One Smile Magazine

One Smile NEW MAGAZINE!

Share your vision

WOMAD

dancing to the rhythm of the music

Water

-the universal messenger

Sacred Geometry

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Symbols of life

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A smile is the universal welcome.

Max Eastman

CONTENTS

features

EXPERIENCES 6 The Spirit of WOMAD

POSITIVE THINKING 12 Autumn - a time for letting go

PROFILE 10 Person to Person - One Smile talks to Life Coach Marilyn Greenfield

18 Stretch the body, stretch the

mind -a week at Anahata Yoga Retreat, Golden Bay

17 One’s Mile

24 A Wild Irish Walk

20 Spiritual Places and Inspiring

- Walking Ireland’s Atlantic Coast

KNOWLEDGE(food for thought)

7 The Universal Language of Water

Words

HOLISTIC WELLBEING 28 Fennel - soothing for the stomach 29 Chickweed - a herb for all seasons 26 Luscious lentils - a recipe from Anahata Yoga Retreat

SHORT FICTION 30 Marnie, Isla, Elvis and Me

14 The Symbolism of the Circle

34 For the love of pranking

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EDITOR’S LETTER

One Smile - share your vision Editor/Publisher: Catrin Jacksties catrin.jacksties@onesmile.co DESIGN & PRODUCTION: Chameleon Creative, Nelson Editorial enquiries Contact: Catrin Jacksties editor@onesmile.co

The vision of a magazine started a few months ago and I kept putting it off because I “heard so many BUTs” in my head. And then finally I thought: How can I start?

Since then my life has been a rollercoaster and I have had the most amazing experience. My vision is to co-create a magazine with my future readers, who are keen to look at their lives and search for positive news, empowering ideas, practical tips on how to change our way of thinking, who are willing to share their vision of a community of real people who communicate from heart to heart and support each other and tell their stories.

I want to be part of a community of people who cheer each other on and help each other up when one of us tumbles.

This magazine will be a voice which carries knowledge and wisdom from the past, translates these ancient teachings and meanings into contemporary language and enables us to manifest our dreams into a creative and empowering future. It will ask questions about everything that relates to our way of life as human beings on planet earth. We all are players in the game, whether we are cooking for our family, working out in the community, volunteering our time for a beautiful cause, giving generously of our time to children and youth or entertaining by playing music or performing arts. We all have a story and this magazine is about your stories.

I invite you to share your vision with us.

Catrin

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Contributors this issue: Caroline Crick, Joy Kachina, Yvonne Tait, Sarah Mc Callum, Bruce Rawles, Michael Julian Berz, Daniel Springer, Erik Roeper, Brett Fleming, Elayne Lane, Amy C.McComb, Akasha, Sarah A.J., Marilyn Greenfield.

Advertising and Sponsorship: advertising@onesmile.co Subscription: subs@onesmile.co One Smile Ltd Reader submissions to info@onesmile.co Printing: Copy Press, Nelson

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Onesmile ( ISSN 2230-3367& ISSN 22303405) is subject to copyright in its entirety.

The contents may not be reproduced in any form , in whole or part, without prior written permission of the publisher.

All rights reserved in material accepted for publication, unless initially specified otherwise.

Opinions expressed by contributors are not necessarily those of One Smile.

Cover Photo by : Michael Julian Berz www.michaeljulianberz.com

It Couldn’t Be Done Edgar Guest

Somebody said that it couldn’t be done, But he with a chuckle replied That “maybe it couldn’t,” but he would be one Who wouldn’t say so till he’d tried.

So he buckled right in with the trace of a grin On his face. If he worried he hid it.

He started to sing as he tackled the thing That couldn’t be done, and he did it.

Somebody scoffed: “Oh, you’ll never do that; At least no one ever has done it”; But he took off his coat and he took off his hat, And the first thing we knew he’d begun it.

With a lift of his chin and a bit of a grin, Without any doubting or quiddit, He started to sing as he tackled the thing That couldn’t be done, and he did it.

There are thousands to tell you it cannot be done, There are thousands to prophesy failure; There are thousands to point out to you, one by one, The dangers that wait to assail you.

But just buckle in with a bit of a grin, Just take off your coat and go to it; Just start to sing as you tackle the thing That “cannot be done,” and you’ll do it.

Thank s to Alberta Blackburn for this poem

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The Spirit of WOMAD

by Caroline Crick It was one of those moments that hang around in your memory warming you up like a cup of tea on a cold day. It’s Sunday afternoon, the end of a long late summer Sunday and a wonderful weekend. I’m wearing what I wear when I want to feel (briefly!) like an almost cool hippy chick, and I’m dancing. To my right I can see my friends, Pauline and Jan, dancing too. We’ve had a couple of glasses of wine and we’re feeling rather groovy. Across the water, on the stage, the band are in full flight and anyone with legs to dance on and arms to wave about is doing just that. You just can’t sit still. There must be thousands of us here in the Bowl of Brooklands in New Plymouth, enjoying the music and the late summer vibe.

It’s like we’re harvesting all the good things we planted in the spring, and now come to fruition. It seems trite to say love is in the air but that is what it feels like – it’s a glorious mix of the music, the sunshine, the warm grass under my bare feet, the wine and the happy humanity around me. For one moment all I care about is the evening sunshine,

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the way the light is reflecting in the water, the rhythm of the music, and dancing, dancing, dancing.

This is my second WOMAD experience. I went to WOMAD 2010 at Charlton Park in Wiltshire, England and had such a good time I swore I’d make sure to go to the NZ festival when I got home, and here I am. I came with a bunch of friends from Nelson, we scored a great campsite – nearish the loos and showers, and the weather’s been fabulous.

EXPERIENCES

Friday night we wandered round in a bit of a daze but Calypso Rose’s Caribbean beats and saucy songs got our dancing juices flowing. Later we sat on the grass as the evening cooled and soaked up Afro-Celt Sound System – who I remembered from the UK concert – there’s something amazing about the way they blend the Celtic and African rhythms so seamlessly.

Saturday started slow with coffee at the campsite, and then we wandered off to the show grounds to spend the day each doing our own thing, meeting up under “our� tree between acts to share food or wine or grab a coffee. And the day, and weekend, unfolded. I saw so many cool bands it’s hard to pick a favourite. I loved Lawrence Arabia with their slightly off beat Ryan Adams meets Flight of the Conchords style, found myself squeezed into a shady spot next to one of the band member’s mother, who told me how proud she was. Maisey Rika was a cool barefoot kiwi chick with a beautiful voice and harmonious melodies. Hanggai were my favourite band of the whole event – Mongolian folk meets Mongolian punk - or something like that, I was dancing behind a bunch of 14 year old boys who were loving it, and next to a 60ish woman in a pretty dress and sunglasses – mass appeal or what! They wore traditional Mongolian outfits and played unfamiliar instruments, and did weird throat singing that sounded, well, Mongolian.

Every now and then I had to have a break, so I’d head to the tree, sit in the shade, talk to whoever was around and see if any of my mates turned up.

It was the conversations with strangers that made the whole event so special. Peter and Philippa who live nearby and come every year. A big Maori guy who’d had a few beers and was very happy.

A couple of young girls sitting in the shade to cool off after a big dance session. And then we’d wander off to see whoever grabbed our fancy – Trinity Roots, 17 Hippies, Rango. Saturday night ended with the Cat Empire, an Australian band which seemed to be channeling its own brand of Jazz-Ska-Reggae – think The Specials in Hawaiian shirts, with a touch of Cuba – kind of indefinable but very danceable and fun, fun, fun.

Sunday opened with the Top Twins but I couldn’t find anywhere to sit in the shade, so I meandered off to watch Bob Brozman with his amazing slide guitar and stories of travel and music around the world. I had a lovely conversation with a young

Mum and her small and hard-to-hang-on-to toddler. WOMAD is very family friendly. I caught a bit of real kiwi culture with the Patea Maori Club and then sloped off to get a good seat for Luka Bloom. I’m a sucker for a bit of good Irish music, and a nice Irish fella, so I was happy there for a bit. And then there was more Hanggai, and then meeting up with my friends for the All Star Gala and that lovely sun drenched memory moment. At the tail end of the Sunday night, I wormed my way into the crowd watching Afro Celt Sound System do their thing again – and found a young boy of about 11 who had lost his Mum and was very distressed. We managed to find security and work out a plan, and I left him in their capable hands.

When I said goodbye to him he hugged me as if I had saved his life, and I wandered back to my tent and to my friends feeling the warmth of human love, and the joy of helping someone special. I hope the spirit of WOMAD stays with me for a while to come.

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The universal language of water How our messages of love, harmony and peace are “translated” by the ocean around the globe and reflected in our own bodies of water.

by Catrin Jacksties I have a dream ………….

I have a dream for all of us and I asked myself: how could I make my dream come true?

Most of what we hear these days in the news, on the radio, or read in the paper is gossip, negativity, brutality, disasters, crashes, nightmares, doom and gloom.

Remember the last time you looked at the TV news or read a newspaper and recall what news is still in your mind? Which item stands out?

Observe yourself and others when you meet and talk. What is the main subject? Is the language positive or negative?

We all seem to be conditioned to negativity these days. Somehow it has an attraction and creates stronger emotions than happy news, and it does affect us. Although science has advanced tremendously we never had more people sick, stressed and unwell.

My thoughts on how to change this negativity around us started with a card. It had a picture of a water crystal on one side and was placed under my water glass in a seminar. I wondered what this was all about and took the card and turned it around. It read: Truth I asked the speaker what this meant and she explained it to me. I did some more research and here is what I found: Scientist Dr. Masaru Emoto studied water and its reaction to written and musical messages at the Yokahama Municipal University.

Dr. Emoto’s findings that thoughts and feelings affect physical reality has put him at the forefront in the study of water.

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By producing different focused intentions through written or spoken words and music and literally presenting it to the same water samples, the water appears to “change its expression.”

Dr. Masaru Emoto discovered that the crystals that form in frozen water reveal changes when specific, concentrated thoughts are directed toward them. He found that water from clear springs and water that has been exposed to loving words shows brilliant, complex, and colourful snowflake patterns. In contrast, polluted water, or water exposed to negative thoughts, form incomplete, asymmetrical patterns with dull colours.

He believes that the water of the oceans has memories of all the creatures that lived in the ocean.

Water circles the globe flowing through our bodies and spreading to the rest of the world.

The implications of this research create a new awareness of how we can positively impact the earth and our personal health.

Dr Emoto’s research suggests that as our bodies are more than two-thirds water, our body water crystals, and by association our health and emotions depend on positive written and musical messages.

So if we are constantly exposed to negative messages, horrible dramas, disasters and so on what are the implications for us? What do our “crystals” look like?

KNOWLEDGE(food for thought)

Can we do something about it? Yes we can! We can all make a difference, each one of us, and it will affect us as well as others.

And that’s where my dream emerged.

If positive messages of peace, hope and love can transform water crystals into beautiful “snowflakes” then we can send those messages via the water on the beach.

I went to the beach with my children and we were writing messages into the sand. We just gathered a piece of driftwood and wrote words and symbols into the sand. It was a liberating experience. Initially I felt a bit self conscious. But soon I embraced the activity and forgot everything around me, just feeling the moment of joy while writing in the sand and having so much fun. That alone would change my “crystals” into beautiful coloured snowflakes. My10 year old daughter said “let’s write a message to Grandma and when she goes to the beach in Germany she will receive it.”

I thought: ‘She’s got it!”

Our messages will send a wave of harmony over the ocean to all parts of the world. No resources needed, no money involved, just our time and the effort to go to the beach.

If your reaction to this is “Oh I would love to do that BUT”….then take this opportunity to CHANGE your thought pattern and simply do it. Get out of your comfort zone. Surprise yourself. The rewards are tremendous and the feeling of satisfaction just from going to the beach and the immense fun you are experiencing being there surrounded by the elements can only be fully understood when you are immersed in it. If you don’t live near a beach, you could also go to a river and sing a happy song.

Will you make it? Or will you give up before you even start?

Each one of us can make a difference and help to make this an awesome place to live. I feel we have an obligation to do it for ourselves, for our children, and for future generations.

Our news would be of communities who care, of people who share their talents and gifts and work together. We would have a holistic way of life, respecting each other’s and the environment and we would get excited about the simplest things in life. We would have a world with enough food for everyone, people living in harmony together, accepting each other’s differences, tastes and journeys as they are. We could make a quantum leap in how we view the world.

All it takes is the decision and the “stepping out” of the comfort zone or the limiting mind set which might whisper to you: What can one single person do?

We can all make that difference. One random act of kindness a day. One smile for a passing person.

One message for a loved one. One positive message written in the sand on the beach.

Can you imagine what we could achieve together?

I invite you to come with me to the beach and write a message of peace, hope, fun and love and send a wave to the world. Now you face your greatest challenge: turning what you know into what you do. Until we reclaim our will – assert our power to act upon what we know - even the best plans and dreams remain unrealized.

Sand artist Peter Donnelly

KNOWLEDGE(food for thought)

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‘Person to Person’ One Smile talks to Life Coach Marilyn Greenfield “Our deeper centre knows the truth, but we live from the place that isn’t listening.”

-Katherine Woodward Thomas.

OS: Can you explain to our readers what life coaching is all about?

M: It’s about today and tomorrow – looking at where I am today and finding out where I want to go tomorrow. We help people to uncover what they would really like to do but don’t give themselves permission to go for.

OS: What is involved in a session with you as a Life Coach?

M: First we have a look at your life and take snapshots of various aspects of it, an overview. Then we look at areas where you are dissatisfied. The whole session is always client led. We identify areas where you might think, “oh I used

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to be really good at that but I am actually not doing it anymore,” for example a family dinner once a week. Or we find out that we don’t have time for our girlfriends anymore and basically identify those areas of dissatisfaction.

Then we look at how we can incorporate those things again but often it is “what can I get away with” rather than adding more to an already busy schedule. Often these first meetings are a real surprise to the clients. Particularly women often feel that they don’t have the right to do the things they really want to do, they are always giving and less selfish.

Then we create a plan together so we can get a step closer to what we would like to do or achieve tomorrow.

OS: What happens after you create the plan?

M: We evaluate the plan on a weekly or fortnightly basis. We notice the challenges when they arise and deal with them together.

David Rock – the founder of ”Results,” where I trained, has done a lot of neuroscience studies and found that when we are able to calm down our brain and are starting to ask thinking questions, we will receive the solutions in no time. He refers to that as enlightenment.

OS: What do you recommend in regards to the frequency of these sessions?

M: Once a week or a fortnight for around one hour. The best results are achieved with a session from one month to three months. That gives the client ample time to create new patterns and establish them while having the support when challenges arise.

O.S.: What has been your most

O.S.: Do you need training to

rewarding experience so far?

become a Life Coach?

M: I coached a lady last year who

M: Yes, I studied at Results

said to me that she thought she had never had someone in her life who was 100 percent behind her, regardless of what she did.

She didn’t give herself permission to do the things she wanted to do and needed that permission from someone else. We worked on that belief pattern and she is now making her life choices happily and confidently on her own.

O.S.: How rewarding is this career for you?

M: It’s actually quite touching to make such a powerful difference.

It changes people’s lives completely when they know they have done it themselves. I help to empower them to make immediate changes.

in Auckland which is an internationally recognized organization. We are constantly involved in ongoing training to benefit from the latest scientific evidence and findings which we then can implement. I am currently studying two new programmes.

O.S: How long have you been a Life Coach?

M: I think in a way I have been a Life Coach all my life but I have been registered as a trained coach for two years.

O.S.: I believe the school system, especially colleges could benefit from Life Coaching. So many young adults are uncertain about their future. What is your opinion on that?

M: I agree. I have grown-up children myself and I often found that they had no one to talk to who didn’t have a vested interest when it comes to, for example, their career choices. As parents we do tend to have a “good idea” of what our children should do.

For boys there also seems to be a lack of role models whom they could look up to or aspire to.

I think Life Coaching at schools is a great vision.

O.S.: Could you give our readers today one single tip which can make a difference in their lives?

M: I would encourage everyone to ask thinking questions like “how else can I view this situation?” or “what can I learn from this?” instead of judging the situation or person. Just give it a go and watch the outcome. It can be quite eye opening.

How to get a better night’s sleep: • Have a distinctive bedtime routine. We are creatures of habit and thrive on routines.

• Make it dark. Melatonin is released by the pineal gland in our brain, helping us to go to sleep. This happens naturally as it gets dark. As the night wears on, turn off the bright lights.

• Keep your sleeping environment cool. We sleep better when our bedroom is cool, however a warm bed to climb into can help settle us down.

• Cut back on stimulants. Coffee and alcohol can both affect our REM sleep patterns, meaning less satisfying sleep. Iceberg lettuce, on the other hand, contains lactones which calm and act as a natural sedative.

• Think good thoughts. It is a wise investment in time to find some wonderful soothing things to think about. If your life is stress filled and challenging, think of a time or place that felt peaceful, or project yourself into a better future and create a powerful picture of that. Before falling asleep, and again if you wake at night, relax. Notice how your breath feels as it enters and leaves your nostrils. Notice any tension as you mindfully relax your body from head to toe.

Choose your thoughts and give energy only to positive ones.

• Visit Marilyn’s website www.activatedliving.com www.onesmile.co

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POSITIVE THINKING

Autumn – a time for letting go Managing our emotions in times of stress PHOTO BY MIKE BAIRD

by Elayne Lane

I believe that when the weather cools down and we move into the autumn season, our emotions change too. In Traditional Chinese Medicine Autumn is equated with the Metal Element – it’s a time of letting go. So if you notice yourself feeling a bit sad or down at the change of season, understand it is perfectly natural.

At different times of the year different “Elements” are in action – winter is for introspection/ hibernation, spring is energising and for spring cleaning, summer is for being in high spirits (dancing, singing, going out, seeing friends) and lastly, autumn is for letting go/cutting out the excess so we conserve our energy for the winter.

The Metal Element is represented by a shiny sword. It cuts through what we want to keep and what we want to release with precision. On a physical level it connects to our lungs and large intestine. When the Metal Element is out of balance physically we are prone to respiratory system issues such as colds and breathing difficulties or elimination issues such as diarrhoea or constipation. This can also relate to the

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skin and the fascia, causing dermatitis or skin irritations. These are really outward signs that there is an inner emotional issue to be sorted.

Fortunately on the plus side, there is alot of energy in our lungs and large intestine in the autumn: giving us the courage or “inner metal” to be sensitive and honest enough with ourselves to be emotionally conscious. So there is energy to deal with feelings like grief, depression, dishonesty and sadness. Here are some simple techniques to help you through these times...

1. Breathing deeply can help us process our feelings. So take a walk in the mountains or up a hill with a friend, tell them about your feelings whilst walking. Walking uphill means you have to breathe deeply, and it is the breath that helps process our emotions. Tell your friend all your woes, not so much focussing on the story but more on the feelings. Really get into them. Ask your friend to encourage you to wallow in your feelings... “Where do you feel it in your body?”

“How bad is it?” “Can you expand on the feeling more?” Keep walking uphill and breathing and by the end of the walk you will feel heaps better.

POSITIVE THINKING

2. The body loves touch and the skin is connected to the Metal Element. Abdomen massage is particularly helpful if you feel overwhelmed by emotions. Have some Chi Nei Tsang or a Shiatsu Hara massage or alternatively ask a friend to rub your tummy while you take long slow breaths down into your abdomen. Good abdomen massage helps us digest our emotions.

3. When going through low times we need to be in the company of loving supportive friends. Cultivate those relationships which nourish you, being aware that sometimes those friends need to be loved too. This means at times putting your issues to one side and just loving them. At other times, it’s your turn to receive their love and nurturing. It’s important to both give and receive or the relationship will become tired and flat. Also when we give love through our words and actions, our being opens to receive love.

4. Working through your low times can be heavy going. Lighten yourself up from time to time with funny movies or books. Going dancing or listening to music can also uplift you. It doesn’t have to be doom and gloom all the time.

5. Sometimes when we have physical conditions relating to the lungs, large intestine or skin, herbs can help heal them. Herbs can also help our energy levels, clearing meridian pathways and giving the organs more energy which, in turn, gives us more energy to deal with the emotional issues in life. A good herbalist can help you choose herbs to enhance your health.

Elayne Lane is an Aromatherapist and Touch for Health Kinesiologist. She also practices Chi Nei Tsang and teaches classes from the Universal Healing Tao. She can be contacted on 03 547 0373.

References: Marin Gilles (1999): Healing from Within with Chi Nei Tsang. Published by North Atlantic Books, Berkeley, California Marin Gilles (2006): Five Elements Six Conditions: A Taoist Approach to Emotional Healing, Psychology, and Internal Alchemy. Published by North Atlantic Books, Berkeley, California

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KNOWLEDGE(food for thought)

The Symbolism of the Circle This article, about the Hermetic Law of Mentalism, is the first installment of a series on the mystical metaphors of sacred geometry by Bruce Rawles, author of The Geometry Code.

We can learn to master our moods, release negativity, manifest “higher levels of abundance”, and attract new opportunities into our lives with the aid of the teachings of The Kybalion.

“All the world’s a stage, and all the men and women merely players: They have their exits and their entrances.”

William Shakespeare, As You Like It Give yourself a minute or so to mentally journey to a remote galaxy and back and then the distant past and future in your imagination. (You can provide all the details to your liking.) Where did YOU go?

Which ‘self’ did the travelling? How much time and space did you cover? Quite a lot? Both NASA and all the best Hollywood special effects houses should be envious of the budget you had for the trip you just went on. Didn’t cost much, did it? The point is, you just made this trip with your MIND. Where did all the spaces and times you covered exist? How about your body and however many other bodies were there on these dream adventures; where did they exist? Where do they exist now? May I suggest … in your Mind? We’ve spent lifetimes convincing our ‘selves’ that bodies should garner all the attention, yet minds get second billing.

The law of Mentalism encompasses our entire thought system (a.k.a. reality), whether it be based on the truth that transcends the veils of space and time or the minuscule fragment of our personal experience, blinding ourselves to ‘droplet perspective’ in the midst of ‘oceanic vastness’.

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This law, like the other six, applies to everything … there isn’t any “thing” that doesn’t exist apart from, or outside of mind. Every virtual reality movie you’ve seen has been telling you the truth (at least in this one respect); namely, that your so-called external world is fabricated from the perceptions you have invited through your thoughts and feelings, accumulated into ideas, beliefs, biases and points of view. This is how we can have about 7 billion humans, seemingly sharing the same planet, yet frequently embracing VERY different perspectives from the standpoint of conventional thinking; we’re all projecting different parts of the same holographic illusion from the flickering lamps of our fragmented minds onto the screen of 3D manifestation.

The Sufi story about the blind men and the elephant fits very well here; one blind man feels the elephant’s ear and describes the animal as flat and thin, another, touching a leg relates that it is thick and cylindrical, yet another grasping the tail says that the elephant is thin and flexible like a rope. Each one, within the limited context of their finite senses, shares an incomplete,

KNOWLEDGE(food for thought)

yet somewhat valid piece of the whole. None of them realizes that their own biases paint the same entity as different, while in fact; they are just isolated (and distorted) aspects of a greater truth. As we remember to apply this principle more routinely, we empower and bless our lives with much more compassion, tolerance, and genuine forgiveness (based on seeing “others” as “self”, with nothing “out there” to forgive in the fleeting ephemera of events.) If we’re just viewing a part of the cosmic elephant, there’s no point in assuming that another’s perspective is any better or worse than our own.

The Ineffable Oneness of All Life

“If the doors of perception were cleansed, everything would appear to man as it is, infinite.” – William Blake Fathoming the infinite nature of mind and consciousness is somewhat akin to the perennial conundrum of asking a fish to describe water; we exist in a limitless ocean of mental energy, which includes feeling, thought, and expectation. Pure consciousness is at our center, the ineffable quintessence of life at the focus of each being.

Mystical traditions inform us that all matter is permeated with consciousness, the one foundational principle that science tries in vain to localize in the context of an assumed finite material reference frame. Our prime awareness, eternal, unchanging in a Universe of change, defies definition, just as multiplying or dividing by infinity transcends rational logic. We think we’re bodies, and/ or we identify with the personalities that we’ve developed over a few decades, and yet we know, deep down, that we must be so much more! Almost all our mental

mis-training and dis-information has been devoted to teaching us that we’re not a mind, and that we’re separate from other minds and bodies.

The Point and The Circle: Encompassing Nothing and Everything Albert Einstein quotes: “A human being is a part of the whole, called by us ‘Universe,’ a part limited in time and space. He experiences himself, his thoughts and feelings as something separated from the rest - a kind of optical delusion of his consciousness.

This delusion is a kind of prison for us, restricting us to our personal desires and to affection for a few persons nearest to us.

Our task must be to free ourselves from this prison by widening our circle of compassion to embrace all living creatures and the whole of nature in its beauty. No body is able to achieve this completely, but the striving for such achievement is in itself a part of the liberation and a foundation for inner security.”

Einstein, with this wonderful quote, pinpointed a primary limiting factor in widening our circle of compassion: no BODY is able to achieve this completely, because bodies are, by nature, an infinitesimal subset of the whole that is foundation for compassion. As long as we think of our selves as bodies (or the personalities anchored to them), we encompass nothing, and our compassion is artificial and limited at best, because there’s always a vested interest in a particular outcome that benefits ‘our’ body, our family, friends, nation or even galaxy, but not the rest or the ‘other.’ If we identify with our Infinite (shared) Mind, then our circle of compassion encompasses everything and everyone.

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KNOWLEDGE(food for thought)

Inner Lamb-scape and Outer Goat-scape

“We are the prisoners of the prisoners we have taken.”

– Johnny Clegg & Savuka (lyrics to the song “Jericho”) The Wikipedia definition of scapegoat is “Scapegoating is the practice of singling out one child, employee, member of a group of peers, ethnic or religious group, or country for unmerited negative treatment or blame.”

The biblical story of the scapegoat offers a very helpful clue which employs the symbol of the circle as a mnemonic for when we’re practicing inclusion or exclusion. In historic accounts, the guilt (sins) of the community were projected onto a goat, which was then banished to the outer realms outside the inner flock – peripheral to the circle of what we’re willing to accept or allow in our minds.

Everything within the circle is OK (innocent as lambs), and if you’re outside, tough luck, goat!

The problem is that the very premise that divides wholeness into parts is flawed, and even the ‘good’ that remains begins to be suspect because of the inherent lack of trust. The circle closes in and eventually strangles the dualistic split mind into oblivion; it becomes a singularity and winks out; but not without a lot of grief and struggle!

Seeing ‘others’ as ‘out there’ throws away the gifts that they bring to us each present moment that we lucidly bring their symbolic contribution as mirrors of self back into mind. This works for both seemingly positive and negative experiences, until ultimately we realize that any so-called good experience in the world is no better or worse than any so-called bad experience in the world, because those experiences are all projections of a massive dream that we’ve made up to reinforce the belief in separation.

Ego can use any excuse to squander the gifts by assigning ‘otherness’ to others and losing the

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meaning that the intrinsic connection – always in mind – can bring.

Some times it’s blatant when we intentionally erect an inner wall and make a fence around those we ‘like’ or agree with and those we’re not so fond of. This has nothing to do with behaviour, since it would be impossible to physically assist or care for everybody (let alone all the animal, vegetable and mineral ‘life’ on just this third spheroid helically spinning around our favourite star). However, it has everything to do with inwardly caring for all equally. This is an egalitarian ideal we probably all pay lip service to in various ways, but we often find ourselves annoyed with certain ‘others’ or internally profiling a group (whether a species, family, region, nation or galaxy) and then suddenly – Whoops! – there’s that nasty we/they paradigm in action again, begging for our self forgiveness.

One’s Mile It’s the little things, everyday, that matter Simone Schulz This story is about an older couple in their seventies who take small steps every single morning and by doing that they motivate me and others. They inspire with their actions. Let me tell you more.

I do not know their names, but I saw them every morning – years ago before I moved to a new location- walking along the sidewalk of a street.

Sometimes, their steps were laboured. Other times, they walked with steady purpose. This older couple walked every single weekday. Most mornings, they were holding hands while they meandered along. It didn’t matter if the sun was shining or the rain was pouring. Like clockwork, they were there, moving in action.

At their age, I often wondered how they do it or even why. Where I’m from, you don’t see too many couples in their seventies willing to get up at 6am and walk a mile in good or adverse weather conditions.

However, this couple did it. Best of all, they seemed fit, healthy, and in love. How beautiful is that?

It is better to take many small steps in the right direction than to make a great leap forward only to stumble backward ~Chinese Proverb There are so many life lessons to learn from this inspirational couple. They teach us that you have to at least try. You have to move if you want to go forward in life. While it may not be pretty or easy, it’ll be a step closer to living your dream.

If we take care of the inches, we will not have to worry about the miles ~ Hartley Coleridge.

Somewhere along the line, many of us learned to believe that RIGHT NOW determines your success. What’s been lost is that it takes a little time and effort to accomplish anything really worthwhile. Nonetheless, the following three motivational quotes can help you overcome and thrive: • Celebrate the small accomplishments. Set milestones. I bet our older couple set out with a milestone of walking 1000 steps; and then, building from there.

• Focus on the next action. When one thing is done, move onto the next.

• Never forget your longer-term goal. Envision your desired end-result. It’ll help you maintain your focus I think it is important to acknowledge every small step on the way. If in doubt whether a small step or thing can really make a difference think again.

Anyone who think s that they are too small to make a difference has never tried to fall asleep with a mosquito in the room

~ Christie Todd Whitman We can all make a difference in our world by walking our mile. It all starts with taking one step at a time.

POSITIVE THINKING

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EXPERIENCES

Stretch the body, stretch the mind – A week at Anahata Yoga Retreat, Golden Bay. Words and images by Caroline Crick It’s 6am and still dark outside. The wood burner is crackling in the corner of the room. I lie down on the soft mat, pull a blanket over me and close my eyes, trying not to fall asleep. Focus. Be aware. A disembodied voice gently tells me to come up to a sitting position. There are about 15 people in the room, dark shapes lit by the fire in the corner. We’re all sitting cross legged on yoga mats. It’s very quiet.

And so the day starts at Anahata Yoga Retreat, on a mountain top in Golden Bay. By the time we’ve finished our morning practice, with chanting that makes the whole room hum, it’s light outside and the birds are singing. I’m warm, awake and feeling pretty spacy. Not sure if it’s the salute to the sun, my first attempts at meditation or just the gentle energy that seems to circulate around the curved walls of the practice hall. Whatever, it feels good.

The Anahata Yoga Health and Education Trust is a non-profit organization that aims to promote health, personal growth and awareness. I’m here for a week

with six other ‘students’, taking part in a course called ‘Explore your Self’. So far my yoga experience has been evening classes doing stretches and poses but this is taking it to a new level.

Anahata, which means ‘Heart’ in Sanskrit, has a small population of permanent residents – some we only see at meal times, some are out working with us during the day. The place is run on Ashram principles, with a simple routine of yoga, meditation and classes.

The principles of sustainability underpin the retreat. Solar power, composting toilets and a huge vegetable garden ensure the environmental impact is as low as possible. I’m here to learn about personal sustainability, how to distance myself mentally from the unchangeable past and the unknowable future and just be aware of the present, the here and now. It’s a powerful concept that seems to run at complete odds with my normal thought processes of going over old stuff and worrying about stuff to come. It does seem rather attractive.

‘Camp mother’ is Sannyasi Devyajyoti. She’s a founding member of the retreat, along with her daughter Swami Karma Karuna and other family members. Our teacher is Swami Gyandharma who teaches us about the yogic lifestyle, and leads us through our meditation practices. (And yes, it takes me all week to get all the yogic names right).

So a normal day starts with that early morning sleepy-headed walk to the practice hall – a mud brick yurt tucked away in the bush – for our yoga session. I’m amazed at how easy it is to get out of bed at 5.30am. Then we sing, for half an hour, an unintelligible (to me) but astoundingly beautiful Sanskrit chant, lead by Gyandharma who also plays the harmonium. By breakfast time at 7.30am I’m starving. Porridge, fruit, milk, tea. It’s hot, fresh and there’s plenty of it.

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The Ashram runs on the simple principle of karma yoga, to give help without expecting to receive anything in return, and to practice mindful meditation through action. My cleaning karma yoga for the week is in the practice hall, sweeping the floor, cleaning the windows, refreshing the flowers and tidying the blankets and cushions. It’s a peaceful and enjoyable task, which is rich coming from someone who only cleans the windows at home when she can’t tell if it’s raining or not. After that it’s off to the vegetable garden where it’s good to get my hands dirty and be useful. And at the end of the work, before lunch, we all troop up to the practice hall for ‘Yoga Nidra’ - a deep relaxation and meditation practice. The challenge is to stay awake.

We have afternoons off, and then an evening programme which involves more meditation, singing and ancient fire ceremonies -to cleanse and heal.

I start to feel that my meditation practice is getting somewhere, and I can’t wait to get in the vegetable garden and plant something every day. I’m moved to tears by the singing at one of the fire ceremonies.

I have to admit that I’m enjoying this trial separation from my working life. I doubt it will lead to divorce but if it helps put a bit more balance in the relationship then it can’t be anything but good.

As the last day approaches my real life beckons.

I’ve made some wonderful friends here in my course mates - Ted, Rob, Lauren, Katherine, Trudy and Naomi. We’ve worked side by side in the gardens and learnt a little about each other and ourselves along the way. The staff and residents each have their own stories about how they came to be following the yogic lifestyle. I’m astounded by their commitment and also by how comfortable they seem with their choices. They each say in their own way that it has not been easy, but none of them show any signs of wanting to go back, and in a funny way I can understand that.

But go back I must, so after a final talk with Gyandharma about how we are going to continue to practice a little yoga in our daily lives, and (for me) slightly emotional farewell, I drive my packed car back down off that mountain, stop for a much anticipated coffee and then head home, carrying a bit of peace and love with me, and chanting as I go.

Anahata Yoga Retreat is located near Pohara in Golden Bay, www.anahata-retreat.org.nz, ph 03 525 9887.

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Spiritual places to discover

One of the most spiritual places on earth is, very simply, within us.

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POSITIVE THINKING

TOP: Anapai Bay, Abel Tasman National Park, Nelson.

RIGHT: Nelson sunset.

PHOTOGRAPY BY: Joy Kachina. www.onesmile.co

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“.. Oh Dearest Ma”

by Brett Fleming

From sodden and craggy isle, tempered with ready guinness and toothless rural smile, My thoughts are with you Oh dearest Ma

With tatty boot moored in gushy bog, negotiating sheep’s crooked path laced in silent fog, My thoughts are always with you Oh dearest Ma

Abreast Galways highest peak, views stretching past emerald fields towards forging glistening creek My thoughts are always with you Oh dearest Ma

Weary legs and sweaty crown, punching forth shimmering cycle wheels to the rhythm of some distant fiddlers sound, My thoughts are always with you Oh dearest Ma

Salty sea mist draped around you like some seducing hazy dream, only to be woken from it’s tightening grip by a cackling seagulls scream, My thoughts and prayers are with you Oh dearest Ma

Past hedgerows of biting thorn and stinging nettle, hiding ready to ambush within a seducing oasis of velvet clover petal, My thoughts and prayers are always with you Oh dearest Ma

Tramping a colourful village trail through a patchwork of tightly cobbled streets, peering into dusty shop facades in search of even older Gaelic treats, My thoughts and prayers are always with you Oh dearest Ma

Dancing a gypsies drunken fireside jig, upon sacrificial heath under a ring of stones and moon so big,

My thoughts and prayers are always with you Oh dearest, dearest Ma

Upon wind tossed cliff top bearing forgotten stone forts, where ancient shadows change hue as blood red sun sink s, melts, then aborts

My thoughts and prayers are always with you Oh dearest, dearest Ma

On dewy moor – a lush tapestry of green sparkling jewels, splintered by the pearly white harshness of stony cottage walls,

PHOTOS FROM TOP: A Connemara fishing boat.

A wind tossed sheep of Dingle.

Ancient Crofters cottage.

All by Brett Fleming

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My thoughts and prayers are always with you Oh dearest, dearest Ma

. . So in a place where moving cloud, fog and sea spray meet and fold as a seamless one, blanketing an old lands hidden secrets occasionally revealed by a watery northern sun, Where folk seem scarce and sheep run wild, Where a villager’s stern warning glance is tempered by that of his laughing gesturing child, Where uncharted oceans fall from angry vengeful skies, and a dampened and downtrodden soul is warmed with irish whiskey and peasant pork pie, Where the rich smell of netted harbour fish mingles with that of dampen hay and drying peat, and from the old cookers of many a humble cottage spills the familiar odour of stewed cabbage and trotter meat, . .w ithin dark and musty pubs exchanging smiles and yarns with others, I speak with a ready tongue of distant friends and family and especially of dearest mothers.

WELLBEING To possess the wealth of nations, To wield the power of kings, Would all be rendered useless In light of other things.

A body fit and happy, A spirit blithe and gay, The being, being wholesome

PHOTO: Joy Kachina

Free from any malady.

Your greatest of possessions, Your health and peace of mind, Will rest on your decisions, So seek and you will find: Find Nature’s Door is open For All to enter in, The secrets lay unfolded Learn, hand on to Kith and Kin.

By Yvonne Tait PHOTO: Joy Kachina

PHOTO: Daniel Springer

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EXPERIENCES

A Wild Irish Walk Words and photos by Caroline Crick

EXPERIENCES

The cliffs of Benwee Head stand at 255m high and give County Clare’s famed Cliffs of Moher a good run for their money. At least that is what our Walk the West of Ireland walking guide, Jim Henry, tells us. I haven’t seen the Cliffs of Moher but standing on this wild headland looking out at the raging Atlantic Ocean, I’m pretty sure I’m getting an authentic Irish walking experience. We’ve left our vehicles parked by the little school in the North Mayo village of Carrowteige and walked headlong into the wind, up and over the headland to see for ourselves the Dun Chaochain cliffs and, off shore, the Stags of Broadhaven.

This is the first serious walking day of a ten day tour, organized by Nelson based Irish woman Rachel Ryan, of Walk the West of Ireland. The climb up is stiff and exhilarating, with a few adrenaline rushes as the gusty North Atlantic wind gets hold of someone’s Goretex rain gear, but we’re all still on our feet and metaphorically, if not literally, blown away by the landscape, the scenery, the light and the sheer Irishness of the landscape.

There are eight of us in our group, plus Jim our guide. Our ages range from late 40s to early 70s and we are well equipped with poles, backpacks and hearty sandwiches for lunch. We stop frequently for botanical, geological and archeological chats about the bog cotton, the sheep, the mountain flora and fauna and the old stone walls buried under the encroaching bog. The bog itself has stories to tell,

and is still harvested by local people. This is my first sighting of cut peat arranged to dry in rounded mounds that dot the landscape, and Jim gives us a laughing demonstration of how to stack cut peat.

This is Common Land, so local landowners have grazing and peat cutting rights that they still exercise small brown mountain sheep graze among the piles of peat and scatter as we approach.

The walking track leads us around the headland alongside an ancient black ditch which is believed to mark old boundaries, past stunning views of the sea and the wild coastal waters as they crash and boom against the cliffs below. Towards the end of the day we reach an unexpectedly modern shelter – a sculpture that is part of the Tir Saile North Mayo Sculpture Trail. This man made dry stone shelter is named for an ancient legend of the Children of Lir, children who were turned into swans and condemned to roam the countryside for 900 years.

Whatever its reason for being, its smooth rounded form is reminiscent of the piles of peat lying back along the track, and it provides a much appreciated seat in the lee of the wind as Jim treats us to a rendition of the Wild Rover. From the sculpture it’s not too far back down to the cars. We head back to our lodgings at Kilalla via a village pub, where instead of afternoon tea I get my first taste of Guinness. Here is Ireland indeed! www.walkthewestofireland.com

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HOLISTIC WELLBEING

Luscious Lentils

with Tomato Sauce

This hearty lentil combo with tomato sauce brings a complete meal to your body and mind. Bringing good humour and a festive atmosphere to your table.

Amazingly divine.

Serves four large or six small servings

Sauté in a large pot for 5-10 mins: 5-7 Tbsp Bran oil 2 Large grated carrots 3/4 tsp Turmeric 1 - 2 tsp Cumin seeds 1 - 2 tsp Cumin powder 1 tsp Salt 2 Large Tbsp grated ginger 1 tsp Ground cardamom 1 tsp Black pepper 1 tsp Paprika 2 Bay Leaves & 2 Tbsp Oregano

Add:

1 tsp Asafoetida (hing) - purchase from local Indian stores

1 cup Split red lentils

1 cup Mung Dhal

1 cup Chopped pumpkin (braise / roast for 10 mins till pumpkin is tender)

Add:

2 - 4 cups hot vege stock or hot water & simmer 20 - 30 mins

Add:

5 cups chopped veges: Pumpkin, Potatoes, Broccoli, Cauliflower

In addition finely chopped Spinach, Kale or Chard are also valuable – toss them in at the end of cooking.

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HOLISTIC WELLBEING

Tomato Sauce 1 x 400gm or 1 x 800gm tinned tomatoes (to taste) 1 – 2 cups chopped fresh tomatoes (optional) 1 - 2 Tbsp Marmite 1 Tbsp Arrowroot dissolved in cold water ½ cup Peanut Butter (optional) 3 Tbsp Peanuts (to taste) Add: the tomato sauce to the lentils. Simmer for a further 20 – 30 mins & then mix in 1 cup of fresh chopped coriander (optional). Be sure to alter the spices to suit your taste…feel free to experiment.

TIPS: • Add a pinch of Kelp Salt for added nutrition.

• If no cumin is at hand feel free to use a combination of fresh oregano, rosemary, paprika and cinnamon.

• For best results soak the lentils overnight & remove the frothy substance which accumulates when the lentils are boiling.

• Eyes open: when frying spices these guys burn easily & the charcoal smell isn’t a good look once your friends arrive. Have incense at hand.

• Lentils love water, so stir often and add more water or juice from the tinned tomatoes.

• Be sure to adjust and adapt these spices and ingredients, for a softer or more intense flavour.

Tasty Alternative: Place lentils in a baking dish.

To make the topping, fry: 1 ½ cups oats 50-100gm butter ½ -1 cup sunflower seeds, sesame seeds or pecan nuts Pinch salt ¼ cup buckwheat flour Cheese (optional) Sprinkle this topping over lentils.

Bake 180° for 15 - 20mins.

SERVE WITH BROWN/WHITE RICE & FRESH SALAD - PEACE

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Fennel

Foeniculum vulgare

– soothing for the stomach

By Yvonne Tait, Herbalist When someone asks me, as a practicing Herbalist of over twenty years experience - what my favourite herb might be, I find it difficult to choose as so many have proven their worth over the years.

One favourite is Fennel, and I have a great personal experience of this herb to share. Some years ago I was prone to bouts of colic, certain foods I ate would cause the build up of wind and the pressure would rise to produce extreme pain. I found initially that apple cider vinegar in water was very helpful, along with digestive enzymes, but the main cure was prevention, i.e. not eating the foods that caused the problem.

One evening I went out for tea to a friend’s house and being polite I ate what she had lovingly provided and enjoyed it. At home a couple of hours later the colic began. It was like no other experience, the pain was almost unbearable. My normal remedies didn’t work but as I writhed in agony my befuddled brain finally thought of using fennel.

I had fennel in my dispensary so I mixed a dose of the tincture in a large glass of warm water. Within ten minutes I could feel the pressure dropping and the pain easing, and after about half an hour I was pain free. Since then I have never suffered colic again because I always have fennel to hand and at the very first signs of a problem a cup of warm

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diluted fennel fixes my problem.

Modern uses of Fennel: Fennel is a calming, aromatic, antispasmodic herb with expectorant qualities. It aids the production of a mother’s milk, relieves flatulence and colic and aids digestion. It can be useful in painful menses.

An infusion of the crushed seeds can be used to bathe the eyes when troubled with conjunctivitis or inflammation of the eyelids.

Preparation: Slightly crush one to two teaspoons of the seeds, infuse in a cup of boiling water, place a lid on it and allow to stand for about ten minutes. This can be drunk to ease colic. To prevent colic, drink it half an hour before a meal.

For an eye bath allow mixture to completely go cold before use.

You are well advised to consult with your Health Care Practitioner to ascertain the suitability of herbal products for you personally before embarking on their use.

References:

A Modern Herbal By Mrs M. Grieve. Penguin Books 1984 Culpeper’s Colour Herbal Edited by David Potterton pub.

W. Foulsham & Co. Ltd. 1983 The New Holistic Herbal by David Hoffmann pub. Element Books

Limited 1999. www.redrampant.com

HOLISTIC WELLBEING

Chickweed

Stellaria media

– a herb for all seasons This tiny juicy plant grows wild throughout New Zealand, teaching us to embrace the succulence of life and remember to play.

With small white flowers like stars, it has a mild, pleasant taste.

While chickweed loves rich soil, it can live in a wide variety of soil types.

Uses – regulates metabolism/weight, helps ovaries, hormone balance, contains abundant cell salts and topically alleviates dry eczema and styes.

Chickweed and Karengo Salad 3 handfuls fresh chickweed, chopped fine 1 chopped avocado ¾ handful of loose Karengo(sea kelp) ½ handful wildflowers as garnish N.B. most of all flowers are edible ( from plant not cacti)

Dressing ½ cup olive oil 1 Tbsp mustard ¼ cup lemon juice/raw apple cider vinegar 1-2 cloves of garlic, chopped fine Salt to taste Mix mustard and oil first, then add the rest of the ingredients to taste.

by Amy C McComb, BSc(hons)Qualified Herbalist www.plantrhythms.co.nz

FOUNDERS BREWERY & CAFE Nelson Brewers since 1853

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SHORT FICTION

MARNIE, ISLA, ELVIS and ME

by Sarah Mc Callum We’re in a row beneath the oak. Branches flick crazed patterns of winter sun across the lawn.

Marnie sits in her wheelchair holding my hand in her lap. She stares ahead, motionless, except for her thumb tirelessly stroking the back of my hand and a watery halo of grey hair shimmying about her head.

Beside me Isla shifts noisily on one of the crackled cane chairs that a nurse-aide had dragged down from the veranda for us. At my feet are a pile of mandarins and peelings; a tidy heap of sharp white and orange against the greenness of the lawn. I lean toward Marnie, ‘Do you want another mandarin?’

Silence. Aside from steadily stroking my hand, Marnie doesn’t move. More silence.

‘Give me your hand and I’ll do your fortune.’ Isla interrupts.

Her chair gives another grating sigh as she bows forward in her seat and rests a lit cigarette on the grass. I look at her and can only see how different she is to Marnie. Her gaze skips across my face as Marnie continues to stare ahead. She is stark and angular, with none of Marnie’s soft roundness. She was always quick and direct whereas Marnie had been calm and thoughtful. Here under the oak, she is present and Marnie is not. They have always been friends; two parts of an ever-present whole in my life and now in their eighties here they are in the same rest home.

Marnie is my grandmother. When I was young she and Isla would regularly take me into town where we sat at polished wooden tables in the coffee shop on the top floor of the old D.I.C. building. Isla would get me a club sandwich followed by a chocolate éclair served on thick cream plates while Marnie let me take tiny steamy sips from her sweet milky tea. I felt like a grown up as I tried not to swing my dangling legs back and forth on the too-tall chair. On one of those days Isla bought me my first, and only, pair of red patent leather shoes. For weeks I was too in awe of their perfection to ever do anything but pull them out of their tissue-lined home and look at them.

‘Tuppence, pass me your hand. We’ll see what lies ahead.’ Thirty years later and she still refuses to call me anything but my childhood nickname.

Still holding Marnie’s hand with its rhythmic thumb, I stretch my free arm over to awkwardly drape over

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the armrest of Isla’s chair. Isla gently drags her dry fingertips across my upturned palm and begins to tell me my future. As always, she says it looks bright.

‘But stay away from a sandy haired fellow on a tractor. He’ll only break your heart.’

Releasing my hand she starts a clattering cough punctuated by breathy gulps of air. Her craggy face mottles from the exertion yet without pause she stops coughing, reaches for the cigarette on the grass, brings it to her mouth and sucks. Her pallid eyes focus on the cigarette’s tip. Mine do too and I watch its end glow fiercely as her cockled cheeks pucker with the effort of inhaling. She pulls it from her mouth and breathes out noisily. A bank of smoke drifts away from us like a languid shoal of fish. Isla clumsily throws the rest of the cigarette towards an azalea bush beside her as I hear a voice bounce across the lawn from behind me.

‘Isla, are you smoking out here? You know that you are to do that round the back.’ Isla winks at me. The voice continues, ‘Come into the lounge. We have someone coming to entertain you this afternoon.

You don’t want to miss that, do you?’ A nurse-aide appears from behind the oak, her long ginger hair a startling contrast to her pale green uniform. ‘Come on Isla, I’ll give you a hand.’ She turns to me, ‘Do you want to bring Marnie in - she might enjoy it?’

‘Okay.’

Still holding Marnie’s hand I pivot round to hunker down in front of her. I watch the ginger-haired woman helping Isla out of her chair. I look at Marnie; she’s still looking over my head into the distance. I hold her hands in her lap and squeeze them gently, ‘Hey Granny, how about we go inside now?’

Her eyes shift to focus on mine. I see the faded blue of her irises. Then I hear her. ‘Where’s Will?’ Will is her husband, my grandfather. He’s been dead for sixteen years.

‘He’s not here today,’ I lie, fearful that the truth will force her jumbled mind to relive misplaced grief. She gazes out over my head, our momentary connection again fractured, and we are lost in silence. I ease my hands out of hers to pick up mandarins and peel and throw them into the plastic bag hanging on her wheelchair.

‘Okay, let’s go.’

I push the chair and we mutely follow Isla and the

SHORT FICTION nurse-aide across the lawn towards the main entrance of the home. Inside the hallway gluggy with warmth and the smell of clinical old age, we join a silverhaired melee squeezing into the lounge.

‘Over here, Tuppence.’ Isla is sitting in a large puffed chair that seems to be in danger of swallowing her whole. I find a space for Marnie’s wheelchair next to her and rest on the edge of Isla’s armrest between them. Isla carries on chatting to the elderly woman sitting next to her who has a blue hair rinse that perfectly matches her own ‘swallows-littleladies-whole’ puffed chair. Through the windows at the end of the room I can see the naked canopy of the oak we were sitting under. I rub Marnie’s back, staring at the oak until the ginger-haired nurse-aide moves into my line of vision. She stands behind a microphone holding it in a way that makes me think this is a new experience for her.

‘Ah… hello…can you all hear me?’ Her voice booms across the lounge from two large speakers high in corners of the room. There are nods and a weak chorus of ‘Yes’.

‘We’re very lucky today to have someone very special to come and sing to you today; very lucky indeed. Everybody put their hands together for…’

There is a pause and I wonder if she has forgotten who she is introducing or if it’s a ploy to create anticipation in a room full of pensioners. Finally she continues, ‘…put your hands together for…Elvis.’

And in walks Elvis, complete with wig, jumpsuit and large sunglasses. Isla lets out a guffaw which quickly turns into a chesty cough. Moving across the room, he shakes hands with everyone he passes.

‘Does he think he’s the Queen on a walkabout?’ says Isla still gasping for breath.

I laugh trying to imagine the Queen gyrating as he is. Stepping behind the microphone he winks to a tiny woman with hair the colour of ripe tamarillos, her finger hovering over a stereo system. Chords

of music flood the room. He stands silently, head bowed as the music thunders on. Lifting his head he faces his audience, tilts his hips and starts to sing.

And he can sing. Before long he has his audience jiggling in their seats while Mr Hobbes weaves about the room with a nurse firmly in his arms and Mrs Selkirk stands alone mouthing the lyrics, clapping out of time. Elvis sashays over to stand in front of Marnie and I see the rows of glistening faux plastic gems lining his baggy white jumpsuit. He is a skinny Elvis.

The zipper of his jumpsuit is pulled down to reveal a gold Star of David glistening in a fine mat of blond chest hair. Marnie stares through him, lost again in an unreachable place despite the energy that is spilling over around her. Elvis sings on for another 20 minutes then - with his tamarillo-haired assistant - he is gone, replaced by a tea-trolley rattling into the lounge.

I get off the chair arm, ‘I’d better get back to work, Isla.’ I say, giving her cheek a kiss.

‘It was lovely to see you Tuppence. See you next time and don’t forget to avoid drivers of heavy machinery.’ She smiles and squeezes my hand.

‘Okay, I will.’

I lean into Marnie and stroke her cheek. ‘I’m off now, Granny.’ There is no response. She seems to be looking through me, ‘I love you and I’ll be back next week.’ Still no response.

As I turn to leave, I hear her. ‘He was Assembly of God.’ I turn back. Her eyes are following my face.

‘What was that?’ I say.

‘Elvis wasn’t Jewish. Jesus was Jewish, for a bit, but Elvis wasn’t. Elvis was Assembly of God.’ Her eyes are still locked onto mine and I can only grin and hug her as Isla erupts in bubbles of laughter beside us.

Mosh Pit at Big Day Out -Poem by Erik Roeper Only a lover could get closer. And I don’t even know your name as we stare at the main stage. Our connection intimate and anonymous under a tired Sun. I am reduced. No longer the individual but instead one of the Many - inseparable from the ten thousand other witnesses to the pulpit stage just metres away.

John Helle-Nielsen

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We are a sea of intent. Rising and falling to the driving beat and a guitar’s anthem.

I breathe in the earth, punched up from below with each mighty jump.

Our thundering feet knocking the wind out of Terra Firma.

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HOW TO GET INVOLVED

Our intention is to share your stories, ideas, visions and poems. This magazine is about, for and from you, the reader. We would like to encourage you to send us something you personally created so we can share it with the One Smile community.

We would love to hear from you! Email: info@onesmile.co

The following is a story from 9 year old Sarah A.J. from Nelson, New Zealand.

For the love of pranking

When I was six years old, my siblings, mum and I were visiting our relatives in Germany.

Most of the six-week holiday was a fast paced blur, but some memories remain clearly in my head like they were yesterday.

Ben rang the doorbell and, on cue, I began shouting ‘Oma! Oma!’ loudly and with gusto, to make sure she heard. When we heard her footsteps drifting down the hallway towards us, I ceased my wretched yelling and waited patiently. When the door opened, we all smiled innocently at her and as if on cue, the frog jumped out towards her foot, and made a squelching noise when it landed. The shrieks that followed echoed through my head for many days after.

And it was all for the love of pranking.

Design of One Smile magazine proudly sponsored by Chameleon Creative. inspire • adapt • achieve

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Designers to the Nelson business community for over a decade.

Shop in your pyjamas and support christchurch businesses.

We can provide everything from delicious food and wine, clothing, jewellery, and cute essentials for babies and children, to accounting, engineering and manufacturing services.

With an estimated 20% of the population having left Christchurch

after the earthquake, and the CBD not operating, our local market has suddenly become much smaller. So every order, no matter how small helps one of our businesses to survive.

More than 80% of the businesses on the www.supportchristchurchbusiness.com site can serve Nelson customers, with more being added all the time.

So next time you need to buy something, whatever you're wearing, please consider using one of our companies affected by the earthquake.

www.supportchristchurchbusiness.com

MCCARTHY

To be honest, we don't mind what you wear, but our businesses would love to hear from you. They can serve you online, by phone and some can even visit you in person, which may require getting dressed.