Lately I have come to realise that I do not want to be part of the world view of every man being an island, of at the end of the day it’s you against the world, of no matter what keep pushing you can do it. It doesn’t have to be this way.
This weekend these thoughts swirled around in my head as we set up to celebrate World Oceans Day on the KZN South Coast. Together with Karen from the EWT, I AM WATER organised a day of freediving where every meter freedived raised funds for the Mozambican Dugongs.
This same weekend our nations’ father was taken back into hospital for his recurring lung infection… these are my feelings from this weekend of breathing:
I’m a blue girl. Blue heart blue ocean blue dress blue dreams… Interspersed with a bit of green for plankton- rich manta dives or mountain runs. But this winter I will be embracing orange! The deep warm orange of an African sunset, the frightening allure of a fire coral just below… the orange of a ripe citrus fruit ready to be peeled and sweeter than golden honey… There’s life in orange!
Meeting the team behind the lush ClemenGold fruit came as a surprise and a gift. Like most things in my life, a gift from the ocean. One of the team did a freediving course with me in Durban years ago, and when the time was ripe, we reconnected and discussed LIVING FRESH! With freediving as my language I share the ocean and her stories to conserve our last wilderness; from awareness campaigns to courses for those who don’t have access to the sea, myself and the I AM WATER Trust are dedicated to Ocean Conservation Through Human Experience.
With a passion for healthy living, quality and nature’s bounty I immediately felt a kinship with the ClemenGolders. Through countless hours spent in the ocean, I have learnt the value of patience and the power of nature. The seasons will change, the tides will turn… we do our best to fit into the bigger picture but we are not in control. In the same way every ClemenGold is a gift, the perfect balance of rain, sunshine, soil and a crucial little bee sees the small fruit come to be, grow, swell and ripen.
I love this. I love to be part of something that is a gift from nature. Like every day, every breath, every wave and every ocean encounter. I am in the business of gratitude. I look forward to a warm ClemenGold winter!
Join our journey of being good to ourselves and the planet- on land and at sea.
Did your parents ever read you Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid, did you cry when she turns to sea foam at the end? Did you ever watch in horrified fascination as Walt Disney's red haired little Ariel sing her little lungs out to pay Ursula the sea witch to let her walk on land? Did you ever dive deep on one breath and feel your hair brush against your face and imagine for just a second that you were a mermaid and you could stay down there forever... I did.
Mermaids are what dreams are made of. Myths are what keep us inspired and in the throes of mystery. What do we become when the makings of our myths die out. When the root of our dreams... turn to sea foam...
The little mermaid turns to sea foam when she fails to win the prince's love.
Illustration from The Snow Queen and Other Stories, Hans Christian Andersen.
Edmund Dulac, illustrator. London: Hodder & Stoughton 1911.
Graceful, free, swooping and soaring... trust, believe in yourself... just let go and enjoy the sensation of weightlessness... Sound familiar? Flying yoga is such a great combination of things I love! Flexibility, strength, creativity, challenge, body control, breathing and that sense of freedom!
I joined some friends for a really fun class with aerialist Kiki in the sunny ART YOGA studio run by friendly Rubi Rymenmy.
I even got to try a rather fast and dynamic flip... and it got filmed, click on READ MORE to watch it!
(It's not super graceful but it might make you smile... :)
My best way to start every morning is with a SUPERFOODSmoothie!
I make it for 3 people in my handy helpful blender, have aglass at home and take the rest with me in my FLOW Bottle, perfect to keep me going til the next meal.
Here are some of my favourite recipes, as well as a bit about SUPERFOODS....