Total Mind and Body Wellness

  Graham Sydney Wright - 19th September 1946 to 28th January 2001. Today's blog is inspired by the man above, taking part in a sack race in the village I grew up in. He passed away on 28th January 2001, and to some, that seems like a long time ago, and yes, it is, but in terms of loss, it could have been yesterday. I am musing about how grief, the loss of someone close can shape the rest of our lives, because things will never be the same again, just like any other life change, but losing someone you love, it's the biggest shake up of all. EVERY year when a loved one has died, you have to go through the following, birthdays, Christmas, anniversary's, and then ultimately, the date that they died on comes along. You can't exactly get the cake out and start dancing can you? But why not celebrate the life of someone, particularly someone who would have wanted you to get the cake out and start dancing. I get that there are people out there who would deem that disrespectful, ...

 THIS week, I am blogging about my Birthday, I was fifty on 20th January, and I had a few moments of celebration, because, after all, it's a big number! Coming up to my birthday I was pretty cool about the whole thing, ah it's okay, it's only a number, I feel good, I'm fit and well, lots of life ahead of me, and then yesterday, on my actual birthday it hit me, actually, 50 IS a BIG number! I was out cycling, thinking about the day, and I suddenly thought, if someone told me they were selling an item, say a car, or furniture and it was fifty years old, I would think twice about it, except if I thought it could be classed as 'vintage!' Am I vintage? It gave me a little scare for a moment, and then I realised that I was out in the fresh air, cycling as though I was as fit as I was when I was in my 20's, but actually, I'm even fitter than I was then, so I should get these silly thoughts out of my head. But it did happen, the moment when I realised that I am ...

 I am always using this phrase in my blogs and other social media, it's how I live my life, you have to take one day at a time for sure, but also dream, plan and execute your dreams whenever you can, because we only live once. This time of year I get more thoughtful than other times, this is for two reasons, one is that January holds my birthday, and in particular this year I am 50! Of course I am going to get thoughtful about my life, what I've achieved and what I am yet to. The other reason is that my Dad passed away in January 2001. He was 54 years old, that's 4 years away from where I am at now, and that is a seriously scary thought. I have always had this in my head, my Dad didn't do all the things that he wanted to in his life because he ran out of time, I don't want to run out of time, and I do believe that even if I lived to 100 years old there would still be things on my list that I wanted to complete. This year I have a list of 50 things that I want to do ...

 We thrive in natural space, green space, space where the plants grow. When we live in cities, concrete and bricks everywhere, it's hard to find yourself a green space that you can just sit in, and imagine that you are out in the wild landscape of the mountains. Of course, with meditation we can create these spaces in our minds, but wouldn't it be nice to be transformed into a space where the plants grow around you in reality? Do you have a garden? Do you enjoy gardening? Having a place to grow your own plants, to watch how they behave through the seasons is so important for our mental health. To nurture a plant from seed, and even better, to nurture a vegetable plant from seed and enjoy the benefits of eating it further down the line. If you don't have space for a garden, maybe you have a balcony or patio that you can grow plants in pots on? And even a windowsill can be a place of plant paradise if you have a nice sunny position for it. There is a plant for every environme...