July2013_Rainbow ATMAs Monthly Musing
I have been contributing articles to the Grapevine for awhile now and have decided that I will continue my writing through my e-newsletter. If you would like to continue to receive Rainbow Atma’s Monthly Musing please go to the website and join my email list.
I have taken this decision because I am not able to gauge if there is interest or benefit from my contributions so rather than bore you to death I will write for people who have added themselves to my email subscription list on the website. So here goes for my last Grapevine article.
Loss and how do I live through it? I was contemplating this question while in Sydney attending the Dalai Lama’s teachings. Prior to departing for Sydney one of my goats was diagnosed with cancer … how devastating! Honey is 11 years old and was one of the first goats I bought, just after we moved to Ocean View. I was absolutely hooked by the beauty, intelligence and character of these animals and now have 10 lovely girls. The eldest of them has just turned 13 years old, has about a third of her teeth left and needs soft food prepared for her. With them all aging and Honey’s diagnosis I was acutely aware of the many losses that are ahead.
When I initially heard the diagnosis the first thing I noticed was a sense of helplessness and a real knowing that I could not do anything to change the fact she was dying. Then was the struggle of deciding what to do next….do I euthanize her or palliate her? I was really checking in with myself to be sure that the decision I made was in her best interests and not because I didn’t want her to go yet. I spent some time sitting with her (in the freezing cold and the dark in her shed) and stayed with the sadness and cried and told her she could go when she was ready. After this acceptance I felt a sense of peace and was able to arrange pain medication from the vet which definitely helped. At the time of writing this article Honey is still with us. She is still eating a little, lying in the winter sun and living out the rest of her life. I know I will miss her enormously and feel blessed to have had her with me for so long.
My reason for sharing this story with you is because while I have been contemplating loss I was remembering some of the stories I have heard over the years in my clinic practice and the frequency of unattended grief. In sitting with my clients they have become aware of losses that they haven’t grieved for (lots of them included pets). Some stories were from women who have had abortions, not only do they have grief, they also have guilt and shame. Some had lost parents who had abused them and were left with unfinished business and grief. It is so important to be able to work through this grief and find some peace within.
I know through my training at Karuna Hospice and from having the privilege of volunteering with people at the end of life, that it is imperative for all of us to not leave dealing with such losses until the end of our lives. There is a great book called “A Year to Live: How to live this year as if it were your last” by Stephen Levine (Amazon link – http://www.amazon.com/Year-Live-This-Were-Your/dp/0609801945). I really loved this book and encourage anyone who is interested in being more prepared for the end of their life to read it. For me, being as prepared as I can be for the end of my life enables me to live to my fullest potential. Hope you love the book! If you would like to talk about any grief that is unresolved please phone Linda on 0402 811 742 to make an appointment.
I can now offer you more information on some of the activities we will be running at Rainbow Atma and Big Ears For You. We hope to see you there! Activities commencing the week of 22nd July, full details of dates and times are on the website, www.rainbowatma.com.au.
Monthly Education Evenings – Topics will include: Self care, Nourish your body, Stress & Anxiety, Depression, and Addiction. $20 per evening.
Workshops – Following on from the monthly education evening topics. There will be one day or one evening a week for four weeks. These workshops give the opportunity to deepen your understanding and build skills to support yourself. $100 per workshop.
Morning meditation – Start your day with a peaceful state of mind. We will be holding these meditations Monday to Friday, 7:00am – 8am, $10 per session.
Mum & Bub meditation – Tuesdays 9.30am – 10.30am, $10 per session.
Ayurvedic cooking – Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11.30am – 1.30pm, $20 per class. We will be cooking together and then sharing the meal and a chai. Bookings are essential and numbers will be kept small.
For more information or to book please phone Linda on 0402 811 742 or Denise on 0403 222 132.
We had the most amazing time during Rainbow Atma’s, Living Ayurveda Residential Program. Here’s what two of the participants had to say about their time on the Residential.
“Linda’s residential was an absolutely beautiful experience and focussed on me as an individual, which was welcomed. I enjoyed the balance of time alone and time as part of the larger (yet still small) group. It was a perfect space for me to reconnect with nature and throw anchor to my centre again. The greatest gift of this residential, however, was having the opportunity to connect with Linda (at times one-on-one) and learn from her vast knowledge. The residential I attended, in particular, completely changed my view of food and has opened my eyes to a completely new (and healthy!) way of living. I have come home and am slowly rebuilding myself from the inside out!”
Loss and how do I live through it? I was contemplating this question while in Sydney attending the Dalai Lama’s teachings. Prior to departing for Sydney one of my goats was diagnosed with cancer … how devastating! Honey is 11 years old and was one of the first goats I bought, just after we moved to Ocean View. I was absolutely hooked by the beauty, intelligence and character of these animals and now have 10 lovely girls. The eldest of them has just turned 13 years old, has about a third of her teeth left and needs soft food prepared for her. With them all aging and Honey’s diagnosis I was acutely aware of the many losses that are ahead.
When I initially heard the diagnosis the first thing I noticed was a sense of helplessness and a real knowing that I could not do anything to change the fact she was dying. Then was the struggle of deciding what to do next….do I euthanize her or palliate her? I was really checking in with myself to be sure that the decision I made was in her best interests and not because I didn’t want her to go yet. I spent some time sitting with her (in the freezing cold and the dark in her shed) and stayed with the sadness and cried and told her she could go when she was ready. After this acceptance I felt a sense of peace and was able to arrange pain medication from the vet which definitely helped. At the time of writing this article Honey is still with us. She is still eating a little, lying in the winter sun and living out the rest of her life. I know I will miss her enormously and feel blessed to have had her with me for so long.
My reason for sharing this story with you is because while I have been contemplating loss I was remembering some of the stories I have heard over the years in my clinic practice and the frequency of unattended grief. In sitting with my clients they have become aware of losses that they haven’t grieved for (lots of them included pets). Some stories were from women who have had abortions, not only do they have grief, they also have guilt and shame. Some had lost parents who had abused them and were left with unfinished business and grief. It is so important to be able to work through this grief and find some peace within.
I know through my training at Karuna Hospice and from having the privilege of volunteering with people at the end of life, that it is imperative for all of us to not leave dealing with such losses until the end of our lives. There is a great book called “A Year to Live: How to live this year as if it were your last” by Stephen Levine (Amazon link – http://www.amazon.com/Year-Live-This-Were-Your/dp/0609801945). I really loved this book and encourage anyone who is interested in being more prepared for the end of their life to read it. For me, being as prepared as I can be for the end of my life enables me to live to my fullest potential. Hope you love the book! If you would like to talk about any grief that is unresolved please phone Linda on 0402 811 742 to make an appointment.
I can now offer you more information on some of the activities we will be running at Rainbow Atma and Big Ears For You. We hope to see you there! Activities commencing the week of 22nd July, full details of dates and times are on the website, www.rainbowatma.com.au.
Monthly Education Evenings – Topics will include: Self care, Nourish your body, Stress & Anxiety, Depression, and Addiction. $20 per evening.
Workshops – Following on from the monthly education evening topics. There will be one day or one evening a week for four weeks. These workshops give the opportunity to deepen your understanding and build skills to support yourself. $100 per workshop.
Morning meditation – Start your day with a peaceful state of mind. We will be holding these meditations Monday to Friday, 7:00am – 8am, $10 per session.
Mum & Bub meditation – Tuesdays 9.30am – 10.30am, $10 per session.
Ayurvedic cooking – Tuesdays and Thursdays, 11.30am – 1.30pm, $20 per class. We will be cooking together and then sharing the meal and a chai. Bookings are essential and numbers will be kept small.
For more information or to book please phone Linda on 0402 811 742 or Denise on 0403 222 132.
We had the most amazing time during Rainbow Atma’s, Living Ayurveda Residential Program. Here’s what two of the participants had to say about their time on the Residential.
“Linda’s residential was an absolutely beautiful experience and focussed on me as an individual, which was welcomed. I enjoyed the balance of time alone and time as part of the larger (yet still small) group. It was a perfect space for me to reconnect with nature and throw anchor to my centre again. The greatest gift of this residential, however, was having the opportunity to connect with Linda (at times one-on-one) and learn from her vast knowledge. The residential I attended, in particular, completely changed my view of food and has opened my eyes to a completely new (and healthy!) way of living. I have come home and am slowly rebuilding myself from the inside out!”
“I became resigned and cynical around my weight. Cooking had become a chore and eating was a mechanical action without real enjoyment. Hence, the result of many diets was me being obese and sad even though I enjoyed success in other areas of my life. Food has been the part of my life that I have had an unhealthy relationship with. This residential gave the space to stop and take stock of the never ending battle with food. I walked away keen to revamp my pantry with healthy and wholesome food. Never in my dreams did I imagine that I would enjoy every bite of my meal. The vegetarian food I learned to prepare was so nutritious and nourishing. I enjoyed the learning and feel at ease with the implementation in my daily life given Linda’s ongoing support. She encourages me to put into practice everything I have learned at my own pace. It’s a soft, gentle and timely change that I believe I can sustain. I no longer feel obsessed with my weight which is such a relief. I would recommend anyone to experience this journey.”
I am so inspired by the experiences of the group and am looking forward to running more programs throughout the rest of the year. You will be able to find the dates for future Residential Programs on the website, listed under the Programs & Workshops tab, www.rainbowatma.com.au.
May you all be well and may you all be happy
Linda Conyard
Rainbow Atma
Ayurveda & Oncology Massage Clinic
0402 811 742
linda@rainbowatma.com.au
www.rainbowatma.com.au
