World Film: Mixed-Up Style

Note from film maker:
"Mixed Up is a film which explores the correlations between mixed race heritage and style influences. I made this film for my final major project at Ravensbourne College of Design and Communication where I studied BA Fashion Promotion. It was all conceived, filmed and edited by me and is my first film... ever. "
See Website!

Mixed Up from cassie clarke on Vimeo.

I came across this video through a friend on facebook last year...

Some points I agree on, others I don't - but it was an insight into different people's experiences that I found interesting! It did get me thinking about many issues related to how we use our own culture to express our Self, consciously or subconsciously.

As a bi-racial person, it got me also thinking about how much my own cultures affect me daily, in life generally. I prefer to say that I am a TCK (Third-Culture-Kid) as I have also been brought up with many influences from many other cultures outside of my own African-Spanish heritage, and have been an expat for 99.99% of my life... it has all shaped me as a person and I think on a subconscious level, I do explore and express it through everything, including what I like to wear!

Some reflections:
No matter where you come from or your cultural and racial background...

How much of it is expressed in your daily life? (Fashion, music etc.)

Nature Dance.

Meditate.

I am reminded that meditation is not just about sitting in lotus position and being in a quiet room...

Self awareness is a meditative state of mind, whether it is while you are taking the train to work or jogging in the park - moving in awareness, daily active movement meditation.

Spring feels very real now. I feel as though I have been a mole all this time and I'm taking my first visions of life above ground where there is light and sunshine, even when it is still cold.

I love Spring and how nature seems to awaken during this time of year!

Happy International Womens' Day!

Women's Film Festival @ Bird's Eye View

Love Film?
It's not too late to catch this week's London Women's film festival!

If you can't make it, there's some great titles to check out!

Of course, this also ties in nicely with tomorrow's special day ;o)

Inspirational Beauty: Tchiya Amet

Tchiya Amet
See Her Website

I absolutely LOVE this lady... over the years, I've been enjoying her astrology work, as well as her roots music!

Be inspred!!!

Food For Thought - Literally!

MY SO refuses to eat outside, unless it's an ital restaurant. He has been vegan for over 15 years and always told me from the start that food was an important part of his life, he loves to cook ital food! And I love his cooking lol.

And when we first started dating years ago, I wasn't a vegie eater - I didn't get why he was so hung up about going to public spaces to eat. I had been curious about starting a vegie diet at that point but I think he was a big factor that inspired me in many ways to see how it could be done on a practical day-to-day level (I has so many questions before!).

These days, I still do go out to eat with friends etc. but I am SO weary of where I sit down... everything from the energy, the way the food is prepared (I love to actually see an open kitchen), the smell etc. I can't help it! I just like to know that what I eat is with good energy... and when I do go and eat from a place I don't like, I don't really enjoy the experience.

I was just tucking into my home made vegan lasagna, when I was thinking about this topic of food and daily life...

I LOVE FOOD lol!

And this clip came to mind...

Food for thought:

Whether you are a vegan, vegetarian or a meat eater, how important is it to eat in the right spot?

How much time do you spend planning, eating, preparing your food?

What would be the worst thing that you have or could encounter on a day out in a restaurant?

And for the vegie eaters, what have been your difficulties?

I still LOVE Watching Little Akai!

Inspirational Napptural Beauty: Haily Bond

Model Haily Bond
See More Pics Of Her!





Pic taken from the blog:
Black Chicks With Freckles

Ladene Lenora Clark: Yes! Thick Locs Are Super Sexy!

Ladene Lenora Clark Website

I has seen random pics here and there of this gorgeous locer but never knew her name or if she was a model etc. Until I finally tracked her website down! She is such an inspiration to me, not just because she is amazingly beautiful, but also because she knows how to rock her thick locs!

I chose to have thicker locs - and they chose me too lol! As my locs started thinning at the base, I combined them to thicken my roots and then my locs just grew in thickness since my first skinny little braids started... I wasn't expecting thumb size locs lol.

Yes, I do find them challenging sometimes... even from other naturals which I found odd! Example: I went to a all-natural hair salon a while ago and the man behind the counter was asking me what I wanted, so I said that I had never been to a hair salon and would like to curl them... his eyebrows lifted when I said I never had them professionally done, like it was a bad thing! And when he asked me to turn around to see my locs, his facial expression didn't get any better lol! Oh well lol. Thick locs have their own mind when it comes to styling, but I wouldn't have them any other way!

As Ladene shows... Thick locs are also sexy!

London Event: Day Of The Goddess

Happy March!





Celebrating A Whole Day Of The Goddess...
See Website For Details!

I'm looking forward to the talks and shows which host some of the ladies that I have been following for years now on their work! Great words...

"Today and every day you should reflect on the beauty that is Woman, you should remember those women that made a mark and those that continue to create marks, templates and finger print traces in this Universe we currently reside in.

Women you must never forget that all begins and ends with You, you are the root and you are also the flower. You have a massive role to play in this life in this Universe fore you gave birth to it.

Women don't turn your back on your natural duties or shun your Goddess role, because when we do we leave the space in which we should occupy and reign in disrepair.

Gracious creators, giver of life, mother, sister, auntie, grandma, nana, niece, daughter, wife, girlfriend are all titles remember above all you are Woman - All begins and ends with you!

I Am One Who reflects the beauty of the universe back to itself.

I am the Beloved. "

Mark your diaries: 21st March 2010.

The Dream Just Got (Even More) Real!

Another March update that I'm gearing my Self for...

For years I hav been slowly building my therapy work, learning, networking, working within differnt complementary therapy spaces in London, learning the insider's ropes, doing many regular 9-5 day jobs alongside to fund my Self and occasionally getting disappointments in projects that didn't last as long as I would have liked them to... and now, I finally took my first step forward to starting my very own therapy space in central London. YAY! It feels like the perfect time... Now I'm realising that each set-back or slow step forward was something I needed to go through to learn more and to become more resourceful in order to move forward and be here. I'm feeling very excited about this new opportunity!

London is such an exciting city to work in this field. When I first started, it was still very much a new thing and people were weary of it, but in the last 5 years it has boomed and people are starting to take note in a big way, being open, from hospitals to GP clinics etc. More research is being done into it and more programs are being devised by local councils to use complementary therapies as a way of promoting positive health. Of course, there are always critics who believe that its a complete utter waste of time and money to look into it, so the challenge is still very much alive. However, what is wonderful is every time I am walking down a random London street, I guarantee that within a few nearby steps there is always a holistic venue event happening, from classes at the gym to counselling sessions, regular festivals, classes, holistic get-togethers etc.

Many times, I like to find out more about holistic health in other parts of the world through my clients and other therapists... A few months ago, I had a Canadian client who used to own his own therapy space in Canada - and he said that it was exactly the same in the late 90's early- 00's... the boom in holistic health - and then it just died down, and the government stopped investing money into the research and people stopped being interested. It made me wonder if this would just be a passing fad here too? In contrast, I have had other clients who say it is a normal way of life where they come from. I love hearing more about it!

In London, there is no balance most times as the focus is very much work-related living - live to work or work to live? ... it does take a lot of effort to incooperate spiritual and holistic living in daily life. And it's fantastic to see how many people now want to do so!

Ever since I started working in a therapy space next to trendy Spitalfields market, everything just seemed to take off on so many levels. I absolutely LOVE my job and seeing my clients each time is a joy as I love watching their journey grow too!

It's official now and I can't wait to start my search for building a team/community of complementary therapists to share this energy with!

Currently plotting events, therapy swaps, Reiki shares, meditation classes, gift vouchers, flyers, stall info for Spitalfields market etc and letting my visualisations take their own forms...

"Dream bigger!" ... All smiles ;o)


** Q's for you **

How holistic-friendly is your area?

What is your opinion on complementary and conventional medicine?

Do you find that people in your country/city are open to natural health options?

How often do you use holistic health in your life - do you take classes, go to a therapist, supplement your diet with herbs etc?

Have you become more health conscious since becoming natural (hair)?

Please share your experiences with holistic health where you live!

Inspirational Beauty: Tracey Amos

Tracey Amos
@ http://www.traceyamos.com

Motivate. HIGHer!

Raw Foodie: Zucchini Pasta with Marinara Sauce

Yum!

Inspirational Beauty: Yoga Diva Dana Smith-Rogers

Beautiful Dana Smith-Rogers @
Spiritual Essence Yoga

When I've Had A Crappy Day...

Recent example:
Maybe it's just been one of those days...

Nothing goes right, I wake up in a good mood but the day seem to test me more and more and eventually my mood soaks up all the negativity and I feel DRAINED when I finally do make it back home...

At this point, I get to working on removing and reflecting on the day so it doesn't drag into tomorrow...

Maybe with a Sel-Reiki session, good music, chocolate treats, having a really long bath etc.

So, what Self rituals do you do to get rid of that negativity afterwards?

How to do you ground your Self?

On the days that prove most challenging, how do you re-arrange the recent past (in your mind) and learn from it?

What makes you feel drained and what charge you up again?

Please share ;o)

World Movie: Besouro

Meditating On: Capoeira, Ancestrality And Spirituality

I have always loved martial arts movies and since I'm on the capoeira high, here's a film that caught my eye...

March Challenge: My Capoeira Journey Begins...

I knew I would come back to it. Capoeira.

But it's not March yet lol?!? Just excited to get started and doing my own workouts.

It felt like the same strong urge I always get when I am about to start something that feels *real* and right for me (like the time I started my locs)... full of excitement, fear, knowing that it would take me out of my comfort zone but willing to be open to this unknown path ahead. It just kept calling me! The music, connecting with the ancestors, the friendships, travel, new culture and community spirit.

"The spirituality in capoeira is very loud - a lot of music, young energy," Lima explains. "In capoeira, finding harmony and peace in a chaotic situation is not by meditating, but by getting hot in the fire."  - Mestranda Edna Lima (in picture)

Why do I want to learn capoeira?
To bring my attention back into my grounding source (my body), to meet new people, to create ritual in my life in a new way by connecting with the ancestors, challenge my body and see what it can do, to be unconditionally open to learning. I want to overstand what the lifestyle of capoeira brings. I want to start from scratch and it feels new.

I wasn't sure how begin to again... did I ever really begin last time?!? This time around I wanted to find a group that would help me grow... the capoeira family... and with all the different groups out there, it felt overwhelming! So, I took my time... I searched through all the old info I had previously explored and found many new groups/info that had formed since the last time...

And then I realised that I wanted to have a female capoeira Maestre (teacher) to show me how the Goddess body's strength is used. I wanted to have a female teacher who would guide me through this new journey...I want to discover the feminine in Capoeira...

I searched again... It took a while. I eventually  found 2 groups that had female Maestres and was even more excited when I saw that there was now more information out there that represented women in capoeira today! Maybe this is why I didn't really get into it properly the first time. There's always a reason for everything! I am back to the start and this time I know it feels right.

There is something amazingly beautiful about women in capoeira - the balance between yin and yang, as the expression is truly feminine by the female player yet the strength is so yang! Women in capoeira value their strength, their freedom of expression and their joy!

The first step was to say YES!

OK, now my fears became real... Thoughts: I don't feel fit enough, my body isn't as flexible as I would like, will I "perform" well in roda, will I make friends easily... AHHHHHH LOL!

I booked a beginners course (start from scratch and re-learn everything) with my chosen group. Something just told me that this was the group I wanted to start with and the right teacher to learn from... to start fresh and be truly open to the experience.

So, my capoeira journey begins... I'm super excited!

Some links I read often:

Roda Magazine

7 Tips For Getting Into Capoeira

Tips To Get Through Your First Capoeira Class

Issues Facing Active Women

More Articles On Women In Capoeira, Roda Magazine

Inspirational Natural Beauty: Mestra Edna Lima

Raw Foodie: Creamy Avocado Soup

UK TV: Material Girl

Harsh review!

I like it :o)

Watch Your Words.

Give Thanks: Your Health Is Your Wealth!

Today, I am happy that I am alive and well...

My health is great and I am able to appreciate my body and mind in this state.

YES! Today, I am happy that I am alive and well...

My health is great and I am able to appreciate my body and mind in this state.

Yesterday, I was reminded (again) how fragile the body really is, no matter how well it is taken care of. Anything can happen at any time.

And isn't it amazing how our glorious body knows exactly what it needs in order to Self heal, grow stronger and adjust to changes that were unexpectadly thorwn its way. Our body is designed to heal, on many levels.

And when this chaallenge does come up, I realise that my health and my body is my only tool to connect me to the outiside world...

My body is *my* own responsibility....


Stretch, play, observe, build strength, give love, receive love, express, dance, run, breathe deeply, speak, watch, inner-see, listen, trust, nourish...

... All these things (and more) I am reminded to do daily, being pro-active with this amazing tool.

Give thanks for health and the body.

NNEKA - Africans

Love Song.

Romance Film: One Love

Gearing up to love day, here is a cute film to cuddle up to...



Watch a clip here...

Om Moments: Gayatri Mantra

Meaning

Should Women Ask Men Out?

Valentine's day this week... While I haven't celebrated in years (why just be loved up for one day of the year?!?) but this year I am falling for this day.

Just for fun...

Food for thought:
Should women ask men out on a date?


So women... would you?

Natural Inspiration: Staceyann Chin

Helping Haiti • Everybody Hurts

Out now.

Latin Reggae: Quique Neira

This weekend the world celebrated Bob Marley day and to continue the celebration from my previous post on African reggae, here is another world artist that was inspired by Bob Marley's huge pe-Essence and the positive vibes of reggae music!

He lives on!

Film Rewind: Queen of the Damned

I have to confess that I am hooked on watching True Blood lol...

Jogging back time...

Who remembers this vampire movie?
Scene from movie "Queen of the Damned" of the vampire Akasha, played by Aaliyah...

Natural Model: Amelie Latournald

Natural Inspiration - Model Amelie Latournald

African Reggae: Tiken Jah Fakoly

Back To Basics: Greeting The Day With Sun Salutations

The Glorious Sun Salutation

What if you greeted every single day with a few of these?
How much better would you feel?

I often put pressure on my Self to find time to workout and then I get super mad when I don't... So on a simple note, getting back to basics and just spending a few minutes each morning to do these might just get me back in the mood to get a steady routine going once again...

"Breathe" lol.

London Flamenco Festival 2010: 13th-27th Feb.

As an African-Spanish napptural, I grew up around flamenco music in Spain so this is a grat week to enjoy it... For me, its expressive, its a reminder of a deep history that is rooted in many cultures and power-full...

London Flamenco Festival 2010: 13th-27th Feb.

Here are two of my favourite modern flamenco artists...

Since 1998 Pasión Gitana, Joaquín Cortés has been my eye candy lol...


I never thought in a million years when I was little that a Black woman would enter the world of flamenco until Concha Buika came along. She performed previously in this flamenco festival.

UK Natural Hair:Naturally Sexy

Yet again, another fantastic UK website celebrating natural hair - Yay lol!

@ www.naturallysexy.co.uk

Food Focus: Quinoa

Another food that has been in my kitchen and idle for some time is this: Quinoa. I haven't cooked this in AGES! A great source of protein and packed with nutrients...



Here's a quick and easy salad you can prepare with quinoa, great for lunch!



Or if you prefer a warming soup for these colder months, try this soup!

Cree Summer's Perfect Words

The lyrics in this song is such a beautiful reminder to live life everyday to the fullest!

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing."
- Helen Keller

Natural Inspiration: Akua Auset

Simply gorgeous!


Akua Auset

Feb Challenge: Paris, Here I Come!

Happy Feb 2010

Today I was reminded with snow that Spring/Summer 2010 is still a long-ish wait... Thank goodness the colder months will be drawing to a close and I'm planning on taking a trip to Paris to celebrate the next new season - feeling excited even though its a while away! So my Feb challenge is going to be to get back into learning French.

My teacher always said that all it takes to master a language is 10 minutes a day of dedicated self study. Hmmmmmmmm. OK, I'll test it and see where it takes me this month.

I love the Practice Makes Perfect series.