Wellbeing notes: Quietly appreciating what we’re good at

02/04/2025 at 6:06 pm | Posted in Nature, Wellbeing, Wellbeing notes | Leave a comment
Tags: , , , , , ,

Last spring a visitor fell totally in love with our local bluebell woods. Through her, I realised how privileged we are that these fragrant flower drifts are such a familiar part of our neighbourhood. 

According to Kew Gardens, over half the world’s population of bluebells, or Hyacinthoides non-scripta, grow in the UK. They’re native to Britain and other parts of Western Europe. But Britain is their citadel, and we protect them through legislation. Bluebells are often found in woodland that is over 400 years old, so a bluebell-rich landscape is a healthy landscape that encourages all sorts of native wildlife. Some of my favourite spring moments include seeing roe deer meandering along flowery banks in dappled sunlight. Our bluebell citadel is definitely something to appreciate. 

Now, as it happens, the visitor who enjoyed our local woodland is not so great at appreciating her own, personal attributes. She is a kindly person, who is quick to help others. However, she doesn’t value these things about herself. Compliments embarrass her. And yet in her own way she is a citadel for a practical form of kindness.

I wonder how many of us are not very good at appreciating the special things about ourselves. Each one of us can be said to be a citadel for a unique blend of skills, talents and other qualities that enhance the lives of others around us. So my question to you is: what will you appreciate about yourself today?

Wellbeing notes: Season of hope

01/02/2025 at 9:56 am | Posted in Uncategorized, Wellbeing, Wellbeing notes | Leave a comment
Tags: , , , , , , , ,

These weeks, right now, when winter is sliding muddily into early spring… there’s no time quite like it. It’s not the most beautiful of seasons. And yet, with its sprinkling of snowdrops and ever lighter skies, there lies, embedded in our local landscape, the hope of warmer days. 

As the heroine of Anne of Green Gables says, “Tomorrow is always fresh, with no mistakes in it yet.” And since we are only in February, there are plenty of tomorrows left in the year.

A pessimistic friend of mine is skilled at pointing out the many problems in the world. But perhaps when things look most dire, that’s when we have the greatest need for hope. Or, to put it another way, in places of darkness, the light of hope may appear to shine more brightly and become most meaningful to others. To nurture hope is a valuable survival skill. Hope brings no guarantee of success, or peace, or happiness – but it does say that these things are possible. 

I love the words of the author Barbara Kingsolver, in her novel, Animal Dreams. ‘The very least you can do in your life is figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope. Not admire it from a distance but live right in it, under its roof.’

May we all be safe, and well, and happy in our houses of hope this year. 

Note: the daisy pictured was photographed at The Burren Perfumery. This family business makes perfumes and skincare products inspired by its stunning surroundings on the wild, west coast of Ireland.

Wellbeing notes: Wishing you a mindful festive season

01/12/2024 at 10:44 am | Posted in Happiness, Inspiration, Wellbeing, Wellbeing notes | Leave a comment
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , ,

Two women were talking in the library. “I have to confess,” said one, “that Christmas is not my favourite time of year.”  “Same!” said the other. “It’s just too busy, isn’t it? I’ll be worn out by the 25th.”

Since I happen to be one of the many who try a bit too hard to get everything ‘right’ in the run-up to Christmas, this year I’m choosing to be less stressed and more mindful, with the following gentle strategies.

Use your senses

Warming aromas of orange and cinnamon. The crackle of paper as you wrap your gifts. Experiencing the world through your senses is the best way to inhabit each moment of your life. Everything you do in this state of sensory awareness is enhanced. A gift prepared mindfully can bring the recipient a sense of calm which can be at least as important as any monetary value. 

Practise gratitude

Savour the segments of a tangerine and truly take in nature’s abundance. Look around you at the next social gathering, whatever it may be, and enjoy the miracle of other beings. Each person is special when viewed through non-judgemental eyes. When you receive a present, appreciate above all the love behind it.

Choose simplicity

In a nutshell, give yourself ample time to do a little less. An uncomplicated meal of natural ingredients can taste nicer than complex dishes. And a few branches brought in and decorated simply can bring you and your loved ones that elusive thing: a childlike pleasure in Christmas. 

Wellbeing notes: Reflections on kindness

01/11/2024 at 9:59 am | Posted in Wellbeing | Leave a comment
Tags: , , , , , ,

A mother was sitting in Abbey Square, in Bath UK, with her disabled son beside her. A stranger approached them both, smiled at the teenager in his wheelchair, then offered his mother a bunch of colourful, fragrant flowers. “For you,” said the stranger, “Because of all that you do for your son.” And then she walked away.

The mother was me. The incident happened many years ago, but I still remember it and probably always will. Kindness is like that, isn’t it? Heartwarming, unconditional, and memorable. 

World Kindness Day falls on Wednesday 13 November. The date is an invitation to create thoughtful acts in our community and further afield, and to celebrate kindness in everyday life. If you would like to learn more about this annual event, you can go to Kindness UK for ideas and perhaps to pledge action.

Practising compassion towards others and ourselves has been described as an innate aspect of human nature, that flourishes with encouragement. In 2020 the Mental Health Foundation together with YouGov conducted an online survey with over 4,000 adults. The survey found that both being kind and receiving kindness are widely linked with improved mental health. 

Many people find that being considerate and caring can make us happy. Think of a genuine compliment you gave, that made someone’s face light up. A gift you offered without expectation of anything in return. A donation to a cause that will directly help disadvantaged people. Even if we can’t solve all the world’s problems, we can always create moments of kindness.

Wellbeing notes: rhyming affirmations

04/01/2023 at 11:56 am | Posted in Wellbeing | 4 Comments
Tags: , , , , , , ,

Perhaps every thought we have – especially the ones we think often, or fervently – has the potential to come true. Hence the expression, ‘self-fulfilling prophecy’. I do believe that humans are hugely creative beings, in ways we scarcely understand. If every thought is a possible manifestation, it makes sense to choose at least some of our thoughts wisely. And the very best way I know of doing that is through rhyming affirmations.

Verses that rhyme have a habit of staying in our minds longer. We may find ourselves remembering them without even trying. They become a mantra that uplifts, in a way that’s reminiscent of comforting childhood rhymes.

I regularly write my own, personal rhyming affirmations, recording them with pen and ink in a journal. They’re not high art – just verses that stick in the mind. Verses that I repeat slowly, and mindfully. Verses that leave me feeling calmer, and happier. If you are at all inclined, I encourage you, today or tomorrow, to come up with a rhyming affirmation for yourself. It can be as simple as two lines that rhyme. Put pen to paper, or finger to phone, and play a little. And remember, no one is judging your creation!

The following rhyming affirmation is one I wrote last year. It’s a bit longer – four verses in total. Yet I have found this one particularly easy to remember, and repeating it slowly never fails to ramp up the levels of joy in my day. It reminds me that anything is possible, and that life – not just in some mythical future, but right now – is filled with a wonderful magic.

I believe

I believe in deeds of kindness

and presents wrapped in love

I believe that people can connect

with intervention from above

~~~

I believe in our creations

and doses of good luck

I believe that fortune flourishes

and blocks can get unstuck

~~~

I believe in my good health

and my body being able

I believe in friends who help,

who can inspire and enable

~~~

I believe in gifts from God

and moments of laughter

I believe, above all, in love

and happy ever after

Wellbeing notes: Like calls to like

01/03/2022 at 10:00 am | Posted in Inspiration, Uncategorized, Wellbeing | Leave a comment
Tags: , , , ,

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

The healing power of swimming

16/03/2013 at 4:49 pm | Posted in Exercise, Happiness, Inspiration, Uncategorized, Wellbeing | 6 Comments
Tags: , , , , , ,

WaterA few days ago I went back to my local pool after a long absence. As I glided through the water, reflections of blue sky danced over the surface. I could feel myself relaxing, letting the water support me. And I remembered the joy of swimming.

We know that water can be kind to the human body: whatever the level of fitness, water provides a small but significant resistance that increases the overall benefit.

Less talked about, it does something equally interesting to the psyche: it connects us an earlier, more aquatic stage of life: the womb… and even, more distantly, our evolutionary past.

When I am in water, I feel different. The hard angular surfaces of modern life give way to a fluid world in which I feel safe, held, and simply more inclined to go with the flow. There is something inherently fun about the experience, and I feel zingy and cleansed.

As I swam, I started an internal chant, and this is how it went:

“I am beautiful… I am one… I am beautiful”… I am one…”

Each phrase corresponded to a swimming stroke. When I reached the end of the pool and turned around, the chant had become: “I am beautiful… I am two… I am beautiful… I am two…”

With each new length, the number went up. I was counting lengths, and throwing in an affirmation too.

And then I realized I was actually imagining myself at the age of one, two, and so on. Not only that, I was feeling the dominant emotions of that age, in connection with beauty and self-worth. As I continued to swim up and down the pool, the happy self-belief of young childhood gave way to the huge, wobbly uncertainty of my teens, and a growing feeling of confidence in adulthood. As I remembered sad times, it felt as though the water was washing the pain away.

Effectively, I was healing each stage of my life’s journey with the help of water, and affirmations. My adult self was sending love and support back through the years to all my younger selves who were still there, it seemed to me, in the memories held within my body. The process felt deeply restorative and I recommend it to you.

Next time you’re in the pool, you might like to affirm “I am beautiful… I am one” and so on, all the way through your teens, twenties – all the way up to your present age. You can spread the exercise over more than one swim session, if you choose. But when you have swum a length for every year you’ve lived, you can start all over again with a new word. “I am strong”, and “I am well” both have great healing potential. What affirmation would you choose?

The real meaning of home

28/09/2012 at 3:02 pm | Posted in Happiness, Meditation, Nature, Wellbeing | 12 Comments
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

In our distant nomadic past, home was where we settled for the night: it was shelter, a place we lay down – a place of rest. Recently, on the West Coast of Scotland, I came across a perfect example of home at its simplest. This stone outcrop at Sand provided shelter for our ancestors nearly 10,000 years ago. It was their bedroom, and also their kitchen: there is evidence that they collected limpets from the sea shore and boiled them up in water before eating them.

My daughter led me up and onto the roof of the shelter. “There’s a place I’ve got to show you,” she said. “You’re going to love it; it’s really special.” And she was right. On the heather-clad roof there were several broad stones: slabs of natural paving. One, in particular, was a perfect meditation seat. It was easy to sit there, gaze out to sea and  simply let your thoughts drift into that in-between place – the other realm.

When I did so, I found myself talking to the inhabitants of that time. We weren’t using words, exactly, but we were communicating. To my surprise, I found they were admiring my build: the fact that compared with them I looked immensely well fed. I was aware of their lightness and slimness and superb fitness, and found myself wishing that I exercised more.

Self-acceptance

They were surprised at my lack of self-acceptance on this matter. They reminded me of the goodness of Mother Earth, or the Mother as they called her. She provided what we needed, and it made no sense to disparage her gifts. Abundance was a blessing. Each of us was a creation of the Mother. Each of us was divine. How could we criticise ourselves in that context? Criticism was utterly meaningless.

I actually had the sense they were laughing at me, as if I were a child who didn’t quite understand. And yet there was also respect. It was as if they saw wisdom in me, as I saw wisdom in them. And the wisdom wasn’t individual wisdom; it was collective. We all shared knowledge… and this knowledge was infinite awareness.

And then I understood the true meaning of home. It is unconditional love, and it is acceptance. When you are at home – truly at home –  you are loved, you are accepted. During the many times we find ourselves on our own, we can still feel unconditional love and acceptance towards ourselves. And when we are with others – however distant in terms of culture, or the passage of time – we can feel that exact same connection. As I did on that rock.

Down below, a car horn was sounding. I was being summoned back to the 21st Century. I clambered down the heather slopes, sea breeze in my hair, aware that the bliss I was feeling is our natural birthright.

It’s your birthright; it truly is.

This moment now

30/07/2012 at 10:25 am | Posted in Happiness, Meditation, Nature, Uncategorized, Wellbeing | 1 Comment
Tags: , , , , , , ,

This moment now is all we ever have, but it’s enough, because it’s everything.

Have a magical day.

Easter and the Goddess of Dawn

09/04/2012 at 11:42 am | Posted in Happiness, Nature, Wellbeing | 2 Comments
Tags: , , , , , ,

 

Easter comes from the Goddess of Dawn.

Look beneath any festival and you will find simple truths about people and our planet. Easter is a great example of this. The word ‘Easter’ is a variant of ‘east’, the direction in which the sun rises at dawn.

The word has ancient roots in the seed language known as Proto-Indo-European. The original word, ‘aus’, or ‘austre’ meant ‘to shine’, particularly at dawn. It was personified in early Europe as Austron or Eostre, the goddess of spring, fertility and the rising sun. Her festival was the Spring Equinox, that time between the shortest and longest days, which heralded the beginning of the all-important growing season. The changing seasonal cycle as we journey around the sun is more important to us than our mechanised lives reveal. But beneath the confusion of 21st century timetables, our bodies still respond to the longer days of sunlight in basic ways that haven’t changed since life emerged on the planet.

We absolutely take pleasure in the new life that is around at this time, and within us ideas that were incubating over winter begin to take on real life. What does this year mean to you? What are you beginning to achieve in terms of your own self-development? This is a good time to be aware that Eostre, the Goddess of Dawn, is an archetypal force in you that is driving you towards summer and the fruition of your hopes and dreams.

Next Page »

Website Built with WordPress.com.
Entries and comments feeds.