Friday 31 March 2023
Thursday 30 March 2023
Sunday 26 March 2023
Tuesday 21 March 2023
Wednesday 15 February 2023
The Power of Mind Transformation
Saturday 28 January 2023
The Ultimate Guide to Planning a Destination Wedding: Tips and Tricks
A destination wedding can be a dream come true, but the planning process can be overwhelming. From choosing the perfect location to coordinating travel arrangements for your guests, there are many factors to consider. But don't worry, with the right tips and tricks, you can plan the destination wedding of your dreams without breaking a sweat.
First and foremost, it's important to choose the right location for your destination wedding. Consider the climate, accessibility, and overall vibe of the location. Are you looking for a tropical paradise or a scenic mountain getaway? Do you want a location that's easy for your guests to travel to, or are you okay with a more remote location? Are you looking for something ultra luxurious where money isn't an obstacle? or would you like something more cosy? Or would you just like to elope and plan a party later? Once you've narrowed down your options, it's a good idea to visit the location in person to ensure it meets all of your requirements.
Once you've chosen the location, it's time to start planning the logistics. Coordinating travel arrangements for yourself and your guests can be a daunting task, but it's important to book early to secure the best deals. Consider booking a block of rooms at a nearby hotel or resort to make it easy for your guests to make reservations. You can also work with a travel agent to create a custom travel package for your guests.
Another important aspect of planning a destination wedding is securing the right vendors. This is especially important if you're getting married in a location that you're not familiar with. Research local wedding planners, photographers, and caterers to ensure they have experience with destination weddings. It's also a good idea to work with vendors that speak your language to avoid any communication barriers.
When it comes to the guest list, it's important to be realistic about who will be able to attend your destination wedding. Keep in mind that not everyone will be able to make the trip, and that's okay. It's a good idea to send out save-the-dates well in advance to give your guests plenty of time to plan their travel.
Finally, be sure to factor in additional expenses such as transportation, meals and activities for your guests. A destination wedding can be a little more expensive than a traditional wedding, but with the right planning and budgeting, you can make it work.
In summary, planning a destination wedding can be a daunting task, but with the right tips and tricks, you can plan the destination wedding of your dreams. By choosing the right location, coordinating travel arrangements, securing the right vendors, being realistic about the guest list, and budgeting for additional expenses you will be able to plan a beautiful and memorable destination wedding.
What is Mind-Body, Energy Healing?
This afternoon I found myself writing to a friend who is, currently, not very well and I thought my reply would make a nice blog post for people in a similar situation. If it helps even one person to overcome some form of dis-ease in the body, I'll be a very happy person.
I introduced the concept of Qigong Energy Medicine in a previous post. I said that in Qigong Energy Medicine, and Traditional Chinese Medicine, we believe that all dis-ease in the body starts in a person’s energy field. That energy comes from our immediate environment, (people, places, thoughts, actions) but, as we’re all interconnected with everything in the Universe, it’s also influenced by the energies of world events that don’t necessarily affect us in our immediate circumstances but they still, none the less, take a toll on us.
The most important influences on us are our thoughts (related to what’s going on in our lives) and the energy they produce. Since this is now proven by scientific research, based on placebos, it follows that - just as our thoughts can damage our health, so too can they restore it.
Anyway, I don’t know how much you, the reader, knows about me but, as well as Psychology, I studied Naturopathy and then Reiki, which led me to Qigong energy medicine. I’m not against allopathic medicine, but I do believe in Integrative Medicine, i.e. Mind-Body-Energy and how the co-relationship between them brings about good & bad health. As a matter of interest, I watched two interesting TED talks a few weeks ago where two separate allopathic doctors were finally bringing my long held beliefs to mainstream allopathic practices.
One of the interesting concepts one of the doctors said was that: “All our lives, we all oscillate between health and dis-ease but we don’t give our bodies a chance to heal naturally because we seek medical intervention somewhere in between or we wait too long relying on medical intervention” - When I relate this oscillation to energy and things going on in our lives, it makes perfect sense to me because energy is like the tide, it comes and goes in ebbs and flows. (That even rhymes! :-D) - My point is that life has highs and lows, so our minds have highs and lows, which means our energy follows the same format.
This brings me to my knee as a perfect example. In Energy Medicine, the knee represents movement and our ability to stand, ground ourselves, walk, run. Meditating on it, I realise now that it was obvious my knee would displace. I should have seen it coming. I’m fully conscious of the fact that it was triggered by:
a) The upheaval in my life which uprooted me when I suddenly had my father back in my life after nearly 40 years of
estrangement.
b) My fear of having to uproot my life again.
c) The fear of letting everything I've built until now and having to start my life all over again.
Once I acknowledged, accepted and came to terms with the root of the issues in my life, the decisions I now face and all my fears head on, I was able to critically analyse everything and change my Mindset. Now that I’ve done that, I’ve changed the energy polarity from negative to positive, which has cleared my mind and infused me with a new sense of: “Ok, this is what I’m going to do.” In fact, I’ve set myself a new challenge, with new goals, that has also given me a renewed sense of purpose and an infusion of new life force (will power, determination, interest, wonder and so on.) These are all essential components, in my view, for continuing to live each day with something to look forward to; something to get out of bed for with enthusiasm and not procrastinate, which I did a lot of during my 10 year cycle of depression.
I feel like I’m playing catch up, for that, but I forgive myself. I needed time to heal and learn. If I hadn’t been what I’ve been through, I wouldn’t be where I am now nor would I be back to who I truly am - and not the person I didn’t recognise anymore in the mirror - if I even bothered looking in a mirror - because that’s another thing. As symbolic as it seems, when we get to a point where we detest who we’ve become (for whatever sad reasons) we avoid even looking at ourselves in shame, guilt, regret etc. because it’s painful to face it all. But unless we do, we can’t compassionately forgive ourselves and rebuild. I’ve never seen it happen but they say a phoenix is born from ashes. So, sometimes everything has to be destroyed for us to begin to rebuild bigger and more beautiful than before.
So, anyway, the stronger and more determined my mind is getting, the more I feel happy and the more my knee has started to get better on its own. In fact, today I can manage the stairs pretty much un-aided. I didn’t take the conventional meds that the doctors prescribed but I did take natural alternatives. But, the biggest healing factor has been finding compromising solutions, in this new mindset, to what “duty” dictates I "should do" and what I would be happy with without entirely giving up the life I built during the last, nearly, 40 years of my father’s absence in it.
Nothing in life is an accident nor coincidence. There is always some kind of Divine plan involved. But … I believe that everything, and I mean everything that happens in life happens because we’re meant to learn a lesson and pay off our Karmic debts for every time we’ve caused suffering through our speech and actions - If it’s true that we’re all on the path to enlightenment or back to God or the Highest Spiritual Self we can be, we’re not going to get there if everything is smooth sailing and we never learn anything.
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