My Journey to finding my Gypsy Glow!

I am SO thrilled to be a part of the GLOWSCHOOL BLOG TOUR! It’s a movement created by my spirited friend, Dana Gatziolis. I met Dana through Gabrielle Bernstein’s Spirit Junkie Masterclass and to describe her as a Glowing soul doesn’t even do her justice as she goes beyond such! Her story is that of boldness, truth, and sheer bravery. I invite you to read her story and just feel out her radiate energy!

As part of the the blog tour, I was asked to share how I found my Glow and the ways that you too can tap into that infinite luminosity. Coming into my cosmic Gypsy self definitely had it’s awkward and challenging moments, however the freedom and love I feel now makes it all worthwhile.

Read on my glowing friend….

It’s true when they say that what is destined to be yours will be shown at the most divine timing in our lives. Little glimpses of hope and passion weaved into a story board guided by the underworking of society.

Little did I realize that my first glimpse of what would be my ‘Cosmic Gypsy Glow’ would be recognized at a grocery store near my childhood home in Los Angeles, upon finding a pocket Astrology guide to being a Leo.

I was blessed with the ability to read at the onset of age 4, and though this current literature was more advanced than my usual Dr. Seuss tales, I was able to navigate my way through most text. I read how a Leo was a person that was a bold leader, often theatrical in nature and enjoyed living a lavish and fun lifestyle. I continue to read on about the Leo’s love for travel, good food, and shopping. That they had many friends and loved to party. I started blushing as it went on to add a steady flow of lovers. The more I glossed over the words the more I felt affirmed to why I was here on this earth. With each playful adjective my heart filled with a sense of longing and pride. I loved everything about the independent and fabulous Leo. I loved even more that it was affirmed that when I grew up, I was going to be a Leo!

At just the ripe age of 6 years old, I was lured into the seclusive world of Astrology.
Over the years I continued to read about the Leo persona when I could. Growing up in a Catholic household, the astrology ideology wasn’t exactly welcomed and I kept my hobby hidden. Upon discovering in excitement the New Age or Occult sections at the library or book store, I would camp out and spend hours reading through the captivating celestial text. With every new finding, I was feeling more and more connected to this secret system of the stars.

By the time I reached college, my knowledge and interest in Astrology was at it’s peak. I became the girl at parties that assessed people’s personalities based on their Sun sign and would predict which couple’s relationships had the most staying power. Astrology let me not only be an excelled observer of the world which I was in constant awe of, it allowed me to feel like I had a special talent and a skill set that people could appreciate.

As I transitioned into adulthood, the pressures of society allowed me to lose sight of my passion and precious love for astrology. I became burdened by trying to fit into society’s timeline and boxed myself into a corporate career that wasn’t satisfying my soul. I had lost sight of the lion hearted girl I was and grew more confused as to why I wasn’t becoming the bold Leo leader I was destined to be. The more separated I felt, the less I started to take care of myself and soon I was going down the rabbit hole of using outer addictions to try to suppress my lost soul. I would always pray for a magical change the next day, yet every morning brought the gloom of disappointment. And so as if by habit, I would offer up to God and pray to just make it through the day.

I didn’t know that the freedom and love I desired was just dormant on the other side, waiting for me to realize that the Leo was ready to go and just waiting for permission.

And in the Fall of 2009, a force greater than my own intervened, and with a heavy hand the lion in me roared out and a new glowing light was activated. It was that of the light that was to save me. As I adjusted to the awkward brightness, through partly shielded hands I could see out into my life and realized a new journey was uncovering before me.

It took many months for me to work with this glow. I felt like I was starting all over again, learning how to work with the thoughts that triggered me to the darkness as well as nurturing my heart to keep me going in love. There were moments when I wanted to hide back in my cave and go back to the life I didn’t want yet was all I had come to know. However my light kept me strong. Keep going, it’d whisper gently.

And so I did.

In it’s truest discovery I realized that this glow was my homecoming, a cosmic force to bring me back to my Leo hearted soul. It’s my most authentic connection with a divine force outside of me. It wasn’t the feeling of not being good enough or regrettable or misunderstood. It’s real genuine love. And I came to find that the glowing love I felt was purely me.

Soon after I found modalities such as meditation and mindfulness to keep me in my glow. I learned what it meant to be in the present moment and it was the greatest gift I’d ever been given. I can still remember that instant of my mind, body and soul all syncing together as if it was the most natural thing in the world. I tapped back into new age curiosities such as Astrology and Tarot. I started reading my horoscopes again and it guided me to Kundalini Yoga which expanded my path in a whole new way.

I become inspired to become a teacher of the Kundalini technology, a practice that quite simply cultivates the awareness for us rise up within our own self rite coinciding with the Aquarian Age. It was there I was given the spiritual name ‘Sahej Anand’, which means lioness who finds bliss in the present moment under God and shares that joy with others. I wept in awe at it’s divine meaning and at how well it understood just what I felt called in my soul to do. Just like that day at a grocery store outside of L.A.

The light came at my darkness hour and restored my soul in such a way that I may auto-illuminate that glow throughout the world with the blessing of the cosmos. It is all but my birthright to do so and a true honor. Though the use of astrology, it’s allowed me to guide others to glow too. To see another way. To know there is a way to see out of the dark fear of the unknown.

Your life is but a sacred love story, a reunion of what your soul intended for you and the process of awakening. The more I surrender to my cosmic, glowing Gypsy heart, the more my life feels filled with purpose and a sense of meaning. I never thought I wanted to go the unconventional route and sometimes it feels easier to retreat, however through the consistency of being in this craft, my legacy expands deeper and I know I’m in my truth.

Perhaps you may be wondering how you can tap into a more glowing and luminous self. It’s likely you feel a mix of emotions; excitement, inspiration, confusion, and even fear. Below is my most treasured guidance to set you back on your path:

Be curious about life. To know that it is truly possible to follow your glow and trust that by taking on a more observational and nonjudgmental approach it will enhance further. The main objective is to just begin. Start where you’re at. Ask for guidance. Google it even. You’ll be amazed at the people and opportunities that start to unfold!
Trust that happiness + abundance is your birthright! Above all else, you deserve to be joyous and prosperous. Your soul came here bound with a divine mission and the more you commit to it (as oppose to helping fulfill someone else’s journey), you’ll start to receive all the support and security you need! Ask for complete ease so you can fulfill your path without fear and focus on elevating your desires. Don’t let fear declare bankruptcy on your life and invest in your faith instead!
Clarity comes from taking action! After exploring next steps, it’s time to put them to work! Realize that you may have to try a few different ways until you find your fit. Practice making the space to honor your ideas. Sure, they may not seem practical to a parent or peer, however at the end of the day, it’s not really up to them. If you aren’t sure what lights you, give yourself permission to see what happens. Mishaps are not failures however merely a process of elimination. If you stay true to making yourself a priority, everything you need will start to magically shift into place.
You are so much more than you think you are! Take time to befriend yourself and implement self care. You have a special fit in this cosmic universe and the more you embrace it, the easier life becomes. You’re here on a mission only you can fulfill and deep down you know it’s possible. You wouldn’t be given a dream if you weren’t equipped to play it out! Glow for it.

You truly are meant to freaking GLOW in this life. Trust that there is always another way, a new opportunity… You must simply believe and know that if you truly want it, there will be many miracles and a life filled with pure ease!

Yesterday, Nicole from Body Boop shared her favorite GLOW tips with us, and I’m so psyched to read what Jen Kanipe is sharing tomorrow!
Jump on board this beautiful blog tour, and GLOW with us!

Also, I highly recommend taking advantage of Dana’s FREE 10-Day Get Glowing Adventure – starting February 1st: 10 days of simple + fun daily challenges + inspiration. Hope to see you there! Let’s GLOW!

How I Successfully Willed Myself to Gain 20 Pounds in a Year

Today marks the one year anniversary of me trying something different. Of the turning point where I realized that certain relationships and situations had to go because they were ultimately distracting me from the big picture of where I wanted to be. A year ago I launched my first Astrology forecast video, setting the tone that I was serious about launching my dreams and bridging together a purpose and a passion. To celebrate, I’m holding a live call on July 9th at 8:30pm EST and you can sign up here. I would love to have you there as I share how I easily blend Astrology into my everyday life!

Up to this point however, there was always something nagging me. A nasty fear. It was the worry that I would gain weight and thus lose my credibility. It was that constant concern that actually willed me to manifest what I was so turned off by and in the span of 12 months, I managed to put 20 pounds onto my being.  As much as I hated it, there was a strange satisfaction from my ego, taunting me that everything I was building in my outside world could crumble if I don’t get this in check. And with every pound, it was confirming such.

It wasn’t until last week when the universe literally pushed me to my knees on my run, that I realized I needed to shift.

The weight gain was two fold really. At will, I’m an addict. When things are too good to be true or completely unknown, I reach. It use to be more brash substances such as alcohol or drugs however I’ve since learned to not to reach for those in desperate times. Instead, I went back to my old stomping grounds, food. The excitement of making my dreams a reality, of having people turn to me for guidance and being an expert in something was incredible. I didn’t know what to do with the rush of feelings so I grounded myself with food. Every single time. A successful event meant pizza to follow. A client makes a break through and I praise them afterward with ice cream. Instead of sitting with the glee, I had to transfer it to another source. My world was expanding, and apparently that applied to my waist line too!

There is also a pattern in our society, that when you’re thin you get attention. Either flattery or concern. When you’re overweight, everyone leaves you alone. After puberty, I was typically on the heavier side and was in a constant pursuit of body normalcy. However every time I lost pounds, I was hit back with waves of attention which I hated. People want to know how I did it or if I went overboard. I couldn’t never win. I just wanted to enjoy my healthy body and dress it up in fun new outfits. I didn’t like the new standard of approval I had to meet and would constantly fall back to my old ways. And as of recent, with launching a new business, I found comfort in the fact that I could hide behind the weight and no one would bring up my body or dissect it if I happen to lose more. It also kept me from other things that would distract me, like dating. I subconsciously created an armor to protect anything from getting in my way. Not stopping to realize that the more you close off, the more space you block from ultimately expanding in.

It is only fitting, a year later and steadily in the business I wanted (and truly am in love with), that this issue reach it’s peak. When I fell last week, scraping my hands and bruising my knees, it left me out of commission and I felt a whole new wave of appreciation for my body. It limited my ability to move freely and go about my day to day as I come to know. However that’s a freaking good thing. I needed a change up so I could see that this trending agony of weight gain could stop. And it’s more than the actual weight and image concerns, for me, it’s about going deeper. Of realizing I deserve this life I have created. I am worth it and have value to bring to others. And most importantly, I don’t have to ground my light. Those feel good vibes I get are gorgeous and meant to be contained, not weakened by an outer source. Today, I’m making the commitment to drop my armor. To embrace my life with love and reflect that back onto my body. To nurture the vessel that holds my beautiful soul. Today I know longer have to perfect anything. I can bask in the perfection that is the right now and the moments to follow will follow suit.

If you’re looking for ways to strengthen your relationship with food and your body, I encourage you to check out my friend and mentor Gabby Bernstein’s program Finally Full.

And here’s just a few more tips from me to you:

1. Full Acceptance. When I was building my business, there was a fear that maybe this wasn’t meant to be. That my dreams weren’t possible. And so the weight gain was my sneaky way of sabotage. However as much as I tried, my business still grew and I have a following of gorgeous people with the biggest hearts. I saw that they loved me for ME. Not for how my body looked. And honestly, I could be at any size and they would appreciate what I was offering them. And that is because I deliver from the heart. When I am with a client, a group or shooting a video, I am speaking from love and fully on your side. So if you are feeling a disconnect from your body, start to explore the value of what you offer the world. How are you a giver among family and friends? Take full acceptance of that role you hold and treasure it. Give it real worth. And understand that you are not defined by how you look but how your heart radiates and make others feel.

2. Come clean. I had to get real with myself and even vulnerable to shift this growing concern. It’s not easy when you are viewed as a expert in one area to have to admit defeat in another. However I knew that by vocalizing what’s going on (and not writing it off or cracking jokes like I usually do), I could get the encouragement and support I needed in a way to keep me going.

3. Balance. As with anything, moderation is so key. When I look back to my successful moments of a healthy lifestyle, it was filled with exercise I enjoyed, nourishing foods and fun moments with friends where we could explore good food together. It wasn’t the moments of binge eating in front of the TV or using adderall to keep my weight in check. It wasn’t being mean to myself or restricting my intake. Channel the fond memories of food, health and body movement and start to implement those back into your life. Make the joyous feelings of what a vivacious, satisfied body and life feel like the priority.

Can you relate? Have you ever found yourself in one area of success and sabotaging another? What did you do? How are you still dealing with it now? Comment below as I’d love to hear from you! Let’s take off the armor and shine bright together!