FOLLOW YOUR BLISS

Follow your bliss. It sounds simple enough. But the path to a heart-driven blissful life is not always straight forward.

To follow your bliss, you first must know what brings you bliss. Do you know? Do you know what you love to do? Do you have a love list and do you indulge in these actions regularly?

You also have to know how bliss feels to you. Think of something you absolutely love to do and pay attention to the feelings it creates in you. See if you can define it. For me, bliss creates a feeling of flow. My heart flutters with excitement. Energy bubbles up inside me. I am so present it feels like time has stopped. I am switched on and inspired. Everything in this moment feels perfect, like it happening just as it is supposed to.

Bliss comes from a connection to your heart. It is natural and effortless. It is a by product of following your truth. When you are doing what is right for you, you cannot help but feel bliss. It is like you are in exactly the right place at the right time. I believe that this is our natural state to be in. When our minds are clear and we are listening to our heart, we will encounter bliss daily and happiness with come effortlessly.

Living a life of bliss is not necessarily about trying to make your life appear perfect. It is about living with the intention of bliss. Intend to experience joy everyday even if there are things about your life that you do not like. Even when you are in situations, or with people or in places that you do not like, see if you can use your mind to create a space of bliss. Following your bliss is about choosing the right thoughts. It is about thinking positive and happy thoughts even in not-so-positive circumstances. It is about deciding to make how you feel more important than anything else.

Why Should We Follow Our Bliss?
There is something special that happens when you make the decision to make what you love, be the driving force in your life. The intention to live this way will completely change your energy and what you put out to the world. It will therefore begin to change what you get back. If your life is missing sparkles, magic and miracles, the path of following your bliss may just change that. I think that this beautiful quote by Joseph Campbell describes it perfectly.

Follow your bliss.

If you do follow your bliss, you put yourself on a kind of track that has been there all the while waiting for you, and the life you ought to be living is the one you are living.

When you see that, you begin to meet people, who are in the field of your bliss, and they open doors to you. 

I say, follow your bliss and don't be afraid, and doors will open where you didn't know they were going to be. 

The Path To Bliss
All you need to do to start to follow your bliss, is make the decision. Decide to make what you love, number one priority. Intend it. Then, just take it one step at a time.

Each day take one step. One step closer to bliss.

When you follow your bliss, you do not need a plan. You simply show up each day and take whatever step you can. When your intention is to simply experience more joy and bring in to your life more things that you love, everything just starts to naturally unfold.

When I started this blog, I did not have a grand plan, or even really know what I was doing. I simply knew that I loved to write and share information that I was passionate about. I was looking for ways to bring more of the things I loved in to my life, and I wanted to then express more of these parts of me to the world. As I took different steps each day, I found that things just started to happen. More and more people began to read what I was writing. I started to receive emails from all over the world. People would write to me and tell me how my blog had inspired them, changed their life, encouraged them to do or be more, or it simply just made them feel better. The comments I received became my fuel to continue to write and share this message with others as much as I could.

When I started the Facebook page for this blog (less than a week ago), it was yet another step towards bliss. I knew I loved sharing these messages, and I could feel an inner tug to start to share it even more through the platform of Facebook. I had actually had this thought for months, but I never acted on it. Why? Because of fear. So often our bliss-filled desires and heart whispers are shut down by our fearful mind and suppressed and ignored. Since I have been writing this blog, I have come across many people who have told me they have been thinking of writing a blog, or have always wanted to start one. But they haven't. Why?

The Blocks To Bliss
Sometimes we block our own bliss. Our heart may be calling us to take a certain path, while our head tells us to do the opposite. Other times, life just gets in the way. We are so busy trying to get everything done, that we do not even set aside time to do the things we love the most.

Many people do not take the steps to follow their bliss, as this path will often take them out of their comfort zone. It is often much easier to stay with a life that is safe, albeit mediocre, rather than daring to take the risk to follow your heart.

Anytime you choose to step past your fear and move out of your comfort zone, you are going to go through a big process of inner growth. Life to me, is not about the outer results we get when we achieve our goals. It is about the process we had to go through to get there, and the learning's we got along the way. Every time I have ignored the voice of fear, and have instead taken a step towards my bliss, I have celebrated. I have not cared whether the end result looked perfect. I have simply revelled in the fact that I had the courage to choose love over fear.

How Do We Move Past Our Blocks?
To move past the blocks, remain connected to your intention. My intention with this blog, has nothing to do with my own agenda. I am not trying to push anything, or create some persona about who I think I am. My intention has always been to simply expand on my bliss and find more ways to express it. And hopefully along the way, I inspire some other people to do the same.

You also have to stop worrying about what other people think of you. Of course, that was one of my fears too. But when you are tuned in to the intention of why you are doing something, then you are connected to a voice of love, and the voice of fear becomes quieter.

When I started my blog, I decided I was going to take a risk with my writing. I didn't want to write things just to please or impress people. I just wanted to be real and authentic, even if that meant being vulnerable and exposed. Why not? Why are we all so afraid of each other. We are all made of the same stuff, and we are all here just doing the best we can. If we could just stop worrying about what other people think for a while, we would have enough space in our heads to find out what we really and truly want for ourselves.

Are there any areas in your life, where you are being called to do something, that you know you will love, yet you are stopping yourself from doing it out of fear?

If so, identify it. Set an intention to move your life towards doing more of this thing you love. Connect with your heart. And then go out in to the world each and every day and take whatever step you can. Do whatever you can to choose love over fear, and bliss over struggle.

Tips To Connect With Your Bliss
1. Get out of your head and in to your body - I find that whenever I am blocked or stuck in a low energy space, it is often because I am stuck in my head and I am over thinking something. If this happens, take a break. Go for a walk outdoors. Go to a gym class. Do some yoga. Go for a swim in the ocean. Do whatever you need to do to switch off your mind and get back in to your body. I actually find that the majority of my blog post ideas, come to me when I am on the treadmill!

2. Get quiet and listen - Take a moment to get still and listen. Breathe and connect with yourself. See if you can hear the voice of your intuition. It is the soft, loving and supportive voice that guides you. Tune in to the energy in your heart space. Just sit and wait. Sometimes to get clarity, all you need to do is create enough space for it.

3. Connect with what you love - Start to identify what the things are that you love. Do you have ideas, dreams, inspirations that you have been ignoring. Start to write them down. Create a love list. Journal. Try new things. Experiment. Play in the world and see what it is you love to do, and then do it as much as you can.

GET THE GLOW: MY TOP BODY PRODUCTS FOR INSIDE AND OUT

Learning to love and nourish your body can be challenging in today's society. Many of us can't help but compare ourselves to others and judge our bodies against the unrealistic standards set by the media. 

This type of comparison causes us to label things in our body as wrong or bad. We become flaw-finders and nit-pickers. We strive for some form of perfection, thinking that when we look a certain way we will receive the love or affection we crave. 

In order to overcome these unsupportive habits, we must do whatever we can to engage in behaviours that are instead self-loving and nurturing. Behaviours such as eating whole, healthy food, pampering ourselves with nourishing activities and talking to ourselves in kind ways. 

I have been inspired today to share a range of products that I am currently using which help me take wonderful care of my body and support it to stay strong and beautiful. Over the years, I have moved towards a much more natural approach with how I care for myself. I have moved away from products filled with synthetic chemicals and over-powering fragrances. I have also moved away from foods that are over-processed and devoid of nutrients. In order for me to feel nourished, I need to know that the things I am putting on my skin and in my mouth are filling me up with goodness and helping my body functioning at an optimal level.

So, here is what i am loving right now. 

1. I LOVE MY BODY: ORGANIC BLACK COCONUT + TAHITIAN VANILLA BODY LOTION

I love the concept behind this body cream. The directions on the bottle read "applying body lotion is a wonderful opportunity to connect with our bodies. As you apply, thank every part of your body for giving you a vehicle to experience life! If you've been chronically telling yourself that you're fat, use this time to forgive yourself and love your fat bits"

This stuff is so ridiculously yummy. Not only is the packaging gorgeous, but the smell is out of this world. Plus, it is free from nasty chemicals and is jam packed with nourishing organic ingredients. 

This range of products were created by Toni Childs (as in, the singer). After she was diagnosed with a serious thyroid condition called Graves Disease, she embarked on a journey to heal herself naturally and created this products along the way. You can read more about her story here. 

2. GREEN GOODNESS

Whenever I have the chance, I like to whip up a fresh, organic green juice using my Huroum juicer. My favourite combination is kale, celery,  cucumber, apple, lemon, ginger and a pinch of cayenne pepper. 

Lately though, I have been finding that I don't always have the time to get around to juicing. So, I have been creating a bit of a cheat green drink which may not be as good as the real thing, but still provides your body with a whole heap of alkalising vitamins and minerals. 

Prior to going to the gym each morning, I make myself up a green shake. I find this actually gives me a big pep up before my work-out and reduces the amount that I need to eat afterwards. At the moment I am using Vital Greens powder, Spirulina powder, Barley Grass powder, Maca powder and a squeeze of half a lemon. I shake it all up together with water and drink!

3. KARPATI NATURAL HAIR CARE: SULPHATE-FREE SHAMPOO + SILICONE-FREE CONDITIONER

I was given a sample of these hair products by my local health food store, and I fell in love with them instantly. 

Over the years, I have tried a lot of natural and chemical free hair products, and I have always been less than impressed. They have either left my hair dry and dull or greasy and flat. 

However, since I have been using the Karpati products, I have actually been receiving a lot of compliments about my hair. They are moisturising and leave your hair full of body. Plus, they are free of horrible harsh chemicals that most hair products contain. 

The conditioner has a subtle coconut smell which leaves your hair smelling divine without that fake over-fragranced smell that most conditioners have.

4. YOGA DOWNLOAD

I love the atmosphere of yoga class, and feeling I get after an hour long session. But for some reason, I always seem to procrastinate on getting my self to a class. So, to overcome this, I have began practicing at home using Yoga Download.

Once you download the class, you can use it anytime you like. It means I can squeeze in a quick morning session, do a longer one on a Sunday afternoon, or build in a regular practice for each evening when I get home from work.

There are various styles and levels of yoga, and you can choose what length of class you want to use as well. 

I have been using Yoga Download for the past 2 years now and I have found it has really strengthened by practice. It is great for beginners too as you can take it at your own pace.

5. MV ORGANIC SKINCARE: ROSE SOOTHING + PROTECTIVE MOISTURISER

Last Christmas, my boyfriend gave me a pack of MV Organic skin care products. I was blown away by the richness of each of the creams, and the amazing smells of essential oils that were used in each of them.

My favourite out of the pack was the Rose Soothing & Protective Moisturiser.

I have used plenty of rose-scented creams in the past, as I absolutely adore how they smell. Yet, I often find that they are watery and the smell of rose is quite faint. This cream is different. The texture is rich, thick and creamy and the smell of rose is sweet and strong.

A little bit of this cream goes a long way, so I will sometimes just dab it around my eyes or even use it on my neck as perfume. 

SPRING CLEAN YOUR MINDSET: 5 STEPS TO THINKING POSITIVELY

Spring has officially sprung in Sydney. The days are lighter and longer, the skies are bright and blue, and the air has taken on a sweeter smell. You cannot help but feel inspired to start to dust off the winter cobwebs and do a bit of a clean out. 

Over the past few weeks I have already felt drawn to embark on a mini physical cleanse. I am eating lighter, fresher and healthier, I have taken my morning exercise routine to a new level, and I am finding it easier to wean the winter comfort foods out of my diet.

As I have been working to become more conscious of what is going on in my body, I have also found myself becoming more aware of what is going on in my mind. Lately I have been catching myself indulging in some rather negative, toxic and uninspiring thought patterns. It is amazing how often these thoughts just run through your head on auto pilot without you even realising.

Becoming conscious of your thoughts can be challenging initially. The trick is to just observe them without getting caught up in the drama they are creating. Once you can step back and look at your thoughts objectively, it is incredibly enlightening and empowering.

Being aware of your thoughts enables to actually evaluate the thought. Ask yourself, is the thought serving you, making you feel good, and is it one you want to be thinking? If not, it is time to transform it. Since doing this process, I have been uncovering a hidden pile of outdated and simply yuck ways of thinking, that I am well and truly ready to get rid of.

So, I wanted to share with you 5 of the practices that I have been implementing to give my mind a well needed spring clean, and to begin to cultivate a more positive mindset.

Practice # 1: Think Intentionally
Each day when you wake up, before you start your day, set an intention. Set an intention of who you want to be for the day and what you want to experience. It may be something like;

Today, I intend to think positive loving thoughts about myself
Today, I intend to be calm and balanced at work
Today, I intend to nourish my body with the healthiest foods that I can
Today, I intend to be kind to every person I encounter
Today, I intend to be efficient and productive

Set the intention and then carry it with you through the day. Remind yourself of it regularly. Recite it over and over to yourself, or even write it on a piece of paper where you can see it often. An intention is a decision. It is a decision to be a certain type of person and to hold yourself to a certain standard. Without making a clear commitment to how you want to think, your mind will simply run itself and you will have no power over where your precious thought energy is going.

Practice # 2: Choose Compliments Over Judgements
One of my flaws, which I am not at all proud to admit, is that I can sometimes be quite a judgemental person. I have been catching myself lately when I do this, and I have been shocked at how nasty my thoughts towards others (and myself) can sometimes be.

While I was on the treadmill this morning at 6am, I decided it was time to start turning this around. So, as I power walked, I began to look around the gym at different people, and with every person I laid eyes on, I found something lovely to think about them. In my mind I paid each person a beautiful compliment, and I noticed anything positive about them that I could.

As I did this, I could not help but smile. I found that I was looking at people in a completely different way, and I suddenly felt as connected to these total strangers as I would to my best friend. By the end of my gym session my heart was full with that yummy loving feeling, and all I had done was simply choose to see something beautiful in another human being.

Practice#3: Magnetise Positivity

Lately in the morning and evenings I have been working with the concept of magnetising, and I have found it to be a really powerful process. It helps to raise your energy to a more positive level and it fills your mind with things that feel really good to you.

I often do this after a meditation or yoga session, but it can be done at any time. I sit with my eyes closed and I take a few deep breaths, and then I tune in to the energy inside of me. I imagine myself to be like a magnet and I begin to visualise myself drawing anything that is positive and loving towards me. Sometimes I may simply want to draw in more positive energy, or more happiness. Other times, it is more specific. Either way, all I do is imagine myself magnetising wonderful things towards me. I see myself attracting positive people, receiving loving energy from others or experiencing flow and effortlessness. 

Anytime I start to feel flat or down during the day, I set an intention to start magnetising positive experiences. Or if I am in a situation where I am facing some challenges, or I cannot find a solution to a problem, I see myself drawing towards me everything I need get it sorted. It always makes me feel better, and it is amazing how much things start to change around you as a result.

Practice #4: Revel in the Happiness of Others
When something awesome happens to a person you know, and they tell you all about it, how to do you respond? I am sure there are times that you are really happy for them, and perhaps other times you feel at a twang of jealousy that this great thing has happened to them, and not you. 

I am the type of person who is pretty much always happy for my friends and loved ones when amazing things come their way. However, one thing I have been practicing, which makes you feel even more awesome, is to actually revel in their happiness as if it was your own. Find out every juicy detail from them. Ask them to explain how they are feeling. Get in to their shoes and really connect with the fact that something wonderful has happened to them. 

This works for 2 reasons. Firstly, when you start to engage in the details of their happy experience, and connect with what they must be feeling, the positive vibes cannot help but rub off on you and make you feel good. Secondly, seeing you get what you think about, you will find that the more you focus on all the amazing things that are happening to other people, you will find they start happening to you too. Yes, our thoughts create our reality, so giving your attention to the magical happenings, joyous moments and wonderful experiences around you, will draw more of them in to your life.

Practice #5: Use Your Tool Box
Seeing we are all human, I have no doubt we will all occasionally fall off the conscious, positive thinking train and fall back in to your old habits. The trick to handle this is to have a tool box of strategies you can draw on to help you when you fall in to a negative thinking pit. Some of my favourite negativity soothers are;

• A long, slow yoga class
• Hot bath
• Anything on my Love List
• Walking outdoors
• Gratitude
• Exercise
• A great chat with a close girlfriend
• Watching a funny movie
• Journalling

As soon as you catch your mind heading down to crazy town, stop and make a choice to change it. Do whatever you need to do to break the pattern. Indulge in an activity that makes you feel good, or helps you work through the problem you are experiencing. Create your own tool box to help you move past negativity and create a beautiful positive mind.

THE LOVE LIST

I recently stumbled across a document I wrote around 2 years ago, which I affectionately call my Love List. It is a list about all the things in life that I love to do, that bring me joy, that make me smile, that cause my heart to sing and that basically just make my day a happier one.

I wrote this list at the time that I was starting this blog as I was on a journey of exploring ways to bring more happiness in to my life. Rather than thinking about what I could get rid of from my life that I no longer liked or wanted, I instead thought, what can I add more of to my life to make it even better? The result, was my Love List.

This list is more than 5 pages long and lives in my beautiful A4 pink journal filled with pages of gorgeous recycled paper. I only write in this journal using grey lead pencil, and every word that gets printed in it is filled with beauty and love.  I love the journal, and writing in it is actually pastime that features on my Love List.

Looking back over the list now, I sadly realised that I have not been dedicating much time to any of my little loves lately. Instead life has been dominated by to do's, errands and obligations. Finding this list was a much needed wake up call to jump off the treadmill of life and start simply enjoying it.

Reviewing this list has helped me reconnect with the principle of life being a journey, not a destination. It has helped remind me that life is to be enjoyed, revelled in, savoured and experienced fully. This is about finding what YOU love, not following what other people love. It is about delving in to your little heart and listening to what it calls you to do. It is about loving yourself enough, that you would prioritise actions on your Love List, just like you would tasks on a to do list.

The items on your list can be as small or as big as you like. I often find it is the small, simple things that bring us that natural bubbly feeling of happiness. Often it is also just about taking a moment to appreciate those little things that may otherwise just pass you by.

My Love List
I want to give you a snippet of some of the items that feature on my Love List, as it will hopefully birth some inspiration in you to do the same.

Here are some of the highlights;

• A long run outdoors as the sun is rising
• Reading my favourite book in bed
• Shopping for food in health food stores (I love how they smell!)
• Reading beautiful blogs such as this, this and this 
• Random clothing creations, hand made on my sewing machine
• Organic mangoes and medjool dates
• Anything by candle light
• Random acts of kindness
• Waking up early before the sun and the birds
• Beach side holidays in the summertime
• Post-exercise buzz
• Reading the thoughts of inspirational people such as this, this and this
• Long, hot baths
• Blue, cloudless skies
• Beautiful conversations with friends
• Writing on this blog and receiving heart-warming comments from my readers
• Drinking loose leaf herbal tea out of china cups
• Words of inspiration from here and here
• Warm sunny weekends filled with market strolls and cafe breakfasts
• The feeling of Savasana pose after a long yoga class
• The smell of fresh coffee brewing
• Freestyle painting on canvas
• Attending inspiring events (such as this one) filled with amazing like-minded people
• Perusing second hand book stores
• Fresh flowers in glass vases
• Kisses with the one I love
• The Bronte to Bondi coastline
• Inspirational journeys of natural healing like this and this
• Making freshly pressed organic vegetable juice
• Sunsets of any description

It is easy to underestimate the power of these beautiful little joys. But isn't this what life is really about!

I encourage you to create your own Love List and review it daily. Revolve your day around it. Prioritise time to delve deeply in to the things in life that bring you joy.

xxx