Don't demonstrate against war, demonstrate for peace! Ask questions - all the time!

"Don't ask me to demonstrate against war, ask me to demonstrate for peace" These are the words of mother Teresa.
We live in an energetic, reflective universe.  The universe is created by what we are putting into it energetically.  This is on an individual level and a collective level.  We have created humanity as it is currently.  We can also change humanity as it is.  At an individual level, if we decide to let go of the need to be right, and responding to our ego.
Eckhart Tolle talks about the collective madness of humanity especially in the 20th and 21st century.  The millions of people that died in the 20th century on the basis of people/religions needing to be right, the ego.
The Buddhists explain that our mind is not who we are.  If you just sit and observe your mind, it incessantly chatters away about a huge range of different things.  Some of those things we choose to believe and act upon.    Buddhism encourages us to ask the questions - is what we are about to do/believe - helpful?kind? serving others and ourselves?
We need to start asking more questions like these.
We are creating our own universe, our own lives with our energy.  The universe is reflecting back to us our deepest thoughts and beliefs.  But we can choose to change these.  Once you start actively focussing on what you would like to consciously create in your life, you can then start challenging some of your deeply long-held beliefs - is this belief helping me?  Does it serve me?  Does it serve others?  
We are creating our own universe collectively.  So you could ask - is what I'm doing/believing/thinking/watching on tv -  helping the earth and all who share it?
When you watch the news, do you come away with a positive optimistic feeling inside?  Probably not.  We are fed negative news stories the majority of the time.  Obviously it is important that we know generally what is going on in the world, but we have to realise that we are viewing "world" events through a very biased perspective.
Remember there are many amazing stories about good things people are doing for others, amazing community projects, charity projects.  We don't tend to hear about these through watching the news.  Does it serve us to watch the news every day? - I would say no.  It brings our energy levels down, and negative.  If we are living in an energetic universe, we wish to keep our focus on peace, happiness for all, safety for all, abundance of food, shelter, clothing, fresh water for all.
It serves "those in power" /capitalist economies/materialistic societies for the general populace to be frightened.  We then feel dependent on our governments to look after us - through their policies ie pension plans, weapons, attacking terrorists,
It serves capitalist economies for us to believe that we will find happiness through material objects, larger houses, newer cars, more clothes/shoes/handbags,looking good.
If we want peace on earth, we have to focus on peace and thoughts of peace and practise being peaceful within our lives.

What do you want in your life? 

 Do your current thought patterns and beliefs support this picture?  What do you want for planet earth and all beings who live upon it?  Do your current thought patterns and beliefs support this picture?
I wish for a world where everyone is safe and living in peace.  Where everyone has easy access to fresh clean drinking water, enough food, decent shelter, enough clothing.  This is possible.  The earth has enough food, shelter and clean water.  Human beings that are wounded perpetrators of aggressive acts to others need to receive healing and rehabilitation.  There are so many great projects going on where victims and the perpetrators of crime are meeting together to gain an understanding of each other, which helps them both to heal.  There are so many great projects going on in prisons with rehabilitation and drug detoxification etc.
In this day and age of internet communication, if this weren't being passive aggressively blocked by corporations/governments/pharmaceutical companies whose interest it isn't for this to be so, then it could be so easy.
Our air is being poisoned, just go to any major city and ask about their air quality levels, our water is having toxic byproducts (Fluoride) dumped in it, under the guise of being good for us/our teeth.  The quality of our food is declining, we are actively being encouraged (through very well-paid advertising budgets) about the latest food product that we should/need to eat.  More and more processed food, less natural, straight out of the ground foods.  We are getting a whole generation of kids that don't know that crisps come from potatoes and potatoes grown in the ground!  
We all have to wake up and smell the coffee.  We have to actively focus on what we want to see in the world.  And give no more energy to what we don't want in the world.

Life is not perfect - it's not meant to be......

Someone said to me last week - I envy you.
Why envy me or anyone.....?  We are all creative individuals.  We can all create a life that we want.  A lot of people don't even ask themselves the question - what do I want?  What do you really want?  For the majority of people, the answer is often "money".  They think that money will make them happy.
There is obviously a certain amount of money that is necessary to live comfortably in the country you live in.  Human beings need food, shelter, clothing, clean water, sanitation facilities.  These are basic human rights.  However, the earth does provide enough for everyone to live - it is just the huge inequality of wealth and distribution that is the issue.  
It's also very stressful to live from day to day or week to week not knowing if you can pay your next heating bill or buy food etc.
However, the majority of people in the UK don't live like that.  We have a huge band of middle income and high income people for whom this isn't an issue.
However, there is still often this chasing for more money and material objects, thinking that this will make us happier.  A bigger house, a newer car, no mortgage, a boat, more shoes/handbags.
I watched a program last night about the super rich and what they buy/want for christmas etc. The main thing I observed was the level of competition - the largest house, the most expensive christmas crackers, the hand-made baubles for the christmas tree.  It is all still coming from a place of the more and the bigger, the better it will make them feel, more important.  However, I know that these people are all still human beings and whatever the wealth level is, we all want the same things - peace of mind, a sense of security, contentment, happiness, feeling good about ourselves, feeling worthy, a sense of life purpose. None of these feelings come through material objects.
Whilst watching, I really got this sense that some people really think they are more important than other human beings.  And having money is one of the success indicators.
Wouldn't it be amazing if those with huge financial wealth, didn't feel the need to buy more and bigger to feel important and better about themselves?  Wouldn't it be amazing if this huge financial wealth was used to help the more needy in society?
Whenever I ask myself - what do I want - the answers are peace of mind, a sense of security, contentment, happiness, feeling good about ourselves, feeling worthy, a sense of life purpose.  The simple things.  We distract ourselves with material objects, we might get a short-lived buzz with retail therapy, but actually the things we really want are often free.  However, they are a state of mind, that needs to be pursued.  We need to take responsibility for ourselves.  We need to get in touch with our creativity, passion, enthusiasm for life.  We need to heal our wounds.  We need to work with nature, and our physical bodies.  We need to prioritise our needs.
So don't envy others.  Especially my friend, don't envy me.  I have chosen a difficult road, the road less travelled.  I am trusting that I will always be creative and always find a solution to any difficulty in front of me.  I am choosing to find my sense of security not from material objects and acquiring wealth and pension plans.  I am embracing the adventure that is life, not always easy but a road that I have to travel for myself.  I appear to have no option - my greatest happiness comes from attending to my peace of mind, my sense of life purpose, my compassion to others.

What the f*** are we doing with our lives? Empower yourself!

We are brought up and conditioned to believe, in materialistic/capitalist societies, that we are striving towards an end goal.  This will include getting a good secure job, a partner, possibly having children, a house, looking towards saving for your retirement and pension.  For many of us, we can spend our whole lives trying (and often not achieving) to get these things.  Does that make us failures?
But what about when you have all these things?  Do they make us truly happy?  You have the house, the partner you love, the children, the job - you might even have a job you really enjoy.  Is that enough?  There can be a restlessness.  A sense that there is more to life than just ticking all those boxes.  A sense that you are here for a deeper purpose?
There is a big part of me that says - and now what?
I'm very content with my "lot".  I enjoy my job. I have a loving partner.  I have 3 healthy children that I'm so proud of.  I love my house.  I have loving and supportive friends and family.  I have good health.
There is always this sense that I'm here for more.  A sense of needing to expand, and keep moving forward with my life.
Every christmas it reminds me about how materialism is part of our conditioning.  We are sold the idea that the more money and objects we have, the happier we will be.  Do we get happiness from material objects?  When I write a list of what makes me happy, none of them are material objects.
They include a walk in nature, time with my friends and family, peace and quiet, listening to music, dancing etc
There is obviously a certain amount of money and things we need to give us comfort and for our needs to be met - housing, food, clothing etc
Do you live your life feeling passionate, enthusiastic, motivated?  Do you wake up every day and feel alive, like you want to jump out of bed as it's a new day and you feel inspired?
That's what I want from my life.  I want to wake up looking forward to every day.  It's not that I haven't had difficulties and challenges in my life, I have those as much as everyone else.  And I have pain from the past, nobody has a perfect childhood.  "Shit happens".
There's a big part of me that has always questioned why I'm here?  What's the meaning of life?  What's my life purpose?  I don't want to look back in my old age and have regrets about things that I haven't done, because I wasn't brave enough. 
My current life purpose appears to be my passion to help awaken others up to their life purpose.  I love this work.  It doesn't count as "work".  It's what I want to do every day.  I want to help others feel more alive, and enthusiastic and motivated and passionate about life.  I want everyone to feel empowered.  There is so much potential in the world, if we all reclaimed our power.  If we stop allowing ourselves to be duped by the idea that money and material objects will bring us happiness.

Reclaim your power.  Ask questions.  Ask yourself those questions - what do I want?  what do I want to do in the world?  what do I want to be in the world?  what do I want to create in the world?, what truly makes me happy, feel alive, feel fulfilled, want to jump out of bed in the morning? - AND GO DO IT!

Embrace the adventure of life.

Compliment your female friends! Awaken wild, wonderful women to the truth of who you are!......

For over 20 years, I have been specialising working with women, on a one to one basis and more recently in Red Tent groups.  

This week, I have been struck, yet again, about how many common issues women have.  I feel honoured that women open up and share in my company real issues that they are dealing with on a daily basis.  

Women are regularly sharing with me how they experience anxiety, feelings of not being worthy enough, of jealousy - that other women seem to have it all/able to do it all - and they feel inferior to this.

With my one to one work, women regularly apologise to me about their physical body - sorry my legs are hairy, sorry I haven't done my nail varnish, sorry I've eaten garlic - my breath might smell, sorry my hands are too hot/cold/sweaty, sorry if I smell - I've been running around all day, sorry my hair is wet - I've just had a shower.  The list goes on....

As women we have been encouraged from a very young age, by advertising campaigns (let alone other women!) and female products to not love the way we look, smell, behave.  To not value our innate qualities of being emotional, caring, compassionate, forgiving, yielding.

As I was thinking about writing this blog this morning, I opened a magazine and came across an advert:

"Give a gift she'd really love - More Confidence."

Now you might ask - how would you encourage a women to feel more confident, tell her how amazing you think she is?  tell her about all the qualities you admire in her?  how you love her clothing style?  tell her she looks lovely?

None of the above - 

"Beautiful Natural looking eyebrows, Kissable lips and more.."

Oh my god!  You have got to be joking!

This is just the ideal example for this blog - so you go to a cosmetic consultant to "receive" natural looking eyebrows???  Surely the most natural looking eyebrows you get by doing absolutely nothing to them!

Kissable lips - the implication being that they aren't currently kissable?

This is just one advert in one (fairly classy, not just for women) magazine.  As women, we get bombarded on a daily basis by advertising campaigns saying we need to spend money changing the way we look and smell.

I have noticed in the last few years that many sanitary products are not scented - again the implication that the most natural physical excretion of a woman is dirty, unclean and needs to be helped by an artificial, chemical scent!

No wonder, the majority of women that I know, have issues with feeling good enough.

What can we do?  

Well we can start by telling our women friends/family on a regular basis what you love/like/admire about them - their qualities of listening, compassion, generosity, caring, their mothering skills, their ability to handle so many situations, their ability to multi-task, their softness, their ability to listen to and attend to their needs, 

Compliment other women from a heartfelt space. Not from a begrudging or jealous or insincere place. 

We can show compassion and understanding for their emotions - their anxiety, their weepiness, their irritability, their joy, their passion.  We can share with them, that we too experience these emotions.

We can compliment other women on the way they look, what they wear (however, remember we are all given a human body with imperfections and discrepancies).  There isn't such a thing as perfection.  How someone looks is not who they are. We are all beautiful. Don't get caught up in the world view of what makes someone beautiful. A word of caution: Don't compliment other women and run yourself down at the same time.  eg "I love your hair today - mine looks awful!"

We can pledge to never gossip about other women, including celebrities.  Women who have become "successful" and famous take a huge amount of flack about the way they look, their "bikini body", their aging - are they aging well?.  We must support and admire ALL women.

Because all that we think about other women is, really and truly, all that we are thinking about ourselves.  

When we judge another woman for the way she looks, we are judging something about the way we look.  When we judge a woman for being too weepy, or irritable or too powerful or too beautiful, we are judging our ability to feel beautiful or powerful or express our emotions. When we criticise a woman for the way she handles or doesn't handle something, we are criticising ourselves.

I have observed that often women complain about pre-menstrual tension - they can't control their weepiness/irritability etc. it is often because there are these judgements going on regularly and there is a lack of acknowledging our needs, or attending to our physical bodily needs and emotional requirements.  In our pre-menstrual week, our ability to ignore these needs is reduced, so we become more prone to lose "control".  If we tune in and listen more closely to what we really need and act upon it (emotionally and physically) throughout the month, I think you will find, your premenstrual "feeling out of control" lessens significantly.

So finally, the last (and most important) thing we can do, is to tell ourselves on a regular basis (at least three times a day!) how wonderful we are.  What an amazing job we do with our lives.  We can be compassionate with ourselves.  We can listen to ourselves, our needs.  We can attend to our physical body in a caring and loving way.  We can acknowledge our emotions and allow them all to be valid - they are all transient anyway.  We can admire our ability to be loving, kind and forgiving.

Become the change you wish to see in the world in 2016! A How to Guide…….

Why do so many humans need healing?  In my daily life, I meet a lot of people and  I’m saddened to see so many unhappy looking people.  So many hurt and wounded people.  Struggling to make eye contact, to respond to a smile, a friendly greeting.  How has it got to this?  Why are so many, so unhappy?

Why does the media portray a negative universe, a world to be feared?  Why do so many people believe it?  Why don’t people question things more?  Why aren’t there more articles and news stories about the amazing, creative projects that are happening in the world?    

I love the videos on youtube/facebook about people going onto a tube for example and creating a situation that makes everyone connect – through laughter – it can be so contagious; or through a dance flash mob.  Things that bring humans together.  I think that’s why comedians are so popular these days, people need to laugh and let go so badly.

I’m saddened by how many people need to self-medicate with alcohol and recreational drugs and on a daily basis.  How many people each day look forward to the 6pm “open a bottle of wine time”/smoking a joint – as a reward, to help unwind/relax.  I’m saddened at how many people are on anti-depressants, or sleeping tablets or anti-anxiety tablets.  What is wrong with us?  Why are we, who live in a developed nation, where our physical needs or food, shelter and warmth, so unhappy?

What do we need?  Why aren’t we getting/doing it?  Why aren’t more people asking more questions?  Why do we just accept our conditioned beliefs?  Because that’s what they are – we are conditioned from the day we are born to believe certain things that our parents/teachers/society tell us.  Why aren’t we questioning these things?

Materialistic societies like to convince people that what we need is more money and more material objects.  We need newer cars, bigger houses, brand new furniture new shoes, clothes, new handbags.  Designer goods.  We are convinced through multi-million pound advertising that that will make us feel better.  We are then subdued and distracted through television/alcohol/medication/recreational drugs/newspapers/computer games and magazines.

What can we do?  How can we become happy?  What are your needs?  Are you honouring them? 

We can start to question things.  Do we really believe all that we are told?  We can start to question some of our conditioned beliefs.

When did you last sit down and ask yourself – “what makes me happy/good?”  Have you got time to do this today?  Could you prioritise time to do this today?

If you sat down and wrote a list about what makes you feel happy – then write down how many hours/days per week you spend doing these things – in comparison to how many hours/days per week you spend watching tv or commuting to work or socialising with people that you don’t have a great connection with, or drinking alcohol and then not feeling motivated to do anything.   How would these timings and activities compare?

What about making a commitment to yourself this New Year, to spend more time focussing on becoming happy?

Suggestions of things that can make you feel good (based on coaching client’s feedback):

Listening to music; walking in nature; spending quality time with a partner/friends/family – that you get on well with; being alone; having a long hot bath; reading a good book; comedy; sunshine; beautiful views/nature; dancing; singing; seeing live music/play/theatre. Creating things – painting/pottery/drawing/making jewellery.  Arts and crafts.  Playing an instrument. The sea, the mountains, the woods.  Fresh air.  Log fire.  Exercise – swimming, running, walking etc

Do any of these resonate for you?  Could you do any of these activities today or tomorrow?  Would you have to prioritise this over a non-essential activity?  Do you procrastinate?

This might be a good time of year to really question how you want to be spending your time.  None of us know how much time we have in this lifetime.  Are you doing what you want to be doing?  If yes, great – keep doing it, as often as you can.  If not, are there things you can change today to be doing more of what you love more often?

Have you ever done a vision board for yourself?  These are great to do and really good at focussing your energy on changes you want to make.  Get creative.  Get yourself a sheet of paper/card – ideally A3 in size and start writing, drawing, painting, cutting photos/word from magazines.  Start focussing on what you would like to have in your life in 2016.  Get clear about your life.  What sort of work do you want to be doing?  Who do you want to work with?  How much money do you need to earn?  Who do you want to have in your life – friends/family/partner?  What do you want to be doing with your time?  Are there any material objects you need to manifest into your life?  Are there any creative activities you wish to do in 2016?  What qualities of mind/emotions do you want in 2016? 

Question your beliefs.  Take a long hard look at your life (with compassionate eyes) and see if there are changes you can make, to make your life work better for you.  Are there any classes you can sign up for?  (There are lots of free online courses and classes you can do these days).  Are there any commitments you can make to yourself for this year?

Can you make a commitment to yourself to become a happier human being in 2016?  Happier humans, make better decisions for themselves and others, are more loving to themselves and others, have more energy, feel more alive, have a zest for life, can see the positive side to life, can see creative and positive solutions to the world’s problems.  As the Dalai Lama says : Be kind whenever possible.  It is always possible. 

My mission statement for 2016:

I am a Holistic Life Coach.  I want to help people to feel alive, loved, supported, passionate, empowered, energised, confident, creative, awake, healed, fulfil their potential, discover and live their life purpose, be powerful.  I want these people to go out and change the world.  To be the change they wish to see in the world.  To understand and work with the law of attraction/the energies of the universe and focus on the positive things they want to see in the world and their lives.

I want groups of people to feel empowered, satisfied and contented with their lives.  To know and feel that they have enough and are supported abundantly.  So they can let go of needing more than they need.  So they can work together and individually to focus on creating change in the world.  So they can be creative and find solutions so that all humans are fed, watered, have shelter and clothing.  So all humans are safe and loved and cared for.  So all humans are healed of their pain and wounds.

New for 2016 – I am now offering a 12 week online Holistic Life Coaching course:

This course will be tailored to your individual requirements.  You will receive weekly guidance, tips, techniques and activities via email, including meditation downloads for you to listen to.  You will get daily encouragement and support through my facebook group: "Follow your Dreams".  You will receive personal email support throughout the 3 month period.  There will be optional additional bolt-ons including 1-2-1 Skype Life Coaching sessions.  You will get book recommendations and other lifestyle advice recommendations tailored to your specific requirements.

Full details and how to book at:

www.elainegibbons.co.uk

Mahatma Gandhi – Be the change you wish to see in the world.

What is the point of meditation? How do you get started?

What is meditation?  It is bringing yourself into the present moment.  Just having one breath being fully present, that is meditation.  
Why do we need to bring ourselves into the present moment? - because that is where our power is, that is where our creativity is, that is where we live our lives.  We don't live in yesterday or tomorrow or this afternoon, we live in the now, the present moment.
We need to spend time alone, in meditation to be able to reconnect with ourselves.  To hear what we need, to hear what we feel.  Meditation allows us to calm the incessant chattering of the mind.  The mind chatters along the whole time.  If we don't spend time alone, we don't see our thoughts for what they are - just passing across our mind.  Meditation allows us to be observers of these thoughts rather than "victims".  We can observe our thoughts and choose which ones we wish to believe, or act upon.
Quiet time alone, enables us to gain divinely inspired ideas, enables us to connect to our needs, to hear what we need.  
I would recommend spending some time alone every day.  Alone and actively working on quieting the mind/not engaging with the thoughts that are travelling across your mind.
I personally find repetitive physical exercise one of the best ways to quieten the thoughts in my head - walking the dog, swimming, running, yoga.
We are so overstimulated with computers, tv, music, radio, adverts, people, social media.  My brain can feel quite frazzled from these at times.  
You could actively choose to switch all these machines off for an amount of time, and see how that feels.
Doing sitting meditation enables you to become more aware of your body, your thoughts, your emotions.  Calming yoga is also great for this.  By focussing on your "postures" and your breathing, the mind is naturally quietened, thus enabling you to do a sitting meditation.
There are many benefits to meditation - it can help reduce your stress levels, it can improve your sleep, can help you feel happier and more contented, can help you feel more connected, it can increase your attention span, improve your immune system and more...
If you have never meditated, you could start by sitting comfortably, with your back upright and just notice 3 breaths - notice the rise and fall of your chest/the air flowing in and out through your nostrils - that is meditation.  If you start doing just this at regular intervals throughout the day, you will most likely, want to increase and do more.
I have some free and low-cost meditations available to download at :
http://www.massagedownloads.com/product/3-minute-breathing-space/
Let me know how you get on!

Don't be jealous of others - life is not a competition............

Life is not a competition.  It is a gradual unfolding and discovering of who you are - if you allow it to be.
Don't be jealous of others.  Don't envy them or their lifestyle or their seemingly perfect life.  
Life is not greener on the other side - it is a different shade of green.
You cant walk in someone elses shoes, only your own.
We are all incredible and important beings.  We all have our own strengths and weaknesses.  If you don't know that already, then what an adventure life could be if you choose to work on finding this out for yourself.
I am reading a book at the moment called "Spontaneous Evolution" by Bruce Lipton.  Part of it is a scientific viewpoint on the law of attraction.  He explains the quantum physics behind how material objects come about.  (His previous book "The Biology of Belief" is better for explaining this however, this is a sequel).
He talks about how humanity is on the brink of destroying itself.  We are poisoning our air, our water, manipulating our seeds, destroying the possibility of pollination etc etc
He describes the human body as a collection of cells.  Each cell is vitally important.  It has its own job to do.  Each cell in itself is like a mini human body - it needs food, water, it uses its energy to action what it needs to do, its excretes waste products.  However, each cell is important in its own right.  A liver cell can't try and be a heart cell, or a red blood cell.  There is not point in competing because it would destroy the body that it is creating.
How would it be if we viewed human beings like this?  We are all sharing one earth.  We are all made of energy, as is everything around us.  We are all vitally important.  We each have a job to do.  But we also need to communicate efficiently, take what we need, perform our activities, any surplus goes to the collective storage point for when it is needed for a certain function/area.
There is no room for competition.  We all need to become in our power.  A liver cell will always be a very poor heart cell, or red blood cell.  It is better to be a well-functioning, healthy liver cell than a poor and weak version of a heart cell.
 Find out who you are, recognise how amazing and important you are.  Allow others to do what they need to do.  Take what you need and no more, trusting that there will always be enough.
If you notice you are feeling envy of someone else, or others, use this as inspiration to create changes in your life.  What can you do today, to make your life more how you would like it to be?
Encourage others to empower themselves.  Don't berate them or criticise them to make you feel better.  It doesn't make you feel better, it belittles you and negates your power.
Support and encourage others, while also supporting and encouraging yourself.  
Humanity is only as strong as it's weakest link.

Do you experience anxiety? Some ideas for working with shifting anxiety.......

So I work up this morning feeling anxious.  Why?  No particular reason!  Nothing is different from yesterday, except today I have an anxious feeling in my stomach area and my mind is looking around for things for me to worry about.  I think the term is "free-floating anxiety."
Was there a conversation that I had yesterday that unsettled or upset me a bit but not enough that I was aware at the time?  Did I have a dream that led to me waking up feeling anxious?
Is it the change in season, the turning in of autumn.  Will I survive the long winter emotionally?
Now that I am feeling anxious, I notice that little things are troubling me today.  I am looking to misinterpret text messages and emails.  My confidence has dropped.  My motivation levels have dropped.  Wow!  What a difference a day makes.  
Yesterday, I was feeling energised, motivated, confident.  Like I knew what I was doing with my life!  Ha!  Not now!
Im sharing this, because I know I am not alone.  This is a common experience, especially amongst women.
So, what to do?  Shall I feed this anxiety, look around for things to worry about, watch the news and feel anxious about the state of the world?  Shall I have irritable conversations with people today?  Shall I lie on the sofa and watch trash tv so I don't have to deal with it?
There is a part of me that wants to do all of those things.
But fortunately today, there is a bigger part of me, that wants to change how I deal with my anxiety.  I am choosing to let go of my anxiety.
I recognise that all feelings/emotions are transient.  They will all pass.  One of my meditation practices is imagining that all my thoughts and feelings are passing across my mind on a conveyor belt.  Occasionally, I see one that I decide to believe.  Today, it was "I am anxious.  I am little.  I am unempowered.  I am vulnerable etc"
  So I have decided to put those ones back on the conveyor belt and pick up another thought/affirmation.  "I am safe."  And another - "I am confident" and another "I am empowered; I am motivated; I am alive and vibrating with energy; I am passionate; I am loved; I am supported by the universe."  Each time I pick another thought, I feel slightly stronger.  
Each time I add to my anxiety by feeding it with another anxious thought, I feel slightly weaker.
So affirmations work for me.  This does need a bit of time and attention.  But I can do it while I'm doing other jobs, walking to work, loading the dishwasher, preparing food etc
Other things that work for me - physical exercise, it quietens my mind.  Especially quiet repetitive exercise like swimming, walking, running.
I also find that doing a chakra clearing meditation (I have one recorded that will be for sale on my website very soon but I can email it to you beforehand if you would like - contact me for more details).
The last thing I would highly recommend, is to be loving with yourself.  Maybe run yourself a nice hot aromatherapy bath; or have an early night with a hot water bottle; or have a quiet night in, listening to some uplifting (not melancholic) music; or going to a yoga/meditation class; or to watch an uplifting (not depressing/thrilling/horror) film.
These techniques can be used for any other emotion that you might be working with - eg anger, sadness.
Hope this helps - would love to hear about any other techniques that you might use!  

Why are you rushing around all the time? What can you do about it? What are you waiting for?

Impatience, irritation and frustration are so common in our society.  We pack our lives with too many things, then rush around from one thing to the next.  We can get frustrated in traffic jams, always trying to get one over on other drivers, overtaking/undertaking, speeding away from the traffic lights.  Do you find yourself sitting at traffic lights frustrated at how long its taking?  Do you find yourself queuing at the supermarket checkout irritated about how slow the person in front  or the cashier are being?  Do you find yourself feeling hurried when getting up and going to work?  Are you stressed in the traffic going to work?

What are you waiting for?  What are your hurrying for?  Whats the rush?
When you get to work, you then spend a lot of the time clock watching for your lunch break, or time to go home. For what?
You're going to get home from the supermarket or from work to go home or somewhere else.  Whats the rush?  
We are always anticipating that the next moment in our lives will be better than the one we are in.  But the next moment is just another moment and our life is made up of these moments.  Our life can be found in all these moments, in the traffic jam, in the queue at the checkout, in the walking to work.
We rush home to what?  To spend time with our family?  To have our dinner?  To relax?  When you're with your family, are you 100% with them or are you thinking about what job you need to do next, cook dinner, sort out the washing.  
Or are you carrying stress or overthinking from the day you've had at work, or a difficult conversation you had with a friend?  do you really relax?  When you're cooking dinner are you rushing to cook dinner because theres something on tv?  Or you're going out with friends?  When you're out with friends are you 100% present?  Or are you thinking that you need to keep an eye on the time because you don't want to have a late night because you have to get up for work.
So many of us work to live and live to work.  What for?  We then look forward to our 2 week holiday, where we can relax and spend time with our family or friends.  Do we relax, are we present on our holiday?  Do we know how to be present?  Maybe we unwind for the first week, but then the 2nd week is often spent, wistfully counting down the days until the holiday ends and we're back to work.
Some of us love our work, but are still spending a lot of time clock-watching, hurrying to the next task.  
Not meaning to be depressing but this is how a lot of us spend a lot of our time: clock-watching, waiting for the next thing to happen, hurrying from one task to another, wishing away the time we spend queuing, commuting, travelling, wishing our lives away, looking forward to our next holiday.  Then when we have an activity we really want to be in, we are untrained in knowing how to enjoy the moment, so that moment passes all too soon, and we didn't even relish it and enjoy it to the full.

Observe the sitting in the traffic.  Let the car in the side road come in front of you.  Notice your frustration.  Drive at the speed limit.  How does that feel?  Frustrating?

Our life is happening in the moment.  Right now.  How do we become in the moment, the present moment, the here and now?  We stop.  Right now.  Breathe.  Notice our breath.  Notice the rise and fall of our chest.  Notice the sounds around you.  Notice the colours around you.  Notice your physical body.  Are you aware of your hands, your back, your feet, the muscles of your face.

I think most of us would agree, ultimately, we want to feel peace of mind, contentment, happiness.

The more we practise being in the present moment, the more peace we invite into our lives.  Our creative power is in the here and now.

Courses, workshops and meditation groups in Brighton with Elaine Gibbons.

www.elainegibbons.co.uk

Do you want to create change in your life - a How to guide.....

Change is all that is happening, every moment of every day.
I love this ancient chinese proverb "The only certain thing in life is change"
According to quantum physics, matter (human beings, computers, rocks, trees, water) is formed of atoms, which consists of subatomic particles constantly moving.  It has been recognised that we affect these particles with our attention and our intention.  We are surrounded by an energy field that responds to our thoughts/intention/attention/beliefs/  So we are literally creating our lives with our thoughts.  Atoms that are resonating at the same frequency attract each other.  Our thoughts have a magnetic field effect.
To start the process of creating change, you need to initially get really clear about what you want, where you want to be heading, what your vision is.  If you don't give the universal energy field a clear picture about what you wish to draw into your life, it will respond to your most dominant thoughts.
Thoughts are creative.  Every item or object was once just a thought or idea in someone's mind.
I personally have moments where I am completely going with the flow of what is happening in my life and other times where I have huge amounts of resistance and frustration.  
Then there is the issue with belief!  Surely I can't ask for something that seems so far from where I am right now?
When you are asking for something you want to create in your life, your negative beliefs about not receiving can be so strong )for whatever reason) that a huge amount of negativity can come up, which needs to be processed/released to effect change and movement in thoughts.
Eckhart Tolle (The Power of Now) talks about how the ego doesn't want change and we create resistance.  He says, when faced with a situation you don't want, you either take steps to change it, or you accept it, everything else is futile, a waste of energy and taking away your power from the present moment; the power that comes with knowing that thoughts are creative.
Your thoughts of today are creating your tomorrows.

Do you work with affirmations? A "How To" guide:

Working with affirmations:
Affirmations can be a really powerful tool to work with when you're looking to invite changes into your life.  

When you are sitting with your vision board/visualisation (that we have discussed in previous blogs) or you have written your dream down in a beautiful journal; or you have created a beautiful collage with magazine cuttings/pictures and you are starting to work with this visualisation a few minutes each day; maybe you have started sharing this vision with a friend or others and you are getting yourself some support with your dream manifestation.  
Working with affirmations can then really help support this work and move it on.

So, take yourself to this dream scenario/vision, and imagine that you are already living this life, what would you beliefs have to be if you were already living this dream life?  Sit with this for a few moments.  Start writing down these beliefs, in the present tense. 

For example:
I am loved
I am supported
I am wealthy
I am abundant
I am living in my dream house
I am living with my ideal partner,
I am surrounded with love and support
I am vibrating with perfect health
I am happy
I am vibrant
I am alive and enjoying life
I am in my dream job.  I am supported and acknowledged at work.

Start writing all these beliefs down.  Ideally start the affirmation with I am.  Use the present tense.  Maybe start putting them around your house.  

One of the ways of working with affirmations is when you say "I am wealthy" for example, then notice your negative thoughts and feelings that come up when you say it.  So if you say "I am vibrating with perfect health" - what thoughts then follow that - it might be
"oh but I'm not really"  "My back hurts"  " I have got arthritis" "I am in pain." 
Write these negative thoughts down, write them down and release them.  Ask your higher self to transmute this negativity, to help you release these beliefs that are no longer serving us.  Let go of these negative thoughts.  Because if you want to create this vibrant health, or these perfect finances, or this ideal job, we need to let go of our negative thought patterns and beliefs around it, because the universe doesn't give back to us what we think, it gives back to us what we believe.

So we can be saying/repeating "I am a wealthy person" but in our heads believing that we are not, that we are in fact poor.  

You could start by saying "I am choosing to allow wealth into my life"  This might feel more believable.  Go back to an affirmation that you can believe and that you can start to work with.  "I am intending to attract more money into my life."  "I am starting to believe that I can become more wealthy."
I am intending to be vibrantly healthy.  I am asking for guidance and diving inspiration for  ideas that help me in achieving perfect health.

Its really important to release the negative, don't ignore it, if it's there, we need to bring it to our awareness to be able to observe it and release it and to start choosing to believing more supportive thoughts.

I am choosing to believe that anything is possible.
I am intending to start to believe that there are other ways of attracting what I want into my life.

Buddha  " We are a result of all we have thought"

When you are working with these affirmations and your visualisation of your dream, don't sit around wondering how you are going to create this new life.  Don't get into your intellectual rational logical brain about how things are going to change.  
Just give this information about your new thoughts and beliefs to the universe and watch it return and reflect back to you, what you are thinking about and creating.  Hand it over.  This is what I want, I am changing my thought pattern, I am raising my energetic field to receive more of what I want into my life and then wait to see what the universe gives back to you. 

See what new people and situations come into your life.  The conversations you overhear or have with others.  The books you happen to start reading.  The tv programs you are drawn to watch.  Notice the divine symbols and inspired guidance that is coming your way.  Listen to your inner voice.  Act on any intuitive thoughts and feelings you have.  Follow any divinely inspired ideas that come to you.
Start looking out for divine signs and inspiration!  Enjoy the journey!

Transform your Life: Follow your Dreams

Courses, groups, workshops from September 2015

www.elainegibbons.co.uk

Working with Divine Inspiration. Dare to be different.

Look out for divine signs, inspired ideas and synchronicities - follow these to your dream life!

Following on from previous blogs, you've worked through the previous suggestions, you have got your vision board, you have done some visualisation of your dreams, maybe started working with a friend/support group.  You've got some clarity, handed it over to the universe, working with some affirmations.  The more you do this work, the more energy you give to this, the closer your dream becomes.

But your dream life is going to come to you through certain channels.  For example, it might be that if you are looking for a dream house, you can't just sit and visualise, you still need to act.  You need to contact the agents and tell them what you want.  Go and visit some places.  If you want a new amazing job, get as clear as you can about all the qualities and then start asking around, looking in the job adverts, applying, going for interviews etc

So when you are handing your vision over to the universe, and you're working with your affirmations, and your 30 day diet of breaking the habit of negative thinking, you're really starting to introduce positive thoughts into your life that will take you in the direction of your dreams; you do then need to start looking out for Divine Signs/Symbols.  

It might be conversations you overhear, books that are recommended, a conversation you have with a friend, something you read on a billboard, or the side of a lorry.  A lorry drove past me yesterday with the only words along the side "Follow your Dreams"!!!  What are the chance of that!

How are you feeling, what's your intuition, what are your hunches?  Follow your heart.  What is your heart saying to you, follow your feelings, follow your passion.  This is how we "hear" our inner voice, through our feelings.

Through meditation, we can quieten our mind, or through gentle and/or repetitive exercise - yoga/walking/swimming/running.  Sometimes a flash of inspiration can come to you.  Don't sit and try and think out how or what to do with your logical brain.  You need to sit quietly, quieten the mind and feel.

Sometimes you get a sudden bolt of an idea.  But more often, it's a quiet whisper.  Call a friend, or watch this program, or read this article, or go to this place.  Follow these whisperings.  The more you listen to and follow your intuition, the louder it becomes.  It is a practice and all new practices need discplined practise.  Dare to be different.  Follow your dreams.  Be brave.  Where is your passion.  Follow your heart.  What motivates you.  Don't follow the crowd.  Have confidence in your intuition.  Your soul calls to you through your dreams/your passions.  

Notice the signs and the symbols that are coming from the universe.

Expect change in your life.  If you are asking for change, expect things to start changing.  Change can feel really scary.  There's a leap into the unknown.  Have faith.  Sometimes things seem to be dropping away from you and you didn't expect that to happen.  Expect the unexpected.  Be courageous.  Some people leave your life, some people start to come into your life.  You might not be getting on well with people that you have known for years.  Maybe their energy no longer resonates with yours.  But you will also be attracting new people into your life, that resonate more closely to where you are now at.
Maybe you want a new job. Maybe you lose your job - which can feel very traumatic and worrying.  Trust the process.  You have to let go of certain things to create space for new things to come to you.
Ask the universe for what you want, then start to believe that you can have this, then you have to receive it.  ASK BELIEVE RECEIVE.  This means that you need to change and to expect changes.

Question yourself.  Challenge your current beliefs.  Is this particular belief still working for you?  Does it make sense that you are still clinging on to a particular belief?  Do you need to start choosing to believe different things, that life can be different?

Work with meditation and mindfulness.  Do you want to carry on choosing to believe the range of thoughts that travel across your mind?  Or can you observe and detach.  Then choose to believe more life-enhancing thoughts.

Transform your Life : Follow your Dreams

Courses, groups, meditations in Brighton from November 6th.

www.elainegibbons.co.uk

What makes you feel good? Do it - and change the world at the same time!

Oh its so easy to complain and moan about life - the weather, how expensive everything is, how unwell we feel, how cold/hot we are, how old/wrinkled/fat/thin/unfit we are.  How many tragedies there are in the world and how we cant do anything about it, how corrupt our politicians are.    Some of us just seem to be innately pessimistic and negative.

It is great to know that we can change.  We can start changing today, right now.  We can look around us and notice something we are grateful for.  We can observe something good in our lives, in the world around us, in our partner, our boss, our challenging child, our bodies.  The minute we start shifting our focus, our energy starts shifting.  This then has a knock on effect on everyone we come into contact with.  If we all did this, every day, within such a short time, the world would be a much easier place to live in.

We need to focus using our energy on feeling good.  I have already discussed the major benefits of gratitude.  But this blog is discussing what we can do if we are stuck in a negative mindset.  How do we shift our energy focus right now, today.  What makes you feel good?  What thing/person/statement/object could make you feel better right now today?  I highly recommend making a list of things that you know make you feel better.  I call these "mood shifters"

Mood shifters.  As we are starting to work with more positive thoughts that are taking us in the direction of our dreams, maybe using some affirmations, we want to be feeling good.  Normally the reason why most people want change in their life , is they want to feel good.  You want to enjoy your life.  Enjoy what you're doing all day.
You cant be feeling good and thinking negative thoughts and you cant be feeling bad and thinking positive thoughts.
Your feelings are a good indicator, a good feedback system for where your mental activity is focussed right now.  If you aren't feeling good, you are thinking negatively.  Stop.  Observe what you are thinking.  Try and detach.   If this isn't possible then you need to start working with some "mood shifters".
Write down a list of things that you know that make you feel better (as long as nothing is done at the expense of others or might cause others suffering).  It might be music - uplifting or motivational music (RESPECT by Aretha Franklin is currently going around in my head!!); it might be having a hot bath; it might be walking in nature; it might be talking to a friend/family member;
If you aren't feeling good, then do something from your mood shifters list.
If you then notice that you don't want to do one of these things that you know will make you feel better - notice that!  Observe.  That's very interesting.  Why wouldn't we want to do something that you know will make you feel better.  Why are you self-sabotaging?  It is normally because the ego is resistant to change and wants us to stay as we are.  Stay with our old habits of negative thinking.  Even though its not great for us, its familiar and the ego likes familiarity.
Dont allow your ego to sabotage the new you.  If you want to see change in your life, start doing things differently, start attending to your needs, start honouring your desire to feel good.
Eat well, exercise your body.  These things make you feel good.
Write your mood shifters list now.

Some suggestions:
Hot bath
Walk in nature - woodland/beach
Massage
Music - uplifting anthems
Make a photo album that reminds you of happy memories
Going out with a friend
Having a good meal with a friend
Going to a comedy night
Watching a comedy film
Chatting with a friend
Walking barefoot on the grass
Reading uplifting books
Sunshine
Going on holiday somewhere hot
Swimming
Yoga
Walking the dog
Burning candles/sage/incense
Dancing
Having a log fire
Meditation

Remember, its not indulgent to change something/to shift your mood/to want to feel good.  Its vitally important.   The more people that start doing this today, the ripple effect goes out far and wide.  As individuals we can make a difference.  Do something different today - feel good!

Follow your Dreams and transform your life - course, groups and meditations from September 2015 in Brighton.

www.elainegibbons.co.uk

Follow your Dreams - daily techniques to enable this!

There are techniques you can use on a daily basis to support you creating your dream life.  If, for example, you are doing the 30 day "break the habit of negative thinking" diet (see previous blog); there are lots of different things you can do daily.
I really recommend daily work as it is habit forming.  We are creatures of habit.  If you want to create change, you have to start changing things in your life.  Its no good just changing it for a couple of days, or a couple of hours, you need to set up a new habit that helps you to create what you want in your life.

• Gratitude - is a very useful technique to start working with.  Do not underestimate the benefits of working with gratitude.  So if you are thinking "what do I have to be grateful for?" then look around you.  There will always be something.  Maybe it's your health.  Maybe it's that you have enough food to eat.    What about a house?  Do you have a house to live in - that is warm and comfortable enough?  Then you have that to be grateful for.  Think of how many people there are on this planet that don't have their basic human needs being met.  Even if you don't own your house and you are renting; even if you are having to claim benefits to be able to afford your house, you can be grateful that you live in a society that supports you.  What about clothes, do you have enough clothes?  Dont ever think that you dont have anything to be grateful for.  There might be a lot of things you want to change in your life.  You might dislike your job, and you might be thinking how can I be happy and grateful when I have this job and just look forward to the weekend.  Do you have a partner - that you love and that loves you?  Do you have children?  Parents?  Do you have your health? All of these things can add to a long list of things in our life that we can feel grateful for.  The more energy you give to all these things in your life that you can be grateful and thankful for; the more you give thanks and gratitude to the universe on a daily basis - the more the universe will respond to you by giving back more and more things for you to be grateful for.  What you focus on expands.  If you spend your time complaining, then you will attract more things into your life for you to complain about.  So gratitude is a very useful, possibly the number 1 daily technique that I would recommend.  I would recommend setting a reminder on your phone/computer to pop up three times a day to ask you to think of up to 10 things that you feel grateful for right at that moment.
• Journal writing.  This is another tool that you can use on a daily basis that can help you create new habits of more useful ways of thinking;  ways that are drawing more good things to you, more of the things you want in your life.  Maybe you would use your journal to debrief at the end of the day.  Look over the day, dont berate yourself, dont ever use it as a tool to punish yourself "what have I done wrong?"  Debrief from your day.  Did I spend all morning complaining about something?  What can I do differently tomorrow?  
• Look at your vision board.  Give it energy.  Look at it for 5 minutes a day, focus on your vision.  Maybe add something to it.  Refine/clarify.  Trust that you will receive this or more for your highest good.  Use your imagination, and imagine yourself in that dream life for 5 minutes a day.  Feel how good that feels.
• Meditation/mindfulness.  Both of these are very helpful if not essential!  They help us to draw quiet times into our lives.  They give us time out.  Time to observe our breathing.  Time to observe our thoughts at that time.  Turn inwards.  Become less attached to all the drama going on around us.  There are meditation apps, mediation/mindfulness groups in every town, meditations on youtube.  Try it out.  I would really recommend a minimum of 10 minutes per day, ideally half an hour, twice daily.  Or you might want to try a weekend mediation retreat - there are plenty around the country.  This longer meditation space enables your chattering mind to really quieten down, which enables you to hear your inner self.
• Reading inspiring/uplifting books.  Spiritual books, law of attraction books, mindfulness books.  Please see previous blog for recommend authors.  Or quotes on facebook/twitter.  Seeing these on our newsfeed can be really helpful/useful messages at particular times.
• Start the day with "Thank you".  The first two words that come out of your mouth as you awake could be thank you.  Thank you that I have woken up to this new day of infinite possibilities.  Thank you with each footstep as you walk to the bathroom, thank you for your hot shower, for you flushing toilet, for your tap water, for your soft towel, for your warming clothes etc  How lucky and blessed we are.

Transform your Life: Follow your Dreams!

Workshops, courses, groups from September 2015.

www.elainegibbons.co.uk