I fall completely into the present moment and notice my breath.

Uni and school have started for another term so the house is strangely quiet again and I am not quite sure what to do with myself. The Easter holidays where wonderful with lots of horse riding, great food, lovely visitor’s and fun days out. Shearing and sowing started on the farm so we gave a hand when needed and squeezed in bookwork and schoolwork in the little gaps in between.  

I miss the girls already; there is no loud music or the television on at the other end of the house. There is no one bouncing the Polocrosse ball or looking up a good recipe for lunch. I love how the girls want to stay on the farm during the holidays and as much as a week in Kiama appealed to me, its lovely that they enjoy the farm so much. It is certainly quiet when they go though. 

I take a break from looking at the month ahead or listening out for the washing machine to be finished and walk out onto the front verandah. The breeze is warm, clouds are building overhead and the air smells of gum leaves and green grass. Water is falling over the sides of the large fountain in the front garden; I fall completely into the present moment and notice my breath. I stretch and hear the birds. A ute comes up the driveway; it’s the man checking the electricity meter. The moment is lost, I return to the washing machine and the ringing phone but the next moment is ready for my return when I decide it’s important enough to visit.

Over the next month I would like to focus on visualization and affirmations. Louise Hay is the guru of optimistic thinking and in her recent book ‘Heart Thoughts, a Treasury of Inner Wisdom’ I am reminded that ‘Everything in your life - every experience, every relationship - is a mirror of the mental pattern that is going on inside of you,’ as Louise explains. So what is going on in my mind not only directly affects my health but the details in the lifestyle in which surrounds me. Healthy thoughts matter!

Coming into the present moment as much as possible is a great start. The part of us that worries about body image, past experiences or future circumstances in a negative way is really trying to be our friend. It is just a part of us that is trying to protect us from danger, embarrassment or failure. The problem is if these habits are allowed to take over, these fearful thoughts can leave us stuck and unable to move forward for fear of more going wrong.

Affirmations are statements that encourage us to live bravely with courage and determination.  We have to believe our dreams or something even greater than we can imagine for ourselves is coming true e.g. ‘Everyday things are getting better and better.’

Visualization is more like an image or scene we picture in detail. I could picture myself teaching meditation and mindfulness in front of a large group of like-minded friends. What can you imagine for yourself? Visualization is like looking into the future through the eyes of gratitude and wonder found in the present moment. It is free from doubt and anxiety. It is trusting, it is strong and clear, accepting and in tune with the abundant stream of opportunity all around us. 

If my mind is a ‘garden’ then mindfulness, visualization, affirmations and meditations are the fertilizers; the present moment is the water and a sense of trust or faith is the soil. And the Sun.. Well that is the life running through my veins. If what Louise says is true than the garden we grow within, becomes the harmony we can experience today.