Love

Connect in Thursday: Look up and around

Look up - the self-compassion
Look up - the self-compassion

On this fine Thursday I would like you to look up. We can get so focused on where we are going, what we need to get done, that we miss little moments of beauty right in the middle of the familiar and ordinary. Curiosity is such a catalyst for adventure and that muscle may need some exercise, flexing and stretching. A simple practice like this can be a good way to start.

Today's practice: Look up and around you right now. What beauty is there to enjoy, take in, appreciate, where you are?

Beginning to open up with curiosity, with presence where you are, to experience in a more intimate way is more simple than you may think. Even if looking up takes you to the grey ceiling in the office. What you do you notice?

Share it with your friends.

[Tweet "Look up and around you right now. What beauty is there to enjoy, take in, appreciate, where you are? #connectinthursday @carinalyall"]

Thursday is connect in day on the blog. I offer a short, free practice or reflection to support you to connect to yourself and others with more presence, self-compassion and care. This is a little nugget of inspiration for you. Allow it move through you, and be open to what it may bring. Stay tuned here on the blog every Thursday.

xo Carina

Episode #5 Inspirational Woman Bri Seeley

Inspirational Woman Project
Inspirational Woman Project

Bri Seeley is here with a strong message and an inspirational project that is going to touch the hearts of many women.

She is an entrepreneur for all things woman that is passionate about sharing her story, and the stories of other amazing women. Her training and passion as a fashion designer led her to create a fashion label dedicated to femininity and helping women connect with their true selves.

Bri has paved her path by surrounding herself with inspirational women, which revealed to her a disheartening trend that she is dedicated to change. She recognized how intensely women search outside of themselves for happiness and validation, losing touch with what makes them women and conforming to external pressures of how women should show up in the world.

This gap between how women define themselves and how society defines them has created an immense amount of discord and unhappiness. Thus the Inspirational Woman Project was born. 

In this podcast Bri and I talk about

The self-compassionate woman podcast
The self-compassionate woman podcast

 her upcoming book and the journey that brought her to creating it

The self-compassionate woman podcast
The self-compassionate woman podcast

 why women don't feel like an inspiration

The self-compassionate woman podcast
The self-compassionate woman podcast

 how digging deeper into the theme of womanhood has changed her, and those who participated, life

The self-compassionate woman podcast
The self-compassionate woman podcast

 why this is (still) an important topic to explore

Check out more about the project here and connect with Bri on Facebook,Twitter and Instagram

a tribute to LOVE

9 years ago I met the man, it would turn out, who changed me. Tuesday is photo day on the blog showing glimpses of me life, practice and journey. Today is a tribute to the man, the love and the life I have shared with my blonde Scandinavian (who I first thought must be boring - how wrong I was). <3

#1 Before the kids. We look so well rested.

Love life and partnership
Love life and partnership

#2 Now expecting child #1. I am sure I said something REALLY funny. Still look very well rested.

9 years together.
9 years together.

#3 Ok now way past birth of first child and SO hard to find a picture we're both in . Such a bad photo, but HA! at least the wee one looks pretty fly! The second child is on the way.

roadtrip
roadtrip

#4 Things like this now dominate our camera...

IMG_0299
IMG_0299

#5 and this my phone...

IMG_2314
IMG_2314

#6 But once in a while we still get time to get away and enjoy each other's company.

Parents weekend out
Parents weekend out

#7 And here's to the next 9 years my love <3 (not knowing why it looks like you have fangs...)

to the next 6 years.
to the next 6 years.

Podcast Episode #3 with Eyenie Schultz

eyenie
eyenie

The beautiful Eyenie Schultz guests with us today and shares her fun spirit and insights on breaking free from the grey Poncho… (yes me I had mine on the first time I met her…) and shining bright.

Eyenie is a SoulStyle Coach and Visibility Facilitator who helps women upgrade their styles so that the WOW they are on the inside finally matches what they wear and how they feel on the outside. 

She’s a “make others feel WOW” junkie, spirit expander, appearance enhancer and style revamper/curator.

Eyenie’s mission is to help you Live YOUR Technicolor Priestess by aligning your inner and outer beauty to create synergy, and enhance all areas of your life. She is a firm believer in focusing on all the magic and electricity inside and around you so that it may EXPAND in your life.

She joined us for a talk about

The self-compassionate woman podcast
The self-compassionate woman podcast

 Freedom and self-expression and how we can hide behind clothes

The self-compassionate woman podcast
The self-compassionate woman podcast

How to tackle a frumpin' closet and why you don't need a huge budget to shine

The self-compassionate woman podcast
The self-compassionate woman podcast

Why it can be hard to allow ourselves to me seen and why clothes is so much more that just being vain

You are going to LOOOVE her. Also check out her free 10 day challenge here... 

Podcast Episode #2 with Julie Genovese

bio-image Julie Genovese
bio-image Julie Genovese

This podcast goes to show that the online world hooks you up with amazing people that might have passed you by. I am a true fan of Julie's, and I am so happy she joined us.

Julie Bond Genovese is an inspirational speaker, coach, artist, mom and best-selling author of her award-winning memoir, Nothing Short of Joy, endorsed by Wayne Dyer, Dr. Christiane Northrup & Dr. Bernie Siegel. Being born a dwarf, with degenerative arthritis, was not the poison Julie originally believed - it was the cure.

She's been featured on TV & radio including Anderson Cooper Live, NBC LX, The Aware Show & Oprah.com. Julie mentors spiritual seekers and earthy-crunchy-creatives to transform life’s grief, let the soul lead, and woo our hearts back toward the Light. 

Julie came on the show and shared her wisdom and awesome laugh. This is what we talked about:

The self-compassionate woman podcast
The self-compassionate woman podcast

Julie's amazing story and why she chose joy for herself

The self-compassionate woman podcast
The self-compassionate woman podcast

 The art of breathing deeply

The self-compassionate woman podcast
The self-compassionate woman podcast

The challenges that can leave on in the darker parts of life and what you can get from shifting perspective

You can check out Julie's free ebook "Release the Blocks So Creativity Rocks!" at http://www.nothingshortofjoy.com