Tag: adventure

Hello July

Hello July!

I hope that this new month finds you well and blessed in ways that stir deep joy within.

I’ve felt a sense coming full circle this full moon. June was a month of wild adventure, spontaneity and living from a place of openness. After a few weeks of doing so during our travels to England and Wales, I’ve come back with my heart bursting at the seams.

There is so much to be grateful for – New experiences, fun times and the opportunity to explore different lands.

But mostly, I’m thankful for the meaningful connections made with people – friends both old and new, and family, especially family. My husband’s family live abroad. As a result we don’t get to be with them much. So, having that family time and meeting quite a few of my in-laws for the first time was really special. To this day, I’m so blown away by the amount of love I felt, the acceptance I received from all of them and the treasured memories we’ve had the opportunity to create.

My experiences on this trip reminded me of something else too. That is the power of keeping an open heart when connecting with people. Too many people live in lonely worlds where their relations with others may feel fleeting and empty of meaning. You never know how you could touch someone just by reaching out and taking an interest in their life. You also never know how they may move you too when you allow room for real connections to form.

Now, back in the reality of my life and still beaming with the enriching and transformative touch of my holiday, I’m finding ways to integrate this residual essence into the experiences I create moving forward.

Something tells me July will be just as beautiful a month. I am hopeful and look forward to what unfolds along the way.

How about you?

July Blessings

Fresh Births and Purpose

Some mornings wear cloaks of silver dreams as they drift between the mystery of night and the azure skies of day. It’s a blessing to see time marching across the young sky like a newly hatched chick breaking through an egg shell. Births can be painful – delicate bodies bashed against jagged edges and bone as one tries to get to the other side. Or like little wild souls piercing through oppressive domesticated egos to express the true essence of who they are.

Relentlessly, life demands to be born.

So what do you do? You breathe through the process, one fierce breath at a time. You allow consciousness to move from darkness to light, not knowing what it will bring. This is the nature of things and of us. The will within your heart propels you forward into the unknown. You find yourself awake to newness, ready to embrace the adventure of living.

Life is a story slowly stitched together through the passage of time. Whether the narrative directs us, or we create it depends on how we choose to have our story written. But it is in its most basic essence a story waiting to be written. So is the week ahead as I stand at it’s threshold, Monday’s sun still rising between the trees. And the questions beckon from my quiet spaces:

How will I use this new birth? This moment? This day? This week?

How will you?

It feels good to breathe in freshness, to have purpose and to have life within me that needs creating.

So my wish for you is that this new week brings you this same freshness, sense of purpose and inspiration that it has brought me.

happy monday

Sacred Space and Elephants

The moment these two majestic beasts arrived at the forest clearing with their guides, I was tempted to take your shoes off for it was clear that something incredibly holy had indeed just entered this space. I must say that I was completely intimidated by the sheer size of the young elephants. But once I looked into their big beautiful eyes, it was difficult not to fall in love with their sweet and playful nature.

To give this a bit of context, last week, my husband and I went to a friend’s wedding in the South African lowveld, a beautiful scenic part of the country with the bushveld as its backdrop. While there we made time to explore the area and connect with the wild life too. A definite highlight of the trip was visiting an elephant conservation sanctuary that cares for rescued elephants and runs an interaction programme. I’d been looking forward to doing this for months now and feel so blessed that it has finally come to pass.

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As spirit messengers, elephants hold various meanings, bringing messages of leadership, compassion, mothering, grieving, emotional healing and removing obstacles. In each of my encounters with them, I’ve found that these creatures embody such a peaceful and loving energy.

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In the interaction programme at the sanctuary, I was introduced with a young bull named Casper. Standing next to him, stroking his wrinkled skin and feeding him, I felt that I was in the presence of an incredible soul. His gentleness was so heart-warming and one can sense the profound and ancient wisdom that he carries in his bones. It only felt right to send love and healing energy his way as I brushed my hand against his skin. He had had a hard journey before he found refuge at this sanctuary, yet here he was still standing and emanating such compassion. It brings tears to eyes just thinking about the experience.

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Joseph Campbell said that – “Your sacred space is where you find yourself over and over again.” One thing that I know for sure is that wild Earth is my sacred space for it is where I find my way back to inner peace. When I was with the elephants, I know that I entered into a special kind of sacred space too.