Focus on what you CAN
Can you believe it? We’re almost at the end of July!?
Feel like you’ve been drinking a bit more than normal this month? You’re not alone! A poll I read earlier this week describes July as one of the heaviest drinking months (for women in North America), followed closely by August.
If you are feeling as though you’d like to start to taper off alcohol in August, make sure to pick up a copy of Drink Less Be More (or if you already have it, open it up!!) and review Chapter 5 which is full of tips and strategies to cut back on alcohol without having to dial back on fun.
Remember, you are in control! Yes, this may be the season of BBQs and beach parties and vacations and alcohol may be available daily. Ultimately, it’s up to you and only you if you drink it!
I used to go to Al-Anon meetings (meetings for family members or partners of alcoholics) and one of my favourite slogans is an adaption of the first step of AA, but instead of admitting powerlessness over alcohol (which I personally don’t resonate with as much) you admit powerlessness over PEOPLE, PLACES and THINGS.
Yes, we are powerless over everything and anyone other than OURSELVES!
Trying to control everyone around you, or your environment, triggers etc will only drive you crazy, leave you feeling more anxious and stressed out, or you will feel as though you are a “victim” to your circumstances.
Let me tell you, you’re NOT.
You always have a choice. Take control, now.
If you feel that this season has been wasted (literally and in the drunk sense ;) and you are unhappy with the choices you’ve been making - then CHANGE THEM.
Focus on what you CAN control, what YOU can do to change your circumstances and start making changes today! Don’t wait for another month to go by!
I’ve had a number of clients express how their healthy habits have gone out the window and they’re feeling a loss of control. Can you relate?
The past few weeks have also been kind of wacky for me. After 10 days of a partially work-related travel roadtrip, my daughter and I arrived to my hometown/mom’s home. I had high expectations of how quickly we would be able to settle in and all of the work I wanted to get caught up on.
After the craziness I was leaving behind in Mexico (political unrest, blockages, gas shortages, inconsistent internet, threat of Zika and Dengue), I had an expectation that I would be able to control my environment and time here. I had visions of increased productivity and creativity, hours to write in the evenings, energized morning (without being woken up by roosters), the ability to implement everything I learned from my mastermind in LA immediately.
Well, life had other ideas. My daughter’s 3 months shy of 2 years old and upon arrival to my mom’s, it felt like she’d all of sudden catapulted into that famed two-year-old tantrum phase. Her favourite response is to shout NOOOOOOO and she is incredibly demanding of my attention. Her favourite command is now UP!! She’s also refusing to sleep, either for nap time or at bedtime, and waking up way earlier than normal.
Combined with family visiting and two weeks of many client and collaboration calls - my ME time evaporated quickly. And I felt incredibly off-balance, with slight panic and fatalistic thinking bubbling up under the surface. I felt as though what was happening right now was going to be FOREVER. That I was NEVER going to have time for myself, that my daughter’s schedule was going to be wacky forever, that I would forever feel behind in my business.
Isn’t it amazing how quickly we can slide into this kind of negative thinking when we are taking care of ourselves?
I am forever grateful for the teachings I receive from doing this work because, through supporting my clients and my continual commitment to growth and personal development, I was reminded again this week - get control of yourself, woman!
Here’s what it looked like:
Go to sleep earlier.
Set my alarm earlier, even if it means 5 am, to get some of that precious “me time.”
Meditate, first thing. Even if only for 10 minutes. Make this the first priority, before checking my phone.
Stick to morning self-care rituals.
Avoid wine, because for me, it’s so easy to “check out” of what’s happening, and I knew once I had a glass, it would be easier to make that a habit than to actually to the work to center myself at the end of the day and release stress.
Get outside. Get moving. I realized I hadn’t exercised in three weeks (other than walking)!! I started putting music on in the afternoons and dancing around like a crazy person with Luna. Yesterday, I went for a hike with her in the stroller.
Use essential oils, aromatherapy, teas, journaling and reading to unwind at the end of the day, instead of Instagram and wine. (I haven’t used wine to unwind in quite awhile, yet it’s a pattern that’s easy for me to slide into when I’m visiting home).
Another important mindset shift for me this week comes from Tony Robbins:
"Trade your expectations for appreciation and your world changes instantly."
I had so many expectations of how things were going to go once I was back in Canada that I was feeling anxious and stressed when everything wasn’t falling into place perfectly.
When I started shifting my expectations to appreciations, I started noticing just how much I have to be grateful for. My amazing mother and family, the fact that I CAN structure my work around a toddler (for the most part), the fact that I am able to move my business from Mexico to Canada for a few months, the fact that I am able to spend so much precious time with my daughter at a critical stage in her development, the fact that I have these tools to pull myself out of a swampy headspace so quickly, the fact that I have an amazing community (you’re a part of it!) to help me stay accountable, that I am surrounded by so much beauty… the list goes on.
I’d love to know-
How can you be more control of yourself this week?
What choices can you make differently?
How can you shift expectations into appreciations? Try it out, and let me know what you notice!
xoxo
Thriving Summer Holidays
Well, I did it!
After 8 days, 4 airplanes, 3 countries, four mini-roadtrips and two timezones - all with a TODDLER - Luna Azul and I have almost reached our final destination for the next few months. The trip through Northern Baja and Southern California was amazing and really surprisingly easy.
We didn't get sick, we didn't have any meltdowns (either one of us, haha), and I felt stress-free the entire journey. No small feat given there were mornings I was up at 5am to finish my work before Luna woke up as naps were happening at weird times sometimes and I couldn't count on them for work time, and I even attended an elite mastermind in LA (more on that soon).
So what helped make this trip flow? What allowed me to not only survive, but thrive, without a single "I need a drink" moment?
Here are some tips that can be applied to any vacation or trip, whether traveling with a child or not.
1) Set your intentions! If you know anything about me, you know I'm all about intentions. Well, I set the intention that this voyage was going to be SMOOTH and STRESS-FREE. And it was. Even through a day spent in the airport-limbo land due to delayed flights, even during an overland border crossing between Mexico and the USA, it flowed. Mindset is a powerful thing. If I had spent the weeks leading up to this trip thinking about how stressful it was going to be, you can bet it probably would have turned out stressful!
2) I brought my toolkit. Sleepy time teas, detox teas, green powders for smoothies, essential oils for grounding, sleeping and relaxation... I was prepared. Being able to do at least a portion of my morning and evening rituals helped keep me grounded AND feeling healthy while eating on the road. Also, having my teas and oils to help me unwind at the end of the day made me way less likely to crave a glass of wind to unwind.
3) Sleep! I tend to get quite overstimulated, especially when I'm traveling. I was visiting many friends along the way and part of me longed to stay up late chatting into the wee hours of the morning. Yes I knew that everything would feel a lot harder and be less enjoyable during the day time if I was under-slept. The oils and teas were particularly helpful in this department as well.
4) Embrace flexibility / pace yourself! I was able to "go with the flow" more easily using a flexible approach rather than a rigid one. I also resisted the urge to try to do too many things, as as such, was able to fully be present and enjoy each moment.
5) Be open to receive! Whether it was asking a stranger in the airport to help putting the stroller through the x-ray or a backpack in the overhead bin, or asking friends for childcare support so that I could get my hair done or do a client call - I opened myself to receiving support. And it came in more ways that I could have ever imagined! Free upgrades, fees waved, people going the extra mile (quite literally driving out of their way) etc. (ps, let me know if you'd like to hear more about the expansion work I've been doing to expand my capacity to receive).
6) Be honest. This is a bit easier for me given my blog, book and focus of my work ie all public declarations of my intentions and "Drink Less Be More" lifestyle. But I was talking about this with a client today and she mentioned how on her recent vacation, she decided to be honest about her intentions to cut back on alcohol. The people in her life were supportive of her desire and she found it so much easier to stick to her intentions after becoming more open. I had friends stock their fridges with kombucha, double check where I wanted to eat/drink to make sure it felt comfortable for me, and have plenty of healthy alternatives on hand.
7) Indulge with intention. I ate some delicious treats, drink chocolate and rose infused coffee, ate a homemade banana split, and sampled a glass of local wine one afternoon while in Baja, and two glasses of California sparkling wine during a special dinner out... and it felt good and the perfect amount. Everything was a treat, all was celebratory, and nothing was driven by stress or wanting to stuff or numb out. And of course, feeling good about my choices led to peace of mind, made it easier to sleep at ease, had me waking up feeling refreshed and energized, and ready for a new day (or city, state or country as was the case on this trip!)
What are your favourite tips for traveling? Do you set intentions before you leave? I've been working with quite a few on my clients on special agreements and intention-setting for vacations.. Let me know if you have any questions about this or any other the tips I've addressed above!
Now that I've arrived to Canada, I'm so excited to get back into a routine. If you've emailed me this past week and I haven't responded, fear not! My inbox situation will be addressed asap.
I am also so excited to get soak in all of the amazing beauty and fill up on delicious, homegrown food.
I had a few people email and mention that the pricing was unclear in my last email about the retreats. The price you see is the TOTAL price, INCLUDING accommodation and everything listed. The only thing not included is transportation to Powell River, BC. If you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to email!
Cheers to the weekend, vacations and solid intentions :)
xoxo
I've included a poem that my mom sent me. May it be inspiration to you - even if only to get out of town for the weekend, or plan a retreat on Savary Island this September ;)
For the Traveler
Every time you leave home,
Another road takes you
Into a world you were never in.
New strangers on other paths await.
New places that have never seen you
Will startle a little at your entry.
Old places that know you well
Will pretend nothing
Changed since your last visit.
When you travel, you find yourself
Alone in a different way,
More attentive now
To the self you bring along,
Your more subtle eye watching
You abroad; and how what meets you
Touches that part of the heart
That lies low at home:
How you unexpectedly attune
To the timbre in some voice,
Opening in conversation
You want to take in
To where your longing
Has pressed hard enough
Inward, on some unsaid dark,
To create a crystal of insight
You could not have known
You needed
To illuminate
Your way.
When you travel,
A new silence
Goes with you,
And if you listen,
You will hear
What your heart would
Love to say.
A journey can become a sacred thing:
Make sure, before you go,
To take the time
To bless your going forth,
To free your heart of ballast
So that the compass of your soul
Might direct you toward
The territories of spirit
Where you will discover
More of your hidden life,
And the urgencies
That deserve to claim you.
May you travel in an awakened way,
Gathered wisely into your inner ground;
That you may not waste the invitations
Which wait along the way to transform you.
May you travel safely, arrive refreshed,
And live your time away to its fullest;
Return home more enriched, and free
To balance the gift of days which call you.
~ John O'Donohue ~
Savary Island Retreat
In this crazy world we are living in, I feel that it is more and more important that we have opportunities to connect, to feel unconditionally loved and supported by people who have your best interest at heart, just as you do theirs.
I participated in several retreats 6-7 years ago that were life-changers for me. Though I’m not in close contact with all of the other participants, I feel that we share a special bond that will always be there.
It has been my dream for many years to host a retreat on Savary Island. Known as one of BC’s hidden gems, this island is a tropical paradise with gleaming white sand beaches just a stone’s throw from the temperate rainforest and with a backdrop of the coastal mountain range.
A little known fact is that Savary Island boasts some of the warmest water North of Mexico thanks to the warm Southern tides!
I have travelled around the world and visited some of the most famous and renowned beaches and I have never encountered anything like quite like Savary Island. It is truly stunning and one of my favourite places on earth.
I have also participated in and taught at several retreats and I know how powerful they are for activation. The impact of being totally immersed in a beautiful, nourishing environment and surrounded by loving support and sisterhood cannot be underestimated!
Imagine: 4 days dedicated to transformation, deep nourishment for mind, body and spirit, connection with each other and yourself, dance and movement, deep relaxation and alignment activation.
Eating delicious and lovingly prepared food with locally sourced ingredients and energizing snacks, the best mocktails you’ve ever tasted, Full Moon rituals on the beach (yes, full moon! I can’t even tell you how excited I was to find out there was a full moon on the weekend we are planning this retreat), sunrise meditations, dance parties, time for writing and reflection, setting powerful intentions, creating deep and lasting bonds, and so much more magic that is waiting to transpire.
The details:
September 15-18th (full moon is on the 16th)
Savary Island, British Columbia
What’s included:
Transportation to Savary Island from Powell River (and support with travel arrangements to get to Powell River)
Accommodation for 3 nights in a gorgeous wood cabin/house (plus a free extra night in transit if needed)
3 gourmet locally sourced meals plus delicious and nutritious snacks
Open bar every evening (make-your-own mocktails + homebrewed kombucha oh my!)
Sunrise meditation
Sunset and Full Moon rituals
3 movement / dance classes
3 sensual stretch / yoga classes
Daily journaling prompt and writing exercises
Powerful Intention setting workshop
Other surprises
A Tribe of amazing sister-friends and lifelong connections
There are three options to choose from in terms of accommodation:
Dorm-style (sleeps 3. I chose the dorm option for several retreats I went to and it was super fun. Like a grown-up sleepover ;) $375 USD*
Double Room (Sleeps 2, each with their own bed) $495 USD*
Private (only 2 available so act fast) $535 USD*
To sweeten the deal even more (WHAT!?!) - I’m offering a payment plan. The first payment (50%) is due before July 31st to hold your spot, and the second payment is due a month after (by August 31st).
I want this to be a no-brainer and for you to have every reason to say YES.
My main intention is to bring together an amazing group of women and to support the growth of our tribe.
Here’s the thing, there’s only 10 spots available. They will go fast. Let me know ASAP if you are interested and we’ll talk details.
xoxo
* I can accept payment in Canadian $ if made via E-transfer from a Canadian bank. Otherwise all payments will be made via Paypal in USD.
A view of Savary Island, with Indian Point being the nearest point, where the retreat will be hosted
Additional (free!) accommodation for those in transit and who need/would like to spend an extra day
Beat The Heat
The option of summer holiday day drinking often means that you might have more hours in the day in which your intentions could slide down a slippery, boozy slope into oblivion.
Whether you are celebrating Canada Day or Independence Day or the beginning of “Dry July” for our Australian counterparts (has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? I’m kind of surprised it hasn’t caught on here yet) the following tips can help you stick to your intentions.
It is so important to plan ahead and make sure that you are making decision using your evolved brain (focusing on the benefits of moderation and how wonderful you will feel the next day) and not your primal instant-gratification-seeking brain.
Know how many drinks you're going to drink and plan in advance.
You can even program them into your phone to help remind you of when it's time for your next drink. I know this might feel like overkill at times, but what's more of a buzzkill - having a little message pop up on your phone helping you to stay true to your intentions, or blacking out, not remembering the end of the day, and dealing with a killer hangover the next?
Check out my 5 Tips for Staying Cool During Hot Summer Celebrations (and please share this with your friends - there’s a cool graphic you can download and share easily)
And
Delicious Mocktails To Sip All Summer (With Health Benefits You Won't Believe) for great alternatives to alcohol - recipes included!! I recommend having the ingredients for these on-hand so that you have something yummy to sip on in-between their alcoholic counterparts. The idea is to create something so satisfying you’ll forget you aren’t drinking alcohol.
I'd love to hear what your favourite tips are AND if you have a mocktail recipe you'd like me to feature, that would be amazing!!
Stay tuned for some really exciting announcements coming next week!! (think invitations to exotic locations in Canada and Mexico)
Have a wonderful weekend,
xoxo