February, the Month of Love
by Tabitha Dougall, Holistic Counsellor & Sound Healer
I’ve always loved February. Apart from it being full of sunshine, I also think of it as the month of love, being punctuated by Valentine’s Day.
When younger I marinated in the romance of Valentine’s Day and enjoyed flowers, chocolates, perfume, dressing up for dinner and giving my significant other something special. With life experience and maturity, the whole notion of love opens up to be an interesting quandary.
What is love? The English language has only one word to encapsulate its many forms, other languages have many. The obvious notion that comes to mind when contemplating love is romantic love within partnership, and love for our children, family members or pets.
What if one finds oneself alone on Valentine’s Day, or with a non-acknowledging partner, or shares a belief that love is not destined for one day only but could be celebrated every day? Valentine’s Day can bring a certain pressure and expectation that can culminate in disappointment or despondency, especially if we relegate responsibility for our own happiness to another person.
What about the love of friends, place, nature, self and Spirit?
What is it like if we source our own happiness from our internal wellspring rather than depending on someone or something externally?
Taking responsibility for infusing love into Valentine’s Day, the month of February or (why not), every day, we can procure our own romance.
On February 14th you could:
- Spend a few moments when waking up to centre yourself in your heart
- Consciously send out loving vibrations to our body, your loved ones, the planet, and Universe
- Play your favourite music and dance with yourself around the lounge
- Pick flowers or branches from the garden or neighbourhood and mindfully arrange them
- Make something nutritious, wholesome and delicious for ourselves (and others) then enjoy it with gusto
- Massage in some hand, foot or body cream with compassionate intent
- Appreciate the weather, the sun, moon, sunrise, sunset, and nature
- Count your blessings
- Meditate on gratitude
Do whatever you do that day with a sense of purpose, appreciation and love. Notice the little things. Then anything else might be a bonus dollop atop an already fulfilling day.
When we put our mind into the zone of love it can’t be in the zone of fear. When in fear, it can’t be in love. So consciously enacting loving thoughts drives away anxiety and rumination and builds new healthy neuropathways.
Pampering yourself is an act of self-love and self-care. We can nurture ourselves using all our amazing senses and consciousness, steeping our psyche in a deep sense of self-value, of self-esteem, focusing on what we do have rather than anything that might be deemed ‘missing’. This is living richly in the present rather than in the past (depression) or future (anxiety) or feeling dejected for what might have been.
Tibetan Singing bowls, ancient instruments of healing from the Himalayan region, are tools that help bring me to presence. When I listen to them, their soothing tones calm my soul.
When I play it’s hard to be anywhere else but in the moment as they require concerted focus to connect with their unique individual character and produce their wondrous sounds. They help slow me down and remind me to also connect within and spiritually.
In one philosophy a bowl that plays F note is said to be a Heart Bowl, healing and opening that center of loving grace within us, especially if played on or around the heart. However, all singing bowls can be played for that intention, and they are well known for solidifying intentions deeply into our unconscious realms with their binaural beats whilst also sending our intentions out to the ether to be manifested.
WOMEN’S CIRCLE
“Visioning Love” is also the theme of my first Women’s Circle to be run at Simply Natural Therapies from 7– 9pm on Saturday 10th March (after the 90 minute soundbath).
Women’s circles are safe non-hierarchical spaces where women of all ages can come together and share authentically whilst being encouraged, supported, heard and empowered. Conversation is facilitated to allow for equal sharing time, and there is no obligation to speak – women can just listen if they prefer and be amongst the healing community we have so often lost in our modern, fast-paced, individualistic world.
We will focus on the broad inspiration of ‘love’ and re-envision our 2018 with new vigour aligned to our values.
Cost is $30 & each participant will receive 20% off any individual counselling session or sound healing with me for the month of February or March.
To book in please call the clinic on (03) 9842 7033
MONTHLY GROUP SOUND HEALING MEDITATION
The first Saturday each month I love sharing the magic of the Tibetan singing bowls with likeminded souls in a special 90 minute soundbath experience upstairs at Simply Natural Therapies. 4pm to 5:30pm BOOK HERE
SINGING BOWL WORKSHOP
On Saturday 10th February I will be running my first Singing Bowl Training Day Retreat here too. This is a full day experiential workshop where you can learn to play these exquisite instruments for yourself and others (self healing and nurturing family, partner, friends, clients and even pets).
Sound healing is a great adjunct to other therapies such as massage and yoga, and is utilised with cancer patients in America, addictions centres and aged care facilities here in Melbourne and is wonderful for physical pain, emotional stuckness, stress relief and deep relaxation.
Be immersed in layered notes, tones, vibrations and frequencies to heal your mind, body and spirit. A beautiful gift of love just prior to Valentine’s Day, and you will receive a Certificate of Attendance and notes to take away! Cost is $295 (or $195 Earlybird by 31st January). The first two people to book in will receive my singing bowl cd “Ancient Sounds of Healing” for free!
To book in please call the clinic on (03) 9842 7033
I encourage you to infuse your month of February with loving intention…
About Tabitha Dougall:
Tabitha is a qualified and experienced therapist (Dip Holistic Counselling, Dip Youth Work) and facilitator (Cert IV Training & Assessment) with 15 years experience running groups for women who have experienced childhood trauma, 8 years running women’s retreats and 30 years experience running various other groups, workshops and trainings.
She has been facilitating sessions, groups and trainings with sound healing and singing bowls for the last 7 years for individuals and organisations, and more recently has expanded her work interstate and overseas.