Present
Moments
Thoughts
from Susie Ascott - on living your Perfect Life
Welcome to January 2010 Issue of Present Moments!
Present
Moments includes tips for living your perfect life, an update on what I’ve
been up to and news of upcoming events.
You are receiving this because you have partnered with me in a
coach-client relationship, you have attended my yoga
classes or expressed an interest in coaching. If you would prefer not to
receive these (infrequent!) newsletters, then please let me know, susie_coach@bigpond.com
Special Offer: 6 week ecourse for only $50A for the
first 5 people to email me with an answer to the following question:
Question: What is the problem with affirmations?
Hint:
my answer can be found by reading the feature below; you may have a different
perspective.
In this issue:
Feature –
Why affirmations don’t always work
What’s
been happening?
Here in
the southern hemisphere we are into Summer. I’ve lived in Australia for over
20 years now, but still find it doesn’t really feel like Christmas when
the temperature is up in the 30s. Before I get accused of being a winge-ing POM, I’m not complaining, just
observing! It was wonderful to
start the New Year with an early morning yoga practice at the beach.
Visiting
my Mum in her dementia hostel has had quite an impact on me. Being in the company of those who have
confused memories seems to have sharpened my own capability to access childhood
memories. Mum often has to search for words to express her thoughts and she was
trying to describe her difficulty with remembering and making sense of the
workings of her mind. She came up with “There is so much out there on the
ether; it is amazing what sticks.” This struck me as a nugget of wisdom.
What are you picking up from the ether?
I have
finally upgraded my website www.presentperfect.com.au
to use Wordpress, which means that (in theory!) I can
easily update it myself and I have added a blog. Interesting how a background of over 20
years in the computer industry has left me with a reluctance to embrace
technology!
It’s
been a great year for my clients. There seems to be a lot of traveling happening! One has just returned to Australia from
New York. She’s staying just
long enough to upgrade her visa and then returning to her exciting new life,
having landed an opportunity for training in the film industry in New
York. Another is on holiday in Tibet,
then returning to complete her Phd before moving to
the USA. Another is just back from
8 months working and traveling in the UK.
A client from London is now in Canada…and a client from Finland is
now working at Yoga Thailand. All I
can say is thank heaven for skype!
Feature – Why affirmations don’t always work
Do you use affirmations? I confess that, while I fully appreciate
the power of our thoughts and our words, I sometimes have a problem embracing
affirmations.
When it comes to standing in front of a mirror,
looking myself in the eye and declaring
“I love and approve of myself just as I am” a part of me
(the Itty Bitty Shitty Committee inside my head) is grimacing and saying
“Yeah, right!” in it’s most sarcastic tone of voice. My
physical body feels uncomfortable.
At best I feel a little silly, at worst I feel that I am lying to
myself. If you don’t resonate
with your affirmation but you continue to say it anyway, does this not lead to
a mistrust in yourself?
I believe that it is the energy we put out, not just
the words we speak, which tunes us in to our “receiving channel.”
So, I was really excited to learn about using
Aspirations rather than Affirmations.
Instead of saying something which you don’t
believe, try putting “I aspire to” in front of it. So, the
example above becomes:
“I aspire to love and approve of myself just
as I am.” I can stand in front of a mirror and say this and my body is
happy to agree with my words.
Once you are OK with this then you can move up a
notch eg “Wouldn’t it be lovely to love and approve of myself just
as I am”;
then ”I am starting to treat myself with more love and approval”
…you get the idea. Each time you move your statement up a
notch check in with your body and make sure that your body, thoughts and words
are all in agreement.
Your thoughts?
|
af·fir·ma·tion ( n. 1. The act of affirming or the state of being affirmed; assertion. 2. Something declared to be true; a positive statement or judgment. 3. Law A solemn declaration
given in place of a sworn statement by a person who conscientiously objects
to taking an oath. |
as·pire (
-sp
r
)
intr.v. as·pired,
as·pir·ing, as·pires
1. To have a great ambition or ultimate goal; desire strongly: aspired to stardom.
2. To strive toward an end: aspiring to great knowledge.
3. To soar…..ILOVE this definition!
Recommended
Books I have enjoyed reading over the last few
months:
“The Lost Recipe for
Happiness” Barbara O’Neal
Easy reading, best read lying in a hammock with an affogato
In this sumptuous new novel, Barbara O’Neal offers readers a celebration of food, family, and love as a woman searches for the elusive ingredient we…more
“Siddartha” Hermann Hesse
I’ve rediscovered Hermann Hesse
recently (that’s what happens when you are supposed to be clearing
clutter! You keep finding things that you thought you had lost)
Like Hermann Hesse's other creations of struggling young men, Siddhartha has a good dose of European angst and stubborn individualism. His final epiphany challenges both the Buddhist and the Hindu ideals of enlightenment. Neither a practitioner nor a devotee, neither meditating nor reciting, Siddhartha comes to blend in with the world, resonating with the rhythms of nature, bending the reader's ear down to hear answers from the river. http://www.online-literature.com/hesse/siddhartha/
“Eastern Body Western
Mind” Anodea Judith
I haven’t quite made up my mind about this
book. It definitely isn’t light bedtime reading. One to re-read and reference and work
with for a while before I decide how useful it is to me.
In EASTERN BODY, WESTERN MIND, chakra
authority Anodea Judith brought a fresh approach to
the yoga-based Eastern chakra system, adapting it to
the Western framework of Jungian psychology, somatic therapy, childhood
developmental theory, and metaphysics. http://books.google.com.au/books?id=njJ_y0mLHdAC&dq=western+body+eastern+mind&source=gbs_navlinks_s
Yoga
Classes
I’m loving teaching yoga. THANK YOU to all my dedicated students.
See my blog
for latest timetable
Health
Break in Ubud,
A special yoga-based health break at 5 star resort,
Amori Villa www.amorivilla.com
in Ubud,
No yoga
experience required.
Our aim
is to relax and enjoy!
Cost:
Package price of
A$1050 includes 5 nights luxury accommodation (twin
share), breakfast, daily yoga and meditation sessions, two 1-hour
massages, two dinners, guided walks and a half-day excursion. (With no
additional service fees or taxes.)
Dates: March 20th to
Oil
Painting for Fun
Have fun discovering or rediscovering that painting
is fun. No experience is necessary.
Cost: $30 to
include paints, canvas and use of easel
Bring your own materials and the cost is $15
Dates: Sat
afternoons or Sunday afternoons
Live the Life You Really Want –
E-Course
A simple, step by step process to take you closer to
living the life you really want. All you need is access to email and about 1
hour per week.
Cost: $90 for 6 week class.
Dates:
start whenever
you want to
“All my benefits keep on growing from this
course. If I haven’t said it yet – thank you.”
“I really like your course, thank you for providing
me with the materials. They are very simple, clear and easy to
follow.”
“light bulb moments go off constantly in my
head, so much that I could light the city with it!”
“I definitely would like to tackle one,
but in a while, when I’m a bit more defined and sure of what it is I
want. “Ah.... but that will help me be defined won’t
it”... yes I can hear you through the computer!”
Thanks for Reading!
Smiles, Susie