 Laughter is the fireworks of the soul.
- Josh Billings A few years ago on a camping holiday in France with my family, we experienced a powerful example of contagious laughter. In the dead of night all was quiet in the campsite when one camper not far from our tent sneezed loudly and he started to laugh waking his partner. She too started laughing and pretty soon laughter was heard from their neighbouring tents. Very quickly the hilarity crept through the surrounding tents and dozens grew to hundreds of campers laughing hysterically. It was enormously contagious and impossible to stop for a number of minutes with aftershocks continuing for a good ten minutes before everyone settled down and quiet was restored. Literally everyone smiled at each other the following morning as we were reminded of our shared hilarity. There had been a lot of thunder storms keeping everyone awake in the nights leading up this one and campers had grown a bit gloomy, not to mention tired! After this the gloom lifted and the sun came out again too. What's so funny about laughter? Studies show that laughter has an enormous bearing on our physical and mental wellbeing. At the Gesundheit Institute, founded by Patch Adams (played so memorably by Robin Williams in the film of the same name) laughter and humour are the key ingredients in the healing and recovery of patients from surgery and illness. Laughter is like taking our insides for a jog, massaging all our vital organs. It perks up sluggishness and released endorphins - nature’s happy juice. It makes our memory sharper and reduces brain fog while also lowering blood pressure. There’s even a theory that forced laughter (the body can’t differentiate between fake and real laughter) releases a cocktail of hormones, neuropeptides and dopamine which will improve your mood when the winter blues sets in. You might get a giggle out of this... Researchers at the University of Michigan have calculated that just 20 seconds of laughter could be as good for the lungs as three minutes exercise on a rowing machine. So today’s restful activity is to take a large helping of medicinal laughter which may actually give you a belly ache but in the process cure so much more. What makes you laugh? Films, comedians, bloopers, cute animals, slapstick humour, jokes… The above image is of Holly and Philip (ITV’s This Morning) and their bloopers and outtakes are hysterical. I’ve just had my medicinal dose selecting this link for you https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uL-Z0lfDa9E Whatever it takes make today a day of laughter. At the very least do what puts a smile on your face. Have a super day, Trina xx
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 Mere colour can speak to the soul in a thousand different ways. -Oscar Wilde Many years ago I enjoyed reading the books of healer and psychic medium Betty Shine. One day I read an exercise she recommended in order to balance the energy level of the entire body and to assist in healing inflammation especially. She called this a Colour Bath and it came to be my deeply relaxing, go-to practice to wind down, sleep, let go and let God when times called for it especially during the menopause. The colour bath is an exercise which uses the seven major chakras, the spinning vortices of energy which run in a direct line from the base of the spine to the crown of the head. These chakras spin at different frequencies and are precise monitors of our physical and mental wellbeing. When they are spinning at their perfect frequency we feel emotionally balanced, a deep sense of wellbeing and optimum physical health. Each chakra relates to a colour which affects aspects of our being - mentally, emotionally, physically, spiritually and energetically and a colour bath is intended to inhale fresh vibrant energy by means of imagining breathing the corresponding colour of each chakra and exhaling or releasing the old, tired energy. Chakras and colours:
Colour Bath exercise.
And relax………..falling asleep in this bath can do you no harm at all!  In the process of letting go you will lose many things from the past but you will find yourself.
- Deepak Chopra I have a jar that I keep at the centre of the room during workshops and each of my participants have a block of sticky notes. I call this jar the RELEASE jar and as we work our way through the process of the workshop program, from time to time a folded note of what will no longer be tolerated or done, is thoughtfully placed in the jar. It’s a powerful ritual at the end of a two day workshop as we place all the release notes into a metal container and burn them, releasing the vapours to the cosmos for cleansing and clearing. There is a sense of being lighter, of having been freed and as it says on the jar, released. Burning the letting go notes from the RELEASE jar at close of retreat or workshop. My friend Trina told me a fabulous story which illustrates so well how we get caught up with carrying on old traditions and family stories without ever questioning their relevance to our lives. This is Trina’s Ham Pot story. A woman was preparing to cook a ham. She cut it in half and placed the tow halves in the oven to cook. “Why do you cut the ham in half?" asked her husband. “Oh my mother always cut her ham in half before cooking it.” the woman replied. Next time she saw her mother she asked her why she cut the ham in half before cooking. “Well that’s the way my mother always cooked the ham” she replied. Next time the woman saw her grandmother she asked her about the ham. “Why did you always cut your ham in half before cooking?" asked the young woman. Well my dear” the grandmother replied. “My pot wasn’t large enough for the full length of the ham so I cut it in half and it fit nicely that way.” Are there things in your life you’re doing because it’s always been so? Perhaps you have your own way just waiting to start its own tradition. Is it time to let go some of the inherited habits and stories of your family. Today’s exercise is to write up your own Release or What I’m no longer available for List. Here’s a list taken from the book The Art of Extreme Self Care by Cheryl Richardson. Read down through the list and check in with how you feel as you come to each of Cheryl’s I Will No Longer sentences.
Begin your list today and keep a block of sticky notes and your own release jar handy. At the end of every week or month, read your notes and then burn them safely. You’ll get better and better at this and sometimes you’ll find that jar is quite full! Looking forward to seeing a many of you as possible tomorrow evening at 7pm for our week 3 zoom check in. Don’t worry if you haven’t been keeping up. You can always schedule Magical Rest at any time of the coming days, weeks and months. Just know that it’s always available to you. Trina xx  My eyes are my favourite part of me. Not for how they look but for how they see. - Frau Feuermeise Of all the parts of our body in need of consideration in our month of rest, surely the eyes are top of the list. When we wish to sleep, we shut our eyes. We call a nap a bit of shut eye. Our eyes are at work from the moment we open them when we waken in the morning to the moment we shut them to sleep. Soothing the eye muscles and taking the pressure off them and resting the optic nerve by shutting out light is the best way to rest tired eyes. So firstly, here are some soothing eye-dee-as for tired or puffy eyes to put the sparkle back into them. Eye Bath Mix together 1 tablespoon of rosewater and 1 tablespoon of cold almond milk. Dip a washcloth into the mixture and once lying down place over your eyes for ten minutes. Relax. Cover your eyes Cover your eyes with an eye mask or some kind of soft material to block out all light. While sitting or lying down in a relaxed position (but not sleeping), imagine the world around you is black. By “relaxing into the blackness,” you are teaching your brain that your eyes do not have to always strain. Your eyes will function better through relaxation techniques rather than stress. Sunglasses Wear polarised sunglasses to protect the eyes from the sun’s glare and from UV rays. This is every bit as important in winter sunlight as in summer. Palming Rub your hands together for 15 seconds to warm them and then cup them over your eyes touching your forehead sightly with your fingertips and resting the heals of your palms on your cheekbones. Allow the eyes to absorb the darkness like a sponge and bathe in the warmth. Sunning Sunning is a great way to start your day! Stand in front of a door or window that receives plenty of natural sunlight. Close your eyes and allow the sunlight to gently warm your eyelids. Be sure to do this without your glasses or contacts lenses. Sunlight can help the retina release dopamine, which leads to healthy eye development. * Be sure to not directly stare at the sun for this relaxation method. Blue Light Lenses & Anti-Reflective Coating Blue light is transmitted when you look at your tablet, phone or computer screen. The eye does not block blue light well, therefore causing digital eye strain and eye fatigue. Such light can damage the cells of the retina, as well as mess with your sleep/wake cycle. Blue light glasses, as well as anti-reflective coating on your regular eyeglasses, help to filter out harmful blue light to combat eye strain and sleeplessness caused by excessive screen time. Rest your eyes from a computer screen every twenty minutes by looking away and focusing on something at a distance of ten to twenty feet. Blink and re-focus. Remember to use your eyes to notice and observe too. Research shows that doing this in nature increases our levels of happy hormones - especially in the winter months when nature is not especially parading its beauty and we least expect to come across a flower, a vivid red leaf, a glorious dawn or a sunset etc. Eye rest exercise for today Watch the film The Eye has to Travel on Vimeo here https://vimeo.com/153660328 It looks at the life and career of Diana Vreeland one time editor of Vogue magazine. Or watch Finding Vivian Maier available at iTunes film rental for €3.99 - a documentary film about a mysterious nanny who took over 100,000 photographs that were hidden in storage lockers and discovered decades later. Vivian Maier is now considered one of the twentieth centuries greatest photographers. No one ever knew she took photographs and she never showed her work to another soul. Each of these films show you how others use their eyes to not simply see but to notice and observe how the ordinary can be extraordinary. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder…..if the eye is exercised to behold beauty. And witnessing beauty is one of the most powerful forms of resting the mind and spirit. Have a super Tuesday, Trina xx  You are the spell the universe has cast - Phyllis Curott Abracadabra! Did you know that this word associated with magic incantation is from an Aramaic word meaning I create as I speak. It is actually as magical as that. And proven studies have shown that our inner dialogue, what we speak to ourselves, has a direct and immediate effect on our emotional and physical responses. Therefore we are what we speak and the words that follow I AM magically and powerfully manifest our reality. Today we rest from negative 'self speak’ and most especially we rest from words of judgement, guilt and habitual put-downs. The late Louise Hay, author of You Can Heal Your Life plus many other books and founder of the Hay House publishing and broadcasting company, felt that the best route to self acceptance was by means of what she called Mirror Work. Louise kept a mirror on her desk and every day, several times a day, she looked into her own eyes and said I am a perfect, whole and unique being and I am loved. She also looked into the eyes of her reflection and said I love you first thing in the morning and last thing at night. Louise loved affirmations and believed they are the most powerful tool in self care, healing and manifesting a life of joy. Commit to doing Mirror Work for one month - Begin today. So let’s have a look in the mirror shall we? You may find it awkward and a little uncomfortable at first when looking into your mirror and gazing into your eyes. It can feel as though someone is watching you. There is. Your ego is watching very carefully and will be quite worried about what’s going to happen to its years of conditioning. After all, some of the greatest damage done to your ego was done while someone looked you in the eye and said harsh words that made you feel small and powerless and uncomfortable. You too have looked yourself in the eyes and made some of your harshest criticisms. So ego thinks I'll have to stop this and will remind you of past judgements. Then you’ll likely feel embarrassed and make absolutely certain no one is around to catch you. This is because there is something quite profound going on. Once you pass ego, you realise that you are connecting through your eyes with your spirit being and remembering that you are a soul in a physical body. You remember who you were before the world told you who you should be. Very shortly after this though you experience the peace that comes from being present, honest and open to loving yourself despite your vulnerability and apparent imperfections. And here’s what you can expect in your outer life… You begin day 1 and feel awkward. Isn’t this a bit self indulgent you’ll think. After day 3 you’ll feel a little less awkward. End of week 1 you’ll find the critical voice will begin to soften. You’re still seeing flaws but you’re quicker to bring your attention back to unconditional love. During the second week you find you’re becoming kinder and noticing your self dialogue more. This perspective radiates out into your daily life and you become more patient with yourself and others. Week three you find you are less likely to do what you don’t want to do and are finding it easier to say no with less concern about needing the good opinion of others. At week four you notice there are less stressful episodes in your life. You’re remaining calm, centered and distancing yourself from the dramas of others. You turn off the news and play music you love while you cook a meal that makes you feel good from the inside out. By the end of the month you no longer find it difficult to ask for clarity rather than worry about what someone meant by what they said or did. You feel a greater sense of control over your life and consider how you want to feel in any given situation then make decisions that reflect that. You find that life is kinder, sweeter and becomes a reflection of the value and self worth you are feeling when you look into your eyes and say I am beautiful, perfect and loved unconditionally. Finally Remember that the words I AM are the two magic words that creates as they are spoken. Make sure that the words that follow them are what you desire to manifest! What follows I AM follows you. Lots of love, Trina x  At every stage of life, you should be a rookie at something…
The above insight comes from Chris Dionigi who has a Ph.D in …..weed science! Chris believes that trying something new - and even failing at it - keeps you robust. He has also taken Comedy Improv classes and spends his weekends and many nights riding his bicycle as an auxiliary police officer. Always have something new going on in your life Chris says. And all the better if that something turns out to be a service to others. It is true that learning something new causes us to develop new neuro-pathways which means we can retrain our brain and create new habits at any stage in life. My motto is it’s always springtime in some area of life (another is there’s always more magic to be found) and whilst we try to make each day of our life count, it’s so easy to let one day drift into the next and before we know it the months and then the years have passed by. Each one very much like the other. But when you take on a challenge or make the intention to do something in bite sized pieces - say 30 days - you will remember those days so much better because your brain is working in a different way to the usual. Resting from the usual keeps your brain permanently youthful and makes life so much more magical. Resting from the usual is Magical Rest. Today’s restful task is to decide what you would like to learn and then go explore how you can achieve that. There’s no excuse anymore. You can learn something simple in half an hour on Youtube or check out Udemy, Corsera or any number of online course platforms. While I was researching this task this morning I watched a couple of TED talks and decided to set the intention to watch a TED talk every day for the next 30 days and write a short paragraph on what I learn. This it seems, is how we make every day count. How our brain stays active and how we are inspired, motivated and find more purpose and meaning. So consider these thoughts….. What was your favourite hobby or pastime as a child? Is there a course you can take in that or an aspect of it you can perfect? Mastering something increases self worth and helps us identify more closely with who we believe ourselves to be. Taking a writing course and then writing a novel or book of poetry means we may introduce ourselves as a writer or poet. Have you a hankering to master something? Sometimes what you want to explore may have more than one benefit for example learning to Tango will keep you fit, introduce you to new people and when skilled enough, qualify you for entry into competitions plus give you opportunities to travel abroad. Why not check out courses in: Photograph skills, Public Speaking, Culinary skills, Dog Grooming, Drawing, Ballroom Dancing, Furniture Restoration, Landscape Gardening, A Language, Creative Writing, Holistic Massage, Nail Art, Calligraphy, Piano, Acting, Film making, Crystals, Scuba Diving, Skiing, Digital Technology. Add your own ideas to the list and then today take action to begin your new learning adventure. Can you learn more about your interest online? Do you have a friend who can steer you in the right direction or even teach you? Can you borrow whatever you need to begin? They say the best way to learn something is to teach it. Have you got a skill or talent you could teach others? Perhaps there are people in your circle you feel might benefit from what you can teach them. In 30 days you can change a habit, make a new one or learn something that could change the whole course of your life. Or it could be just another 30 days. Share your ideas with your bliss buddies at the Thursday night zoom call and declare your intention or add it in the comments on the November Bliss with Trina Keane Facebook page here https://www.facebook.com/novemberblisswithtrinakeane Have a really special Sunday, Trina xx The truth is you have the answers you seek. You have the magic, the miracles, the power and the tools - they’re all right there in the centre of your heart. - Kyle Gray One thing I discovered as I got older was that a lot of the 'Wise Ones' in my life had passed and the stalwarts of good sense, judgement and inspirational thinking we're no longer available to me. Then one day I heard that darling of the angels - Kyle Gray (I call him the Angel Warrior as he has an urban edge and is covered in tattoos) say that he had consulted his Spiritual Board of Directors for advice on something. So what's a spiritual Board of Directors? Well as you are the CEO of your own life, you sit at the head of your boardroom table - or sofa/ kitchen table/ park bench and you call on your chosen ones to come to you with answers and suggestions and guidance on how to proceed, make changes or decisions etc. On my board are:
Ritual for choosing your Spiritual Board of Directors. Go to your sacred space and light a candle. With pen and paper begin writing down people you know, those who inspire you, angels, archangels and saints etc. Beside their name write down some qualities you associate with them. Close you eyes and ask each one what they have to say to you. Imagine the conversation. Is there a rapport? What is their specialist interest (Archangel Michael, protection/ cutting ties etc) Make your final selection knowing you can always add or change a member. Now write down the names - anything from three to ten - of your board selection along with one or two words to describe their speciality. When you wish to consult your board say Thank you …………………… fore your highest truth and compassion and for helping me understand what I need to know. Feel free to share your board selection on the November Bliss with Trina Keane Facebook page here https://www.facebook.com/novemberblisswithtrinakeane Ooooops!! It was only last night as I re-read my email for yesterday, that I realised the error in the lyrics of My Favourite Things. It should of course have read bright copper kettles and not brown copper kettles and it should have been followed with Brown paper packages tied up with strings and not Wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings. That of course belongs to the second verse. Not a terrible mistake in the scheme of things but I don’t want to be responsible for you missing out on winning Who wants to be a millionaire ……. You just never know! Enjoy a blissful Saturday.  Raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, brown copper kettles and warm woolen mittens, wild geese that fly with the moon on their wings, these are a few of my favourite things…... We love people well by surprising them with the little things we know will gladden their heart. My daughter loves the colour purple. If I were buying her a mug or bed linen, I’d probably choose something in purple for her. My husband loves Turkish Delight. It’s rare to find good Turkish Delight but when any of us come across it we buy some and keep it as a stocking filler for him. It’s not so much being surprised by a gift that makes us feel loved (although that is delightful), as being known, remembered and considered enough to be surprised by something that is a particular favourite. One thing I noticed in my workshops is that when I ask women what gladdens their heart or makes them happy, it’s usual for them to state all the ‘proper’ things. Bills/mortgage paid, healthy family, nice holiday etc. But on closer inspection, it can be more difficult to bring to mind their personal happy makers. It’s easy enough to be aware that we’re feeling happy and of course when we’re not feeling happy but knowing what is particular to us can take a bit of consideration. Today’s restful exercise is to compile a list of your personal favourites and the following is a list for you to consider. How often you get to include any of these in your life? Do you celebrate the things that make yo happy and share your preferences with your family and friends? If you find you aren’t certain of your choices in any category, make a date with yourself to explore that. Maybe that means spending an afternoon in a perfume department, visiting a garden centre or florist or any other exercise that helps you consider and make your decision more effectively. Sharing your personal preferences and what brings you pleasure helps you stand more firmly in your personal power allowing your excite your sense of wonder and delivering more magic into your everyday. What’s your favourite?
Is it possible to treat yourself to something you love? Do that today. It was great to catch up with everyone last evening on week 2 zoom call and thank you for all the shares and tips. Along with Caoilte https://www.coillte.ie for ideas on forest walks, Caroline shared that good places to get out into nature can also be found here https://www.npws.ie And we had lots of favourite film suggestions so you don’t have to be stuck for a good film to watch when you are resting from the usual tv or news programmes. These included Cinema Paradiso, A Room with a View, Born Free, Manon des Sources, Commitments, Chocolat and Babette’s Feast. Thank you all who attended and I look forward to catching up with you all again next Thursday for week 3 of Magical Rest. Have a super lucky Friday the 13th. Trina xx  Look around you. What do you see? The food you eat, clothes you wear, books you read, your appearance, your possessions, your environment, is a reflection of the choices and decisions you have made in your life. At any point, a different choice could have changed where you position your tv, the size of your jeans, or who you spend your life with.
My mind is truly fascinated when I think about the fact that everything we have in the world today was pure fantasy at the time of the dinosaurs and yet our buildings, trains, hospital equipment, jewellery, radio stations, universities, heating, lighting, and technology etc. have been conjured out of the imagination of women and men and are manifest in the world as a result of choices and decisions made along the way. We didn’t have to go to Mars or the outer reaches of the universe to find the key ingredients for what exists today. The earth didn’t present itself to humankind and say make bricks out of me. Man imagined buildings in which to shelter, heal and learn and then became a builder using clay and other ingredients available to him. Everything we have was already available from the beginning of time. We just needed to make our thinking match the materials. The key ingredient to receiving what you want and being who you really are is to be open. We know that it is in giving that we receive. Giving thanks and expressing appreciation opens our heart. And it’s through that chink of open heart that the goodness slips in. We become available to receive. We struggle to get - but we surrender to receive. Which feels more restful you? Abraham Hicks (ascended entity channeled by Esther Hicks) says That which you think in any moment attracts unto itself other thoughts just like it. Today’s restful exercise is to take an aspect of your life which you wish were different and then imagine it your way. Write a paragraph, or a whole page if you wish on your imagined way and then sit with this for a while enjoying the imagining and allowing other thoughts attract themselves to it. Now it is already changed to your way. It’s placed in your heart as your heart’s desire. Like our ancestors turning clay to bricks. We already have everything we need but it is desire that open us up and make us see it differently. All we have to do is decide we are that person, this is our way, and then make the choices that are more aligned with who we are and what we need. Wishing you a sweet autumn day, Trina xx  My Biggest mistakes in life have all come from giving my power to someone else. - Oprah During an interview about her upcoming release, the film Beloved, Oprah Winfrey was asked the question, What do you know for sure? Oprah recalls being flummoxed by the question and asked if it related to the film. No, in life. came the reply. After the people you’ve met, the experiences you’ve had, what do you know for sure? No answer came to mind having been put on the spot but the question later became the basis and theme of her best selling books - What I Know For Sure, The Path Made Clear, and The Wisdom of Sundays. Each of these books are filled with the life wisdom learned or remembered by Oprah herself or her many guests on her shows throughout the 35 year span of her career. Imagine you were Oprah, put on the spot and asked the question What do you know for sure? The older I get, the less certain I become about many things I thought I had sussed. Perhaps that’s the wisdom of age. Here’s a few of my what I know for sure considerations. Well…… until I know better anyway.
Enough of my list. What are yours? Today is the day when, like Oprah you get to think about what you’ve come to know for sure. (Perhaps you’ll share them with us on the zoom call tomorrow evening at 7pm.) Is there someone who inspires you, whose view on life is similar to your own. It’s often a restful experience to read their work or listen to their podcasts and Youtube videos etc. Considering what other people know for sure can trigger your own response which can help you consolidate your own values, interests and beliefs so that you make decisions and choices in your life with greater assurance. Nothing helps you make up your own mind on what you believe than being exposed to another person’s opinion. Enjoy a lovely evening, Trina xx |
Magical Rest companion workbook available.
Rest is the potent elixir that fuels the efficiency of everything we do, are and wish to be. We rest for healing, for wisdom, for radiance and for love. I have created the Magical Rest 30 day program as a stand alone personal month long journey through the resting of all of your being, mentally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, creatively, sensory and socially. Each day gifts you a restful exercise, practice or ritual and sets some reflective work to help you connect more fully to your own inner wisdom and personal magic. Angel Guidance readings Gift Certificates
now available. *** Special December package *** 3 Gift Certificates for €90 (Individual readings €35) 
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