Progress report...

One of my other blogs was about "my personal journey back to vibrant health".    I like feeling healthy and strong and in balance - mentally, physically and spiritually.  As a kid, I was always pretty active.  Not in a sporty way, but in a "let's get out of the house so that Mum doesn't make us do chores" sort of way!  My brother and I, and sometimes my sister, would go for long bush walks or bike rides or go to the golf course close to us to look for stray golf balls.  In the warmer weather, we would spend hours playing in our pool.

As I got older, my pendulum swung between party girl and health nut.  At times, the two tried to co-exist, but that didn't work.  Eventually though, the health girl won out!  Twenty years ago, I was even working in the health industry as a personal trainer and aerobics instructor, while also working as a Reiki practitioner.

Since having children, it has been my priority to stay at home with them and this is the best 'job' I've ever had!  I love our unschooling life!  Having young children, it's impossible to Not be active!  When my youngest one weaned about 5.5 years ago, my body started to change and I've had an ongoing quest to try and balance it and regain my vibrant health.  Peri-menopause was also thrown into the mix so it's been an interesting time!

I've tried tweaking my vegan diet and all kinds of different exercise plans, but my body has not been responding the way that it used to.  I stopped trying to get to a specific number on the scale, and just put dedicated effort into getting fit.  Four months ago, we joined the local pool / gym.  I started going, but it took my body a little while to get used to lifting weights again.  I'd get headaches and muscle aches and not go back for a few days.  I didn't realise just how out of shape I'd gotten!  I almost felt embarrassed that I used to work in the fitness field and had allowed myself to get like that.  But I decided to be gentle with me.

Slowly, slowly, my body started adapting, and getting stronger.  I now spend more time running than just walking on the treadmill.  I am adding in some of my old tricks in the weight room.  I used to do up my belt on the third hole, now it's on the fifth one!  My clothes are feeling a bit looser, my energy is picking up, my moods are more even.  I can do a handstand and hold it for 60 seconds!  Okay, so my feet are against the wall, but my arms are strong and holding me up!  I decided to weigh myself today...In the past four months, I've lost four kilos, dropped body fat, increased muscle and I am well on the way to shining with vitality!  I love this feeling!  It's not about how I look, it's about how I feel!  Once I remembered that, the way I look started to change anyway!  Onward onward!

Move aside .. Free Spirit Life...

I like blogging.  I don't do it often, but I enjoy it.  I like it so much that I created a bunch of different blogs for my different interests...including Spirituality, Reiki, the search for Peace, and Health.  I like setting up a new blog, the designing and the whole excitement that comes with a new project.  But that wears off.  Then I find myself with a list of blogs and starting to feel that I "should" do something with all of them.

As this blog is my main one, I'm just going to lump it all in here.  Simplifying my creative mess into one random, 'free-spirited', jumble of ramblings.  I might transport some of the posts from other blogs into this one, so I can close them down.  I'm also changing the name of this blog from 'Free Spirit Life' that it has been for the past 10 years, to simply Annette Love.

The term "free spirit" can mean different things to different people, some people associate it with the hippie, free-love, bohemians / artists.  But there's a whole other side...

* It's the quiet ones (or the loud ones or any in-between) that are true to themselves, however that presents in the moment.  Even if it's totally different from one day to the next.  It's not being afraid to live that truth whether it's the way you dress, or what you listen to, or the people you hang with.   It's being comfortable with going with "your" flow.

* It's about not getting attached to any one particular way of thinking or doing or being.

* It's about experimenting and following inspiration and taking chances.

* It's about letting go of the things that hold you back from pursuing passions.  Not just physical letting go, but also that of the mind - conditionings and patterns that block you and keep you thinking small.

* It's about respecting other people's rights to live how they want, without imposing your own beliefs on them.

* It's about living in the moment, making the most of Now... really feeling it and being present.  Connecting to life more deeply and feeling the Joy of authentic alignment.

Those interpretations of a 'Free Spirit' will always ring true for me, but I'm also much, much more!  Letting go of that name is liberating, and it gives me a focus on one place, instead of scattering bits of me all over the place.   So I'll be putting more of 'me' in here.  My life, family, love, health, food, ...my journey.

I like this outlet.  Writing helps me process and clarify stuff that's going on for me.  Maybe I've said the same thing over and over in here, but maybe I needed to.  I like to think that overall, I'm evolving.   I do feel a deeper strength emerging within me.  I like it!