I am reminded of time by the Olympic games taking place at the moment. I am not particularly keen on sport and do not like competition therefore I am being unpatriotic and not watching the events. I am however reminded of how timing is everything in our lives.
When we consider it, none of us knows how much time we have. This is what makes life so precious. If only we would take just a moment each day to contemplate this fact perhaps we would do our best to be our best even in the most mundane of situations. It is in the living each day as if it is our last that we really savour every moment.
Moments are indeed precious. It is afterall that 1/1000th of a second that determines the difference between gold, silver, bronze or no medal at all. It is in that 1/1000th of a second that either 'good' or 'bad' news hits us and can completely change our life course, determining all our future decisions, perspectives and sense of well being.
Time itself however, is elastic. Consider sitting in a waiting room for the dentist or doctor, or as many of us have done as a parent, whilst our child undergoes an operation. At this point time is indeterminate and stretches into eternity. Alternatively the flash before our eyes of an incident such as observing an accident leaves us wondering how so much could have occurred in such a brief moment. Trying to recall actual details of such an event become impossible as it just did not register.
Our sense of time can be altered by meditation and hypnotherapy. In theory the registration or processing of moments in our brain slows, altering our perception of time. We enter a theta level brain wave pattern. Drugs, medical or recreational, can also have this effect. We are therefore reliant upon our neuronal processing for our sense of timing and upon our ability to process and retain events. Memory is a fundamental part of how we interpret our time and whether it has been well spent.
Spending our time well often seems like an Olympian task when we are faced with diffculties or stiff competition. In cooperative sharing and caring we obtain help along the way and achieve far more as a collective than is possible alone. When we are joyful and free to follow our dreams there are still responsibilities and rigorous training to get to our destination as the Olympiads know only too well. However it doesn't stop them from going for gold, striving to be the best and sacrificing for their team mates. May we all learn something from this even in the mundane!

For a personal view on the Olympic Opening Ceremony from a good friend of mine who was present go to
http://blog.visceralbusiness.com/olympicsandimpacts

 A friend of mine has recently introduced me to the energy fields of Feng Shui. I had come across this years ago whilst voyaging through many Chinese practices such as T'ai Chi, Chi Gung, Accupuncture, Shiatsu and Taoist philosophy. I'd never taken Feng Shui as seriously as perhaps I should have especially as the other forms of knowledge have taken prominent roles in my life.
 I have mentioned previously (Energy Imprints blog) how unconsciously I had been creating more than my fair share of washing by loading up my Abundance corner with wash baskets and clothes horses. These have dutifully been cleared away and I have to say the washing does seem to have diminished considerably! Coincidence? Hardly, since circumstances haven't changed. I still have two daughters living at home who believe that clothes should be washed even if they have only brushed against skin in a trial outfit exploration exercise.
 So with this in mind, I have watched the progress of the money plant which has sat in the Abundance corner for a couple of years now. I recently felt somewhat distressed by its condition. It has gone rather yellow and dropped many leaves. My fear was that having cleared the washing away, it didn't know what to do with the increased light and space it had been given. Today I have considered this further. I realise that I have conscientiously watered it a great deal more than usual this year. Symbolically this would appear to reflect the amount of emotional investment I have placed into setting up a business after being made redundant. I've had time to water the plants! As a result it seems to be following the fate of my herb garden and drowned in despair. The last few days (of sunshine in the real world!!!) I have left it dry. To my surprise it is now sprouting further stems around the original. I had not noticed these before.
 The message I am receiving from this is that if we pay less attention to trying to force what we want and allow our plans to develop organically at their own pace instead, then things take off in new unexpected directions. This new growth and the 'branching out' is exactly what I need to occur and I am seeing the Money Plant in the Abundance Corner as a sign that the roots and foundations that I have been putting in place are now beginning to shoot and produce results.

 What takes you out of the mundane, carries you across limitless skies beyond the here and now crises and trauma? How do you find the wings to lift you out of the mire?  There is one tool we all have, even in our darkest hour - Imagination.
 Don't be fooled by that voice in your head that says "Don't be silly", "I can't think of anything", "Nothing ever comes right for me!" for that is just another aspect of your imagination working for the false prophets of doom.
 If we are so good at creating fears and blocks in our lives why can this not be turned around to produce positives? We are all conditioned to believe the worst of ourselves having heard this from authority figures and significant others over the years. Their own fears about releasing their personal blocks and expanding into largess of spirit have been handed down to you with gusto!
 It is in our darkest hour that a new perspective seems totally impossible to achieve - in fact it is at this point that we feel incapable of even considering our minds to have the ability to create a new reality. Yet in the deepest moment of despair a great transition is taking place since there is nowhere to go but further inside, closer to our core 'truth'. In the dark cave where the shadows of our innermost demons dance we become blinded by fear. However, hidden in the recesses also lies a magnificent well of hope. Daring to search for it is the first step. Drawing the bucket up inch by inch requires great effort. What is reflected back at us by the water held within is all a matter of what we feel impelled to avoid in order to learn the truth about ourself. Through practice and disciplining the mind to see the ironies of life and humour in our own foibles we can reach beyond the dross floating upon its surface. Dip in and feel the cool, soft, pure gentleness of the water.
 It is decision time. Needs must and necessity is the mother of invention. If we only hold onto the misery then we will invent and imagine new ways of avoiding any possible change to our circumstances. When we let go, it is not a freefall into an abyss for there is always a parachute available if we only ask for help. Opening the mind is the surest way of opening that parachute and gradually gliding to safety. It may not always be a smooth landing but it will be upon solid ground that supports your next step.
 Hold out for that moment and believe... use your imagination and ask for help!

 The night was dark. The light breeze through the open window was calming. The pulse of the earth was palpable. I was cocooned under a duvet, comforted by the closeness of warm, soft cotton caressing my skin with each movement of my body.
 I closed my eyes awaiting that moment when sleep would lure me to other realms. My mind drifted into silence yet all was not still. A light suddenly flashed across my eyelids creating shapes against my personal inner wall to the world. Intruders tramping upon my solitude. I opened my eyes in wonderment to darkness.
 Staring into blankness, the light reappeared as a sudden momentary brilliant spark delineating the cracks in the plaster and brickwork of this old house. At first I felt uncertainty but remembered that I had left the curtains open and therefore this was a real intrusion from outside not an apparition.
 The bay window in daylight revealed a vista across the sea with the curvature of the land embracing the span of the bay. Miles of innocent beauty encompassed lovingly by a sandy coloured cupped hand. I was aware of a road in the distance but surely the lights of nocturnal travellers could not reach my small cave high in the house? There were no lighthouses on this stretch of coast. I'd checked this out on a local map in the hope of visiting one.
 Curiosity got the better of me as another flash cut through my reverie. I sat up slowly and turned to face the window, on my knees, the mattress supporting me with ease. I was consumed by the beauty before me. The indigo sky was peppered with stars. Each unique yet connecting in my mind to create the patterns of the constellations. Twinkling bright diamonds containing hints of translucent blues and yellows communicating a mystery delivered throughout eternity. Starlight takes literally light years to reach this planet so I found myself absorbing the power of the ancients and knowledge of an interstellar sentience.
 In a trance like state I lowered my eyes to the horizon. There along the shoreline lay a sprinkling of fallen stars flashing a regular beat and rhythm as if an atomic pulsation was revitalising the earth. It took a moment for me to realise that these were the fishermen who would sit patiently for hours beyond the hustle of daylight using what must be halogen lamps to lure the fish that rode the restless surface of the waves, closer to the shore.
 Transfixed by these signs of life I observed the transformative power of light within the void of darkness. Sensing limitless space and time in this sacred packet of a moment, I turned again to my bed. I cast my head upon the pillow, fishing for dreams. 

I have just returned home from a wonderful few days on a Creative Writing Retreat arranged by Alternatives, facilitated by Jackee Holder and held at the Othona Community in Dorset.
www.alternatives.org.uk
www.jackeeholder.com
www.othona-bb.org.uk

As soon as I arrived at Othona I felt at home. I immediately texted my daughters to let them know I'd arrived in heaven! I adore the sea and hear it speak to me. I am constantly drawn to it as if it is in my blood. I need to see it and make contact on a regular basis in order to revitalise myself. Imagine therefore my delight to find that Othona was located on a hillside overlooking a fabulous vista across the bay from Portland Bill to the east and as far as the eye could see to the west. However, the climax came as I entered my room... a massive bay window overlooking the sea! It felt like entering an IMax cinema as my eyes were magnetised to the window. It's a suprise that I went to any of the sessions as I could quite happily have spent the time there ensconced in my room gazing in awe.

The weather for once was extremely kind to us. Not wanting to waste a minute even I, a relative stranger to the cracks of dawn, was out on the beach by 7am each morning, showered and prepared for the day. It was a 20 minute walk to the shore line and a fairly strenuous walk back up the hill. However, the call of fresh foods lovingly prepared provided a strong impetus to return. The Orthona team catered for every dietary need with compassion and respect and nothing was too much for them. We in turn were able to show our gratitude by joining in the rotas for the daily chores which knitted us into the community as  honorary members. Tony's mellifluous voice and gentle instruction ensured we never felt at sea or adrift but were embraced within the heart of Othona.

Jackee is a real treasure! I so enjoyed the way she held the energy for the group and the fun that she brought into everything we did. Whilst some material plummetted us into the depths of old emotions and revealed outworn habits for what they were - blocks, barriers, excuses and resistance - no one could dwell on the threshold of their darker memories for long.

Many of us had not really thought of ourselves as writers. Despite my love of writing, my honouring of words well crafted and deep need to communicate and share, I too had never seriously considered the possibility. I now understand this is a fundamental part of who I am and intend to take this realisation with me every step of the way into the future. I shared this release into a new identity and space with some amazing writers in the group. Their ability to grapple with raw emotion and weave beautiful descriptives together so lovingly left me simply thirsting for more. I feel a deep gratitude for the inspiration I received from them and great respect for their journeys so beautifully portrayed. I believe we all came away feeling we had been 'ordained' with the ability to go forth and spread the word.

This is the beauty of community on this level - the empowerment and the loving support of the group that holds that higher frequency until it is embedded and strong enough to be taken forth into the 'real' world with confidence. Thanks to Jackee's dynamism, wisdom and humour we have all been transformed on some level and can take that new found inner peace with us to the audiences that await us, renewed in our faith and determination to follow the path that lies clearly before us ... as writers!

I've been considering how this 'spiritual path' can be such a slog. It seems that we no sooner get over one 'difficulty' than others turn up to replace them. We are challenged and feel like giving up at times. Although it can seem like very hard work, I have realised that these intrusions are a very good thing afterall.
When we are willing to change ourselves and put out our intentions to make this world a better place, it all starts on the inside. For this reason old patterns surface and aggravation increases as we want to be rid of the dross in order to move forward and grow peacefully. The more these challenges arise the more frustrated we can get. However, it is actually a sign that we are making great progress. We are weeding out the old and being given a valid opportunity to review how we deal with situations and relationships, not least that of valuing our own self. This in itself allows us to realign our thoughts, feelings and actions to our new purpose.
In this respect I have just been told that there is some work going where I was previously employed. Its interesting to note that I thought I had completely let go of that and yet here it is raising its head again. I believe this is a temptation to go backwards, seemingly offering some sort of security. I know this is an illusion and my determination is only to move forwards. I remain resolute despite what may appear to others as having no obvious solid ground beneath my feet.
Your path will also wend and weave its way in unexpected twists and turns. Temptations will abound, craving you to leave your path and find 'security' in lesser things. However, when you are true to your heart's calling and listen to your soul's prompting you will know instinctively what to do and you will find your way through the undergrowth.
Keep On Keeping On!!!

I woke up this morning full of hope and optimism. The sun was visible through the curtains and it felt as if something had lifted. Of course by the time I got the washing on the line it had clouded over again but let's not allow that to spoil the day!
I went for a walk in the woods near my house and spotted a deer grazing. It saw me and we exchanged a very long loving gaze. I felt honoured that it then just continued to graze and was not frightened off. According to the medicine cards Deer represents gentleness and I certainly felt that resonating between us.
I then had a claim to fame as I was interviewed via Skype by Ana Isabel astrologer for a programme about what it's like to have a Libra moon. If you are interested in astrology then you can catch up with any of Ana's programmes 'Astrology Programme - Lightways' on www.myspiritradio.com
This afternoon the relaxed pace and peaceful atmosphere was shattered by the Red Arrows flying over my house. They'd obviously heard that I'd finally published my Facebook page!
www.facebook.com/pages/Sharon-Galliford-Healer/435997463089655
I believe they were actually marking the end of the two week Farnborough Airshow but that's irrelevant.
I found it rather ironic that I had started the day with the gentle deer and then rounded off the afternoon with a tumultuous fly past celebrating air power and weaponry.
Such is life. There is love and fear everywhere in this world of duality and the medicine card reminds me that "both the light and dark may be loved to create gentleness and safety for those who are seeking peace." (Sams and Carson 1998 Medicine Cards. St. Martin's Press).

I spent today at an eco-friendly celebration. This was organised by the Ascot 'Ascent' group and held at a nearby school.
Ascent is a conglomeration of several groups representing a variety of ecological interests in the area. Displays included community support, grow your own, green books, health promotion and a wonderful children's area.
I provided taster Healing sessions throughout the day.
Festivities were provided by a djembe drumming session and singing by a wonderful community singer who got us all up dancing and joining in. Great fun was had by all alongside the more serious matters of addressing local concerns.
It was most encouraging to see just how many initiatives are taking place and to learn about the numerous undertakings by local people willing to act on behalf of their communities not only to preserve but also to promote the well being of residents, wild life, countryside and environment of the locality.
This was a very positive celebration of community in action at the grass-roots level and I am proud to have been part of it.

I often draw upon divination cards for some guidance and possible advice. Today I used Doreen Virtue's Archangel Michael cards and 'Self-Respect' appeared.
This is usually as much about boundaries as anything else. When we have self-respect we are able to say "no" without feeling guilty. We are able to ask for help when we need it. We are able to understand and use our strengths for the best outcomes. We are able to magnetise in situations that will help us.
Why and how does this happen?
When we have self-respect we intuitively know what is right and wrong, what will 'work' and what won't. There are few doubts about how to move forward in life and this gives signals to those around who in turn honour that 'message'. We appear 'strong' and others respect this.
In what areas of your life are you lacking in self-respect? This is a question we should all ask ourselves on occassion.

I have just returned home from a wonderful week spent with friends in Derbyshire. This was in order to go to our graduation at Liverpool John Moore's University. The ceremony was held in Liverpool's Anglican cathedral with full pomp and fanfare. I dutifully received my MSc in a brief glide across the podium shaking hands with Chancellors and other University representatives.
I ask myself however, what is it that qualifies any of us to be here at this time? I am talking about being human on this planet right now. There are so many corrupt and devious undercurrents coming to light that one might wonder about the true purpose of our existence.
I am convinced that the vast majority of us are here to take a very different stance. We all have the qualifications to stand up for what is right and to treat each other fairly and with compassion in these difficult times. It is this that keeps me optimistic. At last the noxious underhand dealings are surfacing for us all to see and this is good. As more and more is revealed so we are given the power to overturn the old outworn, decrepit and narcissistic ways of doing things that serve the few and destroy so many.
So take a good look at yourself and congratulate yourself for every moment you have spent in service in any way to others. Each gesture of this kind makes a huge difference to the world in which we live. Whether you have academic qualifications or not is irrelevant - the power lies in your hands, act accordingly.