Happy 2014

Happy New Year everyone! I’ve got a feeling that 2014 is going to be ALL about the *happy* for me (not that 2013 didn’t have its moments) but this new year feels good. A certain monsieur Pharrell Williams hits the nail on the head for moi (^_-) I think 2013 was a bit of an *admin year* for the big dutch and I…you know a year of getting stuff that needed to be done *DONE* and 2014 is the calendar equivalent of that feeling after you’ve done those things you’ve HAD to do….yeah, 2014 is where the fun really starts and I finally get to delve into all the nurturing inner work I want and NEED to do!

I kicked started the year with the BEST birthday celebration ever thanks to my gorgeous family who allowed me to drag them all off to karaoke lol I’ve also got a few things lined up that I’m uber excited about, one of them being an awesome intuitive painting workshop with artist Susan Farrell! Gosh, I haven’t painted in sooooo long (since I was in my teens) but I’m hoping it’s like riding a bike…something you don’t forget and bless my gorgeous big dutch (husband) for re-equipping me with luxurious art materials for my birthday (I gave away all my old stuff…easel etc before we moved over).

Also hugely excited to have discovered (thanks to my awesome sister  LJ), the wonderful Jasmine of Simply Replenished who has set a 30 day meditation challenge which started on my birthday (which I took to be a sign to DO IT) which I have taken up along with LJ and my friend, polymer clay artist extraordinnaire, Kirsten of Quernus Crafts (seriously check out her awesome wee creatures). I’ve been finding the daily 5 minute meditations SO rewarding and amazed at how quickly the time whizzes by and how that has left me wanting more…so much so that I’ve now started doing a 1 hour chakra cleanse meditation by Belinda Davidson (which Jasmine recommended) instead!

I’ve never been someone who *meditates* before and wondered if I would be one of those people with the so called *monkey mind*…..unable to focus on my breathing and forever running through all the things I needed to do or what to make for dinner…but a happy surprise, I’ve found it relatively easy to focus on just my breathing…in fact it’s been a total relief to just turn my brain down a bit.

Spurred on by my new found love of meditation, I also gave myself a birthday treat of a distance reiki session with Jasmine (can’t recommend this enough even if you’re an old cynic as I was!)…the reiki notes that Jasmine sent me back are ridiculously spot on and really resonated with me. I have used them as a sort of *check where I’m at on my journey* energetic health snapshot which is a good base to plan from (^_^)

Keeping with this year’s playful spirit, I also had fun finding out my spirit animal totem via Emelie of Forbidden Life which surprise surprise was a Giant Panda lol I am SO totally unsurprised since LJ nicknamed me *panda* a looooog time ago because she said *you look cute and cuddly but get on your wrong side and you could rip an arm off* (not advocating violence like this but yeah never underestimate a panda!) and it was wonderful to have it confirmed (^_^) and reassuring to discover that “The Panda is appearing in your life right now as a symbol of absolute self-acceptance and calm confident presence“!!

So yeah, 2014 I’m liking you…lets continue to be friends and have FUN \(^O^)/ Anna x