A Moment to Breathe

Sometimes when life gets overwhelming, you just need to stop, place you hand on you heart centre and breathe. Breath into your heart-space. Breathe in deeply and come home to yourself. Breathe in the healing of the present moment. Lean into the peace of your wise and wild essence. Breathe in tranquillity, compassion, serenity and goodness. Return to a state of grace.

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Also, here is a short meditation (only a few seconds long) to offer a slow and peaceful moment to recalibrate: Click Here to Access A Short Meditation

Tending the Garden

It’s been a while since I’ve had such a quiet Monday morning, left to the stillness of my breath and comforting rhythm of my heartbeat. The morning was breezy, cool and grey, perfect for some gardening and reading books on gardening and flowers too. The whispers of the impending Autumn are becoming more pronounced each day.

I learnt long ago that tending to pots of fragrant roses, scented geranium, mint, thyme and basil, weeding the herb patch, harvesting and stringing up herbs for drying are all paths to the soul. These simple tasks keep me grounded in mindful presence. It keeps my humbled heart grateful to be part of Mother Earth and for all the gifts that she offers.

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I often feel that I will never be the kind of master gardeners that my mother and my grandmother are. For the last couple of years I’ve only just been learning to keep my pots and herb patch alive, listening intently to the dreamings of my tiny little corner of land and trying to give it what it asks.

Sometimes I succeed, other times I do a poor job of it. But nonetheless the garden is always teaching me how to work with it. I’ve come to accept that despite my good intentions, sometimes I have little control over how things grow or turn out in the end. Nature has a will of its own. I respect this. To be honest, I do like leaving space for magic and wildness and the unknown to surprise me. Who doesn’t?  And of course, I’m grateful that the garden and Nature in general is also always teaching me about myself too, reminding me of our oneness and the wild spaces it embodies inside of me.

Wild Reading for the Earth Touched Soul

When I’m not writing or spending time connecting with the energies of the Earth, I spend a lot of time reading. Words are medicine and I especially love finding books and authors that resonate deeply with me. So, I thought I’d share some of the literary treasures that have been reaching into the quiet spaces of my heart.

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New Finds 

(I ordered these recently and I was super excited when they were delivered last week)

Finding the Deep River Within by Abby Seixas, which is all about slowing down, finding balance and giving your inner essence space in your life. This book was recommended by Lesley Austin who runs the Wisteria and Sunshine online community which joined a few weeks ago. It’s a good resource for those with busy lives who are looking to find a greater sense of inner peace, balance and meaning.

In Writing Wild, Tina Welling guides the reader through connecting with and harnessing Nature’s energy in their writing or creative pursuits. Writing Wild grabbed my attention because it focuses specifically on the type of writing that I do. I was surprised to discover (perhaps I shouldn’t be) that I’ve applying some of the techniques that she suggest naturally. There is always more to learn, so I am looking forward experimenting with some of the other unfamiliar and fun exercises.

Reclaiming the Wild Soul by Mary Reynolds Thompson – This book is something really special because I immediately connected with Mary Reynolds Thompson’s philosophy. It looks at how the various landscapes of the Earth reflect aspects of our “deeper, wilder selves”. I’ve only just started reading it , but already feel like I’ve found a kindred spirit and I can’t wait to see where this journey takes me.

Some Old Faithfuls

In recent weeks, I’ve felt called to revisit some of these old faithful ones too. They seem to bring the nourishment that my soul is craving right now.

Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estes – Every woman should read this book. I bought it eight years ago, and still each time I reread it in parts, it touches me deeply and I keep learning something new.

“In WOMEN WHO RUN WITH THE WOLVES, Dr. Estés unfolds rich intercultural myths, fairy tales, and stories, many from her own family, in order to help women reconnect with the fierce, healthy, visionary attributes of this instinctual nature. Through the stories and commentaries in this remarkable book, we retrieve, examine, love, and understand the Wild Woman and hold her against our deep psyches as one who is both magic and medicine. Dr. Estés has created a new lexicon for describing the female psyche.” (Amazon)

Wild Comfort by Kathleen Dean Moore – I find Kathleen’s writing gentle, soothing and in some ways reminiscent of Mary Oliver’s poems. Her descriptions of the natural surrounds are beautiful and sometimes dreamy. I can see why some refer to this book as a meditation of sorts, because that’s exactly what it feels like when I read it.

“In an effort to make sense of the deaths in quick succession of several loved ones, Kathleen Dean Moore turned to the comfort of the wild, making a series of solitary excursions into ancient forests, wild rivers, remote deserts, and windswept islands to learn what the environment could teach her in her time of pain.” (Amazon)

Wolves and Honey by Susan Brind Morrow – I cannot believe that I had this book in my possession for several years, yet only got round to reading it properly last year. And the moment that I did, I was in love. Wolves and Honey is one of the most fascinating, well written and poetic nature inspired books I’ve every read and it’s easily one of my favourites.