This is a list of the top five programs + courses that deeply influenced my life in the last two years.  And I’ve listed them in chronological order detailing exactly what I was going through at that time that compelled me to enrol in these courses.

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1 :: 10 day Vipassana Meditation Course

I applied for this course in March 2010.  A few days later I was checking in to the retreat.  It was a last minute decision.

At that time I was burnt out physically, emotionally + mentally.  I was depressed, miserable, stressed, tense, erratic, emotional, distant + numb.  I was confused about life, work + love.  I cried a lot.  Sometimes big uncontrollable cries…other times the tears would just stream down my face without a sound.    And this wasn’t just happening every blue moon…this had become a daily occurrence.

When the positive reframing…and the grateful lists…and the wise books…and the psychic readings…and the endorphin hits couldn’t shift this unhappiness I decided it was time to do something drastic, something I had never done before…take off for 10 days + learn to meditate.

During the 10 days every cell in my body was cleansed, the lenses I viewed the world through widened, and my heart was set free.  It was here I learnt that I was solely responsible for my misery…and I was solely responsible for my happiness.  I already knew this, but only on an intellectual level.  Vipassana allowed me to know this on an experiential level (big difference!)

2 :: Level 1 Yoga Teacher Training with My Health Yoga

I enrolled in this course in August 2010.

At that time, I had consciously been unemployed for 6 months + was at a crossroads with my career.  Do I…

a) dive into my love of marketing by getting a job that specialised in online marketing?  Or…
b) enrol in this Yoga Teacher Training Course that keeps coming up even though I’ve never actually been to a yoga studio or tried a yoga class?

Option (a) felt like I was simply jumping on a different merry-go-round to experience a different scenery.  I felt like I already knew how that was going to end.

On the other hand option (b) felt like the most ridiculous decision AND the biggest waste of money (money I didn’t have).   But it was totally unknown to me + I was super curious.

So of course, I took a BIG risk and chose option (b): apply for level one yoga teacher training…but purely for self-discovery purposes.  I was done teaching group fitness classes + swore to myself I would never teach again.  I even gave away 8yrs worth of music + training resources so I didn’t go back to what I already knew in case I got desperate.  At that time I was craving to explore + discover new things + I hoped yoga would help me discover what I wanted to do with my life.

And it did (clearly).  Turns out I love teaching…A LOT!  And I love yoga!

3 :: The Shed Project: 8 weeks of losing it. An adventure in letting go with Bindu Wiles

I enrolled in this online course in September 2010.

At that time, the kids + I were about to move out of my parents house + into a 6m x 9m shed at the back of their property which had been converted into a 2 bedroom flat.  Six months prior, I had already let go of my job + my marriage, so why not let go of my possessions and really clean the slate?

During this course, I examined my relationships to everything in my life from possessions to people to beliefs.  And I finally started to really enjoy living the simple life.

It was here I learnt the power of consciously letting go + making a whole lot of space and the power of gratitude + taking the time to appreciate the little things. 

4 :: The Fire Starter Sessions with Danielle Laporte

I enrolled in this digital program in September 2010.

At that time I was searching for ways to merge my spirituality with my love of business.  For some reason, I felt like I had to choose one or the other.  But secretly, I wanted both!  I wanted to feed my soul AND my bank account.  And I wanted to do it on my terms.

The Fire Starter Sessions (initially a digital program, now a book) helped me with all of the above.  I had revelation after revelation after revelation.

All in all, the Fire Starter Sessions was the permission slip I had been craving that allowed me to want what I wanted and to fully go for it.

5 :: Rich Happy + Hot Bschool with Marie Forleo

I enrolled in this online course in May 2011.  It was a last minute decision.

At that time I had just started teaching my very first yoga class but was eager to generate another stream of income so I didn’t burnt out from teaching again.  And most importantly, I wanted to be able to work from home so I could work around being a mum.

This is when my craving to learn about online marketing was starting to become an obsession.  I was on the hunt to learn from someone who had already done it (or was doing it) and was super transparent about their business.  I wanted a mentor, a role model, someone who was living a life I was aspiring to.

I wanted flexibility, freedom, creativity, expression, innovation, and fun.  Plus I wanted to connect with other amazing women entrepreneurs…I wanted to be part of a community of like-minded people.  And I really wanted to make a difference…to my family + to others.

Bschool was a BIG investment for me.  In fact, I had already decided I wasn’t doing it because ‘I couldn’t afford it’.  But something shifted gears in the last 24hrs that enrolment was open and I just knew I had to do this course NOW!

And I’m sooooo happy I did because I finally learnt the tools, the strategies and the know-how to turn my ideas into reality.  And I was now part of a community of women entrepreneurs who became my powerhouse of inspiration + support.

In fact, most of my closest friends today I met through Bschool…and some of them were actually living just around the corner from me, like Jessica Ainscough + Nicola Chatham.

Rich, Happy + Hot Bschool reminded me that big risks reap bigger rewards.

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