Thank you so much for signing up to November Bliss - 30 days of tenderness and soulful self care 2024 and I'm so happy to have your company as we journey through the month ahead.

Intention is the most powerful part of any undertaking so knowing what you want to achieve over this month and how you want to feel as we complete it will bring the kind of clarity you need to stay focused.  

Because the focus for the next 30 days is entirely on you.

'Be patient with yourself.  Self-growth is tender. It's holy ground.  
There is no greater investment.’ 
- Stephen R. Covey.

I always begin with an overall project in mind.  

Ten years ago as I began the very first November Bliss program I wanted to finally get a script of a musical I wanted to write down on paper.  Another year I wanted to shed the extra half stone that had crept up over the previous summer.  Participants have set all kinds of goals from knitting a 'Harry Styles Rainbow Cardigan' to creating a zen garden as a place to meditate.

This year my creative project is two, possibly three fold.  I have a beautiful new sewing machine but have no idea how to use it.  My last one was an electric Singer but this new one is digital and by the end of the month I want to have mastered it and created a number of cushions with some gorgeous material I bought.

I also want to redecorate my study so that I can start recording  the Tuesday Night Club gathering in there again.  I'll let you know how I get on with these over the coming weeks but do please share with me your ideas.

Try these every day for thirty days:
  • REST - Go to bed one hour earlier than your usual bedtime.
  • HYDRATE - First thing in the morning take 120mls of warm water with the juice of half a lemon. 
  • JOURNAL - Get yourself a gorgeous notebook and write a paragraph a day on your thoughts, ideas, inspiration, dreams and discoveries. 
  • GRATITUDE - Write down three things you're grateful for each day and notice your blessings multiply throughout the day.
  • EXERCISE - Aim for a 30 minute walk each day.  It's vital for almost everything you can think of and of course mentally it helps with winter blues if that's an issue for you.
  • PHOTO - Taking a photograph a day helps sharpen our observational skills.  Think of your eye as a lens and let your photo tell a story seeing everyday things in a new way.
  • A TURNDOWN TRAY - Place a small tray by your bedside with some lavender pillow spray, cuticle oil, hand cream, lip balm, perhaps a crystal - Howlite for calm, Amethyst for tranquility, Selenite for peaceful mental state, Rose Quartz for a sense that you are safe and loved. Note some crystals will be too powerful for a bedroom and case restlessness.
  • CREATIVE EXPRESSION - Plan a creative project (See my conversation with author Catherine Greer - link below).  You might want to draw or paint, write, bake new recipes, craft or create a garden/balcony space.
  • READ - Loose yourself in a novel or an inspirational book by someone whose thinking you admire.
  • CHRISTMAS / HOLIDAY GREETING CARDS - You might enjoy getting ahead of the Christmas bustle by writing a greeting card each day and taking the time to include a personalised message to each intended recipient. 
  • MEDITATE - This is a practice known to benefit us on all levels.  Explore a kind of meditation that's right for you starting with a short length of time.  Many apps - Insight Timer, Empower You etc.- Spotify and YouTube channels offer guided mediations at differing lengths of duration.
  • AFFIRMATIONS - Thoughts become things and the words we choose have enormous power to shape our experience and our reality.  For 30 days use loving language towards yourself in your thoughts and self dialogue.  Ditch terms such as 'I'm having a Senior Moment',  'It's too late', 'I'm too old'.  Here's an affirmation from Louise George author of 'Manifestation Freq' and who was a recent guest on the Tuesday Night Club.  'I am radiantly healthy, deeply loved and abundantly wealthy.' We'll have other affirmations which I'll share with you along the way or you might prefer to have fun tailor-making your own personal affirmations this month.

These are just suggestions.  This month is all about you and that's the only rule.  There are no deal-breakers, no must-do or have-to enforcements.  So the above suggestions are simply there for your consideration.

WHAT TO EXPECT

I plan to have a daily email into your inbox with a restful practice, exercise or ritual for you to consider each day.  You may not be able to act on each daily theme but perhaps try to plan it for another day or at the weekend instead.

I'll have a suggested affirmation and an oracle card daily to encourage serendipity and magic and from time to time I'll have a short video piece from one of our November Bliss experts.  

I'd love to hear from you at any point throughout and do also follow the November Bliss with Trina Keane Facebook page where you can add your photos, suggestions and experiences with others Bliss Buddies.

FINALLY

Some of you may like the additional restful commitment of making this a No-Vino November and exploring bubbly mocktails and herbal teas in its place. Think of it as an opportunity to add extra sparkle to those eyes by December 1st!  I'll be doing this too so please feel free to share any mocktail recipes or alternatives you recommend.

You can watch my 'Creative Expressions' conversation with expert author Catherine Greer here watch


Wishing you lots of Halloween fun and spookiness.

Trina X

​November Bliss Day 1 

CLAIMING YOUR SACRED SPACE OR SANCTUARY

Affirmation:

I am worthy and I am loved.  
Today I claim sacred space to connect with my highest wisdom,
to call back my power and to return to the wholeness with which I was born.

We all need a personal sanctuary, a space to call our own.  A sacred space.

Sacred comes from the root word meaning whole and to be wholly you is to be connected to your very life force. What is sacred is healing, nurturing, centring and inspiring to the whole of your being, body, mind and spirit.

For centuries people have felt drawn to sacred spaces or chapels, wells, forests or remote huts in order to carve out a space to let divine light in.

So today find that space in your home - a cosy spot by a window, a quiet space in your garden or balcony, a corner of the kitchen table.  

This is your personal retreat or reserve which you can fill with comforters, cushions and wraps.   Have some books or reading material which you find inspiring, access to soothing music where you can write in your journal, meditate, craft, dream and access your highest wisdom. 

Bring together all the things you love or that you hold sacred; crystals, poetry or prayer book, photographs, candles, ornaments or religious items, flowers or plant, essential oils, pens and notebooks, writing/drawing paper, an item of jewellery or a memento of a loved one.

This place is your sanctuary for the coming month and try to set aside even half an hour each day to be here.

The energy you bring to this space is one of peace and compassion towards yourself, warmth, reflection, divine connection and strength.  You are in total control of this environment.


_____________________________

Thought for the day.....

When you serve, the universe serves you.  When you say 'how can I be of service' that service is not meant to come from a place of giving and giving and giving until you're empty but instead from that which you have in abundance, your gifts, talents and joyous energy.  This kind of service is honoured by energising you in return. Today think about what makes you feel on purpose or in the zone?  What excites you? Then serve with these.

____________________________

Trina X

​November Bliss Day 2

 FOOD IS MEDICINE 
​
Affirmation:



I bless my body with gratitude and nourish it with love. 
I am balanced and in harmony with the changes and cycles of my body. 




For many of us food is a chore - a threat even.  How often do we look at what we're about to put in to our mouth and say 'Oh I shouldn't'.  Our internal critic comes to the fore arresting us with a sense of guilt. But there's no nourishment in eating our food bathed in negative mindset. 

So today our restful exercise is to banish the food police and nourish your body by enjoying what you eat.  Whatever your food choice today - including the treats - savour it without judgement.  Eat slowly relishing the flavours and pay attention to the experience of eating.

For this month of bliss, try to eat as healthfully as possible.  Try new healthy food recipes especially if it involves seasonal vegetables.

During these darker months seasonal eating is more nutritious and can also offer us the comfort that we need and has the benefit of releasing serotonin and other hormones known to improve mental health. 

Our Tuesday Night Club Chef Trisha hennessy is back with more delicious recipes for you to try (exclusively for November Bliss participants) and I guarantee her Bliss Bowl Turmeric Chicken will become your go-to comfort dish this season.

Trisha is my Golden Moments Bliss Expert today and you can listen to our short conversation on the subject of seasonal eating and how to prepare your own healing chicken bone broth in our YouTube podcast here 


Bliss Recipes by Trisha Hennessy:

Trisha's recipes for November Bliss can be downloaded here


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Restful thought for today......

I know you are someone who gives with all your heart and you may find it hard to receive in return. The universe wants you to make more time, energy and space to receive its support.  When you open up to the possibility of infinite and abundance support, you allow yourself to be replenished and nourished.  In this way you have more to give.

___________________________________

Trina X

​November Bliss Day 3

 WALKING IN NATURE  

Affirmation:

I am one with the elements and the animals around me.
As I breathe out and breathe in, 
 I support the universe and the universe supports me.
Each part of my body moves freely as I walk.
With each step I feel the healing energy of the earth rising up through my being.




There’s no denying we live in an overwhelmingly digital age and we also all love the convenience of our gadgets. They’re not only fun to use, they keep us informed and connected and we rely on them for our own security quite often too.
This also means there’s no avoiding the constant exposure to the electromagnetic radiation emanated by the devices.  And by absorbing these harmful rays, our body becomes susceptible to silent inflammation due to the gradual build up of positive electrons that form free radicals which are at the foundation of many diseases.
The good news is Mother Nature’s cure is within the earth itself.
We all know how wonderfully freeing is it to walk barefoot on a shore or kick off our shoes to feel the grass between our toes on a sunny day in beautiful natural surroundings. 
This is a natural healing practice known as Earthing or Grounding and it's every bit as good for us, if not more so, in the wintertime.

The earth is full of energies itself, and being connected to its frequencies allows you to release your negative stress into the ground in exchange for more nourishing vibes that invigorate and replenish your body, mind, and soul.

Mother Nature’s gift is that by establishing a direct connection to her by walking barefoot on the earth, you open a channel for the negative grounding charge to cancel out the positive electrons toxifying the body. 

She’ll literally cleansing and healing you.


Each year in November my most joyfully accepted blissful challenge is to get up early with my family and head to Glendalough.  I cannot wait to walk by the lakes and explore the ancient ruins of the monastic site. But especially I cannot wait to be amongst the trees.  And briefly – it is almost winter after all – I take off my shoes and socks and root myself in the ground.
I’m aware that the trees around me and sense myself at one with the elements.  It’s a deeply nourishing and healing experience for me and I feel my whole being lean into the peace, protection and comfort of it. Leaving this place after my forest bathing experience I feel energised, clear headed and yes, somehow protected.  Mother Nature’s got me.  I am safe.


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So, today’s restful practice is to be in nature however that may call to you.  

For some it’s to the seashore, the mountains, the woods or parklands.  It may be a beautiful garden or even browsing the stalls at a farmer’s market holding fresh produce in your hands and sniffing the earthy goodness.

Breathe fresh air into your lungs and disconnect from all devices, from anything that’s happening in your home, in your relationships, work issues etc.  If it’s safe to do it, why not slip off your shoes and socks and plant your bare feet in the earth, on the grass, in the undergrowth, your garden, a field or wherever you can manage it.  

Allow the earth absorb all that you wish to release and Mother Nature will bless you with her goodness.
 
_________________________________________
 
Restful thought for the day.....
 
We are all cells of Gaia and she nourishes us when we connect with her energy. Her earth angels are with you to help you ground yourself and feel connected again.  You are an important part of her and of her work.  Exciting experiences will unfold when your energy and your body is in harmony with hers.


________________________________________
 
Trina X

​November Bliss Day 4

 A TIME TO SIP AND SIGH 
​
Affirmation:
 
My mind and my body are healthy and vibrant. 
Energy flows to and through me freely. I am nourished and hydrated in perfect balance.
 
 
Down through the ages it was believed that chocolate was a gift from the Gods.  Named for the goddess of fertility and compassion Ixcacao, it is a word that has never been translated into other languages and all over the world a request for chocolate will be understood.
 
Aztec women were not permitted to drink chocolate as it was believed it would give them special powers.  It was feared it would cause them to be overly uninhibited - indeed! 
 
But today there's great news for lovers of chocolate and there’s a new understanding in functional medicine of the benefits of consuming good quality organic cacao. 
 
Dr. Mark Hyman author of 'Young Forever – the secret to living your longest, healthiest life' was asked what were the key benefits of getting more cacao into our diet.
 
Dr. Mark Hyman: "High-quality, pure cocoa extract or powder is a rockstar ingredient to include in your diet, and it’s also an enjoyable one for most people. It’s packed with cocoa flavanols that can increase the body’s natural pool of nitric oxide, a supermolecule that boosts vascular health by supporting optimal blood flow especially benefiting the heart and brain. Overall, they can be a tool in improving cardiovascular health and improving cognitive performance." 
 
I listened to him recently when he was a guest on Mel Robbins' podcast and was delighted when I heard him suggesting that making a cup of hot chocolate with good quality organic cacao powder using almond milk, makes a healthy and delicious pick-me-up drink. Perfectly blissful for this month of tenderness I'd say.
 
Do check with your nutritionist or doctor if you have any health concerns before adding something new to your diet.
 
__________________________
 
Today’s bliss topic concentrates on all that can be sipped.
 
Start your day with a detoxifying glass of warm water (120mls) and freshly squeezed juice of half a lemon.
 
Mid morning try refreshing green or herbal tea.
 
Drink 8 large glasses of filtered water  - or try one small glass every hour.  Kefir (a great way to boost intake of probiotics) or coconut water is widely available now – it’s expensive but has long lasting hydration effect and balances electrolytes and other vital minerals.
 
Go online and check out recipes for some green juices and super boosting smoothies to deliver extra radiance and energy.
 
And at night before bed have a cup of soothing camomile tea. I love the Night Time Berry Tea by Pukka.
 
Picture
Some of my favourite herbal teas and organic Cacao powder from True Foods, Cork.
 Here’s a recipe for Radical Beauty Liver Tonic from Kimberley Snyder you m might enjoy.
 
2.5cm piece fresh ginger finely sliced
Filtered water (enough to fill a tea mug)
Juice of half a lemon
2 teaspoons raw honey
¼ teaspoon of turmeric
Pinch of cayenne pepper
Pinch of black pepper
 
This is a cleansing and anti-inflammatory drink you can make at any time to help nourish and give you liver a boost.  It’s taken from the book Radical Beauty by Deepak Chopra and Kimberley Snyder.
 
  • Place the ginger in the mug.
  • Heat the water in a small pot and pour over the ginger slices.
  • Allow to steep for three minutes.
  • Add the remaining ingredients and mix.
 
Please remember that if you have any health concerns do check with your nutritionist or doctor.
 
_________________________
 
Restful thought for the day…..
 
 
This is a time of opportunity for the change you wish to see in your life.  You may feel vulnerable as you embark on doing things differently but you’re not alone.  Make connections with what supports your intentions at this time.  Distance yourself from energies that are standing in your way and notice what feels soothing, kinder and more sensitive to your needs, then merge with that. 
 
___________________________
 
Trina X

​November Bliss Day 5

 ADORE YOUR HANDS 
Affirmation:
 
I choose to create a life that is joyous and abundant. 
My future is in my hands and I make choice and decisions
that are aligned with my highest good.
 
 
Many of us don’t realise how healing our hands can be. We have an impulse to hold the hand of someone in pain or the instinct to rub the shoulder of someone in need of comfort, reassurance or praise.
 
Knowing when somebody is in need of touch is an extremely valuable act of kindness and knowing that our hands possess such vital powers makes us take another look at not only how we use them for healing and compassion but how we actually appreciate and care for them.
 
It’s time to turn to the appreciation of our hands.  Notice how you use them, how expressive they are and how they rest. Do you adorn them with rings and bracelets, paint your nails in your own style and rub hand cream in each day? Or like me massage them once in a while when you think of it. 


Today’s tender task is to give our hands a good manicure and finish with a nail polish in your own favourite colour.  Perhaps it’s good opportunity to shine up your jewellery if it’s safe to do yourself also.


The lovely thing is that you’ll see instant results and your hands will thank you by taking even greater care of you.  You may be someone who has a regular manicure and polish at the salon but today it’s about self appreciation and making a deep and compassionate connection with your own hands. 
You may need:
  • Varnish remover
  • Cuticle remover and orange sticks
  • File
  • Nail scissors
  • Hand scrub*
  • Warm water
  • Intensive hand cream
  • Nail varnish
  • Base and top coat
  • Cuticle oil (you can use olive or almond oil either)
  • A warm towel
 
*Mix your own scrub by combining 1tbls of brown sugar, one tbls of olive or almond oil and the juice of half a lemon.
 
  • Spend time massaging scrub into your hands before rinsing with warm water.  Pay attention to each finger, tissue, sinew, bones and wrist, appreciating their work.
  • Rub in some intensive hand cream.
  • Wrap hands in a warm towel (pop towel in the dryer for five mins in advance).
  • Use special treatment nail polish for damaged nails. Some may need to be applied each day for up to seven days.
  • Soften cuticles with cuticle oil or almond / olive oil then carefully push back with orange stick and remove excess skin with clean nail scissors
  • File and polish your nails
 
You may like to....
Create a bedside kit of cuticle oil and hand cream to rub into your hands as you are about to go to sleep each night.  Use a pair of cotton gloves to wear all night once a week for a more intensive moisturising.
 
 
___________________________
 
Restful thought of the day…..
 
Making a decision means setting an intention to follow through.  And declaring our intent, forces us to see the outcome and allows a vision of what we plan to achieve, bringing it into our reality.  Close your eyes and point your forefinger ahead of you as though it were a wand and you a queen.  Now declare your intention and end with the statement …….this I decree! Feel the power flow from you through that finger?  Now multiply that by ten!
 
____________________________

Trina X


*In all of these exercises and practices please use your own judgement and only do what is safe for you.   Check with a professional if you are unsure.

November Bliss Day 6

 YOU ARE BEAUTIFUL 
 
Affirmation (as you look into mirror)

‘I love every cell in this face and body.  Every cell in this face and body is filled with pure love and this love keeps this face and body strong, healthy, ageless and beautiful.’ 
 
– by Francesca Brown author My Whispering Angels.
 
 
Imagine how restful it feels to look into a mirror and love your face.  To smile at the sight of it and look with love deep into your eyes.
 
We are all beautiful.  Born into our earthly skin suit in perfect perfection, the cells of our body renewing themselves at regular intervals and each cell receptive to the positive or negative nutrient of the thought feed we pour into them. 
 
Believe it or not our feelings about our appearance directly affect how we look. Take French women for example.  They believe in their natural beauty and sensuality regardless of the societal perception of what constitutes a beautiful face therefore (generally) they carry that assurance and confidence about them. 
 
My guest November Bliss expert today is Elaine Dowling founder of MyFaceFitYoga.com and she tells us that beauty is more about expression and vitality than it is about perfect symmetry. Link to this 30 minute conversation below.
 
Today’s restful practice.... 
is to look into the mirror and to smile deeply into your eyes resisting any lower vibrational feelings of criticism.  After a few moments of compassionate and tender connection with the woman within those eyes say the words ‘I love you – you are beautiful.’  Do this each morning for the rest of the month – or for the rest of your life! 
 
In 30 days you'll see a huge difference and have people guessing if you've had some ‘work’ done.
 
You can watch my 23 minute 'bliss expert' conversation with Elaine Dowling here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AifQnwR2Wjg  and in it Elaine includes the full version of today’s affirmation which she received from her sister, author of My Whispering Angels, Francesca Brown.
 
_______________________________
 
Restful thought for the day…..
 
Choose beauty.  Choose it in the way you use your words, in your language and in the way you express yourself.  This allows all the beauty that's within you to rise. 

- Elaine Dowling founder MyFaceFitYoga.com
 
_______________________________


Trina X


November Bliss Day 7

 PICK YOUR TEAM 

Affirmation:

‘I am surrounded by what is good for me, good to me and good for my soul.’
 
 
Remember when you were at school and in line in the sports hall waiting to be picked for the basketball or hockey team?  Perhaps you were the captain. The captains had all the power to choose from the line up and they naturally chose the players that would help their team achieve a win.
 
Today's the day you get to be the captain and you can select anyone at all to be on your team.
 
We are surrounded on all sides by team contenders.  We have work colleagues, family members, perhaps a circle of close friends and acquaintances, companions with whom we share hobbies, book or other interest clubs.  


Who are the ones who make you feel good, the ones who get you, support you and make you feel glad to be in their company?


Now look at what kind of influences you allow through your screens;  the Facebook and Instagram pages you follow, podcasts and YouTube channels you subscribe to, the types of tv you watch, the emails and newsletters you receive regularly.  


Do these influences expand your world, enrich your life and make you excited about learning more? 

Studies show that people who feel valued, supported and inspired by their groups live on average six years longer than those who don't - even if that person has other self defeating habits such as smoking or lack of exercise. 
 
Let’s look at your 'Team of Me'

Who alive or in spirit do you turn to for inspiration and guidance?  Whose life or achievements align with your own values and aspirations?  The creatives, political or business leaders, humanitarians, volunteers, explorers and scientists, carers and health professionals, philosophers, inventors, spiritual leaders, saints, ascended masters, teachers of all disciplines?

Imagine your life as a huge design project or business enterprise. What team would you select to be on your board to help you achieve your goals and desires?

This restful exercise today is to pick your team that helps you feel like a winner.  The team that will high five you, that you can trust to help you flourish and thrive and reach your full, glorious potential.
 
_____________________________

 
Restful thought for the day...

The perfect time to begin something new or to let go of something/someone that no longer aligns with you highest good, is now. As soon as you acknowledge the truth of a situation, a path opens up and 'coincidences' and synchronistic encounters are placed before you. Accept these as proof that you are never alone and guidance is always available.  You just have to ask.

_____________________________


Trina X