Feng Shui - How it Works - Part 1

Feng Shui is a broad banner title for a number of different ways of interpreting the energy influences that affect, guide and activate our Life Experience. From the ‘authentic’ Feng Shui to ‘Classical Feng Shui’, ‘Cultural Feng Shui’ and ‘modern’ Feng Shui; there is a ‘feng shui’ to suit all palettes! Each kind of Feng Shui also has different styles, or schools, of tradition.

Essentially, this thing called Feng Shui is all about the way we perceive the accumulation, reduction or elimination of energy.

We would all wish to accumulate the kind of energy influences that promote success with our endeavours, happiness, contentment, health, wealth and Peace. We would also wish to reduce or eliminate the kinds of energy influences that would sabotage the successful accumulation of any of the above aspects of our Life Experience.

So how do we do this using Feng Shui?
Since starting to operate my Feng Shui consultancy a few years ago, this is probably the most popular question clients ask when I start to discuss the Flying Stars formulas of their building. Even if they are familiar with some Feng Shui theory before we meet, the Flying Stars Feng Shui can seem quite daunting. Flying Stars is a school (or style) of Feng Shui that is a complex interpretation of the energetic influences upon a building and the occupants, taken from the date the building was constructed and the orientation of the building. These two things allow a practitioner to devise the ‘chart’ of the building, and then the interpretation can begin. This interpretation alone is considered to be less than one third of the influences that affect, guide, and activate our Life Experience.

More to come in excerpt 2 and 3!

or if you would like to read the full article ask for The Holistic Feng Shui MiniZine to be sent to you absolutely free of charge. Email jthtc@yahoo.com.au

Bach Flowers - A thousand and one uses for Rescue Remedy

Ok then, perhaps not a whole thousand, but I expect there may just be that many uses for this wonderful stuff.

Rescue Remedy is a Bach Flower Essence Blend, devised by Edward J Bach in the 1940’s. It is made up of the essences from Star of Bethlehem, Clematis, Cherry Plum, Impatiens and Rock Rose. These five essences address the main psychosomatic-symptoms arising from shock, trauma, distress etc. They fundamentally address our primitive mechanisms and the physical, mental and spiritual responses of ourselves to a real or perceived danger or threat.

So how does it actually work?
To understand how flower essences ‘work’, you need to have an inkling as to what ‘vibrational energy’ means. Simply put, it is the unique resonance of a particular thing. Think of a piece of music you love and feel what it feels like to remember it. Now think of a piece of music you dislike and feel what that feels like. The resonance differs with the feeling. Even though you are not physically ‘hearing’ the music being played, you still interact with the memory, it’s resonance, it’s vibrational energy. You may respond by getting relaxed, or by getting ‘goose bumps’, or by becoming happier; or if it’s the music you dislike, by getting agitated. You don’t have to physically hear/experience the music to respond to it’s vibrational energy.

With flower essences it is the message that the plant/leaf/blossom/etc., has, captured by floating the part of the plant in pure water. The vibrational message is then imprinted into the water itself. Masura Emoto proved scientifically that ‘water holds memory’ for us a few years ago. What flower essences do is capture the ‘memory’ of the particular flower for use in healing.

Importantly, the Star of Bethlehem essence in this remedy provides the necessary ‘comfort’ resonance, that has the enviable quality of not being able to distinguish Time in the process of healing. This means it will access hurts from Past or perceived threats from Future to relieve distress in the Self whether it will manifest (or has manifested) physically, mentally or spiritually.

The essence of Rock Rose specifically targets the primitive fight or flight mentality that usually manifests as ‘panic mode’. Panic attacks and anxiety in general are soothed by the use of Rock Rose, and it can be highly beneficial to have the picture of the flower in your mind’s eye when you are suffering from panic. The message of these flowers is not only accessible via the essence. The message is the flower’s vibration, and therefore when we view the flower itself on a page or in the Mind, we can draw that unique vibrational message to ourselves.

Cherry Plum is for when we are at the end of our limits and feel that we could explode or implode, depending on the situation. It to me is like the fishing line that can reel one’s Self back safely to shore. This essence used on its own is excellent for calming tempers due to exhaustion or overload of work and/or responsibility. It can allow a person to find the ‘anchor’ when it seems like the ‘ship of Life’ is floundering on a dangerous sea. (and that’s enough analogies for one paragraph….)

Clematis, the reality flower, brings a person into the Here and Now, making alert the Mind that has chosen to wander to a safer place. This can be nice sometimes, to wander to other worlds, but Clematis carries the message of being present fully, to address the situation at hand, and travel through the experience with an aware mind.
Impatiens is, I feel, the flower essence for this time period. It assists the slowing down process of the energy body, going from ’zing!’ to ’zahhhhh’. People who have the Impatiens negative state often manifest tongue/mouth chewing, rapid fire speech, indigestion, rashes that come and go, and generally as state of, you guessed it, impatience. They are always asking children to ’hurry up!’. They may be the ones who tap their feet when waiting in a queue. You’ll notice them picking at imaginary scabs on their arms while speaking quickly. That kind of behaviour is all down to built up distress in the energy body. It is often seen in victims of traumatic situations whether it is someone who is waiting to give a speech in public, or a person who has just been involved in a car accident. Impatiens soothes our concept of Time, allowing us to take appropriate rest and to recuperate, and to let things Flow naturally.

When and How do I use Rescue Remedy?
You can take RR as a drops under the tongue or added to water and sipped slowly from a glass. This latter method is best I think as the water helps the body assimilate the message quicker, whilst making one slow down enough to hold the glass and drink from it too!

RR is for any shock or trauma, distress or injury. You can take it before you have to visit the dentist, doctor etc., or before you have to visit someone who generally makes you uncomfortable. You can also take it before doing a task that usually makes you nervous or promotes an anxiety attack, like public speaking, exams, job interviews etc.

Give RR to someone who has had a fall or injured themselves. It is especially good at re-aligning the energy body after such minor incidents and by doing so, eliminating imbalances that can later manifest as colds/flu/aches and pains. Often we can trace back why a healthy person has become ill, to an incident a few days before where they had received a shock. This imbalance if not addressed naturally will cause an immune system imbalance.

RR should be used for anyone who is going to have any kind of surgery. It should be taken before, during immediate recovery and during convalescence.

RR is wonderful for Mother and Baby and Family before during and after birth. Even if the birth was good, it is still such a big event for everybody that it is a good idea to give everyone a little help to align after the excitement of it all. It is essential after a trying birthing as everyone will be involved in the energy present around Mother and Baby.

Rescue Remedy can be taken every 15 or 20 minutes until your symptoms have subsided and you are feeling more in control or more relaxed/relieved/comforted/at ease.

You can take RR with any medication as it does not contain any volatile constituents, and the brandy used to stabilise the water is of a very small amount.

Rescue Remedy is safe for children, but if you are concerned about them ingesting any alcohol, you can dab the essence blend behind their ears on the thin, soft skin and it will be absorbed effectively. This is often useful to do with bedridden or unconscious patients as well.

I keep a bottle of Rescue Remedy in the house and in my handbag as I never know when I’ll need it, but I know I want it in reach when I DO need it.

Rescue Remedy can be ordered from www.HolisticTherapyConnections.com.  ∞www.HolisticTherapyConnections.com

Meditation for Survival - Staying Centred in the Maelstrom

This life is so very busy isn't it?

Some of us endlessly complain about 'not having enough time' to do X, Y or Z, yet are we cheating ourselves out of precious time by not remaining centred?

Centering is a term used to describe a sense of being grounded in the one 'place'. This place can be a physical space to start off with, as this may encourage a kind of patience in us. This patience is usually what is lacking from not remaining centred in the beginning. After a while, once you have gained the keen awareness of your own 'Centre', you can bring this personal energy signature to wherever you are and whatever you are involved in. So the 'place' becomes a vibration of energy more than a physical space that you retreat to.

An awareness of centre can also be encouraged by focus on the Third Chakra point of the Solar Plexus. This area is thought to be the resting place of the soul or human spirit in many cultures, and is representative of the deepest 'ego', or place where our primitive self worth is stored. The colour of this energy point in our energy body is brilliant Gold, or yellow. Focussed thought on this colour and point on the physical body (just around the diaphram) can easily bring a deep sense of calm and peace.

I am personally, a visualisation junkie. :) So when I do a centering visualisation I literally see a great tornado / maelstrom around me - things flying everywhere - blackness and lightening - the whole thing! And there is I, ME, the Being, smack bang in the centre, with a serene and detached expression. I feel that I am almost 'sucking in' the tumultuous energy of the maelstrom, and putting it into the Solar Plexus for good use later on when I'll need it, or wish to use it for some 'good'. I have the Third Chakra set to 'intake' and let it wind it all in like pure gold thread! This visualisation can take seconds (if I'm in a shopping centre and its all gotten 'too much' for me) or it can be a wonderful, prolonged journey via a warm bath, a relaxing walk or a sit outside in the garden on a pleasant day when I reward myself with a good 20 minutes sunshine.

I think all of us come to realise that 'losing our temper' or becoming agitated, aggressive and irrational, wastes our time and energy. Getting our energy all 'fizzed' like this inevitably leads to accidents, problems, misinterpretations and misunderstandings. (and that is always a waste of time and energy) This very 'fizzing' is what stretches our energy field, distorting our perceptions, and ultimately removes us from Centre.

The Buddha once said, "there is absolutely nothing worth getting angry about,....nothing", and it has to be one of the most enlightening statements ever made! Because really, what does anger, or a vibration similar to it, 'fear', actually achieve? Absolutely nothing of course. It does not change the situation that occurred. It does not lead to a productive outcome. It does not teach us anything about the truth in a situation that led to such strong feelings in the first place. When we access Centre, we find the truth of 'what', 'where', 'how' and 'why'. We even access truth of 'who' we are. From this point we can hope to make progress.

'Progression' is not just taking the steps, but following steps of a process, that ultimately leads to a greater understanding; a definition of enlightenment that bursts with truth. It is not following a banal doctrine, a set of ideas, or ideals from a particular personality. These kinds of things set our Self outside of our Centre, giving us the easy 'out' when it comes to grasping responsibility for our existences. They do not encourage truth from within.

Truth from within is a terrifying thing at first, mainly because one has to dive in through that maelstrom. Once inside though, the feeling of ultimate safety, of control by releasing control, is intoxicating.

Below are a few affirmations and their short explanations to try out while finding Centre.

"I find great beauty in the world around me" (abundance is boundless)

"I find deep peace in sorrow" (happiness comes from compassionate feelings)

"I find ancient awareness within aggravation" (my primal nature is timeless)

"Within Me I find my Teacher" (everything I need is already with me)