Impressions Of Life
Wings
In the last days of 2021,
I took myself on a reflective walk in the park and curiously enough found a pair of wings, the green ones pictured in the photo above...
Gosh, how I just love wings!!
They remind me of fairies, of dragonflies, of being free, of flying and zooming around...
And most of all they remind me to allow myself my wings
In the last days of 2021,
I took myself on a reflective walk in the park and curiously enough found a pair of wings, the green ones pictured in the photo above...
Gosh, how I just love wings!!
They remind me of fairies, of dragonflies, of being free, of flying and zooming around...
And most of all they remind me to allow myself my wings to fly at times. I have come to realize that I have an immensely strong sense of duty and that often makes my 'me-time', down time or creative time very sparse.
As I pondered upon the year 2021 gone past, I didn't give it too much thought. Yet when I walked in the park again in the brand new year 2022, I was presented with 2 more wings, different kinds, different sizes. But the coincidence is too startling to ignore.
What a nice way of the Universe to send me these wings on my path and to encourage me to fly a little more often.
Now I have truly found four wings, and am sure they will keep me flying for quite some time to come!
I have put them in my special hand where I can see them often and be reminded to fly.
Magical Cocoon Time
Magical cocoon time
During this difficult NSW lockdown...
Please somehow find a way to enjoy the little things, to enjoy your time in the (quite literally) cocoon stage, so you will be fully ready to come out as a butterfly at the other end, in the new stage of your life!
Cocoons can be the most magical places you will be in, enjoy yours.
Inner Child
I feel the upcoming Women’s Circle (21/5/21) is going to be around acknowledging our Inner Child.
That’s why I selected the picture above, which for me represents my inner child, nicely protected in the womb of the tree. Like a little sapling, maybe too young to stand on its own, so still getting that loving support. Yet, the big tree as
I feel the upcoming Women’s Circle (21/5/21) is going to be around acknowledging our Inner Child.
That’s why I selected the picture above, which for me represents my inner child, nicely protected in the womb of the tree. Like a little sapling, maybe too young to stand on its own, so still getting that loving support. Yet, the big tree as it grows and becomes wiser, it will always carry that little sapling within.
Just as we do. We grow up, we change, we develop, we might enter motherhood, and our little inner child will still be there, our mini-me, whom does not want to be forgotten.
And just like my drawing shows, the light in the middle of the tree crown, is still the same light that surrounds the inner child. Yet the inner child has been drawn in black and white, as we tend to forget and memories fade about our mini-me’s.
The contrast of black and white, of yin and yang, of night and day, of good and bad. The divine dichotomy, which is always present in our lives. We just need to make sure it is as balanced as possible.
And with this I am happy to announce my Intuitive Drawing Workshop is back as well.
Perfect timing for the Inner Child theme of this month. Colour pencils are one of the first tools we used as children to express ourselves and those energetic pathways are still there. As we take our mini-me everywhere we go! Transferring your inner self via your hands and pencils onto the paper.
This is really a creative journey to nourish yourself and most importantly your Inner Child!
Autumn Feels
Autumn Feels
Autumn is well upon us here in Sydney and I have been feeling kind of like this...
Have been feeling like I would like to start a new chapter ... this feeling is possibly quite entwined with turning the big 40 this year.
Possibly a time to reflect upon the years gone by and where I am heading...
The feeling goes like this... Wanting to
Autumn is well upon us here in Sydney and I have been feeling kind of like this...
Have been feeling like I would like to start a new chapter ... this feeling is possibly quite entwined with turning the big 40 this year.
Possibly a time to reflect upon the years gone by and where I am heading...
The feeling goes like this... Wanting to shed all the old, dead and unwanted stuff...Quite like the trees, letting go of the leaves that for this time in life are no longer needed and are shed for the purpose of hibernation, creation and regeneration. Exactly that.
Shedding, letting go, releasing the things that no longer serve my highest self. Then there is the idea of hibernating, to care for myself, to nurture the things that have long been waiting in line. Self-care first.
Then the feeling says, creation comes.... Dreaming, thinking, writing, creating... More of the things that I am passionate about and things that serve my higher purpose in life, things that make me truly happy, so they will never tire me out. And so I think the time has come, for taking a little step back, for saying ‘no thank you’, for shedding the old, for inviting the time to contemplate, to hibernate, to connect. To dream, to write and to create.
So the new chapter in my book of life finally gets the opportunity to be written and lived. And although my leaf is drying out, getting ready to be shed, it goes out with a bang of colour, never losing the light running in its veins. Because the light is something that forever remains
With this feeling now clearly written down, my soul is at peace to have its desires being acknowledged and eagerly looks forward to shed to old and welcome the new.
Love is all that matters
"The only thing that matters is how much you love"
These are crazy times, right?!
2020, the year the world kind of stopped because of a global pandemic...
Isn't it amazing what happens when we stop listening to our source, our Mother, Mother Nature... When we take things for granted and then I am not only talking about looking after our dear planet.
Taking many things for granted, like yo
These are crazy times, right?!
2020, the year the world kind of stopped because of a global pandemic...
Isn't it amazing what happens when we stop listening to our source, our Mother, Mother Nature... When we take things for granted and then I am not only talking about looking after our dear planet.
Taking many things for granted, like your freedom to go places, to exercise, to meet up with friends, to have fun, to travel,... things many of us are still restricted from.
Many people amongst our communities have lost dear ones and were not able to be with them in their last moments.
Many people around the world have been robbed of the love they so need and long for, a kiss, a hug...
And yet what remains, what is left when all else has been lost?
The only thing that matters is how much you love.
In the end it doesn't matter what your body looks like, how successful your career is, how big your house is, how advanced your yoga practice is, or what your bank statement says.
What matters is how much you love, and especially how much you love YOURSELF.
This pandemic has brought forward an incredible wave of consciousness. People have started to realize the important things in life, and many are struggling and struggling badly.
Because this situation is forcing us to look within, look inwardly, be stuck with ourselves, nowhere to go, no workplace to escape to, but to be with ourselves and face our truths.
Coaches all around the world agree, this is a very important time right now, a huge opportunity for people to wake up and work on themselves, to be brave and take the time to heal.
There is nothing more important than your wellbeing and reaching out for help and letting yourself feel, is a brave thing indeed.
Wishing you all a lot of self-love.
Growing into me
Growing into me
I can't believe the year is almost coming to a close again.
I know I am a bit early, however, before we know it, it will be there.
The photo above was taken at a Primal Womens retreat I took part in,
this happened in Bali (June 2019) under the guidance of Shaman Deb Macintyre.
What an experience that was!
Highly recommend it.
And yes coaches,
I can't believe the year is almost coming to a close again.
I know I am a bit early, however, before we know it, it will be there.
The photo above was taken at a Primal Womens retreat I took part in,
this happened in Bali (June 2019) under the guidance of Shaman Deb Macintyre.
What an experience that was!
Highly recommend it.
And yes coaches, need coaching too.
I was reunited with my long lost inner child.
Went through a sea of emotions,
shamanic journeys together with my ancestors, primal dances,
laughing yoga and lots more.
I was loved and supported by 15 beautiful women
who formed an extraordinary sisterhood around me.
Who loved me without judgement.
A very special time for me and
an immensely remarkable start to a magical journey for myself.
And the more I find myself, the more I care for myself,
the more I love myself, the more I can give to others in return.
We can't give from an empty cup, right?!
Growing into me with every small step I tak
2019 A Colourful Future Ahead!
Happy New Year To All of You!
My wish for you this year, is this:
Calmness in the peak of craziness
A moment to reflect on the year gone by
More self-care in this New Year
Plenty of ‘me-time’ to recharge your soul
Fun and laughter to ignite your inner child
Sunlight to warm your skin
And most of all
Lots of inner peace
Because the world starts with you
❤️
I have just come back from a road trip with my little family.
And on that trip I found some (rare) quiet moments that gave me
the opportunity to catch my thoughts and ponder a bit...
Whilst walking on the beach,
I pondered about my past (experiences),
growing up in Belgium,
working and travelling throughout Thailand,
doing the same in South Africa.
Then moving to Australia, leaving European life behind...
Being pregnant with my boys and going through those processes of life.
And then I wondered whether it all actually happened?...Was that all real?...
Like real, real?... And where did it all go?...
It feels so long ago, so far away,
that it almost feels like those events never really happened at all.
Then it dawned on me,
maybe I am 'finally' Iearning to live in the 'NOW',
learning to loosen my grip on the past
and maybe it is ok for the past to be where it is,
far away and practically gone,
nothing more than a memory in inner space.
I am happy with that, I am making progress
and therefore the future looks bright and colourful,
just like this gorgeous flower above!
After lots of ground work last year, I am happy to announce
that I am collaborating with a few different organisations in 2019
such as the Macquarie Community College and Excentric Events
for both my Intuitive Drawing Workshops
as also my Herbal Tea Workshops.
Do have a look at the Workshops/Bookings section.
Happy and exciting times are ahead!
Perfectly Imperfect
I must admit that I am quite a perfectionist and one of the hardest judges for myself.
I am always finding areas of myself that I can improve on
and at times focussing in a bit too much on my weaknesses rather than my strengths.
The longing for perfection seems to be so ingrained in me, whether I like it or not.
However it doesn't make my journey here on Earth like a nice walk in the park...
I often lack the understanding as to why I can't just be perfect at it all,
although I try so hard and do put a lot of effort in.
And at times that does take it's toll emotionally and every now
and then I feel discouraged, deflated and disappointed in myself.
Nevertheless, the other night, whilst getting ready for bed, a thought just struck me.
And it went like this...
If my soul/spirit is part of the one energy, the universe, the energy that is perfect in itself.
Then regardless, whenever my Earthly journey would finish, I would become perfect again.
So my imperfection is bound to my journey here on Earth, and so it is just 'temporary'.
And just like any other temporary things, they too shall pass.
This train of thought was so comforting for me,
at last I understood that it is actually ok to be imperfect.
Finally I will be able to allow myself to be imperfect and
allow myself to take the time to get comfortable with all my imperfections
and not feel bad about them.
As I now acknowledge and know that whenever my time might come,
I will become perfect again.
And in the mean time I can just enjoy my imperfect time here on this Earthly
plane for however long that might be.
Perfectly imperfect!
PS The photo above I took as I stood in my kitchen, looking out of the window,
enjoying the sunlight shining through the glass, staring at the trees and just catching my thoughts.
I then saw my own reflection in the window and gave it a 'shot'
and the photo turned out just magical.
"I am Nature and Nature is me".
Half my face within the trees,
perfectly imperfect.
It's never too late
This quote is by George Eliot and I came across it the other day
whilst reading the book called Chicken Soup to Inspire the Body and Soul.
The quote really struck me, as I myself am always exploring ways to 'improve' myself,
although I sometimes look back at my past and remenisce about a specific time
where I felt really confident, validated, strong and happy with all of myself,
happy with who I was at that time.
And then I would snap back into the now and painfully realize that I am no longer that person.
I am no longer that young girl that took the journey to the Far East, worked, travelled and pretty much never came home again.
Today, I am so much richer as a person, in life experience, knowledge, I have a partner, I have children, I have it all.
And yet I somehow I sometimes feel I don't have what I had then, the 'I am happy with ALL of myself' kind of feeling.
So when I read that quote, it suddenly opened a pathway, a new door, an opportunity, a new way of thinking...
It is never too late to become what you might have been...
Yesssss!!!!
There is actually a possibility of me becoming again of what I was before?!
I am very happy with that!
Big smile on my face!
Now watch me become happy with ALL of me again!
It is never too late.
Wintersleep
I believe our bodies also go through some form of 'hibernation' during the winter,
in the sense that our bodies need more good quality sleep for our immune systems to keep up.
Having a relaxing bath with Epsom Salt is one way to completely relax
all the muscles you have to prepare them for bedtime.
As also a drop of lavender oil on you pyjama or on a tissue on your bedside table.
It helps you to relax and get to that deep sleep.
And then there is Tart Cherry Concentrate.
Tart Cherries are the only food in the world to naturally contain melatonin or sleep hormone.
Tart cherries are high in anti-oxidants which fight oxidative stress in our bodies.
They are highly anti-inflammatory and high in potassium, which reduces muscle pain and cramping.
They have gout reducing properties and most importantly they aid your sleep cycle,
improve sleep efficiency and help people with insomnia, scientifically proven!
Research it!
Dosage is quite simple: 2 tablespoons of concentrate in a glass of 200ml water, 2x per day.
And I guess for all the people out there that have trouble sleeping, it is definitely worth a try!
Happy sleeping everyone!
'Kookaburra Day'
I attempt to go for my morning walks in a beautiful park next to my house every day.
Sometimes I succeed to go and other times I have to give it a miss.
But yesterday's walk was truly special!
I came across about 6 Kookaburras on my way, wherever I walked and turned another one popped up!
I am very much into acknowledging the messages that the Universe sends me, so I looked up their spiritual meaning.
And so it goes:
" Those with this totem have the ability to achieve their goals
if they stay centered and maintain their focus.
If the kookaburra suddenly dives into your life
its telling you to manifest your dreams instead of day dreaming about them.
Acquiring master ship is hard work."
And there you go, this was my message for the week,
'less dreaming, more manifesting'
Grateful to the Kookaburras
Unconditional love
What is unconditional love?
This is what the dictionary says: "It is affection with no limits or conditions, complete love.
Regardless of how a person treats you, or what they do to you, you love them no matter what. Your love to them is unconditional."
Not sure if I know many people that love unconditionally...
But certainly one special being in my life, and that is my dear Kookie (my labrador pictured above)
What an amazing being he is and yes he loves unconditionally all day, all night, every day of the year without fail.
What better teachers could we ask for than our beloved pets, to show us the way of loving unconditionally?
Kookie is a teacher in the truest sense of the word and I guess I might be a slow learner...
it is taking me a while although I am putting in the effort as much as I am able to.
Just recently my Kookie had to have serious surgery done and the day that we were to bring him in,
I did everything possible to make that day a very special one, not knowing if it would be his last with us.
We went for a nice walk, spent time together, took this wonderful picture, bathed him,
gave him a deluxe dinner topped off with sardines and all...
It was because of this situation that I realised how we have only loved him a fraction of the love he gives us all the time
regardless of our attention or time for him and that I would love to change that and learn from him.
(Kookie got through the surgery just fine and is recovering well, he will never be the same as before but he is still here,
still with us and that is all that matters. Never forget that nothing ever stays the same in this life)
And that made me think about 'self-love' and how that in essence is also very unconditional.
Many of us find it pretty hard to love ourselves, but it might just be a good way to start.
To start with unconditionally loving ourselves and once we have that covered,
the unconditional love towards others might then also be just that bit more familiar.
In the book 'You can heal your life' by Louise Hay, she writes that in order to cultivate 'self-love'
one should start by looking at yourself in the mirror, looking into your own eyes and saying these words:
"I love and accept you exactly as you are".
It sure sounds easy to do, however it is not always that straightforward to do for everybody.
Patience and persistence is key in this process, be kind to yourself, 'self-love' is a big healer of many things.
The people who give unconditional love are the true heroes in this world.
We need more heroes.
Intuitively You Workshops
Finally!!
I am starting my intuitive drawing workshops as of this week!
These have been waiting to come out for a very long time! Drawing and doing creative things is another of my passions.
As a child I was quite shy and not very good at verbalizing my emotions all that well, so drawing was my outlet. I would draw fairy tale worlds that would give me a little escape from a world that I would not always understand.
And later in my teenage years I started drawing even more intuitively such as mandala's and objects/figures
that might have not particularly always made sense to others, but they were my soul expressions.
Only the Universe and my family know how MANY drawings I have made in my lifetime, there are many.
And then life got a bit busy, I would do the odd drawing here and there, pour my emotions out on paper and then forget about it all again for a while.
However during all my time of drawing I knew this was more than just drawing, to me this was a way of dealing with my emotions,
with things I wasn't able to communicate about as such, a form of self-therapy.
And that is the reason why I am now going to hold those Intuitive Drawing Workhops. I want to share with you how this simple pastime can help you to deal with your emotions, day-to-day.
Because we suppress a lot of emotions nowadays and don't take enough time to actually process them. So this could become a new outlet for them.
I would like to share with you a little process, send you on a little journey that will get you back in touch with yourself.
We have all been 'steered' a certain way in our lives and I find it important that we reconnect with ourselves
and are able to allow ourselves to just be 'you'. And whoever you are, is just perfect.
I am not an arts teacher, so I will not be teaching you any technique or how to draw.
In these classes you are going to do less thinking and more doing, follow your inner being and put your inner on paper.
Our lives are so overly busy that we hardly take the time to 'self-care'. And we NEED it.
Anything you will draw will be right and perfect for you.
(The drawing above is a drawing I did when I had my first Intuitive Drawing Workshop for a closed group of ladies.
And the hidden message in here was that I am the creator of my life and magical things will surely be in it!)
Introducing the Nature's Magic House
It has been a little while, I have been busy, so here I am again! My Nature's Magic House is ready for all of you.
surely is a work in progress as I see it and making it bit by bit more special as I go along. I invite all of you to be curious, seek something different, change the pattern of your life, come and visit!
For now I will be there guaranteed every THURSDAY FROM 10AM-12PM to offer you a cup of herbal tea, chat, invite you to relax and soak up all the magical goodness from the Nature's Magic House. Nevertheless, would you want to pass by any other day, then do give me a call and I might just be around to welcome you in! I will surely work on a big welcome day in the future, however my doors are already open for you now.
As a little baptism, I held an Intuitive drawing class last week for a closed group of ladies. And I had the most wonderful feedback from them! Their reactions to the decor and detail of the Nature's Magic House were wonderful, a little like children in a candy shop, exactly how I had envisaged and intended it to be!! And that will be my aim for every person that enters it, that your visit may feed your inner child's soul, that it may spark your curiosity, that you may forget the outside world for a bit, that you may feel safe, loved and excited.
I would understand that Thursdays might not be convenient for everyone to drop by, therefore please do give me a ring and I will surely be able to organize a visit for you and within time I will be able to balance things properly so that I can open up Nature's Magic House more days a week for the casual visits. However would you wish to see me in person for some health advice or any advice for that matter, I am just a phone call away!
And remember, every WEDNESDAY from 9.30AM till 2PM you can find me in the MIDWAY FAMILY PHARMACY at Midway Shops in Denistone.
My Nature's Magic House is located at 4a Cedar Place, Ermington, NSW 2115
I will see you there!
New Beginnings!
I have exciting news to share with all of you!
Recently I was asked whether I would consider going back to my role as 'natural health advisor' (or Naturopath Assistant as they like to call me) in the Midway Family Pharmacy in Denistone.
As ever since my second son came to this world, now 14 months old, I had been away.
I was told that I was missed by the team and most of all by the customers. That the team had done their best to keep my stash of natural products going, but something had been missing, the lack of my 'nature's magic' had been missing all along...
Truly heartwarming words for my soul.
So it has happened that as of this week you can find me every Monday at the Midway Family Pharmacy in Denistone (Midway Shops) from 9.30am-2pm.
I will be there ready to help you with any natural health advice, information about natural remedy products, tips, recipes, in short anything Nature's Magic!
However the new beginnings don't stop there...
We are in the process of preparing our lovely little granny flat to become a place where I will be able to share all that I know with you.
I endeavour it to be a place of happiness, wonder, creativity, comfort, connection and healing.
A place that once you have entered, you are in this wondrous bubble of Nature's Magic and Nature's Way of Life.
It is to be a place where you, people, community, can come to unwind, to talk, to learn, to connect, to laugh, to create, to cry, to heal. And just as in the pharmacy I will be available in the granny flat (will call it this until I find a better name for it) on certain days for all your natural health advice.
It is going to be a little magical place, I can feel it in my heart! And I will surely keep all of you posted on our progress and also as in to when my workshops, seminars and classes will start! Not to forget the one-on-one consultations that will also be available there.
Thank you for your support along the way. It has already been such a wonderful journey so far and I know many more magical times are ahead.
Never stop believing!
As dreams do come true!
Matters of the heart
In accordance to my Nature's Magic Board and Facebook posts, here my personal 'sparkle' on it.
Matters of our heart....Dear oh dear, how good are we in disconnecting ourselves from our precious hearts...to me it is a very concerning trend to witness.
Why are we doing this, why are we so concerned with the modern technology and materialistic things? When all our passion, relationships and hearts are dying whilst we are living..??
Bit by bit I see people losing their passion for life, losing their passion for the things that actually feed their soul. Our hearts long to grow and be full, long to LOVE and BE LOVED. And this is one of the most universal things that all beings on this planet have in common. Simply LOVE.
When we dis-connect from love and from our hearts, our hearts feel at 'dis-ease'. And if you leave your heart in that state for long enough, it will create you a very deeply rooted disease.
My personal take on heart disease might just be too simple and basic for all of our complex minds to grasp, but I sincerely believe in it.
Our lives are overly full with things that do not actually matter as such materialistic stuff. The reality is that jobs will always be out there, there will always be a way to make money. Family and friends on the other hand, they have an expiry date. People die. My point is that spending endless amounts of time at work will make you miss out on your relationships which in turn can also make your heart very 'dis-eased'. Balance is key, as always.
People might forget what you did, people might forget what you said, but people will never forget how you made them feel. Because we store those feelings and emotions in every part of our body.
Sort out your love, your relationships, your hearts, look within. Have the COURAGE to look within, because it is a very scary thing to do, I know how it feels, but once you start it becomes easier and better every time. It is scary to face your demons/issues/pains head on. However when you really want to get rid of any 'dis-ease' in your body, then that is what the recipe says!
Many of us are so afraid to face our issues that we keep on pushing them deeper and deeper. It is like trying to push something deeper into a jar and pressing it so much for so long that in the end it becomes quite stuck in there. And then it will be very hard to get it back out.
It is never too late to deal with negative emotions, unresolved issues, hurts from the past. Baggage is better left at the side of the road so that you can fully enjoy the rest of your journey.
Wouldn't it be easier if we dealt with our troubles straight away, wouldn't it make us feel a lot lighter, wouldn't we feel so much better about ourselves and others, wouldn't we have more space and time to love, wouldn't we just be free again?
Ho'oponopono
This Hawaiian healing technique literally means 'to make it right'. Hawaiians traditionally used it as a practice of forgiveness. This simple message of 100% responsibility, sincere regret and gratitude has been changing the life of all it touches. We are often very hard on ourselves and forget to forgive ourselves at times. I am surely one of them. Carrying all that guilt and negative energy isn't good for us. Instead we could follow these simple steps towards healing ourselves, the Hawaiian way.
Find a quiet and comfortable spot, where you can just take the time to connect with yourself.
1. RESPONSIBILITY - I'M SORRY Think of the situation or issue you would like resolved within you and say I'M SORRY. Realise that you are responsible for the issue in your life and allow yourself to accept that something within your consciousness has caused it and it deserves an apology.
2. ASK FORGIVENESS - PLEASE FORGIVE ME Just say the words PLEASE FORGIVE ME, ask the Universe to forgive you, put it out there, say it for as long as you need to.
3. GRATITUDE - THANK YOU Thank the Universe for everything that you are, for your body, for your family, for your life experiences.
4. LOVE - I LOVE YOU Say I LOVE YOU. Say it to your body, say it to the Universe. Say I LOVE YOU to the air you breathe and to the life you were given. Say I LOVE YOU to your challenges. Say it over and over. Mean it. Feel it. Loving yourself is the greatest way to improve yourself and the whole of your world.
Once you get the hang of it, use it as a mantra, "I'm sorry, Please forgive me, Thank you, I love you". Say it as many times as you need to until you feel a change within you happening.
Ho ' oponopono
I'm Sorry
Please forgive me
Thank you
I love you
(I picked this photograph of my purple tibouchina as purple is a colour that can help you connect mind, body and spirit. You could use this picture during your mantra)
"No Mud, no lotus." Thich Nhat Hanh
The lotus flower starts growing deep within the mud, there lie its grounded roots. The more it grows, the more its stem pushes through the mud to follow the light.
The water symbolises our emotions, the mud our troubles and the stem represents all the inner work we do to push ourselves upwardly. Once the flower bud reaches the surface, it can unfold its true beauty.
We all have our own mud, we actually NEED the mud to ground our roots. Without the mud, no lotus.
So don't be afraid or discouraged by your 'mud', i.e. troubles. See them as a necessary aspect in order for you to grow and to become who you wish to be.
Every lotus reaches the surface at some point, at the right time. And they will all be different, different but the same, all created by the one light and each given a name.
May you live like the lotus at ease in its muddy water.