Inner Harmony with Maud

06/01/2023

How about starting the year with a treat for yourself? Check this beautiful one-day workshop I have coming up!
Register now!
https://www.prhaustralia.com/new-year-new-start

17/11/2021

Would you like to improve your relationships with people around you?

Would you like to feel more fulfilled and free in your relationships?

Have you noticed you may be living repetitive patterns in your relationships?

Are you wondering why you tend to give too much to others and forget yourself?

Would you like to explore and start improving your relational life?

Then join our growth group "Building thriving relationships"! Over 6 monthly evening meetings, you will have a chance to grow in leaps and bounds in the way you live your relationships.

Click below for more details.
https://ad67ff67-e041-4b50-8faf-72cabee31601.filesusr.com/ugd/6b8c4b_3e810cac1b93457dbaebae6913cdab06.pdf

14/10/2021

Change is in the “Why?”

Have you ever been in a situation where you want to change one of your habits but just can’t?
You try and try; you tell yourself off; you bribe yourself with promised rewards etc. but nothing works long term… nothing makes you change for good.

This might be because you haven’t asked yourself:
“Why do I do this?”
“What I am trying to get in doing this?”
“What deep need am I trying to fulfil?”

We are not just “baddies” (as children would say) who have bad habits for the sake of it. We do things for a reason and most of the time it is to feel loved, to feel recognised, to be reassured etc. all very noble reasons. But something got crooked on the way, and we started to try and get our needs met in a way that may be destructive to ourselves, to our relationships, or disrespectful, not honouring our values etc.

But once you know your big WHY, then you can go about trying to fulfil your need another way than with your bad habit.
You will still need to remember to go through the process, but you will have an enticing alternative rather than having to force yourself.
Slowly you will change the habit and get there.

16/09/2021

In a time when we can feel at turns scared, upset, angry or sad, it is paramount to acknowledge our feelings and give ourselves compassion. Then we are in a better place to start looking a bit more in depth at what is happening in our feelings world.

Join the workshop Who am I? that I will be giving soon; it can help you deal more harmoniously with your emotions.

Who am I?
30 Oct-2 Nov 2021
9am-5pm
in person (restrictions allowing, otherwise online) in Mt Waverley, VIC, Australia

Cost: $575 per person and $465 concession.
Register by: 15th Oct 2021.

For more information visit: https://www.maudbr.com/who-am-i
or email Maud at maud@maudbr.com

09/09/2021

Grow in your ability to think positively and worry less with Who am I?, a life-changing workshop that I will be giving at the end of October.

Who am I?
30 Oct-2 Nov 2021
9am-5pm
in person (restrictions allowing, otherwise online) in Mt Waverley, VIC, Australia
Cost: $575 per person and $465 concession.
Register by: 15th Oct 2021.
Early Bird: register by Friday 3rd September and get $50 discount!
A deposit of $100 must be paid to register a place in this workshop.
Visit https://lnkd.in/g9g6SsfP
or email Maud at maud@maudbr.com

02/09/2021

Build up your self-esteem and self-confidence by joining me in the "Who am I?" workshop!

Who am I?
30 Oct-2 Nov 2021
9am-5pm

In person (restrictions allowing, otherwise online) in Mt Waverley, VIC, Australia

Cost: $575 per person and $465 concession.

Register by: 15th Oct 2021.
Early Bird: register by Friday 3rd September and get $50 discount!

A deposit of $100 must be paid to register a place in this workshop.

Visit https://www.maudbr.com/who-am-i

or email Maud at maud@maudbr.com

26/08/2021

There are so many ways you can grow through the workshop Who am I? ... Discover every week some of the benefits of this workshop.
Last week: progressing in how you see yourself.
This week: progressing in your relationships. Check it out...

Who am I?
30 Oct-2 Nov 2021
9am-5pm
in person (restrictions allowing, otherwise online) in Mt Waverley, VIC, Australia
Cost: $575 per person and $465 concession.
Register by: 15th Oct 2021.
Early Bird: register by Friday 3rd September and get $50 discount!
A deposit of $100 must be paid to register a place in this workshop.
Visit https://lnkd.in/g9g6SsfP
or email Maud at maud@maudbr.com

19/08/2021

05/08/2021

Living with our loved ones is not always easy. We may have contradictory needs, differing interests and personalities etc…

Yet, we love them dearly and would like to live harmoniously with them without loosing ourselves.

As we enter our 6th lockdown here in Melbourne, the importance of finding ways to live together well with our loved ones is more important than ever.
This is what “Living together” can help you achieve!

It is worth investing your time in this empowering 3 hours workshop where you will learn three tools to improve your daily relationships.

Find out more here: https://www.maudbr.com/living-together

13/07/2021

The journey of a working mother SLOWING DOWN her life pace

I have been interested in slowing down for the last 3-4 years. Today I have arrived to a point where I feel satisfied with my pace most of the time. I’ll share with you the steps of my journey, the benefits and what helped me.

The steps

1. Realising I want to slow down

As some of you may know I am a rather “speedy person”. Until I had children and started my own business it served me well; I was achieving a lot and liked the buzz of it all. But this all changed once the solo business and family chores and commitments piled up. I started to feel I was running all the time. Slowly I started to feel I wanted something else.

2. Reading an inspiring book

In 2018, I read “SLOW, live life simply” by Brooke Mc Alary. I took from it that slowing down is possible for everyone independently from our level of commitments and that one very important ingredient to succeeding is to be gentle and patient with ourselves. It also stood out for me that there is no “one slowing down method”, because the right pace is different for everyone.

3. Starting de-cluttering my life of what I didn’t really need or want to do.

I started to be mindful of how I felt during my activities and to check if it was really vitalising for me.

Then came the phase of deciding and letting go. Sometimes it was easy, sometimes it required courage, sometimes it even required for me to have a counselling session to see why I was hanging onto something. But slowly I let go of what wasn’t nurturing anymore.

For example, I decided I was going to post less on social media (once a month or so instead of once a week) for my business. A lot of marketing people would say I am crazy but the bottom line is that it is what works for me: to share when I have something to say, not because I have to.

Another example: As a mum, I decided to learn to plan less activities in the day and leave early so we don’t need to rush. AND not adding extra things at the last minute because we have a bit of extra time.

4. Prioritising what brings meaning to my life.

This is when it started to become really rewarding and bring deep joy to my life.

Having got rid of what wasn’t really vitalising for me, I could focus on what really matters for me. It required discerning first what does bring meaning to my life to then prioritise it.

This is also the step when I started to organise support and help around myself. This is not always easy because as mums we are used to do A LOT… but a good balance makes everyone feel belonging and contributing to the family therefore happy.

5. Changing my mindset.

Today, I try to bring consciousness to what I do.

For example, I can say that most of the time when I am with my children I focus only on them; I am not thinking of my to do list at work etc. This wasn’t the case before.

Changing my mindset also meant realising the demands I was putting on myself and deciding to let go of idealistic ideas.

The benefits

I felt some relaxation and release of energy from step 3 (de-cluttering), I felt some vitalisation from step 4 (focusing on what matters).

Today, I feel more present in my time with my loved ones. I feel less frustrated when I can’t do as much at work as I would like to.

Overall, I feel more in control of my life –even though I have actually let go of controlling a lot of things, funnily enough.

I also enjoy taking more my time (although there are still times when I catch myself rushing, ah ah!).



What helped me

1. Counselling/coaching

I have a regular accompanist with whom I work on my personal growth and I had sessions on various aspects of slowing down (things like: Why I can’t let go of an activity that is not so nurturing anymore?, Am I unconsciously liking being overwhelmed or too busy?, Am I unconsciously resisting loosing control?, Why is it difficult for me to ask for help?, etc.)

2. Listening to my feelings and body messages

Throughout this entire journey my inner world was my compass: my deep aspirations, my feelings, my body messages, because nobody can know for us what is or is not really vitalising for us.

Listening to my body was important. As a matter of fact, giving myself more sleep when I felt tired was one of the first shifts on my journey.

3. Doing workshops

The workshop “Less stress in my life is possible” helped me realise my mindset needed some change.

I also worked on a group program around resistances, which was very helpful.

Overall, doing workshops helped me prove to myself (my mind) that I was taking this subject seriously. I benefited tremendously from the content of the workshops and also from working with others, feeling I wasn’t alone facing difficulties on my journey.

4. Making decisions and acting upon them

As with any journey of change, intentions are not enough. I had been thinking of slowing down my pace for a while but it only happened once I decided I wanted to implement change. In total it took about 3 years from the time I decided to change and the final satisfying result (of course there’s still room for improvement). It came slowly throughout the journey and more satisfied I felt, the more motivated I was to continue.



One last word…

If you feel inspired by my journey but also overwhelmed and tell yourself you won’t do as well, be re-assured. There are days when it is not perfect for me neither, many of them. But what counts is the trend and it starts one step at a time.

Trust yourself, if you are reading this article, it means you are seriously interested in slowing down and on you own journey already.

But don’t hesitate to get support. I wouldn’t have got where I am now without those counselling sessions and workshops. Big change takes time and overcoming our resistances, which is why being patient, gentle and loving with ourselves is paramount.

I am offering “Less stress in my life is possible” (https://www.maudbr.com/less-stress-is-possible) on 25th July, and there are still a few spots left, why not join? It’s a great place to start!

Would you like to share some of your journey to slowing down too? We’d love to hear from you!

17/06/2021

Too busy to stop and breathe? This mini online workshop might be just for you!

Press on the “Stop” button and take a bit of time for yourself

· Discover you don’t have to be busy all the time

· Clarify how you can run around less and reduce stress
Make a plan and get motivated

LESS STRESS IN YOUR LIFE IS POSSIBLE !

Half-a-day online workshop

Learn how to start building a more relaxing life

For more details, visit https://www.maudbr.com/less-stress-is-possible

26/05/2021

26/05/2021

Kairos time: the secret to a happy life!

I recently discovered about Kairos time. It is an ancient Greek concept about how our time can be measured in terms of deeply fulfilling moments. In other words, when we live those moments when nothing is missing, we LIVE fully and nothing else matters, it’s like time stops.

Why can those kairos moments help us create a happy life and how?

Kairos moments can happen when we are in nature, with friends having a good laugh, having a loving hug with our children, sharing a moment of bliss with our partner, doing something that makes us feel meaningful etc.
What all these moments have in common is that we are fully ourselves, we are fully present in the moment and we are feeling fulfilled. Something deep in us is touched. We feel so alive!
So having kairos moments is a good recipe for a happy life.

Now let’s come to the how we can use these kairos moments to build a happy life?

First, by making sure there is space in your life for these kairos moments.
Secondly, by consciously savouring them.

It is so easy to overlook these life-giving moments. Think about walking through a park without looking at the beauty of nature, hugging our child while thinking of what’s for dinner…

It’s important to make space for those moments by prioritising them.

Sometimes, it is just a matter of making a few tweaks. For example, I have noticed that I have a tendency to chat a lot when I go for a walk with someone, which prevents me from deeply receiving the joy of being in nature, so I have started to go for a walk on my own from time to time, or I may suggest we walk in silence for 5 minutes (chatting is nice too;-).

What is your favourite kairos moment? I’d love to hear from you!

PS: If your life is too busy and you find it hard to prioritise your need for kairos moments, take a look at my upcoming workshop “Less stress in your life is possible!” as it could help you (https://www.maudbr.com/less-stress-is-possible).

12/05/2021

If you have read my last article, you will know that I am very interested in the concept of “slowing down”. I recently had a great opportunity to experience it; here is what I found out.

Due to Covid restrictions and a lingering cough I recently had to skip a family holiday in Queensland… Yes, forget the sun and white beaches; I (and my toddler daughter) stayed home in raining and cold Melbourne!

This may sound terrible, but don’t feel too sorry for me as it was a very nurturing experience. Of course, I did miss seeing my relatives from QLD and the holiday vibe, but I decided to still take a break, keep my daughter in her daycare routine and have plenty of “free me time”.

The agenda was:

- Not planning

- Taking my time as much as I want

- Doing only what I felt like doing

- Meditate every day

- Gazing at length at the sea, listening to nature in parks

- Seeing (online or face to face) a couple of friends

- And twice 3 hours of work for the whole week.



What came out was amazing:

- I was able to step back and get a lot of clarity about my relationships

- I was able to listen more in depth to my body and hear its wisdom

- I felt happy and peaceful all the time

- I felt rested (body and mind) like I hadn’t felt for a while

It’s now been a month and I have made some changes in the organisation of my life. Of course, I still have to juggle between children, work etc. but I am definitely on a slower pace and it makes me happy!

I wish you all to be able to find a time to truly do nothing and stop being on the treadmill. Remember, we always have the choice :-)



If you still find it hard to slow down, contact me, I can help you reconnect with your deep self and getting rid of what stops you.

I am also in the process of preparing my program for the rest of the year and there will be some offerings for you, so watch this space!

21/04/2021

My son’s messy room: an opportunity for me!

I often say that raising our children well is one of the most difficult things to succeed in life.

But raising our children well is not just a challenge; it is also a fabulous opportunity. An opportunity to grow.

It is an opportunity because the best parenting we can do is modeling. Modeling the adult that we hope our children will become. And of course, that’s not easy.

However with the motivation of doing the right thing for our children, it’s an opportunity for us to rise up our behaviour to our hopes.



An example of this presented in my own family recently. I have been reflecting on why my son consistently leaves his clothes on the floor in his room (and sometimes in other rooms too!)

I understand a child’s room is a playground and that’s ok to have busy “under-construction” Legos etc. on the floor. But I think clothes everywhere on the floor is not very hygienic and simply not practical.

There’s also something about finishing every action we do, so that when we undress, we go all the way to putting our clothes back to where they belong.



My son fully understands why it is a good thing to put his clothes away. But he repetitively doesn’t.

While reflecting together on it he came up with the explanation that often he is in a rush to go into the next activity, and so he just drops his clothes there, thinks he will tidy them up later, and moves onto the next thing.

I could feel this was a very realistic explanation, and it made me step back and look at myself!

Of course, I don’t leave my clothes on the floor in my room ;-) but I am definitely someone who is rushing through different activities throughout the day.

Now, you might say that’s like any busy working mum and it certainly has become worse since I have a baby at home as well, but it’s also something I’d like to improve.

Recently I was doing my 3 months planning for work and I wrote again and again “Slow down”, “Squeeze less things to do in your plan”, “Aim for less” etc.. so clearly it is a shortcoming that I am aware of and that I want to improve. And I just realised that it was impacting my son. I am pretty sure that if I was modeling a much more relaxed lifestyle, he probably wouldn’t rush so much from one thing to the next, not taking the time to put his clothes away.

So I have started to implement this “slowing down”. It is still under process but I can see it is working!

This is just a little example, but again and again I see it happening. When we see our children’s difficulties, let’s ask ourselves how we model in that area…

Is your child restless? Are you a calm person? Do you lead a calm life?

Is your child speaking to you badly? Are you always speaking well to them or to your partner?

Is your child lying? Do you never lie or do you sometimes do some white lies?

Etc…



My point here is not to blame you of course. We all do these things one day or another. But my point is to say that raising children is a fabulous opportunity to look at ourselves, be honest and truthful, see where our shortcomings are and see that as an opportunity to grow.

Isn’t it a wonderful motivation to try to do the best by our children?



I am not a parenting specialist but I can help you if you have some aspiration to change some of your behaviours and don’t know how, I can help you. Don’t hesitate to be in touch!

24/11/2020

Have you ever lived with an excellent marketing manager?

Too much FB, shopping, alcohol, s*x, cigarette, gossiping, gambling, junk food… We all have sometimes been a bit naughty; but when does it become serious and we enter into the destructive circle of addiction?

Today, I would like to draw your attention to the fact that it is so hard, when faced with addition, to be able to see the truth of our addiction versus fun naughtiness.
And this is because living with an addiction is living with a fantastic marketing manager in your head. Not only does this marketing manager convince you to have/do whatever you are addicted to, but it also convinces you that it is no problem to do so, that you are in control of the situation, that you have no problem whatsoever.
Your marketing manager will use all sorts of strategies, like asking “Do you think I may have a problem with …(your addiction)?” to people who haven’t really witnessed your habit, or who have the same addiction as you. Of course, you will get reassured by the negative response you will get.
Another common issue is to focus on the positive: “I only spent $100 today, it’s not like I spent $1000” or “I only had 4 drinks today” when you had promised yourself you wouldn’t have any.

So I’d like to invite you to observe yourself with kindness, non judgement and honesty: Do you live with an excellent marketing manager in your head? And do you find it hard to get away from your destructive behaviour?

Don’t hesitate to get support. You deserve it and some things just get dealt better with support.

05/11/2020

Do you love yourself actively?

• Do you prioritise your important needs?
• Do you give yourself enough rest?
• Do you observe all the beautiful things you do?
• Do you forgive yourself when you fail?
• Are you patient with yourself?
• Do you regularly tell yourself: “Gosh! You’re an amazing person! I love you so much!”

When we actively love ourselves, we develop a great self-esteem and self-confidence; we are happy!

And people around us benefit from it too.

If you think you could do with a bit more of active self-love, contact me, I can help you. maud@maudbr.com

26/10/2020

• When anxious about something, it feels good to see all the things that work well in our life and take time to feel gratitude for it.
• When angry about someone, it’s soothing to look at the positive relationships we have in our life and to feel a deep gratitude for it.
• When we are in financial hardship, it’s soothing to stop and see how generous nature is with us.
• When we are grieving someone dear to us, it’s soothing to see how loving people around us are.
• When it feels like all is going pear shape in our life, it’s soothing to see how life is unstoppable and still comes out after disasters. To stop and take the time to feel this life in us will make us feel instantly better.