Different states of the body allow you different insights — For the last five days I’ve been more or less anchored to my pillow by a virus. It make me very dizzy and is accompanied by nausea and a bad headache at time too. Its nothing serious — something called labyrinthitis, but I have noticed the following. Not only has…

A daily practice and a way of exploring self and the world — To my mind there are two types of gardening mindfully, there is internal and external. Both are equally important in their own ways Let me explain. Gardening largely involves planting seeds, weeding out those weed seeds that would swamp our desired seeds and tending to the plants as they grow…

How mindful awareness can help make your life easier — I go swimming a lot, mostly in the sea, but with all the sewage (a national political scandal) being pumped out around my home beaches and the dangerously high water from winter storms, I have retreated to a swimming pool for my regular swims. …

Never mind painting the nursery, what really matters when you’re expecting. — Having child is probably the biggest event of your life, especially if you take the arrival of a new life seriously. This little person about to arrive is your biggest gift to the continuity of the species, unless you think we should all stop breeding, which we won’t since we…

When is your new year? — When is your New Year? It might depend on which calendar you follow but for many it occurs on the first of January each year. On the night before, my husband’s band play, and many others gather together in large parties and groups and wish each other all a happy…

A seasonal reminder that every day is worthy of gratitude. — Just before Christmas, or whatever celebration you honour at this time of year, it is easy to be too busy to remember gratitude for all that we already have. we ae so caught up in the preparations of what we will gift to this person, or receive in exchange, of…

How to make it all much easier. — I actually remember, when I was very little, still having the occasional green or brown father Christmas images on cards and baubles, a more elf like or gnome like persona, although coca cola had already begun its campaign of world domination by convincing us all that Christmas was indeed red…

Living mindfully in the now — We frequently talk about being present in mindfulness teachings, but often there are throw away comments which are in practice impossible. Do you think that being in the present moment means not having a past or a future, not thinking about them, or not allowing your thoughts to flow in…

The opening to a memoir — The air is soft against my skin, not yet too hot in the year. I glow and buzz with a sense of achievement at my efforts during this day, both in the garden and in the house. But now it is time to meander along the lane to meet my…