Random thoughts

I'm learning the guitar. My fingers hurt after I play, I guess they need to toughen up.

I was happily surprised when my friend/student from Australia showed up in Austin to take my class!

I miss my mom and every time I think of her I am so proud of what she is doing with her life. The amazing journey she is on.

Dave Matthews is rocking my world right now. I thought Norah Jones would have a better stage presence live.

I want to go back to Harbon and stay longer. Healing water.... healing life....

I am so happy to be where I am at right now. I have the most wonderful boyfriend that I fall in love with over and over again on a daily basis, a mom that is kicking ass in the south, a dad that is learning some harsh life lessons, a papa that is shifting his life "plan", 2 careers that are rewarding and flexible, 1 purpose that I am fulfilling every day.

Success is built on inconveniences

Love is growing in every corner

Bee's buzz

Flowers bloom

I am in love

With you

Done

I am proud of myself. I made it far. Not the full 10 days of the master cleanse, but 9 and today (day 10) I have decided to come off. I was miserable the last 3 days and I couldn't take 1 more day. I miss food! And it's still going to be 2 more days until I can eat truly solid food. This smoothie tastes like heaven. I want avocados, pistachios, chips, cheese, meat, brownies, fries, salad, and I'm really craving whole foods chicken-less chicken salad. Mmmmmmm. I can't wait. I think I might have meet again! After 3 years of being veggie, I want meat. Doesn't mean I am going to eat it every day. I don't want to, but maybe once a week or every once in a while I will get a sandwich or burrito with some meat. Why not?! As long as it doesn't affect my digestive flow that I've worked so hard to get back - then I'm fine! The road is calling my name and am therefore so thankful we are going on a road trip in a couple weeks. I am looking forward to convention and seeing my Cobit again. Anne, Skag, and Ariana and all the other friends that are so close and I miss dearly. At the same time, I am super stoked because my business is picking up here in Austin and I want to ride the wave. I AM riding it! I grow and learn every day more and more how to be a stronger leader and team mate in this business. I am loving "natural selling" right now. It speaks my language and I am excited to put what I have learned into action - like right now! I have a meeting, so I am off! Thanks for reading.

Lots of love

Nora

Broken

Frustrated, broken down, fatigued, annoyed, etc. Maybe it's because I was "expecting" some sort of transformation with this cleanse. Expecting never works. I am left with a tired body and bumpy face and I REALLY MISS FOOD! I was just telling Andrew... I don't remember a time that I was NOT on the cleanse. It feels like forever. I have three more full days to go, before I start slowly coming down from the cleanse. I am going to do it period. I just don't want to. I know that my body is cleaning out and stuff is still moving in the right direction, I am just tired of drinking the same thing over and over and not eating a thing. I haven't chewed in forever! My poor jaw....
On a better note, I am truly looking forward to next week! I have a lot of movement in my business and it feels good to be in action. I am looking for someone to come with Andrew and I to convention and I will find her/him this week. I can feel it.

I'm out!

Detoxing

Watching "Inglorious Bastards" I think of how beautiful the French language is. The first scene is my favorite and possibly the saddest part of the movie. Reading the book "The Boy in the Stripped Pajamas" in German, isn't really helping that sadness. I am sipping some "Smooth move" tea and not looking forward to the way my stomach reacts to it later. I haven't eaten in 7 days and have been master cleansing for 5. I don't feel bad, I feel good, but I'm really missing food and a little bitter because of it. My ability to stick to something is strong, so I'm no where near giving up, but I do miss food. I feel, because of this, I will appreciate food more when I am eating again. I am hoping that what will come out of this cleanse is not just cleansing, and a bit of toning, but more importantly, control over food portions and mindful eating. I heard somewhere that the body doesn't recognize you are eating until 10 minutes into your meal! Take that into consideration when you see the average western world person dig into a plate of nachos (mmmmm nachos) and eats it in 5 minutes. Then what. I say, poor body. Poor metabolism/digestion. I don't want to do that to myself anymore and I'm hoping the cleanse will help me. Today I weigh 130 pounds and have started breaking out a little bit on my chin and jaw line. The detoxing continues to show face. Thanks detox :P
Cheers!

Survival Mode

It is day 4 of the master cleanse and my body feels great! The scale on the other hand seems to disagree, hence the reason I do not weigh myself on the regular. Turns out that my body is freaking out at me and questioning what I am doing to it. Instead of knowing that it's a cleanse, it's just thinking, "Why are you starving me of food????" and in response it is making me gain weight. I weigh 131 pounds today. But it doesn't matter about that, because I feel great! And thats what matters most anyway :)
My body and mind does not feel like I would have thought after 6 days of no solid food. I feel more flexible, I can smell things better, even colors are more vibrant! I feel my mind opening more as well and I feel that this is 1 of the many reasons my business is picking up a bit. I am on the move and it feels good! I have lots of appointments and people interested in what I have to share with them and it is fun! That is KEY. Fun! I am attracting more and more of that in my life and I love it!
I am looking forward to a road trip with my guy and possibly NY City for Christmas! Woohoo! More FUN!

Ciao for now

Don't Fart!

.... is what many websites advice when you are doing the master cleanse. Because of the morning "sea salt" water flush, whatever comes out of your bum hole is liquid. Not smooth and thick, but liquid... like pee. Yes, I'm getting personal - you don't have to read :P I weighed in at 126 pounds. Not sure how I dropped 3 pounds in only 1 day, but I'm guessing it's water weight, most of it will be. I'm still feeling pretty good! No headaches, don't feel dehydrated, but I'm still craving food. Of course. And it doesn't help that I'm watching "Chopped" right now (a program on the food channel). I will appreciate food so much more after this cleanse! It's like when I practice Bikram yoga, I appreciate water and oxygen so much more after class haha

That's my update!

Affirmation of the day: I attract business builders

Lots of love!

Before I left London

Sitting on a couch in an apartment right outside of the hustle and bustle of London City. What a blessed girl I am! I have found that if you take the time to “ask” you mostly receive. And if you don’t there is a lesson to be learned in patience or letting go.  I recently finished the book “The Alchemist” in where it said, in so many words, that when you go for your dream the entire Universe will conspire to help you get it/there.

Tomorrow I am off back to Austin TX. Never thought I would say that. HA. This is where one more chapter of my life ends and another brilliant chapter begins. I am sad to leave this chapter of my life, but it is overshadowed by my excitement for the future pages in my book.  

I walked through the city today with Sharan Bolina! Yes, her name now is Bolina not Birk. A grown up, married adult J Just yesterday we were laughing and dying at the Bikram training where we met. I thank Sharan for the inspiration for coming to the UK. This experience has changed my life and added a lot to the person I am today. This is what I live for. These experiences, these relationships, these moments and that is my motivation behind becoming extremely successful with my business. This year is going to be big. It is going to pave the way for the next several years to come. I am ready for success. I deserve it. It’s time for my residual check to match my efforts. This is me asking for Gold, Platinum, Diamond and beyond!

The challenge starts...

Day 1 of master cleanse:
129 pounds, feeling ok but hungry (expected), looking forward to when I eat again.

I think of all the restaurants I can visit and eat at when I am done with this cleanse. At the same time I am so excited to see/feel the transformation my body/mind will go through as I cleanse. I did the "ease in" to the cleanse, so technically it's been 3 days since I have had solid food. I thought I would feel worse honestly! I am a little grouchy and trying not to take it out on loved ones. I am craving meat.... uh oh. I have been vegetarian now for over 3 years?! wow, funny to say that. Never thought I would be one of "those". haha I feel my stomach  is smaller. I am not as hungry as I thought, but still I crave. The challenge starts. The mental part of doing this cleanse is 1 of the main reasons I chose to do this. WAY over weight loss!
First it's: the challenge, the cleaning out of junk, the energy, the transformation for my body/mind.

Wish me luck my friends!!!!!

Nora

Brilliance

Yesterday was my day off.  Have you ever been to a place, a city, a town, a village, and thought, “Wow. This place is so beautiful and brilliant. Everyone must be ecstatically happy to live here every moment!” That is what I experienced in Swanage. How did I get there when it is on the other end of a crescent moon gulf you ask? Well, I will tell you…

I am blessed every time I travel whilst teaching Bikram yoga, to meet some of the most generous and kindhearted people on this earth. It’s amazing the way people go out of their way to help you when you give them bendy spines J Well, I had the pleasure of meeting Sean, a Bikram practitioner, health oriented person and a life coach at that. Sean has a bike. A BMW motorbike. And we raced it up and down the coast! We went across to Swanage, we saw the castle of Korfe (1000 years old) and drank traditional English tea with apple tea cake, sat in a traditional British pub and drank cider and vegetarian (yes vegetarian) pie and watched the chickens pace around,  and on our way back across (through Poole) we “ran into” a bike night, where everyone rides down to harbor and shows off their bikes and admire other’s. It was just 1 pound so we decided to join the 1000’s of other bikes down there. What a site to see! Every one walking around with fish and chips, drinking beer, making googily eyes at bikes and yapping in that brilliant Enlgish accent. As we were about to leave, we ran into a couple that we mutually know from the studio! Chris, a magician, and his wife Karen, not sure what she does, but at the least a wonderful lady and good company. We decided to have a sit down meal and enjoy each other’s company a bit before we parted. How lovely! Just this beautiful coincidence made my day. These are the meetings I will think about when I am away and miss. This is one of the reasons I travel. I have to admit, I felt a bit bad ass as I was strolling through the sea of manly men and their bike helmets, seeing them look down at my helmet and noticing I was one of them. HA…. so fun.

Update on the leg: I feel the antibiotics kicking to work inside my veins. It’s a gross but scientifically interesting feeling to see all the poison, or whatever was released inside my leg, rise to the surface of my skin and almost literally bubble at the top in red. Yum. Some people predict it’s a fly. Yup, you heard right. A fly. They say it is tiny and looks harmless, but when it bites it releases a poisonous saliva into the human system and it can be very harmful if left untreated.  I’m treated, and on the way to recovery. Less pain, less swelling, and the doctor confirm my predictions.

P.S. I love their Mochas here! They are more bitter than the states and I love it that way. 

I'm off! 

Rainy and Cloudy

Here I am. Watching Friends in Bournemouth England. I would love to take advantage of the scenery, but I'm afraid I'll catch a cold if I go out there! It's been raining and cloudy and cloudy and raining for days... the only glimmer of sunshine comes from the book I'm reading "Life of Pi". I'm really into it! I did spent a couple of hours on the beach between rains one day. It didn't matter that it wasn't sunny, the view was rewarding enough. I wiggled my toes into the sand and indulged in the moment, keeping in mind that when I go back to Austin TX, this won't be so easy to attract.
I visited a little natural food shop today and found a roobuis tea that soothes my soul. I always think of my Mami when I drink roobuis since she always makes it for me when we are together. I also discovered raisins covered in a raw cacao that tickled my taste buds.
I have a nasty bite/sting on my leg that has turned into a lot of pain. It turns out I need antibiotics.... ugh. I hate taking them, but I guess it's better than risking my leg. The ease at which I got antibiotics is awesome. It continues to amaze me how easy it is to get health care help in other countries and it reminds me how poorly we were treated in the states. It makes me sad. And it doesn't seem to be getting better anytime soon. One of the reasons I am continuing with a yoga practice and keeping my health to an optimum level is for that reason exactly. I don't want to give any more money to the rubbish health care system. Preventative healthcare is my business, my practice, my passion.

Time to heal myself! Have an wondrous day!

Pictures

Dinner with old and new friends

Just a castle we came across on our walk HA!

Apparently the biggest inside fresh market in the UK!

Of course... the Leicester yoga studio :)

The discussion continues...

Do you ever feel like there is someone living in your head, telling you to think, feel, and do things? Uh oh, maybe I shouldn't have admitted that, next thing you know I will be in an insane asylum here in England! I have chosen (key word chosen) to live HAPPY! hahaha sounds so simple as I write it out here on my blog, but I think it has slipped peoples minds as they go through life (it has mine)...
My main focus is to be happy and that will put less attention on the negatives that have been over crowding my head.
It's all bullshit. You know that right? We are not our thoughts... I say this and I know this, I even practice this, and yet I feel so distant from it. When people say "keep it simple" it helps to make things more complicated for me, me and my over analyzing mind... I have discovered that when I do/say/act in ways that make me happy, all of that other stuff doesn't matter. All of the exaggerated "white person problems" disappear and I can actually breathe. And not only that, but it is contagious! I see/hear/feel that other people are having more fun too because I am having fun! Brilliant. Now... to maintain this way of thinking...

Fresh

Well, here I am on the other side side of the world again... Leicester England! If feels refreshing to be here. I am happy. I feel like I needed to get out of Austin - I love it there, but I felt mentally stuck and I feel that this is start to new beginnings in my life that needed a flight to really bloom.
I am here for my friend Sharan's wedding which is happening next weekend! I am excited for her :) She found a good man.... and so did I... I thought I had lost faith there for a moment and again, I was surprised by life.... and what a beautiful surprise it was.
It is fresh and free here. I feel renewed. Trees have dark green leaves, sky is grey, flowers are vibrant, students are sweaty, people are smiley and sociable, and I am enjoying all of it.
I am working on being more genuine. I feel as if I have been trying to fit myself into a mold. Always trying to be better, not in an encouraging way, but in a "not me" sort of way. This week I will be me, no more, no less. Not trying to impress, not trying to fit, just simply being. What a beautiful release that will be! HA sounds so simple, but this will be a bit of work I imagine.... we will see.
Thanks for listening friends!
Nighty night from England
Nora

Barton Springs with my new bestie!

My new highest level of excitement 

From ME to YOU

I am settling into an interesting chair these days.... I am getting super excited to go to London at the end of this month, I am frustrated at my creativity, sad about my dad, and loving my love life. I'm a little all over the place. Is it possible to be unwaveringly grateful for what I have and still want more out of life? It has to be... this is the balance I am struggling to find. Yoga is becoming less and less a part of my life - I still love it and I adore teaching, but I don't feel the need to be at the studio every day, like I have in the past. Maybe it's the drama, maybe it's my laziness, maybe it's my desire to make more money, or all of the above, but I am ready to do something different. BE someone different... Is it so wrong of me to desire more for myself? Can I be selfish for once and want to be more and have more wealth? This is my struggle. To come off genuine and "real" and still be successful. Wait... I just got it!..... I am thinking too much about me me me! I need to make it about them. How can I help people? How can I help make their dreams come true?! How can I make THEM wealthy?! And then I will become wealthy in the process.... I think that is it! Thank you blogger - for helping me get it out and realize the power writing it down. Brilliant. Love it. I am going to shift my energy from, "How do I get wealthy?" to "How can I help YOU?" Ok.... now got to put it into action... here I go - wish me luck!
MUAH!

For now....

I am reuniting with my blog site, since I got some complaints from someone (Alex :P ) that I wasn't staying updated. Which is true. I have decided to use this as my more artistic, more exclusive FB page.
So, news on my current life:
~I am currently residing in Austin TX (it's so official now that I have a license plate and stuff - woah). I have been here since mid October and I'm getting ants in my pants already
~I have made many new friends - some have changed my life dramatically
~I am doing BIG things with my health and wellness business and am staying committed to growing that #1
~I am doing a Bikram yoga challenge (60 classes in 60 days - and it's killing me!... in a good way :)
~I am singing in a Chorus group called ACC (Austin Civic Chorus) and we perform in April
~I love my life!

But don't worry! I am not done traveling.... don't think I ever will be, quite honestly. I want to go to London later this year for a friends wedding. And possibly head over to Scotland and help another friend teach some Bikram classes at his new studio (which should open in June-ish of this year).
So exciting things in the horizon! and exciting things currently too!
I have met someone special and we are having so much fun together. He likes the Beatles as much as I do (even as much as my dad does, which is A LOT), so I know it's a good fit :P

Anyway - there you are ALEX... hahaha all caught up on my current life :) I'll see you in March with some friends!

Over and out, Nora