Where does your gratitude come from?

Have you ever thought about where does your gratitude come from? Or what you are thankful for? I've done the what am I thankful for many times. But the where does my gratitude come from, was a new twist on the question.

My home work from my coach this week is all about being thankful and meditating on this subject. The other question to meditate on is where does my gratitude come from?

I decided to do my meditation in the bath by candle light. I soaked and did my best to quiet my mind. And say the question, of what am I thankful for, and where does my gratitude come from. It took a bit of time for me to settle into this question. But eventually I did.

Here's what I came up with tonight. I am thankful for being alive, for being able to move my body. I am thankful for having good friends and family around me to support me. I am thankful for having a job, a place to live with hot water and power. I am thankful for all the experiences I've had so far in my life. Yes, even the ones that I was challenged by, for I learned from experiences that I was challenged by.

Where my gratitude comes from, proved to be a bit more difficult. My gratitude comes from a place in my heart, that is rooted in my body cells. My gratitude comes from those who I love. From my teachers/mentors in all aspects of my life. I am very grateful for all of them.

I will be completing this meditation once per day. I am curious to see what comes up for me as I delve into this topic for myself. I wonder how many layers of the onion I can peel away.

What are you thankful for? Where does your gratitude come from?

Enjoy this little video I found on you-tube this evening. All about being grateful, and thankful.

What does it mean to Hibernate?

For the most part this weekend, I've chosen to go into hibernation mode. What does this mean?

Well for me, it means to slow down and stay in my apartment and stay in my p.j.'s for the most part. Just to take time for myself. To sleep in, and relax.

I might have a bath, do some sacred body movement, drink some tea. Just do things that nourish my soul. Today, I did go out for brunch with a Goddess Sister had wonderful conversation, went grocery shopping, and now am back home relaxing and enjoying my time of hibernation. Being with my Goddess Sisters nourishes my soul.

Many women are so busy that they forget to slow down and go into hibernation mode. Some women look after their family, and put others first instead of themselves. In extreme situations, some women may even burn out and become harmful to themselves. They may over eat, over shop, or self medicate with a number of different substances.

So when I have some down time, I take full advantage of it. I like the business of my life, I love being of service to others, inspiring others during my day. But to be fully at my best, I have to replenish myself. To do things that make my soul rest.

When was the last time you slowed down and really rest, replenish your soul? I encourage you to do this.

Here's a great video about the sacred feminine called I Goddess. I found it on you-tube. Enjoy!

Girl Friends

When is the last time you thanked your girl friends? How often do you take the time to really thank them? I do thank mine lots, but I decided to create a mini video/slide show of pictures of my girl friends and myself. I didn't have pictures of all of them and myself, so those of you who are not in this video, I still love you all very much, I just don't have pictures of you and I together! We should fix that problem!

But seriously....my women friends are all amazing. Some of them have seen me at my worst and been by my side through the tough times. And I really do thank them for it. As one of the quotes from the video says: It's the ones that you can call at 4am that count the most. And I've done that, I've called girl friends in the middle of the night sometimes to share great things, and other times it's been when I'm going through a rough spot and need support/assistance.

You can't go to your man with your problems, you go to your women friends. That is something I learned from one of my amazing teachers. Her man starts to try and help her, but then he will call up a few of her women friends and get them to come over and help her. Because he just doesn't know how to help her. And he wants her to be happy.

Thank you to all my women friends....I don't know what I wouldn't do with out you all! I love you!

Move that body!

So I've been back to dance class last night. We had the week off last week. Only one week off, and my body was hurting! It's a great reminder to keep moving my body! When I love my body, I feel so much better. Yes I was sore, today and last night, but I feel great.

It was so much fun to move my body with the other ladies in the Sizzle Girls. It was fun, the new Sizzle Girls were fun to be with and meet. There's lots of practice needing to be done, as we are performing on the 30th of May at the Lilac Festival here in Calgary.

I want to encourage you to move your body, be active and do something you love. If you love to dance, Dance! If you love to box, Box! What ever it is....do it!

Do something that you like, as women we are born to move, we are the light, the life force of the world.

For fun, see below a video I found on you-tube. I don't own it, or the music.

You are Free!! What Wants to Happen?

So this weekend I have been busy staffing a course called Living From Truth. The seminar topic this time was all about Freedom.

One of the questions we worked on was You are free, what wants to happen? This was a fun question to work on....think, you are free, what wants to happen?

I want lots to happen...I want to keep living life! I want to keep dancing! I want a log cabin to live in! I want a new car!

It's like having the universe at your finger tips, like a huge cateloge of the world, of things, excurisions, experiences, places, people, EVERYTHING!!!

I am a powerful creator! I create magic in everything that I do!

Find below another version of the Sizzle Girls Italiano Samba. Lots of fun was had that night! Watch for us coming again soon! We are performing at the Lilac Festvial twice on May 30.

You were born to shine

I am a fan of the tv show The Biggest Loser. On occasion they play a very amazing piece of music during the show.

This one that I just heard, is all about being born to shine. I listened to the words of this song, and it made me cry. The words are very powerful. I've been knocked down, a few times by many others. At different times growing up and into my adult life. But I haven't let it stop me. I've kept on going.

As women we are born to shine. We are life force it's self. As my teacher Satyen Raja said the feminine is the life force of the earth, we are the river, the ocean, the land, everything!

Yes we all go through ups and downs, but never forget that you were born to shine. You can do anything you put your mind too. For women to know and accept their own wisdom, beauty, and grace, is a huge thing. Think, if all women really accepted their own beauty? No matter whether or not we are wearing make-up or not. We would blow the roof off the buildings!

Here is the song from you-tube, I do not own the video or the music.

Italiano Samba

So without further adu, I would like to present one version of the Sizzle Girl's Samba routine that we performed on Friday May 7th.

As you can see from the ladies that I dance with, we are of all different ages, as well as sizes/shapes. Any woman who can move her feet can dance. Don't let anyone tell you differently, or your little "editor" or as my life coach calls it the "saboteur" inside your head.

Flurry of Feathers!

Wow!!!! What a night!!!! The Brazilian Burlesque Gala was a huge hit! Myself and the other women who were there dancing strutted our stuff, and feathers were sure flying!

Myself and the other Sizzle Girls did an amazing job. It was fun peforming for others, inspiring women that it doesn't matter what you look like or how young/old you are you can still get up and peform infront of others.

We also did boudoir photo's as a group and then individually. I can't wait to see how they turned out. Lots of us were taking pictures that night. It was fun to pose for the camera with the lights and the sets.

However in the mean time, I created a mini video picture slide show of the night, of pictures that myself and a couple other Sizzle Girls took. The music you hear is what we danced too on Friday night.

Watch out for more from the Calgary Sizzle Girls! We're peforming at the Lilac Festival and the Sun and Salsa Festival here in Calgary.

Even in the midst of craziness!

Okay so this week I have been on cloud nine every day. Yes work is crazy with all the kids, but I have so much joy in my life right now that's its bubbling over at times!

I'm again sitting in a cafe in the city, people around me seem for the most part peaceful. Perhaps it's because it's Friday, or perhaps because the sun is really trying to come out today....

I was sent this quote today from a dear friend:

No-Thought for the Day : "The dance need not wait for tomorrow--tomorrow never comes--the dance has to be now, here, this very moment!" OSHO

And it fits so perfectly with the plans of the day for me. Tonight is the Brazilian Burlesque Gala! The dance is today....dance through life! I had a coaching session the other day and my coach asked me "Tell me Who You Are?" I sat with that question for a moment or two, and the image that kept coming up again and again was the song Dancing Queen, by ABBA.

Tomorrow never comes....we need to be in the NOW, and do things every day that make us each dance. And it's the small steps/goals that we need to concentrate on. If we only dwell on the huge goals, they may seem very far away and unattainable!

But I had the realization while with my life coach that my small goals are really happening, that I am taking all the right small steps to really living my gift of love for the world. To be able to take part in this roller coaster ride called life and really ride the ride, is a thrilling experience. There are ups and downs twists and turns, calm straight spots, but then it could climb high again! And there is a definite start and a definite stop.

I am a powerful creator in this Universe. My message from the Universe today was:

"Have you noticed, Aime, how moving towards a great dream summons from life's jungles the fiercest lions, the scariest tigers, and the grizzliest bears... who eventually turn out to be the noblest teachers, the bravest guides, and the dearest friends?

You're on your way,
The Universe"

It Happened!!!!

I am sitting at home trying to keep grounded. I am on cloud nine!!! *happy dance* I'm living my purpose, my passion! I taught my first mini Burlesque lesson tonight for a group of ladies here in Calgary. I had so much fun! It was awesome to see them start to laugh and feel great about themselves. We went through body isolation's, zoning, and walking. Then we put a little routine together for the walking part. We also played with our boa's and had lots of giggling.

I loved inspiring the women, for me to be seen by these women demonstrating what zoning is was huge for me. The women all did amazing! They said they all felt better after doing the zoning. There may be some higher water bills in the near future in their house! They all seemed more relaxed.

I was almost moved to tears after I was finished, knowing that I did it, I had a group of women learning basic Burlesque from me. I had many of the women come up and say thank you to me, that they had fun. It was such a thrilling experience. I can't wait to do more!

After the "official" lesson was over, some of us stayed and danced, I showed the ladies some other moves with the boa's, they all loved it!

I was living my purpose, inspiring women to be fully who they are and accept their own wisdom, beauty, and grace! It's my passion. It was felt by the women there.

What is your passion? Why are you on this amazing planet called Earth? What steps are you doing to turn your ideas into actions??

sitting in a cafe

This morning I finally took a moment and came out of my apartment to write. I'm currently sitting this Sunday morning in a Second Cup in my home town. I just finished enjoying a breakfast sandwich on an English muffin and I'm still enjoying a wonderful large cup of a vanilla bean latte. It's a thrilling experience to be doing so.

At my last coaching session with my coach, part of her homework assignment was to take at least 2 hours a week and have some quiet time. So this week I've decided to have my quiet time out here in Second Cup. Am I in a quiet space? No, but is my mind able to be quiet and just write and just BE? YES! So let's see where this blog post takes me today!

The area of town that I am siting in, is a great spot to people watch. It's on the corner of a "trendy" area of the city. There are lots of people in this second up who to my eyes appear calm and centered, there are some however who appear to my eyes to be maybe a little lost. Or perhaps looking for something. It would be wonderful I think, if the entire world woke up to the beauty that they are, to the love that they are.

When one is rested in their heart, they seem grounded and at peace. Magic is able to happen. Be willing to keep open and love all around you. See the joy and bliss in everything. As the world keeps opening magic will appear. The world is shifting slowly, we in North America are grasping this concept. Other countries/continents have been doing this for centuries. Think of the people who live in Bali, from one of my favourite books "Eat Pray Love" the main character in the book goes to Bali for 3 months to learn how to Love. The guru she meets asks her a question at one point. "Can you smile, even in your kidney's?" Think about it....can you be so happy that you can smile inside your body? Not just in your heart, but all the other organs inside you?

What makes you truly happy? What makes you quiver with love and energy? I know I've said this many times on this blog, but it's always good to share what makes you happy often with others. And it's dance. When I'm dancing I'm happy. It could be when I'm dancing in my living room, at dance practice, when I'm performing in front of others, or even sitting here now in this Second Cup, I'm listening to music and I'm dancing in my head. My heart is smiling, but my other organs are signing as well.

Find below a video I found on you-tube. I do not own any of the content on the video, or the music. It's called Heaven's Rejoice. The music has not many words, the few words that are heard is "I love you". Take 5min and enjoy this video. And let the pictures make you smile, even possibly in your kidney's!

P+F (P) = L

Today I was at a work conference. One of the workshops I took was all about play and learning. The facilitator talked about an equation. And it made sense to me, Play + Fun (which is Pleasure) = Learning!

It's okay to have fun when you are learning. It works with kids, so why can't it work with adults? Well it can!!!

I found something that brings me great pleasure, it's dance. And since it's like playing when I'm dancing, I'm having fun, and therefore I'm learning. I'm learning more difficult choreography and able to do it. Yes I have to practice, but it's fun practicing.

I also love inspiring other women to be fully who they are and accept their own wisdom, beauty, and grace. To do this through dance, Burlesque in particular. "Awakening Goddess" will be out in the community inspiring other women. And it won't feel like work to me because it's something I love doing, and it's fun! Think about it.....what do you like to do? What brings you pleasure? What if you could do that and create a living out of it?

And you can too! What do you like to do? What brings you pleasure? How can you work that into a way to learn things?

I've worked with children, and have been able to connect with them to learn math by finding out what they are passionate about. It was hockey. So we worked up an idea to learn the lesson for that day and use hockey to do it.

Find below a video I found on you-tube all about dance. Some of the quotes are amazing! They give me the chills! I do not own this video or the music.