September 2014

Reflections: The Light Within - becoming our own teachers
Links to inspire and Amuse
Reminder: Dare to Blossom Rediscovery at Home and Special offer for readers

Reflections: The Light Within - becoming our own teachers

Earlier this year I spent time at an art workshop run by Annieb. I've been to several of her events, each has been a wonderfully enjoyable and nurturing experience: a mixture of meditation, music, playing with paint, conversation, and insights, some shared and others developing over time. I returned with a painting that has powerful significance for me, and for the first time I felt I wished to frame and hang it on the wall in my study/office. The prompt for the picture was a visualisation about visiting our personal wisdom tree, and meditating there. Afterwards, I drew this tree: it has solid roots and a strong trunk with an exuberant spring growth of leaves. Within the tree is an explosion of light,  recognition of the internal - eternal - spark inside each of us.  The more we allow our light to shine out into the world, the more our unique gifts can be shared with those who can benefit from them and the more will reflect back to ourselves.

The Light Within by Mary Lunnen

This image is proving such a gift to myself: something I can see, right in front of me as i sit here writing to you, or doing other work at my desk. It has taken me several months to decide to share it with you all here; to get over the 'I'm no good at art..' wobbles. Maybe I am or maybe I'm not - that is immaterial for this: I show it in the spirit of the child  proudly showing something that they have created themselves.

The other day my new feline companion Sparky was here exploring - also known as getting into everything and causing mischief - and at one point he sat on the cabinet gazing at this painting. I managed to take a quick photo of him (of course he wouldn't sit still for long). You can't see what he is looking at - and it may well have been a spider rather than the picture......


                                                             Sparky 

This month I picked out a book to read that I have had on my shelves for some time. In fact my note in the front of the book shows I purchased it from Cygnus Books in October 2011. (If you are not familiar with Cygnus I can highly recommend them.) I choose the books I buy carefully, and also intuitively - and I often find it is some time before the time is right to read a particular volume.

The book is The Bowl of Light - Ancestral Wisdom from a Hawaiian Shaman  by Hank Wesselman. You can read about the book at more on the link so I won't describe that here. I know I will be returning again to re-read and absorb more. For now, I wanted to share some reflections on how this ancient wisdom from a different culture has spoken to my beliefs and strengthened them.

Regular readers will know that my whole ethos in my Dare to Blossom work, and recently in the development of the Rediscovery Cards and Rediscovery Coaching Process, is that we already hold all the answers to our questions within us, and our spiritual journey often involves finding our way back to that wisdom, coming home to ourselves.

At one point in the book the Hawaiian elder, known as Makua, quotes Hank himself, as saying: "...the time of the guru is over." Makua goes on to say in a later conversation:

"The truth already exists within each one of us. This is why no outside agency or religious authority can give it to us. We already have it! We just have to remember it."

And:
"This is why I never agree to become another person's teacher. Each one of us is our own best teacher, and I would never deprive spiritual seekers of the power that comes wit that discovery."

These words have crystalised for me some hesitation I have always felt, a personal internal conflict. A tension between sharing my experience, knowledge and intuition to help others - whether in one-to-one coaching or in the written word; and feeling that I don't want to "..become another person's teacher." and certainly not a 'guru'.

In the past I have resolved some of this tension with the help of the various coaches and supporters I have felt honoured to have encountered. The way I have done this is by recognising that we are all coming back to that ultimate, and so simple, point - that the truth is within us, we are already whole, we are not broken, do not need 'fixing' by another person. The thing I may be able to offer, as do the writers such as Hank sharing Makua's words, is my particular and unique way of putting over these simple, but not always easy to recognise, truths.

There may be - there are - people out there for whom reading the particular words I have chosen (or a photo I have taken), for whom this will be, in one particular moment, exactly what they need to hear. They would not have 'heard' the message from their own heart in quite the same way if not through this channel at this time. I am feeling restricted at this moment by my chosen 'channel' of the written word, finding it hard to convey my meaning without feeling I am doing exactly what I claim not to want - to set myself up as a guru, a teacher.

This is turning out to be one of those pieces of flow-writing that are going to be a challenge to actually press the 'send' button on - and I will continue regardless as I have learnt that this feeling often means it is touching the spot - for me (hence the 'wobbles') and I hope for some of you too. Not for everyone of course - and you will pass on your way to something else if these words do not work for you.

So - can I make any sense out of all these jumbled thoughts? Reading The Bowl of Light has helped me feel connected to ancient wisdom - which I've always been drawn to as I suspect many of you will have been. Helping me clarify further in my own mind what my role as a 'life coach' is, to help resolve some of that 'labeling' difficulty. What I 'do' is simply offer to be a companion, a guide, a mirror to help you find your own way home to yourself. It is physically impossible to see what is right under our own noses (you just try it - you'll pull some very odd faces) - without a mirror. However much experience and knowledge we have; however many spiritual books we read, and well-developed our own intuition is - everyone at some time can benefit from a stalwart - even at times critical - friend.

I have recently experienced this in a very personal way - with a turbulent time in my life and my health, plus pressures in various areas of my work, all meaning - as I now recognise - that I had lost my bearings, been blow off course, dropped the connection with my higher self who would have been able to support me if I had only listened. I have come back home to myself now, with help from some wonderful guides and supporters (see more below), each of whom has played a unique and individual role in this process that no one else could have done at just that precise time.  I have also returned to making use of my own pack of Rediscovery Cards daily, taking the time to tune in and reflect. When I have time I post some thoughts on my Dare to Blossom Facebook page - so if you enjoy that means of inspiration and support please do pop in and say hello.

For you: some suggestions for your journal or meditation reflections:
- What is your route to your inner wisdom within?
- How can you explore (or discover) this?
- Perhaps try some of these: meditation, dance, doodling, playing with paint, flow-writing, a collage of pictures from magazines, a walk in nature, exercise... the list could go on.
- As a prompt for any of the creative activities you could try using any pack of cards you have - maybe the Dare to Blossom Rediscovery cards, or any angel or goddess cards; opening a book at random (even a dictionary works very well!)
- Or if you feel you would benefit from a guide, contact someone you have worked with before or to whom you feel drawn now for some support one-to-one or in a group workshop.

I am smiling now, as sharing this - once I got through my hesitation and wobbles - has been exactly what I needed to 'hear' myself. So often I only hear my own advice, my own wisdom, when someone else reflects it back to me - as do all of those people in my extensive and wonderful support network. Some are listed below, my apologies to those of you I have not mentioned - you will know who you are, and I send my love and gratitude to you for touching my life in your particular unique and special way.

Links to inspire and Amuse

Here are just some of the people I am connected with, each one unique, amazing and special in their own way. Some I have known, or known of, for a long time, and then one day - the right occasion to link up and use their services arises. I will leave you to explore the links below if they call to you.

Amy Palko Amy Palko
Janette Colloby: Divine Equine Wisdom
Megan Selby The Living Voice
Mary McConnell Star Therapies
Soleira Green The Visionary Network

And finally - thank you to Ben for sending me a link to this cartoon: The Shape of Ideas.

Reninder: Dare to Blossom Rediscovery at Home

If you would like to host a Dare to Blossom Rediscovery at Home Party in Cornwall or west Devon, please contact me. The person hosting the workshop receives a free place in return for providing a room and refreshments (tea, coffee, biscuits etc), and recruiting  at least four paying guests. Within Cornwall the price is currently £25 per person for a half day workshop. That will vary for locations involving more travel or for a full day event.

Special offer for readers

For those of you interested to explore the Rediscovery Process in more depth, there is a special offer open to readers of this newsletter:

One Hour in depth Rediscovery Coaching Session: £35 (usually £65)

'Short and Sweet' Rediscovery Session - 15 minutes £12.00 (usually £16.50)

These sessions are on the telephone or Skype, just contact me to book your time slot, some evenings available.

Offer expires on 31 October 2014.

As always, please feel free to comment on the blog* or reply to this email with your thoughts and comments. 

If you would like to own a set of cards to explore their power for yourself please visit the dedicated page.

Thank you dear friends for visiting with me again this week and sharing my musings.

Until next time,

with love,
Mary

* find 'Dare to Blossom Life Coaching' on Facebook

August 2014

Reflections: Change

Today as I begin writing this piece for you, I am thinking about all the changes that have taken place for me over the last month. This photograph was taken on the cliffs near Trevone. I've not yet been able to identify the plant - obviously in the same family as the dandelion.

I love the way the seeds appear to be about to explode outwards. In reality they are dependent on the wind to scatter them, but still, each seed has the promise of future growth, of stored energy, just awaiting the right time to burst into growth.



I set out for my walk that day with my mood matching the weather, grey and sombre, but calm and quiet. The sea and sky were both wonderful shades of slate blue-grey and silvery mirror effects. As I started looking at the miniature world around me and photographing the plants, I lost myself in the joy of observation and appreciation.

There is maybe no real connection between this photo and the subject of change, although it has enabled me to make a start on writing this. For me, it has been a time of upheaval, and a realisation that change is the only constant in life.

"All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy, for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves: we must die to one life before we can enter another." Anatole France (from Quotegarden)

I began this intending to share a long piece of flow writing about the recent changes in my life, and then I decided that while it had been good to write, it was not, this time, meant to be shared.

I had been thinking about how, as well as the big things that cause us grief in life, most obviously the death of loved ones, the disintegration of an important relationship,  or even the loss of a pet as I recently experienced, there are many other times when we feel grief. My experience is that I rarely allow myself to experience this fully. Not to 'wallow' in it for too long (nothing wrong with a bit of wallowing though!) - but to allow the feeling to be expressed. Ideally to be expressed in a way that does no harm to myself or others. Then allowing the feeling to flow through me and go, having served it's purpose.

So often I have not known how to express strong feelings, and have either suppressed them or let them burst out in unhelpful or even hurtful ways.  I have learned some means of doing this now, and have also become aware that it is 'OK' to ask for help. In preparing to write this today I drew a card:



This made me smile and reminded me that every change is an opportunity, if I choose to take it. The help I received with the process of dealing with the sad and sudden loss of my cat Mr B, and the big change of the arrival (much sooner than expected) of a new feline companion, Sparky, is an example, not just of opportunity, but of wonderful synchronicity.

Last year at Soleira Green's workshop I met Janette Colloby of Divine Equine Wisdom. Janette works with her horses to access ancient wisdom and intuitive readings. I was aware then that I wanted to experience this for myself but an occasion did not arise. A few weeks ago we reconnected via one of Soleira's on-line groups. Just after that Sparky arrived and his settling-in period was very difficult so I decided now was the time for a reading.

The guidance that emerged was exactly right for me and an amazing experience, helping me connect with Sparky and to see more clearly my future path. Many of my family and friends have a big involvement with horses themselves so maybe you will resonate with Janette's work. My experience is different - I admire horses as beautiful and majestic animals, and have not wished to be involved in riding. This did not matter, connecting as fellow entities in the journey of life - in this case remotely via Janette - has been profound and moving.

For you: some suggestions for your journal or meditation reflections:
- What changes are happening around you?
- Are they prompting any strong emotions for you?
- How can you express these in a safe and helpful way?
- Do you need to celebrate, grieve, or mark the changes with a ritual of some kind?

Be gentle with yourself while doing this, you may need extra self-care, and perhaps support from a trusted friend, or a professional, if strong feelings arise that are not easy to resolve by yourself.

Even though the focus of my work is about coming home to myself and that we all have the wisdom we need within us - I know all too well that I cannot always see this. Sometimes a helper to act as a mirror and a champion, standing by my side and cheering me on, is essential for me to to be free to take the next step.

Before I leave you, here is a photo of Sparky taken a couple of days ago, having settled in as 'boss' in my study/office, looking a little cross at being 'snapped'.



Inspiring events and links

'The Real Art of Transformation' with Soleira Green

I am attending the UK event in September, there is also one in Australia in October, an on-line course and a book, full details here.

The Euro Coach List Conference
This is something i write about every year - it is such an opportunity to spend time with an eclectic mix of coaches from all disciplines; attend workshops and talks; and enjoy those 'random' conversations that so often hold nuggets of gold, Early Bird booking is already open - I hope to see you there this year.


Dare to Blossom Rediscovery at Home events

As described last month, I am taking bookings for these events from September in Cornwall or west Devon. The person hosting the workshop receives a free place in return for providing a room and refreshments (tea, coffee, biscuits etc), and recruiting  at least four paying guests. Within Cornwall the price is currently £25 per person for a half day workshop. That will vary for locations involving more travel or for a full day event.

If you would like to host a Dare to Blossom Rediscovery at Home Party, please contact me. 

Special offer for readers - a reminder

For those of you interested to explore the Rediscovery Process in more depth, there is a special offer open to readers of this newsletter:

One Hour in depth Rediscovery Coaching Session: £35 (usually £65)

'Short and Sweet' Rediscovery Session - 15 minutes £12.00 (usually £16.50)

These sessions are on the telephone or Skype, just contact me to book your time slot, some evenings available.

Offer expires on 31 October 2014.

As always, please feel free to comment belowl with your thoughts and comments. 

If you would like to own a set of cards to explore their power for yourself please visit the dedicated page.

Thank you dear friends for visiting with me again this week and sharing my musings.

PS And just as I am about to press 'send' to propel this out into cyberspace, I am having a 'wobble', a moment of self-doubt. A feeling of wanting to run and hide. How interesting this should pop up now. Shall !? Shan't !? Well, you'll never know if I don't press send so presumably I am about to.......

Until next time,

with love,
Mary

*find 'Dare to Blossom Life Coaching' on Facebook.

Dare to Blossom Newsletter July 2014

July 2014 

Welcome to the Dare to Blossom Newsletter


Reflections: Blossom, Fruit and Seed 

Today as I begin writing this piece for you,  I am sitting in my garden surrounded by flowers and luxuriant, burgeoning growth. Coming to the end of my week's holiday at home, I have - at last - been able to put aside worries and even plans. I had thought I would spend a lot of time at the computer, working on all my "what next?" ideas for my future work. Instead, the weather has kindly distracted me and it has been far too glorious to spend much time indoors.




Today, with just the weekend to come, I am gradually (but only slightly) re-orientating myself to begin thinking about these things. Sitting here, surrounded by flowers, I am once again prompted to notice the lessons of the natural world all around me.

The blooms are being what they are - one stage of the cycle of life for each particular plant. They fulfill their function of attracting bees to pollinate them, all in good time. If and when that happens, the fruit will develop, and gradually ripen holding the seed of future life within it's depths.

Maybe the plant needs help again once the seed is ready to be distributed. Birds and small animals eat the blackberries and juicy soft fruit (sadly also our strawberries and raspberries if we are not quick enough in picking them). Other types of seeds are taken by the wind, all are spread far and wide.

All these processes work to nature's cycle - there is a 'plan', a time scale of the seasons, and there is also no sense of urgency. Slowing down to nature's rhythm has helped me to appreciate anew the value of each stage of my own creative cycle.

As you know if you are a regular reader, I have often talk about periods of dormancy and germination. And also that I relish learning from other teachers and coaches working with the same aims as me, to enable and empower each one of us to blossom and reach our full potential. Reflecting now, I see that this slowing down on holiday has been a welcome period of 'lull' - the concept from Kaizen-Muse Creative Coaching I learned about from Kathy Kane. 'Lull' is not simply a rest, it actively includes 'Pause, Diversion and Gratitude' (see more in the book 'The Nine Modern Day Muses' by Jill Badonsky).

And this slowing down for me is also a time of 'Stillness, silence and space' - as described by Julia McCutchen at our recent Conscious Writing Retreat. In Julia's model the next stage is 'Inspiration' - and I just experienced that when the phrase 'blossom, fruit, seed' popped into my mind a short while ago. Then 'Imagination' - adding detail as I am doing now. Then on to 'Creative Expression' - putting this piece, currently being written by hand in my notebook, into the structure of the newsletter - and sending it out to you. (I know that Julia is working on a new book describing the conscious writing process in full detail - I am really looking forward to reading that, and I will let you know when it is available).

My observation of my experience is that these creative cycles can be operating on different levels at the same time, and the different levels can be working to varying time scales. So, in my example above, the first stage of relaxing during my holiday lasted a while: Then the idea and the chance to expand on that followed each other quickly; and I have my target of 1 July to send this out to you - so the expression and completion will now need to run through quickly as the end of June has almost arrived.

At the same time, another creative cycle playing out for me is a larger 'what next' question: how to develop the body of work produced during my year-long reflections on the Rediscovery Cards into something that will support and serve even more people. Spreading the word about the value of  rediscovering our inner wisdom and coming home to ourselves. Expanding on the new Dare to Blossom Rediscovery at Home workshops. All will be achieved by a series of small steps. Small steps during which I will enjoy the journey; small steps that will help me learn more along the way (or should I say, rediscover more?) to inform and clarify my work in the world.

For you: some suggestions for your journal or meditation reflections:
- What is your personal creative cycle?
- Where are you right now?
- Would you benefit from recognising your need for a 'Lull' and some 'Stillness, silence, and  space'?
- Or are you ready to move on into action of some sort?

I am smiling as I tell you that for the last two days my Rediscovery card has been 'Action' - after 'Opportunity' on Saturday before I left home for the workshop (and 'Emerging' there, see more below). Also huge thanks to Fraser, who provided the unsolicited testimonial: 

"This is not a polite little thank you note for your rediscovery cards, but a full-on raving fan letter! It has been such a positive experience using them in my journaling - affirming, insightful and fruitful.  They are a terrific resource......" Continue reading here

Dare to Blossom Rediscovery at Home workshops

The first of these workshops took place last Saturday. I am so grateful to the person who invited me and acted as hostess. The three hour workshop was everything I hoped it would be. If I receive any detailed feedback with permission to share with you, I will of course - in the meantime the 'one word feedback' comments people made at the end of the morning include:
 

*Inspiration  *Support *Relaxation *Safe *Grateful
*Nurturing *Welcoming *Gentle *Open-Up 

(two words, hyphenated, are allowed!)

As a description of 'Coming Home to Yourself', I feel these words are perfect. Thank you so much to the people who were there, and to our wonderful hostess who shared her home with us for the morning.

It is not easy to describe exactly 'what happened'. What we did was share conversation; followed by a flow-writing exercise where we each drew a card and then we chose a spot - inside or out in the garden - to write without our inner critic piping up.

It is not for me to presume to write here about the experiences of others. As mentioned earlier, the card I drew was 'Emerging'.



Having described to the others the concept of flow-writing - keeping the pen moving on the paper even if what you are writing makes no sense - I laughed when I had trouble with this.

I wrote:
"I've been afraid to be seen, why? ....[long pause here]... Keep the pen moving! Not stopping is good, no need to think at all. Listen - a whirring; the birds tweeting, cawing. They are just themselves. Earthy red-brown like the Devon red soil on those wonderful cliffs. Delicate emerging - nurture and care but know when to let go and give a shove to fly the nest."

As you see, this makes little sense, and that is fine, it doesn't need to. As with doodling and having fun with paint or crayons - this sort of writing is not for sharing (even though I have chosen to do so here). 

Then we discussed what we had felt while we had been writing, and if we wished, shared a little of that writing. Some people found, as did I, that this elicited more unexpected words. when talking aloud All part of rediscovering our inner wisdom - my experience is that if I can provide an environment for myself, and here for others, where I can write, speak (and draw) from the heart - unexpected insights emerge.

After a refreshment break, the second part of the morning consisted of creative play, where people could make a greetings card for themselves. I provided the cards and envelopes, coloured pens, some pretty wrapping paper covered in butterflies, and a selection of packs of stickers with hearts, flowers, birds, stars, and more butterflies (such a powerful metaphor for transformation). The words people wrote in the cards as messages to themselves were private and everyone went away with a beautiful creation. How long is it since you allowed yourself to play without expectations - and without a child being present to provide 'an excuse'?

Other parts of the workshop were short opening and closing meditations and several inspirational readings that I chose carefully to share with those present.

For me, the fact that the workshop took place in someone's home meant that it had a very different feeling to other workshops I have run in the past. These have been equally successful - just very different. I felt a connection with the ancient land, in this case of west Cornwall. A place inhabited by generations of miners, farmers and fishermen and their families. Wives who were strong women who managed households in days with no labour-saving devices; women who also worked alongside the men as well as bearing and raising children. A connection with humankind; with inner wisdom and coming home to myself - to the larger Myself that we are all a part of; feeling a part of the web of life stretching back into the past and forwards into the future - all connected by individual people.

That last paragraph is a total surprise to me - a piece of flow writing that I choose to share with you unedited and untouched by my internal critic (which is jumping up and down a bit, and I am choosing not to hear).

I look forward to connecting with other places as well as people. Places such as a terraced house in a town, a suburban bungalow, a country farm-house - will all have their special characters and connections.

If you would like to host a Dare to Blossom Rediscovery at Home Party, please contact me. at present I can offer them in Cornwall or west Devon, on a limited selection of dates. In the future I will have more flexibility and be able to travel further afield. The person hosting the workshop receives a free place in return for providing a room and refreshments (tea, coffee, biscuits etc), and recruiting  at least four paying guests. Within Cornwall the price is currently £25 per person for a half day workshop. That will vary for locations involving more travel or for a full day event.

Special offer for readers

For those of you interested to explore the Rediscovery Process in more depth, there is a special offer open to readers of this newsletter:

One Hour in depth Rediscovery Coaching Session: £35 (usually £65)

'Short and Sweet' Rediscovery Session - 15 minutes £12.00 (usually £16.50)

These sessions are on the telephone or Skype, just contact me to book your time slot, some evenings available.

Offer expires on 31 October 2014.

As always, please feel free to comment with your thoughts and comments. 

If you would like to own a set of cards to explore their power for yourself please visit the dedicated page.

Thank you dear friends for visiting with me again this week and sharing my musings.

Until next time,

with love,
Mary

*if you have any difficulty accessing the 'blogspot' service, you can also read here on the Daring to Blossom website, or find 'Dare to Blossom Life Coaching' on Facebook.

Immense Gratitude

8 June 2014 Dear friends, The title of this unscheduled email is 'Immense Gratitude' - as that is what I am feeling. Thank you to YOU, the person reading this, for the way you have supported me. Simply by choosing to stay on this mailing list (or reading this on Facebook or where ever else it may appear) - you are supporting me. Even if you receive the newsletters and don't always open and read them - that is fine too. Maybe one day you will open one and it will be just what you need to hear at that moment, as happens to me with all the wonderful writing I receive and do not have time to read for a while. Since completing my weekly newsletter/blog on each one of the fifty cards in the pack over the last year, I have returned to drawing one daily. I wrote a little about that in my monthly newsletter that most of you also receive. Over the last three days, even with vigorous shuffling and splitting and cutting of the pack of cards, this word 'Gratitude' has come out three times running. OK, I get it! A gentle reminder to make 'an attitude of gratitude' a part of my daily way of life. All too easy to slip into moans and groans and forget all my blessings. Yesterday an email popped into my in-box - and I am still beaming. Thank you so much to Fraser for taking time to write these words, and for permission to share them with you; "Dear Mary, This is not a polite little thank you note for your rediscovery cards, but a full-on raving fan letter! It has been such a positive experience using them in my journaling - affirming, insightful and fruitful.  They are a terrific resource. Aside from the benefit of using them they are delightful in their own right - beautifully produced and lovely to handle. I've taken to carrying them around in my bag in case I have a spare few minutes to sit and draw one out to reflect on or write about. As someone with a particular faith I have found that they dovetail very well my other practices of prayer and contemplation, and that often my writing blends these elements together to nourish and sustain my spirituality. So a big thank you for devising and creating them, and I hope they continue to be a blessing to all those who have acquired and use them. Best wishes, Fraser" Fraser was the first life coach I worked with - he was there with me through my first redundancy, helping by offering me a listening ear, a reflective and thoughtful response and tools for me to help myself. He is the reason I trained as a life coach and his book 'Why do I do this every day?' was a great inspiration. Thanks once again Fraser, and I am sure you are making a big difference to people in your new field of work. I will be writing more on the 'What next?' question that I took to the Conscious Writing Retreat with me. Some ideas have been evolving and becoming much more clear over the last two weeks. I will be building on the work of the last two years with the Dare to Blossom Rediscovery Cards, and exploring some new avenues as well. An image to share with you, at the end of a very special day yesterday of meditation, inspiration, writing and connection - not to mention gratitude - there was the most stunning sunset I've seen for a while. One of those where the colours spread out across the whole sky from west to east, in an ever-changing display of brilliance. In the west there was a clearance coming in and the sky was a bright turquoise at one stage, with the bank of clouds above me gradually darkening from yellow to orange, from red to purple. Au revoir for now, until the next time, go well and cultivate that attitude of gratitude, may it serve you as it is me. As always, please feel free to comment below with your thoughts and comments.  If you would like to own a set of cards to explore their power for yourself please visit the dedicated page. Thank you dear friends for visiting with me again this week and sharing my musings. Until next time, with love, Mary *if you have any difficulty accessing the 'blogspot' service, you can also read here on the Daring to Blossom website, or find 'Dare to Blossom Life Coaching' on Facebook.

Dare to Blossom Newsletter: June 2014

Reflections: Emerging

News: What Next?

Reflections: Emerging

This has been a very special time for me: the completion of my year of writing about each of the Dare to Blossom Rediscovery Cards feels like a milestone has been passed. As I mentioned in the final piece, on 'Celebration', there were other reasons that this time of year is significant for me, one being the anniversary of my cancer diagnosis.

Last weekend I participated in the long awaited 'Conscious Writing Retreat', led by Julia McCutchen at Glastonbury. 



I know I will be writing and sharing more about this experience over coming months. It was deeply powerful in a multitude of ways and will take some time to integrate. It was a true retreat: we stayed at the beautiful Abbey House, immediately next to and overlooking Glastonbury Abbey. All the major sites we might want to visit were in easy walking distance - the Labyrinth at St John's Church, the Chalice Well Gardens, and Glastonbury Tor itself.

The accommodation was basic and comfortable, with no television to distract, and although there was wifi, I chose to only use this for a brief look at email messages rather than Internet browsing.

I found I was hardly even drawn to read the books I had brought with me, preferring to spend my time in my own writing, journalling and meditation. It was a joy to be able to use my pack of Dare to Blossom Cards daily.

Some days I came back to the pack and drew a card several times. So much was happening that when I returned to my room for personal writing time I felt things had moved on and my further thoughts would be sparked by shuffling and drawing anther time.

On Sunday, the last full day, I drew 'Emerging'. I had arrived on Friday evening hoping that a big new 'next step' would become clear for me over the weekend. A new book, a course or a new project - what would it be? Instead I found myself taken back to the practice of 'small steps', of moving forward steadily and openly, seeing what arises with each new turn in the path.



So 'emerging' was a perfect card. At lunch time I shuffled the cards well, and out it came again: 'Emerging' - making me smile. Then before dinner, when the same happened, I laughed out loud. I could hardly say I hadn't got the message: allow my next steps to emerge gradually; to organically evolve rather than looking for a giant leap forward.

Julia has posted some of the group photographs taken on the last day, I hope this link will take you there. One of the intentions we were encouraged to set was to continue some of the practices on our return home - and I feel these photos are a great reminder of the very special connections we made as a group and as individuals.

So, although I had intended to wrote a lot more for you about the experience, this week I am taking Julia's advice to go gently with ourselves. I am ignoring my 'inner critic' and sending this off to you as it is, unpoilished and maybe incomplete. At the same time it is heartfelt and full of gratitude - to  Julia for putting together such an extraordinary experience; to everyone there for each being a special part of the whole (and that includes all the staff at Abbey House); and to you - for reading this and for being with me in my continuing journey.

For you: some suggestions for your journal or meditation reflections:
- What is emerging for you?
- You could journal, flow-write, paint or collage to explore...
- Are you being gentle with yourself and giving time to the process?
- Do you want to plan some actions, some small steps, to take you forward?

 

News: What Next?

If you have any ideas about what you would like a 'what next?' to be, please do share them with me, either by replying to this email or on the blog or Facebook pages.

My plans at present are for "Dare to Blossom at Home" events - where you host a three hour workshop in your home in return for a free place for yourself. At present these will be in Cornwall, if you would like to know more, just get in touch.

Would you like the weekly blog about the cards to continue? Now I have finished writing about a different one each week, I have returned to the 'normal' way of using them, shuffling well and drawing out a card each day. This is currently part of my morning practice. Would it be interesting if I wrote and shared a little about this?

Today's card is 'Surrender': I am surrendering to not knowing, to living the questions, to being with uncertainty and feeling comfortable with that feeling of future possibilities not yet being clear.

Thank you - for being my companion, for your support and comments, for sharing your suggestions and thoughts. 

As always, please feel free to comment below with your thoughts and comments. 

If you would like to own a set of cards to explore their power for yourself please visit the dedicated page.

Thank you dear friends for sharing time with me here.

Until next time,

with love,
Mary

* find 'Dare to Blossom Life Coaching' on Facebook.

Celebration

13 May 2014 This is card number fifty - the last one in the pack. It may seem that I have chosen to keep this word for the last one, but in reality it 'chose' itself. Last year, a few weeks after starting this journey to share my experience of reflecting on each card, I decided I should check that I was using a complete pack. The reason for this goes back to when I first designed the cards. At the beginning, in 2012, they were purely to use during a mew series of workshops. During the workshops we drew a card, and used the words and colours as prompts for some flow-writing and creative activities. My idea at the time was that people could, if they wished, take 'their' card away with them. Most people did this, so of course I ended up with some incomplete packs. Many people asked me if the cards were on sale so they could purchase their own set, so the following year I began offering them as a means to access your inner wisdom. So - hence the need to check the pack I was using, and I eventually established that there was one card missing even when I combined all the loose cards I had, and that was 'Celebration'. So that was it, I felt that was meant to be the final card. I do feel a sense of celebration and achievement at having stuck with it and kept up the practice of writing regularly about a card, and, even more significantly, of sending it out to you. Sending even when it felt raw and vulnerable to be exposing my inner thoughts. Inner thoughts that were not polished and edited, simply shared with you as an offering to perhaps be a companion to you. As I have mentioned here before, it has proved to be just when I felt most vulnerable that the words I shared were the most significant for some of you reading them. I have started writing this on Monday in preparation for sending it to you on Wednesday or Thursday. And today, Monday 12 May, is another day that I am able to celebrate, as I do my best to remember to do every fresh day. 12 May 1994, twenty years ago today, was the day that I received a diagnosis of cancer. So, I can celebrate today twenty years of life that I may not have had; and the beginning of my journey home, of rediscovery of my self, and of my wisdom within. Maybe I could say the journey begins with birth and ends with death, and I would also say, for me, that the last twenty years have been precious due to my awareness of how easily I could not have had this time. ----------------------------------------------- Joining you again today, Thursday to complete this to send to you, I am smiling at the challenges I have felt this week. Despite my best intentions, at times I have felt tired and grumpy, anything but happy and able to celebrate. And that is human and normal. Maybe I am feeling a slight sense of anti-climax: having completed this challenge - what next? I have yet to decide if I will continue the practice of a weekly blog/newsletter. You may remember that I have booked a place on the "Conscious Writing Retreat" over the May Bank Holiday weekend with Julia McCutchen. That came up with perfect timing and will be an opportunity to review how far I have come and renew my vision and inspiration for "what next?". All I can say right now is - watch this space. Returning to my celebrations: the colour of this card is a rich crimson red, perhaps a 'Christmas' colour, and well-suited to rejoicing and marking a big event. It also prompts me to think about celebrating small everyday wonders: waking up to a fresh new day; eating a simple breakfast of muesli and yogurt; going out into my garden and enjoying the flowers. The month of May here in Cornwall is so special, everything in nature is fresh and new. Here is a photo of a rhododendron I have in a container outside my garden office. This year it has more flowers than ever and they begin dark orange in the bud then open up into glorious shades of yellow. For me, the exuberant burst of colour is a perfect illustration for 'Celebration'. As always, please feel free to comment below with your thoughts and comments.  If you would like to own a set of cards to explore their power for yourself please visit the dedicated page. Thank you so much dear friends for sharing my musings.along this journey. Until next time, with love, Mary *if you have any difficulty accessing the 'blogspot' service, you can also read here on the Daring to Blossom website, or find 'Dare to Blossom Life Coaching' on Facebook.

Flexibility

7 May 2014 This card seemed to validate my decision to have a 'week off' sending the monthly newsletter last week. Allowing myself to be flexible. Sitting here writing to you I smile as I am feeling almost the opposite of flexible. Having spent most of the Bank Holiday weekend in the gardening 'jungle-bashing', clearing and tidying - I feel stiff and sore. However, there is also a lot of satisfaction in seeing how much better things look. I also took some time out for a walk in the bluebell woods at Lanhydrock. It is my intention to do this every year, but sometimes I miss the short season. This time the timing was just right. The walk goes along the River Fowey from Respryn Bridge - here is a photo of the light on the river as it flows to the sea.    I spent a while here just watching, and listening to, the river. The light was mesmerising - ever-changing as the water flowed. The ultimate expression of 'flexibility', literally going with the flow. At the same time the water seemed to have a strength and ancient power. The natural cycle of water from raindrops in the clouds, to streams flowing into rivers, down to the sea and then evaporating again up into the sky. Many people experienced all too strongly the power of water in all it's forms this winter in England with floods and storm damage, as have many people around the world. The ancient tree on the opposite bank fascinated me. Trees adapt and change all the time, but seem solid and fixed. Many have longer lives than human beings. I loved the shape of the branches against the sky, reaching outwards and upwards. After reflecting on all this and simply enjoying the peace of the moment I continued along the path until it crosses a footbridge and then walked up into the beech woods. The scene immediately changed to being surrounded by towering trunks with the bluebells starting to appear in the distance between them The contrast between the brilliant green of the new leaves and the purple-blue of the blossoms never fails to take my breath away. As you can imagine, I couldn't resist taking many photographs, here is another of my favourites. This weekend has been a time of variable weather meaning plenty of flexibility has also been needed in plans and arrangements - as is the way in any place with our sort of climate. 'Going with the flow' like the river has seemed the best way to be in this time. Sometimes it is necessary to be more like an immovable object, more like a boulder in the stream (though the boulder will eventually be worn away by the action of the water - but that is another meditation altogether.) And there may be a certain point beyond which even the branches of the tree cannot move in the wind: when the breeze becomes a gale and the gale becomes a storm - sometimes the tree cannot withstand the pressure and will fall. There were a number of recently fallen  trees along the way as I walked through the woods. Some seemed to have been old and rotten and thus less able to remain flexible. This piece of flow-writing has itself felt like watching the stream: I have been watching my thoughts and writing them here to share with you. Sometimes they have stalled as the water does coming to a boulder; at others they have felt confused and jumbled - with rather mixed metaphors perhaps - as the water looked as it swirls around on it's way downstream. At the same time I have not felt any particular attachment to those thoughts, or any need to make sense of them or make them 'fit' any particular story. They are just as they are, just a meditation of passing images. I have yet to mention the colour of the card - strangely, on my screen it appears just like the blue of the bluebells in my photos, even though the card itself on my desk is a slightly more pink shade of purple-blue. Either way, to me it feels a reflection and calm colour, an aide to a meditation. As always, please feel free to comment with your thoughts and comments.  If you would like to own a set of cards to explore their power for yourself, please visit the dedicated page. Thank you dear friends for visiting with me again this week and sharing my musings. Until next time, with love, Mary * find 'Dare to Blossom Life Coaching' on Facebook.