🔭 The Present Perspective Newsletter 👑 As you wish — what we can learn from the Princess Bride Love can sometimes feel unmistakable, whether in the presence of a child, a partner, a dear friend or an animal. At other times, it may feel distant, obscured by hurt, fear, grief or exhaustion. Learning from The Princess Bride, we can explore a larger possibility: that love may be more than a passing feeling. It may be a capacity within us, one we do not need to force, but turn towards and nurture....
26 days ago • 6 min read
🔭 The Present Perspective Newsletter 🏃➡️What are you rushing towards? Most of us do not consciously choose to rush through life. We simply become caught in its momentum, moving from one task, plan or distraction to the next. But when we stop, even briefly, something important can come into view: the life we are actually living, what genuinely matters to us and whether the two are aligned. “We have two lives, and the second begins when we realise we only have one.” ― Confucius Dear Reader We...
about 1 month ago • 6 min read
🔭 The Present Perspective Newsletter 🌿The relief of being here Our bodies live in the present, but our minds are accomplished time travellers. We revisit conversations that have already happened, rehearse situations that may never occur and try to solve tomorrow before it arrives. Explore the relief that can come when we step out of this mental movement and return to what is physically here. Not by forcing the mind to become quiet, but by allowing the body, the breath and the immediate world...
about 1 month ago • 6 min read
🔭 The Present Perspective Newsletter 🧘♂️When “I should meditate” becomes “I did” There is a particular kind of frustration that comes from knowing something would probably be good for us, while also not quite doing it. Meditation often sits in this category. Here's how to make that first step smaller, easier and much more doable. “A small daily task, if it really be daily, will beat the labours of a spasmodic Hercules.” — Anthony Trollope Dear Reader Almost everyone is “interested” in...
about 2 months ago • 6 min read
🔭 The Present Perspective Newsletter 😁 The happiness we keep overlooking—the delight of being. We spend much of our lives searching for happiness in what we can do, achieve or acquire. Yet mindfulness gently reveals that there is another source of wellbeing that has been quietly available all along—the simple delight of being. "The little things? The little moments? They aren't little." — Jon Kabat-Zinn Dear Reader As human beings, we have an extraordinary capacity to experience pleasure....
about 2 months ago • 6 min read
🔭 The Present Perspective Newsletter ⚓ When life feels heavy — lighten your load Sometimes life can feel heavy. We may feel trapped by circumstances, weighed down by uncertainty, or caught in experiences we never asked for. Yet mindfulness offers a surprising paradox: perhaps freedom does not come from escaping these moments, but from meeting them with compassion, courage and wisdom. "I am 83 years old, I will die. The cause of death is birth. The only real things in life are food and love,...
2 months ago • 7 min read
🔭 The Present Perspective Newsletter 💗When difficult emotions show up, try this Sometimes the most difficult part of meditation is not becoming aware of what we are feeling. It is knowing what to do when we find it. This week we explore RAIN, a simple yet powerful mindfulness practice that can help us meet difficult thoughts and emotions with greater awareness, kindness, and understanding. "The simple act of bringing attention to our experience is itself transformative."— Tara Brach Dear...
3 months ago • 8 min read
🔭 The Present Perspective Newsletter 🔧What if nothing about you needs fixing? Beyond the mental health benefits, mindfulness and meditation can deeply enhance our feelings of connectedness, to ourselves, others and life. "Compassion is simply the wish that things be different. Compassion is the wish to give love and attention to that which hurts." — Sharon Salzberg Dear Reader Meditation is one of the most effective practices we have for supporting mental health and wellbeing. Research shows...
3 months ago • 6 min read
🔭 The Present Perspective Newsletter ✋The five foundations of mindfulness (that can quietly change your life) We may be familiar with mindfulness but not be acquainted with the traditional “five foundations” that sit beneath it. These foundations offer a practical way of understanding how mindfulness actually works in daily life. They help us recognise our reactions more clearly, understand the mind more deeply, and become more aware of the habits and patterns shaping our experience. Far from...
3 months ago • 6 min read