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"Today I asked my body what she needed,
Which is a big deal Considering my journey of Not Really Asking That Much. I thought she might need more water. Or protein. Or greens. Or yoga. Or supplements. Or movement. But as I stood in the shower Reflecting on her stretch marks, Her roundness where I would like flatness, Her softness where I would like firmness, All those conditioned wishes That form a bundle of Never-Quite-Right-Ness, She whispered very gently: Could you just love me like this?" by Hollie Holden https://www.hollieholden.me/ The above poem popped up on my Fb feed and it reminds me of the sadness I felt the first time I read this poem some time ago. I was sad that I too felt about my body how the author did. That I also did not love my body as she was. But rather than only feeling sad, I also felt like it was an awakening. That there was another way how I could feel about my body. And that hope is what I have run with. And worked with for years. And finally come to a place where I can appreciate my body for what I can do because I have here, rather than just being focussed on what she looks like. Would you like to feel that way about your body too Liz? If the answer is yes, I have designed a brand new program to uncover those deep stories of conditioning, fear, disgust, false beliefs and untruths that you have been subjected to since you were born and to change them into Outrageous Radical Body Acceptance. The Outrageous Radical Body Acceptance program starts on Monday 16 September and will go for 10 weeks. It will be weekly zoom group calls where I will guide you towards your own version of body acceptance in a safe and non judgmental space in sisterhood. I will teach you the tools and tricks that helped me get to where I am with accepting my body as she is as well as monthly Qoya classes, guest speakers and a viewing party of the doco "Embrace" plus so so so much more! Early bird pricing of $450 for the program is on until 25 August. The price then jumps up to $500. Payment plans are available. Are you ready to completely change the way you think your body? And have the best summer of your life?
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This morning we danced with the theme of “Connect to Nature” in my Sunbury Qoya class. It can be so easy at this time of year to cocoon and stay indoors in front of the heater, especially when we think of our seasons in terms of the northern hemisphere.
For the Wurundjeri people, the indigeous custodians of this land where I live in the Macedon Ranges, this season is called Waring or in English, wombat season. It's one of their longest seasons, running from April to July. It's called wombat season because it's the time of year when they are the most active. We also get our coldest days and the most rainfall at this time of year too. I find that I tend to go a little stir crazy if I haven't been outside by 4pm. I start to feel a bit off and wonder why until I realise I haven't been out yet! Even if its cold, I'll chuck on a jacket and beanie and do a short walk through my gum trees. There's something kind of special enjoying plants that I planted myself years ago - as all you gardeners would already know. I love listening to the birds. At the moment they are in heaven because my pin cushion hakea is flowering and there are still some bright pink flowers left on my gum behind the house. The wattles all have buds so soon my garden will be a riot of yellow with all the different varieties. By being outside and connected with nature, I feel as though I am part of nature, rather than just a visitor or an observer. So I encourage you, find your way to connect with nature each day. Go outside even if it's cold. Feel the cold wind and the rain on your face. Acknowledge the change of the seasons and revel in the difference between them. I promise you will feel better for it!! I'd love to know how you connect with nature, comment below to let me know! As a kid, you were your most free, unfiltered, joyous, pure self. It's only as you started to grow up that you are told stories about what you “should” be doing, or not doing, or how you should look and behave and be.
Then you start to get confused and feel as though the person you are is not “good enough". So you try to fit into the box of the “perfect” child, teenager, adult, daughter, staff member, girlfriend, wife, mother…. It's fucking exhausting and its little wonder that you might be feeling a bit lost about who you truly are and what you deeply desire. You might feel as though life is good but there's still a little niggle that something is missing. As a way of starting to reclaim your true authentic sweet little you I invite you to think about this question: What was your favourite thing to do as a child? Was it:
Now that you've worked out what it was, my next question to you is, when was the last time you did it? Was it:
My third question is, why did you stop doing it? Was it because:
My last question to you is this, what's stopping you from doing it now? This is your permission slip to go do IT with no judgement or shame. Go and embrace your inner you and PLAY! I'd love to know your answers to my questions and how you went doing your activity! Comment below to let me know! Do you feel as though something is missing from your life but you're not sure what it is?
That there's this niggle there but you can't quite put your finger on what's wrong? Really, everything is just “fine”. And yet… The niggle is still there. The little voice saying there's much more out there for you. That you still haven't done the thing that you have always truly wanted to. But now you don't have the time, the money and you're too old anyway? What if I told you that none of that is true? That you can have what you want, you can answer that niggle and live the most glorious, turned on radiance life you've always wanted? In my Reignite Your Fire group coaching we will work together in an online small group setting to really listen to that niggle, work out what we can do to answer it and how you might be able to fulfill it once and for all! In this intro course, I will teach you how to connect in with your body and your pvssy and how that will turn your inner radiance on and dial up your intuition to 1000! This is powerful stuff and practicing it in sisterhood is truly one of the best ways to experience it. Here's the lowdown:
Got questions? Ask away below! What a hot long weekend that was in Victoria!!! The temp has finally dropped in Melbourne and surrounds but I know that parts of the state are still super dry and hot - I'm looking at you Mildura, Robinvale and Swan Hill!
Because of the oppressive heat predicted, for the first time in its 70 year history, the Moomba parade was cancelled. It was devastating news to all those involved, including my son and his girlfriend who had been working on the costumes for over two months. But it was the right decision to make. To have hundreds of people (including lots of kiddos) ready and dressed in hot costumes for hours, to have people lining the streets to watch and to have all the support people around in 37 degree plus heat was simply a recipe for disaster. So instead, they made the hard but correct decision to cancel. These kinds of decisions take strength, determination and a knowing that it is the right choice. I know that when I've been faced with similar decisions, it is my innate knowing, my intuition, let's face it, it's my pussy that is guiding me to make the right, albeit hard, decision. How do you fair with making tough decisions? What is your guiding light? Comment below to let me know! For decades, I told myself that I had “black thumbs" instead of “green” ones. That I was no good at gardening and that all the plants I touched died.
And yet… I planted lots of native trees and shrubs when my son was born (almost 24 years ago) and they flourished (left pic above). They provide homes to lots of birds and insects. We have magpies nesting in them every year. The bees and ants love it when the gum trees, wattles and bottle brushes flower. This year I had my best ever year of growing my own rhubarb (centre pic) and made the most amazing cake with it. And I reckon I might be able to harvest a bit more too! I bought an elephant ear plant from a lady on FB (right pic the one in the white pot) and saw that it had a little baby growing in the pot as well. So I repotted it into the red pot and its growing so very well! And the white one has another couple of babies too! It would appear to anyone else that I am a gardener. That I do have a green thumb. So why do have this story in my head about my abilities as a gardener? Especially since its not true? My father was incredible with plants. He would break of bits of plants from anywhere and could get it to grow. At that time, I would have been around 8 or 9, I was lousy with plants. But the seed of the story was planted and it continued to grow and repeat itself. Until… I suddenly realised when I harvested all the rhubarb a few weeks ago that it was no longer true. In all honesty, it may never have been true. I have released that story and I am now proud to say “I AM A GARDENER”! What stories have you been told about yourself and continue to say? That you aren't creative? That you can't sing? That you can't dance? That you're unco? That you're [insert your story here]? Is it actually true? Was it ever? I invite you to revisit those stories and to really think about them if they are in fact real. Because I reckon you are far more accomplished and capable that you think. That you always have been, but you buried it. Let the story go and fly! My son graduated from university on in mid December 2023. It was a fancy ceremony in the old Exhibition Building in Carlton. Lots of interesting outfits from the higher ups and gowns and silly hats (my son's words!) on the graduates.
As part of the ceremony, Dr Anthea Skinner, musicologist - a fancy way of saying that she's a music researcher, who's research is focussed on adapting instruments for people with disabilities - gave the keynote speech. Dr Skinner spoke about the advice her mother gave her as a young woman with a disability who was unsure of how she would navigate a world that she didn't “fit” into: “No one who was just like everybody else ever did anything truly amazing. No one who was just like everybody else ever changed the world.” I share Dr Skinner's words (and those of her mother) as a reminder to you too, that what makes you unique is how you will make your mark. Embrace your 'weirdness', your 'kookiness', all the things that make you you. Your way of looking at things, your creativity, your opinion matters. I encourage you to celebrate your Youness and all that it entails. Because no one who was just like everybody else ever did anything truly amazing. Happy new year! I hope that you had a wonderful Christmas and were able to relax and enjoy it.
If you're still on leave - well bragged! If you're back at work, see what you can do to make it an as pleasurable experience as possible! As is custom at the start of a new year, I've been working on my desires for the year. I've spoken about desires before but in case you've missed it, I'll share it again. Desires are different to goals. Even the most exciting goal can feel somewhat heavy and like a real slog to achieve. Desires on the other hand, make you feel all warm and gooey, they bring you pleasure just thinking about them. For instance, you might set a goal of being able to learn how to do a 50kg deadlift. As a desire, that goal could become “I desire to feel healthy and strong every day.” Or how about the goal of “I want to find a partner”? Turn it into a desire with “I desire to be in a loving, healthy, respectful relationship with hot juicy s*x where my partner worships me and I worship them”. See what I mean? I urge you to write yourself a Desire List for 2024. You could set up a space where you won't be disturbed, have a gorgeous notebook and your fav pen, light a candle, have a snack and a yummy drink and play some thinking music to help get you into a pleasure mindset. Or if you are stretched for time, you can type it into your notes section on your phone while you are waiting for a dr's appt. Make it work for you however it does, but just do it! If you can't do it all in one sitting, that's ok too. Just keep adding to it when something else pops up or when you've got another few mins to dedicate to it. If you have some trouble getting started on your list, try some small desires first to get the ball rolling:
Once you feel that the list is complete - and honestly it may never be because you will always have new desires popping up, especially once you start thinking about them in a more conscious way - put it somewhere where you can see it and remember it. You might like to set a reminder on your phone to look at it each week. You could jump on Canva and make yourself a digital vision board and put it on your phone as a screensaver (I've done this!) so you see it each time you open your phone. You could make a physical vision board or you could paint or draw one. Check in with your desires on a regular basis. Make sure you are putting your energy and time into the things that bring you the most joy. Because life is too short not to. I've started thinking about 2024. What do I want to do in my business, when and how? But I realised that before I look forward with eager bright eyes, I need to reflect on what I achieved in 2023. Because sometimes we forget to do that. To remember all the awesome things we did. Hell, sometimes we forget to celebrate them when we achieve them! Australians have a tendency to look down on those who are doing well - the old “tall poppy syndrome". We gotta knock them down a peg or two. I'm not entirely sure why its part of our culture but I reckon its something we need to get rid of. Celebrating our victories, and those of the people around us, make us happy. Instead of seeing someone else's achievement with jealously or anger or regret, why not see instead as a sign to you that it can be done? Someone else did it, therefore so can you! Try to see it a sign that its also coming for you. So my invitation to you is to brag about 2023! What have you done? What are you proud of? And here are some of mine:
I would LOVE to hear your brags!! Comment below and let me know. Because as good as bragging is, do you know what makes it even better? When it is witnessed by another person and celebrated!!! I wanna be that person for you! Go on, let me know now! Welcome to my first ever Christmas Gift Guide! I wanted to showcase the incredible women and non-binary people in business that I have had the pleasure of knowing and working with. These folks are forging their own paths, running amazing small businesses and providing gorgeous products and services. By supporting these businesses you are helping them provide for themselves and their families. You are helping them to become financially independent and have the freedom to do what it is that they are being called to do. And that's pretty amazing in my book!
You can click on each of the images below and it will take you to the business' website. |
AuthorLiz Reichard is a Radiance Coach and Qoya teacher. Her mission is to help as many women as possible remember the power of their own bodies through Radiance Coaching & Qoya classes. Archives
May 2025
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