Aromatique Essentials: Ezine Issue 2 by Aromatique Essentials

Aromatique: Ezine Issue 2 Essentials

Table of Contents Welcome…Page 1 Your Scents…Page 3 Treats…Page 4 Emotions…Page 5 Recipes…Page 6 Edibles…Page 7 Beauty…Page 8 Julie Harrington…Page 9 Passion Catering…Page 11 Pandora’s Life Coaching…Page 13 Dawn Sievers…Page 15 Amanda Web…Page 17 Kylie Saunder…Page 18 Vicki Sauvage…Page 19 Amy Nelson-Blain…Page 22 Alex Zaia…Page 23

I would like to acknowledge and say thank you to the Beautiful women in business that have contributed to Aromatique Essentials Ezine and a very special thank you to my lovely Web man Alex Zaia who works very hard to get this beautiful Ezine out on time, my beautiful Amy whose Photography takes my passion to another level. Lest we not forget you for I am very humbled and grateful to have you all here supporting Aromatique Essentials and our journey through the world of ‘Scent’. Aromatherapy is powerfully healing and will support us where ever we dare to go... Enjoy the Journey, prepare to be surprised and delighted as you step into the brightness of a fragrant and blossoming future! Robbi Zeck In this issue we will be looking at the benefits of Aromatherapy and why I believe they should be a part of every first aid kit in the home and work place environment. More vegetable and fruit juice recipes A hearty winter soup recipe Astrology with Julie Harrington Fengshui with Vicki Sauvage... Our guest is the Gorgeous Dawn Sievers writing to us from the heart. Tracey Hogan Naturopath and developer of ‘Meta Shots’ More beauty tips, recipes for the burner and diffuser Introducing Amanda Web founder of ‘Make a Strand’ with a delicious easy and decadent white chocolate dessert... Kylie Saunders …and information about a very exciting series of webinars coming up! We have touched on the benefits of Aromatherapy and smell... just a short recap, when we smell the scent of an essential oil or any aroma for that matter and we love what we are breathing and taking in, it will immediately have an effect on us. How? We will smile for sure, we may be reminded of a pleasant and happy experience... our mood can change bring a feeling of peace, happiness or memories of tender moments feeling loved, feeling nourished all of the above if you are lucky! How else can Aromatherapy and essential oils be beneficial to use us in our everyday lives?

Aromatherapy is not just a pretty smell, essential oils are pure plant extracts taken from a variety of plant materials from all over the world. Essentials oils are about 70% stronger than the original plant they are extracted from, very potent little essences that Mother Nature has created for us. Aromatherapy is a very versatile therapy mainly recognised as being a nurturing, relaxing massage to treat yourself when you have the time... On an emotional they can enhance and uplift our moods and emotions evoke happy or sad memories, enhance confidence and self-esteem. Many essential oils are used for meditation for example frankincense, energetic work as in balancing our chakras, raising our intuition, combining them with other modality’s such as astrology and tarot readings, crystal healing... Aromatherapy for beauty, wow... how awesome is that to be able to use pure plant extracts without any man made or synthetic chemicals added to them. Essential oils are fabulous for beauty treatments and everyday face and body care. Essential oils of frankincense and myrrh were used in the mummification process with ancient cultures, they are natural skin preservatives. Rose, neroli and sandalwood are nourishing to the skin, they are also fabulous for wound healing. Some essential oils are hydrating helping to keep moisture in your skin. They are regenerative with skin tissue, reduce acne, irritation, slow down the aging process as in wrinkles. They help to improve the integrity of your skin. I love and specialise in making signature perfumes it is so wonderful to be able to feel and smell beautiful with your own perfume creations!!! I like to say that you “Capture the Essence of Your Soul” and that is what Aromatique Essentials is all about. We can work with precious scents of flowers, leaves, woods and spices to expand our ability to experience love within ourselves and also return it to others. Tea tree, patchouli and lavender I personally believe should be in every first aid kit there is! Think of this - your little one falls over and ends up with a nasty graze, what is in your traditional first aid kit? Alcohol swabs... oohhhouch!!! I would immediately grab my faithful bottle of patchouli and put it directly on to the wound, just 2-3 drops, depending on how big the wound is... No sting, Patchouli is a very good anti-septic, antiinflammatory, wound healer and reduces scarring. Tea tree fabulous for ticks 2-3 drops on the tick pull it out correctly and either another 1 drop of tea tree or lavender or patchouli on the skin. I think you get the picture and truly, I could go on and on and on. I am always using essential oils on my animals for various things, especially our dog Isit. Irritation, insect bites, cuts or wounds, allergies...once again the list goes on.. For aesthetics and mood enhancing using an essential oil burner, diffuser or room spray are not to be without! Aromatherapy and essential oils promote blood flow, boost your immune system, stimulate your senses, nourish and improve your skin. They are used for many common conditions that we may be experiencing, colds, arthritis, varicose veins, menstrual pain, menopausal symptoms, tired aching muscles, inflammation. Aromatherapy is all of this and so much more.... A complete package that brings us absolute Joy! Humans have long entwined the use of plants into their lives. Scented plants have always been honoured and used with ancient cultures and still are today. We have been graced with these natural beauties which we can use in our every day to day life through the art of Aromatherapy...

Live webinar series “Your Scents” with Julie Nelson founder, owner of Aromatique Essentials Have you ever noticed how important aroma’s and our sense of smell are and the role they play in our everyday lives? Let me give you an example... Imagine walking through a fragrant rose garden... What memories does that evoke? Are you reminded of your Nana, family, happy times as a child, how do you feel? Are you smiling or frowning? When I smell sweet orange essential oil... it takes me straight back to my childhood, eating an orange iceblock on warm summer days with my little sis... Another is when I smell Everlasting... Immediately I am transported and see myself in our kitchen where I grew up and mum is making Christmas pudding! That always puts a smile on my face! Smell can also evoke not so happy memories, so we need to keep in mind that we are all individuals and may have different smell preferences and experiences. Aromatherapy gives us the ability to personalise our Aromatique creations by having a wide range of essential oils available to us! As a passionate Aromatherapist, with over 15 years’ experience, I specialise in creating beautiful natural beauty products, signature perfumes and so much more. You too can create beautiful scents that you can use in your everyday lives. Would you like to know the benefits of using aromatherapy in your home or work place? I would love to share my knowledge with you! I am running a series of webinars, 1 hour a week for 12 weeks, starting Wednesday 21/07/2010, 7.30-8.30 pm. Here you will learn the basic properties of 20 essential oils, along with application methods such as bathing, inhalations, room and body sprays. At the end of each webinar we will have 10 mins for Q&A. I will also be happy to answer any questions you have by email or chat on Skype. Each webinar will be $9.95 per week, if you would like to choose 3 particular weeks your investment is only $24.95 and for the whole package your investment is $95.95 The first 10 people to enrol will receive a bonus gift from Aromatique Essentials... You can register by going to the Aromatique Essentials website and clicking on the link to “Your Scents” on the right hand side panel. When you register, you will be able to down load each week including worksheets as they become available. This lets you work at your own pace…or join me live where you will down load essential oil work sheets to fill out as we go through their properties. I am so excited! Teaching Aromatherapy is a great passion within a passion...come and join me...I will take you on an Aromatique journey and I tell you, once you start you never want to stop...this is just the beginning!

http://www.aromatiqueessentials.com.au

I would like to pass on some essential oils that I personally like to use to nourish my body, mind and soul...These oils for me are nurturing, protective, strengthening and supportive and yes they are all divinely fragrant. Take a bath...dim the lights, candles lit, soft music playing in the background laying there in absolute Bliss.... Don’t forget to lock the door! I am definitely asking for a bath on my wish list for our next Paradise! One of my favourite ways of using essential oils is by Spritzing, any time any place I have one at my fingertips...there is one in pretty much every room, my handbag, my bathroom bag, my car (not a good idea to leave them in your car in summer). For me they are magical... instantly I can change the energy around me, enhance my mood, reduce tension, anxiety or stress... and I smell great! My personal list, well to be honest with you I could list almost every essential oil that I have in my possession, I will do my best to restrain myself. It is also worthwhile mentioning that I change my Aromatique preference quite often this may depend on my mood, what is going on in my life, the season and who knows what else.... Okay, I am back on track, I get excited and always diverse and then forget what I was really trying to achieve… My List! In no particular order just as they come to me...                     

Gul Heena ...no surprise there! Takes my breath away... Champa...Angels wings brush you tenderly Pink lotus... Lakshmi, Goddess of abundance Boronia...delicately fragrant...gentle ... sweetness Mimosa... the Fae...magickal Jasmine...sweetly divine...Goddess...intimacy Neroli...protection and Angels to watch over you Rose... pure love...pure heart Geranium...balance and Goddess divine Everlasting... mother so loving...comfort Vetiver... Earth...grounding...comforting Rhu khus...spirit...being in the moment Cardamom...life force... spice up your life...exotic Bergamot...forever young... bubbly...happiness Cinnamon...evocative... freedom...abundance Tuberose...la fem...Womanly...sensual Frankincense...purification...cleansing Grapefruit... energising...boldness... confidence...smiles Lemon myrtle... beauty...sacred…ecstasy Patchouli...earthy...protection...home...comfort Nutmeg...evocative...warming and nurturing... reminding me of my home baked rice pudding on cold winter nights, all warm ‘n’ cosy...Bliss

Depression, stress, anxiety and tension... Typical conditions that many of us suffer today and everyday of our lives. There is so much pressure on society today and it is a fact that most of us will experience one or more of these conditions at some stage in our every day to day lives. Here I can offer some ways in which you can use aromatherapy and essential oils to aid in reducing symptoms associated to these conditions, I have personally worked with many clients to improve their day to day lives by using Aromatherapy and essential oils, whilst I believe and know that using Aromatherapy can be very beneficial I encourage you to seek medical advice if your condition has been chronic or acute. There is a time and a place for both traditional and orthodox medicine, and I am very supportive of orthodox medicine. I also believe and know that both can in most cases be used in conjunction with each other and we are then taking a truely holistic approach. Some suggested Essential oils that are balancing to the nervous system... use in the burner, room spray or inhalations.             

Geranium- very balancing on all levels Ylang ylang aids in stimulating endorphins, happy hormone Neroli- Balancing, rescue remedy to the nervous system Rose -Balancing, self-love Frankincense- letting go, strengthening, very spiritual oil Citrus- very happy oils, uplifting to the emotions Cedarwood - gives us the will to hold firm Tea tree -very strengthening to the mind, I love using lemon tea tree! Blends Rose, Frankincense, mandarin Frankincense, neroli, geranium Cedarwood, lime, champa Lemon tea tree, rose, frankincense

Methods of application that you can use for stress - Foot baths and full body bathing are such a lovely way to treat yourself. 3-6 drops in total of your chosen blend or may choose to use just one essential oil. Dry inhalations are very effective indeed and they work very quickly as they allow a direct route to the brain. Room or body sprays are one of my favourite ways to use essential oils and of course you have the burner of room diffuser. Other ways to use Aromatherapy can be through your beauty applications such as body oils and creams. Whatever way you choose, make it simple and easy so you do not feel like it is a chore... it’s all about enjoying the process...<3

Bug buster for winter: 3 drops each of spearmint, pine, ravensara and manuka

Invigorating: 4 drops grapefruit, 3 drops cypress, 3 drops juniper,2 drops cubeb

Winter warmth: 3 drops ginger co2, 2 drops vetiver, 4 drops sweet orange

Love: 3 drops ylang ylang, 3 drops patchouli, 2 drops each of jasmine and tuberose

ÂŠ Aromatique Essentials - Julie Nelson

Fresh vegetable, herb and fruit juice recipes: Beetroot, parsley, mint, apple, ginger Celery, apple, cucumber, mint Carrot, orange, ginger

Hearty Winter Soup 1 Lamb neck or 3 lamb shanks 1 litre of good chicken stock, 1-2 teaspoons of light soy sauce and a dash of Worcestershire sauce. 1 large onion, 2 -3 carrots, 3 celery stalks, 1 small swede, 1 parsnip, 2 medium potatoes and ¼ pumpkin – I like to cut all of the veges in to nice large chunky pieces. 2 cloves garlic crushed ½ cup barley ( pre - soaked overnight) Fry off garlic and onion in a little oil, when softened add the lamb and fry to seal on all sides. Add chicken stock, light soy and Worcestershire sauce. Cook on a low heat for around 2 hours, the meat should be starting to fall off the bone. Add the veges and barley, simmer until barely is soft usually 30 mins. You can add more water or some red wine when adding veges and barley. Garnish with roughly chopped parsley and some crumbled goats fetta, season to taste. Serve with light crusty bread. Bon Apetite’

Coconut oil is fabulous as a hair treatment! Simply apply enough coconut oil to your hair, comb through, if you can give yourself a scalp massage all the better! You can use glad wrap or a dry towel to wrap your hair up in and leave for about one hour. For an extra boost add essential oils to the coconut oil if you wish, for example lavender, chamomile or rosemary. I love using coconut oil on my face and body to give my skin an extra boost of nourishment. Coconut oil is excellent for dry cracked skin on your heels, elbows, and lips...tastes good to! It is antiinflammatory has a cooling action and can be used for wound healing. Because of its cooling action I have found it to be good for sunburn and menopausal hot flushes. Coconut oil absorbs very quickly and does not leave a greasy film like vegetable oils do, it leaves your skin feeling soft, silky and nourished.

ÂŠ Aromatique Essentials - Julie Nelson

I would like to introduce you to a dear and long-time friend of mine Julie Harrington. Julie is forever encouraging and teaching me more about Astrology, I have studied this fascinating subject and I do consider it to be another passion of mine , I understand and relate to much of Astrology however a reader of charts I am not. Julie has worked as a consulting astrologer on the US based website astrocenter.com, had a national astrology column for a number of years in a mainstream magazine, and has been a consulting astrologer for the past 15 years. Julie is also a qualified practitioner with the Federation of Australian Astrologers and holds the qualification FAA QA (meaning Federation of Australian Astrologers Qualified Astrologer) and also holds a practicing certificate from the same body. Further to this she has studied esoteric astrology and has faith in the spiritual realm being influential upon our daily life combined with the influences of the solar system we live in. I am very humbled and excited to be able to share Julie Harringtons passion with you here.

Julie Harrington Astrologer FAA,QA

Planetary News

This planetary overview is written for the period of start July 2010 to end September 2010. The big news on the planetary front is Uranus and Jupiter being co-joined in the Fire sign of Aries. It’s a once in 12 year event given Jupiter takes approximately 12 years to traverse the astrological cycle with Uranus being much slower taking approximately 84 years to travel the same astrological loop. So, to have them both in the same sign only happens once every 12 years. The effect of this conjunction (meaning two planets meeting) in the sign of Aries is freedom, expansion, broader learning, innovation, surprise events, international travel, fearlessness, the self, moving out of your comfort zone and taking a chance. Mingling in with this fabulous, life-changing conjunction is Saturn, currently in the Air sign of Libra and creating an opposition (meaning 180 degrees from another planet or point) to our friends, Jupiter and Uranus. The opposition from Saturn can be likened to a tug-o-war or an arrow of challenge against these two rebellious and daring planets in the warrior sign of Aries. Saturn wants to cool things down, to challenge your thinking and ensure you are balanced (Libra) when it comes to your decisions and the reality of a successful outcome from your wild ideas. So be thankful that Saturn is there putting the brakes on at this time and ensuring you do not go out in the rain without your raincoat and reminding you to be sensible and stay secure. Another iron adding its prong into this triple planet fire is Pluto, currently in the Earth sign of Capricorn, and creating a tsquare (90 degree pattern between Jupiter Uranus conjunction and Saturn opposition). The addition of powerhouse Pluto is significant because wherever Pluto influences is sure to create a psychological change in your life. Therefore, the events actioned by the leadership of Jupiter Uranus and tempered by sobering Saturn will be indelibly stamped on your being by phenomenal Pluto and taken to your core. Whatever you change in your life now is sure to be permanent both externally and internally. If this all sounds a bit deep and scary I ask you, “why be afraid, what is life about without change?” In this instance, change is good. A whole new phase of your life is unfolding where you will go where you have never been before or have just not had the courage to embrace before now. Step up on that stage, go for that promotion, break from the restricting chains of your past and claim your soul’s desire. We all innately know what it is we want to be and what we want to do, but sometimes life or ourself simply gets in the way. Now is a time to embrace our inner knowing and with the support of this planetary t-square, we are provided with the belief we can actually do it!

Elementary Outlook

Sherlock knew what he was talking about when he said to Watson that things were “elementary”. What he meant was the answer to the query was really basic, obvious and natural. Astrology is much the same when we divide the 12 signs into the elements of Fire, Earth, Air and Water. Please read on for your quarter elementary outlook.

Fire (Aries, Leo, Sagittarius) The sky is lighting up with the energy of fire presenting opportunities and a free flow of events favourable for you. With all good things does come a note of caution and that is on taking things too far or for granted. Do not look the gift horse in the mouth, and do not jump before looking, but having said those few precautionary words there are only so many times in your year or life when opportunity knocks and amazingly may even knock twice, so go for it now. You don’t want to spend the rest of your life with bruises from kicking yourself now do you?

Earth (Taurus, Virgo, Capricorn) Dear Earth.. you are a plodder and plodding is good until you have to hurry then all your planning feels out of whack because you have to hurry. Don’t worry about the need for speed and do your best to catch up because life is actually moving a little faster than you may like it to right now and it is pushing you out of your comfort zone for a reason. That rut you have been in is so warm you could bake bread in it! It’s time to move on Earth! There are greener pastures ahead of you so stir and move and shake and see the beauty of the woods through the forest of trees.

Air (Gemini, Libra, Aquarius) You are the zodiacal thinker, the innovator and genius, or even at times the wacky professor. There is no problem talking to you about change because you will enjoy the opportunity to embrace it, make it fit and absorb it into your life. The current matter for you is that you are on the tricky end of the aforementioned planetary t-square and quite frankly may have to swallow the bitter pill. OK, life is full of roses and thorns and you are not always going to get the sweet end of the deal, but you can think your way through this. It’s time to get your problem solving cap on!

Water (Cancer, Scorpio, Pisces) You could be excused for thinking that someone has dropped a hairdryer into your bathtub! The energy around you is electrifying and irritating and pushy and not at all what you need to feel comfortable and creative. But, the planets are actually giving you a great big shove and stirring up your thus far knowledge and reasoning and forcing you to look and delve into waters you have not yet explored. Oh, how exciting and daring and wonderful! Take the plunge and you will find a new realm of enlightening experience that you will not regret embarking upon.

Hello, my name is Lianne Jansen and I am writing my story to share my passion and belief in fresh simple food that not only parents can learn from but especially children. Since my childhood my fondest memories were of my mother and her family being great inspirations with the delicious baking and home style cooking that took centre stage in my grandmothers household. Every weekend was spent with family involved in the workings of the kitchen. By my late teens and into adulthood I was consumed by anything to do with food. I worked in hospitality for a few years gaining experience in any area I could and in doing this work also met my husband who also has a love for good food. His family are Sri Lankan so of course I learned all about their culture and was taught how to make the most wonderful curries! A few years later we opened a restaurant in Sydney’s Woolloomooloo called Planters Bungalow. We introduced an Asian menu with a French influence using the freshest ingredients. After 5-6 years it was time to start a family so our priorities changed and we focused on our children. As time passed I was desperate to share my love of food again and opened a café with two friends who were fabulous cooks. Our menu changed daily and we had an eclectic choice as I cooked curries, one friend was Italian so pastas were priority and the other friend was French who made the most divine desserts! By the time my children were at school I became involved in the eating habits of children. I found myself sneaking a look into what was being sent to school in children’s lunchboxes. I was shocked to see that chocolate and chips seemed to be the normal thing to do. My goodness they were only at school for six hours a day, surely they could have something healthy and leave the junk for home! I managed to get the job of Canteen Co-Coordinator after it finally became available. In the five years of running the school canteen I was one of the first to implement the ‘Healthy School Canteen Strategy’. This involved gradually taking off the menu the highly processed foods and sweets and replacing them with healthy options that looked inviting such as delicious wraps, sushi and fruits. During my time at the school I was also keen on sharing my love of cooking with the children. I still remember to this day the cooking lessons I had at my school and I for one cannot understand why children aren’t taught in primary school basic cooking skills. I find it a very important part of a life skill and I have seen that by the time students reach high school they have very little understanding of basic cooking because they have learnt you can just add water to anything off the supermarket shelf and you’re a cook! Also, when we were at school we had excursions to orchids and vegetable gardens and picked stone fruit from trees and collected strawberries from their gardens. I find that if you ask any child nowadays probably only 30% could tell you how a fruit or vegetable is grown, and where it comes from. This is a vital part of their growing up and learning about fresh food. At school we were also taken to factories to see how products were made and packaged. This was very interesting. With much discussion with the Principal, I was given the green light to start a cooking class for Year Six children. It was not compulsory as it was a fun class that only went for one month of the year. After my 5 th year of running this class I had every child involved and to this day still have parents thanking me for instilling in their children the love of cooking.

I would teach them hygiene and safety in the kitchen (I hold OH & S Cert) as well as teaching them about using appliances and utensils. We made scones, cooked eggs every way possible and noodle/rice dishes. They learnt how to make dishes from scratch using fresh and basic ingredients that most families should have in their kitchen. Pancakes and pikelets were also on the menu as I wanted to show them that it is more fun to make them measuring and mixing together, cooking and tasting your own recipe than to add water to a bottle of processed powders and shaking it! They embraced everything about fresh food and the fun of cooking it and I made sure every student had a turn in hands on in the kitchen. Also in this class I would ask each student to design a cookbook cover for their display folder and at the end of the course I would give out cookbooks and novelty cooking utensils as prizes for the most standout covers. Every student would receive a personalised wooden spoon as a reward for their participation. I wish I could do this job in every primary school in the country, I loved teaching the children and seeing the rewards. Currently I am catering from home for in-services, birthdays and other functions. I would love to teach adults and children from my own kitchen how easy it is to make your own meals from scratch using fresh ingredients and not all these packaged seasonings that are advertised. I know of so many parents that want to learn how to make a gravy or sauce and have never been shown therefore it is easy for them to buy a readymade product. I still believe also that a lot of allergies today are caused by all the processed foods that are introduced into a child’s diet. When my children started school there was not one student that had an allergy, it was unheard of. By the time my last one left primary there would be up to 13 sick children that had to be on special diets. One wonders! Fresh and healthy cooking from home is the best thing for your child. Getting children involved in the kitchen is of great importance. Master chef has generated a huge interest for children and parents alike. This is a great thing. There are so many children’s cookbooks out now and cooking classes happening. Let’s hope times are changing for the better and get into the kitchen! I welcome enquiries and for bookings you can contact me on: email: liannej@tpg.com.au mobile: 0418577559 Best always Lianne Jansen Passion Catering © Lianne Jansen

By Fiona Harley In the early days of a relationship hours would be spent trying to find out what made the other feel good. Each other’s feelings would be taken into account, talking and listening to find out what makes the other tic. Hours of fun and laughter trying to find out each other’s secrets, passions, dreams and their ambitions for the future. Everything is new and there is a lot to learn. Being a young couple is a time of new experiences and flexibility. It’s a time when both will grow, together. So why does this all change when joined by matrimony? Why is it that the hours that were spent learning about each other stop? Surely personal development doesn’t stop when you get married and nor should it. You can’t be the same person at 40 as you were at 20, things change, people change. Do you really know your partner for who they are now, today? Maybe now could be a good time to go back to basics. Talking and listening to each other should be continuous, taking time out to discover what’s changed, understanding each other’s goals and dreams for the future. Children should never get in the way of this bonding time because when the time comes and they leave you are left with two people with nothing in common. There are several factors in creating a healthy relationship and communication is only one of them. Being tactile with your partner is also important; it’s a way of bonding with each other. In a loving relationship this bonding should be reciprocal; this touching will bring you closer together. This doesn’t have to be sexual, running your fingers though your partners’ hair, a gentle massage with essential oils, kissing and holding each other, either hands or closely whilst watching a romantic film. Yes, romance, whether we like it or not, romance is still part of a healthy relationship, it’s what brought us together in the early days, before pride and ego got in the way. Honesty between couples is one of the golden rules when pursuing happiness. Without it there can only be confusion and trust will soon be lost. Honesty between couples clarifies expectations for everyday life and future plans. In order for true happiness to occur you have to be completely honest with yourself and those around you, without this you have nothing and will live a life of lies. This in time can turn into resentment, misery and loneliness. If you are not intimate with someone then in definition you are separated from that person. Being intimate bonds people together, it’s a reason to have you in their life.   

Don’t wait for your partner to make the first move, be the first. Don’t wait for an intimate subject to come up, initiate it. Don’t wait for the other person to make a personal disclosure, be the first.

Remember, the more you give the more you get. Task :) You will need a pen and paper. You can both do this together, but separately. Title the page “Getting to know you, again”

Write down everything you LOVE about your partner, all the things that brought you together in the early days. What’s changed, anything new? Remember all the promises you made to each other, plans for the future. How many of them have you crossed off the list? Make new plans short term and long. Then compare notes, remember honesty! 100% it’s the road to happiness :) http://wwwpandoralifecoaching.co.uk http://www.pandoralifecoaching.blogspot.com © Fiona Foley

New shoes in the gym... I never really know what the topic of my next article is going to be. I've often said this is one of the joys of writing for me...that endless discovery and enjoyment of the unexpected moments of inspiration. Today, inspiration visited in the form of a quote: Don't be afraid if things seem difficult in the beginning. That's only the initial impression. The important thing is not to retreat; you have to master yourself. - Olga Korbut, Olympic Gold Gymnastics Medalist This quote immediately brought to mind the days when I used to work out with a personal trainer at my gym. I was assigned a trainer who eventually became one of my dearest friends. Two people could not be more different. I'm not athletically inclined and I do not enjoy exercising. I do it because I know it's important and necessary. I chose to go the trainer route so that I was accountable to someone and wouldn't tank on the intention to stick with a program. My trainer turned out to be a 6'5" muscle bound guy who truly loves exercise. Loves it so much, he calls a ten minute stint on the exercise bike at Level 8 a "cardio break". As in, "Okay Dawn, let's finish up this set on your triceps and then go over to the bike and have a Cardio Break...it'll be fun! We'll do Level 8!" Picture me shooting said bike a look of pure loathing as I climbed on and groaned, complained and grumbled my way through Level 8 for ten minutes. If you haven't tried Level 8, let me just share with you that it feels like pedaling through mud....hip deep, half dried, very thick mud. It never felt like a break to me. Breaks are something that give you rest, right? I rest my case. But I digress. My point in bringing up the gym and personal trainers is that each time my trainer would introduce a new exercise, I would have a curious reaction. Almost 100% of the time, my body would try to throw a proverbial tantrum which manifested in the form of nausea. Serious, gut grinding nausea that had me positive I was on the verge of throwing up. Sorry to be graphic, but it's true. For some reason, a new demand on my physical body would result in that reaction. It put me in mind of a child throwing a fit to avoid some unpleasant task or chore. I had a mental image of my stomach saying, in cartoon balloon text, "Okay, that's not fun. In fact, that hurts. What she's doing hurts! What can we do to make her stop doing that thing that hurts? Let's make her sick. Seriously sick. She'll stop if we make her feel like crud. Bring on the extreme nausea!" I learned that if I breathed through the nausea and kept right on with the thing that hurt, usually within about 5 minutes, the nausea would recede to a manageable level. With continued activity of this new exercise, the nausea would finally stop. My trainer must've had experience with this phenomenon, because he would gently, but firmly keep pushing me to continue. While sometimes it was downright unpleasant, it taught me something about myself. Although this was a reflex reaction that I was experiencing, it also underscored what Ms. Korbut's quote mentions - new things can give us pause. Fear of the unknown, even with something as simple as a new exercise being introduced in the gym, can cause myriad responses on both an emotional and physical level. Most of the time, we're so busy with the detritus of daily living that we don't always pay attention to those micro-moments of unease. Because I tend to be one to ponder, when this experience happened at the gym, I paid attention. I wondered about it, studied it, even went home and dragged out my old anatomy and physiology books to understand the mechanics behind that knee jerk physical reaction. While most people aren't going to go to those lengths to understand a short moment of unease, I believe it can definitely benefit every single one of us to stop and pay attention when something feels bad or unusual. In this case, I discovered that I have a tendency to react on a primitive level to new physical challenges. My body and my emotional persona want to STOP THAT NOW! The good thing is that I'm fairly stubborn and really dislike admitting defeat. I also was blessed with this wonderful personal trainer and friend who was so cheerful and happy as he put me through 90 minutes of torture that I felt badly if I didn't at least try when he asked me to do something new. So, I would grit my teeth, push through the nausea and force my body and mind to adapt to a new experience. This is something I've carried with me many years later. I no longer have a membership at that gym, and my trainer friend is now working full time at a local university in the athletic department. Our friendship is still solid, but I admit that I've slacked on daily workouts such as we used to tackle three times a week. What I took from that time in my life was, first and foremost, a beautiful friendship, and secondly, a newly discovered way to identify when I was reacting in a fear-based manner. The mind is an incredibly complex organ that is constantly changing and adapting to new stimuli and experiences. We grow as long as we are drawing breath. The primitive reactions that we all feel, if we take time to stop and analyze them, can be quite handy tools as we go about our daily lives. There are always going to be new experiences to weather, new people to meet, new challenges to embrace and lessons....always lessons to learn. Paying attention to those reflex reactions can give us valuable insight if we just pay attention! I used the analogy of a gym workout, but I can also say that

ÂŠ Aromatique Essentials - Julie Nelson

by recognizing this specific reaction, I came to realize that in business situations the same reaction sometimes surfaced. It wasn't the same full blown attack of nausea, but it was enough of a twinge in my stomach that it would always catch my attention. I would then take that extra couple of minutes to silently reflect on the situation and people involved and invariably would realize that 'gut reaction' was a warning flag. Pay attention to those little twinges, my friends. They are happening for a reason. Going beyond that visceral reaction, and revisiting Ms. Korbut's quote above, adversity isn't always a bad thing. Difficulties, as her quote so wisely indicates, aren't necessarily a reason to stop and give up! New things can feel strange and uncomfortable, but so can a new pair of shoes. Look at those challenges that may seem scary as a reason to try on a proverbial new pair of shoes. Think of how differently you walk when you are wearing a new item of clothing. There's that extra bounce to your walk, that extra sparkle in your eye. The same can be true of persevering through what initially feels like a situation that will never make sense to you. Mastering your fears and putting them to use for you, rather than allowing them to convince to you stop before you even get started, can give you that same bounce to your step, that same sparkle in your eye. So, when those uncomfortable moments hit your life, remember Olga Korbut's quote above. Take a moment and step back. Breathe through it, give thought to what you're feeling and identify the reason for the unease or fear-based reaction. Nine times out of ten, you'll realize that the fear-based reaction is just a primitive response to something that seems scary only because it is new. Challenge yourself and resolve to push through that moment and discover the exhilaration of conquering that fear. Recognize the power this puts into your hands to manifest your own success! Give judicious attention also to those twinges when it is clear your instincts are clamoring and jangling away to prevent you from making a mistake or blunder in judgment. Our instincts are there to protect us, after all. Now, you may be sitting there thinking, "How do I know which is a fear-based feeling and which is an instinctive warning flag?" That's where being a responsible human being comes into play. It is up to you to decipher your body's reactions and interpret what means what. It isn't as complex as you may think, and with care and attention, you'll quickly learn to read those telltale inward signs that your body and emotions are giving you. In time, probably much more quickly than you would imagine, you'll grow to recognize the varying degrees of internal dialog. With a bit of practice, you'll be able to adapt quickly and maneuver through those daily bumps, obstacles and unexpected turns with ease. And I daresay those proverbial, spiritual new shoes and clothing will add that extra sparkle to your eyes and that extra snap of energy to your walk! So, when something feels unusual, strange, perhaps uncomfortable...take a moment to identify it. React accordingly and move forward, rather than retreating in fear or confusion. Push through with that new-to-you exercise. Those new shoes are waiting to be tried on, after all!

ÂŠ Dawn Sievers

ÂŠ Aromatique Essentials - Julie Nelson

Mmmm.... something sweet and decadent...This was a desert that the lovely Amanda Web from “Make A Strand” brought along to one of our “The Red Tent Woman” events and it was a hit to be sure! WHITE CHOCOLATE & HAZELNUT BALL Preparation time: 10 mins, Cooking time: 10 mins, Serves: 8 (This recipe is great for guests to share with coffee in place of desserts). 250g Philadelphia Block Cream Cheese – softened 100g white chocolate, melted 1 tablespoon caster sugar 1 cup chopped roasted hazelnuts Ginger biscuits, to serve Chocolate chip bread, to serve 1. 2. 3.

Carefully roast hazelnuts on a flat oven tray covered with greaseproof paper. Allow to cool and roll on breadboard to remove as much skin from the hazelnuts as possible. Roughly chop. Meanwhile, combine melted chocolate and caster sugar in a bowl, add softened Philly cheese and stir thoroughly to combine. Chill for 1 hour or until firm. Form into 2 balls and coat in hazelnuts. Chill until firm. Place onto 2 serving plates and serve with flower shaped ginger thins and/or chocolate chip bread.

Source: pg 154, Simply Heaven – 75 irresistible Philadelphia recipes – Currently available for free from some supermarkets when purchasing any 3 Philadelphia cheese products... Amanda Webb, owner and jewellery designer of “Make a Strand” served this quick, easy and delicious recipe to Julie Nelson and friends at a recent ‘Red Tent Woman’ networking event. It was a very popular dish and many women asked for the recipe, so we hope you enjoy it too. Aside from vegetarian cooking, Amanda’s other passion is creating exquisite handcrafted necklaces, bracelets and earrings, specialising in semi-precious gemstones and pearls. Amanda loves to custom design original pieces to suit every woman – whether she’s after something in her favourite colours, or seeking distinctive corporate, evening or every day wear. Amanda also offers a popular remodelling and repairs service as she’s passionate about breathing new life into old pieces and getting beloved broken jewellery out of the drawer and back into your jewellery wardrobe. You can find Amanda on LinkedIn at ‘Makeastrand’ or visit her website at www.makeastrand.com.au © Amanda Web

Do you love connecting with, helping and healing people? Were you led to believe that your skills and talents would naturally attract paying clients? Are you feeling burned out from working this hard? I know you would love an easier way to create a healthy business that works for you. Which is why I’ve created Business Wellbeing! My name is Kylie Saunder and I understand how to build a successful Wellness business and have done so 3 times, including Business Wellbeing. I understand how hard it can be to get clients, even one client! I know how isolated and daunted you feel. All you want to do is to help, heal and connect with your clients. I know how hard you work in your business and how committed you are to your profession. I also know how burned out you feel as a result – I’ve been there! I’ve made mistakes and did it “the hard way”! Figuring out how to run a viable business on a shoestring budget wasn’t easy, but I succeeded. I did it on my own but would have done it a lot faster if I had asked for help. I know how you feel about sales and marketing: confused and scared. After all, you went into business to serve your clients; not market and sell! I help Wellness Professionals (including Yoga & Pilates Instructors, Massage & Holistic Therapists, Personal Trainers, Osteopaths & Chiropractors) close the gap between their high standard of professional training and the lack of training they received in marketing and strategic day-to-day business skills. I can help you with practical “how-to” strategies to create a business that fulfils your dreams, without feeling like you’re selling out. I can be contacted at www.businesswellbeing.com.au What if you could create a business that works for you: that you enjoy, not endure?

Everything is Energy Part 2 Traditional Feng Shui Traditional Feng Shui is the analysis of the universal energy and the energy of the individual who interacts with the energy. There has been much written of variable quality about the origins of Feng Shui â&#x20AC;&#x201C; I will not repeat what has been written here. TFS is a method of codification or classification and then interpretation of qi or energy that flows in, through and around any environment. This energy impacts the consciousness of human beings. Traditional Feng Shui consultants skill to classify, interpret and 'harness' as much as we are able these energy forces. Several cycles Yin and yang

Many people have heard about yin and yang but have a rather superficial understanding of it. These two cycles or energy forces are constantly interacting with each other. The yin has contained within in it the genesis of yang and yang has the genesis of yin within it. It is best to see these cycles as a three dimensional model, moving through all planes and in all realms at all times. Neither of these cycles prevail for any time longer than the other. None has precedence over the other. They are and they have been and they will be. Yin is quiet, it is cold, it is yin water, it is the moon, it is the season of water (winter) it is the downward motion (as water moves down), it is the receptive, it is midnight. Yang is active, it is hot, it is fire, it is the sun, it is the season of fire (summer), it is the movement upwards (as fire moves upwards), it is the creative, it is midday. These above mentioned qualities of yin and yang are but some of the myriad qualities or aspects of qi. 5 Elements Yin and Yang are then further analysed using the system called 5 elements. The 5 elements are: 1

Wood

Fire

Earth

Metal

Water

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These 5 elements are held in a circle with 3 sequences. The productive, the exhausting and the controlling cycles. The tension that exists between the elements underpins things Feng Shui, Traditional Chinese Medicine, even some aspects of Traditional culture, Tai Qi, Qi Gong etc. All the systems were interlinked as they shared several common principles - Yin and Yang and the 5 elements. Stems and Branches As well as the yin and yang and the 5 elements there are the stems and branches. Every year is governed by a certain quality of qi. It is generated out of the cycle of the stems and branches. There are 10 stems and 12 branches. The 10 stems are paired aspects of the 5 elements. 

There is yang wood followed by yin wood.



There is yang fire followed by yin fire



There is yang earth followed by yin earth



There is yang metal followed by yin metal



There is yang water followed by yin water.

Thus we have 10 sequences before the cycle starts again. The 12 branches also are considered yin and yang. The branches start at the rat and finish with the pig. The rat is yang (there are deeper levels of examination for more advanced students) followed by the ox which is yin. For a deeper explanation of these you can get the e-book Understanding your Chinese Astrology Chart at http://www.sauvage-feng-shui.com It takes 60 years for the stems and branches to finish their cycles. This means that the last time we saw a year governed by yang metal tiger was 1950, exactly 60 years ago. Most people who live out their 3 score and 10 years will see at the least and at the most one full cycle. st

When we are faced with the 1 , 6 , 12 , 18 , 24 , 30 , 36 , 42 , 48 , 54 and 60 year from birth will be experiencing a year with very strong karma for us. They are times to take stock of our situation, our motivating forces and how we have been proceeding along this path of consciousness and conscious interaction with our environment. 2010 is the year of the metal tiger. The metal and the tiger have elements and buried elements. The tiger is essentially wood but with some fire buried in it. The stem sitting on top is metal. As you can see from the diagram below metal controls wood. The stem governs the first half of the year and the branch nd governs the 2 half of the year. Metal is contracting qi moving towards greatest yin. Wood is emerging qi, moving towards greatest yang. This is a tension of opposites. In addition to these energies the Tiger is a travelling sign. It can therefore be a year when people make radical decisions about moving, about leaving relationships, about leaving their state or their friends. When there is environmental pressure to do these things we must consider very carefully if this is what we want to do or are we being driven by unseen forces. I always recommend that people do NOT make hasty or pressured choices in these years bring great opportunities. If you are in one of the years of either pressure because you are having a 'return' of your animal sign or, more particularly,

if you are in clash with the annual qi it is a time to go on 2 or 3 retreats through the year. To enter into an honest and meaningful dialogue with yourself. Look carefully at the things that drive and have driven you in the past. Are these still useful, are they conscious decisions or habits and attachments? Just to add another curved ball to your emerging awareness of the universal qi we have these same stem and branch cycles repeated every month, every day and every two hours. Because it is such a fascinating

subject and I love to help people understand how they fit into the universal picture I post a daily blog about the daily qi and how it interacts with the month, and the year's energy. Each month I also conduct a webinar to forewarn people about the energy for the coming month. Head over to http://www.sauvage-feng-shui.com/latest_news.htm and you will find the most recent webinar and the booking form for the next webinar. In addition to all this we also have direction associated with both the stem and branch. Whilst each of the stems has a location it is the branches that have direction. 2010 the dominant energy is coming from the north east. Very specifically from 52.5 degrees through 67.5 degrees. The universal qi flow this year is arriving from this direction and flowing out through the position directly opposite. That is the position of the monkey in the south west 232.5 degrees through 247.5 degrees. These directions MUST NOT be violated. This means that if there is sha qi (broken energy / ugly buildings / dead trees / power poles / intersection it will bring very great challenges to the tiger. Equally in the direction of the monkey. It is also important that you do not do any renovations or earth moving in these directions or locations for the whole of the year of the tiger. If you must violate these directions then ask me for auspicious times to offset the danger. We can talk about options. In the next issue we will look at the annual flying star energy and orientation of your desk to help you improve your productivity and awareness of the environmental qi. http://www.sauvage-feng-shi.com ÂŠ Vicki Sauvage

ÂŠ Aromatique Essentials - Julie Nelson

ANB Photography is now offering: Professional Portraits (Corporate, Individual, Family, Couple). Sessions are available on-location (Sydney, NSW area), either outdoors or at your home or place of business and in a studio setting, using natural or flash lighting. 2 Hours shooting time. Up to 2 different outfits/looks. You receive a disk with 1-3 retouched images of each look for print and web. License and Usage fees included for the retouched images. Additional retouching is $30 per image. You will receive a digital contact sheet of all shots taken on the day. Contact Amy to book your session now! Email: enquiries@anbphotography.net ÂŠ Amy Nelson-Blain

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Hi! My name is Alex. I have been in the technology industry since 2004. I hold my Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist certification and I also hold my Certificate IV in Information Technology. I have always had a passion for technology. I have been building, repairing and setting up computer systems and networks since I was young. Technology is a strong interest of mine, as I love seeing the world advance with new shiny gadgets that help us perform our everyday tasks. If you think back to 1997, we had the fear of Y2K and mobile phones were coming out where you could send text messages *wow*. Since then we have moved on to a point where the internet is everywhere. It's nothing these days to pull out your mobile phone and "Google" current movie times, or see the latest YouTube phenomenon. Wondering what all this means for you? Your business is able to expand beyond the computer. It can move. It is in people’s pockets, it is on public transport, it is in coffee shops! I will be able to help you expand your business to be available to these portals. I can get your businesses information systems up and running efficiently. My knowledge becomes the power behind you. I am experienced with small to medium business technology infrastructure. I have worked with businesses that have multiple offices over a vast area and small businesses ranging from 2-15 employees, as well as individuals. If you need something specific done, then don't hesitate to contact me and we can work something out. email: me@alexzaia.com mobile: 0458 253 929 © Alex Zaia

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