🔭 The Present Perspective Newsletter

🫂 What is the most important relationship in your life?

Every moment of our life is shaped by relationship, especially the one we have with ourselves.

"You will never be able to experience everything. So, please, do poetical justice to your soul and simply experience yourself."
— Albert Camus

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Dear Reader

We are constantly in relationship.

We’re in relationship with our past, our future, the present moment, ourselves, our family and friends, our hopes and worries, our body, our mind and our emotions—and ultimately with our life itself.

What is the quality of relationship you have with these parts of your life?

Is it one of awareness, attentiveness, love and care?

Or one of avoiding or ignoring, pushing away, perhaps tinged with fear or frustration?

Most of us find it’s a bit of both, shifting depending on what we’re relating to.

And sometimes we simply don’t know, because we’ve never paused long enough to look.

It’s worth investigating…

We all know what makes a healthy relationship. At the heart of it are attention, love and care.

Mindfulness invites us to offer these same qualities to ourselves and to every part of our experience.

When we love someone, we offer them our attention. We talk about being there for them.

Mindfulness is the practice of paying attention, a kind attention.

So just by being aware, by offering kind attention to our mind, our emotions, our body and our life, we are already practising an act of love. We learn how to be there for ourselves, not only for others.

As we continue with this practice, something beautiful happens.

Love responds to love.

When you love a person or a pet, you notice the response. There is a reciprocation, an openness, a warmth. With this comes a sense of connection and intimacy.

The same is true of your inner life. The parts of you that receive your kind attention begin to soften and open. A deep sense of connection with yourself arises, and this naturally shapes all your other relationships. A more intimate, grounded relationship with yourself allows for deeper intimacy with others.

By being mindful; aware, kind, attentive, willing to show up for ourselves, we allow a natural transformation to unfold. We begin to feel a quiet completeness, a wholeness, a steady love that doesn’t depend on anything outside us.

And really, who doesn’t long for a healthy relationship?

The gift of mindfulness is that it offers us this possibility—not once in a while, but moment by moment, throughout the whole of our life.

​➕ A Pocket of Stillness – Mini Sound Bath Meditation​

Settle in, slow down, and be held by soothing therapeutic sound from the comfort of your own home.
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This mini Sound Bath Meditation is a gentle pause in the rush of things. It is a chance to soften, recalibrate and reconnect with the part of you that wants to rest.

Date: Tuesday, 25 November 2025
​Time: 6.30pm – 7.30pm AEDT
​Price: $20 standard ticket
​Facilitator: Michelle Ryan
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Please note: If you experience sound-induced epilepsy, are within the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, or have a history of severe depression, psychosis or other significant mental health challenges, this session will not be suitable for you.
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​Awakening to Self-Compassion – Half-Day Retreat Scotland Island, Pittwater, Sydney — Saturday
29 November. ​

Join Mindfulness Works Certified Mindfulness Coach, Angie Wood for this half-day retreat designed to help you slow down, find inner ease, and cultivate genuine self-compassion. Set amidst the natural beauty of Scotland Island, this serene experience invites you to reconnect, renew, and rest—body, mind and heart. Importantly, a quiet and peaceful location for meditation practice.

You’ll explore gentle meditation practices, walking mindfulness and simple self-compassion techniques to carry calm into your everyday life. Skills to keep you grounded and present through the busy Christmas season.

The most important relationship in life is the one you hold with yourself. When this self-relationship is grounded in acceptance and kindness, it radiates outward, positively shaping how you engage with others and the world.

Through guided mindfulness practices, this half-day retreat invites you to:

• Embrace who you are and genuinely enjoy your relationship with yourself each day!
• Build resilience against self-criticism or negative self-perception, developing self-acceptance and compassion.
• Bring the confidence, gentleness and ease of self-love into your work, family life and wider relationships.
• Experience enhanced peace of mind, clearer focus and reduced anxiety as natural outcomes of these practices.

Date: Saturday, 29 November, 2025
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Time: 10:00 AM – 3:00 PM
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Tickets: $79 (includes refreshments and light lunch, PLUS resources listed below)
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Public Ferry Add-on: $15 return from Church Point.
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🧘‍♀️ Mini Mindfulness Exercise: Being There For You

1. Pause and arrive. Sit or stand just as you are. Let your body settle.
2. Place a gentle hand. Rest a hand lightly on your chest or abdomen—not to soothe but simply to acknowledge: "I’m here."
3. Notice what’s present. Ask quietly inside, “What part of me could use a little attention right now?” Don’t search. Let whatever arises come on its own.
4. Offer kind attention. Imagine your awareness softening around this part of you, the way you’d sit beside a friend. No fixing. Just your presence.
5. Sense the response. Notice if anything shifts—an exhale, a softening, or even nothing at all. Whatever you notice is completely enough.

Why this helps:
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Offering ourselves kind attention reminds us that we are worthy of care.

It gives the mind and body a chance to soften, opening the door to ease rather than tension.

With practice, this simple pause strengthens our sense of inner connection, helping us meet life with more confidence, warmth and trust.

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

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

Now is the time to truly come home to yourself.
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​“A fantastic retreat to reconnect with self led by two very skilled facilitators.” — Lisa Shortridge​
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Experience a precious and profound opportunity to embrace yourself fully and unconditionally.
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Located in the serene setting of Maitripa Retreat Centre, Healesville, this retreat provides an exceptional chance for self-love, self-forgiveness and self-acceptance.

​Book your place now with a $500 deposit.​

Teachers: Karl Baker and Stephen Archer
​Location: Maitripa Retreat Centre, Healesville, Vic
​Dates: Wednesday, 11 Feb – Tuesday, 17 Feb, 2026.
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💗 Awakening to Self-Love — 6-Day Silent Meditation Retreat, Bowral, NSW:
7 – 12 March, 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.
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​“It was like a balm for the soul.” — Carmel Brock

The Essence of Self-Love, Silent Meditation Retreat provides that environment.
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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 Mar – Thursday, 12 Mar 2026
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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.
– Practical strategies for reducing burnout.
– Enhance team communication and connection.

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

Taking a moment to reflect on your inner relationship gently brings you back into contact with yourself. This kind of inquiry strengthens the habit of turning inward with curiosity rather than criticism, which is where real change begins.
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It reminds you that your inner world is alive, responsive and worth tending to, and that simply noticing it is already an act of care.

📝 Mindful Meme of The Week

📩 Ideas? Comments? Complaints?

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