Innholdsfortegnelse for September - November 2016 (56) i The Art of Healing

Is oppression as old as the moss around ponds? The moss around ponds is not avoidable. Perhaps everything I see is natural, and I am sick and want to remove what cannot be removed? I have read songs of the Egyptians, of their men who built the pyramids. They complained of their loads and asked when oppression would cease. That’s four thousand years ago. Oppression, it would seem, is like the moss and unavoidable. When a child is about to be run down by a car, one pulls it on to the pavement. Not just the kindly man does that, to whom they put up monuments. Anuyone pulls the child away from the car. But here many have been run down, and many pass by and do nothing. Is that…

FRANCIEN KRIEG Francien Krieg is an artist who lives in Holland. Her art is motivated by her desire to create a discussion about how convention has distorted our perception of beauty. Krieg paints mainly older women who she believes are symbols of beauty but also represent something much deeper. Francien’s fascination for the human body started when she became aware of the strangeness of her own body when she took a shower. She took a good look at herself and thought - “what a strange object is this?!” This experience stimulated her to paint her own body. “Your own body is familiar and strange at the same time. For me it is bizarre that on one hand I feel comfortable in my body, while on the other hand I have…

As we age and begin to feel our own mortality, many of us secretly fantasise about a "fountain of youth" that we can drink from, and which will turn back the clock on Father Time. But so far, no such fountain has been found, at least, not that anyone is talking about. So we do other things in an attempt to look and feel younger. We buy fancy skin creams, spend more time at the gym, or follow fitness regimens at home. But we can also diminish the effects of ageing by eating the right foods, and the good news is, to get healthier looking skin we don't have to buy anything expensive or exotic to add to our diets. Let's take a peek at some of those foods below:…

Across Australia, early Europeans commented again and again that the land looked like a park. With extensive grassy patches and pathways, open woodlands and abundant wildlife, it evoked a country estate in England. Author Bill Gammage has discovered this was because Aboriginal people managed the land in a far more systematic and scientific fashion than we have ever realised. With details of land-management strategies from around Australia, The Biggest Estate on Earth rewrites the history of this continent, with huge implications for us today. The Biggest Estate on Earth describes how the people of Australia managed their land in 1788. It tells how this was possible, what they did, and why. It argues that collectively they managed an Australian estate they thought of as single and universal. The Australian estate…

‘Spending time in Indigenous communities where wild bush tucker was harvested, she was taught by community elders about the rich history and cultural significance of foods hey’d been consuming f generations.’ THERE IS A NEW SUPERHERO IN TOWN. The Australian Superfood Co celebrates the knowledge of Indigenous Australians for sources of native food and medicine, creating a range of products infused with ancient superfoods straight from our red dust soil. Founder, Hayley Blieden, is the one to thank for bringing these little known gems to the forefront of our culinary radar. Having completed her studies in nutrition and dietetics, she spent two years researching the health benefits of native Australian superfoods. Spending time in Indigenous communities where wild bush tucker was harvested, she was taught by community elders about the…

Political freedom (also known as a political autonomy or political agency) is a central concept in history and political thought and one of the most important features of democratic societies. It has been described as freedom from oppression or coercion, the absence of disabling conditions for an individual, and the fulfillment of enabling conditions, or the absence of life conditions of compulsion, e.g. economic compulsion, in a society. Although political freedom is often interpreted negatively as the freedom from unreasonable external constraints on action, it can also refer to the positive exercise of rights, capacities and possibilities for action, and the exercise of social or group rights. The concept can also include freedom from "internal" constraints on political action or speech (e.g. social conformity, consistency, or "inauthentic" behaviour.) The concept…

Neuroscience is increasingly reinforcing the link between the mind and body, with MRI technology helping us to literally see the physical impact of emotions, as areas of the brain light up in response to feelings such as fear and compassion. The improved understanding of the way we react to emotions, and their impact on behaviour has highlighted the value of mindfulness, empathy and compassion as learnt competencies, rather than espoused values. Research is showing that developing these competencies can help improve communication skills, reduce stress, professional burnout and de-escalate emotional states. Potential Benefits for Government and Business The incorporation of these competencies in decision-making and policy development can have a range of benefits for businesses, government, education and criminal justice. A recent pilot study by Australia21 (a not-for-profit that connects…

• DELTA -9TETRAHYDROCANNABINOL (THC) THC is the most psychoactive cannabinoid found in marijuana. THCA (tetrahydrocannabinolic acid) is highly concentrated in the flowering clusters or budes. It converts to the more active form THC as it dries. • CANNABIDOL (CBD) CBD is the second most predominant cannabinoid in marijuana. This compound continues to provoke interest for its therapeutic value. It has little or no psychoactive properties. Researchers and patients have begun to focus on the beneficial effects of using THC and CBD together, as well as on CBD’s individual effect on diseases and afflictions. CBD reduces anxiety and panic in some patients. It is an anti-inflammatory, sedative, and a neuroprotective agent. Medical demand is high for CBD-rich strains so marijuana breeders have begun producing high CBD level plants. Entire websites are…

When I first walked into Brian Nunan’s studio in Castlemaine, I felt the energy coming off the walls. His pieces are large, and the first room you walk into contains some of his more ‘spiritually-oriented’ paintings, which you can really feel energetically. Following my second visit with Brian, I began to realise why. Firstly, Brian is a very sensitive person and you can feel when you are with him, that he is very deeply and profoundly affected by the land. Secondly, he spends a long time out in the bush every year, and has done this for many years. So it is a combination of these energies you are receiving when you are viewing his paintings - a reflection of Brian and the land. It is very special. You feel…

Vegan “Pulled Pork” Sliders Seeded Burger Buns: 1 cup sunflower seeds ½ cup pumpkin seeds ½ cup flax meal ½ cup Brazil nuts 1 ½ cups quick oats 2 tablespoons chia seeds 4 tablespoons psyllium seed husks 1 teaspoon salt 1 tablespoon maple syrup 3 tablespoon melted coconut oil 2 cups water In a large bowl, combine all dry ingredients, stirring well. Melt the coconut oil over a low heat and add in the maple syrup and water. Add this to the dry ingredients and mix until everything is completely soaked and dough becomes thick. Roll the dough into six evenly sized balls and position on a lined baking tray. Let the dough sit out on the counter for at least 2 hours before putting into the oven. Preheat oven…

In 2001 an old friend introduced me to the Fitzroy Crossing community artists. Most of them were “old people” who recalled with a mixture of joy and sadness, their traditional life in the desert. My friend’s endorsement was the key to my acceptance as a filmmaker and the reason why I was continually called back to work in the Kimberley over the years. While there are major issues in Fitzroy Crossing - isolation, lack of meaningful work, alcohol and drugs, dependence on government funding – I experienced the “living culture” that holds a deep respect for the old people whose knowledge is embedded in their songs and dances and their unique connection to Country. But, their time is coming to a critical endpoint as they are passing away and the…

In writing this note every quarter, it is always pressing on me which issue to bring up to discuss. What issue is most important. And I guess, in and of itself, this is the issue that is at the top of the list for all of us. What to do first. What should take priority. Whether it be at work or at home … let alone what decisions to make first when it comes to opening up your computer! And I would guess that most of us decide to do a bit of each and/ or attempt to do many things at the same time – makes me tired just writing about it! So hence we are pulled from pillar to post – and back again. And then we get…

ALICE O’LEARY RANDALL has dedicated forty years to the medical cannabis movement that was founded by her late husband, Robert C. Randall in 1976. She and Robert were arrested for marijuana (cannabis) cultivation in 1975 after Robert accidentally discovered that smoking the plant helped treat his glaucoma. They convinced the court and the federal government that marijuana was the critical medication in treating Robert’s potentially blinding disease. Publicity in the case was enormous and a movement was born. Alice and Robert worked side-by-side on this issue until Robert’s untimely death in 2001. At that point Alice took a break from medical cannabis and pursued her dream of becoming a hospice nurse returning to school to get her nursing license. She practiced nursing for ten years, six as a hospice nurse.…

“Many people don’t realise that this lifetime is a rare opportunity … We’ve come to solve the mystery of ourselves, the mystery of Soul – who we are. And it’s a wonderful journey.” Harold Klemp Life Is A Gift The phone call cuts into my day, bringing shocking news: a sudden death in my family. If there were any symptoms or pain she kept it to herself and now, without warning, we are bereft. During the subsequent funeral rituals and conversations I am struck anew by the expectations we have of life and also, the way we judge its value. As a grief counsellor I am often called upon to comfort people who appear to have assumed that their loved ones will always be there. I find this fascinating as…

Raw Vegan Meals Scott Mathias Raw vegan food is entirely plant-based and uncooked so as not to destroy the all-important nutrients that nature has provided. Scott Mathias embarked on this way of eating after a lifetime of digestive woes. Embracing the vegan journey, he says, has changed his life. In Raw Vegan Meals, Scott shows you how to create delicious meals that are all raw and vegan-friendly in an easily accessible way. The meals are designed as a menu of small bites themed around an international cuisine, plus there are mouth-watering dessert recipes and sauces. Horses Who Heal Sue Spence Sue Spence is a gifted horsewoman who has made it her life’s work to use her horse-whispering skills to help humans. After a brush with cancer in her late thirties,…