How come? Well I have to confess it all rather changed having undergone  a session with

Dominique Meeroff & Ella Owen

Dominique Meeroff and Ella Owen, founders of Sacred Life Alchemy and the Vital Radiance Beauty Program.  Both ladies have spent many years creating and perfecting a system that works from the inside out, to create  long lasting positive effects on an individuals beauty and body.

The process involves transforming patterns which are held in the cells that not only affect the body, but also have a huge impact on our sense of self, our beliefs, looks and attractiveness, not to mention self-confidence.

Well I can truthfully tell you that their system really works.   Through a series of questions, testing (through Kinesiology), exercises and guidance, those all important shifts take place and it’s not long before you begin to notice changes in your attitudes, beliefs and behaviours.   I have to say, I’ve found it  all rather remarkable.  Of course don’t be expecting the change to occur with a crash and a bang.  It doesn’t work like that, you generally begin to feel good about yourself and the long lasting changes sort of creep up on you, until one day you it suddenly dawns on you that things have definitely shifted for the better and the old patterns have simply been put to rest.

So if you are keen to bring out your beauty and release a lot of old emotional baggage and stress that quite frankly plays havoc with your radiance and vitality, your luck is in.

Dominique and Ella are hosting a two hour workshop ‘Rejuvenate your Body, Bring out your Beauty‘ at the forthcoming Mind Body Spirit Festival (30th May – 4th June) where you’ll get the chance to experience their powerful system for yourself and take away a new found beautiful self… Their workshop takes place on Monday 4th June at 3.30pm – 5.30pm.  click here for details.

The Spring Equinox which occurs today 20th March, is an important day in Pagan calendar marking the start of Spring.  It is also known as Eostre or Ostara and has long been celebrated as a time of  hope, renewal and rebirth.  The actual definitive meaning of Equinox is the time when the sun crosses the plane of the earth’s equator, making night and day of approximately equal length, so translated as a key word to think about at this time, it would be balance.

Mad as a March Hare

Cementing this as a time of new beginnings are the numerous sightings of bunnies.  March is when the mating season begins. In fact in years gone by, the Hare was actually a major fertility symbol, one of the reasons why it is celebrated at this time and of course Easter.  It is easy to understand why the Hare is representative of abundance, creativity, new beginnings and transformation when you see so many of them and also easy to realise where the saying ‘mad as a March Hare’  comes from.  For when the male species tries to mate and is then discouraged or rebuffed they can become frustrated enough to bounce around erratically – hence the saying.

How should we use this time?

Given that the universal leaning is towards new growth, balance and creativity, it is the perfect time for us all to line up with these energies and make use of them.  So gain a little retrospection of your own life and take the time out to decide what changes, balance or re-structuring might need to be done.  Take a fresh approach to your life inside and out and match your inner cleansing with some home spring cleaning to banish old energies and inject some new exciting vibrancy in and all around you.

If romance is lacking, look towards initiating new actitivites to get out and about to meet new people and make friends to expand your circle.  Spark up your creative juices by engaging in something different to herald in new experiences, or simply vow to take more time out in nature and let that ignite some new found creative inspiration.

Namaste

Happy Valentines Day to you all.  I hope you all manage to experience some kind of heartfelt joy or love on this very special day.

Who better to have a conversation with at this blissful time than Cate Mackenzie, Love Coach extraordinaire.  Mind Body Spirit Festival goers will be familiar with Cate, as she regularly appears at the Festival both as a workshop presenter and stage performer.  Cate is particularly good at spreading the love and always manages to bring a smile and happy mood to the audience, so I thought I would get some tips from her on the sort of things we can do to enhance the flow of love on Valentine’s day, both as a couple and for those living the single life.  Here’s what she had to say….

As A Couple

One of the most important things couples can do to strengthen their relationship is to openly declare their love for one another.  This can be done in a number of small or grand ways that range from buying the perfect card to lavishing your partner with gifts.  If you can’t find a card that matches your sentiment, then purchase one with a beautiful picture and write your own meaningful words inside.  Of course the giving of flowers are traditional and will always be met with appreciation and love by any woman.  Equally it’s nice for a woman to show her caring side by buying her partner a little gift.  Maybe something that he mentioned a while ago, even if it’s just a book or a CD.

Remember it’s not always about rushing out and spending money.   There are three very important words – I LOVE YOU. They mean a great deal and said with authentic emotion can mean far more than gifts could ever deliver.  Thoughtful  gestures score big dividends too and that applies to both sexes.  That could be anything from preparing a special meal, if you don’t usually cook, to decorating the house and bedroom with flowers and rose petals. Or you might like to write a list of all the things that you appreciate and love about your partner and why, then give that to them as a special gift. Another idea is to create a Valentine’s Day picnic basket to have in bed, filled with special delights designed to engage all the senses, and add a special spark to your love life.

As A Single Person

You don’t have to be glum on this day even if you are single.  Just be sure to make the day all about self love and get busy about creating a love filled evening for yourself.  Treat and pamper are the keywords.  So make the effort and cook yourself a fabulous meal or treat yourself to a take out that you don’t often have but always really enjoy.

Alternatively get together with a group of single girlfriends, hit the town or opt for a night in.  If you decide on the latter, ask everyone to contribute towards the food and drink, then settle in for an evening of music, chatter and laughter, or a good romantic comedy that you can all enjoy.

If you are in a creative mood you might like to make a vision board specific to bringing in that romantic partner or ideal relationship.  Make sure you include a picture of yourself on the board and fill it with images and words that make you feel emotionally connected to love.

Of course you could always make the evening the perfect time for a luxurious indoor spa.  Run a bath with your favourite scented bath oils, turn down the lighting, light a few candles and relax listening to the music that you love.

Whatever you do just remember the object of the exercise is to give yourself and your body some love, enjoyment and attention.

Cate Mackenzie's Open Your Heart Meditation CD

For those wishing to bring love into their lives you might like to try Cate’s Open Your Heart Meditation CD that contains four guided meditations to support you in opening and healing your heal to allow love to flow into your life.

Cate will also be hosting an ‘Opening Your Heart to Bliss‘ workshop on at the forthcoming Mind Body Spirit London Festival in May 2012 click here for details

Welcome to 2012!

The start of the new year is the perfect time to re-evaluate your life and asses what you feel is working for you or not, whatever the case may be. Maybe you fancy heading off into a new direction or just want to make some improvements where you stand. Either way its a good idea to really get honest with yourself and pinpoint exactly what it is you do truly want. This way you have a central point to focus your energies on, rather than run the risk of diluting your efforts flitting from one idea to another.

Manifesting your desires isn’t always easy, and there are of course, various ways that you can go about achieving them. One such popular process, and the one that I am concerned with here, is known as the ‘law of attraction (LOA)’. The LOA delivers a set of universal rules, that when followed, allows the manifestation of your desires to take place in an almost effortless way. In fact the only real effort that is necessary, is in following the laws, so let’s take a closer look at what they are and how to go about them.

What Is The Law of Attraction?
The law of attraction is a descriptive term given to the flow of energy between all things, people and the universe. Like a magnet, positive thought and energy attracts positive outcomes, negative thought and energy also attracts, but in this case it would be a negative outcome, in other words, like attracts like.

How To Achieve Your Desires
It doesn’t really matter what your desire is, but whatever you choose, keep it in mind, then relax and see yourself enjoying it wholeheartedly.  Ask yourself these questions.
How does it feel having your desire? Really get into the emotion of it, be like an actor playing a part. As you envisage really make it a ‘real experience’ by bringing in any background noises and any sounds that ordinarily in life you would also be hearing.  Include who might be with you and what is being said. Notice what clothing you are wearing, make any colours that you see bright and connect with how you would feel emotionally at the time so that you almost taste it.

Then…..
Let it go, get on with your business and busy with your day.  Be ok about having it or not having it, just stay impartial. Let the universe works its magic in achieving your desire and watch how every things just falls organically into place. Every now and then you can recall the experience of having your desire, don’t forget to embrace it wholeheartedly with all your senses as before and you’ll soon be doing that for real.

Points To Remember In The Attraction Process
Be clear on what it is you want – don’t keep changing your mind, give the universe the chance to bring it to you.

Don’t get upset with what’s going on externally until you get your desire (it takes a little time to come to fruition, so keep the faith)

Don’t get into how your desire is going to come about – leave that to universe. Liken your desire to giving an order in an restaurant, you don’t keep running into the kitchen to check whether its coming to you, do you? You know its going to arrive that’s why you sit back and enjoy the conversation and experience of dining whilst your dish is being prepared. Same with the universe, allow the time and space for everything to work its way through to manifestation.

Be around positive happy people as much as possible. Keep your thoughts positive and stay away from upsetting TV news or programmes.

Pay attention to how you feel as this gives you an indication as to where you are on the attracting scale. The better you feel, the quicker and more likely your desire is in finding its way to you. Do all you can to feel the best you can whenever you can.

Be grateful and happy for what you already have and enjoy the experience regardless of any outcome.

For further information, reading or teachings on the Law of Attraction you might like to check out

Michael James –   Michael will be hosting a Law of Attraction: Tools for feeling good and enjoying life workshop at the forthcoming Mind Body Spirit Festival 30th May – 4th June 2012

www.michaeljames.be or www.lawofattractioncentre.com

Esther Hicks -  Esther is the author of a number of books that presents the Abraham-Hicks teachings on the Law of Attraction – you can view her books and DVD’s here, alternatively visit the website at www.abraham-hicks.com

One is the red mushrooms with the white dots.  Not seen so much these days, but an illustration that has been repeatedly used in days gone by.  These particular mushrooms are actually called Amanita muscaria or otherwise known as ‘fly agaric’.  They contain potent hallucinogenic properties, and can be very toxic so the correct preparation for their usage is absolutely necessary.

Shamans dressed in robes of red with white fur trim and black boots, would set about picking the mushrooms, gatheing them in sacks across their backs. They would then return to the tribes who resided in Yurts, which have a central pole and smoke hole – this could also be used as an entrance. As the weather was harsh, snow would often block the ground entrance to the Yurt. The shaman would therefore enter through the smoke hole with the sack on his back, bringing back the gifts of mushrooms, delivering them to all of the tribe going from Yurt to Yurt – sounding familiar?

Directed by the shaman, the mushrooms would be strung and placed around the boughs of pine trees in order to dry out, making them less toxic and in preparation for eating.

Interestingly the ‘fly agaric’ mushrooms are greatly favoured by Reindeer, who can be seen to ‘dance about’ after their consumption. Another effect is thought to be the sensation of flying and is perhaps how over the years, this has been interpreted as Santa with his flying Reindeer.

For more information – http://www.jungleapocalypse.com/featured/santa-claus-the-magic-mushroom/
or http://www.shamanswell.org/shaman/siberian-shamanism-origins-santa-claus-reindeer-pine-trees-and-mushrooms

Yellow Frankincense

In keeping with the time of year, I have decided to do a couple of blogs to tie in with the festive season and this week I am looking into Frankincense. Not only is this aromatic resin or oil strongly connected to Christmas, being one of the gifts from the three wise men.  But it is also used across the globe in many religious rituals, has amazing healing properties and is also used as an aid to deepen any meditation practice.

Frankincense has been around for centuries with historians believing its harvesting and usage to be as far back as the 15th century BCE – think Egyptian Queen Hathseput. One modern day recognisable use from this period is Kohl, which was formed by grinding the burnt residue of Frankincense into a powder, then mixing with liquid and painted onto the eyelids as eyeliner.  According to Shehbaz Khan from the Frankincense store, www.purefrankincense.com dots were also painted at the corner of the eyes, a ritual thought to preserve beauty and protect against the intrusion of any evil spirits.

The Egyptians, Greeks, Romans, Catholic and Orthodox Churches still or certainly have, at some point in time, burnt Frankincense during their religious ceremonies.

But for the everyday folk of the bygone years Frankincense was an absolute necessity due to its enormous and beneficial uses.  This versatile resin leant itself to deodorant, toothpaste, mouthwash, chewing gum, masking odours and as a natural pest repellent warding off mosquitoes and the onset of malaria. Some even immersed their clothing in the smoke before wearing to continue its protective qualities. It was also extensively used as a medicine aiding anything from digestion to leprosy, dysentery, tumours, fevers and more. Nowadays, research is being done to discover Frankincense’s healing properties as aid to fighting cancer, but is still in its early stages.

Fast forward to the 21st century and you will find the sweet smell of Frankincense as a vital ingredient in hundreds of perfumes and popular as an aromatherapy oil or incense stick. Many religions still burn Frankincense as part of

Orange Frankincense - one of the most popular resins

their rituals but why do they use Frankincense above other aromas?  Partly because it has a cleansing pungent sweet smell but more importantly, it is a fantastic mood enhancer.  Burning and inhaling Frankincense creates a feeling of peace and calm, dispelling sorrows or fears whilst ultimately promoting better self thoughts and confidence.  It is a valuable tool in cleansing and clearing the mind of negative chatter, opening up our intuitive side to create a greater relationship  to  God, our inner soul, source, the universe, or whatever name you care to give to this powerful connection.

Jars of Frankincense grades

Frankincense in its original form comes from tress of the genus Boswellia. The trees are slashed and bleed out to harden into a resin. Frankincense is available in many types and its quality is distinguished by colour, purity, aroma, age and

Different grades of Frankincense

shape. You will get a better effect from using Frankincense, particularly for meditation, if using in its purest form (ie resin) rather than joss sticks which only carry a tiny amount of the actual ingredient.

Visit www.purefrankincense.com for more info or purchase.

But it wasn’t until 1848 that it actually became fashionable in the UK and America. A trend believed to have been started by Queen Victoria and her husband Albert, a German Prince.

Here’s a little background history from various cultures and traditions for you to think about when you put up your tree.

For years our ancient ancestors have used plants and trees as a symbolic representation of protection or growth, particularly during the month of December and at the time of the Winter Solstice (December 21st or 22nd, which is otherwise known as ‘Yule’).

During the Solstice Egyptians who worshipped a god called Ra, filed their homes with green palm trees as a triumphant sign of life over death.

In Northern Europe the Druids (Celtic Priests) cut mistletoe from the Oak trees that were regarded as sacred and gave it as a blessing – the fruit of the mistletoe being a symbol of life in the dark winter months. It was the Druids who founded the Yule log. Believing that the sun stood still for twelve days during this time, they lit a log to overcome the darkness, banish any evil spirit and bring luck for the coming year.

The early Romans also held a festival known as Saturnalia which commenced on 17th December and lasted a week. During the festivities they engaged in all manner of celebrations including lively processions, visits to friends, the giving of presents and houses decoratively adorned with greenery and lit candles.

In the 16th century the decoration of trees was widespread in Germany, a tradition that was strongly continued, but it seems that the trees and the celebrations were outside of the home, rather than in.

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert and the Xmas Tree of 1848

When Prince Albert of Germany married Princess Victoria of England it was necessary for him to come and live in England as Victoria was the most senior royal of the two. Missing his home country Albert asked for a fir tree to be brought to Windsor Castle as part of the Christmas celebrations. Due to our climate being rather wetter than the usual snow of Germany, Prince Albert had the tree moved inside or so the story goes.
The tree in all its glory was subsequently featured as an illustrated sketch in the London Illustrated News showing the Queen, her Prince and their children all standing around the tree. A picture that was to spark a an entirely new way of celebrating Christmas both in the UK and the USA.

For further info:

https://mail.google.com/mail/?shva=1#search/mindbodyspirit.co.uk

http://www.history.com/search?search-field=christmas&x=0&y=0

Planet Mercury

Today (24th November) the planet Mercury turns retrograde until the 14th December.  If you are unfamiliar with exactly what Mercury retrograde is, then let me briefly explain.

This is when the planet Mercury, which governs all issues related to transportation and communication, actually reverses its normal movement and in doing so, causes all manner of things to go awry.  Typically electrical problems are experienced from computers crashing to phones not working.  Deliveries don’t arrive when expected or end up at the wrong address, you find yourself waiting for a friend at a cafe only to find she thought it was the following week you were meeting. These are all examples of Mercury’s mischief behaviour.  Another aspect is decision making.  

Better to leave major purchases or life changing choices during its reign till after it has normalised. As Mercury also rules intelligence, education and truth, its retrograde action cloaks these abilities to a certain extent so we are not so clear thinking.  Once it is in a forward motion, the previous ideas and decisions made during the retrograde, don’t quite seem to be what you had envisaged or thought at the time.  So that job that you took, the car that you bought or the guy you started dating, doesn’t quite cut it in the cold light of Mercury’s normal pathway.

In particular zodiac signs governed by Mercury (that’s Virgo and Gemini), tend to be hardest hit by its presence.  Whichever sign you are just know that delays, cancellations and postponement are all likely.  But understand that these can also often prove to be beneficial to you in the long run, so try not to get wound up by any of these circumstances.  The keyword to remember is patience, follow this by some deep breaths and the mantra “it’s just the mercury retrograde and it will soon pass” and you will ride its wave successfully.

Focus on the fact that this period provides us with the opportunity to relax our pace and complete or repair anything that isn’t working or needs fixing.  You might find yourself re-connecting with past friends or patching up any misunderstandings so it’s not all doom and gloom.  Just remember not to initiate anything major that you want to last and use the time to sort out and finish rather than begin, then all should be well………….

The MBS team have just about recovered from what was truly an awesome Festival.

A really big thank you to everyone that attended as a visitor, presenter, exhibitor, musician, performer or anyone else that actively participated in any way shape or form.  I would also like to give a special thank you to those that came on the first day of opening for the 11.11.11 Global Intention Ceremony and in making it such a remarkable event to remember, one that will be forever etched as a highlight in the history of MBS Festivals.

Carolyn Cowan at the MBS 11.11.11 Global Intention Ceremony

Streams of you showed up and engaged in the ceremony which generated the most amazing energy that was carried throughout the whole of the Festival.  There were many tales of people waking up on the morning of  11th November with a feeling and sudden urge to take the day off to come and join in the MBS family celebrations.

So this new energy is now with us all, I hope you all made a conscious intention towards a happy, loving future for yourselves and the planet.

If  you didn’t manage to make it to the Festival, you might like to actually tune into the energy of the ceremony and view it on-line as the recording of the whole gathering has just been up-loaded for free viewing ,just click here to re-live the moment or enjoy it for the first time…….

Namaste

11.11.11 Global Intention Ceremony

Michele Knight at the 11.11.11 Global Intention Ceremony

 

11.11.11. Global Intention Ceremony

 

 

 

 

 

 

I am getting really excited about the forthcoming 11.11.11. Ceremony the Festival has put together.  I think it’s going to be awesome.  All the experts, musicians and teachers involved are gearing up to make this an unforgettable event.  This is such a great opportunity to be a part of the universal awakening and soak up the new energy coming through to the planet at this time.  And what better way to do that then within the vortex of a group energy of like minded people.  As a united community, we can make a difference to the changes in the world and send some heartfelt healing to the planet as well as embracing it to aid us in our own individual lives.

You can check out the full details and presenters comments on the dedicated 11.11.11 page on the MBS website., Suffice to say, it’s interesting to note that more than one expert has remarked that the energy coming in, will not only support humanity as a whole, but help us individually towards a deeper understanding of self-discovery and self-love.  Another point mentioned is to take note of any significant meetings, happenings or coincidences that take place on the day.

Says Michele Knight, psychic, astrologer and author” be sure to send out your desires and know the universe is listening, you should also see signs suggesting what the next year will bring.” According to Jez Hughes shaman and astrologer ‘The veil between us, in the physical realm and the spiritual realm – the land of the spirits, is very thin and it’s getting thinner” important to know and bear in mind when you are consciously working the power of manifesting.

So if you have not thought about participating in some sort of group activity or individual ritual, I would suggest you seriously consider it given the collective energetic power of this day.  Don’t forget it is not just the group energy of MBS Festival welcoming this important date, people are uniting all around the world to celebrate and tune into what promises to be an amazing wave of positive consciousness.

If you can’t be at the Festival in person, you can tune in via the web, just visit www.mindbodyspirit.co.uk and watch the gathering as it is streamed LIVE across the globe.

Namaste