Blasts of Light

Dear Go Sweet and Skinny,

Thank you for all that you have been to me. You started out as an outlet for my passion for vegan baking in college, you grew when I moved into NYC and needed something to raise my spirits while working 5 jobs and barely paying rent. Baking, being in the kitchen, writing, they were my meditations, my spiritual practice before I even awoke to my spiritual life. You have been a friend that I could share my deepest revelations with as well as my favorite red velvet cupcake recipes. You will always hold a special place in my heart, I’ll never forget you, you’ll always be a very warm, loving piece of me. You brought so much joy into my life. You brought Anthony Bourdain and ABC into my life, you were there when I won a book deal with Hayhouse, when I got my heart broken and when I fell to my knees in the shower after receiving some life changing news, you’ve been a very dear friend through a lot of life with me.

I know that this is not an end, more of a new beginning. Switching to Cassandra Bodzak isn’t about putting you down. It wasn’t about all the mean comments or emails I received from people who found skinny offensive, I always knew that my heart was in the right place when I thought you up. Skinny was my twenty year old way of describing food that would fuel a healthy body, a cuter alternative in my head at the time to describe a recipe that was good for you and delicious. Nope, I never let that stuff really bother me. This transition is simply about being me more ME and coming into my own as a twenty-seven year old woman who is so much more than a blog now. It’s about standing in my power and baring it all. Showing all of me, all the gorgeously messy little bits and being authentic beyond what I have been comfortable with before. I’m ready to embrace this next chapter of my life as an author, a spiritual wellness mentor, a meditation leader and inspirational TV personality. This “blog” or website is about me being of service in the world, it always has been at it’s heart, regardless of what I may or may not call it. And right now, I know deep in my heart that I can be of my highest service by being myself, no bells and whistles, no cutesy names, just pure, raw, loving, light-making me.

I am eternally grateful for our time together Go Sweet and Skinny and beyond excited for what lies ahead with Cassandra Bodzak.

Sending you off with bright, loving light,

C

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For me, 2015 started off with a bang, as many of you have read about from my previous newsletter and through my instagram posts. One of the biggest lessons for me lately has been all about LETTING GO and letting life flow. Letting go in many different aspects of my life.

First, my new year’s eve bus adventure (that you guys heard all about in my email two weeks ago) had to let go and surrender to embracing the moment exactly where I was. Next, these past weeks I’ve been in Vegas at CES chatting about using wearable technology to SIMPLIFY your life so that you can actually be more present to those around you and the moment in front of you. An exciting topic for me and something you will definitely hear a little more about. However while in the middle of my travels, giving presentations and trying to facilitate the new website relaunch, I lost my voice, started feeling under the weather and hit a brick wall with my website! Technical issues prevented me from using CassandraBodzak.com and also having GoSweetandSkinny.com forward there in the transition. In the middle of all of this, my iPhone just decided to stop working and insurance refused to deliver a new one to my hotel. All first world problems, I know, but still they brought me to my knees and reminded me that all I could do was LET GO.

So that’s exactly what I did. Instead of pushing against the current, I went with the flow and surrendered. I accepted that the website wasn’t going to get done right now, I’d be phone-less for a few days and the most important thing I could do was rest, take care of myself and be exactly where I was. I was still able to see all my clients when I needed to and let all the important people in my life know what was up. I simply CHOSE AGAIN, I chose not to stress, not to push and not to go down into the rabbit hole of fear because “things weren’t going my way”. I upped my meditation practice to thirty minutes each morning and night, journaled and centered back into myself. Got myself into the first yoga class I could in San Fran and kept surrendering and staying present.

A big theme this week with my clients was also CHOOSING AGAIN, which also relates to letting go and allowing life to flow. When we see ourselves in a place of resistance, pushing uphill and heading into the fear zone, we ALWAYS have the power to choose again. Each moment is a beautiful new opportunity to let go, choose again and allow life to flow. So no matter, where you are, what circumstances have your head in a swirl, take a minute, take a deep breath and decide to choose again. Surrender, let go and follow what FEELS good, expansive and flowing. You can’t go wrong. For those of you who want to take your “letting go” to the next level beyond consistent surrendering and following the flow in each moment (which is a BIG part of the work), I also have this guided meditation using the mantra LET – GO to help you surrender deeper on an unconscious level. It’s a great addition to your evening practice and has helped a lot of my clients release anything they may be holding on to or resisting right before they fall asleep. Get it here.

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It was late, I’m not wearing any make up but I had just had a major revelation for 2014 and I new I had to share it with you. All year I  have been getting little signs about “flow”. It started with quotes on instagram, then in a trip to the ocean, soon I received a beautiful mala from TinyDevotions in my signature turquoise color, I even picked out a card from a big deck at my branding specialists office that spoke about flowing and releasing expectations but it wasn’t till tonight after forgetting all that and allowing myself to be in the hurt box after an unsatisfactory situation that it really clicked. It’s all about allowing love, light, abundance to FLOW. Check out the video to hear about my revelation and how to let your life flow so that you can create the best year ever in 2015.

Love my vlogs? Subscribe here to see them whenever you log in to YouTube. I post new videos every Wednesday and on times like today when the spirit moves me and I can’t help but share! 😉

It’s been a while since I’ve been SO obsessed with a specific session I was offering but New Years, new beginning and intention setting are my favorite of things! I love the power and renewal in redirecting your course, taking action and getting clear about what you want your life to look like. There’s a great quote in Alice in Wonderland where the Alice asks the Mad Hatter “Which way should  I go?” and he replies,” Well where would you like to end up?” and she doesn’t know. So he tell her that it doesn’t matter how she gets there! How many of us walk around our lives like that? We know we want SOMETHING, more money, more love, a nicer apartment, a trip to france, to lose five pounds, etc but we never take the time to really sit down and see what it looks like. We are so wrapped up in functioning we forget that we are born to FLY! This year, let’s start spreading your wings. Let’s set clear, focused, intentions from your heart. Feel how 2015 is going to feel for you, soak up all the joy, the energy, the excitement and then hold space for that every single day. Sound like a plan? Well check out my New Year Launch session details and let’s schedule a time to blast you off ASAP. XO, C

 

NEW YEAR INTENTION SETTING LAUNCH SESSION 

(one hour via Skype or on the phone)
What we’ll do:
  • I’ll help you release anything that’s not serving you currently with a special guided meditation that will clear your mind and help you finally let go of those habits, If there’s anything that you feel might still be lurking we can also discuss tools to further help you release.
  • I’ll clear your mind, center you in your heart and guide you through a visualization customized to your goals and situation.
  • We’ll discuss the actionable steps and how you can start working on them in way that increases effectiveness and excitement and eliminates overwhelm.
What you’ll leave with:
  • You’ll leave feeling excited to rocket launch into an amazing 2015, feeling clear, centered and more energized than ever to begin the year ahead and start having a life that lights you up
  • You’ll get a personalized recording of your visualization for your own personal use so that you can stay on track and use it to bring you back home and get you back on the path whenever you need it.
  • A summary of what we discussed, specifically: your 2015 vision highlights, the actionable steps we discussed you taking, and your heart centered goals for the year ahead.
All of this for only $144 because I absolutely LOVE setting intentions and can’t wait to help you set yourself up for the most luminous year yet! I have seen the incredible power of setting intentions for a clear, heart centered place where you can really feel tuned in to your deepest desires work wonders in my personal life. My book deal, cooking on ABC primetime and the blog that launched it all, all of it started as intentions I set and visions I held for my life. You can absolutely have the life you want and I would love to be a catalyst for you rising to that next level!

* You will be contacted with in 24 hours of payment to set up your appointment! 🙂

I’m the queen of making a fool out of myself, so when Lucy Activewear asked me to be in this #childspose video, I was more than game to get a little dirty for the sake of a laugh. #Childspose is there for us in yoga when we need to relax and regroup, aren’t there SO many times in your life where you wish you could just sink down into childs pose and recuperate on the spot!? I know it certainly happens to me, so it was a blast getting to record this video about it! Enjoy! Comment below and tell me your favorite moments that you wish you could of childsposed your way out of! 🙂

Thanks for checking out my three tools to beat holiday stress, in this video I’m going to show how I transform my stress and flip my intentions around the Holiday season to have the most blissed out experience possible with my friends and family. If you’re someone who let’s the holidays turn you into a stress ball, you may also want to check out my hour long Holiday Zen Intensive workshop – you can order it online at http://gosweetandskinny.com/online-workshops for only $12.95 and I promise it’s a game changer this holiday season.

Don’t forget to SUBSCRIBE for more FREE meditations, tools and tips to create a life that LIGHTS you up from the inside out.

Hey guys! This holiday season my gift to you is my FREE Beginner’s Guide to Bliss 45min audio with my top 10 tools to creating a blissed out life! Over the years on my journey, one thing that I’ve found to be of the most use to me was the incredible, inspiring audio lectures from my favorite mentors. I still delight in playing them over and over again as I clean the house, do the dishes, bake cookies, sit on the subway, you name it! They are perfect when I need a quick fix and mind re-alignment so I’ve been marinating for a while now on creating something special for all of you. I wanted you to have access to some powerful coaching and tips at your fingertips, so that you can keep yourself on your path and launch into a 2015 that’s going to blow your own damn mind! Click here to receive your Beginner’s Guide to Bliss audio and enjoy my 10 tools for creating a life that LIGHTS you up from the inside out right now! Why just function when you can fly? Give it a listen and get started today!

When Mind Body Green asks you to jot down what you eat in a typical day for a food diary post — well you don’t say no! It’s a question I get asked often because of course, you want to know what you wellness + meditation guide is chowing down on to keep herself so blissed out these days! I don’t blame you one bit. So I gave up all the goods, the good, the bad and the overly healthy to my lovely friends at Mind Body Green to put it out there for the world. Give it a glance, there’s lots of delicious food porn to feast your eyes upon and maybe you’ll be inspired to try eating like me for a week! Could be a deliciously, healthy, happy adventure! Click here or on the picture below to view the whole article.

MBGfooddiary2

Treat yourself to some deliciously decadent self care! This DIY Spa Night on MindBodyGreen is my go to ritual for when life gets crazy and I need a time out and some alone time. It’s perfect for when you don’t have more than a few hours in your schedule and don’t feel like spending big bucks on a day spa appointment. Put yourself first this holiday season so that you can show up as your best self for your loved ones and co workers! Enjoy a spa night this weekend and let me know what you’re favorite ways to unwind and treat yourself are in the comments below!

Have a blissed out holiday weekends my loves!

Cassandra

I’ve really started LOVING Thanksgiving because of it’s true meaning.

No, not a day to eat turkey..although that’s totally fine if you do..

A DAY TO GIVE THANKS.

For me, gratitude is an everyday practice but I really like to think of Thanksgiving as a whole gratitude holiday! It’s a great yearly reminder to check our level of gratefulness in our lives. So I spend even more time in the morning after my meditation, writing a list of everything I’m grateful for and really getting specific about it. Don’t just write that you’re thankful for your pet, write how you are thankful for Charlie (my dog) because he always knows just when I need him to nuzzle, because his presence always brightens my day and his body loves to warm my toes. Just an example, but when you take a few minutes and actually write it and get that detailed for every person and thing in your life, you’re truly going to reap the benefits of a gratitude practice. You’ll be happier, more present and attract even more abundance your way by being so grateful for what you have. What do you have to lose? Give it a try today and see if you can keep it up consistently for 40 days!

Why is gratitude such a game changer?

Because you have the power to change your life simply by changing the way you look at your life and THAT is the gift that gratitude keeps on giving. Want to get happy? Start by getting grateful. Want more abundance? Use gratitude to see the abundance that already exists in your life and you will not be able to stop yourself from attracting more. Ready for a romantic relationship? Start being truly grateful for ALL the relationships in your life. Ready to lose weight or feel better in your body? Start taking an inventory of all the things you are grateful for about your body. Nothing like having someone in the family whose lost an organ or is fighting a disease to be insanely present to the health and vitality of every cell of your being. When we are truly present in gratitude, we are thinking thoughts of love, we are raising our vibration and we are changing our lives! If you’re ready to start GETTING GRATEFUL- join me on my #40daysofgratitude challenge on social media, whether you’re on twitter, instagram or Facebook, tag me and hashtag #40DaysofGratitude and let’s all keep spreading the love, raising our vibrations and operating from a place of blissful gratitude! Ill be following along with your photos, cheering you on and reposting some of your inspiring words and pictures! 

A peak into my gratitude list this morning:

1. I’m grateful for my mom for being so supportive of GSS and always thinking of wonderful ideas for it. I’m grateful for her always being a phone call away and willing to listen to me chat about just about anything.

2. I’m grateful for my dad for showing me what unconditional love feels like, for making me feel my most beautiful with out any make up or fancy clothes from a really young age and for all his zen wisdom over the years. Grateful to have a dad I can tell absolutely anything to.

3. I’m grateful for my grandma for being a living example of grace in my life, for showing me the woman I want to grow up to be, for teaching me not to sweat the small things (and they’re all small things) and for sending me the most adorable snail mail every couple weeks to brighten my day.

4. I’m grateful for my brother who’s tolerance for pain, courage under pressure and absolute brilliance constantly make me want to be a better person. I’m grateful that I can tell him anything and he’ll always tell me his brutally honest opinion and we can also not talk at all and just enjoy some Aziz Ansari on Netflix together.

5. I’m grateful for terminator, my five year old goldfish, for keeping me company through so many apartments, boyfriends and breakdowns since I’ve moved into NYC. He puts a smile on my face everyday and reassures my parents that I can keep a living thing alive.

6. I’m grateful for all of you! I live in a constant state of gratitude for being able to do work that I love from every fiber of my soul. I’m grateful for your emails, your comments and the pictures you share with me. You brighten my life each and everyday and I am so grateful for your love and support.

7. I’m grateful for my clients, who always end up feeling like close girlfriends after our sessions. Their progress makes me soul smile and reassures me that I’m on the right path day in and day out. It’s a gift to be able to spend this sacred time with them while we create something really beautiful together. I’m blessed to help mentor them in making that magic.

8. I’m grateful for my own mentors, who whether near or far have changed my life for the better in a tremendous capacity. I’m grateful for meeting my spiritual mentor, Jennifer Kass, and the incredible connection we share, and for how much I have grown through our work together. I’m grateful for Gabby Bernstein, whose book first ended up in my hands when I needed it the most and started a conversation that would change my life. I’m grateful to Marianne Williamson for holding such tremendous space for the spiritual conversation before anyone else was talking about it in the main stream and for all of her iTunes lectures which fuel me with inspiration on  the regular!

9. I’m grateful for my friends who inspire me, challenge me, support me, make me want to go bigger, shine brighter and make me laugh till it hurts. You know who you are and I’m beyond grateful for your presence in my life.

10. I’m grateful for my health and my body. I’m grateful for my energy and vitality, for having beautiful healthy organs that are all working and disease free. I’m grateful for my heart that beats everyday, my breathe that inhabits me and my eyes that allow me to see. I’m grateful for this amazing vessel which my soul resides and in awe of the mechanics that go into me feeling my best and in being in the best of health. I’m grateful that it allows me to be who I am, hold the space for my purpose in the world and also allow me to bend like gumby in yoga and sweat it out dancing at daybreaker.

My list could go on for a while, so I will cut myself off there. Now it’s your turn! What are you grateful for today? Answer in the comments below and get started on your gratitude practice. I promise, if you stick with it, it’s a total game changer!

 

Happy Thanksgiving my loves! xo!

So I don’t normally write these kinda “diary” posts where I tell you guys all about my week but for those of you who are extra observant,  you may have noticed my posts across the board being much less than normal this week and I thought it might be interesting to see how you guys react to being clued in to what’s my real life is like! If you like this kinda thing and want to see more, comment below and let me know! If you’d rather just have me stick to meditations, tips and recipes, let me know that too. I won’t get offended, I just want to put out the kind of content you’re excited to read.

WHITE TANTRIC YOGA.

Last Saturday, I went to a very special workshop at a church on the UWS where I did kundalini yoga all day from 8am till about 6pm. Everyone wore white and we held some interesting postures and meditated our asses off! I’m a big kundalini devotee so when I heard that they were requiring this “white tantric” for the teaching training peeps, I was intrigued and when I heard that white tantric was rumored to have the same effect as a years worth of meditating for an hour each day. I was SOLD.

Sign. Me. Up.

What can I say, it was unlike anything I experienced  so far and I got some MAJOR clarity around things that I needed in my life. A lot of people had very emotional reactions, some battled big ego demons but for me I was in an ecstatically positive place. I had all these beautiful visions. My purpose and my priorities became undeniably clear. Things that were standing in my way and blocking my path became apparent. It was an overall amaze balls experience. But what happened in the workshop pales in comparison to the momentum that started in my life this week.

All of a sudden, more brands than ever wanted to partner with me for events and creating fun, video content, I got emails from all sorts of women wanting to start working with me (don’t worry! I still can squeeze maybe one or two more people in for private coaching starting this december? email my assistant (assistant@gosweetandskinny.com) ASAP if this needs to be you!) and what’s even more amazing is that I had UNLIMITED energy, like cracked out crazy balls of fire energy all week. I was up till 3am, electrified with new ideas and new content I want to share with you guys. I’m so excited!

Here’s some other factors that I’m sure contributed beyond white tantric as well, meditating like boss (per usual), not drinking alcohol OR consuming caffeine, minimizing sugar to fruit, and drinking some delicious juices on my mini cleanse from Ritual Wellness. I’m also in the process of a very exciting collaboration with a pretty big company that I can’t wait to tell you more about, but what I can tell you is that it involves totally making over my living space and it’s going to be crazy gorgeous when it’s done. So only end I’ve been going through old clothes, cleaning out anything and everything that I no longer use or need and donating, tossing, recycling, etc and it feels SO good! I literally feel my energy being restored more and more as I purge and purge the excess that’s no longer necessary.

Last but not least, it was a new moon on Saturday night which leaves us feeling like a new day is dawning in our lives, something beautiful is being created with in us and it’s the perfect time for stepping into your power, clearing up anything holding you back and (like my mantra necklace –) GO BIG, SHINE BRIGHT. You can find more delicious details about that here at mystic mamma. This is an amazing time to go deep and reflect, get really clear about where you’re headed and stay focused on it.

If you’re interested in an intention setting meditation session or just plain interested in getting started on your way to getting clear, focusing on your path, loving your life and uncovering your bliss, email me (cassandra@gosweetandskinny.com) today. Spots fill up fast and the option to work with me one on one will not be available forever!

1. Be the positive thought police.

Your thoughts are extra powerful today so make sure you are putting out the kinda stuff you want coming back at you.

2. Meditate.

It’s okay if it’s only for five minutes, find a peaceful place, put on a soothing song or just sit in silence and focus on your breath. If you’d like to try a guided meditation, here’s an easy one to get you going. Today we can feel even more connected to the love and support around us so take advantage and really tap into that feeling around you.

3.Visualize your BEST self on BEST day. 

Again, your thoughts today are even more POTENT than normal and they are always creating your reality so take the time today to bring awareness to what you’re thinking. A great way to put out the stuff you want to call in is to visualize your best self on your best day. If you need some guidance on that, you can also try this guided meditation of mine.

4. Hold a BIG intention for 11:11 am / 11:11 pm.

Wishes are coming true all day but keep an eye out for these special times! 🙂

5. Get to YOGA.

What better way to relax, get yourself in flow and leave behind any negative thoughts or stressors from the day. I’m definitely heading to kundalini tonight!

6. Make a vision board! (invite girlfriends and throw a party!)

This is an absolute blast. Grab some girlfriends (or do it alone!) and stack of magazines and cut out pictures and words of all the beautiful things you’re ready to have in your life. It’s a great way to get clear on what you want on this magical day but will serve as a great reminder for days to come.

7. Talk to your angels.

Hey, it’s angel day! (11/11 are angel numbers, in case you didn’t realize) So why not spend some time chatting with your guardian angels? Thank them for keep you on track or ask them for some help if you need it!

8. Write a gratitude list.

This is a great practice everyday but on a day where you really want to be sending out good vibrations into the universe, it’s even better. Let’s get grateful! Grab a pen and paper and write down everything in your life that you are thankful for! (Some excellent thanksgiving prep, I might add, hehe)

9. Send love to every person you see on the street!

I love doing this! It’s truly the key to a magical day. You don’t have to say anything just look at every person you pass on the street and envision sending a golden light of love from your heart to theirs. I can’t help but smile when I do this and even though people have no idea what I’m doing, I’m sure they feel the warmth. And couldn’t we all use more of that?

10. Ask for a divine sign.

My angels always show me their presence with feathers in my path or little birdies fluttering around me. You can always ask for divine sign if you need reassurance that you’re on the right path or you’re being guided. Don’t be afraid to ask for one and don’t forget to keep your eyes peeled after you do for what will show up!

11. Let yourself be guided.

I love doing this in a book store or walking around the city. Take a stroll and just allow your inner guidance system to take over, see where your heart leads you. Practice tuning in, letting go and allowing yourself to be guided.