A passion for speaking out

After being declared cancer free in 1978, the story of my recovery was published in the Australian Medical Journal and soon hit the press. Almost immediately I was asked to explain my survival from community and veterinary groups in Adelaide where I was living and working.

To be frank, I was scared stiff. With little experience in the public arena, it took me ages to prepare for each of those early talks – both to get the content together and to get myself together!

Time has moved on. Adaptation and learning occurred, and I became used to appearing in public. Currently in 2015 I am stepping back a little from the steady round of public seminars, workshops etc, which has been a large part of my work in these last few years, so that Ruth and I can focus on the retreats we present – both for everyone interested in deepening their mindfulness and meditation practice, and the more specific residential programs we run together for people affected by cancer.

Also, we are both giving time for our own personal retreats – I am going into retreat for 12 weeks in the middle of the year – and it may well be that I am writing another book this year.

However, we have agreed to present a couple of public talks in 2015, the first is on quite soon in Sydney (this is the only Sydney event planned for 2015, the others will be in Brisbane and Cairns).

Greg Fitzgerald is the Sydney organiser - Ruth and I have joined him in a series of well-received events in the last few years - and he has contributed to this blog below.

If you are in Sydney and can join us, please come and say hello personally on the night. If you know anyone in Sydney who may be interested, please share the details with them.

Also, we have received a large number of enquiries asking when our Pearls will be back in stock and available again from the webstore after the first sold out in record time before Christmas.

Happily, we can announce that stocks have been replenished and the full range of Pearls is available once more - including the 'Pearls Collection' bundle.  Check them out : CLICK HERE.

So now, at the risk of self- aggrandisement, to help publicise the Sydney event I have decided to post the guest blog Greg has written - as he talks about what makes for a worthwhile speaker, but first




            Thought for the day

People do not care how much you know, 
Until they know how much you care!

                         Greg Fitzgerald









“During my 35 years in the natural health field, I have spoken at hundreds of seminars here and overseas, and shared the stage with countless speakers. I can honestly say only a handful of speakers have left a deeply unforgettable impression.

I have thought about this long and hard. How is it that that people’s lives can literally change in one talk at one seminar? Firstly, you have to know your stuff. If you talk nonsense, you will be seen through and lose all credibility.

Secondly, you have to have passion. If there is no “feeling” in your communication, you will become the best drug for insomnia ever discovered. In other words, passion for the subject is inspiring, and keeps the audience’s attention.

Thirdly, you have to care. People do not care how much you know, until they know how much you care!

And lastly, and this applies to the health area particularly, the best teachers are those who have suffered themselves. What I call “wounded healers”.

Great communicators in the health field are as rare as great communicators in the political or financial field.

Dr Ian Gawler overflows in all 4 criteria.

He has studied the field of mind/body medicine for well over 35 years. He lectures doctors and the public alike. He knows his stuff, no question.

His words, knowledge and very presence is inspiring. The fact that he is alive and in wonderful health is inspiring. His presence forces you to listen to his message. He is certainly no drug for insomnia!

Thirdly, he cares. He and his wife, Dr Ruth, deeply care so much about the declining state of mental and physical health in the western world and the conflicts of interest which confuse so many people, that they have devoted their lives sharing this wisdom. He has been awarded the Order of Australia Medal in 1987 for services to the community.

He founded The Gawler Foundation in Victoria, where people travel from all over the world to learn the best ways to live and overcome or prevent chronic health issues.

Lastly, Dr Gawler has suffered. In his mid 20’s AFTER his entire leg had been amputated and his cancer returned, he was given only weeks to live. While he had palliative radiotherapy and chemotherapy, he was told there was no real prospect that modern medicine could cure him. He was told “Get your affairs in order”. 

But Ian thought there might be something he could do for himself. So he did. And from this transformative experience, Ian has helped change literally millions of lives directly and indirectly.

By utilizing mind/body techniques and dietary change, Dr Gawler not only survived but thrived.

My wife dawn and I are very excited to announce that Dr Gawler will be speaking at our first seminar of the year on 3rd of March, 2015 at Kareela Golf Club, 1 Bates Drive, Kareela in the south of Sydney.

Modern studies have shown the tremendous effect the mind has on the body. Our psychology affects our biology! The issues in our heads often become issues in our tissues!

Dr Gawler will be addressing the critically important subject of what to “feed" your mind. This covers the sort of thoughts and emotions that feed our mind for the better. He will also address what thoughts and emotions poison our mind, predisposing us to unhappiness, inner turmoil and chronic illness. 

Dr Gawler will also discuss what he calls “The Missing Link”. This link is what is lacking in most people’s lives today, something that almost guarantees unhappiness and a restless mind. 

He will also explain the wonderful benefits of simple meditation, and take the audience through a deeply relaxing practical session."

                                                        Greg Fitzgerald

Ian again: 
This is the only public seminar I am likely to present in Sydney for 2015, and I am very pleased to be doing so in conjunction with Greg Fitzgerald. Greg, a Naturopath, Osteopath and Chiropractor and Principal of Health for Life Clinic and Seminars, will speak on ways we can nurture our physical bodies.

What is the good of having inner peace but a body that is falling apart with pain and disability? Greg will cover 10 life-changing areas, including explaining the puzzle of why some people eat well but still suffer health problems and the biggest exercise mistake most people make. This one tip alone can change your life.

See you there?

FEED YOUR BODY, FEED YOUR MIND

Public Seminar with Ian Gawler and Greg Fitzgerald

South Sydney -  Tuesday, March 3rd 2015

When?  Tuesday 3rd March 2015

Time?    Registration  6.30pm  Seminar 6.45pm - 10.15pm

Where?  Kareela Golf Club,  1 Bates Drive, Kareela

EARLY BIRD OFFER $39.00 only - until 24-3-2015 or until seats sold
(Normal price $59.00)

How to register and pay for this event?  Register online : CLICK HERE 


For enquires please call Dawn at Health for Life Seminars on 9540 1962 or 0424246847



2015 CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Full details are on the website, click here

NEXT MEDITATION RETREAT

Meditation in the Forest        March 27th to April 2nd  2015   Yarra Junction

During this meditation retreat, we will be focusing upon the deeper stillness of meditation. We will explore the theory, but moreso, the actual practices that help us to go beyond the activity of the thinking mind into a more direct and profound experience of the still mind.

Deep, natural peace. A calm and clear mind. So many possibilities follow…..

FULL DETAILS Click here 

NEXT SPECIFIC CANCER PROGRAM

CANCER and BEYOND  May 2015   Monday 4th at 11am to Friday 8th at 2pm

Five Day Residential Follow-up Program at the Gawler Foundation in the Yarra Valley

This program is specifically designed for those with cancer along with their support people who have attended a previous Gawler Foundation program or equivalent such as with Sabina Rabold, CSWA, Cancer Care SA, CanLive NZ, or with the Gawlers

A unique opportunity to meet with like-minded people once again, to consolidate what you already know, to learn more from the combined knowledge, experience and wisdom of Ian and Ruth, to reaffirm your good intentions, and to go home refreshed and revitalised.

FULL DETAILS Click here 


NEWS

CANCER SUPPORT IN MELBOURNE

GOOD NEWS for people affected by cancer in Melbourne. Much respected colleague Liz Stillwell has recommenced the Cancer Support Group and is meeting each Tuesday at the Augustine Centre.

The group will meet in term-times and all are welcome, including caregivers of course.

Many of you will know the Library at the Augustine Centre/Habitat Uniting Church, a large & wonderful book lined place of comfort, well seasoned with history for this group (I was running groups there in the early eighties and for those who have seen the historical documentary Mind the Healer, Mind the Slayer that was made in those heady days, this building featured quite prominently).

Liz has an excellent volunteer in Katrina Jenner and is well resourced. She is very experienced having trained extensively including with me, we have worked together for many years and still do and she has just completed her first unit of Clinical Pastoral Education at Royal Melbourne Hospital.

PS : Sleep workshop:  Please note Liz is also facilitating a 3 session Sleep Improvement workshop at Sentient Being Wellness at Eltham on Friday 20th, Sat 21st & Friday 27th Feb.

A melting pot of sleep information and experiential Hypnotherapy.

For details contact Liz on 041 5665 822 or  www.stilwellinhealth.com

Ian Gawler Blog: Finding our true identity.

Most people seem pretty busy these days. So much “stuff” to do. So many people to take account of. Work, health, money, kids. Days hurry by. It can be easy to feel a bit lost amidst all the external activity.

So this week, a lyrical tale from out of Africa that offers a practical solution. Plus news from Mackay - I have accepted an invitation to speak there as Ruth and I trek further North. And yes, good news, the weather is getting warmer and the sun is shining as we head for Toowoomba after a full few days in Brisbane. The house-sitter reports 14 degrees and raining in the Yarra Valley. Oh well, the trees will be very happy! But first,

     
Thought for the day

This withdrawal from the day's turmoil 
into creative silence, 
is not a luxury, a fad, or a futility. 

It is a necessity

Because it tries to provide the conditions 
wherein we are able to yield ourselves 
to intuitive leadings, promptings, warnings, teachings, and counsels, 
and also to the inspiring peace of the soul. 
                              
                                   Paul Brunton
  





Consider this. When is a baby first conceived?

Imagine this. A woman decides she will have a child. Conception? She takes herself off and sits under a tree, listening for the song of the child that she will conceive. Once she hears it, she goes to the potential father and teaches him the song. Then they make love, pausing along the way to sing the song together. The couple sing the song to invite the child to join them.

The woman is in Africa, a member of the Himba tribe and this is how they do it.

Once the woman is pregnant, she teaches the child’s song to the midwives, the older women and other members of the village.

The child is born to the welcoming sound of its own song being gently sung by all those around about. As it grows, if it should be injured, face a transition like puberty or marriage, or do something wonderful; the child receives the support, the acknowledgement, the honouring of the people it knows through the agency of them singing its song.

Similarly, if at any stage in its life this person should do something inappropriate – a crime or something socially unacceptable – the villagers gather, form a circle, install the person in the centre and sing them their song.

Correction through love. And affirmation of identity. And a reminder of connection and the truth of
belonging. Gentle correction. Loving correction.

So the song is sung throughout life, and finally at the time of dying.


Different cultures have different traditions, but maybe something resonates when we read of such an extra-ordinary tradition as this. Maybe some yearning or nostalgia swells. A recognition of the value of connecting to the heart and how we need to be on guard to maintain this connection in a busy, largely secular world.

But then maybe too, it is as simple as taking ourselves off on our own from time to time and sitting silently. Maybe listening for our own song, or having it sung to us, is just one way of being reminded of our true identity and what is in our heart’s essence?




Maybe in the still, quiet centre of meditation
we can hear our own voice speak;
maybe even sing to us.


We could listen for that.


It will be easy to know when we hear it.


We will feel in tune with our life.





With thanks to The Mind Unleashed where I first read of this wonderful story.

RELATED BLOG
What distracts us

NOTICEBOARD

KNOW ANYONE IN MACKAY???

Health, Healing and the Mind comes to Mackay

I have been invited for the first time to speak in Mackay, so if you do happen to know anyone in that area, please do let them know. If you do happen to live nearby - come and say hello!!!

Date:          Friday 1st August 2014
Time:          6.30-9.30pm (arrive at 6 for a 6.30 start)
Venue:       Whitsunday Anglican School Pansy Wood Centre
                     2-12 Celeber Drive, North Mackay
Cost:           $28 pre-purchased online CLICK HERE       
                        or $35 at the door. Healthy light supper included
Enquiries: Sandra or Colin 0431 091 868 
                       or Email: iangawlerinmackay@hotmail.com

Ian Gawler Blog: Learn to relax, and change your life

We hear so much these days about mindfulness and meditation, yet relaxation is often overlooked or even dismissed. It seems relaxation has become the poor cousin of Mind-Body Medicine.

Having taught meditation for over 30 years now, it is my experience relaxation itself is incredibly useful, and without deep physical relaxation, mindfulness and meditation are far less effective.

So this week, how to deepen physical relaxation before meditating and how to maintain relaxation of body and mind in daily life. Only 4 weeks before the cancer residential Ruth and I will present in Auckland,  Cancer, Healing and Wellbeing - more detail later, but first, with the spirit of Easter still close by,





Thought for the day

Truly I tell you
If you have faith as small as a mustard seed
You can say to this mountain
‘Move from here to there,’ 
And it will move.
Nothing will be impossible for you.
                   
                       Matthew 17: 20, 21      






Why bother with learning to relax?
You may take up meditation to manage stress or to heal physically or mentally, to find more peace and balance in your life, to be more efficient at work or to perform better at sport, or to be a nicer person. All these things will be vastly assisted by beginning by learning to relax.

There is a beautiful synergy between relaxing the body and calming the mind. The more we relax the body, the more that relaxation flows on to calm the mind. The more we calm the mind, the more the mind sends out messages that relax the body. Therefore, when we bring concentration and mindfulness to the process of relaxing the body, this synergy leads to profound relaxation of both the body and the mind.

Mindfulness-Based Stillness Meditation
Mindfulness-Based Stillness Meditation (MBSM) is the style of meditation I have been teaching for over 30 years and it is very simple. There are four key steps, preparation, relaxation, mindfulness and stillness.

Preparation is to do with all the practical details of your meditation.


Relaxation comes second, and here we take time to learn how to relax our body and our mind. This


frees us to be in an ideal state to learn and practice mindfulness, and to then advance into the simple silence of meditation itself.


                   Cats are pretty good at relaxing


How to get started – a summary
The Progressive Muscle Relaxation (PMR) is an age old, well tried and tested, super reliable way of letting go of tension and stress, relaxing deeply and experiencing inner peace. Again, my feeling is that this technique may well be overlooked or disregarded by many meditators – to their disadvantage.

To learn the PMR, we learn how to pay attention to four things in each muscle group of the body, starting with the feet, then moving on to the calves, thighs and so on.

These are the 4 things we need to pay attention to
1. Notice how each area of the body feels when we first take our attention to it.

2. Contract the muscles in that area and hold the contraction long enough to notice the feeling that the tightening of the muscles creates.

3. Slowly and smoothly relax the muscles, noticing the feeling of tension releasing and the feeling of relaxation that follows.

4. Give attention to what that area feels like now that we have relaxed it.
We begin by noticing the feeling of relaxation in the muscles of the feet, then we work our way up through calves, thighs, tummy and so on up through the head.

Concentration and the PMR
As we practise the PMR exercise, we do need to concentrate. We concentrate on doing the contracting and relaxing of the muscles, and we particularly concentrate on the feeling as we go through the 4 steps described above.

However, it will work best if our concentration is light rather than too intense. As an analogy, consider a stringed instrument such as a violin or a guitar: if the strings are either too tight or too loose it will sound bad. The strings need just the right amount of tension for them to be in tune and for the instrument to sound its best.

So it is with the mind. If we are too relaxed, too ‘loose’, it will not work so well. Too intense, too serious, too much effort, and again it will not be so useful.

Mindfulness and the Progressive Muscle Relaxation exercise
There are two ways to do an exercise like the PMR. One way is to do it mindfully, the other is mindlessly. Mindfulness is simply concentrating on what we are doing in a way that is focused but free of judgment.

Mindlessness, on the other hand, is when we do not pay attention, when we do not concentrate, and when our mind wanders off and thinks about all sorts of other things.

The wandering mind

Almost everyone will find that, as they do these exercises, the mind will wander, so we need to use the vigilant part of our mind to notice when we do become distracted and, once we recognise this, to bring the mind gently back to the exercise again.

The key here is to avoid beating yourself up in the process. Be reassured that this is the normal experience. Especially for beginners, the mind does tend to wander and become distracted. We need to notice this and bring it back.



Beginning your practice
The text for the Progressive Muscle Relaxation exercise is in all my books. You can either learn the
script so that you can lead yourself through the exercise or you can use a CD or download to guide you through. You do not necessarily need to learn the scripts word-for-word, although you can if you prefer.

The PMR follows a simple pattern of contracting the muscles and relaxing them, starting with the feet and then moving progressively up through each significant muscle group of the body.

The phrases recommended for use between each set of muscles are intended to keep the mind focused and to build a feeling of relaxation all through the body. The fewer phrases you need to use to stay focused and the longer the gaps between the words before you become distracted, the simpler the whole exercise is and the better it works.

Of course, initially it can be helpful to be led by an experienced teacher through exercises like these, and many people find listening to CDs very useful, especially as beginners. But either way, the intention is to learn to do these exercises for yourself, and to repeat them until you master them in the way described.

Making progress
You will probably find within a week or two of beginning this practice that you can do the PMR without having to think about it too much. The next step is to simplify it. To learn to gain the same depth of relaxation more directly. So we learn to do the PMR without contracting the muscles first. Then even more simply. All this is in the books.

Do be warned that as you become more familiar with any exercise there is a tendency to lapse into doing it on automatic, in that way we describe as being mindless. So as you become more familiar and proficient with this and all the other exercises, remember to do them mindfully. The key principle is to pay attention and be interested in what you are doing; interested in that open, curious and non-judgmental way.



Concentration, mindfulness and relaxation


By concentrating on the feeling of relaxation in the body, it is as if we become absorbed in the feeling of relaxation itself. As we feel the body relax, the mind goes with it. The relaxation of the body flows into the mind. Our body is relaxed. Our mind is relaxed. And we simply rest in that feeling of relaxation.




               But then again, some dogs relax OK too!



How to proceed
In my experience this approach based on the PMR works well for many people. In fact, when I first started to teach meditation, this was all I taught. Many people reported developing a deep awareness of relaxation in both the body and the mind, and were satisfied with this as a reliable technique for meditation.

RELATED BLOGS
Slow down and go faster

RESOURCES

BOOK
 : Meditation – an In Depth Guide, Ian Gawler and Paul Bedson:  a useful manual to practice with, to study and refer to. Details : CLICK HERE

CDs and Downloads : A series of meditations to help support and develop your meditation has been prepared by my wife Ruth and myself : Details : CLICK HERE

Mindbody Mastery  - The on-line meditation program and support system I helped develop.
Details : CLICK HERE

NOTICEBOARD

1. Warrnambool:  Sunday May 4th, 2014

The heart and science of
Health, Healing and the Mind

Seeking to use the power of your mind
for health, healing and wellbeing ?

Interested in a deeper experience of meditation ?

What really is best to eat ?

• Dissolve every day stresses; experience mindfulness, relax effortlessly, meditate profoundly
• Discover the practical, life changing implications of neuroplasticity, epigenetics and telomere research
• Clarify your questions; be confident of eating well and living well – and enjoying it!

Ideal for people interested in evidence based health and wellbeing, disease prevention and management, for health professionals and for those seeking profound healing

Date: Sunday May 4th, 2014 : 10am (arrive 9.30) to 4pm
Venue: St Brigid's Community Center, 186 Port Fairy - Koroit Rd, Crossley 3283
Cost: $130, conc $90 Includes morning tea.  Please bring lunch to share.
Enquiries: Integrative Health Services - Rosemary Gleeson : 0447 6177 68
                    or email rosemarygleeson@ymail.com

Bookings: Online CLICK HERE 
                   or via telephone with Visa, Mastercard : call Angela on (03) 5966 6130



2. Cancer, Healing and Wellbeing : Auckland, May 16 - 23
This 8 day cancer recovery program residential program is evidence based and will be highly experiential. We will cover the full range of Integrative Medicine options, with the emphasis on what people can do for themselves – therapeutic nutrition, exercise and meditation, emotional health, positive psychology, pain management, the search for meaning and so on.

I will personally present the majority of the content but along with Ruth, participants will have the additional support and experience of Liz Maluschnig and Stew Burt; two very experienced and committed New Zealanders.
For details on this and the other cancer related residential programs for 2014 CLICK HERE

Meditation in the Forest

Ever wondered why people make the effort to go on a meditation retreat? Well there is the outcome and then there is the experience!

A meditation retreat provides the environment, the leadership, the like-minded company, and most importantly, the time and space to take time out, to unwind, to regain balance, to heal, to refresh, to re-evaluate, and so on. But then there is the experience; the opportunity, the ideal circumstances in which to deepen your experience of meditation.

So this week let us investigate what these deeper experiences of meditation are like (do not miss reading this wonderful, personal account), and how a meditation retreat like Meditation in the Forest that Ruth and I will present again Pre-Easter in the Yarra Valley can help us to actual “get it”.

The reason for writing of this is that at the last meditation retreat Ruth and I ran, Meditation Under the Long White Cloud in New Zealand, so many who came did have particularly good experiences and as a result went home really keen to keep meditating.

It seems these meditation retreats are a wonderful way in which we can directly help other people, so to be blunt, I would like to enthuse everyone who can to consider doing at least one retreat a year – either with us, or with someone else.


But first,

Thought for the day
Meditation provides a direct and reliable means 
to go beyond the activity of the ordinary thinking mind
enter into the deeper stillness of our mind
and to directly experience the truth of who we really are; 
what is in our heart’s essence.



Think about this. Are you meditating for the outcome or for the experience? 

The outcomes of meditation are well known: Resilience, relaxation, clarity of mind, increased vitality, performance, engagement, all the proven health and healing benefits. All very useful. All very reliable.

But then there is the experience of meditation: Deep, natural peace. The bliss and the inner contentment. What a relief! What a joy!

Again, a meditation retreat provides a unique opportunity to breakthrough into a deeper, more profound experience. Just the effort required to temporarily leave the busyness of daily life, to leave our home, our work, our friends, maybe even our family; all this preparation sets us up for something special to happen.




Traditionally, deserts, mountains and remote forests were the preferred locations for a meditation retreat.
A beautiful landscape can inspire us. A remote location reduces the distractions and helps to focus the mind.







Then there is the company. A good teacher and what traditionally is referred to as “Noble Company” – like-minded people who are also committed to the path of meditation, all add to the atmosphere that makes a deeper experience during a meditation retreat more likely.

Then there is what we bring to a retreat. Maybe the most important thing of all – ourselves! We bring our own good intentions and our own pure nature.

Sure we may have health issues – physically or psychologically; and sure, there is good reason to go on a meditation retreat for all the obvious health benefits. But to gain those benefits we need to practise, and the more we practise, the more the benefits.

However, I hear from so many people who find their practice of meditation to be somewhat difficult or disappointing. So they make the effort to meditate in the hope that their health, their life will get better. And often it does. But then when things are better, or when they start to feel as if the outcome seems unattainable, the meditation stops.

Now clearly, the best meditation practice is a life-long meditation practice! Meditation helps in so many ways, yet if we do not enjoy doing it, we are highly likely to lapse.


Hence the value of attending a meditation retreat. Take time out, make the time, create the

circumstances, go to a suitable place with suitable people and away you go. Relax, Let go. Allow the dust to settle. Allow daily concerns to drop by the way. Allow yourself to go beyond the activity of the thinking mind and enter into the deeper experiences of meditation.


“I felt as if a hood had been taken off my head and I saw, really saw for the first time in my life.

“As all this began, I could feel the anticipation that something extraordinary was unfolding, yet at the same time there was quite an apprehension. It was like being on the edge of a cliff, a cliff with a huge drop and an almost fathomless dark emptiness below it. 

"The apprehension moved into what was almost like a mortal dread; I felt as if I really could die if I was to go over the edge. But perhaps because I have been quite diligent with my meditation practice for so long, perhaps because so often it has been difficult, perhaps because I did persevere these last few years because I really wanted the outcomes - I was almost desperate for the benefits I knew meditation could bring for my health; perhaps because of all this, now I was determined to stay with the fear, to stay with the experience.

“As I did so, my fear intensified, but I remembered the instructions. "Let go". "Jump!" 

"It was very visual, very sensory. It was like I was really doing this. I jumped. My heart was in my mouth. I felt as if I was falling. Tumbling. Spinning. And then everything dissolved into light. At first it was an intense ball of light, then it grew and grew until it was just all-consuming light. It was as if the light was all through me. I was the light and the light was me.

“ It is almost impossible to describe the feeling adequately. It was rapturous. More; I was ecstatic, and the feeling lasted for days. Actually, it is still with me. I see things differently now. Life seems so unbelievably precious, I see the good in everybody and all fear of death has gone. I smile and laugh at just about everything these days, and in every way my health has never been better. I know I will never be the same again”.

The fact is that these experiences are real. They can come in different forms. The account above, from a couple of years back, followed a particular pattern. For others it can unfold in different ways. Yet the secret is to focus on the process, not the outcome. If the experience becomes another outcome to seek, then it may prove very elusive. The wise thing to do is to enter into an environment where one can have the confidence, support and guidance to let go. Completely. Then the experience comes. Then the experience can be ever with you. Then the experience will be something you can come back to. Then you will be keen to meditate for the sake of the meditation itself; for the experience, not just the outcome.

COMING EVENTS
Meditation in the Forest : April 11 – 17, 2014

The regular Pre-Easter meditation retreat Ruth and I present is on in the Yarra Valley again in 2014. This retreat is specifically designed to assist you into the deeper experience of meditation so that you can go home confident of what meditation is really like and enthused to enjoy your own regular, on-going meditation practice.

This meditation retreat is usually fully booked, so it  may be wise to register soon.


This year there will also be a particular focus on the theory, practise and experience of contemplation. For details CLICK HERE

RELATED BLOGS
Learning contemplation

Retreat and go forwards

Meditation in the Desert

NEWS
Being on retreat myself, there will be no new blog for 2 weeks.

Meditation’s 3 great gifts

For some reason most probably to do with those delightful but mischievous creatures known as computer gremlins, this blog dropped out of the ethers, so I am re-posting. Apologies for any inconvenience to those who have read it already, I think it one of the better ones for those yet to read it!

Why do so many people meditate these days? What is really on offer? Are you missing out? Or are you experiencing meditation’s 3 major benefits?

This week, we go Out on a Limb, go to the heart of meditation and seek to understand why it is so reliable as a stress-free way to manage stress.

Also, more details on the tour of New Zealand that starts with an evening public talk in Auckland on Thursday 14th November and includes workshops and retreats around the country – details CLICK HERE.

Then breaking news with a very important piece of research examining the effects of taking multi-vitamin/mineral supplements on the lifespan of women with breast cancer, but first

Thought for the day:
In meditation the mind keeps wandering.
We keep bringing it back, and it wanders again.
And we bring it back again, and so it goes on,
Maybe for months and years, until at last the mind becomes stabilised . . .
Thoughts go roving around in the head,
But if we bring them down into the heart, that is, the centre of the person,
They come to rest.
Fr Bede Griffiths. River of Compassion: A Christian Commentary on the Bhagavad Gita.

Being asked to speak at the Happiness and its Causes conferences in Brisbane and Perth this week on the topic of stress and anxiety set me to think deeply about why meditation is such a reliable and all-encompassing antidote to both. This led to understanding meditation's 3 great gifts.

Now to be clear, when I speak of meditation, I speak of learning to relax deeply in a physical sense, and then to go beyond the activity of the thinking mind into a deeper stillness.

In fact, meditation introduces us, or perhaps just makes abundantly clear, that the mind does have these two aspects; there is the active thinking mind and the still mind.

The thinking mind is the domain of stress – how we perceive things, how we interpret things. Clearly a great deal of stress is to do with how we think. To a large extent it is the thinking mind that determines the stress we may or may not experience.

The still mind is beyond all this. The still mind is calm and clear. The still mind is highly creative, highly productive, but it is the domain of deep, natural peace.

How then to help the thinking mind let go of stress, to become clear and calm, to become stress free?

First an analogy. If we were interested in the true nature of the sky but had never seen it before; and went outside on a cloudy grey day, we could form the view that the sky was this grey fluffy stuff that filled the space above us.

However, those of us who do have a little more familiarity with the sky; we know of course that clouds as we call them are only one part of the sky. There is a second part, a second aspect – that big blue canopy we are so familiar with and that is so evident on a cloud-free day.

Those of us that are more familiar with the sky know that clouds come and go, the blue canopy is always there. So even on the cloudiest, stormiest, wildest of days, sooner or later the clouds do clear and there it is. It was always there of course, that clear blue sky, it is just that sometimes the clouds obscure it from our direct sight.

So, the analogy is good. With our minds, thoughts come and go all the time; they are ever-changing and impermanent. Happy thoughts, stressful thoughts. They come and they go. But sooner or later they will clear, and reveal this deeper stillness, the more fundamental enduring, stable aspect of our mind.

So there is the active and the still mind. Meditation provides a reliable way to go beyond the activity of thinking mind and directly experience the stillness of the more fundamental or true nature of our mind. And in doing so, meditation offers 3 major benefits: Profound Peace, Natural Balance, and the View.

Profound Peace speaks for itself. There is a natural ease, an inner clarity and confidence that comes with meditation that provides a profoundly effective antidote to stress.

But more, this profound peace, coupled with deep physical relaxation brings Natural Balance to our whole being. Physically our body chemistry and physiology regains its natural balance. It is like meditation resets our factory settings and recalibrates the physiological changes we know accompany adverse stress, and over time becomes our default setting.

So this is how meditation diffuses stress and anxiety – with a return to a natural, healthy balance. But there is still more! This natural balance flows on to be experienced as emotional balance, mental balance; there is even a deep sense of connectedness and a natural rise of love, compassion and altruism – a spiritual balance.

And perhaps even more profoundly, meditation offers a new perspective. We begin to see the world, and our life, not just from the perspective of the ever-changing “thinking mind”, but also from a more profound vantage point – that of the still mind, the true nature of our mind.

The View is a word that is used to encapsulate how we view the world, how we interpret our life. What meaning and purpose we experience in this life. Our View is tied up with our values, our ethics, our habits, and our beliefs. How we live our life.

Now, our View of course is radically affected by our perspective. For those whose perspective does happen to lead them to think that all they are is just this body, it is easy to imagine how they “over-identify” with their body image and their physical health and in doing so become highly stress-prone.

For those whose perspective or View is such that they conclude life is all about relationships, and in so doing over-identify with their partner or children, or even their community, it is easy to imagine how the ups and downs of life will make them particularly vulnerable to chronic stress.

For those whose View is that life is all about mental reason, and as a consequence over-identify with the rational, logical, scientific aspects of their mind, it is easy to imagine how the mysteries of life, the unexplainable, the new, the challenging makes them significantly prone to stress.

So, one elegant definition of stress is “over-identification with the wrong part of our self”.

Body, emotions and mind are very important, but they are not who we really are. Over-identifying with them will mean we are bound to be stressed, maybe even full on anxious.

When we change our perspective, everything changes. If we have a problem, as we see it, and we fixate on it, it is like holding an egg to our eye – we can see nothing. It is a big problem and it obscures everything. However, if we hold the egg at arms-length, we recognise it for what it is. It is an egg with loads of possibilities, loads of potential.

So meditation introduces us to who we really are, what is in our heart’s essence. And in doing so, meditation offers three great gifts Profound Peace, Natural Balance and the View.

Truly meditation offers a unique pathway to stress free stress-management.

RELATED BLOGS
Meditation in 4 easy steps

NOTICEBOARD
Ruth and I will be presenting a range of public talks, workshops and retreats around New Zealand
in November/December.

We start with an evening Public Talk in Auckland on Thursday November 14th (which will be followed up by a weekend in Auckland on November 30th and December 1st), then there are a range of other events.

We are delighted to be including our first meditation retreat in New Zealand (which quite a few Aussies have also booked for already!) - December 2 -8.

Please do let anyone you may know in NZ about the visit -  all the details are on my new public Facebook page: Dr Ian Gawler,    or the website.

NEWS
An important new study has shown that taking a regular multivitamin and mineral supplement (MVM) significantly reduced mortality for women over 50 with breast cancer.


Given how contentious the supplement issue has been in cancer medicine for years, and how often people tell me that their oncologists have told them MVM will reduce the benefits of treatments and give advice not to take them, this study adds weight to a growing body of research that does support their use.


Here is a short summary of the abstract and the reference for the full article.



This prospective study followed the effects of MVM use on breast cancer mortality in postmenopausal women diagnosed with invasive breast cancer. It included 7,728 women aged 50-79 at 40 clinical sites across the United States and followed them for a mean of 7.1 years after breast cancer diagnosis.



In adjusted analyses, breast cancer mortality was 30 % lower in MVM users as compared to non-users (HR = 0.70; 95 % CI 0.55, 0.91). This association was highly robust and persisted after multiple adjustments for potential confounding variables and in propensity score matched analysis (HR = 0.76; 95 % CI 0.60-0.96). 



The results suggest a possible role for daily MVM use in attenuating breast cancer mortality in women with invasive breast cancer but the findings require confirmation.



Wassertheil-Smoller S et al, Breast Cancer Res Treat. Multivitamin and mineral use and breast cancer mortality in older women with invasive breast cancer in the women's health initiative; 2013 Oct; 141(3):495-505. doi: 10.1007/s10549-013-2712-x. Epub 2013 Oct 9.

For the full reference, CLICK HERE

Ian Gawler Blog: Meditation in the Desert – A photographic essay

It is not just a cliché; a picture IS worth a thousand words. Well sometimes at least…

Truth is, it is hard to convey the atmosphere of the central Australian desert in words, much less what it is like to meditate for a week there and then spend time with senior indigenous leaders from the area.

So this week, just back from Meditation in the Desert, lots of photos and a few words – a glimpse of what this amazing experience really was like.

Then how you can get a significant discount (20%) to attend the Happiness and its Causes Conference I am honoured to be speaking at in Brisbane and Perth, and news of a TV appearance and my last public event in Melbourne this year: Mind-Body medicine in daily life with Dr Nimrod Sheinman. But first

Thought for the day
The more and more you listen,
The more and more you hear.
The more and more you hear,
The deeper and deeper your understanding becomes.
                  Dudjom Rinpoche


MEDITATION IN THE DESERT

We gathered in Alice Springs. From the UK, New Zealand and all around Australia, drawn by the allure of the desert, a traditional place for retreat, and the not so far away Uluru or Ayer’s Rock.

We travelled out the Tanami Track, then wound our way in to settle just North of Simpson’s Gap, looking across to the Western Macdonnell Ranges.














Hamilton Downs is a heritage pioneer station now used for school and other groups. We came under the heading of “Other”!













We were welcomed into the area by Peter Latz who grew up at remote Hermansburg amidst the local indigenous people.

A long time friend of Ruth, Peter was introduced as one who has become a world authority on desert plants and the land management techniques of the aboriginals.

A fascinating, earthy walk and talk ensued as Peter took us from one
food source to another in what might seem to city folk to be a harsh and barren landscape.













Many elected to sleep under the stars in a swag in the nearby sandy river bed.















We met for my talks and to meditate together under a protective canopy.
















Our cook turned out to be sensational. A vegetarian himself, Ken made our food from fresh, mostly organic ingredients and the taste was fabulous.














Everyone took turns to help – mindfulness at work – and a welcome opportunity to put some of the theory and sitting practice into action. Integration.

The day started with gentle yoga led by Ruth. Gentle stretching at everyone’s individual pace and a welcome way to prepare for the day.














Walking meditation came in two forms. Slow and short to provide an interlude, a stretch and some integration between meditation sessions.

Longer and a little quicker for more exercise, a different means to integration, and a good way to move the body.














We sat together and shared stories.

















Took a group photo to mark the occasion!















Then largely due to Ruth’s long-term connections with Alice Springs and indigenous people from the area, the fact I have been there many times too, and our old friend Peter Yates who has remarkable connections and experience, we were treated to several days with senior local people who offered some authentic insights into their world, their customs, their lives.











Peter Yates with Johnny Possum Japaljarri

















The men watched a stick being crafted into a boomerang – an amazing ancient craft.

















Then those who felt to were painted up for dancing.

Natural ochres.

Deeply personal.

Headbands made to measure.

Then led by Japaljarri and dancing in front of the women.

Touching something profound inside.

Deeply satisfying.
















The women were led with singing and painting as those who chose to prepared to be painted and to dance.















Singing and painting.



Talking and laughing and painting.















Such a sense of community and ritual and touching that same something deep inside.



A profound experience for all.







This was the fifth time Ruth and I have presented Meditation in the Desert. To be frank, it takes a great deal of organizing, but it has to be one of the best things we do. The powerful and multiple effects of connecting people with the desert, meditating together in that incredibly supportive atmosphere and then spending time with authentic aboriginal people is hard to put into words.

In a couple of weeks I will post images from the post-retreat tour where we visited Kings Canyon and the Rock, connecting again with more aboriginal people and culture.

The feedback this year has been so positive, and the requests to keep it going so frequent, plus the fact that we would like to maintain the regularity of the good connections we have with the indigenous people at the retreat and on the post retreat tour, that we have decided to commit to Meditation in the Desert 2014.

Yes, that is correct, we hope to do it again next year!

 We have tentatively booked Hamilton Downs again for September 5 to 14 2014. However, it will take a while to confirm we can get all the pieces together and to be in the position to say it is definitely on (about a month I am guessing). But you may like to keep the dates free for now!

This is a uniquely Australian event that for meditators really can be the experience of a lifetime.

RELATED BLOG
Meditation in the desert – the program and other details

NOTICEBOARD
1. Day seminar with Dr Nimrod Sheinman coming soon
MIND-BODY MEDICINE in DAILY LIFE
Relaxation, meditation and creative imagery for health, business, healing and wellbeing. A healthy lunch is included.  For details and to book CLICK HERE

2. New TV segment screening soon with Dr Francis Macnab
St Michaels Church in Melbourne has a 13 episode programme on Channel 31 called Conversations with Macnab (Dr Francis Macnab that is). They are broadcast at 7:30 am Saturday mornings and there are 11 programmes remaining.

The one on Saturday 5th October will be a conversation between Francis and myself that Francis led during a church service several weeks ago. There is an introduction by Roger Hersey, himself a long-term cancer survivor, then a fairly wide-ranging and punchy interview.

If you are unable to get Channel 31, it will be posted on YouTube.

3. Happiness and its Causes 
One of the World’s very best Mind-Body medicine conferences. Engaging, inspiring , informative – I am speaking and presenting workshops, and you can come with a 20% discount!
The Happiness & Its Causes Roadshow is coming to Brisbane & Perth!        4 & 5 November 2013 

Brisbane Convention & Exhibition Centre 7 & 8 November 2013 
Perth Convention & Exhibition Centre

Be part of the first ever Happiness & Its Causes Roadshow! Join us for one action packed conference day and one day of in-­‐depth workshops. Be dazzled by a faculty of 20+ international, interstate and local speakers – leaders in psychology, science, education, business, spirituality, the arts and more!

GIVEN I AM SPEAKING, AS ONE OF MY CONTACTS, YOU ARE ENTITLED TO A 20% DISCOUNT 
> For the Brisbane event: book online using promotion code ECJS
> For the Perth event: book online using promotion code AYDZ

Or call (02) 8719 5118 to register. Workshops are also discounted and can be booked separately.
KEYNOTES INCLUDE:

• Associate Professor Michael F Steger, USA, coaching psychologist and international authority in the study of meaning and the quality of life
  
• Eve Ekman, USA, expert working with emotion and mindfulness to reduce stress and burnout while enhancing 'professional empathy' in the workplace (Perth only)
  
• Professor Michael Corballis, New Zealand, outstanding cognitive neuroscientist and science communicator (Brisbane only)
  
• Dr Ian Gawler, Australia's most well known cancer survivor and mind-­‐body medicine pioneer
  
• Dr Suzy Green, respected researcher and positive education expert
  
• Dr Sarah Edelman, acclaimed clinical psychologist and best-­‐selling author of Change Your Thinking
  
• Dr Adam Fraser, innovative educator and researcher on human performance
  
• Dr Timothy Sharp, leading clinical psychologist and founder of The Happiness Institute
  
• Sue Langley, thought leader and trainer in emotional intelligence and neuroleadership
  
• Dr Craig Hassed, GP, lecturer and author on holistic paths to wellbeing
  
• Maggie Hamilton, researcher, regular media commentator, internationally published author and
  keen observer of social trends ... plus many more!
  www.happinesanditscauses.com.au/roadshow/brisbane www.happinessanditscauses.com.au/roadshow/perth 
  

Ian Gawler Blog: Mind-Body Medicine in daily life – the big 3

We hear so much about the wide-ranging benefits of Mind-Body Medicine these days. Relief from stress and anxiety, mind made healing, the power of the mind. So many possibilities.

The recurring question I have been asked over many years is “How do I apply this in daily life? What works best? Where do I start? What next?”

Well, it comes down to three things. So this week we examine the big three with the intention of making clear how Mind-Body Medicine can bring comfort and ease, along with chronic good health into a busy, modern life.

Then details of new events along these lines in Melbourne and around New Zealand; but first

Thought for the day
Recent definition of meditation

Learning to focus our attention 
and suspend the stream of thoughts 
that normally occupy our mind

from the (USA) National Centre for Complementary and Alternative Medicine 





The Big 3 of Mind-Body Medicine
Number 1. RELAXATION
Yes, simple old relaxation. Well perhaps quite not so simple in that Mind-Body relaxation involves relaxation of body and mind.

But a major principle. Based on many years of experience, it is my view that many people, books, even institutions fail to recognize the importance of physical relaxation. The point?

The basic tenet of Mind-Body Medicine is that the mind and the body are connected. A tense body equates with unhealthy changes in the body’s biochemistry and physiology. If we want to have a healthy body, we need to be free of physical tension.

Now, it is possible to be mindful in a tense body. It is possible to do creative imagery or meditation in a tense body. And yes, maybe enough mindfulness, imagery or meditation does enable us to let go of tension. But in my experience it can take years and some never seem to get there. What about you? Ever met a tense meditator?

The answer? Take time to learn, practice and become proficient at relaxing the body and the mind. Start with the body, allow it to flow into the mind. Number 1 taken care of!

Number 2. MEDITATION
For simplicity we will include mindfulness, contemplation, and imagery in this process of training the mind. All are useful. All warrant serious attention with more time dedicated to learning, practicing and become proficient.

Number 2 taken care of in 3 lines! Could take a little longer in practice, but well worth the effort.

Number 3: POSITIVE THINKING
Yes, good old positive thinking. So under-rated. So misunderstood.

When I speak of positive thinking I speak of studying how the mind works and using it intelligently to best advantage.

Clearly it is the mind that changes everything and in Mind-Body Medicine we recognise that the mind decides what we eat and how much of it, what we drink, whether we smoke or exercise, how we manage our relationships, our own mind and our spiritual life.

At the very least, positive thinking is about how we make decisions and how we follow them through. So there is a huge difference between “wishful thinking”, which is when you hope for the best and do nothing about it; and “positive thinking” which is when you hope for the best and do a lot about it.

Positive thinking is not just a state of mind, commonly it is an invitation to quite a deal of focused hard work!

So Number 3 is using the thinking mind intelligently.

PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER.
Again the common question: Where to start? Well, I usually suggest meditation. Meditation that takes Mind-Body Medicine into account and so begins with a focus on relaxing the body and calming the mind. Instant relief from stress and anxiety. A rapid calming and clearing of the mind so that decisions seem easy to make and the confidence is there to follow them through to conclusion.

Sure it makes good sense to develop all three, but meditation is at the heart of Mind-Body Medicine.

COMING EVENTS
Ruth and I are fortunate to be hosting a world authority in Mind-Body Medicine during October. Dr Nimrod Sheinman has taught mindfulness and creative imagery techniques in a wide range of settings – including Universities, schools and hospitals. He and I will present a day seminar in Melbourne, then combine with Ruth for a 5 day retreat/training for individuals and health practitioners in the Yarra Valley.

In November and December, Ruth and I travel to beautiful New Zealand for a series of seminars, evening talks and retreats – see below for details.

We hope to re-connect with those of you who live locally at one of these events. Please help others know about them by sharing this blog post.

NOTICEBOARD - for full details, CLICK on the highlighted sections

1. With Dr Nimrod Sheinman
i) MIND-BODY MEDICINE in DAILY LIFE. Sunday, October 20th - day seminar
Relaxation, meditation and creative imagery for health, business, healing and wellbeing

ii) IMAGES, WORDS and SILENCE  October 28th - November 1st
Five day training/retreat for those interested in mind made healing – either for personal use or as a health professional.
With Dr Nimrod Sheinman, Ruth and myself in the Yarra Valley.

2. NEW ZEALAND
i) AUCKLAND
       Evening Public Lecture: Medicine of the Mind.  Thursday November 14th.
Let go of stress, activate healing, maximise performance in all you do. The power of the mind at work in everyday life.
       Weekend workshop: A New Way of Living
Saturday November 30th: Meditation and the power of the mind
Sunday December 1st: Living Well, Being Well –
A way of living that generates good health, profound healing and log-term wellbeing.

iii) Rotorua: Health, Healing and Wellbeing – Saturday November 16th - day seminar
The essence of what Ian has found most helpful.

iv) Christchurch: Inner peace, Outer health. Sunday November 24th.
A free event - find peace and clarity amidst troubled times.

v) Nelson: Mind-Body Medicine in Daily Life. Evening of November 26th.
Relaxation, meditation and creative imagery for health, business, healing and wellbeing

vi) Meditation Under the Long White Cloud. December 2nd – 8th. Seven day meditation retreat – the first from Ian and Ruth in New Zealand - at Mana Retreat Centre.
Ian will detail how to deepen your understanding and experience of relaxation, mindfulness and meditation; then he and Ruth will guide you into the direct experience of inner peace.

vii) Five day follow-up cancer program.
Specifically for people who have attended a CanLive program in NZ, or Gawler Foundation program. November 18 – 22 at Wanaka out of Queenstown - one of the most beautiful environments there is.

RESOURCES
My books, CDs and CD downloads are all now available once more on line: CLICK HERE
Downloads going to all parts of the world!





Ruth and I are leading
Meditation in the Desert
in the incredible, meditative
Central Australian Desert
so there will be no new post for 2 weeks.