the Energy Booster needs to charge the batteries

Sorry, haven't been on the blog for awhile...just recovering from swineflu which completely knocked me out. In a state of recovery now and will come back soon! Now smoothies, mandarines, red tea, good books and some fresh air...and I will soon be back on track :-)
All the BEST to you !
LOVE
Yvette

Purple cows and Rockstars

What do purple cows and rockstars have in common???

Have a remarkable weekend
Yvette

Share and dare...all about your dreams

Today I am curious to hear about your dreams. What are your dreams??? Would love to have a forum where we can inspire and encourage each other to reach our dreams. It starts with DARING to dream! What would you do/be if anything was possible? Articulate your dream, make a plan and act on it!!! Would love to have LOTS of stories here and lots of cheer-leeders on the side!!!! You know I am always there on YOUR side!

From Dream Factory
Yvette

Yoga and Body Balance & the right amount of effort

Yoga and Body Balance reminds me of giving exactly the right amount of effort in a situation..not too much, not too little but just enough. For example, if doing a balance position in Body Balance: if you give too much you will fall, if you give too little you will fall...just need exactly the right amount. I try to take this to other areas in my life too: when and where do I give too much...when and where can i contribute and serve more ?

Life is much about balance, life will send us challanges and we will also flow, we just have to stay and experience it all...life...

Have a fab weekend
Yvette

Theory of Magnets part 2

Bore Beach , Saturday

...AND...sometimes life just throws us challanges that seems "unfair" ...the questions to ask yourself could be: What is it that this situation has to teach me? How can I have my eyes to the horizon and keep going even if my world is unstable right now? What "truths" do I want to listen to?

My motto in life has been (as long as I can remember) to think positively, in the long run it pays off!!! - and believe me, I have had days when that motto was challanged and people has challanged me ON the motto as well "how can you be so positive..."? When I am fully awake and at choice, I choose to stay positive... :-)

Lots of positive vibes to ya!

Yvette

Theory of Magnets...

Have you heard about the theory of magnets? You will attract the things you send out to the world... If you send out negativity and nothing is possible...you will attract that back to yourself.... If you send out positivity and everything is possible...you will attract that into your life as simple as that :-)

What are you sending out right now? What would you like to send out ? What would you like to recieve from the world? BE what you like to recieve...

Today I send out love and compassion,
Yvette

Guest Blogger : Amazing Anneli Kentsdotter-Nilsson

GUEST WRITER, Anneli Kentsdotter- Nilsson.

Anneli and I are developing a fun, zesty & instantly practical program : The Energy Booster. She is my amazing friend and colleague from the days when I worked at Träna in Umeå. http://www.traena.com/. Träna is run by Katarina Skanderby who is and always has been, an amazing mentor to bring out potential in people.

Anneli has written a mindful blog about PRESENCE – "one of the nicest words there is", as she puts it.

Presence can sometimes be hard to describe, what is it in a conversation, or a fitness-class or in a seminar/speech that makes it so good? The person in front of us just did and said exactly what many people before had said and done. And still , this one was magical.

The answer to that is presence. Be there in the moment, the only thing that exists. This person has just made me feel that she/he is talking right to ME. The eye meets the eye a bit longer, the smile meets mine in combination with some kind of information and maybe she/he even mentioned my name.

The art of using eye-contact , body language and voice is something I am working constantly on in my work as a fitness instructor. I want the people who come to my classes to feel special and seen and chosen. When I take it into my private-life I would say it is related with flirting and I do it daily with everyone. It is like a sense of attraction to another person, to be with this person and to show this person my attention. When I make someone happy by be with them in a way like this, it makes me happy too!
It is like a vitamin-injection and a drive that helps me keep being motivated.
The difference between flirting and being present is that flirting is fun for the moment whereas being present is showing my interest in listening with all my senses, that is genuine and authentic, real – and lasts. It is like creating magic from and with other.

Try it , when you are among people you don’t know, get eye-contact, smile, and it is most probable that the other person smiles back to ya!

Loved sharing my thoughts here with something that makes my heart beats a bit faster with enthusiasm

Anneli

Taking yourself too seriously???

I really had the urge to write something about having fun and not taking ourselves too seriously...I have a feeling that there is a point when many ADULTS (who.?..yes...there we are )start to take ourselves too seriously, we want to be trust-worthy, we get lots of responsibility and we have TASKS to do , both at work as well as at home...And we start to complain both here and there as to mark ourselves of what is right and wrong (blog about judgement coming soon).



Sometimes I wonder if it is because we got ourselves too far away from what used to be our passions and dreams..? What do you think about this subject? Read this as an observation. I don't say that the whole world is like this ...but it DOES EXISTS...When I am working in the field of sports and fitness I believe I hang around lots of passionate people who really DO live dreams, who challange themselves often and who doesn't take themselves too seriously...And when being around those people it really opens up the space :-)



Another reason, I believe, is that we want to be prooooofessional...My question is : can we be professional AND have fun, can we be professional AND not take oureselves too seriously, can we be professional AND be trustworthy, respectful and knowledgable...? The answer is of course YES! I belive those people who balance profesional and fun are the ones who get most out of life!!! Talk about boosting energy if you can work professionally and have fun at the same time!!! Sometimes we get stuck into deadline-stress-meet the goals- and forget about having fun on the way...what about having some fun WHILE working really hard :-)

Oh wow...i feel like a cheerleader today ...I want to cheer you all in having fun , especially at work...Remember , a 4-year old laughs approximately 400 times per day (!!!)...where did that laughter go ...?

A smile opens up all sorts of conversations...exciting...

What s it like at your work? ...in your life?

What I learnt on the journey is : be the change you want to see...

;-)


Love
Yvette

Obama gets Nobels Peace Prize - YEAH YEAH YEAH!!!

Wow, I am so happy...Obama got the Nobel's Peace Prize ! What a man. He brings courage, faith, hope, for change, for new times. He shows us all that anything is possible !!! How he step into leadership in this world is amazing and I hope we all can be inspired by him. So much has been said about him, so I spare the all the obvious words...
What I am thinking of just now is that : how can we ALL, each and every one of us , step into our own leadership, self-leadership, to serve this planet well? Wow...that was big....Moreover...how can we all create strong relationships and unity instead of fights & fears...? How can we connect with each other ? Say hello to the neighbour, tell the ones we love and care that we love and care TODAY, give people a smile in the street -just because...no reason why....
I believe our world today is craving for CONNECTION, a little bit less stress and a little bit more mindfullness...We need to be able to take us to a mindfull place in order to create connection and in order to step into great leadership... I believe...what do you believe ??? Give me your opinions ...about Obama, about leadership about connection....Love to hear from ya!!!

Have a sparkling weekend, hope for lots of connections to all of you
Love
Y

Be kind to yourself

Picture : Daniela at www.babitonga.co.uk

Have you heard about Gremlin? Gremlin is the little voice in the head saying "you must, you should, you are too old, you are too young, you ought to do the dishes before you can enjoy yourself..." etc, etc. and etc . I think we all have this little voice AND, fortunately there are ways to turn the volume down. We can use some really cool and powerful tools that makes the volume less high and we can also, when needed, just through this little Gremlin out.

Most important to start with : be aware when its there.

Then decide what you want to do with it.

Conversation with Gremlin can go something like this:

" Wow, I would love to be able to do more sports during the week"
Gremlin: "but you have no time"
"I can create time, by being more efficient
Gremlin "but its no use, you are really too old"
"yes, maybe you are right, maybe I don't have time and I am probably too old too..."

BE AWARE!!! Here its time to take a step back and observe who is the one taking charge: your Gremlin who wants to put you in a safe, "comfy" corner or your wishes of starting sports ???

Here : the only choice is to say to yourself: I don't have time for Gremlin party, I 'm off running ...and throw the Gremlin far away. Sounds very easy in writing - but can give us challanges in real life...Training our mind is just like training a muscle in the body...you get good at what you practise...if you train and feed your Gremlin you will get good at throwing Gremlin parties and will probably be stuck in the sofa, and if you train to throw it away or turn the volume down...you will find it easier to listen to your heart and your core !!! How cool is that!!!!

This is just a tiny tiny example how to work with Gremlin.

What I would like to ask you is: what would be POSSIBLE if you could let go of Gremlin and follow the voice of your heart and your core ? Your dreams, passions, goals...??? Can you feel the open space ???? Go there and explore....and be kind to yourself...

I am leaving you in this big, open space to create some time for dream catching and kindness :-)

Love
Yvette

Saturday Energy Booster

I love autumn....acctually I love all seasons...here, where I am in Norway, autumn is REALLY here and last Saturday we went walking up to Dalesnuten with our children. Felt such fullfillment. Wonderful to be out in nature with my family. So walking and hiking are TRUE energy boosters for me in a nice, calm and yet, sometimes very exciting way. What are you up to in autumn? What do you do to keep the flow and energy going when days are getting darker?

As I see it an energy booster can both be super active such a Body Combat class (http://www.lesmills.com/) or super tranquil as a yoga class...or if you wish black-slope skiing / aromaterapy... I need both to have my energy flowing...For those of you who live in Bergen: I used to go to Den Ene (http://www.den-ene.no/ )to have Mauri massage with a fantastic woman called Trude. The Mauri massage is from...(no surprise here ) New Zeeland and is VERY thourough for one hour , then very sublte and gentle in a healing way for half an hour...Both strong and soft. Like the contrasts very much.

Lots of colourful autumn wishes to you and I will be more present now at my blog since we kind of landed in our new life now :-)

Yvette

What is so cool about Norway?

What is so cool about Norway...What makes it so energizing to live here? This is what makes it for me. First of all : fresh air to breathe...Secondly : the mountains, the sea shore, the fjords.
The nature here is amazing: adventurous and healing. Did you ever notice how half an hour out in nature "solves everything" ?

What I also like, is the finishing of work at 4pm. Acctually I do see traffic jam sometimes already at 3.30...True , people do get up quite early, but hey, if you have some extra hours in the afternoon....great!!!! Here you can even see the boss going at 4 to pick up his/her child at nursery. I already experience some better quality of life even after only 2 months since our reptariation from London. Being able to eat dinner together as a family is one. Not having to postpone things to the weekend but have some spare hours in the afternoon is already great.
And this is from a lady who LOVES London...but for other reasons.

Before leaving I had a feeling that going back to Scandinavia with my little family was the right thing to do...after many-oh-many discussions on what to do....And coming over and still feeling that this was really the right thing feels even better. We based the decision on our values. The values of nature, freedom and good health. It was not based on the value of adventure...but hey, adventure just jumped in...as it does in life....

What are the reasons you live where you live??? Curious tho hear your stories.

Love & sunshine from inside (outside is pouring rain...)
Yvette

Aktiv Treningssenter has Les Mills classes !!!

http://www.lesmills.com/

At Aktiv you will find a very friendly athmosphere check it out: http://www.aktivtreningssenter.no/. Since I am a big fan of Les Mills group fitness classes this club on Tjensvoll has got it all!

Les Mills classes are so varied , so efficient and so much FUN!!! There is something for EVERYONE : take a look : http://www.lesmills.com/


Have an energizing day!
Yvette

Energy Booster or what...?

Went surfing two weekends on Bore Beach /Bore Strand...and surfing has it all for me...challanges, nature, sea, adrenaline, calm & peace, thrill, joy, trying, falling, trying again, falling again, recover and come back, succeeding, happiness, falling again and into the washing machine, standing up, new strategy, recover , come back, succeeding and succeeding and succeeding ....and soooo wonerfully tired in the end of the day...and pick nick on the beach taste so good...and still feeling some sand in my hair when going to bed...hey...what an amazing day!!!

Surfing is like a microscopic version of life itself!!!

Can't wait to go back into the water :-)

Have an energizing week...whatever THAT is for you!
I am taking a Body Step class tomorrow at Aktiv Treningssenter... :-)

/Yvette

Biking with kids in the bike wagon

Wow, talk about an energy booster, we just got ourselves a bike-wagon so I can take both kids out on the bike. Did first ride with them this morning biking to nursery...and hey , did I wake up!!! GREAT!!!!

Sourcing for mindful and zest-y mornings this autumn :-)

Have an energizing day

Yvette

Green Tiger

For those of you who are curious I started one more blog: Green Tiger on : http://www.yvettegreentiger.blogspot.com/ It is a blog about enjoying life and celebrating beauty in every sense! Check it out and CONTRIBUTE!!!

Yvette

Do we have to have control of everything?

Today I am wondering if we have to have control of everything...and MY answer is no...A bit of planning is great to simplify life, YES! YES ! YES! I praise routines and plans ,as a mum of two and entrpreneur I NEED It. AND I also come to realize the beauty of not knowing everything that is going to happen and anticipating with that...Planning is fine, but with a portion of FLEXIBILITY and CREATIVITY.

Being flexible release lots of energy...the road to Rome can be built in many different ways...OPENESS is also a big key for me. When I put on my FLEXIBLE and OPEN glasses I seem to be friendlier as well...how about that :-)

So have an open and flexible day !

Lots of sunshine!!!
Yvette

New beginings

September is a month of new beginings as is january. But hey, if you think about it every moment can be a new begining. I have come to WOW the tool "recovery". The recovery tool helps me from quickly getting out of a "victim" mood. I tell myself "stop beating yourself up - it's not too bad" "Come on, get over with it and go on"... I am getting better and better at it...Work in progress...Very very useful and powerful. Think about it , if we feel sorry for ourselves it is really us who decide, will it be for 10 minutes, half an hour, half a day, a week, a month, a year...10 years...a lifetime ???? Just think about it....I really believe we are all responsible for the way we think and the way we look at life, and yes, its not easy all the time, - who said it would be? But on the path we can learn some tools that makes it all easier and more graspable.

Sometimes we are talking about other kinds of recoveries. We might have lost someone. Then there is grief in the picture and that is really another chapter.

3 years ago I was pregnant with a little girl and unfortunately we lost her late in my pregnancy. She is now our angel and our 3rd child. The recovery from loosing takes another shape than the "every day challanges " we meet on our path. Time is a healer they say and today I can speak about the lost in a different way than even 1 year ago. September is the month we lost her. When having the cermony for her we asked people to come in bright colours, preferably pink and we asked everyone to think about how they celebrate their own precious gift call LIFE !


If you are curious about knowing more about recovery contact me per email.

Love & Peace
Yvette

Website up and running, HURRAY!!!!

I'm sooo excited ! My website is finally up-and-running: check it out : http://www.yvettelarsson.com/

Please, spread the word!!!

Contact me if you like to know more.

Love & Sunshine
Yvette

Fullfillment in small steps

My "normal" speed in life is quite fast, sometimes I have to remind myself to slow down. When I set a goal for myself I tend to have little patience but want to achieve it straight a way and I get quite frustrated when there is something slowing down the process.



SO, I am practisng mindfullness to slow down my pace when it is neccessary.

It helps me achieving a sense of balance.



At this moment I am in the process of unpacking the boxes in our new home. I sent my partner and my kids away to the beach and I am there , in our new place, myself. It gives me great fullfillment to take small steps, unpacking one box after another , thinking about what life will be like here in this wonderful house, in Norway. And what is surprising me a lot, is that I dont feel the sense of frustration that the house will not be unpacked in two days...but maybe in five or six...Wow...



This is an example on how we can train the way we think as well as we can train a muscle on the body...Set the intention and try...which way of thinking would you benefit from changing ?



Good luck, call on me if you need me, keep me posted!



Sunshine from inside and out



Yvette

First days in Norway

At the core of things

We landed...We are in Norway now, Stavanger to be precise...YEAH !!!!! We are EXACTLY where we are "supposed" to be...Feels good breathing fresh air, playing in the sand dunes in Sola Beach, taking walks and exploring the area around lake Stokka....I realize so much that when we are true to our core things flow...I feel true to the one in me who has been craving for nature...:-)

What is in your core???

Lotsaluvnkisses
Yvette

Energy shift

I assume that you know what I mean when I say that there is one chapter coming to and end and a new one is just about to start?

That is exactly where I am in my life now. And the energy shift that is taking place is very interesting to experience. We are about to make the move from London and going to settle in Norway. There is this incredible peace of mind inside me. Like this is exactly where I have to be, this is exactly where I have to go.

I was in Norway just for two days to look for a house , and it felt so RIGHT...there was the sand dunes, the surfers, the mountains, the calm, the simpleness, the fresh air, the prettiness of the city...and not to mention THE PRAWNS bought directly from the fishermen !!! :-) (I know I am a bit of romantic...AND so be it!!!! :-)

This didn't "just happen" to me , it has been planned for and decisions have been made out from my values (and of course my familiy's values ) and our dreams , what we want from life...and I am happy to see what is about to unfold....and on the way I am enjoying every step...

Where are you in life ? What is about to unfold?

Love & sunshine from inside,
Yvette

HAPPY for what is there

Just a thought that came up in my head this week...Be HAPPY for what is there in front of us, be happy with the people around...instead of not being happy with those who are not there...Energize with the ones who gives energy and let go of energy-thieves....

Have a SUNNY SUNNY SUNNY day
Warm greetings
Yvette

GOOD morning :-)

What would be on your list if you had 5 more years left to live?

Who are the people you would like to spend time with? What would you like to have more of in your life ? What would you like to have less of? What are you happy about right here and now ? Which are the areas of flow in your life right now? Any dreams to be fullfilled that are still in the waiting room for another day...?

Every now and again it's great to remind ourselves that life is really here and NOW, enjoy it every day, celebrate it, learn, grow, laugh, have fun, dance, be with the people you love to be with, write love letters to the once you care for, let them know you think they are cool people to hang around...have champagne pick nick in the park, ....

How do you celebrate today?

Love and have a fab weekend
Yvette

Appreciation

In my life I try to practise looking at all those small things that can make me happy...I'm thinking that every individual day is like a microscopic version of my whole life. Some are sunny some are grey and they are all part of my life. I am also trying not to whip myself too hard when things are not going well and there is something for me to learn. Belive me, it's not easy, AND it gets easier along the way...I came to see "brain-training" like training any other muscle in my body:-)
Today I appreciate the time I had in front of my computor working on The Energy Booster, a very exciting project ready to fly hopefully this very autumn:-)

LOVE&APPRECIATION
Yvette

I love London and I love Nature

People are asking me if I am not going to miss London when we move...And the answer is YES, of course I will miss London. I LOVE London and I also came to love the area where we live very much; Brook Green, is like a small village within this big , buzzing, fantastic, crazy city. I am so happy to have been able to call London my home for 3 years. However, everything has its time and place. You know how it feels when you just feel that you are at the end of a chapter, ready for something new? That's where I am now, with my family. So ready for some good old Scandinavia...I have been abroad for nearly 10 years and a part of me is also a bit scared of how it would be coming "home" :-) I trust my gut-feeling and I just knoooow we are on the path we need to be.

Hej då för idag, stor kram
Kärlek&Solsken
Yvette

Unspoken - spoken

This is The Reunion Island, a French amazing island in the Indian Ocean. In the evening, after work, people go to the beach to have an evening swim as the sun goes down.

Ten years ago that was an unspoken dream. From when I first said I dreamt about living on a tropical island til I was there , livning there, on my tropical island, took 1 year and 4 month...so , some inspiration to focus focus....:-)

Focus

A very simple yet very useful&efficient thought: What you focus on will grow...So focus on the things that are really important to you! Vocalize your dreams, say them out loud...and just "wait" and see what will happen.

Love, Sunshine and Focus to all
Yvette

Inspirations of the week

Last week and this week's inspirations

Every Monday I address the creative side in myself and I do a collage of pictures and texts that has recently drawn my attention. I hang this collage in my office so I can see it all the time when I work. The purpose is to make my focus clear: - What is it that is important to me right now? How does it all come together looking at the values of mine? What boost my energy to go out there and give to the world? I would like to share with you what is on this week’s inspirations:

Reclaim the weekend: a reminder to really slow down a bit, explore and enjoy each other’s company,
Inspiring – motivating-forward thinking women: so inspired by female entrepreneurs: give me some girl power!!! We need (I need!!!!) female role models – women with kids who succeed in having it all – a business of her own and a family,
Good life – be more self sufficient, said it before, in my soul I am a bit of an Italian mama… I love cooking and making things MYSELF and then enjoy it with others. Just bought rhubarbs+strawberries to make some delicioooous jam…It really doesn’t take too much time to do things YOURSELF!!!
Shades of simplicity: I love words like clean, simple, zen, space, open, sea, …AND sometimes I complicate things…The words “shades of simplicity” words reminded me to tap into SIMPLICITY. I am very much a fan of the Simple Living movment !!!
Light: I aspire to be a light-bearer and represent hope and possibility out there in the world (as simple as that!).
The art of nature: Nature is a healer and brings calm and clarity, nature is also an adventure…piece of art.
Richard Branson: he is a cool guy who just follows his inner voice, do what he believes in…”Never” wears a suit…I LOVE that rebellion side of his!!!
Cups with the English flag: we are soon moving from the UK and the Union Jack just brought my attention to stay true to my commitment to celebrate the day..especially now when we will be leaving shortly…Savour the day here in the UK…I will miss my friends and the community around here, I will miss running in Hyde Park and having the vibrant city of London just on my door step.
Pictures of scones and clotted cream: just another version of the former…


Treat your days as if you were to leave tomorrow…what difference does it make?


LOVE & SUNSHINE

Yvette

My logotype

So excited ! Here it is : my new logotype.

Designer is Caroline Holmqvist, a London-based Swede. She is a graphic designer and creates fresh websites, newsletters, stationary, etc. Check out her work at: http://www.holmqvistdesign.co.uk/

My web page is SOON to be launched...

Have a creative afternoon!

Time

Just know that you have got time for the things in life that are really important to you. Focus & dedicate yourself...and you will have what you search for... LOVE&SUNSHINE from inside, Yvette

Running

If there is one thing I really need in my life it's running (there are a few more thing I need as well;-). After being in lovely Holiday Land for a month I just went out for my first run since ages today ! Endorfines kicking - energy all over the place...and sunshine in Hyde Park on top of that! Could it be better?

For me running is a real ENERGY BOOSTER. My mind clears after a run. I believe that all the workshops I ever held have all been "created in my head" while running. So today. On Saturday I am holding a workshop for some amazing Nike Network people at Träna in Umeå, north Sweden. I love that place! Some cool vibes in that house, and Katarina (manager) I think you should trademark the "helping-each -other" attitude that exist among the staff!!! AMAZING!
We are going to do some cool leadership stuff with this group of people and after running today the workshop is finalized...

So : try running...

Love & Sunshine

Yvette

Froth on my cappuchino...

..and some marshmallows...Anyone?

Trends, people, & what is going on in the world

I love sitting at cafes, drinking my cappuchino looking at people, hearing what they talk about, and how they conversate with their facial expressions, body language...I also love watching what people are wearing, what colours are in, I love fashion, design, photography, architecture, history - and TRENDS...I love the whole human being and how we express ourselves out there in the world. I love conversations about leaders and followers...what makes a leader? Who do we follow? Why?

I love reading magazines and update myself on what is in and trendy all over the world...- and today was a perfect magazine - day in Holiday-land, France. It is raining again, so I headed to the Tabac to get some cool tempting magazines: found the Running Magazine, French edition, Elle Decoration , Art & Decoration, French Elle and the magazine from Gault Millau...Yummy...

So...for the rest of the afternoon, hasta la vista , I'm gone in magazine-land...

Have a trendy day

Sunshine from inside
Yvette

Feng Shui

Do you know what Feng Shui is? In short it's about making energy flow. In all aspects of your life. In the material world as well as in your mind. Springtime is a great time to do some tidying up in the energy fields...Let out old energies - create some new...

What is really refreshing is to take a look at your home. Go through every room and every item and see what items are important to you. If the item is important : you keep it, if it's not: you give it away, to friends or to charity. Simple as that. In my house I now have items that are really important to me. The stuff I had collected before that really didn't mean anything to me just sucked up energy - so I got rid of it...This is thanks to moving around different countries a lot the last ten years and really been looking at what things are important and energy-GIVING. So, it's spring now - create space for fresh energy! Create a beautiful house where the energy is flowing.

Have a zen day!

Zenshine
Yvette

Challanges

Ok, so I will admit it, I'm not a very good driver. This is a big challange for me when being in France. AND I think I am improving:-)



I remember my first encounter with French driving style when I arrived on The Reunion Island 10 years ago...Remember I grew up in a very small town and at the time when I took my driving lisence I don't remember we even had traffic lights... and not to mention nooo roundabouts...



Back to La Reunion: I thought everyone was driving fast and aggressively...I didn't dare to go out there on the roads until after 2 months!!! After 2 months I got a job so I had to drive, hehe...That was GOOD for my self-confidence...I think my driving improved a lot there + later I did a lot of driving in southern Europe.

In St Paul, where our French home is, there is a small passage where you really have to goooo with the flooow to get through with a big family car . I used to close my eyes in the begining which was not a big success... I even asked my partner the first times if HE could drive through ...As he is of the practical courageous kind of characters he just looked at me and so I had to go...Terrifed of ruining our rental car...So I will tell you what was going on in my head : I told myself: " Ok, I am going to daaaaaaaance through that spaaacious passage" ...and what happens ? - All of a sudden this passage gets BIGGER !!! Easy peasy when we put your mind on things, huh? We just have to do that: put our minds to what we want and DO IT!!!!



I believe as we go towards our fears, or shall I say challanges, we grow and move on in life. If we never dare to meat our challanges we will stay in the waiting room...it's our OWN choice! No-one else's. Wheather it's a small or a big challange : just meet it...where-ever you are...I PROMISE you : you WILL grow & develop...maybe life will get a little bit bumpy and maybe you need help ( oh, please ASK for help!!!), JUST DO IT!



Which challange is the one just waiiiiiting for you??? Which is the one you really want but doesn't really dare to meet ????

GO AND GET IT!!!!
Best of luck!!!



Sunny sunny regards

Yvette

Life is a Beach

Sunshine to all!!!!!!!!! Theoule today...

Food, delicious food

Graine & Ficelle, St Jeannet, last sunday, Gorgeous place- gorgeous food

We have just visited a wonderful table d’hote in St Jeannet , a small village 10 minutes from where we live. An amazing, passionate woman is running this place called Graine & Ficelle and you can tell she is living her dream …She is definitely “on purpose” there as far as I could sense it! The place is a combined farm with chambre & table d’hotes and the food we had there was absolutely amazing, fresh and flavoured packed – all presented beautifully. The place itself was bathing in nature’s colours: shades of grey, white, beige & brown…loved it !!!

It was so inspiring to see Graine & Ficelle since one of my dreams is to have a chambre d’hotes here in France for sportive & adventurous people and one of the attractions, for me, is the cooking part – I ‘d like to set the table in the evening for everyone to enjoy a meal together in the end of the day, share the days stories, wow….Who would like to join me?


The French are so cool about food and I can talk for ages with them about perfect walnuts from Grenoble, or the juicy lemons from Menton, the rose wines from Provence, the oursins from Cassis, the truffle from Rognes, the flavor packed tomatoes from the south, the olives from Nice, and the list goes on…

For me going to the market in Aix (or for God sake Yvette, ANY kind of food market!!!) is a feast for my senses!!! I can easily spend a whole morning surrounded my fresh, colourful fruit and vegs, cheeses, sea food, honey, spice, bread, cappuchino-break and then more fruit & vegs....As long as it fresh and has some kind of label "local producer" I kind of melt...I have "a thing" with things that grows... As I write this I start to think about the blueberries my parents pick for us in autumn...yummy!!! I belive that in my next life I will be a market lady in Nice, selling all the ingredients you need for a proper ratatouille...

When we are in the area of food I would like to say talk about some more “serious” things!
Be a conscious consumer ! Make it a habit to read the labels when you buy your groceries at supermarkets. Get local products as your first choice so the food doesn’t necessarily have to fly across the globe to get to your table. Go to farmer’s markets and support your local growers. Even in London, where I live, we have them!

And to those of you who have kids: let them enjoy - and grow from REAL food!!! And please give them healthy snacks…fruit, dried fruits, yoghurts & sandwiches are far more better than crisps, chocolates and biscuits. Perhaps I’m very coloured of what I’m seing in the playgrounds in London, UK…perhaps children in other places eat better in the afternoon…(I really hope so) It just upsets me to see how parents, care-takers and nannies give kids all those crap non-foods to little children!!! In general I believe it would be a good idea to be as meticulous with what WE eat as with what kind of fuel we give to our car…

What more with food and I… in my ideal world I have a meal in the evening with the whole family EVERY evening. It’s the Italian Mama in me that wish for this :-)In reality it doesn’t happen - YET ! However it is a core value of mine to cook from scratch and as much as possible sit down and enjoy with all family together.

At the moment we have a wonderful girl living with us who are from India. I love Indian food and we love cooking together in the evenings. Or rather should I say, she is teaching me and I am the happiest assistant she could possibly have! Typically Indian ingredients are so healthy when you cook at home, look at this: turmenic, curry, ginger, garlic, coriander, CHILLIS (love them - love them!!!) , cloves, vegetables & fruits, lentils & beans, yoghurts, …mmm…Acctually Indian food is like a cure, an immune system booster. I strongly believe that if you cook Indian food at home yourself (using little oil) you will have a great chance of staying healthy and your immune system will have this constant boost! Email me for recipies!!!

I looove having friends over for lunch and dinner. The best times are those times when we enroll our friends either by cooking with us or bringing something like when we invite people to a tapas party. I like it when people can mingle, talk and the athomsphere is easy-going. (Saying that I don’t mind a proper champagne party either…every now and again) . An ideal day is when friends join us to Borough Market in the morning and get the ingredients and then cook together in the evening…food, friends and great conversations…can it be better???

So, anyone who is in London in the end of April, let’s make a party together, celebrating spring…we are full of inspiration from France…

Lots of Love and Sunshine from inside
Yvette

Seasons and the Rythm of the Day

Spring, the village St Jeannet yesterday

I was born 100 km north of the Artic Circle, in Sweden, where there are four clear-cut seasons as far as my emotional memory has recorded it : mild, short summers with light day&night, crisp & colourful autumns, cold, dark and long winters and looovely sunny springs. From a very early age seasons came to play a big role in my life. I got used to living according to them when I grew up.

As I moved on in life, to warmer destinations, the seasons sometimes felt a bit blurred for me. However, there are always signs that there is seasonal change going on. When we lived in Aix-en-Provence , 4 years ago, one great way of experiencing the seasons was to look at the vineyards. We saw how the vine changed: green leaves in the summer, grapes ready to be picked in autumn, dry trunks in winter on which you never believed anything could possibly grow again – and then : fresh new leaves coming out again in spring! It was lovely to follow !!!

When talking about living with the seasons I would like to say something about food as well, because it so linked to each other. One of my big passions in life is food! The best is when we can eat what is offered from Mother Nature in season. I am aware that it’s easier here in southern France, than in Sweden…AND we can do what is possible with the environment we are in and what is available. For instance when in summer: indulge in strawberries , when autumn & winter arrive make stews with potatoes, onions, leeks and carrots- those comfort foods warm us up. When spring is here again be ready for the first asparagus and enjoy lighter meals!

When I live in accordance to the seasons I can feel my energy is flowing. There is little struggle and more flow. For example in summer I get up earlier and go to bed later- following the pattern of the sun…in winter I kind of hibernate and allow myself to rest longer. As a matter of fact, think of the timing of the day as well. Find the rhythm of the day that is good for YOU! Be and Do according to the time of the day. You can divide the day in blocks and think about what you want to prioritize in every block, what kind of energy you need. Spray every block with that kind of energy: perhaps mindful in the morning, alive-and-kicking in the middle of the day, sharp in the afternoon after a great cup of coffee? -Calm and yogi before going to bed?

I would love to hear stories how YOU live according to the day and the seasons!

One last thing, dark chocolate can be taken anytime of the day, any season...



Love and sunshine from inside

Yvette

The Artist's Way

Chagall's La Vie

When in St Paul it's impossible not to be inspired by all the artists that have been passing this little village...Opposite our house the French author and poet Jaques Prevert used to live, Marc Chagall was buried here in St Paul, in the legendary restaurant Colombe d'Or numerous artists, actors and music makers used to enjoy themselves. Picasso was one of them Yves Montand another. The Maeght Foundation boasts with an amazing collection of Miro's among others...and my absolute favourite is Chagall's La Vie, Life...

It's easy to understand why all the artists came here...with the omnipresence of beauty - who could resist this place? La vie est belle here. No doubt about it. When talking with people here you will hardly find anyone who was born here. They...or shall I say we...all came, drawn to the sun and the energy that is given from living life outside.

For me nature is healing, a day by the sea, or an afternoon by the mountains and my batteries are charged, revitilized and ready to go again. What about you? Where / How do you charge your batteries? What does nature do for you?

Love & Sunshine in abundance

Yvette

Le soleil!!!!!!!!!

Could it be better? The beach just to yourself...

Happiness

As I see it happiness is something we find within ourselves...Try to wake up with a "half smile"on your lips, saying to yourself as you are still in bed : "I'm back", celebrating that you are ready for a new day, alive and kicking...ready to cease the day. Life is a precious gift and a gift worth celebrating every day...Carpe diem everyone!

Love & LOTS of sunshine
Yvette

The Riviera in grey

Beautiful Nice this morning



So , the Riviera is in grey at the moment...Ce n'est pas vrai...People are running inside and they can't believe the sun escaped!!! O lala... Choosing the perspective of how you look at reality is refreshing. It feels liberating and energizing to see the positive side of things and the beauty in small things. It feels great to be mindful about words that I use to describe my reality as well! Words are so powerful and really forms how we see the world. You know, half full or half empty cup...



I believe the gray shades of the Riviera simply add some more beauty to this already amazingly varied and beautiful region! In fact, the Riviera is like a human being: it has many sides and all of them are true and part of the being...Did you follow?



Enjoy the pictures from Nice this morning and of Peillon, a perched village up in the mountains off Nice yesterday.

Love & sunshine from inside,

Yvette

Our beautiful village

Life on Purpose

Bonjour,

As I’m writing this week’s blog I’m in our lovely maison de village in St-Paul-de-Vence, France. Last year we made one of our dreams come true in finding a place in France called home. We used to live in Aix-en-Provence and Cassis 4 years ago and always wanted to go back. This is the perfect combination for us at this moment in our lives and we are so happy here !!! The village in itself is a medieval village built on a stunning hill with view on the snow-covered southern Alps in the north and the gorgeous blue Mediterranean sea in the south!

Early every morning, when the village is just about to wake up ( and we ‘ve been up for ages…) I take my children out on what we call “the adventure walk” where we discover every little alley, every little stone, every fountain, every view point, we talk to our neighbours, we pass the cafees & galleries, and the place de jeu de boule…and we are loving it…the whole village is our playground!

In spring and winter its calm here, the air is crisp and the light is phenomenal, any time of the day…In the morning we have a big wish to go out and meet the sun, in the middle of the day we take shade and enjoy the warmth on our skin, in the afternoons I feel like making a painting because the light is magical!!! In the evening the sun slowly goes down over the hills and the vineyards. In the night we sleep well because we have been outside all day.

Our apartment is small and we enjoy “simple living“ here : we ask ourselves everytime we feel like bringing home something new : “do we really need this? Does it contribute to something practical or does it give special beauty to our place?” In a bigger perspective being conscious of every choice we make in life is taking leadership of our own life – then things “just don’t happen”, they happen because we choose them to. It is living your life on purpose.

Living my life on purpose means to me: knowing myself, knowing what my values are and acting according to them. My core values are: love, health, family, people, adventure, curiosity, respect, beauty, fun&laughter, mindfulness, simple living , being outside & nature.

When I am going to take a decision I scan my values so I can make a choice, a decision based on my values, if I do, I can feel flow and feel that I am living my life “on purpose”. I also have 2 mantras that I scan my day with and they are: to celebrate every day and to leave the room a better place.

Which are your values? What do you need to live your life on purpose? From the core? What would it be like having your energy flowing knowing you live your life on purpose?

Talk next week, still in wonderful France,

Love & Sunshine
Yvette

Welcome to the Energy Booster

March 2009

Hello to all and welcome to the Energy Booster, This will be the formal introduction of my blog after the impulsive celebration of creating a blog site.

The aim for this blog is to be a source of inspiration for you, to connect to the core of yourself, your values, your priorities & your dreams. It will be an inspiration to be close to nature & adventure, to tap into mindfulness, be at choice in all situations in your life, connect with the one in you that care for the beauty and coziness of your home and the environment you live in, it will be a source of inspiration to eat food that is locally grown, healthy and delicious to eat with your family and friends, it will be a space to charge your happiness endorfines and have them dance!

I will do my very best to ignite your lust for life and the urgency and willingness to live it here and now, I will encourage and motivate you to only go for the best for your self….I will promote physical activities in all forms and shake you up from the sofa!!! I will kick your but til you re out there running with me…I will get you turning the volume up and hear the music, listen to the song that your heart sing…

…All in the purpose for you to have the energy flowing through the whole you: body, mind and heart…I hope you will feel energized and empowered after visiting my blog!

I will catch up every Friday in order to rock and roll, dance, play it big in life, have fun , learn, grow and enjoy life to the fullest!!! Next time will be from my lovely home in St Paul de Vence, France. So in the meantime, à bientôt, talk soon.

Love & Sunshine
Yvette

Wow!

Wow! I just created a blog! Welcome everyone! This is a place to spread my passion for the connection between the body, mind and heart. It's a place for inspiration ! I hope you will find it fresh and energizing! Sunshine to all, Yvette