Hot Mess? I call BS.

Hot Mess? I call BS.

Unpopular opinion, perhaps, but when someone self-declares themselves as a hot mess, it makes me cringe. 
 
Yet, we see it all the time.  The hashtag “hot mess” has been used on Instagram over a million times.  
 
Declaring, or even thinking, that you are a hot mess is totally defeating.  It’s like you are putting on a brave face, by telling the world you don’t give a rip, yet you are labelling yourself which keeps you from having to reach for more or, more accurately, from wanting more.  
 
I know this “hot mess” feeling.  I know it well.  But sometimes we use trendy words without even realizing how much they play with our subconscious and keep us playing small.  
 
What does “hot mess” mean to you?  What is the woman who says this actually feeling?  Tired, wiped, barely holding on, needing a break, wishing she could feel like she’s got it all together, wanting to be energized and organized.  
 
This woman feels like there isn’t enough of her to go around, yet the Instagram photos would have her book-ending her day with “can’t function without coffee” and pouring a glass of red in the evening, talking about the crazy mom life, sporting a messy bun, and a cute oversized sweatshirt that says something witty, all while being praised for “keeping it real” and being relatable.   
 
Why is that more accepted than her saying, I’m really overwhelmed these days, but I know it will get better.  I’m doing what I can and being gentle with myself.  
 
Don't get me wrong, I like coffee and I enjoy a good glass of merlot once in a while. I get it, but we are missing the point with this surface level stuff that is actually hiding some bigger stuff.

It’s a crappy feeling to feel scattered and exhausted, but sometimes we announce it as a form of community building.  It’s like saying, hey all you other tired, overwhelmed women out there!  I’m here!  Let’s be this way together, so that it feels better.
 
But does it?  When you are down, does it feel better to be around others who are down or does it just feel more comfortable and safe?  When you are exhausted and depleted, does it feel energizing to focus on it?  Do you want to be in it longer, or do you want to move through it?
 
Let me be clear, I don’t think we always need to be pushing to be great, quite the opposite actually.  I do not believe in hustle culture whatsoever.  I believe strongly in healing and rest and honouring our feelings, but I do believe in refining ourselves and being resourceful in finding ways to feel better, to feel uplifted, to feel balanced and to feel peace.  I believe that we are meant to thrive and that life ebbs and flows.  We go through seasons of rest and hibernation, seasons of visibility and growth and seasons of abundance and flow.
 

You are not “a mess”.  You are so much more even if you are feeling like you are in a mess or feeling messy, or feeling messed up…it’s not who you are.  It is an experience you are having.
 
It’s an experience we’ve all had, but it doesn’t have to be something you label yourself as, and you can choose a different experience.
 
Imagine going to a conference and women could choose either “hot mess” as their name tag or “divine being”, what do you think most would choose?
 
What would you choose? 
 
How would each of those options feel?  How would you show up differently with each of those options?  

If you are going to declare something about yourself, let it be the truth of what’s really inside.  That’s keeping it real.  That’s showing up fully for your life.  That’s being in gratitude for another day on this earth.  
 
It’s time to start raising the bar for our well-being, wouldn’t you say?
 
I’d say so.  We are meant for so much more.
 
With so much love and belief for what’s possible for you,
Tina xo
 
Ps. And if you are feeling like you have no idea how to go from a “hot mess” in survival mode, to a divine being that is thriving, you need to be in the Glow with Your Flow program. 

I show you the path to feeling good again, to understanding yourself, to having better relationships with yourself and others, to remembering the truth of who you really are, to clarity, peace and balance for you specifically.

Want to make a change?  Check it out here. Our next round starts April 18th and it is currently $200 off, for a limited time!
 



What is Ayurveda?

What is Ayurveda?

Ayurveda is a complete healing system that originated over 5000 years ago.  It’s becoming more and more popular, just like yoga did, but it is certainly not new.  

If we break down the word Ayurveda, Ayus means knowledge or science and veda means life.  It is literally the science or knowledge of life.  It is a complete lifestyle that is focused on giving you tools and practises to create health on a daily basis by using your innate healing ability. I think intuitively we all know that our body is designed to heal and know what to do.  So by living this wisdom and these practises, you begin to thrive physically, emotionally, and spiritually. 

There are several principles that make up the foundation of Ayurveda and more and more, modern science is validating these ancient teachings.  

Let's go through some of them here below:

It is a holistic mind-body-spirit approach to health and well-being, so it gives you tools for thriving in all aspects of your life—physical, emotional, and spiritual.  You’ve heard about the mind/body/spirit connection and yet, so often we disregard what is important.  Why do we overlook it when we know it's so valuable?

Your mind, body and spirit are inextricably connected.  What you take in through your experiences (5 senses) creates thoughts, feelings, nourishment, toxins, that affect your body and your mind.  If you have a lot of toxic thoughts, your body won’t run optimally.  

Think about a time where you were in the presence of an intense argument, how did it feel in your body?  Was there tension, sweating, tears?  Or the opposite situation.  Imagine you’ve just been invited to an epic event or trip of your dreams, your friends are on their way to pick you up RIGHT NOW.  What does your body feel like?  Excited, energetic, you pick up the physical pace, perhaps you are smiling.  Now let’s bring it to the body first, you eat garbage food, your mind can't focus or get clear, you feel heavy physically, but also unmotivated, tired.    If you focus on only one aspect and expect to thrive, you may find yourself struggling. Research is confirming that when you address all these aspects of your life, you maximise your well-being. 

Secondly, it addresses all aspects of the person, not just a “problem area” it focuses on the root cause of the issue and teaches you how to reverse the disease process to heal what started it all rather than put a temporary, symptom-specific short-term solution on it.

It’s also preventative, so when you live an ayurvedic lifestyle, you are less likely to build up toxins (ama) and have tools to relieve stress, so that diseases are less likely to ever become present.

It’s important to understand that just because Ayurveda originated over 5000 years ago, it doesn’t mean its outdated.  It’s quite the opposite, because it’s based on the principles of nature which never change.

Ayurveda teaches that the five elements that make up the universe, fire, air, earth, space and water, are also within you, so when you align your daily habits with the rhythms of nature and your natural cycles, you eat colourful, nourishing foods, you have awareness of what you take in through your five senses, you sleep (heal) well and you connect to the deeper part of you, your body comes back into balance.  Not only that, but you can then reach your full potential to have fulfilment, joy and peace in your life.

Ayurveda is personalised, and this is my favourite part.  There is no one-size-fits-all approach to this healing wisdom.  Thank goodness!  We are so different and what is beneficial for one person, isn't necessarily what the other needs.

Remember those five elements that I said are within you? Those 5 elements are responsible for different aspects of your wellbeing and we all have them all within us, yes, but to varying degrees.  We each have a unique mind/body type, made up of those elements, which in Ayurveda we call Doshas.  There are three Doshas, Vata, Pitta and Kapha.

Vata is made up of space and air and is responsible for movement and transportation within the body. It is the principle behind all movement and the force that generates thought.

Pitta is made up of fire and water and Pitta is the principle of transformation. It represents energy, heat, or fire.

Kapha is made up of earth and water and is responsible for protection and structural integrity. It is the principle that holds the cells together and forms the muscle, fat, bone.

In Ayurveda, you learn about your mind-body type, our dosha, you recognize what being in balance or out of balance looks like for you specifically and we learn the tools to bring yourself back to balance. Not to even levels of all three doshas, but to the level of YOUR essential nature.

You know this to be valuable, because what works for your partner in their physical routine, might leave you depleted.  The foods that your friend has been eating, leave you feeling bloated even though they are “healthy” options.  You know you need more or less sleep than someone.  If you have kids, you can tell that some need naps and others don’t.  So you build awareness of what feels good for you.

Lastly, it’s very practical.  When you start to line up your daily life with the rhythms of nature, the circadian rhythms, the lunar rhythms, the seasonal rhythms, etc. you will see that you’ve naturally and intuitively been practising certain aspects of Ayurveda throughout your life.  You do simple, daily maintenance practises such as scraping your tongue, drinking warm water and walking to stoke your digestive fire.  You connect and create peace, by meditating, walking in nature, or breathing deeply.  You restore your mind and body through proper sleep, self-massage, essential oils, healing yoga., you release toxins through emotional release techniques, seasonal resets, switching out toxic self-care or household products.

It is a holistic, peaceful and joyful way to live that is available for anyone.  You get to decide what elements of Ayurveda you can incorporate in your life.  Just start small and add one bit at a time.  The benefits will be felt quickly and I'll bet the people around you will begin to ask themselves, "what's different about her...she's glowing". 

Tina xo

I teach you all that you need to know to start living an Ayurvedic lifestyle in my program, Glow with Your Flow.  Check it out here www.floatyoucork.com/flow.


The REAL Reason You Are So Tired

The REAL Reason You Are So Tired
WHY AM I SO TIRED?
 
I want to offer a new perspective on one of THE MOST common phrases we all hear and say almost on the daily.
 
Is there more to it than just lack of sleep or improper diet?  What about those who eat right, exercise and sleep okay and are otherwise healthy, but something still isn’t right.  I’m not talking about those with a sleep disorder or underlying health issue, just the majority of humans who feel “exhausted” most of the time.  
 
When you say you feel so tired, what do you actually mean?  I can assume you have “low energy”.  What if rather than just feeling physically low in energy, you considered “low frequency energy”.  Yes, that’s right.  How you feel emotionally can directly affect your physical state.  Most people think, I’m cranky because I’m tired.  What if you feel tired, because you are cranky?
 
How you feel emotionally is always a reflection of the thoughts you keep thinking.  If you are thinking a lot of negative (low frequency) thoughts, you will feel the negative emotions.  If you are focused on problems, or something that you want, but don’t have, you experience lack and negative emotion.  

The same is true on the positive side.  If you are thinking about all the things you appreciate about your life, you will feel the positive emotion.  You will feel more excited and energized. 
 
If you focus on all that you appreciate, the possibilities out there, good people around you, it would be pretty hard to not feel invigorated.
 
So, what to do if you are feeling “low vibe”?
 
First check out the Emotional Guidance Scale to assess the current emotions you're feeling here.  From there you can see what the next best feeling emotion would be so that you can actually recognize when you are moving up the scale and are feeling better energetically.

 
The following are a few quick ideas to start raising your energy.
 
  • Think of someone you care about.  When you focus on someone who is easy to love, you open up your heart and start to feel a shift toward happiness.
  • Meditate.  Meditation will keep you from focusing on the past or future and centre you in the present moment.  It can also calm your anxiety and has so many other health benefits that collectively raise your vibe.
  • Watch an uplifting show or listen to music that makes you happy.  The way we consume content can really affect our mood, good or bad.  Take control of what you allow into your head and start to notice how you feel in your body when you are watching something, listening to a song or scrolling on Instagram.
  • Assess your friend circle.  You need to guard your relationships because spending time with low-vibe, negative people can only bring more of that in your life.  If your friends are uplifting and encouraging this will add to the collective mood, raise your vibe and add to the quality of your life.
  • Connect with Mother Nature.  Nature is deeply healing and can really invigorate you and your spirit.  Get outside even for a few minutes a day.
  • Breathe in or diffuse high quality essential oils - citrus oils always help to bring on a happy heart.
Sending you nothing but high vibes,
Tina xo

What are some of the ways you raise your vibration and get to a better feeling mood?  Let us know in the comments.

I Don’t Have a Dream. Now What?

I Don’t Have a Dream. Now What?
You’ve heard it a million times.  DO WHAT YOU LOVE.  Heck, I say it often, “do more of what you love”.  I could think of so many things that I enjoy doing now, but it wasn’t always that way.
 
There was a time that I couldn’t even hear what my heart wanted.  I didn’t really have anything I felt passionately about.  I didn’t have any hobbies that I enjoyed.  I was just going through the motions.  I would dabble here and there, but that was about it.  No time to really care about that stuff.
 
Is this you?  Are you like, what the heck do I even want to do with myself when I have 15 minutes to spare?
 
Growing up, I never knew what I wanted to do.  I know many people know what they wanted to be as a little girl, but that just wasn’t me.  I’ve learned that I couldn’t hear my dream because it wasn’t safe to dream.  I didn’t feel supported and I didn’t have high hopes. Dreaming big would have only led to disappointment, so my mind didn’t go there.
 
If you can relate to this, perhaps you walked a similar path to what I did.  I chose the wrong relationships and didn’t have healthy boundaries and just went through the motions telling myself I was "content".  
 
It’s so easy to tell ourselves we are happy keeping it simple and content with very little because it’s an easy way out.  I felt this way and always said, I just go with the flow.  This was true, but I knew deep down it was more than that.  


As life got better,  I married a man I love and became a mom.  I busied myself with being a great mom, a good wife, a dedicated employee, kept a clean house and I actually enjoyed all of these things.  Here's the thing, I STILL didn’t know what else I wanted out of life.  What was I into? 
 
I had this feeling that I was meant for something more, but it was such a faint whisper.  Always with me, but never loud enough for me to really hear.  Being a wife and mother was the only dream I had ever had. I had accomplished that and was living it every day, but outside of that,  I felt stalled at work.  I felt untapped. The question remained, what the heck was I meant to do?

Fast forward to present day, and my dreams and ideas of what is possible actually keep me up at night.  In the BEST way.  So how did I find them?
 
I DECIDED it was important to me and that I was ready to hear them.
 
Then, I made space for them.
 
We are so busy “being busy”.  Telling ourselves we don’t have time, and that we are fine as things are, but we are tired and overwhelmed.  Here a some suggestions that have made a HUGE difference in my life.
 
Learn to quiet your mind.  

Seriously, if you can’t hear your dream, you need to press PAUSE on life.  Take 5 minutes and sit quietly without distractions to hear what your own thoughts are.
 
Stop soaking in so much content.  

Facebook, Instagram, YouTube – they are amazing resources and are entertaining, but they are full of other people fulfilling their dreams.  You need to quiet the noise.  Stop the scroll and think about what type of content you actually enjoy to look at or listen to.  These are clues.
 
Learn to meditate.

For me, meditation has been the biggest key to help me create bandwidth.  20 minutes a day has changed my life.  My brain used to be on overload, but I knew I had to release thoughts to uncover what made me light up. Meditation gives me PEACE and slows the momentum of the crazy days with three kids, work, etc.  
 
Stop watching useless, random shows.  

Don’t get me wrong.  I enjoy TV.  Always have enjoyed the escape and turning off my brain, but it wasn’t getting me anywhere.  We don’t have a limitless amount of time on this earth and I would never want to waste the precious gift of life on back-to-back Netflix marathons week after week. 
 
Instead, fill the gaps of time with reading, journaling, meditating, moving my body, personal development.  Those are actually things I enjoy and they give me clarity.  They also fill me up, so that I can have more to pour into my family.  Which, to me, is a life well lived.
 
What time-wasters could you eliminate to make space for growth?  What could you do to quiet the noise?  That little voice IS inside of you, I challenge you to want to hear it and listen.
 
For more good stuff on how to create an inspired life and make space for your dreams, check out my free guide to uncover and inspire your BEST self.
 
Tina xo

Start Your Morning Like This for an AMAZING Day!

Start Your Morning Like This for an AMAZING Day!
I’m sure you have heard a lot of suggestions on how to create a morning routine.  I know that I have read about them for years, but never bothered to actually DO IT.
 
When the kids were little I was just trying to sleep enough and get a shower in.  That was enough for me.  
 
Now that the kids have gotten a little older I feel motivated to get organized.  I am actually implementing a morning routine and it has made me so much more productive and the best part of it is that it has made me so much happier and energized.
 
My goal with this morning routine was to make time to take care of myself, to have more joy with the family and to not have to nag and feel overwhelmed before the day really even started.
 
Here’s what worked for me and hopefully you can gather a few ideas too.
 
#1 Get up at least an hour before the kids
 
This is non-negotiable.  You cannot accomplish an effective, happy morning if you just roll out of bed at the same time as everyone else and jump straight into everyone needing you and chores, rushing, chaos before you’ve even brushed your teeth or had a coffee.
 
I give myself an hour and a half because it gives me 30 minutes to get ready, 30 minutes to connect with my inner being and 30 minutes to move my body. For you, maybe 20-20-20 would work better.  
 
#2 Meditate
 
I like to meditate for about 20 minutes every morning.  When you first wake up, you are in the best mental space to connect to our inner being, the Universe, Source, God.  You have no negative momentum or resistance built up from the day before.  You are starting fresh.  I like to sync up with the power of connecting to something bigger before I take on my day.   It reminds me that I’m co-creating my life and that I’m not in this alone.  
 
#3 Connect with yourself and talk to a higher power 
 
After my meditation, I like to take no more than 10 minutes for some reflection and I put on an essential oil that I love to support what I want to accomplish that day.  I then like to pull a card of positive affirmations to give me focus. I really enjoy Gabby Bernstein’s The Universe Has Your Back card deck for this.  I take a few minutes to think and journal a few things that I’d like support with and I talk to a higher power.  If you like to pray or read scripture, this is when I would that.  I just ask God/Universe to direct me and support me and I clearly state my goals and dreams and express gratitude for the opportunity for a new day and new experiences.  This really changes the energy of your day and sets you up to feel excitement about all that is possible.
 
#4 Move your body
 
Moving your body is a great way to get the energy flowing and add some momentum to your day.  When I move my body in the morning, I feel so free because I don’t feel any guilt about not taking care of myself.  I’m more likely to make healthy food choices and drink my water because I’m in a health-consious state.  
 
I’m not a hard-core workout girl.  I prefer to go for a brisk walk, do some morning yoga or a quick 15-minute workout geared toward the female body.   I love Danette May workouts and Yoga with Adrienne on YouTube.
 
#5 Freshen up, get dressed and put on a little make-up
 
I like to shower before bed and since I don’t do a really sweaty workout, I just like to freshen up with a quick shower or wash my face before getting ready.  My hair is always dry in the morning, so it makes it faster to get ready.
 
I have a quick and easy all-natural face cleansing and make-up routine.  I love having a simplified make-up drawer now and just having an easy go-to fresh face for my day look.  I find that even just a little mascara and bronzer makes me feel more confident and ready for whatever pops up in the day.  
 
I throw a few curls in my hair or a braid and put on the clothes I picked out the night before.
 
This has eliminated a lot of the decision fatigue I used to start my day with.
 
#6 Listen to a podcast or audiobook while doing step 5
 
Personal development is a big deal for me.  It’s something I love and feel that I’m such a better version of myself now that I include it in my every day routine.  I love learning more and more each day.
 
I listen while I sip my coffee and get “polished”.
 
 
#7 Five minute morning energy routine
 
Each morning, or whenever I need a “reset”, I love to do five-minute energy routine.  It doesn’t even quite take that long, but it’s very effective in getting the energy moving throughout my body.  It activates the chakras and helps me feel grounded, clear and energized.
 
My tapping on my body and doing a series of breathwork exercises I give myself an energetic tune-up before going out to take on the day.
 
#8 Fill the diffusers
 
Just before I go wake up the kids, I fill up the diffusers with a morning joy and energy blend to fill the air and wake up our senses.   Some days it’s lemon, peppermint and lavender and other days it’s orange, valor and grapefruit.  I just use whatever I’m in the mood for that day, but it’s usually a citrus oil combined with something energizing or emotionally supporting.  
 
That’s it!  It seems like a lot maybe, but it really isn’t.  It’s the only way, as a busy mom, that I can comfortably make the time to connect with myself.  If I don’t do it, there is so much less of me available for my family and work.  
 
Some mornings I leave some of it out because, well, I’m not in the mood.  I give myself grace and I move on.  I will say though that the days I skip it are mediocre days where I kind of just skim through which is ok for a short bit, but not how I want to live my life.
 
Setting my morning up this way connects me to my creativity and helps me be a brighter light in everyone’s day.  It helps me feel like I know myself and I’m more cheerful and attentive.
 
Give it a try!  Maybe pick just one or two of these and try it for a week.  You are going to love starting your day intentionally.
 
Have the BEST day!
Tina xo

I'd love to hear from you!  Comment below to tell me about your morning...what's a non-negotiable in your morning routine?  Share with a friend who feels overwhelmed each morning - maybe this could bring them some joy!
 
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