Summer Viruses are here

This summer has certainly been dominated by La Nina, that wonderful, wet weather system. Don't we love her when she breals a long drought? Her up and down temperatures and suddden showers have been creating problems, though, this year.
Now the children are back at school swapping holiday stories, they are also swapping new viruses. Sore throats, temperatures, symptoms of head colds are laying low the children of our community this week.
Parents can feel helpless at times like this, but there is a lot you can do. Keeping the children rested and hydrated is a start. If you are concerned, acupuncture really helps thebody to throw off a virus. Even young children can benefit, as we have laser acupuncture available - no needles, just a laser beam!
Treatment usually results in the fever breaking and energy returning over a night or two. This lessens the burden of illness for parents and children alike!

Go with the flow!!

Some days, the flow is a torrent. I am thinking back to the images of Queenslanders gazing over the Brisbane River, aghast at the destruction. Going with that flow meant ending up deposited in the Pacific Ocean. Wise action in the face of a torrent is to move out of the way ... to higher ground.
And what about those days that feel like a whirlpool. I am having one today. Apointments changing. Some people arriving early, others not arriving at all .... but standing on the roadside as their car is towed away. One of our doors is not opening. The tradesman can come, what a miracle we say. Then he can't come. In a fit of frustration we call all the clients and abandon the room until tomorrow.Seems like a lot of incessant and pointless change! How do I flow with this?

Well, take 7 deep breaths and exhale slowly, that always works to clear the nervous irritation and stress. I remember to feel some symapthy for the client and the tradesman who are both in worse circumstances than me. If her car is being towed, she may have been in an accident. I hope she is safe.

Breathing consciously, experiencing the flow of our in and out breath, is the one and only flow we have control of. Awareness of this flow is the built in tool we have for calming our mind, relaxing our body.
Is the breath rapid and shallow? I am responding to adrenalin. The solution is to slowly deepen the breathing, to slow the exhalation down. Ahhhhhh ... that's better.

Do I always breath into the top of my chest? Or do I fill the lungs with a strong, slow flow of oxygen. Do I breathe out until I am squeezing are right down to the belly muscles, expelling all that stale air and waste product from my lungs?

In a world where we sit most of the day and lean over a computer, our lungs are rarely exercised this way. The flow is minor, stagnation is the result. We believe we are to busy to notice such a given as breathing. Ironic, that breathing is the single thing that we must do. So as we must breath, let's flow with it, do it with awareness. Let's use the awareness to calm and relax our mind and body. Now that we are relaxed, let's really breathe with depth and enjoyment. Breathe and flow with it ... for the simple pleasure of it!

This is a year when changing our habits and routines will be useful.

The rise of the new moon on Thursday, February 3^rd marked the arrival of the Chinese New Year, Year of the Rabbit. Rabbit years are fabled to be positive and progressive years. Problems that have proved difficult can now move forward in leaps and bounds. Essential to making the most of the potential of a Rabbit Year is the focus on personal growth and personal development. New solutions are called for. New solutions come out of expanded viewpoints and original ideas. Original ideas occur when old pieces of information are seen to relate in new and interesting ways. This is a year when changing our habits and routines will be useful. Curiosity and inspiration will produce satisfaction and reward.

                          

We can see signs of this exciting, expanding energy at work in Tunisia and Egypt right now. Fortunately, in a peaceful and wealthy democracy like Australia, our efforts will be more personal. We are just beginning to understand that our society is in a gradual shift from “survival issues” toward “Post Materialist “ priorities like self-expression and the pursuit of a meaningful life. In the words of American author Daniel Pink: “there are two practical whole-minded ways to begin the search for meaning: start taking spirituality seriously and start taking happiness seriously” (Whole New Mind, D. Pink 2005).

I will be stepping up to the starting block to teach Mindfullness Meditation Courses in Mosman. I have practiced this form of meditation for over 20 years, but rarely ventured out to teach. I hope that when I step up to do the teaching, it will support many of you to step up to learn “Meditation for Health and Wellbeing.” I would love to share the exquisite benefits that I enjoy from Mindfullness Meditation with each and every one of you. Dwelling in positive mental states is absolutely good for us. Expect far-reaching impacts on mental, physical and spiritual health and wellness.

Over summer, we have all learned from watching our fellow Australians dealing with demanding natural disasters. How often did those stoic people who had lost everything remark “We are still alive. We have our health. We can recover.” This nightly demonstration of remarkable spirit was truly inspiring. It inspired us all to give – again, to make a difference. We can take time to reflect on how that inspiration and resilience could be working in our own lives. What could we be rebuilding?

Exercising my curiosity on a recent Sunday, I actually read an article called: ‘Battle acupuncture’ used to heal concussed US soldiers in Afghanistan. Would you believe that army doctors are successfully treating concussion with acupuncture! It helps the soldiers sleep (well, everybody) and sleep is the “most important cure for concussion.” Maybe we should mention this to all those football – you know rugby and soccer – players and clubs.

Even more extraordinary, US Defence Department personnel are meeting with the National Centre for Complementary and Alternative Medicine “to discuss the military’s continued exploration of acupuncture.” (SMH 12-13 Feb, 2011 p20.)

Now that is a new set of ideas! Who can imagine what will come of it?