1. Subscribe to this blog
2. Post a comment to this post below with your “intuitive” number (so everyone has a chance to play, comments will go “live” after I announce the winner for the week)
3. Watch every Friday for a brand new weekly meditation

By the way, I started this “game” on my Facebook group last week, so I do have one meditation already done for you, which I’ll put in my next post later today.

AND come join the “Garden of the Soul” group on Facebook too at http://tinyurl.com/fb-gots

Have a wonderful week in your Garden!
Warm wishes,
Lynn

Follow me on Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/LynnSerafinn
Find me on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/LynnSerafinn
Join the Garden of the Soul Facebook group: http://tinyurl.com/fb-gots
Join the Garden of the Soul Social Network: http://gardenofthesoul.ning.com

Related posts

• Wisdom – Our Eternal Dance Partner (0)
• The Lily – the Principle of Being (0)
• LIVE EVENT: An Evening in the Garden of the Soul (0)
• Garden of the Soul Meditation Number 11 – Boldness (0)
• Forgive and Be Free – Interview with Brenda Adelman (0)

 SHOW: Lynn Serafinn’s Garden of the Soul

EP18-Photography and Transformation

GUEST: Sheila Finkelstein
DATE AIRED: Wednesday 20 May 2009

I met the charming and fascinating photographer Sheila Finkelstein via social networking earlier this year, when she offered to be a joint venture partner for my book launch campaign. Like all the other joint venture partners, Sheila offered a free gift to anyone who bought my book during the launch. When I saw the unique gift she was offering, I was immediately impressed. It was a self-reflective photo-journal of thoughts and perceptions she had during the process of peeling a red onion. The reflections made during this most humble activity proved to be a veritable journey into self awareness. “Wow,” I thought, “this is really out-of-the-box. This woman is definitely someone I want to know better.” And so began my friendship with the wonderful Sheila Finkelstein.

To me, what makes Sheila an extraordinary artist, and an extraordinary person, is her ability to see things in ways that many of us simply miss. Remember when you were a child and saw pictures in the clouds? Sheila goes way beyond this. She has the uncanny vision to see a face in a crest of sea foam, or a heart in a reflection made between a reed and the surface of a pond. And that is just scratching the surface. On the show, Sheila and I talked about several of her thought-provoking photos, which she very kindly compiled onto a single page for my listeners to see. Have a look at these photos and others of stunning natural beauty at http://www.sheilafinkelstein.com/links-lynn-interview.html

But Sheila doesn’t just take photos; she also teaches others how to use the camera as a tool for personal transformational, through which you can learn to see the world with new and different eyes. On the show, Sheila shared a few tips on how to get started. First and foremost, she said, you should always carry a camera with you. While I am not a photographer, I do appreciate how having a camera in my mobile phone (even if not a very good one) has helped me chronicle the different seasons when I walk through the woods or along my beloved River Ouse here in Bedford, England. Taking a photo compels me to stop and appreciate what is there, instead of just walking through it. It also helps me to connect with the flow of life around me in a deeper way. And that is just from a grainy out-of-focus camera shot. Have a look at Sheila’s photos, and you can get an idea of the quality of Sheila’s photography, and what her students must experience as they work with her. 

Sheila shared another tip for transformation through photography. But if you want to find out what it is, you’ll just have to listen to the playback at http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Lynn-Serafinn/2009/05/20/Ep18-Photography-and-Transformation

 Sheila tells me that her work has helped many of her students, who had previously believed they were “not artists”, to find and express their unique vision, by noticing the extraordinary in the seemingly ordinary, and the magic that is all around us within what she calls the “accidental art” of the world.

Sheila and I have also collaborated on a promotional video entitled “Song of the Rose”, which is a reading of a poem from my book The Garden of the Soul set to music composed by London musicians Bleep Test (two of my former students) and illustrated by a collection of Sheila’s stunning nature photography. If you haven’t seen the video you, be sure to check it out on YouTube at http://tinyurl.com/rose-song. I am really fond of this video, and I would welcome your comments and ratings.

 From my perspective, Sheila perfectly exemplifies the “Principle of Receiving” (taught by the Iris) in my book The Garden of the Soul because she is able to open her senses fully and receive what is all around her, and to see the treasure that is contained within the smallest of the small.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I urge you to check out Sheila’s art and her work. If you have been looking for a novel way to experience self-discovery, check out Sheila’s 4-week telecourse:

“Through and From the Lens”
 Discovering Beauty in the Ordinary
 Experiencing it as Extraordinary 

If you sign up using THIS link, you can save $30 on Sheila’s course as a “Friend of Lynn”:

http://www.throughandfromthelens.com/june09-lynn.html 

CHOICE OF ONE OF TWO MEETING TIMES
FOR THIS EXCEPTIONAL COURSE

Four Mondays from 8:00 PM to 9:00 PM EDT, starting June 8th, 2009 -

OR

Four Wednesdays from 1:30 PM to 2:30 PM, starting June 10th, 2009

So be sure to sign up now, as places are limited.

All you need is a computer, a digital camera and a telephone

Sheila invites you to
“Light up your summer with photography
you won’t believe is yours!”

I am so sure you will love working with this amazing visionary and wonderful, warm woman.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

 If you want to find out more about Sheila, listen to the podcast below. And after you do, be sure to visit Sheila’s websites:

Sheila’s Official Website:  http://www.sheilafinkelstein.com      

Take advantage of “Friends of Lynn” discount for Sheila’s course “Through and From the Lens”: http://www.throughandfromthelens.com/june09-lynn.html 

Receive a FR*EE pdf “Expand Your Vision When Stuck” at: http://www.photographyandtransformation.com  

Listen to playback below:

Download the MP3 of this show from:

http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Lynn-Serafinn/2009/05/20/Ep18-Photography-and-Transformation 

Subscribe to the podcast here:

Browse through other episodes at: http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Lynn-Serafinn

Wednesday 27 May
SHOW: Lynn Serafinn’s Garden of the Soul
Ep19-The Art of Joyful Living
6.30 PM UK time, 1.30 PM Eastern, 10.30 AM Pacific, 7.30 PM CET
Author and Personal Transformation Coach Lynn Serafinn hosts Certified Law of Attraction Coach, educator and talk radio show host, Ruth Hegarty. Ruth will be telling us how she helps women entrepreneurs create effortless success. She will also share her own story of how she went from an extremely shy underachiever, to someone who truly understands the personal demons that hold us back and, most importantly, how to shed those demons and transform into outrageously happy, successful, confident and prosperous beings without sacrificing our authenticity.
Listen LIVE or download the broadcast “on demand” at:
http://www.blogtalkradio.com/Lynn-Serafinn/2009/05/27/Ep19-The-Art-of-Joyful-Living
Listener questions: call at 646-727-3449 during broadcast (US number)

Can’t make it to the live show? No problem!

Catch all our episodes “on demand” at
www.blogtalkradio.com/Lynn-Serafinn

About the show, “Lynn Serafinn’s Garden of the Soul”
Weekly broadcast exploring personal empowerment, life purpose, balance of mind, body and spirit, and how to tap into the inner hero that lies within every human being. Hosted by Lynn Serafinn, Personal Transformation Coach and author living in Bedford England dedicated to awakening the authentic voice in all people. She is the author of the Amazon bestselling book The Garden of the Soul: lessons from four flowers that unearth the Self, and the Founder/Leader of The Global Wellness Circle, a holistic community project that is rapidly spreading throughout the UK.

Lynn’s links

• Find “The Garden of the Soul” on Amazon US: CLICK HERE
• Find “The Garden of the Soul” on Amazon UK: CLICK HERE
• Garden of the Soul Book Blog: www.give-receive-become-be.com
• Garden of the Soul Social Network: http://gardenofthesoul.ning.com
• Create-a-Life Coaching/Training: www.create-a-life.co.uk
• Global Wellness Circle: www.global-wellness-circle.com

Related posts

• Forgive and Be Free – Interview with Brenda Adelman (0)
• Turning Up the Volume of the Music in Your Heart! (0)
• Interview with Swedish Artist Kristina Berglund (4)
• Feeling is Healing – Interview with Steve Ryals (0)
• Boosting Your Emotional Intelligence – an interview with Gail Sussman Miller (0)

Personal expression is extremely important to our overall wellbeing. When I work with clients, they often come to me frustrated that they feel unable to express themselves fully in their life, work or relationships. That is my primary focus with them as their coach. But beyond the coaching session, I know that tapping into creativity, whether that means inventing a new recipe, crocheting a scarf or composing a new song, can often be the vital element in a person’s overall balance in life. Because creativity is such a key factor in our fulfilment as human beings, I always listen carefully to the desire of my clients to find out what is longing to be expressed. Then, together we design ways to bring out that expression, so as to allow the inner healing to unfold on its own

In my book, I take the reader through a very simple way to understand what might be missing in our lives whenever we feel a bit ‘out’. In my book, I discuss four principles that bring balance and wholeness to the human spirit: give, receive, become and be. All four of these principles play a vital part in the creative process:

• The Principle of Giving: the principle of all that emanates outwards from within you. In relation to creativity, ‘giving’ as a principle includes self-expression, passion, emotiveness, boldness, etc. ‘Giving’ is the energy that drives us to call forth the creative process within ourselves; it is the urge to express.
• The Principle of Receiving: the principle of all that comes from the world into you. In relation to creativity, ‘receiving’ as a principle includes acute awareness via the senses and the ability to relish the smallest of the small and the greatest of the great. ‘Receiving’ is the fertile ground upon which creativity can take root; through ‘receiving’, the entire universe can sit upon our consciousness like a canvas.
• The Principle of Becoming: the principle of all that is continually changing. In relation to creativity, ‘becoming’ as a principle includes inspiration, imagination, spontaneity, and innovation. ‘Becoming’ is the act of creativity itself; without it, we have no impulse to invent something new.
• The Principle of Being: the principle of all that is non-changing. In relation to creativity, ‘being’ as a principle includes inner wisdom, stillness, serenity within all circumstances and the ability to be the observer without judgements. ‘Being’ is the perspective where we accept the role and responsibility of the sacred role of creator; it provides us with the ability to express fully without judging either self or other.

What I have found is that when we are feeling a bit ‘off’ in life, it is often because one of these principles is not flowing properly within us, or perhaps all of them are blocked in some way. When we find we are not expressing ourselves fully and authentically, it can manifest in so many harmful ways in life, such as depression, anger or even (and frequently) physical illness. I know because I have experienced all of these things over the years, and am extremely grateful now that I know how to recover from these imbalances either on my own, or with the help of one of my many wonderful friends. When I coach my clients, I help them to learn how to return to that balance, and sometimes I help them to engage on a creative enterprise, whether it is something artist like writing, music or art, or something life-changing like creating a new business or a creating an entirely new perspective of themselves that they bring into all aspects of their lives.

No matter what method we use to express the innate creator within each one of us, creativity is as essential to our health and happiness as eating a balanced diet. So if you are feeling a little ‘off’ today, take a moment to create something with consciousness-from a great new sandwich to a heartfelt diary entry. Take a look out the window and see what is there. Take a look inside your heart and see what is there. Then listen for what needs to be expressed and find a way to let it be heard. You will find that you not only heal yourself, but you will heal the world around you as well.

I’ll be telling you more about the four principles give, receive, become and be in the coming weeks, and you can also read all about them when my book The Garden of the Soul: lessons from four flowers that unearth the Self when it comes out on Tues 7 April.

Want to hear more about how some
extraordinary people use creativity to heal the self?
Check out my next two radio broadcasts!

Wednesday 4 February
Using Creativity to Heal the Self Part 2
6.30 PM UK time, 1.30 PM Eastern, 10.30 AM Pacific, 7.30 PM CET
Author and Personal Transformation Coach Lynn Serafinn hosts Kristina Berglund, Swedish painter, Co-Active Coach and a teacher of the Vedic Art tradition. Kristina, whose artistic specialty is creating very large mandalas, is also the commissioned artist for the cover of Lynn’s book The Garden of the Soul. On tonight’s show, Kristina will be sharing her story of how she uses a deeper connection to art as a means of overcoming personal battles with eating disorders, distorted body image and other emotional blocks both within herself and others through her teaching. Kristina will be offering a live demo of Vedic art instruction on the air, so have some paper and come coloured pens ready!
Listen LIVE at: www.blogtalkradio.com/Lynn-Serafinn
Listener questions: call at 646-727-3449 during broadcast (US number)

Wednesday 11 February
Using Creativity to Heal the Self Part 3
6.30 PM UK time, 1.30 PM Eastern, 10.30 AM Pacific, 7.30 PM CET
Author and Personal Transformation Coach Lynn Serafinn hosts British musician John Levine of Alphamusic. John will be sharing his story of how being the witness to his father’s lifetime of stress-related illnesses compelled him to find answers to the mind-body-spirit connection, which ultimately led him to use his musical talents to create music that can alter the alpha waves in the brain to restore health and wellbeing to listeners. John will be playing some samples of his compositions on the air, so get ready to an auditory massage.
Listen LIVE at: www.blogtalkradio.com/Lynn-Serafinn
Listener questions: call at 646-727-3449 during broadcast (US number)

Did you miss ‘Using Creativity to Heal the Self Part 1
with UK author Tom McGreevy?
Catch the show ‘on demand’ anytime at
www.blogtalkradio.com/Lynn-Serafinn

Related posts

• Forgive and Be Free – Interview with Brenda Adelman (0)
• Vision and Visionary: Photographer Sheila Finkelstein (0)
• The Gift in Goodbye. Interview with Gemini Adams (1)
• Media (0)
• Living the Law of Attraction: interview with Ruth Hegarty (1)