What beat is the music of your soul?

What beat

is the music of your soul? by Sarah Tolmie

Over the summer break I read the brick sized autobiography of Keith Richards, lead guitarist of the Rolling Stones and the original rock’n’roll outlaw. What a great read! What an unexpected thoughtful and endearing character and personality he turned out to be.

What I liked about it, apart from a ripping yarn of an outrageous life, was the complete passion and love he has for his music and his pure musician’s quest to learn and create new sounds, new expression and to connect with people. Having a passion is an essential element to a happy and fulfilling life. A passion can fuel a lifetime love of learning; it can connect you with people who share your passion...kindred spirits so to speak; and it can open up from within you a vein of creativity and sense of self expression.

In Keith Richards’ case, his passion for music ultimately became his saviour out of the turmoil of his well documented descent into rock’n’roll’s darkside. Music was his anchor to reality, to work and commitments; and through performance and his desire to continually improve his musicianship, music was his path to recovery and to his sense of self worth. For many of us, a passion can be simply a hobby or leisure, and brings a lifetime of great pleasure and satisfaction. For many successful entrepreneurs by following their passion they have found success and doing what they love has enabled them to shine and make their mark on the world.

However large it features in your life, your passion can become a pathway to finding one’s soul purpose and the map for one’s life journey. Listening to your heart’s true desire and surrendering to the pull of your passion is a truly empowering and transformative experience in life. It can lift the fog, clear the dark clouds and reveal the road ahead. The decisions and choices to be made are suddenly clear, easy and effortless when they are aligned with your deep values and needs. So why is it that for some of us, finding or following our passions remains elusive? I have had many coaching clients confess they don’t know what their soul purpose is, that they feel adrift and lost, or even more heart wrenching, they do actually know what they truly desire yet feel held back from truly being, doing or having what they want. Such a way is a life living in the shadows with the sound turned down! Is this perhaps what we feel when we stay in a ‘soul destroying’ job, or engage in ‘soul destroying’ habits and behaviours?

Finding what makes your heart sing and then tapping into that beat is really what life is all about. It is what we are all seeking. We can make lists and lists of goals for all areas of our life – (this

is a great thing to do and I do this with great zeal every New Year) – but underlying them all should be a sense of how all of those goals support your true soul’s desire. Finding that out is really not so hard. It is found in between the beats...in the stillness. This can be done through meditation, contemplation, and visualisation. When we act with self knowledge and with volition towards our goals this is the way of illumination and expansion.

It doesn’t have to be grand or complicated. Ask yourself, what makes you happy? How can it also contribute to making others happy? How can it contribute to a better community, a better world? Find your own beat. Make it loud and strong. Find the harmony with others’ individual beats, allow them to join and play together...now you’re making beautiful music! Having a passion is an essential element to a happy and fulfilling life

Sarah Tolmie is a Life & Love celebrant, coach, pastoral carer and consultant assisting people to celebrate, navigate, grow and heal through all their life & love transitions. Her practice focuses on love & relationships; families & children; life success & fulfilment; illness, death & grief. As an holistic Celebrant Sarah creates profound and meaningful ceremonies for all life & love events. Sarah is also a Laughter Yoga Practitioner. You can visit her website www.sarahtolmie.com.au and receive her Daily Love updates on her Facebook page at Sarah Tolmie – Life & Love

Why exercise really is the Best Medicine

They say laughter is the best medicine, and we agree it certainly does help, but recent studies have proven that exercise really is the best medicine – especially in the fight against cancer. Local Cancer Rehab Occupational Therapist (OT) and Lymphoedema Therapist, Kate Perkins, knows this to be true, as she helps women diagnosed with breast cancer to improve their quality of life and assist recovery through individualised exercise rehab programs.

Kate, who is a former competitive cyclist and triathlete and passionate surfer, said she draws on her lifelong love of sport, health and fitness to help her patients return to doing the things they love best following their cancer treatment.

“As a Certified Pinc & Steel Cancer Rehab OT, my role is to help people regain and maintain movement, strength, and endurance before, during and after cancer treatment, enabling them to return to regular activities as soon as possible,” says Kate.

Breast cancer survivor and athlete, Margaret Beardslee says exercise was an essential part of her cancer recovery.

“Exercise has always helped me have good karma. It helped me feel normal through treatment for breast cancer. I needed to feel normal to cope and keep a positive attitude,” explains Margaret. And the experts agree. In 2018, the Clinical Oncology Society of Australia (COSA) advocated for ‘exercise to be standard practice in cancer care and viewed as an adjuvant therapy to counteract the adverse effects of cancer and its treatments.’

COSA also recommends individual patient safety should be assessed by a health professional with knowledge of cancer, prior to exercise commencement. Founder & Director, Pinc & Steel International, Lou James, says medical treatment may save lives, but cancer rehabilitation gives people their lives back. “It is common for people to reduce their level of physical activity after a cancer diagnosis, and getting the appropriate support and encouragement from a cancer rehabilitation therapist during and after treatment is essential to help you return to doing the things you love,’’ says Lou.

Kate says the role of a Cancer Rehab Therapist is to understand the needs of each individual patient, offer a safe rehabilitation environment and help patients understand what they can do, instead of being frustrated by what they can’t.

“Showing someone what they can do gives them confidence and hope they can return to their normal daily activities. I’ve also seen women become stronger during and after their treatment than when they were first diagnosed,” adds Kate.

“This is why I love what I do and know that exercise really is the best medicine.”

Founder of Lymphatic Solutions, Kate Perkins, is a qualified Occupational Therapist (OT) and Certified Cancer Rehab Occupational Therapist who specialises in breast cancer rehabilitation, including the early detection and early intervention of breast cancer related lymphoedema. Phone 0425 554 994 for a consultation. For more information visit: www.lymphaticsolutions.com.au

Breast Cancer Rehabilitation

Kate Perkins, B.App.Sci (Occupational Therapy) helps women who have undergone surgery and related treatment for breast cancer gain recovery of strength, movement, and energy. » Monitoring pre & post breast cancer treatment » Assessment and management of Lymphoedema » Strength After Breast Cancer prescribed exercise program » Scar tissue management – surgical, adhesive scar tissue, cording » Low Level Laser Therapy » Lymph and Scar Taping techniques » Manual Lymph Drainage massage » Compression garment prescription » Patient Education » EPC and Health Fund Claimable Call Kate on 0425 554 994 to book an appointment.

@lymphaticsolutionsau E: info@lymphaticsolutions.com.au www.lymphaticsolutions.com.au

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