Present and Mindful Living

Cheryl Mindful Living Blog 18 Comments

In the Moment with Here and Now Health Services

Where to Start?

I have been writing ‘forever.’ Since the moment my mother gifted me with my first ‘diary’ as a child, I have been capturing the essence of my life through words. Words are my means of creative expression, and my way of making meaning of my place in the world. As my writing has evolved over time, I came to a place several years ago where I knew that a Blog could be useful in both my personal and professional world. But some questions kept me stuck: ‘Where do I start, what do I write about, how do I manage another commitment, how do I offer something that might make a difference to others?’

This month I was finally gifted with that answer.  So this is where my blog story begins.

Present Living

Crystal Bowl Concert Sugarridge

David Hickey’s Crystal Bowl Concert

A couple of weeks ago I attended a Crystal Bowl Concert at Sugar Ridge Retreat Centre in Wyebridge. If you haven’t been there, it’s a lovely spiritual spot tucked into the woods, backing up against the Wye Marsh Wetlands, and it brings a wealth of holistic health opportunities to our area. I have attended a Crystal Bowl Concert before, so I was looking forward to it. For whatever reason, the sound therapy I personally experienced on that day was ‘uncomfortable.’ I found myself having to surrender to whatever was happening in my body and just let it be. Remarkably, I was able to hold myself completely in the present, observe myself in it as ‘witness’, and surrender to the physical responses waving through my body. The surrendering was incredibly powerful and shifting, and in that, I had a breakthrough. I was gifted with the answer as to where to start my blogging journey. It was to take our tag line … ‘Step Out of the Ordinary and Into the Moment’ … as a point of focus to offer personal and professional musings about our offerings from the perspective of Present and Mindful Living. In my minds’ eye the title thus appeared … ‘In the Moment with Here and Now Health Services.’

I also realized that my desire to live a more organic, flowing daily rhythm at this stage of my life means that I can play with the idea of ‘commitment’ and what that means. It doesn’t have to mean a weekly post at a weekly time. It can mean a commitment to myself to offer something out when I am in flow with my blogging vision.

Mindfulness in Every Day Life

The month of March has brought some beautiful mindful moments for Dino and I. In addition to this blogging breakthrough, we have celebrated my birthday, had two trips to Scandinave Spa in Collingwood, and participated in a Despacho Ceremony with a visiting Andean Shaman at Suzanne Dobsinsons’ healing space in Innisfil. These joy based moments offered much needed breaks from the ‘routine’ of our life, and of course offered easy opportunities for practicing mindful living. Staying present at all times however, despite the emotional state at hand, is another issue. Our experiences in March are not typical for us.  Like many self-employed people, we have to ‘work’ at finding time to ‘play,’ to ensure balance in our lives, to practice what we preach each and every day, and we acknowledge that we are a work in progress. 😉

The Interruption

In between these calming and grounding moments, the routine of life went on, each day filled with the things we love about our daily life and the opportunity to be of service to our community. Of course, it also brought the usual array of chores and daily responsibilities that make life tick. Then there was ‘the interruption.’

Fully engulfed home fire

Fully Engulfed Life

Last Sunday, Dino was called out on his volunteer firefighter duties to a fully engulfed house fire. It’s been a long time since he had such a call, and we both knew the time commitment his response would require. We each had to brace ourselves, take a breath, and re-arrange our plans for what was to be a quiet, low key, ‘catch up’ day around the house.  I love what he offers to our community in his role as Volunteer Firefighter. I don’t always love what it means for our life. But with that big breath, we took a moment to remember the importance of his calling, and then he headed out the door. It was the second call, back to back, in one day.

After 12 hours away from the house, we debriefed his experience. He told me quite proudly that he found himself able to act with extreme focus and discipline on the particular job to which he was assigned. I could not help but think that our many years of practicing present and mindful living helped him do this. But he recognized that the repeated training exercises meant to prepare the firefighters for such an event had also paid off for him.

For me, the image of a fully engulfed home ablaze in flames provided a critical metaphor for the way in which many of us live our lives, and I could not help but think: “How do we manage that? How do we manage to stay calm amidst the chaos? How do we stay mindful amidst the abundance of a fully engulfed life?” Key word: ‘Practice.’ Mindful Living takes ‘practice.’ Staying present takes ‘practice.’ We are all ‘practicing’ in our own way, each and every day.

My Reflection

In one short month, I have observed myself in polar emotional states. From discomfort to bliss to joy to worry … and I have remained mindful through them all. I find myself pleasantly surprised as I come to recognize that my years of practice are finally paying off. I don’t doubt that I live a ‘fully engulfed’ life! Some days that means abundance rains over me and I am grateful. Other days it means the demands of my abundant life get the best of me.   As I step back and reflect on what experiences March has brought to me, I ask:   “How do I remember with grace that in the moment someone was losing their home, I was being given a lesson in staying present and finding gratitude?”  “How can I continue to be present and mindful amidst my fully engulfed life, and what skills can I carry forward from these moments so that I create more of them in the future?” Like I said, I am a work in progress!

What About You?

March also brought the arrival of Spring Solstice. It’s the time of year in which we turn to the planting of seeds, the embracing of new beginnings, the changing of direction if we so choose. As you read through my musings, and you reflect on the month of March for you, I wonder if you can recapture your particular moments of mindfulness in your mind’s eye? Can you remember how you got there? Can you take some nugget from those experiences and bring them forth, in order to practice more moments of Mindful and Present Living as Spring unfolds?

In closing, I would like to leave you with a quote that came to mind while I was writing this post. It was on the front of a journal I was gifted with several years ago when I was embarking on a volunteer trip to Africa.  It seemed so appropriate to me for my trip at that time. And March comes to a close and I embrace the lessons it provided, it seems appropriate to me again as I recall it now.

“Peace.

It does not mean to be in a place where there is no noise, trouble or hard work.

It means to be in the midst of those things and still be calm in your heart.”

Many Blessings and Happy Spring,

Cheryl Moore

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Cheryl Moore is a Social Worker and Holistic Health Practitioner with over 30 years experience in the healing professions.   The purpose of her Blog is to create awareness around the benefits of Mindful Living. She uses a variety of topics and experiences from both her personal and professional life as a point of reflection for writing her posts. She is committed to sharing posts with you only when these pivotal moments of reflection occur for her, not necessarily on a ‘regular basis,’ and not simply because our human framework of time requires her to do so in order to meet someone else’s expectations. If you wish to subscribe and follow her posts, please email us at info@hereandnowhealth.com

 

 

 

 

Comments 18

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  1. Thank you Cheryl. After reading your first blog I felt very calm. I could hear the tone of your voice along with the words. Not just words but beautiful glimpses into your thinking.

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      Sharon, your feedback is greatly appreciated. I am glad you could hear my voice through my words. That is what I had hoped for. Blessings to you.

  2. Hi Cheryl – thank you for sharing your thoughts and experiences through your blog. I have always thought of you as an old soul with a depth of knowledge and insight that is perfectly suited to writing and blogging coupled with the energy, enthusiasm and optimism of one who is eternally young at heart. I look forward to spending 1:1 time with you later this month and, as always, wish you and Dino love and friendship. Lisa xo

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  3. Well done Cheryl! You have so many talents and it is wonderful that you share them so openly with others this way.

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  4. Hello Beautiful Cheryl

    Your words on your new blog are one of the most beautiful compositions I have ever read. I am blown away…again…but this time with such amazement at your talents, skills and creativity. Congratulations on this new project in your life. You are simply amazing! (Just get used to me telling you that!) It is wonderful that Dino shares this journey with you in his own unique way. I particularly loved your deep insight in everything you wrote, especially in regards to the house fire that Dino attended as one of our community heros. You are both heros to me and I hold you both in the deepest of respect and love always. I am very happy you have stepped into this new way of expressing yourself with the world. You both offer so much to your friends, families as well as strangers. My own life…& Rob’s too…has been enhanced greatly by your friendship. I know that those who venture here to read your insights will be blessed and encouraged. Thank you dear one, for being You.

    Agape
    Bev

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  5. Not what I expected…..I was expecting a business blog and instead it felt like a treat to read your words of wisdom and personal insights.As you shared your connection and self reflections,I also felt a deeper connection to myself and dropped in to that mindful presence.Cheryl, your words soothe my soul.Thank you my dear friend.

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      😉 I am glad I could surprise you my friend and your sentiments are what I hoped for. That people would connect to themselves and find their own centered place. Thank you for sharing.

  6. Thank you for the beautifully written reminder to stay present. I look forward to the next lesson. You are gifted and we are lucky to have you in our lives.
    Nicole xo

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      Thanks for reading Nicole. I appreciate your comments and I am glad the article was a good reminder for you. 🙂

  7. Reading this on a sunny Saturday April morning, alone with my tea and kitty cat snuggled up, my husband still sleeping, I heard the birds and was just simulation grateful to be able to read your words and smile and be in the moment. Please continue to share your Blog it truly was a great read

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      Happy Saturday Morning Deborah. Thanks for reading for sharing your feedback! Have a beautiful sunny weekend. Hope you ‘subscribed’ for future reads!

  8. Cheryl, you are such beautiful writer. I am always so amazed by writers like you who can describe emotion so wonderfully. Thank you for sharing this, I’m really looking forward to following you 🙂

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