The Gawler Foundation

Healthy LivingNewsletter

IN THIS ISSUE

PG 2CEO ReportChristmas Offi ce Hours

PG 3Health NewsNew Building Projects

PG 4Inspiring Story

PG 5Kitchen NewsResource Centre

PG 6Good News StoryAnnual Conference

PG 7Conference Sponsors

PG 82009 Program Guide

When it comes to healing, what do you think of as most likely to heal you? What, or who do you turn to fi rst?

For many it will be the conventional medicine of the day. The doctors and all that they can do to or for you. For others it may be that they go fi rst to a natural therapist or seek out a doctor who is involved in complimentary or alternative therapies. Another version of what can be done to or for you.

So are we missing the plot? Have we missed the most important thing? The real essential on which to base our good health, our capacity to heal, our potential to experience wellbeing - our lifestyle.

These days if someone is diagnosed with heart disease - at the fi rst consultation, the questions are asked: What are you eating? How much do you exercise? Do you smoke? How much alcohol do you drink? Maybe even - how do you manage stress? What do you do for relaxation? Do you meditate? With diabetes even more so - the relevance of lifestyle is considered the fundamental starting point.

So why this error of omission in cancer? Why for this disease is lifestyle so often overlooked or ignored? And why in so many people’s mind, do they miss the point? Why do they think fi rst of technology and overlook themselves? The body is exquisitely designed to grow and thrive; to be strong and well and to counter disease when it does arise.

Some external agents and people can be helpful, but all that conventional and complementary therapies have to offer need to be applied on a base of the sound application of a lifestyle program. Your lifestyle has the capacity to be therapeutic. Perhaps because it is so simple, we tend to miss it. Exercise, sunlight, healthy food and emotions, a well trained mind and meditation. A simple formula. A healthy lifestyle. A Therapeutic lifestyle. A delightful lifestyle.

Do not be fooled. Start in the right place. When it comes to good health, healing and wellbeing - it all begins, and is sustained by, a healthy lifestyle.

Ian Gawler

LIFESTYLE AS A THERAPY

An integrated approachto health, healing

and wellbeing

Summer 2008

REMINDER!The Gawler Foundation’s Christmas Lunch CelebrationsYarra Valley Living Centre, Friday 12 December at 12noon

Meditation with Ian Gawler at 12.30pmLunch at 1.00pm

Come along and enjoy good food, company and fun entertainment

Cost $20 per person – To RSVP please call 5967 1730

It’s a truly wonderful time to be at The Gawler Foundation. The gardens are looking magnifi cent and the joeys are taking the fi rst tentative steps from their mothers’ pouches; everywhere I look there is new life and rejuvenation. Since our last newsletter, we have complemented the natural beauty of the Yarra Valley Living Centre with two exciting new building projects.

The fi rst is our new gazebo located on top of one of the hills on the property. The views from the gazebo are breathtaking; on a clear day you can see right across the mountain ranges to Mt Donna Buang. This will be a wonderful place for our participants to spend quiet moments of refl ection or simply enjoy the view.

Down by the river where the tall river gums stand is where our new labyrinth has been built. It is a beautiful piece of work, made using local Coldstream rock. Maia Bedson has been the driving force behind the labyrinth and has worked hard to bring it to fruition. Maia tells me that walking a labyrinth is like taking a journey into yourself; a place to fi nd inspiration and insight and will no doubt become popular with program participants. Gawler Foundation staff were invited to assist with the construction and also the dedication ceremony, a moving and mindful way to unveil the new structure.

Our fi rst ‘Mind, Body and Spirit’ seminar series held at was a huge success - we sold out a week in advance and the feedback from the day was fantastic.

Held at The Abbotsford Convent, the seminar featured guest speakers Robyn Vickers-Willis, Prof. Robert Cummins and Dr Ian Gawler, who spoke on the theme of ‘Spaces in the heart: why is it so hard of Australians to fi nd happiness?’ We will be conducting more seminars next year for our members and interested others, so stay tuned.

Unfortunately, Maxine Loynd our Fundraising Manager and driving force behind the seminar series has left the Foundation to take up a position with the Offi ce of National Assessments in Canberra. Maxine has made a wonderful contribution during her time with us and we wish her all the best in her new job.

And before I go, don’t forget our current Christmas appeal. Your contributions will go towards subsidising people to attend our ‘Life and Living’ program. I know the real benefi ts bursary recipients reap. They truly are so very appreciative of being able to attend our life changing programs. Please join with us in helping others through our Christmas Appeal.

May you and yours share the peace and joy of the Christmas season and I hope that you get to spend lots of happy times with those you love.

Until next time, Be well ….

From the CEO

CHRISTMASNEW YEAR OFFICE HOURS

The Gawler Foundation will be closed from 12noon Tuesday 23 December and will fully reopen 9am Monday 5 January 2009. During this time, our offi ce will be open for limited hours and urgent messages can be left on the answering machine.

HAPPINESS AND ITS CAUSESINTERNATIONAL CONFERENCESydney Convention & Exhibition Centre14-15 May 2009

Gawler Foundation Members receive 10% discount.

Please see enclosed brochure for further information.

Directors of the Board

Irene Goonan, President

Dean Courtenay, Vice President

Ray Cummings, Treasurer

Alistair Bennallack

Malcolm Broomhead

Professor Avni Sali

Karin Knoester, CEO

Ian Gawler, Founder and

Therapeutic Director

The Gawler Foundation 55 Rayner CourtPO Box 77Yarra Junction VIC 3797

Phone 03 5967 1730Fax 03 5967 1715Email info@gawler.orgWeb www.gawler.org

ABN 79 160 595 2512

Beware imported garlic

Ninety percent of the garlic we eat in Australia is imported, and a large proportion is fumigated with one the world’s most dangerous chemicals, Methyl Bromide. Because our locally grown garlic is rarely labelled, none of us is able to avoid imported garlic, so growing your own has a special attraction. Methyl Bromide is highly toxic to humans and all living things. Acute exposure burns the skin and causes severe kidney damage. It has devastating effects on the central nervous system, which could be fatal. In 1991 Methyl Bromide was found to be one of the chemicals that was destroying the earth’s ozone layer and was to be phased out by January 2005 - but its use is still permitted as a fumigant by our quarantine department.

Clive Blazey of The Diggers Club

Note: Methyl Bromide treated garlic is usually white and pristine in appearance. The untreated, natural stuff is usually red tinged and more uneven.

Talc use raises risk of ovarian cancer

Women have been warned to stop using talcum powder around their genitals after research found it could increase the risk of ovarian cancer by up to 40%. Although previous studies have raised concern about talcum powder, American scientists now fear it can travel up a woman’s reproductive tract as far as the ovaries and cause infl ammation that allows cancer cells to fl ourish.

Scientists at Harvard Medical School studied more than 3,000 women and found using talc once a week raised the risk of ovarian cancer by 35%, rising to 41% for those who use it every day. The fi ndings, published in the journal ‘Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention’, apply only to talcum powder used around the genital area, not the rest of the body.

Until now, it has been thought the main risk factors included a family history of the disease, having already had breast cancer and starting periods at a young age.

Article sourced from The Age, September 2008, written by Julia Medew.

New Labyrinth

Maia and Tobias when the labyrinth rocks were delivered

A Labyrinth is an ancient symbol that relates to wholeness and represents a journey to your own centre and back again out into the world. Labyrinths have been used for over 4,000 years in many cultures and for many purposes such as: empowerment, wholeness, refl ection, guidance, endurance, healing and spiritual growth. Labyrinths are sometimes confused with mazes but are quite different. A maze is a left-brain activity involving twists, turns and dead ends - a mental puzzle to be solved. Labyrinths have one circuitous path leading you to the centre and out again and is a right-brain, intuitive and creative experience. The one we built at The Gawler Foundation is a classical seven-circuit labyrinth associated with Greek mythology and the most widely-used design today. The perfect site has been established - down near the river and the majestic river gums.

New Hilltop Gazebo

3The Gawler Foundation Healthy Living Newsletter

HEALTH NEWS TWO NEW BUILDING PROJECTS

‘We ourselves feel that what we are doing

is just a drop in the ocean. But the ocean

would be less because of that missing drop.’

Mother Teresa

4

INSPIRING STORY

A little over a year ago, Paul Haines was diagnosed with advanced bowel cancer. Married to Jules, with a two year old daughter Isla, the young Melbourne writer was devastated by the news. After reading You Can Conquer

Cancer, he participated in the 12 week ‘Cancer, Healing and Wellbeing’ program at Footscray and followed up with the ten day ‘Life and Living’ residential program in September. Three weeks after completing the program, he wrote about how he implemented what he learnt at The Gawler Foundation into his life and the positive effects it is having on his health and wellbeing.

By Paul Haines

Routine. Routine. Routine.

This is what I need to turn my life into to be able to manage the lifestyle changes I’m making in order to beat cancer. And I hate routine. I hate plans. I like to drift along with the waves of whatever is carrying me. It’s sometimes nice to pop my head up and take a gander at what’s coming in case I need to change direction before I’m dashed ragged on rocks, but most of the time I’m happy to cruise because the plummet over the waterfall is a long way off. But now I don’t have that liberty.

The two major lifestyle changes I brought back with me from the course were about meditation and diet. There was a huge reluctance to leave the Foundation, as the safety net of the vegan kitchen and the meditation sanctuary exists and folds around you, snug and tight. It’s so much easier to adhere to the rules when you live amongst it and don’t have to think about preparing any of it. You just eat and sit, eat and sit. The big challenge is taking those things back with you and making it work.

Let me tell you it is bloody hard. Especially with chemo throwing in its heavy arm to mess with anything resembling time and wellbeing. Without chemo, it would still be hard. My fi rst meditation without the group mind and leader within the confi nes of the sanctuary felt like I was learning to walk again. The mind wandered hopelessly and the body wanted to leave before my thirty minutes of allocated time was up. But it got easier, I just had to concentrate harder to get back to somewhere in the same vicinity as where I was before.

I’m managing to meditate 2-3 times every day. My morning session lasts anywhere between 20 - 50 minutes, depending on when Isla rises and the noise commences. She takes great delight in sneaking into my study to watch me meditate, and when I open an eye to cast a ‘what are you doing in here?’ glance, she grins, runs over and throws an arm around my neck.

I’m sticking to the vegan diet, though it’s stricter than just vegan. No salt, no sugar, no cooking with oils, no alcohol, no caffeine and watching all the food additives in everything we purchase. Breakfast, once a meal I never ate, is now my favourite meal of the day.

Jules, so far, has looked after the dinners, trying recipes out of the Gawler cookbooks and doing a great job (she’s impressed too). I look after my breakfast, lunch and juicing, in order to take as much pressure off her as possible.

I still miss meat. I still miss red wine. I have the occasional piece of dark chocolate as my treat. It’s not the sugar content that is a problem here, just the saturated fat, but there’s trade-offs with antioxidants and pleasure receptors.

The hardest part of the lifestyle change is the juices. I’m on a healing diet and this means I should be doing about 7 x 200ml juices per day. I’m managing 3-5 x 250ml juices instead. There just does not seem to be enough time in the day to even do the juicing I’m managing to do. Our fridge spills with silverbeet, spinach, lettuce, celery, capsicums, beetroot, cucumbers, zucchinis, knobs of ginger, and carrots, kilos and kilos of carrots. We’re going through at least $50 per week on just these ingredients and I’m drinking them, not eating them. Eating vegetables has a different cost again, and we’re talking cabbage, broccoli, caulifl ower and the vegetables already mentioned.

So I need to keep at this intensity for at least 2 more months and 1 more week, then I will have completed three months of the healing diet. I can then think about reducing the 7 juices to maybe 3-5 a day. Oh hold on, that’s all I’m managing anyway, and knock the meditation down to 1-2 times a day. Easy, eh? I hate routine, but now I am convincing myself that I am embracing it. Where is that waterfall? There must be another one coming up…

5

I recently attended a Gluten Free Fiesta at the Melbourne Exhibition Show Hall, Southbank. Not quite knowing what to expect I was very surprised to be met by a huge crowd waiting to get in (Are all those people gluten free? Well yes 90% of them were). You are met at the door by a rep from Coles (the major sponsor) once I managed to get away from the young man insisting I tasted his gluten free sausage!! I entered the main body of the exhibition.

Who did I see fi rst were two ex - residents from a Gawler program! Next was Toby Puttock, the celebrity chef at the helm of restaurant ‘Fifteen’ fame. He later conducted a food demo which I watched mainly to watch him!

Back to the food - it was mostly tasting and info from every major health food company. I tasted everything from bread, sweats, crackers, yoghurt, and even BEER! I now have a mountain of information to read through. We are fi nding in our kitchen that we need more information on allergies and special diets and attending these info days improves our knowledge, therefore helping our residents.

Christmas Blueberry Shake

1 cup blueberries2 tbs apple juice2 cups milk of choice (Soy, Oat, Rice, Almond etc)½ cup Soy (or other) Yoghurt1 tsp honey

Reserve a few Blueberries (for garnish). Place all remaining ingredients in a vitamiser and puree until smooth. A hand held food wand could also be used to puree the drink. Pour into 2 tall glasses and decorate with a sprig of mint and reserved blueberries. Enjoy! Gail Lazenbury

KITCHEN NEWS

RESOURCE CENTRE NEWS

THE MEDITATION SANCTUARY CD - Paul & Maia Bedson $27.50Therapists and meditation instructors at The Gawler Foundation for many years, Paul and Maia have each contributed a different 30-minute mindfulness meditation to this CD. Mindfulness meditation is a practice which tolerates nothing but the truth of your direct experience and who you truly are. It is also an act of person kindness, not a rigid discipline. It can be practised gently and lovingly, as if holding a newborn baby. All proceeds from this CD will be donated to a childrens’ charity in India.

HAPPINESS Book or Double CD - Matthieu Rica $29.95A Buddhist monk for 35 years, Matthieu lives and works on humanitarian projects in Tibet and Nepal and has been a translator for the Dalai Lama. Matthieu demonstrates a special state of mind, a capacity for confronting life’s ups and downs with equanimity, even joy, revealing the keys to happiness with clarity, wisdom, a beautiful spirit and sense of calm. He outlines with radiant simplicity the program for clearer living and contains many exercises to train the mind.

MINDFUL WAY THROUGH DEPRESSION - Freeing Yourself From Chronic Unhappiness - Williams, Teasdale, Segal & Kabat-Zinn $36.00Four specialists in the fi eld have collaborated to create a program, based on mindfulness meditation, which provides tools for preventing and treating depression. An invaluable resource not only for those who suffer from depression, but for anyone familiar with the downward spiral of negative thinking and self-doubt. Includes a CD of 6 mindfulness exercises by Jon Kabat-Zinn.

FINANCIAL MEMBERS RECEIVE DISCOUNTS10% discount on Books, Tapes and CDs5% discount on Champion JuicerPlease quote your membership number when ordering

TO ORDERGo to the Shopping Cart on www.gawler.org OR contact the Resource Centrephone 03 5967 1730 | fax 03 5967 1715email resources@gawler.orgPostage and Handling Charges - Available via the Shopping Cart or please contact us

The Gawler Foundation Healthy Living Newsletter

6

Two years ago, my alarm went at 7.30am, I threw back the covers, my upper body moved but the rest did not. I could not feel anything from the chest down, so I called work and said: ‘I’ll probably be late in this morning.’ Shock I guess. Later that day, a spinal specialist was completely honest and said it was either a tumour or multiple sclerosis.

Next came the MRI scan complete with a power cut, just when the ‘back-up’ generator was elsewhere. Lying there, stuck in the machine, in darkness, I was hoping it would be MS rather than a tumour, as the odds seemed better. Two weeks later, I was diagnosed with MS aged 35.

I decided to fi nd out how I could control my MS progression, as there is currently no cure. I spent hours on the internet, bought all the books, looked for specialists, alternative thoughts and different ways of managing my condition. One book stood out. It was slim (no waffl e) and written by a man with MS, who is also a Professor of Emergency Medicine in Perth, Australia. Diagnosed nine years ago, aged 45, he, to this day, has managed to keep his condition remarkably under control and remains free of any further deterioration.

Disheartened by the lack of alternative information and support here in the UK, I fl ew 11000 miles to meet the

author - Professor George Jelinek. Professor Jelinek runs fi ve-day residential retreats for people with MS at the renowned Gawler Foundation in Australia. He takes a holistic principle towards health and wellbeing and here I learned of his insights and research which help to control MS.

These insights include a ban on saturated fat (apart from that found incidentally in vegetable products); high levels of vitamin D; meditation and exercise.

This is no ‘snake oil’ cure. As another supporter says, ‘There is no money to be made from these dietary and lifestyle changes apart from the local green grocer and fi shmonger.’

I would like to see an increase in ‘helping yourself’ with MS. Not all the 90,000 plus people in the UK with MS can fl y to Australia to receive help from Professor Jelinek. With no cure available, alternative voices should be heard. Let us all help to take control of MS. My hopes are my new lifestyle will lead to a healthy future.

Tracey - Multiple Sclerosis patient Story from BBC news online.

GOOD NEWS STORY Unproven treatment ‘aids my MS’

Profound Healing - Sustainable Wellbeing 2008 Conference

Our recent annual conference at Hilton on the Park, Melbourne was an outstanding success with approx. 300 registrations for the two-day event. This year’s informative and inspirational program included 12 keynote speakers and 12 interactive workshops. The presentations were enlightening with professional content, evidence-based research, thought-provoking ideas, sharing of heartfelt knowledge, experience and wisdom as well as motivational with self-help techniques for a healthy lifestyle, healing and wellbeing.

Another highlight was the opportunity for direct and open communication with speakers during interactive workshops and session breaks. The excellent vegetarian food was

a treat and everyone enjoyed beautiful music with Mike Johnson on harp and Megan Kenny on fl ute during breaks. Also, Chi Gong in Fitzroy Gardens with Paul Bedson was a popular lunch-time activity.

Speakers’ NotesAttendees have requested copies of speakers’ presentations. Most are not available due to intellectual property considerations; however abridged versions from some speakers will be available on our website soon.

7The Gawler Foundation gratefully acknowledges all our conference sponsors and supporters

Thank You!

A very sincere ‘Thank You’ to everyone involved with this special event including speakers, sponsors, supporters, volunteers and staff for their outstanding efforts. Their contribution of resources, knowledge,

time and energy ensured the success of our annual ‘Profound Healing - Sustainable Wellbeing’ conference.

CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS FROM FEEDBACK FORMS INCLUDE ...

A very positive experience - all speakers were superb

This is my 3rd conference in 4 years - it is inspirational

Overall great two days of inspiration and affi rmation - Great food too!

Excellent - hard to improve on what is already an outstanding product

High standard of presenters - concrete information and recent research

Inspiring, valuable information, research, great food and friendly people

An excellent conference - Great speakers with diversity of people and fi elds

Extremely well run conference, good venue with interesting informative speakers

All speakers were excellent - effi cient, effective and inspirational with great food too

The comforting simplicity of messages and actions recommended by eminent doctors

Generosity of everything - Beautiful food for lunch - An excellent conference - Thank you!

This conference was fantastic. The music, food, high calibre of professionals and information were great

Inspirational speakers who provided experiential and powerful information to give people power for self-healing

GEORGIAN COURTBed & Breakfast

in the City

www.georgiancourt.com.au

2009 PROGRAM GUIDE

RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS held at Yarra Valley Living Centre Cancer, Multiple Sclerosis and other Illnesses

Life and Living - 10 days Feb Mon 02 - Thu 12 Mar Tue 10 - Fri 20 Apr Mon 20 - Thu 30 May/Jun Mon 25 - Thu 04 Jul Mon 06 - Thu 16 Aug Mon 10 - Thu 20 Sep/Oct Mon 21 - Thu 01 Oct/Nov Mon 26 - Thu 05 Nov/Dec Mon 30 - Thu 10

Health, Healing and Beyond - 5 days Mar Mon 02 - Fri 06 Sep Mon 14 - Fri 18

Healing Meditation Retreat - 3 days Mar Wed 25 - Fri 27 Jul Wed 01 - Fri 03 Nov Mon 09 - Wed 11

Taking Control of Multiple Sclerosis - 5 days with Prof George Jelinek Feb Mon 16 - Fri 20 Aug Mon 03 - Fri 07

RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS held at Yarra Valley Living Centre Promoting Health and Wellbeing

Weekend Meditation Retreats Jan Fri 23 - Sun 25 Jul Fri 24 - Sun 26 Oct Fri 16 - Sun 18

Living in Balance - 5 days Feb Mon 23 - Fri 27 Jun Mon 22 - Fri 26 Oct Mon 05 - Fri 09

Rest and Rejuvenation - 5 days Mar/Apr Mon 30 - Fri 03 Oct Mon 19 - Fri 23

Meditation and Insight - 5 days with Drs Ian & Ruth Gawler May Mon 18 - Fri 22

Pathways to Intimacy - 3 days Jun Fri 12 - Sun 14

NEW LIFESTYLE PROGRAM held at Yarra Valley Living Centre Reclaim your Life - 6 daysIntegrative wellbeing program designed to empower you

to improve your quality of life and your heart sing!

Nov Sun 22 - Fri 27

COUNSELLING SERVICESOur highly trained professional counselors offer all aspects of general counseling; major illness-related counseling; emotional and spiritual support at Malvern East; Yarra Valley Living Centre; home; hospital and over the phone.

RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS held at Yarra Valley Living Centre Professional Development

Mindfulness Meditation Training - 3 days with Dr Craig Hassed Jun Fri 19 - Sun 21

Meditation Teachers Training - Part 1 - 5 days + Parts 2 & 3 - 3 days May (part 1) Mon 04 - Fri 08 Aug (part 2) Fri 28 - Sun 30 Nov (part 3) Fri 06 - Sun 08

Mindfulness Training Follow Up - 3 days Sep Fri 04 - Sun 06

NON RESIDENTIAL PROGRAMS - Cancer Promoting Health and Wellbeing

Cancer, Healing and WellbeingLifestyle based Self Help Program - 12 weeks BURWOOD Tue 10.00am - 12.30pm 03 Mar - 19 May 26 May - 11 Aug 18 Aug - 10 Nov 17 Nov - 15 Dec weeks 1-5 and weeks 6-12 Jan-Feb 2010

YARRA JUNCTION Wed 10.00am - 12.30pm 18 Feb - 06 May 20 May - 05 Aug 30 Sep - 16 Dec

Meditation Group - OngoingBURWOOD Tue (time to be advised) recommences 27 January 2009

Cancer Support Group - Follow up Program - OngoingBURWOOD Tue (time to be advised) recommences 27 January 2009

Meditation-based Stillness Meditation and Imagery - 8 weeks MALVERN EAST Mon 12.30pm - 2.00pm Mon 6.30pm - 8.00pm 02 Feb - 30 Mar 02 Feb - 30 Mar 20 Apr - 15 Jun 20 Apr - 15 Jun 13 Jul - 31 Aug 13 Jul - 31 Aug 28 Aug - 16 Oct 28 Aug - 16 Oct 05 Oct - 23 Nov 05 Oct - 23 Nov

MELBOURNE BASED EVENTS

Melbourne Meditation Workshop with Ian GawlerSat 09 May

‘Profound Healing - Sustainable Wellbeing’ Annual ConferenceSat 14 & Sun 15 November

‘Mind, Body and Spirit’ seminar series for Gawler Foundation Members - Date to be confi rmedBy invitation to current fi nancial members of the Foundation.

For more informaiton please call us on 03 5967 1730 or visit our website www.gawler.org