Balance
105 articles
Meditation Myths Debunked: How to Actually Begin (Or Begin Again)
I have lost count of how many people have told me they can't meditate. Sometimes they say it with a kind of proud resignation, I've tried, I'm just not that kind of person. Sometimes, with a frustration that suggests they genuinely wanted it to work. Sometimes with a faint embarrassment, as though they've failed at something that seems to come easily to everyone else.
More tagged “Balance”
The Architecture of Awareness: Using Yoga as a Framework for Self-Study
Self-awareness is rarely accidental. It is built: slowly, deliberately and through practice. What drew me to yoga was movement. What kept me there was something far less visible: the framework it offered for understanding myself.
Sound Healing in Yoga: Why Learning to Receive the Tones Changes Everything
The first time I experienced a sound bath, I didn't quite know what to do with myself. I lay there, watching the ceiling, waiting for something to happen and then frustrated with myself for waiting, because weren't I supposed to just... let go?
The Space Between the Boxes: A Journey of Unravelling and Reconnecting
What happens when the dust settles after eleven months of wandering? After living out of a single suitcase and a "long list of hell yes's" alongside an even longer list of "no’s," you eventually find yourself standing in the quiet of what used to be your life.
Sanctuaries of the Self: Finding Rhythm and Ritual on the Road
Travel has a way of unravelling us. It stretches our boundaries and expands our horizons, but in the movement, we often lose the steady pulse of our daily rituals. After eight months on the road, I’ve realised that protecting your practice isn’t about rigid adherence to a schedule; it’s about finding the spaces that help you return to yourself—the ones that feel less like a workout and more like medicine.
A Symphony of the Self: The Science and Soul of Sound Medicine
“Every illness is a musical problem—the healing, a musical solution.” In our modern world, we often perceive our bodies as solid, static structures. Yet, if we look closer—through the lens of both ancient wisdom and modern physics—we find that we are actually a symphony of oscillatory patterns. From the rhythmic beat of our hearts to the subtle hum of our cellular membranes, every cell, tissue, and organ in the human body possesses its own unique resonant frequency.
Seeing Desire for What It Really Is
We often look to others to decide what we want. We glimpse a moment in their life — a success, a lifestyle, a relationship - and imagine that having what they have will complete something in us. In truth, what we’re seeing is never the full picture. It’s a snapshot lifted out of a much longer, messier, deeply human story.
The Revelations Found in Astrology and Human Design
I’ve always believed that self-inquiry can be a portal. Sometimes that portal is meditation. Sometimes it’s heartbreak. Sometimes it’s travel, long and lonely and bewildering. But recently, it came in the form of something unexpected:Running my astrological birth chart and my human design through ChatGPT.
Removing the Habits That Keep You Stuck: Do A Habit Audit: Hard Questions, Small Changes, Big Shifts
We all have habits that serve us, and habits that don’t. The tricky part is: sometimes the ones that don’t serve are the ones we cling to because they feel familiar, safe, known. This post will guide you through an honest audit of your habits, apply research from behavioural psychology (including key ideas from Atomic Habits by James Clear) and offer a list of very practical, gradual changes you can make — changes you control, sustainable and within reach.
What You Consume Matters; Food, Ideas, Beliefs & The Story You Live
You are the creator of your experience. Everything you consume—food, ideas, thoughts, and beliefs —shapes not just your body, but also your brain, your mood, and your reality. We used to read stories that took us into imagined worlds. Today, we scroll through feeds hoping something will make us feel. However, passive consumption creates noise, doubt, and fragmentation. This blog invites you to become active and choose what you consume, so your mind, body, and spirit are lifted, not drained.
Lived Wellness: Moving Beyond Consumption to Everyday Being
In a world where wellness is often sold as “buy this product,” “subscribe to this service,” “follow this influencer,” it can feel like well-being is something external that you purchase. But what if true wellness was the opposite? Lived, found, built from the inside out, free and accessible. What if it wasn’t about what you buy, but what you do, what you think, what you become?
The Yogic Path of Remembering: Seeing Beyond Samskaras and Old Narratives
There are moments in life when you realise that what you are reacting to is not the situation in front of you, but the echo of something much older.A familiar sting.A tightening in the chest.A story your body remembers even if your mind has forgotten its origin.
10 Daily Habits To Bring You Back Into Your Body
Every day, the world pulls us outward — notifications, demands, plans, deadlines.What if instead you pulled yourself inward, back into your body, your breath, your being? Here are ten simple, accessible habits that can help reconnect you with yourself, activate your nervous system’s rest-and-digest mode, and bring calm into your day.
Lived Wellness, Beyond the Thinking Mind
Food, thoughts, emotions: these are all attachments we can become addicted to, especially the ones that reinforce our worldview. We crave confirmation, whether through accolades, achievements, or approval for our choices. But that’s all they are, choices.
Yoga: Unlocking the Inner Technology of Consciousness
We often think of technology as something external — built, coded, controlled. Yet long before the hum of machines and the glow of screens, there existed another kind of technology: one that required no devices, only awareness. Ancient yogis discovered that within each of us lies an intricate network, a system of energy, emotion, and intelligence — capable of profound transformation when we learn how to access it.
Life Lessons in Your 30s: Wellness, Growth, and Finding Yourself Beyond the Surface
A reflection on wellness, wholeness, and the quiet lessons that keep arriving. Your thirties are a middle ground, old enough to know better, young enough to still test the edges. Somewhere between who you thought you’d be and who you’re becoming, life starts to whisper its truths. This is the decade when awareness deepens, priorities shift, and the surface begins to crack in the best possible way.
When Coming Home Feels Different: How Space, Change, and Perspective Shape What “Home” Means
Sometimes, stepping away from everything you know is the only way to truly see it.We all have places we’ve outgrown, or thought we had. The home that once felt heavy, the routine that seemed suffocating, the four walls that turned into a mirror for our restlessness. But what if it wasn’t the place holding you back? What if it was what you carried inside it?
Meditations as Portals: Shifting the Mind, Soothing the Body
We spend much of our lives replaying the past, thoughts become familiar, feelings become habitual, and the body begins to live in cycles of memory. What feels like “just the way things are” is often simply a loop of remembered emotions.
Harness Your Energy with Yoga: Devotion, Breath, and Mindful Practice
Energy moves where attention flows. Both ancient yoga and modern science tell us this truth in different languages, yet the essence remains the same: what you focus on expands.
Beyond the Past: Rewriting the Stories We Live By
There comes a time when we begin to notice that the patterns repeating in our lives are not coincidences; they are mirrors. The way we love, react, protect ourselves, and withdraw often stems from stories we didn’t consciously choose. They are scripts written by earlier versions of ourselves, shaped by our experiences, emotions, and beliefs.
The Things I thought I needed (and what I actually found)
When I set out on what I half-jokingly called my adult gap year, I had a very clear picture of what I was chasing. I wanted adventure. Something new every day. A change of scenery. Access to incredible things for my photography.
When People Show Up: Embracing Divine Timing and Connection
In the tapestry of our lives, certain individuals appear at pivotal moments, their presence seemingly orchestrated by forces beyond our comprehension. These encounters often feel serendipitous, yet within the framework of yogic philosophy, they are seen as manifestations of divine timing, guiding us toward growth and self-realisation.
The Light We See in Others: A Story of Gratitude and Human Connection
There are moments in life when we meet people who feel like mirrors. All the qualities we long to recognise in ourselves appear so effortlessly in them. And then, as you spend time together, you realise something extraordinary: what you see in them is what they see in you. The connection becomes something rare and beautiful — a space where you bring out the best in one another, even though just days before you were strangers.
Yoga as a Framework for Wholeness
Yoga has always been more than movement. Long before it became a practice of postures, it was described in the ancient texts as a complete framework for living with steadiness and clarity. The Yoga Sūtras of Patañjali remind us: “Yoga is the stilling of the fluctuations of the mind.” (Yoga Sūtras I.2)
Saying No Without Guilt: Gentle Practices for Self-Respect and Balance
In times past, people could retreat into caves or forests in search of clarity, stepping away from the noise until answers arrived in silence. Today, life feels far less simple. We are constantly pulled in different directions, with advice, expectations, and ideas about wellness and success coming at us from all sides. Each day presents countless small choices: what to eat, how to spend our time, who we spend it with, and even how we speak up for ourselves. Learning to say no with kindness and without guilt is not just about the big decisions; it’s about honouring these small choices, nurturing self-respect, and creating balance in everyday life.
The Multi-Dimensions of Wellness Part 2: A Gentle Guide to Living Well
Wellness is often spoken of as a set of practices or a checklist of what we should do, but in truth, it is far more subtle, far more intimate than that. It is the quiet tending to our inner landscapes, the noticing of our energy, our thoughts, our relationships, and the spaces we inhabit. In the first part of this exploration, we wandered through the many dimensions of wellness—physical, emotional, social, spiritual, and beyond. In this continuation, we move from awareness into gentle application. How do we invite these dimensions to speak to us in our everyday lives? How do we bring wellness into the rhythms of our days without it feeling like another task to complete?
On Retreat with Your Yoga Teacher: A Journey Back to Yourself
I have been practising yoga for about eight years and teaching for the past eighteen months. When I finally felt it was my time to guide others along the yogic journey, I also knew that my own practice was far from finished. My curiosity and hunger for growth led me to immerse myself in three Moksha Yoga Teacher Trainings. After completing my 200-hour training in Bali in January 2024, I continued with a 110-hour Meditation Teacher training, and then dove into Yin and Sound Medicine simultaneously.
Exploring How Culture Shapes Your Experience: A Reflective Guide to Wellbeing and Place
There are places in the world that make you feel whole, grounded, and deeply nourished, and there are places that quietly take from you, chipping away at the equilibrium you’ve worked to cultivate. It can feel as though the culture of a place seeps through your skin, shaping your energy and attitude before you’ve even noticed.
When Your Environment Sets Your Limits: Rethinking Boundaries and Self-Worth
There’s something quietly profound, and often overlooked, about the boundaries and standards that shape our lives. Not always the ones we consciously set, but those gently handed down to us by the people and spaces we inhabit. Whether in work, friendships, family, or romantic relationships, these invisible lines quietly frame what feels possible, what we believe we deserve, and ultimately, how we see ourselves.
20 Reflections from The Surrender Experiment by Michael A. Singer
I read The Surrender Experiment just days after walking away from my corporate job, twelve months into the unknown. No guarantees, no structured plan. Just a quiet knowing that something had shifted.
The Honest Truth About Travel
Yes, I’ve been to some incredible places over the last few months. But what I’ve realised is that when you don’t have a “home” to go back to, or more importantly, no clear end date, even the most remarkable experiences begin to feel… normal. And normal, when stretched too long, loses its magic.
20 Moments from The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer
A journey inward to awareness, stillness and freedom. Some books arrive like whispers. Others arrive as gifts. For me, The Untethered Soul was both.
Wellness Beyond the Surface: Living the 8 Limbs of Yoga in Daily Life
In the modern wellness world, the surface often appears to be a glow: luminous skin, green smoothies, gym schedules, lymphatic drainage, and cold plunges. And while all of these can support well-being, they don’t touch the deeper layers of what it means to be well.
Self-Love Isn’t What You Think: It’s an Inner Homecoming
There’s a common belief in the wellness world that everything begins with self-love. But I’ve come to learn that it’s not always true. You don’t need to force love upon yourself, or convince yourself that you are worthy, or even forgive yourself first to love yourself. And while an at-home facial or a scented candle might offer a moment of stillness, they aren’t the same as true self-love. I’m talking about the kind of quiet recognition that lives deep within you, the inner knowing that you are already loved, already whole.
Going Home at 38: What It Means and Why It Matters
Home has been in flux for me lately. With travel comes the idea that I’m a nomad, that I can become comfortable wherever I lay my head. And to some extent, it’s true. I open a suitcase, light some incense, set up a playlist, and move on my yoga mat, and I feel grounded. A sense of home lives in these rituals.
How You Can Build a Nervous System-Supportive Routine
A personal guide to tuning in, slowing down, and finding your way back to yourself. There’s no one-size-fits-all when it comes to nervous system support.It’s not about following a strict wellness checklist or chasing perfection — it’s about tuning into your own rhythms, your own seasons, and your own signals.
Four Months on the Road: Real Lessons, Honest Reflections
Four months ago, I packed up my perfectly curated Melbourne life, placed it neatly into a 3x3 storage cage, and boarded a one-way flight. Since then, I’ve travelled through Bali, Vietnam, Cambodia, Kuala Lumpur, and Sri Lanka, with Thailand just around the corner.
Travel Diaries: The Surprising and the Delightful
A reflection on slowing down, shedding layers, and returning to self through travel. There’s this idea we’re sold, that travel should be a rush. To see the world is to move quickly from country to country, ticking off iconic sights and staying “on the go.” I thought that energy would sustain me.
Making Peace with Travel Privilege
I used to believe I was a good traveller. Curious. Kind. Conscious. But as I moved through the villages of Vietnam, past rice paddies, crumbling temples, food stalls, and families, I was forced to reckon with a quieter truth. I have always been a privileged traveller. And with that privilege comes a responsibility.
Returning to Ourselves: The Tiny Shifts That Make Us Human, The Unexpected Joy of a Stuck Song
Something remarkable happened to me the other day. It won’t sound impressive to you, but I found it profoundly telling about my current mental capacity compared to where I was a few months ago. I got a song stuck in my head. I know it sounds so basic, but I do not remember the last time something as pedestrian as this happened to me. My mind is used to running about 100 mph with so many pointless things: the self-narration, the criticisms, the to-do list, the judging, the what-ifs, the wondering what was meant by something someone said. It’s all just noise. None of it matters. Not really.
A New Era of Travel: Where Wellness, Luxury, and Digital Influence Intertwine
There was a time when wellness travel felt like a luxury reserved for the few. A distant dream of remote retreats, all-inclusive spas, and Instagrammable jungle sanctuaries. But something has shifted. Wellness is no longer a destination; it’s a way of travelling, of seeing, of being. And now, it’s becoming more accessible, more intentional, and more beautifully human.
Packing Wellness: A Conscious Approach to the Way We Travel
There’s a certain beauty in packing not just clothes or chargers, but your rituals. A yoga mat, a journal, snacks that feel good, shoes that let you walk for miles — these are tools that shift travel from hectic to healing.
Rituals in Motion: How to Make Wellness a Habit, Anywhere
Wellness doesn’t begin and end in your home or at the studio or gym you belong to. It can be a mindset you can carry, a ritual you can roll out wherever you land. From morning breathwork on a balcony to journaling beside a window in a new city, the rituals that sustain you can become part of the way you travel, work, and live.
Yoga as Remembering
When I look at the modern world of yoga, I see familiar patterns: the yoga studio, the teacher, the aspirational "yoga body." Much of the messaging circles around self-improvement. But the deeper message, the one that stayed with me through all my trainings, is that yoga isn’t about becoming someone new. It’s about remembering who you've always been.
Meeting People With Smiles
In a world that often feels rushed and disconnected, what if the simplest gesture, a smile, could shift not only your day but someone else’s? In this reflection from Bali, I explore the quiet power of going first, of offering joy without expecting anything in return… and what happens when that joy circles back.
What I Didn’t Do in Bali This Time
Or, what happened when I threw out the itinerary and finally listened to that quiet inner voice. This isn’t an anti-blog. It’s not a rebellion against to-do lists, or a rejection of all the amazing things Bali has to offer. It’s simply an invitation to do things your own way.
What Travel Taught Me About Letting Go: A Journey Beyond the Itinerary
We’ve been in Vietnam for 12 days, and I’d be lying if I said it’s been plain sailing. After the peace we found in Bali, this rhythm of packing up and moving every 4–5 days feels tedious. There was something grounding about our daily yoga practice there, something magical in the stillness that gave our time structure and soul. Now, without that anchor, we find ourselves drifting, disoriented and restless.
Leaving Melbourne: On Love, Privilege, and the Search for Home
I wrote this piece back in April 2022, and it feels poetic that it still holds relevance now, three years later, in April 2025. I’ve left most of it unchanged. It speaks to something tender about the way time carries us—sometimes with a gust, other times with the softest nudge from one place to the next.
Finding Home on the Mat: My 6 Week Journey at Alchemy Yoga Ubud
A Return to Self, Through Movement and Community. It’s been six wonderful weeks of daily practice at Alchemy Yoga & Meditation Centre in Ubud. Six weeks of breath, sweat, stillness, and subtle transformation. We chose this space instinctively, drawn back by the magic of the Alchemy café, which we first fell in love with eight years ago. The yoga studio felt like a natural extension of that same energy: nourishing, grounded, and open-hearted.
Where Food Feels Like Home: Why Alchemy Café Ubud Is a Must for Conscious Travellers
Today, as we stepped out of the beautiful, sun-warmed space that is Alchemy in Ubud for the final time, we were handed a goodbye gift. Completely unexpected. Entirely unnecessary.
Leaving Again, This Time It’s Different
We left Bali today after two wonderful months of getting to know ourselves again. That might sound odd, but when you’ve lived in survival mode for so long, it’s impossible to know who you are beneath the armour—armour that’s protected you from chaos, but also from truth. Truth like: you were ticking boxes, going through motions, cohabiting with someone who was quietly slipping into sadness. And truthfully, the silence about that sadness made it hard to distinguish what was "normal" from what was drowning.
What Do You Truly Value?
This is a gentle invitation to explore worth beyond work and wealth, going deeper into what it means without the cultural lens that you sit behind, the one determined by your place in the world, physically, metaphorically, familiarity, etc.
Learning to Sit With Yourself (and Everyone Else Too)
Regulating our emotions is a journey. You might be someone who feels deeply. Who notices the shift in the room when someone else enters. Who picks up on unspoken tensions, unmet needs, and unsaid apologies. You might be empathetic, curious, creative—and sometimes, exhausted. You may have learned to manage your emotions with a certain grace, yet still find yourself undone by the sudden sharpness of disappointment or frustration.
Ecstatic Dance: A Homecoming to the Body
While in Ubud, I’ve been trying to open myself to everything this place offers. There’s a current of possibility here, pulsing quietly beneath the surface. After experiencing the depths of sound healing—something I’ve done before and always found moving—I felt curious to take it one step further.
19 Free Ways to Feel More Connected to Yourself
In a world that constantly demands our attention—from deadlines and devices to the never-ending to-do lists—it’s easy to drift away from ourselves. But coming home to yourself doesn’t require a retreat or a spa day. (Although you should do these things too.) Sometimes, it doesn’t need to cost anything. Sometimes, it’s about the smallest gestures—things we can do right now, wherever we are, to re-centre, ground, and feel more us again.
Outgrowing the Hands That Once Held Us: Letting Go, Growing Stronger, and Knowing Your Worth
Friendships are supposed to uplift, support, and encourage us to grow. But sometimes, what we believe to be friendship is something else entirely—manipulation disguised as loyalty, control masked as care. True friends want to see you thrive, even if that means watching you walk away into something better. But not everyone in our lives fits that definition.
Slow Travel in Ubud, Bali: A Journey into Presence
Ubud isn’t just a destination; it’s an experience—a place where time slows, where nature and culture intertwine, and where every moment invites you to be fully present. Known as Bali’s cultural and spiritual heart, Ubud offers an escape from the rush of modern life, drawing you into a rhythm that feels intentional, unhurried, and deeply connected.
Ubud Unraveled: A Journey of Yoga, Stillness, and Self-Discovery
I have been in Ubud for three weeks now, and thanks to an extended visa, we get to stay for another 30 days. It might seem unusual to settle in one place during a gap year, but in many ways, it feels like we’ve moved here—at least temporarily—to rest and recalibrate. This gap year is not just a break from work but a departure from the world I used to inhabit. The transitions between countries won’t be rushed; moving every week would be unsustainable. Instead, we are easing into a rhythm, embracing a slower, more intentional way of being.
The 5 Best Vegan Spots in Ubud for Soulful, Nourishing Meals
Ubud is more than just a destination; it’s an experience—a gentle yet profound unfolding of self through nature, movement, and food. A place where the scent of incense lingers in the air, where the rhythmic chants of a nearby temple echo at dawn, and where each meal can feel like a ritual of nourishment. Among Ubud’s lush landscapes and vibrant wellness scene, plant-based cuisine flourishes. Whether you seek raw vitality, indulgent comfort, or a sacred culinary experience, these five vegan eateries offer more than just food—they connect to something more profound.
Yoga Transformation: The Student, The Teacher And The Integration Of The Teachings
The road to transformation is rarely linear. It twists and turns, revealing lessons we didn’t anticipate and demanding patience we didn’t know we needed. For those of you who have followed my journey, you know that my world shifted dramatically in 2022. That year cracked me open, forcing me to look at life from a new perspective—one that led me deeper into the practice of yoga.
Letting Go Lightly, With A Balinese Purification Ceremony
Yesterday, I attended a Balinese purification and blessing ceremony with Tri Desna in Ubud. While the full impact of letting go may take days, even weeks, today, I feel lighter. Rested. Unburdened. Even in the midst of a gap year—a time meant for freedom and exploration—I had unknowingly packed emotional baggage alongside my travel essentials. We all do.
Why is Bali So Synonymous with Yoga?
Bali has a way of calling to the soul, whispering through the rustling palms and the rhythmic crash of waves. It has become one of the most recognised destinations for yoga in the world, drawing seekers from all walks of life to its lush landscapes, sacred temples, and serene retreats. But what is it about this Indonesian island that makes it such a magnet for yogis? The answer lies in a powerful combination of culture, spirituality, and natural beauty.
Living, Not Just Working: A Soulful Redefinition of Success
The first week of stepping away from a structured career into the unknown is filled with reflection. This gap year isn’t just a vacation—it’s the beginning of a deliberate shift toward living more fully, exploring new ways of being, and embracing the freedom that comes with uncertainty. It’s about letting go of the rigid structures that have defined my identity for years and stepping into a life designed around passion, purpose, and presence.
Travel Diaries - Adult Gap Year, Week One
The first week of my adult gap year has arrived, and with it, a sense of liberation I never knew I needed. I sit quietly in a hotel, my entire life packed into a 3x3 box. Why do things hold such meaning for us? We save up, we buy, we collect, we part with them—yet in the end, isn’t it the people, the experiences, and the moments that define our true sense of home?
Finding Depth in Your Favourite Travel Memories
Travel is so much more than the destinations we reach—it’s about the emotions that arise, the connections we foster, and the way these experiences stay with us long after we’ve unpacked. When I think back on my most cherished journeys, I realise what makes a place truly unforgettable isn’t just the beauty of the landscapes or the moments captured on camera. It’s the deeper, more intangible essence—the way these places touch our hearts and awaken something within us.
What is an Adult Gap Year?
An adult gap year is a chance to step away from your day-to-day life and embrace everything you wished you'd done before university or entering the workforce—except now, you have the benefit of experience, wisdom, and (hopefully) some savings on your side.
New Years Resolutions Or Renewed Ways Of Thinking About Things
Three years ago, when our blogs were hosted someplace else, I wrote: Finding The Right Vocabulary To Make Your New Years Resolutions Attainable. It was a time when we were all in different places; many of us had no freedom, very little in the world of choices, and we were all a little gloomy. This year, ending 2024, feels hopeful, empowered and freer.
Why Yoga? We asked a Yoga Teacher what makes Yoga so special.
As a regular writer for Words and Contemplations, I decided to share the common questions I have been getting asked as a new Yoga teacher. These questions relate to my Yoga teaching so far. I have been teaching for less than a year, and I am curious about every stage of the journey. Right now, I am finding it profoundly eye-opening and humbling.
Exploring Mudras in Meditation
Mudras are how we position our hands when meditating. Each Mudra can seal the energy in the body, and when meditation, we want to seal that energy in as it's positive and restful.
9 Books For Psychological & Spiritual Growth
It’s all about finding the right book at the right time. I have said it before, but it is taking on a life of its own; every time I get to the end of a book, I am a little more open, a little further along my path and a little deeper into my journey. These recommended books combine philosophy, ancient wisdom, spirituality, meditation, health and well-being. It’s an incredible reading list and I wanted to share it with you.
Learning To Trust Yourself: A Guide To Inner Knowing
Finding trust in yourself so that you can trust the journey you are on. Choosing to believe that not to know that what is happening at any given time is ok it’s part of the process. It's all part of what will one day make up your story. The right here, right now can feel heavy, uncomfortable or painful but it is temporary. It will pass. You cannot feel the depths of every experience if it is only the fear you let in. What if you were to explore beyond the fear? Beyond the pain, there will be a message, a lesson or something stuck that you have yet to explore. Without delving into what it means, you are missing the lessons your life tries to show you. The parts of you that will make you all you know inside you already are. The parts of you that you long to share and be at ease with, the raw the vulnerable, the real you. Moving through the pain, into understanding is how you find freedom in letting go.
Meditation, The 10 Benefits Found In Less Than A Month
I’ve reached the halfway point in my Meditation & Mindfulness Teacher Training and it’s been profoundly eye-opening. I have been meditating consistently for 24 days, although in a lifetime, it's not even a millisecond, the impact has been vast.
Is It Timing, Trust, or Divine Intervention? Navigating the Unknown
This last month marks the halfway point of my accidental transformation year, 2024 has been a wonderful journey filled with unexpected and incredible opportunities. Look for the signs, lean into the opportunities, and jump in. If you have ever heard these phrases, but dismissed them I urge you to look again.
20 Moments From 'I May Be Wrong' by Bjorn Natthiko Lindeblad
This book was one of the recommended readings before my Meditation & Mindfulness teacher training which starts late June 24. Not often does a book transport you to a quiet place of contemplation, while showing you how to cry and smile from the heart as the words touch your soul and your understanding of stillness emerges. An easy-to-read deep dive into the powers of the mind, the clutter of the thoughts and the truth that none of your thoughts matter. We are not our thoughts and we can choose to live more lightly.
The Stories We Tell Ourselves
One day you will look back upon the things you believed and it will seem as if someone else’s voice was directing you. The voice inside will evolve if you let it, allow it the space to learn from your mistakes, and test the theories that the child version of you learned to believe. Trust, be brave and create new beliefs for yourself to live by. Once you start to listen, you’ll embark on a deeper understanding of yourself and the world around you.
Yoga, Why Is It So Powerful?
The practice and dedication found in Yoga is a devotion that gives the yogi a purpose, a deep sense of self that is controlled, strong, understanding, patient and humble. Yoga is powerful as it shows each individual their body’s abilities, it gives them a space to self-demonstrate the power within. It sounds too good to be true and I, a person who wanted to get fit and be free of neck pain had no idea of this powerful layer until I was about 3 years in. I’m sorry to report it isn't instant, but you wouldn’t appreciate it if it was, trust me.
Love, Perception Verses Reality
To love is to be at ease with another, this ease can sometimes create a false perception for onlookers. Ease does not mean easy. After a recent collection of conversations with singles, I have become curious about this topic, and how a skewed perception of couples from singles who are looking for love could be damaging. I wonder how a momentary judgement may disillusion their current worldview. For what it is now is not what has always been.
What Is The Meaning In A Raindrop?
When the rain drops from the sky it transforms the ground beneath it, if only for a moment, this temporary change is part of the cyclical nature of our world.
20 Small Shifts for a Wholehearted Life
Simple, soulful ways to feel more grounded — right where you are. Living well doesn’t have to be expensive. In fact, some of the most powerful lifestyle changes cost nothing at all — just attention, intention, and a willingness to show up for yourself.
What is self-love? Why is it so important and what benefits will it offer?
Self-love is when you put yourself first, it might be for a moment or once a week or maybe it's whenever you need to self-soothe. It’s finding things that are just for you. Moments that make you happy that you can pull on and continue to cultivate over and over again.
The Power of Journaling
Writing regularly is something that is said to free the mind, to process one's thoughts, to download the noise. For some, it is a collection of thoughts that were, in the moment of writing important. For others, it's a way of making sense of the hundreds of thoughts we carry every day.
10 Meditation Myths
Learning to be still can be hard and like with other self-care practices it can take time. The Meditation we seem to be exposed to is either moments of quiet or long stretches of meditative peace, monk style. As a practising mediator, I believe that there is a special place in between. Beyond the 3-7 min Savasana that we get in the closing of a yoga class and long before we are sitting on a mountain in Tibet for several hours. The body can learn to pause and the mind will follow.
Yoga. Respect The Journey, Love The Practice
There are studies all over the world that explore and celebrate the benefits of yoga and although I know this to be true, I was always a little sceptical, I tended to explain away my weight loss as a combination of diet and running as well as yoga. However, I have to admit to not only being hooked but being a full 100% believer. Yoga has moved emotional blockers in the body that allowed my body to find a healthier state. Weight loss is a bonus, all the other benefits far outweigh a smaller waist and a stronger plank. The personal benefits I have felt in myself as well as others are astounding.
10 Quick & Easy Ways To Feel Grounded
Everyone you meet in this world of ours has some form of anxiety, fear or stress that will show up in their body and most of us do not know what it is. It might be butterflies, headache, dizziness, feeling overwhelmed or some other sense of unease. Whatever it is that your body does to send you a signal, here are a few simple tricks that you can use anywhere, to feel grounded.
Why travel to Ubud, Bali, Indonesia?
Think about a place that is raw and dirty, rich in culture, tradition and family values, vegan-friendly and still on the list of affordable destinations. From Australia, it's Bali and if you want a slice of spirituality and yoga then it's Ubud. In January of this year, I attended a Yoga Teacher Training in Ubud and although the immersion was intoxicating and delicious in every way the place, the country and the people were amazing ingredients impossible to ignore. There is something special about Ubud and I want to try to capture it here.
Ubud, Yoga Teacher Training and a lot of Ugly Crying
Only a 6-hour flight from Melbourne, I took the plunge and decided to undertake my Yoga Teacher Training. Now, what they don’t tell you is that it is more than learning poses and moving through transitions from one position to another, it's an eye and heart-opening experience, and if you ever do a YTT know that you will find yourself ugly crying on your mat.
Sensitivity and Introversion - Susan Cain's book Quiet
The overarching message that I got from this book was that you can unleash the power in the quiet and learn to be more of yourself in the not-so-quiet. Social and other so-called extroverted activities are learnable skills that can be scaled gradually so all introverts can enjoy both the solace and the social, in a setting and environment that nurtures them. It’s ok to be the person looking for the most interesting conversation in the room,
3 Reasons Why You Should Have a Spiritual Practice
Daily practice has been a feature for me over the last 5 years. Over that time it has morphed (just like everything in the last 5 years), depending on what I need at the time and my intention for practice. It is my one non-negotiable, I will move heaven and earth to make sure I have time to sit, connect and be.
10 Gentle Shifts for a Happier, Healthier Home
A sanctuary is not a place, but a feeling you can cultivate. Our homes are an extension of our nervous systems — what we surround ourselves with, breathe in, listen to, and look at daily plays a direct role in how we feel. When your space is calm, intentional, and aligned with your needs, your mind and body can begin to relax into a deeper state of rest and ease.
Moments of Clarity
You watch day by day thinking that these things you witness are normal, and then all of a sudden out of nowhere, you see something in a new light and for the first time ever you realise that the conflict in your work life and the person you are can no longer coexist in the way that they have done for years.
How to Find the Right Mentor for Growth and Guidance
We look to those around us to lead, show us the way, to be our guides. But why? How many of us have a true mentor that enables us to reach for the stars and develop to our fullest potential. Just because someone holds a more senior position than you in a business does not necessarily make them the ideal mentor.
Daylesford A Weekend In Bliss Or A Future In The Countryside?
A time away from home is a precious thing, a time to reflect, recalibrate and live a little slower, maybe even in a more considered way. Living in a city such as Melbourne with the remnants of the last few years still so raw for many the idea of visiting a place so unique and protected from external influences as Daylesford is a treasured opportunity.
Easy Vegan Breakfast Overnight Oats
Overnight Oats for the lazy girl, the one who wants to be healthy without all the organising and mess in the kitchen. A simple four part recipe that everyone can manage at home, even without any time.
Scent, Sound, and the Sanctuary of Home
A sensory guide to calming your nervous system and reclaiming peace. There’s something deeply human about wanting to feel in control of your environment. It’s not about being fussy or high-maintenance — it’s about tuning in. Attuning your surroundings to support your body, your mind, and your emotional balance is a form of self-respect.
How Breathwork & Yoga Helped me be a Better Runner
The breath-work I learned in Yoga gave me control and understanding of breathing that I had never been taught. I know that sounds silly but our bodies do so much for us automatically, and many of us are never shown how to control our breath, to control our bodies. An understanding of the combination and how they work together was never something I was aware of.
Embrace All The Facets Of You, Even When They Conflict
I was recently reminded of some advice I heard many times as a child, but on this recent occasion, it was used as an example of bad advice. ‘Pick one thing.’ I wonder how many times this phrase, suggesting that we select one area of interest and commit to it is used. This, when used with children, in theory, gets us to mastery of a skill as we reach adulthood.
A Gentle Pause: On Temporary or Lasting Sobriety
Today marks an accidental 6-month dry period. I say accidental as this time it wasn’t off the back of anything in particular. It just happened. Like many others I have done dry July and even been dry for 18 months once before. (Sounds silly now) This time feels different, it's motivated by a choice of putting myself first.
Finding The Right Vocabulary To Make Your New Years Resolutions Attainable
Away with friends this year instead of the time old classic of going for drinks and dinner, watching the fireworks or any other habitual example you can think of. It’s not that I am above all of it this year, it’s just that I’m not sure what I would be celebrating, another year - with restrictive freedoms still likely being something we coexist with, it’s different somehow.
The Gift of Ugly
Have you ever met someone that is you when you are at your worst? Their fire is like your fire, only when you see it on another it looks kind of sideways, uncomfortable and a little ugly. You fight it pretending that you are nothing like this person, but once you have seen it, it’s impossible to unsee it.
The Power Of Saying- No, Thank you
Do you need to say no? Or at least consider it as an option more often. I believe what the world has shown us recently, more than anything else is that underneath all the noise and so-called ‘being busy’ we might only need a few key basics. Looking around some of these basics can be seen in the form of comfortable clothing and natural hair colour but other basics like the quality of relationship are a little more difficult to identify, although are ever more important.
Your Desired Change, Your Responsibility
It was Einstein that said, “The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.” I think we all tend to do this in some capacity. We wait for a change to happen, hoping someone or something will rescue us. We can seem powerless to take responsibility.
Value & Worth Are Not Pay.
Have you ever really thought about how you determine your value, how much are you worth and if your worth is measured and paid for in currency, should it be? As a culture, we seem to be focused on how much money people have. But there has to be other ways to look at how you internally measure yourself.
Communication, Lies & Labels: Unpacking the Stories That Shape Us
What is it to communicate, and do we do it honestly? Verbal is only 7% but it's how we learn, how we trust and how we talk. How much of the other 93% do we miss, ignore or filter out. Are we all listening wrong, should we be listening with our eyes, not our ears.
A Time Without Travel
In a time such as now, it has been impossible to plan anything and those of us who used to travel the world collecting memories from all the places we visited are a little stuck. What is there to look forward to? What can we do to find this value in our everyday lives?
Loving What You Do…
When someone says they love what they do for a living, what does that really mean? Is it that they have truly fulfilled their desires or have they simply met the expectation that they set for themselves? Expectation is a belief, a perceived, and at times a hopeful outcome. What if we lowered our expectations?