I am so pleased – my e-book is finally done! This month’s Resolve article is lesson five from it. I hope you enjoy it!

Learn How to Play the Marketing Game – Lesson Five
by Gay Landeta

The big problem many people find with getting their work out there is that there are so many ways to do it. What works? What doesn’t?

Do you know what results you are getting from each strategy you are doing, or even more importantly, why you are undertaking that particular strategy?

Yes, I know–to get more clients, but how will it get you more clients; what role does that actual strategy play in your big picture? And are you sure you are gaining every bit of effectiveness out of that strategy? And how much fun do you have while doing it? Is it just another job on the to-do list?

Robert Middleton, my marketing mentor and coaching trainer, talks of the similarity between playing baseball and marketing.

Hmmm, you might say, but think about it. A game of baseball consists of a bunch of people on a playing field throwing a ball, hitting that ball, catching that ball and running around. Now if you try to take all those people and get them to do that without understanding the game or knowing the rules, mayhem will result.

But if you tell them what the rules are and train them, you can develop a winning team. Read the rest of this entry »

by Gay Landeta

Some people love change, some hate it but most of us experience mixed feelings about it at some time or another.This is because there are so many factors involved in the actual process that is change, psychological being the most challenging for most of us.

Wikipedia says psychological topics include perception, cognition, attention, emotion, motivation, brain functioning, personality, behavior, and interpersonal relationships. Whew. When you think about it, it becomes fairly obvious that some or many of those areas will be challenged during the process of change.

Very often, once several of those areas are challenged we move into a ‘fight or flight’ reaction to life. Fight or flight means just that – it is a survival mechanism where once we would either fight the sabre tooth tiger or flee. It is useful in our system in short blasts – not so healthy long term.

Futurist Faith Popcorn suggests that during change, the fight or flight response activated by the philological challenges, result in “cocooning” (cutting our self off from all those around us to try to ignore what is happening) or through actively resisting change through negativity, destructive criticism, even sabotage.

Obviously these tactics are not congruent with a peaceful, harmonious and connected life!

In this article I am going to offer you a handful of tips that can take you out of the reactivity of fight or flight and into being pro-active.

Try them, see which work for you and add your own little helpers to the list. Then, when you notice yourself hiding away or becoming negative and obstructional you will have a few tactics up your sleeve! Read the rest of this entry »

December 10th, 2009

I am so busy setting up my new clinic – and combined with the acceleration of this time of year I need to remember these to stay sane!

Enjoy!

10 TIPS TO SURVIVE THE SILLY SEASON (GOOD FOR ANY TIME OF YEAR!)

by Gay Landeta

These ideas are not rocket science… they may be things you already know or I may have shown you to help you deal with your life…. play with them.

Some may work better than others and playing with them may remind you of others you know that you can add to the list. One great way to develop resilience is to keep finding great ways that help you to deal with the dross of life.

1. Use the Dennison Re-patterning Process when life feels to overwhelming. This is a fundamental part of Brain GymR and helps to refocus and re-organise our system to keep-on keeping-on in a relaxed and playful way. If you don’t know it learn it! It really is useful.

2. Let go of those roles that are keeping you stuck. Our roles, the hats we wear, create such expectations for us. Many of them bad! And especially at this time of year. Remember to step outside of them and figure out what you WANT to do and let go of what you SHOULD do.

Should’s do not bring us happiness in the end, nor do they ultimately keep the peace or make anyone else happy. Why? Because we often end up resentful and maybe even bitter. Find a way to make peace within with your ‘obligations’ and your needs.

3. Go for a swim in the sea. Salt water is very cleansing for our energy system and those ozones by the seaside contain a serious feel good factor. If you can’t get to the sea fill the bath and add a good handful or two of sea salt. Or put a big handful of sea salt in a soft flannel and rub it all over under the shower. You may be amazed at how squeaky clean you feel after. Gets rid of all that stale energy.

4. Keep communicating. This sounds simple but many of us give up communicating when we get busy. It becomes too hard. Recognise when you are finding it too much to talk and take a breath and initiate conversation with someone, anyone! That conversation may be about something important to you or just to connect and let others in.

Most of us need contact with another person everyday to help keep us sane!

5. Keep relaxed by keeping moving. Sounds a little weird but we do stay more relaxed with some movement in our life. It isn’t easy for many of us, including me, to remember to move, but it does make a difference. Try to include something everyday in your life.

6. Remember that your senses, especially smell and sound, are great tools to utilise in helping you to relax. Nice smells and calming music are used by all the 5 star spas all over the world to help you to relax in their environs. Take a tip and use it at home.

7. Have a rest. Sleep is important. And if it is getting scarce then power naps may be the answer. My mother (a mother of 5 who worked full time) got me addicted to these when my boys were small. Close your eyes for 5, 10 or 20 minutes. No longer. Allow yourself to completely relax during this time. When you keep it this short you do not get the duh feeling of a long afternoon nap. You just wake feeling refreshed and ready for action.

8. Keep up your nutrition, especially your minerals. We think that vitamins are important but for many of us it is all those trace minerals that are lacking. Our ancient soil is pretty mineral light and our bodies can get very depleted before any symptoms show. Talk to your local health food shop and get a good supplement if you are feeling tired or out of sorts. And, if your digestion is not what it should be then make sure you take them in a liquid form.

For those who are not sleeping, especially if you are a worrier and having some muscle cramps then consider magnesium, it can be a miracle mineral. (note this is not a prescription – talk to a qualified nutritional counsellor before undertaking any intensive vitamin or mineral therapy).

9. Make sure you own your choices. Once you decide to do something commit to it. While I understand this is hard, not committing is harder – why? Because if something goes wrong we start to regret our decisions or wish we had done something different. Hindsight is always 20/20.

If we own the decisions we make then we know they were the best we could do at the time. Otherwise we would have done something else.

10. Learn to recognise when you feel great and when you don’t. And when these are normal ups and downs (we all need these to know when we are happy if nothing else!) and when they are not. We all will have times when life conspires with too much and we are beyond our ability to cope.

When you can’t cope and what you are trying doesn’t help seek help. Don’t waste your life being out of whack. It is far too precious.

Have a wonderful holiday season!

cheers, Gay

November 15th, 2009

This month has been hectic… mid November already! Lots of great changes are in the air – keep posted for details!

Here is my ezine article – on the victim, rescuer and persecutor triangle, a biggie this time of year!

If you want to receive my monthly ezine articles each and every month together with special offers (this months special offer for subscribers was a zero cost essence consult) and a monthly booster to keep you on track sign up at http://gaylandeta.com.au/sign-up

Enjoy!

Gay

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TRYING TOO HARD TO FIX THINGS? WANT TO STOP BEING A VICTIM? … READ ON

by Gay Landeta

Imagine a triangle. In one corner lies our hero, the rescuer, ready to fix everything, to do battle to save the world.

In another corner lies a victim, someone who is having a seriously bad time. Poor little one, we feel such pity for them.

And in the final corner we see the cause of the pain, the persecutor. How dare s/he!

Watch closely what happens as they spring into action –

The rescuer leaps from the top of the triangle into the persecutors lair ready to sort out this issue.

Yeah, we shout… pleased that, at last, the cause of the problem will be dealt with.

That is until we see that perhaps the persecutor is not actually as bad as we thought, in fact s/he seems to be becoming a victim of the fixer’s righteous anger. As the fixer takes on the cloak of the persecutor, the persecutor dons the robes of the victim and shuffles over into the victim’s corner.

As the ex-persecutor shuffles into the victim’s corner, the victim sees the situation and becomes outraged at the ex-fixers behaviour. S/he finds the strength to defend this poor victim, the ex-persecutor, and then bounds into the rescuer’s corner.

At this, our ex-rescuer – now residing in the perpetrators corner – calms down and remembers s/he is meant to be the one to fix everything. S/he dumps the persecutors cloak and jumps back into the rescuers corner which irritates and angers our ex-victim.

Our ex-victim now leaps into the vacant persecutors corner, furious about …..

And on they play, jumping from corner to corner of the triangle at the whim of their reaction to their perceptions, perceptions that are shifting and changing every moment.

So … a question … how many of us spend endless hours reacting as the victim, the rescuer or the persecutor instead of responding to a situation without playing in those roles?

For many of us this triangle, sometimes called the drama triangle for obvious reasons, directs the course of our relationships and life.

Certainly our myths are full of the triangle in action and don’t many of us secretly wish we were a super-hero, I always wanted to be Batman myself!

Trouble is, this triangle can truly create a nightmare in our life. Constantly trying to fix everything, feeling trapped and angry about circumstances and ready to do battle at any given moment are signs that you are stuck in the trap.

So if we recognise that we are caught in this nightmare what can we do?

Firstly stop and acknowledge it. Naming it is very powerful. Not what the other is doing but our own role in perpetuating the triangle. Recognising that we are playing the victim, the persecutor or the fixer – or more likely jumping between all three roles, is the first step.

So, just name it. Stay away from blaming your fellow triangle members - you don’t want the persecutors spot, nor do you want to start feeling guilty about it all, otherwise the victim corner will open to embrace you.

Next give yourself space before reacting. You cannot fix this. That compelling feeling is part of the role of the rescuer. A very comfortable place for many of us but ultimately, once we are the rescuer, we become doomed also to take on the roles of the victim and the persecutor.

Be also aware of the attraction of being the victim. We often enjoy this spot. It can feel very nice to have all those rescuers offering to save us. But it is a very tiring role. And ultimately, if we continue to reside in victimhood, we abdicate our personal responsibly and end up waiting for someone to rescue us and make us happy. We also often end up living out a life immersed in bitterness and resentment for the lousy hand we have been dealt.

Recognising you have power in your life is essential. You can choose whatever you like. You only need to take the consequences of your choices.

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This Month’s Resolve : to accept responsibility for my life and my choices and take action!

October 12th, 2009

During September I spent 4 days exploring and balancing early developmental movement patterns with Carol Ann Erikson, a Brain Gym movement expert from the states. As a coach of high level athletes (including those of Olympic standards) she has explored movement intimately and through working with her other love – kids of all ages including those with profound difficulties – she has seen firsthand the impact that exploring and developing physical skills has on the ability to learn.

When musing on my monthly ezine, re-engineered from conception as I was through her program and wondering what to write the answer was obvious… so I resurrected an article I wrote several years ago when I first discovered the link with early movement and learning. I hope you enjoy it.

Movement is fundamental to easy learning, joy in living and fun!

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MOVE AND GROW

by Gay Landeta

For many years the link between movement and learning was not widely recognised. However as we have become a more and more sedentary people, academic and experiential research have linked these two; with the Primitive Reflexes and early developmental movements being recognised as especially important.

What are Primitive Reflexes?

These are our earliest survival reflexes and emerge either in utero or in early infant-hood. They should be fully integrated by about a year to make room for the postural reflexes, the ones that help us to stand upright.

Our ability to move, our perception of the world, our language and how we make sense of the world is built upon the emergence and subsequent integration of these early reflexes. Only after the successful integration of these, can higher functioning, for example, relationships and academic learning, become natural and stress free.

Unintegrated Reflexes can cause havoc, consider the following situation:

James was age 14 and in grade 10. He presented for his appointment defiant and unsure. James was having difficulties at school, he had been bullied when younger but now seemed to be the one bullying.

He had a troublemaker tag and was often caught in the middle of a fight. In the middle of our consultation a door suddenly slammed. James leapt backwards, arms out stretched, eyes wide open, swearing like a trooper. He had just exhibited a fully developed Moro reflex, the primitive startle reflex that babies exhibit up to the age of 4 months.

James’ troublemaker image and self esteem difficulties grew from the fights he started while in the locker bays. Fights he denied starting. The jarring sound of locker doors slamming activated the Moro reflex. James’ arms would then spring open and the cry he would have made as an infant became uncontrollable swearing. This guaranteed a reaction from others that often developed into a fight.

The Moro reflex, one of the Primitive Reflexes, is the infants fight or flight response to danger. It should have emerged at about 9 weeks in utero and have been fully developed and integrated by 2 – 4 months of life. It then becomes replaced by the adult startle response where it it possible to stop and discern if the noise has an element of danger to it and only then react.

James’ unintegrated Moro Reflex meant he was physically and emotionally being put into fight or flight survival mode by every loud noise he experienced.

In James’ case a quick birth and infantile illness had combined leaving the Moro reflex together with several other early reflexes ‘stuck’ in his system. He could operate ‘normally’ only when he was totally relaxed. The stress of high school combined with the teenage hormones meant that this rarely happened. He was constantly ready for the sabre tooth tiger to attack!

A few sessions enabled his system to rewire itself and integrate the reflexes into the soon to be adult system. Instead of continually trying to contain himself, James gained real control over his emotions and outbursts. His self esteem improved, his learning became easy and his results improved and he was once again able to be his own wonderful self.

Our body is a miraculous thing, it can learn to deal with almost anything. But often through compensation.

Many of us have some incomplete early development patterns that leave us vulnerable to stress. Most of the time we compensate, until we hit enough stress for that compensation to collapse.

Sometimes you can see this physically, for example in someone who is normally coordinated who starts bumping into things when they are tired or stressed.

Emotionally we can say or do things we later regret. Old emotional issues emerge and our health can start to decline. Our thoughts and feelings become conflicted and learning anything new becomes at best difficult.

The miracle of movement…

We all know a good walk often calms down the most emotional issue – but if unintegrated reflexes are the cause then they will continue to stop us from accessing our full potential anytime we hit our particular stress wall.

By discovering which early movements are blocked, where the difficulties lie and then fully exploring them we can help them to become integrated and life becomes far more easy and joyful.

One way to do this is through a Movement Education Balance – I invite you to come in and enjoy one. They are fun and suitable for all ages and all goals….

Look forward to seeing you soon!

That’s all for now..

Cheers, Gay

Spring has sprung, the grass has riz ….

Perhaps it is the Canadian in me but springtime always gets me excited, new ideas stir and things seem possible once again. I don’t know about you but I can over extend myself verrry easily this time of year.

Lately the 5 phases balance, based on the wisdom of Chinese Medicine, has been coming up for many of my clients. This process is about balancing the energies of renewal with the energies of letting go. I find the concepts contained within it reflect essential wisdom of life so this is the basis of my article for this month’s ezine.

SPRING INTO BALANCE

by Gay Landeta

Here in Queensland we went from winter through spring to summer in only a few hours last week; Winter jammies and hot drinks one night, cool drinks on the balcony on a balmy evening the next. Lovely for us but have you noticed how disrupted nature is by this abrupt change in seasons?

The wisdom of Chinese Medicine speaks of the importance of each season in the cycle of growth. Chinese Medicine practitioners often recommend a tune up as the seasons change to keep us in the flow, they know that we often need a little nudge to shift into the next cycle and if we don’t dis-ease can erupt.

They look at the body as a system of energy and call the balanced flow the Shen cycle. The Shen cycle features 5 phases, these correspond to the seasons, colours, sounds and emotions as well as the meridian system (the energy map) of the body.

In kinesiology we also use the wisdom of this system as it so accurately portrays the flow of life. Once you understand it you can start to recognise if you are working with – or against – the natural flow and find balance once again.

THE PHASES:

The colour green signifies spring. This is the wood element and, as in spring, it is time to transform and make choices, let go of the old and begin the creation of the new. The sound associated with this element is shouting and the feeling is anger. While in the west we may consider anger inappropriate, it is so only when used inappropriately. Within it lies the energy of boundaries and clarity about who we are.

Summer follows spring and the colour of summer is red. This is the fire element and contains the fires of passion. In Chinese Medicine the heart energy lies here as does the energy of assimilation, understanding and moving forward. The energy of Will is strong here. In the fire element the emotion is joy and the sound is laughter.

Once the heat of summer is over it becomes time to re-group before autumn arrives, Indian Summer in North America. I used to love this time of year, it feels sort of timeless. This grounding element, Earth, is the colour yellow and contains the energy of reflection and contentment. At this time we make balanced decisions about our life. In the Earth element you will find compassion. The sound is singing.

Autumn follows, the element of Metal and the purity of white. Precise and clear. This element holds our self worth. At this time we begin to let go of the old as insights emerge. In Metal lies the sound of crying and the feelings of grief. This feeling is often difficult for us, but it is essential to grieve the loss of the old to create the space for the new.

Finally the cycle enters winter, the Water element. The dissolution of the old and the stillness while waiting for the new. Blue is the colour of winter. This time fears emerge and inner direction is needed before moving once again into the renewal of spring. The sound of winter is groaning, like the trees in winter wind!

In the Shen cycle each phase follows the other other naturally and easily. We synchronistically move from ideas into actions, then into re-considering, slowing, stopping and letting go, moving gracefully through the phases.

Unfortunately many of us end up in what Chinese Medicine practitioners call the Ko cycle, lurching from wood to earth to metal to fire. Chaotically moving from reacting, instead of responding and then growing before letting go.

So how can we regain balance once we find ourselves in the chaotic Ko cycle?

Firstly, stop and listen to where you are in the cycle, notice if you are roaring into the next phase before completion of the present.

Then experience the element you are stuck in – or avoiding – and explore the feelings, the sounds and the colour. You may notice an extreme reaction – love or hate – to the sound or the colours of the one that is over or under energised.

For example, you may feel out of phase with the wood element, unable to transform the old or make choices about the new. You may be angry and shouting or unable to express yourself at all. You may detest the colour green or be drawn to wearing it constantly. To transform this element consider if you need to sacrifice something for the sake of the greater. Find a quiet place to scream and yell, fill yourself with the colour green or spend some time in the green of nature.

If you aren’t sure, another way to feel the flow of Shen is to sit in meditation with each colour in order. Green, red, yellow, white and then blue. Imagine yourself in a room of each colour or fill yourself with the colour in whatever shade is right for you. You may want to spend more or less time in each, allow yourself to flow in your own natural rythm and relax into the gentle flow of the Shen cycle.

And if it that still leaves you feeling chaotic consider calling your acupuncturist or come and get a balance and regain the peace of the Shen cycle.

Enjoy!

Gay

July 2, 2009

Here is this months article from my ezine…. enjoy!

RESIST OR PERSIST?
By Gay Landeta

Resist or persist? Each of us has our own way of dealing with the challenges of life.

Some people, when challenged keep on trying. They try and try and try. Eventually they may get there but often through lots of struggle. These people can almost seem to be too optimistic…. “I can do anything if I keep on trying.” is often their cry – that may be true but to what cost?

Others, once a challenge hits, stop dead in their tracks. It becomes too much, the wrong direction, too hard. Sometimes they just completely avoid the issue and turn to look another way, they stick their fingers in their ears and sing “lalalalala”! Nothing can squeeze in to change their view until the next crisis happens.

Still others commit, step forward, falter, run away, recommit, step forward, falter, run away….

Each of these are a coping mechanism and useful till now but perhaps – if you are reading this – not so much any more, you might be looking for a new way.

Maybe you want to be able to keep going steadily in your life regardless of that pattern of turning away.

Maybe you want to stop for a while, not to always try so hard to make things happen.

Perhaps you just want to be able to look at an issue, a crisis or a challenging goal, eyeball to eyeball, and make a clear choice and take action.

The good news is you can. The bad news is that it may well feel uncomfortable and even intuitively wrong because we need to break out of that comfort zone of the personality.

Our higher mind, what some would call the super-conscious and others the mind of limitless possibility, is the mind of clear choices, unwavering decisions and decisive actions; while our lower mind, the seat of the personality, is very comfortable with its own ways of doing things.

We all have lots of stories and reasons and issues and emotions that keep us convinced that we have to do things the same way. And, while our intuition is a magical thing, sometimes what we think is our intuition is actually those patterns, stories and issues sneaking in.

Sometimes even when we believe we are listening to that higher mind, that sneaky lower mind has already influenced where we are going and what we do. We are human after all!

For example we have decided to follow a new eating plan that excludes dairy but our intuition is telling us strongly that we really need some cheese….. is that the intuition letting us know we need calcium or our love of cheese?!

Or we have decided to go back to study, we are determined to do it no matter how hard it is even though our family and even our health is suffering. We know we could cut down the units and bring back balance but we feel that we must complete it on time, that it is essential to our future and the work we need to do….. Is that true or is it left over fear of failure from troubles at school?!

Or maybe we have made some decision about our direction but then something stalls us and we wonder if perhaps the decision was not such a good one….

So, how can you tell if your guidance is clear? If your decision is right and that this is something that you need to keep working towards and not waver – or if those challenges mean you should stop.

One thing you can do is stop and feel for emotions - are you feeling any of the deep and uncomfortable ones? The major roadblocks usually have aspects of shame, humiliation, guilt, blame, apathy, despair, grief, regret, craving, desire, anger, hate, pride or scorn in them. All the yuckies!

If you are feeling aspects of these then best to wait until they pass, once they have moved through our life clarity returns and we become sure of the next step – which brings me to my booster of the month. The best way to do that is to stop. Wait until you are back in touch with who you really are. And only then make the big decisions to go forward, stop or just wait a while.

And if they don’t pass – well at least we are aware of the elephant in the room. Kinesiology, counselling, flower essences… there are many therapies that can help to shift that elephant if it has settled in!

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This Month’s Resolve : When in doubt, stop and smell the roses!

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Booster of the Month :

SIT IN THE SUN AND DREAM

Do you need instructions for this? Probably not! Just find a spot in the sun, under a tree, beside the sea, wherever you feel comfortable and allow yourself to rest.

Let yourself be there until you have relaxed. Feel the sun, experience the outdoors and refocus. And if your mind refuses to stop then try last month’s meditation!

….

“I have a body but I am not my body.
I have feelings but I am not my feelings,
I have desires but I am not my desires,
I have a mind but I am not my mind.
I am a centre of pure self consciousness, capable of mastering, directing and using all my psychological processes and my physical body.”

Have a great month!

Gay

June 5, 2009

Here is June’s ezine article – if you are struggling with a thousand roles in your life (and who in this day and age isn’t?) this article may give you a fresh perspective and a useful way to step out of them. Once you are out of them you can see more clearly, make better decisions in your work and in your life and gain some peace and clarity….

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Roles – Are yours holding you back?

By Gay Landeta

We all have many facets to our life, and these facets, the roles we take in day to day life, often create conflict and frustration. We start to feel trapped and exhausted rushing around as parent, corporate lawyer, yoga student, cook, money manager, child …. plus a thousand more in a day.

It is easy to get lost in these roles, to believe we are them, and that we must do them and excel in them to be worthwhile. Our self esteem often hangs off them.

We believe so strongly in the importance of roles that we do our best to ensure our children have all they need to create their roles in the belief that will ensure their happiness. And if they don’t we worry about them. And they worry about themselves.

In fact we can get so caught in the importance of our roles that we worry that if we stop playing a role the world will fall apart. That these roles are, in fact, essential to life and to our very being.

But, what if that’s not true? What if our true nature does not consider our roles as important as we do. Ouch, most ego’s will react to that one!

Think about it though, how many people we hear of who have their whole life explode around them and have their roles taken away by some random action in the world? Some people stay stuck in their ex-role and stuck in their ex-life. Others deal with it, painful as it may be, and then grow stronger and more inspirational to others.

Often it is their ability to detach from that role, to realise they are more than that role, that their core self, their true being has remained unaltered by any of the external events, that determines the level of joy in their post apocalyptic life.

And, while most of us are fortunate not to have to experience something as dramatic as that we all experience the kids leaving home, loosing a job, the death of a loved one. And at these times, part of what we need to deal with is a change in identity, in a role we are playing in our life.

The Buddhists have a core teaching about the concept of impermanence, that everything is temporary, including our human incarnation, and that our attachments, including the faulty belief of permanence, is the source of all suffering.

In theory that’s all well and good, but to bring these concepts into our day to day life can often feel very scary.

Our roles have taken on such importance in our life that it actually can feel like we could die or worse if we stop doing what we are doing.

But guess what, we don’t have to stop doing stuff or even let go of our roles, our goals or our life to let go of the suffering and enjoy life more – we just need to remember that there is something else at our core and that is who we truly are.

Our roles, our life, even our physical incarnation are just tools for our true self to use in the world, to help us to learn our lessons and enjoy our planet! We need to anchor to our center and allow our roles to just be something we choose to do. Not have to do. We can experience and stay connected to our life, our loves and joys, even our disappointments without feeling they are us.

As we learn to detach but stay connected we learn to live life more joyfully with less suffering. Our many roles clash less and clarity about our future emerges at the right time. Life becomes more graceful, even in the rush!

This month, sit with the concept of impermanence and remember that we are all more than we appear to be. And see if it opens doors for you.

Enjoy the Process!

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This Month’s Resolve : To remember that our roles are just roles, not who we truly are.

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Booster of the Month :

MEDITATION ON THE TRUE SELF

This meditation forms part of the teachings of Roberto Assigioli and is used, in part, in Transformational Kinesiology to help clear unhealthy identifications with our roles. While it is particularly effective within a balance where the blocks are cleared prior to the meditation the usefulness of regular quiet contemplation cannot be underestimated.

Find a quiet place where you will be undisturbed for a period of time. Five minutes is a good start although you may choose to meditate longer.

Sit or lie comfortably, And become aware of your body, just notice it in a neutral way, without trying to change, all the physical sensations you have, any aches or pains or discomfort. Be aware of the clothes on your skin, the air on your face, your feet on the ground. Once you have done this for long enough move to the next step.

Now become aware of your feelings, notice what you are feeling right now. Which feelings are predominate in your life right now, both the positive and the negative. Don’t judge, just view them and notice them.

Next become aware of your desires, impartially, as before, notice the desires that take turns motivating your life.

That you have desires but that these, too, are changeable and often contradictory.

Then observe the world of your thoughts, watch as one thought emerges and takes over from the previous one. If you think you are not having any thoughts this too is a thought. Watch your stream of consciousness; memories, opinions, nonsense, arguments, images flow by.

Finally dismiss this realm also from your observation and become the observer, the one who has been watching your thoughts, feelings, desires and sensations. Who is it that has been observing these realms? It is not the same object as the realm experiencing the sensations, the thoughts, the feelings or desires. It is not an image or a thought, it is your SELF, your essence, that has been observing but is distinct from all of them. “I am the SELF, a centre of pure self-consciousness”. Sit with this realisation for about 2 minutes.

Roberto Assigioli’s original version adds the words :
“I have a body but I am not my body.
I have feelings but I am not my feelings,
I have desires but I am not my desires,
I have a mind but I am not my mind.
I am a centre of pure self consciousness, capable of mastering, directing and using all my psychological processes and my physical body.”

I find these words a solid verbal reminder that I can choose to be the observer and not my thoughts, feelings or the emotions that are attached to any of my roles.

Enjoy the release!

May 1st, 2009

If you are having trouble feeling on Purpose and in alignment with with your Mission in life you may be missing a clear vision of what you actually want. Pretty common stuff and very frustrating! Below find this month’s ezine article written to help you clarify how you would like your life to look.

Once you have your vision your goals will naturally begin to emerge – and as you step toward those goals the ones that aren’t quite in line with your path will change, transforming your vision and helping you to align more and more with your unique path.

I have also included my Booster of the Month : Belly Breathing – a Brain Gym*r movement that deepens and slows our breathing – essential to to staying centered, in the present and aligned with our True Purpose.

May’s Special Offer is for anyone who would like help creating their vision and setting clear goals. This can be done in person or on the phone and includes complimentary essences to help you take the next step in Creating the Life you Want to Live!

Till next month, have a great one!

Warmest regards,

Gay

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This months Article: GOALS – ARE YOU ON PURPOSE?
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By Gay Landeta

Goals – how many times have your heard about the importance of setting your goals?

Do you have clear goals? Do you write them down and make sure they fit in with who you really are, your values and ideals? Do they offer a contribution to the world?

Or do you waft and change – unsure what you want, whether your goals are in line with who you truly are or even if you really care!

There are many different types of goals, some are personal and about getting something you really want, some are focused on a bigger picture, creating something for others; all will impact the world in some way. And all are part of the bigger picture of why you are here.

So : do you know why you are here?

If you are like many people this question is a source of frustration; often that empty, frustrated feeling of a life unfulfilled starts us on a search for something that we believe will solve everything.

In fact we have everything we need right here and now. And often miss seeing it!

For example I had a client recently who was in a very lost place, she felt unfulfilled and that her talents were not only not being utilised but they were not even being recognised. She felt trapped by her earlier decisions and unable to make changes – or even know what changes to make!

In the process of our work together we did the visioning excercise (below). She identified what needed change and started to make goals, both conscious and unconscious and her life started to align more and more to her vision. Some goals crashed and burned, they were not right for her, and some fell into place with elegant synchronicity. She found within a very short length of time she felt on track and clear about what she wanted – and at peace with where she was.

In that place her mission became clear. She actually had known it all along but had not recognised it for the truth it held.

To do the vision exercise all you need a piece of paper (at least A4) and a pencil.

First, make sure you are relaxed and centred and have some time without distrations. Belly Breathing (the Booster of the Month) is a quick and easy tool to help you to relax in the moment.

Draw a circle in the middle of the paper, about the size of your palm, then divide the whole sheet up into sections by drawing a line horizontally through the middle of the sheet from side to side; vertically straight down the middle and diagonally from one top corner to the opposite bottom corner and vice and versa.

You should now have a piece of paper with a pie shape in the middle with the spokes radiation out to the edges of the paper. You should have 8 sections.

Next label each section with important areas of your life, for example Career, Home and Family, Relationships, Finances, Spiritual, Physical Health and Wellbeing, Creativity, Physical Environment. Choose labels that define different aspects of your life that are important to you.

Now consider each segment of your wheel and how fulfilled you feel in that area. Colour in that section in a way that corresponds to your sense of fulfillment. Some areas may be vibrantly filled to the brim, others may have barely any part filled in at all. Some may be filled in fully, but by being so full deplete other areas. Anything is fine at this stage.

You will end up with a pie that is showing you what your life looks like now. Next, moving from section to section, brainstorm words and ideas that would help to positively fill that segment of the pie up.

You are now creating a picture of what you want in your life, take another sheet or two of paper and expand each section out into a vison of how you would like your life to look in a few years time if all those ideas and dreams came into reality.

Notice how much of that vision you already have and spend some time in gratitude for all that you have. Choose three small things to do this month and then just let it go.

Review your progress each month, choose a few more things to do, allow yourself to shift and change and be in the flow of Creating the Life you Want to Live.

Life doesn’t always go according to plan of course, but if you don’t have a plan you have nowhere to go!

Enjoy the Process!

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This Month’s Resolve : Clarify your Vision and Create your Life!

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Booster of the Month :

BELLY BREATHING

Notice how relaxed and centred you are feeling. Are you at ease with yourself and your environment? Are you holding tension anywhere in your body? Are you breathing easily or is your breathing short and shallow? Take a few moments to check in before and after doing the Booster – noticing the positive effects of anything we do means we are more likely to do it again another time when we really need it.

Cradle your belly gently with both hands, take a big breath in and let it go with short bursts, as if you are trying to hold a feather up in the air with your breath. This wakes up the diaphragm and helps us breath more deeply.

Then take two or more deep breaths feeling your belly expanding in your hands as you breath in and contract as you breath out. Focus on the gentle in and out of your breath.

Continue until you feel centred and are breathing easily and naturally with your full breath.

Do this often, train your body to breath easily and fully and notice how much more relaxed life is. The sabre tooth tiger is not longer at the door!

Brain Gym*r – Created by Paul and Gail Dennison and a trademark of Brain Gym International www.brain gym.org

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WANT TO READ MORE ARTICLES LIKE THIS? SIGN UP FOR MY EZINE www.gaylandeta.com.au/sign-up/

That’s all for now.

Cheers, Gay

April 1st, 2009

This is from my ezine this month… an article and exercise on values.

Values may be something you have visited in your workplace, either in your own business or on team building days – but have you considered how important they are in your private life?

They are the core of who you are, how you respond to the world and the decisions you make. Working with your values can help you to understand yourself, your motivations and help you to make decisions
more easily.

At the bottom of the post is a values exercise to help you to recognise yours. Good luck with this, this process has been transformation for several of my clients, and for me. I hope it is for you.

VALUES, ARE YOURS GIVING YOUR STRESS?
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By Gay Landeta

Values are the notions, morals and concepts that influence our
choices and help us to determine our behaviour and actions.
Shaped by our belief systems and originating through a
myriad of influences including our families, our culture and our
experiences, they are a very personal expression of who we are.

They are also quite subjective and can change through our life.

They remain hidden in the subconscious for most of us and for some
they are a primary source of stress.

How so? Because values dictate such a large proportion of our
responses in the world.

For example, consider the situation of a client of mine. She was
becoming more and more irate with her friends and family. She felt
they were untruthful, this judgment was creating an enormous amount
of pressure in her life and she was afraid the resulting stress was
beginning to impact negatively in many aspects of her life.

Upon working out her values she recognised that her number one
value was truth. At first this justified her anger until she had the
realisation that her truth was not everyone else’s truth.

At that moment she was able to let go of her judgment and see that
everyone was being true to their self. This letting go of justice
for ‘just is’ meant she could just let go into her life and enjoy it.

Doing a values exercise is simple. Firstly stop and allow yourself
to relax. Now start to brain storm all the values that influence your life.
These can include but are not limited to such values as :

freedom                purpose                  accomplishment
connectedness        philosophy              accountability
security                generosity              beauty
discipline              friendship              happiness
fairness                community               calm
adventure               family                  loyalty
equality                charity                 goodness
self reliance           orderliness             simplicity
meaning                 pleasure                integrity
unity                   justice                 harmony
truth                   spirituality            self-improvement
serenity                wisdom                  wealth
hard work               creativity              joy

…the list goes on. Once you have a selection of 10 or so choose
your top five. You can use the above list if you are not sure where
to start.

Once you have your top five values delete two. You now know the most
important values in your life at this time. Consider how these
influence your life.

Do any of these impact negatively or cause you stress? Do any need
any adjustments?

Which one is your number one value? Once you know that you can use
it pro-actively in your life. You can use it to help you to make
decisions and to prioritise the important things in your life.

Finally, how can you use it to help you to Create the Life you want to Live?

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This Month’s Resolve : Align to your Values, and Feel the Freedom!

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I would love to hear your comments…

That’s it for now,

Cheers, gay