End The Year With A Grateful Heart

“The ability to wake up to another new day — one with which we will surely need to wrestle and reckon, but one that will also teach and transform us … this is the unpromised gift for which to be grateful.”

I hope that this email lands in your inbox and provides an opportunity for you to stop and come to center. I invite you to re-connect with presence through your senses. What do you see right now? What can you touch and feel? What do you taste? What can you hear? And what can you smell? Gently bring you awareness to your breath. What do you notice now?

I always notice how my morning practice of reflection and gratitude sets me up for the day in a more resourceful way. I then go and swim in the sea or go for a walk before stepping into my day of work and other tasks. There have been a few days this past week when I haven’t been able to do my reflection process and include a swim before an 8am commitment and I can feel that my body does not have enough capacity for a full day. After a self-coaching session I decided it was more important for me to stay committed to my practice because not doing this will impact my health. So, I chose to have a challenging conversation with a contractor so that I could re-establish boundaries and therefore keep the first few hours of my morning for me. This is what matters most to me. It nourishes my nervous system and will benefit my health in the long-term.

I invite you to reflect on what truly matters most for you. What helps you self-regulate and nourish your nervous system? Below are two guided opportunities for this deeper reflection and more.

Take time on 16 December 2023 here in Hermanus to reflect on the past 12 months and all you have experienced, including all your relationships – and make space to honour them all with gratitude. This invitation includes: an inspiring sound journey guided by Almarie with Tibetan bowls, crystal bowls and various other sound instruments – AND I will guide you through a self-reflection and art-process inspired by the sound. We will share self-compassion and grateful-living practices and we will enjoy a wholesome Ayurvedic lunch.

How do we remain grateful in the face of it all?
We come into silence, nourish the nervous system, pay attention. Take time to reflect on all your experiences and relationships; immerse yourself in meditation, sound healing, reflection and creative expression and begin the holidays with a grateful heart.

AND in January 2024 at Temenos Retreat – step into the New Year and all it’s mystery, with a child-like curiosity and begin to create space for more possibility.

An invitation to let go of the need for certainty. Step into the New Year in the present moment and open to possibility. Cultivate curiosity, and the ability to embrace paradox without taking sides. Our greatest challenge lies in accepting ourselves as we are while continuing to learn and let go into the mystery.

Holidays can be challenging for some and before your life gets “too busy” – here’s a reminder of how to keep practicing self-compassion.

Go gently and may this transition in the next few weeks be peaceful for you.

With love and many blessings,

Yours in inspiration,
Karen