The secret to excellent health

When 'The Secret' came out 10 years or so ago my colleagues at my office job used to make fun of it. “Oh yeah, I want that diamond ring…look, theres one on the floor”

This documentary, now available on Netflix, sensationalised the concept of The law of attraction, and focused on material objects as the focus.

This is a tricky subject to approach. In many respects it sounds too good to be true. The law of attraction sounds impossible in a universe built on randomness and chance.

However I don’t believe this is a universe built on randomness and chance.   I’m sharing this today because in my experience, the law of attraction works. As a health practitioner, I feel I’d be doing a disservice not to talk about this.

The law of attraction isn’t just about dreaming up a perfect house and a flush bank account, it encompasses everything. Your relationships, your health, your experiences, the people you meet.

What we focus on becomes our reality. 

The trick is learning how to focus on what we want, not on what we don’t want. A practice much harder then it sounds.

This practice of deliberate focus and gratitude are interwoven components of the good life. The life you want to live.

No matter how much effort you go to, how many long walks and special diets.  if in your head you are battling with bad health, bad health is what you’ll have.

Instead embrace the good health you have. You have a bad hip, concentrate on the feeling in your good one, or in your pain free toes.

 In debilitating conditions this takes a masterful amount of self control. I’m not there (yet), we’re all learning, we’re all on the path. This is something that takes practice.

 When sick we focus on the feeling of the symptoms. It hard not to when it’s right there in your face. The pain, the discomfort, the disability. Instead try and focus on what’s going right for you right now.

The other night I had a tickle in my throat, my son has been coughing for a couple of weeks. Maybe I’d caught his bug. Instead of concentrating on the tickle and slight cough that was developing, I tried hard to focus on the times in between, where my breathing was easy, my nose was clear. Where I felt healthy, normal and comfortable.

The next morning I was better. My cough didn’t return the following night, though I had a slight sore throat in the evening again. .I’ve healed. I’ve had to blow my nose a couple of times, but of much and I’m not uncomfortable at all.

Over the two days I also chomped down a couple of doses of a herbal immune support supplement including echinacea, withania, andrographis and mushrooms to boost my immune system. And took a load of vitamin C and zinc. You have to take action if you want your desires to manifest. 

According to the book Money and the Law of Attraction by Jerry and Esther Hicks,  the best way to practice positive thinking is to upgrade your thoughts.

So if you have a thought that makes you feel bad or defeated, try for another thought that makes you feel slightly better, and then another thought that makes you feel slightly better again.

This was me the other night:  Oh no my throat hurts and I’m coughing. I hope this doesn’t develop and hang around for weeks.

To:  I’m not coughing right now this is good

To: I feel so relaxed, comfortable and well.

Do you see how being very much being in the moment makes these thought upgrades possible. In the above scenario - the one I lived the other night. I would cough a few moments later, but I brought my thoughts back to how well I feel in the moments I wasn’t coughing, and kept this up until I fell asleep.

This is not always easy, but all you can do is your best.

So what do you want to attract into your life?

Focus on feeling connected with your partner, your children. Focus on the love and respect you have for them. Focus on how well you feel, and all the things your body does right. Focus on the abundance you have available to you, the pay deposited in your bank account, the savings accumulating, the extreme comfort you live in.

And what you focus on will multiply. Not necessarily in a physical sense, but through your perception.You will perceive more of the good stuff.  

I highly recommend some further reading, such as the books by Esther and Jerry Hicks.

Marianne Williamson The Law of Divine Compensation.

Author Pam Grout has written a couple of books setting up experiments using the Law of Attraction. I haven’t read these but they’ve been sell outs so they might be fun play with.

Watch 'The Secret' on Netflix, there’s also a book of the same name.

Have you had a good experience with the law of attraction? Please share your story in the comments below.

Blessings

Tea: Chill out and stop worrying / sleep peacefully

When worry and anxiety takes a hold this soothing concoction will calm your nerves. It's also wonderful for aiding the onset of sleep. A good pinch of lavender

A good pinch of chamomile flowers

A good pinch of lemon balm (I used fresh but dry is also available)

Steep for 5 - 10 minutes in hot but not boiling water. Strain and stir with the intention of calm. Inhale the aroma, sip gently.

Mummy Pep Talk: Be the Hunter, not the Hunted

The Sunday before last: John John was a week home from the hospital. Home life had been resembling somewhat of a shit storm (sibling rivalry was large). It was midday and both the children slept, and I took the opportunity to contemplate the new moon that was two days prior. I went outside and managed to arrange an impromptu altar with a rose quartz crystal, a candle, oracle cards and some closed eyes. It was heaven.  

I pulled a card: Be The Hunter Not the Hunted (Sacred Rebels Oracle, Alana Fairchild)

The crux of the message: Don’t let the needs of others get in the way of your own journey and self-care. This message was so relevant, so needed at that time, so needed EVERY DAY as a mother. When Evie was born I lost myself for months, understandably. She was so new, I was anxious. I didn’t even use a day planner or make any to do lists for half a year. Her priorities and needs were number one of course, the rest of the world, including me could wait. That was my choice.

With John John things are much quieter. I’m taking the new baby in my stride. My to do’s are getting done. My day planner utilised. I’ve got this. I’m inspired.

I see opportunity to create and contribute. Self-expression and indulgence seem possible whereas with Evie it was almost unimaginable. As a first time mother I was shocked at the lack of time I had to myself. It took a while to adjust.

In contrast, now I accept that there is no time. I haven’t meditated since I gave birth and I’m totally ok with that. In accepting this situation of mothering two very young children means accepting their constant needs, interruptions and interaction. And in amidst this unrelenting noise and whirlwind of childcare the moments of peace and space to myself become more noticeable when they arise.

So I commit to staying present and enjoy these freedoms when they come up. To remembering who I am by doing stuff I love, reading stuff I like and grooming myself to a standard that makes me feel good. By asking for help when I need it and offering help when I can give it. Yeah mummy-hood, bring it on.

And when it gets really hard, I try to remember: With the biggest challenges  comes the opportunity for the biggest lessons and potential for incredible growth both spiritually and creatively. Phew.

My word for 2017....Present

Rather then a New Years resolution I’ve chosen a word. “Present”…. that’s where I want to be in 2017. Present in the moment, utilising my time yet not being so focused on goal achievement that I can’t take advantage of all opportunities that sit in front of me at that very instant, enjoying thousands of lovely spontaneous experiences along the way.  

So far, four days into 2017 this presence is working great. I’ve taken a walk in breezy sweet and warm weather ALL BY MYSELF. No dog, no child, no pram. Just me and the trees. Wow.

I’ve shared many funny moments with my little girl. I’ve tidied, I’ve meditated, practiced yoga. I’ve made yummy dinners. I’ve rested, and today while Evie slept I created a ritual intended for family love, peace and harmony … needed after the Christmas my blood relatives just had back home (eye roll).

Most importantly, Presence is what I need in order to be a good mum, and enjoy myself while I’m doing it. As this year being a baby + toddler mumma is where my priorities lie. A new little life will be born within the next few weeks, and my 18 month old grows more into herself each day. I want to cherish all of it.

Mother Earth. Fear of Childbirth.

My belly grows bigger by the day. Nursing my 17 month old on my lap has officially become uncomfortable most of the time. The weeks rush forward and my new baby will be born not quite a month after Christmas.  

Preparation for this second baby is different from last time. A first baby is a luxury of endless hours devoted to daydreaming, rubbing your belly and connecting with your unborn. I'm finding this second pregnancy occupied with the care of my first, a chatty little toddler now but still very much in need of mummy for most of the day, and very much my focus.

Experience is both a blessing and a curse. Leading up to Evie's birth I was positive, informed and confident. Leading up to this one I’ve been hopeful, brave, but admittedly, terrified. Choosing not to focus on the terror I’ve been ignoring it. I’ve collected a couple of resources to help ‘psych myself up’ for the impending labour and birth but have yet to read them. There’s a few gremlins hanging out from my last labour experience that I’d rather not think about.

Last week in my women circle* I was introduced to the energy of Pachamama, an ancient Andean fertility Goddess who presides over planting, harvests, mountains and causes Earthquakes when she’s pissed.  A Goddess I was unfamiliar with, but like Gaia, with Earth Mother as her description, I got the vibe.

I lay down and was led through a meditation, an invocation of Pachamama, Mother Earth. With an ethereal steel drumbeat in the background, random thoughts flitted through my mind. After a time I felt the Earth Mother in me. I saw myself in the forest, rock walls and greenery and trees surround. I was giving birth, trusting my body, trusting the process. I had this. I knew exactly what to do. And I was not alone. Bearing down, I had the support of millions of women before me who had laboured. They were all there standing behind Pachamama, who was holding my hand. She was squatting down next to me as I squatted, helping me deliver my child.  This was the mothers path: Holding the beautiful, breathing, heart-beating child in my arms. The one that I had birthed.

Afterwards, once the drumming had subsided and we returned back to the present, I was a new woman. I had courage in my heart. Real courage, confidence and honour for my body. This was going to be ok. I could do this, of course I could birth this child.  My perception had changed to see that I could go into this labour with trust in my heart. I so desperately needed that trust. In connecting to my inner Mother Earth I’ve witnessed trust in my body and the process of childbirth. And if there’s any trouble I have a frekking private obstetrician and the wonderful midwives at Murdoch SJOG to help me out. And drugs. I have the option of drugs IF I need them. Most importantly though, I have the Earth Mother, inside of me, as we all do, and she’s all over it. Thank Goddess I found her.

Artwork Pachamamita by Loreto Contreras Herrera

Healthy Chakras Change Lives

I’m a huge fan of the School of the Modern Mystic. In fact, I believe this is the number one practice that has helped keep me sane and on the right path as I navigate through this unknown territory that is life. This time last year I was home with a three month old baby, adjusting to my new life as a mother. Prior to childbirth I had a solid meditation practice that involved a walk to my back studio upon awakening every morning and time spent in front of my altar complete with candles, music and tarot readings.

The practice of shiatsu kept my intuitive muscles well flexed and I felt easily in tune with my inner self.

Life with a beautiful baby was different. I would still read cards, but I’d do it on the floor next to my gorgeous new girl. Meditation was rare, if not non-existent. My husband worked a lot and it was difficult getting regular time to myself. I felt like my intuition was becoming weaker from lack of practice. I needed something to change.

And then one day I felt strong guidance to to open an email and read it all the way through. Down the bottom was a link to Belinda Davidsons School of The Modern Mystic. I was intrigued. What I found at the other end of the link was exactly what I needed. A six month online intensive focusing on chakric health. Belinda Davidson strongly expressed the message ‘when your chakras are working properly, everything in your life is working properly’

I thought back to a time when at 20 years old I was cleaning holiday studios in return for accomodation in Byron Bay. The owner of the studios gave me a book on chakras and said, 'here I think you’ll like this.' It was a large A4 size book complete with photographic images of yoga poses that help activate and align each chakra. I added the poses to a morning practice with a chakra clearing meditation. The rest of the year unfolded a sequence of life events that were incredible and special. Talents I never knew I had were revealed to me, I was blessed with abundance and love over and over again, and found the romantic love of my life before the year was out. Read more about this here.  Although at the time it hadn’t occurred to me that my meditation practice could have set the scene for all this wonderfulness, but thinking back I certainly couldn’t disprove  the connection Belinda Davidson was drawing between chakric health and general awesomeness.

So skipping from 2004 to late 2015, babe in arms, I intuitively felt this course was exactly what I needed. It would provide motivation to meditate daily and keep my spiritual health in check as well as an online community of like minded souls.

After a quick consultation with my higher self I signed up immediately and have not regretted it once.

The person I am before a full chakric cleanse and the person I am after are different people. The former is tired, cranky and more prone to thinking negative thoughts. The latter is light, airy and joyous, with space in my mind to keep focused on what’s important.

The most immediate result I found was that I was so much calmer, so much happier with each moment , rather then resisting the baby that would not let me put her down or keep me awake at night there was space and acceptance. I was relaxed.  The school of the modern mystic made being a mum to a demanding little baby so much easier.

Motherhood is the challenge I was facing at the time, and still, it consumes my life, but working on your chakras will help you no matter where you’re at at right now. Whatever’s going on for you at the moment, working on your chakras will make it better.

Yes I already knew about the chakras, what colours they were, and roughly what each of them did. There’s always more to learn however. I’ve learnt so much more about myself in this course.  I’m still learning, feeling, sensing. There’s so much information available about each one.Your inner world is not the only thing that changes with this work, it’s very much the beginning of a whole life transformation. From your external environment, financial situation, the work  you do and the level of happiness you find with that work.

My home has transformed more and more into exactly what I want it to be, I’ve found inner strength I didn’t know I had, old patterns and chronic disappointments reveal themselves in a new light and though challenging, I can see real change is possible and even what needs to be done to achieve my greatest vision for myself and my life. Pure potential has revealed itself. It’s wonderful and I want to share it with you.

Sure there are still challenges. Things change, babies grow into toddlers, Life is fluid, as it should be. I can’t always get my chakra cleanse done. But when I do I feel the difference, it’s tangible. And I count my blessings.

Much love, Libby.

Motherhood and spirituality, it's tough but worth it

It’s a challenge balancing my creative desires with mothering. So much of what I was before is lost behind mountains of laundry, feeds and cleaning up after my precious precious child who is the very salt of my earth.  

This time of year, when the seasons change the air feels magic. Can you feel it. A feeling that makes me long to be more connected then I am. to celebrate life more.

Today I gathered Evie in my arms and before going out for some afternoon chores decided to go into the garden, breathe some fresh air.

I acknowledged the elements of each direction and blessed our afternoon with smooth sailing. I blessed our afternoon that all may be well. I gave open gratitude for the joy and abundance and health we enjoy in our family.

My afternoon was indeed smooth. It was like a running green light. Best of all though I felt connected. I felt like myself. I was whole and happy and open to more wholeness. My afternoon became effortless. This is a stark contrast to days where I don’t make this time and I feel not quite fulfilled.

Mornings of motherhood can quickly turn to afternoons and then become evenings where I just flop on the couch, overjoyed to have some time to rest, but to lazy or just plain exhausted to do anything that really feeds my soul.

It feels like effort to make some sacred space and connect, but I invariably find that after I do make the effort I am so much more energised. My happiness levels are up and inner peace more prominent. I know how I prefer to be.

Mummy blessings. React or Create the moment....You choose

  I’m not the first to find out that this mothering gig can take all of your time, and all of your energy. I find myself amidst gorgeous days filled with love and connection with my child, at the same time wanting to express myself creatively and do things that are just for me. However finding the time, energy or inclination to write/create in her nap times or when she finally goes down to sleep for the evening  is rare. And even if I do feel like sitting down to write, this desire competes with my need to have some adult time with my husband, and just some goddamn rest.

I go about mum things, cooking dinner, bathing, feeding and putting Evie to sleep, gazing lovingly at her all the while. Sentences and thoughts dancing in my head, I just want to write them down but I’m conflicted because I still have dishes to do. Oh to just sit down and create.

So how to maintain sanity...Hmmmm.... I’ve been trying to break the creative process into teeny tiny pieces that I manage to fit in around all the child-care and housewifery. This doesn’t always do the trick for me, my craving for self expression persists.

My dilemma has reminded me of a passage in one of my favourite books, Neale Donald Walsh’s Conversations with God. Neale writes 'You either create the moment or you react to the moment.' Create or React: These two words are made of the same letters. They are anagrams of each other.

The unconscious decision would be to simply react. So when I have plans that are a skewed by an inquisitive, curious and ever needing baby I can choose to be frustrated, perhaps even feel a victim or I can decide to be in the present moment, practice non-resistance and accept each experience in my day as is. Even the shit bits. Even the bits where I’m trying to experience a little connection to nature by setting up a natural altar outdoors and blessing a new key ring with safe travels, wonderful discoveries and plenty of opportunity to share what I learn. Instead of feeling the feminine divine I end up feeling stressed and annoyed because Evie won’t stop trying to eat dirt and kangaroo poo, or trying to suck the moisture out of all her baby wipes, between pulling the entire contents of my bag apart and spreading it in the dirt.

Often I go the way of frustrations, I get annoyed, I get upset. But I’m practicing on bringing myself back to the present, back to the recognition of the perfection, even amidst the mess, tears and crap. Because to react is to get lost in misery, where as to create is to express pure soul. I know which one feels better.

And some days, after a particularly gruelling night of baby-care, I’m just so goddamn tired that my brain chemicals aren’t right and grumpy mummy is practically inevitable. It’s easy to be conscious on 8 hours sleep a night, but try 4. It’s no easy task.

So, as with all mothers everywhere, my challenge is choosing to create each moment anew, and choose each response to the delicate and precious little human being in my care, taking my days moment at a time. I choose to bring myself back to the present when I feel my mood slipping into murkiness, despair, annoyance and frustration. I can choose to find a sense of balance and peace with my days in order to cherish as much of this precious time with my baby as possible. Because deep inside I know this time is a blessing. And like all things this too will pass.

What success looks like for this stay-at-home Mama

This morning while Andy was around to watch little miss Evie I went out for a meditation in the back studio. I lay there and gazed out the window into the garden, extraordinarily grateful I got to spend the day mothering my gorgeous now 9-month-old baby in my gorgeous house with all my needs fulfilled. I was so grateful it ached. I chose a page from Doreen Virtues Daily Guidance from your Angels to inspire me. My guidance: 'Visualise your day being a success.' 'Hmmm' I thought, ‘What can I do today to be successful?’ Days spent mothering babies leave little room for what is traditionally considered ’success.' I thought perhaps I could clean a lot, tick off some to-dos, I could connect with the Divine Feminine and the Earth.

Once back inside after breakfast it was a different story. Evie’s become a fabulous tiny crawler and is into everything, typically finding the dirtiest most dangerous thing in the room to play with and sucking on it. She bites me when I pull her away. She pulls my hair and laughs when I say no. I stand up after prying her away from an electrical socket and hit my head on a hanging plant. “Visualise success” I told myself.

She likes to sleep suck and be held. I feed her to sleep, I’ve always done this and it’s worked fine but in the last few days once placed in her cot she arches her back, wakes herself up completely and kicks and cries to be picked up and reattached to my breast. It’s hard not to let my spirit dampen, as I need space and time to get my own stuff done, and she needs a good and proper sleep.

Nappy changes are a challenge with a vivacious baby fascinated and excited by the world around her. She can’t stay still while I lovingly change her very dirty nappy, she wants to turn over and dive headfirst off the change-table instead, smearing poo as she goes. It takes a long time to do anything, much longer then I could have imagined when I was a non-parent. There were no to-do's being ticked off today.

The thing is, it’s not about me anymore. It’s not my agenda I need to be concerned with. It’s hers. So while I make sure we all eat and our environment is clean, it’s her learning and her wonder at the world that I need to connect with. Not just for her well being, but for my own sanity.

Evie is completely and utterly in the moment. What she feels is expressed then and there; her mind is occupied by what’s in front of her. She’s fascinated by the smallest details and delighted by the simplest things. It's adorable and special and so so precious.

When I follow her lead and engage with what she’s engaging in she laps it all up. Not only do we share giggles, but moments of mutual connection, appreciation and pure love. I can see this connection is what she craves, I feel like I’m giving her what she needs. And in these moments, I’m a good mother.

So I’m going to try and remember this, to just slow down to her level. To be in the moment as much as possible, forget about whatever it is that I wanted to do, and just enjoy. I’ll even try to enjoy the prolonged boob sucks at 3am. Because if I can give her what she needs I believe she’ll grow to reach her potential. And that’s why we have children in the first place.

I guess today was a success after all.

What you're grateful for magnifies

People see what they want to see. What you focus on becomes larger. Lately I've been focusing of gratitude. The last few days I’ve been consciously grateful for everything I need being available right at my fingertips. Here's what I’ve noticed;

Yesterday as I rushed to finish my grocery shopping so I could make an appointment on time I realised I’d forgotten to grab some milk. this would mean I’d have to push the Evie and the trolley all the way to the other side of huge supermarket and back. Then I noticed a 2 L bottle of milk, perfectly formed, and still cold just sitting out of place on the shelf before me. Perfect. Evie had some bloomers that needed repairing and thinking I’d need to make a special trip to spotlight to get some supplies I checked my shoe-box of sewing stuff to find exactly what I needed. No trip necessary.

And then today, with Evie in a trolley at Masters this time I loaded up the car and buckled Evie in, realising I still needed to return the trolley, such a mummy brain! I didn’t want to leave Evie in the car on her own and it’s such a hassle to get her in and out of the car seat. I looked over and noticed the parking space right next to mine already had two abandoned trolleys in it. It was like the universe was inviting me to add my trolley to the line up and be on my way. I love this flow.

You know what else I’ve noticed? A conscious effort to be grateful makes being grateful easier. Gratitude snowballs. I find myself habitually being grateful for more and more, I become conscious of blessings in the little things. it kinda feels like a big warm heart opening hug. When starting a gratitude practice ( or restarting a gratitude practice.... like all things my practice ebbs and flows) at first I find I need to mentally search for things to be grateful for, and I don't necessarily feel it in my body. After a few days however gratitude becomes a whole body feeling, and it's joyous.

This wilderness is now a patch of dirt

Do you like this picture? The enchanted garden behind me is not out in the country somewhere, but instead is a gorgeous little wilderness behind a derelict house in a very suburban part of South Fremantle. It was a corner block, and this wilderness sat behind the house, accessable from the street, unfenced, wild and free. The gorgeously magical and wise peppermint tree was draped in a purple flowered vine and nasturtium. Everything was green, and lush, and breathed. It covered a space perhaps about 8 square metres. And was a beautiful home to birds, insects, reptiles and nature spirits. I passed it almost every day as I walked to the shops.  

The house was recently sold, and vandalised. I remember feeling amused that the vandals chose to vandalise an already derelict and vacant property rather then an occupied one, I thought it showed a conscience that what they are doing is ugly.

Today I walked past this house and it was gone. Demolished, a patch of dirt in it’s wake. Oh bye house, I thought to myself and then I did a double take. Where was my wilderness? I turned the pram around and walked back a bit, just to be sure I was in the right spot, that I wasn’t mistaken. The wilderness was gone, the peppermint tree gone, the nature spirits home a crumbly waste of freshly turned dirt imprinted with the tracks of heavy machinery. There was a couple of metres of vine remaining on the neighbouring fence.

I pulled Evie out of her pram and held her, having a moment, mourning for the tree. The tree that was and is no more. Surely, a tree like that would be worth keeping. It makes me wonder what’s going there instead, not apartments ,surely. If I was building a house I’d want to keep that tree in my backyard.

No whoever purchased that land is going to build something, and make some money, and we have one less beautiful tree to look at. One more cleared patch of Earth.

All the air those vine leaves were cleansing, they cleanse no more. All of the love and wisdom that the ancient tree emanated as it stood firmly gounded in the Earth, is gone. That ancient tree.

Although this was one tiny patch of wilderness on a small piece of ‘private’ land, the removal of this wilderness is a mirror or what is happening the world over. We clear space for our homes and agriculture at huge cost to the health of the planet.

The Earth, cannot come second to immediate financial gain, or a bottom line on next years tax return, this is crazy.

I don’t have the solution, but I have faith that our generation, and the next does. I can lead by example, this is all that I can do.

Plants have vibrations that affect the environment physically with clean air, and metaphysically by being pure examples of love and life. Plants bring positivity, peace and serenity to your space. Who doesn’t love a beautiful garden? Or a forrest of rolling hills, or flowers?

Please plant a tree, or acquire a pot plant for your window ledge, and take time to breathe fresh wonderful air. Feel gratitude for life and oxygen.

I love the Earth.

A conception story ... make the healthiest baby you possibly can

I met my partner at the age of 20, we were drawn to each other like magnets. He moved in with me after four weeks, we were married in three and a half years. Nine years later we’d bought our first house.  

At the time I got married, at 24, I figured I’d want a baby when I was 26. But 26 came and I was far from wanting a baby, and so was Andy.

27, no, still not feeling it. I was having way too much fun, and studying. 28, Babies were far from my mind, I could smell the end of a four-year naturopath degree. 29, we bought a house, I graduated. Babies felt somewhat closer, but I still wanted to get my naturopath feet wet, dip my toes in. Practice my skills. And then I turned 30. It was well and truly time.

I went to a 4 day pregnancy conference just for naturopaths. All about care during pregnancy, all the ways we can help our clients as a health care provider. They drummed into me a four month preconception program is ideal.

Nurture your eggs and your partners sperm, make the healthiest baby possible by getting your body and hormones in perfect working order.

Get rid of toxins, bad habits, anything that’s not whole and pure.

Go to yoga,

meditate,

Exercise,

Eat like a health queen.

First there was a detox. I started a six week detox on my own accord. I cut out all that was bad for me, but I kept losing motivation, falling of the wagon. I also had my inner party girl begging to be let out for a last hoorah before motherhood began, to kick up my heels and celebrate my freedom and youth. I got my 23-year-old sister over from Victoria to stay with me for a week so I could pretend to be 23 again. It was awesome.

She came and went, and I knew I had to get serious, and I couldn’t do it on my own. I didn’t want to waste any more time. I enlisted the help of Naturopath Cassandra Boylen, to set me on my path. Having her to hold me accountable was exactly what I needed.

She put me on some detox herbs and supplements. She gave me a diet plan, recipe ideas. I did swimmingly, much better then I was doing as a solo detoxer.

I did have one or two ‘educated’ slip ups, a couple of glasses of champagne on week four for a friend’s birthday. Its what you do most of the time that counts.

I was also taking supplements including probiotics, an antenatal multivitamin. I took Iron and vitamin D supplements after a blood test came back low.

The idea was to get my body in as prime condition for conceiving a beautiful healthy child. All nutrients topped up, hormones primed and ready to go. I also began eating meat after 11 years of vegetarianism. This is because good grass fed meat is packed with all the key nutrients you need for baby making, including B6, B12, zinc, Iron, essential fatty acids, saturated fats and high quality protein. And my iron levels were already on the low side. I intuitively felt that if my body was getting everything it needed, then baby making would be a breeze.

I was healthy in the first place. I could have been exercising a little more, but I’d been a diligent exerciser for most of my twenties. I’d been a super healthy eater for years. My one foible is that I’d regularly indulged in too much wine, and this was one of the major reasons I wanted the detox and preconception care. I wanted to heal as much damage as possible.

In order to make a baby you need a reproductive system that does what it's supposed to. I’ve been fortunate in that my reproductive system has always been reasonably balanced. I hadn’t taken any pharmaceutical contraception since I was 22, preferring to use natural contraception instead (ie I tracked my cycle and avoided sperm while ovulating). I’d noticed since turning 29 my cycle had lengthened by a day or two, and often I experienced a 29 or even 30 day cycle. This bothered me a bit as it meant things had changed, and were not as they were in younger years.

There's plenty that can be done with reproductive disorders such as PCOS and endometriosis. Please don't despair if you experience these or other reproductive issues, be proactive, think positive and please speak to a health care provider to get help.

Once or twice a year I would get crippling menstrual cramps or bouts of pre-menstrual depression, but I noticed these often followed a particularly boozy – coffee filled month. But mostly, my cycle was regular and dependable, an old friend.

I tried to get Andy on board with the preconception too. He’s not a big drinker, he eat’s reasonably well and has long given up smoking. However he is 46 years old (to my 30 years at the time of conception) and has a stressful job. I got him some special healthy sperm supplements, and nag as I might he didn’t take them.

When and if we go for round two the healthy sperm supplements will be non-negotiable however. Having the healthiest child possible is a no-brainer, why would’t you do everything possible to give your bubba the best start?

In my pre-conception phase I treated my body mostly like the temple it deserved to be. No one is perfect all the time, and it’s no use beating your self up for the odd mishap.

Truth be told, I didn’t manage to last the four months of preconception care. I was about at the three-month mark and I spent the week leading up to ovulation with an aching overwhelming urge to try for a baby. So we did, and little Evie (yes I named my unborn child when she was at about 8 weeks gestation) was conceived the first time we tried. She was meant to be, it was her perfect time to come into existence.

And there she was, just like that.     

baby evie at 12 weeks

It’s hard to know how much the preconception care helped, because we had never tried for a baby before, so I have nothing to compare it to. What is definite is that we had absolutely no trouble conceiving a perfectly formed child, and for this I am unendingly indescribably grateful.

I feel the pre-conception preparation invited a healthy pregnancy not only physically but spiritually and mentally. All of these aspects are important for welcoming a new little being into your life.

It also brought me piece of mind, knowing I did my best to give my baby a nourishing environment in which to implant and grow.

The key health points to take away from my preconception experience are

• Know your body. Understand your cycle and recognise when you’re ovulating. Ideally sperm should be ‘introduced’ about a day before you ovulate.

• Your body is a temple, a healthy age-appropriate body will happily reproduce… You are biologically wired to reproduce. So relax and give your body what it needs. A naturopath can assess your diet and arrange testing to correct any nutritional deficiencies.

• A pre-conception care program gives you solid guidelines to get into tip-top shape for conceiving. This is important for everyone but especially important if you have a history of food intolerances, IBS, auto-immune disease, and hormonal or reproductive imbalance.

• It takes two to make a baby, so two people should be engaging in pre-conception care to ensure the best start.

Photo credit: Hannah Jones of Keeper Creative

Pregnant: The difference between sexy & beautiful

I’ve never been so in awe of my body and also so shocked by it. I’ve never felt so much like an animal. Especially anticipating in another 19 weeks or so I will birth this bubba and feed her from my now more-then-ample breasts.  

I giggle with glee at seeing my bump enlarge week after week, a smile that becomes a little stretched out of shape as I catch site of my thighs that now rub together and the butt that won’t quit (getting bigger).

There’s a few things going on here, cravings for carbs and cheese aside. My capacity for exercise has reduced, a desire for rich, fatty and nutritious foods has increased.

My hormones are padding my body out, gearing it up for the many breast milk feeds that are destined for the future.

Breastfeeding can take 2000kj a day, with that in the pipeline I’m not surprised my body is becoming super efficient at storing fat. I’m just like that. Any periods of excessive exercise are usually coupled with weight gain for me rather then loss.

A few weeks ago I read a blog written by an anonymous father-to-be, who expressed, quite bluntly, that his ‘previously 10/10 wife’ who was now 6 months pregnant was not sexy at all. She was a zero, a turn-off. He couldn’t bring himself to make love to her, even though she was super horny (a pregnancy thing) and wanted him.

He then went on to talk about how her growing belly reminded him of his own personal anxieties about becoming a father. His disgust for his wife’s body was way more about him then it was about her.

Whatever ‘Man,’ I read this just two days after my husband left for a two week trip. Had he been coming home that evening, I would devised ways and means to coax whatever reassurance I could out of him. But he wasn’t here, nor was I going to see him for two weeks.

“Thanks Mamamia for posting this” I commented, “Participate in the denigration of the self esteem of your target audience why don’t you. “

The next day the words of the article still haunted me. I didn’t want to become repulsive for making this gorgeous, perfect, gift-from-God soul baby, who is an absolute treasure to the both of us. Who I already love so much it scares me.

I don’t want to lose my attractiveness. I’m a young woman. Who wants to be un-sexy?

I checked out my reflection often in the days that followed. I began to realise, Pregnant bodies aren’t, technically, sexy. It’s true, there’s no biological requirement for a pregnant women to be sexy, she can’t get any more pregnant then she already is.

What’s the point?

And further more, I don’t want to appear sexy to any man right now, (apart from my soul mate husband). I have no interest in having another man anywhere near me, I’m sure this is another biological mechanism for protecting my baby.

I became at peace with my inner struggle. I decided it’s okay to not be sexy. I’m okay with that. I’m growing a baby, and that’s where my energy needs to be. I can be sexy again after the baby’s born with breastfeeding, gentle exercise and a healthy diet. And time.

Then my husband came home from his trip.

I didn’t ask him directly, but I can tell from our conversations and the way he feasts his eyes on this protruding womb of mine….

He is just as excited at my growing belly and milkmaid breasts as I am. More than excited, he is absolutely enamored with his unborn child.

This morning I got dressed to take the dog for a walk down by the beach. I put on a singlet top that no longer quite covers my abdomen, with bump just slightly sticking out from under the fabric.

Is this a bad look? I asked him. He said, ‘I don’t think pregnancy is a bad look. It’s let it all hang out, It’s ‘I’m pregnant and I’ve got a flower in my hair, and I’m growing another little flower in my body’ “

His very sincere way of saying pregnancy is beautiful. It made me smile.

He’s so in love with his baby girl, he’s totally embracing all the change that comes with it, all the changes that happen to me. And I am too, and this is how it should be.

Follow your heart and everything gets better

  If you told me two weeks ago my life would take this twist I wouldn't have believed you.

A couple of weeks ago I was reflecting on the spring equinox as a time for releasing the old and letting go of what no longer serves you. I didn’t expect the old to release quite so quickly and in such an unintentional manner.

Through a sequence of happenings that began on the day of the spring equinox, the celebration of new life,  it became obvious a position I thought I needed didn’t truly reflect how I wanted to feel or the lifestyle I wanted to lead.

Nature shifted, the planets aligned, the stormy weather began.

I realised, after several days of deliberation and meditating with a monkey mind, that I wasn’t being true to myself or what I truly wanted.

So, with my soul purpose to help our community heal close to my heart,

I chose to take a leap into spaciousness.

My gut was telling me go, to follow the beat of my own drum and practice Shiatsu and Naturopathy in a way that truly serves my clients and makes my heart sing.

To write that I wasn’t bummed out would be a lie. I was completely bummed out that the path I'd been walking had come to somewhat of a stand still. But this didn't last long, and the beautiful, gentle sunshine weather this week helps affirm my intuition that I've course corrected in the right direction. My happy heart leaves me secure in knowing I’ve definitely made the right choice. The support and encouragement from my friends and family have been outstanding.

Change is necessary for improvement.

On the other side of my amicable resignation meeting is freedom, and the knowledge that my practice is once again entirely in my hands. This is both daunting and exhilarating.

Divine timing reaches a graceful and loving hand,

and I find, like always, the universe provides. The week when things were looking chaotic and totalled, not one but two amazing opportunities present them selves. Yes the universe definitely has my back.

My wind chimes sing under the olive tree. My garden grows green, my clients show up, and I go about being my own boss once more.

It’s scary leaving a comfortable position into the unknown. At the age of 24 I first received guidance through my meditation practice to leave an office job and practise shiatsu full time.

I ignored my gut and stayed with the job. I was fearful, and studying, and things felt uncertain.

Eventually I did follow that guidance, albeit 5 years later, and took the leap into self employment. Since then my life has been a sequence of miracles and self-discovery. Everything career wise, heck everything life-wise is WAY better, even if the pay is yet to catch up.

I often wonder what would have happened, where I’d be now, if I’d taken that leap at 24 rather then at 29.

Time is our most precious commodity and we can’t afford to waste it on unsatisfactory living.

So yes, I’m a seasoned job leaver, love seeker. Sharing my story, and hoping you too will follow your heart.

Moon musings + 6 ways to heal through letting go

This weeks full moon on the 9/9 was a weird one. I was bringing up old energy from the past all over the place. There were vivid dreams that involved old boyfriends, unrequited love and resurfaced childhood emotional-neediness. Stuff came up that I thought I had resolved years ago.  

Old destructive habits reared their ugly head and I ended up with an acute stomach condition that started on Saturday afternoon. I thought it more then coincidental that I was having issues with my stomach- the meridian of earth and nurturing-  while simultaneously feeling emotional pain for a lack of nurturing (that old unresolved emotional neediness I touched on in the last paragraph).

I’m not really an astrology gal though I do occasionally enjoy the musings of astrologer Anne Ortelee. She wrote Saturn’s prescence in Scorpio will throw us back to between the ages of 16 – 23 for the week leading up to the full moon.

Yep, this is where I went, back to my 16 year old self with emotional angst, and I even had a strange craving for playing video games, something I haven't done since my teens.

 Yes I felt I had digressed.

In search for answers I looked to the moon mavens I usually confer for comments on the lunar cycles, but they both have been silent this full moon. They weren't the only ones, I’ve been pretty damn silent myself.

The weather went absolute gang-busters all over Perth, wild winds and bucket loads of rain descending down on us, shaking us and confining us indoors hoping the windows don’t break in and the roof doesn’t blow off.

My sickness stirred and grumbled in my tummy for a few days, building. It felt my large intestine was inflamed and red sore. The wind battered and howled outside as did the wind inside. Whoa man.

I’m not going to share the finer details of my food poisoning incident, trust me, you don’t want to hear it. But eventually after a couple of day of stirring, growling and causing pain, I literally let everything go. I purged, I cleansed, I slept, and then I was healed.

The night of the full moon itself went by almost without notice. A thick cloud covering hid if from view.  It was apparently completely full at 9:39am, when it was daylight and blocked from vision by the rotation of the Earth .

Out of sight out of mind, no one has mentioned the moon to me this week. I think about this time the words drained, spacey and withdrawn come to mind. I even forgot to put crystals out, I watched a webinar  that went late and went to bed.

The following morning I rose and gathered my rocks and jewellery, placing them in the garden bed with intentions of cleansing. Ready to take responsibility for myself once more.

I’m a big believer that each new experience brings with it an opportunity for growth.

My emotional drama and my physical illness heighten the importance of a letting go, letting go of emotional crap that comes up and threatens our productivity and success, because lets face it, it’s just not worth dwelling in a place of zero creation and stagnant growth.

So recognise your troubles, the ones that hold you back, and let them go. The full moon is the perfect time to let go of unnecessary baggage, habits that no longer serve you, and beliefs that keep you stuck.

Let go so you can move ahead

Physically expressing your intention to let go of an emotional pain or memory that you no longer need to hold on to through ritual is one of the most powerful thing you do to begin your healing journey.

I was going all gung-ho at writing my own releasing rituals when I realised the gorgeous Karina Ladet (she pops up a lot for me lately, I think she’s becoming a muse) had already listed some gorgeous releasing rituals in her 7 days to a more intuitive you course and sent them to me this very week. This list combines my releasing rituals with Karinas because her's are so good.

• Sweat it out, go nuts on the punching bag, go for a jog, whatever form of exercise you love to do, move through the movement and forward into life.

• Write it out, write a letter about what it is you don’t need and don’t want, and tear it up, burn it, throw it into the sea. Release.

• Meditate: Visualise yourself is a beautiful forest (I love this visual) all the trees and birds are in support of you, it is a very loving place. You come to a circular clearing and a flower meadow. In the centre there is a fire contained in a sizeable circular stone fire pit, with golden symbols engraved in the stone. You understand that this is a very cleansing fire. You then take your burden, which is in a dark bulky sack, it feels heavy, and drags you down. You gather your strength and heave it from your heart into the fire. You feel strong, and light. You watch the sack transform into ash and smoke, the smoke twirls into the air, the sack is no more. You are light and free. You take a moment to feel gratitude for all of your blessings, all of your loved ones, and your comfortable home. You then become aware of a drumming circle and tribal dance. It’s time to celebrate. You join in and dance to the beat of the drum, feeling complete freedom, love and support.

• Ask your guardian angels/God/Jesus/Buddha/idol of choice to take it away and dispose of it (that easy hey)

• Find a stone, pebble, or a piece of wood. Hold the stone (or whatever) and visualise you need to let go of, breathe it into the stone and ask the stone to carry it away. Toss the stone over a cliff/into the river/out the car window, wherever you feel is best.

• Go for a swim in the ocean and imagine your sorrow washing away with the cleansing waters

The full moon is a time to let go of your shit. LET IT GO. Even though the day may have passed this month, the waning moon is a closing energy, a winding down and releasing to make way for the new moon two weeks later, where everything begins afresh.

Shiatsu Massage and Flower Essences are a wonderful tools for releasing and overcoming fears and emotions. And so is talking through stuff, and balancing your hormones. I’m available for Shiatsu massage and Naturopath appointments and I love to help. Give me a holler.

My Herkimer Diamond Heart. A crystal gift from my spirit guides.

I’m at the beach with a new glimmering Herkimer Diamond around my neck. It's lifting my energy and inspiring me with endless possibilities. As if I'm on some kind of spiritual speed except it’s completely clean with only the high and no low.  

I put this piece on layby after being strongly guided by my magical massage hands to take it home with me. This is going to sound a little weird but let me explain. When giving shiatsu massage I tune into an almost unconscious intuitive inner-knowing where my hands seek out the tight spots, knead away the knots, and soothe and balance energy practically all by themselves. I release overall control of the movement and let my hands lead the way to peace and release.

I tune into this same inner compass …I guess you call it a kind of physical intuition, when I need to make a big decision.

For example when deciding whether I should buy something …such as a stunning Herkimer Diamond Quartz, I’ll hold the object in my hand in front of my chest. If my inner goddess wants me to buy the object (read because this thing will somehow bring me joy or enhance the evolution of my soul) my hand will move the object toward my heart. If it makes no difference or is not going to really be much value my hand will put the object back on the shelf, or move it away. I also have a yes/no system for questions that cannot be held (such as should I buy this house, should I take this job) . For yes my hand moves to the right, for no I move to the left. No need for a pendulum here. I find the powers that be generally want you to enjoy yourself, and there’s no need to deny yourself an amazing dress or a fab piece of furniture if it’s going to bring joy and beauty into your life.

Anyway back to the Herkimer Diamond. My strong inner compass loved this thing. My eyes found it a visual delight, my heart was swooning, but did my brain love the price? Not so much.

Before putting it on layby I wondered if I would have and afternoon of guilty buyers remorse and a wave of budget anxiety washed over me. However another hold in front of my heart opposite the cash register affirmed I was onto a good wicket.

Once home, memories of this stunning crystal beauty infiltrated my thoughts.

Opens to creativity....... aligns healer with patient..... heightens clarity and clairvoyance....

were some of the gems listed as her properties in Judy Halls Crystal Bible. Far from feeling guilty I was ecstatic. Layby would not suffice.

The next day I brought it home, cleansed it in water, left it in the sun next to my calendula plant with beautiful yellow flowers for a couple of hours.

After I time I felt ‘guided’ to complete another of Karina Ladet's Spirit Guide meditations (check out what happened in the last one here) feeling now was the perfect time to do a meditation I’d been meaning to do for a couple of weeks. A guided meditation was the perfect way to attune myself to this gorgeous new rock.

Anyway within this meditation I’m communicating with my guides (which was amazing and a whole other story) and Karina instructed me to hold out my hands to and ask my guide if there is a gift for me.

Here’s the thing, I was already holding the Herkimer Diamond and so with a smile on my face held up my hands, crystal included and felt a gorgeous blessing wash over me and my crystal.

I feel like the crystal was the gift divinely sent to spend some time with me. I feel like this crystal chose me, a rare once in a lifetime piece that comes along just at the right time to guide me to the next level of my journey. The last time I had a such strong pull to buy a crystal was my flourite wand that woke up my intuition and led me to massage 10 years ago.

Since this first and favourite fluorite came into my life I’ve collected various crystals over the years, all beautiful in their own right. This one, though, this Herkimer Diamond, feels like an absolute game changer. I wear it, I hold it, my heart opens and rushes of excitement course through my veins, my future full of possibility.

After the meditation I was finally ready to string my new Herkimer onto the new silver chain and hang it around my neck. Leading me to the beach, border collie at my side, pen and notebook in hand, setting sun and a giant smile on my face.

As I write I get a message coming through, from my wonderful supportive spirit guides. “Wear it well Libby, beautiful child of love.” How nice is that? Amazing.

I get this spirit guide crystal story will be worlds away from the experience and beliefs of some. This contact with the spiritual realm is far removed from everyday mundane. It's certainly not run of the mill for me, it takes practice, daily meditation, good food and honoring my intuition to get to this level of trust. Sure it occurs to me that I may be cray-cray, that I'm making it up, and it's all in my head. But these thoughts feel like nasty, clammy closed in fear whereas my meditative mindset  fills my being with expansive love.

When you pay attention to your soul, when you trust your intuition, wonderful, wonderful things will happen. You are loved, you are special, and you are here to shine your light.

Do you have a special rock? One that you just adore, makes you feel good, looks divine? I’d love to hear about it. Tell me in the comments on the facebook feed.

Blessed Be

References:

Karina Ladet www.karinaladet.com

Hall, Judy, 2003,  The Crystal Bible, Godsfield

Wild edible plants in your garden. The Sow Thistle.

I love the term wildcrafting, don't you? It's so earthy and free. It means to harvest produce that grows wild, be it for food, medicine, or beauty. Wildcrafting is going into the wild and taking what is naturally available. There’s something so gorgeously real, primitive and abundant about getting what you need from the earth. There’s no exchange of paper money, or disconnectedly swiping a piece of plastic card through a machine.

What you need is just there waiting for you in the sun, freely available and ready for the taking.

Last year I planted some mustard lettuce in my vegie bed. It fed me well and eventually it’s life circle completed, I let it go to seed, it seeded. Everywhere. And then it died.

This year I have mustard lettuce growing up through the lawn and in cracks of my brick paving, It’s adorable and tasty and full natural goodness. And so so convenient too. I love pulling lettuce out of my lawn, giving it a wash and putting it in my lunch.

I have another weed growing ambitiously all over, and I had a sneaking suspicion was the medicinal dandelion species we use in herbal medicine as a liver cleanser and digestive tonic, but couldn’t be sure.

I looked it up and although my weed and the medicinal dandelion had very similar leaves and flowers, their sizes varied hugely. This was definitely a different plant.

The Taraxacum officinalis (botanical speak for Dandelion) seems to hang out low to the ground, whereas my ‘dandelions’ were towering up to over a meter high.

I had get to the bottom of this.

I pulled off a baby leaf of my mystery weed and gave it a little chew. Hmmm, a little spiky around the edges, slightly bitter but definatley palatable. Tastes like healthy greens, not poison. This was a good start.

So here comes the part where most would get on google, but I decided to meditate on my weeds first, to see what my intuition could tell me. I had a guided meditation waiting on my computer specifically for connecting with nature and this was the perfect time to use it.

 I asked the plant what it could do for me.

Sitting in the garden, sun flowing over my face, headphones in my ear’s and computer by my side. I clear my chakras under the guidance of the beautiful Karina Ladet. I put my hands around a particular healthy specimen of this mystery ‘dandelion’ and felt a cleansing tingling feeling throughout my body. My blood felt clean flowing and light filled. My mouth moved towards a leaf and made a chewing motion, my bodies way of showing me it’s ok to eat this plant, and if fact I should eat it. I sat with my hands on the leaf for a little longer, I then decided to chew off a bit of leaf as if were an ape in the jungle, tearing the end of the leaf with my teeth, straight from the plant. It was a wild moment of connection with my inner animal, followed by a self-directed laugh at my gorilla-like behavior.

Giggly and amused, my guided meditation ends leaving me with a giant warm and open heart. I got the message that this plant is super healthy and definitely edible but the scientist in me wants some solid proof.  Inside I identified my mystery weed as the Sow Thistle aka Sochus oleraceus, thanks to the wonderful guide to Edible Weeds and Foraging in Perth by Charles Otway (see reference below). Some sources report that this baby has a whopping 1500mg of calcium per 100g and 45mg of iron.  It’s also high in potassium, phosphorus, magnesium and a good source of vitamin C. Not to mention the phytochemicals the flavones, stilbenes, polyphenols and glycosides that exhibit anti-inflammatory, anti-tumour and all round good stuff properties.

Charles Otway thinks Sow Thistle tastes better when it’s still quite young, before it shoots up and flowers. I tried a mature flowered sow thistle though and I thought it was still good.

It’s very name ‘oleraceus’ is latin for good eating.

In short, you can safely pick (wildcraft) the leaves from these plants and nutritiously mix them through your salad, through your scrambled eggs, put on your pizza, use absolutely anywhere you use greens FOR FREE!

Traditionally more mature plants are boiled or steamed, but young leaves are good raw. I do recommend mixing the leaves up with other greens, rather then eating a bowl of sow thistle all by itself, simply because like all things, you can have too much.

Wild Plant Medicine

A New Zealender by the name of Mawalagedera (2009) wrote a thesis about the antioxidant value of this plant, and makes a point that the a particular New Zealand Maori population has less incidence of colorectal cancer dispite being in a very high risk group for the disease. She writes that sow thistle is a staple in the diet along with sweet potatoes, silverbeet and watercress. Perhaps these foods are offering the protective factor?

She also writes the more mature plants have a higher antioxidant value.

A 2013 study reports sow thistle is may be an effective option for treating Diabetes because the high antioxidant value protects the liver, kidneys and blood plasma from damage caused by high blood sugar.

Wildcraft away. I know what’s going in my salad.

SENSIBLE SALLY SAYS: Make sure you wildcraft from places that you know havn’t been sprayed or wee’d on. And always wash wash wash. 

References:

Mofor Teugwa^1*, Pascaline Chouadeu Mejiato¹, Denis Zofou³, Bruno Tugnoua Tchinda¹ and Fabrice Fekam Boyom²  BMC Complimentary and Alternative Medicine 2013,Antioxidant and antidiabetic profiles of two African medicinal plants: Picralima nitida (Apocynaceae) and Sonchus oleraceus (Asteraceae) 2013, 13:175  doi:10.1186/1472-6882-13-175

Sundara Mudiyanselage Maheshini Rangika Mawalagedera 2014, Antioxidant Activities of Sonchus oleraceus L.

Otway, Charles (undated) Edible Weeds, Common Plants and Foraging Around Perth, www.terraperma.com.au

Karina Ladet www.karinaladet.com

Why your goldfish can teach you how to eat + Winter foods

The discovery of hundreds of happy little mosquito larvae wriggling around in my backyard pond caused me substantial alarm. To counteract this direct threat to backyard safety and comfort I brought home 5 sweet and beautiful little goldfish. I had gone to the aquarium store with the mind to get some of these mosquito-eating machines, not really considering that they would become part of the family, but once they were bagged up and looking at me adorably through the clear plastic goldfish bag, my heart filled with warmth and opened up for new pet-love, they had me 100%. I gently placed their aquarium bags in the water, praying they would survive, gradually adding pond water to their plastic bag to acclimatise them as the hours passed. They were psyched to be there, they could see all the wrigglers floating around freely available and were keen to start eating.

This morning I was thrilled to find them still living and I let them fully integrate into the water. They were cautious at first, but I can see it is a goldfish paradise for them, complete with live food to chase, plenty of natural sunlight,  and aquatic plants to hide amongst and chew. Inside that pond they are 100% free to be themselves and express their personalities fully, I'm happy for them. They bring mega positive feng shui vibes through the back yard …I’ll take a goldfish pond over a mosquito farm any day.

I’d been concerned for their survival due to the reputation goldfish have for kicking the bucket. They’re sensitive little beings. I’m also aware that often a goldfish may be brought home and added to a bowl, or tank, perhaps with no plants, no one else to play with and a set feeding time each night, quite unnatural for a fish, who likes to swim all day nibbling at pleasure and weaving through flora. If I was suddenly placed in a sterile boring unnatural environment, far removed from my internal yearnings, I might just die too.

These days of artificial light and artificial sweeteners and even artificial grass have us living further away from our forest dwelling ancestors then ever. We make our goldfish live in environments like ours. We give them a sterile house, artificial food and electric lights and wonder why they don’t thrive.

All night  entertainment from computers and tv, and shift style work schedules force us out of natural cycles. Is it really surprising that many of us feel out of touch with our own bodies?

Since the event of electricity in homes and the massive technological advances in the decades following, depression and mental illness have risen exponentially while male sperm counts have dropped by over 50%. Experts are pointing the finger at man-made chemical contamination and sedentary lifestyle as the major culprits (Sharpe, 2000) We’re unhappy and it seems our ability to reproduce healthily is suffering.

There’s plenty we can do to get back into nature, or feel ‘Earthed’ as I like to call it. One of the easiest and simplest ways to get in tune is with your food. Within the Eastern medicine and the Shiatsu world, eating with the seasons is vital for a vibrant circulation of body chi and good health.

When we consider mental illness such as depression is accompanied with disconnection from nature, eating with the seasons may have humongous positive impact.

Consciously eating in line with natural Earth rhythm is a great way to connect with your intuition and improve connection to nature. Eating whole natural, seasonal and locally produced foods prepared at home feels healthy, supports your community, is budget friendly and great for the environment too. Sounds like a recipe for good karma and happiness to me. Below is a list of winter produce in season for WA, add a few to your shopping list this week. If you read this from afar, google seasonal produce in your area to stay in the loop.

I’ll be sharing some wonderful winter warmer meal creations on the blog, so keep an eye out.

Winter blessings for you my friend x

Love Lib

How I gained and lost 25kg. And then put some on again.

After smashing on 10kg when I was 12 and then another 10 kilo when I was 13, I was horrified with my reflection. I spent the next few years of teenager-hood depriving myself during the school week and then bingeing on Friday night. A whole packet of Caramel Crowns and I were good friends. My giant butt and I were not good friends. The boys at school used to call me stumps.

When I was 15 I started to explore my spirituality. I did a magic spell to lose weight. It involved chopping up bay leaves into little tiny pieces, breathing my intention to lose weight over them, and blowing them to the four corners. Afterwards I went inside and fixed myself some toast, like usual, with Grandpas homemade Jam. I had a bite, and for the first time, realised I wasn’t hungry enough to finish it. I learnt how to tune into by body and listen. I could taste the density of all foods I made and whether or not my body needed it or not. Every bite of a chocolate bar tasted like fatty calories, and white rice felt, well, empty.

Thats me in the white, age 16, 75kg

My eating habits changed. I started to eat regular sensible meals. I was still tortured by my heavyset body, and longed for a boy to find me attractive. Slowly though, with sensible and natural eating I had lost 10kg or so by the time I turned 17 and when I turned 18, I had lost the other 10. I was 162cm and 53kg. In the end the weightless was pretty much effortless.. I hadn’t even kept a regular exercise routine. I had been walking long distances pretty much daily as I didn’t yet have a license. God bless 17 year old metabolism! Plenty of boys found me attractive.

The next 6 years after leaving high school were a breeze - well in the weight control sense anyway.

On an 18 year old roadtrip wth my bestie Kat

This entire time my relationship with food was effortless and I remained slight, though I must say being a cigarette smoking vegan might have had something to do with it. A bad habit I’m grateful to see the end of.

Age 22 at Yallingup, 54kg

I moved to Perth with my boyfriend. Andrew and I adopted a puppy-child named Jim, and we lived a very happy little family life. I was thrilled to fulfill my call to massage by studying Shiatsu Therapy during the evenings,  as I worked an office job to pay the rent. Andy and I married in Lorne Victoria (near my place of birth). The day was perfect. I had no body hang-ups and in fact, I had consciously tried to put on a little weight before the wedding so my boobs would look good in my dress . This plan went out the window when I pretty much forgot to eat for the week prior to the big day, running on adrenaline.

Andy and Me on our honeymoon in NZ

Something changed after the wedding. I was 24, suffocating in my corporate job and eager to study for a career that I actually wanted. My husband was at a crossroads in his professional life, and on the verge of setting up his own business…but not sure if that was what he really wanted at the time. Things were uncertain. You know, they say the first year of marriage is the hardest, and I began to diet.

I wasn’t even overweight by any measure, but I could definitely be thinner, and I absolutely hated my legs, chubby little legs that they are (I say that with love). I severely restricted calories and would sit on the bus hungry and miserable comparing myself with all the girls on St Georges Terrace.

Then one day, I got sick of being hungry and just started to eat again. This was the first yo yo of my twenties. Loving being a new wife, I developed a huge love of cooking and especially baking. Within a few months I’d regained all weight I had shed earlier and added on a kg or two. I’d started an exercise routine, jogging in the park and on the beach with my dog. But even with the exercise I still put on weight. The running made me hungrier and served as a mental excuse to eat more then usual. This kind of behaviour went on for a few years, my diets, though healthy and nutritionally sound, were coupled with extreme sessions at the gym and calorie counting. I’d successfully get into my skinny jeans and celebrate regularly with champagne and raw desserts....continuously for several months. Whoops now the jeans don't fit, and I'd actually put on a little extra. Repeat.

Everything changed in the weeks leading up to my 29th birthday. I was ridiculously fit, and time-consumingly counting every calorie. I'd lost 5kg within the previous two months and should have been feeling amazing. Suddenly a horrible and nightmarish trauma for my family back at home and a separate personal trauma for me in Perth hit in the same week, and on the cusp of leaving my security blanket job. I was shocked, devastated and gutted all at the same time. I realised I had been chasing a grueling illusion. A banging bod doesn't solve all your problems. My hot bod wasn't going to make my life awesome, it's just a hot bod. Sure, it helps, but it certainly doesn't make you happy.

The months following my gym attendance ...just....dropped....off. I had been a get-up-a-5.30-and-go-every-morning kind of girl. I used to proudly declare I would work out two hours a day if I had the time, but I just didn't care anymore. The motivation was gone. I started yoga, and enjoying leisurely walks rather then runs. I ate whatever I felt like, I put on 8kg.

It's been nearly 16 months since that traumatic December. At first, when my exercise motivation stopped, I thought it would come back "I'll get back into it," but then days, turned into weeks, turned into months, turned into a year.  Though there have been a few moments when I felt bigger then I wanted to be, I feel I've slowly made peace with my pants. Maybe its helped by my age, 30 now, maybe by the security in my romantic relationship, but if anything good came out of that traumatic time in my life it's that I now have a new kind of body comfort, a healthy, curvy, feminine shaped body comfort that won't compare myself to others or stress over not looking like Miranda Kerr. It feels cruisy, easy, free,  just how I like it.

I've actually been revisiting the gym recently, out of a want to maintain muscle mass, enhance my circulation, clear my mind and keep my skin young. There's no guilt for missing a day, or even for leaving early. I'm giving myself some loving kindness, and my resultant peace of mind speaks volumes.

You are absolutely gorgeous, no matter what your size, and you completely deserve some loving kindness too. Love the one you're with.. ....I'm talking about your body honey!. If you feel drawn to chat with a professional about your body love goals, don't hesitate to drop me a line or pick up the phone.

Happy Avocados and Mega Melons

Love Lib

Me, being curvy, 63kg

My wonderful reiki-healing friend Anyes and I on on my 30th birthday

Turn him on! Fertility Slow Cooked Beef Ras el hanout.

I made the sexiest, most fertility enhancing slow cooked beef ras el hanout last night. Sure to start a fire in any mans heart (or pants). If your man comes home to find this in the oven (or slow cooker), he’ll be more then willing to settle down and start a family. And if he’s already committed, this certainly confirms he’s made the right decision.

What makes it a fertility masterpiece you ask?

The ‘meat’ is extremely high in fertility essentials, zinc, iron, B vitamins and plentiful in protein. Nutients so so important for powering healthy sperm and supporting the growth of new cells.

But the real magic, I believe, lies in the spice mix. North African ‘Ras el hanout’ translates into “head of the shop” meaning it’s a mixture of the best spices there is to offer. As I put this together last night, I found the spices remarkably stimulating and sensuous. So when I did a bit of research I was pleased to find that Ras el hanout traditionally contained a powerful aphrodisiac called Catharides, made out of the Spanish fly (yes you read that right, an insect) an ingredient banned in the 90s. In fact, according to my friend Wikipedia, Henry IV was said to consume spanish fly to aid erection, at risk of his own good health, like insect Viagra. Caesers wife once stirred Catherides powder into the dinner of her politically powerful guests in the hope of encouraging them into behavior she could later black-mail them with. What a bitch.

History aside, even without crushed Spanish fly, the ingredients of Ras El Hanout are a circulatory stimulating, blood flow enhancing, anti-inflammatory, feel good shebang of love you long time.

You can buy ready made preparations of Ras el hanout from gourmet supermarkets and possibly your local farmers market, but I made my mix with the spices in my cupboard.

If you make your Ras el Hanout at home, and I recommend you do, read through the properties below as you add the spices. Focusing intention on your spices as you add them and mix them together makes a much more effective and romantically spicy mix, don’t ask me why, it just does.

Ras el hanout

Ingredients ½ tsp each of ground cloves and cayenne pepper.

Cloves are warming and grounding, with phenomenal levels of fertility essential nutrient manganese, cayenne pepper is a circulatory stimulant and has an excitatory energy about it, spice it up and get things moving! 2 tsp each allspice, ground cumin, ground ginger, ground turmeric, freshly ground black pepper (I used an Australia Bush Pepper blend) and ground cardamom.

Allspice aka pimento is traditionally associated with prosperity, ground cumin contains coumarone, an anti-inflammatory, likewise, Turmeric is the best source of coumarone available, a potent healer. Ginger is a great energy and circulatory stimulant, as well as a digestive tonic and an overall wellness warrior. Black pepper is anti-cancer and has an overall spicy energy while cardamom is antioxidant and very much a love and success herb.

  3 tsp each of ground cinnamon and ground coriander.

Cinnamon is a blood sugar balancer but is also quite sweet and dare I say it feminine in energy, sure to make you sparkle in your mans eye. It’s anti-inflammatory and is soothing on the digestive system, great for digestive conditions. Ground coriander is a great source of minerals as well as being delicious and fragrant.

1 ½ tbsp. of freshly grated nutmeg.

Nutmeg has long been associated with good health, and in Elizabethan times was believed to ward off the plague. Today we know nutmeg has a high essential oil content, with anti microbial, antioxidant and immune protective effects.

Add all spices together and mix. Store in a jar, preferably with a beautiful label you have created yourself.

Slow-Cooked Beef with Ras el hanout

Inspired by a recipe by the Sydney Monday Morning Cooking Club featured in their recent book “A Feast Goes On” and published in the May 2014 issue of Delicious magazine

Serves 2 – 4 (my husband ate enough for two easily, and perhaps 3)

500g organic grass fed steak, like chuck or rump, diced into 2.5cm pieces with gratefulness to the cow for providing nourishment (or for a vegan version, you could use tempeh, but I can’t promise the man catching properties will be the same…of course there’s always exceptions, you know your man better then I do)

1 onion 2 garlic cloves 2 tsp ras el hanout spice mix 2 small red chillies sea salt and cracked black pepper to taste 1 tin of tomatoes + 1 big tomato OR use 4 – 5 big tomatoes ½ a preserved lemon rind, chopped finely, discard pith and pulp (optional) 2 tsp honey coriander parsley

1. For the slow version preheat oven to 140°C. For the quick preheat the oven to 180°C.

2. Get out your favourite, most home-cookin casserole dish

3. Place the beef in the casserole dish, and add all the rest of the ingredients, bar the fresh herbs.

4. Mix it up, visualising happy husbands and happy tummies, love and connection

5. Place in the oven for 3 hours for slow cooked version. I’d run out of time for slow cooking, and so I turned up the heat and popped this in the oven at 180, set my timer for 2 hours, and went down my garden path to give a Shiatsu massage. Meanwhile, my husband Andy came home and following his nose to the oven, found the dish, which he described as ‘nourishing goodness,’ and decided it was ready to eat after an hour and a half cooking time, as I found him with a giant bowl and rye toast when I walked in the door.

I served it up with the fresh herbs on top, steamed sweet potato, a tahini, tamari sauce and some lightly stir fried broccoli with red capsicum. The vegetables complimented the fertility powers of the Ras el hanout perfectly, but that’s another blog post.

Andy then showered me with affection for the remainder of the night, grateful for such a wonderful meal. I lapped it up like a princess, charmed by his positive reaction and delicious results.

I’d love to hear about your sexy cooking efforts. If you have a story to share please tell me about it below.

Take care my lovelies,

In wellness, Lib.

Sexy fertility enhancing beef ras el hanout sure to make a man fall in love with you