tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36735979994278424092024-03-13T12:47:15.525+11:00A Lease on Life... Allyce's LifeAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06831521596610751240noreply@blogger.comBlogger31125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673597999427842409.post-59876969478504930242016-04-07T15:34:00.001+10:002016-04-07T15:34:38.777+10:00Rising Strong<i>"The bottom line is that we need each other. And not just the civilized, proper, convenient kind of need. Not one of us gets through this life without expressing desperate, messy, and uncivilized need. The kind we are reminded of when we come face-to-face with someone who is in a deep struggle."</i><br />
<i>~ Rising Strong</i><br />
<br />
I'm currently reading <i>Rising Strong</i> by Brene Brown and BOY is it a goodie! I've been reading it on and off for the last two months or so - I tend to get really into a book for the first half and then life gets busy and it gets pushed on to my bedside table for a few weeks and then something comes along in my personal life to launch the book back into my field of consciousness again. When I re-picked up this book again yesterday I thought - YES! Why did I wait so long to keep reading this? This is ground-breaking!<br />
With books like <i>Rising Strong</i> and <i>Daring Greatly</i> we need time in between chapters or paragraphs to process. Some of the ideas presented poke me to directly look at my own behaviours and habits and reactions and thus we need time to unravel and maybe journal or simply sit with what that stirs up within us.<br />
<br />
The quote above is from a chapter which really struck a chord with me - "<i>Easy Mark: Rumbling with need, connection, judgement, self-worth, privilege, and asking for help"</i>. In this chapter, Brene talks openly and honestly about her own personal stories with such vulnerability that, as a reader, you want to take that leap of honesty about yourself also - it's magic :)<br />
<br />
She mentions that under times of stress as a way of managing anxiety we all have patterned ways that we will go to- some of us over-function and others under-function.<br />
<i>"Over-functioners tend to move quickly to advise, rescue, take over, micromanage, and basically get in other people's business rather than looking inward. Under-functioners tend to get less competent under stress- they invite others to take over and often become the focus of worry and concern. Many of these behaviours are learned and line up with the roles we play in our families. It's not uncommon for firstborns to be over-functioners."</i><br />
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Although there have been times in my life where I have experienced both over-functioning and under-functioning as a response to managing stress and anxiety, I'd say I'm mostly on the over-functioning team (yay for being firstborn!) And there are definitely times in my life where I have taken on the co-parent role with my sibling and parents!<br />
<br />
When moments of stress and anxiety hit us like a tonne of bricks what is your instinctual response? Do you immediately grab a pen and paper and write a list of all the tasks you think can be done to restore "order"? Do you run inside your home and sit there until someone rescues you from the pain?<br />
<br />
Both ways of functioning in the face of anxiety and fear are forms of armour to protect us. If we stay busy we won't need to feel the pain because we are 'helping' to make it better. If we don't do anything and just lean on everyone around us to fix everything, we won't need to feel the pain either.<br />
<br />
As Brene talks about, we need to view both of these with vulnerability as opposed to judgement. If we judge ourselves or someone else judges us for having this immediate response then all that will happen is that we retreat further into our holding patterns. Having vulnerability in times of doubt and fear and pain requires IMMENSE courage and strength. To sit in the moment with the people around you and open up honestly about what has unfolded and the uncertainty of the situation ahead - that's mammoth! And then to ask for help from those people around you - that's even more scary! But it's also liberating and freeing and an INCREDIBLE asset to learn.<br />
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One of keys Brene mentions and that really struck me as something we don't value enough is the capacity to RECEIVE that help. Until I met my husband I wasn't very good at receiving help, in fact, even now I still have to check myself! Two years ago I thought I would be able to plan a whole wedding from the other side of the country all by myself and come out smiling - HAH! Nice try Allyce! Fast forward to a month out from the big day - I'm having a complete emotional breakdown trying to be in twenty places at once and still adding more tasks to my never-ending to-do list. And I'm extremely organised person - I didn't leave anything to last minute, so I thought I could handle it all by being prepared. But I forgot one important thing - to ask for help and more importantly to be willing to RECEIVE that help. Because there wasn't a shortage of helpers - I had so many gorgeous friends and family contacting me asking how they could help every single week! But I thought that if I asked them I would be inconveniencing them and knowing they were busy in their own lives I didn't want to burden them with my worries and tasks. Because it was MY wedding - so shouldn't I be able to handle all the stresses myself?<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iCxA-x-5Rc8/VwXwYqdoHAI/AAAAAAAANUY/ftR4unaRlgIhe4H0Hw-8NfpOKuWhrFkYg/s1600/Unknown.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iCxA-x-5Rc8/VwXwYqdoHAI/AAAAAAAANUY/ftR4unaRlgIhe4H0Hw-8NfpOKuWhrFkYg/s400/Unknown.jpeg" /></a><br />
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"<i>We don't have to do it all alone. </i><br />
<i>We were never meant to."</i><br />
<i></i><br />
<i><br /></i>
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<br />
When I had that breakdown moment I stopped and took a good look at what I was attempting and what I was creating. And with advice and prompting from my gorgeous mother - I reached out and asked for help. I made myself open to receiving that help from my family and friends and I trusted in them and their abilities. And it was the BEST thing I could have done. Having all of them so intimately involved meant that I created a lot of beautiful memories and experiences but also that the actual day itself went off without a single hitch! I didn't have to worry or stress on the day because I knew I was supported by everyone around me. It was so scary for me to admit to them that I didn't have it all together and that I didn't have all the answers but there is no way the end result could have been so wonderful if I had simply forced my way through alone with my pen and to-do list as my only buddies.<br />
<br />
<i>"In a culture of scarcity and perfectionism, asking for help can be shaming if we're not raised to understand how help is human and foundational to connection. We can encourage our children to ask for help; however; if they don't see that behaviour, they will instead attach value to never needing help. We also send strong messages to the people around us, including our children, friends, and employees, when they ask for help, and in return, we treat them differently - as if they are now less reliable, competent, or productive.</i><br />
<i>We accept our dependance as babies, and ultimately, with varying levels of resistance, we accept help as we get to the end of our lives. But in the middle of our lives, we mistakenly fall prey to the myth that successful people are those who help rather than need, and broken people need rather than help. Given enough resources, we can even pay for help and create the mirage that we are completely self-sufficient. But the truth is that no amount of money, influence, resources, or determination will change our physical, emotional, and spiritual dependance on others. Not at the beginning of our lives, not in the messy middle, and not at the end."</i><br />
<i><br /></i>
If you haven't already, I wholeheartedly recommend buying a copy of Brene Brown's <i>Daring Greatly</i> and <i>Rising Strong</i>. My copies have scribble marks and turned down pages all over them :)<br />
<br />
If we can take the leap into vulnerability and show our true selves to those we trust and love in our lives, then we can learn that important capacity to both give and receive help. I truly believe it makes both all the more sweeter - once we allow ourselves to be truly loved and appreciated and supported, then our capacity to do the same for others increases tenfold. And maybe we have to keep reminding ourselves of this over and over again for the duration of our life but if we have people in our lives who can help us recognise those moments and remain supportive then it's way easier than going it alone!<br />
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So jump in. It's scary to take the first leap but it's beautiful on the other side :)<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06831521596610751240noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673597999427842409.post-17267125932314179342016-03-30T18:47:00.000+11:002016-03-30T18:47:23.582+11:00Travelling with a plant based lifestyle - how to????I've been following a plant based lifestyle for 9 years now and as I am constantly travelling for work, one question I get asked almost daily is - how do you stay a vegan away from home?<br />
<br />
And it's a good question!<br />
<br />
When we are at home with our fully stocked fridge, favourite cafe down the road, a car, and convenience plus it is relatively easy to get exactly what we want when we want it. But what about when you're in an almost third world country, without your fridge, car, safety, where the locals don't even know what vegan means?<br />
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It's always a challenge, but one you can totally rise up to! It's really about being super prepared before you go. More on that in a moment :)<br />
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And plus, it's a great chance for us to stop and take stock individually of how much we rely and depend upon the 'conveniences' of home. There's often times when I am travelling in non-western countries where I find myself getting sooky over not being able to get a green juice or an almond milk cold brew coffee... and it's important to ask myself - am I able to survive without those things right now? Yes Allyce. Are there options available for you to just make the most of what you actually have in front of you right now instead? Yes Allyce.<br />
Reality check! I am super lucky to live in a beautiful country like Australia but these people who live in this country I am a visitor in are also lucky! They have their own beauty and positives to offer and they may be different to what I am used to or expect but it's so important to make the choice to allow yourself to discover the positives of this new country! If we always focus on and wish for what we don't have then how can we discover and find joy in the new?<br />
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That being said - if I arrived in a new country with absolutely no snacks on me and I couldn't find some plant based foodies easily then I would be a super grump and it then becomes that much harder to be open to the new and exciting discoveries!<br />
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I have a few tips and tricks to share that I have learnt over the years to make the initial transition stress free for you:<br />
<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li>Before you leave research the area close to your accommodation for supermarkets, cafes, health food stores, and restaurants and make a list or bookmark folder of them. Some good phrases to search are: "whole foods" "organic" "health food" "vegan" "vegetarian" on google maps or in your search engine with the area you are staying in. I have a bookmark folder on my computer for every single city I've travelled to so that if/when I revisit I already have my recommendations from the last time I went and don't have to search again!</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Bring ALL THE SNACKS. Before you leave stock up on essentials that are liquid free, and can be easily transported in your luggage. My favs are: chia seeds, green powder blends, plant based protein sachets, nut and seed mixes, some of my fav dark chocolate, rolled oats, organic soup or noodle packets, herbal and green teas, and protein or superfood bars. Make sure you pack them in zip lock bags or in sealed containers to prevent spillage. It's not unusual for my luggage to be 1/2 clothes, 1/2 food haha but then I'm prepared as soon as I land and just focus on having fun in my new destination rather than stressing about what I'm going to be able to eat as I settle in.</li>
</ul>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VxWZzAKCTFs/Vvt_AzeohAI/AAAAAAAANT8/BO4cP_6enRkrQ7-UlaW-1b4H3t3n3CH6Q/s1600/IMG_0471.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-VxWZzAKCTFs/Vvt_AzeohAI/AAAAAAAANT8/BO4cP_6enRkrQ7-UlaW-1b4H3t3n3CH6Q/s320/IMG_0471.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My haul from Healthy Options in Manila :)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<ul>
<li>After you've settled in, source out a supermarket or health store and stock up on things you can carry with you or have in your hotel room to snack on so you never have to be stuck in a state of hunger with only rice as the only vegan option - oh the amount of times I've eaten watermelon and white rice as breakfast in Asia HAHAH. Sometimes I am in a taxi for an hour just to find an organic store but it's super exciting once I get there and I do a big shop so I'm set for a good week or so and don't have to travel there again.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Be gentle on yourself - if you have to eat a little of something you usually wouldn't back at home but you're with awesome people and you're enjoying your adventures in a new place then just do it! At the end of it all - having fun and loving times with the people around you trumps everything else. It's never worth stressing yourself out with an anxiety attack over having some egg in your vegetable stir fry. (Trust me, I've been there too). Just do the best you can! It's only temporary and your mindset around what you're eating is the more important than what it actually is ;)</li>
</ul>
<ul><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SaYmlIeM2Ow/Vvt_A4-DaEI/AAAAAAAANT4/ZL2Op_0Yshw4_0CvpzPP_ThF1IeT8UBjQ/s1600/IMG_0514.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-SaYmlIeM2Ow/Vvt_A4-DaEI/AAAAAAAANT4/ZL2Op_0Yshw4_0CvpzPP_ThF1IeT8UBjQ/s200/IMG_0514.JPG" width="150" /></a><ul><ul><ul><ul></ul>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
<li> If I'm going to a country with a compromised water supply I take some travel probiotics before I leave and while I'm over there. I recommend Ethical Nutrients Travel Bug. I also never go anywhere without my ArmaForce! It's wonderful at boosting your immune system at the first sign of a cold or a flu. Bringing over a green blend with spirulina, chlorella, and reishi or chaga will also keep your body fighting fit with all of the good things if you are having trouble finding fresh food.</li>
</ul>
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<br />
<ul>
<li>Breakfast can sometimes be one of the trickiest meals especially if the people you are travelling with aren't plant based and want to have breakfast at the hotel. That's why I love having some oats, chia, and plant based mylk on hand. I soak the chia and oats in the liquid overnight and then the next morning I bring my oats combo down to the breakfast buffet with me and add some nuts, seeds, fruits etc and I have a beautiful filling and nourishing breakfast with minimal effort and stress!</li>
</ul>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1io1c0nOsK0/Vvt_EjnxZuI/AAAAAAAANUA/Lj5_TY32SBoFoMmNM4N5uGL8lNzS9pGmw/s1600/IMG_0516.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1io1c0nOsK0/Vvt_EjnxZuI/AAAAAAAANUA/Lj5_TY32SBoFoMmNM4N5uGL8lNzS9pGmw/s320/IMG_0516.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Overnight oats a la hotel style!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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So it's about maintaining a balance of being prepared, and also open to adventures and travelling to find what your new destination has to offer! And plus, the one day you stumble upon an unexpected vegan delight or green juice will mean it is the BEST tasting one you have ever had because you appreciate it even more as you journeyed and adventured to find it!!!!!!<br />
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Embrace who you are :) I love living this plant based lifestyle while travelling and when people ask me about it both them and I learn something new while we chat about it. So just be you and enjoy the freedom in that!<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06831521596610751240noreply@blogger.com0Manila, Metro Manila, Philippines14.5995124 120.984219514.4765839 120.822858 14.7224409 121.14558099999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673597999427842409.post-76879326760781245902014-04-28T16:33:00.002+10:002014-04-28T16:33:39.167+10:00Connected<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Connected.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">One of my core beliefs in life, the subtle
undercurrent of it all – is our mind body connection.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">It rumbles underneath us, quietly weaving
in and out of our consciousness and sometimes VERY LOUDLY PULLING at our
conscious to remind us all is entwined. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">One of the simplest ways of looking at the
body mind connection is observing a common feeling like nervousness. When we
are nervous about an impending adventure we often talk about having
‘butterflies in our stomachs’ or get jittery feet or hands. So let’s break it
down – we have a thought or an emotional response to something, and our brain
turns that into an actual physical sensation we can feel in the present.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">To me it feels like a way of working
through things. If we let something linger too long in our thoughts or repeat a
line of perception regularly our mind becomes overwhelmed and in order to release
these patterns a little seed plants in our physical body and if we continue to
feed this with the same patterns of thinking this seed will grow roots and
manifest in a physical sensation – usually of pain, tightness, causing injury or illness.
Our body is fluid and can move with grace and beauty so when this pain comes
along we have the opportunity to recognise it, trace it back to its conception
in order to release and relax it, or we can choose to battle through, ignore
it, and those roots will grow stronger and deeper still.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">One of my other favourites is a cold/flu.
Both are a build up of fluid and mucous in the body (stuffy nose and head,
runny eyes, throat). Water is linked to our emotions and is naturally moving.
We may be working long hours at work, feeling like no one is giving us a break,
and that we are stuck against a wall. We often say ‘I just need some time out!’
It is in those times that we end up with a cold or flu because we feel that we
cannot justify time out for ourselves unless we are ill. The extra fluid in our
bodies allows us to cry and release all those pent up frustrations and also
when we are sick we are more likely to allow ourselves to be nurtured instead
of battling through. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Our bodies are so much smarter than we give
them credit for – they recognise diseased thoughts in our mind often long
before we do and decide to bring them to our attention so we can learn and grow
and continue to be awesome in this life. So listen to your body, it will always
give you all the information you need. It does not judge or act out of malice,
it merely responses to the food and fuel you give it- mental <u>and</u> physical food.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X-r7DR5aH7U/U1316HTf1QI/AAAAAAAAAP8/Zri6qchIyUw/s1600/images-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X-r7DR5aH7U/U1316HTf1QI/AAAAAAAAAP8/Zri6qchIyUw/s1600/images-1.jpeg" /></a><span lang="EN-US"><o:p>Sometimes our bodies just need to be recognised. All they want is for us to stop, take a moment to send them some lurve, and acknowledge all that they provide for us as we travel through life. If you are feeling pain or illness, instead of beating yourself up about it, thinking how you could have prevented it, or pretending it is invisible - take some big deep beautiful breaths and reconnect. To you. To all that you are right now. Let go of the fight and love yourself :) </o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><o:p><br /></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><o:p> </o:p></span><span lang="EN-US">If you are interested I highly recommend
the work of Louise L. Hay. ALL of her work :)</span><span lang="EN-US"> One of my other favourites is a book called ‘The Secret Language of Your Body’ by Inna Segal.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
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<!--StartFragment-->
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Listen, take time for yourself to go
within, and love your body and all its pain because it is showing you the path
to healing!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Namaste wonderful people</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eBwFnZdtQec/U1316NxTTfI/AAAAAAAAAQA/JQMJkT-cqEE/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eBwFnZdtQec/U1316NxTTfI/AAAAAAAAAQA/JQMJkT-cqEE/s1600/images.jpeg" height="320" width="212" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06831521596610751240noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673597999427842409.post-70738036009277620672014-03-23T15:51:00.001+11:002016-03-30T15:26:28.768+11:00A feeling of… what exactly? <div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: white;">The word ‘balance’ is thrown around a lot.
Most of us spend our lives constantly striving for a state of balance. How
would you define balance? The perfect point where we are able to juggle our
family, friends, relationships, me time, creative outlets, physical outlets…
goodness me, the list could go on and on!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: white;">But what exactly is that point? If I asked
you the same question again in 1 weeks time you would probably have a different
answer, right? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WLQT_MPlaBA/Uy5n2rGdsuI/AAAAAAAAAPM/HpMb7QmlE4U/s1600/balance-forest-nature-photography-railway-Favim.com-190180.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: white;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WLQT_MPlaBA/Uy5n2rGdsuI/AAAAAAAAAPM/HpMb7QmlE4U/s1600/balance-forest-nature-photography-railway-Favim.com-190180.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: white;">I know for me the world not only around me
but WITHIN me is constantly changing and what brings me peace and balance one
day could throw me off the next… There is no constant answer. The only thing we
know for sure is that we are and will continue to constantly change. We can
fight and argue against it but as the world flows around us and as we are
affected by our and others comings and goings we are changing and evolving.
Ebbing and Flowing. So the only thing we can do is change and evolve with it
right? <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: white;">If there is a strong wind blowing, it is
much easier on our bodies to walk with the wind than against it. Same as the
current of the ocean.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Once again, nature
shows us the simplest way- gotta love it!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: white;">I am one hundred percent still learning
this, as I expect we all will for our whole lives! Because we are always
encountering new things, people, and experiences, our bodies and psyches are
having to always check back in and recalibrate. And it’s important to give
ourselves the space, freedom, and time to do that. If you have gone through a
big life change recently (and it could be in any area – relationship, home,
work, travel, lifestyle – anything!) make sure you acknowledge that your
balance has shifted and that it will take time to recalibrate and for your
emotional body to process your discoveries. We are so much more than just our
physical encasing and the surroundings that we can literally see. There are so
many layers to our beings and experiences and they can very easily lose track
of one another. Give credit to your emotional and energetic bodies too!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: white;">Balance is a process, it is not an
achievement. Even as you physically balance on one foot, all your muscles in
your foot, leg, and core are fine tuning the movement and subtly changing to
find the most stable position. The one where your thoughts are at peace and all
you feel is grounded in your physical body holding that pose.<br />
So I guess we could look at balance as the process of finding the mental ‘pose’
in which we can carry out our tasks with ease, focus, confidence, and clarity…<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: white;">One of the most beautiful ways to allow
your true self to take over and shine through while your thinking mind takes a
back seat is through sound – music, chanting, mantras, singing – and allowing
the vibrations of that to work with you to retune your own vibrational body. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: white;">You can do it by yourself, in a group, if
you can get outside near the ocean or near dense trees woo hoo for you<span style="font-family: "wingdings";"> :)</span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: white;">Follow your own rhythm and sounds if you
feel confident, or otherwise you can choose to chant a mantra, which is simply
a repeated phrase used as an instrument to focus our thoughts. Listening to a
Tibetan Singing bowl is also a HEAVENLY way of experiencing the healing and
balancing nature of sound as well mmmmmmmm!<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="color: white;"><br /></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="color: white;">Love and Light to you all</span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06831521596610751240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673597999427842409.post-71969634378100811752014-01-17T12:05:00.002+11:002016-03-30T15:33:32.882+11:00What will we choose?<div style="font-family: Noteworthy-Light; font-size: 15px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sometimes it seems like new things are being discovered and uncovered everyday. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Noteworthy-Light; font-size: 15px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Noteworthy-Light; font-size: 15px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There is always a new scientific discovery, a new way of eating or living, a new promise to help you become the best you… And that's all wonderful and no doubt the people behind them are incredibly intelligent and have worked hard to make these discoveries, however I can't help but wonder- that with all of this intelligence that we have in this wonderful world, why is so much of it put to use in creating dispensable ideals?</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Noteworthy-Light; font-size: 15px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Scientists spend so much time and money researching the latest flavour craze, the one missing ingredient to banish wrinkles forever, the quickest way to get from A to B…</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Noteworthy-Light; font-size: 15px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Noteworthy-Light; font-size: 15px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And they do it because we support and feed these 'needs' and 'desires'. Yes they are major corporations that seem to spoon feed us what to do and think and say, but there has to be a market for them to continue right? We have a choice. We can choose not to follow. To find our own way. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Noteworthy-Light; font-size: 15px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Noteworthy-Light; font-size: 15px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Have you stopped and thought about how manipulated we are by not only social trends, but also by the food industry? Do you know how much time and money goes into creating exactly the right balance of salt and sugar (in mammoth amounts mind you), in a potato chip that creates the perfect saturation of flavour in your mouth so it actually overrides your neurological programming and forces you to consume an entire bag in one sitting? It's actually mind-blowing.</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Noteworthy-Light; font-size: 15px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Noteworthy-Light; font-size: 15px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This is cleverly thought out by the powers that be. There is a reason junk food is so widely consumed and that is that it is completely manufactured to be incredibly addictive! We can't wait until the governments make rulings and changes to overthrow this, they are too tied in with where the money comes from - and that unfortunately is the food and pharmaceutical industries that are creating all of these addictive foods and drugs in the first place!</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Noteworthy-Light; font-size: 15px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Noteworthy-Light; font-size: 15px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It's up to us. We need to show that we are no longer interested in mindlessly sabotaging our beautiful bodies that we only have for this one life. We need to educate ourselves, not wait until we are told what to do. We need to DEMAND change, by DEMONSTRATING that we are capable of that change. It starts with us =) </span></div>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Noteworthy-Light; font-size: 15px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Imagine if all of the funding that is used to research and concoct the 110 varieties of sugary cereal on your supermarket shelf was funnelled into helping this world become a habitable place for each and every person? Or instead of using some of our brightest minds to create yet another weight loss pill we harnessed their brain power to ensure our grandchildren's children will have a planet to live in that is plentiful and brimming with life...</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Noteworthy-Light; font-size: 15px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Noteworthy-Light; font-size: 15px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">In the Western world we are so fortunate to have access to beautiful land and produce and the ability to create almost anything we need - we are just so conditioned to believe we don't have the power, that we need to look outside ourselves to have a good life. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Noteworthy-Light; font-size: 15px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">BUT WE ARE ALL WE NEED!</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Noteworthy-Light; font-size: 15px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Noteworthy-Light; font-size: 15px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Please, be proactive and research exactly what is in the food you are buying and feeding your loved ones with. Is it full of man made processed chemicals which will only continue to strip our earth of its resources? Wherever you can, please make it yourself. Get inspired about your life, and get inspired about this world we live in. Because it goes hand in hand and we can't have one without the other. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Noteworthy-Light; font-size: 15px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If we continue to fuel and feed this highly processed junk food industry, we continue to show to others and the world that we don't believe we are worthy enough to make our own choices for a happy, long, and easy life. </span></div>
<div style="font-family: Noteworthy-Light; font-size: 15px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Don't wait. Get online, buy books, listen to Ted talks, visit your local Co-op, and make a change with you. No matter what those around you think =)</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Noteworthy-Light; font-size: 15px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="font-family: Noteworthy-Light;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">Shortly after I wrote this article, a serendipitous email popped into my </span></span>inbox<span style="font-family: Noteworthy-Light;"><span style="font-size: 15px;">, so if you have time have a read through of this:</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Noteworthy-Light; font-size: 15px; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">http://www.hungryforchange.tv/article/the-secret-engineering-of-junk-food</span></div>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Namaste lovely people!</span></div>
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span>
</span><br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3EVLKgEEVAY/Uth__dbGxoI/AAAAAAAAAOM/P7xrFJ8D4KA/s1600/IMG_4141.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3EVLKgEEVAY/Uth__dbGxoI/AAAAAAAAAOM/P7xrFJ8D4KA/s1600/IMG_4141.jpg" width="300" /></span></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06831521596610751240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673597999427842409.post-23338345906323064222013-10-19T18:13:00.004+11:002016-03-30T15:28:46.336+11:00H.O.P.E<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-twoR9le3-pw/UmIw4_TG-qI/AAAAAAAAAMY/sYFCErQ-aH8/s1600/everybody_wants_happiness_nobody_wants_pain_inspiring_photography_quote_quote_large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="background-color: white;"><img border="0" height="201" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-twoR9le3-pw/UmIw4_TG-qI/AAAAAAAAAMY/sYFCErQ-aH8/s320/everybody_wants_happiness_nobody_wants_pain_inspiring_photography_quote_quote_large.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">The word pain can have so many different meanings, so many different manifestations - physical pain, emotional pain, empathetic pain... yet its imagery is so strong, and just the word elicits such a sensory perception from you doesn't it? That alone proves to me the incredible power it can have over us. Why do we feel pain of any kind? I believe it is a signal. A warning. Our bodies are so much more intelligent than we often give them credit for and genuinely only want to do right by us. So if we knock back a couple of panadols or nurofens or continue to run through that twinge in our knee we are dulling our own intelligence. We are quieting that signal that there is something amiss. Pain happens when something needs to shift or change. When there is a blockage, be it emotional or physical (although personally I believe the two go hand in hand and our physical body has a direct correlation with our emotional body), and our energies are no longer flowing with ease. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And if we suppress that pain or dull it with painkillers it gets stuck, and the longer it stays stuck the longer it takes to release and the more resistance it puts up to let go! As we are taught in yoga, we hold onto trauma in our physical cells and our muscles and ligaments can often become tight and heavy with past hurts and negative experiences we have not fully released. Our cells remember EVERYTHING. Gosh we are smart! It blows my mind! And these physical responses show us that we are REAL, that we are ALIVE, and not just walking zombies!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This year I feel like I have had a higher than usual amount of physical injuries and alot of them have been to do with my lower body - hips, pelvis, knees, feet. It has been incredibly frustrating and I have often questioned whether what I am doing in my life at the moment is right as I once again hobble to the chiropractor. I am feeling quite stable and all areas of my life seem to be flowing with ease at the moment so it puzzled me for a while to continually be presented with this physical pain. Speaking to Mum last night she gave me some interesting food for thought - that most of the time, we hold onto our pain and trauma in our bodies until we feel safe and supported enough to release it, when we feel we are surrounded by people to help us, and when we feel confident that we are strong enough to confront and move through it.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Because for whatever reason at the time of physical or emotional injury we couldn't fully incorporate all that we were experiencing and so went into coping mechanisms and stored it away until we were calm once again. I know that you all know this- we witness it with our friends, family, and loved ones all the time but do we offer the same support and nurturing to ourselves? </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">If you feel a pain, it is your signal to be still for a while. To tune back into you and nourish yourself with kind loving thoughts and words. Remind your body and spirit how incredible it is and give it the time and gentleness it is asking for. We don't need to be up and go all the time, and we certainly can't put a time frame on healing - we are all such unique and diverse people each with our own story. And most definitely I need to heed my own advice - we all feel pressure to make the most out of every moment ;)</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #0b5394; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But what I am finding and being guided to over the last few days is that if I dive into this pain and make a commitment to confronting and releasing it, I will have released it for life and I can make room for lightness and clarity. We always emerge out the other side, sometimes it just takes a while =)</span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06831521596610751240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673597999427842409.post-68721711409626089262013-09-01T16:41:00.001+10:002016-03-30T15:30:13.295+11:00Let the Sunshine In!<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dO1QCRZMY7s/UiLek50G0qI/AAAAAAAAALc/GM7wYErW5QQ/s1600/spring-blossom-sunshine.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-dO1QCRZMY7s/UiLek50G0qI/AAAAAAAAALc/GM7wYErW5QQ/s1600/spring-blossom-sunshine.jpg" /></a><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">HAPPY SPRING TIME EVERYONE!!!!!!!!</span><br />
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Is it just me or does it feel like the air is clearer, colours more vibrant, and life just more awesome???? Today is the first official day of Spring but I've been watching it slowly creep in for the last few weeks =) and it is soooooooo welcome!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Today I just wanted to get things done, to move my body, to clean and spruce, and spend time in the sunshine - It sounds so cliche when I think about it as the term 'Spring Clean' is way overused... but I wasn't following what I thought I <i>should</i> be doing, I genuinely had the instinct to move and become light again! </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Way way way back in Pagan times we followed the natural cycles of the Earth and modelled our lifestyles around the seasons. We honoured and worshipped the comings and goings of the waters, winds, moons, and suns and acknowledged the effect they have on ourselves as well as the animals and plants around us. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So it is inbuilt in our genes to want to emerge out of winter hibernation and spread our arms wide once more to welcome the warm sun again - but somehow along the way we have lost touch with that.</span><br />
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Air conditioning, heating, fluorescent lighting, climate change - all of this has distanced us from our surroundings. </span><br />
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It is always important to make time to get in Nature, to spend time outdoors breathing and just being, but at these pivotal seasonal changes it is even more important. We need to remind our bodies to reset, to shed what we no longer need, and find a lightness in our thoughts and energies once more. </span><br />
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Hey, if we all lived in forest dwellings I'm sure our bodies would go through this change naturally and instinctively but I live in the Inner West of Sydney and as much as I lurrrrve tree houses it is not quite conducive to my life and career <u>at this point</u> to live in one soooo... it is up to us to give ourselves a gentle nudge in the right direction =)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What reminds you of Spring? Rebirth, bloom, a smile, fresh crisp fruits and vegetables, walking... take a few moments to muse on what you personally resonate with. And when you go about your day, incorporate some time where you are utilising or enjoying one of these Spring motifs. Actively seek the sun and tune back into your natural rhythms and instincts. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This morning I started the day with a guided meditation (I recently did the 21 day meditation challenge with Deepak Chopra and this was from Day 12). At the moment this particular meditation is FREEEEEE so I wanted to share it with you and I encourage you to jump on and do it NOW before it ceases to be freeeeeee anymore! </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">They explore the idea of the word Dynamism - that our individual energetic imprints are a FORCE. That we get to <b>choose</b> the essence that we send rippling out into the world around us. We have this incredible POWER in all of us! That we can affect others, ourselves and the world so greatly with only our energetic imprint - Wow. So today on this day of blossoming and blooming, make the commitment to gently notice what the energy you choose to bring to people and situations is. And from there, find a centre of compassion to give out to the world and yourself.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.chopra.com/ccl-meditation/21dmc/free-stream.html?utm_source=RegisteredPromoAug31&utm_medium=FreeMeditationBody&utm_campaign=PromoAug31">http://www.chopra.com/ccl-meditation/21dmc/free-stream.html?utm_source=RegisteredPromoAug31&utm_medium=FreeMeditationBody&utm_campaign=PromoAug31</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #38761d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Much love and light to all!</span></span><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06831521596610751240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673597999427842409.post-8230396410903918612013-07-09T13:06:00.000+10:002016-03-30T15:32:12.967+11:00Saucha<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Saucha who???? Saucha what you say????</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'll leave you hanging on that for a little, while I start at the beginning of this story =)</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">As I went to bed last night I asked the angels for a sign, a message, whatever really, to be shown to me in my dreams as I slept. What resulted were some pretty crazy dreams which I have not yet deciphered... hehe... however I do vividly remember teaching people about the word 'Saucha' in one of these dreams. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So when I woke up I grabbed my copy of Patanjali's yoga sutras off the shelf and leafed through to find the sutra in which he talks about Saucha. For those of you who didn't just finish their yoga teacher training... hehehe... saucha is one of the 'niyamas'. The niyamas are apart of the eight limbs of yoga and are the way we relate to ourselves in this world. (If you are interested I definitely encourage you to do a smart google on these niyamas and also yamas -the way we relate to others and the world).</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Saucha can be simplestly translated as cleanliness, so I'm looking down at myself thinking cleanliness, cleanliness... what the hell kind of a message are my dreams telling me here? Is there some odour I emit that people are not telling me about? I then got distracted and went about the rest of my day (after the obligatory shower of course).</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Come midday I decide to clean the bathroom and organise my room, which is nothing really new as I tend to go on cleaning binges every now and again.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">That morning I had also drawn an Angel Card which hadn't really made sense to me at the time:</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"What parts of my life do I need to focus on more closely right now? Thankyou for helping me hear your answers and giving me the courage to make healthy changes in my life."</span><br />
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Now I'm all for healthy changes but once again I didn't really grasp the full message of this card at the time...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In the afternoon I took a walk to the park and did a beautiful angel meditation that was all about surprise surprise CLEANSING AND CLEARING! Once again I had chosen this meditation completely at random without knowing what it was about prior. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So when I finally sat down this arvo to fully research the term Saucha I realised that intuitively I had been observing this niyama all day!</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Cleansing and clearing. De-cluttering. Removing everything which no longer serves you to make room for the new, bright, and light =)</span><br />
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<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Although the literal translation means cleanliness, it also means PURITY of our inner and outer body to our thoughts and actions. </span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Purity really means to live with clarity and single-pointedness. We are to remember to choose with clarity our intention. That's what saucha is really all about." - Judith Hanson Lasater. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Every now and again the winds change and we learn new things and then need to integrate these into our bodies and spirit. But if we are chock full of old crap we have been carrying around for years there is no room for the new fresh vibrant stuff. Releasing and clearing is so important because it allows us the space to find ourselves. Room to search and explore and uncover. When our physical surroundings are clear our mental state also reflects that clarity. But much more than that, we are able to see truth and thus purity in ourselves and others with that clarity. </span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Upon my google travels today I also stumbled upon these articles on an astrology website about the energies that have been felt at the beginning of July. If astrology resonates with you, check it out =)</span></span><br />
<a href="http://www.mysticmamma.com/recent-solar-flare-activity-july-1-3rd-and-its-effects/"><span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">http://www.mysticmamma.com/recent-solar-flare-activity-july-1-3rd-and-its-effects/</span></a><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><a href="http://www.mysticmamma.com/new-moon-in-cancer-july-8th-2013/">http://www.mysticmamma.com/new-moon-in-cancer-july-8th-2013/</a></span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Today let your inner body be bright and make the changes in your life so that your outer and inner bodies have space, buoyancy, freedom, and light!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #20124d; font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Namaste x</span></span><br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06831521596610751240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673597999427842409.post-84717579602857067942013-06-25T16:18:00.000+10:002016-03-30T15:32:33.777+11:00What is your intention?<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I have just returned home from a trip overseas where I undertook my first yoga teacher training. It was such an incredible, mind-expanding experience out in the lush green and isolated mountains of Spain, that as I travelled home I wondered whether I would be able to incorporate and integrate everything I had learnt and experienced about myself into my everyday life in the 'real world' with its habits, hustle and bustle, and multi-tasking...</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">As I sat at a cafe with two of my closest friends yesterday morning and listened to them talk about setting intentions, creating a life of awareness and freedom for ourselves I got so emotional as I realised that I am already surrounded by people who support and nurture all the ideals that I want to create in my life. Of course I will be able to continue my journey of self-discovery and nourishment back in Sydney because I have chosen such an inspirational group of people who are nearest and dearest to me.</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">No matter where you are in the world, whether you are by yourself or in a city of millions, make the choice to only include people who encourage you to be the brightest version of yourself. Don't let anyone dim your light. Why shouldn't you shine as brightly as possible? Really though, why not? What's stopping you?</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And as I did my practice that afternoon I kept musing on the thoughts of intentions... At the beginning of a yoga class we often set an intention for our practice. It may be to fly free, to find balance, to surrender, to energise...</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Let's look at carrying that idea into our everyday life. Waking up and acknowledging that today is a NEW day, and so setting an intention that encourages you to create peace in your heart. <b>Intention brings about awareness. </b>When we become aware, we notice our habitual thinking, our habitual movements, our habitual physicalities. And from there we are able to make a choice. To step outside, view life with a certain detachment, and then find contentment in all that is around us. Even if your intention is to take a 30min walk outside, or laugh at least 5 times today, by following that you are taking ownership of your life and your right to find happiness.</span><br />
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">When we are aware, we make decisions based on the now. We are present, in the moment- which lets face it, doesn't happen as often in this day and age!!!</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I think one of the biggest changes in my lifestyle while I was away was that I was focusing on ONE task. That was no small task by any means, but I was in a group of strong bright women and we were all committed to this one goal and in that we had a community of support and our energies unified. I know we had the benefit of isolation and removal from our usual lives but can we find that focus in everyday life when we return from our time away? Can we rise to that challenge?</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If I set my intention to be present, to live for this very moment, not for what may come before or after, that could help right?</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">So my intention for today is simply to be here. To trust that life is unfolding as it should be and commit to the now. With every fibre of my being I want to release the need to achieve a certain number of things by dinner time in order to feel self-worth and instead my self-worth to come from who I am RIGHT NOW =)</span></span><br />
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<b><span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Intention Creates Awareness.</span></b></span><br />
<span style="color: #f3f3f3; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Let's be aware. Because once we are aware of our own movements on this earth, we can start to connect to others and become aware of how our thoughts and choices AFFECT this earth.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Love and Light to All!</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">P.S. I want to add as a footnote that I started writing this blog yesterday when I was in a space of peace, clarity, and contentment. Today however I awoke to emotions washing all around and through me, taking me on a seesaw through my day. I stuck to my intention and let those feelings be, let them move through me knowing that I was still ok and on the right path. And amazingly enough, by this afternoon my path has crossed with so many people who lit that fire within me once more and I have been given little green lights by these conversations to help me follow my goals! I love it when we unknowingly create opportunities for ourselves to actually 'walk our talk' right??? Haha</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #351c75; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span id="goog_478845796"></span><span id="goog_478845797"></span><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06831521596610751240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673597999427842409.post-75655092905193456322013-03-23T14:32:00.002+11:002013-03-23T14:32:34.838+11:00Life is... good?It is at times when life is hard and tumultuous that we search for meaning. I notice that I tend to journal as a cathartic experience and as a way to re-inspire and nurture my inner being again, and don't get me wrong, I think that is extremely useful and an amazing tool... but what about when life is good? We document our rollercoaster moments and our searches for meaning but do we sit down and just word vomit when life is amazing?<br />
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For the last week I have been itching to get back into writing and have had a lot of things come up that I could use to work through on this blog but when I sat down today to start I found that those issues had passed over and today I felt... good! Which confused me... what should I write about? Go back a few days to the tests and trials of the past few weeks? So I messaged my love saying "Life is good, waiting for inspiration about what to write about..." And to which he so eloquently replied that perhaps I had already answered my own question of what to write about...<br />
Goodness! Why can't I simply be inspired by the goodness in life? I am always searching for meaning, to be better, brighter, the fullest version of myself - but what if I'm there right now? Do you tell the people you are around how good your life is? How beautiful they are and how inspiring the opportunities are in your life at the moment? Your immediate response to that question may be that you are not inspired and feel stuck but I guarantee you that there are still moments of beauty surrounding you. It doesn't have to be large. I just ate a fantastic slice of raw vegan hazelnut cake. That, my friends, was a thing of beauty and I am so grateful to be able to nourish and nurture my good good self with that treat =)<br />
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What if we had a whole day of smiling? What if every single person we met was genuine and warm and honest? You know what, I think we would freak out. There is a certain disbelief when life is working out for us... Certainly it can't last, can it? Well, honestly, probably not, but I think that is the best part! Because if life did 'work' all the time then we wouldn't have any appreciation. We wouldn't continue striving and learning. Yes, we would be 'happy', but there wouldn't really be any reason for us to progress from baby to child to adolescent to adult to elderly!<br />
So my question to you is: Do you take notice of and document the good stuff as well as the bad? Do you thank for moments of joy in your life? Do you share yourself with others when you are full and bright or only ask for help and lean on them in moments of trial?<br />
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We are always being offered opportunities to learn and to share ourselves with others. But we very rarely share our whole selves. And I think that means sharing the dark AND the light. Acknowledging and accepting when life is tough, yes, but also acknowledging and accepting when life is AWESOME. That you have created that awesomeness in your life and trusting that as long as you believe you are worth it, you will continue to create a full and vibrant life. It will come and go, but it will always be there for you to access, as you deserve happiness. You deserve every single great moment. You deserve every great person. You deserve greatness.<br />
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How are you today? Share it, journal it, let the world see the whole version of you. And make sure you also share the GOOD! Call your family, friends, cat, whatever, and love them! Really take notice of all the things in your life that bring you peace and joy and note them down so you have tools to help you as you go along life's many pitfalls.<br />
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Wishing you much love and light =)<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06831521596610751240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673597999427842409.post-35997531893321686112013-02-14T17:11:00.001+11:002013-02-14T17:12:42.066+11:00I LOVE. I AM LOVED.<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span lang="EN-US">I LOVE. I AM LOVED.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Jmy0o986ZMQ/URx_pFWL75I/AAAAAAAAAH0/rGZOd4AX96w/s1600/bsdvoostchakrehfd9uio.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Jmy0o986ZMQ/URx_pFWL75I/AAAAAAAAAH0/rGZOd4AX96w/s320/bsdvoostchakrehfd9uio.jpg" width="230" /></a><span lang="EN-US">Repeat this to yourself many many times
until you feel a shift. An awareness. An opening and warming in the centre of
your chest.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">This is one of the most profound
meditations I have ever been introduced to. It is the essence of all that is.
Love. When we love ourselves, we are open to being loved by others. We in turn
share our love with all we encounter. Our world becomes a place of joy,
discovery, amazement, and wonder as our heart spaces brighten and open to the
lightness of life. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Today, celebrate your self-love. Celebrate
your brightness. Get intimate with who you are. With all that you truly
encompass. Lather your body in luxurious oils and moisturisers. Wear your
favourite colour. Smile at yourself everytime you pass your reflection. </span></div>
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Nourish your heart chakra. In this time on
Earth, we have spent many years closing off our hearts. To others and more so,
to ourselves. To preserve, to keep ourselves safe in times of struggle and
hardship. Because we are vulnerable, and we are susceptible to darkness as well
as light in these times. But now is the time to emerge. To learn about our
heart chakra again and realise we are safe and supported. And it starts with
us. We support our own hearts and give ourselves permission to trust and love.
This is something I have been learning quite strongly for the past year and I
am constantly amazed by what the words ‘soften’ and ‘surrender’ can do for my
being. I feel my thoughts quieten, I feel my body release, and I feel a sense
of calm settle over my being. I am re-aligning and moving back from my
headspace into my heartspace.</div>
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<span lang="EN-US">(Wow – just as I wrote that paragraph I
felt a little nudge on my thigh and turned to discover a little cherub of a
girl with her hand on my leg, smiling up at me with the most joyful eyes! What
a treasure to be shown the true expression of unconditional love at this very
moment!)</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">I want to share with you some writings from
a chapter on the heart chakra in Caroline Myss’ <i>Anatomy of the Spirit.</i></span><span lang="EN-US"> Her words are inspirational and struck a true chord with me so I
hope they resonate with you also:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The fourth chakra is the central powerhouse
of the human energy system. The middle chakra, it mediates between the body and
the spirit and determines their health and strength. Fourth chakra energy is
emotional in nature and helps propel our emotional development. This chakra
embodies the spiritual lesson that teaches us how to act out of love and
compassion and recognize that the most powerful energy we have is love. More
than any chakra, the fourth represents our capacity to “let go and let God”.
With its energy we accept our personal emotional challenges as extensions of a
Divine plan, which has at its intent our conscious evolution. By releasing our
emotional pain, by letting go of our need to know why things have happened as
they have, we reach a state of tranquility. In order to achieve that inner
peace, however, we have to embrace the healing energy of forgiveness and
release our lesser need for human, self-determined justice. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">The fourth chakra is the power centre of
the human energy system because Love Is Divine Power. While intelligence or
“mental energy” is generally considered superior to emotional energy, actually
emotional energy is the true motivator of the human body and spirit. Love in
its purest form – unconditional love – is the substance of the Divine, with its
endless capacity to forgive us and respond to our prayers. Our own hearts are
designed to express beauty, compassion, forgiveness, and love. It is against
our spiritual nature to act otherwise. </span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"><b>We are not born fluent in love but spend
our life learning about it. Its energy is pure power. We are as attracted to
love as we are intimidated by it. We are motivated by love, controlled by it,
inspired by it, healed by it, and destroyed by it. Love is the fuel of our
physical and spiritual bodies. Each of life’s challenges is a lesson in some
aspect of love. How we respond to these challenges is recorded within our cell
tissues: we live within the biological consequences of our own biographical
choices. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Wow.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">And so on this day I open my heart to you and honour the divine light in you as well as in myself =)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US">Namaste.</span></div>
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<!--EndFragment-->Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06831521596610751240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673597999427842409.post-50567375236136925922013-02-03T12:48:00.000+11:002013-02-03T12:48:03.689+11:00Rainy day = soul searching apparently...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We are constantly being given opportunities. Opportunities to make choices. To learn and grow. Even when life may seem stagnant it is constantly ebbing and flowing. And so in the spirit of moving forward...</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I ask to have the strength to always show my true self to the world - yucky or beautifully shiny, empty or full.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I ask to have the courage to truly express myself and all my parts in technicolour. The black, white, and grey, as well as the vivid fuchsias and aquamarines.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I believe in fairies - that we all have wings =)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I believe in psychics and the supernatural - that we all should ask for guidance and keep an open mind about our own potential.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I believe in many things that seem weird to others and I know others believe in many things that seem weird to me.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I believe in a greater good, a power that guides us and encourages us into the light.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I believe in karma.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I believe that our thoughts are the most powerful tools we have. They truly are superpowers and we can use them to create our ultimate paradise or darkness. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I believe that we create our own abundance and that the term 'power' has gained a negative connotation unjustly. We are all powerful beyond measure and need to stop giving that away to others to control.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I believe that there is good in everyone.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I believe that man, plant, animal, rock, spirit all share this planet EQUALLY and so we all need to acknowledge each others place in this world with reverence.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I believe that we have been blessed with such an amazing vessel to move through our journey on Earth and that we must choose a lifestyle that nurtures this vessel and treats it with the respect it deserves.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I believe it starts with surrendering and moves through to acceptance.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I believe that asking for help is sometimes the hardest thing you have to do... but once you admit that, it flies to you with ease and speed.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I believe in me and I believe in you.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And for a bit of inspiration check out this gallery of work by photographer Kirsty Mitchell from the UK. Her story is amazing and the shots are breathtaking!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Enjoy x</span><br />
<a href="http://www.kirstymitchellphotography.com/gallery.php?album=5"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">http://www.kirstymitchellphotography.com/gallery.php?album=5</span></a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06831521596610751240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673597999427842409.post-8309969157227783352013-01-21T22:40:00.003+11:002013-01-21T22:40:32.734+11:00Embrace Everything<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Embrace Everything.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Last night in yoga our wonderfully inspired and courageous teacher invited us to try something new in our life and embrace everything. Initially this started in our practice but it extends much further off the mat...</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So often we are told to just "let it go". If you feel angry/frustrated/basically any negative emotion - we are encouraged to shake it off, remind ourselves of what we can be grateful for and try to just be present in this very moment. And I do believe that is a wonderful goal to achieve that feeling of just being present in your breath and body for that very moment... However if it means we are merely squishing all those negative chitter chatters into the corner of our brains, or bodies for that matter, then is it really productive? </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I guess we have to be honest with ourselves. If we are feeling totally zen and rose coloured glasses then we are lucky to be in the space where we can simply let go and be and enjoy that ride =) But if we are having a cranky pants day as Mum calls it, (and let's face it we all have one at least once a week) then maybe the most loving thing we can do for ourselves is to embrace it. To embrace all our past hurts, to embrace all our past loves, to embrace all our mistakes, to embrace all our achievements. Let's be clear that there is definitely a clear distinction between "embracing" and "sitting in our own crap". We can move from our frustrations to a place of pity and self-loathing or we can move from our frustrations into a place of acceptance by allowing ourselves to feel it, cry, run, whatever and eventually release it. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Because that is how we move into our own power. </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I have really been relishing my yoga practice of late and I think it is because it is constantly reminding me of how powerful I can be in my own body and mind if I let myself go there. I am at a point in my life where I am starting again from the ground up and building foundations from new once more- it's scary! By using my physical strength I am able to ground myself and also gain confidence that I can keep moving forward. When life feels rocky I don't uproot and sway frail-like in the wind, I step strongly onto my feet, feel those ups and downs in my body and remind myself that I am strong enough to go through it all.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This also ties hand in hand with a thought I had the other day about goal-setting. At the beginning of every year, I like to read over my previous years goals/intentions/affirmations and then write a new set for the coming year. Many people do this, and also many people feel like it is a load of fluff. Whatever floats your boat =) </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">While reading and writing I realised that each goal was a little path of my year's journey. A life goals list should not be a bullet point list that you can tick off week by week. Because those goals that we feel most proud of achieving are the ones with the best back-stories! I could see a thread running between almost every intention I had written and how they all came together to teach me the valuable life lessons I needed to learn last year, and also a few that were still ongoing. I could see how an intention I had written that seemed quite simple at face value actually came up several times over the year so I had the opportunity to really truly embrace that lesson in my body and step forward past it even brighter than before. The Universe served me opportunities that helped me find the confidence in myself to work through what I needed to ultimately embody that intention. Very often, those opportunities may have seemed tough and maybe even unfair but they certainly made me start walking my own talk! </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If you are open to it, I invite you to write out a list of intentions for your 2013 and as your are doing it be kind and gentle to yourself. Don't write "to lose 10kg" if you are just going to berate yourself everytime you eat a cookie =) Instead embrace that you are a fluid being and word it more in a positive and accepting way such as "to see myself as a strong, healthy, fit, and sexy individual". Choose goals that invite you to learn more about yourself and discover all your sides. Take a chance on you!</span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06831521596610751240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673597999427842409.post-9620835473346812242012-12-26T20:16:00.001+11:002012-12-26T20:44:28.756+11:00The need to be... What?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Why do we divide ourselves into a 'new' self and an 'old' self and constantly feel the need to reinvent and restart even better than before? </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Why do we judge our old selves as if they were not good enough and hard to relate to? </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We are all on a journey through this life and as a result are constantly evolving and changing and that is awesome and definitely something to be celebrated but the self we are changing from should be celebrated just as much as that self is who we learn from. And unless we are committing acts against humanity we really have no reason to place a negative label upon ourselves and pressure ourselves to change because of unworthiness. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It makes me sad and frustrated to feel a division between our evolving selves from the past. Because ultimately we are the same being, right? </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So whether we are a painter or a plumber, 6ft tall or 4ft short, wearing evening gowns or tracksuits we feel the same emotions right? </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Therefore we have no right to beat ourselves up for being either or. No right to judge ourselves for choosing a certain path because we are no greater or no less because of that decision. And that means that we will feel the guilt and hurt we inflict upon ourselves just as much whether we are 4ft or 6ft. We will feel the love and joy of life just as much. Certainly there are times in our lives when we feel the joy or the sadness greater overwhelming one another but I don't believe that is a result of whether we are a painter or a plumber. That is an external circumstance. Those choices come about because of an internal shift. Whether we are enjoying or resenting ourselves in this life is not dependant upon our external circumstances but rather a result of a decision we make to either shift our view on ourselves or our environment. We become healthy and happy not by merely exercising every day and eating salads but because we find a deeper purpose and connection within ourselves to life. We make a decision to contribute to something greater. So we are exercising not to look good in a bikini but instead to have more energy and strength in life to fulfil anything we set our minds to doing. So we can laugh and play with children. So we can walk along the beach and really appreciate the colours of the sunset. So we can wake up each morning with an excitement for everything the day will bring. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And so, if our 'old' selves are the catalyst for these changes that bring hope and joy, then surely we can't berate and undermine them, because we need them to show us the way into the light. Without them we wouldn't appreciate all that we have achieved. We would have no benchmark. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So I want to celebrate each and every part of myself. Because I am whole. I am made of dark and light. I am old and new and I accept every part of myself. I truly believe it is so incredibly important for all of us to start acknowledging ourselves. Because when you start talking to yourself with love and care you realise how often you actually do the opposite. Now, more than ever. We are coming into an amazing time and we all need to start seeing ourselves for the amazing human beings we are. Look at yourself in the mirror and send yourself infinite love and gratitude. You will feel silly, guaranteed, I do! But keep saying it, keep telling yourself and eventually you will believe it. Let's bridge the gap between old and new and just choose to accept ourselves today =)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #b45f06; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">One of my favourite songs, enjoy!</span><br />
<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUFs_1vKYlY">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUFs_1vKYlY</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06831521596610751240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673597999427842409.post-57057984247379085392012-09-17T17:42:00.000+10:002012-09-17T17:42:12.662+10:00The world is changing because we are deciding it is changing...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The world is changing because we are deciding it is changing...</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It is such an amazing time to be on Earth right now. There is so much going on and around us though that we can become scattered and caught up in it all very easily. And when we hear about all the disasters, riots, and wars in the media we can begin to wonder whether it is such a great world after all and if indeed things are getting better or just worse... But that is merely our perception. What we believe, we see. So if we all start believing and seeing the world as a vibrant, healthy, life giving, and loving place then we will begin to see it that way in reality. I know you are thinking that it can't possibly be that simple and how does that stop war but I believe with every fibre of my being that it is true and I invite you to try taking a hand at creating a new awesome world with me...</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">We make the decision to change. We make the decision to grow.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">All we need to do is open ourselves up to new possibilities. Listen to people from a perspective you never have. Take a different route to work. Try a yoga class, turn your ego off, and let your body surrender to movement. Surprise your friend with a batch of homemade cookies and some flowers.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Because if we open up to new possibilities in our own lives then the world will follow suit. It's the basic law of attraction. What we create, we receive in return. Why do some people flourish in the darkest of situations? Because they believe in the light and that they deserve the very best for themselves. If I could wave my hand and bring peace to war-torn countries I certainly would but there are bigger powers at play and so I decide to at least create a world for myself that is filled with love, gratitude, and acceptance in the hope that that energy begins to spread and reverberate energetically around the whole planet.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Shield yourself from negative people and negative situations. We all get caught up in it from time to time and that is ok because from hardships we learn and grow, but often we unknowingly pick up others negativity which is not conducive to our lives and growth. If someone makes you feel uncomfortable and unworthy, remove them from your life. Make the choice to surround yourself with people, situations, places, and work that supports, nurtures, and encourages you to be the best you can.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Make the choice to fill your home and self with things that will heal and nourish your body and spirit.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Expand your knowledge base and awareness of the earth we are living in and how to support it the best we can. Make a choice to detox your life from the clutter of media, major corporations, and social norms. Create your own way.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">How liberating is that =) Let's all inspire each other!</span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06831521596610751240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673597999427842409.post-79929471911233098152012-08-10T18:46:00.002+10:002012-08-11T01:11:29.367+10:00Dear Future Me...Today as I walked to the train station I thought about writing a letter to my future self, in say, 50 years time. I thought about questions I would ask myself now and what those answers would reveal to my future self, but also what insight they would give to my present state of mind...<br />
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- What is the one word you use most often to describe yourself to others? In seemingly passing conversation, do you refer to yourself as "silly", "lazy", "pudgy", "not as good as"... or do you describe yourself as "awake", "energetic", "considerate", "beautiful"...<br />
<br />
- What's the first thing you think of when you wake up? The very first instinct when you get out of bed? Do you check in with yourself and calibrate or just rush ahead and go?<br />
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- When you step out of the shower, do you look in the mirror at yourself? Do you like what you see?<br />
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- What is the one thing you do for yourself that makes you feel grounded and connected to life and everyone in it? When was the last time you did that?<br />
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- How often do you physically touch another person? What is your first reaction to when someone hugs you?<br />
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- What part of yourself do you try to cover up? Why? No, seriously and honestly, why? What are you afraid of that part showing to the world?<br />
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- When was the last time you cried?<br />
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- Do you try to emulate a vision of someone else in your own self?<br />
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- How does the word 'freedom' make you feel? Is it far away or at your fingertips?<br />
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- When was the last time you switched your phone off?<br />
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All of these questions, when answered honestly, showed in clear light for me how I was seeing myself at the current moment. Of course they are ever changing, as we are ever changing, but right now what was highlighted for me was my 'self talk'. Why was the first instinct to myself a negative one? When did I step over the fence from love and acceptance of myself into harsh judgement and unreal assumptions?<br />
What am I gaining by feeding these 'not good enough' thoughts into my mind, body, and spirit? Do I realise the impact and consequences having these thoughts has on me and my relationships with others?<br />
So today I will write out some mantras, some words, to remind myself to LOVE above all else. And hopefully I don't have to wait until I'm 80 to see the truth of beauty and love in this life!<br />
<br />
A little side note: After writing this post earlier today I was discussing it with a near and dear friend who offered me an alternative view, a pearl of wisdom, and pulled me out of my rabbit hole (isn't that what friends are for?), which was: Why not stop questioning why I am continuously questioning myself and simply let myself 'be' in the space I am in right now at this very moment. If I am searching to be the best person I can be and eliminate all negative thought forms surely that begins with simply letting go of the why and how and just accepting me now. No questions asked =) Hehe!Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06831521596610751240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673597999427842409.post-56644791430344041702012-07-10T14:12:00.004+10:002012-07-10T14:14:56.113+10:00International Raw Food Day!!!!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nlqcZjWS6zQ/T_uqpNeH2sI/AAAAAAAAAD8/c0tRhYfMRC8/s1600/IMG_0369.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nlqcZjWS6zQ/T_uqpNeH2sI/AAAAAAAAAD8/c0tRhYfMRC8/s320/IMG_0369.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Union Square Farmers Markets in NYC-<br />
the best apples I have EVER tasted!</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">This Wednesday 11th July is 'International Raw Food Day'! For those of you who know me, I have a strong passion for the raw vegan movement and all its fresh, vibrant produce brimming with life! A wonderful raw vegan advocate is a woman called Karen Knowler who runs a raw food coaching company in the UK. Last year she launched International Raw Food Day and has put out a whole heap of info for people who are interested. The premise is for anyone and everyone to GO RAW for one day, that day being the 11th of July and to see how easy and awesome it actually is! Many people unknowingly consume vegan and raw foods without realising such as guacamole, salsa, fresh juices etc. and her one day guide proves just how easy and yummy it is to embrace even one day of raw food goodness. I really truly encourage you to check out her site and download the go raw for a day guide. And commit to it! It is one day out of your life and if you don't like it at least you tried but hopefully it encourages you to open a new door and maybe this one day extends to one day <u>every</u> week raw vegan...</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Here is the link peeps:</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://www.internationalrawfoodday.com/">http://www.internationalrawfoodday.com</a>/</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If you click on the go raw for a day link it should take you straight to an email link for your FREE guide YAY!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If you are still reading and haven't jumped into your car racing red lights to the nearest McDonalds lets talk raw live vegan food a lil bit =)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It has been a step by step journey for me to go raw, as it was a step by step journey for me to go vegan in the years preceding that, and by no means am I exclusively or dogmatically one way of eating - I merely chose this way because I feel good when I do so! I try to listen to my body and respond to it accordingly and I also believe that if a meal is prepared with love by those who serve it to you that is a precious gift. So if someone serves me a food I may not usually prepare for myself but it is handmade with such care, time, and love then I believe that food will still nourish me as I digest those beautiful thoughts that went into its preparation. As such I am not 100% raw because I know that my mindset, being the way it is, if I went 100% one way or another it would come from a competitive and negatively controlling thoughtform as opposed to an all accepting and loving one. So I instead try to focus on the amazing energy eating raw gives me and use that as a guide to choose the meals I do, rather than a set of rules to live by.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If you strip it right back eating your fruits and vegetables mostly in their raw state really does make sense - we want to absorb the most nutrients and life force from everything we intake right? And the shelves of every chemist are packed with vitamin supplements to help us increase that uptake of nutrients even further. So what about if we just eat these amazing vegetables in their freshest form? Surely that means that the most nutrition is intact in that present state? And we can bypass all the extra pills! So by consuming our leafy greens in their brightest green and crispiest form we are giving our bodies the gift of life. We are squeezing as much goodness out of those vegies as we possibly can.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And once you try this - the energy your body receives is amazing. After eating mainly raw for even a few weeks many people feel a huge difference in their energy levels, digestion, they are more alert, the colours of life are more vibrant, and as a result you start to really notice and appreciate all that goes into bringing those foods to your kitchen and table. And it really can't be boring because look at all the amazing colours at your disposal! When you plate up a meal that is filled with reds, purples, greens, and yellows that bounce right off the plate your senses are totally stimulated on all counts!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You don't have to change your whole life in one day, so how about just taking it slow and maybe just adding some fresh leafy greens to your next meal, using zucchini instead of pasta, adding a handful of greens to your smoothie, or chopping up some raw carrots and celery to have with your hommus?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Green leafy vegies in particular are extremely alkalising and you will find that most vegetables in their natural state are also. In opposition, all animal meats, dairy, sugars, processed foods are extremely acidic. And as acidic overload on our systems in known to be the root of many western diseases, it makes sense to add as many alkalising foods as we can to right this imbalance.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If you research raw food on the internet you will find a plethora of raw food recipes that are full of 'superfoods' and 300 cups of nuts, and actually contain very few veggies in them. They have their place too but are overwhelming. Eating raw simply means eating LIVE, so put those recipes aside and simply focus on eating as many LIVE and WHOLEFOODS as you can! Try to choose unprocessed versions of foods and eat as close as possible to it's natural state. Easy right?</span><br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4uLZYHq3rJQ/T_uqnFP17zI/AAAAAAAAAD0/IfTbA3Aa06A/s1600/IMG_1216.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4uLZYHq3rJQ/T_uqnFP17zI/AAAAAAAAAD0/IfTbA3Aa06A/s320/IMG_1216.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">California, Green Juice, Sunshine</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #274e13; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Loving life =)</span></td></tr>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06831521596610751240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673597999427842409.post-86838395059486713602012-06-24T15:45:00.000+10:002012-06-24T15:48:27.394+10:00Looking in the mirror, what do you see?<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;">We all have those days where you get up and all you feel like wearing is a tracksuit, and then when you are walking down the street in that said tracksuit your brains keeps sending you pictures of yourself in a hessian sack (even if your tracksuit is pink and sparkly...)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;">When you just feel BLAH - out of touch with your mental self, and most definitely your physical self. You start to doubt your inner and outer beauty and see yourself on a downward spiral. Now for most people this leads to two paths - comfort eating, or restrictive eating. One is used as a means to soothe, calm, and quell those negative voices by making yourself feel special with 'special' foods. The other one is a used as a means to regain control of your life, to pull yourself out of your down space by taking control of your food and thus metaphorically, your life.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;">For some it is using alcohol or drugs to escape and create a new reality where life is good. Whatever the poison, it is all our mind trying to trick us into 'fixing' the situation, when it was our mind that got us there in the first place!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;">Why is it that one day you can wake up, look at yourself in the mirror and see a bright, shining, goddess of a woman, and then the very next day see an out of proportion, jaded, and fuzzy version of that same goddess? Logically, we can't have physically changed that extremely in one day but yet our mind projects the image that we have... That in 24 hours we have gained 5kgs and suddenly need to take count of all our sins in the last 2 weeks. If you step back it really doesn't make any sense. And everyone else around you sees you as the same beautiful person you always are. But as our thoughts and minds created the negative body images in the first place, our own thoughts are the only way out - no matter how many reassurances you seek and hear from outside people, until you rewire your own thoughts you will remain jaded.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;">Sometimes we let outside influences get to us. We pick up a copy of Cosmo and stare aimlessly at the endless pictures of airbrushed woman posing walking a dog down the street. If it took that much effort to get myself ready to walk the dog I would probably never leave the house! But we see these pictures and unconsciously discriminate against ourselves for not fitting the mould. We may be feeling down about a lack of focus or goals in our career and as a result berate and blame our appearance for our downfall.</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RZH1oMelhpo/T-anbUb8COI/AAAAAAAAADo/a30dyT4aZa0/s1600/images-1.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RZH1oMelhpo/T-anbUb8COI/AAAAAAAAADo/a30dyT4aZa0/s320/images-1.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;">But I truly, honestly, and genuinely believe that we do not need a certain physicality to succeed in life. I believe in nourishing, nurturing, and respecting my body by feeding it foods filled with life force and love, as well as giving it fresh air and using my muscles as they were built to be used. But that doesn't mean a specific look or build. It means going inside and making choices based on truly wanting the best for our selves as a whole. In loving ourselves so much that we can't help but treat ourselves with joy and goodness! We need to get out of our own heads (myself included!) and see the bigger picture of beauty. It is truly of our own making. Why is it that one person can be attracted to one and not another? Because our mind tells us what we classify as beautiful and what is not. But when we start to remove those classifications and see beauty as universal - in that it extends across merely physicality to the other states of being and life on this planet- we tap into that place of acceptance with ourselves and everyone around us.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #660000;">If it is so simple as just making the choice to see myself as worthy of being beautiful why don't I just choose that everyday? I don't know, but I really don't see why I shouldn't at the same time!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06831521596610751240noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673597999427842409.post-1610013021635355072012-06-03T15:08:00.001+10:002012-06-03T15:10:01.764+10:00Fearlessness<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Sometimes we lose contact with ourselves. Sometimes we stand slightly a step outside and behind the light. And when that happens everything gets hazy. I noticed the other day that I have created a pattern for myself unconsciously - a cycle of ups and downs no matter where I am in the world. I am sure that in the beginning these were valid feelings that came about because of an actual event but now they seem to appear even without an actual reason. It is habitual and subconsciously it has become my way of operating or coping.These feelings of inadequacy that pull me down don't feel right, when I am there I don't feel like 'Allyce' and I know they are not really apart of my true self.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Because the real Allyce dives in head first. The real Allyce goes off to explore and finds hidden treasures. The real Allyce acknowledges these lower emotions and thought forms and doesn't judge them or get caught up in them but simply observes them as they move through and past her.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">But it takes fearlessness to step back into life. Courage to go past the little 'woe is me' voices and jump into the unknown. Remember when you were a kid and you used to run and throw yourself into the pool without even a second thought? How rollerblading down a big hill was exhilarating even if you skated into a tree on the way?</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Fearless.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Once you embrace it and feel it, oh man it is an amazing feeling. You can find freedom in your fearlessness. And I guess as always it has to do with surrendering right? Because you have to let go to have the courage to jump in. You have to bypass all those little no voices and take the leap anyway.</span></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And boy I feel like my last couple of years have been all about jumping in the pool headfirst. Moving to live in countries that are out of our comfort zones, being in a job where it is constantly changing and unpredictable, and living away from your nearest and dearest for long amounts of time forces you to spend time with YOU and as a result every little deep dark corner of you as well =)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">But if we choose to be fearless in that darkness, if we choose to step out of our little huts and into the great outdoors - wow, see how much there is to find and discover! We will all step outside at some point, but it is up to us how long we want to spend inside before we take that step. Yes of course it is scary, but if you acknowledge that you are scared and that it is unknown then you have already given yourself permission to move past those feelings and find MORE.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So I make the decision to choose simplicity, ease, peace, and most importantly, joy. And to find that I will step outside, off the ledge, and out into the unknown. Fearlessly. Because life is so much simpler when I don't cloud my head with ifs, ands, or buts and peace is found in the release of fear =)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">GO!</span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06831521596610751240noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673597999427842409.post-23656891777338385702012-04-18T12:13:00.003+10:002012-04-18T12:13:31.441+10:00Perfection...<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m-lsRmJDva0/T44jB1loxeI/AAAAAAAAADQ/oHZAtPF-kDc/s1600/perfect_idea_by_jeffrey.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m-lsRmJDva0/T44jB1loxeI/AAAAAAAAADQ/oHZAtPF-kDc/s200/perfect_idea_by_jeffrey.png" width="200" /></a>Perfection.<br />
Just the word conjures up so many emotions, thoughts, even physical reactions. Note how you react to that word. Do you unconsciously touch a part of your body? Do you feel anxiety in you stomach? Do you put up a defence barrier energetically? In my mind, it is hard to see the word 'perfect' as a positive. It implies we must be complete and whole in every aspect of our life and selves and seeing as that is pretty much impossible it also then implies that we are imperfect right now.<br />
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This idea of the constant strive for perfection surely must be wired in our brains and bodies - humanity has always been filled with a hierarchy, good vs bad, and a system by which we are judged by others or even by ourselves. Perfection in the physical body - which lets face it is really hard to avoid with all the magazines and billboards everywhere we turn, perfection in the mental body - being judged by your grades and sales quotas...<br />
And even turning to the alternative and spiritual circles - so many people worship gurus and leaders and mould themselves in their image to attain 'enlightenment'. Perfection exists up in the clouds, at the top of the climb and out of our reach.<br />
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And do you know who creates that climb? You. If you really wanted you could keep that climb for perfection in whatever way going your whole life. You might say that your teacher or boss keeps you always on the backburner struggling to achieve your goal, but really it is ourselves who are creating that climb and set of goalposts or limitations. What if you have achieved your goal already? Right now? What if you woke up tomorrow at the top of the summit? Would you feel elated and proud? Probably not. Instead I imagine I would create a whole list of reasons as to how I had 'cheated' or find a way to play down that success. <br />
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Sure it is healthy and a part of human nature to have a goal and something to work towards but the issue becomes when we are judging ourselves based on the achievement of that goal. When we deem ourselves worthy by having perfect abs, or perfect A grades, or even making the perfect chocolate cake. We ideally should celebrate ourselves and nurture ourselves towards the beauty we find in our goals and their success but somehow along the way it turns negative and we lose sight of the reasons behind making our goals in the first place. So when we reach a stumbling block and lose control of the situation instead of laughing at the twists and turns and realising we are learning as much in this stumble as we are in the goal itself, we berate ourselves, feel guilt, and judge ourselves unworthy of setting the goal in the first place.<br />
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My heart hurts so much to think of all the beautiful family and friends in my life thinking less of themselves and missing out on their true potential and light! If a friend told you they were planning to climb Mt Everest, no matter how insane the goal, you would most likely support their wacky ideas and help them achieve success - so why do we shut ourselves down in the blink of an eye?<br />
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And because this 'perfection gene' is so deeply ingrained in society it is a biggie to try and shift in yourself. Be patient, be kind, and start with small moments of acceptance of yourself for who you are today. Ground yourself into your real self, not the perfect far off version (who frankly is not as awesome and eclectic as your now self anyway...) and unleash your awesomeness on the world!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06831521596610751240noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673597999427842409.post-50296926969895019722012-03-23T14:54:00.002+11:002012-03-23T14:54:40.899+11:00A Must SeeToday I watched the documentary "Hungry for Change". You may have heard about it as they have done some REALLY good marketing to promote the film, especially across facebook. It is made by the same team as the doco Food Matters and features interviews from many highly regarded health and nutrition people.<br />
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If you are looking to make a change or inspire yourself to become more aware of what you choose in your life I recommend tuning in to watch the film - as always, you will only take out of it what you are ready to hear. Don't force yourself and spend the 90mins fighting with the people on the screen as then you are only creating a negative response in yourself. Remember that everyone has their opinions and you don't always need to agree but recognise that there is truth in all and that the issues they raise in this doco are very real and scientifically valid and supported.<br />
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The best part about watching these type of films is that they plant the seed of change within you - maybe that change will take 3 days to take root, maybe 3 years, but subconsciously you are opening up to more possibilities by doing yourself the favour of seeking out this knowledge. As the film finished I found myself immediately going out to savour a fresh green vege juice and galloping through the supermarket with a basket full of fresh vegies to whip up for dinner =) And the best part is - it wasn't a 'chore' to eat the 'good' stuff, my mind and body made that decision for me and I was actually craving all those yummy wholefoods!<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gXIVvx9KcQM/T2vzvZLcF4I/AAAAAAAAADA/bWdlivZbJcs/s1600/IMG_0576.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-gXIVvx9KcQM/T2vzvZLcF4I/AAAAAAAAADA/bWdlivZbJcs/s320/IMG_0576.jpg" width="240" /></a>One of my favourite parts of the film was when they spoke about diets not working - this is something I feel so strongly about. I strongly dislike the use of the word diet and prefer 'way of living' or 'lifestyle choice'. Because a diet implies starvation, it conjures up failure, short term goals, and worst of all it makes you feel you are depriving yourself. I like to think that if I told myself I was going on a chocolate diet and I was in no way allowed to eat anything but I would feel deprived because of the use of the word CAN'T and even though I was eating a 'naughty' food like chocolate the treat of it would lose all meaning and instead the focus would go onto everything else you are not allowed. You need to discover the reasons behind WHY you make the choices you do, and make those choices holistically so that you involving all parts of your life being mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual and then the changes will stick. Our mind plays a much greater role than we realise - I believe everything starts with a thought and all physical matters manifest from our thoughts and emotions. So if we can shift our awareness and start opening up to new thoughts and positive beliefs about ourselves it becomes so much easier to create and live a life you want to live.<br />
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I think it is so important for everyone to ask questions. We take so much for granted as we are spoonfed so much in our culture. Spoonfed what to watch, listen to, look like, eat like... And then when we go to the supermarket shelves we simply take items off the shelves without knowing what we are actually eating! We take medication from the doctor without knowing where it came from or what it is actually doing to us! We try to lose weight not for our own health and wellbeing but because other people and magazines say we should!<br />
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It's time for everyone to stop and take stock. Start loving yourself, start asking yourself what you can do to bring the best to this life and how you can educate yourself to help others around you as well.<br />
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If you have the time (and if you don't then you might need to reassess your priorities in life hehe) please watch this film. It is available free to watch online until the end of March. Here is the link: <a href="http://www.hungryforchange.tv/">http://www.hungryforchange.tv/</a><br />
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Much love to you all and happy discoveries!<br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06831521596610751240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673597999427842409.post-85207012462082209342012-03-11T13:08:00.004+11:002012-03-11T13:16:26.033+11:00It's the way we get there...<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">For a few weeks now I have been talking to my Ma about how I just didn't feel excited about my yoga practice. It wasn't that I didn't want to be there, I was perfectly inspired to be practicing but it was more like I didn't want to be in that exact room, taking THAT class. I would mentally fight the teacher and every direction they were giving and I felt like a sooky teenager sometimes! I kept saying I missed yoga back in Australia, but I couldn't pinpoint my finger on exactly what it was I missing...</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I just knew 'something' was a miss. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And then as the Universe would have it, a chain of events led me to take a trial class at a new studio... BAM! REALIGNMENT!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">From the moment I started that 90mins of one loooooong exhalation for my body I knew this was it, it wasn't that I was fighting yoga, it was that I was fighting myself and the fact that I needed to make a change and seek something new.</span><br />
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pJrixMSWlLo/T1sJFl4p32I/AAAAAAAAACo/NCtmqny4us8/s1600/images.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-pJrixMSWlLo/T1sJFl4p32I/AAAAAAAAACo/NCtmqny4us8/s200/images.jpeg" width="114" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">After just 2 days at this new studio I realised what it was I was searching for- heart. You see for me yoga is not purely physical and that is why certain styles appeal to me more than others. I will always remember the feeling of walking out of a rocking practice and noticing that the colours of the sky and the trees are actually brighter than they were before! And feeling so much love for everyone and everything around me I might burst! That is a rounded yoga practice and for the last few months although my strength has been building and I have certainly learnt and discovered many new and awesome things in my classes, that was no longer enough. I needed heart.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And of course when I got to this new studio my ego piped in with a seemingly friendly "well if you had just chosen this studio in the first place you could have had this all along" - WRONG!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The fact is that I didn't choose this studio to practice at 3 months ago, I chose another one and as with everything on this Earth, I chose it for a reason. I needed to go through that exploration and that time to understand what is truly important to me and to be able to articulate it.</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And if I had gone to the studio with classes I was comfortable with straight away, I would never have tried and embraced all the different and varying styles available to me by being out of my home country and safety zone. I am glad it happened the way it did and I don't think I have lost out anything this way. If anything I appreciate the classes more now and am super amped to make the most out of my last 6 weeks here.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So, I have used yoga as my speaking ground but I truly believe there is an underlying tone that you can all apply to many aspects of your life - find your own 'yoga' and see how it works for you. We often tend to focus on the destination, the arrival point, the peak, but isn't it the things along the way that you remember? The destination may only last a few minutes before it becomes habit and melds into everything else in your life, and when you look back you remember the scenery of your life on the journey. The people, the view, the food you tasted along the way.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And speaking of food - here is a recipe for you to taste along the way! As many of you know, I'm all about fresh, organic, unprocessed food to nourish and nurture our bodies =)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Lately I have been craving Italian flavours and this is my go-to sauce - use it on greens, grains, or my personal favourite - raw zucchini noodles/ribbons mmm....</span><br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P0tQR8j0fio/T1wK1oP1fVI/AAAAAAAAAC4/waSjtE4RK_c/s1600/0055871.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P0tQR8j0fio/T1wK1oP1fVI/AAAAAAAAAC4/waSjtE4RK_c/s320/0055871.jpg" width="211" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Marinara Magic</b></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">6 sundried tomato halves, drained</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 small red capsicum</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">6 cherry or mini roma tomatoes</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 tbsp tahini (makes it a bit creamy)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">2 tsp olive oil</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 clove garlic</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1/4 tsp cayenne pepper</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 tsp dried italian mixed herbs</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 tsp tamari (or soy sauce)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 tsp apple cider vinegar</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1/2 tsp honey</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">1 tsp nutritional yeast (optional, only if you have it)</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">a big handful of fresh herbs (I use basil, rosemary, oregano, but pretty much anything goes!)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Chop all the ingredients and then chuck everything except the fresh herbs into the blender. Blend til almost smooth, should not take long, and add a tbsp or two of water if you need to help it mix. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Put the herbs in and briefly blend only until herbs are incorporated and evenly mixed. No need to cook - keep it fresh and savour the goodness in its natural state!</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You can store this in the fridge for a few days in a sealed container.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">MUCH LOVE!!!!!</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #20124d; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06831521596610751240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673597999427842409.post-70922542961831632022012-03-01T13:35:00.000+11:002012-03-01T13:37:17.504+11:00Green!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Today I visited MacRitchie Reservoir here in Singapore, and I highly recommend it to anyone visiting this fair city. It's only 15min out of the city but for those few hours walking through its trails you are transported light years away from the chaos and bustle of the city. There are times when you look up and can only see glimpses of the sky and sun peeking through the rainforest canopy, when all you can hear are the cicadas singing to their mates, and all you feel is the physical act of walking. Meditative =)</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I've got to give it to Singapore - even though the streets are busy and people are walking around attached to each and every piece of technology available, it is certainly green! The climate is perfect for lush tropical plants and all you need to do is escape to one of the many parks scattered throughout the island to reconnect and ground once more.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">And as I was walking along staring at the leaves littered among the ground it occurred to me that the brown "dead" leaves lie right alongside the green grass and plants all around them. In fact, they add compost and help create moist and fertile ground for new plants to shoot through. So all the parts of ourselves we consider "waste" and "old" have such an important function - paving the way for the bright, tender, new shoots to burst through! The leaves are just as living as we are and if their purposes are so cyclical and intrinsically connected, as too are ours. It is so necessary for us to shed the thoughts, mentalities, and habits that no longer serve us well so we have the space to see the sunshine and allow it to shine on our beautiful new parts. It can be a literal or a physical journey of release - writing down all that you wish to release and maybe burning the paper, or going for a swim in the cleansing ocean and letting go of old ways through the water washing them away, or walking through the rainforest and with each step letting go and walking forward into the new. But then we must recognise that those parts we are releasing have served us a wonderful purpose and although we must now let them go, they were created because we needed them at the time. Rather than an ending being sad or angry, it is beautiful as it means we have grown and progressed to a new place and we are ready to continue further on our journey. It is a celebration of self and all you have achieved simply by living on this planet.</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">You know, before I sat down to write this blog I spoke to one of my friends in the dressing room about how I didn't have an inspiration... And as soon as I sat down at the keyboard the words simply flowed and it appears I do have an inspiration! Maybe we always have inspiration and we just need to give ourselves the opportunity and the space to let it be seen! </span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06831521596610751240noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673597999427842409.post-56048345522037330932012-02-19T13:01:00.000+11:002012-02-19T13:01:52.696+11:00SurrenderI often use the word 'Surrender' as a kind of mantra for myself - it reminds me to be present in the moment, to lay aside all expectation and judgement of how things are 'supposed' to be and simply live for whatever and whoever I am right now. It especially helps me in yoga, when often I arrive on my mat with a gazillion thoughts zipping around my head and if I tell them to kindly buzz off that only makes the buzzing louder =)<br />
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However, it occurred to me today how the word Surrender has so many different meanings and connotations in our society. Historically, the word surrender can actually seem quite negative -as in an army surrendering and giving up to the other side, or a surrender to the defeat against a stronger force.<br />
So often, we walk around with the idea of surrendering being a last resort, something we arrive at after we have pushed and exhausted all our other options.<br />
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What a tough expectation and burden to hang over our shoulders! It's quite sad really to think of how many beautiful people out there are fighting to keep a job, a home, a relationship, a lifestyle, even though they are unhappy because the idea of surrendering to their true feelings or to the uncertainty of life is seen as the ultimate failure and defeat!<br />
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I have come to see the word surrender as much more than that. Rather than the ultimate defeat, it is the ultimate act of courage! It takes alot to actually let go and accept what life is going to bring you, especially when we have no idea of what that could be! When we are at a crossroads and have difficulty making a decision, sometimes the most courageous and liberating thing we can do is simply surrender to what is. Just surrender to this one day, to only what is right in front of you, and let the rest go.<br />
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I guess surrendering is all about letting go of control isn't it? If we let go of the need to control, we allow the world to work its magic =)<br />
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And most of the time, it is remembering to surrender to the little things - to surrender to the moment of a person holding up the queue, to surrender to getting caught in the rain, to surrender to not being occupied every second of every minute - because maybe in that moment of surrender and in-between I will witness a smile on the face of a child or catch a laugh with a stranger - something I would have missed by being caught in my own head!<br />
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One of my fav songs by the one and only India Arie xxx<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.youtube.com/embed/nLqcAIxbD4c?feature=player_embedded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06831521596610751240noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3673597999427842409.post-81612655481787638912012-02-06T15:11:00.000+11:002012-02-06T15:11:00.471+11:00Heartbeat<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I stumbled across a very interesting fact the other day about something science calls the "Schumann Resonance"...</span><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Apparently the sound of the Earth resonates within the 100km sonic concentric tunnel that encircles and is a part of the Earth - commonly known as the atmosphere, it being the space before "space" technically begins. The caverns beneath the Earth's surface also amplify this beat and it is broadcast around the Earth from those resonating cavities. </span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The interesting part is that without this beat we become ill, disorientated, and we eventually die! This has been fully researched and even NASA fits each spacecraft with a Schumann simulator which exposes astronauts to the 7.8 hertz heartbeat that we feel at all times, therefore keeping them well!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">The Schumann resonance is like a tuning fork for the Earth, meaning it has natural frequencies for electromagnetic radiation, and as it turns out the human brain has exactly the SAME natural frequencies! Wow...</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">There is alot of scientific research about the Schumann resonance as it has a direct correlation to lightening storms and also the transmission of radio waves and the like, which you are welcome to investigate further if it interests you, however for me the curiosity lies more in the underlying fact that the Earth has a heartbeat that is constantly pulsing and keeping us connected and alive! AMAZING!</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">What is disturbing though is the thought that we could possibly be altering this natural rhythm by using electronic devices that disturb the frequencies we live in... Many people get headaches from using computers and mobile phones and with the number of electronic devices in one room in the average household I'm not surprised that we are affected eventually! My Mum always brought us up to switch off appliances at the powerpoint if we were not using them and although this was for an energy saving purpose I also think it is a good idea to reduce the amount of electronic 'clutter'. I now also switch off all powerpoints before I go to sleep at well as it disrupts your sleep having electric currents and radiation constantly flowing around you.</span></div>
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #351c75; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', serif;">So I guess the things to take home are that ultimately from the moment we arrived on this Earth our own bodies synced in with the Earth's natural rhythms and continue to do so of their own accord! So be kinder to Mother Earth - she is keeping you alive and well =) </span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06831521596610751240noreply@blogger.com3