The Guest House...

I have come across this beautiful poem by Rumi this morning...I love it...it’s funny how we often try to fight, run away and ignore what we feel but often the best is to allow ourselves to be there with the emotion...to welcome it, to embrace it, to breathe through it...and let it go when it is ready to go...and in return hopefully gain a bit more understanding into who we are, what we need to do in our lives and what we need to let go off...here it is, a bit dark with a beautiful ending 💖

“The Guest House
This being human is a guest house.
Every morning a new arrival.
A joy, a depression, a meanness,
some momentary awareness comes
as an unexpected visitor.
Welcome and entertain them all!
Even if they’re a crowd of sorrows,
who violently sweep your house
empty of its furniture,
still, treat each guest honorably.
He may be clearing you out
for some new delight.
The dark thought, the shame, the malice,
meet them at the door laughing,
and invite them in.
Be grateful for whoever comes,
because each has been sent
as a guide from beyond.”

Little things...

So many times I feel it’s the moments without effort and the little things in our lives that can take our breath away...it’s not the big things...it’s not when we achieve our goals...it’s when we appreciate our progress, every step of our journey...filling our heart with peace with what is...appreciating the moment at hand...appreciating our growth...

This little shell is a symbol for me to be grateful for the present moment, for where I am in my life right now and for the little amazing things and experiences every new day brings along...this gorgeous necklace landed in our mail box a few weeks ago...it’s perfect...how beautiful...I love it!!!...there’s no better pressies that those made with love from nature...thank you my beautiful friend Lauren 🐚💖

Today I am grateful for not being perfect...

Today I am grateful for not being perfect...there’s so much pressure from our society how we should look and how we should "perform" in life...we are trying to chase things in our lives with hope that when we get there everything is going to be awesome and perfect...it will never be...start loving your imperfect self and your imperfect life...we ALL have little struggles and insecurities, we all want to change some things in our lives, we all want to find happiness, inner peace, harmony and fulfilment...but what if you don’t have to wait until everything is perfect? What if you can find all those things in your imperfect life right now...

Some people may think that I am always super happy, enthusiastic, confident and peaceful...that I know what I want and I take actions every day that will take me there...but the truth is, I am not that person a fair bit of time...yep, I smile a lot, I laugh a lot and I am trying to follow things in my life that make me happy...but I do have my own struggles, I feel vulnerable a lot of times and I wouldn’t really call myself a super confident person...but you know what?...these things make me who I am...and I am proud of my insecurities because they make me REAL...I know I don’t have to wait to be perfect to love myself...because I will never be ❤

I love freedom...

I love when I feel free...when I feel fully absorbed in the moment and there’s no time, there’s no thoughts...there’s just this incredible feeling inside...of joy, passion, connection and calmness...all at the same time...this often happens when we stop thinking, when we stop planning, when we stop being such organized and “responsible” people...when we allow ourselves to let go, to be spontaneous, to follow what we love fully without allowing the worries and fear to hold us back...I love freedom...❤

Sometimes I wonder...Am I really going to make a difference?

Sometimes I wonder...Am I really going to leave something behind?...Am I really going to make a difference?...Many times I feel like standing on top a mountain but my arms, my voice can’t reach anyone down in the valleys...there’s so many questions that come to my mind through meeting interesting people, through reading articles, through seeing documentaries...there’s things we learn in schools to be able to catch up with the advances in science, medicine, technology...but to me it feels there’s so much more important things we need to learn in schools...how to be more sensitive to our environment...how to connect with ourselves...how to connect with others...how to become more compassionate...how to bring more awareness into our lives...how to help each other without expecting anything back...how to be kinder and sensitive human beings instead of disconnected not caring individuals...these are definitely things where we can start from ourselves...and I really do hope, for all of us, that whatever WE DO in our lives here will not be insignificant 🌲🌸🍁🌱

Take your life in your hands...

It’s spring...yay :-) It’s time to come out of your shell, to open up to the world...to follow your heart, to be brave, to see the opportunities, to give them a go, to trust yourself...to take risks, to live fully and without fear...no one will do it for you...it must be you...many times in my life, when I was younger, I was hoping someone would notice me, someone would want to take me under their wings and help me to become “the best” in whatever I followed in that time of my life...but the truth is, the most I have ever achieved in my life was through my own efforts...take your life in YOUR hands, it will only be as good as you make it YOURSELF...❤
 

Take time to connect with yourself...

We may sometimes feel a little bit “lost” in our lives, in between all the stimulations and distractions all around us…it’s very normal to feel a bit confused and question where we are heading…and whether we will find there what we are hoping to find…I find nature one of the best places to connect with myself and my life values…it’s incredible how a walk in the bush or some quiet time meditating under a tree in the garden can help you restore the inner peace, clarity in your mind and a feeling of contentment with what is now…many times we seek answers from others, but the answers you are looking for can be always found within… when we are connected with our true self, the answers will be clear and within reach…when we are not, they may be hidden…so next time when you feel a little bit “lost”, take time to connect with yourself…spend some time alone, go for a walk in nature or take a moment to sit down, close your eyes and listen to your breath…the answer is there in front of you…you just may not see it yet.

Project Gratefulness - October 2015

While it is important to have goals and dreams in our lives, I feel as important if not more is to be able to be grateful for what we have now and where we are in our lives right now. It is something I am still learning myself and it’s something that always brings a different “kinder” perspective to my experience, no matter how challenging the experience may seem.

Gratefulness is a tricky thing…it usually appears when we are happy but it often hides when we feel low and vulnerable, and when we need it the most. The great news is that with practice we can learn to bring a little bit more gratefulness into our lives even on those “gloomy” days.

It’s best to start nice and easy, from appreciating things that we love and enjoy…I used to have a little journal and wrote down one thing every day (or when I had time) that made me happy that day…from flowering trees, fluffy dandelions, morning sun rays, to the incredible feeling of freedom I feel in dance, and time with my beautiful friends and family…when we start bringing more gratefulness into our lives, we start “seeing” more of the amazing things we already have…it’s almost like we start perceiving the world with new eyes and an open heart…all of the sudden the world seems to be a better place, we feel happier and more fulfilled day by day.

The best thing about all of this is that over time, we will be able to become grateful even for things that seem hurtful or challenging at first. We will be able to see deeper into our experiences and will become more compassionate towards ourselves and the world around us. We will build a sense of no attachment (or lower attachment) to things that used to evoke strong emotions in us. There will come knowledge that everything has two sides and calmness that everything will pass.
 
Gratitude is a powerful tool that can change your life…it really can…I swear. In the end, all of our experiences here are the matter of our attitude…the same thing can be seen as a challenge, or a blessing…it is up to us to choose what lives we want to live…with love and gratitude or with hate and anger?

Take a moment this month to bring a little more gratefulness into your life…open your eyes…open your heart…I wish you that the month of October treats you with happiness, contentment, abundance and love.
 

What kind of day have you decided to have today?

Every day is a day when you can treat yourself with some extra loving...when you’re sad or when you’re happy, when it’s raining or the sun shining...every day is a great day to make it special...don't wait for tomorrow, don't wait for next week, don't wait for next Monday...do something amazing and special for yourself today...do something fun...do something that will make your heart smile or beat really fast with enthusiasm for life...what kind of day have YOU DECIDED to have today? I hope it’s a great one…❤

The breath of nature...

Close your eyes…and listen…to the breath of nature…the waterfall, the creek, the trees, the rocks…there’s so much harmony and peace…we can be a part of it…if we choose to….and often we are as kids…and then somewhere in our lives we may lose the connection…find it again…it’s worth it 🌲🍁🌸

Enjoy the process, enjoy your growth...

The other day I was working on something in my yoga practice, something I want to be able to do…and I tried a few times, fell on my face a few times, took a break and then tried again…one time, I almost made it…I held there for a second and I thought “yeah, I’m there”…and then fell off it…and I tried again, I was really eager because I knew I was not far from making it happen…and then all of the sudden some calm entered my mind and body and something from inside in a beautiful gentle way said, ”it’s ok…your body is not ready yet…it will happen…not today, but it will happen…another day”…and I stopped pushing myself…so many times when we work towards something and we really want it to happen, it may not happen at that moment…it doesn’t mean you should give up on yourself…it’s more about accepting and acknowledging where you are and trusting yourself…and knowing that with kindness, patience and appreciation of what is now, it will eventually happen…enjoy the process, enjoy your growth…much love to you all ❤

Today I am grateful...for everything...

Today I am grateful...for bruises from my furry babies...for the few veggie leaves the snails haven't eaten yet...for the snails...for sleeping outside under the stars...for walking barefoot...for cold feet and hands...for hugs...for smiles...for moments without words...for friendships and times alone...for everything...water, snowflakes, sunrays, rain...❤ 

Make it a great one...

Be a sunshine in someone's life...smile...a lot...laugh...even more...allow yourself to be silly...be ok with being vulnerable and real...don't TRY to be different...you already are...nurture yourself...with strawberries and curry...tell your friends you love them...care...don't wait for things to happen...chase them...in the end, it's your life...don't make it good, make it a great one ❤

Be there fully with every breath...

Sometimes we think too much…about what’s going to happen, what has happened or what hasn’t happened, instead of enjoying the moment at hand and not wishing for anything else…be there fully with every breath, with every move, with every word and you will not want to go back to the past or think of the future…because there would not be a better place to be than right now…

Project Awareness - September 2015

Yoga is a great way to become more physically fit, stronger, supple and vibrant. But it is also a great way to become more conscious of what is happening in the body and your mind. Which thoughts are sneaking in over and over again and what kind of feelings do these thoughts give rise to.

Often when we feel something we don’t what to feel, we will have a tendency to do something about it. To fight what we feel, to run away, to numb our feelings in so many different ways…because we don’t want to stay there…however, when we do that, we don’t allow ourselves to gain a little bit more understanding into why, whether our response is appropriate or realizing that our mind has just taken us on a journey of imagination, filling in things that have not happened or totally distorting the reality.

Many times when we feel some resistance within us or when some negative feelings arise, the best thing to do is TO OBSERVE…to notice…to witness…to stay there with whatever you feel…and just breathe. Closing your eyes and taking a few nice deep breaths. And the feeling will eventually go away…

Sometimes we just want to run away from what we feel, because it may be too big for us to handle it RIGHT NOW…and it’s ok…don’t be hard on yourself and just allow yourself to take it one step at a time...start from little things…I do “love” to numb my feelings with chocolate, it feels good…for a moment…but many times now, I will choose not to…(don't take me wrong, I will have my chocolate whenever I want but when I realize it's because I want to run away from what I feel, I usually choose not to have it).

When we practice awareness in our yoga practice and our life, we become more compassionate towards ourselves…we start loving ourselves more, understanding why we react sometimes in some way, why we feel a certain way and we grow kindness and patience towards ourselves. The more understanding we gain into who we are, the more the inner joy, the inner peace, the harmony within us will shine through...and we will become more compassionate towards others as well.

So I thought why not to have a month (September) when we all try to tune a little bit more into ourselves, creating a habit of observing our thoughts, feelings and reactions and bringing more awareness and understanding into our lives...

And hopefully, at the end of the month we will know ourselves a little bit better...and shining more :-)

Happiness...

Find things that make you feel happy…find people who make you feel good…follow things you love…spend time with your furry babies…because only when you feel good, happy, centered, grounded, your inner joy, the love, the happiness you feel will shine through every and each cell of you…and that’s the biggest gift you can give to yourself and to people around you…to inspire them, to give them strength to follow their own journey, to enjoy every minute, to have trust in themselves, to be brave in the pursuit of their dreams…:-)

Find the warrior inside you...

I believe it’s important in life to fight for things that are important to you…especially if they are connected to your self-worth and your life values…I don’t promise it’s always going to work, sometimes you won’t be able to change someone else’s opinion…but it’s definitely worth a try…I wish you to have the strength to say what you need to say…to have the strength to do what you need to do…only then when we act from being true to ourselves, instead of from expectations others put on us, we can grow our self-esteem and appreciation for who we really are. Sometimes, it’s really hard to stand up for yourself but I hope you can find the warrior inside you to follow what your heart is telling you and find a peaceful way to show others that your values are meaningful.

Stop for a moment and listen...

“Every person that crosses your path in life has a “message” for you…it is only up to you if you will be able to see it”…a few words from the book The Celestine Prophecy I really love…the more things I have gone through in my life, the more I am finding it very true…if we kept an open heart to everyone that comes into our lives and really listened to their story, we might well find out they have answers to questions we have been struggling to find…they might point us in the right direction in life or show us the next step forward in our personal growth…so next time when someone appears in your life, stop for a moment and listen…:-)

Grateful for my life...

I feel so grateful for my life...to be able to wake up every morning and know that today some amazing things will happen...today I will grow a little bit more...as a person, as a yoga student, as a yoga teacher...if I keep my heart open...we all walk a different path in our lives but I feel, in the end, we all look for the same...to share a little bit of ourselves with the world and inspire others in some way...YOU can change someone's life...YOU can save someone's life...just be you, have the courage to follow what you love, grow every day a little more, share what you know and shine...lots of love to you all from the amazing Blue Mountains...xxx

Keep your inner peace...

If we always acted from a place of gratefulness and love, we would never lose our inner peace...hope you are having a fantastic day wherever you are and whatever you do...:-)