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
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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 The French have a wonderful expression, le foyer, which means the pleasures of the hearth enjoyed with close family and friends. The Danes call it hygge, a term for cosy contentment. These are invitations set to drop the formality of being guests and enjoy a generous sharing between kindred spirits, the exchange of warmth and welcome. Oh... but the time we spend cleaning, decluttering, plumping, making order and generally hiding all evidence of our day-to-day living before a guest or kindred spirit arrives to our home, so that what they experience is our inner ideal, and not the outer real, world of our home. But what is our inner ideal? It is said that our home has an energetic elemental spirit that bathes the walls and floors, corners and open spaces we live in. Is yours a passionate fire home or an emotional water home, a cool cerebral home or a practical down-to-earth home? It is said that fire homes are bright and vivid and water homes are filled with soft flowing shades of the sea and riverbed. They are often artistic but can be cluttered. Earth homes are filled with muted browns, terracotta and brick reds. Air homes are clean, airy and spacious with a minimalist, cool feel. It seems that the colours you're drawn to may reflect the elemental energy you are most drawn to. Today's restful exercise is to simply consider the vibrational energy of the space we live in. Does it reflect our outer reality? or our inner ideal? We're very aware of the energy of the places we visit. On a visit to a cathedral in Florence a few years ago, I entered a small side chapel and was immediately overpowered by a terrible sorrow. I can only describe it by saying that the chapel was alive with deep, profound sorrow and the tears sprang to my eyes. I couldn't stop them. Literally in floods of tears, I had to leave the chapel and once I was outside, in the body of the cathedral again, the feeling was gone. I was totally restored. We've all felt this way and yet Chinese Feng Shui, Native American Smudging, Indian Vastu Shastra are all practices in space clearing and cleansing energy. We in the West are more likely to live with the energies built up over years and even centuries! Is yours a happy hearth? If we could see negative energy as cracks in the walls or dark smudges on our furniture, we would repair and clean it quickly and feel much better in the environment. Today you're not being asked to declutter or spring clean (heaven forbid - it's resting time!) but to simply consider the energy around you and how you would like it to feel. Today is about noticing the energy and knowing that allowing things to move away from you makes space for new things to flow into your life. Tuning into your space may give you surprising insights into how you want to feel in that space. Perhaps you'll realise you want more fun, or peace, love or freedom to move, eat or entertain in a whole different way. Again we remember that resting can mean doing things differently, a change from the usual. Energy Cleansing Ritual.
Have a super day. Trina x Remember we did not lose ourselves all at once. But we recover our authentic selves one kind gesture at a time... - Sarah Ban Breathnach (author Simple Abundance - a daybook of comfort and joy) Good Morning dear bliss buddies! Today's kind gesture of self care is a combination of many. A heavenly bathtime can be a very sacred resting ritual and can be as elaborate and detailed in its attention as you wish. Many ancient cultures treated bathing as a sacred healing art. These ancient bathing rituals grew from the recognition that water is an elemental force and has great power to heal. Tonight or any time that suits you best, prepare all you need to hand for a total head-to-toe bliss bath - or shower if you prefer. This is a good time to use up any free samples you might have (and from now on, when you get the opportunity ask for samples where possible and keep them safe in preparation of your next heavenly bathtime). If you are short on time today, choose even one or two extra elements to your bathing routine to help you feel like you are returning the love to your perfect body, one kind gesture at a time..... Epsom Salts? Research has proven that your body actually soaks up the magnesium in epsom salts when you bathe in it. Magnesium relaxes you and is said to regulate blood pressure and soothe aching muscles. It regenerates and heals skin cells. A good soak in these salts, reduces swelling, helps heal bruising and detoxifies your system. A shower alternative - Place salts in a thin sock and standing under the warm water, scrub your skin all over, brushing in the direction of your heart. Then rinse your skin. Try a little extra pampering Before you get into the bath prepare your face with a facial steam. Fill a bowl with hot water and a ripped open herbal tea bag, then lean over the bowl with a towel over your head. Breathe slowly for 5 to 10 minutes.* You can make a hair mask by whisking together 1 egg yolk, 2 tablespoons of coconut oil and 1 tablespoon of honey. Leave it in for around half and hour and during this time you can apply a face mask of your choice.* Have you tried dry brushing? Dry brushing is best done on dry skin but you can use a scented body oil if you prefer. Using a skin brush, start at your feet and brush up towards your heart using small, firm upward strokes or circular motions. On your stomach use anti-clockwise strokes. Brush for a minimum of three minutes.* It's possible you know well how to prepare for a good old bathtime pampering session but just in case you need a reminder here's a list: Dressing gown, relaxing music, scented candles, a long cool drink or herbal tea, cotton pads, bamboo cotton buds, make-up remover, face mask or scrub and cotton flannel to wash off, shampoo and conditioner, epilator or shaver, eyebrow tweezers, mirror, nail clippers, toner, moisturiser, overnight serum or oil, perfume, pumice stone or other foot skin softener, foot cream and hand cream. Dry your hair, blow out the candles and if it's nighttime slip into fresh nightwear. Place some lavender oil on your pillowcase and enhance that sleepy, relaxed, post-bath feeling. Make yourself a bedtime drink and bring it back to bed. While your hand cream and cuticle oil sink in, notice how wonderful your skin feels. *reference: Good Mornings - by Linnea Dunne Have a beautiful day. Trina x "I have always been delighted at the prospect of a new day, a fresh try..... with perhaps a bit of magic waiting somewhere behind the morning." - J.B. Priestly (Delight) There's something about a morning that feels like a second chance. We lived through yesterday... now we know better. Each morning throughout the month ahead, as you waken imagine yourself as though looking into the eyes of a precious child and welcoming her/him to the world. A beginner, new with a clean slate on which to draw unicorns and rainbows if so wished. If you waken the right way, you sprinkle magic on your day. As you waken, watch where your mind goes. Is it straight to the possible dramas that may need to be tackled? Or how many pieces can you divide yourself into so that everyone gets an equal share? Be really, really kind to yourself this restful month and know that whatever duty, responsibility or obligation you must take care of in the day ahead, you will return to this place of rest satisfied and contented in the part you played, so that all unfolded as it should.
My practice every morning before breakfast is to carry out my Miracle Morning Practice. This is an hour or a little more of my favourite things - I get up early and I can't imagine life without this most magical of practices now. It includes: Meditation, Journalling, Reading inspirational blogs/books/text etc., Gratitude List exercise, Select an Angel Guidance card, Creative Flow (using colour pens, I make notes of ideas, books, blogs, curiosity etc.) Scheduling the day ahead - shopping lists, recipes to cook, people to call, places to go..... If you'd like a copy of my morning planner you can download one here. There's an introduction, a sample page and then a printable page of your own to print out each day if you wish https://www.trinakeane.com/miracle-morning-planner.html Now that you've sprinkled a lot of magic in your day, it's time to live it a restful way. Choose restful thinking today and remember this doesn't necessarily mean the least active way. More likely it means doing things differently and resting from the usual- meaning customary or habitual - way. Got a super breakfast or smoothie recipe? Share it over on the November Bliss With Trina Keane Facebook page. Until tomorrow have a wonderful day, Trina x Good Morning - it's Day 2. In his book ‘The Promise of Sleep’, William C. Dement makes the case that one of the reasons we can’t sleep is that we think of it as a duty rather than a pleasure. But perhaps what we need most when it comes to sleep is to actually give ourselves permission to enjoy pleasure – and today our magical rest is all about seducing the pleasure of sleep. Today's tender task of self nurture is to Upgrade Your Dreamtime The first question we have is does your bedroom make you feel calm and relaxed? Are there object there that are triggers for stress – briefcase/ paperwork, bills etc / things in need of repair/ items belonging to others/ stored household items i.e. vacuum cleaner, ironing board, laundry etc? Would you say that there’s a beautiful, peaceful, harmonious energy in your bedroom? Do you need to cleanse your bedroom of negative energy? Does your bedlinen say a precious being sleeps here? Choose where you need to direct your energy most today in order to seduce restful sleep. When you give yourself permission to enjoy the pleasure of sleep you need to back that decision with supportive choices. A few months ago I made the decision to leave my phone at my desk at night and not take it to the bedroom. I had been waking at about 4am and finding it difficult to return to sleep, I’d occupy myself by checking news headlines, emails, Facebook etc. and then, if that didn’t send me back to sleep, I’d play a game or two. After a while I wondered if in fact I'd developed a habit of waking to play with my phone and not that my phone was amusing me until I dropped back to sleep. I still waken, but now I choose sleep. I literally say those words! And happily as a result of the choices I made to back up and support that quality of life decision, I have far fewer sleepless nights and a deeper more restful quality to my sleep. So today let’s set this month up for a truly magical rest. Let’s start with the bedroom and for the next 29 days put sleep first.
One of the practices I love for November Bliss is to have a turndown tray on my locker. Throughout the year I collect samples from the perfume and skin care departments in stores or from magazines etc. and then in it place cuticle oil, hand cream, eye pads, lavender pillow spray etc. When you waken in the morning, you feel as thought the restful selfcare has already begun! Keep a pen and paper beside your bed so that you can note any dreams, symbols or guidance you may have received during your sleep. It’s not too late to join us if you have friends or family you feel might benefit from some Magical Rest this month. Give them my email address and I will send them a catch up email so they’re all up to date. Wishing you sweet dreams tonight and for all the nights to come... 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. |