Mindful Gail September 2026 Newsletter
Welcome to my Newsletter
Hello Everyone,
Autumn is arriving with chilly winds, falling leaves and apples, scattered showers and fading light. This is an in between time where summers heat is ushered away in intermittent bursts of chilly breeze and rain filled moments, and just as you reach for the coat or cardi, the sun warmth streams in again, stifling the air in the multi windowed offices. The sweet, sharp tang of Autumns breath hangs in the air as apples underfoot roll the ankles of the unwary walker.
The turquoise sky that closes the day arrives faster and faster, as if on invisible roller skates. And hearing the noise of the dry crackle of leaves that first splay out and then curl up, strewn across the ground like unuly puzzle patterns from the tree gods. The wind wavers between whispering playfully to shaking its power through the woodlands, fields and gardens. Perhaps it feels like a last Summer Hurrah before Nature lets go of harvest abundance and moves towards the beckoning deep stillness of late Autumn and the inner worlds of Winter.
Let these changes be felt as they echo in the rhythm of your body. Feel the thrum of change, the call to store and slow, to celebrate the passing of the season and embrace a different nourishment. Breathe it all in, and all the way out. A moment of pause to steady into the seasonal changes, mind soothed and body softened.
Mindfulness and Time
Recent studies have shown that practising mindfulness can have the effect of slowing time. Now, this isn’t actual slowing minutes down, it is allowing the perception of time to change, how we can experience time itself.
i.e five minutes in a shopping queue feels endless, yet an hour scrolling on our phones can just rush by. If we perceive we have to be other places, it is irritating to ‘wait’ even 5 minutes, the brain mithers and protests. The time on the phone seems fun, engaging, absorbing and gives apparent instant gratification. The queue activates thoughts of being time poor, our stress levels go up, things feel out of sorts.
When we practise mindfulness, we move into present moment awareness, noticing all of the experience and time becomes more expansive, more even and balanced and the mind push of must get/be somewhere, eases, reducing stress and worry.
One Mindful Activity to Mind your Life
When you find yourself in a ‘waiting’ situation, a queue, an appointment, be interested in how you feel. Is there a bubble of irritation, a tightening of your throat, a clenching of your jaw? Can you notice how your thoughts get busy, abit shouty perhaps, nudging you to ‘act’, to somehow change the delay or similar? So often these waits cannot be changed so, now you know that your automatic reactions are in play, take a breath in and out, and very gently hold the top of your thumbs to the top of your index fingers, then your middle fingers, onto your ring fingers and then the pinkies. And as you do this, say to yourself, one, two, three, four, and keep repeating, all the while breathing in and out. Your brain loves repetition, it feels soothed, and your body responds, reducing the stress hormones. Using time in this way becomes a helpful absorbing space.
Try this when ever you want to. I find it very helpful when I notice my mind saying, ‘oh this is endless waiting.’ Let me know how you get on.
FREE RESOURCE FROM BREATHWORKS
I am delighted to share a link to a FREE Link to A COURSE RESOURCE from Breathworks
This Course shared about Methods for Living Well with pain and Illness and it is a resource to keep for life. It is offered free until 30th September so have a look, and if this seems helpful to you, sign up for this resource, soon!
Click here to learn more!
FEEDBACK:
Vidyamala well knows her subject matter and exudes compassion. I highly recommend her course".
"Vidyamala’s course is easily one of the most profoundly helpful learning experiences I’ve ever had. The pain I have experienced on a long term, daily basis has not changed; however my relationship with and my thoughts, feelings and actions regarding that pain have changed.
Up coming Events:
FULLY BOOKED!!
Saturday 1st November 2026
Aymestrey Parish Hall
10:00am to 4:00pm
Mindful Christmas Weaving, all places booked! Thank you for filling this event up so quickly. We do have a cancellation list as often someone is unable to come, so if you are interested, add your name to the list, link on the website.
Sunday 8th November 2026
Helen Manor
9.45 am - 4.30 pm
Resting into Autumns’ Quiet Presence
Venue: Hellens Manor, Much Marcle, Ledbury, HR8 2LY
Cost: £85 to include a light lunch and drinks.
Early Bird Booking; £75 [closes OCTOBER 1st]
There are a few spaces available for this quiet gathering of Autumns energies in the beautiful and Nature rich venue. We will experience nourishing and nurturing mindful practices and meditations to guide us through into the deeper stillness of Winter.
FREE On-line Monthly Meditation:
14th October 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.
Future dates:
18th November
16th December
Monthly Mindful Evenings
2 hours at the Aqua Dolce Studios, Hampton Bishop, Hereford £20
Take the time to regularly encourage and grow your wellbeing in my 2 Hour Monthly evening sessions, sharing this quiet and restorative space with mindful activities and meditations.
Upcoming sessions:
Friday September 25th 6:30-8:30pm £20pp
Friday October 23rd 6:30-8:30pm £20pp
Friday November 27th 6:30-8:30pm £20pp
If you have any questions, please do let me know.
I wish you a peaceful time in the coming month and hope to see you at one of my mindful gatherings.
With love,
Gail
YOU TUBE
I regularly add 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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