Alive Magazine - Edition 31 - February 2023

Feb 25

DUNGA IN A DAY

When: Saturday, February 25 from 7am to Sunday, February 26 9am

Where: All Abilities Playground Hervey Bay

What: Dunga In A Day returns. A whole new adventure for the family in any sort of car for any age. Dress to impress and bring the bling. We are having” lunch at the races” Fashions on the field, a Calcutta and whole lot more Greased Monkey Madness. Bring the kids and let them navigate just like on the Dunga Derby. A great way to introduce others to our amazing charity. An easy drive with a small amount of dirt roads. Three sections of route notes, Morning Tea, Lunch Games for the whole family, Raffles, Lucky Door Prize, Best Themed Team, Mystery Celebrity Guests and whole lot of fun. Afternoon scenic drive to the finish point no more than 2 hours from Hervey Bay. Expect all raffles and presentations done by 4pm so those coming home can be back in daylight.

Cost: From $48.56

Feb 18

BETTER TOGETHER: ARTIST

COLLECTIVES

When: Saturday, Feb 18 at 9:30am - 12:30pm

Where: Hervey Bay Regional Gallery

What: In this morning of talks and networking, artists from across the Wide Bay region are invited to hear about the different ways artist collectives provide support and opportunities to both their members and the broader community through innovative models. Join us for a thought-provoking and inspirational morning.

Feb 23

MARYBOROUGH MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID TRAINING

When: Thursday, Feb 23 - 24 9am - 4pm Where: Maryborough Services Memorial Bowls Club

What: Learn the Skills to have conversations with friends, family, colleagues and others about mental health.

Learn to identify the signs of developing mental health issues, and then how to approach the person supporting them into professional help.

MURAL OF THE MONTH - MARYBOROUGH MURAL TRAIL

ADDING HOPE TO THE JOURNEY

With the artist’s commission sponsored by the Rotary Club of Maryborough, and located on the wall above the King Kong Sales facade, this mural celebrates 85 years of Rotary in Maryborough and 110 years internationally. Rotary is an international organisation whose purpose is to provide humanitarian services, encourage high ethical standards, and to advance goodwill and peace around the world.

THE ALIVE TEAM

Founder / Creative Director JOY BUTLER info@alivemag.com.au

Editor KERRIE ALEXANDER

Deputy Editor LEANNE ESPOSITO

Digital Editor LIZZIE MACAULAY

Advertising Executive

DARREN STIMPSON darren@alivemag.com.au Phone 0408 122 050

Advertising Representative KAREN WHITE karen@alivemag.com.au Phone 0418 197 386

Advertising Representative KIM HARRIS kim@alivemag.com.au

Head of Distribution JAMIE BUTLER

All editorial and advertising in Alive Magazine publications are published in good faith based on material, verbal or written, provided by contributors and advertisers. No responsibbility is taken for errors or omissions and opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher. All material in Alive Magazine is subject to copyright provisions. No part of this publication may be reproduced without written permission from the publisher.

Feedback or suggestion? Send to: info@alivemag.com.au

Feb 10

BIZIWOMEN CONNECT

When: Friday, Feb 10 11am - 1pm

Where: Urangan Community Wellness Centre

What: Whether you are trying to kick sugar to the curb or being more organised in your home and work life she designs strategies that help you work on the biggest piece of the puzzle to success and that’s your MINDSET. Helping you reach your goals by structuring systems and processes that put you back in control of the outcomes and build better habits for your health and business in 4 easy steps.

by Leanne Esposito

TO CARE OR NOT TO CARE

THAT IS THE QUESTION WE MUST ASK MEET RUSS BENNING AN EXTRAORDINARY MAN WHO THROUGH ADVERSITY HAS AWAKENED TO LIVE A GREATER LIFE SHARING KNOWLEDGE WITH CARE

Now here’s a couple of seminal questions we need to ask ourselves when we think of the concept of caring.

Each are worthy of deeply abiding consideration and thoughtful provocation if we wish to be truly honest in the present moment.

Now stay with me. It’s worth it. I promise. I ask you to take a minute or two while I expand on a couple of ideas here.

First. If you don’t care for yourself, then who’s going to really care for you?

And before you chide me with the disability card here, imagine all of the amazing people who are either physically or psychologically challenged and who do their utmost to live a fulfilled life by caring enough to better themselves. Learned helplessness is something I believe they shun in order to feel strong despite their afflictions.

Alternatively, are you so confident, and brave and self-sustaining that you truly believe that you have enough strength, resilience and compassion, to genuinely care for another without first checking in with yourself?

I hope I haven’t lost you. This is not a navel gazing session, rather a gentle thought provoking prod at ourselves to discover our genuine source and potential ability to truly care for self and others.

Let’s look at two complementary theories which uphold the premise that we need a strength of purpose to well serve another human.

One is the notion that you can’t pour from an empty cup. Essentially, this means that in order for us as humans, to effectively take care of others, we must initially take care of ourselves. Our cup must first be filled. Selfish is the word that may spring to mind, but wait there is more which underpins the veracity of this maxim.

The other is The Oxygen Mask Theory which, if you have travelled on an aeroplane you will know the drill. “First secure your mask before assisting children or the elderly”. In other words, in order to help other people, you must first and foremost survive. You will need that oxygen mask to stay alive. So you must help yourself before you help others. In such a situation you should at least practice enough selfcare to be alive, awake, and alert.

Both these notions are intuitive in nature, but can be more difficult to put into practice, especially if you abhor the thought of being selfish – right? It seems counter intuitive to the selfless nature of caring.

Now, I believe it’s time for me to introduce you to the man in whose company I experienced this very teachable moment. The day I learnt, that in order to be selfless, you must first be selfish and practice selfcare.

I can honestly say that I’ve not ever met a young man so open and aware: aware of otherness. Not just in his immediate surroundings or his job at hand, which was speaking to me, but in the existential, or nature of our existence.

Our two-hour conversation covered a diverse range of topics from birth to death, eastern philosophy and religion, the universe and everything in between.

I latterly discovered through his Instagram posts @ russbenningphotography that even though he was born in Melbourne and loves Australia, he is not a huge fan of borders and considers himself a citizen of the Earth. A small statement which only scratches the surface of who is this man.

Russ was most certainly born in Melbourne and moved to Mildura at the age of seven where he finished his schooling before completing a Bachelor of Business in Tourism and Hospitality in Bendigo. He would regularly visit Hervey Bay where his grandparents owned a holiday house. It’s the one he

now calls home. While those locations bookend his life to date there have been many travels, trials and travails in between.

Prior to embarking on a career in photography in 2011 where he photographed weddings, real estate, commercial and nightclub gigs, Russ did work in tourism.

“I went to visit a friend in Airlie Beach and fell in love. I took a job in tourism for two years travelling up and down the Queensland coast working in account management and sales. I guaranteed two years and I upheld that agreement. I resigned because seeing other people travel inspired me to travel,” he said.

Returning to work in a winery in Mildura during the vintage season afforded him the resources to top up his bank balance enough to embark on what would be an amazing journey across the Americas from Canada in the north, through the United States, ending up in Colombia where he agreed to work as an extra in a telenovela (television show) called Ninas mal.

“They were looking for gringos. It was awesome. I met a lot of ex-pats in Bogata. For the next two weeks I was hardly in the show but I loved it,” he said.

During his formative years Russ confessed to not needing a camera to capture a visual memory in perpetuity, but that soon changed.

“I took a point and shoot camera. It didn’t weigh me down or change the way I moved. I soon learned the power of photography in recognising, appreciating and sharing beauty in all it’s forms. I had been around the world. I wanted to share,” he said.

Returning to Airlie Beach was where his photography skills were honed and his love for telling stories through creative art was sealed.

“I bought my first SLR camera when I was offered a job back in Airlie Beach taking photos on a boat off Whitehaven Beach. Two weeks later the boat was decommissioned. In that time, I met another guy who taught me so much about photography. My initial agreement was nullified and my new colleague and I registered our brand R & R Digital Imaging. I learnt a lot while continuing to shoot lifestyle, portraits and wedding photography,” he said.

Russ was easily swimming along a lively river until he hit the strongest turbulence of his young life. At 35 he suffered a stroke which damaged his occipital lobe and his creative ability was compromised.

“I was photographing on Whitehaven Beach. It was hot and I thought I was suffering from heatstroke. I had a history of migraines so I thought I needed to drink more water. My girlfriend at the time cared for me. After two or three days my vision had not returned. I saw a neurologist in Townsville who confirmed the stroke diagnosis and told me that my vision is not coming back,” he said.

Photos by Russ Benning

While an acceptance of this traumatic physical upheaval is a daily practice for Russ it has provided growth for him in other areas. He appears to have surrendered to his current state and is peacefully, with practice, flowing along the river of life.

“It’s a dance and balance between owning it and getting on with it anyway, also allowing yourself to grieve. We all have these two poles between victim mode and responsibility. It’s my choice. Like the Buddhist saying, there are two ways to live: you can live as if nothing is a miracle, or you can live as if everything is a miracle. I choose the second,” he said.

Thich Nhat Hanh, author of The Miracle of Mindfulness supports that all we are and do is a miracle.

“You are the miracle and everything you touch could be a miracle.”

We just need to believe that we are all miracles and that in the choice miraculous things happen.

Often it’s in a daily practice that we learn to believe in the miraculous and in ourselves and begin to reshape the broken part of each of us to a point that we can care for and help others.

Russ has identified and sat with the dark times he suffered post stroke. I personally can’t imagine what it is to have experienced an upheaval as devastating as having your creative abilities, those that you most enjoy, those for which you live and breathe; those for which you get out the bed in the morning, snatched from this world and this reality. Russ has remained positive by making gentle shifts in his life through first, a Vipassana (an ancient mindfulness meditation technique) Retreat and a spiritual journey to Bali which have helped him heal.

“I don’t want to say that I’ve been through the dark day of the soul and that I’m now perfect. It’s never over or complete until we stop breathing.

“People that have an experience note that a degree of wisdom does come but, it doesn’t mean that the rest of life is sunshine and rainbows.

“It is a constant commitment to nurture the inner child. What is self-care if it’s not that,” Russ said.

Russ, like us all, is a work in progress. However, what he has learnt about himself through the support of an online Men’s Circle has given him strength to find another way to live. He is now running the Men’s Circle and is a Mindset Coach. Through constant self-reflection and care he is now able to assist others.

Photo by Russ Benning

“I’ve been through anxiety and depression and I’m deeply passionate about awareness, understanding and prevention of mental illness,” he said.

He said that he subscribes to everything in personal development, to some degree, and that important practices like mediation and journaling are a good place to start.

“The four cores of my program are meditation and some mindfulness practice; journaling; movement (bodies need to move); diet and nutrition. Remember we are what we eat. Food is medicine. Real food, ideally organic, food without chemicals and refinement.

“The body is intelligent and needs the right ingredients. Our natural state is abundance.

“Just like a tree, with the right ingredients of wind, water and fertile soil, there is no way it won’t thrive.

“It doesn’t need coaching,” he said.

With so many profound statements in such a short space, which is sometimes difficult to digest, it’s time to guide you back to the importance of self-care before you can care for others.

Let’s examine the title of the article, the one before the seminal questions. It is indeed Shakespearian in nature, if you recognised the pun. And like every great man, either writer, guru or philosopher, who has come before and asked the same questions, it’s those wise souls who’ve taught their fellow humans similar lessons in multiple ways. All we need to do is take note and listen.

I’ve listened and I believe that Russ Benning is such a man. In his trauma there has been an awakening. His life purpose statement is humbling. He says that he lives to enjoy and appreciate a full human experience and inspires others to do the same. It’s as if he is now living in abundance and throwing some our way.

And in his observations he is capable of seeing the true beauty in our world and his mission is to share that beauty.

He now lives with an abundance of purpose contributing to a collective consciousness willing to learn the real nature of life. We are indeed fortunate to be sharing an energetic connection with a man who is caring enough about his fellow human to openly share what he inherently feels.

“The three basic material rights – continuity, mutual obligation, and the pursuit of happiness.”

- David Brin, Tomorrow Happens

Photo by Russ Benning

by Kerrie Alexander

EXTRAORDINARY HEARTS BRING COMFORT

Hervey Bay residents who are opening their homes and their hearts in a big way are helping to create a better tomorrow for children in need.

They are single people, those with partners, people from different cultural backgrounds, renters, homeowners, full-time workers, those without children, stay-at-home parents and grandparents.

They are foster carers.

Sadly, there are many children on the Fraser Coast that enter the protection system through no fault of their own and need a place to live while their parent/s get their lives back on track or a relative, guardian or family member agrees to care for them.

Foster and kinship care are forms of family-based care for children and young people who can’t live at home because they have experienced or are at risk of harm or neglect, or can’t live at home for other reasons.

Service Manager Jasmine Sims from Churches of Christ Care – Children Youth & Families, is one of many advocates who works to recruit and train foster carers on the Fraser Coast.

Churches of Christ Children, Youth and Families Fraser Coast is a not-for-profit service and is the only agency in the area recruiting, supporting and monitoring Foster and Kinship carers. And the demand for their carers is high!

Foster carers can choose to provide respite care for just a weekend or a week, short-term care for six weeks to six months, long-term care and specialist care for children with challenging behaviours, children with disabilities, or those from particular cultural backgrounds.

“We are the only fostering service on the Fraser Coast, when young people require a family-based placement it is up to us to find placements,” Jasmine said.

“A big part of our role is to recruit carers who want to open their hearts and their homes to help provide a safe, caring and supportive place for children and young people.”

From the time the children are in foster care they become family said Kevin and Helen, a husband-andwife team who have been fostering in the region for the past 28 years.

Before their foster care journey began, the two were holidaying in Sydney where the amount of homeless youth in the city opened their eyes to the extent of the crisis.

They returned home and started searching for a way to help and decided that with no children of their own at the time, foster caring was right for them.

Their first child was a three-day-old baby boy with who remains very much a part of their family today.

Countless other children, long and short-term, have been welcomed into their home with open arms over those 28 years.

The couple did have a son of their own some years later and just loves his brothers and sisters.

“He has never known any different. All the children just become part of your family,” Kevin said.

“I can’t imagine being plucked out of a home and being sent to someone different,” Helen said.

“We were brought up with a family so to try and understand it, you really can’t.”

The children that come into care have experienced trauma and while the foster carers can’t change what has happened in the past, they can provide safety and guidance into the future.

“We can’t change things, but we do the best we can. We are basically there to guide,” Helen said.

Jessie also shared her foster care journey, becoming a foster carer eight years ago.

“When you truly get to love a child that you didn’t create and they love you just as much back, that is a true blessing!” she said.

“If you can teach a child to find calmness in their chaotic life, that is a blessing as well.”

They come into care because there is a high risk of harm or neglect identified.

However, they said the extensive training and support from Churches of Christ care prepares you for what’s ahead.

“They are only ever a phone call away,” Helen said.

Jasmine said that matching children with the right foster families is important, and that there is an extensive recruitment process to ensure this happens.

“When an applicant applies, there is an initial meeting, the case worker will go to the applicant’s home for a meet and greet, and, to check that their home is suitable, followed by an assessment which is quite an in-depth process.”

When an applicant goes through the recruitment process, prospective carers are invited to discuss any placement considerations and determine what will suit their household circumstances; including the age of young people and the type of care they wish to provide.

“It is not for everyone, you just have to go into this with an open mind and open heart.”

Anyone can apply to be a foster carer - you just need to be 18 and over, living in Queensland, love children and have a desire to give back to the community.

Visit cofc.com.au to find out more.

by Kerrie Alexander

by Colleen Ferris-Barker

Photo

Aground-breaking three-week therapy is transforming the lives of people who have lingering effects of distressing life events through to extreme trauma.

Dean and Tania Comerford are two well-known and respected therapists who have been offering The Richards Trauma Process (TRTP) as part of their Nourish Mind Soul Body practice in Hervey Bay for the past 18 months.

The two have seen about 100 clients transform into happy, healthy and free humans who lost the weight of their traumarelated symptoms of anxiety, depression, fears and phobias, PTSD, shame and grief.

However, this isn’t a therapy they introduced simply to make money.

It saved Dean’s life!

Prior to living in Hervey Bay, Dean was a dedicated leader of a community organisation and a loving husband to Tania and a father of two.

So, it was devastating to all who knew him that in 2020, in the height of the Covid pandemic, Dean suffered a mental health breakdown.

It was clear that he needed urgent help after Tania found him on the couch, sitting in the foetal position because his employer had called him in for a meeting about his wellbeing. He simply couldn’t get off the couch or leave the house.

“Covid just did an absolute number on my head,” Dean said.

“But it wasn’t Covid’s fault, I was frozen by childhood related trauma.

“14 days to flatten to curve I would have been fine. I would have gritted through. Five weeks into the crisis that just kept getting deeper and deeper and there was nothing in me that could comfort and console myself.

“I realise now that that is something we learn from our parents in childhood.

“When we skin our knee or a pet dies, our parents comfort us and they teach us how to comfort ourselves. My parents didn’t. So, you end up in crisis.

“So, I look back now and see when 9/11 happened and when Gympie, where we were living flooded, I would go into crisis mode but they were for short periods of time so I could come out the other end.

“Nothing came back to normal with Covid and I literally crashed.”

His Brisbane-based counsellor had only just trained in TRTP and decided that Dean urgently needed the elegantly simple, yet comprehensive, step-by-step process.

Tania said the results were profound.

“Dean would speak to 1000s of people and nothing really stopped him and then he became this man that couldn’t even leave the house,” Tania said.

“That is how we were introduced to TRTP and it’s only three sessions over three weeks, and I literally watched Dean change before my eyes.

“We were married for 32 years at that point and he just became this completely different man who was calm and content.

“It didn’t just take him out of that hole that he had fallen into with covid, it actually gave me the husband that I always knew was within him.

“I would literally go around the house saying, ‘who are you’?”

It wasn’t long before Tania and Dean were both trained in the process and changing lives daily.

“Because I had seen Dean totally change in those three weeks, I just said whatever you have just done, I need to do that for my clients,” Tania said.

“As a qualified counsellor I had been trained that when you’re working with clients with trauma you can be working with them for years and years and its slow work.

Photo by Isaac Marano

“On the other hand, I just watched my husband change in three weeks and I really liked this version of him, and he liked this version of himself.

“Ethically, how could I know that there is a process that could heal people of their trauma in three weeksand not offer it to my clients; that didn’t sit well with me. I had to train in this.”

The move was made to the stunning Villa Cavour Bed & Breakfast in Point Vernon where the two now offer accommodation as well as the counselling service.

There are six TRTP practitioners in Hervey Bay who are now fully trained in the practice.

So, how does it work?

TRTP makes use of imagination to deal with trauma where it is stored in the subconscious and in the body.

It initially deals with the underlying, unconscious core beliefs which keep a person stuck in negative patterns of thought, emotion and behaviour.

TRTP then takes the emotional charge from the past, moving the client to a place of empowerment in relation to the trauma.

The client is shifted from fight/flight/freeze and moved to an empowered, self-regulated state.

The sympathetic nervous system is calmed. The memory of the trauma is placed firmly in the past.

The client quickly moves from their state of fight, flight, freeze – ‘I’m not safe!’ To, ‘It’s over. I’m safe now…’ Calm returns, on all levels. Symptoms cease.

“Suicidal people have said to me if this doesn’t work, I can’t live anymore it’s too hard,” Tania said.

“Seeing them go from that to three weeks later having so much joy and energy for life it’s just miraculous to see.

“What we richly imagine, our mind and body believe to be true.

“We replace negative subconscious core belief with the truth; that they matter, that they are valuable and that they deserve success.

“Using imagination, we take our clients on this beautiful journey.”

Tania said there are of course people who feel it’s too good to be true and that’s the hardest hurdle to jump.

“We’ve trained ourselves to be sceptical and if it sounds too good to be true it usually is.

“We say to people, we can lead a horse to water but we can’t make it drink, because we want people to be really committed. We do our appointments with all our heart and soul but they have to really want it.”

Tania is now also documenting their journey in her first book titled ‘I got a new husband in three weeks’.

“This is a book about what life was like before and after Dean had TRTP,” Tania said.

“You don’t know what you are carrying until it’s gone.

“People don’t get that you can actually have this whole new life and feel good.

“It’s our lived experience and that’s why we are passionate about it.

“It’s a really sucky business model though,” added Dean.

“In normal counselling you help people for months or years, but because our clients get well, every month we need to find new clients,” he said with a laugh.

The two have seen people find the strength to leave abusive relationships, quit a bad job and even end toxic marriages.

“That’s what we do and it’s flipping exciting!” Tania said.

“I wake up every day and say ‘I am going to change people’s lives today.

“There is nothing more rewarding.”

Tania and Dean are taking on clients from all over the world with the sessions done either online or faceto-face in their private Nourish office.

To find out more, call Tania on 0492 911 109, email admin@nrsh.me, visit www.nrsh.me or reach out on the Nourish Mind Soul Body Facebook page.

Photo by Colleen Ferris-Barker

by Gallery 5

@gallery5HBAS

ART OF GENEVIEVE NEALE

Ican still make that drawing my mother taught me when I was 7. It was a drawing of a Malay attap house on stilts with a coconut tree next to it. The sun shining down, some bits of grass on the ground. I remember it because I won a prize for Primary one drawing competition with it. The next foray into art was when I was in between countries over 30 years ago. I wanted something to remember my roots and a Chinese brush painting workshop came up. The “Shih Fu” (Master) showed me the beauty a single brush stroke can do, that forever instilled the love of this interaction between brush colour, water and paper. It was the beginning of an itch.

Then reality of life, the corporate world, the world of bits and bytes and programs and systems came a calling. I had satisfaction in my career. As a Vice President in a large international corporation, there were perks and travel opportunities; I saw a bit of the world. That itch however, could not be scratched. When I retired, the planets began to align. I moved to Hervey Bay, a 2-minute drive away from the home of the Hervey Bay Art Society. I saw a flyer for a Drawing Class with Brett A Jones, and my husband agreed to come drawing with me. I had 2 beautiful cats and I was desperate to learn to draw them.

And so it goes. And as it was in the beginning, it is still true now that my art journey is very much about the teachers of art in my life. From my mother and the Shih Fu, the planting of the seed. Brett Jones taught me how to “see”, to have patience in finishing a piece of art. Teachers of colours, perspective, composition. The Master Pastellists. Richard McKinley, who put me on the path to letting go of the reference photo. It’s all about the story. You see what’s there, and then what may not be there, but the purpose of which can be found looking with your mind’s eye. Hey, I learnt from my husband, Paul, when I try to show him the “right way” to do something; and instead he showed me that there is no right or wrong way, just what works for you.

In my art, I feel young again. A 10-year-old on a journey so far. I am still learning; my life is more colourful; I don’t just see sky or ocean – I see shapes and colours, patterns, light and shadows. The world is new again. I learn to see the gnarled beauty in a gum tree, it’s twists and turns in response to the elements inflicted on it. Blades of grass seeking water and nourishment in a hostile sea of sand. The sparkle and spirit behind the eyes that is the essence of a person in a portrait. The magic of fantastical landscapes, filled with light and shade and hidden corners, mysteries awaiting just around the corner. These and more, I have captured in my art and I feel richer.

CARE AT THE HEART OF RALLY FOR A CAUSE

RECIPIENT’S STORY

In March this year my husband Lennard Smith had his third open heart surgery for a life threatening aortic aneurysm which entailed removing and replacing a section of his aortic artery and replacing an existing mechanical aortic valve with a new mechanical valve. He thankfully overcame the first hurdle, surviving the surgery itself! Unfortunately complications arose which meant longer time in ICU and longer stay in hospital. This flowed on to his condition not being as good as expected at discharge, another hospital admission at home, and longer time off work being needed due to his poor health.

We had factored in costs such as medical, accommodation in Brisbane and costs at home whilst not working so we were prepared financially. Unfortunately with the complications that arose, it meant extra costs both whilst in Brisbane and at home so we found ourselves with some financial difficulties. It was at this time that one of our friends

sponsored us with rally for a cause. We initially didn’t really know what that meant but soon found out when we received a call from Amanda at rally from a cause.

We have never asked for charity and have always just worked through any struggles we’ve had. We’ve always felt that there others that need it more than us and that’s exactly what Len and I felt when we were sponsored. We were blessed receiving a generous donation which covered our mortgage costs for 6 months. Little did we know how beneficial this would be to us not only financially but also emotionally. The reduction in stress meant Len could just focus on getting better and not worry about finances. For this we are eternally grateful. Thank you all so much for helping us so much at this difficult time in our life.

With thanks

Lennard and Karey Smith

To find out more about Rally for a Cause or to donate, visit www.rallyforacause.org.au.

Relay For A Cause is a charity for the Fraser Coast community and the money that raise is returned to people in Fraser Coast region.

FITNESS

by Amy Notley

@Luvuyoga

NURTURE YOURSELF

If you’d like to nurture yourself a little more in 2023 there are a host of benefits from as little as five minutes of daily self-massage. This ritual can become a healthy tool in decreasing tension and stress, leaving your body and mind feeling rejuvenated and relaxed.

As a yoga teacher, where a focus of mine has always been one of self-love, I adore bringing selfmassage into our practice.

Here are four simple self-massages you can do at home or some during your lunch-break at work. We will start our ritual with a commonly known yoga pose - cat-cow. It helps to strengthen and stretch the spine and neck, while massaging and stimulating organs like the kidneys and adrenal glands.

Starting on all fours, legs and arms hip distance apart, inhale deeply while curving your lower back and lifting the head up to gaze forward. Exhale deeply and draw navel to spine as you arch your back and bring your head and pelvis down like a cat stretching (continue for a few rounds of breath).

1. Start by sitting with soles of the feet together. Using your thumbs, apply pressure to the big toes while squeezing the fingers and hands to massage the tops of the feet simultaneously. Work your way down the arch of the foot through to the heels and then back up to the toes (repeat a few times). Open the foot like a book to massage the entire soles.

2. It’s as simple as continuing this desired pressure and movement to massage up the legs to the calf muscles. When you arrive at the calves, spend some time here working out any tightness in this muscle.

3. Come to all fours or lie on your belly and bring your elbows to connect with the mat and the head into the hands. With the palms wide and fingers connected to the head, create circular movements above the ears as you focus on the breath. Work your way towards the temples, top of the head and back down to the neck. You can then bring your hands to the neck and apply pressure with the fingers to the muscles massaging either side of the spine down towards the upper back.

4. In a comfortable seated position, bring the palms to connect and interlace the fingers. Tilt the wrists from left to right as you squeeze the hands together massaging both hands and wrists. You can also create circular movements.

Treat yourself babe

Phone: (07) 4128 2452 browrepublicandlashbar.com.au

Stockland Shopping Centre, 6 Central Ave, Urraween

Brow Treatments Lash Treatments Lip Blush Tattoo

A visit to Brow Republic and Lash Bar is more than just a treatment, it’s an experience and will leave you feeling like a Queen!

by Kerrie Alexander

SOAK UP SOME SHORT-STAY FUN

Photos: Tourism and Events Queensland

If you’re keen to take the family on a weekend away but don’t want to travel too far from home, then the Sunshine Coast is a fantastic option.

We had three days for a quick getaway with a oneyear-old birthday party in Gympie booked in on the way home, so our little getaway was short, but awesome.

We went from Friday to Sunday, leaving Hervey Bay bright and early to reach the Golden Nugget on the other side of Gympie just in time for breakfast.

The food stop has become a family tradition, plus their bacon and eggs are simply the best!

It was just the fuel we needed for a full day at Australia Zoo in Beerwah, where my nine-year-old son Seth was pumped to see elephants for the first time in real life.

What started as a two-acre reptile park owned and run by the legendary Steve Irwin’s family, now encompasses over 700 acres, and employs over 500 staff.

Ensuring Steve’s mission of “Conservation Through Exciting Education” is apparent on entry with information signs everywhere at about the animals, emphasis on recycling, conservation projects, crocodile research and the Wildlife Warriors animal rehabilitation centre.

All that certainly wasn’t of interest to Seth, though. He was busily searching the park map for what to see first.

Robert’s Reptile House was first on the list only because Dad has a phobia of snakes, and there’s many. Seth thought it was hilarious to see Dad squirm but at the same time he did take an interest in the fact sheets provided.

Next was the elephants and they were amazing! We were lucky enough to have arrived at a time when they were standing right in front of the gate. Seth was in awe of their size and the way they maneuverer their trunks to eat (plus the size of their poop!) It was no doubt the highlight of the day!

I also enjoyed the African Safari Park that is home to zebra, giraffe, meerkats, cheetah, and rhino.

We saw crocodiles, koalas, turtles, an array of birds, emu, and much more.

The shuttle train didn’t come by, so we walked all the way around the park on this trip, so it was nice to grab a bite to eat from the café and sit down and watch the Wildlife Warriors show with Bob Irwin and Bindi’s husband Chandler Powell.

Seth got a kick out of seeing the crocs jump for food out of Robert’s hands and the well-trained eagle that stole a $10 note from a tourist’s hand was also a good laugh.

All in all, a visit to the zoo is highly recommended especially as it’s only about a two-and-a-half-hour drive from Hervey Bay.

After a well-deserved rest at my brother’s home in Morayfield, my husband and I left Seth with the fam bam the next day and ventured off for a day at Mount

Tamborine with the intention of visiting the breweries. The drive in “the back way” was a fantastic mistake because you had a 360-degree view of the Gold Coast while winding your way up the mountain. It was breath taking!

It was a little bit too early for the wineries and distilleries (we got there quicker than planned) so if that’s an experience you’re after, be sure to head there after 10am.

Instead, we ambled our way down the main street, coffee in hand, where we discovered the insane Cuckoo Clock shop that was home to thousands of Grandfather clocks, small and large. It was a sight to see, and I highly recommend a visit.

We walked the “Gallery Walk” and tested samples of delicious beef jerky, hand-made chocolates, fudge, boiled lollies, and ice-cream, and marvelled at the artworks and craft creations of the Tamborine locals.

There’s so much to do in this quaint little town and I hope to go back again to visit the Glow Worm Caves, experience the winery tours and do the treetop walks.

The goal of the glow worm cave and the glow worm tours through the purpose-built caves is to make an experience which is accessible for families, while benefiting wild glow worm populations.

It will be on the agenda for next time.

Full and content we left Mount Tamborine and headed to the Gold Coast for a night at the Star Casino. I left booking a room at a beach front high rise too late and there was no availability. Still, it was a great location being just a short drive from Cavill Ave.

I was disappointed to see the Hard Rock Café now gone but the shopping precinct and bars and café still had that vibrant Gold Coast vibe.

The iconic holiday destination has shimmering high rises, epic surf and about 52km of pristine beaches. It’s also the home of Seth’s favourite Sea World Resort, Paradise Country, Movie World, Dream World and Wet and Wild, and The Outback Spectacular, all of which we have visited previously. For the kids who just love their superheroes, Movie World is a must see.

Travel agencies offer travel specials regularly by email so it’s worth signing up for their newsletter. We once had a seven-night stay for the three of us at Seaworld for $999 through Luxury Escapes.

Ripley’s Believe or Not, the Paradise Centre kids fun centre and shooting range, and the Sling Shot are also some favourite attractions in the city heart.

Dinner at the casino’s Italian restaurant was just amazing and reasonably priced. The room was small for the price, but it did the job for a one-night stay.

The next day it was time for home and the birthday party.

It was a short but very sweet two days away.

by Kate Manley

WHAT IS LOVE?

Probably the most well known of all definitions of love is found in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8. These are the verses often quoted at weddings as a guide to achieve longevity in relationships.

‘Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.’

Love is also described in these three ways:

Eros refers to physical or romantic love.

Philos means warm affection or friendship.

Agape is the highest, unconditional, sacrificial love.

This month, celebrations revolve around the romance of Valentines Day so we have chosen some wonderfully heartfelt gifts for that special occasion.

It is an opportunity to show how much you appreciate that very amazing person in your life. So this year go ahead and make even a small contribution to esteem and honour love.

STUFFED

Method

PREHEAT oven to 200C.

SCOOP out the flesh from each eggplant half, leaving a little around the inside to get a boat shape. Roughly chop the scooped flesh and set aside.

HEAT oil in a frypan over medium heat. Sauté half of the onions for 5 minutes until soft but not browned.

ADD the pork mince and stir for about 7 minutes or until mince has changed colour.

ADD chopped eggplant flesh, tomato, garlic and pepper, cooking until eggplant is soft. Switch off heat, add eggs and stir to combine. Leave to cool.

PLACE remaining onion, potatoes, pumpkin, tomatoes, garlic and herbs in a large baking dish. Drizzle with the oil and mix to coat.

MIX half the cheese with the mince mixture and stuff into the four eggplant pieces, placing each one in the prepared dish around the vegetables.

POUR the water down the sides and then spoon the tomato paste over vegetables and stuffed eggplant. Sprinkle remaining cheese over dish.

COVER dish with foil and bake in oven for around 1 hour, or until vegetables are tender. Remove foil 20 minutes before finishing and add more water if too dry.

courtesy of Mary Vassallo, Seaforth Branch

by Celine Louie

RIDING THE WAVE

Well Hello!

What a wonderful place to meet, in this awesome magazine we call Alive!

Let me start by saying that although I am called The Wave Rider, I am in no way a prosurfer!

No my friend, far from it. In fact I am as wobbly on a board as the next person, and I can’t begin to tell you how many times I’ve fallen off my board on this journey we call life.

But like all of us, when we fall off our board, we get back on. After 40 plus years of wave riding experience, it’s inevitable that I’ve learnt a thing or two about navigating the waves - as I’m sure you have too, wherever you are on your own journey!

What I have come to realise, is that when it comes to surfing this life, we are so much stronger as a collective. It’s okay to surf by ourselves at times. For some people that suits them just fine, but for many of us, having some other people around us to give us a lift out of the turbulent seas is what keeps us strong and able to keep navigating the waves that follow. Sometimes we don’t see the approaching waves and it takes a buddy out the back to holler out. Working as a team helps us be the strongest surfers we can be.

I’ve noticed that we’re all much better surfers these days. The waves got pretty big for a while there, didn’t they? Whilst things have calmed down recently, knowing how quickly the seas can rough up out of nowhere means that our guard is up more than it ever used to be, and that’s not a bad thing.

We can see the signs and choose to navigate them differently this time. We can pull off to the side and let

the waves pass. At other times we can choose to face them head on. The choice is always up to us. We have the freedom to surf however we want, no matter how we’ve surfed in the past.

The biggest tip to becoming a good surfer is to know yourself. I don’t mean just knowing how we allow society to define us, but connecting with the deeper part of ourselves. The self that tells us we are worthy of following our intuition and deep knowing, regardless of how hard that might make our journey in the short term.

By listening to this deep knowing, we can make choices that are centred around total integrity and love for ourselves. Honouring ourselves is the most caring and loving thing we can do for our planet. This not only empowers us, but it shows our fellow surfers, that they too are worthy of choosing for themselves. Together we can find the strength to boost one another out of the water and to find that warrior strength and deep centre. The place which allows us to glide down the biggest of waves with so much ease and grace, that the ripples will be felt far and wide. We may end up in a different place than we thought we were headed, but this can open us up to more beauty than we ever imagined possible.

So my friends, be sure to focus on the beauty of the ocean around you, cheer your fellow surfers on, and know that no matter what the seas around you are like at the time, you are surrounded by people who are there to help you navigate and be the best surfer you can be!

I look forward to surfing more waves with you in the next edition.

OTHERS MAKE, WE CREATE NOT JUST PIZZA

446 THE ESPLANADE, TORQUAY Thur to Mon 5:00pm to late | www.paolospizzabar.com.au

February 1st will see the opening of our saltwater barra season. It’s shaping up to be a good one. Best of luck to everyone targeting barra this month !

This time of year also see’s the pelagic action heat up with longtail tuna, mac tuna and queenfish harassing bait fish across the bay.

Burrum River

The mouth of the Burrum and the Gregory river have seen a few barra reported. Out the front the Burrum 8 mile has produced a few school mackerel and golden trevally.

Local Reefs

The shallow reefs have fished well but coral trout have been in good numbers with jigs, soft plastics and fresh baits getting results. When targeting trout the humble cod is often a bycatch. Cod have been fairly active also with fish to 8 kg reported in water less then 5 meters. Around the islands golden trevally and queenfish have been in the eddies and working the current lines.

Urangan Pier

Off the Pier big golden trevallies have been reported out the end with whiting and flathead in the first channel. The odd golden trevally has also been reported on live baits.

Platypus Bay

Up in Platypus Bay longtail tuna are slowly working their way into the bay. As we move into Autumn they will ramp up as they arrive for their annual migration south. Queenfish have also been reported working bait schools through the bay. Deeper in the water column golden trevally, painted sweetlip, grass sweetlip and scarlets have been reported but sharks are very bad. Move about regularly to avoid the sharks!

Sandy Strait

The creeks along Fraser’s west coast have fished well for salmon, grunter and a few barra of late. Fishing these creeks on the night tides has seen great results if you can stand the mosquitoes. On the edges mangrove jacks, grunter, sweetip and a few fingermark have been reported. In the Mary River system barra have been about with the deeper holes and rock bars holding fish. Working around the mouth should see some good catches over the coming weeks with all the bait hanging out the front. Salmon, barra, golden trevallie, grunter and more will be out and about on the hunt, working these areas with vibes. Harbodie lures and soft platics should see results.

John from Brisbane with a quality golden trevally which was caught and released off Fraser Island.

by Andrew Chorley

Ray Malone from Melbourne with his first Black Marlin.

LIFE CHAT WITH MICHELLE

by Michelle Robinson Bach. Counselling. Dip. Clinical Hypnotherapy

SOULMATES

Welcome to February’s Life-Chat. This month

I’m diving into the subject of soulmates.

I’ve heard many people express a desire to meet their soulmate, hoping a relationship with this special person will bring lasting happiness. I know others who believe their current partner is their soulmate, because they share a bond of love that’s too deep to explain.

In this column I’m sharing my perspective on this topic, and I don’t expect you to agree with me. It’s important that you believe what is true for you.

I’m a strong believer in the spiritual purpose behind life on Earth. I also believe that with the help of the Creator and our teachers in the realms of spirit, before we are born, we negotiate with other willing souls to choose who will participate in our significant relationships. These souls become our family members, friends, partners and colleagues as we journey through our life. Likewise, we play a role in each of their lives.

After exploring my soul’s purpose for several decades in meditation and prayer, I’ve come to believe this purpose requires me to grow in love, courage, compassion and kindness. I believe expressing these qualities towards others and myself, in all circumstances, is my life’s goal. Because my soul needs practical experiences through which to learn, I’ve been gifted challenges in a range of relationships to help me.

Let’s return to the subject of soulmates. Have you ever looked into another person’s eyes and felt you ‘know’ them, even though you are meeting them for the first time? Have you ever felt a strong pull, like an energetic connection, towards a person? It’s like you recognise them but don’t know how? Have you ever decided to enter a romantic relationship based solely on a need to get to know that person better? I have.

If any of your answers were ‘yes’, your soul may be

recognising one or more souls who have promised to enter your life for a specific reason. If you have a loyal and loving relationship on Earth and in the spirit world with one particular soul, you might call them your soulmate.

Here’s where soulmates becomes a tricky subject. Our soulmate loves us unconditionally, which means they will guide us towards the lessons we have chosen for our life. This might mean that they push us out of our comfort zone, challenge our boundaries, force us to become independent or perhaps even break our heart. They may also enter our lives for a set time and then leave, because each of us has more lessons to accomplish without them.

A soulmate does not even need to be a romantic partner. They may show up as a parent, sibling, child or friend, because that’s the role in which they can help us the most. I believe it is possible to have more than one special soul relationship and hence more than one soulmate. It’s just a term we use to attempt to explain the mystery of love.

Naturally, a soulmate can also offer a loving and deeply respectful relationship, and when that happens, our life holds a beautiful level of joy. I certainly wish that for you, but it may not be the way your soulmate is working for you this time around. If this topic interests you, then you might reflect on significant relationships in your life to explore whether you have felt a special connection through a person’s eyes or energy. Eyes are often called the windows of the soul. Perhaps it is so.

I hope you enjoyed this month’s discussion. Until next time, have a wonderful month.

Remember, if you would like to stay connected with me to receive positive tips for life each morning, feel welcome to join my free Facebook group “Your Intuitive Gifts At Work.”

www.facebook.com/groups/yourintuitivegiftsatwork

by Alison Dunlop

FEBRUARY INSPIRATION

Did you know?

Self love is one of the most integral parts of manifesting your desires.If you don’t believe in yourself, the universe responds accordingly.When you truly love yourself and show gratitude everything just falls into place. It is truly amazing! Attract what you want by changing your mindset, and seeing your worth! You will be surprised.

Capricorn Dec 22 -Jan 19

February is the month of love, and things are looking positive in that regard for you. It is indicated that relationships are on the improve,so watch that one. Be gentle and loving to yourself. Buy yourself a bunch of flowers for no reason. Enjoy!

Aquarius

Jan 20 - Feb 18

There is positive change in the wind for you Aquarius,, but you have to believe it! You are being called to have faith. Everything is pointing upwards for you, so get moving and make your dreams/ desires happen. You have got this!

Pisces Feb 19 - Mar 20

The road you have been travelling may not be quite right for you, or you may be encountering a seemingly insurmountable challenge. Just pause for a moment and breathe. It is indicated there is another way to tackle these challenges. Patience is key here.

Aries Mar 21 - April 19

You are a firecracker of ideas this month, Aries. Live life, because you are bringing joy to others. Your happiness may even be cause for celebration. Keep shining bright, you are an inspiration!

Taurus April 20 - May 20

Possible new chapter beginning for you this month Taurus. You are going to give something a crack, and do really well! It may be a new idea or project,, or something indicated, is in its infancy. Children and babies may also be highlighted, so allow your inner child to come out and play.

Gemini

May 21 - June 20

Follow your heart this month, Gemini. If you have had hurts in the past, I feel this month will bring some healing and closure for you. There is also a reminder to listen to your heart. If you have been conflicted in some way, connect with your Intuition to find the answers.

out more at: www.alisondunlopkinesiology.com.au

Cancer June 21- July 22

Have you been experiencing some tension or stress lately? To avoid further chaos, there may be a need for a mindset adjustment. What does this mean? Pause! Take 3 deep breaths, and really slow down your breathing. Connect in with your body. Let breathing awareness be your best friend. Not only does it relieve stress, but it helps you to think of new possibilities.

Leo July 23 - Aug 22

Leo, have you felt recently that your life has had more drama than a soap opera? We don’t have a crystal ball, so cannot anticipate how life is going to play out. Patience is indicated for you this month. Surrender, and go with the flow. Allow things to unfold as they should. Good luck!

Virgo Aug 23 - Sept 22

Blessings for you this month Virgo. You are absolutely being guided to where you need to be, so do not stress.This month, see your worth. You have a beautiful soul, so honour you.Step up, and feel your confidence soar.You have got this!

Libra Sept - 23 - Oct 23

Libra, balance is indicated for you this month. Perhaps something has been weighing heavily on your mind, or maybe some life balance is required. For example, needing more exercise, fun, or quiet time. Do whatever is needed this month to make the situation right. Also there is a reminder to be kind to yourself.

Scorpio Oct 24 - Nov 21

Great month for you this month Scorpio!! Everything is indicated to go your way. You may find your pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Plans will come to fruition, you will be feeling on top of the world, or perhaps may even have a windfall. Pop a lotto ticket on, you may never know your luck.

Sagittarius Nov 22 -

Dec 21

This month Sagittarius, you are being encouraged to just grab the bull by the horns. Sometimes fears do get in the way of moving positively forward in life. Ask yourself, what armour do you need to give you inner strength. Imagine being a superhero, and just do it! Go forth and conquer!

Alison Dunlop Kinesiologist. Find

(Cards drawn from The Modern Oracle by Katy-K)

We are the Maryborough Qld chapter of Urban Sketchers!

The Urban Sketchers mission is to raise the artistic, storytelling and educational value of on-location drawing, promoting its practice and connecting people around the world who draw on location where they live and travel.

“See the world, one building at a time”.

More info please go to our Facebook group: Urban Sketchers Maryborough Qld

Down

and model changed title (7) Recovered everything in wild ride (7) company reconstruction reveals (5) stay calm, somehow, in debacle (9) traces keener track (7, 5) aria about outback poet? (7) ship and another vessel can accommodate a drinker (7) woman named before (3) English is crazy dialect (7) Rabble-rouser detailed musical direction? (7) Developing muscles making passenger compartments? (4-8) with nude devotee (5, 4) hand in love of money (5) depression, overlapping in (7) Discovered King Kelly? (7)

Bird, bird, southern birds (5-5)

Withdrawals concerning sittings, say (10)

Across 1

Artist and model changed title (7) 5 Recovered everything in wild ride (7) 9 Keg company reconstruction reveals a lizard (5) 10 Clubs stay calm, somehow, in debacle (9) 11 Dicky traces keener track (7, 5) 14 Like an aria about outback poet? (7) 15 As far as ship and another vessel can accommodate a drinker (7)

Doctor bowling stockmen (7) 4 Almost came up with new Shinto garment (9) 5 Spinner takes gold up over hill (5) 6 Holds round royal cupboards (7) 7 The Italian starts to yell about a Russian (4) 8 Made off with a woman (4) 12 A quiet separation loses time in appearance (10)

Haggard woman named before (3)

Thinks English is crazy dialect (7) 19 Rabble-rouser detailed musical direction? (7) 21 Developing muscles making passenger compartments? (4-8)

From Brian Symons: A.Word.A.Day

Works with nude devotee (5, 4) 26 Right hand in love of money (5) 27 A city in depression, overlapping in two ways (7) 28 Discovered King Kelly? (7)

Down 1 Bird, bird, southern birds (5-5) 2 Withdrawals concerning sittings, say (10) 3 Doctor bowling stockmen (7) 4 Almost came up with new Shinto garment (9) 5 Spinner takes gold up over hill (5) 6 Holds round royal cupboards (7)

Keep firm possession (10) 15 Almost weepy about dogmatic conclusion raised in small measure (9) 18 Stage of culture one runs on maturity (4, 3) 20 Indisposed, yet start on drowned valley in an old Adriatic region (7) 22 No guy upset in early years (5) 23 Party no good at the sound of the bell (4) 24 Plot against English historian (4)

The Italian starts to yell about a Russian (4) 8 Made off with a woman (4) 12 A quiet separation loses time in appearance (10) 13 Keep firm possession (10) 15 Almost weepy about dogmatic conclusion raised in small measure (9) 18 Stage of culture one runs on maturity (4, 3) 20 Indisposed, yet start on drowned valley in an old Adriatic region (7) 22 No guy upset in early years (5) 23 Party no good at the sound of the bell (4) 24 Plot against English historian (4)

“The A.Word.A.Day website is familiar to many: visit http://www.wordsmith.org/awad/. It is now a book. There are many such books on the market but in my opinion this is the best. It has more than 50 short chapters on different themes, each discussing 5 words in a friendly, informative way. The book is not expensive would give composers a few ideas and entertain all. You can find it on the www.amazon.com website priced at US$10.47.”

Last month’s solution

From Brian Symons: A.Word.A.Day “The A.Word.A.Day website is familiar to many: visit http://www.wordsmith.org/awad/. It is now a book. There are many such books on the market but in my opinion this is the best. It has more than 50 short chapters on different themes, each discussing 5 words in a friendly, informative way. The book is not expensive and would give composers a few ideas and entertain all. You can find it on the www.amazon.com website priced at US$10.47.”