Haley Blackman

I haven't posted much lately because life has been a struggle and as I haven't had anything uplifting or inspiring to say I felt I should just keep quiet. How can I say I'm low when I'm usually the one to pick others up? How can I inflict my misery on people when there's so many who need uplifting? But wait. Where is the authenticity here? Should I just put on a front and be the person I think everyone wants to see or should I be honouring who I am and exactly where I'm at because, after all, isn't that the reality of life - it's not all hearts and sunshine? So here I am, putting it out there because if those of us who do struggle with life don't speak up then those who don't have a voice will never be heard. Depression is a real issue for millions of people worldwide (a massive 350 MILLION people to be more or less precise). It doesn't discriminate and it can creep upon you when you least expect it, knocking you to your knees leaving you wondering what the hell just happened, but I also believe that it's a sign that something isn't right, that it's time for change, however we must be willing to understand exactly what it is so that we can effect change. Today may not be such a great day but this is just for today and I'll not fight against it. I'll deal with tomorrow when it arrives, whatever it may bring, taking each moment as and when it arises, allowing myself to feel whatever comes up with the understanding that fighting against it will only cause me more suffering 🙏🏼 •|• Sahasrara Cuff @tinyomjewellery 💗🐝 #depression #buddhism #selfhelp

'For you girls, you must risk everything for Freedom, and give everything for Passion, loving everything that your hearts and your bodies love. The only thing higher for a girl and more sacred for a young woman than her freedom and her passion should be her desire to make her life into poetry, surrendering everything she has to create a life as beautiful as the dreams that dance in her imagination.' ~ Roman Payne •|• My loves, there's simply too much to lose if we don't do this. This life isn't a dress rehearsal and neither will we get a chance to live it again and correct any mistakes we make. The easiest way to deal with regrets is to not have any in the first place 🐝💗 #dontsettle #freedom #noregrets

This has to be true 💗🐝 #hope #faith #struggles

Sutra 1:2 | yogascittavrttinirodah • yoga, union, balance; citta, mind; vrtti, the minds roaming tendencies; nirodah, mastery • Complete mastery over the roaming tendencies of the mind is Yoga. • When we learn to train the mind and bring it back to its state of oneness, we then achieve yoga, or union. Because we literally see our world through our minds, if they are convoluted then our relationship with the world we see also becomes convoluted. Keeping a clear and peaceful mind is how we then begin to see the world in a positive and loving light. Meditation and mindfulness enable us to achieve a mind that is ekagra (one pointed) and niruddha (perfectly controlled) and when the mind is stable, we reach the state that is yoga. So how exactly can we do this? Whatever arises we must learn to come back to the 'self', to remind ourselves that what we see is through the lens that is our mind and that we can choose at any time to filter all of our experiences - both 'negative' and 'positive' - bringing us back to the realisation that everything 'just is'. Opening my heart for #humpdayhearts @sequellife_bp 💗🐝 #backbend #yogasutras #patanjali N.B. Partly paraphrased from The Secret of the Yoga Sutra

My entire life I've always felt like I was on the outside looking in. Whether I'm with family or friends, the feeling always seems to be there, along with the little voice that says "You're different. You're not like them." So who am I exactly? Well, I'm still seeking the answer to that one. Over the years this feeling has become stronger to the point where I no longer put myself in certain situations where I just know I'm not going to fit in, and it amazes me just how much I've changed from the person who'd be up for anything, to someone who seeks solace in her own company. I don't think I'm a loner, I wouldn't call myself that, but this path sure does feel hella lonely at times. I've battled this on many occasions, forcing myself to try and be 'normal' just like everyone else but I'm not and I can't, and even though at times I feel left out and sad, like a petulant child, slowly I'm learning that it's OK to feel this way. It's OK to be different. It's OK not to have to fit the mould. It's OK to walk a different path, even if those you love and care for are walking in a different direction. And, as with everything, there is purpose to be found within this situation. I'll just continue to walk in trust and faith that I'll soon unravel that layer of understanding and, until then, I'll take some comfort in the fact that I can't be the only person put here feeling this way, right? 💗🐝 #haleysthoughts #staywithit #beyounique

Finishing off my home practice in my favourite way: pranayama, meditation then feeding my brain with some good stuff! What's your little ritual? 📿❤️ #meditation #pranayama #ritual

My lunch: Seasonal root veg soup topped with sautéed purple kale and toasted garlic! Recipe courtesy of my amazing friend @rachelsmithboneyoga Thanks doll - I now have one happy belly!! 😘😋 #foodporn #eatclean #somersetyogateachers

I'm always humbled by the love and support I receive but nothing gives me greater pleasure than to extend that love and support out to others. Thank you @Liforme for making THE best yoga mat EVER! Can't wait to practice alongside you next month with @dharmayogacenter at @indabayoga!! 💜🙏🏼🦄 #liforme #attitudeofgratitude #sridharmamittra

When discomfort arises just stay with it Don't run Don't hide Don't reach for comfort, instead Embrace it Breathe it Become it Let it teach and transform you Just like the butterfly who must build strength to break free So must we •|• #haleyheals #buddhism #staywithit

'I would rather be a rebel than a slave' ~ Emmeline Pankhurst •|• Last night I watched the movie Suffragette and was taken aback by just how emotional it made me. Women have suffered, and still suffer, mercilessly at the hands of the patriarchal society which has repressed us throughout the ages through fear and ignorance of the female sex and, ultimately, of the power and strength we hold. No man has the divine ability to create, carry, and birth another human being. In Shamanism, our planet's oldest form of spirituality from which Tantra and Yoga are believed to have derived, women were revered, feared, and held in the highest regard as communicators with the divine (our own innate essence). Evidence of goddess worship during the Upper Paleolithic time (between 35,000-10,000 BC) was discovered by archaeologists in the form of 'Venus Figures' or fertility goddesses. At Çatalhöyük, the worlds oldest Neolithic settlement in Turkey dating back to approx 7500 BC, more evidence of goddess worship was unearthed in the form of female figurines. This worship of female deities continued on for centuries throughout the Egyptian, Sumerian, Babylonian and Phoenician cultures, through to the Romans and Greeks. But women weren't just worshipped as goddesses, they were also warriors and led men into battle as their counterparts. From Ahhotep I in Egypt's 17th Century BC to China's Huang Guigu in the 3rd Century BC, to the infamous Boudicca - Celtic Queen of the Iceni - in the 1st Century AD, and countless more, women have led and fought alongside their men and been buried with their warfare, declaring their status and honour as warriors and as equals. Wake up ladies!!! The next time our society tries to subdue you or dumb you down you need to be saying "Hell f*cking no! I AM A GODDESS who comes from a line of warrior goddesses, and I refuse to be treated than anything less." 💗💪🏼 #profeminism #goddesses #womensrights

Taking my Muma to watch this girl power movie tonight. Ladies, we need to fully appreciate those who earned us the rights we have today, though they were wrongfully taken in the first place! 💗💪🏼#powergirlmovement #suffragette #feminist

'Where does beauty dwell? There are some dark and very ancient caves In the deepest and most sacred space of the heart Close your eyes Walk toward them and once you find them, turn on the light Yes, you my love... In darkness beauty will show the way to your heart' ~ The Sacred Space of the Heart 💗 •|• Quite often we turn away from darkness in order to run or distract ourselves from whatever it is that is bothering us but in doing so we completely miss a golden opportunity to heal. Instead of turning away from it we should be turning towards it, seeking the self understanding that it has to offer. Nothing whatsoever is without purpose. If we just stop for a moment and allow ourselves to fully embrace the murky challenges life presents us with we'll be able to access those deepest parts of our resources in order to find a way to move forwards. We're never stuck unless we allow ourselves to be stuck. The next time you're faced with a challenging situation, enter that darkness head first and notice the beauty you hold within you in the process 🦄💗 #heartopener #heartspace #dwipadaviparitadandasana

Ginger looking way too cute for his own good! 😍🐾🐯 #nationalcatday #kittensofinstagram #catsofig

It's a funny old time at the moment: Thoughts and emotions are in a complete whirlwind but I'm discovering peace and a little clarity within long deep nourishing holds. Does your asana practice change when you're going through a challenging time? How do you deal with it? 💗🐝 #hanumanasana #challenges #mindfulness (at Mondrian South Beach)

'Every woman that finally figured out her worth, has picked up her suitcases of pride and boarded a flight to freedom, which landed in the valley of change.' ~ Shannon L. Alder •|• Why cheat yourself, ladies, when you are worth SO much more? If something isn't working and no amount of effort on your part can make it right then the situation has served its purpose and the lessons have been facilitated. Staying will only stagnate you to the point where you don't even recognise yourself anymore and that isn't living, that's death. Take a deep breath, draw on your strength, and then walk away without looking back 🦄💗 •|• #nofilter required on this pic, just the wind in my hair and the magical light of the sunrise. Thanks doll @sdharamr for capturing this moment 🙏🏼🎀 #courage #selfworth #empowerwomen (at Miami Beach, Florida)

Lying on the road in midtown Miami with my soul sister @sdharamr because we're too free spirited to be 'normal' by society's standards and stick to the pavement (sidewalk) 😝 Personally I don't want to fit in. I've spent my whole life trying to be 'perfect' and neatly fit the description of the 'perfect' girlfriend, mother, friend etc. I can't tell you how freeing it is to take myself outside of that box, and to meet other people who are just like me! Big love to all my unicorn family out there who won't allow themselves to be moulded by society 🦄💗 #beyou #beaunicorn #befree (at Wynwood Arts District, Miami, Florida)