needing some time... x

Hey there, you magical people, you...!

I wanted to touch-base with you all because I know that it has been a little while since I have placed the amount of love and light into SL&L as it deserves. The reason for this is because I am moving through a fairly large shift.

Magic Maree mentions in her most recent post about these feelings of light-headed-ness, forgetfulness, and extreme fatigue, which are showering over me at this present time. I have all of these ideas and thoughts that I am so excited to share with you all, but I am struggling to even find the motivation to work through my chakra meditations each morning.

This isn't a plea for you to feel sorry for me at all, because as I always say, these times when we're shifting may be tough - and this has been a fairly long process for me this time 'round - but it is also an exciting process and I can't wait to come out the other end having grown, feeling more spiritually-connected than before!

This is a time, though, for me to nurture myself, and while I may seem a little 'distant' from the Blog for the next week or so, you are all in my thoughts, and I am sending you lots of love and light xxx

... I hope that you continue to spread your love and light, too... ;-)

xx

follow your heart...

Not-so-long ago, I was sharing a conversation with one of my beautiful friends who I am blessed enough to have and be given the opportunity to share some amazing, inspiring conversations with. She is one of the most graceful, calm, and forgiving people I know, which - in-turn - inspires me to reflect the qualities that she radiates my way. How special...

The conversation evolved into her sharing with me how bad she felt when she was emerged into a situation where - according to the typical, built-up views of today's society - she believed that she was doing something 'wrong', which would have been perceived in a negative light.

Needless to say, it was easy for me to respond to these thoughts that she was sharing, and I thought that I would also share my advice with you all, too - in hope, someone may take this advice away, creating peace-of-mind for them self...

"You should never feel bad in these situations. You are not a malicious person, and you would never set out to purposefully hurt someone.The only reason you feel like a terrible person is because of the black-and-white belief system that has been created by society about what is right and wrong.

This system has been created because people get a sense of satisfaction when they feel as though they're doing the right thing in this world (for example - and respectfully - Christians will have a place kept for them in Heaven if they live by the word of the Lord...). And the only way we can do the right thing is if there is wrong, too, which makes things difficult for those of us who want to follow our heart, but are stopped because what we want for our self is viewed as the wrong thing to do.

And by us stopping our self just so that we can do the right thing - particularly when the intention is not to hurt anyone involved, but to - for example - feel love, make the right decision to follow our dream, or perhaps the bend the rules or curriculum that are laid down in front of us, to truly connect with those who we are working with (from my being-a-teacher point-of-view...), we begin to block that flow of love and light that once naturally flowed so beautifully out of our heart.

For as long as you balance your pattern giving and receiving in life, then you owe it to your self to completely follow your true heart's desires. You only have one shot at this life that you're now living, so never feel bad if you're living a life of excitement, exploration, love, light, and laughter."

You're amazing, lovely lady, and you continue to be an inspiration in my life. Now it's time for you to give your self a break from your judgment and move forward to the beautiful, amazing life that you truly, truly deserve.

love, love, love and light xx

enticing the senses

If I were ever asked to list the top three influences on my happiness in life, it would definitely be these three...

Food. Music. And Relationships.

This is particularly noticeable to me when I am travelling and visiting new places around the world. I will feel as though I have experienced a sound taste for a new place if I have immersed myself in conversation with the locals, shared a meal (and some drinks...), and I find it extraordinarily special when I am also exposed to the local sounds and flavours through some live music.

Needless to say, too, that when I choose to create the perfect day for myself when I am at home, it will usually lead to the search for a tasty meal and drinks, with some local live music, in a social setting filled with similar-minded people to me, where I can share thoughts, ideas, and smiles with others. After a day of such events, I would continue through my week excited, inspired, and intrigued, which I absolutely love...

So I thought that I would share with you my three latest experiences involving these three influences of mine.

Food.

 I absolutely love food, but - more importantly - I find joy in the experiences that can evolve from sitting down to a meal. Being able to find somewhere outside of home where the food is locally-sourced, traded fairly, made with love and passion, and topped with a beautiful setting, always sparks happiness within me.

By being part of a situation such as this, I see this radiant, positive energy growing around me and the people I am with, which always leads to laughter and inspiring conversations. Cushions, fairy lights, candles, and the opportunity to drop by for some live music throughout the week is always a positive, too... ;-)

I recently experienced such a situation at The Thali Cafe, just around the corner from me in Montpelier, Bristol. And from my home-area in Australia, I will always find myself making time for Luffley Cafe in Murwillumbah, especially for live music outside on a Friday evening, and The Cardamom Pod in Byron Bay for freshly-made, authentic Indian, Asian, European, and Middle Eastern recipes...

Music.

As you would know very well now - and I have mentioned throughout SL&L - I cannot go a day without music. Music entices my senses and helps me in creating the perfect energy that I would like to surround myself with at any particular time, be that motivation, inspiration, love, relaxation, or happiness.

I have always found myself drawn to World music - Latin, African, Puerto Rico, Memphis, Louisiana, Cuba, Lounge - anything with a sexy-twist and filled with amazing sounds ;-)

For easy-access to amazing sounds of World music, I'm listening to the sounds from Putumayo World Music.

A quick story, illustrating my addiction to music and the energy it creates... As the Summer warmth and hours began to creep in over Bristol, my friend and I used to spend our time wandering up and down Gloucester Road, which one of the main roads that lead out of the centre of Bristol, filled with art, music, and spiritually-enlightened others.

One evening, we wandered past this little bar-front known as 'Leftbank' and heard these beautiful, sexy sounds pushing their way out through the entrance. We followed these sounds inside, sitting down for a drink. Needless to say, the evening evolved into dancing, smiles, candles, amazing music, and beautiful energy. x

And finally...

Relationships.

This is perhaps the inspiration behind me sharing this post with you... I am part of an online community - Just For The Love Of It - which is currently a project based in Bristol and is used to share ideas, events, skills, and ask and offer for help and advice.

Only this morning, I used this community to ask if anyone knew of anywhere where I could find some local live music for my Sunday afternoon...

I am inspired by how willing the people involved in this community are to create a community fuelled by sharing skills, thoughts, ideas, love, and light just for the love of it. Something so simple, that we can all contribute to.

... I  wonder what creates happiness for you... ?
love, love, love and light to you all xxx

double-you, double-you, double-you, dot.

I have begun a list of relevant websites for you to explore...

The  initial intention was for these links to come from particular posts where I had included another website - such as lightworkers.org etc. - for you to explore. But I will now also add websites that I use, have experienced, and think that you might get something from...!

This list will include places I eat, communities I interact with, music, art, light-work, and spiritual guidance. So have an explore and be inspired xxx

material world

Lately, I seem to be 'leaving behind' or 'losing' so many of my belongings. And what's more, I have been noticing 'signs', reminding me of possessions that I have lost in the past, too...

I don't believe that I have ever really been a materialistic person, even to the point where I used to be quite careless with my belongings. I must admit, though, that there was a time when I was very aware of my appearance, particularly fashion, but my priorities have heavily evolved in the last year or so, and I am much more comfortable solely relying on my energy, ideas, and conversations to now establish new relationships and 'impressions' for those who I now choose to surround myself with.

I guess this post comes to you with two main messages - one of detaching yourself from the material world, and another that everything truly does happen for a reason.

Recently in Croatia, I was ecstatic after buying myself an amazing, amazing umbrella... ;-)   Even though I already owned an umbrella, it had begun to rust a little and had lost it's handle. It still worked perfectly, but - for some bizarre reason - I wanted a bigger and better umbrella. And, lucky me, I found one in Croatia that I purchased and created so much excitement and fuss over for the entire day afterwards.

I did acknowledge my excitement over this umbrella, and thought it to be unusual for this 'new me'. Shortly after I boarded a bus from Split to Dubrovnik, I began to feel that I was going to be taught a lesson, a lesson for how attached I had become to this umbrella, which I didn't even need in the first place. Funnily enough, as I began to grab my bags from the trunk of my hostel's land-lady's car, I realised that I had left my amazing, amazing umbrella on the bus...

Everything is perfect, I was being taught to re-assess my priorities and re-connect with my heart's true desires, and what is important to me right now. A little lesson.

Just something for you to think about...

love, love, love and light xx

face-value...

I have recently been asked to describe my journey through Croatia, and I often find myself being drawn back to one, clear revelation that developed a deep-seeded ideal that is now firmly grounded within my outlook on life... This way of thought has always been something that I choose to follow, but Croatia allowed me to see it with much more clarity and enjoyment  ;-)

For me, personally, I place Croatia on the same page as I do Spain, in terms of places that I have connected with and would like to connect with more deeply through another visit. From my experiences, Spain is a place of majestic landscapes, exploration, beautiful energy, and eccentric, exciting people. Croatia, quite similarly, is also a place of majestic landscapes, exploration, beautiful energy, and people with a more calm and grounded make-up.

Whilst I absolutely adored the exciting and romantic feel of exploring Spain, I was comforted by feeling safe and at-home throughout my journey of Croatia. The people in Spain were physically so expressive with their feelings and emotions, which allowed for a sense of familiarity to be established quite quickly in initial interactions, leading to plenty of drinks and laughs and socialising...!

On the other hand, though, I found that the people in Croatia presented themselves in a more serious fashion, responding very little to my bubbly and friendly nature that I have taught myself to display when first meeting people, hoping that this will give them a quick assessment as to the person I am. And while these attributes are a big part of the person I am, I do sometimes find myself in social situations, tired and exhausted, hoping that those who don't know me aren't thinking that I'm bored or unimpressed or uncomfortable in their presence.

However, I was quickly encouraged in Croatia to appreciate seeing the beauty within each person. I began to find this easier after each interaction I had, particularly with those who greeted me with very little smile, then ending up offering for me to taste their home-made Brandy or Schnapps, wanting to spend time talking and sharing stories.

The more connected you become to your own heart, judging on appearance becomes a much less frequent affair, and you begin to find it much easier - and gain so much more - to focus more on the energy that each person radiates. Amazing...

my croatian journey

Sailing, exploring islands off from Dubrovnik, Croatia...

Croatian Journey

The golden light warms my soul
As it dances on the ocean.
The reflection creates such a glow
To encourage thoughts of growth.

Majestic beauty is steady and firm
And leads you to a place beyond.
A place of hope and love and light,
A place where I begin to 'feel' the most.

xx

You're going to find yourself somewhere, somehow...

stumbling across inspiration

I have spent the last few days thinking to myself, "I really need to be sharing my new thoughts with Spreading Love and Light". But I have been finding it quite difficult to put into words what I have to share. As I've mentioned in my last post on Thursday, I have these ideas written in my book, but I haven't been feeling the spiritually-connected motivation and energy to put these thoughts into the words that I would like to share with you all.

Needless to say, after promising myself that I would wake up today and begin posting, posting, posting, I was blessed to speak with magicmaree over Skype, from one side of the world to another. Being the amazing, amazing woman that she is, she has left me feeling grounded, motivated, excited, strong, and full of integrity. So the timing is now perfect for me to re-connect with all of you...!

I've also been listening to Florence + The Machine lately, which is ever-so-uplifting and inspiring, leaving you feeling strong and connected to yourself. Two powerful songs for you...

Florence + The Machine | Dog Days Are Over

Florence + The Machine | Rabbit Heart (Raise It Up)

rachel's story

A story of spreading love and light from Rachel..

Rachel’s Story.

I spent twelve years working in financial recruitment and finally lost my job in May 2009 having just been headhunted to move to my new employer only seven months before.

So I had no redundancy package or much to show for what I had achieved however I did have Yoga, my final pay packet and a loving partner. I went on a series of interviews pretty swiftly and came very close to getting a job that would've been great for my career. Before the last interview though (it was the fifth one, these guys were thorough) I slammed on the breaks. Did I want to sell the tiny piece of soul I had left. Most definitely not.

So I backed off. Stopped the job search and took some time to face my fear and understand what it might be like to change my path. I hadn't been on the right one for years. My partner is sent from God. He surrounded me with love and support and allowed me to explore what my future might be. It didn't take long. I loved Yoga. Had been told I should be a teacher. So one day after spending a day with a friend who owns her own studio and then meeting another teacher trained in the same discipline as me I made my decision. Three days later I had booked myself onto a teaching training course in India and three months later I was there.

I trained in the Sivananda tradition and their training programme is based on the Gurukula system where you live with the teacher. So here I was, on an ashram, with 70 others, getting up at 4.50am, cold showers, sitting crossed legged on the floor for nine hours daily, sleeping in a dorm with 24 others, chanting, meditating, doing four hours of asana (yoga posture) practice a day and I loved it. I have never been so close to true happiness. I loved the chanting the most. All of my insecurities about myself, my body, my worthiness as human being just melted away. And then came the day that I was awarded my certificate. I just stared at it. I had changed my life. It all came into focus in that one instant. My face ached from grinning. All I can tell you is that I knew I had set myself free.

So I came back to Bristol, started teaching straight away in freezing cold halls and eleven months down the line I now teach six days a week. I have just finished running my first Yoga retreat weekend with a friend. I teach kids, teenagers, runners, cyclists, in gyms, in community centers, in living rooms, in studios, in chiropractors, teachers in schools and in Buddhist centers. My conversations almost always flip back to Yoga. When I was quite young I had this feeling that I could change the world. And now I am. In my own way.

All I can say is that someone up there likes me and I just took a little time to love myself enough to do it. It was hard. I just had faith. I often find myself crying when I chant to my students at the end of my classes (hoping that they can't see) - it's because I'm so happy and amazed that I am blessed enough to live the life I do.

Yoga allows me to help people, to heal and restore them. A greater gift I have never been given.

 

 

Find out more about 'Yoga For The Soul' - Rachel's new journey - here...

serving, sharing, and dishing out

I'm back. And after an uplifting, soul-searching exploration of Croatia, I am ready to once again share some stories to encourage love and light to be spread in and around you all.

I carried my little black book around with me, awaiting inspirations and affirmations to flow through for me to write down and eventually share with you. One entry reads,

Sitting here at 'The Lanterna' on the Island of Brac, listening to Motown music over the radio. Looking out over the harbour as the sun is setting, and it's perfect, uplifting, and calming - simply amazing.

I can't wait to spiritually share my experiences with SL&L. I need to focus on service.

(And as I pulled myself the perfect Angel Card) It's true, my soul desires to joyfully serve, which will lead to me swimming in a constant stream of bliss.

So here I am, serving, sharing, and dishing out as many insights and experiences that will hopefully spark something inside each of you to either help you set down burdens, accomplish goals, and acknowledge the amazing gifts and talents that you possess.

love, love, love and light. xx