I'm off to Hawaii for my next Drum Circle Facilitation Training - as a Mentor!!

I'm heading off pretty soon to Hawaii to meet up with my beloved friend Kaila and then to hang out with my drum tribe, heart  centred people from around the world (yes this year 80 people from 18 different countries )...who come together under the leadership and guidance of Arthur Hull and Jim Boneau, to learn how to share our spirit and serve our communities.

 Of course its wonderful - it's in Hawaii, on the island of Oahu, at a camp on the north shore, with our own lagoon and turtles to swim with, drumming under the stars by the fire, with the beach a few paces away .....
but the reason I am going  is, fundamentally, to overcome my fear of putting myself 'out there' and recklessly I have also signed up for Mentor Training, which I am not really sure what it is! 

As part of the preparation, for both participants and the Arthur and Jim who are leading  the training, we had to answer a few questions about why we were going, what we wanted to get out of it, and how could the leaders make the training relevant to us.

I struggled with this, because of my impulsive and somewhat reckless jumping in ...but then, in that way that the universe has, of letting the flow take us to where we need to be, here is where i ended up ...writing this ... :) 

 Hi all, I have been reading all your posts with great interest, and searching around inside myself for my own answers, allowing superficial and immediate thoughts to arise, and flow by, waiting for a deeper answer, and the deeper answer came in a story ..... so here it is ! 
I signed up for the mentor experience initially because I hate to stagnate, always want to go for deeper richer learning experiences in my life, but had no idea really what I wanted from it, but when I saw the invitation, I did what i usually do, just GO FOR IT!! Whatever is both exciting plus a little bit scary,has become my life plan, and it works for me :)
 So .... we had to move out of our rental house recently, and I was drawn to another area of the amazing Australian coastline where we live - we had the opportunity of a beach-front house with lower rental with a classic surf break nearby .... but my heart sank at the thought of leaving the Community Drum Circle I had started when I arrived in my current community,  and nurtured and nourished over the last nine months ..... so I chose to stay here  .....  and stick with them ..... 

and yesterday,in our first drum circle since I decided to stay,  I got the deep answer - from this awesome bunch, most of who were beginner drummers when we started, when we ended our session with our very first true in-the-moment music making experience, which I drummed through with my eyes closed, tears rolling down my face, in awe and gratitude.

Arthur and Jim, you have been my mentors, and everyone who I have ever trained with have in your own way been my mentors; I am really coming to understand the awesome gift you have all given me, and now I want to deepen my learning, to understand the journey to in-the-moment music making, and to be able to facilitate that journey with anyone who dares to share the adventure.
BRING IT ON!!!!!

Me and Arthur telling it like it is, way back in 2009:) 

Thank you, Vasundhara

Thank you, Vashundhara!

thank you for that wonderful time shared in Hawaii 

thank you for inviting me to your wedding

thank you for suggesting that  I might like to go to Pondicherry to do the intensive Sanskrit course

Because, in traveling to Pondicherry I had many adventures

Because, being in Pondicherry, I had many adventures

Because, being in the Sanskrit course,  of course I met Palma

Because, meeting Palma, of course I got invited to visit Auroville

Because going to Auroville, of course I saw the Matirmandir,

Because, seeing the Matrimandir, of course I went to meditate there  


Because, meditating in the Matrimandir, of course my life was changed for ever

 this photo says it better than any words

... 

Thank you Vasundhara

..so, this dementia thingy ....

Through a wondrous set of apparently everyday synchronicities, I find myself studying the Batchelor of Dementia Care at Tas Uni - a new degree in cutting edge neuroscience and care - what a powerful combination!  

I have never worked in the aged/dementia care field, and I had no knowledge of dementia or experience of aged/dementia care before starting this course; I have, as yet, no clear idea of how I am going to use the knowledge … 

..but here I am, learning, so many things, on so many levels .....!

Studying Dementia Care at university has introduced me to literally hundreds of heart-centred, caring compassionate people, and this has been unlooked for and thus so gratefully appreciated privilege.

 Already I know that I want to be involved in the research to find the prevention intervention … and … in the unique care of people as they approach their deaths … and … to care for the carers, so many of them who put others first, whether they be family, friends, or clients; by understanding what carers are dealing with, I will be able to support them even better.

Do you know dementia is terminal? That there is no cure, yet?  That we don't know how to prevent it , yet?  A foul lottery that no -one wins. The losers lose their minds. 

But already I have learnt that what I have already learnt is so much more than most people I meet know!

I cannot help myself engaging everyone I get to talk with about dementia, about removing the stigma, about how it’s NOT a normal part of ageing, but response to underlying pathology in the brain, and how people’s quality of lives can be maximised by attentive care. 

My beautiful heart-centred fellow students report informally that in their workplaces they are already able to be more assured, and are able to make better contributions towards diagnosis and care, and they inspire me.

The Uni is running a MOOC on dementia, if you are interested to know more - high tech, whizz-bang insights into the lives of people doing it hard ... in the hardest way. 

I wish UNi had been so engaging when I was younger (see my previous post :) )

 It seems the stigma of dementia is up there with leprosy; so in the meantime, while I continue studying, I will continue to grow as an advocate, for those who cannot speak for themselves; as I have had my eyes opened, and my mind enriched and stimulated with knowledge, so I am passing on what I see, and what I know, and what I understand.

A couple of things about life, and university, and gratitude, and thinking .....

The Question:       

Consider what preconceived ideas and misconceptions about everyday life might affect what you do, think and how you do it. Write a considered response to this.

  

This question raises so many more questions. The question of what constitutes a preconceived idea, or misconception. And what is every-day life. But here goes.

I first went to University when I was 16.  Yes, young, way too young, in hindsight. I was the first person in my family ever to even complete high school, let alone Matriculation, I had been dux of my high school, very good at passing exams, breezed in a Commonwealth Scholarship, and the alternative was working as a laboratory assistant at Cadbury's Chocolate factory, a quite tempting alternative for access to unlimited chocolate, but I both hated and was inept at laboratory work.  I admit to enrolling in agricultural science because it was a male-dominated faculty, and I liked their Uni windcheater logo better than the other alternative, the equally male-dominated faculty of engineering.

I disliked Uni, but stayed on for two years because I couldn't think of anything better to do – when I got my first job in the summer holidays after second year,  I realised I had found something better to do, and started earning money, and in jobs which I have always found ridiculously easy.   My Uni results were mixed – from failure, to High Distinction, depending on whether I was interested in the subject or not – I did great in Comparative Animal Physiology and Statistics, and Biophysics, and got terminating passes in inorganic chemistry – twice!

This history led me to certain conceptions, or misconceptions, about university, that I held, for many years – that Uni study was boring, that it was easy, and it brought little personal reward.  I could see little point to it. Unless, of course, there was something one really wanted to study, like … Comparative Animal Physiology and Statistics.

I did study several subjects further on during my various careers, with a foray into geography, which again I found way too easy,  and macroeconomics and commercial law, which both engaged me fully, because the lecturers were engaging, and delighted the aspect of my brain that loves logic and systematic application of knowledge.

Skip 25 years over the child-bearing and family-raising era of my life, to the last few years of having my family grow up and make their way into the world. It is interesting that over the intervening years I had developed some self-awareness about my attitude to University study, because I always encouraged my sons not to go to University unless and until they found something that they really wanted to study.  I reinforced this by offering to fund their second year of study, on the basis that if they had to pay for their own first year, it would be a real test of whether they really wanted to study, or just wanted an experience.  After seeing off my children, I saw off my husband, established myself as a single independent person, blew my superannuation on travel, and invested my last liquid resources in my current lifestyle.

Over the last five years, a restlessness to learn something that was hard and interesting grew and grew inside me, until, via a delightful set of synchronicities, I find myself enrolled in the Bachelor of Dementia Care, studying full-time care and neuroscience on line, and feeling my brain strain as it grows more dendrites with every passing assignment.

And the final synchronicity this evening, searching for a topic to write this discussion about, was a brave foray into the UTAS library site, hoping to find 'approved academic' definitions for the words preconceived ideas and misconceptions, and again getting distracted by clicking on the link for University on Social Media, and finding a TED talk from an ex-client of mine. So, of course, I had to watch it. And the topic was How Thanking Affects our Thinking (Howells, 2013). 

I had already separately come to the conclusion that gratitude is one of the most fundamental attitudes I have learned in my life, and with the thinking that came from engaging in Dr Howells' TEDx talk, I have come full circle into realising that I am so grateful for this new opportunity to develop my thinking even further. I am so grateful to be at University studying a subject which calls me so strongly, to discover a passion for Neuroscience so intense I have willingly given up just about everything besides surfing and drumming, including my job, and to feel my brain expanding - I can literally feel new neural pathways developing, and my synapses sparking like sparks across spark plugs. I am fully engaged.

I cannot describe my attitude to University study as a pre-conceived idea, because it developed from my initial experiences.  Neither can I say it was a misconception, because it was absolutely real for me at the time. Nevertheless, my ideas and conceptions about University study have changed, and with it what I do and how I think.  Researching this discussion, thinking about the topic, and the actual process of writing, have all changed not only what I think about, but the way I think.  The quality of our thinking and learning does indeed depend on the quality of our attitude (Howells, 2013).

Reference:

How thanking awakens our thinking, 2013, video, TEDx Launceston, Launceston, <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gzfhPB_NtVc&feature=youtu.be>

Autocorrect- mind-boggling possibilities!

Hi folks, 

You will probably find this hint useful if you do much wordprocessing.  Word has a capability called Autocorrect, which is a typist's angel, particularly if you are a slow typer, or make frequent spelling mistakes, or repetitive spelling mistakes or just need a hand. You probably know the following, right? ...

Word detects spelling mistakes and underlines them for you. If you right click on the underlined word, you will get several options. The options at the top of the list are a few suggestions of what might be the right word. And if you click on the correct spelling, it replaces the misspelt word and on you go. 

BUT, TAKE A MOMENT...if you look down the list , you will see an option Autocorrect ... if you click this instead, you will again be provided with a list of correctly spelt words from which to choose. If you select the intended word, not only will Word correct your spelling this time but it will also AUTOMATICALLY CORRECT that same spelling mistake for ever after! 

AND WAIT THERE'S MORE!

You can teach Word some Autocorrects to make life easier. For example, if you , like me, have just started in the Bachelor of Dementia Care, just think how many times in the next few years you are going to type Alzheimer's, or Alzheimer's Disease.  The process is simple ... 

I am going to give you instructions for Open Office, but Word is very very similar..

Click on Tools>Autocorrect Options.  This will open a dialogue box, which will give you the ability to set up a new custom Autocorrect.  Set it to correct (for example) Az to Alzheimer's . And save it. Then test it, by typing Az into a document. Word will automatically correct it to Alzheimer's. Every time. Until you tell it to stop. 

You can also set up, say autocorrect AZD to Alzheimer's Disease.

You can autocorrect from simple acronyms to words, phrases, sentences or even paragraphs. The possibilities are mind-boggling.

 Here is an example: you can teach the computer to autocorrect CAD001etc to CAD001 Using Emerging Technology and Learning Online as Applied to Aged Care Students.   

Are you inspired to explore Autocorrect yet? 

[Please note, the examples below I have bolded and italicised text to make it stand out, but just use normal text when putting it into practise, right!] 

This tool has helped me enormously in my career, and I hope you see the benefits and spend a few minutes learning how to use it, it will save you many hours of typing from here on in!

Have a go, if you have any queries just ask Word help or Open Office help, whichever you are using, it will give step-by-step instructions that suit the version of Word or Open Office you are using.

Feedback welcome!

cheers

Wani

Drumming #1 - Resume for Drummin'

Here is a brief summary of what brought me to the here and now ...... 

• Percussion study and performance
• Drumbeat Musical Therapy Program
• Drum Circle Facilitation with Arthur Hull
• BANA Kuma ceremony training with Chris Berry

Percussion Study and Performance

• Studied drumming and percussion with Stan Witek from Tasmania since 2004
• Drum Camps with Elliott Orr and the Spankinhide Mob
• Training with Tara Tucker from Drum Up Big, Cairns, 2013 
• Performed in community and paid gigs since 2005

Drumbeat Music Therapy Program

• Trained in Drumbeat Music Therapy Program (Holyoake) May 2007. This is an early intervention program for ‘at risk’ youth. The program included An Introduction to the Drum as a Healing Tool in Therapeutic Practice.

Drum Circle Facilitation with Arthur Hull

Arthur Hull : Father of Drum Circle Facilitation

Training - Hawaii and Australia 2008 - 2011

• Facilitators Basic Weekend Training ( 3-day) – Sydney, May 2008

• Rhythmical Alchemy Playshop (3-day) – Perth, May 2009
  
  
• Facilitators 7-day Intensive Playshop – Hawaii, August 2009
  
  
• As member of Jampacked, brought Arthur Hull to Sydney to conduct 3-day Rhythmical Alchemy Playshop (RAP) in conjunction with the Sydney store Optimum Percussion. Here is the link to the RAP website: https://sites.google.com/site/sydneyrap2010/home

• Facilitators Weeklong Intensive Training – Hawaii, August 2011

DCF Experience

Facilitated drum circles for various communities including :

Awakening Network Meditation Retreat; Kingston Schools Community Project with Tania Bosak, Dragon Boat Ladies (breast cancer survivors), Sustainable Living Expo 2011, TAFE Tasmania Disability Services, Oakdale Residential Services Community, State Library of Tasmania, Pathways to Manhood Festival, and community events in Tasmania.

BANA KUMA ceremony with Chris Berry

Bana Kuma is a “Sacred Altering” Ceremony with ancient roots,

 where rhythm, song and dance are used to heal and align one to their higher self.

Bana Kuma 4 day intensive 

(Northern NSW 2010)

• Bana Kuma 6 day intensive 
  (Hawaii July 2011)

 And finally, a mantra I learned from Arthur ...

I drum, therefore, I roadie !!!!

 I expect I will write more blogs about drumming ... stay tuned :)

Design #1 - Interior Design - Pilgrim Coffee Shop

So here we go!

My first design blog - Pilgrim Coffee Shop.

Pilgrim was my first commercial design for a long time - I don't usually engage in commercial design, but this was an invitation from Will, a friend of my son. Will is a real designer in his own right, as well as a snappy businessman and savvy barista - he came second in the World Barista Championships, so he sure knows his product as well! 

The design brief was to collaborate in the development of a cafe that was 
?Melbourne style? -  semi-industrial in a very old building of sandstone/ redbrick construction.

Here are the before and after pics - in later posts I will discuss the in-between stages - where the design process works :)


This is the coffee shop from the street on DAY ONE:

And here it is open for business, and thriving :)

Want to see more? Watch for my next post - time for a coffee now!