#health

Sep 26, 2019
4 min

Read this if you’re Feeling Overwhelmed

I invite you to stop whatever you’re doing. Take a seat. Take a deep breath. Take a moment to absorb what you’re about to read. You deserve it. Relax the space between your eyebrows. Soften the little muscles around your eyes. Unclench your jaw. There you go….feel a bit better? I’m no expert in the art of letting go, but I’ve acquired some really simple and powerful tools for relaxation as a Yoga and Meditation Teacher and Student. These practices – which I’ll get into in a

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Eryl McCaffrey

Feb 28, 2019
1 min

My Eating Disorder Recovery Story

My story is not particularly unique, but it still saddens me when I think about how I used to treat myself. Today, I look at that version of who I was with so much kindness, not judgement or regret. I send her love because that’s what I needed to show myself so badly when I was a teenager. I was diagnosed with Anorexia when I was 16 years old, after making the land of denial my home for well over a year…. Read the rest here and while you’re there, find out more about my new c

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Eryl McCaffrey

Sep 22, 2018
2 min

Why Forgiveness is Medicine

Ahhh, the F word – and no, not the one you’re thinking of. I’m talking about forgiveness – a formidable word and resentment’s sworn enemy. But, the truth is, it ain’t all that powerful if we don’t practice it on ourselves, as well as others. What’s the outcome of holding anger over someone for something they did? Suffering. What’s the outcome of holding anger over ourselves for something we did? Suffering. So, it seems the old phrase, “resentment is like drinking poison and

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Eryl McCaffrey

Aug 17, 2018
3 min

Working on Shame

What you resist persists. I used to think that was an overused, empty saying but recent emotional work has shown me the truth of it. Shame is one of my favourite self-conscious emotions to tuck away in the dark corners of my mind. It carries a heavy weight and a dirty core that often feels too overwhelming to look at. I think this is true for many of us. We resist acknowledging the sense of inadequacy, unworthiness, regret or disconnection that comes with shame because we som

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Eryl McCaffrey

Dec 22, 2017
1 min

A Different Definition of Success

What does real success mean to you? When all is said and done, will you look back on your life and measure your achievements based on your bank account? Your fitness? Your business ventures? I think true success has little to do with external riches and everything to do with internal wealth. I’m talking self-actualization. Being your true, best self. That’s success to me. Check out my latest post for Sivana East to read more… https://blog.sivanaspirit.com/different-definition

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Eryl McCaffrey

Aug 17, 2016
2 min

Turn Challenge into Opportunity

All of our experiences come with opportunities, we just don’t always see them. That’s because our brains are too busy categorizing and defining these moments as either ‘good’ or ‘bad,’ to be able to see the bigger picture. When we jump out of the present, we block our ability to see potential opportunities that can come from it all, especially the challenges we face. An awesome way to open ourselves up to possibility in times of upheaval is to remember that we’ve also been g

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Eryl McCaffrey

Jun 24, 2016
2 min

4 Ways to Create Mindfulness

Support mindfulness & mental health by purchasing one of my mindful partner’s wicked tanks. Outta donates 10% of proceeds to mental health initiatives. We must have an awareness of something in order to change it. It’s just that simple. We can’t create shifts in our lives if we spend most of our time in the dark. Enter: mindfulness. The ‘M’ word is taking over the world, one industry and community at a time and I’m loving it. It excites me and ignites my drive to keep foster

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Eryl McCaffrey

Apr 6, 2016
2 min

2 Life-Changing Words

Many of us form strong attachments to the people, places and things around us. We craft our identities out of what we do, how we do, who we know, where we’ve been and are expected to go. We create identities for all the other characters in our stories, too. Labeling is easy. Categorizing is automatic. Attachments make us feel safe- but they keep us limited. Identities, attachments, judgments and labels all have one thing in common: limitation on freedom of the self. When we s

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Eryl McCaffrey

Feb 18, 2016
3 min

Dropping To-Dos

Hello. My name is Eryl and I’m a recovering To-Doer. I’ve spent the better part of my life making checklists, crossing tasks off and looking for more to ‘get done.’ To the outside world I’ve likely seemed super organized, goal oriented and/or pretty damn anal. To the inside world, my world, I’ve been drowning in obligation and rejecting the natural flow of life. Feeling stuck and uptight. Now, I’m not saying there’s no value in writing down what you want to address because th

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Eryl McCaffrey

Jan 13, 2016
3 min

Fear Surfacing Post-NY’s Resolutions?

Many of us felt like we set the world on fire with our New Year’s Resolutions this year- I know I did. In truth, I really feel that way. I’m going big and being bold in 2016. Does this sound familiar? The only thing standing between me and abundance is mindset. FEAR. It’s likely the case for you, too. I’ve spent the past few weeks journaling, brainstorming, meditating, declaring, clarifying, breaking down, breaking through and being in action towards my goals for this year. I

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Eryl McCaffrey

Dec 17, 2015
1 min

A Love Letter to Nature

“I’ll never recover from this day,” a smiling stranger announced, with her jacket unzipped and arms outstretched on the boardwalk bench. As I passed her by with my dog leash in hand and a breathtaking scene of the lake in view, I thought to myself- how perfectly true. Normally, it’s below ze Life is made of up beautiful, unexplainable moments. Many that cause a stir in our souls because of their natural foundation. It’s moments like this, where the sun’s golden shimmery rays

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Eryl McCaffrey

Dec 1, 2015
3 min

Why We Need to be Ourselves Online

I was sitting on the couch the other night, staring anxiously at my phone and feeling self-conscious because I’d just posted something new on my social media accounts. After an inspiring chat with my good friend, social media guru Brigitte Truong (check out her website), I created a schedule for new and uplifting weekly Instagram posts, YouTube yoga videos and monthly blog posts to connect me with the online world in a positive and more reliable way. I want to, and someday so

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5 Ways to Keep on Truckin’ as a New Entrepreneur

Eryl McCaffrey

Aug 14, 2015
3 min

5 Ways to Keep on Truckin’ as a New Entrepreneur

There’s nothing more rewarding or fulfilling than building your own business from the ground up and watching it grow. There’s also nothing more exhausting, challenging, defeating and at times, down right frustrating, than going it alone. I started my Freelance Writing business over a year and half ago and it’s been such a colourful journey. I’ve made incredible connections with people all over the country, cried over setbacks and celebrated successes. I’ve chased down payment

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Eryl McCaffrey

Jul 21, 2015
3 min

Declutter Your Life

Clutter has a purpose. It prevents you from seeing, moving and living with clarity. Many of us collect physical clutter subconsciously to create a divide between ourselves and our world and yet, we seem so frustrated when our mess becomes “out of control” with no one to blame but number one. The tangible trash we collect can feel icky and suffocating, but I believe mental clutter can be just as, if not more, damaging to ourselves. So, let’s look at some quick and easy ways to

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Eryl McCaffrey

Jul 7, 2015
2 min

Hockley Valley: Living the Dream

Hockley Valley is paradise. It’s less than an hour away from Toronto, but I feel like I’m a million miles away in a magical mystery land when I come here. Sometimes, all it takes is a few kilometres between myself and the big city for me to feel detached from my busy life and connected to the beautiful, natural world. Judging by the smiles on their faces and the words they expressed, the retreaters felt just as at peace as I did– and I was leading the group! My goal for this

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Relax & Restore- Hiking Yoga B&B Retreat

Eryl McCaffrey

Jun 8, 2015
4 min

Relax & Restore- Hiking Yoga B&B Retreat

I am over the moon with excitement about my Hiking Yoga B&B Retreat and I know you will be too, once you learn more about it! I created this retreat to combine some of my favourite things: hiking, yoga, bed & breakfast joints and Hockley Valley! I made this super affordable and easy because I don’t want there to be anyTHING holding you back from getting a chance to truly look within, expand out, connect with nature and REST! Photographer Claire Cole and I hit the trails in Ho

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Eryl McCaffrey

Jun 3, 2015
2 min

Redefining Fear

When your brain says you “can’t do” something, take it as a sign that you need to dive right in! There are two types of fear. There’s the kind of primal, raw fear that takes over your entire body before you jump out of a plane to skydive. Then there’s the sometimes- debilitating type of fear that lives upstairs in your brain. This gremlin is always on standby, ready to tell you what you can and can’t do and it can be just as intense as your instinctual, your-life’s-at-risk ty

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Eryl McCaffrey

Mar 1, 2015
3 min

Self-Awareness

Take time out to quiet your mind and listen in every single day. We come face to face with challenging situations that are out of our control quite regularly. A flight gets cancelled and your return date has to change. Temperatures drop drastically and your car won’t start. A friend passes away suddenly, leaving you shocked and devastated. However, with self-awareness we can shape and change the course of our lives, as we hone in on our ability to control what we can control:

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Eryl McCaffrey

Jan 28, 2015
3 min

My Mental Health Journey: Raw & Uncut

I’m taking the opportunity today, on Bell Let’s Talk Day, to share the unfiltered, raw version of my mental health story. I absolutely love that this conversation happens nationally each year on this day, but truly, we need to be talking about mental illness openly 365 days a year. Nevertheless, I open myself up to you today with a little fear and a lot of gratitude for how far I have come since I was consumed by sadness and worry. I was a nervous child and was heavily preocc

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Eryl McCaffrey

Dec 31, 2014
2 min

2014: A Year of Change

New Year, new Buddha 🙂 I think there’s real value in reflecting on the past, not only for the sake of creating New Year’s resolutions but in order to see what’s shaped you, who you’ve been and where you need to go. 2014 was a crazy, rocky, beautiful and transformative year for me. I went through a lot of major life changes and I’m really proud of myself for rolling with the punches–you know, going WITH the flow, not against it. This time last year I had just left my career a

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