What 40 paintings in 40 days teach me

Its common to hear of multi-day challenges to get fitter, healthier and move toward more conscious living. yet, how often do we hear of 40 days of painting as a way to live more consciously and connect to the Earth? This is a spontaneous activity that engages my body-mind-spirit.  Here are 7 powerful lessons this painting experience teaches me:

1.  Life shifts based on our priorities

Priorities define our character and evolution. As we shift from thinking to feeling our way through life, our focus changes to be in greater harmony with true self. The strong desire to paint prompts me to rearrange life to fit it in. As a mum of two kids, juggling family and other responsibilities amidst Covid-19 related changes in lifestyle, the painting emerges as a tool to expand consciousness. We each have 24 hours in a day and use time based on what matters.  Something mysterious calls me to paint more frequently as if I am decoding my life and the rhythm of my breath on a whole new level.  

2. We get out of life what we put into it

The more we feel grateful for what is unfolding in our lives, the more reasons arise to feel grateful. Engaging the right brain more often not only helps bring left-brain dominant logic into balance,  but also helps unlock secrets about ourselves we are taught to overlook. As I paint, I am feeling shifts and in my vibration because I am validating what is important to me. I feel uplifted, fulfilled, energized. Being true to myself facilitates revelations and electricity flows more freely through my body.

3.  How we view our experiences is a choice

Not knowing the nature of each painting emerging through my sketches and brushes excites me. Its as if I am receiving transmissions from my higher self or the best version of being.  Deeper, more restful sleep happens, vivid dreaming and life-related insights coming to me at an accelerated rate.

4. The film Julie & Julia (2009) has a lasting impact

The film Julie & Julia (2009/ Meryl Streep, Amy Adams), the modern day protagonist learns much about herself as she cooks 524 recipes in 365 days. Based on two true stories,  the film intertwines the lives of two women who, though separated by time and space, are both 'at the end of their rope.' (at a crossroads in their lives). They both discover that with the right combination of passion, fearlessness and butter, anything is possible. I am painting my way to non-verbal and other revelations about creating and contributing to a new reality. 

5. Setting time aside for personal care is essential

We often hear how important it is to regularly take time out for ourselves and personal care, yet do not always consistently stick to a plan. Although I engage in daily yoga and other practices, no activity positively impacts my life like the painting. Until engaging in this activity, I did not anticipate that it would renew me.

6. Energetic aspects of me are activating

As I consistently engage in intuitive painting, I am awakening dormant parts of energetic self, activating bio-circuitry and translating what I detect in multi-sensory perception.  For as long as I can recall, I have sensed sacred geometry first and not known what to do with this information. It dawns that the paintings are a kind of communication, a code or language that remind me of authentic crop circles.

7. Love is the absence of fear

Breathwork and intuitive painting are both tools which shift our focus back to unity and interconnectedness.  When focused on the external world, we forget who we are and grow susceptible to emotions and fear. We are taught to seek experiences, states of mind, and other things. breathwork and creative expression like painting remind us everything we seek is already within us. The mind cannot grasp this yet the heart feels it. Creating mandalas, sacred geometry and geometric paintings, induces trance-like states that enable me to feel in harmony with the oneness of universe.The rhythm of the breath naturally shifts to echo who I AM. Love is teh absence of fear.

Breathe easier through Covid-19 & beyond

Notice Covid-19 forces us to confront our deepest fears, especially the prospect of death and losing all that we hold dear. Yet, what if we choose to view the global Covid-19 situation as an opportunity to look deep within, uncover what scares us most, integrate our shadow and heal?

The first breath we take is the beginning of our human life experience. Our last breath taken before vacating the body is Divine Grace. What if we could accelerate our revlations, breathe easier through adversity and realize deeper truths while still in the body?

Inhalation, Exhalation, Transition

Every movement within Creation is a breath of three (Father, Son & Holy Spirit) referred to as the Great Cosmic Breath. There is the inhalation (a contraction), there is the exhalation (an expansion) and finally the space between the peak of inhalation/exhalation, the period of transition.

All life follows this trinity pattern of breath. Some people view this as perceptions of past, present and future.

Earth’s 24 hour day is a full cycle of breath:

• Sunset is the inhalation, the movement inwards during the dark night of restoration 
• Sunrise is the exhalation, the expansion into the day and the promise of service in the world
• The transitionary periods of Earth's day are the periods of Dawn (before Sunrise) & Dusk (before Sunset)

Lunar /cycles also mirror reflect the Great Cosmic Breath:

• Waning Moon (from full moon to new moon) is the inhalation, the breath inward toward consolidation, restoration and renewal
• Waxing moon (from new moon to full moon) is the exhalation, the expansion in the world and the presence of our light mirrored in the light of the moon
• Both the New Moon & Full Moon are the peaks or transitions between the in/out breaths and represent the yin/yang polarities of the infinite all

Earth’s 365 year solar cycle – marked by the Equinoxes & Solstices – reflect a full cycle of breath:

• Autumn Equinox to the Winter Solstice is the inhalation, whereby energy is drawn inward, within us and within the Earth. Animals hibernate, seeds sleep and spirit communes with Earth’s Heart for renewal, regeneration and healing. From the Winter Solstice to the Spring Equinox, the days are getting longer yet we are still deeply held within the breath inward in preparation for our awakening and rebirth into our cycle.
• Spring Equinox until the Summer Solstice is the long exhalation, the budding, flowering and fruiting of plants, new life springs into action and a sense of joyful expression out into the world takes place. From the Summer Solstice to the Autumn Equinox the days are getting shorter, but we are still held within the exhale as we delight in the fruits of our labours and prepare for the inward time ahead.
• Both the Spring & Autumn Equinoxes are the pauses or transitions within the breath. The Equinox is where day and night are of equal length – the energies coming together as one – Heaven & Earth, Spirit & Matter, Mind & Soul.

Surrendering to The Great Cosmic Breath

What can we learn from these three aspects of Great Cosmic Breath ?

As Creation flows in the rhythm of Great Cosmic Breath, then if we too flow WITH the breath by releasing our need for control, we naturally align with creation, live in harmonic resonance with ourselves and everything.

We find peace within, harmony in our waking/sleeping cycles and we transcend struggle as we allow creation to move through us. Cosmic breath becomes our guide, and we sense it as intuition. This is the voice of the universe that awakens us to our divine potential.

From the INHALATIONS within our lives we learn the importance of rest, relaxation & regeneration that supports our growth and healing.   As we reach the peak of the inhalation, the TRANSITIONARY period between the in and the out breath, this is the time of complete stillness. It is the moment of just being, it is the moment of spontaneous healing, the moment of miracles and the moment of pure bliss.

The EXHALATIONS within our lives emerge from the transition… if stillness was embraced in the transitionary moment then we embark on living the exhalation as an expression of spirit through us. We dance with life as we become the dance. Health, well-being, joy and abundance flow from a place of natural grace and ease as all of creation moves through us on the exhalation.

Spiritual ‘Cosmic’ Breathing

Breath is our teacher. When we surrender and let the breath of spirit flow through us, breath speaks to us in the language of field and in a voice that our higher-self yearns to hear.

Spiritual Breathing is the art of breathing fully. This awakens you to the Great Cosmic Breath rhythms of the moment, the day, the season and the year. Spiritual Breathing is not just a practice done in the moment of meditation, but is a mindful practice that becomes an integral part of your life and a practice that incorporates every breath from birth to death, both conscious and unconscious.

Spiritual Breathing is our natural way of breathing when we move beyond the confines of our social conditioning, belief systems and transcend the ego.

To Spiritually Breath is to breathe fully, to ‘know thyself’ and change how we see / co-create in new realities.

Inviting you to work with us through Zoom, on-line to decode your own breath, tune into the language of your own changing energies, imbalances, resolve misunderstandings and heal.

Seeing beyond COVID-19

The global situation is magnifying change on everylevel. It is easy to forget that destruction happens in order for rebuilding to happen.

Many views on COVID-19 exist. Some describe it as a pandemic. Not everyone views it this way. We can look at the Science, the economic impact and the widespread effects on food and business supply chains and social distancing.  We can also choose to view this as an invitation to reflecton the way we live and how honest we are being with ourselves.  Everything that irritaesor scares  us about others and the world situation is an invitation to better understand ourselves.

If uncertainty or the nature of your present day life conditions evoke discomfort and restlessness, then my new  book about the breath and how to live more consciously will appeal. Currently offering personal sessions via what's app & zooand soon to be offering online talks & workshops related to this book via Zoom.

12 Steps to be more aware

Breathwork guides us to be conscious or more aware of what is really going on in different life areas. Reflect. Where can we bring “consciousness” into our lives before, during and after breathwork? This is about paying closer attention to the signs and signals and underlying meaning of our health and body language, mental thoughts, emotions and spiritual views in our lives.  Ponder 10 steps to allow more awareness into our lives;

1. Reflect on life patterns.  Do we see trends, assume genetic disposition or inclinations in the state of our physical health and fitness, finances, similar partners or relationships, repeated environments or spirituality?This is about feeling the way into life areas and growing aware of the beliefs, values and practices that are shaping our conditions.

2. Experience breathwork. Various breathwork modalities make use of scientific research available to us about effects of levels oxygenation on our organism. These modalities use special breathing techniques, which support increasing or decreasing levels of oxygen in our body to achieve a desired result. When guided by a skilled facilitator with proper training, intention and context, breathwork has a potential to release the effects of unresolved traumas, thus supporting healing of our physical organism and psyche. Breathwork can prevent an onset of debilitating and potentially life-threatening trauma-related diseases. Check out Interview with Dan Brule.

3. Connect goal-setting with motivation. What can we do to align behaviour and visions? What is our unconscious programming? What are our dreams versus our reality?  Where do we wish to commit? Consider ways to stay motivated when new to breathwork by Ashley Neese.

4. Grow conscious during regular activity – while engaging in communication, exercising, eating, having sex, sports, gardening, being in nature, driving, walking. What prompts us to think or act as we do? What are we noticing? Does a sense of separation bwteen ourselves and the external world grow or shrink?

5. Connect restlessness & inauthenticity. When something feels right, we do not hold back or complain. If self-doubt arises, or we question our decisions and choices, then it likely doesn't jive with who we are. Being in integrity means taking responsibility for how we think and feel and finding courage to make life changes when we are not in harmony with our true nature.

6. Get clear on what it feels like to be conscious. Notice when we are “present” or “tuning out,” when our senses are engaged, and when we are numb.  Addictions and other unconscious behaviours are examples of tuning out due to fear, hurt or pain. To know what consciousness is/feels like, we are taught to experience what it is not. Learning The science and purpose of different breathwork techniques can ease fears as we ease into practise.

7. Know growing conscious unleashes power. This inner power enables us to make positive change or cosnciously respond and influence outcomes. We grow aware we hold power to experience a deeper level of fulfillment and joy, the power to be natural or unnatural, as well as to consciously co-create and choose.

8. Let go of conditioned habits and impulses.  Growing conscious of self-defeating habits means being aware they do not serve our highest potential and happiness. There is so much to pay attention to in life, it is easy to go on “autopilot,” to go unconscious. We are taught to multi-task as well as suppress or deny pain.

9. Choose 3 unconscious activities.  Over the next week, purposefully bring “consciousness” to these mind-less activities. This is about being present and feeling what this is. By practicing “being present to the NOW” during these activities, we expand consciousness.

10. Explore resistance. Choose a subject.   Explore it with curiosity, brainstorm words or images nd notice emotions. Allow the bod-mindy to reveal possible reasons.  Do a breathwork meditation to explore deeper reasons for the resistance. If you have a history or insight into specific trauma and would prefer a private session, consult me or another practitioner for a for trauma release.

11. List what we appreciate. Write down 25 things you appreciate. Expand consciousness about what is inspiring and a blessing in our lives. We can do this daily, weekly or as often as we choose. This includes noting inspirations like Max Storm whose Ted Talk teaches us to Breathe to Heal and Giten Tonkov whose 2019 book Feel to Heal, reveals how and why he founded the Biodynamic Breathwork Trauma Release (BBTR) Institute.  

12. Journal repeating thoughts and beliefs. Jot down repetitive thoughts, those that trigger suffering as well as uplifting or inspiring ones. Do this without judgement. Awakening to our mental condition is growing aware of patterns.  What to do with/about our observations is up to us. Engaging in a therepautic breath experience with a teacher like Christian Minson helps us override the mental suppression of emotions. We can transform destructive energy into joy and love. Watch: breathwork: our original medicine. "Realisation is like flipping a light switch.  The darkness vanishes as if it had never been. We can choose to bring it back in."

Breathe into that potential

Self-love is a way of realizing our true potential. Yet, how do we know if we love ourselves fully? What does this look like? What is a practical way to explore what may prevent fully loving ourselves?

We each have the tools at our fingertips to see who we truly are and put our gifts into practice. What if we could uncover and release repressed trauma and let go of underlying causes of addiction that hold us back? What if breathwork is a tool to enhance our creativity, and sharpen our intuition and access mroe confidence?

Engaging in cathartic breathwork is a way to get to know and decode our emotions, and uncover hidden blockages.  Such blockages can be tracked back to unconscious beliefs which have come to run us. They are also affecting us on a mental, physical and other levels.  

When honest, underneath stress, people often discover a general discomfort with life.  Ask yourself if you are living fully, acting on your feelings and intuition or logic. What does being truly authentic mean to you?Do you hear; I’m not listening to  myself; I’m not as creative as I want to be?  People often come across breathwork after other therapies have not helped them. It is a way to empower ouselves.

Major differences exist between group breathwork and doing it one-on-one. Everyone experiences each differently.  In a group, you get that amazing collective energy and you can feed off other people. Some people also feel overwhelmed by group energy. Private sessions are another option. Anyone who feels uncomfortable or finds it hard to settle and to let loose in group settings, often benefit from a one-on-one session.

Our next Cathartic breathwork event is November 23 from 1-4pm in Caloundra, Sunshine Coast. Book on Eventbrite-https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/covert-cathartic-breathwork-info-event-tickets-79942629557 or contact us directly.