I Choose to

Just Choose to!

This morning I was at the clothes line with a full basket of my daughter’s wet washing.  I noticed that she was inside watching reruns of ‘How I met your mother’. Next I noticed that the basket seemed to contain every single sock, pair of undies and top with the one sleeve the wrong way out that she owns. I envisaged at least 20 minutes getting it all on the line… and I began to feel resentful. Very resentful.

My mind was going over and over how inconsiderate teenagers are, how hard I work, how little time I have… get the picture? Busy mind caught up in resentment thinking going around and around and around.

At that moment I stopped and somehow I managed to pluck a tiny piece of awareness out of my overworked and resentful brain and I said to myself … “just choose to do it”.

Wow! Like a whack to the head and in an instant, it was like someone turned on the sound!

Birds whizzed past singing, chirping, squawking and generally communicating loudly and joyously with each other in the trees above me and in the distant bush. “Did they just arrive?” I asked myself. I could hear traffic in the distance, smell the clean washing, I noticed my gorgeous puppy at my feet.

I realised that in the moment I chose to be there and I took my attention away from the busy, busy mad monkey mind and arrived in the moment, my attention immediately went to my senses. I noticed and heard the wildlife, felt the cold, wet fabric and smelled the fragrant, native bush. I could feel my fingertips! Plus I was unexpectedly and gratefully filled with inner joy.

I got to thinking …“What else might I choose”?

There are so many things that seem ‘un-choosable’ but I am going to challenge myself to ask the question more often and especially if I notice resentment creeping in.

Have you had any success or insights with this question? I would love to hear your experiences. Until then, wishing you all many happy ‘hanging the washing out’ moments like mine…

Love

Margie

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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30 Day Challenge – Help!!

Will you join me?

I need some help. I realised how many times I hear myself say, when I’m teaching Meditation, “if you commit to it every day for a month, it will change your life”

Well, I want to test that out and I would like you to join me.

I do have a daily practice but it sometimes gets shafted or shortened. Like the last couple of months there have been many extra demands on me – loved ones in and out of hospital and me up and down the highway…

Anyway, today I am re-committing to a daily practice of Meditation and I know it always feels easier if I am doing it with someone. We can’t always get to a class, although often as I sit to meditate, I imagine all the people around the world who are meditating and I sort of put myself in that company. It helps.

However, I would like it to feel a bit closer to home and to see what kind of changes we experience at the end of 30 days.  We could be a Virtual Meditation group!

Anybody out there want to join me???

Making a public commitment can help stay on track – so we invite you to write in the comments below that you’re joining and commit to a timeframe each day. We’ll be there to support you!

PS. Just in case you need reminding of the benefits of Meditation.

• It changes our mental landscape
• It strengthens our ability to stay in the present moment
• Helps us just BE WITH the sensations of the body without aversion, judgement
• Allows us to see the thoughts and feelings, (that we may or may like), and not get involved, we can just let them go….

Sounds like Peace eh?

Bernadette Arena

Bernadette Arena

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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The Movie that Changed my Life

What is the movie that has changed your life?

Following on from ‘The book that changed my life’, I invite you to share the movie that changed your life.

For me it was ‘The Colour Purple’ with Whoopi Goldberg and Oprah Winfrey.

This deeply moving film is about enduring love that connects and binds people across time, space. It is about thriving and surviving experiences of trauma, abuse, racism and bigotry and it is about maintaining grace and dignity through it all.

Both joy and sadness shine through this visually stunning film. It inspires with a field of swaying, head high, purple flowers, a shimmering, red sequinned dress, hazy filtered sunlight, rustic food and heart pumping dancing.

The African American blues and gospel music connect me to the people from that era with intense vitality intertwined with the painful grief of separation and abuse.

I feel more alive when I watch this movie and it continues to teach me about standing up for my rights, enduring love and the power of forgiveness.

So I invite you to share the movie that changed your life with all of us. What a list we could create!

Happy movie going…

YouTube clip of my favourite song from the movie ‘Miss Celie Blues’

Love

Margie

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.

Read Full Post »