Conscious life jan 2017

ed’s letter ABOUT US www.childoftheuniverse.co.za PUBLISHER 2Luni Media EDITOR/OWNER Linda Navon 071 346 8138 linda@childoftheuniverse.co.za OUR “Little Boss” Carmen Ché Jardim SUB–EDITOR, NATIONAL SALES & MARKETING Cj Stott Matticks 082 900 1010 candida@childoftheuniverse.co.za NATIONAL ADVERTISING SALES Clinton Stebbing 076 657 4139 clinton@childoftheuniverse.co.za DISTRIBUTION & ACCOUNTS Lee Coulter lee@childoftheuniverse.co.za WRITER & RESEARCH Dani Jardim dani@childoftheuniverse.co.za CONTACT NUMBERS TEL: (011) 462-2900 0110 262 643 0110 468 737 DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in this publication are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the editor, advertisers or endorsers. While every effort has been made to ensure that the contents of this publication are both accurate and truthful, the publisher and editor accept no responsibility for inaccurate or misleading information that may be contained herein.

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Dear Conscious Life Friends As we head into the new year, I hope you take a few minutes to consider ways to get healthy, go green, and simplify your life in the months ahead. I just wanted to give you a ‘food for thought’ post on ways you can change your lifestyle without noticing it too much. These greener home improvements will be relatively easy to make and will help you reduce your carbon footprint in the coming year. Green choices are not always cheap so I have tried to include ways you can save money at the same time. Don’t forget, we only have one planet and one body…let’s take care of them!

We are looking forward to a wonderful 2017 as I am sure you are too. 2016 is gone, and not to be repeated. It was a year of processing and change, now we reap the benefits of all the hard work. I have my wings, just going up the mountain to test drive them! Lol Enjoy your first edition of Conscious Life for this year and we look forward to many editions filled with exciting articles in the months ahead.

Be well, and don’t feel guilty if you have already forgotten your New Resolutions… that’s why we make them.. To start off the year on a positive note and then just keep ploughing forward. Be happy!

With much Love

Linda

Contributing Team & Experts

LISA RALEIGH

LOUISE L. HAY

MARGI McALPINE

PENNI DU PLESSIS

Fitness & Nutritional Expert

Author/Inspirational Speaker

Angel Connection School

Divine Space

HANNA KOK

GILBERT

MICHELLE LESKE

MICHAEL HOWARD

BrainGym

Pets

Egypt Tour Goddess

Wing

ANTHONY WILLIAM

SAMANTHA LEWIS Access Consciousness

DR JOSH AXE

LAUREN CORLETT PR Sunflower Fund

Medical Medium

ROSIE MOTENE

SERGIO SALOTTO

VERONICA HAUPT

JANE MACKENZIE

African Goddess

Crysalid Coach

Re-code Your Life

Heavenly Harmony

LINDA NAVON

Cj MATTICKS

CLINT STEBBING

Editor/Owner

Sub-Editor & Marketing

National Sales Manager

NICOLE MATTICKS DTP Intern

Are you breaking these road rules?

When you’ve been driving for many years you feel confident that you have mastered all the rules of the road, and driving becomes second nature. But, while you may think you’re a great driver, are you guilty of breaking these rules?

1. Using your hooter When you drive on South African roads you constantly hear the beeping of hooters, however most of these people are doing so illegally. You should only use your hooter on a public road when directed to do so or for safety reasons.

2. Traffic circles The rule at a traffic circle is that you give way to vehicles coming from your right, and you can only go when there’s a break in traffic. You also need to use your indicator to show other drivers where you intend going. The confusion is that mini-circles are treated as a four-way stop, so right of way goes to the vehicle that crosses the yield line first.

3. Pedestrian crossing In South Africa, the number of pedestrian fatalities is incredibly high and it’s up to both pedestrians and drivers to be more vigilant. When you approach a pedestrian crossing, it’s your responsibility to slow down and stop if needs be, so the pedestrian can cross the road. No other vehicle can pass you if you have stopped to let a pedestrian cross the road.

4. Traffic lights When you see a traffic light turning amber do you speed up to get through the intersection before it turns red? If your answer is yes, then you’re in the wrong. What you should do when the light turns from green to amber, is slow down, so that you can perform a safe stop at the intersection.

5. Temporary speed limits When you see temporary road signs and speed limits (such as areas where road works are underway) these aren’t simply recommendations that can be ignored. These signs are legal and take the place of the permanent laws and so they must be obeyed.

It’s up to all drivers to know and abide by the rules of the road, so that you don’t put yourself, your passengers and other road users at risk. Lead by example and always be alert in case other road users are not.

Mrs South Africa (Pty) Ltd is the number one pageant and female empowerment program for married women in South Africa. It is not a beauty pageant in the traditional sense of the word.

Mrs South Africa is truly a life-changing journey for the women who enter this renowned empowerment program. Mrs South Africa delegates are between the ages of 25-49 years of age and are mature, driven, ambitious and most of all real, relatable women who strive to be the best versions of themselves. They are wives, in some cases mothers, some are entrepreneurs and most are change makers, some are business women and others home makers, but they all want the best for their families and their community. They are brave, bonafide superwomen.

The opportunity and platform that Mrs South Africa creates for these women is significant in every way and truly creates a ripple effect across our beautiful country.

Through the journey of Mrs South Africa, women find themselves again and learn that you are never too old to follow your dreams and be the voice of change.

The company has seen tremendous growth in recent years under the guidance of well known business woman and entrepreneur, CEO Joani Johnson, and her management team who are all experts in their fields.

Joani Johnson : “Mrs South Africa started out as a professional challenge for me.

Today it is my vocation. While changing women, we have changed ourselves, while empowering others, we have become empowered and while teaching others, we have learnt so much. I recently read a quote which really resonated with me: I am here to support women until the day I die. And that is what we do at Mrs South Africa” Also see “A Day in the Life of Mrs SA”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nm46MSwAQ

Entries are officially open now for 2017!

Check out the new www.mrssouthafrica.co.za website and enter online: http://www.mrssouthafrica.co.za/welcome/index.php/entry-form

The next Schwarzkopf Professional Mrs South Africa could be you!

Michael Jackson Earth Song

Michael Jackson Heal The World

Michael Jackson They don’t care about us

USA FOR AFRICA We Are The World

Conscious Life Magazine

Conscious Life Magazine

By Lisa Raleigh

Motivation to get moving can be tough after the holidays. If you’re ready to make a change but aren’t sure where to start, here are a few pointers to steer you in the right direction:

Conscious Life Magazine

Manage Your Attention, Not Your Time

By Jeremy Hunter

With so many stimuli competing for attention, any hope for making it through the day without our brains feeling like scrambled eggs rests on being more conscious of how you parse attention over specific tasks. Here are three ways to keep your focus flowing.

Make Attention a Priority My previous post explored what attention is and why it’s important to both quality of life and fundamental effectiveness. Attention is the basic resource or energy you have to invest in your experience. You are what you attend to. It’s that simple.

Let’s go “Big Picture” for a moment. Managing attention has not been on our radar screens because until recently most of us took it for granted. Education has largely emphasized skills for thinking and underemphasized, or ignored altogether, the skills of attending, seeing, and perceiving (let alone feeling).

Look at what gets cut from school budgets when times are tough: Arts, sports, and music are the domains that cultivate perception, focus, and their relationship to performance. For good or for ill, we are an “I think therefore I am” culture. Given that, it’s easy to see how even the so-called “well-educated” can overlook attention.

“At the end of the day, my brain feels like scrambled eggs!” admitted Phil, an attorney at whose firm I teach. He, like many, was living out the effects of what it means to not prioritize attention in the workday. When distractions abound how do you find focus to get something done?

A New Way to Think about What “Well-Educated” Means Management philosopher Peter F. Drucker understood that going forward truly educated (and effective) people “will need trained perception fully as much as analysis.” In a quickly-changing world, effective people will need to clearly see as much as clearly think. The starting point of this is managing attention and focus. So many stimuli compete for attention, any hope for effectiveness rests on being more conscious of how you use it alone and together with others.

This series of posts intends to create the talking points for you to have a conversation with those you work and live with to make a priority around attention. The more you do that, the better able you will be to stay true to your goals, perform toward your best, and engage the world in a meaningful way.

1. Manage Attention Not Time People tend to think managing time forms the foundation for able action. Even Drucker thought, “Time is an executive’s scarcest and most precious resource.” However, I believe this is a misperception. Who actually can manage time? Can you make the future come faster or return to the past? Unless you’re a sci-fi hero, no. What people actually do in the flow of time is manage attention.

For example, Phil may block off several hours to work on a case, but if he spends those hours obsessing over baseball stats, we say he mismanaged his time. In reality, his attention wasn’t where it needed to be. No one manages time. We manage our attention.

This point may seem like nitpicking, but I believe it is vital because it gives you a lever you can actually pull. What follows are real-life strategies developed by my students and clients that have worked for them.

So many stimuli compete for attention, any hope for effectiveness rests on being more conscious of how you use it alone and together with others.

.2. Name Your Priorities This sounds simple, but I’ve observed that we don’t name them frequently enough. All too often, we allow the momentum of whatever we’ve been doing to make our decisions for us.

Habits are great as long as they’re serving our true intentions or a situation’s real needs.

Otherwise, we wake up and go through the motions while missing the important things.

So, the first and most essential step is knowing what your intentions are. Ask yourself: “What’s vital for me to put energy on right now”?” or “Is this the best use of my energy?” These questions can help clarify what’s essential. Intentions also help to say “no” to the less important (but perhaps more urgent). Clarifying intentions brings greater direction to investing energy.

Ask yourself these questions to clarify your priorities: What are you doing to prioritize your day and develop an action plan when you are inevitably interrupted?

What is okay to say “no” to?

How will you handle interruptions when they arise?

Do you hold an assumption that you must respond to any interruption?

Are you afraid you will be disliked/unloved/fired if you fail to respond immediately to an email?

I’ve consistently found that people have far more latitude in saying no or “later” to incoming requests than they realize.

Priorities apply both to the short- and long-term. In the moment, it means choosing where attention should focus right now. Finish this memo due tomorrow or look-up that Yoda quote you can’t quite recall?

In the long run, where we put our attention is central to a sense of meaning and purpose. Is Phil’s diversion into baseball stats and not writing law briefs a sign that maybe he’s bored with being a lawyer? Is there something else he’d rather be doing?

Habits are great as long as they’re serving our true intentions or a situation’s real needs.

Otherwise, we wake up and go through the motions while missing the important things.

3. Conduct an Attention Audit to Improve Focus Knowing where attention should go isn’t going to help if you can’t stay there. Distractions destroy focused attention. While I’m not convinced it’s possible to entirely remove them, it is possible to make great strides in creating an environment that promotes and protects attention.

Look at your environment and what is there to support focus or hinder it. Evelyn, a frustrated marketing executive, looked at her workspace through the lens of attention. She immediately noticed that the office copy machine was placed outside her door. The dots connected. She was frustrated because while waiting for their copies, her well-intentioned colleagues would stick their head in her door and chat. This happened several times an hour and she could rarely find focused flow. Eureka! A phone call to facilities to move the machine and she finally enjoyed a day of satisfying concentration.

Look around, what can you do right now? Do you work in an open office environment? What signals can you send that say, “Don’t bother me?”

These steps are only the beginning. Each of these strategies can be built out and expanded upon. The next post will dive into deeper detail.

Remember, be patient with yourself as you start this process. These essential skills take time to cultivate and explore to find the strategies that help each of us stay effective in turbulent times.

Dubbed the Monday of months, January will offer no apologies for throwing you into the deep end when it comes to financial damage control. Recovering from December’s impulsive spending from a paycheque from the same month’s going to prove a little demanding on your part. Doing it on your lonesome is no longer an option with Money Savvy Kids (MSK) as your secret weapon / sidekick. Here are some finance tips that will give your financial skills a workout.

Face the Music It’s time to bow out of the world of smoke and mirrors and enter reality once again. Before doing anything else, it is important to delve, head first, into your entire financial situation. Making a list of all of your debts, payment due dates and the timeframe in which you would like to pay down your debt is the only way to see where you financially stand for the new year.

Reviewing your monthly reoccurring expenses like your DSTV subscription bill will ensure that you get the most bang for your buck. Determine whether you really are watching all the channels you’re paying for and downgrade for a month or two, until you feel on more stable ground financially.

Stop spending like there’s no tomorrow This will be as easy as the New Year’s resolution you made to go to gym four times a week.

Conscious Life Magazine

Resolving yourself and your family to a financial diet is essential to getting your finances on the track to catching up on any extra debt you incurred during the December holidays. Using all the rewards accumulated during the holiday spending sprees for groceries for January will also help in cutting any extra expenses and make a big difference in your budget.

A Few Mini Ideas: How You Can Start Cutting Down on Your Expenses Year Round 1. Carpool to work with colleagues. Filling up your tank every other day at the petrol station will cost you hundreds of Rands you cannot afford to part with.

Filling up all those empty seats in a colleague's car, however, will save you money instantly while reducing all the traffic that we all know is a constant irritation.

2. Make coffee at home. Being a coffee enthusiast comes at a hefty price. Buying a travel mug and filling

it with your own brew of coffee will wake you up at a fraction of the price and leave your bank balance with one extra zero.

3. Take advantage of free leisure activities. Instead of spending money on movie tickets or eating out twice a week, invite your friends for a girls’ day in or take the kids to the park for a fun day as a family.

If you are looking back and stressing over how much you’ve spent just in the December month, you are not alone. While you can’t undo all the financial damage in one day, you will see big changes in the months that will follow. Give your financial skills a workout and enjoy a money savvy life.

Keep reading our monthly articles for more tips and tricks to get you back to financial health.

kathryn@moneysavvykids.co.za

Conscious Life Magazine

By Margi McAlpine

There are many who go through life without any dreams, desires or ambitions. Life is just a dreary pattern of getting up in the morning, dragging themselves through the day and falling into bed at night.

There is no joy, no love and certainly no hope either in themselves or the future.

There is no meaning to life and often the cycle that they exist in ( for they do not live; they merely exist!) can often be simply for material things and sometimes just a means of actual survival.

As we start a new cycle with the start of the New Year is a good time to take stock of what is actually happening in our lives and to make decisions and resolutions to change what no longer serves us or what no longer works for us.

This is therefore a wonderful opportunity to step into new and exciting things which are not only for your highest good but also for the highest good of those around you and ultimately the highest good of the Planet and mankind as a whole.

You now have to step back and assess whether you have dreams and desires or not! Your life will be so much more fulfilled and rich when you have dreams that you wish to achieve and that you wish to bring into reality. Step out of the box that you have confined yourself and your imagination to and allow yourself to understand that there are no limitations! You may have whatever it is that your heart desires (as long as it is for your highest good and the highest good of those around you).

However before you can actually make your dream a reality you need to know what it is that you actually desire. You cannot manifest if you do not know what you want to create!

It is a time to reach for the stars and to actually make concrete the dreams that you have.

There are those that will tell you that resolutions are made to be broken and many never get past the first couple of weeks without breaking the promises that they have made to themselves. This might often be the case but then you should take the opportunity of assessing whether the resolution was actually good for you and perhaps it could have been brought in using a different method or format that would actually work and enable you to move forward.

You also need to understand the difference between dreams, desires and ambitions.

Dreams are things that are not concrete and something that others might ridicule or think you have no chance of actually achieving. However it is by striving to achieve your dreams that you are able to reach your full potential of who and what you as a Spiritual Being are actually able to achieve. The great man Walt Disney said “If you can dream it you can do it!� and then proceeded to build an empire that was based on fantasy and dreams allowing people (not only children) to once again access their inner child and experience magic and mystery!

Desires are more concrete than dreams. They are generally things that we wish to bring into our material and physical lives so that we are more comfortable and are able to experience the physical in a more acceptable way. Desires do not always impact on your Spirituality unless it is the desire to become a holistic Being by integrating Body, Mind and Soul to advance your selfdevelopment and hasten your Ascension process.

Ambitions are always important as they give you a purpose. It enables you to strive for more and better. As humans we need to be careful that the ambition is not just materially driven but that it includes our Spiritual aspect and growth. Nothing stays stagnant and so you need to learn to allow yourself the growth that is needed to become who you actually are.

These three things combined allow you to become amazingly powerful individuals who understand who and what you are as well as your self-worth and personal self-esteem. It allows you to understand that you are a Spiritual Being experiencing a life time in a physical body but that your true essence of who and what you actually are never dies but continues to live in light and love long after you have discarded your mortal coil.

Over the years, I have met many dark shadows within myself-the traumatised child, the enraged teenager, the party-girl, the workaholic, the iron-woman, the serial care-giver‌ shadows that have masked painful truths and festered open wounds. For I was determined to do good and help others, while artfully avoiding myself. As a school teacher for eleven years, I met thousands of children and their parents around the world, who reminded me that alongside Literacy and Numeracy, I stepped into my classroom each day, to teach Love. Suddenly I awoke to my deeper wisdom and embraced the path of a renunciant, serving as a healer in SE Asia and India for several joyous, liberating and deluded years. Deluded, for there was a moment that I was still avoiding. Despite the transformation work, life-long yoga and meditation practices, intuitive healing abilities and free-spiritedness‌there was a moment locked away in the recesses of my mind that revealed itself through the gift of working with children and the blessing of mindfulness and meditation training.

Pausing, breathing and healing. Feeling feet on the floor and wind on the skin, while mind churned up muck and mud, being with the child who wanted to escape and the woman who could never ever save her. So here I am-holding the most terrified, traumatised, diseased and disgusting part of myself with the gentleness, love, care and kindness I learned to offer children as a school teacher, and found I could offer myself.

Conscious Life Magazine

Picture: Juanita Naidoo Rea, Earth Expo, Monte Casino, Johannesburg, 2016

Here I am-in a South Africa desperate for love and healing where at least 3 million children in SA are affected by toxic stress and experience loss of development potential and an estimated 21 South Africans commit suicide daily, with stress being a significant contributing factor.

The eduSOIL Holistic Stress Reduction Clinic at Mediclinic Morningside is our flagship facility in SA, where we nurture the mental & emotional health of

children and adults through holistic stress reduction with mindfulness, yoga & change making programmes. Since 2011, eduSOIL has nurtured 7850 children and adults, in 7 countries through holistic development programmes and coming home to South Africa, I have come home to myself, pausing, breathing healing-rediscovering the child within and helping others to do so too through 1: 1 consultations, 8 week courses, weekly classes and retreats.

Biography and Contact Info Juanita Naidoo Rea is a former school teacher & founder of eduSOIL Education Consultancy a hybrid social enterprise nurturing the mental and emotional health of children and adults through mindfulness, yoga and change making. She has practiced Sivananda Yoga and meditation since childhood and is a certified Yogabeez Foundations teacher. Her mindfulness training include Mindfulness Based Stress Reduction, Mindfulness Based Cognitive Therapy (Centre For Mindfulness Research and Practice), paws.B (UK) and Mindful Schools (US). Juanita has received several awards for her work in bringing mindfulness based interventions to at risk children and youth in SE Asia, India and SA. www.edusoil.com Email: enquiry@edusoil.com Contact: 079 3377 432 With every best wish, Juanita Naidoo Rea Founder, Director, eduSOIL LifeCo UnLtd Enterprizer (2016) Spark* Changemaker (2015) http://www.edusoil.com/ Pictures: Clockwise from the top: Yoga & Mindfulness workshop, Belly Delly Day Care, Johannesburg, 2016; Holistic Study Skills Workshop, Mumbai, India, 2016; Mindfulness & Yoga Session, EduWeek, Johannesburg, 2016; Yoga & Mindfulness classes, Streetlight School, Jeppe, Johannesburg, 2016

Conscious Life Magazine

By Hanna Kok

If you look back on 2016, how different was it from 2015? Was it just another same old, same old year? Or was it radically better? If we want to ensure that 2017 is not going to be a “more of the same year", then we need to start doing things differently. What is the definition of insanity? Doing the same thing and expecting different results.

Conscious Life Magazine

Many of us spend a lot of time and money on our external appearance. How about doing the same for our internal wellbeing?

There is so much information out on the web. You can find videos and programs on all subjects.

Use Google to find ideas to what you can do. Start watching inspirational videos.

If you struggle to take action, then it is important to listen to what you are saying to yourself about this situation.

What sabotaging beliefs do you have?

If you cannot motivate yourself, why not get some professional help. Get someone to assist you to make big jumps and create real and lasting changes. How about getting a coach, go to a Brain Gym practitioner, a Theta Healing practitioner or someone else of your choice.

If you want 2017 to be a different experience, you need to do things differently!

Start today!

Have fun and take some risks.

Hanna Kok - Inner-Wellbeing Strategist Author of “Happy Ever After, Make your relationships flourish� http://www.thelife-youwant.com

Conscious Life Magazine

Synchronicity Happens For A Reason There Are No Accidents And No Coincidences

Revealing Synchronicity — The Science Behind Coincidence Have you stumbled upon an old friend? Seeing someone doing the same thing or speaking the same words as you? Or maybe experienced an accident? Are you thinking ‘Oh! What a coincidence!’ or ‘I could skip accidents like this…’ Well, you shouldn’t, because every single coincidence brings a message to you. In fact, there are no coincidences and accidents — there’s only synchronicity, and everything happens for a reason.

The truth is, everything in our life is linked. From the past, to the present and future — every single coincidence or accident we stumble upon is linked. No matter how small or big of a movement is, it is all about synchronicity.

Whether you feel like you are having a perfect day and everything goes smoothly, or experience a bad period in which ‘a lot of coincidences happen,’ the universe is sending you a message. People and things happening in an exact moment is nothing but synchronicity and, fortunately, there is a way to accept it.

Do you know the saying “When the student is ready, the master appears”?

That is exactly how synchronicity is explained. Whenever you are synchronized with something you truly want, you are more likely to meet that thing, which is why similar people meet ‘accidentally’. The thing is, they are tuned in to the exact same frequency, and synchronicity does its best to match them.

Yes, There Is A Way To Create Synchronicity Now that you understand how the spiritual sync works, it’s time to tell you that…

YOU CAN CREATE SYNCHRONICITY. - ‘How on Earth do I do that?’, you may be asking yourself.

Well, synchronicity works best for people who believe it to be true. So, for starters, you should believe in it and stop saying that every event is an accident or a coincidence. The thing is, if you are saying this, you are sending a weak spiritual signal to the universe, as opposed to the strong signal that the universe sends you by syncing everything around you.

By understanding synchronicity and seeing things not as an ordinary, but a committed person, you are able to connect more deeply with your inner sync, and actually don’t work hard to make the things you want happen.

Instead, you will just believe in them and let them happen, without any force whatsoever.

So, let’s face it…

Synchronicity is just like a mirror and whatever you commit to and believe in, will reflect back to you.

That being said, if you agree with the law of syncing, you will be able to connect deeply and send strong messages on a spiritual level. Aside from this, you will be a better person, more confident and committed towards every action you bring.

In a nutshell, understanding synchronicity translates to establishing harmony in everything that you seek — and being ‘consciously aware’ of everything happening around you.

Turning The Tide – And See Chances Work For You instead Of Against You If you have ever heard of the Murphy’s Law and believe in it, you are on a good way to understanding synchronicity. Yes, it’s a common fact that when something goes wrong, it may just continue going wrong over time.

The idea behind this is that synchronicity can also work against you. However, if you expect bad things to happen and continue believing in the Murphy’s Law, you are syncing with your inner negativity.

The Science Behind The Chance Meeting — Not A ‘Coincidence’ Bumped into someone somewhere? Thinking it’s a coincidence, luck or chance? The real answer in this ‘accident’ is the science of chance meeting. Moreover, it is the reason for something to happen. There is always a reason and a connection to see someone and experience something. Coincidence is only an illusion.

Our past, present and future are all linked. And although we may not understand everything that happens to us, there is always a reason — and that reason becomes apparent at some point in time.

A Final Word You can start notice synchronicities with people, numbers, events etc. Remember to accept synchronicity in its real form, as a way of spiritual and universal intelligence constantly trying to teach us, reach us and share love, support and guidance.

Learn to be open to synchronicity and start living a meaningful life!

”Synchronicity is an ever present reality for those who have the eyes to see.”

Carl Jung

workshops, courses & training

About the Course The NLP Practitioner Certification Training is an experiential, fun-filled and life transforming course which enables participants to fully understand and utilize the powerful technology of Neuro-Linguistic Programming for their own personal growth, development and achievement, as well as in their own professional and work situations.

Dates, Venue and Fees Dates: One weekend a month for ten months, starting on the 11th February 2017, and every 2nd weekend of the month thereafter. (The Group will agree on alternative dates in the event of School or Public Holidays)

Venue: 305 Long Avenue, Randburg, 2194 Times: 09:00 – 17:00 Saturday and Sunday Lunch: 12:30 – 13:30 Please bring your own lunch. Tea, coffee and biscuits will be provided Fee: R26 000 per delegate, (VAT not applicable), including course manual. Terms available

Registration For fast registration contact Jimmy Kyriacou on: Cell: 082 570 4483 E-mail: jimmy@inlp.co.za Web site: www.inlp.co.za Please Note: In order to secure a place, advanced booking is essential, with a 10% deposit (R2600) upfront. In order to secure the Venue bookings close at the end of March.

The Cutting Edge Institute Home of Transformational Coaching, Training and Consulting in: Neuro-Linguistic Programming Neuro-Semantics Ericksonian Hypnosis Integral Philosophy And Leadership Development And what about the “i” in inlp? “i” Stands for Integral and refers to the valuable AQAL framework of the 21st Century genius Philosopher, Ken Wilber, which is integrated into all inlp interventions.

What is NLP? NLP is a proven technology for personal achievement that helps people to understand themselves and those around them more fully, in such a way as to maximize personal growth and excellence.

Technically, NLP is the study of human excellence. NLP seeks to understand the natural learning processes of how great achievers use their minds to produce excellent results. Varied occupations such as managers and therapists, teachers and nurses, athletes and artists, can all benefit from the technology NLP has to offer in their particular profession or passion. What are the thinking patterns that successful people use in the pursuit of their activities, their passion and their mission in life?  How do people who are so good at what they do become so good and maintain that level through time?  How are great communicators able to communicate so effectively?  What are the decision and motivation strategies necessary for effective leadership, management, relationships, and parenting?  What makes it possible for natural athletes and other super performers to achieve such a high level of excellence?

If you’ve ever wondered about these questions, and would like to have the skills that make excellence possible, then this training is for you.

What You Will Learn Awakening the Senses: We organise what we see, hear and feel through our senses into our own distinctive model of the world. Discover how to do this in a way that most enables you to discover your strengths and abilities.

Identifying Non-Verbal Clues: Linguists have long known that as much as 80% of communication is non-verbal. Develop your ability to effectively identify unconscious signals communicated by others.

Creating Rapport and Strong Relationships: Creating meaningful personal relationships is important in all areas of life. Success can be hollow indeed if other people are not enriched by their experience of you as a person. Discover powerful ways to relate to people in a way that acknowledges their (and your) deepest values.

Utilising the Magic of Language: The ability to use language to maximum effect to clarify misunderstandings, solve problems and establish what you and others really want in a particular situation is of immense value. Discover how to use NLP’s powerful Meta-Model of language to enhance your verbal communication with others, and in your own self-talk.

Determining Outcomes and Setting Goals: Authentic power comes from knowing what you want and how to set goals in a way that is right for you and anyone else affected by them.

You will learn a set of skills that empower you to focus on possibilities rather than limitations and then take action.

Enhance Your Emotional Intelligence (EQ): EQ is widely becoming acknowledged as a more important contributor to success and happiness than talent or hard work. NLP’s Anchoring techniques will awaken your emotional awareness and enable you to easily and genuinely transform emotional states into resources.

Changing Behaviour in Ways That Last: Many approaches to behaviour change assume that it is a difficult and tedious process. Discover ways to change behaviour that address the thinking patterns behind them and lead to genuine long-term change. Learn how to deal with fears and phobias that may have been holding you back from achieving what you want.

The Power of Ericksonian Hypnosis: Experience and use natural hypnotic techniques based on the pioneering work of Milton H. Erickson M.D. in ways that evoke powerful unconscious resources conversationally. This style of hypnosis is open-ended, indirect and highly respectful.

How to Use the Strategies Model of Thinking: Important everyday thinking processes such as getting motivated, making decisions and learning are often regarded as a given. In fact, however, there are effective and ineffective ways of doing each of them. NLP has modeled thinking strategies that you can discover, learn and teach for yourself.

About your trainer

Jimmy Kyriacou is a former Advocate of the Supreme Court of South Africa, whose life was powerfully impacted by his discovery of NLP in 1987.

Wanting to contribute more significantly to empowering people to realize their full potential, he made the shift from the practice of law, to management consulting and training, in 1991.

He was certified as a NLP Trainer, by NLP co-developer Richard Bandler, in 1993 and has presented NLP trainings to many people since then. In 2001 he was certified as a Trainer in the cutting-edge NLP innovation of Neuro-Semantics, by its developer, Michael Hall, and as a Meta Coach in 2004.

In his consulting work, Jimmy has specialised in the areas of Strategy, Performance Management and Leadership Development. He has also been involved in a number of Modeling Projects of excellent performers in business.

Jimmy has read and studied widely in numerous fields. In addition to his Legal degrees, he holds an Honours degree in Philosophy, and a Post Graduate Diploma in Management from a leading international university. Jimmy recently attained a MPhil Degree in Spirituality, graduating with Honours. He is a long-time practitioner of meditation and other forms of contemporary spirituality.

In his training, consulting and counselling work, Jimmy brings a high level of insight, integrity and compassion, and is known for his respectful commitment to assisting people in the fulfillment of their noblest dreams.

SPIRITUAL TEACHER TRAINING COURSE 2017 I am delighted to announce that the next Teacher Training course is from 3rd to 16th March 2017 at The Angel Warehouse, Spirit of Amberfield, Rheenendal (near Knysna).

Are you ready to change your life forever and in the process assist others by enlightening and empowering them? Do you feel that this is your Divine Life Path, helping to spread the light to others and accelerating your own personal growth? If this is the case then this life changing Teacher Training course is for you!

The course emphasises your own self-development which is so very important, and I will share my extensive knowledge and experience with you, enabling you to become the Amazing Being that you truly are!

I take pride in inviting you into our sacred and very special space where you will be nurtured and supported whilst you grow and learn. This beautiful country venue offers a special and safe place to focus your attention and listen to the longing of your own soul, allowing you to grow and do your own self-development. This experience is unique and a special gift that you give yourself whilst you are preparing to go out and spread the light.

Participants will do the Initiation Module and Angel Connection Module with an option of doing the Ascension Connection Module.

This course is for those that are passionate, motivated and committed to working with the Angels and Ascension and wanting to pass their knowledge and passion onto others so that they too are empowered and enlightened.

You do not have to be very experienced in your Spiritual abilities, but must be working from the heart with enthusiasm and integrity. Academic qualifications are not important. Your own personal self-development and the desire and passion to pass this onto others, is what counts.

ABOUT THE SPIRITUAL TEACHER TRAINING COURSE This course will:  Give you the confidence, expertise and skills to organize and facilitate a group or workshop in a professional manner.  Teach you to facilitate visualisations for groups and individuals as well as meditations and exercises to use in your workshops.  Allow you to bring in the Angels and Ascended Masters to enhance your connection to the Spirit World and be able to teach others to do the same.  Powerful energies such as the Mahatma Energy, The Antakarana, The Lightbody, The Monad plus many more will be taught to speed up the Ascension process of yourself and others.  Provide you with powerful techniques to develop your channelling abilities transmute energies and enhance your healing abilities.  Allow you to go within for personal development and advancement on your spiritual journey in a safe environment with expert support and assistance.

Angel Connection will present the course under the auspices of THE ANGEL CONNECTION SCHOOL OF AFRICA. Course content will be strictly in accordance with that prescribed by the ACSOA. The Angel Connection School of Africa is delighted to announce that there will be a bursary available for those who would like to do the course but are unable to afford it. Please contact Margi for more information and application forms. Terms and conditions apply.

Places are limited.

DATES: 3rd to 16th March 2017 FACILITATOR: Margi McAlpine BOOKINGS AND INFORMATION: Margi on 082-563-7422 or margi@angels.za.com Visit: www.angels.za.com

MAKE ANGELS PART OF YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE!

contact@sergiosalotto.co.za mobile +27(0)82 412 3524 or +27(0)11 704 2284

ACCESS BARS This therapy defrags your brain, leaving you relaxed, refreshed, renewed and more creative. Anyone of any age can attend this 1 ½ day training.

The teachings are truly life changing and takes a new perspective on how to manage your life.

25 & 26th February 2017 Times: Saturday 9.30 – 5.00 + Sunday 9.30 – 1.00 ACCESS YOUR BODY – Individual Body processes Access body processes support any healing modality. Each one is a half day training. I recommend attending Bars training first. Join them all or choose which interest you, each one is a stand-alone process:

21 January 2017 – Elimination of toxic amalgams 18 February – Entity clearing April -TBA COLOUR INITIATIONS This is a brand new series of teachings that explores colour in a whole new way. We will immerse ourselves in one colour a month – working through the dimensions of each, from the heaviness of the 3rddimensional aspect of the colour, through the 5th dimensional Light Matrix energy and finally allowing the Angelic support of the Angels of Illumination. This workshop helps you to truly understand colour and its potential, and will be an experiential journey where you feel it and integrate it on many different levels.

4th February 11th March 22nd April 27th May 24th June

– Red – Orange – Yellow – Green – Blue

Times: Saturdays 9.00 – 5.00

BELIEVE IN YOURSELF!!

MARGI WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR A LIMITED NUMBER OF PRIVATE SESSIONS ON THE 1st AND 3rd FEBRUARY 2017. ONLY A FEW SLOTS STILL AVAILABLE SO PLEASE CONTACT HER ON 082-563-7422 OR margi@angelconnection.co.za for availability!

(THERE WILL BE TWO SESSIONS TO ACCOMMODATE EVERYONE. PLEASE BOOK EARLY AS PLACES ARE LIMITED!) So many go through life thinking that they are not good enough or being conditioned by others to believe that they do not have any self-worth. This has a negative impact on every area of their lives and never allows them to actually reach their full potential which is so sad! ! At this workshop Margi of Angel Connection will help you to deal with these issues with understanding and unconditional love.

She will share her vast experience with you and give you the tools to change yourself and your life and assist you to resolve this. This workshop will enable you to understand who you are and how amazing and special you truly are! She will also facilitate a powerful visualisation bringing in Archangel Michael which will assist you to lift your vibration and remove any blockages that are holding you back.

At this workshop you will learn about: •Who and what you really are •Self-Worth •Courage to believe with Archangel Michael •Useful exercises to clear your blockages •Powerful visualisation to shift your vibration

FACILITATOR: Margi McAlpine DATE: 4th February 2017 TIME: 2pm to 5pm OR DATE: 5th February 2017 TIME: 10am to 1pm VENUE: Shanti Sanctuary, 2 Eddy Avenue Bedfordview Johannesburg (Please note this is a shoe free zone so bring socks or slippers to wear inside) INVESTMENT: R395 per person. Pensioners or full-time students R250 per person Tea, Coffee, light refreshments and notes included.

BOOKINGS : Contact Margi on 082-563-7422 or Email margi@angelconnection.co.za for more details and booking forms. You can also pay via credit card.

Books, CD’s, Cards and other angelic items will be available. Credit card facilities and Snapscan are also available. We will once again be collecting for the animals. Food, blankets or monetary donations will be gratefully accepted.

ANGEL CONNECTION ALSO OFFERS: •Spiritual Teacher Training •Angel Readings •Telephonic/Skype Angel Readings •Reiki •Egyptian Healing •Spiritual Counselling •Past Life Regression.

MAKE ANGELS PART OF YOUR EVERYDAY LIFE!!

BOOK HERE

With the start of a new year it is important to reflect back on the prior year, assess what went well, what didn’t and decide where you want to go next

By Diane It takes a lot of mental toughness, self-love, and discipline to create the life you want. Simply coasting along on cruise control reacting to life can lead to victim mentality and stagnation. Dr. Sanam Hafeez PsyD, a NYC based licensed clinical psychologist, teaching faculty member at the prestigious Columbia University Teacher’s College and the founder and Clinical Director of Comprehensive Consultation Psychological Services shares some key ways to get mentally fit for the new year so you can move forward successfully.

6 Ways to Get Mentally Fit for The New Year Clear clutter Look at your surroundings. If you have junk drawers galore, a messy car, countertops and cabinets that are full of stuff you don’t even use, it is time to clear the clutter. According to Dr. Hafeez, “cluttered spaces reflect a cluttered mind. If you want to wipe the slate clean to allow room for new people and circumstances that serve you, you must get your mind clear. Many of my patients who describe themselves as anxious, stressed or even depressed say better when they start clearing up their physical space.”

they feel

Exercise a little bit Dr. Hafeez who also helps people overcome body image issues encourages aiming for smaller attainable wins. “People set high fitness goals for the new year and then fall off after a month or less. This leaves their self esteem shot which is when self loathing and depression can sneak in.”

She advises setting a reachable daily goal of perhaps walking 10,000 steps per day. There are step-counting apps available to measure how much you walk and they add up quickly. “When you see accomplishment on a daily basis you stick with it, this sets your mind in a positive direction,” says Dr. Hafeez.

Eat mind-boosting foods Being mentally fit also has to do with how well our minds work. A loss of memory or the ability to concentrate or focus can easily shift with an improved diet. “Research finds that along with other benefits, foods rich in Omega-3, such as some fish and nuts, as well as those full of antioxidants can help protect the brain from memory decline.” So eating more fish such as salmon and add fruits such as blackberries and blueberries to your diet can help. The good news is that brain boosting foods include delicious options such as chocolate, guacamole (avocados) and sunflower seeds.

Color The adult coloring book bandwagon is a good one to jump on. According to Dr. Hafeez coloring requires total focus on the present. The repetitive motion of coloring provides relief from stress and anxiety by entering a meditative state. “Not everyone can sit still and breathe for 15 minutes per day, but they certainly can color. It’s absolutely a fun way to achieve mindfulness and shake off the day,” explains Dr. Hafeez.

Apologize and forgive A fast way to mental fitness is forgiveness! “Carrying around resentments and guilt wears us down and can lead to serious illness such as cancer or stroke. If you experienced a tough break up, divorce or perhaps the 2016 political climate led to arguments and lost friends, reach out apologize and seek forgiveness and move on. Remember, forgiveness doesn’t mean you condone a hurtful behavior. Forgiveness frees you and the other person making it easier to move forward.

Learn something new Challenge your brain by learning a new language, how to cook, paint, do Tai Chi. Pick something you think would be interesting or useful to learn and learn it. If you avoided cooking your whole life, learning the basics will serve your brain very well. According to Dr. Hafeez, “the more we can activate the cognitive functions of our brains the better our short and long-term memory and hand eye coordination will be.”

Dr. Sanam Hafeez PsyD is a NYC based licensed clinical psychologist, teaching faculty member at the prestigious Columbia University Teacher’s College and the founder and Clinical Director of Comprehensive Consultation Psychological Services, P.C. a neuropsychological, developmental and educational center in Manhattan and Queens. Connect with her via twitter @comprehendMind or www.comprehendthemind.com

www.thehealthnut.co.za

By Pegasus Homeopathics Sleep disturbances are common and are caused by many factors and stressors. Ensure adequate intake of minerals calcium and magnesium and take the daily dose at night.

Reduce activities that stimulate the mind after supper and be creative in preparing the body for relaxation and sleep. A warm bath, soft light and music can be helpful as well as avoiding all electronic screens for at least 2 hours before going to sleep. And of course there's always Pegasus Sleep remedy at hand.

Using the Pegasus Sleep 30C remedy will help to restore your normal sleeping pattern.

In the beginning you need to dose yourself at least 3 times before you go to bed, and dose again whenever you wake up during the night. Each dose is a message to your body to sleep. After 5-7 nights you will be able to dose less – until your body has 'got the message' and a normal sleeping pattern is in place. This remedy is suitable for babies, children and animals too.

No side effects, you will feel revitalised in the morning after a good night's sleep. Non-habit forming.

Reconnect with Spirit

Rediscover your Life Force

Restore Balance

PSYCHIC MEDIUM As a Psychic Medium, I am able to connect with spirit guides, where I receive messages about a clients past, present and future. These messages may be beneficial to help bring clarity

on their lives and where be leading.

Many of the messages have received for my have been healing on levels.

it may that I clients many

REIKI A quantity that is almost impossible to define! Energy can never be created or destroyed, only converted from one form to another. Among the familiar forms are heat energy, energy of motion, electrical energy, and sound energy.

Reiki is a form of energy healing. This form of healing helps to maintain balance within, mentally, physically, emotionally and spiritually.

Reiki is a form or spiritual or energy healing. It helps open up and remove blockages

within the system. Each system within our bodies is intimately connected to the seven major charkas.

Reiki will help remove these blockages and restore balance.

Contact Damian Wood Email: damian@woodswellness.co.za Mobile: 082 863 8842

If we want to change the way we think we need to change our subconscious thinking. We need to release our self-sabotaging beliefs, emotions and habits and replace them with supportive ones. We have a range of products and services that assist you with that.

CONTACT HANNA KOK: MOBILE 082 856 6655 www.makealife.co.za

with Penni du Plessis Divine Space

Green It only takes open eyes in spring to know that green heralds new beginnings. From the buds on fruit trees to the delicate leaves of seedlings just sprouting from the earth, the abundance of green is what tells us that new life is stirring around us. When we see green we can’t help but feel that rejuvenation in ourselves, inspiring hope, personal growth, and emotional balance.

A combination of the colours yellow and blue, green brings together the clarity of thought and optimism of yellow tempered with the emotional calm and insight of blue. This means that green invites good judgment, and if you are weighing up options – perhaps to make an important life decision, or to try and understand a new friend – you will find that a simple stroll through nature will help you to find a fair, cool-headed clarity.

DECORATING WITH GREEN Green is the perfect colour to keep your mind clear and focused entirely on the task at hand. It opens your mind to new ideas and perspectives.

It is an excellent colour for office environments that rely on good teamwork to function.

This colour can be used in any room, but my suggestion is to go for the softer shades of green or even olive for walls, so it does not become tiring on the eye. If deep green does it for you, use the stronger shades in accents or a feature wall. As a colour that encourages “social joining”, green emboldens us to connect with each other and create a sense of belonging.

HEALING WITH GREEN If you are feeling a pull towards green, visit my green page for a deeper perspective on how the colour could affect you personally.

Using the oils or sprays on the body or around the home invites the physical and practical support of the colour. Here is a brief outline on how using the green products could support you:

FASIONABLY GREEN Wear green to a job interview when you’d like to keep a calm demeanor. It helps is to listen, so that we can understand our potential employer and show them how we as individuals can answer their needs.

Wear green when visiting a friend who we know needs to lean on us emotionally. We consider green the colour of compassion and is especially useful for therapists, counselors, and social workers, and if we have a friend in need of a sympathetic ear, a green garment will bring out our best judgment and empathy.

If Green Is Your Favorite Colour…

You will be practical, compassionate, and loyal.

You need to feel that you belong and are appreciated, and you love time spent in nature.

You thrive when everything you do comes from the heart. You don’t like to be restricted or smothered, and will need space and freedom in your relationships and working environment.

The Green Oil of Transformation will help you to let go of past hurts and rejections so that you can heal your emotional wounds and accept love. It opens your eyes to new opportunities and is ideal to use when you are trying to pull yourself out of a rut. The oil can be rubbed on the body or used in your bath, and will stimulate your ability to manifest your desires and grow. You can find out more about the Green Oil of Transformation here.

The green Angel of the Heart spray is your first step if you are feeling neglected or misunderstood. It brings comfort and reassurance and helps to link your spiritual and physical worlds, bringing to your life that wonderful feeling of balance and harmony. It opens your heart to giving and receiving unconditional love.

Power Chocolate Smoothie

By Lisa Raleigh

Ingredients:

Method:

•

•

• • • • • •

1 heaped T pumpkin / sunflower seeds 1 heaped T goji berries 1 t raw cacao 2 T chocolate / vanilla protein powder ½ frozen banana / regular banana and a few blocks ice 1 cup coconut water Drizzle honey (optional)

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Blend & Enjoy!!

Healthy Falafels

By Lisa Raleigh

Ingredients:

Method:

• • • • • • • • • • • • •

• •

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed 1 small red onion, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 1 T fresh parsley, chopped 3 T whole-wheat flour 1 t coriander powder 1 t cumin powder ½ t baking powder Himalayan rock salt Black pepper Sprinkle of turmeric 1 small egg 2 T coconut oil

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• • • •

Preheat oven to 190° Celsius.

Blitz all ingredients apart from coconut oil in a food processor.

Pop tray with coconut oil into the oven to melt the oil.

Roll dough into small, slightly flat falafels (cooks faster), making sure they are coated fully in oil.

Pop into the oven for 15-20 minutes, turning at halfway.

Serve with salsa, hummus and tzatziki.

Braai Skewers

Recipe credit: Vegilicious for Green Monday SA

Ingredients:

Method: •

• • • • • • • •

2 tablespoons hot sauce 4 tablespoons olive oil 2 tablespoons soy sauce 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar 220g extra firm tofu 100g button mushrooms Half a red bell pepper Half a pineapple

• •

• Serves 4 – 6 people

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Combine the wet ingredients to form a marinade.

Cut the pineapple and tofu into 2cm cubes, and cut the remaining vegetables into bite-sized pieces.

Pour the marinade over the veggies, pineapple and tofu and allow to marinade for at least an hour in the fridge.

Place alternating pieces of tofu, pineapple and veggies onto the skewer and braai for 10 – 15 minutes until blackened around the edges.

STRAWBERRY-SPINACH SALAD WRAPS WITH ORANGE POPPY SEED DRESSING

Photo: Amie Chou/The HSUS Recipe: Kelly L. Williams/The HSUS.

Ingredients: • • • • • •

4x 30cm whole-wheat tortilla wraps • 2x cups baby spinach, loosely packed 2x cups arugula, loosely packed (or more baby spinach) • 1x punnet strawberries, tops removed and sliced thin 1x avocado, diced • 1/3x cup toasted almonds (optional) •

For the dressing: • • • • • •

Method:

1/3x cup olive oil 1/3x cup orange juice 1x tablespoon agave nectar or maple syrup 2x tablespoons apple cider vinegar 1/4x teaspoon salt 1x tablespoon poppy seeds

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•

Prepare the salad by combining the spinach, arugula, edamame, strawberries and avocado in a large bowl. Toss gently to combine.

Using a blender or a whisk, combine all dressing ingredients (except the poppy seeds) until emulsified, then stir in the poppy seeds.

Pour most of the dressing over the salad ingredients and mix well.

Reserve 1 to 2 tablespoons of dressing for the wraps.

To assemble the wraps, brush a little of the reserved dressing on a tortilla and then add the salad ingredients. Sprinkle a few toasted almonds, if using, over the salad, then roll up the wrap.

It’s about making a difference one meal at a time! Eat green! By pledging to eat plant-based meals every Monday you will be munching your way towards a healthier body, a more sustainable planet and a more conscientious approach to eating. Love your veg and they’ll love you back! Green Monday is a global initiative promoted by Humane Society International (HSI).

Watch this quick video explaining why you’re onto a good thing when you support GreenMondaySA.

Goodbye Blue Mondays! Start your week by pledging green! Get your friends, family and colleagues to get on board too.

Conscious Life Magazine

We absolutely Love Lemons, and we’re not the only ones.

Jozi’s Sweetest Actress, Mishqah Parthiephal loves them too!

“I really enjoy lemon and hot water, or a nice cup of honey & lemon tea! It’s my go to drink and I can enjoy it all day long!” says Mishqah.

So we did a little research into the WONDEFFUL benefits of Lemons…

1. Lemons are alkalising for the body: Lemons are acidic to begin with but they are alkaline-forming on body fluids helping to restore balance to the body’s pH..

2. Lemons are rich in vitamin C and flavonoids that work against infections like the flu and colds. Vitamin C in lemons helps to neutralise free radicals linked to aging and most types of disease.

3. Your liver loves lemons! The lemon is a wonderful stimulant to the liver and is a dissolvent of uric acid and other poisons!

4. Cleans your bowels: Lemons increase peristalsis in the bowels, helping to create a bowel movement thus eliminating waste and helping with regularity. Add the juice of one lemon to warm water and drink first thing in the morning.

The citric acid in lemon juice also helps to dissolve gallstones, calcium deposits, and kidney stones.

5. The lemon peel contains the potent phytonutrient tangerine, which has been proven to be effective for brain disorders like Parkinson’s disease.

6. When there is insufficient oxygen and difficulty in breathing (such as when mountain climbing) lemons are very helpful.

7. Lemons have powerful antibacterial properties.

Experiments have found the juice of lemons destroy the bacteria of malaria, cholera, and other deadly diseases.

8. Blood vessels are strengthened by the vitamin P (bioflavonoids) in lemons which thus prevents internal haemorrhage. Also, making it useful in treating high blood pressure.

9. The lemon is the ONLY food in the world that is anionic (an ion with a negative charge). All other foods are cationic (the ion has a positive charge.) This makes it extremely useful to health as it is the interaction between anions and cautions that ultimately provides all cell energy.

10. Lemons contain 22 anti-cancer compounds, including naturally occurring limonene; oil which slows or halts the

Conscious Life Magazine

growth of cancer tumours in animals and flavonol glycosides which stop cell division in cancer cells.

Her favourite fruit may be a lemon, but there is nothing bitter about Jozi’s sweetest actress!

Mishqah has a wealth of film experience, having starred in the 2010 epic 'White Gold" which told the story of how Indians came to South Africa. After Mishqah starred in White Gold, her outstanding performance caused a ripple effect in the film industry and she has subsequently acted in several films that followed. Her most recent film "Paraya" premiered at this years’ Cannes Film Festival. By the looks of things, Mishqah is ready to take on the world, with Keeping Up with Kandasamy's marking her second international film release at such a young age. When Mishqah isn't on a film or soapie set, her time is spent shooting TV commercials. You may recognise her from the Nedbank, Varsity College, Discovery, first for women or Perfect Touch advertisements.

With such an impressive track record, it's clear that Mishqah Parthiephal has been making all the right moves her transition from the 'Small Screen' to the 'Silver Screen' has been effortless and fluid and we can't wait to buy a ticket to see her in Keeping Up with the Kandasamys.

Follow Mishqah’s journey on Social Media: https://twitter.com/Mishqah_ https://www.facebook.com/mishqah.parthiephal http://instagram.com/mishqahparthiephal

By Flora Force

What are antioxidants?

Most of us are aware that antioxidants are good for us. But do you know specifically what antioxidants are and why we need them?

Antioxidants are natural molecules that defend the cells in your body against attack by damaging molecules called free radicals. Crucial to your health, antioxidants help prevent and fight disease and control age-related deterioration. Which brings us to free radicals and where they come from…

What are free radicals?

Your body produces free radicals during regular metabolism and energy production. A combination of oxygen and naturally occurring metal compounds in your body, they develop when you are stressed, when you exercise and when you have inflammation. Free radicals are also formed when you are exposed to toxins. According to US alternative medicine proponent Dr Joseph Mercola in his article ‘The Ultimate Guide to Antioxidants’, ‘Free radicals are a biological response to environmental toxins, such as cigarette smoke, chemicals, sunlight, cosmic and manmade radiation, and even a key feature of pharmaceutical drugs.’

There are many different types of free radicals, but all have one attribute in common – unlike normal molecules, they are missing one or more electrons and will attack anything in their path in an attempt to replace those missing parts. This process is called biological oxidation – the interaction between oxygen molecules and other substances. Free radicals do good work, killing harmful bacteria and disarming viruses, but too many can destroy healthy molecules and even damage your DNA.

The dark side of oxygen It may sound strange that oxygen, which is so vital to life, may form part of a damaging organism. However, just as the flesh of a cut apple turns brown and metal rusts outdoors in the presence of oxygen, so our bodies are affected by oxidation. That’s the work of the oxygencontaining scavenging free radicals. And that’s the reason that you need antioxidants.

Antioxidants – the riot police Anti-oxidants break the actions of free radicals by sacrificing their own electrons to feed the renegade molecules, but without turning into free radicals themselves. In doing so, the antioxidants render the free radicals harmless. Numerous studies have confirmed the benefits of anti-oxidants and the role they play in maintaining good health and reducing your risk of heart disease, Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s diseases, osteoarthritis and cancer. Anti-oxidants also destroy toxic metals in the body (by literally ‘hugging’ them to block any chemical action taking place). Your body needs anti-oxidants to help you resist ageing, generated by everyday exposure to pollutants in your food, water and air. If you’re short on anti-oxidants, then ‘oxidative stress’ can lead to accelerated tissue and organ damage.

Where do you find antioxidants?

Your body naturally circulates various nutrients for their anti-oxidant properties and manufactures anti-oxidant enzymes to control destructive chain reactions. However, natural anti-oxidant production tends to decline with age. So it’s important to eat a wide range of antioxidant-rich foods – especially lots of locally grown fresh organic vegetables.

Get fresh with your diet Fortunately, many fresh vegetables and fruits are bursting with phytochemicals that act as potent anti-oxidants. The best of these are berries, nuts and seeds, dark chocolate, pomegranates, cabbage, green tea and grains such as quinoa and barley. Spices and herbs such as allspice, cloves, turmeric, cinnamon, rosemary and origanum are also good sources of antioxidants. Try to eat moderate amounts of as many anti-oxidants rather than large amounts of just one nutrient – antioxidants work best in symphony.

Here are five of the most powerful anti-oxidant vitamins, minerals and other phytonutrients that you should consume daily: • • • •

• •

Beta-carotene (in orange and yellow fruits and vegetables) to fight certain cancers.

Vitamin C (citrus fruit, kiwi, guavas, salad peppers and broccoli) to help prevent and treat heart disease, arthritis and some cancers.

Vitamin E (olive and canola oil, nuts, seeds, leafy greens and whole grains) to fight heart disease, dementia and cataracts; and Selenium (Brazil nuts, lean meat, fish, chicken, grains and some vegetables) to prevent and treat lung, colon and prostate cancer, arthritis and HIV/AIDS. Flavonoids (soya, red wine, cranberries, blueberries and tea) to help protect blood vessels from rupture or leakage, enhance the power of vitamin C and fight inflammation.

Remember: Freshly harvested fruits and vegetables have a far more potent anti-oxidant content than those that have lain on supermarket shelves for a few days. So try to consume the majority of your fruits and vegetables raw and locally harvested.

Take supplements If you feel your diet may not be supplying the anti-oxidants you need for optimum health, make sure you take a good quality antioxidant vitamin supplement and other supplements that contain additional phytonutrients from herbs, such as Flora Force Turmerynne™.

Reduce your intake of sugar and processed foods Sugar places stress on your anti-oxidant molecules, making them work harder to combat the bad stuff.

Exercise Yes, exercise can also help you increase your anti-oxidants. Although exercise is regarded as a form of stress and releases free radicals, short bursts of high-intensity exercise will help improve your body’s capacity to produce endogenous anti-oxidants.

Dark chocolate can be a good source of some antioxidants. Chocoholics rejoice! Just don’t overdo it.

(Beware – your typical milk chocolate bar is not dark chocolate, we are talking of bitter, 75% + coco content chocolate, without sugar)

Conscious Life Magazine

By Guylin van den Berg We have all come across the lumo coloured lycra bandits pedalling bikes around the neighbourhood.

They call it the new golf. Maybe you have been thinking about taking up cycling? Where to go, what to buy and the costs involved? Having ridden a bike for 12 years, I am here to shed some light and help you speed up the process of becoming an expert on the trails.

Getting Started You need a Bike: • Depending on your budget, you have the option of a new bike or a great second hand option. There are many brands available at your local bike shop and we recommend sticking to the trusted brands of bikes as they will offer the back up and service in terms of possible warranty issues and so forth. The second hand option is also great for picking up bargains and these bikes can be found on sites such as bikehub.co.za and OLX. • Look for a great frame with lower spec parts instead of a cheaper frame with high spec parts as parts can be upgraded at a lower value than what an upgraded frame will cost.

• We always recommend looking at buying a mountain bike, as it allows for both on the road riding and off road riding.

How to get started: • Make sure that you have all the necessary gear to keep you safe. NEVER try to save money on a helmet. It is the only piece of equipment protecting your head.

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• Start with a goal race in mind. There are many local races to choose from, so choose the distance that you know is realistic to your ability.

• Start riding a few times a week until you can comfortably ride an hour or two within your limits.

The Gear you will need: • Quality helmet • Reliable bicycle • Tubeless tyres • Specific tyres which are filled with a liquid instead of a tube which is much better for preventing punctures.

• Hand pump • Plugs and tool • Needed for plugging holes in the tyre which are too big for the liquid sealant to fill • Speedometer • To measure distance and time so you can progressively ride further and longer and keep track of riding.

• Quality phone pouch • For cell phone and money • Multi tool • Affordable riding shorts

Tips & Tricks • The more you ride, the more confident you become.

• Start slowly and progressively increase distance and time spent cycling.

• Enjoy it • Join a group of similar riders • Practise skills: • Riding up kerbs • Corners • Figure of 8’s • Choose 3 areas to improve and work on them before moving to the next 3 areas • Remember to eat and drink

Johannesburg • Northern Farms • PWC bike park • Modderfontein • Avianto Pretoria • The big red barn • Rosemary hill • Buffelsdrift • Wolwespruit (more advanced rider) The trick about mountain biking is to just start. Once you have started then you can assess individually how far you want to take your fitness, skills, racing results and so forth.

Places to start mountain biking: We have great facilities to choose from throughout South Africa and most cater for the all-important cappuccino after the ride. Most of these facilities offer shower areas, clean toilets and areas where kids can safely play.

It is a beautiful sport irrespective of what bike you ride or how fast you are. I look forward to seeing you all out on the trails. Please keep an eye out for my upcoming articles where I will be focusing on more in-depth topics about mountain biking. If you have any more question, please do not hesitate to ask me and my team at Azzuri Cycling.

Email: guylin@azzuricycling.com.

ConsciousLife Life Magazine Magazine Conscious

Conscious Life Magazine

What Should You Wear Under Your Yoga Pants?

An OB/GYN Explains

by Leigh Weingus

t's 6:30 a.m. on a Monday morning, and you're on your way to yoga.

Last weekend, you spent hours hunting down the perfect pair of patterned yoga pants and an elegant (yet supportive) sports bra.

You're feeling pretty good about your new outfit until you get to class, look in the mirror, and notice something.

Your panty line is showing. Oops, should have gone commando.

While some of us opt for thongs that promise an invisible panty line, others go commando, and some don't mind a panty line at all, whether or not we should be wearing underwear when we exercise is something we all need to talk about more. Because who wants to deal with yeast infections on a regular basis?

We got in touch with OB/GYN Shannon Clark, who gave us the scoop on what you should be wearing when you sweat to prevent vaginal infections.

Here's what she had to say: What you should consider before going commando If you're most comfortable doing downward dogs underwear-free, more power to you. While Shannon notes that whether or not you wear underwear when you sweat really does come down to personal preference, there are a few big reasons why you should give underwear a chance.

"Bacteria and yeast do love a moist environment, which is created when working out. These workouts do not have to be vigorous—many women still sweat while doing lower impact workouts like yoga," she says. "Wearing underwear that can absorb the moisture is ideal. There are workout bottoms that have a moisture-absorbing capability or built-in underwear, however, that you can invest in."

The bottom line, Shannon says, is that your vagina needs to breathe in order to keep yeast at bay. So if you prefer to go commando while you exercise, take material into consideration. And if you're going to a yoga class where you know you won't be sweating all that much, feel free to leave your panties behind.

Let's talk material When you're underwear shopping, take the intensity of your workout into consideration. If you're going to sweat a lot—think hot yoga or a long run—moisture-wicking material is your best bet.

"The goal with this material is to prevent trapping moisture in the vaginal area," Shannon says. "These underwear are typically made of synthetic fabrics like nylon or polyester and are better for long workouts or vigorous activities where you may sweat more."

If you won't be sweating quite as much, cotton underwear is a comfortable, lightweight, breathable option that's generally healthy for a vaginal environment.

"Cotton underwear is good for everyday use and when you may have to go long periods of time without changing your underwear," she adds. "Cotton underwear is also good when exercising, but if you are doing more vigorous exercise and sweating, they may need to be changed as soon as you are done, in order to prevent moisture from being trapped near your skin/vaginal area for too long.“

What about panty lines?

For anyone who can't stand panty lines, you may want to think twice the next time you wear a thong under your yoga pants. They generally fit closer to your body than regular underwear, increasing the likelihood of infection.

"When the underwear hits your perineum (the patch of skin between the vagina and the anus), the thong can potentially transmit fecal bacteria from the rectum to the vaginal area causing vaginal or urinary tract infections," Shannon says. "This is especially true if you work out or do excessive activity while wearing them. To make matters worse, thongs tend to rub, causing tiny tears in the delicate skin around your vulva and clitoris, creating access for bacteria."

While you shouldn't live in fear of thongs (I have a whole drawer of them), just be mindful of wearing them every single day.

Yep, moderation is key—even when it comes to underwear

Leigh Weingus, mbg Yoga & Fitness Editor

Shannon M. Clark, MD

By Flora Force

Calcium is essential for good bone health. But are you and your family getting your recommended daily allowance of this important mineral?

Studies worldwide suggest that you may not. Why do we need calcium and how does it affect our bone health?

Why do I need calcium?

It’s essential to know why your body needs calcium. Good bone health is not this mineral’s only function. Approximately 99% of the calcium currently in your body is stored in your teeth and bones, where it provides the strength and structure that promote good bone health. Bones contain many mineral complexes, but calcium, in the form of calcium phosphate, is the principal component they need to remain healthy.

Calcium is also vital in helping muscle contraction, moving nutrients across cell membranes, promoting communication between the nerves, regulating enzymes that control digestion and metabolism, blood clotting and the formation of new cells. So you can see why your body has very strict guidelines about the amount of calcium it needs to function properly.

Did you know?

Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body.

What happens when my calcium levels are too low?

If your body has insufficient calcium to perform its many functions, it will ‘steal’ it from your bones, causing your bone health to deteriorate and your skeleton to become porous and fragile.

Enter osteoporosis, the scourge of postmenopausal and older women, and men too (we talked about this in an earlier blog Six ways to protect your bones, which revealed these cautionary statistics: bone loss in women can begin as early as the age of 25. Worldwide, the lifetime risk for a woman to have an osteoporotic fracture is 30–40%. And men are not exempt.’ In South Africa, 1 in 3 women and 1 in 5 men will develop this disease within their lifetime. Currently, that translates as 4–6 million people. Rickets is another risk, as is poor blood clotting and muscle spasms.

The fact remains that, as you age, your body uses more calcium than it can make. To ward off bad bone health, you’ll need to make some easy adjustments to your diet and lifestyle.

What are the best food sources of calcium?

Despite the debates surrounding milk and calcium, one thing is clear: adequate calcium is key to maintaining bone health and other body functions. Milk may be a good source, but it is definitely not the only source. Did you know that you don’t need to drink milk at all to get adequate calcium? Yoghurt (preferably plain, organic) contains from 30-40% more calcium than milk. Other great sources include broccoli, kelp, almonds, quinoa, okra, blackstrap molasses and sardines.

Anything else I should know to improve my bone health?

Of course. Vitamin D is also critical to bone health.

(An examination of clinical trials studying the role of vitamin D in the prevention of osteoporosis found that getting 700 to 800 IUs of vitamin D per day decreases the risk of hip and non-vertebral fractures.) And it seems to work even better when it’s taken in conjunction with calcium.

Vitamin K also seems to play at least one important role in calcium regulation and bone formation. You’ll find vitamin K in cabbage, kale, broccoli, bok choy and other leafy greens, and in grass-fed organic animal products (such as eggs, butter, cheese), certain fermented foods such as natto (Japanese fermented soya beans) or vegetables fermented using a starter culture of vitamin K2-producing bacteria. (In the body, vitamin K2, or menaquinone, is made by the bacteria that line your gastrointestinal tract.) K2 goes directly to your blood-vessel walls, bones and tissues other than your liver. Certain cheeses are very high in vitamin K2 (Gouda and Brie) and others are not. It really depends on the specific bacteria involved during the making of the foods. Miso and tempeh, for example, are also low in vitamin K2.

Get off your bottom!

Load bearing- and resistance exercise, also called strength-training exercise, can make bones stronger so that if you do fall down, nothing will break. Try doing 20 push-ups every day, starting with kneeling push-ups, progressing to full length over time. Do some hops, squats and lunges. These are movements we do all the time, says Patrick McDowell in Healthy Life Journal. ‘Every time you go up stairs, you are doing a mini-lunge. Every time you bend down to pick something up, you are doing a squat. Since these two movements use the largest muscles in our bodies, our quads and our glutes, strengthening these muscles will support your skeleton and make moving easier. And when moving through your day is easier, your energy will go up and you will get more done.’

Finally (we know, you’ve heard it all before), don’t smoke, drink alcohol in moderation, avoid extra salt and eat less red meat.

We hope you move freely forever…

If you’re concerned about your bone health, we recommend you take supplements or fortified foods.

Flora Force DensiMax™ is a natural formula that offers good support for bone health. And consult your healthcare practitioner.

A picture we have all seen in many different articles, yet it speaks to me on a very positive level

By Linda Navon Firstly, understand that I am an insomniac, my brain never shuts down long enough to get a straight 8 hours sleep, therefore I nap a lot. What I have learned to do is to jot down ideas as they pop up on the ever-busy conveyor belt in my mind.

Last night this picture came to mind – yes, it’s been used in various form over and over, but have you ever really looked at what it sympolises? This is what I see:              

Opportunity Abundance Fertility Growth The preciousness of Mother Earth The gift of having access to land, or a patch of earth, which can be worked for sustenance ‘Going back to our roots’ in many senses of the term Independence Development New Beginnings Nurturing a seeding into fruition The amazement of the cycle of life Educating our children about nature Teaching the community to be self-sustaining

I would love to hear your views and go ask a child what they see – that will be an interesting exercise.

Namaste

Sustainable Promises You Should Make To The Planet This Year

by Emma Loewe

A lot of us make promises to ourselves in the New Year. We promise that we'll put that gym membership to better use and carve out the time to meditate. We promise to put more effort into our personal relationships. We promise to get that promotion at work. And while it's important to look within to pinpoint which promises suit our particular needs, it's also crucial to take a look outside every so often.

The world reached some pretty bleak climate milestones in 2016: The Arctic was hotter than ever, atmospheric CO2 levels soared, and coral bleaching bombarded some of our most iconic reefs. Needless to say, the earth is calling out for our attention, so let's carve some room on our annual to-do lists to make way for sustainable resolutions.

Here are a few planetary promises from people who dedicate their lives to environmental protection. Give one or two a try this year, and relish in the knowledge that you're being a little kinder to yourself and the world around you.

Don't be trashy.

In 2017, let's all make a promise to not trash the world. The average American creates a whopping 4.5 pounds of trash per day. That's about half of a compact car each year! The good news is that it's pretty simple to drastically cut back on our trash. Compost all of your food scraps and yard waste, say no to any single-use items, buy unpackaged food, and ditch the bottled water and soda!

—Rob Greenfield, environmental activist

Take a trip in nature.

In 2017, resolve to visit a National Park and do it often. Federal park lands are under threat from Trump's promises to "unleash" coal, oil, and gas production, so it's important to demonstrate how much you treasure and benefit from wild lands. And benefit you do—walking in nature has been shown to lower stress and improve your mood. Take a weekend walk through your local park, reserve some of your vacation days for a visit to a National Park in another state, and even sign up to volunteer at a park for a day of working up a sweat in service of nature and your fellow nature lovers. It's one resolution that is easy to enjoy!

—Alden Wicker, eco-conscious blogger behind EcoCult

Cut out fast fashion.

In 2017, consider cutting out fast fashion—a highly unethical business. It's the second most polluting industry in the world and a perpetual violator of the health and safety of its workers.

Shop local, look for eco-friendly fabrics, thrift, or find a go-to second-hand clothing site.

—Chandra Fox, eco-conscious blogger behind These Native Goods

Swap meat out with plant-based alternatives.

This new year, consider becoming a "reducetarian," i.e., a person who eats less meat. No matter your motivation or the degree to which you cut back on meat, the planet, your body, and farm animals will thank you. I like to keep my plant-based meals simple with easy swaps (think a veggie burrito instead of a pork burrito or pad thai tofu instead of pad thai chicken). And remember to be kind to yourself along the way—strive for progress, not perfection, because when it comes to meat consumption, it's not all-or-nothing. Small steps really do add up to big effects.

—Brian Kateman, Editor of The Reducetarian Solution

Consume consciously.

The year 2017 is going to be one of conscious consumerism, I can feel it! There are so many amazing ethical brands out there that are producing thoughtful goods, we really no longer need to settle for anything less. Make it a point to only make a purchase if it fits at least one of the following categories: • • • • • •

Organic/sustainable materials Plant-based/cruelty-free Fair trade/ethical production Recycled or repurposed Gives back to a beneficial charity Biodegradable or easily recyclable

This goes for all items: fashion, beauty, home, you name it! Where to start? Clean up your email box and Instagram feeds—they have such an immense influence on our buying habits.

Unsubscribe from any companies that don't meet your new buying standards, and take a surf through hashtags like #ethicalfashion, #slowfashion, #greenbeauty, or #ecoliving to discover some new favorites!

—Ashley Morgan, eco-conscious blogger behind Ashley Morganic

Go organic.

As if the American supermarket wasn't hard enough to navigate, the advent of genetically modified foods has made choosing what to eat that much stranger and more ominous. For 2017, do yourself (and the planet) a favor by buying—whenever possible—food that is grown locally and organically. GMOs are found almost exclusively in processed fast food and junk food, so choosing to avoid these things will pay dividends for your health and for the environment as well. Buying food from local farmers virtually guarantees the food will be fresher and more nutritious than buying processed meals.

—McKay Jenkins, environmental writer and author of Food Fight

Work toward a zero-waste home.

In 2017, don't be afraid to aim for a zero-waste home—one that doesn't produce any trash.

Instead of turning to recycling as a way to reduce your garbage (my TEDx talk tells you why recycling is not the answer to our society's waste problem), prevent it from coming into your home in the first place. Simply learn to say no! Think before accepting something that is handed out to you. Turn down flyers, freebies, party favors, business cards, single-use plastics (such as plastic bags), and junk mail. Accepting these things creates a demand to make more and is a waste of resources. Plus, once they are brought into our homes, they just add clutter.

—Bea Johnson, eco-conscious blogger behind Zero-Waste Home

Eat plants!

Reducing your consumption of animal products is among the single largest ways that an individual can reduce your environmental footprint. I am proud to eat a delicious, nutritious vegan diet—and sacrifice nothing in flavor, variety, health or gourmet dishes. Don’t believe me?

Just check my Instagram for the best in plant-based living!

—Erin Schrode, green activist

Revamp your closet.

A lot changed last year, and things may feel out of your control, so commit to one small daily change in 2017—the clothes you wear. Here's your how-to: For one month, don't buy any new clothes. See how it feels, experiment with new looks, and notice what is really missing. Then consciously add to your wardrobe step-by-step by shopping from a secondhand or vintage shop.

If you can't find anything there, research sustainable brands that share your eco-values. If buying something new, buy quality. That initial sticker shock goes down every time you rewear a quality item!

—Natalie Grillon, co-founder of Project JUST

Come together.

For 2017, what I hope for us is that we wake up to what is important and what truly brings us joy and that we cut through our distractions and work to bring safety and happiness to all. The vast majority of us want what is best for one another—we just have to cut off the distractions, break out of the Matrix, and be true to ourselves. We have so much wisdom and love within us.

All we have to do is tolerate the uncertainty of aligning ourselves with our true selves. What an amazing opportunity and exciting aspiration!

—Colin Beavan, environmental activist and "No Impact Man"

By Robbie Shell, author of Bees on the Roof

By Stephanie Rose

Gardeners know how important bees are, but how can we pass the information on bee culture to younger generations so that is it meaningful to them?

Author and environmentalist Robbie Shell has some great ideas on how to teach our children, grandchildren, and other young people in our lives just how essential bees are to our world, and she’s been kind enough to share those ideas with us.

If middle school kids don’t seem to know much about bee culture and pollination, it’s probably because they haven’t been shown – rather than just told – the crucial role that honeybees play in our lives.

Here’s an idea: Take kids on a tour of a grocery store and point out all the foods we eat that rely on bees. After all, these tiny insects pollinate 70 out of the 100 major crops in this country and produce close to 300 different flavors of honey.

First stop – the fruit aisle, featuring such favorites as strawberries, blueberries, peaches, apples, grapes and pumpkins. None of those would be available if we lost our honeybee population.

Next, the vegetable aisle: carrots, cucumbers, beans, broccoli and onions – all would disappear without bees. On to nuts – including almonds and cashews, which also means no more Almond Joys, Snickers or Cashew Butter Crunch. In the bakery aisle, show them that fruit pies and tarts, chocolate cookies and coconut bars, to name a few popular desserts would not exist without bees.

Next, take the kids to a garden or park and point out all the trees and flowers that bees pollinate and that provide nectar for the whole bee hive, including (female) worker bees, the queen bee, baby bees and drones (male bees whose only job is to mate with the queen).

For kids not up on the definition of pollination, here is a simple one: It occurs when pollen is moved within flowers or carried from flower to flower by a variety of transporters, including bees, birds, bats, butterflies, moths, and even people. That activity – described in more scientific terms as the act of transferring pollen grains from the male anther of a flower to the female stigma – leads to fertilization, which allows a plant to develop seeds. Seeds then grow into new plants.

Bring it Home To bring home the message about the importance of bee culture in our lives, suggest that kids start a school project that would involve planting a garden with honeybee-friendly trees, flowers, crops, and herbs. Some examples: sunflowers, goldenrod and dahlias; thyme, sage and mint; maple, apple and cherry trees; and alfalfa and soybean crops. Two weeds – dandelions and clover – also provide good nutrition for honeybees.

Families could set up a few hives in their backyard to provide immediate, hands-on experience learning how honeybees operate and what they need to survive (such as water) and don’t need (such as pesticides). The payoff for a person of any age is the honey that is typically harvested from these hives in the summer months.

Remind kids of their responsibility to the hives, such as making sure their bees always have plenty of water – in bird baths, shallow buckets, or a bee bath.

Bee Culture Takes Teamwork Finally, remember that kids can learn a lot from the way a colony (or hive) of honeybees is organized. Teamwork and efficiency are key. Each bee has a job to do, one that changes depending on her stage of life, and no one bee gets preferential treatment. Even the queen, despite her name, has to lay approximately 1,500 eggs every day, never gets to leave the hive, and is kicked out once she can no longer lay those eggs.

Bees work continuously during the day – no recess or vacation – taking care of the hive, foraging for nectar, turning that nectar into honey and reminding all of us how critical they are to the health of our environment.

Robbie Shell is the author of Bees on the Roof, an environmental fiction novel aimed at middle grade kids. The plot centers on a seventh-grade science competition and a group of friends who face personal as well as classroom challenges as they attempt to raise honeybees on a hotel roof in New York City. Information about the ecological role of bees in the food chain and the mysteries of a potentially devastating syndrome called “Colony Collapse Disorder” is woven into the various adventures and discoveries of “The Bee Team.”

Valentine’s Day is a time to celebrate love…

Love for your significant other of course…

And…

Love for the special people and even animals in your life.

And especially, Love for Yourself!

Here are some DIY gift ideas…

Jar of Reasons You Love Him/Her

Chocolate Heart Cupcakes

Personalised Photo Frame

Directions in here

Directions here

Directions in here

Story of Us Frame

Gift Jar

Secret Note Pillow

Directions here

Directions here

Directions here

Pop-Up Photo Box

CD Wallet Book

Bath Bombs

Directions here

Directions here

52 Reasons I love You Ticket Stub Memory Box

Directions here

Directions here

Directions here

Heart Egg in Bed

Directions here

Conscious Life Magazine

Safe Gardening with Dogs and Cats 12 Common Garden Plants Poisonous to Pets

By Stephanie Rose Do you like to garden with pets? Dogs and cats can be great garden company and it’s important to keep them safe. I have had my fair share of four-legged garden helpers and I will say that some needed a lot of training to safely roam the garden, while others were able to work it out on their own. When I adopted a young Labrador Retriever, I quickly needed to learn which garden plants were safe for her to eat and which were not because she ate everything. This was very concerning until I learned about twelve common garden plants poisonous to pets.

I watched my lab one day as she explored the peas. She has seen me pick a pea pod and eat it. I then fed one to her. She loved it! The next day, I went out to the garden to find her eating the entire pea patch in one sitting. I guess she had developed a taste for gardening.

As I looked around the garden, I knew that protecting my vegetable garden was hopeless, but that protecting her from poisonous plants was essential. I researched which garden plants could cause her harm and I was shocked by the results. Not only is the list long, but so many of these plants poisonous to pets are common in home gardens.

While the term “poisonous plants� makes us think of rushing a comatose animal to the vet, many poisonous plants will only cause digestive upset or have an unpleasant flavor that will help the animal learn that not everything tastes as good as fresh garden peas.

I was told a story where a dog ate a bunch of ghost peppers off a backyard bush. Those peppers are not only hot but also dangerous for a dog to eat. The dog needed to spend a few days in the vet’s office and had to deal with terrible burning pain. Luckily, the dog made a full recovery and when he got back home, he wouldn’t even walk near the part of the yard that the peppers were growing in (even though the plant had been removed). This pup will surely be savvier in his future culinary adventures.

While there are some plants that will teach your pet a valuable lesson, there are others that you want to avoid altogether. I have researched and compiled a list of the 12 plants that you absolutely do not want Fido or Fluffy to eat.

Common Garden Plants that are Seriously Poisonous to Pets If your pet eats any garden plants that you are unsure of you should take them to the vet for a checkup, especially if you notice your pet acting strangely, seeming lethargic, or drooling. There are many toxic garden plants that can cause varying symptoms depending on pet size and amount ingested. Often, the poisoning is less serious. But to be safe, it’s a good idea to watch your pets and take them to a vet if there is any suspicion that they may have been poisoned.

• • • • • • • • •

Bulbs: Tulips, Daffodils, Hyacinths, and Autumn Crocus Castor Bean Foxglove Lilies Lily of the Valley Milkweed Oleander Rhododendrons / Azaleas Yew

There are certainly other common garden plants that are poisonous and could have severe consequences. Please look up the plants in your home garden to be sure that you are providing a safe environment for your pets.

Of course, it is impossible to watch them at all times and we can hope that with our guidance they stay away from things that make them sick. If you notice your pet acting out of the ordinary, perhaps more aloof or more cuddly, drowsy, drooling, or with diarrhea, it is worth taking them to the vet immediately to see what could be the cause. You know your pet best, and only you can help them when they need it most.

The Buddhist Retreat Centre, where people of all religions, and none, come to experience peace and tranquility.

How to Retreat The Buddhist Retreat Centre offers various types of retreats, ranging from those investigating Buddhist thought and philosophy, through to practice retreats where the emphasis is on meditation; as well as retreats featuring bird watching, cookery, drumming, pottery and photography. At first glance the latter might appear to be unrelated to Buddhism but even these retreats will contain some element of meditation, of mindful awareness, refracting the chosen subject matter through a Buddhist lens.

People from all walks of life come to these retreats with a variety of motivations and expectations. Perhaps they want to deepen their meditation practice, to take some time out from a hectic working life; to reflect on a tense domestic situation; to consider the trajectory of their lives; to make a decision about a way forward. Maybe they just want to learn how to take a good photograph. Each person will have a different reason for going on a retreat. Different paths will have led them to this place.

We all need to make an appointment with ourselves from time to time. To re-connect with who we are; to maintain balance; to recharge exhausted batteries. To make time to go on a retreat is a necessary and healthy step for anyone.

Forthcoming Retreats: January 13 - February 26 2017 The arrival of the new year naturally inclines one to reflect on the life one has lived in the past year, and to formulate a healthier, and more purposeful approach to life in the new year. The retreats offered during January and February offer the opportunity to do just that! From yoga to healing relaxation, a health and cooking retreat to plant healing, they will all help you to discover your best self.

Relieve Anxiety, Depression And Trauma Through Mindfulness Energy Psychology provides a powerful intervention to disruptive states of mind by interrupting negative conditions and habitual responses to bring calmness, clarity and healing.

Heather Ferris and Gary Greenstein | Weekend: January 13-15

Mindfulness: Always Available, Everywhere Sati or Mindfulness is the foundation of all types of Buddhist meditation. It teaches us to pay attention - without distraction or distortion - and see things as they really are.

Jonathan Preboy and Anna Scharfenberg | Weekend: January 20-22

Yin And Yang: A Yoga Weekend Release, relax and restore with yoga to bring balance, health and harmony into your lives.

Georgie Carter | Weekend: January 27-29

Pudding And Prana: A Cooking Retreat Paul will demonstrate your favourite BRC dishes to fill your belly and gladden your heart, while Amy will focus on cultivating health and joy through yoga.

Paul Atkinson and Amy Best | Weekend: February 3-5

Plant Healing - The Sangoma Way An intensive plant healing retreat for those looking to re-energise their lives.

John Lockley | 3 days: February 7-10

Going With The Flow: Integrating Yoga Into Daily Life As A Mindful Practice Learn to be mindful and centered on the present so you can flow with the river of life.

Bruce van Dongen | Weekend: February 10-12

Health Retreat: Discover Your Best Self Find your best possible self in the healing and nurturing environment of the BRC.

Dr Kaz Kiepiel | 3 or 6 days: February 12-17 Contact: kaz@doctorkaz.com

General Information The Centre has been established on an exquisite 125-hectare country estate near the village of Ixopo, KwaZulu-Natal 90 kilometers south of Pietermaritzburg, one and a half hours’ drive from Durban.

Set in hilly grasslands amongst dams, indigenous bush and forests, it overlooks one of the great valleys in the Umkomaas river system. CNN featured the BRC as one of the ten finest retreat centres in the world. It was awarded Natural Heritage status by President Nelson Mandela in recognition of its success in establishing indigenous vegetation on the property and providing habitats for wildlife to return, including the endangered Blue Swallow.

It is a birder’s paradise with more 160 species recorded.

Walks lead to many interesting sites and viewpoints on the property, including evidence that Bushman lived there and Voortrekkers and Settlers passed through. In 2000, the BRC facilitated the founding of Woza Moya, the community-based NGO, located in Ufafa valley.

It continues to support the organisation in a variety of ways.

Accommodation Fifty retreatants can be accommodated in single and twin-bedded rooms, en-suite cottages and thatched chalets overlooking the secluded valleys on the property – a short distance away from the dining room, office, library, studio and meditation hall.

The Centre is justly famous for its fine lactoovo vegetarian cuisine which is featured in its own best-selling recipe books, Quiet Food, The Cake the Buddha Ate and Plentiful: The Big Book Of Buddha Food. The BRC menu includes organically grown vegetables and farm-baked bread.

Observances The Retreat Centre offers a tranquil environment for the study and practice of philosophy, psychology, meditation and the arts associated with Buddhist culture. The Centre therefore encourages adherence to traditional Buddhist moral principles during retreats, such as respect for all forms of life and abstinence from alcoholic drinks and hallucinogenic drugs.

Noble Silence is maintained from the last meditation at night until the first session after breakfast in the morning.

During some retreats, Noble Silence is maintained throughout. Pets are not allowed at the Centre. Only some retreats are suitable for children: please check with the Administrator.

Intro to Buddhism It's a "Middle Way" The Buddhist tradition is centered in the Enlightenment experience of Siddhartha Gautama, the historical Buddha, who was born in Nepal and taught his doctrine in India during the sixth century BC. His teachings are at once revolutionary and self-evident, and extraordinarily relevant to the modern world.

He maintained that the nature of reality and the meaning of our existence cannot be captured in theories, concepts and beliefs, but are realised experientially - in compassionate, mindful living.

A central teaching in Buddhism is that we forego great beauty and meaning in our lives by allowing ourselves to be driven by a compulsive self-centeredness, obsessive, mindless attachments and all manner of habitual delusions and wishful thinking.

Buddhism, however, also teaches that we can radically reshape the way we perceive and experience things. This can be done through transformative mental practices [meditation] and behavioural disciplines. These are outlined in the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path and a number of other philosophical and psychological teachings and methods.

Buddhism, therefore, is an attitude more than a belief; a way of experiencing the world rather than an attempt to explain it. Known as the Middle Way, Buddhism has no need for extreme opinions and exclusive dogmas. This self-reliant outlook imbues it with a rare sense of dignity, joy, gentleness and freedom - qualities that appeal to increasing numbers of people who have grown tired of the authoritative pronouncements of priests and scientists, millennial prophets and selfimprovement gurus.

Buddhism is neither theistic nor atheistic; it is non-theistic. It therefore does not challenge or compete with other religions. Hence, followers of all religious denominations and philosophical persuasions are welcome to attend any retreat program. No membership, allegiance or conversion is expected or required.

Dhamma Shop From sock monkeys to singing bowls - you will find them all - and more - in the BRC shop.

The BRC shop has an exquisite and exotic range of products. The emphasis is on stocking items that express a Zen-like simplicity and quality.

Apart from meditation cushions and stools and a selection of books on Buddhism, there are music CD’s conducive to a meditative mood.

You will find Charlotte Rhys products, as well as a variety of Japanese incense, and a chic range of Zen-style pottery and Anthony Shapiro’s classic bowls, pots, large ginger jars and vases, some decorated with sumie brushwork by Louis, and perfectly tuned wind chimes. New to the shop are the beautiful silver Chakra bracelets on black cord.

Contact Us Email: brcixopo@futurenet.co.za Tel: +27(0)39 834 1863/0878091687 Mobile: 082 579 3037 www.brcixopo.co.za

Dharmagiri Insight Meditation Centre is dedicated to bringing the universal practice of mindful awareness to South Africans and visitors from across the continent and world.

We offer silent meditation retreats, yoga, psycho-spiritual, healing, and vegetarian cooking workshops and other events throughout the year to allow individuals to learn, practice and deepen their understanding of mindfulness and insight meditation. We endeavor to support individuals in cultivating mindfulness, compassion, integrity and wisdom. Our intention is to help all people find more peace in their lives and to live more harmoniously with each other, our communities, and the world in which we all live.

Dharmagiri, which means sacred mountain, is the name of a hermitage founded by Kittisaro and Thanissara on the border of Lesotho and South Africa in 2000. Dharmagiri draws inspiration from the mountain where it is nestled, which in Zulu is called Mvuleni (place of rain, also place of openings), and in English Bamboo Mountain (due to a rare Alpine bamboo that grows on the mountain.) It is a small center hosts meditation retreats and educational courses. In alliance with the international Buddhist community, Dharmagiri also supports outreach in its local rural community.

From its mountain roots, Dharmagiri has an international presence through the work of Kittisaro & Thanissara and connects a growing community dedicated to awakening in our challenging times by facilitating meditation retreats, educational programs, creativity and activism in different parts of the world.

RETREATS Schedule Jan 20 – 22 New Year Intentions & Yoga retreat Lucy Draper-Clarke Feb 17 – 19 Pudding & Prana Amy Best & Paul Atkinson Yoga & Vegetarian Cooking Feb 24 – Feb 28 The Way of Qigong Max Weier 13 – 17 April Yatra (Sacred Pilgrimage), Walking in the Berg Dain Peters, Chandasara & Martin Randall 26 April – 1 May Sue Cooper Open the Heart, Still the Mind: A Taste of Freedom Meditation & Psycho-Spiritual Retreat 11th June – 7th July Month long Buddhist Based Meditation Retreat Jaya & Chandasar

Dharmagiri Insight Meditation Centre, Underberg, - Southern Drakensberg – KZN www.dharmagiri.org office@dharmagiri.org

Take spirituality and soul searching to a new and different paradigm

EXPLORATION TOUR OF INDIA 25 MARCH – 07 APRIL 2017 R22 975.00 P/P SHARING NOURISH YOUR SOUL Take spirituality and soul searching to a new and different paradigm.

Demystify the purpose of your existence; are you independent, fascinated by yoga, meditation, spirituality, self-care, tired of a mundane existence, wanting to relieve stress, looking at alternate medicine, personal growth, self-development and looking for a holistic better quality of life?

THEN THIS TOUR IS CUSTOM DEVELOPED FOR YOU

OUR QUOTE INCLUDES:         

        

Flights Khajuraho to Varanasi and Varanasi to Delhi Airport taxes 13 nights 5 star accommodation on TWIN sharing basis 12 x breakfasts 12 x dinners 2 x lunches All transfers, sightseeing tours and excursion by Air-conditioned Deluxe Coach as per the above itinerary 1 x bottle of water daily in the vehicle Elephant ride (alternatively by jeeps – one time) to ascend Amber Fort in Jaipur. (Elephant Ride is subject to availability.)

Train fare for sector Agra – Jhansi in AC Chair Car. 3 x group yoga sessions with a yogi 3 x group meditation sessions 3 x group sessions with a Life coach Boat ride at river Ganges in Varanasi.

Hotel and portage tipping A representative from South Africa will accompany the group.

An expert Guide who only does Ivy League University accompaniment will travel with you throughout your holiday.

Representative for assistance on all arrival and departure transfers.

 All currently applicable taxes including service tax

OUR QUOTE DOES NOT INCLUDE:  International flight. (please contact us for current rates)  Expense of personal nature like, laundry, telephone / fax calls, alcoholic beverages, camera/video camera fee at monuments, medical expenses, etc.  Any other services not mentioned in the inclusions.  Tips for the Spiritual Guide

Terms and conditions ď ś Minimum number of people travelling needs to be 16 in order for the tour to operate ď ś Single supplement is available for guests who do not wished to be paired with a fellow participant ď ś Limited space available therefore a non-refundable deposit of R2000.00 before 31 Dec 2016 confirms your place, however should the tour not operate you will be reimbursed.

For more info and to book, contact Yashika HERE or email on yashika@travelarchitect.co.za

The Rest farm can be found deep in the Sneeuberg mountains of the Karoo.

At the top of the water catchment you will find refuge from sound, light & air pollution. Taking a break from the endless buzz of information, cars and deadlines, you can find a place of deep rest.

Paula and Iain returned to the family farm in 2010.

Their vision is to create a space where visitors are able to reconnect with themselves by feeling the earth under their feet and regain perspective by listening within and connecting with the natural environment.

On The Rest you will find a workshop space made from the earth and filled with light and love. You are invited to join one of the Reconnect series of drama therapy workshops for professional and personal development that take place throughout the year.

Workshops are run by Paula Kingwill, drama therapist and farmer, who has 15 years of experience of working in a range of contexts throughout South Africa.

We offer accommodation for weary travelers. Our rustic accommodation is perfect for families.

We produce grass-fed beef from our cattle which we sell off the farm also deliver to some of the major centres.

For more information see our website www.karoorest.com Contact us on karoorest@gmail.com.

Cape Town Wednesday 26th April 2017 Green Point Park, Cape Town

CLICK HERE TO BOOK

Johannesburg Friday 28th April 2017 The Dome, Johannesburg

Conscious Life Magazine

A parable about the Seven Aspects of Spiritual Intelligence On the Fifth Night is the extraordinary story of a man named Mark Hanson who loses his first wife to Huntington’s Disease … and then, on a fateful day, many years later, punches his second wife in the face in a moment of madness.

That moment of madness is the start of Mark’s transformative journey along a path of mystical presences, unhinged reflections and surreal travels through space and time.

Mark’s story blurs the lines between sanity and insanity, and between life and death. It stands as an eternal testament to the glorious mystery and uncharted depths of human consciousness.

MICHAEL HOWARD Click Here To Buy The e-Book on Kindle Click Here To Buy The e-Book on Smashwords Or email info@mindmarkworld.com and request a paperback copy.

The launch of

Plentiful takes place at Adams Bookstore, Musgrave Centre On 8 December, at 5.30pm.

If you would like to attend, please RSVP: louis@vanloon.co.za

Delicious Hamper of the awesomely healthy new My T Iced.

The latest creation from our friends at My T Chai, these iced teas are filled with goodness, delicious natural flavours to cool you down this Summer. We are hooked and we know that you and your friends will be too!!

To enter email your addresses and your phone number to my-t-iced@childoftheuniverse.co.za Subject: Subscribe. T’s & C’s: Only open to SA Residents, Competition Closes 10 November

with much appreciation to our advertisers, contributors, endorsers and our readers namaste