1. Make peace with your past. What has happened already is gone. Learn from those experiences and add them to your wisdom in the present actions you take. 
2. It’s ok to be single. Date, take your time to love and enjoy yourself and focus on you. The more you align your energy and create happiness for yourself, the more you will start to attract the right person. 
3. Be happy for the success and joys of others. This will also bring joy to you.
4. Respect your body and listen to it. Take time out if needed. You are not in a race, you are on a journey called life. Explore its adventures at your own pace. 
5. Let go of needing to reach perfection. It doesn’t exist and the more you learn to appreciate yourself for what you are now, the less you will feel any fears of not being good enough. You are enough.
6. Stop trying every diet out there and instead get to know your body. Experiment with different foods and learn more about their qualities and nutrition. Every body is different so learn to understand yours. 
7. Time alone is a must and this doesn’t mean you are lonely. Get to know yourself on an intimate level and acknowledge all your beautiful qualities that you never discovered before. 
8. Say no to relationships of any kind that suck the energy out of you. At some point, you will learn that not everybody you meet must stay in your life for a long period of time. If it doesn’t feel right, it probably isn’t. 
9. Travel and explore new places. Open your eyes to more than what you think you know. 
10. Cultivate patience and trust that everything will come at the right time. Forcing anything will deplete its pure essence and value that it can bring to your life.
11. Spend more time with good friends and the people who are emotionally supportive of you. Quality time is good for the soul and social connections enrich our joy for life. 
12. Everything is temporary and it will soon pass. So stop worrying and just enjoy the moment in the now, as it is. 
13. There is always a solution for every so called “problem”. Take a step back, breathe and see things more clearly. 
14. Sleep well, give your body enough time to rest, rejuvenate and energise. 
15. Create a healthy morning routine in which you dedicate the first part of your morning to yourself, doing the things you enjoy and aligning your energy for the day ahead. 
16. Do what you love without needing the approval or validation from others. 
17. Take responsibility for your actions and learn from your mistakes. Blaming others will only create more insecurity for yourself. 
18. Learn to listen to your intuition and its guidance. Less ego, more gut feel. 
19. Have a beginner’s mindset and be open to learning. Even if you know something, always be open to explore it more. 
20. Learn to listen to others when they speak with you and actually pay attention to what they are saying. 
21. Believe in yourself more. Regardless how much others value and believe in you, if you don’t do it for yourself, you will not understand your self-worth. And you are worth it. 
22. Don’t take anything too personally or too seriously. 
23. Laugh more. Life is fun when you actually see the joy in it.  
24. Be open to receive help from others. Don’t feel ashamed or embarrassed to ask, we all need a little guidance or helping hand sometimes. 
25. Be open to being loved by others. Allow yourself to enjoy and embrace the beautiful aspects that come with it. 
26. Be open to help and love others too. 
27. Figure out what you love to do and find a way to manifest it. Anything is possible if you believe in yourself and your dreams.  
28. Accept that some relationships are better left in the past. Let go of attachments or needing to make something work, if it’s already broken. Let it go and move on. 
29. There is no need to tell others how good you are at something. Pride is superficial. Instead show them through action. 
30. Not everybody will understand you or match your energy. And that’s ok, we are not all meant to bond. 
31. Let go of FOMO (fear of missing out). Focus on your path and what you want to dedicate your time and energy to. 
32. Gossip was for your late teens and early twenties when you didn’t know any better. Focus on you and let go of needing to speak about others, it’s none of your business how they choose to live. 
33. Let go of any judgement of the self and about others. 
34. Don’t settle for anything less than you deserve. It is your responsibility to decide what you are worth and honour that. 
35. Meditate and practice mindfulness. Let go of clouding your mind with unnecessary fears and worries, they will only impede your manifestation process and complicate your life. 
36. Respect others and let them be who they want to be. It is not your purpose to tell others how to behave, who to be or what they should do with their life. Offer help if needed, but let them decide for themselves.
37. Honour the people who have and continue to support you. The more you grow, the more you realise how rare they are and that they are a blessing. 
38. Try new things. Even if you know your purpose, be open to explore different avenues. 
39. Find hobbies that keep you calm, joyful and creative. This will help you to express yourself more freely in the world. 
40. Material things can lose their meaning very quickly, but special moments remain printed in our hearts for the duration of our physical life. Invest your time in these, and not on acquiring more stuff.
41. Wear sunblock. Your skin needs protection, and it deserves to be treated with respect. After all, it protects your organs. 
42. Health is the most important aspect in life. As long as you are healthy, life goes on. 
43. It’s ok to trust and be let down. Be wiser and stop setting expectations, they can lead to disappointment. 
44. You cannot control how others behave towards you, but you can control the way you behave towards others. Sometimes it is best to say nothing and just walk away. 
45. When in doubt, turn to nature. If you allow your body to become still and your mind to quieten, you will find the answers you seek. 
46. You are never alone in this world. You have yourself and that’s a good starting point. 
47. When you feel really good, do something nice for somebody else. Sharing your happiness with others, is a beautiful contribution to the world. 
48. When you feel down, or unworthy, do something nice for somebody. This will help raise your vibration and energy.
49. Your work is a major part of your life, but it’s not your whole life. Find a balance, and dedicate more time to your authenticity. Don’t spend anymore more time on anything you don’t enjoy doing. 
50. One day your life will end, but right now you are still going. Live each moment with an open heart and make it an adventure to be remembered. 

​This month we once again welcome the arrival of the Mercury in retrograde. This is one of those astrological events we hear so much negative talk about, but in all honesty, it serves a purpose. One interesting thing I have noticed during this period, that even skeptics of astrology, during this period would complain about their mood or overall state without knowing what is going on. Planetary aspects affect us all to a degree, depending how sensitive we are to energy. 

What does it mean when Mercury is in retrograde? In short, Mercury doesn’t actually move backwards it just looks as though it’s going backwards, but this is just in contrast and its position to the other planet’s movement. It’s kind of on a standstill, hence why things can seem to be slow moving and we can become frustrated and impatient during this period. Mercury is the planet that represents communication of all kinds, whether verbal, written, listening etc. It also rules travel and buying and selling, including negotiations. So during this time, we are advised to not make any hasty decisions, but instead take things slow and consider our thoughts, actions, words and decisions more carefully. During Mercury retrograde, we can also feel uncomfortable and perhaps even get into arguments more easily. So what can we do to embrace this time and create a shift to be in alignment with what Mercury is guiding us to do?

​The energy centre in the body which governs communication is Vishudi, or the throat chakra. This is located at the centre of the throat and when in balance we can easily express ourselves, voice our ideas but also listen to others effectively and with good intention. As Mercury is the planet of communication, it’s a great idea to do some work in this area of the body. To activate and balance Vishudi, we can practice journaling, by expressing our thoughts, feelings and ideas on paper; we can do mantras to clear out toxins from the throat and activate the vocal cord and bringing balance to this part by the vibration of the mantra. Through hatha yoga, we can focus on a few asanas that open the throat and release toxins and blockages from this area. Click here to learn more about the throat chakra.

Fish pose/Matsyasana – opens the throat and expands the lungs capacity for deeper breathing by opening the chest. ​ (click here for instructions in the pose)
Cobra pose/Bhujangasana – by bringing the head back, we open the throat. This asana also requires us to open the chest, therefore creating more space in the lungs for the breath to become deeper. (click here for instructions in the pose)
Plow pose/Halasana – regulates the thyroid, compresses the throat and opens the back of the neck. (click here for instructions in the pose)

Social media has become one of the main mediums we now use for communication and connection with the world. But during this month, it would be a good time to take a break from the online world, and connect with the real world. Taking a break from social media will also give you more time to focus on yourself, reflect and go within. Since Mercury rules all forms of communication, it’s best to stay away from having to put too many things in writing, especially electronically. You might find yourself making rash comments or simply feel annoyed or aggravated by what you see people post, so take it easy and engage in real life conversations with supportive people who have good intentions towards you and vice-versa. 

There is a positive side to Mercury retrograde and that is that it requires us to take on a spiritual journey inward. As the levels of impatience, frustration and emotional outbursts may increase, this period asks us to slow down, to finish any unfinished business and to deal with let go of wounds from the past. Mercury retrograde periods can also sometimes bring back people from the past whom we have not yet got closure from or them from us. So it’s important to take this time and give yourself a spiritual, mental and emotional cleanse and release any past emotional energies from your energetic field so you can attract new ones in. As communication is so important this month, write down your thoughts, your fears, emotional state etc, find the root of the cause, and then learn to let go. After stormy Mercury retrograde, you will have much more clarity in your mind. 

Whilst it can be a difficult and challenging period, if we choose to embrace this period and create some order in your life, this could really be a blessing. Remember to breathe in, breathe out, take a moment, consider what you are about to say, decide if it is important, and then decide if you will continue with it or not.