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.

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

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

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• 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.

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

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• 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.

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

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

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• Accept each moment as if you had chosen it.

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• Suffering comes from what your mind thought about it.

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

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• 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​

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•  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. ​

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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!

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 about coaching with me.

Also if you are considering becoming a life coach, I can't recommend checking out the Beautiful You Coaching Academy any more highly. As a proud Certified Beautiful You Coach, for anyone who chooses to enrol with BYCA through my affiliate link I am offering a bonus 3 months coaching which will help you on your own way to certification.
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For more information or if you have any questions about becoming a coaching or coaching with me  contact me here. 

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 ... 

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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.  

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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!

This is one of the many useful tools I've learnt from Leonie Dawson's Shining year workbooks.
And it's one I have been doing every year since.

Its great in that it gives me a focus for the year ahead - 
A list of all the things that fill me up, that I'd love to do more of or achieve in the year. 

It works out to about two items a week, totally easy to achieve don't you think? 

Just imagine how amazing you would feel at the end of the year after ticking them all off!
And even if you didn't complete the list, which I didn't do in 2015, I can still say I did a hell of a lot of them and I had a year that I look back on very fondly as a result!

You see, the more you fill your cup, the more you have to give to others as you come from a place of fullness!

So here is my list ...

So I'd love to hear from you now. Have you been inspired to write your own list?
If so, what would be the first 3 things you would add to it? What fills you up?

I won't lie, it does take a little to get into the momentum of writing a whole 100 things.
But once you find your groove you may even find it hard to keep it within that number :)

Here's to you having an amazing 2016 filled with all the things you'd love to see/do more of in your life!
​
Love, light and power to you gorgeous soul,
​Tash xo

It's the last day of the year and I've been reflecting for the last month how I want to end this year and what energy I'm seeking to bring into the new year. Been thinking about it so much, I kind of forgot to write about it. Writing always cements and grounds my intentions. It makes them real.

So how do I want to end this year and begin the next?

With Gratitude

When I embarked on this year, I set the intention to simply follow my heart and the Universe's "breadcrumbs" so to speak. What a wild ride it has been!

Here are the top 9 things I am grateful for this year,
partly inspired by the instagram hashtag #2015bestnine...

1) Teaching Yoga
From teaching a few classes I started myself at the end of last year, I have been blessed to receive many more opportunities to teach and share yoga over the year. From joining the teaching faculty at Momentum in Melville to being stretched as a teacher teaching 5 year olds through to 11year olds and then teens yoga, plus teaching regularly in a high school and a corporate class. I am forever grateful for the support the Universe has given me to get back on my feet this year and that teaching has been a part of the plan and to be teaching as much as I have been in Perth

2) Beautiful Community
Not only is it a privilege to be a yoga teacher, but I am always humbled by the gorgeous souls I am blessed to have in my classes, both past and present. I am forever grateful to have their continued support and attendance over the year, from park to hall to studio and back. As well as to receive emails from past students from interstate. And I'm particularly grateful this year for the group of students that donated to my Bali Kids Christmas call out.

3) Travel
I managed to fly out of Perth 3 times this year which is huge achievement for me. Twice for weddings, one in Malaysia in July and the second in Melbourne in September. And the last trip was recently to Bali, where I fulfilled three intentions I made, one to take myself to Bali for my 40th this year, two to visit somewhere I haven't been before and lastly to fly out of the country twice in one year (and collect more stamps in my brand new passport). So grateful for the opportunity to reconnect with loved ones this year and also the soul filling experience I gained during my first trip to Bali.

4) Read a Book a Month
Inspired by my 100 things to do list and my cousin completing this same challenge last year, I set myself the intention to do it this year. Must say it was the best goal to set, as I have always wanted to read more and this definitely had me doing this. Though I did have an affinity for New Age and personal development books, I realise that these are the books that inspire me the most and have opened my mind to whole new world of possibilities. And I already have a long list of books I'm looking forward to devouring in the new year.

5) Financial Goals
This year, I actually set a goal to get ahead financially. I've never been too good with my money in the past and I really wanted to change this mindset. My goal was to have a certain amount saved by the end of the year and my credit cards paid off. The book Overcoming Underearning definitely helped, as did setting a clear intention and sticking to it, such as saving $2 a day and 10% of my pay without touching it, and paying off my credit card in regular weekly/monthly instalments. It has been a powerful lesson about the true value of money and spending it that I am grateful especially for the freedom gained by being in this financial position right now and on holidays the past few weeks without stressing.

6) Henna Mandalas
I have so much to be grateful for when it comes to these little "doodles". An intention setting exercise that spanned across a year and more now, and one that has helped dig me out of the huge hole I dug for myself when I returned to Perth last year. And the highlight of this year, finally seeing them on t-shirts! So grateful for the little seeds planted by the Universe through it's earth angels who directed me on the path to making this "unbeknown to me" dream a reality. 

7) Giving Back
It was an absolute honour to be the bearer of donated goods from a super generous group of students I am blessed to have in my classes. I sent a call out for donations for the Bali Kids Charity before I left on my trip and was blown away by the generosity that saw us raise $120 and donate a large amount of much needed products to the medical facility for the orphanages of Bali. And even more excited to create a social enterprise with my T-shirts that will allow me to give back in an even bigger way in the new year.

8) Dr Wayne Dyer
Really he deserves a whole post of his own, but I wanted to include him here as he has been a pivotal teacher this year for me and one I am so grateful came into my life. My one regret is only discovering his powerful teachings since his passing on August 30th this year. But from what I have read, I sense that his passing too was a part of his soul's journey to continue his legacy. He's a man who lived as I know my soul wishes to live, a truly inspired life connected to the Divine that transforms the lives of others. 

9) Daily practice
Finally I am grateful for my daily practice. This year it evolved but was a still a daily grounding staple in my life. From waking each morning and either setting an intention or saying a prayer of gratitude, to the usual meditation and yoga practices, to incorporating the "7min work out" and dance, and for the last 5 months of the year being in touch with my cousin overseas every day sharing our self-love cards and nightly gratitude list. All of which, the latter in particular, have helped me keep in focus what is of highest importance to me in my life and how I wish to be in this world. 

Looking back I can see that the wild ride I've been on all stemmed from that one decision to follow my heart and be open to what life brings me. From this vantage point, I am very much looking forward to seeing what 2016 has install for my soul's journey as I continue to follow my heart. I wonder where it will lead me.

Thank you so much for being on this journey with me.

Here's to more of us connecting with our hearts and a world more in love and at peace in 2016!

Love, light and blessings, 
Tx

 Have you heard of the movie, The Secret?
It's about the law of attraction, and I realised the other day, after a student asked about my tattoos, that this movie is partly responsible for me becoming a yoga teacher!

Strange story, but you see, I have one tattoo from 2003 of a moon surrounded by waves representing my star sign, Cancer, a water sign ruled by the moon. And around it is a cuff-like tattoo I got in 2007 of 8 number 8s that are meant to look like ripples in water to represent impermanence and to remind me of a turning point in my life.

This pivotal event was my appearance on Deal or No Deal, a popular game show on TV that my mum used to watch religiously every afternoon. If you haven't seen it, there are 26 brief cases with $ amounts in them from 50c to $200,000. You pick one case and then one by one open the other cases, and at the end of each round you are offered a deal to take or risk it to see what you have in yours, hoping you have the $200K or get a higher offer deal.

Yep, probably not the turning point you were thinking it would be.

It was around the time I was told my audition was successful and I was invited to the show's taping in two weeks,
I had watched the movie, The Secret.

Excitedly I told my friend about it and we started to actively visualise.
By actively, I mean we got clear on what we wanted to have happen, and then we visualised it repeatedly along with the feelings we would experience in that moment. So we decided I would be the contestant called up, as she didn't want to and I was doing this for my folks.  We then visualised ourselves high fiving each other after winning $100,000 and every time we saw each other we would high five each other and say "$100,000" recreating this moment.
We had a lot of fun doing this!

Funnily, my friend hadn't even seen the show yet! So one night she sat with her dad to watch it, when he said to her, if Tash has $200,000 in her case and you have $100,00 in yours, you'll get an offer of $150,000 guaranteed.
So then we upped the anti and started visualising that as well!

A bit of a side note, but an important part of the story, the night before the filming day, I lay in bed asking myself what number I would choose (I have a few lucky numbers) if I was called up. I remember this moment as if it was yesterday. The number 8 came to me and I thought to myself I should write it down, the pen and paper were right beside me, but then I tell myself I won't forget as it's my birthdate.

BUT, of course, the next day in all the excitement of being in the studio and watching the shows being taped the number 18 got stuck in my head after my friend mentioned the number during one of the games.

After watching 3 games being taped, the moment they called me out as the next contestant was so surreal. I remember us jumping up hugging and saying to my friend "We did it!", which you can actually hear me say in the show. As they prepped me with mics and make up etc, I was racking my mind about what number to pick as I knew 18 wasn't quite right but it was stuck in my head. It didn't help that the adrenaline was well and truly pumping and the number 18 case was right up the front. So when they asked, I said 18.

I remember looking up at the sea of other cases before me to pick my first one to open and the number 8 was shining brightly. And it had the $200K in it! Not the best way to start but at this stage I had completely forgotten what we had been visualising and that I was supposed to have picked the number 8 as my case.

I lost almost all the big cases in the first couple of rounds, except the $100,000, so I kept playing on, and the deals started to get bigger and bigger as the $100K stayed on. Until we were down to the last two cases, $100,000 and $5,000, my number 18 and my friend with number 2. It was at this moment that I remembered we had been visualising she would have the $100K and I would have the $200K, which I would have had had I chosen number 8!

Hence, I took the deal and though it wasn't the $100,000 we visualised, we still walked away with a mega $48,000.
And yes, she did have the $100K. 

After splitting it with my friend, I was shocked to realise I had received the exact amount I needed to pay off my debt, do all I wanted to that year and get ahead with some savings, all that I had written in a prayer and hidden at the start of the year... Apparently my manifesting had started a lot earlier than I realised.

So how is this all related to me becoming a yoga teacher??
Basically, I realised  after sharing my tattoos and this story with my students, if it hadn't been for this win, I would not have been in the financial position or had the space to even consider the teacher training when it came up. A training I initially I enrolled in for my own personal development and health with no intention of teaching.
Hence, it seems the universe had other intentions!​

Whenever I think back over this story it always serves to remind me of 3 valuable things...

1) We are powerful manifestors and co-creators in this world.
​What we think matters, our thoughts are powerful. As we say in yoga, Energy follows thought.

2) Always trust your intuition and do what it tells you.
This is what lead me to get the 8 number 8s tattoo so I never forget. Though I still often do :)

3) Everything happens for a reason
 Even if we may not realise it at the time, everything is unfolding perfectly.

4) Magic happens
I'm only one of millions of stories I am sure as living proof that it does. Don't stop believing!