Mind Body Messenger
issue#7 November 2003

Keeping Up with Heather

I have read a few books lately on the subject of success. Most of the books classified success as financial success. Create a business, make money, invest that money, be smart about what you buy, retire early, and …done, you are successful. After reading one such book, Rich Dad Poor Dad by Robert Kiyosaki, I was inspired. I thought, ‘ya, I’ll buy some real estate, rent it out, flip it in a few years and trade up. I’ll grow to buying and selling commercial units, condos, and land. I can own property in Canada and Australia. I can travel the world on the cashflow that my investments provide. This could be it!’ And, then I thought to myself…what is ‘it’? What is this elusive ‘it’ that I am searching for? Here in Australia I enjoy a lifestyle of leisure. I have created exactly the life I dreamed of. Every week I teach some yoga classes, I train some private clients, I do some writing, all giving me the opportunity to learn, to teach, to connect with wonderful people, and to experience my world. It’s a great balance for me. I get to focus on my metaphysics and yoga every day. I can drive to the beach whenever the mood strikes me. I have the time and energy to pursue my interests. And yet, still that concept of having ‘it’ eludes me.

What is this ‘it’ that drives us to work so hard, to get up at six in the morning to commute to work, put in a 60 hour week, mow the lawn and catch up with a few friends or watch the footy on the weekend and rest up for the 60 hours waiting for us next week. What is the motivator here? Is it money? Is it status? It is security? What do we hope to achieve from our jobs, our study, our leisure activities. I think that, for me, it is essential to have a compass of where I want to go, how I want to feel, what I can contribute, who I want to be, before I take steps to achieve it. Have some of us, perhaps, forgotten the goal?

Christopher teaches in one of his courses that we are climbing a ladder in life, and sometimes while we climb that ladder, we look up and realize that it is resting against the wrong building. Do we keep doggedly climbing? Or, do we climb down, reassess the position of the ladder, and begin climbing again, constantly re-assessing that our ladder is taking us to the place where we want to go? We are living in an age where many people are choosing lifestyle over status, health over wealth. But, does that mean we have our compasses aligned? What is your idea of success…will you know ‘it’ when you’ve got ‘it’?

For myself, I fear that I will never be satisfied. Contentment eludes me, for I am always striving to be something more, to offer something more. But, perhaps in my quest for my potential, for my goal of self-actualization, I will allow myself to be content with the journey. I think that the mistake that I have made in the past is to assume that success is fixed or finite, and it is ‘out there’ in places where other’s can see it. When, perhaps, success is fluid, and it exists within, quietly, undetectable perhaps to the outside world, but real nonetheless.

I will share with you a few interesting thoughts on this subject, a few different perspectives from many ages of mankind…and I certainly look forward to hearing your own thoughts on this subject.

Namaste,
Heather

Thoughts on Success…

To laugh often and much; to win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children; to earn the appreciation of honest critics, and endure the betrayal of false friends; to appreciate beauty; to find the best in others; to leave the world a little better; whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you have lived. This is the meaning of success.
Ralph Waldo Emerson

Trying to be “a success” in terms of having prestige symbols and wearing certain badges leads to neuroticism, and frustration and unhappiness. Striving to be “successful”, brings not only material success, but satisfaction, fulfillment, and happiness.
Maxwell Maltz, Psycho-Cybernetics

Most successful people are unhappy. That's why they are successes-they have to reassure themselves about themselves by achieving something that the world will notice. The happy people are failures because they are on such good terms with themselves that they don't give a damn.
Agatha Christie

Real success is success with self; it's not having things, but in having mastery, having victory over oneself.
Author Unknown

If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams, and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with success unexpected in common hours.
Henry David Thoreau

Trust yourself. Create the kind of life you will be happy to live with all your life. Make the most of yourself by fanning the tiny, inner sparks of possibility into flames of achievement.
F. C. McClellan

Note: Just three weeks after writing this column, I am announcing my return to Canada. More major shifts in my life as I seek that elusive goal. Interesting to return to these thoughts now and reflect…am I climbing off my ladder right now and re-examining my own position???

H!

Meditate On It

There is no doubt if you have a full time job, family, social commitments, gym membership, hobbies, a dependant pet, friend or partner, worries etc, there might not be enough hours left in your day to consider that your mind may need a well earned moment of consideration too. With the huge amount of things we attend to in an average day, it’s no wonder our thoughts and feelings seem to be constantly held ransom by the happenings of the outside world. For instance, you wake up late for work, skip breakfast, the traffic sucks, the boss is on the war path, you rush lunch, start falling asleep at 3.30pm, screw a job up at the office, lose your cool with someone on the road, arrive home tired, crack a beer or pop a cork, watch some television, have another beer, fall asleep on the couch and do it all again the next day. This may be an extreme example but for most people they wouldn’t be able to sustain that type of stress before something had to give. Have you ever had a week where the only subjective thought you may of had was what you were going to have for dinner? Are you nodding yet?

With our minds so absorbed with daily activities and concerns, it’s no surprise that stress related illness, depression, and mental fatigue are rising to epidemic proportions amongst our population. These trends are not new, but their frequency and intensity are warning signs telling us that either we slow down and wake up to ourselves, or something else is going to do it for us.

I often ask clients during private sessions how they relax at home? Television, music, exercise, food or alcohol is often the preferred choice. These methods, although mildly effective, are at best a band-aid that do little to help us get to the bottom of our discontent. In fact studies have shown that our body, without adequate mental rest, still maintains a high level of tension even when we are sleeping. This not only reduces the quality and depth of rest but also plays havoc with the function of our brain the next day. This build up of stress in our system can eventually become the only thing we identify with. At that point we become a puppet for the outside world and hopelessly un-empowered in this position.

Twelve years ago I took up a particular type of meditation passed down to me by one of my mentors. I must admit my first attempt was a messy affair. My mind appeared to have about 20 radios blaring simultaneously, enough junk piled up to start a second hand store and more locked doors than a mental institution and there I was, on all fours, searching for that needle. The idea of the exercise was to just observe your thoughts without judging, criticizing, comparing, rationalizing, or intellectualizing.

In other words, to remain as detached as possible without the intellect interfering with your thought processes.

With dedicated practice I began to realize more fully the impact that being conscious of my thoughts was having on my awareness. I was mastering the ability to keep my intellect suspended in neutral as my thoughts and feelings revealed telling patterns hidden underneath them. For instance I could follow a train of thought to places I might not have allowed myself to go if I was just engaging my intellect. As I became more proficient this new awareness began to extend into my daily life. I began to see my world from a whole new perspective. Suddenly moments of high tension and ‘conclusion jumping’ became learning experiences where I found the room to stretch back from each episode long enough to allow for more mature course of action to appear. The concept that ‘everything is within’ started to make sense now as I began tapping into a vast intelligence that, for most of my life, I never knew existed. Most of what used to upset and control me now seemed less significant but more importantly I wasn’t allowing the world outside me pull me under anymore. I found a space within me that was able to help me find solutions where before I might have been lost in frustration and despair.

I have discovered so much about myself through the magic of self-awareness. I’ve learned not to take things at face value anymore and look deeper into their manifestation. My fears and insecurities are now allies to help me move past the place they had me stand still. My beliefs and attitudes are works in progress, needing continual assessment to accommodate new perceptions. My emotions fuel my desires and are no longer something to indulge in.

Every question you have has an answer but do you have the eyes to see?

Well, good people, why not meditate on it?

For more information about meditation, relaxation, and learning to ‘observe yourself’, refer to the upcoming course offering Self Mastery I. This course initiated my own journey into personal growth and metaphysics, and I now enjoy offering it to those willing participants who also want to Know Thyself.

CTL

Food For Thought…

Did you know that your serving sizes have been growing…

• A muffin used to be 40-100 grams, and now weighs in at 120-130 grams?
• A medium potato used to weigh 110-160 grams, and now the average potato tips the scales at 190-250 grams?
• A typical bagel used to weigh 26-60 grams, but now weighs 75-135 grams?
• And as our portions sizes are growing, so are our dress sizes.

For more information about the link between portion sizes and overweight, check out the report by Agri-Food Canada in the Nutrition Action Health Letter published by the Centre for Science in the Public Interest.

Heather!

Upcoming Events in Brisbane, Nov 2003

The Energetic Healing Diploma Program

Developed and recognized by the World Development for Human Resources, this comprehensive program offers the beginner or practicing healer a foundation of theory and practice in the areas of energy balancing, chakras, bodywork, understanding the causes of illness, the role of the healer, spiritual healing, symptom relief, life cycles, and accessing the intuitive healer within you.

• Date: November 22, 23, 29, 30 2003 (non-residential)
• Time: 9:30am-5:30pm
• Location: 2/459 Hawthorne Road, Bulimba
• Cost: $450 inclusive ($400 early bird by October 20)

Free Healing Circle

A free introductory evening to those who would like to discuss concepts in healing and metaphysics, share in the offering of healing to our world, and receiving healing from the group. Space is limited, so please express your intent to attend ASAP. New members welcome. This month’s healing circle will introduce participants to the upcoming Energetic Healing Diploma Program, commencing November 22. If you are interested in knowing more about what is involved in becoming a healer, this is your chance to get the scoop!

• Date: November 9, 2003
• Time: 7:00-10:00pm
• Location: 2/459 Hawthorne Road, Bulimba (corner of Hawthorne and Nora)

Self Mastery I

This interactive workshop series will introduce you to a more conscious and purposeful way of life. Develop a focussed, clear, creative mind. Learn to access your intuition. Understand how you create your reality. Discover your life purpose. Develop confidence like never before. Update beliefs that limit your life choices. Become a dynamic and relaxed person.

• Date: begins Jan 12, 7 sessions Mon & Thurs evening.
• Time: 7:00-10:00pm
• Location: 2/459 Hawthorne Road, Bulimba
• Cost: $400pp ($375 early bird cash only by Dec 20)

The Practice of Yoga – Beyond the Asanas

December’s workshop will include a practice of the Gayatri Mantra learned in the preview class, as well as a discussion of the chakra system, and many techniques and exercises to clean and recharge chakras for better health, balance, and enhanced yoga practice. New students are welcome.

• Date: Tuesday December 2, 2003
• Time: 7:30-9:30pm
• Location: 2/459 Hawthorne Road, Bulimba
• Cost: $20 per class.
  

Yoga Supplies

Just a few mats and balls left in our stock, get them before they run out!

• Purple and blue sticky mats just $30,
• 65cm fitness balls just $35.

To order your yoga supplies, please contact heather@yogatrinity.com or use the order form below.

Name: ________________________________________________________________________________

Tel: ___________________________________________ Mobile: ________________________________

Address: ______________________________________________________________________________

Post Code: ______________ Email: _______________________________________________________

How did you hear of this course: _____________________________________________________________

I would like more information on ________________________________________________(upcoming course)

Fees: A minimum deposit of 25% is required upon registration. My fee of $____ is enclosed.

Cancellations: For a full refund of deposit, cancellations must be received no later than 14 days prior to event. Cancellations received later than 14 days prior to event are non-refundable.

Consent: In consideration of the services provided by Christopher Lipscomb and Mind Body Mastery, I assume full responsibility for all risk associated with my choice to use the services and I hereby release and discharge Christopher Temple Lipscomb, Heather Agnew and Mind Body Mastery from any claims or liability for personal injury or property damage arising from my use of the services.

Date _________________________ Signature of Participant _______________________________________