Tuesday 16 October 2012

What do you love? (Nurturing yourself as you nurture your children)

I was lucky enough to attend a talk by Thomas Moore in Findhorn last week - he teaches about what he calls the Care of the Soul. He got me thinking more about what I love, what nurtures me and how important it is to focus on that, especially at this stage of my life when I spend so much time with my lovely little people, who are adorable and also exhausting!

So I thought I would make a list. Here's how it stands at the moment - these are the things I love and try to do or surround myself with as often as possible:

1. Always having flowers around, even if it is just one we cut from the garden and put into our tiny vases on the table


2. Singing (especially when cleaning and washing up!)

3. My weekly zumba session with my sister, Lizzie - desperately trying to keep up with Craig, our hilariously bubbly teacher and laughing a lot

4. Colour - clothes, wallpaint, scarves all nurture me. Pink is definitely my favourite and I just bought myself an Autumn treat of a burgundy scarf with orange deer print. Sounds odd but it is beautiful and cheers me up every day as summer slowly slips away.

5. Reading a good book (slowly but surely) - at the moment I am reading the Earthsea Quartet by Ursula LeGuin and I LOVE it.

6. Great conversations - especially about spiritual matters - with close friends and my lovely family

7. Delicious food (thank goodness Robert loves cooking for me)

8. Going off on mini adventures on my own with no particular goal while someone looks after Bo & Christopher for a couple of hours.

9. Sitting quietly and appreciating the people I love - you can't beat a few moments of gratitude to fill you up...

10. Lots of hugging, snuggling and kissing with whoever in the house will let me

I am always looking for more ideas - please share the ways your nurture yourself each day in the comments... What do you love?


3 comments:

  1. Great post topic Hollie.
    Nurturing myself is a new concept for me. It's only now at the age of 36 I love myself enough to apply face moisturiser every day and night and do so in a loving way. I also take the time to light a candle every morning when I walk into the kitchen and give thanks to the many special people in my life. This nurtures my soul and lastly, another part of my daily nurturing routine has been to burn incense or essential oil.It stirs something deep within and makes me feel good. Such simple thing but when done mindfully, becomes food for my soul.

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  2. I love those, Bron - thanks so much for sharing. I love the idea of lighting a candle in the morning... xx

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  3. Walking the dogs and being in nature. I love it when some time has passed and I realize my mind has been locked into the rhythm of the trees, birds and the footsteps of the pups. It's a mediation, quiet and serene, but livened up a bit by nature and it's wonder:)

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