​A healthier Raspberry Chocolate Brownie recipe - less sugar with more yummy flavours!​

​1/2 cup coconut oil
1/2 cup of coconut flour
1/3 - 1/2 cup of your choice of sweetness* (dependent on taste and health needs)
1/4 cup of dark cocoa powder**
1/4 cup of desiccated coconut**
1 cup of raspberries
4 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon ('ceylon' preferably)
1/2 tsp pink salt
1/4 tsp cardamom powder (optional)

Melt raspberries if frozen. 'Gently' melt together coconut oil with cocoa powder and your choice of sweetness*. Stir in the melted raspberries and desiccated coconut, remove from heat and leave to cool. In a bowl, gently whisk together eggs, salt, vanilla, cinnamon and cardamom. Stir the cocoa raspberry mixture into the eggs mixture. Then gently whisk in the flour a spoonful at a time, forming a smooth batter. Line a square dish with grease proof paper and pour in the mixture. ***Bake at 170°C for 20-25 minutes or until the centre is firm enough. Allow to cool for 15 minutes before slicing.

Heart Breathing & Heart Meditation for You...
 
Heart Breathing & Heart Meditation for Resilience, Self-Care & Connecting to your Joy
If you have just eaten or are not feeling 100% well, then go gently on the breathing in this exercise. We are going to do a quick practice of the two ‘quick fixes’ before we get into the combined guided meditation.

Quick fix 1) Relax. Take 3 or 5 slow deep breaths filling your lungs while pretending to fill ‘a balloon’ in your abdomen OR you could just fill your lungs and hold your breath for 4 counts with each in-breath, and then expel slowly. Experiment with both, or do something else you are familiar with. BEGIN TO RELAX. You will find the perfect way for you. Whichever way you do it, slow deep breathing triggers a calming response in the body, and instantly begins to reduce the stress responses associated with ‘fight or flight’ mechanisms.

Quick fix 2) Place your hand on your heart OR the center of your chest. This makes your heart feel like it’s receiving a hug, and triggers the release of the love hormone oxytocin. This also happens when we really HUG other people. We are basically wired for love, and, connecting to our joy. This also helps to move our focus out of our head (thoughts) and down to our heart (love & wisdom).

​Go Deeper with the Meditation
There are three parts to the full meditation, but part A is useful to use anytime if you are feeling emotionally hurt, stressed, frazzled or are just in need of some love.
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You may speak this meditation slowly aloud to yourself and record your voice on your cellphone on an ‘audio record app’ so you can relax and replay it to yourself whenever you wish.  Alternatively, you may get in touch with me if you would like me to lead a group in this meditation or create a recording especially for you.

​​A) Find a quiet space. Switch off for a moment, close your eyes, take five slow deep breaths, and move your focus from your head to your heart. Place your hand on your heart OR the center of your chest, to help you focus there (OR if you were in a public space you could ‘IMAGINE your hand on your heart’). Relax your shoulders… down, and relax your belly. Then while focusing on your heart, slowly continue breathing in… and out. Imagining or feeling as though you are gently breathing, in and out through your heart...  Continue your gentle heart breathing for a few moments, until the heart and mind are feeling much lighter.... (This basic technique, or Part A, can be kept in your back-pocket and used whenever you need a break, some peace, or a hug.)

B) As you breathe slowly in and out, through your heart. To the best of your ability, feel a genuine sense of love or appreciation for something or someone. Focus on these feelings of love or appreciation, feel them filling your heart, let your heart expand. Allow these feelings to flow outward to other areas of your body, to anywhere that needs loving and healing. Feel the love expand. Feel your heart smile. Let your face smile. Stay there a while. Sink into these feelings of love and appreciation.

C) When you are feeling amazing, basking in joyful feelings, you may then bring to mind someone OR something that you would like to send your loving energy to OR alternatively you may ask your heart a question and wait for an answer from your heart's wisdom. You choose. Enjoy this and spend as long as you wish here.
 
FINISH) When you are ready to finish your heart meditation and get on with your day, begin to bring your focus back to the room, ‘feel’ the chair or mat you are sitting/lying on, ‘wiggle’ your toes and fingers, notice the light on your eyelids, open your eyes, look at the walls/windows, have a glass of water and move your body… It is perfectly ok to fall asleep if you do this at bedtime or in a safe place. 

Inspired by the heart breathing and heart meditations available at:
​ https://www.greggbraden.com/ and https://www.heartmath.com/ ​

Keep it in your Back-Pocket
Everyday life provides plenty of small opportunities to experiment with some of the self-care ideas on this page. Regular practice builds resilience and keeps it actively in your back-pocket for when a bigger upset occurs. When feeling overwhelmed, aim for at least 5-10 minutes of heart breathing or meditation for best self-care results.

Heart Breathing:  A few ‘deep heart-felt breaths’ with eyes open, can be discreetly included as you go about your day.
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Heart Meditation:  Only meditate in a safe place, and never meditate while driving or operating machinery.
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​Research shows that messages the heart sends to the brain also can affect performance, mood and stress response.  More information in this FREE e-book at: https://www.heartmath.org/research/science-of-the-heart/resilience-stress-and-emotions