I have been strong but my heart is still heavy.
As many of you know these last few weeks have been turbulent for me with my mother passing, on top of my dad’s declining memory in this last year. I have stayed strong for myself, for my family, for my clients. We cleaned my mom’s apt, spread my mother’s ashes and then I flew to Orlando the next morning to teach at OrlandoHealth all week, which included my big head shave to raise money ($1565.00…yeahhh!) and spread the message for cancer support services, cancer awareness, & cancer prevention through clean, anti-inflammatory, immune boosting eating and a holistic lifestyle. **Read more about the fundraiser “Grace Is Going Bald” HERE. (Thank you for all of the donations!)
Spreading the message of plant-based foods and superfoods is my mission in this lifetime. It infuses me with life, it ignites my core, it enlivens me with love, it fuels every cell in my body. I live it, I know it, I have seen the magic it offers over and over and over to change your health and your life. And last week I was willing to shave my head at Orlando Health to show how much this means to me…..FOR YOU. I already know it. I want you to know it, too. I truly want people to be happy & peaceful. I want the world to be better. I want the world to be happy and peaceful. And part of being happy & peaceful is being healthy, vibrant, and disease-free
And now I’m off to India. AS A STUDENT…as a seeker of knowledge & truth. I have waited for 10 whole years to to go to India and now it’s finally come. The timing is divinely perfect. I am going on a special Heart Pilgram Spiritual Yatra through the Himilayan Mountains with Swami’s & other spiritual seekers. In the last 4 years since I started Gracious Living Lifestyle Retreats (and I have done over 50+ now) I HAVE NEVER EVER BEEN A PARTICIPANT AT A RETREAT! It’s true! I just design my retreats the way I would want to enjoy them! So now it’s my turn to be taken care of and led.
And now I can fully take the time to rejuvenate and heal my heart fully. I can take this time to focus on me, so that I can give back to YOU. I can take the time to fully have closure, say goodbye, to forgive, and to release my pain. It might seem odd but I saved my hair (it’s sitting in a zip lock bag in my suitcase, lol) and I will release it somewhere in nature in India, in the same way we released my mother’s ashes in nature in Canada. With the release of my hair I am letting my mother go. Goodbye hair, goodbye mom.
Want to see my travel route for the first 2 weeks through the Himilayan Mountains? Click HERE. And where am I going for another week after the spiritual pilgrimage is done? I don’t know! I will see where the Indian wind takes me….lol. That’s how I travel.
“It takes courage…to endure the sharp pains of self discovery rather than choose to take the dull pain of unconsciousness that would last the rest of our lives.” ~Marianne Williamson
And in the spirit of non-attachment and release, I have decided that when I leave India I am giving away my entire suitcase of clothes & belongings to poor people that need it. They need it more than I do. At every place I go to, I will give away at least 1 thing. The only things I will come back with are a rejuvenated, lighter heart, more clarity, the clothes on my body, and my electronics. Oh, and my empty suitcase. I need that for other trips, lol.
“Love is what we are born with. Fear is what we learn. The spiritual journey is the unlearning of fear and prejudices and the acceptance of love back in our hearts. Love is the essential reality and our purpose on earth. To be consciously aware of it, to experience love in ourselves and others, is the meaning of life. Meaning does not lie in things. Meaning lies in us.” ~Marianne Williamson
My own unique, wacky version of Eat, Pray, Love continues…..(stay tuned for updates on Facebook, photos on Instagram, and if internet is good enough I will post videos on my YouTube Channel….when I can.)
Here’s to new beginnings, natural endings, forgiveness, self-love, inner peace, and being real. Because if you’re not being real, then you’re living a lie. And what’s the point of living a lie?
Be real…..live your truth friends. XO