So after a little break I am back to my blogs. Life has been so crazy busy with clients and Aloka. Talking of Aloka they had a fantastic open night party last Thursday. The place was rammed with over 150 people, lots of press and some key Aura-Soma staff from Lincolnshire.  For me it was great to be able to catch up with them in as I only ever see them when I am up there on a course.

The music played and the free organic wine and fizz flowed all night. You don't often see that at Brighton parties. Everyone was blown away by the place and the fantastic food that was laid on all night. I have to say I don't think I was the only one with a sore head the next day.

I have been busy as ever with my clients but I have also been doing some writing for Aura-Soma on biodynamics and Shire Farm their 600 acre biodynamic farm they have up near Tetford in Lincolnshire. I have spent over a week immersed in the world of biodynamics and have been eating, sleeping and dreaming about manure, composting and flowforms! Flowforms are these amazing devises that mix the biodynamic preparations with water that are then sprayed on the land to improve the soils quality and fertility. If the soil is healthy and fertile then the vegetables or crops grown upon it are bound to be improved. Within biodynamics the soil is at the very heart of everything. Originally I just thought flowforms were lovely garden water features as the only one I had ever seen was up at Dev-Aura where I train in their beautiful garden.

created by John Wilkes an English sculptor who developed a cascade of bowls which when water flows through is similar to the action of a mountain stream with vortices (plug holes!) flowing down the cascade and creating the pulse as it does so. This is a perfect way to mix large quantities of the biodynamic preparations whilst energising them.

So there you have it, that's what a flowform is. Charlie Dimmock eat your heart out! I'll blog more about the farm soon. It's so gorgeous out there, they grown many of the herbs and flowers that are used in the bottles including lavender, marigolds and sunflowers whose seeds they press for oil. You can see the farm here in the summer, it's gorgeous.

Other news regarding Aura-Soma is the arrival of the new bottle number 107 Tzaphkiel. I will write more about this new bottle in the coming days but for now you can take a look at it. It's irridecent turquoise over deep magenta. It would be interesting to hear what those of you who know about Aura-Soma think about it and feel it's meaning may be.  

My other half laughed his head off when months ago went on line to buy masks as the news hit about the potential swine flu pandemic. I was going to be prepared even though I had read all that stuff about the masks being about as useful as a chocolate teapot but it made me feel better knowing they were in the house along with the surgical gloves I bought and antibacterial hand gel. Well they said that's what we would need plenty of and who was I to argue? Now here I am stuck in bed with the bloody thing and Rob is wondering why I am not using the masks to protect him and the kids against my plague germs. Bless him I only bought them to protect me and now it's too late.  

Of course not even the black death would be able to stop me from working so I have been sat here glued to my macbook sucking strepsils and trying to decide to Tamilflu or not to Tamiflu whilst Rob has painted a large red cross on the bedroom door.

Work is going well and I have private clients chomping at the bit to have dates for consultations as I have not been able to see them at home due to the holidays and having my son Sam and my step sons Oli and Alf about. It's been fantastic but I like most mothers around the country  am ready to pack my little angel off to school and get stuck back into it. That's as and when I am let out of solitary confinement.

Aloka is going from strength to strength with consultations coming in thick and fast. It's so very different working there to here at home where we sit relaxed with a cup of coffee or whatever the client fancies and talk bottles for an hour and a half. In Brighton most clients book in for just an hour so I have to condense what I want to tell them about their four bottles which can be challenging when you are used to having that extra 30mins.  It does work but I end up seeing more clients in a row than I would at home which can be exhausting but it's exhilerating at the same time. I love a challenge.

Aloka is such a gorgeous space to be working from and the consultation rooms are beautiful. I do feel very lucky to do what I love from there.  Though I have to confess just between you and me I am actually almost enjoying my confinement to bed despite feeling totally crap. I never just stop like this and stay in the one spot. I can catch up on my massive to do list and have hubby and son waiting on me hand and foot for a change. I can feel this swine flu lasting quite some time to come. I think I need a hand bell to truly ensure my needs are being met promptly enough, especially as we are on 3 floors and I am at the top. Must get of to ebay to find one and sell those bloody masks. Feel free to send your get well cards, chocolates and gifts to me at my usual address ;-)

I can't believe the last time I found time to write this blog was June 4th. Where has the time gone? I am managing to carve out a moment to do this as I am sitting in my car with my macbook on my lap whilst I watch my son and his friend skateboard at our local skatepark. Thank God for BTOpenzone. So I thought I would take this opportunity to touch base here with an update.

Life has been none stop crazy busy since I came back from my Aura-Soma level three training in May and was asked to get involved with the marketing and PR of Aloka the new Aura-Soma centre in Brighton. It's been amazing, exciting, exhausting and not just a little daunting especially regarding time management. It would be easier to embrace if I did not have a thriving Aura-Soma colour therapy practice myself here in Henfield. I have loads of great regular clients and my diary is always booked up weeks in advance so carving out time for Aloka, let alone everyone and everything in my life has been challenging to say the least.  I would be lying though if I said I was doing anything other than loving it. Right from the start of my Aura-Soma training I felt like I wanted to be really involved with Aura-Soma beyond simply being a registered practitioner. Careful what you wish for, you might just get it. Why does this never work with lottery numbers? That's what I want to know.

Inside Aloka 

Situated on East Street just down from Kids Gap is the fantastic new centre called Aloka. Owned by Daisy and Carlo it's a one stop shop for all your Aura-Soma needs and desires. You can buy bottles, shower gels, soaps, lotions and many, many other Aura Soma products.

It also has a fantastic Cafe and Restaurant serving fresh vegetarian food with many vegan options. Some of the vegetables are even brought down from Aura Soma's biodynamic farm up in Tetford.  What I really love is you pay by weight. You fill your plate then weigh it! So you can have as much or as little as you like. There are home made cakes, fantastic coffee and they serve wine and beer. Open from breakfast until late it really is a lovely experience eating next to the Aura-Soma bottles!

But it's more than just a restuarant. It is also a yoga centre with all day classes including early morning classes that you can pop into before work and grab a smoothie for breakfast on the way out. It also has 4 treatment rooms for Aura-Soma based consultations, treatments and massages. No money has been spared and the place is relaxing and stylish.

When you are next in town treat yourself and check it out. 14 East Street.

So this Saturday I leave for a week to complete my level three training as an Aura Soma practitioner. It almost didn't happen as I had it in my diary that the course started on May 16th and had taken great pains to arranged child care after school every day etc. only to find out late last week that it wasn't starting on Sat the 16th but Sat the 23rd and would be taking place over the whole of half term! Oh my God. That was just a bit stressful having to rearrange child care that's complicated by Sam being off school. Luckily I managed to pull it off. Hell or high waters was going to keep me from my level 3 the next one isn't until November.

Had it not been for a random conversation with my course tutor Simone I would have just driven up there, 5 hours drive, on the 16th for no good reason! Phew that was a close call. I would not have been a happy camper.

Then yesterday Aura Soma contacted me to remind me to send or bring my 2000 word essay with me. What 2000 word essay? The one I had obviously totally forgotten about the moment after they mentioned it on the last day of my level 2 course six months ago. Honestly I know it's mercury retrograde but this is not funny. Where is my head? I spent today writing it whilst listening to my neighbors sanding their floorboards. Why today of all days? There is no time for me to write it tomorrow as have consultations and packing to do. 

Anyway before I know it I will be up there relaxing and learning even more useful stuff to include in my consultations. We study from 10 till 7 and get fed the most amazing vegetarian food. It's like visiting a really great vegetarian restaurant every day. Home made breads, cakes and biscuits. It's fantastic and you don't have to do the washing up afterwards. I love it. It feels like such a treat being up there. The venue and grounds are gorgeous and the village it's in is idyllic. All in all it's a great experience. Though I can't imagine knowing anything more about the bottles. My head is fit to burst with what I know already and an hour and a half consultation never feels like enough time to talk about all the implications of the four bottles chosen!

I will let you know how it goes upon my return when I will hit the ground running getting ready for the Arts & Gardens weekend. No rest for the wicked.

Till then....

Dev Aura where we stay and study.