Sex, Drugs & Alcohol
A quick trip into the mind of Maria Pau
Founder of Coaching With Substance
Mitchell Badelles 05.01.2016
Her parent’s separation when she was two years of age led a vulnerable eleven year old girl to be put on a plane to Australia by herself. When she was thirteen, her family members couldn’t control her at al and she ended up on the streets. Alcohol abuse led to crystal meth by the time she was fifteen.
By age eighteen, she managed to become a fashion model in Asia and without parental guidance, had a life being used by the wrong people. Living in the bewildering world of modelling and parties included selling her body, indulging in cocaine, and being passed around in progression between her Triad, Yakuza and 5T gang boyfriends.
She travelled around the world to support her addiction - independent, resourceful, obstinate, and also mislaid and perplexed as to direction. It was stuff that we could only watch in movies.
Something clicked one day and she decided to leave her life of debauchery and began her task to find her soul.
Fast forward to now and Maria has a Master’s Degree in Public Health in the field of Alcohol, Tobacco and Drugs, a degree in Psychology, and is now also a Drug and Alcohol Counsellor.
With the help of life partner and spiritual advisor MONK XU, A Taoist monk, Maria has opened a small sanctuary in the Gold Coast of Queensland, to teach and coach people to get away from addictions, suicide and self-harm, excessive mood swings, and other forms of mental imbalance.
She founded Coaching With Substance, so she can support people with addiction. She has written Four Best Selling Books in Amazon, and also won other awards www.linkedin.com/in/coachingwithsubstance
Ang Kalatas’ Mitchell Badelles connected with Proud Pinay, Maria Pau:
Ang Kalatas: It is obvious that the want to change, was a catalyst to actually changing your previous lifestyle, was there actually someone who led you to specific help or services?
Maria: There are three realisations with that question. The first is - change is always inevitable on all things.
The catalyst was realising that the immediate experiences were the culmination of the all things that has transpired in my life and were not providing the results I so wanted. It finally dawned on me that I was going away from what I yearned for with all of my heart - which is that I am not in line with my highest potential.
There was no one particular person that led me to specific services - probably because there was no one in my life anymore at that point as I just broke of a three year relationship. I have burned my mother, and sisters, and the extended family clan had been praying for my deliverance since I started my addiction from the age of thirteen.
Ang Kalatas: My sugar dependency might not sound like an addiction. Along with other dependencies, what is key to wanting change?
Maria: Taste is one of the senses. We are led by the program of sweetness disguised as a sweet visceral feeling of comfort felt through the tongue. What we do not get as comfort in the world we live in, we crave through desserts, chocolates and processed sugar. The craving for sugar, can be quenched with the natural sweetness of dates, figs and apricots.
What we do not want to acknowledge, because of the programming or because we cannot fathom (because of us not being awake or conscious), is that unprocessed foods are what hold the key to real balance.
Because we are in denial we cannot know that we want change. The key to wanting real change is to have a realisation of all that we are doing to our body - look in the mirror and really see it as what it is. To get to this stage, we must hit rock bottom with our dependency (even if it just sugar and rock bottom can mean not being our ideal weight and feeling crummy about it).
Ang Kalatas: I have some idea that most addiction or dependencies are emotionally triggered, what is one way of realising what emotion, or lack of emotion, triggers a particular addiction?
Maria: All addictions are emotionally triggered and stem from pain, lack, taunting, rejection, trauma, rape, poverty, guilt and/or shame. It is the fruit of one or all of these emotional occurrences, stacked all on top of each other.
Emotion is water and stored in our body. Emotions play with us as our body is 80% water and emotion can also be lodged in our flesh.
Deep breathing (Qi gong, Tai Chi, Pranayama and other breathing exercises) and excretion of sweat depletes this memory and creates new wiring in the body’s cellular structure. Consistency of breathing exercises and meditative practices rids the body of toxins. Toxins lead to addiction and mental illnesses.
Ang Kalatas: Some people would argue that religion or faith can help. You and I, both Filipinos coming from a predominantly Catholic influence would be asked, “What part does belief systems have to do with redirection/recovery/redemption?”
Maria: Real religion is the practice of love - therefore there is no need to argue.Redemption is found when solace is found within. Therefore, nothing in the external surroundings can shake that.
Religion is a gathering of people where solace is given, studied and shared around. It is a place to be hospitable, and to cultivate the values or essence of love, compassion, integrity, kindness, sincerity and equanimity in whatever expressions is appropriate for that culture or belief.
A quick trip into the mind of Maria Pau
Founder of Coaching With Substance
Mitchell Badelles 05.01.2016
Her parent’s separation when she was two years of age led a vulnerable eleven year old girl to be put on a plane to Australia by herself. When she was thirteen, her family members couldn’t control her at al and she ended up on the streets. Alcohol abuse led to crystal meth by the time she was fifteen.
By age eighteen, she managed to become a fashion model in Asia and without parental guidance, had a life being used by the wrong people. Living in the bewildering world of modelling and parties included selling her body, indulging in cocaine, and being passed around in progression between her Triad, Yakuza and 5T gang boyfriends.
She travelled around the world to support her addiction - independent, resourceful, obstinate, and also mislaid and perplexed as to direction. It was stuff that we could only watch in movies.
Something clicked one day and she decided to leave her life of debauchery and began her task to find her soul.
Fast forward to now and Maria has a Master’s Degree in Public Health in the field of Alcohol, Tobacco and Drugs, a degree in Psychology, and is now also a Drug and Alcohol Counsellor.
With the help of life partner and spiritual advisor MONK XU, A Taoist monk, Maria has opened a small sanctuary in the Gold Coast of Queensland, to teach and coach people to get away from addictions, suicide and self-harm, excessive mood swings, and other forms of mental imbalance.
She founded Coaching With Substance, so she can support people with addiction. She has written Four Best Selling Books in Amazon, and also won other awards www.linkedin.com/in/coachingwithsubstance
Ang Kalatas’ Mitchell Badelles connected with Proud Pinay, Maria Pau:
Ang Kalatas: It is obvious that the want to change, was a catalyst to actually changing your previous lifestyle, was there actually someone who led you to specific help or services?
Maria: There are three realisations with that question. The first is - change is always inevitable on all things.
The catalyst was realising that the immediate experiences were the culmination of the all things that has transpired in my life and were not providing the results I so wanted. It finally dawned on me that I was going away from what I yearned for with all of my heart - which is that I am not in line with my highest potential.
There was no one particular person that led me to specific services - probably because there was no one in my life anymore at that point as I just broke of a three year relationship. I have burned my mother, and sisters, and the extended family clan had been praying for my deliverance since I started my addiction from the age of thirteen.
Ang Kalatas: My sugar dependency might not sound like an addiction. Along with other dependencies, what is key to wanting change?
Maria: Taste is one of the senses. We are led by the program of sweetness disguised as a sweet visceral feeling of comfort felt through the tongue. What we do not get as comfort in the world we live in, we crave through desserts, chocolates and processed sugar. The craving for sugar, can be quenched with the natural sweetness of dates, figs and apricots.
What we do not want to acknowledge, because of the programming or because we cannot fathom (because of us not being awake or conscious), is that unprocessed foods are what hold the key to real balance.
Because we are in denial we cannot know that we want change. The key to wanting real change is to have a realisation of all that we are doing to our body - look in the mirror and really see it as what it is. To get to this stage, we must hit rock bottom with our dependency (even if it just sugar and rock bottom can mean not being our ideal weight and feeling crummy about it).
Ang Kalatas: I have some idea that most addiction or dependencies are emotionally triggered, what is one way of realising what emotion, or lack of emotion, triggers a particular addiction?
Maria: All addictions are emotionally triggered and stem from pain, lack, taunting, rejection, trauma, rape, poverty, guilt and/or shame. It is the fruit of one or all of these emotional occurrences, stacked all on top of each other.
Emotion is water and stored in our body. Emotions play with us as our body is 80% water and emotion can also be lodged in our flesh.
Deep breathing (Qi gong, Tai Chi, Pranayama and other breathing exercises) and excretion of sweat depletes this memory and creates new wiring in the body’s cellular structure. Consistency of breathing exercises and meditative practices rids the body of toxins. Toxins lead to addiction and mental illnesses.
Ang Kalatas: Some people would argue that religion or faith can help. You and I, both Filipinos coming from a predominantly Catholic influence would be asked, “What part does belief systems have to do with redirection/recovery/redemption?”
Maria: Real religion is the practice of love - therefore there is no need to argue.Redemption is found when solace is found within. Therefore, nothing in the external surroundings can shake that.
Religion is a gathering of people where solace is given, studied and shared around. It is a place to be hospitable, and to cultivate the values or essence of love, compassion, integrity, kindness, sincerity and equanimity in whatever expressions is appropriate for that culture or belief.
NEW LIONS CLUB FORMED AT BLACKTOWN PONDS
Mitchell Badelles 19.04.2016
Civic minded people converged last March 11, 2016 at Paul and Rissa McInnes residence at Glenwood Park Drive, Glenwood to form the Lion’s International’s newest Sydney club, BLACKTOWN PONDS LIONS CLUB.
Approximately 25 people pledged membership well before the 11th. There are now a total of 38 members and membership is still continuing to grow. Some of Blacktown City Lions Club members also joined up with their friends and neighbors. The Ponds geographically covers part of Riverstone all the way to Blacktown City. The new suburb was named “The Ponds”, to commemorate “Second Ponds Creek”, in 2007. In 2011, the Australian Bureau of statistics ranked The Ponds as the most advantaged suburb in Sydney. Blacktown Ponds Lions Club was formed to garner civic membership in a rapidly developing area.
The inaugural Club President is Paul McInnes, who is also the NSW Trustee of The Australian Lions Children’s Mobility Foundation, Venessa Manalo as the First Vice President, Mary Rose Salubre as the Second Vice President, and Rissa McInnes as the Membership Chairperson. Lions District Governor Elvio Muzone and Lions District Membership Chairman Greg Dunn were in attendance to witness and guide the forming of the new Lions Club. Blacktown Ponds Lions Club was awarded its charter last March 22, 2016 during a dinner at Emperor Gardens Restaurant at Haymarket in the city. It also coincides with their visiting International Lions Club Vice President Naresh Aggarwal and his wife Navita Aggarwal.
Last March 30 saw the new club sponsoring Cebu Hamili Lions Club of Cebu City, Philippines with their giving of slippers (thongs) project to the children of Inayawan Garbage Dumpsite Area in Cebu. A similar project followed last April 3, at the Bohol Island of Mantatao, near Calape in the Philippines.
Blacktown Ponds Lions Club regularly supports local and overseas communities. It holds regular BBQ Fundraising events in different locations around Blacktown. The club, currently with 38 members, will meet again on April 27 to elect their Board of Directors, a Treasurer and a Lion Tamer.
The Club will celebrate its charter on May 2, 2016 at Crystal Seafood Restaurant, Westpoint Shopping Centre, Blacktown. Guest VIPs include Blacktown City Mayor Stephen Bali, State Member for Riverstone Kevin Conolly, and Federal Member for Greenway, Michelle Rowlands.
Members are encouraged to bring along their friends. Contact Lion Rissa McInnes on 0414 947 135 or Lion Mary Rose Salubre on 0451 007 423 for reservations.
If interested in joining and knowing more about Blacktown Ponds Lions Club please contact the Membership Chairman Rissa McInnes at 0414 947 135 or email rissa.mcinnes@gmail.com
Mitchell Badelles 19.04.2016
Civic minded people converged last March 11, 2016 at Paul and Rissa McInnes residence at Glenwood Park Drive, Glenwood to form the Lion’s International’s newest Sydney club, BLACKTOWN PONDS LIONS CLUB.
Approximately 25 people pledged membership well before the 11th. There are now a total of 38 members and membership is still continuing to grow. Some of Blacktown City Lions Club members also joined up with their friends and neighbors. The Ponds geographically covers part of Riverstone all the way to Blacktown City. The new suburb was named “The Ponds”, to commemorate “Second Ponds Creek”, in 2007. In 2011, the Australian Bureau of statistics ranked The Ponds as the most advantaged suburb in Sydney. Blacktown Ponds Lions Club was formed to garner civic membership in a rapidly developing area.
The inaugural Club President is Paul McInnes, who is also the NSW Trustee of The Australian Lions Children’s Mobility Foundation, Venessa Manalo as the First Vice President, Mary Rose Salubre as the Second Vice President, and Rissa McInnes as the Membership Chairperson. Lions District Governor Elvio Muzone and Lions District Membership Chairman Greg Dunn were in attendance to witness and guide the forming of the new Lions Club. Blacktown Ponds Lions Club was awarded its charter last March 22, 2016 during a dinner at Emperor Gardens Restaurant at Haymarket in the city. It also coincides with their visiting International Lions Club Vice President Naresh Aggarwal and his wife Navita Aggarwal.
Last March 30 saw the new club sponsoring Cebu Hamili Lions Club of Cebu City, Philippines with their giving of slippers (thongs) project to the children of Inayawan Garbage Dumpsite Area in Cebu. A similar project followed last April 3, at the Bohol Island of Mantatao, near Calape in the Philippines.
Blacktown Ponds Lions Club regularly supports local and overseas communities. It holds regular BBQ Fundraising events in different locations around Blacktown. The club, currently with 38 members, will meet again on April 27 to elect their Board of Directors, a Treasurer and a Lion Tamer.
The Club will celebrate its charter on May 2, 2016 at Crystal Seafood Restaurant, Westpoint Shopping Centre, Blacktown. Guest VIPs include Blacktown City Mayor Stephen Bali, State Member for Riverstone Kevin Conolly, and Federal Member for Greenway, Michelle Rowlands.
Members are encouraged to bring along their friends. Contact Lion Rissa McInnes on 0414 947 135 or Lion Mary Rose Salubre on 0451 007 423 for reservations.
If interested in joining and knowing more about Blacktown Ponds Lions Club please contact the Membership Chairman Rissa McInnes at 0414 947 135 or email rissa.mcinnes@gmail.com