Blissful in Bali

I have just returned from a 5 day mini sabbatical to Bali.

Taking time out of your normal routine while a luxury I believe is also a necessity. Seeing a world outside of your own can only help to change the way you see your own world.

Not only is this energising it helps to change your perspective or confirm for you what you already knew.

If we keep doing what we have always done we will obviously keep getting the same results. If you want to break a habit you need to change.

Bali was blissful, not just for the idyllic scenery, the relaxing massages, but having the time to slow down, the chance to be still and spend some time alone with my thoughts allowed me to contemplate what is working well in my life, and what can be improved.

While taking a 5 day mini overseas trip is not the most achievable way to change this perspective, taking a drive to a different location, or sitting outside in a different room is.

Try new things, give yourself permission to relax, find your own blissful moments within your everyday life.

Isn’t that what life should be about?

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Let’s twist again

Twisting poses not only help you to develop flexibility in the spine, they can increase circulation to your body and help to cleanse the internal organs.

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In order to get more out of your twist, it is all about the breath!

Next time you are in a yoga twist, try taking a deep breath in, as you do this lengthen your spine as though you are lifting up through the crown of the head as though someone has a rope attached to it and is gently pulling you up.

As you exhale slowly start to twist, feel that opening through your chest.

Find your limit – how far you think you can twist, then gently try again, breathing in and as you breathe out start to twist a little bit further.

Twists are not meant to be forced, however you will surprise yourself at just how much further you can twist when you really connect with your breath.

Step outside your comfort zone

Sometimes to get the most out of your exercise routine, diet or just life in general you need to step out of your comfort zone. Try a new form of exercise, a new way of eating, a new hobby.

Quite often even though the choices we have made are working for us, if we don’t try new things we can become complacent and bored. When we become complacent we are not performing at optimum level.

To get the most out of your exercise routine try mixing it up every now and then, I trust you will notice the difference.

Try varying your diet to keep your taste buds alive and stop the bad cravings.

As for life well stepping outside your comfort zone can only ever be a good thing; if you try and fail you can take pride in the lessons learnt from the experience, the satisfaction of being brave and the huge rewards you can feel for achieving and conquering a new goal.

A dessert that’s sweet & healthy – what a delightful treat!

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Today I made the most delicious treat to take to a dinner with friends tonight.

A treat that not only is sweet and delicious it is actually good for you.

If this sounds too good to be true, then check out the recipe below.

Mango Honey Mouse

Ingredients

Serves: 6

2 mangoes, peeled, stone removed and cubed
1 banana
2/3 cup (160ml) low fat natural yoghurt
2 teaspoons honey
6 cubes ice
1 teaspoon vanilla essence
Directions

Preparation:5min › Extra time:3hours chilling › Ready in:3hours5min

Combine all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth. Refrigerate for 3 hours. Pour into individual dishes and serve.

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Wallah – another quick and easy recipe.

Enjoy!

Balance and harmony

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Finding the perfect balance in life isn’t always easy.

Balancing work, kids, exercise, hobbies, it seems as though time is often against us.

When we have balance we find harmony, when our lives are in harmony we find fulfillment and isn’t that what we are all striving for?

Something I have found helpful lately is compiling a list of how I spend my time.

While I feel a little silly doing it and admitting this publicly, it has been such a useful exercise to find more balance and harmony in my life.

If you are being totally honest with yourself (as I was) you will be shocked just how much time you spend on Facebook and other social media platforms.

If this brings you great joy then I say continue, if you however are not enjoying this, or feeling time poor, then I say it may be time to re-evaluate as I did.

Spend the time doing what makes you feel good any chance you get.

Spend less time (outside of work/family commitments) doing things that make you feel bad.

It seems so obvious when I say it, but often so hard to actually do.

Find balance and create harmony.

The key to success starts with what is happening in your head

It doesn’t matter what your diet plan is, which fitness or life goal you have set, if you are not in the right head space mentally your chances of success are low.

If you are not 100% committed to achieve, or are already telling yourself you are going to fail then perhaps you are not ready to start.

While this all may sound very negative, it doesn’t need to.

The key to all of this is YOU and what is currently happening in your head.

It isn’t easy to change patterns of thought and behaviors that you may have held on to for years.

It isn’t easy but it is possible and achievable.

If someone tells me I am going to fail, I have two choices; I believe them and fail or I prove them wrong and succeed.

I know which person I would rather be.

Which person do you want to be?

The key to your success starts with what is happening inside your head.

Get out there and be fabulous!

Live don’t just exist

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Short and sweet today.

Live your lives with passion, with love with hope, with energy and enthusiasm.

Live don’t just exist!

Enjoy your weekends of living wildly, cherishing each moment.

Living rather than existing!

Imagine if ….

Imagine if you could re live every ordinary day as though it were extraordinary?

Imagine if you loved every part of your body and didn’t want to change a thing?

Imagine if you were the smartest, richest, funniest, most talented person in the world?

Imagine if each time you posted on Facebook you instantly got a million likes?

Imagine if you never had to work at anything and you were automatically thin, successful, fit?

Imagine if…..

Imagine if:

You actually lived out every ordinary day having extraordinary thoughts, seeing the world through extraordinary eyes, imagine how amazing and fulfilling each day could be….

You loved your body flaws and all, you realized that everyone has their own in securities and while each body is different none are perfect.

Imagine how happy you could be if you were comfortable in your own skin and you focused on all the things you love, rather than the things you hate…..

You didn’t strive to be richer, smarter, more talented but you learnt to appreciate and feel gratitude for all the amazing things you already have in your life…..

You stopped posting on Facebook and instantly checked for likes, you didn’t feel sad when you only got two likes rather than twenty.

You realized that the amount of Facebook likes does not equate to your successful status as a human being…..

You stopped wishing for more, you appreciated working hard to get results, so you could feel a deep sense of achievement and pride……

Imagine if you spent less time thinking, worrying and more time being present in the moment, more time feeling genuine gratitude and happiness.

Imagine if you spent less time worrying about people’s opinion of you and more time focussing on how YOU feel about you.

Imagine a world where you can start to create and control your own happiness……

Imagine……
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Kale – super food

It’s the start of a new year, and I like millions of others around the world are busy making plans to “eat better and get fitter”.

Well as a fitness instructor, I have the fitness bit all sorted, and while my husband and I eat very healthily already, there are always things that can be improved.

Don’t get me wrong, I am not (and never will) one of those girls who drinks water only when out and has nibbles on a few lettuce leaves and thinks that’s enough…..

Sure if that lettuce was a comfortable bed for a range of other veggies and meats then count me in.

I love a good steak, and recently I read that kale is the “new beef”. I knew it was a superfood but it has cow like properties – amazing 🙂

So off I went to buy my bunches of kale amongst other things as I figure putting that into a blender rather than a chunk of porterhouse steak makes way more sense.

I made (thanks to a recipe from a friend) a healthy, and surprisingly refreshingly delicious drink of kale, green apple and coconut water.

Kale is not only super it is versatile, throw it in your omelette, put it in your stir-fry, make some brown rice with kale, avocado and mango.

These are just some of the super things I have been doing recently with my super food.

Here is an interesting article I read recently on the top ten health benefits of Kale.

A time to reflect, to plan, to celebrate

After a few soul searching days by myself at the beach, I have come to the conclusion that:
A – you are never too old to change your life.
B – happiness is a choice, a way of life, something we all have the power to experience.
C – you can achieve anything with determination and by setting little realistic goals.

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I have been walking on the beach, exercising, relaxing and after setting myself some fitness goals for the new year have been already challenging myself to learn some new yoga poses.

Like anything worth achieving, we must first be dedicated, motivated and patient.

Enjoying the journey along the way ….

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Whatever your plans are for the new year, I thank you for your support, for your dedication in striving to be fit, healthy and happy.

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Happy New Years

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