The upward flowing spiral

With a small step of our own making, gravity

(or some invisible uplifting force)

then freely flows the good vibes toward us.

Hello,

I wonder how you feel about Sunday down-time.

I think it is a precious thing.

Perhaps you do too. Or perhaps you'll allow me to encourage you toward finding a cosy spot you love and to endow it with something special to you, as company.

Once you're there, perhaps all that's left is to let wisdom surround and nourish the soul.

Whose wisdom? That's up to you. What are you called toward? Who has touched and inspired you? What has really worked to lull you into a contented state or uplift you into rapture?

As one called toward beauty, truth and love, I have many ideas to share.

Perhaps you have a sacred space that is just for you? Some cosy corner or garden that creates a feeling of "ahhhh" as body's tensions melts away. Or a favourite thinker whose words leave you feeling cleansed and uplifted (Joseph Campbell does this for me).

Imagine yourself becoming a gravitational force that draws the good life to you. 

Inspiring and uplifting things are fully available, and with a couple of little steps you may get the gravitational force or up-flow started. It is so much easier and lighter once you catch the flow.

It takes a little inner determination at first - you might decide to pick up that lovely book, watch that beautiful documentary, listen to classical music, visit that special friend, walk in nature in the sun, get your hands in the garden, light a candle and do some stretches, hug someone, sing a song or hum a tune.

Now we are a few steps up the spiral staircase, the suction is strong, drawn toward insight, compassion, receptivity and wisdom, we may even become a radiant gift to those around us.

Three things that got me on the upward spiral this past fortnight:

- It started when I booked my husband and I into a Poetry Evening at The Chestnut Tree bookshop in West Footscray with local poets reading their exquisite words.

- It gained momentum when, last minute, I decided to attend The Grace Notes Singers and Essendon Symphony Orchestra play at Moonee Ponds on a Sunday. Oh my the music!!!! Floating like a cloud.

- I then stumbled into the Seddon Bookshop (Mahli randomly walked in and I followed) and bought some gorgeous books on Christian spirituality and meditation.

- Yesterday I travelled to Hepburn Springs and joined another poetry reading about the travels of the sonnet form and its transformations, written and spoken by the charming Toby Sime.

And now here I am listening to the sparkling gems of wisdom of Terry Real.
I have it here to share with you. If you are a human being in a relationship with another human being, you will love the insights and clarity Terry so lovingly shares.

https://resources.soundstrue.com/podcast/soft-power-moving-from-you-and-me-to-us/

And benefits of all this goodness? How deep do they go?

A chest cold that stuck around for 6 weeks, at last lifted. Along with now being back singing as I work and scowling less at my loved ones. I freely offer smiles, hugs and an attentive ear to those in need. 

That is human sunshine, born from one little step on the upward spiral staircase.  

Coming down into heavy darkness and despair might be an upcoming blog, as that is also a real and loveable part of life. 

With love, 

Katie

Steeped in Sacred Silence

I drove out of Melbourne toward Hepburn Springs to hold a gathering called Deep Healing Retreat - a precious time where one departs from the regular world and meets deep inner silence. 

That morning was the day we all received news that the Queen had died.

Processing such a significant event, away from screens, devices and chatter, felt regal to me.

On retreat we experienced Noble Silence, withdrawn from speech and free from having to be anyone to anyone for the entire first morning. Silence is a powerful way to meet the need for rest, slowing down and finding one’s feet. But it also means more than that. 

Over this past week we have witnessed historic scenes of silence as reverence:

~ Streams of people have moved silently through Westminster Hall to honour the Queen and even more watched this silent vigil.

~ When on screens we are not used to silence, yet the funeral was televised without commentary, and we watched, ourselves becoming a silent witness.

~ London streets lined with people in a unique and special way befitting an extraordinary life and extraordinary role for a human to step into. How uncommon to see a gathering of people not wanting to barrack for a team or be entertained, but instead, to honour something other, bigger, more significant, even ineffable. 

In silence we depart from our chatty ego-self and we can enter a greater depth of awareness and a spiritual sense of self and life. 

That is what the role of the Queen represents to me: a departure from the everyday mundane world of likes and dislikes, opinions and preferences, being on this team or being on that team. A queenly state is one that witnesses all, is open to all and remains neutral and unsullied. 

In yoga we call this neutral state Vairagya. It is known as one of the wings of the dove that can fly us on our spiritual path. The other wing is Abhyasa dedicated commitment. 

Perhaps you can sense how the three elements of silence, vairagya and abhyasa can lead to a deepening of one’s spiritual path.

A retreat participant wrote these insightful words about being in silence:

“Even after talking resumed, that feeling of compassionate unity stayed.”

I feel strongly that in life there is much less we need to say and much more depth we can touch upon in silence and with a little neutrality. Especially, for me, when being present to children and partners in that all too common domestic setting. 

I invite you to be the gift of grace, dignity and silence.

I am sending out a special thank you to those who attended Deep Healing retreat. I honour your for the wholeheartedness of your participation. It was a joy and privilege to hold space for you.

With love,

Katie

Here is a thorough article about our dove’s two wings that enable flight: perseverance (abhyasa) and detachment (vairagya)

https://hridaya-yoga.com/abhyasa-vairagya-the-essential-aspects-of-spiritual-life/

The presence of a compassionate witness has the power to heal.

You know that feeling when you are being brave and you soldier on, and then someone sympathetic turns up and that triggers repressed emotions to well up or even flow right out? 

That’s a really special moment. 

Like in that moment of distress when you unexpectedly see a familiar face or someone with kind eyes asks  “How are you?”  Something inside our bodies knows it is now ok to break open and let some emotions be felt. 

I find my 'guard' somehow knows when to go up and when it is safe to come down, like my body can read the kind intentions a person holds for me.

My sister and I have just shared stories of the times this has happened to us. 

Here’s one of my stories. You might have a similar one that you can share with a friend and perhaps they will have one to share back with you.

~~~

I arrived to meet a friend in the city, but she turned up to a different place on the other side of Melbourne. We we're both upset about the mixup particularly because of a fragile situation to begin with. I felt a sense of incompetence, and disappointment and shame for having let someone down but probably I had a hundred micro moments of unresolved upsets too that decided to hijak this moment.

Being in the busy city alone felt overwhelming, so waiting to be seated in such a fancy restaurant, alone, brought up a whole history of insecurities. I felt small, I felt I did not belonging there, I felt exposed and basically dejected. Thanks to past trauma this simple situation had me feeling more than miserable. 

My thoughts darted from how angry and mean my friend was going to be about it all when I next see her next, to thinking that everyone here knows I don’t have the right to be here: I am not dressed right and I’m not rich enough. I am a nobody. I have nobody… etc…

I literally had tears falling down my cheeks as I ate my bolognes. I was so hungry that I just had to stay and eat anyway. After that I had to sit and finish my wine (which I really could not afford). Then, seeing me hunched and averted, without me having ordered it, a waitress quietly came over and placed a dessert before me - a gift, a gesture of human connection and care. 

“From me, to you” she said.

It brought much warmth and colour back into my heart and mind. As I took in the sweetness with each mouthful,  I allowed myself to cry happy tears this time, and to feel the ancient, healing depths of my own being.

I remember the restaurant no longer felt like a room of enemies judging me, it became soft and warm like a room of friends. When I stepped out into the cold night air an incredible feeling of being whole and protected wrapped itself around me. I felt totally able to embrace life on the journey home and to even be a radiant presence for others to warm themselves in.

~~~
 

This is the power of being witnessed by another.

The presence of a caring person has a power to touch and move us deeply. It's the basis of friendship, good communities, and is essential in the healing power of therapy.

Pioneer of a body-centred psychological approach, Peter Levine, says  

“Trauma is not what happens to us but what we hold inside in the absence of an empathetic witness”

Without an empathetic witness, emotions can get stuck in the tissues of the physical body, and those stuck emotions can become ingrained behaviours and beliefs about ourself and the world.

We are social creatures and thriving means feeling we belong.
Knowing we are seen, heard and fully witnessed is a joyous and healing state. It is a state where we feel whole and where love can be present. 

Even in silence, this conscious presence of another holds validating and healing qualities. 

For now I ask myself: If I were to be fully seen in the compassionate presence of another what part of me would want to show up?

What part of you is wanting to show up?

With Love,

Katie de Araujo

Tai Chi or Taiji? Understanding the difference might take a decade or two. Here's my attempt.

Tai Chi was known as "大恒" and was later changed to "太極.". 

Tàijíquán and T'ai-chi ch'üan are two different transcriptions of three Chinese characters that are the written Chinese name for the artform:

The English language offers two spellings, one derived from Wade–Giles and the other from the Pinyin transcription.

T’ai Chi is the Wade-Giles romanisation.

Taiji is the Pinyin romanisation.

Meaning

太極t'ai chi tàijí the relationship of Yin and Yang

拳ch'üan quán technique

The term taiji  is a Chinese cosmological concept for the flux of yin and yang. 'Quan' means technique.

Using the ji is useful and I recommend it over the chi spelling because the chi in the name of the martial art is not the same as ch'i (qi  气 the "life force"). 

Ch'i is involved in the practice of t'ai-chi ch'üan. Although the word 极 is traditionally written chi in English, the closest pronunciation, using English sounds, to that of Standard Chinese would be jee, with j pronounced as in jump and ee pronounced as in bee. Other words exist with pronunciations in which the ch is pronounced as in champ. That’s why it is important to use the j sound. why I prefer the pinyin spelling, taiji. And most Chinese use the Pinyin version.[15]

Paraphrased from Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tai_chi

T’ai Chi in Chinese 太极 (or the full 太极拳 T’ai Chi Ch’uan) is written as Taiji or Taijiquan in pinyin. It is pronounced “Tie Jee Chwen” and means the Supreme Ultimate Fist (boxing/fighting system). The character Ch’uan or Quan denotes it is a martial art. Usually the apostrophe is dropped and so is the Ch’uan, which is why we see Tai Chi more often than not.

Qigong or Ch’i Kung (Wade-Giles) is written 氣功 or 气功 (more simplified
version of qi) and is translated as energy cultivation. It is pronounced “Chee
Gung”.

Ch’i in Ch’i Kung/Qi Gong means energy, life force, air and breath

So the Ch’i in Ch’i Kung is not the same character as Chi in T’ai Chi/Tai Ji which means ultimate. In other words Tai Qi would definitely not work!

From now on I am going to use the two terms Taiji and Chi Gung.

That way we don’t confuse the Chi in Tai Chi with the Chi in Chi Gung. It also gives a clear and accessible pronunciation without undermining the etymology of the terms.

T’ai Chi is the Wade-Giles and Qigong is using pinyin.

Being held in the invisible spaces has power

Peter Levine one said that what we hold inside in the absence of an empathetic witness can end up being trauma. We are social creates and need to belong to a group, to be seen, heard or fully witnessed. Even in silent this conscious presence holds validating and healing qualities.

Being held in the presence of an empathetic witness is a valuable experience, more than money can buy. It can save us from unhappy relationships that go on for years without thriving, it can save us a lot of cash otherwise spent on numbing us out or stimulating us to distract us from uncomfortable feelings.

For the unpracticed, looking inward seems a thwarted attempt to see meaning in a barren space.

But with an experienced guide and an optimal environment, new sprouts will certainly grow each time you look in. One can build a language for one’s inner landscape and become not only familiar, but friendly and curious about it.

Whether we use mindfulness, meditation, movement or other forms of enquiry, our inner landscape becomes a more dynamic place the more often we look in.

My experience of holding space for others in all types of situations, is that looking inward is challenging and we need to use the most comfortable methods available. Comfort, curiosity and willingness are key.

A desert today can be a forest in an instant. That is the power of the mind-body. Deep mysteries can reveal themselves and we stand in awe at what is possible for our inner life to thrive, and how well we managed during the drought.

From Fight and Flight to 'Rest, Digest and Feather Your Nest’

Body Centred therapy for Healthcare professionals  

Deep Healing in nature

Take the time to find a safe and supportive space to let go, refresh and breath freely again.

The events of covid times have created a trauma response in many front-line and support workers. 

This means chronic stress, exhaustion and burn-out.

The thing with trauma is, it lives in our bodies, not just our minds, and we can't just talk ourselves out of it when the danger passes. 

It spills over into our daily lives, and can have us numbing down, or freaking out at little things.

As a body-centered therapist my expertise is in movements and practices that have you gain the trust of your body and watching as the mind follows.

In this weekend retreat:

~ you will learn ways to structure a safe feeling into your days

~ you'll be able to turn off the vigilance, and

~ spend many more hours a day in the playful, open way we wish for

~ set healthy boundaries around work / home divide

~ process any grief, resentment and long standing issues with the work environment

Your energies will be freed up for creative self-care, not needless self-defence.

The upward spiral starts happening for you.

Join Katie for embodied mental wellbeing either at her workshop series in beautiful yoga studios or on retreat.

Deep Healing Retreat

September 9 -11

Continental House, Hepburn Springs

Come and join convivial meals

and time in nature,shared with friends.

Return to a home you love

being in,

and a body that loves you back. 

There is so much more you will let go of and learn.

• Breath practices

• Polyvagal movements for stress & trauma release

• Effortless Home redesign principles so your dwelling loves you back

• Free Yoga Therapy Session worth $85