May the next few months be a period of beautiful transformation.
Those are the words I see, written in large letters, on the 1st of October, in my journal.
It’s as if those words called in exactly that. Or maybe it was a premonition. On second thought, I think I already knew that this was happening, because it had already begun.
I haven’t done one of these big, epic personal shares for a while. and now it seems, is the perfect time.
Those of you who have been journeying alongside me for a while, are familiar with my freedom-based lifestyle and Gypset ways.
In 2015 alone I’ve lived in 2 different cities in Australia, spent 2 months in Bali, travelled up and down the East Coast of Australia 4 times, and have recently moved to New Zealand for up to the next 6 months.
Every day I wake up grateful and delighted to have this kind of freedom to choose and live the way that I want to. Until I don’t.
Until I feel this.
The conflicting paradox of life on the road.
I mentioned it previously at the end of my time in Bali. That I was really craving having a home base. Nesting. Hunkering down in a fort, that I call my own, and decorating it with all the woven weaves and shiny trinkets that I’ve collected on my adventures.
But, because of plans and practical issues and commitments, it just couldn’t happen. Herein lies the conflicting paradox of life on the road. Wanting both the freedom to up and go and leave whenever I want, and yet simultaneously have a safe haven in which to restore my energy and create from.
So instead, I spent a month with my love, traveling down the East Coast of Australia; then another month traveling through the North Island of New Zealand, until two weeks ago, when we finally stopped in a stunning coastal town on the South Island: Nelson.
I had a tremendous amount of resistance during those months, to what was happening, which created so much unhappiness.
I know this stuff. I practice and preach acceptance, and letting go of mental conditions and expectations of how life should unfold as a precedent to inner peace and happiness.
And yet, I still met challenges.
I had to face myself.
What that means is the past 3 months have been a period of intense growth for me.
I was struggling with my sense of value and purpose, in the world. Knowing what I can do, and receiving external feedback from the world, wasn’t enough. I needed to feel like my life, work, my efforts, and my aspirations meant something.
The worst part was, I felt like I was letting people down.
September, October and November 2015 were 3 tough months for me. Full of ups and down and insides outs, curve balls and challenges.
Sounds like normal life, right?
It is. But they really pushed me to my edge. They were months that make you want to throw your hand up in the air, and scream “I give up!” and then become a nun in the Italian alps. Or vanish to some forgotten place in Central America, with a new identity. I’d change my name to Sophia, and speak in a broad accent, accentuating all my vowels.
While the fantasy of running away is fun, instead I choose to practice using these experiences to see where I am out of alignment in my life and what I need to do to get myself into a place where I can at least feel better about where I am at. Back in the flow, back to feeling good, back to alignment with my truth, my love and my soul.
I recognised that my problem was that I wasn’t voicing my needs. And that I had allowed my boundaries to be pushed and extended so far, that I was at breaking point.
It’s a common mistake that, when we are very close with someone, and you agree on almost everything, you think that they magically just know what you need. That’s the mistake I made.
I kept compromising myself, with the subconscious belief that I wasn’t important enough to ensure that my needs were being met. I kept accepting a standard of living that was less than desirable, in order to keep peace in my current situation and relationship.
When I travel, I travel slowly, and in comfort. I choose a place to stay at least a week or two, I find a beautiful environment to work and live in, and explore from there. That means that I feel grounded and supported in my travels, I have the time and space to take care of myself, and my business, while also having adventures.
In these circumstances however, traveling with a partner, we were moving every couple of days, often not knowing where we would stay, if we could have showers or whether there was a space with internet to connect and work. It was exhausting. And not how I want to live.
I live my life on a very simple premise:
Whatever I am experiencing in my life, I can either accept it, or change it.
While I am really good at practicing acceptance, sometimes acceptance doesn’t cut it. And we have to change it.
When I finally voiced my concerns and needs, everything changed. We found a beautiful home to call our own for 3 weeks, while we find something more permanent. All of my requests, and intentions that I had set in my manifesting journal transpired and were fulfilled.
I also upgraded the way I was supporting myself physically and creatively: I increased my greens, started taking Echinacea and Vitamin C, plus astring Magnesium which totally changed my level of positivity around.
The lesson that I was being taught over these 3 months was around: asking, listening and receiving. Over and over again, This was the message I was receiving, and while I understood it, it took me those 3 months, to apply it and start experiencing what it truly meant.
So often the answer is that what we need to do is stop trying, and simply learn to allow.
Allow the goodness. Allow the ease. Allow the abundance. Allow the peace. Allow the time and space, allow the means, the clarity and the path to all that brings us joy.
Gratefully, I had 5 books, by my side throughout that time, supporting me and keeping me sane, as I struggled with my resistance and the lessons I was being taught.
CHOOSE YOURSELF
“Ultimately, a happy you will be the greatest contribution you can make toward a happy society.” If those words don’t pique your interest, then this book is probably not for you. Very pragmatic, easy to read and well written, author James Altucher reminds us how important it is to choose yourself, because if you don’t, your life experience will match that. He applies this concept to money, business, relationships and so on, and I was grateful to have the reminder, when I was not in alignment with my needs, that I am empowered, and could do something about it.
UNTAME YOURSELF
In the first few pages of this book, I became really, really excited. I thought “Finally! Someone is going to give me all the answers to being a fully fledged, empowered woman, who embodies every aspect of her self-expression and femininity!”
Ha! I laugh at myself now.
By the end of the book, there was not a single new idea or nuance, shared, that I am not already fully familiar with, and practicing, in the most part. But what it reminded me was that we all already have the answers to our own questions, and all we need to do is revisit our own inner wisdom, and act from the art, with love and trust. I needed to read those words when I did.
KEYS TO THE KINGDOM
I really enjoyed reading every word of this one. While it’s a book about men and women, and how we relate to one another, and more importantly: how to create an amazing relationship, the lesson that I was hearing over and over was that the key is to be still, listen and receive. When we become really good at listening and receiving, life gives us so much more. I noticed areas in my life wherever I was feeling lack, that were actually very abundant, when I listened and received more. This book brought about a beautiful transformation in me; one that has been wanting to be integrated by my soul for a while now.
LIGHT IS THE NEW BLACK
In a moment of complete narcissism, I bought this book (all Kindle editions of course, since I travel too much to carry a library around with me) because one of my dear friends noticed that my name was mentioned in the final pages. I needed to know why!
Light Is The New Black is all about giving ourselves permission to stand out in our uniqueness and fullness, and shine our light into the world, through being present in every moment and doing all things with love. Gorgeously and simply written, it’s like a memory to all girls, to allow ourselves to be girly and sweet, and to recognise what we truly are: light.
THE POWER OF RECEIVING
Have you ever read a book that, while you love it, you struggle to get through it, because some of your beliefs are being stretched or confronted, and so you have resistance to the content, or the exercises? That’s how I’ve been with this book. Asking and receiving, alongside listening, which essentially is another form of receiving, have been a deepening practice for me, over the past few months. One that this book really challenges me on, and I love it. Maybe you feel that same way, in which case, get this book and read it!
These past 3 months have been a time of unprecedented growth, big breakthroughs and deep love and connection. My meditation practice depend, my self-love muscle grew stronger, I had new learnings around consciousness and business and wealth. I deepened my self-knowledge and had a string of realisations that have brought me to where I am now.
And where I am now, feels amazing.
The rest of this year is devoted to creating a new foundation of commitments, values and boundaries for myself, in all areas of my life. Followed by making new plans and devising strategies that allow me to uphold this new level of living and being.
Essentially, what these past months have been about, is a vibrational life upgrade, that requires my commitment to be reflected in my choices, actions, and experiences.
It’s a new beginning, just in time for the New Year.
What an exciting time.
Author: vienda
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The conflicting paradox of life on the road + 5 books that helped keep me sane.
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How to make a ‘no-drama’ policy in your life.
Some time ago, I shared on Instagram, that a few years ago, I had made a ‘no-drama’ policy in my life. And you asked me to write about it. How to make a ‘no-drama’ policy in your life.
dramaˈdrɑːmə/noun-
A way of relating to the world in which a person consistently overreacts to or greatly exaggerates the importance of benign events.
The truth is, I wasn’t always that wise. There was a time in my life, when I used to thrive off drama.
I’d exaggerate stories, entertaining people with flair and finesse, as I took them through an emotional rollercoaster-ride of flamboyance, on subjects that neither mattered nor made a difference in anyone’s life. I’d create friction in relationships, others’ or my own. I’d find ways to make simple, every-day-things to become grand stories of dramatic irrelevance. It made life feel so exciting, and interesting and meaningful.
I know I’m not the only who has felt that way. Turn on the TV and all you will see is people indulging in their dramas.
I believe, the only reason why any of us have ever imbibed in drama, is because we didn’t feel that, by being our peaceful, contented, authentic selves, we are enough. Again, and again this context rises its ugly head, in so many forms. The fear of not being enough.
According to psychologists, the need to create drama in our lives is simply a form of attention seeking.
According to one study “Excessive attention seeking is not a character flaw. It is a brain wiring response to early developmental trauma caused by neglect.”
Having said that, this neglect doesn’t mean that you didn’t receive enough love as a baby. It means that your parents weren’t able to be present with you, because they didn’t feel that they were enough. It is right here, that these patterns begin.
When we learn, at an early age that, when we are not receiving attention, we are unworthy or unimportant, we seek out situations that increase or sense of value and self-worth. We create drama.
The obvious answer is drama gets attention. However, it is more than that. Drama causes the pituitary gland and hypothalamus to secrete endorphins, which actually mimics the pleasure centres activated by drugs like heroin. We get a rush that feels good, when we create drama.
There is also another factor. Because using drama as a drug feels good, it is rewarding. Reward uses dopamine, the brain’s happy dance drug. You feel happy for a moment, rewarded for the drama, and therefore learn to do it again and again, whenever you don’t feel so happy.
Add all those elements together: not feeling worthy / important / enough + seeking attention + drama + feel-good chemical reactions = your classic attention seeking drama king or queen.
But is drama healthy, happy and fulfilling? I think we would all agree that, nay, at some point it becomes tedious, time-consuming and generally just exhausting.
So, how do we stop? We put a ‘no-drama’ policy in place.
1. Start with you.
The first place to put a ‘no-drama’ policy in place, is with ourselves. You can stop, right now, just like that. By deciding “Nope. Nope. I’ve had enough. No more drama. It’s enough now.” That’s the very first step.
Deciding to stop with the drama is also an act of self-love. Instead of drama, you have more time and energy to cultivate an appreciation for yourself, just the way you are, and get to know who your authentic self is, and what she wants. This is a beautiful thing. And far more fulfilling than any extravagantly exaggerated attention-seeking stunt.
Recognise when you are creating drama, and stop. Aim to find an alternative solutions. If you are craving attention, is it because you wish to be seen, or because you want to be validated? How can you give yourself that? If you’re bored, how can you create more excitement and adventure in your life?
2. Avoid other’s dramas.
Most people who continuously invite drama into their lives are addicted to the chemical reactions that it creates in our brains. They often present themselves as victims of life, instead of recognising their fully-fledged role in their experiences.
Choose to spend time with people who have made the same commitment to themselves, as you have: “No more drama.”
Create a reputation for not participating in drama. When people know that you won’t buy into it, they won’t involve you in it anymore. Simply don’t engage in their stories or react to their dramas. Also, don’t listen to their stories or give them support when you know that they’re drama addicts. You are just feeding the addiction.
One of the best ways to do this, is to simply be present, hold space for that person, and not react in any way, either negative or positive. You calming presence will give them space to recognise their habits, and just maybe, stop, for a moment.
Common warning signs/ risk factors of drama or a dramatic person are:- Having one supposedly serious problem after another.
- Constantly telling other people about one’s problems.
- Extreme emotionality or frequently shifting, intense emotions.
- Claiming to have experienced negative events that are highly implausible.
- A boring job or mundane life.
- Making claims without sufficient evidence or a lack of detail about supposedly serious events.
- A pattern of irrational behavior and reactions to everyday problems.
3. Be mindful.
Practicing mindfulness of how you speak with yourself or others brings an entire new world into your spectrum. When you no longer seek attention through drama, you have more space to be who you want to be.
You will be more creative and productive. You will start adding value to the world and have a positive impact on others around you. And this give you the sense that you are more than enough, and give you the confidence and recognition that you are worthwhile, without seeking attention and validation for others.
That, right there, is happiness.
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Wondering what those elusive ‘signs’ look like? Here are 5 examples.
“Scientists are slowly waking up to an inconvenient truth – the universe looks suspiciously like a fix. The issue concerns the very laws of nature themselves. For 40 years, physicists and cosmologists have been quietly collecting examples of all too convenient “coincidences” and special features in the underlying laws of the universe that seem to be necessary in order for life, and hence conscious beings, to exist. Change any one of them and the consequences would be lethal. Fred Hoyle, the distinguished cosmologist, once said it was as if “a super-intellect has monkeyed with physics”.
To see the problem, imagine playing God with the cosmos. Before you is a designer machine that lets you tinker with the basics of physics. Twiddle this knob and you make all electrons a bit lighter, twiddle that one and you make gravity a bit stronger, and so on. It happens that you need to set thirtysomething knobs to fully describe the world about us. The crucial point is that some of those metaphorical knobs must be tuned very precisely, or the universe would be sterile.
Example: neutrons are just a tad heavier than protons. If it were the other way around, atoms couldn’t exist, because all the protons in the universe would have decayed into neutrons shortly after the big bang. No protons, then no atomic nucleuses and no atoms. No atoms, no chemistry, no life. Like Baby Bear’s porridge in the story of Goldilocks, the universe seems to be just right for life.” ― Paul Charles William Davies
Yesterday, I wrote about how seeing ‘signs’ means something is manifesting. Wondering what those elusive ‘signs’ look like? Here are 5 examples.
Repetition
Whenever something shows up in my world, at least 3 times, I sit up and start to pay attention. It might not even be something that I’ve been consciously asking for or wanting to manifest. Simply the fact the same thing repetitively is being brought to my awareness means something.
Maybe it’s a message I’m meant to hear. Maybe it’s an answer to a question. And maybe it’s a ‘sign’ that the thing I’ve been wanting to manifest, is near.
Repetition most often comes in the form of various, most-often completely unrelated situations and people, mentioning the same thing to me. It. Also comes as reading or hearing the same theme or message in different places: maybe on signs, in newspapers on the radio or even overhead in public places.
For example, when I was looking for an Osteopath that I really wanted to work with, suddenly, what seemed like out of nowhere, 3 of my friends to definitively don’t know each other, told me about one specific Osteopath that I should go see. And there was no doubt in my mind then, that she was exactly whom I was meant to work with. And as it turns out, she is pure magic.
Opportunities
This is my favourite ‘sign’! Whenever I ask for what I want, (co-create / manifest) as soon as I have stated my desire, I let it go, knowing that the universe is conspiring to make it happen. When opportunities that support my desires start appearing, I know that what I want is manifesting, right now!
Opportunities are anything that makes what you want, easy to reach. For example, let’s say you want to move to Paris. Then, one day a few weeks or months later, serendipitously someone offers you to house sit their Parisian home, or offers you an opportunity to work in Paris. Those opportunities are signs that your desire to live in Paris are manifesting. And, most importantly, that it’s time to go for it. Even if it doesn’t look exactly the way you thought it would. Because they might lead on to even better opportunities. Saying a big, fat, heartfelt yes to opportunities, is like saying yes to your manifest ion, and trusting that the adventure it’s taking you on, is going to be perfect, and marvellous.
Solutions
We often think that, by spending time mulling a problem over in our heads, we will find the solution somehow. But, in fact, by thinking about the problem, we simply make the problem seem bigger, and bigger, the more that we think about it.
As with much of manifesting, what we really need to do is recognise that there is a problem, and then let it go, so the solution can come find us. It takes away the pain and pressure, and leaves many, many more possibilities open to us.
One of the signs that something we want is manifesting, is when an incredible solution, shows up for us, when we weren’t even looking. Because we have let go, trusting that the right solution will come at the right tim, the sign here is that now is the time for the thing you want to manifest, to become a tangible experience.
Coincidences
Some people say that there’s no such thing as coincidences. That everything happens exactly as it should. I, myself, have often said “everything happens for a reason, if we don’t know what that reason is”. Which can be a mighty unsatisfying response, especially when the things that are happening, f&*#ing suck.
This is where having trust plays such a wonderful role. We can relax, breathe a sigh of relief and allow the world to have its ways, while doing our best to focus on the best, most beautiful outcomes, and trusting that the universe is always conspiring for your highest good.
Coincidences are signs that say “You’re on the right path. Keep going.”
Feelings
We all seem to notice our feelings more, in retrospect. But when you have honed your intuition and learned how to trust it, those feeling can guide us, towards manifesting our desires at a much faster pace. Because when we do, we will have an unusual urge, a ‘feeling’ to go do something that doesn’t make any logical sense, and when we go do that thing, as crazy as it might seem, we realise later, exactly why we had to do it.
Feelings are signs that we need to take action in a specific place of direction, which allows our desires to manifest.
Have you ever had a feeling that you just had to talk to some one, and then it turns out they had the exact information you needed to hear?
There are just some of the my favourite examples of how signs play an important role in co-creating and how they help you manifest. I speak a lot more about how signs work and can be applied in the manifesting process, in my 8 week course: Manifest More.
Sign up and find out more here.
Not sure yet, about manifesting? Get a taste by doing my Free 7 Day Manifesting course, by clicking on the image below:
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Coconut Island | My 10 Day coconut water cleanse in Bali.
Imagine… being stuck on a beautiful, tropical island. For 2 weeks. With nothing but fresh, young, sweet, delicious, nutritious coconuts to drink. Oh, but there’s amazing massages too, psychics who guide you into a spectacular new future, the best facials in the world — that make you whisper sweet endearments of love to your facialist — and colonics, to make sure everything is moooving, just the way it should. That’s what my coconut island cleanse looks like.
Bali is the perfect place to do a cleanse. The coconuts and tropical fruit are fresh, cheap and plentiful. The weather is warm, even in winter, and life can be very, very easy, if you let it be. I hadn’t “planned” to do a cleanse while I was here. It somehow just happened. I was chatting with a good friend who is a nutritionist, and the thought came up, and I hadn’t had much of appetite for a few days, and so I felt into it, and asked my body, which replied with a resounding yes.
I chose to do it with coconut water because its easy — easier than pressing 45 vegetables each time you want a glass of juice — cheap: at $1 a coconut, when I’m drink 3-4 per day, and coconuts are rich in nutrients that include: calcium, magnesium, phosphorous, potassium and sodium. Since it is isotonic to human plasma, coconut water can be used in extreme emergencies to quickly rehydrated the human body if administered intravenously. Essentially, it’s the perfect liquid to do an extended fast on.
I’m not new to cleansing or fasting, and it’s something that I like to try to do about once a year. Cleansing promotes autophagy, which is like a “spring cleaning” for your cells. Since your body is essentially eating itself, it has a chance to get rid of any junk or waste material that may have built up, and repair the damage of oxidative stress. This is one of the biggest benefits of fasting even for people who are at a healthy weight, since it has powerful anti-aging and muscle-building properties.
I really enjoyed reading this article on cleansing and fasting, and this one too. They might help you get a deeper understanding of what’s involved and how it works. I couldn’t find much information on coconut water fasting — it looks like not that many people have done them — but to me it seems like the perfect in-between straight water fasting, and juice cleansing.
Next to the wonderful physical healing effects from cleansing, one of the main reasons I felt to do this cleanse, was for the emotional and spiritual reset that it provides. The past year and a bit have been emotionally and spiritually colossal. This time last year marks the end of a really challenging experience with my mother, that left my heart torn, and while I have been clearing it, through many of my emotional and psychological techniques, part of the hurt was still trapped in my body. I had thought I’d resolved and worked through this already, but when I went to Ecstatic Dance at Yoga Barn in my second week in Ubud, and a friend asked me about the situation, I burst into tears, surprising both of us. I also entered a whole new realm in an intimate relationship that is unlike any that I have been in before. I want to protect and honour this delicate connection by clearing out any past residue that may still be present in my body from past relationships, to give this one the opportunity to blossom and flourish in its own unique way. Also, my business has beautifully stretched and grown over the past year, and with that have come challenges and massive learnings. This is an opportunity to slow down, press reset on everything, and design a whole new future for myself, and my world.
What I’m sharing with you is purely my personal experience. I do not recommend or hold any authority around health practices. I am simply a huge believer in the body being the most effective and efficient healer that each of us have, and use the knowledge and resources that I have to support it. Everything I do, I do as an experiment; always, always intently listening to my body and to what it tells me it needs. If you are interested in doing a cleanse or fast like this, remember that this is all about taking personal responsibility for your health, life and nurturing an intimate connection with your body, soul and mind. Nobody knows your body better than you do.
Coconut Island | My 10 Day coconut water cleanse in Bali.
Prelude: I prepared for the cleanse by eating very lightly on the days before. I had stopped eating meat about a week earlier, then stopped eating animal products completely, and then juts had one meal of steamed or lightly stir-fried vegetables with rice on the 3 days prior to starting my cleanse. Ut’s really important to be gentle to yourself and ease into these sorts of things. Also, because I didn’t want to mention it on each day, I was still having once or twice daily bowel movements throughout the entire cleanse, which is good, because it means things are moving despite not having anything solid to push them around.
Day 1.
Day 1 is always easy. There’s plenty of food in my stomach from the days before, so I felt completely normal and full of energy. I drank 3 coconuts and 4L of water, went for an hours hike, and worked. By the evening I started feeling a headache come on, and a bit tired, and went to bed early.
Day 2.
In the morning I woke up feeling super energised and excited about life, as if I had just had a double strength coffee. I drank 4 coconuts and 2L of water, did 20min of yoga and a 1 hour walk. By the time the afternoon came around, I could feel my body starting to detox already: headaches, bad breath, sore throat.
Day 3.
As I shared on Instagram, Day 3 was the roughest, hardest day yet! As I was moving into ketosis, from burning the glucose stores in my body for energy, to burning the old, excess, dirty, fat and dying cells. This is what I want when I cleanse, but the transition period is really rough. I had a busy start to the day with coaching calls, and didn’t have my first coconut until noon, so I was feeling a little bit shaky by then. I went to meet a friend and work together at a coffice (cafe + office) but couldn’t concentrate, even on a single word she was saying to me, and had to go back home. Then I started getting flu-like symptoms: swollen glands, sore throat, headaches, phlegm in my throat and mouth, tired eyes, and lethargy. Also, my tongue is getting covered with a white, weird film, feels thick and swollen and tastes metallic. I couldn’t do any exercise on this day and had 3 coconuts and 4L of water.
Day 4.
I like up with headaches in the morning, followed but intense clarity, and the most productive day at work that I had, had in ages! I went for an hour walk and drank 4 coconuts, a big pot of fresh ginger tea and 3L of water. In the afternoon when my energy wore down, I started to feel physically and mentally really tired and a little bit dizzy. Better than the day before however.
Day 5.
Ahhh, sweet, wonderful Day 5. How I loved you! Despite waking up 3 times to pee during the night, I had the deepest, most wonderful nights sleep ever, and woke up feeling super excited and enthusiastic about life. At this point I felt like I could go on forever. It amazing how I haven’t had a single craving or felt hungry at all. My friends sit around and eat entire meals beside me, and it doesn’t phase me. I had 4 coconuts, 3L water, and went for a 1 hour walk. I almost felt at full strength today: alert, awake and inspired. I did continue to have detox symptoms: my joints hurt when I first woke up, which is really common when cleansing as the toxic are pulled out of the joints; headache; and sore throat and a really white tongue. I started to feel tired towards the evening but not like on the days before. I also noticed that, each time I do a cleanse or fast, it seems to feel easier and easier, as if the body knows what’s happening and gets straight work.
Day 6.
In the night I awoke at 1am with a lot of pain in my stomach, especially on my left side. It felt like my reproductive organs were having a healing crisis. I’ve had some hormone imbalance issues in the past, so I’m not surprised this is being addressed during this cleanse. I also have a lot of discharge coming from there, it’s mucous and old blood mainly, I think. I’m so grateful that the body has the ability to heal itself in this way, and that I can take the time out to do it! I drank 3 coconuts and 4L of water, did 1 hour of yoga, and ran some errands in town, which felt really hectic as I was feeling very sensitive. My body was still showing pretty serious detoxing symptoms: my skin broke out and my tongue still coated in white, but the headaches and extreme fatigue and lethargy had gone.
Day 7.
I was feeling so much gratitude for everything in life this day, as I shared on Instagram. By this day life and I had slowed down considerably. My breathing became deeper and slower, and I felt very much at peace and centred within myself. I went for an hour walk and had 3 coconuts and 4L of water. In the afternoon I started having a really, really sore lower back — where the back meets the bottom essentially — and had to lay down and place my hands there, practicing some Reiki, for a while. Despite this, I actually had a ridiculously productive day of work again, which is quite amazing at this stage.
Day 8.
My tongue started to getting pink again on the edges! Yay! This means that things are cleaning and clearing up and I can start thinking about finishing the cleanse soon. My stomach also started making lots of rumbling and grumbling sounds which was weird. I have no idea what that means. Even though I felt really full of energy in the morning, Day 8, like Day 3, was super, super hard. I stared feeling really anxious and emotional for no obvious reason, and had a big cry. I was also really agitated and restless and indecisive.And I was missing my love terribly, and felt like the day that I was going to see him again, was almost an eternity away, even though it really was only about 2 weeks. I had an appointment with a psychic that afternoon, luckily after my emotional breakdown, which took me on a wild journey of what life might look like for me in the future. I felt like I was on acid during the entire session, and came away with some pretty deep and insightful information about myself and my life. But having had the session during my cleanse meant that I wasn’t as grounded as I usually might have been, so it had an incredibly strong effect on me. This day was so weird and crazy to me that I forgot to write down if I went for a walk and how much I drank. I just remember meeting my sweet friend Belinda in the evening, to talk all the had happened out, and having some ginger tea with honey in it, to calm my nerves.
Day 9.
I had a colonic today, just to give my colon a good cleanse out, and discovered I’m actually quite blocked. Eek! So I woke din two more session for the following days. But after the colonic I felt amazing! So light and free, almost as if I could fly away. By now I had noticed that I had lost some weight, though I have no idea how much. I could just tell by the way my body felt and my clothes fit. The colonic did wonders for my stomach. Afterwards it felts so flat and toned! I had no idea how much gas was stuck in there! What the… I also, for the first time, started to feel hungry today. This is a good sign because it means my body is ready to end the cleanse. I was also having trouble drinking coconuts now. Even the day before was a struggle to get them down, and people were surprised when I turned their offers for coconuts to drink down. (Like, who does that, right!?) I decided that Day 10. would be the last day of my cleanse. My body clearly had enough. I went for a 1 hour walk and dark 3 coconuts on this day.
Day 10.
Yay! Last day! I was so excited to transition to light fruit the next day! I woke up feeling amazing in the morning. I also felt like the colonic had done some kind of wonders for me. Something had definitely shifted, not just physically but emotionally and spiritually as well. I was totally, and utterly sick of coconuts by now, and couldn’t even imagine having another one. I kept looking at the one I had left sitting on my table and felt sick at the thought of drinking it! So I stuck to lots of water all day, and got a watermelon juice in the afternoon to tie me over, and went for a walk in the evening. I also had an amazing day working: my Manifest More program is coming together so beautifully, I’m so delighted with every single part of it, my writing was flowing and I was generally delighted about life.
NB: I transitioned out of the cleanse very, very slowly in the days following. I started with a few bites of papaya because it’s full of enzymes and natural probiotics plus lots and lots of water. Then the following day, I ate little pieces of watermelon every few hours, before adding a light salad meal the day after that, and then finally after 5 days, adding in steamed or stir-fried vegetables. It’s really important to be really gentle and take great care when coming off a cleanse, to give your body ample time to adjust to digesting again, and not fill it up with crap. One of the best parts of doing cleanses is that they give you a whole body reset, which means that when you start eating again, you just stick with the healthiest choices, and keep taking really good care of you.
Image from FreePeople.com. -
8 Ridiculously awesome + useful books + resources you will love.
I noticed — many years ago — that when I read and learn a lot, I feel empowered, alive and vibrant. And I like to feel empowered, alive and vibrant. Which is also why I love to read and learn.
And most of the resources that I’ve come to love and cherish have been passed on to me from friends, colleagues and loved ones. We can all share knowledge freely, instead of hoarding it.
This is how we make life-changing introductions of all sorts for each other, instead of letting each of us “connect the dots” on our own.
Behold my list of 8 ridiculously awesome + useful books + resources you will love. Please, enjoy them as much as I have.
Blue Truth. A Spiritual Guide to Life & Death and Love & Sex.
I discovered this book in one of those serendipitous moments: I had just had an extremely intense couple of months with my business, and things were starting to beautifully unwind. Except that I wasn’t. I was still coiled up tight in response to making bigger strides and leaps and decisions than I have been used to.
And the one morning I walked over to the bookshelf and suddenly this dark blue book just shone out at me. I had never seen it in my bookcase investigation before, but there it was, calling me. And as I started to read page after page, I could feel my body relax. Uncoil. Breathe. And remember. It was exactly what I needed.
Blue Truth is a beautifully written sample of how to feel our way through life, without letting the rigours of our analytical mind taking over control. David Deida teaches how to expand and open, as opposed to contract and close, especially during challenging times, in order to experience our lives from a space of love, relaxation and almost from a higher realm or perspective. This read is perfect for those of us who are sensitive, easily stressed out, and ready to unfurl our hearts and spirits. All it takes is a little bit of practice and understanding how. Get it from Amazon.
Louise Hay Affirmation Apps.
On Facebook, I asked you what you wanted to know more about and you replied “Any particular sites/books you use for meditations or affirmations.”
These days I tend to come up with and create my own affirmations that I use to transform my thinking, when it out of alignment with where I want to go, or the kind of person I want to be. But it took practice to get to this point. About 5 years ago, I was going through a really challenging time in my life. I was in a relationship that made me feel stuck, joyless and unenthusiastic, the work I was doing wasn’t totally lighting me up, and I had a tonne of fears holding me back.
I’ve always been a fan of Louise Hay, especially her book You Can Heal Your Life, so when I discovered that she had some affirmation apps, I bought them and would listen to them non-stop. Every morning and evening I would do the meditation. And during the day I listened to the affirmations, even at work. Sometimes I played the subliminal meditations, so all my co-workers would be infected by the positive thoughts too. They helped me believe in myself, and find the inner strength to turn my situation around. I still listen to them every now and then when I feel like it. These are ones I use personally:
101 Power Thoughts Audio App
Morning and Evening Meditations Audio App
Feeling Fine Affirmations Audio App
Women’s Bodies Women’s Wisdom
If you’re a lady, and you have body, then this book is for you. It is so incredibly important that we learn to care and nurture our bodies, and its unfortunate but true, that our medical and health system just doesn’t cut it. So we have to educate ourselves on what is best for us. And then do that.
I bought this book on Kindle years ago, but only recently picked it back up, to look something up about women’s reproductive organs. It’s so refreshing to hear a Doctor speak about how all of our physical pains are reflections of the emotions that we carry within us, and that, often in order to cure and heal, we have to not only remove the physical symptoms but also the emotional conditions and beliefs connected to the particular issue. Dr Christiane Northrup touches on how every different part of a woman is connected to a specific part of her emotions and behaviours, giving us clues and tools in healing ourselves and having healthy, whole and fulfilling lives, always and forever. Get it from Amazon.
Self-Made Man
I am fascinated by men, and how wildly different they can be, from us women-folk. While we do have many similarities, I’ve come to the conclusion that we are very different creatures, and a bit of a mystery that I find entertaining to learn more about. So when I heard about a woman, and reporter, who completely disguised herself as a man, and lived like man for a whole year, through several male-dominant scenarios and environments, I was hooked.
Norah Vincent takes us through her journey as a woman, pretending to be a man, for an entire year, and reveals the hidden secrets of gentlemen-only bowling clubs; strip-clubs; dating; a high-level testosterone-fuelled sales job; and finally a monastery. She gives us an intriguing insight into the world, minds and emotions of men, which left me feeling more compassionate than ever for our sweet men-folk. They don’t have it easy, and I love them a little bit more, for, on the most part, trying so hard to get it right.
It also leaves me with feeling that the society we live in currently, as best as we are doing, still isn’t particularly supportive, of any of us. We have created such strange, twisted, unhealthy expectations and beliefs about each other, no wonder things have been so imbalanced. This read is quite captivating on so many different levels! Get it from Amazon.
#Girlboss
If you need a swift kick in your pants to finally go out and start doing things with your life, this book will do it for you. Sophia Amoruso is an eBay seller who went from totally broke to CEO in eight years. That eBay seller is Nasty Gal.
“The world loves to tell you how difficult things are, and the world’s not exaggerating. But difficult doesn’t mean impossible, and out of the bajillions of things in this universe that you can’t control, what you can control is how hard you try, and if or when to pack it in.”
Though she has a bit of a masculine, American approach to her life and business (she’s a tough lady!) her words are super inspiring and have the intended effect: getting you all bridled up and excited about taking risks, flying by the seed of your pants and just doing it, whatever it may be, without too much attachment for the outcome. Get it from Amazon.
The Big Leap
Each one of us carries ingrained, unconscious ideas of just how happy and successful we can be.
Celebrated psychologist and author Gay Hendricks coined the term “Upper Limits’ to describe how we limit our ability to reach our full potential in all areas of life. He explains that by learning to identify and transcend these self-imposed “Upper Limits,” we can expand our potential for happiness and abundance in extraordinary ways.
The understanding is that, when we reach our Upper Limit of how much positive feeling we can handle, we self-sabotage by creating a series of unpleasant thoughts and experiences to deflate ourselves. The thoughts and experiences that we subconsciously manufacture in response to hitting our Upper Limits in happiness and success, guarantee to return us to a state that we are more familiar with: not feeling so good.
In The Big Leap, we learn how to recognise and overcome those Upper Limits, so we can continue to expand, grow and enjoy more and more success, abundance and love. This book has been a game-changer for me. Get it from Amazon.
Overcoming Underearning
I recommend this book to most of my clients with money issues. And if we are honest, all of us have some kind of money beliefs that are holding us in situations that we don’t want to be in. In this day and age, debt is rife, and even people who earn above-average wages are often broke, with no savings to their name.
I passionately believe that it is imperative that women learn to feel deserving of, earn, keep and invest large sums of money. The reason is that women tend to make good decisions; nurturing, kind, community-minded decisions, that support everyone. And if we want the world to change, then we have to change. And starts by empowering ourselves to such a degree, that we can make a positive impact.
And money is one incredibly powerful way to do so.
But if we can’t even begin to own our worth and value, how can we make the money to have a positive impact in our own lives and the lives of all those around us? Read this book if you’re ready to overcome underrating. Get it from Amazon.
Turning Pro
Short, sweet, fast-to-read, and an incredible jolt of inspiration to step up your game and show up as a pro, in everything you do. Years ago I would have despised the concept of ‘turning pro’ because I thought that’s just something that wanky business-people spoke of. But in reality, it’s about mindfulness, presence and truly giving your unique gift to the world.
Even when it feels really, really hard. Because that’s where your live’s work comes from. And where everything starts to feel meaningful. Get it from Amazon.
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Finding Love. (Part 3.) How to break a Soul Contract.
In my first and second Finding Love videos, I spoke about how, in order to invite the love that I wanted into my life, I had to let go of someone from my past, with whom I had unconsciously made a strong soul contract, that, energetically, worked much like a marriage. This meant that I couldn’t pursue any new love interests until I energetically divorced this person.
In today’s video I share my story of how I broke a soul contract that was holding me back from finding love, suddenly started attracting so many sexy men wherever I went, and then met and fell in love with my current partner, all within two months!
Here are 6 steps to breaking a soul contract, as I encountered and followed from Spirit Science:
1. Sit somewhere quiet and comfortable. Close your eyes and start by taking 10 deep slow deliberate breaths.
2. Think of the person with whom you want to cut ties.
3. Scan your body. Try to visualize a cord coming from the heart or any other region in the body your mind is pulled to being connected to this person. Selenite wands help with body scanning and clearing.
4. Keep breathing and imagine how it feels to cut this cord between the two of you. If you have a similar experience to me I could feel the density and size of the cords and why they were placed there. Imagine cutting the cords.
5. Ask your higher self and subconscious mind to release all contracts and/or subconscious obligations with this person. This includes all energetic invasions in your environment (car, house, etc), ask for the release and complete return of your original energetic balance within your body.
6. Lastly, picture sending this person love and gratitude for hard-learned lessons and thank the universe for the return of balance to your body and your physical environment. Visualize closing this energetic portal.
I’d love to know about your own experiences with soul mates, soul contracts, and ending those commitments with love and letting go! Share them with me in the comments below.
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7 Steps to Finding Love. (Part 2.)
A few days ago I shared the 7 Steps to Finding Love. (Part 1.) video with the first 3 steps outlined. It was incredible to see how much it resonated with many of the women who watched the video and some of the experiences you shared with me as a result. Damn, you rock! Your really blew me away with your response.
I am delighted to share Part 2. with you now.
7 Steps to Finding Love. (Part 2.)
4. Love Yourself.
If we don’t love ourselves, we can’t expect others to love us. I will say it a million times. Your life is experience is a direct reflection of what is going on within you. And the things that you are seeking outside of yourself are exactly what you need to give yourself, first and foremost. So many women tell me that they have so much love to give, and yet they are not experiencing love in their lives. The reason is that in order to receive love, you need to firmly be able to receive it from yourself. An open, loving heart, begets the experience of a loving relationship, but then earth must be open and knowing how to receive love to begin with.
5. Do Things You Love Doing.
I feel this is self-explanatory, but allow me to expand. If you go out doing things you don’t really enjoy, you may meet men, that is true. But you’ll probably meet men that you don’t really enjoy, and that aren’t the right match for you. When you are immersed in things that you are passionate about, that excite you and light you up, your beauty shines through every part of you, and you will meet men who are on the same wavelength. Do things you love doing, and you will meet other people who love doing those things, and lo and behold, you already have something beautiful in common.
6. Write A Manifestation List.
This part is super fun and easy. It’s where magic comes in. And clarity is magic. In order to know what you at calling into your life, you have to get really clear in what it is you actually want. So this is where you write a list, in present tense, of what exactly you are waning in your love. How does he make you feel? What kinds of things do you do together? What values does he hold and respect? How does he balance and support you? What do you bring into his life? Get really, really clear on the dream, in order to recognise it in reality.
7. Embody What You Want.
Again, here it’s important to remember that your life experience is a direct reflection of what you already are. Common desirable traits are: Trust. Commitment. Fun. Spontaneous. And here lies the clavette. You what to feel trust. But do you trust yourself? What’s your relationship with your own inner voice and are you trusting of it? You want commitment. But how committed are you to yourself? Do you place your own needs and dreams at the highest regard? Where does your commitment lie? I can go on, but I know you’re smart and can work out the rest!
Did you enjoy these videos? Do you want me to make more? Let me know in the comment below!
xo
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7 Steps to Finding Love. (Part 1.)
Let’s talk about L O V E!
Last week 3 clients, 2 friends, and 1 random stranger whom I met in a cafe, all started telling me about their desire to find love. Yet this desire feeling very unfulfilled. So I decided to create a resource around finding love.
When we women want love in our lives, it’s much more than simple companionship. We want to be wanted. We want to feel desirable and beautiful. We want to be supported in our dreams and ambitions. We want to be held, touched and passionately made love to. And above all that, we want a deep soul connection.
All of the women that I spoke to last week, were feeling defeated, tired and frustrated in their quest. Finding love seems ubiquitous and yet simultaneously unreachable to them. Yet in this distress, nor forward motion can happen. But I know, from experience, that finding love doesn’t have to be hard. In fact, it can be really very easy. We have to become clear channels for receiving, in order to call in the love that we want.
Broken down into two parts, here are the first 3 of the 7 steps to finding love.
7 Steps to Finding Love. (Part 1.)
1. Stop Looking.
It is in the surrender of what you want, that you will find it. While we are desperately seeking to fill a man-shaped-void the energy that we carry with us, is one of lack. The sensation of lack is one that pushes away, rather than attracts what we want. It is when we release our desires and know that they are coming to you, at exactly the right time, that the manifestation of finding love accelerates.
2. Release Blocks.
More often than not, there is a reason why the love you seek isn’t finding its way to you. The reason is that you have some kind of subconscious, invisible barrier up, that is stopping that love to come to you. In order to be able to receive the love you want, you have to resolve the blocks that are stopping it from getting to you.
3. Give Yourself That Which You Desire.
When you fill you own well with the things that you desire, you interact with the Universe from a space of wholeness and completion. It warrants that you receive more of what you are already giving yourself, which isn’t possible when you are waiting for someone else to fill that void. One of the best ways to find love is the work on the lower three chakras.
When we are unresolved in the lower three chakras, then we are always hungry for energy. This energy can come in the form of money, attention from others, emotional neediness, or energy acquired through sex. When we are unresolved in the lower chakras then we feel we want more energy and that we are not getting enough. In finding love, this becomes the major source of resistance and conflict.
You can get a basic understanding of chakras in a post a wrote some time ago here.
Part 2. of the Finding Love can be seen right here.
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Travel is like a truth serum. It is the best cure for being self-centred and close-minded.
I was recently interviewed by the Australian Natural Health Magazine for an article on the benefits of travel on self-development, and wanted to share these answers with you too, because, if you’re anything like me, you might not get a chance to read the magazine.
Please introduce yourself.
I am a lifestyle coach who helps creative professionals create a semi-nomadic, unconventional life that is both soulfully and financially fulfilling.
1) Can you briefly describe your professional background?
I have a background in psychology matched with an intense curiosity on how we create our lives through the beliefs we have, and therefore also the limitations we create for ourselves. I then started travelling around the world, and had first-hand experience in how transformational travel can be, in not only expanding your horizons, but also getting to know yourself, and your life purpose in the process.
2) And your travelling background? Where have you been? What have you seen? What inspired you to travel the first time? What inspires you to travel now?
I have essentially travelled for most of my life. I was born in Austria, my father is Italian, I lived in both those countries as well as Portugal and the Canary Islands as a small child. Then, when my mum married and immigrated to Australia, I was travelling between my parents in Europe and Australia. So to continue travelling as an adult was somewhat a natural progression. I originally went travelling on my own to discover the differences between people and cultures, but what I actually learnt, was about what truly unites us as a species. Its such a beautiful thing. Now, I travel to keep being reminded and inspired by the beauty of the world, and to fulfil my natural tendency to live a semi-nomadic lifestyle.
3) Is travelling beneficial and why (would be great to have a psychology-skewed answer here)?
The most powerful benefit of travel is that it helps open up your interpretation and understanding of the world, giving you a wider range of choices and pleasures in life. The experience of other cultures helps loosen the chains of cognition, making it easier to see things in a new light. Whether it’s your own life, or other experiences, we stop be so judgemental of ourselves or others and recognise that there is an unlimited wealth of possibilities and opportunities in each and every experience.
Because of this, we are able to organise our lives and what we want to do with them, with much more clarity and optimism. So essentially, travel is a really good way to get to know yourself and learn about how you do, and how you want to, show up in all areas of your life. You finally get to see what’s truly important because the constricted thought processes are gone. There is something intellectually liberating about travel.
4) Do you know of any studies that back this up?
There are quite a few, but the one that comes to mind is Lile Jia at Indiana University. He randomly divided a few dozen under-grads into two groups, both of which were asked to list as many different modes of transportation as possible.
Jia found a striking difference between the two groups: when students were told that the task was imported from Greece, they came up with significantly more transportation possibilities. They didn’t just list buses, trains, and planes; they cited horses, triremes, spaceships, bicycles, and even Segway scooters. Because the source of the problem was far away, the subjects felt less constrained by their local transport options; they didn’t just think about getting around in Indiana, they thought about getting around all over the world, and even in deep space.
In a second study, Jia found that people were much better at solving a series of insight puzzles when told that the puzzlescame all the way from California, and not from down the hall. These subjects considered a far wider range of alternatives, whichmade them more likely to solve the challenging brain teasers. There is something intellectually liberating about distance.
5) Would you recommend travelling alone, with a partner, as a group or do all of these travelling arrangements have different benefits?
I personally would recommend travelling on your own to really have that experience of self-discovery. Certainly, all travel arrangements have different benefits, but if you want to grow as an individual, you have to get comfortable with being by yourself. Learning to like yourself and even love yourself by spending time alone is invaluable. You see the world through your own personal filters without being influenced by others and get to see who and how you really are. It’s a truly beautiful life journey.
6) Travelling to a non-English country can be tough. Do you have any tips? What can one learn from such an experience?
I know that people say that travelling in non-English speaking countries can be challenging, but its really about being resourceful. In the end we all have the same needs, and communication is only 40% verbal. You’d be surprised at just how much you can communicate through body language, sign language and generally just smiling and connecting with one another. Human beings are naturally driven to help each other and share their world with one another, making being a traveller in a foreign, exotic place such a heart-warming, inspiring and fulfilling experience.
As long as you are willing to be friendly, open and curious, other cultures will welcome you with open arms and share a special kind of hospitality that is rare to encounter in your own town or city.
7) Is there anything we can do to approach travel as self-discovery or is simply travelling enough?
From my experience, and working with clients, the inclination to travel usually happens at an exquisite juncture of one’s life. Be it a break-up, a death or changing career, the impulse to travel often comes at a time when there’s already tremendous change. Because of this, the introspective self-discovery elements that occur with travel generally happen quite naturally. However, simply by setting an intention for one’s journey is enough. We always attract what we focus on, so if you have decided that you would like to travel to explore yourself, that’s exactly what you’re going to get.
8) Do you recommend people incorporate travel into their lifestyle for learning purposes? How can people make this a reality?
I think that learning is a naturally occurring side effect to travel. Unless of course, you lock yourself up in a private resort and don’t interact with the local culture! All it takes is a little bit of curiosity and willingness to be inspired and learn new things about the world. Human beings are predisposed to want to learn and understand about the world around them so it just becomes a part of travel.
9) What are your top cities to visit for a self-discovery experience and why?
1. Hampi in Karnataka, India: This city is purely magical! It’s the original capital of India 500 years ago, which now lies in ruins. It’s one of the most magical, resonant places I’ve ever been to. This place just does things to a person!
2. Prague in the Ceck Republick: A visual fairy-land, Prague is the perfect place for self-discovery and introspection. Doing all the spectacular walks, while rediscovering yourself is such a powerful soul journey. I particularly recommend going there in Autumn when all the leaves are turning golden. It’s a visual feast, and so enriching for every part of your being.
3. Tulum in Mexico: This part of the world is essentially setup for the self-discovering traveller. Yoga retreats, shamanic ceremonies and detoxes on every corner, plus the beauty of the Caribbean beach-side, its such a wonderful time for reflection, learning, healing and growing.
Having said that, your experience of every place is also dependant of where you’re at in that moment. Whatever you’re feeling, travel tends to amplify.
10) What are some of the lessons one might learn while travelling (acceptance of other cultures, religions etc)
Travel is like a truth serum. It is the best cure for being self-centred and close-minded. Through travel we step beyond those limitations created by living in your own bubble and experience the wealth of possibilities in the world. Our approach moves away from being culturally defined to being universal. It’s an opening of the heart. Non-travellers are more susceptible to being stuck in their monotonous patterns. Travelling jolts us awake. So we learn to see ourselves and others in such a different light, and thereby expand out mindsets and the possibilities available to us in life.
11) Do you remember a key experience that you had while travelling that you learnt something valuable from. Can you please tell me about it?
Having spent some time in Muslim cultures in both Morocco and Turkey, I always had the impression that a woman travelling on her own would be quite dangerous. Yet’ I was so beautifully surprised that many men would feel protective of you, and take you under their wing as a sister, because of their culture rather than in spite of it. I felt very safe and taken care which completely opposed the perception I had of Muslim culture up to that point. In that time I learnt that many of the views we are fed through the media are entirely untrue, and never to believe these stories. Have you own experiences, make up your own mind. The world will surprise you.
12) Anything else you want to add, particularly pulling from your psychology knowledge?
Travel not only invites us to see the world anew, it gives us a fresh look at ourselves. The greatest benefit of travelling is the unique view it give us of who we are a human being in this world. By placing us outside of ourselves, travel provides us an objective view of what we have been habitually doing, as well as the anonymity to risk new ways of being in the world.
We cannot travel to get away from ourselves. As the adage goes “Wherever you go, there you are.” Travel fails as an escape but it succeeds as confrontation. Confrontation with ourselves that is. Which challenges us to rise up and become someone far more in alignment with ones dreams and values. -
Spirituality Is A Four Letter Word
I’m just driving back from a weekend trip in Byron, which was wonderful and beautiful. Obviously, I’m not the one in the driver seat, but am frantically typing on my iPad, willing this idea that I’ve got, to form in a way that’s communicable.
This little trip has brought me some beautiful clarity on my own journey, which I can thank the souls and companions that I’ve had by my side over the last few days for.
I’ve always erred on the side of spiritual growth and guidance. This is one of those things that didn’t feel like a conscious choice, but rather something that was encrypted in my soul. In my early 20’s it grabbed me, shook me up, threw me around a few times and shattered any proportional illusions that I might have had about life.
I came out the other side of that experience, a completely different human being. One that now, I am really proud of, and I love. Not because I’ve got it all figured out, because really, it’s far from that. But because I understand the messiness, the holiness, the all-ness of life, and accept it in its entirety.
My biggest lesson was to experience life from the perspective of an observer. To interact in life, as well as simply observe those interactions without expectations, without attachment. Just to watch. This position of the observer, brings an infinite, constant state of joy with it. An exhilaration which makes every sensation and emotion ecstatic.
Happiness and sadness might be two end of the spectrum – as are love and fear– but they are only experiences for the soul part of us, neither judged as good nor bad. Simply the experience of life in the form of a human body, and all that comes with it. Which is what we are here for. So our souls can have a body to play in.
This state of experiencing life not just as an active participant but also as an observer, means the highs are higher, and the lows are lower. Our senses are imperceptibly heightened and everything feel so strong, so powerful, so all-encompassing. And yet the inner part of us, is always still. Always overjoyed simply by being able to have these experiences. What fun it is, to have such a wide range of emotions, of sensual perceptions, of interactions and relations.
There have been many times in my life, where I have been in my knees, not wanting to go on. Wishing for all the pain and suffering to stop. And even those darkest moments sparkle in a shade-of-night beauty. Even those times of deep human hurt, are something that our soul delights in. Because with it, we grow, and we feel in a way that is otherwise, impossible.
Being in Byron, I brought into my experience a beautiful Ashram hidden in the hinterland, which attracts many people who consider themselves spiritual seekers, all on their own journey to understand and experience this life. I think this is a beautiful thing – I believe inner growth and soul development is a powerful facilitator to compassion, love, and true inner peace and freedom.
I also believe there’s no separation between the “seekers” and the layperson. I think we are all on the same path – however on different parts of it – with journeys that reflect how and what we each need in this time.
So I feel compelled to counter any suggestions that people who actively seek out spiritual growth are in any way superior than anyone else. The most connected, spiritual people have most often been people who didn’t consider themselves spiritual in their minds, but rather just had an intense appreciation for nature, life and each momentary experience.
Spirituality is a four letter word that has been thrown around as a shield, as an excuse for bad behaviour, a “holier than thou” attitude, and a myriad of other things. Under the guise of spirituality, there has been control, manipulation, people not taking responsibility for themselves and their actions, disempowerment, power games, and as we have seen across religions, even mass-murders and war.
It is the nature of anything that has been separated from its original context that its significance can be twisted and turned to suit the egos of our human pitfalls. Pitfalls which are also the poignant springboards to our greatest growth, if we allow it.
Being spiritual, is part of being human. How we choose to use that aspect of ourself is each individual’s sacred choice. But using spirituality as a form of separating yourself is again, creating the problem that we are learning through our inner soul growth to overcome. The illusion of separation is the only thing keeping us from being at one with all there is and what we are.
Spirituality therefore, is recognising the unity of all things, at all times. Nothing more. Nothing less. It is not the amount of mantras that you sing before 6 in the morning, or the number of flagellation’s your body can withstand. Those are tools and distractions on the path, which are easily misused like so many others.
Spirituality lies in the constant practice of unity. Instead of gaining power from the separation of self from soul. From you and me. Rather, we recognise in each moment, what makes us all one and the same. -
The Gypset Guide to Reading Your Tarot Cards. Even When You Don’t Have A Question.
Sometimes, as in most of the time, I don’t want to ask my cards a question, rather, I want THEM to tell ME what I need to know. I simply want some guidance on a certain topic. In the reading above, I asked to be spiritually as well as practically guided around the topic of money. This is what’s called, an open tarot card reading.
And this is how you do it.
PREPARE
To begin, have ready: your tarot cards; the layout for the spread you have chosen (my favourite is the 3 card spread: past > present > future); and the card and spread information pages, if required.
SET THE MOOD
Prepare your environment as feels good to you. Candles, incense, essential oils, feathers. Or not. Sit down with some empty space in front of you. Relax and still your mind. Breathe deeply several times.
SET YOUR INTENTION
Remove the deck of cards from their casing. Hold the cards cupped in one hand. Place the other hand on top and close your eyes. Decide on an intention for this reading (i.e. I would like guidance on… / Please give me clarity on… And say your intention out loud as an opening statement.
SHUFFLE THE CARDS
Shuffle the cards until you feel ready to stop. Keep your mind free and open while you shuffle.
CUT THE CARDS
Place cards face down in front of you with the short edge toward you. Cut the deck in one unplanned action as follows:
➳ Grab some number of cards from the complete pile.
➳ Drop this smaller pile to the left.
➳ Grab part of this second pile. Drop this third pile to the left.
➳ Regroup cards into one pile in any fashion.
LAY OUT THE CARDS
Hold the cards in your hand with the short edge toward you. Then turn over the top card as you would turn the page of a book. Lay out the cards according to the spread you have chosen. Turn reversed cards around if you are not using them. (I never use reversed cards…but some people like to.)
RESPOND TO THE CARDS
Note your responses to individual cards. Note your response to the whole pattern of cards. Analyzing the cards; analyzing each individual cards: find the information page for the card, read over keywords and actions.
SEEK THE WISDOM + MEANING
Look for signs that trigger thoughts and emotions within you. These are the concepts that are important and poignant for you right now. Write down the thoughts and feelings, if you wish. Use your intuition to interpret what each card, and the relationship between all the cards, mean to you. Be sure to take note of inspired ideas and additional insights.
CREATE THE STORY
Based on the revelations through the meaning you have uncovered in your reading, tell the story that the cards are showing you, in relation to your current life. Let it flow out of you spontaneously either in written form in your journal, or spoken out and recorded for you to review. This will uncover a theme identified by the cards.
CLOSE THE READING
Clear the deck (tarot cards are very sensitive to energy which they store very easily) by gathering the cards together, and holding the cards cupped in one hand, with the other hand placed on top.
➳ Close your eyes.
➳ Say out loud what you have learned from the readings expressing gratitude to your Inner Guide and the cards for their insight.
➳ Put cards back into container, and tidy up your environment if you’ve brought out lots of ornaments the share the experience with.
USE WHAT YOU’VE LEARNED
Let the message of the reading guide you in a general way, throughout your days following, and specifically around the things that you set your intention for the reading on. Observe how this tarot reading is opening up your view of possibilities, insight and ability to perceive a new way forward.
If you loved this you will also really enjoy my Gypset Guide To Hand Reading and my Gypset Guide To More Magic 7 Days A Week. -
33 + Three Quarter Fantastic Films That Will Ignite Your Fantasy
It’s the holiday season! And considering this list has taken me almost a year of careful consideration and revisions to compile, now is the perfect time to sit back and soak in some inspired artwork in the form of film. I give you 33 + three-quarter fantastic films that will ignite your fantasy:1. Pan’s Labyrinth
Produced in Spain by a Mexican director this dark fantasy film delicately intertwines reality with fairytale, leaving you wondering what is really real, the way that dreams do. The directly translated name of the film is The Labyrinth of the Faun which is set a few years after the Spanish Civil War a young girl has to pass through the trials and tribulations of the Labyrinth in which she has to make moral choices in order to save her mother and unborn brother, eventually sacrificing her life. The actress who played the main character, Ofelia, when she was only 11, said she thought the film was “marvellous”, and that “at the same time it can bring you pain, and sadness, and scariness, and happiness”. Even though it is a fairy tale, I wouldn’t recommend this film for young children as the dark parts are quite gruesome, but the story itself and the beautiful scenery and special effects are heavenly and delicious
2. Cloud Atlas
This film pulls a very tender and special cord in my heart because it reflects a love story of my own and was passed onto me by the very beloved who was involved in this story. I fondly recall our first date in which he shared with me his intuitive feeling that we had met in many lives before and that we will again in many lives to come. Yet, somehow, our love story never gets to finish. In Cloud Atlas, we follow the love story of a couple who reincarnate across 7 different lives to meet, recognize each other and fall in love, only to have something come between them. It’s a love story that never ends, exploring the many threads that connect us across space and time all of which lead us to love, and spans an enormous expanse of life and fantasy. So truly beautiful and touching, I have tears in my eyes every time I even just see the trailer.
3. The Fountain
A spiritual odyssey of sorts on death, love and feeling whole and enlightened when the time comes to leave our bodies and this planet. Again, The Fountain is a love story of sorts, and the cinematography and concept are breathtaking. Presented across three stories which appear as past, present and future, we follow a man who is in pursuit of eternity to hold on to love. For me, the message here is that it is once you let go, that you realize that the idea of separation was merely an illusion after all. Love is eternal and everlasting, whether we are physical with that person or not. Let go of the idea that there is an end and become aware that everything is light, and you are released from the shackles of suffering for love. Directed by the creator of Requiem for a Dream and Black Swan, you can imagine the bitter and twisted turns this love story will take you on, only to finish on an ethereal plane of freedom and sheer abandonment.
4. Moonrise Kingdom
The sweetest of stories you might ever see, I recommend watching this film when your brain needs some downtime and loving care. It’s easy to watch, the story and characters are incredibly endearing and the film has been put together beautifully. Naturally, this is not a surprise since the director is the one and only Wes Anderson, who also created The Royal Tannenbaums. A comedy-drama set in the mid-1960s, we follow two “troubled” children embarking on adolescence as they discover their own distinct personalities and run away from home together to explore the little island they live on. An all-star cast brings colour and life to every character, no matter how small and will leave you with a sweet smile on your face and a skip in your step for the rest of the day.
5. Marie Antoinette
Oh, the cinematography, the costumes, the hair, the lighting and the effervescent decadence of it all! There is nothing that I don’t love about this film, except maybe that I want it to go on forever. Director Sofia Coppola fulfils a girl’s cotton candy-coloured dreams of a true love story that goes terribly wrong. Born in 1755, Maria Antonia, an Austrian princess (I like to believe we’re distantly related, ahem) fulfils her duty to unite the two countries and marries the Dauphin of France, Louise-August. Bound by her obligation to bear children and ensure an heir she is severely disappointed at her difficulties since her husband, is rather cold and awkward around her. I personally believe that he was secretly gay, but the film never touches on such ideas. In rebellion, for the lack of attention received from the Dauphin and the coldness of the people in the French court, she begins to live a decadent lifestyle spending money frivolously on hair, costumes, parties, gambling, champagne and begins to hang out with “colourful” characters to keep herself amused. This is a beautiful film that you must watch, which will leave you wanting to be an eccentric show pony full of eclectic ideas and tastes!
Speaking of Sofia Coppola, I adore all of her films including 1/4: The Virgin Suicides, 2/4: Lost in Translation and 3/4: Somewhere. If you’re enjoying a rainy day at home, make sure you see these!
6. Eternal Sunshine of The Spotless Mind
The power of love is truly something. This film is so touching, heartbreaking and real. Serendipitously a man and a woman fall in love after meeting on a train, yet for whatever reason, they cannot be together. But being so deeply in love and not being able to let go can be a painful experience and so Clementine, played by Kate Winslet decides to erase her memory. I’ll leave the rest up to you to find out but be prepared to be enchanted and to shed some tears.
7. Perfumé: The Story of A Murderer
I read the book about 8 years ago and was mesmerized by the exquisite writing style that left me smelling every scent that was described throughout the story. Then, a few years later when I was living in Barcelona, I stumbled across a film set, which serendipitously was the making for the movie version of Perfume. Obviously, I had to go see it and was pleasantly surprised to discover that the film was curated so well that it didn’t leave me saying, like I normally would, “Well, it was nice, but the book was much better!”. No, this film fills all your sensual, visual and fantasy needs with a colourful and twisted plot full of incredible scenery, costumes and unbelievable cinematography. The storyline? It’s a bit complicated to explain but as one film critic articulates, it’s a story about “an obsessive French perfumer with a highly developed olfactory sense and an all-consuming drive to capture the essence of love eventually resorts to murder in his unrepentant quest to find the key ingredient for his recipe”.
8. Chocolaté
I have mentioned my everlasting love for this film before here and can only urge you to go see it as so many parts of my life feel like they reflect the sentiments of this film. And in my next life, I want to be a chocolate goddess/healer/magician just like Vianne Rocher played by the seductive Juliette Binoche. And clearly, my plans involve falling in love with a river gipsy, just like Roux played by none other than Johnny Depp. This story is about the whimsical sentiments of family, love, gipsy and Mayan magic melded together and infused with chocolate. It will leave you with a spring in your step and the inspiration to conquer the world with your own magic!
9. Walk the Line
This film brings back the funniest memory: I think I was 23 or 24 when my sister and I started dating these two best friends whom we renamed Whaley and Penguin. Willy (renamed Whaley for no obvious reason) was my date and Penguin (whose real name I simply cannot recall, but was named thus because of his walk) was my sister. One day Whaley decided to take me out without his doppelgänger Penguin, and he took me to this film.
Walk the Line is incredibly powerful and Joaquin Phoenix is absolutely spectacular in representing the wild and worn life of Johnny Cash. I really don’t like country music but somehow that wasn’t even an issue as I was mesmerized by the love and pain of a creative man who just wanted to give his talents to the world and be loved for it. Mangold’s story of the relationship between Johnny Cash and June Carter, played by Reese Witherspoon is deliriously romantic, and exhilaratingly entertaining, as a musical, it invites and earns comparison and profoundly moving–all set to a spectacular soundtrack. Joaquin Phoenix and Reese Witherspoon are both brilliant as Cash and Carter, but not only in the ways you would expect. Their most impressive achievement is to convincingly portray two people falling in love in a manner that’s sincere and sweet but never cheaply sentimental. Please watch this!10. Secret Window
You may have noticed that there is a theme here, but I simply can’t help but love the films that Johnny Depp chooses! This is a psychological thriller about a writer who holds a secret. Even though it’s quite dark, the cinematography is sensational and the storyline was really well written which will leave you thinking. I love that early in the movie, Mort (Depp) walks around his house on a typical day when he’s working on his latest novel. He does nothing. Sleeps. Talks to his dog. Then finally sits down at the typewriter and writes a single paragraph. He then reads it, realizes it’s bad writing, and deletes it. But he does it with a SMILE. And he goes back to sleep happy, because he DID something on that day. Ha! The bane of being creative!
11. Brave
Animation is clearly not just for children and I can’t wait to watch this film with some little girls to see if they love it as much as I do. Who doesn’t want to be wild, free and accepted the way they are? Merida is the red-haired and fiery daughter of a Scottish king, who loves to climb trees, shoot arrows and explore her kingdom on horseback. While her mother is trying to mould her into becoming a suitable princess Merida rebels and accidentally places a terrible spell on her mother. The story follows the mother-daughter relationship as they start to see each other’s point of view and become closer to the effect of a happy ending. Charming in every way!
12. The Lorax
If you were ever a child, you are probably familiar with Doctor Seuss’s ‘The Lorax’, a tale of a world where man’s greed and selfishness have eradicated all the trees in favour of their escapist man-made town. It’s a charming yet somewhat depressing book as the main character realizes what he’s destroyed, yet leaves a glimmer of hope at the end as he passes off the last tree seed to a young boy to plant. I loved the bittersweet end, as it got the message across and made me want to care about preserving nature. The premise of the story is in proper Seuss fashion as we realise that the environment is very important to humans and nature, corporate greed can lead to losing yourself within the mass amount of madness you created and most importantly, if you don’t care enough to change the problems you see in today’s society, nothing will change. And I like that message.
13. Avatar
Make no mistake about it, Avatar is a deeply spiritual movie. While giving us a natural world of beauty, it also forces us to deal with the shadow side of life. It vividly depicts and condemns the blindness, selfishness, and destructiveness of the path of warfare, violence, and the use of technology to destroy the Earth and others considered to be subhuman or “collateral damage.”
This story celebrates diversity and other ways of knowing. The “People,” like other tribal cultures, value harmony, simplicity, community, the spirit in nature, the sacred feminine, and an Earth-based cosmology that is totally in sync with contemporary spirituality movements: reverence for Gaia (earth) as a living being and the Oneness movement that celebrates the interconnection of all beings.
Spiritual Lessons from the Na’vi:
1. Seeds, trees, animals, insects, water, and leaves are all part of the web of life. Everything is alive and conscious and interconnected.
2. It may be necessary to kill for food. A clean kill involves respect and a ritual for any animal that gives itself to you for food and other uses.
3. Even vicious and seemingly violent animals have the right to protect their turf and participate in the dance of life.
4. Having a good heart and being fearless is part of being a warrior.
5. Signs are all around us in nature and in our own experiences: they are meant to be read and interpreted.
6. Using the power within us is the way of the sacred feminine.
7. A greeting is an act of engagement with another. Open and active presence is conveyed by the words “I see you.”
8. It is important to listen to the voices of the ancestors.
9. Everyone is born twice: once at birth and once again when he or she earns a place within the community.
10. Energy is pulsating in and through all forms of life.
11. Mother Earth doesn’t take sides; she protects only the balance of life.
12. Healing is an act of the community calling upon the divine.
13. Everyone needs to train in attunement to the spirit in nature.
14. The magical flights of the shaman invoke spirit helpers.
15. The world is a collaborative work in progress in which each individual in the tribe has something to contribute to the whole.
14. The Golden Compass
To be completely honest, I haven’t watched this film all the way through. But I really want to! (I have this amazing ability to fall asleep within the first 10 minutes of any film, which just shows how good this list of movies actually is, as this is the only one I haven’t completely watched at least once!) The Golden Compass is set in a retro-futurist version of the real world: a faintly Gilliamesque place of bizarrely crowded neo-classic cities and Heath Robinson flying machines. Here, human beings all have their own “daemons”, like witches’ familiars, but benign, shape-shifting essences that incarnate that person’s human spirit. It is a world ruled over by the Magisterium, a powerful mind-control cult. Boldly contesting the Magisterium is Lyra’s adored uncle and guardian, the gallant Lord Asriel, who, like Indiana Jones, has a glamorous career portfolio. Asriel is a man of action, mystical seer, anthropologist and Oxford don. From his travels in the frozen north, he has found evidence of other worlds and other existences. He is thus suspected of heresy by the Magisterium, keen to impose a kind of Vatican-Caliphate-Soviet rule over all minds. Its agent, Mrs Coulter, is set to work on Lyra and also pursues a horrible plan against children generally. I love the spectacular colours, sci-fi special effects and grandeur of all the characters and can’t wait to watch it again in full.
15. V For Vendetta
In those moments when we need a little bit of girl-power oomph, and encouragement to stick up for our beliefs and values, V For Vendetta will come in perfect timing. I love Natalie Portman in this, as she gracefully displays her skilful acting and completely embraces her role, fighting for freedom and liberty in the widest sense of the word. The movie is multiply layered, filled with symbolism and deeper meanings but with one clear main message in it; People should not be afraid of their governments. Governments should be afraid of their people. It shows that if enough people are behind something, things can be achieved. Even killing and acts of terrorism can be justified. As the character V says; A building is a symbol, as is the act of destroying it. Symbols are given power by people. A symbol, in and of itself is powerless, but with enough people behind it, blowing up a building can change the world.
16. A Good Year
My sister put me onto this film and it gives me that nostalgic feeling that we al sometimes get when we miss our families. Besides that, it’s a beautifully narrated film about a high-flying stockbroker (Russell Crowe) who cares about no one, loves money and especially loves being an arrogant git. But when his uncle Henry dies and leaves him a vineyard in France his initial thoughts are how much can he sell it for; over the course of the film awakens within himself distant memories he thought he’d buried and begins to see things a little differently. Splashed with a little tragedy as well as humour the film does make you think about some of life’s big questions such as; is money important? Or is love important? What makes someone happy? Ultimately it is a film about one man’s struggle with his identity in a world where he thought he had to behave a certain way. It is his interaction with the people he meets and the lessons he realises he learnt from Henry as a child that in a way were detrimental to start with but eventually lead him to make the right choices.
17. The King’s Speech
I love, love, love this film. Its innocence, sweetness, and naturally awkward clumsiness of the characters completely fill my heart and make me tear up every single time. I especially love the part where King George learns to swear and instead of saying fuck, he says fornicate. Makes me laugh so hard!
The story gives us a fascinating look into the struggles faced by George VI on his way to becoming king of England. The storyline is all about his stuttering, but underneath all that are suppressed memories from childhood, growing up in the shadow of an elder brother, perpetual negative reinforcement from a domineering father, etc. The heart of the movie, however, is the relationship between George and Lionel Logue, an unconventional speech therapist who is helping him overcome his speech problems. Firth is brilliant as the aloof, initially reluctant and distrustful monarch, while Rush shows wink-of-the-eye humour and irony, relishing the sheer inequality of their positions yet knowing the extent to which George is dependent on him. Ultimately a true friendship develops between the men, and since they are both such endearing characters, it’s a joy to watch.18. Finding Neverland
A fictionalized account of the love story that led to the infamous creation of Peter Pan, not only do I love Peter Pan, as I feel like I’ll never grow up either, but as you may have noticed by now, am in adoration of many of Johnny Depp’s works of art. He has incredible taste in scripts and knows how to bring characters to life in the most authentic and vulnerable ways. This film is full of sensitive moments between the family and playwright, James Barrie which will leave you filled with love, creative writing impulses and the desire to speak like Shakespeare.
19. Closer
Closer is an unusually honest film, which is why I like it. It strikes you in the heart and makes you question the frailty of the human condition. This is a film that focuses less on individuals and more on the relationships between those individuals. If the four characters in Closer were represented by four points on a map, this movie would be a study of the lines that cross between those points, rather than the points themselves. In this way, we can easily see ourselves and each other in what happens on screen: you don’t have to be a photographer to relate to Julia Roberts’ self-loathing adulterer, because the film doesn’t strive to tell the story of where she came from or why she takes pictures. Her character strives to tell the story of someone completely overcome both with lust and with the guilt that accompanies it. These two compulsions feed off of each other so feverishly that she cannot find happiness either in acting on her lust or in abstaining. Telling this side and only this side of her story helps it become more universal, as do the stories of her surrounding characters. If you want to philosophize about life, this will inspire you.
20. Inception
I love dreams. I love dreaming. I love talking about dreams and this film is all about living in the dream world. From architecture to storyline, this movie will have you on edge and wondering even more, how much of our other dream lives are part of our everyday reality.
21. Hearts in Atlantis
This is a gentle, innocent film about the reflections of an ageing man, who returns to his home town after the death of his best friend. This film is perfect if you’re ready to get all cosy and shed a few tears on the love and wonderment of life. I’m not usually a fan of any of Stephen King’s work because I generally find it too gruesome but the paranormal is quietly and beautifully woven into this story in a way that makes it believable and relatable to me. If you look closer, Stephen King is not just a mere auteur of horror but rather, all his stories are melancholic tales about the loss of childhood innocence, which you can see as you become gracefully enchanted by the characters in Hearts in Atlantis and led into opening your eyes wider to the beauty of life. By the many subtle touches throughout, filmed in gloomy blue and grey tones, and golden sepia treatment, you are left with a sense of incredible, heartbreaking and shattering beauty.
22. Memento
If I told you the entire plot of this film it really wouldn’t matter as it is an exquisite paean to the subjectivity of memory and therefore is in itself ambiguous; the ‘truth’ of it is up to you. You come out questioning yourself, your memories, and your truths. Nothing in this film is as it seems, and yet paradoxically everything is as it seems. We see everything through Guy Pearce’s character’s (Lenny) eyes, unfortunately, he has no short-term memory so cannot form new memories. He would have already forgotten the first sentence of this review. He lives in snapshots of life; his only form of memory is his Polaroid camera, just like in the excellent German film Wintersleepers; also (partly) about a short-term memory disorder.
23. Amelie
For 20 years Jean-Pierre Jeunet collected small astonishing and intriguing moments in his life, taking notes in his diary, not knowing that he was up to co-write and direct one of the most successful films in French film history. Jean-Pierre Jeunet fell in love with the story and the film he titled Le fabuleux destin d’Amélie Poulain.
This movie is for everyone who understands passion or who has lost his/her childhood somewhere along the way. If you love art, music, sunshine and poetry then you are qualified for seeing this movie, be warned though… It will change your life.24. The Princess Bride
This film marks the first time I ever fell in love. I was 6 years old and completely enamoured by the man in the mask and had fantasies of growing up and getting married to this mysterious stranger. It seems my affinity for the mystical has never changed and I still prefer my life and men to have a magical, alluring sense to them.
The story is a classic tale of love and adventure as the beautiful Buttercup, engaged to the odious Prince Humperdinck, is kidnapped and held against her will in order to start a war, It is up to Westley (her childhood beau, now returned as the Dread Pirate Roberts) to save her. On the way, he meets a thief and his hired helpers, an accomplished swordsman and a huge, super-strong giant, both of whom become Westley’s companions in his quest.25. Almost Famous
There was a time in the US rock circuit before music videos and online marketing. That was the time when several little-known bands toured all over the country… accompanied mostly by drugs and groupies. Writer-director Cameron Crowe takes us to that infamous scene of sex, drugs and rock n’ roll in the 1970s with this semi-autobiographical work, which is not only equipped with his brilliant direction and screenplay but also with amazing performances by some relatively lesser-known actors. It’s a terrific coming-of-age story, it’s a bittersweet love story, with beautiful dialogue, but it’s Crowe’s obvious love for the music, and for the people who love it, that makes ALMOST FAMOUS the best thing ever.
26. Stand By Me
Stand By Me takes place in the summer of 1959, the general time period that Stephen King is most skilled at presenting, and four friends set out to find the body of a kid who was killed by a train, hoping to find what they predicted would be astronomical fame. Unfortunately, the town’s bullies are also out to find the body for the same reason, which leads to the film’s ultimate final climax. Even though this is a very clever story with which to tell a fall from innocence story, it is the brilliant characterization and the incredible acting that really make this a classic film. It is extremely rare that a film comes along that stars young kids and is so moving and powerful.
27. Hugo
Magic. Art. Love. Paris. Amazing cinematography. Martin Scorsese. And the most beautiful child I have ever seen. What more do you need to know to go and watch this film immediately! Hugo is a young boy who lives inside the walls of a train station in Paris in the 1930s. His father dies, leaving behind a mysterious automaton that, when fixed, can write. Hugo makes it his mission to fix it, believing that it will reveal a message from his father. With the help of an eccentric girl named Isabelle, he tries to uncover a magical mystery about the old man at the toy booth (Isabelle’s godfather) and enchanting early films. If you love imagination, mystery and wonder, you will fall in love with this film, just like I did.
28. Much Ado About Nothing
Some love stories are built on passion, some on courage and some on hope. Very rarely do you come across a love story that encompasses itself around an Elizabethan comedy. Much Ado About Nothing introduces us to the world of Shakespeare, who mirrors the most innocent of sentiments which lie locked up within the depths of our hearts. He wins us over in the first frame because he is one among us. It is not his heroism which makes him surreal, but his vulnerability which makes him endear-able. We fall in love with these characters because they are scared of the unknown just like us. What makes them heroes is their conviction and spirit, which makes them embark on a widespread journey in the search for love and faith.
29. Romeo and Juliette
I think the best thing about this movie is that it brought Shakespeare to millions of people who would never have normally appreciated it. Baz Luhrman took the story and threw it into modern times, cast fresh young actors, gave it a modern soundtrack and directed a masterpiece. The story otherwise remains exactly the same, word for word. Most of the people who see this don’t even realise they’ve just had an English lesson by the end of it!
30. Waiting For Forever
This might just be my favourite love film of all time. The characters are honest and real, with insecurities, emotions and problems that we can all relate to, but towards the end, when the boy realizes that loving without expecting to be loved in return, is what true love really is, shatters my heart as it splinters in many little pieces. I love the vulnerability of it all, the honesty and the fact that life is raw and messy, and confusing and we can love on top of all that and then still let go. My words are not enough to share the deep feelings evoked through this touching tale, so you’ll just have to see it for yourself. It’s a bit slow, and an indie film, which is exactly how I like it.
31. August Rush
I remember coming across this film years ago, when I was sick at home and looking for something to entertain me. What a surprise it was to discover this beautiful film about a child who has unbelievable talents as a musician. “August Rush” is sort of a feel-good, modern-day fairy tale involving a parent/child separation and a boy’s unrelenting search to be reunited with his parents. But the primary theme is Music as a healing force in the Universe that draws us all together. The film stars Freddie Highmore, as the orphaned musical prodigy; Keri Russell, as the sheltered cellist from Juliard; Jonathan Rhys Meyers, as the Irish singer/songwriter/guitarist; Robin Williams as Wizard, the street performer who takes August under his wing; and Terrence Howard as the social worker who works with the orphan boy and his mother.
32. The Island
The Island is a futuristic action thriller. Set in the year 2019, residents of the last human city live sheltered lives after a disease has contaminated most of the globe. They know the ocean, grass, insects, and all of the world’s wonders only from pictures and looking outside the window. None of them has ever smelled fresh air. The only drive in their lives is that someday they could move to the last habitable island in the world. I like this film especially because it highlights how we are being programmed and brainwashed to believe things that are entirely untrue, and how much strength and courage it takes to break out of the mould that we are ever so comfortably squeezed into. The Island will leave you thinking about the choice you make in your life and whether you’re actually living on your own terms or not.
33. The Labyrinth
My first memory of this film is being 5 years old, at a friend’s house, and being so scared of the creatures in the labyrinth that I cried. I’m a sensitive child! My friend teased me for being such a baby but the film left such a strong effect on me that a few years later, at the ripe old age of 7, I was compelled to watch it again and this time was mesmerized. David Bowie is incredible and I will forever adore complex labyrinths and mystical creatures that surprise you over and over throughout the tale.
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Manifesting 101 Gypset Style: How To Write Notes To The Universe
I’m about to let you in on a little secret. The number one method that I use, to bring more of what I want into my life.
It’s very simple. I write notes to the universe.
Normally, I just wrote them into a special notebook. But then I started emailing them. Every day. And so much more magic started happening!
HOW IT BEGAN
We were sitting around the kitchen table one afternoon, laughing about some anecdotes and sharing stories about our latest miracles and manifestations. When one of the girls shared her little secret. She had set up a special email account to which she wrote an email every single day, asking for what she wanted. And tells us about how she always gets everything she asks for. We asked her for examples and she gave us many.
A clothing brand that she wanted to start selling in the shop she works in, suddenly appeared because of a mix-up. A man that she once had a crush on and wanted to date but hadn’t heard from for years, contacted her suddenly, after she asked the universe for it, in an email. Right now she’s asking for a husband. She says the universe is still working on this one because it’s a big one.
And I liked the idea. I loved the idea so much that I wanted to share it with you. Because you are the special ones. Because I trust and love you. And because we all deserve to ask the universe for what we want, and really start manifesting big things.
WHAT ‘NOTES TO THE UNIVERSE’ IS
Notes To The Universe is a sacred space to which you can send your hopes, dreams and wishes. It’s an email address to which you can send your notes full of prayers, wishes and plans, every single day of your life, to give them a voice, clarity, and a tangible possibility to become reality. It helps define and focus on what it is you want and gives you practice in asking for the things that you know you deserve.
Notes To The Universe is an email address: notestotheuniverse@gmail.com. Your own personal manifestation station.
WHY IT WORKS
Writing out what your hopes and dreams are, means that you have to get really clear and specific in your head, about what it is that you want. Writing helps you to identify the little things that are important to you, that we otherwise might not be able to articulate and put in words, with clarity and brevity, what we wish to manifest.
The universe loves it when we are clear with what we want because that makes the manifestation process so much easier and faster. Writing emails also means that we identify where we are in relation to our dreams, which gives our subconscious space to start finding solutions for us. Also, the writing process also helps us focus on our goals and remember what is truly important to us.
HOW IT WORKS
To receive the things that we dream of, we first have to prepare ourselves for them. Learning to RECEIVE is as important as learning to ASK for the things that we want in our lives. When we start to focus on the things that are really important to us, we become more sensitive and open to opportunities relating to those things, as well as more aware and able to respond when opportunities arise.
By writing down and creating a focused intention, we clearly let the universe know that we are ready for said thing, your attention for receiving becomes refined and you subconsciously begin to create space in your life for this thing. By creating the space and letting go of the stuff that is holding us back and no longer serves us, we, as if by magic, begin to manifest our desires very simply and easily.
WHAT TO DOWrite an email to notestotheuniverse@gmail.com. Make it a daily practice. I do. It means that things start moving faster.
1. Start your letter with a greeting. Dear Universe works. Sometimes I get all flamboyant and call her darling, sweetness and goddess.
2. The next part is your gratitude. Write all that you are thankful for in your life. Say thank you for all the manifested magic you’ve already received. Really delve into your appreciation for all you have, until you bask in a warm glow of abundance and gratitude. Manifesting works from how you FEEL and to receive abundance and fulfilment you have to feel abundant and fulfilled already.
3. Finally, write with great clarity and in as many finite details as you can, what you would like to manifest. Get really super clear on the what.
- What it looks like.
- What it feels like, and
- Why you want to bring this into your life experience.
4. Then sign off with loving gratitude and be ready and open to receive.
IMPORTANT NOTES- Remember that the Universe always has our highest good intended for us, which means that we need to let go of the HOW and the WHEN of our dreams and manifestations. The experiences we wish for will always, always show up, but how they reveal themselves in our lives can often be a surprise.
- Everything always happens at the perfect time. Also, since time doesn’t exist, except for in our minds, the time it takes to for our dreams to realise, depends entirely on our clarity both in intention and in our subconscious. Sometimes we say we know what we want, but there are actually limiting beliefs and blockages holding us back from receiving what we want, so we need to go back and clear those out until our energy field is completely and resolutely certain that this is what we want to manifest.
- Doubts and fears arising are completely normal. Acknowledge them as they pass through your mind, give them a nod but no meaning, and continue in focusing on what it is you choose to manifest.
- Be careful what you wish for. You will always get it, and sometimes you’ll realise that it’s not actually what you want.
- This email address is completely secure. No one will ever read your notes. They are completely confidential and private.
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Make More Magic. 7 Days A Week
Imagine if every single day was lived out to its full possibilities and potential.
Imagine how it FEELS when life is easy, and in the flow.
Imagine what would happen if you lived in alignment with each days’ energies.
More magic. 7 days a week.
I recently had an astrology reading with the extraordinarily astute and intuitive Zoe from Astrozo.com, who introduced me to the meanings of each day of the week and the energetic vibrations each of these hold. Understanding how to access the potential of each allows us to live a life more in the flow, with more ease, and more joy. Which means we can make more magic, every day.
This got me thinking about the days of the week, and how I am intuitively structuring my days, in tune with what feels like comes most easily. By tuning into the natural flow.
For example Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the days on which I schedule most of my coaching calls; Fridays I like to indulge in creative outlets; and Saturdays are filled with social activities, going to the market to get the weeks supply of organic fruit and vegetables and catching up on any meetings or calls that couldn’t take place during the week. Sunday I like to keep completely un-scheduled (as you will learn at The Winter Nurture Workshop, you’re coming, right?!) and just be spontaneous whereas Mondays are about inner-reflection and spiritual practices, and doing the inner work that’s necessary to shift anything that’s holding me back.
MONDAY. MOON.
Monday’s: Get in touch with your feelings, be mindful of your moods, purify your surroundings, show compassion.
Monday: Monday is a moon day, and so we are dealing with emotions, moods, intuition and the shadowy side of life. Many people report Monday as the most challenging day of the week. It’s no wonder, as the moon carries with it erratic and sometimes unpredictable energy. We can counteract fast fluctuations in lunar energy by taking note of the phase of the moon every Monday. This lets our logical mind know “where we stand” in a metaphorical sense.
Best tasks for Mondays: Meditation, dream analysis, quiet time, personal indulgence, rest, relaxation, sleep.
TUESDAY. SPIRITUAL WARRIOR.
Tuesday’s: Express your passion, get some exercise, release pent up frustration/energy.
Tuesday: Mars is an aggressive planet. In fact, its namesake in Greek myth was the god of war. Tuesday is a driving force in the workweek, and will auger a sense of productivity, competition, effectiveness, determination and completion. With these kinds of energies in the forefront, Tuesday is the perfect day for finishing long overdue tasks. Conversely, Tuesday is also a great day to start new projects.
Best tasks for Tuesdays: Building strategies at work and in career, marketing, acting on new ideas, starting new projects, cleaning out clutter, exercising, finishing to-do lists or catching up.
WEDNESDAY. ODEN.
Wednesday’s: Study, travel, research, meditate, teach, talk, write, hold meetings.
Wednesday: Mercury is the messenger of the heavens. It facilitates clear communication, and carries new information to our awareness in extremely precise and effective ways. Mercury also augers higher perception too. I love the synchronicity of Wednesday landing in the middle of the week because it gives a pervasive sense of connectivity. In a way, Wednesday is the vital communications link to all other days – it’s like the network server of the week (to use computer terms).
Best tasks for Wednesdays: Communication of course! Catch up on emails, thank you notes, letters, phone calls, etc. Wednesday is a good day to sign contracts (that is, if Mercury is not in a retrograde) too. Mercury is also a beneficent energy for short travel, so plan your day trips accordingly.
THURSDAY. EXPANSIVE.
Thursday’s: Donate to a charity or worthy cause, make an investment, show your appreciation.
Thursday: Jupiter. A survey concludes Thursday is the most productive day of the week in business. It’s no wonder, as Jupiter has a way of lighting a fire under us and getting us moving. Jupiter is the planet of enterprise and expansion. It’s also an extremely optimistic planetary energy that can be felt all through the day on Thursdays when we tune into it.
Best tasks for Thursdays: Socializing, networking, marketing. Working with financial tasks such as the stock market or even checkbook balancing will lead to positive results in the long term when done on Thursdays while ruminating in Jupiter energy.
FRIDAY. VENUS DAY.
Friday’s: Appreciate the people in your life, go on a date, show your love, recognize beauty, make new friends. Enjoy fashion and creative pursuits.
Friday: We all know Venus energy, and when it comes to the symbolic meaning of days, Venus is a highly appropriate vibe for Friday, the traditional end-of-the-workweek day. Venus is about love, connection, belonging, comfort, sensuality and passion. If you think about it, the majority people who have traditional Monday – Friday workweeks tend let their hair down and really celebrate on Fridays (points for kicking off the weekend too). Friday is an all-around-feel-good day, replete with the energy of friendliness and kindness. Interestingly, Friday is also the most popular (romantic) date night too.
Best tasks for Fridays: Romance, romance, romance! Did I mention romance? Fridays are also perfect for expressing your love amidst friends and family. This is a great day for pleasure and appreciation, so trips to places that make you feel indulged, luxurious or pampered are good too (like a spa, salon, the movies, a jewelry store).
SATURDAY. STRUCTURE.
Saturday’s: Clean your house, take a break, finish a project, meet a deadline. Today is about structure, workshops and planning.
Saturday: Saturn can be a stern energy and a real taskmaster too. This makes Saturday one of the most advantageous days of week because opportunity for productivity and completing tasks is optimal. Unlike Thursday/Jupiter however, Saturn isn’t as jovial when working to get a job done. In fact, Saturdays are best put to use when we thoroughly plan for prevention. Preparing for the week ahead on Saturday will align our Saturn energies and bring about satisfactory results for each consecutive day in the week.
Best tasks for Saturday: Housework, preparation for upcoming events, academic tasks like studying and homework, catching up on a backlog of work (I’m always working Saturdays.)
SUNDAY. SUN.
Sunday’s: Take time for you, take a nature walk, get in touch with your spirit, meditate.
Sunday: The Sun is notorious throughout time and cultures as being a day of rest, the sun shines brightly on our Sundays with clarity, vitality and a sense of well being. This day is optimal for soaking up some social-warmth by being with family, friends and neighbors. It’s also a perfect day to catch up on our rest and relaxation. The sun is all about radiance, sharing, expressing, expanding, illumination and growth. The sun is also about provision, as it insures the continuation of life as we know it.
Best tasks for Sunday: Rest, relaxing, having fun with loved ones, gardening, grocery shopping, cooking and worship for the purpose of illumination.
All images are courtesy of Free People. -
The Gypset Guide to Understanding Moon Cycles
The way that the moon affects our tides, our feelings and emotions, and our monthly cycles, is a mystical wonder to behold. I have always been fascinated with the moon and, like the Greeks and Romans, I see it as some kind of powerful force that both supports and guides me.
The moon affects the Earth in physical ways; its gravitational pull helps to create our ocean’s tide. The Earth and Moon are attracted to one another like magnets. The moon tries to pull on everything on the Earth to bring it closer, but the Earth is able to hold onto everything except the water. Since the ocean is constantly moving and the Earth is unable to hold onto it, tides form.
I have always believed that the moon’s gravitational pull not only has an effect on our oceans but it also has an effect on our brains and emotions — after all, the human body is mostly water.
Whenever I look up into the night sky and see the moon, I know that, by understanding the cycle the moon is currently in, helps me to understand and guide my decisions, emotions and the way I am feeling about, and responding to life right now.
Here’s my guide to understanding the moon and its effect on our daily lives.
NEW MOON
New beginnings, fresh starts, optimism, hope and faith.
The New Moon, or “low ebb” of the Moon, signals preparation for a new cycle. The actual day of the New Moon is an ideal day to write down a simple list of what we hope to achieve or to manifest in our lives—to put it out there in the universe.
From New Moon to Full Moon is a good time to initiate new projects and plant seeds. People in general are more receptive to new ideas. This two-week period is the time to make plans and get supplies, to gather our strength, to let ourselves be fortified by getting plenty of rest. The New Moon is also a good time to replace negative habits with new buy levitra online healthy habits. The New Moon is very positive in nature.
If you want your hair to grow more quickly this is the ideal day to give it a trim. It’s also the most auspicious time to start a new health or exercise regimen, make lists of your aspirations for the coming cycle, plant seeds, or start new creative projects.
WAXING MOON
Building, accomplishments, creativity, strength, growth and learning, positive transformation.
For the two weeks from the New Moon to the Full Moon, the Moon is increasing in light. This is the waxing Moon. Our bodies tend to absorb and retain water as it nears and responds to the hot and dry influence of the First Quarter Moon.
It is easier to gain weight during the waxing phase of the Moon, even if we take in the same amount of calories. That is partly because we are expending less energy as our bodies are in a naturally restful phase as it is replenishing and storing energy. This tendency to gain a little weight is also because everything taken into the body is more effective now, including the absorption of calories, vitamins, and nutrients. This goes for the good things as well as the bad, and the nearer the waxing Moon gets to Full Moon, the more effective our absorption becomes.
FULL MOON
Abundance, harvest, wish-fulfillment, manifesting desires, sexuality, achieving all dreams, protection.
The few days when the moon is full or close to it, are kind of a crescendo as evidenced by all that full moon lore. On the evening of the full moon it appears on the horizon exactly at the moment the sun sets on the western horizon.
Full moon is a good time to plan parties and social activities, as well as sales for businesses. Creativity and intuition can feel heightened. Energy is at a peak.
WANING MOON
Letting go, clearing away, cleansing, releasing, shedding old patterns, undoing bindings, opening up problem-knots, making space.
Once the full moon is over, it begins to shrink down again, and this is known as a ‘waning’ moon. Tasks of wrapping up and completion of a project can flow more easily during this period.
For us, this can mean a natural time to turn within a bit, taking stock of the growth during the past cycle – sifting through the experiences, cleaning up, documenting. As the dark of the moon approaches you might notice a dip in your energy level, more of an inclination to rest, sleep and replenish.
Finalize projects, take care of last details during a waning moon cycle. If you’re wanting to declutter your home, it’s easier to do it during these weeks because you’re naturally more inclined to let go and throw things out.
Waning moon is also a good time to undertake a cleansing diet program or fast. Your body will more naturally accept the cleansing.
DARK MOON
Rest, Peace, deep wisdom, divination, contacting the guru within, letting things die away completely.
The dark new moon – when you can’t see it at all – is an ideal day to complete and prepare. There’s a natural lull in energy levels, similar to the waning moon during the previous week, making it an ideal time to organize and take stock to complete the last cycle and prepare for the next.
Vienda Maria 