This story began in 2007, I blogged about it in 2015, and finally I've uploaded the video in 2017.
It only took me 10 years....I'm on to it! 

Some of you may have heard this story, and some of you may have read it here.
Well, now you can see it in action.

This is the story of how I used The Secret and the Law of Attraction to win on a game show. 

And ultimately, this is how I came to become a yoga teacher and the path I journey on now.
You could say it was one of the major turning points in my life!

Energy most definitely follows thought!

Enjoy! It'll have you at the edge of your seat, I promise.
If not, it will at least have you laughing at all the funny faces I pull :) 

I'd love to hear from you in the comments, have you had a big turning point in your life?
What was it? And how did it change the course of your life? 

It's a beautiful thing, when people come together to support one another.

"We rise by lifting others up."

The HBF Run was very much this in action and I felt humbled to be a part of the Perth community that day.

To be honest, it wasn't really a run for me, I was in the 12km walking group. Though I did end up running a few kilometres of the distance after taking a pitstop and attempting to catch up with my walking buddies. Does that count?

Completing a fun run has been on my bucket list for some time, like some other "out there" goals such as getting my black belt in martial arts, following the MotoGP around the world for a year and walking the Camino de Santiago (fingers crossed for next year). The latter being the reason for me walking a lot more in the last year and so the fun run made it to my 2017 100 things to do list.

The List is a way for me to put out there where I want focus my energy for the year ahead and giving back is always on there. With all the travel I had on the cards this year, I was beginning to think I might not be able to do it.

But I would see HBF Run shirts every time I went out for walks and advertisements on the internet, so I couldn't let it go. 

When you're on the right path, serendipitous events will increase in their occurrence.

First sign was at the end of one of my classes, when a couple of my students mentioned they were looking at doing it. And then another student that same week, who had just started his Not-for-profit Optin to Life inc, sent out a newsletter saying he was participating in the run and starting a team to raise money for his charity.

I knew in that moment, I had to do it and everything fell into place.

The walk was on the 28th May on a perfectly sunny autumn day and I had the best time. From start to finish the event was heaps of fun with lots of unexpected entertainment along the way. Perth was a buzz with positive energy. It's hard not to feel uplifted when you're with thousands of others all walking/running for a cause dear to them.

Sure my body was a little stiff and sore by the end of the 12km, but it definitely gave me greater appreciation for being a yogini and yoga teacher with the self-awareness to know what my body needed in the days following.

My recovery consisted of a lot of magnesium, calcium, stretches, hydration and rest, as well as some shorter more casual walks to keep me moving.

Proud to say together we raised over $2500 as a team for Optin to Life Inc so they can continue giving support and invaluable time out to mothers in the first 18months. I love how its a charity that brings the community together to support one another, with mothers helping mothers. And knowing all the amazing mothers that I do, I know this is an invaluable service for women.

If you're in Perth and in need or know someone else who could use some support, their program is currently operating in Victoria Park, South Perth, Bayswater and Stirling. They can use all the support and help they can get, so if you can we'd love you to make a tax deductible donation here or even volunteer here if you feel called.

A huge thank you to those who joined the team, my walking buddies and all the beautiful souls that donated money to our cause. It's a day I won't forget in a hurry. Here are a handful of highlights from the day...

Like a blend of yoga and tai chi, I had the pleasure of learning this yin yang flow amongst many other beautiful practices at Jo Phee’s 50hr Yin Yoga Teacher Training (TT) last year. It was here my Yin Yoga teaching journey began and it was also a big turning point in making Perth feel like home again.
 
Having moved back "home" after 10 years in Melbourne, I was lucky to land on my feet with teaching, but I still didn’t feel settled. I was missing my soul family and the Gita International Yoga teachers where I trained in Melbourne. Flying East once a year just wasn't enough, so it was on my 2016 goals list to do a yoga training and make some soul connections in Perth. I just didn't know which course, or how to connect.
 
As life often does I was lead to Jo through my friend Laura, who attended Jo’s 2015 TT and was holding yin workshops at Momentum Yoga. I went to them all. My my yin love affair had begun. I loved how yin brought together my two loves - yoga and Chinese Medicine. So, when I heard Jo was returning, I sought her out but the TT was sold out.
 
But, when something is meant to be it will find a way to happen.

I originally planned to go to the Malaysian MotoGP that same weekend. However, every plan I tried to make kept falling through. Luckily I had put my name on the TT waitlist and one morning received an email to say a spot was available if I wanted it.  As clear as a Perth day, I knew in my heart in that moment I had to go. My heart leapt at the thought and I knew the GP plans hadn't worked out for this very reason.
 
And of course, it was the best experience ever!!!
I learnt a ton along with 50 other teachers, I made some beautiful soul connections and ended 2016 feeling like I had finally settled in Perth.

It was the perfect reminder to....
 
Make your intentions mindfully,
for energy follows thought...

What we think we create!

So finally, here is a video tutorial of Walk the Elephant to inspire your home practice, with instructions and added suggestions below to help you vary the flow according to your needs.

Note: allow your feet to pivot freely (and knees to bend) as you move from pose to pose as feels good for your body. 

Start with your feet a little wider than hip width apart.
Hands just in front of the solar plexus, often referred to in yin as the Dantian.
 
Inhale and circle your arms out to the side and up above the crown to Cultivate Chi.
(Chi, or Qi, is the subtle energy within every living thing, called by many names including ki in Japan and prana in yoga)
 
Exhale and squat into Open Horse, the feet pivot so the knees bend over the feet, the tailbone sinks down spine upright, whilst you push the palms out to the side extending the arms at shoulder height.
 
Pause here and inhale.
 
Exhale folding forward from the hips into Elephant, moving feet and bending knees as feels right for you, especially if you have tight hamstrings and tend to round the back in forward folds. Aim for the spine to lengthen out of the hips with head, neck, shoulders and arms relaxed.
 
Inhale, taking the left hand to the floor as you twist to the right into Twisting Elephant.
The right hand reaches up for the ceiling and/or as far back as feels good. Use a block or bolster on the floor for the lower hand to help maintain a long spine, if the floor is inaccessible.
 
Exhale, return to Elephant.
 
Inhale and repeat Twisting Elephant to the left, right hand to the floor (block or bolster) with left hand reaching up.
 
Exhale, to Elephant.
 
Inhale taking the left hand to the left foot or leg (same side) as you twist, the right arm reaching up and/or as far back as feels good into Reaching Elephant.
 
Exhale, to Elephant.
 
Inhale, right hand goes to the right foot or leg as you twist to the left into Reaching Elephant.
 
Exhale, to Elephant.
 
Inhale, the left hand moves to the right foot or leg (opposites) as you twist into Arching Elephant, right hand reaching up and/or as far back as is comfortable.
 
Exhale, to Elephant.
 
Inhale, the right hand moves to the left leg or foot as you twist to the left into Arching Elephant.
 
Exhale, to Elephant.
 
Inhale, draw in your abdominals to support the spine as you curl up, scooping energy up in your hands from the earth to the sky, raising the arms above the crown of the head with palms facing down.
 
Exhale, allowing your hands to float back down to the Dantian in front of the solar plexus.

Now, if you haven't already, watch the video to see how it flows. Remember energy follows thought, so even watching alone can have a positive effect!

I would love to hear if you gave it a go, how did it feel or do you have any questions? 
And if you’d like to learn more of these, pop a YES! in the comments below. 
 
Happy Practicing!

Eckhart Tolle & I go way back. Over a decade actually!

Funnily, it wasn't always this way...  You know this saying?
 
"When the student is ready, the teacher appears"
 
Well, this wasn't the case with Eckhart.
 
When I first came across his book, The Power of Now*, I had just moved to Melbourne and my cousin gave it to me saying, "I think you'll get into this." And he's usually right. But I just couldn't get into this one. In hindsight, I believe Tolle would have said at the time, I just wasn't ready.
 
Fast forward a few years when I'd started working at my acupuncturist's on reception, a client gave my boss the book and it sat on the reception desk before that one fateful day I decided to open it. The words on that random page hit me hard, and every other time I opened it, and thus began our relationship.
 
Soon after, Tolle next appeared in my life in audiobook form thanks to a friend. It was his latest book at the time, A New Earth*. I also discovered Oprah had started a book club for it and this is when my practice truly began. Don't ask me the exact lessons I learnt from the book because it was a very practical experience for me. But in a nutshell he teaches that the only moment of true power we have is this moment. Now! The more I practiced connecting to the inner sense (innocence?) of presence he talks about, the more it opened up within me and was guiding me down some truly magical paths, one of which lead to becoming a yoga teacher.
 
Some find it hard to listen to Tolle's unique voice and tone on audio. But as he often says when the awakening has begun within you, you'll hear these teachings in a new light. For me, every time I found myself emotional, stressed or scattered, I was drawn to taking a drive and listening to Eckhart. It would never take long with his guidance for me to feel myself, present and calm again. Our relationship continued for the rest of my time in Melbourne in this way and I lived there for 10 years all up.
 
But then life fell apart, got busy, and changed direction completely and somewhere along the way we had stopped connecting in the way old friends do. That is until now...
 
Not often does a spiritual teacher like Tolle come out to little ol' Perth, so after much deliberation over price, I bit the bullet and bought a ticket, as I knew in my heart I couldn't miss it. And of course, I'm so grateful I did.

It was like reconnecting with an old friend again. We clicked straight away, laughed easily and had many an ah-ha moment. It was the perfect reminder from Life of how much these teachings resonate for me and to reconnect with them. The biggest ah-ha was recognizing my love of yoga in so much of what he taught. 

So, in case you're curious,
here are 18 things  (only because I couldn't narrow it down any further) I learnt on my date with Eckhart...

• There needs to be a little crack/opening in the stream of mental chatter for consciousness to penetrate.

​

• Beyond the personality is a deeper essence of which you truly are.

​

• Flashes of spaciousness, when we dis-identify with the voice in the head, keep us sane.

​

• Once we can transcend above the stream of thinking and not identify with it as who we are then we can use thinking for creativity and manifesting and more.

​

• True “happiness” comes from a deeper place inside of you connected to the essence of who you are, beyond the personality.

​

• The question of “Who am I?” is nothing you can speak or think, but rather what is left when you let go of looking for yourself in thoughts.

​

• You don’t have a life. You are Life!

​

• Discover who you are beyond all the physical identification. Move from form identification to essence identification.

​

• Accept each moment as if you had chosen it.

​

• Suffering comes from what your mind thought about it.

​

• Let go of the commentary and imposing thoughts on things – accept what is as it is.

​

• There are 4 Portals into Presence:

1) Get out of the mind and into the body.
2) Breath awareness
3) Awareness of sense perception without labeling.
4) The present moment
(note: it's everything we practice in yoga)

• The more you choose presence, the deeper you go into it, until it choses you and comes through you with time.​

 

• Allow presence to come through you into the world.​

 

• Presence is who you truly are​

​

•  Success is to become a vehicle for consciousness and help bring it into the world.

 

• Don’t allow crisis to take you over, use it as an opportunity to turn up the volume on your light and presence​

 

• The "Now" is the narrow path that leads to Life. Become a Master of Presence. ​

​
I'd love to hear in the comments if you are a Tolle fan too? Is there one teaching in particular you love?

What can you do today to deepen your connection to the only real point of power we have....this moment! Now!

Ever been to an event where you felt reinvigorated and inspired throughout it and then floated out on a high, which went on to influence everything you did from that point onwards?
 
I was blessed to have this experience recently when I traveled to Brisbane for the Beautiful You Inspiration Day on the 21st of April. With the astronomical airfares, I decided to make it worth my while and went over for 5 days instead of just the one. I am so glad I did as not only did the event leave a positive imprint on me but the whole trip did.
I took away with me so much!
 
As life often does when you follow your heart, everything fell into place. Flying in and out of the Gold Coast allowed me to catch up with friends both on the way in and out. In Brisbane I got to spend precious time with family and then with my coaching buddy and fellow yogini Emma in Byron. It all flowed perfectly. Plus it felt like I’d come full circle as I returned to some of the sights between Brisbane and Byron I had last seen 3 years ago on my road trip up the coast to Cairns during a time of great healing for me. Many memories were revisited and new memories made. It was so enlightening to reflect back and see how far you've come.

But the icing on the cake was definitely the Beautiful You Inspiration Day.
 
Oh Inspiration day, where do I start?!
You were absolutely divine.
 
Every minute detail was planned perfectly by Julie Parker and the Beautiful You Team. It was a day full of care and love and it definitely didn’t fall short in delivering bucket loads of inspiration.
 
It all started with a bang, brunching with 18 of my fellow life coaching trainees. Talk about high vibrations. 
There’s something truly magical about meeting people in person after forming relationships online for 3 months. Especially when you’re sharing such a transformational journey and everyone is there to become their best.

Trekking uphill in heels together to the High Church we were rewarded with the excited energy of more gorgeous Beautiful You coaches from other courses and the most beautiful venue.

​A church especially redesigned for great functions. All white interiors finished off with gorgeous chandeliers and a simple stage. Inside which was a buzz as the first time meetings and reunions were continuing between the 60 life coaches gathered from all over Australia and overseas.

Broken up only with afternoon tea and completed with a glass of bubbles and nibbles in the evening, our 5 hours together flew past.  I felt like I was smiling from ear to ear the entire time. My cheeks hurt. We received wisdom loaded presentations from Amanda Rootsey from Shine From Within and Angela Simpson of the Gratitude Project, both well respected and highly experienced coaches.  And if that wasn’t enough to leave us inspired, we gained so much more from the invaluable experiences shared and advice given by Julie Parker, Naomi Arnold and Kate Caddle on the First Year Coaches Panel. We were encouraged to be vulnerable, to stay authentic and true to ourselves. We were taught to create healthy boundaries from the start, to make self-care and self-love a priority and Julie’s heartfelt closing speech inspired us all to "follow your calling" as coaches. Many a tear was shed as we all felt truly heard and seen by a most powerful woman who is most definitely leading by example and living out her soul purpose.
 
I walked away feeling incredibly honoured and blessed to be a part of such an amazing community and deeply grateful I followed my heart to become a life coach, and a proud Beautiful You life coach in the making at that!
 
A huge thanks to everyone who made the day (and my trip) what it was.

​I’m still buzzing from the energy and it was two weeks ago.

As they say, energy is contagious and that is definitely true for this day spent with so many amazing people who are out there doing the work, changing their lives and the lives of others!

Inspired by all I am learning and what I gained on the day, I’m excited to be able to reach out and offer pro bono life coaching. I have 2 spots available for a 3 month coaching series.
 
If you have a dream or something tugging at your heart you can no longer ignore and want to explore the possibility of working with a coach to make it a reality. Click here for more information, or contact me for a chat and lets see if we are a good fit to bring your dream to life for you!

Every year I say I am going to write more blogs and then I allow my fears to get in the way and hold me back.
​Here we are already in the 2nd week of the year and I'm yet to write one.

The voice in my head is unfortunately pretty loud.
I hear it often saying,
"You're not good enough."
"Others are already doing it."
"Who do you think you are?"
.....
it can go on for hours!

But 2017 is going to be different, I have promised myself.
As a one year it's a year of new beginnings.
A new year of taking action. Ignoring those negative voices in my head. No holding back. No more excuses. Letting go of doubts. Facing fears. Living life to the fullest. No regrets.

Life is short and precious.

Time to make it the best year yet.

So if I was to make a resolution or an intention of sorts for 2017, this would probably be it...

If you have been around these parts for a while, you would know I don't shy away from a good challenge, in fact I love them. My friend recently described me as a goal oriented person, and that would be spot on.
To be honest I struggle to get things done if there isn't an end goal or bigger picture attached to it.

Goals and challenges help me stay on track.
I love the accountability they give me and the sense of achievement at the end.

They say a good goal is a SMART one - Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Relevant & Time-bound
(these words may differ depending on the resource you choose to read).

A good challenge fits into these criteria perfectly.

The TLS 21 day Challenge is one of these, a good one!

It sets the specific task to help one reduce weight, find their fit or tone up, whatever their desire may be.
It is measurable, via weight loss, photos and body composition measurements.
It is achievable as it's guidelines are based on medicine and science based research and understanding.
It is relevant as it pertains to anyone's goal of living and maintaining a healthy and vibrant life.
It is time-bound as it is set to be completed within 21days.

Funnily enough though, this was one challenge which was a different story for me.
Don't get me wrong, it wasn't that I didn't want to do it.

The difference for me with this challenge was I had a lot of resistance to starting.

The Issue...
...my mates wanted to start it in the middle of Winter! What tha???
​
It's not like I have weight to shift, or that I am eating unhealthily.
However, I knew some of my eating habits could use a shake up, especially as I am a self-confessed emotional eater and have a familyhistory of diabetes. I also wanted to cleanse my system, wake up my metabolism and besides yoga I knew I needed to move more. ... so the TLS challenge and program would be perfect to do just that.

I don't know about you, but for me Winter is carb season.
Hence, saying goodbye to carbs for 21 days felt like it would be a massive challenge. 

But, as is often the case...
WHAT WE RESIST THE MOST WE NEED THE MOST.

And as they say...
IF IT DOESN'T CHALLENGE YOU, IT DOESN'T CHANGE YOU!

So I gave in to the "peer pressure" as I knew it would be easier to do with group support than without it.

And I did it!
Not once, but twice even.
Yes, I loved it that much

In fact, I can't recommend it more highly enough!

Why I'm loving TLS so much ... 

+
TLS stands for Transition Lifestyle System. 
Hence, like yoga it is a way of life, a lifestyle and not just some "diet".
It teaches you how to eat in a way that is sustainable long after the 21days are over.  

+
21 days is not really that long, it's only 3 weeks if you think about it and, depending on what resources you read, its apparently the number of days/times it takes to create a new habit. It definitely provided a great starting point to get things moving in the right direction in terms of creating healthier habits in my day to day life.

+
It was never about eating less, but more so about eating right.
With one of the four focuses of TLS being on low glycemic impact eating, though I missed my carbs at times, I found I was eating way more vegetables which I loved and had more energy as a result. 

+
The fact that the program focuses on 4 components:
1) Low Glycemic Impact whole food eating
2) Improving body composition
3) Science based supplementation
4) Education
...created a very well planned system. A system that included a gentle cleanse for the body (and life) and the right nutrients to support your body on the journey through appropriate supplements and education.

+
The guidelines were simple and easy to follow, you knew exactly what you were meant to be eating and when. It really does show you how to create better eating habits you can easily continue after the 21days is up.

+
Something I didn't have at first but bought later and found really useful was the TLS Journal.
Knowing the reason why you need to eat or not eat certain foods or take particular supplements and when empowers you to keep making the right choices long term.

+
Its for everybody, whether you're wanting to lose some weight, or like me wishing to create better eating habits, or for some it's to tone up and tighten, or cleanse or find more energy, this program helps to reset your metabolism and gets you moving in the right direction. I've seen the body shape of those who completed it with me change and though it wasn't my goal, I too lost a kilo or two. But what I loved most was the extra energy it gave me.

+ 
There are 5 eating plan options to choose from to keep you on the right track after the 21days or to customise a longer plan for yourself. Whether you want to keep losing weight - quickly or steadily, or maintaining your healthy weight, and depending on where you are at or your commitment level. Just perfect for the non-committed and for the time poor. Plus the journal allows you to keep track of your daily progress for up to 12 weeks, even more time to cement those healthy new habits, which is exactly what I am doing with the Continued commitment program.

COULD YOU USE A SPRING CLEANSE OR DETOX?

If so, why not take the assessment, to see what plan will help you reach your Spring/Summer health goals, a great way to lead into the festive season and end 2016 on a high.

If you would like to take the challenge or discuss the plans,  email me if you have any questions or to order your TLS 21 day kit directly from me to receive free unlimited email support and coaching for the duration of your 21days challenge. Plus go in the draw to win one of two prizes, a bottle of Aloe Vera Juice (valued at $35) or the TLS Health Guide and Journal (valued at $24.25)

Wishing you boundless health and vitality,
Tx

PS: to be kept in the loop as I share more of my health and wellness tools and tips, sign up for free updates here.

Sometimes others just do it better and so I wanted to share with you the beautiful Chakra videos made by a lovely lady I know and coach Freya Dwyer.

Chakras are a common question I get asked about. In the Gita practice we refer to them often as they are the energy centres of the body linked to our endocrine (hormonal) system, the physical centres. There are 7 from the base of the spine up to the crown most often referred to (with some teachers going further to speak of more chakras from the crown and beyond but we can go into them another time maybe). Most importantly we focus on them in our practice in order to cleanse and balance them, for each chakra influences different aspects of who we are. Therefore,...

Inner balance leads to outer balance.

I've mentioned chakras briefly before in previous posts and how I like to use this meditation on top of my yoga practice to keep mine in check. But having a greater understanding of them also helps.

So I was delighted when Freya started making her Chakra videos, as she encapsulated each one perfectly and I knew they'd be perfect to share with you here.

They are a great reminder of what we can do to recharge and balance each one when we need it and may even give you a hint as to which chakra is a little out of balance for you in your life right now.

Watch the videos below. They are in order from the base up, with easy access links to Freya's blog for more information.

Here's to your happy chakras,
Tx

PS: And if you want to work with yours and get to know them better on a more personal level, this is the meditation to try.

The Seventh Chakra (Freya's Blog)

Here's to your happy chakras and a balanced inner and outer life,
​Tx

Have you ever taken a trip overseas that opened your eyes to a new way of being?

 This has definitely been my truth for most trips I've taken.

Travel awakens us. It opens our eyes, our minds and our hearts. 

Bali at the end of last year did this for me.

It was just the right space and place to bring things back into perspective in my life.

And 3 months on, I find it's time for a little reflection.

This is what Bali taught me...

Though Bali is a developing country and many have very little, it was humbling to witness how sacred life is to them. It was common to see women placing handmade offerings at the entrance to their homes and businesses in the early morning as I walked to breakfast after yoga. I even heard about ceremonies held to bless their cars and was lucky enough to experience how whole families live together, young and old, all sharing their lives in the Balinese compounds.
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Offerings and ceremonies were just one of the ways in which I witnessed the Balinese giving thanks for the bounties they feel blessed to receive. As many had very little and yet were still outwardly so appreciative of what they did have, it definitely reminded me how much I take for granted in my life. One custom in particular struck me. The first time I saw this was in the Ubud markets, where a lady had just made a sale and proceeded to run the Indonesian Rupiah note she received over every item she had in her tiny stall. After seeing it done a few times I learnt it is a custom they do in gratitude for their first sale and as a prayer or wish of sorts for more to come.
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Every moment spent in Bali really drums home that true wealth is not material wealth. I met the most gorgeous souls time and time again who constantly wore the largest smiles on their faces whenever I saw them. From the little lady who acted as my motorcycle taxi to the lady down the road who owned her own little warung (restaurant/store). By the time I'd arrived at Ibu Dayu's shop after 6am yoga for breakfast, she had already been to the markets, set up shop and would be blessing her shop with incense and offerings she'd made the night before whilst smiling and greeting her neighbours. She'd always respond to requests with a hearty "no problem", laughter and huge smile. 
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  It may be the spaciousness we get when we travel and leave our worldly cares behind that allows us the space to heed this next lesson more...follow your intuition. I knew I had a calling to go to Bali last year and I'm so glad I answered it. The whole time I was there I sensed my intuitive guidance more clearly, going with the flow of the day, recognising signs and taking little known laneways to beautiful hidden away places. My time in Bali definitely reminded me that, intuition is like a muscle, the more you use it and act on what you hear/see/perceive the stronger it gets.
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And the biggest lesson that lead to all the others....we're called Human Beings, not human doings for a reason. We're not meant to be on the go 24/7 and our bodies, minds and souls need time to BE. These moments of stillness and "being" are important to replenish, heal and rebalance ourselves. It's also in those quiet moments taken that creativity is often born and we hear the inner stirrings of our soul (aka your intuition talking). Before Bali I was feeling the deep need for a break as I'd been working hard all year, teaching almost every class that came my way 6 days a week on top of a second job. Bali provided me with the perfect space to take that break. Lush greenery, yoga classes every hour, juice bars at every corner... nourishment available for the mind, body and soul.

Although it has been 3 months since returning to the real world, Bali's influence on me has been life changing. Life may be as busy as before, but I'm all the more conscious of my spaces to be and how I choose to fill them now!