Easy Peasy Pesto Pasta

This is what I threw together last night for Adie's school lunch today.  She loves pasta and I know this will go down a treat.  It also makes a nice change from sandwiches.  I threw in some berries for brain food, a cheese stick, nutella on 1 slice of bread (her Friday treat) and yoghurt for morning tea (she's a very big eater) and an apple to go with her lunch.

I didn't throw in the meat for Adie as we had a tofu smoothie for brekky and we are having meat for dinner so her protein needs will be covered but it is a great option to get some extra protein in if needed.  The pesto also contains some great fats which will help to make her feel fuller and do all of those wonderful things that good fats do.

Serves 1

Ingredients

Handful of dried pasta (so technical I know)

5 cherry tomatoes, halved

1.5tbs pesto sauce or pesto dip (it's what I had left in the fridge!)

Small handful of ham or cooked chicken optional

Method

1. Cook pasta according to packet directions

2. Add pesto, tomatoes and meat to pasta and serve.  Lunch done!

Adie's Yummy Tuna Lunch Roll Ups

Ingredients

2 x Slices of multigrain bread

1/2 95gm tin tuna (I use lemon and cracked pepper or tomato and onion)

1 tbs light cream cheese

3 slices of cucumber diced

2 tbs grated carrot

Method

1. Cut Crusts of Bread and using a rolling pin roll as flat as possible

2. Spread Cream Cheese over the two slices of bread then on one end of the bread add tuna, cucumber and carrot.  

3.Pressing down firmly on fillings tightly roll bread up into a tube.  Cut into whatever size pieces your child will find easy to manage.  I cut Adie's into 1/2.

Healthy Homemade Muesli Bites - A Great School Snack

With my oldest starting school this week I am keen to find lunchbox additions that contain healthy ingredients and that I can make myself to ensure less nasty additives.  While searching the internet for suitable recipes I came across a muesli bar recipe that looked not too bad but it contained not only honey but also sugar and butter.  This was close to what I had in mind but not quite as the amount of sugar and unhealthy saturated fat was not what I wanted for our little girl's school lunch box.

I decided to attempt this recipe but with a couple of changes.  Firstly instead of the 1/2 cup of honey and 1/2 cup of brown sugar in the recipe I added only 3/4 cup of honey.  While honey is still a sugar it has a lower GI rating than sugar and contains many more health benefits and nutritional benefits. (See Health Benefits of Honey for more info).

I also switched the 125gms of butter which is high in unhealthy saturated fats (Long Chain Fatty Acid or LCFA) for 125gms of coconut oil which is high in a healthier saturated fat (Medium Chain Fatty Acid or MCFA.)  The difference basically is that the body metabolizes each of these fat types differently and while LCFA have a negative effect on cholesterol, MCFA has no effect on cholesterol and in fact has been known to lower the risk of heart disease.

There are many more health claims made about coconut oil but the one I found most fascinating was that coconut oil contains lauric acid which when present in the body converts to monolaurin.  Monolaurin is a compound that is highly toxic to viruses, bacteria, funguses and other micro organisms and it is used to treat conditions such as candida albicans, athlete's foot, measles and influenza.  Breast milk is the only other known source of lauric acid which may explain the increased immunity of breastfed infants.  For more info on coconut oil please see Coconut Oil.

OK so back to the recipe which I tried and I must say tastes absolutely amazing and the little Miss agrees.  It has heaps of seeds, oats and wheatgerm so while high in calories they are largely good calories and a little bit will go a long way to providing satiety.  They are nut and dairy free and so suitable for people with nut or dairy allergies or for kids who go to nut free schools or kinders.  Please note though that it is high in sugar due to the honey and so isn't something that should take the place of fresh fruits, vegetables and low fat dairy in the lunchbox but something to add in every now and then in place of a store bought muesli bar.

Keep an eye out for more school lunch ideas this week as I get ready for my very first back to school.  Please subscribe above if you don't want to miss out on any of my delicious but nutritious lunch ideas.

Renae's Super Tasty, Super Healthy Muesli Bites

Ingredients

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup dessicated coconut

1/2 cup wheatgerm

1/2 cup sesame seeds

1/2 cup sunflower seeds

1/2 cup pumpkin seeds

1 cup sultanas

125gms coconut oil

3/4 cup honey

Method

1. In a frying pan cook oats, coconut, wheatgerm, sesame seeds, sunflower kernels and pumpkin seeds stirring over a medium heat for 8-10 minutes.  Set aside to cool and stir in sultanas.

2. Cook honey and coconut oil over medium heat until coconut oil melts then turn heat to low and simmer for 7 minutes.

3. Line a 20x30cm slice tin in baking paper and add in the oat mixture and then the honey mixture stirring thoroughly.  Really, really thoroughly.  Press down firmly with a fork and leave to cool.

4. Once cooled slice into 32 pieces and store in an airtight container for up to a week.  This recipe should also freeze but I haven't tried it yet.  I will give it a go tonight and report tomorrow on the results.

Options

Try rice bubbles or puffed millet instead of the rolled oats for a gluten free version.  You could also add in whatever dried fruit you like and swap some nuts for seeds if nut allergies are not an issue for you and your school.

Nutritional Information

Based upon calorieking.com.au

Per 1 piece Makes 32 Pieces

KJs/Cals - 630/151

Total Carbs - 13.3gms

Sugar - 10gms

Fat - 9.8gms

Saturated Fat - 6.2gms (see info on coconut oil fats above)

Cholesterol - 0mg

Protein - 2.8gms

Fibre - 1.6gms

Sodium - 3mg

Calcium - 24mg

Hung up on housework?

Now where's that kit kat?

So here I am at home exhausted but happy after spending a few days cleaning my home with the energy that has returned with the second trimester of my pregnancy.  Happy I said, more like completely chuffed with myself.  The floors were done, the kitchen fully cleaned out and organised, the furniture was polished, the kid's rooms were spotless and the bathrooms were sparkling.  The house looked amazing for the first time in a long while and I was loving it.

Now let's rewind back and have a look at the last few months when I was completely zonked with early pregnancy and the constant nausea taking it's toll on me.  The house was never a bomb site but it was also never amazing and I felt this everyday as disappointment in myself for not being able to stay as on top of things as I would have liked.  

I found myself often in tears and yelling at my darling boy as he had yet again decided to change our carpet from white to psychadelic with whatever tools he had at hand (wax crayon, fruit juice, playdough, whatever he could get his hands on really.)  I took every attempt from my children to mess with the tidiness of my house as a personal insult and when they really trashed it I felt hopeless defeat for a while.

Seriously who buys white carpet?

Now as I stood there feeling chuffed about my amazingly clean looking abode it occurred to me that I had invested a lot of myself and my self esteem in my ability to keep a tidy home.  It might seem like something reasonably harmless and that heaps of people do but when you stop to think about it it's completely crazy.  I was investing my sense of wellbeing and happiness in something that not only has no affect whatsoever on the fate of mankind (my ruling stick for the import of anything,) but was also totally at the mercy of two children, my energy levels and my schedule.  In hindsight really not that clever.

Buddha amongst his many teachings brought us the idea that human suffering was caused by either attachment or aversion.  Attachment to things that we have or desire and aversion to those things we don't want.  Buddha taught his disciples that to achieve true happiness we need to rid ourselves of our attachments and aversions.  He wasn't suggesting that we never want for anything ever again but that we didn't attach ourselves or our current or future happiness to that desire.

Buddha also taught us about impermanence.  The fact that nothing in this universe including ourselves is here forever and that even the giant mountain of today will be a slightly different mountain tomorrow as it is affected by it's environment so that one day it may be worn away to nothing.  

Understanding the implications of impermanence helps us to let go of our attachments and aversions as we understand that those things that we feel we can't be happy without won't last nor will the happiness that comes with attaining them.  Also those things that we waste energy on hating, wishing away or avoiding will also not last and we can accept that with  time the cause of our aversion or our aversion itself will simply cease to be.

What does this have to do with my housework scenario? Everything.  I had attached myself and my happiness to having to have a clean home.  When my home was clean, I was content with this aspect of myself and would allow myself happiness until as is inevitable this condition for happiness goes away and I am back to denying myself happiness until the condition is restored.

So what to do?  While I don't endorse never cleaning your house again as keeping a clean home helps to ensure a safe and healthy environment for us and our families, I am suggesting that my sense of wellbeing is to no longer be impacted by the condition of having a clean home or not.  Now that I have awareness of my actions I can understand that while my home may not be as clean as I would like, this condition will not last and so I needn't waste my energy and happiness on wishing it to be different.

Gimme, gimme, gimme

I've talked about having a clean home but there are many different ways we display attachments and aversions that will be manifesting themselves in my life and yours.  Do you feel ashamed of yourself when unable to stick to your chosen eating plan and totally pumped when you get it right?  Do you think of yourself as a queen or king when you have achieved that longed for figure/muscle tone and a dog when your body looks different to this ideal?  Is your sense of self love affected by the behavior of your children, state of your bank balance, prestige of your occupation, make of your car?  The list goes on.

My challenge for myself over the next week and I hope you'll join me is to look at those things we have attached our sense of wellbeing to, list them down and then get real with ourselves about the impermanence of these things and the craziness of attaching our happiness to them.  I reiterate again that I am not asking you to stop working on a healthier you or stop working but to understand that these things are not you and you are not them.

Good luck and if you like what you read don't forget to follow my blog by subscribing at the top of this page.

Your balance buddy

Renae X

P.S Is there anything you can think of straight away that you have unknowingly attached yourself to?

Empowering Women with Louise L Hay

Empowering Women

Louise L. Hay

1997, Hodder

Louise L. Hay is a metaphysical lecturer and teacher and the bestselling author of so many amazing books.  She has founded Hay House publishing which publishes masses of personal development and spiritual books and Hay House radio which is an internet based radio show that features radio programs with her most popular authors.  Any one who has decided to start reading about personal growth would have come across Louise at some point.

Louise is infamous for her use of mirror work and affirmations to help people to change their subconscious thoughts and to re-write the negative self talk that we so often have running through our minds.  

Louise describes Empowering women as a book to help women reach their full potential.  She has used all of her tried and true basic methods and added many new ideas to help her on this mission.

Louise starts by taking us through the programming that women have been subjected to in the past and which still haunts us to this day.  By highlighting some of these old beliefs Louise really throws the light on them and enables the reader to understand some of the beliefs that may be holding women back.  Louise also takes some time going through the messages that advertising is sending to modern day women and again throws light on some of these potentially stifling beliefs.

From here we move into the crux of the book which is basically a step by step guide to changing your beliefs and turning your self talk into positive self talk.  As Louise says 

".....my belief is that the thoughts we think, the words we speak, and the beliefs we hold are very powerful.  They shape our experiences and our lives.  It is almost as if every time we think a thought or speak a word, the Universe is listening and responding to us.  So if there is something in our life that we do not, then we have the power to make changes."

Louise doesn't just talk the talk either, every tool that she uses and every thing she teaches us comes from the intense struggle that she has faced from a difficult childhood which included incest and the subsequent course of her life that has taken her from being a "bitter, fearful, poor, negative woman."  To being the positive powerhouse that she is today.

The book talks about parenting to ensure we do not repeat the same conditioning of the past, Creating Your Own Good Health (a specialty subject of Louise's for more info see You Can Heal Your Life), Exploring Sexuality, Sexual Harassment  Getting Older and finishes the book off with book with amazing Australian based resources for women and a recommendation of more books to read on the subject.

Now I know what you're probably thinking.  This book is for man haters or for women who are clearly down trodden by the men in their life and living the old stereo types.  Both simply aren't true.  Louise says quite clearly that lifting up women is not about bringing down men as we have both played a part in getting us to this current situation.  It is also most definitely an eye opening read for all women as some of this conditioning is so ingrained that I think most of us have no idea it's even there.  

This book will make big changes for any woman who is looking to increasing her own self esteem and self belief and is willing to take responsibility for their life where it is right now and go through the tough process of rebuilding their own self talk.  The work is confronting and difficult but if you stick through it you should find that you are rewarded with a life you can be proud of. I'll leave you with the book's last statement to help you decide if it's something you're willing to work for.

"Inside of you is a smart, powerful, dynamic, capable, self-confident, alive, alert, fabulous woman.  Let her come out and play.  The world is waiting for you."

So what do I want?

I have so many ideas on what I want to start working on, what I want to share with you, challenges I want to take it that it can seem a little overwhelming to work out where to start.  I am a believer in the law of attraction which has been in discussion since the beginning of last century and that was made famous in Rhonda Byrne's movie and subsequent book The Secret and so to me it made sense to start with working out exactly what it is that I do want.  Then have a look at what is in my life that is in my life that is not helping to get to where I want to go

There are many ways that you can go about sorting through what it is that you want.  You can write lists, writing specific goals for each item, you can talk about it with a friend or you can work with images.  Working with images is definitely my preferred option as the Law of Attraction states simply that "like attracts like" and so by focusing on positive things you receive positive things and likewise for the negative.  Having visual images of those things that you do want in your life readily visible to you each and every day means that you will be focusing on those positive images continually which will help to bring these things closer to you.

Even if you don't believe in the law of attraction to me it still makes sense to have these visual images close to hand as the more you think about something the more you start to notice things that are linked to it everywhere you go.  Take buying a car for example, once you have started the thought process of buying a new car, you will start to notice more new car advertisements and pay ore attention to what the people around you are driving.  

Another example you could use if you still don't buy into this is to think of the colour yellow.  Now that you're thinking about it you're seeing yellow everywhere.  I bet two seconds ago you would have said that there wasn't much yellow around and now you can't stop finding it.  This I believe is what is at work when I create my vision boards.

A vision board really is nothing more than a collection of images of those things that you want to bring into your life.  Vision boards can take the form of a physical board like my own which is pictured above or you could do an electronic slideshow and have it as your screen saver.  Whatever way you tackle it the important thing is to make sure that it's in a position that means that you will see it as often as possible.

I myself have already successfully used a vision board to manifest the things that I desired into my life.  Things that I wouldn't have even considered possible but which started to manifest almost as soon as I had finished the board.  Through this vision board I was able to get a new home in the countryside, leave my job and study to become a personal trainer, then work as a trainer, start growing my own vegetables and most excitingly of all we were able to take a trip to France and Italy.  I wish I still had a picture of this board as it was powerful stuff!

So what's on my vision board this time around?  Studying yoga teaching, buddhism and ayurveda, a trip to India and a spa, health, laughter, plenty of meditation, healthy food and exercise, healing for both myself and to be able to heal others and to become a writer.  I have no doubt that these things are already on their way to me now.  We will talk more about taking those things out of our lives that don't support these desires in the coming weeks.

So tell me.  Are you keen to try a vision board?  If not what's holding you back?  Don't forget to follow the blog and keep up with what's happening.  You can now like the blog on facebook as well.

Your balance buddy

Renae X

P.S if you still need some convincing in regards to the effectiveness of vision boards why don't you do a search and have a look at the massive amounts of testimonials that come up.

My Delicious Berry Tofu Smoothie and why I love silken Tofu

Silken Tofu

Silken Tofu for me is an absolute wonder product.  It is extremely versatile, inexpensive and high in nutrients such as calcium (tofu has 372mg per 100gms compared to skim milk which has 122mg per 100mls), protein (6gms per 100gms with all essential amino acids), it is a good source of thiamin, magnesium, phosphorous and copper, it is low in sodium,  fat and most importantly saturated fat and is suitable for vegans.

Silken Tofu is similar to firm tofu (regular tofu) except that it is processed differently and has a different texture.  Pressing and separating the soy curds and whey is what gives regular tofu it's firmness whereas in making silken tofu the two are not separated which gives a much lighter and creamier tofu.  

This is perfect for me as I like to use silken tofu to increase the nutritional content of many old favorites such as potato and leek soup, pumpkin soup and pesto sauce.  Like regular tofu, silken tofu takes on the flavour of what you are cooking it with but the beauty of silken tofu is that it blends into whatever you are making and the only difference is that it will slightly thicken and make creamy whatever it is you are cooking.

I wanted to share with you a recipe I adore.  I'm not someone who is huge on eating highly processed foods and so when I need to get some protein in quickly and I don't have time to cook eggs or just to add a bit of additional protein and nutrients to a smoothie I whip this up as a breakfast or after workout snack.

Note: A Tofu smoothie does not have the equivalent protein of a protein powder so if you are looking for a large amount of protein then a protein powder (whey protein isolate is great) would be a better source.

Berry Tofu Smoothie

Serves 2

Ingredients 

125gms Silken Tofu

2 handfuls of frozen berries

500mls(ish) of milk or soy milk

2 drops vanilla essence

1 pinch of cinnamon

Method

Throw all ingredients into the blender and process until smooth.  Continue to add more milk to achieve the right consistency and then enjoy.

Optional Extras

Banana (great for extra carbs), LSA powder, chia seeds, cocoa powder, coconut oil, flaxseed oil.

Looking for a bit of weekend reading?

If you're looking for something to read this weekend check out my review on the book My Spiritual Autobiography by the Dalai Lama.

My Spiritual Autobiography

His Holiness the Dalai Lama

Collected by Sofia Stril-Rever

Translated by Charlotte Mandel

Rider, 2011

ISBN 978-1-84604-242-3

Rather than being a blow by blow account of the Dalai Lama's birth to current day My Spirital Autobiography is made up of the various stories, speeches and interviews that the Dalai Lama has given over the years beautifully collated by Sofia-Stril Rever who also adds her own commentary when it is necessary for a clearer understanding.

It breaks the Dalai Lama's life into three sections As a Human Being, As a Buddhist Monk and As the Dalai Lama.  Not only does this logically work in terms of timing i.e. as a human being was the Dalai Lama's time before becoming the Dalai Lama, as a Buddhist Monk being about the Dalai Lama's training as a Buddhist monk and as the Dalai Lama when at the age of 16 the leadership was placed in his hands.  It also presents the Dalai Lama in the very order that he considers himself, a human being first and foremost, then a simple Buddhist monk and lastly as the Dalai Lama.

The Dalai Lama has lived the most fascinating life from his boyhood in rural Tibet, to being discovered to be the 14th reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, to his training in Lhasa and then the Chinese occupation and his subsequent fleeing to India where he became the leader of the Tibetans in exile.  After this the book delves into the Tibetans struggle to regain independence, to maintain their national and religious identity and to protect the precious ecology of "The roof of the world." 

The Dalai Lama's representation of the struggle of the Tibetans still in Tibet, the genocide that has occurred and the flagrant flouting of basic human rights that has been committed by the Chinese Communist party is extraordinary and eye opening.

In particular I found to be most compelling his description of the fateful day of March 10, 1959 when thousands of Tibetans spontaneously gathered to form a wall with their bodies around the Dalai Lama's summer residence as the Chinese Army aimed their cannons toward him.  The Dalai Lama made his escape disguised as a soldier in the hope that he could divert a tragedy.  The crowd did not disperse however in the days that followed and on March 17 the Chinese Army attacked and men, women and children all offered their life for their Dalai Lama.  Around ten thousand Tibetans were killed that day.

You cannot help through reading this book to feel compassion for the plight of Tibet and in-credulousness at how the world has allowed this to occur and continue.  You also cannot do anything be be amazed at the compassion that the Dalai Lama holds for the Chinese nation and his patience in trying to bring about a resolution to the solution (he has been plugging away at this for 62 years.) 

His lessons throughout the pages on compassion, humanity, inter-dependence and non-violence are thought-provoking and in some cases life-changing.  This book is informative, interesting and most of all is likely to touch a part of your soul.  I could not recommend this book more highly to anyone who is interested in the Dalai Lama, Tibet, Buddhism and personal development.

I leave you with a poem written by Tenzin Tsendu a poet and freedom fighter on the plight of those Tibetans still fleeing Tibet today.

Slowing threading our way by night and hiding by day, 

In twenty days we reached the snow-covered mountains.
The border was still many days away by foot.
The rocky ground scraped our bodies, bent from effort and pain.
Over our heads a bomber passed
My children shout in terror
And huddled against my chest.
I was so exhausted I felt as if I had no limbs,
But my mind was watchful....
We had to press ahead or we would die on the spot.
One daughter here, one son there,
A baby on my back,
We reached the snowfields.
We climbed up the sides of the monster-like mountains
Whose snowy banks often cover the bodies of travelers who ventured here.
In the midst of these snow-white fields of death,
A pile of frozen corpses
Awoke our wavering courage.
Drops of blood were scattered on the snow.
Soldiers must have crossed their path,In our own country they had fallen into the hands of the Red Dragon.
We pray to the wish-fulfilling Jewel,
Hope in our hearts, prayer on our lips,
We have almost nothing left to eat
And only the ice to quench our thirst,
We climb together, night after night.
But one night, my daughter complained her foot was burning.
She fell and stood up on her frozen leg.
Her skin was tattered and gashed with deep, bleeding cuts,
She curled up, shivering with pain.
The next day both her legs were lost.
Assailed by death on every side,
I was a powerless mother;
"Amala, save my brothers,
I'm going to rest a little."
Until I no longer heard her moans in the distance,
I looked behind me, through my tears and the torture of this pain.
My legs carried me but y mind remained with her.
For a long time afterwards, in exile, I continue to see her
Waving her frozen hands at me.
The oldest of my children, but barely a teenager,
Leaving our country was an ordeal.
Every night I light a butter lamp for her,
And her brothers join me in prayer.

My life out of Balance

On the surface I guess you could say that I'm someone who already has a pretty balanced life.  Like most people I'm good at hiding the ugly truth from the general public so as to present a picture of a happy, healthy and on top of everything person.  I am coming to learn that not only does this do me a disservice as it robs me of the opportunity to live truthfully fully accepting where I am in life right now but it also stops me from asking for help sometimes when it's desperately needed.  

This also does others a disservice as they do not get the opportunity to get to know the real me and they are also robbed of the opportunity to offer me help as people like to have the opportunity to help others where possible.  I know this is the truth for me and I'm sure it is also for many others.  It gives us a lasting sense of inner happiness when we can help ease the suffering of others.  Why let pride get in the way of giving someone that opportunity?

So the ugly truth is that although I seem to lack for nothing, in reality my life is full of some gaping holes.  I lack energy, I lack passion, I lack respect for my true self, I lack time to be present with my children, I lack respect for my own limitations, I lack the ability to ask for help, I lack the ability to maintain a way of eating that fully supports my body, I lack the will to exercise some days even though I love it, somedays I even lack the ability to be happy.  This is not how I want to live my life.

Now before you think OMG here we go this blog is going to be one gigantic whinge fest.  I also have many, many, many wonderful things in my life that I am truly grateful for every day and can always access this gratitude.  I also understand that I really lack for nothing as I already have inside me the ability to have all of these things. 

The purpose of this blog is to track my journey as I tap into my inner abilities to create what I desire in my life and to lose those things that do not serve me.  I hope that in discovering this I can help some of you to do the same for yourselves.  At the very least there will be some kick ass recipes, some interesting challenges and natural living advice that I'm sure everyone can take something from.

So get on board by subscribing on your top right and together lets start accessing our full potential and living our best lives, not our perfect lives but our best lives.

Today's question for you:

What are those things that you feel is missing from your life that you want to uncover?

Your balance buddy

Renae X 

My favoritest ever Breakfast

My favorite ever breakfast would have to be hands down Burcher Muesli.  I even love to order it when I'm out for brekky.  Great for any early start at work or after an early gym session.  Just serve it in a travel mug and take with you.  I used to love doing this for my 6 am Eastern Beach workouts. I would finish the workout absolutely ruined and famished and lo and behold in my car awaited this amazing little treat.  Perfect for replacing carbs and giving my body wonderful amino acids and vitamins and antioxidants for recovery. Super-easy and super-versatile you can simply chuck in whatever you feel like or have on hand and it always tastes amazing.  It can also be served in just about anything (think wine glasses for a fun brunch idea) and is so easy to garnish and made to look amazing.  Trust me and try this.

Burcher Muesli

Serves 1

Ingredients

1/2 Cup Rolled Oats
1/2 Cup of Water or Apple Juice
Handful of Fresh or Frozen Berries
1/2  Grated Apple
100gms Natural Yoghurt
Sprinkle of LSA powder
Fresh Strawberry

Method

1. Soak oats in water or apple juice overnight.
2. In the morning add all other ingredients, mix
3. Garnish with a dollop of yoghurt and strawberry and enjoy

Optional extras

Cinnamon, Vanilla Essence, Slivered Almonds, Shredded Coconut, Chia Seeds, Sunflower Seeds, Pepitas, Mango, Protein Powder, Sultanas, Honey, Maple Syrup, Silken Tofu
You know what just go crazy !!

Why balance?

So here I am yet another pilgrim in the search of finding balance in their life.  Why is it that we are perpetually  fascinated with this elusive creature we call balance?

Have you ever felt frustrated that you were working your butt off but getting little joy out of life?  Have you ever felt that once you finish all of your work and commitments that there is just no time left for anything else?  How about doing plenty of reading and thinking about changing your life but never any action?  

All of these statements and so many more that you are probably imagining right now indicate that your life lacks balance and none of the above situations brings about any happiness lasting or otherwise. Hence the age old quest for balance.  

Our bodies are the perfect example of our need for balance and your body is on it's own quest for homeostasis.  On the matter of homeostatis our goods friends at Wikipedia have the following to say:

Human homeostasis is derived from the Greek, homeo or "same", and stasis or "stable" and means remaining stable or remaining the same.^[1]

The human body manages a multitude of highly complex interactions to maintain balance or return systems to functioning within a normal range.....This process is essential to the survival of the person and to our species........An inability to maintain homeostasis may lead to death or a disease, a condition known as homeostatic imbalance.

Our bodies require so many different factors to be in balance to maintain good health such as temperature, blood composition, pressure, volume and sleep and our bodies are constantly in the process of trying to maintain this balance.

As the Law of Correspondence one of 12 universal laws from the book The Light Shall Set You Free (1998) Drs. Milanovich and McCune demonstrates that your inner self reflects your outer world.  So if your inner world is out of balance i.e. lots of negative emotions, too many unhealthy foods, too much on time not enough down time, this will be reflected in your outer world i.e. sickness, disease,unhappiness, loneliness and fatigue.

Age old though it may be (think back to Buddha and his swinging between prince and pauper before finally settling on something in between), I believe our current lifestyle has started to swing so far out of balance that it is both the cause of so much wide spread disease and has sparked this wide spread obsession with balance.

Today's lifestyle tells us that we should have more, be more successful, give more to our children, be more to our children, look after our partner's needs, look after our own needs, be slim, be healthy, be sexy, be always available, exercise more, sleep more, stress less, eat naturally, eat low fat, eat more protein, eat locally, be sustainable add to this the need to balance all of this with our bank balances and it is no wonder we are so confused and unbalanced.  There's just too darn much to think about.

This is why I have decided to devote myself and this blog to finding tools,ideas and methods that will bring our lives into sharper balance and I am more than happy to be the guinea pig for all of you out there in readersville although you are all most welcome to join me if you wish.

My promise to you is that I will endeavor to be as non-judgmental, non-prescriptive and non-getting-up-on-my-high-horse (what that's a word isn't it?) because let's face it, there's nothing worse than somebody else telling you how you should live your own life.

I hope you make the decision to join me in this quest by subscribing to my blog, offering suggestions, giving plenty of feedback and most importantly of all sharing your journey with us.

Today's question for you all is "Where do you think your life is the most out of balance?"  I'll tell you about mine in the next post.

Your balance buddy

Renae X