My ‘word for 2020’ is BATHE .. to ‘immerse’ myself in the present moment experience, more often, more freely and more openly. Coupled with my passion for #SeasonalMindfulness .. we are just three weeks into January, and I’ve already had some great adventures and new learnings.

Part of the #SeasonalMindfulness journey is to take inspiration from our Seasonal Mindfulness Calendar which aligns Summer with the Fire element, as explored in Ayurveda, Taoist, TCM and Qigong practices .. energy that we witness burning bright from the sun that also influences our inner world, inspiring greater:

Creativity. Action. Balance.

In Summer, the longer sunlit days and warmer balmy nights, naturally call us outside to move, party and take ACTION .. which fuels our CREATIVITY and dreaming.. but when overdone can leave us feeling drained and in search of BALANCE. This is a cycle that can particularly be felt over Summer.

Recently I saw this cycle unfold .. in what I call ‘the Church adventure’.

It began, late one hot summer night, when sleep was challenging and consisted mostly of tossing and turning (action) and a growing desire for rest (balance) but when my mind seems to be constantly snagged by new ideas and plans for the future (creativity) .. and this is when I received a text message from my sister with a link to a very unique property for sale, in a very desirable coastal location.

We both love looking at property. We both love being near the ocean, and we both lean toward quirky properties that hold a story.

But this was a Church

By the morning .. I was hooked. Consciously and subconsciously I had during the night made all sorts of plans, designed all sorts of visuals, connected with all sorts of dreams.

A flight of fancy my mum would have called it

But that’s Summer .. when the veil between dream and reality seems a little thinner .. and the abundance of light and playfulness seems to make even the biggest dreams possible (and the light also tends to obscure the shadows).

So I decided to ‘bathe’ in the moment .. and allow a sense of playfulness (even silly-ness) into the mix, and over the week felt energized, entertained and invigorated. Spirits soared.

Do you know this feeling? When ideas seem to tumble boundless, and the energy to make-it-happen seems endless .. even the language I used when sharing some of my ideas seemed to capture those around me. Potent.

This is the Summer theme .. Creativity

Soon we had a plan, taking Action with a road trip to visit this little town nestled between the mountains and rugged coastline, and surrounded by amazing artisanal farm-to-food businesses. On our jolly road trip there were high spirits as we wove stories and marvelled at our sense of adventure and expanded capacity to visualize future possibilities.

This is the Summer theme .. Action

My dreamin’ brought forward a meditation retreat .. a space that would grow into a community, offering workshops, classes and retreats, that hosted inspiring guest teachers, and there was even a ‘glamping’ tent city for accommodation. I had visions of the ‘perfect’ design, the marketing, potential collaborations and a business plan .. and even considered how I might adapt to a new life in a new town. Anything seemed possible.

And it was a lovely little church

What a joy to finally see and feel it.

I sat in that 1908 red brick Church on this hot summer afternoon, with a stone floor and dense white walls, and sensed the many generations that had gathered and celebrated together, sitting on the now polished brown pews. All around us beautiful stained-glass windows with inscriptions honoring families and benefactors. Once part of a thriving community, this little church was now being let go.

We spoke with the agent, read the planning report, listened to stories of the history, and heard that most of the interest had been for those seeking to make the church a private home.

Later, we walked through the little village and marvelled at the new energy of young families making a ‘tree-change’ and bring new life to the town, and we shopped a little and enjoyed lunch in the sunshine .. and sat gently with our own thoughts.

On the drive home the energy had softened, just as the sun was; two of us fell asleep in the car, two of us shared our bright ideas. The reality of the project now seemed much bigger and so much more challenging; and the reality of what would be required caught up with the dreamin’.

This is the Summer theme .. Balance

This is the gift of Fire element .. to dream big, to race forward into unlimited creativity, to be inspired to take action and try it on for size, and then to seek balance in reflection and new insight. And, what an adventure. What a flight of fancy. How blessed to have had the opportunity to be playful and dream BIG.

That’s the cycle of Summer .. and what fun we had!

If you are interested in learning more about the Seasonal Mindfulness Calendar and how we can be guided by the seasons in our meditation and mindfulness practices .. you can visit us on Instagram HERE or join us in our online membership program called The Lounge HERE where February celebrates CREATIVITY (starting 1st Feb).