International Women's Day

Latest Podcast Episode. The Candid Conversations Season 2 Episode 6-Troubadours and Teachers with special guest Rev Ananda Leeke.
In today's episode, I speak with my special guest and wonderful client Rev Ananda Leeke for the International Women's History month special. Throughout the month I will be interviewing some dynamic and centred creative women.

We talk about all things books, creativity, authors, and also:

⭐️What inspired Ananda to create her book, including many writers, such as ntozake shange, Maya Angelou, and bell hooks to Billie Holiday as one of her musical influences.

⭐️How Ananda starts her creative process which led her to creating three books.

⭐️How to show up and work on our 'mind drama' to enable us to create masterpieces.
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Again we go in, and this conversation is full of self-love gems grab your herbal tea and invite the love of energy into your space.

If you have a desire to write your own book this episode is a must!

About Ananda,
Ananda Kiamsha Madelyn Leeke discovered mindfulness, self-care, and wellness when her career as a lawyer, an investment banker, and a digital communications professional stressed her out, caused burnout, and did not produce the level of success she expected. Over the past 30 years, mindfulness, self-care, and wellness have helped Ananda navigate change, become resilient, overcome panic attacks, transform her relationship with technology and social media, and release her career expectations. As a result, she has been able to pursue her calling as an artist-in-residence at Smith Center for Healing and the Arts at Howard University Hospital and Walter Reed National Military Medical Center, an author, a speaker, a trainer, a mindfulness and yoga teacher, a digital wellness educator, a reiki and sound healing practitioner, a Thriving Mindfully Coach, and a Human Design Doula. Today, she coaches and trains high achievers and mission-driven companies, organizations, and communities on how to navigate change, to embrace self-care and digital wellness, to tap into creativity, become resilient, and to thrive mindfully.As the founder and Chief Mindfulness Officer of Ananda Leeke Consulting, she leads a wellness company that specializes in personal and professional development. She oversees the Thriving Mindfully Academy and Resource Network, an online learning platform and membership site. She also serves as a Human Design Doula, a legally ordained interfaith reverend, and hosts and produces the Thriving Mindfully Podcast. In addition, she creates artwork that promotes mindfulness, self-care, wellness, and resiliency. Her mixed media collages, wire sculptures, and paintings have been exhibited in the Washington DC metropolitan area, New York City, North Carolina, and Kentucky. Several of her paintings decorate the covers of her books, Love’s Troubadours, a yoga-inspired novel, and That Which Awakens Me, a mindful creativity memoir. Both books and her mindful technology memoir, Digital Sisterhood are available on Amazon. Currently, she is writing Thriving Mindfully as the REAL ME: A Memoir of Lipstick, Loving Kindness, Joy, and Everything in Between.

Ananadas website
anandaleeke.com/
www.instagram.com/anandaleeke/

Purchase Love's Troubadour on Amazon

www.amazon.com/Loves-Troubadours…One/dp/0595440819

Women we discussed
www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/ntozake-shange for coloured girls.
amzn.to/3vIy8qK
Susan L Taylor
www.instagram.com/iamsusanltaylor/?hl=en

Lessons in Living
amzn.to/3HQayKT
Iyanla Vanzant
iyanla.com/
Tapping the power within
amzn.to/3pOChFE

We also spoke about Billy Holiday the Jazz Artist.

To book a consult to see if the Highly Capable Creative Programme for Creative Women is for you contact me here www.mjfontaine.co.uk

Listen here on Soundcloud

Links to my old Blog

Here is a link to my old Blog The Creative Healing Goddess where I feel was a powerful time for spirituality before the gram and facebook. If you want to pause and enjoy the simple pleasures of life I trust this blog will bring you some comfort and joy.

Ancestral Healing in London

The Power of the Ancestors

I delivered an Ancestral Workshop this week and the energy was amazing to tap into the healing energy please visit my insight timer page to walk through this meditation.

The Candid Conversation Podcast is back and LIVE!

Hello, World!

Click here to access the Podcast.on Soundcloud

Click here to access the Podcast on Spotify

Community and Solitude.

Here we go

Hey loves how has your October been so far?

I have been busy with my exhibition and also supporting my clients through some major business and creative shifts which have been phenomenal.

I have also had really bad anxiety for my private view because I have not been in a big social setting apart from Roller skating so I didn’t know what to expect.

But I trusted my heart and the people showed up full of love.

I had two angels helping me Sacred Butterfly and Sister Rosanna, because my rigid boundaries have developed as a protection mechanism and Newham Councils lack of budget, I didn’t ask for help but they both showed up for me and I felt held.

I also booked my Osteopath for spinal support and healing (yep she is a healer ). This self-care transferred itself onto the Private view, which was warm and healing. There were tears and catharsis as we discussed our relationship with our mothers and also the experience of our parents here in the UK. The room was thick with loving energy and ALL our ancestors were in the room that night.

The day after I heard my ancestors whisper “Thank you, your job telling our story is done “ .

A new chapter begins

When you are called to work and tell the story of your ancestors, nothing can stand in your way and everything will be aligned, all the distractions are there to challenge and help you grow.

I have been through some challenges in the last two years the stretched me to a place that I never thought I could go to.

And what next?

Well, the work will travel to other exhibitions and as my Solitude is coming to an end I am in a space on a canvas that has a story waiting to be painted.

The exhibition runs until 31st October 2021 more information here

New Meditation Download.

A new download album of my meditations will be released this week you can pre-order here, it is an imperfect and unmastered album of 10 of the best Crystal Meditations that I recorded for my moon circles and they are free on my Insight Timer page with over a thousand listens, however, you cannot download them AND we need to have independent ways of using products without relying on a Cloud or Social Media.

Until next time.

M x

What makes your heart sing

Again we are navigating a world upheaval and many people are complaining about feeling drained.

Dear human

Please turn off the TV

Reduce the people you speak to ( I mean being brutal) if they are taxing your energy then you need to set a strong boundary.

You are going to have to choose YOU

because if you don’t you will collapse under the changes that are coming because the biggest commodity on this planet is your energy. but this is fueled by your mind so it is imperative to keep a lid on that which you are consuming.

This may feel hard but chose your peace and your battles wisely. Don’t choose your peace as a buffer but as a nourishing activity. The only way you can do this is to take time out. Make plans for your life in a serious way and not a wishy-washy way be specific and dream big.

Choose the right support and the right people or ecosystem.

Be prepared to lose people along the way, this may feel strong but it will clear your energy field and allow you to have a living practice and space to allow your heart to sing and not be heavy

Even during challenging times, your heart will still sing because it is clear, clear with purpose and from this place you can serve.

Journal Question: In the silence of your peace what makes your heart sing?

If you want more support during this time then book a discovery call to see how I can help you and your creative practice or business. create the correct lifestyle you deserve.

Space and Simplicity

My favourite thing is Forest Bathing, River watching, having the space to breathe to assimilate my thoughts is invaluable to me.

Space and simplicity are what most of us crave but sometimes we find ourselves stressed.

Are you struggling with your abundance?

Are you tired and getting burnt out quickly?

Are you becoming overwhelmed?

You need to take a pause.

When we are doing too much we are putting obstacles in front of ourselves and not trusting that our current love project is going to work. I see it time and time again we don’t realise how stressed we are, and pressured to be successful or having this wonderful life.

Sometimes we just need a change despite the fear, do you resonate with me?

When I decided to stop seeing clients at the weekend I was scared I would lose income, I didn’t.

When I put up my prices so I could have more time to rest between my art practice I was worried that I wouldn’t enrol anybody, I have more clients than ever.

When I decided to focus on one area in my coaching business my post-menopause head stopped hurting, and I was clear to process other stuff that needed to come up to heal and is still doing so.

I am not living my best life, I am living Periodt.

So if you are stressed, muggy in the head and feeling “when am I going to get out of this money/work/life rut). Do the following as a start:

✅Put up a boundary and start saying no. Rest often and go for walks in place of the time you are doing yet another free “exposure” project.

✅Choose one project and let go of the rest until you can afford to do it mentally, financially and physically. ( I mean if you are working for yourself full time then you have the capacity to do this. If you are working a 9-5 peri or post-menopausal you will be creating more cortisol another post on that soon).

✅Invest in support - No man is an island and accountability can suck but it is why most people are successful, you can’t afford to do it.

Let me know if this hits home.

Boundaries are a MF

I write this from my bed as I have my restful August Break, I review the last month so and you know what is interesting? Every time I need a break my boundaries or energy become blurred.

Or I feel I get really pissed off with people very easily ….The truth is that my sensitivity is heightened because I am tired and have come to a natural pause for that season. So I attract vibrationally boundary breakers you know those people who push boundaries because they have very blurred boundaries and are on the drama triangle, of rescuing.

And so after encountering a few of them in July I had to work what the hell was going on.

I have been living my life according to the seasons for years and so in July (also my birthday month) I naturally slow down.

Every year I have an August Break normally a whole month but this year I am taking two weeks because since I have scaled my business, I have space in my week to do nothing so here I am allowing all the stuff to really come up before the next season. So my time has been pampering myself and having all sorts of care Osteopath, pedicures, etc and so my thoughts are around the fact that I no longer actually want to be the SAVIOUR this is a rescuing role and so moving forward. My helping role is my job and NOT my social time, as I realised that there has been a bleed through that I thought I had overcome.

So I did my thought work

After doing my thought work * I concluded that my thoughts that people were violating my boundaries I was feeling worthless, and this was the inner child. Why did this happen? well, the inner child comes out when we are tired, not in joy and do not listen to ourselves and our bodies.

So I decided despite the requests and requirements of others I love and approve of myself, and I can decide to say yes or no to a request regardless of what the other person thinks of me.

That everybody is a reflection this I know since my plant medicine journey (more on that in another blog) and so just look at what is happening in your life and you will see what your thoughts are co creating.

So to summarize

I support myself through whatever decision I make in my work even if the receiver does not approve.

I choose to walk this path and keep my professional boundaries in place, which means clients and social life has to be separate.

I am getting an assistant and from September 30th all queries will be filtered through her, even WhatsApp will be for personal use only.

I am no longer be available for blurred boundaries queries or questions if you want advice or my time book a strategy session.

Strategy session availability will be released every season (every three months) and I will only have 10 1 hour sessions available and 5 x 2-hour sessions, once these sessions are full there will be a waiting list.

Coaching sessions are a package and I only have four spaces available in September so again once those spaces are gone there will be a waiting list.

Let me know what you are experiencing with boundaries.

Marilyn

Why I am spending more time on this blog

It has been a while

In between relaunching my coaching business and undertaking an arts council funded project that brought up a lot of internal old patterns. I have also been navigating a ‘new normal’ and where I fit into this virtual world

On one hand, it is great to preserve my energy AND keep safe, however, the other side is feeling a sense of loss and privilege of an easier lifestyle pre-pandemic. So this blog will be my journal or the space away from social media where I get to discuss in a voice note or write about matters that move me.

The problem with Social media.

Social media is like that psychopathic ex that creeps up on you, at first you are having an amazingly addictive relationship with it, hell it’s fueling my business but be it algorithms or the trends we start to form relationships OR habits that are dictated by an app. As I am on Annual leave I am purposely not doing anything related to work so what am I doing in the meantime? I am having several relationships, toxic friendships and angry feelings all made up in my head. After my emotional episodes, I ask myself “how old are you right now Marilyn?” the answer is always 15 or 16.

Can you see where this is going?

We create our thoughts and our thoughts determine the outcome of our experiences. so imagine the outcome I am creating which are one hot mess of toxic and paranoid thoughts?

This is social media unsupervised.

So I am going on a social media fast well kind of ..

I am only going to give myself 10 minutes maybe twice a week for the duration of my break, hey I might not even go on there.

Now don’t get me wrong I don't have time to create these dynamics when I am working with my clients because I am too busy but it seems like I am catching up for a whole year of focus.

Damn,

As I continue to rest into my August break.

to be continued.,

Please sign up to my mailing list if you haven’t done so already because I am trying to build a relationship with my audience from Instagram et al just in case I lose one of my accounts (which is happening more and more as we are being censored).

Introduction to Aromatherapy Week 6

In our Final Week we cover Frankincense - if you have enjoyed this course please leave a comment below or share with friends and family.

Introduction to Aromatherapy Week 5

Introduction to Aromatherapy Week 4

Introduction to Aromatherapy Week 3 - Lesson 3 : Benefits of Ylang Ylang Essential Oil and Back Massage

Spring Foods

Free course - Introduction to Aromatherapy Week 2

Free Course - Introduction to Aromatherapy Week 1

HAPPY INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY

THIS IS MY FREE GIFT TO YOU AN INTRODUCTION TO AROMATHERAPY

ENJOY THIS COURSE AND PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT!

Goddess Archives - Oshun Day

The Candid Conversations Podcasts return

My Podcast from a couple of years ago have been uploaded to Soundcloud

I was concerned about the files because I changed my streaming provider, so now I have returned to Soundcloud so you can find all my episodes below.

I have decided to re-upload the content because the content is relevant today.

Please leave a comment and make sure you subscribe.

Marilyn

Pleas leave a comment and

5 Products to help you navigate Lockdown - (Spiritual Emotional Hacks).

PICTURE of a running bath.

As we are now into another National Lockdown here in the UK I wanted to share some products that may be hopeful in getting you through this current world climate.

I did write a long paragraph on 2020 but it got deleted so maybe this 2020 the review is still loading because ish isn’t finished yet.

So please follow me on Instagram or Insight Timer where I run FREE classes and have some meditations available for you to listen to.

Transparency - The links are affiliate links which contribute to the production of this content ie time. this enables and inspires me to produce more information that is screaming to get out of my head. All links are recommended and credible products I have used unless otherwise stated.

1. Bush Flower Remedies

Flower Essences are vibrational therapy and Australian Bush Flower Essences help manage the emotional demands of everyday life.

When I worked as a therapist at Bliss Creative Health Centre - a few of the Massage Therapist gave their clients Calm and Clear because it helped balance those living in busy cities.

Featured Calm and Clear, and Electro (Helps with Radiation from Computers or phones) -Australian Bush Flower Remedy, and Relationship, remedy (especially if you are stuck at home together).

2. Essential Oils

Essential oils support the physical, emotional and spiritual, they can be used in the bath four drops or in 24mls of carrier oils such as Grapeseed or Coconut oil. or diffused in an oil burner. My favourite way is either a self-massage or bath.

3. HEPA approved AIR PURIFIER.

I cannot vouch for this machine as a defence against any virus, however, the reviews are positive according to WHICH check out this article I have much better air quality in my bedroom and I have recommended this to other therapists. In England, the cold winters bring another problem central heating and bad air quality so these air purifiers help.

I recommend this brand please check the reviews before you decide (there is a problem with the filters but apparently they are now under another brand), Please check before you purchase this brand if the filters are available. I have yet to buy a filter.

More information on HEPA purifiers see the WHICH article.

4. Meditation or Mindful practices.

Having a morning practice is really important and can literally lift your mood. I am doing the Insight Timer FREE 30-day meditation challenge alongside my one of my old courses the 30/30 Wellness challenge.
This has made a very difficult time more restful and helps me start the day. There are several other challenges on Youtube such as Yoga, dance etc find the one that resonates with you.

5. Bath and Body products.

Because Loungewear will take over your life you need to be able to look after the one suit that is priceless and that is your Birthday Suit.

So invest in a good body scrub, Body butter or oil (I made my own Macerated Sunflower oil with Lavender) or Coconut oils. Purchase a Jade Roller for that face massage and lift (heck purchase an egg if you want to go the extra mile). If the price is a problem then create your own with sugar. There is no clubs or restaurants open for a while so get your body ready so that we can run out of quarantine looking buffed ( a few more pounds may be added but at least your skin will look good).

DIY

DIY BODY SCRUB https://simple-veganista.com/diy-edible-sugar-scrub/

DIY MACERATED BODY OIL

DIY MACERATED OIL FROM MY SELF PACED AROMATHERAPY COURSE PART 1 (INCLUDES A FREE HAND MASSAGE TECHNIQUE).

DIY MACERATED OIL FROM MY OLD AROMATHERAPY INTO COURSE PART 2 .

JADE ROLLER FOR FACE

I hope these resources are useful for you, please leave a comment to let me know if you found this useful or your own self care hacks .

Interview on Fire from the Sun