When You Have Nowhere to Turn, a Spiritual Growth Class Will Jump Out at You

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If you are like me, you have begun your search for inner peace with a spiritual growth class. My first one was at the Gita School of Yoga in Melbourne in 1963. It was called a yoga philosophy class and seemed pretty way out back then. I was 21 and looking for some answers, finding my purpose and path in life, other than as a young married with a baby. We studied Fourteen Lessons in Yogi Philosophy and Oriental Occultism by Yogi Ramacharaka for a long time and it seemed very foreign to me in those early days.

Since then I have been seeking and learning, much of it was leaning towards eastern traditions of yoga, always keeping an open mind and particularly towards alternative teachings.

I believe we all are unique and each one’s path is equally unique, as we are drawn towards new experiences, ever leading us upwards and onwards towards our oftentimes, unconscious goal. Can you relate to that? Feeling your goal so far away yet being led somehow towards new experiences, often in a test of faith and with each step revealing a new light on your path. The light is enough, sometimes barely enough, to give you heart to keep going.

If you are feeling stressed out and your life lost its purpose and direction, it could be time for you to follow your instinct and learn something. Anything. It could be that you have stopped moving forward and need to pick yourself up and gain momentum. Then things, your life, will become clearer, as you trust in yourself, your own heart’s knowing.

Nowhere to turn? It could be time for you to belong in a safe group environment, in which case you could attend a class where you will learn to meditate and share with like minded souls.

A spiritual growth class will jump out at you getting your attention when you need to attend it. This can work for anything in our life, when we have a need, we draw that thing towards ourself, we magnetise it. We create our own reality and the clearer we are, the more awareness that we hold, we create and manifest things towards ourself more quickly. Look at goals and anything of our choosing. Goals can be very slow to come to fruition because we do not hold enough focus and our mind wanders.

One valid reason for taking yourself to a regular spiritual growth class would be because you want to make friends with your mind. To stop it’s incessant thinking, worrying, round and round, until your energy levels drop and you are constantly stressed.

I believe that most such classes would use various tools with which to help to tame and calm the mind. They would generally teach meditation and yogic breathing exercises. The body is tough and at the same time can be extremely sensitive. The reason that I say this is that everything flows together and is effected by each other. Breathing affects the emotions, the mind, the spirit. We could say, introduce here that it is a 4-body system. The physical body, the mental body, the emotional body and the spiritual body. This is the most elementary way of explaining that to live a joyful, peaceful life, we need to be balanced, have self discipline and have union within all aspects of our body. If we are not right with ourself, we cannot be right with others. Not in our relationships, nor our work or play.

I encourage you to be kind to yourself and live harmoniously with yourself and the universe. Blessings to you.

 

Knox Community Health Service

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The Knox Community Health Service was established in 1996 to provide a high quality of community care & health education programs to Knox consumers. Knox Community Health Service delivers a range of services that improve the physical, mental and social well-being of individuals, families and communities in the City of Knox.

I had the pleasure of facilitating a laughter yoga session this week for the volunteers, preceding their special lunch and joined them for lunch also. The KCHS as it is generally known relies quite heavily on volunteers and from what I could see spending time with these people, a wonderful way to be of service in the community.

I understand that there are a few positions available for those wanting to get involved, either in a small way or a larger time investment.

The laughter yoga session was a lot of fun and it did my heart good to share laughter with these lovely, giving people, many of whom have been volunteers for decades. The favourite laugh of the day was the Kookaburra laugh, followed by the High Five laugh.

Thank you KCHS for inviting me to be part of your community again, as last time it was for the ACE (active chair based exercise) class. That had quite a different flavour and was for a fairly short time as time was behind. I look forward to returning at some stage to introduce the laughter yoga exercises and breathing to the staff.

SelbyFest, April 16, 2011

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The township of Selby is in the Dandenongs, that is the Dandenong Ranges mountains and the ancient steam train Puffing Billy runs through there, winding its way up the mountains. Today the Puffing Billy had an extra chore, to transport visitors without cars to the SelbyFest from Selby to Belgrave.

I went to the first SelbyFest today, with much joy, in order to bring Laughter Yoga to

some people. We were set up to do it inside the Tipi and instead did the laughter exercises next to the Tip and finished with meditation inside.

We were first on for the day, so it was a small group of laughers. They threw themselves into it with great enthusiasm, obviously from their positive experience they will be recommending it to their friends. One lady had been a member of my club and a couple of other laughers said they would come along sometime when we get together.

It was a glorious day. I felt extremely blessed to be there, to be involved with this first event. There were many activities happening, as it was a community festival run by the Selby Community House. I was told there were 25 volunteers working hard for six to nine months organising the many activities and events on today and tonight, as there is a folk festival in the house itself.

For me it was a blessing to be involved and watch these local people join in, as there was obviously a team spirit in this little community that is so often lacking in larger townships and cities these days. I had not realised it is a very green and alternative area; people dressed in interesting and at times weird, alternative, bright coloured clothing.

There were others too who were going in the fashion parade. Who ever heard of a little festival having a fashion parade? The local clothing shops were represented and there sure were some pretty groovy outfits being modelled. Finishing up for the day before the evening festivities began, was a fancy dress parade. I was talking with Lulu, who along with her friend, were dressed as clowns. Lulu is studying community work at university and said that she would bring a group along to World Laughter Day at Federation Square, in Melbourne. I believe also that Lulu will do the teaching training some time, as she sees the value of laughter in one’s life. What a great asset having such beautiful young people coming up in the ranks to lead Laughter Yoga Sessions.

For the rest of the day, I put aside my ‘laughter hat’ and promoted my personal growth classes and life coaching. This gave me the opportunity to sit quietly, enjoy the beautiful sunshine and bubbles in the air from a fellow selling bubble makers and observe this beautiful community. Volunteers were wandering around doing work non-stop and I must congratulate them for a terrific, highly successful day. So many people and dogs out to mix and relax. Many of them were there for the entire day and my sense of it all was that it was an uplifting experience. I came home inspired by the SelbyFest 2011 event with the feeling to work together more with people, bringing laughter, meditation and peace when I am given the opportunity to do so.

Thanks for listening.

Love, Laughter and Blessings.

Faking phone call can be a real hoot.
How cute am I?

Mind Body Spirit Festival in Melbourne, November 2010

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In Melbourne twice a year there is a very big spiritual festival in May and November called the ‘Mind, Body, Spirit Festival’ and Laughter Clubs Victoria facilitate laughter sessions for the three days, Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It is usually in a prime time position about 12.30pm, which is great to give us a wonderful opportunity to promote the joy and share some of the health benefits of regularly laughter through laughter clubs.

Last November I led the session on the Friday, which was tremendous fun. Usually we do it from the stage and one or two laughter members go down into the audience to encourage people to get right into it, the laughter exercises.

This time we had Laughing Laura visiting with her husband William and a lovely young lady, Doreen, from the Malaysian Laughter Club, as well as Martie, who attends both the Ferntree Gully and Mitcham clubs.

It is always heaps of fun to go up on stage and get involved laughing. This time was a little different, as Laura being an honoured visitor, started it off really well with a great introduction regarding Laughter Yoga and then very soon hopped down into the audience.

The laughter session flowed really well with many laughs being led by the four of us ladies and in a short space of time we were all down amongst the Friday audience who became very involved. On young couple in the front lay their baby down on a blanket on the floor to free themselves up to become totally involved in the exercises.

I decided to join the other three too and the only one left on stage was a little girl of about three years old who obviously loved it all!

What a wonderful blessing laughter is in our lives, to be able to become one with the audience, our hearts and minds were truly connected together in that half hour in a memorable way. I appreciate the gift of laughter and the service that Dr & Mrs Kataria have given to us all worldwide and the opportunity to share it publicly in the City of Melbourne at the Mind Body Spirit Festival twice a year. Thank you.

Love and Laughter

Lynette Mitchell x

MBS November 2010

Lynette, Doreen, Martie & Laura Leading the Laughter.

Day of Joy and Discovery Workshop on 30 October

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Carmen, Diana, Kay and myself facilitated our workshop day on Saturday, which went really well. This was our third one this year, the next one will be in February or March. Some participants shared:

  • “I liked the beautiful safe container provided by the lovely ladies.”
  • “I liked feeling accepted by the group, having relaxing activities. The meditations were relaxing.”
  • ‘I liked everything about the day.”

The activities included a lovely ray meditation by Kay and several other meditations, some being short ones before the next activity. Diana’s presentation was around our hands, as we use them on a daily basis and can take them for granted. We did some artwork around them which was so interesting, as each of the participants artwork during the day was so radically different from each other person.

Carmen introduced us to some very sound techniques around how to and the importance of grounding, aligning and centering our bodies, using the Energetic Hygiene process.  If you would like to receive this process, email me for your free copy.

What I did was a mandala hour which was an introduction to mandalas. Please ask me for articles on the fundamentals of the mandala if you want to get started on them in your life.  Later on I led a short laughter yoga session. Here are some photos, the first one is when we were drawing mandalas. The next one during the laughter session, which was stacks of fun. Laughter really uplifts and connects us and ourselves on many levels.

Millie My Cat, Our Growth and Relationship.

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My Cat Millie

I am sitting in daily meditation and there she is.
My daughter left her cat with us many years ago.
Cats. You love them or hate them perhaps.
This particular one is independent, yet loving.
She was not always so, used to hiss and bite.
Not today, over time we have grown closer.
Millie is a wonderful, loving cat.
I believe that cats are marvellous mirrors.
They so easily reflect us, where we are at in life.
Tonight, I ponder, what is going on here?
I feel the cat’s quiet, serene, peaceful strength.
She sits on the edge of the arm chair,
Then lovingly rubs her face against my book.
Taking a rest from catching mice,
Time off from being on the look out for them also.
She settles down, purring at my side.
Will she sleep until morning, or go outside for a twinkle?
Millie has been left to us by my daughter Virginia.
She misses her, she has put her needs ahead of her own.
The love of her life, sometimes moody at first,
One is still always wary of her, in case she growls.
Those growls can lead to hissing and biting.
Surprisingly, over the years, puss has become softer.
Her wariness and distance turned to that of trust.
One delightful thing she does is greet us when we come home.
Millie leaps up at the sound of our car.
She runs out fast, purring her head off.
So delighted that we have come home.
Millie has missed us no end and now will not leave us alone.
A very surprising state of affairs.
Like people, cats have their own ways and unique behaviour.
How blessed are the homes with a resident cat!
The cat does indeed sit upon the proverbial mat.
Part of puss’s charm is her independence and aloofness.
We observe puss and muse at her behaviour.
We ponder how it must be to live as a cat.
Self sufficient, contented, watching and observed.
Thank you to all the cats I have every known.
The ones greeting me on the streets as I walk.
Those in pet shops looking out, innocently.
And the ones I have been lucky enough to live with.
Thank you, I have appreciated each one of you.
It is so easy to understand, being a lifetime cat lover,
How many of us humans treasure cats and include them in many ways.
As a pet or perhaps more – a cattery business, an artist or writer.
Maybe you are a vet or vet nurse and handle them each day.
Whatever the reasons for your connection with cats,
I imagine that if you are reading this you just happen to be a cat lover.
I greet you from my heart to yours.
May cats continue to bless us with their presence.
To inspire us and give us joy, company and some purpose in our lives.
Cats are there to share our lives with and give us opportunities for growth.
Blessings in abundance to you and all the cats you have ever known and have yet to meet.

 

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WELCOME TO A DAY OF DISCOVERY  AND HEART  MASTERY
TO DISCOVER  YOUR  INNER  JOY.

Saturday 30th Oct. at 9.45 am for 10.00 am start – 5.00pm

The Hut Gallery in Ferntree Gully. Please book before coming!

Discover Your

* Creative Artistic Self  * Rainbow Energy  * Joyous Child Within
* Compassionate Heart  * Serenity & Healing Through Meditation

Note: Group meditation for Joy starts at 10.15 am sharp!

Morning & afternoon tea provided.  BYO lunch or buy at nearby shops.

Bookings Essential: Numbers are limited so secure your place by registering with pre-payment.

Energy Exchange: $50.00

Contact: Lynette Mitchell

Email: lynette@lynettemitchell.com.au

Phone: 9763 5475 or Mobile: 0425 799 258

Here is what some past participants said:

“Thanks, I had a great time, it was well organised and heaps of fun. I feel more grounded and centred.”

“The facilitators were supportive, enthusiastic about their subject and sensitive to the needs of the group.  There was nothing I didn’t like!”

All facilitators are members of The Insight Foundation™, a non-profit global educational and philanthropic organisation dedicated to transformation and healing.

How to Coach Yourself to Harmlessness

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Harmlessness, does that mean lying down and being passive, not causing trouble, or could it be about actively avoiding causing harm at any cost? Are you open to consider the subject of harmlessness in a completely new and different light? Then let us begin the positive habit of being a coach to oneself of harmlessness!

To not cause harm has been bandied about, we have possibly picked up from other people’s beliefs tied in with a particular religion, that to live in this way is a paramount belief to foster. We can take on beliefs, make them our own, make them a habit without reviewing our life and attitudes in it.

Do not stand on an ant, or you become a vegetarian for instance. That is all very well; however is the attitude coming from a fear based reason, say from the head rather than the heart? Or when from a narrow viewpoint, you can be eating vegetables, thanking the food in an unbalanced manner? Your behaviour may become extreme and I believe that harmlessness is frequently used out of context, rather than in an integrated, loving way.

This article is from the point of view of harm towards oneself. How you treat yourself, your daily habits, the general nurturing that you do for other people, whether it be your partner, children or other members of the family or outsiders. Sometimes it is so easy to follow wonderful principles of not causing harm and we do this for others and forget about ourselves.

This could relate to your diet, exercise, hobbies and work. It could be about books that you read, television shows you watch, whether they are scary, funny, uplifting and informative. There are numerous ways of taking care of yourself and I believe that care giving to yourself is a great preventative medicine, as well as things that you take in the form of a healthy diet, vitamins and so on.

What you feed your emotions, mind and spirit are equally as important as to what you feed your body either from food or feed in through your five basic senses.

It is dishonouring yourself to focus on looking outside of you and then to forget that if you are not as well, strong and balanced as you can be to begin with, then over time you will become weaker and succumb to dis-ease. The well known bible saying that ‘charity begins at home’ may be applied firstly to yourself.

When you put others’ needs before your own, especially because of not having enough time, ask yourself is this really what you want? If the answer is ‘no’ you can change this if you choose to. Life is running at such a pace and you can put things off, especially for yourself. You make lists of things to do and things that you want to do, without prioritising. When you do the most urgent, they may not, in fact, be the most important. It is important to make an appointment with yourself to do something that you love, both for your self expression and to not feel dry, that life has become meaningless.

I invite you to spend the next twenty minutes or so to make a list. First sit where you will not be disturbed for half an hour and breathe. Feel yourself relaxing as you breathe and connect with your heart. Next write down a list of the things you have done that have been nice, caring and special for yourself in the last week. You may discover that your list is bare, barren! You had great intentions to spend time doing something for yourself and somehow other things got in the way, it did not happen. Again.

You are your own creator and I urge you to take this opportunity to make a different list. This will be of things that you would like to do. It can be several lists if you wish to break them down for practicality. Such as a daily, weekly or say, a three monthly list of desires and goals. Make it realistic and achievable, starting with something that is comparatively easy, which will set the new, beneficial habit of success towards harmlessness towards yourself on the right track.

Good luck with this exercise, as to succeed with it, you must first recognise that you are important and do need to nurture yourself on every level. And then you have to choose to have the right intention to carry this through into your daily life, to make it a habit. Habits take time to concrete, so be patient with yourself and know that absolutely and positively, YOU ARE WORTH IT!

Inward Dialogue Journal of Discovery

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I love to cook a lot.

Things all go into the pot.

Pot of stew, beef rendang,

Rendang, yum, hails from India.

India where she is rich with gurus.

Gurus aplenty, this type and that.

That village with stray dogs and temples.

Temples to tempt you.  Come on in!

In to the temple, smell the incense.

Incense to delight you, soothe the senses.

Senses, can you trust them? Can you really?

Really think and feel into the senses, trust.

Trust, the senses are clouded by the past.

Past issues, wonderful, remarkable events.

Events best forgotten, returned to the past.

Past moments of glory and of disappointment.

Disappointment is linked with attachment.

Attachment to success, to achievements.

Achievements can be wound up in projections.

Projections may be yours and are mine too.

To be happy, authentic, in the moment, in time.

Time that is yours and mine; a friend ticking.

Ticking, can you feel time on your journey?

Journey into the self, your special place.

Place where the peace may be perpetual.

Perpetual and perhaps an inner sanctum.

Sanctum of inner synchronicity, connected with universe.

Universe as within, so without.

Without universal support, no co-creation.

Creation on a singular level alone.

Alone in the world, standing alone, unseen.

Unseen by the masses, caught up in illusion.

Illusion like a magician weaves and conjures.

Conjurer, we would love to believe what we see.

See and yet, know it not to be so.

So far from the truth, that I know.

Know that as I get clear, I can trust my heart.

Heart full of hope, courage, joy and optimism.

Optimism, for without it, all is lost.

Lost like the battle, for the want of a nail.

Nail it, each one, go for it without hesitation.

Hesitation means self doubt and lack of faith.

Faith in oneself, the universe, mentor and creator.

Creator pushes one forward, with an impulse.

Impulse, feel it, feel the connection, the flow.

Flow from Source, Source to own Source Centre.

Centre, from a single dot within me.

Me and You.  We are essentially One.

One is all there is.  One is complete.

Complete, like returning home.

Home we ride together, as if on a magic carpet.

Carpet of past illusions, masks, released, let go.

Go now, you will, I will, we will together.

Together again, we stand in service, united.

United in love, joy, compassion, joining once more.

More and forever, beyond forever, that is a long time.

Time again.  Yes, we have enough.

Enough time to fulfil our purpose and plan.

Plan to succeed, know it to be so, we have the right.

Right is on our side, we are love and together we rise.

Rise up and believe in yourself, finish only laziness.

Laziness is the devil’s work and we are one together.

Together, as love, united we stand.

Stand up for our right to fight, with might.

Laughter for all – BIG and small

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Why do humans laugh as we do?

Indeed we laugh at this and that.

Maybe not enough, it can start with a chat.

We all need to laugh each day, you know that!

Conventionality, long words make us ponder.

Away we go, our minds go down yonder.

Mentally caught up in everyday matters.

We think too much, our mind simply chatters.

And emotions, we feel those quite a bit.

In the emotional department, we can take a hit.

Spiritually however, we might feel so strong.

Strong in the senses, feeling no wrong.

To laugh out loud does save the day.

Make it a good habit when things go astray.

For laughter is contagious and so uplifting.

Very infectious, whether with smiles or chuckling.

Do you value the service to laugh with a friend?

Laughter whether for issues or sadness, will make amend.

It is the best medicine and will make you feel quite whole.

In such a unique way, it helps you to fill your role.

So grin away, invite your whole body to join in.

Leave no part out, not even your chin.

Laugh out loud, using your whole belly.

For belly laughs assist you to feel very jolly.

Then Google Laughter Clubs and see what you come up with.

If you need to laugh and get close, it will heal the rift.

Laughter Clubs are for people of all ages.

They come from all over the globe and go up on stages.

My final word to you, Dear Reader,

There is nothing like laughter to get you healthy,

Abundant and cheerful, light hearted and wealthy.

So go on, enquire, email, ring up or just simply turn up.

The Cave to the Rave – Damian Callinan

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We went to see a hilarious show on Saturday night ‘The Cave to the Rave’ by stand up comedian, professional dancer, former drama teacher, Damian Callinan. It was really fantastic value and is doing the rounds through the sponsorship of Regional Arts Victoria and Arts Across Victoria.

So if you want to have some really great laughs, you can catch him at 8pm the 30th October at the Montrose Town Centre, phone 9761 9133.  Cost is $30 or $24 concession.  Also he is taking his show throughout country towns, which can be seen on his website. Or you can write to me, I have the list.

His website is http://www.damiancallinan.com.au/

An Ode To Lynette

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Here is a poem, which helps you to understand a little more about me, hope you like it!

AN ODE TO LYNETTE

There was a young girl called Lynette,
Who heard about a mountain goat named Blanchette.
She decided to change her name to Lynne,
Largely because she wanted to fit in.

After a while Lynne began to feel sad,
Because her husband started to make her feel mad.
Sometimes she was up and sometimes she was down,
Lynne came across as always wearing a frown.

She began her life optimistic, like a fairy godmother,
But over time became wretched, like the ugly stepmother.
Lynne felt so disparaged, without a glimmer of hope.
Without hope, all was darkness, no joy, no scope.

Looking for and giving love, yet living in fear,
So tired, depressed; no hope was near.
Yet she never really gave up, her spirit regained its fire.
Lynne became stronger, resourceful, inspired to move, with desire.

Start a new life with her five children and move on,
On to new pastures, new adventures of her own.
Release the old and put it aside,
Go where she need not live in fear nor hide.

And so it was a new beginning, a new start,
Not easy, but different, with a broken heart.
Over time Lynne grew strong, independent and bright,
Learning many thinks, feeling fluffy and light.

Yoga, Tai Chi, Astrology, Theosophy, painting and sculpture,
A secretary, kids, dogs, rabbits and walking with rapture.
Lynne still felt angry, resentful and depressed,

At least it was her choice now whether to feel repressed.
More new – she now went out meditating and chanting,
The singing and meditation filler her life, was amazing.

Then she went to the Back to Dandenong Town Hall dance,
Where Lynne met her husband John perchance.
Though they remembered each other, it was love at first sight.
He followed her around with mini dim sims, as if it was his right.

Commitment meant things were not always rosy,
Lynne committed to John, they were married, pink posy.
The commitment was scary,
Past experiences made it feel quite hairy.

Still she did not give up, neither did he,
Both as stubborn as they could be.
Well.  Along came Michael and Linda King,
Can you imagine for Lynne what that could bring?

There was light at the end of the tunnel,
Some purpose and plan, for her it would funnel.
A new commitment, which was easy, quite easy,
She now knew what was up, what was down, easy peasy.

Seven years later came a revelation.
Change her name back – what a new situation.
Replace the old, bring in the new, which before ‘Lynne’ was the old too.
Lynette, what a turn about, so goodbye to Lynne and hoo roo.

Now things were flowing, she felt uplifted and grateful,
Her demeanour was far from hateful and her resolve was unshakable.
Today the flow and story continues along,
Lynette feels she can do anything, except sing a song.

There is still a ways to go,
“That’s life” her mentor says, “Make it up as you go”.
And thank you dear audience for your participation,
It has been my utmost pleasure to share with much anticipation.

I remain true and benevolent, humble I reckon and heaven sent.
Love and kisses, Lynette Mitchell, your servant.