Michelle Chant eNews

Issue No 2.
February 2015


 

It's almost Valentine's Day, which means you may be feeling sad about your singledom, getting excited for some chocolate, rolling your eyes at how cheesy a holiday it is, or feeling ready for a hot date with your partner. 


 
Whatever your situation, and whatever you think about Valentine's Day, this is a special time to give yourself a little more love, and feel the warmth within.


 
Self-love is essential to our health and happiness.


 
And no, I'm not talking about the molded-silicone-water-based-lube-and-plenty-o'-batteries kind of self-love. 


 
Duh: we all know that kind of self-love is all good and fun. But today I'm talking about having the courage to make a deliberate decision to make a special place for yourself in your own heart ... just as you are right this second, flaws, fears and all.

 

I know this can be difficult especially when you've had a particularly crappy day, when you are feeling hopeless, or frustrated, or so fat that you fear you may be mistaken for a cetacean (whale). But before you dive for the chardonnay or contemplate re-watching all six seasons of Sex and the City until you are bleeding from the eyes, first try offering yourself this little pre-Valentine's Day gift:

 

It's called a metta (or loving kindness) meditation, and it's one of my favorite exercises for feeling the love that already exists in your life. It's a simple yet profound practice that will foster some sweet, sweet lovin', and you get to reserve all the positive vibes for yourself.

 

Metta meditation is an amazing way to see how you can dedicate energy to loving yourself without it looking anything like selfishness or narcissism. It's a simple ritual, always available at your disposal, to nurture compassion for yourself, but also for others. Think of it as a little sugar-free candy heart you can give yourself that says, "Hey you, you're doing great. Here's some love." By feeling OK in yourself, you will be able to loosen the grip on thinking others should be a certain way, too.

 

As Thich Nhat Han says, "Loving oneself is the foundation for loving another person." With that in mind, you begin metta meditation practice by offering compassion to yourself first. It can feel relatively easy to offer kindness and love to the parts of ourselves that we already like, but metta's real power is revealed when we offer lovingkindness to the parts of ourselves we don't like.

 

Now let's give this a try!

  1. Place yourself in a seated, upright position, either sitting in a chair or on a mat or cushion.
  2. Begin by focusing on your breath, following the sensation of the air as it enters and leaves into your lungs.
  3. Feel your chest rise and fall with each inhale and exhale. Continue this focused breathing for five to ten breaths.
  4. Next, gently bring into your mind one thing that you don't like about yourself. It may be your quick temper or your tendency to procrastinate or the fact that you drank too much again on Friday night. Or, if you're like me, it may how bad you feel when you see what your butt looks naked (TMI? Well, this is my post and I reserve my right to over-share).
  5. Now, silently offer that part of yourself this blessing: May you be safe, may you be peaceful, may you be free from suffering.
  6. Continue to repeat this blessing for the duration of your meditation time. 

Aim for 15 minutes. Set a timer so you don't feel like you've been sitting there for ages. Even five minutes will make a huge difference.

 

In time, you will expand your focus and offer the blessing to all aspects of yourself: the good, the bad and the wobbly. Then you can extend the blessing to all your loved ones as well, offering them peace, safety, and freedom from suffering too. Eventually, you can move on to offer lovingkindness to people that you feel neutral about, acquaintances or strangers.

 

Finally, when you have "mastered" all of this, you can try offering the same set of blessings to everyone in the whole world, including the people you're angry with, the people who've hurt you, and the people from whom you are estranged. I know, it sounds like a tall order but trust me, offering that blessing is as much about what it does for you as what it does for anyone else.

 

But first remember to start with yourself. So here is your homework:

  • Everyday for the next week give yourself fifteen minutes. Set your timer.
  • Get your big or small (but definitely loveable) butt on the cushion.
  • Open your heart and make a nice comfy spot for yourself in there.
  • Rock your metta meditation.

I would love to hear how this goes for you. Please leave drop me an email. 

 

Now go and love yourselves silly!

Michelle
Awakening to your authentic self through Chakradance™
Watch what happens during a Chakradance™ workshop
Watch what happens during a Chakradance™ workshop
Do you feel like you need to shift some old energy so that you can move forwards in your life?

 

Dive in and explore your inner world, release blocked energy and rediscover your true, authentic self. 

 

I am running an Awakening Chakradance™ series for a small group who are ready for deep inner transformational work. 

 

A 9 week journey, we will explore a different chakra using free-form dance, music pulsing to the energy of each chakra, guided imagery, and mandala art.

 

Awakening is designed for both beginners and regular Chakradance™ participants. It begins with an introductory overview, and goes on to explore a different major chakra each week, before concluding with an integration class.

 

This cycle will gently awaken each of your seven chakras and help you to discover where your energy is flowing and also where you have blockages.

 

Dancing through your chakra system regularly will release blocked energy and help you to feel more alive and energized. 

 

It will open you up to insights about your life, and bring balance and health to your whole system. 


 
Ways of working with each chakra will also be explored so that you can continue on with your journey throughout the time in between classes.


 

Classes will be commencing in Term 2 (at the end of April). 


 

Register your interest to receive further information.

 

In This Issue
FREE GIFT!
Heart Chakra dancing meditation


Download a little love, from my heart to yours.

 

As a free gift to you, I would like to offer this dancing meditation for the Heart Chakra, with music by the amazing Dale Nougher. 

 

Give yourself the gift of a little time, and a relaxing space in which to dance it, and it will help soothe and heal your heart, leaving you feeling lighter, more joyful. 

 

Enjoy with my blessings, and feel free to share this newsletter with any friends or loved ones who you think might like it or benefit from it too!


Don't just take our word for it ... check out these testimonials
Testimonials

Chakradance™ is a dynamic form of dance which aids in relieving and balancing the stresses of modern day living.

 

Offering similar benefits to yoga, Chakradance™ increases your awareness of the connection between your body and soul and leaves you with a feeling of inner peace and serenity.

 

Blending free-flowing movements with particular frequencies of sound, Chakradance™ will free the energy in your body and open you to a deeper experience of life. 

 

A healing dance / movement practice that draws on a fusion of philosophies and musical styles, Chakradance™ aims to restore health to our chakras - the energy centres that, in Eastern tradition, are the gateways to integrating mind, body and spirit.

 

In a darkened room, lit only by candle-light, we move with our eyes closed, and our attention turned inwards, for unlike most other dance practices, Chakradance is about making a connection with our inner world - the world of our imagination, feelings, intuition and senses.

 

Guided by music resonating to each of the seven chakras, participants are taken on a spiritual dance journey. 

 

As individuals dance to the frequency of each chakra, different issues surface allowing the opportunity to explore the issues and experience the emotional charge related to the issues. 

 

These experiences can then be integrated into our everyday lives.

 

Classes are deeply healing and help you to gain insights and clarity into your life. 

 

As your energy shifts and the blocks dissolve, you will find yourself moving into more balanced states and feeling more energised and alive.

 

Learn more

Bliss out with
Raindrop Technique™


 

Imagine the sensation of sinking into a deep and blissful state of rest, as your therapist does the ancient Tibetan version of reflexology on your feet. As you slowly come back to your body and roll over, you experience the gentle splashes as therapeutic grade essential oils are applied up your spine and to your tired muscles. These oils are then "feathered in" using a spine-tingling technique inspired by the Native Americans, combined with massage. You can't get more pampered than this!

 

Contact me to book your appointment via email or call 0402 504 788. Or browse my calendar and pick a time that suits you.