In previous years I have chosen a word to hold onto for the year, something to focus on and turn to for inspiration, for example in 2017 my word for the year was ‘Ease’. However at the start of 2018 I couldn’t settle on a word, but as the year has gone on there has been one word that has kept coming into focus. It has become apparent that the word very much needed for this season of my life is ‘Faith’.

It’s been a little while since I posted here. I totally lost myself in a slow summer and spent as much time as possible with my family. Now, I am feeling all full up on a summer of love and ready to be present in this space again with you all.

Back to school is a big transition for us grown-ups as well as the little people in our lives. I don’t know about you, but for me it’s a mix of feeling ready to go, and needing to find my feet again, as we all get used to being back in a more structured routine.

Some of you may have seen on social networks that I have been planning a day retreat with Emma Harris from A Quite Style. I am really excited to be able to finally share with you some details about the day retreat which will be taking place this autumn.

‘Gather and Tend‘ offers you space to slow down and find some quiet through creativity and nature. Time to breathe deeply, time to relax, time to soak in your surroundings and enjoy the present moment.

Just a quick one from me today to let you know that I have put together a free guide to Slow Living in our Digital Age to help you be more mindful with your time online and on your handheld devices.

Our phones are brilliant at keeping us connected but we need to find a healthy and happy balance and make sure we are intentional with how we use them so that the time we do spend online is productive and positive.

Sometimes I think music is my church. It’s the place I go to, to feel that everything is connected and intertwined, a place to find and feel something outside of myself, a higher state of consciousness. It’s also a place to get reflective and have some space to think about what is happening in my life and to let the weekly/daily happenings settle. Finally, it’s something to turn to when things don’t make sense and I feel a little lost. 

Time and time again I have listened to music and found the answers to questions that weren’t even fully formed in my mind. Music has the ability to express things that words alone cannot.

I shared this quote a while ago in my Facebook Group Seeking Slow and it seemed to resonate with lots of you… ”Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are.” ~ Chinese Proverb

I therefore thought it would be useful to unpick this concept a little more, and a good starting point is learning to recognise how we physically hold tension in our body.