COVER ARTIST: Melissa Shemanna
TITLE: Essence of Nectar
MEDIUM: Egg Tempura with oil glazing
CONTACT: melissa@honeybeetemple.com.au
I feel my purpose as a visionary artist is really to live a deeply connected, enriching and authentic life: with values rooted in nourishing my children, as they grow into two amazing young men, and the land in which we live. To be heart and soulfully liberated to delve into source, remaining present and open to the mystery and the karmic challenges (both individual and collective) that present themselves along the way.
We all have the ability to create miracles (‘miracle – an action that surpasses all known human or natural powers’), and we do it all the time. Whatever is in your life right now – things, lifestyle, relationships, good or not-so-good – you have created; but many of us either don’t understand this or don’t know how to apply this ability intentionally.
With some exceptions, information about creating abundance is often focused on material things: great job, wealth, houses, cars, travel, the ideal partner etc. This is a limited and limiting interpretation of abundance – it is also a very western cultural perspective. When people try to follow the guidelines provided for creating abundance (visualisation, affirmations, ‘mind training’ voice/video tapes, etc), they are often not very successful. Why is this, and is there a better way to achieve abundance?
Limiting beliefs
Many of us have been imbued from childhood with negative ideas about being wealthy or having nice things. For example, because of the way my parents worried about money, I believed that we were very poor, that there was never enough of anything to go around, and that for me to have something I wanted or needed would deprive someone else. So for many years any thoughts about ‘having’ were associated for me with guilt.
Some people have been taught that the only way to have material things is through hard work; others have come to believe (perhaps through the way they were treated) that they are not good people so don’t deserve nice things. These beliefs take root in our subconscious mind, and until we become aware of and release them they lead us to create a life that fits the belief. Whatever subconscious beliefs we hold about wealth and ‘having’ will be silently influencing our ability to create abundance.
As a child, what did you learn about ‘having’, and how might this be supporting or undermining your ability to create abundance?
Expanding the idea of ‘creating abundance’
Abundance can certainly mean having ample to meet our physical needs, but it is much more; it can also refer to having supportive friends, love, good health, music, beautiful surroundings – whatever brings us joy. Energy attracts similar energy: when we feel poor, or worry about not having enough, or when we focus on what we want (as abundance techniques may encourage us to do) we attract a lack of abundance into our lives. ‘Wanting’ is an expression of scarcity (not having), so focusing on wanting attracts scarcity rather than abundance. However, when we widen our definition of abundance beyond just material things, we immediately begin to have a greater feeling of abundance, and as we change our energy in this way, we begin to attract even more.
What else are we overlooking?
Manifestation techniques often focus on outside sources – God, the universe, angels etc – to meet our needs. We are overlooking the fact that there is no ‘outside’. We have it all: we are divine energy; we are infinite love; we can access the source of all creation. If we haven’t discovered these things, our mind focuses on lack and problems.
Generally, we use the mind to determine the goals to aim for. This can limit us, because the mind is unaware of the heights to which we could aspire if we were to tap into our inner knowing, (that aspect of us that is in tune with all that is), and follow the direction that emerges. Until we begin to operate in this way, we are using only a tiny percentage of our potential. We need to re-train ourselves to ‘abundance thinking’; once we really grasp this, nothing is impossible. As Eileen Caddy has written: ‘Expect your every need to be met. Expect the answer to every problem, expect abundance on every level.’
Accessing our inner ability
- Use meditation, yoga or other means to still the mind, be present and access inner knowing. ‘When you are present, when your attention is fully and intensely in the Now, Being can be felt, but it can never be understood mentally.’ – Eckhart Tolle
- Ask, and listen for inner guidance; the more you do this the more you will come to recognise and trust this guidance.
- Don’t censor your thinking; some ideas that come to you might seem extreme – entertain them anyway.
- Allow whatever ‘is’, to be. Sometimes what occurs in our life isn’t what we expected or would like. Accept that what ‘is’ right now, is right: maybe it is leading to something else; maybe there is something that you need to learn from this before you can go further. What we resist persists, but ‘allowing’ leaves space for more to emerge.
- Express gratitude every day, even for things that aren’t what you had hoped for. Gratitude creates an energy of abundance, and expressing gratitude also helps you to move on from wherever you are right now.
- Give to others when the opportunity arises. Remembering that abundance isn’t limited to material things, this can be of your time, physical assistance, a shared meal or whatever meets someone’s need and feels right for you to give.
By being mindful of the way we think and speak about our life, and not limiting ourselves by deciding how things should be, we can create miracles.
Annabel Muis. Email: annabel.muis@gmail.com 07 4093 8937
Every sweet tooth needs this herb in their pantry. It is a wonder more people don’t know about it already. Also known as the sugar destroyer, gymnema is prized for its effect in Type II Diabetes in helping to suppress sugar cravings. Its other actions include being a liver tonic, anti-inflammatory, anodyne (pain relief), diuretic and laxative.
Gymnema has been used in Ayurvedic medicine for around 2000 years and is currently administered by many complementary and traditional practitioners. The leaves are most commonly used in the use of powders, extracts, concentrates, tinctures and spagyrics. The tropical plant commonly grows in Central and Southern India and other warm climates.
One of the best experiments you can do with gymnema is to consume some of the herb and then try to eat chocolate. All of a sudden your favourite guilty pleasure becomes a bitter pill to swallow. This is because gymnema has the strange ability to block our sweet receptors. This makes the sugar destroyer an effective herb for assisting weight loss, diet control, cravings, reducing cavities and assisting diabetics.
But it’s not just its sweet-suppressing qualities that make this herb powerful for type II diabetics. In the field of scientific research, this herb is showing promising results for this disease that now affects about 312 million people worldwide (World Health Organisation 2014). A control trial study reported in the Journal of Dietary Supplements in September 2010 tested gymnema’s effect on insulin resistance. The experimental group of 39 participants was administered 250mg doses of gymnema leaf extract twice a day before meals, for three months. Upon completion, the experimental group showed reductions in appetite, fatigue, blood glucose levels, weight, body mass, cholesterol and blood pressure. Furthermore, two participants were able to discontinue their need for conventional diabetic medicine. The most profound finding was reduced insulin resistance and improved insulin production.
Aside from the several control trials, there are many more personal accounts to be told. While working at the Happy Herb Shop in Townsville last year, we saw many happy customers find a new lease of life with gymnema. Some included type II diabetics, while others included those who lost weight. One of our out-of-town customers had called one day looking for herbs to help with weight loss. She was fairly honest in saying that she wasn’t interested in exercise and wanted a fast fix.
I suggested a colon cleanse herbal blend as well as some gymnema 10:1 concentrate. The recommended dosage was just 1/8 of a teaspoon. About one month later the lady rang to tell me she had lost 7kg without changing her physical activity; her cravings for sugar and other carbohydrates were significantly reduced and she had more energy. A couple of months later she was in town and came to visit with radiant energy and a new lease on life. This was just one of many positive stories.
While there are many forms of this medicine, I have found the powdered concentrate mixed in water to work best. However, everyone is different. A common complaint is the bitter or unpleasant taste of the herb. But this is easy to get over when the results are worthwhile. If you really can’t hack the flavour, you can mix a little in juice, flavoured tea, or alternatively buy it in capsule form. Gymnema can be found in most herbal and health food stores, or through your natural health practitioner.
Before you rush out and add this herb to your staples, there are some important things you should know. Gymnema must not be consumed if pregnant or breast-feeding. If you are a type II diabetic, or pre-diabetic you should consult your naturopath or other complementary practitioner before use, due to its hypoglycaemic effects (lowers blood sugar). Gymnema may also interact with diabetic and antilipemic (cholesterol lowering) medications, so again should be checked out with your healthcare practitioner.
By Jade Walker. Plant-based foodie and natural health enthusiast. Recipe writer and blogger at www.jadewalker.com.au. Currently studying a Bachelor of Health Science in Naturopathy.