Italy Retreat!!!

The Italy retreat is FULL SWING and FULL POWER!!!!

Dad.

"When the unforgettable calls you-
The memory of something noble,
Generous, inspiring,
Accept the gift.
Savor every detail.

The beauty we admire
Is a visitation from another moment,
Infusing body and heart.
Memory transports us beyond time + space,
Into the living presence of wonder."

-radiance sutra 96

I love you Dad

5 Friends...

I started this amazing book, the DAILY GREATNESS JOURNAL: A Practical Guide for Consciously Creating Your Days. In the opening it asks, "Who Are Your 5 Closest Friends?", which reads:

Surrounding yourself with people who support you in positive ways is critical once you've made the decision to live your life on purpose. Your environment and external influences play a huge role in your ability to live the life you want and reach your potential. If you're not currently surrounded by people who have similar goals, dreams, and values as you, then find a community of people who do. In short, hang our with and learn from people who inspire you, empower you and support you."

Who are the 5 people that you spend the most time with? Do they...
*INSPIRE
*EMPOWER
*SUPPORT
?

Make a list.
Think about it.

The Most Important Meal...

Fredrik educated us about the importance of a big breakfast yesterday, so I was delighted that my final meal with the Toremalm crew was brekky! Jarl (Petters father) put out the most epic spread of fresh goodies from the bakery (life-changing croissants, Danishes and perfectly.baked.bread) along with lobster salad, ham, cheese, butter, and foie gras. YUM.

Feasting with Friends.

Petter, Linn and I had a brief encounter in Indonesia several years ago-- only to bump into each other in Sri Lanka last year, and to continually connect through our parallel lives of travel, adventure, and surfing. We have mutual friends from around the world, and it's one of those love affairs that the Universe is setting in your lap. So it was only natural that we connected in their home country of Sweden. Petter, Linn and their dog Mali ("Malibu Rainbow" hahaha) met Fredrik and I at a surf break that was a few hours south of Varberg. It was like being reunited with dear old friends, not missing a beat! We surfed some choppy albeit fun waves for some time before packing it up and heading to Tokelrov (I think that's right...), which is a little seaside village where the couple grew up. Petters family owns a restaurant here that is *divine*. We lunched on a salmon tartare dish to start and then had a roasted fish, fennel, potato dish that was fucking amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Amazing. Fredrik left us, headed back home and back to work, and left me in the hands of the Toremalm family. We walked around the tiny town, chatted over coffee, and walked to the Seacliff to watch the sunset. And the food adventures were to continue...Petter, his wonderful father Jarl, his baby sister Svea, Linn and I then dined up a most epic dinner!! We had filet over greens that had a bit of an Asian flair to it and it was to.die.for. But it didn't stop there, for of course there was the most perfect bottles of wine that were being poured as well. We told stories, sang songs, and laughed- and laughed- and laughed. I went to bed smiling and I woke up smiling. My visit to Sweden has been short, but incredibly sweet, and I am totally enchanted by the chic yet earthy little slice of the world. I cannot wait to come back!! And I especially cannot wait for my next meal with the Toremalms!

More SURF in Sunny Sweden!

Only here for 5 days, and two of them I got some surf!! Even better, I met up with my SUNSHINE STORIES friends Linn+Petter, and the four of us surfed and laughed and ate some really kickass food at Petters family's restaurant. Loving Sweden, will be sad to go but spur excited to be getting to ITALY!

Sweden Surfy Surfy

I had such a fun surf this morning in Sweden with Fredrik and his friend Chris (who funny enough is from Florida). It was pretty terrible but we laughed from start to finish!!

Swedish Workshop

It was a beautiful workshop this evening here in Varberg, Sweden. It was 17 people in total...Fredrik the only man. Everyone had a most spectacular time and several of us hung out after class, catching up and savoring the moments. Again, big gratitude to Fredrik for helping me to assemble a group, lock down a location, and for aligning me with Tessa who helped me to organize the evening. I am loved.

SWEDEN.

I decided to throw Sweden into the mix, because WHY NOT? Fredrik and I became great friends in Sri Lanka and he requested that I make a stop here for a visit before heading to Italy for my retreat. And so it is. I'm here for just about 5 days and thankfully (gratefully) Fredrik was able to take off 4 full days!!! He scooped me by the airport which is in Denmark and then we cruised the Swedish countryside back to his adorable, inviting apartment in Varsberg. We spent the afternoon shuffling around town, had a dip in the very cold Nordic waters and then took a nap in the valley as we warmed up with the sun. When we got back, my generous host ran me a bath and then dipped out to buy groceries as I soaked and started to come back to life (lots of jet leg and very little sleep). He then proceeded to cook me a delicious dinner, I made us cocktails, and then we walked down towards the beach to watch the sunset-- and it was already half past 9!!!! The sun officially set at 10:10pm, and we walked the streets for another hour, with the lasting light of the sun still guiding our way. Thank you to the Universe for always connecting me to the right people, who help support me on this journey on the right path.

Niki

Well, my 5 hour layover in Toronto was not only bearable, but incredibly enjoyable thanks to my new friend Nikki. I was excited about arriving at the airport because I saw online that it had a spa where you could get mani/pedis. My feet and fingers were atrocious...really, incredibly horrible. Unfortunately, I was told that they only have one of those spas on the domestic side of the airport. Ahhh. And so I felt a bit defeated as I walked around, trying to figure out what to do with all of this time and these terrible toes. Well, just as I had that thought I came around the corner and there was MAC Cosmetics. Now I am NOT a makeup girl, but I'm sure some of you remember my blog about being "grown up" enough now to wear lipstick. And so, I figured id kill some time playing around with lipstick. Two crazy lipsticks later and I started talking to "Niki". Niki is a sassy mamacita that knows her way around cosmetics. She has a huge smile, gives a great hug, and is sincerely outgoing and engaging. I told her about my mani/pedi dilemma, and she just pulled some nail polishes for me, pointed to a seat, and told me to just have at it! I painted my fingers and toes as she helped makeover all of the jet-lagged ladies that strolled in. I even dipped out for a minute to buy her a coffee because she was the only one manning the floor of a dozen make-up-hungry-mamas. Well, a little gesture goes a long way I suppose, because I went from getting star-treatment to ultimate-VIP care, with all the bells and whistles. I spent about 2 hours hanging in the MAC stand, gussying myself up, parading around in bright colored lipsticks, and applying different rosey shades to my cheeks. We talked about travel, guys, and our transformation from tom-boys to sassy-ladies. In the past I ragged on makeup, but I think I kinda like it! It felt really playful to adorn my body and celebrate femininity. I'm so grateful to have met Niki and explore an afternoon of beauty that I would have never indulged in otherwise!

Fire.

Alicia Keys has an amazing song right now called "Girl on Fire". I have been LOVING all of these AMAZING songs coming out that are about women owning their worth. If you have spotify, check out the running playlist that I started called I AM A GODDESS...it's chock full o' fabulous, inspiring tunes. A lot of what I talked about in yesterday's Self Love workshop is moving past this idea that society has put on us to be apologetic, overly modest, or insecure. Overall we are embracing a shift in consciousness that embraces self-love. Step into your worth, and share it with the world.

Be the light.
Share the light.
Shine the light.

Alicia Keys - Girl on Fire
"Ohhhh oh oh oh oh
She got both feet on the ground
And she's burning it down
Ohhhh oh oh oh oh
She got her head in the clouds
And she's not backing down

This girl is on fire...
This girl is on fire...
She's walking on fire...
This girl is on fire...

Looks like a girl, but she's a flame
So bright, she can burn your eyes
Better look the other way
You can try but you'll never forget her name
She's on top of the world
Hottest of the hottest girls say

Ohhhh oh oh oh
We got our feet on the ground
And we're burning it down
Ohhhh oh oh oh oh
Got our head in the clouds
And we're not coming down

This girl is on fire...
This girl is on fire...
She's walking on fire...
This girl is on fire..."

THIS IS GODDESS IN A BOWL!

My Uncle might very well be one of the most animated and down-right-pee-your-pants-funny guys that I've ever met. He reminds me SO much of my Dad...not just the way he looks (the blue eyes, the beard, the eyebrows, the hair, the nose, etcetc) but he also has the same mannerisms, gestures, dance moves and impatience. I love this man to the moon and back and we have had more fun than a barrel of monkeys these past few days. I nearly killed him with all of the yoga, bike riding, swimming and healthy eating-- he swore to me twice that he was having a stroke, but alas- he prevailed and not only survived, but actually really enjoyed himself!! We have laughed so much these past few days, but the most magical moments were the afternoons when we would just float in the sea next to each other, watching the fishes swim around us. I think we both could feel my Dad around us, and moving through each of us. His company has brought me so much joy this week and I am grateful for every moment that we were able to spend together. I plan to be back in Key West late February, and hopefully will be doing some collaboration work with this special man.....!

Self Love at Shakti

Today's workshop was full...and that was completely by word of mouth (which is the best type of advertising!). The community down here is INCREDIBLE. I have felt that I am already a lifelong part of the Tribe that lives here, and each and every person makes me feel loved and appreciated. I felt right at home with this community at Shakti, and I was blown away at everyone's excitement and willingness to step out of their comfort zones and open to growth. This ECSTATIC SELF LOVE workshop was SO MUCH FUN to lead, and Im still smiling from ear to ear as I reminisce and write this blog.

There is no love like self-love, so on that note, I'll end with today's mantra....I LOVE MYSELF.

See you in February Key West!

Posted with Love.

There is something incredible heart-warming about receiving a hand-written letter in the mail. But what's even better is when your friends send you photos of themselves with the postcard that you sent them! Yanai sent me this from Israel, and Fredrik his from Sweden. Stop with the email for a minute and go write a card, slap a stamp on it, and make someone's day.

Purnatva.

There are 6 qualities of consciousness (base principles of life). The third is PURNATVA, which translates as "fullness" or "perfection". We are born in perfection and fullness. It is our truth, our essence. And not only are we perfect and full, but there is always more- because as we grow and expand, so do our boundaries-- we are NOT limited. The only thing that keeps us from our innate perfection and fullness are OUR OWN limiting beliefs. The 6th stage is RAHASYA, which is the concept that only 1/4 of existence is revealed to us, the other 3/4 is concealed. Think of an iceberg, though only a small bit of the tip is available for us to see, there is SO much more beneath it. Rahasya supports Purnatva in that we are full and complete but there is always opportunity for growth and expansion. Are you with me still? Rahasya demonstrates that we live in a layered existence. So the blindfolded practice today was about honoring the process of continual revelation and stepping into your worth. By removing our sight we must listen to our inner voice which guides us to our inner essence, which reaffirms that we ARE complete and perfect-- and it reveals so much to us that is unavailable when we are moving from an ego-state. Ya dig?

The practice was AMMMMAZING. Everyone that showed up SHOWED *UP*, and the class ended with everyone crying tears of openness and compassion. It was such a treat to guide people in this journey and I'm over-the-moon-excited for tomorrow's ECSTATIC SELF-LOVE workshop. I started the day with coffee with Jamie, and then finished the day cruising the town on bikes with my Uncle. We swam, lunched, biked, swam, explored, socialized, biked, and hit up an art gallery. The highlight though was stopping in my uncles gallery and seeing the beautiful painting that he did of my fathers hands holding some key limes. The photo had been taken a few months before my dad died, and to see the painting in person was incredibly special. So grateful for this abundant day!