September 2010
The
Inspiration Edition
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Lightworkermag.com
september 2010
When I am inspired, I feel there is no definable line where I end and the rest of the world begins. I am the Universe, and so pow‐ erful that the might of the creative power of All That Is emanates from my core. I am alive and buzzing with the energies of eons. I enter another form of being where I sense universal passion coursing through my veins; guiding me with every tap of key‐ board, utterance of syllable and step of exploration. I believe it is vital to cultivate, celebrate and cherish our inspired moments. In doing so, they visit us more often and with greater resonance. This month’s Lightworker Magazine explores trig‐ gers and forms of inspiration, and each contributor tapped into Universal consciousness to create their words. I admire them for doing so, and encourage you to put insecurities, fears or perfec‐ tionism to one side, and do the same. Have fun, that’s what life’s about! September 21st marks United Nations International Peace Day, and last year I was fortunate to meet Jeremy Gilley, the founder of inspirational charity Peace One Day. In honour of Jeremy’s amazing achievements in bringing world peace one step closer ‐ in conjunction with celebrities, corporates and mil‐ lions of international supporters ‐ Lightworker will be showing the Peace video on our sites throughout the month. Please join us in pledging your support at PeaceOneDay.org and Facebook. com/PeaceOneDay, and learn how YOU can help create a more loving world for our future generations. Love and light
Rachel Willis Editor Rachel@LightworkerMag.com september 2010
Lightworkermag.com
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Contents:Features
Know
Regulars
page 9 Frances And The 50 Cents Tip
page 27 Glow with Health & Wellbeing
page 41 Once Upon a Time...
page 11 Inspiration: The Power Within
page 29 Lightworker in Training
page 43 Words of Wisdom
page 13 Moments Of Lights
page 31 Lightworker Challenge
page 44 Lightworker Loves...
page 15 Release Your Inspiration Through Kundalini Yoga
page 33 The Businessman
page 45 Stars and Planets
page 35 Studying at the University of Life
page 49 Paulo Coelho
page 17 The Best Of Both Worlds: Hypnosis For The Doubtful page 19 Lighting The Fire
page 37 The Authenticity Diary
page 53 The List page 54 Featured Lightworker: Nelson Mandela
page 21 Under The Spotlight
READER RESPONSES We love hearing from you! TWITTER “Congratulations on Radio Lightworker & The Art of Positive Living ‐ Great to see the product launch! x” @lightcoaching
FACEBOOK Most popular posts of the month:
“I love the daily wisdom messages, and I really appreciate you being a willing portal for the messages.” @anarin
“Hide not your talents. They for use were made. What’s a sundial in the shade.” ‐ Benjamin Franklin
Most RT’d Daily Wisdom: Compassion is the route that returns you to your true, loving essence.
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Sending masses of radiant light to all the Lightworkers of the world.
A smile a day helps you work, rest and play :‐D
Lightworkermag.com
EMAIL “I have thoroughly enjoyed looking through the back editions of Light‐ worker Magazine. It is truly inspirational and guaranteed to lift my energy if it’s drooping a bit.” Dawn Henderson “I like the way you can view the maga‐ zine, really cool.” Anna Thomas
september 2010
Contributors
Maya Fiennes
E.Dee Conrad
Sue Blake
Maya is from Macedonia, also a clas‐ sical pianist, loves to hug trees – she says it makes her feel ONE with nature ‐ meditates at some stage every day in her life to still her mind and re‐source herself or ‘re‐boot’ as she calls it, and when she feels that she is going to be sick/ill she drinks her own pee and feels better within a few hours.
For E.Dee, a perfect day is one that includes cooking and sharing an Asian meal with her loved ones. Her reper‐ toire includes Japanese, Cantonese, Szechuan, Thai, Vietnamese, Pakistani and Indian. When she is not busy in her kitchen, you will find her snorkeling for hours in oceans across Asia or playing with her cat Charlie who is both her protector and her playmate.
Sue was featured on UK Living TV re‐ ceiving a hair makeover, possesses the gifts of crying and sleeping at the drop of a hat, and adores a sweet Cairn Terri‐ er who answers to the names ‘Meg’ and ‘Pickle’, as well anything that rustles!
september 2010
Lightworkermag.com
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Focus the Light
GRACE “Give up to grace. The ocean takes care of each wave till it gets to shore.” Jalal ad-Din Rumi
What is Grace? The Dictionary defines Grace in many different ways depending, of course, upon the context in which it is being used. Amongst them are: ‐ Seemingly effortless beauty or charm of movement, form, or proportion, ‐ A disposition to be generous or helpful; goodwill ‐ A favour rendered by one who need not do so; indulgence ‐ A temporary immunity or exemption; a reprieve However, within a more spiritual context, Divine Grace can be seen as a theological term that is present in numerous spiritual traditions. In many religious contexts, Grace is God’s gift of salvation granted to sinners for their salvation. However, there are significant differences between the way people of varying traditions use the word. Some definitions of Grace in a spiritual context: ‐ Divine love and protection bestowed freely on people. ‐ The freely given, unmerited favour and love of God. ‐ The influence or spirit of God operating in humans to regenerate or strengthen them. ‐ The uncreated energies of God. Grace is the working of God Himself, not a created substance of any kind. If we move aside from the more religious concept of humanity being separate from God, and instead consider humanity as being a part of and at one with Divine Energy, then Grace potentially becomes much more about responsibility of our personal perception and connection with the Divine. Therefore, is Divine Grace palpable as a written/verbal definition? Or is it only something that can only be received and experienced? The original Greek word that became grace in the English translation of The Bible is charis. The defini‐ tion of that word in Strong’s Concordance is: The divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life. Perhaps this is the best definition of Divine Grace that can be put into words, other than experiencing its influence ourselves and letting it reflect in our lives. Essentially, this is what many of the great Masters taught us to experience, throughout the ages… So how do we then experience and reflect Grace? Robert Pedersen puts this so wonderfully and succinctly in an online article he wrote on Grace:
“The Divine influence upon your heart needs no rules, church structure or belief system. All it needs is humility (he says later that “Humility is letting go of all your thoughts and ideas about God.”). Once that need is met ‐ the influence of grace produces results in the life. Grace is a divine influence. That influence produces true freedom. That’s why Jesus could say, “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free”. There is no bondage in grace. There is no fear in grace. There is no lording over another in grace. Grace is not a system of power over large groups of people. People who are under grace are not subject to anything except the divine influence ‐ that was the example of Christ ‐ and people feared it in his day just as they do today. That divine influence produced a perfect life then just as it does now.” To conduct this powerful and consciousness elevating energy, ensuring our energy circuitry is strong enough and clear enough is imperative. Regular physical exercise and/or practicing spiritual exercises such as Yoga or Tai Chi will build the strength, while daily meditation is absolutely invaluable in devel‐ oping a clear connection with our higher self and Divine Energy, as well as other healing and processing tools such as certain types of massage therapy, hypnotherapy, creative visualization, Reiki, etc. Grace, it seems, is a very natural and necessary part of our spiritual development, our experiencing, and therefore our true understanding of it, enabled by developing and strengthening our connection to Divine Energy. Now, perhaps, more poignant than ever in light of the current shift in global conscious‐ ness and this remarkable spiritual awakening that humanity is experiencing.
Next month’s topic: Passion Focus the Light Leader Simon Welch | London, UK | simonrwelch@gmail.com
Sylvie Roy | Toronto, Canada | sylvieroy@ymail.com Shane Stuart McKay | Knysna, South Africa | shanemckay@live.com Andrew Morrissey | Chiany Mai, Thailand | andrew@iam‐andrew.com Hannah Fellows | Falkirk, UK | hannahperks@hotmail.com Mel Diamond | Berkshire, UK | mel@indigohealing.co.uk Eleyne Austen Sharp | Connecticut, USA | rainbowwriter@aurahouse.com
Email Simon if you would like to host your own local Focus the Light group
features
Frances And The 50 Cents Tip Cat Bennett
Inspiration: The Power Within E.Dee Conrad
Moments Of Light Tom Evans
Release Your Inspiration Through Kundalini Yoga Maya Fiennes
The Best Of Both Worlds: Hypnosis For The Doubtful Harvey Klein meets Ursula James
Lighting The Fire Frances Wilby
Under The Spotlight James Twyman
Cat Bennett
Frances And The 50 Cents Tip As an artist and writer, I’m most interested in doing work that offers glimpses of transcen‐ dence in one way or another. So, inspiration for me comes first from those moments in my life when I’ve caught sight of something that opens my eyes, and heart. Here’s what I mean. Childhood friendship
I love my little brother ‐ he’s only two Into adulthood and I love seeing how he changes.” Then Back in the 1960‘s, when I was four‐ she smiled. “I’m going to give my mom For many years I forgot about Frances. teen, I got a job for a few weeks selling some of the money I make here.” My own family became more affluent. hot dogs and a sugary orange drink I went to university, and then got a job from a booth at an enormous summer I was stunned. How could a kid be taken I loved. A few years later I got married, fair in Toronto. A girl named Frances, from her family? I asked her about the had a baby and moved to the United also fourteen, worked in the booth with people she lived with. She wouldn’t say States. There were so many events in me. We were underage ‐ a friend of my much, just “They’re okay.” She saw I my young life, and confusions, that I father slipped me into the job; Frances was worried and smiled. lost myself in them for a time. Every lied about her age. Our booth was once in a while I would think of that perched on the edge of The Midway, a “It’s okay,” she said. summer, but only in a fond and fleeting stretch of ‘freak’ shows that sat next to way and through cloudy vision. the House of Mirrors and roller coaster. One afternoon, a middle‐aged man in a We made 35 cents an hour. rumpled suit and greased hair came to Then, maybe ten years ago, Frances be‐ our booth and ordered an orange drink gan poking with crystal clarity. I’d stud‐ From day one we talked and laughed from Frances. She chatted with him ied a lot of eastern spiritual thought by like old friends. Streams of people and he told her he’d lost his job. The then, and there was Frances. The truth came by and we served up hot dogs next day he came again, then every day unfolds its wings in time. As a kid, I’d and drinks. One day, I asked Frances for a week, and every day he stayed and loved Frances and been moved by her idly where she lived. talked with Frances for an hour. Our situation and kindness. Now I’m moved manager worried he might follow her by her wisdom and love her even more. “I don’t live with my family,” she said. “I when we got off work, but Frances was She accepted her situation without ran‐ don’t have a father and my mother can’t not concerned. She said he wasn’t like cor or trying to change it, neither did afford to keep me.” A look of sadness that, as if she knew. At the end of the she judge her parents. She was com‐ flitted over her face then she bright‐ week, he told her he was moving away, passionate. I’m humbled by the great‐ ened. “But I get to visit once a month. thanked her for being so kind and gave ness of her spirit. It’s that spirit I want to her fifty cents. bring into my creative work. That is the BIOG ground of inspiration for me. Cat Bennett is an artist based in the USA. We both lit up. “Fifty cents!” We were She is author of The Confident Creative never given tips. Confident creation - drawing to free the hand and mind (Findhorn Press) and will be in the UK to present her two day Confident Creative Retreat on 25th and 26th September in Covent Garden. Hands-on sessions. Learn drawing as a tool to free the hand and mind. Discover where true creativity resides. £299 per person. Includes all art supplies. Sign up here.
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Then Frances handed me a quarter.
But there’s more to the creative proc‐ ess, I think. When I sit down to do crea‐ “No!” I said. “He gave it to you!” And I tive work, I’m aware that I need to slip knew how much she needed it. out of my verbal, analytical, cluttered mind and into a space of openness “We’re in this together” she said, and where I can receive ideas from the pressed the quarter into my hand. great field of creative energy of which september 2010 Lightworkermag.com
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She was compassionate. I’m humbled by the greatness of her spirit
we are all such an integral part. I of‐ ten feel the universe is waiting with a platter of deeper insight when I try to communicate what I’ve glimpsed, but first I have to elude my thinking mind. Meditation is an excellent way to get into that space. For me, drawing is an‐ other. I’ve been a working artist all my life — an animation filmmaker and illus‐ trator as well as painter. Drawing takes us out of our everyday minds without effort. It just happens and anyone can do it — even scribbling works. It can be another form of meditation — a place where the things that matter speak to us. So often they arrive unexpectedly, like a gentle knock at the door. We need to be quiet to hear.
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Sometimes too, when I’m about to begin a new project, I look at the work of other artists or writers to get inspi‐ ration. It gets the wheels of possibility turning and often provides a jumping
off place, but it’s just a start. Deeply sweet experience is at the heart of things for me. That summer, so long ago, ended with Frances and I on the King Street street‐ car sitting side by side laughing and rat‐ tling along the tracks — two kids with a pocket full of change. We promised each other we’d both be back to the fair the next year. When Frances got off the streetcar I stuck my head out the window. “What’s your address?” I shouted. “I don’t know!” She called back, laugh‐ ing. “But I’ll see you next year!” It was not to be — they closed our booth that year. Perhaps it’s because I never saw her again that I want so much to pay her back for the gifts she continues to give me. Twenty‐five cents was a sweet gift once; it’s inspiration still.
CONTACT www.theconfidentcreative.com
september 2010
Lightworkermag.com
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E.Dee Conrad
Inspiration: The Power Within Inspiration comes from within – from the depth of our soul and not from what we see or hear. It is a part of who we are as individuals and as a group, and a central part of our genetic make‐ up. another, then the whole balance of your life will be thrown off. In practical terms, this means you will be spinning your wheels yet going nowhere. This does not pertain only to spiritual goals, but also financial, personal, and aca‐ demic – goals in every significant area of your life.
No one can tell you how to find inspira‐ tion or where to look for it – only you can know. More than a concept, it is a way of living and seeing the world. When you are living in a state of inspi‐ ration, the world looks a little brighter, the people you meet are a little more magnificent, and the colours you see are a little more vibrant.
If it seems you just cannot get ahead or make sufficient progress in life then you can be sure you are out of align‐ ment in at least one area. The universe, via universal energy, gives you what you want – without judgment or res‐ ervation. However, conflicting goals or desires fragment universal energy. If you direct your aligned thoughts, universal energy will do the rest. But to do this, you have to be aware of the emotion behind your thought, because the emotion behind a thought is more powerful than the thought itself. You cannot think your way to financial free‐ dom or spiritual enlightenment without first being aware of the emotion that is driving you. Your true emotional state is where it all begins and ends. If you are fearful of not having enough, losing your job, or your partner leaving you, then eventually this is what will occur. Even if you are not ‘thinking’ about it all the time with your conscious mind, you are thinking about it ‘energetically’ and this is what universal energy listens to. This is why your true emotional state is what really matters; it determines the outcome of your life. Lightworkermag.com
Living your truth is one way to live in a state of inspiration. Living your truth Living your truth is a manner of be‐ ing wherein your emotions, thoughts, words, actions, dreams and goals are all in alignment. If even one of these is out of alignment, or in conflict with
BIOG E.Dee Conrad is a healer, palmist and spiritual author. Her new book, A New Dawn Awaits, will launch on Amazon on September 21, 2010. E.Dee’s writings focus on the evolution of human consciousness and what each of us can do to help humanity move as a group to the next level of spiritual awakening.
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See your emotions
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You can be inspired if you choose to be, by allowing inspiration to flower within your heart, mind, body, and soul. But first, you have to be willing to let go of thoughts and conditionings that held you back and slowed down your pro‐ gression to the next level of conscious‐ ness.
To see your true emotional state, you have to open your heart to yourself and others. So many of us built walls around ourselves – walls of protection, walls of convenience, walls of anonym‐ ity. What you can’t see can’t hurt you, right? Wrong. What you don’t see can destroy you. By ignoring your underly‐ ing emotions, the emotions that create your world and drive you, you are elect‐ ing to live a life of disappointment and disruption. You can free yourself of this mindset by looking first at your thoughts and then at the emotion that is driving them. ‘Thoughts’ in this context are not those you consciously direct, but those that spring up spontaneously. When you plan your day, look at your partner, or interact with colleagues, thoughts pop up. Become aware of these thoughts and if they are negative, critical, or judgmental, ask yourself what emotion led you to have those thoughts. At first, it might be difficult to be hon‐ est with yourself – you might rational‐ ize why the thought was justified, or you might blame the other person or situation for your thought. These are just constructs of the mind, patterns you developed to shield yourself from hurt. If you want a life of fulfillment, inspiration and purpose, let go of these defences and take an honest look at september 2010
Awareness is power The more aware you become of the emotions behind your thoughts, the more cognizant you will become of their effects on you and those around you. As you witness this firsthand, you will naturally begin to minimize your negative thoughts and increase the positive ones. It is a process that will happen naturally and effortlessly – you do not need to ‘help’ it along or try to force it. Just be aware, and the transi‐ tion will happen smoothly and easily.
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Always allow yourself the time to look within. You really deserve it.
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your emotions. Once you do this a few times, the process will become easier.
As you begin to look honestly at your underlying emotions, you will see in‐ spirational changes in your life. Some of these shifts will be perceptual, while others will be actual. Either way, you will notice a positive difference in your life as your emotions, thoughts, words, actions and goals move into greater alignment.
CONTACT www.edeeconrad.com
september 2010
Lightworkermag.com
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Tom Evans
Moments Of Light When you experience a moment of light, it is quite simply magical. If you happen to have an Magnetic Reso‐ nance Imaging [MRI] scanner handy at the time, and you stick your head in it, you will see every neuron in your brain lighting up as it connects with its neighbours. Over 10 billion neurons will light up in harmony shouting “Eureka!” at you. Moments of light like this are more commonly referred to nowadays as ‘light bulb moments’. As Archimedes, Newton and Saint Paul could testify though, we experienced them well be‐ fore the light bulb was invented. They are a special mode of conscious‐ ness where, in less than a second, you see the whole picture. Apparently, Newton intuited the complete theory of gravity in that split second and it took him the rest of his life to tabulate them. They seem like they occur in less than a second because, for that moment, you jump outside space and inside time. It is assumed they are random, yet it is possible to enter a special type of meditative state ‐ with your eyes open ‐ where you can experience them on demand. The first step in achieving this state of being is to understand what blocks such moments of light.
Imagine if someone cuts in front of you, into that safe gap you left, on the motorway. You feel affronted. Perhaps, if your life was endangered, you may utter an expletive or even flash your lights at the offender. At that exact mo‐ ment, certainly what won’t be happen‐ ing is that you will be having a moment of light. Just by a subtle flip in your thinking though, you could receive an idea for a new novel called Road Rage, or a safety device for a car which tells the driver the gap was too small to pull into. The issue is that your thoughts are controlling you, not the other way around. If you are in any kind of heightened negative emotional state, be it anger, sadness, hurt, fear or guilt, light bulb moments are stopped dead in their tracks. Your emotional see‐saw gets thrown off balance.
BIOG Tom Evans hosts the Moments of Light Show on Radio Lightworker. His book, The Art and Science of Light Bulb Moments is being published shortly by OBooks. Visit his web site www.tomevans. co for details of his workshop programme and mentoring service.
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Even if you receive your bright idea, there is just no brain space for it to surface. Any inspiration you might be feeling gets outweighed by heavy Lightworkermag.com
emotion. You will have to wait for the extreme emotion to abate. This is why it’s best not to make a deci‐ sion or send that email when you are angry. Take a few deep breaths, even wait for 24 hours, and you will end up with a better outcome. You may even have a bright idea about how to respond to achieve a much more satis‐ factory result. Hopefully, for most of the time, and for most people, our brains and minds are running on a more even keel. Instead of rage, anger or grief, perhaps you are just beset with the daily worries of life. From this position, you can begin to enjoy flashes of inspiration and good ideas can get an airing. However, if you are in any way fearful of the outcome of expressing or executing an idea, you will remain in stasis. You won’t go forward and you won’t go back. Eve‐ rything will be just fine and dandy, and the boat won’t get rocked too much. In order to progress from this state of mind, we must make a leap of faith. We need to see the fears and worries that beset us each day in a different light. Our unconscious mind is the source of such emotions. These fears and worries don’t exist in the real world; they are just inside our heads. september 2010
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Channel your efforts and you will reap rewards much easier
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On the surface, the Fool in the Tarot can be seen as a reckless figure without a care in the world. In some packs, he is only a couple of steps from walking over the edge of a precipice. He is how‐ ever enlightened, with his face aligned to the Sun, the source of light. He only appears to be a fool to us as we haven’t reached his state of grace. His emotions are under control. Like the snapping dog at his feet, he knows fears are only there to tell him to pay attention to something. He doesn’t concern himself with them when not appropriate.
When you make this shift, you become free to work with the light and have unlimited light bulb moments on de‐ mand. The see‐saw shifts in your favour and you notice something new.
First, to appreciate how to maximize your light bulb moments, we need to look at the dictionary definition of the word “moment”. We see that, as well as meaning a moment in time, it is also a force applied at a distance from a cen‐ tral pivot. If you use the same force but with a lever twice as long, you double it’s effectiveness. This of course is noth‐ If the Fool could speak, his favourite ing new, the architects of Stonehenge phrase would probably be, “There’s no and the Great Pyramid knew this. point worrying about something you don’t have control over.” When we use it in this see‐saw analogy, the length of the lever is proportional to the level of focus in our conscious‐ ness and the level of our intent. If we dilute our consciousness by tackling too many things, the lever action will reduce. Channel your efforts and you will reap rewards much easier. With higher intent, the force at the end of So it is not a case of ignoring fears the see‐saw is amplified further. when they arise, but paying attention to them only when necessary. If you are So if your aim is to make a million dol‐ worried about something, it is just your lars, you will be more effective in that unconscious (or gut) mind telling you goal if you have a good and worthy use there’s something you need to address. for the money ‐ even if this is purely Once you’ve taken action, move on. financial and personal. You don’t have to give it away but just to amass wealth september 2010 Lightworkermag.com
for no purpose is an empty challenge which will only end up with you worry‐ ing what to do next. The see‐saw will just swing back the other way.
Naturally, if everything you bring to your consciousness manifests, you could end up being a busy bee indeed. So it’s fine to flip back from time to time to a balanced see‐saw state. What is healthier though is to achieve bal‐ ance using reflection and assessment, as opposed to fears and worry.
CONTACT www.thebookwright.com Twitter: @thebookwright
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Maya Fiennes
Release Your Inspiration Through Kundalini Yoga I meet many passionate but frustrated people who never seem to achieve what they are capable of. They have an immense love of life and its possibilities, yet they are continuously disappointed that they cannot manifest them. Others have the opposite problem: they feel tired, impotent and un‐ able to drum up the enthusiasm needed to make a difference in their lives. These problems are normally related to blockages in the second chakra, the Sacral chakra, and once the energies in this chakra are rebalanced with the help of Kundalini Yoga, then creativity, inspiration and passion flow with ease in their lives again. You probably already have a mantra, something you repeat to yourself all day. Since our thoughts ‐ the stories we tell ourselves about the world ‐ help to create our experiences, our mantra shapes our life. In the West, one of our most common mantras is “I don’t have time”. If you keep repeating it, one thing is for sure: you won’t have time! When you wake up, do you take a few minutes to warm up your spine, sit, meditate and mentally prepare yourself for the day? No, because there are the kids to see to, you have to rush to work, or you need your sleep so you stay in bed for as long as possible.
BIOG Maya’s philosophy of good health and living with inner peace and confidence, made her one of the most in-demand yoga instructors in London. Maya travels the world giving yoga workshops, retreats and musical concerts. Maya has released a series of DVDs, musical CD’s as well as her book Yoga for REAL Life.
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You’ll have a thousand reasons, but just try getting up fifteen minutes ear‐ lier and giving yourself this little gift. Ask your kids to get their school bags ready by the door before bedtime, lay your work clothes out the night be‐ fore, go to bed fifteen minutes earlier – do whatever you need to do to create space for yourself at the very start of your day, and see how much better you feel and how much more calmly that day unfolds. Take those few minutes to plug yourself into your source, to re‐ charge your batteries, and you will get more done in your day. You’ll rush less, and you’ll have a clearer idea of what is really important rather than getting tangled up in trivia. You’ll create more time.
hearing voices within you telling you to buy red shoes and go dancing, to start a journal, buy some watercolours, or plant a window box. Whatever your passion, go for it. Give it your love, ut‐ ter dedication and disciplined focus. Believe in your abilities. Inspiration is not an external force, but a flame that burns within. It makes us feel excited, motivated and limitless. Ideas are the seeds from which our creations evolve and grow. And if we commit ourselves to planting and nurturing them, they will eventually bear fruit. We should be prepared to let some wither and fade too, in the knowledge that others that are more robust will flower and bloom.
Creation We are all creative beings, but creativity is something many of us have forgotten to express. We have lost inspiration. Kundalini Yoga can help reclaim it, and by doing the exercises you may start Lightworkermag.com
september 2010
Here are some Kundalini kriyas (exercises) that will help to re‐ lease your inspiration: To become one with the universal forces so that you flow better Go into child pose and chant ONG So HUNG in a monotone voice. If you need clarity and want to follow your passion so that your inspira‐ tions and dreams come true, this will stimulate the pituitary gland and open your vision. To balance and rejuvenate the ad‐ renals and build back strength if you are feeling tired, unfocused, or close to burnout Sit cross‐legged in easy pose and in‐ terlace your fingers in front of your solar plexus, with your thumbs up. Now pull your fingers in opposite directions and start the Breath of Fire, breathing in and out hard, like sniffing, through your nose, really
pumping your belly. This pose will generate heat and work on the left side of the adrenals. Still in easy pose, follow with Cannon Breath, breathe through the mouth loudly, equal inhales and exhales, keeping the mouth in a firm O shape. This strengthens the right side of the Adrenals. For stress release Sit in easy pose with pinkies in‐ terlaced and thumbs up. Inhale through the nose in 8 equal strokes and then exhale through the nose in one deep powerful stroke. Re‐ peat a few times. To take a more flexible approach to things, to bring inspiration into your life and to open you up to the abundance all around you Lie on your stomach with your fore‐ head on the floor. Interlace your fingers behind your back in Venus
Lock (women should have left hand fingers on top of the right hand, and men vice versa). Lift your legs and arms, keeping your knees and elbows as straight as possible, and start the Breath of Fire. Tense your buttocks to protect your back. This exercise will stimulate flow in your life so that you find everything you do easier. To give you more energy by flush‐ ing toxins and putting pressure on the kidneys, and to make you stronger both physically and mentally Sit in easy pose, or with your legs out, make fists of your hands then start lifting your buttocks by push‐ ing your fists into the ground and dropping down on to your sitting bones. Inhale as you go up and ex‐ hale as you come down. Continue for a few minutes.
To help you learn about yourself and how to break down the barriers to the flow of your inspiration, read every‐ thing you can from Krishnamurti: “Without love your problems will in‐ crease, multiply endlessly. And with love, do what you will, there is no risk, there is no conflict. Then love is the es‐ sence of virtue.” Krishnamurti, 1965 Watch your thoughts, listen to that voice and practise the above kriyas; you will see how transformational this is in helping you hear your inner inspi‐ ration. If you want more advice on how to deal with every day life though the use of yoga read Yoga for Real Life, by Maya Fiennes available on www.mayaspace. com
CONTACT www.mayaspace.com
september 2010
Lightworkermag.com
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Harvey Klein meets Ursula James
The Best Of Both Worlds: Hypnosis For The Doubtful On hearing of this assignment from the edi‐ tor of Lightworker, my immediate thought was, “what do I want to achieve on meeting with Ursula James the premier hypnotherapy practitioner?” I posed myself a question: “What is hypnosis?” In Ursula’s own words... Hypnosis
I would like to clear by unblocking my psyche, thereby assisting me in achiev‐ A physically relaxed state with an asso‐ ing my goals in life. I also considered ciated mental focus. It is a pleasant ex‐ whether opening the psyche up would perience and will help you to de‐stress. undo or unhinge my wellbeing. My only experience with hypnosis drew My first port of call was to look at me back to how, in my late teens, I what I would like to unblock? was hypnotised in a stage show. The hypnotist/showman told me that in his Hmm, not an easy task; I don’t smoke considered opinion, I “wasn’t a worth‐ so that wasn’t in the running, maybe while candidate”, whatever that should my career and its path, or my love mean, “for I wasn’t open to his sugges‐ life (or lack of)? Sorry if this seems tions”, and the showman asked me to extremely self‐indulgent but an hour’s leave the stage. As a teenager, maybe I one‐on‐one hypnotherapy session with didn’t accept the power of suggestion, the UK’s leading hypnotherapy practi‐ but regardless of this, it was a show and tioner is to be used wisely! not a clinical environment. After careful consideration, and helpful Let’s get back to the task at hand today, questioning from Ursula James, I de‐ rather than prey too much on my youth. cided to use this opportunity to look at Like anyone, I become extremely ex‐ my future, or possible futures. I speci‐ cited and a touch apprehensive about fied that within the session I wanted to what I could use this opportunity to improve my precision within my work achieve. I began to consider what paths as a Pilate’s Trainer, and also look at my personal life. URSULA BIOG Ursula has appeared on TV and radio in multiple countries, and lectures at eleven The day of the hypnosis drew ever UK medical schools, including Oxford nearer… the mews where the practice and Cambridge. As a highly qualified stands was serene, quiet and peaceful. and experienced clinical and medical Ursula greeted me with a kind warm hypnotherapist, she uses her skills to smile and was polite and professional. help patients in a broad range of areas There were no airs, instead she had - stopping smoking, losing weight, tack- grace and was able to inform and direct ling phobias and obsessive-compulsive the approach towards the practice of disorders, working through relationship hypnosis. issues, and much more page seventeen
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The first part of the session was an opportunity for me to discuss my life challenges and understand how the hypnotherapy could help me. Hypnosis was explained, and I could ask all the questions I wished. The rest of the session was taken up with the hypnotherapy itself, leaving ample time afterwards to give feed‐ back, and talk about my experience, if I chose to. The hypnosis itself Ursula asked if, within the practice, I wanted to remove an unwanted thought, behaviour or feeling? We talked about how, within the hour, she would calm my mental state down with suggestions by getting me to imagine my favourite experience. For me, this was a trip to Costa Rica were I felt at ease with the sea. Ursula used the sug‐ gestion of the sea’s waves to calm my mind and bring about a hypnotic state. Throughout the hypnotic state I felt in control. The state of calm washed over me as if I was in a dream state. Ursula guided me through possible scenarios for my life, fast‐forwarding me to possible future experiences. This protocol allowed my mind to get out of its own way, al‐ lowing my conscious mind to rest and september 2010
my unconscious to ferret out possible grips with his sight was after a visit to outcomes that I previously would never the zoo. He had to touch the elephant have considered. to see it; he remarked, “I can see now, I have touched it”. My hypnotic experi‐ The hypnotic state allowed for two ence was similar insomuch as it allowed paths, achieving two differing enhanced me to touch my unconscious mind versions of my life, with differing wants without the conscious sense/state and needs. Both outcomes were good, altering, impairing or tripping up my and extremely different. These im‐ unconscious vision. proved versions of my futures seemed ‐ in my hypnotic state ‐ to be happening So, as everyone will ask, has hypnosis at the same time, like simultaneously worked? Have I achieved my ultimate watching two sci‐fi movies of your own goals? Am I able to say that my quest life, on two different TV screens. for happiness had been successful? Reawakening I feel hypnosis with Ursula James worked without struggle or force against my I feel the hypnotic experience touched psyche, which brings up another ques‐ me like the famous case of a blind man, tion, was I ready for this change? The Mr Sydney Bradford, who became simple answer is yes; else I truly believe sighted later in life. Sydney said he I would not have attracted this assign‐ could visually understand his world ment. Ursula reached under my skin ‐ in when he touched it rather than saw the nicest possible way ‐ and gave me it. He spoke of how his new sight con‐ relief from my worries and embarrass‐ fused and altered his perception, but ments, to allow my future to become his sense of touch allowed him to see. clearer. The two different paths that where shown by my unconscious would One early story of Sydney coming to not negate one another, but rather, the two different routes would eventu‐ HARVEY BIOG ally blend and achieve the best possible Harvey trained as a classical ballet outcome. The best of both worlds! dancer. After 15 years travelling the world performing, choreographing and teaching classical ballets, his fascination with moving the human body drew him to Pilates. To learn from Harvey, email klein_harvey@hotmail.com.
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Don’t live in the UK? You Too Can Be Amazing…
CONTACT www.ursulajames.com enquiries@ursulajames.com 0845 054 2460 / +44 845 054 2460 10 Southwick Mews London W2 1JG And subscribe to Ursula’s blog here!
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Frances Wilby
Lighting The Fire Why do some people appear to be so inspired and free to create their dreams, whilst oth‐ ers languish in a monochrome world, stuck in a life which slowly eats away at them? Granted, these two extremes don’t accu‐ rately describe most of the population, but it does, I suggest, tell us something about the fact that inspiration feels vibrant, exciting, and appears to give strength, freedom, and purpose to our lives. But where does it come from? The first point to make is that contrary to what we are often told, inspiration is frequently external. Really? In the West we celebrate great artists as be‐ ing ‘geniuses’, rather than possessing genius. Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love, describes how the Romans apparently believed that genius was a magical divine entity that inhabited the walls of an artist’s studio. In her TEDtalk (www.TED.com), Eliza‐ beth talks about the process of actively engaging with external creative forces in order to acknowledge that inspira‐ tion is not ‘all about you’, but is about a connection to something more, and that you are a vessel. She tells the tale of American poet, Ruth Stone, who describes poems physically passing though her. Frequently, a poem would come thundering over the landscape,
BIOG Frances Wilby is a creative individual with experience in publishing and copywriting. She currently lectures at the University of Gloucestershire and at Bath Spa University in media and journalism theory and media history. She also recently launched her jewellery collection, based upon memory, storytelling and recollection.
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shaking the earth beneath her feet. Ruth would scamper to find a pen and paper, knowing that if she missed the poem, it would continue across the sky to find another poet. If she is late in reaching her pad, she can feel the poem passing through her and off into the world. Several times, however, she felt the poem passing through her, just as she reaches her pen, and with one hand grabs the tail of the poem and drags it back through her body, tail first, whilst transcribing. When she writes it down, the poem is perfect; but it comes out perfectly, backwards, with the last word first. Also featured on TEDtalks is neuro‐ anatomist Gill Bolte Taylor who speaks about her experience of the relation‐ ship between the organized, linear, methodical left brain and the creative, expansive, energetic right brain, after suffering a stroke. She talks movingly about the experience of the hemor‐ rhage, as she loses her ability to speak, read, and talk, but feels a sense of euphoria, of a relationship beyond herself. Her call is for people to live more in their right brain, the ‘right‐ here‐right‐now’ part of the brain that lives in the moment, feeling, tasting, listening and connecting to the energy of the consciousness that links us all Lightworkermag.com
to the human family. She argues that in this right hemisphere state, “We are perfect, we are whole, we are beautiful”. Inspirational. In a similar vain to Elizabeth Gilbert, there is a sense from Gill of a connectiv‐ ity to something bigger than ourselves, connecting to something wider. Cre‐ ativity, then, is not an insular activity. It is a process of stepping out of one’s own way, of connecting with an outer, spiritual source of inspiration. Inspiration application So how do we, as people operating in a ‘normal’ world balance our need for inspiration with our material need to pay the bills? This is the second, and perhaps, toughest question. Inspira‐ tion happens all around us, perhaps it is not grand and sparkling, but it is there, nonetheless. Take, for example, the mother and daughter team, Ester and Estelle, founders of Star of the East on etsy. com, who live and work in Turkey. Their small business is making handcrafted jewellery and bags and their pieces communicate beauty and inspiration. But, for them, the story comes from a series of incidents. Single mother september 2010
truly connect with our talents and ca‐ pabilities. Ken encourages people to explore their Element, the spark that lies within them, the activity they are passionate about, and to then find a ‘tribe’ of like‐minded people, in order to pursue their true gifts. Interestingly, however, Ken suggests that living with your passion does not necessarily mean jacking in the day job; many people write books, paint, perform music, to a high standard, outside their 9‐5, and So inspiration is about what you do feel all the more balanced and fulfilled when an unexpected event knocks you as a consequence. off course. Being flexible, open‐heart‐ ed; taking a risk and persevering, but I’ve taken many years to find out that understanding that you can connect my day job – as a university lecturer into inspiration and creativity in the – doesn’t actually inspire me. It does universe – you are the vessel ‐ which is something akin to inspiration; it keeps often a very reassuring thought. me engaged and busy, but it doesn’t touch my heart. So, slowly, I learned to And what about when life isn’t throw‐ listen to my heart, and making jewel‐ ing a curve ball? It’s rather smooth, yet, lery, I discovered, really does make my inexplicably UNinspiring. This, third, soul sing. Similar to mediation, I prac‐ and final question is thorny. I, for one, tice taking inspiration from outside my‐ am still ‘at school’ on this one. I would self, from the natural world around me. say that exploring your own creativity I’m experimenting with slate, stone, holds the first key. What is it that you crystals and loving every minute. I still really love doing? This may take time to need to operate in the material world, discover. Ken Robinson is a key speaker so, for now, the university keeps me on creativity and his book How Finding busy, but I am creeping towards my Your Passion Changes Everything argues new life, building the business, and CONTACT that as adults we lose confidence in our noticing how it never feels like work – it www.franceswilbyre-collections. co.uk imaginations, and therefore, we never always feels… inspiring! september 2010 page twenty Lightworkermag.com
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What is it that you really love doing? This may take time to discover
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Ester was a civil engineer and had an accident at a building site that left her incapacitated and unable to continue in her profession. After a long conva‐ lescence, the pair moved to Turkey for the climate, and, inspired by their new surroundings began experimenting with different materials. The influence of the ocean and the beach is clear in their resulting work and, to me, the pieces speak of a love of live.
James Twyman
Under The Spotlight Q - How do you go about writing a book? Well, The Barn Dance is non‐fiction because it’s based on an event that took place in my life 4 and a half years ago when my former wife was murdered in Chicago. Working through the grief process, a number of miraculous things happened that really helped in my healing process and bridging the gap of wondering what is on the other side. Of course, this is one of the predominant questions for humanity since the beginning of time: what does happen to us? For the average person, it’s still a matter of faith, so what I wrote about in The Barn Dance was the true story of my experience through the death of Linda. I wrote it both because I needed it for my own healing process and because many people would relate to my experience, and that certainly has been true. It is with‐ out question the most personal book I have ever written, and in many ways the truest book I’ve ever written ‐ although some people are going to find that hard to believe.
James Twyman is an internation‐ ally renowned, best‐selling author, filmmaker and musician who has a reputation for travelling to some of the world’s greatest areas of conflict, sharing his message of peace. He has been called “The Peace Troubadour” and performed his peace concert in countries like Iraq, Northern Ireland, South Africa, Bosnia and Serbia, drawing millions of people together in prayer to influence events of world crisis. James is author of many books in‐ cluding Emissary of Light and The Moses Code. He also produced or di‐ rected four films including the award winning Indigo, and the film version of The Moses Code. His CD’s inspire hundreds of thousands of people, and his performances at the United Nations, US Capitol and Pentagon, have made him one of the most influential spiritual peacemakers in the world. In this interview, he speaks with Editor Rachel Willis about his inspi‐ rations, challenges and education. page twenty one
Because I had to go so deep to write it, it takes people to that same place. In any artist endeavour, the deeper the artist goes, the more he can take people to that state. That was one of the reasons I wanted to put out this book, I knew people were having very heartfelt experiences and I wanted to help them see that death is not the end of life, but that it is just the beginning. It is also a way of honouring Linda.
Q – I see you’re the Master of 140 Characters (on Twitter) but what’s your preferred form of artistic expression? That’s a good question. I started off and continue to be ‐ probably more than any‐ thing ‐ a musician, The Peace Troubadour. Music is the way I love to express myself and when I perform and share the music it’s always the deepest expression for me. Also the books. This is my thirteenth book and I can never make up my mind whether I am more of a musician or more of an author because I think the two go hand‐in‐hand with me, so I go back and forth about which one I am focusing on. At the moment, I am focusing on the writing because I am finding so much healing with that, but in any moment I might return and put my focus on the music. So we’ll just have to wait and see!
Q – What instruments do you play? Primarily guitar, and I sing. I have been in bands, but for the most part I’m a solo performer. To give you some background, 1994 was when this part of the journey started for me and I was given a piece of paper that had written on it the peace prayers from the twelve major religions of the world. I had a remarkable experi‐ ence where I was reading the prayers and heard this beautiful music that came together in one hour, and realised I had been given a beautiful gift that was meant to be shared. So I started travelling around the world sharing the prayers, and doing the peace concert. I was invited to many countries where conflicts and wars were taking place, like Iraq, Bosnia, Israel and many others, to perform the peace concert. At first, beginning with my book Emissary of Light, the books came from Lightworkermag.com
september 2010
these experiences of doing concerts in war‐torn areas. Of course, that has shifted a lot over the years, but for me it really started with the music and the books evolved from that.
Q – What was James Twyman’s life like pre-1994? I spent a lot of years… waiting, really! I always knew there was going to be a point where it would all come together and a more public ministry would be launched. So I had lots of odd‐jobs, lived in a spiritual community, and when those peace prayers came my way I knew that was the key. Everything began to turn around.
Q – What is your proudest moment in life so far? Wow, you’re really making me think here! Professionally, I would say the mo‐ ment that stands out in my mind is one of the many United Nations concerts I performed that was in the US capital, Washington DC. It was about 4 years ago, I was performing on the lawn of the capital building with hundreds of people shar‐ ing prayers and a huge peace quilt in the shape of a peace sign had been put on the ground while the concert was going on. The next day, we received a phone call from the US Capital Police and they weren’t very happy with us because in some miraculous way the grass in the shape of the peace sign was longer and greener than the rest of the lawn. There it was for days and they couldn’t get rid of it. That was a very proud moment because it showed me that the Earth itself was literally echoing the prayers of transformational peace that so many of us are praying today. The Earth showed us that we’re on the right track.
Q – Who’s your greatest inspiration? Firstly, St Francis of Assisi. I am always drawn to him and in many ways he’s the original Peace Troubadour. In a more modern sense, I would say Ghandi and Mar‐ tin Luther King Jnr. When I was doing the concert on the capital lawn I had just put out a CD where all the songs were based on Ghandi or King, and those were the songs that were the theme of that concert. They’re two modern people who transformed the world through peace and compassion. That is what we need more of. We need powerful voices in the world that are not angry, but voices for peace that compel people to not only listen but to change their lives. And certainly, that is what I try and do in my own small way.
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Q – What does peace mean to you?
It’s about being passionate in a way that brings out your talents - these are gifts - so we can use them to benefit all beings
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First of all, peace is not a passive state. It’s not just being quiet and still. It’s about being passionate in a way that brings out your talents – these are gifts ‐ so we can use them to benefit all beings. For me, that might be music, but we all have them, and if we can be still long enough to listen, we become aware of them. We all have a role to play. If we listen, we can unlock them and find what our own unique expression is. To me, peace is different for everyone, and it’s our passion, enthusiasm and energy that helps bring it to life.
Q – How do your friends describe you? I try on the one hand to be a normal, authentic person. Being authentic is one of the most important things we can do today. It is very easy to buy into the PR and Lightworkermag.com
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There are lots of wonderful things out there, but pick pick the one thing that resonates deepest with you and dive into it
believe what others say about you, but they would say that I try my best to be real. I find that when I do that, it gives other people permission to do the same. If I can be authentic then people can see I’m no different than they are, so they believe that if I can do it, they can do it. I hope I’m a friendly, happy human being who inspires other people to be the same.
Q – Do you have any specific advice for people following a similar path to you? It’s important we don’t try to do it all. I see this a lot, people are afraid to pick one thing and go deep. There are a lot of wonderful things out there, but pick the one thing that resonates deepest with you and then dive into it, because if you’re always skimming across the surface you’ll never really achieve what it is you’re meant to achieve in your life. If you can find the things that unlock your passion and excite you, then you can be an example to others. It doesn’t matter which spiritual path you follow, so long as you find the one that works for you.
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Being a skimmer is an easy thing to do, because nothing is really challenging. Most people think they’re on a spiritual path just to be happy, and yes, happiness is a result, but only when you do the work. It means going through your fear, look‐ ing at the shadow parts of our personality and that’s where the work is involved. If you’re always skimming, you never really get to that point and you only have the illusion of spirituality. The true, deep, profound happiness comes from going to the depths of our being, seeing what’s beneath those shadows and realising that everything really is going to be OK. You cant have the full experience until you dig down to the roots.
Q – When was your first experience of spirit? I grew up in a very Catholic family so have always been exposed to spirituality, and especially within that framework. When I was a child, I believed I was meant to be a priest, because that’s just what you do if you loved God. So in my own life, there never was a time when I wasn’t experiencing that. It certainly has changed, grown and expanded over the years, but I feel very fortunate to have the upbringing I did and am not one of those people that was wounded. I was able to integrate the beauty of what I received into the openness of my life now. And if you put those two things together, I think you have a very strong combination.
Q – What does your heart whisper to you? To be simple, sit still and listen. It’s something we don’t do enough of, and I know when we do the answers come. My life is hectic and it’s easy to let that activity take me away from my centre, and I feel that my heart is constantly trying to draw me back to that place because every time I do that the wisdom that comes is profound.
Q – Where is life taking you over the next 12 months? When The Barn Dance comes out I will be focusing on that because it is something I am deeply passionate about. I am doing all sorts of promotions and tours to help promote the book and share its message. I am not sure where that’s going to go, but I know the next 12 months will be all about The Barn Dance.
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Q – Where does the title come from? When you read the book it’ll make more sense. It’s hard to explain simply; in fact it’s impossible to. But it becomes very apparent when you get deeper into the book. The subtitle of the book is “Somewhere between Heaven and Earth, there is a place where the magic never ends.”
Q – Do you channel your books? I believe we’re all here to be channels, but not for something that is separate from us. We’re here to be channels of that true connection with the divine – or however you want to say that – and I think channelling is so often used as a medium that separates us. There’s the idea that there are beings outside of us that are so much wiser and more enlightened, rather than realising that that wise enlightened be‐ ing is within each one of us. If we can bring forth that which is within, then how much more powerful is that? I am always asking to be a channel of spirit, or as St Francis would say, make me a channel of peace. So the answer is, yes.
Q – And I imagine your music is the same? Oh yes, one of the reasons I love the music so much is because I know there is an energy that does channel through me that is unique. It’s more predominant than when I speak, so it really is all about the energy more than anything. The music is a lovely way of bringing that through.
Q – This leaps out as a book that is perfect to make into a film – is that on your radar?
Now available to pre-order!
Yes, it’s being shopped in Hollywood right now, so we have high hopes it’s going to be made into a major movie picture. I believe that it will be a wonderful movie and I’m holding that in my heart because I would love to see it both as a way of honouring Linda and also expressing this message to millions more people.
Q – Who can you see playing the lead roles?! Ha ha, I always envisioned John Cusack playing me. I’m not sure if it’s because we’re both from Chicago and he reminds me of me, or what, but I can definitely see him playing me. I am not sure about Linda’s part yet.
CONTACT www.jamestwyman.com september 2010
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health Glow with Health and Wellbeing
education Lightworker in Training
relationships Lightworker Challenge
business The Businessman
adventure Studying at the University of Life
living The Authenticity Diary
know:health Glow with Health and Wellbeing
Inspired Radiance Stu Gatherum is a passionate and focused Strength and Conditioning specialist who is committed to delivering outstanding results in fitness, nutrition and total health and wellness. Hello all and welcome to September’s tached. At times like these, I follow my heart and adhere to edition of Lightworker Magazine! the ‘but I want to’ school of thought, as well as the ‘better September’s letter is I, and it relates than sitting on the couch’ school. to Inspiration. So imagine my surprise when, in a state of non‐inspiration, From the outside looking in, this I meet a guy at the gym attracted to the style of high‐oc‐ would seem the perfect article for tane conditioning style exercise I usually adhere to! I spoke the ‘health and fitness man’ to eas‐ with this guy for five minutes and found myself immediately ily write. Let’s look at the formula for looking forward to my next training session (and this chance Personal Training: meeting of the minds happened following the post‐workout shower, not 20 minutes after leaving the gym.) Inspiration + motivation + applied knowledge = results My point is this: you don’t need to be inspired to reach These are the backbone (postural reference) of my job. How‐ greater heights by only those who you strive to emulate. We ever... this hasn’t really been the case. There are so many can find inspiration from the most unlikely places, people avenues for me to travel down in this area that I couldn’t and events. My new buddy, as he would admit, is not in the decide what to write about. It has taken an ever‐approach‐ best shape he has ever enjoyed. He was searching for a more ing editorial deadline to, ahem, inspire me to finally start the creative approach to exercise that might help him towards creative process (and by creative process, I of course mean his goals, but his enthusiasm was infectious. scratching out a window of opportunity in the diary with which to open the laptop!) Now we have an addition to add to the equation: Inspiration + motivation + applied knowledge + enthusi‐ I want to focus this article not so much on advice ‐ although asm / 2 = Additional Inspiration for all + results I will be providing a bit of that too ‐ but more on a story of where I recently sourced inspiration. Be on the lookout for inspiration anywhere you can get it. Be inspired by a sunny morning to go for a jog, be inspired by Revisiting my initial point about having multiple avenues to the in‐season vegetables to create fun recipes, or be inspied travel down brings me to my reason for needing inspiration. by the music in your fitness class. The take‐away message is People assume that as a Trainer you have no reason to need to use September to BE INSPIRED and, in turn, to offer this inspiration; that the depth of exercise programming knowl‐ forward to INSPIRE OTHERS. edge you possess should provide clarity. This, however, provides more motivation than inspiration. Exceeding last week’s workouts and raising the bar of what was originally deemed possible always motivates me. But inspiration…? Not so much. Hear more expert tips and advice on all things health You see, having a dearth of knowledge available means sift‐ ing through to find the ‘most productive’, ‘the safest’, ‘the best time‐saver’ workouts for a given goal and selecting from this arsenal. Is this useful for reaching an end goal? Absolutely. But sometimes I find myself simply wanting to mindlessly ride my bike or swim without any protocol at‐ page twenty seven
and fitness by tuning into Stu’s ‘Fit & Light’ show on RadioLightworker.com
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Connect with Stu www.stugatherum.com Twitter: @stugatherum +44 7816 240137
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know:education Lightworker in Training
Inspiration Hetta Rogers’ background is in Art History and Literature. She spent the past 7 years training and working as a lawyer before quitting her job to find greater fulfilment, and now her days are filled with riding horses and trying not to get thrown off... “Stop and smell the roses every once in a while”, my mother said to me a few years ago. Although I knew she meant it metaphorically, initially I took her to mean ‘slow down’ or ‘take more time for you’. I did not heed her helpful advice at the time, of course, but went blithely on working at a million miles per hour.
A case in point: some of my best thinking and decision‐mak‐ ing is done, almost subconsciously, when I run each day. I find that if my body is occupied by something strenuous, then my mind is at peace. As if, for that brief amount of time, my mind is quiet enough for the inspiration I was searching for to come and find me. For it is often in this state of calm that the subconscious mind can get to work and enable ideas and thoughts to bubble up to the surface. The same can be said of sleep – I know many people who keep a notepad and pen next to their bed to jot down all manner of brainwaves In fact, only now do I appreciate fully what she actually meant. that come to them in the night! I first took up this habit as She was telling me to allow myself to be inspired and not to an undergraduate student. In my final year of study, I had to shut my eyes to the world around me; telling me to remove write an enormous dissertation piece, a great deal of which the ‘blinkers’ I wore as a result of stress and frustration. was put together from trains of thought that came to me in the early hours of the morning in my half‐asleep state. In my (relatively brief) time on this Earth, I have learned that inspiration can spring from all manner of circumstances, Open your heart and your mind both positive and negative. For all of us, life can be difficult, sometimes even heartbreaking and painful. But it is often To be inspired, we first need to be receptive to the notion from the toughest of life’s lessons that we gather great of being inspired. That is, we need to be open‐hearted and strength and are able to put it to good use: whether we are keep our minds alert to infinite possibilities and ideas. motivated to share our experiences with others or motivated simply to avoid making the same mistake twice. Without wishing to be prescriptive, the best advice I have been given about how I might be more receptive to inspira‐ Ours is a world of infinite wonder – there to inspire us. This tion is to open my eyes and ears – to take the time to read, wonder manifests itself in a vast number of ways, the most talk, listen, observe and think. Or, to take my initial point obvious examples being the people we know and meet, the full circle, to “stop and smell the roses”. places we visit, the books we read, or the music we listen to. The fear factor One man’s trash is another man’s treasure I cannot deny that inspiration is tricky to define. I choose to think of it as something intangible that stimulates our minds, encouraging thoughts, ideas, creativity and even emotion.
I learnt a very valuable lesson recently; that fear (whether a fear of something real or unknown) can hold you back and block your mind. The same can be said of worry, anger and upset. All of these emotions impede our ability to live fulfill‐ ing, effective lives. Fearfulness both obstructs inspiration from reaching us and inhibits our ability to inspire others. Acknowledging our fears and putting them in perspective is the first step to overcoming them.
For other people, however, inspiration will be different; more rational, perhaps. Proof no doubt that what inspires us (and how and when we are inspired) is often hugely subjective. For me, this is part of the beauty of it. We can each find in‐ Imagine this simple example. You have a wonderful idea for spiration in the strangest of places – and, often, it finds us. a business and want to set up on your own, but don’t know page twenty nine
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plished, but because of their energy, their positivity and the fact that they are unashamedly inspired by the world around them.
When we are inspired, we also inspire
I thought for a moment about the characteristics inspira‐ tional people commonly share. They are often good com‐ municators – willing to impart the wisdom they gather from both their successes and their failures. They might also be warm and compassionate – approachable, one might say. But, more often than not, they will simply be themselves. When faced with a challenge like this, often the best way to And nothing is more inspirational than that. conquer it is to take very small steps. Talk to other people about their experiences, do some research, number‐crunch and, most importantly of all, be positive. where to start. And so the fear sets in (“I can’t do this”; “It’s too big a challenge”; “What if it all goes wrong?”). Whilst cau‐ tion and level‐headedness can be helpful, fear can undo all our good work.
Be inspiring Energy and inspiration do not flow in one direc‐ tion. When we are inspired, we also inspire. I can think of several people I have met who inspired me instantly. Not necessarily because of what they accom‐
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To hear more from Hetta, listen to Rachel Willis’s chat with her on the August 24th Same Wavelength Show on RadioLightworker.com
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hetta@lightworkermag.com
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know:relationships Lightworker Challenge
The Inspiration Compass Rachel Willis is a conduit for the Ascended Masters and guided to help others fine‐tune their life path by fully stepping into their power and shining their light. She challenges anything that is out of alignment with your highest good and shares messages from The Masters about your Earthly purpose. She is also an inspirational writer and Editor of Lightworker Magazine. Find your direction, and be guid‐ Your answer will fall into one of the following 8 catego‐ ed to living your happiest life ries: Knowing what inspires you is the Purity best way to learn how to motivate yourself to greatness. The Inspira‐ Inspired by spiritualism, holiness, desire to purify tion Compass helps you recognise oneself what your inspiration is, and from here you can collaborate with your natural tendencies Passive, peaceful, inner being in order to reach your dreams. Why work against your‐ self when you can flow with your inner essence? Unhurried, meditative, require quiet and solitude
Philosophy Inspired by thoughts, knowledge, mental proc‐ esses Thoughtful, intellectual, inner mind Learned, in the head, requires mental stimulation
Pleasure Inspired by love, enjoyment, gratification Sensual, indulgent, inner satisfaction So take a deep breath, open your mind and ask yourself “When was the last time I felt inspired?” Take the first memory that pops into your head, and explore what it was that triggered your inspiration? What inspired you? page thirty one
Can be hedonistic, passionate, requires comfort
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september 2010
Pounds
Progress
Inspired by status, wealth accumulation, power, victory
Inspired by improvement, innovation, invention, the new
Driven, materialistic, inner balance sheet
Restless, explorative, outer world
Pacy, instinctive, requires competition
Challenging, quick learner, requires feedback With this knowledge, you can understand why you feel bored, flat or uninspired at times, and equally, how you can create circumstances that inspire you to your greatness. Make conscious choices to embrace who you are, your needs and how you behave, for this allows your spirit to flow unencumbered through your being.
Preservation Inspired by the environment, social causes Proactive, resourceful, outer habitat Custodial, activist, requires stability
This is how you were born to be and what you were born to do, so allow yourself to welcome inspiration into your every breath, and feel the aliveness that comes with it!
Places Inspired by experiences, novelty, atmosphere Active, inquisitive, outer location Traveller, adventurous, requires new environments
Tune into Rachel’s ‘Same Wavelength’ show every second Tuesday on RadioLightworker.com for inter‐ views, discussions and free intuitive readings
People Inspired by connection, conversation, interaction Open, expressive, outer society Sociable, chatty, requires relationships (both old and new)
september 2010
Lightworkermag.com
Connect with Rachel www.Rachel‐Willis.co.uk Rachel@Rachel‐Willis.co.uk Twitter: @RachelWillisUK
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know:business The Businessman
How Inspiration Saved My Life Ryan Pinnick is a passionate, inspirational and wise speaker and writer in the fields of personal development and wealth creation. Born in Cape Town, Ryan is now based in London and a leading light in the social media scene. Most people know me as an inspira‐ tional speaker, successful entrepre‐ neur who enjoys life by dancing, sing‐ ing, stand‐up comedy, international DJ‐ing and traveling. But not many people know that nearly five years ago I was standing on a platform at Surbiton train station in such a dark place that jumping in front of a mov‐ ing train seemed like the only solution. But a moment of inspiration saved my life. I was 19 years old when my girlfriend told me she was preg‐ nant. I gave her a hug and smiled saying that everything was going to be alright, but inside I was paralyzed with fear. The thought of being a father scared the living daylights out of me and I didn’t know how to deal with the fear. I started drinking heavily and taking drugs, which my girlfriend quite rightly didn’t approve of. I became more fearful when her family didn’t approve of me either, and I began a downward spiral of fear feeding fear until the only way I knew how to deal with my emotions was to numb them by drinking and taking drugs. Fast forward 7 years and I was working in the City as a Busi‐ ness Consultant. My addiction had caught up with me. Mentally. Physically. Emotionally. And spiritually. Despite being functional in society and climbing the corporate lad‐ der quickly, my addiction compounded my fear until I felt pain and sadness so deep that I couldn’t bear living anymore. I had already been in the personal development world for a few years, desperately trying to stop my addiction. After trying different modalities and dozens of sessions with vary‐ ing therapists and hypnotists, I came to the conclusion that the only way I could end the addiction was if I ended myself. And it was at the moment when I was standing on the plat‐ form at Surbiton train station imagining jumping in front of train when BANG! I was hit full‐on with a single moment of inspiration.
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The life‐saver A single thought saved my life. I thought: “What if I all did for the rest of my life was dedicate my entire existence in taking care of my mother?” Making sure she was happy. Even if all I did was stayed at home and didn’t even get a job. As long as I kept the house clean, cooked her dinner and looked after her like she did for me all my life. Then, that would make my life worth living. I learnt later that what I experienced in that moment was exactly what happened to Viktor Frankl while he was in a Nazi concentration camp, which is illustrated in his book “A Man’s Search for Meaning”. Viktor went on to become one of the pioneers in psychology developing logotherapy that enables other people to turn their lives around in an instant by creating meaning in their life. I strongly recommend you read the book. If you have met me at any point in the last 5 years, you will know that I have an abundance of inspiration and energy. I was reborn in that moment on that platform at Surbiton train station. I left my job to venture on my journey as an entrepreneur. I adopted a ‘never give up’ attitude. I decided to take every opportunity that contributed towards my pur‐ pose. I gave everything I had in everything I chose to do. I got up every time I was knocked down, no matter how hard I was hit. I learnt from my mistakes and moved on, every time. I embraced sadness, pain and fear as much as I em‐ braced happiness, love and gratitude. The more I decided to act in moments of inspiration, the more magic I created in my life. If I get inspired at 3am to write, I write. If I get inspired to call my mom to tell her I love her, I call her and tell her I love her. If I get inspired to go to another level in my business (even though it may terrify me), I take that step to the next level. You will be rewarded with moments of inspiration the more you choose to act upon the moments of inspiration that are given to you. If you don’t take them they will dwindle, and so too will your life.
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september 2010
know:adventure
The turnaround I am now living a life beyond my wildest dreams where I get to inspire thousands of people every year through my writing, speaking, mentoring, music and comedy. The more I inspire other people the more they inspire me. It’s not always easy, in fact it gets more difficult. But one thing is for sure; there is a limitless source of inspiration that can overcome anything and enable you to create whatever you can imagine, IF you choose to act upon it. The question is, are you going to choose fear, or are you going to choose inspiration? I would not be here today if it wasn’t for inspiration. I can’t change the past and I can’t begin to tell you how much I re‐ gret what I chose to do when I was 19. But I have the choice of playing victim and creating more regret, or I can choose to act upon moments of inspiration and make dreams come true. We all have that choice, in every moment. You have that choice right now. So what’s it going to be? Regret, or inspiration?
september 2010
Want to learn the secrets of one of the UK’s leading inspirational speakers who has taught thousands of people to make their dreams come true through per‐ sonal development, business and wealth creation? On Ryan’s inspirational Radio Lightworker show he will be offering incredible insights on how you can progress on your Hero’s Journey by sharing his expe‐ rience in overcoming challenges in health, relation‐ ships, finance and business.
Lightworkermag.com
Connect with Ryan www.ryanpinnick.com Facebook: ryanpinnick Linkedin: ryanpinnick Twitter:@ryanpinnick
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know:adventure Studying at the University of Life
Inspiration. Take Four. Sylvie Roy is a free‐spirit on a mission to let her intuition guide her through life and to help others do the same. She resides in Toronto, Canada from where she writes a blog to share the trials, triumphs and laughs along the way.
I’ve got the giggles. Perhaps it’s because it’s barely past noon on a Friday, and I decided to spike my sec‐ ond cup of coffee with some Amarula liqueur that I completely forgot was tucked away high up on a shelf in my kitchen. But I’m quite sure there is more to it than that. Part of the sil‐ liness is due to the fact that I’m five days late submitting this article to our editor Rachel, and the excuse that I provided her with is that so far, my article “just doesn’t feel right”. More goofiness comes from the fact that this was absolutely true, and that I am now on my fourth at‐ tempt at writing a piece that is – ironically ‐ all about inspira‐ tion. Hee hee! But as much as all of that is amusing, the true madness of this situation stems from the fact that all of these failed at‐ tempts and delays seem to have been an elaborate scheme masterminded by none other than Inspiration herself. And while I have been busy pulling at thoughts hidden away in the furthest recesses of my mind, twirling them around to fashion them into something that makes sense and that would accurately describe my lovely and elusive friend, Ms. Inspiration has been busy hiding away in a corner, giggling like someone who has just remembered and indulged in a hidden stash of her favourite liqueur.
Play time The next day, more determined than ever, I headed to my favourite coffee shop to indulge in an iced‐tea, some free WiFi and a new atmosphere that I was sure would help get my creative juices flowing. Again, I start typing, poking and prodding at new areas of my brain, hoping to find a few golden ideas to bring this article to life. Take two. Take three. Still nothing! Grrrr!
At first, I took it all so seriously; “what does inspiration mean to me?” I thought while my friend snickered in the corner at this vision of me being so philosophical
Already four days late, I wondered what it would take to get this article finished. As I stared off into space, both frustrated and amazed at what a daunting process writing this one little piece had become, I caught a glimpse of her. With a hand over her mouth, doing her best to contain the giggles, I saw in Inspiration’s eyes the look of a child who so desperately As much as I love giggles and good times, I must say that it’s wants a playmate. taken me a while to catch on to Inspiration’s practical joke. At first, I took it all so seriously; “what does inspiration mean “You’ve been no help this week!” I grumbled, annoyed at her to me?” I thought, while my friend snickered in the corner at silly games. “Why do you just goof off and mock me when I this vision of me being so philosophical. Try as I might, none have things to do and need your ideas? This isn’t the time for of the words that I typed up seemed to accurately capture hide‐and‐seek!” what this particular lady is all about. I kept writing and writ‐ ing, sure that the perfect description would appear if I only “Why are you being so serious?” she asked. “You know that’s persisted. And then I heard her great billowy laugh. “Oh you not any fun. I know that you’re frustrated and that you want think this is funny?” I shouted, “Well then I’m just going to stop to get this job done, but we both know that’s not the way to do now!” it. If you want to be inspired, we need to play and get along. But if all you do is frown and try to force me to sit down, I’ll just run and hide.” page thirty five
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september 2010
Oh. Feeling remorseful and a little bit ashamed, I could see how I had been quite a miserable companion this week. How many evil glances had I shot her way as I ran along on my wild goose chase for great ideas? And no matter how creative I am, there is no way that I can put a positive spin on all those attempts I made to bully her into action as she scurried from one hiding spot to the next. No. I had definitely not been a fun friend to hang out with.
For more humour, inspiration and wisdom from Sylvie, tune into her monthly “Intuitive Cheerleading: No Pom Poms Required” show on RadioLightworker.com!
As I turned my sad, puppy‐dog eyes up to her, readying my very best apology, I was surprised to be met by her grimacing face, tongue sticking out and all! What only moments ago would have been the ultimate insult had suddenly become a wonderful game to help me lighten‐up. And so I pinched her nostrils, yelled, “I’ve got your nose!” and ran off, finally ready, enthused and inspired.
september 2010
Lightworkermag.com
Connect with Sylvie www.cheeriolala.com sylvie@cheeriolala.com Twitter: @sylvie_r Facebook: Cheeriolala
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know:living
know:living The Authenticity Diary:
Inspirational Authenticity Mel Diamond is a passionate advocator of the Indigo cause. She wants to speak out to help and inspire other Indigo adults to become aware of who they are. Mel is a Reiki healer and teacher, sound healer, writer, singer, neo‐pagan and a student of the shamanic arts. We all need a little bit of inspiration. I need it every month to write this column, because without inspira‐ tion nothing creative would ever be achieved. I see inspiration as an extension of our intuition; your own personal muse nudging you towards your own creations whatever form they take, be they physical or ener‐ getic. It’s perpetual too ‐ you create, you inspire others, they create... etc. As I write now I’ve been sitting at my computer for 30 minutes waiting for Lady Inspiration to strike...she looking for inspiration in the midst of one of my ‘too‐hard‐ found me in the end, as always. on‐myself’ mind‐stresses. Luckily, I can spot them and be My inspiration (as always) for this column is me, myself and I; objective about them (at least most of the time), so I take my life as a Lightworking Indigo and how the world appears a quiet moment and connect with the higher me to find out to me. Writing about the issues and events that present what’s really going on and what I need to be doing on the themselves gives me the opportunity to view them in a more earthly plane in order to realign with my authenticity and objective light and perhaps even make fun (or make light!) highest good. The answer this time was that I need to focus of them. Therefore I’m always self‐assessing and checking in on my immediate situation and day‐to‐day reality, and the with the authentic me to see how I’m feeling and doing. This reason I knew this was in alignment with my truth was that it self‐reflection inspires positive action; things I need to do to made me feel good and happy. Usually, I get a sunny feeling keep me on the best possible track. Sometimes you need to in my solar plexus and a little smile on my face. step out and away from ‘stuff’ and observe your life from an objective viewpoint, asking yourself the question “am I be‐ Time, Space and Release ing true to myself?” And the most recent answer for me was “yes, but...”, and where there’s a ‘but’ * snigger * there’s a Realising that you need to make space means letting go, chance to shine that truth‐light on yourself. Consequently, giving up or stepping back from things temporarily, and I’m about to take a 3‐month sabbatical from Lightworker that presents its own challenges. There are fear‐based re‐ Magazine and The Authenticity Diary. It’s something I need actions to negotiate ‐ What will happen if I step away from this? Does anyone actually care? Does anyone actually read to do, in the name of my own authenticity! this anyway? What will people say? Will they be angry with me? Etc etc. You realise that you’re attached to the extent Realignment ‐ This Won’t Hurt a Bit! that there’s an element of possession there. In cases such as In true Indigo style, my dream is to be fully self‐employed these, the best and most constructive action is to release it and self‐sufficient, free from the ties of authority and away lovingly and see what comes. Asking yourself “What’s the from the restriction of the employment system. Therefore, I worst that could happen?” is one way to get there because need to dedicate real time and effort to self‐promotion and you realise that actually you’re not that scared of the worst‐ put positive energy into the task. I need to put down firmer case scenario. The fear then goes away and the feelings of roots and establish more connection to my new home area. possibility and inspiration take its place. And that positive To achieve this, I need to make time and space available to vibration lifts you and attracts more of the same, which is me, myself and I. This realisation came to me when I went not too shabby is it? That in itself is inspiring!
Realising that you need to make space means letting go, giving up or stepping back from things temporarily, and that presents its own challenges
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september 2010
Facing Fears
You can keep in touch with me via Radio Lightworker and my fortnightly ‘Indigo Show’ ‐ listen in and get in touch with So, taking a break from this column is one of the things I’m your thoughts and reactions. For now, wish me luck, love doing in order to make space for new opportunities to enter and light as I stick a tentative toe in the waters of the new. my life, and that ‘new opportunity’ is gainful self‐employ‐ ment, plus the freedom to be me and reap abundant rewards See you in 2011! from that. I now have the challenge of putting myself ‘out there’ in a positive way, which highlights a side of me that I don’t deal with very well: my shy side that worries what other people will think and fears criticism. More silly fear‐ based reactions, which thankfully I can negotiate fairly easily with a short, sharp ‘oh get over yourself and get on with it’, a smile and a wink to myself. Self‐promotion has never been Hear more Indigo and Crystal wisdom from Mel on her a strong point for me and I need to overcome this in order to fortnightly RadioLightworker.com show. progress, otherwise I might as well give up now and go and work in an office again, an option that’s less than appealing. There are other things I want to do as well ‐ read a few books and get to grips with the Law of Attraction is one such ex‐ ample. The LoA is a self‐development path so it really makes you face your blocks to abundance, something that is both exciting and daunting, as it takes you out of your comfort zone again and inspires you to think a different way… So hopefully, I’ll have plenty of exciting and inspiring things to share with you in the New Year!
september 2010
Lightworkermag.com
Connect with Mel www.indigohealing.co.uk www.TheIndigoNetwork.ning.com www.lightworker.posterous.com Twitter ‐ @Indigo_Healing Facebook
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regulars Once Upon a Time... Words of Wisdom Lightworker Loves... Stars and Planets Paulo Coelho The List Featured Lightworker
Once Upon a Time.... Meditation - An Unusual Career Development Tool?
By Sue Blake
Based in Hampton Court, Sue is a writer and communications consultant representing entrepreneurs, experts and authors. Sometimes referred to as ‘the barefoot publicist’ - she loves working barefoot with pristine manicured toes! She’s one of the UKs leading book promoters and an ardant advocate of spiritual practices including meditation.
www.sueblake.com sue@sueblake.com 07966 538108
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In November 1999, I created my own business, www.sueblake.com. An epiphany and a quiet, yet very firm in‐ ner nudge in November 1999 led me to become ‘an accidental entrepreneur’. Why do I give myself this title? Well, I simply did not set out to ‘build a busi‐ ness’ when I left employment in PR. I thought ‘other people’ became business people and it was never an aspiration of mine. Prior to this wake up call, I felt that a shift of some kind was coming, and in readiness I knew I was growing in strength and confidence.
because I cared, was conscientious, wanted to make a difference, and it’s always mattered to me to grow to my potential. Meditation was enabling me to become more focused on what I wanted and needed. I believe it helped me find my calling. It certainly helped organize my thoughts and structure for this big life step!
I believe things happen in our life for a reason, and if this meant stretching me way out of my comfort zone through the work I did ‐ as was the case on many occasions ‐ then I was a willing Meditation and spiritual practices have student! always been a big part of my life and I always had a strong sixth sense. My mo‐ 11 years ago, by listening to my inner tivation and the result of the wake up guidance, honed through several years call was to work with greater passion, of regular meditation, I stepped into a purpose and meaning, and with clients new working life path, and never looked whom I truly resonated with. I always back. I felt ‘supported’ at the time of loved the term ‘therapist’ ‐ feeling that change and knew I would be fine, even this relates to the real me deep inside, though I didn’t have any clients and and in many respects, my working life hadn’t even thought about how I would is being a PR therapist to my clients. get some! I simply let go of what wasn’t working for me anymore, and trusted. Typically, when you are employed in PR Yes, I really trusted and whilst that consultancies there isn’t much choice doesn’t sound a very credible business in the work you do. You get assigned to strategy, it was the right one for me... projects because it’s ‘newbiz’, and whilst Clients started to arrive and there were I enjoyed some amazing experiences, enough to enable me to honour my the majority of the work I did would not desire to be very discerning about what have been my first choice, but I did well work I took on. I did, and still do, look september 2010 Lightworkermag.com
for a ‘heart and mind’ fit‐factor. I remember how calm I felt at the deci‐ sion to go it alone. By taking control of my career I was taking control of my life. If I had not gone with the flow ‐ the wind of change ‐ I wouldn’t be the person I am today. I appreciate what life offers me so much more! I run my business from home and cherish the life/work flexibility this gives me. We can spend more than 100,000 hours at work in our lifetime. Isn’t it utterly important that we do more of what we love and find a way to earn an income from it? Playing to my strengths continues to serve me well. I love every aspect of my job! If I was unfocused and emotionally ‘fuzzy’ or unsure about the business, I doubt I would be wanting to work in high speed digital industry these days.
world to create many books as best‐ sellers in their fields. It’s wonderful to share insights and business ideas, and make clients more famous and visible for what they do. It’s wonderful to con‐ tinually tap into the source of inspira‐ tion, clarity and focus that meditation gives.
11 years later, I look back on what has been an incredible entrepreneurial and life enhancing experience. It’s fabulous to work authentically with people and it’s a joy ‐ a real joy ‐ to work with clients with similar value systems and shared purpose. I don’t settle for less, ever. I’ve always found the people‐element in life so exciting and am now a specialist in profile‐raising for entrepreneurs and experts, author platform development, book promotion and business mentor‐ ing. Meditation has been a wonder‐ I always felt a strong calling to be of ful career development tool AND an service to others and undertook a va‐ amazing tool for creativity, clarity and riety of careers, all of which put me in confidence! My business and personal direct contact with people in positions life transformed because of it. where trust mattered, and in my work today, I am privy to highly confidential I meditate on a regular basis with a information about my clients and their wonderful teacher and group near businesses. It is wonderful to be so Richmond, Surrey, and sometimes lead trusted. I have a stellar client list and the groups. If you want to learn more, learnt so much from my clients, with here are some articles I co‐wrote with many becoming lifelong friends. I work Sonia Wynn‐Jones from Peace of Mind. with publishers and clients around the september 2010 Lightworkermag.com
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WORDS OF WISDOM “The power of imagination makes us infinite.” John Muir
“Life is a big canvas, throw all the paint on it you can.” Danny Kaye
“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant, gor‐ geous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world. There is nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you. We are all meant to shine, as children do. We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us. It’s not just in some of us; it’s in everyone. And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” Marianne Williamson
Lightworker Loves...
F**k It: The Ultimate Spiri‐ tual Way By John C. Parkin If ever there was a book that combines humour, practical sense and spiritual principles, this is it. Don’t let the some‐ what controversial title put you off; this is not a sensationalist rant but a genuinely educa‐ tional, enlightening and wise read. It even spawned a group of ‘F**kiteers’ who accept the natural ups and downs of life by sharing their own version of un‐ PC non‐attachment!
september 2010
Hero
By Maria Carey Yes, “There’s a hero if you look inside your heart, You don’t have to be afraid of what you are. There’s an answer if you reach into your soul, and the sorrow that you know will melt away. And then a hero comes along, with the strength to carry on, and you cast your fears aside, and you know you can survive. So, when you feel like hope is gone, look inside you and be strong, and you’ll finally see the truth, that a hero lies in you.”
Lightworkermag.com
Free Hugs Campaign As they say themselves, “Some‐ times, a hug is all what we need.” Free hugs is a real life contro‐ versial story of Juan Mann, a man whose sole mission was to reach out and hug a stranger to brighten up their lives. It was banned because of public liabil‐ ity, bureaucracy and red tape, but common sense prevailed and now the free hug campaign continues apace!
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Stars And Planets
By Zoe Hind The secret to life is good timing.
By tuning into the energy of the planets we can all live more harmonious lives. Every month I will be choosing a reader question to answer, so email your enquiries about Astrology to astrology@lightworkermag.com
Reader Question What is a Moon sign? There are 3 main parts to your Birth Chart – Sun sign, Moon sign and Rising sign. Zoe works with your own unique birth chart and compares it with the positions of the planets today, revealing and explaining the windows of opportunity that are opening up around you and how to make the most of your time. Her insights help to give you a better understanding of yourself, your purpose, your loved ones, your talents and the best timing for effortless success in all areas of your life. Zoe also provides full chart interpretation services as well as running classes and workshops.
We discussed the Rising sign last month, so now let’s consider the Moon sign. The Moon sign is your inner self; your emotions; your private side. Whereas the Sun sign is easily visible and sometimes guessable as your radiant active force in the world, the Moon sign is much more under‐ cover. Many people do not know what their Moon sign is and this is why they feel at odds when categorised solely by their Sun sign. Although they will associate with many of the attributes of the Sun sign, a hole is left where their intuitive and intimate self is not included. Although you can have the same Sun and Moon sign, most people have different signs for each. This all depends on your time of birth. The delicate interplay between Sun and Moon sign begins to show you a little more about the complexity of your cosmic make‐up and goes a long way to explaining certain moods and phases. Once a month, for a 2.5 day period, the current moon will be in the same sign as your Moon sign. This is a wonderful time when we feel more like ourselves. This time can be used for many empowering purposes. For more information please click here Receive your Personal Lunar Year Reading from Zoe and Plan at ArtOfPositiveLiving. com
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september 2010
b LEO
f SAGITTARIUS
^ ARIES
Self esteem starts with the self. Others cannot hurt your pride if you are proud of who you are. This is the real strength of Leo, not the thorn in his paw. En‐ ergy in your second house of income and values will ricochet around like a pinball. The Full Moon could show you a side of your subconscious previously unexplored as well as a possible wind‐ fall. It’s Win/Win for you.
Your ruling planet Jupiter is in a ret‐ rograde cycle and takes you back to your roots when he joins with the Full moon in Pisces on 23rd. Things that happened in childhood stream back into focus and you may find yourself getting nostalgic. This is a powerful time to challenge any beliefs that you acquired a long time ago but have be‐ come redundant to the new you.
What lies beneath? Mars and Venus in Scorpio speak of commitment and depth. Ready or not, these issues will come out of nowhere and when you least expect them. You could rehearse your platitudes now if you want to avoid hurting feelings later. Either that, or just say “yes”?
c VIRGO
g CAPRICORN
_ TAURUS
When was normal ever memorable? Yes, your birthday month may be up‐ side down and inside out, but if you can let go and see what happens you can always restore order when things calm down. There will be stories to tell later.
Capricorn is one of the few signs that will be holding the Aces this month. Perception and reality are yours and yours alone. You can make great prog‐ ress where others run in circles. There is a feeling of destiny in your world as the North Node approaches Pluto. Ev‐ erything that you have been working so hard for up to this point may begin to take on purpose.
People pop up from the past. Friends and lovers reunite. Time isn’t linear; it’s more like a squiggle. The past is about to happen and you can enjoy making new memories. This is no time to be sensible. Sensible looks like the ridicu‐ lous option this month.
d LIBRA
h AQUARIUS
` GEMINI
Follow the heart or let the head rule? Never known for being decisive, Libra will have two minds in conflict this month. Making a list of pros and cons will not necessarily help as the two sides come out equal. The third option is to do nothing. If time allows, delay. You do not have all the pieces of the puzzle just yet.
Seeing into different dimensions. Sens‐ ing the change in subtle vibrations. Aquarius is adept at both, and with Mercury retrograde in the 8th house of what is hidden, with a little applica‐ tion you will be able to bend time and space. Play with the energies around. Synchronicity, instant manifestation and huge bolts of clarity will result.
Curious and Curiouser… the more you try to walk towards something or someone, the further away you get. As the truth remains annoyingly elusive, maybe take a break and visit fanta‐ syland. They say if you can believe 5 impossible things before breakfast you open up your world to miracles. It’s certainly worth a try.
e SCORPIO
i PISCES
a CANCER
Mars and Venus slip into your sign and things begin to sizzle. Whether your personal life is ramped up a notch or you choose to follow your own passion and creativity, all lights are green. Friends may be acting strangely so be careful with what you say and to whom, as misunderstand‐ ings abound. Secrets will out as tensions rise, but what you learn will serve you well
into the future.
september 2010
This is a big month for Pisces with the Full Moon, Jupiter, Uranus all in your sign. Opposite are the Sun, Mercury and Saturn. That’s 6 out of 9 planets all engaging with you. You may feel torn in two directions until you find a way to blend both opposites. Your Self and your partnerships are up for a review. Try not to make any lasting decisions until the last week of the month. Just observe for now.
Lightworkermag.com
You may not know it yet, but you are the answer. All the signs point to Cancer. Over the summer we have seen grand crosses and eclipses and all manner of epic alignments showing that we need to learn to live from a place of compas‐ sion and caring. Personally, it has been a roller coaster few months for you, but professionally or out in the world, you are needed. Lead by example and you will inspire all around you.
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Stars And Planets continued...
By Zoe Hind September Energy – Virgo Inspiration comes from being ‘In Spirit’. For most of September, the Sun travels through Virgo. Virgo is ruled by Mercury – the Messenger ‐ who brings inspiration from the Gods through us and into real‐ ity. Mercury rules writing, magic, imagination, thoughts and genius. Our brains do not create thought, they process it. When we have an idea, it has come from the ether and travels through us into the world. This is why so many artists call on their muse for creativity and genius is often depicted as a light switching on above the head. (For more on this, listen to Tom Evan’s ‘Moments of Light’ show on RadioLightworker.com. During this Mercury‐ruled month, inspiration naturally runs high and attempts to tune in and flow from our spiritual higher selves will be blessed. Necessity is the mother of Invention and with Mercury Retrograde for most of the month, classic Virgo precision and efficiency may take a little wobble, but the unexpected result could prove more interesting and useful than any practical plan right now. Writing, singing, ideas and all forms of communication are set to be fertile, sud‐ den and surprising. The New Moon in Virgo on 8th September falls in the middle of the Mercury Retrograde phase and whilst a new moon usually opens up a 2 week window for starting afresh, this one will bring things back from the past. Second chances are more likely than new beginnings. We may revise our opinions and judgments on important recent decisions as information comes to light that was previously hid‐ den. The Full Moon on 23rd September is on the cusp of Pisces and Aries. Joined with Jupiter and Uranus, this moon will seem to expand and retract, to wax and wane, at the same time. Confusing to say the least, the best course through will be to enjoy the confusion. Life would be dull if we always understood everything and had all the answers. This is a time to develop our extra sensory perceptions. It could be fun in a weird way! Zoe shares more planetary insights on her mounthly ‘Stars and Planets’ show on RadioLightworker.com
Mars and Venus continue their journey together from relationship centered Libra into the passionate realms of Scorpio where actions speak louder than words…
+44 7984 825928 www.astrozo.com
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september 2010
The Warrior Of The Light
By Paulo Coelho
In Search of the Dream Those who dare having a project in life, foregoing everything to live their Personal Legend, will end up achiev‐ ing anything. The important thing is to keep the fire in your heart and be strong to overcome hard moments. Remember, the desires that are in our souls do not come from the nothing‐ ness; someone put them there. And this someone, who is pure love and only wishes our happiness, only did it because he gave us, together with these desires, the tools to make them happen. The risky climb In the middle of a storm, a pilgrim reaches an inn and the owner asks where he is going. “I’m going to the mountains,” he an‐ swers.
easy to follow it with my body.”
arm to save it?”
What’s the price?
“I don’t know.”
“Is the price of living a dream much “So then, do not try to guide your choice higher than the price of living without through sacrifice. The path is chosen daring to dream?” asked the disciple. by our capacity of compromising with each step we make while we walk.” The master took him to a clothes store. There, he asked him to try on a suit in The Drunkard Disciple exactly his size. The disciple obeyed, and was very amazed at the quality of A Zen master had hundreds of disciples. the clothes. They all prayed at the right time, except one, who was always drunk. Then the master asked him to try on the same suit – but this time a size The master was growing old. Some of much bigger than his own. The disciple the more virtuous pupils began to won‐ did as he was asked. der who would be the new leader of the group, the one who would receive the “This one is no use. It’s too big.” important secrets of the Tradition. “How much are these suits?” the mas‐ ter asked the shop attendant.
On the eve of his death, however, the master called the drunkard disciple and revealed the hidden secrets to him.
“They both cost the same price. It’s just the size that is different.” A veritable revolt broke out among the others. When leaving the store, the master told his disciple, “Living your dream or “How shameful!” they cried in the giving it up also costs the same price, streets, “We have sacrificed ourselves which is usually very high. But the first for the wrong master, one who can’t lets us share the miracle of life, and the see our qualities.” second is of no use to us.” Hearing the commotion outside, the The Search of the Path dying master remarked, “I had to pass on these secrets to a man that I knew “I am willing to leave everything. well. All my pupils are very virtuous, Please, take me as a disciple.” and showed only their qualities. That is dangerous, for virtue often serves to “How does a man choose his Path?” hide vanity, pride and intolerance. That is why I chose the only disciple whom “Through sacrifice. A path that de‐ I know really well, since I can see his mands sacrifice is a true path.” defect: drunkenness.”
The abbot bumped into a bookcase. A Warrior of the Light, a www.paulocoelho.com. very rare vase fell down and the young br publication “Forget it,” says the innkeeper, “it’s a man threw himself to the floor to pick it risky climb, and the weather is awful.” up. He fell the wrong way and broke his arm. But he was able to save the vase. www.warriorofthelight.com/eng “But I’m going up,” answers the pilgrim, “Which sacrifice is greater, to see the Twitter: @paulocoelho “if my heart gets there first, it will be vase breaking down our breaking an page forty nine september 2010 Lightworkermag.com
Next Month’s Edition
Judgement
Use a mirror not a magnifying glass. What we see and judge in others we recognise in our own shadow. Including: ‐ Christine Kane, Under the Spotlight ‐ Beverley Engel digs beneath the surface ‐ Indra Singh shares her salvation from eating disorders through yoga Available from 4th October at lightworkermag.com!
september 2010
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“Just as every town has its local champion, this wonderful world has a Radio station to call its own. Regardless of whether positive living is a new realisation for you, or a long‐cherished way of life, you’re invited to join the community of RadioLightworker.com. Each day, a free dose of inspiration, challenge and education is broadcast online ‐ or downloaded on‐demand ‐ spreading the joy of this amazing way of life across the globe.” Listen and learn more at RadioLightworker.com Click here to subscribe for free to the RadioLightworker podcasts on iTunes.
This month’s featured shows: Music of Light – Sam Joseph “I am a composer of ambient piano works. But when I present Music of Light for Radio Lightworker, I’m just another fan of music. During the first stages of spiritual awakening, I developed an interest in the beautiful subtleties I found in the music of other artists. And I took great pleasure in sharing the things I discovered with friends. It was quite a delight. I also found, especially when playing in a band, that the less well‐known artists seemed to deliver their music with a generosity of spirit, such that it could permeate the heart. So it is not so much with the ‘unsung’ hero I resonate, but with those who are giving, sharing and living their dreams by bring‐ ing their wonderful creations into this world. And it is these people and their music that I wish to share with you. You know, there is Light in all things, least not music.” Transformation 2010 ‐ Chris Robbins “Chris was thrown onto his spiritual path by chance encounters and synchronicity 5 years ago. He became fascinated by stories of true healing and spiritual awakening. Shortly afterwards, he discovered the many predictions and prophecies of 2012 and felt that he was remembering the truth rather than learning something new. For everyone interested in learning more about the future of humankind as we evolve to the long‐proph‐ esied shift of 2012” Jeremy Pfeiffer – A Universal Bazaar “A Universal Bazaar is a chance for me to tell some of the stories that I came across throughout my recent jour‐ neys. I did my best to preserve the integrity of these stories and interviews by presenting them in their lengthy format and with minimal editing. It is my hope that these stories are not the answer to peoples’ questions, but rather inspire and provoke questions. I found much enjoyment in searching through the peaks and valleys of this featured content.“
Created by Lightworkers for Lightworkers, these positive, inspirational and educational products will assist you on your path to joy, freedom and abundance. www.ArtOfPositiveLiving.com
This month’s featured products: The Art Of Inspired Living Video Workshop With Kimberley Jones, The Lightworker’s Lightworker Kimberley Jones is an Energy Intuitive, Master Healer and real life spirit guide with extensive personal experience of the awakening process. ‐ What does it mean to be inspired? Why seek it? ‐ How does Inspiration FEEL to you? ‐ What things inspire YOU? ‐ Gathering your personal ‘Inspiration Tool Kit’ ‐ Daily Inspiration practice ‐ Guided Energy Meditation ‘Tapping the Well‐Spring of Inspiration’ “Living Joyfully” Daily Video Coaching With Sue Stone Receive a daily coaching video 5 times a week from Sue and you will... ‐ Learn and understand why and how this ‘stuff’ really works ‐ Learn how to make the shifts necessary to achieve success, joy and happiness in all areas of your life ‐ Learn powerful techniques to let go of past hurts, bitterness and resentment ‐ Identify and overcome self‐limiting and negative beliefs that have been holding you back and replace them with ‐ Powerful positive ways of thinking that truly will open up a new wonderful way of living for you ‐ Learn techniques to conquer fear, worry, anxiety and self‐doubt all of which hold you back in life ‐ Master the ability to handle your emotions and achieve true inner peace ‐ Learn fantastic ways to overcome stress ‐ Learn to love yourself (self‐acceptance and love is a must!) ‐ Develop your intuition ‐ Meditate to connect with your Higher Self ‐ Achieve clarity of mind and body and revitalise your energy levels. Light Eating By Melanie Diamond Light Eating is a book for Lightworkers who want to start taking more interest in what they eat. Food is our fuel, and what we put into our bodies affects our energy and our ability to shine! With lots of vegetarian and vegan food ideas, this is the perfect e‐book for anyone who is already veggie or vegan and looking for great recipes, and for those who want to eat less meat and need guidance.
Top 20 Most Inspirational Films
The List
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01
IT’S A WONDERFUL LIFE 1946
02
TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD 1962
03
SCHINDLER’S LIST 1993
04
ROCKY 1976
05
MR. SMITH GOES TO WASHINGTON 1939
06
E.T. THE EXTRA‐TERRESTRIAL 1982
07
THE GRAPES OF WRATH 1940
08
BREAKING AWAY 1979
09
MIRACLE ON 34TH STREET 1947
10
SAVING PRIVATE RYAN 1998
11
THE BEST YEARS OF OUR LIVES 1946
12
APOLLO 13 1995
13
HOOSIERS 1986
14
THE BRIDGE ON THE RIVER KWAI 1957
15
THE MIRACLE WORKER 1962
16
NORMA RAE 1979
17
ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO’S NEST 1975
18
THE DIARY OF ANNE FRANK 1959
19
THE RIGHT STUFF 1983
20
PHILADELPHIA 1993 Lightworkermag.com
september 2010
Featured Lightworker
Nelson Mandela
Inspire Nelson Mandela was a natural choice for the Inspiration edition because very few other lightworkers have created such a huge positive impact on a global scale. He symbolises unity, peace and hope in the world, and was instrumental in bringing a new multi‐cultural democracy to the country in 1994. The previous year, he received the Nobel Peace Prize for his tireless contribution to humanity, driven by the belief that “It always seems impos‐ sible until it’s done.” With an 8 life path in numerology, he was destined for the role because his “talent lies with the greater vision, as a visionary with the ability to inspire people to join in the quest.” Challenge Nelson Mandela’s years incarcerated in a South African prison offered him the opportunity to strongly connect with his inner wisdom and life purpose. Others may have shirked the role, yet he took on the challenge and resolved to make a difference in the world. Despite great opposition, he stood firm in his vision for equal respect for all beings, and this passion saw his dreams become reality. In one of his most famous quotes, he how “I learned that courage was not the absence of fear, but the triumph over it. The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.” Educate A firm believer in the power of knowledge, Nelson Mandela advocates, “Education is the most powerful weapon which you can use to change the world.” He spent many years travelling the world to share messages of peace, hope and equality with people of all ages, races and backgrounds. To mark this dedication, the UN General assembly declared July 18th (his birthday) as ‘Mandela Day’. Since his retirement, his primary focus has been on AIDS activism – having suffered the loss of his son in 2005 from the disease – by campaigning, speaking and educating others around the world about the risks and precautions, fuelled by the opinion that “A good head and a good heart are always a formidable combination.”
www.nelsonmandela.org september 2010
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