For a while I had been sitting with the question, “what do I have for breakfast?”
Being that I am gluten and diary intolerant and now refined/processed sugar free I can sometimes find it challenging to get something that can fill me up, and also gets me excited to start the day.
Recently, my partner and I went to a Lomi Lomi retreat, and as he was learning this beautiful healing massage, we also had the pleasure of being looked after by the wonderful and wise Marga and this is what she served us for breakfast.
It is absolutely delicious, filling and so easy to make and I have been eating it each morning, ever since.
Breakfast Recipe:
Handful of almonds (you can mix it up and have walnuts or any other nut you enjoy)
1 small apple (1/2 large apple, pear or other similar fruit)
Dash of desiccated coconut
One pitted dated
Diced banana
Coconut milk
(Please note, if possible I recommend using all organic produce)
Instructions:
Blend the nuts, apple and desiccated coconut in a food processor or similar. Add the banana and coconut milk on top and voila!
A healthy alternative breakfast that is gluten, dairy and refined sugar free – just the thing to fill you up, with lots of fibre and it tastes amazing.
How unblocking my heart automatically made me feel and receive the flow of inner peace, love, joy and gratitude.
Gratitude is a hard thing to feel when you are weighed down with unresolved anger, hurt, resentment and disappointment from the past. People often suggest you focus on things you are grateful for, but when you are carrying a heavy heart, its not always easy to do.
Because the true magic of gratitude works best when it naturally flows from the heart.
Thinking about what you are grateful for is way less powerful than feeling the emotion of gratitude and having it flow through your whole body.
This was definitely the truth for me. A few years ago I was not in a good place physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. My heart was so closed off and frozen over from various painful and hurtful experiences that it just didn’t let me feel much any more. I spent a lot of my time on auto pilot, in my head and just doing what I needed to do, to try to survive.
I faked looking happy a lot of the time because I was taught at a young age to “put on your happy face”, but the happiness was not penetrating my heart. It was still carrying a lot of emotional wounds and it didn’t want to risk feeling anymore. The thing is, when you start to suppress or block some emotions and experiences, it doesn’t take long before you are blocking others too, like joy, happiness, gratitude, love and abundance…..all the nice, feel good ones! Closing your heart also shuts the door on your ability to receive all sorts of opportunities and gifts too!
In my own journey I learnt that healing the heart, heals the whole body, mind and soul. By healing the heart and helping it process, dissolve and let go of any deeply suppressed emotional wounds of hurt, anger or sadness or fear…. the magic automatically starts to flow. It’s like pulling out and clearing away all the sticks, weeds, garbage and pollution that has been left to fester and clog up the beautiful clear streams of pure white light energy that flows throughout your heart and body and comes directly from Spirit or Source Energy.
For me, I first felt this magic when I experienced the simple but powerful Emotional Freedom Technique. Check out my page “Emotional Freedom Technique” on my website http://letlovebloom.com.au/
For the first time in years, I felt the chronic pain and tension that I felt in my body shift and melt away, the deeply suppressed hurt and anger trapped in my heart keeping it frozen and numb gently melt and lighten and in its place I started to notice an amazing feeling of tingling, light energy flow through my whole body.
This holistic healing technique was magically clearing away all the garbage that was polluting and blocking my energetic body and meridians from flowing freely. It restores the natural flow of pure source energy that is suppose to flow throughout your meridians and energetic body freely that carries the vibration of joy, love, happiness and maintains your natural state of wellbeing.
No wonder I couldn’t feel happy or grateful and my health was so bad. My body, heart and spirit was too polluted!
I was so amazed, I didn’t even have to force myself to think happy thoughts, it was just happening naturally. An automatic feeling of relief, peace, calm and hope was starting to flow through me naturally again…..a feeling I hadn’t really felt for years and I was so GRATEFUL!
Over time I continued to release many layers of suppressed emotions from my life and the feeling of joy, love and gratitude got stronger and stronger, along with my health. It was changing my whole vibration and as the universal law states “Like attracts Like”, I started to attract new wonderful opportunities, people and experiences in my life. Healing my heart has helped it to feel safe again and open up wide to receive all kinds of love and gifts. My connection to my spirit and the spirit world has also opened up in a truly unexpected but magnificent way, which I am infinitely grateful for.
It is also why I named my business Let Love Bloom, because I truly believe that dissolving all blocks to love, restoring Inner peace and emotional freedom naturally helps you Bloom.
Being clear on what you want, believing your deserve it and then holding an energy of appreciation of receiving it, has amazing results.
Cimone-Louise is currently living her dream and shares with you how she achieved this by combining her wishes with the energy of gratitude.
Chakra Balance Massage is a gentle massage that combines the use of Aura-Soma Equilibrium Oils, colour, crystals, sound and breath-work to help restore balance to blocked and unbalanced chakras activating a new perspective of wholeness, consciousness and wellbeing.
There are seven main chakras, or energy centres, located from the base of your spine to the top of your head. A balanced chakra reflects health and wellbeing at all levels – physical, emotional, mental and spiritual.
If a chakra is blocked, unbalanced or inactive, other chakras may compensate by becoming over or under active. A blocked chakra may manifest as recurring aches, pains, fears and emotions.
Here is a brief description of the emotional and mental characteristics of each of the seven chakras when balanced and unbalanced.
Root or Base Chakra
Located at the base of your spine. When your root chakra is balanced, you feel supported, grounded and safely connected with the physical world. If blocked or unbalanced, you may feel tired, frustrated and lack of enthusiasm. You may also experience basic survival issues such as money, shelter and food, and struggle to provide the necessities of life.
Sacral Chakra
Located 5 cms below your navel. When your sacral chakra is balanced, you’re insightful, you experience postive, rewarding relationships, you’re gregarious and outgoing. If blocked or unbalanced, you may be afraid to commit to relationships, experience irrational fears, co-dependency issues or sexual problems.
Solar Plexus Chakra
Located 8 cms above your navel. When balanced, you feel in control, happy and confident. If your solar plexus chakra is blocked or unbalanced, you may lack confidence, feel confused, have low self-esteem, experience fear or self-doubt and be judgmental.
Heart Chakra
Located at the heart at the centre of the chest. When balanced, you feel a sense of harmony and gratitude, you live your truth and are able to love and offer compassion to yourself and others. If blocked or unbalanced, you may be unable to love, crave love or experience suffocating love. You may need space or want to be in someone else’s space, you may need harmony or balance in your life.
Throat Chakra
Located at the throat. When your throat chakra is balanced, you’re able to communicate freely, you’re a good listener, you’re peaceful and able to trust. If unbalanced or blocked, you may experience trust or authority issues, long for inner peace or experience communication problems, such as not being able to speak up for yourself.
Third Eye Chakra
Located at the centre of the forehead. When this chakra is balanced, you’re intuitive, purposeful and able to see the big picture. If blocked or unbalanced, you may day-dream a lot and experience isolation and loneliness.
Crown Chakra
Located at the top of your head. When active and balanced, spirituality, service, healing and transformation will play a significant role in your life. If unbalanced or blocked, you may experience rigidity with regards to religion or spirituality, addictions and “being in your head too much.”
What makes Chakra Balance Massage so special and so effective?
In addition to crystals, colour, sound and breath-work, seven different coloured Equilibrium Oils, comprising the Aura-Soma Chakra Set, are gently applied one-by-one to each of your seven chakras. This massage will help you feel as light and as balanced as you have ever been!
If you would like to experience a Chakra Balance Massage, then why not join us at an upcoming Embrace Life Festival.
Deborah will be offering this experience at the Central Sydney Festival on Sunday 6th September, more details.
Embrace Life is all about building an awareness of health and wellbeing, and the places you can connect within your local community.
Click on the image below to read more.
Have you ever wanted to know how you can tap into or reclaim your goddess energy, Catherine shares 10 ways you can bring into your daily lives, ways to honour the divine feminine.
1. Love yourself first
Goddess, the only way you can show up in the world as the most joyful, radiant and giving version of yourself is to fall truly, madly, deeply in love with YOU. Loving yourself allows love to flow into every single area of your life. It’s not selfish or pointless – it’s absolutely essential.
2. Cherish your body
Your body is a divine temple. Every heartbeat, every breath, every step, every smile, every curve, every scar, every freckle is totally, breathtakingly spectacular. Listen closely to what your body wants – rest, nourishment, movement, hugs – and give it wholeheartedly.
3. Honour your feelings
Your feelings contain powerful messages about who you are, what you want and what is happening in the world around you. Every single one of your feelings is valid, beautiful and enlightening – treat them as such. Feel your feelings fully. Ask them what they want you to know. Thank them.
4. Shine your light
Beautiful, you know what lights you up. You know what brings you joy. You know what makes you sparkle from the inside out. Make it a priority. Do it every day. Not just for you, but for everyone around you as well. Be the change you wish to see in the world.
5. Share your gifts
You have been given a sparkling array of experiences, lessons, talents and passions that is totally unique to you. It is your right and your responsibility to figure out how the world could most benefit from what you have to give, and give it.
6. Trust your intuition
She is always speaking to you, sometimes gently and sometimes at the top of her lungs. She knows so much more than your logical brain and she can lead you on the magical adventures your heart desires – all you have to do is listen and trust.
7. Speak your truth
Say what is deeply true for you in any given moment and watch your life open up like a flower in bloom. Speaking your truth can be terrifying because anything that is not meant for you will quickly fall away, but that is only to make space for the people and experiences that are truly aligned with who you are. You have a song to sing that is yours alone. So sing it with all your heart.
8. Embrace your wildness
There is an undeniable fierceness within you. Like a raging fire burning bright from the centre of your being. This part of you is powerful and wise – it burns for truth, justice and simplicity. To unleash this part of you simply reconnect with the ultimate wild woman: Mother Nature. Let your toes dig into the earth. Dance in the moonlight. Dive deep into the swelling waves of the ocean. Remember who you are.
9. Celebrate your blessings
No matter how dark things may seem, there is always something to be grateful for. What made you smile today? Who made your day a little brighter? Focus on the good that already exists in your life and it will inevitably expand.
10. Know your worth
You are worthy of love, happiness, fulfilment, connection, joy … and anything else your gorgeous heart desires. Surround yourself with people, situations and experiences that love, cherish, honour and celebrate you, just as you do for yourself.
Catherine M-Wright is a writer, dancer, teacher, sunshine-seeker and tree-hugger. She runs Goddess Gatherings in Sydney and Terrigal to create space for women to feel connected, inspired and empowered.
For more information join The Goddess Sisterhood on Facebook.
“Gratitude turns what we have into enough” – Unknown
This quote is powerful and sums up exactly why we need to practice gratitude everyday as business owners.
In my experience, owning a successful business spanning two decades, nothing comes close to the challenges I have experienced managing a social enterprise. If it weren’t for the cause, the way it has enriched my life on a soul level and the personal fulfillment of making a direct difference, I would have given up.
I have come to learn social enterprise is not an easy way to raise revenue. Most take years before they break even. Long term commitment and subsidising are essential. Social enterprise is not a quick fix. It operates like a business selling products or services to raise funds. But its main focus is generating funds to assist in the long term and sustainable solution of a chosen social cause .
Since starting my new social enterprise Moeloco, I have been confronted with many personal fears but it has also forced me to grow and become a better human being. I have gained more insight and understanding of the world around me including unimaginable horrors that most of us could not even comprehend – global issues I simply could not ignore and felt a strong desire to do something about.
The experience this journey has taken me on has definitely been emotional, causing me to be more aware of the power of gratitude which is something I personally practice everyday now. It helps me get through most days and create balance in all areas of my life.
So what is Gratitude? According to Yale Centre of emotional intelligence, Gratitude is a state of mind that arises when you affirm a good thing in your life that comes from outside yourself, or when you notice and relish little pleasures. More than any other personality trait, gratitude is strongly linked to mental health and life satisfaction. Grateful people experience more joy, love and enthusiasm, and they enjoy protection from destructive emotions like envy, greed, and bitterness.
So how can we incorporate gratitude into our every day?
The great thing about gratitude is that we can tune into this state like tuning into our favourite radio station whenever we want to. It doesn’t mean pretending life is perfect or ignoring other feelings, even bad experiences at least teach us something. Most of the time, we need to experience the lows of life to appreciate the simple things, whether it is the sight of a lovely face, going for a walk or catching up with a friend for coffee. Getting into this state of mind requires consistently training the mind like practicing meditation, a virtue we need to cultivate.
Not only does the practice of gratitude help us to become better business owners, it affects us in life and as individuals by improving our performance and generally making us happier, more generous people.
One of the ways I practice gratitude is acknowledging at least three things in my life that I am truly grateful for. This helps me get through the challenging days and reminds me to appreciate all that I have. And how lucky I am really. Another thing I do is sign off all my emails ‘With Gratitude’ to show the person I am communicating with that I am grateful to know them. Practicing these simple gestures really does make me a happy person in business and life.
What are you grateful for and how do you practice gratitude in your life and business?
Kathy Wong is the creator and chief energy officer of new social enterprise called Moeloco. For every Moeloco flip flop sold, a pair of much needed shoes are donated to children living in poverty, many of whom are orphans or street children with their charity partner, The Hope Foundation.
Moeloco, means Dream Crazy and that’s her dream ~ to eliminate poverty!
So over the past few months, I have been grappling with the concept of playfulness – something I clearly haven’t been very familiar with! What is it? Why is it important? How does it bring us closer to ourselves?
In answer, I feel that playfulness is the absence of fear, the ability to create without thoughts or judgment, to dance through life knowing that you are a child of the Universe and this world is simply your playground. Playfulness is light and bubbly. It is cheerful and joyous. It emanates respectful carelessness and, rather than being inappropriate or immature, playfulness is wise in its freedom, knowing that all is well.
Have you ever stopped to wonder what your senses are for? I mean we all have them, use them every minute of every day and rely on them for our interaction with the outside world. Our senses are the interface between us and everything we classify as external to ourselves. I believe that our senses are here to heal us, to help us harmonise our physical body and to allow us to experience who we really are through the different aspects of ourselves.
Small babies and toddlers are geniuses when it comes to this. Through play, they explore every aspect of their environment in great detail, popping stones and sand into their mouths and squishing their fingers through play dough. They wear colours together that we may say don’t match, put as many clips in their hair as they can fit and they play with their food!
Light and playful, most tiny tots are not fazed by the opinions of their onlookers, not influenced or dissuaded by any questioning looks and certainly not afraid to break the rules! With hats on backwards, shoes five sizes too big on their feet, feather boas flying and don’t forget the oversized sunglasses falling off their face, they manage to forget all inhibitions and be playfully in the moment. With exercise a part of their normal bodily movement, they spin around and do cart wheels, balancing their chakras without even knowing it!
Most children are not afraid to make a noise, expressing themselves in ways we deem ‘inappropriate’ and they are familiar with the healing properties of touch, cuddling a teddy bear or snuggling up for a hug or a tickle. I feel that children, unaccustomed to our adult way of living in the world, provide many lessons and much food for thought about how we can use our senses to play, not only with beauty, but with everything in our environment. Is it any wonder that children appear so naturally beautiful? As we live more in our minds as adults, is it surprising that our bodies seem to reflect this shift and lack of consciousness in our physical being?
(Excerpt From The Beauty Evolution page 69-70)
If you felt completely free, fearless and uninhibited, how would you move? How would your body dance? What would it feel like and how would others react? Play with this over the next few weeks and see what happens!!
Jeannine is an energetic healer, holistic counsellor and author who practices on the Central Coast.
For questions, appointments or further information about The Beauty Evolution book, please feel free to browse her website directly on http://essencepower.com.au/ or email essencepower@live.com.au
Committed relationships are a playground to explore the depths of intimacy, love and passion. Each challenge, argument and difference gives you an opportunity to open yourself to a new and deeper level.
This is certainly a challenge yes, a defeat, certainly not.
It is easy to blame our partners when the going gets tough, yet can you challenge yourself to accept the imperfections in your partner? If you find yourself starting to judge and criticize, be mindful that this is the quickest way for your partner to shut down and withdraw. What usually happens to you in that moment? Do you then feel abandoned or self-righteous, possibly shutting down yourself?
We then have a standoff and a power struggle that emerges. Take a risk and look inside yourself for at least 50% of the responsibility for the problems in your relationship. Look for the ways that you blame, judge or project your own dissatisfaction onto your partner and want them to fix it for you. Remember only you can change your own reality. Knowing and practicing this, will take you out of victimhood and into a state of greater empowerment.
Dare yourself to face your pain and to share this with your partner, taking responsibility for your feelings and not blaming. If you need to, seek help from a therapist/counsellor to work through your blocks. We all have blind spots that we can’t or won’t see.
Remember to nurture yourself on all levels – body, heart, mind and soul. Take time to create rituals, exercise, meditate, relax, have fun and mix with positive people. This helps to create a good platform from which to dive into and enjoy a passionate, fulfilling and flowing life. This is a prerequisite for being able to love yourself and from this ‘whole place’ – you can then more freely and honestly love another (rather than demanding their love for you, when you don’t even love yourself).
You will always be two very unique people coming together from different families and beliefs. From this place, you are both a mystery and you need to come together honouring and respecting each other’s individuality. Do not underestimate the potential within each other, as we are like a good wine, maturing and evolving all the way through life. Provide the space and positive intention needed for each of you to evolve into all that you can be.
Stay true to your feelings, be comfortable with vulnerability and be prepared at all times to look for any hidden negativity – this is the greatest disease in any relationship.
As you take these steps and face your truth the flame between you will have the space to ignite. It may not be like the early honeymoon phase that has seemingly endless passion and agreement about everything, but in truth this next step is more real and gives you a deeper connection to your core – this is where the true magic can happen.
Leslee Hughes is one of the most senior members of Core Energetics in Australia. She is an experienced Body Mind Psychotherapist (Somatic Psychotherapist) who works in Sydney & the Central Coast of New South Wales NSW. Leslee is a Member of the Psychotherapy & Counselling Federation of Australia and a Clinical member of the Counsellor’s and Psychotherapists Association.
Leslee works one on one with individuals, couples, families and is able to do phone or Skype sessions.You can ring Leslee on 0407934499 or email mail@lesleehughes.com.au
Check out Leslee’s website for more details: www.lesleehughes.com.au
Touching your toes is only a by product of practicing yoga.
When trying to explain why you should do yoga, often as a yoga teacher I get to hear, “I can’t even touch my toes”.
Before I started practicing yoga 10 years ago, I couldn’t touch my toes either and even now, when my body isn’t warm or I’ve just gotten out of bed, it’s still an effort. Actually it’s an effort to practice yoga but I practice anyway because I know it sets me up for the day, not just physically, but more importantly emotionally and mentally.
Let’s start by defining the word yoga. Yoga is from the root word yug, to yoke, to bring together.
So what are we bringing together? Well, its the bringing together of our mind, physical body and spirit.
To be yoga or to yoke is to be completely one with the whole 3 segments of our bodies. In Sanskrit (the ancient language of Yoga) there are no words to describe the separation of mind, physical body, and spirit, it is referred to as one – just the body.
So why do we separate the mind, the physical body and the mental state of our being? We cannot function properly or be at our optimum level if any of the 3 segments in our ‘body’ is unwell.
Let’s think about it for a moment, when you have the flu, you’re bed ridden, physically tired, you’re not able to focus, to think clearly and emotionally, all you really want is your Mum or loved one to feed you soup, to make you feel nourished and cared for, right?
It is a time to be with yourself, rest, feel nurtured and allow for your needs to be met, a time often that things slow down to the bare basics and we are able to give back to self, for the body to realign and heal.
So, this brings us back to why practice yoga and how is it good for you?
You practice to yoke, to bring together and into harmony the separateness of the mind, the physical body and your mental states, into one body, one whole being.
When you are complete and you don’t need or want for anything, and isn’t that good for you? The best part is it hasn’t got anything to do with touching your toes, that’s just a by product of being Yoga.
Join Carmen for a fun, playful, energetic yoga class, (flexibility not required!) and experience how Yoga is good for you at the upcoming Penrith Valley Festival on Sunday 9 August 2015. More details on workshops. This workshop will be suitable for all levels from beginners to long time yoga lovers.