I spent two days over Easter at a yoga retreat at the studio where I practice, train and teach. We did many hours of yoga, grilled our teacher, Nat, about yoga matters, and did walking and sitting meditations – a lovely way to melt into the Easter break. I fought with a lot of my … Continue reading my first yoga retreat
All summer, as I went through the house room by room, cupboard by cupboard, this corner was full of a growing pile of stuff for a garage sale. It grew and grew and sat there in the corner – reminding me to keep clearing out and to try not to accumulate so much in the … Continue reading the garage sale
I am doing a lot of clearing out / decluttering / space clearing – whatever you like to call it – lately. Because it is the school holidays and I am doing it whilst parenting – I am doing it very, very slowly. Drawer by drawer, cupboard by cupboard, dusty neglected corner by dusty neglected … Continue reading things organised neatly
‘A flower falls, even though we love it; and a weed grows, even though we do not love it.’ –Dogen Continue reading a flower falls
Be kind to yourself today. You are doing the best you can. Also, it’s Friday. Let the week slide off you like rainwater… … into the puddle of weekend…. rest. restore. be (Telling you what I need to hear myself today.) Continue reading compassion
One of my favourite poets is American poet Gary Snyder. He is described as the ‘poet laureate of deep ecology’ by some and I would agree with that. I guess he is a natural fit for me – he studied Zen Buddhism in Japan for years and writes a lot about the human spirit and nature. … Continue reading the trail is not a trail
I’ve had a week of battling my ‘monkey mind’ – that part of the mind that is unsettled and dissatisfied, busy and graceless. This week my monkey mind has been a place of impatience and regret – both fairly useless emotions. It’s the school holidays, I’ve got far too much work on my plate (which … Continue reading forgetting and remembering
Do you keep a journal? Sometimes I feel like my journals keep me. They keep me sane, keep me engaged, keep me feeling creative even when I don’t have time for larger creative endeavours. I’ve been teaching journal-writing for years, and most recently as part of the Day Retreats at Zing. Teaching is a good … Continue reading my journals keep me
I was sitting across from Magnus watching him eat his dessert which was, that night, two cut-up oranges. Magnus was really eating those oranges. He was so present in his enjoyment – he was sucking every drop of juice and had the fixed stare of someone experiencing great sensory pleasure. I love that about children. … Continue reading teaching your mother to suck oranges
Helen Lehndorf 