The Rainbow After The Rain

Each day I receive a quote to my phone which appears in the form of a notification. On my birthing day, mid labour, this is the quote I received. It couldn’t have been more true.

At this stage I had endured a lot of rain and had been birthing for over 24hours. A pinched nerve in my lower back meant that my labour was not ‘flowing’ as I’d imagined. Determined to avoid any drugs or invasive pain relief that would pass to our baby’s system, I allowed the rain to pour down on me – hard and heavy.

I would say that the back labour and water injections used to alleviate the discomfort were far more distressing than any other part of the birthing process, which i’d always held as beautiful and powerful and still believe this to be true.

The pinched nerve demanded all of my attention and focus, and at times I questioned my ability to birth my baby boy naturally, if at all. But my rainbow came. And I love him with every ounce of my being 💙

In life, sometimes we wish to give up. We don’t see that in the midst of our pain and despair, there is a beautiful rainbow forming.

Today, I ask that you TRUST. No matter what your circumstances or how long you’ve ‘put up with the rain’ – have faith that the rainbow is coming. Trust that it is bright, beautiful, colourful and magical. And yes my dear, that rainbow is just for you. You are SO worthy 🌈

So this little bundle of love is one week old today 💙🌈

Wow, what a journey Motherhood is.

My life now consist of sleeping in three hour increments or less; poopy bums and milky burps are the main flavour of the day, and my breasts have been converted into a 24hour milk restaurant 🥛

BUT, holding you close to our hearts, hearing your little piglet snorts and seeing your dreamy smile as you sleep makes every ounce of tiredness worth it’s weight in gold.

We love you Kole Roy 💙🌈 Happy one week earthside beautiful boy,

Love always,

Mummy & Daddyxx

Mother Nature’s Dance

Dear Mother Nature,

For two days, we danced. You came to me in the early hours of Monday morning, and I leaned into your embrace.

‘I am here to dance

As we have for thousands of years

To a song I’ve never heard, but have danced a million times…’ – Storm Ellyatt

Slow and steady, I swayed to your rhythm, rising to the swell of each surge.

The dance was long and enduring, testing every ounce of our emotional and physical strength.

In the early hours of Wednesday morning you came thicker and faster, your pace more insistent and I could barely catch my breath before I was swept along – no longer in control, but completely surrendered and at the mercy of your power.

And then I heard you whisper in my ear: TRUST.

We danced, we moved, we fell breathless and exhausted, only to begin again this intoxicating euphoric sway of nature.

I stumbled, I rose, I fell again, and just when I thought I could dance no more, I roared my final roar… and then you gave us the gift of our baby boy 💙🌈

Welcome to the world Kole Roy.

Date: 1st Aug 2018

Time: 1:03am

Weight: 9 pounds 3 ounces

You are beautiful in every way. Words cannot express the depth of love we already have for you.

My deepest gratitude for my incredible birth companions, Daddy, Dasha, Michelle and Grandma Lorraine who came along for the dance and remained steady and consistent to each change in tempo.

And for the energetic support of my Divine friends and sisters, you gave me the courage and strength I needed to own my vision of a natural birth. We did it! It wasn’t quite the 3 hour birth I’d envisioned, but it was worth every last little ounce of energy!

We will be opening our arms and hearts to welcome visitors in two weeks time. We appreciate your love and patience in the meantime as we honour this sacred time to bond (and rest!) as a family and for bubs to gently adjust to his strange new world outside of the womb.

Love always,

Hayley, Daley and Kole Roy xxx

Thank you

I’ll be the first to testify that the more we are grateful for the things we have in life; the more life provides us with things to be grateful for.

So why is gratitude the first thing we let slide the moment the shit hits the fan?

A good friend of mine recently said; “It’s easy to be grateful when all of your ducks are lined up… But if you can look for the good and stay grateful when life is a struggle, THAT’s when the real magic happens.” Wise words 🙏🏻

Today, see the beauty in all situations. Even the ones that are there to test you. Because ultimately, those are the experiences that urge you to grow, to evolve and to expand your horizons.

And that is why I’m choosing to see the beauty in my sadness today…

On this day 13 years ago heaven needed another angel, and decided you were the one Dad..

In your memory, I’d like to reflect on the gifts you blessed me with in hope that I can offer my baby the same unconditional love you bestowed upon me as a little girl.

💫 Bear hugs. I was never too old or too grumpy to receive one of your warm bear hugs. And even if I was, and tried to side step your cuddles – you’d stretch out your arm and reel me in with an anaconda type grip that said: “You’re receiving my love, grumpy or not, now take it!” …I will never deny my son a hug… (Even if he’s being a little sh*t 😝)

💫 Your weirdness. Your humour was unique, unapologetic and had us all in fits of belly laughter! I will teach my son to embrace his weirdness and to never apologise for who he is!

💫 Protection. Your nature was gentle and loving, but MY GOD if anyone ever interfered with our happiness you were FIERCELY protective and would shield us with your strength. I will teach my son to be his own pillar of strength should anyone ever threaten his sense of self.

💫 Humbleness. You faced many adversities during your brief time here, yet you remained humble throughout. Rarely did I hear you complaining or wishing for things to be different… I will teach my son that he is always enough and to count his blessings, even in times of adversity.

Thank you for everything that you taught me Dad 🙏🏻

Loving you always, forgetting you never 🙏🏻💙 xx

Soulful Sunday #49: Miracles Within

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 receive them.

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.

Love always,

Hayley xx

 

 

The Prayer of ‘Thank You’

I’ve long believed in the power of gratitude. There’s a reason great spiritual teachers and philosophers teach gratitude as the cornerstone to lasting success and fulfilment. Simply put – it works.

I’ve been a little quiet on here lately, searching for (and furnishing) a new home takes time, and of course money.

After missing out on a few houses in a competitive rental market, yesterday we were finally accepted for a home that suits all our needs. I feel we can put this down to remaining grateful that we already currently have a place to stay, rather than feeling disappointed each time we missed out.

‘Gratitude turns what we don’t have into enough.’

Gratitude raises our vibration to one of love and places us in a prime position to receive. This was confirmed to me while on my evening walk last night. I looked down to find a neatly folded $50 note. There was no one else in sight. I whispered a quiet ‘thank you’ for the reminder that we live in an abundant Universe.

Today I am grateful for a new home, for unexpected gifts and for loved ones near and far.

What are you grateful for?

Love always,

Hayley xx

Beautiful Pulsating Life

This week my partner flew to New Zealand to be by his Uncles side as he transitioned from this lifetime.

Losing loved ones is never easy, and being so close to death certainly gives cause for reflection of the important things in life; family, relationships, connection…

Today, take a moment to give thanks for those simple blessings we often take for granted – those things that money can’t buy; air in your lungs to breathe, limbs to move freely, laughter in your heart, the earth beneath your feet, someone to love and to hold…LIFE beautiful pulsating life.

Life can be ever so fleeting. Let us not waste it longing for what we do not have, when we can give thanks for all that is already ours.

Love always,

Hayley xx

Soulful Sunday #47: Treasured Friendships

Welcome to my forty-seventh 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 receive them.

Soul Reflections

As an introvert with a Scorpio sun-sign born in the year of the Rat, I fiercely value family, loyalty and authentic connection. I rarely surround myself with large numbers of frivolous friendships, choosing instead to keep a close circle of faithful friends, my chosen family, near to my heart.

When one discovers deep connection, then one has found a faithful friend. It doesn’t matter how often you meet, what matters is the love, trust and acceptance you share.

If you can place your heart in another’s hands and trust it is safe, held, and protected – when you’re at your best and when you’re at your worst – then you are blessed with an unbreakable bond that will survive all kinds of weather.

Such kindred spirits can be found in a parent, child, sibling, partner, teacher, friend or pet. It’s that instant recognition, that feeling of coming home, that moment when you know you can be completely yourself, free from fear or judgement.

Cherish those connections as you walk along this journey – because they are the true treasures in life.

Soul Strolls

Soul strolling this weekend took place in Warburton. This quaint country town is just an hours drive from Melbourne and a true treasure to visit. We enjoyed lazing by the river, getting our feet wet and exploring local walks and forestry.

On our way home we stopped for lunch with a treasured friend and fellow blogger, Miriam from Out an About and her husband, Doug. The food was scrumptious and the company was deliciously nourishing! I feel so blessed to have such a beautiful connection here in Melbourne, and what’s even more special is that our friendship was first formed whilst connecting here on WordPress.

If you know local bloggers that you resonate with, I encourage you to reach out and connect! You may just discover a kindred spirit like I did.

Kindred Spirits

Soul Music

Keeping with the theme of treasured friendships, I would like to share this stunning meditative track, Kindred Spirit by Deuter. Go on, I dare you to have a listen and become lost in its peaceful, healing vibes.

Soul Sisters

I would like to share Miriam’s stunning post, Planting Dreams. When Miriam told me of her serendipitous moment over lunch, I literally had goosebumps. The miracles that appear when we open our hearts to the Universe is beyond magic, and that’s what Miriam is tapping into, the magical creative force that emerges when we are in the flow of creativity, abundance and trust.

I hope your Sunday is filled with faith, deep connection and many many miracles.

Love Always,

Hayley xx

Soulful Sunday #44: The Wisdom of Rest

Soul Reflections

I often amaze at the way society has shaped us into a nation addicted to doing.

The chronic doer is often commended for their ‘productivity’ and applauded for their ability to get things done. But at what cost? Their health? Their sanity? Their loved ones? People addicted to doing often feel a sense of adrenaline each time they tick something off their ‘to do list’ and rarely feel at ease when simply resting. But as Lin Yutang reminds us:

Besides the noble art of getting things done, there is the noble art of leaving things undone. The wisdom of life consists in the elimination of the non-essentials.

Now I’m not suggesting we all go on strike and neglect our daily duties in favour of Netflix. But what I am suggesting is that we allow moments in our day to simply be. To be still, to enjoy moments of solitude, to give our undivided attention to our loved ones without the distraction of electronics and phones, to make time for laughter, play and creativity each day.

Your body, mind and heart need not wait until an unfortunate event, loss or illness forces you to stop and pay attention. Healing can begin now. Living can begin today. Today, silence your phone. Leave the chores for a few hours. Trust that what’s important will be taken care of. And the rest? Well that can simply wait.

Soul Strolls

This week I have been enjoying some gentle strolls around my local park. I also enjoyed a lovely catch up with friends at Cantani Gardens in St Kilda. The same spot where I enjoyed festival fun and music at The Pleasure Gardens last weekend. This week, the festival friendlies were nowhere in sight, and we enjoyed a peaceful picnic among the trees. What are you doing this weekend? Remember, if resting and recovery is on your agenda – however that looks to you, then I applaud you.

Soul Food

I am loving chia seed puddings at the moment and I also LOVE LOVE LOVE DoTerra essential Oils. I’ve been using them for over a year now with amazing benefits on an emotional and physical level. Today I am sharing Alice Nicholl’s recipe which combines my two favourite things in this delicious Citrus Parfait.

Soul Music

Today, I’d love to share a track called Breathe by Delilah. So often we get in our own way and we feel we can no longer breathe. This song reminds me to be free from myself.

Soul Sisters

Today I am sharing Bernice’s post The Book Of Awakening. A beautiful reminder of our blessings to be here enjoying this human experience. Let us not waste that opportunity in worrying, and embrace this moment, here, today.

Wrapping you all in a restful, warm hug. May your Sunday be gloriously restful and refreshing.

In love & light,

Hayley xx

 

The Little Things

When I look back over my life and the moments I cherish most, it’s often the little things which have had the biggest impact…

…when Dad told me he was proud of me (I worked in retail at the time, nothing extravagant – but he was proud all the same); Mum’s sentimental gifts (a handmade family scrapbook, a bracelet with Dad’s handwriting on it, a locket containing a cutting of his hair – all of which I will cherish always); being asked to be bridesmaid at my best friends wedding; the letters, gifts and ‘thank you’s’ I’ve received from the children I’ve taught over the years; each day I get to ‘do life’ with my deliciously thoughtful man; walking hand in hand, a warm embrace, heartfelt words of love, laughing until my cheeks ache; simple moments of peace and pleasure…

All of these ‘little things’ are the true meaning of a rich and fulfilling life.

Today, take note of the ‘little things’, because they really are the big things.

In love & light,

Hayley xx

Soulful Sundays #23: Boundaries.

Welcome to my twenty-third 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 receive them.

Soul Reflections

Many of us fall into ‘people pleasing’ mode. We keep quiet when something upsets us, or we decide it’s not worth the hassle to speak up. But voicing how we feel is an honest form of communication. Without boundaries, we risk trying to please everyone at the expense of our own happiness.

So why do so many of us fear voicing the truth? Being honest is often confused with being aggressive, harsh or outspoken. But communicating our truth can be done in a way that is both assertive and loving. It is possible to voice how we feel whilst still respecting others differences and opinions . We each value different things. This doesn’t make us any better or worse than one another. People either respect our wishes or they don’t. Yet through honest, open communication we can begin to surround ourselves with like-minded people and build healthy relationships based upon mutual trust. We can’t please everyone. Nor must we try. The right people will move in and out of our lives when we stay true to ourselves and others.

Today, speak from the heart. Remember that ‘boundaries are a part of self-care. They are healthy, normal and necessary.’

Soul Strolls

This week I have been a little over my head with moving house and working the holiday club with 90 children! Fun, yet exhausting. And without my walks to keep me sane, I may have buckled under the chaos. Finding a little moment of peace in your day, even if only for 5 minutes, is often the only thing that’s required to keep you afloat and above choppy waters. I captured these little pretties whilst walking this week. So delicate,

Soul Food

It’s a cold and rainy day here today in Melbourne. Weather likes this makes me crave comfort food! Which is why I am sharing these guilt-free Chewy, Fudgey, Vegan-Double-Choc Brownie’s. Now please! Yum.

Soul Music

I had the pleasure of watching Sacred Earth live this week in a beautiful chapel. The crystal clear sounds filled the convent and I was lost in 90 minutes of healing, soulful vibes. Such a mesmerising experience. Here I share one of their tracks, Divine Mother.

Soul Sisters

I haven’t had the chance to share much recently as I have barely Today I am sharing New Beginnings by Spiritual Journey 17. A  beautiful reminder for us to stay optimistic in the face of adversity.

In love and light,

Hayley xx