Live -Love-Serve

“I slept and dreamt that life was joy.

I awoke and saw that life was service.

I acted and behold service was joy.” 

Rabindranath Tagore 

Today marks the harvest festival for those of us who cone from the tamil speaking region of India  – it is a time for celebrations- of spirit of community , productivity , good food and togetherness ……I am grateful to have this time with my family of origin 😊

The theme of today’s writing is inspired by numerous conversations I have had with  friends and family on dealing with loneliness . Loneliness is a universal experience an emotion that touches all human beings at some stage ……it is good to note that loneliness touches even those who live  in the midst of other fellow humans – it is wise to remind ourselves that it is not personal and there is definitely no shame in this experience …😉 

My personal experiences of walking through life singularly…… 👍

It takes immense discipline and  strength and can be empowering yet also draining at times😒

What helps …..👏📚 

1. Meaning Fill your day with meaningful activities -working through the day with activities that add coherence give you a sense of purpose  and is highly effective in combating the throes of loneliness 

• This can be reading , exercise , music , art , cooking or engaging in any activity that brings out your kindest smiliest self ☘️

1. Connections -Be with those who make you smile , connect with a friend or friends over a meal or a walk , and make this a recurring event – science also indicates that eye contact , touch and smiles are integral to our sense of belonging and connections ; develop a level of consistency in connecting with fellow humans- our physical and mental wellness has everything to do with the frequency and quality of  interactions we have throughout our day. 💫
2. Service : Find a way to connect with community through some form of service – it can be providing for another through little or big ways that best suit you or giving of your  time to help or add value to someone else’s life . Offering our services is an amazing remedy to keep loneliness at bay – engaging in service is a blessing and brings in the magic of light and love 💙

“Service to mankind is service to God “- I was fortunate to come upon these words handwritten to my paternal grandmother from her very illustrious father. ☘️🙏

Much love from the northern hemisphere💫🙏

To my dear readers ,

My writing for December is on sharing my kete of learning on

☘️1. Some science based facts …..&📚

☘️2. Joys of being nourished by wholesome food🥗🎼

“Let food be your medicine and medicine be your food.” – Hippocrates

The rationale for my choice of topic is food plays an important role in our mental and physical wellness. Eating food that is right for us therefore becomes an educated choice; educated choice means we make an informed choice on the foods that add to our everyday wellness. ☀️

💛Vibrant Oranges rich in Vitamin C 💫

Scientific research highlights that there are certain kinds of food that contributes to more toxins or inflammation within the body. So lets begin to take teeny weeny steps away from ultra-processed foods such as ( microwaveable dinners, hot dogs, chicken nuggets, dehydrated soups, baked goods, sugary cereals, processed meats, biscuits, and sauces) – nutritional research suggests that all of this can cause inflammation . Lets put a limit on sugar and salt. White breads, cereals, white pasta, and other products made with refined flours, as well as white rice are also Inflammation-promoting foods. 

And what is inflammation – some science based facts …📚📚📖

–  This is a natural process that happens within the body and causes us to feel unwell -that includes pain, fatigue, feeling varying levels of discomfort and irritability that affects both our mental and physical health.

–  Inflammation is the body`s natural response to an injury or stress.

–  It is a process when the body`s immune system or white blood cells defends the body from harmful toxins, such as bacteria and viruses.

–  When the body is injured, our immune system releases white blood cells to surround and protect the area and help with healing. Once the injury or infection is healed, the inflammatory process ends.

–  Chronic inflammation: However, when inflammation gets too high, the immune system continues to pump out white blood cells.

–  The white blood cells work hard and long to remove bacteria and virus – so when the process is that prolonged the white blood cells may end up attacking nearby healthy tissues and organs. This therefore makes us feel ill with varying levels of discomfort and or pain. 

On wholesome food …..💛👌

Research indicates that eating wholesome food helps decreasing inflammation and developing better wellness 

It becomes a natural responsibility to our personal health and wellbeing to develop an awareness of including food sources that are “anti-inflammatory”

So here are 5 basic facts on food habits that add more to everyday wellness☘️

–  Make a smart move towards Brightly coloured fruits and vegetables [cooked tomatoes, carrots, cauliflower and broccoli, spinach) are rich in anti-oxidants that can fight toxins within our body 

–

–  Gently remind ourselves of making a choice towards  naturally grown food–fresh fruits and, vegetables, whole grains, legumes (beans, lentils), fish, poultry, nuts, seeds, a little bit of low-fat dairy, and olive oil. 

–

–  Make a note to add herbs and spices like cinnamon, ginger, cardamom, pepper and turmeric

–

–  Engage : Have fun in choosing healthy snacks that includes walnuts , apples , carrot and cucumber sticks ; enjoy working through simple meal preparation ahead of a busy week –have a think of what colours or nutrients you wish you add to add more health and vitality to your everyday wellness- 

–

“Eating is not only nourishing for the body but also for the mind “ Thich Nhat Hanh

And on that note much love and ma te wa for now

In gratitude ☘️

To my dear readers ,

The term and life in the Southern Hemisphere has been flowing by …… it has been most gratifying to be back serving within the realm of education and special education. 

The intention of today`s post is to emphasise on the relevance of “safety “and the influence that “safety “has on one`s ability to stay connected and engaged regardless of one`s needs and or capabilities. The rationale for my choice is the bulk of my current work is working with children and young people who are impacted by varying levels of autism

In my post today I also intend to share 5 evidence-based facts on autism …

“Autism is not what was once considered a brain disease – it is an expression of what`s going wrong in our physiology that also affects the brain health” -Norman Dodge . 

1.  Research done by John Hopkins University indicates that autistic brains are frequently inflamed – inflammation was identified in the area of the brain that was connected to thought and movement…..

2.  Inflammation impacts on neural connections – brain research on autistic children indicates neural connections at the front of the brain (that deal with goals and intentions) are under connected or some times overconnected . 

3.  This gap in connections or over connection impacts on how the different parts of the brain work and process information – making it difficult for the brain to function effectively 

4.  Autism is therefore a product of genetic risk factors and environmental triggers that can impact on a child before or after birth -, immune reactions and inflammations are also variables that impact on autism. 

5.  The combined factors impact on neural connections within the brain- thereby impacting on a person`s ability to process information; the supports around therefore needs to be structured to develop / enhance social , communication , emotional regulation and transactional supports for children, young people and their families. 

The focus is on creating an eco-system that has a sense of rhythm, predictability , safety and structure…. with an emphasis on facilitating responses to interaction …. through carefully negotiated interactions aimed at having the child/ young person connected, regulated and feeling safe.

Amidst the evidence based methods , I am more reminded of the valuable trauma informed principle “ every interaction is an intervention.” How we socially engage to others can have a powerful impact on the feelings we create and responses we invite — 

💙 Leading through kindness ☘️

” Be kind whenever possible

It is always possible”- Dalai Lama

I remain grateful for being able to serve – to connect through my writing and my art

Much love

Greetings dear readers,

My move to the South Island has now been accomplished and I remain grateful for the aroha from all  … Thank you☘️🙏

I have now re- delved into my book ” The brain’s way of healing ” and intention of this blog is to share snippets from author Doidge’s brilliant masterpiece …. 📚📒📖

I have chosen the topic of sound and music as a powerful tool and pathway towards healing – in the hope that you would add a little more music in all that you do 💛🎹

The facts 

Many brain disorders are caused when brain loses its  rhythm or becomes dysrhythmic … 

Music or sound therapy is a promising noninvasive way of to get the brain back on rhythm

How and why ??

Studies on brain scan show that when brain is stimulated by certain sounds , chants , neurons begin to work in perfect order- with the music being played 👌

For example The sound of a chant is similar to the breath of a calm and unstressed person ☘️💫

Music can be a powerful self regulatory tool – it calms the nervous system – it turns on the reward centers of the brain – music increases levels of feel good hormones,  that in turn increase feelings of pleasure and motivation😊💫

Our ear works as though its a battery to the brain – it transforms patterns of sound energy or sounds that we hear , into electrical energy that our brains can use internally . 😎

As humans as we grow in our mother’s wombs in darkness- there is nothing that we see- but we hear – our first contact with existence in life is encapsulated  – ” within the vibrations of our mother’s heartbeat, tide of her breathing , the music of her voice  …. melody and rhythm even without knowing the meaning of her words”- so there is an ingrained predisposition within each of us that  makes us receptive to to sound and music  … 

The notes of Mozart comes highly recommended for all ages- Mozart’s music is all about right tone and cadence – musical part of language that influences and enhances emotional flow of language …..🎹🥢🎼

So on that note I bid adieu for now 🙌

Live- Love -Serve

To my dear readers

Greetings to you all – I have taken a longer time to connect through my blog – the reason being work , a new pet and then my prospective move to a different city . I am moving for work and I remain grateful for the opportunities that allow me to continue to thrive , serve and connect to community each day😊

” Things change when we change the way we look at things” Wayne Dyer

The intention of today”s post is to reinforce the concept of finding calm – through rhythm of routines, the solace of creativity and the quiet that descends when we move in the midst of nature ☘️☀️

All of us as humans go through circumstances that can be beyond our control 😉

For some of us it can be a change that can  seem daunting – for example  starting work when we night not be ready or putting a plan into action 😲🤔

For others it might be  that we feel caught in the midst of cyclic thoughts that can be overwhelming …. 🌧️☁️

So during the times we feel challenged ….. 

Reminding ourselves that things change when we  change the way we look at things 😀

This  is also referred  to as making a paradigm shift where we focus on beliefs thoughts and habits that can comfort empower and energize☀️

We can create a positive belief system within us by using our thoughts and words with care

We can teach ourselves to use affirming words  such as 

I am grateful for …….

I am working on ……

I am open to possibilities …. 

We can become curious and explore more on our creative potential – through art , through culinary skills , through writing 🖋️✍️

To incorporate  a portion of the day to be creative can be centering , calming validating  and affirming – the time spent in creative pursuits allows for reflection and connection with the self 🙌

Taking time in bringing a sense of order to the space we use through organizing  , tidying or de cluttering  can be a calming mindful task that connects to the Now☘️

“An early morning walk is a blessing for the whole day”Henry David Thoreau

Finding a reason to move and staying in the midst of greenery adds more mind and body wellness – likely to lighten up our day👏

Intentional use of values – by

Choosing to say thank you everyday 

Showing kindness and care for self and others  

Taking heart in the simple joys – 

Be it 

the warmth from the sun., 

The sound of the sea 

The touch of the rain

The taste of honey the

Delight of the rainbow can

 Bring in

Transformative wellness – and meaningful change …. 🎼🎹☀️✨💫

On that note,

Ma te wa

Live-Love-Serve

July 2024

Dear all ,

Here we are well into July ☘️for those living in the southern hemisphere hope you are keeping warm and well ….🙌💫

The intention of today’s post is to write on the concept – the value of Belonging and it’s influence on individual and collective wellness. As humans we are a social species- sense of belonging to our immediate and extended communities is essential to wellbeing☀️

Inspiration and rationale for my choice comes from the books that I have read , my training and work that I continue to do with children, young people and families 🙏

” Belonging is being somewhere where you want to be and they want you “- Bene Brown

There is an innate and inherent need in all of us to belong to feel included and to feel safe

Children who are nurtured – with a sense of belonging display confidence sense or security – they are able to explore – are confident , they are able to connect to others – develop and maintain friendships and are resilient .

Even as we embrace the challenges and variables of adulthood it is essential to engage , to become curious of what helps to reinforce the sense of belonging and connectedness to the self .

Why ??Honouring the sense of individual belonging makes way for a kind , safe and inclusive community👯👯‍♂️🏠🏡🙌

Here are some avenues to tap into Belonging and add to our repertoire of actions that bring in more wellness

⁃ Find a reason or make a decision to slow down and take an audit of your skills and your weaknesses- list them down

⁃ Practice mind body awareness – like stretches or yoga as this helps to connect to self – the more we become aware of our body and mind – and reflect – we allow for better calm

⁃ Go back to reading your favorite fairy tale

⁃ Use words that describe your strengths , the values that you hold close to your heart💙💛

⁃ Write a line of what you want for yourself in one year , three years or 5years

⁃ Write down the names of those who have been kind and made you smile😊

⁃ Give yourself permission to make changes to how you do life☀️

– Embrace the arts into your life – know the song that makes you want to move and dance …

⁃ Recognize and Do more of what gives you joy , what adds meaning and what gives you contentment

“It is about living your life as if it really mattered Moment by moment by moment “-Jon Kabat Zinn

Much love

To my dear readers, 

Hope you are keeping well –  I have delayed my input into  my blog as I took some time away to cherish the company  of one of my adult sons….. I also came home to a rather bizarre and unsettling  scene of a huge tree that fell into my lawn as a result of a storm…. Grateful that the tree fell like a gentle giant- causing no harm to anyone ….. 

On that note …. I choose the topic for today`s writing- training our mind and body in the face of unplanned occurrences.  

1. Having an internal anchor that guides us forth through choppy waters help – our values act as internal anchors – for example – when you feel frustrated about what’s happening around you – just go back and choose patience and make a conscious choice of using trust that aligns with a positivebelief system that things will come right …..  
2. When things feel chaotic, take a few steps back and write down your thoughts – of where you are now and where you would like to be ….. always allow for time and space –to quiet  your racing mind.  
3. Be mindful that how you choose to respond to any of the events in your life influences brain health and body health – 
4. Honour yourself – by taking time for yourself in one task – it can be related to movement , art or breathwork – rituals can help too – it can be making a meal, lighting a lamp, making time for a ten minute  breathwork  
5. Most of all choose to make peace with the situation and / or circumstances that seems challenging for you – choose what still allows you to wear a smile – engage in writing – writing that is honest – but choose words that deeply affirm your strengths – and find the kindest and gentlest spot within you to say thank you to what still remains …..
   
   Tips on improving focus  

• Choose ten minutes for an activity from your list – art, exercise, meal making , tidying, reading  
• Set a timer and focus on the chosen task or activity.  
• Engage in the task or activity until the timer rings. 
• Take a short break – stretch, walk down the hallway or have some water 
• Reset your timer for another new task.  
• Then focus on this new task until the timer rings.  
• Repeat this twice or thrice a day and make sure to  
• Give kudos to yourself for working through each task !!!
  
  

Live, Love, Serve | May ,2024 | 6/05/2024

“ Our greatest glory is not in never failing , but in rising up every time we fail”- Ralph Waldo Emerson

Greetings to you all,

Have loved the recent autumnal weather … as I pondered about what to write about that might add value to your wellness, I was reminded of one of my recent reads, by Adam Grant;  the book is called Hidden Potential.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

“ When failing becomes part of the plan it hurts less” – Adam Grant

I choose to share snippets from this cleverly crafted book as it has relevance to the ethos of the whakatauki that I use in my day to day life and work– aha koa iti he pounamu

i.e. – despite our vulnerabilities, each of us have the ability to fly high……

Key ideas from the book

Our Personalities – how we might think, feel and act – is dependent upon how we our conditioned to respond to different circumstances / experiences right from our developmental years.

Character is our capacity to prioritize our values – over our instincts.

“If personality is how you respond on a typical day, character is how you respond on a hard day.”

Strength of Character does not happen in ease – character evolves …. when we learn to face discomfort, learn to embrace what is not easy. It is about being brave enough to embrace discomfort.

For example, incorporating exercise or learning a skill or taking part on a challenge – signing up for something new – can be daunting….

Sustaining motivation can happen by

Showing up for oneself,

Making the time

Taking small steps of courage and

keeping at it –  is what matters ….

Progress does not necessarily have to be linear – even when you are stuck – do not give up – keep embracing discomfort, try new styles and keep going –

Be consistent

One day

To look back to smile

how far we have travelled …..😉

“ Happiness is not something ready made – it comes from our own actions.” – Dalai Lama

Meanwhile I am curious to see and hear about – what each of you`d like to take up as a new challenge to tap into your hidden potential ….

With much love☘️☀️

LIVE /LOVE /SERVE

April 2024

To my dear readers,

Wishing you all a very good Sunday and a constructive week ahead  !!! I am grateful to have completed an 8k walk in the beautiful autumnal weather that we currently have in the  Southern Hemisphere. I hope that each of you add a dollop more of wellness by engaging in some form of movement ….

Today`s writing is about working through our emotional barriers / triggers by recognising emotional styles/ pattern and identifying our own emotional styles

Being aware – Knowing our emotional styles/ pattern and identifying our own emotional style integral / essential to be able to work through our emotional barriers.

Within the context of emotions – we can work through  our common emotional vulnerabilities / sensibilities and transform those into high quality valuable emotional experiences.

Being conscious of our own emotional states can be empowering – paves way for skills to navigate through the barriers. By not being conscious of our emotional styles, there is a tendency to feel captive, immobilised and triggered by emotions that remind us of past experiences

Our emotional styles are highly individualised –

Each of our emotional styles are dependent upon our history, parenting styles we grew up with or exposure to various circumstances that either made us feel excluded, abandoned or vulnerable

So, each of us as individuals have a predisposition towards feeling varying levels of vulnerabilities.

Hence recognising understanding our patterns of feelings and belief systems is crucial to emotional growth and for progression into resilience.

What are ways that we can work through these emotional barriers??

Teaching ourselves to rephrase that we do not give into those feelings and emotions that remind us of what was troublesome in the past

Teaching ourselves to use words that gently shift our belief systems into the present

Believing in possibilities that are light , meaningful and joyous

Holding on to values such as kindness, service , trust and patience that resonates with healing and resilience

Recognising that emotions are just data- of what we have experienced or experiencing.

Using affirming words to to infirm our thinking that “our feelings remind us of the past – we do not need to give into it “.It is about educating ourselves that rephrasing our thoughts and thinking – that we are in the now

Recognising that when we operate with painful emotions – our feelings our impacted and this works through our emotional body / psychology and then the physical body/ physiology

Recognising your emotional style is an important process towards moving through and past your emotional barriers

Next time you have an uncomfortable emotion – work on….

1. Creating a safe space for yourself to go into it
2. Using the acronym STOP – Stop, Take 3 deep breaths, Observe your feelings, thoughts, sensations in your body and Proceed with compassion
3. Writing down your feelings or engaging in movement – breathwork or art can be liberating.
4. Taking help to go into the emotions – without ignoring it 
5. Working on scripts that include affirmations that resonate with self-worth, validation and resilience.

“Whenever you are able to observe your mind, you are no longer trapped in it.– Eckhart Tolle

Dear readers ,

As we begin to move through to March of this year – I am excited to share snippets of a brilliant book called Transformation by James Gordon – ☀️🍀

I am loving the read as the author highlights on healing pathways and wellness journeys . He highlights that the impact of trauma does not have to be permanent -draws light on engaging in activities that allow for movement, creativity and breath work . 🧘‍♀️💃🕺🎨🖌️🖼️

The author coins the term “expressive meditation” – to elaborate on the benefits of engaging in movement that is relaxing , art that can bring in more awareness and breath work that facilitates better mind and body wellness ⭐️🌸

Expressive meditation is spontaneous and liberating as it is not set within time frames – neither is it goal based . The objectives of expressive meditation include relaxation , awareness and expression.🎨🖌️🌻

A. Relaxation : When we embrace any form of art or movement based activity – we work on engaging in the moment for the purpose of enjoyment of art or the movement – so we relax – relaxation allows doe the nervous system to feel calm – we allow for feelings of safety and wellness within our bodies. 🌸😊

B. Awareness : breath work and movement allows one to experience and observe emotions . By learning to observe emotions we work on using thinking skills , whilst simultaneously engaging with activities that allow for safety and wellness . There is better acceptance of context without the threat of being caught in repetitive cycle of thoughts ☀️🍀🤗

C. Expression : Is about finding ways to process out painful experiences – through art or writing . It involves a cathartic process – writing , movement and drawing allows us to create space between us and our emotional experiences . Finding solace through constructive expression facilitates one to feel lighter and clearer – The word cathartic has its origin from the Greek word ‘cleansing “🙌🌻

Some more about

Expressive meditation

⁃ includes dance , yoga , writing any form of visual art, and breath work .

⁃ Increases feel good hormones or neurotransmitters such as serotonin and dopamine

⁃ Creates new cells within the hippocampus area of the brain that helps with thinking , memory and executive functioning

⁃ Decreases anxiety – improves mood and affect

⁃ Works as a robust preventative measure against depression

⁃ Improves sleep patterns and

⁃ Offers capacity towards improved focus and

⁃ Empowers one with resilience

As I close i aspire for each of you to find solace in some form of art , creativity or movement that adds more mind body wellness and embrace safety each day every day 🌻⭐️☀️

For those of us in the southern hemisphere we are still holding on the delightful remnants of the summer skies 🌻🙏

Much love