It's been a while since I posted. Blame it on a break in the flow. We go through our days, lives, routines, on auto pilot. OK... I go through life at times on autopilot. But sometimes there comes a time when that deep seated discontent stops tapping and starts thumping. When physically the body starts… Continue reading Finding flow
Category: nurture
Bird song in New Zealand like it used to sound
Before humans arrived in New Zealand the bush rang with bird song, in particular with tui and korimako (bellbird). Cook wrote of the korimako song; “it seemed to be like small bells most exquisitely tuned”. Now however, the numbers of birds have dwindled dramatically and 33% are already extinct. Some disappeared as the forests were… Continue reading Bird song in New Zealand like it used to sound
NZ Book Month is great excuse to read
It's NZ Book Month so I've been indulging in one of my favourite past times-reading. My reading habits are somewhat eclectic so beside my bed lies an ever changing assortment of books. At the moment there are about 10 that I pick and choose from depending on my mood. An old favourite is Wendy Cope's… Continue reading NZ Book Month is great excuse to read
Morning at a New Zealand beach
Animals helping reduce emotional and physical problems
Animal Assisted therapy (AAT) is nothing new, but the ways animals seem able to help people is growing. Back in 600 BC the Greeks noted the horse's therapeutic value. Now horses are being used to help treat people with depression, autistic children and young people with behavioural problems. Dolphins were first used to treat depression and… Continue reading Animals helping reduce emotional and physical problems
5 ways to beat stress and lift your mood
You know those days, when worry and stress gets the better of you. Soon everything seems too hard, loud and annoying. Your once carefree shoulders are spasming under the weight of the world and thought of conversation is akin to the dentist drill. But don't despair- there are some quick and easy ways to take… Continue reading 5 ways to beat stress and lift your mood
Meditation to calm the mind
Taking a holiday from an over active brain and endless self-observation seems a logical route to bliss. But how do we ease the burden of acute self-awareness, that endless chatter: Did I talk too much? Why didn't I say anything? They must think I'm an idiot? I am an idiot! A route growing in popularity… Continue reading Meditation to calm the mind
Tai Chi for relaxation
Every morning on my way to work while living in Hong Kong I would pass a group of people practising Tai Chi Chuan with double edged swords. It always seemed odd that such a gentle, flowing and meditative practice should use weapons, but before it gained popularity for health reasons it was a martial art… Continue reading Tai Chi for relaxation
Chanting your way to health
Chanting is not something that comes naturally to me. Although on rare occasions I play Gregorian or Tibetan Buddhist chanting to help silence my brain when I do yoga, I recently experienced situations where to not chant would have been churlish. And to my surprise, I found chanting uplifting and relaxing. The first was at… Continue reading Chanting your way to health
Courage and the path to connection
Why is it so hard to allow ourselves to be vulnerable? Are we afraid others will find us somehow lacking, that we are not perfect? The messages surrounding us all point to the possibility of perfection, weight, looks, career etc but the reality is that there is no such thing- we live in an imperfect… Continue reading Courage and the path to connection
Cool and calma 