Costa Women Blogs

La Japonesa   Inward eyes  –  tranquillity A barca floats, the river running Not still but deep Oh river running The timeless peace is monumental This lady`s face is transcendental Speaking wordless, worlds in silence River running, river running The icon so, some graven image Flickers in a moment`s sight Swiftly passed as birds in flight But burnt forever on the mind Is still the image, though we`re blind Her memory is of our kind.     5/9/2016

All the Rest   I would like to rest in the shadow of your smile I would like to go along the road a bit and lean on your arm for the last mile or so   for a little while and take the time to hear the music of the years tumble past my ears   I would like to rest for a space with the kindness in your face and a little gentleness would not be out of place.   A song for living might be seemly here I`ve gratitude for a loving touch and thoughts of grace….

Every day of our lives we take risks, although some of the time we are unaware of it. For instance, we take a risk every time we hurry down the stairs to answer the door. We could fall and cause ourselves...

Sit back and “listen to the music” in our interview this week with Jannice Jones –   singer, songwriter and just about to launch of her new Album with Karn Harding “Woman In My Prime”. Fiona talks to Jannice about the “costawomen” affect and how music tells her story about love, loss and finding herself. Click video to watch.  And Jannice needs your help! Listen to the clips and vote for your favourite to become THE single (and buy your faves) https://store.cdbaby.com/cd/jannicejones  

Democracy is an ideal of the western world. We associate it with values like equality, justice and freedom. We want it in our countries, our jobs and families. We want to be treated in democratic way: to be taken into consideration and listened to. Democracy feels right. It is easy to notice and criticize its absence. Now, have you ever looked into your own, inner, personal world? What kind of system does organize your life? How democratic, interested and open are you towards the voices, conflicts and differences that exist inside you? Are you a benevolent, understanding and democratic ruler or a heartless, dominating despot? Do you listen to all even the smallest, shivering and insecure voices? How about the parts of you that are abandoned or denied? How much freedom of speech do you allow them? How about so called “negative feelings” or suppressed desires? They deserve to be acknowledged, recognized and felt too. They also have a right to take a floor and be listened to. Take a democratic turn on your inner world, ask the dominant, Great Critic to be quiet for a moment and listen to all your inner voices. Be mindful of each one. Maybe the secret of your happiness is hiding there; apply democracy, practice mindfulness.

Have you wondered if there’s something else than sitting down in lotus position to help you feel more relaxed? Most of us have heard of meditation. Usually when we hear the word ‘meditation’ we get the image of sitting down and focusing on breathing. I have used creative methods with my clients and have been teaching mindfulness drawing to groups. Why? Because many activities can be considered meditative. Let’s focus today on mindfulness drawing.   I will teach you the basics right now.   You don’t need to know how to draw at all. Most of my group participants haven’t drawn since childhood and that is really common.   You just need a few basic things to get started: When you want to have those quiet moments just for yourself, it’s important to be in environment where you are not disturbed. If you are just starting out, 10-15 min. is a really good start. Grab a paper and a pencil and something you want to draw. It can be a coffee mug or anything you can find. Hold your pen sideways to get more softer lines. Look at what you want to draw and focus on the shape. Start drawing and don’t erase any lines. This is important! Every line is perfect. Let go of any thoughts of perfection, this is your interpretation of what you are seeing and what your hand can produce right now.   Good to know:Your mind is going to wander off in seconds. It’s important to bring yourself back to the drawing and focus only on what you are seeing. Your mind wonders because you are human. The key to mindfulness drawing is noticing when your thoughts drift to other things, past or present. When you notice this happening, bring yourself back to the present moment. It can feel uncomfortable and frustrating at first. With practice and time you will develop a new skill that will help you create those peaceful moments in the now.   One of my Mindfulness Drawing group participant said: “When I was noticing my thoughts and bringing myself back to the drawing, I could stay in the present moment a little bit longer every time. It was great!”   We have thousands and thousands of thoughts every day. Our mind can be really busy creating worst case scenarios of what could happen in the future or remembering awful things that happened in the past. We need those quiet times when we can let go of those thoughts that are not helpful.   Give this a go and let me know how you are feeling after your first few practise times! More about me: costacounsellor.com