Write your post here.

The following is a description by one of my Journey clients, of her experience of healing through Journey work. It should be stressed that everyone experiences Journey work differently because of the different and unique ways our minds process information, but this is a wonderful account of one person's Journey to healing. 

Three years ago I developed post traumatic stress (PTSD) after a relatively minor scalding accident on a flight from business in Moscow. Boiling coffee was spilled all over my right thigh... I was not given any first aid and until landing three hours later, was treating myself with ice in the aircraft toilet... When the blisters started developing and I looked at myself in the mirror seeing sheer horror in my eyes, I knew I was in trouble... In my own mind I was referring to another scalding accident when I was three. That accident left me fighting for life for weeks. This was followed by a year of skin graft operations to save me from disability. Consequently 25% of my body is severely scarred, forever...

 

This, small by comparison wound was slow to heal, like all scalds. It was six weeks before the dressings came off. But that wasn't the real issue. Without a warning, a powerful and overwhelming "feeling" like nothing ever before started flooding my consciousness, so powerful that I could only describe it as a tsunami of an unknown emotion. Out of the blue, it would grab me by the throat and leave me shocked and in tears. I worked then in a demanding role... Normally I loved my job but after the flight accident I started feeling under enormous strain and under toxic stress... Three months after the accident on the flight I could no longer pretend all was well. I could not continue working and went off sick with PTSD...

 

Just before I broke down, I spoke to my Mum. She told me that after the childhood accident I was not admitted to a hospital... She told me how I was cared for at home, with drips and transfusions directly from my parents... How I was on and off unconscious for six weeks... How Mum was afraid to wake up for fear of finding me dead in the morning... Well, I suppose it was the harsh reality of the 1957 communist Poland - they were not to waste resources and medicines on a child that was to die, were they?

 

The trouble (or blessing?) was that I did not know that I wasn't admitted to hospital, uncared for, rejected by the professionals and left for dead. I was too young to remember and as my parents saw their kid recovering well, developing OK and doing alright in school and life in general, why would they want to remind me of the neglect?... Consequently, I didn't know until I was 58 years old, when my Mum told me after my flight accident. When Mum told her story, I don't know why, but it felt like the ground slipped from under my feet... things started troubling me then even more and finally I just couldn't carry on as normal.

 

The truth was, the child-me inside my subconscious knew about the neglect, she was angry with the people who left her for dead, she was even troubled by it... Except that the adult-me didn't have a conscious memory of it all and the child-me couldn't tell the adult the truth.

 

First I thought I just needed "a rest". So I did rest... Well, at least I tried. But I could not sleep and was forever anxious and afraid of something... Everything really! I had fear stuck firmly in my belly even though I did not know what I was afraid of. As days went by, I knew I needed to do something to get better as by then I realised that I must be experiencing a delayed post traumatic stress related not to the minor scald on the flight but the major scalding in my early childhood. The two scalding accidents somehow synergised in my subconscious and the flight accident triggered something... As if it said to me: "enough is enough, you can no longer pretend that THAT trauma is not bothering you again". I needed healing.

 

So I started searching for help... Talked to the doctors, engaged in counselling, got some medication. My GP referred me to a psychiatrist and she understood I would not recover unless I could sleep; the antidepressants she prescribed for sleep prepared the ground for the "major works"...

 

Then Sandra stepped in. She supported me through the PTSD struggle as a friend but she could clearly see that whatever I was doing, wasn't working. Sandra then suggested I try The Journey, a visualisation therapy which she is trained in. Sandra is a friend, but I knew her for years in her previous scientific role in GlaxoSmithKline and trusted her as a professional, in her changed profession as a health and well being therapist. I didn't know anything about the therapy but would try anything to get out of the hell I was trapped in...

 

So I read about The Journey. I always believed in the power of mind so the theory sounded very encouraging to me. Then Sandra took me on it... The Journey session took only three hours but it was a very powerful healing process. Three hours of challenging myself in my own mind in, what I can only describe as visions or dreams. Jumping through imaginary fires, dropping down imaginary vertical tunnels, jumping off cliffs and over furious sea waves, onto a beach, resting by the fire? I now think nothing of such adventures!...

 

That's when the real work began. There, by the fire on a beach the adult-me met the child-me, the child-me met the hospital doctor, the one who left her for dead... The three year old child-me punched him, kicked him to the ground, asked him to get up and go back into the darkness, where he belongs... It was quite comical actually!... And all that within the safety of my own mind. I met Mum and Dad by the fire too, and all the people that matter. Then the child-me and the adult-me gave each other a hug.; finally the child-me felt safe with the adult-me... But before the end of the session I found a big pot full of black thick goo... Sandra wanted me to wash it away or maybe suck it out with vacuum... I couldn't, it was too thick. I couldn't pour it, or take it out with my hands, wash it or suck it out...

 

It wasn't the end though. For two weeks after the session my head was still "on fire". A few days after the therapy my silver rings turned black! I knew from my brother, who is a jeweller that some people's skin polishes silver and others tarnish it. Mine always polished my silver. He loved me wearing his jewellery because my skin made it shine... Until now! Some powerful physical processes must have gone on in my body to release substances through my skin to blacken the silver. It made me realise that the "feelings of trauma" must have been stuck in my cells' memory all those years and were only released following The Journey.

 

Finally, after two weeks I started feeling better. I still went through a number of fights in my mind to sleigh lots of "dragons, monsters and scary anacondas" that represented my fears and phobias... I used Sandra's visualisation technique on myself, just as Sandra did during the initial Journey... In the end I forgave the doctor and let him rest in peace. I forgave my Mum and Dad too, that they did not protect me from the horror I went through, even though I never thought I had anything to forgive them for - they did so much for me! Still, Sandra asked me to check and once I did, I knew it was the right thing to do.

 

Then the black goo... It was there for two weeks, too, until I finally managed to "vaporise" it with an imaginary laser. No more legacy of trauma... No more fear... No more anger or anxiety.

 

I know, it all sounds bizarre but it was a real process. Real to me and that's all that matters.

 

I cannot thank Sandra enough, a skilled and empathetic professional for giving me freedom from the effects of deeply seated trauma.

Now I don't only feel free - I am free! Thank you Sandra ❤️

 I would encourage anyone who'd like to resolve some troublesome emotional or mental issues in their life to try The Journey, a visualisation therapy. It has scientific credentials and more and more psychotherapists practice it. I know that because I've recently needed psychotherapy again, when, after a corrective surgery on my old scars, I developed some "mushy" feelings and "wobbly knees" again... The hospital psychotherapist was very interested to hear about my experience of visualisation; he knows of it and recognises its positive effects. Still, without any bias I can say with my hand on heart that The Journey healed me, whilst counselling, medication or therapy just helped.

We are all in such a rush these days - I've just driven home in rush hour traffic, where everyone on the road was in a tearing hurry to get somewhere and woe betide anyone in their way!

The theme of always seeming to be in a rush has come up strongly for me recently. A few weeks ago I was given a very salutary lesson in just what the consequences can be when the car in front of me unexpectedly stood on the brakes and I was very quickly made aware of what happens when you dont keep a safe stopping distance behind! The inevitable crunch happened, no-one hurt thank goodness but the upshot was that my car was written off as uneconomical to repair.

The impact not only on my beautiful car which I loved, but on my daily life over the last few weeks has been enormous. From the strong emotions this incident has thrown up, to the practicalities of having to find another car and stay mobile because my work and leisure activities depend on it, there have been many repercussions.

And yet my inner wisdom knows that this sledgehammer event came to teach me a great lesson, something that I have actually wished for; to be able to live from a place of inner peace and tranquility whatever is happening externally. I wished for the ability to truly take life in my stride and not be drawn into self-imposed conditions which themselves create unnecessary pressures in life.

So when I view this incident 'from the balcony', the picture opens out and I can see that the teaching it brings is deep. It brings my attention to a realisation that inner peace comes from a slowing down so that each moment can be enjoyed on its own merit. Stuck in traffic? Late for an appointment? Accept it.. enjoy the opportunity it brings to listen to some lovely music or tune into your body/mind. The mind/body gets lonely when you dont pay it attention  to it you know! When you don't listen to the vital messages it tries to communicate to you about the state of your own life, health and well-being.

When we rush through life, we fail to enjoy the only moment that really matters - this moment. Think about it - the only problems we truly have are all either in the past (and we still torture ourselves with them time and time again!) or in the future (screenplays we run of fearful events that probably won't even happen)!

Try it now. Focus your attention on this moment; the sounds, scents, images, feelings. Let the past and the future fade away, stay in the present. And in the next moment, and the next. Notice what happens to your mind and body. When you turn your attention inwards (mind and body) it will always reveal the truth of what is going on for you. You may find a calm, stillness that you did not know was possible for you, or your mind may try to distract you back to its incessant loop of fear, doubt and judgement. In truth, your mind can be your master or your slave.

If you have allowed it free rein, it will run down rabbit holes of projected fearful consequences and give you no peace. But the mind will respond to your instruction if you decide to give it positive directions on what to think and how to positively support your life. You will need to reinforce these messages frequently for a while, until the new directions get really embedded. The point is that it is possible for you to master your mind, not be it's slave.

I give you my story as food for thought. You may learn from my mistake, but the likelihood is that you will need to experience the lessons that are important to your self-development in a shape and form that is appropriate for you.

So I am working on checking out of the unrealistic busy-ness of life, finding a balance that is comfortable, practical and still stimulating. It is definitely still work in progress, the old patterns take time to die away but this is my intention. I encourage you to make conscious choices that support your own health and well-being. Often there are more choices available than we realise or are willing to consider. Be the master, or be the slave. Which is it?

Happy New Year to you all, I hope it brings the highest and best for you. This month I thought I would write about how to use essential oils to help detox your body, as most of us get over-tired and over-indulge over the Christmas period!

The best way to do this is to use the oils on your skin, as they very quickly get absorbed into the blood stream where they are transported and used by the body to give various health benefits.

A combination I like to use is Grapefruit, Geranium and Cedarwood as the aromas combine well together (citrusy, flowery and woody) and their therapeutic properties will really support your detox efforts.

To make the oils into a preparation to massage into your skin, the dilution needs to be 2% or less (pregnant ladies should always consult a trained aromatherapist before using, as some oils are contra-indicated either in early pregnancy or altogether and the dilution needs to be lower).

A 2% dilution is roughly 4 - 5 drops in total in 10ml of cream or oil (so one drop each of Geranium and Cedarwood and two-three drops of Grapefruit).

You can also use this dilution to soak in the bath, and the addition of a cup of Epsom salts will also help your body to release toxins and take in essential minerals from the salt.

To really nurture your body, a relaxing aromatherapy massage will not only help you to detox but also sooth your muscles, tone your skin and calm the nervous system. Taking the time out to deeply relax allows your body to catch up with its essential repair and regeneration processes, which get neglected when we get overtired and stressed by life's challenges.

You can be assured of a good night's sleep afterwards too!  

In my search for the truth about staying healthy and happy I have discovered that there are a number of important components:

When you acknowledge and stay present to how you are feeling emotionally (happy, sad, irritated or anxious) you then have more opportunity to find a way of dealing with these emotions in a healthy way and a better chance of influencing how you experience similar events in future.

All emotions are bio chemicals (e.g. endorphins are the so called 'happy' hormones, cortisol is fear) and if you suppress emotion, these bio chemicals are not able to flow freely and be released from your system as they should. Scientific research has shown that when emotions are suppressed, those bio chemicals block the cell receptors (gateways) in the various tissues of the body and prevent the free flow of information and instructions that contribute towards growth and maintaining health. Furthermore, when negative emotions are suppressed over a long period of time, this dysfunction at a cellular level may result in illness or disease because the body is not able to maintain its state of healthy balance. 

Sir Frances Bacon once said 'Knowledge itself is power' and the reason for this is that if you are clear about a fact, e.g. how you are feeling, it gives you choice about how to respond rather than being driven by automatic, unconscious reactions.

Self-awareness gives you choice: to carry on with things as they are (where you have no influence to change the current situation; in which case, can you find some way of accepting what cannot be changed?),  or to assess what actions you could take to improve the situation (there is often more scope than you might think).

Have you ever observed the quality of your thoughts?Are they on the whole positive or negative? The quality of your thoughts will either enhance your mood and raise your energy level, or just the opposite. If you have supportive, encouraging, inspiring thoughts about yourself and how you respond to life, it is likely to make you feel more energised and ready for action. Conversely if you are constantly self-critical and judgemental about yourself,  it is likely to make you feel less energised, more tired and de-motivated.

Scientific research has shown that even by simulating an emotion the body chemistry changes. In fact, smiling and laughter therapy are now recognised therapeutically in alternative medicine.  This is because the mind/body feedback loop works both ways. So if you feel happy, your face automatically smiles as a result, but pulling your face into a smile and laughing for no reason also results in you feeling happier.

Positive thinking also changes your brain in a very real physical way. The science is called 'Neuroplasticity' which means that our thoughts can change the structure and function of our brains. Scientists are now proving that our brains are endlessly adaptable and dynamic.

Even those people with severe neurological disorders (e.g. strokes and cerebral palsy) can train other areas of their brains through repetitive mental and physical activities in a completely life-enhancing way.

It means that repetitive positive thought and positive activity can rewire your brain (literally build new neural pathways) and strengthen brain areas that stimulate positive feelings.

Henry Ford, who founded the Ford Motor Company expressed this very well when he said: 'Whether you think you can or think you can't, you're right'!

The good news is that if you consistently feed your mind a diet of positive supportive thoughts, it will look for evidence to support this and the domino effect will be a progressively more joyful life experience! You are consciously retraining and rewiring your mind

The most important part of reversing negative thinking is to state what it is that you want for yourself and your life, not what you don't want. Scientific research in the field of Quantum Physics has demonstrated that what you put your attention on most consistently is what solidifies into existence in your life. 

The health of your physical body will always reflect how well or otherwise you nourish yourself (and remember, nourishment includes nutrition, exercise, emotional, mental and spiritual elements ).

Your body is made up of many parts that work together as a complete system to help you stay healthy. The body's control centre (the brain) does an amazing job of maintaining an overall state of balance by monitoring and regulating all of the variable factors such as levels of hydration, blood sugar, temperature etc. When you do not give your body the right quality and quantity of nourishment it has to use up valuable resources just to maintain balance, leaving little left for repair and regeneration tasks.

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says that unhealthy diets and physical inactivity are among some of the leading causes of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) including cardiovascular diseases (CVD), type 2 diabetes and certain cancers.

Putting good nutrients into your body is so important because your organs and tissues need the right mix to support all of the chemical processes involved in building, maintaining and sustaining a strong, healthy body. Without this you are more prone to disease, infection, fatigue and poor performance. It is much the same as putting poor quality fuel into a car and expecting it to perform well.

Physical inactivity and unhealthy diets are major contributors to excess weight and obesity. But did you also realise that extra body weight also increases the risk of serious health conditions such as:

'People who eat a well-balanced diet are more physically motivated and able to think more clearly, they feel better and are generally in better health', online health & well-being website Medline Plus says.

Good hydration is really important. Our bodies are made up of  60 - 70% water as most of the chemical reactions that happen in our cells need water in order to take place. It is used in all of the life giving processes that are carried out every second such as regulating blood pressure and body temperature, hydration and digestion. Water is an essential carrier to enable our blood to transport nutrients around the body and get rid of waste. 

Did you know that it has been medically proven that just a 5% drop in fluid levels can result in a 25 - 30% loss of available energy.The symptoms of dehydration include thirst, headache, tiredness, dark urine, confusion, dry skin, irritability.

The European Food Safety Authority recommends that women should drink about 1.6 litres of fluid (8 glasses of 200ml) and men should drink about 2 litres (10 glasses of 200ml) per day. But take into account factors such as size, the temperature and activity levels as these will affect how much is right for each person(e.g. someone exercising hard will need more hydration).   

Your energy comes from the nutrition you put into your body, how well you look after it and also importantly; how you deal with your emotions. When you suppress strong emotions it uses up a lot of energy as explained above.

Your emotions and thoughts also create a vibrational energy that some people say they can sense from others. Humans are sensory beings. We pick up information from our surrounding environment and there is an internal response in the form of an emotional (bio chemical) reaction as a result.  

Have a think about which activities, situations and people seem to drain you and which noticeably boost your energy levels and/or mood.

Becoming more aware of the typical situations or people that have the capacity to either boost or drain you is the first step in starting to manage your subtle energy levels better. 

Our bodies are finely balanced and complex mechanisms, built for regular movement! Put simply, the body is a series of pumps, valves and tubes that functions best when all moving parts are regularly exercised, it is fed with high quality fuel and kept hydrated. 

The World Health Organisation (WHO) says that: 'Physical inactivity is now the fourth leading risk factor for (global) mortality.

A United States study indicated that greater daily time spent sitting results in increased risks of mortality from all causes (even when it is compensated for by regular exercise). This suggests that it is not enough to do regular exercise if you have a sedentary job. It is vitally important to the proper functioning of your bodily processes that you regularly get up and move around! 

Sometimes you may chose to override tiredness or excessive pressure in order to cope with the challenges of life or work. Your body will keep supporting you in the tasks you have to perform, until the urgency is over and it can finally relax and rebalance. The problem comes if you find yourself running from one 'emergency' to the next or the pressure is constant, because the body never gets a chance to switch off properly and recuperate. You are essentially over-stretching or 'stressing' your body's capabilities.

Eventually you will become more and more depleted, because your body will switch to maintaining only the essential functions and suspend maintenance and repair tasks during the period of stress  in order to conserve energy. So find any opportunities to rest and allow your body to recuperate, it will support you better in the long run that way. 

Is your home and your work environment a healthy one? Do you get enough fresh air, light, comfortable surroundings, space? Are your interactions with others in your home and at work peaceful and supportive or fractious and challenging?

We process information from our surroundings all the time. If the external signals are stressful in some way, our bodies have to work harder to maintain balance. Some things might be out of your control to change, but look for what you can influence in order to create a more pleasant environment for yourself. 

What I would like to bring your attention to is that your body is communicating with you all the time. It tells you it is tired, happy, needs food etc. So take notice and listen when it gives you pain or discomfort. It is trying to get your attention about something.

Your body is your most important bank account. If you keep making withdrawals in the form of working it too hard and depriving it of good self care and don't put back credits into your account in the form of rest, recuperation, recreation and good food, your account will become overdrawn and your body unhealthy.

Respect your body. It is the vehicle that allows you to experience this physical world. Treat it well, maintain it as you would your home or car, put good nourishment into it and it will serve you well.

Live consciously - observe the quality of your thoughts, your interactions with life and others, what you spend your time on and where you put your focus. 

Nourish your soul as well as your stomach! We are driven by both our material needs and also our spiritual needs. Material success means nothing if the spiritual element of ourselves is not nurtured too, we will always feel that there is something missing in our lives.. Find out what you are passionate about - what makes your heart sing and make sure you include it regularly in your life!

1. Molecules Of Emotion - Candace B. Pert PH.D, 23-24, 243,285-286

2. I Y Me - David Hamilton, 47-48 and C.L. Kleinke, T.R. Peterson and T.R Rutledge, Effects of self-generated facial expressions on mood', Journal of Personality and Social Psychology 1998, 74(1), 272-9.

3. Too Much Sitting: The Population-Health Science of Sedentary Behavior- PMC3404815, Neville Owen, Geneviève N Healy, Charles E. Matthews, and David W. Dunstan

The concepts referred to in my earlier post on 'Time' are actually based on research and observations by scientists such as Bruce Lipton PhD who wrote 'The Biology of Belief'. He observed that the sub-conscious mind is a repository of stimulus/response tapes derived from instincts and learned experiences when we are just small children. Researchers at Kyoto University's Primate Research Institute found that baby chimps learn simply by observing their mothers behaviour. The conclusion reached was that in human children also, the fundamental behaviours, beliefs and attitudes we observe in our parents become 'hard-wired' as synaptic pathways in our sub-conscious minds.

As children, we do not come with a manual on how to deal with new experiences and so our interpretation of life is based on a very limited knowledge base and the opinions, prejudices and beliefs of those in our environment. The sub-conscious mind is like a programmable 'hard drive' into which our life experiences are downloaded to produce automatically generated 'stimulus-response' behaviours.

It will play the same behavioural responses to life's signals over and over again throughout our life, despite our conscious, adult mind knowing that the behaviour is unhealthy. 

The good news is that new developments in energy psychology or 'neuro-linguistic programming' have demonstrated that it is possible to access the original memory of the life event that caused the unhealthy behaviour programming, release the emotional charge holding it in place and reprogramme in more healthy and resourceful behaviours and beliefs. Journey work makes use of this technique also.

The underpinning negative beliefs held in our sub-conscious mind are also responsible for sabotaging our potential for success, happiness and good health; because however much our conscious mind may wish these things for ourselves, if the underlying programming contradicts this there will always be a degree of resistance and the sub-conscious mind will relentlessly continue with its automatically programmed responses.

Hence if the underlying belief is that 'there is never enough time', we will be sub-consciously drawn towards a set of circumstances that confirms this! Research in Quantum physics also supports this; demonstrating the power of thoughts to physically influence events and outcomes. (Ref: 'Its The Thought That Counts' by David R. Hamilton PhD). 

A light in the darkness, beckoning you - come this way. 

If the light illuminates your path, it is for you

Follow where it leads. 

I cannot promise that you will like all that you see, 

for there are many demons to face along the way. 

But every demon bears a gift for you..

If you can but see it. 

Find the gift and celebrate the new richness

it brings to your life. 

There will be stormy seas to cross,

And barren lands to travel through. 

There will be mirages of promised lands, 

which will vanish before your eyes. 

And if you stay awake, you will find that 

truth and clarity begin to appear, 

that now there is more light than darkness, 

more joy than pain. 

A chance to conduct the orchestra of your life

and create beautiful symphonies.

A chance to live a blessed life - to choose this. 

Stay Awake, Follow The Light. 

 

Let all thoughts of negativity go,

Release yourself into the flow

Of life, of love, of gifts and things,

Be ready to see what life will bring.

What magic appears upon the screen,

Its yours to have, forget what's been. 

Rewrite the script, new cast, new stage,

Beautiful characters on the page. 

Starting now, begin again. 

The past is done, transmute the pain. 

New dawn, new day, rebirth for you, 

Let freedom bring new energy too. 

A life well lived, with joy and passion, 

A chance to start a brand new fashion!

Who will you be, from this place of peace?

The choice is yours, all fears released. 

Out with the old, in with the new, 

Re-invented, authentic and true!

S. Lindon November 2014

Time.. all have the same amount of hours in the day, yet some of us seem to have more free time available than others! How much of this is self-inflicted and how much is unavoidable? 

I always seem to be in a hurry, no matter how much free time was originally available; so I ask myself is this a belief I have that there is never enough time, so that sub-consciously I fritter away any extra time I have to ensure that my belief always holds true!

Beliefs are very powerful. They are formed when we have a strong emotional response to an event and are not able to healthily express these feelings. As a result we formulate new 'rules' for ourselves to keep us 'safe' in future, and these sit in our sub-conscious, driving our behaviour in ways that may not be truly supportive to our best interests. Its like having a virus in our computer programming, silently sabotaging our ability to be truly happy and successful. 

The good news is that Journey work is really effective at pin-pointing the life experience that caused the unsupportive behaviours and clearing them out, so that the deepest truth and truly supportive beliefs can now become our new operating system! 

If you know that there are unhealthy behaviours holding you back from true happiness and success, contact me for a chat to see if Journey work is right for you. Call: 07711 382117