a love note from the Universe

A beautiful and timely message from the Universe that I feel a deep connection with - and it is meant for everyone! Enjoy!


If it's not yet obvious to you, the real reason for this, and all seasons, is you. A more perfect child of the Universe has never lived. Until now, only celebrations cloaked in myth and mystery could hint at your divine heritage and sacred destiny. You are life's prayer of becoming and its answer. The first light at the dawn of eternity, drawn from the ether, so that I might know my own depth, discover new heights, and revel in seas of blessed emotion.

A pioneer into illusion, an adventurer into the unknown, and a lifter of veils. Courageous, heroic, and exalted by legions in the unseen.

To give beyond reason, to care beyond hope, to love without limit; to reach, stretch, and dream, in spite of your fears. These are the hallmarks of divinity - traits of the immortal - your badges of honor. May you wear them with a pride as great as the immeasurable pride we feel for you.

Your light has illuminated darkened paths, your gaze has lifted broken spirits, and already your life has changed the course of history.

This is the time of year we celebrate YOU.

Bowing before Greatness,
The Universe

Wishing you all the happiness in the world!

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finding inspiration..

..an amazing, never-ending process!

When I reflect on the past few years of my life, a common (and favourite) theme seems to be INSPIRATION. Following a Cancer diagnosis and major surgery in March '09, I was fortunate enough to take a lot of time off work. I was free as a bird! I was able to do whatever I wanted with my time! As I was healing and recovering, my focus was on nourishing my mind, body, and spirit. I wanted to feel as good as possible, every day. I wanted my journey to be organic, inspiring, and holistic. I let my heart lead me, and I connected to feeling FREE and the joy of LIVING!

For a few years now, I've been really exploring some big questions - why am I here? what am I supposed to do with my life? how can I serve? what do I love? how can our problems and struggles inspire us? how can I continue to grow? how can I heal? how can I feel better in every moment?

So let's start with this one: WHY ARE WE HERE?

I've learned that it's ALL about feeling good. The world is our playground. We are here to create joyful moments! Life is supposed to be FUN! And though there are contrasting experiences all over the planet (peace/war/abundance/poverty/joy/pain/inspiration/fear), we always have the freedom to CHOOSE what we want to focus on in our surroundings. Every day I deliberately CHOOSE where to direct my energy. I have learned how to feel good, no matter what is happening in my life! Sometimes it takes a bit of time and reflection, but the opportunity to feel good is always there. I can always connect to it..

Each day, I look for and expect to find amazing things going on in my life and on the planet. I choose to feel excited about my life! I am SO grateful! And more and more, I am learning to put thoughts around what I want to see more of - what I want to attract, and what I love.

I'm definitely still a 'student' in this game of creation. I'm excited to be the creative visionary of my own life - and I want to empower and inspire others to do the same! I'm happy with what I've started creating and I'm expecting to continue making big shifts. I know I'm getting the hang of the whole notion - 'you create your own reality, so continue to put your thoughts and feelings around what you want to create!' It feels good to believe and KNOW that ANYTHING is possible! ANYTHING! I know I am in charge of my experience. And I'm in the process of clarifying what it is that I TRULY want. I know most of my desires involve sharing and creating an amazing life experience with other incredible co-creators. I believe that everyone can do ANYTHING they truly want to do. This life experience is all about JOY and FREEDOM!

And this is a never-ending process (thank goodness - because I plan to continue dreaming BIG in new ways!). We are here to learn, grow, love, and feel inspired - that's when the really good stuff starts to flow.

Wayne Dyer explains 'inspired' as being 'IN Spirit'. I like that. In many ways, Inspiration is synonymous with Spirituality. It's a way to connect to whatever or whoever makes you feel good! It could be Buddha, Jesus, Mother Teresa, Gandhi, Allah, Source, The Universe, Technology, Your Higher Self, Creativity, Music, Art, Healthy Food, Sports, Gratitude, Love.. whatever it is, whatever makes your heart sing, do more of that. Feel more of that. Live more of that. BE more of that!

We can spend our energy worrying and pointing out all that's going wrong in our lives and the world.. or we can choose to bask in the energy of inspiring teachers, uplifting stories, exciting ideas, and LOVE! It feels good to deliberately choose love in every moment, trusting and knowing that good-feeling experiences are available to everyone, in every moment!

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30th Terry Fox Run, Sunday, September 19th!

It's that time of year again! Time to get out on a Sunday and walk, run, bike, or rollerblade the 10km Terry Fox Run! This year is the 30th Anniversary - so make it extra special!

For more information on the day, check out: http://www.terryfox.org/Run/

Here's my re-post from earlier this year, celebrating the 1st day of the run, 30 years ago in April.

Monday, April 12, 2010
honouring Terry Fox

One of my best friends sent me a message to remind me that it was 30 years ago today that Terry Fox started his journey across Canada with the goal of raising money for Cancer research! Wow! An incredible beginning to such an inspiring story! Today, over $500 million has been raised in his name.

I LOVE Terry Fox, always have. I keep a $1 Terry Fox coin by my computer workstation so I can see it every day. I’ve read books, watched the movie, tv specials, and love participating in the annual run. His story still brings me to tears. I couldn’t believe that a guy in his early twenties with ONE LEG decided to run a marathon a day across Canada to raise awareness. He ran 143 consecutive days of marathons! To me, his story is the definition of inspiring!

I loved reading notes from his journal that he kept along his journey. I felt like I ‘got to know him’ and I remember reading that on my exact birth date (May 25, 1980), Terry wrote that it was a beautiful sunny day, and that it was the best-feeling day of his run, to date! I loved knowing that he was feeling so good on the day I was born! It brought me to tears.. as that marked the start of a really big journey for me too!

Before heading off to University in 1999, I was awarded the Terry Fox Humanitarian Award. It was a $20,000 scholarship, honouring my involvement in humanitarian volunteer work, physical activity, and academics. I remember feeling overwhelmingly honoured – definitely because of the generous monetary gift, but I remember feeling so grateful to feel even more connected to someone that I loved, admired, and respected so much! I still feel the same way today.

And ‘funny’ how things work out, I was diagnosed with cancer in January of last year. Another reason to feel even more connected to Terry and his work. I knew that (like Terry) this would be an exciting journey for me and that everything would be ok.. and it is! It always is! Reading about his story again is inspiring me to really consider what type of ‘work’ I’d like to do in my life. I’ve gone through some really incredible experiences.. so the opportunity is definitely there to inspire others! I just love knowing that I am eager, excited, and ready to do BIG THINGS in this lifetime!

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create a life you love!

Like so many around me, I am on an amazing journey! In the past few months, my feelings have been all over the map – from the lows of despair and confusion, all of the way to complete excitement, inspiration, and clarity!

I feel like I have done my homework. I understand the laws of the Universe. I know that I am creating my life with all that I FEEL in each moment. I know that I have the choice to flow along my journey in this Universe. I often remind myself to stay connected to those good feelings.

On January 11 of this year, (01/11/10), I had a moment of clarity where I felt a KNOWING that I am here to create an incredible life experience. I KNOW that life is supposed to be FUN!! It was time to really start getting creative with my life!

NO MATTER WHAT is going on in my life, I know I can feel inspired, grateful, and excited about the journey. I am AWAKE for it all!

I recently connected with a guy named Charlie Mingroni- who is on a similar journey. Our stories have many parallels. We share amazing experiences around Cancer. Once we were diagnosed, we both chose to believe that it was a gift. We KNEW the circumstances were going to inspire us to grow in some way. We enjoyed our journey through diagnosis, surgery, and treatment. And we KNEW that this was a very special wake up call to really start enjoying this ride through life!

Charlie and I are both inspired to share our positive experiences with cancer – to show others that you can actually CHOOSE to enjoy the journey – regardless of the details of your story. Cancer doesn’t have to be scary. You don’t have to FIGHT it. It is an experience that can accepted and even ENJOYED! We would love people to recognize that a diagnosis can inspire amazing shifts! You can develop a new awareness and appreciation for all that is going on in your life. We both believe we're here to share these messages.

We’re looking to create a new vibe around cancer. We want to create a community of people that are excited to share how cancer has inspired positive changes in their lives. We want people to understand that HOW YOU FEEL in every moment is always YOUR choice! Choose to feel good! We want people to ask questions, and we’re excited to share answers! Connect with us. Spread the word. Since Cancer will most likely be around for a while, we want people to find ways to enjoy the journey. Find clarity in the chaos. We want to create a new vibe around diagnosis as we start to tell a different story!

This is BIG! This is EXCITING! This is what I am inspired to CREATE!

Here's how I found out about Charlie's story: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7YAQ_Fs7xYI

Here's Charlie's new video, introducing a little about what we're up to: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=25Tz8w5447w

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i am refreshed.

Summer is definitely here and the sun is hot! Cool off with this refreshing and healthy treat that I created this afternoon. I made up a jug of wild raspberry-lemon, iced green tea, sweetened with stevia.

Delicious, nutritious, and definitely refreshing! Add more ice and blend it up for a slushier treat!

- wild raspberry herbal tea (brewed for 5 minutes in one and a half cups of boiling water, let cool)
- freshly squeezed juice from half of a lemon (and slices to decorate)
- 40 drops of green tea concentrate (I get mine from Body Ecology)
- 3 cups of water
- ice cubes
- stevia

More pics here: http://www.facebook.com/loveinspiringlove?filter=1#!/photo.php?pid=5965261&id=307278863973

Enjoy!

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swinging in the sun!

Today marks the first day of summer and the longest day of the entire year - the Summer Solstice. It's the day the sun is its most powerful and abundant. And from sunrise to sunset, my Mom is playing her heart out!

It’s the Longest Day of Golf - literally.

Golfers and volunteers all over Canada raise money in support of the Canadian Cancer Society’s programs and services. At the Highlands Golf Course here in Ottawa, 4 men and 4 women venture on a 17 hour golfing marathon! This inspiring group of 8 embark on a full day of completing over 200 holes of golf (each!). And my Mom intends to expand on their record of 234 holes! They do this for the love of the game. And they do it to raise money for cancer - beautiful!

My Mom has already raised close to $1000 this year. She is more than a hero to me - because I just know, only a SUPERhero can golf 13 rounds of 18 holes in one day!

On the day of the year when the masculine energy of the sun is shining at its strongest, I’ll be soaking it all in.. along with the amazing female energy of my very own Mom that will be shining all day long, in the heart of Ottawa!

I’m sponsoring my Mom 10 cents a hole and I’m looking forward to cheering her on and bringing refreshing treats along the way. And for any of you that are as impressed as I am, feel some extra gratitude for what these amazing people are up to! And if you’re interested in sponsoring this incredible group, please let me know! :)

Happy summer time!!

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feeling elated!

I have a really good feeling I just found my new career path! At the very least, things are becoming more clear and I'm starting to really 'see' how I can connect and contribute in the community.

I came across an inspiring email (a couple days ago) from a yoga studio I visited with my Passport to Prana. I don’t normally read the Newsletters, but for some reason, I was excited about this one and opened it up.

I went on to read that 2 inspiring women have just joined their incredible services. Core-Elation yoga studio and Movement to Health, health and fitness centre have become one. June 1, 2010, marked the birth of Elation Centre – an integrative lifestyle centre. Perfect! And no wonder I hadn't found it until now...

AMAZING!!

They're about yoga, running, and nutrition. Their approach is holistic. They believe in the power of community for personal growth. And their programs make space for everyone to find their individual fit in life. I love it!

They educate, enrich, and empower lives from the inside, out. They take an integrative approach to health, identifying that it is physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual.

The merge has been called a collaboration at its finest and a partnership fuelled by passion! What could be more perfect?

And whether my collaboration is with them, or with some other inspiring being, I KNOW it will be exciting!

Thank you Elation ladies for exuding inspiration! I am so grateful to see local women serving my very own community in big ways! Thanks for guiding me along my journey!

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I'm ready!

I've been a student with the Institute for Integrative Nutrition (IIN) for a couple weeks now. And in a few months I’ll have to opportunity to start working with clients as a Holistic Health Coach. wow. I’m fascinated with the material and philosophy - it feels like ‘home’ to me. I am getting ready to serve. In many ways, I AM serving now. I’m ready and eager to inspire people to make changes to their thoughts and perspectives - to discover that it’s all about feeling good, having fun, and to remind people that Life is happening now!

My first client is ME. I have been learning a LOT. And this is a life-long contract. As I learn new ways to feel better, I continue to create and live my dream life. All obstacles, struggles, and fears inspire new ideas, perspectives, and tools that help me to shift my thoughts. I see great value in every single feeling and experience I go through – it has ALL served me and has inspired new desires.

This is a big week for me! It’s the last week of my 20’s (wow) and my first online interview with Body Ecology airs tomorrow, May 19th (double wow). I’m nervous, I’m excited, and I’m ready. I’m ready to share my personal experiences with the world – because I know that it will connect me to other incredible people going through similar stuff.

If you wanna listen in, sign up for FREE here: http://app.streamsend.com/public/hcws/niM/subscribe

And here’s a little more info on me and the call: http://bodyecology.com/Teleseminars/JulieRogers05202010.php

I’m taking big leaps. I'm opening new doors. I’m loving myself through the process. Incredible opportunities are coming my way. I’m having fun NOW! Am I really ready? I asked the trusty magic 8 ball.. YES!

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Inspired by the game of Life!

Friends and I played the board-game Life last night. We had fun with it and I found it incredibly inspiring! So many different ways to live an exciting life!

Even though I finished with the least amount of money in the end (worth a mere $1.89 million), I loved the game and was completely satisfied with my adventure!

In one night I went to college, became a pro athlete (making $60,000 a year), married the man of my dreams, had a daughter, made it through a tornado, bought a Country Cottage (large yard with garden, frog pond, picket fence, sunny and cozy inside! – perfect!). My family and I went on a ton of adventures – climbed Everest, went on a $55,000 Cruise, and the family horse even won a derby, earning me $150,000.



I was excited with all of the ‘Life’ cards that came my way:





$200,000 – I created a new teaching method (cool!)
$100,000 – Humanitarian Award (an honour!)
$250,000 – I became the President (ooh.. fun.)
$100,000 – I opened a Health Food Chain (exciting!)
$200,000 – I found a new Energy Source (interesting!)

Wow.. such inspiring, relevant cards for me. They all felt good (even the family horse winning the derby… haha). I even earned $10,000 every time someone spun an 8. A sweet deal.

Playing the game of Life is fun.. and feeling inspired by the fun is even better! Now back to playing my own game of Life!

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Believe it before you see it.

I often experience the feeling of just wanting to 'get there'. I want to fix myself and my life in so many ways. I'm aware that I'm 'here', but I'd rather be 'there'. I’m often striving to feel better, be better, more worthy. I want MORE.

But what would happen if I changed those thoughts?

What if I deliberately chose to feel that everything in my life is perfect right NOW? What does it look and feel like to believe I HAVE enough? How does it feel to believe I AM enough or I AM worthy?

It’s easy to say 'well, once my finances are stable, once I find the perfect lover, once I find an inspiring career, once I have a healthier relationship with food.. THEN I will feel more peaceful.. THEN my life will be perfect.'

But it doesn’t work that way! You won't get what you want if you feel like it's missing.

As human beings we are always expanding. We’re ALWAYS going to come up with new desires. And the key is to appreciate where you are NOW, while feeling eager for more, and trusting that it WILL come into your experience at the perfect time.

Enjoy the fun that's happening now! Take the time to appreciate the steps you ARE taking, the moments you ARE loving. And when you think forward to what you DO want, feel the excitement as if you already have it now.

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what would YOU do with $30 million?

I’m feeling lucky. And by lucky I really mean fortunate, grateful, worthy, blessed, abundant, excited.. however you want to describe it… it’s a good feeling place!

I come from a family that ‘wins’ often. Contests, draws, prizes, games – it’s almost become a joke with our friends. I hear people say ‘you guys always win!’. And it’s true.. but what does this all have to do with ‘luck’ anyway?

If you think about ‘winning’ and the Law of Attraction, then you probably think things happen because of our beliefs, thoughts, and feelings. That's how I see it. And if it happens often, you're more likely to believe it and see it happen again and again.

I love studying contestants on game shows. Often, I can see a direct link between the way they speak and act, and how ‘fortunate’ they are on the show. I recently saw an extremely grateful and excitable woman on the Price is Right. I could just FEEL that she already felt like a winner – before she actually won any of the prizes(she even fainted before she found out she won the big show case at the end!). At one point, when Drew Carey asks if she felt ‘lucky’, and she answered, “I am SO blessed ALL of the time. Thank you!”.. and then she won a car! It goes to show, you gotta believe it before you see it!

I already feel SO grateful for the abundance that I constantly get to enjoy in my life! I love spending pockets of moments, appreciating everything around me and so many inspiring projects and ideas going on in the world. I look forward to contributing to more of them each year. I’m excited to be in a place where I feel extremely FREE, and I'm eager to continue creating a more exciting life each day! And do I need to win the lottery to continue feeling abundant and grateful? Nope. But the idea of winning has led to some exciting thinking! And I know that the feelings that are coming up will definitely benefit me, no matter what happens. It's a way to pay it forward and to allow more excitement to keep on comin'!

So here’s the deal. I feel a big ‘win’ coming on. And I wanted to share the win with a close friend. One of the reasons being, I find it just as easy to be happy for someone else - wanting good things to happen to others that I care about. I put a few feelers out to a couple friends recently, asking if they were interested playing with me. My idea was for each of us to buy a lottery ticket, and then if either of our tickets win, we’d split the pot. I was waiting for a really excited reaction from a friend.. like REALLY excited. Gung-ho excited. I wanted someone who actually believed we could win. So on my third try, I found the reaction I was looking for. And she’s someone who I consider a soul sister in many ways. Perfect.

I was excited because tonight's draw is listed for $30 million dollars. 30 has been a number I’ve been really focussing on for the past few months. I felt a HUGE shift in my thinking toward feelings of complete FREEDOM on January 11, 2010 (the day I decided to quit my government job). When written out, I saw the date as 01/11/10 or 011110. In binary code, it represents the number 30. And I read that 30 in numerology means ‘the perfect balance in the cosmic organization’. Cool! I’m also in my 30th year right now. And I just found out the draw is actually for $29.9 million.. and I calculated how old I am today. Guess how old? 29.9. whew!

So tonight is the night. Do I think I have a chance to win? Yep! What are my odds? Well since you either win or you don’t, I’d say my odds are 50%. And with my friend also holding a ticket, our chances have doubled. Sweet. The brainstorming is done. I have BIG plans for the BIG win! It has been hilarious perfecting my ‘ecstatic dance’ (Lotto Max is even more exciting than the happy dance for Lotto 649!). My favourite place to practice has been in front of a mirror on my mini trampoline. ha ha..

So now that I feel aligned, it’s time to allow the Universe to let it all happen! And the beauty of it is, I’m not attached to the outcome.. I am content with where I’m at. I love that this has encouraged me to feel abundant and excited.. and from that, SO many good things are coming my way!

Happy FRIDAY!

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honouring Terry Fox

One of my best friends sent me a message to remind me that it was 30 years ago today that Terry Fox started his journey across Canada with the goal of raising money for Cancer research! Wow! An incredible beginning to such an inspiring story! Today, over $500 million has been raised in his name.

I LOVE Terry Fox, always have. I keep a $1 Terry Fox coin by my computer workstation so I can see it every day. I’ve read books, watched the movie, tv specials, and love participating in the annual run. His story still brings me to tears. I couldn’t believe that a guy in his early twenties with ONE LEG decided to run a marathon a day across Canada to raise awareness. He ran 143 consecutive days of marathons! To me, his story is the definition of inspiring!

I loved reading notes from his journal that he kept along his journey. I felt like I ‘got to know him’ and I remember reading that on my exact birth date (May 25, 1980), Terry wrote that it was a beautiful sunny day, and that it was the best-feeling day of his run, to date! I loved knowing that he was feeling so good on the day I was born! It brought me to tears.. as that marked the start of a really big journey for me too!

Before heading off to University in 1999, I was awarded the Terry Fox Humanitarian Award. It was a $20,000 scholarship, honouring my involvement in humanitarian volunteer work, physical activity, and academics. I remember feeling overwhelmingly honoured – definitely because of the generous monetary gift, but I remember feeling so grateful to feel even more connected to someone that I loved, admired, and respected so much! I still feel the same way today.

And ‘funny’ how things work out, I was diagnosed with cancer in January of last year. Another reason to feel even more connected to Terry and his work. I knew that (like Terry) this would be an exciting journey for me and that everything would be ok.. and it is! It always is! Reading about his story again is inspiring me to really consider what type of ‘work’ I’d like to do in my life. I’ve gone through some really incredible experiences.. so the opportunity is definitely there to inspire others! I just love knowing that I am eager, excited, and ready to do BIG THINGS in this lifetime!

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becoming the YOU you love

Here are two inspiring messages that came my way today. I love comparing their words and stories to my life story.. and it's exactly what I wanted to hear! Inspiring messages from inspiring women, just in time for Easter, representing new beginnings! Enjoy!

“Today is known as Easter Saturday, the day between the crucifixion and the resurrection of Jesus. A few years ago the question came to my mind what did He do on Saturday?

Saturday could not have just been a wasted day, just a day between the crucifixion and the resurrection without some meaning… I began to consider the possibility that this is the period of time required for the reconstruction of the new life.

This is a day of letting go of what has been and the inviting in of what can be.

I think we can each personalize that. There are things today that we can let go of. Things that are really not a part of the life we want to live.

If I could just invite you to join me today in noticing any places where there may be resentment or hurt that we can release. We say heal my heart. Make my life new so that tomorrow when we get up and begin to celebrate Easter Sunday, the Resurrection, the brand new life; that we bring our whole self into the celebration. Have a great Easter Saturday.”


Mary Morrissey
Daily Dream Builder




Knowing Who You Are
Those of us who are utterly focused on food and weight never consider that we are ignoring the most obvious solution. We tell ourselves that the answer is Out There and our job is to keep looking, to never give up until we find the right solution. One month it's about white foods. Then it's about brain chemistry. Finding the right drug. The fat gene. LAPBAND surgery. Being addicted to sugar. Eating for our blood type. Alkaline and acid-forming foods. Although attending to one or some of these issues might indeed ease our struggle, we use the hunt for answers to abdicate personal responsibility -- and with it, any semblance of power -- for our relationship with food. Underlying each frenzied bout of passionate involvement in the newest solution is the same lack of interest in acknowledging our own part. The same conviction that “I don't have the power to do anything about this problem.” We want to be done, we want to be fixed. But since the answer is not where we are looking, our efforts are doomed to fail.

Freedom from obsession is not about something you do; it's about knowing who you are. It's about recognizing what sustains you and what exhausts you. What you love and what you think you love because you believe you can't have it. During the first few months after I stopped dieting some thirty years ago, any food or way of eating (in the car, standing up, sneaking) that spaced me out, drained my energy, made me feel terrible about myself, soon lost its appeal. It quickly became apparent that eating was always about only one thing: nourishing the body. And this body wanted to live. This body loved being alive. Loved moving from place to place. Loved being able to see, hear, touch, smell, taste -- and food was a big part of how I could do that. It became apparent that the way I ate was another way to soar.

You can sneak food, for instance, hide what you eat from friends and family, but you can also sneak your true feelings. You can lie to people about what you believe, what you want, what you need. And you can examine your life by either looking at the way you live or the way you eat. Both are paths to what is underneath and beyond the eating: to that in you that has never gotten hungry, never binged, never gained or lost a pound.

Geneen Roth
Women, Food, and God
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82Znw2UYH4c

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what works for me.

I’ve been wondering how to start up my blogging again after a weee bit of a vacation.. and I realized, how I've been doing is actually irrelevant! All that matters is how I feel now, and what I'm looking forward to! But it's always fun to recap the best moments and lessons learned..

I ended up heading to Toronto last weekend to hit up the Yoga Conference and one of my best friend’s 30th birthday celebrations! With some definite ups and downs, overall, a great weekend (including classes by Sadie Nardini and Mark Laham, buying a new yoga mat, quality time with incredible friends, funny tees, partying it up in a limo, and dancing up a storm). Great drives both ways too – lots of stretching and grooving to my fave tunes!

My biggest lesson over the last week is to really allow all sorts of feelings to come up – whether I’m feeling sad, worried, scared, it’s ALL ok! They're there to let me know about my alignment with my greatest self.. I loved realizing that those negative feelings really aren’t very familiar to me. So when they do show up, I can definitely feel the discomfort of them. It’s actually a really helpful reminder for me.. ‘oh ya!.. THAT’s what fear feels like.” And from there, I can always move my thoughts into a better-feeling place. It feels good to deliberately make that shift (I actually felt myself make a big shift yesterday!). And in the end, it makes the happy/ excited/ good-feeling ME feel THAT much better (what a relief)!

For an update on my eating plan.. I don’t have any sort of ‘rules’ in place right now. I'm just doing what's best for ME. I’ve decided that I’m taking my focus off of food for a little while. My diet probably won’t look very different than it has over the past few months (for the most part Body Ecology styles and more raw foods), but I’m taking any sort of mental ‘pressure’ off of myself. Fruit is ok. Cooking is ok. And dare I say it, bread is even OK!! What you choose to eat is definitely important.. but HOW YOU FEEL about what you’re eating is even more important.. so no judging, no rules, no fear, no guilt.. only LOVE!.. and THAT is the best recipe for success!

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down and back up! Day 2.

After a bit of a slip up last night, I’m feeling amazing and back on track today! This morning I went off on some rampages of appreciaion, watched some inspiring clips from 'What the Bleep', and laughed at Ellen and her 'Spa' scenes. My head feels clear, I’m inspired to continue, and my body feels clean and less ‘swollen’, especially in my abdomen. How exciting!

This morning was all about the green drinks. I started off with Body Ecology’s Vitality Supergreen and an hour later made green smoothie (green apple, spinach, celery, zucchini). I LOVE how delightfully refreshing and tasty this one is! Delish.



This afternoon I whipped together a mix of greens, cultured veggies, red onion, and cucumber, and even added a bit of red grapefruit to spice things up a bit!

Last night, I ended up investing in the Divas cravings and emotional eating support package. I want to support myself as best I can! I want to this to be an easy, fun experience! I plan to love myself all of the way through it... I’ve skimmed through some of the materials and they’re all incredibly supportive and inspiring. I’ll be sure to share the tips and tricks that I find the most helpful.

I’m about to tune into my ipod as I go for a stroll in the sun! And tonight is going to be awesome – floor hockey game, Body Ecology’s FREE Detox training (How to Naturally Cleanse and Detoxify Your Liver & Gallbladder This Spring:
http://app.streamsend.com/public/hcws/ikx/subscribe), and my new favourite show, Modern Family!

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day 1 cont'd: Raw Detox

As 6 o’clock rolled around, I was ready for an inspiring distraction. On almost 22 hours of fasting, I actually felt really good! Some hunger signals here and there (which were actually wonderful to experience!) and on the whole, I was very comfortable and enjoying my water.

I decided to watch the documentary Food Inc, and although the overall tone was a bit grim, I loved the take home messages at the end! Here are a few of my faves:

- You vote with every meal you make. Demand good, wholesome food and that’s what will be delivered. You can vote to change this system, 3 times a day...
- Buy from companies that treat workers, animals, and the environment with respect.
- When you go to the supermarket, choose foods that are in season, buy foods that are organic. Know what’s in your food. Read labels. Buy foods that are grown locally. Shop at farmer’s markets. Plant a garden (even a small one).
- You can change the world with every bite.

Definitely an eye-opening documentary and worth checking out!

By 8:30pm I was ready for my first meal, post-fast. The Raw Diva Detox suggests a mono-fruit meal. So I combined that idea with what I know from following the Body Ecology Diet and I chose a low-sugar fruit: blackberries! Yummy!

After eating a bowlful, I decided I wanted something else.. I asked myself how closely I wanted to follow the guidelines.. and opted for more nourishment. I wanted something to mix with cultured veggies. I ended up cutting up a cucumber and mixed them together.





I still wanted more. And I recognized that this was more in my head than my gut.. and I ended up eating veggies on 2 romaine leafs. I questioned in my head, ‘am I eating too much?’.. I didn’t want to blow my first day.. and then realized I was being WAY too hard on myself! I just ate some of the healthiest meals EVER! There’s no perfect way to do anything! I’m choosing to do this detox my way. And the point of the detox is to inspire me! This is an experience. I'm staying awake for it.

I’m going to allow anything to show up. For me, this is all about learning, feeling good, trying something new, listening to my body, and figuring out what works for ME.

I love knowing what to do (even when I'm not doing it)!

I’m SO excited that I’m on this journey! And no matter what happens, I’ll learn from the experience and be able to figure out what I really do want in my life. This experience has already clarified a lot for me. I love giving my body a ‘break’ from food. I know green drinks are going to be key to my success. I love that I’m taking good care of my body!

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final prep and day 1: Raw Diva Detox!

So far so good!

I initially started my fast as of 6pm last night. I celebrated with a Beatles dance party in my kitchen, handstands, yoga moves, rebounding, and stowed away my pots, pans, and crockpot. I spent time cleaning and honouring my incredible Santevia water filter, knowing its product would be my ‘meals’ for the next 24 hours.

I had a date with my parents and brought them a delicious smoothie (spinach, zucchini, celery, strawberries, blackberries, frozen cranberries, stevia, and water).

I ended up enjoying the treat with them, so I restarted my fast just after 8:30pm. No problem, my body feels to be in a different time zone these days. I usually go to bed and wake up about 3 hours later than the average.. so this was perfect.

I hopped into bed at 11:30pm - early for me, and soaked in all of my excitement for the week ahead. My good-feeling thoughts kept rolling in (for about 4 hours!) and I just basked in it all. I loved every moment. Allowing everything to show up.. and completely at peace, knowing I would sleep until my body was ready for the next day.

I woke up at 10:30am, dozed off again, and before I knew it, it was 11:45am. Wow! That’s a record! What an incredible sleep!

This is the second fast I’ve done (I remember doing a 30 hour famine in high school), and I find it a completely fascinating experience! I love observing all of my thoughts around food. How many times I think about ‘what can I eat next’ and how often I reach for the fridge door. I put a bit of masking tape on door, to remind myself of the fast!

Stay tuned for another update later today!

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welcoming raw.

For the past week and half, I’ve been tuning into some incredible online calls with WISH – Women’s International Summit for Health. It truly was a buffet of self-empowerment: health, fitness, money, spirit,… they covered it all with amazing speakers!

One of the most inspiring calls for me was with Mimi Kirk, A 71 year old raw foodie (who doesn’t look a day over 50!), voted sexiest vegetarian over 50 in the US! I loved hearing her success story, her joy for life, seeing her young, fun-loving pictures, and just feeling her brilliant energy! What an inspiring story.. and it all started for her at the age of 30 (perfect!).

I love being open to change and exploring new ideas.. and tweaking my diet is always exciting to me. I feel like my body is still finding a true comfort zone when it comes to eating. I want a genuinely healthy relationship with my food. I want to feel excited EVERY DAY, knowing that I continue to nourish my body - as best as I know how!.. and with a background in Physical and Health Education and Holistic Nutrition, I’ve got a LOT of material to work with!...

Earlier this month, I blogged about my interest in learning more about raw food.. and my WISH came true with the call from Mimi!

Before the call, I read that she started on her raw adventure with a '7-day Raw Diva Detox'. I checked it out online and it was created by the fabulous Tera Warner, who is the same woman who created and pulled together WISH! I read more and discovered that the 7 day detox is EXACLY what I’m looking for! I love the vibe, the philosophy, the success stories, the support, the flexibility, the love. Amazing. And even found out the Divas are in Montreal.. only 2 hours from me!

The detox starts you off with 5 preparation days. At first, I was a bit disappointed that I couldn’t start the detox right away. I’ve always been about immediate gratification.. And that’s exactly why the prep days have been so valuable!! Over the past 4 days I’ve been wrapping my head around the detox, the foods I’ll be eating, exploring the raw food world online and in my city, recipes, time to get excited about the week ahead, clean out my fridge and cupboards, etc.. the timing has been perfect.

I feel like this is the start to an incredible shift in my life! I have been a foodie for quite a while.. and this program has success written all over it for me! I am excited and feel so READY to pull everything together, creating my own perfect program (infused with love!.. and cultured veggies!). I am going to enjoy every step of the way.

I’ll be blogging about my experience throughout the week. Day 1 starts on Tuesday. It will be an incredible way for me to share my beautiful journey, stay accountable, and connect and inspire others!!

Please feel free to contact me if you’re interested in following the detox along with me.. or you can always refer back to my blog for any tips, tricks, and inspiration that I share along the way!

Stay tuned.. this is going to be incredible!

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new batch of cultured veggies

It was time for me to start another beautiful and delicious batch of cultured veggies (I usually start when I have 1 big jar remaining). I prepared cabbage (2 greens and a red), kale, and carrots to get cozied up in their jars for a week.

When I'm making my cvs, I love creating a good-feeling atmostphere. I had my favourite tunes blasting in the background as I danced around my kitchen, shredded veggies, filled my green bin with scraps, reflected on my amazing connection with Unleash Gratitude, and played 'wouldn't it be nice if..' in my head.

After listening to Donna Gates' call with WISH (Women's International Summit for Health) a couple nights ago, I felt even more invigorated and inspired by the Body Ecology Diet. An incredible leader in probiotics and fernmented foods. It truly is SUCH an amazing system of healing that will change the world... one gut at a time!



For more pics, see my facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/loveinspiringlove#!/album.php?aid=191568&id=307278863973

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what are YOU doing with your life?

I quit my government job in January to create my own inspiring work. Since then, 'what are you doing with your life??' is one of the most common questions I’m asked. Most of the time, I respond, "I am LOVING life!"

The question often comes from a place of interest and excitement – and I love that! It feels good to me.

A few people have asked from a place of worry and fear (wanting to know exactly WHEN everything is going to 'be in place'). That’s ok too. I allow others to feel as they choose. I understand that some people feel uncomfortable when it comes to uncertainty.

My focus is on my excitement for this opportunity to truly love life and LIVE LIFE. I just KNOW that everything is already perfect (because I'm in such a good feeling place)!

I am happy! I keep learning to love myself more, I love knowing that contrast provides clarity, I have fallen in love with my life, I love knowing what to do (even when I’m not doing it), I love choosing what’s best for me, I’m excited about all of the new opportunities and connections that keep coming my way.. life has never felt better to me! I know that I have SO much to look forward to on this exciting life journey!

Right now I don’t have the specifics on the who? what? when? where? and how?..

But I DO know how it will all FEEL!.. and the more I practice these incredible feelings, the more I attract incredible experiences into my life!

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inspiring cafe gratitude

This is my life experience right now.

"I am having the experience that I am in the midst of a LIFESTYLE change... I can see that something has shifted, like a marriage between how I care for myself now and always. I used to experience a real BEGINNING to the week and a real ENDING to the week and now it seems to be all ONE LIFE, all MY LIFE.

It reminds me of when I realized that WORK and PLAY didn't need to be separated, that my work could be my play and my play could be my work. A bit like time alone and time with others. LESS SEPARATION is what I am present to, a THINNING OF THE VEIL in all areas of my life."

- Terces, Cafe Gratitude
www.cafegratitude.com

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inspiring hydration

Water is fascinating. It's a by-product of star formation. It is our bodies. It's an essential element of life. It is central to respiration and photosynthesis. It is rivers, lakes and oceans. It cleanses our bodies on the inside and out. It's the snow in which we play and gives life to everything on this planet. It is beautiful, mysterious, and playful.

I’m appreciating all of my experiences with water today.

I just programmed my iphone calendar to send me a few remiders to stay hydrated throughout each day. Fun.



For more inspiring words on appreciating water and going green, check out Jason Mraz’s amusing post: The Prize of Oscar Night.

http://www.facebook.com/#!/notes/jason-mraz/the-prize-of-oscar-night/345894061052

Drink up!

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raw raw, ah ah ah-a.

I'm curious about the raw food movement. I like the concept of keeping it real when it comes to food. Raw means the food is more alive and has more life force energy - truly more connected with its roots. Cool. I also believe there are amazing energy advantages to cooking. While cooking may destroy some nutrients, energy gains can be positive when it comes to some foods. I love finding ‘the perfect temperature’ for each of my creations. I love finding a balance that feels right to me.


I'm excited to hear more about the benefits of eating raw foods. I know some inspiring people that see "rawness as a culinary technique and a meditation on nature, rawness as an interpretation, a legacy of something lost that needs to be regained, resuscitated and purified." Interesting. I'm curious and would love to learn more!



more pics on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/loveinspiringlove#!/photo.php?pid=4902776&id=307278863973

For now - during the cooler months, I am loving foods that make me feel warm. To me, the FEELING I get from my experience with food is most important. It always has been. This morning I cozied up to a warm bowl of miso soup while enjoying the crunch of sliced lebanese cucumbers. This afternoon I savoured my delicious amaranth creation and appreciated the refreshing taste of my cultured veggies. mmm. yummy. It feels good to remember and take the time to experience delicious, health-inspiring food.

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appreciating the beauty of my creations

wow. food is inspiring love. http://www.facebook.com/#!/photo.php?pid=4897075&id=307278863973

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one year cancer-free. that's really free.

here's the message i sent out one year ago today, before my big surgery. it's amazing to re-live those feelings. i was in such a good place.. and I just kept feeling better. the healing blog captures my beautiful and inspiring experience of becoming cancer-free. it marked the beginning of an amazing healing experience and joy-filled journey. the messages of love were so touching - and they still are.

i love that i'm continuing on such an exciting life journey.. enjoying every feeling in every moment!!


Tuesday, March 3, 2009, 12:28 AM
Hi everyone,

Just wanted to send out a quick note as I head to bed before my big day. Please feel free to forward this to anyone not on the list - and let me know who's missing.

First of all, Mark set up a website and will be providing updates on it - as they receive them (probably won't be much to report til tomorrow evening). You can check here for any info you may need - or email Mark. If there are questions you have, you can ask him, and he can even post them on the website for everyone else. Here it is:

http://rogerscentral.com/julie/

I wanted to thank everyone for all of your warm, positive messages that have been sent. Though this is a challenge I didn't expect, I'm so grateful to be going through it. So many positive things are coming from this experience.. and I know it's only the beginning. I'm learning to really accept and truly appreciate all of the love that's coming my way. I ask you to keep on sending your positive vibes and ask that you not only hope and pray that everything will go well, but I ask you to turn your energy into believing that everything is going welll.. visualize me healing... visualize me as completely healed! I will be doing the same.

I should get to bed - I have a big day tomorrow! I'm feeling confident, supported, and loved - thanks to all of you!

Keep the love coming!

Lots of love,
Julie
xo

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inspiring art

i love sharing my creations and it's fun to become a photographer. the more pictures i take and appreciate, the more excited i get about creating inspiring meals - knowing they create inspiring pictures. love inspiring love inspiring love... nourishing my body keeps getting more satisfying. i'm excited to create art out of my inspiring meals!

See new pics on facebook: http://www.facebook.com/loveinspiringlove

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green clean.

inspiring cleaning products: water and white vinegar (approx 4:1) lemon essentiail oil (a few drops - smells amazing), a recycled spray bottle, and baking soda. does the trick. simple. green.. and any used paper towels go in the green bin!

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inspiring perspiring

i did an awesome moksha yoga flow class this afternoon and cleverly scheduled an amazing massage appointment, right after it. aaahh.. acts of self-love that feel sooo good! hot yoga feels like such a good clean-up – from the inside, out.

when i got home, i emptied my gym bag and my lulu shorts, tank, and sports bra were all still completely soaked! It reminded me – wow!! that really was SUCH a great workout and detox.. and it started me on a gratitude rant - how i moved my body so well, I felt really flexible and balanced, how awesome the studio is, how nice it was to see so many people that care about their bodies, and I really appreciated the instructor's attention and challenges she offered. it all made me smile. yoga inspires love. And it feels so good to love myself!

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bin there, compost that.

You can ask any of my former room mates, I love recycling! And composting organic waste is even more exciting to me! It feels good to contribute to green projects that honour our home – this beautiful planet.

As of January, a new green bin collection has started for most residents in Ottawa – aiming to reduce the amount of waste going to the landfill by 45%! Almost half of the residential waste we produce is made up of organics: food scraps, soiled paper, kitty litter, or leaf and yard waste. But organic waste isn’t garbage— it’s a valuable resource!

I love that the green bin system makes a difference to the City and the environment. It can extend the life of our landfills, and turns waste into a usable product (compost) that enriches the earth!

See my pics on facebook: http://bit.ly/dbQyLu

It feels good to contribute in a positive way. To me, organic recycling represents the opportunity to bring something valuable to the end of my driveway. I love it!

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it's a feeling journey

The most profound discovery I’ve made over the past year is that we are the creators of our own reality. Our inner experiences (thoughts, emotions, feelings) really do affect our experience in the outer world. Cool.

Most people have heard this, many people believe it, and some even know it. I have come to believe it, know it, and NOW is the time to live it. As human beings, we tend to be action-oriented – believing we need to work really hard and often struggle to make things work. But when you are a 'deliberate creator' (when you consciously choose how you feel in every moment), you come to know that life is a lot more fun than that...

Over the past day and a half my computer had a virus... and I now recognize it as a gift (my techy brother may think otherwise..). The circumstances made me step back from so much 'doing' and it reminded me of the importance of my focus on my feeling journey.

The Law of Attraction says, 'that which is like unto itself is drawn' – a Universal Law. And we offer our vibration to the Universe with our feelings in every moment of every day.

How you FEEL is an indicator of the vibration you’re offering, and the vibration you’re offering is what the Law of Attraction is responding to. Sooo, that means: how you're feeling, and what is manifesting into your experience is ALWAYS a vibrational match. Whoa.

So the 'secret' is to find and practice the feeling place of what you'd like to see in your life (well-being, financial security, abundance, love, joy, success, etc.).

You can start by thinking - what does the alignment with what I want FEEL like? And then practice that feeling as often as you'd like.

Almost everything we want in life is for the reason that we think we will feel better in the having of it. So I choose to feel grateful, feel love, feel joy... feel good! And I know that the more I practice feeling good, the more I get to feel good about!

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new meal and snack ideas, checking on CVs, and YCK

Lots of new Body Ecology friendly creations and foods to introduce! I've added some pictures of the meals and snacks described below.

Snack ideas:
- half of a small avocado, cultured veggies and almond mayo. mix. enjoy.
- unsweetened almond milk, cocoa, stevia, ice (optional).
- kefir, cocoa powder and carob powder (usually sweet enough from carob).
- green tea (with BE tea extract - adds antioxidants and polyphenols to your diet!).

Some new meals I've enjoyed in the past few days (note- even if cultured veggies aren't in the pics, I either ate some beforehand or added them to the meal):
- millet with broccoli, kale, onion.
- millet, red cabbage, spinach, onion.
- buckwheat with spinach, onion, red and orange peppers.
- tuna, spinach, celery, red pepper, cultured veggies.

More ingredients listed with the pics. http://bit.ly/9CLHpb

I checked on my cultured veggies yesterday. They were on day 3 and coming along beautifully. The ones with red cabbage were a dark pinky-purple. They'll become a little brighter pink over the next few days (I usually leave them for a week). I noticed that the veggies and juices were creeping up to the lid. There wasn't a lot of space left for the veggies to keep on expanding, so I took out a few tablespoons from each of the big jars, and put them in smaller jars.

My young coconut kefir (YCK) and pudding were ready yesterday! Now they're in the fridge and ready to drink and eat - any time of day. I often have a few sips in the morning, or with meals to help digestion.

Mmmm...

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