I was recently in Mission Beach and it had been 3 weeks since cyclone Yasi hit. I have never been to this part of Australia before and many people had told me of its absolute beauty and the “paradise on earth” feel to it. After a few days in sunny green Cairns, Mission Beach looked strangely desolate and completely different. The trees were stark and lifeless, the air was heavy with oppressive energy and the beach was almost nonexistent.

The rain was torrential and I have never experienced such downpours before. I remember the sound of rain waking me up at night and as I lay there listening I wondered if it was possible for it to rain any more. And being in Mission Beach got me thinking – my life is fairly uneventful in the scope of disaster. I live in lovely Sydney where nothing ever seems to go wrong, we don’t have to contend with bushfires, floods, cyclones or earthquakes.

And my empathy and heart went out to all the people affected by the plethora of natural disasters that have occurred over the last few months. Since being in that space, my heart has been filled with gratitude at the abundance in my life. For now, I am going to concentrate on the small things – smiling at random strangers as I wizz by on my bike, give myself flowers, express my love freely and nourish myself with amazing food.

As Tolstoy says “Everything I know, I know only because I love”. I found the most perfect shell while walking along the beach. It just reminded me that amongst the debris and destruction there is always a little bit of beauty to be found.

If you missed it here is my article on menopause from Body & Soul this week. Here is a recording of my segment with Bianca Dye on 198FM on Going Gluten Free and I have also uploaded my most recent videos to my You Tube channel so check them out and feel free to share the information with friends.

Hope this finds you well!