Greetings to you! Well here we are, my last Newsletter of 2009. The end of the year is really creeping up fast isn't it! And, do you know what, time just will not slow down! It's ever more exciting to be a part of the world at this time. Such changes are incredible to see and the pace will just keep in creasing. That's why it's so very important to keep pace with it. Continuously focusing on the present, living in the Now, and letting go of all the stuff that's keeping you routed in the past.

A great quote to get you thinking about this a bit more:

"You can't have a better tomorrow if you are thinking about yesterday all the time." ~ Charles Kettering

In this issue I'll be talking a bit more about forthcoming energy shifts and preparing you for letting go of the vestiges of 2009. To go with that, an annual review of what you've learned, what you've let go of, and what you've achieved. I'll also be explaining more about EFT and giving details of a new free offering I'll be sending out on a monthly basis from December.

I hope you find it helpful and useful and above all, enjoy the read!

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Energy Shifts And Changes

Since the last Newsletter, we've had the Autumn Equinox which caused quite a shift in many people in terms of letting go of the previous harvesting year, and setting out plans for the next.

These shifts seem never ending don't they, as we had the 11:11 just this month too. All of this openings are opportunities for us to draw upon the power and driving force of the Universe to let go of more and more the Ego Self and old stuck energy, and create a happier, more joyful, abundant life for ourselves and others.

Throughout December there are another 3 portals for change and energy shifting: full moon on the 2nd, Winter Solstice on the 21st, and another Full moon (A blue moon) on the 31st December - New Year's Eve.

This will be an incredibly intense month for reviewing the year gone by and really working to let go of stuff you don't need for 2010. Intense, powerful, but also a lot of fun - if you allow it to be. As the build up for Christmas begins, it's wonderful to see people being that little bit more generous and helpful to those around them. The more we do that, the easier the shifts throughout December will be. Remember Christmas itself is also a nice time to shift - to appreciate those who love you, and share your love with all those you meet. Whether or not you're a Christian and celebrate Christmas, there is a lot of joyful energy about that can be tapped into and shared with those around you.

So be present and mindful around the dates mentioned (2nd, 21st, 25th, 31st) and just be gentle with yourself if you experience any major shifts in your life. Also, be mindful that others might also be experiencing shifts and so may not be quite themselves. Tolerance and acceptance for self and others is the key. Better to shift your perspective and view to seeing someone as their higher self. Not only will that help you feel good and stay centred, it will also help them lift up and be more centred.

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Vibrational Essences

Well, what a year it has been for vibrational essences! Firstly the birthing of the Essences of Illumination, then the birthing of the Sacred Heart Essences. I'm also in the process of birthing another set which will be announced early in 2010.

Vibrational essences really are a wonderful way of helping to evolve and powerfully shift old stuck energy that's holding you back. The Essences of Illumination really do take you on a journey from at first recognising the beautiful spirit you are, right through to realizing it more fully. There will be another announcement about the Essences of Illumination in December which is really quite exciting. It's taking all my willpower not to say anything more about it here! Suffice to say the wonderful Karen Peach and I are co-creating this set of wonderful essences and spiritual evolution consultations to help the world be a better place. In light of that, watch out during December for the announcement that just blows me away when I think about it!

Now back to Essences of Illumination. If you've begun that journey do let me have any feedback you'd like to share on how the essences have helped or affected your life. I've had feedback from many who've been taking the essences and it's just lovely to hear how much their lives have changed and moved forward so positively. It's great to know that the order in which the essences are experienced is really making sense to people and causing shifts to begin gently at first, building up to quite big ones when getting to Transcend.

What you'll find from later next month is that there will potentially be an even smoother flow of that shifting following the announcement about the evolution of the essences. Sneak preview - Evolution Through Illumination! Ponder on those words and allow the energy of them lift you and shift you.

So if you have begun the Illumination journey, or are yet to begin, do give me a shout when you're ready for the next essence. Don't forget that "Balance and Boost" is also there to help you too. "Balance and Boost" is a bit like "rescue remedy" (One of the Bach Flower Remedies) and contains the vibration of all of the current 6 Essences of Illumination (Authenticity, Determination, Abundance, Perfect Joy, Deep Soul, Transcend). Unlike the others it can be taken whenever you need to recentre, rebalance, and boost the connection with your Soul.

Remember too that the Sacred Heart Essences do not have to be taken as a 6 month course (like the Essences of Illumination). They are there to help balance energy in specific areas of your life. "Centred in the Light" has been one of the most popular essences as it helps you feel centred and strong and, even better, can really help with courage to stand your ground in a confident and calm way. With all these energy shifts happening in December, "Centred In the Light" can help you not get knocked off your centre.

Contact me if you'd like to talk more about or invest in the essences.

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Year End Review

As I said above, we're almost in the last month of the year and how quickly this year has flown! It seems like only last week I wrote about setting goals for the year ahead and getting you to think about the things you wanted to achieve this year. So now's the time to review all that.

When working for some companies, each year you are given an appraisal where your work and effort are reviewed against objectives and performance targets set at the beginning of the year. So, let's do just that. Take some time out to answer the following questions:

I. Did you achieve all the goals you set yourself? (If you didn't what were the reasons? If you did, what supported you and helped you do so?)

II. How happy are you with what you did achieve? (If you're unhappy are you being too hard on yourself?)

III. Did you set and achieve any other goals during the year? (If you did, what motivated you to do so? Could you have done even more?)

IV. What were the things that you learned that most benefited you? (Think also about your relationship with yourself as well as others here)

V. What was your greatest achievement? (Have you celebrated that and your other achievements yet? If not, how will you?)

VI. What would you like to have done differently? (Think both constructively AND positively here - this is not a rod to beat yourself up with)

VII. If you didn't achieve everything you wanted to, what were the reasons/circumstances? (don't be hard on yourself here - review objectively and honestly because there will be times when life and circumstances change or prevent you from achieving something).

VIII. What's the biggest lesson that you've learned that will help you next year? (What other good things will you be carrying forward to make your life easier?)

It may take an hour or two to work through this thoroughly so don't try to rush it (and do it over a glass of mulled wine and a mince pie or two!). This is about honouring and respecting yourself and how much you've grown and developed during the year. It's also a useful thing to do before setting your goals for next year ; Have fun with it and, if you'd like to share, then please let me know how you got on.

Of course, it can also be helpful to do this kind of review with a coach, so if you'd find a session with me helpful then please contact me to book something in.

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EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique)

As you probably know, I'm a qualified EFT practitioner and draw upon it quite often to help both clients and myself let go of fears and self-limiting beliefs. EFT is quite easy to learn how to do and, once learned, can be used every single day whenever you reconise a fear or belief that is holding you back.

For those of you who are new to it, EFT is a form of psychological acupressure that uses light tapping (instead of needles) on acupuncture points along the meridians of the body. It involves tapping on various points on the face and body, combined with repeating out loud the identified problem, followed by a kind of affirmation phrase. This works in two ways 1) to pattern interrupt the subconscious and allow it to find a better way of working and 2) it balances the energy system and helps to relieve the psychological stress. EFT is completely safe and easy to apply, and is non-invasive. The only slight proviso with this is that I would suggest that, if you are pregnant, you discuss this with a qualified EFT therapist first to avoid any contra-indications.

Each EFT tapping exercise consists of a Setup Statement followed by 2 rounds of tapping on the acupressure points. Round 1 focuses on the fear, block, or problem using the negative reminder phrase, and round 2 focuses on the positive outcome using preferences and choices. Not all therapists use the 2nd round, but I feel it's more effective to tap in positive phrases after releasing the negative stuck energy.

So you start by repeating the Set up Phrase and tapping with four fingers of one hand on the karate chop of your other hand (see diagram below) - doesn't matter which hand you do it with.

Eg Even though I'm doing this silly tapping thing, I completely and deeply accept and appreciate myself

Repeat this 3 times while tapping on the karate chop.

Then repeat "this silly tapping thing" while taking two fingers and tap, somewhere between 6-10 times, on the following points (see diagram below):

Eyebrow (EB )
Side of Eye (SE )
Under Eye (UE )
Under Nose (UN )
Chin (Ch )
Collarbone (CB )
Under Arm (UA )
Top of Head (TH )

Then work through again saying the following for each point:

EB It's OK to tap
SE It feels good to tap
UE Tapping is helping me shift
UN Tapping is helping me release my fears
Ch It feels good to release my fears and blocks
CB This tapping is easy and feels good
UA I am getting more comfortable with EFT
TH I feel absolutely fine tapping my fears away

So you see, you do one round with the negative set up phrase, and then repeat with the 2nd round of tapping using the positive statements. Try this example above to see how it works.

Once you've learned how to do it, you can use EFT for any fear or block you have, i.e. fear of flying, fear of confronting someone, lack of motivation, etc. Any time you find yourself saying things like "I can't", "I'm no good at", or "I have to" there's most likely a limiting belief there that can be tapped away. Also, if you have negative feelings about a person or situation you can tap those away too "he makes me angry", "I don't like the way she does X" and so on.

Of course, it's great to work with a therapist as you can cover so much with someone else working with you. EFT is a therapy that I thought was a load of nonsense when I first heard about it, but now I absolutely love it. It's simple, easy, and quick to do, and can provide immediate relief from any negative emotions and thoughts.

The reason I'm recapping on EFT, as I know I've talked to you about it before, is that, from next month, I will be sending out three EFT tapping routines for you to do for yourself. I'll cover a broad range of things that will hopefully help you let go more easily of any fears of limiting beliefs you might have. I hope you enjoy the EFT tapping routines and if you'd like to try an introductory session with me, throughout December and January I'm offering a 30 minute taster for just £25 investment.

If you're not sure about any of the points, do contact me and I'll be happy to help.

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As I said at the beginning, this issue is very much about letting go of what's holding us back and preparing for the shifts that will continue to happen as we move forward.

It is in loving and nurturing ourselves in this way that we uplift ourselves, the planet, and help others to do the same. Never has it been more important to love yourself and focus upon your needs in order to be able to help others all the more.

Watch out for announcements in December and don't forget to get order your essences or book in a session with me soon.

With love and blessings
Alun Illumine