It has been too long my friends, a mighty busy couple of months here at Quiet Mind HQ and if you are not receiving my monthly newsletter .. then you might wonder where I have been!

But .. before I share all my meditation news .. I really wanted to share one of my very special Winter rituals with you

Mindful Awareness of Sunsets

If you are a part of The Lounge membership or read my Winter Retreat eBook, then you will have heard about my Winter of Resistance and how I radically changed my mindset and my reality around Winter (previous ‘hater’ and now good friends). My Winter mindful awareness and gratitude practice include finding (at least) one special winter gift .. each and every day.

Back to sunsets. I have changed my afternoon habits this Winter to include a 4pm trip to the dog park (with my best dog-friend) and then we both head to anywhere along the coastline .. for my Sunset Practice. And for the last few months .. Mother Earth has inspired me almost every day!

Ever wondered why sunsets in Autumn/Winter are so AWESOME? I thought it was due to the cold and crisp air .. and that is partly right, but I was doing some google research today and found this from the University of Wisconsin:

*the colors of the sunset result from a phenomenon called scattering (I mean, already, how cool is that word). The molecules and small particles in the atmosphere change the direction of light rays, thus, causing them to scatter. And while scattering affects the color of light coming from the sky, the actual details are determined by the wavelength of the light and the size of the particles.

*and, because the sun is low on the horizon, sunlight passes through more air than during the day, and more atmosphere means more molecules to scatter the violet and blue light away from our eyes while other colors continue – this is why sunsets are often yellow, orange and red.

“A red sky at night is a shepherd’s delight! “

*this sweet saying is one that I heard a lot from my sailor stepdad as a child, and it is mostly true. A red sky at sunset lets us know that the worst of the weather has eased, and there is a strong likelihood that higher pressure and improved weather will arrive the following day.

And, then my friend

So, where did June go? well, firstly, I have been writing my very first book and it’s not the book that I started last year (surprisingly) but there feels like an urgency for its arrival and it is the inspiration for The Lounge and Seasonal Mindfulness. Needless to say .. this writing gig is HARD. Blank pages and a tsunami of words tumbling over each, fighting for space, is challenging. But it is running free now and I am simply the one holding the pen!

And then there is The Lounge which has been flowing out into the world as well .. and that takes a bit of writing time also. In The Lounge, we follow the wisdom of the seasons for our meditation and sacred practices. And, since I have been meditating most of my life, and teaching others to meditate for almost 11 years .. I have so much to share. But not wanting to overwhelm .. we take it step by step .. each step a meditation (from Thich Nhat Hahn)

And then ..

*new meditation workshops and classes happening in my home town this Spring – details are being sorted now

*continuing to support new meditation teachers on their teacher training as a Course Advisor for the MMI Meditation Teacher Training (will have some exciting news for Aussies in coming weeks).

*an airline ticket and some sweet island memories calling me for a few weeks of blissful sunshine, yoga and restful adventures, I shall be flying out in a few weeks (and shall share more on INSTA here)

*really truthfully enjoying being back in the corporate world delivering Quiet Mind @ Work workshops: to a group of smart young digital creatives; a national manufacturing business; and an international employment and education group. Each with their own particular interest .. so, energy work for creativity and destressing, breath mastery for engineering mood and focus, and meditation for all the goodness.

And. My Daily Meditation. Non-negotiable.

And I wanted to share this excerpt from a lovely poem that was shared in The Lounge this month for our theme RETREAT:

Winter’s Cloak

a meditative poem by Joyce Rupp

Let the dawns
come late,
let the sunsets
arrive early,
let the evenings
extend themselves
while I lean into
the abyss of my being. 

Let me lie in the cave
of my soul,
for too much light
blinds me,
steals the source
of revelation. 

Let me seek solace
in the empty places
of winter’s passage,
those vast dark nights
that never fail to shelter me.

So keep warm .. and meditating .. and if you have some sunset (or other winter gifts) to share, then use the hashtag #WinterGifts2019

Sarah xx