ‘sound’ or tone of the voices around them. There is a tone of voice that conveys judgment; there’s a sound conveyed by resentment or despair and a sound around blame, frustration and anger.

Children don’t understand the beliefs that adults may hold, but they can certainly ‘read’ the feeling being expressed and will associate that tone of voice with the subject of the adult’s judgment. In this way children learn to close their hearts and minds to whomever their family sees as ‘the others’ – those that are richer, poorer, better educated, less educated, from a different religion, sexual orientation or cultural background.

Children’s bodies and brains react to these sounds by secreting increased amounts of adrenalin and cortisol. The secretion of these chemicals is necessary at times when we need to run away from a valid fear or to front up and deal with it and these physical activities use up the benefit of these chemicals. When a child feels stressed a good deal of the time, these chemicals negatively activate and speed up some processes in the body as well as suppress the capacities of the child’s immune system.

Young children have a natural capacity to be still and enjoy the present moment. As babies and very young children, we were content with very simple pleasures derived from our senses. Just taking on all the new sounds, sensations, smells, sights and tastes was a full time job! This ability to be happily absorbed in whatever activity is at hand gradually wanes as a child becomes caught up with the busy-ness of life and its challenges.

It is natural for young children to be compassionate and caring. A young child doesn’t require knowledge of your bank account or your educational history in order for them to bestow upon you their bountiful love.

As children grow and realise there are things to be achieved and challenges to be overcome, they may lose this capacity to find pleasure in the simple things of life. In addition, many children become sensitive to the upsets in their loved-ones or the wider world.

We can build resilience in our children by giving them practical skills and strategies to utilize whenever they feel anxious or upset. We do this best by being a living demonstration to our children because as we all know, children watch what we do rather than follow what we say! When we bounce back from life’s challenges and disappointments we can share with our children how and why we did so. This is something that needs to be taught to children and is a vital part of them learning to be capable when life’s unexpected disasters or disappointments happen. Spending time with children explaining to them how they can build resilience and reading them stories where children demonstrate these qualities helps children understand how they can embrace their difficulties in life with skill.

Over the past twenty five years I have listened to thousands of stories from adults who were physically, sexually or emotionally abused as children. Paradoxically, many of these people find that once they integrate these past emotional wounds, they find some of the strengths that they developed because of these painful experiences. They may have developed resilience, self-reliance, capabilities and determination. I have also heard many people say that they had such a happy experience as a child that it never prepared them to deal with difficulties and disappointments when they encountered them! Either way, as parents, we can actively promote and teach resilience skills to our children or grandchildren and equip them as adults to grapple meaningfully and creatively with the challenges they will encounter in both their personal and global lives.

Petrea King

Petrea King

Petrea is conducting a one day seminar on Resilient Children on Sunday 26th September, 2010 in Sydney. Book here.

Author of You, Me & the Rainbow, Rainbow Kids and The Rainbow Garden published by Jane Curry Publishing and Rainbow Connection CD for children and five books for adults including Your Life Matters and a dozen meditation CDs.

Founding Director and CEO, Quest for Life Foundation www.questforlife.com.au

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An Angel at My Side

I had dinner with old friends last night. One mate reminded me of a holiday we had when we were about 19.  A group of us went to Sri Lanka and it was my first ‘overseas holiday’.  Originally, it was a surfing holiday for the ‘boys’ but we, friends and girlfriends, went along for the adventure.  We stayed for weeks with a family in a small fishing village that had no electricity.  While the boys went away on a surfing safari, we girls stayed ‘home’ with the family -cooking, laughing, trying on saris and finding our way in this strange environment.

The guys used to talk of a bloke they kept running into. Whenever he showed up, the surf picked up.  He was a lucky charm.  They called him ‘Magnet’. Without fail, every time, in every village, no matter what time of day, as soon as Magnet turned up, the surf started pumping and everyone was in for a great ride.

The evenings were long with no electricity and Magnet used to entertain them.  He’d go into the bush and come back with scorpions and snakes and small marsupials. He’d play with them, talk about them and amuse everyone. They had a great time, they were grateful and a little in awe of this bloke.

Anyway turns out ‘Magnet’ was a young  Steve Irwin.

I remember when I heard about Steve’s death.  I was in Townsville with a friend.  Her phone rang and next minute she was screaming, crying…  She took the news hard.  She’d come to know Steve well when she and her family donated some of their land to one of his conservation projects.

He touched so many people.  Yet, I got to thinking, we all do. It’s worth being mindful of that from time to time.  Like the old (Persian?) maxim says “Don’t forget to entertain strangers, for by doing so, some people have entertained angels without knowing “

Thanks Steve, and thanks to all the angels I’ve met unawares.

Bernadette Arena

Bernadette Arena

Bernadette is a yoga and meditation teacher and group facilitator and has been teaching since the early 1990s.  She has worked with people of all ages, from diverse backgrounds and cultures and has developed skills of serving people dealing with significant life issues.  She taught community classes for children, teens, people with disabilities, the elderly, sports professionals, and also in corporate environments.

Bernadette has worked with the Quest for Life Foundation since early 2006 and is the Senior Facilitator on our residential programs.  Her work is treasured by our participants and our team. She has also been developing and refining a deep understanding of the use of appropriate yoga and meditation approaches for use in oncology and with serious illness.

Bernadette maintains close association with International Yoga Teachers Association and is a senior lecturer for their Teacher Training Course.  She has designed and delivered yoga teacher training courses for other organisations.  During 5 years in the UK she taught retreats, workshops and classes across the UK and in Europe and worked as a personal ‘lifestyle’ coach.  Bernadette brings a gentle and loving nature with insight and compassion borne out of her experience. She can assist a deeper connection with the body as a means to rejuvenate the spirit.

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Pain and our Backs

Since I was a young woman, I have suffered from low-grade back pain, caused from sporting and dancing injuries acquired in my early years. In my late twenties I discovered Chiropractic and it provided enormous relief. Three years ago I discovered Bowen Therapy and that has continued to also provide relief, now only requiring a maintenance visit every 2 months or so. I share this with you, because I have also found that self maintenance as suggested below can be a great support to continue to keep the spine supple. Remember, with all these exercises to always be very gentle, go at your own pace and be kind to yourself.

HOME BACK CLASS

Osteopaths and chiropractors are good at easing the sufferings of people with back and neck problems, often avoiding the need for drugs or surgery. It’s advisable to consult a qualified practitioner for advice on any problems related to your back or neck. However, practitioners often recommend a DIY routine like the one below to ease pain and stiffness, and to keep the spine supple.

1. Lie on your back on the floor. Bring your knees up to your chest and clasp your hands under them. Keeping your whole body as relaxed as possible, pull your knees in toward your chest slowly. Hold for 10 seconds, then release. Repeat several times.

2. Get onto all fours with your hands directly under your shoulders and your knees directly under your hips. Gently round your back as if you were an angry cat, letting your head drop and your pelvis tuck in. Hold for about 20 seconds, then release. Repeat several times.

3. Sit on the edge of a chair with your feet firmly on the floor, quite wide apart. Slowly bend forward, hands reaching toward the floor, head moving between your knees. Feel a gentle stretch (stop if it hurts). Hold for about 20 seconds, then gently return to the starting position.

From the The Mind, Body, Spirit Miscellany by Jane Alexander

Alexia Miall

Alexia Miall

Alexia’s career began in banking and then moved via advertising to a major career change in 1980 to Adult and Transformational Education.  She has been privileged to share this incredible journey with 1000’s of like minded souls through her extensive experience as a facilitator, trainer, life coach, therapist, and mentor.  She managed her own training company in Victoria during the 1990’s, and during this time was the Course Leader for a training program from which the Banksia Environmental Foundation formed.

Alexia has acquired further education in Adult Education in Training; Somatic Psychotherapy; Life Coaching; Conflict Resolution; plus Accreditation in many behavioral and culture change models. She is an Associate of EcoSTEPS, a niche Sustainability consultancy, which supports her love of the natural environment.

She will be co-facilitating an 8-week meditation course for the Quest for Life Foundation in Sydney called ‘Meditation for Life’, commencing 1st November, 2010.

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Self love, counselling and dogs with bones

“If we really love ourselves, everything in our life works”. Louise L. Hay.

I was cooking dinner last night listening to Tony Bennett singing classics while stirring the yummy dhal I was preparing for dinner and gradually I noticed a feeling creeping up on me. At first I could not quite label it and then I realised that it was…gentle but truly deep joy welling up.

Now this might not seem very amazing as I have had my fair share of opportunities to evoke this feeling of joy, but the difference this time is that I have been feeling it really consistently lately. Not only that, I have just emerged from a state of peri-menopausal depression and even in the midst of that, it did not totally leave and I knew that joy would return. This feeling state seems to be ‘sticking’.

I can only put it down to persistence. Counselling has definitely been my primary tool for personal growth along with beautiful Quest for Life programs and others like them in the past.

I guess the blog worthy point here is that I never fully believed that all the counselling, programs, meditation, books, psychotherapy training courses and general ‘dog with a bone’ consciousness seeking activity would ever really bring me the peace I have been seeking but guess what? I THINK IT ACTUALLY HAS!

Working toward greater joy does not necessarily imply blissful enlightenment in every moment. It’s about still living with the ups and downs of life while seeking peace  and not being too insistent about how, when or even if peace emerges.

A teacher of mine once said … “the blissful state is a happy accident. You can’t make it happen. So we must become accident prone…” RM (in other words, keep practicing!)

I think the ‘trick’ is to practice becoming conscious and look for the joy that is already there in your life without becoming attached to how it all pans out by wanting anything other than what you get. I think that someone else recommended this practice too… oh yes it was the Buddha!

I wish you well on your ‘joyney’ – bad pun intended

Love to all

Margie Braunstein

Margie Braunstein

Margie is a somatic psychotherapist and counsellor providing psychotherapy services to the people of the Central Coast and Sydney.  Margie lives on the beautiful Central Coast with her husband, two children, two dogs and a cat.

Over the last 12 years, Margie has also been engaged in the design, delivery and marketing of transformational learning programs. During this time she has regularly facilitated personal development programs for up to 50 people on weekend workshops, week-long intensives and advanced programs of 3-4 months.

Margie has a Graduate Certificate in Adult Education from UTS, Diploma in Psychotherapy from the Australian College of Contemporary Somatic Psychotherapy and qualifications in somatic therapy, executive coaching and relationship counselling.

Margie has a passion for personal development and regards people with respect, empathy and compassion in the belief that while we all do the best we can, a little bit more kindness and care can lead to even greater peace and joy in life.

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Dadirri – Aboriginal way – listening to one another

Recently I met with a  group of Aboriginal women in Redfern to explore how Quest for Life will work with them on their healing journey. One of the groups involved is led by Aunty Rhonda and is a women’s wellbeing circle. At the start of each group they read this deeply moving reading. They take it in turns to each read a passage. I was deeply touched and humbled by this experience and have asked Aunty Rhonda for permission to share it with you.

I suggest you take a quiet moment out of your day, breathe deeply and read. Please share your thoughts and feelings afterwards. The meaning held within is still unfolding for me moment by moment, day by day. I feel priveledged to be sharing this journey alongside such connected and courageous women.

Dadirri – Aboriginal way- listening to one another

By Miriam Rose Ungenmerr

Dadirri. A special quality. A unique gift of the Aborigina people, is inner deep listening and quiet still awareness. Dadirri recognises the deep spring that is inside us.  It is something like what you call contemplation.

The contemplative way of Dadirri spreads over our whole life. It renews us and brings us peace. It makes us feel whole again.  In our aboriginal way we learnt to listen from our earliest times. We could not live good and useful lives unless we listened.

We are not threatened by silence. We are completely at home in it.  Our Aboriginal way has taught us to be still and wait.  We do not try to hurry things up.  We let them follow their natural course – like the seasons.

We watch the moon in each of its phases. We wait for the rain to fill our rivers and water the thirsty earth.  When twilight comes we prepare for the night. At dawn we rise with the sun.  We watch the bush foods and wait for them to open before we gather them.  We wait for our young people as they grow; stage by stage, through their initiation ceremonies.  When a relation dies, we wait for a long time with the sorrow. We own our grief and allow it to heal slowly. We wait for the right time for our ceremonies and meetings.  The right people must be present.  Careful preparations must be made.  We don’t mind waiting because we want things to be done with care.  Sometimes many hours must be spent painting the body before an important ceremony.

We don’t worry. We know that in time and in the spirit of Dadirri (that deep listening and quiet stillness) the way will be made clear.

We are like the tree standing in the middle of a bushfire sweeping through the timber. The leaves are scorched and the tough bark is scarred and burnt, but inside the tree the sap is still flowing and under the ground the roots are still strong.   Like that tree we have endured the flames and we still have the power to be reborn.

Our people are used to the struggle and the long waiting. We still wait for the white people to understand us better. We ourselves have spent many years learning about the white man’s ways:  we have learned to speak the white man’s language; we have listened to what he had to say. This learning and listening should go both ways. We would like people to take time and listen to us.  We are hoping people will come closer. We keep longing for the things we have always hoped for, respect and understanding.

We know that our white brothers and sisters carry their own particular burdens. We believe that if they let us come to them, open their minds and to us we may lighten their burdens.  There is a struggle for us but we have not lost our spirit of Dadirri.

There are deep springs within each of us, within this deep spring, which is the very spirit, is a sound. The sound of Deep calling to Deep. The time for rebirth is now. If our culture is alive and strong and respected it will grow. It will not die and our spirit will not die.  I believe the spirit of Dadirri that we have to offer will blossom and grow, not just within ourselves but within all.

Edited version adapted from the writings of Miriam Rose Ungenmerr

Shared by Kate vanderVoort

Kate vanderVoort

Kate is currently overseeing the development and implementation of the new strategic plan for Quest for Life including developing programs for other organisations, online services, community outreach and facilitator team development.

Kate completed a Bachelor of Social Work and has more than 15 years experience in working in health, cancer and youth related charities and service providers. She has also studied yoga, meditation and a variety of training, presentation and coaching modalities. She facilitated with the Quest for Life Foundation in 1999 – 2000 and has since worked with Quest for Life in business development and fundraising roles. With more than 12 years experience in leadership and program development roles in the youth sector, Kate has a passion for creating a world in which young people wish to belong, be a part of and contribute to.

Kate has a consulting business – 3 Degrees of Connection (www.3doc.com.au) – and connects people, passions and projects through strategy and social media marketing. She lives in Sydney with her pet rabbit Heff.

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Part 4 (final) – Living Beyond Expectations

….continued….

Science continues to discover new hormones and chemicals which act as neurotransmitters. These chemical messengers are constantly tweaking our cell’s performance. One of the hormones that we secrete has been named anandamide – the bliss hormone – ananda being a Sanskrit word meaning bliss.

When it locks onto the receptor on many of our cells it gives a positive message that encourages the cell to optimise its performance. It’s part of our body’s internal pharmacy of hormones and chemicals that improve and maintain our health. Why wouldn’t our body secrete self-healing, health maintaining hormones and chemicals to help fulfill its purpose ~ to house the spirit that is here to be realised?

We’re only just beginning to understand the contribution our feelings make through these chemical messages. We smile about people in love because the world looks different through lover’s eyes. We even say they’ve got stars in their eyes because people in love have a sparkle about them. The chemicals of love and joy tingle in our bodies and give a sense of peace and wellbeing.

It’s obvious by the lines on our faces which emotions visit their most frequently. Those who live in the present and are content and peaceful have an aura of joy about them. They are spontaneous and available to fully experience the present moment. Their minds are uncluttered by unresolved issues or perceived threats to their peace.

The chemicals of joy, peace, love, contentment and bliss are powerful immune and health enhancers whilst the chemicals of fear, blame, resentment, entrapment, hopelessness, anxiety, stress and powerlessness are not.

We need to honour and listen to this wise inner voice because it is our greatest asset in life. It is the voice of our creative spirit and the guiding light for our journey to full consciousness. It is in the presence of this intuitive self that we feel a deep sense of connectedness to that which is sacred within us.

We don’t heal from something we resist or fear we heal into that which we more deeply desire.

Healing requires that we’re willing to examine every belief, judgment, value, desire, inhibition, expectation and assumption we hold. In time, we discard everything but those things that we find true in their depths.

To aim for a cure requires the same kind of thinking processes that we use when we’re problem solving and not listening to our intuition. It is only focused on ridding ourselves of something. Yet, life is a process of unfolding rather than a finite state that we achieve. Curing is only about the finite state not the process. Healing addresses the whole person taking into account the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects thus leading to a deeper understanding and wisdom about our selves. After all life is not a competition to see who stays alive the longest. We value a life by the passion with which it was lived, by the love made evident, by the peace or joy given to others rather than its length.

In modern medicine a cure is normally considered an external medical intervention that reliably removes physical disease in most people. Whereas healing in contrast, is an inner movement towards wholeness and can take place at physical, emotional, mental and spiritual levels. Most ancient healing traditions of medicine place their primary emphasis on this inner healing, on caring for the human soul, rather than on curing.

Real health is our capacity to embrace every moment, regardless of its challenges, with an open heart and a quiet mind. This definition of peace is embodied in the Four C’s: We regain a sense of control, choosing not to react from our history but making an appropriate response to the situation in which we find ourselves. This requires awareness and a desire to participate rather than feeling a helpless victim of our circumstance. We care enough to be committed to getting emotionally up to date with our life so that we can be here now ~ in the present moment. We have healthy priorities, are in clear communion with ourselves and have the capacity to communicate with our loved ones. We find our life positively challenging recognising that we’re here to grow in wisdom and our capacity to love and we make meaning of our suffering. We feel lovingly connected to those we share our life with and to our own spirit or we have a profound sense of connectedness.

When we desire to live with this sense of peace in our lives the outcome is guaranteed. Peace is always possible and regardless of the circumstances of our lives, peace becomes our reality. The living presence of these qualities creates the ideal environment in which physical healing can take place. If physical healing is not to be our lot then we still have peace. This is the peace that passes all understanding and which allows us to take our leave of life lightly if that is to be our pathway.

Petrea King

Petrea King

N.D., D.R.M., D.B.M., Dip Cl. Hyp., I.Y.T.A.

Petrea King is a well-known author, inspirational speaker, counsellor and workshop leader. She has practiced many forms of meditation since the age of seventeen and she is also qualified as a naturopath, herbalist, hypnotherapist, yoga and meditation teacher.

In 1983 Petrea was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia and was not expected to live.  Meditation and the integration of past traumatic experiences became paramount in her recovery, much of which was spent in a monastery near Assisi in Italy.

Since then, Petrea has counselled individually or through residential programs more than 60,000 people living with life-challenging illnesses, grief, loss, trauma and tragedy. Petrea sees crisis as a catalyst for spiritual growth and understanding and as an opportunity for healing and peace.

Petrea has received the Advance Australia Award and the Centenary Medal for her contribution to the community. She has been nominated for Australian of the Year in each year since 2004.

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Part 3 – Living Beyond Expectations

…..continued…..

Intuition

Intuition is the voice of the non-physical world.

Our intuition is perhaps our least acknowledged but greatest asset. It is the voice of the non-physical world though it can deliver messages about the physical world. If we train ourselves to discern its voice, it will provide guidance in every moment of our lives. So many of us have quashed our intuition through long neglect of it. It tends to speak in nudges or whispers and is only available when our mind is quiet. Our fears use the loudspeaker system and so consume our minds, that we’re sometimes desperate for respite. The voice of love emanates from our creative spirit whilst fear belongs to the personality we have constructed since our birth. Our intuition is that ‘still small voice’ that ‘knows’ rather than ‘thinks’.

Fears propel the mind with thoughts of ‘will I, won’t I’, ‘should I, shouldn’t I’, ‘can I, can’t I?’ Our intuition however, ‘knows’ precisely what to do or say, knows how to ‘be’ or whether something is true for us or not as the case may be.

Some people talk of a ‘gut’ feeling or they say, ‘I know it in my heart’ or it ‘feels’ right. Some people talk of hunches or nudges. Interestingly enough, next to your brain your gut produces more neurotransmitters than any other part of your body.

It is time to recognise that intuition is a valid source of information. It has long been ridiculed and we’ve been indoctrinated to not trust its wisdom. Faith is not necessary when we rely only on that which is evidence-based. We need to train our intellect to listen to and express the intuitive voice.

When we follow our intuition our lives have an increased joy, spontaneity, humour and sense of aliveness. It feels like more life flows through us.

Our intuition can give us valuable information about what’s going on in our bodies even before a noticeable symptom appears. Countless people have told me they had an intuitive sense that something needed attention long before being diagnosed with their illness or with its recurrence. Don’t give your power away to someone else because they’re the ‘expert’. You are the expert on you. Find someone who’ll listen and respect your perspective.

Some men, and many more women, have told me that their doctors have accused them of being hypochondriacs or malingerers because they’ve returned again and again with more than a suspicion that something wasn’t right. This delay in diagnosis can result in anguish for the person plus the consequences of a delay in treatment.

The incessant chatter that goes on in our mind often stops us from experiencing the possibilities in each present moment. In order for us to hear our intuition, our mind must be quiet and present. For instance, imagine you’re walking to the local chemist shop ten minutes away to purchase some goods. While you’re walking, your mind chatters on. Perhaps you’re thinking about your woeful financial situation or you’re worrying about your kids, rehashing a recent argument, fretting over your relationship, resenting your job, sad about your unresolved childhood or pre-occupied with your plans for the future. You arrive at the chemist shop. You’ve forgotten why you went there. You’ve got no interest or energy to engage with the person on the other side of the counter let alone enquire about their day because you’re so pre-occupied with your own problems. You avoid eye contact. You grab tissues because you’re bound to need those and you walk home again worrying about the future, fretting about the past, frustrated with your kids, resenting your job, rehashing conversations or arguments and so on.

What you’ve done from home to the chemist and back again is secrete a chemical cocktail in your brain, gut and in other parts of your body in response to whatever your awareness has been focused on. If you’ve been pre-occupied with regrets, recriminations, worry, bitterness, anxiety, fears, uncertainties, resentment, rehashing of past events or projecting your worries, fears, concerns and dread into the future you’ve also been producing the chemicals of the feelings you’ve experienced.

This chemical ‘wash’ significantly contributes moment-by-moment to our physical health. There’s another way to walk to the chemist shop. You’re over your childhood because you’ve wept about it, written about it, talked about it or railed over whatever you needed to in order for those events to be in your history, rather than nibbling at your present. In this way you have forgiven yourself, others and life. You’ve got your finances under control because that’s your responsibility.

You’re in the best of relationships because you know that they need daily attention. You know you’ve given your children the best start in life you were able to, given who you are, what happened to you and what you made of it, and can set them free to create a life for themselves. You know that worrying about the future changes nothing (except your biology!). Then, you’re simply free to walk. You hear the crunch of the gravel beneath your feet. You notice how your body feels as you walk and you notice if anything feels any different. You feel the touch of the air against your cheeks and catch the waft of blossom floating by. You see the flurry of petals set dancing by the breezes.

You relish the play of light and shadow, You hear the laughter of children and birdsong.

You connect with the dog that tried to give you a smile. You enjoy every breath as it flows effortlessly in and out of your body. You arrive at the chemist shop. You’ve got boundless energy to greet the assistant and perhaps cheer up her day. You know exactly why you’re there and you get your goods and walk home enjoying the sights, sounds, smells and feelings of simply being alive. It’s as if you see life winking at you everywhere.

This is the meaning of that expression, ‘Before enlightenment, chop wood, carry water. After enlightenment, chop wood, carry water’. This second way of walking may outwardly look identical to the first, but be completely different in our experience of it. This second way of walking produces a very different physiology. We’ve secreted the chemicals of peace, contentment, joy or even bliss.

Because, why not?

Then our walking is not just a way of reaching our destination but a rich journey in itself. It’s often at these times, when the mind is open and receptive to receiving the messages from our senses that our intuition operates. Messages pop into our mind – they might be as simple as to ring someone or to read a particular book or to visit somewhere – but they’re important messages from a deeper, more aware part of our being.

If we’ve been trying to figure out a problem or find a solution to a situation, these are precisely the times when our intuition is likely to give some pointers, or indeed, the entire answer; those ‘Aha!’ moments of understanding or recognition. These moments might occur whilst we’re showering, sitting idle at traffic lights, or involved in many of our daily routines or when the mind is quiet and receptive perhaps in the presence of music or nature or during a simple physical activity like washing up the dishes, cleaning the bathtub, brushing our teeth or taking out the rubbish. It is often when the mind is ‘idling’, not thinking about anything in particular, that these intuitive thoughts are experienced. We suddenly ‘get’ the idea that we should visit a particular person or place (for no apparent reason), go to the shelf for a particular book, revisit a conversation in which you realise you were misunderstood or whatever.

It is the unresolved issues in our mind that take us away from experiencing this present moment in all its glory and block our intuition from being heard.

….to be continued…..

Petrea King

Petrea King
N.D., D.R.M., D.B.M., Dip Cl. Hyp., I.Y.T.A.

Petrea King is a well-known author, inspirational speaker, counsellor and workshop leader. She has practiced many forms of meditation since the age of seventeen and she is also qualified as a naturopath, herbalist, hypnotherapist, yoga and meditation teacher.

In 1983 Petrea was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia and was not expected to live.  Meditation and the integration of past traumatic experiences became paramount in her recovery, much of which was spent in a monastery near Assisi in Italy.

Since then, Petrea has counselled individually or through residential programs more than 60,000 people living with life-challenging illnesses, grief, loss, trauma and tragedy. Petrea sees crisis as a catalyst for spiritual growth and understanding and as an opportunity for healing and peace.

Petrea has received the Advance Australia Award and the Centenary Medal for her contribution to the community. She has been nominated for Australian of the Year in each year since 2004.

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Part 2 – Living Beyond Expectations

…..continued…… (from Part 1 – Living Beyond Expectations)

It is invaluable for us to learn how to live in the present moment. When we are present to each moment, we are not projecting our fears or anxieties into the future or rehashing resentment, bitterness or regret about the past. In this way we contribute a more beneficial and powerful healing chemistry within our bodies than that when we are emotionally agitated. We love being in the present.

It’s the juiciest place in life to be. It’s where life is unfolding moment-by-moment. It’s where our intuition is heard or felt, where creativity is experienced, where humour and spontaneity reside. The present is where life is, love is, creation is unfolding. We cannot experience the presence of life, love or creation in five minutes time or five minutes ago. We have to be here, now in order to feel the glory, wonder and possibilities of the present.

However, our minds can create chaos, misery and suffering for us as they jump into the future or into the past; projecting endless possibilities that may never happen or regurgitating things from our history and giving life to them in the present.

What do we want from our surgeon on the day we go to theatre? In addition to years of experience and excellent training, what we want on the day is their undivided attention ~ their wholehearted presence. It is the ‘gifted’ surgeon who brings all of his or her presence to the operating table. Then they recall everything you’ve told them and may choose to explore in greater depth a seemingly minor symptom you mentioned three weeks ago. Whilst another surgeon might have forgotten that conversation altogether and sees you only as a routine procedure, rather than a person with an individual history.

The abundant harvest that we reap in being present to our lives at every moment brings the realisation that life depends as much upon our response to its events as upon the events themselves; that each moment is a sufficient end in itself rather than another step towards some future goal; that it is now, this moment that we sacrifice the glory and wonder that is in and around us unless we be present to its unfolding potential.

To be continued …..

Petrea King

Petrea King
N.D., D.R.M., D.B.M., Dip Cl. Hyp., I.Y.T.A.

Petrea King is a well-known author, inspirational speaker, counsellor and workshop leader. She has practiced many forms of meditation since the age of seventeen and she is also qualified as a naturopath, herbalist, hypnotherapist, yoga and meditation teacher.

In 1983 Petrea was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia and was not expected to live.  Meditation and the integration of past traumatic experiences became paramount in her recovery, much of which was spent in a monastery near Assisi in Italy.

Since then, Petrea has counselled individually or through residential programs more than 60,000 people living with life-challenging illnesses, grief, loss, trauma and tragedy. Petrea sees crisis as a catalyst for spiritual growth and understanding and as an opportunity for healing and peace.

Petrea has received the Advance Australia Award and the Centenary Medal for her contribution to the community. She has been nominated for Australian of the Year in each year since 2004.

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