10 Rituals of Radiant Living

Happy Spring time!
This is always my favourite time of year...the feeling that summer is around the corner and that there is a full season of sunshine to look forward to.

At this time of year I start to feel super-alive again and ready for new beginnings. It is also a wonderful time to reflect and Spring clean my life.

My special way of ‘Spring cleaning’ my own life is to follow my 10 Rituals of Radiant Living.

I was inspired by Robin S. Sharma’s book – ‘The monk who sold his Ferrari’.
In this wonderful story the main character says “Once you get yourself together, your world will be ok. Once you master your mind, body and character, happiness and abundance will flow into your life almost magically. But you must spend some time daily working on yourself... by incorporating the techniques into your routine such that they become habits; you are bound to reach a state of perfect health, limitless energy, lasting happiness and peace of mind.”

The 10 rituals of Radiant living that I follow are:

Ritual of early awakening
Rise with the sun! It is so much easier now that Cape Town weather is changing and that it is getting lighter so much earlier. By waking up early and getting enough sleep I start my day well. It is important to have good quality sleep and feel refreshed and alive as soon as I open my eyes.

Ritual of solitude
Explore the healing power of silence in a peaceful environment. This is my meditation time and my time to connect with myself, and create inner harmony. I love doing this in nature if I can.

Ritual of physicality
Taking time everyday to nourish the temple of my body through exercise is extremely important for me. I choose Yoga… any style of Yoga. I love Yoga! I also love being in nature so any exercise I can do outdoors I enjoy – walking, hiking, learning to surf, cycling…as long as I am outside.

Ritual of proper breathing
Breathing is something that is supposed to come naturally but it is amazing how deep, full breathing is something that I have to focus on constantly. I enjoy doing my ritual of ‘proper’ breathing when I am doing my Yoga sessions. The classes I do often include Pranayama (breathing techniques) which clear my mind and bring me back to balance and calmness.

Ritual of live nourishment
Eat live foods. Not food that is ‘alive’ but food that is rich in nutrients and vital energy. Food that is as natural as possible and that has had the natural interaction of sun, air, soil and water. Being a vegetarian is important to me not only from an animal side of things and because it is the best thing for the environment but mainly because it is healthy for me.

Ritual of abundant knowledge
Reading and learning something inspiring everyday is a great pick-me-up. I don’t read just anything. I choose to stay away from newspapers, TV and media. I fill my mind with knowledge that will improve the quality of my life. Books are a wonderful way to keep me in a beautiful space and learn more about who I am and the world around me.

Ritual of living my life purpose with passion
Listening to my heart and acting from that space of integrity, love and compassion in all that I do is what brings me inner peace and harmony. I love what I do. I live my life purpose and I am passionate about my work…even if it was not my job I would still be radiating enthusiasm.

Ritual of simplicity & 'being'
Aiming to make my life as simple as possible… taking out all of life’s complications, not wasting my time or somebody else’s and spending my time ‘being’ and experiencing, rather than doing.

Ritual of time out & having some fun
Taking some time out of the day for myself – having a bath by candle light, going off for a massage, or even going on a shopping spree. Just spending some quality time with me and taking time out from the world. Also not being so hard on myself and taking life so seriously is very important to remember. Having fun and being passionate about life is an important part of keeping radiant.

Ritual of personal reflection & gratitude
At the end of the day it is wonderful to reflect on my day. Stopping and acknowledging the moments when somebody paid me a compliment, gave me a gift or pearls of their wisdom. Reflecting on my thoughts during the day and noticing if they were mainly positive?
The only way to improve tomorrow is to reflect and be grateful for today.
It is a lovely feeling drifting off to sleep and going through the list of why I feel grateful.

So these are my 10 Rituals for Radiant living.
If you would like to live a radiant life why don’t you do a bit of a 'Spring clean' and come up with 10 rituals for yourself to implement into your day.
You never know, you may inspire yourself and the world around you.


“I trust the process of life.
There is a rhythm and flow to Life, and I am part of it.
Life supports me and brings to me only good and positive experiences.
I trust the process of Life to bring me my highest good.”
Louise L. Hay

Favourite wellness things...

There are always certain Wellness products I find that quickly become favourites. Every now and then I will share some of the things making my "favourites list" -

*Fit Flops: Now I will be the first to admit when I first saw Fit Flops I didnt think they looked like my type of shoe - But that all changed when I got a pair for christmas 2 years ago. They are the most comfortable flip flops I have ever worn in my life (try them!). I have worn them so much that I am going to have to go and buy another pair for this summer.

* Dark chocolate Goji Berries: Yum yum yum - and since Goji berries are packed with antioxidants, its a wonderful guilt-free indulgence. (Click HERE to read more about Goji berries)

* Method dishwashing liquid: I absolutely love this dishwashing liquid and find it works much better than most. The packaging and smell are amazing - Its also enviromentally friendly and kind to your hands. Plus it comes in Pink and purple ;)

* Wildebraam "Ring of Fire" chilli relish: This is by far one of the best relishes i have ever tried. Its amazing on nachos or on chips. Its definitely got a kick, but its not so hot that it has almost no taste. A bottle of this does not last very long.

* Tia's Granola fruit and nut muesli : Im a very fussy breakfast cereal person. So I was very happy when i tried Tia's muesli. Its delicious. It wheat free. It also has lots of yummy cashews, peanuts and sunflower seeds in it. (its also available in sugar-free)

* All the above products can be bought online HERE or at a Wellness Warehouse store.

Detoxing... Body, Mind and Soul

I committed myself to a month of detoxing.
My focus was originally on the physical side – wanting to slim down, tone up and feel less toxic.
What ended up happening is that I came out of it cleansing my emotional, mental and spiritual well being as well!
What a surprise... a revisit of the wonderful connection with myself!

The first 2 weeks I started transforming physically. I was eating my Sattvic diet; I was increasing my Yoga intensity and enjoying my daily practice. I even added in a few extra walks with my puppy and visits to the gym. I felt great – really energized and ready for life.

Then my next 2 weeks kicked in…….
This more intense detox, aimed at cleaning out my emotional and mental toxins, caught me by surprise.
I had forgotten how life changing a full-on detox can be and was not expecting it at all!
I went through my normal cycles of not feeling good enough, bad self-talk, feeling angry and frustrated (the liver is linked to the anger emotion, so it is pretty normal to feel angry when detoxing) and came out the other side literally feeling cleansed.

What changed? What transformed me back to my confident, self-loving, radiant self?

…It was going back to my basics.

Lately I had been so busy; being busy. So busy occupying my mind with worry. So busy knowing what would make me feel better but never getting to it because other things and other people seemed too important.
Then the Universe opened up and gave me a month to detox. I had time, I had energy, I had the resources, and I actually did it.

So going back to my basics meant that I was not rushing, not adding too much into my day and so I had time to focus and ‘spring clean’ me.

I spent a lot of quiet time on my own.
I took walks to my favourite bench overlooking Cape Town.
I stopped and absorbed the beautiful smells of Jasmine in my garden.
I spent more time connecting to myself and doing my own version of meditating.
And I chose to spend a lot of time asking myself questions. I realized lately I was looking externally for answers. So I started listening to my own Inner Wisdom again and found myself internalizing rather that seeking answers and approval from others.

These exercises are no revelation for me.
I know exactly what makes me feel good and how to do it. I have all the tools.
It is just that life got too much, and for a moment, I forgot that I actually have all the answers!

Every now and then I suppose one just needs a break and some time to get to back on track and to connect to Self again.
I now have regular chats to my Self and feel my way through my day rather than think my way though it.

Thank you to my body for taking me through a beautiful process and thank you Soul for reminding me that you are always there for me!
X

"I Trust my Inner Wisdom.
As I go about my daily affairs, I listen to my own guidance.
My Intuition is always on my side.
I trust it to be there at all times.
I am safe."
Louise L Hay

Illness on Your Agenda?

Do you live in the city? Would that be the city of Cape Town?

Good decision, its a fantastic place to be. For a large city it has some of the cleanest air in the world. As a local you know that is because of the prevailing summer South Easter and some Stormy conditions in the winter that come through and blast all the gunk away, keeping our skies blue and helping us stay healthy.

What's that you say? You are not feeling very healthy at all, and in fact you are reading this from your laptop while sitting in bed sipping on some form of meds, to wash down some other form of pills, to battle that flu or cold that has been taking you down over the last few days. Well then read on as that's what this blog is all about.

Although the special city of Cape Town has super advantages due to the natural weather conditions (as mentioned above), the fact remains that it is a hugely populated megalopolis (that is not something you can eat, nor an extinct dinosaur or even teenage speak, but rather a cool word bestowed upon an urban place like ours once it reaches a certain amount of inhabitants) with over 4 million people calling it home.
With so many people about, there are bound to be more than your fare share of opportunities to catch some of those freely available germs and viruses that hop so efficiently from elevator button, to door handle to key board and then fingers and nose (or a myriad of other combinations your colourful mind may conjure up).
Add to this the relatively new found and ever growing popularity of Cape Town and the consequent influx of foreign tourists, and you can also add a whole new bunch of 'getting sick' opportunities.

This is certainly not a negative point of view with regards to tourism nor peoples hygiene habits, but rather a reminder that a reality of living in a place such as Cape Town comes with, what should be seen as somewhat of an expectation, that you will be exposed to the chance of getting sick.
It's not rocket science, although we do tend to fall into a comfort zone pretty quickly as our minds get lazy about these sorts of bothersome facts.

I am sure this is something many people can accept, the fact that living in a city you are exposed to sickness. What I find strange is our expectations of being able to shake these very sicknesses on our own agenda. Don't get me wrong, I am a huge fan of positive thinking and general mindset and its' role in helping heal as well as helping to keep us healthy. However when I see how many people are so impatient about getting well I do feel we are loosing touch with what is real as apposed to what we have concocted in our own minds to be the-way-we-want-it.

Lets say you get ill on a Tuesday. Well it started with perhaps a tickley throat on Monday, but the sun was still out so you knew it could not be a cold so you put your concern on the shelf for another time.
Then Tuesday welcomed you with grey skies and blustery winds and you knew you were sick. Perhaps flu. So now you are thinking about the Doctor and what you are going to do to get well as you just don't have time to be ill and whats more you have a function to go to on Friday after work and another on Sat morning that you are dead keen to attend.

THAT I am afraid, is where we get it wrong.

By all means spend some energy on giving it a good go to get well, but how in the world do you really expect to let outside events and happenings on your social calendar dictate whether you are going to get over an illness? It really is bizarre behaviour by us human lot. Behaviour that I have little doubt many a species would shake their heads at if they could comprehend the self contrived supposed realities in our selfish heads.

The fact that you have a 5km run on the weekend or a soccer match to play in does not decide when you should expect to feel better.

Surely a better option is to do what you can to help yourself recover from the sickness as far as medication is concerned and to feel okay about feeling like %^*&, but to have a positive mindset to fight it like anything to get better as effectively as possible.

Let go of the stress of being sick, its bound to happen and you don't own it so don't expect to disown it. Catch yourself in the moment of trying to dictate your getting well clock and relax a little about being ill. It will be a far less excruciating experience.

Holiday 'heavies' & how to detox them away

If you have just been on holiday and over indulged a little you will know exactly what I mean…

I came back from holiday feeling horrid! Bloated, puffy, all clogged up and even feeling uncomfortable in my ‘fat’ jeans.

This was my own doing of course. I left for holiday consciously deciding to have a ‘full-on’ proper holiday… to let go, to let my hair down and to have a real break from my normal routine.

That is the great thing about letting your hair down and having a good holiday - you do it for a time, you have fun and then when you are finished all you want to do is get back into your routine and be healthy again. Letting go for a short time is a great motivation for living life well because after a while your poor body is shouting at you to get back on track.

So for the past two weeks I have been detoxing and getting myself healthy again and I am feeling amazing!

For me, being healthy is about feeling good!
It is about waking up in the morning in good spirits and wanting to jump out of bed and begin your day.
It is about feeling happy and light and wanting to share your joy with the world.
It is about catching yourself smiling… just because
It is about having the strength and stamina to exercise and loving the exercise that you are doing.
It is about putting goodness into your body and getting returns on your investment.
It is about loving life and more importantly loving and respecting your own body.

There are so many ways to get healthy and countless numbers of detoxes out there. I think the biggest challenge is finding one that works for you and of course to actually start it.

I have been doing a Sattvic Detox – similar to the one that I did when I did my Yoga teachers training, but not as intense. Sattvic means ‘Pure’ so with a Sattvic detox I am cutting out anything that is not pure for my body… no alcohol, no meat, chicken or fish, no caffeine, no sugar, no preservatives colourants or additives.

The biggest lesson I learned when doing this detox years ago was to read the ingredient labels on what I was buying. It is amazing how almost every item of food has sugar or salt and some kind of preservative in it!
I was horrified!
My favourite food item that says ‘low fat’ on the label, when actually reading the ingredient list, was not good for me at all. I learned not to just be suckered into listening to the advertising but to actually go for the facts and see what was in the food that I was eating.

Do your own test:
Diet cool drinks seem healthy right – the advertising on the can says no sugar and no caffeine. Well look at the ingredient list! I don’t even understand half of them but they do not sound good for you. Compare that ingredient list with say Appletiser or Just Juice and see the difference.

Anyway I digress…back to my detox
So what can I eat then – that is what everyone keeps on asking me – well whole foods are the answer!
Salads, vegetables, soups, as much organic produce as possible, rooibos tea, honey, organic peanut butter… there is actually a long list and so many delicious recipes to try.

Most of it is what I eat anyway so I didn’t think it would be too difficult but what I am craving is sugar – especially being that time of the month. So when shopping at Wellness Warehouse on the weekend I was very excited to find carob bars that had no sugar, rusks with no sugar and lots of little treats that I thought I couldn’t have.

Of course included in a good detox is drinking lots of water, doing exercise (or in my case my daily Yoga practice), having a good night sleep and not carrying any emotional baggage (otherwise I just tend to want to comfort eat).

I have decided to do my detox for 32 days… I am on day 16.

So far what I feel has changed for me is:
• I feel more myself and alive again
• I have loads of energy
• I can feel my body changing and getting more toned and slimmer (even though I have not lost weight on the scale yet)
• My mind is clear
• My skin is clear and glowing
• I feel happier
• I feel lighter and stronger during my Yoga practice
and I am excited to continue so that I can carry on feeling better and better

See if you can set yourself some time to do a good detox.
Research, find one that works for you, get inspired and start!
It is so worth it – I wish everyone could feel the way I am feeling right now!


"I love my body.
I create peacefullness in my mind,
and my body reflects this peacefulness as perfect health."
Power Thought by Louise L. Hay

A change would do you good...

About a month ago I found myself feeling a bit dull, anxious and generally unenthusiastic about my life. I decided the only way I was going to feel better was to make a few changes, So I sat down and made a list…

Here are some of the changes I have set out to make in my life (and how I am trying to keep them up):

1. Make better food choices- If I can’t make my own food, I try make healthier choices when I eat out (note: Wellness Warehouse in Kloof street has a fabulous buffet). When I crave chocolates I rather buy a yogurt or some fruit to get a sugar fix. I try to eat smaller portions. I try to stay away from anything deep fried, frequent caffeine drinking and processed food.
2. Do more exercise – I found that I was starting to get into a life routine that didn’t make any time for exercise. Now, I have started trying to do some form of exercise nearly everyday (yup, I said everyday). I have started jogging and walking in the evening when the weather allows - I try to go out for at least 15 to 20 minutes (its great thinking and music listening time). I try to head to the gym at least twice a week (for a change). When I feel too unmotivated to get out and exercise, I do my own home exercises (like: stretching, ball exercises, squats and lunges)

3. Drink more water - I now take a bottle with me to work everyday and try to drink at least 1 litre of water during my work day. Having a bottle on my desk reminds me drink water at work. Click HERE to read tips on how to drink more water everyday.
4. Pop good pills - I have started taking vitamins daily. As much as I try to eat healthy I don’t always get all the nutrition I need from my diet. I also find that taking Salmon Oil (Omega 3)has been making a huge difference to my hair and nails.
5. Clear all the clutter –When my environment is cluttered I find myself less productive and more anxious. Its amazing how good it feels to walk into a organised space. I have resolved to keep my work and home spaces as free from clutter as I can (notes: I have found its best to set out a whole day to just focus on cleaning and sorting out a cluttered space. Start with one room at a time. Dont be afraid to throw away things. Donate things that others can use).
6. Stop sweating the small stuff- It seems so easy to say but so hard to do. The way I have started to help myself stress less about silly, little things is by changing my attitude. Now I am starting to see if it’s something little and not actually a crisis its best to just remain calm and let it go. Life is too short to sweat the small stuff.......which leads me to my next change....
7. Think positive things - Its so easy to let the world get you down and make you negative. I dont want to be negative anymore... I dont want to hold onto negative thoughts and feelings. I have resolved to speak more positively, think happy thoughts and let go of things that make me think negatively. Like Budda says: "We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make the world.”

Some people say a change is as good as a holiday and I am finally starting to believe that is true…..

What positive changes do you want to make in your life?

Going Wild

Every now and then it is a good idea to go wild!

Going wild in a sense of disappearing into nature – into the middle of nowhere, into the wild.

I have just come back from the Lebombo Eco trail in the Kruger Park.
Being in the bush and being in nature was so refreshing for me. Even though it was the dirtiest I have been, there was dust everywhere, I felt totally cleansed.

Five Landies covering 500km, one ranger, no campsites, no tourist roads, no water, no flushing toilets and a shower only twice out of the 5 days – what an experience!

I learned so much and saw so much. I have been to the Kruger Park so many times before but always as a tourist looking for the big 5. This trip we were learning more about the environment, the geology, biology, historical and cultural information of the park.
We saw the reality of the national park – we experienced helicopters following poachers, we saw 3 illegal immigrants crossing the boarder from Mozambique into SA, we heard about the issue that the Kruger has with too many elephants and the effect it is having on the rest of the park. It wasn’t the Disney version that I have always seen… this was the behind the scenes, this was the reality.

By seeing the Kruger Park in this new light it made me realise how far removed we are from nature and what effect we are having on nature.

I know everyone is going on about being “green” - and I do my bit as much as I can - but when you are surrounded by nature, seeing your affect on nature directly and actually EXPERIENCING your carbon foot print, it really does hit home and open up your eyes.

In our society we are so used to convenience so we are not directly affected by the effect that we are having on nature. We buy our meat beautifully packaged rather than going through the process of having to slaughter it ourselves. We have water on tap whenever we want it rather than having to walk for kilometres to the closest river. We can just switch on a light whenever it is dark rather than having to find firewood to make a fire.

This week of ‘going wild’ and being in ‘full-on’ nature really made me think. When you are transporting your own water in your own vehicle and only have so much of it for 5 day you are soon aware of how much you use and how much you waste. When you are brushing your teeth outside your tent and spitting in onto the ground leaving a white toothpaste mark, you are quickly aware of if you tooth paste is bio-degradable or not.
When you have to take all your rubbish with you in your car and only dispose of it when you get back into civilization you quickly realize how much we throw away and how much rubbish we have… and how much it smells.
When you are actually experiencing nature rather than going through the motions of city life you soon realize what your part in the world is and how you can make a difference.

Going wild was an inspiring and thoroughly enjoyable experience for me. I had fun, lived life well and felt myself again.
I am so glad I set the time aside to connect to nature and go wild!


"I love Life.
It is my birthright to live fully and freely.
I give to Life exactly what I want Life to give to me.
I am glad to be alive.
I love Life!"
Louise L. Hay