A Grand Love Story
Thursday 1 December, 2011
This is what life is all about. Seriously. For just one minute please forget your financial, emotional and spiritual woes and trust in the power of your heart to fix all of your problems. This session was dedicated to the most important path of all, love. Kahuna practitioner Sonia De Domeneghi delivers the seven ancient heart-fuelled principles espoused by Hawaiin elders for success and happiness.
It was the move out of her head and into her heart that saved Michelle Richmond from cancer. If she hadn't consciously made that shift, it's possible that she wouldn't be here today. Many of us live life on a pendulum swing. It's called the human condition. Fear, anger, blame and anxiety exist at one end of the trajectory... love, connection and healing exist at the other. It's time we stop swinging and start running towards home for healing, better health and wellbeing.
Primal Body, Primal Mind, Modern Lies
Friday 11 November, 2011
Food, the right kind of food, is such a fundamental factor in our ability to thrive, yet most well-meaning and intelligent people (that's us) don't have the right information to digest in the first place. Nora Gedgaudas offers a sane, and exceptionally well-researched, departure from conventional thinking about nutrition as promoted by all the usual suspects. Her delivery will help you understand the relationship between the food you eat, your brain and your body so you can reclaim your evolutionary birth rite to vibrant health and well being.
Gumaroy, descendant of both the Gomilaroi and Wakka Wakka nations, has travelled extensively around the the globe as a yidaki/didgeridoo player, song writer and cultural teacher. Here he shares his indigenous knowledge, wisdom, opinions and love for his ancient culture with Sessioners.
Co. Culture Is King
Thursday 13 October, 2011
Simone Drewry is the MD of Australia's number one award winning PR company. She built Mango up using her AAA approach for creating a culture that attracts industry's creme de la creme. What does A stand for? Amazing. Australia. Advanced. Act against. Act for. Activism. Art. Apes. Ancestors. Absolute. Abject. Academic. Astronomical. Accidental hero. Our answers are everywhere. But what are hers?
RedBalloon Employee Engagement Specialist James Wright came to Soul Sessions to teach business leaders how to engage their people forever. "To be competitive in this economic climate you need to have a focused team of engaged employees who love their work and what their organisation stands for," he says. It's the strategies he employes that have helped RedBalloon grow into a company turning over well in excess of $30 million.
Transformation
Thursday 22 September, 2011
You think Santa (with his 3.72 billion deliveries) is dealing with big numbers? What about the 40 billion neuron brain you are walking around with every day?
The truth is, YOU and your instrument are absolutely phenomenal. It doesn't matter how poorly you did at school or how incredible your Phd results were. Chances are you are holding a shite load of potential that remains untapped. There are some seriously simple tools that will help you harness it all...
Hot Monogamy
Thursday 18 August, 2011
Some things in life are just meant to be. Even if we had tried really hard, we don't believe we could've made up better names for married couple and IMAGO practitioners, Stan and Fran Levine. Whoa! Stanny and Franny! Sessioner's loved these guys. At Hot Monogamy, Fran introduced to us the principles of IMAGO therapy. "Most of the troubles between couples are not about them," she says. Well, what then? A few interesting IMAGO principles include:
• Your unconscious chooses your partner
• You need an INcompatible partner to heal childhood wounds and grow
• Conflict is growth trying to happen
Then, Stan took the stage to talk about Hot Monogamy, an extension of IMAGO therapy, in relation to sex. "You're responsible for your own sexuality and your own orgasm," he says. "If your partner helps, that's great, but it's entirely up to you to let your partner know what you want." If YOU want more HOT in your MONOGAMY, check out full sessions online.
Brand You
Thursday 18 August, 2011
It's time to wake up, tiger. What?! That's right. You. Wake up! The alternative? A long, slow, painful spiritual and emotional death, one day at a time, for the rest of your life. This is the sentiment of brand guy, Richard Sauerman, and Soul Sessions supports him 100 per cent. "Brands are just stories," he says. "But the most important story for you comes from the depths of your essence." Throwing all rules and conformity aside, Sauerman lead Sessioner's on a sophisticated journey into the stories, feelings and attitudes that help you find your deepest truth and define life from that sweet spot alone. Now, here's the kicker. If you don't, the advertisers will have you defining your life from theirs.
Glen Campbell boasts senior management, Board Director and Chief Executive positions at some of the world's foremost strategic branding companies including: Clemenger/BBDO, Saatchi & Saatchi and Leo Burnett. "Whether it's a commercial or personal brand you want to build, you must dig deep into the heart of the story and define it with the stuff that evokes emotional connectivity. What stuff? Core values, personality traits, vital characteristics and raison d'etre.
Metabolism Matters
Thursday 28 July, 2011
Former Australian athlete and Metabolic Clock author Julie Rennie says there's an art to turning your metabolic engine into a V8 power house. "The answer," she says "lies in nature". Just like the birds, the bats and the squirrels have a natural daily rhythm, when it comes to sleep-wake-eat cycles, so too do humans. What are the rules? Just look outside. Wake up with the sun and fuel that metabolic fire early with a good breakfast, including some protein (eggs, sausages or tuna on toast will do nicely). Stoke it gently mid-morning with fruit and rev it up to the max with your main meal at noon. Why? Your metabolism is at it's fastest and strongest while the sun is at its most powerful over head. Late afternoon, as you head towards your natural time for rest and rejuvenation, your metabolism begins to slow. Cut back on (or eliminate) carbs which are stored as fat if not burnt off quickly. Get to bed early. It's the sleep you get before midnight that gives your deep sleep healing.
CHEK (Corrective Holistic Exercise Kinesiology) sista and Holistic Lifestyle Coach Jo Rushton discussed the metabolic typing system made popular by Bill Wolcott in the 1970s stating there are three main metabolic types: carb, protein or mixed. The seeds for this system, however, were planted way back in the 1930s when dentist Weston A Price travelled the world studying isolated primitive tribes and found they thrived physically, emotionally and spiritually by following traditional diets that include animal fats from liver, butter, eggs and seafood and meat. He also discovered, however, there was no one diet worked for all people. Different folks, depending on environmental conditions, genetics and culture, have different metabolic needs. What are yours? Video coming soon.
Raising Enlightened Children
Wednesday 6 July, 2011
It was all very shanti-shanti at the Soul Sessions studio for Raising Enlightened Children. Why? Father of eight and good guru to more than 11,500 students Thom Knoles flew in from the U.S. to speak his wise words about parenting. For those who don't know him, Thom is an exponent in the direct lineage of the Shankaracharya tradition and one of the world's most sought-after vedic world-view consultants.
Just three of his many tips for parents were:
1) Help your child find their dharma Don't push, pull or expect them to live the life that you either had or didn't have. Each child has their own unique purpose for being here on earth. Your role as a parent is to watch, listen, guide and let shine.
2) Communicate Ever found yourself screaming 'put your shoes on now, we have to get out the door'... for the ninth time? It's the parents job to notice well before the third attempt that the communication in that moment is not working. Stop, take a deep breath, meet your child in the present moment and ask them in a relaxed and connected manner to help the pair of you out.
3) Admit defeat When you've tried everything and don't know what else to do, stop and tell them you don't know what else to do. Ask your child what they would do if they were in your position. "It will get them to shift their perspective and 50 per cent of the time you will get your desired response without further struggle," Knoles says.
Journalist, author and news presenter Jacinta Tynan shared with Sessioners how her vedic meditation practice helps her be able to choose to react with love in every moment of motherhood, even when her boys are vomiting on the walls.
Fat Psychology
Thursday 30 June, 2011
Did you know, 97 per cent of women will say at least one horrible thing about their own bodies, EVERY DAY. The average women will say 13 horrible things. Whoa! Research shows if you can turn that around you'll be more likely to lose weight and keep it off. Sessioners piled into Fat Psychology to get the guts of the issue so they could either lose theirs or tap into updated information on how to maintain their already smokin' hot bodies. According to The Good Enough Diet co-authors Tara Diversi and Dr Adam Fraser, the crux of it is this. There is some science behind getting the body you want. Ensuring you get some protein into your breakfast mix (eggs, organic sausages, fish) will give you slow release energy throughout the day and stop that mid afternoon blood sugar drop that has you lurching for sugar. And, here comes an entirely unpalatable truth for wine lovers... one glass of red is like eating 3/4 Mars bar. Whoa! Do your maths on three! Spew. But, arguably the most important factor driving your food and exercise choices (to do or not to do) is Self talk. Just one of the many practical top tips delivered for ditching the Self-negging is this. "Stand in front of a mirror (naked, if you dare) before bed EVERY NIGHT, look into your eyes and say three things that are good about you," Diversi says. Go on, Soul Sessions dares you to give it a go. Full sessions coming soon.
Media Magic
Monday 23 May, 2011
CHEK Your Health
Wednesday May 18, 2011
Buddha, possibly sitting under a big bodhi tree, said to his peeps one day: 'don't take my word for it, apply these principles to your own life and decide whether they're true and work for you'. These words were echoed by Australia's C.H.E.K daddy Donal Carr at the Soul Sessions Sydney studio. CHEK - Corrective Holistic Exercise Kinesiology – is a holistic and integrated approach to health and wellbeing that recognises us as comprehensive blends of mental, emotional, physical and spiritual bodies. You can't have one without the other three, it says. "Good health is not that hard, but most people are too busy being sick," Donal says. Critical for CHEK living is… legacy: "Find yours and live it," he says. "Everybody has one. It is the thing that will motivate, energise and inspire you to create a happy and healthy life." But wait, there's more. Forget the apple a day cliché. "Check in every day with Dr Quiet (for rest and introspection), Dr Diet (to feed your unique dietary needs, everyone's is different), Dr Movement (not too much, nor too little) and Dr Happiness (your personal guide for your personal spiritual quest)". Sounds pretty good to Soul Sessions. Dinner, on the other hand, tasted good. Prepared and served by CHEK practitioner Jo Rushton, it was all organic, seriously tasty and filled with the stuff that makes the whites of your eyes shine bright. Also on stage was healthy-chef to the stars Kate McAloon who cooks in the homes of Miranda Kerr and Orlando Bloom, Gwyneth Paltrow, Steven Spielberg, Sheryl Crow and Madonna's personal trainer Tracy Anderson. In an interview with Eloise, Ms McAloon revealed some of her top tips for healthy flavoursome food and humoured suggestions that at least one of her A-List clients may have a boob-fronted apron hanging behind their kitchen door.
No Fear
Thursday 21 April, 2011
I'm not sure if it was the gorgeous naked woman strolling nonchalantly around the studio, the wild-spirited courage of Gabe Tane Colello or the brilliance of rogue guru Alistair Horscroft that made this night such a spectacular affair. So beginning with the end, Horscroft had five Sessioners hypnotised in front of the crowd, releasing their greatest fears which included: heights, failure, big wave surfing, credit card debt and more. Why hypnosis? "It works better than anything else when it comes to overcoming our fears," says Horscroft, the star of long running UK TV series 'The Life Guru'. Research shows hypnosis to be successful in treating more than 200 conditions – smoking, weight-loss, anxiety, bed-wetting, skin disorders, nervous ticks, stuttering, stammering, sexual dysfunction and more. How does it work? A good practitioner communicates with the unconscious by relaxing two main parts of your brain: left pre-frontal cortex (critical thinking) and the amygdale (fear response). "With hypnosis we can desensitise the amygdale so it doesn't bounce into anxiety at the drop of a hat. We are also able to establish new positive patterns of thinking around confidence, self-worth and control."
US President Franklin D. Roosevelt stated famously in 1933: "The only thing we have to fear is fear itself - nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyses needed efforts to convert retreat into advance." Soul Sessions thinks he's right and so does nude boy, writer and designer Gabe Colello.
When Gabe talked to Eloise onstage about the ups and downs of his BIG life story and the inspiration for his book 'An Exploration of Nudity', he said: "I found myself looking at people overwhelmed by mediocrity," Gabe says. "I could tell they were burning to let their individual colours shine but didn't have the courage to do so. So, I thought to myself, I must lead by example and let my heart fearlessly sing!"
Footage available in the Soul Sessions Vault, coming soon. Sign up for our newsletter here to ensure you're notified when it's ready.
Woman
Thursday April 14, 2011
There were many a disappointed men in town when it was announced this would be a women's only Soul Session. We had to turn them away on the night, and - true to word - even the male SS staff left the studio once guests had settled in, dinner served and MC Zoe Sheridan took to the stage. Truth is, there is no advice more valuable than that from a source who has lived through it all. Joining us for dinner at Woman, was former political leader, businesswoman, mum, wife, ex-wife and now grandmamma, Ms Kerry Chikarovski. we love you Chika! Her advice for women was ego-less, honest, raw and coming from a place brimming with stories of big time successes and spectacular failures. Chika covered everything from how to deal with your bad days, balance, women in the workplace and the truth about tuckshop duty. Her full session will be available with the imminent relaunch of our website but read on for a sneaky peek look at some of her wisdoms:
1) Forget the Superwoman Myth: "There is no such thing," she states. "I couldn't do it all so learnt that the nutritional value of a takeaway chook is as good as a home cooked one. It's important women don't feel they have to be the best at everything they have to do."
2) Drop the Mother Guilt: "I was never going to be happy as a stay-home mum. I loved my political career and if I hadn't followed that path I would have driven my kids crazy. My kids understood that too."
3) Honour Family and Friends: "Never take them for granted," Chika says. "They're the people who keep you grounded and support you when things are tough."
From insights gained through her Talking Matters practice, Psychotherapist Marie Rowlands shared some of the issues she sees at play for those of us with ovaries:
1) Lack of Balance: Women are feeling completely depleted by the juggling act between their work, family, friends and lover.
2) Vulnerability: Many women are forgetting the vulnerable part of their femininity. "To embrace vulnerability is a strong thing to do because it's where you get really honest with yourself, and develop greater self-awareness," Rowlands says. "But the best bit about being vulnerable is that the world usually responds in a very healthy and positive way."
3) Expectations of Men: Women are annoyed with men because they are expecting the same unrealistic levels of excellence from them as they do from themselves. "Men don't have the same multi tasking-perspective of life and are feeling more like they have nothing to offer," she says.
Making Millions
Thursday March 3, 2011
It was a full house at Making Millions. Sold out. Couldn't, shouldn't, didn't allow a soul past the magic 33rd in. Creel Price is one of Australia's top entrepreneurs. So smart, beautifully quirky, rip-roaringly successful, a damn bit sexy... and all of that peppered with a splash of geekiness to keep it real. Not only did he sell Blueprint Management, the business he started with $5000, for $109 million - before he turned 30 - but he recently returned from a week on Necker Island with Sir Richard Branson as well. There, Price and 20 of the world's top entrepreneurial minds, nutted out the future of social enterprise and philanthropy. When he wasn't drawing us in with his latest visionary project to create the flying car (our scientists are wasted on toothpaste at Colgate), Price's tips on the night for budding entrepreneurs were:
1) Learn to make high quality decisions quickly. It's trainable.
2) Trust your gut: Even if it's too big, and risk when it feels right.
3) Know your business exit strategy from day one.
4) Write down your goals: Advice echoing that of Health Guru David Wolfe at Soul Session Eat Your Heart Out (see below).
AND, what a treat it was to listen to young gun Sebastian Eckersley-Maslin, founder of Blue Chilli Technology and passionate volunteer within Creel's Club Kidpreneur program. His entrepreneurial journey started as a child with 50 cent squirts from a sunscreen dispenser at the beach. With 200 squirts a tub, you do the math. Later, all this happened:
• Nominated Institute of Engineers Australia's (IEAust) most inspiring engineer, May 2010
• Awarded the prestigious title of top post-graduate researcher at the UNSW for inventing a patent on an autonomous landing systems for military unmanned aircraft. He co-owns it.
• Featured in a documentary series detailing his Guinness world record attempt to start the world's 'smallest multinational'.
"People. Planet. Profit," Seb says. "It's the only way for the new generation of entrepreneurs to move onwards and upwards".
Eat Your Heart Out
Wednesday February 9, 2011
Forget chicks' g-strings, bras and roses. When rockstar of global health circles David Wolfe told Soul Sessioners that just writing down the phrase: 'I eat the best food ever' has encouraged the universe to throw it at him in large amounts, a row of high quality organic dark chocolate went hurtling past his head and across the Soul Sessions stage. Whoa! This stuff really works! "Write it down," Wolfe, the health consultant to some of the world's most powerful people, advises. "It has the power to help manifest it in your life".
But what is the best food ever? David says its the three noble food groups:
1) Superfoods: Foods packed with highly nourishing properties like phyto-nutrients, anti-oxidants and more. What are they? Cacao, goji berries, acai, maca, bee honey and pollen, blue-green algae, aloe vera, noni, yacon root, hemp seed, incan berries and kelp.
2) Superherbs: These have super powers to balance and harmonise the body's systems.
What are they? Vanilla bean, reishi mushroom, pau D'Arco, cat's claw, chanca piedra, camu camu berry and horsetail.
3) Living, raw plant foods: Most normal fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, seaweeds, sprouts, grasses, fresh herbs, and fermented foods in their uncooked form.
But make sure it is organic. Olympic athlete and Organicus queen Nici Andronicus told us how organic food saved her rockin' hot husband Paulie from death. It was a brain tumour and a rare form of cancer affecting the tear duct that took him there.
Nici is unapologetically dedicated to 100 per cent certified organic food.
"For the health of my family and myself (first), plus the wellbeing of our amazing growers, the animals and the planet, quality organic food comes first" she said. "Food is our best medicine and I live to eat!"
Lessons From The Edge
Wednesday February 2, 2011
Medical Trauma Specialist and Suicidologist Dr Alan Brast has his heart broken over and over, working with people pushed to the edge through mental and terminal illness. His best advice for them, and the general public, is to implement his tried-and-tested checklist of things to live by, always. The first, as summarised in the video wrap above, is Laws of Decision. The remaining nine will be available in the Soul Sessions Vault with the imminent launch of our new website. Stay tuned.
Depression. It's one of life's many challenging conditions that can stop you from living your soul's full expression. Live it, and you'll know it sux. High flying ad exec and best-sellimng author Matthew Johnstone talked us through his run ins with the black dog and how he managed to shake it off. If you're depressed, get good help and hang in there. Life WILL become more vibrant, more meaningful and more expressive than ever before. Choose life, it's worth it.
The Good Life Quadrant
If there were four possible methods of managing our relationships, there is one that stands out as the hands down winner for allowing the lot of them to flourish.
Because we know that the quality of our relationships is one of the best measures of the quality of our life, we're calling the box that holds this clever little secret the 'good life quadrant'.
The best news is that it works for all relationships: work, friendships, significant other and family. Have a squizz and put it to the test in your life today.
New Years Resolutions, Nail Them
Wednesday December 8, 2010
We ended 2010 with a bang at Soul Sessions, in fact, lots of them! Australia's most trusted witch Stacey Demarco had Sessioners summoning up the image, energy and emotion of obstacles stopping us from nailing our New Years resolutions, exhaling them into a balloon and with strong and steady intention, popping them into oblivion so that the path is clear for 2011. As the last balloon popped, fireworks exploded outside and energies ran high. With the smoke of frankensense wafting through the air, Stacey led Sessioners through a spell (see below) that calls on the double headed Goddess Jana (January); one head symbolises the past, the other the present which also represents the gate to your future. This witch advises you prepare for how you want 2011 to look now, cast your spell on NYE, work with the earth and moon cycles and Bob will be your uncle.
How to nail your New Year resolutions
• Identify what you truly want out of 2011 - not what your partner, mother or best friend wants - and clear all obstacles.
• On NYE, state wants clearly to the universe. "New Years eve generates an enormous energetic wave of hope, good feeling and potential for positive change and is a very powerful gateway that is free from resistance to moving forward and a fantastic night to take advantage of," Demarco says.
• Connect with the moon for 30 seconds every night before bed. As it wanes, focus on obstacles you want to remove. As it waxes, focus on the things you want to achieve.
The spell
What you'll need:
A glass of champagne, your intentions list, a bright coloured candle to represent 2011, a white candle that represents 2010, a ceramic bowl filled with salted water.
The ritual
• Light the candle that represents this year and say: "Universe, thank you very much. I am grateful for the bounty and lessons of this year. I have some intentions for 2011 to make it the best year ever." Read out everything you want from your list, loudly and with feeling.
• Then say: "Universe, I release this to you, knowing you have heard and that 2011 will be as I have wished it. So mote it be."
• Light the brightly coloured new year candle, burn the list with its flame and place it in the ceramic bowl.
• Sprinkle some champagne on the ground and say: "I celebrate this with you, Goddess Jana of the gateway. May this year be magnificent!" Take a sip.
• Place both hands into salted water and say: "I wash away all doubt".
• Then say: "Universe, what is the one thing that I can do to start this magnificent year". Take note of any messages you get and action them.
• Blow out the 2010 candle and leave the other one burning until it goes down.
Abundance
Wednesday 24 November 2010.
What on EARTH were we thinking inviting an accountant to speak at Soul Sessions? Big gun Brett Llewellyn from Bell Partners Accountants, Advisors and Auditors (BRW's No1 Most Productive Firm for eight consecutive years - whoa!) took to the stage, opened his mouth, and blew us all away. "Abundance," he said "is about freedom and options". His top three tips on how to get more of it in your business are:
1) Be desperate. Every day call on the drive and energy you had for your work in the first week you opened your business.
2) Make people/clients feel good. People won't remember the bulk of words you exchange, but they will remember how they felt when you exchanged them.
3) Take action. Act every day to get closer to what you're aiming for. Nothing happens without action. A bonus fourth: be innovative. Constantly think about what you can do to differently and better than before. Think outside the square and action it. And a fifth: on the spot management. Don't wait for annual performance reviews to reward or reprimand. Deal with your staff problems and wins straight away.
Business Coach Rhiannon Rees says: "The bigger your 'why', the more abundant you will become".
Once apon a time, this now very successful coach was the real life version of Will Smith in The Pursuit of Happiness. Her 'why' was to move her and her young son out of the tent they were living in as the Canadian winter approached. "My 'why' was massive because my son was not going to grow up like that." As she cried herself to sleep one night (in the tent), she wrote down the biggest number of dollars she could ever imagine earning in a month - $40,000. She committed to adopting an abundant mindset and 18 months later she achieved it... and then surpassed it.
Here are three of her tips to move into a more abundant headspace:
1) Notice abundance everywhere. Lots of cars, food or dirty laundry, it's an abundant amount of something. Remove all judgement.
2) Carry a large wad of cash in your wallet for a month. It creates a euphoric state of abundance as you see it throughout your day. Know you could spend it if you really wanted to, but don't.
3) Create positive energy. Creating positive relationships and interactions allows you to become more expansive energetically and will flow back to you in good health, happiness and its physical manifestation, money.
A Balancing Act
Wednesday 3 November 2010.
Sessioners gathered at a private art deco mansion in Sydney to ponder balance. How does one effectively find life's sweet spot while embracing work, leisure, love and all life's other little loop-di-looops? Everyone wants a piece of you, right? Dr Adam Fraser, one of Australia's leading researchers in human performance, says time management is a crock of the smelly stuff. In a world that's getting faster, what's important is your third space. "Third space?" you ask. The third space is time spent transitioning between one of your roles (eg company manager) to another (eg mum or dad). The rules for each area are different. Have you ever checked in on whether your staff or colleague needs the potty again? I don't think so. That would be breaking a rule. One example of good third space managment is exercising between work and home. It's about helping yourself to 'show up' right in the different areas of your life. Change Management Expert Tara Diversi blessed us with the fruits of her ten thousand degrees. "The problem for people wanting to change," she says "is that they too often aim for perfection straight up." To reach perfection in any area of your life means that another area will suffer, severely. "Most of the time, good enough, is good enough," she says.
Dreamtime Healing
Thursday 7 October 2010
Sessioners found a new rhythm with Indigenous Master Healer Jeremy Donovan this week. Normally the domain of three speakers, JD was SS Dreamtime Healing's one and only, throughout which he skillfully held Sessioner's attention for all three session slots. This man's presence, stories and didgeridoo sounds vibrated with texture, emotion and integrity. People were weeping, laughing and, ultimately, experiencing their own little piece of healing under the magical spell of his practiced instrument.
You see, every breathing person has a story to tell, a tale that becomes a piece of their own dreaming. JD's goes something like this: Kuku Yalanji birth, separation, foster care, the love of a pet turtle, red hot male adolescent anger, crime-oh-crime, hellooo Mr Po-lice, Baxter correctional facility, reconnection with elder Uncle Harold, reconnection with grandfather, healing begins, didgeridoo calls, return to birth soil, emotion, anger, tears, guidance, didgeridoo, more tears, respect for land, respect for family, art, love, laughter, connection, respect for self, womanly love, keynote speaking, birth to son, love, more healing, more speaking, birth to daughter, love, more healing, more didgeridoo, family, land, love. Soul Sessions thanks you JD, for being you, and sharing you with the world.
Fat F*%kers
Friday 1 October 2010
What a title, huh? In lieu of the same old 'lose weight', 'get fit' or 'trim down for summer' slogans, Soul Sessions wanted to tell it how it is. When SS founder Eloise King is having a fat day, "I feel like a right Fat F*%ker" is what her BFFs will hear. The weight debate, however, is a complex one spanning the physical, nutritional, cultural, emotional and psychological. Media favourite, Dr Joanna McMillan, blessed us with her down to earth approach to establishing a positive and nutrient rich relationship with food rather than a fatless and sugar free one. This girl is one to keep watching. Celebrity trainer Amelia Burton gave us the lesson she drilled into client Barry Humphries, when she discovered how many extra cheese breaks he was privately packing into each day. "The power over the fat your body stores, lies with you and you alone. Only you can take responsibility for what you put in your mouth and how you choose to move your body each day". Soul Sessions loves people who flex their Self-Responsibility muscle and we love Ms Burton too. This top trainer's top three fat burning tips include: train on an empty stomach before breakfast, running is the BEST fat burner around, and no carbs at night. Then there was psychologist Noelene Rose. Once apon a time, women liked their bodies, trusted them, honoured them, listened to them and owned them. At Fat F*%kers Noelene began the discussion around how to reconstruct our feelings/beliefs about our bodies and our Selves. It is one that is destined to continue.
Art of Happiness
Thursday 16 September 2010
Are you happy? Is it your God-given right to feel happiness? In fact, now that we've brought it up, what is happiness? Power Yogi Duncan Peak says happiness is a by-product of living out the will of your authentic self. What journalist and Soul Sessions founder Eloise King knows for sure is that happiness is not necessarily a given, but rather a state requiring commitment to looking after your body, watering your mind and feeding your soul. On the body front, Nici Andronicus, healed her husband's cancer with organic food, despite all the odds being stacked against him. That made him pretty happy! Also, her youngest son has eaten only organic food his entire life and made his first trip to the doctor when he was four years old, for a broken collar bone! No annoying kiddy bugs for him. Robust. From the mind corner, psychotherapist Dr Russ Harris says happiness is just one of the many human emotions we need to exercise in this lifetime, a lot of which are at the opposite end of the emotional spectrum. For this reason, the search for nothing but happiness is retarded. If he had it his way, this session would have been called The Art of Meaningful Living. Dr Russ trumpets Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) which says we need to accept what is out of our personal control, and commit to action that enriches our world. Vedic meditation guru Gary Gorrow says the ancients have all the answers. Practice meditation daily and you will have them too.
Stress Less
Friday 10 September 2010
Ooo, the sweet irony of life. On the night of Stress Less, an abundance of the icky stuff was lumped into Soul Sessions' lap. We arrived to a closed and unlit venue, 6pm, and there was no opening it up. Not on your sweet mother's life. Nope. Nada. With just 30 minutes till kick off, we had two options: panic or play ball. The SS team turned into an efficient unit of focus and calm, willing to do whatever it'd take to get us into a new venue, pronto. The quality of the teamwork could've brought tears to the eyes, but there was too much focus and calm for crying. Thank goodness we chose to play ball. If we hadn't, we would've missed out on the sweet, sweet serenades of guru to the stars, Gary Gorrow (see Soul Sessions TV). Now we have joined the ranks of his list of celebrity students: gardener Jamie Durie, model Gemma Ward, RUSH actor Callan Mulvey, author Zoe Foster, Ksubi designer George and the Soul Sessions cast, crew and audience.
HONORABLE MENTION: A big thanks to PR Agency One Green Bean who gave up a slice of their funky Surry Hills office space to accommodate Soul Sessions, without batting an eyelid. We salute you and your generosity.
A Perfect Life
Frday 19 August 2010
What a tapestry of energies we weave as a collective. This session attracted musos, a just married couple, a Sydney Uni lecturer, an actress, a designer, an Olympic cyclist, a Canadian traveller, a first date, two spies and more; all of them connected in their passion for a good life and the manifestation tools available to create it. Tim Levy spoke, Gavin Locke played his heart out and magic was created (see below).
A Sexual Soirée
Friday 6 August 2010
After a rude joke, a slap and an invitation to reach orgasmic heights on the night, our racy red haired presenter, Olivia DeVere, was met with Alina B's opening sentence: "F#$k the one you love". Soul Sessions thinks this is great advice. "Sounds like a song," said Sessioner Stuart who is part way through his new years resolution of attending every concert that comes to town in 2010. Soul Sessions made the bill. Yeeha! Peter Haggerty says being a man, not a boy in men's clothing, is about knowing who you are, what you stand for and exactly what you are willing to fight for. These things give rise to a man's purpose and direction, a strong sense of which will drive women wild. But there is no easy way to it. Personal confrontation, emotional hardship and gritty introspection are the key elements required. Bring back our male tribal initiation rituals, he says.
Getting a rise out of everyone was yogi Denby Sheather with her breathing and bodywork exercises as well as a flagrant array of kama sutric masterpieces. If you're looking for bedroom inspiration, it's not a bad place to start.
Hey Ladies, Get Healthy
Wednesday 4 August 2010
The Sistahood was out in full loving bloom last night to explore the nature of ultimate health and how to embrace it, on all levels, through food choices, emotional exploration and proper knowledge about what the medical community is serving up to women in the contraceptive pill and HRT. A fast way to get cancer according to naturopath, health journalist and psychotherapist Sherrill Sellman.
In the break, following the instruction of gentle detox advocate Emma Sutherland, Sessioners peed on a little yellow stick to get a snapshot of where acidity levels are at… Ouch! I need to detox, the 28 day Sutherland way. Not without some flavoursome checking in with my emotional status quo though. Naturopath Leisa Wheeler reminded us that our physical health is intimately connected to our emotional state.
Bottom line: Our health affects your work, personal relationships, ability to be a great friend or parent, the quality of our sleep and more. It's worth the committment.
Don't miss the edit of Dr Sherrill Sellman's session here.
Wake Up and Smell 2012
Friday 16 July 2010
Amir Zoghi, modern philosopher, kicked this session off with a look at how to access your true purpose and live it in this life time. 'This' lifetime is an important thing because, for all of the theories flying around about what comes next, none of us really know for sure. Do we? Reincarnation, the gates of heaven or hell, or dead in the ground for good? If you know, share it with us too. Next up, revolutionary Jono Fisher shared how not living his purpose led to his physical malaise that forced him to drop out of his corporate job. Having removed himself from the path that wasn't the right one for him, he was given the time and space to get amongst nature, read some classic texts and meditate, and he soon knew that, no sir-ee, the desk job he once had was no longer for him. Instead he now trumpets the fierce and transformational power in small acts of kindness. Today, with the help of Jono's kindness cards, these kindness acts are taking place all over the country. Check it out. Lastly, Dana Mrkich arrived at Soul Sessions straight off the plane from The Star Conference in New Mexico where she sat with Hawaiin, Mayan and Native American Indian elders to soak up their wisdom and bring the truth about 2012 to Sessioners. The long and the short of it is that December 21, 2012, spells, not the beginning of the end, but the beginning of the new evolutionary cycle that is based in more love, more acceptance and more commitment to the path that each and every one of us is meant to be living. If you know what it's like to feel sick as you walk into your work place, get out. Now. And come to a Soul Session soon to help you figure out what to do next.
For more head candy click here ... Dana Mrkich 5min cut and here for Amir Zoghi 5min cut.
Anxiety Sux
Friday 9 July 2010
What the frik happened at Anxiety Sux! The crowd was delivered a swag full of tips from CALM Research Centre founder Sandy MacGregor and The Mind Institute founder Alistair Horscroft for packing a proverbial 'f&*% you!' punch to one's anxiety. Intelligent and practical stuff that you can watch following links above and below. But no one was prepared for what came next. Given the option to leave after the run sheet exhausted itself, not a single soul moved. Alistair transitioned from speaker to stage hypnotist and before anyone could say 'the PM's a ranga!' our very own racy red-haired presenter, Olivia De Vere, was meowing like a pussy cat to the word 'tuna' while sessioner Nadia was woofing to 'sausages'. Woof! Deep in hypnotic states, these two were putty in Alistair's capable hands, which he used to command the room with impressive speed and incredible sophistication. Despite the entertainment value in his antics, the words he used with subjects were bulging with unconditional love. This man is a healer, shamanic even, and all emerged from their hypnotic state a bit closer to the thing they most desired that night.
But wait, there's more ... Sandy MacGregor's 4min cut
The Life Coach, The Business Coach and The Lawyer
Friday 11 June 2010
The high was palpable as Sessioners spilled out onto Cooper St post gig. Following our resident Business Coach Rhiannon Rees's incredible story that was littered with shiny pearls of strategic business wisdom, the night ended with Rees collecting letters that Sessioner's had addressed to themselves with the promise that she'd pop them in the post exactly one year from now. Each letter contained the seeds for what the next year will bring. If you weren't there, use the example below to DIY and post it to Rhiannon so you can join in on the fun. She'll do it because she's a really good egg.
Dear (…insert own name…),
Congratulations on all that you have achieved this year.
I am so proud of you for (…insert all achievements…)
Love, The Universe
Life Coach Christy Andronicus bounced onto the stage after a two year speaking hiatus, and once she found her stride dumped some powerful information about connection to purpose and the right place of wealth. Sessioners were also treated to the compelling work and words of law grad Kat Armstrong. Congratulations on the inspiring progress you have made since robbing bank tellers at gunpoint so many moons ago. The community is a safer one for the support you give women as they exit their prison cells and your dedication to WIPAN (Women in Prison's Advocacy Network). Bless you for making our world a better place.
Life, Death and Good Grief
Monday 31 May 2010
This session was seeringly connected. The roaring Lion's culinary offerings were superb, wine was flowing and Sessioners were on the edge of their seats as Spirit Medium Charmaine Wilson contacted our loved ones. Sessioner Karen had her daughter Jazzie come through in spirit. Having passed away in a tragic car accident at just 3 years of age, Jazzie came to share with all those present that she loved to dance and stand tall with her hands on her hips. Hearts were pounding out big love for Sessioner Mamma Karen who had tears streaming down her rosy cheeks. Keep on dancin' little girl! Next, Sessioner Mel's grandmother came through. She had passed away just the day before and had a powerful message about how happy she was they'd patched things up before she passed. She also indicated there were a stack of recipes she wished she'd been able to teach her, when Mel exclaimed: "Gram was an amazing cook!" From the Intelligentsia corner, Death Talker Molly Carlile (RN, FRCNA, FAICD, AFCHSM, MAIPC, MACA) says we all need to get our heads around the fact that we will die, because one day, you will, I will, we all will. Teacher extraordinaire, Molly encouraged Sessioners to talk, and talk and talk some more about death with lovers, family and friends. "The more we talk, the less fear," she says. Until next session, big love.
Mystics
Friday 14 May 2010
The new moon fell smack bang on the night of this session, and our favourite astrolger Yasmin Boland delivered practical monthly steps every sessioner took home to harness the power of the new moon to let go of the old and make way for the new. My youngest brother managed to let go of his old girlfriend and I think I've finally parted with those comfy old granny undies to make way for a new Elle Macpherson g-banger. Yeeha! Yasmin is one of Body+Soul's most popular columnists. The stunning Stacey Demarco reported arriving home to a stream of emails from sessioners. Either they couldn't sleep from the coffee, or they couldn't get enough of this modern witch's Harvard references and compelling case for strengthening your intuition. Also blessing us with his presence was the very clever Dream Coach Leon Nacson. He shared his insights from his international best seller, 'A Stream of Dreams', delving into how to decode the symbols and emotions of our dreams. Last night I had a dream about my boss again. He was wearing a pink beanie and socks and eating hot chips from Chookas. I must email Leon.
Love and Relationships
Wednesday 5 May 2010
Sexologist Dr Gabrielle Morrissey, Body+Soul's Sex and Dating expert, had sessioners in fits of excited laughter. "It's easy to make people laugh when the topic is sex," she said. But we know that's not true. The real magic was in her incredible wealth of knowledge, her charisma and possibly the glass or two of wine consumed by all. I'm pretty sure most couple sessioners went home for a big O-range juice. All the way from the USA, eHarmony's Dr Gian Gonzaga came to Soul Sessions with his 21 years of relationships research. Whoa, that's a long time! With a PhD in Personality-Social Psychology, Dr Gonzaga presented sessioners with the full swag of scientific findings revealing what two people need for a relationship to be amazing. Then for single sessioners, the beautiful intuitive coach Cimone-Louise shared her workshopped tips on how to reel the right guy or gal in for you to create more of those warm and fuzzy feelings that make the world a better place for everyone. You got to have love.