Choose quality, compassionate and meaningful support, to begin your new year. I would love to support you to feel calm through uncertainty and change, embrace self care as your natural way of being, to thrive through life transitions, and to continually move forward and live the life you desire. Feel calm, connected and confident in every way.  

Most of us know, and feel, that gratitude is a beautiful and supportive thing.  But I wonder how many of us truly practice gratitude in a way that more deeply benefits ourselves, and others - our whole energy and our collective vibration. In these times especially, I know that gratitude is a powerful thing, and especially what I love to practice, which is intentional gratitude.  Let me share a little about what this is and means, and I'd love to encourage you to practice this too and see how it feels for you, in every part of your life.  

We all have the ability to take control of our health and our wellbeing.  Whatever we live with - virus, illness, pain, disease - we can choose empowering ways to support ourselves to feel better, and well.  Before you read a few ways I've mentioned below, I'd love for you to just take a few moments to think and see yourself as a holistic being, all parts of you, connected - your mind, body, spirit, heart, soul - physical, emotional, spiritual, energetic parts are not separate, but all functioning and supporting each other together - as you are one whole being.  Seeing ourselves in this holistic way, is one of the most empowering things we can do, to choose to support ourselves through all health issues, illness, pain and disease.   

My journal piece yesterday was about taking things one day at a time, and doing one thing at a time - you can read this here.  It felt apt today, to share some thoughts about beginnings, new starts, and taking just one step forward.  As one action is often all it takes to switch us from feeling stuck, procrastinating in some way, and to  build our own natural momentum to just get started. Not in a rushed, hurried or pressured way.  Just in a way that creates motivation, and instills confidence and self belief as we feel we are taking action, and making choices to move forward.  This is true for anything we set our minds and hearts to - health, life, career, business, relationships, making a big change or transition of some kind - one step forward, one action, is all it takes to begin.     

I set myself just one very certain and clear intention for this year, and that has been to slowly ease myself into things - in my own way, my own time, my own rythmn, at my own pace. I'm so very pleased to have truly honoured this, as it's allowed me to thrive during this time of transition, flowing from one year into new beginnings.  I haven't had a holiday like many have, I've still been working behind the scenes, but I've taken things more slowly during this time.  As the new year rolled in, it was a natural flow for me, from just one day to the next, and I was very conscious to not get caught up in any 'hype', feel pressured,  or place any new year expectations on myself. Instead, to just to stay focussed within, connected to my own vision and plans, and to gently ease myself forward, one day at a time.  As I continue to, and deeply encourage this for you, too.  

It's a new year, and whilst many have been away for a break or a holiday, others of us haven't been, and it hasn't felt quite the restful period we hoped for! For all kinds of reasons, including the obvious ones of rushing home and ending holidays through border closures, and so many personal challenges in peoples lives right now too.  There's a feeling of continued uncertainty, wondering how things are unraveling, here and around the world, and the start of this year hasn't had the uplifting feel we hoped for, and for some, it's been and felt really sad.  Perhaps you've been feeling a little flat, worried or even anxious about things.  Finding it difficult to stay calm within so much that seems unknown and changing in your own life perhaps, and with everything around us.  

I'm writing this journal piece out in my courtyard, very early on a beautiful warm clear morning, and it almost seems as if it's just me and the birds who are awake, and the rest of the city is in a restful (or hungover, perhaps!) slumber.  It's new years day, 1st January 2021, after a very quiet and gentle close to the year.  No big celebration.  No big new year intentions.  I'm a non-drinker these days, so most celebrations are quieter, for me.  I chose to be very low-key and close the door on this year, and just gently open it to the next. Today. I've been finding so much more so, through not only this year, but other times of uncertainty and change over the past years in my life (or perhaps just as I'm getting older!) - how much I savour a quiet and gentle life.  I notice that I make far more conscious and intentional choices, just as a natural way of being now, every day.  Taking things as they come, allowing life to unfold and to evolve as it will, with an acceptance of just what is, and finding ease and calm within it all.  I was reflecting on some of the gentle practices that support me with this, and I thought I'd share some of these thoughts here, as a gentle way to begin your new year.      

This is a reality for us all at certain times of our lives.  We find ourselves 'here' and we may want to be 'there'- and instead of allowing things to be, or to unfold, and to trust in the so-called 'timing of life', we can feel frustrated, sad, and even anxious that we just aren't 'there'.  I thought I'd share an experience of my own through this year, and how I've changed my way of being within this space between, in a more positive way.  

I know there are many of us who are spending this christmas time, or holiday season alone. This is true every year for many, but even more so, this year, in these uncertain and difficult times.  I just wanted to share a little support from my heart to yours, if you are feeling lonely or alone, and hope you might feel some comfort in these words.  

Lockdown in Melbourne is difficult for everyone, with our own situations and circumstances.  It can feel even more difficult if you live with a health condition and you are managing symptoms every day, without the normal support systems you usually have, or the ability to get to appointments or to therapies that help.  It can be very hard to live with any health condition and/ or chronic pain, and it can feel like an extra challenge to cope with and to navigate, on top of this already challenging time.  I understand this personally, so very well, and I want to share a few things that I hope may feel supportive to you.