I write a lot on my blog about wellbeing, creativity, gratitude and love. This has a lot to do with my practise of yoga which I took up on a serious level about 5 years. I have always dabbled in yoga but never quite found the right fit for it into my life. Over the last few years I have a better understanding of how yoga can support my life, it is a gateway to  all these things that are important to me, wellbeing, creativity, gratitude and love. 

Here is an article I recently wrote for Power Yoga in Manly, it's a little insight into how yoga has enhanced mine and my husbands lives. Enjoy!

I am not sure if it is meant to take a painter over 12 months to finish a painting. Spiritual Warrior has been a journey, as with most of my art, I really do not know where she came from. The painting started on it's path with my beautiful friend Kiera. Kiera wanted to paint and so with I as her teacher we started on our sessions which covered so many things. The beauty of creativity is not just the paint and materials but also the therapy it provides, the ability to let go and show your vulnerability on the canvas, to be non - judgmental. It can help you to tap into your intuition not just on the canvas but expanding into everyday life. In my teachings I also coaxed how to detach from what is happening with the painting and let it evolve. So as Kiera painted so did I, side by side - connection was what we found, not only together but with our materials and within ourselves. Spiritual Warrior is a 12 month story of - grief and loss, sadness Motherhood, nature, joy, yoga, love and Dharma - Life Purposes. The paining was aptly completed while I was on Power Yoga's, Modern Day Yogi Project an amazing 6 weeks of self study, yoga and health. Spiritual Warrior is not around for long but you can see her soon at the beautiful Sam's shop, Late September in Glenbrook. 

I found a "Wishing Wall" in my beautiful Manly today, it is the best place for little discoveries. I took some time to read what others had wished for, some funny, some moving, a lot were generous and some shared their own personal wishes. Funny enough I spotted a wish that resonated with me "To be an ARTIST". My first response was that I wanted to tell that person that they were already an artist and probably didn't know it. All my life I wanted to be an artist and I just didn't believe I was good enough. Through a very long process of self discovery/study I came to realise that my perception of what an artist meant didn't serve me or my need and desire to live a creative life. This quote (Thank you Redbubble) came across my desk today (all such auspicious timing). It kinda sums it up nicely, wraps a bow around it and lands in your lap as gift. This is what I would love to be able to let that person know who wished their wish at the Manly Wishing Wall.

"If there’s one piece of advice I wish someone had told me years ago, it would be to create with the assumption that you’re allowed to be an artist. I wish someone had said, “it’s okay, you can do this, you can be an artist and nobody’s going to try and take it away from you.”

So much to do and explore around this neck of the woods. A clean out happened but it hasn't opened up any extra space at all, some writing and playing with elephants. A walk along a new undiscovered (to us) headland, I taught one of my beautiful boys how to make a Mandala and I am in love with the sultry tones of Sam Smith (and my coffee). Have a great weekend.

A very beautiful friend of mine bought this original art work for her daughter. She wanted it to be a reminder to her that she had the ability & the potential to be creative. The word un-limiting usually refers to the mind and its experience with the Divine, it is a word used in Buddhist teachings to also express the minds freedom and peace.  How do we get free from limitations? 

I am  big believer that everyone can be creative and the only thing holding people back is the limitations that they put on themselves. 
"I'm not creative".
"I take bad photos".
"Art is not my thing".

Everyone has the potential to make beautiful things, we do it everyday with out even realising. We cook delicious meals to nourish our bodies, we use creative methods to parent and many more. If you believe you are a creative being and unlimit the mind, imagine how much happiness it would provide to your life? 

“We think that accomplishing things will complete us, when it is experiencing life that will.” 
Mark Nepo

The last of my "Aloha" wood art panels went to it's new home last week. I know it will be loved and is part of a new beginning.

 Letting go is hard but done kindly can be valuable, work with what is working and not was isn't. be Brave to transform and change what you know isn't right.

The above pictures show two paintings at three different stages. A blossoming of the paintings took over once I could detached myself from trying to control the outcome.

"You know what’s wrong with you, Miss whoever you are? You’re chicken, you’ve got no guts. You’re afraid to stick out your chin and say “Ok life’s a fact, people do fall in love, people do belong to each other because that’s the only chance any body’s got for real happiness. You call yourself a free spirit a wild thing and you’re terrified somebody’s going to stick you in a cage. Well baby you’re already in that cage, you built it yourself and it’s not bounded on the west by Tulip, Texas or on the east by Somaliland it’s where ever you go, because no matter where you run, you just end up running into yourself.” 
- Paul Varjak (Fred)

This is an art work I made for a Black & White exhibition (that I never entered). It now belongs to a beautiful lady in my life. I never quite realised, at the time of falling in love with the above quote out of Breakfast at Tiffany's, that it was about the importance of showing your vulnerabilities to someone you trust to maintain connection.