I forgot how powerful the gift of ‘being’ is. Allowing yourself time to sit outside, even for 15 minutes. It’s enough time to reset your body and mind. Leaving the phone inside - out of reach. Then observing what happens when you give back to yourself.

Does leaving your phone inside and out of reach bring up feelings of anxiety. Do you feel like you may miss something? Perhaps if it is, you can take baby steps and place it on silent somewhere slightly out of reach, working your way up to leaving it inside the next time.

It’s a powerful thing to do, to be able to sit outside, alone, in nature and observe. Observe our thoughts and not follow the train of them. The train of thoughts that seem to be on a never ending track. To remind yourself to see, feel and hear what’s around you right now - In this moment.

I’m noticing the trees and the shadows that the sun is creating on them. The plants that the wind is touching, bringing them to life. The sounds of the birds and cars driving by and a dog barking across the road.

Then I take a deep breath and fill my lungs with the every changing air. Exchanging oxygen with all that surrounds me. Breathing in - slowly, breathing out - slowly … in unison with all at that moment where I am sitting.

Can you be with yourself? Do you like who you are? Or do you judge yourself and others?

What happens when you can’t be with yourself? When you are filling every moment with busyness and doing. What happens when you can’t sit and observe your surroundings giving gratitude for all that you share your life with. What happens when you can’t rest your train of thoughts at a station to recharge. When you don’t have time to enjoy the journey, when you don’t have time to sit and re-check where you are headed. Where you’re going and if you are still even on the right track?

“Sometimes the worst place you can be is in your own head” - Our mindful life

My prayer flags are slightly swaying in the breeze, gently, like the rhythm of a Mexican wave…

The light of my candle is dancing - this way and that and then almost extinguishing itself before proudly glowing high and bright once more. There is a hum of a plane overhead, far off in the distant background - almost inaudible. There are birds in every direction, some in flocks playing and chirping, another with a continuous and constant song. Then a wave of cicadas starts up and moves through much like the prayer flags, a Mexican wave of sound and I wonder what makes them start and stop?

There is never total silence. three doves land close to me. i have now been sitting here long enough for all of nature to accept that i belong here, that i am a part of the whole, not an intrusion or threat to be afraid of.

I have never seen these doves here before and they have very beautiful markings on their grey feathers, there is a slight orange/pink colour around their neck. The sounds that their wings make when they finally fly off is very sweet and pretty. A leaf attracts my attention as it gently falls to the ground, completing its transition from life, to now decompose where it lands, creating food for the earth and the circle of life continues once more.

It’s now time for me to eat something and leave my little grove for today. i am ever so grateful for living where i do, having access to these moments of peace and observation at my fingertips and having the ability to stop, to be, to observe and to honour all that i have…

What happens for you when you BE with YOURSELF?

Can you give yourself the gift of 15 minutes today?

I take a notepad out with me and after a while I start to write all that I see, hear and feel. Letting the words flow onto the page. Not auditing anything, not even re-reading anything, enjoying the freedom that this style of writing gives me.

“I know your tired, but come this is the way”

For the rest of the day I feel balanced, clear, grounded, alive and in love. It certainly is the best gift to myself and the thing that is even more wonderful is that it is FREE. It cost me nothing but half an hour of time this morning and it has set me up for the rest of the day.

My wish is that you can also experience this feeling of being balanced and whole… Blessings to you.