Being honest & transparent

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I often ask myself: ‘How can I be more honest with myself and others?’ And the answer to that question is pretty simple: ‘By being my true self.’

But, what does it really mean to be our true, authentic self?

You see, the early years of our lives we get conditioned certain way. We are born into certain families, with certain beliefs, and most of the time, we accept these beliefs without questioning. These beliefs then become deeply planted into our subconscious and often become part of our identity. This gives us some sense of SELF. But, is this our true self or a false self? This is another one of the many deep questions.

As children, teenagers and in adolescence, we may copy others, thinking that what they do is cool. We want to feel liked and accepted. We want to fit in and get a sense of belonging. We think this may give us some recognition, so we mimic their behaviour, which they’ve probably picked up from someone else too.

As we go about life, we pick up more beliefs from the people in our circles. At that point, many beliefs are already deeply imprinted in our subconscious and we treat them as our own. We don’t look at them as beliefs, but rather as facts about ourselves. But again, is this our real truth?

And I’m sorry, if this doesn’t apply to you. Maybe you see life differently. We all have a different perception of the world. The perception of the world I have, may be something completely different from yours, even though both of us may be standing next to each other looking at the same thing. I share these thoughts based on my own experiences and my perception. I do this with a hope, that people who feel different, or perhaps alienated from the masses, can find some relief and a comfort in these messages.

Some of the beliefs we have may be serving us well. They may be inspiring to us and can help us find and explore our natural talents, what we are truly about. Others, may be harmful to us. They may keep us small, limited and scared in the years to come, if not for a lifetime. This is the way programming works. Programs are just repeated patterns, behaviours and rhetorical terms, which we’ve accepted, to give us some sense of ‘who we are’ or who we should be in the eyes of others.

We rarely question our social conditioning. But just because you’ve heard something over and over again, doesn’t mean it’s true. Just because someone has told you something about you, so many times and you have accepted, doesn’t mean this is who you truly are. What if that person was wrong? You may argue and say, that several people said the same thing. Well, maybe. Here is my answer to that: I feel that when we strongly believe something, we begin to see the evidence of it around us. We subconsciously ‘look’ for confirmations of these beliefs. And we will be presented with situations and individuals who will be pointing these insecurities and beliefs back to us, like a reflection in the mirror. And again, you may have a different outlook on this than me. That’s okay. It’s my perception.

How to be more honest and transparent…

Question your beliefs. If these beliefs are serving you well, keep them. If they are unhelpful to you, begin the process of letting go of them. If something gives you a conflicting feeling, a sense that something isn’t right, listen to that feeling, even if the majority of the people are following the crowd. If it doesn’t feel right to you, it probably isn’t. Don’t follow the masses just because everyone else does. They can mislead you. Listen to your feelings. Listen to your intuition. What are you naturally drawn to? Explore it. That’s how you start finding your true self. That’s how you come to your own personal realisations. And this way, you can be also more true to others.

I’m not saying we will ever fully let go of the imprints within us, and nor am I saying all the beliefs we’ve adopted from our families, teachers or our circles are necessarily bad. All I’m saying is to question the ones that don’t make us feel good or are limiting us in some way. What I’m saying is to keep only what feels good to us and let go of what doesn’t.

Keep learning, keep exploring, keep questioning everything, keep growing, keep expanding. And by doing so, you can start coming to the realisations what you are truly about.

Embrace your real truth.

Taking care of your inner world

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Have you ever noticed, that when you finally slow down and get still, many thoughts and emotions start suddenly rising up to the surface? I’m personally noticing it more now, during the global crisis. Having more time on my hands to sit with my feelings, is brining all sort of things up to the surface.

When you slow down and eventually pause, your mind can get very loud before it can get still. Unresolved issues, past resentments, work that you’ve been procrastinating on, it’s suddenly all there, present, screaming for your attention, waiting to be dealt with. This is the time when many people look for distractions, because they are afraid to sit with their feelings and do something about them. This process can sometimes even bring anger and blame with it, and can trigger all sort of emotions within you. But it is the first sign, it’s time to start doing something about this.

I’ve realised, that more and more I sit with my feelings, the more work I need to do on myself. I’m fully aware of all the unresolved issues that need to be addressed, healed, transformed and finally released.

Before you read any further, please know that the content I share is designed to inspire, empower and motivate people. I share my experiences and what works for me, my students and clients. Different tools, techniques and approaches work for different people. My philosophy is this: Take only what resonates with you and leave the rest out. There are so many resources, teachers, coaches and professionals who offer great tools, which may work better for you. I encourage you to do your research and then choose.

So, let’s go back to the article. Listed below are a few suggestions my clients and I are finding helpful.

Accepting your feelings

When we begin sitting with our feelings, at first, there may be chaos. So much may be going on. But, I find that honouring and accepting what is currently going on, without rejecting it, is a great way to begin. Whatever is happening in your mind, and whatever feelings you are having as a result of that, is currently part of you. As these feelings are part of you, you need to accept them, not fight them. If you fight, you are fighting part of yourself. Honour your unique journey and accept your feelings.

Being present with your feelings

After you you make peace with your feelings and accept them, be present with them. Sit with them for a while. Don’t judge, don’t react, do reject, don’t search for distractions. Just be with your feelings. Let the waters settle naturally. And if it helps at this stage, you can also get a pen and paper and write your feelings down. Just be present with your feelings without any judgment, but with compassion.

Working with your feelings

There is a big difference between working with your feelings and temporarily numbing them down by substances, junk food or other distractions. When you take care of your inner self, the outsides often take care of themselves too. Working with your feelings is not a job that will take an hour or one day. This is a life-long work. It’s learning you undertake to understand yourself. Working with your feelings is noticing how you react to certain situations, how you respond to people, noticing how you feel when they respond back to you. Working with your feelings is observing rather than reacting. I find, that the more you become an observer what is going on around you, within you, how you react, how you respond and what choices you make, the more you begin to understand yourself and your feelings. And in the future you won’t be so afraid to sit with them. You will gain a better understanding of yourself, what works for you and what doesn’t. It’s all about getting to know yourself on a deeper level.

I hope these suggestions have inspired you.

Stay safe and keep well.

Jana x

What should I focus on?

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Are you one of those people who have always so many ideas on their minds? If so, welcome to the club! Having so many ideas is better then having none, obviously. But it often comes with a confusion what to focus on first, and sometimes with a side effect of unproductivity.

Before you carry on reading further, let me say this: Even though this post is tailored to look at this topic from an artist’s perspective, you can also apply the tips listed below into your life, when your mind is overloaded with so many tasks to do, when you feel overwhelmed and don’t know where to begin.

So, just the other day I was excited about a lovely project I’m currently working on and thinking how to make it even better. Suddenly, just a two minutes later, while straightening my hair in the bathroom, another two ideas flew into my consciousness about something completely different. I had to immediately get a pen and paper and write them down. Then, in the next few hours, I didn’t even focus on the project I was so excited just a few minutes ago, but kept it aside until the following morning. I was trying to produce something new, completely from scratch, which left me feeling ‘scattered’, and in the end, unproductive. Finally, I kept these ideas noted down and didn’t come back to them since. ‘What I waste of time…’ I thought. And this is one of the burdens I often have to deal with, because my mind is just too busy, having too many ideas, jumping from one place to another, and as a result of this, leaves so many unfinished projects on my plate. At the same time, I’m grateful. I’d rather have too many ideas then none at all, of course.

And here is another thing. If you are an artist or a creative, you may agree that the inspiration often pays you a visit at the most unexpected times. Many times, it comes in the moments when you are not really ‘ready’ for it and have a chance to document it quickly. An inspiration often comes at night, when you feel too tired to get up and write it down. So many times, I had to force myself out of bed to write my ideas down. The ideas can also come when you are driving, in the middle of meetings and the list can go on.

The bottom line is this:

Having so many ideas can sometimes be confusing, it can keep you unproductive and even lead to procrastinating on some really great projects, and lots of them end up unfinished.

So how do you prioritise what to focus on? Here are a few suggestions I often apply into my life when a big surge of ideas come to me all at the same time.

1) Writing it all down

Every time my mind is overflowing with thoughts and ideas, I know I need to get my notebook out. I know I need to get these ideas out of my head on a piece of paper. When I do so, I immediately create space. I feel I can see more clearly and breathe more easily. I find this quite therapeutic.

2) Getting still

Once I’ve documented all my ideas onto the pages of my notebook, I feel lighter. This is the time to close my eyes and get still or to meditate. This allows ‘the waters settle even more’ and to gain more clarity.

3) Going out for a walk

If you don’t like sitting in stillness or meditating, there is an alternative: going for a walk. Or you can do both. A little connection with nature, not only changes your perspective, but helps you feel amazing.

4) Is it urgent or is it important?

If none of the above works for you, ask yourself: what can wait or what can’t. I like the analogy I learned from a business bootcamp I attended a few years ago. One day, we were asked a question: ‘What would you deal with first? Something that is urgent or something that is important?’ And there is a big difference between the two. A common answer to this question was urgent. However, what I’ve learned, is that not all urgent is necessarilly important. Some people may object, but going deeper into this concept and learning more about the subject helped me to understand a huge difference between the two. I will leave this open for you to decide what urgent and what important means to you.

I hope these tips have inspired you.

Stay safe and keep well. 

Jana x 

Your Uniqueness is your Superpower

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This week, on the blog, I would like to share with you a short video. This video has been inspired by one of my past articles. In that article, I shared a few thoughts on people comparing themselves to the strangers on the internet.

Don’t get me wrong, I love the internet, the social media and the digital age. I’ve connected with so many incredible people through social media, and many of them became my good friends. I believe, the internet, in general, brought us more together. But, there are also downsides to it, such as comparing ourselves to other people, especially people we don’t know.

Many of us forget, that not everyone presents themselves on the internet truthfully, and some people like to colour things up. On the other hand, our perception of someone can also create a certain ideal, which may be far from their reality and the real truth, which often lies somewhere else, and not in the ideal we’ve created.

Of course, there are also many genuine people, who are just simply excited to share almost every detail of their life with others.

We all have our opinions about the cyber space and our own ways how we share content with others. However you see it, I really hope it is lifting you up and not brining you down.

And if you are one of the people who compare themselves to other people online, I hope this video will give you a different outlook. In the video, you’ll see some of my photos, some older and some more recent. I also narrated it and used one of my most recent music tracks in the background.

I hope it will inspire you.

You can watch it at the link below.

Stay safe and well!

Jana x

What does lie beyond your limiting beliefs & labels?

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People often come to me with one common problem: They aren’t feeling good enough. They feel unworthy and have so many limiting beliefs that are preventing them from fulfilling their true potential. They feel that life could be better. But, when it comes to creating change, they often get scared of that change and the amount of work that is required. There is something which seems to be holding them back.

What’s actually happening is that they’ve unintentionally accepted many labels and beliefs about themselves, and these labels and beliefs now became part of their identity. They have been so deeply planted into their subconscious, they don’t even question them. All this ‘labelling’ often starts at the very young age, but of course, continues during their adult life too. When people fully align with these labels and beliefs, and never question them, they will always be reflected back to them. They will see the evidence of these labels everywhere around them. And this is perfectly understandable, because our outside world is a reflection of our inner state. What we believe about ourselves will always be, in some shape or form, reflected back to us in our physical reality.

Many of us have accepted these labels and beliefs so deeply, within the whole level of our being, that we don’t even question them anymore. We see them as facts.

‘This is the way I am and that’s what I should accept.’  (????)

We’ve aligned so fully with these damaging lies, and now they’re controlling so many areas of our life. Deep down we feel that something isn’t right. Something just feels a bit ‘off’. But when we try to understand where these beliefs and labels might have come from, we often become frighten and refuse to look deeper. We brush them aside and say to ourselves: ‘I’ll look at that another time, at a more appropriate time.’ But when exactly? When is the more appropriate time? And often, it never comes.

By doing so, we’ve just placed another brick on top of the ones which have already been so beautifully laid there, and we carry on as before. And more damage is done. The labels continue to control and haunt our lives, making us feel uncomfortable, fragile and uneasy, until we are willing to look at them again. If that day ever comes, of course.

It took me years to start looking at my own limiting beliefs and start dissolving them. It took me years to begin throwing away the old, outdated labels, which I have subconsciously accepted about myself in the past. But when I became willing to go deeper to question them and began exploring what laid underneath them, I was able to start letting them go.

So, where do you begin?

You begin, by becoming willing to question everything that doesn’t feel right to you. You begin, by becoming willing to question the opinions other people have about you. You begin, by becoming willing to question everything that seems to be controlling your life. It can be a label that you are not good enough, that you are unworthy, too shy, too loud, too____fill in the blank. You begin, by becoming willing to question everything and ask yourself: ‘Who said that? Where is the evidence for that?’ And I mean the real evidence. You need to go deeper and find the root of that which has been controlling you.

And then, you need to ask yourself: 

‘What does lie beyond all my limiting beliefs & labels? And how can I go deeper to finally let them go?’ 

Let’s pause for a moment and breathe. As you are pausing and breathing, you are giving yourself a permission to align to the truth of who you really are. To your true identity, which is powerful, unique, loving, compassionate, beautiful and inspiring, beyond any labels you or the world have ever placed upon you. In truth, you are a powerful being, an infinite awareness that is currently expressing itself as a human. The more and more you align to that truth, the more you realise that even in this physical, three-dimensional reality, you are capable of so many incredible things. When you let go of all the labels you have unconsciously accepted about yourself, you suddenly become free.

Beyond all the pain, the lies, the beliefs and labels you have accepted resides your truth. Your divinity. Your true identity. Tune into your truth by stilling your busy mind on a daily basis. Turn down the volume, the noise of the world. And listen to that loving voice, which is the voice of your intuition. It always speaks to you, if you only took the time to listen. This voice is your truth. It is your guide. It is your internal compass. Turn down the noise of the world and really tune into to this powerful, intuitive voice and increase its volume. Then, you will start aligning with your true identity and can start dissolving the painful lies, labels and beliefs that have been haunting you for years. Become willing to start looking at life from a different perspective, from a higher perspective, and begin to uncover the great secrets of this universe. You have the power to do that. You are enough. You have always been enough. And you are deserving of some wonderful things in life. Start now. It’s never too late to begin.

I will leave you today with a wonderful quotation by Walt Withman:

‘Re-examine all you have been told at school or church or in any book, dismiss whatever insults your own soul; and your very flesh shall be a great poem, and have the richest fluency, not only in its words, but in the silent lines of its lips and face, and between the lashes of your eyes, and in every motion and joint of your body.’ 

Stay safe and well, 

Jana xx

Let’s talk about mental health

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Just over two weeks ago I’ve had an anxiety attack, after being anxiety-free for almost ten years. It was very brief, but a bit overwhelming. Luckily, I have some great tools now, which got me out of it within a few minutes, but it reminded me of the times when those attacks used to be part of my daily life. Life was very different back then. My anxiety used to be so bad, that even the simplest of tasks, such as standing in the supermarket queue, would put me into the states of panic for no reason. It wasn’t because I was scared to be standing in the supermarket queue, but because I had suffered from, something called, a depersonalisation disorder. Depersonalisation disorder, simply put, is like living in a ‘dream state’ (not a pleasant dream to emphasise), where you don’t really feel part of the current reality, but you are basically being just an observer of what is going on around you, and perceiving it all with the foggy sensation in your mind. Living this way used to put me into unexpected states of panic, without any warning. It was scary, overwhelming and it caused so much damage to my confidence and my self-esteem in the years to come, amongst other things. It took me about four years to get through this period of life, but the imprints of it stayed with me to this day.

The reason I want to talk about mental health today is…

because I know how many people are suffering in silence when it comes to their mental health. And please note, that this is not a medical advice. I’m not a health care professional, I’m just sharing my experience. Always seek medical help, if you are struggling. I did too. I was in therapy for some time, and it offered me comfort and peace. I really want to emphasise not to suffer in silence. This is nothing to feel embarrassed about. When you have a physical problem, you are not embarrassed to visit a doctor, so why should you feel embarrassed to seek medical help when it comes to your mental health?

I have so many great tools these days, I’ve trained as a holistic teacher and a practitioner, but yet, I still seek therapy and help when I need it.  I had to really slow down these last two weeks, because life got a bit too much. I’ve been worried, I’ve stressed, I’ve been having palpitations and yes, one evening, out of the blue, while watching the Matilda musical on Netflix, I got a panic attack. Just like that, without any warning when nothing was going on in that moment. The stress within me has built up, and suddenly, I couldn’t breathe. I’m pleased to say I’m okay now, I don’t feel anxious, but I’m going through emotions every day. Anger, sadness, frustration come and go. And when they go, they are often replaced by creative thoughts, peaceful thoughts and a great ideas, which I’m very grateful for. It’s like being on a rollercoaster. But, I’m dealing with it.

Can you relate?

My point is this: If you are finding the current situation overwhelming, please do not keep your feelings inside. Pick up the phone and talk to a friend or a family member. If all of this is getting out of control, please don’t be afraid to seek a professional help. Don’t suffer in silence. I want to encourage you to talk. I did suffer in silence in the past, for a long time, but the moment I sought help, things started to change. Of course, on a very small scale, but they did. Don’t be afraid to talk about your feelings.

Look after yourself. Look after your mind, your body and your soul, and treat your entire being with love and respect.

Stay safe and well!

Jana x

What are you looking forward to once this is over?

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I hope you are all keeping well and staying safe. Recently, I’ve been having so many ideas what I would like to do when all of this is finally over. I’ve been visualising what it’s going to feel like to go for meal to my favourite restaurant again or to do something exciting, like going on a trip of a lifetime. I think we are all getting a bit fed up with everything that is going on and want life to go back to normal ASAP. It’s important to re-focus our attention to things that we care about, that we are excited about, instead of focusing on what we fear. Just the other day I took a pen and paper and wrote down some things I’m so looking forward to, once all of this over. I’d love to share this list with you, with a hope that it will encourage you to perhaps write your own. I want you to get excited about the future, start visualising what you are looking forward to, instead of worrying every day. It’s always nice to look forward to something, even though you may not know exactly when it’s going to happen. I’d rather focus on the positive, than worry about something I cannot change. I’d rather stay optimistic than feeling upset about what else may go wrong. I think this exercise can be a fun thing to do and it can lift you up a bit. I hope you’ll give it a go.

The list is not in chronological order and there are some short-term and also long-term goals on it.

So, here is my list:

  • Give a big hug to my mum, my dad, my sister, my brother-in-law, my nephew and my niece, and tell them, in person, how much I love them
  • Go to London’s Ritz with my boyfriend and my best friends for an afternoon tea
  • Teach a meditation class and connect with my lovely students again
  • Go for a classical concert to the Royal Albert Hall
  • Get back to the ballet studio
  • Get my helicopter license
  • Go to my favourite coffee shop, order a nice Latte and work on my new book
  • Go back to Alaska and explore some new parts of it
  • Explore more haunted castles
  • Give a Ted Talk and inspire many people
  • Help others to achieve their goals
  • Speak more publicly about things that matter to me
  • Build up my flying hours
  • Don’t take the little things for granted
  • Buy a cottage in the countryside
  • Have a BBQ at my parents’ garden
  • Go on a holiday with my family
  • Create a cool soundtrack for a film
  • Do more good in the world

I hope my list can inspire you to write your own. Stay safe and well, my friends. 

Jana x 

Getting a new perspective

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Last week I’ve decided to minimise my presence on social media for a while. This was a hard decision for me to make, but it was 100% necessary, for many reasons. I’ve been on the social media, practically full-time, since 2009, so it feels a bit unusual to suddenly not be part of it as much. But, as much as I love inspiring others over the internet, I had to step away for a while. That’s why I will keep my posts to the minimum for now.

And I know, there are many people who don’t care, but there are also many people who do and they get inspired by my posts and messages. I know who these people are, so to them, I feel, I owe you an explanation of my sudden absence.

We all need to put ourselves and our well-being first, and at the moment, I need some time out to make my well-being a full-time job. I always say to my students and clients: ‘I know you love people and care about people. I know you want to help them and serve them, but first, you have to make sure you are taken care of, that you are well and you are looking after yourself. Then, when you are finally overflowing, you can give to others. You can’t pour from an empty cup. You are the most important person in your own life and you need to put yourself first. And this is not selfish, but an act of self-love and a healthy self-respect towards yourself.’ 

And I know, this can be extremely hard when you have small children or are looking after others who depend on you. Therefore, I want to honour you, your journey and the great work that you do. It’s not easy. I fully understand. You can only do your best at any given moment. And I want you to know, that you are amazing!

So, beside everything else that is going on in my life and in the world, I’ve been longing to get more still for ages. I’ve been longing to seek some answers for myself, which I can hopefully find, when I turn down the volume of other things. And so far, I’m noticing some positive changes. In that quiet-titute I’m able to see life differently. I’m able to see life more clearly and I’m able to be more present. I’m able to notice the little things more. These are the things we often take for granted, but they are, in most cases, the ones that truly matter. I feel that I’m healing from something that I didn’t even know was a problem before.

I’m not saying that there is something wrong with social media. It is through social media I was able to connect with most of you, and for that, I will always be grateful. But, there is also so much noise out there, which some sensitive and introverted souls like me, can find challenging to navigate through after quite some time. When we take it in a small doses, it’s all fine. But, when we start noticing that we are turning to it more than is necessary, then it becomes a problem. And partly, this is what has been happening to me.

There are other elements of my life, which are currently not running smoothly. Well, who doesn’t find life challenging these days? But, there are so many things I’ve been overlooking for a long time and they need my full attention now. Realising that has been a blessing.

I do miss you and interacting with you, and I will come back online again fully. But now, I need a bit of space. However, the Mystic Butterfly community still keeps going, because it is what truly empowers me. If you would like to be part of it, simply join the list and subscribe. I sent out a weekly newsletter, every Tuesday, with my latest updates, blog posts and news, and I answer your questions: https://www.mysticbutterfly.co.uk  and as a bonus, you’ll get my brand new eBook ‘The Art of Believing in Yourself’.

Beside that, I’m still continuing with my YouTube videos, so if you are not a subscriber yet and would you like to become one, you can subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCHhGKB2UHc0vWvVhrv9xTw

Look after yourselves, keep well, stay safe and I’m so looking forward to getting in touch again soon. 

Jana x

Confession time:

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I love being creative and sharing content with you. I love the process of putting things together, in a way that only we, as individuals, can do in our own unique way. But, there is something that still haunts me when I do this. It is judgement of myself and my work. As much as I get excited putting something out to the world, whether it’s an article, a video, a piece of music, I sometimes question it.

Can you relate?

Judging yourself for your own content?

It’s very interesting to actually notice how much energy we put into worrying what may other people think of our work, especially once we put it out there. This is just my perception, so if you don’t feel this way, I’m glad you don’t have to deal with the scary voice in your head, which questions or judges your own creativity. I think the reason I feel this way, is partly because I’ve always been a natural worrier ever since I can remember. But that’s another story.

Most of us, when we are in the process of creating something, get very excited. We put so much time and effort to create something we feel proud of, but when it finally comes to sharing it with others, we begin to doubt ourselves, question our creativity, our vision, our unique perspective. Is it okay? Would this or that person like it? Did I say it right? How is it going to be received? Am I going to be judged? We awaken this doubtful voice in the back of our minds and it often takes over and we question something we were so proud of just a few moments ago. Mine used to be so much louder than it is now, but it’s still there. However, I’m trying to co-operate with it the best way I can.

But, there is also a positive side to this. I know, that no matter how judgmental I may get towards myself, I will never stop creating. I will never stop, regardless of other people’s opinions. I will continue to do my best, create my art (no matter how big or small), because it brings me joy. Creativity is my soul food. It is my nourishment. It’s keeping me awake, it fulfils me, it helps me breathe better and it gives me confidence in my ideas. On top of that, there is good chance that my work can inspire and help people. That is the main reason why I do what I do.

When it comes to dealing with the judgemental voice, this is what I find very helpful: Continuously reminding myself that I love and accept myself for who I am, regardless of what other people think of me or my work. It is the love and acceptance that is continuously helping me bring my new projects into fruition.

And here is something I believe can help you, if you struggle with that voice too: 

A year ago, I put together some positive affirmations (at the link below), which can help you become more loving and accepting towards yourself. I hope these affirmations will inspire you. Sit back, relax and let these words sink into your subconscious. You can also play them in the background, while you are cooking, tidying your house, even gardening. The choice is yours. My hope and my intention is that they will help you become more loving and accepting towards your beautiful self.

Lift yourself up, by staying present

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Last Saturday I had a nice, relaxing day, which I’m extremely grateful for. In the evening, I’ve decided to grab my headphones and listen to some music. For a couple of hours I listened everything from the 80’s to the more contemporary Hip-Hop. Later that evening, while making a cup of tea, I realised, that for those couple of hours, I completely forgot about the current outbreak, the ‘C’ word and all the stresses that come with it. I got so ‘lost in the music’, it didn’t cross my mind once. I felt great.

And this experience has inspired today’s post. Being present in the moment and fully focused on the activity you are doing in that particular moment in time, can be very therapeutic. Every time there is something going on in our lives (a problem we can’t find a solution for etc.), it is possible to leave it aside for a while, by being fully engage in the activity we are doing.

I will give you another example. Some of you may now that I’m a devoted ballet student. I took ballet as a child and got back to it as an adult a few years ago. I love ballet. To me, ballet is an art, and another way how my soul expresses itself on this physical plane. Of course, being currently in a ‘lockdown’ here in Britain, there are no classes at my local studio. However, in the last couple of weeks, my beautiful teachers, Jessi and Suzy, came up with an idea to start teaching a life-streaming online classes. I’m so happy and extremely grateful for this. I keep attending and dancing in my living room, while connecting with all my classmates through the internet. I think it’s amazing that we can do that. Ballet, also helps me be more present in the moment and forget, if only for an hour, what is currently going on in the world. The great thing about ballet is that you have to fully focus on what you are doing, so you don’t make mistakes with your steps and the routine. This prevents your mind from wandering. And who doesn’t need that now?

So, what do you enjoy doing? Is it listening to music, reading, gardening, dancing? Get immersed in that activity for a while. Give it your full and undivided attention, and experience the benefits that come with it. You will not only forget about the worries you may have for a while, but afterwards, you may have a completely different outlook on them. Try it.

Stay safe and well, my friends, 

Jana x