Am I asking the right questions? Thought of the day - by Rev Graeme Owen

It has recently been brought to my attention that although we may try and remain on a path to health, self-improvement or spirituality, which in themselves often seem like full time jobs, how do we know if we're on the right track or doing the right thing?

We may know what to do and we may even be doing it but how can we tell if it's actually working? The solution is often simply to ask yourself better questions, you don't need to know the answers. Just asking the right question will often prompt the answer itself!

The question to ask is simply 'Am I getting better?'
This will force you to analyse whatever it is you are doing and see if it's working. Is your health better than it was? If so, you must be doing something right. There may still be more to do but you're probably heading in the right direction.

Is your spiritual practice fulfilling you and is your life improving? Do you feel better, more calm and relaxed? If you can answer yes to these, then something is working for you. If it is not, then start to make small changes over time, until your life/health/relationships improve. It's usually the questions we need to get right and then the answer usually presents itself!

Graeme Owen
(Sarah and Graeme run the School of Conscious Co-Creation together, training non-religious ministers and spiritual teachers).

Therapist Spotlight – Fertility Massage

Each month we are going to spotlight one of our lovely therapists who are using Zephorium products. We are meeting such fabulous people, all doing such glorious therapies, that we want to start sharing their amazing abilities with you all. You may be inspired to book a session with them. This month we are delighted to bring you Clare who we met at Cam expo.

Hello, I'm Clare Blake, the founder of Fertility Massage Therapy & Training.

Fertility Massage Therapy is a unique and specialised treatment that combines many traditional bodywork and healing techniques alongside intuition and feminine wisdom. The physical focus is on bringing alignment to the abdominal organs, in particular the womb, but also increasing circulation to the digestive & reproductive organs to enable a nutrient & hormone rich supply of blood to flow freely to the womb to assist conception. Although the name implies it is for conception, a "Fertile Womb" is important for all women, regardless of whether they have a physical womb or not. A fertile womb is one that is healthy both physically and emotionally; so that a woman can cycle, create and be centred.

In one to one sessions; many emotions arise or I can sense which Chakra's require cleansing and healing. My intuition will guide me as to which of the beautiful Zephorium sprays are required to help support and nurture my client through that session.  I use the sprays in a teaching setting too, and they have made the world of difference, in particular when students are receiving their Womb Blessing; I am sure these sprays sing out to me! My students love using them throughout the course, and on each other through practical sessions. They not only look great on our Womb Altar, but they support the blossoming and journeys of each student on my course.

www.FertilityMassage.co.uk
info@fertilitymassage.co.uk
m: 07713 477511

Happy in beauty...

Painting from mediation is one of the most liberating forms of creative arts there is. We had a wonderful day on Saturday as part of the Aspen Festival in Ascot closing our eyes and letting the paper, brushes, inks, pastels, pens and fingers speak to us and create on paper.

Once we knock out the ego mind and cut out judgment and criticism of what we are doing, our bodies can be free to paint as children do, with wonder, joy, abundance and fun. Many students I teach art to, have been told at some time that they can't draw or paint and have never picked up another art material since the day they left school. It is so liberating to paint without limits
and we all had fun getting stuck in with getting our hands dirty. There is something magical about spreading paint across paper with your fingers, not worrying about being tidy, or right, or perfect.

I love imperfection and experimentation in art, children really have it sorted! Paint for the fun of painting and never judge the end result. As with all things it's the fun of the ride and the journey not the end result.

The weather and our thoughts!

Monday mornings always intrigue me. Being self-employed I am blessed with not having the Monday morning blues that I see so many people afflicted with. I don’t know if you have noticed this but on a Monday morning the weather is often cloudy and grey. I must have too much time on my hands as I decided to run an experiment to see if Mondays were unusually grey. My limited and un-scientific research (sitting and looking out of the window) showed me that Mondays were indeed mostly grey. Often the day starts off brightly but by the time it’s time for people to go to work the clouds roll in and I am convinced it is directly caused by our collective feelings about Mondays.  Almost a sinking feeling that clouds our lives.

Look at this picture I took in Wincanton Somerset on a Monday morning just before commuter time. One side free and easy, the other side heavy and overcast! See what I mean?

Not being swayed by others opinions

People pleasing is such a painful sport! Having spent at least half of my life doing it, I became expert about worrying what others thought of me. These days I don’t give a hoot! What you think and say about me really is none of my business. It is the most liberating practice that we can do – letting go of other people’s opinions about us.

Co-dependency is an addictive process, where other people’s opinions, values and thoughts take over our minds and become more important than what we think…… it is usually a pattern of behaviour learnt at a young age from parents with addiction issues of various kinds, but it can be triggered by other fearful experiences too.  In a world that feels dangerous or unsafe to us as children, in order to survive, we mould ourselves to how others would like us to be in order to please them.

It has taken me years to learn to let go of that belief, when you first start to take back your power it can feel frightening and unsafe. Given practice, and trust me the universe will give you practice, you can become liberated from other peoples expectation of you..

These days I don’t care about others opinions and I feel totally liberated!

“The opinion which other people have of you

Is their problem not yours.”

Elisabeth Kubler-Ross

Peace is abundant

It is easy to think the world is a fearful place. If you watch the news or get wrapped up in others stories of the world it is easy to get drawn into the world of drama and fear. I never listen to the news, I would rather spend my time carving out the world I do want and I know in order to do that I have to focus on a world that is of my making and not believe in a world according to another person’s belief.

I believe the world is a kind, safe, fun, abundant environment in which to thrive and that is my daily focus. We are in a universe of Like Attracting Like and so we do get that which we focus on. The world is filled with wonderful people doing the very best they can everyday of their lives. I refuse to have my world disrupted by a handful of people bent on hatred and war.

If everyone began to focus on creating their own world of peace and took their minds off the world leaders, the most wonderful thing would happen, the leaders would sound the call for war and NOBODY WOULD TURN UP!

Inspirational Women - Anne Yarwood

So many people come and go in our lives but there are those that remain permanently seated in our hearts. I am blessed beyond words to have met Anne Yarwood 20 years ago when I was on my knees. She picked me up, dusted me down and set me forth on my spiritual journey with great love, compassion and kindly sternness!

A powerful campaigner of justice throughout her life she honed her skills as a counsellor with years of experience in understanding how people tick. Now in her 80’s she is still fighting for justice where she sees an imbalance of power. Always busy plotting and setting forth campaigns to help change the world.

Anne has always encouraged me and listens with the biggest open heart imaginable. She is a beautiful woman and I love her combination of gentle strength and powerful ‘NO’. She has opened her house for 40 years to seekers of truth and Anne along with her husband David, are two people who live the truth like shinning beacons of light.