Jalal ad-Din Rumi

Who was Rumi? 

His life dated from 1207 - 1273, a writer, teacher, Sufi mystic from Persia. His father was a religious teacher and he studied under a Sufi master, a mystic practice that seeks to unite to the divine within the Godhead, a mystical journey and transpersonal attainment. His work became the basis for the Mevlevi Dervish Order which has music from the Afghan and Iranian traditions. 

Who was Origen of Alexandria?

Who was Origen? I would like to introduce readers to this philosopher. His name was Origen and he lived from 185-254AD. He was a writer and teacher of early Christianity and is considered to be the Father of Christian mysticism. He believed in reincarnation and the three aspects of the trinity, as Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He believed that those in power should pray, yet not pray for material goods but a better understanding of God. 

What is a Mantra?

 

A mantra is a repetitive group of words, that becomes a prolonged chant. Sometimes spoken and sometimes sung. Sometimes the words have meaning - calling upon a deity for instance - and sometimes they are just a group of words to focus the mind on a topic, such as health or happiness. A well known chant is that of Tibetan Buddhism 'Aum Mani Padme Hum' or 'Om Namashi Vaya' a Hindu chant. The repetitive words of many Christian prayers are also a chant, focussing the mind on devotion and clearing the mind of other thoughts. 

John Stuart Mill

Who was John Stuart Mill? 

He was the son of a great philosopher, James Mill. John Stuart was a British Humanist who lived from 1806-1873 and he developed the 'greatest happiness theory'. He believed that we should work towards the greatest good for all people and that we should cultivate self discipline, courage, conscience, unselfishnes, duty and cleanliness. He believed that there is a struggle between good and evil and believed we should treat others as we wish to be treated. He was a founder of the Unitarianism Church. He was an economist and philosopher of science and reputed to ‘everything’. 

Dr Robin Wood - The Green Shift

 

Dr Robin Wood is a Change Agent (otherwise known as an innovation specialist). Here he is speaking on the Information Channel 212 on Conscious TV about 'The Green Shift'. He invites us to transcend and transform our lives through ownership of our future. 60% of people are living in cities, yet cities are places of pollution and waste. Stop - feel - question! By bucking the current system, we can become an explorer, researcher and activist and examine our choices and become responsible for a collective and sustainable future. He has been a Fellow at the Centre for Management Development at London Business School and at the Institute for Coherence and Emergence and is now working in 35 countries on four continents to increase 'thriveability' in business management.

Sunk Cost Fallacy

 

What is Sunk Cost Fallacy? Wanting to make the most of money spent!

Saving Planet Earth

We cannot save the world by thought alone. It needs action. 
We live on a planet which is overpopulated by human beings. Most people feel powerless to do anything to save our planet from climate change with extreme weather, pollution of seas, soil and air. The over population by humans decreases numbers of all other species, sometimes to the point of extinction. We need biodiversity, we need tropical forests, we need clean oceans and clean air for our health and the health of those yet to be born.

However, even the smallest change, when a nation gets involved, can make a huge difference. Our human population has grown from 3 billion in 1960 to 9 billion by 2030.

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

 

Post Traumatic Stress Disorder is often shortened to PTSD. It can occur following an accident, a crime, a bad experience of any kind. Anyone can suffer from it if the stresses are great enough. It can have physiological and psychological causes, such as sleeplessness, nightmares, panic attacks, free floating anxiety, tearfulness, loss of memory, feelings of anger, depression and distress. 

Giant Cell Arteritis

After experiencing painful headaches, hair falling out, deeply disturbing potential loss of vision and hearing, patients are aggressively railroaded into temporal artery biopsies, often on both sides of the head. This extremely invasive surgery, at a time of inflammation of these delicate arteries, to cut through and micro-suture, with often delayed wound healing, is outrageous when non invasive scans are available, especially as the result does not matter, as a negative does not mean that GCA is not present and the treatment is the same as a positive test for giant cells. This operation is very expensive and dangerous. Wound healing is often a problem when other means of diagnosis are available.

Narcissism!

 

What is Narcissism? 

This is a common condition. They are your work colleagues, your family and friends, your neighbours and others than you come into contact with throughout the day. The condition is often abbreviated to NPD, the shortened form of Narcissistic Personality Disorder. We all have some aspects of these personality traits, especially when we are upset or under stressful situations. 

Aerobic Exercise

Choose Aerobic Exercise!
This is any type of exercise which takes in oxygen and pumps oxygenated blood round the body. It is usually long, sustained exercise which helps you get put of breath, such as strenuous cycling, running, lifting weights, etc. This exercise strengthens the heart and lungs, Exercises, such as these, help release endorphins which help with feel good feelings, they help reduce weight and aid overall bodily health. Make sure you warm up before embarking on any strenuous exercise. A visit to your GP is useful if you are over 40 years old, have a sedentary life-style or have been in poor health.

Our Increasing Human Population

"The more people on the planet - the fewer other species can survive."

20 years ago there were 7 billion people in the world. In 2022, there are 8 billion! 

Sadly, the more the human population increases, the more other species which share our planet are decreasing in numbers, many to the point of extinction. This is because other creatures need virgin land to survive. They are hunted for many reasons, our need for land to grow plants and raise domesticated animals reduces their precious habitat, and mining cuts through their areas with large vehicles on fast roads that cause numerous painful casualties. They can suffer from pollution, infections and fires, their lives are a struggle for food and water and shelter. As the human population grows, our seas become polluted with plastics, fish eat the plastic and enter the human food chain, contributing to our ill health. 

The Balance Procedure

What is The Balance Procedure? This video explains!

July - Deborah Blake’s Moon Garden

 The planting of a moon garden. 

There are a number of flowers that bloom at night, some of them are blessed with spectacular scent. If you can find seeds, plant early in the gardening year or find them at your local garden centre.

Moonflower is a white climbing flower with a lemony aroma, also known as Moonvine. Evening Primrose and night blooming Jasmine, white cosmos, and evening stock are examples. Lady of the Night is an evergreen shrub with white flowers that bloom during the day as well, and are highly scented at night. Make sure that no matter which plants you use, you place them where the moonlight will fall on them. You might use your moon garden to inspire communication with the goddess, especially on the night of the full moons. Goddesses are associated with flowers in particular include Flora, her Roman counterpart chlorous, and Thea and the Celtic goddess Blooddenwidd. Of course you could also just speak to one of the moon goddesses such as Diana, Selena or Luna to take advantage of the moon in June or July to stand outside and ask for a blessing of abundance and growth during this time when both are in full force in the natural world around us. 

Self Actualisation Qualities

 According to Maslow, self-actualizing people share the following qualities:

• Truth: honest, reality, beauty, pure, clean and unadulterated completeness
• Goodness: rightness, desirability, uprightness, benevolence, honesty
• Beauty: rightness, form, aliveness, simplicity, richness, wholeness, perfection, completion,
• Wholeness: unity, integration, tendency to oneness, interconnectedness, simplicity, organization, structure, order, not dissociated, synergy
• Dichotomy: transcendence, acceptance, resolution, integration, polarities, opposites, contradictions
• Aliveness: process, not-deadness, spontaneity, self-regulation, full-functioning
• Uniqueness: idiosyncrasy, individuality, non comparability, novelty
• Perfection: nothing superfluous, nothing lacking, everything in its right place, just-rightness, suitability, justice
• Necessity: inevitability: it must be just that way, not changed in any slightest way
• Completion: ending, justice, fulfillment
• Justice: fairness, suitability, disinterestedness, non partiality,
• Order: lawfulness, rightness, perfectly arranged
• Simplicity: abstract, essential skeletal, bluntness
• Richness: differentiation, complexity, intricacy, totality
• Effortlessness: ease; lack of strain, striving, or difficulty
• Playfulness: fun, joy, amusement
• Self-sufficiency: autonomy, independence, self-determining.

Requiems - Poetry Choice

Requiems by Christina Rossetti 

When I am dead, my dearest,

Sing no sad songs for me;
Plant thou no roses at my head,
Nor shady cypress tree:
Be the green grass above me
With showers and dewdrops wet;
And if thou wilt, remember,
And if thou wilt, forget.

I shall not see the shadows,
I shall not feel the rain;
I shall not hear the nightingale
Sing on, as if in pain:
And dreaming through the twilight
That doth not rise nor set,
Haply I may remember,
And haply may forget.

Cognitive Analytic Therapy

 Cognitive Analytic Therapy (CAT) is conducted by qualified psychotherapists, to assist patients to gain a greater understanding of their own process. 

Chronic Fatigue

 

What is Chronic Fatigue? 

Myalgic Encephalomylitis is abbreviated to ME and has all the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome. Tiredness, muscle aches, brain fog, depression, are part of a syndrome that has baffled doctors. It has now been accepted by the medical world as being a genuine illness and not one that has been imagined by the patient. Many treatments are available, from diet, sleep treatment, physical therapies, etc. It is best to avoid medications if they can be avoided. 

Ikigai

 

Japanese formula for happiness - a reason for being - a purpose! 

All 4 components detailed here

Tai Chi Ch'uan

This is a form of ancient graceful exercise, yoga and it is also a martial art which is performed as a strengthening for the body and meditation for the mind. It also helps deportment and eases joints and strengthens muscles. Slow, purposeful moves increase energy, chi, and is popular throughout the world, especially in China where it is used as a community exercise, often performed in public. To assist wellbeing, reduce stress and provide grace and poise.

Low Self Esteem?

 

There are many causes of low self esteem. It is a largely unrecognised condition that controls your life, reduces your enjoyment of life, causes you to not succeed in life, either in the work environment or in personal relationships. Especially, you might allow yourself to be badly treated by other people - or treat other people badly - and you might not be ambitious for yourself or your children. You might not realise just how low your self esteem is. Working to improve your self worth is something you can do for yourself.