Mindful Gail February2026 Newsletter
- Feb 11
- 4 min read
Welcome to my February Newsletter.
Dear Everyone,
February has arrived with a cold and wet flourish! And yet, the first real light changes are happening, especially in the late afternoons now. Make sure you take a moment or two to notice this gradual opening of the Spring light and with it, the carpets of snowdrops, the unfolding crocus, the spreading daffodils, that all reach up to the growing light.
So this is the perfect time to start wandering in Nature, to walk and notice. And to get in some mindful walking while you do. If we are feeling really too stressed and restless to sit on the mat or chair, not able to focus on the breath or sensations, mindful walking is a great way to connect to the soothing calming part of the nervous system. Feeling how your foot peels off the ground, lifts and travels, and places just in front of you, is absorbing. Being curious about feeling how your other leg and foot feels and balances, and anticipates the next move is so focussing. In this way we engage the rest and digest, feel good part of our nervous system with movement. Have a look at the following article about mindful walking, try the ‘gratitude walk’.. Let me know what you think.
“When we walk like (we are rushing), we print anxiety and sorrow on the earth. We have to walk in a way that we only print peace and serenity on the earth… Be aware of the contact between your feet and the earth. Walk as if you are kissing the earth with your feet.”
Thich Nhat Hanh
Mindful Events Coming up:
FREE On-line Monthly Meditation: February 11th 7.30pm-8pm. This is open to everyone to join.
You can email me on gail.calthrop@gmail.com or fill in the form below and I will send you the Zoom link.
Monthly Mindful Evenings
2 hours at the Aqua Dolce Studios, Hampton Bishop, Hereford £20
Friday 20th February, 6.30-8.30pm an opportunity to connect to your calmer self, and gently unfold into each moment with meditations, mindful movement and approaches.
Experience the Wonder, Wisdom and Delight of a Weekend Retreat
Join me for a very special Weekend that will nurture and nourish all aspects of your wellbeing. The fee of £425 gives you expert facilitators and teachers in: Mindfulness, Yoga, creative activities, Sound Bath, nature bathing, personal Dowsing, with delicious food and drinks and lovely accommodation, and exploration of all of the beautiful gardens and grounds of Hellens. Give yourself a gift, or a gift for a loved one. Book your place now, one ensuite room left, and see all the details of this special event
New release for this retreat: I have two Weekend Day Places available for £190 perfect if you’d love to join the full programme of workshops and activities but don’t require accommodation. You’ll enjoy the same rich schedule, expert guidance, and nourishing food throughout each day.
And introducing my NEWEST EVENT!
A nourishing day of mindfulness and Qigong, inviting you to slow down, reconnect, and restore inner balance, blending gentle movement, meditation, time in nature and quiet reflection.
Join Marsha and myself to rebalance your wellbeing.
Venue: The Heart Centre, Hereford, HR4 8BE
Cost: £85 (includes lunch and drinks)
Early Bird: £75 until 18th March
Deposit: £15 non‑refundable
February is the month of care and love. Time for you to give yourself kindly attention and compassionate time to nurture your wellbeing. Head out into Nature, look up and see the vastness of the sky, look all around and see how Nature is gathering her energies in the buds and green shoots; feel the warming sunshine seep into your bones, and plant your feet firmly on the ground, balance and steady, absorbing the rich and powerful effects of the natural environment. Boost your wellbeing in Nature.
THE CALL OF SPRING!
Sing, sweet Bridie,
of tales untold
of butterflies and bees
and seeds not yet sprung.
Call, young Bridie,
for all to emerge
from the beneath frozen layers
to a world drenched in sun.
The sun…who rises
a little earlier each morning,
a little higher each day
and stays
a little longer each evening.
The cold…which grips
and keeps on gripping
until no longer
can it resist the light,
for little by little
we see the withering
of its hold upon the land.
The first blooms
the snowdrops appear
the first buds come
with the rising sap.
Winter is weakening
sun is strengthening,
as we patiently wait
for Bridie’s song
and spring’s sweet chorus
to erupt.
Author; Sally Pragg
Thank you for reading this and I wish you a lovely February. If you have any questions, please let me know and I hope to see some of you at one of my events.
With love,
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.
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