Overcoming Jetlag part 1

 
       How do you "get back to yourself" when you've been travelling at high speed?You can suffer from autolag and trainlag as much as anyone who chooses aviation for a mode of transport.It's just that jetlag sounds more glamorous!
       Back in the day,when I returned from a trip,I would stare out of the window and twirl a wisp of hair around my index finger for God knows how long,before I felt ready to get back to the present moment.Not the best solution,but it served me at the time!And then I would make my way to the local spa to revitalise.
       Since then,I've learnt a lot more about elemental balance.Think about it.Travelling at high speed these days involves the elements of metal/space,air,and fire in order to propel.And these are very much male/masculine by nature.So to offset the effects of these elements,it's best to balance them with the more feminine/female ones of water and earth.
        So if you're experiencing the familiar effects of burnout,exhaustion and displacement after travelling,the very best thing to do is to take a shower/bath at each end of your day until you feel like yourself again.Preferably using aromatherapy.And to rehydrate with plenty of spring water,fresh juices and herb teas.
        One steward I know would swim at least 20 lengths of his local swimming pool as soon as he got home.Another plays fast and furious racquetball followed by a shower.As well as taking showers and baths,I walk barefoot whenever I need to feel grounded.My daughter goes running and horseriding,and my son plays football.
       I've learnt from past experience that drinking alcohol/firewater on the same day or 2 after returning to base is a real no-no when it comes to overcoming jetlag.Or travellag of any kind.It's never a good idea to fight fire energy with fire.
       So after travelling,I've found the very best way to get back to myself is to get my selfcare systems in place,and be mindful of balancing the elements!
       How about you?
      

Inspiring Confidence

                                            La Rose et le Jasmine

       I absolutely love jasmine,and this is the best time of year to appreciate the beautiful white scented blossoms and abundant yet delicate green foliage.
       The essential oil is said to inspire feelings of confidence,and is used in many perfumes of good quality.

     
 This song, which I love, stayed with me throughout my career "with the world's favourite airline" and is known as the Flower Duet.The two flowers are rose and jasmine,which makes so much scents to me!Enjoy them whenever you can:-)

Away from apathy and onto a path with heart....

       Energy can be elusive at times.Everyone feels apathetic now and again,and it has its roots way back.But what if you have "everything" you need,yet you still feel unmotivated and powerless most of the time?Where the only support you can count on is your bed?!
       Teenagers know this feeling well when they're still living at home,but are more than ready to fly the nest.And you know it when you're resisting making the changes you need to make in the transition stages of your life.Or when you want to really feel alive and excited about life,but feel the opposite.
       Chances are,you've been living in your head too much ...(Don't let the sound of your own wheels drive you crazy...thanks Eagles).Or there's a battle of wills going on with the significant others in your life,at work or at home.(I've got a Life....thanks Annie Lennox)Or you're plain exhausted from working so hard and not playing enough.(9 to 5...thanks Dolly Parton).
       All is not lost,because there's a practice you can count on.And the more you do it,the better you feel.And you can do it any time,anywhere.And it costs nothing.It's free.Like the gifts of nature,and the air we breathe.And it's so simple,and easy to do.Are you ready?
       Put one or both hands on your heart.Breathe a sigh of relief.Feel the rhythm of your breath for a few moments.Ask yourself...What does my heart want for me right now?In this moment?Listen for the answers.Often.Every day.Keep asking and keep listening.Love is there,and here,and everywhere.All the time.Listen to the beat of your own heart,and you're connected.Connected to yourself,connected to others,connected to the rhythmic heartbeat of our wonderful planet.Trust this.
       It all begins with you,and love,and a path with heart.

Hope springs eternal in the human breast

A flying start to every day

       How do you begin your day?When the sun rises in the east,are you already up and about,eager and ready to enjoy yourself and seize the day?
       Or if you're a shiftworker,and your hours don''t allow you to wake up with the lark,how do you wake up and get the most out of every 24 hours?
       I'm not saying it's easy,because you have to remember to do it.And sometimes that can be a real challenge.But it's simple,and it really is the only way to love and honour yourself and those around you.
       Since I became consciously aware of this,I've been practising this every time I wake up.And it's made a huge difference to how the day goes for me.If I forget,I soon know about it.
       And your mindchatter can be really tricky as you're surfacing from slumberland.So do you want to take charge of your life,carpe diem and enjoy it for the  treasure it is?Or do you want to drift/slam into your day,and be taken by life by the scruff of your neck?Do you want to be the creator or the reactor?Your choice.
       My flying start to the day begins with an intention to simply have a wonderful day in whatever ways are possible,and give thanks for that.

And this paints my day with glorious colours.
       What's your flying start to the day?
   
       
            

Nature's recipes

You know those times and those days?

 When you know you should do whatever it is you need to do,but you find it hard to muster up the energy?Me too.I sat down to write this,and found I had caught the "I can't be bothered bug".I've been afflicted with this many times in the past,but now?I have a long list of coping strategies to zap it into oblivion.Today I'm juicing it away with an apple lemon ginger shot.Zap zap zap!
       How did I reach this decision?Well,I sat down to write, feeling like I was in reactive mode,which is no good for the creative act of blogging.Then I realised blogging is very like teaching...you're sharing something which hopefully inspires others.Which got me to thinking about teachers,and at that point I could visualise someone giving me an apple (for the teacher) in my mind's eye!
       So off I went to make myself a fresh apple lemon ginger juice,and I'm feeling a whole lot better,inspired even.Such is the power of juicing fresh fruit and veg!And yes,I know,these are not apples.They're limes,and cardamoms.But that's ok.Thought you'd like the picture:-)

Faith in Nature

       Time and again we hear about our world experiencing a honey bee crisis.Whatever the causes,whether it's pesticide overuse,GMO crops,varroa mite infestation or anything else,they all seemed to be caused by human interference of the misguidedly destructive kind .If your land is being visited by honeybees,consider yourself very fortunate.Bumblebees are hardy and selfemployed,and do much in the way of pollination,but the balance in nature is restored when the honeybee nation is thriving.
       2 years ago,I was listening to the usual debate,with experts putting forward their views that if the honeybee did not survive the onslaught of human interference in nature, then we were sure to follow.And that's a pretty depressing forecast.So with heavy heart,and seeing only bumblebees (working far harder than they probably should)I set off for a long walk on one of the warmer days of late spring.
       I had spent most of the winter indoors,as many people do.And when that happens,there's a disconnect with nature,which can impact your health emotionally,mentally,spiritually and physically.Certainly that day,I needed a long walk in the fresh air for the reconnect.
       Nature was coming back to life all around me... a cloudless blue sky,birds singing and greenery unfurling everywhere I looked... I was feeling better with every step.I had walked quite far away from human habitation;no houses in sight,just the hills and woodland,and the company of deer.And then I heard something.It was a wonderful sound,subtle at first,almost inaudible,but right there at the edge of my awareness.I followed the sound,and yet it drew me on towards the source without any effort on my part.It was the buzzing of bees!Many bees!Honey bees! And then as I walked towards the sound of many buzzing honey

bees,I could see little dots whizzing back and forth through the air to and from the base of a tree at the edge of the woodland.I can't describe how I felt at that moment,except writing this is bringing back the feelings.Hope,relief,excitement,elation,optimism,triumph even!
           I sat a few feet away from this wonderful wild and healthy hive for as long as the sunshine kept me warm,enjoying the experience,and watching them going about their business.....hugely vital business for such tiny creatures.
           I remember thinking,if there's one hive here,there will be more,many more that people don't know about simply because these bees are living their tiny busy lives naturally,without human interference,within the intelligent and divine ecosystems of nature.And this gave me such a buzz :-)
      
      

It's Been A While...

       Blogging is a little like a sport...you have to keep doing it to build blogging muscles.So here I am,not having posted anything for a long time,and feeling the consequences.All I can say to anyone else who has done (or not done)the same,is "Jump right in where you are!"

  And here are some beautiful blooms to say welcome back to my blogging world.