I was reminded to appreciate everyday things…
In this issue I review Creative Flow: A Year in my Mindful Life by Jocelyn de Kwant. What I love about this book is the reminder that even focusing on a tiny moment in nature, such as watching clouds drift by or taking the time to listen to birdsong, can help ground us. And the importance of appreciating the everyday, “the magic of little things: clean sheets on the bed, the way the sunrays enter the living room, a bath”. Jocelyn encourages us to be creative as a way to be mindful. I’m not so keen on drawing, but I enjoy finding creativity in my own way, such as taking photos of what I love outdoors.
…so I spent the weekend gathering autumn treasures to make a wreath
The early autumn weather has been so beautiful in the South West, with cold misty mornings and glorious warm sunny afternoons. In the spirit of appreciating everyday things, I’ve been enjoying the sunshine, the shadows it makes, the colours of leaves, the dew on spiders’ webs. I’ve also enjoyed collecting up autumn treasures – pine cones on branches, beech kernels and gorgeous leaves. Having worked on the craft feature of this issue, I’m inspired to make an autumn wreath. I’m not very precise when following recipes or instructions, preferring to understand the general idea and then give it a go. But I think with this wreath that will work! If you create your own, please share a photo on social media.
I discovered a birdsong app!
I love birdsong but am terrible at remembering more than a handful of calls. While reading Alastair Humphreys’ article about outdoor adventures, I discovered a birdsong app called Warblr and have enjoyed giving it a try. Alastair shows us how to encourage our children away from screens and into nature. As a parent of three children aged 14, 12 and 10, I know how tricky it is to find the balance between screen time and real life. Alastair’s advice is great – don’t pitch the outdoors against screens, he writes, as there will only be one winner. Instead, try using apps to rekindle favourite activities from your childhood for a double win – you will have outdoor fun alongside your child while cutting down on intensive screen time.
I was reminded to keep boosting my immunity
I really like the introduction to Benaifer Bhandari’s homeopathy column, where she reminds us to look out for the symptoms or triggers that are showing us we are a little low. For me it centres around sleep – if I have a few unsettled nights, I become susceptible to the coughs and colds around me, so in the autumn and winter I need to remind myself to get to bed in good time, and, if I need a vitamin boost, to enjoy some Venus Rob, made with Sensory Solutions’ recipe!
I thought a lot about breastfeeding
I breastfed all three of my babies and loved it. But reading Amy Brown’s Positive Breastfeeding I realised how little I knew about what I was doing! Amy’s book is full of facts that are fascinating as well as being helpful for people who might be struggling and can use the information to adjust what they are doing or gain the right support. Jade Langton Evans recalls how much she had to learn about breastfeeding as a new mum. She used her experience to inspire her to capture women breastfeeding in a photography project, and she shares her journey and some of her photographs in this issue, enabling us all to reflect on breastfeeding and what support we might need or how we can help to make this the norm again.
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Autumn Medicine Chest: Venus Rob