Life Of Travel And Yoga With Molly-Catherine
Yogi, blogger, and inspiration on Instagram - Molly Catherine Partridge lives a life full of travel and yoga. She quit her 9 to 5 to create this life for herself and she (obviously) couldn't have it any other way. Aside from her travels and being a yogi, her passions lie in healthy living and practicing kindness towards all beings.
The last few years of her life have been full of self-discovery and self-education, and because of that, she created her blog Molly-Catherine to share her journey. She sits down with us and delves into reflections from her life of travel, shares personal experiences and gives some advice on being healthier.
Briefly, who are you and what do you do?
I’m Molly Catherine Partridge, a Travel and Lifestyle Blogger from beautiful Vancouver, Canada. I am vegan and believe that all life is equal, that we all have a purpose on Planet Earth and no species is superior. I’m also an avid yogi, with a focus on vinyasa flow (but I also incorporate a variety of bodyweight exercises and cardio into my training regime).
What came first in your life - travel or yoga? What’s the story behind that? How did those two lifestyles collide?
In all honesty, they both came into my life around the same time, about three years ago. I moved to Vancouver from the Toronto area and got into yoga almost right away. I think I found myself once I started practicing. Yoga does this thing to you whereby it brings you mental clarity, focus and inner peace. Those three things can be very powerful, especially when combined with a thirst for adventure, a supportive partner, and a desire to be the best version of myself that I possibly can.
“I also find traveling brings you such a strong appreciation for your own home. Truly, one of the best parts of traveling for me is coming home.”
How have you made a life full of travel possible? Many dream of traveling but wonder how to make that happen. It seems like that’s all you do!
I think everything in life comes down to intention and priority. When you decide to make something your number one priority, then you will find a way to make it happen, period. Let’s just say, while my family and friends are having babies and buying houses, I’m traveling the globe and exploring my own inner world. It’s all about realizing what will make YOU the happiest, and then finding a way to make that possible. Don’t ever limit yourself- if you want to leave the 9-5 life then start researching ways to make money online (there are thousands: blogging, Instagram, Youtube, app development, freelance work, etc.) so you can free yourself and have the ability to travel and explore.
Have you experienced any sort of awakening through your travels? If so, what was it? How has your perspective changed?
The biggest awakening I’ve experienced through my travels is simply just realizing how huge the world really is. The quote, “The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page,” by Saint Augustine really has so much truth to it. I always say to people that there is a big, huge, beautiful world out there waiting be explored. We’re not meant to stay in one place. We're meant to grow and learn and push ourselves. I also find traveling brings you such a strong appreciation for your own home. Truly, one of the best parts of traveling for me is coming home. Coming home to my beautiful province of Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada! I’m very grateful to live in this amazing country.
How do you personally define healthy living?
Healthy living to me is the combination of three things: eating right (plant-based in my opinion), exercising frequently, and taking care of yourself mentally. If you focus on only two-thirds of these things, then you’re robbing yourself of the ability to feel even better, stronger and more vitalized. It’s these three things working together in harmony that I believe truly defines a healthy and happy lifestyle.
“I think mindfulness comes once you learn to slow down. So many of us are constantly on the go and never take a moment to just be still and reflect.”
What advice could you give to somebody who is looking to lead a healthier lifestyle? For example: steps to take or mentality to adopt…
Eliminate animal products from your diet (you’ll notice an increase in energy levels immediately).
Start exercising (it doesn’t have to be for an hour straight, but let’s be real, you need to move that body).
Listen to audiobooks (I recommend listening to Wayne Dyer, Tony Robbins, Gary Vaynerchuk).
Let’s talk about being vegan! What inspired to you take on veganism? Or have you always been?
I’ve been vegan for a year and a half now, and it’s the best decision I ever made. I now feel more connected to the entire universe, myself and all of the beautiful creatures that co-habit this planet with us. Not to mention, I have more energy AND I am not contributing to the destruction of our planet. What inspired me to go vegan in the first place was hearing about a story of healing by way of plant-based living.
How can one achieve mindfulness? And why is that important?
I think mindfulness comes once you learn to slow down. So many of us are constantly on the go and never take a moment to just be still and reflect. Mindfulness and self-awareness are only possible when you take time to care for your inner world. Alone time, in my opinion, is so necessary and my biggest realizations and moments of clarity come during stillness and calmness. Even ten minutes a day of meditation can transform your inner world.
“It wasn’t until after college and into my early twenties that I realized being different and being yourself is truly what will set you free, and enable you to flourish, thrive, and soar.”
What is your take on spirituality? I’m huge on trusting the universe, my intuition, vibrating higher and being conscious of my energy and that of others.
I think spirituality is a very personal, and even private experience. I try not to get into too much detail about my own beliefs, but I will say that I do strongly feel that what you focus on you manifest. I believe that we all radiate on different frequencies, and that we alone, have the power to decide which frequency that is. I also believe that 'God' is within us, within each of us. And lastly, I believe that love is the strongest force in the universe; the more you love the more you will receive. The writings of Wayne Dyer and Lao Tzu have been very impactful and influential along my spiritual journey.
What does taking care of and respecting your body look like to you?
Respecting my body to me means exercising consistently and eating vegan and organic. It, also, means taking care of myself mentally - as stress can have serious physical effects on our bodies. It’s the combination of these three things that will ultimately determine your energy levels and vitality.
Have you ever personally dealt with self-consciousness/doubt or body image issues? Or anything of that sort? If so, what was it and how did you overcome it? I feel like yoga helps a lot when it comes to bopo (body positivity) and self-love.
I think we all go through stages of life where we struggle with self-consciousness. For me, it was in my younger adolescent years that I struggled with this a bit, and I think that’s because we are socially conditioned to believe we need to be and act in a certain way. It wasn’t until after college and into my early twenties that I realized being different and being yourself is truly what will set you free, and enable you to flourish, thrive, and soar.
“Whatever situations happen, whatever obstacles present themselves, I see them as opportunities… opportunities to grow and to become better.”
You mentioned in a post on your blog that it took you 26 years to believe you are capable to achieve great things… what’s the story behind that?
As mentioned above, I think that we are so socially conditioned throughout our lifetimes that sometimes it’s hard to break through those barriers and limiting beliefs we’ve built up over all those years (which many times live in our subconscious minds, and so we don’t even realize it). Throughout my teen years and early adolescence, I had always been successful working for others, for big corporations, and answering to my superiors. I think for a long time I was a ‘yes man’ just doing what I had to do to make an income and pay my bills. It wasn’t until I moved away from home and started immersing myself in personal development books that my mindset really started to change (Tony Robbins’ The Ultimate Edge audio program is what kicked everything off for me). But even still, it took reading many books over a span of a couple of years, and lots of soul searching (tons of yoga and meditation) until I truly believed in myself and now know what I’m capable of. Today, I simply just trust 100% in myself and in my journey. Whatever situations happen, whatever obstacles present themselves, I see them as opportunities… opportunities to grow and to become better.
What are the top three lessons you have learned in your life so far (that perhaps you’d like to remind yourself of always)?
To always live from a place of love
To believe and know without a shadow of a doubt that you are capable of amazing things
To respect others’ life decisions, judge less, and celebrate our differences
