Horses & Healing

So many positive things going into this fresh ,new month ! :) 

Being open with you - I am a HUGE perfectionist! You may be thinking, 'Abi, this is not a negative thing ?!', however I've actually had to really teach myself in regards to deadlines & getting key tasks done, without it having to be to my standard of 'perfect' (which feels so liberating!) - 'getting it done to your deadline is better than perfectionism postponing your dreams'!

Seriously enjoying getting organised this month ! Went through at least half of my entire clothes collection & organised it into categories ( yes .. clear organisation is actually a passion of mine if you can’t tell ;) ). Also making more conscious decisions when it comes to clothing & shoes - fast fashion is not cool ! I’d rather pay a little more for clothing from sustainable,ethical sources than the latter 100%.

On that note, let's talk personal style! :) I'm actually trained as a personal stylist mentor & something I love to explore is self-expression via style! Here's my personal style tips I swear by (that are really easily adaptable !):

- Decide on your purpose (once you know exactly where you'll be & what you'll be doing it is SO much easier to piece your outfit!)
- Choose your 'base piece' (a.k.a 'feature piece') ;usually I base this piece off my mood so it could be a fave pair of shoes, accessory, dress, quirky top etc.
- Based on your feature piece ,decide on your colour scheme! As a general rule I like to have my feature piece double up as my pop of colour as neutrals are my accent theme.
-'Accent theme' is the term I like to use for the other items to bring an outfit together (for me this is shoes, coats/jackets & lower body wear ie. jeans, skirts etc.)
-Using flattering individual accessories really shows your unique personality in an outfit too !
-Get creative ! Got a lovely skirt section to a dress but not fond of the upper section? Find a top the same colour scheme & add an accent belt in the middle to create a co-ord outfit ! Just because an outfit is advertised a certain way , doesn't mean it can't be re-created differently !
- Do your research into  the sourcing of the materials & labour for clothes BEFORE you purchase them.
-Make sure you have a 'one in one out' rule at least when updating your wardrobe - charity  donating any items you aren't keeping also supports just causes! 
-Perhaps one of my most essential tips is LOVE WHAT YOU WEAR! When you feel good in your clothes ,it eminates off of you ! 

Shine your inner LIGHT ! :) 

On another note, let's talk healing & animals. The emotional intelligence animals have always offered has actually been a life saver . Horses have been a safe haven for me since the age of 13 . Whenever I had depressive episodes (they were very frequent in my life at this point) & was questioning everything about myself - they were a constant , (as well as God & my fitness) they were the only ones who saw me for me . It didn’t matter if I looked like I’d been dragged through several hedges backwards- they saw me at a deeper soul-level .

I have met beautiful horses in my life who have made such profound impacts & one of those horses is Cheerio . He literally escaped from his field into my back garden when I was younger & it’s always been known in my close friends & family as the horse who ‘found me’ . He is the reason I could start properly practicing natural horsemanship (communicating with horses using body language & eye contact as well as understanding the principles of pressure/release in training ) & build deeper connections like no-other with him. We are a partnership & there is nothing more freeing to me than riding Cheerio bareback in the beautiful Scottish countryside & just 'being' ,breathing in the fresh, clear air with Scottish purple heather surrounding us. We’ve had so many amazing memories so far together & his mini-rescue-horse field- mate Tigger the mini-Shetland too when he was added to the team !:)

The physical & emotional therapeutic side of horses has always been a huge interest to me &something I will continue to explore !:)

Supporting anti-animal testing initiatives has a huge place in my heart due to everything animals have done for me emotionally in my life so I’ve decided to support ‘Cruelty Free International’.Giving back not only fills your heart & soul but also creates ,humbling compassion &gratitude as a main focus !

 Love & light,

     Abi xo

NEXT MONTH : My fitness journey continued - biggest take-aways since starting my fitness coaching business!