<![CDATA[LIZ THE RADIANCE COACH - Blog]]>Mon, 02 Sep 2024 12:53:44 +1000Weebly<![CDATA[Body Neutrality, Is It The New Body Love?]]>Thu, 29 Aug 2024 05:14:51 GMThttp://lizreichard.com.au/blog/body-neutrality-is-it-the-new-body-loveAs published in Who Magazine on 16 February 2023
Ask a woman what she hates about her body and she'll answer quickly and with a list a mile long. Ask that same woman what she loves about her body and she'll pause and have to think about it. Women have been conditioned since they're born that the most interesting and important thing about them is how they look. Friends and family will tell little girls how pretty they are rather than how smart or strong they are. There are billion dollar industries, including weight loss, beauty and fashion, that feed on our insecurities to sell us their products. And I was no different, I too hated my fat body and tried diets, lotions and potions to try and "fix" it. 

Thankfully things are slowly starting to change. There has been a rise in the Body Love movement, seeking to empower women to love their bodies exactly as they are now. Women like Taryn Brumfitt, Celeste Barber, Sonya Renee Taylor and Lizzo are shining a light on the systems that lead to women hating their bodies. They are showing women that there is a different way to think about your body and that it can be positive. 

What is Body Neutrality?
For many women jumping from loathing their bodies to loving it can be a massive leap. It seems impossible, like trying to jump over the Grand Canyon. But what if there was a mid point? A landing pad to aim for in the middle of canyon that looks far more achievable? This mid point is Body Neutrality. Body Neutrality is when you can look at yourself in the mirror and there is no hate, no love, just "this is my body" and "this is what it looks like". You view your body as an instrument that allows you to live this life, rather than as an art work just to be admired. 

How do I change my perspective?
Moving through the spectrum of your feelings about your body from Body Hate to Body Neutrality is a slow and deliberate action. It takes effort to undo decades of learning that your worth comes from how you look rather than any aspect of your personality. However, it is absolutely possible because I did it. Here are some exercises that helped me on my way to Body Neutrality. 

Try to notice each time you are criticising a part of your body, stop yourself and try to turn it into something positive. Change "I hate my muffin top" to "I have the softest, smoothest skin on my belly" or from "my arms are so flabby" to "I can lift my grocery bags into the car because I have these arms". 

At least once a day, express gratitude for your body. This body is the only body you are going to get in this lifetime and so often we forget to be grateful for it and all that it allows us to do because we have THIS body. It can be for anything, "I'm grateful for my legs because I could go for a walk today " or "I'm grateful for my hands because it means I can type " or "I'm grateful for my bum because I'm comfy when I sit down".

Find an embodiment practice that works for you. For me it was Qoya, a free dance embodiment class. There is no wrong way to do Qoya. You move your body in whatever way you want and it helps you to find the joy in movement for the sake of movement rather than for any other purpose. It helps you to feel into your body and to dance with your feelings rather than thinking about them. You start to gain a new appreciation for your body and all that it can do. If dance is not your thing, try yoga, bush walking or roller skating. It doesn't matter what your chosen activity is, it's about feeling into your body and realising how wonderful it is. 

Once you achieve Body Neutrality, I urge you to keep going on towards Body Love. You're already half way there! 

Liz Reichard runs Sunranges Qoya to help women to realise their inner strength, power and wisdom through the embodied free dance practice of Qoya. To try Qoya for free, sign up to her newsletter at www.sunrangesqoya.com.au.


Try this exercise
  • Grab a pen, piece of paper and your phone. 
  • Pick a part of your body that you like least. 
  • Put your phone's timer on for 1 minute. During that minute, write down everything you don't like about your chosen body part. When the timer goes off STOP! 
  • Put your timer on for another minute and write down everything you like about and are grateful for this part of your body. What can you do, or have you done, because you have this body part? How does your skin look and feel? Once your timer goes off stop. 
  • Reflect on how do you feel about this part of your body now.
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<![CDATA[Are you ready for the best summer of your life?]]>Mon, 26 Aug 2024 07:01:15 GMThttp://lizreichard.com.au/blog/are-you-ready-for-the-best-summer-of-your-life​"Today I asked my body what she needed,
Which is a big deal
Considering my journey of
Not Really Asking That Much.
 
I thought she might need more water.
Or protein.
Or greens.
Or yoga.
Or supplements.
Or movement.
 
But as I stood in the shower
Reflecting on her stretch marks,
Her roundness where I would like flatness,
Her softness where I would like firmness,
All those conditioned wishes
That form a bundle of
Never-Quite-Right-Ness,
She whispered very gently:
 
Could you just love me like this?"
 
by Hollie Holden https://www.hollieholden.me/
 
 
The above poem popped up on my Fb feed and it reminds me of the sadness I felt the first time I read this poem some time ago. 
 
I was sad that I too felt about my body how the author did. 
 
That I also did not love my body as she was. 
 
But rather than only feeling sad, I also felt like it was an awakening. 
 
That there was another way how I could feel about my body. 
 
And that hope is what I have run with. 
 
And worked with for years. 
 
And finally come to a place where I can appreciate my body for what I can do because I have here, rather than just being focussed on what she looks like.  
 
Would you like to feel that way about your body too Liz?
 
If the answer is yes, I have designed a brand new program to uncover those deep stories of conditioning, fear, disgust, false beliefs and untruths that you have been subjected to since you were born and to change them into Outrageous Radical Body Acceptance
 
The Outrageous Radical Body Acceptance program starts on Monday 16 September and will go for 10 weeks. It will be weekly zoom group calls where I will guide you towards your own version of body acceptance in a safe and non judgmental space in sisterhood.  
 
I will teach you the tools and tricks that helped me get to where I am with accepting my body as she is as well as monthly Qoya classes, guest speakers and a viewing party of the doco "Embrace" plus so so so much more! 
 
Early bird pricing of $450 for the program is on until 25 August. The price then jumps up to $500. Payment plans are available. 
 
Are you ready to completely change the way you think your body?
 
And have the best summer of your life?]]>
<![CDATA[It's Wombat season!]]>Thu, 04 Jul 2024 06:57:02 GMThttp://lizreichard.com.au/blog/its-wombat-seasonThis morning we danced with the theme of “Connect to Nature” in my Sunbury Qoya class. It can be so easy at this time of year to cocoon and stay indoors in front of the heater, especially when we think of our seasons in terms of the northern hemisphere. 
 
For the Wurundjeri people, the indigeous custodians of this land where I live in the Macedon Ranges, this season is called Waring or in English, wombat season. It's one of their longest seasons, running from April to July. It's called wombat season because it's the time of year when they are the most active. We also get our coldest days and the most rainfall at this time of year too. 
 
I find that I tend to go a little stir crazy if I haven't been outside by 4pm. I start to feel a bit off and wonder why until I realise I haven't been out yet!  Even if its cold, I'll chuck on a jacket and beanie and do a short walk through my gum trees. There's something kind of special enjoying plants that I planted myself years ago - as all you gardeners would already know. 
 
I love listening to the birds. At the moment they are in heaven because my pin cushion hakea is flowering and there are still some bright pink flowers left on my gum behind the house. The wattles all have buds so soon my garden will be a riot of yellow with all the different varieties. 
 
By being outside and connected with nature, I feel as though I am part of nature, rather than just a visitor or an observer. 
 
So I encourage you, find your way to connect with nature each day. Go outside even if it's cold. Feel the cold wind and the rain on your face. Acknowledge the change of the seasons and revel in the difference between them. I promise you will feel better for it!! 
 
I'd love to know how you connect with nature, comment below to let me know!]]>
<![CDATA[What was your favourite thing to do as a child?]]>Tue, 30 Apr 2024 05:39:49 GMThttp://lizreichard.com.au/blog/what-was-your-favourite-thing-to-do-as-a-childAs a kid, you were your most free, unfiltered, joyous, pure self. It's only as you started to grow up that you are told stories about what you “should” be doing, or not doing, or how you should look and behave and be. 
 
Then you start to get confused and feel as though the person you are is not “good enough". So you try to fit into the box of the “perfect” child, teenager, adult, daughter, staff member, girlfriend, wife, mother….
 
It's fucking exhausting and its little wonder that you might be feeling a bit lost about who you truly are and what you deeply desire. You might feel as though life is good but there's still a little niggle that something is missing. 
 
As a way of starting to reclaim your true authentic sweet little you I invite you to think about this question:
 
What was your favourite thing to do as a child? 
 
Was it: 
  • Playing in the backyard?
  • Dancing?
  • Twirling and spinning around until you were dizzy?
  • Making up plays?
  • Singing into your hairbrush?
  • Hunting for tadpoles?
  • Doing cartwheels or handstands?
  • Playing with Rainbow Brite, Barbie or Care Bears?
  • Making mud pies?
  • Or something else entirely?
 
Now that you've worked out what it was, my next question to you is, when was the last time you did it?
 
Was it:
  • Today?
  • Yesterday?
  • Last week?
  • Last month?
  • Last year?
  • 10 years ago?
 
My third question is, why did you stop doing it?
 
Was it because:
  • You 'got too old' to do it?
  • You were shamed for it?
  • You felt as though you 'should' stop?
  • You were laughed at?
  • It was no longer 'cool'?
  • You didn't have the time for it?
  • You didn't have the money to keep doing it?
 
My last question to you is this, what's stopping you from doing it now?
 
This is your permission slip to go do IT with no judgement or shame. Go and embrace your inner you and PLAY!
 
I'd love to know your answers to my questions and how you went doing your activity! Comment below to let me know! ]]>
<![CDATA[What is that niggle?]]>Fri, 05 Apr 2024 04:14:58 GMThttp://lizreichard.com.au/blog/what-is-that-niggleDo you feel as though something is missing from your life but you're not sure what it is?
 
That there's this niggle there but you can't quite put your finger on what's wrong?
 
Really, everything is just “fine”.
 
And yet…
 
The niggle is still there.
 
The little voice saying there's much more out there for you.
 
That you still haven't done the thing that you have always truly wanted to.
 
But now you don't have the time, the money and you're too old anyway?
 
What if I told you that none of that is true?
 
That you can have what you want, you can answer that niggle and live the most glorious, turned on radiance life you've always wanted?
 
In my Reignite Your Fire group coaching we will work together in an online small group setting to really listen to that niggle, work out what we can do to answer it and how you might be able to fulfill it once and for all!
 
In this intro course, I will teach you how to connect in with your body and your pvssy and how that will turn your inner radiance on and dial up your intuition to 1000! This is powerful stuff and practicing it in sisterhood is truly one of the best ways to experience it.
  
Here's the lowdown:
  • It starts on soon!
  • Four weeks
  • 90 minute sessions
  • Only 8 places
 
Got questions? Ask away below! 
more info
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<![CDATA[Making Hard Decisions]]>Wed, 20 Mar 2024 06:15:44 GMThttp://lizreichard.com.au/blog/making-hard-decisions​What a hot long weekend that was in Victoria!!! The temp has finally dropped in Melbourne and surrounds but I know that parts of the state are still super dry and hot - I'm looking at you Mildura, Robinvale and Swan Hill! 
 
Because of the oppressive heat predicted, for the first time in its 70 year history, the Moomba parade was cancelled. It was devastating news to all those involved, including my son and his girlfriend who had been working on the costumes for over two months. 
 
But it was the right decision to make. To have hundreds of people (including lots of kiddos) ready and dressed in hot costumes for hours, to have people lining the streets to watch and to have all the support people around in 37 degree plus heat was simply a recipe for disaster. So instead, they made the hard but correct decision to cancel. 
 
These kinds of decisions take strength, determination and a knowing that it is the right choice. I know that when I've been faced with similar decisions, it is my innate knowing, my intuition, let's face it, it's my pussy that is guiding me to make the right, albeit hard, decision. 
 
How do you fair with making tough decisions? What is your guiding light? Comment below to let me know!]]>
<![CDATA[Letting stories go...]]>Thu, 22 Feb 2024 04:57:05 GMThttp://lizreichard.com.au/blog/letting-stories-go
​For decades, I told myself that I had “black thumbs" instead of “green” ones. That I was no good at gardening and that all the plants I touched died. 
 
And yet…
 
I planted lots of native trees and shrubs when my son was born (almost 24 years ago) and they flourished (left pic above). They provide homes to lots of birds and insects. We have magpies nesting in them every year. The bees and ants love it when the gum trees, wattles and bottle brushes flower. 
 
This year I had my best ever year of growing my own rhubarb (centre pic) and made the most amazing cake with it. And I reckon I might be able to harvest a bit more too!
 
I bought an elephant ear plant from a lady on FB (right pic the one in the white pot) and saw that it had a little baby growing in the pot as well. So I repotted it into the red pot and its growing so very well! And the white one has another couple of babies too!
 
It would appear to anyone else that I am a gardener. That I do have a green thumb. 
 
So why do have this story in my head about my abilities as a gardener? Especially since its not true?
 
My father was incredible with plants. He would break of bits of plants from anywhere and could get it to grow. At that time, I would have been around 8 or 9, I was lousy with plants. But the seed of the story was planted and it continued to grow and repeat itself.
 
Until…
 
I suddenly realised when I harvested all the rhubarb a few weeks ago that it was no longer true. In all honesty, it may never have been true. 
 
I have released that story and I am now proud to say “I AM A GARDENER”!
 
What stories have you been told about yourself and continue to say? 
 
That you aren't creative? 
 
That you can't sing? 
 
That you can't dance? 
 
That you're unco?
 
That you're [insert your story here]?
 
Is it actually true? Was it ever?
 
I invite you to revisit those stories and to really think about them if they are in fact real. 
 
Because I reckon you are far more accomplished and capable that you think. 
 
That you always have been, but you buried it. 
 
Let the story go and fly!
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<![CDATA[Embrace your YOUNESS]]>Mon, 29 Jan 2024 02:59:06 GMThttp://lizreichard.com.au/blog/embrace-your-youness
My son graduated from university on in mid December 2023. It was a fancy ceremony in the old Exhibition Building in Carlton. Lots of interesting outfits from the higher ups and gowns and silly hats (my son's words!) on the graduates.
 
As part of the ceremony, Dr Anthea Skinner, musicologist - a fancy way of saying that she's a music researcher, who's research is focussed on adapting instruments for people with disabilities - gave the keynote speech. Dr Skinner spoke about the advice her mother gave her as a young woman with a disability who was unsure of how she would navigate a world that she didn't “fit” into: 
 
“No one who was just like everybody else ever did anything truly amazing. No one who was just like everybody else ever changed the world.”
 
I share Dr Skinner's words (and those  of her mother) as a reminder to you too, that what makes you unique is how you will make your mark. Embrace your 'weirdness', your 'kookiness', all the things that make you you
 
Your way of looking at things, your creativity, your opinion matters. I encourage you to celebrate your Youness and all that it entails.
 
Because no one who was just like everybody else ever did anything truly amazing.
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<![CDATA[Desires for 2024]]>Wed, 10 Jan 2024 07:22:19 GMThttp://lizreichard.com.au/blog/desires-for-2024Happy new year! I hope that you had a wonderful Christmas and were able to relax and enjoy it.
 
If you're still on leave - well bragged!
 
If you're back at work, see what you can do to make it an as pleasurable experience as possible!
 
As is custom at the start of a new year, I've been working on my desires for the year. I've spoken about desires before but in case you've missed it, I'll share it again.
 
Desires are different to goals. Even the most exciting goal can feel somewhat heavy and like a real slog to achieve. Desires on the other hand, make you feel all warm and gooey, they bring you pleasure just thinking about them. 
 
For instance, you might set a goal of being able to learn how to do a 50kg deadlift. As a desire, that goal could become “I desire to feel healthy and strong every day.” 
 
Or how about the goal of “I want to find a partner”? Turn it into a desire with “I desire to be in a loving, healthy, respectful relationship with hot juicy s*x where my partner worships me and I worship them”.
 
See what I mean?
 
I urge you to write yourself a Desire List for 2024. 
 
You could set up a space where you won't be disturbed, have a gorgeous notebook and your fav pen, light a candle, have a snack and a yummy drink and play some thinking music to help get you into a pleasure mindset. 
 
Or if you are stretched for time, you can type it into your notes section on your phone while you are waiting for a dr's appt. Make it work for you however it does, but just do it! 
 
If you can't do it all in one sitting, that's ok too. Just keep adding to it when something else pops up or when you've got another few mins to dedicate to it. 
 
If you have some trouble getting started on your list, try some small desires first to get the ball rolling:
  • I desire red roses every week.
  • I desire champagne Lindt chocolate balls.
  • I desire a full night's sleep on gorgeous 1000 count cotton sheets.
I'd also suggest that you are as specific as you can with your desires. You will amp up your pleasure and anticipation by putting in as much detail as you can. 
 
Once you feel that the list is complete - and honestly it may never be because you will always have new desires popping up, especially once you start thinking about them in a more conscious way - put it somewhere where you can see it and remember it. 
 
You might like to set a reminder on your phone to look at it each week. 
 
You could jump on Canva and make yourself a digital vision board and put it on your phone as a screensaver (I've done this!) so you see it each time you open your phone. 
 
You could make a physical vision board or you could paint or draw one. 
 
Check in with your desires on a regular basis. Make sure you are putting your energy and time into the things that bring you the most joy
 
Because life is too short not to. ​]]>
<![CDATA[Let's brag about 2023 together!]]>Tue, 12 Dec 2023 02:04:50 GMThttp://lizreichard.com.au/blog/lets-brag-about-2023-togetherI've started thinking about 2024. What do I want to do in my business, when and how? 
 
But I realised that before I look forward with eager bright eyes, I need to reflect on what I achieved in 2023. Because sometimes we forget to do that. To remember all the awesome things we did. Hell, sometimes we forget to celebrate them when we achieve them! 
 
Australians have a tendency  to look down on those who are doing well - the old “tall poppy syndrome". We gotta knock them down a peg or two. I'm not entirely sure why its part of our culture but I reckon its something we need to get rid of. 
 
Celebrating our victories, and those of the people around us, make us happy. Instead of seeing someone else's achievement with jealously or anger or regret, why not see instead as a sign to you that it can be done? Someone else did it, therefore so can you! Try to see it a sign that its also coming for you. 
 
So my invitation to you is to brag about 2023! What have you done? What are you proud of?
 
And here are some of mine:
  • I brag that I completed my tri-certification as a pleasure coach of the School of Womanly Arts.
  • I brag I started my coaching business as a Radiance Coach.
  • I brag that I offered free sessions in exchange for testimonials.
  • I brag that I offered mini coaching sessions to give women an idea of what my coaching is all about.
  • I brag that I kept showing up for myself and my business even when I was struggling with the daily life stuff.
  • I brag I sent out a newsletter to you my gorgeous Dancing Queen each and every week.
  • I brag I revamped the website and there's more to come.
  • I brag that I found the silver lining in being locked out of my social media accounts.
  • I brag that I danced Qoya with many different women this year.
  • I brag that I ran two magnificent workshops at Seven Sisters.
  • I brag that I danced Qoya under the gum trees in Riddells Creek at The Gathering of the Goddesses.
  • I brag that I touched many, many women in many, many different way this year.
 
I would LOVE to hear your brags!! Comment below and let me know. 
 
Because as good as bragging is, do you know what makes it even better? When it is witnessed by another person and celebrated!!! I wanna be that person for you! 
 
Go on, let me know now!
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