Mary Magdalene

Mary Magdalene

I have been learning about Mary Magdalene this past few weeks. Inspired by the following books. Enjoy my interpretations,Paul x Follow me online for my free unrefined expression :-)www.paulvonbergen.com The Gospel of Mary of Magdala by Karen L. King Magdalene...
Book Review: Untethered Soul

Book Review: Untethered Soul

I don’t know where to start with this review apart from in my 18 years on this wellness journey, before Billabong and now during Billabong, after all my hundreds of hours of studying and teaching and writing about yoga, meditation, mindfulness, neuroscience,...

What is Good Health

Short podcast by Billabong Retreat founder Paul about what makes good health (part 1) https://billabongretreat.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/pvb-podcast-1b.mp3 Transcript: [00:00:00] Hi, my name is Paul von Bergen, and this is my podcast. So today I’m gonna...
Stress Video Poem

Stress Video Poem

Stress stress – its a dangerous thing When that is the only state your body does sing When this way becomes the norm Your mind and thoughts living in storm Always worried about the future and past No idea that this way is not meant to last Thinking all things...
Trigger Happy

Trigger Happy

Science tells us that life has been evolving for a billion years, and that this biological story is within each of us. Until you understand the impact this inherited physiology has on people, you will never truly understand their behavior. The place to start learning...
The Divided Brain

The Divided Brain

I am fascinated by this TED discussion by Psychiatrist Iain McGilchrist how our brain fundamentally works in two different ways yet this duality is often masked by our mindlessness. Our left brain is good are knowing defined detail yet this often delivers a...
Instinct vs Impulse by Paul von Bergen

Instinct vs Impulse by Paul von Bergen

On first look, an impulse can feel very much like an instinct. It comes from inside and seems to drive you to do something. Instincts also come from inside but are more a general gut feeling that you should follow a particular path. Impulses are not always good for...
What is Yoga by Paul von Bergen

What is Yoga by Paul von Bergen

By Paul von Bergen Yoga is an ancient guide to bringing joy and contentment to human beings. It originates from the Vedas, one of the earliest sources of human wisdom that is over four thousand years old and was chanted from generation to generation before the written...
What Is Mindfulness by Paul von Bergen

What Is Mindfulness by Paul von Bergen

By Paul von Bergen Mindfulness is quite simply the biggest revolution in health and wellness but not because it is new, it is not. The concepts and ideas of mindfulness have been around for thousands of years. It is because the concept of mindfulness has captured the...
Free Guided Meditation by Paul von Bergen

Free Guided Meditation by Paul von Bergen

By Paul von Bergen A counting meditation is designed to improve your ability to hold the mind steady, without wandering. Listen to our guided counting meditation here taken from our mindfulness training retreat. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMs-Ue-XfZM
Background to Mindfulness by Paul von Bergen

Background to Mindfulness by Paul von Bergen

By Paul von Bergen Inspired by John Kabat Zinn If you were part of the London Philharmonic Orchestra you would not dream of using your instrument without tuning it first yet. The mind is our instrument of running our life yet most of us don’t spend even a moment of...
Practice Makes Perfect by Paul von Bergen

Practice Makes Perfect by Paul von Bergen

By Paul von Bergen We have all heard this phrase a million times and know it to be true. It is a simple concept that us humans are able to grasp. We know for instance that if we practice a sport we will get better at it, if we practice the piano our skills will...
City Life by Paul von Bergen

City Life by Paul von Bergen

By Paul von Bergen Why is it that when we have all this space in the world, most of us like to cram in together in cities. Is it just because of work opportunities? Is it because of the arts? Do we think we will miss out on something otherwise? Perhaps we get a buzz...
Breathing Meditation Made Easy by Paul von Bergen

Breathing Meditation Made Easy by Paul von Bergen

By Paul von Bergen Breathing is such an under-rated skill in the West. Our obsession is all about the heart, and exercising to get it to beat fast in the bizarre hope that is all we will need to do to stay healthy. We are so dumb sometimes. Breathing is what gives us...
Indigenous Wisdom by Paul von Bergen

Indigenous Wisdom by Paul von Bergen

By Paul von Bergen If you have read the article on perspective, then you will realize that the amount of time that Europeans have been in Australia is miniscule compared to the time that indigenous people have. About 250 years versus 40,000 years – 0.00625% of the...