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Guru to the stars

Snapper

Snapper

On the eve of his Australian tour, controversial spiritual guide Dr Deepak Chopra explains his philosophy of life to Larry Writer – and why the global financial crisis was a spiritual wake-up call.

Dr Deepak Chopra, like countless prophets before him, has been pilloried for his unconventional views. Yet, today, many of his critics are choking on their words. Dr Chopra is too gracious to say, “I told you so”, but in the wake of the global financial crisis, which has swept away fortunes and property like sandcastles by a turning tide, it’s clear that some have learned the hard way that he was onto something when he preached that spiritualism, not materialism, is the key to happiness.

This month, at seminars in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, the India-born sage, physician, author and lecturer on mind-body medicine, spirituality, quantum mechanics and peace, is bringing that message and others, such as “our body is a soul made flesh … the end product of our experiences, love, suffering, emotions and aspirations, and to live a full life, we must get in touch with and resurrect our soul”.

7 Secrets of Success

In 1994, Deepak Chopra’s book The Seven Spiritual Laws Of Success: A Practical Guide To The Fulfillment Of Your Dreams (Amber-Allen Publishing, rrp $33.99) became a worldwide best-seller. And little wonder given its message is that we do not have to work relentlessly until we drop of exhaustion in order to make our dreams come true. All we need to do is follow a simple set of rules.

  1. THE LAW OF PURE POTENTIALITY

Take time to be silent, to just be. Meditate for 30 minutes, twice a day. Silently witness the intelligence within every living thing. Practice non-judgment.

  1. THE LAW OF GIVING AND RECEIVING

Today, bring whoever you encounter a gift: a compliment or a flower. Gratefully receive gifts. Keep wealth circulating by giving and receiving care, affection, appreciation and love.

  1. THE LAW OF KARMA

Every action generates a force of energy that returns to us in like kind. Choosing actions that bring happiness and success to others ensures the flow of happiness and success to you.

  1. THE LAW OF LEAST EFFORT

Accept people, situations and events as they occur. Take responsibility for your situation and for all events seen as problems. Relinquish the need to defend your point of view.

  1. THE LAW OF INTENTION AND DESIRE

Inherent in every intention and desire is the mechanics for its fulfillment. Make a list of desires. Trust that when things don’t seem to go your way, there is a reason.

  1. THE LAW OF DETACHMENT

Allow yourself and others the freedom to be who they are. Do not force solutions – allow solutions to spontaneously emerge. Uncertainty is essential and your path to freedom.

  1. THE LAW OF DHARMA

Seek your higher self. Discover your unique talents. Ask yourself how you are best suited to serve humanity. Using your unique talents and serving others brings unlimited bliss and abundance.

Read a full interview with Deepak Chopra in the April issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly on sale now with Michelle and Barack Obama on the cover.

Your say: What do you think of Dr Deepak Chopra? Do you think these steps could help you fulfil your dreams? Share with us below.

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Courage under fire

Photography by David Hahn. Styling by Teagan Sewell.

Photography by David Hahn. Styling by Teagan Sewell.

There is no greater honour than the Victoria Cross – a medal so rare it had not been granted for 40 years. So just how has VC hero Mark Donaldson gone from dodging bullets to family life? Sue Williams reports.

It hurts to send the man you love off to war. For Emma Donaldson, wife of Trooper Mark Donaldson, the first Australian to win the Victoria Cross in 40 years, it is always an agonising wrench. Emma has sent Mark off to battlegrounds in East Timor and Iraq, but the time she remembers most vividly was when she sent him off to fight in Afghanistan.

Standing outside their home in Perth, WA, Mark hugged their then 18-month-old daughter, Kaylee, before kissing Emma and turning to step into the waiting car. Urgently, Emma pulled him close, holding his face in her hands. “I love you,” she said. “And if you die doing something stupid, I’m going to be so angry!”

Emma, 34, is nothing if not a realist. As a soldier herself, she knows that when Mark, a member of the Special Air Service (SAS) Regiment, goes into battle, doing a good job automatically puts him in harm’s way. Yet, in August 2008, Emma had no idea that the man she loved was going to do something so extraordinary, so heroic, that it would change their lives forever.

The first she heard about it was a few weeks later, as she was pounding the treadmill at a gym in Perth. On the TV news was a report of a fierce gun battle in the distant deserts of Afghanistan in which a number of Australian troops had been injured. Emma’s thoughts turned to Mark, but she pushed her fears away, knowing that if something was wrong, she would be told soon enough. Two days later, her fears evaporated when she picked up the phone and heard Mark’s voice.

They chatted about their daughter and their lives at opposite ends of the world and, just as they ended their conversation, Mark added, almost as an aside, “I’ve done something you’re probably not going to be too impressed with, but I’ll tell you about it when I get home”.

Almost two months later, when his regiment returned home, Mark sat Emma down and sketched in the details of how he and his mates had fought, under heavy machine gun and rocket fire, to escape a bloody Taliban ambush, the same one she had heard reported on the television. She was stunned by what she heard.

“I lost the air from my lungs and I had a sick feeling in my stomach,” she tells The Weekly. “I didn’t want to listen, but I had to and I couldn’t show how scared I was because I didn’t want to upset our child. He told me there had been bullets going everywhere and that a guy had been blown from a car, and he had got him and brought him back. In the end, I thought, ‘Okay! That doesn’t sound too bad!’ ”

Your say: What do you think about this story? Share your opinions below…

Read the full story in the April issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly on sale now with Michelle and Barack Obama on the cover.

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What can I use to replace egg?

Question: I have an egg allergy. Is it possible to leave eggs out of a recipe or can they be substituted?

You should avoid any products that are labeled as containing albumin, dried egg, egg whole, yolk, protein or solids, globulin, livetin, lysozyme, ovalbumin, ovaglobulin, ovomucin, ovomucid, ovovitellin or vitellin and pasteurised, powedered or whole egg.

Sometimes you can leave out the egg in a recipe that calls for only one or two and replace them by adding water. However this is not recommended with most baking recipes, so you will need to either use commercial egg substitution (available from most supermarkets) or experiment with other substitutions.

If the purpose of the egg is to bind the ingredients, you can try substituting mashed banana, apple puree, soft tofu or gelatin dissolved in hot water. If the egg is required as a thickening or setting agent you could use wheat, rice or corn flour blended to a paste with a little water to do the job.

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Victoria Beckham’s celebrity fans

Victoria Beckham has been given a little boost by fellow former Spice Girl, Melanie C, who wore one of Posh’s fashion creations on the red carpet at the Lawrence Oliver Awards in London recently.

But Sporty Spice isn’t the only one sporting Posh’s designs. A number of other celebrities have opted for Beckham’s label during this awards season.

Celebrity fans include Courteney Cox, Cameron Diaz and Heidi Klum.

The new crew of celebrities happily wearing a VB creation has provided the singer-turned-designer with a great deal of publicity.

The 35-year-old recently held a preview of her autumn collection at New York Fashion Week.

Victoria Beckham in a gown from her Fall / Winter 2010 collection

Former Spice Girl Mel C recently wore one of Victoria Beckham’s creations

Cameron Diaz in a dress from Victoria’s Fall / Winter 2010 collection

Courteney Cox in a dress from Victoria’s Spring Summer 2010

Heidi Klum in a Victoria Beckham design

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Is the world really going to end in 2012?

2012

A screen grab from the movie 2012

The end-of-the-world disaster movie, 2012, has viewers gripping their seats as the ground falls from beneath buildings and the ocean rushes over cities.

The Roland Emmerich-directed thriller, available on Blu-ray and DVD, uses groundbreaking special effects to create the end of the world as we know it. But is it possible that the world will actually end in 2012?

The theory of the world coming to an end is based on the Mayan culture and calendar which abruptly stops on December 20, 2012. The calendar, know as the Long Count, counts the periods in which the world was created and destroyed.

Despite some people believing that this indicated the end of the world, professional archaeologist and historian of religious myths and symbols Dr Julian Droogan says there is no evidence to suggest the world will end in 2012.

“Mayans believe that when the current calendar ends, the world would most probably be destroyed or dissolved in water, before it could be recreated anew,” Dr Droogan says.

“The Long Count calendar used by the Maya is set to end on December 20, 2012. I think it’s important to emphasise that there is no evidence suggesting that the world would end on that date; it’s just interesting that people will talk about the myths surrounding that date.”

Dr Droogan, who carried out his research in India, says another interesting aspect to the Mayan culture is the parallels in beliefs with the Hindu and Buddhist cultures.

“Hindus believe we are in the fourth period of creation and they believe it will change again, but not for thousands of years,” he says.

He explains that one of the most interesting aspects of popular culture is people’s willingness to believe in these ancient myths.

“I think possibly we live in times of greater anxiety with more worries about the world,” he says.

“[If] people feel less in control … it’s possible that fuels and anxiety [over] dreads [about] the future and that can be directed towards those myths.”

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Hide and Seek

Your comment: Our new puppy Scooter thought he would help me out with the washing.

Sent in by: Tara Todhunter

Your comment: Ronnie on his ‘lion’ bed

Sent in by: Mette

Your comment: Alphie is a beautiful staffie cross who we rescued at the age of 5 weeks!! He is the most beautiful natured dog ever. He has a bone disorder and goes for walkies in a pram!!!

Sent in by: Emily Carruthers

Your comment: Amazing! When we found Daisy it looked as though she fell asleep reading Woman’s Day magazines. After later looking at the picture we realized what magazine she liked best! So we’re sending it in!

Sent in by: Alyssa Pinsanor

Your comment: Little Tye ready for a bath!!

Sent in by: Rebecca

Your comment: My husband came home from work early and was on the telephone. As he raised the blind he was confronted with our 6mth old Mastiff x puppy Bear looking very sorry for himself. He had apparently decided to investigate the inside of an 80cm terracotta pot. After taking this pic my husband had to carefully smash the remnant “collar” to remove it. Remnant shards of poor baby Bear’s panic were found next to the clothesline and garden shed. Baby Bear remained thoroughly subdued for the remainder of the day.

Sent in by: Deb Whittington

Your comment: My playful little kittens would enjoy investigating everything!

Sent in by: Emily Chenoweth

Your comment: This is our puppy Ella’s new favourite sleeping spot – in the basket of my grandson’s pram.

Sent in by: Maureen Jones

Your comment: Our cat Fanta loves to play hide and seek with the kids.

Sent in by: Sarah Tanmahapran

Your comment: A few weeks old.

Sent in by: Emma

Sent in by: Julie

Your comment: This is my 4 yr old Jack Russell ‘Trane’ playing in the garden.

Sent in by: Charis Johnson ———————————————————————- Submit photos of your own adorable pets here!

———————————————————————- Visit the pet section of the site for pet factsheets, tips and expert advice.

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The look of LMFF

We all know the L’Oréal Melbourne Fashion Festival is supposed ot be all about the clothes, but this year the sectacular hair and make-up by L’Oréal Paris was almost just as much a talking point.

Neutral colours took out centre stage with a focus on clean lines and flawless skin. At some shows it was the lips that popped at others it was the daring hairstyles that stole the attention.

If you love these make up looks, try them for yourself!

Runway 1

Runway 2

http://cdn.assets.cougar.bauer-media.net.au/s3/digital-cougar-assets/AWW/2013/09/16/27635/168904651_10.jpg

Runway 3

Runway 4

Runway 5

Runway 6

Runway 7

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The getting the guy guide

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Zoe Foster is a dating columnist and thinks she is an authority on relationships because she is always scripting text messages to guys for friends! She’s just written a book, Textbook Romance, on dating, which is witty, direct (with chapters like “Men don’t skip footy training for you”) and scarily accurate. Julie Hamilton gets her hot tips on scoring a top man.

Are you in relationship at the moment?

I’m a super-single girl right now. I was in a very long relationship — we were together for nine years and we broke up in January.

How is it being back out there?

There is a sick part of me that loves the drama and theatre of dating and currently I am dating but I don’t want a relationship, I enjoy being single. It’s great fodder for my articles!

Why did you write your book?

There are a lot of women out there who I have wanted to say “You need to read my book”. But basically it’s so I could instruct women how to be more in control of, more at peace with, and more successful in their romantic relationships.

Okay, difficult question. Are there really 10 outstanding women to every amazing man at the moment?

[Laughing] It’s really tricky. There is such a small pool of quality men. It’s tiny. Women have high standards and we are so independent that we can brush men off when we need to give them a break and be more open-minded.

I mean, don’t break up because they text phonetically! Women can also be hard work. We can send out mixed signals. If you are putting it out that you are a free spirit and being all superfoxy Beyoncé-style woman and are about to go travelling for a year — the guy will probably turn off.

So what’s your number-one hint about finding love?

Stop looking for it. I don’t think that works. It’s like the “watching water boiling” thing.

So you don’t agree with the notion of “setting your intention and visualising what you want” school of manifesting in relationships?

I do agree. You have to know what you want but then let go. Stop obsessing about it and they will arrive when you are having a great time with your life. I do have a spiritual, affirmation side — you have to “ask, believe, receive”. If you constantly think about not having a partner or men are all douche bags — that is what you will attract.

What’s the biggest mistake women make early in dating?

Investing too much, too quickly. Watching your phone for days at a time that’s when women flip and think he’s “just not that into me”. Keep your yoga class, go to the markets, don’t immediately run into the man cave or become a cyber-stalker.

He’s just a man and he’s got your number, so what? Remember: If he doesn’t text he doesn’t exist. And never, ever, ever, drink and text. You know what we’re talking about.

You talk a lot about letting men chase you and keeping up with making an effort — isn’t that a bit too last century? A bit “don’t move in ’til you get the ring”?

It’s not about being old-fashioned or anti-feminist, it’s a more delicate space to allow yourself to be courted and chased. Men need to chase. If they don’t chase they’re not interested — it’s their essential nature to do this.

And also women need to beware not to switch a little too easily into the comfort zone. It’s the “takeaway Thai and tracksuit pants” curse where you get out of romance and into the domestic.

So what warning signs are there that the guy who you are dating is a dud?

If you start making excuses for them, you should be on alert. Especially if you are defending him to friends and family who love you best. I call this becoming and “Excusinator”. Next, it takes 23 seconds to send a text. If he can’t find the time to do that, then that’s just disrespectful.

Finally, if he wants to see you all the time, swears undying love to you and is planning your marriage after the first date, beware. I call them the “Self Startlers”. Men who come on so strong, so fast, they scare themselves off. They are in love with love and usually run a mile when you decide you like them. If they seem too good to be true, they probably are.

Textbook Romance is published by Penguin.

Interview by Julie Hamilton. Read more of Julie on her website Omigoddess.

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(Don’t) think positive

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Getty Images

For decades, self-help gurus have preached the virtues of positive affirmations. That is, they’ve recommended repeating optimistic statements as a means of helping people “rewire” themselves and stop negative self-talk. For example, substituting “I am so stupid” with “I am trying my best and learning more all the time”.

However, the results of a joint study from two Canadian universities, the University of New Brunswick and the University of Waterloo, suggest, surprisingly, that it doesn’t work for people with low self-esteem who are most in need of a confidence boost. The researchers found that when people with low self-esteem repeated positive statements about themselves, they were even more likely to think negative thoughts.

The authors speculate that, rather like excessive compliments, people with low self-esteem brush off positive self-statements as being unrealistic and something that they don’t consider will happen to them.

Your say: Do you think positive thinking is beneficial? Share your experiences with us.

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Isla and Sacha tie the knot!

Isla Fisher has married her long-term fiancé, comedian Sacha Baron Cohen, in a romantic sunset ceremony in Paris, Woman’s Day can reveal.

The notoriously private couple invited just a few close relatives to witness them become husband and wife in a traditional Jewish ceremony last Monday.

“We did it – we’re married!” bubbled an ecstatic Isla, 34, in an email to friends around the world the following day. “It was the absolute best day of my life and in so many beautiful moments I missed you all so much.

I thought of you as everything was happening, but Sacha and I wanted no fuss – just us!”

Isla and Sacha show off their wedding rings in Paris

Walking hand in hand through the streets of Paris

The pair were engaged for close to six years before finally saying I do!

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