My mummy is a mermaid

I've been on the North Shore of Oahu, Hawaii for a week now and am loving every minute of it!! This is definitely a place I could live permanently. I came across the cutest yoga studio in Haleiwa called Noelani Studios that is brimming with all sorts of gorgeousness! I am feeling incredibly inspired to bring a few ideas back to my own lovely little health food shop in Coffs!

Noelani Studios opened mid last year and offers a variety of yoga classes (Kundalini, Power, Hatha, Vinyasa, candle lit flow, etc) to everyone (prenatal, beginners, seniors, surfers, etc) as well as belly dancing, capoeira and pilates. 

On Thursday night my husband and I went to a Yoga For Surfers class taught by the wonderful Sheila and man were we sweating up a storm!!

I'm loving Noelani Studios blog on their website http://www.noelanistudios.com/ and they also have a beautiful Instagram account: noelanistudio  filled with yoga inspiration and the latest creations in their gift shop.

Here are a handful of pics I took while grabbing a few special items 

to take home with me to Australia xx

  

Change room selfie!!

Emma the Naturopath xx

Essential Health 

0266 514 533

Shop 24 Boulevard Arcade (opp. Blush), Coffs Mall

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You're Prettiest When You Smile

"Failure is not having the courage to try, nothing more and nothing less. The only thing standing between most people and their dreams is the fear of failure. Yet failure is essential to success in any endeavor. Failure tests us and allows us to grow. It offers us lessons and guides us along the path to enlightenment. The teachers of the East say that every arrow that hits the bull's eye is the result of one hundred misses. Never fear failure."

"Embrace failure?" I asked in disbelief.

"The universe favours the brave. When you resolve, once and for all, to lift your life to its highest level, the strength of your soul will guide you. Yogi Ramen believed that everyone's destiny was laid out for them at birth. It was up to each individual to develop the courage to walk this way."

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari -Robin Sharma 

I read this aloud to my husband in bed last night. Then I gave my thoughts on the passage.

"Yeah, that's solid" he replied, then was quiet for a moment. I figured he was deep in thought, pondering the meaning of life...

All of a sudden I heard snoring...

I hope your response was a little more provoking.

Top 5 Things I LOVED This Wk:

1. The relief when you realise that you’re not a terrible mother because the plant you thought you murdered was just in seasonal hibernation.
2. Studying the massive world map we have stuck to our bathroom wall when I brush my teeth each day. I found a place called Lake Disappointment in Western Australia this week. Gee, can’t wait to go there... If you’re reading this WA Tourism, you might want to reconsider the name.
3. The Halloween conversation I had with my husband...
Him: Should I go and get some lollies?
Me: No! It’ll give them diabetes!
Him: Well do we have some carrots in the fridge?
Me: Yes but they’re too expensive to give away. They’re organic! (Followed by a lecture about not living in America).
4. San Pellegrino sparkling water with coconut kefir, mint leaves, raspberries and lime -in a glass jar, because I’m so trendy.
5. The quizzical look I received from the lady checking bags at the door at Big W. Hello specimen jars filled with my clients’ urine that I was taking home for testing. Awkward...

Emma the Naturopath xx

PS. “When you follow your bliss the universe will open doors where there were only walls” Joseph Campbell.

Take a step forward in the direction of your dreams this week and watch what happens.

Sup neighbor!

I love our little arcade! You can find a florist/cafe, hair dresser, beauty studio, bamboo clothing store, handmade children's clothing and the list goes on! 

Now we can add to the mix.... A YOGA STUDIO!!!

Mega babe Jasmine List who is known for teaching calming and heart-centered vinyasa flow classes is opening a studio 2 doors down from us!!

To keep up to date with the opening date and timetable head on over to One Conscious Breath Yoga.

Namaste.

Top Five Things I LOVED This Wk:

1. How much better gardenias smell when you’ve grown them yourself. I’ve decided that early Spring is my favourite season.
2. A rainy afternoon involving a Kora Organics facial, burning a lemongrass candle and drinking Red Sparrow peach tea in bed.
3. Scatterings of bright red and pale purple flowers on the ground from nearby jacaranda and Illawarra Flame trees as I walked to my car after clinic.
4. Post-workout brekkie: leftover veggie and brown rice soup with a handful of rocket, a soft boiled egg and, dollop of Greek yoghurt, some pink salt and a squeeze of lemon.
5. Playing Scrabble ‘our’ way: double point score for a dirty word.

Emma the Naturopath xx

PS. When I was little, dad would play Bob Marley, Lionel Ritchie, Simon and Garfunkle and Don McLean when he was driving. (Back when musicians were story tellers)... He would whistle and sing loudly as I sat in the back seat and read the lyrics on the inside of the album cover. 

'Is This Love' became mine and Brett's wedding song and after the week that’s passed, I’m going to leave my trust in Bob Marley’s words of wisdom again:

"Don't worry about a thing, 
Cause every little thing is gonna be all right. 
Singin': "Don't worry about a thing, 
Cause every little thing gonna be all right." 

Remain calm because the blessing will appear.

I’m seeing a lot of people staggering through the shop door lately looking utterly exhausted. Y’know that surviving, not thriving feeling? We need to make it a priority to nourish ourselves! I want to share some practical tips that you can start doing TODAY!

1. Learn to say “no”. I read this great quote the other week that said “Don’t say yes to others if it means saying no to yourself”. When you’re feeling stressed the last thing you need to do is take on more things. Try saying “I’d love to but I’ve already got a lot on my plate at the moment”.

2. Never underestimate the value of taking ten deep slow breaths. Create snippets of peacefulness to do this: as soon as you wake up, when you’re in the shower, in the car on the way to work, before you start to eat your lunch, etc.

3. Eat calming foods! A bowl of porridge (cooked on the stove) for brekkie, snack on a banana, a handful of cashews and almonds, turkey with veggies and brown rice for dinner and a cup of chamomile tea before bed.

A healthy bowel means clear skin, a happy digestive system and an abundance of energy! So let’s chat about constipation!

You are bound to get constipation (pun intended!) if you: are a stress head, eat too many refined foods like white bread (or white death as my husband calls it), don’t drink enough water, have poor bowel tone, take certain medications or are a bit of a couch potato.

So nip the problem in the butt (ha!) by: drinking plenty of filtered water, learning how to manage stress in a healthy way, exercise/stretch daily, maybe talk to a colonic hydrotherapist, get reflexology, or chat to your naturopath about probiotics, magnesium or digestive enzymes.

Food as medicine ways to get you regular:

*Be conscious of eating lots of fresh raw foods every day

*Sip on apple cider vinegar or lemon juice in water 15 minutes before a meal

*Stew apples, pears and rhubarb with cinnamon and add to porridge or yoghurt

*Snack on organic prunes

*Swap white rice for brown or quinoa

*Add chia seeds or fresh LSA to smoothies, porridge, bliss balls, salads

*Juice up some beetroot, carrot, apple, celery, lemon and ginger

*Enjoy a cup of dandelion or licorice tea

Emma the Naturopath xx

Essential Health

0266 514 533

Boulevard Arcade (opp. Blush), Coffs Mall

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Smoothie O'Clock!

It was *SMOOTHIE TIME* at the Caller household this morning! We make our own separate ones because he likes his thick and sweeter and I like mine milky and fruity.

His: pea protein, cacao, coconut oil, chia seeds, rolled oats, organic acai powder, almond milk, banana and blackberries.

Mine: pea protein, mango, blackberries, LSA, coconut oil, super greens powder (wheatgrass, barley grass, spirulina and chlorella).

It’s so fun to get your creative juices flowing in the kitchen and really get involved in preparing nourishing LIVE food for yourself instead of just pouring some processed cereal into a bowl. I always tell my clients that LIFE GIVES LIFE –which means you take on the vitality of your food so be mindful of how fresh your food is. Needless to say we are now bubbling with energy to bounce through the rest of the weekend!

Did you guys get your smoothie on this morning? What taste sensations did you come up with?

Top 5 Things I LOVED This Wk:

1. Learning that the size and extravagance of a bunch of flowers is in exact proportion to the amount of brownie points the can be earnt from me. I’m a sucker for Precious Petals bouquets.

2. Another yoga retreat booked in for next month!

3. Wandering into a new café and having the BEST salad: chicken, walnut, green apple, parmesan, celery and rocket with a honey mustard dressing. All while the new Fat Freddy’s Drop cd was cranking.

4. Riding my bike past a sea of happy yellow daffodils in someone’s front yard. It’s a sure-fire way to tell that August is here.

5. Picking up my guitar again after many years and strumming little songs to myself.

Emma the Naturopath xx

PS. “And then there’s the most dangerous risk of all… The risk of spending your life not doing what you want on the bet you can buy yourself freedom to do it later” –Randy Komisar.

Make your dreams a priority because there is no dress rehearsal for this precious life of ours.

"Wow it smells so good in here" is what we hear multiple times every day as people walk into the shop.

We'd like to say that it was us, but its actually our delicious Drishti Candles from Bellingen.

I've got the Fire Dancer burning at work (cinnamon and sweet orange) and I light the Uplifter (lime and lemongrass) every morning at home to begin each day with a fresh start.

Drishti Candles have no synthetic perfumes, artificial dyes just pure essential oils that offer a therapeutic effect like lifting your mood or promoting a restful sleep.

Next time you go to buy a cheap brightly coloured tropical scented candle, just be mindful about what you and your family are inhaling.

Every once in a while I’ll meet someone with no sense of smell. Can you imagine that? The things simplest things we take for granted! My yoga teacher once told me that when you need grounding, just tune into your sense of smell and this will stimulate your base chakra.

I came across so many beautiful scents today.

-earthy spicy-ness from a pot of dandelion chai
-salty breeze on the top of Muttonbird Island
-delicious oils infused with Ayurvedic herbs during my Indian head massage (thanks Trista at Ayurvedic Skin Care & Reflexology Fusion.)
-fresh laundry that’s been flapping in the sunshine
-bubbling yellow curry on the stove
-banana oat choc chip cookies baking in the oven
-my husband

Inhale, exhaaaaaale.

Soooo excited to get to work today and unpack the new *KORA ORGANICS* delivery!!!

Every time I order with Kora Organics I keep adding new products and increasing quantities because it's just selling like gluten-free hot cakes!

We're open every Sat from 9am til 1:30pm so pop in and have a play with the testers with me!

Kora is:
*vegan
*cruelty free
*certified organic
*uses essential oils instead of fragrances
*packed with antioxidants like noni juice
*full of essential fatty acids like sea buckthorn and jojoba
*Australian made and owned
*THE BEST SKINCARE RANGE I'VE EVER USED!!

Sunny weather = happy people!

Keep those vibes high everyone!

Top 5 Things I LOVED This Wk:

1. Downloading a ‘Daily Affirmation’ app on my phone. Once I read that day’s affirmation, I set it to the background of my phone so I see it every time the screen lights up. Today’s was “I am surrounded with loving, caring people in my life”.

2. Funny faces, big yawns and a little sigh from 8 day old Ayana while she laid my arms. My husband nearly cried when his best mate asked him to be her godfather. Bless xx

3. A box of band aids with sharks all over them that I wrap my client’s fingers up with after I’ve taken their blood.

4. A satisfied craving for baked beans… with a little pink salt.

5. Making almond milk for the first time! Then making bliss balls out of the leftover ‘nut meat’. Recipes coming at you this wk!

 

Emma the Naturopath xx

PS. Marianne Williamson once wrote:

“Do what you love.
Do what makes your heart sing.
And NEVER do it for the money,
Go to work to spread joy”.

This is my favourite quote in the whole world. It makes me feel emotional every time I read it. What did you want to be when you grew up? Where do your thoughts wander when you daydream? What subject gets you all excited and makes your eyes light up? THIS is your passion! Do everything in your power to pursue this!

There is no denying that Spring is just 2 wks away!! 

The gorgeous Jasmine List at One Conscious Breath Yoga (previously Yoga Sense on Moonee St, Coffs) is running a Spring Intensive. There are only a few spots left so give her a call asap if you are looking to increase your vitality and shred you Winter coat!

Emma the Naturopath xx

PS. Pop over to Facebook and like "Essential Health Coffs"!

Balinese dreams

Can you identify all the ingredients in your moisturiser? 

I'm a huge fan of using 100% cold pressed oils on my body in winter with a couple of drops of essential oils popped in. The fewer ingredients in your beauty products and food the better!

My fave is almond oil, but coconut, apricot kernel, macadamia, black sesame and avocado are all great! It’s really economical too! About $7.95 for a 250ml bottle of almond oil and a ten cent piece amount will do both arms and legs and a bit in between.  

If you're in the shop we can give you our Dry Skin handout that has a bunch of different diet and lifestyle tips to make your winter skin silky smooth.

Top 5 Things I LOVED This Wk:

1. Buying a world map and sticking it up on my bathroom wall so I can lie in the bath and dream up big adventures.

2. After rushing about and using my analytical mind all day planning, expecting and preparing, I finally sat down at my herbalist appointment and saw a little quote that said “The most beautiful experience we can have is the mysterious” by Albert Einstein.

3. When you’re driving home after a massive day at work and the last thing you want to do is buy groceries and cook dinner. Then your husband calls and says dinner’s on the table.

4. Finally joining a private health fund. I know this doesn’t sound like a big deal but we’ve been “discussing” it for over 12 months now.

5. The fact that today I’m wearing jeans, ugg boots, a long sleeved top and a hoodie and tomorrow I’ll be in tropical Bali at a yoga retreat in the mountains!!! Ticking off another of my New Year’s Resolutions.

Emma the Naturopath xx

PS. This post mark’s our 49^th Top 5. When I return in 10 days I’m going to be bringing you an extra special 50^th Top 5 post –Balinese style. Now please excuse me while I bask in 30 degree heat, eat organic fruit, meditate then fall asleep in a hammock ;)

Smile brightly this week. It makes you look even more beautiful!!

Top 5 Things I LOVED This Wk:

So I’ve been off in the hills of Northern Bali in a tiny village called Tejakula doing a Hatha retreat my yoga teacher from Bello organised. I thought I was just going for a bit of yoga and R ‘n’ R. Turns out; it was hugely transformative for me. My heart now feels like it glows again and I’m inspired right to the very seed of my soul xx

Being my 50^th Top 5, I’m bringing you a very special....

Top 10 Things I LOVED –Balinese style!

1. The empowerment of travelling solo.

2. Bathing under my outdoor shower while thunder and lightning lit up the sky.

3. Pastel pink lotuses the size of iceberg lettuces.

4. The coolness of the polished cement floor while practising yoga in the steamy 30 degree heat (pictured).

5. Not knowing what day it was for ten days, but more importantly, not caring.

6. Mango, papaya, coconut milk, lime, clove, ginger, cinnamon and cardamom smoothies. Like a mango lassi and a chai made love.

7. Being doused in holy water by a Balinese priest at the beach. Apparently I needed a good cleansing.

8. Chatting over the dinner table with fellow yogis about what we did that day. Answers were along the lines of “Well I read a book for 4 hours, then I had lunch, then I read for another 3 hours”. Or “I went to the day spa for 3 and a half hours, then I had a two hour nap”.

9. Whizzing up the mountain on the back of a motor bike with a cute Balinese boy. Dodging cars, roosters and stray dogs, often on the wrong side of the road around narrow bends. Don’t worry Mum, I had travel insurance.

10. Asking a pair of Balinese guys which way to Bingin Beach. One points left, the other points right. Bali in a nut shell!

Namaste.

Emma the Naturopath xx

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Butter me up buttercup

*RECHARGE*

As a naturopath it's one of my top priorities to invest time in giving back to myself so that I can continue to give good quality energy to my clients and customers. I'm very mindful of maintaining this balance to prevent burning out.

There are lots of things that help me to convalesce:

-fairy light baths

-sunshine on my skin

-being submerged in salt water

-cooking

-cuddles

-beach walking

-reflexology with Trista

-pottering around in my garden

-chit chatting with friends

-meditating

But above all else, nothing brings me home to myself more than yoga. 

I went to Jasmine List's lunch time yoga class today. It's a beautiful heart centered vinyasa flow class that's gentle and nourishing. I encourage anyone who needs to take some time out to focus on their breath and melt tension in their body to come along and recharge your batteries. Check out her Facebook page One Conscious Breath Yoga. 

When was the last time you invested some energy in *YOURSELF*?

*SUGAR FREE ANZACS*

I’m off to B Bay this wkend for my husband’s graduation ceremony for his Masters in Clinical Exercise Physiology. Not just a pretty face that husband of mine!

 So I whipped up a batch of Anzac bickies based on Sarah Wilson’s ‘I Quit Sugar’ recipe.

WHAT YOU NEED:

3/4 cup wholemeal spelt flour

1/3 cup Xylitol

3/4 cup shredded coconut

3/4 cup rolled oats

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp ground cinnamon

100g salted butter

2 Tbsp rice malt syrup (I bought an organic one from the health food section of the supermarket

1/2 tsp bicarb soda dissolved in 1 tbls boiling water

WHAT TO DO:

Preheat oven to 180C. Mix the flour, xylitol, coconut, vanilla, cinnamon and oats in a bowl. Melt the butter and rice malt syrup together in a small saucepan on the stove. When it starts to bubble gently, stir through the bicarb soda. Add the lot to the bowl and stir to combine. Roll heaped teaspoons of the mixture into balls and flatten on a tray lined with baking paper or greased with coconut oil. Bake for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

For gluten-free version: replace the flour with a combo of quinoa and rice flour and replace the oats with 1/2 cup almond meal.

Too easy. Now I need to make sure we don’t eat them all by the time we get to Grafton.

Top 5 Things I LOVED This Wk:

1. A convoy of vintage Kombi’s as we were driving through Bangalow. Honestly there were over 20 vans!

2. Trying not to cry when they called my husband’s name at his graduation from his Master’s degree.

3. Raw vegan choc mint cheesecake and super food smoothies from Naked Treaties. I ordered the’ I Follow My Bliss’ smoothie (and it was delicious!).

4. Eating organic dried figs while sitting at the Pass knitting my red scarf. Hands down my favourite place to watch the sunset.

5. Salted caramel peanut gelato from Bella Rosa.

PS. Spoil YOURSELF this wk!  Take yourself out to breakfast with a new magazine then order an extra pot of tea, buy a gorgeous bouquet of flowers and put them in a vase on your bedside, get your eyelashes tinted, eat good quality dark chocolate in the bath, get your hair done (not because it needs a cut, just because it’s nice to be pampered). Guilt is an unnecessary feeling! Savour it! Be indulgent!  

*THE ESSENTIALS*

A grandma bought herself a bottle of Butter London in Jaffa today (hot neon orange). Made my day. 

Guess how many Butter London nail polish shades we have in store at the moment. THIRTY!!! I kid you not! We also stock their acetone-free removers, base coats, top coats, nail fertilisers and cuticle oils.

There’s a little something for everyone. We’ve got some demure, more classy shades like Tea With The Queen and Kerfuffle. But if you’re after a bit more wildness in your life try Disco Biscuit, Cake Hole or Tart With A Heart.

Butter London is the only nail polish brand that I will happily stock in my shop.  Guaranteed the best price in town. $16.95 instead of $24.95. Boom.

The perfect Mothers Day treat!!

*FLASH BACK*

I was reminded today of this post I did last November... Exactly 6 months ago today actually!

I was just out playing in my vegie patch. Watering my baby zucchinis, admiring my abundance of mint and picking chamomile flowers to dry and make into tea. 

As I was pruning back my lavender bush to its bare bones, I thought to myself how amazing it is that you can cut off parts of a plant that are no longer flourishing, knowing too well that it will grow back stronger and healthier than before.

I always tell my clients that our bodies are like plants. If you break your bone, it will grow back stronger. If you have a broken heart or spirit, you will learn the lesson and move forward in life to become a better version of yourself.

So treat yourself like a plant today. Give yourself fresh water, liquid nourishment (fresh juices and smoothies), plenty of sunshine (vitamin D) and shelter (a loving home). And rest assured that if there is a particular part of your personality that no longer serves you in a positive way, it's never too late to change.

Have a gorgeous day!

Emma the Naturopath xx

PS. Come say hi over at our Facebook page: Essential Health Coffs!