EDITION 1 MARCH 2018
CONSCIOUS LIVING MAGAZINE MASQUERADING AS NORMAL VEGAN CHEESECAKE WHY ORGANIC? COSMIC VIBES
Let it be
LUSTRE | 2
EDITOR’S NOTE Welcome to the first edition of Lustre Magazine. We’re excited to bring together wise, creative and soulful writers, healers and artists. This space is a collaborative production where our creative inspirations can be shared and enjoyed. We hope you are inspired, uplifted or maybe even reflective. Justine Jamieson Editor, Designer, Writer
We’re all for viewing the world with a conscious heart so we feel connected to the planet and her inhabitants. Enjoy the healing opportunites and high vibe energy within this magazine. Our vision is for creatives to collaborate in a beautiful environment. When we share our inspired thoughts we touch other souls.
Dawn Grace Kelly
Namaste Justine Jamieson & Dawn Grace Kelly
Editor, Writer
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LUSTRE | 3
Inside 4-5
Masquerading as normal
6-7
How to be with difficult feelings
8-9
Creating your own environment
10-11
Relating to loved ones
12
Too busy?
13
Poem: From dark to light we roam in time and space
14-15
Yoga guide
16
Vegan cheese cake recipe
18-19
The power of dance
20-21
Lustre partner profile: Noreen Macdonald
22-23
“…Just be the change”
24-25
Lustre partner profile: Dawn Grace Kelly
26-28
Why organic?
29
Fermenting mad
31
Slowing down aging
32-33
Cosmic vibes
34-35
Darker moments
36-37
Dissolving beliefs around money
38-40
Lustre partner spotlight
41
Poem: Stop doubting yourself
42-43
Let it go
Pg 6 Pg 12 Pg 14 Pg 16 Pg 26
Masquerading as normal By Dawn Marron
For years…hang on, my mind’s whirring into search and recall mode because the statistician in me is flagging that the word ‘years’ isn’t accurate. Right. Let me begin again. All my life, the most consistent accusation, insult and jibe thrown at me has been that I am weird. Those hurling this word around do so with contempt. It’s an attempt to make me feel wrong and strange, like I don’t fit or I’m not normal. I think it’s nearly always been used as a means to make me feel ashamed, that I’m somehow different and that makes me unacceptable.
It’s also been used as a reprimand for not conforming and for standing out in some way, as if that’s a very bad thing. ‘Who do you think you are? Be like us or be excluded.’ In my work with women and girls, especially teenage girls, this idea of normal and fitting in is pervasive. The fear of not being normal or not fitting in can be consuming and in some cases crippling. But here’s the interesting thing, when I ask what normal is, the best answer anyone can give is something along the lines of, ‘you know, more like them and less like me’. I’ll just leave that with you for a second. So, now my mind has done this skippity skip thing because a picture of a masquerade ball just popped into my head. What’s that all about? Off to have a wee gander, amuse yourself for a minute or two… Right, I’m back. According to my scant reading, courtesy of Google, the masquerade ball,
although dating as far back as the thirteenth century, is more readily associated with sixteenth century Venetian carnival-like shenanigans. As you can imagine, everyone pretty much knew everyone in Venice, it’s not exactly easy to leave town. During the masquerade carnival everyone wore an elaborate costume complete with a full facial mask. Removing the mask was forbidden. Society’s elite rubbed shoulders with commoners. It was a scandalous night of anonymity rife with bawdiness, gluttony and lust. Anyone could behave in any way they liked and there would be no recompense because no one knew who was who. The key objective was to hide your identity. Is it just me or does everyone else see why my, oh so abstract mind, provided me with that visual? To the normal crew, i.e. the masses, might life be the equivalent of a masquerade? And when they point the finger at those of us who more readily drop our masks, might it be because they’re confused, disturbed or maybe intimidated by authenticity? ‘Oi! You! Get your mask back on. You’re spoiling it for everyone else. We’d like this charade to continue as long as possible, thanks.’ What is this normal malarkey? Once upon a time, did someone decide they would invent the job of deciding what was normal and what wasn’t? And did anyone try to tell them it was a stupid idea? “Dave, have you thought this through? I mean, mate, we’ve been doing okay without this imposition of opinion, haven’t we? Do you think there’s a danger this normal thing might stimmy people’s creativity and individuality a bit and lead to really narrow parameters of existence? Cos I’m not sure that’s the most diverse and inclusive route for mankind to take.” “Shut up, Steve. We need a benchmark, so we know when things and people deviate from it.” “Why, Dave? I think there could be potential for it to be applied where it isn’t needed and for it to be a metaphorical spanner in the works.” “For God’s sake, you are such a weirdo, Steve! Nobody likes you. Go and live in the woods. Eat leaves. You can’t be in our tribe anymore, you’re not like us. And wear a fig leaf like everyone else, will you? You’ve got three balls, it’s not normal and it doesn’t make you special either, so piss off! Start a tribe of tri-sacs and stay away from us normal people.” This normal thing turns up everywhere.
LUSTRE | 5 I’ve recently switched to an animal-free diet and everywhere I go people ask me if I miss normal food. Yeah, cos I totally eat abnormal food, like fruit and vegetables. And the other day someone commented that they would never be able to go without normal milk. When I asked what makes cow’s milk normal they claimed it was ‘because everybody drinks it’. Now, to me, normal milk for humans would be human milk but oh no no no. In fact, the idea of humans drinking human milk past six months old freaks people out, I mean they get ridiculously, incredibly offended by it, disgusted even. And yet, most people will unquestioningly, their whole lives long, drink the milk that is biologically produced by mummy cows specifically for baby cows, and that, my friends is considered normal. Most people equate normal with the majority rule. If most people do it, think it, are it, it’s normal and if you don’t, you’re not. Well, that’s a stinking pile of convenient crap and not only does it stink but it’s dangerous too. I mean, I get that normal can be convenient but, really? Look where convenience has got us. Throwaway, turn a blind eye convenience is such an excuse for sidestepping responsibility isn’t it? And pigeonholing people according to what’s normal is also an excuse. We can put them in a box without even taking the time to get to know them and pretend we do know them because we’ve measured them by the standards everyone considers normal. From skin colour to bra-size, from heart rate to the colour of your poo, from language to behaviour, from weather to natural phenomenon. So, weirdos everywhere, I salute you. I count you as a friend, and an ally. Take heart, find courage, show up. If everyone wasn’t too busy sashaying around at the masquerade ball and just showed up as themselves there’d be heaps more of us I reckon, enough of us to kick the normal theory in the trisacs. Oh wait, no, tri-sacs are our friends, no kicking tri-sacs, even metaphorically. Seriously though, I invite you to look at the masks you wear and why. What beliefs do you hold about normal? Where can you challenge yourself around those beliefs? Where can you allow more of you to show up, the you that doesn’t fit in? And besides… Wyrd is an old Anglo Saxon/Norse word connected with the supernatural and beliefs around destiny and fate. Wyrd is strongest – that’s what the ancients believed! ILLUSTRATION Briar Broderson
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How to be with difficult feelings By Dawn Grace Kelly I had years of unconsciously blocking emotion with drugs, alcohol, work, relationships, food it all did the job just fine. I had no idea that if I was brave enough to be present to feel I would be well on my way to releasing years of stored pain that would heal all manner of issues. If unexpressed emotional energy is not expressed it stays in our system causing us pain and illness physically, emotionally or mentally. It’s this stuck energy that I sense when I ‘read’ a client’s energy field, this guides us to the original unresolved issue. With gentle awareness we can heal our own past by allowing our emotion to flow.
We are conditioned to suppress our uncomfortable emotions. Our tears have been shut down with ‘I’ll give you something to cry about’ or ‘don’t be sad’. Even “It’s ok” when it isn’t can suppress feelings as well as create reality confusion for young people. Sadness for boys wasn’t seen as manly, anger for girls wasn’t feminine. This conditioning runs deep, it’s generational. Hundreds of years of family beliefs can make us sick today. Sometimes we think if we let ourselves feel our pain it will be too much, we’ll be out of control. If we’ve suffered trauma without expressing the emotion involved as many of us have there will be a lot of stored feeling to release. It can feel overwhelming if we judge it. We need experience to show us that the feeling will pass and we will be ok. Thinking about our uncomfortable feelings brings us more pain than the actual feeling. We can think ourselves into all sorts of messes. Judgement of ourselves and others can lead us down thought roads that can bring depression and despair.
LUSTRE | 7 To feel safe to express your pain you need skilled support, a therapist or friend who can hold the space for you to feel without trying to fix anything. There is nothing to fix, there is nothing wrong. It is simply emotion wanting to move. If we are scared or uncertain about having the feeling due to our past conditioning we’ll need gentle coaching to help our inner child feel safe. Knowing that what you feel makes sense can be a relief to hear. As children we don’t always know this. We often feel it’s our fault for feeling bad and that there is something wrong with us. These are the roots of shame. It’s important that we teach children that their big emotions make sense. When we shame children for their feelings we’re inadvertently teaching them to store their emotions inside. Bodies will express what we’re unable to feel, this results in a myriad of physical issues. It also is the beginning of not being able to trust one’s feelings. When we acknowledge what we’re feeling we become more connected to it. This awareness can diffuse it’s intensity. When we feel the emotion we release it from our body. The charge is expelled, the energy is gone. No longer are we using our life force energy to hold it in place. We have more energy and less tension.
Ignoring Uncomfortable Emotions When we don’t know or are unaware of what we’re feeling we can’t take care of ourselves effectively. If we are out of touch with our anger, sadness, fear, grief or other emotions we can –
Play the victim Be self critical Become run down Suffer a general malaise Get sick Experience tension or pain Become depressed Blame others Project our feelings onto others
It can be helpful to run through a feelings checklist to see what resonates when you’re ascertaining what you’re actually feeling. Because we weren’t taught to know our feelings as children we will need some practise as adults to become emotionally intelligent. Not being in touch with our feelings plays havoc in our relationships. We will blame and criticise our loved ones, unconsciously making them the problem when the real issue is that we are feeling something unpleasant that we’re not aware of. This is a quick way to give yourself some easy power when you’re feeling low. When I notice myself complaining, bossing and blaming I take note. I don’t always know exactly what I’m feeling. After years of numbing emotions I’m still getting to know them. What I can tell is that I’m not feeling good. This I can communicate. If my timing is good I can get a hug or a warm touch which can put me in touch with my emotions. I can find myself suddenly in tears without knowing that I was actually sad. It’s easy to become ungrounded when we’re avoiding uncomfortable feelings. I have noticed that when I’m supported to come fully into my body, coupled with knowing I am safe I can quickly access my emotions. This is where a skilled therapist is helpful. Releasing stored emotion can save your life. This discordant energy that resides in your system can eventually manifest as cancer, heart attacks, strokes and all manner of minor and major ailments. Feeling awareness is a wonderful gateway to healing. Your powerful emotions can be your friends when you embrace them. They will guide you to heal your past. They can lead you to forgiveness, lightness, wellness, love and acceptance. When you’re curious about what you’re feeling you are beginning a self discovery journey. Befriend your feelings, they are not your enemy, they are your guide to freedom!
ILLUSTRATION by Grace Wilkinson from Good Gracious
Creating your own environment By Justine Jamieson
Lately I took a holiday, it wasn’t your typical holiday. It didn’t go to my expectations in fact the first week I stayed with someone that lost their job then had 3 different cars breakdown in one week. It was stressful on top of my own “issues”. The next week I was hanging around millionaires and was whisked away to an island and offered opportunities to live this type of lifestyle. The yin and yang of the two different lifestyles was apparent to me. One was a constant stressful struggle and one of extreme ease.
Now one could judge these two lives and come up with reasoning for both, even feel sorry for one and envious of the other, but the thing is I chose to be around both in one week. I experienced both and although my situation was exactly the same, my perspective was completely different. It got me thinking if I can easily experience both in my life, which one will I now choose to have more of? Poverty and chaos, or luxury and motivation. I think I know which one we’d all say we’d choose, but is that a reality for most I don’t think so. It got me thinking about what creates these two lives, what gets us to that luxury lifestyle, is goodluck and motivation, or hard work and struggle or is it this big beast of a thing we call karma that determines our life? One thing became apparent when I felt into them both, rather than working out the questions in my head, instead of judging the two with my analytical mind, just literally using the feeling I was receiving, things became very obvious. The energy in one place was thick and heavy, grief ridden, dramatic and bitter. It made me feel tired and enclosed, searching
LUSTRE | 9 for answers feeling sorry for myself and my situation, to be honest I was fighting every day from this dark space trying to put up my energetic boundaries and failing at it bigtime, over time it brought out my own deeper feelings of lack and being the victim. The other energy at the end of the week was light, positive, stress less, easy and motivating and being in that energy meant solutions were found without even asking the questions, it brought my positive attributes of motivation, drive and creativity to the surface. It takes a lot of practice when we are sensitive to not let the outside world affect us, masters know that our internal world creates the perceptions of our external world and as we heal deep emotional wounds our external world should become less challenging - ease becomes a reality.
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So if everyone’s creating their own realities based on their own internal world does this mean we are all doomed based on the negative thoughts we all have from our past trauma? Or does this mean you can manifest what you want? Both, you see it’s just our perception whatever you feel, then think will turn into vibrations on your words and will start creating your surroundings. The answer is aligning yourself with what you love and brings joy is the answer and then lightness surrounds you. We always have a choice to trust in the magic of life and be grateful for our experiences, or we can dwell in the despair of what challenges we’re faced. Life is full of decisions if you find yourself somewhere where you feel dark and heavy don’t stay there for long it can be all consuming and you too may start to adapt, choose the surroundings that make you feel light and joyful, if you feel you don’t have a choice because you may be caring for a sad loved one, you do, make sure you take time out to feel joy so then you can bring joy and light to them when you return with your healthy boundaries in place. The environment we plant ourselves in is so important to our growth so choose somewhere that is lush.
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Relating to loved ones By Dawn Grace Kelly Dawn reflects on the nature of communicating when things get challenging.
To date every day of this new year has challenged me in some way. It’s like 2018 wants to say, “Let’s see how far you’ve come with your personal growth work, how will you deal with this? And this? What about this?” The 2 hour road delay (love my smartphone) my new car that wouldn’t go post purchase, having a sick partner and some physical issues of my own were the easy things.
“
What others say and do is more about them and their history than it is about me - Dawn Grace Kelly
The tough stuff was being in conflict with those I loved the most, sometimes more than one of them at a time. Relating with our loved ones can be the most wonderful of experiences. We feel expansive when we’re exchanging ideas with like minds, safe and cared for when we’re sharing our vulnerable self, we open our whole beings to beautiful sexual experiences and we feel connected when we’re understood. The world is a beautiful place. How do we handle the relating stuff that isn’t so wonderful? This year I’ve done it by defending myself and trying to be understood. Didn’t work. I love to be understood. This can get me into more strife as I try to commune with angry, non grounded people..
LUSTRE | 11 They get more blaming and critical, I keep trying to be understood and then I get angry too. At some point I have to respect their boundary of not wanting to relate anymore and I’m left feeling shut out, misunderstood and frustrated. Eventually I cry a lot. Then I try writing to them which is very effective with some and fuels the fire with others. When I remember what others say and do is more about them and their history than it is about me things look different. I know anger covers up sadness and blame is always about not taking responsibility, yet the default setting of taking others words too personally is quick to happen, especially when we’re ungrounded which easily happens in the midst of drama. Getting ‘triggered’ is when old hurts are activated, taking us back in time to some older trauma. It can have us relating as an angry teenager or a distressed young child rather than from our aware adult place. Rarely are we conscious of that occurring. If we’re mindful of staying present we can have a good boundary by not taking on other’s stuff, we can look deeper and see they’re lashing out from a hurting place. We may choose to stay steady in our being and hold space for their emotional release. If it feels too toxic or invasive we might leave the exchange, letting them know it doesn’t feel good for us. It’s pretty cool when we get that big, loving vibe going and we know it’s not about us despite how much crap comes our way. Taking care of ourselves and most likely our wounded inner child means soothing our self, not demanding or expecting an upset person to do it for us. Crying is healing too. These exchanges can hurt. It takes effort for me to self care. The only way I knew in my less aware years was to play the victim and hope to be rescued or get stoned and pretend everything was ok. Today I have more of myself in present time. Self soothing now is warm baths, cosying up with journals, books and cards, restorative yoga, nature gazing in my hammock, herb teas and sharing with a loving friend. It’s too easy to get hooked in to someone else’s stuff. We love and care for others, we don’t want them hurting nor do we want them thinking badly
of us. It’s a sure way to lose energy. Some of these past days have been emotionally exhausting for me because I was not minding my own business. Now that I’ve called my energy back out of others, got their bad vibes off me and taken care of myself my energy is returning. It’s not our job to fix everyone else and get them thinking well of us again.The best we can do is apologise if needed, state our truth about how we’re feeling (always using “I” statements, never using “you” statements that can promote defence) and what it was like for us when we’re grounded and calm. The other person needs to be in a receptive state to listen. Be intuitive about this. There’s no point talking when no one is listening. All those wonderful relating experiences I mentioned earlier did actually happen for me this year too, so I think I could also work a little gratitude now that I’m more present. Amidst the days of drama I was too triggered to be able to appreciate the positive interactions. I believe being in relationship is a development opportunity. When I resist arguing, stay in love, allow any triggered emotions to surface, grieve and care for myself I am becoming lighter every time. When I can admit my mistakes, be patience with another’s process and keep self soothing in healthy ways I am becoming more authentic. Difficult interactions will continue to happen, if we remember they’re really healing opportunities to test our boundaries and observe how much ego we’re in we’ll be able to be more accepting of what is. Releasing our judgement and blame, owning our stuff, protecting ourselves from being hurt and communicating from a calm place will show us how far we’ve come. We all have wounds and we all desire to be loved and understood so let’s be compassionate with ourselves and our loved ones. I’m going to make that my new prayer.
Relationships
Too busy?
By Dawn Grace Kelly
It seems I'm in need of some self care and I'd rather clean the fridge out. I'd do better if a person I deem wise and mature tells me it is a must do for my health. "Dawn, you have to relax and stop thinking about everything that has to be done or your time on the planet will be up any day. Your being requires you to listen, and it's urgent!" I would run off to my bed with journals, pens, mags and books and a cup of fresh herb tea in my new glass diffuser. I would put on some chill tunes, light some Nag Champa and hold a stone that was calling me. Pixie, my psychic, cow patterned cat would breathe a sign of relief for me and lounge nearby. Why would I believe this wise person rather than listen to myself? Because listening to oneself needs space. In my world there's an endless amount of exercising, cleaning, shopping, writing, planning, food prepping, creating, parenting, friending, relationship managing, interneting and reading. There's also appointments, errands, animals and taxiing kids. No space, no listening. The 'do' just keeps on rolling. When I find myself with a gap the doing often grabs me. If I am being mindful I will notice that and make myself stop and reflect. What is my being needing now? My head will say, "Finish that article." I might believe that and go and do it. Later I'll complain about how busy my day was and how I've had no reflection time. I'm still waiting for the wise person to say I must chill. I’m quite attached to a solo, peaceful lunch break, it’s a time I ‘allow’ myself to relax, read and avoid my devices. Tuning in to what our body requires takes some slowing down.
I was recently guided to come out of my bossy thinking mind and drop my awareness lower. Around my chest area I discovered anger. This was a surprise, my thinking mind had distracted me well from that feeling. I hadn't wanted to feel anger towards a loved one I was in conflict with. It was time to process that heavy feeling. Lower down I noticed anger turning inwards. Oh no, I was angry at myself as well! Taking my awareness even lower I discovered the energy around my legs was very weak, it seemed I wasn't even touching the ground. All of these subtle noticings had been tuned out by thinking. I was being driven by shoulds. I felt tender towards myself, it was obvious I needed to be kind. Loving self care was in order, it was a decision I could choose to make for myself without anyone telling me what to do. Making wise decisions that honour all of our being requires being connected to our mind, body, feelings and spirit. After a grounding bath it became easy to notice a need to stop working, cook a nurturing meal and enjoy a movie with my family. I had arrived back to myself. The feeling of being calm and not so pacey or spacey has been enjoyable over these past few days. In a busy life scheduling self reflection time is more than just helpful. Knowing what you need and acting accordingly can stop burnout, illness, arguments, blame, accidents, insomnia and mental angst. Today I am happy and calm. I encourage you to bring your awareness into your body. What do you need? Will you give that to yourself? And if not, what is that really all about? PHOTO Tina Arthur from Retreats By Design
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Through dark and light we roam Poem By Laron Smith Through light and dark, we roam in time and space. Before we were complete, from source we came — fearless, compassionate, with love and grace. ‘Why?’ one may ask, while they try to retrace those hidden memories that form their frame. Through light and dark, we roam in time and space. The choice was made to pick this earthly place, as life hands down experience, to aim — fearless, compassionate, with love and grace. Hardship pulls us closer, while we chase life’s grand purpose (with or without our blame). Through light and dark, we roam in time and space. Wisdom brings progress, within souls pace, as a teacher hints words, who once became fearless, compassionate, with love and grace. With great perseverance we will embrace our planned lives, often relit like a flame. Through light and dark, we roam in time and space — fearless, compassionate, with love and grace.
Follow Laron at laron.nz
ILLUSTRATION: Briar Broderson
Yoga guide By Claudia-Sam Cataford-Sauvé Claudia-Sam guides us through the many different practises of yoga.
The word yoga means ‘to yoke’ or “to be in union with our higher consciousness’. Mainly, yoga is a way of life; when all thoughts and actions have the same positive intent towards oneself or others, then you are living in a state of yoga. So, what does it mean when your friends tell you they’re going to ‘DO’ yoga? Even though it is more than the physical postures we try to master from class to class, the latter are very important. On a gross level, we tone and stretch the muscles, we increase blood flow to the organs, and we free the body from toxins. On a subtle level, we want to be free from pain, anger, negativity, and anything that doesn’t serve a purpose for our happiness. Most classes we know come from Hatha Yoga. In Sanskrit, the yogic language, Ha means sun, while Tha means moon. My Guru’s Guru, Swami Shivalingam Saraswati from Nepal, says that 90% of people only practice Ha yoga… and that Yogis with big bellies only practice Tha Yoga. I thought this was funny!
When there is union between both opposing forces, Ha and Tha, then higher consciousness awakens and there is balance between body and mind. Hatha Yoga gets us to do asanas, which means moving but staying grounded, without really worrying about the mind. Asanas are necessary if we want to sit for breathing exercises and in meditation for a long time, otherwise our body aches and the meditation is disturbed. When Hatha Yoga is mastered, there is Ashtanga Yoga; the art of meditating through the body. In Ashtanga Yoga, or Raja Yoga, or Eight-Limb-Yoga (yes, I know it gets confusing), there are set series of postures and movements that, all the while balancing the body and mind, give you an intense work-out and intents on bringing you from your human to your spiritual nature – from the gross to the subtle levels as mentioned above. In Ashtanga yoga, postures are meant to be still but comfortable. We will often see the word ‘vinyasa’ on class schedules, and this is usually a mix of Hatha and Ashtanga types of yoga. Vinyasa in Sanskrit means ‘moving with intention’ and ‘synchronizing the movements with the breath’. When you see ‘vinyasa flow’ on class schedules, it usually means that the movements are paired with breathing and that they transition like waves; naturally and smoothly.
LUSTRE | 15 Other yoga variants would include: Iyengar Yoga is similar to Ashtanga but comes from a philosophy that every body is different and thus using props is often proposed, especially for those with injuries; Yin Yoga is a more restorative type of practice; Prenatal is for pregnant women; Stand Up Paddle plays with your balance on water and with your connection to nature; Yoga Nidra rotates consciousness across the different body parts, relaxes the body and mind, and accesses the subconscious; Hot Yoga and Bikram Yoga both have heated rooms and focus mainly on flexibility and strength; and Jivamukti Yoga offers complete classes with chanting, breathing exercises, asanas, meditation, legit hands-on assists and has the same focusses every month across its studios worldwide. There are so many more varieties of yoga, and this is because I think guides/teachers/ Gurus just want students/humans/people to access happiness in a way that it has worked for them. After Hatha and Ashtanga Yogas, you have Mantra Yoga, which means ‘meditation through sound’. Mantras are sound vibrations used to get the mind free of all the stuff it usually fills with. Just like the sound of OM reflects the beginning of existence, the ultimate reality, the Truth, then all other sounds chanted or repeated bring practitioners closer to this Truth. When you’ve stretched your body, lubricated your joints, moved with intention, sat in meditation repeating mantras, it’s time to access your Chakras, which are energy centres of the body. This happens through Kundalini Yoga. Kundalini is a dormant serpent-shaped energy that we wish to guide from the base of our spine to the crown of the head towards Pure Consciousness, unblocking all six chakras along the way. A variety of practices are used to bring both energy and consciousness together, but the latter are advanced practices for yogis and yoginis who are ready for the spiritual experiences it can bring about. The last yoga I will mention is one that is less popular and usually misunderstood. It is called Tantra Yoga and it comes from Nepal. Tantra is an integral practice of all the different yoga systems enumerated above, dealing from the
gross to the subtle levels, meaning from body to consciousness. Tantra is about freeing the mind through the expansion of awareness. In a Tantra yoga class, you should expect to have dynamic asanas accessing all chakras, breathing exercises, meditation, chanting and yoga nidra. With all this information, remember that whatever is taken out from a yoga practice will differ from one person to the next. Most people start ‘doing yoga’ for the work out… until a curious switch is turned on inside, enlightening a part of them they didn’t know existed. This switch makes us seek for answers, guides us to self discovery, helps us to tune in with our gut feeling, and pulls us away from negativity, doubt and this fear of arriving to a ‘no-exit’ sign within. It is through different helpers like those found on Lustre Collective’s web platform, that different kinds of souls can find different kinds of help. We may all seek different ways to reach a happy state of mind, but we all share this same goal and energy.
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Most people start ‘doing’ yoga for the workout...until a curious switch is turned on inside. - Claudia-Sam Cataford-Sauve
PHOTO Left Tina Arthur from Retreats By Design Right Jane Pascoe from Jane Pascoe Yoga & Barre
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LUSTRE | 17
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The power of dance By Dawn Marron I am dancing and I am lost. Lost in the music, the moment, a rhythm-driven haze and the sheer joy of my glorious body divinely animated with universal energy lighting up my cells. I am pounded with a relentless cadence drowning me in breathlessness and soaking me in bliss. I’m gasping and I love it! There’s some kind of primal satisfaction flooding through me. I feel expansive, grounded, powerful, free and on purpose. I’m dancing. Finding the steps and discovering myself. Time after time. I was taught how to dance when I was young but those teachers, with their, “turn your hip out” here and their “extend from the knee’ there, didn’t really teach me to dance. They taught me to control the dance that flowed through me. There is a magical force that dances through all of us.
No matter how hard I tried to be technically correct I just couldn’t stop my gypsy hips from expressing their desire for freedom. So I stopped trying. Let me share with you the power of liberating my pelvis. Are you ready? Lean in. Given that a huge percentage of women carry oodles of unresolved fear, anger, pain, abuse, guilt, shame, disempowerment, lack, failure and a whole crapload of other stuff in their sacral region, it’s no surprise that we’re a bit averse to focusing a lot of attention on it. In fact, we do the opposite. We shut it down, numb it out, maybe wallpaper over it with some nice new lingerie and then most of us pretend everything’s alright. Nothing to see here. Move along. Oh, how we lie to ourselves. But, as Shakira says, ‘Ohhhhhh, my hips don’t lie’. Our pelvis, our womb, our vagina and our vulva don’t lie either. Our bodies only tell us the truth.
LUSTRE | 19 Our hips are stiff and our pelvises are locked, twisted or tilted. Our reproductive system rebels; wombs bleed too heavily, infrequently, painfully or don’t bleed at all. Outwardly our lives do similar things. We feel powerless, like we’re treading water and getting nowhere. We feel our creativity drying up and we can’t produce anything of worth. We feel ineffective, infertile, ordinary, lack-lustre, passionless and restricted, as if we’re moving within narrow parameters. Sometimes we bleed our powerlessness out all over the place and other times it recedes deep within us, taking all semblance of self-esteem with it. Any of this sound familiar? This is the tip of the iceberg. When you free up your hips, when you give your pelvis room to move, you gift yourself the freedom to change your life, you reject smallness and expand your sphere of possibility. On a daily basis I watch women walking in front of me and it’s extraordinary if I see pelvises doing anything different than a staid movement - rhythmically it would be a straight one, two, one, two beat. A more feminine equivalent would be; one and a two and a one and a two. The ‘and a’ bit is exquisitely individual and is what makes this hip swing mesmerising, marvellous and deliciously feminine. I’m not talking about that effected hip-swing that Nicole Sherzinger does when she’s Pussy Cat Dolling by the way, I’m talking about that soft and natural thang that most women would do if they hadn’t been convinced from childhood that swaying hips are sinful. Our hips dance naturally, like waves on the ocean, leaves on a tree or butterflies on a breeze. Our hips dance us. I am dancing. And I am lost. I am free. And I’m finding more of me. Time after time after time.
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When you free up your hips, when you give your pelvis room to move, you gift yourself the freedom to change. - Dawn Marron
LEFT PHOTO: Dawn Marron and her dance fitness class Mash-It-Up
S OUL . E NRIC HIN G . E S C APE S z
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Lustre Partner Profile- by Justine Jamieson
Noreen Macdonald Naturopath & Bioresonance Therapist This year Noreen, her husband Arron and son Boh have chosen to live the “Choice Lifestyle”.
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You too can change the landscape of your life. - Noreen Macdonald
It’s no secret that Noreen has a passion for sharing knowledge on holistic health, not only to her patients but through her many talks online and around the Nelson community. Her goal is to help people understand the power they have inside themselves to heal and the many choices they have to live a happy contented stress-less life. She has immersed herself in alternative therapies for over 20 years. Her journey into this field was brought about by the skin condition eczema, which she had since a baby. After years of seeing dermatologists and applying corticosteroid creams she developed asthma and other allergies. It was at that time that she begun looking at possible alternatives to treat her disease. This led her to the study of natural medicine (Naturopathy). She completed a Diploma of Applied Science in Naturopathy which gave her a completely different approach to viewing the body, health and her disease. Noreen also started practicing yoga. She completed 200hrs of Yoga Alliance certified Teacher Training with Nicky Knoff in Cairns, Australia as well as Prenatal and Postnatal Yoga Teacher Training with Baby Bliss Yoga in 2014. She has studied Bowen therapy, Chinese herbal medicine, Reiki and various other modalities. Most recently Noreen qualified as a practitioner in Quantum Reflex Analysis (QRA) – an accurate form of muscle testing and Bioresonance Therapy. She believes Bioresonance Therapy is one of the quickest ways to balance the body. It uses some of the latest technology to pick up disharmonious frequencies and balance them accordingly; this makes it both a diagnostic tool and a treatment. It picks up heavy metals, parasites and food intolerances in the body and treats them with a harmonious frequency. Some of the most common issues Noreen treats are: candida, digestive complaints, skin issues, hormonal imbalances and auto immune diseases. She also helps people to stop smoking.
LUSTRE | 21 This year Noreen, her husband Arron and son Boh have chosen to live the “Choice Lifestyle”. Her husband, an ex manager in the oil and gas industry has opted for a healthier lifestyle due to increasing stress levels and too much time away from family. They rented out their house in Nelson and chose to live in their house bus in the Marlborough Sounds, where they will live off the grid, plant their own veggie garden, meditate and do yoga daily. Noreen continues to commute to her practice at the Loveday Clinic in Nelson 2 1/2 days a week to see her clients and manages the Natural Living Yoga centre, located at Founders Park, where many community yoga teachers run their classes. We can all follow and be inspired by their journey of how to live small to live big, by following their business The Choice Lifestyle, on Instagram and Facebook, where they promise to share knowledge on health with wholefoods, self-sufficiency and sustainability. Their new website will be launched soon, including a blog of their journey and an online shop. It will showcase exactly how they've managed to build their online business that allows them to work from anywhere in the world…as long as there is internet! They are passionate about inspiring other people to realise that they too have the choice in life to change their physical, mental, emotional, spiritual and financial health.
Noreen Macdonald Follow her on: Instagram Facebook Website Phone 03 548 0998 (Loveday Clinic, all bookings) 17 Collingwood St, Nelson
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“…Just be the change” By Justine Jamieson Justine takes a look at artists Daniel Moon and Ishna Jacob’s space to support Nelson’s creative community and anyone else that just likes tea.
As you walk into the tea house you would expect to hear the loud chattering of people and the grinding of coffee beans like any other café but instead I’m surrounded by quiet deep conversation and the calming sounds of jazz as I enter. The vibe is creative, as you can’t help but walk in there and not be inspired. There is local art on the walls, many interesting books, even colouring pencils and paper. My favourite, a mural of Post-it notes full of words on the wall with a sign saying “take a word, leave a word” and of course tea, tea as far as the eye can see. At The Hollow they import and blend their own organic tea leaves and what they can’t source without being fumigated they collect from friends or grow themselves. Shhh…there is also an espresso coffee machine hidden out the back and so I’m told by friends they make very good coffees too.
“There is just something to be said about the wholeness of giving people a healthy tea that can heal minor health concerns as they sit down and relax, rather than them rushing in for a takeaway coffee” explains Ishna. Today, like always, I’m greeted with a smile and some weird conversation about something odd and thought-provoking from owners Dan and Ishna - you see The Hollow is my happy place, it’s my place I go most days, especially when I need to be with people that understand me, and more often that’s just me and a bowl of marbles to sooth my introverted side and over-stimulated senses. I often go there with friends and talk about hypothetical silly situations or woo-woo-spirit-stuff. There is definitely a lot of world fixing going on within their walls. The Hollow is undoubtedly a healing space where there is no judgement and often I don’t even think about what I’m getting from the huge menu of tea blends, I let them know how I’m feeling and wait for their suggestion for my medicine. Sometimes I throw them a curve ball of “I’m feeling calm and grateful, but my hip is a bit sore and I am going climbing tonight, so what would you suggest”? I am hit with the perfect blend of sarcasm, ginger and kawakawa - just how I like it. Almost three years ago Ishna and Dan saw a lack of quality tea about the region and set about
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trying to rectify the situation by opening a tea store (as you do when you want to buy a product that isn’t available, right?)
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You create the world you want to live in, it’s not about sitting back and talking about what is lacking in a community, just be the change. - Ishna Jacobs
Ishna a photographer and Daniel a soul singer enjoy hearing creative ideas over a cuppa and find themselves brainstorming a lot with other people’s creative projects. So when the large space above The Hollow came up for rent they jumped at the chance to create a space where any artist could co-create alongside them. Now 10 different types of artists reside there along with a theatre company and a small theatre. What Dan and Ishna enjoy most about surrounding with other creatives is the reassurance that it is ok to be choosing a different path in life because “being a creative is definitely not a normal 9 – 5 job” says Ishna. “Creatives are often hiding away somewhere in their studio alone, spread out in garages and houses about the region, it can be hard working
this way because you often don’t get any praise, feedback or good honest critique for the work you are doing which you do when in a workplace with others, so yeah we created a space for just that”. So what next for these two creative love birds? “I don’t know we just try and do the next right thing” says Ishna. Since The Hollow opened on Bridge Street in Nelson Dan and Ishna have done the right thing. They have brought daytime to this end of the street and are the beacon for other creative project spaces also starting up, bringing diversity to the area, proving nightclubs, arty cafes and studios should co-exist, bridging this street’s yin and yang. It just shows that creative people thinking outside the box can create opportunities and support for a community. We should get in behind small businesses and collectives to keep their creative flame alive. The Hollow tea house 144 Bridge Street, Nelson, NZ Visit thehollow.co.nz LEFT PHOTO - Ishna Jacobs and Daniel Moon at the Hollow tea house photo by Justine Jamieson RIGHT PHOTO - Bridge Street Studios photo by Ishna Jacobs
Lustre Partner Profile - by Justine Jamieson
Dawn Grace Kelly Spiritual Teacher & Intuitive Dawn’s life is devoted to personal development and teaching all that she has learnt.
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This planet needs more love, the big kind of love. - Dawn Grace Kelly
Dawn believes that this planet needs more love, the kind of big love that can be found when lightworkers, changemakers, healers and mystics come into their “big shiny power”, to do the work they know in their hearts they're here to do. It is for this reason she teaches tools for self healing and empowerment. Her three decades of teaching means her tool box is actually over flowing with practical guidance and insights for her students and clients. She lives in Nelson with her soul mate husband of 18 years Perry who is a family counsellor and her 12 year old, home educated son Rain who self directs his own learning; he's currently building his first computer. When you meet Dawn you will realise that she’s a woman who knows some things about some things and some. Her colourful background growing up with an astrologer mother has meant that she has had her foot in and out of other realms her whole life. Like many healers her life has been full of experiences of addiction and trauma to give her the experience and empathy to support others to accept their learning experiences, remove themselves from unhealthy conditioning - forgive themselves and others - and remember why they are here. “I admire courage and bravery, for this is what it takes to face fears, feel big feelings and befriend our dark side." - Dawn Grace Kelly Her focus is on empowerment, she wishes for everyone to wake up and be their authentic self. “We often operate from a conditioned, unaware part of our self with our real self hidden away for fear of judgement. When we remember who we really are, practise self love and compassion, trust and act on our intuition and release long held emotions our life changes in wonderful ways." She is well aware of how our unhealthy "default settings" can bring challenges within our relationships to others as well as to our self. Her own stumbles become experiential training to support others. Dawn’s life is devoted to personal development and teaching all that she has learnt. She does this through writing blogs,
facilitating group events and holding regular spiritual workshops as well as one-on-one sessions via video or in person. She is also in the final stages of getting her first book ready for publishing.
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She’s a self-confessed rebel that is trained, and has trained others in many modalities including Past Life Regression, Tarot, Spiritual Healing, Inner Child Work and Channeling. Her favourite place to work is with the sub conscious mind, the place where all our memories and experiences are stored. Working with the right brain via journeying, regression, Tarot and intuitive guidance is key to discovering the roots of long held issues. Communicating with spirit is another skill Dawn has developed, this is particularly helpful when working with loved ones who have died.
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Her private sessions are unique, they are guided by what her client is presenting energetically and may include guided processes, clairvoyant reading, Tarot, spiritual counselling and regression. Dawn encourages all healers to follow their inner knowing, not always to work to the book from their teacher, as we all have our unique gifts when it comes to channelling divine love. “We can become well physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. When we get to truly know and love ourselves we can heal from past difficulties. Denial, tension, blame, pain, judgement, addiction and anxieties begin to fade. Holistic wellness is ours when we are ready to be present with what is."
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Feminine energy is rising, it's this nurturing, empathic energy that will heal our beautiful planet and all her inhabitants. Dawn has faith that together we can bring a more harmonious vibe to Earth.
Book a live or video session with Dawn Grace Kelly e | dawngrace@xtra.co.nz txt| 021 1873 852 Facebook Instagram Website dawngracekelly.com
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Why organic? By Alison Ramsay The word ‘organic’ can conjure up visions of barefooted hippies and willow baskets brimming with carrots engaged in coitus. If you’ve been curious, yet sceptical what all the fuss (and, ahem cost) is about or are already sold but would like to understand more… then keep reading, my friend.
Until about the 1920’s all food was technically ‘organic’ in that no chemicals were used to grow it. Not that long ago, eh? It’s called traditional farming. The second world war saw the investment of a lot of money and research into chemical use (because, war). It was soon discovered these chemicals were very handy for killing insects which threatened crops. The agrochemical industry began to boom soon after. (FYI, this is also when the plastic industry began to boom.) So essentially all food, unless otherwise labelled (usually organic), is grown with the use of chemicals.
LUSTRE | 27 These newfangled chemical products like pesticides, herbicides and synthetic fertilisers were heavily marketed to the majority of traditional (organic) farmers because of the obvious face-value benefits: less unwanted bug infestation, less weed problems and quick, easy fertiliser to boost the soil. This all equalled higher yields with less labour. Sounds darn good… at first. Many farmers then began monocultures, which means one crop. Think of how we see industrial agriculture today. Large fields of wheat, corn, potatoes – orchards with hundreds of apple trees, etc. This also simplified things and made more moula. Still sounding good? Hang in there. Monoculture is a system that is not sustainable on its own. In fact, it does not exist in nature and there is a reason why. When you get a whole lot of one crop together, you make them very vulnerable to infestation and disease. Think about it, one plant species for acres leaves an open ended dinner invitation for pests and fungus, acres of tasty nums and breeding grounds. This requires more chemicals to stop the possibility of this infestation. The soil in this system also depletes very quickly because there are no weeds or other forms of life at all to nourish or poop in the soil to fertilise it. Therefore crops get weaker, the nutritional value of the plants is poorer, and farmers need… guess what? More chemicals to keep their crops alive. Nature uses biodiversity, the opposite of monoculture, as it’s ally. Here’s why many plants working in harmony together is a good thing * It increases soil quality and diversity as certain plants and microorganisms fix certain compounds into soil that keep them alive and healthy. * Many different plants together attract a variety of pollinators which are essential for most plants to fruit (aka make food.) * They are less vulnerable because of diversity and variety. (Having many of the same plants in one location is like saying to an opportunistic fungus, “Right over here, man… there’s hundreds of us, come proliferate like fruit flies in a compost heap.”) These are just a few of the obvious ways nature protects itself, so it keeps surviving. When you
look into the biology and science of it all it’s pretty freaking intelligent and integrative. Aside from the lack of sustainability (which means conserving an ecological balance by avoiding depletion of natural resources – aka making life survive) of modern, conventional farming, what are some of the other problems? Like all that darned chemical use. What’s up with that? Agrochemicals are any synthetic substances used to manage a community of organisms (whether they be plant, animal, or fungal) on a farm. They include pesticides, herbicides, fungicides, chemical fertilisers or soil conditioners, antibiotics and hormones. Pesticides are designed to control unwanted infestations of pests and/or diseases by killing them. Some hijack nervous systems while others disrupt hormones. Fertilisers try to aid soil depleted from intensive farming and chemical residues. Hormones and antibiotics are used in animal husbandry to boost growth in livestock and control infection in cramped, unhygienic conditions (think lots of chooks, lots of chook poop). Hormone disruptors in your salad and antibiotics in your chicken sandwich? Sound a bit unappetising? There is an argument that these chemicals aren’t dangerous to humans in small quantities and that we can wash them away before eating but new studies are showing an increased correlation between agrochemicals and the incidence of obesity, diabetes, autoimmune disease and cancer (to name a few). There is a tonne of stuff online to support this if you want to have a dig around. I don’t know about you, but when I see all those freaky poison warnings the last thing I’m thinking of is lunch. So what about washing? First of all, you can’t wash hormones or antibiotic residues out of meat and dairy and these substances do have an effect on our hormonal systems and digestive tracts. As for fruit and veg, you can wash some of the residue off, yes, but you can bet your sweet bippy that traces will remain on and in the produce – especially those coated with a shelf-life extending wax (that’s a whole other bag of coconuts).
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When you get a whole lot of one crop together, you make them very vulnerable to infestation and disease.
Also those more delicate fruits with soft, fleshy skin will typically absorb more pesticides than their thicker skinned friends. Think strawberries vs. avocados. The number one complaint against eating more organic is the price tag. I bet you’re a smart cookie and can already see the obvious health benefits of eating chemical free food but your eftpos card runs screaming for the hills at the very thought of it. There are many reasons why organic food costs more to the consumer: Less chemicals equals more labour. Crops need rest and rotation to keep the soil healthy. Regular inspection and renewal of Organic Certification must be adhered to. The standards are higher. Livestock needs better feed. And then there’s subsidies. Did you know that conventional, chemical farmers get way more moula in government subsidies than organic farmers? Like millions more. Hence, they can keep their costs lower. The real cost of not eating organic has personal, planetary and social consequences. There is a lot of great research being conducted in the name of organic whole foods and how they boost overall health and heal disease. Eating processed, cheap and conventionally grown food has a measurable negative impact on your health. Your outputs are a reflection of your inputs. Also, think health care costs down the line. Conventional farming dumps a heap of chemicals on and into the Earth everyday.
These chemicals may help produce higher yields over the short term but they leach into groundwater, rivers and lakes polluting drinking water and habitats of other species. They are linked to colony collapse disorder – the mass die off of our pollinators like bees and butterflies. Without pollinators our food won’t grow. These are just a few of the many costs to our biodiversity. Large scale conventional farms aren’t super fun places to work so big corporations sometimes exploit minorities to do the groundwork. This means spraying chemicals with inadequate protective clothing and working long hours as well as doing intensely physical labour in the hot sun for minimal wages. Most organic certifiers have fair trade principles build into their criterion. Adding this all up? This cheaper food is looking pretty darn expensive indeed. The good news is consumers have a lot of power and because of this, organic food is becoming more widely available and more reasonably priced. So I encourage you to adjust your budget wherever you can. Maybe you don’t need those $200 pair of shoes or you’re going to develop some strategies to reduce power costs so you can funnel more dosh where the good stuff matters – fuel for your beautiful bod! If you really are what you eat (and you are), then… do you want to go premium or cheap? Photo: James Wheatly in his organic garden by Justine Jamiesonon
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Fermenting mad By Alison Ramsay If you’ve been following health circles in recent times, you may have noticed a burgeoning trend towards foods that are fermented. That is, food and beverages which have been ‘cultured’ by good bacteria and yeasts, resulting in a sour, fizzy, or funky flavour. Want to know what all this fermenting fuss is about? Grab a glass of your favourite ‘booch and read on. What is Fermentation? Fermentation is basically the feeding of sugars and carbohydrates in everyday foods to naturally occurring bacteria, yeasts and other microorganisms. This results in a sour or effervescent version of the original product. For example, fermented cabbage becomes sauerkraut, fermented tea becomes kombucha, fermented milk… you guessed it – yogurt, cheese, and kefir. The list goes on. You may be wondering why the heck we should let our food get all funky, let alone eat it afterwards. Is it rotten? Does it taste bad? What is the rationale behind this seemingly new health craze. What’s all the Fermenting Fuss About? The truth is this new fad isn’t new at all. Fermentation is an ancient practice that dates back as far as 6000 BC! You can find at least one fermented staple food in cultures spanning the globe, throughout history. We lost this practice
of food preservation once fridges and freezers became the norm as fermentation is a way of storing foods without the need for cold temperatures, to make it last longer. Once the seasons of autumn and winter hit more traditional cultures took staple foods like cabbage and fermented them so they could eat them throughout the year when other foods were in short supply. Without the need for this in modern times, fermentation went out of fashion… but to our detriment. Beneficial Bacteria are our Health Besties There is a tonne (and I mean a tonne) of new research emerging around the microbiome which is a fancy word for the bugs that live on and inside your body. In fact, new research is proving that we are more bacterial than we are human with around a cool 100 trillion organisms chilling with us at any given time! Some of these bugs are good guys – there to enhance our overall health by performing life-sustaining functions. Some of them are pathogenic – meaning they are more opportunistic than helpful and can create a myriad of health problems. We obviously want more of the beneficial bacteria calling our bodies their home as they perform a jillion health functions and keep the bad guys in check. Aside from making regular foods more easily digested and nutrient dense these good bugs also help with everything from proper assimilation of nutrients, healthy digestion, optimal immune function, prevention of digestive disorders and other disease, prevention of autoimmunity,
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Slowing down aging By Tracy Power Tracy explains what anti ageing medicine is and how it can help you live a healthier and longer life. Anti-ageing medicine is aimed at the early detection, prevention and treatment of age related decline. It’s important to consider methods to slow ageing and promote wellness into older age. We live in a society that values youth above all else and whilst we may seek aesthetic enhancement to help us look younger on the outside with a raft of wonderful promises from surgery, lasers, injectables and enhancements of all types it won’t stop us from ageing on the inside. Many skin conditions and lifestyle related diseases can be eased with guidance from a health coaching assessment and following a guided personalised prescriptive protocol. This is an advanced form of functional medicine which focuses on locating and eliminating all root causes of disease. The skin is the largest organ in the body and is the outward mirror of a sign of imbalance inside the body. Tired, lack lustre appearance, presence of acne, eczema, dermatitis or even psoriasis can leave you feeling self conscious, unhappy and fed up. No amount of creams, peels and magic potions can fix these skin conditions without addressing what is going on within. These can certainly help but don’t completely reverse the conditions.Trust me I have spent many years as a paramedical aesthetician and seen many skin disorders. Stress, poor gut health, toxicity, inflammation, glycation and food sensitivities all play a major role in annoying skin conditions, dis-ease and ageing. The key pillars used to target anti ageing, longevity and disease reversal are: Exercise: We gain many health benefits from regular exercise that is aerobic in nature. Diet and Nutrition: Scientists have found that what we eat and how much we eat influence how long and how well we live.
Relaxation: Unfortunately stress is a byproduct of our way of life. It can affect how quickly we age and how good we feel. Supplements: Taking good supplements is important to provide nutritional building blocks required by the body to function well, protect against free radical attacks and build strong immune systems. Medication: Using a balanced approach to vitamins, mineral and natural hormone supplementation That’s controversial. Is she meaning HRT?! through testing and assessment to restore normal levels can be highly effective in this wellness model. Inflammation: Reducing inflammation in the body is a direct way of reducing illness and promoting wellness. Genetics: Genetic research and testing is a growing area seeing remarkable steps in predictive and preventable health care in individuals. Using Smart DNA genetic testing. Blood testing: Full comprehensive blood testing and analysis of biochemical deficiencies and/or excesses. A good health coach will analyse your situation and get to the root cause of your skin condition, ageing or lifestyle related disease and get to work on reversing it. Once a time line and a full recommendation of recovery has been established it’s possible to get to work and begin to reverse all the things that are plaguing you. The same protocol can be applied for prevention of disease, anti ageing, longevity and disease reversal of such conditions as diabetes and depression. For one to follow this way of life permanently, and from an early age, would ensure a life of health with less disease and ageing. A longer, healthier and happier life could be yours I believe this is the best possible way to prevent many health related conditions and live a life full of wellness. It takes courage, it takes commitment but the rewards are insurmountable. Undertake Tracy’s full comprehensive questionnaire HERE
LUSTRE | 32 February started with an almighty influx of energy off the back of a Total Blue Moon Lunar Eclipse only hours before on Jan 31st. An eclipse occurs when the sun, earth and moon all align and one celestial body blocks the light of another. A lunar eclipse is when the earth blocks the light of the sun, and a solar eclipse is when the moon blocks the sun’s light. A Blue moon occurs when it’s the second full moon in a single calendar month (the first Full Moon was on the very first day of 2018!) and to add even more cosmic magic and oomph it’s the first Total Eclipse of a Blue Moon for over 150 years. Though often disruptive and too damn intense for comfort, eclipses get results and are extremely auspicious for fresh starts and new levels of mastery.
Cosmic vibes By Penelopy Walsh Penelopy Walsh is a Naturopath, Astrologer and Psychic Channel She has been teaching people how to live intuitively and synchronistically for over 25 years through energetic mastery and empowered embodiment of grace, love, wisdom, cosmic magic and the divine feminine. Here is what she has to say with what is instore for the upcoming months.
This eclipse heralds messages from two cycles – the smaller cycle started on the Full Moon in Cancer on the very first day of 2018. It brought about some sort of emotional enlightenment as it revealed and released some old, suppressed pain caught in our subconscious. The second larger cycle started with the last Leo eclipse in August 2017 that emphasized what we wanted at a core level, and activated our need to take action from a heart based level. The message was ‘follow your heart to create a better outcome’. The fact this eclipse is within orb (less than 5 degrees) of the North Node (destiny) in Leo gives us massive energy for acceleration forward. A key code to unlocking this potential is found via the auspicious placement of Venus that happens to be sitting on the ‘dragons tail’ of this eclipse - in the opposite sign of Aquarius. If we can reconcile a Venus wound (past love, expartners, creativity, old feminine wound) using the Aquarian traits of intellect, logic and detachment, it will help us to let go emotionally of what is holding us back so we can have both our heart AND our mind stimulated as we move forward with our future endeavours. Instead of dreaming the impossible dream, we are now free to dream the possible one.
We have the rare event of a Black Moon in February which means there is no Full Moon at all for the entire month. The New Moon on the 16th was another eclipse - this one in the sign of Aquarius. It is conjunct Mercury so expect next level communications with forward-thinkers and change-makers as well as innovative insights around your heart-based dreams and endeavours, helping them to expand, gather momentum or start to actualize. The Full Moon on March 2nd is in Virgo so will support us to get even more organized with our new dreams and directions, but in a more grounded way. Virgo is highly efficient and a genius with details so use this energy to create even more traction via lists, spreadsheets and attention to administration structures.
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The New Moon in Pisces two weeks later on March 17th heightens our intuition and allows us to tap easily into the cosmic consciousness to check our endeavours, include elements of kindness and compassion, think betterment of society. The Full Moon in Libra on March 31st is another Blue Moon so again highly auspicious and cosmically charged. This provides us with another opportunity to check any imbalances inherent in our dreams and associated relationships. We have a chance to add extra sweetness, beauty and harmony to our heart-based future projects and relationships.
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We’re feeling everything exquisitely for the first 3 months of this cosmically monumental year of 2018. The karmic lessons inherent in eclipses and the delicious ‘building energy’ of this year allows us to let go of what’s been holding us back emotionally and finally move forward on dreams that have never had a better chance to actualize.
Follow Penelope Walsh on penelopywalsh.com
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Darker moments By Anne McCormack A dear friend of mine was recently blindsided by a string of life changing, heart wrenching events that devastated her to the point of her believing that life would be far better off without her in it. Sitting with her during dark moments when these thoughts and feelings were circulating around her brain and body was awful, scary and heartbreaking for me as I realised the depths to which she was being driven. What can I say that offers comfort? What wisdom can I contribute when what she is dealing with is so far out of my realm of experience? I sat there holding her hand, feeling helpless but not wanting to leave her side. All the while, I wanted to elevate us up out of that torturous space to somewhere light and fluffy. The moment really brought home to me how important it is to support our stressed and depressed loved ones during traumatic times like these. I also learnt that the manner in which we offer that support impacts their healing process significantly. So often when going through episodes of grief, anxiety, stress or depression we are judged by others who admonish us for feeling how we are feeling. “Snap out of it!” “Get yourself together!” “Don’t talk like that!” For those of us on the receiving end of these words, we are pushed further down, feeling we are not understood even by those closest to us. We hate ourselves for putting our loved ones through our pain. We don’t want tobring them down with us. For those of us who are empaths, we feel the pain of those close to us and it sometimes amplifies and muddles our own agony. I continued to sit with my friend, allowing her to talk without filter, allowing her to just say how she felt. Listening and holding her hand, both of us allowing the tears to flow. Eventually this particular wave of emotion and dark thinking subsided.
We sat and talked of blessings and love and growth. My friend shared with me about what helps her in her moment of darkness, what gets her through the intensity and past the negative mindset. This amazing person is one of the most positive, caring souls I have ever encountered, who oozes strength and capability. A self-sufficient, generous person who just handles whatever is dealt to her (albeit, sometimes in a rather forthright manner which is challenging to some). There had always been a mentality within her family to “bunker down” and not reach out to an outsider during times of distress. Dealing with problems and pain within the family was the norm. But what happens in a time when you are solely on your own without the love and comfort of your family around you? During an anxious or depressive episode respect plays such a crucial role. When you are in the midst of anxiety or depression you are so hell-bent on beating yourself up over the smallest of details. Your inner dialogue tells you that you are no good and not worth the energy. When people try to fix you rather than understand you, it compounds your perception that you are broken. Having someone force their company upon you and tell you what you need can often be counterproductive. To show someone respect, to give them choices and permission to just be with love and acceptance is crucial for them to not feel isolated. We both knew that whilst there was a feeling of calm, another wave of emotion and darkness would follow after a time, particularly first thing in the morning and late in the evening when the head gets free reign to chatter. We both knew the way to quieten the head was trying to achieve a meditative frame of mind. But how can you quieten the head in such a stressed body, particularly when there is so much to work through and contemplate? As a healer a combination of aromatherapy and massage was the first step I chose. The essential oils of lavender and bulgarian rose were the only two oils required during our initial treatment. I used gentle yet firm soothing, rhythmical strokes as I gently rocked the body into a light slumber. The Bars were also effective (not the type you drink at - I am referring to the Access Consciousness tool).
I felt that my friend’s courage to let go and to be taken away emotionally and mentally to a deep space was the crucial healing factor. With assistance, her body was doing this all by itself - listening to its own wisdom and facilitating its own healing process. The following day I received a phone call to let me know that the tiger was back in the tank. A new mindset had been born. The night time mind chatter was kept at bay the previous night and her sleep was restful and rejuvenating. We know the waves of emotion, the memories and the dark thoughts will revisit at intervals. However, with mindfulness and self-care there is confidence the feelings will not be as tidally intense as they have been. Sitting, listening and just being has been vital in finding a strategy towards calm and peace for my friend.
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During an anxious or depressive episode respect plays such a crucial role. - Anne McCormack
For me, there has been no need to “do” or try and fire her up to “act”. The massage and aromatherapy has been a source of comfort that has further allowed my friend to relax into that being state which for her has been a turning point and a solution to handling the intense emotions. To sit with someone in their emotional turmoil is often a really difficult thing to do, not everyone is in a space to offer that support. If you find it difficult to be with your loved one whilst they are in the depths of their anxiety and depression, there are still ways you can help. You do not have to go through this alone. You need to firstly take care of yourself to ensure that you relax and don’t relinquish what you enjoy. Seek support from professionals if you need to. Your local GP can refer you to a DHB Psychologist if required (and they are pretty awesome - I have personally utilised this service before). Be honest with what you are feeling and don’t isolate yourself.
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Money is never the problem, you are. - Gary Douglas the founder of Access Consciousness
Dissolving beliefs around money
“Money is never the problem, you are.” - Gary Douglas the founder of Access Consciousness.
By Rosemary Aitken
This means our points of view create our reality, so a mental thought of lack creates a reality of lack in our life.
Do you have ease with money or do you dislike money and wish it wasn’t necessary to get by in this reality? Whatever your words, thoughts, feelings and emotions are around money, it’s important to realize that money is only a physical symbol of an energy exchange. Just as accepting love into our life can take awareness and the willingness to receive, the same is true with the energy of prosperity.
A common example is healers, they always give out to others, take care of others needs and sometimes see money as quite irrelevant. It’s almost like they are coming from such a space of caring, money is seen as an impediment. This is not quite true. As a healer, you are still having a human experience, so you need money. You can help more people and spread your message further if you are willing to be comfortably off. To be balanced, healthy and not in a constant state of stress, we all require money.
LUSTRE | 37 The beauty of Gary Douglas’ statement is, if you can create money problems you can un-create them too which is empowering.
One of the tools I use from the teachings of Access Consciousness to get better at having money is having a 10% account.
So where do we start to un-create our lack of receiving around money and allow the dollars to flow?
This is an account that I pay 10% of every bit of money I receive. It tells the Universe I am willing to honour myself first in relation to money and I will never be short of it. Bills come out after the 10% is paid.
You can start with being aware of other areas of your life where you don’t have hang ups to receiving. For example, you may experience an abundance of love, friends, health or creativity. How you think about those areas will be totally different from how you think about areas of lack. If you wish, sit quietly and start to get clear how you feel/think about those areas and how you easily receive those things. Journal the insights that come. By getting to know that you can give and receive energy in other areas you can then take steps to see money energy in the same way. Before you can replicate that same ease with money you need to start to clear out negative/limiting money attitudes. Unfortunately, if we’ve had money issues at any stage in life, unless we have taken time to change and align ourselves with the money-flow-vibe, the beliefs of lack that caused the money issues in the first place will persist, creating more limitation over and over. Getting clear about our deep underlying beliefs can be hugely challenging as they are stored in the subconscious. I highly recommend a good coach or facilitator who can help you access these in a skilful and efficient manner. You may have learnt your own ways of doing this. Be sure to watch your words, because it’s our words that create our thoughts and our thoughts manifest into our reality. There is a difference between “having” money and “getting” money. If you are constantly saying “I better get some money” (for this or that) as opposed to being willing to have money, you will always experience money issues. Once you are willing to have money, getting money also becomes easier.
It is important to mention here the relationship between money and joy. The energy of money is attracted to joy, so if you consciously create joy as a part of your everyday life you will find it easier to receive in all areas. Most people don’t realize this and if they are still having issues in other areas or have their emotional barriers up as the result of past experiences this can significantly impact their ability to receive, generate and create what they do want and to let go of unhelpful beliefs. Your perceptions create your relationship with money and with a bit of understanding it is possible to break your old patterns and create a preferred reality, one that is easy, generative and aligned with the future you would like to have.
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The energy of money is attracted to joy, so if you consciously create joy as a part of your everyday life you will find it easier to receive in all areas. - Rosemary Aitken
LUSTRE | 38 Lustre Partner Spotlight
Holistic NZ
Equilibrium
Kim McCormack Kim McCormack is a qualified Naturopath, Reflexologist and Massage Therapist. She is the Owner of Holistics NZ - Natural Therapies for Body Harmony. Kim is passionate about working positively alongside each client and supporting them towards good health and well-being.
At Equilibrium their passion is helping you and your family reach your optimum health potential through safe, natural health care and great lifestyle advice. Chiropractic, massage, yoga and Pilates classes.
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Totalwellbeing.nz
- Thomas Spring
Learn how you can move with ease, power and confidence. Experience the unique potential of the Feldenkrais method using slow, gentle movements. Biofeedback allows you to learn how to deal with stress in an effective, practical manner. Enhance sleep, learning and overall health
Success of the Authentic You
- Linda Woodgate
I have been a Natural Health Practitioner for over twenty years now bringing my past experience in the forces, corporate and media with me, allowing me to share and teach in a relaxed and informal way. Meshing components of several modalities I have developed a programme specifically aimed at reducing stress and ‘moving moods’ in very easy, fast and fun ways.
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John Black John is Chinese medicine and accupuncture, he treats many kinds of conditions including digestive, respiratory, dermatological, gynaecological, emotional, musculoskeletal, spinal etc. Call him if you want to know more about treating specific conditions.
Keltica
- Seona May Christie
Through the ConTact C.A.R.E FlinchlockÂŽ Release Method Seona helps rid the restrictions that injuries cause. For effectively treating sports injuries, breathing disorders, carpal tunnel, depression, headaches/migraines and mental/ emotional shock. Seona works on both people and their pets: e.g. horses, cats and dogs, either from home or at the clinic.
Heart Wisdom
- Natalie Meijer
Take time out to nourish yourself. Experience the art of selfhealing with Qigong/ Meditation Classes & Workshops crafted from the heart to manifest more energy, joy and flow in your life. Classes run from the Heart Wisdom; space for Qigong and Life Cultivation. Natalie also facilitates individual healing/life cultivation sessions. Monthly full moon group healings and regular retreats.
Aromaflex Academy
- Shelley Monrad
Are you passionate about healing others and helping them to operate at their full potential? Or maybe you would like to add another modality to your current occupation. We are a Professional Training Establishment specializing in Aromatherapy, Massage and reflexology qualification which includes a NZQA Anatomy & Physiology module.
LUSTRE | 40 Lustre Partner Spotlight
WELLPOWER
- Tracy Power
As a Holistic Health Practitioner and a certified Truly Heal ™ Health Coach, I support you as together we discover where the root causes of your condition reside, we then discuss and determine the treatment and support you require to regain optimum health and wellbeing.
ROSEMARY AITKEN
- Global Empowerment Coach
As a mentor, Rose empowers people with the skills they can use to create the life they really want. During your sessions together you will clear out all the things not working for you, create a compelling, soul fuelled vision for your life and begin creating forwards momentum. Rose works in that beautiful area where psychology, spirituality and science intersects to create maximum ease, Rose is also an Access Bars and Body Process Facilitator
PEACOCK DREAMING
- Anne McCormack
Anne McCormack is the author of Lovitude: Trying To Calm The Monkey Mind and Peacock Dreaming: The Wisdom Of Flowers. Her healing modalities are: Mediumship, Spiritual Healing, Aromatherapy and Photography which heals the spirit.
TRUST YOUR GUT
- Alison Ramsay
Where authenticity (the being) and nutrition (the body) join forces to create TOTAL life wellness.Through online programs, personal coaching and live events, I clear up the confusions and overwhelm in your health and relationships, so you can get back to living a healthy, vibrant life you love with people you trust. Are you tired of making yourself likable and ready to start liking yourself?
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Stop doubting yourself Poem By Alison Ramsay The soft voice within, she is kin. Take her into the trees and have her touch leaves and she will grow strong like roots and vast like the sky. She is you. When she says no, listen. When she says go, listen. When she says time to fly, listen. When she insists on goodbye, listen. The soft voice within, she is not the sets of stories you were taught in schools, all the rules pointing out fools... admonished. She is you. Soft and fierce and open as the sky. You and her used to play, dreaming all day, taking up space and seeking your place, amongst the beauty of things. But over the years and through the tears and fears you told her: Shhhhhhh.... Doubt snuck in and stole your kin right from under your own skin. You began to listen to others, so much undiscovered, conditioned to be taught. But now dear one, please see, you are her and go to the trees, touch leaves, breathe deep and be, in the magic of all things She is you
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Let it go By Dawn Grace Kelly There is an essential practise that can heal your body and make you feel happier. It’s simple and it’s also challenging. Maybe you’ve tried it yourself and have discovered it’s magical power. From serious health and relationship issues through to shame and addictions this one technique gets to the core for real healing to occur. It’s name is forgiveness. It’s an evolved spiritual healing practise that is transformational in nature. It has the power to heal dis-ease on all levels. When we hold onto resentment our heart centre becomes congested. This results in an inability to feel love for our self and those close to us. The rigid energy of resentment can even have us questioning whether we love someone or not as we can’t access these deeper emotions. A lack of forgiveness can result in heart dis-ease, lung issues, breast problems and upper back and shoulder pain as well as an inability to empathise and feel compassion. Family and friends feel your resentment leaking out as frustration, blame, judgement, criticism or sarcasm. It may even spew out as anger or rage. The energy is heavy and draining to be around. When we don’t forgive some of our energy is still in the past event, that’s energy that your body and cells are not receiving in current time. It’s tiring continually holding on to resentment, we become fatigued and exhausted. If you’re on a healing journey it’s paramount to have as much of yourself in present time as possible. Heart disease has been recorded as being the number one global cause of death. That’s a sad statistic. This powerful organ needs a vital flow of energy to support it’s life giving functions. I believe holding on to resentment is one of the big players for an unhappy heart.
Studies have shown that practising forgiveness means our heart rate and blood pressure are lowered. We’ll have fewer medically diagnosed chronic conditions. We’ll have less physical symptoms from illnesses. We are protected against stress’s negative effects on our mental health.We have less fatigue. Our sleep is of a better quality. Psychologically we are more in touch with our feelings. We’re less angry and depression is lessened. We are kinder and more loving. There is less blame and judgment. We’re more peaceful. To keep our self healthy and strong practising forgiveness makes sense. It is common to believe that forgiveness means saying what happened is Ok. That belief was handed down to many of us once upon a time. How could you forgive if it meant you were accepting or negating abusive behaviour? I understand the challenge of forgiveness with a belief like that. Forgiveness is also seen by others as a sign of weakness or defeat. Why would you forgive if it equated to being defeated in some energetic power battle? With this belief in one’s mind forgiveness becomes a disempowering act. Real forgiveness has nothing to do with those myths. It means realising that you do not want the past to have a hold on you anymore. You are not saying it’s ok what occurred. Of course being raped, for example, is not ok. At the human ego level this is a traumatic and serious violation of one’s boundaries. Yet from a higher perspective we know there are lessons being learnt. In fact your perpetrator is a teacher for you. You are teachers for one another. Forgiveness is saying I will not let the past have a hold on me any more. I will not send my precious energy back in time to keep this resentment alive any longer. I am unplugging from the hold this has over me. For real forgiveness to occur we need to acknowledge and process our feelings first. Holding on to our emotions blocks forgiveness from happening. Anger can help us feel powerful when we’ve felt
LUSTRE | 43 disempowered by someone else. When I notice the voice saying I should forgive yet I’m too upset to I know I need to process anger and sadness first. You may need support to process deep seated grief that arises from current upsets. You don’t need to speak to anyone else nor do you need to write to them. Forgiveness is a process that is about you. That’s not to say you can’t connect in person if you feel called to do that. Just make sure you’re not attached to their opinion of your forgiveness, that you are not looking for anything from them. You are doing this for your self.
Forgiveness is a spiritual practise To do forgiveness authentically requires you to rise above your ego needs for justice. Let Divine providence take care of that. Without some awareness of a larger spiritual reality real forgiveness is not possible. It’s a metaphysical practise that brings changes on an energetic level. This means you can do it as a visualisation process. It also means you can work with those who have died. In fact it is often essential healing work on your journey to clear up any resentments with those you’ve loved. We are still energetically connected to anyone we haven’t forgiven. I have facilitated numerous processes for clients with a loved one in Spirit that they had not forgiven. It is touching and heart warming work allowing both parties freedom to move forward.
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Understanding the nature of forgiveness is knowedge that will set you free to love and to be loved
hat you are doing
- Dawn Grace Kelly w
Forgiveness Time 1. Process your anger and sadness. 2. Forgive yourself if necessary. This means remembering humans make mistakes and you’re learning. 3. Breathe to your heart. 4. Tell them you are ready to let this go. Forgive them for...you understand there is a higher purpose at play and you’re teachers for one another. 5. See them, and yourself, in a healing light. Imagine disconnecting from the other by lovingly cutting the energy ties between you both. 6. Dialogue whatever feels right for you. 7. Imagine any of their energy coming off of you. 8. Imagine your energy that you’ve sent their way returning to you. 9. Make this affirmation: The relationship between us now moves forward for the highest good of all concerned.
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Sometimes it takes awhile to realise we have more grief to process before forgiveness is a deep experience. If it feels too tough get some support from a wise therapist. It’s worth it as forgiveness is life changing.
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