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Uncategorised ·

A Calmer, Happier Life

Would you like a calmer, happier life?

If you would like a calmer, happier life, think about breathing. It is easy – in 3 inhales and exhales you can change your mood and thinking.

Try silently saying to yourself, as you breathe in, ‘I know I am breathing in,’ and when you are breathing out, say silently to yourself, ‘I know I am breathing out.’

Make it a habit. Do it as often as you can and you will become calmer, more centred and able to enjoy each moment of life.

If you would like to discuss this further, please contact me @ info@waihibeach.co.nz

Change ·

Legalising Recreational Marijuana Referendum

In 5 months we will have a national, binding referendum to vote whether recreational marijuana should be legalised.

How many of us know enough facts to make a considered decision that will have far-reaching consequences? Or will it be like another ‘Brexit’?

I would like to see a think tank of doctors, psychiatrists, psychologists, educationalists, mental health workers, and police bringing their knowledge, experience, and ideas to the general public before the referendum.

With the proposed new law, people 20 years and over can buy up to 14 gms of dry leaves a day, which is enough to make up to 40 joints. You cannot light up a joint on the street, in a bar or in your car. You can grow a maximum of two plants at your house or rental, or up to four if there is more than one 20-year-old living at the property. You can make marijuana edibles at home.

However, our police are already under pressure. It is illegal to use a cell phone in cars, but it is not policed well.  What chance is there of stopping smoking marijuana in streets, parks and cars? Or while driving? Is there even a drug test available for police to use for drivers?

If the point of the law change is to prevent black marketing of drugs, California has failed to stamp out black marketing with legalised recreational marijuana. Gangs are more interested in the lucrative marketing of Class A drugs, although legalising recreational marijuana may well encourage a step up to using more powerful drugs.

We are being asked to trust our government, but ‘NZ has had a poor record in caving into big alcohol, tobacco and gambling interests’. (NZ Herald)

Mental health services are severely stretched now. Dealing with mental illness and drug use disorders will need more money, time and resources.

Children’s brains are not fully developed until approximately 25, yet many will become passive smokers. And edible marijuana lollies and cakes will mean children and pets become both unintended and intended victims.

Perhaps a bigger and more insidious issue is the option of being stoned is an easier option than developing discipline for work ethic and helping others in our families and community. Being stoned is impaired cognition.

We can learn from other countries experiences after they legalised recreational cannabis. The first US State to legalise found more people being admitted to hospital for cannabis related problems and more reports of mental health cases linked to marijuana.

The US racial divides, including disproportionate arrests of American-Africans for drug possession, have persisted after legalisation. In California and Canada legalisation failed to stamp out the black market.

Families need to be supported to have a wholesome and healthy family life, not to make it more difficult for them. Please think carefully before you vote.

Uncategorised ·

My Christmas Story

Today the song: ’Streets of London’ sung by Roger Whittaker, came alive for me.

When eating out in fashionable restaurants at Covent Garden in the evening, it is easy to be oblivious to the homeless people who later curl up in each doorway, looking for shelter for the night – even in London’s deep winter.

And are we aware that 30% of children in England are bought up below poverty line?

At Salisbury School in Queens Park, London, parents donate groceries each Tuesday for the homeless. Bags of tins of canned food and toiletries are then delivered to the Parish Church of Brondesbury. Here a church charity provides food on Tuesdays and Thursdays between 10am and 1pm. It is not only for homeless, but also for those who can’t make ends meet and are cold and lonely.

The church’s dining hall is warm and inviting. Tables set with colourful tablecloths and each place has a table mat. Glasses are ready for cordial and side plates for buns. Nutritious and heart warming food bubbles away in the kitchen. I saw a big oven with trays of steaming cottage pie, huge pots of . soup, another with chicken casserole and yet another with vegetables. The lady serving was smiley and looked warm natured.

The cook I chatted with had been preparing food all day yesterday, ready for when the church opens their doors to the queue at 10am. He said he volunteers 5 days a week at the church and the whole programme runs on donated food and volunteer labour.

The cook melted my heart when he said ‘he had been down there’ and ‘only the person can change themselves – no one else can force change’ but ‘when we are at rock bottom it is good to know that there is a helping hand’.

Christmas and Christianity have one word in common and that enlightened word inspires giving and sharing

.

Change, Good Health, mindfulness ·

Birds of Worry and Care

That the birds of worry and care fly above your head, this you cannot change; but that they build nests in your hair, this you can prevent. (Chinese Proverb)

Yes!

Very true, but how can we stop worrying and reacting to everything that happens.

Modern life’s message would probably be to take a chill pill; an anti-depressant. Pills are often a quick fix, needing little input from us and often disregard side effects of the drug.

If we acknowledge that we have continual thoughts every day of our lives, we know that thoughts play a big part in our life. Yogis call our mind – a monkey mind – chatter, chatter, chatter. The issue is that often our thoughts are repeating and negative, day in, day out. And what we think we become. This is how we create our life.

The challenge is to know that we are much more than our thoughts. As Deepak Chopra says, ‘we are the thinker of our thoughts.’ We need to be aware of our thoughts and know we are much more than our thoughts and we can change them.

Our salvation is to go beyond our thoughts to a place of stillness and silence. To a place of peace where there is no worry, fear, anger, sadness, stress of living. This is our own sanctuary which we all have within us. When we then act from a place of peace and love, our world changes. We act differently. Others act differently towards us.

How do we do it?

We bring awareness to what we do. This sounds so easy, but it is the hardest thing to do in our lifetime. But with focus, intention and awareness we can change our lives. We can all can do it. It is our birthright.

Let’s look at three questions

What is awareness?

Awareness is bringing attention to what we do. How often are we thinking of the next thing we wish we had time for, or looking forward to our next weekend or holiday, or wishing the task was finished, or worrying about what we did in the past or what someone else did to us etc. Often our thoughts are not on what we are doing.

We can go right through life, not being aware. It is sad, but when we finish our life, we haven’t truly lived it.

Why don’t we bring awareness to what we do?

We are not taught how to. Our society teaches us that happiness is more money, which will give us more choices and enhance our life, and then we will be happy. Everything we need is within our reach – outwards – holidays overseas, new car, big house, restaurant meals.

But what if we were taught that everything we need is within our reach – inwards. Who wouldn’t want to be able to go beyond their incessant thoughts to a place of nurturing, peace and love, so that we can deal with whatever life throws at us?

How can we be aware?

Awareness happens when we start to notice what we think and how we act.

Start with our breathing – pause and breathe.

As you breathe in say silently to yourself –

  1. I am breathing in. I am breathing out.
  2. I am following my inbreath. I am following my outbreath.
  3. I breathe in calm. I breathe out tension.
  4. As I breathe in, I am happy. As I breathe out, I smile.

Do this as often as you can. It trains our mind to become aware. It becomes habitual.

Start to notice your thoughts. Be aware of habitual negative thoughts. Once you are aware, you can change them.

Sit quietly with yourself in silence – even for a few minutes a day. Negative thoughts will come up. Be non-judgemental about them, be aware of them and let them go.

If we want to change our life, we can. No one else can do it for us.

The real journey in life is within. Then we can enjoy the life outside us.

Change, Good Health ·

We learn when we are ready

We learn when we are ready

As I reflect this week, I am reminded how attitudes can disharmonise our energy flows. It was a busy week, but all was going well, then I had distressing news about a close relative. It was something that I was powerless to change or help with, but deeply saddens me. Then I got a lung infection. In the art I study – ‘Jin Shin Jyutsu’ attitudes disharmonise our organ energy flows and depths. Sadness and grieving disharmonise the lung and large intestine energy flows. I obviously didn’t work through my emotions and they settled in my body.

The organ sheds the tears the eyes refuse to weep.

Yes, I am powerless to change the behavior, choices and path of my close relative. Until a person wants to change and makes changes, life will continue along the same way.

How, what, when, where and why we learn is as unique as one’s life and it is not for us to judge others.

I have learned that what I would like to impart to others maybe not be what they would like to learn. And if others are not ready for learning all we can do is accept this and give love until they are ready to learn.

What we think is right for others may be wrong for them. What we think is wrong for others may be right for them. Maybe we want others to act as we wish because we think we know best. But the honourable way is to allow others to live their lives despite what we want them to do and ready with love when they come to us.

What about if that person is closely related? More reason to be ourselves and to live our life according to our values. If that person asks for help or advice, we can choose to give it. If that person steps over the mark of what we think is ‘right for us’ we make a decision. And when that decision is made we may communicate our feelings. At that time it is the best decision for us and we let go of ‘what ifs’.

This all seems rather simple. But then isn’t life? If we know ourselves and are strong within, we are better able to set boundaries, to live by our values and to simplify our lives.

I have obviously got lots more learning to do. 😊

 

Healthy Eating ·

‘Bad’ eating habits

Today I opened my book ‘Wellbeing from Within’ and the random page I opened to was the quote, ’Healthy eating is the key to wellbeing.’  Ouch!

For me life is a constant tug of war between loving food and  healthy eating. It seems I have a better chance of eating healthily when Denis and I eat at home. When I am eating socially in cafes and restaurants I tend to eat foods that are not so healthy and usually too much!

I read on more about what I had written in my book and thought to myself, Oh dear! Of course I can’t blame being with others or where I am eating for my own short comings with food. I know my ayurvedic body type and know I am prone to gaining weight. I do know what I need to be eating the most of and how, when and why.

I believe we all  need reminders along our life path – we already know things, but it is about bringing attention to our project; observing what we actually are doing; reflecting on our actions and then bringing self-forgiveness to what we have done or are doing (self-study).

For my bad eating habits – eating between meals is a biggie.

I need to reflect that when I eat between meals I am not so hungry for my next meal. I start to miss out on vegetable-based meals and replace them with café foods usually loaded with ingredients to enhance flavor. When I eat really tasty food, the taste over-rides feelings of fullness ie. it is harder to pig out on a plate of steamed vegetables or garden salad than a laden bowl of hot chips and garlic aoli.

OK, I know what I have been doing, I forgive myself and move on with a realistic, achievable intention of eating 3 meals a day to enjoy feeling hunger before my next meal.

Another bad habit is eating after dinner when watching Netflix. I have already had a perfectly fulfilling meal, but I want more.

When I bring attention, observe and reflect on what I do, I see I am pandering to false hunger. Years ago two ayurvedic teachers, Glen Crowther and Barbara Cook, taught about false hunger vs true hunger. False hunger happens shortly after eating and only certain foods seem fulfilling. So if I don’t feel like a piece of fruit and crave chocolate shortly after a meal, I know it is false hunger. I am better off going for a walk or drinking water or herbal tea.

It is a choice I must make. I think I need to look at changing my habits because eating when feeling false hunger can only lead to more weight gain. I would rather tweak the bad habit than get fatter and fatter and not feel good about myself.

Differences between true hunger and false hunger

True Hunger

  • Appears only when the previous meal has been digested and at regular times
  • Most healthy foods can satisfy the hunger
  • Increases after a few sips of water and / or after a walk

False Hunger

  • Appears even shortly after eating and at irregular times
  • Only particular foods seem satisfying
  • Disappears after walk or short nap and / or after few sips of water

And it all comes down to our choices – which have causes and consequences for us to enjoy.  😊

Uncategorised ·

Out of my Comfort Zone – but Great Learning

The last two days have been way out of my comfort zone, but there is lots of learning for me.

Months ago I booked for our annual Reflexology NZ Conference to be held in Nelson 14/15/16 June. Our Waikato group have been talking about it and looking forward to spending time together. The highlight for me was a workshop with a reflexologist, about reflexology for critical care.

Denis dropped me off at the airport ready for my 9am flight on Thursday – time to check in to the hotel, visit a friend, look at shops and settle in before tomorrow morning’s start.

At Auckland airport thick fog delayed the flight till 12 noon. Then 4pm. Then 6pm. Then cancelled due to technical problems.

Each time the flight is cancelled I waited at the carousel to pick up luggage, find another flight and check in again. The queue waiting at counter one, which sorts out problems, stretched a long- long way. A very crowded airport.

That night Air New Zealand catered for the stranded ones at the Heartlands Hotel, with meals and a free shuttle bus.

Thursday night I received an email saying fog was expected tomorrow. Friday morning up at 5am and on the shuttle at 6am for 7.20am flight. Flight delayed.  There goes my workshop!

I tried to rebook for the 9am flight but ERROR kept coming up on my cell phone. I look at the queue to get to counter one and see it is longer than ever. It would take an hour to get to the personnel and by that time all the flights would be gone for the 9am flight which goes to Wellington and then arrives in Nelson midafternoon. I look outside and see fog that is thicker than yesterday and make a decision – I am over waiting around for another day. I want to go home.

Yes, I want to go home. I walk outside and see that getting a bus is another ordeal to know where to go and which one to get – especially in Jack the Ripper fog.

Buses go past every 15 mins to Manukau Station. I get on the second bus (I missed the first bus because I wasn’t quick enough to step forward) and find there is no eft pos – just cash – I have no cash. The kind driver lets me on without paying.

I arrive at the Manukau Station which is clean, efficient and huge, but you can’t buy tickets there for Intercity. Tickets need to be prepaid and bought online. I phone Intercity and find all the seats are sold. Next bus at noon. Here we go again! However, I get cash out by buying junk food from the shop to snack on and wait in line in the hope I can get on.

The bus arrives. The lady driver asks me to wait until she has ticketed everyone and then allows me on (there are spare seats). I could have hugged her. The bus glides along the roads smoothly. It is so easy in a bus to enjoy the scenery, eat, drink, chat, snooze, read or listen to music or all of the options. I met some lovely people who chatted.

I checked the flights and found my last flight to Nelson did go ahead as scheduled – so I missed out on the conference, meeting my reflexology friends and spending time together.

Where is the learning?

Human kindness when the chips are down: The personnel on counter one that were going through the worst of days and only showed respect, concern and kindness. The bus driver who saw me dragging a heavy bag and getting on bus expecting to use eft pos and let me on for free. The lovely lady travelling to Mount Maunganui who gave me hope to get on the bus after I had been told there were no seats. Reply texts from family and friends who supported me when I felt like crying with frustration and disappointment.

What is the universe telling me? How important family is – when the chips are down, family is there. Maybe the ‘roadworks’ were telling me I shouldn’t have been going to the Conference. I needed to surrender to what was and go with the flow and see the ‘roadworks’ for what they are. Or did I need resilience to persevere?

Syncrodestiny

: Meeting and talking with an amazing lady who I was delighted to spend time chatting and I know we will be friends in the future. This made the whole experience worthwhile. I just love it when I connect with another person and feel like we could talk forever. What a blessing!

Letting go of all the options when a decision has been made: Today as I sit in Waihi Beach – the Conference will be on and know I am missing a time that I love so much. I need to let go or unresolved sadness will settle in my body causing disruption to my energy patterns. I need to be grateful for what is and honour my decision.

News ·

Wellbeing from Within

Wellbeing from Within
Wellbeing from Within is a coffee table book that is designed for picking up, putting down and reflecting upon. It guides you to truly understand yourself to achieve your dreams. Open to a random page and see what message is there for you.
Each page unlocks secrets about living well, with abundance and prosperity and knowing that whatever life serves you, you can learn from it to emerge stronger and wiser. Jeannette shares her life’s learning, based on ancient wisdoms and life experiences.

Reviews
I am loving your book. It is like picking up something so good for your soul. It is such a ‘feel good book’ with a lot of common sense and a great way of looking at life. Thank you for putting it out to the universe.
Donna Allen
Reiki Master
Qualified Massage Therapist

“This gem of a book is truly inspiring. With every random page I chose it speaks to me, bolsters me, inspires me, reminds me… Jeannette has condensed all her years of study, knowledge and practice over broad areas into a beautiful handbook to inspire us all to be the best of ourselves. Her heart shines through on every page.”
Dr June Gibbons
MD Doctor of Medicine (Stanford University)
MS Masters of Science (Cornell University)
FRNZCGP (Fellow, Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners)

I love this book and every day open to a page to see what my learning might be. Jeannette’s enthusiasm for all her modalities will encourage you to self reflect and that in itself is very empowering.
Carlene Dillimore
Past athlete in Commonwealth Games

Events ·

My Book So Far…

I see my grandchildren growing up and my heart overflows with love. Such precious children growing up in such a contradictory world. How can I help? Each time I would see opportunities to share with them it was like they would roll their eyes and think ‘here she goes again.’ I knew exactly how they felt. When we are young life is ahead of us and we feel indestructible – it is not in our consciousness to listen to old people. It is about doing, experimenting and living life. Yet I had all this learning from over my lifetime that I really believe puts us on the right track to make life easy and fulfilled. What was I to do?

Yes – write a book.

Many times I started and stopped writing. Then I would change what I had written. No, no, no, that is not what I want – it sounds clumsy. Pages of text came and went.

Yet nothing seemed wasted because when I wrote I was in the zone. Time would cease to exist as words spewed forth on the pages. Each moment I had spare, was spent writing. It felt so good to be doing something I loved. Ok, to be totally honest – at times I felt as though my words were bumbling and how could I ever get my words to be as I wanted.

Gradually over time I decided on the format – the first chapter was ‘beginnings’ – where things really start in our lives. From there it is about exploring how we branch out in our journeys, guided by ancient wisdoms. To be able to care for our body, mind and spirit, it makes sense to me to understand our body, mind and spirit.

All my life I have loved quotes that sing their message in a beautiful, succinct way. Here was my chance to inspire with wise sayings to touch our souls.

The book is an easy read. Because it is easy to read doesn’t mean the message is any less powerful or profound.

Well, I discovered that writing was the easy part. Self-publishing is not for the faint hearted.

I didn’t have a clue how to format the book, how to do graphic designs or even know of or how to use computer programmes designed to do this. And naively I wanted a book with full images on each page. After trying with Word, Canvas, In Design and many weeks doing so, I contacted Kay Lister who was recommended by my editor, Jenny Argante. Kay was studying graphic design.

Editing is another story. Jenny struggled with me as a client, because somehow my page breaks were all wrong and Jenny couldn’t undo them. And Jenny had on going computer troubles which were perplexing.

Then I kept making changes when Jenny thought my book was finished. This is a ‘no-no’ as Jenny puts her name to the editing and if I keep changing text, it is not fair to her reputation. As a first time self publisher I was thinking, how will I ever be finished because I can always see improvements?

I was determined for my layout to be full of images and had spent many hours choosing and purchasing, downloading and filing 350 images on Shutterstock. Proudly I sent the first 10 pages to my daughters to look at and their reply was ‘tacky!’ Indignantly, stubbornly and rather huffily I decided to proceed because it was ‘my book’ and it would be how I wanted it to be. Then a client who had been in advertising agreed with the girls, so I figured it was time to concede and go with the mantra ‘less is more’. No images at all! It would be simple format with a quote on one side and text on the other side of the page.

Then comes getting the book ready for printing. Who will print my book? Who will publish my book?

Local is best I thought so Printing.com at Tauranga is printing the book. Amazon is also publishing the book although that process is still underway. I would also like it published as an e-book, but that is also extremely difficult (for me). The file is a pdf file and Amazon need it in Word and when it is converted all the layout is changed. An e-book is in the ‘too hard basket’ for now.

Jenny, who has been my mentor all through the process, advised me that there needs to be a marketing plan. Here we go again! A new part of the journey with prelaunch research prelaunch pitches, launching, preparing website, reviews…

And as my final quote goes…’Do not take life too seriously. You will never get out of it alive. Elbert Hubbard

Time for a walk down the beach in the sunshine J

 

 

 

Uncategorised ·

Wayne Hackett Seminar Waihi Academy March 2019

 

The Wayne Hackett seminar was loved by all who attended. Wayne has a way of presenting to simplify and bring together everything in our text books  in a way to inspire us. He has a wealth of knowledge and wisdom gathered from his life and  40 years of Jin Shin Jyutsu. I loved his stories of Mary Burmeister. Combined with a great sense of humour and being a master teacher, Wayne had us spellbound during the 6 days. Wayne brings numerology and astrology to demonstrate relationships which further our understanding of the art. We learned so many practical applications and how to give the most effective treatments – and more importantly – why.

7 new Jin Shin Jyutsu students  attended the seminar which is heartening for our Jin Shin Jyutsu family in New Zealand. Each of the new students brought a wealth of life experience to the seminar and were fun to get to know.

The Special Topic was centred on energy pulse reading. We read each other’s energy pulse, we read Wayne’s and Wayne read ours. We learned how the pulses guide us to do different flows. We learned the difference between causes and effects. I am sure we all feel more confident about what energy pulses are telling us to do.

The seminar was held at Waihi Academy so all we had to do was to walk from our very comfortable rooms to the restaurant and seminar room. The staff there are amazing. The food is divine. Jasmine is the manager and made organising so so easy. With daily Jin Shin Jyutsu treatments, no cooking, travelling or housework to do – it was a holiday –even better than a holiday because we came away with so much more understanding of the art and so many more friends. And we were all inspired and harmonised!

The New Zealand Jin Shin Jyutsu community was fortunate to experience such a powerful seminar. Thank you Wayne.

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