• you’re texting while your driving
• you’re checking your Facebook on the toilet
• you watch tv and read emails at the same time
• you feel that there isn’t enough time in the day
• you never seem to get everything done that you want to get done.

Or perhaps,

• you’re still up on the computer at midnight
• you push the lift button more than once
• you’re running red lights because you haven’t got time to stop
• sleep is getting in the way of things
• you feel you’re running out of time

Do you connect with any of these?

Life is undoubtedly becoming more frenetic. Every now and then we need to hit the reset button. We need to be able to withdraw and pull out and get in the zone, reconnecting with who we are.

While we are frantically ‘just getting by’ its possible to drift and float along, being swept up by the current of life and before we know it we are a long way from the point of where we hoped to be.

I recently returned from running another One Life Retreat in Bali. One of the key focal points of these retreats is to re-align the attendees to the life they were worthy of living. A life of fun, lightness, abundance, compassion, forgiveness, love and inner peace. Most arrive with a belief pattern that denies them the ability to live life this way.

Through yoga, meditation, massages, mastermind sessions, and mentoring they breakthrough those limiting belief structures and explore a whole new dimension that they didn’t know was possible.
These 6 day events are nourishing on every level, from the organic freshly grown food around your villa, the fresh water swimming pool and spa, the massages, the deep friendships and the clear rainforest air of the Balinese mountains. As you can see from what previous attendees have to say, it is truly transformative:

“Wow! Wow! WOW! What an incredible, life-changing experience this has been for me.”  MTC

“Do yourself a favour – DO NOT MISS this opportunity in October. Too many highlights to mention. It’s like rocket fuel for your meditation practice. Book it up today.” RS

“I attended the last retreat in May…it was such a magical, transformational and healing retreat!” EG

“I was always wanting to do deep meditation but I could never shut my brain off enough to really go to that deep level.

One Life Retreats has given me the power to do that now and I honestly feel so blessed. TK

With less than 2 weeks to go before the early bird special runs out, now is the time to book your spot to the October retreat and take your life to a whole new level. Even if you have never meditated before or done yoga, its accessible for anyone and everyone. To find out more click here.


(And if you’re in Australia, Jetstar has some awesome discounted flights on offer which you can find here)

You get Supercharged! How do you get ‘supercharged’? Lets chat with Lee Holmes from Supercharged Foods and find out.

How would you best describe to our audience what it is that you do? 

I am a certified holistic health coach, author of Supercharged Food and whole foods chef. At superchargedfood I have a bunch of delicious recipes which can help heal the body and prevent disease. It’s also a place where you can read interesting health information, news, create a shopping list, meal planner and learn how to detoxify your body.

What have been the challenges and the highlights of this journey? 

The challenges to my healing were the time it took to get my digestion in order. I had to take time to mentally understand how important it was to cut out processed foods and include more wholefoods and how to understand food that is less taxing on our immune system actually allows our cells to heal. It was a challenge to find ways to manage my stress which was also an important part of my recovery. The highlights are all the amazing people I have met along the way and discovering the complexities and intricacies of our bodies.

Who have been your mentors and guides?

Jamie Oliver inspires me because he is at the forefront of a passionate food revolution, using his public profile to educate people towards fresh wholesome ingredients and away from processed and artificial foods. In Jamie’s School lunches he challenged the British government to review their lunch menus and use of vending machines in schools and now he is tackling the obesity epidemic in the US to encourage change at community and government levels.

What are your goals going forward?

I would like to release two more Supercharged Food books this year and continue to promote the Supercharge Your Life mantra through my writing, health coaching and speaking engagements.

What message of inspiration would you like to leave for our readers?

We can all have a career with purpose. If we stand together we can become avoteers for change, no matter how old, how young or how energised we feel, we can work with what we have been given to become a catalyst for change in our environments and within our communities to create a long lasting ripple effect that promotes meaningful and measurable change in areas that we are passionate about.

If you could change one thing on this planet, what would it be?

More global compassion, community and connectedness

How can SOS readers connect with you?

share: www.superchargedfood.com

like: www.facebook.com/superchargedfood

follow: www.twitter.com/LeeSupercharged

blog: supercharged1.wordpress.com

link: www.linkedin.com/in/leesupercharged

watch: www.youtube.com/leeholmes67

Why does this matter?

Because in these dichotomies lie the true meaning of life, the purpose of living on earth in physical form. We are HERE to experience the full range of human emotions, to feel everything through our physical senses. In this way, we can truly know love, love that we were created into which holds existence together.



Love exists in many forms: acceptance, openness, compassion, caring, joy, bliss, generosity, sharing, fun, happiness, forgiveness, and peace to name a few. How would you feel if I said to you all of these are inherent gifts that you possess at the core of your being, that you are nothing other than pure love and that the realities that we play out here are in fact an illusion we manifest to truly know these attributes of love?



We have chosen the path or experiences for this life that we wish to live out and that is what determines which aspect of love we desire to know more of by knowing its opposite. The purpose of life in physical form is not to dwell in pain and fear, but to use them as a catalyst to find our path back to our inner Self – our core of pure love. Understanding this point is the key to spiritual evolution. In other words, our chosen life purpose is designed specifically for the evolution of our soul.

What does that mean in practical terms?

If you have begun to question your life, asking why it is so hard or what your purpose is, then you are at a crossroads. You can choose to continue on the same path, accepting fear, pain, stress and hardship as a normal part of life. Or, you can choose to start on a new path by choosing love. This path is simple, but not necessarily easy. It requires a shift from seeking fulfillment outside yourself to looking inward. It requires you to change your perspective, to analyze your beliefs, thoughts and emotions, and to understand your past. Doing so may result in greater pain before you experience relief, but that pain is temporary and the rewards are unlimited!



You may have heard that love resonates at a higher vibrational energy, fear at a lower vibrational energy. They are misaligned and therefore our power of conscious creation is limited by the resistance we put on our connection to Self. That resistance is created or reinforced each time we choose the path of fear and pain by seeking relief outside ourselves and by believing that is our only option. It is in our reconnection to Self (the higher vibrational energy at which creative loving thought manifests) that we unleash our true power, the power that is one and the same with all life.



To say we are less than our higher Self is to not remember our true Self. To say that we cannot manifest or create what it is our heart desires is to believe that we are less than what we are capable of. To not understand the meaning and purpose of life in physical form is to not remember who we truly are. It is not knowing or remembering who we truly are that causes our fears and through those fears our experiences of unease and anxiety that we play out in our daily lives. Ultimately, those experiences lead us back to our all-knowing, all-loving inner Self.



It is so important that we find this life meaning and life purpose because it is in the meaning and purpose of our life that we can truly connect with and live within the safety and security of our all-loving inner Self. It is within the silence and stillness of Self that we see life and each other in complete peace and love.



It is only here that we can express love openly and honestly – there is no other way to express or receive true love. It is only within the connection to our inner Self that we live in complete abundance and manifest the many miracles of our life that we will not only recognize but experience daily. Miracles are the inherent gifts of this inner loving connection – our reward for remembering who we truly are!



There is a divine purpose to our physical form and life has immeasurable meaning. It is in our physical form that our spiritual evolution is assured – our soul purpose.

About Greg Malouf

I help people take a journey away from life as they know it and travel into the world of the ‘Self,’ which is where they will ultimately find healing. Along this journey, they will challenge old beliefs, access aspects of this ‘Self’ that have been hidden or denied, and gain insights and skills that will unlock the doors to a new inner wisdom. In 2009, I founded the Epsilon Healing Academy, working with students throughout the world. The Academy is my commitment to share my lessons on how to truly liberate the mind and body, live in the present with gratitude, consciously create life on your terms and finally experience the abundance you deserve! My latest book, Silent: The Power of Silence was written to take readers on an inward journey to find the all-loving place and connection to all that is— the silent connection to Self.

When it is an ion.


What’s that you say? An iron? No, an Ion!


Negative Ions are incredibly good for you, which make them a big positive!


So what are they and how do you get them?


(Stay with me on this) Ions are particles found in the air. They are either molecules or atoms, which bear an electric charge. A negative Ion is an atom (or molecule) that has gained one or more extra negatively charged electrons. (Still with me??)


They are invisible, odourless and tasteless. They are usually created by crashing waves, waterfalls, storms and salt lamps. You can actually buy machines these days that can produce negative ions for your room or house.

Places where there is a depleted level of negative ions are concrete jungles like cities.

I could go into a long-winded scientific explanation but I know that you won’t want to hear it.

If you do want to find out more of the science behind them, there’s always Wikipedia.


What’s so positive about these negative ions? Among many things they:

• Help produce serotonin
• Relieve stress
• Increase energy
• Help reduce air born germs
• Increase mental clarity
• Help with depression
• Improve blood circulation

So if you want a nice dose of positivity get yourself some negative ions by standing under a waterfall or jumping through some crashing waves!

“But surely I can get you something?” the host says.

“You can’t stand there with nothing in your hand!”


I often get asked why I don’t drink alcohol at family functions, work events or social gatherings.

Many people assume it’s a religious thing, or a discipline I adopted because I teach meditation.

Well, to be honest it’s none of those.

Having meditating morning and evening for 17 yrs, I now experience a certain level of bliss and clarity.

Every time you meditate, you open up the frontal lobe of your brain, where the pineal gland exists.

This is considered the CEO of the brain.
This is also the part of the brain that is responsible for the release of oxytocin, melatonin and serotonin.


Some people consider the pineal gland as the third eye and the gateway to mystical experiences, even enlightenment.


Each meditation session activates this part of the brain which results in heightened states of bliss, love and clarity.


So what happens when we drink alcohol? It severs the connection from the frontal lobe of the brain to the rear lobe of the brain, which directs our primal instincts of survival and procreation. In effect, it shuts down the activity of the pineal gland impairing our ability to think clearly and intuitively. (This is why after three drinks we aren’t even allowed to drive a car!)

It also erodes the production of serotonin and oxytocin, which is why the day after drinking alcohol we feel so dreadful!


Now if that’s not enough unpleasant news, check out this picture I stumbled across the other day.

This is the brain of a 6 week old baby whose mother was an alcoholic. As you can see it’s quite undeveloped!

 


Here in Australia we have 2 months a year whereby alot of people will give up alcohol for charity. They are Feb Fast and Dry July. But if you were looking to find a way to reduce your alcohol intake beyond those 2 months here are some suggestions to help you through the process:

• Fake it! Yes, that’s right. People don’t mind if you’re not drinking as much as the fact you don’t have something in your hand. (Don’t ask me why…it’s bizarre) So sometimes it helps the situation if you accept a glass of wine and just walk around with it. (Ssh, don’t tell anyone I told you this though!)

• Arrive early, leave early. Most events change in nature after about 1-2 hours of people drinking. By this point in time people have 4-5 drinks and their state of mind is starting to become impaired. From here on they neither care that you are leaving or will remember.

• Make your own drink. Nearly every function has access to warm water and slices of fresh lemon. A tall glass with water and a slice of lemon generally is quite accepted at parties (it looks like gin and tonic!). When making your own drinks avoid cold, fizzy or sweet drinks.

• When you are organising social events, steer clear of bars, where the only activity is drinking. Think restaurants, movies, theatre, concerts, Conscious Clubs, meditation nights, yoga raves, under a tree in a garden…be creative.

• Let’s not kid ourselves. Although some alcoholic drinks have anti-oxidants and bioflavonoids in them there are numerous other ways to absorb these into your system. Try broccoli, citrus fruits, spinach, garlic, green tea, brussel sprouts…the list goes on.

• People tend to crave alcohol to help them relax after a stressful day. Look for alternative tools for relaxation, ones that will produce more serotonin, oxytocin and help you to feel calmer. Stillness Sessions worked for me.

• Where’s the fun? Obviously drinking alcohol can be a lot of fun! Trust me, I know…I did it for years. The question is, when the fun you are having comes with a huge karmic debt, you have to question the source of fun. This is your own research. Otherwise, research some other alternatives.

So there you have some simple guidelines to help you move into a life where you drink less alcohol. It will cost you less; you extend the life of your brain, and feel a whole lot better for it! I’d love to hear how you go so please share with me your experience.

The ‘WHY of life’ is a whole new blog and conversation for another time.

This WHY is the why do you go to work? WHY does your business operate? WHY write, create, build, sell, and do the things you do?

Why do you get out of bed each morning?

Most people and businesses look at the WHAT and the HOW, but how often do they ask themselves WHY?

Simon Sinek calls the WHY of business the “golden circle” that is at the centre of the HOW and the WHAT.

The WHY is what motivates you, what drives you; it’s your mission, your inspiration, your life purpose. Your business and your drive will take on a whole new momentum when you place the WHY in the centre of your focus.

Sinek explains a whole lot more about this and how Apple and the Wright Brothers were both so successful in his inspiring TED talk because they focused on the WHY.

I highly recommend putting aside 18 minutes in your day to watch this amazing TED talk, and then share with us what your WHY is down below.

Do you check your phone when you are on the toilet?


Do you text on your phone when you are walking?


Do you check your email and facebook at the red traffic lights?


Do you snap photos of those quiet moments on the beach or park and post it on Instagram and facebook?


Do you check your phone while you are in bed just before you go to sleep?


Do you send a picture of every meal to Instagram?

 


(Yes, guilty to some of these!)

 


It appeared to me the other day that I have filled in all the gaps in my day with the distraction of my phone.

I realised that I didn’t have any spaces in my day that were voids of restfulness and simply ‘Being’.

You know those brief moments of just sitting, be it at a traffic light, in a park, on the train, or yes, even on the toilet!

 


When I grew up part of our daily routine was morning and afternoon tea. So around 11am and 4pm everything we were doing would stop, and the entire family would sit around for cup of tea and small snack. It was a moment of respite from work and ‘doingness’. This tea break would last about 20-30 minutes and would be spent simply sitting around in the sun on the porch, sometimes chatting, sometimes just in silence.

Up until 2005, the year the iphone was born, our days were often filled with small gaps of emptiness.

These were moments of respite to contemplate, ponder and just BE in a simple state of awareness.

In observing my life and the lives of others around me, I have realised that slowly we have removed all those gaps in our day and we’ve filled them in with more and more data processing without even noticing.

Emails, facebook, twitter, sms, kik, heytell, instagram, news feeds and google. Data, data data!

Some of our most creative impulses and intuitions are born in those gaps.

At the moment we are relying on someone else’s post of a Rumi quote or a You Tube clip of a waterfall for inspiration rather than connecting with our own inner voice of wisdom.

So how do we bring back the gaps? How do we regain those small daily moments of respite that are free of data?

Try implementing these suggestions for a week and let me know how you go:

• When you arrive home at night, put your phone on silent and leave it in a draw. Set a time to check your phone to see if there are any urgently missed calls. If there are none at that time, then put it back in the draw.
•  If you are taking a toilet break at work, leave your phone at your desk.
• When you get in your car, place your phone in your glove box and on silent mode.
• When you are out walking, bring your attention to the world around you. Look at the sky, the trees, the sun, feel the breeze, what do you smell, see, hear, taste, touch? Be conscious of not being distracted and pulling out your phone to text someone.
• When you are on public transport, set aside moments that are purposely free of interaction with your phone, including music. 
• Implement Stillness Sessions into your day. These 20 minute sessions of mental quietness are a powerful way of structuring a break from data absorption and promote mental and physical rest.

Those little gaps in the day serve us a tremendous purpose. They are for rest, rebalancing and cognitions. Allow some space through your day and see what springs forth from those moments that aren’t just photos of someone’s lunch or someone on facebook complaining about a queue they are in at the airport.

There’s not many of us reading this that don’t have three meals a day, (with lots of snacks in between), comfortable, secure homes with big TV’s, nice holidays every year, running clean water, electricity, access to education and excessive amounts of clothes. Sure, we have varying degrees of these things, but generally most of us have all of our needs met and a whole lot more!

So why is there so much discontentment? Why do we suffer so much when all of our basic needs (and a whole lot more) are already satisfied?

We are in a time of affluence. Material affluence. Never before have we had as much at our disposal. Really, we are richer now materially than any other time on the planet. Who doesn’t have an Iphone or Android these days!!??

But are we in a time of spiritual poverty? Are we distracted by our affluence and ignoring our own spiritual truth?

When was the last time you willingly practiced austerity to improve your life? “Say what??!”

I said, when was the last time you consciously sacrificed something that you wanted for a higher purpose?

There is a Sanskrit word called tapasya, pronounced tapas. Wikipedia defines tapasya as: “ a self-discipline or austerity willingly expended both in restraining physical urges and in actively pursuing a higher purpose in life.”

It’s not often in today’s world that we ‘willingly’ embrace restraint or austerity for a higher purpose. Although most religions adopt fasting of some sort as part of their annual calendar.

The Catholic’s have lent, which is 40 days of fasting leading up to Easter.

The Islamics have Ramadan, the Jewish have Yom Kippur and the Buddhists have “dhutanga” practice. These all involve some form of surrender of privileges, where they give something up to assist them in their spiritual quest, or it might be suggested, closer to God.

In India, Sadhus, or Holy Men have been known to practice extreme austerities like holding their arm up in the air or standing on one leg for years and years.

So it begs the question have we become distracted from our spirituality during this time of affluence and accessibility to the riches of life?

Do we need to embrace a daily, weekly or monthly form of tapasya so that we may re-connect with our inner essence of light and love and have more gratitude for the things we do have? In business we are taught that scarcity increases the value of something. Do we need some scarcity to learn to be happier?

Practicing austerity is a reminder to ourself that we aren’t our trappings. It’s a discipline that assists us in transcending the distractions of daily life. It promotes gratitude and value for the things that we do have.

Try some of these suggestions of tapasya and let us know how you go:

• No hot showers
• A day without your phone (yeh, tuff one for all of us- me included!)
• No alcohol
• No sugar
• A week without TV
• Sleeping on the floor for a night
• A caffeine free week
• Not talking for a day
• Skipping a meal once a week
• Donating your time to the serving the homeless
• Meditate

These might sound rather challenging or unpleasant, but it sure beats holding your arm up in the air for 40 years!