Satya writes: I am writing this far-too-early on a Sunday morning.
Friday started with a very-early business breakfast, proceeded through eight counselling calls and finished with a late meeting.
Yesterday I spent the day running a words&art workshop about ‘Choices’ with my art therapist friend.
This morning I shall write this, look at some a handful of stones submissions and make this cherry cake before people arrive at our house at 10 a.m. for our Buddhist study morning.
And then this afternoon… I shall probably have a nap.
Me & Kaspa do lots of different things. I have lots of different hats. Psychotherapist. Novelist. Buddhist priest. small stone magician. Oh, and we run a little company called Writing Our Way Home.
I do all these different things because I love them. But, as you can imagine (and lots of people have lives like this these days) it can sometimes get a teensy bit out of balance. In the past couple of weeks I’ve been yearn for a little more empty space, where I could read poems and contemplate and look at the birds in the garden.
Of course, when I get that kind of space I often fill it up again. But that’s another story…
I’m slowly getting round to the point of this post, which is that there is always time to pause and write a small stone. And that it really does make a difference to your life. Read what these people say if you don’t believe me. Truly, I don’t mind if you write a small stone or sit still for five minutes or do a drawing or do some yoga. All of these things have the potential to remind you to step back, check in with yourself, check in with the world and breathe…….
And so after our marvellous month of mindful writing in January (didn’t you all do well! a special hurray for everyone who posted every day here on the blog) we will be reminding you to do so once every week on a Sunday. Of course I’m hoping some of you will write one every day for the whole year, but one small stone a week is better than no small stones.
If you’d like to send your small stone into the world you can post it here in the comments, or in our lovely supportive Facebook group, or on Twitter using #smallstone. Or just leave them in your notebook – they’ll be happy there too.
Late last night, Kaspa & I designed a new set of WOWH courses, 31 Days, as we drove home from visiting his family. We got excited about writing about mindful-writing our way towards gratitude, joy, spirituality & other themes that we have something to say about, and would like to offer the world. I can’t wait to get going on them. This is why I do what I do. This is why I’m writing these words to you now.
Keep paying attention. Keep writing small stones.
*
Our Mindful Writing Booster will be changing its name to 31 Days of Mindful Writing tomorrow, and getting a bit more expensive. If you’d like to get it (with a whole book for free, which won’t be included from tomorrow) for £10/$16 rather than £15/$24, do buy it for yourself before the end of today.
Chasing and tossing a sweet wrapper,pouncing, twisting, turning;my cat plays like a kitten.
It is possible to seeright throughthe front and back windows of the Georgian houseto blue sky and winter hill
balancingwe actat understanding lifework, play, dreams, obligationslisting(listing is in italics and should be ‘listing’) This is part of a larger pair you can find here:http://julesgemstonepages.wordpress.com/2013/02/03/honoring-3/
The necklace, in the shape of a heart, is layers of polished, dark alloy, smoothed to perfection, reflecting color like mother-of-pearl at night. In the middle, a thick star with ten points reaches out, becoming thinner and thinner, until each arm touches the edge.
Sparkling Conversationa sparkling young lady strikes up a conversationwaiting for her mother busy with the stylistshe confesses that her hair is very shortbecause “by accident” she cut itms. sparkles tells me conspiratoriallythat when her hair is long like shelby’s, rapunzel’s, and sara’sshe will wear it in braids and ponytailswith bows and feathers and beadswww.danassmallstones.blogspot.com
Sunday in the sunroomcup of tea, pen in handbirds come to the feederthoughts come to the notebook
Face to dark sky hundreds of cold kissesfrom snowflake lips.***Satya, that cherry cake looks sooooo good!
so good about the idea of making sundays small stone days … here’s mine, from crossing a bridge by car, then returning there by foot to be with the water for a while, below a link to photo & mindful video: sometimes a short driveturns into a reflectionof a life-long river2 views: my environment
The dog fox is dull brownin the lane’s sodium light,his slink too fluid and flanks too thin to cast a shadow.
black bark grey grooves white wisps
At the end of the service,we are all bidden to join handsswaying and singing Sarah’s Circle.Once we could circle the whole sanctuary,but we’re a dwindling group of geezers,so now cut across through a mid-sanctuary pew.This hippie-feminist, singing and swaying ritualis not comfortable for many of us:some grit their teeth; others sneak out the back door.
Alley Scene 2 cats 3 fences 4 dogs MUCH barking
I pause at the stained glass window. The flannel flowers and christmas bells in its centre are as intricate and as old as the house.
Yummy to that cherry cake. I don’t know how you find time to wear all your hats. Being retired, I have time, but don’t always make time. That’s what the small stone writing helps me to do: make time.
Feb. 3 for small stone SundayOur sunbecomes a starwhen perched atop a tree, extending penumbral armsof salmon, peach, and white.
Hammock TimeThe siren hammock calls to me,with claims of rejuvenating afternoon rest.http://writingwhileunder.blogspot.com/
a new journalmy journey continues- Maureen Bailey(I missed ‘six word Saturday’ so I made this one for ‘six word Sunday’
)
Mementos, tiny pieces of paper, a passport . . .but no note for me.
Feb. 10 small stoneForsythiaFlowers burst from branchesoverrough bark.Sensual, brightyellow,touchingherintimately.Ah no, please no, no more.