Why Yoga and Meditation is More than Hippy Shit


“Yoga is paying attention to what it means to be alive” whispered my yoga teacher as we lay in shavansa (the corpse pose) after an intense yoga session.

As I listened to the silence of 20 people in the room in calmness, hearing only my own heartbeat, I understood exactly what he meant. To-date, I have been practicing yoga for over six years and meditating almost everyday for the past two years. When people find out about my morning meditation practice, I’m sure they conjure up an image of me dressed in white robes sitting on a meditation cushion and chanting. Whilst I do occasionally sit in silence, there are no robes and there is no chanting.

There is a such a stigma with both yoga and meditation that only spiritual people or hippies do it. However, there is a reason why organisations are now bringing yoga into workplaces, and why executives and CEO’s are learning more about being mindful to help balance busy lifestyles. Read More

What Chester Bennington taught me about Vulnerability

 

PUBLISHED ON THOUGHT CATALOG

This article has taken many months to come to fruition. As a writer, I struggle with being vulnerable. I’m scared of not being liked, of being judged and revealing parts of myself that are very raw, which can then be opened up to criticism and judgement.

What is it about that word that gives me such a knot in my stomach, and keeps me analysing everything I say after I reveal a raw part of myself? And, why am I writing a post about vulnerability if I struggle so much with it?

It started the day I was listening to Heavy by Linkin Park – a band that had supported me through my teenage years of angst. This particular song struck a nerve, as we had just lost another musically talented genius, Chester Bennington, the lead singer of the group. Read More

6 Potent Teachings from Eckhart Tolle

 

PUBLISHED ON ELEPHANT JOURNAL 

* This article was one of my best yet, and was viewed by over 9,200 readers & had over 798 shares.

Earlier this year, I attended a talk by a man who I have followed for many years.

A man who has enlightened the world through his books and talks. A man known to the world as a spiritual guru. This man is called Eckhart Tolle, and if you are familiar with his work, then you may have read his first book, The Power of Now.

If you have not heard of Eckhart Tolle, let me introduce you:

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Six Wise Lessons from our Natural World


 

PUBLISHED ON ELEPHANT JOURNAL

If you’re anything like me, an earth child, being out in nature can bring you so much joy.

When I was younger, I would head out into our backyard and talk to the birds. I thought they could understand me. I would spend hours out there chatting away to my visitors. That feeling still hasn’t changed, well talking to the birds has (thankfully) but nature continues to captivate me.

As we get older we lose that curiosity we had as a child. Stepping out into nature brings back that awe and wonder. Not only is it beautiful to look at, but there are also many valuable life lessons it can teach us. Read More

2016, you broke me

2016, you broke me,

You made me feel pain, you unraveled my layers, you tore me down, you gave me many lessons and teachers and you brought everything I have ever feared of to the surface.

You broke me, but you helped me become the person that I was always meant to be. So I could heal, be let out of my cage and taught how to fly.

I was a caterpillar for so long, caught in this cocoon of darkness and you helped me see the light, to become a butterfly and to truly transform into the woman that I am and for that I thank you.

I thank you for this transformational year, the year I discovered how to really feel, how to speak up and the year I saw what others saw in me and realised how much I was worth to the world.

So thank you 2016.

You broke me, but you gave me life.

2017 I’m ready for you, please be nice.

“When she transformed into a butterfly, the caterpillars spoke not of her beauty, but of her weirdness. They wanted her to change back into what she always had been. But she had wings.” – Dean Jackson

Your journey starts with YOU

1496275_10153631545959690_6661130006385673605_oAs I write, my fingers flick over the keyboard knowing exactly what I want to say and exactly why I am writing. I want to write about the personal journey we embark on as we travel through life. Our own personal journey, each and every one of us.

As the years go on and I get older, I also get wiser and realise that whatever is going on in our lives is a reflection of us. It’s a reflection of our thoughts, our desires and our beliefs. Our life right now has been manifested by … ourselves.

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48 Hours of Silence

12509028_907470356032742_1839355349849806538_n (1)We live in a world of noise and it felt good to let the world be silent for 48 hours.

This movement appealed to me as my profession is in Digital Marketing so I am always online and always on some kind of social media, whether it’s Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin or Instagram… either for clients or for myself.

I was getting in the habit of checking my phone all the time and so much of my time was taken up with scrolling through other people’s stories, memes, videos etc. So many distractions and so many reasons to procrastinate…. Read More

Writing & Reflecting – In Memory of a Dear Friend

196872_10150120857744690_525435_n (1)Good friends are like stars, you can’t always see them, but you know they are always there.

As I sit here on the green grass, facing the river and taking in the life around me, I can’t help but think of you Shannon. Today would have been your birthday and for me, it is a day of reflection. Sometimes I am able to face the days without you in my thoughts and sometimes you pop into my mind in sporadic moments.

I can’t believe it has been 4 months already since you left us here on earth and I still can’t really believe you have gone. Thinking of you brings back many memories, from when we first met at 17 years old. We were just teenagers unbeknown to what the future held. Just enjoying our days and just letting life flow. Read More

3 Days of Sun, Surf, Yoga & Me

“Do something today that your future self will thank you for” – Unknown

11077847_10152928311484690_284621596550501898_nSometimes life can get so busy that you forget to take some time out for yourself, to revive, rejuvenate and appreciate what you have and how precious life really is.

This happened to me, after losing a friend of 18 years to Brain Cancer and being the one who sat on his bed as he took his final breaths. I knew then it was time to escape the daily grind and take some time out to mourn his life and appreciate my own a little bit more. For him and for me. Read More