Hello lovely ones!
I appeared out of the shadows after a tough year and burrowed back into my mole hole again.
This year has been amazing however. Instead of hiding I have been busy working/training/dreaming/recovering and learning many new things.
One of the great tools that has helped my anxiety/phobia ridden mind is running.
I have always turned my nose up at runners, preferring to roll on the floor doing yoga, dancing or long walks. Being a parent has meant less time for luxurious yoga classes or scenic, long distance walks.
A dear friend took me for my first proper run ever. I bought an industrial strength shock absorbing sports bra in anticipation of the event (rather expensive, I must have known this would become a long term love affair).
We covered 8 kilometres on that run. I could hardly walk for a week afterwards but I felt like my light had been switched back on again.
Suddenly I was getting time to myself to sweat, push, let all the crazy thoughts out, feel the various parts of my body working together, test my so called limits and smash through them one at a time. The positive effects were numerous and I am still noticing new benefits as I go along. I charged myself with the goal of doing the Auckland half marathon this year. I dedicated most of my spare time to hitting the road and training hard. Having this kind of goal truly helped me to stay afloat and gave me a deep sense of purpose.
The regular boost of endorphins and detoxifying sweat sessions resulted in a happier, healthier, fitter Mama who could run around with her daughter with a re-captured "care free" spirit.
The half marathon was one of the best days of my life! I felt like I was flying and finished well within my goal time.
Another wonderful thing in my life is reiki. I had completed the first and second reiki degrees and decided that this year I would train to be a reiki master. My wonderful teacher Uli had moved overseas but came back in August to do the training. There is a time of cleansing and reflection before, during and after the training. I enjoyed this immensely! I spent the fortnight before doing daily reiki sessions on myself, eating very simple plant based meals, lots of pure water and infusions and going to bed super early. For 21 days afterward I continued this routine. There was a lot to process and I felt a great release of old, useless stuff.
One of the great messages of reiki is "Healer, heal thy self".
By doing so, you create a positive ripple in the world.
Reiki is a wonderful treatment for anxiety and the effects of stress on the body. I am one of those people who has a very "physical" response to stress. Reiki has dramatically reduced the digestive distress and completely eliminated the shaking panic attacks I used to get. I would shake so violently I would be unable to walk and had no control over my muscles! So I have experienced first hand how effective reiki is in managing stress response and the cumulative beneficial effects it has on trauma recovery. My goal with the reiki master training is to begin to help others. Please do contact me if you would like to have a reiki session or to know more about it!
A little side note: Huia, my nearly 3 year old LOVES reiki. She asks for it on a regular basis. First, I ask her where she would like it and she will always take my hand and put it on her head while she closes her eyes. I have used reiki to help her sleep when she is teething or under the weather and she tends to like it just before bedtime. Bonus :)
And finally, raw foods! I ate a raw food diet for nearly 4 years until I was pregnant with my first child.
The more fresh/raw the food is, the happier/healthier/positive I am. It is not for everyone, and I don't think I will go back to eating only raw foods unless it is for healing purposes. I got into the habit of eating a lot more grains and heavy fats while I was training for the half marathon. This was quite disruptive on my poor tum tum and I found my energy levels drop significantly. I gently transitioned back to eating a high raw diet, still with plenty of cooked goodness in there, but the presence of dark leafy greens and mineral rich raw vegetables completely changes how I feel - physically and mentally.
I am greatly enjoying the approach of Christmas and reflecting upon the year that has been.
I highly encourage you all to get outside and move your precious bodies, eat nourishing, delicious, chocolate-laden foods and if you are stressed and worn out, do whatever you need to do to nurture yourselves. Massage, a swim in the sea, time alone with true friends, (come and see me for reiki!!), even just sitting with your feet on the grass for 10 minutes will do wonders.
Much love and peace to you all for the festive season.
Miss Le Harle
x
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