Sunday, January 30, 2011

Redefining Our Connection to Self

What is Pure Consciousness? Essentially Pure Consciousness allows us to be in charge of our own healing process through focusing on the unique spiritual capacity of every human being to be in an alert non- judgemental attentiveness to one's thoughts, actions and feelings.

When we practice this meditative approach to life we discover the unchanging eternal center    of watchfulness - the center which has the capacity to be creative and invent solutions to the challenges that we face. The same center that allows us to become aware of the thoughts, feelings and actions which may be causing us to be in a state of unconscious stress or dissatisfaction which leads to a state of disconnectedness.

Ironically this disconnection will compel us to look for satisfaction and connection in a world of temporary external experiences and if left unchecked this underlying restlessness will encourage us to stay in a state of unbalance and excess, driving us to extremes in order to numb our current reality...All of the tools of modern life ( eg. mobiles and text, computers - emails and Facebook) all can undermine our connection to what is real and if over utilized tend to replace real relationships and mirror the relationship you begin to have with yourself. Is your relationship with yourself similar to that on your Facebook Page...100 or so possible connections but nothing deeper than the images posted or casual one liners?

I define rich, not in the assets you own but in the relationships you have in this lifetime...Do they mirror your connection that you have with yourself? Can they weather conflict? Do they have enough depth to survive the storms that present in life? The most important relationship and the only one you can really rely upon and/or change, is the relationship you have with yourself. Self doubt is an insidious creation of the ego from which there can be little respite if you are too busy to go within...Fear is there to guide and protect you if you're willing to experience it. Every emotion, experience and person in your life is there to help you evolve. Each has it's purpose to define and refine the quality of your life and the filter with which you view it.

The Pure Consciousness Course- Meditation and You... facilitates spiritual insights and mindfulness techniques in a way that is fun and creative. The relaxation response actively heals and breaks the bondages of the mind and nurtures one's individuality and sense of equilibrium. The journey of self discovery is absolutely unique to each individual - whilst the core truths to be discovered are the same regardless of race, gender, class or religious upbringing. This course will allow you to relax, reflect, refine and refocus the lens with which you view your life.

Pure Consciousness is a tool for the modern times that helps you to tune into your compassion, heightened sensitivity, courage and individuality. It is not about denying the outer world and focussing only on the inner world - it is about BALANCE...Allowing yourself to enjoy the depth of connection, understandings and wisdom and bringing balance to a modern life that doesn't always provide the time and space for the type of healing we require.



Testimonials

"I can handle things differently and at times better than before. I can stop and put things in a different perspective, by seeing what is a higher value to me and my family. Learning ways to meditate was amazing." Maria Pizzuto - Office Administration
( Canningvale)

" I can look forward with a heightened sense of trust in myself and my beliefs. I found the relaxation methods and meditation methods particularly useful."
Karen Young -Teacher (Ardross)

" I have learnt that from meditation I can view my life in a more peaceful way. I can choose to meditate and trust the decisions I make are the right ones at the right time" Helen Friesner - Home Duties ( Bullcreek)

" I measure my progress by my state of relaxation and ability to sleep better. The changes I have observed relate to my ability to observe my surroundings while everything around me is busy. I found the most beneficial experience as a result of attending 6 meditations, is my ability to not get flustered in my daily goings." Ravi Subramaniam ( Engineer) - Palmyra

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

What To Do When The Floodbanks Burst?

Modern lifestyles don't often allow the time and respite for the type of healing we require and the intensity of modern life speeds up the reactions of the mind/ body and spirit. Past conditioning and coping methods will determine how you resolve your thoughts and feelings, which in turn determine how you deal with your circumstances. When the tools in your box are no longer of use, you need to invest in new tools...

The flooding of the river basins on the East Coast of Australia are a great reminder how nature is a great equalizer. Emotion is like water, it needs to flow. However, like nature there are times in life when the rain continues to delude and emotion threatens to overwhelm our perception of change and circumstance.

This time last year, my river banks burst. Unfortunately, my husband passed away suddenly at age43 in March 2009. I had coped to the best of my ability and did everything in my power to stay buoyant and not be carried away by the waves of grief and sadness in the months that followed. However, in January 2010, life seemed empty, hollow and barren. Physically I was drained, emotionally I was conscious that I needed to feel my feelings in order to move forward and every fibre of my being told me that staying the same was too painful...

I knew that life was about "living fully" and "loving fully" which we had done with a passion. Even through his darkest hours, we chose to rise to the challenges of coping with extreme physical, mental and emotional pain and do what was needed to be done in order to create the best family life I could for our children.

Although when it came to "letting go fully" I was full of fear. The 'how' was unknown and invisible...I didn't know how I would survive. All I knew was why I needed to change and that was if I didn't stop to feel the emotion, it, like the swollen river banks would eventually overflow and overwhelm me.

So when my riverbanks burst last year and I really just wanted to jump off a cliff with my babes after Christmas and put an end to the dark mass of fear that was paralysing every second of every second hour, I decided I needed to focus on strategies that allowed time for my innerworld and reshape my outerworld to suit my needs. This took courage as the immediate response is to make decisions on the run...However I knew I needed to stop running. Being so, so busy meant that the sandbanks were no longer holding back the waters and I needed to reach for higher ground. I had always utilized meditation but it was in this time that it became particularly useful. To stop thinking and take a breath, really helped me move through that really dark space. I went into priority management mode...and realized through Craig's experience that running on adrenalin was no longer an option.


In my heart of hearts I knew we always have choices.

My intuition was screaming to me that I needed to slow down, rest in the void and that danger lurked in unexpected places if I returned to being busy out of fear. Babysteps were all that were required, I could not shift the mass of grief that had amounted over the last 3 years in one hit. The experiences that I had coped with were life changing, so why not give myself permission to really change my life?

So much of my life was out of control. Yet I was being beckoned to live my life with reckless abandonment, to the absolute fullest and with passion. Passion which was buried under grief.

I knew the first step was to trust myself. I had to trust that I had all the resources to create what I wanted in the short and long term.I had to step back and feel the deepest darkest recesses of my heart and if I was thinking about it, I was not truly allowing myself to feel. Stepping into this void was tough.


Meditation allowed me to reach that higher ground and gain perspective. I knew that I couldn't solve my problems by the same thinking that had created them. Meditation allowed me to relax and even if it was for the briefest moment, I connected with what I really wanted and believed that all things were possible. I trusted that my focus would create my reality and that I knew what was best for my girls and I. People could give me all the advice in the world but only I knew what truly resonated with my life's purpose. The way of life I had previously had not been working and I needed to change the underlying structures. I knew I had to focus on my truth. I had to accept where I was at before I had could see where I wanted to be. As dark and scary a place as that was at that time, it was merely my starting point.

It was at this point in time I used my will to:
-live in the moment.
-choose my focus carefully.
-stop focussing on the obstacles.
-trust my natural ability to connect to everything I wanted and needed.
-allow myself to listen to my intuition and go with the grieving nature of my heart, as this too would pass.



I would constantly give thanks ( and still do) for all that I had in this moment of time. This shifted my state from what was missing in my lfe, to the abundance that I did have all around me. I knew that the riches in my life weren't measured in possessions but in my relationships and these gave me faith that life was worth living.

One year on and I am also actively sharing these skills with others. The unknown now is welcomed and I have accepted the illusion of control, is just that ..." an illusion." The fear of what I didn't know, the fear of being in the void and the discomfort zone have been replaced with the certainty, that I would have been in greater pain, not giving myself this time and space and not trusting the wisdom that is in my heart. When you shift your state of mind outside your thoughts and feelings, you are guided by your natural ability and you trust it. You do know what's best for you, if you give yourself the time to stop. Everyone knows what they want, often they just don't believe they can have it.

You can create a life that feels good. You can lighten up.
When floodbanks burst, it is just a major sign from your heart that something big (some underlying structure in your life) needs to change. Remember whatever gets stuck in one emotional cycle, will only revisit you again, begging to be resolved at a later stage.

Life is a duality of positives and negatives, ups and downs. However each negative emotion can be the impetus for positive change. Surface changes to our outer world are relatively easy -as they can be bought. However changing feelings and thoughts that are constantly compensating for the notion that you are separate to what you want and creating balance in your innnerworld, is not as difficult as you might think. The rewards are also far more long term and enable you to manage change more effectively when things occur outside of your control.

Meditation is a practice that has been around for centuries. It is a tool that research demonstrates there are many benefits. There are now 84 000 documented ways to meditate. Pure Consciousness Mediation Nights are non-denominational and defy stereotyped connations of meditation. They are designed to create balance and allow you to relax so that you can connect to your intuition and follow the guidance of your own heart.

Pure Consciousness also now has an additional NEW service for people who are unable to make the time for Meditation classes or courses.

The EQUILIBRATION PROCESS - utilizes the interior sources of your painful emotions such as anger, jealousy and resentment and releases the negative charge from the thought process, to elevate your perspective. This process causes an immediate shift in your perceptions. The results are gained in only one session.

Why wait for something to burst? Why wait for the floodbanks to overflow? Why not try something new...Perhaps meditation could be the new tool you are looking for...

Intro Nights will be held @ The Canning River Eco Centre
- Wednesday 21st September @ 7.30-9.30pm...Cost $20
Don't you deserve to truly relax your thinking mind and allow your creativity and intution to prosper?


Monday, January 10, 2011

The 100 Day Plan to 100% Change

Today I chose to lighten the load and break down my goals into practical bite size progress points....

My theory is that if I make little changes everyday...in 100 days I will have made a 100% change to my life from today.

I was so enthusiastic, that for today I devoted 100 minutes to the changes I want to see;
I broke these down to 20minute starting points...

To clear my mind I began with some exercise...to work off the Xmas Excess.
So the jog that usually takes 15mins took 25...who cares it's not where you start!

This was followed by 20minutes of meditation....the stillness energizes...and it was great to get shift from a state of reaction to responsiveness.

Then 20mins of reflection, focussing on how far I have come not how far I've got to go...Success breeds success.

Another 20mins of paperwork...Then 20mins of decluttering...Yeh 3 kitchen drawers done!

Now I am at the end of this glorious day...The remainder was unplanned and allowed for spontaneous interactions with friends and loved ones...

I have made a start...I am feeling buoyant. Life is about flow...there is a knowing within when our heart and mind are ready for change...negative emotions can lead to positive change if we choose to focus our energy on what we want.

Every experience has it's place, every emotion has it's purpose - to define and refine the quality of focus within, with which we filter our life experience...
The journey of discovery is different and unique for each individual, however to commit to growth and change and be responsible for revitalizing life where needed, leads to new freedoms and release...

Day One down...99 to go!