This is a topic I just HAVE to write about…

It is something that prudish, self-conscious, little-girl Bridget feels quite uncomfortable about and would prefer to sweep it under the rug pretending that that type of thing just did not exist or go on….

To some of you that may seem strange….

“It’s PORN Bridget!!! A natural, normal, HEALTHY even part of life! Get over it and grow up!”

Well, I’d like to explore that idea because something about it nags at me…

I cannot recall what night it was, but I do know that sometime in the past 2 weeks a show was aired on SBS about this very topic….there was an open discussion with teens about pornography and their views on it. It was confrontationally thought provoking. Here was something I preferred to ignore and omit from my perfect little bliss bubble, staring me STRAIGHT in the face….

I squirmed in my otherwise cosy spot on the couch and encouraged myself to watch and listen to at least snippets of it….So in between Master Chef takes, we did just that….

As a child, my experience with porn was rather “rudely awakening”….I was with my dad at a home in the city as he was undertaking a renovation on the old Victorian….My brother and I often accompanied dad to his work sites as our parents were separated and it just so happened that sometimes he had to work on the weekends he had us. I personally LOVED it….! I’ve always had a soft spot for true blue Aussie builders and the “old-style” art of crafting something with your bare hands….not to mention the SMELL of “building”….the wood, the glue, fresh carpet….NEWNESS! I just adore it!

Anywho! I digress…..

So yes, my brother and I were at this lovely inner city home, and were given the indulgent luxury of being able to set ourselves up on this persons ever so lush king bed and watch movies…a kids dream! I was allowed to flick through the videos (do you remember those ancient VHS dinosaurs?!!? lol) and pop on whatever I wanted to watch. Yay! Me being in control…..LOVE IT! ;p haha

As I did commence sorting through some interesting titles caught my attention….”Good Enough to Eat”….” Just to give you an idea…It is the only one I remember! But you get the gist! Ever and insatiably curious me HAD to work out what these ones were…..So into the recorder I slid the cartridge….

It started off pretty normal…..then O…M….G!!! It got NASTY….. (said with Eddie Murphy accent ‘neeeeesssssty’!)

I was confronted with all manner of erotic images…..and of course my curiosity grew….! I put in video after video, fast-forwarding through many just to actually SEE all the different scenario’s being presented to me…..! Girls with girls….. men with men…..2, 3, 4, 5, 6 people at a time together…..WHOA….!!

My young self was in a state of shock, surprise, intrigue and entertainment….I knew what I was doing was “naughty”, yet I just HAD to keep exploring……!

So there you have it…..this ONE early experience of porn was enough for me to know that “those” things happen, and to spark the curiosity in that arena, yet I guess also upon reflection, my way of associating it with a “naughty”, “secretive” thing…..

I guess too, also upon reflection, that it set up in my mind the type of body that was considered “sexy”, “desirable”……

Since I never measured up, or looked ANYTHING like this women, I pushed the erotic arena to the back of my mind, perhaps deep down thinking I would never satisfy a man in THAT way, so why even try…..?

Big boobs, tight bums, immaculately “manicured” nether regions, no hair to be spoken of (except of course the long blonde hair) and perfectly made-up faces……

How could I EVER be an acceptable part of THAT world….?!

The truth is to THIS day I am incredibly uncomfortable with porn…..It IMMEDIATELY makes me feel self-conscious and all I can do is CONSTANTLY compare myself to the women on the screen, with a whole lot of criticism and despair going on within myself….Therefore, it is NOT a part of my world…..never has been, never will be…..Much to the disappointment of ALL my partners I am sure!!!

And I HAD to explore this topic with you publicly as it IS something that has been somewhat of a taboo thus far in my life….I am aware that the way I feel about it is certainly not how countless others feel about it and I am genuinely curious and eager to explore and challenge my long held “conservative” and “stuffy” perspective….

If I check in right now with myself I have two feelings and stories emerging with this discussion…..Let me give you a brief rundown of both….

1) I guess there is a stirring curiosity and intrigue still living there….like the “naughty” part of myself gets excited and even keen to check it all out just for fun…..there is a part of me telling me to “lighten up”, “get over my insecurities” and indulge in a little erotic exploration….. ;p haha

THEN though there is

2) I find the OBJECTIFICATION of women as “sex objects” just outright wrong….I wonder…..If us chickies spent hours upon hours GAWKING at naked men….their nether regions and their self-explicit acts….how would our partners feel?? If we fantasised over some other man’s private part because it was BIGGER, JUICIER and seemingly more SATISFYING (I am PMSL as I write this!!! lol) how would our partners feel…..Would they feel more confronted that maybe we were comparing HIM to THAT….? That maybe deep down we WISHED this hunk of spunk on our screen was who was taking us to bed….? That somehow he just didn’t MEASURE up and never would?!!?!?

I am just asking questions here! I am well aware that there is COUPLE porn in which neither man or woman is specifically singled out and objectified and perhaps that IS a fun thing to bring into the bedroom!?

I guess my discomfort and displeasure surrounds the ever-explicit “girlie-porn” in which woman, mostly young women, are indeed treated as simple sex-objects…on display for all manner of person to intricately examine her otherwise never-seen private parts…..I mean seriously….is a VAGINA really that fascinating?!?!?! Is it REALLY that attractive even!?!?!? haha….

CLEARLY this is a new world to me and I JUST DONT GET IT…..!!

I would LOVE to hear what you think…..

Do you have a penchant for porn?

Is it a fun part of yours, and perhaps your partners, life?

How does it make you feel?

As I mentioned….this is a purely exploratory post and something that I have thus far refused to discuss or consider in my life…..!

AND I shall add…..I am NOT a virgin (really!?!? LOL) and DO have a healthy sexual appetite…..you may recall my post “Sex Before Dinner“…?

So don’t fret for Brad or any of my exes! LOL. Sex and porn to me are two totally different worlds…..

I very much believe in the beauty, power and effectiveness of Sexual Healing (a post that is coming!)

Perhaps, though, I am less experimental…..I KNOW what I like….. ;p

Yet give me a chance….You just never know the places this post may take me ;p hahahaha

With that I will say CHOW!

I hope this at least made you laugh and that you have a brilliant day!

Sincerely,

BridgetJane
FoodBodyLifetsyle Guru
www.newleafnutrition.com.au

The past few weeks have been an amazing time for me….
Life has seemed so very uncertain, changing and at times scary….
There were moments when it felt and seemed as though IT was all falling apart…
The long held dream and vision I had for all the things currently in my life were not to be….It became clear that I had an “apple”, and no matter how I tried, it just would NOT become the “orange” I had so dearly had hopes of!
Something bizarre happened though as I surrendered to the reality and potentiality of what was unfolding….
An amazing serenity and peace overcame me….And I must say gladly, has stuck around since….

It has been a hugely honest time….a truly enlightening period…An opportunity for me to really see ME and how I have been “playing” in my life….How I have authored the story and how I wish to continue writing it….
I have been able to ponder and reflect upon the many possible paths that lay before me and decide with clarity, sincerity and certainty exactly what I want.

A few weeks ago I took off to Sydney for the purpose of seeing the ever-famous Mr Anthony Robbins. I must admit I was not jumping out of my skin to attend his event, yet I was generously gifted a VIP pass, accommodation was covered, a hire car arranged and all I had to do was book flights and show up…..so I did! I also knew deep inside that it was perfect timing as I dearly needed time to myself to check in, reflect and make some important decisions.

So off I went on a solo adventure, unsure of what may lay ahead and what discoveries I would have. I must admit, upon arriving and settling into my apartment I felt lonely. No one to share the space with, no one to ease my inner tension with distracting, yet comforting conversation. Just me, myself and I.

An initial feeling of despair did start to engulf me. I cried. I felt lost, alone and also grief….Grief for the relationship I had held so fondly in my heart, yet here and now I felt no connection to, or desire for….I was alone, yet for once in a very long time, I did not miss the one I had, for so very long, cherished.

I allowed myself to enter the emptiness. To be with it. To accept it. To allow a total immersion without resistance in this foreign space that I had for quite some time now avoided with distraction and procrastination.

After a time, it passed….and I was at peace….I found myself in a state of calm clarity, accepting what was occurring and finally bringing to the situation the maturity and recognition it required.

The first afternoon at the Robbin’s event confirmed my deep knowing that “this” was not the place for me to be…As I am open minded and passionate about learning and growing I stuck the first day out….trying to get into the space…trying to “try it on” and “play in it”…..After a while though the hype, “rah-rah” and “over-the-topness” got to me….I could not bear to have this huge American man bellowing and yelling out over me any longer….

I finally honoured my inner calling and left. I knew I was supposed to be here in Sydney, but not here at this occasion. Many years ago I found Anthony Robbins very helpful and his audio programs truly did help me out of a deep pit….I needed the “mind-set” strengthening his material offers and I totally appreciated the expansion in my way of thinking…

Yet, today, I am a new person…..a truer version of me….I have solidified an expanded mindset and way of thinking into my everyday life and moved beyond just the “mental” aspect of myself into the “spiritual” realms of who I am….I have ascended to a much more expansive way of looking at and relating to life and also opened up to the more feminine part of myself which has a different way of doing things….

The whole force, push, strive, achieve, “tackle life by the horns” approach just does not resonate for me any more, or perhaps just at this time….I prefer a much softer, more nurturing, more honouring way….A truly authentic inner guidance that just will not be tamed, controlled or mentally constructed.

So, taking this consolidated self out of the Anthony Arena, off into the open night I ventured…..
I had spent some time at the event releasing…..Crying, grieving and also sharing my truest expressions with a very dear friend…..By the time I left I felt truly at one within myself and at peace….

I was pleased to be able to finally let my inner guide take over and create an amazing adventure for my time in Sydney.

Off to an Intuitive Event I went where one of my greatest teachers, mentors and role-models was speaking (Mr William Whitecloud). I got to immerse myself in all that “made sense” to me and re-calibrate my “resonance-radar” so that I could use my remaining days in Sydney to make those important decisions from the only place I can these days truly trust; my heart.

Wow…..how perfect and wonderful it was….

In the days that followed I felt like I “grew up”….I finally found the courage within to make the realisations, confessions and decisions that were well overdue….

I immersed in my “loneness”, loving the bond that I was strengthening within myself.

I reconnected with all that I believe about life, living and love….

I got clear on what I wanted. I realised I would HAVE to LIVE what I teach and truly step into the UNKNOWN….to once again start living from my heart, not my head and align my WHOLE self to what was truly calling me from within….I could no longer lie to myself or ignore what I knew and felt deep inside…

And as I returned home and allowed this authenticity to permeate from within myself, life around me began to shift…I guess it’s like a chess game….You make your move, and you may anticipate your next one, however things can and do change quite dramatically in a very short time….The move the other person makes is influenced by yours and yours by theirs…it’s a delicate dance, ever-shifting and not always predictable….

So although I was certain on my “move” whilst in Sydney, once I arrived home and allowed that energy to permeate the space, everything around me shifted. To stick to my “plan” would have been operating totally out of my head. I had to allow my inner guide to “recalibrate” to the new “information” now surrounding me….

All that I had gotten clear on in Sydney, all that I had decided I wanted for my life, suddenly became a possible reality EXACTLY WHERE I WAS….

So, I did as I decided I would do from here on in, and I stepped into the unknown without a definite plan….I simply allowed myself to align with what was true for me in each moment….

I must say I am incredibly content…..It took for me to be honest with myself once and for all before the rest would and could fall into place….

It was I who had to come to the acceptance that I am NOT who I used to be…..That right here and now all I desire is incredibly simple and “unambitious”….I had to see with full clarity and consciousness that I HAD been fighting an inner battle….I HAD been “pushing myself” against my will into a future I did NOT want, but thought I SHOULD have….
I had to surrender to the idea that I am where I am and although it does not look how I thought it would at this age and stage of my life, that is ok, and in fact it is perfect…

It is totally OK that I do not have GOALS and AMBITIONS to be BIGGER, BETTER, GRANDER or DIFFERENT…It is totally OK that I feel comfortable and content in the space I am occupying and that I can ALLOW myself to be navigated and guided moment by moment from my HEART….my head can once and for all LET GO, and let my ship be steered from a place that may not always make sense, may not logically “add up” but that ALWAYS gets it better than right in the long run!

I can let myself live AUTHENTICALLY…..

Ahhhhhhh…..

So there you have it…..right now…right here I am OVER ambition! I am OVER been driven by my head, by my logic and my “ideas” of WHO I think I should be, WHERE I think I should be and HOW I think I should be….

I don’t NEED TO KNOW and I courageously step into the unknown….

Life truly feels like an adventure once again…the tight grip of control has been released and I feel like I can BREATHE….!

I can trust that as long as I listen to my heart, the dreams I hold deep within will inevitably come to fruition in their OWN time, space and FORM…..

And almost as a summary of all that I have shared above and realised within myself, here is a little something I shared on Facebook yesterday:

“Do you accept yourself?
Or do you constantly fight who you are, thinking you should be better, different, some way else?
It seems to me that many illnesses, weight challenges and mental afflictions derive from this unrelenting inner battle…
A life committed to striving, achieving, being this or that and having this or that them ensues….
The quest never ending, the fight ever brewing….
What if we all approached life as though WHO and HOW we are is PERFECT….?
That our own desires, preferences and joy were our own best flag posts of where to steer our boat….? Not doing things or achieving things out of obligation, the need to be better or the fear of what might happen if we didn’t DO or BE these things…?
What if we just did what we do because we love it& it fulfils us period? What if we just allowed ourselves to BE who we so naturally, unmotivatingly ARE….? What if we wrote our own story free of the burdens, expectations and pressures of everyone& everything else..?
Is it possible we’d have a world full of Picasso’s, Albert Einstein’s, Mother Teresa’s and YOUs…?!
I wish everyone the freedom and joy of simply being themselves and doing what they love…! Its EXCEPTIONALLY good for your health!! xxxoooo”

Would LOVE to hear your thoughts!

Lots of LOVE,

BridgetJane
Food Body Lifestyle Guru
www.newleafnutrition.com.au

I attended a lovely networking lunch on the weekend and thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to catch up with a few women who I truly adore, however for one reason or another, have not seen in quite some time.

One of my good friends, Carren Smith, was the guest speaker, and having known her pretty much since I arrived on the Coast (6 years), I knew we were all in for a treat!

Of course, she did not disappoint. Capturing our attention and fixing us to our seats, Carren told us her amazing story with true volition. I have heard her story many times before, yet each time I do, I take away something else and it enriches an aspect of myself that was waiting to be uncovered.

To give you an incredibly brief overview, Carren is a survivor of the Bali Bombings. A few years ago, she ventured off to Bali with her best friend, as a way to escape the shocking tragedy that had just unfolded not so long ago in her life. Her partner of 6 or so years had taken his life, and she was wearing the guilt for his actions. She had moved out of the home they shared together and was uncertain about their future. Unable to deal with this reality her partner decided to exit life.

Carren was filled with self loathing and despair and decided in a moment of clarity some time after that she too would take her own life and “rescue” the world from her despicable self. She planned her trip to Bali, and plotted in her mind exactly how she would do it. Her best friend at the time would not hear of her going anywhere on her own and so when Carren declared she was going to Bali for a break, along came her treasured bestie.

And so, on the night of their arrival, out they went to party. At some point in the evening Carren was blasted off the dance floor in a violent explosion. She was separated from her friends and suffering shrapnel to her skull, was taken straight back to Australia for treatment. Once she came to she asked after her friends and was told they had not survived.

Can you imagine the pain?

I honestly cannot fathom how beyond shattered Carren must have felt, as well as how “to blame” and gut wrenchingly guilty she would have been. The next 6 years of her life were filled with endless tears, despair, disgust (of self), sorrow and pain. Carren was struggling to find the will or reason to keep on, and had basically declared herself the most unlovable, unworthy and terrible human being alive.

Imagine living with someone 24/7 who told you over and over how disgusting, shameful and loathsome you were.

Not too long after her experience in Bali, Carren met her current day partner, Matthew. Like an angel from above he was there to console her grief, wipe up her tears and simply comfort her as best he could. Carren admitted she was quite unable to love Matt as he loved her in the beginning since her relationship with her ex had never been properly finalised, and of course she was consumed with agony. Yet, despite this he was there for her day, after day, after day.

One day, about five and half years after the bombings, Carren received a package from the Australian Federal Police. Her clothes. They had been seized at the time for thorough investigation to ascertain what the bomb was made of.

Well, receiving this package was way too much for Carren to bear, and into a panic attack she flew. Flapping arms, hyperventilating and pacing around, Carren could not console herself. Neither, to his discovery, could Matt.

After a little while of this hysterical behaviour, Matt stood in the doorway of their bedroom and said to Carren with absolute certainty, “You are doing this to yourself”.

Well! You can imagine how Carren felt at that point! After ALL the years of people pandering to her depression, affirming her sorrow and making allowances for her disability to function in everyday life, here was someone who DARED to suggest it was HER FAULT. Not what happened of course, but how she was feeling. The experience she was going through right now in her state of panic, and the drudgery of the past few years.

She was “slapped” in that moment into disbelief. There was anger, their was rage, yet there was something to be processed. For the next few days she kept her distance from her beloved and mulled over what he had said. Something about his words hit very deep. They also too had a ring of truth, as much as she was stunned to realise.

“Was it possible?” she pondered. “Could I be doing this to myself”

In the numbness that ensued, Carren realised the truth of Matt’s words. She saw what she had been doing, she admitted how she had allowed herself to be a victim and she vowed to turn herself, and her life, around.

Today, a mere 4 years later, Carren is a highly successful speaker, coach and writer. She has touched and changed more lives than she would ever realise and her growth over time evolves and expands faster than anyone can keep up with. The person that you meet today is beyond worlds authentic; beyond description intelligent; endlessly inspiring, powerfully insightful and oozing with love. Love for life, love for herself, love for each and every being. She is beautiful beyond words.

To meet her today you would NEVER guess the wreck that was her life and self not too long ago.

Carren is true evidence and testimony to the power that lies within each and every individual. The power that we are born with. The power of choice, decision and focus.

We truly DO create our own reality. We cannot control or change what happens TO us in life. Sometimes really bad things happen. The ONLY thing we EVER have control of however is what we choose to DO WITH what we are given. What meaning we make from events, situations, relationships and everyday life. How we decide to look at things.

And as I reflected upon a recent viewing of a series entitled “One of the Tribe”, it became so obvious to me just how much WE MAKE IT ALL UP. We make up our own “reality”. Our beliefs, our values, our practices. Each and every culture has their own. We may be born into these lives, yet the truth of choice always prevails. Our life is our own.

With awareness and education we are gifted higher degrees of choice. The power of decision becomes ever more greater.

So with this story and reflection, I urge you to ponder……to what degree are “you doing this to yourself”?

No matter the circumstances, how are you choosing your current experience?

What right now are you deciding about YOURSELF, about your LIFE, about others….?

How are your current moment to moment choices defining, dictating and creating your REALITY?

Could you re-think? Could you re-define? Could you make another choice, different decisions and in doing so create a whole new reality and LIFE for yourself right now and in the future?

I will leave you with that.

Thank you Carren. You are one AMAZING, BRAVE AND GORGEOUS woman! We LOVE you, we HONOUR you, we APPRECIATE you and your sharing. (you can find out more about her and her life-changing trainings here)

All my love,

BridgetJane
Food Body Lifestyle Guru
www.newleafnutrition.com.au

Well I will apologise in advance for this somewhat negative post, however I will say that this has come after MONTHS of negotiation with this brand, of which I HAD been a loyal customer of at least 7 years…

Additionally, YOU, the consumer, DESERVE to know when ‘portrayed’ quality and integrity just does not exist in an icon and products you regularly put your trust in.

Let me go back to the beginning and explain the reason for today’s rant.

As I mentioned, I have been a loyal and avid fan of Lorna Jane for a great many years; proudly promoting the heavily branded workout gear as I truly believed in the authenticity of the brand’s origins and was INSPIRED by the story of a Queensland gal turned International Success. Pretty amazing!

Yet, my latest experience with the brand has been ANYTHING but what i had imagined for all those years!

Just before Christmas I purchased a pair of the new “Kylie” run shorts. I was excited to ‘wear them in’ as such and one bright Sunny Coast morning, set off on a beach run to do just that. As I always do, I popped the top section of my “coded” car key into the back pocket- designed for such items. Without a second thought I began to soak up the sun and sights whilst setting into a trot.

A few minutes later it occurred to me to “tap” the back of the shorts just to check that my key was there…..I never do this, so I am guessing it was a kind of 6th sense! To my horror, there was NO KEY to be found!

I frantically triple and quadruple checked, thinking I must be mistaken!

Alas, no, the key was gone! I immediately turned around to scourer over the terrain I had covered, yet given it was high tide I was doubtful I’d have any luck.

After 45 minutes of searching I conceded it was indeed gone. I had to call my partner who was at work and ask him to go home and get my spare key for me, as I had a full day of clients and NO way of getting in to my car without a key. The round trip for him would have been 2 hours. Quite an inconvenience.

To add to insult to the injury, I rang my car manufacturer to find out how much a replacement key tip was. I thought it may not be too bad, as it was just the top. How wrong I was! The part has to come from Germany, and be specially coded. This costs almost $300. I was devastated. Not a cost I could manage at the time (and still have not been able to get together).

I could not understand how this could have happened. How did my key manage to fall out of what i thought was a secure pocket???

When it came time for me to get changed I took a close look at the pocket trying to work it out. Alas, there was stitching in that part of the short that had NEVER been sewn up! A clear manufacturing error and quality control oversight.

Thinking that Lorna Jane would be more than happy to help out considering the clear fault, I rang customer service. I was promptly advised that it was not their problem. They were happy to replace the shorts if I was to send them in for assessment, yet they would not have a part in compensating me for my lost key.

I was furious and insisted to speak to someone higher. It took over a few weeks to get someone to follow me up properly! By that time, Christmas had come around and unfortunately there was a death in the family Christmas morning, so off to Melbourne I headed. Trying to get back in touch with them was an incredible effort and so unfortunately it got put on the back burners.

More recently we went through flooding. So yes it has been an eventful time AND the finances to replace my valuable key have not been easily accessible. Furthermore I TRULY feel that had it NOT been for the manufacturing fault of my BRAND NEW shorts, I would never have need to replace it!

Who checks BRAND NEW fitness gear for such faults?! I never have. I have always simply trusted in this brand that I pay GOOD MONEY for! These shorts are worth $70. Would you ever expect there to be an issue with them?!

Anyway, I have since tried to take this further and my complaint was reviewed by their own in-house panel. They have provided me with a report that states they fully admit the manufacturing fault, yet are not liable for the loss of my key.

Yep, as a teeny little unimportant consumer, its TOO BAD SO SAD and NO ONE cares! You do NOT have a voice and they couldn’t CARELESS what you lose, or the INCONVENIENCE you endure because of their “cheap and inferior” manufacturing processes.

I am absolutely GUTTED things have gone this way and I would always EVER only want to be able to sing praise for products and brands that I use and love!

Many of you know that I often DO share with you products and brands that I think are TOPS!!

Anyway, my reason for writing this is two-fold….I am shattered, let down and beyond disappointed in my shopping experience with a brand I truly adored for so long, and TWO, I would HATE for you to go through the same experience!

So I guess you can simply be careful to check items if you use them in a similar manner to how I do, OR join me in boycotting a brand that obviously does NOT value our custom….!

Seems clear to me that THESE DAYS, Lorna Jane is all about the bottom line.

You may disagree? You may think I am simply a sad-sack whinged who is simply looking to blame someone.

If you know me though that is DEFINITELY not my style and I did everything in my power to do this the right way. I was TRULY hoping the brand I have faithfully used day in, day out for years would hear and support me as a loyal follower. Not so….

In any case, I’d LOVE to hear your thoughts

All my love!

BridgetJane
Food Body Lifestyle Guru
www.newleafnutrition.com.au

I just adore yoga. These days.

It didn’t start out that way. In fact I would say I very much despised yoga. Each minute in the room was like torture…..I just couldn’t wait to escape….watching the clock tick tock away…each painstaking second…..

You may wonder why if I hated it so much I took myself there….?

Well really, it started as many things do by a kind of divine intervention. There was a new guy at the gym and he was super friendly and business focused. He had just started up a yoga studio and wanted everyone to know. But he was promoting it in a way that gelled for me. Not all pushy and “I’ll tell you all about me and my business” kind of way but in a genuinely friendly, “would be great to get to know you, I love yoga, why don’t you come try a free class” kind of way…

Something about him and his offer just told me to say “yes”.

So ambivalent, awkward & rigid, along I went.

And yes the first few classes I found absolutely torturous….horrendous….it was NOT my kinda thang!

Yet strangely, the after-feeling was nice….Nice enough in fact for me to go back despite my displeasure at the actual process of a class…

It took a LONG time for me to relax enough to enjoy a class….I’m talking “years” kinda long time….

In the beginning my head would continually talk….my mind would skit from here to there…i’d ache to MOVE fast (Back then I was a 10-14km a day fast runner kinda gal! Moving slowly was torture!)….

I questioned the use of the practice (to me moving slowly must have had little to no benefit..!?)….

I couldn’t do all the moves and that made me angry and frustrated….my body was stiff….and the mirrors…..I HATED THE MIRRORS!!!!

Looking at myself brought up one of my biggest challenges….my painfully critical body image….

I judged my body the ENTIRE time I was in class….being able to be present and enjoy the moves was nigh on impossible…..The entire class was a battle to just try and find a reflection that I liked…to try and see my body in a positive light…..

I’m not quite sure when things changed, but ever so slowly they did….

To the point that yoga became my refuge…a beautiful constant in my life that gave me a perspective and experience I could get no where else in life….an amazingly sacred time just to be with me…..

Just me, myself and I….

To hear myself….to move through emotions….to discover I could do things I never imagined I could….to see my body in a totally different light and appreciate it in a totally other way…to FEEL how gorgeous it felt to simply BREATHE, STRETCH and ALLOW myself the gift of 75 minutes that were about nothing other than RIGHT NOW…right this moment…..

Today yoga is an amazing aspect of my life that I cannot be more thankful for….I have yet to consistently take my practice to more than 1 class per week, but I cannot tell you how much over the past 4 years I have been able to transform through this consistent act….

And not just physically….in fact my physical transformation would be the most limited aspect….

I have transformed mentally and spiritually in such ways I cannot explain in words….

Yoga has taught me things that “life in the fast lane” just cannot….

It has become a best friend…a loyal companion…that THING I can really rely on to restore me to ME….

There is something certainly ever so magical and genius about the ritual and I encourage YOU, whoever you are, to give it a go….

I do mean it when I say it is one of the greatest gifts you can give yourself….

Persist with it….

I think it took me TWO FULL years before I actually started to ENJOY the PROCESS…..

But I was a hard nut to crack…! Just ask my teacher!! ;p

I will add there too that if it were NOT for my teachers patience, compassion, expert guidance, encouragement and kind words I would NEVER have stuck it out and I may NEVER have changed my attitude towards myself….

He taught me to be complimentary of myself…to be forgiving….to always keep trying….to respect my body and its beauty….not from an aesthetical point of view, but from a holistic point of view…its intelligence…its wisdom….its capability….

I am forever grateful that “that guy” took the time to let me know about his studio.

To this day his is the class I still go to….a 45 minute drive would never deter me….it is SO WORTH the journey, the time, the investment….

As I lay in my extended savassana today I realised that one major reason I love yoga SO MUCH is that I can feel totally nurtured, “hugged”, loved and supported by no-one or nothing other than me…

Me, myself and I….

Yoga will surely teach you the BEAUTY OF YOU…..if you allow it, it will connect you to the absolute beauty of the human form….of the magic of the unspoken aspects of life…to the POWER of NOW…

It surely is BLISS

Lotsa love,

BridgetJane
Food Body Lifestyle Guru
www.newleafnutrition.com.au

Before the boys get too excited here, let me just burst your bubble up front and be clear that this piece is probably NOT about what you think it is!

Now that we have that clear, let me continue

As I glanced in the mirror this morning whilst busily getting ready for my day, I noticed that I actually looked quite lovely (OMG I SAID IT!! haha).

It shocked me in a way because what I saw reflected back at me in this sheet of glass was NOTHING like I had been imagining in my head…..!

The image or look I had been living with for the past however long was dishevelled, unattractive, in fact quite hideous and awkward in every way imaginable….!

How bizarre!

Have you ever done this? Have you spent so much of your life NEVER looking in the mirror, afraid of what you might see, all the while imagining a vision that is hideous, undesirable, overweight, ugly and so on?

I bet you have!

What really hit home to me though is just how DRASTICALLY far apart the world of my head can be from that of REALITY and in how many other areas this most likely also applies….

The honest truth is I have been living within a cloud of GLUM for a couple of weeks….I’m not exactly sure why….I’ve not been my usual self.

Have been seeing the glass half-empty; grumbling about this and that; and really just feeling the WEIGHT OF THE WORLD on my shoulders…

Just like a summer storm, this cloud of grey has descended upon me quite out of the blue and at a time when truly I was the most aware and connected I had ever been….

Life was flowing, gold lined my path and there were rainbows all round. I was very grounded though. I had faced quite a few aspects of life I probably would preferred not to and for once in a long time I was seeing things as they were and not how I’d fantasise them to be…

So yes, this little slump truly caught me by surprise. And my power of observation has seemingly diminished. Like I don’t have the energy to be honest with myself and pull myself up. I’ve really been playing the part! Mopey Me….dragging my feet….unable to smile….not wanting to interact with people….a right old GRUMPY BUM!

So anyway, accompanying all of THIS has of course been the World Of My Head in which EVERYTHING is WRONG….I’m wrong. I’m lost. I’m going no where. I’m doing nothing. I can’t do anything. Everything is too hard. I may as well chuck in the towel and hide away cause I just can’t face the world…..

I just can’t seem to find my way, feel any clarity, connection or joy…..

And this morning has reminded me that THAT IS JUST A MADE UP STORY I AM WRITING IN MY HEAD. With each thought, with each moment I am choosing this glum line as THOUGH ITS THE TRUTH…..

But just like my reflection showed me earlier, WHATS GOING ON “IN HERE” can be WORLDS apart from what IS ACTUALLY going on out there.

So yes, today, right now, right this moment, BRIDGET STOP!!!!

Look in the mirror. SEE who you really are. APPRECIATE who you really are. STOP telling stories and SEE THE BEAUTY. Appreciate the beauty in the world like you so naturally often do and just SNAP OUT OF IT SISTER!!!

Pull your head out of your behind and put it firmly back on your shoulders where you can see what is really going on, get re-aligned and re-connected!

I will continue my talking to myself as i progress through my morning, and if you too have been living in a world of head, I hope you too do the same!

Check in later!

All my love!

BridgetJane
Food Body Lifestyle Guru
www.newleafnutrition.com.au

It seems that no matter how well-tuned and practiced your awareness, just like a few missed days at the gym can mean old “muscle-wasting, fat gaining” habits can creep in, so too can the slip of a few negative thoughts turn into a tidal wave of egoically interpreted and perceived “reality”.

Lately I have watched how easy it is to slip into Victim mode when things are not going my way in life…. Sure when all is cruising along, my spirit soars, my optimism is high and I can do ANYTHING….!

Yet LOOK OUT if things decide to get TOUGH and ‘UNFAIR’…..!

Out comes the brat. The temper tantrums. And the “It’s not fair!” stomping of the feet and pouting of the lips.

In all honesty, it’s embarrassing.

Yet, too, it is humerous to observe. Interesting to see my human self in action and how within the space of a few seconds I can crumble from “have-it-all-together-connected-living-in-my-spirit” woman, to “sulky-victimised-can’t-cope” child!

I have really seen how my ego acts up and why.

It does not like this BIG GAME called LIFE. There is too much uncertainty. Too much unknown. Too much that is beyond it’s ‘power of control’.

It prefers instead the SMALL GAMES. The petty ones. The games where IT KNOWS the moves like the back of it’s hand! Totally in it’s comfort zone…..

To keep it from feeling out of control, powerless, afraid and conquered it will do all it can to enrol me in these small, petty games.

That voice that whispers…. “You are fat”…..”You’re unloveable”….”Nothing you do is ever right”….”You will never get ahead, why try?”….”Life is hard”….”People cannot be trusted”…..”The world is unfair”…..”Your partner doesn’t really love you”….”Things can’t be this good, something is going to go wrong”….”You can’t do it on your own”…”WHO ARE YOU to be great/successful/acknowledged/a leader????!”….

And the thing about this voice is it is PERSISTENT…..just waiting for a moment of weakness….looking for a chance to pounce on “evidence” that it indeed is correct….

I have learnt my “default distractions” now…..the things that RELIABLY step in when I think things are going so well….flowing along….

“Ahhhhh yes I have this thing called life HANDLED! Woooooo!”

Then BANG!!! In creeps the voice….!

“Who are you…?!”

“You are nothing….you are no one….you are fat”….

BLAH BLAH BLAH….

And mostly, for a while now, I’ve had IT handled. Observed with curiosity. Not enrolled in any of the stories. Stuck to my meditation, journalling, walking in nature…..creating space to SEE it in action without being “hooked in”….

Yet the events of the past week REALLY took me off the rails! All my insecurities were thrown in my face…..Financial issues; relationship worries; body image SHIT…..

It’s SO PREDICTABLE and BORING I may as well enter the story line to the Bold and the Beautiful…..!

Really….after ALL these years you’d THINK I’d have had enough, got the drama signs sorted and said NO MORE….!

But I guess that is part of being a HUMAN…..

We are one of the rare creatures that actually has an awareness of oneself….and part of that means that we can become all too focused on ourselves and forget the BIG PICTURE of life…..what is really important…what role we play in the grand scheme of things and the dynamics of life itself….

So yes….

If I can share anything with you today, it is merely to be aware of how the ego operates and why….

As long as it has you enrolled in SMALL games and trivial issues, it has YOU handled. It has you in it’s corner where you are “safe”, “predictable” and “controllable”…..

You are not free to really engage in LIFE….in the BIG game….where ANYTHING CAN HAPPEN and often does…..

THAT possibility is WAY TOO MUCH for the limited ego to handle…..

So observe yourself with curiosity…..

What are your “default drama’s/distractions” that keep you playing the SAME OLD SMALL game over and over and keep you “safe” from the uncertainty of LIFE?

Can we engage our SPIRIT and our KNOWN TRUTH to courageously meet the reality of an unknown world? Can we look beyond the surface/obvious and tangible STUFF of life and learn to use our very best navigational tool….?

Can we disengage the intellect and mind enough to allow the trusty intuition of our spirit and “old soul” selves to step in?

Can we find the balance of living both as a physical being in human form as well as a soul always connected to something greater and all powerful?

I wonder…..

LOVE to hear your thoughts and reflections Please leave your comments below

LOVE always,

BridgetJane
Food Body Lifestyle Guru
www.newleafnutrition.com.au

Imagine….

Waking in the middle of the night to your puppy’s frantic scratching at your bedroom door.

You usually wear glasses or contacts as you cannot see more than 3 feet in front of you, however, when you get up in the middle of the night somehow you don’t bother with your sight as all your other senses kick in and allow you to navigate the house silently and without disruption.

This eve is no different.

In the dark you throw back the sheets and swing your legs over the side of the bed expecting to be meet, as usual, by the soft, stable grounding of the carpet.

Yet, you quickly realise something is amiss. Instead your feet, ankles and shins are immersed in water.

“What is going on? Am I dreaming?” You wonder.

Your puppy is still urgent at the door. Whimpering. Panicking. Trying to get in. The storm outside is still raging as it was when you went to bed.

You walk through the water thinking that it must be a bad dream and soon you will wake up. You are still stumbling in the dark.

You open your bedroom door and there your puppy jumps on you. Scared. Frantic. At this point you decide it would be a good idea to TURN THE LIGHT ON!

As you do, your eyes- fuzzy as they are- realise that something is very wrong. There is a river of muddy water ALL THROUGH THE HOUSE. Everywhere is it mid-calf level.

You panic. What is going on??

“Dad!” You yell to your father sleeping in the back of the house. “Dad!!!”

As you make your way down to his room, he is startled.

“What is going on?” He is not quite with it yet.

“OMG, OMG, OMG….we are FLOODING….”

You cannot believe what you are seeing. Walking back to your bedroom to get your phone you take in more of what is really going on. Water is EVERYWHERE. All around. Inside, outside, left, right…..

There is NO WHERE where water isn’t. No dry ground.

As you walk back into your bedroom, you feel the rising carpet beneath your feet. Bubbling. Expanded. You start worrying about what you are walking in….Sewerage? Bugs? Spiders? UGGGHHH!

The smell begins to infiltrate your nostrils. Adrenaline pumps through your veins and dilates your pupils….The cats are the same. The dog is still panicking. She is fretting. Trying to find dry ground anywhere.

You reach your phone and realise it has been plugged into a now submerged power board. 3% battery. Bloody Hell.

You ring your partner who is over at his brothers waiting for the rain to subside and totally unaware of the destruction unfolding at home.

“Babe….” Your voice is urgent and panicked. “We are flooding…. We ARE FLOODING….” The disbelief fuels your voice.

“What?” He asks. The phone cuts out.

Shit. Shit. Shit…..

“What am I supposed to do?” So much is flashing through your mind. Is the water going to keep rising? You fight visions of being immersed up to your waist in water…..of having no way out…..

Now you are fumbling and stumbling around trying to find a phone charger. Who do you call? Who will know what to do? Do we evacuate? What about the animals? What is important to save?

“I DONT KNOW WHAT TO DO” Screams through your system.

This way, that.

This is just so surreal you have no idea how to handle things.

Your father is fumbling around saying something about getting everything off the ground. Unplug things.

“Get what off the ground? What??? What is important???” You are struggling to tap into your knowing. What is important here?

Do we need to evacuate?

The whole thing is a nightmare. You hear people outside. Your neighbour is screaming, “Is there anyone there?” You glimpse them wading through waist deep water out the front.

No…..Don’t go there….

You want to know what your “safe, conservative, know it all” neighbour on the other side is doing. He always knows what to do. You yell out the window to him. No answer.

All you can do is rely on yourself.

Your authoritative self kicks in. Get your laptop and get some charge on your phone. Ok.

You do that. It takes a while however soon you are able to make calls.

You reconnect with your partner. He cannot get in. The water is too deep. The SES are evacuating houses around you.

This whole chaos continues for at least 90 minutes…

Then suddenly, like a miracle, you hear your dad yell, “The water is going”…..

You see, yes, it’s subsiding. Going down.

OMG. What a relief. Slowly, millimetre by millimetre it is disappearing.

Now what? You are left wondering what to do……

This guys was MY reality just two nights ago.

Shocking. Nonsensical. Surreal.

My once safe, contained, clean, secure, YUMMY home TOTALLY swamped with water. Totally take over by the forces of Mother Nature.

Everything we owned submerged in a muddy, flowing river. No separation from the outside elements. Everything once outside now IN.

I am still in shock, yet surprisingly so calm.

The whole saga has been merely a real-time embodiment of meeting NOW with NOW. Of not thinking of 5 minutes ago, yesterday or last week, or similarly of in 5 minutes time, tomorrow or next week. It has been all about NOW.

What to do? Where to start?

It has been a whole exercise and training in just beginning where is obvious and immersing in that task till completion and moving on to the next. Of learning not to become overwhelmed by the sheer gravity and proportion of the challenge, but to simply meet it one little step at a time.

First, get everything off the ground. Chuck what is ruined. Preserve what is ‘saveable’ and important to keep.

Then, rip up the carpet. One room at a time.

Deal with the entire situation one moment at a time. One item at a time.

It has taught me what I have intellectually understood for such a long while and given me an opportunity to embody it.

NOTHING MATTERS except NOW…..

Nothing….

Rummaging through all my destroyed memories, there was no emotion. My beautiful cards, photo’s, letters. Written to me by people i cherish. Expressing the most beautiful of sentiments. How much I mean to them, what I have done for them, what they love about me….

“Let it all go”…I was guided to simply let it all go…..Get rid of it all…..

As much as my “human self” would be devastated about all of this, my higher self was not worried. It knew these memories, as are ALL memories, were sentiments of the past. Of a time now gone. Never to be again. As nice as they are they don’t MEAN ANYTHING….they were an expression and capturing of a MOMENT…..of a PERSPECTIVE….

So with fair ease, I once and for all parted with my past. One item at a time I evaluated the importance. And I honestly found it hard to find anything important. A part of me was so accepting and perhaps RELIEVED of the situation….

“Let it all go…..none of it matters”

Gosh it was cathartic. And the process will continue today.

Honestly. What IS IMPORTANT????

As far as I can SOLIDIFY for myself through this experience STUFF and THINGS are NOT IMPORTANT and in fact they are a futile and misguided placement of energy and resources.

IMAGINE if I had’ve been ATTACHED to the STUFF and THINGS yesterday “perfect”, yet today “ruined” by forces beyond me. Of nature itself.

Imagine the trauma I would be going through. Of the grieving.

None of it is important.

Life is a constantly flowing force. It never stops, it always changes.

Why are some of us so busy trying to pretend that STUFF and THINGS are important? Are worth working our arses off for? Of selling our soul for?

We come here with nothing and we leave with nothing.

All we have are the EXPERIENCES we live through in the moment.

I am SO GRATEFUL that I was NOT ATTACHED to many of the things I had to let go of yesterday. I am SO GRATEFUL for the opportunity to become LESS attached to the things I perhaps placed importance and misguided energy on and into.

I am SO GRATEFUL for the opportunity to realise that life is created anew in EVERY MOMENT and that NOTHING REALLY MATTERS……

I am SO GRATEFUL for being able to once and for all EMBODY concepts I perhaps really only gave LIP SERVICE to.

All that matters is NOW. Leave the past where it belongs and be in the PRESENT.

Life is NOT ABOUT the accumulation of STUFF and THINGS….

It is about something much more ORDINARY.

EXTRA- ORDINARY……

Nothing more than the EXPERIENCE of the unique expression of our innermost selves, and other’s innermost selves…..the meeting of souls in human form…..of being able to KNOW ourselves and others as living, breathing beings…..

Of being able to experience all that is wonderful about being a human being…..Physical touch….sight…smell….taste….sound….

All these wonderful things.

To enjoy our earth AS IT WAS CREATED. In all it’s glory…..

It seems that Mother Nature will not be reckoned with….

If we refuse to honour, obey and respect her power, she will come and meet us where we are at to REMIND us….

“WAKE UP! You cannot over power me. You cannot beat me. Life is not about controlling, fixing, changing or DOING. It is not about ruining resources, accumulating wealth, status, stuff and things……you are here as a GUEST, and you are here for a FINITE time….ENJOY IT….wake up and ENJOY IT….realise where your time and energy is being misguidingly placed and reassess. Re-direct. Start over. Realise what is TRUE and REAL in life. That nothing OUT THERE is true or real. Only what lives within. The INTANGIBLE….the stuff you cannot see or touch….you can only FEEL and KNOW….
The past is dead and gone, move on! It is never to BE again….Let go….Be free and allow life to unfold….”

The meeting of life with nothing but our pure, present essence as each moment unfolds will create a magical experience.

A MAGICAL LIFE.

THAT is all that matters….

To your EXTRA-ORDINARY life,

BridgetJane

Food Body Lifestyle Guru
www.newleafnutrition.com.au

It is no secret to many that I love what I do.

And to some who know me more personally/intimately, it is no secret that for a while now I have been taking quite a different path to the traditional “diet/health/body/exercise” paradigm that exists in the mainstream.

To those who know me UBER well, they will concur with the reality that more recently I have been covering personal territory that has taken me to some very deep and dark depths. It has been an exploration of the shadows of life. Of the “scary’s”…..of the denied….of the big hairy monsters…..

And although to the outside it may have seemed as though I had “lost the plot”, in fact on the inside I have been “finding the truth”…..

I have come through to a space and consciousness that has me vibrating and operating at a level and frequency I have in the past only known for mere glimpses of time. A spark of inspiration. A few days of a high. Yet lately I find myself in shall I say a “zone” in which I feel guided 24/7.

I hear whispers answering my questions, telling me to go left or right, to keep my mouth shut here or to explore that path over there. It has been such a beautifully enlightening time and incredibly exciting….

Exciting in a calm way though. A grounded, “here on the earth yet connected to something higher” kind of way.

And I have been getting messages. Important messages. Urgent messages.

And not only are these messages, whispers and urges answering and guiding my own “problems”, “challenges”, frustrations and health issues, they have also been doing the same for others.

So today here with you I would like to share one of those very urgent, very pertinent messages.

And it comes through in the form of a very profound question.

What if…….

What if all of your Diet Dilemma’s, Weight Woes, Health Hinderances, Energy Emergencies and Body Image Battles were in fact Divine messages “whispering” to you from a higher source? From a Divine Source? From the place from which we have been sent. From the place we were once WHOLE, COMPLETE, CONNECTED and PERFECT?

You see, although I was baptised Catholic and educated at a Catholic school, I never truly “believed in God” per-say. I was always a skeptic. A rebel. My own cause. I believed in myself and that was about it. For a very long time I was a “know-it-all” who had all the answers and who quite often was closed off to new ideas. I had my neat, controlled and tidy model of the world. I got it. I ruled it and I did not want anyone or anything to threaten that….So barriers and closing off were all but essential to keep myself feeling as though I had it all together…

Yet one day, my mum insisted on taking me to a spiritual healer. Someone who she wanted to do a ‘process’ with me that she thought would help my- as she saw me- “troubled self”. Since somewhere DEEP INSIDE there was an aspect of me who felt that PERHAPS indeed I was in a bit of a dire situation and PERHAPS indeed someone else may just be able to help me, I went along. My attitude was simply that I was entertaining my “nagging mother”. Keeping her happy. Keeping her “off my back”.

So with crossed arms, a closed mind and an “unreachable” heart, I went off to see this woman who my mother had so much faith in. Expecting to meet an “off with the fairies, tree-hugging-hippy” I was TOTALLY humbled when before me presented an extremely NORMAL looking lady. Someone who I also learned was not so long ago a very straight down the line accountant. Someone who was once a wife and still a mother. Someone who was very much like me. REAL. Very real. What’s more she was fairly YOUNG….

Suddenly my heart, mind and self OPENED. Something about this woman transcended all my prior hesitations and scepticism and drove STRAIGHT into my inner knowing. I didn’t know why but I trusted this lady. I didn’t know what she was going to do and I was STILL very skeptical of the process she was about to undertake, yet in what felt like a very surreal and suspended time, I simply allowed myself to go with it…

As I allowed myself to open up to this process, THINGS STARTED TO HAPPEN. I SAW things. I FELT things. And I at some stage began to CRY. I was intensely surprised by this. Aware of my crying yet seemingly suspended somewhere else, all I was able to do was “watch myself”…..My crying got deeper. I sobbed. I balled. I just could not control the tears. So much sorrow inside of me. So much pain. Hurt. Rejection. Betrayal. I was nothing more than a little girl who felt so utterly alone, lost and abandoned by a figure who I looked upon as my hero. My dad. My step-dad. There I was with him in this “circle”…..I had to talk to him… tell him how I felt and then…. I had to forgive him… to hug him….

There was so much resistance and pain within me, yet slowly, with time I could no longer fight the truth that all I really wanted was love….All I wanted was to be embraced….to feel safe….to feel adored…..

And as I opened up to this truth, embraced my dad in what was the most beautifully delicious bear hug of all time….I dropped into another “place”…..

An experience of Source…..of a void so indescribably beautiful I struggle to this day to explain it…..yet to this day I carry that memory of feeling so utterly supported, loved and at peace….

There I was TOTALLY ALONE in the middle of a HUGE, HUGE ocean…..floating on my back… bobbing with the rhythm of the waves….no fear….no pain….no aloneness…no uncertainty….

Just pure presence….

A deeply dark sky…. a totally tranquil realm….I have never felt SO REAL…..

It was…DIVINE…..

In any case, I left that lady’s house that day a DIFFERENT PERSON. My relationship with my step-father was transformed and my heart and mind had OPENED…..not completely, in fact it could be argued ONLY A FRACTION….yet there sprouted an aspect of my life that over the years grew stronger and stronger and to this day continues to strengthen….

From a totally “western-trained” medical/health system student and professional, who would never EVER consider ANYTHING that was not scientifically validated with “proper empirical research, data and evidence”, to a woman who to this day continues to explore a world in which I live with an open-heart. A world that cannot be “controlled”, “known”, understood or reasoned with. A world that is CONSTANTLY changing, sometimes unbelievably “cruel” and yet so hauntingly beautiful and mysterious…..

It has been an ongoingingly intriguing journey….an utterly captivating and at times intensely challenging “dance”….Yet the more I open, explore, ask and reflect, the more I “remember”, “re-learn”, embody and KNOW…..

And what has grown within me, through this entire time of “external existence” has been an increasingly stronger sense of what is often called the DIVINE….

Some say God. Others Allah. Others Buddha. Others Source. There are so many names and forms it seems for something we all agree is an aspect of life, ourselves and the “unknown” that JUST IS…..

Just IS beyond explanation. Just IS so magical, powerful, captivating and UNREAL…..

The only way I know to summarise or encapsulate “it” with respect for all, is simply to say the Divine.

And the message that has been urging to come through me over the past few days is as follows…..

We were once connected, whole, complete and perfect. We once knew who we were, why we were sent to earth and what it was we were to do with our time here…

Yet somewhere through the process of our conception in human form, and then later, through our birth and “separation” from a totally safe, secure, warm place in which all our needs were met, we FORGOT…..we were wounded….we were “rejected”….we found “evidence” through experience that we were “unlovable”, “incomplete” and somehow “not good enough”….that on own own we were inevitably doomed for failure and death and that we needed something, someone and perhaps LOTS of those somethings and someones outside of us to make sure we would be ok….

We became, through our PHYSICAL disconnection (cutting of the umbilical chord), increasingly emotionally and spiritually disconnected. We forgot that we were more than just a physical being…. Or perhaps we did “maintain” our spiritual faith, yet truthfully we struggled deep down to “believe in” or KNOW our continued/ongoing/never-ever disconnected, CONNECTION!!!

YES!!!

THIS is what I have been “getting” that many of our PHYSICAL/WORDLY challenges are about….

Our AMNESIA.

Our amnesia about WHO WE REALLY ARE, WHAT WE ARE HERE TO DO and ULTIMATELY our INHERENT wholeness, completeness and connectedness…..

Our GREATNESS….our POWER…..our DIVINITY…..

It seems so many of us are walking around in a fog…..a thick heavy fog which at times feels IMPOSSIBLE to navigate.

We have come to rely SO MUCH on our PHYSICAL FORM that we have totally forgotten and weakened our ability to know ourselves as something MUCH more than a mere physical being…..

So…..without at this stage knowing how to articulate more for you I say….

SEE BEYOND THE PHYSICAL…..

Dive deeper…..

LISTEN to your PHYSICAL symptoms, challenges, frustrations and “ailments”, and embrace them as the divine message and gift they are…..

What are they WHISPERING to you? What are they URGING you?

If they had a voice what would they say….?

If your “diet dilemma’s” are indeed God/Allah/Buddha/Source trying to speak to you, WHAT are they saying….?

Just entertain the perspective…..just for a moment suspend your nature as a human to close off, shield and protect, and OPEN UP to the possibility…..

As a spirit, as a soul, as a DIVINE BEING what do you HEAR? What do you GET?

Is it possible that these physical experiences are calling you to nurture, rehabilitate, strengthen and LIVE your TRUTH….? Your CONNECTION…? Your WHOLENESS…..? Your SPIRIT?

More simply, could diet dilemma’s be the Divine/Divine Guidance trying to speak with you in a way your “Human-self” understands?

I would LOVE to hear your thoughts….

LOTS OF LOVE,

BridgetJane
Food Body Lifestyle Guru
www.newleafnutrition.com.au

Today I have to have a boast! I have to blow my own trumpet, sing my own praises and rant my own rave…..! (hehe)

Reason being is NONE of us really do it enough…..!

Sure, we may have moments of egoic boasting and broadcasting, yet moments of humble, pure, connected self-appreciation can be few and far between! All too often we are GO, GO, GO, PUSH, PUSH, PUSH and instead of savouring in moments of glory for truly hard earned ‘successes/achievements/milestones’ we are straight onto the NEXT thing without pause, breathe or hesitation, almost as though our sense of worth depended on it….

Perhaps I am just speaking for myself here?….Nevertheless I shall continue…

Yesterday, I sat down to do an activity I DREAD EVERY year….And EACH YEAR I promise myself I WILL NOT let it get on top of me like I did “last” year, and “I WILL be more organised and do-it-as-i-go”…..Yet ALWAYS, without fail, I get immersed, totally absorbed in LIFE and doing what I am doing that I neglect to keep up as I had intended and before I know it, it’s THAT time again….!

Yep! I am talking about Professional Accreditation and “proving” my ongoing and Continuing Professional Development each year…..As APDs (Accredited Practicing Dietitian’s) we are REQUIRED to document our CPD activity to show that we are maintaining our professional competency to an acceptable and ‘up to date’ level….There are a minimum number of hours that need to be accounted for each year, and a minimum range of competencies that must be covered.

The CPD cycle causes (I used to say FORCED ;P) us to reflect on our practice and it’s effectiveness, as well as identifying areas for improvement and potential growth opportunities. As alluded to, I used to resent this whole process as TRULY I NEVER stop researching, reading, practicing, LEARNING and attempting to capture it all was one big PAIN IN THE A**E….

These days though, and yesterday was a GREAT example, I am able to TRULY appreciate and be thankful for the framework. Additionally, yesterday I had tears and chills of gratitude for the process as it enabled me to REALLY acknowledge HOW FAR I HAVE COME- not just as a professional, but as a conscious, real and AMAZING human being…..!

Where I was twelve months ago as a practitioner and person, is a MILLION MILES from where I am today….

For that realisation I am so HUMBLED, JOYED and APPRECIATIVE…..

It made me, with FULL CLARITY register just how INCREDIBLY INTELLIGENT we are as humans and how much we are capable of….

Our capacity and potential for growth, expansion, transformation and change is LIMITLESS and although I see this over and over in clients, I think sometimes I forget that I TOO am capable of remarkable change

So yes it was a refreshing moment

To add to this moment of “humble-pride”, just this morning I had a TINGLING-all-over and TEAR-producing experience that allowed me to fully embody a deep understanding of just how REMARKABLE us human beings are….

I texted an ex-VIP client (now wonderful girlfriend!!) for her birthday and she replied,

“Thank you, thank you lovely Bridget! Today marks a year since I called you!! I will be having an amazing day! We will have to catch up ASAP!! Xox”

And yes…it is true….

TO THIS DAY 1 year ago, this beautiful girl rang me- terrified, lost, in uncontrollable tears….

She just couldnt imagine a way out of her “battle”…. She had been struggling for years with what the “officials” would class anorexia…

She was very sick, very afraid…..yet something made her call me that day KNOWING it was what she needed….

WOW!!! What a difference!

Today this gorgeous woman is a MILLION MILES from where she was just twelve months ago!!

Arguably a DIFFERENT PERSON!! Or more accurately, just her REAL self!!

Happy, healthy, confident, free!! A career shift, location move….Living life up with PASSION, HOPE, ASPIRATIONS and POSITIVITY

Her life is no longer compulsively run by the need to PUSH and punish her body with mammoth amounts of grueling daily exercise, nor to excessively restrict her calories, nor to spend EVERY waking moment consumed and tormented by thoughts about her body, food and exercise….

Honestly….. WORLDS apart!!!

So yes, today I am PROUD

I am TRULY humbled….

I am GRATEFUL….

It is both an HONOUR and PRIVELLEGE to do what I do and I just want to say THANKS!

Thanks to ME! Thanks to the UNIVERSE! Thanks to YOU!

I feel SO connected and on purpose these days……

Although I still have moments of darkness and doubt, MOSTLY I feel guided…..

Lately I have had a few tail-spin ‘episodes’ for sure, yet I have recognised with thanks how these have only served to push and prompt me to REALIGN with my path & purpose…to keep me ACCOUNTABLE…. to SHIFT me to greater heights….to stop me from playing out the same old, boring pattern….

I feel like the recent past has been a very climatic time showing me with CLARITY how when I step into FEAR, decline into doubt or REACT with my woundedness, the S**T REALLY hits the fan….It ALL goes pear-shaped….

I have been able to progressively EMBODY the understanding that how I used to live just WON’T FLY ANYMORE….

I am NOT the girl I used to be…..I am NOT the small, helpless, fearful, in-need-of-protection and saving ‘child’ that I had fallen into being….

I am a WOMAN….

I am a conscious, connected, compassionate, capable and totally HUMAN human being

I have GROWN…..

So I ask you…..Have you recently reflected on your growth? Have you taken the time to consider where you have been, where you are and where you are going?

I HIGHLY encourage you to take yourself through a similar process to which I explained above, where you can REWIND back to this day 12 months ago….

What was going on for you? Where were you? How did you feel?

And don’t be fooled….INNER growth and journeying is just as profound, and arguably more NOBLE, NOTABLE and WORTHY than any EXTERNAL goals, achievements or successes….

So, just as I discussed in my last post (Depression….a gift?), even if you FEEL like you are stagnant, going nowhere, stuck and overwhelmed, see how where you are IS a MASSIVE POTENTIAL GROWTH SPACE for you to leverage

No matter where you are on your journey, it is ALL perfect…..

Reflect….

It is a beautiful human capacity and quality

I hope you enjoy embracing it

PS- If you would love to read MILLION MILES apart MORGAN, please go here

LOADS OF LOVE to YOU!

BridgetJane
Food Body Lifestyle Guru
www.newleafnutrition.com.au