About ChAnGe!

Wow, it's been a while...

Arriving back in Austria after spending 7 transformational months in NYC has been a process in itself.

'Gut Ding braucht Weil' is a saying in German that means that all good things take time to flourish/come out/reveal! And that's how it has been and felt for me for the past 4 weeks.

I am very blessed to have a family and friends, who welcomed me wholeheartedly and remained patient for my fully integrated arrival (sure, I was physically present, but I also had to let the busy NYC gal and conscious Sati-warrior arrive back in cosy Austria^^)

What I could actually say is that 'daily life' has me back - but what does that really mean?

Thanks to many amazing experiences my perception, awareness and consciousness of many areas in life have changed. Be it body-, relationship with myself and others-, conflict- and goal perception have transformed... to be very specific they are all ever changing.

 

 

With every decision we make, we change in a way. We let go of something old to experience something new. 

Now, this does mean that we dare to try new things, which in turn has us come out of our comfort zone and yes, we might 'fail' (important note: this is only a matter of perception!!!)

I listened to one of Tony Robbins' tapes yesterday where he brought this right to the point:

If I would ask you if you like to fail - sure, you would intuitively say NO (and think 'crazy gal' to yourself - and that's ok^^) Let me re-frame my question: DO YOU LIKE TO LEARN?

Hm, so as many things in life - a matter of definition! What does learning mean to you?

Tony's approach offers us a tool of handling situations that surprise us negatively, which he calls PROBLEMS ;)

I encourage you to rethink your model of approaching failure and problems - when we come from the place of being the curious student of life, failures all of a sudden turn into lessons and problems become the playground of experiences to learn from!

When you are courageous enough to take this new approach (and I know you are), you'll soon start to realize that you dock onto the same stations (aka problems), but your docking tools have changed!

So go for it and enjoy the worry-free student life :)

xoxo

p.s. good to be back *yay* missed the writing!

6 a.m. in NYC ;-)

I didn't think I could (would) do this...

In about 12 hours I will be up in the air - leaving NYC to go back home to Austria (returning time indefinite!)...

It is 6am and I'm wide awake, reflecting on my NY-moments and writing the last blog post in my beloved city...

Was it hard? Yes! Did I feel lonely and missing my dear ones in Austria at times? Yes! Did I have fun? YES! Did I enjoy it? To the fullest! Did I learn a lot? YESYESYES! Do I have a hard time leaving NYC? Oh, yeah! Am I excited to go home? Hell, yeah!

My NYC adventure started with going to an intenSati workout for the very first time on my very first day (actually the day I arrived in NYC) - having already signed up for leader training, to become an instructor. Kind of crazy, when you think that while being in Austria, I have decided to become an instructor for a workout that I haven't even tried yet - that was pure intuition that I followed and excitement for a workout that strengthens the mind-body-spirit connection!

God, was I blown away by what I intuitively signed up for - this was beyond what I could have imagined it to be. So much fun, joy, sweat, tears, love, faith, empowerment and oneness in one practice that has become my companion throughout the past 7 months!

My gut and intuition were right... and they most of the time are. But you have to dare and trust to make the intuition thing work. Dare to dream and go for your dreams - don't hold back, when your gut keeps telling you DO IT, you may consider your option to DREAM!

What will come with it is faith, trust and action - essential ingredients to make things work! The truth is that we always have a choice... to be faithful or hopeless... to trust or to doubt (a decision, ourselves, others)... to take action or to cocoon in self-pity and the belief of 'it is so hard'!!!

You might think 'right, this chick has lived in NYC for a few months and now she thinks she is Ms. Know-it-all' (your choice, hehe) - I'm not saying this is easy... there are days filled with faith, trust in the process and power *yay* and there are days where things go 'wrong', but once you catch yourself and CHOOSE to trust the process again, meaning that 'this is a lesson I need to learn in order to follow through and pursue my dream' - THAT is where the magic happens!!! This is the miracle!

Last weekend (Feb, 16&17) I got the unique chance to be at the Hay House 'I can do it IGNITE' conference, where Dr. Wayne Dyer told the story about an orange:

What happens when you squeeze an orange? - Sure, orange juice comes out, because that's what is inside!

What happens if someone pressures or squeezes you? Is it anger, defense, fear, doubt OR compassion, love, faith, strength, ...

What comes out of you is what is inside! The neat thing is, you can choose what is inside!

Gabby Bernstein also said it right: Real change happens when you allow yourself to see your crap. You will be given a tremendous amount of assignments - which represent the greatest opportunity to change and rise!

Always ask: 'What can I learn from this?'

Looking back, I was not always asking this question in difficult situations, but I can definitely say that I learned from all of them. It is all about awareness and consciousness about that we have a choice!

I AM deeply grateful and moved by all the beautiful people that I have had the pleasure of meeting and calling my friends - I hope to see you all soon, back in NYC or elsewhere in the world!

I can't wait to see my family and friends again after all these months *sooo excited*

Life is a gift and I love it ;-)

I will 'see' you all soon here, on Facebook, in person, Skype, etc.

Lots of love and have an amazing day!

Xoxo (last time from NYC)

Time to get real...

My last post was on change and has been hugely inspired by my current situation - another big change in my life is coming up! For the past 7 months I have been given the gift to live and experience mind-blowing NYC - and in about one week I will fly back to Austria. 

Those of you who have been following me on my journey know that I have changed a lot and immersed in personal growth through my intenSati practice, meditation, reading and Robbins-Madanes coaching training. 

These tools and practices have heightened my awareness to how I actually want to live my live - being a happy and free soul that is embodied in a healthy and fit body!

Discipline, self-control AND appreciation are key to living in integrity with who you want to be.

NYC offers so many crazy-great things, like green juice bars, raw food shops, fast food salad bars, vegetarian and dairy free food choices everywhere, hardcore workout routines (guess which one is my fav :D) and so much more ;)

After I posted The change formula a few days ago, I began to question myself if I'm really walking my talk here... What is this uncomfortable feeling when I think of my soon-to-come departure? It was FEAR (of judgment, sadness, powerlessness, being dissatisfied)!

Hm, what did I do with that fear... 'Coincidently' (haha) I read in an inspiring blog post by Mastin Kipp that said: in order to grow and learn, we have to do what we fear most!

Bye bye Fear... that went really fast - I am the co-creator of my reality!

Learning something new, exploring places and cultures, studying, reading, meditation, working out - intenSati ... fill in your blank ... means that we are GROWING and this equals CHANGE!

Every new experience and possibility to change is an opportunity to grow and expand.

What I want to say with this is that, only when we face our fears and the things we are most resisting, and then decide to take aligned action, we can actually break through old and limiting beliefs that prevent us from being happy and free!

Always ask yourself: what can I learn from this? 

Thank you all for reading and supporting! 

Love & miracles.

xoxo

p.s. to be completely real... I actually do not have to give up any of the things that I love so much now. their frame will simply change *new challenge* - I bought a juicer and I will teach intenSati classes in Austria *yaaay* AND happiness is an inside job!

pp.s. I was really terrified to publish this post, but I decided to do it anyways - facing my fears ;)

Are you up for a challenge?

A challenge that will boost your health, your happiness and your belief in your own power!!!

I AM living fit & excited for a great health challenge this month :) are you?

Something miraculous and powerful happens when we start taking care of ourselves, of our health - you realize YOU ARE PRECIOUS :)))
I'm very excited for this month's challenge and I hope join me!

Let's make it even more powerful... I put mine out here in writing again:
1) no refined sugar
2) one green juice a day
3) no white flour

Let me know what your 3 challenges are, in the comments below!

Making yourself accountable for something is very powerful and enhances the probability to follow through and succeed!!! Isn't this what we all want!? ;)

I'll see you soon :)
Lots of love,
xoxo

Physical exercise: feel good and MORE...

Wow wow wow, today was an amazing day - I mean really!

I'm so fired up... I guess the close end of my time in NYC makes me embrace and appreciate every minute in this magnificent city even more ;) also I attended a great event today - an intenSati class that was followed by a lecture both led by Wendy Suzuki, intenSati leader and professor for neuroscience and psychology at NYU.

intenSati was AH-MAZING (as usual) and the lecture's topic was about Wendy's latest study: Can exercise change your brain?

Here is a little review of the evening and some food for thought ;-)

Hope you enjoyed the video!
All comments and thoughts on this are very welcome :-)

BE the master of your craft & life with passion!

Lots of love,
xoxo

Reflections on expectations!

One could say expectations have been a loyal companion throughout my life. Where ever I could find something pleasant (!) to expect I did and I became really good at creating fantastic illusions around these expectations, be it in relationships, career, you-name-it... Of course, I was on a super-high when everything worked out, happy, strong, faithful, etc. 

But guess what happened when it didn't - crazy-town was the next destination. My ego/inner-mean girl would be supported in her strong belief 'You are not good enough' or 'If you would have done it this way, you would be happy now!' 

But what if you could be on that super-happy party of feelings all the effin' time!!! Note: if you CHOOSE to do so! Release your expectations - and here is why:

I personally had a hard time understanding why having expectations is bad; and then I found the answer by experiencing being expected to be or work a certain way myself. 

The truth is that the person, we put expectations on energetically feels that they do not act the way we want them to. But who are to tell the other person how to BE!?

Usually when we do that we come from a place of lack ourselves - we are unhappy with a certain situation or we want more than we currently have. The important thing we have to realize is that we are making the other person feel that they are not good enough, if they cannot meet our expectations.

Have you ever heard: 'You deserve better!' - Yes, you had some high expectations there!!!

 

Essentially we should be grateful for the presents the person gives us in the present (I love this beautiful word game^^). Of course, we appreciate the great feeling that we have of meeting someone or finding a new job or co-worker, but we crave for more, it's like sugar. We crave more and more and more and develop this story/illusion in our head, until we realize we have put our health (relationship, job, -self) at risk, because our ego's expectations might not correspond with the other person's plan or personality. And then we feel hurt, angry, not loved or resentful against the other person for not making us happy, while we know that HAPPINESS IS AN INSIDE JOB :-) read on...

Another thought why having expectations will not lead to the super-happy feelings is, there are things in this world that we have no power of controlling them. It is simply impossible to have full control about WHAT happens in our life - and here comes the biiig BUT, we can choose HOW we see and think about the things happening to us and what we will focus on. 

Rather than focusing on the future (projecting new expectations), focus on the NOW!!! 

I have to tell you this is a great challenge for me too because I have to say good-bye to my year long companion and invite the faithful dreamer in, who is able to handle situations and people from a place of gratitude and power over negative emotions.

The very good news is, life has become very light - my new companion is a really freeing and uplifting fellow :-)

I hope you all have a reflective pre-Christmas time, without having expectations - BE happy and grateful & watch miracles occur!

Lots of love,

xoxo

Giving is fun - Join The Great Give project!

Nur noch 15 mal schlafen dann kommt das Christkind!

This is what I used to say when I was a little girl, waiting for Christmas day to come - counting the nights that part me and the greatest night of the year ;-)

And today we are close to Christmas day, which I have to spend (physically) apart from my family for the first time in my life this year. This is a great challenge for me because I'm a great family-person and madly in love with the tradition of Christmas as being together with your loved ones and grateful for the great gifts we give each other (not necessarily of material nature^^) everyday.

My mother is the best in the world (to me and my sister^^) - she has sent me two beautiful boxes with Christmas decoration and the obligatory Adventkalender (actually there are 2 of them) ...

My favorite Austrian Christmas traditions have been sent to me *yay* Thank you!
I wanted to share this beautiful gift with you, but my greater intention for this post today actually is the following: A project that I joined today and would like you to participate in as well! It is about GIVING something to someone everyday!
Most of the time we come from a place, where we say 'What can I get??' rather than 'How can I give or serve?' Without realizing one important thing: the more you give, the more you get! And this is true for all areas in life - love, relationships, truth and wisdom, job, money, etc.
When the holidays get closer we get reminded of this more intensely... greater reason and opportunity to take action ;-)
Let's be honest, giving and making others happy feels good - and let's admit something else: WE ALL WANT TO BE HAPPY! Think about it...
When you genuinely give more, you will also receive more! 
So here is 'the Great GIVE' project, which was started by Abby Allen, intenSati lover, ad exec, yoga teacher, urban goddess warrior, who is on a mission to spread the magic of giving!
The challenge is to give something to someone everyday - whether you give heartfelt advise, a smile, a donation, a compliment, an expression of gratitude - just something that serves someone else and brings joy to their life! And report your great givings on this website: greatgive.us

Here's what I've been experiencing since I started participating in this amazing initiative:
The opportunities of giving are infinite if you pay close attention!!! This is very much related to my realizations about miracles ... It is great fun and joy to be able to say to yourself (or/and on the great give's website^^) 'Yay, I just gave something to someone' and recognize how it feels! I'm pretty sure veeery good :-)

Let me know if you are in - I'd love to share the giving all over the world! Tell your friends - make it a fun and engaging project and watch miracles occur! Christmas time is the time to share love <3

Have a wonderful week!
Love & Joy
xoxo

Feeling overwhelmed by your own plans?

The answer is simple: Appreciate the baby steps! 

Thank you my dear readers, this was the post for today - just kidding, but it is as simple as that...

Most of us have a plan for our life - we all thrive to achieve really great things, whether we are aware of it or not! One important thing to mention here is that the perception of great is different to each individual - some project their plan on career, others on family or personal development. Some of us have good patience to get to their desired state and others (like me) can't wait to get it all at once.

I'll admit to something here, my big ideas have changed over the years and have radically changed since I moved to NYC. The 'transformation' began on the day of arrival, when I took my first intenSati class - life has never been the same for me... Those who have been following this blog (You guys are awesome!) have witnessed my shift, which does not mean that I have become more patient with craving to get what I want ;) 

I have been developing big ideas of how I would imagine my career to be like as a coach and trainer *yay* and I created this plan aka how-can-I-get-there-as-quickly-as-possible! Unknowingly I have overloaded my mind with all those plans that I started to compare my efforts to the efforts of others and that I felt I had to do everything I could to get there as quickly as possible and to become greater. I researched the various classes and courses I could start, like right NOW and finish them preferably tomorrow. 

Even though I have been thriving and following my dream, I felt more disconnected to it than ever!!!

Only this week during a coaching call I was introduced to a great concept that has become my new mantra: 

• You are holding your vision >
• The feeling that is created within you is JOY, PASSION and HAPPINESS >
• Passion makes you take the first step, which leads to success >
• Then you have your vision in mind again >
• The feeling of joy and passion lead you to take the next step to get closer to the vision... >

It is like the most 'vicious' as in radically awesome cycle ever!!! 

The baby steps will always get you closer to achieving your goal and as soon as you start appreciating the baby steps, the whole journey becomes a joyous adventure for you. Moreover, by maintaining an overview of how you actually got from your beginning to your big YAY, you will have more moments of pride for yourself, which will fuel your creativity to make your YAY even more amazing!

For me personally this information helped me a lot to connect to my desire again and to see the next steps clearly (one of them definitely is to write this blog and to share my learnings with you :))

If you have similar experiences or if this was helpful for you... OR if you have tried the 'most awesome vicious-as-in-radically-awesome cycle'... I would love to read about all of it in the comments below :)

One motivating thing to remember is: FOLLOWING YOUR DREAM(S) SHOULD BE FUN AND JOYFUL! (not exclusively but a great deal of times!)

Thank you all! 

XOXO

p.s. The song for this post is Jordin Spark's 'One step at a time'  :)

My first intenSati class!

Yesss, I taught my first intenSati class :) it felt sooo good! I am still on this vibe teaching this class gave me! Sure, I was very nervous at the beginning, but the fact that I had one student, who is my dear friend too, took off a lot of pressure about getting the music and cueing right... I still need practice but, IF IT DOESN'T CHALLENGE YOU IT DOESN'T CHANGE YOU ;)

I was so psyched about teaching yesterday and I want to share my intro with you (almost as if you were there too ;D):

Hi dear warriors,

My name is Alexandra, i am from Austria and I am so grateful to be here today with you :)

How are you feeling? Energy level???

This is intenSati - it is made up of the words intention and Sati, which is the Sanskrit word for mindfulness.

IntenSati is the practice of combines powerful affirmations with intense exercise that make you feel and embody those affirmations.

My Personal connection - First read about the practice in German fitness magazine & first day in NYC 25th of July: where it all started @ the Workin' it out event! I knew I had to become an intenSati leader!

I am so happy to be standing here today... This is my first class and I'm nervous ;) 

Today's series is called the Warrior series and I love this series... There are so many powerful affirmations in there! And for today I picked the very first one, which is YES I AM COMMITTED TO LIVE A LIFE I LOVE (repeat) And for me this is such a powerful and strong affirmation, especially because I became clear about something in my life the other day, which caused me to shift my mindset towards many aspects of my life immediately... and that was that I tend to settle with OK states - that might be having an having an OK job, OK love life, following an OK diet, earning OK money, etc. 
How will I ever be able to truthfully life the life I love if I settle with OK!?!?!?! 

We all have visions of our dream job, home, love etc in mind, which we will block by settling with OK! Can you relate to that a little bit?! 
We have to be true to ourselves and others and allow ourselves to be unapologetic about what we really want! Honesty, clarity and having the right attitude are the key ingredients! Having faith in your miracle to come true is also essential - it might not come at your desired schedule but it will come!!! Have faith!

So tonight I want to call your unapologetic dreams and desires *MIRACLES* into your life!

Sit up nice and tall (close your eyes) and think of one area in your life where you settle with ok and now imagine that this area becomes uplifted, gets a little push (whatever that might be) into the direction of the desired state! 
And when you are ready come up into standing in ready pose and keep that image of your dream in the forefront of your mind!!

WarmUp...

Yay, that was the prepped intro for the class :) It was AWESOME! 

I am looking forward to have more Warriors join me on my weekly journey of teaching, having fun, being happy and training to be the change!

Warrior power :)

Next class, tba ;)

Love love love, xoxo

p.s. Today is the Spirit Junkie Sati event with Patricia Moreno and Gabrielle Bernstein - two powerful women, who inspire me a lot! Stay tuned for that in my next post...

We are the powerful co-creators of our lives!

Every intenSati class begins with the same words and movements:

"Every day in a very true way I co-create my reality! As above, so is below - this is what I know!"

intenSati Warmup @ Leader training

This is a powerful declaration, to become aware that we have the power to choose our thoughts, our attitude and our actions. The second part is the reminder that what we think in our mind ("as above"), we will become in our body and life ("so is below"). Our thoughts are the cause - either for what happens to our physical body or in our life!

Wow, what does that really mean?? And how can I apply that to my life?? Will I really really become aware and conscious about my thoughts only by saying those words and making those moves?? Thoughts come and go; they are influenced by my actions and the things happening around me... So how will I ever achieve to first of all become aware of my thoughts and how they influence my being and second how can I consciously choose them and choose happiness over fear and doubt?! It is said that human beings have 50,000 thoughts a day, Wow wow wow! That will become an interesting journey... - Those were my thoughts when I started the practice 3 months ago!

I am and have always been trying to identify negative thoughts or habits that I have during the day and once identified, I try my best to transform them into positive thoughts and actions. This starts with the words you choose to say - as you can read it on my Facebook page: Your word is your wand to create!

Words that we say to ourselves and others are affirmations too and they carry a lot of energy! If you choose positive and energizing words and language, your spirit (meaning your happiness and joy) will be uplifted and you will become the co-creator of your life! Words become reality - now, think about the effect negative words can have on your attitude, happiness, perception of  your situation and life...

At the beginning of this week I had my AHA moment: During my lunch break, I was sitting on the sunny terrace in Midtown Manhattan, enjoying my delish salad ;) and had the thoughts passing through my mind and for some reason I didn't feel joy and happiness and noticed that something was bothering me... First I was blaming it on the weather (it was actually too cold to sit outside), then I blamed it on the fact that it was only Tuesday, the weekend is so far away, blablabla... and then I "took a closer look" and discovered that I found myself in an old thinking pattern:  the old impatience paired with the old fear of the future, as I was future tripping with certain situations, surfaced again!!! As soon as I became aware of it, I started laughing and thought "Yes, gotcha - not with me!" - not only internally, no wonder people were looking at me *haha* but that certainly was my eye-opener and the moment I realized that you actually can be the witness of your thoughts and choose better ones whenever necessary!You are the co-creator of your reality!

I have been intensively engaging in daily spiritual practice since my first day in NYC - when I got all into it at the intenSati Work-out event! In the face of my sweat, tears and energy, I knew that this will be something great and it became something greater than imagined!

Daily meditation - never underestimate the power 5-10 silent minutes with yourself can have on the experience of your day, attitude, thoughts, sleep, actions, etc. It is truly ah-mazing!!! We all have jobs, university, relationships, deadlines, family and friends who need our attention and devotion - and we all do certain things with real passion and other things just have to done, but be honest where is the time for yourself (the most important person in your life, btw!!!) Where is it??? And that is why a spiritual practice is essential for our well being, our happiness and to make sure that our attention and dedication to the outside world is guided by our happy self and not our angry or fearful self!

For me it is meditation and reading spiritual literature (Yeah, you are right, I go to the self-help section at the bookstore and I happily admit to that!) - What is true for me does not have to be true for everyone... You might find your 5(min) A DAY in listening or dancing to your favorite song, or sitting still without doing anything else (OMG - imagine that, right ;)) or you go for a walk, do some morning yoga or go for a run! Try to find your something that nurtures your body and mind and brings a smile on your face every time you do it! GO FOR IT!!!

You will eventually find your way to meditation and fall in love with it, just like I have :) 

To put it in a nutshell... Meditating helps you to become aware of yourself and the thoughts and beliefs that you CHOOSE to hold. Daily meditation also guides you to living a happy and joyful life - and now be honest WHO DOESN'T WANT TO BE HAPPY!?!? ;)

Thank you! 

Love, xoxo

The truth is energizing!

About 3 weeks ago I started this 90 day challenge for a healthier self - I called it "healthy-ever-after" ;)

My initial plan was to commit to very very healthy eating, working out and getting enough sleep! Meaning: NO sugar, NO alcohol, NO white flour, NO meat, one fruit and veggie day per week and 2-3 liters of water per day!

Here is a little piece of myself that I am going to reveal to you... I get excited about certain things veeery easily and once I have set a specific goal, that gives me well enough reason(s) to hold on to, I simply go for it - no matter what! BUT, (most of the time) I do not consider the strings attached to that action or plan upfront - the energy-killers appear soon enough!

So, I expected to be full of energy every day and be comfortable in my body, by eating all healthy and conscious! 

What really happened:

I sticked to my well-created and supervised plans, for eating and working out and felt good - not as unstoppable as expected but I decided to stay patient! I haven't had any cravings or major drawbacks for the first 2 weeks. I cooked nice veggie dinners every night and had my lunches prepared for the next day!

This equation had one vivid error - I traded my social life for being fully committed to my rules of the challenge!!! I stopped going and eating out, which I loved so much during my first month being in NYC! 

At intenSati leader training we were discussing the topic of integrity - of being in full alignment with yourself, with your body and mind! You can only be completely happy and living the life you love, if you are being true and honest with yourself and others. Every thought that we choose to think determines our integrity! Every word we say determines our integrity!

I was miserable this week! I was unable to understand why I was in such a bad mood, after such an incredibly empowering weekend at leader training... And then it hit me: I lost my inner completeness over the past 3 weeks, by chastening myself. The truth is, I have already been living a conscious and healthy life-style before I committed to the challenge - I felt comfortable with my body and self, but I needed a challenge! Being on this NO diet decreased my energy levels, my happiness and joy for the moment. I actually created a discomfort with my body from nowhere, because it was not there before! Of course, i lost weight and my body refined, but I was not enjoying the process of how to get there!

From the moment I discovered that truth and decided to commit to the life I love, my mood and body perception changed instantly!

I will definitely hang in the challenge, but I modified it - I call it "Yay-to-life"

I choose to make the right food choices and I know that my mind knows what is right for my mind and body at that time. I get to embrace and enjoy my Semester abroad in NYC without having a bad conscious about anything I do, eat and drink! A lot of workout included (and that is anyways one of the easiest things to truly commit to as I am a sports fanatic)

This is happy cocktail in the "Yay-to-life" to-do list ;) perfect ingredients for succeeding in this challenge!

And so it is!

I AM an intenSati Leader NOW!

COMMITMENT-DESIRE-STRENGTH-FAITH-READY-WILLING-ABLE-PLAY FULL OUT- APPRECIATION-VICTORY

10 powerful words! 10 powerful movements! 1000000 powerful thoughts! 1000000 powerful emotions!

The very long awaited weekend was finally there - intenSati leader training *yaaay* I knew I am about to take a new step to guide my career path into a desired direction! I did my homework: memorize the affirmations, have the 8 count of the music, know the moves and their names (see above^^), meditate (that was my extra) and be curious about the experience.

All set - on my way to Midtown on Saturday morning, making my way through the EMPTY streets of NYC I felt super nervous and excited at the same time.

I always had these lines and words from other inspiring intenSati leaders in my head, of how great and life-changing this training was for them. I couldn't agree more!!!

My fellow and amazing soon-to-be-leaders and I enjoyed great workouts and coaching from Patricia, Betsy and Tiffany to prepare us for the journey of being able to train the change!

Two full days of intensive body workout, precious hours of training the mind and beginning to cause a conscious shift in my mind towards what I need to be successful in the things that I am passionate about!

1. Practice, practice, practice
2. Do not listen to what fear tells me to do
3. Be present and honest with myself
4. Keeping my promises

This weekend was an amazing experience - I needed a while to process all the emotions and feelings. I am so grateful for all the inspiring personalities I have met and for what I have been able to learn from all of them! Thank you!

Here are some links to videos taken at leader training:
What have you done today to make you feel proud?
Every day in a very true way, I co-create my reality!
What I desire is on its way...

Yes, I AM committed to live a life I love - I want it, I want it, I really really want it - I AM strong, now - I believe I will succeed - I AM ready for a change - I AM willing to change - I AM able to change - I AM playing full out, without any doubt - I appreciate this day - I AM the change! (Warrior series)

POWER, I CHOOSE, COURAGE AND CONFIDENCE - ALL I NEED IS WITHIN ME NOW!

Team CELEBRATE now ready to be the change!

Are you committed to living a live you love? ...

Making promises and keeping them!

Do what you say you are going to do!!! Why is this important?

I'm going to loose weight - I will never be late again - I want to workout more - I want to eat more healthy - I will save money - and - so - on ...

Sounds familiar?! Anyone!? ;)

Well, I say "yes" it did to me! I could actually apply all of the above to my life. They were my permanent companions - for example, when I ate too much or too unhealthy I would workout more - but that did not lead to loosing weight the way I desired it to!

The words 'I am going to or I want to loose weight or eat more healthy or (you enter yours)' leave our mouths with ease. Maybe we are already making plans how to get there and then another well-known companion 'Mr. Excuse' might come my/your way. 

We are very clever, especially in finding excuses for everything - putting it off to a later time, because right now is simply not a good time! or we are too tired, old, young, fat, lazy, *you name it*

The key behind sticking to the promises that you've made for yourself or to others is ACCOUNTABILITY! 

Most of the time keeping promises, made to others are easier to keep, because you are the one to hold accountable for not sticking to it and it affects someone else too. But, if you make a promise to yourself, only you can hold yourself responsible for it - no one gets hurt if I don't do A or B. And we are also very good at covering up the promises we make to ourselves - 'if no one knows that I try to loose weight, nobody will know if I fail, but if I succeed - I will tell everybody' Sounds familiar!?!

Funny isn't it... And guess what, your soon-to-be-ditched friend Mr. Excuse shows up! You know how the loop goes ;)

The intenSati method teaches you how to be true about and to yourself - integrity and accountability are the keys - and how to create the right thoughts to pursue your goals! 

This months Warrior series is concerned with - tadaaa 'Making promises and keeping them' :)

Let me share my great learnings with you:

1. Make a promise/ Set a goal (e.g. I will eat more healthy)
2. Make it SMART: be very specific about what you want to achieve (e.g. I want to loose weight or become more active, that is why I will eat more heathly); make it measurable (e.g. I will eat 2 fresh fruits and 3 veggies each day - your 5 a day *ahaha*); stay realistic and make it achievable - you won't switch to a full alkaline diet from one day to another and set a timeframe (e.g. 1 or 2 months)
3. Now the real FUN part: come up with consequences for not keeping your promises! I like the embarrassment consequences, such as making 3 random compliments to strangers the next day, or start singing the song you are listening to out-loud in public! Others are: wearing the same outfit the next day, wearing no make up, 100 push-ups, running an extra 5 miles, no chocolate, ... be creative!
4. And share it!!! Tell it to your family and friends - you will have their support and you might be a motivation to them to join in on keeping a promise :)

Try it - it's a lot of fun and veeeery rewarding! Once you become clear, why and how you want to achieve something and you have come up consequences for not sticking to it - half the journey is done!

Thanks to intenSati and Laurie Gerber from the Handel Group for a very inspiring and motivating coaching session on this topic!

Good night, lovelies!

xoxo

p.s. next time more on my challenge, the progress and experiences so far!

JoyPressions on Facebook

I AM in it to win it!!!

I workout whenever I can (approx. 4-5 times a week), I try to eat healthy (despite very small indulges in the gourmet temple called NYC^^) and yet I haven't regognized any major body transformation. I have lost some weight since I arrived (that for sure), but given my regular workout and rather healthy diet, I would expect a liiittle more, less actually ;) 

Well, I haven't been exercising according to a specific schedule, which makes tracking change and improving performance rather difficult. 

As I said, I workout whenever I can - as a fitness enthusiast I'm making a lot of time for regular physical exercise. But the usual loop goes like this - I go to the gym almost every day during the week and would only take a break when my body tells me to - by then energy levels are low and I feel my muscles being very tired. 

Pushing your body to its limits, excessive exercise and waiting for it to shout "STOP" - that is not how you become stronger and train your body in a healthy manner! 

Another thing, I said I try to eat healthy - well, set aside late evening dinners, cocktail happy hours and going out (mostly) on weekends, I'm following a grrreat diet ;) When I have the feeling that I consumed too many calories the day before, guess what... more intense exercise is on next day's schedule!

SO, juuust when I had the feeling I need to change something in my daily habits to get where I want to be, I received a message on Facebook from one of the intenSati leaders, Tiffany proposing a big challenge to all members of the Satilife community: A 90 DAYS EXERCISE AND HEALTH PROGRAM!!! What is in it for me to win it:

1. I will commit to 90 days of exercising according to a planned schedule! (which I will change every 2 weeks in order to ensure the diversity in my training)
2. I will commit to eating clean and healthy foods, like more veggies and fruits than other foods, whole grain, lean protein! 
3. I will commit to drinking at least 2 liters of water a day!
4. Amazing Tiffany as a coach and advisor!

And guess what, I am not the only one who takes the challenge - we are 30 people who are in this together! It all runs through a facebook group, where we post and encourage each other to stay in the game :)

A quote from Tiffany: "Accountability is KEY! Studies have shown (and in my own experience I have seen) that support from a peer group and family plays a significant role in reaching any of our personal and professional goals."

I couldn't agree more!

Official start is tomorrow - I AM excited!!!

My exercise plan for the next two weeks is all set - I go for a 4 split (Mo, Wed, Fri, Sun, ...)

Regarding healthy dieting: I will go veggie for the next 2 weeks! I will have one fruit/veg day each week for cleansing purposes! I will avoid alcohol, sweets and white flour!

In the intenSati practice the topic of the month is "keeping your word" or "making a promise and keeping it" - in one of the greatly inspiring community calls this week Laurie Gerber, life-coach, said that you will be more accountable for your promises if you add consequences for not keeping them to it...

Sooo my consequence iiis: If I will not stick to one of the promises I made, I must not be wearing ANY make up the next day ;) I was about to take the usual thing - No Email for one day!!! but then I will have someone at home worring "why didn't I read from her today - something might have happened!" ;)

My blog will be the reporting tool for my progress, the transformation and the change that is happening within me.

Perfectly fitting to my new promises, the topic of yesterday's ahhh-mazing Workin'it Out event with gorgeous Patricia Moreno was how a change, replacement or avoidance of one or more habits will bring you closer to your desired goal. I AM ready for this change and I AM prepared for this challenge!

Let's do this!!! Keep you posted :)

xoxo

p.s. I have been missing my smoothie blender sooo much that I bought one today :))) some delish and healthy recipes for smoothies and dips to be expected!

I am a Warrior :)

Even before I arrived in NYC I joined one of the most inspiring and wonderful communities on this planet - the Sati life community!

Sati Life was developed by Patricia Moreno for anyone and everyone looking to become more aware of their thoughts, words, attitudes and actions. Initially, the focus was centered around “intenSati”, a workout that was created to bring mindfulness to a cardio-based fitness class. 

Most of you know that I am a huge fan of coaching, NLP and sports - during my training to become an aerobics instructor, I thought that there must be a way to combine positive thinking with actions during the training! First thing I did was to research on the internet to find out if there are people out there who share my thoughts and I was so excited when I discovered Patricia Moreno's intenSati! And as destiny wanted it, I got accepted for an internship in NYC and next 2 things I did were: order the book "the intenSati method" (i think I read it 3 times already^^) and sign up for the leader training! Shortly followed by registering for the Workin'it Out event, which took placce on the day of my arrival (i remember posts on my FB wall about that ;))

I mentioned it already, it was the perfect KickOff for my time in NYC - being part of this event right on the first day was so wonderful and inspiring! This workout empowers you to challenge yourself; it energizes your body, makes you sweat, fuels your mind and positive thoughts and raises your sensitivity to what, how and why you feel or think certain things!

Additionally, I signed up to the Sati Life Warrior Training! Patricia creates monthly programs for all warriors, each embodying a different theme - in August we are UNSTOPPABLE (gosh, I'm actually in NYC - hell yeah I'm unstoppable^^) in September I am looking forward to be MAGICAL :) Each months warrior series encompasses a recorded workout, meditation, the chance to participate in community calls and special to do's to make it (your goals, dreams, desires) come true! 

Being a part of this great community I can only wholeheartedly agree to this: 

"We are a community committed to being a powerful force for positive change in the world. We are devoted to living happier, healthier and beneficial lives. Our intention is to continually train to be the change we want to see in the world and embody love in all that we think, say and do."

Have a wonderful day/night (from where ever you are following my thoughts from on this planet)!

Before I say good-night, I need to get this out: YOU ARE AWESOME!!! Thank you all so much for reading and following my blog! when you are so far away from home and you start sharing some thoughts here and realizing that you actually have an audience is a great feeling and it empowers me everyday! Which is why I will let my blog become a high priority again ;)

Have a great one :)

Love, xoxo 

The pace of change!

NYC lives up to its image as city that never sleeps, which also applies to me up until now - everything moves so fast and eventhough it can takes ages to get from one place to the other especially when subways are crowded and you are suffering from this incredible heat (apparently we will have an indian summer - look forward to that^^) - a friend of mine said a couple of days ago that the time seems to move faster in NYC than anywhere else in the world! I will let you know about my perception of it, but I assume it won't take long until I will agree to that ;)

When I came to New York 9 days ago with my sister and my mom, we started to experience the city and to enjoy its amazing sights and attractions to the fullest! I hope you enjoy looking at some selected photos and have fun imagining what my past few days have been like...

Before starting off with the photos, I have to tell you about the most amazing KickOff experience that I had on my very first day: Prior to my arrival in NYC I signed up for a fitness event from Patricia Moreno "Workin'it out" - from the previously introduced lifestyle and fitness program intenSati! 

The first 2 hours in NYC couldn't have been better :) this special workout, which I have never tried before, promised a lot and exceeded my expectations - it was phenomenal, energizing, empowering, inspiring, motivating, ...........! I am really looking forward to taking some more classes this weekend :)))

Now, lets get started with a collection of my first impressions:

Foggy Day in NYC - wondering how high this building is?! ;)

Stunning boat cruise...

...amazing...

 

...north of Manhattan...

...like tiny Lego elements^^...

...the only connection beween Manhattan and Roosevelt Island...

...Financial Dirstrict!

Where is Chuck Bass???

Open-air movie @ Beautiful Bryant Park <3

Rockefeller Center

:)

Hello, Manhattan! (from Top of the Rocks!)

Yeees, I was there ;)

and there too ;)

I felt like watching a movie - a happy couple watching the stunning view over NYC and then he pulls out the ring... (you know the rest^^) Super romantic moment & same as in the movies :))) <3 A proposal on the top of Rockefeller Center, can it be more cheesy and romantic!?!

@ Central Park

Pain quotidien in NYC - I like! a lot! ;)

I will be back with some more impressions soon :) take care, xoxo