Mindful Leaders

Is there any city more beautiful than London on a warm summer day? I lived in London from 2003 - 2006 but after stepping off the plane and out into the sunshine it was like discovering the city for the first time. Thousands of years of history, incredible parks, beautiful architecture, a melting pot of cultures from around the world and a vast energy that’s tangible.

It was a privilege to return to this beautiful city and breath it all in. The most important element of my whole trip was the people I got to meet. Thanks to Alex .wellness.nomad for an inspiring walk through Hyde Park talking all things wellness, and transformation, I look forward to collaborating with you in 2019. for taking me out on the town and for making the last day of my trip one of the most special. As I get older in body, I feel younger at heart and my gratitude and love for my friends just grows and grows. See you all somewhere soon. 😎🙏🏼❤️ @ London, United Kingdom

On breaking down barriers. As advanced as we are technologically it only takes a visit to see living history such The Berlin Wall (1961 to 1989) to realise we remain rather primitive in our thinking as a global society. Whilst the Berlin Wall is a more obvious man made barrier designed to keep us apart , we have created so many other barriers that are less visible that effectively achieve the same result. One thing I often reflect on is that the world we live in hasn’t always been like this, we are experiencing a moment of life with geographical boundaries and social norms that are, in the grand scheme of things are relatively new ideas, and definitely not necessarily the best way of doing things and definitely not static, permanent or resistant to change. What this means is that like the brave East Berliner’s that risked everything to get over the wall and be reacquainted with their loved ones we can go over barriers, find new ways of getting where we want to be, and ultimately break through barriers like the world did in Berlin in 1990.

A bit of history: The wall was a guarded concrete barrier that physically and ideologically divided Berlin from 1961 to 1989. Constructed by the German Democratic Republic (GDR, East Germany), starting on 13 August 1961, the Wall cut off West Berlin from virtually all of surrounding East Germany and East Berlin until government officials opened it in November 1989. Its demolition officially began on 13 June 1990 and finished in 1992. The barrier included guard towers placed along large concrete walls, accompanied by a wide area (later known as the "death strip") that contained anti-vehicle trenches, "fakir beds" and other defenses.
@ Berlin, Germany

I was due to fly to as a precursor to a friends wedding this time 2 years ago. I had just come out of back surgery and wasn’t supposed to even be walking let alone flying however my doctor wanted to help me get to the wedding if possible.. Unfortunately, hours before the flight I had to cancel 😪 Never say never and the opportunity came around this trip, same time just different year (I see this pattern come up a lot, do you?) and here I am! What’s amazing about this visit to Berlin is I was able to spend time with some incredible people I had even met two years ago. Weronika who I met last year at in bali happened to be in for two days and just by chance we crossed paths - what are the odds??? 🤯🤷‍♂️. I also got to catch up with my mate .plass a brilliant German yoga instructor who blends his magic with a background in high performance athletics and has a bright future with a specialised yoga offering for Athletes. I was also connected up with Nick, one of those super smart tech startup advisors who was visiting from New York. I can’t remember what we talked about for 2 hours but it was awesome 😂it’s amazing how that between the universe and technology we can find our tribes no matter where we are 😎🙏🏼❤️ @ Berlin, Germany

Visiting Saint Petersburg was another amazing experience. Friendly people, cool cafes, jazz bars, historical palaces, priceless art collections, cathedrals, vibrancy everywhere. When my mum was in her early 20’s she made a stop here on a round the world trip (was a big deal for a country girl in the 70’s) and I remember her telling stories of challenges crossing borders into Russia etc.. It’s those moments when things don’t go exactly to plan that can often become most endearing and memorable. No surprise where I get my love for travel and adventure from! 😎🙏🏼❤️ @ Saint Petersburg, Russia

On visiting Auschwitz. First of all the numbers are simply staggering. Over 1m people murdered here. The mindset, commitment and organisation required to transport so many people to their death is just unimaginable. I wondered how those SS soldiers lived with themselves, going home to their families each night after a day’s work of extreme brutality. 70 years is not a long time... what has changed from an evolutionary perspective between them and us... nothing. We’re essentially the same beings that carried out the acts... how was that possible? Then it struck me, I could get a sense of how many in N**i Germany could be indifferent or at least operate with cognitive dissonance. I couldn’t help but consider the way the majority of humans currently think about, treat and process animals for food. Many of us know the conditions are horrible, that there’s suffering, yet the collective belief of indifference sweeps over us and we just carry on, carrying on... because it’s the done thing, the belief system of the day. Some maybe shocked for me to draw this parallel, but as I walked the blocks of Auschwitz I couldn’t help but realise the compassion, sadness and grief I felt for all that perished there could and should be felt for other sentient being that are mistreated in such ways. Not to mention racial genocide is still being carried out today In places like Myanmar, where hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslim’s are being attacked or forced to flee creating the world's fastest growing refugee crisis. We’ve come so far technologically however I hope the future advancements in humanity are less tech and more heart - we have a long way to go
@ Auschwitz Memorial / Muzeum Auschwitz

I’ve been away for a week and it feels like months. Copenhagen, Moscow, St Petersburg, Berlin.. only a short time in each city yet I feel like I experienced so much. Here’s some photos from Moscow, I loved the beautiful old train stations (and equally dated but functional trains). One of the photos was taken in a Cold War nuclear control bunker that operated with 600 staff 24x7 hidden underneath a residential area. Red Square and the Kremlin we’re amazing, 900 years of history in one place is a lot to take in. Moscow is obviously not a fair representation of the whole country however I was very impressed with how friendly, safe, efficient and easy to explore it was. Not sure I’ll be back any time soon however very pleased I made the trip 😎🙏🏼 @ Moscow, Russia

Good morning from Moscow, Russia. I have always wanted to visit this amazing city. I was due to be travelling to Berlin from Copenhagen however my plans to meet a friend there unfortunately changed, creating an opportunity for me to go anywhere i desired. I picked Russia! This is the beautiful St Basil’s Cathedral. It was built from 1555, can you believe that? Moscow itself is almost 900 years old. Incredible! I’ve found Moscow to be a clean, safe, friendly, beautiful, modernised ancient city. Sunday was divine with so much life happening along the river, family’s exercising, walking, hanging out. Live music in the park, it has a similar feel to London or New York City in terms of inner city summer vibrancy. I’m going to do my meditation, some yoga and a quick gym session before heading to the Red Square to explore the Kremlin today. With Love from Russia 😎❤️🙏🏼

What a wonderful world, where you can step onto a plane in the evening and wake up for breakfast 10,000km away. I had been wanting to make a trip to Europe for some time however there was a certain density, or heaviness to the idea. Like it needed to be complicated, intimately planned, or at a minimum I should have someone to travel with. In the end all it required was the simple act of booking a ticket, packing a carry on case and taking a drive to the airport. From the moment I touched down in Copenhagen I was welcomed by incredible friends I had met over the years in either in Melbourne or Bali, and we had such a wonderful time. It’s all smiles and good living in Denmark. Thank you to and Christian for making this first stop of my trip incredible. 😎🙏🏼😊 @ Copenhagen

“To move, to breathe, to fly, to float,
To gain all while you give,
To roam the roads of lands remote,
To travel is to live.”

Penned by the worlds most famous Dane, Hans Christian Andersen in The Fairy Tale of My Life: An Autobiography. Copenhagen, 1855.

IN Danish, “Hygge” means to create a warm atmosphere and enjoy the good things in life. The warm glow of candlelight is hygge, this quaint street setting is hygge. Cosying up with a loved one one for a movie – that’s definitely hygge. It’s being present in the moment and not needing or wanting to add anything to it, like enjoying a beautiful sunset, for exactly what is it. That is .