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Summer has been wonderful…

by Spiritual Development

Summer has been wonderful, and it’s been a great time for me to reconnect with family and friends in a way that has meant a lot.

I have been fortunate enough to do lots of lovely things over the summer with lots of lovely people, and now I am ready to get back to teaching and supporting my lovely clients.

Sometimes we can come off the tracks a wee bit and wonder why things are not flowing in the way they used to.   It might be because we get caught up with life and forget to take the time to look after ourselves.

Because we are having fun and enjoying ourselves, we don’t feel the need to do the meditation or take time out, we’re just enjoying life.

However, when we look after and nurture ourselves, keeping up the maintenance as we do with our cars or homes, everything becomes fun. 

We appreciate our limits, we recognise the lack of energy, and we get back to the maintenance.  In this way, when we maintain regularly, everything continues to move along in the way we want it to.  We don’t then have to recover and recuperate for 6 months and miss out on the fun, it all becomes part of the package.

So whatever it is that gives you energy, start today.  Go for a walk along the beach, do a short meditation, or get back to your yoga practise.

You’ll feel better for it.

The gift that keeps on giving

by Spiritual Development

The gift that keeps on giving

When talking about anything spiritual, it can be a bit tricky trying to put it into words.

But, why is that?

I think it’s because the spiritual aspect of you is different to the human aspect of you.

Sometimes as a human, the material world requires explanation, facts and/or evidence before anyone entertains it and facts and figures are easily put down in black and white.

However, becoming more spiritual and being connected to that aspect of ourselves, can involve a feeling, a sense or an emotion, that we experience but can’t put into words, or perhaps might not be believable to anyone other than those who have experienced it for themselves. 

We can describe how delicious that gooey salted caramel brownie was or how beautiful and moving the vivid orange coloured sun set over the calm, smooth, turquoise surface of the ocean was, but no matter how graphic or creative we are with our words that describe every aspect of these things, it doesn’t have the same impact or lasting memory to anyone else unless they feel and experience it for themselves.

We all want to live a full and exciting life – but what does that mean to you? Sometimes it can take us a while to work it out, and sometimes we have no idea. However, when we do, it can be surprisingly different to what we first thought was the key to happiness.

The material life is amazing and beautiful and technologically astounding, but how long does that feeling of satisfaction last? 

Let yourself sit with that for a few minutes, then…

Think about the time that a child in your family touched you in a way that your heart filled with joy and your eyes filled with tears, or

the time you stopped to watch the sun go down and experienced a calm and stillness that made you feel at peace inside that was so comforting, or maybe

the time you discovered the most beautiful place and surroundings, it took your breath away.

These things last a lifetime and whenever you think about them, you are filled with that same sense of the experience, that makes you smile. Sigh or catch your breath.

I suppose for me, it’s not about replacing one with the other, but it is about taking the best bits of both to create a truly wonderful experience that fulfils you, comforts you and sustains you.

I can tell you that it is a lovely way to live your life, however, don’t take my word for it, put the phone down, switch off the laptop and … 

go find your sunset.

Losing mum…

by Spiritual Development

Losing someone is really hard

I lost my mum one Xmas eve.

She was in Dundee, and I was in Edinburgh, but I would visit regularly.

We didn’t always have the best relationship and clashed a lot. Then she was diagnosed with dementia, and our relationship changed in so many ways.

She needed me and I needed her.

We laughed

We danced

We sang

We talked

We cried

I did things for her.

Things, I never thought I’d have to do for my independent, determined mother. 

And, she let me. 

She also did things for me, and taught me so many things during this time:-

She taught me the true meaning of compassion

She taught me it’s never too late to have the relationship you never knew you wanted

She taught me to really listen

She reminded me we will all die and unless we nurture the relationships we have, we might struggle to find peace.

In that time we healed our relationship. We said everything we wanted to and held nothing back.  We had a mutual respect for each other because we listened to each other.  

We had a life-time together … but for us, the most important time was the 3 months before she died.  

When I sat by her bed that Christmas Eve and she left, I felt a calm-ness. 

We were given an opportunity and we both took it. This is one relationship I feel has no unfinished business.

Of course, I miss her and feel cheated that these 3 months were the best our relationship could have been – even under the circumstances – but I wanted more time.

I just want to remind you that when someone is getting on your nerves, or you feel under pressure to visit, the physical aspect of that relationship doesn’t last forever. 

Love is what we all want and need, and when we can share it with others, it’s an amazing feeling.  

Don’t let the petty stuff over-shadow what is underneath.  

We all have a heart and only when it’s beating can we make a difference.

Put in the effort

by Spiritual Development

Put in the Effort and be amazed at the results

Have you been in the position when there is something in your life that just sits there, but you gain no benefit from?What’s your first reaction?  Do you ditch it, delete it, ignore it, or do you ask yourself –  Why is it still there? 

It’s still there because you have unfinished business.

Recently I have been in that position and the conclusion I came to was that I was gaining nothing from it because I was putting nothing into it. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but…..

This thing came into my life for a reason and rather than nurturing it, it felt too much like hard work, so I ignored it.

You can’t expect to buy a plant with beautiful flowers and for it to continue producing beautiful flowers unless you feed and water it and maybe even speak to it now and again.

Before you ditch this thing, ask yourself:-

What did I expect I was going to get from this thing I invited into my life?

Why do I think it hasn’t happened?

What am I going to do to make it work for me?

When all of that becomes clear… 

put in the effort and be amazed at the results.