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: tiny plant, giant teachings
03/05/2021 at 10:12 am | Posted in Uncategorized | 6 CommentsTags: lessons from nature, life lessons, meditation, meditation inspiration, selfcare, wellbeing
One regular walk takes me over the old canal bridge. I passed over it not so long ago and took a photo of a tiny clump of moss that grows there. Small details from nature such as moss make for excellent meditation subjects. You can give yourself a few minutes of quiet, close your eyes and imagine the tiny plant in sensory detail: the green, textured cushion; the slender stalks supporting spore capsules no bigger than a grain of rice.
When you notice that your mind has wandered, you simply remind yourself that you are here to meditate, and you focus again on your chosen subject – in this case, the moss.
We meditate in this way to pause the relentless chatter of our thoughts. It’s impossible to empty the mind completely; focusing on one subject is the next best thing. Doing this regularly can help us become calmer and less stressed. We can become more self-aware and may enjoy physical benefits, such as better sleep and decreased blood pressure.
Yesterday I returned to the bridge. I was taking a longer walk than usual and although I did pause to take in the view, I hurried on towards my destination. It wasn’t until I got home that I realised I hadn’t even noticed the moss that grows on the bridge. And I realised a simple truth: what we focus on is what we see.
My invitation to you is to choose mindfully what you focus on today.
Wellbeing notes: a time to bloom
01/04/2021 at 10:00 am | Posted in Uncategorized | 2 CommentsTags: Blossom, hanami, meditation, spring, wellbeing
The cherry blossom around our neighbourhood is beginning to open up like tissue paper, lit through with sunlight. I try not to have favourites among the seasons but it is painfully easy to fall in love with blossom time. The Japanese word for this brief glimpse of heaven on earth is Hanami, or ‘flower viewing’ and round about now, all over Japan, crowds are flocking to view the delicate beauty that appears and then is gone.
In England we honour spring flowers in more low-key ways but I’m pretty certain that walking among our local blossom acts as a wellbeing tonic like no other. If you are feeling low, or pessimistic, just go and bathe your senses beneath a cherry, plum or apple tree. As you do so, you may well find yourself fully present in the moment – a form of meditation in itself.
Meditating or simply reflecting on blossom brings valuable insights into the passing of time… and into what the future may bring. When I study a dark branch dotted with fresh, light blooms, I am conscious that this spring moment will pass quickly – and this is surely a truth that applies to people as well as trees. So then I fast-forward my thoughts to the way that a good percentage of the blossoms will become fruit; and then I fast-forward once more to see that a small percentage of the fruit will seed new trees. And I find that thought oddly cheering because it suggests that all the kind, encouraging and inspiring thoughts we have; all the positive thoughts we put into action… some of these will bear fruit in ways we can never possibly imagine.
Wellbeing notes: a perfect spring bounty for our times
01/03/2021 at 10:00 am | Posted in Uncategorized | 2 CommentsTags: foraging, nature recipes, wellbeing, wild food
One of nature’s biggest harvests is growing fast right now. It’ll be ready to gather towards the end of March, and it will keep on giving until May. This produce brings an array of vitamins and minerals to the table, as well as antibacterial and antiviral properties. And yet this wonder harvest is not farmed. It simply grows wild in ancient woodland. And we can gather its leaves for free.
The plant is wild garlic. Its botanical name, Allium ursinum, references the fact that bears apparently seek out wild garlic as their first spring food. It is a plentiful, green, spring tonic that gives energy and immunity-boosting benefits to animals weakened by a long hibernation. So this is the perfect time for us to walk in nature, to breathe in the pungent scent of wild garlic and to gather bowlfuls for the cooking pot.
Be sure to pick the correct plant. Wild garlic is green, with pale stems and white, starry sprays of white flowers. The leaves are a sort of long, floppy arrow shape, and they release their pungent odour when rubbed between fingers and thumb. Never confuse it with other, harmful plants such as lily of the valley, Convallaria majalis, which has a purple stem and no odour when rubbed; or broader-leaved lords and ladies, Arum maculatum, which can often be found growing amidst a carpet of wild garlic.
You can chop wild garlic leaves finely for salads, mix them with butter, simmer them like spinach or blend them into a fabulous pesto. You’ll find some ideas here.
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Suzanne Askham 