compassion

2023! What can you expect from the coming year?

January brings a fresh start: simplify your life to allow more space for joy….

At the moment there is plenty in the world to worry about – inflation, energy crisis, war, mortgage and rent increases. Many of my friends have said they have stopped reading the news as much of it promotes fear or is depressing.

You are part of humanity and your behaviour has an impact whether you consciously recognise it or not. You are part of the collective consciousness of humanity and therefore contribute to steering our journey.

World calamities give us good reasons to change. Some call it the ‘burning ground’ and it’s a driver for doing things differently from the past. read more

By Alison Wem, ago

Women: Do Christmas with the minimum fuss

The approach to Christmas can be a challenging time. Women are often the main organiser of school costumes for nativities, other social events, presents, and the food preparation for the day. Of course this is on top of normal daily activities. It is not a wonder many women are tense over the pre-Christmas period. Do you recognise the scenario?

However there are things women can do to help themselves. Lets look at some tips for the woman of the house…..

Tip #1  Stay calm – remember that the people coming on Christmas Day are friends and family. The day is not a test, they love you. Everything does not have to be perfect, only you want that.  Do not be afraid to delegate tasks. read more

By Alison Wem, ago

Men: 3 tips for surviving Christmas

The approach to Christmas can be a challenging time. Not only is it a busy time for the person preparing the Christmas Day celebrations, but tension can run in families where couples do not agree on the style of celebrations. Do you recognise the scenario?
Lets look at some tips for the man of the house….. Tip #1  Remember your partner is doing their best to make Christmas a joyous and happy time for all. A little encouragement can go a long way. Tip #2 Rather than complain about the amount of money being spent, try to find some alternative treats or better still make or cook some. Tip #3 Try not to be grumpy if the treats you want are not the same as those your loved ones want. Flexibility at least for Christmas Day will bring family harmony. Apologies for these suggestions to the men who are encouraging, relaxed about the money being spent and flexible with doing what the rest of the family wants on Christmas Day…… 3 tips tomorrow for women on surviving Christmas.
By Alison Wem, ago

Silence: does it help calm our brains and give well-being?

Many people do not value silence. I have found it to be comforting, nourishing and cosy.

The noisy world is drowning out our creativity and our inner connection. Noise effects our brains causing elevated levels of stress hormones even when we are sleeping. When I was a busy, working Mum most of my day was with other people and their noise. Being on my own in silence was refreshing.

In 2011, the World Health Organisation (WHO) concluded that the 340 million residents of Western Europe (about the population of the United States), were losing a million years of healthy life every year, due to noise.

Science is now showing that silence may be just what we need to regenerate our exhausted brains and bodies. Two-minute silences are far more relaxing for the brain than relaxing music.

Science has the proof not only that noise hurts, but also that silence heals. Two hours of silence per day prompts cell development in the hippocampus, the brain region related to the formation of memory, involving the senses.

With our digital world, our brains get less time to switch off. The constant demands of modern life are placing a lot of stress on our prefrontal cortex–the part of the brain responsible for making decisions, solving problems and more. When we spend time alone in silence, our brains are able to relax and release this constant focus.

The

ancient spiritual masters have known this all along; silence heals, silence takes us deeply into ourselves, and silence balances the body and mind. read more

By Alison Wem, ago

Send love to someone you cannot meet

I am learning from giving virtual reiki sessions over WhatsApp in lockdown London, that distance is absolutely no problem for energy. My friends and customers are amazed that it feels the same as when I am in the same room as them.

Love is intelligent energy and has no bounds.

So with this post of the Kyoto Garden in Holland Park, London I am sending my love to my friend Hitomi in Tokyo. Normally she visits us every other year but she has not been able to come due to the virus. Hitomi, we are missing you and hope we can meet again sometime soon.

Try watching this short video and send your love to someone you cannot meet at the moment.

A message of love for a loved one

By Alison Wem, ago

How are we coping with so many people dying of Covid-19?

Grieving for a loss or trying to support someone who has lost a loved one?

All of us experience grief at some point in our lives.  When we experience it for the first time it can come as quite a shock.  It is often not talked about so it is hard to know how to deal with it.

In the UK over 100,000 people have passed as a direct result of catching Covid-19. On average for each person who passes, 8 – 10 people feel the loss of them in their lives.

The population of the UK is approximately 68m people and up to 1m of them are currently grieving. Many of them are young adults who did not expect to loose a parent so soon. 1m people is nearly 1.5% of the population, so probably all of us know someone who has lost a loved one and is grieving. The UK is not the only country in this situation.

What can we do to support the grieving?

By Alison Wem, ago