Falun Dafa

My husband is a Falun Dafa practitioner.

In a nutshell, Falun Dafa is a high-level cultivation practise that is guided by the universal characteristics of Truth, Compassion and Tolerance. It's a spiritual practise governed by teachings similar to Buddhism and comprises five exercises, not unlike Qi Gong. It's classes are free (always), and are practised in almost every nation. With one exception - China. In China, people are banned from practising Falun Dafa, and it has been made illegal. At this moment there are thousands of Falun Dafa practitioners imprisoned in hard labour camps, and many have died for their beliefs. Hardly something you'd expect in today's day and age, is it? It is lauded in nations such as Australia, Canada, the USA and the United Kingdom, yet outlawed in it's nation of conception. Why? The answer is simple. Fear. The Chinese Communist Party was unable to 'contain' the practice when it first became popular and for fear of it 'taking over', decided to declare it illegal. Practitioners are unable to express their beliefs, practise their exercises or read their books. To the CCP it is an evil cult, and they have done, and continue to do, anything in their power to stop it in its tracks, despite pleas from other nation's governments, Amnesty International and other protesters. Could you imagine if our government decided that yoga, or Christianity was illegal, and that those who practised them were to be arrested? The CCP's behaviour is abominable.

Falun Dafa is good. It is upright and highly moral, with practitioners only striving to improve their lives both physically and spiritually. I have seen it first hand for the last 11 years.

Last weekend we went to the Health Harmony Soul expo, where our local Falun Dafa group had a stand. My son was chosen to take part in the stage demonstration of the exercises. We were very, very proud, but not as proud as he was!




NB. To my family in Hong Kong, I hope that you will still be able to read my blog. It's likely that it will now be placed on the banned list!

School's back...

So my boys have flown the coop. Just one little baby chick left at home with Mummy now. Finally some girl time!


I was so proud this morning. My big boy has started Grade 2, and has a wonderful teacher, so I know he will continue to excel and be happy. He will be a little outnumbered by girls this year though - it's about 2:1! He only has two friends from last year in his class, but he has never been one to be shy. I guarantee that by the end of the day he will have already made a couple of new 'best friends'. Despite a dream breakfast, teeth and getting dressed run, the morning didn't start as smoothly as it should have. Leaving all your books at home isn't a great way to begin! All's well that ends well though, and 'responsibility' has become the key word for the day.


My baby boy started prep today too. Such a big year for a little one, and a monumental day for all of us. The first true day of independence. He has to grow up now. I'm not sure I'm completely at ease with that, but like the last time I experienced it, I'm sure I'll grow from it too. He was a little anxious to start, although he didn't admit it. His quietness was the telltale sign for me. However when he saw that several of his kindy pals would be joining him in class, his excitement was almost palpable. He had no problems waving me goodbye!



So now it's time to get some plans into action. This week we'll take it easy and just ease on into the first term. Next week though I need get my act together and sort out birthday presents, swimming lessons, Scouts, home renovations, finish booking our holiday, and give the house a good once over! So many cupboards need sorting, and my blinds are hideous! For now though.... it's time for a cuppa and a rest. This school gig is hard work!

Perspective

This video is just incredible. It puts everything into perspective.

Watch it here.

Let me know what you think....

How we spent our morning

A trip to the mountains for a beautiful nature walk...



We discovered fairy trees, found cicada shells, wondered at the smells of the earth, watched bats in flight, searched for glow worms, listened to the water fall, and found dinosaur footprints in the rocks...



We played hopscotch on the rocky stairs...



We picniced under the ancient canopy...



One the way home we swam and skimmed rocks in the babbling creek...









What a wonderful part of the world we live in! And we are going to do it all over again tomorrow - just because we can...

In the summertime

A lesson well learned

Last week I participated in a very basic and brief CPR Awareness course. When I arrived I laughed to myself and wondered what on earth I was getting myself into. I was the youngest there by about 40 years! It had obviously been well advertised in the local nursing home. I sat down, trying to be oblivious to the stares coming from all sets of eyes, and prepared myself to learn. I think in the end, most were grateful for a young mind in the room as I was the only one who asked questions, and tried to clarify what we were being taught. I even received a second round of applause at certificate time for being the youngest!

Having never taken this kind of course, I was amazed at how simple CPR really is. I think in the past I was put off with having to remember so much information. Without going into it all, we simply learnt - DR ABC.

D - Danger (check for danger to us, bystanders and the patient)
R - Response (does the patient respond to talking, touching etc)

A - Airways (are airways obstructed)
B - Breathing (look, listen and feel for breath)
C - CPR (cardio-pulmonary resuscitation. This was the interesting part for me. I always thought the point of this was to restart the heart, when in fact it is used to keep the oxygen flowing through the body until paramedic help arrives.)

We practised on dummies until we had DR ABC down pat. I left feeling confident that should the need arise, I would be able to administer basic care for a patient, and today I almost had to do just that.

Whilst shopping in the dairy aisle at Coles, an elderly lady collapsed next to me. From the moaning and groaning, I knew she wasn't unconscious, but she was in pain and couldn't move. Before I realised what I was doing, I had her rolled onto her side, and was asking her the questions we'd been taught to ask. 'Can you hear me?', 'Can you squeeze my fingers?', etc. By that stage some Coles staff members had begun to crowd around, and I asked one to call an ambulance, and asked others to get a pillow and a blanket. It was very cold on the floor in the dairy aisle! Someone had managed to find the nurse who was travelling with the old lady and her nursing home friends, and by this stage my job was done. My kids sat quietly, open mouthed during the ordeal, but my oldest son spoke up when we were asked what had happened. He had seen her reach for some yoghurt. She then dropped it and attempted to pick it up when she lost her balance. She was a heavy lady using a walking frame, and she dropped with a mighty thump. I was very proud of him for speaking up so confidently. The poor soul was taken off on the ambulance stretcher, and we left to finish our shopping.

The children have been full of questions since then. 'How do they strap her into the stretcher?', 'Does the stretcher roll around in the ambulance?', 'Where will they take her?', 'Will she be ok?'.... I've done my best to assure them she will be fine, but have also taken the opportunity to educate them a little about looking after someone who is hurt.

I guess the moral of this story is that we should all have a basic understanding of CPR, and the handling of sick or injured people. As mothers this is especially important. Whilst we wish and hope that we'll never need to use it, there is always the possibility that we might. I feel proud that I was able to assist today, even in the small way that I did, and I'm ever so grateful to my Mum for making do the CPR course. Thanks Mum!

NB. Please do not take the above information as CPR instructions. These are merely to illustrate my story. CPR training needs to be performed by a professional, and I suggest you contact your local ambulance station for information on courses.

Solitude - How can we get some?

When we cannot bear to be alone, it means we do not properly value the only companion we will have from birth to death - ourselves. ~Eda LeShan

Being alone may be frightening for some, or seemingly impossible to obtain for others. But solitude is to me, one of the most important elements of personal growth. I love the company of others - friends, family, companions - but I like my own company just as much, if not better. I enjoy not needing to talk, not needing to explain, and not needing to be concerned about the welfare of anyone but myself. It gives me time to think and to feel, to create or do nothing, if I so choose.

As women we often feel that having time on our own is selfish, or not the right thing to do. Without it though, we risk becoming nothing but a machine, programmed to churn out everything for everyone else, leaving us no energy or no will to become one with ourselves. No time to just sit and question, 'Who am I?', or 'What do I want to become?'.

Our ancestors had the answer. Many of you may have heard of 'menstruation huts', 'red tents' or 'moon lodges'. In ancient times, women were honoured and revered when it was their time to bleed, and during this part of the month, many retreated to their huts or lodges. Food was brought to them, and they were given time off from homely duties, thus giving them time to turn inward. Time for solitude. Most women cycled together (as some women who live together today do), bleeding on the new moon and ovulating at the full moon. This meant that their chores and duties were left to the men and to the children who were old enough to take on these responsibilities. This was part of life. Menstruation wasn't a curse, or an inconvenience. Women were considered magical beings who could bleed for days without dying, when warriors would fall with a single wound! Ancient women had days alone, in solitude, and it was expected of them. It was healing. It gave them the rejuvenation they needed to be able to work hard for the other 3 weeks of the month.

I can't always get time alone. Sometimes I rarely get time to think! Life is busy, and life as a mother of three is hectic! It's not practical these days to expect that we can shut ourselves off for 4 to 5 days a month. We work, we raise families and we run our homes. Today we don't live in communally, and mainstream thought processes are different. We are expected to just 'get on with it'! I wonder how many of our pre-menstrual symptoms, and things like cramping would be eliminated if we were allowed the time our ancestors had? Food for thought...

Anyway, from now on, I am giving myself permission to rest and rejuvenate when my cycle tells me to. The house won't run itself, but I will choose what gets done and what doesn't. What doesn't get done, will wait. I will use those days to reflect, to sit and read, to quietly let my body do what women's bodies have been doing since the beginning of time. I will harness the solitude in small pieces - 5 minutes here, 5 minutes there - and use them to carry me along peacefully.