'Bliss Balls' for Kids

Rainy day cooking

 If your kids love getting into your bliss balls here is a great alternative - nut free and super easy to make with their help (just don't let them roll them unless you have stacks of wipes on hand!):

WEETBIX & SULTANA BALLS (makes 10-15)

3 weet-bix, crushed

1/4 cup sultanas

1/4 cup apricots (finely chopped)

1 tablespoon cocoa (could also use cacao or carob powder)

1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk

1/2 cup coconut

1. In a large bowl combine Weet-Bix, sultanas, apricots and cocoa. Add condensed milk, mixing well. (my girls loved helping with this step and I gave them each a mixing spoon to prevent fighting!)

2. Roll tablespoons of mixture into balls. Toss in coconut. (if it doesn't appear to stick straight away be patient it helps to firmly press mixture together when rolling in the coconut)

3. Place balls into fridge in an airtight container and wait about half an hour until firm

Recipe adapted from 'Coconut Balls' in 'Woman's Day Lunchbox' cookbook

A woman's cycle has a lot to answer for

A woman's cycle - so profound and intrusive at times, such a nuisance really, but at other times such a symbol of our womanhood and a signal direct from within our body.

I never used to think much at all about the impacts or effects of my 'periods', for fifteen years before having kids I was happily on the pill and simply skipped them when I didn't want them and carried on with my life - no PMS, no bloating, no cramps, no zits, and with such regularity that I could plan around them without any care at all.

AND THEN

when I had my second bub everything seemed to change. At thirty three, my thyroid issues (that developed during pregnancy) appeared to be the only factor different in the mix, but I have no medical evidence to support the link (I just know it intuitively!). Suddenly when I tried going back on the pill I turned into some kind of crazed cyborg psychopath, strewn by stress and panic, tears (oh so many tears!), deep emotional plight, bloating, weight gain and eventually after a few days of taking it just quite sad and numb about everything in life.

So I threw them out (well my husband made me!) and explored other brands (I had gone back to my tried and trusted 'estelle' from fifteen years prior). After about ten more failed attempts I gave up for a while, only to realise that the pre-menstrual symptoms (of which I had in my past life mocked as a bit of a joke!) were so bad and almost mirrored the symptoms of when I tried to get on the pill.

Some months, two weeks before my period, I would start getting extremely panicked by daily life routine events, cranky at anyone near me and at times so angry I felt like punching someone (anyone!) in the face, and so so emotional it was ridiculous. I would be a weepy emotional mess just like pregnancy all over again! My period would then finally arrive and I would feel so calm and such a sense of relief that it became a pattern to look out for - I acknowledged it as a potential issue and had numerous discussions with my GP about it. The Mirena was a suggested option, however the thought of having a plastic coil inserted into my uterus for five years was not appealing, and the more people I spoke to who had had one either got it removed after a short time, or experienced such terrible side effects that I don't think I was mentally prepared or strong enough for at the time. I am still yet to find a solution but mentally a lot more stable and in tune with my body which certainly helps!

ANYWAYS.....the last two years have taught me a lot about a woman's (my) cycle that I never ever knew before children, because I have for the first time since I was fourteen experienced what it is from a 'natural' sense and just how much impact it can have, both physically and emotionally. Also I have become aware just how much we as a society tend to suppress any openness and honesty in communicating about this fact of life experienced by half our population.

I don't really have any answers yet or words of wisdom, other than to share in the knowledge that someone else out there might be having their own struggles with 'cycle management' and I want to let you know that you are not alone! Reach out to your fellow girlfriends for support - you may be surprised at how many others are going through the same thing!

I'm going to keep trying with the pill however it now isn't the be all and end all of my life! It has made me stop and wonder about the woman's body, and just what goes on inside us on a daily basis, and how different we are internally to the male body. Yes, a woman's cycle has a lot to answer for, but it can also lead us to see how connected we can become when we are in tune with and listen to what our body is telling us:)

Tehla xx

You are YOU, and you are ENOUGH:)

You know that feeling.....

......when you go on a holiday, and after about the second week you start to let go of the everyday pressures and just BE? You can think freely, feel happy and relaxed and start to wonder what it was that you were so stressed about before you left?!

You might also start to allow yourself the time to think about your dreams again, now that the everyday pressures have been removed? And you feel fresh, positive, free of worry and like suddenly you see the bigger picture of this life you are living? Yes? No? Maybe?

OR on the contrary - that feeling when you attend a funeral, and it makes you think about how precious life really is, and what it is that is really important to you, how it makes you feel different, even if for half a day, or half an hour on your drive back to your busy life?

This feeling, this 'sparkle' moment (or series of moments), I believe is your true essence trying desperately to reach out and communicate with you, reaching out to tell you that it is ok to dream, and that in fact it doesn't have to be a dream......that you can hold onto it forever if you like.....................................................................................................................................

because it is YOU, deep down, realising how short and valuable your life really is. Here and now. Now and here.

Embrace your worries, your fears, your mistakes. It is ok. You are you. And you are ENOUGH:)

xx

Yoga is a feeling, not a pose

Well, it is a pose too. But for me it is a feeling that binds me to the energy that surrounds me, the spiritual connection I feel as I move and breathe into a pose.

It struck me one evening when we were at the end of our yoga class and everyone was moving into savasana. I had to duck out to the loo and when I returned the room had been dimmed and everyone was lying on their backs, motionless, appearing to be sleeping. Or just doing nothing at all.

It really hit me then and there, because for years I had always felt that this was my most 'active' pose, my most important pose of the whole class. But to watch it in action told me nothing at all about the way it felt. The calming of the breath, the stilling of the mind, the realignment of my limbs after the various poses throughout the class. It was a surprising realisation but one that makes perfect sense.

To truly receive the benefits of yoga, you must feel the pose, the breath moving through your body, the release that each pose provides and the way it enables you to deepen the practice, the tranquillity you experience when you achieve calm and stillness in your body, and the meditative effects.

Namaste my friends:)

Hello & Welcome:)

Wherever you are reading this from - hello, welcome and thank you for dropping by. My name is Tehla and I'm excited to share a slice of my life journey with you.

A little bit about me
I am a very proud mummy to two beautiful little girls, wife to an amazing and supportive husband (who I have spent over half my life with-wow!) and my biggest passions in life aside from these incredible creatures are yoga, reading and writing. I have recently embarked on my yoga teacher training journey with Yoga Synergy and I feel extremely grateful to be learning under the expert guidance of the amazing Simon Borg-Olivier and Bianca Machliss.

I am happiest when I'm surrounded by a mountain of books, practising my yoga or losing myself in meditation, sipping on my sav blanc (or green tea - depending on my mood!) and writing in my journal with the subtle aroma of incense lingering in the background. The simple pleasures are the best for me:) I call Wollongong and the Far South Coast of NSW home and can honestly say that after travelling to and living in other parts of the world, this is hands down my favourite place to be:)

But it hasn't always been peaches and cream..!
Over the years people had always told me to 'be true' to myself, but I don't think I really understood this fully until I hit my rock bottom last year. Following the previous year's string of ongoing sicknesses with my then newborn and toddler, together with a husband who was completely and utterly burnt out, I found myself facing the new year with my own pressures to be the primary breadwinner in the household whilst also being the main support engine for the wellbeing of my kids and husband. I developed a number of health issues myself including the painful temporomandibular joint dysfunction (TMJ) and hypothyroidism, and I lived every day in a constant state of stress that never seemed to ease. It was like I had a permanent adrenaline rush that never stopped, no matter how much I tried. I simply felt I couldn't move fast enough through the day to keep everyone happy, and I neglected myself to the point where my body literally shut down on me. I would find myself becoming increasingly paralysed by the overwhelming-ness of my daily life stressors, and longed to be alone if for no other reason than to clear my mind and free myself of the thoughts and pressures in my head. In a nutshell, I was miserable and felt so confused because I had always been the one who 'pepped' everyone else up, the positive one who could see the good in everything. When I was younger people would call me the 'ray of sunshine'. But more and more, I just felt overwhelmed, stressed and guilty. Even my yoga practice, on which I had relied so much upon for the previous 15 years, could not seem to calm my mind or settle my nerves. This is when I knew that something was seriously wrong in my life.

Halfway through the year last year it all became too much and after a busy work day and a weekend of yet another child sickness episode, I took myself home feeling extremely nauseous and within 5 minutes of arriving home I found myself in a state that I had never before experienced and one that has not left me since that day. All of a sudden my stomach muscles felt like they were contracting so intensely that it felt like they were turning inside out, my fingers went stiff and curled into my palms until I couldn't control them, I couldn't breathe and my entire face went numb. My husband carried me into our room and by this time my mouth was blue and I couldn't feel my legs either, I could hear him yelling down the phone at the ambulance and I could see my then 3 year old from the corner of my eye watching the whole scene. I seriously believed I was dying.

By the time the ambulance arrived some of the sensation had started to return to my body in the form of pins and needles and I felt violently ill again. Apparently I had experienced some form of hyperventilation attack. Obviously this was not life threatening at all, but it was exactly what I needed to start taking my health issues seriously and start making some changes to avoid it happening again. After some tests at the doctors they described my stress levels as 'severe' and heavily suggested that I slow down my pace a little for my own good. A few weeks later my youngest developed pneumonia (whilst at the same time my 3 year old contracted scarlett fever) and as I sat next to her hospital bed for four days without moving, watching her little body struggle to breathe with every breath, I made some commitments to myself that I am happy to say I have now successfully fulfilled. Putting family and health first was an absolute non-negotiable, and prioritising my dreams and increasing the space in my life for my own self-care was a close second. I was always known for being so busy, multitasking and rushing through life to fit something in to every single second of the day (and most nights!) and although I had been able to keep up with this pace before having kids, I think it definitely contributed to my overall longing and innermost intention to just be still, to breathe and simply exist. In the present. In the now. And to be content with life as it was.

Some fortunate encounters to lift my spirit and help build my courage
It was around this time that I was very fortunate to meet the amazing Mish Schaffer and start attending her New Moon Gatherings, as well as some guided sessions on 'throat chakras' inspired by her kundalini yoga. Its funny how some people come into your life and its just like it is meant to be, for a reason. Mish is one of those people for me. I can most certainly say the same for my long term yoga teacher Leonard Prendergast, whom I met 17 years ago now and have been practising under his expert guidance ever since. Ultimately it is because of him that I have been inspired to teach myself. I don't know why this sudden urge to teach took so long to call me, but I truly believe (without sounding too 'hocus pocus') that it is precisely that - a calling, from the universe, or whatever else might be 'out there' guiding our innermost pathways in life. Now that I have surrendered myself to yoga I am no longer afraid of what lies ahead.

Other encounters that helped guide and heal me were meeting the truly amazing Buddhists at the Nan Tien Temple and being guided by their simple advice and wisdom on life itself. I attended a number of silent meditation retreats and learnt so much about myself during this time that I started to truly believe in myself and started to take control of my destiny in my own way. I learnt how to 'monotask' as opposed to multitask and how to meditate with tea (through the fascinating Chinese practice of 'tea chan'). And importantly, I learnt to let go of stereotypes and stigmas and to just be myself. Something that I had only allowed myself to be in my yoga practice, or with those very close to me, and something that I don't think I had completely embraced since my teenage years.

My daily injections of motivation and encouragement from the Tiny Buddha site also helped me through periods of doubt, and reassured me that I wasn't alone in my thinking and beliefs.

Strength & Liberation
The good news was.......I WAS STILL IN THERE! And now that I have unleashed myself from all the labels and pressure (which was admittedly self-imposed more than 50% of the time) I am free to be myself and share what I have learnt with YOU.

It can be extremely difficult to honour your true innermost intentions in a society that is constantly bombarding us with images and labels telling us how and who we 'should' be, what we should buy, who we should be friends with, where we should live and how much money we should be earning, how many kids we should have and where we should send them to school. The pressure that we place on ourselves in today's modern world is simply flabbergasting. Someone close to me told me once that we don't HAVE to do anything, so I am telling you this too, and encouraging you to dig deep into your innermost self and light up the world with your unique-ness. Don't be afraid. There is only one you!