Wednesday, December 7, 2011

"Shine your Light" Wu Tao December 2011


Dear friends,

Blessings and warm wishes for the forthcoming festive season.  Here in Western Australia, the weather is heating up, the ground is drying and already it feels like summer!  Its been a busy and special few months for me.  I continue to move through the grief of my daughter Belle's recent transition but joy is present as well now, which is a welcome relief.  She is happy and very much alive.   My spiritual practice has become very important as I work to surrender myself to the place where all is well.  Wu Tao is part of my practice.


I spent the best part of October on an Australian Wu Tao tour ending with a powerful instructor training in Mornington Victoria.  I have felt so blessed and grateful for the love coming my way over the past months, especially from everyone in the Wu Tao community, that I simply had to make a trip and thank everyone.  If you dance Wu Tao at a class with one of our lovely instructors, you will know how gorgeous and amazing they are!  Instructors and students alike, the Wu Tao community is full of beautiful, sweet and precious human beings.  

Wu Tao Spring Ceremony
The Wu Tao ceremony for Spring was held in Perth, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, celebrating new life and dancing the renewed and healed world into being.  The energy at all ceremonies was powerful and vibrant.  
With a focused intention, we danced together, sending healing ripples into the world and creating positive change.  I am reminded of this song:  "From little things big things grow" and I firmly believe that good things will flow from the energies we generated. To all those who attended, thank you for your healing presence.  It was truly lovely to meet you and dance with you.
The next ceremony will be celebrating Summer and the Element of Fire and the time of transformation and purification.
Click here to find out where and when you can join a ceremony close to you.

Instructor Enhancement Days
In Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne we also had our annual Instructor Enhancement Days. It is always a joy to be with the amazing beautiful people who teach Wu Tao, dancing and learning together.  I am grateful and blessed to be part of such a special community.  Thanks to all the wonderful instructors who lovingly support all our students not just in Australia, but also in New Zealand, Japan, Germany, Brazil and Austria! Next year we will also have instructors in the UK, US and South Africa! Yes, the Wu Tao tree is spreading its branches far and wide.

Instructor Training
My trip culminated in the 7 day Instructor Training Intensive which was held at the first purposely built Wu Tao studio, in Mount Martha (close to Mornington Peninsula) and home to Diana Bonwick and her family.  What a perfect environment in which to study and learn Wu Tao!  We were surrounded by nature, birds, horses and trees, with perfect weather blessing us every day. Congratulations to Lisa, Maria, Bev, Shireen, Lisa and Jane on the successful completion of the course! Thanks to Diana for looking after us so well and organising the delicious Indian food we ate daily.  
"What an amazing week!  Dancing daily with six of our truly beautiful Wu Tao family, under Michelle's caring guidance, was blissful.  It hardly seemed like we were studying and preparing for examination!  The intensive was challenging, joyful and healing combined. What a great honour to be able to teach Wu Tao and share its great depth.  Thank you Life & Michelle!". (Jane Southwell)
In 2012, we will be holding the first Training intensive in Bali!  Start your course in 2012 and complete it on this beautiful tropical island!  For information about our Instructor Training Courses for 2012 click here.  
Enrol in any of our training programs in December or January and receive special bonus gifts from us.  Click here for details.

Wu Tao Bali Retreats in 2012!
For some time now I have been fantasizing about taking people to Bali for Wu Tao.  I have always found Bali to be especially healing and relaxing. 
Bali is a deeply spiritual place. For a start, the Balinese people live their faith daily.  They live in constant respect and contact with Spirit through their Hindu ceremony and rituals and are very open, warm and friendly.  The whole island feels very feminine and heart oriented. 
I have been researching on the internet looking to find the perfect place to host Wu Tao retreats.  I was referred to one and on my enquiry, an email came back with the address, BelleButterfly!  What a synchronicity!  I took this to indicate that I was on the right path with my dreaming about Bali.
Things have been moving quickly with us being offered the opportunity to lease a retreat centre in Ubud for a year.  Nothing has been confirmed yet, but if all goes well, Steve and I could be in Bali very soon offering Wu Tao Dance training,  retreats, music retreats, workshops and classes!  It could well be the perfect next step for us and Wu Tao.  If we do get to Bali our place will be open to you and we hope you will join us for a relaxing and healing time at our new retreat centre.  I will keep posted with updates!

Its not too late to order Wu Tao DVD's, music and books for your family and friends for Christmas!  If you place an order this week, you should receive your order before Christmas day if you are in Australia, but don't delay!  The new Advanced DVD, Wu Tao Wisdom DVD and Wu Tao for Couples DVD are now available. Go to Our Shop page to place your Christmas order today.

Sondra Ray in Perth December 2011
Our dear friends Sondra Ray and Mark Sullivan will be in Perth next week offering their very powerful Loving Relationships Training as well as private sessions.  I highly recommend their work to cut through the ego dross and lift yourself to new levels of consciousness.  
Click here for all the details or contact either myself 0417989397 or Steve 0429197710 email richsound1@gmail.com

Coming home to Self - The True meaning of Christmas
Christmas is a time to celebrate the birth of the Christ energy into the world.  What does this mean for you? For most people the true meaning of Christmas has been lost in the consumerism of buying presents and eating alot of food.  The spiritual meaning has been reduced to the nativity story of the birth of Jesus. I like to think of Christmas as the time to celebrate the landing of Christ consciousness onto our earth, into this dimension.  It has arrived and is held within each of us.  We may not all know that we carry it, but it is this sacred spirt that is our True Nature. 
Here is a short meditation process (taken from our Course in Transformation)  to help you remember your true Self and in doing this, help others awaken to their true nature:
  • First, find a quiet space for yourself where you can relax without interruption for 1/2 hour.
  • Get some coloured pencils or textas and paper to draw/write on.
  • Put on some of your favourite relaxing music.
  • Sit comfortably and take some deep breaths, letting go of all tension in your body and mind as you exhale.
  • Now ask yourself these questions:
  • Who am I?
  • Draw/write whatever comes to mind
  • What are the burdens I carry?
  • Draw/write whatever comes to mind
  • What is the truth of who I am?
  • Draw/write whatever comes to your mind
  • Once you have answered these questions by drawing or writing, do the Wu Tao Fire Dance, brushing off the burdens you have discovered into the Fire.
  • When you are finished the dance, sit quietly for a few minutes taking your breath into your heart. Feel how much easier it is to feel your Self and how natural it is to radiate love now your Heart is relieved of what it was carrying around.

The Tree
By Miranda Brett
(Wu Tao Instructor Melbourne Australia)
I make no apology for who I AmI simply grow wherever I am planted
Spreading, exploring the Earth
Graciously receiving all that is given
 all the elements, nutrients and space that is needed for this vital life
Creating a strong, firm foundation, steadfast, brave and true
Following the natural rise of energy as I find myself moving outwards through the leaves and branches into the Light
Spreading, creating, Giving Fully
I am worthy to be here and I hide nothing
I shine beautifully and without reservation, allowing my magnificence to be witnessed with my ever-changing canopy of leaves, the fragility of new growth, tender buds, flexibility, movement, dancing in the wind, buffeted by storms, lashed by rain.
Some boughs straight and strong, other branches dead and withered
Embracing it all, denying nothing
See me with my perfect imperfections
You and I,
Yin and Yang
We dance, touch, create, merge
Experiencing ourselves Fully
For we are One.

Summer Recipe for You 
Watermelon SaladThis recipe is cooling and cleansing. Summer is the ideal time to enjoy fruits such as juicy, sweet watermelon.  Rocket lettuce is bitter and stimulates the Liver. Lemon juice will keep your body alkaline.
Ingredients1/4 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice (2 lemons)
1/4 cup minced shallots (1 large)
1 tablespoon honey
1/2 cup good olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
6 cups baby rocket leaves, washed and spun dry
1/8th seedless watermelon, rind removed, and cut in 1-inch cubes
200g good fetta cheese, 1/2-inch diced
1 cup whole fresh mint leaves, julienned
DirectionsWhisk together the orange juice, lemon juice, shallots, honey, salt, and pepper. Slowly pour in the olive oil, whisking constantly, to form an emulsion. If not using within an hour, store the vinaigrette covered in the refrigerator.
Place the rocket leaves, watermelon, feta, and mint in a large bowl. Drizzle with enough dressing to coat the greens lightly and toss well. Taste for seasonings and serve immediately.

The picture below is of my beautiful girls and myself last Christmas.  Belle's last Christmas in her body. She was the happiest I have ever seen her and had the best day in absolute joy and bliss.

I wish for you a beautiful Christmas with your loved ones.  May your spirit shine bright and bring joy and peace to all around you. See you in 2012!

Lots of love  
Michelle 
Wu Tao Dance

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