Ideas for the summer holidays
Holidays are a great time to be with ourselves and to be with others, to practice mindfulness, meditation, gratitude and listening.
That sweet moment of connection
If you try to bring mindful awareness to your life and if you meditate, you will be familiar with the different states of your mind: how it changes, moment to moment and day to day. Some days your attention rests easily in the present moment; you are aware of thoughts arising and releasing them is easy. There are also days when the mind is more active and to maintain concentration is more difficult as the mind is shouting for attention like a spoilt child throwing a tantrum. In these moments simply sitting still can feel uncomfortable. The practice of mindful meditation is a great teacher of patience and humility. Then…
Our great little teacher
Spring is always a wonderful time both on our farm and in the surrounding countryside. There is so much life. Quite apart from the intense new emerald-green foliage, there are myriad blossoms, flowers, the bees buzzing as they busily collect nectar; also many types of butterflies, small mottled lizards and big fat green ones; frogs whose boop, boop noise provide a charming and slightly surreal background chorus to our evenings; the bats that flit silently around us at dusk as they feast on the many insects; the many sparkling cobwebs bejewelled by the morning dew; the cuckoos with their loud unmistakeable call; the birds of prey constantly hunting to feed…
The benefits of 20/20 hindsight.
If you have ever taken the time to observe your rational mind at work you will have noticed two compulsive aspects namely: “time-machine” and “auto pilot”. You have probably experienced these two behaviours working together. It can happen when some event in the present triggers the memory of a past “mistake”, some unpleasant behaviour or a horrible event. An acutely uncomfortable memory arises. It might feel so uncomfortable that it makes you want to cringe. Straightaway, the mental autopilot cuts in with pointless criticism on what you “should have”, “could have” all that you “ought to have” done; “I should have done that differently”; I wouldn’t be here if I’d…
The prisoner and the rain
The prisoner had sat all night in his cage in the rain, condemned to die in the morning. He was waiting, hoping with every fibre of his being for a reprieve; that his appeal would be heard and that somehow he would be spared. The hours came and went but no news came. He realised that this really was the end. He was soon to be executed. At first panic gripped him. He shook with fear. His heart ached unbearably with the thought of all that he was losing. Then, as he accepted that there was nothing more to be done, he experienced an immense peace, a profound stillness. His…
How do you perceive the passing of time?
We learn to meditate so that we can be more present - more connected to our lives. Nearly all of our training is in the rational mind. We are most used to living with the rational mind and its linear perception of time. We have become quite attached to this perception. It gives us the feeling that we are going somewhere, developing and that we are progressing towards some future goal, time or thing. I think it is fair to say that most of us have a desire to progress, to feel that we are getting somewhere. However, true progress lies not in the passage of time, but in our…