Thank you for being here, reading, listening and sharing my work. I hope you may benefit in some way from the insights and ideas provided to help you navigate life’s changing landscape.
After returning from a wonderful retreat of which l’m still digesting the resonance of. One important remembrance was illuminated, the importance of creating an inner sanctum, an inner refuge of comfort and honesty within. Part of that honesty personally speaking is that l can sometimes struggle to catch a moment to be experiencing or focusing on what l want to be experiencing, sound familiar? Caught up in my busyness, my day to day distractions and disruptions. Living in an overstimulated world and commitments to others and work also infringing on much need ‘me time’ to replenish.
Studying the Buddha way is studying oneself.
Studying oneself is forgetting oneself.
Forgetting oneself is being enlightened by all things.
Being enlightened by all things is to shed the body-mind of oneself, and those of others.
No trace of enlightenment remains and thus traceless enlightenment continues endlessly.
Dogen Zenji (1200 - 1253)
So how can we nourish ourselves better?
The answer may lay in our ability to reconnect to the practices of simplicity, structure and to the nature of life itself. For me personally practising cultivating more simplicity and structure in my days, cherishing the everyday things along with the things that interest me, has given me the reconnection to myself that has missing for a while. Especially being kinder to myself and unapologetic when it comes to taking care of me, has given me quiet reassuring support. Aspects emphasised by some golden nuggets of nourishment and added navigation by way of the teachings from the three heart minds on the retreat.
Contemplation and simplicity can help cultivate a greater availability to listen deeply to what’s being presented by our inner voice and our “big mind” or “magnanimous mind”. In the teachings of Dogen Zenji and in his book “Instructions for the Cook”, we are shown how we can cultivate and adapt these attitudes to help us reconnect to our true nature/self.
Using the following ingredients of the three heart minds:
Big mind/Magnanimous - can see everything as the element of stability.
Elders/parental/ nurturing - sees everything as parenthood, changes your chemistry. Is a mind of care.
Joyful - sense of kinship with yourself and in the presence of others. Savours everything.
These three Heart Minds attitudes can help promote the conditions for nourishment and connection to all that is. Other parts in baking this nourishment can come from: re establishing our relationship with nature and simplifying our day to day structure. Providing the conditions for more nourishment, resilience, inspiration and better outcomes. Therefore, taking time to see what heart mind you find yourself resonating with may provide you with some insights into what areas of your life are needing a review.
The 3 attitudes heart minds chemistry they elicit inside our bodies are stabilising.
- Elena Brower
My journey started over two decades ago, stemming from a mental and physical breakdown. During these two decades of study, training, healing and introspection some of the biggest takeaways for me have been:
Accept that we will always be a long term student of life.
Keep engaged with life.
Stay close to yourself by creating the conditions for ‘turning the light within’ whether it be in a meditation, a yoga practice or simply connecting to what you truly enjoy doing can help us recognise that inner voice and big mind.
Be grateful even in the most darkness of times (for something).
Always try and cultivate a buoyant sense that things will somehow work out even when things are going well.
Nourishment can come in many different forms from; physical and mental health, diet, nutrition, spiritual direction, creativity, and emotional balance.
To realise one's true nature as no-self- a Buddha- is the fruit of zazen and the path of practice. - Charlotte Joko Beck
Everyday Zen - Love & Work
Seeing how these insights, drawing from the intersection of spirituality including Zen and Hinduism along with other frameworks such as neurolinguistic coaching, yoga, science, technology. l am now pleased to be offering a more personal, contemplative and supportive approach by offering one-to-one sessions for nourishment and guidance from January 4th, 2025.
l’ve guided many others through physical and lifestyle transformations for over two decades. Along the way fuelling my own passion to understand how to harmonise our human design both physically and mentally. Equipping us to meet the circumstances we encounter navigate without judgement, fear and jealousy.
Nourishment and Guidance sessions
Are an opportunity to return to the light within, the natural you/self, your inner voice and big mind to re nourish you and your life. Sessions follow a more simplistic and contemplative approach to personal development. l draw on some more traditional coaching frameworks alongside my working experience in holistic healing, spiritual direction and western neuroscience.
Sessions offer a quiet, intuitive, spontaneous conversation and listening process, for both you and I. I will listen, ask questions, answer questions, and can offer gentle guidance to help you to nourish yourself and your spiritual life (if your open to it).
Post session I will email you a brief summary (normally the day after our session) of what we discussed along with any notes, insights or suggestions I’ve may have for you, even adding some homework along the way where helpful.
Sessions can help those seeking inspiration, motivation, support, to get unstuck, or just to gain a deeper insight into your present situation in life. To do this l invite you to reassess how you are nourishing yourself and where you may need to make adjustments to bring yourself into alignment with your true nature.
Sessions are available in 40 or 60 minute duration via telephone or online zoom call to discuss and explore your life/direction. During the call, I will practice deep listening and draw on my diverse skillset to see if we can find a deeper layer or another angle on your questions.
As we work together, we can discern if it makes sense to work over multiple sessions to explore your questions more deeply and gain clarity (it usually does, at least initially) but you are always free to choose what fits you better.
Your commitment
A big part of this process is also journalling so please bring a note pad as well as your challenges, difficulties, to use the process to help your navigate life. Commit to create space in your life for the conversation, and to giving your full, honest and quiet attention to it for the duration of any exchanges and follow-up we share.
Examples of themes l work with and how they may help you
Speech & language how you talk about yourself and your life, learn your patterns and how to rewire your narrative to create different outcomes and how that effects your brain.
Learn more about dispositional optimism and how to use it in manifesting best outcomes.
Review boundaries and structures in your personal and professional life and learn how to implement changes that are mutually beneficial.
Particularly useful when you feel overwhelmed, in a transition such as changing jobs, relationships, moving, loss, illness and/or just looking for a fresh persecutive to navigate the changing landscape of your life.
BOOKING & TERMS
Keeping it super simple you can do everything on one click, book a time slot/appt then pay just click link provided below:
60 minute session £100
Sessions are offered as a 40 minute or 60 minute duration creating a more affordable pathway for you.
Sessions are non-refundable (part of keeping you accountable!) with the exception of medical and other legitimate emergencies however sessions can be rescheduled.
When I write, teach, coach and guide ,l do so not only for the love of this that I share, but because it helps me grow to as a student of life and connection.
Some of you l know read and listen to what l share here, some of you subscribe, some share posts with your community, your family, your friends. Some donate, some subscribe freely or paid. So thank you, however to continue to develop my material and offerings l would welcome your support if you find benefit or inspiration from my work, but aren’t yet supporting it in some way, will you step up and support this place, this work, our work, our community?
This is what I’m here for — are you here for it too?
Together we are stronger
Share this post