Soulful Sunday #60: The Other Side Of Fear

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 receive them.

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.

Love always,

Hayley 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

 

 

Slow Down

A poem by Danna Faulds.

Walk Slowly

It only takes a reminder to breathe,
a moment to be still, and just like that,
something in me settles, softens, makes
space for imperfection. The harsh voice
of judgment drops to a whisper and I
remember again that life isn’t a relay
race; that we will all cross the finish
line; that waking up to life is what we
were born for. As many times as I
forget, catch myself charging forward
without even knowing where I’m going,
that many times I can make the choice
to stop, to breathe, and be, and walk
slowly into the mystery.

I believe we can all prosper and thrive when we remember to take a moment to breathe, to walk slowly, to stop and smell the flowers along the way…

May you move slowly into the magic and mystery of the weekend.

In love & light,

Hayley xx

Soulful Sunday #33: Every Great Dream

Welcome to my thirty-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

“Quit daydreaming…” “Get your head out of the clouds…” “Those things don’t happen to people like us…”

From a very early age we have been led to believe that dreaming is for the absent minded, for those who live in a world of make believe. I once knew someone who was so proud of their ability to think logically, they believed logic equated to truth and anything else was complete fantasy.  But even Albert Einstein knew that:

Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere.

– Albert Einstein

Never stop dreaming. The world needs more dreamers. Dreams are Divine whispers of the soul guiding us toward inspired action – so get still and listen. When we follow our bliss we live a life on purpose. Aligned with our hearts truest wishes, we give others permission to follow their dreams, to spread their joy with the world.

Today, be unafraid to dream. Remember that you are a limitless being with the ability to create the life you intended to live. If you can dream it, then you can do it.

Soul Strolls

I have been very lucky lately with plenty of house sitting opportunities arriving just in time to see me with a place to stay. I feel blessed to have friends with pets who need a pet sitter whilst they are away on their travels. This has worked out perfectly since I am currently in search of fixed accommodation. The Universe really does have ways of taking care of everything… So long as we surrender and trust the in process of life. My most recent house sitting opportunity is located close to a beautiful park in Box Hill, Victoria. Wattle Park is the perfect sanctuary for dreamers like me.

Soul Food 

I have been very under the weather lately and have been loading up on fruits and veggies to flood my body with some well needed Vitamins and Minerals. Today I am re-sharing my favourite Kiwi & Kale green juice recipe just in case you too need a delicious boost of goodness!

Soul Music

Since today is for dreaming, I am sharing Gabrielle’s Dreams. This track takes me back to my teenage years when I lost sight of my dreams for some time. Let’s remind ourselves that ‘dreams can come true.’

Soul Sisters

I would love to share this simple yet powerful poem by Chole about the importance of listening beyond the voice to reach our hearts, our souls. Head on over for an inspirational poem.

May you keep your heads in the clouds and your dreams close to your hearts. This Sunday is for dreaming. Dream big.

In love & light,

Hayley xx

Peace

Soulful Sundays #8: The Dash

Welcome to my eighth 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

Happy Sunday to you all. Today I thought I would share this thought-provoking poem, The Dash Poem, which I heard read aloud recently at my local Toastmasters club. It was such a simple and moving truth that I wanted to share it with you in case you have yet to hear it. For copyright purposes, the Author Linda Ellis asks that the poem not be copied or reproduced, rather, a link shared back to her site. So if you’d like to read the poem (and I encourage you to do so), then just click here! It certainly made me think of how I would like to spend the remaining ‘dash’ in my years.

Soul Strolls

Along my soulful strolling this week I snapped this Chinese Cherry Blossom. So beautiful to see so many colourful flowers in bloom. Spring is officially my favourite time of year…

Soul Food

Today I am sharing these Raw Caramel Slice Bites by Becomingness. They look delightful, plus I’m all about treats that don’t necessarily result in a ‘cheat’. I’ll certainly be trying these – will you?

Soul Sounds

Today I am sharing The Writer by Sleeping at Last. I am sharing this track which I have listened to daily, because it has uplifted me whilst preparing for my book proposal, the submission date of which is due on Christmas Eve. As part of a Writers Workshop that I purchased last year, there is an magical opportunity to enter a competition to win a book publishing contract with the one and only leaders in the self-help genre, Hay House.  Yes – I know! Excited much? So when the stars align, you could be one of the first to hear of me fulfilling my lifelong dream of becoming an author! You have to believe it before you see it, right? 😉 And since you too are all passionate writers, I thought I’d share the love with this inspirational track!

Soul Sisters

And whilst on the subject of writing, I though I’d share a fellow writers book launch over at Watching The Daisies. This looks like a wonderful memoir, and not dissimilar to the message I portray in my daybook of living in the present moment. I believe that the message of slowing down and mindful living is one that can truly transform our lives, so the more people who can remind us of this, the better! So please do head over to Brigid P. Gallagher’s blog and support her in her inspiring work!

In love and light,

Hayley xx

Soul Sundays #5: Now or Never

Welcome to my 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 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

This week has been a little tough. I have felt overwhelmed. Pulled in different directions. I have been frustrated and blocked creatively.

So easily our vision is pulled from the Now. We are interrupted, or become distracted; and not always by another well meaning person, often it can be our own self-sabotaging thoughts that intrude on our peace and sacred space. Despite our best efforts and intentions, if we listen to the voice of procrastination for too long, doubt begins to set in. Or we lose focus entirely, abandoning our project on the grounds that ‘now is not a good time to be creative.’ But Now is the only time.

Who are we kidding when we tell ourselves that we’ll work on it ‘later’ or ‘tomorrow’ or when we have ‘more time’ and the ‘conditions are ripe’?

Every time we tell our selves this – we are ‘cock-blocking’ creativity. And as vulgar as that may sound to some, that is the reality of how vulgar, intrusive and pervasive our self-sabotaging thoughts can be. The endless cycle of perfectionism and procrastination kills creativity and stops it in it’s tracks before it even has chance to gain some forward momentum.

So my advice is to simply begin. Regardless of the conditions, take action. Because worse than a blocked creator, is a frustrated one. And the only way to become unblocked is to oil the instrument and put it in motion.   It doesn’t matter if it’s not great, at least it is something. And so last night, as the rain poured, I penned this little poem. And today, the sun made her appearance.

Rain kisses earth,
Cleansing dense energy.
As energy outside shifts,
Souls inside create their lists.

Sun embraces land,
Birthing new ideas.
As inspiration takes form,
Hearts grow warm; their souls reborn.

Soul Food

Another simple yet tasty dish to share today. When I feel overwhelmed, it’s important I prepare foods that are healthy and simple and quick to prepare. Otherwise, I find myself reaching for ‘quick fixes’ and foods that inflame my body. So here’s a quick Chickpea & Tepenade Salad that is both filling and delicious.

Soul Sounds

I play this meditation track to the children I teach during their relaxation. It is soothing and speaks to the soul. A breath of stillness is certainly what I have needed this week, and so I though I would send a Breath of Stillness your way to soothe your Sunday.

Soulful Strolls

When the sun made an appearance this afternoon, I took advantage and went for a stroll. It was just what I needed to let go of some of the frustrations and blockages that have been holding me back. I captured these beautiful roses in full bloom.

Soul Sisters

Today I am sharing Michelle’s post from Two Are Better Than One, titled You Can’t Hide. Since I often go walking to clear my head and meet with the ‘hopeful whispers’ of encouragement, I resonated a lot. Mosey on over and have a read! I’m sure you’ll find some inspiration on Michelle’s blog too!

In love and presence,

Hayley xx

Surrender

Those yearnings pursued or chased will elude,
For grasping is the home of fear.
Imagine with faith in quiet solitude,
For alignment does draw dreams near.

Let go of the Who, the When and the How,
Untether your noose of demand.
Surrender to Faith and simply allow,
God’s muse will reap all promised lands.

A Poem by Hayley Jade Gledhill

Open Hearts

There are times when our hearts become closed. Just like tender skin that has come into contact with a hot stove; we contract and recoil from the pain. Our body’s defence mechanisms are designed to protect us from further discomfort; if we fail to withdraw, we risk severe burns, or worse still – death. Our natural reaction, therefore, is to retreat.

But what happens when we remain constricted, when we close our hearts through fear of ‘getting burnt’? When we build a wall of protection around us, we cut off the natural flow of love. Not only do we prevent ourselves from giving love, but we also restrict our ability to receive love. What is called for is not complete constriction, but caution; which is simply another word for ‘attention’, or ‘awareness’.

Just as the stove does not purposely set out to burn our skin, it is not usually another’s intent to inflict harm upon us (with the rare exception under extreme circumstances, of course). But more often than not, we get hurt because there was some degree of carelessness involved. Our own carelessness or that of another. Maybe the heat was turned too high and the pot had reached boiling point? Could it be that we rushed in impatiently, or approached at the wrong angle? Maybe we neglected the stove completely and a fire broke lose? Whatever our reasons for getting burnt, regardless of who was to blame, the affects need not result in the permanent closing down of our kitchens. And the same is true of our hearts.

When we remain open, we choose expansion over constriction. The doors are set ajar for love to drift through once more, filling our hearts with the sweet aroma and comfort of joy. To close our hearts is to take a pillow to our souls and smother our very essence. At the core we are love. And to restrict that life force within us is a slow death for fettered hearts. That is not to say that if you are dealing with a hazardous or faulty stove that you shouldn’t replace it, because your safety and wellbeing is paramount. But what I am saying, is that there is no need to stop cooking, to stop loving, to shut up shop and starve.

It is ok to allow ourselves to be vulnerable. We need only exercise more care and attention, that’s all. But what if I am hopeless in the kitchen? – you may ask. As a child raised on boxed food and packet noodles in working class Tameside, I reply: cooking takes practice and patience. We don’t always get it right. Sometimes it leaves our kitchens in complete disarray, or an unpleasant taste in our mouths which can linger –  but when we do manage to create something wonderful, nothing compares to the pleasure and comfort of a sumptuous home cooked meal, prepared with tender loving care.

Those are the ones that warm our hearts, soothe our souls and ‘light the whole sky.’ That, my Dear, is a love that tastes simply divine.

Self Hate

I came across this talented writer today and felt compelled to share her breathtakingly beautiful poem. It speaks to the heart and reinforces the power and unique beauty of each and every one of us. A beauty that sadly, so many of us forget.

With so much media and airbrushing and ‘ideals’ – Dainty M’s poem reminds us of the importance of loving ourselves; accepting ourselves. For we are all children of God and created perfectly in His vision.

Thank you Dainty M for this wonderful piece written from the heart.

xx

Dainty M.

I hate my body, she said, 

And my heart sank

Because clearly she didn’t think I did a good job creating her 

She began to pull chunks of flesh that I had so intricately formed 

She pointed at spots that I had used to punctuate her perfect skin 

 

I hate my body, he said 

As he used his skin as a canvass for artwork 

Soon enough it was hard to tell his skin tone 

As all I could see were tattoos carved on the skin I had taken so much time to form 

 

I hate my body she said 

As she cut herself up 

Absorbing all the drugs she could 

Just to take her mind off her hurt and insecurities 

 

I hate how I look! He yelled 

Abusing substance more than one could imagine 

Getting so high 

Surely he was about to fall 

 

Why did you…

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