Self love versus Selfies

Today I had a thought (it is important to mention that this thought after spending way longer than I should have trying to get the “perfect” selfie for an Instagram story that only stays active 24 hours)….
I wondered what sort of world we might live in if we gave as much thought and spent as much time meditating, setting positive intentions, having loving kind thoughts as we did trying to take the perfect selfie??????
Seriously I feel the world has gone out of control with selfies and looking into the camera at themselves, rather than looking within themselves for answers.
I am aware of the irony and hypocrisy of this post – but I should also mention that after 3 failed attempts I just posted it anyway and went to meditate.
I just feel the world may be a little happier, calmer and more positive if we could all find and set aside a little bit of time to reflect, to breathe to switch off.
These are my thoughts for today!
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Winter brrrrs

While many may argue that Queensland doesn’t really get a winter – most of us here in Queensland would strongly disagree!

True, it may not (and does not) get nearly as cold as many other places in the world,but for us recently shit got real.

You know it’s cold outside when you go outside and it’s cold – haha – I saw this the other day and it just cracked me up.

With the coldness comes the lack of motivation and I get it, I really do!  Leaving a warm environment to go out and exercise can be less that ideal.

I sulked around yesterday – wondering if I could send everyone motivational quotes and just let them exercise themselves so I didn’t need to leave the house – I was only joking – sort of 🙂

However, think about this.  You exercise, you move, you warm up – madness I know….stay with me

Think about it from a mental point of view – how satisfying is it when against all odds, you don’t listen to that voice telling you to stay in bed/on the couch you – fight that voice and you win – you get out and you move that body.

Now you feel physically and mentally better, you are winning and you are getting fitter doing it.

You aren’t drinking enough water, because it’s winter and you just don’t think about it – you exercise, you drink more water.

Our bodies become stiffer in winter, we tense up and we do less exercise and we just feel worse for it – just a few stretches a day and a little bit of cardio or other exercise will make you feel amazing and help to get you out of the winter funk.

Still unconvinced – put on your big girl pants and my Nike yoga pants say – JUST DO IT!

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Capture the daylight – find the magic

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The last few months I have been juggling a communications job, while still teaching yoga, pilates and body balance.  It has been hectic and I have felt tired and stressed.

Finding the time to write with a clear mind has been challenging to say the least.

My communications job and teaching job could not be two worlds further apart.

Instead of writing (even though it pains me to have put it on hold) I have been focussing on finding beautiful moments in the edges of my days.

Capturing moments of fresh air and daylight.

 

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I have discovered that when I can live outside these two worlds, when I can sit and enjoy the edges of the day, that is when the magic really happens.

Where possible I will get ready for work even three minutes earlier and using those three minutes to sit outside and just breathe.

What has been getting me through is taking a ten minute walk at lunch time, or leaving the office in time to see the last fifteen minutes of a sunset.

In the edges of the day, surrounded by nature, my brain is momentarily clear and focussed.

I can write my class plans, I can reflect and I can re-energise.

In the edges of the day that is where all the magic happens.

To those of you who have been reading my blog when I have not been updating nearly as frequently as I should, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

x

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The storm before the calm

~ excerpt from a journal written last month on a 4 day yoga retreat~

I am currently into day 4 of a 4 day yoga retreat. I am currently into 2 or so hours of a 4 hour requested silence.

It is morning, it is cold in the shade, so I sit in silence with the sun warming my skin.

All around me are tired little yogi’s reflecting, struggling to be quiet, loving the silence; I don’t know.

All I know is how I feel, and how I feel is emotional.

What I can’t figure out is why.

Being alone is nothing new, being silent and alone with my thoughts is a frequent and welcomed practice for me.

Yet being amongst 50 other people moving about not saying a word is definitely something new for me.

These past 4 days have pushed me mentally, physically and emotionally – I can’t even say why, but I can say that I feel we all need to step outside of our comfort zones several times in life, in order to feel more, be more and achieve more.

We NEED to experience some storms before the calm, the storms help us to appreciate the calm times in life.

We need to push the outer limits of our learnt and habitual behaviors.

As one of my teachers said (and is a favorite quote of mine) ‘if we keep doing what we have always done, we will keep getting what we have always got’.

I believe that nothing great was ever achieved by sitting comfortably, and not stepping outside your comfort zone.

After every storm the dust settles, the rain clears and new life is felt. You can literally feel it in the air, that change,that freshness, that vitality.

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Could we perhaps not say the same of ourselves; we go through hardships, the dust clears, the metaphorical storm clouds disappear and we survive and feel re-born, re-awakened.

We emerge stronger, more resilient.

If we are constantly surrounded by chatter, can we ever find our own words?

If we are constantly filling the silences with noise, will the noise in our heads continue to grow?

If we don’t embrace the storms, will we ever be able to appreciate the calm?

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As I said, this was written in my journal over a month ago now, and without really knowing why, I opened my retreat journal this afternoon, and as I read over my words I am amazing at the timing.

Last week was a bit intense and emotional for me, and it would appear I was not alone.

Sometimes we really do receive and read things at the exact time we are meant to, and even though these words came from me, they have helped me by re-reading them today, and my heartfelt wish for anyone reading this who is also in the midst of a storm is to trust that this will pass, the calmness will re-appear and know that you will emerge stronger than ever before.

Xxx


Green for goodness

This week I went and got myself a cold; so I have spent my energy (when not resting) in between trying to stop my nose running in down dog and making healthy green concoctions.

I often get asked for recipes so here are a few jam packed with goodness from the last few days.

My get over a cold throw it all in a blender juice:

*orange juice
* handful of spinach
* little bit of ginger
* handful of berries

Delicious and filled with anti-oxidants and vitamin c.

Has to be good for you coz its green – green soup.

This I took from a recipe and as always I started with the recipe then ditched it and made it my own (no offense to all the fabulous people who contribute to recipe books)

This soup consisted of:

* 1 leek
* 2 cloves garlic
* 2 tablespoons olive oil

Heat all this up in a large pot until soft

Then add (I am being non descriptive with the quantities I say use what you have or as much as you like)

* broccoli
*kale
*spinach
*silver beet
* ginger
* 2 ltr vegetable stock

Bring all of this to the boil

Add in
*salt and pepper
* 2 teaspoons lemon rind (I added more and added some lemon juice as well

Cool this all down

The put into blender and add 300g silken tofu

I also added some lime juice and while it strongly resembles baby food in looks, the taste is quite delicious!

Please message me if you would like actual quantities as per the initial recipe:)

Another thing I have been eating lately is avocados on toasted sourdough with lemon, cracked pepper and snow pea sprouts.

All of these things are healthy and quick and easy to make.

Enjoy and please share any of your healthy favorite green tasty delights.