I am a Flower Smeller

I was so delighted to open my email notifications the other day to see that I had been awarded a 'Flower Smellers ' award from the wonderful people at Go! Smell the Flowers. This amazing group of people continue to inspire all of us to take some time out for ourselves and others to just stop what we are doing in this busy hustle bustle life and see the beauty that surrounds us in every moment.

As a recipient of this award I am now able to nominate 5 other 'Flower Smellers' who will also be awarded this badge.
Here are my choices...I hope you will spend a moment and go have a look at these amazing people!

* Homemade Rainbows I love this blog not only because we share a name but because of the beautiful view of life that shines through in every post she writes!
*Vineyard Painter This blog always leaves me feeling peaceful with beautifully imagery and thoughtful posts!
* check out Xanthe in Marrakesh...her beautiful photographs of this exotic place always transport me...
* Journey Back to the Wild This blog touches your heart with the plight of injured wildlife.
* Vision Your Dreams This lady is a master at 'Flower Smelling'.

And here is a flower for you!

Will a golden tone create a golden age?

Watching the colour trends throughout history is very revealing and says a lot about what is happening for humanity.




As an example, when we look back at times of economic depression and insecurity ,
such as the 30's and 40's we often see browns and greys featuring heavily in furnishings and fashion.






The 60's came in with a wild explosion of orange and lime...colours that relected our newfound sexuality (orange)and sense of adventure (lime). This was an era when we felt a lot more comfortable talking and openly communicating (orange) about the taboo subjects (sexuality and emotions - orange) that were kept behind zippered lips in the sedate 50's.



The 70's featured a vast array of purple tones which spoke of a time of revolution...of seeming chaos that followed on from the 60's.








The 80's saw a lot of women choosing deeper red shades (physical energy) for clothing and accessories as they asserted themselves in the traditionally male workplaces and institutions (remember the 'Dallas' style extra wide shoulder pads!!!!)


Colour trends change much more quickly now. We are able to go out and find just about any colour we want although trends are still set. We have recently seen a return to the neutral browns, greys and stone colours and guess what?..... here we are again in that place of worldwide economic uncertainty.



It was really heartening to read the press release from Pantone recently that declared the colour of the year for 2009 to be Mimosa - a striking yellow with slight golden tones.





Here is an excerpt from the press release (highlights in bold by me!)


"Pantone Selects Color of the Year for 2009: PANTONE 14-0848 Mimosa

Mimosa Embodies Hopefulness and Reassurance in a Climate of Change CARLSTADT, N.J., Dec. 3, 2008 - Pantone, an X-Rite company (NASDAQ: XRIT), and the global authority on color and provider of professional color standards for the design industries, today announced PANTONE® 14-0848 Mimosa, a warm, engaging yellow, as the color of the year for 2009.
In a time of economic uncertainty and political change, optimism is paramount and no other color expresses hope and reassurance more than yellow. "The color yellow exemplifies the warmth and nurturing quality of the sun, properties we as humans are naturally drawn to for reassurance," explains Leatrice Eiseman, executive director of the Pantone Color Institute®.

"Mimosa also speaks to enlightenment, as it is a hue that sparks imagination and innovation."

Best illustrated by the abundant flowers of the Mimosa tree and the sparkle of the brilliantly hued cocktail, the 2009 color of the year represents the hopeful and radiant characteristics associated with the color yellow.



Sounds good to me!

What colour is Hope?

I am an Australian and I don't usually show such a great interest in the politics of other countries but yesterdays election in America had me riveted. The underlying feelings of hope for the future during the broadcasts yesterday were hard to ignore.

It led me to ponder..."what colour is hope?"

It must contain a touch of blue ...

lets hope.....

Beware the tricks of colour!!!!!!

I was absolutely furious with myself!! I had fallen for one of the sneakiest tricks and I should have known better. If it weren't for the fact that I was in such a hurry I am sure it wouldn't have gotten past me.
Yes!....I had fallen for the old trick...!!!!!
I can't believe it! I also can't believe that food sellers are allowed to get away with it.
Has it happened to you before?

You rush into the supermarket just before dinner time...you think to yourself.."quick... what will I grab for dinner...Mmmm... potatoes will do"






You grab a bag and throw in a bag of carrots and some meat in a pre pack to round it off then dash to the checkout, race home, turn on the oven, open the bag of potatoes and.....THEY ARE ALL GREEN!





DAMN! How did that happen? They looked o.k at the store. "Oh well" you say ."I still have some carrots and some meat" Ha! You open the carrots and they look a bizarre shade of brown! You turn nervously to the meat thinking "uh oh looks like this will be it for dinner" and Double Damn!!!!! What looked like a nice tender piece of steak suddenly has taken on the appearance of a century old relic found in the ice melt on the North Pole!!! EEEKKK. There goes dinner and some hard earned cash that you payed for it with!!! Looks like cheese on toast to eat tonight!

NEVER...I repeat NEVER buy potatoes if they are in a pink bag. It is an old trick (in reverse)that I learned years ago when I worked as a make-up artist. We used to apply a green base to peoples skin (to cut back a too rosy glow) before applying a normal foundation. It works a treat. You see... Red and Green are opposites so one will counteract the other! Fine for making you look good but downright deceptive to try and make potatoes saleable!
As to the carrots and meat...well..these sneaky marketers are putting old carrots in orange bags to make them look fresh and new and the butchers departments have sneaky pink based lights in their display areas to make the meat look nice and pink and fresh.
Here is the tip. Look at your meat selections away from the display area...find some normal lighting to check it out and never buy your vegies in bags!!!!
I vow to never fall for that trick again!!!

I hope!

Massaging the Chakras

I often get asked ..” how do you use colour as a therapy?”

To answer that question could take me hours as there are so many ways to utilise colour to heal and grow.
There are many different colour based therapies available but the one that seems to have really grabbed me is AuraSoma. I really love this system because of its non intrusive and self selective basis.

Ultimately your client chooses the colours that are perfect for them at this point in their lives and their choice comes from within a deep part of their unknown self.
Their colours are chosen from a huge range of over 100 different jewel like bottles of coloured oils and essences. Consultation about their choices then takes place and the client leaves with the bottle (or bottles) that are to be applied to the matching chakra areas as part of the whole process.

The bottles contain a mixture of essential oils, gem and crystal essences, herb and plant essences as well as the energy of colour
and are called Equilibrium Bottles and through them the ultimate goal is...to restore equilibrium to body mind and soul!






Some practitioners of the AuraSoma system have gone on to develop further therapies. One Practitioner and Teacher friend of mine, Vicki Engeham, has developed an amazing system called Chakra Massage and has just published her long awaited book all about it.



I had a chat to Vicki just recently and asked her a few questions about her journey with colour....
Vicki, how long have you been working with colour as a therapy?
...I've been working with colour as a therapy since 1992. Before that I was a potter/artist and window design person. So really colour has been a theme through my life as such.

Do you have any success stories from your years as a teacher and practitioner?
...I have many success stories that I usually share when I teach. I have found colour to help with all areas of life, be it spiritual,emotional or physical. I have worked over the years with people with aids, cancer and many life threatening diseases through touch and colour. Colour has proven to have been extremely helpful with people that have been abused. What I like about Aura-Soma is it is non intrusive, so a person works with a particular bottle of colours, to help address his/her issues. The responsibility then is given back to the person to continue to work on themselves.

Where are you based?
... location is in Central Australia, has been for over 25 years, maybe Cairns for the next lot. I really think you can work anywhere if you know your subject well, although it's nice to have a base.

I know you frequently travel to places such as Japan and the U.K to teach courses but are there any other countries that you would really like to bring your work and knowledge to?
... I mainly teach the 3 levels of Aura-Soma courses these days. I also teach the chakra balance course as well as deep relaxation massage, advanced skills and shiatsu. I teach all over Australia, Europe,Asia and Japan. I travel a lot.
I'd like to have the opportunity to travel to China to teach.(when i find time!)

How did you develop the concept and practice of Chakra massage?
... The chakra massage developed through a dream, then put into practice. First came the technique, then came the sound, breath, Angels and crystals.
I'd like to add you don't have to be "SPECIAL' to do any kind of healing work, just the intention of working for a person's highest good.



Vicki’s book is available by contacting her directly via her website or through visiting the AuraSoma Australia website.
Who knows she may also be able to travel to your area to teach and share her wonderful knowledge and skills!

Feeling S.A.D!

It is mid winter here in the southern hemisphere and the temptation to stay indoors and hibernate is high! Outdoors is bleak and cold and the landscape seems to have lost some of its colour. It is a time when we can easily stake a claim to a comfy corner of the lounge,put the heaters on high and work our way through the stack of dvd’s calling to us from the tv cabinet.


For a lot of us (females) it is a time to let the hairs on our legs grow to the point where, come spring, we need a deforestation permit from local council to wax or shave them off! We might poke our head out on a chilly winters day, mutter a quick bbrrr and quickly come back in to make another hot chocolate.

This is all right and proper. We are following the natural cycles of the seasons and life. Winter is the time to let the fields lie fallow awaiting the return of spring and the traditional beginnings of new cycles of growth and life.


But wait....we are not bears...we are not meant to fully hibernate...we are human beings! We need fresh air, movement and most importantly ....LIGHT! (and yes!..hot chocolate!)
Our bodies rely on light for so many things. We need it for vitamin D synthesis, hormonal regulation and mood balancing.
We are solar powered beings that respond to light. Food and water help too of course but without light we would wither and die.



Sunlight gives us our measurable wavelengths and vibrations of colour. Each colour vibration found within sunlight ‘feeds’, balances and energises the energy centres , or chakras of the subtle anatomy of the human being which then influence our glandular system and hormone levels. If we shut out the sunlight we deny ourselves this vital energy source.



There is a condition called S.A.D or seasonal affective disorder that is directly attributable to prolonged low levels of natural sunlight.
This condition is more prevalent in some countries of the Northern Hemisphere where winter day light hours are short and the quality of light weak but it is also becoming more prevalent due to the demands of modern day life.
In winter, people who work in offices all day might arrive in the morning, spend all day inside an artificially lit building and then leave again at the end of the day when it is dark, having little or no exposure to natural light. As sunlight is vital to hormonal balance, what results is imbalanced hormone levels which can then lead to sadness and depressive states.


So! If you are feeling a bit down and gloomy this winter add some colour to your life. Brighten up your wardrobe. Add some splashes of colour to your home and head outside as often as you can for a healthy dose of light and colour therapy!

Colour at work….not just for the décor!

As workplace mindsets change to adapt to evolving needs of the new generation…Generation Y, employers and their Human Resources teams are needing to find a whole new way to engage and retain employees.

More and more companies, including Government agencies and even local councils, are investing in and strengthening their workforce by including courses and workshops based on wellbeing and personal growth.





One company that is offering such courses is breathe:HR.






Suzanne Saad, the founder of breathe:HR, has created an amazing range of courses and workshops. These courses incorporate Suzanne’s incredible range of skills and truly are the answer for what is happening in the corporate world now.
Suzanne has been a friend and fellow Colour Practitioner for some years now and her skills in Art Therapy, Colour Psychology and the AuraSoma Colour Care system for personal growth are extensive.

Suzanne offers a variety of workshops and courses as well as one on one sessions to enable employees to find personal meaning in their working life, see value in their work and be able to express their individuality.




The best part of this is that one of the main tools that Suzanne uses is COLOUR!
I am really excited to see colour being used to it's full value in this way. People like Suzanne are bringing colour and it's uses into the mainstream and this is awesome!!!!!

Take a few moments to have a look at Suzanne’s very informative website.
While you are there, check out her articles section for a wonderful explanation of the AuraSoma Colour Care system!