Weekly Inspiration #19

This has been such a gentle week for me. I don’t know if it was the Taurus full moon shining its soft light over me, or just the fact that I had taken my own advice and was resting and having fun. We spent last Sunday at a BBQ on our friend’s farm by his huge spring-fed dam –  we swam, talked and laughed, the kids were knee deep in mud and we ate well. I realise that if you are not Taurean then you may not find this scene as pleasant as I did. Nonetheless :). The Bear and I went out to a movie (I’ll tell you all about it later), it RAINED, I had FOUR different healing sessions, I journalled, did some more on my writing project, created a band new Practical Mystic Facebook page to go with my blog, wrote, did yoga, worked – and even snagged a surprise day off on Friday. Again, maybe it was the Taurus energy, but I was happy to be in the kitchen as well. This isn’t surprising to people who know me, but I have been lacking a bit of inspiration in the cooking department lately. This tends to happen when you make everything you find fun into work, apparently ;). I made a trio of dips (hommus, beetroot and feta and tzatziki) to take to the BBQ, as well as a delicious lentil, feta and beetroot salad. I made this yummy lemon yogurt syrup cake on my day off, and then last night, because I had the house to myself (the Bear is away for two days and the kids were on a sleep over – well one was – the other came back because he wasn’t feeling well) I made a delicious mushroom and pea risotto, topped off with a delicious organic sauvignon blanc. Risotto is one of my dishes that I make just for me – because nobody else likes it! I know, crazy right? I don’t have room for all these recipes in this post, but maybe I’ll do a Taurus Special Recipe Post next week. If you’re lucky 🙂

I took this picture from my back verandah on Friday, and posted it on Facebook with this caption:

On a day that has fallen open like a book upon my lap, I sit on my verandah and ponder the great questions, Taurus full moon style. Like: what cake shall I bake? Lemon or sticky date? What should I do first – yoga or writing? Is it possible for this day to get any more perfect, with the soft cool breeze, jacaranda flowers falling and the ground still rain softened? Tough questions indeed.

Best Short Read

How to be Spiritually Fit by Marianne Williamson

There are reasons why we call our spiritual work our practice. We have to use our spiritual muscles everyday, we have to work it, we have to practise, just like with anything else we might want to do well. In this article, Marianne Williamson gives a few simple spiritual practices, that if performed every day, will result in spiritual fitness. The reason I love this concept of spiritual fitness, is that it means you have to move from reading, listening and thinking about spirituality, to actually applying and using spiritual practices in your real life. As a practical mystic, this appeals to me :).

Strong physical muscles give us the power to navigate the external world more effectively, while strong spiritual muscles give us the power to navigate the internal world. With physical musculature, we gain the power to move; with internal musculature, we gain the power to sit still, to be nonreactive, to be centered and calm and wise. (click here to read more)

Best Watch

The Lunchbox

This week, the Bear and I headed out to our local cinema for the opening night of the Travelling Film Festival, a yearly event that showcases the best films from The Sydney Film Festival and sends them out to rural areas like ours so everyone can share in the joy :). I’m not a big film watcher – not because I don’t like movies – but because I’m so fussy. I hate to waste my time and energy on dross that doesn’t enhance my life, I really do. The movie that was opening the festival was an Indian movie called The Lunch Box. I love Indian culture and books or movies that are set in India, a bunch of my friends were going, and the movie looked like something I was going to enjoy. I was right – I did enjoy it. I loved it in fact, and I was completely charmed by it. Fortunately I bought the tickets online before we went, because it was completely sold out!

Best Blog Challenge

Ready to go 🙂

You may have heard me mention Nicole Cody‘s blog Cauldrons and Cupcakes before. Nicole is a writer, a metaphysical healer, psychic and all round beautiful person. A couple of weeks ago, she invited her readers to join her on a month long Journaling Challenge to help us navigate the intense energies of November. Each Sunday in November, she gives us a theme to work with and questions to answer during the week to help us identify and release the burdens we carry around with us. I can’t resist such an invitation, so I jumped on board – I had a spare exercise book, and each week I have chosen three runes and a crystal to help me hold and create the space for my journal work. So much fun, I love this stuff 🙂

My prize! Aren’t they beautiful 🙂

Last weekend Nicole announced that she was giving away a beautiful set of hand made carnelian runes. Guess who ended up winning them?? Me!! Not only did I win the runes, but she told her community about my blog, and a whole heap of them came over to visit :). So, sending out a BIG thank you to Nicole over at Cauldrons and Cupcakes today.

Best Healing Experiences

Image from Singing Lotus. Click for more information on Singing Bowl healing.

This week I have received not one or two, but three personal invitations from three different healers who all wanted to give me treatments; because that’s the kind of ridiculously fortunate life I lead. The first one was a Singing Bowl session. I’m guessing you may not have had one of these before, so picture this: you are lying down on the floor, surrounded by large, metal singing bowls. The practitioner hits each bowl with a felt covered hammer, sending the healing vibrations straight through your body. Each of the bowls are attuned to the same vibration of a particular chakra, so by the end of the treatment, not only are you completely blissed out, but all your chakras are vibrating the way they should be. Amazing.

A client on the treatment bed.

While I’m there, my mother asks me if I can stay longer because she wants to give me a crystal healing. I mentally cancel everything I had planned to do that afternoon, because a crystal healing from my mother is not to be missed. Ever. You probably haven’t had a crystal healing from Belinda Foley, so picture this: you are lying on a low bed in a purposely designed healing room. There are beautiful crystals everywhere. Crystals are chosen specifically for you and what you need. Magical things happen: there are feathers and brushing, gentle murmured words and a deep, deep feeling of relaxation and connection. When I am finished, I am not quite the same person. Colours look brighter; I feel transformed.

A few days later, a friend rings – she has learnt a new healing technique, and wants to try it out on me. I pick Thursday to come and see her – after yoga and my fortnightly torture session massage. This new technique is called PSYCH-K, and uses techniques such as self-empowering statements, muscle testing, visualisation and left brain-right brain balancing. The idea is to quickly and painlessly change sub-conscious beliefs that are holding you back from living your best life. While I was talking to Michele, I heard my voice saying:

For some reason, my family (partner and children) are totally disrespectful of my boundaries, when everybody else I interact with are very respectful…I think this is because I hold myself back from true intimacy because I am afraid of losing myself and feeling vulnerable, but then I feel guilty about that and have poor boundaries to compensate.

Right. Right. Oh my. That explains so much. We made a couple of positive statements to override that belief:

I am energized by intimate relationships.

I feel safe and comfortable sharing my inner self.

And the treatment began.

Many thanks to Gordon, Belinda and Michele – I am honoured. If you are in the area and would like to try any of these modalities, leave a message for me in the comments section below.

Best Laugh

My son showed me this Looney Tunes clip today – and damn, it is so clever and funny, I just had to share it with you guys. Ready?

Have a beautiful week everyone, and I’ll see you next weekend 🙂

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