Are you hooked on stereotypes?

I do this a lot - so subliminally I barely recognise it sometimes...

I make assumptions about what I can and can't do based on stereotypical images in my head.

I'm no expert here, but I think we all do this right? 

Our ego loves a definite proposition and stereotypes and pigeonholing can be very appealing, even necessary sometimes.

Except when it stops us from moving forward.

We hold our stereotypes up to the light, mount them on a pedestal and bow down to their stories of suffering and mishap. 

It's amazing how a good story can have a greater allure than following your heart even when that story is holding you back.

My regulars at the moment are romantic images of total self-sufficiency in the 70s (a la 'The Good Life') and the stereotype of the warm motherly figure baking bread and homeschooling her children 24/7. Lovely stories and images that feed my ego but I somehow always fall short of.

How do I know these are constructs of my ego and not my soul gold?

Firstly, they're extreme. I hear myself saying things like 'I'm doing x so I should be doing y aswell' or 'I can't have that AND that - they don't go together'. 

I also know because, when I slow down enough, I can feel myself pulled off centre. Trying to be something other than myself.

And that's not cool.

So what do I do?

Firstly, I gently remind myself that I don't need to throw the baby out with the bath water (a favourite saying in my family). In other words, there's still merit in the images in my head, they just need some adjusting.

Then, when all is calm again, I (gently) visualise myself unhooking the parts of said stereotype. I take my image of total self-sufficiency (for example) and see that it's made up of lots of actionable parts and I imagine unhooking them from one another, so that I may more easily choose the parts that feel right for me, and be okay with letting the other parts go.

Then I feel ease return, and I can step forward once again with a real picture of myself.

Which stereotypes/images in the media/identities are you commonly drawn to? Are you hooked up with them?

Let the full moon re-align you

It was a full moon last night and exactly 6 months since that first full moon in January when intentions and resolutions were being set by your heart.

How are you feeling about those intentions now? Are your vibrations just as high? Your motivation just as peaked?

This time of year is often a low for me and I can find it difficult to feel positive about those dreams that have not yet manifested.

And so if this description suits you also (I get it), I have some advice, and some good news...

"You can never miss so long as you're still aiming" - the universe

If your goals and dreams for the year have not yet manifested, keep aiming at them.

If you're not where you wanted to be, keep taking action.

Aiming and action are all you need to focus on, the universe will take care of the rest. 

And so, this 6th full moon of the year is the perfect time to review those intentions, to cement them in your sights, and to make 2014 The Year You Actually Did It.

Need some more inspiration? 

Here are some quotes to get you going:

"A year from now you will wish you started today" - I've seen this written in various forms where motivation is required. Have you seen it too?

"Start before you're ready" - Tara Bliss

"The secret to success is constancy of purpose" - Benjamin Disraeli

I hope by now you're starting to feel pumped up and ready to get back in the saddle. I'm certainly looking forward with great enthusiasm to the next 6 moons and the amazing opportunities that are coming my way.

And don't forget, my Mid-Year Metamorphosis Coaching Program opened three weeks ago. Details are here beautiful souls, I can't wait to work with you xxx

Facing the death of a loved one

"Everything is connected, everything continues" - Thich Nhat Hanh

This is the week my Nan passed away. She was a gentle soul, a stable love in my life and had the most graceful smile I've ever experienced.

To say I miss her is an understatement and my heart is most certainly broken open with a despair that I'm trying hard to contain.

It feels murky here in these depths - a grey void of difficulty where my ego desperately wants things to stay the same and my heart knows she needed to move on. That I need to move on too.

I'm no expert on the death of loved ones and to be very raw and vulnerable with you - I avoid thinking about it and go out of my way to avoid the fear of my own death.

Nan's passing has made me panicky and afraid - of depression returning and of my own coming end one day.

I need to be super kind with myself right now and thought you'd like to know how I've been giving to myself in this time of turmoil:

1. I'm letting myself cry. Perhaps an obvious one but very important all the same.

2. I'm admitting to myself that this heartache is necessary for my spiritual growth. Heartache is good. It opens us up and let's us give more.

3. I'm choosing to believe that Nan continues on in us all, in my whole family, in the very fibre of our physical beings. Her love and strength now falls upon our shoulders to be carried forward.

As I said, I'm no expert on this, but I'm working on grounding myself through these actions.

I'm also thinking logically that there are joys to be had from every moment of our lives - otherwise why are we here? 

And so as I feel that grief and ache in my heart I also recognise that I'm so, so privileged to have had Nan's unconditional love, her gentleness and her care. The force of my grief is a testament to that. And with that knowledge I have a great strength to love and live with joy.

When we transmute and transform our pain, 

when we let it change us, 

we let the sun shine again.

A quote to leave with you...

"I am not afraid of dying because I see myself in...you. You have come to learn with me and there is a lot of me within you. I am giving myself to you. If you have received some understanding, some compassion, and some awakening from me then I am continued in you. Later on, if someone wants to look for me, they just come to you and they see me". Thich Nhat Hanh

The power of vintage arts for raising your vibrations

Here's what my evenings have been looking like lately, once our girls are safely tucked up in bed.

A bit of chocolate, some peppermint tea, a good number of stitches on my needles and I'm a happy mama.

There's something so comforting about knitting, particularly in our colder months - the warmth of the wool, the brightness of the colours in our sometimes drab weather and the sheer meditative simplicity of one stitch after another. Something we can all benefit from, am I right?

This is the Milo vest, which I first discovered through Soulemama and have knitted several times before. This time for a fast growing Bethany in orange, claret and turquoise stripes.

As I write I'm sitting here enjoying the quiet of late eveningtime with the welcome company of my unencumbered thoughts and the rhythm of my knitting. 

It's blissful and creative. A joyful vintage meditation. And I think it's something we all aspire to. Handmade fun. Sleek simplicity. Transformed goodness.

You don't need expensive self-help books or years of lengthy self-analysis or even time to formally meditate each day to feel calm and grounded - sometimes you just need to get back to basics, like they did in the past naturally. A bit of knitting each day, some hand stitching, a homemade birthday card or tightening up the waistband on those too-big pants for your daughter - all are grounding, creative and simple in their intent. 

This is what we need. This is what transforms us organically. One stitch at a time.

So get into it Mamas, and manifest that simplicity you desire through good, old-fashioned handcrafts. My best wishes for simple days to you with love. Xx

Let your heart speak through your hands

So often our hearts don't get a chance to be heard over the loud voices in our heads.

For me, my journal is my regular everyday ritual where this magic gets to happen.

Journalling is about connecting with your soul. About being totally, mindfully present with yourself in the now.

And I feel called today to tell you that this is another day of potential journalling for you lovely.

I know you've written in a journal before. I know you've started and stopped, and started and stopped again.

I know this resistance, this illusion that inspiration must come before writing has held you up.

And I'm here today to say that you can change that. You can freaking rock that journal. Everyday.

Here's my confession...

I stopped writing in my journal these past few days. It just didn't happen, and today almost didn't either, as lots of excuses and a general malaise trundled in.

Now it's late in the day and I'm tired, but I can't let resistance beat me another day. I need to journal.

I need that communion with soul and spirit that happens so easily when I show up to my journal.

And you do too.

You need that chance to get it out, sort it out, ask for help, ask for guidance, be.here.now.

So what did I do?

 I kept trying. I brought my attention back to my journal again and again. I let myself feel bad that I hadn't written - I welcomed those feelings with love. Then I got my journal out and sat down.

So here's my advice for you....

- just get that journal out

- just leave it on the kitchen table

- just open it to the right page

- just write one word

- just keep going

- just do it again tomorrow

When we take these little steps by themselves we take the size out of the monster. We move past that resistance. 

We give our hearts a chance to speak to our hands without our heads getting in the way.

Best of luck beautiful xx

Could superquestions improve your spiritual nutrition?

I'm back in Melbourne after 11 weeks of travelling around Australia and it feels warm and comforting to be back in the fold of family at this time, despite the cold and miserable weather outside.

It's been challenging at times, this travel and transition, and I thought you'd like to know how I've kept myself grounded and focused.

I've been through quite a fast transition as I've returned to the South - and oh my resistance feels stronger when change is happening fast!

I've felt lethargic, vague, unclear. I know you know that feeling too.

And yet sneaking past resistance is the most grounding thing I can do amongst this change. It keeps me stepping forward and anchored in my spiritual reality rather than tied to my changing physical reality.

So how have I done this, I hear you asking?

Well primarily I've fallen back on some special Superquestions to kick my spiritual nutrition up a notch in these changing times. Much like Superfoods, these are the ones that have great nutrient-density, that add to my health and raise my vibrations - especially when change and overwhelm are afoot.

The how?

It's based on the premise that when we ask a question, our brains love to find answers to it - so why not asksuper-questions?

My favourites?

How can I be kind to myself today?

How soon can I experience greater abundance?

How soon can I write something wildly awesome (create an amazing poem/artwork/sculpture)?

How can I step up today?

Which habits can I add today to improve my vitality?

You get the drift I'm sure - any question that empowers, that raises those vibes, that expands from the heart is a gem for sneaking past that resistance and stepping up.

Get into lovelies and feel that shift.

Xxxx

Got your spiritual enzymes working?

Have you been struggling lately with feeling stuck? 

Have you, like me, had trouble dealing with change at times? 

Has the ugly head of resistance reared itself on more than one occasion and held you firm, stuck in that rut?

It's been like that for me on and off on this journey around the country I'm on. Sometimes I've flowed easily with the changing terrain and been productive and creative, then other times have felt difficult, threatening, seized up.

But I've been working through these challenges as they arise - accepting, surrendering, sneaking past - and thought you like to know how I've kept myself on track and true to my passions.

It's no secret, just a bit of everyday magic....

I use catalysts for transformation - spiritual enzymes if you like.

An enzyme is a molecule found in living organisms that assists the transformation of another molecule into a new shape. The enzyme itself then finds another molecule and changes that.....

Soooo, how can we use spiritual enzymes in our everyday to assist in our transformation to a passionate, purposeful life?

It might help to take a look at what a spiritual enzyme might be so here are some I use everyday to precipitate the changes I want in my life....

- I ask myself empowering questions to step up my vibrational energy and look outward with optimism.

- I maintain a daily yoga practice that keeps me in touch with my physical body and it's needs.

- I write. Everyday. Whatever needs to be asked and answered.

- I face whatever fears are in my heart by tapping. Daily.

- I overcome my resistance to stepping forward on this spiritual journey of life and do at least one task outside my comfort zone each day.

These are the enzymes, the catalysts I rely upon at the moment. They transform me, daily, and help me to move towards my soul projects.

Many of them I have as reminders in my phone to bring them to my attention each day or week and I encourage you to do the same.

This is important, life-changing stuff lovelies - so get yourself on board with these questions:

1. Which enzymes can you use daily to step up to that soul project/life transformation of yours?

2. Where can you put reminders for these catalysts? Fridge? Phone? Mirror? Desktop? Car?

Lots of love your way

xxxxxx

Slow travel, increase change

We've been on the road for 2 months now, travelling in our van with our two girls, camper trailer in tow. Our 100 days around Australia is more than halfway done and we've seen and done a lot.

Lately it's been hot weather, gorges and swimming holes as we've journeyed through the North West parts of our country - Broome, the Kimberley, Katherine Gorge, Darwin and Kakadu.

Some pretty photos for you below:

The girls at Town Beach, Broome

View of the Eastern Kimberley region, El Questro Station

Scarlet Gums glowing in the setting sun, Nitmiluk National Park

Rosie twirling batons at Mindil Beach Sunset Market, Darwin.

And as we've travelled I've been thinking (as those of you who know me will attest - I think A LOT!) about how the act of travelling is like an ongoing experience of rebirth. 

Stay with me here...

Each place we stay awakens new parts of ourselves - some positive, some less so - but either way it shifts us.

Each time we move we allow ourselves into something slightly different. So in a way we are reborn each we enter a new place - it's a new world for us to explore.

I believe this is one of the greater benefits of slow travel - we can increase the rate of change we allow in our lives.

We automatically stretch our comfort zones when we travel, we make more decisions, we move ourselves - literally with kilometres beneath our feet, but soulfully too as we expand our vision of our place in the world.

Xx

The Write Time

What happens when we allow our writing to be transformed?

You know those days when when it feels like a drag - not the 'write' time. When we wait for inspiration to come, when we decide it's just a hobby anyway, that we'll only do it for fun?

But deeper inside we know we want more than that.

We feel it in our heart - 'this is what I want' it whispers. 'This is rightfully yours - always has been, always will be'.

And so we feel the call to move our hobby beyond its amateur characteristics - to see how and where it extends.

One word in front of another, one day, one page at a time.

Writing as exploration, as discovery, as art form, as duty to God, as profession. It's a shift in perception we experience.

From ego-fulfilling to open co-creation with the universe.

And so our hand that writes becomes wholly. It's the top of the iceberg - the visible, physical part that transmits nature's messages and the signs of the spirit.

Writing, as a whole, becomes our job, our work, our spiritual practice. We fit it in, commit to it - multiple times each day, in between interruptions from our children and distraction from others.

What becomes important is that we return to it, again and again, until we've had our say for the day.

This is our job - and by hand, by thumb, by fingers - we are transformed by our writing.

Are you hiding behind your books?

I'm exploring a new way of writing, which is really a new way of creating, a new way of living.

Bear with me as I paint a picture for you...

I've been writing from my soul much more lately, with as much flow as I'm given. I write what feels personally important, what's calling me, without question. I just get it out there.

And a funny thing's been happening.

You know I used to read a lot - self help books, personal transformation books, cutting edge thoughts, programs etc - to ingest others' ideas in order to get through a problem and move forward. 

But the last few years have brought a shift - I'm reading less and writing more.

I'm looking inwards for answers and giving them to the world, rather than looking to others for answers and assimilating them within.

It's a subtle and profound shift.

It seems that there's a time for learning from others before you, and a time for pushing forward, over the edge and into new territory, carving a path where none previously existed.

A path based on faith and trust - a co-created way forward for all.

So, some questions and thoughts for you - Transformed Mamas, Teachers and Lovelies....

Are you hiding behind your books?

Are they, in fact, holding back your creativity?

What would happen if you put the self help books away and trusted yourself instead? What if you embraced the wobbly emptiness of that void and stepped up anyway?

Bluffing

I have to do it. I have to write something creative. I have to be amazing . I have to be something.

This voice is Resistance at work. It's the edge beyond which I extend myself, beyond which I stretch my comfort zone.

You got that Lovely? You got resistance in your life too?

Resistance doesn't want us to go there. It loves when we fail, in fact it's job is to stop us from changing and moving into success.

And this is the tricky part you see, for it uses our enthusiasm against us. It takes the motivation we have for being creative and changes it to obligation.

It knows that our will can't handle that. It knows that we'll give up pretty soon if it feels like hard work.

And then it's won. It's convinced us that we need motivation in order to write (or study, or make that birthday cake or phone call, or do that job), that we need inspiration in order to move forward.

Then we're at the mercy of the next bout of inspiration - our power given away, dis-ease sinking in yet again.

So how do we turn this around? How can we trade up our thoughts to outwit Resistance at its sly game?

We bluff.

We say to our Resistance I don't have to write much, just one sentence. I don't have to write anything amazing or perfect, just a few words. 

That's all - a small, subtle gesture in the right direction that sneaks under the nose of Resistance.

If that isn't enough then we try something smaller - I just need to sit down with a pen and some paper, I just need to pick up that pencil ...

I don't let it beat me. I get stubborn. 

How can you get stubborn and sneak under the nose of Resistance?