🔭 The Present Perspective Newsletter

💗 What if your sensitivity is actually your strength?

There is a quiet strength in our ability to feel. Our softness, our sensitivity, the very things we are often taught to question, are also what allow us to be connected, responsive and alive. Rather than something to overcome, they may be something to come home to.

“To be human is to feel deeply, and to feel deeply is to risk being changed.” — Mark Nepo

Dear Reader

As human beings, we are naturally soft and vulnerable. We don’t have the hard exterior of animals like rhinos or crabs, and we don’t have natural defence mechanisms like spines, venom, jaws or claws.

Of course, our intellect and our ability to control our environment have made us highly effective predators. In many ways, we sit at the top of the food chain. And yet, our bodies remain soft. Our skin is easily broken, our belly is exposed, and we have very few natural defences. We are easily hurt, both physically and emotionally.

It’s interesting that we use the same words such as feel, hurt and pain to describe physical, mental and emotional experiences. Our human life is one of sensitivity.

Unfortunately, this sensitivity is often frowned upon and seen as a weakness in our culture. People are told they are ‘too sensitive’, ‘too soft’, or that they need to ‘harden up’. This can feel at odds with something very natural in us. We are sensitive. We are soft.

In meditation practice, it becomes clear that this is not a flaw, something to fix or something to be ashamed of. Feeling, softness and sensitivity are the foundation of our human experience. They are central to what it means to be alive, responsive, compassionate and creative.

We often begin by noticing the body. We notice that we are actually here—we somatically feel our breathing, our feet, the contact point of our body on the chair or cushion. This leads to a sense of groundedness, embodiment and belonging. We feel more here, and the mind is less caught up in the past or the future.

As we become more present and regulated, we start to notice emotions more clearly. They arise and pass in our experience. Sometimes we explore them, sometimes we simply observe. A wide range of sensations come into awareness, a kind of aliveness. We begin to see the richness of what is moving through us; sensations, feelings and subtle shifts in experience.

We also begin to notice that we can meet these experiences with a kind awareness, a natural compassion. This doesn’t need to be forced. It emerges as we feel and pay attention.

Over time, we become more intimate with our experience as human beings. We feel the difficult emotions such as anger, shame and jealousy more clearly, but we also feel love, kindness and compassion more fully. All of it is held within an awareness that is steady and allowing. You could call this love, something that begins to feel like a home we can return to.

There is a relationship between our capacity to feel and how we relate to ourselves. As we allow ourselves to feel more, we find we like ourselves more.

Our sensitivity, softness and vulnerability are not mistakes. They are not things to fix or get over. They are essential to our human experience. They allow us to know ourselves deeply and to recognise a kind of unconditional love and care, both for ourselves and for others.

💗 Awakening to Self-Love – Healesville
6-Day Silent Meditation Retreat, Byron Bay, NSW​​
3–8 October 2026​

The essence of your self-love is woven into the fabric of the universe.

It is integral to you. It just requires the right environment to emerge.

The Awakening to Self-Love, Silent Meditation Retreat provides that environment.

“It was like a balm for the soul.” — Carmel Brock

“I loved the silence, the meditative rhythm of the day and the beautiful food. A perfect environment to go deeply within and touch the universal energy of love while doing important inner work.” — Dr Lisa Shortridge

“I loved the retreat, the silence was great… Stephen and Karl are very down to earth, knowledgeable and surprisingly funny. 😊 I found the whole experience very humbling, calming, restful, informative and soul fulfilling.” — Belinda Dubojski

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​Teachers: Karl Baker and Stephen Archer
​Location: Maitripa Retreat Centre, Healesville
​Dates: Saturday, 3 October – Thursday, 8 October, 2026
​Price: $1,950 all inclusive. Book now with a $500 deposit (non-refundable).

​Queenstown, New Zealand, 6-Day Meditation and Mindfulness Retreat — Small Group Immersion in Mountain Surroundings​
​29 May – 3 June, 2026​

A carefully curated six-day immersion in mindfulness, movement and mountain landscapes—designed for people who value depth, structure and intentional practice.

Limited to 10 participants, this programme blends our grounded, nature‑based style with a refined flow inspired by Queenstown’s majestic mountains and beautiful Lake Wakatipu.

This exclusive retreat, led by two highly-experienced teachers is for those who value nature, simplicity and evidence‑based mindfulness practices, and who appreciate an intentional, well‑paced journey of transformation.

This retreat includes...

• Daily meditation and mindfulness practice
• Guided mountain and lakeside walks
• Gentle movement and breathwork
• Periods of nourishing silence
• Relaxing spa pool available all day and night
• Community connection and shared meals
• Personalised individual interview with one teacher
• Time for rest, reflection and integration
• Incredible stargazing when conditions are right
• Detoxifying sauna

This is an invitation to slow down, breathe and pay attention—not in a forced way but in a way that brings you home to yourself.

The Location: Ora Retreat, Queenstown

Ora Retreat is a boutique mountain home overlooking Lake Wakatipu —peaceful, welcoming and surrounded by forested hills and alpine views. Guests consistently praise its warmth, comfort and the sense of being “at home” in nature.

You’ll stay in cozy, thoughtfully designed rooms, enjoy quiet mornings on the deck, and unwind each evening with mountain air and the glow of the fire. Hiking trails begin right from the property, and Queenstown’s dramatic landscape frames each day.

​Book Your Place Now​

Teachers: Kovido Maddick and Eric Chagnon
​Location: Ora Retreat, 26 Arawata Terrace, Sunshine Bay, Queenstown, New Zealand
​Dates: Friday, 29 May – Wednesday, 3 June, 2026​
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​🧘‍♂️Introduction to Mindfulness and Meditation
4-Week Course — Buderim. Tuesdays, 7–28 July​

Reduce anxiety, improve sleep and increase self-acceptance with this practical, evidence-based beginners mindfulness course in Buderim.

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Facilitated by certified mindfulness teacher, Michelle Eckles, over 40,000 people have participated in this course.
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​When: 7–28 July (4 x Tuesday evenings). 6.30pm – 7.30pm (AEST)
​Where: Buderim
​Price: $198
​See details and book: https://events.humanitix.com/introduction-to-mindfulness-and-meditation-course​
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💗 The Essence of Self-Love, Premium 6-Day Silent Meditation Retreat, Byron Bay, NSW​ — May and June, 2026 - SOLD OUT​

The Essence of Self-Love Retreats at Sangsurya, Byron Bay are the premium retreat offerings of 2026.
​
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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​Teachers: Karl Baker and Stephen Archer
​Location: Sangsurya Retreat Centre, Byron Bay, NSW
​Dates:
​May Retreat: Friday, 8 May – Wednesday, 13 May, 2026
​— SOLD OUT.​
​June Retreat: Friday, 19 June – Wednesday, 24 June, 2026
​— SOLD OUT.

​Get one on one, private Mindfulness Coaching​

One on one work with a certified mindfulness teacher can assist with anxiety reduction, improving sleep, reducing over-thinking, improving relationships and making mindfulness a habit in your life.
​

​Find a certified mindfulness teacher to work with now.

🧘‍♀️ Mini Mindfulness Exercise: Letting Yourself Feel Gently

Step 1: Settle (1–2 minutes)​
Sit comfortably. Let your body land. No need to change anything. Just notice you are here.

Step 2: Feel the body (2–3 minutes)​
Bring attention to physical sensations. The weight of your body, contact with the chair, subtle movements of breath. Stay simple. No need to go searching.

Step 3: Allow what’s already here (2–3 minutes)​
Notice if there are any emotions or feeling tones present. Not dramatic, just whatever is already there.
Let it be as it is. No fixing, no analysis.

Step 4: Soften around the experience (1–2 minutes)​
See if there is a gentle willingness to let the experience be felt.
Not pushing it away. Not holding it tightly. Just allowing.

Step 5: Notice the awareness holding it (1–2 minutes)​
Become aware that whatever you are feeling is being held in awareness.
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Why This Helps

This practice builds trust in your capacity to feel without being overwhelmed. Over time, it shifts the relationship from avoidance to openness, which naturally supports self-acceptance.

🏢 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

There’s no right or wrong here. Each option is a completely human response. Simply noticing your pattern is a powerful first step. From there, even small moments of pausing and feeling can begin to shift your relationship with yourself in a more open and supportive direction.

📝 Mindful Meme of The Week

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