As 2011 comes to a close, i find myself asking ..... How did i get to this place of absolute abundance?
As i sit here in my holiday house overlooking the river, watching the birds soar, the cicadas roar and the trees shine.... what did i do to achieve this abundance? What can i share with others on how they too can achieve this?
So many questions ..... I suppose that is the answer .... to question.
Only yesterday my partner and I sat and reflected on all the achievements we had made throughout this past year. We cast our minds back each month to things we had done, seen and experienced. Next to each one, we wrote how we felt and the significant learning of each event - it was amazing to see how we each had different drivers and different measures of success.... a learning in itself.
From here we then asked ourselves the next question ..... What do we want to achieve in 2012?
We followed this with how do we want to feel, what do we want to see and what will inspire us to achieve this?
The purpose of this is to set the intention in both our mind and our imagination. To encourage us to forward-think and move towards our goals. If we do not set the pictures in our mind or our direction, we become a ship without a sail. The amazing thing is we get to set the sail however we like.
It can be both empowering and scary to know we have the power to direct our own intentions and in fact manifest our own abundance. I am always learning, always growing and always reflecting. 2011 has been an amazing year for me in all regards of which I am grateful to all who have been involved - from the people who have been by my side to the people I have met on one random occasions - thank you.
May you all reflect on your successes and learnings from 2011 and let your mind soar with potential for 2012.
God bless xx
Connecting your Thoughts,Feelings, Actions and Spirit into a meaningful life.
Daniela Falecki, Spiritual Teacher & Master Coach
Thursday, 29 December 2011
Monday, 28 November 2011
Uncover your Passion
Well let me help you out, your passion is the thing you think
about constantly, the thing that excites you, makes you feel good and the thing
you do when you don’t “have to”, you “want to”. Your passion is what drives you
to learn more, achieve more and perhaps be more. Your passion is not someone
else. I say this because I have heard many times in the past people say ,”I’m
happy if you are happy.... you are the person I think about every day and you
are the thing that i want to love more and more and you are the thing I am most
passionate about. While this is admirable, this type of love or passion is
often driven by external factors, being that of the response of another person
and what I am talking about here is passion that lives inside you. It is your
internal response and feelings that guide you. In fact this is where the
concept of the compass comes from. Compasses where designed to show us
direction, to help us stay on track, formulate a path and help us move in a desired
direction.
Putting this together, we have, do what you love and you are
moving in the right direction. Here are some questions to help you find your
passion. Following this are some tool to help you read your inner compass.
Actions to find your passion
Questions
·
If you could do anything what
would you do?
·
What do you love doing?
·
What are you doing when you are at
your happiest?
·
If you had all the money you
needed what would you be doing each day?
·
If you had all the time you needed
what would you be doing each day?
·
What do you wake up dreaming about
every day?
·
What is it you really want to be
doing?
·
What’s going to inspire you to
see, hear or feel this?
·
What would motivate you to take action towards
doing this?
O If you are searching fro even more clarity, consider what cartoons, movies or role models you had when you were between the ages of 7-14. This is the key modelling phase in our development where we take on values and beliefs of others. What did you love about these characters, what were their values and beliefs, what outcomes did they achieve etc
Activity
·
Create a vision board of your
passion. Get a piece of cardboard or large paper and cut pictures from
magazines of interest to you. Include pictures and words of things you would to
be achieving, seeing and feeling. What are others doing as a result of your
passion?
Wednesday, 23 November 2011
Yoga Woman TV
I found this article on www.yogawoman.tv and found it really interesting. Even though it is written for teens, it applies for everyone - enjoy.
Get up, get moving and get stretching
Daniela
THREE YOGA TOOLS: HELPING TEENS FIND BALANCE
By Abby WillsPosted on 15-Feb-2011
For over a decade, Abby Wills has joyfully guided youth and teachers in movement arts, mindfulness and yoga. She is the founder of Shanti Generation: Yoga Skills for Youth Peacemakers, has guided youth in movement arts, mindfulness and yoga in schools and communities. Visit www.shantigeneration.com
Navigating the journey between childhood and teenager status can be both a fantastic and treacherous adventure. At the onset of puberty, everything seems to change. Youth experience dramatic, often sudden, transformations of physical systems, cognitive capacities and social relationships. It is natural for youth to experience some degree of confusion or disequilibrium about these major life alterations. The fluctuations in mood and opinion can be just as confusing for the people who live and work with youth. Fortunately, ancient health systems like yoga can contribute to finding balance and ease. Here are three yoga tools that I’ve found helpful to the teens I’ve worked with over the past 10 years. They address three distinct needs that many early adolescents share: self- awareness, emotional regulation and energy rejuvenation.
1. Breath Moves Energy
Sit in a comfortable cross-legged pose on the floor. With a deep inhale, extend both arms out to the side and up, joining the palms overhead. Exhaling, draw the joined hands down the midline of the body, past the face, heart and center. Inhale, arms reach out and up overhead. Exhale, center the mind and body as the hands pull down the midline. Repeat 10 to 20 times being mindful of movements and breath the entire time.
Sit in a comfortable cross-legged pose on the floor. With a deep inhale, extend both arms out to the side and up, joining the palms overhead. Exhaling, draw the joined hands down the midline of the body, past the face, heart and center. Inhale, arms reach out and up overhead. Exhale, center the mind and body as the hands pull down the midline. Repeat 10 to 20 times being mindful of movements and breath the entire time.
Benefits: Increases self awareness, builds lung capacity and develops core strength.
Why it works: When the body, mind and breath move together in concert, the whole system reaches a higher level of harmony. Explain to youth that yoga is about linking all of the different parts of ourselves together: physical, mental, emotional, intellectual, spiritual and social. All of these parts can be compared to a band. When one part is out of tune, the whole song can sound unpleasant. Yoga is a practice of tuning our various parts to the same note.
Saturday, 19 November 2011
Hear in the Heart
Have you ever looked at the word “HEART”, I mean really
looked at the letters?
I was just doing some writing about listening to your heart
when i realised something pretty special..... The word HEAR is within the word
HEART – even more reason to LISTEN TO YOUR HEART.
I’m still amazed in how we can see the same thing each day and
then one day we wake up and we see it differently. I have been writing this
word in my journal, work and other areas for many years and only saw this
concept today .... ok, so maybe you have already realised this, we see things
differently and at different rates.
For me, the world and my own mind still amazes me .....
thanks mind and thanks world.
I would like to ramble on more but that is about it for
today ..... fascinating really ...
Have a great one
Daniela
Tuesday, 15 November 2011
The art of happiness
Who wants to
be happy?
We all do ...
well most of us ..... except for those who are happy in their own misery.
In the Dalai
Lama’s book, “The Art of Happiness”, he begins by saying that we are all human
beings consisting of one body and one mind.
Often we search and search for meanings to our own behaviour, trying to
understand the “why” of our choices, yet finding ourselves going in circles.
He continues
by saying happiness is determined by a person’s state of mind and by our outlook.
It is a function of how we perceive our situation, how satisfied we are
with what we have. Unfortunately our perception and level of satisfaction is
strongly influenced by our tendency to compare ourselves to others. Making
comparisons can work positively when we compare ourselves to those less
fortunate than us however when comparing to what we don’t have, this can be
detrimental to our own growth.
One exercise
that has proven to be successful, is to complete the following statement five
times;
“I’m glad I’m
not a …..” as opposed to saying “I wish I were......”
Follow this
by asking yourself “what” is it you are doing? As opposed to “Why” are you
doing it?
“What”
questions move you forward in understanding what is happening, where as “Why”
questions take you backwards to all the excuses that are stopping you.
The Dalai
lama says the first step in seeking happiness is LEARNING
“If you maintain a feeling of compassion,
loving kindness, then something automatically opens your inner door. Through that you can communicate much more
easily with other people. And that
feeling of warmth creates a kind of openness.
You’ll find that all human beings are just like you, so you’ll be able
to relate to them more easily” (pg. 40
Dalai Lama)
This may be
referred to as Buddha Nature.
Positive
changes begin with managing our own thoughts and can be very simple, such as setting
an intent for the day by saying, “I am going to utilise this day in a positive
way”. Later that day, check what you
have done by saying, “Did I do all that I had planned?” If your answer is `yes’, then you should be happy,
if `no’ analyse what you allowed to prevent you and reset your goals ensuring
they are realistic, specific and measurable
Simply making
a goal to build a happier life and consciously making decisions to achieve that
goal can profoundly change our lives.
Ask yourself better questions and open your mind to a happier, more fulfilled life.
Daniela
Monday, 14 November 2011
11-11-11 what does it all mean?
Well, the 11–11–11 time has just passed. For some it has been a
monumental event based in timelines, history and spirit. For others it has been
just another day – so what does all this mean?
You see, the number eleven has been significant in many ages and for
many lifetimes with roots in blessings, gratitude, forgiveness and of course
love. It is a universal number of strength, new beginnings and mastery of the
self.
The events leading up to this significant time have been mixed by all.
Some more spiritually connected beings are using this time to harness and
remember old energies and timelines. Others are just feeling “weird” and not
sure why. Either way, this time combined with the full moon has resulted in
people feeling strong in their own truth and not prepared to waiver in this
truth. This is why you may have been feeling excited, centred or perhaps frustrated,
annoyed and even tired at this time. These latter feelings only occur when you
are not being true to you, when you are living life by someone else’s rules and
agenda. When you act out of “should”, “but”, “I don’t know”. This event of
11-11-11 is the sign that this has to stop now. The time is now to live for you
as you.
The significance of this date is for all of us to STOP, LISTEN and ACT.
The time is NOW to allow yourself to be a HUMAN – BEING not a HUMAN –
DOING.
If you are sick or running in circles then stop running. If you are
tired of being on the roller coaster then get off. If you are frustrated at
swimming against the current then stop and float. It really is up to you – YOU
DECIDE YOUR DESTINY NOW.
Here are 3 easy but not simple steps to help you get started;
1. Stop and breathe – yes
right now, not later after you have made dinner, swept the floor and rushed the
kids off somewhere..... right now. Close your eyes, put your left hand on your
heart and breathe. Feel your breathe go in and then out, feel the heat of the
energy of your hand and feel the love that you give to yourself in this moment.
Do this for 3 big breathes, 3minutes or 3 hours, It doesn’t matter how long,
just do it until you feel the connection of your breathe with your body and the
stillness of your own thoughts.
2. Listen to your inner
voice – you know that little voice inside your head that says “this feels
right & this doesn’t”?, that is your heart voice. Some call it intuition or
instincts, the bottom line, is it is there. This is the voice that is NEVER
wrong and ALWAYS right. The challenge is being quiet enough to hear it and
deciphering the difference between our heart voice and our ego voice. The best
way to do this is to close your eyes, breathe as mentioned above and think
about a situation that is consuming your mind. Consider one possible course of
action and breathe in as if this course of action has happened. Notice the
feelings in your body – does the feeling make you smile, stand tall and bring
joy? Or does this taking this action make your body feel tense, cringe and feel
frustrated? Noticing how your body reacts to thoughts is a great start to
listening to your heart voice. It is the feeling of expansion or contraction
that gives you guidance when acting with your best interests at heart. If you
heart open and expand then your heart voice says YES, if you feel your heart
contract then you are advised to take another course of action.
3. Act with compassion and
trust – It is one thing listening to your heart voice, and a very different
thing to act on it – let me tell you, it can be challenging but is always
rewarding. The reason for this is because there are other people involved and
we are often wanting to ‘manage’ other peoples responses and feelings so we
feel better about ourselves. Acting with compassion and trust comes from
standing in your own truth and saying what feels right for YOU. It means “No
Compromises” of the self . This doesn’t mean you walk around without
consideration for others, what it means is you act with awareness and
consideration of yourself first and then others second. It means being kind to
others because you choose to, not because you feel you “should” or “have to”.
It is saying “no” when it feels right and saying “yes” equally when it feels
right.
Is it all really this simple?
......... actually yes. This is the beginning anyway .......
This is the new way of the HUMAN – BEING known as the “5th Dimensional
Warrior”. This is the significance of 11-11-11. This is the way of the future
and the only way to find peace, joy and harmony in this time of new energy.
So, live, love and be merry in this very auspicious time where we
reconnect to ourselves and by doing so are able to better connect with others.
Blessings
Daniela
Monday, 7 November 2011
Balancing our External & Inner worlds
We live in a dual world, one were opposites are necessary to create balance. We know that 'up' cannot exist without 'down', 'sun' without 'moon' and 'front' without 'back'. So why is it that we think we can experience our external world without spending time in our inner world.
By inner world, I mean the one that exists when we close our eyes and feel the beating of our own heart and the breathe of our own life.
It was only tonight after going to a concert to see "Sacred Earth" play that we were encourage to close our eyes and FEEL the music in our own hearts that I actually grasped the concept of really experiencing our inner life. The life that is solely mine ... my eyes, my thoughts, my breath and my heart - wow...... we actually have so much power if only we were able to stop long enough to feel it. I already knew this, but tonight I truly "got it".
Our true power lies in our ability to choose ...... to choose ourselves. Unfortunately we seek approval from others in the form of bosses or partners, from things such as clothes, cars and technology and of course indulgent behaviors such as food and alcohol.
It is these external distractions that trap us, not free us from experiencing our inner life, the life that is free to imagine, free to experience and free to feel.
I encourage and urge all who want to build a happier external world, to spend a few minutes each day connecting to their inner world. Once upon a time we had to work hard to create an abundant world to live and function in, today harmony comes from developing our inner world to add value to our outer world, not the other way around.
Enjoy the blessings of your inner world today.
Daniela
Sunday, 18 September 2011
Listening to our Heart Voice (Part 4)
Remember, there is no judgement, only observation. Through observing our own self’s, we better manage the mind and open up the heart voice.
Keep a journal of your progress and watch your inner light shine.
1. Notice the mental clutter – observe the ego voice that fills your mind and lower it
2. Give yourself permission to not be perfect in your actions – all is already perfect as it is
Saturday, 17 September 2011
Listening to our Heart Voice (Part 3)
Yes, i know part 2 was short and left you hanging ... this was very much deliberate. Where you frustrated, did you want more? This is the very point. There is no more, you cannot fill a cup that is already full. You already have all the answers within you.
Did you take some time to listen to your own heart voice? Did you notice your thoughts and ego mind moving in and out. Which voice is louder, the heart voice or the ego voice?
If you cannot observe the ego voice then you will never find the heart voice. The ego voice is strong and powerful and the heart voice subtle and sweet. But do not be fooled. The ego voice has its limitations and if it is peace you seek, the ego voice knows know destination.
Only when we are in alignment with our own truth do we truly listen and follow our heart voice. We know we are doing this when we feel alive, when time passes without realising it. When we feel connected to both ourselves and others and when we feel every cell in our body is bursting with appreciation, gratitude and joy – this is the energy of the heart voice, this is the way of the heart voice and this is the path we seek.
Friday, 16 September 2011
Listening to our Heart Voice (Part 2)
Have you every read a self-help book, words of a spiritual guru or been inspired by a biography? Don’t you just feel great, and feel like you too could achieve great things. You walk away feeling alive and empowered then you get in the car and before you are able to take another breathe you find yourself in road rage, screaming at the person who has just slipped in front of you – where did the peace go?
There is certainly a large gap between reading about an inspired life and being an inspired life. I think this is what i seek..... to BE AN INSPIRED LIFE.
Does this require me to be more and strive for more? In order to be more , don’t i need to change who i am so i may attract more of what i want? Don’t i need to think bigger, give more and allow more? Don’t i need to push myself to learn and stretch my comfort zone?
Some would say yes and others would say no, so who is right, or more importantly what do i do?
The answer my friends is i repeatedly get is to LISTEN.
Thursday, 15 September 2011
Listening to our Heart Voice (Part 1)
We spend our whole lives seeking but seeking what. We spend our whole lives striving but striving for what?
These are the questions I am left pondering on this day....a day where i am filled with abundance at every turn. A day that sees me blessed and alive, yet still i seek. What is it I am seeking?
Next, Im thinking, am i over thinking. Am i Turning myself inside out for no real reason, am i just bored?
God only knows.... what an interesting term. What if god does know, what if god is in me? Does this mean i might already know? what if i do actually know?
Then it hit me..... what if i know but am not listening to my own self. What if my higher self is actually trying to communicate with me but my mind and ego are getting in the way.
So, i thought i would try a little experiment of observing my own thoughts, observing my own mind, what i call the ”ego voice” that I so frequently hear, observing it to see what am i actually saying to myself in each moment, how am i seeing the world and interacting with it. How am I playing this game of life?
Here goes....
Saturday, 28 May 2011
A Steiner perspective on understanding human development
We all know teaching can be rewarding and draining – the main reason is that we are humans – emotional beings, we are not machines.
If as teachers we are to educate other human beings we must begin to understand what it is that makes us human. We must learn about human behaviour and how we have evolved thus far. While there are many theories into this, here I want to share with you the philosophy of Dr Rudolf Steiner, the father of Anthroposophy and Steiner Education. These philosophies are quite esoteric and not for everyone, please keep in mind it is just one way of seeing the growth and development of the young people we teach.
Dr Steiner begins by saying ....
If as teachers we are to educate other human beings we must begin to understand what it is that makes us human. We must learn about human behaviour and how we have evolved thus far. While there are many theories into this, here I want to share with you the philosophy of Dr Rudolf Steiner, the father of Anthroposophy and Steiner Education. These philosophies are quite esoteric and not for everyone, please keep in mind it is just one way of seeing the growth and development of the young people we teach.
Dr Steiner begins by saying ....
Thursday, 26 May 2011
A Message to Teachers of the next Generation
Why do you do what you do? Why is it you refuse to acknowledge the higher worlds that these children come from? The children that you have before you here are slowly evolving beings just as you are. Each generation has seen shifts in technological developments and shifts in consciousness. Eg what was unheard of 40 years ago is now part of the norm, the same is occurring now. There are many things occurring on an energy level that we cannot see, but it does not mean that they do not exist. Eg When wireless was first introduced, people found it difficult to comprehend how sound waves actually travelled because they could not see them.
Today’s children carry much of the same unexplained phenomena.....
Today’s children carry much of the same unexplained phenomena.....
Tuesday, 24 May 2011
Measuring student performance
We say it and hear it time and time again – teachers trying to juggle the dilemma of teaching knowledge and skills appropriate for student learning, or teaching skills in how to get the best marks in an exam?
Unfortunately the way I see our current education system, it leads more towards teachers teaching for an exam. Whether that be HSC or NAPLAN, we seem to be more concerned with measuring academic performance at the expenses of leaving behind social and emotional learning.
Even those teachers who are able to balance......
Unfortunately the way I see our current education system, it leads more towards teachers teaching for an exam. Whether that be HSC or NAPLAN, we seem to be more concerned with measuring academic performance at the expenses of leaving behind social and emotional learning.
Even those teachers who are able to balance......
Wednesday, 18 May 2011
Choosing the right school for your child
I often have parents asking me where should i send my children?
My answer ....... speak to the teachers of schools that interest you.
Don't worry about what there brochure looks like, how professional it is or how the schools ranks in the standardized testes. Instead, speak to the people who are on the ground, the ones who will actually be influencing your child for potentially the next 6-12 years. The teachers are the people you will be forming relationships with - not the marketing director, the head of admin or the enrollment officer.
Speak to the teachers and get a feel for their philosophy, for how they treat you, for how the students respond to them in the playground. This is what will best inform your decisions when choosing a school for your child.
My answer ....... speak to the teachers of schools that interest you.
Don't worry about what there brochure looks like, how professional it is or how the schools ranks in the standardized testes. Instead, speak to the people who are on the ground, the ones who will actually be influencing your child for potentially the next 6-12 years. The teachers are the people you will be forming relationships with - not the marketing director, the head of admin or the enrollment officer.
Speak to the teachers and get a feel for their philosophy, for how they treat you, for how the students respond to them in the playground. This is what will best inform your decisions when choosing a school for your child.
Tuesday, 17 May 2011
Why Positive Education in schools?
Did you know the most popular course at Harvard University is positive psychology, the science of happiness. How is that one of the most respected universities for our intellectual faculties is valuing what some might call “warm fuzzy” subjects? How is it, that such a feeling like happiness can be taught at university level? And indeed what is being taught?
Monday, 16 May 2011
Reframing Bullying
Unfortunately bullying is a fact of school no matter how many policies and programs we implement.
The hardest things for parents can be seeing their child in distress after hearing the taunts and experiences occurring in the school playground.
I work with a lot of parents helping them reframe the bullying experience with their children and finding ways to better manage it. Here are some tips that I encourage parents to use.
1. Stay calm – it is a fact that our tone communicates more of a message than our words. If you bounce to your child’s defence without finding out all the information first, you will feed a victim attitude instead of a resilient, proactive attitude. Stay calm and ask questions. .....
The hardest things for parents can be seeing their child in distress after hearing the taunts and experiences occurring in the school playground.
I work with a lot of parents helping them reframe the bullying experience with their children and finding ways to better manage it. Here are some tips that I encourage parents to use.
1. Stay calm – it is a fact that our tone communicates more of a message than our words. If you bounce to your child’s defence without finding out all the information first, you will feed a victim attitude instead of a resilient, proactive attitude. Stay calm and ask questions. .....
What Quality Teaching?
We here so much talk about quality teaching with elements, models, standards etc, but what is this really achieving?
We bombard our teachers with excessive workloads, give them new requirements to meet, new programs to implement and new agendas to follow. Just exactly in what time are they suppose to teach, let alone plan and assess.
I have worked in schools for nearly 20 years and frankly, its time to stop and take stock of what is actually happening.
Thankfully others are too. The current rise in popularity of POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY gives us hope that teachers can finally use a tool that does not require a committee meeting, extra funding or extra time. Tools in thinking communication and facilitation. This is what reap quality teaching is.
We bombard our teachers with excessive workloads, give them new requirements to meet, new programs to implement and new agendas to follow. Just exactly in what time are they suppose to teach, let alone plan and assess.
I have worked in schools for nearly 20 years and frankly, its time to stop and take stock of what is actually happening.
Thankfully others are too. The current rise in popularity of POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY gives us hope that teachers can finally use a tool that does not require a committee meeting, extra funding or extra time. Tools in thinking communication and facilitation. This is what reap quality teaching is.
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