Month: February 2013

Life’s Classroom

by Chrissy, NSW, Australia

… A little flashback to when I first stepped into a room at Universal Medicine… a little awkward in myself, shoulders rounded, eyes averting a confident gaze, a little defensive even… Sidney Poitier’s students in “To Sir, With Love” for some reason come to mind… Continue reading “Life’s Classroom” →

A Different Kind of Sunday Session

by RB

It was only 3 years ago, on a Sunday afternoon, that I would be at the pub; listening to live music, drinking a beer or glass of wine after having smoked a joint before leaving the car. I would feel anxious about being there, worrying if I looked good, nervous if guys talked to me, and really quite uncomfortable… but, to avoid feeling all of that, I would just get stoned and have another drink. I would eat junk food as it was easy and cheap. I wasn’t really enjoying myself, but it’s what everyone else was doing, so I thought that I should be doing it too. I did not know any other way. Continue reading “A Different Kind of Sunday Session” →

A Choice to Heal by Choosing Love

by Michael Goodhart, Vermont, USA

I’d like to share some experiences I’ve recently had that I feel were made possible by applying some principles that I have learned through my participation in Universal Medicine workshops and Esoteric Healing sessions. The main point being that our lives are greatly the result of the choices we make in every moment, and that if those choices are loving ones, we can heal patterns that may otherwise repeat themselves in order to show us where attention is needed. Continue reading “A Choice to Heal by Choosing Love” →

Me, Mum, Dementia & Re-Connecting through Touch

by Yasmin Lang, Aged Care Nurse / Massage Therapist, Byron Bay

I was invited to give a presentation at an Aged Care Centre, to bring awareness of the benefits and support massage can provide. I did not know what I was going to talk about until I stood before fifty or so residents and staff and began sharing what felt right from my own experience.

My mother suffered from dementia, and she came to a point when she no longer recognised me or knew my name. Having a conversation only created confusion for her, so I used to hold her hands and then gently massage them, and the feeling between us re-awakened and she called me daughter! Continue reading “Me, Mum, Dementia & Re-Connecting through Touch” →

Abuse – my understanding so far

by James Nicholson BNat, Somerset, England

The origins of the word abuse come from the Latin abus – ‘misused’; from the verb abuti, from ab – ‘away’ (i.e. ‘wrongly’) + uti ‘to use’. Yet we see that the law defines abuse as ‘the mental or physical mistreatment of a person, frequently resulting in serious emotional, mental, physical, and/or sexual injury’. In my mind, when I think of abuse I used to think of it as domestic violence – a man beating his wife; or sexual abuse, with the extreme connotations that I had been conditioned to think of it.

So what is it that we define abuse to be? Surely it should not only be any extreme action, and how can we define ‘serious’? Continue reading “Abuse – my understanding so far” →

Esoteric Women’s Group: Supporting Each Other to Build Foundations

by Lucy Dahill

The Esoteric Women’s Group (EWG) presentations have introduced a greater focus of self-care to my life. Over the years, this simple approach has meant I have been presented with some beautiful opportunities to change some of my old patterns which had left me exhausted and resentful, more often than not.

What has been shared in those groups were things I had started to connect to myself, but hadn’t realised their importance. Things like being tender with myself, noticing the roles I take on automatically, my monthly cycle and giving myself permission to pay close attention to all of it – even what my bra feels like to wear and how I set up my cupboards and drawers. None of the presentations were instructional; Natalie Benhayon simply shared how she lived. It was an opportunity to question the ‘norm’. I found the presentations brought a practical focus to what it is to be a woman. Continue reading “Esoteric Women’s Group: Supporting Each Other to Build Foundations” →