A problem shared is a problem helped!

“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”

 ~ George Bernard Shaw

After the rest of the class had left the yoga pavilion I remained behind and talked further with Jean Michel.

He handed me a blue plastic bag inside was an unopened box of coffee.  20 individually wrapped sachets of a coffee supplemented with a mushroom extract that I had never heard of before; Ganoderma.

At this point the only thing I had told him the night before on a private face book message (as a way of begging forgiveness for my tardiness in contacting him) was as follows: -

"Good morning! I was unlucky and did not see you today.

I have booked for yoga tomorrow.

I hope we can talk and I can see your photos and great work with the sensor and meditations.

I have been a poor student these last six months I feel embarrassed.

It had been a stressful year I'm my life - lack of work and money,

hard decisions and now I have some health issues to deal with.

It will be good for my soul and spirit to see you again.

Best wishes for a great day!"

On the basis of the above note, and connecting as only he can to some divine inspiration

 - he had instinctively brought  me some offerings for our meeting the next morning.

First: - 

He gave me his time without judgement and without telling me what to do.  He did not add to my fear, he dealt with my health worries with emotional balance, compassion and calm.  It was reassuring.  Deeply so and I felt strangely stronger, quickly. 

Second: -

He began to explain the twists in his own journey this calendar year.  He had been suffering some mild health concerns, which lead him to discover this Chinese mushroom, and it's healing properties.

Third: - 

He somehow seemed to sum up my work / career situation (knowing very little indeed about what I did for a living back home,) and spoke aloud the thoughts that I indeed continue to wrestle with including ideas such as

- Getting out of the big corporate lifestyle and maybe working just for small companies who need and appreciate me

- Having a business that I can sell products night or day, and that sell themselves

I felt "heard" on a soul level.  , I had never consciously voiced my career unhappiness and frustrations to him over the past holiday visits, that had been part of the majesty of escape I found in his company.  In fact the only thing he knew I did back home was the sports coaching work with riders. He knew also about my love for horses  and my blog about Essy and his healing. 

I agreed to try the coffee that day. 

We agreed to meet again, tomorrow.

Little did I know how important these offerings would be!

Be careful not to let bad feelings get the better of you

“Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God’s sight.”

 ~ 1 Peter 3:3-4

Going to Mauritius for our 5th time, meant I knew what to expect, how to relax and how to enjoy myself.  The problem was that I felt 'compromised'.

Usually the first thing I do on arriving is go over to the spa and let Jean Michel know that I had arrived to book our private Yoga or meditation sessions for the weeks ahead. 

Jean Michel is the resident guru of Yoga, Qi Gong, Reiki Master and all things spiritual and metaphysical.  Ah hour in his presence and all your worries fade away - right into the lagoon behind where the Pavilion.

I love every minute I spend with Jean Michel - it's a feeling of being "at home" and I grow!  I grow strong, grounded, inspired, and I find peace and tranquillity, which fills me with confidence of body and mind.  I hope each time, I grow as a person too.

On this occasion, I felt different.  I felt like a bad student who had defaulted on her studies.  I felt unworthy of seeing him.  I felt I had grown very little since last September's visit and had nothing new to share with him about inspiring authors, books, or discoveries.

Perhaps I had not grown and felt ashamed for that.

The result was that I  stayed away.  I hid from the spa.  Despite many resort staff asking me 'had I been to see Jean Michel', I continued not to go.

Then on the second Monday of the holiday with only four holiday days left, I reached out to him.

Immediately I regretted my delay. I felt an idiot for thinking such a spiritually kind and generous man would judge me.   He embraced me and asked me what had been going on.

Within moments I 'unravelled'; tears of self-pity and fear all flooded out.  I told him of my doctor’s visit and my concern at the unknown issues concerning my heart.

He listened, gently smiling.  We walked over to the yoga pavilion where 3 other hotel guests joined us for morning yoga.   Jean Michel  suggested I stay behind at the end of the session.

My journey out of self-pity and fear had begun I only hoped I wasn’t leaving myself with too little time!