I believe these are the ingredients of a βsuccessful lifeβ
To live a life that is authentically you
Connection & awareness to the radiant joy & energy that is always accessible within
Awareness of and belief in our deep personal strength & unique gifts
Presence & remembering we all just want to be loved and we all need connection
Generously sharing of our gifts and knowledge for the betterment of others; & ultimately,
Surrendering the outcomes & expectations of our efforts and the future
Iβm choosing to lead a wildly beautiful life.
A life that courageously pursues my heartβs whisperingsβ¦ not one designed by anyone else.
How about you?
Hi! Iβm Ann Marie - thanks for stopping by.
If youβve stumbled on this siteβ¦ you may have seen me writing about astrology, human design and gene keys over at my SubStack account - Thriving Through Connection, or perhaps youβve been been inspired by my artβ¦ attended a coaching program, retreat or workshop or speaking engagement and wanted to learn more about me. Welcome!
There is a lot I could say about my life and past experiences (Iβll leave that mostly to my musings). The general jist is, I was a creative childβ¦ voted βmost artisticβ of my highschool senior class and I initially followed my heart & studied Fine Art at University.
But when I came to my graduation, even though my heart encouraged me to paint and draw - I told myself it was time to ''get seriousβ and βget a real jobβ. And so I set my paint brushes, pencils and contΓ© aside and started planning to βbe a grown upβ.
I searched for how I was going to bring my love for creating into a βreal jobβ, initially undertaking a post grad program in advertising arts for a year. Though I could do it, I knew I wasnβt passionate for it, so I set my sights on the creative side of the business world, and ended up in marketing and entrepreneurial pursuits.
Over the yearβs my paint brushes and pencils lay pretty dormant...
Instead, Iβve βcreatedβ by starting businesses and leading different ventures. I developed a franchisable fast food concept new to Australia; Iβve built some 40+ websites for myself and marketing clients, volunteered & headed a board of a not-for-profit, developed apps and an online SAAS platform, in addition to creating an international movement in yoga therapy.
My last venture was to develop a boxed wine concept putting βfine wineβ into a more sustainable & healthier package. Amongst this all, Iβve navigated through living in a different country, managed through the worldβs longest lockdown in Melbourne, Australia (265 days!) and today I juggle the needs of 4 children (2 biological and 2 step) and two furbabies.
As much as Iβve been rewarded for different aspects of my journey, and certainly had some fun and some successes along the way, underneath it all - has been an underlying hint of confusion and disappointment. A bit like something in my life is missingβ¦ or not quite right.
I closed down my global therapeutic yoga platform and apps in β22 to create more space to let the answers within come to life. Despite throwing in a wedding and another business venture, Iβve also re-committed to my meditation practice and intentionally created a more space to contemplate and allow the whispers of my heart to grow louder.
And finallyβ¦ Iβve embraced what Iβve known for so longβ¦
Iβm here to create and share my artβ¦ and to write and share the wisdom Iβve learned about breaking free from conditioning and reconnecting to the unique path our heart calls us to.
And so here I am. Leaning in to the discomfort of putting myself out there, embracing my story and becoming vulnerable.
While I (of course!) hope my story will inspire others and help give them the courage to create lives more strongly connected to their own heartβs inner wisdom, I am surrendering to the outcome.
I will paint & write from my heartβ¦
I will be vulnerable - and courageous - and share my story in hopes that in time, I will have left a ripple that inspires a few others to intrepidly pursue their own heartβs whisperings; to break free from the conditioning that holds so many of us back from creating our most authentic life.
On this site, youβll find my musingsβ¦ my artβ¦ opportunities to connect through an astrology or blueprint reading & (and if youβre called to, other ways to work with me).
βMake a list of the things that make you happyβ¦ then make a list of the things you do every day.
Compare the lists and adjust accordingly.β
-Ann Marie Grace
Some of the many things that bring me joy that I like to fill my days with. How about you?
Sunrises... often better than sunsets. I work best when I get up for contemplative time at 5:30... it sets the tone for my day ahead - and my children and family thank me for it. (But I still love a sunset!)
Painting & drawing are my flow zone. I can lose hours and days deep in my creations.
Family - do I need to say more? These guys are my rock and inspiration. They have shaped me - my adventurous spirit - they've spurred me to make a difference in this world - and I love them all so very very much
Meditation and contemplation... and space. I need my own space - dogs are ok ;) - to reflect and connect with my inner knowing and my hearts callings. Here I'm at a local favourite in Bayside, Victoria.
Fall in love with your fate! I trained to be a professional astrologer after recognizing the profound wisdom imbued in our design. I LOVE sharing this ancient wisdom.
The start of a sunset - 'Golden Hour' - something about the magic of the light at that time of day - can never be quite captured
Freedom & adventure - travelling the world opens your eyes and connects you to the bigger picture of life... and Alpacas are my spirit animal
Spending time with my dogs... sunsets... time at the beach - every day should be filled with things that inspire you. Make time for that!
Yoga (particularly meditation) has been a transformative part of my journey. Learning about the breath was my 'ah ha' moment back in 2008... I love studying, teaching and sharing this and other wellness practices with others and have studied over 1000 hours across many disciplines in therapeutic yoga.
Know what inspires you... keep a journal handy to jot down notes (or use your phone) and capture images of things that light up your heart
The colours and textures of flora particularly speak to me... more often than not, they encourage me in patterns - thus why most of my art is expressionist rather than realist
Stop and take time to ground yourself. Every day. Take off your shoes!!!! Feet in the sand, feet on the earth.
Adventure - Sky diving, hang gliding, scuba diving or travelling the world. For me - life is for living... and I'm eeking all I can out of this one marvelous life!
Iβm an advocate for whole-hearted living, and I wear many hats - artist, wellbeing & transformation coach, retreat owner and mum. Iβve been recognised as a global yoga pioneer & βhealth heroβ (Prevention Magazine) and I founded the internationally recognised, Global Yoga Therapy Day.
Iβve been a creator and entrepreneur from my earliest days; always following my interests and passions in life - from moving to Australia and opening a Mexican restaurant, to being a marketing consultant, building therapeutic yoga apps, then putting fine wine into a boxβ¦
In late 2023, I came to a cross roads when I realised my heart was quietly urging me away from wine and back to both the wellbeing space; and also to coming back more formally to my painting & drawing - which I had studied at University.
Having listened, I now spend my days creating Heart-Full artwork & running Heart-Full Connection programs & events where I help woman reconnect to their heart & purpose and break free from self-limiting beliefs to live more authentic, radiant lives π