Mindful Gail July 2026 Newsletter
- Jul 7
- 4 min read
Welcome to my Newsletter.
Hello Everyone,
June ran away from me, it was such a busy month, mindful Art explorations, quiet evening sessions, Retreat Days with teams from the NHS, and so much more. And, I have been delighting in the sheer exuberance of the summer blooms, and melting in the heat waves!
When things feel so hot, it is so easy to feel overwhelmed. I found the simplest of pause actions to have the greatest effect. I put my feet in a bowl of cool water and revel in the water’s smooth lapping over them, through the toes, splashing up the ankles, taking in the glittering droplets and different shimmerings of light. It is often the ordinary, tiny mindful actions that help you manage the moments of now that then manage all the moments of your day better.
What pause moments help you?
Nature is your friend
This is not a maybe. The research shows that, according to the Attention Restoration Theory, resting and focusing our attention in Nature's many environments can help replenish our capacity and ability for paying attention in a gentle, effortless way.’ It can be so hard in our relentless pace of life to pause, step into now with less judgement and pressure to achieve and succeed. Nature offers a way to reattune with our natural rhythms that are echoed in Nature's thrum, the movement of the tree branches, the call of the birds, the sunlight through woodland, the dancing butterflies and the still water of a pond. All offer a gentle fascination to be in the moment, creating space for reflection without draining our energies. This supportive exposure of natures abilities can only benefit our well being. Whether it’s from a few minutes gazing at the sky, exploring the multi layers of a tree bark, listening to the hum of the buzzing bee, to an immersive forest walk, bathing in the many different lights and colours, resting on the mossy mounds, and letting the varied sounds settle in you. All of these give an intuitive space and time to quietly balance and settle our nervous system.
Do have a look at the following article which gives more fascinating details of why Nature is your friend. READ IT HERE!
To find the inner space of stillness
Threading the needle.
By Larry Schug
To find [or lose] yourself,
Seek the place where you go
When you thread a needle;
To the timeless, seamless place
Where there exists only
the fingers on your one hand
Holding the thread,
Wetted in in your mouth,
Twisted to a point;
the fingers on your other hand
Holding the needle
Eye to eye,
breathless.
Only when the thread
Passes through the needle’s eye
Do you return
To your turbulent, breathing life.
Up coming Events:
SAVE THE DATE!
November 8th Mindful Retreat Day at Hellens Manor.
Booking details soon.
Drop me an email if you want to be the first to know when bookings open.
FREE On-line Monthly Meditation: 15th July 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 24th July 6.30-8.30pm an opportunity to connect to your calmer self, and gently unfold into each moment with meditations, mindful movement and
approaches.
Coming soon... a late Autumn Retreat Day
Mindful Christmas Willow Weaving Retreat Day. Your chance for an inspirational and enlivening day, learning how to make seasonal willow works, using a focussed and engaged awareness. Lively and reflective, this Retreat Day will engage all your senses to find the power of connected, creative attention so you will make stunning and beautiful willow creations. Join myself and Willow expert Ruth Denison,@black.barn.baskets. Watch this space, date to be confirmed.
Recent Events:
Mindful Art Day, The Creative Pause, at Little Birch.
Such a special experience of creative reflective and intuitive mindfulness. Everyone brought a willingness to ‘take the pencil for a walk’, in the woodland stroll and back in the hall, to feel the spaciousness of the pause, letting whatever imaginative impulse arise and arrive on the paper, in movement, in the heart. Thank you to everyone who shared their time and beautiful energy.
Feedback included:
Love the combination of creativity and meditation
Fun, light, real, stimulating, calming
The space to be creative without judgement and expectation
Nurturing and peaceful, inspiring
NHS RETREAT DAY at Hellens Manor, Much Marcle.
Hellens was the most perfect venue for an NHS team Retreat Day. A day to soften and unfold without expectations or goal setting, and allowing the spacious stillness within us to arise and reflect in. Laughter, movement and sound throughout the day, a chance to be and feel restored and replenished, so beneficial for the team.
If you have any questions, want to more about any of my mindful offers, let me know.
I hope you will be able to keep cool in the heatwave. Slow down, dangle your feet in water, take the time to pause, again and again, your nervous system will thank you.
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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