Mindful Gail April Newsletter
- gailcalthrop
- Apr 12
- 5 min read
Updated: Apr 13
Hello Everyone,
Welcome to my April newsletter and what a glorious sunny start to April it is! Blue skies, warmer breezes and bright sunlight that chases the last of the winter grey cobwebs away.
Awesome April Intentions:
Let’s make April a month of setting the intention to notice and feel awesome pause moments that nourish, sustain and grow our resilience and well being. In these times of turbulence and change all over the world, and with our own often uncertain and anxious times, it is helpful to notice that our aggressive worrying and stressing does very little to change what we cannot change. It does however affect our sense of well being, create never ending circles of stress and anxiety that the mind and body get caught up in, and life can feel so troubled and grey. It is evidenced that our bodys inflammatory markers go up, our blood pressure rises, out muscles tighten and hold, and we find ourselves in the fight, flight and freeze mode most of the time. Exhausting for our mind, body and being and often harmful for all aspects of our health.
Yet, within the ordinary day to day life, tiny joys and pleasures can be found that boost and enhance the quality of our life, but which are so easily swamped by the mind’s negativity bias. When we practise noticing, accepting and letting go we can apply this to both negative moments and to noticing, experiencing and letting in joyful moments too! So, lets strengthen the neurons that help us feel better, more resilient and resourced with practising finding awesome moments this April. Make a point of stopping and feeling/noticing what is ok, good, pleasant right now. It is often the simplest of things that liberate the feel good endorphins, the antidote to the adrenaline and cortisol mode, like the first taste of the tea, the softness of the soap on your hands, the sighing out of the breath, the warmth of the sunlight, the birdsong, the touch of the velvet cushion or your pet’s fur. Practise this as many times as you can, tiny meditative pause moments that strengthen and build your well-being. Let me know how you get on.
POEM
Look up and you’ll see the sky.
Look down and you’ll see the ground.
Look for anger, you’ll find it.
Look for joy, there it is.
Look for fear, find it staring back at you.
Look for hope, and feel its warm embrace.
You decide where to look.
Where are you going to look today?
By Nick Ortner
NATURE is our friend
I have found being in Nature one of the most mindful places to be to become mindful myself. Nature does not agonise over every detail or situations, or ruminate over how many pathways there may be. Nature adapts and flexes and finds the way through and around to not just survive, but to thrive. It responds to change and upset with an innate rhythm to find the best ways to be and grow. You may have noticed that allowing your senses to become absorbed by Nature, sight, sound, taste, smell and touch, is calming for you. The time at a lake or by the sea; the woodlands and forests and the hills and mountains trails and walks. The simplest of moments in the garden watching the butterflies dance around the buzzing bees, watching the clouds scud across the sky, feeling the grass under your feet and the sun warming your bones. Letting this deep connection Natures rhythms be felt and experienced is steadying and balancing for our day to day life.
I have come across Hugh Asher who is a huge fan of Nature and in particular trees/woods/forests and the benefits they bring to well being and health. Have a look at his website.
NEWS
I am delighted to see a fellow Breathworks Mindfulness Teacher, Francesca Anderson, recently appeared in Robson Greens Weekend Escapes.
Francesca introduced Robson and Helen Skelton to simple mindfulness practices to ease tension and counter balance our inherent negativity bias. Have a look, she appears about 12 minutes into the programme. The power of Breathworks Mindfulness, always beautiful. WATCH HERE!
Mindful Events Coming up:
Monthly On-Line Mindful Drop In
Wednesday 12th March 7-8pm:.
Just £10 per session or £35 for four booked sessions.
If we want to find the changes that help us be more easily in life, it can help to have a regular longer practice time. This is when joining my on-line Monthly Mindfulness Drop In, 7pm-8pm, in the middle of the month, usually a Wednesday evening, can be of help. If you want to try it, the first session is free, and subsequent sessions are £10 or £35 for 4 booked and prepaid sessions. The next one is Wednesday 16th April. Message me for the link and more information.
Martina and I will be sharing a nourishing and empowering Body, Mind and Being Day May 3rd where we will exploring and develop ways and skills to balance and ground us and open up to benefits of finding joys in the everyday life we all lead. Join us at Little Birch, come and explore with an Aconbury Woods walk, releasing stretches of the body and mind, learn skilful self massage ways and approaches and rest into mindful meditations to restore and renew all aspects of ourselves. To book your place click on the link!
Future Dates for the dairy:
In June, 8th and 9th, I will be in the Wild and Well area at Hellens Garden Festival. I always enjoy sharing mindfulness sessions in this amazing Festival which is full of so much to experience and do for all the family. Have a look at their website and if you can, plan your day there and come to one of my sessions, 2.30 every day. Tickets can be bought only on-line (here) so make sure you book soon!
Wishing you awesome April moments and adventures.
With kindest regards,
Gail
YOU TUBE
I have now added some new videos, please check them out!
I also recorded a few meditation videos during Covid and put them onto a YouTube channel. Their content can be helpful now as it was then, so have a look if you would like to follow guided practices. Follow the link HERE!
What I Offer...
Get in touch
Mindfulness crept into my life about 12 years ago after I completed a Mindfulness Based Reduction for Stress Course [MBSR], offered by my workplace, a Hospice. The teachings touched a need in me to want to experience life in a calmer and more enjoyable way; to find ways to be present helpfully to the way my life was unfolding rather than engage in battling with the automatic behaviours with repeating conflicting thoughts and emotions, with all the attendant emotional and physical fallouts.
Comments