Thursday 19 February 2015

Discovering Our Higher Selves


Good evening!

I am having a bed day today in order to recover for our Fashion Show tomorrow (note to self: do a post on work updates). It hasn't been completely lazy as there is nothing that makes me feel better then getting my yogi groove on! So this morning I did a yoga stretch sequence and then ate a big nourishing breakfast filled with plenty of vitamins. As I am in bed there is nothing I'd rather do then do some writing, so here I am typing away. 

Anyway, thats enough blabber. 

My yoga journey has opened my mind to self healing, healing the body using nourishing food, meditation and spiritualism. 

Plenty of people may have a laugh at things like this, but the one thing these things are teaching me about the mind, body and spirit, giving me self acceptance, as well as teaching me who I truly am and want to be. 

I recently purchased a book called 'The Book of Chakra Healing' and thought we could explore the book together, giving you a run down on the knowledge Liz Simpson shares.

First things first..

The Spirit of Energy

What I have learned from this chapter:
  • There are seven major chakras
  • Chakras are metaphysically linked to the systems of the body
  • In order for chemical action to take place, a change in electromagnetic energy of the body must occur, this energy is from the mind, explaining the link between the mind and the body for total health, physically, mentally and emotionally. 
  • The endocrine system is the bodies main control mechanism, responsible for hormones, thus maintaining parametres for optimal health.
  • If the nervous system and endocrine system are disturbed in either part, it will lead to malfunction.
The seven major Chakras
  • Adrenals - Root (1st) Chakra - needed for physical survival 
  • Ovaries/Testes - Secral (2nd) Chakra - emotional balance and sexuality 
  • Pancreas - Solar Plexus (3rd) Chakra - for digestion 
  • Thymus - Heart (4th) Chakra - stimulates general growth and purifies through production of lymphocytes, scientists recognise that auto-immune diseases (the immune system attacks its own proteins, mistaking them for foreign substance) have an emotional link and not simply due to physical and environmental causes.
  • Thyroid/Parathyroid - Throat (5th) Chakra - linked to all forms of communication, corresponding the balance between the rational, cerebral approach and emotional expression of the heart.
  • Pituitary - Third Eye (6th) Chakra - influences growth, metabolism and body chemistry, while also having a strong connection with birth and motherhood. 
  • Pineal - Crown (7th) Chakra - the control centre for the function of our physical, emotional and mental selves.
The Sushumna
  • The sushumna is the vertical column which the seven chakras are located.
  • The sushumna channels energy from the Universal Life Force from the Crown and Root Chakras.
  • The journey of the chakras upward through the sushumna is s spoken in terms of Kundalini rising (serpent goddess), who travels through the root chakra to the crown.
  • The ultimate goal of the chakras is to find the higher self. 
The human aura
  • A steady flow of energy through the chakra system, ensures a healthy aura.
  • A halo of bright, multi-coloured light around the physical self.
  • The body is a field of energy. 
  • There is two primary electrical system in the physical body.
  • The first electrical system is the alternating current of the nervous system and brain, which governs our muscles, hormones and physical sensations. The second is a continuous electromagnetic radiation coming off our atoms, allowing for energy exchange between individuals and their environment. 
  • Each person has a unique energy field, accessed from a Universal Life force, "prank", or "chi". 
  • The energy is drawn to the body through each chakra and transformed into a quality, sense and emotional correlate. 
  • If there is a blockage of energy it will effect our whole function. 
  • While DNA preserves our genetic code, the transmitting bioelectromagnetic field can modify it. 
  • Scientists and ancient healers believe that the aura holds the key to a persons physical, mental, emotional and spiritual states.
  • By maintaining a smooth flow of energy through our chakras, by freeing ourselves of mental or emotional traumas, we pre-empt the onset of physical dis-ease. 
(All above information is re-worded from Liz Simpson's book 'The Book of Chakra Healing')

This is a bit of information that has so far been outlined in the book. I find reading about this all quite interesting, and typing it out to you all helps me remember the information better, so I am sorry if it has all been a bit boring for you. 

Anyway, I think it is good to learn and grow, keeping an open mind to all types of beliefs and forms of finding our higher selves, whether you are finding yourself through sport, music or art, I believe that yoga, meditation and spiritual understanding is my form of finding and accepting myself.

So if you want to continue to delve into this book with me, great...

Welcome aboard!

Saturday 7 February 2015

A Great British Day


This post has been waiting in the queue of my 'to do' blog posts since I have been back in London..

Yes, you know it.. its another food report.

Ok, so we all know I am a self confessed foodie, and it tends to be healthy, natural, organic produce that I rant and rave about.

However...

I have in the most recent months come to know balance.

To many of you this may be a standard meal.. to me, a huge challenge.

Deep.. Fried... Fish & Chips.

In the summer months I tried to tackle my un-healthy orthorexic fears and challenged myself to a Fish & Chips in a restaurant called The Church in Chester.. it is fair to say this ended in a huge meltdown. Embarrassing to say the least, I know to most people you must be thinking, "How on earth can food cause someone to have anxiety and a mental breakdown?!" But until you have walked a day in someones shoes who hasn't let anything fried (and in batter), pass there lips in near enough a year.. if not more, something so small suddenly becomes so big. Why eat it then? You may ask... well the fact a piece of food would cause me to have a panic attack.. is the exact reason why I decided to challenge myself.

I was once a girl who would get hangry if someone had a bigger portion then her, who stated that Chinese was her favourite food, anything fried just meant extra delicious, carbs was her middle name, and veggie patties & cheese on toast was a standard snack.

Of course, I love being healthy, it makes me feel re-juvinated, energetic and happy. I barely crave anything considered un-healthy. I could easily become a raw-vegan and would get an A* in the raw till four diet. However, the matter of fact is that these fears towards food are not normal, so until I do not fear food my veganism fantasy of becoming an at one with nature gypsy gal, who attracts animals to the windows when she sings and has mice and birds help her create her latest fashion collections, is on hold.

In Australia I tackled fish from a chippy, but only ever opted for grilled fish.

In London I decided to go for "ding, ding, ding", round 2.

May I present to you..

Poppies Fish & Chip shop, just off Brick Lane and opposite Spitalfields market.


This place is always jam packed whenever I walked past.

So I thought... "If I am going to do this, I might as well make sure it is from the best fish and chip shop in the area".

Pop has recreated East End London in 1945 and 1955. You can dine in or dine out with a newspaper styled chip shop box to take away.

The staff are stylishly dressed in quirky hats and aprons, and the interior is decorated to match, with juke boxes and an old school diner feel, a true taste of the mid 1900's.

Unfortunately, I don't have a pic of this.. so you will have to visit to experience!


I visited Poppies with my mum, as you can see one fish is not fried. This was me. Guilty. But we didn't want to purchase 2 fried for me to not like and then go hungry. So I safely ordered a grilled fish, mum ordered fried. We decided that if I liked mums we would halve... and guess what.. I loved!


So we ended up halving our fish and sharing, we also got mushy peas and of course tartar sauce and ketchup to make it a truly British affair.. along with a squeeze of lemon and cracked pepper to top the fish, and vinegar for the chips.  

Mum also got a beer, while I got a sparkling water (if you don't know i have been T Total for a few years now). However, pretty jealous of the glass mums beer was served in. 

I would completely recommend Poppies if you ever find yourself in the East End of London.

And don't hesitate to go fried!