Posts Tagged ‘Travel’

Adventures in Europe

June 14, 2017 By Kat

I’m one week into my three-week European adventure, and I felt the pull to share what I have been up too. It’s all very well and good me always talking about ‘self-love’, but I realised I hadn’t shared my experiences of it for a while. Don’t just talk, walk!

This year has been hectic in the most magnificent and mind-blowing way. I’m in such immense gratitude for the abundance that has flowed in for 2017. When you love what you do, it does not even feel like you are working. However, it is still super important to still take regular time off. It’s easy to keep going with a full diary (and working weekends) when my work brings me a lot of joy. There is only so much one person can give before the fuel starts to run out. When my schedule is full on I, appreciate my down time even more.

Taking time off is when I can refuel and top up my Soul cup. Then I am in a better position to assist others. Just because I live a very holistic and spiritually lead life and my work is in the same realm does not make me immune to burn out. Light bodies are even more susceptible to crashing more quickly. Especially when we are constantly giving to others, holding space and transmuting the density, this can get draining quickly. When I work for myself, there is no one else to share the load. If I don’t do the job, no one else is there to do it.

I’ve written before that the amount of giving time should equal the amount of downtime. Sometimes I don’t even need to match it I can recharge quickly by just recognising I am flopping. Then I park up on the couch or my healing table to rest. It’s all in the intention. Knowing it’s time to give back to yourself and stopping plugs me into the fast charge setting.

Here I am doing just that, recharging in the UK to visit and reconnect with my roots & the sacred land. Already I feel light and spacious. When I’m busy, I can get quite forgetful with so much going on at once. This past week has wiped the fog from my mirror. My thoughts are clear, and I can remember the most insane small details about my past when catching up with friends. It’s so good to switch off the over-thinking side of my brain. Now I can see how scrabbled I get when the pressure is on, and a reassessment of scheduling is in order.

The Derbyshire countryside in June

With such a manic year so far I hadn’t had time to plan anything for this trip. Apart from a quick long weekend in Norway for an Energy Mastery Retreat with Lee Harris. I did kind of ‘just turn up & see what happens.’ This theory has worked quite well, and I’m managing to see a lot of people at short notice.

In between catching up’s, it’s been all about yoga this past week! I know my whole life in Australia is all about yoga, but this time it’s different. I have the space to be super leisurely about when or where I practice. Not just trying to squeeze in a class just because it’s the only time slot I can, then being so exhausted it turned out to be counter-productive. Sheffield yoga has taken off. I have a yoga buffet to choose from and no real time restrictions.

I was so blessed to be asked to teach my Soul Serenity Yin Yoga & Meditation Retreat at Amy’s Ashram in Dore. The Ashram has the most amazing community and vibe. I love teaching in small studios as they are so personal and intimate. It was such a treat to bring my love of yoga back to my hometown. The whole morning and the guests were sensational. Gosh, we could easily do a retreat every Sunday!

The yoga didn’t stop there. I’ve practised yoga every single day since I arrived. What a treat! (This might sound bonkers, but full-time yoga teachers will get me.) The classes I’ve taken have ranged from gentle stretches in the local sports centre (peak posture was three leg dog), beautifully nourishing hot yoga at a boutique Ashram which was divine and a crazy fast paced hot vinyasa where I thought my head would explode.

Visiting new studios is always an adventure. It’s nice to see how unique each one is with all their small touches and finishes. From the modern, cosy loft full of natural daylight at Amy’s. The vast fairy lit red walls with Chakra symbols at Hot Yoga Sheffield with many treatment rooms, cafe and corridors it was like a day spa. Quite the contrast to the windowless group fitness room at the local sports centre that is underneath the swimming pool (Smells of chlorine but has an ambience about it). Each venue has it’s own charm and vibration. You don’t even need a fancy studio with all the bells and whistles. The gentle stretch yoga was held in a community centre hall which has loads of space & windows overlooking a garden.

Trying different styles of yoga is always fascinating and humbling. The hot vinyasa here is very different to the class I practice in Perth. We were thrown straight into single leg Chaturanga Dandasana from the go get. No options for modifying or beginners. When I asked if I needed a block I was told ‘the class moves too quick to use blocks but feel free to have one.’ Wow, she wasn’t kidding, the class moved fast and at 35˚C was super challenging.

It is, what it is and I did as much as I could. I sat out a lot after the first 20 minutes of the 60-minute class as I was done (or cooked). It takes strength to sit out as the ego can push you to keep going. Probably didn’t help I’d had a few cheeky G & T’s the night before. (It’s okay to love yoga/healing & still drink gin!) The gin sweat was burning my eyes #burningboozesweat. If the heat wasn’t up, I could have faired better as just used my inner fire. (Or gin fumes!) Note to self. Gin and hot yoga are not friends.

Gin Club and Hot Yoga are not friends!

The Hot Hatha class at the same studio was a dream, and I smiled my way through the whole 75 minutes. There were options for different abilities, and the class flowed with deep long breaths. I vibed with the teacher’s energy, and she was encouraging without being pushy or in your face. We even rounded off the class with a bit of arm balancing.

Next, I tried a ‘Hot Yin.’

Okay, I will admit I was sceptical about the whole Hot Yin thing as it goes against the philosophy I learned in my teacher training. To feel the fascia reforming yin yoga is best done when the body is cold and before a yang practice. (The studio did have yin before Yang, which is great) I went along with an open mind and heart. No expectations. I attentively listened to the thorough briefing the teacher gave me when I told him I hadn’t taken a hot Yin before.

Turns out that as we are in England ‘hot yin’ was room temperature by Australian standards, so there wasn’t any sweating. It was just nicely warm as it was freezing outside (yes it’s June, but England sucks for summer warmth till August). I’d remarket it as straight up Yin Yoga.

The class was deeply meditative & a bit different from the yin I teach. It is always nice to experience various teaching styles. The teacher had a lovely, calm voice. I felt very chilled by the final savasana I fell asleep and caught myself snoring. If it weren’t for the next class coming in, I’d have been there all night. Good job I woke up or else I’d have accidentally ended up in the brain exploding hot vinyasa again.

So far so good!

Overall it has been a great first week back in the UK. It is always lovely to catch up with my family and friends. I’ve successfully remembered how to drive a manual car and not get lost yet. Next challenge will be getting myself around London for the day and a driving adventure into the Peak District for more cakes and catch up’s. (Maybe some more gin, it’s quite the big thing here Gin Clubs. I may be holistic but all in moderation.) Then there is my Norwegian Adventure!

A day spa in a listed building with Buddha.

Current stress level zero, brain function 100%, rested, relaxed, yoga every damn day and full of joy. Who can not like annual leave? I’m happy I made the call to travel for pleasure this year and set myself some proper boundaries for work-life balance.

Until next time, love,

Micro Full Moon in Sagittarius

June 9, 2017 By Kat

Welcome to the halfway point of the year and the Micro Full Moon in Sagittarius, 9:11 pm WA time (11:11 pm AEST, what an excellent number!). The moon is micro today as it is the furthest point away from the earth. Therefore it may not look like it is as ‘big’ as usual in the sky tonight. The knock on effect of this is the energy may not feel as intense and unsettling as usual. If you usually get a bit whacked out on the moon vibes, tonight may be a little easier to be in the flow.

I am excited as I get to spend Full Moon in the northern hemisphere. Last time this happened I was in Sedona, Arizona in 2015. The Moon is full at 2:11 pm for me in the UK.

Speaking of the UK, it has been under the spotlight for some not so pleasant reasons of late. It is so sad & yes a bit scary what has been going down. However, I had no qualms sticking to my plans to visit by not subscribing to fear. Say no to terror or else they win. England is my country of birth and was my home for twenty-five years before I immigrated to Australia. All my family and life long friends are here, and there was no way I was missing out on seeing them.

If anything I fully trust I am to be here at this time. There is work to be done. I’m not sure what that is yet but I received the intuitive pull I should be here right now. Also, I’d like to see for myself how the country is thriving and rising under the current challenges. The day after I arrived the General Election was on, as a British citizen I am entitled to have my vote. Again, another opportunity that presented.

With the full moon energy being softer this month and right in the middle of the year it’s similar to half time in a sports game. An opportunity to take a break and a breather. The central point of balance. Not too high or too low, just right. This middle ground is soothing. Minus the usual foggy brain effects and ungrounded wobbles full moon often hands me it is easier to focus on what is next. I am quite grateful for not feeling ‘moony’ as I have jetlag to contend with instead!

The quiet centre place of balance.

Just before I left, I attended an excellent sound healing session where a lot of big, exciting ideas came through. These are something that I can put some thought into planning for the tail end of the year and even into 2018. Having a change of space and hemisphere is just what I need right now to plan my next moves.

This year is a foundation year. It’s all about paving the way from now till 2026. (Wow, we should be driving flying cars by then hey?) We have let go of what is not working for us over the last nine-year cycle. Naturally, we have all evolved and vibe to a different frequency. Therefore it’s okay to change our opinions. What brought us joy in 2014 may make us retract with a repulse in 2017. Trust this is a good thing. You are allowed to change your mind.

What foundations have you laid down this year? Have you started new projects, tried new things or even had a total lifestyle makeover? This year might be your big year for change and break free. I’ve certainly shifted my outlook on life. Letting go of control and surrendering to a more free-flowing approach. Turning up and seeing what happens has worked out quite well instead of planning right down to the tiniest detail.

For some, it may feel like you haven’t even started to build yet, the ground is still being turned over. You may have been busy tying up last year’s loose ends & finishing clearing out the old stuff. All of this work is still part of the process of starting a fresh. Take time now to stop and reflect. This is a good thing for everyone to do.

Look back over the past five months and note down everything you have achieved. When we are pushing on to get things done, it’s easy to overlook how far we have come. Especially when dealing with big and well-established situations, these do take more time. Take a breath and celebrate your wins. Even take a few days off and put your feet up. This will give you time to review all your great work this year.

You are doing more than enough, go easy on yourself. I feel this is a strong message right now. Make sure you are moving and getting outside. The best way to recharge and shift stagnant energy is to move your body. It doesn’t even have to be in an organised way like going for a run or taking a yoga class. Fling yourself around your lounge room or jump on the bed! Just get your body doing something that is not static. I always say breathing is underrated. Breathe, great big, deep long breaths to feel your lungs expand fully. Then let it go through the mouth with any sound you like. Notice how much clearer and energised you feel afterwards.

Crystal Cleansing

Don’t forget to put your crystals out for a cleanse tonight and even the next few nights. Just like our bodies can store stagnant energy (especially when we don’t move), our crystals can build up energy that needs releasing. It’s all in the intention so even of they are not directly in the moonlight, or it’s cloudy they will still get a charge up.

Enjoy the softer, quieter and gentle energy of tonight’s micro-moon. I hope you all have restful and peaceful nights sleep.

Until next time, love,

Marvelous May

June 3, 2015 By Kat

Another fast paced month has just whizzed by. May has been a great month for teaching us to slow down on this high-speed ride. I found March & April to have such intense energy by the time May came around I was well & truly done.

With the divine timing of the universe (as usual) I was fully able to take some time out once May rolled around. Even my Aries horoscope from the brilliant Damian Rocks bore the theme of “Contemplate & Retreat.” I headed back to the East coast of Australia for my second working holiday of the year. (Blooming blessed I know, thank you, thank you!)

Boy did I need a change of space to just ‘be.’ Exhaling deeply as I settled into my friend’s house I was sitting & being in gratitude for the opportunity to do so. A beautiful card awaited me, my favourite tea & sourdough bread to make me feel at home.

Thoughtful care packages with love

The pace slowed down as I fell back into my East coast routine of sleeping in late & getting the rest I needed. Eating when I was actually hungry instead of ‘if I don’t eat now I won’t be eating for six hours’ mentality. Walking to work. Observing the changes & strength of my Eastern yoga students & being so proud of each one of them.

The beautiful Sapphire Coast landscape

May hasn’t been without it challenges. Right on cue Mercury went retrograde nineteen days in. Old dirt arose to the surface, issues I’d run away from showed up (of course!), themes were made & healing began. You can read about my intentions in this post.

In true Mercury style technology had major meltdowns. For someone who does rely on her laptop & Internet connection for work it tested me to my fullest. I took note of the signs. “Okay I have no phone signal or Internet whilst the tower is down for an upgrade. My mac & hard drives are doing the funky chicken so I might as well go walk on the beach.”

Tuning into the universal energy I really could feel it was time to just take it easy. I was blessed with some good distractions to get me away from my desk.

Another yoga teacher visited me that gave me the chance to try my hand at mentoring properly, the way I’d been taught over the past ten months. It was an enriching & rewarding experience. Best of all I was able to practice lots of yoga! Yes I know, doesn’t being a yoga teacher mean you do loads of yoga? Not the style I teach which is dialogue driven so practice is done outside of teaching class. With the combination of quiet classes & a guest teacher to help out I was in yoga heaven once more. My body rejoiced, as did my Soul.

Playing tour guide too (one of my favourite hobbies) was a highlight of my guest visit. Being able to share my cherished local hot spots was bliss whilst eating a lot of homemade Tilba cakes.

Fresh coffee & homemade cakes in Tilba Tilba.

A project I’ve wanted to get stuck into for a while came into fruition. The therapy room at the yoga studio that I use for Reiki when I’m here was in desperate need of a makeover. What started as a ‘soft furnishings’ project, turned into a full paint job & more. With the help of my fabulous community we whipped the space into shape. I can’t stop going in there & looking at it, the result is amazing.

The finished therapy room, bright, welcoming & serene.

Despite having a beautiful new space to practice out of Reiki bookings weren’t happening. This didn’t faze me at all. I knew it was because I needed to give back to myself, take time for me & be alone. Holding space in the yoga room for twelve classes filled my in person service quota nicely.

In saying that distance healing & intuitive reading were booming! Even though I was still holding space energetically I could schedule the sessions at my leisure & even conduct them in my pajamas sat on the bed. Typing up the reports is very rewarding for me as writing is my passion. I can take my time over them as everything is noted down during the session. Hence I can come back to it at a later point if needed.

The final week in May though was huge. The Saturn opposition threw a massive twist on things. I can only describe it akin to walking through glue. Friday 21^st was excellent I was so pumped. By Sunday 22^nd I was flat as: feeling foggy, lethargic, and headachy with no motivation. My body hurt & was stiff. A good sign of uncertainty & hold up for a while.

This is where ‘contemplation’ came in. It was time to review, assess & look back on things.

Was I heading in the right direction?
Is my life on purpose?
Had I been fulfilling my intentions for Mercury Retrograde?
What seeds have I planted for later in the year?

I made sure I’d noted down all my thoughts & ideas.

Slowly as the denser energy lifted the light started to shine brighter. Clients started booking in, Reiki training enquiries were going off & my schedule started filling up into October already!

To finish off the month I did go on retreat. A proper one away from home just for a day at the stunning Mystery Bay. Surrounded by other healers & holistic practitioners I discovered breathwork, tried toning, walked silently as a group to the ocean (where half the group jumped in but not me too cold) & finished with a most fun ecstatic dance session!

What do you get when you put a bunch of sober spirited people together in a room amped up on chocolate? – The wildest sets of dance moves ever!

A perfect day of just ‘being’ & sharing at one with each other. I had many synchronicities occur & messages to follow up on. Thank you to everyone for sharing your divine energy, holding space & loving unconditionally.

Share Time:

How’s May been for you? Full of twists & turns or slow & peaceful? I’d love to hear how you found the last months energies. Feel free to share in the comments below.

Big love & I’ll be back soon,

Kat xx

Pressing Reset

August 27, 2014 By Kat

It’s been six weeks since I wrote a blog post. That’s not very Blog Hearted of me is it? It’s not been a lack of inspiration holding me back either. My notebook is full of ideas & nuggets of wisdom I wish to share. It’s just been a real struggle to get these words into something readable. But you know what I’m okay with it. I fully accept the past few weeks haven’t been focused for writing.

July was huge for me. It was a real stock take month for getting back in touch with my desires for the year. The intention I set for 2014 was to ‘simplify.’ I was doing great with it until I fell off the wagon in May & June. Slipping back into old habits of over committing & sacrificing self-love. Doing too much all at once, the usual story. July saw me pull back & regain my power.

Luckily I was able to break this habit before it escalated. At the start of July I took an interstate trip to the Gold Coast. A change of space was just what I needed. Spending nearly a week immersing myself in the yoga that I love at a teacher’s development seminar.

The schedule was very high pace. We were zipping from house, to yoga class, to lunch, to lecture, to dinner, back to lecture & finally hitting the pillow well after midnight after winding down with some social time. It was wonderful! I didn’t have to think or plan. Everything was mapped out I just had to turn up at the right time & do yoga or take notes.

It felt like a ‘reset button’ had been pushed in my head. I can safely say the intense daily Bikram practice helped a lot whilst I was away. There nothing like a tough, hot sweaty two plus hours to turn off the mind, nourish the Soul & detox the body.

Going to new places away from home allows us a break from our everyday normalities. Holiday mode is awesome! No cooking, cleaning, washing or shopping. Just 100% me time to focus on something that brings me great joy. I was very blessed this trip as my dear friend & travel companion hooked us up with amazing, generous & kind hosts who made our stay such a beautiful experience. (They even washed our sweaty yoga clothes!)

Experiencing a change of space is so important too. Everywhere in the world carries a different level of frequency. This is made up of everything within the area from the people to the landscape. Forests & mountains vibrate at a different rate to say the city. Each place offers unique gifts of varying healing energy. For me being a very ‘bush’ person to be by the sea was just what I needed. It was a new bandwidth to tune into.

I returned from my week-long trip rejuvenated & freshened up. My vibration had been upgraded I could feel it. Others could too & I attracted a wave of new clients without any conscious work. My whole outlook on life had been rebooted. It could be compared to wiping the grim from my glasses & could see clearly again.

Interstate travel – feels like you’re going somewhere when it’s on a plane!

On my return I had so much to share & my enthusiasm was booming. The new knowledge I brought into my yoga classes flowed excitedly from my heart. I started planning new workshops & event ideas. Physically my body was feeling strong & happy from all the yoga. Plus I’d been eating a whole lot of good food that was readily available in Burleigh Heads. It was sheer bliss to have my juices & smoothies made for me.

The most amazing Greek Meze plate in Burleigh heads! Om nom nom

From my time away I really got back in touch with how important it is to put my needs first – self-love. It’s easy to get detached from what brings us joy. When I am nourished on a Soul level & topping my cup up with activities that bring me great happiness I am better able to do my work. Yes I have a business to run so I can’t be a total lush going on expeditions every fortnight. As I mentioned above I attracted a whole lot of new business on my return. This was true from my previous holiday in April. (Read about it here, here & here) Which equates to a positive business move I feel.

To keep the chilled out holiday mood going I stepped very slowly back into my workload. There was no need to rush straight back full tilt. I felt like taking it easy & doing just the bear minimum. That is exactly what I did. Keeping the ‘retreat’ mentality alive even when back at home.

How did I do this?

Firstly I took advantage of the fact I’m self-employed & not tied to the 9 to 5 mentality. One of the reason’s I decided to work for myself was to allow for more freedom in my daily schedule. If I wished to spend the morning or afternoon not ‘working’ I could. Usual ‘weekend’ activities could take place on a Wednesday if I wished because they could. Perks of the job.

That’s just what I did! I met my other self-employed friends for lunches, coffee or walks. One afternoon instead of wasting time driving home between teaching yoga classes I went to the coast, parked up under a tree & read. Solo dining is such bliss. I don’t even need company as I’m perfectly content alone with my thoughts (or my Kindle).

Solo dining is Soul nourishing. Organic coffee, homemade cake & my Kindle. Who could complain with that?

Just a few hours here & there at random times to the norm is just like having a mini break away.

Try it! Break your usual routine & do something different at a time you usually wouldn’t. Go for your lunch break at 2pm instead of 12:30pm & walk somewhere you’ve never been. Stop off at the beach on your way home & watch the sun set. The possibilities are endless.

Let me know how you get on in the comments below! More importantly see how you ‘feel’ by branching out & having mini space changes through out the week. Has your ‘reset’ button been pushed?

Till soon, love K xx

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