Eat Your Colors: ROYGBIV Should Apply To Your Diet, Too
You don’t dress in one color. Your apartment isn’t one shade of beige. Why should your diet be any different?
To be your healthiest, think back to grammar school art class and good ol’ ROYGBIV: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet, a.k.a. the colors of the rainbow. Nature has been kind enough to give us fruits and vegetables in all these colors, and we should be eating foods in these beautiful hues to stay healthy and balanced.
As good as each color group is on its own, none of them provide all the vitamins and minerals we need to be our best. What’s great about greens isn’t necessarily all there in reds or yellows, and vice versa. Jamba Juice’s new line of Cold Pressed Juices and Signature Blends can help make sure you’re getting all the colors of the spectrum. Let’s go!
RED
Luscious tomatoes, sweet strawberries, crisp red peppers and spicy red cayenne peppers are just some of the foods in this fiery color. And they really pack a vitamin punch: Most red foods (especially tomatoes and peppers) are bursting with vitamin C, which supports the immune system and heart health while encouraging collagen production.
You’ll also get some vitamin A, which helps support our immune system and with night vision; lycopene, an antioxidant that can fight skin aging; beta-carotene for skin protection. There’s also fiber, which will keep your digestive tract running smoothly.
ORANGE
Tangerines, carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkins, peaches, cantaloupes guavas, papayas, mangoes, apricots and (of course) oranges provide myriad health benefits — like supporting a healthy heart. And the nutrients you’ll get from them are manifold: beta-carotene and, of course, vitamins C and A.
Enjoy Organic Orange Reviver, and Organic Mango Limeade from Jamba Juice to help get your daily fill of these wonderful health helpers.
YELLOW
Nibble on bananas, lemons, yellow peppers, pineapples, corn and summer squash are just some of the fruits and vegetables for a blast of antioxidants, beta-carotene and vitamin C. Your digestive tract, skin, and the rest of your body will love you for it!
Looking for a quick and easy way to gain these healthful benefits? Try Jamba Juice’s Organic Orange Reviver, Organic Cayenne Lemonade, Organic Tropical Greens, and Organic True Greens to add some sunshine to your diet.
GREEN
You’d have to try really, really hard to avoid finding green foods at the market: Kale, collards, cucumbers, spinach, romaine, peas, honeydew, limes, green peppers, zucchini — the list is long! And that’s a good thing, because these tasty foods contain so much goodness that it’s hard to know where to begin.
How about better looking skin and hair? More iron? Oh, and they’re all high in fiber, which can help keep your gut feeling great, as well as beta-carotene.
Crack open an Organic Tropical Greens or Organic True Greens from Jamba Juice’s new line of cold pressed juices to reap the nutritional benefits of going green.
BLUE & VIOLET
Poor blue and indigo. They really got short-changed by Mother Nature. With the exceptions of blueberries and blue corn, there just aren’t many naturally occurring blue foods. (And no, that blue frosting on Bob from Accounting’s birthday cake doesn’t count.) So we decided to include violet in this grouping. And what a group it is: beets, grapes, eggplant, onions, and the aforementioned blueberries and corn are a sampling of the goodies that come in these shades.
Most are good sources of vitamin K. You'll also find flavonoids in these, which act like antioxidants.
Jamba Juice’s Organic Orange Reviver contains beets, so try one if you’d like to get some good blues. But these beets are sweet: The juice itself is delicious enough that you’ll enjoy the benefits of these earthy root vegetables without knowing you’re drinking beets!
INNER CHILD MEDITATION FOR THE SAGITTARIUS NEW MOON
December 11th marks the date for a new moon cycle. This means that for that day, and a few days afterward, the heavens are energetically supporting us to go within for some serious TLC for the soul. This new moon is in Sagittarius: a fire sign that is wide open to life in a fun-loving, optimistic, and adventurous way, which makes this new moon a great opportunity to spend some time with your inner child. In fact, those with a lot of Sagittarius energy tend to have a child-like, wondrous view of the world and a contagious zest for life.
Below is a guided meditation to help you tap into the energies of Sagittarius through yourinner child. You can record yourself reading the meditation and listen to your voice as you meditate, or you can read along in a meditative state, pausing to sit with whatever comes up or to journal. You can even do this with a friend or group of women. There’s no right or wrong way. Do what feels right and fun for you.
Take some time before you start to set sacred space. You can light candles, burn sage, play some music, or simply set the intention for sacred space. Get comfortable in a seated position and start to deepen and lengthen your breath. Call upon whatever support you would like to be with you during this mystical time: guides, angels, deities, or energies. Invite the energy of Sagittarius to be present as you open yourself up to receive whatever insight or guidance you need at this time.
See yourself on a vast plane. It is early morning. The sun has yet to appear and a tiny sliver of the moon is still visible in the sky. You start to turn around, taking in your surroundings. You notice a large labyrinth ahead of you. Its intricate walls are made of beautiful leaves and flowers. You hear the voice of a child—a little girl calling your name—coming from the direction of the labyrinth.
You enter, following the call, and begin walking through the maze, curious as to what you will find along the way. You turn a corner and see a room in front of you. It is a room that you recognize. There is a crib. You peer down and see yourself as a baby. She smiles at you as her curious eyes take in everything around her.
You hear your name called and the room disappears. You continue walking in the direction of the voice. Suddenly, you come across another scene: you at age three, playing with your favorite toy. Her innocent joy is contagious and you laugh along with her.
Your name is called again, and the scene dissolves. You continue along on your quest, making your way through the thick walls of foliage when another vision appears: you at age five, running and jumping, full of joy and vital life-force energy.
“Remember me,” echoes the little girl’s voice, and with that, your five-year-old self disappears.
It isn’t long before you come upon yourself again. This time, you are eight-years-old and playing with your best friend a favorite game you always played together.
The call is getting louder.
Your eight-year-old self turns to you and says, “Go find her. She needs you.”
You start walking faster towards the voice. You can tell you’re getting close. Another scene from your life soon appears: it is the summer right before entering high school. She is excited about a new adventure, for new possibilities. She looks at you and smiles. You notice the hope and optimism in her eyes.
“You’re almost there,” she says as she points in the direction ahead of you.
Finally, you have made it to the center of the labyrinth and you see her—your inner child: the part of you that has never grown up. She is so excited to see you.
“You found me!” she exclaims as she comes running to you. “I’ve been calling your name for so long. I’m so happy you came!” She extends her hand and you take it. Suddenly, a clearing appears and the sun rises to reveal a beautiful meadow. She turns to you and says, “Lets’ play!”
You go running through the field with her, exploring all the possibilities, following her brilliant, infinite imagination, doing whatever her heart desires—for as long as her heart desires. This time is for her. For you.
After playing for quite some time, you decide to take a moment to rest underneath a large tree and your little one sits in your lap. She tells you she has missed you. She asks you to visit more often; to make more time for her; listen to her; nurture her; nurture you.
As you sit together underneath the tree, you feel the love in your heart expanding. Her body starts to melt into yours. She gets smaller and smaller until she fits right into your heart. You place both hands over your heart and make a promise to always answer her when she calls. And you know without a doubt, this is a promise you will forever keep.
Take some time afterward to journal or sit with what came up for you. Finding out the needs of your inner child can help you realize your needs as an adult. When you are finished, take a moment to send loving support to all the children in this world who are growing up in challenging circumstances. Honor yourself for taking the time to be with yourself and your inner child. Close by thanking and releasing the energies you invoked for support.
Welcome to November!
Here are some things to think about this month:
1. Combat the dryness.
Winter is a very dry time of the year. This is partially due to the fact that summer, which precedes winter, is also very dry in most locations. So, in transition from a very hot and dry summer to a cold and dry winter, it is the dryness that prevails.
If the dryness of winter is not mitigated by foods and activities that are warm, moist heavy and oily, the body will dry out. Dry skin may be just a minor inconvenience of winter, but when dryness infiltrates the intestinal and respiratory tracts, it can cause some real problems.
The foods we will be eating during winter are just one of nature’s strategies to protect the gut from the coldness and dryness of winter by soothing, warming and lubricating the intestinal walls. Make sure you are eating enough fiber to boost digestive function and support immunity. You’ll want to be eating soluble fiber, which expands and becomes slimy in water, like oatmeal and psyllium.
2. Stoke your inner digestive heat.
The late fall harvest, which we eat throughout the winter, is rich in denser foods like root veggies, winter squashes, hearty greens, grains, nuts and seeds. All of these foods are much harder to digest compared to the foods of spring and summer, thus, a stronger digestion is essential. The stomach produces an acid called hydrochloric acid (HCL) that is responsible for breaking down many of the hard-to-digest proteins we consume. While excess stomach acid is seemingly becoming an increasingly prevalent issue these days, sometimes it is necessary to boost the production of the stomach fire (acid). To do so, please see my article, “Reset Digestive Fire (Agni)” for an easy protocol to reset your digestive furnace.
3. Get more rest.
As the days get shorter, the body’s rest and digest parasympathetic nervous system is activated in preparation for shorter days and longer nights. Circadian changes in the winter encourage the body to get more sleep. Align yourself with these circadian rhythms and allow yourself to get more rest. It’s best to get to sleep between 8-10pm if possible.
As the cold and dry weather chills our bones, nature offers much-needed insulation in the form of a high protein and high fat foods. Start incorporating 1 teaspoon of coconut oil each day into your diet, cook with both ghee and coconut oil, and add olive oil to your dishes post-cooking. Eat more nuts, seeds and animal protein. Your diet should be 90% plant-based, and 10% animal protein, nuts, seeds, and yogurts and cheeses. If you are vegetarian, it is very important during the winter to consume lots of beans and legumes, as they are loaded with fiber, and essential for detox and stable blood sugar.
6. Stay warm.
Keep your head warm especially. The body loses most of its heat through the head. The colder the body becomes, the more “fight or flight” immune-compromising stress is activated to cope with the winter chill. Wear hats throughout the day and sometimes even at night, this will de-stress the nervous system and allow for better sleep.
7. Slow down and relax when you eat your food.
This activates the “rest and digest” parasympathetic nervous system to help calm the mind and boost efficiency of digestion.
8. Keep your immune system strong.
Consider my Winter Immune-Boosting Kit, which consists of our Liquid Sun Vitamin D3 or Vegan D3, Turmeric Plus, Ashwagandha and Chyawanprash to keep you and your family health all winter.
Vitamin D3 – 4000IU a day with the main meal (2000 daily for kids)
Turmeric Plus – 2 caps with breakfast (1 for kids)
Ashwagandha – 2 caps with breakfast (1 for kids)
Chyawanprash – 1-2 teaspoons daily, or more if you have the sense that you are getting rundown. Only for children over 2 years old.
Mindfulness means being in the present moment
with total awareness. It keeps us focused and fully engaged in what we’re
experiencing.
It also enhances the quality of our
relationships because it makes us more attentive — and I can’t think of a more
important place to be mindful than with our children. As a mother of two boys,
I find that when I’m as present as I can be with them, our communication is
much more clear, thoughtful, and meaningful.
Our kids shouldn't have to compete with our
gadgets to get our attention.
There are many ways to be mindful with our
kids, and all it requires is that we just make time to do it. Here, I'm sharing
a few of the tips I found to be super-helpful when raising my boys:
1. Don’t multitask when you’re with your
children.
These days, it’s so tempting to try to do many
different things simultaneously. That might be fine if you’re at the office and
need to get a few things done by a certain time.
But your children are not your job — they’re
your joy. So when you're with them, stop doing other things that can wait. Put
your focus and attention solely on them.
2. Listen to your children as though your life
depends on it.
No matter what they’re saying to you, make it
the most important thing you can hear — even if it’s just what they had for
lunch at school, or the details of their bathroom experience.
Children know when you’re listening to them and
when you’re tuning them out.
3. See beyond your children's silence.
Mindfulness helps strengthen our intuition.
That means if your child is going through something difficult but isn’t talking
about it, you’re more likely to recognize it and be able to help get them
through whatever is troubling them.
If you’re distracted, and not in the present,
you can miss important signs your child might be telegraphing to you without
words.
4. Have relaxed family dinners every night that
you can.
Sitting around the table and having a meal
together is a great chance for your kids to open up and share stories with you
about their day.
Encourage it to be unhurried and calm. Mindful
eating means not rushing through a meal but taking it slowly and enjoying the
entire experience. This can be a wonderful time for the whole family to connect
and wrap up the day with laughter and warmth.
5. Put down your gadgets and make time for your
kids.
Nothing is more important than getting to spend
time with our loved ones. But sometimes we let other things take priority over
them, making them feel like they don’t matter to us as much as the things we’re
distracted with — like talking on the phone or being on the computer.
That doesn’t mean we have to stop what we’re
doing every time they ask something of us. But if we allow ourselves to be
constantly buried in our devices, it can take away from quality time with our
children. Try to minimize using your phone or computer during family time, and
always make your children feel that they’re top priority. They shouldn't have
to compete with your gadgets to get your attention.
Mindfulness helps us value the moments we’re
in, and there are no better moments to value than the ones with our children.
Enjoy each blessed moment you have with your loved ones by being as fully
present as you can be.
Evergreens
whooshed by her as she drove. Peppered between them were trees shedding leaves
of burnt red and orange. Her 1991 Acura Integra was packed to the gills. The
air was just cool enough to crack the window open.
September.
No one
was surprised by her leaving. The hugs at her old
office were tight and true with whispers of, “You stayed too long” and
“Go. Make us proud.” She had spent five years doing what she thought was right.
Five years at a desk. Five years trying to be good, to meet a good man, to make
a life worth settling down for.
Five
years.
But she
was wild at heart, and not in a false rebellion
kind of way. She wanted roots, but she also needed wings. Family would come—she felt it in her
bones. She would love and love big. But for now…for now she craved a landscape
that matched her soul: untamed, pure and full of awe. For now the love was for herself and nature and art and God.
North
country.
It was
amazing how much money you could save when a place was calling your name. She
heard it at night, just as her head hit the pillow. It was an echo from the
distance and the pull was both sonic and visual; a rope running through
fingers, pulling her closer and closer. A call so deep and bare she could think
of little else. Her lunches were spent scoping lakeside cabins and small
cottages in the hills.
No
neighbors.
She was
thirty years old but had never been alone. Between parents and boyfriends
and roommates, she had shared her existence, her habits and her energy
constantly. She was tired. It was time to feed herself,
to dangle between chores and obligations and be still for a while. It was time
to pray and paint and run with animals she had never seen.
No
plan.
It
would take as long as it took. Her soul was writing the script and
she was not privy to the following pages. She lived by breath, by gut. A friend
had called her fearless, but that wasn’t entirely true. She
shook with nerves at times but gently let them pass. Would her broken
heart follow her? Of course it would, but she would no longer follow it. No
more longing for completion. She had read a poem once that said she was already
whole and that felt true. She would follow that.
Arrival.
Pulling
down the gravel road, she gasped. The small cedar cabin sat to the side, bowing
deep to the grass-covered hills and the shimmering lake before it. A laptop
screen could never, ever do this justice. Is home a place or a feeling? Looking
out at the scene before her, she had to say it was both. It was an answer to a
call, a relenting, a surrender to that voice that whispers low and sweet: “I’ve
got you.” Tall grass at her feet, water close at hand and heaven within her.
"I choose the life that I live each morning when I raise. I choose to live an enchanted life full of self-care, I choose to let the stresses of every day life melt away while I breath slowly through difficult times. If an obstacle comes in the way of an opportunity, I allow time to find a way to get to my goal. We are in control of the life we choose to live. If you are unhappy then make the changes needed to find happiness. No one was given a perfect life, it doesn't exist but what we are given are endless supply of new beginnings with the start of each and every morning when we wake again with another chance. What will you choose with you gift tomorrow? Will you let your life pass you by and not pursue your dreams?"
Carly Gutierrez ~ A Holistic Goddess
START PREPARING FOR THE LIFE OF YOUR DREAMS
Stay Ready. Then You Never Have to Get Ready.
This has come to be one of my most significant life mantras. I have lived most of my life thriving on overwhelm, leaving everything until the last minute then scrambling under pressure for whatever it might have been I needed to get ready for. I would think, “Oh, I’ll start going to the gym to get ready for this or eat a better diet to get ready for that, start practising this or reading that when I really need to.” Of course, in truth, most of those things never really started and I have now embraced an action lead lifestylewhere I have no need for a last minute shift in behaviour or practices. I have, for the most part, replaced bad habits with good ones on a daily basis.
Staying ready means I have no fear of a random opportunity coming my way. I’m ready for it. Waiting to do something until you need to is delaying life. And who wants that? Not me. Whenever my emotion-led chimp brain kicks in that says I can’t be bothered to exercise, make healthier food choices, go out of my way to do something for someone else or myself, or create menial distractions than work, I repeat that magical mantra to myself. It reminds me to keep the neural pathways in my brain and the cells in my body sizzling, so when the big things come, I’m already halfway there.
Now that I know am always in a state of readiness, those opportunities I was waiting for to be the excuses or catalyst for change are flowing to me effortlessly, like the words I share with you today. Who needs an excuse to get fitter, stronger, smarter or better read? Do it now. My mantra is feel good for feeling good. I’m not ready for anyone or anything except myself. I’m ready for me. When you are ready for yourself and you are your number one priority, the world is absolutely your golden oyster, inviting you to take part fully in today—a cosmic opportunity never to be repeated again in the history of mankind and on planet earth the most magnificent playground in our solar system and universe.
We complain about our earthly worries but seriously, who would want to be born on Mars or Pluto? There’s not much going on there. When we tap into the resources of ourselves and re-source our inner wisdom (which may have been laying dormant waiting for that magic conscious key of awakening) we are open to receiving the resources of the universe to complete whatever soul mission we have come to realise. The only reason we ever feel bad is when we block the stream of energy flow from our source. The key may be in the door, but there are sometimes those jams of resistance that are hindering the flow.
One thing I know is that when we stay ready in terms of keeping fit and healthy, practising self-love and aligning with our source, we have access to that bath of energy and motivation that needs no excuses to rage and roam free. You can be the goddess that you are now, not when you have lost those few pounds, conquered that fear or started that thing. Since we are always expanding, we will never have achieved everything we want or need to, but as long as I keep to daily practices which hold me in a peak and loving state, I know that I am always in a ready state for whatever opportunities await.
My top three ways to stay ready and participate fully in my own success?
First, remembering and focusing on my past achievements to remind myself how I have overcome and conquered many things before. This puts me in an ‘I can do it’ mentality.
Next, focusing and getting clear on my why. Achieving anything is never a lack of ability, it is always a lack of motivation. Taking a few minutes a day to focus on my ‘why’ in life—what drives me and my vision for the future—gets me in a peak state. Keeping vision boards and anything compelling for your future in close proximity to you can act as a reminder.
And last, moving every day! I know it goes without saying but the only times I feel anxious or unsure of myself, I wonder when did I last exercise and find that usually it’s been a while and there’s some pent up energy that needs expelling, hence the jitters. Going for a run, laying down a few burpees or booking in that gym class always maintains the balance and my sense of readiness.
When you stay ready you welcome those things that you want, you are telling the universe you are a match to those things that reflect your highest good and purpose. For so long I pushed away those things I wanted, using their un-manifestation as an excuse to stay put or stuck in one place. I would use all the excuses in the book to find excuses not to move forward, believing that life had to be hard and without ease.
As the old saying goes, if you don’t like something, change it. If the thought of letting go or moving away from a situation feels good to you, then the reality is going to feel even better. If we move in the direction of release, the universe will always conspire to support us. Faith and gratitude are always rewarded and they are the two principal practises and components that have enabled me to lead a life of freedom and joy in a short space of time. Follow your inner guidance system, it is your internal key to the joy that is already yours. Claim it now and you will always be ready!
About Julia
Julia Cameron is the creator and visionary behind the Julia Cameron luxury lifestyle and accessories brand. Julia loves all things health, fashion, spirituality, travel, art, empowerment and inspiration. She exercises her passions through her blog, social media channels, youtube channel, jewellery and accessories lines, lifestyle tips, interviews with movers and shakers and the health and fitness retreats she runs with her partner Jean-Pierre De Villiers all around the globe. She is an entrepreneur at heart, writer, designer, presenter and voice over artist with a passion for creativity and helping others overcome fear and self doubt so that they can live the kick ass dream life of freedom they deserve and in the process become the best version of themselves and feel like the goddesses that they truly are. Find her on her Website, Instagram @juliacameronstyle and Twitter @juliacameronJMC.
Full Moon Lunar Eclipse September 27, 2015 at 7:55 pm PDT
This Full Moon Lunar Eclipse at Aries 5 degrees speaks to me of a crucible. The definition of a crucible is: “1) a pot in which metals or other substances are heated to a very high temperature or melted; 2) a difficult test or challenge; and 3) a place or situation that forces people to change or make difficult decisions.” We are being cooked in many ways, emotionally, spiritually and physically. It is a time when we are being challenged to face our fears, walk through the fires of transformation and surrender to the Mystery.
The Full Moon Lunar Eclipse is total lunar eclipse, also known as a Blood Moon. This will make four Blood Moons in a row over the last 2 years, so it is an energy that has been building. This eclipse is also a supermoon which means that the moon will be at its brightest and darkest in 2015 and will be the “closest full moon of the year.” The energy and effects of this eclipse last until the next lunar eclipse in six months.
As energy of the eclipse escalates, it can put us into emotional chaos. Lunar eclipses bring unconscious material to the surface and takes time to process it. This material needs to be released as it is often underlying many of our disempowering and self-destructive thoughts, behaviors and attitudes. A lot of this material is from our past and we need to make peace with our past. Let go that old stuff, it serves no one to hold onto it. And as we release the old pain, we heal our hearts. As Confucius said, “To put the world in order…, we must first set our hearts right.”
The Moon in Aries requires emotional honesty, being able to speak truthfully about how we feel and what we want. The Sun in Libra, which opposes this Full Moon, is seeking balance and harmony. Old unresolved conflicts may arise seeking the resolution which will actually bring us back into balance. There may be eruptions of intense emotions that have been buried or hidden. If these emotions arise, allow the tears to fall for it is those tears that will heal us.
Aries is the warrior spirit within each of each and asks for courage. Courage is not the lack of fear, it is being afraid but doing it anyway. We are being asked to follow what we know in our hearts to be true which can take courage and strength to align our will with our hearts. There is great strength in a person of heart. It takes courage to feel not only our own pain but that of others, to shed tears and make the necessary difficult decisions and actions that bring about change. But most of all, we are challenged to have the courage to let our hearts be our guide.
Aries is the first sign of the zodiac and activates our right to be who we are and the will to live in integrity with our own truth. But the Sun in Libra brings with it collaboration, co-operation and empathy. So the challenge is staying true to ourselves while being engaged in collaborative efforts. We each have our own unique gifts, so how to do our own dance while dancing with others is a powerful teaching of this lunar eclipse.
Mercury retrograde is in Libra and interacting with Pluto, challenging us to speak to issues of injustice, inequality and disempowerment. It is interesting that Pope Francis is here in United States right now, speaking of these very issues. It is time to speak truth to power regarding social, economic and environmental justice. Have the courage to let your voice be heard regarding injustice.
The Divine Feminine is very active in this eclipse, with asteroid Vesta, the Priestess archetype, tightly conjunct the Moon. She brings in the concept of sacred work. The Sabian Symbol for this Moon is “A White Triangle is seen; it has Golden Wings.” This symbol aligned with Vesta and the eclipse is asking what our sacred work is, our own personal mission.
Another aspect is in play during this eclipse regarding our work in the world, a Saturn/ Mars square. Saturn has just moved into Sagittarius, requiring focus, hard work and commitment to our mission, while Mars in Virgo asks for competency. So work hard, stay focused and plan carefully and methodically. This aspect is not about acting impulsively. If you are able to do this, your mission will come into manifestation.
As we are being “cooked” in this crucible of powerful energy, releasing the old fears and ways of disempowerment, we are giving birth to a new paradigm. When we have purified our hearts and surrendered to the mystery, the Blue Flame of awareness arises, sending us into more expanded states of consciousness and remembrance of the Unconditional Love of the Universe. That is when a new world is born!
“The present convergence of crises––in money, energy, education, health, water, soil, climate, politics, the environment, and more––is a birth crisis, expelling us from the old world into the new.” Charles Eisenstein
Ever notice those stories that play in your head? Oh, I’ve got them too. They are those sneaky little whispers that sound like your best friend trying to protect you. They create stories and dramas that exaggerate what someone said. One statement about your clothing turned into a feeling and then a saga that you’re unlikable. What was meant as some passing comment has now turned into a story of how you’re out of style and gaining weight.
I do it too. We go on and on telling others what our co-worker said to us. “Yeah, she thinks she’s better than everyone. Who is she to tell me that I’m lazy since I skipped yoga?” The reality: all she asked was, “Why did you skip yoga today?” We make up these stories and turn others against us, often creating problems that aren’t really there. But why?
We hear these tall tales and make them the truth. We turn what others do and say into something that feeds our inner victim. We often believe we know what others are thinking and interpret everything in a way that protects us. So often we are immune to these stories that we forget that they are just that: stories, theatrical soap operas, fables, made up dramas, internal dialogs. We believe it’s who we are, but it’s not. You are not your inner voice. You are the creator of the voice that has the power to shift those thoughts into a life you dream!
In my spiritual growth, I’ve discovered that early on in life, something happens that made us feel like the world was harmful and that people would destroy or harm us. Out of our own protection, we’ve assumed what others say means the same thing as what we interpret, and so we’ve created inner dialogs that exaggerate truth to make us feel safe. We gather enough info to support evidence that we’re “right” and they’re “wrong.”
Our little, bruised inner child holds onto old wounds of rejection, so when we hear something that feels like rejection or judgement, our child is triggered and the stories begin and tend to carry on.
As we become conscious of these inner tales, we can begin to watch them and ask if they are true. “Is it true that she said I was lazy? Am I making that up because I feel lazy?” We can begin to sort out the inner theatrical play and see that fewer people are out to get us then presumed. We may also discover that we can believe a lot of self sabotaging thoughts if we aren’t careful. We take lots of things personally that aren’t meant to be taken as such. But if we look closely, usually it’s us beating ourselves up.
Those stories can begin to quiet and silence as soon as we notice them. Just stop and see. When we look for truth in them, they start to lose their substance and power in our lives. As we replace victimizing thoughts and stories with conscious stories and look for our heroine, we use our power! When we see the mental soap opera for what it is—energy—we can shift its focus to create a future of possibilities! As we discover that we aren’t those thoughts after all, the stories lose their value and we can begin to become more present and craft the future we dream of!
By nurturing our wounded inner child and accepting and appreciating her, we see the world mirrors. As she heals, she strengthens and grows in her fierce power, maturing into a woman who accepts her authentic self. She knows she’s safe and doesn’t let the inner dramas dictate her life and well being. She stands up and listens closely and presently to what others say to discover what they are aiming to convey.
She stands for others, rising in their power by using their words to support their best lives. She creates opportunities for her growth and promotes harmony by changing that inner dialog to one that is loving and steadfast!
Above all, she creates who she is by letting go of past stories to design a masterpiece of a life!
There is only thing I think everyone should know about and use in their lives.
It’s not yoga or green smoothies or even a gratitude practice. Sure, All of these things are very powerful healing aids and I definitely recommend them; but they don’t stand a chance compared to the tool I am about to present to you.
When I discovered this, my life took a 180 degree turn—nothing was the same anymore.
I healed parts of myself I thought were going to be broken until the end of time, I grew my business more quickly than I had ever imagined and magical things started happening for me.
Everything got easier in a way. I started showing up on my yoga mat with more presence and devotion. I was able to lead my clients through deeper transformation and watch them create amazing freedom in their lives.
My body got healthier and my binging on sugar started to decline. I was still feeling sad and frustrated every now and then, but when I did, it didn’t last nearly as long as it used to.
The tool that I started using is not even very new or a secret. Many of us have used it before, but for me, it never yielded any results until now.
For years, I brushed past it, thinking that it’s not for me and that it doesn’t work anyway. Let me tell you about the catalyst to my success and how to effectively use it, so that you can see the results in your own life. Here it is—my secret potion to magic and flow in all areas of your life: prayer.
Yup, it’s that simple. Let me clarify though. In order for prayer to ‘work’ we have to stick to a couple of principles:
You are your questions.
Asking God/The Universe/Love, “What the fuck is going on, why am I always broke?” is not going to yield great results. Since questions are derived from answers, we can be sure that by asking negative questions, we will receive negative answers. If you keep asking why life sucks, you will be reminded at every corner of all the ways in which life sucks. If you ask how life can be more fulfilling, you will come across ways to live a more fulfilled life. These are some of my favorite questions to ask the Universe:
“How can I live in even more abundance?”
“What about this situation am I not seeing?”
“What else can I heal today?”
“How else can I love to my fullest possible capacity today?”
To all of these questions, the Universe can respond in a variety of ways. Take a deep breath in, open your hands to the sky and ask a question you really want answered.
Hand it over.
Tell the Universe exactly what is going on, how you are feeling and ask for it to be lifted up into divine hands. Hand all of your talents, knowledge, money, thoughts, beliefs and body over and ask to be guided. Close your eyes, open your heart and lift your face to the sky. Whatever is going on, allow it to be elevated and transformed in divine light.
“I am handing all of my confusion and pain over to you. May everything that I have and am be lifted into divine hands and be used for the highest good of all. May I be a vessel of light, I am open to your guidance and healing power. I hand this conflict over to you, because by myself I cannot heal this. Please pave the way for my success, I am open to be a servant of the truth.”
Basically, what you are doing is surrendering your human experience and asking to be lifted to a higher state of consciousness which allows you to see more opportunities and call more love into your life.
Open, open, open.
One part of the equation is learning to ask the Universe for what we want and the other is toreceive it. Oftentimes, the reason why prayer doesn’t work isn’t because the prayer sucked but because when the prayer was answered, we were too occupied and closed off to invite the answer into our lives.
Consciously opening up and receiving the gifts we asked for is crucial here.
Remember that whatever comes to you after you’ve prayed can be used as divine medicine. The job loss, the job offer, the unlimited supply of kale—all of these are answers. The more that we can be flexible and see everything that comes into our live as a divine blessing, the faster we will move on to a higher state of consciousness.
May you co-create in awareness and may all the beauty in the world unfold in your life.
Hi, I am Hanna! I am a transformational life coach helping creatives and artists design lives that help them fully come alive and that enable them to bring their greatest work into the world. FreeSpirited Life Coaching stands for deep soul healing and exquisite inner game refinement that awakens the true potential of my clients. Are you feeling called to burn more brightly? Start your journey at www.freespirited.co
Today I
write to you on behalf of the amazing women in my life & myself.
I write to
let you know: We are taking back our power. Do you know what that means? It
means that your lies will no longer be heard as truth.
For so
long your lies were the loudest.
Your lies
that say only the skinniest women, only the airbrushed super models, only the
impossible-to-achieve body perfection can be defined as success. Your lies that
say only the thinnest women deserve to have pleasure, feel confident and find
love. Your lies that use fear & threats of incompleteness to get women to
buy more and more products, potions, containers and pills. Your lies that
hold women back from living fully because they are afraid of what “others” will
think/say/believe. Your lies that claim only one body type is beautiful. Your
lies that use the word “healthy” when you really mean “skinny, no matter
what it takes.”
Your lies
that trick women into ignoring their body’s own voice so they will pay to hear
your voice instead. Your lies that promote deprivation over nourishment. Your
lies that make women hate and distrust themselves. Your lies that teach women
that until they reach your definition of “pretty,” they shouldn’t have sex with
the lights on, wear bikinis, eat a piece of cake, exercise for fun, go after
the promotion at work, or flirt with the cute guy at the bar.
NOT ANY
MORE.
We are
taking back our power and calling BS on your lies.
No
longer will we hold back from doing the fun thing, the fulfilling thing, the
adventurous thing, the scary thing, or the sexy thing until we lose X pounds,
weight X amount, or wear X size.
You can’t
sell us happiness, success and perfection wrapped up in a box of deprivation,
self-loathing and Photoshop anymore. It took a little while but we are on to you
and we are telling our friends.
We are
telling them to wear the jean shorts, to go skinny-dipping, to be vulnerable,
to rock red lipstick, to take a dance class, to run successful businesses, to
raise self-aware kiddos and to LOVE exactly who they are—today, right
now, whatever their shape or size. And we are committing to doing all of
that too.
Because
unlike what your lies tell us, happiness isn’t reserved for later. It is
available to anyone who believes she is worthy of it and who has the courage to
make it happen NOW.
Simi Botic is a corporate
attorney turned holistic health coach, helping women reach their healthiest
weight so they can feel happy, sexy, & free - without diet rules or
deprivation! Simi is the blogger behind The Micro Harvest, co-creator of
Finally Free Program, co-host of The Boss Babe's Guide, & a barre
instructor. She loves 90’s television, beach vacations, morning time, strong
coffee, and crop tops. Don't miss her custom guide to foods that help you feel
happy, sexy, & free!(you can get it for free when you sign-up for The Monday
Antidote here). Hang with her daily by following along
below:
