The energy shift of 2013; balancing of energy

Although much was said about December 21, 2012, I believe all of us are still alive and most of us well. The imminent end to the world the Mayans predicted through their calendar 5,000 years ago, seemed to survive or be postponed, at least for the last 3 weeks.

Other sources of the great change of 2012, explain that the year 2012 was a shift and rebalancing of energy. The masculine and feminine energies are said to have realigned and balanced out, ending roughly 5,000 years of male dominated energy. A calmer, more loving, nurturing, receptive and respecting force is said to have been ushered in gradually over the last year, culminating at the end of the year in a decisive change, for the better perhaps.

Undoubtedly, anywhere there is balance and harmony, the greatest sources of energy, wellbeing and good can originate. It is understandable that any change brings about confusion and anxiety, but having settled into the first few weeks of this year, this year feels like the peace and calm we have been searching for a long time. The long awaited Zen. Balancing of ying and yang energies. Despite the current peaceful feeling, I wonder myself too, how long will it last, how it will evolve and what new heightened experiences it will bring to us?

So far, I have come to realise the importance of being calm and not worrying about the future. The importance of staying present, focused, full of love, compassion, harmony and trust. Just trust in the future. It is very easy to daydream for the future and reminisce on the past. To use both to try to make sense of the present, a present which is perfect in itself. At any time, we are just where we are meant to be. This is a lesson I have learnt repeatedly last year: every time I wanted to be decisive and make a decision based on fear, the unknown, anxiety or pain, I was guided to see it through, live in the present. The answer, the true answer, would appear unknowingly, and only now when I look back, I can see my evolution occurred only when I was willing to confront those current ‘uncomfortable’ feelings. To feel them, think about them and deal with them. And then LET THEM GO. Ultimately, what ensued over last year, was a constant exercise in trust and accepting the present moment. What has eventuated is a new outlook to match the new incoming energy of last year.

This year, 2013, carries a refreshed and renewed vibe; one that needs to be absorbed and channelled to create greater good, appreciation, love, compassion, acceptance and harmony among all. If we all live in the present, aim to focus our mind on positive and productive thoughts and then ACT, we can create a world continually brimming with and carrying forward the product of our common good.

Written by Copyright © SoulSurfer 11 January 2013 at 1.23pm

Alo’ha: breathing the present magic of life

An amazing thing happens every time I go surfing… I rediscover the magic of life. I feel the magic of life. I live the magic of life. Surfing breathes such a strong and refreshing breath of life into my being, that it is impossible not to emerge a little dizzy and dazed, but full of this new energy of rebirth. It’s uplifting and wonderful. It truly is Alo’ha, which in Hawaiian literally means: “the breath of life”.

In his latest book ‘Aleph’, Paulo Coelho speaks of the magic of life being the present. Time, as not being measurable but essentially purely livable. The concept of ‘living time’:

“In magic - and in life - there is only the present moment, the now. You can't measure time the way you measure the distance between two points. 'Time' doesn't pass. We human beings have enormous difficulty in focusing on the present; we're always thinking about what we did, about how we could have done it better, about the consequences of our actions, and about why we didn't act as we should have. Or else we think about the future, about what we're going to do tomorrow, what precautions we should take, what dangers await us around the next corner, how to avoid what we don't want and how to get what we have always dreamed of.”

An amazing concept. That we humans waste so much time in the past and future that we do not live in the present. This was brought to my attention through two things. The instant ‘in the moment’ sensation I get from surfing and also by contemplating on how much time we spend not pursuing our dreams and goals.

Imagine you live in a room where on the floor there is a huge blank canvas. The canvas represents your hopes and dreams, things that you need to put some effort, energy and enthusiasm to work on, but through procrastination, fear and lack of organisation you fail to undertake. You leave the canvas bare, you walk around it, cover it, move it around the room, on a daily basis, but fail to get started on it. You fail to invest time in your own masterpiece. Time of course being the present moment.

The blank canvas of the room, is the purpose of our souls. A beautiful, unique canvas, is the outward manifestation that our souls work to fulfill their purpose. It can be just started or complete, but it is also a motivation and inspiration for others to complete the work of their own lives. But, the trick is, we wait for the right time and moment to begin and work on our masterpiece. We contribute our time and energy to meaningless tasks that in turn, do not satisy or inspire, or make us really live the magic of life.

Similarly, in surfing, you have a moment to catch a wave, or let it pass. Take a chance, and go somewhere new, or be stuck on an ocean, floating. My board is my canvas, the ocean, endless opportunity of life.

Or as the Hawaiians say: “Ku Hoe He’e Nalu” – stand up, paddle, surf. In my personal, spiritual interpretation it looks a little like: ‘stand tall, work hard, catch your dream’. I think we all need to experience the magic of Alo’ha (living in the present) so we can fulfill our soul’s purpose and create experience of happiness.

Copyright © SoulSurfer 26 November 2012 at 11.15am

Jumping back into it...

The most beautiful way I have ever heard someone describe surfing is Andy Irons. "It's the closest thing you can feel to being kissed by God,"

For real. I cannot imagine a moment in time you could be closer to heaven than that. The culminating moment in time when all manner of opposing forces, physical, spatial and spiritual come together and just work. Actually, you cannot take the spirit out of surfing. You can take it out of the surfer, but not out of surfing.

I guess surfing for me is a spiritual haven, a reconnection to the true life force. I have subtle felt this void in my life, especially the last few weeks. Just stepping out and seeing the waves crash, imagining the endless opportunities of just jumping on that board, and paddling out, has spurred something new in me. Definitely new. Kind of a new flame in me, that once I hit the swells, will turn into a fire. A fire burning and propelling me forward. I have been on hiatus long enough, used every common excuse to avoid putting on the wetsuit and paddling out.

Life can get stagnant when you stop doing the things you love. You have nothing to differentiate you, to propel you forward where others will give up. It’s all about lighting that fire from within, having that constant relay between physical and spiritual. In fact, it’s that connection which is the pulse of life. You need to keep the energy, enthusiasm, drive and love pumping, from mind to body, body to mind. Once you stop the heartbeat of your life, all else starts to fail.


Surfing has been something that plugs me in, that connects me to my life. Like the moment you plunge into a body of cool water on a hot summer’s day, feeling that initial tingling, excitement, refreshment and cleansing; instantly your senses become heightened to new, extraordinary levels, and the experience renews you. That is surfing for me every time. Your life can kind of take you beyond its expectations if you go with the flow. If you let go, release, and allow yourself to connect with the divine energy.

This has kind of been the prominent theme of my life these past few weeks. And I cannot wait to embody this experience, and dive into the surf once again…

Copyright © SoulSurfer 23 July 2012 at 12.22pm

FEMspiration: Heidi Klum: the German Powerhouse

Modeling is a very fickle business; the array of fresh-faced, leggy and skinny new talent to hit the catwalks comes and goes as quickly as the designer collections. Although models over the last 15 years have ventured away from being mere faces of fashion to mini entrepreneurs, it takes a lot to evolve past glorified coat hanger to glorified ‘It girl’. You have to have a lot of muscle, a lot of attitude; an approachability and down to earth nature with which you entice your many female and especially male followers. All this happy-go-lucky pizzazz on a low-carb diet…

Heidi Klum Samuel embodies all the qualities of quite literally a modeling powerhouse. Google her name and it is associated with anything from video games and TV shows, to footwear, jewellery and even candies and roses with her namesake. In a world where the model represents the brand, Heidi Klum has become a brand in her own right, with modeling it being second nature.

Heidi Klum, who came from a small town outside of Cologne, Germany, was persuaded to enter a modeling contest in 1992 by a friend, and out of 25,000 participants was crowned the winner. From then on, she accepted a modeling contract with Metropolitan Models New York, and has appeared in countless fashion shows and magazine covers, including Vogue, Elle and Marie Claire. However, her biggest claim to fame was appearing on the cover of Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue, from which she quickly attained the pinnacle of modeling superstardom, becoming a Victoria’s Secret Angel. Klum ended her 12 year long tenure with the Angels in 2010, during which she bounced back from three (!) pregnancies (usually in the space of a few weeks), to appear in super skimpy lingerie. In 2005, six weeks after giving birth to her second child Henry, Heidi modeled the $2 million dollar diamond encrusted Wonderbra, rocking an incredibly toned and tight midriff. Klum’s upbeat attitude, resilience and energy are palatable; she makes it her business to tackle the tricky world of fashion head on.

And it is exactly this attitude which has seen her grow and outgrow the fashion world and venture in to almost every avenue of business and merchandising. She has gone from curvaceous model to bona fide businesswoman with such ease and confidence (as well as four children in tow), you can’t help but feel there are not enough hours in the day for Heidi Klum. To name just a few of her accolades, she has been a spokesperson for H & M, & McDonald’s, appeared in several TV Shows such as Sex & The City, How I Met Your Mother and Spin City, appeared in commercials for Guitar Hero World Tour and Volkswagen, web-based videos entitled SPIKED HEEL battling evil forces planning to ruin Fashion Week. She is the face of countless brands such as European cosmetics brand Astor, shoe giant Birkenstock and New Balance, countless cosmetics lines for Victoria’s Secret and she has designed a line for Mouawad’s jewellery.

If that’s not enough to make you feel your multi-tasking skills are lagging behind, she has being the host, judge and executive producer of the super successful Project Runway since 2004 as well as Germany’s Next Top Model, also recently producing a new reality TV show with husband Seal called Love’s Divine, in which they offer love advice to couples.

The best part? Heidi Klum has four children! She has three children, Henry, Johan and Lou with husband Seal Samuel, her eldest daughter Leni being the biological child of Formula 1 boss Flavio Briatore. Klum and Samuel married in May 2005, while Heidi was pregnant with Leni, but states emphatically that “Seal is Leni’s father”. Each one of her pregnancies sees her bounce back, fitter, stronger and healthier than before. She has recently been a spokesperson and active participant of the AOL Summer Run challenge, uploading daily updates of her progress and comments on Facebook.

Heidi’s charm lies in her approachability and engagement with the public; she has so much enthusiasm, energy and humour and truly enjoys every project she does. She approaches it all with determination and sound business skills, and also her signature cheekiness. She’s the best friend you wish you had in the workplace.

And it seems life after Victoria’s Secret and four kids is not slowing Heidi down. She appears in the new movie Hoodwinked Too! Hood vs Evil and is gearing for Project Runway’s 7^th season. Heidi leaves no stone unturned and she does it with what seems to be an ever present smile on her face. When you have an adoring husband, four kids, a rocking body the world at your feet, what’s not to smile about?

Heidi Klum Samuel is the entrepreneurial powerhouse of the modeling world, paving the wave for models alike.