“What you chose to think, do or say in the next 30 seconds may influences the entire mood of your day”

This is not a very long post and it doesn’t need to be.   Its a fabulous little trick I learnt last year at a yoga therapy training program with Judith Lassater.  It was also hugely helpful at a recent course I did called Physiological First Aid with Lifeline.

For me it was one of those “light bulb” moments.  Its all about “the art of listening” and truely receiving the words being communicated to you.

Your body offers a simple gesture that  then triggers your mind to listen attentively.  It also clearly shows the other person you are fully present with their words.

When someone is speaking to you simply clasp your hands together – preparing your body and your mind for the act of listening.  You are cleverly switching from talking, doing or living in your head mode to listening mode.

* No answering the person in your head.

* No interupting half way and finishing their words for them.

* No dismissing their words with weird facial expressions

* No multi-tasking at the same time

* No yawning

* No looking around

Be in the moment and listen fully by clasping your hands together and switching your focus to the act of listening.

You might also be interested in a great little book called  What We Say Matters: Practicing Nonviolent Communication

Thank you to calmur for the photo

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My recent book recommendations:

Restful Yoga for Stressful Times by Judith Lassater

Chakra Foods for Optimum Health by Dr.  Deanna Minich

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I use and love Ananga’s guided meditations and music

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There is nothing helpful nor healthy about clutter.  Clutter is restrictive and heavy.  It is well known for effecting one or many areas of your life – day in day out.

The burden of clutter becomes screamingly obvious when you physically sell, give away or throw it out.  You then realize just how emotionally or physically draining and life interfering all your clutter has been.

Photo by bonbongirl:

The flip side of course – clearing clutter is one of the greatest ways to boost your energy, get yourself out of a rut, feel lighter, improve your health, remove obstacles and create space for the new to arrive.  Clearing clutter is a proven therapy for creating change in your life.  Now is always the perfect time for a focused clutter busting session.

Simplify your living space and feel the difference:

To help reveal the many sneaky disguises of clutter I have shared with you 10 common forms of emotional clutter that may be lurking unknowingly in your home.  Some will speak loudly to you whilst others will not.  Some will be a total surprise and others will just act as a reminder.  Either way they are intended to give you an extra nudge in supporting you release stuck, thick heavy energy lingering unhelpfully in your home or office.

Start simply with one kitchen draw or your hallway cupboard.  If you find clearing clutter a burden then make it a game,  pretend you are about to move overseas (I use this method often), simply repeat a mantra  “I am happy to let go of my clutter sooner, rather than later” to find your momentum or gather more inspiration by clicking here.

Remember clutter is anything unwanted, unloved, broken, unused, doesn’t work, expired or doesn’t fit.  It is both healthy and helpful to regularly simplify your work and living space by clearing clutter.

The 10 most common types of emotional clutter:

1. Emotional guilt clutter:
Presents and gifts hiding around your house that are not lot loved nor used can be classified as clutter.   You simply feel obliged to keep them.  If you threw them out you would feel guilty.

Shift your thinking to “conscious sharing” or “re-gifting”. Start this year by “re-giving” your unwanted, unloved  gifts to those who really would value and appreciate them and release the emotional guilt energy from your home once and for all.

2. Fear of  “lack” clutter:
You keep all kinds of stuff just in case.  Just in case you might need it some day,  just in case you couldn’t afford to buy another one in the future, just in case you might read it some time soon, just in case you lose weight or just in case for no particular reason. The fact that you haven’t used it in 2, 3 or 5 years generally means its once useful purpose has expired.

To create flow in your life things must be constantly be coming in and going out.   You must let go when no longer needed and receive when necessary.  Once you block stuff going out of your life ( by holding onto your clutter with scarcity and fear of lack)  you stop the flow of abundance.

3. Unhappy relationship clutter:
Keeping stuff from past unhappy relationships keeps a part of you tied to that relationship and tied to the past.

There is absolutely nothing healthy or advantageous from hanging onto memorabilia or gifts from a past unhappy relationship.  Be strong, be honest and ask yourself, what is the benefit for holding onto these things.

If in doubt as to your attachment and the draining effect then try the “energy up, energy down” exercise.

4. Depression clutter:
People with depression tend to have a lot of things stored on the floor. Stuff on the ground pulls your energies down and encourages you to withdraw from the world emotionally.

If your floor surfaces are covered with lots of stuff make an effort each day to start moving things up from off the floor. I guarantee it won’t be long until you start noticing a difference in your moods and how your home feels.

5. Addiction clutter:
Compulsive buying for the sake of it and addicted to sales and bargains without any thought simply adds to the congestion and confusion already filling your home and life.

Take an honest look at your stuff and see if you have any addiction clutter floating around.  Better still never go shopping without a list, consciously choose what you intend to bring into your home and for every new item purchased throw out at least two.  Keep the energy flowing.

6. Need to impress clutter:
You feel your sense of self worth is reflected by the appearance (or value) of the stuff in your living space. You generally don’t like many of your possessions but have them because they are the latest trend, most impressive or even most expensive.

Filling your home stuff to impress your ego or others, simply means you are out of alignment with your life and the energy in your home.  This can be as obvious as a bookcase full of books that you never look at or even care about.  It simply gives the impression you are well read and knowledgeable.

7. Unhappiness clutter:
Buying stuff to make you feel happy again is a quick fix solution. It does not bring deep long lasting satisfaction to your life and the item you bought only brings happiness momentarily. Unhappiness clutter can then turn into guilt clutter when you realize a few days later you don’t really need it and feel guilty for buying it.

8. Emotional hiding behind your clutter:
Overfilling your rooms, cupboards and home with stuff is often used to hide from the outside world or your true self.   It keeps the attention away from you and focused more on the hundreds of nick knacks you have everywhere.

9. Denial clutter:
If you are scared of change then you will have denial clutter.  You have a sense that your world may fall apart if you start removing serious amounts of clutter from your home.  You may be consistent in throwing out surface clutter but when it comes to a serious clutter busting session to invite wonderful change you consistently tell yourself this item or that possession is not clutter.

Do you really need all those plates and salad bowls in your kitchen or clothes in your wardrobe?

10. Other peoples  clutter:
When you look after stuff for other people get clear with how long you are minding it for.  Short term is generally fine as you are being helpful.  If however their stuff turns into annoyance or frustration then your act of kindness has evolved into energy draining clutter that’s not even yours.  Your friends or family need to find other arrangements or put it in storage.

More articles I’ve shared before on clutter:

* Six simple things you can do when you can’t shift your clutter:

* 6 excellent reasons to uncomplicate your life:

* 4 fun clutter busting games:

* The energy up, energy down exercise:

* Detox your home and feel brand new:

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I use and love Ananga’s guided meditations and music

Please click here to download:

“Today I make healthy choices that support and fulfill me” Louise Hay

Food can be medicine for both your body, and your mind.  In Ayurvedic medicine Kitchari is an important one pot staple dish.  It has been considered the perfect protein in Ayurvedic medicine for thousands of years.

An excellent meal for convalescence, children, elderly and especially for when you are feeling depleted.

It’s healing and very soothing to your digestive system, and an incredibly light meal that encourages a buoyant spirit.

Photo by JonBen

Kitchari – An Ayurvedic mind/body balancing dish:

I’m currently making this dish at least 3 times a week and hence the reason why I’m sharing it with you today.   The following recipe was given to me by my Ayurvedic practitioner as a recommendation to improve the efficiency of my digestive system.

Please feel free to adjust recipe as you choose.  You will find there are lots of variations of this dish out there on the internet.

The main ingredients are always rice, moong dhal (green mung beans that when  split are yellow) and digestive spices.  The important thing is to prepare one with flavours that appeal to you. You may also find that the spelling changes slightly.

Ingredients:

 

• 1 cup of split moong dhal lentils (moong is light yellow in colour – if you can’t find, use the small light red split dhal – it is also known as mung). Rinse and soak the moong dhal for at least 2 hours beforehand.
• 1 cup of basmati rice
• 4 teaspoons of turmeric  (I use a combination of both fresh and powdered turmeric)
• 1 tspn asafoetida (also known as food of the gods or hing) Buy from Indian food store or health food shop.
• 6 crushed cardamon pods
• 2 tsp salt ( I use a good organic sea salt)

Place washed rice and soaked dhal into a pot with all the above ingredients

Cover by 4cm – 5cm with water, then simmer

If you like a more soupier dhal then add more water

Simmer until the dhal has lost its shape and has a nice velvety texture

I usually cook slowly for 1 1/2 hours

Garnish with coriander

Variations:

1: Replace the above spices of turmeric and cardamon with 1 tspn of each of the following ground coriander, black pepper, garam masala, cummin powder

2: 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1 tspn cummin powder, 1/2 tspn fennel powder, 1/2 tspn black pepper, 1 tspn salt, fresh ginger, 1 onion, 3 cloves of garlic, ghee.

Useful information:

* Click here for pictures and more information on moong dhal

* Find out more about asafedita by clicking here:

* Another recipe that you may like, which includes vegetables from Frans House of Ayurveda blog

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Join me at my next Rest and Rejuvenation Retreat in Bali.

Click here for all the relaxing details.

“Dab the essential oil vetiver onto the souls of your feet before bed, to help calm and ground you”

Airborne virus and bacteria enter the body through the nose and mouth usually via the hands, but also breathing.  By dabbing your hands, nose and around the mouth with a few drops of essential oil you are creating a fabulous natural barrier to further boost your bodies natural defense system.

Photo by calypso:

In addition (or as an alternate) you can use an oil burner as an effective way to fill the air in your home with lots of anti-bacterial, anti-viral and antiseptic properties from the most suitable therapeutic and medicinal essential oils.  As winter is coming up in America (and many of my readers are from America)  I felt it perfect timing to share with you some fabulous information on essentials oils that I have recently been reading.

It’s worth a quick mention that I am currently drawn to clove, lemon and cinnamon essential oils – even hand made cinnamon incense.   I’m trusting my gut feelings with the oils I feel drawn too and have been enjoying infusing my home with their wonderful aromas.  So, if you are in doubt as to which oils to use, trust your gut feelings.

9 Essential Oils That Boost Your Protection From The Flu:

1 – Clove oil:
Clove inhibits the growth of oral pathogens. The health benefits of clove oil can be attributed to its antimicrobial, antifungal, antiviral, aphrodisiac and stimulating properties.  It is useful for cough, asthma, headache and stress.

2 – Lemon oil:

Lemon oil vaporized or applied to the mouth and nose can impact meningocuss, typhoid bacilli staphylococcus aureus and stretococuss pneumoniae within three hours. The therapeutic properties of lemon oil are antimicrobial, antiseptic, carminative, diaphoretic, tonic, anti-rheumatic.

3 – Thyme oil:

In traditional aromatic medicine thyme has been used to fight against bacterial, viral and fungal infections especially in the respiratory tract. Thyme is a tonic for the nervous system and is good for physical and mental exhaustion (jetlag), relieving tension (fear of flying), anxiety and insomnia.  Thyme lifts the spirits.  The therapeutic properties of thyme oil are anti-bacterial, anti-viral, anti-fungal, carminative, expectorant, tonic, hypertensive.

4 – Pine oil.

Pine oil is useful to relieve mental and physical fatigue.  It is cleansing and invigorating and makes an excellent vapour therapy to kill air born germs that enter via the nose and throat. It can be used for cuts, bites, muscle aches and pains.  Coughs, bronchitis, catarrh, colds and flu.  It eases breathlessness and sinusitis. The therapeutic properties of Pine Oil are restorative, anti-neuralgic, antiseptic, antiviral, antibacterial, deodorant, expectorant.

5 – Lavender oil.

The aroma is settling, soothing and helps promote sleep.  Lavender is perfect for stress, crisis, cold’s and flu.  It is known for its spirit lifting abilities. The therapeutic properties of Lavender oil are antiseptic, analgesic, anti depressant, antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, bactericide, decongestant, deodorant, sedative and nerve tonic.

6 – Cinnamon oil.

Cinnamon oil has great value in aromatherapy. It fights exhaustion and feelings of depression and weakness.  It has powerful antiviral and antibacterial properties and is useful to fight cold’s and flu.  Therapeutic properties of cinnamon oil are analgesic, antiseptic, antibiotic, antispasmodic, aphrodisiac, astringent, insecticide, tonic.  Cinnamon inhibits the growth of respiratory tract pathogens Hemophiliacs, influenza, streptococcus pneumonia.

7 – Eucalyptus oil:

Eucalyptus oil has a cooking and deodorizing effect on the body. Useful with fevers and migraine.  It helps coughs asthma, throat infections and sinusitis and catarrhal conditions.  It soothes inflammation and eases mucus clearing the head of stuffiness of colds.  The therapeutic properties are analgesic, anti-bacterial, anti-inflammatory, anti-viral, expectorant, deodorant, decongestant, expectorant, anti-spasmodic.  It is useful for burns, cuts, skin infections, blisters and assists in breathing freely.

8 – Blood orange oil.

Blood orange oil has a sweet, fresh smell.  The therapeutic properties are antiseptic, anti-depressant, anti-spasmodic, anti-inflammatory, calming and sedative.  It is a sunny and radiant oil, bringing happiness and warmth to the mind.  It helps people to relax.  It can be used to strengthen the immune system.

9 – Manuka oil.

Manuka oil is from a plant grown in New Zealand. It is anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-inflammatory.  Manuka oil has shown to be effective in laboratory tests against over 30 different micro-organisms.  In particular streptococci and staphylococcal bacteria and fungi that affect the skin.  You can find out more about manuka oil by clicking here

My personal book recommendation:

In case you are interested my favourite essential oil book which I’m guessing I’ve owned for over 20 years is The Fragrant Mind: Aromatherapy for Personality, Mind, Mood and Emotion.  It has been with me every step of the way for all my children’s bumps, bruises, aches and pains.

You can find out more about the Super Traveller by clicking here.

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Thanks so much for reading my article, Carole.

Return anytime to the Rejuvenation Lounge or connect with me on facebook

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Guest post by Ananga Sivyar from Living By Design

Every so often the internet buzzes with a new “cure all”, right now oil pulling is the thing. So what is it? And should you be doing it?

Oil pulling comes from Ayurveda where rinsing the mouth with oil is recommended for keeping teeth and gums healthy.

You might want to try it:

If you want white healthy teeth forget harsh oral bleach and get yourself some sesame oil (not the toasted type, just plain cold pressed oil and organic if possible). By using the sesame oil as a mouthwash you can improve the health of your gums and teeth and help detox the upper part of your digestive system.

Earth Clinic gives details on the benefits of oil pulling and recommends using sesame or sunflower oil for detox benefits. Since Ayurveda favours sesame oil for oral health and as an antidote to the drying effects that ageing has on the body, that’s what I use and recommend.

How to do oil pulling for yourself:

First thing in the morning, before eating or drinking, take a small measuring cup and measure about 15ml of sesame oil. Pour the oil into your mouth, like you would a mouth wash, and begin moving it around, drawing it repeatedly between your teeth and making a chewing action with your teeth and jaws.

Keep actively working the oil around your mouth for a minimum of 5-10 minutes. Longer is better if you can. After 10-15 minutes the oil will become thin and white as it emulsifies with your saliva.

Then spit it out and rinse your mouth with warm water and clean your teeth using a small amount of natural toothpaste. If you want to clean your tongue with a tongue scraper you will thoroughly remove toxins from its surface and stimulate your digestive system too.

If morning times are busy for you, you could practice oil pulling while showering, or doing other morning activities, so it doesn’t add minutes to your routine.

Bed time gum massage:

Ayurveda recommends massaging the gums with sesame oil before going to bed to prevent or help receding gums. For a quick night time boost to your oral health, you could pour a little oil onto the bristles of an electric toothbrush and then massage around your gums and over the surface of your teeth. For maximum benefit don’t rinse afterwards, just leave the oil residue in your mouth to work while you rest. It’s not unpleasant and makes your mouth feel very clean.

Sesame oil works as a great natural lip salve too, dip your finger into a small amount and rub it gently into your lips morning and night to protect them from chapping.

While the oil’s out why not spend a couple more minutes really looking after yourself?

The sesame oil de-stress routine:

To ease anxiety and improve sleep pour a little oil into the palm of your hand and massage into your forehead and temples. Rubbing warm sesame oil into the area between your eyebrows in slow gentle circles is particularly good for calming your mind and improving the quality of sleep.

Finally use a little more oil and massage it into your feet. Work up and down the instep to release tension from your spine, and across the soles of your feet to relax tension and help you feel grounded as you settle down to rest.

If you’re worried about getting oil on your bed linen you could sleep with cotton socks on which will also help keep your feet warm and draw tension from your head down into your lower body.

Note from Carole: I highly recommend visiting Earth Clinic, lots of honest feedback from people around the world and their personal experiences with oil pulling.   Coconut oil and sesame seem to be the two most popular oils used for “oil pulling”.   There’s also a great list of the different oils and their health benefits.  Click here to read more

This is a guest post written by the gorgeous, Ananga Sivyar from Living By Design: Ananga is Anti-stress campaigner, maker of music for meditation, writer and calm coach. I can highly recommend Ananga music, she even has some free downloads over at her site.

Photo by soylentgreen’s 23

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I use and love Ananga’s guided meditations and relaxation music

Listen by clicking here:

“In our changing world meditation teaches our children to use their minds without external stimulation” Amy Hamilton

A few years back I was keen to introduce meditation to my two younger boys.  Not knowing where to start, I began researching and found a wonderful expert, author and teacher by the name of Amy Hamilton.

I borrowed a copy of Amy’s book from our local library and loved it.  The book is called Indigo Dreaming and includes 49 wonderful meditations especially for children.

Photo by Eddi 07

“When you calm your body & your emotions, you restore yourself, and restore peace to the world around you.”  Zen master Thich Nhat Hanh

Each night as part of my boys bedtime routine I would read a different meditation.  I kept it short and sweet, no more than around 5 minutes, although some nights my boys asked for more. At the time my boys were 8 and 10.

I followed Amy’s advice and allowed my boys to participate in the meditation (rather than trying to keep them quiet).  Jack my youngest would always like to comment and modify the mediation as he went along.  If he preferred doing something different such as imagining himself lying down rather than sitting, then I let him. Keeping it flexible I think was an important key.  Most of the time his eyes were closed.

When I interviewed Amy here is what she had to share about introducing meditation to children. I hope you find her advice as helpful, and as practical, as I did. Enjoy.

Amy’s guidelines for introducing meditation to children:

Be patient and don’t set your expectations too high (thinking that you will have your children sitting or lying perfectly still) like any new skill, meditation takes practice.

1. Don’t expect too much at the start
2. Be relaxed and calm yourself
3. Keep your language and instructions simple
4. Let them participate voluntarily
5. Make it fun and enjoyable
6. Explain to your children how good it is for them-they love hearing that it improves memory, helps them to concentrate etc
7. I always tell children it is like exercising their brain

Meditations for Children

A guided meditation has so many wonderful benefits.  It activates their imagination, teaches them relaxation skills, better equips them for stress, engages all their senses, gives them a positive experience and encourages a better nights sleep.

Cater for all learning styles in each meditation:

Some children are visual learners. This means they will relate better to the meditation if there is a good description of what the pyramid looks like in their minds eye.

Some children are kinesthetic learners which means they would need to know what it feels like inside the pyramid.

Some children are auditory learners which means they respond well to words and sounds. A guided meditation is perfect for them.

All of  Amy’s 49 guided meditations cater perfectly for all learning styles. This makes it very easy for the meditation to speak to your child in their special way of learning.

Appeal to your children’s imagination:

An important ingredient, I believe, is to choose only those meditations which you know will capture your child’s imagination. What works for one child may not work for another.

I personally found my youngest son kept coming back to the same 3 or 4 meditations each night from Amy’s books, despite the fact there were 49 different meditations to choose from.

Make it fun and short:

Following is a brief version of the magic pyramid, a wonderful meditation from Amy’s book.  It’s my youngest sons favourite. It usually takes anywhere between 3 – 5 minutes which seems to be the perfect amount of time.

You imagine yourself sitting inside a pyramid. The air inside is warm you feel very calm and relaxed and there is no sound. You breathe in and out and feel the quiet in your body. Feel the quiet spread with each breathe until it fills the whole pyramid. It is serene and still. You say in your mind I am quiet ……. I am quiet………I am quiet.

Some of the meditations titles in Amy’s book:

Sleeping cloak  -  Affirmation box – Bubble bath – Circle of light – Clouds – Crystal bed – Snow city – Shining star – Super hero – Tree house – Secret cave – Wizards Potion.

I have no hesitation in personally recommending  Amy Hamilton’s Indigo Dreaming book or CD if you are interested in introducing meditation to your children.

More resources:

Indigo Dreaming: A Book of Meditations for Children buy from Amazon

Indigo Dreaming: Meditations for Children audio CD buy from Amazon

Indigo Kidz’s: Amy Hamiltons web site

Sarah Wood Vallely Children’s Meditation Facilitator training

A selection of articles about meditation and children:

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Or grab regular rejuvenation tips on facebook.

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I use and love Ananga’s guided meditations and music

Please click here to download:

“What you focus on expands”

Anything that grows your feeling of well-being is a positive energy.  Some experiences can be very subtle like the food you eat, whilst others very obvious, such as friends that always leave you feeling happy.

The more positive energy you are exposed to throughout your day the healthier and happier you will feel.  What you see, hear, feel, taste, touch, experience and think about – all contributes to your overall energy well-being.

Photo by Krypto:

Your energy is the most important thing in the world.  That’s why its essential to value your energy and be proactive in rejuvenating yourself with regular doses of positive energy, wherever, and whenever you can.

The flip side of course is, to pay close attention to energy drains from  people, places, situations, media and foods and reduce your exposure to them.

Paying attention to0, and strengthening your energy well-being is a life skill well worth cultivating.

17 practices to cultivate positive energy:

I trust one or more of my suggestions below speak to you, and in turn, inspire you to care for, and nurture your energy well-being just a little bit more than you did yesterday.

1: Stop eating anger food:

Deep fried, fatty, oily, heavily processed food puts stress on your liver, and the liver in Chinese Medicine is the organ that houses anger. Eat mindfully and notice the feeling your food gives you.

All ancient cultures place a great deal of importance on food, the preparation and cooking of, your state of mind at the time of cooking and honouring the food gods. Preparing a meal with love is one of the greatest gifts we can all give our families and friends.

“Eat with love, what’s grown with love, prepared with love, and served with love”  Maureen Whitehouse

2: Eat food that smiles:

If fruit and vegetables could smile, I’m guessing organic and farmers market produce would all be smiling.

Whilst I can’t afford organic all the time, I always buy lots of fruit and vegetables at our local farmers market.  The food has not traveled for hours in semi trailers, spent days in warehouses and then shipped off to supermarkets. The produce has had minimum interference, and I believe, the next best thing to growing it yourself.

Dead, tinned and over processed food does not smile.

3: Hang out with friends that grow your positivity:

Its worth taking note which of your friends leave you feeling inspired and energized or drained and depleted (most of the time). As we usually have such an emotional connection to our friends they can greatly alter our own personal energy well-being.

After 10 years or so, I now have great friends who continually boost my energy well-being, well at least 95% of the time. Naturally there are times when we all experience low moments and that’s when true friendship can really shine.  A balanced energy exchange is the ultimate aim of any friendship.

4: Marinate for a day in positive energy:

From this day forward treat yourself to one whole day (once a month is a good start) that is filled with nothing but positive energy experiences to restore your energy well-being.  Treat yourself to simple pleasures, that bring a smile to your face and joy to your heart. Hang out with friends that make you laugh, books that inspire you, cafes that make the best coffees in the world and eat lots of yummy healthy food. Heh, why not treat yourself to an all organic day.

Avoid TV, newspapers, hectic places, junk food, trashy magazines, conflict and friends who gossip.  Turn yourself off from technology for one day.

5: Smell your way to positivity:

Aromatherapy can uplift the energy in a room and/or trigger positive thoughts and feelings.  A few quick dabs onto your wrist, or into an oil burner with one or more of your favourite essential oils, can boost your mood and uplift your spirits.

Ylang, Ylang is a feminine energy that brings peace love and tenderness. Lemon uplifts you emotionally, mentally and spiritually.

I personally have not used perfume for over 20 years, and have chosen to use essential oils as the alternate.  Pure rose oil is my favourite, it is the highest vibration of all essential oils and simply makes me feel wonderful.

6: Pack energy protection into your hand bag:

Bach’s Rescue Remedy is often called Yoga in a bottle.  The equivalent here in Australia is Australia Bush Flower Emergency Essence and both are exceptional in dissolving any stress and negative energies that you may have absorbed.

They can be taken orally as drops or sprayed under your tongue. If you find yourself in a very negative situation you can take a dose every half an hour until you feel back to normal.  Most good health food stores will sell Rescue Remedy and Emergency Essence.

7: Colour therapy:

Research continually points to bright colours  being a mood enhancer, and having a positive influence on your day. Red will give you a boost of energy and stimulate your immune system.  Blue is tranquil and peaceful.  Yellow lifts your spirits and offers you a positive feeling.

Colours worn close to your skin will have the most influence over your senses, nervous system and mood, so pay particular attention to the colour of your clothes, bed linen and underwear.  Yes, wearing yellow underwear will have you feeling great all day.

Breathing in colour:

Change your underwear, change your mood:

8: Renew:

Spend time alone.

Being still and resting in silence is one of the most healing and restorative practices you can do.  All ancient cultures value silence, stillness and the breath as a way of cultivating positive energy.

Walking meditation:

How to focus on one thing at a time:

9: Read your way to positivity:

Let your eyes and mind feast on words that inspire and uplift your thoughts.  Stay clear of toxic words and stories in newspaper, gossip magazines and the likes.

10 minutes reading a book that speaks clearly to your soul, can literally turn your day or life around.  It has happened to me so many times over the years. I am deeply grateful to all the wonderful authors out there for sharing their stories.

If you don’t know where to start then you are welcome to zip over to my personal list of inspirational books.

If you have a book to share, that is not on my list then, please let me know.

10: Start your day with a smiling meditation:

Balinese Hindu priests use smiling as a healing tool.  They believe it dissolves “bad” energy and I believe them.  Bali is an island full of smiling people.  Always. I find it one of the most peaceful places in the world and one of the key reasons I facilitate my Womens Rejuvenation Retreats there.

Before getting out of bed, smile in to your face, smile deeply into your thoughts, smile into your eyes, smile into your ears, smile into your heart, smile into your lungs, smile into your kidneys and smile into your liver.

Smiling and breathing into your lungs dissolves sadness, into your kidneys dissolves fear and into your liver dissolves anger.

11: Laughter really is the best medicine:

Laugh, loud, long and often.  Laughter is the quickest and easiest way to snap out of a bad mood, release endorphins, natural pain killers and serotonin.

There’s lots of ways to grow your laughter muscle.  Join a laughter club, smile at everyone you walk past, hang out more often with friends that laugh lots, put a smiley face on your coffee mug, fridge or pillow.  Alternately create your own laughter mantra, and repeat often  “The more I laugh the happier and healthier I become”

Grow your laughter muscle:

12: Cleanse your home:

To attract more positive energy into your home, you need to remove old stale unwanted energies that may be lingering in your atmosphere.

Negative energy has a way of sneaking into our homes via TV, telephones, newspapers, computers, visitors and those “negative” conversations we have with ourselves in our head.  Yes your thoughts leave an trail of energy in your home.

I personally found that the smoke of dried white sage, to be one of the best ways to cleanse and uplift the atmosphere in any room.  I have had great results consistently for over 20 years now.  If I move into a new home I burn the essential oil sandalwood for 2 – 3 week straight to remove the previous owners energy or if there has been a sickness in the home.

Rock salt sprinkled onto the floor and left for as long as you can, is used by many cultures to cleanse a space.  The Japanese have a pile of salt either side of their front doors to maintain the atmosphere and energy of their homes.

Of course churches have their own methods with incense, sound, holy water and candles.

13: Surround yourself with living things:

Life attracts life, and we need regular contact with the very basics of nature, being fresh air, sunshine and fresh water. Feel the grass, sand or dirt between your toes, listen to the birds, watch the busyness of the ants and insects and feel the good vibes that plants, flowers and trees offeryou.

Don’t become a slave to the concrete jungle of cities.  If you can’t escape it, then bring nature to you with plants, fish bowls, pets, windows open.  Studies have shown that a plant on your desk can reduce stress and uplift your spirits.

14: Brighten your mind:

Your thoughts will either bring you closer to attracting more positive energy or take you further away.

Do your best to catch dull thinking, and replace immediately with your own uplifting mantra.  One of my personal favourites at the moment is “Every cell in my body is loved and healthy”or “I trust”

Give yourself visual reminders of the extra positivity you wish to attract.  Place reminders beside your bed, on the bathroom mirror, fridge door, coffee mug or the steering wheel of your car.

Make friends with an affirmation:

15: Add positive healing sounds to your environment:

Unknowingly you can be constantly exposed to low levels of toxic urban noise, particularly with life’s gadgets and technology.  Become aware of the sounds around you, and notice their effect on your energy well-being.

The most healing sounds of all, are those from nature.  The next best thing are sacred sounds, chants, mantras or classical music.  It has been proven scientifically by Dr Emoto that listening to Blue Danube will soothe an agitated nervous system. His research has been quite extensive as to the healing (both physical and emotional) properties of many different pieces of music.

At the moment, I am continuously playing music from Krishna Das and Deva Premal.  Their music calms my home (crucial with 3 boys) and allows me to feel very nourished. I feel softer and less hurried, which is a very good thing.

The Blue Danube: A proven solution to overburdened nerves:

16: Yogic cleansing bath:

Cleanse negativity from your aura and removes chemicals from your physical body.  I personally have not done this one but a few of my friends have, and they all rave about how awesome it is.

It is suggested that you soak for 20 minutes each day for 7 days.  If you start to feel dizzy or weird leave bath immediately, as you have successfully loosened and removed some negativity from your physical and energetic bodies.

• 1 lb Baking soda
• 1 cup Sea salt

Six special bath recipes for sleep, relaxation and healing:

17: Mindful breathing:
One of the simplest ways to infuse your body with positive energy is via belly breathing.  Deep inhales and exhales remove toxins, oxygenate your body and calm your nervous system.  A few minutes every hour is a wonderful positive energy habit to add to your daily life.

15 clever things to know about your breathing:

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Guest post by Claudia Davila

Ayurveda teaches that ghee (clarified butter) is a medicinal food.  Its excellent for good health when used in cooking or added to foods. It is one of the most ancient and sattvic foods known, healing to all three Ayurvedic doshas: Vata, Kapha, Pita.

“It is promotive of memory, intelligence, vital fire, semen, vital essence (ojas), kapha, and fat. It is curative of Vata, Pitta, fever and toxins.” — Charaka (author of ancient Indian Ayurvedic text, Charaka Samhita).

Ghee is perfect for cold, dry, stiff and airy Vata types, ghee adds heaviness and lubrication to the body in the joints and in the digestion.   Ghee is cooling and soothing for the fire-based ailments of Pittas, such as fever, acidity, and inflammation.

For all three doshas, ghee helps memory and is a healthy fat that is good for the liver and immune system, though Kaphas should consume it in moderation as it also helps build body mass.

(You can read more about ghee by googling “health benefits of ghee” or click here.

Ghee requires no refrigeration:

When buying ghee, or any dairy product, look for organic. All toxins like to settle in body fat, and especially mammary glands, which makes it important to choose organic animal products like milk and butter, otherwise they tend to be the most laden with impurities like pesticides, herbicides, antibiotics and other drugs, and toxins found in air, water and feed.

An interesting fact about ghee, it requires no refrigeration. The lactose and milk solids have been removed.

How to make ghee with organic butter:

1 block of organic, unsalted butter

1: Place the butter in a heavy-bottomed pot and melt on medium-low heat. Adjust the heat until it begins to bubble nicely, without going too hot.  The water will begin to evaporate.

2: Soon foam will begin to accumulate quite a bit on the top, and the melted butter will be very opaque.

3: Stir occasionally for 15 minutes until the foam starts to reduce and break up, and the milky butter begins to look like clear, golden oil.

4: When there’s a bit of brown sediment beginning to form at the bottom of the pan, the ghee is ready. Be careful not to burn it during these final minutes of cooking. Remove from the heat and allow to cool slightly.

Meanwhile, sterilize a jar and its lid in a pot of boiling water, then remove and dry with a clean towel.

Gently pour the ghee into the jar through a fine metal sieve, with or without cheesecloth lining it.  You only want to get the golden liquid oil and not the brownish sediment at the bottom of the pot.

Store closed; no need to refrigerate.

Use as you would butter or oil, in soups, cooked vegetables, stir into cooked rice or lentil dishes, or spread on toast and tea biscuits.

If you are a visual learner like me I’ve found a youtube video How To Make Ghee which may inspire you to cook a batch of ghee.

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Are you suffering from skin hunger?    Then it’s time to hug more often, hug loud, hug well and hug longer. In fact experts say that we need at least 4 hugs a day minimum for survival and 8 hugs a day for maintenance.

A hug supports our emotional well being and releases lots of little happy vibes into our body. It is even said that hugging or touching someone sick in hospital reduces anxiety, generates hope, eases pain, conveys care and gives the receiver a feeling of being connected.

Come on, give us a hug!

Hug loud, hug well, hug longer and hug often:

Touch is healing that’s why hugs are healthy. They nourish your sense of touch, comfort, calm and relax you in stressful times. Hugs simply fuel your heart with the good stuff.

This post is a reminder to us all to hug loud, long, often and well.

Enjoy my ten hugging tips which have been chosen from my posts over at twitter:

1: Hug therapy: 4 hugs a day for survival, 8 hugs a day for maintenance, 12 hugs a day for growth:

2: Toe hugs are “in”. Whilst at your computer, grab your foot & place your fingers in between your toes. Now hug, stretch and wiggle your toes and foot.

3: Skin hunger: Lack of quality hugs in one day.

4: Hug wisdom: Hugs lasting over 20 seconds create more trust.

5: Hugs are for feeling: (not thinking) A hug takes your focus away from thinking and brings your energies and awareness back into your whole body. When you feel you are receiving.

6: “A” Frame Hug: You hug but nothing is touching from the shoulders down. These hugs are brief and with practice you can progress to a full body hug for more hug happiness

7: Hug a tree: Feeling scattered, vague and spacey then go hug a tree. Inhale then allow the tree to calm and ground your energies.

8: 10/10 for a blissful hug: A sandwich hug is a three people hug. Someone in the middle getting two hugs at once, from both sides, front and back.

9: Linger longer in a hug. A hug fuels your heart with all the good stuff and nourishes your skin and sense of touch. Linger longer for extra hug happiness.

10. Hugging record: 4,288 is the Guinness book of records for the most hugs in a 24 hour period.

Start hugging now:

Start a hug club. Create a hug-a-thon. Get involved in the free hug campaign: Hug yourself. Hug your kids more. Do what you need to do to get your daily quota of 8 hugs a day.

More articles you may like:

Boost your energy now:

20 ways to be kinder to yourself:

An awesome shake that soothes your nerves:

100 wise tips to feel better fast:
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What I’m loving at the moment:

This book has to have the simplest explanation on how our brain works and easily explains how stress blocks our children from learning, and adults from thinking clearly. I am so in love with this book. I had many aha! moments.

Goldie Hawn’s message and research is simple.

Teach children to relax and their learning and behavoir improves considerably.  This book is a keeper. A book you buy and keep beside your bed.

10 Mindful Minutes: by Goldie Hawn.

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You can also grab your daily rejuvenation tip by clicking here

Or zip back over to Rejuvenation Lounge’s home page by clicking here

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Rest and Rejuvenation Retreats, Ubud, Bali, July & September 2012:

It’s all about the practice of intentional rest, gentle yoga, mindful breathing, hand mudra’s, daily body treatments and meditation for a calmer, healthier and happier you.

Please click here for all the relaxing details.

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What a better way to be kinder to yourself  than by snacking happy.  Treats that are deeply nourishing and more importantly bring an instant smile to your face.

I just happen to believe that bliss balls are the healthiest and yummiest snacks in the whole wide world.

drspam’s bliss ball photo’s

Bliss balls are easy to make (I promise)

There’s no cooking, no fussing and no lengthy preparation time.  They are literally a no brainer.  Children could even make them.

Simply throw your ingredients into the blender, wiz away and then roll into balls.  Some bliss ball recipes don’t even use a blender – simply chop, mix and roll.

Recipe One:  Chocolate (cacoa) and Cashew Bliss Ball:
1/2 to 1 cup of cashews blended until smooth ( or you can cheat and buy cashew butter)

2 tablespoons of agave nectar (a natural sweetener extracted from the Mexican agave plant) or swap for honey or rice syrup

1 tspn vanilla extract

4 – 8 dates (to your taste)

2 tablespoons organic cacoa

Optional: roll in coconut

Recipe two:  Coconut and Almond Bliss ball:

1 cup of raw almonds

1/2 cup of sunflower kernels

A small handful of pitted dates

A small handful of sultanas

2 – 4 tablespoons of honey

Roll in desiccated coconut (what the heck, add some coconut into the bliss ball as well)

Recipe three:  Sesame Bliss Balls:

I borrowed this recipe from Deepak Chopra’s newsletter. Deepak explains that the sesame bliss balls promote a healthy digestion and purify the body – mind.

1 cup toasted sesame seeds
½ cup golden raisins or regular raisins
2 teaspoons ground ginger powder
2 inches fresh ginger root, peeled and chopped
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1½ teaspoons ground cardamon
2½ tablespoons ghee (clarified butter) (I use and prefer ghee most of the time for my cooking)

Recipe four:  Tahini  Bliss balls:

These are one of my favourites bliss balls with a rougher surface.  The best part is no blender.

1 cup of rolled oats

1/2 cup of tahini

1/2 cup of chopped walnuts

2 – 4 tablespoons of honey

My Secret To Yummy Bliss Balls:

Quality ingredients. Quality ingredients. Quality ingredients

Organic is best with pesticide free being second best. The taste is better and the nutritional value higher.

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You might also like:

Macca buzz balls

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What I’m loving at the moment:

Sarah Wilson, health practitioner, writer and TV presenter quit sugar as an experiment to support the health of her auto-immune disease.

She noticed such a huge change to her health and emotions that she wrote an e-book about it. Although not sure I could go 100% no sugar but it sure is interesting learning about how dangerous and addictive sugar is.

Click here to visit Sarah Wilson.

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I use and love Ananga’s  guided meditations and music

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By Carole Fogarty,

Rejuvenate Your Family:

Thought I’d let you know why my blog activity has been quiet for the past week. My gorgeous youngest son, Jack, whilst playing tiggy (tag), broke his collar bone and fractured his shoulder. The pain was not nice and the lack of sleep for days left me in zombie land. The joys of motherhood.

My youngest son Jack

Everything is fine, after 5 days he is well on his way to a speedy recovery. I have been treating him holistically and thought I would share what I have been doing as broken bones are quite common problem in both the young and old.

Natural Healing of Broken Bones:

Even though I am not a naturopath I have built my knowledge by visiting many natural practitioners over the past 20 years, I have great friends who are practitioners in the alternate medicine field and often chat to naturopaths at our local health food stores. The following suggestions are not meant as medical advice but simply what I have been doing personally to heal my son naturally.

1: Emergency essence:

This is the very first thing I do anytime there is upset or trauma. It removes the shock from the physical and emotional energy fields of the body. Emergency essence is similar to rescue remedy except its made from Australian Bush flower essences. I continued giving the essence to Jack every half an hour until he was settled.

2: Arnica a must for internal bruising:

This was the first homeopathic remedy I ever used. Its fabulous for the quick healing of internal bruising. Great if you have just given birth and perfect for my boys after a rough and tough ruby game. I only used arnica for the first few days.

3: Nutrition for the muscle and bone:

I have a powder drink which I buy from our local health food store and use for my boys before and after a sports game. Its a blend of magnesium, calcium and potassium. 50% of the total magnesium found in the body is in the bone. Magnesium is also known as an anti stress mineral and helps with muscle recover. I will continue giving Jack two glasses of this mineral drink for a couple of weeks.

4: Reiki:

When my son is asleep at night I place my hands over his broken bones and ask for energy to flow into his body and support the healing process. As soon as I start reiki I usually feel a heat flow from the palm of my hands.

5: Comfrey ointment:

Comfrey is rich in iron, silica, potash and calcium. In the alternate medicine field it is known for its teeth and bone building properties. It’s nick name is the bone knitter. Comfrey is always applied externally. If I was very clever I would be growing it in my garden but failing that I buy it in ointment form from our local health food store.

6: Homeopathic drops for bones:

My good friend Butterfly who is a homeopath suggested calc phos. Calc phos is made from the mineral salt found in bone and teeth. I haven’t yet started my son on this as I have run out. I’ll be buying some today in either pill or liquid form.

7: Realignment of the body:

After the bones have healed I will be taking my son to a bowen therapist who will correct any misalignment in the body. This is just to double check that nothing is healing in the wrong place and that the hips, spine and muscles are back where they should be be.

Thanks for reading my article. Carole.  

You are welcome to come back and visit my blog the Rejuvenation Lounge anytime, or grab daily rejuvenation tips over at twitter.

Subscribe To My Articles by Email – It’s free:

More articles:

Boost your energy now:

Four ideas for minimizing your teens stress:

Top three fears facing teens today:

Walking meditation:

100 wise tips to feel better fast:

Relax and unwind with a yoga eye pillow: 

Enjoyed my blog, then I’d be thrilled if you treated me to a cup of delicious chai tea.  Blogging is thirsty work.

After the huge success of Vanessa’s previous article 4 ways to minimize your teens stress I asked Vanessa to write a post sharing her thoughts as to what the top three fears facing our teenagers today are.

Luciana Nechita

Vanessa, gladly accepted my request and went off to ask a bunch of her teen friends and groups what they worry about and here’s what her research reveals.

She has deliberately kept the post short to make it direct and welcomes your questions and comments. Thanks Vanessa.

1: Fear of Failing:
I know, sometimes we act like we don’t care. We act like getting a C on a test is no big deal, but usually this is a cover. We want to succeed and do well just as much as you want us to. We fear failing on an academic level, in our relationships, in our friendships and even on home projects. I think as a teen, our self-esteem and self-confidence are extremely delicate, so when we fail it is a real blow and we cannot recover as quickly as most adults.

2: Fear of Disappointing You:
Yup, parents put a lot of pressure on us. Whenever I did badly on tests, I had to not only deal with my own disappointment of not doing well, but then announcing it to my parents and dealing with their anger/ disappointment/ punishment—its really rough. We also know that if you do not like our boyfriend/girlfriend, set of friends or art project we also hear about it. If you do not like something we do, it feels like you do not like a part of us—and that is something we fear.

3: Fear of Being Misunderstood:
I mean this on many levels. Many of the teens I asked, said they feared friends not liking an outfit or the way they looked. They feared someone defacing their Facebook page and having gossip spread at school. They feared their parents over-reacting and freaking out about something they did. I call this fear of being misunderstood because, as teens, everything we do is about experimenting with our image, identity and persona. We want to perfectly portray who we are…yet, we do not even know that ourselves!

I think that parents can address these fears head-on with their kids. Ask them what they fear, bring these fears up—even if they disagree with my list…at least they are talking to you about a deep subject!

Note: Another great article written by Vanessa is called 4 ideas for minimizing your teens stress.

Thanks for reading our guest post by Vanessa.  Carole

You are welcome to come back and visit my blog the Rejuvenation Lounge anytime or treat yourself to one of my Rejuvenation Retreats in Bali, Australia or Italy:

Subscribe To My Articles by Email – It’s free:

Vanessa Van Petten is the teen author of the book “You’re Grounded!”—a parenting book from a young perspective. She keeps an active blog for parents who want to know what their kids are really doing onlinhe, at High School parties or when parents are looking the other way. Her candid and young perspective, as well her constant survey of resources and updates about this generation of young people are a treasure trove for parents.

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11 rules for being human

Boost your energy now:

Four ideas for minimizing your teens stress:

100 wise tips to feel better fast:

By Carole Fogarty

Rejuvenate You:

Please don’t feel left out. This article is also written for any human being who is feeling lost, disconnected from who they are and allowing life to push them around.

No one prepares you for life as a single parent. Your days may be filled with enormous confusion, hurt, disbelief, upset and shock as you enter this new chapter of your life. If only there was step by step guidance giving you direction and supportive tools for your new life ahead.

Codebloke

When I became a single mother of three boys five years ago I firstly had a vision (you must have a vision), I relied heavily on certain tools, guidance and created my own set of personal laws that I discovered along the way.

I believe I chose a path and direction that allowed me rather quickly to reclaim the missing pieces of me that I so uncaringly gave away in the past. I also focused strongly on keeping drama at a safe and healthy distance away from myself and my boys.

Without realizing it at the time many of my inspirations were drawn from the ancient wisdom of the Tao. I simply chose a path that was allowing, flowed and guided me to the place where I am today whilst keeping my sanity in place along the way.

Create your own set of personal laws or feel free to use mine.

1. Create your own healing vision:

Know where you are going. What constant healing belief is needed that would satisfy your body, mind and soul to participate fully in life again and be the person and parent that you know you can be.

My vision was simple. To reclaim the missing pieces of me (I lost many pieces) to be able to feel whole, complete and connected to the flow of life again. This felt true and right for me at the time. Anything which did not bring me closer to reclaiming my missing pieces fell away from my life.

Initially I required allot of stillness which I scheduled into my daily routine which then helped propel me to my next healing phase.

Tao: Create the space and time to start feeling whole and complete again

2. Start dialogging with your soul:

Keep reminding yourself that you are not alone in this world.

Your inner wise voice knows the easiest, simplest and quickest way through any situation. It is waiting to be heard. Listen to its gentle guiding whispers, open up a conversation. It is there to support you. Start communicating with it’s presence right now by either journaling daily, meditation or prayer so you can begin to heal the past and create a new vibrant future for yourself and your family.

Stop listening to other peoples opinion and start placing more importance on the truth of your internal world. Trust in the guidance of your soul your inner wise voice.

Take responsibility for the maintainance of your soul.

You may wish to read my article: Eight simple ways to connect to your inner wise voice

Tao: Be fearless as you enter the doorway into your soul. There is a bundle of courage within to support you through this journey.

3. Have no opinion towards your ex-partner:

Blame is a powerless act. It keeps you locked into the past and firmly joined at the hip to your ex-partner.

Make a clear choice from this moment on to shift the current group consciousness for single parents which is fueled with anger, resentments, pain and hurt. Lets all unite and raise the group consciousnesses to one that is empowering, nurturing, loving and healing towards ourselves, our children and our ex-partners.

Becoming a single parent is a magnificent opportunity. There will be hidden blessings and amazing new possibilities if you allow yourself to break free from the past, disconnect from the drama and see your future with clearer eyes.

Your highest potential and ticket to freedom is not found in poisonous conversations, hurtful thoughts and remaining trapped in victim mode.

When you are asked to comment on your ex-partner simply say I have no opinion. I choose not to waste my energy talking about it. This was the single most powerful personal law that shifted me very quickly away from the pain of the past. If you only take one piece of advise from this article and add to your own set of personal laws then this is the one which will change your life.

Tao: Surround and fill yourself with only the highest vibrations. You have no opinion on your ex-partner it just is.

4. Live more simply:

Make you and your children your priority and not your stuff.

Your possessions and stuff do not make you happier, fuel your soul nor help you heal from the past. Every object you own demands your attention, needs to be cleaned, maintained, moved, stored, looked after and insured.

Time is your precious friend in reclaiming your life back so please don’t waste it fighting over, buying or looking after more stuff.

In fact we live in bigger homes have more stuff and able to do more things than ever before in the history of time yet we are certainly not happier. Depression is at an all time high with stress closely following.

Lighten your load in life and start living well with less. You can do no greater service to your life than to eliminate as many possessions and stuff from your personal living environment and only keep things that you truly value. Mentally you feel clearer, your home feels lighter and your life simply flows with greater ease.

An enormous amount of pressure and stress is released when you live a simpler life.

Start asking yourself how else can you make your life simpler today.

Tao: Great satisfaction comes when you live life simply.

5. Distance yourself from drama:

Do not teach your children that marriage is war. Drama is not useful, it is hurtful and fills your life with more pain.

A personal law that I created for myself to prevent my mind getting addicted to drama which it loves:

“My life is peaceful, my home is peaceful, my children are peaceful and my mind is peaceful”.

The more you say this the more peaceful your life will become. Things will shift, situations will change and perceived problems will resolve themselves.

Tao Send love and blessings to thy enemy

Summary of my own personal laws:

1. I create the time and space to feel whole and complete again
2. I listen and trust in the guidance of my inner wise voice and connect with it daily
3. I surround myself with the highest vibrations possible. I see my future with clearer eyes. I have no opinion on my ex-partner
4. How can I simplify my life even more today
5. I attract peace wherever I go

Thanks for reading my article, Carole. Feel free to share, digg or stumble my article.

Please visit my Wellbeing Toolbox which has been created just for you
or join me in Bali for my annual Womens Rejuvenation Retreat.

Resources to support you on this journey:

Debbie Ford: A spiritual Divorce:
Debbie has written a book called Spiritual Divorce to transform your divorce from a crisis to an opportunity. Is heart ache stopping you being present and participating fully in life? She also has created the lotus lounge which has numerous free resources, prayers, meditations that you can load.

Hay house radio:
Listen for free to some of the greatest spiritual teaches in the world today

Cheryl Richardson:
I have been receiving Cheryl’s weekly newsletters now for over 4 years. They are insightful thought provoking and bring you closer to understanding your life. Cheryl also offers on-line forums and regular free conference calls.

Shakti Gawain:
Each day on her web site there are passages with an accompanying affirmation from her book Awakening – A guide to conscious living. They are simple and will definitely support you on this journey.

By Carole Fogarty

Rejuvenate Your Family:

Driving around in a metal container full of stress is not my idea of fun and I’m sure it’s not yours. A well intended trip or short visit to the local shops can easily turn into a draining experience that peaks at 100 on the stress meter within seconds with children in the car.

Enter some simple, practical and fun child proof remedies to transform your driving experience by adjusting the calm dial in your car.

Photo by Mother Mirth

1. Remove secondhand stress lingering in your car:
This would be the absolute first thing that I do before anything else. The atmosphere or vibe in your car can influence moods and behaviors. Lingering second hand unwanted emotions can be re-absorbed each time you climb back into your car unless you clear the old stressed memories.

I personally have used a sage smudge stick or loose dried white sage for over twenty years. The smoke from the sage is known to cleanse, purify then uplift the energy in any space, even your car.

It’s important to remove all clutter first before spending a good five minutes cleansing the glove box, under the seats and in the boot of your car with the sage smoke.

Depending on the stress levels in your car you may wish to do this at least once a month. Now that my children are older I generally cleanse with sage around twice a year or when I find myself getting agitated when driving.

An alternate to sage would be a space clearing mist that you can easily be bought in a good health food store.

2. Wipe the steering wheel and dashboard with lavender weekly:
The pure essential oil of lavender has proven calming qualities. All you need is a clean cloth that has been dabbed with a few drops of the essential oil lavender and then wipe it gently across the dashboard and around the steering wheel of your car. Lavender not only calms your nerves but is balancing and soothing. It subtly improves the quality of your emotional, physical and spiritual wellbeing.

3: Oxygenate your car regularly:
Recycled air is not the healthiest and warm air in a car lacking fresh oxygen can make anyone feel grumpy. Even if its cold outside open the windows for a few minutes and bring an abundance of oxygen into the car.

4. Create happiness rules for your car:
It’s fun to do and firmly establishes your intention for calm in your car. Some things that have been done in the past; always bring your smile, use your quiet voice, imagine the car being surrounded by a huge happiness bubble, only play calming music and never disturbing news.

5. Have a roster for the front seat:
This was the biggest stress factor for our car. Being a Libran I had to create a system that was fair and one which my boys knew exactly whose turn it was on any given day in the front. This totally eliminated the fight for the front seat, instantly.

6. Replace the stressed memories with calm happy ones:
If your car has been filled with mainly stress in the past then start right now creating happy stress free memories. Get creative and think of games, activities or conversations that you could do and enjoy to start filling your car with joyful energy.

7. The three deep breathes ritual:
Think of this as an insurance policy. Its particularly useful if you are already stressed. Get into the habit of asking everyone in the car to take three long, calming and relaxing deep breathes before you start the engine. Keep doors and windows open so you can maximize the amount of oxygen being drawn into your body, lungs, bloodstream and brain. Imagine all stress, tension and worries leaving your body with each exhale.

8. Give your children a special calming crystal to hold:
My children love crystals. My youngest son sleeps with black tourmaline under his pillow to keep any bad dreams away (black tourmaline transmutes negative energies). Let your children choose their own calming crystal. You may even wish to keep a few crystals in the glove box. Any crystals in your car are always beneficial for uplifting the quality of energy.

9. Carry a small spray bottle of calming essential oils in your hand bag:
This is a potent daily or weekly calming habit. A couple of sprays into your car each day will add a continuous stream of nurturing energy into your car. When any outbreaks of arguments, yelling or frustration begin bring out your spritzer and spray the inside of the car. Simply add around 10 – 15 drops of mixed essential oils (of your choice) with water and pour into a spray bottle.

In case you are not sure which calming oils to use a friend of mine Jennifer Jefferies has written a book called Calm Kids . In the book she recommends a blend of vetiver, lime, lavender and cedarwood essential oils specifically for children. Jennifer says this blend helps scattered minds that can come with ‘go fast’ and ADD/ADHD children. I have personally always been addicted to vetiver as it has a very grounding and calming effect on me. It pulls me instantly back into my body when my head is scattered and rushed. This would also be an excellent option to wipe on your dashboard and steering wheel.

10. Play the Blue Danube – Proven to calm fatigued and stressed bodies
I recently was very pleased to discover that by playing the blue danube it has scientifically been proven to calm fatigued and stressed bodies. What a wonderful energy to fill our bodies and our cars with. You are welcome to read my recent article called A Simple Solution for Overburdened Nerves which talks about this in a little more depth.

11. Clear the clutter:
Clutter carries a low vibration of energy which in turn lowers your own energy levels. Clutter congests and blocks the free movement of air and energy in your car. Lighten the energy in your car by eliminating all that is unnecessary.

12. Pick a fresh flower or herb and place on dash board
I often pick a sprig from my holy basil (English) or Tulsi (sanskrit)bush at my front door. The spiritual, emotional and physical healing qualities of holy basil are amazing. Any flower or herb especially picked for the dash board of your car will lighten the load.

Thanks so much for reading my article, Carole.You are welcome to come back and visit my blog the Rejuvenation Lounge  anytime or grab daily rejuvenation tips from me over at twitter.

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Guest Post By Vanessa Van Petten: Teen Author

” How can my teenager be so stressed…..he/she doesn’t have any teenagers!”

Its hard to understand how teens can be so stressed compared to many adult issues like paying bills, caring for elderly parents, financial security and jobs, but for teens their issues also seem just as serious, permanent and intimidating. This concept leads me to my first piece of advice for helping your teen be less stressed out!

Angiebaby 1622

1. Nothing is relative:

You know when you are talking to a friend about something you are stressed out about—like a busy workday and as soon as your finished talking (or even before that), your friend is like, ‘well my day was even worse than that!’ Then they go on to tell you how their day was more stressful. It feels like they are belittling your bad day and it doesn’t make you feel any better that you both had bad days. This is the same for teens but to a much larger extent. When we are venting to you or talking to you, and then parents say things like: “You don’t even have to worry about paying your bills!” or “Well, everyone else seems to be doing fine!” or “Your sister did not have trouble with that ___.” This not only makes teens feel alienated from you, but it makes them feel bad about having those feelings.

• Tip: When your teen starts talking to you, let them know you are listening by repeating their points and empathizing with them. It is a common misconception that re-emphasizing a bad feeling encourages it. I think with teens it is the opposite, when my mom said things like “oh, that’s horrible and so unfair” it made me feel heard and understood so that I could then work it out. When she said, ‘oh its not that big of a deal, you will forget about it tomorrow” I was mad that she didn’t understand my plight and would continue to fester on the issue, unable to move on.

1. Its Forever:

Somehow, when I got in a fight with friends or a boyfriend when I was in high school it literally felt like the end of my world. I could not see the light at the end of the tunnel. When I talk to teens about issues they are having, to them there is nothing else going on, it will never change and there is no tomorrow. Ok, I am over-emphasizing the point a bit, but you get it, teenagers get so stressed out because it is more difficult to think long term and everything feels like it will last forever.

• Tip: Avoid the temptation to try to put their issues in context by saying that it won’t mater in ten years, or so-and-so will get over it eventually, these kinds of comments only make teens feel more alone in their feelings of frustration. What can be helpful is pointing out similar situations they had in the past or that you had in the past where something overwhelming, unexpectedly got better quickly. This way you are not belittling their feelings or ‘correcting’ their feelings, but just brining up a relevant situation that has a better memory or ending.

1. Super Superlatives:

“It was the worst day at school!” “This is the most homework I have ever had” “She is my best friend in the world!” Any of these sound familiar? I call this the super superlative syndrome. There is very little grey area in the teen mind and similar to the idea of permanence above, be aware of the use of superlatives in your teens lingo. This causes a lot of stress for teens because when they have a lot of homework, a big soccer game or a dance this weekend, it all feels like a very big deal…in fact the biggest deal, ever, ever, ever!

Tip: I think it is important to explain this to your teen in a calm moment. I always explain it to the teens I work with because I think it is important for them to realize that not only do they do it themselves, but other teens do it too when describing situations. Teens tend to rile each other up with superlative sentences. Whenever I explain it to teens they always have a million stories (get it I overemphasized) about their friend who over-exaggerated the test/date/friendship/game. In fact, usually they are able to laugh at themselves and be more aware of the ‘degree’ or their stressful situations after I explain this principle.

1. Time and Place:

We all have our moments of the day that are ‘trigger zones,’ my trigger zone is always right when I get home and I am trying to unload the car and de-stress from traffic (I live in Los Angeles). Everyone who knows me, knows to just stay out of my way at this point. Talk to your teen and figure out when they need space time versus support time. Maybe in the car on the way home you should just listen to music to let them unwind and then after dinner, talk to them about their day.

Tip: This is hard to explain, but at school we are running around all day, doing ‘school stuff’ when we finally get home, its like we actually get a chance to breathe and check-in with ourselves. This is usually when the verbal vomit stream comes out of all the feelings from the day. Let your teen have these moments, then later, you can maybe go in their room, rub their back, bring them a snack and talk to them. Usually, the unwinding part of the day is not the same part of the day that is best for bonding. Take this into consideration before trying to ‘solve’ their problems as they tell them to you.

Overall, teens do have more and more to stress out about with college pressure, dating at really young ages, pressure to have sex and do drugs at parties and even at school. There are a lot of similarities to when you were a teen, but remember they are facing different issues. If you show them you love and support them no matter what, this can be the best relief of pressure for a child.

Thanks for reading our guest post by Vanessa:

You are welcome to come back and visit my blog the Rejuvenation Lounge anytime or or grab daily rejuvenation tips over at twitter:

Vanessa Van Petten is the teen author of the parenting book “You’re Grounded!” She writes a parenting blog called from a teen’s perspective to help parents understand what is actually going on in the mind of kid’s today. Please do consider subscribing and check out one of her most popular articles: What Happy People Have: 6 Ingredients to Friction Free Families and she also does a popular weekly parent news summary from across the web for busy parents.

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By Carole Fogarty

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After nearly 20 years of a home filled with boys ( I have 3 energetic boys 9, 11, 19) I’ve had my fair share of bangs, cuts, bruises, scraps, breaks, stitches and upset. Managed to go 12 years until our first broken bone and 14 years until our first lot of stitches. As I’ve always taken a natural and holistic approach to treating bangs, cuts, breaks, upsets etc. I thought I’d share with you what I have consistently done over the years which I know from my personal experience supports the efficient and natural healing of the body. This is not an extensive list but a fabulous and very simple starting point if you are keen to try natural remedies for your children. Of course they also apply to adults and most certainly to animals.

Photo: Ana jana

Treat the upset holistically:

I always treat any situation, illness or accident holistically. Ancient wisdoms from many cultures share the same belief that health and well being are a result of emotional, spiritual and mental harmony. Great healers from our history such as Hippocrates, Bach, Steiner, Paracelsus all believed that when you treat the emotional imbalances the disease and physical condition are cured.

Today we have the awesome Deepak Chopra who for many years now has shared his wisdom on the connection between the mind and body from an ayurvedic medicine point of view.

It is for this very reason that I like to clear any emotional upset and trauma immediately from my own and my children’s bodies with vibrational medicine. I certainly do not want the fear and upset being stored in the memory of my children’s bodies as that would only limit their experience for life and perhaps attract more of the same.

The remedy to clear the emotional upset:

Luckily for us today vibrational remedies are easily available . Vibrational remedies are things such as essential oils, flower essences and crystals. The most common vibrational essence which I’m sure many of you are aware of is Rescue Remedy which is a flower essence blend. In Australia we have our own version made from Australian Bush Flower Essences called Emergency Essence. A flower essence is simply the healing properties of a flower which is preserved in water and brandy. You can purchase them in either a dropper bottle, spray, already blended into an ointment or as tiny little sugary pills. Sometimes I will even spray the emergency essence into the room where the accident happened to ensure there is no residual upset or fear lingering.

My children now whenever they fall over or hurt themselves instantly open their mouths in anticipation of 7 drops (Emergency Essence) under the tongue. Depending on the severity of the accident I might give them 7 drops every half an hour until I notice they are much calmer and more relaxed. I often take the Emergency Essence blend myself when I’m having one of “those days”. Most health food stores around the world will stock Rescue Remedy or Emergency Essence.

Treating the bruising naturally and holistically:

Bangs are probably the most frequent ailment my boys have experienced over the years. There have been endless crashes on bikes, scooters, surfing, skate boarding and boys being boys. My standy by natural healing remedy for this is arnica. Arnica is a homeopathic medicine.

Arnica is a mountain plant that relieves bruising, stiffness and muscle soreness. It’s fabulous to use just after giving birth for internal bruising and I always give it to my middle son just prior to playing rubgy union which is a very physical sport. He swears (even though he is 11 years of age) that if he doesn’t take arnica his muscles are extremely sore the next day. Arnica is easily available in Health food stores and can be purchased in many forms including pill, already in the ointment or as a tincture.

What lives in my purse:

Anyone can safely carry some arnica and rescue remedy in their purse as a great starting point for healing our children holistically and naturally. Kids can hurt themselves anywhere anytime. Both are small so they can fit into the tiniest of purses.

It’s always wise to consult a homeopath for more complex issues. The fabulous Catherine from Philadelphia over at Continuum Wellness is a qualified homeopath and I’m sure would be happy to help you out along with my wonderful friend in Queensland, Australia, Butterfly Saffigna who is also a qualified Homeopath. I’m happy to pass on Butterflys email address if you live in Australia and are in need of a phone consultation.

Thanks for reading my article.

Peace, love and happy healthy children to you all. Carole.

Useful References:

Australian Bush Flower Essences:

Bach Rescue Remedy:

Arnica:

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If you had to choose just one gift, one piece of wisdom to leave with your children what would it be?

Over the years I have reflected on this question many, many times. Asking what is the one observation in life that I know for sure will offer a helpful guiding path through any confusing, unsure or turbulent times to my children and carry them through to adulthood.

It needs to be something simple and something my intuition screams yes that’s it.

It was only after a brief encounter lying in a hospital bed for around 5 hours ( I think it was the fear and illness around me that triggered the answer) that I wrote pages and pages of clear concise notes on the necessity to teach my children the lost art of stillness.

My gift to my children will be to teach them how to rest in stillness. If my children are able to tap into their own well of stillness then all solutions, comfort, reassurance and guidance will be offered. Untainted truth lies in stillness.

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Why stillness?

• Stillness is the quiet place inside where the mind doesn’t interfere or confuse you.
• You can tap into it anywhere, anytime any place
• No resources or money are needed just the intention
• Stillness offers a clear connection to your intuition
• Stillness allows big problems all of a sudden seem small
• Stillness creates the space so you can disconnect from the chaos around you
• Stillness releases any stress and agitation
• Simple solutions often arrive easily when resting in stillness
• You feel connected to something greater than yourself when experiencing stillness
• You know that you are never alone
• You nurture yourself and offer your body, mind and soul deep peaceful rest
• You learn the valuable skill of letting go and moving forward by resting in stillness
• You will see a situation that is bothering you far more clearly when resting in stillness
• Most importantly you feel comfortable being alone with yourself for a while

How to introduce stillness to children in a simple yet fun way:For children a simple guided meditation that they can relate too in a fun way and totally absorb their imagination into allows for all other things to fall away. They find themselves resting in stillness focused on the theme of the guided mediation. It may be I am calm, I am rested, I am patient, I sleep beautifully or I am safe.

It’s through my research of wanting meditation taught at my children’s local school that I found a mentor for teaching children meditation; the awesome Amy Hamilton. Amy has a Diploma of teaching, Bachelor of Education and Post graduate diploma of health promotion, Diploma of healing arts, an accredited children’s meditation facilitator and trains teachers and adults on how to teach children to meditate. She is also trained in reiki, crystal therapy and as an angel intuitive by Doreen Virtue.

I’ve been using her book on guided meditations for my two younger boys (aged 9 and 11) with great success.

I recently spoke with Amy and here is what she has to say about introducing guided meditation to your children or students:

Be patient and don’t set your expectations too high (thinking that you will have your children sitting or lying perfectly still) like any new skill, meditation takes practice.

1. Don’t expect too much at the start
2. Be relaxed and calm yourself
3. Keep your language and instructions simple
4. Let them participate voluntarily
5. Make it fun and enjoyable
6. Explain to your children how good it is for them-they love hearing that it improves memory, helps them to concentrate etc
7. I always tell children it is like exercising their brain

Make it fun and short:

Following is a brief version of a great meditation that Amy has created which is an absolute winner with my nine year old. He thinks the magic pyramid is a very cool meditation. It normally takes no more than 3-5 minutes and I always allow my son plenty of time to linger in the meditation.

You imagine yourself sitting inside a pyramid. The air inside is warm you feel very calm and relaxed and there is no sound. You breathe in and out and feel the quiet in your body. Feel the quiet spread with each breathe until it fills the whole pyramid. It is serene and still. You say in my mind I am quiet ……. I am quiet………I am quiet.

Include all learning styles in each mediation:

Some children are visual learners. This means they will relate better to the meditation if there is a good description of what the pyramid looks like in their minds eye.

Some children are kinesthetic learners which means they would need to know what it feels like inside the pyramid.

Some children are auditory learners which means they respond well to words and sounds. A guided meditation is perfect for them.

What I notice with all Amy’s 49 guided meditations is that they cater for all learning styles. This makes it very easy for the meditation to speak to your child in their special way.

Choose a meditation that appeals to their imagination:

An important ingredient, I believe, is to choose only those meditations which you know will capture your child’s imagination. What works for one child may not work for another. It is for this reason that Amy has offered 49 different meditation stories to appeal to all.

Some of the meditations are:

Sleeping cloak: Affirmation box: Bubble bath: Circle of light: Clouds: Crystal bed: Snow city: Shining star: Super hero: Tree house: Secret cave: Wizards Potion:

Get started now:

Perhaps the easiest way to start introducing stillness and meditation to your children is to include it as part of their bed time ritual. If you need help creating your own guided meditation then there is no better place to start than Amy Hamilton’s Indigo Dreaming – Meditations for Children book or audio CD.

Indigo Dreaming: A Book of Meditations for Children

Indigo Dreaming: Meditations for Children

Thanks for reading my article.

Peace, love and lots of stillness to you all.