Leonie Dawson's Blog, page 78

Susun Weed Herbal Healing Workshop: My Illustrated Journal Notes!

Dearests,

I heard about it on Facebook first…

Expressions of interest for a Susun S Weed herbal healing workshop here in the alpine mountains of Canberra.

I was allllll over it like hippy on chai.

Ya see, I have had Susun’s herbal healing books for years, and her book for Herbal Healing During The Childbearing Year was used over and over again as I experienced recurring mastitis in my lumpy boobfeeding bosoms. (I should say that I DID use antibiotics as well when it developed… but I spent much of my breastfeeding years trying to prevent/fix another bout of mastitis.)

The day rolled around… fast… and due to a wild calamity of conflicting deadlines… it ended up being on the exact same date as we were launching the 2017 workbooks! Luckily, my team had it all under control (aka: there wasn’t anything else for me to do!) so I scurried off for the morning to meet the great green goddess.

 

I got there a bit early, and plonked beside Carrie the Candlemaker… it’s so funny… we met earlier this year at the markets. She had her candle store there, and I was wandering around… and she said “Leonie???? I have your workbooks!!!” and she even had them on her!! She takes them to the markets with her each week to work on them between customers! Amazing!

Anyways, we totally hit it off, and realised that not only did our kids go to the same school… but we were neighbours!

It was the rad. She’s adorable!

 

Here’s me just about to drink a sacred elixir made by Susun S Weed.

P.S. it tasted like horse.

I made Carrie hold my hand when Susun walked in because I was so excitable.

She was just how you would expect her to be… the passionate, playful, joyful, enthusiastic, mischievous voice of her books. What a glad blessing and a joy to witness her in person.

She’s totally my style statement too… silk skirt, leggings, bare feet, printed tee, bra-free and bandanna! Live the dream, girl!

Here’s my sketchbook from that day…

I kept talking about the workshop with mates and promising to upload my sketchbook from it… so here it is!

With these pages, she was talking about the sacred act of eating herbs (and everything else!) is ultimately the act of love. And counselled us against wanting too much “balance” in our lives… that our lives are at its nature dynamic and that’s the reason we are alive.

Then we got into the meat of the show… which was all about herb infusions which are highly nutritious.

What a great way to get more nutrients in ze body!

I think the big thing I’ll take away from the workshop is this…

That instead of “cleansing” our system of “toxins”… to instead nourish it with good foods + herbal infusions.

I think I’ll make it my word for the year next year!

Afterwards, I got a selfie with ze Weed. She’s totally wearing my colours!

So grateful for the experience.

When I’m 70, I want to be as Leonie as Susun is Susun… wild, free + completely herself.

Big love,

Leonie’s Scrapbook: Workbooks, Summer and Birthdays!

Hola soul sistahs!

Here’s my latest scrapbook instalment! What have I been up to? Workbooks.

And a few other things. Haircut. Kids. Celebrated 2 birthdays. But mainly Workbooks.

Back in October, the Dawso’s pad was invaded by Butterflies. This time THERE WAS A KOALA IN OUR BACKYARD. 

OH, AND ANOTHER KOALA IN MY BACKYARD. IN PYJAMAS.

I went to equine constellation therapy… which ended up evolving into “just” equine therapy… which was just what was needed. I cried a lot… both happy and sad tears… and was given so much healing and teaching by those horses. It’s still settling into my bones… and I’ll keep working with the lessons… go back and do some more… but I’m feeling grateful to have experienced this healing modality at last. Read more about it.

I packed  for my week long health retreat… 90% art supplies, books, essential oils & a small weighted blanket. I even packed my own essential oil diffuser! Who cares about clothes… these are the real necessities in my life.

I left my family for a week to be with myself on a health retreat.

I returned home, happy to be beside my love again.

I spent the day on a bunch of calls coaching Academy members, hiring & getting ready to launch 2017 workbooks. Using essential oils to cure family ailments and feeling like an oil-dispensing shamaness.

I snuggled with the girls. Beth likes to sit next to Angel and play with her ears… and Starry? Well Starry likes to sit as close to me as possible. I don’t know if you can tell.

Summer is coming. We turn to greet her coming radiance in the garden each afternoon. Each year, my girls’ legs seem impossibly longer after being hidden in winter layers.

I was down and out with round #6785 of sickness… these last six months have been so tough on my poor old immunity and body. I feel sorry for my poor husband… I don’t think he knew what he was getting into with the whole “in sickness and in health” thing… I’ve certainly had enough of it over the last 3 years!

Confucius say: When in doubt, paint outside.

Reading books to her collection of dog toys, small and large. #befflife

I did a Facebook Live on the self publishing process, and talked lots about the 2017 Create Your Shining Year Workbooks!

Motivational gobbledegook… just throw in as many meaningful words as possible and see what happens.

I started my own Facebook Live cooking lessons! GF Peanut butter cookies!

(Thermomixed a cup of unsalted peanuts, a third cup of honey, an egg, a tsp bicarb and choc drops. Cook for 10-15min or until golden brown.)

I sketched a little lot.

I reflected on the upcoming US election. I know so many of us were anxious for it all to be over, and also anxious for what the outcome might be.

I want you to know, no matter what happens in the US, I’ll turn up here tomorrow and keep loving you. And we will do what needs to be done. And we will be in the soup of it all together.

A friend once told me something interesting that stayed with me – that volunteering and activism had increased during Bush, and decreased during Obama. Because… complacency, ya know? And I very much pray we don’t need a Trump to inspired the crowds of love in action again, empowered to make a change on a ground roots level because they see their government is not. I wish we all did this each day, no matter our leader.

But that’s not what I wanted to tell you. I wanted to tell you this:

No matter what tomorrow brings, I will be here. So will you. We will be here together. And we will do what needs to be done. Together. Because this world, and we, need it.

We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the knights in shining armour.

A circle of wise women linking hands across the world. A circle of support.

A million angels standing by, ready to bring love and compassion into the world.

In this together.

After that shocking election result… a message to myself.

Starry six years ago today… and today…

I completed one of my Shining Year goals and had a Freakshake from Patissez !!!! OHHMEMMMGEE!

Then, one day I woke up and I was 34.

My love made me a hot chocolate, and I watched endless birthday puppet shows put on by my girls.

I sat by the window and wrote a full list of everything I was grateful for over the last year.

Then I went for a walk down to a cattle paddock and got a bit lost so I trespassed through a golf course to get home again. There’s still adventures to be had. It’s been a hard year with lots of stresses and illnesses and other such calamities. I’m still healing and restoring my inner well. And I’m so grateful for a fresh new year to be born into.

Thank you world, for being the biggest, most beautiful and intense journey. Thank you for all the feelings, the good and the hard.

Thank you for teaching me how to be fully human while still holding the divine in my hand. I’m so lucky to be alive, and so very glad I’m a Leonie. 

I reminisced about my unicorn donut from Patissez. You’re welcome guys. You’re welcome.

 

Starry told me she wanted to take a photo of me… here’s how I’ve spent most of the past few weeks… getting ready for the launch of the 2017 workbooks.

 

Grocery shopping for refugees, tears in my eyes and a full heart awash with love along each aisle. There’s many things I can’t control in this world, but this I can. Love and love more.

I also celebrated that this beautiful man was born and that I’ve been lucky enough to share so much of that life with him.

Dawsy, I adore your spirit… its gentleness, wisdom, intuition, thoughtfulness, sensitivity, creativity. I also appreciate very much that you are sexy as fuck. I’m pretty sure I’ve never mentioned that before.

Learning how to love with you has been some of the hardest and best work I’ve ever done. We sure were stupid about love when we first started out… it’s a miracle that the thread that tied us together did not break… and has only gone stronger over the years.

We’ve learned, loved, laughed and adventures so much together… you’re my Siamese twin, the wind beneath my wings & my best mate. I’m so grateful our daughters have you as their sage, protective, nurturing Papa Bear.

From the bevy of girls at our home (wife, daughters, dog)… HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

[This photo was taken the moment my husband became a Papa Bear nearly 7 years ago!]

We did it! One of our Shining Year goals this year was to get a trampoline for the kids. We ended up buying a Vuly as a few friends have them and love them. Two hours of installing with Mr D and we’re done. The kids have been bouncing happily ever since… I think Trampy will be our new babysitter! Ha!

This is how we roll. #girlposse

“Mum! I’m giving birf to a baby named Beff!”

Just creamed my pants over a completely ticked off to do list. #satisfaction

As Confucius once said “Misogyny can suck its own dick.”

So one night, I was using up food scraps from the fridge and attempting to make peanut satay sauce… which tasted HORRIFIC. And I started doing a Facebook Live… and ya’ll gave me cooking lessons… and we fixed the sauce together… and it ended up tasting AMAZING. Chris says THANK YOU!

#facebooklivecookinglessons



We went for a walk along the lake and recreated a photo we took 14 years ago when we first moved to Canberra, in front of our favourite library.

We were so young when we first moved here… we are both more solid and grounded and our love is so much deeper and stronger.

Being 20 was hard. Being 34 is easier. Don’t get me wrong – there’s harder things to face, but we are bigger, stronger, more resilient.

Giving birth, raising kids, going through chronic illness and family dramas, facing down business challenges… all of that “tests the mettle.”

I just looked up the definition of that and it says: “Mettle is the courage to carry on. If someone wants to “test your mettle,” they want to see if you have the heart to follow through when the going gets tough.” That is such a perfect description of life at times. It wasn’t always pleasant… but I’m grateful for it.

A soul’s strength forged in the flames.



What time is it? Time for mama’s weekly solo retreat to bed to dream and write and fill her well. I’m still working on my 2016 Shining Year workbooks… I tend to start 2017 in a couple of weeks… I know some have started now though because they are super keen.



New hair don’t care. YOU CAN SEE MY CUT MY HAIR LIVE (!!!!!) HERE!!!



SQUEEEEEEEEEE!!!! BOOK DELIVERY!!!!!!!



My new haircut is settling in and behaving itself so well.

Okay angels, that’s all from me this month!

Have a delightful December!!!

Love, love, love,

Leonie’s Scrapbook: Workbooks, Summer, Birthdays and Weed

Hola soul sistahs!

Here’s my latest scrapbook instalment! What have I been up to? Workbooks.

And a few other things. Haircut. Weed (NOT WHAT YOU THINK). Kids. Celebrated 2 birthdays. But mainly Workbooks.

Back in October, the Dawso’s pad was invaded by Butterflies. This time THERE WAS A KOALA IN OUR BACKYARD. 

OH, AND ANOTHER KOALA IN MY BACKYARD. IN PYJAMAS.

I went to equine constellation therapy… which ended up evolving into “just” equine therapy… which was just what was needed. I cried a lot… both happy and sad tears… and was given so much healing and teaching by those horses. It’s still settling into my bones… and I’ll keep working with the lessons… go back and do some more… but I’m feeling grateful to have experienced this healing modality at last. Read more about it.

I packed  for my week long health retreat… 90% art supplies, books, essential oils & a small weighted blanket. I even packed my own essential oil diffuser! Who cares about clothes… these are the real necessities in my life.

I left my family for a week to be with myself on a health retreat.

I returned home, happy to be beside my love again.

I spent the day on a bunch of calls coaching Academy members, hiring & getting ready to launch 2017 workbooks. Using essential oils to cure family ailments and feeling like an oil-dispensing shamaness.

I snuggled with the girls. Beth likes to sit next to Angel and play with her ears… and Starry? Well Starry likes to sit as close to me as possible. I don’t know if you can tell.

Summer is coming. We turn to greet her coming radiance in the garden each afternoon. Each year, my girls’ legs seem impossibly longer after being hidden in winter layers.

I was down and out with round #6785 of sickness… these last six months have been so tough on my poor old immunity and body. I feel sorry for my poor husband… I don’t think he knew what he was getting into with the whole “in sickness and in health” thing… I’ve certainly had enough of it over the last 3 years!

Confucius say: When in doubt, paint outside.

Reading books to her collection of dog toys, small and large. #befflife

I did a Facebook Live on the self publishing process, and talked lots about the 2017 Create Your Shining Year Workbooks!

Motivational gobbledegook… just throw in as many meaningful words as possible and see what happens.

I started my own Facebook Live cooking lessons! GF Peanut butter cookies!

(Thermomixed a cup of unsalted peanuts, a third cup of honey, an egg, a tsp bicarb and choc drops. Cook for 10-15min or until golden brown.)

I sketched a little lot.

I reflected on the upcoming US election. I know so many of us were anxious for it all to be over, and also anxious for what the outcome might be.

I want you to know, no matter what happens in the US, I’ll turn up here tomorrow and keep loving you. And we will do what needs to be done. And we will be in the soup of it all together.

A friend once told me something interesting that stayed with me – that volunteering and activism had increased during Bush, and decreased during Obama. Because… complacency, ya know? And I very much pray we don’t need a Trump to inspired the crowds of love in action again, empowered to make a change on a ground roots level because they see their government is not. I wish we all did this each day, no matter our leader.

But that’s not what I wanted to tell you. I wanted to tell you this:

No matter what tomorrow brings, I will be here. So will you. We will be here together. And we will do what needs to be done. Together. Because this world, and we, need it.

We are the ones we’ve been waiting for. We are the knights in shining armour.

A circle of wise women linking hands across the world. A circle of support.

A million angels standing by, ready to bring love and compassion into the world.

In this together.

After that shocking election result… a message to myself.

Starry six years ago today… and today…

I completed one of my Shining Year goals and had a Freakshake from Patissez !!!! OHHMEMMMGEE!

Then, one day I woke up and I was 34.

My love made me a hot chocolate, and I watched endless birthday puppet shows put on by my girls.

I sat by the window and wrote a full list of everything I was grateful for over the last year.

Then I went for a walk down to a cattle paddock and got a bit lost so I trespassed through a golf course to get home again. There’s still adventures to be had. It’s been a hard year with lots of stresses and illnesses and other such calamities. I’m still healing and restoring my inner well. And I’m so grateful for a fresh new year to be born into.

Thank you world, for being the biggest, most beautiful and intense journey. Thank you for all the feelings, the good and the hard.

Thank you for teaching me how to be fully human while still holding the divine in my hand. I’m so lucky to be alive, and so very glad I’m a Leonie. 

I reminisced about my unicorn donut from Patissez. You’re welcome guys. You’re welcome.

 

Starry told me she wanted to take a photo of me… here’s how I’ve spent most of the past few weeks… getting ready for the launch of the 2017 workbooks.

 

Grocery shopping for refugees, tears in my eyes and a full heart awash with love along each aisle. There’s many things I can’t control in this world, but this I can. Love and love more.

I also celebrated that this beautiful man was born and that I’ve been lucky enough to share so much of that life with him.

Dawsy, I adore your spirit… its gentleness, wisdom, intuition, thoughtfulness, sensitivity, creativity. I also appreciate very much that you are sexy as fuck. I’m pretty sure I’ve never mentioned that before.

Learning how to love with you has been some of the hardest and best work I’ve ever done. We sure were stupid about love when we first started out… it’s a miracle that the thread that tied us together did not break… and has only gone stronger over the years.

We’ve learned, loved, laughed and adventures so much together… you’re my Siamese twin, the wind beneath my wings & my best mate. I’m so grateful our daughters have you as their sage, protective, nurturing Papa Bear.

From the bevy of girls at our home (wife, daughters, dog)… HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

[This photo was taken the moment my husband became a Papa Bear nearly 7 years ago!]

We did it! One of our Shining Year goals this year was to get a trampoline for the kids. We ended up buying a Vuly as a few friends have them and love them. Two hours of installing with Mr D and we’re done. The kids have been bouncing happily ever since… I think Trampy will be our new babysitter! Ha!

This is how we roll. #girlposse

“Mum! I’m giving birf to a baby named Beff!”

Just creamed my pants over a completely ticked off to do list. #satisfaction

As Confucius once said “Misogyny can suck its own dick.”

So one night, I was using up food scraps from the fridge and attempting to make peanut satay sauce… which tasted HORRIFIC. And I started doing a Facebook Live… and ya’ll gave me cooking lessons… and we fixed the sauce together… and it ended up tasting AMAZING. Chris says THANK YOU!

#facebooklivecookinglessons



We went for a walk along the lake and recreated a photo we took 14 years ago when we first moved to Canberra, in front of our favourite library.

We were so young when we first moved here… we are both more solid and grounded and our love is so much deeper and stronger.

Being 20 was hard. Being 34 is easier. Don’t get me wrong – there’s harder things to face, but we are bigger, stronger, more resilient.

Giving birth, raising kids, going through chronic illness and family dramas, facing down business challenges… all of that “tests the mettle.”

I just looked up the definition of that and it says: “Mettle is the courage to carry on. If someone wants to “test your mettle,” they want to see if you have the heart to follow through when the going gets tough.” That is such a perfect description of life at times. It wasn’t always pleasant… but I’m grateful for it.

A soul’s strength forged in the flames.



What time is it? Time for mama’s weekly solo retreat to bed to dream and write and fill her well. I’m still working on my 2016 Shining Year workbooks… I tend to start 2017 in a couple of weeks… I know some have started now though because they are super keen.



New hair don’t care. YOU CAN SEE MY CUT MY HAIR LIVE (!!!!!) HERE!!!



SQUEEEEEEEEEE!!!! BOOK DELIVERY!!!!!!!



My new haircut is settling in and behaving itself so well.

Okay angels, that’s all from me this month!

Have a delightful December!!!

Love, love, love,

What’s The Secret of Top 1%ers?

Loves!

Now, we all know that I talk about goals a LOT.

Almost as much as I talk about how hot Mr D is.

There’s a reason I talk about how hot he is (because he’s really hot and I can’t not tell people what I’m thinking about).

And there’s a really, really good reason I talk about goals so much and even write best-selling goals workbooks.

Because they are a HUGE reason for my success.

They’ve been the powerhouse behind creating a company that generates over $3 million a year, why I still do it while working part-time, why I’ve been a finalist for myBusiness Australian Business Woman of the Year and Ausmumpreneur of the Year.

And I’m not a ding dang anomaly here guys…

Not just me and Dicky B… but the stats back us up too.

Research by Dr. David Kohl shows:

80% of Americans claim that they don’t have goals
16% of them have goals, but they don’t write them down
Only 3% actually have written goals, but they don’t review them regularly
Only 1% has written goals and they review them regularly, and these are among the highest achievers in the US

Or for those of who you read in images like moi:

or in pie charts:

OK, so whether you’re in the US or anywhere else in the whole wide world, if you’re one of that 1% that’s writing down your goals and reviewing them, HOLY MOTHER!  You’ve just raced to the front of the line, haven’t you?!?

And, I mean, for what? For making a doodly little list!!!

That’s part of the reason why the Shining Year workbooks have been such a huge best-seller… because they guide you through that exact process… creating gorgeous, inspiring goals for every part of your life (and business if you have one!) We double our sales every single year… and we don’t sell in any stores… simply because once a person uses them… they see HUGE results in their lives, and they will use them every single year… AND they’ll tell other people about them as well because they want to share the joy along! It’s been so magical to witness… and to hear their stories of success and dreams come true. All from such a simple, powerful thing.

3 STEP SOLUTION TO YOUR DREAMS COMING TRUE!

So if you really want your dreams to come true… here’s your three step formula to success. Around here I’d make some fancy dance reference, but I am really fucking uncoordinated and can only dance The Running Man and The Leonie Crazy Dance. But pretend I’ve made a punny dance reference, and we can both pretend to be cultured normals, okly dokly? HIGH FIVES!

Enough of the ridunkulous, here’s the juice…

 

Step 1. Think up some goals. (Or just answer the questions you’re guided through in the 2017 Shining Year workbooks!)

Step 2. Get ’em out of your head. Write them down.

Step 3. Regularly review them.

It’s that bloody simple guyz.

SO, LOOK AT THIS AS YOUR FRIENDLY NEIGHBORHOOD REMINDER TO GET OFF YOUR DUFF AND GET YER GOAL SETTING ON!

If you haven’t already – order your 2017 Shining Year Workbooks (or go get yourself one!), review your goals, and make them happen!

And if you haven’t already, join the Facebook group for workbookers.

Goal setting is practical magic, my lovelies, and you can make it happen today.

To all your biggest dreams,

Leonie Dawson International Makes Its 400th Kiva Loan!

Possums,

I am DEEEEELIGHTED to announce my company has just made its 400th loan to entrepreneurs in developing countries through Kiva. Well… our 403rd… I made 6 loans at a time so we shot over the goal. Makes me gloriously happy though… to get to 400 loans was one of my Shining Year goals for this year! We’re still ranked in the top 1% of lenders worldwide and have been since 2014 which I’m so bloody proud of!!!

We also have an amazing Kiva team made up of our wonderful tribe (aka you lot!)… and together we’ve lent over $60,000 (!!!!!!) You’re most welcome to join us if you like… it really is an amazing way to do philanthropy!!!!

It costs only $25 to make a loan… AND it DOES get paid back to you (!!!!!!!)… so why in the heck wouldn’t you do it?

May our actions align with our intentions… aka may we put our money where our mouth is and be the change we wanna see in the world!

Sign up today to start becoming an earth angel through Kiva!

Big love,

 

P.S. When I went to upload these photos, they were sitting beside this AMAZING t-shirt design I made.

I told my team I wanted to make more illustrations of boobs, and they requested a t-shirt.

Ever the humble servant to dreams, I made it happen licketysplit.

I feel like this is potentially some of my best work yet:

Join Me For My Only Live Event in 2017: The Shining Biz + Life Retreat!

It’s TIME, baberoos!!

I am absoloooodely deeeeeeeelighted to announce that tickets to the 2017 Shining Retreat, Canberra have just been released.

If you’re an Academy member, click here to get yours now!

#TeamUnicorn + I are dreaming up THE most inspirational, wildly fun + hugely educational program for you.

It’ll be full of:

Solid biz education to supercharge your abundance
Worksheets to record your “AHA” moments + revise from later
Yoga + meditation breaks to de-stress your soul
Fabulous food to nourish your body
200 insta-BFFs to support you in life + biz
And SO much more!











***It’s THE ultimate gathering of the Unicorn Tribe!***

And… it’s also the ONLY way to get to see me in the next year. I will NOT be doing any other live events or speaking gigs or meet-and-greets outside of this one Shining weekend.

(I’m limiting events to just this conference in the name of balance and healing burnout. Walk the talk, baby!)

If you’re ready to get your ticket NOW, go now!

WHO CAN GO?

It’s exclusively open to Academy members.

HOW MUCH?

Only $200 for the whole 2 day conference!!! It is NOT a profit-making event for us, the $200 covers catering and venue. There are no upsells, there are no hard sells, there are no soft sells… it’s all just pure content + connection.

DOES THIS MEAN IT’S… CRAP? IT’S SO CHEAP!

Oh sweetheart! Despite the low-end price… it’s a high-end, top-quality event… we got solid 9 + 10 star reviews from ALL our participants last year, with many of them saying it was absolutely world-class and the best conference they’d ever attended, including internationally! HOORAY!

(We also had people fly in from Scotland + the US last time, and more people are booking to fly in this time, too! Amazing!)

DOES IT COVER ACCOMMODATION?

Niet. We can’t make a conference that affordable with accommodation included! What we’ll do instead is negotiate discounts for you at the closest hotels to the venue (i.e. just across the road). Otherwise you can choose from all of Canberra’s incredible accommodation options!

No! Too far! Come [insert here] next!

Nope. Canberra will be my only speaking grounds for the time being. Make the effort to come. It’s magic. Plus, your return on investment will be RAD.

I can’t make it… EHHHRMAGERD.

No problem, petal. We’ll be live streaming the day for our Academy members! AND as an Academy member, you’ll also be getting the full audio, video and handouts after as well!

I’m not a member. Can I come?

No. This shining event is for Academy members only. Sign up here to be on the early bird list for when we open enrolments again!

Join us for the premier conference of the year!

 

During our two days together we’ll meet daily from 9:00 – 5:30pm. Your $200.00 AUD investment includes:

Morning and afternoon tea and lunch


All support materials (we’re talking hand illustrated notes and guides)
All the business insights you can pack into two days
Exclusive access to the marketplace
Private FB Group exclusively for event attendees
Optional morning yoga and meditation class


Optional sacred women’s circle
A line of of incredible guest speakers!

Get your ticket now + lock in the dates!

CAN’T WAIT TO SEE YOU THERE, YOU GORGEOUS, SHINING SOUL!!

Click here to join us February 18-19 in Canberra!

Lots of love,

I Left My Family For A Week To Be With Myself: What My Retreat Was Like

Dearests,

I’m slowly finding my feet again after returning from a 5 day health retreat.

I shared a little bit about it before I left… and I know many of you were keen to hear about it.

Plus, as always, writing it out does help me to soak in the lessons and wisdom of that time.

First, logistics:

Why did I decide to go?

I’ve spent most of the last six months sick with back-to-back colds and throat infections.

Last winter, I had three chest infections back-to-back.

Basically, since going through hyperemesis gravidarum, my immunity has been, how they say in France: fucked.

I was feeling beyond burnt out after a really hard year dealing with high growth and staff issues in the business.

I can be pretty shit at self care sometimes, honestly…

And I was just at the point where I knew I needed a change because continuing to be sick with every single bug was not either productive or enjoyable.

I booked in two months out, and started using essential oils to rebuild my immunity.

It was SO nice to have it sitting there in my calendar… just knowing I was going to have time out and take care of myself gave me so much positivity and energy.

The week before I was due to go, some major shit went down with both extended family and staffing… it was honestly one of the most traumatic and stressful days we’ve had in a very, very, very long time. It felt like everything was conspiring to keep me at home. I just knew I had to go though – I needed to get off the hamster wheel of stress.

Where did I go?

I went to Cedarvale Health Retreat in the Southern Highlands of NSW.

I chose it simply because it was the closest one to Canberra.

I wanted to stay closer to home so it felt less overwhelming to get to. I didn’t want to have to fly anywhere! I’m not afraid of flying at all – it’s just that extra travel = extra sensory input that I need to process (for more about highly sensitive peeps, read this).

Plus, it was the longest time I would have been away from the kids… the longest I’d been away before was 3 days when I had a solo mama retreat by the sea. So yeah, this mama was relieved that if anything happened, she could just jump in the car, head down the highway and emerge back into normal life again if needed.

The health retreat is also quite reasonably priced compared to other retreats – all massages and treatments and doctor visits are included. (Yes, I might own a multi-million dollar company, but I’m still stingy! It was still a big leap of faith just to spend that money on myself and my health.)

I headed there Sunday morning from Canberra to give myself plenty of time before I needed to check-in Sunday afternoon.

I took our Hybrid Camry – the fuel efficiency is amazing in that car (it is powered by both fuel and self-charging electric energy). Plus… Chris needed the van for the kid-wrangling week he had ahead of him!

I kept myself amused while driving by syncing my phone to camera speakers and listening to Audible audiobooks and podcasts along the way. David Whyte audiobooks are so damn good for the soul. And Mia Freedman’s No Filter podcast is always tender and insightful.

I should share here as well: I tend to be a bit of a stimulation addict. I don’t know if that’s really a good thing. Whenever I am driving or walking by myself, I am listening to something. I feel like it’s an attempt to be “more productive.” It is what is is, but there we go.

I stopped in Moss Vale for lunch… but not before visiting this incredible work of art:

I had pulled in to a car park and was talking to my Scorpio soul sista Alisha and in the middle of a (really deep) conversation, I had to stop…

“Lish… there’s a fountain in front of me…

It’s a giant dick spurting balls into the air. WHY HAVE THEY DONE THIS? WHY HAVE THERE BEEN NO COMPLAINTS? IT IS SO OBVIOUS!”

Then I texted her the photo and we laffed and laffed and laffed.

Guys, next time you visit Moss Vale, make sure you visit Cock Fountain in front of the train station.

You’ll be glad you did. FIVE STARS ON TRIP ADVISOR.

Speaking of Trip Advisor, I checked it for a yummy restaurant to eat a hearty lunch at before I was banished to vegan food at the health retreat.

I ended up at Fraccaro’s Italian Restaurant which had good reviews, and was definitely worth it.

I attempted to wade my way through a gigantic bowl of chicken and pesto penne before admitting defeat and having to take a doggy bag with me. Holy scrumptious Italian, batman.

Honestly… by this point I was just quite amazed to be by myself without children or husband.

I lazily walked around the streets, doing whatever I wanted to do at exactly the time I wanted to do without a care in the world.

I meandered through shops and didn’t once have to chase a wily toddler or shriek “No touching! Beth! Don’t steal that! No breaking!” (That kid is a whirlwind… it takes two of us to keep her under control in a shop and by “under control” I mean… barely.)

Mamas out there… you know what a joy it is just to be able to go shopping (or anywhere!) without small children… it just isn’t a relaxing, enjoyable endeavour at all… you’re just trying to make it out alive with everyone intact.

If you’re in Moss Vale, check out Made by Others and the artisan collective store just a few doors up from Made by Others (can’t find their name or website sadly!)

Soon it was time to meander onto Cedarvale to check-in.

The health retreat is just up the mountain from Kangaroo Valley which is just beautiful… the land all around there feels brimming with spirits and energy. It’s situated on 130 acres of dense rainforest – it felt very familiar in lots of ways after living in the rainforest in Kuranda in the north of Australia!

So, I need to be honest here:

I had a bit of a rough start when I checked in.

And I don’t want to offend anyone, but I’m just going to share my story.

I noticed there was a Bible quote on the reception desk, and there was a couple of religious magazines.

I didn’t know it was a Christian retreat, and I thought I had made a terrible mistake and that I was the only non-Christian person there. I started worrying that the daily programs and counselling would be religious.

I don’t personally identify as a Christian. I have many beautiful friends who are, and I am so excited they have found a spiritual practice that resonates beautifully for them. And I really do believe that the foundation of all religions and spiritual practices is the same thing, just using different names.

But for me personally, undertaking this very sacred time with myself, I was so worried I’d jumped onto the wrong ship. I’m much more of a polytheistic spiritualist with Buddhist Pagan leanings. It defies having one name, and yet it is very dear to me. I have that strong spirituality that’s been with me all my life.

So I felt really panicky, and knew that if this was going to be a Christian religious retreat, I could not stay. This was time just for me to heal and meditate and be Leonie just as she is, with her own faith. I decided instead of leaving or staying and feeling very worried and tense about it, I would be brave and ask questions and share where I was at.

I asked reception to speak with the manager, and had a really lovely woman come visit me. I explained all my concerns, and she reassured me that I was in the right place, that the vast majority of their clients are not Christian or religious, and that there were no spiritual teachings as part of the program. The only thing that would indicate that they were Christian is they asked all retreat-goers to say Grace before meals. I shared with her I was uncomfortable with some of the wording they used, and she said she was happy to make it a much less denominational kind of Grace… and that if I wanted to, I could also skip it altogether.

We talked for a good long time, and I felt very heard and that my fears were unfounded in experience. I was so glad I had been brave enough to share my concerns and get clarity around it.

I have to say, they were SUPER accommodating and really just wanted me to feel happy and comfortable there.

As the week progressed, I was so glad to be able to meet all of the staff, and hear their stories, and ask questions about their faith and lives to understand more. They are a non-profit organisation of Seventh Day Adventists, and its such an interesting faith with a quite defined lifestyle centred on healthy living and community service. In fact, a community of SDA in California is one of the “Blue Zones” of the longest living people on Earth. SDAs are usually vegans or vegetarians, and believe helping others is a big part of their faith… so it makes sense they would own a health retreat!

So, after my little hiccup/freakout/oh god am I in the right place, it really was all smooth sailing… and I would totally go back there!

After I talked to the manager, I decided I needed just to hear Chris’ voice to help me feel grounded… we’ve been Siamese twins for 15 years now, and it was odd to be away from him. The retreat is very secluded in the rainforest with no phone or internet access (which is TOTALLY a good thing!) I drove down the mountain a little way until I got reception. (Most people could get mobile phone reception by walking the kilometre out to the front gate, but I’m with Vodafone and needed to drive to get it.) It was really good to talk to him, and I told him all about my panic. He said to me so sweetly “Oh honey, you sound like you have a little bit of culture shock. I know you’re not used to being on your own, and this is a totally new kind of adventure.” He was right, and we had a good giggle about it all, and he reminded me I could come home anytime.

Once I was back, I settled into my room to ground myself further.

I had brought two huge suitcases filled with bugger-all clothes… mostly books and art supplies and journals and my new-found obsession of essential oils. I was SO glad that I had decided to bring not just a case of oils, but a diffuser as well! Ha! HARDCORE NEXT LEVEL HIPPY!

I put on some Lavender oil which is always so soothing for me, and the room immediately started feeling homely to me. Bringing oils and a diffuser ended up being one of the best decisions for me… it instantly changed my mood and helped me feel supported and good. (Plus, I took a little vial of tea tree with us when we went hiking up to a waterfall incase I got attacked by leeches. I didn’t… I think they knew I was PREPARED like an oily motherfucker!)

How I spent the retreat…

So this is a proper health retreat… there’s a medical doctor/GP on staff. You have a long consultation with him at the beginning, and can have a follow-up session with him at the end. He gives you a written report on your health, and recommendations on improving it.

It was really good to have a dedicated session where the doctor isn’t in a hurry, and can treat things holistically instead of symptomatically. Dr Paul looked at all the things my body suffers from, and advised that they were potentially all symptoms for a larger disorder I needed to be tested for – Pyrrole Disorder. Strangely enough, some of you lot had mentioned it to me lately that I might have it, so I knew what he was talking about when he told me. Next steps is to go to a Bio Balance trained GP for the testing. There’s about 200 in Australia – you can find a list here.

Cedarvale follows a NEW START philosophy of holistic health, which includes Sunlight, Nutrition, Fresh Air, Exercise, Faith, Relationships & Community. Simple things… ones we all know… but such a good reminder.

So… that’s the logistics all out of the way… what was the experience like?

Honestly?

Life changing.

I don’t say that flippantly.

I’ve known before that having a solo mama retreat is one of the most healing experiences I could ever have.

To step outside of the role of mother and really just BE with myself, giving myself what I need.

This took it to the next level, because it was a longer time (5 days), there was no internet or phone access (hooray! disconnect to connect!), I didn’t have to worry about food at all and because I was being so taken care of with daily massages, spa treatments and foot rubs. It was quite overwhelming just to RECEIVE.

I honestly arrived there feeling pretty fucking shell-shocked. Just a couple of days before I left I had had one of the most challenging days I had had in years because of external stresses. I am not going to share the details of those stresses, because they involve other people, but let me tell you… it was fucked.

And this year has been just a compound of all those kinds of stresses. I was feeling excruciatingly burnt out, jaded and stunned by how badly some things had gone this year with staffing. My core family was good… my kids are happy and healthy, my marriage is wonderful and strong. Outside of that though, it all felt pretty shit and hard, and my horrendously low immunity and lack of physical strength were just a symptom of that.

My well just felt bone dry. Not a drop left.

So to go… and just receive for five days… and fill that well again… was beyond special.

The people at Cedarvale are beyond kind and are really there for your healing. They want you to be well, and you can feel that. The land is special there. It too is kind, and is there for your healing. It wants you to be well. It was a very supportive space for healing. The rock walls in the mountains feel like great Ancestor Spirits.

So I spent my days there… dripping water down into my well.

I decided not to do most of the optional activities, and instead just follow my own rhythm.

I took my art supplies down through the rainforest to the orchard and had a picnic by myself, making art and journalling and staring at the mountains and sky.

I “dance walked” down the rainforest track, singing and talking to myself and doing energy work as I walked.

I saw wombats and glow worms and lyre birds and wallabies… ecstatic joy at seeing these sweet friends. I’d never seen glow worms before… they are like Mama Nature’s Christmas Lights! Absolutely magical.

I decided to run away for a day, and drove down through Kangaroo Valley and out to Nowra and the beach.

I sat on the beach and made art and smiled gladly.

I went to a winery and ate decadent food while reading trashy Victorian romance novels.

As any mama can attest… it is quite a magical experience… and very healing… just to sit and BE with yourself!

It took about three days, and I started feeling joy seeping back into my soul again.

I started laughing and talking to myself and really just feeling giddy at being alive again.

I started remembering who I was again.

You see… it’s been such a hard year… and I’ve had to work so much…

that along the way, I forgot who I was.

This seems totally strange now, but before I went, I had totally forgotten that I had any worth beyond what I did for work. I was over-identifying with my role as successful CEO and a small, scared voice in me insisted that if I didn’t have a business, that if I wasn’t successful, I was nothing. That there was no… me outside of that.

I’d worked so much, and forgotten to have a good life outside of my business that I simply couldn’t remember or even consider a Leonie outside of the CEO role.

As my well being to drip, drip, drip with hydration again… as I tended to my own needs… as I turned inward and forgot the outside world… I started to remember again.

I remembered that there is a Leonie who loves to laugh. Who loves to make art. Who loves to read in sunbeams. Who is giddy in nature.

And I remembered who I was in the world. As I regained balance, I found myself turning to those beautiful souls I was on retreat with. I listened to their stories. I gave massages… that thing I’ve adored doing since I was a teenager. I whispered to them messages from the angels whenever I was told to. One wonderful night, we got all my essential oils out, and we had a healing party.

I fell in love with each of them – their power, their beauty, their vulnerability, their sadnesses – all parts of them. I remembered again and again that we are all in this journey together. All of us think we are alone in our sadness and desolation and empty-wellness. And then we come together. And we heal each other.

It reminds me of this song:

And so I fall in love just a little, oh a little bit every day with someone new

I remembered that even if I’m nobody… I’m still somebody. I’m Leonie. I love people. I love healing. I love animals. I love art.

And all of that is enough. It’s more than enough.

It’s just what I was born to do.

Honestly?

I cried the day before I was to return home. I didn’t want to come back. I didn’t want to fall into the soup of stress again. I just wanted to keep feeling good.

I made a list of things I needed to change. I asked for help and advice from one of the other retreaters.

When the time came, I drove back up the mountain, along the highway, back to our home.

I did not listen to any music. I just needed to keep listening to my own self.

To keep that stillness, that conversation alive.

So that was my retreat…

I’ve been back for a few weeks now. It’s been a wild journey since then to bring the workbooks into the world. I’ve been sick since then again. I’ve still had some hard moments.

But there’s some water in my well now. There’s a spaciousness now.

I’ve remembered what it feels like to be me. I’ve remembered how good it feels to be in my body.

It’s a touchstone in me now, a place to come back to, especially when it feels like I am lost at sea.

If I ever lose my way again… I remember the way back.

Retreat. Restoration. Quiet time. Being with myself. Walking outside in silence, letting the world and the spirits talk to me again.

Love,

Shipping News: 21 Nov

Babes,

Holy dooley, last week was…. innnntense! And exciting! The launch of the 2017 workbooks, here at last!

I spent the weekend lolling about on deck chairs in the sunshine of our backyard, drinking beer while my kids bounced themselves delirious on their new trampoline. I needed some solid LBW (Lazy Bastard Weekend-ing) to recover from the midnight madnesses of launching.

So! I’m back! With the latest shipping news!

Where are the workbooks at?

When can you expect to receive them?

Q: OMFG why are new orders arriving before my new pre-order?

A: For all countries: Pre-orders and Academy member books are being sent before any new orders.

Before you send cranky emails because you see non-pre-orders arriving before yours… I have three things to say:

1. Confucius once said: “Undo the calamity that is your mammaries”

2. They are getting them earlier simply because of geography. Pre-orders ARE being sent before new orders.

3. Getting them first is not the big bonus of pre-ordering. Remember you saved a HUGE amount on the price of the books and got FREE shipping which no one else is getting – you saved at least $50 there. AND you scored a highly coveted To Do List pad – which will be running out pretty dang soon. And we are sending you first – we just can’t change how the world is shaped. SOMEBODY MAKE A TELEPORTATION DEVICE STAT.

Which countries are shipping?

USA + AUS: All orders are being sent now and are arriving with people now!

UK: Once again, UK Customs has taken waaaay longer than we expected. Books arrive 23 November into our distribution house and will start being sent out then!

All other countries: Your packages are sent from your closest distribution centre and will be sent out on the same timing as them. Of course, they may take a little longer to arrive to you depending on distance (GEOGRAPHY AGAIN!), mail services & Customs.

When can I buy??????

Now now now now now!

Join the Facebook group!

If you haven’t already, make sure you join the official Facebook group for goal getting goddesses… those women are excitable and delicious and so positive and encouraging! Warms my heart!

Big love,

Leonie Dawson International Donates $1,000 To Help Buy A Safe Bus!

Hi dearests,

A couple of months ago, I was at the birthday party of a dear friend from school, and I met another of her wonderful friends (she seriously chooses such good people in her life!)

Anyways, I met the lovely Janelle from UN Women National Committee of Australia. I was super excited of course – we are proud supporters of UNICEF and their global parents initiative… and I love hearing about how these organisations are changing the world.

Janelle told me about her latest project and I knew I had to be involved… she told me about how 90% (fucking 90% !!!!!!!) of women are physically or sexually assaulted on public transport in Papau New Guinea.

Incase you don’t know about PNG – it is a beautiful place filled with the most gorgeous people. It also struggles profoundly with poverty, lawlessness and incredibly poor health conditions. It also has some of the worst maternal and infant mortality rates in the world. Papua New Guinea is often labelled as potentially the worst place in the world for gender violence.

To which I say to all of this: FUCK THAT.

I’m grateful that UN Women thought the same thing.

And this is what they did:

Some time ago, they created a “Meri Seif” bus service. They made a travelling safe space for women to get to work so they could support their families or get groceries or receive an education without being robbed, raped or assaulted. They’ve been able to help over 75,000 women and children travel safely in Port Moresby… stopping tens of thousands of potential assaults… and allowing them to live safely.

To which I say: Hoorah for that!

Unfortunately the buses now are on their last legs and they need to purchase a new one to continue the service… so they are crowdfunding a new safe bus.

I’m delighted to announce we’ve just donated $1,000.

I would love love LOVE to have you join me on this.

I know there is SO MUCH crazy going on in the world right now.

And more than ever, it means we need to step up and be the light, put our money where our mouth is and help those who need it most.

There’s 40 days left to crowdfund this bus… let’s do it my loves!

Every little bit counts… you might not be able to give in large amounts… but each dollar means another woman and child is safe. Which is just how it should be.

In loving action,

SQUEEK! 2017 GOAL WORKBOOKS + PLANNERS ARE HERE!

Dearests,

Let’s pop the kombucha!!!!

The 2017 Shining Life + Biz planner collection are HERE + AVAILABLE TO ORDER AT LAST!!!!

CLICK HERE TO SNAFFLE YOURS NOW!

Be warned: we had SO many pre-orders that some of our stock already is running low. Make sure you grab yours now so you get EXACTLY the delicious products you need!

HERE’S THE GOODS ON THIS YEAR’S PRODUCT RANGE:

Both Biz & Life Workbooks have small updates + design tweaks, including new, lush matte paper that’s the thickest we could get without it being cardboard. No more smudging with Sharpies! (Note: Heavy Sharpie use might see some bleed-through, but overall this paper is DEEEEELISH!)
New heavy-duty spiral binding that will withstand the rigours of ALL your planning parties + goal-getting.
You asked, we’ve listened!! The 2017 Weekly Planner / Diary has been extensively redesigned, with: better binding, MONTHLY TABS, elastic to hold it all together AND ***2 SHEETS OF STICKERS***!!!! Awwwww yissssss!!!
The 2017 Weekly Planner/Diary still has your fave features, too: rainbowy pages, monthly goal planning, weekly to do list reminders, income goals, action plans + lots more! Exactly what you need to get your goals happening every week!
The ever-popular, uber scarce To Do List Pad (last year’s surprise frontrunner!) is BACK, just as it was, so you can make sure you get your most important tasks done daily, as well as making sure you have healthy, thriving, shining habits along the way (i.e. meditating, eating greens, staying hydrated, getting exercise + being connected!)

CLICK HERE TO SEE GORGEOUS PHOTOS + VIDEO WALKTHROUGHS OF THE DEEEEEELIGHTFUL 2017 PRODUCT RANGE!!

Remember: some of our stock sells out fast, thanks to huge amounts of pre-orders… and we won’t be ordering more.

If you’re ready to invest in an incredible 2017 with these proven + powerful planners that get serious results… jump on them NOW.

I don’t want you to miss out!

Did you snap up a pre-order or are waiting on your Academy workbooks?

Fear not my precious, your order is already with our shipping houses and will be to you berry berry soon.

See the latest Shipping News here!

HOORAY!

It’s the moooost magiiiiicallll timmmmme of the YEARRRRRR!

Big cuddles,

P.S. Last year we ran out of some products within just a couple of days of opening carts... they ended up becoming (hilariously enough) a bit of a black market item with people swapping pages from it all over the place. Please do NOT miss out… order yours today! www.shiningyear.com