Darwin, Australia Travel Guide

Darwin is the Northern Territory’s capital, in a region Australians fondly call “The Top End”. Situated at the Timor Sea edge, this city is closer to Bali than to the major capitals of Australia. Traditionally the Larrakia People’s home, Darwin was in 1869 settled by Europeans. The population here is low since the city is isolated but the locals like it that way. Darwin is more of a gateway city – it is the gateway to a state of mind, Aboriginal Dreamtime, and outback adventures you can only appreciate once you are here.

Half the city usually gathers at the Mindil Beach Markets on Sundays and Thursdays. Here, the aromas of a variety of cuisines from different parts of the world mix together under the sky creating the ideal essence of Darwin’s multicultural lifestyle.

Head down to the beach at sunset for the best show in town and watch as the sun dips into the Arafura Sea. You can also catch a double feature under the stars at the Deck Chair Cinema, another local institution.

But life here has not always been this easy going. More bombs were dropped on Darwin than on Pearl Harbor during the Second World War. You can learn more about those dark days and the ongoing military significance of the city at the Australian Aviation Heritage Centre and the Defense of Darwin Experience.

Learn how this city was tragically flattened again in 1974 at the Darwin Museum and Art Gallery. The Art Gallery and Museum is also a great introduction to the region’s unique natural environment and local cultures.

While you are here, remember to say hello to Sweetheart, a rogue crocodile that developed a taste for aluminum boats before he was caught. Sweetheart is quieter these days, but you can still experience the amazing power of Australia’s fresh- and saltwater crocodiles at Crocodylus Park. About a 15-minute drive from Darwin, this park is home to more than 1,000 crocodiles. Make tracks to Crocosaurus to get real close to these creatures. Feed the crocodiles or for more adventure, climb into the Cage of Death and be lowered into a tank with some captive salties.

Hit the road to adventure for the best holiday snaps. There are more than 60 national parks in the Northern Territory and there are 20 in this region alone. If you ask any local for their favorite, they will likely pick the Litchfield National Park. Just about 2 hours from Darwin, Litchfield is surrounded by plateau, crisscrossed by croc-free swimming holes and narrow, deep gorges filled monsoon forests.

Whether you have explored The Outback for some days or months, there comes a time when you start to long for the city’s creature comforts. This is where Darwin comes in, it is the ideal gateway back into the world, a world that is relaxed, big-hearted, and forever connected to the rhythms of human spirit and nature.

Inner Energy

Each of us is made from energy, and we can all attain a level of self healing with no need for conventional medication.

Ancient Eastern medial models have used this energy within us for thousands of years, however conventional Western thinking has frowned upon this, preferring to use medicines and chemicals to heal.

Have you ever got a papercut? It heals itself doesn’t it? You may place a plaster over it, but you do not take any medication for the cut to close, your body does it itself, it is a combination of our body’s energy and our mind that has the expectation that “this papercut will heal!”.

The same process can be applied to much larger ailments. Tuning in to our inner energy can be easy and quick, and once you are tuned in to it you can master your emotions and can transform your health simply. Self-healing is not at all complicated. In fact that are various ways to do so.

Here we will look at a few simple steps you can use to find your inner energy and bring a feeling of peace and inner calm. Once mastered it is a simple as changing the channels on a television set or radio, and you can literally feel yourself relax with that change.

To start with, get in to a comfortable position and focus your breathing, do not force it just be aware of each breath coming in and leaving your body, retain this state for at least 5 minutes and empty your mind.

Put your hands in front of you, palm to palm, and rub them up and down against each other quickly for a minute or so, while still keeping focus on your natural breathing, feel the warmth building up between your hands.

Slowly pull your hands apart and keep them palm to palm, feel that warmth still between them. This is your inner energy. Focus on it and realize that it is always there, feel it flowing through your hands as you hold them in front of you. Keep practicing this for a few days until you can really tune in to that energy in your hands and feel it. Once you know that this energy is there, you can try to move that energy through different parts of your body, repeat the following steps always concentrating on your breathing.

Move your inner energy up your arms, to your shoulders.

If you have a headache, move your energy to your head, notice how your headache starts to feel better.

If at any point you feel that you are losing your energy as you move it, then start the process again. Take your time and don’t stress if you cant move your energy immediately, it does take practice.

Try to follow these steps for 5 to 10 minutes daily, as you become more aware of your inner energy, notice how it flows and changes to different parts of your body.

Meditation is a powerful way to heal your mind and indeed your body

Meditation has been around for centuries and is in essence a practice where you can train your mind and induce a higher or altered state of consciousness and obtain a feeling of calm and inner peace.

Most practitioners of meditation do have various techniques on how they meditate, however one of the easiest ways to start is by closing your eyes and breathing slowly and deeply while relaxing your body and emptying your mind.

If you can count to 10 then you can start on your journey of meditation and find an inner calm that you never knew existed. The staff at carpet cleaning Sherwood Park are true believers in the power of meditation and your ability to re-energize your body and mind.

A basic way of breathing in preparation for meditating is as follows;

First off you will want to practice this with no distractions, so find a quiet location, wearing loose, comfortable clothing helps you to feel relaxed.

 

Sit in a comfortable position either or the floor or in a chair, or indeed you can lie down and close your eyes.

The great thing about this is there is no special equipment required (you can of course invest in a meditation chair or pillow once you have progressed to more advanced techniques) and this technique can be used pretty much anywhere once you have got the hang of it.

A huge part of meditation is breathing, sounds simple right as we do it all the time, well in this we are going to look at a great way to ‘control’ your breathing which will start you on the journey to meditation.

You want to breathe naturally, do not force it.

Okay so focus on your breathing, on your first inhalation, count 1 quietly in your mind, and when exhale count 2, then inhale again count 3 to yourself.

Continue this until you reach 10 and then return to 1, basically on every inhale you should be using the odd numbers – 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 – and on each exhalation you will be counting the even numbers – 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10.

If at any time you lose count just start again at 1 and carry on, do not worry about it.

While starting out (indeed further down the line) you may find you fall asleep, this is great as think how relaxed you must be to sleep.

To start with try to practice this technique for 10 to 20 minutes daily, and once you feel comfortable with this method of breathing you can stop counting.

This is a great way to relieve yourself of stress and as mentioned can be used anywhere once you have got used to it, in the office or the bus etc.