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Random Acts of Kindness Week

chi garden

In case you didn’t know, it’s Random Acts of Kindness Week. So, in the spirit of Bernadette Russell’s ‘The Little Book of Kindness’, and Eden Communities, I’ve made a little chi garden for my very worthy and unsuspecting yoga teacher, Anna, at EmPower Yoga – Birmingham, who has just completed her Yoga Therapy and Anxiety course, with The Minded Institute. I am forever grateful that she arrived at my gym and in my life, to give me the benefit of her practice. I hope it makes you happy and you enjoy your mojito-scented tea light. Well done, that lady! Namaste

It’s #timetotalkday2018

Time To Talk

When you don’t get enough sleep it’s easy to let your thoughts run away with you and start focusing on the things that you thought you’d resolved and would otherwise have managed to let go of. Instead, you begin searching for something deep within yourself that doesn’t live there any more, rather than accepting that it’s gone. For some, it’s a bit like when you know you’ve left your cashback in the self checkout, but continue to open your wallet, hoping to retrieve it. For others, it’s an overwhelming sense of despair that you thought you’d learnt to live with, but returns, threatening your peace of mind and ability to function at any level.

Know that this emotion is common to many, even if the reason is unique, and that your affliction, physical or mental, is a valid cause for disappointment and a part of living with the sense of loss associated with grief of any kind. You can’t change what happened, but you can change the way that you respond to it and leave room in your heart for everyone and everything that comes your way. While reminding yourself of your vulnerability, also reflect on the strength that it took to recover from that experience, and the beautiful soul that’s been preserved as a result of your growth. You’ve come a long way, my friend; don’t turn back. We’ve got this!

Darren

Making Mindful Moments

MyMindfulMind

How are you starting off the new year?

I’m candle gazing and listening to Sigur Rós, while trying to empty my mind of anything that I didn’t complete, last year, and committing to being more present and productive, this year. It’s time to clear out my mind’s clutter and be honest about how I’m feeling, every day. My mindfulness journal starts here…

Happy New Year!

2018_Diary

Looking back on where 2017 took me and wondering what will fill the pages of 2018. If I’ve learned anything over the years, it’s that life moves too fast and nothing is guaranteed. Your wellbeing, and everything that preserves it, should be your biggest priority, not an afterthought. It’s important to stop once in a while, however uncomfortable the path, to appreciate the present moment and notice how you’re responding to it.

Invest time in people who deserve your respect, and because of the difference that you can make to their lives or the community they belong to. Your neighbours ARE your community; show them kindness and be their reason to do the same. Look after yourself, first, because there is only one you, and your life is valuable to many.

And remember, there’s no insurance payout to compensate for a life, and no refunds on bad choices. Ask yourself this: “If my time was currency, would it be money well spent and did those bad choices lead me to better ones?” Respond with kindness, then reset your intentions to suit the response.

Wishing you a mindful and happy new year. Darren X
#BeMoreChi

Blooms for Bees

Let the trials begin!

White, red or purple Dahlia ‘Mignon’? Place your bets, now!

Dahlia ‘Mignon’ trial seeds 2017 to determine whether the different colours of ‘Mignon’ dahlias vary in their attractiveness to bumblebees, on behalf of Leasowes Walled Garden. www.leasoweswalledgarden.co.uk

Blooms for Bees Coventry University Bumblebee Conservation Trust Garden Organic RHS – Royal Horticultural Society Heritage Lottery Fund

Meadow Sweet

I’ve got my sights set on a wildflower meadow, beyond the silver fir, at the bottom of the garden. No idea where I’ll relocate the – as yet – immature Gunnera Manicata, but I’m sure I can find a solution. Besides, our bees need us and I think my Bramley would be happy to share its home with wildflowers!

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Seek solace in your surroundings.

It might have been a dreadful and dreary day, in the UK, but there is no excuse not to get outside, if you have the means to do so, especially when gardens are all about hope and new beginnings. Despite those events that are outside of our control, sometimes we need to seek solace in our surroundings and remind ourselves that it’s still a beautiful world, however small your particular corner of the world might be. When things seem slightly out of kilter, or your mind is in overdrive, tap into those natural resources that bring you back to a place of safety.

Tomorrow and Friday, I’ll be taking my place on Thrive’s Training and Education programme, learning how to use Social and Therapeutic Horticulture (STH) to benefit people with Mental Health Support Needs. I look forward to increasing my awareness of the importance of horticultural programming and planning, for garden projects, and sharing this experience with you.

Darren