What are you worried about? Where in your life are you avoiding something because of fear?
For a large part of my pregnancy I worried myself silly about labour and unnecessary hospital interventions. I’d heard countless horror stories (and have thankfully discovered tonnes of positive ones since!) and the thought of birth left me terrified.
‘Worry is the number one thief of our time, and has the power to rob you of the beauty of today.’
If you were to let go of your worrying, what beauty could be found in this moment?
Many of us remain safe in our comfort zone because a lot of our fears can be avoided. Unfortunately, birth and death are not one of them.
If you had no choice but to face your fears with courage, what changes would you make today to your mindset? Your spirit? Your HEART?
Don’t waste a moment longer feeling fearful. Acknowledge what you’re scared of, ‘feel the fear and do it anyway.’
Trust that everything will work out for your highest good.
Welcome to my fifty-sixth instalment of ‘Soulful Sundays’; a weekly share where I post a roundup of soulful reflections, each including recipes, songs, quotes, blogs I have read and/or any other inspirational discoveries to sooth the soul.
For me, Sunday’s have become a day of quiet contemplation and simple pleasures. A time to reflect on the week gone by and to consider my dreams and intentions for the week ahead.
My hope is to extend some love outward and to share some simple pleasures with anyone who cares to receivethem.
Soul Reflections
Fear is debilitating. It can literally leave us paralysed with anxiety.
There is a famous quote (and book for that matter) by Susan Jeffers who reminds us:
Feel the fear and do it anyway.
My biggest work over the last few months has been to face my fears around labour, particularly around the ‘normal’ practice of hospitals whose medical interventions often result in unnecessary trauma for both Mum and baby. Don’t get me wrong, in a medical emergency these procedures can save lives; but in a normal, safe, healthy pregnancy and birth, such interventions often cause more harm than good. Is it any wonder then, that we hear so many horror stories about birth?
Once my fears were acknowledged, I could then begin to dissolve them. I turned to natural birthing books and absorbed myself in the thousands of positive birth stories (yes – they exist!!!) each contained. The more I read, the more I began to meet women who had birthed naturally, and with less complications (if any) than those who had birthed at the hands of doctors and drugs.
We also decided on Hypno-birthing classes to prepare ourselves for a calm birth using breath work, relaxations, visualisations, strengthening affirmations and natures own pain relief; oxytocin – all of which helped to deepen our confidence and trust in a natural birth.
Whilst our preparations do not guarantee us a smooth, uninterrupted birth with little to no complication or medical intervention; what they do provide us with are the innate tools to birth in love and trust, rather than shrouded in fear.
Of course, there are always some residue fears of the unknown and lingering What if’s? But since the only way out of my birth is through, I must ‘feel the fear and do it anyway.’
The only way out is through.
– Robert Frost
And through we shall go, in love and trust.
Soul Strolls
With three weeks to go until we meet our baby, strolling has become somewhat of a waddle! The pelvic pressure is real haha And so, after finishing my last week of work last Friday, I decided to put my feet up and rest this pregnant body.
I booked in for a pregnancy massage at Endota Spa (which was the best massage I’ve ever had, and I’ve had a lot!) and soaked up the healing vibes. I plan to spend the next three weeks resting and nourishing myself and our baby, and enjoying our last few weeks as a ‘two.’
‘Let us be grateful to people who make us happy, they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom.’ – Marcel Proust
Soul Recipes
This recipe is an oldy but a goody of mine. I love using my slow cooker, and this dish lends itself perfectly to one. It’s hearty, it’s comforting, it’s delicious and it’s even healthy My Hearty Lentil Curry gets a thumbs up every time. Let me know what you think!
Yummy lentil curry!
Soul Music
On the other side of fear lies freedom and peace. So today I would love to share this delightfully peaceful track by Ashana titled Deep Peace. Put you feet up, take a deep breath in and receive the deep peace flowing to you. Now sigh and release. You are free. You are safe. You are secure and loved.
Soul Sisters
Today I would love to share this beautifully nourishing poem titled Bliss by Aroused. A timely reminder for us to connect with our intuition within and to trust.
Wrapping you all in a warm loving hug on this soulful Sunday.
You can do all of the preparation in the world to ensure you achieve your end result; you can cover all your bases with prevention methods and tools for success – but if you are lacking that one vital element, all of your carefully laid out plans may well be in vain.
So what is the vital ingredient? SELF-BELIEF.
Belief in oneself, your capabilities and your worth is key for the success of any personal venture. If you have lingering self-doubts or lack trust in your abilities then you are already setting yourself up for failure. That’s not a bad thing. No doubt you will gain some wisdom for the next time…
But if you’d like to avoid there having to be a next time, begin with your mindset today.
Believe YOU CAN. Believe YOU ARE WORTHY and TRUST in yourself.
As I near closer to my birthing and my intentions for a natural, instinctive birth – my mindset matters now more than ever. Because whether I believe I can, or believe I can’t – I am right.
Welcome to my fifty-fifth instalment of ‘Soulful Sundays’; a weekly share where I post a roundup of soulful reflections, each including recipes, songs, quotes, blogs I have read and/or any other inspirational discoveries to sooth the soul.
For me, Sunday’s have become a day of quiet contemplation and simple pleasures. A time to reflect on the week gone by and to consider my dreams and intentions for the week ahead.
My hope is to extend some love outward and to share some simple pleasures with anyone who cares to receivethem.
Soul Reflections
At seven and a half months pregnant, I’m amazed by the number of women who feel compelled to comment on the size of my bump, comparing its size to that of their friend who is ‘due two weeks before me and is SO much smaller’, so small in fact you can ‘hardly tell’. I’ve even had my belly compared to a basket ball!
I’d like to think the women delivering these words are well intentioned and simply unaware of the potential harm their comments can cause. Still, I can’t help but feel a little disheartened that body comparison is so prevalent, even during pregnancy.
Isn’t a women supposed to feel beautiful and bountiful in her pregnant body? Is the fullness of her tummy not the fullest expression of creation itself? A time to celebrate the changes in her body as it nurtures new life within?
I have to acknowledge that I’ve also had many women tell me I look beautiful and stunning as I bloom to full size. To those Divine Goddesses; I salute you. For you are the ones who focus not on the ‘neatness of the bump’, or for how long it can remain disguised or ‘unnoticed’; but instead on the natural beauty to be embraced throughout the many changing phases of a woman’s body.
Today, let’s lift each other up. Let’s celebrate our bodies; big, small, teeny or tall, remembering that we are ALL Divine.
Soul Strolls
This week’s soul strolling took place in the hospital. We had our hospital tour where we were able to walk through where we’ll go on the day of our birthing. Despite having had some fears around birthing in a hospital, as I walked the corridors I blessed them with love and repeated the mantra, ‘All is well. I have nothing to fear. Love, peace, harmony and joy surround and indwell me.’
The Mercy Hospital for Women does feel like a safer space than my previous hospital. The midwives are very supportive of a natural birth with as little intervention as possible. I trust I am in safe hands.
Live your life as if everything is rigged in your favour.
– Rumi
Soul Recipes
My partner loves to buy a Massaman Curry from our local Thai. Since he spent this soulful Sunday working, I decided to surprise him with a Slow Cooked Lamb Massaman which was simply divine! I adapted the recipe slightly (and cheated) by buying a massaman curry paste rather than making my own from scratch, as this recipe suggests. If I owned a food processor I would definitely have attempted the homemade paste in this recipe… I also used carrots, red pepper and red chillies in addition to the potato instead of the green beans, since I already had those vegetables on hand at home.
Needless to say, this dish was yummy and my man had a happy tummy after a hard days work.
Soul Music
I’d love to share Heather Mae’s I Am Enough as a stunning reminder that our body’s are not ‘wrong’ or ‘shameful’. We can be grateful for our body, regardless of our shape or size. This makes me smile each time I listen. Today, give your body a big appreciative hug, tell your body how much you love it… and then have a good ole dance to this feel good track! I’ll be dancing along with you with my pregnant bump 😉
Soul Sisters
I’d love to share the work of a soul sister who has been pivotal in reducing my fears around labour. I bought Kat’s book in my second trimester when I was led to it by a serendipitous moment. It was just what I needed to believe in my abilities to birth my baby naturally. I will be gifting Kat’s work to any pregnant ladies I know! You can find Kat at The Birth Goddess.
Wishing you all a soulful Sunday. May you feel safe, supported and loved, today and always.
Welcome to my fifty-fourth instalment of ‘Soulful Sundays’; a weekly share where I post a roundup of soulful reflections, each including recipes, songs, quotes, blogs I have read and/or any other inspirational discoveries to sooth the soul.
For me, Sunday’s have become a day of quiet contemplation and simple pleasures. A time to reflect on the week gone by and to consider my dreams and intentions for the week ahead.
My hope is to extend some love outward and to share some simple pleasures with anyone who cares to receivethem.
Soul Reflections
I’ve heard it time and time again, yet this past week I’ve really come to know this as true: There are really only ever two choices; love or fear.
Last week I came close to having a panic attack I was so overwhelmed with the unknown outcomes of following a natural birthing journey in a medical hospital setting. Fear encompassed every ounce of my being and I was deeply emerged in my shadow. Yet this week, I’ve worked to dissolve those fears, to seek the truth within. And sure enough, the Universe delivered the love and support required to pull me back into the light.
Harmony, peace, love and joy surround and indwell me. I am safe and secure.
– Louise Hay
I am my own pillar of safety and strength. I have a voice. And when I trust in myself and the Universe, my world reflects back to me the safety and security I desire.
Soul Strolls
Last week we took our soul strolling to the local parks to have some photos taken by a friend of ours. This was her first pregnancy shoot, and we think she did a great job! Here’s a couple of sneaky photos. We had lots of fun goofing around in nature with my baby bump in tow.
Soul Food
I have been a little slack with creating and uploading my own recipes as I used to. But this week, I served a delicious Dhal to my guests which went down a treat. Since I haven’t written down what I used, I will share this delicious Dhal recipe which is not dissimilar to my own. I used pumpkin instead of sweet potato and added garam masala, chilli flakes and coriander to the mix. Enjoy!
Soul Music
This week I would love to share this stunning track by Karen Drucker titled, There Is Only Love. Such a simple message, yet one which resonates so deeply and infuses my being with peace and love. Have a listen. I hope it brings you as much comfort as it does for me.
Soul Sisters
Yesterday I had my Mothers Blessing and truly felt the power of ‘Soul Sisters.’ So much love and energy in one room, how could I not feel loved and supported? I am a very lucky lady to have so many incredible and inspiring women in my life, each gifting me with their words of wisdom, and loving gifts of the heart.
Many of you may recognise our beautiful writer and fellow blogger Miriam from Out An About in these photos. Such a Divine soul who never fails to lift my energy to one of spirited grace and unity.
I have the energy of so many Divine women supporting me on my natural birthing journey. All fears aside, there really is ‘only love.’
And on that note, it’s Fathers Day in the UK and I’d like to acknowledge two of the most incredible men in my life; my angel Dad, and this gorgeous Daddy to be 💙💙
I’m proud to have walked beside both of you in this lifetime, you are strong men of honour, yet neither afraid to wear your heart on your sleeve.
I only hope that more women and children have the opportunity to know and experience a good man in their lives, whether paternal, teacher, lover or friend.
Here’s to all the men and Dad’s who rock our world 🙌🏻
Here’s wishing you a soulful Sunday permeated with love, trust, harmony and peace.
This week I’ve really felt what it feels like to be moving against the wind; but sometimes our resistance is part of our flow.
Just as the pilot navigates his plane through uncertain weather conditions, I too must trust in a safe landing despite the inner turbulence I’m feeling.
Resistance often indicates a need to let go of control, to completely surrender and trust. Yet resistance, when used in conjunction with intuition, can also be a strong reminder to trust in yourself first and foremost.
If you have a nagging resistance to something, there may be a reason why. Surrender and trust doesn’t mean that we have to agree to, and go along with every situation we are presented with.
If it doesn’t flow, let it go.
– Katrina Zaslavsky
If it’s not aligning with your hearts wishes, listen to what your resistance is trying to tell you, even if others think it unorthodox. Taking off against the wind may seem strange to some, but it’s the surest way to arrive at your destination in one piece.
Some days you just want to hide under the duvet and stay there. That was me half an hour ago.
And instead of taking a shower and doing my morning yoga before my green juice, I scraped back my hair, walked straight into the kitchen and made two buttered crumpets and a cup of tea!
I’ve had my little moment of emotional comfort. But I’m not going to let that seep into the rest of my day.
I’m going to get my sorry butt into that shower, do my morning yoga and feel 98% better for doing so! Then I’m going to guzzle my sexy green juice and feel zero guilt about the crumpets I scoffed this morning.
Why? Because I’m human and everyone deserves a moment to feel all the feels before getting dressed and showing up to the world.
This week I’ve been focusing on releasing control and settling in to a place of deep trust and surrender. Releasing attachment is the key component to manifesting a desired outcome.
I could feel some discord surrounding my labour and desires to birth naturally. The unknown was putting me into a place of fear… “What if things go wrong? What if I’m not in the right hands? What if my support team doesn’t respect my wishes and I lose control when I’m at my most vulnerable?”
I have made a conscious choice to birth drug free, but I have no idea of the hows and when’s of my birthing experience; and this frightens the crap out of me!
Stop, breathe and relax.
Whatever your circumstances, once you have made a firm commitment to your ‘why’ – it is essential to release the need to micro manage and control the ‘what’s’, ‘when’s’ and ‘how’s.’
Grasping at every little detail only blocks the natural flow of events. Instead, try to remain patient, present and attentive to the synchronistic events that provide proof you’re on the right path.
Take action, but be open to receiving your desired outcome in ways that may differ from, and far exceed, your initial expectations.
Trust in yourself, but most importantly, trust in the Universal Laws that govern all of nature and all that is. As Gabby Bernstein reminds us;
The Universe has your back.
So let go. Have faith in your power, then surrender this to a Higher Power, who will undoubtedly take care of all the rest.
Welcome to my fiftieth instalment of ‘Soulful Sundays’; a weekly share where I post a roundup of soulful reflections, each including recipes, songs, quotes, blogs I have read and/or any other inspirational discoveries to sooth the soul.
For me, Sunday’s have become a day of quiet contemplation and simple pleasures. A time to reflect on the week gone by and to consider my hopes and dreams for the week ahead.
My hope is to extend some love outward and to share some simple pleasures with anyone who cares to receivethem.
Soul Reflections
It’s a sad affair but one that unfortunately happens too often; we hand our power over to other people. Why do we do this? Because somehow, somewhere along the line we managed to lose our self-belief and in it’s place, developed a diminished faith in our own abilities.
But it’s time we stood in our strength and took back our power.
There is no doubt that we are highly intuitive individuals who need not rely on others to tell us how to live, especially when their advice feels counter intuitive to what our heart and our gut are telling us.
In this last week alone I have had two people, tell me that it’s highly unlikely I will be able to birth naturally. My response? I simply tossed their words in the ‘waste paper basket’ whilst sending them love.
Listen only to words that inspire, empower and uplift. Listen only to words of love. Henry Ford had it right when he said:
“Whether you think you can, or you think you can’t – you’re right.”
– Henry Ford
So today, believe you can. Embrace and own your true essence and power. Know that you posses all of the courage and grit required to achieve anything you set you mind to. Now do it.
Soul Strolls
It’s not often I take my camera out walking anymore. I like to keep my body light and free since i’m carrying a little person inside! But as our move to our new home approaches, I’d like to share a few shots I captured last year at my local park.
I stroll through Princes Park each night after work. Walking allows me to let go of the working day and to breathe fresh air into my lungs. My walks invigorate and nourish me. It’s a chance to clear my head and let go of any troubles I may be holding onto. Plus I get to move my body in a way that is gentle yet effective.
Here are just a few photod I’ve captured along my soul strolls to and through my local park. Hmm there seems to be a pink theme I’ve noticed….the colour of love?
Soul Food
This isn’t a recipe as such, but a little soul food that I arrived home to today after I woke feeling a little emotional and low on energy.
I went for a walk to restore my energy, only to arrive home to the scrumptious omelette lovingly prepared by my delicious man. He’s a little annoyed that it wasn’t ‘central’ on the plate before I snapped the photo, but as I gently reminded him – nothing is perfect, only perfectly imperfect in every way.
Soul Music
I am so in love with this track by Jai Jagdeesh, You Are Loved. Each words brings such profound comfort and joy. I urge you to listen to it again and again as I have! And as you do, ‘know you are loved.’
Soul Sisters
I usually share the words of a fellow blogger here each week, but this week I feel called to share two beautiful books I have been reading on the topic of natural birth.
Each one has empowered me on my journey towards a natural, drug free birth and has reminded me of my own inner strength and power. If you know anyone who is pregnant and may be feeling fearful about their labour, or has experienced a traumatic labour in the past – purchase one of these books as a gift. They truly are priceless gems of wisdom.
Authors Katrina Zaslavsky and Jenny Blyth have shifted my feelings of helplessness, dis-empowerment and fear about my labour, restoring within me a deep faith and trust in my innate ability to connect to my body, my baby and my birthing experience.
On this Soulful Sunday, know that I am wrapping you all in a warm hug, grateful hug. May you remember your strength. May you tune into your intuition. May you reclaim your power and go forth with confidence, ease and trust.
Welcome to my forty-ninth instalment of ‘Soulful Sundays’. A weekly share where I post a
roundup of soulful reflections, each including recipes, songs, quotes, blogs I have read and/or any other inspirational discoveries to sooth the soul.
For me, Sunday’s have become a day of quiet contemplation and simple pleasures. A time to reflect on the week gone by and to consider my hopes and dreams for the week ahead.
My hope is to extend some love outward and to share some simple pleasures with anyone who cares to receivethem.
Soul Reflections
On this soulful Sunday I would like to share the news of our little miracle within. For the last 5 months I have been growing a little baby in my tummy! Eeeek! And what a journey it has been so far. Being pregnant with the miracle of life has caused me to become fertile with a myriad of magical possibilities.
“To be pregnant is to be vitally alive, thoroughly woman, and distressingly inhabited. Soul and spirit are stretched – along with body – making pregnancy a time of transition, growth, and profound beginnings.”
– Anne Christian Buchanan
I have journeyed through resistance, doubt and fear only to emerge on the other side feeling a profound sense of connection and a deep level of trust in the ‘unseen force behind all of life.’ To be part of life’s creation is to fully surrender to life’s dance; trusting that you will intuitively rise to the challenges and changes each new step presents. Pregnancy is not a time for control, but a time to let go, to trust and to flow with the rhythm of life.
Soul Strolls
Whilst I have been walking a lot during my pregnancy, most of our strolling has been to house inspections to house our growing family. A fortnight ago I shared with you a home we were sure was ours. Somehow, between talking with the landlord, submitting our application and the rental agency presenting applicants, our application was lost and we missed out. It’s still a mystery to this day what happened, as we never took the landlords number. And whilst it was a little disheartening at first, I was sure there must be a reason why things turned out the way they did. And of course, there was.
One of my wishes has been to have a little woodland themed nursery for our baby. But I knew that may not be possible with a rental. Often repainting requires clearance from landlords and not many wish for their neutral homes to be tampered with.
Well. Just last week we came across a rental that already had a woodland themed nursery! Talk about the Law of Attraction! After being declined for four rental’s, this was the one that finally pulled through. I now know that this is the home for us.
Our little nursery ❤
Soul Food
This week we treated ourselves to some Indian food. Yum! Not only was the food scrumptious and heart warming, but we also revealed whether we were having a boy or a girl over dinner.
I’d enlisted the help of one of my students to create some beaded love hearts; one in pink and one in blue. Rather than have the lady reveal what we were expecting at the scan, we asked if she would secretly place the correct coloured heart into the box so we could reveal it to ourselves over dinner! Here’s the result:
What will it be?
Ooo the suspense!
Ta Daaaaaa!
Our Baby Boy ❤
Soul Music
Our baby is very responsive to music. Last weekend we saw Incubus live as well as Ed Sheeran. At both concerts baby was wriggling and kicking with content. I was too in the moment to capture any videos, but I’d like to share two of my favourite songs, one from Incubus, Wish You Were Here and Ed Sheeran’s Thinking Out Loud. The lyrics to both are beautifully timeless.
Soul Sisters
Today I’d love to share Kate’s poem, Incubation. Since i’m incubating a little baby right now, who I can’t wait to share with the world, Kate’s poem resonated with me deeply! I know you’ll enjoy this fun, insightful poem as much as I did!
Wishing each and every one of you a miracle Sunday.
Whether you are birthing new ideas, experiences and dreams or birthing new life – may you have full trust in your abilities and in the dance of life itself.
Dear Dad 