Leanne Margaret

I didn't write a book about meditation because I was perfect at it. In fact most of the material I had been writing wasn't about meditation at all but memoir. However, the memoir material was still too emotionally charged for me to face in a rational way. My nervous system, ravaged by Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder ( PTSD ), was still wired to react to the slightest aggravation. So as I learned how to rebuild my nervous system from the ground up - using what I knew about human consciousness - the material to structure my first book,  The Love of the Universe , emerged. After I finished writing it I realised that I hadn't included enough practical exercises to generate the shifts in consciousness that I was enjoying myself. Somehow I needed to create a more practical, user-friendly version. Fortunately I had written several guided meditations specifically designed to do the job, enough material to create a second book:  Multidimensional Meditation.  My intent was to show

Happy New Year to Readers, Past and Future The beginning of this new decade represents the end of one of the most testing decades of my life. It was also one of the most creative. I was crushed, but like cold pressed oil, out came my life's work. Apparently I do possess some skill with working under pressure after all! To celebrate the positivity I feel entering the new decade, I would like offer my books, The Love of the Universe (published in 2017), or Multidimensional Meditation (published in 2019), for just $0.99. Multidimensional Meditation You've heard of mindfulness, most of us have these days - but did you know that you can experience mindfulness in multiple dimensions? This book is an easy step-by-step guide to making up your own meditations, as well as achieve more life balance. Find out more while it's only 99 cents The Love of the Universe This book forms part of a collective and urgent cry to humanity. It invites readers to connect with a

Finally, I've completed my second book. I'm not exactly sure why it took 20 months - considering its compact size - but it's a cute and tidy little summary of some big ideas. I'm delighted to have a proof copy in my hands. It's a real thing now! Come along to my Book Launch When I finished my first book, The Love of the Universe , I still had some material left over that I felt was important. After the experience of writing the first book, I was able to approach writing the second with more clarity and focus. It was easier to imagine the reader I was speaking to, which helped me to write words that could be understood in a relaxed way. I wanted the words to be simple enough to allow a restful, nurturing space that supported the topic. So, I wrote Multidimensional Meditation. The benefits of some kind of relaxation practice are becoming widely known and people are becoming more accepting of meditation. Some feel a spiritual calling or yearning they wish to ex

The most constant reminder of PTSD for me, is intrusive thoughts. People who have them usually understand why someone would want to blow their head off - 'Fight Club' style. Discover more techniques here . But this is a blog dedicated to positivity and personal growth, so I want to share an effective trick I have been using to manage some persistent inner chatter: 'Be Here Now - Just me.' I find simple word statements to be a powerful form of personal energy management. These ones bring me back to wherever I am, so I can concentrate on what I'm doing. They also help me stop worrying about others. Now I have the words plastered to my kitchen cupboard to remind me. I know that many people suffer from PTSD and that stress and other illnesses might cause intrusive thoughts. Maybe these majick words can help anyone prone to distraction and disassociation. They really helped me get some good work done this week. Let me know in the comments if they help yo

We Can't Fix the Whole World - But We Can Evolve Ourselves... Book-The Love of the Universe What do I mean by Love? I don't mean the kind of love where someone covets a person, place or thing for their own possession. I'm referring to the life-affirming energy of the universe - available to all. The kind of love that can be bestowed upon a person, without owning or controlling the person. The kind of love that can expand beyond the personal to encompass our living planet. The kind of love that supports people and encourages life - while doing no harm. Connecting to this kind of love begins with the self... This kind of love can help you: Feel happier about getting up in the morning. Reduce and manage stress. Find your still centre. Make the most of what you have, even on your bad days. Feel more at ease with life's ups and downs. Bring more love into your life. Learn how to love without loving too much. Increase feelings of self-wo

I was just watching a video on Facebook. I seriously can't remember the topic now. I turned it off pretty quickly, when, in the short video, the presenter took the time to mention that she doesn't believe in psychics. This type of snap judgement aggravates me because it communicates a deeply entrenched misunderstanding of what it actually means to be psychic.  That is one of the reasons I wrote my first book. I wanted to show that we all have the potential to operate at higher, more psychic levels of functioning. We are more than body and mind. We are sensitive emotional, electrical beings capable of refined perception, creativity and creative evolution.  The model I designed for my book is based on a combination of various schools of thought. It describes 8 different facets of human consciousness. This blog introduces the Sixth facet or dimension of human consciousness. There is nothing spooky or magical about it! Simply put, it is human imagination. During earlier stages

It was 2010 and for a shit-storm of reasons, my former life had begun to dissolve. I violently grappled with the transition for the next four years. My values around home and family were constantly being challenged until I became willing to release them. Then in 2014 I let go of my house, condensing my life into an apartment. It was time for me to surrender ideas around my identity as wife, mother and domestic goddess. I needed to stop playing house and focus on my life purpose. Trying to merge the two wasn't working. This didn't happen quickly. I was experiencing the peak of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder which made the process of change overwhelmingly difficult and dramatic. Transitional rage filled my days for some time as I realised the realities of apartment life. I felt assaulted by the noises and needs of the other occupants. It took three more years for me to learn how to manage the aggravations around me and channel my energy into my work. Eventually I created my f

Yesterday has burnt. This nest is made of fire. Transfigured, I rise. Words by Leanne Margaret © 2018 Image from Pixabay CC

Motivation was high this week. Pleased with my first author talk at Seville Community House  (with author Debra Marks), I Healing Hands returned my focus to the intimidating task of editing. I even managed a little writing, but mainly I'm writing choreographies for my Majickal Bellydance class. Busy days usually tire people out. But not me! The busier the day the more hyper I get and the harder it is to get to sleep. This week I have been employing breathing exercises, visualisation and calming techniques. I've learned how to settle my mind, but physically, I've been pretty wound up. Recalling what I wrote about Dimension One (the body) of human consciousness in my book , I used a self-soothing strategy I call the Healing Hand. It can be used anywhere, but I focussed on the period of time right before sleep when I was in bed. You don't have to be a mum, a reiki channel or a massage therapist to invoke the power of therapeutic touch. The Healing Hand technique

Mornings aren't my best time. Many of my journal entries reflect this. So this week I introduced a new way to finish my more challenged entries on a brighter note. You may have heard of the Gratitude List. It's a personal growth practice where a list is written of The I Like List anything to be grateful for. The activity helps to invoke a positive outlook. Energetically, it charges up the solar plexus (sun) energy centre, raising power, confidence and creative potential. There are occasions where my mind is not receptive to the word gratitude. The I Like List is simply a softer version of the Gratitude List. It is based on the same principles and has the same effect as a gratitude list. Both practices shine the light of our consciousness onto the aspects of our world that we feel positive about. The first thing on two of my lists was, 'I like coffee.' It doesn't matter where you start, as long as you keep it positive. Lots of people in the media seem to b

Writing stalled last week, but that doesn't mean I'm not creating. As a writer I'm a bit like mushrooms: Under the correct conditions I will fruit all at once, but mostly I'm working away underground and out of sight. For me, creative energy is cyclical, sometimes introverted and sometimes extroverted. So even if I'm not working actively on my projects every day, I'm still thinking about them. The word has to be thought before it is written. Although the editing of my second book is excruciatingly slow at the moment, I have been journaling daily - sometimes several times daily. My writing hand and my writing voice are still being exercised in private. When a fork appears in the road it can be necessary to stop and review. I had been preparing to commence writing a new non-fiction book, but there's a novel in my head that won't leave me alone. I have a short draft, but it needs proper planning and rewriting. This is a different style of writi

Hi All 😀 As we make our descent toward the colder seasons I'm aware that part of me is looking forward to more time indoors being creative. I usually dread the cold of winter, but this year life is looking brighter. Creatively, there's a lot to do and it's getting easier to do it.  I'm better able to leave the past behind me and get on with my days. During the summer just gone I even managed to balance a term of dance classes with my writing life. Bellydance Classes Thursday night dance class has been a personal tradition since my early dance class days. It's a life affirming practice that helps to undo the hours spent sitting at computer and notebook. Majickal Bellydance is more than exercise, it's like a moving meditation. The benefits are spiritual as well as physical and mental. I'll be teaching a new term of classes at Seville Community house from April 19. Details HERE . On the topic of life balance: Due to anxiety and PTSD, I have had to

I've been adapting to some changes in my life and had been holding my equilibrium well, until this week. It has been an eventful and challenging week. I started teaching a new term of bellydance classes feeling a little wired. The practice of dance helped me to ground some of the physical tension I had taken on. But I was heading for a bit of a descent. I didn't really plan on losing as much energy as I did through the past week. I have left myself with a deficit that requires a little healing. So now I'm in retreat mode - taking care of the physical, emotional and mental dimensions of my being. My book, The Love of the Universe describes Principle 2 - My energy rises and falls. Recalling the words helps me to understand why my energy is low today; Why I'm writing a personal reflection instead of the usual longer, planned out article complete with photo. I know my energy will return. It always does. It is the nature of energy to rise and fall in a continual danc

I have been inspired by author  Allison Tait , to write a 'taking stock' blog post this week. Allison, from the Australian Writers' Centre  co-creates podcast: 'So You Want to be a Writer,' with Valerie Khoo . The ladies have become regular dinner companions as I listen to their entertaining and informative podcast. I do tend to re-invent things. My review is organised into categories representing 8 layers of multi-dimensional human consciousness. Organising the energy of my life into these dimensions is what I'm about. It's how I think, plan and review. Dimension Zero - Source:  The peak of summer makes it easy to feel connected to and in awe of the beauty of our planetary home. I am loving the summer heat, swimming in the Yarra River and growing tomatoes. It is the season for feasting as nature peaks and offers its most colourful fruits. Loving my place on Earth. Dimension One - Physical: Although my upstairs neighbours sound like they are dropping