Stress | - Part 3

04/04/2016

I am living the life I want!

Can you say that you are living the life you’ve always wanted, imagined, planned for and desired? Most people cannot honestly say that they are living the life they desire. And that makes me sad. Why? Because life is too short to be living less than an exceptional life.

Sure, “things happen” I hear you say, BUT if you are not creating the life you really want, then who will? There is little point watching “everyone else” live the life they are wanting, if you are just on the sidelines wishing and dreaming. Allowing circumstances to dictate your life to you will get you nowhere except depressed. The difference between the wishers & dreamers and the ones actually living the life of their dreams, is that they have taken action!

“ACTION turns your dreams into reality”

Action is the one thing that is simple and yet seems so difficult at the same time. So here are my steps to taking action:

1. Start writing a list of what you want

What you do with your life if money was no problem? Imagine you have won $100 million in the lottery. Give yourself permission to dream for 2 mins (set your phone timer) and just think about what you would do with yourself if money was no option! Make the list as audacious as possible, and don’t let your rational mind (the monkey mind) start to tell you that you are being ridiculous. Then after you buy all the “stuff” that you ‘think’ you need (like cars, houses, round the world holiday, give money to family etc) – write down what you would do with your life from then on.
For example; would you sit on a beach for the rest of your life? Would you travel to third world countries and volunteer? Would you start a hobby/biz? Would you work in an industry you have always wanted to? Would you go to Uni and get that law degree you always wished you had time to do? Would you teach fitness to oldies in nursing homes? Would you bake cookies? Would you be the person who offers free sunscreen spray on the beach on the Gold Coast?

The list you write will be very revealing to what it is that is actually inside you busting to get out!

2. Vision Board Creation

This is my favourite thing to do. When I am feeling like I need a change in my life I set aside about 4 hrs to create my Vision Board and then I enjoy the process of ‘feeling’ my dreaming. This step is important because when you start to get pictures of things you want to have or do in your life, then you can tap into the feeling sensations of actually what it would be like to experience these things. You may be surprised at how strong your feelings can be when you imagine having what you are wanting. But you may also be surprised when you are imagining what you “think” you want, and realise you don’t actually like the feeling of it! This will quickly help you to realise what is truly important to you and what actually is just a low level “want”. I call this being in your Zone of Desire. That place where the internal and real you starts to bubble to the surface. You will realise your higher level “wanting” and then begin to understand what your life purpose is.

So how do you start to get into that feeling space?
My suggestion is to select images of things that you want. I prefer to use magazines but more and more I will create collages on my laptop or phone – you can search millions of images online, making it easier to get EXACTLY the right image for what you are wanting. From here you take one pic at a time look at it, take in everything you can from that pic and then close your eyes. Take a deep breath in, and then imagine what it would be like to have or do what is pictured in the image you are holding. Notice what is around you. Notice WHO is around you. Notice the emotion and see if you can name it. Then see if you can feel the area in your body you are feeling the emotion most intensely. Don’t worry if this seems difficult at first. Just keep going through the process with each image you have chosen and you will gradually start to develop this feeling sense.

3. Reinforce your Vision Board with positive affirmations

You have probably practiced affirmations before, you may have read books or been to workshops and you may have decided “they don’t work” for you. LOL! How can speaking positively over your life not work for you? Look at it from a different angle: don’t speak the words to GET something, speak the words to LIVE something. Still confused? By speaking words of LIFE over yourself, (“My future is bright”, “I create my own reality” etc), rather than DEATH (“I never get what I want”, “I am always going to be poor”, “I will never have the relationship I want” etc) you create a doorway for positivity to walk through. BUT, you are never going to get what you want while you are still speaking negatively. It just doesn’t work that way, because negativity creates a block.

So here is your mission. Place you Vision Board in a prominent position in your home/workplace. Whenever you look at your Vision Board you instantly remember how good it felt to imagine having everything you see on the board. Remember the five senses being activated, and how excited you felt when you placed yourself into receiving what you are wanting. Then repeat this: “These things, or greater I have received”.

If you do this every day when you look at the Board you will soon start to see your life changing in the smallest – and sometimes the largest – of ways.

4. Mindset:

In my opinion it is always about mindset. Your life is going the way you have chosen in your mind to perceive it, and only YOU can change how you perceive it. If you believe that there is a limited supply of happiness, or abundance in the world, then guess what? You wont be receiving what you are wanting. But if you believe that life is what you make of it, that things continually work out for you, then your perception of the world will be different. Who would you rather be: Moody Megan and Pessimistic Peter, or Optimistic Olivia and Thankful Terry? Begin repeating your affirmation every day (prob more than once a day you will see your Board) and if you have even a small doubt trying to creep in like “I am never going to have that car”, then SMASH this negativity by repeating your affirmation three times to negate it! Your focus is that you will have what you are wanting, this or greater, and that YOU get to create the life you desire – no one else!

When I first started using Vision Boards I was often disillusioned by not getting what I pasted on my board quick enough. But I soon learned that “what you focus on, you become” and if I was focusing on happiness, excitement, love, beautiful things and experiences, then my life soon gave me these things – just not necessarily in the way I had imagined. I have a pic of a BMW X5 on my Board. Do I have it? Not yet!! But I know this isn’t about the car necessarily, more about the fact that I need a car that is SAFE, can fit all my kids and drives safely and feels comfortable. I currently drive a Territory – isn’t that all these things? So I say “thank you for my Territory” knowing that I will get a new car when it is the right time financially. Learning to be appreciative in the waiting is very important.

I will be writing more about Gratitude over the coming weeks. But for now, just be thankful for the house you have, the holidays you have been on, the clothes in your cupboard, the car you drive, the jewelry you own, the money you have, the health in your body, the people who love you. The rest will come, in the way it is meant to, in perfect timing, when you learn to identify what you WANT and combine your MINDSET to line up with it.

If you are in Sydney you are invited to practice getting in to the right mindset and learn what your core values are and how to line them up with what you are wanting. This workshop will give you the tools to create the life you desire.

Saturday 9 April 2.30pm-4.30pm
Cost: $97pp
FOR MORE INFO CLICK HERE

11/01/2016

The Power of Positive Mind Set

Do you want to expand, change, move, grow – but feel stuck / scared / shy / unworthy / not good enough / not skilled enough ?

Do you have dreams you long to fulfill, but don’t know where to start?

Do you know how to CREATE CHANGE in your life?

Here’s my top 5 tips for CREATING CHANGE in your thought-life and making 2016 the BEST year of your life:

1. Surround yourself with positive people -if you want to CHANGE your life, you need to ensure you have “change-agents” around you. Have you heard the saying “birds of a feather flock together”? Well who do you want to flock with? Positive people INSPIRE you, want the BEST for you and they don’t get caught up in low-level vibrations like gossip or bitchiness. These people are your supporters, your cheer squad and they ALWAYS make you feel better when you leave them.
But remember that just by surrounding yourself with positive people isn’t enough, you need to practice saying and thinking positive things every day….

2. Speak words of encouragement over yourself for 2mins every day – find a quiet place where you won’t be disturbed or feel self conscious, and set your phone timer for 2mins. Then take a deep breath in, and for the next 2 minutes ONLY speak out loud sentences that start with “I am” or “I have”. Each sentence will be positive and will take you to the next sentence, eg: “I am worthy of success”….”I have the most satisfying job in the world”….”I am a wonderful person”….”I have loyal and supportive friends”….and so on.

Be AUDACIOUS in your words. Say whatever comes to mind – even if you dont’t believe it is true (yet!). You are re-writing your subconscious thoughts, with your SPOKEN WORD (you HAVE to say it out loud.). Each day you will feel more and more comfortable doing this, so persevere and enjoy these 2mins of self love!

But simply saying these things isn’t enough, you need to get into your head all the wonderful things you ALREADY have in your life….

3. Keep a gratitude journal – my amazing biz coach (www.musecoaching.com.au) taught me this easy technique and it has been an awesome reminder of all the GOOD things in my life. You can write for hours or just 3 things each day that you are THANKFUL for and it will make a HUGE difference in how you view your life. If there is something you need (like a bigger car, or a house without mould) then be sure to be thankful for the car and house you do have first!). Practicing gratitude has been shown by researchers to lift mood and create a more healthful body.

It’s a Win/Win.

4. Celebrate small successes along the way – I think this one ties in with being THANKFUL….because when you are reminding yourself daily about the things you are grateful for, then you can see the small successes and you can see your PROGRESS more clearly. Be sure to take a moment and pat yourself on the back, or say a prayer of thanks (whatever floats your boat) and mark the occasion with a moment of silence (or a glass of champagne!)
But remember that all this movement requires a balance of stillness as well…..

5. Meditate daily for 3-5mins – it’s a well known (and researched) fact that meditation helps to reduce stress and overwhelm, helps to create peace from the centre of your being, and helps you view the world differelty. Enough said really. There are plenty of meditation classes / books / schools and Apps you can get to help you along the way. My favourite way to meditate is to focus on breathing in to the count of 4, and then breathing out to the count of 5. I do this as I count back from 20, or 40 or 50. If I lose track I go back to the start.
Meditation is all about taking authority over the mind (which in my opinion is like a willful 3 year old child!) and practicing with gentleness and kindness. Some days I am really good at it, other days I am not – instead of berating myself (or giving up entirely), I simply end the practice and make a choice to try again the next day.Change happens over time – rarely overnight. So be KIND, be PATIENT, be LOVING to yourself along the way.

29/12/201527/07/2016

Belle’s Isagenix Body Transformation

My Isagenix Goals:

My goal with starting Isagenix was to lose body fat around my mid-section – you can see my physical changes in the pics above. I began my body transformation in July 2015, little did I realise that it would transform my mind and my thinking as well. After being on the Isagenix clean eating program for five months at the writing of this post, I have finally found a new respect for my body and for me as a person. I am enjoying the increased energy I have, the brain clarity, and my new leaner and stronger body.

Each month brought a new self-realisation for me to acknowledge and accept myself, and what began as a quest to “lose weight”, saw me gaining self confidence, self awareness and the abiity to let go of more than just fat.

To go from a woman who would yawn her way thru the afternoon, and struggle to pull herself from the couch to cook dinner each evening, to a woman bursting with energy, waking with the sun most mornings, and having the clarity of mind to continue studying well into the evening – it is a miracle.

The Program:

Isagenix has not been a “quick fix” or a “simple solution” for me – even though the program is simple enough: drink 2 protein smoothies per day, choose high protein snacks and enjoy a 400-600 calorie meal once per day.
PLUS Cleanse the body for 24hrs one day per week to help boost metabolism and give my digestive system a rest.

The reason it wasn’t “easy” is because I have a long and committed history around negative associations with food. For me food has been a comfort, a reward, a punishment, a safety, a security and a refuge. Isagenix has helped balance my body’s hormones to a point where I rarely crave chocolate or ice cream, and if I do eat them I don’t feel very good afterwards. Eating well has become a priority to me, rather than eating really expensive and indulgent chocolate! The program has given me the nutrition to physically beat the bad habits, while I release the mental self sabotage that goes along with my eating. This takes time – and I wouldn’t say I am “fixed” yet, but I am well on the way to where I want to be.

Most people I know have trouble doing Cleanse Days and I am no exception. The idea of depriving myself of food really scared me, because I had an irrational fear that not eating for 24hrs equalled dying of starvation. However the support from my Sponsor and the Isagenix online community helped me make it thru my first one – and the next and the next. Just knowing there are so many people on Facebook groups ready and willing to support me is amazing. It has defnitely been a part of my success. Now I look forward to Cleanse days, especially after the holiday season or a particularly big night (YES you can still indulge occaisionally whilst on the program, the beauty of it is, you won’t indulge nearly as much as you used to!).

Are YOU ready for change this year?

This is the most important question you may be asked. The answer you give will determine if you are going to smash the program or succumb to another round of self defeating thoughts and habits.
The Isagenix program will nourish your body, detox you gently at a cellular level, improve your energy and increase mental clarity. Everyone knows your weight is governed by 80% of what you eat and 20% of how you move. The easy part is ordering your first 30 Day Nutritional Cleanse System, the harder part is allowing yourself the opportunity to really give it a go.

contact me today and get ready to see massive changes in your body and mind

Contact by Email

26/11/201526/11/2015

Do You Feel Disconnected from Those Around You?

Do you feel like you are standing on the outside,
looking in on your life?
Have you ever felt like you are numb to the
experiences you are having?
Do you feel all alone?

During our lifetime we experiences many ups and downs that make us feel disconnected at times to those around us – Is this you? In order to have a happy and peaceful life, it is necessary to feel a deep sense of connection to self and to others. Otherwise you are left feeling unsupported, and oftentimes scared and feeling lonely.

Feeling like you are facing life all on your own can be exhausting, and leave you feeling always drained of energy, or like there is no spark left in your body and mind. I have heard people describe it as like “walking through mud every day”. You KNOW you should be excited about life – you have everything you need most of the time – but something keeps holding you back.

Separation and Divorce (a bad relationship), death of a loved one, being fired or being forced to move towns/states/countries by circumstances, not living your passion and purpose, being in a job you despise can all make a person feel isolated emotionally and like no-one understands them, or could possibly know how they are feeling on the inside. Oftentimes well meaning people will encourage you to “look on the bright side” or say “chin up, it could be worse” which is no help to you at all! In fact it makes you feel WORSE.
These thoughts and feelings are an indicator that you have some trapped negative emotions stopping you from feeling supported, loved and a vital part of this world.

How can I help you?

I can access and release hidden Heart Walls that are preventing you from emotionally connecting to others, and being able to connect with yourself. Have you heard the phrase “the heart wants what the heart wants”? This means that you are led by the Heart’s desires – but what if you cannot trust your heart because of previous life experiences of hurts and you have created a wall of protection around your heart in order to ensure you NEVER GET HURT AGAIN?

Using my Emotion Code techniques I can identify your protective heart walls and remove them forever – painlessly and easily! You will feel more connected to those around you and more in-tune with yourself again – a very freeing feeling and putting you back in control of your life!

All of your behaviours and thoughts are controlled by your subconscious mind – when the negative emotions are removed, you will find that it is easier to make good choices and give up bad habits that have held you back.

Lose your Emotional Baggage today by making an appointment to have your Heart Walls and Trapped Emotions released FOREVER!

Make a booking for in-clinc or Skype consults by contacting me on the Wellness Consults page

05/10/201529/04/2016

Do you have Adrenal Fatigue?

13/10/201424/10/2014

The Stress – Body Pain – Sugar Connection

In my clinic I have observed that the majority of my clients:

Suffer from daily/ weekly / monthly bouts of sore neck, shoulders and headache pain.
Report their unstoppable “addiction” to sugar, (or chocolate more specifically) in times of stress.
Detail their constant feeling of being overwhelmed, stressed, or just plain exhausted in their daily life.

This got me thinking…….is there a connection?

As a massage therapist, I see the results of not breathing correctly and the effect it has on one’s posture, mind and emotions. When we shallow breathe, we engage the muscles of the front of our neck, and over use the upper chest / pectoral muscles. This inevitably leads to tension in these muscles from chronic overuse. This then affects the upper back and shoulders muscles (rhomboids and trapezius muscles) and we feel intense pain in between our shoulder blades, and across the top of the shoulders. You may even end up looking like your shoulders are always up around your ears. You may even feel like you have “the weight of the world on your shoulders”.

Take a moment to press gently into the space just above your collarbone. Is it tight and resistant? Does it hurt if you press deeply (go easy!)? This could be a sign that you are not breathing deeply, and are in a constant state of stress (even if you don’t “feel stressed”.) Deep Tissue Massage helps to gently but firmly assist in releasing stressed and tight muscles, to allow them to become more pliable.

Those that have experienced Deep Tissue Massage may remember being coached to breathe deeply while the massage is taking place. This helps to give these muscles a rest from their normal “shallow breathing job” and give the muscles of the diaphragm their proper time and space to do their work! This massage technique encourages deep relaxation as your mind is focused simply on breathing deeply through the tight muscles.

Stress is known to cause headaches, light-headedness, shallow breathing, feelings of tiredness, cold hands and feet, jaw grinding, general body pain, increased thoughts of worry and anxiety. Not to mention tummy pain and IBS, reflux and heartburn.

Sugar, specifically Fructose is connected to both stress and shallow breathing, (Sweet Poison Gillespie D, 2007 Penguin Group).

Fructose is found primarily in ripe fruits, which is why it is called “fruit sugar”. It is present in honey, maple syrup and agave syrup. Look at any packaged cereal, or muesli bar or yoghurt in your kitchen and you are sure to find it on the label somewhere. It is literally in almost everything these days!

Fructose has been linked with heart disease, stroke, PCOS, infertility, depression and anxiety, IBS, general body pain plus more.

When you eat foods that contain Fructose, it literally elevates the Cortisol levels in your bloodstream. The “stress-hormone” – Cortisol- is released by the body in periods of threat, whether they are physical or mental. Our body is meant to cycle through periods of calm, then high stress, then recovery, then peace, and then high stress and so on. The high stress state is meant to be fleeting. However for most, it is almost constant, which creates a state of imbalance in the body, resulting in general pain, headaches, muscle tension plus heaps more.

Most people I know spend the majority of their waking moments in the high stress phase, and almost never recover. Most of the people I know feel hurried, stressed, overwhelmed and “just coping” most of the time.

It is important to learn how to recover after a period of high stress, whether it is daily or weekly, that is separate from reaching for the chocolate or something else that is sweet, in order to move beyond your frustrations.

Learning to breathe deeply can be of immense help. Getting stuck in traffic may put you over the edge – why not count your deep inhalations until the traffic moves again? A colleague may push your buttons at the morning meeting, but instead of having another coffee with two sugars, make yourself practice “belly breathing” when you get a moment to yourself.

This seemingly simple plan helps you to recover from the initial stress of the situation, and then move beyond it for the rest of the day.

A daily or weekly meditation session could help you to finally release all that pent up anger / aggression / hostility / bitterness in a deeper way.

So if you breathe shallowly, have sore muscles, tummy issues, heart problems, weight issues, and a racing mind, sugar and stress could be said to be partly (or wholly) to blame for it!

An integrated approach to healing your body and mind is the best way to better health.
Here are my tips:

Learn how to relax. From here you can better listen to your body and respond when you feel pain, or just “off”.
Treat yourself with things you like doing, (not with food, which is usually a sweet item that will further exacerbate the problem). This is where deep tissue massage and relaxation and meditation classes all come into play. A walk on the beach, or lying in a hammock with a good book is also an option!
And finally, stop reaching for sweet things when you are happy, tired, sad, bored, worried or sick! Give your body some time to rest, repair and heal itself from the constant demands of your busy lifestyle.

Of course, if you are suffering with health problems it is always a good idea not to self-diagnose, but see your naturopath or GP. Don’t talk to Dr Google, because you may get the wrong advice!