Synchronicity

Definition "the coincidental occurrence of events and especially psychic events that seem related but are not explained by conventional mechanisms of causality" *from Merriam Webster

It was a long time ago that I learned about synchronicity. In my early 20's, I was introduced to the term by the book "The Celestine Prophecy". I had certainly experienced synchronicity before I knew it had a label, but it was the first time I started to think that perhaps many of the ideas I had tuned into were experienced by others. 

In short, I started to feel less alone.

When I first started noticing these occurrences, they were happening all the time. It felt like such a powerful feeling to know that my life was being guided by something much larger than myself. I also used it as an excuse in my younger days that there were some things in my life that were destined to happen, and that truly I could make no mistakes. The naivete of a 21-year old. Sending love to my younger self .... and a little pat on the head. (which I would have hated!)

In my 30's, I have experienced fewer synchronistic events, but they have been considerably more profound. Last weekend, I experienced one of these incidents, and it's too good not to share!

I had made a coffee date with a lovely yoga teacher I met in the Summer on Tuesday, but we had to cancel... 

Unrelated, my hubby & I had been meaning to take the kids snowboarding at Harper Mountain all winter, and finally booked it on Friday as they had the day off from school. 

The first synchronicity: This lovely yoga teacher ended up being the one giving me a snowboarding lesson. It felt so great to be on a snowboard again, and I had forgotten how much I liked it.

The second synchronicity: After the lesson was over, my daughter conned me into going up the t-bar with her, threw me off balance, and we fell over. My kneecap landed on the edge of her board, and I felt a searing pain ... I hobbled over to the lodge, and planted myself on a bench to take a look at it. The little incident ended up benching me for the day ... But then I saw the lovely yoga teacher, and she was done with teaching for the day ...

Wouldn't you know it? We ended up having coffee in the lodge!

The Universe engineered all of this perfectly for us! We ended up having a fantastic conversation and visit together - and none of this would have happened if I didn't hurt myself.

I strongly believe that there are NO coincidences in life. When you begin to believe that the Universe is on your side, working for you, at all times ... the World is Your Oyster. 

(And the secret is that you are the pearl, being perfectly formed and designed for the highest good of the Universe).

How to Stay True to Who You Are

You were born to the right parents, the right siblings, in the right place at exactly the right time. There is no one like you, and never will be again. You have an entire world inside you that you can share with others - a world and a perspective that can change peoples' lives. Whether you do this consciously or unconsciously, it is happening every time you have an interaction with someone.

It is up to you to become aware of what your gifts truly are. When you move from a place of certainty in who you are, there is nothing you can't do. The trick is to take a good look at your values & beliefs, to examine the actions you take every single day - and to see if anything is out of alignment.

We hear these things all the time - so why is it that we fall off the wagon, "forget", or just let go of practices that make us happy, balanced and fulfilled? 

I received these beautiful reminders at the Tony Robbins event I attended last week. As I've been to this particular event before the entire weekend was a reminder that I am the one in charge of my own life. I decide how successful I'm going to be in everything that I do.

I, for one, am getting really tired of the EGO mind that continues to tell me I can't do things. I know that I am absolutely capable of greatness - and there are so many people out there who have things to teach me.

Here is something that I say to myself before I teach: (feel free to steal it, or to create your own!)

I open myself today to become a channel for the energy of the Universe. Please allow this energy to come through me - Please allow me to be a messenger of the Universe, and to deliver to whomever I meet today exactly what the Universe has been trying to tell them. Please help me to put my own baggage aside so that these messages can come through me with clarity & love.

Coming Soon: Yoga Your Way - Click for MORE!

Namaste & Love, Nicole

Cultivating an Inner Sanctuary

When I think of a sanctuary, I imagine a large, open space with massive stone pillars, and billowing white curtains separating the space. I imagine the intoxicating scent of lilies, jasmine & magnolia flowers. I can see still gazing pools with lily pads floating on the surface. There is a beautiful swimming pool, and a few hot tubs scattered here & there. There are tables filled with artistically arranged food, and the purest water in crystal goblets. There is soft, angelic music playing in the background. I can receive Reiki, massage, sound treatments, or any other kind of bodywork imaginable - any time I wish. 

This is my inner sanctuary.

http://energyartistjulia.bigcartel.com/

You can have one, too, if you can dream one up. 

When I teach restorative yoga, I think of each moment in the class as cultivating this inner sanctuary. What would make you feel ultimately relaxed, comforted and take care of? If I come around during the class, what is it that you need from me? A gentle adjustment, a blanket to better support you in a pose, or simply a loving hand held to your forehead? 

How can I help you take care of yourself?

My mission in these very special classes is to guide you into a loving experience - but ultimately the experience is up to you. The only thing we can truly "own" is direct experience. The tricky part is that your thoughts, emotions and sometimes past experiences, can begin to change the way you view direct experience. 

I love teaching Restorative Yoga above all other forms of yoga, because it is truly about You. You become responsible for how much you are able to relax and release into the experience. You are responsible for ensuring that you feel physically comfortable during the class. And you are also responsible for your own inner sanctuary ... Using your breath to support the poses, focusing on releasing anything that no longer serves you. 

This language can sound strange for a long time .. but when you hear your yoga teacher repeating it enough times, you begin to try putting them into practice. And suddenly one day you find yourself at ease ... with everything. 

Yoga occasionally brings us profound moments of true silence, deep inner peace, and freedom. But in order to get there, we must practice. You can practice at home - even just for 5 minutes at a time - even just 10 deep belly breaths, or 3 Uujayi breaths, or a few Cat/Cows. 

And when you come to class, your body knows what's happening, and those openings are waiting to be experienced. 

Cultivate an Inner Sanctuary every day, by giving yourself moments of space and breath. Your body will thank you. Your mind will thank you. 

Here's to Inner Peace!

Love Nicole

Nicole Aracki is a yoga teacher in Kamloops, BC, Canada. Guiding You to the Light Within.
www.nicolearacki.com 
https://www.facebook.com/nicoleatmanyoga/# 

On Teaching Yoga

Last night a friend requested that I write about a day in the life of a yoga teacher ... all the ups, and all the downs of being in this profession of mine. I am pleased and excited that B requested I write on this subject, as it is an excellent opportunity for me to reflect on this role of "Yoga Teacher". 

For so long, this was what I wanted: To teach yoga full time and to immerse myself in leading classes for others. I feel privileged and honoured to guide people into their practice, and to offer unique ways to change perspectives on the practice and on the personal journey of the self. 

It is inevitable that I, too, would receive an education as I was so busy with teaching that I suffered with stress and a feeling of "no time" for me. The busiest week I had was 13 classes in one week - and to me, this was an enormous jump from a year ago when I was teaching only 3 classes per week! 

I love teaching yoga, and what I noticed when I began to teach so many classes was that the inspiration didn't run out. I feel constantly inspired by many things - my own personal practice, the way students react to what I'm offering, and the intuitive guidance that I receive is finely tuned now. In fact, I feel more inspired the more I teach! 

But what I also noticed is that if I don't take the time to clear my energy field after teaching a class, I begin to feel very heavy and tired in my own energy and I feel the need to hole myself up at home when I'm not teaching. There have been times when I hoped that I wouldn't see anyone I knew, simply because I didn't want them to see me in this strange state. 

When my schedule went over the tipping point, I felt exhausted, and had very little energy to do the things I normally do to take care of myself, like running. I didn't have much in me for the kids or my husband either, and honestly I knew that something would have to change. It wasn't worth it to do so much of something that I love, if it wasn't causing me peace, love and joy.

When I teach yoga, I open myself up to receive messages from my Guides & Gurus (who's names I don't know, and faces I've never seen). But I also open myself up to receive messages and guidance from the students in the class as well. If I'm not careful, I find that sometimes I pick up physical ailments in my own body - almost like catching a cold. I have to be proactive in taking care of Me first so that I have a strong energetic system that can fight off the energetic clinging of others.

How do I take care of myself? I believe that everybody has a "formula" for personal success, and for me it starts with self-care:

1) Daily Meditation - I practice for 30 minutes every morning as soon as I wake up. Sometimes it's breathwork, sometimes it's simple breath-focused meditation, and sometimes gentle yoga

2) Running - I try to run every other day, except when I'm training - which leads to my next component ...

3) Goalsetting - I sit down and set goals once a month! A few past goals: *feed my family with yoga $  ... *50 km Runs ... * Working at a certain studio 

4) Time Alone in Nature - I need time to go inward, to practice ceremony, and to fill myself up again with the energy of the Earth

5) Eating whole, healthy foods. Drinking lots of water. 

I recently let go of quite a few of the classes I was teaching, and I suddenly have time to focus on my self-care routines again. It is making such a difference already. I have the time and energy to run regularly again, I am able to enjoy my kids and my man again, and I am finding the time to reflect and slow down. 

As I head off to another Tony Robbins event, I feel myself buzzing with potential .. and I am SO excited to begin sharing MORE love MORE joy MORE connection and MORE peace with you all!! I have many exciting plans coming up in 2017, and I believe that all of my dreams will come true! Stay tuned in to all that is happening with me ~ Perhaps there will be a way in which I can serve you in the future.

Merry meet, merry part and merry meet again my friends!

Love Nicole 

Leaving Home ...

I realized yesterday when I looked at the calendar that it has been a YEAR since we moved away from Quesnel. I find myself reflecting on how it felt to pack up all the things in our home, and how I didn't have any idea what I would encounter in the next days/weeks and months to come. 

And of course, had I known how crazy my life would become in the following 6 months, I might have thought about the move in a little more detail. I might not have even left the threshold of our lovely home in Q-town ...

But what fun would that have been?

I have been pushed out of my comfort zone more often than I would have liked in the last year. Driving the Coquihalla Highway through the winter 4 nights a week to get my daughter to her competitive gymnastics sessions ... living in a tiny old house in Merritt where the kids shared a cold bedroom ... in a less-than-desirable neighborhood ... where the kids went to school with underprivileged children ... and in a small town where I just couldn't find a sense of connection ... 

And also where I grew into bigger shoes simply because there was no other choice. Because I was "forced" to. 

It would have been so easy to stay comfortable in Quesnel, dreaming of a life that I likely would not have been able to attain without pushing through the discomfort. I simply must say here that I don't regret a thing. Even though some of the memories of the last year of my life are "unpleasant", I continue to remind myself that this was all By Choice. So many people go through life having things happen TO them, rather than Making Things Happen. And I don't think either way is better or worse. I simply believe now that I would rather engineer my life so that I can manifest exactly what I want!

Through all this difficulty, my husband and I manifested many things ...

* We are now living in a beautiful home that has a running trail right in the backyard
* I am now working almost full time as a yoga teacher
* We are finally taking the kids to Disneyland!
* I will be presenting a workshop at the Interior Wellness Conference
* We live in the Okanagan!

There are so many other little things that have happened, and there are too many to list here.

The point of my story is this:

Sometimes life gets hard, and things begin to happen to you that you feel (in the moment) that you cannot bear. But yet, from somewhere deep within you there is this wellspring of strength that you are able to draw from. A vast and unlimited supply of energy that nourishes you *just enough* so that you can take one more step, so that you can take in the next breath of air, so that you can live out another day in an upright position. 

When you purposefully push through the limitations you have placed on yourself, you say to the Universe - YES! YES! I can handle MORE peace, more love , more joy, more excitement and more satisfaction! 

Sometimes in life we want someone to tell us what to do in order to get to that place - but I tell you this here - YOU are the one in control, and truly are the only one who can answer these questions. Deep within your own self, you know exactly what you need to to in order to feel happy and alive ... and satisfied. 
Life is never really going to feel easy. And it's not supposed to. The point of all of it is to immerse yourself in experiences. Don't take second-hand knowledge and make decisions about how you're going to "be" in this world - 

Live your own life, and gather up your experiences ... 
Make mistakes and learn your lessons ... 
Be hard on yourself, and then forgive yourself ...

If you feel stagnant, unsatisfied or unhappy in any way - make some decisions about how you really want to feel in each day. Life is too short to constantly wait for something to happen. 

I send you Peace, Love and Joy ~ Namaste, Nicole

The Wait is Over!!!

After a long, Challenging winter of driving the Coquihalla up to 7 times a week (often twice in a day), of living in a tiny house where the kids share a bedroom, and the cat & the dog learned how to get along. After what seemed like a never-ending wait for a job offer my husband finally received. (In order to even apply for this job, my husband had to drive over the Connector to Kelowna for a job fair in the middle of winter - multiple times.)


There were so many times in this transition that I thought we had made a terrible mistake in leaving our comfort zone, our friends, family, and a huge circle of support. I wanted to quit and just move back "home" where I would know people walking down the street, where my smiles would be returned, where I would be loved and accepted.


But every damn day, my husband and I focused on the reasons we had for making this move, for stepping out of our comfort zones, for having a huge vision for our lives. We woke up on either side of the bed, and practiced gratitude together. We sent love out to everyone we know, and then to the world, the galaxy, and the Universe. AND we focused on goals. We both have lofty ones, and I honestly didn't know that I had such desires inside of me ... But these weren't "wishes" I was focusing on, these were goals. Goals require work. Personal work on the innerscape of my psyche and taking a good look at the imprints of beliefs that were overlaying everything I believe about myself. Not all of this is pretty, and I admit, I am will be untangling these beliefs for a while longer ... 


Through all of this, I reached the threshold of what I thought was all I could bear, and I would realize that there was another hairpin corner up ahead - it just looked like the top for a moment. So I had to hang tough, to be strong and to stay focused on what I wanted. I had to be stubborn and to want this new life badly enough that I would just. keep. going. The same way I do in an Ultramarathon. You haven't had enough until your faculties are dull and your mind is fuzzy, and you're forgetting to drink water, and then you realize you only have 5 kilometres to go. Then the beast comes out. And she did come out in me.


We made a trip to our Quesnel house to grab the last few things we had inadvertently left behind (and ran out of gusto, leaving a trampoline and other things - I'm sorry new owners ...). Saying goodbye was one of the hardest things. And I'm not sure when I really felt myself letting go of my Quesnel life. On some level, I envy those blessed souls who are able to remain, because I never thought I would leave. I watched others leave, and thought "No, not me, I won't leave this amazing place". I had everything I needed, but I felt a call to my name that there was a part of my journey that would need me to step up, and step out.


I haven't taken my final bow out of Quesnel, because I have friends there, and I love the running trails. I also intend to keep teaching at Edgewood Farm during the summer, as well as co-host a retreat with Veronica again. But I can tell you that I have some Major plans for our new home in Kamloops. We move into our new home Easter weekend!!!


I will be taking bookings for visitors starting April 1st ;o)


Thank you for all your love & support along the way.

Finding Dharma

After months of waiting, the wave has finally broken! We will finally be moving to Kamloops at the end of next month!!!


These last few months have tested my patience greatly, and caused stress in my life - something that I continuously work to avoid. But all suffering is necessary and almost always leads to some conclusions.


For me, this waiting period led me to some pretty massive emotional breakthroughs. It pushed me up against the most fearful parts of myself - the parts that are terrified of rejection, need to feel a sense of security to survive, and of the lady in me who's incredibly scared to let her kids down in any way.


I was also forced to face my feelings of inadequacy, my confidence, and the driving force in my life. Which I figured out is a great desire for independence, freedom and space, in whatever I am doing.


I realized through this that the work we do on ourselves is never done, and this is something that I've heard successful people say. But I never thought I would get there in my own mind to actually see it. There is always going to be another challenge that comes up in our lives - it's how we approach it that will determine whether we look at our outcomes as successes or failures. For instance, as I come out of this dark period of winter, I look at the thoughts that I've been able to get under control, and at the formidable way that I have gone above and beyond in order to work towards my goals.


Diving into these deep-seated emotional issues is not easy work. But you're the only one who can do this work on yourself. Don't turn away from the things that frighten you, but rather go towards them with curiosity, love and acceptance. No healer, shaman or witch could perform on you the transformations that are required in order to excel in your life. You are your own Shaman. You are the guardian of your own heart. You are your own light, and when you are able to remove the stuck emotional baggage, your vision will be clear and free. It is in these moments of clarity that you will see your own personal truth, and at this pivotal point, you will have the power to live out your purpose. Your Dharma.


Sincerely and With Love,
Nicole

The Best Year Yet.

I'm reading an awful lot about making 2016 the

Best Year Ever!!

 letting go of old crap that no longer serves you, getting healthy, getting fit, sharing love, Fully participating and being present in life.

I woke up this morning and decided that I simply want to live my life from a place of love <3 If all my actions come from this Seat of Love, I know that I have done my very best! Whatever this means to you, my friends, I honour your desire to change, to improve, to harness ... and most importantly to take the first step, because everything that follows after you take this crucial step is carried forward with a kind of momentum that you don't expect.


When you live without expectation of reward and praise, you open your heart up to the possibilities of self-healing, and you finally are able to say "I DID this. I AM amazing!" I know that I repeat this theme a lot, but for me to say this out loud in this public forum, I continually reach out to the world and continue to spread love, light and possibility to those who have agreed with me, but still seem to be waiting on the sideline.


Stop pretending that you're a wallflower, darling. We are all meant to Shine, to sparkle, to become the very best version that we can be. A version that the ghosts of our old selves will be so incredibly proud of. And when you are approaching the reward of self-love, you will want your old self to grab your hand - you will want to bring this version with you. And she won't be able to ... because at that point in time, she will slowly begin to fade away ... And the transformation will be complete.


I wish you the best year yet. I wish you love. I wish you peace. I wish you joy, and celebration, and the satisfaction that comes with a consistent practice that feeds your soul.


Happy New Year!
Namaste, Nicole

Strength & Determination: It's Not What it Looks Like

~ "People have a hard time letting go of their suffering. Out of a fear of the unknown, they prefer suffering that is familiar." ~ Thich Nhat Hahn

This past weekend, I finished the Deception Pass 50 km event. Many of you know that this was not my first rodeo, but it didn't make it any easier ... read on to hear about it!

I feel so lucky to have this strong, healthy body that can carry me through so much adversity. I realize that it's not really luck, but rather it's my tenacity, my hard work, and the hushing of the naysaying voices in my mind. I kept running that day because I consciously chose to suffer - and to be okay with that. I knew deep within myself that in order to surpass what my old self might have done, I had to do what she never would have. In this case, that was to keep going, putting one foot in front of the other, repeating my mantra in my mind and trudging on. Through the mud and the rain, under and over downed trees, pushing against the strong, relentless winds of the day. I don't pretend to be a hero to anyone ... but I can tell you I sure am a hero to that little girl who never wanted to participate in sports because she knew she'd never be the fastest. For me now, as a grown woman, I see that there is so much more in giving something your all. I feel blessed to have had these insights into my own personality, and I see now what so many others saw in me. I suddenly see the big picture.


Suffering is something that we usually endure because it comes upon us in a sudden and unexpected way. But when we choose suffering willingly, we set out on a quest to uncover an answer: What is the difference between suffering and not suffering? When we are not suffering, does it instantly bestow the gift of happiness? Or can we be living a carefree life, without a worry, and still choose to suffer? Many people, when I tell them about ultrarunning, tell me I'm crazy for choosing such a sport. They tend to crack jokes about not being able to run for even a minute, or only running if something is chasing them. But this reaction tells me so much about the self worth of the person standing in front of me. This tells me that they are terrified of discomfort, of suffering, and of failure. But when you declare that you are setting a goal, small or large, it is a huge act of bravery. The actual event has very little to do with the declaration, because the first step on a journey like this is the toughest one. Once you begin conquering your training plan, you realize that al you have to do is run one day at a time. There is no good that can come of looking 3 weeks ahead in the training plan, unless you're trying to talk yourself out of doing it.


This mindset is what helped me to finish this challenging run over the weekend. I put one foot in front of the other (over 60,000 times, according to my sweet little fitbit!). I kept going when I felt like I could not, and I insisted on finishing. Any time a negative thought went through my mind, I immediately cast it out. There is no room for doubt in these kinds of situations. It sure helped that the scenery is so stunning at Deception Pass. I could spend a lot of time there, walking the beach, contemplating life, and searching for nature's treasures along the shore. For me there is an instant feeling of meditation when I am near the ocean shore, and I love nothing more than communing with the vastness of the Universe in places like these. During this run, there were definitely moments of this vastness, and I was able to draw energy from this place in my toughest moments.


There was a moment, when I was running back across the bridge, where the wind was gusting and large, cold raindrops were pelting me. I raised my arms in a V and ran across the bridge like this, like my own hero blazing a path for enlightment. I looked down into a tree and saw our family totem: a Bald Eagle. I started to laugh and smile, and just kept going. That symbol, that gift from the Universe gave me tremendous power and energy at that time. I felt so incredibly blessed to see that.


In hindsight the run feels like a flash in the pan, and perhaps that's why I kept going, because I knew that the pain & suffering were only temporary. And it was suffering that I chose. At the end of my run, I was so grateful to be finished, but I am also so incredibly filled to the brim with gratitude for where I am at. Thank you for giving me the strength to carry on when I thought I could no longer run. Thank you for such a strong mind that controls my thoughts and feelings. Thank you for a strong body that could physically carry me through such adversity. Thank you for a spirit that can sense energies and transmute them into fuel. Thank you Thank you Thank you ~ Whoever you are.

Hope and Faith

There have been times, during these last few months, when I felt like all I had to my name was my faith. I have practiced gratitude, sent out love, and visualized the things I want each and every day for the last 5 months. I did not falter on this practice, even when I was incredibly stressed out, exhausted and feeling flat. I continued, even though we have been sleeping on a mattress on the floor, even though our kids have been sharing a room, even though the cat is dying one day, and defying me the next.


I kept on going.


There is a light at the end of the tunnel ... it means I still have a little ways to go for my visualizations to become real, but it means that Hope has joined with Faith. {It's a little too soon to tell, but there is a very real possibility that our situation will be adjusted sometime in the beginning of the new year ... }


You have to keep wishing for what you want, and planning on what you'll do once it finally arrives. Sometimes things don't happen as quickly as you would like them to, but it's because the Universe always has a massive action plan that serves the highest good of all involved. Sometimes, like my accident scene story, there are many people involved. Like the woman I met from Merritt who I will be helping to facilitate "Heart Circles", the miniature show horse I gave Reiki to, the woman who got into the accident, the one hundred or so people who were delayed in getting to Kamloops. For each person who was "inconvenienced" by this accident, there was a specific reason that it happened to them. Some needed to learn patience, some were held back in order to be placed in another person's path, some needed to see what it felt like to hit black ice and not be able to stop ... and on and on the lessons go.


My point is that even with this light at the end of the tunnel, I feel completely exhausted. This period of time in my life has been one of the most challenging, and as I write that, I can strangely see that it's not even close to some of the other challenges I have faced. The only difference is the way the stress has physically manifested itself in my body. But this too, shall soon pass, and there will be a new challenge awaiting me on the horizon.


All I truly want is to make some big memories with my family, like going to Disneyland, taking them on a trip to Europe, and dipping our toes in some oceans. For myself, I want to experience the joy of delivering Yoga classes to people in the most connected and genuine way that I can. I also yearn to get my 1000 hours of teaching experience so that I can help to train other yoga teachers! I will help people who are dying with the beautiful lessons I learned from my Mom. I will nurture my marriage and always honour my husband's personal destiny by giving him the freedom to express himself. We learned a few years ago that the gift of freedom is the gift of joy.


Sometimes life can be a struggle, and you feel like you are trying to swim against the flow, and honestly this is what growth feels like. It is uncomfortable to be reborn! But in order to grow, this is what we must endure if we ever want to finally use those bigger shoes we have been saving. Thich Nhat Hahn wrote that when we live in the past, we live with the ghosts of our former selves, as we are dying every moment. We are not the same as we were from the beginning of this blog post to now. Growing takes time, and it takes longer when we have to drag around baggage from the past, and so it is best to let it go a little at a time.


How I managed to get to the place I am in now is simply a matter of hard work, dedication, practice, faith, love and lots of gratitude. Pushing out of my comfort zone was rooted in all of these practices for me, and I always had those certainties to draw from. I have more travelling to do, in so many ways, but if I continue to trust and accept the process of growing, there is absolutely no limit to what I can do.


And if I can do it my friends, You Can Too.


Namaste,
Nicole

Living With Purpose

What does it mean to live your life with purpose? It means having a secret mission that is built into you on the foundation of your beliefs. It means to work with the positive aspects of your own personality in order to both heal your own self, as well as to offer your gifts to the world around you. Giving of yourself, straight from your heart to another's heart, is the most honest, uplifting, supportive and loving way to communicate with another. And for me, it feels like my Superpower.


I do not selflessly give however. I've come to understand that I must take care of myself before I can even consider taking care of someone else. And my method of helping others is simple.

• Do unto others as you would have then do to you. The Golden Rule never gets old, and it has shaped me since I was 6 years old.

• Give Love openly. Share your warmth with others - especially with people you don't know. Your smile may be the light in their day; it might be the catalyst for change in an otherwise humdrum day. When you give love to the world, you plant a seed in them when they realize it felt good to smile and be smiled at. Who knows - maybe they will pass it on?

• See Other People. When you see others, truly look into their eyes and see the truth of who they are. When you look with honest curiosity and total acceptance you can warm another person deep down into their soul.

All of these commandments I've created for myself have helped me to look outside of myself when I'm feeling small, or sad or overwhelmed. They have helped me develop a bigger perspective of the world, and it's fabulous energy, as well as the wonderful way the world reciprocates all that you give to others.


Life, this world, these people surrounding you - whether it's an illusion or total reality, is an opportunity for growth and boundless joy. It's up to each one of us to create our existence. What are you going to choose?


Sincerely and with love,
Nicole Aracki

Truly a Mother

I had another insight/epiphany/aha moment yesterday ... My husband and I were having a deep discussion about our future and where it's taking us. (All good things, I promise!) I realized that all my life I have struggled against the very things that I am good at, one of those things was becoming a mother and wife. I'm not sure what happened, and where it happened in my timeline, but I can assure you that for as long as I can remember I resisted the idea of being a devoted mother. I resisted the idea of putting my kids needs before my own, and for years I never even entertained the idea of being a married woman, let alone a stay-at-home mom. I had planted the idea in my mind that I was going to have a career before I ever got married or had kids. (IF I ever decide to participate in these things)


What I realized so profoundly is that I have been struggling against what has become a very deep, very connected part of my Soul's identity. Caring for others is something I have always been good at, and caring for those children born of my body, is a Beautiful opportunity as they look to me for answers - which they will do until the day we die.


I have always believed that we choose our lives, our parents, our siblings, and all of the many circumstances that we will encounter in our lifetimes. I asked myself the question: Why would you resist something that you set up for yourself? It is clearly your destiny to be a Mother first in these years, and there must be a reason why. You cannot fight it anymore Nicole. This is your Destiny.


My Mom always knew that I was destined to become a mother and a wife - someone who takes care of her family with grace and ease. She always knew I would be good at it, but she didn't dare tell me her thoughts until I was married with a baby on the way. Even then, deep inside, some part of me rebuffed this notion, and rejected the role of "homemaker". But my Mom was right, it is what I am good at, and I have finally realized that I've been fighting against my own self! I have been fighting as the person I formed myself to be as a young teenager - I have been pitting this "self" against the "self" of who I have become, and maybe even the "self" I have always been! Perhaps in some way I was fighting with the dead versions of myself, the ideals formed within me as coping mechanisms for things that were happening in my life that I could not control.


I know now that it is time to let go of the ways in which I have resisted my true calling, my true self, and time to embrace the most powerful gifts I have. The powers to Love, to Heal, to Care For, to Teach, to Listen. And I will continue to do what I am so good at, but I feel an even deeper sense of purpose, and even a freedom to envelop myself and my family in the gifts and wisdom I possess.


After all, I am raising two children for the next generation, and this is extremely important work.

Getting Super Fit! 21 Day Fix Review

"Talent is nothing without hard work" - unknown.

As I look back on my life now, I can see that I've always been a natural athlete, but through most of my life didn't have the confidence in myself to believe it. I played many sports- Soccer, Softball, Field Hockey - but I always considered myself a cheerleader more than a teammate. I thought that sports were difficult for me, and easy for everyone else. I realize now that pushing out of the comfort zone is difficult for everybody! If you want to reap the rewards, you absolutely must put in the work, and believe that you can achieve absolutely anything.

I have gone through versions of this process a few times over in my adult life, and of course they weren't always physical challenges. When I embarked on marathon training, I began to turn a corner in terms of how I was thinking about myself. I think becoming a mother and overcoming so many emotional barriers in their first few years helped me to think of myself as actually being a strong woman. I've always been quite stubborn, to the point of it being a detriment, but I had never applied my stubborn streak to anything productive - In fact, I don't think I knew that a person could do that. As I look back at any coach I ever had, I now recognize the look in their eyes as being certain that I could achieve more than I was achieving. They did believe in me - many people did - But I didn't realize that strength is something that is developed over a long period of time, and it is important to stick to practicing one thing so you can improve!

The Olympians aren't people who simply had talent - they were people who recognized their gifts, and religiously practiced their skills, set goals, visualized results and achieved them! I had the pleasure of speaking with Brittany Rogers recently (Olympic Gymnast London 2012!), and she gave a talk to a room filled with young gymnasts aged between 6 - 16. She said she woke up on the second day of Nationals after a 16th placement the day before, and she had this thought "Why not me?". That day her performances brought her up to fourth place. That is truly inspiring to me, and it should be - to ALL of us! Why not me?

I have realized too, that achieving your goals doesn't have to be super complicated. Sometimes you just need to be told what you need to do. That was why I signed up for the 21 Day Fix Program. A childhood friend was posting some very inspirational statuses on her facebook page, and one day she (bravely!) posted before & after pictures from doing the 21 Day Fix. I was stunned at the way she had transformed her body. She went from having the Mummy tummy like I have, to having sculpted abs, toned arms and an enormous smile on her face. For several years I have just been trying to come to terms with how much my body had changed from having kids and getting older. I just assumed that my tummy would look like a deflated balloon in the morning, and an inflated balloon by bedtime. But her post made me think that there was hope for me - that I too could look the way I felt inside - happy, healthy, vibrant & alive!

I recently finished my first round of the program. I have lost 3 pounds, and 3 inches off of my waist! But it truly is more than the numbers. I can't believe that it only took 21 days to change my body so much! The beauty in the program is the simplicity of it.

-Workout for 30 minutes a day - Eat whole, healthy unprocessed food - Portion Control

Doctors have been saying it for years, but I needed to be told exactly what to do. Along the way I definitely had some emotional moments - the major one being when I realized what a profound effect wheat and sugar have on my body. My tummy puffs up like a balloon! Not only that, but wheat makes me crave sugar in a very serious way. I can't just have one cookie .. I have to eat 6 or 7 of them ... and then maybe one more. I felt incredibly sad when I finally realized this, and actually had a cry on a friend's shoulder. It seems strange that I should react so strongly, but food can be a very emotional thing for people, as it is the first thing in our lives that we can control. In the first two weeks of the program I had to make a decision to stay completely away from all sugar - not because the plan doesn't allow it, but because I recognized my addiction to it. Now that I've completed the first round of the program I can allow myself to have some treats, but it's best if I carefully prepare them myself so I know what's in them. http://www.chocolatecoveredkatie.com/ is my favourite for healthy sweets.

When you order the package, you receive

- 6 little colour coded containers for portion control
- an Eating Plan guide with the outline of the best foods you can put in your body, and how much you should be eating each day
- DVD's with 8 different workouts - each of them are 30 minutes, and there is a 10 minute Abs workout
- Shakeology Protein Powder
- a free Beachbody Coach! (my childhood friend)

If you have any questions about the program, I would love to answer them, point you in the right direction .... don't hesitate to comment on this post!




Before
 

After!

Before
 





After!
 





From Year to Year

The date is drawing nearer every day, and I find myself absolutely astounded at how quickly this year has gone by. This time last year, my Mom was starting to get sicker. I cannot remember the exact dates, but it was certainly in May when she started using oxygen, and her freedom and health began to slip out of her fingers. Driving, walking, yoga, cooking ... I am still taken aback at how graceful she was with every transition, every turn in the road, everything that she was losing started to mean less to her. She didn't really resist much, except maybe driving. She always drove, especially in Spring, because Dad would get too distracted by the flourish of the season. It was a running joke in our family about how funny Dad got in Spring!

She was not afraid to die. Her fearlessness is what helped us all deal with her imminent passing. I remember how surprised I was after she passed to look in her Bible and see the handwritten notes - her own reflections of the book. Isn't it amazing how Big each person's own personal world is? We can never know what a person is truly made up of, and we can never know how they felt in their own headspace as they gathered experiences. I know my own world is grandiose and that there are stories inside of me that I have both heard and created. There are small events that occurred in my life that I can never forget, and the are often brought to my attention by everyday triggers, such as brushing my teeth or washing the dishes by hand. There are things no one will ever know about me - not because they are big secrets, but only because they are habitual, recurring thoughts now. Just a background story running around my mind.

I am certain that my Mother had that too.

I have believed, for some time, that we create our lives before we live them. That we sit in the vast, unending energetic space of the Universe to figure out what we need to learn and experience in our next human existence. We choose our Mother & Father, siblings and other childhood influences based on what they can teach us. We effectively make agreements with these beings that they will serve a specific purpose to aid in our lessons and realizations. I will admit that this theory was challenging to stand by when I first learned that Mom had cancer. But now that she's been gone almost a year, and I have experienced all that I have in that short time, it has only confirmed my beliefs.

So, a lot can change in a year. Including people. And including me. In my Mom's death, she gave so much to me that she never could have if she had lived. There are words to describe the many ways that I have felt her presence since she passed, but way too many for my short morning blog here. Perhaps I can place snippets of my thoughts on this blog, and harvest all of this later as a compilation on death and life. But for now, it is on with my Friday. If you have lost someone, perhaps you have experienced similar things as I have. If you want to share, please leave me a comment or send me a message. Love & Light to you ~ Nicole

Tony Robbins is Kind of a Big Deal

Motivational Speakers were kind of a big deal in my formative years, but by formative I mean to say that I was a child, unable to understand the ranting and raving of a man in a suit standing in front of a projector screen. To see Tony Robbins on TV was nothing to me but something to giggle at, to mock and to copy into pretend play with my little sister.

So when my husband asked for the new Tony Robbins book for Christmas, I had a funny reaction to it - the first of which being surprised that Tony was still at it for all these years. Then I started to think about how long of a career that was - at least 25 years! After the book was finished, my husband (D) wanted to order one of Tony's online programs, and he seemed to gobble up anything he could find. During this time I too began to listen to the talks and do the quizzes, and was getting quite a lot out of it. This was alongside a 3 session mentorship I was partaking in with Kristin Campbell from Squamish. A few weeks later D started looking into Tony's retreats and seminars, and found one located in Chicago. He phoned their offices to ask a few questions. Then he and I talked about the details - how much it would cost, when he would be gone, what was involved. My husband went on to say that there was a deal going on where it wasn't that much more money for two people to go.

It looks like we're going to Chicago for a 4 day seminar! I am still in shock about it, and as time goes on I am really excited about this plan. This could be a life-changer!!

All my life I have strived for something more, for something different. As a child, I never liked to conform to authority - school, parents, rules, and all that - if someone ever told me I HAD to do something, I would do the opposite, just to exercise my own right to think and act freely. In my youth, it didn't even matter if I was rebelling against my own needs so long as I could experience the rush of the rebellion. I sometimes see this funny trait in my own children, and I have to say that while it may not make much sense to outsiders, I understand it completely. It feels nice to have something to push against sometimes, and I can connect the dots now to see that pushing boundaries is absolutely a necessary part of achieving great things. Of course, as children my own spawn will have to ride out the conformities of life for another 15 or 20 years - to pay their dues you see.

Sometimes change is a scary thing, but only because we are facing the unknown, and most of us hate that. The fear holds within it a great potential, and I would encourage YOU, reader to purposefully go towards that fear with your heart on your sleeve and a fire in your eyes. You are the only one who can change your life, reinvent yourself, or even just find that delicious contentment in your own skin.

Absolutely everything happens for a reason, without exception, but most of the time we have to jump in headfirst and wait for the reasons to come clear later on down the road. 

Why Tony Robbins? Why now? Why Chicago? I will let you know once I know!

The Future

When I was younger, I always wanted to know what was in my future. What was going to happen in two months, six months, a year or more? Wanting to know things earlier than I was supposed to was a huge draw for me, and I'm sure I did it because I wanted to feel like I was in control of my life. But I can see now that there is a big picture in life that I was missing completely. There is a serious process to each stage in life, and as I look back, I kind of laugh when I realize how perfectly my life events were engineered. It was like I was purposefully directed towards the things that would bring me the most success - both in love, and in career.

I look back on my twenties quite often, and will never forget the profound loneliness I felt for a few years. I was living in Sechelt on the Sunshine Coast, and had the luxury of being near the ocean, of mild weather, and of the closeness to my parents if I ever started to feel homesick. But you can't go home every weekend when you've got to take a ferry and a two buses. It doesn't work as well. At the time, I was also working a job where I was verbally abused a little bit. My older self would have walked out the door on the first day. But I had to go through a process in order to realize that I felt really bad working there! It took a LOT for me to leave, but I'll never forget the day that I did.

It was just another day serving in the restaurant, and yet again was being called down by one of the owners. They had a very sarcastic, mean and deprecating way of speaking to their staff. They had a sneaky way of using the language of energy to excuse themselves from any responsibility by being self-deprecating as well. I see now the low self-esteem and possibly self-loathing that these unfortunate souls must have suffered from. So sad. But for me, whatever it was that was said that day set me off. I walked into the bathroom and had my fists clenched hard, my face was beet red and I wanted to scream! I tried to breathe and to calm down a little bit, but I couldn't. I looked at myself in the mirror, and saw a fierceness there, and I said to myself "Is it really worth it?" I answered myself with a no. I gave myself another look in the eyes and realized that I could just leave and never look back. So I did. I went out front, grabbed my little cash box, and walked out the door. It felt so good to have that kind of control over my life, and it made me realize on a very deep level that I always have a choice. It was something I never forgot.

All that frustration, loneliness and sadness helped me see that I really didn't want to be alone. It made me realize as well that I wanted to be around people who loved me and who would never hurt me. It helped me to dump the toxic people from my life, and then I realized that I could move to Vancouver - hey, why not? It was also around this time that my new relationship was deepening quickly - I was falling in love. I am still with that man today, and love him more with every moment that goes by.

I rreally don't need to know the future anymore. I have found such contentment in living my life phase by phase, and I would not take the opportunity to know what is going to happen next because I Love Surprises!

Brave Enough to Want to Know

The last two days have been incredibly busy. Meetings have kept me away from home during the dinner hour, which is normally something that would throw me off quite a bit. But somehow, I managed to keep myself feeling balanced and calm. It really was by just taking the day one event at a time, rather than constantly pulling myself out of the moment and into the next. I actually stayed present! It is definitely easier said than done some days, when we live such busy lives. And there is often pressure that if we are not actively proving how busy we are, we might not be able to use that to our advantage later on. Our egos play a huge part in making sure that we are distracted from the basic truths in life. The last thing that Ego wants is for you to start finding contentment. Ego tries to build up as many stories about itself in order to keep you sedated from discovering the potent truths of the Universe. Ego needs to feel relevant. Why are we built this way? I mean, perhaps that's all life is about is fighting off these stories, these built-up, imaginary demons of our inner lives. Why would you allow the Ego of yours to take over the natural state of peace that we are all born to have? This deep sense of connectedness is strangely present all the time., yet we allow ourselves to be so distracted by the drama, the money, the clothes ...

When I was younger, I always loved for things to be dramatic. I yearned for the staleness to come to life, to rise up from out of nowhere and to bring me up with it. I was quite depressed in my early twenties, and incredibly clueless about a lot of things. I had absolutely no direction, and would literally wander the streets wondering if anything was going to happen to me anytime soon. I think that when I graduated from high school I actually believed that someone was just going to come knocking on my door to take me away to Toronto, or California, or New York ... that they would offer me a ton of money to just get on a stage and be an actor. I gave up on all my dreams fairly quickly, but that was for so many reasons. I was looking for instant gratification. Which is why I stayed in my hometown, working at the donut shop and staying up late making poor choices. I see now that I had not set any goals at all for myself - I had NO real expectations, hopes or dreams. I didn't aim for anything for fear of failing miserably.

I ended up having an emotional meltdown, and had to take time off of work to reassess what was going on with me. My poor mother, she was probably just terribly worried about me. Shortly after this meltdown, I had gotten the idea in my mind to meditate. I began meditating every night before bed, and I started to feel different really quickly. Soon after that, I discovered Wicca. I began getting outside more often, getting in tune with the energies of the earth, and celebrating the seasons. I found a few like-minded souls to do circles with, and we found a beautiful spot beside the river to have a permanent circle. We visited this place a few times a week, performing ritual, talking about life, and enjoying the place. Nature was a soothing ointment to my problems, and I began to feel a healing taking place. Wicca gave me a sense of my own power to manifest things in my life. As a young adult I misused this power, but learned fairly quickly to use it only for my own inner work. It truly was a beautiful time, and I have never quite figured out what even led me to Wicca, but I do know that this connection to Nature never went away.

We are always building a foundation for the next phase of our lives, but there are times when the next phase doesn't manifest for many many years. This is why it is so important to keep bring yourself into the present moment, because you are always setting a precedent for the next thing. Ultimately, you are getting wiser with each and every phase of your life, and that is the goal, isn't it? To feel great about yourself and all your accomplishments is deeply important, and should never be underestimated, however it is ultimately about how you get there, and if you have the ability to relax into the moment and actually enjoy your life. It may sound cliché, but it truly is about the journey, and not the destination. There is no End to this. Yes, you will die at some point, and perhaps you view this as an End (which is your choice), but I see dying as another phase. And who's to say that there isn't another phase after death? How big does this picture get? And ... are you brave enough to want to know?

Early Mornings

I truly do love mornings. I love the silence and the darkness that greet me as I creep my way down the stairs, hoping the kids don't hear me and decide to wake up too. I don't usually run before 8am, but this morning the dog woke me up at 5:00am, I suppose for a pee she just couldn't stand to hold until 6 or 7:00. So I decided to just suit up and go. No breakfast beforehand, no watch, and with my glasses on, because it seemed like too much effort to put my contacts in.

There is something sort of creepy about running around the streets of suburbia, when all the lights are out in the homes lining the street. There is something very relaxing about it too, apparently, as I felt quite comfortable letting the morning gas go ... people already think I'm crazy for running, in the winter, at 5am, by myself.

The streets are sheer ice underneath a soft, slippery serving of snow. So, you have to be careful where your feet land. I didn't fall. I haven't fallen too many times at all when I have been running, but ice is one of those surfaces that freak me out. Ice and mud. The mud around here is 70% clay, so it can be snotty as .... what's that slime they used to drop on the kids' heads on Nickelodeon? It's probably like that.

The world is so utterly quiet at that time of day, and it is so easy for me to get into a zone without the distractions of traffic and people. Tetley and I spotted a little fox by the school, who must have been a young one, because he wasn't smart enough to just take off. He was very curious about us, and while he kept a safe distance, he really wanted to know who we were. The dog, of course, was getting all nutty about seeing such a stranger. I called out to him, "You foxy fox - what are you doing? Go on now." There have been quite a few foxes right in our neighborhood this year, and the best show I've seen all year was the morning when two foxes were playing in the deep snow that was blanketing peoples' yards. Those two rolled, stalked, pounced, teased and ran for a good half an hour, while me and my man watched from inside. It was absolutely beautiful.

I sincerely hope those foxes stay out of trouble ... because if someone's cat gets eaten, the foxes story may take a turn for the worse.

I love nature, and I always have. I feel so in awe, and so connected when I'm able to be outside, away from civilization and alone with my thoughts. I have always been a thinker, and have always enjoyed being alone - even as a young child it's just how I liked to be. You can't argue with that. I think my Mom probably worried about me a little bit at times, and she encouraged me to go outside and to play with the neighborhood kids. I know she didn't realize that I was never alone - I had a whole world of imaginary friends who were highly entertaining.

Yes, I was a different kid, but most of the time I never minded about that. I still don't mind about that today. I am a different kid. For me, it has been the single most liberating thing I have going for me, to not mind what people think. "It's none of your business what other people think about you" ... and "Those who matter don't mind, those who mind don't matter!"

Always stay true to yourself.

Ever Feel Like Something's Missing?

There are times in life when we have a yearning desire to help others, and when that time is upon us, we feel absolutely invincible. We feel filled with purpose and love, and there is a simple joy that radiates and touches all the people we meet. This feeling, unfortunately, cannot be forced. There is always a precursor to this type of bliss, and it usually involves a dark period of time when we simply must be alone as there is nothing left to give.

There are times when we must nurture our mental and spiritual health. There are times when we must figure out what it is that truly makes us happy, and we can only do this when we get a little selfish and turn our back on the needs of others. Did you know that it's okay to do this?

Guilt holds a lot of people back from doing the things that could ultimately bring happiness into their lives. It is such a shame that we should feel guilty when nurturing our innermost Needs, because this kind of self-indulgence is required in order to have the ability to give of ourselves. It is only when our cup can be filled no more that we have the capacity to allow it to run into the cups of others! It's like those towers of champagne glasses - the one on top has to be filled first.

It is particularly hard to give to ourselves at this time of the year, but a few stolen moments for a 20-minute coffee with a friend goes a very long way to sowing seeds of happiness. Of course, it's more important to have some kind of regular routine that helps you to work through some of the nonsense stories that we play in our minds. Whether it's working out to burn up anxious energy, or meditating to find focus in your mind, or practicing yoga to get in touch with the language of your body - It is important to find a way to Do something proactive.

"A martyr is a person who displays or exaggerates their discomfort or distress in order to obtain sympathy or admiration."
(Merriam Webster Dictionary)
No one wants to be seen as a martyr, but sometimes we don't realize that this costume is something we often try to wear. You are the only one in charge of your destiny, your body, your thoughts, your decisions, and even of your feelings, believe it or not. There is always a choice, but sometimes the choice isn't easy to make when we don't want to hurt others.

In the end, I believe that the way we live is the way we shall die. This concept may seem dark, but the reality is, we will all pass away one day, and the way we operate in life is how we will approach our ultimate death as well.

The question is: How much time do you have to put your innermost thoughts and desires on hold? How long are you going to wait before you take a strong hold of the reins of your life? You have the power to be fabulous, amazing, strong and beautiful ... and you also have the power to ultimately help others. We all do, but the most effective people are the ones who take time for themselves, who nurture and love themselves, who have found a balance in their lives, but who also understand that life will always be a balancing act. There will consistently be times in life when you miss opportunities to get time alone to get back to You. But there will also consistently be decisions to make about getting real about what is most important at any given time.

The most important piece of the puzzle is YOU, and how you perceive the world and your place in it. Sometimes we need to get a little selfish to experience the extreme of how we have been operating in order to go to the place of balance, and that is absolutely fine. I am quite certain that life will give you many chances to go back to the life you led before ....

This holiday season, do it differently. See what happens when you remove your expectations and your thoughts of what you think you are supposed to do, be, have or give. Just seek out your own personal Bliss, and see where this leads you ... I wish you good luck on the Journey!  Love Nicole