The Wheel

North

Froggy is feeling sorry for himself – there is too much going on!

"I ‘m always on the go, I never have enough time to get everything done, I can’t switch off on holiday and I even find it hard to relax when I’m going to sleep. I have thoughts that cycle round and round, it feels like my mind just won’t shut up! And even though I work so hard and it seems like I hardly ever stop – I still feel like a failure half the time”.

Sometimes frog feels secretly resentful that he seems to carry more responsibility than the other frogs. It’s not fair that he gets so little help!

The north on The Wheel represents our Mind – the ever active set of thoughts, beliefs and scripts that shape so much of our behaviour and feelings. Thoughts are tricky – they know how to disguise themselves so that they feel like absolute truths, over which we have very little control. Negative thought patterns are a cruel task master and when they are in charge life can feel rather driven and miserable – anxiety disorders and depression are the next step down the road.

The Wheel shows you how to take charge of your thought processes again, so they are in service to you rather than the other way round!

East

Our Frog is feeling low, disconnected, maybe a little lonely. Life feels rather humourless and joyless these days and it often seems like he is treading water but fundamentally going nowhere. Late at night lying on his lilypad he finds himself wondering ‘what am I doing here - is it all worth it?’

He mostly keeps these thoughts to himself as he thinks the other frogs wouldn’t understand. In his eyes most of them seem so sure of what they are doing, so contented. He worries that maybe something is wrong with him – after all he has somewhere nice to live, enough to eat and an important job at the pond. Shouldn’t he be happier with what he already has?

The east of The Wheel represents Meaning & Connection. This can take different forms for all of us. It may be about your philosophy of life, your spirituality or faith. It may be rediscovering your sense of wonder about the world and releasing your creative energy. Or it may involve deepening your sense of connection to other people, the planet or life itself.

The Wheel will open you up to a more fruitful and fulfilling life – giving more power to that spark within you which modern life sometimes snuffs out.

South

Poor frog......he ends up feeling guilty if he has to say no to someone, feeling secretly resentful if he says yes. With some people or situations there is a gradual build up of anger inside. Like a vat of boiling water eventually it all spills over.

At times frog feels down-trodden and taken for granted – even uncared for. Sometimes frog feels the need to escape or ‘numb out’ for a while – and this is when he eats, smokes or drinks too much. Painful emotions are smothered in those extra glasses of wine or supersize bars of chocolate.

Occasionally he fills up the empty feeling by having sex he doesn’t really want, taking drugs or buying lots of things he doesn’t really need.

All these “solutions” are only ever temporary however – he ends up back where he started, just a little poorer, heavier or feeling hungover.

The south represents Emotion – how our emotional centres are affected by stress and pressure. What happens when difficult emotions come up? How can I get my emotional centre to help me out when things are tough?

The Wheel’ teaches you better ways of self-soothing and methods for coping well when the pressure is high.

West

Frog looks a bit speedy and exhausted.

He is experiencing the physical manifestations of stress. He often gets shaky, hot and sweaty. His heart hammers away very fast. After work he gets so tired and lethargic he can barely keep his eyes open, then he can’t sleep properly when he goes to bed!

If this carries on frog might get ill – he is heading for insomnia, skin rashes, weight issues, asthma, hypertension, cardiovascular illness or even immune impairment.

The west on The Wheel is the Body – what happens in my body when I experience pressure or stress? How can I use my body to help me understand how I am experiencing the current situation? Where should I focus my energy to help me out?

The Wheel teaches us to pay attention to what our body needs and what it is telling us. It reminds us to nurture and care for our bodies rather than treating them like functional machines that can just keep on going.

Centre

The centre of The Wheel is where frog finds himself once he learns how to balance the four directions properly.
If he is over-reliant on one direction he will be out of balance. If one direction is stuck or blocked he will eventually fall over. When the four are working harmoniously together our little frog is contented and happy.
Of course he still faces pressure – but now he knows how to deal with it effectively and not get stuck in old negative patterns.

Frog feels much calmer since he found The Wheel, he can consciously manage the direction, balance and energy of his life, checking on himself to ensure that he stays close to the centre and is not straying out towards the edge.

It is his special navigation system for the choppy waters of life.

In fact it has worked so well for him – that he now teaches The Wheel to the other frogs