2026 - Mindful Living and Connection

Wednesday2000

I'm feeling much better, thanks. I booked a session of Indian Head Massage (with the therapist that gave me reiki) for this weekend. She is studying acupuncture and she told me about a local therapist who is apparently really good. I mentioned this in my class today and quite a few people had heard of him so I might book a session with him this month. I didn't like acupuncture when I had with a Chinese herbalist, but I might try it again as he got such good reviews.

I don't have much to do today so I will just listen to a podcast someone sent me about the Buddhist monks walk for peace. I will probably just veg out and watch TV after that.

leftatthetrafficlights

@Wednesday2000 - I'm glad you're feeling better- I hope the head massage went well! 😁 good luck with the acupuncturist - I'm phobic about needles so not something I'd indulge in!! 😳😂 

It's been an interesting week - not much done as intended due to family illnesses and helping out but I have just gone with the flow - living mindfully is all about being in the moment so I'm not fretting about things not going to plan! 😉 Everyone seems to be improving now though so hopefully next week will be slightly less chaotic 🤞 

Food wise, I've pretty much stuck to the plot apart from the last 2 days when I've felt rough and couldn't face food 🤢 I'm going to do the new menu plan tomorrow when hopefully I'll feel slightly less yacky at the thought 😂 

We've got a busy weekend next weekend as we should be getting the bark and compost delivered plus we have our grandbaby for the weekend - this weekend will be a quiet one so we're going to park ourselves in front of the fire and enjoy the peace 😁 

Anyway, time to get some laundry sorted - have a fab day!! 😁 

leftatthetrafficlights

It's been a lovely weekend - I've read The Art of Living and Transformation & Healing (both by Thích Nhất Hạnh); we went out today and I bought our seed potatoes and seeds; I've spent time listening to meditation music and I had two chamomile teas in the garden at different points this morning - the early one let me enjoy the silence and ethereal nature of the fog and the second gave me the beauty of the sunshine sparkling on the waterfall 😍😁 

Living in mindfulness is going to take a lot of practice - I don't think that I realised how much of the time my mind is either in the past or future or how disconnected my mind and body are! 🤦‍♀️

However, it is starting to seep in; I certainly haven't managed hours of mindfulness throughout the day but I'm increasing the amount of practice time daily and I'm very much feeling the benefit of doing so 😁 

It's New Moon in less than an hour and I'm planning on doing a reading then a yoga nidra practice before sleep - I am going to have a hibiscus and lemon verbena tea before all of that though and do some mindful drinking 😁

Have a fab evening! 

Wednesday2000

Yes, the new moon! My reiki group was lovely last night. What meditation music do you listen to? The woman who gave me a lift last night was playing what she called "reiki" music and I meant to ask her what it was on the way back.

I looked at the weather for next weekend and I just texted two people to cancel one thing I was supposed to be doing and asked if I could join the other event instead. 

I am about to do a meditation as I paid for an app for the year and I haven't even used it yet! I'm going to run a magnesium and lavender salt bath too.

Brie

There some chatter on the decluttering thread about decluttering anger and I'm wondering how I can do this. 

I'm angry with one of my brothers - I think he should apologise for sabotaging our holiday last spring which resulted in me not being at my mom's memorial party.  I don't know whether he thinks he should or whether somehow he thinks he has already.  Some say you should forgive those who have wronged you but I think he would simply taking this at face value as an apology from me for me acting badly.  Not sure how I can resolve that. 

Mediation might work but we're on different continents so that makes it a bit difficult.  I could go there and meet with him and my other siblings but that would cause issues with my OH who is also aggrieved and doesn't give up on these things easily.  So I'm trying to think all of that through as it needs to get sorted at some point else my relationship with the rest of the family is in jeopardy as well - not something I really want.  Add to this I know I must go over there at some point to finalise estate stuff but can't make any plans until there's better communication about what's going on.  Vicious circle!!

I know that having this bothering me causes/supports me having bad habits that I must overcome somehow.

I used to do meditation but don't have the support for that right now and am not seeing a way to restart.  I do find calm listening to music though.  I found this the other day and am really enjoying how it just slows everything down for me.
Bing Videos

Wednesday2000

Brie - have you tried reiki? I did reiki level 1 last year and this will sound bizarre but it almost felt like I was baptised afterwards. I got rid of a lot of deep seated anger I was carrying.

Maybe you can see if you have a reiki group near you or pay for one session? They usually have them at yoga studios or they can give you info.

Brie

Wednesday2000 said:

Brie - have you tried reiki? I did reiki level 1 last year and this will sound bizarre but it almost felt like I was baptised afterwards. I got rid of a lot of deep seated anger I was carrying.

Maybe you can see if you have a reiki group near you or pay for one session? They usually have them at yoga studios or they can give you info.

thanks for the suggestion.  what does it involve?

Wednesday2000

I had one session of Reiki decades ago and I just started having sessions again a couple of years ago with a Reiki master. I then decided to do Reiki level 1 as a woman in my meditation group was raving about her experience. It is placing hands on a person (or you can have hands off if you are uncomfortable) and the therapist sends Reiki energy through you. It sounds very out there, but I was gobsmacked by how different I feel now. It is very healing and gentle. It was really life-changing for me. One of the Reiki masters says she works for the Ministry of Defence doing Reiki for the people working there so it has obviously become more mainstream. I hope this post doesn't come under medical advice on here as it really is a complementary therapy.

Reiki Is Better Than Placebo and Has Broad Potential as a Complementary Health Therapy - PMC

leftatthetrafficlights

@Wednesday2000 - I listen to all sorts - basically I put 'new age music' into YouTube search engine ages ago and just let it suggest stuff - most of it has been lovely and it's easy to go onto the next one if it's not to your taste 😉 

@Brie - personally, the only way for me to 'de-clutter' anger is to accept it is there and try to understand it.

Obviously, I don't know the circumstances around your situation @Brie, but, if it were me, (and this is only a 'for instance' as I don't know what went on so please don't take offence!) I'd be taking a few mindful breaths to get into a calm and compassionate mindset and then I'd explore what actually happened. You state your brother sabotaged your holiday leading to the circumstances where you missed your mum's memorial - I'd be asking myself did he deliberately sabotage the holiday? What were his circumstances around that time? Could it have been a misunderstanding or miscommunication? If you're certain he did do it deliberately - why would he do that? What pain is he carrying that would make him want to do that? Was it a direct result of his actions that caused the absence from the memorial or was it as a result of your decisions based on his actions that caused the absence? What is the purpose of seeking an apology? What do you actually want from it? What purpose will it serve? If one is given, are you going to accept it with an open heart and move on, or are you going to carry the resentment with you regardless?

I find that once I've really looked at things calmly and with compassion (both for myself and the other party) that I no longer carry anger - most things in life that are painful due to others behaviour are caused by ignorance as opposed to a desire to cause pain; when they are not, the person trying to cause the pain is generally trying to deflect their own as they have no understanding of how to deal with theirs and I feel sorry for anyone who is suffering that much that they feel they have no option other than to lash out....

It may be worth listening to some Thích Nhất Hạnh videos on YouTube (type in Plum Village) - he has such a wonderful, compassionate presence and voice which is calming in itself  - his videos (life lessons really!) have been absolutely transformative for me and may help you 🤔 Whatever you try @Brie, I really hope that you find peace and get things sorted 🤞 

Today is a total 'me' day - I've got absolutely nothing I need to do (other than sort dinner) today so I'm currently laying in bed deciding on my options 😁 I've done a meditation and had a chamomile tea so I've made a good start! I'm thinking that I may have a total rest day as I've got the grandbaby this weekend and that will be chaos, or I may go out for a mindful walk down the beach and do a meditation on the sand 🤔  Whatever I ends up doing, I'm going to enjoy my day! 😁  

Hope you have a fab one!! 😁 

Brie

@Wednesday2000
thanks for the thoughts on reiki.  I'll keep it for consideration.

@leftatthetrafficlights
it wasn't deliberate.  But it was thoughtless.