Good Green Goodness and Yumo Factor

With all this hot weather in Van City I have been craving and wanting tons and tons of salads, fresh veggies, and fruits! Yep yep I can not get enough of any of these. So this week I have decided to give you all a little taste on one of my favourite salads and dressing; a goodie green salad with maple sesame dressing!!! I know I know it sounds yummy just by its self but the best part of this salad is it is totally detoxing and has no unnatural sugars in it but yet it hits a bit of a sweet note! So with out further waiting here it is....

Goodie Green Salad with Maple Sesame Dressing

For the Salad (Keep in mind this is a goof for you salad,

so try to use organic ingredients if possible):

2 cups of Kale (I like baby kale)

2 full baby Bok Choy's

1/4 shredded Red Cabbage 

1 large Carrot, shredded or chopped which ever you prefer

1 Tbsp of hemp seeds or sesame seeds

For the Dressing:

1 Tbsp of Olive Oil

1 Tbsp of Sesame oil

2 Tbsp of Apple Cider Vinegar

1 Tbsp of REAL Maple Syrup

1 Tbsp of G-free Soya Sauce

1 clove of crushed garlic 

1. Combine all ingredients for the dressing and set aside.

2. Combine all the salad ingredients and douse with dressing!!! 

3. Sit back and enjoy!!!! 

Rose Coloured Glasses

A simple path with great beauty.

Never have I felt more in love with everything around me than in the past few weeks. Sure there are things that I would change slightly but over all I am more in love than ever before. The first week that I was in Vancouver I thought that it was just the place its self that was making me feel so bubbly but then I realized this was not it. After thinking and meditating on this puzzling subject for the last two weeks the answer has become very clear to me as to why I am falling in love with everything, everyday. The answer its self is simple, beauty is a choice and when you see beauty you feel love.

Since I have been in Vancouver everything I lay my eyes on looks beautiful and I am instantly in love with it. Talking to friends and family back home they all say the same thing, "of course you are in love with everything, it is hard not to be when everything is so beautiful around you!", and this is true...but it is not the core of the truth. See I found the prairies very beautiful, and I was quite in love most of the time back home as well. Here I am in love with everything from the side walk, the beautiful redwoods, the rain forest, the ocean, the mountains, the homeless man on the corner, the transit, all of it. The difference is not in the place its self, home had tons of beauty in it as well, the difference lies in the fact that I am choosing to see love and beauty everywhere and in everything. I am choosing to recognize that everything in this world no matter what it is, who it is, or where it is, has beauty in it; this in turn makes me fall in love everyday.

Looking out into the dry coulees with love.

The act of choosing to see beauty and love in all things is as easy as you make it. I am still human and I recognize when situations and places are not ideal for me but I choose to find the love and beauty in the situation that makes it a temporary place/thing in my life, this makes it easy. Beauty is what you make of it, you get to choose what is beautiful in your life, so why would you choose to see everything as ugly, dull, or drab? When we choose to see the beauty in everything around us not only do we tend to look at ourselves as more beautiful but we feel happier and more light. Think of it this way, when you look at a picture of an amazing sunset with a so called ugly building in it, you find beauty in the sunset you have a warm, beautiful, loving feeling about the sunset and then the picture its self. You just need to apply that way of looking at things to the rest of your life and the feeling becomes more common and more constant. We take focus from the negative and flip the focus to the positive. When we see the beauty in all the things and situations around us it makes us fall in love, after all how can

you not love something that is beautiful?

A tin roof and dirt become a sprouting garden and morning tea look out.

I challenge you to take a few minutes each day to see beauty in things, places, people, and situations you have never thought of before and see with just those few moments how it affects your over all life; your mood, thoughts, and self awareness. Slowly over two to three weeks spend more and more time each day doing this, looking at everything around you as beautiful, and watch how in that time you fall more in love each and everyday with more and more of your life. We can all wear the rose coloured glasses if we want to.

The Lost Art

The ocean in Vancouver.

After two weeks of craziness and the big move out to the coast I am finally here and settled in, in Vancouver. This place that I have found and will now call home has the most amazing feeling to it that I have ever felt. I have said before that I knew in my heart that this was where I needed to go and be but it was more than my heart that lead me this way. My intuition, a longing, and my higher self lead me to this beautiful city and place I now live. It was my listening and actually acting on what I was being told that made it all possible. I have talked before about different ways to receive guidance, help, and signs from your higher self and guides but nothing will help you if you do not learn to listen. Listening is a lost art for some but it is an art that we all must learn if we want to connect with our true selves and essence.

Everyone has an intuition and everyone has the ability to use it. In fact our intuition is the main way that our guides and higher self communicate with us. Actually listening to what your intuition, or some people call it gut, is tell you will get you to the places that you need to be and feeling the greatness that is within you.

 It took me along time to learn to actually listen to what my intuition was telling me, I would hear my intuition but I would not take note in what it was saying and I would barely ever actually do what it was telling me to do. I started wondering why I was in the place that I was in, even though I do not regret anything or anywhere I have been in my life, but I knew I was destined for more. I spent most of my days questioning decisions I had made and things I had done because I knew they were not in my best interest.

One day it dawned on me...Why was ignoring these feelings and senses that I had? Why was I not listening to my gut, when I knew it was leading me to greatness? I was not listening because I had lost the art of listening to myself, just like most people in today's society. I was a great listener when it came to others, it was what I was trained to do, but I had lost the art of listening to myself, my intuition, my higher self, and my guides. This was when I made a vow to start to learn the art of listening again.

I started off slowly with just learning to be alone with myself and listen to my thoughts. Then I graduated to listening to my thoughts in public settings full of commotion. Meditation became my friend and soul mate in any setting. Then finally I could hear my intuition and guides clearly in any setting. I had began a journey like none other.

I now listen to what my guides and what my intuition is telling me daily. I interact with myself in a way that is full of self knowledge and love for what I have to say to myself because it leads me to my greatest good. A great example of my listening is my move to Vancouver. My intuition let me feel what it would be like to be here; the high vibrations, the love, the energy of thousands of elemental spirits and then my guides/higher self told me it was possible if I took the steps they laid in front of me. So I listened and acted.

A hike me and bestie were guided to, and what a gorgeous view!

Learning to listen was the greatest challenge but the best challenge I have ever taken. I have stumbled upon places in nature that I would have never ever found without listening, I have become close to people that I would have never thought, and I have seen and ventured to places I only dreamed of seeing. Give your intuition a chance and get friendly with your guides. Learn the art of listening to yourself and see what adventures it takes you on. For more tips and guidance on this subject feel free to email me or message me on facebook.

Listening to my intuition lead me to this amazing meditation place.

Okay Let's Have a Little Chat

Sunset walk through a beautiful lagoon.

Every once and a while I have one of those days, you all know exactly what I am talking about, the revenge of the chocolate, want to cry, look at yourself in the mirror and ask why days. Everyone has these and sometimes they can be really hard to get over. I will completely and totally admit to these days, actually in the past 3 weeks I have had a couple as my life is completely all over the place with moving right now. The important thing is to not take these days so seriously and to try and be as kind to yourself on these days as possible. We all need to love ourselves a little more but especially so on these days as we can often become our own worst enemies on these days. Here are some tips to get through them a little easier :)

Relax~ take a nap if you need to, draw a bath or just do something (besides watch tv) that makes all your senses relax. When we get down on ourselves there is usually an underlaying stressor there; might be work, relationships, money, anything. When we are stressed we can be even harder on ourselves and so just take some time no matter how busy you feel to just relax. I literally speant a whole night sleeping after work last week because I was stressed, down on myself, and just needed some recoup time. Note I said no tv as often when we are in this mood tv makes it worse because we start comparing ourselves to those on tv, same goes for internet sites. Screens off please!!!

Snuggling with my favourite furbuddy 

Beautiful List~ most of the time when we are down about ourselves because of our body, looks, profession, whatever it is we go into attack mode and destroy everything about ourselves and often say things that are not true. Stand in front of a mirror and list off minimun 5, but try for 10, things that your find beautiful about yourself. Try to include both physical and non-physical things in this list so that there is a balance.

Get moving!~ this is a huge one. Feelings are just energy and energy can be moved easily with movement!! So when you have negative feelings/energy stored up move it out with movement. Go for a walk, bike ride, dance, do yoga, or workout, just move!! We often forget this one and just sit around on the couch having a pitty party. If you for some reason are unable to do physical exersise find some movement you can do. I have been stuck not running the last week and a half, which for me seems like forever, so I can up with a simple yoga routine to do that did not hurt my achilles and I have also been working on my upper body/core...which I must say I never do! Just find something like waving your arms around like you just don't care, ti-chi, or even light swimming that is less impact for you.

Beautify~ this is one of my favorite things to do! When you are done do somethign to make yourself feel beautiful; get your hair done, nails done, a massage, do your make all glamerous, by a new outfit, anything!!! And if you are low on cash look up at home spa treatments to do, I use a ton of them!

Hair done, make up, everything did! <3

Indulge~ I am not talking about chocolate here, although raw chcoloate is okay. Spend a few extra dollars, that lets face you were probably going to spend on junkfood & ice cream, and get something special for you. Go buy yourself a cute little note pad, a new stone, a picture frame for your fav pic, a sample of a new sent, or something that makes you feel special. My favorite thing to get myself is a flower, or flowers depending on cash flow, the combination of nature and the pretty smell always makes me feel oh so special!
Best friends~ these really help, I know I always lean on mine when I need a little pick me up and unable to provide it for myself. Also keep in mind your best friend would never say all the mean things that you say to yourself, and why because they are wrong so try and think about that next time your being hard on yourself.

I could go on and on about other things to do when your having your fat day, ugly day, down day, want to throat punch people day, or whatever you want to call it but I think that these are the most important. Remember that we all have these days but how bad it gets is up to you, your in the drivers seat, so instead of having a bawling pitty party try using one or all of these and cheer up, or at least be a little brighter. We attract what we put out! Also do not "joke" around about yourself negatively...so not cool (yes we have all done this at one point or another) because even though it might actually be a joke, your self-esteem does not take it like that and your ego will grab it and run with it.We are all beautiful, intelligent, sexy, amazing, brillant beings no matter what. Take what I know you have inside of you and celebrate it instead of destroy it!

My favourite organic dark quinoa chocolate and flowers :D

Answers From a Stranger

With everything that has been going on lately I must say it has not been easy. There have been a lot of things that have come up that I am surprised have either resurfaced or even come up at all, but then again thats usually how it works. I have had up days and I have had down days. In the end all I could do was experience the feelings that were coming up and ground to get through them.

Since coming back this, what feels like, emotional roller coster has worn me out. As I said before the only way it seems like I have been getting through it is by grounding and feeling everything that has been coming up. It has been though. I have been exhausted, edgy, and feeling out of sorts. It was really starting to bug me that I could not figure out what exactly was making me feel so emotional as I have moved and left in the past and it has never been like that. I knew deep in my heart that moving to Vancouver was the right path, I knew quitting my job/field was what I needed to do, so what was going on?!

After spending an entire night, literally all night, sleeping and resting my systems from everything I decided finally to ask my guides and higher self during meditation what was going on (how I did not think about this before is beyond me). While meditating during one of my early morning meditations I asked repeatedly for an answer through out the meditation or some sort of sign, nothing came. I came out of my meditation a little disheartened and started my day still asking for some kind of answer. Lunch time came and I decided to go get a tea from my favourite little cafe in town. While waiting one of the barista's that knows me well from coming in all the time started to talk to me. Some how the topic of me moving to Vancouver came up and he started talking about how beautiful it was and everything else, I agreed. Then he went on to say that leaving sometime's is hard though because we focus on this will be the last time I will do this and that and the other, and we focus on the people/places that will be left behind. I again agreed with him got my tea and left.

A Card I Pulled After This Experience

While walking back to work I looked around me at the trees, people, and cars passing by and realized the conversation I had just had was the answer that I had been looking for. I was so caught up on the fact that I was leaving all this behind that I was actually grieving it like you would someone that passed away. I was forgetting about the fact that nothing will ever replace or take away the memories that I have here, and those memories are only memories, no matter if I stayed here the rest of my life I would not be able to remake them. I was forgetting all that I would carry with me from this place, as it has made me who I am. This made me feel more relieved and better than I had felt in the last two weeks. It was then I knew I was still going to have these feelings come up and would still need to feel and ground through them but I could also remind myself of all that will come with me to create even more amazing memories in the future.

Whenever we ask of guidance or help or are seeking answers in someway, there is this expectation that it is going to be instantaneous, but the guidance we seek comes to us when we are willing and ready to hear it and not a moment before. The answers we seek may come to us in a form we never thought of like from a stranger or a book. The help we request is always there you just need to be patient and willing to receive it . The universe gives us everything we need if we are open, at the right time, and if we ask for it.

Yumo Recipes! Food You Will Become Addicted To!

Who is ready for some yummy yummy yummy treats??!!! I know I am! Here are two of my fav recipes right now. One I was making once a week when I was doing my sugar detox for a little treat the second is one of my favourite things to make for supper right now!

Coconut Candy Crack

1 cup coconut oil

1/4 cup honey ( or sweetener of choice I used honey the first time and steevia afterwards) 

can add more if you want it sweeter 

4 Tbsp of Cacao, note not coco cacao as cacao is the raw unrefined chocolate 

that is actually good for you

1 handful of chopped nuts of choice (I used cashews and almonds)

1 handful of coconut shredded

Optional 1 handful of dried gogi berries

Instructions
1. Melt coconut oil in a heavy pot on the stove. When oil is fully melted add in sweetener and cacao then stir!

2. Remove pot from the stove and add in nuts, coconut, and berries.

3. Pour into a sallow pan about 9x9 covered in tin foil then stick in the freezer for about 45 minutes.

4. Pig out! Seriously! Just make sure to keep this in the freezer in between pig outs as coconut oil melts at room temp!

Bok Choy Stir Fry (for two)

10 oz of bok choy 

1 1/2 cups chopped mushrooms of choice (I like shitaki)

2 Tbsp of Tamari or Soya Sauce if you aren't gfree

1 Tbsp of maple syrup or honey

2 cloves of garlic chopped

chunk of coconut oil

prepared grains to serve over, 1 cup per person

1 Tbsp of hemp hearts, or if you do not have them sesame seeds

Instructions

1. Wash bok choy and mushrooms and dry. After they are dry chop both into bite sized pieces.

2. Heat chunk of coconut oil in large heavy sauce pan over med-low heat. Once oil is melted add in maple syrup, garlic and 1 Tbsp of tamari. Let mingle.

3. Once mingling has occurred add in mushrooms and let them soak up and brown in sauce. Once they are brown and have soaked up about half the sauce add in the bok choy and let it wilt.

4. Once bok choy is wilted add in the last tbsp of tamari turn off the stove, cover and let sit for 3-4 minutes then add in hemp hearts.

5. Serve over grain of choice, I have used quinoa and rice both are great, and enjoy!!!

Seeing Clearly in VanCity

Being more present is something we can all work on. Being present helps us to embrace and encourages us to enjoy moments and situations. I have always had a harder time being present and not over thinking situations, I blame this on my current occupation as a life coach and always having to plan for every possible situation and outcome, but over the last year I have learned how to be more present by meditating and participating in yoga. In the first two days during my trip to Vancouver last week I really learned exactly what being present was, when I was hit with the hard truth of what it can look like and feel like when one becomes not present in the moment.

A lot of people go into any situation having certain expectations whether they be good or bad, these expectations usually come from past experiences, the ego, or future thinking.  Having these expectations can really hinder ones ability to enjoy what is truly in front of them and make them miss more than they could have ever thought. For me going to Vancouver I had a lot I was focusing on; finding a place to live, figuring the city out more, relaxing/time away from work, meeting old/new friends, and of course spending time with my much missed boyfriend. I had so many expectations (good and bad), should's, should not's, and a huge to-do list before I even got on to the plane to go to the coast and I did not even realize it. I had no idea that everything that I was thinking and focusing on was hindering my ability to just enjoy every moment and experience thing's fully.

The first time I was hit with needing to let go of all my to-do list, thoughts and expectations was as I was flying over the rocky mountains on my way to Vancouver, and it literally was rammed into my head. I had received guidance from within several times that this trip was going to be a big thing for me and was really going to open some things up, but I never got clear guidance on what it was going to open up for me, naturally my mind started to wonder and my ego set in. As I was looking out the plane window and down at the Rockies all I could think about was all the things I was going to do; run everyday, tons of yoga, all the special things with my love, and of course my huge to-do list! As I was looking out the plane window thinking of all these things I began starring blankly and was not realizing what was all around me, then BAM(!), I was literally hit in the head with the truth. I had hit my head off the side of the window. As I rubbed my head I began to think about closing the window to prevent this from happening again, until I heard loud and clearly "open your eyes and take in the landscape that is before you, be in the moment, not the past or future", just as I heard this the clouds parted from under the plane and all I could see was the most majestic mountains, with an amazing view of a valley and a huge body of water, I was flying over beautiful Kelowna BC. Had I not listened and looked down I would have not been able to just embrace the moment and be in the beauty that was before me of the majestic mountains, ice blue water and vibrant valleys. Had I not listened I would have just closed my window and starred blankly ahead while thinking more about all the stuff I had to do and should do when I landed.

The second and third realizations happened after my flight had landed in Vancouver and were a little less painful. When I first got off my flight I expected to just feel like my life had suddenly changed and that there would be no stress (as I was away from work, insert happy dance here) and it was all just a big huge relief and I was instantly going to have the time of my life. When I did actually land and got through my gate all I realized was that I was in an airport and it all felt the same, no sudden sense of relief, no happy dance, no glorious sudden overwhelming joy, I was just in an airport standing. As I stood trying to figure out where I was going to collect my baggage and meet my boyfriend, whom was coming to pick me up, I started to feel anxious, then I began panicking because I SHOULD not feel this way, then it all got super weird from there for me. As I was walking to go and collect my baggage I stopped at a bathroom took a look in the mirror and realized I did not look like myself, I did not know what was going on, I expected that I should feel like I was on top of the world right now, what was going on...seriously. I continued walking and arrived at my baggage claim. As I stood there figuring out which one I had to go to I started panicking more as I realized I did not see my boyfriend anywhere! I looked around franticly thinking he had forgot me or maybe I was not really in Vancouver, I expected him to be here waiting, I expected so many things...like a happy dance at my terminal. All of a sudden a loud blooming voice told me "look straight ahead and to your left", I did just this and noticed a man in a suit looking around, he looked my way and I realized it was my boyfriend, he was looking for me and being that I was short he just could not see me right away, the voice then went on to say "let go of how you think things should be, they are the way they are and if you look at them clearly they are wonderous, you just have to let them be". I pushed the last part that I heard aside while I embraced with my love, collected my baggage and then drove off in his car. As we drove I began looking around and thinking about my to-do list and want list, everything I was seeing was like I was seeing it through someone else's eyes, like I was detached but I continued on.

 Laying on the couch the next day cuddling with my boyfriend, thinking about how I should be running even though it was raining outside, I began to feel anxious again, why oh why was this happening again?! After a few minutes I got up and went to his room where I just sat there, where was this anxiety coming from, why was this happening, it was not supposed to be like this! I just sat there, then after a short while I got up and grabbed my note pad in my suitcase, I turned to my Vancouver to-do and want to do list, that was it I burst into tears. This was when my ego stepped in "why did you even come, you should not have come, you are never going to get all of that done, the things you need to do aren't even possible" so on and so forth. I just cried and cried, hoping my boyfriend didn't come in and start asking why. Then the words came again, but this time even louder and with more force, "let go of how you think things should be, they are the way they are and if you look at them clearly they are wondrous, you just have to let them be"...my guidance continued "once you let go of your expectations and start living in the moment you can truly start seeing it for what it is, every moment of everyday is wondrous and full of love but when we focus on should's, would's and other expectations past and present we take away the wonders that are in front of us and we do not recognize the miracles and miraculous things happening at that time, feel the moment, be present, and let go of any expectations you have." I was stunned. I was not living in the moment, I was letting my expectations get in the way of embracing what was right in front of me. I was in an amazing city and my opportunities where endless if I just became present in every moment. It was then and there I made a commitment to myself to do just this. In that moment I grew in the sense that I understood more what living in the moment was and being present in the moment was. In that moment I was able to release my expectations for the trip, myself, my to-do list, and my must/want list. It was then I started to actually experience the trip itself for all that it truly was.

Often we let expectations, to-do lists, and should's get in our way of experiencing what is right in front of us. When we start being present in the moment we start truly living life, because we start fully experiencing it, we are no longer detached and worrying about getting thing's done or what we should be doing next. I know that sometimes we need to get certain things done and such, but do not think about them until it comes time to do them.  Thinking about the past and future only holds you back from seeing the beauty in the world that is in front of you. Becoming present, just doing what feels right at a given moment, and living life without expectations helps us to open up our heart to so many wondrous experiences that we would otherwise miss, this is truly the greatest gift ever. I still have to remind myself to let go of anything that is not in the present moment every once and a while but when I do I always see things much more clearly and lovingly. I challenge you to be more present in your life; let go of worry/fear of the future, expectations about any given situation, and any biases that you have about situations that come from your past. Give yourself the gift of seeing more clearly and experiencing more joy in your life, just be present!