“Love yourself first and everything else falls into line.”

– Lucille Ball

“The biggest adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams”

– Oprah Winfrey

Think about Oprah’s quote –

“The biggest adventure you can ever take is to live the life of your dreams”

So what is stopping you? As women we usually take care of everyone else first. Especially over the holidays, everyone else’s needs came first. Self-care and self-love are often difficult concepts for women.

“Love yourself first and everything else falls into line.”

So how would that look? . . . to love yourself first. Well here’s an idea . . .

How about an exciting and inspirational retreat!

In my last blog entry, I wrote about my intentions for 2015.

One of the most exciting goals/intentions I have is related to my work with Figjam Workshops. We are planning a Fuel for Inspiration Retreat in Bali!

I thought I would share a bit about the retreat with all of you. Who knows, maybe one of you reading this blog post might be interested in a Relaxing, Rejuvenating Retreat with a Creative Twist!

What a great way to practice some self-care and show yourself some love!

Bali Spa Retreat with a Creative Twist

Imagine yourself escaping winter, lounging in the sun in tropical paradise with a small group of women, sipping a cocktail by the pool.

This is a retreat with a difference. You won’t find a mung bean for miles – instead, you’ll find creativity, rejuvenating fun, connection to self and fabulous food.

We’ll indulge at the boutique Sama’s Cottages in the heart of Ubud, the cultural centre of Bali. We’ve reserved the whole gorgeous space – including a swimming pool, gardens and a private cottage with ensuite for each participant – for ultimate privacy and relaxation. It’s easy walking distance to Ubud’s vibrant markets yet blissfully peaceful.

Your Bali retreat package includes:

Fuel for Inspiration workshops plus high-quality art materials (ADD LINK)
Arrival dinner at world famous Casa Luna restaurant and departure dinner at award-winning Rondjji restaurant
All breakfasts, morning teas and lunches
7 nights accommodation in a private cottage (fan-cooled or air-conditioned)
3 spa treatments of your choice
Visit to the Blanco Museum and Gallery and a tour of a local temple
Return Airfare (Auckland – Bali) and transfers to and from accommodation (Conditions apply.)

Our leisurely schedule blends hands-on creative sessions with time to relax and unwind.

Register

Reserve your getaway today.

Dates

12 – 19 June 2015
(Depart Auckland 12 June; Depart Bali 19 June)

Costs

We are thrilled to be able to offer this amazing package for NZD $2799 to $2999. Contact us for specifics.
Space is limited to only 10 women.

Reserve your rejuvenating getaway today.

Our mind is capable of passing beyond the dividing line we have drawn for it.

Beyond the pairs of opposites of which the world consists, other, new insights begin.

– Hermann Hesse

One of the things I love about starting a new year is making intentions. One of the intentions I usually make is to pay better attention. Which means that for the first few weeks of the year anyway, I’m paying closer attention to life, being more mindful in what I do. Wish it lasted longer than just a few weeks, but baby steps, right?

And along with intentions for the year to come, I love to look back on the past year and see what insights I’ve gained. One of my insights from 2014 is that I always feel better, more connected when I’m paying closer attention to the present moment. Another insight from this year is how much better I feel – body, mind and spirit – when I’m alcohol free. So once again, I’ve decided to abstain from any alcohol for awhile. This is not a new behaviour for me. Alcohol and I have quite a history. This isn’t a typical ‘New Year’s Resolution’ – this has been coming for quite awhile, I’ve been alcohol free for several months now. It just feels like alcohol doesn’t fit within the context of who I’m becoming.

I like reading the articles that come out in the new year about the ‘bests’ of the year that has passed. And I love learning about other people’s insights from the previous year. So it’s no surpise that my favorite article is from The Greater Good Website. Not only do I love that site! But the article combines those two things, the best of and insights gleaned. The article is based on the annual list of the top scientific insights produced by the study of happiness, altruism, mindfulness, gratitude – the science of a meaningful life. The article – The Top 10 Insights from Science of a Meaningful Life in 2014 – is wonderful. It’s well worth reading the whole article, but for those of you who like things put in a nutshell, here you go:

Mindfulness can reduce racial prejudice—and possibly its effects on victims.
Gratitude makes us smarter in how we spend money. (Makes us better in all we do!)
It’s possible to teach gratitude to young children, with lasting effects. (see the video within the article on the GG website)
Having more variety in our emotions—positive or negative—can make us happier and healthier.
Natural selection favors happy people, which is why there are so many of them. (So Be Happy!)
Activities from positive psychology don’t just make happy people happier—they can also help alleviate suffering.
People with a “growth mindset” are more likely to overcome barriers to empathy.
To get people to take action against climate change, talk to them about birds.
Feelings of well-being might spur extraordinary acts of altruism
Extreme altruism is motivated by intuition—our compassionate instincts.

Each of these points is explained in depth in the article and is based on studies done in 2014. As I said, well worth a read, helping us all work toward leading a more Meaningful Life.

I’ll close with a lovely short video about gratitude –

The Science of Happiness – An Experiment in Gratitude