Wellbeing notes: Like calls to like
01/03/2022 at 10:00 am | Posted in Inspiration, Uncategorized, Wellbeing | Leave a commentTags: be true to youself, nature, nature inspiration, nature's oracle, wellbeing
A male woodpecker lives in my garden. Every morning he goes to the wild cherry tree and drills against the trunk, using his beak to beat a loud tattoo. He drums away, then flies to the uppermost branch. From there, he looks all around, searching the landscape for incoming female woodpeckers – potential mates. Then, he goes back to drilling again. Sometimes he flutters down to the ground for a tasty insect, or heads to the bird feeder, where his relative size makes him one of the dominant diners. He gets all the best treats, the ones that the bossy squirrels don’t manage to purloin.
Day after day the woodpecker repeats his routine. Utterly dedicated to the task, he embodies the old saying, ‘Like calls to like’. If there’s a female within half a mile, she will hear him.
The woodpecker can teach us a wonderful principle for life: be who you are, and speak that truth clearly. Kindred spirits will hear your call. The woodpecker has never attempted to be some other, more colourful bird, like a jay or a parakeet or even a peacock. He is simply his own glorious self – surely the best way to attract the right mate for him.
When we are true to ourselves, we are also, I believe, more likely to respect other people’s differences. Those differences make the world a fascinating and beautiful place.
So my question for you is this: what do you choose to broadcast to the world today?
Photo: Unsplash
Wellbeing notes: This is the colour for growing and flourishing
01/02/2022 at 10:00 am | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a commentTags: healing power of nature, inspiration, meditation, Mind body spirit, nature meditation, wellbeing
We’re focusing on colours in my Thursday meditation group – a different band of the rainbow for seven weeks. The latest colour we’ve been studying is green. My local countryside is still wintry, not yet verdant, so meditating on green brings a dose of early summer to the imagination, and tranquillity to the mind. Picture yourself, right now, in a lush green landscape. How does it feel?
The word ‘green’ comes from the Proto-Indo-European root, ‘ghre’, meaning ‘to grow’, signifying the way natural landscapes gain a colourwash of green as the weather warms up. Somewhere between the passion of red and the purity of white, green is associated with the heart chakra and can be viewed as a colour of healing, freshness and balance, a wonderful hue for feeling relaxed and calm in mind, body and spirit.
If you feel the need for more green in your life, seek it out. Imagine it. Plant it. Grow it.
On the windowsill in my study are three flourishing plants. Each is beautiful in its own way. The frequent attention they receive helps them to thrive – a reminder that what I care for is more likely to do well. This principle applies equally to people and work projects as well as plants.
So these are my questions to you. What in your own life is currently becoming green? What aspect is flourishing? And how can this be honoured and encouraged?
Wellbeing notes: This is the colour for strength and new beginnings
01/01/2022 at 10:12 am | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a commentTags: base chakra, confidence, courage, inspiration, red, wellbeing
We’ve been focusing on colours in my Thursday meditation group – each week, a different band of the rainbow. We began with red. Reasons to love red include: it’s the bright hue of sumptuous crystals such as garnet and ruby. It’s the rich velvet of crimson rose petals, and the warming taste of mulled wine. It’s the juicy goodness of summer strawberries and the vivid splash of winter rosehips.
In esoteric teachings red is linked with the base chakra, that place at the base of the human spine that is associated with the energies of survival and the fundamental, blood-and-marrow building blocks of life. A physically healthy, balanced, grounded individual can be said to have a well-functioning base chakra.
One friend remembers buying a red car at a time of personal upheaval. “I would never normally choose such a bright colour, but it was so jaunty and fun,” she explains. “Driving my red car gave me confidence. It was what I needed as I entered a new chapter in my life.”
Her experience resonates with me. Newly single, after a relationship that lasted for decades, I have noticed that I currently love wearing warm, bright colours, including plenty of red. I have treated myself to a crimson, velvet coat which is, for me at this time, the definition of gorgeousness. Wearing red gives me a sense of confidence, an extra boost of energy, and the wellbeing effect is also helping my creative writing to flow.
I invite you to consider the role of red in your life. The human world is going through unprecedented upheaval. Everyone is affected in varying ways and, honestly, the trials are likely to continue for some time. Maybe we can’t cure society’s ills this month, or even next, but we can choose to go into the future boldly and brightly. Wear red for courage. I dare you.
Building up your kindness muscles
06/12/2021 at 11:26 am | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a commentTags: Guidance, happiness, inspiration, kindness, life skills, loving kindness, meditation, Mind body spirit, mindfulness, personal growth, Spirituality, wellbeing
A wise person once said to me, “The most important thing you can learn to do is to forgive.” The act of forgiving has become a life-long lesson. It’s hard to forgive someone who has hurt me personally, or hurt others whom I care about, but there is something freeing about the act.
A useful tool if you wish to become more forgiving is to practise loving kindness meditation. Sometimes called Metta bhavana in the language of early Buddhist texts, or simply ‘Metta meditation’, the concept predates Buddhism, suggesting that kindness is part of our human character.
Try this common form of metta meditation. Close your eyes and think kindly thoughts towards yourself. You might say, silently: “May I be well. May I be happy. May I be safe. May I be peaceful and at ease with myself.”
Then, think of someone you love. Repeat those same kind thoughts: “May you be well. May you be happy. May you be safe. May you be peaceful and at ease with yourself.”
Then, think of someone you feel neutral towards. Cultivate the same feelings of non- judgemental kindness, and repeat the same words: “May you be well…”
And now, think of someone you find difficult, and repeat the process again, as best you can.
Finally, think of all four people together, in the same spirit of loving kindness, and repeat the words: “May we be well. May we be happy. May we be safe. May we be peaceful and at ease with ourselves.”
Wellbeing notes: do these three things every day
01/11/2021 at 11:02 am | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a commentTags: Guidance, inspiration, meditation, Mind body spirit, personal growth, self-care, self-development, wellbeing
Dancing goddess – a (free) audio meditation
15/08/2021 at 1:17 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a commentTags: free meditation, inner goddess, meditation, meditation inspiration, Mind body spirit, self-care, Spirituality, visualisation, wellbeing
Friend Sue picked the theme for this week’s meditation, but she couldn’t make the actual event, so I decided to record the meditation for her, and for others who might like to hear it. May it relax and empower you.
Photo: Julia Caesar/Unsplash
Message from the oracle deck
03/08/2021 at 5:28 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a commentTags: Guidance, healing, inspiration, Intuition, intuitive development, Mind body spirit, oracle, self-care, Spirituality, wellbeing
There is a pack of oracle cards, called the Oracle of Illumination, that was given to me by Vivien, a dear friend whom I met during my training with The Healing Trust. The bag that the cards rest in nowadays was a gift from Judith, a beloved sister of mine. Both women are now in the light, and yet it feels to me as though their kind influence is evident each time I use the cards.
This morning I drew the card, ‘Energiser’. The book that came with the deck was discarded long ago as I am one of those lawless beings who likes to receive impressions directly from an oracle, without reference to the authors’ personal interpretations. Instead, I went for a walk through the local meadows and let the word become a refrain as I strolled. And these were some of the questions in my mind.
How does the word ‘energiser’ figure in your life today? What and who energise you? What and who leave you feeling low in energy?
I realised that walking in green spaces or doing some yoga or writing my current novel can be deeply energising, even if, before the start of those exercises, I was feeling tired. In contrast, sitting still for long periods doing nothing in particular can actually deplete my energy. And although there are necessary, dull tasks in everyone’s day, making sure to include energising activities, whatever that means to you, is essential self-care.
Infusing summer
01/07/2021 at 4:03 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a commentTags: elderflower cordial recipe, elderflowers, natural recipes, taste of summer, wellbeing
Drinking plenty of water is a priority in warm weather. Staying hydrated can help improve mood, memory and the digestive system, among many other benefits.
My favourite method is to infuse water with fresh herbs, fruit and flowers. I use a bottle that comes with its own filter. At the start of the day, seasonal edibles are added, such as elderflowers, roses, sweet cicely and lemon slices. This makes an instant, sugar-free summer cordial, (Note about elder: just use the flowers, with the fine stems that connect them; discard leaves and thicker stems. With sweet cicely, the whole plant can be used.)
For extra flavour, I sometimes add a few Positive Potions botanical drink drops. Made from herbs grown in a walled garden in Anglesey, these are a great store cupboard standby. They come in a range of blends with uplifting names such as ‘Bliss’, ‘Flourish’ and ‘Renew’, and are free of sugar and artificial sweeteners.
Drinking infused water feeds all the senses. There’s the pleasure of foraging and gathering fragrant plants in the cool of the morning; the visual delight of vivid plants swirling in the water; and the freshest of delicate flavours to enjoy. When the bottle is emptied, simply refill it once or twice during the day. The only real question is what to put in it tomorrow: perhaps a simple cucumber and spearmint duo; or apple mint and lemon balm with rose petals and orange. Or even my newest favourite: lemon slices with roughly chopped ginger root – zingy bliss in a bottle. Experimenting is half the fun.
Wellbeing notes: Of oceans and sea glitter
01/06/2021 at 5:52 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
Our county is such a special one, of chalky downs, bluebell woods and stone circles… but one thing it entirely lacks is an ocean. There would have been one in previous eons, and we can still find the signs of it in the form of maritime fossils. To the north west of our village, for example, there is the Star Well, situated on private land, where a person can run their fingers in the silt that emerges from an ancient spring and, if they are lucky, find tiny, star-shaped fossils in the palm of their hand.
There are countless rivulets throughout our neighbourhood that may offer up their ancient treasures. Recently, my daughter found a fossilised shell that nature had planted with a pretty garden of moss and wild garlic. Such discoveries are brilliant at reminding us of the vastness of time. They can put the challenges we face today into perspective, reminding us that ‘this too shall pass’.
Another way to gain a healthy sense of perspective is to visit the present-day ocean or, at least, our nearest sea. The journey will take you, if you are lucky, to that place and that moment where you get to see the sun reflecting off the surface of the water in a sparkling avenue of light. There is something instantly calming about the sight. Every individual gleam is a reflection of the sun in miniature. Later, when we are home from the ocean, we can close our eyes, imagine it, and achieve the same wellness of mind.
Guided meditations: album and free bluebell track
07/05/2021 at 3:33 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a comment
First, some background…
This album of guided meditations originally came about in Wiltshire UK, for members of The Intuition Group. Each of the meditations sprang from the amazing countryside around the studio where the group met. Original background music was created by Jules Addison. Members of The Intuition Group learnt how to use nature as an oracle to mirror their own hidden wisdom and insights. You can do the same by listening to ‘Dream Library Meditations’.
Listen to sample track: Bluebell Meditation
Bluebell woods make for the best walks – and meditating on them can be wonderful too. Indigo, the colour of bluebells, is special. Not quite purple and not quite blue, it occupies only a tiny part of the colour spectrum. It’s associated with intuition, and the following meditation makes full use of that fact.
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Suzanne Askham 