🔭 The Present Perspective Newsletter

😤 Think. Pause. Breathe.

Thinking, planning and problem-solving are our human super-powers, but left unchecked they can distract us from our real life. Explore what happens when we restore the balance and gently return to the intelligence of the present moment.

“How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.”
— Annie Dillard
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Dear Reader
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​The Brilliance of the Thinking Mind

As humans, our thinking mind is extraordinarily powerful. We only need to look at the vast knowledge we have accumulated, the technological breakthroughs we have made, and the extraordinary advances in health, medicine and engineering. Our intellect has played a central role in the rapid increase in human lifespan and the many improvements to our quality of life.

Yet the obvious and towering power of the intellect can be so compelling that we lose sight of other, less visible but equally vital aspects of our humanity.

When We Live One Step Removed

When our lives become overly dominated by analysing, planning and thinking, something subtle can begin to slip out of view. It is not that thinking is wrong or unhelpful, but that an imbalance creeps in. We start to live at one step removed from our own experience, caught in abstraction, trying to predict, manage or control life rather than meet it directly.

Often this comes from a lack of trust in life as it is, a sense that we need to stay mentally vigilant in order to feel safe. And in doing so, we can miss the quiet, ordinary joys that are already here. The aliveness of this moment fades into the background. By gently restoring the balance, by coming back into direct contact with what we are seeing, feeling and sensing, we begin to reclaim our real life again, moment by moment.

The Life That Is Already Here

If all we do is theorise, plan, debate, analyse and think, we miss out on some of the most rewarding aspects of being alive. We miss the aliveness, wonder and quiet joy of this very moment. The feeling of a breeze on our cheek, the sun on our face, the laugh of a child, the warm gaze of a friend, the playful meow of a cat, the sound of rain on the roof.

Even as you read these words, you may notice something stirring. A recognition, a longing, a soft remembering, a sigh of relief, a small and simple happiness.

Finding Yourself

This is one of the reasons mindfulness and meditation are such powerful practices. By bringing us into the here and now, by reorienting and grounding us in the present moment, an entirely different world opens up.

Our whole being responds. Mind and body begin to settle. We recognise what is good for us, not as an idea, but as a felt reality. What we see, hear, smell, taste and touch feels right. There is a sense of groundedness and stability, of being placed rather than scattered. We find our centre.

Instead of being lost in abstraction, we are found in the immediacy of experience, quietly brought home to ourselves.

Belonging

This is also where connection naturally arises. We experience a deeper connection with ourselves and with our lives, because we are actually feeling them. And from this place, our connection with others deepens too. There is an ease and intimacy that does not need to be manufactured.

Because we feel ourselves, we can feel others. From here, a simple sense of belonging emerges. We belong on this Earth, in this moment, and amongst other human beings.

When the Mind Becomes Overwhelming

The mind, they say, is a wonderful servant and a terrible master. Most of us know the particular agony of overthinking; of being caught in cycles of worry, self-criticism, rumination or mental replay. It creates a uniquely exhausting kind of suffering.

Often this points to an over-reliance on the mental faculty. We try to live our lives through thinking alone, rather than through the wisdom of the body and the intelligence of feeling. Life becomes abstracted, thin, hollow and often painful.

Restoring Balance

The gift of mindfulness and meditation is that they invite us to settle back into the present moment. They allow obsessive thinking and over complication to loosen, naturally and without force. We begin to realise that we do not need to solve life, control it, or work it all out.

Instead, we start to feel the natural buoyancy and support of life as it is, and allow ourselves to be held by it.

We do not abandon the intellect. We still think, plan and analyse. But now these capacities are in service to our deeper intentions, our body and our felt sense of what is true. Thinking becomes one dimension of our being, not the whole of it.

And we always have the option to soften around our thoughts, to return to the body, to the present moment, and to take a long breath out.

​Befriending Anxiety: 60-Minute Live Workshop Wednesday, 4 February 6.30 – 7.30pm AEDT​

Learn how to make peace with anxiety so you can live life with more ease.

Anxiety can be one of those things that helps energise us to get through our 'To do' list with a sense of urgency ...

Or it can be debilitating, have you feeling on edge and nervous about what's coming up, or replaying a conversation that didn't go so well.

During this session, Nat will share insights and techniques that you can use to loosen the grip that anxiety has on your life and even see it as a friend that's there to help and guide you.

In this workshop, you'll gain:

• An understanding of anxiety, including the neuroscience behind why anxiety is important for human evolution.
• A toolkit of options that you can draw upon in the heat of the moment to help reduce your anxiety.
• A new perspective of living with your anxiety as a friend that is there to support and guide you.

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Workshop: Befriending Anxiety​
​Date: Wednesday, 4 February
​Time: 6.30pm – 7.30pm AEDT (Sydney Time)
​Facilitator: Nat Mallia​
Price: $20 Standard Ticket. $35 VIP Ticket (includes recording).

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​🎭 The Nervous System Unmasked: How Stress & Trauma Hijack Your Body (and how to switch back to healing mode)​

You've been doing everything right.

Meditation, yoga, breathing exercises, maybe therapy. You're committed to feeling better.

Yet the anxiety still creeps in, the exhaustion won't lift, the pain persists and your body still feels like it's working against you, not with you.

Maybe you find yourself overthinking every little decision ... what to cook, what to wear, what to say ... because somehow every decision feels like your life depends on it.

Or your alarm goes off and it feels like you've only just fallen asleep, you need coffee just to get moving, and then you get into bed exhausted but your brain won't switch off.

Here's what most people don't realise: Your nervous system can TRAP YOU in this state.

If this sounds like you, I invite you to join me for this eye-opening journey.

This three-part program is designed to help you finally understand what's been keeping you trapped in anxiety, exhaustion or pain, and give you a taste of what's possible when you work WITH your nervous system and transform your health from the inside out.

Here's what you'll discover:

Part 1: The hidden secret to why your anxiety, exhaustion, pain and health challenges aren't getting better and why your nervous system is actually trying to protect you.

Part 2: How cortisol (your stress hormone) is affecting your sleep, energy, gut health and immune system and how to reset it with a simple 14-day Cortisol Rhythm Reset.

Part 3: How to create calm anytime, anywhere, with simple somatic exercises and vagal toning practices.

By the end of these three sessions, you'll finally:

• understand WHY you feel the way you do, ​
• experience what it feels like when your nervous system actually shifts, and
• have practical tools to start feeling calmer and more in control.

3-Part Program Details: Book Now.

Date: A second course has been added for those who couldn't make the original time.

Tuesdays: Starts 3 Feb | 3.30pm Perth | 6.30pm Sydney | 8.30pm Auckland.

Thursdays: Starts 5 Feb | 1.00pm Perth | 4.00pm Sydney | 6.00pm Auckland.

Facilitator: Nat Mallia

Venue: Live on Zoom. Replay available and yours to keep in the Calm Mind Academy Library

Investment: Normally $147, available now for $97 with code BREATHE97

Book now! If you're ready to transform your health from the inside out, book here now.

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If you have any questions, email Nat at nat@wellnessnat.com​

​Begin 2026 With a Mindfulness Professional Supporting You​

One on one work with a certified mindfulness teacher can make a lasting impact on your quality of life.
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It provides a supportive, evidence-based yet intuitive modality that is highly effective for reducing anxiety, improving relationships, increasing self-worth or exploring the deeper aspects of emotional and psychological healing.

​Find a certified mindfulness teacher to work with now.

🧘‍♀️ Mini Mindfulness Exercise: Coming Back into Balance

Duration: 5–10 minutes

1. Take a moment to settle your posture, either sitting or standing, and allow your body to be supported by the ground or the chair beneath you.
2. Gently notice where your attention has been living today. Has it mostly been in your thoughts, planning, analysing or replaying conversations? There’s nothing to change here, just notice.
3. Now bring your awareness into the body. Feel the weight of your body. Notice the contact points where you are supported.
4. Slowly take in your surroundings through the senses. Notice one sound you can hear, one sensation you can feel, and one thing you can see.
5. Take a slow breath in through the nose, and a long breath out through the mouth. Let the body soften a little on the exhale.
6. Rest here for a few moments, sensing the simplicity of being here rather than figuring anything out.
7. Before you finish, quietly acknowledge that thinking is welcome, but it does not need to run the show right now.

Why This Reflection Helps

This question invites a moment of honest self-reflection, without judgement. Simply noticing where we tend to live our lives from helps restore choice. Awareness is the first step in rebalancing, and from there, small shifts back into presence become possible.

🧘‍♀️ Intro to Mindfulness and Meditation Courses

Learn mindfulness and meditation with a certified mindfulness teacher at a public course. Over 40,000 people have attended the Mindfulness Works Introduction to Mindfulness and Meditation Course.
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Reduce anxiety, improve sleep and increase self-acceptance with mindfulness.

Williamstown, starts 3 February 2026. See details and book here: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/introduction-to-mindfulness-and-meditation-tickets-1976803649931?aff=oddtdtcreator​

Geelong, starts 4 March 2026. See details and book here: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/introduction-to-mindfulness-and-meditation-tickets-1976806112296?aff=oddtdtcreator​

🏡 Coming Home to Yourself — 7-Day Silent Meditation Retreat, Healesville, VIC:
11–17 February, 2026 — Only 6 Places Left​

Step into a world of calm, depth and self-love. Experience an environment of safety, silence, beauty and natural ease.

This retreat provides an exceptional chance for self-love, self-forgiveness and self-acceptance.

​Book your place now.​

Teachers: Karl Baker and Stephen Archer
​Location: Maitripa Retreat Centre, Healesville, Vic
​Dates: Wednesday, 11 February – Tuesday, 17 February, 2026.
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💗 Awakening to Self-Love — 6-Day Silent Meditation Retreat, Bowral, NSW:
7–12 March, 2026​

Allow the beautiful and serene natural environment and meditation support your wellbeing as you are invited into a simple schedule that includes regular silent sitting and walking mindfulness meditations, instruction periods and check-ins with the teachers.
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​Book your place now with a $500 deposit.​
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Teachers: Karl Baker and Stephen Archer
​Location: Hartzer Park Retreat Centre, Bowral, NSW
​Dates: Saturday, 7 March – Thursday, 12 March 2026
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💗 The Essence of Self-Love, Premium 6-Day Silent Meditation Retreat, Byron Bay, NSW​ — May and June 2026​

The Essence of Self-Love Retreats at Sangsurya, Byron Bay are the premium retreat offerings of 2026.
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These retreats feature incredible artisan accommodation, a stunning retreat centre setting and an on-site chef, Todd Stream-Cameron providing world-class meals.
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​Book your place now with a $500 deposit.​
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Teachers: Karl Baker and Stephen Archer
​Location: Sangsurya Retreat Centre, Byron Bay, NSW
​Dates:
​May Retreat: Friday, 8 May – Wednesday, 13 May 2026 — LIMITED PLACES LEFT​
​June Retreat: Friday, 19 June – Wednesday, 24 June 2026 - LIMITED PLACES LEFT​
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💗 The Ease of Being, Luxury Weekend Retreat, Noosa, 29–31 May​ 2026 ​

When was the last time you truly stopped, breathed, and let yourself simply be?

This premium three-day meditation retreat offers a rare opportunity to step away from the noise and into a world of effortless relaxation, deep presence and quiet luxury.

“The Ease of Being retreat gave me the gift of a weekend filled with peace and calm – time out in a beautiful, natural setting away from the demands of everyday life.” — Christine Donnelly​
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​Book your place now with a $250 deposit.​

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Teacher: Karl Baker
​Location: Senses Beach Rd Holiday Homes, Noosa North Shore
​Date: Friday, 29 May – Sunday, 31 May
​Price: From $895 all inclusive
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🏢 Workplace Mindfulness Training

Nationwide in-person or online mindfulness training for workplaces.
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– Build team mental and emotional resilience.
– Improve mental fitness.
– Reduce burnout with practical strategies.
– Enhance team communication and connection.

​Get a customised program and free quote.
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🤔 Mindful Check-In. Vote to See Results

Why this reflection matters

This question invites a moment of honest self-reflection, without judgement. Simply noticing where we tend to live our lives from helps restore choice. Awareness is the first step in rebalancing, and from there, small shifts back into presence become possible.

📝 Mindful Meme of The Week

📩 Ideas? Comments? Complaints?

​Respond to this email.