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While we’re still in January, and I still continue to work on my intentions for the year 2022, I remembered a wish I had last year: to balance my feminine energy. Although the renewal of my vows from my Solo Wedding in Santorini had already brought me a lot, I was looking to find out more. And precisely during a very specific course on this topic, I had the opportunity to discover the incredible story of Mary Magdalene. And after telling you about Paris, where I'm having an incredible stay (follow me on Instagram), I'm taking you to the South of France, to discover the Sainte-Baume cave. Mary Magdalene also called Mary of Magdala or the Madeleine is an important character of Christianity, she’s also the most present woman in the New Testament. Disciple of Jesus, she’s the witness of the Passion of Christ and attends his resurrection. In charge of informing the apostles, she became the Apostle of the apostles. Theories diverge as to whether Mary Magdalene was also Mary of Bethany - the one who poured perfume on Jesus - but also the sinful woman - delivered from 7 demons and converted by Christ. According to legend, during the persecutions against Christians after the Ascension, she’d have left Galilee (Palestine then) with other disciples, to land at Saintes-Maries de la Mer, in the south of France. She settled in Marseille for a while, and evangelised the region then, following the divine call, she walked to the cave of Sainte-Baume to live the last 30 years of her life.  And just like her, to be able to access the cave, you have to cross the forest of Sainte-Baume. Called relic forest because it has remained identical to that present at the end of the Tertiary, it has never been touched by man. In addition, it’s home to very different plant species from what is usually found in Provence: oaks, beeches, Aleppo pines, yew, holly, maple, lime, mountain ash, fir trees, cedars... But also, incredible flowers: orchids, narcissus of the poets, violet, broom, Martagon lily, ferns... A set of 138ha at an average altitude of 2,460ft (750m) rich in very varied fauna and flora. Crossing it while it wears its fall colours is a delight, and being able to reconnect with Mother Nature in such a setting is a great opportunity. Of course, I couldn't resist hugging a tree! On the side of the cliff, the sanctuary appears to us in the middle of the foliage... Since the 2000s, 8 Dominican friars live there and welcome the 500,000 annual visitors. But since the 5th century, monks have been guardians of this place, Kings, Queens and Popes coming to worship and pray. Although looted during the Wars of Religion and destroyed during the French Revolution, the sanctuary was rebuilt in the 19th century and expanded. Today it’s also a place of pilgrimage for parents who have lost a child. The view is breathtaking, no wonder why Mary Magdalene found this place perfect for prayer and devotion. With some emotion, I enter this natural cave which has been dug by erosion. Much larger than I expected, it extends over 2 levels, the lower level being devoted to the prayer of deceased children. A platform behind the altar contains the relics of Mary Magdalene. You feel protected by this rock but in no way confined thanks to the serenity of the place. And to finish this journey, we climbed to an altitude of 3,600ft (1,100m) to enjoy the incredible view at the top of this 12km long rocky bar, which appeared during the secondary era. I thank my friend Magali and her aunt for accompanying me on this pilgrimage. It’ll remain an unforgettable memory. No article next week, I planned lots of visits in Paris to satisfy your curiosity and mine. Have a brilliant week! Love & Joy, L. 
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As I mentioned in my last article Happy New Year 2022, I’m back in Paris for several weeks, which will give me the opportunity to show you even more of this magnificent capital, and this time in winter. So, get your coat and your boots, and follow me!  Obviously the first place I went to, my favourite park in the capital: the Luxembourg Gardens. The seagulls have invaded the flowerbeds (without flowers) and it’s very surprising and exotic to hear them in the middle of the city. The bare trees make the atmosphere very mysterious and bring out the many statues in the park even more, which almost seem to be alive! But the Tuileries gardens near the Louvre Museum are also very pleasant. What I love about this time of year is that it’s even more peaceful and the perfect place to sunbathe when the sun is out. The French capital has no less than 200 religious buildings, so visiting them can be a wonderful way to walk around the city. And I’ve just discovered the Saint-Augustin Church this week that I didn’t know. In a very different, but equally solemn style, the Parisian cemeteries have many famous people buried and searching for their graves is fascinating. So, I added that to my list, and I’ve already visited part of the Montparnasse cemetery. I haven't had time to go to the museum or see an exhibition yet, I've given priority to reunions with friends and good meals! However, you can imagine that I already have several visits in mind…  Check out my previous posts: No article next week, lots of plans but follow me on Instagram to find out what I'm doing during my stay. Next Article: January 29, 2022 Have a great week everyone! Love & Joy, L.  I hope you had a good holiday season, despite the pandemic situation, some of you told me that you had to change your plan or even worse to be isolated. For my part, I was in bed on December 24 and part of the 25th, following the 3rd dose of the vaccine. However, I made up for it afterwards and made the most of my family and friends. In my last article of the year Merry Christmas, I mentioned my childhood dreams, including the fact that in 2022 I wanted to restart ballroom dancing. So, for this first post of the year, I've decided to tell you more about my intentions and wishes, and maybe you'll feel inspired!  For those unfamiliar with vision boards, this is a blank canvas or large piece of paper on which you add pictures of things you’d like to have or accomplish. In short, you put your dreams and aspirations on it. And you look at it every day. For my part and since I travel a lot, I have a digital version on my tablet. It has been shown that this exercise not only allows us to manifest our desires but above all to do it more quickly. This is called the "Law of Attraction". For those who are sceptical or are not interested in the laws of the universe, this visualisation tool is nonetheless effective, you can imagine that seeing every day, several hours a day the photo of a dog makes you want to have one! And precisely, while I’ve just updated my vision board, next to a professional dancer, I added a photo of a beach because for those who follow me for a long time, you know how much I love the sea. No wonder then that in 2022, I want to return to new shores, exotic if possible ... While waiting to be there, here’s a photo I took last week, in my native region, at the beautiful Lac du Bourget. I'm getting closer to my goal ...  Photo Credit: Aix-les-Bains - Dec 2021 I Laëtitia Nguyen My friend Mari Curteanu, Wellbeing Coach and Founder of Bodysome, in one of her precious Instagram posts, made us wonder what we wanted to keep from 2021. I loved taking a moment to think about it, because too often we follow habits without really congratulating ourselves or questioning their interest. What I’ll pursue in 2022:
 My other friend Fadela Hilali, Life Coach - whom I already told you about in my article Christmas Gifts - recommends focusing on the emotions you want to feel in 2022, rather than talking about resolutions. A fantastic advice that I've immediately adopted! And this gives, among other things:
I find it to be a great exercise and instead of focusing on the outside elements that very often don't depend on us, we set an inner goal. "A flower blossoms for its own joy." - Oscar Wilde  Photo Credit: Paris - Sept 2021 I Laëtitia Nguyen So here is my recipe for 2022’s intentions, a good quantity of gratitude and perseverance, added to positive and well-balanced emotions, all sprinkled with visualisation! And voila! A first manifestation that arrives very quickly, whereas I wished many people to travel in 2022, well last-minute trip, I’ll be in Paris tomorrow to take care of my godchildren 😊 In the meantime, check my previous articles & videos: Once again, I wish you all a very happy new year 2022! May it be rich in love, health, adventure and miracles! Love & Joy, L.  |
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