Guru Kaur's Blog

The Inner Circle is the thriving private online community for the Be the Woman... Course which I run.  I usually write to it at least once a day on topical issues and answering questions.  These give a graceful approach, often in stark contrast to what the media at large deliver.  This is what  I've most recently written about:

• Turned A Way - getting back on track with life
• Sustaining Transformation - the role of the leader and the teacher
• Emasculating Society - why women need men to work
• The Glory of Spanish Women - what we can learn from their grace
• Food, Glorious Food - it takes a lifetime to kill a man
• Service, Humility and Being Number One - the Inspiration of  Lorena Ochoa
• Council of Fathers -  who do your children belong to?
• Why Formidable Matrons Don't Inspire - lessons from Mrs Duffy
• Coming out of Hibernation - after the deep introspection
• Stillness - The sound of a city at peace without planes
• The Mistress of Mastering Knitting - Lucy Neatby
• Distinguished Behaviour - what is enlightenment?
• Our Father Who Art in Heaven - it's your choice
• Secret of Longevity - Consistency
• Girls Just Wanna Have... A Father - The Mamma Mia! Question
• Outstanding Results Start at the Top - Catherine Myers
• Films at Club 15CC: Pretty Woman - the shift from loneliness to loving life
• Your Money and My Life - your worth is not your monetary value
• Grown Up Clothing - Do you dress your age?
• Films at Club 15CC: Bandit Queen - what happens when a victim is victorious
• Go Figure Your Name Out - how your name affects your prosperity
• Blonde Ambition - The power of being underestimated
• Creating the Illusion of Who You Might Be Inside - everything's possible
• Standing Out is Communicating Love - Bill MacLaren, the voice of Rugby
• Feminine Words that Sell - Copyblogger's tips you need to know
• Lost in Feminism - The value of being cherished
• The Risks in Parenting - how we perceive risk
• Behind Every Successful Man - a woman who's grown in stature
• Chinese Proverb: How To Be Attractive - It's not face cream!
• Is it Kind? Is it True? Is It Necessary? - stop gossiping girls
• Happiness is an Older Woman - she's loved life
• Muddy Waters - Enjoy a healing bath with clay
• Recipe from Club 15CC: Onion Tarte Tatin, celebrating life turning upside down
• The Secrets of Complicated Lives - Simplicity is beyond fear
• Transferring Security - My journey within
• When Testosterone Destroys Value - Why men need women to represent value
• What Makes You Special - the core message of Be the Woman...
• Questioning Forced Decisions Makes Powerful Women - don't follow convention
• The Beauty of Maturity - Aging is to become beautiful
• 'Til our Bank Balance Us Do Part - why a pre-nup is a sign of respect
• The Nude Truth on Insecurities - when you're naked there's nowhere to hide
• Daddy's Little Girl - what every father needs to know to raise the woman is..
• What are You Selling - What are your assets?
• Stand for Service - you get treated how you expect you will be
• Be the Woman... Tea Serving Day, Sunday 5th April - the beauty created by Tea
• The Grace of Finding Your Voice - the truth of who you are
• Tenderness and Fire - the Regally Graceful™ qualities of Natasha Richardson
• Help! I'm Becoming My Mother - Your life starts when you choose who you are
• Off Limits - when a woman betrays her power and grace, destruction follows
• Recipe from Club 15CC - Chocolate and Raisin Brownies a la Japonaise
• Educating Women - how society benefits from women's education
• Recipe from Club 15CC: Crepes de la Maison - my delicious pancake recipe
• The Natural Order - how the death of a child creates a legacy
• The Information Age - why Kundalini Yoga is a necessity in daily living
• What's Your Price? - what's the value of a woman and what does she stand for?
• Broad Beans, Birds and Bees - what Sex Education really needs to teach
• Dealing with Pain - How good it feels when we let go of past traumas
• When You're All Full Up - what space is there in your life?
• What Gets in the Way of Relationships - the joy of being open-minded
• What Parents Can Do for You - where do you think self-esteem comes from?
• Recipe from Club 15CC: Rhubarb Fool - pink, delicious and very seasonal
• Films at Club 15CC: Lorenzo's Oil - the power of parental love to change science
• What's a Man's Money Got to Do with IT? - what marriage is really about
• Deny Your Womanhood at Your Peril - clarifying confusing messages on women
• Recipe from Club 15CC: Celeriac and Coconut Soup - ambrosial and delicious
• No is Not Resistance - Why learning to say no gracefully may save your life
• The Responsibility of Leadership - what makes a leader calm in a crisis
• Recipe from Club 15CC: Vegetable Stew a la Moroccaine
• Why Your Bathroom is Sacred - the healing power of your bath and hot water
• The Delights of Garlic - How to feel vitalised and prevent colds
• A Diva Behind Closed Doors - what every man wishes that every woman knows
• My 6 Tips to Stop Snacking at Work - easy when you know how!
• The (Angelic) Power of Loving Individuals - on Mothers and Teachers
• A Woman's Responsibility and Right - on Rachida Dati's return to work
• What on Earth is Happening? - on a bigger view of the current global economy
• Recipe from Club 15CC: Jammy Dodgers - Yum-Yum :)
• Films at Club 15CC: Slumdog Millionaire - Fantastic

OK, so Mr Snowman can't commit, but once love is kindled within, it melts hearts forever...

Spring brings with it new shoots of green, announcing the potential for the summer ahead.  Asparagus just sums that up so well!  I have just entered this tart in the March Food Joust on the Foodie Blog Roll, the forum for Food Bloggers. It requires that you make a dish using three ingredients. This month they were almonds, asparagus and lemongrass. Here's my entry: Asparagus and Lemongrass Cream Tart.

Last week I was a guest at a Mini-Conference hosted by Concordis International, on how to address breaking the vicious cycle of conflict.  It dealt with real life in its raw and dirty details which no one wants to know about and few could even dream up to make into a Hollywood plot. The starting point was understanding the extremes of victims and the way out through communication.

There's no quicker way to find out what issues people have, in life as well as about food, then to serve them chocolate. Chocolate's been demonised and idolised; it's been the object of denial and obsession; and everyone has an opinion about it. Please don't blame chocolate when you're looking in the mirror and wondering "does my bum look big in this?".  If you ate more than one...

Yesterday we all went off to Waterstone's in Ealing for the book signing of Nidar Singh Nihang and Parmjit Singrh's book In the Master's Presence.  Millie waited so patiently outside like a true groupie and then fell in love with a real gentleman. 

If you thought that the only place to be in Spring, my dear, is Paris, well think again.  This year, Spring has arrived in London with all the warmth of summer's promise, the expansive blue skies of infinite potential, and the fresh vitality that signifies the end of winters' past.  It was time to get out there and check out what the trees are wearing this year, and how this year's rendition of spring's birdsong compares with previous number ones.  There's a rather incongruous melange far beyond what you normally expect from a City.

Today one of my favourite magazines thudded onto the floor through the letterbox. It's another French interiors magazine whose special feature this issue is all about bathrooms and the theme is simplicity.

I know a thing or two about bathing in simplicity so I was intrigued to see what the sumptuously photographed bathrooms would offer.

Put a collar on a dog, open the door, and a question faces you: "whose life do you lead?" As a woman this is particularly relevant because many of us were brought up with confusing beliefs about what it is to enjoy life as a woman. Dogs are a great way to learn more about leading and enjoying life, to relax and feel secure as yourself. 

You can tell a lot about a book by its book launch. The gathering in the Jubilee Room at the House of Commons for the launch of In The Master's Presence, a book by our friends Nidar Singh Nihang and Parmjit Singh indeed omens well for its future. The book literally came alive through Nidar Singh who embodies the Way of Life of Sikhs to neither incite fear in others nor do they fear anyone themselves at an event which exuded quality and ease.

Waking up on a morning after a nightfall of snow is different.  The sound of footsteps trudging towards the Underground Station, the echo of the canine "morning all" on the early shift constitutional outing, the distant rumble of the train tracks, the dawn chorus of birdsong, the wake-up routine of ducks on the canal outside; all are silenced.  It is as if a blanket of serenity has enveloped us all: a sense of wonder at nature's ability to blurr the edges of our lives into muffled shapes, the virginal innocence, the invitation to play.

I love making pastry.  Over the last year I have discovered that it's not the arcane art I had imagined at all.  Rather, it's a doorway into a whole new realm of cooking, full of versatility and creative expression. When I saw these little cherry tomatoes, all tender and full of intense promise I just knew that they would marry well with feta into a tart.

Brrr-rr it's cold outside.  We're in the bleak mid-winter, in a monochromatic City-scape of all shades of matt slate and glinting silver. It's Epiphany and time to celebrate the manifestation of prosperity.  Prosperity is a mind-set gained by knowing what you want, what your purpose is, how to relax and sleep well, how to love and feel loved...

This year the Enterprising Women's Summit, held at the Houses of Parliament, grew up.  Gone was the oh-how-soft-how-innocent baby pink of last year.  Now we were dazzled by mature, autumnal shades which suited our discussion about the vital role that women play in the economy at this crucial time, not least as conscious consumers.

Each year we celebrate at the Japanese Tea Room, where I go weekly for my Lessons in the Japanese Way of Tea,  the Opening of the Winter Hearth.  This is a very beautiful, serene experience, where we appreciate the shift in the seasons and come together to share a Cup of Tea.The Winter Hearth is sunk in the floor, whereas the one used in summer is set on the tatami mat in a big ceramic bowl.

As a child growing up in Paris in the 70s my favourite magazine was 100 Idees.  It was filled with the most wonderful creative projects, which conjured up jam-filled kitchens, wearing hand-smocked aprons, appliqued bedspreads and hand painted furniture.  I had an entire set of those magazines, which I loved, but sadly they were washed away when the flat upstairs flooded ours.  Then I found that I was actually in room sets created from the revitalised magazine - what joy!

Earlier this week I attended an event in the House of Lords to celebrate 50 years of Raising Women's Aspirations: it's 50 years since the Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme accepted women and 50 years since the first woman sat in the Houses of Parliament.  The theme of Monday's celebration was both the values which are core to the DofE Award Scheme and to recognise that women have equal oppportunities to participate in society. What though will we be celebrating in 50 years' time?  That's what I've been wondering too...