🔭 The Present Perspective Newsletter

💗 Your inner peace leads to outer peace

Most of us want a more peaceful world, yet feel overwhelmed by how much harm and division we see around us. What if lasting change doesn’t come from fixing others, but from understanding how unacknowledged hurt quietly shapes our reactions? When we tend to our own pain with honesty and care, something powerful begins to shift.

“I imagine one of the reasons people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain.” — James Baldwin

​
Dear Reader

Everything from the wisdom traditions, to simple aphorisms, to the lives of strong and wise men and women who have endured unspeakable suffering, points to the same truth. Any real change in our life, or in the world, must begin with us.

“Be the change you want to see in the world,” Gandhi famously said.

It sounds idealistic until we sit with it more deeply. If we want more peace in the world, then we must be that peace. If we want more love, more understanding, more kindness, then we must be willing to live those qualities ourselves.

Human history, both ancient and recent, shows that this is not naïve. It is possible. In fact, the yearning for peace and love in our families, communities and societies suggests that this is something deeply natural to us. It is what we long for, even when we do not know how to live it.
​

The Longing for Inner Peace

One of the most common reasons people attend our courses and retreats is simple...
​
They want inner peace.

They sense, often intuitively, that something within needs care and attention. Likewise, they also sense, sometimes painfully, that the state of the world reflects something unresolved in us all.
​
Just as inner chaos leads to outer chaos, so too does inner peace lead to outer peace.

​
The Pull to Blame and Divide

And yet, when we look at the world, it is easy to do the opposite. To externalise conflict, anger, violence and intolerance. To locate the problem firmly outside ourselves. There is a strong pull to divide the world into good people and bad people, right and wrong sides, us and them. When we do this, we get a powerful psychological reward. We feel righteous. We feel morally intact. We feel safe in our certainty.

This is what makes things so difficult.

There are acts in the world that are genuinely horrifying. En masse violence. Oppression. Abuse. Harm inflicted on a scale that is almost impossible to comprehend. These acts are often justified by ideology, religion or culture, and those who commit them rarely see themselves as evil. They believe they are right. They believe they are justified.

Add to this the complexity of tribalism, politics, power, history and fear, and the waters become incredibly muddy.

​

Why This Matters​
​
This is not an abstract problem.
​
Human lives are at stake.
​
Human suffering is real.

It matters.
​
You feel it, I feel it, we all feel it.

So what can we do?
​
​
​Turning Toward Ourselves

The only reliable starting point is us—right here and right now.
​
It is our willingness to acknowledge and feel our own aggression, our own anger, our own capacity for hatred and blame. Our tendency to divide ourselves and the world into good and bad. Not to judge or condemn those parts of ourselves that are like this (that is more violence). On the contrary, as part of our mindfulness practice, we allow them, make room for them, get to know them.
​
This is not comfortable work. It requires courage. It requires awareness. It asks us to look honestly into our own hearts and notice what is there, not what we wish were there.

​

What We Discover When We Look Honestly

When we do this, we often discover that our blaming of others is not really about them at all. It is a way of protecting ourselves. A way of reinforcing a sense of being good, right, or morally superior in a world that constantly threatens our sense of OKness. Blame gives us certainty. It props up identity. It distracts us from our own pain and vulnerability.

If we are brave enough to see this clearly, something unexpected happens.

These patterns begin to lose their grip.

​

Letting Go of Fixing and Defensiveness
​​
When we recognise that blame and externalising are actually hurting us, and that they arise from some perceived lack or unhealed place within, there is a natural softening. A letting go. We no longer need to attack, divide or fix. We begin to relax.

Fixing, after all, is one of the most subtle forms of violence in our culture.

As this relaxation deepens, we experience something very tangible. Regulation. Ease. Non-defensiveness.

​

Seeing Our Shared Humanity​
​
From here, we see ourselves and the world more clearly. Not through a lens of right and wrong, or inherited culture, philosophy or ideology, but from openness and receptivity. We feel our own humanity, and because of that, we can feel the humanity of others.

This is where understanding becomes possible.

We may find ourselves feeling empathy for people we once judged, avoided or condemned. Family members. Colleagues. Public figures. Even those whose actions we strongly disagree with. We see, if we are honest, that it would not take much, under different circumstances, for us to act in similar ways. Different history, different trauma, different conditioning.

​

Empathy Without Excusing Harm

This empathy does not mean condoning or excusing harm.

In our personal lives, it may motivate clear boundaries, honest conversations, or decisive action.
​
In society, it may motivate advocacy, intervention, or standing firmly for justice.
​
It may mean strong or forceful action, tough decisions, and paths that reduce or do the least harm, even if it cannot be eliminated.
​
It is an open and wise inquiry into what we will tolerate and what we will not—both at a personal and societal level.
​
The difference lies in where that action comes from. It is no longer fuelled by hatred or division, but grounded in shared humanity. Not us versus them, but how do we reduce suffering for everyone involved.

This brings us to a simple truth.
​

Hurt People, Hurt People

Without acknowledging our own hurt, without meeting our own woundedness with care rather than blame, we will continue to act it out. We will continue to project it outward, harming others and, inevitably, ourselves.

​

Healing as Responsibility and Contribution

The path to healing and peace begins with feeling and acknowledging our own pain. Taking responsibility for it, not as self-blame, but as self-honesty. As we heal, we no longer need to escape ourselves or hold others responsible for the pain we carry. We understand more deeply how damaging hurt is, how painful it feels, and why we would never wish to pass it on.

This is how healing becomes transformation. And how transformation moves outward. Into our relationships. Our communities. Our culture. And, quietly but powerfully, into the world.

​

This is why our practice matters. ​
​
It not only benefits us, but benefits those around us and the world.
​
Peace and goodwill to humankind is possible, it can be a reality and as mindfulness practitioners, you are being the change that makes this happen.
​

This newsletter, the Present Perspective is taking a well-earned holiday rest. The next edition will be out Sunday,
11 January.

​🎭 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: Commencing Tuesday, 3 February 2026

Time: 6.30pm Sydney Time
​
​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.

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

​Work One on One With a Certified Mindfulness Teacher!​

We are excited to announce you now have the opportunity to work exclusively with a Mindfulness Works Certified Mindfulness Teacher.

Being certified by Mindfulness Works means the teacher has undergone our training and undertakes ongoing professional development.
​
This means they are well supported to offer you effective, trauma-informed, evidence-based one on one coaching.
​
If you are looking for ongoing support with any of the following, one on one coaching with a certified mindfulness teacher can help:

• Reducing anxiety, insomnia, worry
• Working with relationship issues
• Working with chronic pain issues
• Learning and practising radical self-acceptance
• Building a regular mindfulness meditation habit
• Working with negative self-talk and self-criticism
• Working to improve self-care and personal boundaries.

All certified teachers offer an initial 30-minute, no-obligation exploratory session so you can see if mindfulness coaching is right for you.

​
​Find a Certified Mindfulness Teacher Now​

Find a certified mindfulness teacher to work with online or in person now here: https://mindfulnessworksaustralia.com.au/learn-mindfulness/learn-with-a-teacher/​

​

🧘‍♀️ Mini Mindfulness Exercise: Interrupting the Cycle—Feeling for Healing

Purpose: To gently recognise how unacknowledged hurt turns into blame or reactivity, and to experience what happens when it is met with awareness instead.

Practice:

1. Sit comfortably and take a few slow, natural breaths. Let your body settle without trying to change anything.

2. Bring to mind a recent situation where you felt irritated, judgemental, defensive or quietly angry. Not the most intense one. Just something real and familiar.

3. Notice what you were blaming in that moment. A person. A group. A situation. Silently name it as “blame”.

4. Now shift your attention inward and ask gently: "What was I actually feeling underneath this?" You might notice hurt, fear, disappointment, helplessness, or a sense of being unseen.

5. Stay with the bodily sense of that feeling for a few breaths. No fixing. No analysing. Just allowing it to be felt.

6. Notice what happens to the urge to blame as you do this. There is no right outcome. Simply observe.

7. To close, place a hand on your chest or abdomen and acknowledge quietly: "This is human. This is how pain shows up."

Why this helps: When hurt is felt directly, it no longer needs to be projected outward. This interrupts the automatic cycle where pain turns into blame and blame turns into harm.

🧘‍♀️ 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.
​
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​

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 with a $500 deposit.​

Teachers: Karl Baker and Stephen Archer
​Location: Maitripa Retreat Centre, Healesville, Vic
​Dates: Wednesday, 11 February – Tuesday, 17 February, 2026.
​

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

Teachers: Karl Baker and Stephen Archer
​Location: Hartzer Park Retreat Centre, Bowral, NSW
​Dates: Saturday, 7 March – Thursday, 12 March 2026
​

💗 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.
​
These retreats feature incredible artisan accommodation, a stunning retreat centre setting and an on-site chef, Todd Stream-Cameron providing world-class meals.
​
​Book your place now with a $500 deposit.​
​

Teachers: Karl Baker and Stephen Archer
​Location: Sangsurya Retreat Centre, Byron Bay, NSW
​Dates:
​May Retreat: Friday, 8 May – Wednesday, 13 May 2026
​June Retreat: Friday, 19 June – Wednesday, 24 June, 2026
​

💗 The Ease of Being, Luxury — Weekend Retreat, Noosa, 27–29 March​ 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​
​
​Book your place now with a $250 deposit.​
​

Teachers: Karl Baker
​Location: Senses Beach Rd Holiday Homes, Noosa North Shore
​Date: Friday, 27 March – Sunday, 29 March
​Price: From $895 all inclusive
​

Only 6 places left!​
​

🏢 Workplace Mindfulness Training

Nationwide in-person or online mindfulness training for workplaces.
​
– 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.
​

🤔 Mindful Check-In. Vote to See Results

Why this reflection matters

Blame feels active, but it often hides something softer and more vulnerable. By recognising what sits beneath it, we regain choice. Awareness creates space, and space is where different responses become possible.

📝 Mindful Meme of The Week

📩 Ideas? Comments? Complaints?

​Respond to this email.