Life is Beautiful

Mooloolaba is such a beautiful place.  If I could retire anywhere in the world, this one be one of the places.

I love the long walk along the beach, window shopping along the shops, stopping for a cup of coffee, and just enjoying the warm beautiful sun. This is the way life should always be. Peaceful and beautiful.

What to focus on?

Yin Yoga is all about letting go! Releasing muscles, releasing thought, connecting to the earth......Most of the poses are on the floor where you can sink into calm space with the help of music and dialogue. We will also chant sanskrit through a couple of the held poses which is deeply transformative, taking your mind completely away from what is going on in the physical body and brings you naturally deeper into the pose.....further than ever before.

I tried a Yin Yoga class earlier this year and loved it. I hope to do more of it in the future.

Currently I'm attending a few classes at the gym: Mind and Body, Studio Pilates and Boxing.  I tried going to a class called Sh'Bam and it just wasn't for me, I guess I was hoping it was more like a Zumba class, but it's nothing like it.  I have enjoy the other classes, especially the Pilates as I had never done that before.  The Mind and Body has a mixture of Yoga, Pilates and Tai Chi. It's a good class, but I don't feel as connected to it as I wish I was. The Boxing class is great, wears me out and makes me feel like I'm actually working out.

There are the things I like to do:
Boxing
Belly Dancing
Yoga
Zumba
Pilates
Swimming
Roller Skating

How can I do all of these? Should I focus on just a few? Which ones do I focus on?  For now I focus on the ones that are more easily available to me.

What to Eat for Breakfast?

I'm bored with my breakfast. I have been having the same type of breakfast smoothies for the past 6 months, I should have already switched it up but it was so easy to stick with the easy smoothie that I already have all the ingredients for. 

Now that the weather has changed and it's starting to get cold in Brisbane I just can't bring myself to drink a cold smoothie.  I few days ago I stayed so cold from the smoothie I wore a sweater all day as I just couldn't bring my temperature back up.

Yesterday I quickly went into the local organic store and looked for a breakfast alternative.  I was hoping to get something warm, perhaps porridge or oatmeal, however neither of these have ever been my favorite.  As I was looking I came across Brookfarm Bircher.  I have never tried Bircher, so I thought I would give it a try, even though the recipes on the back is for a cold breakfast (I guess I'll just have to wear a sweater all day).

I mixed the following items and left it in the fridge for one hour:
1/4 cup Brookfarm Gluten Free Bircher
1/4 cup Coconut Water
1/4 cup Coconut Yogurt (Mango)

Topped with half of a ripe banana right before I ate it.

It was pretty good. It has a good flavor and I like the fact that it has a crunchy texture, as I don't really like the smooth creamy stuff, as it reminds me of porridge. The pieces of dried fruit is a great little surprise while you're eating it.  Also, I stayed pretty warm while eating it, I guess because it wasn't a cold liquid.  Hopefully this will be keep me satisfied for the next few hours and this could be my new breakfast until it runs out.  Then I'll have to change it up and get something new.

Lotus Flower

I went to my 2nd meditation class yesterday and I am so thankful I went.  I'm not the greatest at it but I can feel myself getting better. The chants at the beginning of the class are so helpful at clearing the mind. Below is a YouTube video of the chant, Om Mani Padme Hum. 
"Om Mani Padme Hum. There’s a jewel in the lotus flower unfolding, deep within my soul. To be a jewel lotus flower unfolding is my highest goal."

I had this chant in my head for hours after I got home.  Even today I still have this chant in my head.  

I have a love of lotus flowers.  When I was going through difficult emotional times in my life I bought myself the biggest painting of a Lotus flower I could find.  I brought it home and hung it over my bed.  I associated the Lotus flower with me opening up and getting to know myself and to rising above it all. 

I'm putting my desires and wishes out to the universe and they are being answered. Thank you, I'm so very grateful!

Let us be Thankful

"Let us rise up and be thankful, for if we didn't learn a lot today, at least we learned a little, and if we didn't learn a little, at least we didn't get sick, and if we got sick, at least we didn't die; so, let us all be thankful." ~ Gautama Buddha

Nice People

Do you every wonder where the nice people are hiding?  I was starting to lose faith that there were friendly people out there, but this week not only did I meet great people at my first meditation class I also spent the weekend with three wonderful people.  I’m so grateful to have met two new Scottish people this week.  They were such great company and how I wish they lived in Australia.  Even a rainy day at the beach was a blast with them.  Sipping coffee with a delectable pastry and having a great chat was the highlight of my weekend. 

The Sunshine Coast is beautiful and the waves this weekend were so high, it was an awesome sight.  Spending an hour on the beach, listening to the waves and chatting with Andy was another great part of my weekend.  I love weekends like this, so relaxing.

1st Meditation Class

I attended a Meditation class in Hemmant today and the instructor Kellie was super sweet and lovely.  The class was structured in that you had a cup of tea and a chat while everyone arrived, followed by a chant in Sanskrit, Gayatri Mantra - Om Bhur Bhuvah Svaha (I've put a version from YouTube below).  This was my first Sanskrit chant and I really enjoyed it.  After a few times it just got so easy to say it over and over again. The next part of the class was a 20 minute meditation. I've tried to meditate before but never for 20 minutes.  I figured I was going to have to move around lot and the minutes would seem like forever, but I'm happy to say that I didn't move at all. I was surprised when the time was up and I could barely move to lay down in Savasana. Overall I had a wonderful experience and I plan on going back next week. 

This class was exactly what I needed right now.  I miss socializing with friendly people.  I was missing home so much this past weekend and I just couldn't figure out how I was going to go out and meet people that had the same interests as myself. On Tuesday it dawned on me...Meetup.com.  So grateful to have remembered the site, where I found this wonderful meditation class.