 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
0 Comments
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  Let’s take our hearts for a walk in the woods and listen to the magic whispers of old trees.
I love that quote so much because it exactly describes my feeling of awe as I set out through a wood or forest. Some are awed by the sight of breaching whales or the majesty of elephants. For me it is the feeling of oneness and connection I experience when I’m in the presence of trees. It is said that we have become an indoor species and the comfortable pleasures of the digital era means we have to consciously make time to connect with nature. However, it seems that when we do, it repays us by pouring healing energy into our bodies. Trees are the other half of me.. Trees are the other half of our breathing system. Being in the forest is like getting to the root of our breath - being where it begins. Almost everything we need to survive physically must be bought, even in some places, clean water, vital for survival. But it’s so easy to take for granted the next breath and then the next without ever having to think about whether this breath is available to us. Perhaps the total peace experienced being around trees whether in the park or forest, is the recognition that we are each a little of the other. Alive in part, because of the other. Being with trees. Getting out to the woods and forests and being with trees has become a national healing therapy in Japan where they call this practice Shinrin Yoku which literally means being with trees and has been proven to help boost immunity, reduce stress and combat stress related problems and fatigue. Trees emit essential oils called phytoncides to protect themselves from germs and insects and inhaling these is believed to actually improve the immune system and contribute to healthy brain function. Studies in Japan show that students perform better in exams and have better memory recall after a Shinrin Yoku exercise. And on top of that the combination of being in the forest and standing barefoot (when it’s safe to do so and the temperature is favourable!) is highly therapeutic. The science bit… Dr. James Oschman, an expert in the field of energy medicine and biophysics, says that standing outdoors in your bare feet following tissue injury or inflammation anywhere in your body allows electrons (to) migrate into your body and spread through your tissue. Any free radicals that leak into healthy tissue will immediately be electrically neutralised. Added to this is that we are infused with a sense of grounding or returning to our roots. Today’s restful exercise is to plan a walk in the forest - taking it slow. This is a sensory experience so allow your senses lead the way. Breathe deeply knowing that each breath is contributing to your wellness, the effects of which will benefit your immunity for up to 30 days! Bring a picnic and turn off your phone. Be aware of the contact between your feet and the earth. Walk as if kissing the earth with your feet. - Thich Nhat Hanh  I do not make movies for children. I make them for the child in all of us, whether we be six or sixty. - Walt Disney. Tonight is movie night so prepare your movie nibbles and take a front row seat for your favourite movie of all time! This is an exercise in nostalgia… Taking a trip down memory lane - or nostalgia - comes from the greek nostos and algos meaning becoming and ache. Today we know it as the emotional state in which we experience feelings we associate with past and generally warm memories. Triggers of nostalgia can actually make you feel as though you are back in the time and place of the memory and is said to help us move forward into the future with an increased sense of optimism for things to come. So today’s restful exercise has two routes and you’ll know the one which is best for you and will lead to a heartwarming sense of pleasure and relaxation. Route One - Choose a movie that takes you back to the happy time in which you first watched it. Last evening my husband and our family watched Dr. No, the Bond movie with a very young Sean Connery made in 1962. Alan remembers seeing this film for the first time aged about seven while on holiday in Kilkee. (He also fondly remembers this holiday cinema treat for having tried to hold the hand of the daughter of a family friend as they watched it together.) Enjoying a movie that brings back happy memories can be a guilty pleasure bath you sink into - and an excuse to eat a bag of Maltesers or a tub of popcorn - without the judgement. Route Two - For some nostalgia is a trigger to ruminate on less happy moments in time and it may be a more relaxing and pleasurable option to choose to see a film you’ve never seen before. What movie have you been meaning to watch? What has been recommended to you? Is there a favourite actor / director whose movie you haven’t yet seen? How about trying out a foreign language movie? Or a different genre sic-fi/ musical/ classic? Which ever route you choose to your movie night, organise it well in advance of curtain-up. Will you be watching alone or with family members? What time suits everyone? Have you checked your movie choice is available? Are you a member of Prime/ Netflix/ Apple tv/ iTunes/ YouTube/ Sky premier? Many old movies are available for free on YouTube. Perhaps a friend can lend you a dvd or video. And consider the treats too. Why not bake a batch of brownies, or a fruit salad if you’re not into popcorn. How about going all out and make it Premier or Oscar night and get dressed up in your best Hollywood glamour! And if you’re not sure what to watch, the film The Shift starring the late Dr. Wayne Dyer is available on Youtube and is a beautiful film I can't watch often enough. The musical score on this film, along with the theme is truly a restful and uplifting experience. Enjoy a wonderful night in with the stars…….. Trina x  Everyday she imagined a beautiful crown upon her head to remind herself that she was a powerful, resourceful, intelligent and wise woman worthy of her own admiration…..
Mirror, mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all? Don’t we do that? Scrutinise the mirror for the plain truth. ‘Give it to me straight,’ we say to the mirror and then set about performing a seek and destroy mission on our appearance often leading to feeling a disheartened sense of hopelessness followed by a soul destroying declaration of what’s wrong with us. But what if we turned that around? What if we simply said I am beautifull inside and out. I accept myself warts and wrinkles, scars and bumpy bits and all. The ultimate restful gift to yourself (because believe me it is exhausting listening to your own voice list your short-comings - you’re short, you’re fat, your teeth are croked, your eyes are squinty, your legs are stubby etc. etc.!) is to say, that no matter what your age, size, circumstances, you are beautiful. And rest in that thought. Today, right now, breathe in that peaceful self acceptance and decide to live this whole day in appreciation of your perfection exactly as you are. You are a Queen. Or maybe you are a King. ……..And today you’re going to wear your crown. In all of my workshops I do an Essential Qualities exercise with the participants called ‘I am the queen of……’ I ask them to think about what it is that they love, feel they’re brillian at and believe is the motivation for most of what they do, are and express. Then I tell them ot take the most beautiful crown they can possibly imagine and very solemnly place it on their head. It is truly beautiful to see the grace and elegance of each standing taller, straightening their spine, chin up, shoulders back, head held high. At this point I tell them to finish the sentence ‘My name is…………… and I am the Queen of…………....’ Some say Wisdom, or Truth, or Communication, or Justice, or Light. Others will say Art, Nature, Animals, Teaching, Healing, Beauty, Music or Nutrition. Whatever word or sentence most clearly expresses the energy of their values and the drive behind their best self is their majesty. And the place in which they deliver this majesty is their realm. Here are the attributes of a Queen
Trusting and believing in ourselves changes our presence and the behaviour of others towards us is often influenced by the level of our ownership of ourselves – warts and all! It’s time to give ourselves a break (a forever rest) and own our appearance, own our talents, own our desires and own our vision. Make changes where we need and take action steps daily in the direction of our dreams. Fill in the following: My name is …………………………………………………….. And I am the Queen/ King of…………………………… How will you check into your realm daily/ weekly/ monthly etc. (eg. Create a zen garden, source vegan recipes and ingredients, invest in a superb camera and sign up for photography courses, begin writing a blog, volunteer, write a paragraph of your book, mentor others.) Finally, thank you for your emails and messages. Some of you are sharing your experiences on this journey and others are sharing their own tips, finds and resources. I love receiving these and am making notes so that we can share them at our Thursday evening zoom call. Have a lovely Sunday evening, Trina x  You’ve got healing hands, helping hands, loving hands and the whole world in your hands. They are the wands with which you conjure visions to life. Let’s spend the day in appreciation of the most amazing tools we have to care for ourselves and others. Our hands - so fine tuned and efficient they can often go unnoticed. But how perfectly designed they are. We speak with our hands! My sister is so expressive with her hands, we used to tease her by making her sit on them while she told us some exciting story abut her day. She couldn’t manage more than a few seconds before she would have to be released. We have knuckles and nails, prints and lines making each pair unique in the world. These once-off hands are so precious not just for what they carry out on our behalf but for the ability to ‘touch’ others in a healing, loving, reassuring or encouraging way. Human touch is at the heart of all healing. We create with our hands… On top of this our hands are the tools of craft and creativity making manifest the imaginings and visions of our mind. It’s so easy to forget the extraordinary power within our hands and the magical ability they have to bless every one we love, every thing we treasure and every space we occupy. Today is day 7 of our magical rest and it’s time to rest our hands by being truly grateful for them. Just for a few moments now, think of some of the things your hands do for you. Close them as though in prayer and hold them together as though pouring love from your heart into them. Wrap one around the other and bring them close to your chest. Then place them, right hand over left just over your heart. Spend a few moments in grateful appreciation of your hands. We spend much of our time with our heart and our hands full. Today treat your hands as though they are the outer expression of your inner being. As though they reflect your heart, your soul and your mind. Before you begin, if you wear rings, carefully clean and polish them. Manicure and massage. You will need:
*Mix your own scrub by combining 1 tablespoon of brown sugar, 1 tablespoon of almond or olive oil and the juice of half a lemon. First Loosen your hands up. Shake them out and wiggle your fingers about. Stretch your hands by flexing them as wide as you can, and then make a fist. Bend your wrists with your hands points down, and then flex your hand up and down several times. Continue to use these techniques for about one minute before you begin to massage your hands. Gently massage your hands with the scrub before rising with warm water. Rub in some intensive hand cream and massage in a way that feels comfortable for you. Moving intuitively through your fingers, knuckles and palms, pay attention to your wrists also. We carry a lot of tension there and they will love you for the loving attention today. Now place your hands in the plastic bags and wrap them in a warm towel. Now soften the cuticles with almond or olive oil and push back gently with an orange stick. Remove excess skin carefully with nail scissors. File and polish your nails. For thin, fragile or problem nails, use a special treatment nail polish. Some of these require than you place a coat on nails each day for a number of days before removing. Now adore your hands. If you haven’t already arranged a turn down tray beside your bed, do place hand cream and cuticle oil where you can apply them last thing before sleep. Once week use a pair of cotton gloves to wear all night for a more intensive moisturising and silky soft (and youthful) hands. Do share photos of your manicure on the November Bliss with Trina Keane Facebook page Have a super Saturday. I’ll be back tomorrow as we begin our second week of 30 days of Magical Rest Trina x  Tea does our fancy aid. Repress those vapours which the head invade. And keeps that palace of the soul serene. - Edmund Waller (poet) We all have a favourite comfort food but what about a comfort drink. What restores you? When you check in your store cupboard of nostalgia, do you have a memory of a comforting drink to make you well? As children, having woken groggy and stuffed up with a cold, Mum would tuck us back into bed - and oh, the pleasure of this if it occurred on a school day. Pretty soon you'd hear the familiar sound in the kitchen below of egg being whipped and mum would appear to the bedroom, with a steaming hot, creamy eggy drink she called eggflip. This blissfully sweet and comforting drink would arrive every morning until we were well enough to return to school and sometimes a day or so afterwards just to be sure we had fully convalesced. Only writing this now has reminded me of the wholesome drink and brought me back all those years ago. On checking, I see that there's a whole variety of eggflip recipes online and these may including berries, fruit and other goodies. Our childhood comfort cure was in the days before healthy, immune boosting smoothies but perhaps Mum’s eggflip was a forerunner. Today's theme for consideration is hydration and drinks. If you are like me and resting your entire body by enjoying a NoVino November, , have you thought about what you might enjoy instead. Tonight is Friday night and I'm considering a mocktail as a sun-downer. You can play around with flavours and create some sparkling drinks using grenadine, sparkling grape juice, orange juice, tonic water, apple juice, ginger, lemon/lime juice, crushed frozen fruits, strawberries, bananas, blueberries etc. A delicious cocktail I enjoyed at a function last year turned out to be alcohol free and maybe it was the fizz but I was decidedly 'content' and surprised by how satisfying it was. I believe it was made by pouring equal parts orange juice and 7up, then a layer of crushed ice with a drop of grenadine poured in on top for dramatic colour and flavour. The grenadine slowly flows down through the ice and has a delightfully pleasing appearance - and effect! Studies show that staying hydrated is enormously beneficial to all aspects of our health and wellbeing and dehydration causes us to feel groggy and slow so that we may confuse a need to hydrate with a need for a quick energy fix. A glass of water can often settle the craving for chocolate or sweet treat. A resting daily hydration routine.
Here’s an alternative comforting bedtime drink which is designed to help you sleep. Golden Dreams Bedtime Drink. This is a simplified sleep elixir, wonderful to have about an hour before bedtime. Almond milk contains lots of tryptophan which helps with the production of melatonin, an important sleep hormone to ensure a deep, beautiful night's rest.
Heat the almond milk over a medium heat to just under boil. Stir in turmeric, cinnamon, pepper, ginger and maple syrup. Enjoy and sleep well. So do you have a go-to comfort drink or a nostalgic cure for 'cold' days that you think other might enjoy? Let me know and I'll include it in a future email. Have a super day and I'll be back tomorrow with Day 7 of your magical rest. Trina x |
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. |
