A-Christmas-Miracle

Have you ever had an experience that was so remarkable, so out of the ordinary, so amazing, that it seemed almost miraculous? With Christmas approaching it seems timely to recount the Christmas miracle that occurred for our family some years ago.

Maybe you have your own story that kindles the wonder of Christmas - the metaphorical birth of unconditional love? Also an opportune moment to send a wish that love fills your life in 2018, but first

    Thought for the day

       Only when you drink 
       From the river of silence
       Will you indeed sing

                 Kahlil Gibran








Some years ago,
a good number of our family gathered at our small farm for Christmas (with 6 children, getting them all together at one time would indeed be a miracle!).

The oldest grandson was of an age where suspicion about this Father Christmas stuff was rampant; so much so that he was keen to tell his younger sister what he was thinking was the truth of the matter - it is all a fantasy. Popular thinking amongst the adults was that she was not ready for this!

Now me being the keen gardener, for many years I have always had a live Christmas tree. When my children were growing up, we had a new one each year and then planted it out. So on our old farm there developed the Christmas tree avenue, made up of all the different pine trees, cedars and like minded trees.

In more recent times, we have grown the Christmas tree on in a pot until it really is large enough to demand planting. So at the time of the miracle, on the current farm there was only one ex-Christmas tree in the ground.

The summer of year of the miracle was very hot and so a good deal of tree watering was required. Having checked the trees on Christmas Eve, I went out to water them on Boxing Day.

Imagine this.

Under the ex-Christmas tree were two deer horns! And yes, that is them in the photo.

Each about 4 – 5” long, or 10 – 15 cms in the new money, and they looked for all the world like baby reindeer horns.

Now you may think I was dreaming, but never having found such things in our area before or since (and I have lived in the area for over 35 years), or even heard of anyone else finding them, what are the chances?



They turned up specifically on Christmas Eve or night, and specifically under the Christmas tree! And they are real deer horns that look just like reindeer horns!

Moral of the story? The grandson was deeply confused but still managed to believed in Santa for another year or two. The granddaughter carried on unperturbed! The adults were content to be amazed and to smile whenever we recount or recall the story.


So, Happy Christmas. Tell some good stories, enjoy some regenerative time amidst the spirit of Christmas, and may 2018 be filled with love, good health, happiness and peace.

NEWS
A post on mammography has been pre-empted, but will be held over until the New Year.

A Christmas miracle seems more appropriate for now...

Cancer-management-36-years,-4-big-changes-and-some-recommendations

Last week Ruth, Julia Broome, Siegfried Gutbrod, Michael Johnson and myself, along with the excellent team at the Yarra Valley Living Centre, presented the last cancer residential program of my working career.

The first cancer program I presented was at the Melbourne Cancer Support Group in Hawthorn, 16th September 1981.

During the intervening 36 years much has changed in the cancer world, especially for those directly affected; the patients.




So this week some observations around the biggest of those changes and some suggestions, but first


Thought for the day



Every public action which is not customary,
Either is wrong,
Or, if it is right,
Is a dangerous precedent.

It follows
That nothing should ever be done for the first time.


Francis Cornford, academic



FOUR BIG CHANGES 
that directly impact people affected by cancer in 2017 compared to 1981

1. Information has moved into overload
BACK THEN
In 1981 there were very few cancer self help books. A couple on nutrition, Ainslie Meares’ Relief Without Drugs on meditation from 1967, the Simonton’s Getting Well Again was published in 1978 and covered imagery and psychology of cancer; you could read all available in a couple of weeks.



No computers.

No internet.

What was in place was like an underground network where information was shared by adventurous patients and families via letters - remember them - phone calls and the occasional Roneo and Gestetner offering.

When our groups commenced, people came to learn.

They often came with the feeling there was nothing they could do. When they discovered what was possible, it was like a light was turned on. A surge of hope transformed their situation and state of mind and new possibilities opened. Confidence arose and healing was begun.

THESE DAYS
So much information.

A myriad of books.

The internet laden with possibilities. So many competing views.

Of course there is a lot that is good, but amidst the overload, confusion often reigns. People seem overawed by the choices. Many seem to become stuck; unable to sort the proverbial wheat from the chaff, and inaction often follows. Or at best for many, indecision. Uncertainty.

So while many do come to our groups seeking help to clarify what is in their own best interests, so much of this is compounded by the next issue.

2. The power to discriminate has diminished
BACK THEN
People diagnosed with cancer faced simpler choices. If a medical cure was on offer, they generally took it. If there was no cure on offer, they were often told rather bluntly with words to the effect of “there is nothing more we can do for you, you have a short time to live, go home and come back near the end and maybe Palliative Care will be helpful”.

So the choices were stark. If there was no medical cure and yet people still aspired to recovering against the odds, they knew it was up to them. Simple. Because competing sources of information were few, people trusted in what was available, applied it and for many, it worked. Simple.

THESE DAYS
So much information and so many people with an opinion, with advice and highly geared Social Media machines; and often with vested interests based on what is being sold.

Not simple. Confusing. What to do? A difficulty with discriminating further complicated by the next issue.

3. Palliative Care has become Palliative Treatment

BACK THEN
Palliative Care was just emerging as a medical discipline in its own right.

Dame Cicely Saunders started it all in London in 1967; Elizabeth Kubler-Ross published On Death and Dying in 1969.

Palliative Care was all about caring for the dying. Making life as comfortable and meaningful as possible. Minimal treatment, maximum symptom control; aiming for a good end to life, a good death.


THESE DAYS
Some while back, well meaning doctors realized telling people there was “nothing more we can do for you” was not very kind. At the same time, in my view big business in medicine realized they were missing a huge market. Palliative Care moved into Palliative Treatment.

Now most people who do not have a medical cure on offer for their cancer are being offered some
form of active treatment or are yearning to be on a trial.

Of course, much of this is good but there is a hidden cost that does not seem popular to talk about.

These Palliative Treatments by definition are non-curative.

They have the stated intention of what Palliative care used to offer - to extend life and improve Quality of life. But many can observe this is not always the case. The treatments can be demanding, quite often debilitating, and there is a hidden issue.


These treatments may - not always, but may - compete with a person’s own ability to heal.

To discuss this issue seems almost like a taboo in current time, yet surely for those aiming for full recovery, this is a real issue. There is always a balance to strike.

And it is no easy balance. Maybe through one’s own efforts one can transform a treatment whose intention is palliative into one that is curative. But equally, maybe if one is fully focussed on recovery, some Palliative Treatments are not in one’s best interests.

In a world of open-mindedness, these issues would be excellent ones to question, discuss, investigate and research seriously. But then complication of the final issue.

4. Big business has moved into cancer medicine.
BACK THEN
Cancer medicine was somewhat under-serviced and under-resourced. Because there were limited treatments there was a limited market. The influence of Big Pharma was limited.

THESE DAYS

As Palliative Treatment developed so too did the interests of big business.

Investigations became big business.

Doctors were convinced to have less confidence in their very cheap, but previously highly developed clinical skills, and instead to trust in not just X Rays but highly expensive scans and extensive blood tests.

New treatments whilst still clearly palliative in nature, are hugely expensive. Many of the recent “breakthroughs” offer some life extension, quite a side-effect profile, almost irresistible allure to patients and families, and great cost. Many of the new treatments are $100,000 and beyond per person per year.

Maybe these innovations will lead to real cures in the future. Maybe. For now, they are incredibly expensive and there is a limit to how many more the public purse can fund. And how many of us have the resources to fund them privately?

What is clear from the medical literature at present is that many cancer services, both investigatory and for treatment, are being over-recommended and over-utilised. Cancer is very big business.

WHAT TO DO?
Trust in your own capacity to discriminate - or find someone highly trustworthy to tell you what to do.

Ideally work out what you really want. If you are fully intent on recovering from cancer then the number one question has to be “What is most likely to heal me?”

Back in the mid seventies when I was totally committed to recovery, everything I did was put through the first big filter… Will this thing I am considering to do actually help me to recover?” Everything went through that filter. Everything. I was uncompromising.

Everything I did was considered deliberately. Everything was subjected to the discrimination we are talking about. I sought the best advice I could. I read what was relevant. I considered people’s qualifications and experience. I consider the impact of vested interests and big business. I asked heaps of questions. I made notes, lists. I analysed and then I sat quietly to reflect, to contemplate and to seek counsel from my own inner wisdom through contemplation.

Once I made a decision I stuck with it long enough to find out whether it was actually working for me or not and while very focussed, was not stupid enough to keep doing something that was not working.



So my work with residential cancer groups has come to an end.


There are probably many ways of explaining this - many levels - but perhaps the simplest is to say that I trust that inner wisdom, that intuitive capacity we all have and that tells me loud and clear this is the right thing to have done at the right time.


So amidst this awkward sense of knowing there has been so much knowledge and experience built up over the years that could still be helpful to others, there is the comfort of knowing that the Foundation I established is in good hands and going well and that others are spreading this work far and wide. So much more on offer now compared to when we were all that was on offer in 1981.

So my heart will always be with those affected by cancer.

In the longer term, cancer is clearly a lifestyle related disease and the best way to treat it is to prevent it. Much better never to develop cancer than to get it and recover - wonderful as recovering, especially against the odds may be.

I will continue to post blogs and write elsewhere on these issues. Maybe I will be persuaded to do the occasional public event. Maybe. Whatever happens there, my over-riding wish is that you all find long-lasting peace, deep inner contentment and live long and fulfilling lives.

RELATED BLOGS
Cancer survivors? Cancer thrivers!

The Gawler cancer program since 1981

REFERENCE
You Can Conquer Cancer

The-Gawler-Cancer-Program-since-1981

She propped herself in the corner of a sofa so she could stay upright. Her head wobbled and from time to time her eyes seem to loose focus and wander uncontrollably. The time was the 16th of September 1981; the lady in question had an advanced brain tumour and a prognosis in terms of weeks. The occasion was the first ever meeting of the Melbourne Cancer Support Group and my friend from way back then is still alive.

At 2pm on Friday 24th November 2017 I will conclude my last cancer residential program.

During these past 36 years I have experienced and witnessed so many remarkable things.

People learning how to live well and to die well.

People recovering against the odds.

People combining to help and support each other.

The delight of shared human experience.

So much gratitude for the many outstanding people who contributed to this work. So much frustration with the lack of interest, understanding and uptake by large sections of the medical profession; the welcome and increasing support from those with more vision and base intelligence.

And a blend of satisfaction and disappointment with the slow but steady increase in availability of the programs more widely - happy to see so many groups around the world offering this work; dismay that my own Foundation needed to cease offering the non-residential cancer programs for lack of uptake and now is reducing the 10 day residential program from 10 to 5 days to match demand.

What we can be certain of is that everything changes. It is time for me to change and so this week, time for gratitude; time to acknowledge some of the wonderful pioneering people who have made what has been accomplished so far possible, but first

Thought for the day : The Ultimate Attainment


The past is already past;
Do not try to regain it.
The present does not stay;
Do not try to touch it.
From moment to moment,
The future has not come;
Do not think about it
Beforehand.

Whatever comes to the eye,
Leave it be.
There are no commandments
To be kept;
There is no filth to be cleansed.
With empty mind really penetrated, 
The dharmas have no life.

When you can be like this,
You have completed
The ultimate attainment.


P'ang Yün - 8th century Zen Master



The full list of who to thank goes on forever, but maybe it is possible to thank those who were the first in their respective arenas; the pioneers…

Co-founder
The first to thank is my first wife Grace who helped establish the Melbourne Cancer Support Group and then the Foundation. Grace used her experience of helping me to recover and went on to study naturopathy with Dorothy Hall. She spoke to so many people on the telephone in the early days, led some groups and helped develop the program; a huge contribution.

First publicity
Back in 1981The Age featured my story on its Saturday edition the week before the program started. This informed the public of what was on offer and ensured good attendance right from the beginning.

The first group
Much gratitude to that first group. They trusted me enough and were inspired by my story enough to give what was on offer a go; and in doing so, established that the program was worth persevering with. It all developed from them.

First therapist
Mike Sowerby was a vet student when he developed cancer of the kidney. He recovered without medical treatment, joined us with little relevant training but  used his experience, intelligence and insight to become highly effective. Mike went on to study Jungian psychology amongst other things and continues to work in WA.

So many exceptional, dedicated, compassionate, wise therapists have followed in Mike’s footsteps.

First receptionist/administrator
Barbara Bowman came when we opened our first pokey little office in a suburban shopping strip in Mont Albert and did her best helping us to develop systems to support the program.

Then so many amazingly dedicated staff over the ensuing years; so many.

Not always easy working in the pressure cooker of helping those facing major illness, but so much gratitude for the dedication and the ability to put the needs of those we were helping first and foremost and for creating such a welcoming, supportive and healing atmosphere.

                                                                                                  Staff Christmas party 2009
First volunteer
Not sure who this would have been as many people came forward from the very earliest days with offers to help. At one stage in the late 80s, The Foundation had provided extensive training to a team of around 200 volunteers who provided individual support to every person who joined the Melbourne Cancer Support Group; but then we have relied on volunteers in so many aspects of this work.

First President
In 1983 The Foundation became an Incorporated Association - a not-for-profit, charitable institution with tax-deductible status. First president was Morrie Watts, husband of Bessie who had experienced a remarkable recovery from breast cancer after attending the groups.

Over the years there have been many Presidents, many board members and being those who take ultimate responsibility for the Foundation everyone involved owes them much gratitude.

First patron/ mentor
Sir Edward “Weary” Dunlop was father to one of my University friends and took an interest in this cancer work from its earliest days. While never a “formal” patron, Weary launched You Can Conquer Cancer while Patron of the Anti-Cancer Council as it was back then and gave strong support to our work helping people with cancer to help themselves. It was a privilege and a delight to meet with him regularly, to discuss and seek his wise counsel on issues as the unfolded around the Foundation.


First major donors
Dorothy and Ken Edglow, Bill McHarg and David Bardas combined to make the purchase of the Yarra Valley land possible in 1984 and gave the impetus to its on-going development.

It is obvious that without tremendous community support from donors big and small the Foundation would have been unable to help as many people as it has; maybe it would not even still exist today; so these people deserve a great deal of gratitude.




First researcher
Embarrassing, but I cannot remember the name of the man who in the late 80s dedicated 2 years of his time in an attempt to set up a research program for us. (Can anyone help me with this name?) Those were the days when computers were rudimentary, and in the end nothing publishable was accomplished.

It is a deep regret that we were never able to develop an effective research program at the Foundation. To be frank, in the early days we were poorly advised around what to do; in later days when we did employ qualified researchers and collaborated with external researchers, what we were able to accomplish was simply inadequate - mostly due to lack of funding and support from external people and institutions.

I do wonder how expensive the new drugs need to get before someone seriously looks at what we do for so little cost and researches it seriously. It is amazing that over the 36 years, there has only been one really good study on outcome - the Ornish study from way back in 2005; and that it demonstrated singifican t benefits and yet no one to date has even tried to replicate that study. Cannot imagine that outcome if the study had shown the benefits of a new drug!

Maybe one day ….

First business manager
Scott Crisp was the first to take on this role and laid the foundation for many good people to come.


First cook

Dorothy Edgelow set up the Foundation kitchens, established the first menus, wrote the first cookbooks.

Dorothy set the tone for the kitchen catering staff becoming a focus of care and nurturing for all those who attend residential programs.

First gardener
Peter LeRay, a dedicated biodynamic and deeply spiritual gardener set up the Foundation’s first garden at Yarra Junction.

It had a wonderful circular layout; is where the open ground for Chi Gung and yoga is now, and moved up the hill to enable larger scale fruit and vegetable production.

What a great team of gardeners have built on Peter’s legacy!





First masseur/body therapist
I think this would have been Trevor Steele. Trevor was a wonderful, whimsical and deeply caring therapist and an excellent masseur. There has been a wonderful team follow in his footsteps.

First musician
Hans Henzler had a night job at the famous Cuckoo Restaurant in the Dandenong Hills, a wonderful deep bass voice and an infectious warmth that got people into communal sing at our early residential programs.

Since then we seem to have specialized in harpists, but many other musicians have added the meditative healing benefits of their talents.

So to conclude; a profound sense of deep gratitude to all who have contributed to this cancer work, and to repeat

The past is already past;
Do not try to regain it.
The present does not stay;
Do not try to touch it.
From moment to moment,
The future has not come;
Do not think about it
Beforehand.

Everything changes…

Life-changes-Dealing-with-the-inevitable

This week, dealing with the essence of life – the fact that it is changing all the time; and how to flourish amidst unavoidable change.

Just about everything is changing rapidly these days. The pace often seems frenetic. No wonder there is so much stress, depression and anxiety about. Changing my own life in a significant fashion and announcing retirement from leading groups has lead to an almost death-like experience. So many kind words of gratitude – enjoyable but like a premature wake.

And then my dear old friend (in both senses - long term and well aged) Lionel Fifield from the Relaxation Centre in Queensland started a conversation around life changes and the challenges they provoke. So this week insights into change, but first



              Thought for the day

When the mind is at peace,
The world too is at peace.
Nothing real, nothing absent.
Not holding on to reality,
Not getting stuck in the void,
You are neither holy or wise, 
Just an ordinary fellow 
Who has completed his work.

     P'ang Yün – 8th century Zen Master


In my youth, things seemed to move more slowly. Trends changed almost imperceptibly, technology was more rudimentary and stable, people’s attitude more predictable. Change seemed to sneak up on us slowly. These days it is right in our faces.

In Lionel’s words change is happening for all of us and nobody is excluded. The art must be to be present with each little twist and turn and keep our judgements to the minimum. Not easy as the changes always seem focussed in where we are most addicted and comfortable and vulnerable. I am sure these retreats help a lot. (Lionel is commenting on me having just returned from a month of retreat, during which the final decision to retire became very clear)

My comment for Lionel was to observe most of the time we attempt to change without really changing. So often we go along with changes that feel comfortable or convenient while doing our best to retain the status quo, even when our health, relationships, life circumstances and wellbeing are suffering. There seems to be an incredible attraction to familiarity and a deep reluctance for real change.

Meditation seems to facilitate an ease with change that makes more real change possible.

So the value in longer retreats and regular practice.

Then too, major events like retirement, deaths of loved ones, major changes in circumstances have this powerful capacity to create a potential turning point, a nexus.

Or is it they put us into a limbo state, an intermediary where for a while the possibility for significant change is more noticeable?
More possible?

Clearly for many, maybe not at the time but in retrospect, these major life changes turn out to be blessings for all the positive change that comes as a product of the immediate trauma.

Personally I have to say it. I love change - it is a sure sign of life. Something did happen for me during my youth. I developed a love for change. Maybe it was moving schools so often, moving houses. Maybe it was simply recognising the fact that every moment, everything is changing whether we like it or not, and deciding to embrace change rather than make some awkward and probably painful attempt to avoid it.

So advice around this? 

Not too sure really. Maybe to contemplate the fact that life is a process involving constant change. When anything is not changing – then it is dead. Simple as that. Might as well embrace it. Change is going to happen anyway.

Meditation definitely helps.

My own reflection and experience has led to welcoming change; even looking for it actively.

Making it happen.

Not that it is always enjoyable.

But over the years has come the realisation change is inevitable and if we stay present and committed then change has every prospect of leading on to something delightful – eventually.

This attitude has made it so much easier to deal with all the big changes throughout my life, as well as the smaller ones.

And one day the change will be that we stop breathing. Now that has to be a really interesting change. Wonder what that will lead to???

But then, every moment, whatever we have been doing ceases, that moment “dies” – ends – and a new moment begins. Therefore, while there are times in our lives when major transitions are very obvious – like when we retire – it is actually happening moment to moment; we finish with one thing and begin something new.

So we do not necessarily need to wait for the big moments, the big transitions to make change that will be good for us. Every moment life is changing; that is its nature. Every moment there is the opportunity to shape who it is that we really choose to be.

So thank you to all who have sent kind messages and I wish you all well – in this moment - and the next…

COMING SOON

IAN'S FINAL NZ MEDITATION RETREAT 

Bringing Mind and Heart Together  21 – 27th October 2017 Ruth and Ian Gawler with Liz Stilwell

Amidst the tranquil beauty of the Coromandel Peninsula, 2 hours from Auckland New Zealand

A mind with no heart is cold and empty.      A mind with heart is warm, creative and full of potential.

Ready to learn how to use meditation and Guided Imagery to open your heart and bring balance to your mind?                       

Join us for this very special retreat!   LINK HERE

IAN'S FINAL MEDITATION TEACHER TRAINING

October 9 – 13th Meditation Teacher Training – Module 2

The delight of teaching others one of the most useful things possible ...

This training, led by Ian and Ruth personally, is based on a comprehensive and fully documented manual. You will learn how to teach two 4 week programs - one featuring guided imagery, the other contemplation; both covering the stillness of meditation as well. These training have been booking out, and like all our retreats, it is wise to register early.

 LINK HERE


IAN'S FINAL SPECIFIC CANCER PROGRAM

CANCER, HEALING and WELLBEING 

Accessing the heart and science of Mind-Body Medicine
Offering genuine hope for all those affected by cancer

20 – 24 November 2017 with Drs Ruth and Ian Gawler

Located amidst the natural beauty of the Yarra Valley

This life-changing program provides the opportunity to experience the food, practise the meditation and to be in a supportive, positive atmosphere. The program is evidence based, highly experiential and practical. The focus is on the therapeutic power of the Healing Diet, the mind and meditation, emotional health and positive psychology. The aim is to provide clarity, understanding and confidence.   LINK HERE

IAN'S FINAL MEDITATION RETREAT

Mind and Heart - connecting with the essence

7 days of Mindfulness, Meditation and Buddhist based philosophy

 Slow down, reflect, contemplate – regain perspective, clarity, vitality, and balance 

 Learn Imagery techniques that unite heart and mind, and guide personal change

                                                Mar 23rd-29th 2018 

with Drs Ruth and Ian Gawler with Julia Broom at the Yarra Valley Living Centre

MORE DETAILS AND BOOKINGS   :   CLICK HERE

The season for handing over and retiring

"For everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven". So in contemplating my own recently made decision to retire from leading residential programs, my mind turned to the ancient Indian/Hindu notion of the four stages of human life.

So this week, a glimpse into what for many is a very useful way to consider where they are at in their life; but first

           Thought for the day


To every thing there is a season, 
And a time to every purpose under the heaven: 
A time to be born, and a time to die; 
A time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; 
A time to kill, and a time to heal; 
A time to break down, and a time to build up; 
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; 
A time to mourn, and a time to dance; 
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; 
A time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; 
A time to get, and a time to lose; 
A time to keep, and a time to cast away; 
A time to rend, and a time to sew; 
A time to keep silence, and a time to speak; 
A time to love, and a time to hate; 
A time of war, and a time of peace.

                                            Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8

The Hindu tradition of India has a long history of dividing life into four dramatically different segments or phases.

First comes Bramacharya, the time of being a student and single.

Second is Grihastha, when the focus is to make a family and a living; a time of being engaged with wordly pursuits such as seeking pleasure, wealth and all the material world has to offer. Commonly, Grihastha begins around the age of 20.

Third is Vanaprastha, when we begin to withdraw from the world and begin to attune more to the spiritual life along with adopting an increasingly hermit-like lifestyle.

Vanaprastha commonly begins around 50. It is time for grand children and the time to hand over to the next generation. It is time for community service and spiritual pursuit; time to act more as a mentor and benefactor; a time to share any wisdom gathered so far.


Fourth and finally comes Sannyasa

when renouncing the material world and dedicating life to spiritual realisation becomes the sole focus.

It often begins around 70 to 75.

The intention of sannyasa is to live a simple, peaceful, love-inspired, spiritual life very similar to the monks and nuns of Buddhism, Christianity and other traditions.

Sannyasa is a form of asceticism. A male is known as a sannyasin, a female a sannyasini.

Sannyasa does not necessarily mean abandoning society although in India many did and still do leave their families and homes and become wandering spiritual beggars. They may have a walking stick, a book, a container or vessel for food and drink, often wearing yellow, orange, or soil coloured clothes. They may have long hair and appear dishevelled, and are usually vegetarians.

Alternatively, Sannyasins may simply aim to abandon the conventions of their society and aim instead for a more liberated, content, free and blissful existence.

In the Hindu Karma Yoga tradition, acting without greed or craving for results is considered a form of detachment in daily life similar to Sannyasa. Sharma states that, "the basic principle of Karma yoga is that it is not what one does, but how one does it that counts and if one has the know-how in this sense, one can become liberated by doing whatever it is one does", and "(one must do) whatever one does without attachment to the results, with efficiency and to the best of one's ability.

Bit like mindfulness, or even more-so, pure awareness.

So for me, autumn is definitely present.

The seasons are changing…

My working life has been long and wonderful; not always easy, not without many highs and lows. First as a veterinarian, and of course, for many years since as a health educator who had the possibility and privilege to work with so many people focused upon their health, healing and wellbeing. It now feels the season to step back and hand over to the next generation.

Maybe there is the possibility to be useful in some ongoing way, and yes there was a feeling of wasting so much learning and experience by stopping at this time. Life is always changing. Who knows what the future may really bring. However, Ruth will work on and so many others do this work these days, so it feels like good timing.

There are many people to thank for their personal and professional support, but maybe those details can wait for another time.

Finally, some gentle advice. It will be lovely to get together over these final programs and celebrate what has been a major and extra-ordinary phase of my own life. It seems with only 4 residential programs before I do retire at Easter next year, happily many seem keen to join Ruth and myself one more time. So these programs may well book out and early registration may make sense.

As always, the wish is for you and all those you care for to have long and happy lives…

RESOURCES
For a fabulous story about a senior Indian who becomes a sannyasin, highly recommend reading Rudyard Kipling’s: The Miracle of Purun Bhagat in his Second Jungle Book. I have cried every time I have read it; including all the times I have read it out loud to a group.

COMING SOON

IAN'S FINAL NZ MEDITATION RETREAT 

Bringing Mind and Heart Together  21 – 27th October 2017 Ruth and Ian Gawler with Liz Stilwell

Amidst the tranquil beauty of the Coromandel Peninsula, 2 hours from Auckland New Zealand

A mind with no heart is cold and empty.      A mind with heart is warm, creative and full of potential.

Ready to learn how to use meditation and Guided Imagery to open your heart and bring balance to your mind?                       

Join us for this very special retreat!   LINK HERE

IAN'S FINAL MEDITATION TEACHER TRAINING

October 9 – 13th Meditation Teacher Training – Module 2

The delight of teaching others one of the most useful things possible ...

This training, led by Ian and Ruth personally, is based on a comprehensive and fully documented manual. You will learn how to teach two 4 week programs - one featuring guided imagery, the other contemplation; both covering the stillness of meditation as well. These training have been booking out, and like all our retreats, it is wise to register early.

 LINK HERE


IAN'S FINAL SPECIFIC CANCER PROGRAM

CANCER, HEALING and WELLBEING 

Accessing the heart and science of Mind-Body Medicine
Offering genuine hope for all those affected by cancer

20 – 24 November 2017 with Drs Ruth and Ian Gawler

Located amidst the natural beauty of the Yarra Valley

This life-changing program provides the opportunity to experience the food, practise the meditation and to be in a supportive, positive atmosphere. The program is evidence based, highly experiential and practical. The focus is on the therapeutic power of the Healing Diet, the mind and meditation, emotional health and positive psychology. The aim is to provide clarity, understanding and confidence.   LINK HERE

IAN'S FINAL MEDITATION RETREAT

Mind and Heart - connecting with the essence

7 days of Mindfulness, Meditation and Buddhist based philosophy

 Slow down, reflect, contemplate – regain perspective, clarity, vitality, and balance 

 Learn Imagery techniques that unite heart and mind, and guide personal change

Mar 23rd-29th 2018 

with Drs Ruth and Ian Gawler at the Yarra Valley Living Centre

MORE DETAILS AND BOOKINGS   :   CLICK HERE

Pesticide-residue-levels-on-fruit-and-vegetables

With hints of spring on the horizon, maybe it is timely to consider what we get along with our fruit and veg from the commercial green grocer, and decide what to grow at home if space is limited.

The Environmental Working Group is one body that checks pesticide residues and reports on which fruit and vegetables have the least and most. So this week we check out what might be OK to buy in the shops and what is safer to grow at home, but first




         Thought for the day

Any illness that can be treated by diet alone 
Should be treated by no other means.

       Maimonides – Physician around 1200 AD





Let us be clear.

Whenever possible, organic produce is best. Best for you, best for the soil, best for the animals and other critters like worms, best for the environment at large. However, it is not always easy or possible to obtain. Some are limited by finance (how long before organic and commercial produce cost the same???), some by a wide range of issues around availability.

And if you do have a home garden, maybe space is limited; maybe time or other factors limit what
can be grown.

So it may be helpful to know what residues are on common fruit and vegetables.

Then if choices need to be made, they can be well informed.


The Environmental Working Group was founded by Ken Green and is one of America’s foremost environmental protection agencies. It is a non-profit, non-partisan organization dedicated to protecting human health and the environment and produces an annual shopper’s guide. The guide lists which fruits and vegetables have the most pesticides and which have the fewest.

The worst? Sadly it is the good old apple. “An apple a day keeps the doctor away’? Maybe not if it is commercially grown!

Potatoes have more residue by weight than anything else.

A single grape sample and a capsicum sample contained 15 pesticides, while samples of cherry tomatoes, nectarines, peaches, imported snap peas and strawberries all showed 13 different pesticides.

The good news? Avocados for the second year running have the least residues with only 1% of all samples tested showing any residues. You can see the full list via THIS LINK

Here are the stand outs – good and bad…


The fruits and vegetables with the most pesticides 
- in descending order; worst at the top


1. Apples
2. Peaches
3. Nectarines
4. Strawberries
5. Grapes
6. Celery
7. Spinach
8. Sweet bell peppers (capsicum)
9. Cucumber
10. Cherry tomatoes
11. Snap peas (imported)
12. Potatoes
13.   Hot peppers
14.   Kale / Collard greens



Fruits and vegetables with the least pesticides 
- best at the top...

1. Avocado
2. Sweet corn
3. Pineapples
4. Cabbage
5. Sweet peas (frozen)
6. Onion
7. Asparagus
8. Mango
9. Papayas (pawpaw)
10. Kiwi
11. Eggplant
12. Grapefruit
13. Cantaloupe (rock melon)
14. Cauliflower
15. Sweet potato

Remember, if at all possible, buy or even better, grow organic; 
but if choices need to be made, maybe these list help inform those choices. 

And get those veggie gardens on the move for Spring...

Happy, healthy eating. Enjoy!

COMING SOON

NEXT MEDITATION RETREAT 

Bringing Mind and Heart Together  21 – 27th October 2017 Ruth and Ian Gawler with Liz Stilwell

Amidst the tranquil beauty of the Coromandel Peninsula, 2 hours from Auckland New Zealand

A mind with no heart is cold and empty.      A mind with heart is warm, creative and full of potential.

Ready to learn how to use meditation and Guided Imagery to open your heart and bring balance to your mind?                       

Join us for this very special retreat!   LINK HERE

MEDITATION TEACHER TRAINING

October 9 – 13th Meditation Teacher Training – Module 2

The delight of teaching others one of the most useful things possible ...

This training, led by Ian and Ruth personally, is based on a comprehensive and fully documented manual. You will learn how to teach two 4 week programs - one featuring guided imagery, the other contemplation; both covering the stillness of meditation as well. These training have been booking out, and like all our retreats, it is wise to register early.

 LINK HERE


NEXT SPECIFIC CANCER PROGRAM

CANCER, HEALING and WELLBEING 

Accessing the heart and science of Mind-Body Medicine
Offering genuine hope for all those affected by cancer

20 – 24 November 2017 with Drs Ruth and Ian Gawler

Located amidst the natural beauty of the Yarra Valley

This life-changing program provides the opportunity to experience the food, practise the meditation and to be in a supportive, positive atmosphere. The program is evidence based, highly experiential and practical. The focus is on the therapeutic power of the Healing Diet, the mind and meditation, emotional health and positive psychology. The aim is to provide clarity, understanding and confidence.   LINK HERE

How-to-improve-memory–through-nutrition-and-exercises

Can you imagine turning over a pack of cards, glancing at each card and then remembering each card in order? Can you believe at the recent World memory Championships the winner, Sweden’s Jonas Von Essen memorized the order of cards in 26 packs in one hour!!! Did you also know this dual memory world champion is a vegan?

So what diet and what exercises might help us mere mortals to improve our own memories, and what might hasten any memory losses? This week we find out courtesy of some fascinating recent research, but first


                      Thought for the day

       Finish each day and be done with it.
      You have done what you could.
      Some blunders, losses, and absurdities no doubt crept in;
      Forget them as soon as you can.

                                       Ralph Waldo Emerson



How do we exercise, or train our memory?
This is the “easy” bit in that Von Essen is very clear – we need to learn a good technique and practice. Fairly regularly if we want good progress. Sounds a bit like meditation!

Von Essen; “Mostly it is about learning the most efficient techniques, and once you know them,
simply training on using them faster and faster.

Basically, they are all based on the concept that you come up with images symbolizing the things that you want to remember and then “place” these images on different locations in a building or along a journey that you visualize in your head.

It probably sounds a bit odd, but once you get it you can memorize anything (in any quantity!) you want using this technique”.


Von Essen also recommends How to Develop a Brilliant Memory by Dominic O'Brien as a very good one. He says we need to try out a few techniques and examples to appreciate the power of this. There are also great forums on the Web, e.g., Mnemotechnics.org”

How does food affect memory?

A lot! Here is some recent research that consistently points towards what we would be wise to eat if we are to minimize any risk of dementia and to feed a healthy and reliable memory.

Bad fats, young people and memory loss  


As young adults increase their intake of trans fat, memory worsens.

After analysing the diets and
memory of nearly seven hundred 20 to 45 year-old men, it was found that as trans fat intake increased, word recall decreased.

Findings were replicated in women.

Golomb BA, Bui AK. Trans fat consumption is adversely linked to memory in working-age adults. Research presented at: American Heart Association’s Scientific Sessions 2014; November 18, 2014: Chicago, Ill.


Large body of evidence links meat, dementia and Alzheimers

1. A review – diet is a major risk factor
Diet may be the most important risk factor for Alzheimer’s disease risk, according to research published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition. The author used dietary data from 10 countries and several other studies on diet and Alzheimer’s disease and assessed disease risk for several dietary factors.

Consumption of meat increased disease risk the most, followed by eggs and high-fat dairy, while high intakes of fruits, vegetables, and grains reduced the risk for Alzheimer’s disease. Possible mechanisms include increased intakes of metal ions, such as copper, and saturated fat, both prevalent in meat.

Grant WB. Using multicountry ecological and observational studies to determine dietary risk factors for Alzheimer's disease. J Am Coll Nutr. Published online July 25, 2016.

2. Metabolic Syndrome Linked to Dementia
Metabolic syndrome, a group of risk factors including high blood sugar and blood pressure and a large waistline, leads to dementia, according to a study published online in JAMA Neurology.

Those with diabetes, obesity, dyslipidemia, and other cardiovascular disease risk factors were up to four times as likely to develop dementia or experience cognitive decline.

Ng TP, Feng L, Nyunt MSZ, et al. Metabolic syndrome and the risk of mild cognitive impairment and progression to dementia. JAMA Neurol. Published online February 29, 2016.

3. Fat and refined carbs lead to a high risk
The intake of saturated fats and simple carbohydrates, two of the primary components of a modern Western diet, is linked with the development of obesity and Alzheimer's Disease.

This research shows how the Western diet is associated with cognitive impairment, with a specific emphasis on learning and memory functions that are dependent on the integrity of the hippocampus.

Also, saturated fat and simple carbohydrate intake is correlated with neurobiological changes in the hippocampus that may be related to the ability of these dietary components to impair cognitive function.

Finally, a model is described proposing that Western diet consumption contributes to the development of excessive food intake and obesity, in part, by interfering with a type of hippocampal-dependent memory inhibition that is critical in the ability of animals to refrain from responding to environmental cues associated with food, and ultimately from consuming energy intake in excess of that driven solely by caloric need.

Kanoski, S. E., & Davidson, T. L. (2011). Western Diet Consumption and Cognitive Impairment: Links to Hippocampal Dysfunction and Obesity. Physiology & Behavior, 103(1), 59–68. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2010.12.003

4. First randomized trial - Diet reduces cognitive decline in the elderly
Along with physical and mental exercise, diet may play a key role in the prevention of dementia, according to a study published in The Lancet. For two years, researchers tracked the cognitive health of 1,260 participants in the Finnish Geriatric Intervention Study to Prevent Cognitive Impairment and Disability (FINGER) study.

The intervention included diet, exercise, and cognitive training compared to a control group who received standard health care. Nutritionists advised participants in the intervention group to limit fat intake and increase fiber consumption via fruits, vegetables, and whole grains.



The intervention group scored 25 percent higher on cognitive tests with a 150 percent increase in processing speed when compared to the control group. Intervention group participants also saw improvements in BMI and other health outcome measurements.

This is the first randomized controlled trial to investigate the effects of a multifaceted intervention on dementia, and shows the important role preventive measures such as diet have in alleviating rising dementia rates worldwide.

Ngandu T, Lehtisalo J, Solomon A, et al. A 2 year multidomain intervention of diet, exercise, cognitive training, and vascular risk monitoring versus control to prevent cognitive decline in at-risk elderly people (FINGER): a randomised controlled trial. Lancet. Published online on March 11, 2015.

5. Midlife Obesity Increases Alzheimer’s Disease Risk
Obesity increases Alzheimer’s disease risk, according to a study in Molecular Psychiatry.

Researchers studied 1,394 participants of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging (BLSA) and tracked their weight at age 50 and evidence of Alzheimer’s later on.

The results indicate that with an increase in weight, onset of Alzheimer’s disease occurred 6.7 months earlier than when compared to those who were not obese. Autopsies and scans also showed higher body weights resulted in more Alzheimer’s-specific deposits in the brain.

This study suggests that lifestyle changes earlier in life can influence the course of disease.

Chuang YF, An Y, Bilgel M, et al. Midlife adiposity predicts earlier onset of Alzheimer’s dementia, neuropathology and presymptomatic cerebral amyloid accumulation. Mol Psychiatry. Published online September 1, 2015.


AND FINALLY – IT IS NOT ALL IN THE FOOD

Stress Linked to Alzheimer’s Disease
Stress may influence your risk of developing Alzheimer’s disease, according to a study published by the British Medical Journal. Researchers tracked 800 women enrolled in the Prospective Population Study of Women for 37 years to investigate the effects of common psychosocial factors, such as divorce, relative’s illness, and job loss.

Psychiatric examinations, questionnaires, and other medical assessments linked midlife stressors with late-life dementia, especially Alzheimer’s disease.

Johansson L, Guo X, Hallstrom T, et al. Common psychosocial stressors in middle-aged women related to longstanding distress and increased risk of Alzheimer’s disease: a 38-year longitudinal population study. BMJ Open. 30 September 2013;3:e00314.


RELATED BLOGS
1. Dementia-and-Alzheimer’s-Disease-easily-explained?-Can-we-prevent-or-cure-them?

2. Alzheimer’s-Disease,-Type-3-Diabetes-and-its-causes

3. One dozen proven things you can do to prevent Alzheimer's disease

COMING SOON

NEXT MEDITATION RETREAT 

Bringing Mind and Heart Together  21 – 27th October 2017 Ruth and Ian Gawler with Liz Stilwell

Amidst the tranquil beauty of the Coromandel Peninsula, 2 hours from Auckland New Zealand

A mind with no heart is cold and empty.      A mind with heart is warm, creative and full of potential.

Ready to learn how to use meditation and Guided Imagery to open your heart and bring balance to your mind?                       

Join us for this very special retreat!   LINK HERE

MEDITATION TEACHER TRAINING

October 9 – 13th Meditation Teacher Training – Module 2

The delight of teaching others one of the most useful things possible ...

This training, led by Ian and Ruth personally, is based on a comprehensive and fully documented manual. You will learn how to teach two 4 week programs - one featuring guided imagery, the other contemplation; both covering the stillness of meditation as well. These training have been booking out, and like all our retreats, it is wise to register early.

 LINK HERE

NEXT SPECIFIC CANCER PROGRAM

CANCER, HEALING and WELLBEING 

Accessing the heart and science of Mind-Body Medicine
Offering genuine hope for all those affected by cancer

20 – 24 November 2017 with Drs Ruth and Ian Gawler

Located amidst the natural beauty of the Yarra Valley

This life-changing program provides the opportunity to experience the food, practise the meditation and to be in a supportive, positive atmosphere. The program is evidence based, highly experiential and practical. The focus is on the therapeutic power of the Healing Diet, the mind and meditation, emotional health and positive psychology. The aim is to provide clarity, understanding and confidence.   LINK HERE