Lihou!

Well that was some three month squish since the last solar eclipse back in April, ending, or so it felt with this month’s new moon last Monday. Not that it was felt immediately, the new moon was intense and Tuesday was pretty big, calmness slowly returning Wednesday onwards with the wax.

We were in Lihou when peace and harmony retuned and it might have been enhanced because we were over there, getting away from it all, the joy of Lihou is that you can literally do that, when the tide comes up and the causeway is covered, you really are on your own little island and one without WIFI, such bliss, specially when you only have a dumb phone and can’t access 4G, hoorah for that!

I actually borrowed an EMF reader from a friend recently and was quite disturbed by how high the frequency emitted from not only a phone but from this laptop that I’m writing this on. The iPads are pretty intense too, the WIFI box is sky high. It’s worrying that we place laptops on laps and we place phones in pockets and bras, attracting all that EMF into our bodies. There’s a lesson in there for all of us who use these devices - stay away as much as you can!

Anyway, Lihou is a blessing and I’m grateful that the opportunity presented itself to stay for two nights and enjoy the company of friends who also appreciate this beautiful island. Admittedly the house could really do with some TLC, each time I go I say I will never go again because it can feel so dirty, but this time it didn’t bother me so much, I was just grateful for the opportunity to retreat and enjoy the peace - this time we ensure there were less of us, last year it was busy and therefore not quite so peaceful.

We managed swims in the Venus Pool, having it all to ourselves before and after the causeway opened, and more swimming in the sea from the beach opposite the house. There were two seals out there one morning. The other morning was spent trying to care for a dying gannet. I was told that 75% of the gannet colony off Alderney has died of bird flu this year and there were concerns that this gannet had it too, but tests by the States Vet showed it died of something else. It was sad of course but we felt very privileged to be able to get so close to such a marvellous bird in our quest to feed and care for it.

We watched the sun set into the sea the first night up on the top at the magic stones, or so they feel to me. The second night we had a fire on the pebbles having collected a whole heap of fire wood from the beaches that morning. It was lovely to sit and watch the many seagulls and it made me long to hear what they communicate to each other, they are certainly noisy and there were far more of them than I remember, maybe I’m confusing it with Herm but I seem to remember oyster catchers in the past and this time there were none. There were many kestrels though and lots of little birds who will go unidentified I’m afraid!

There is also a plethora of butterflies on Lihou currently, some really beautiful blue and mauve ones. In fact it really did feel like butterfly heaven, they clearly love the unspoilt wildness of the terrain and these beautiful yellow flowers which may be liver wort but don’t quote me on that!

The children were completely feral and free, and I enjoyed the freedom of this too and being able to practice yoga outside with views of the birds and the sea, and to be able to potter, read books, prepare food, chatter, go for walks and spend time alone if one chose. I cannot recommend it enough and I think we all returned to Guernsey feeling infinitely calmer than when we left and fortunately that feeling has continued and I hope it might continue on as the summer holidays take us to a gentler flow, albeit the weather could do with warming a little!

I guess really what I’m trying to say is that the soul has been nourished and the heart warmed after all the drama and chaos of the last few months has settled and the re-alignment clearer and the path ahead clearer too. The universe always knows best and we are always best to get out of our own way and flow with it, but it is very challenging when we feel we are being challenged and therefore we try to control things only to know that really we need to let go, but not knowing what are letting go into and struggling because we are up against our conditioning that encourages us to make everything known and certain and therefore, often boring, because we compromise the soul and become increasingly stagnant. Phew.

It’s all about the flow. And knowing when we have boxed ourselves. Which I did for a while there, blaming the universe but really it was my own mind trying to figure things out, but obviously the mind can only work on what has happened previously so it might try to do more of that and we’ll wonder why we feel so urghhh and heavy and depressed, or it might send these ridiculous imaginings of the future, which cause us to drop into fear because we don’t know and we imagine and frequently the mind imagines worst case scenario, another urge and anxiety. Better still to stop going backwards and stop going forwards and live in the moment…time is such a killer for the soul.

I’m currently re-reading the Tao Te Ching, which is a book about the way and the power of the way and I love this particular chapter called Being Quiet

Being quiet

Brim-fill the bowl,

it’ll spill over.

Keep sharpening the blade,

you’ll soon blunt it.

Nobody can protect

a house full of gold and jade.

Wealth, status, pride,

are their own ruin.

To do good work, work well, and lie low

is the way of the blessing.

I feel like Being Quiet and being quiet with others in healing and sacred and gentle space. I have a session on Tuesday for those who are free, called Spiritual Rejuvination to calm the mind, release tension from the body, uplift the spirt and nourish the soul with breath, movement, resting and sound. We will incorporate some yogic breathing exercises with some very gentle movement (you can sit in a chair if easier), followed by a Yoga Nidra (guided relaxation) and a sound bath, where you can lie/sit back and immerse yourself in the healing vibration of sound - all welcome book here https://www.beinspiredby.co.uk/events-calendar/spiritual-rejuvenation

It is time to be quiet within ourselves, making the most of all this season has to offer, filling up on Vitamin D and all this bountiful harvest - I say that and all I have harvested since Lihou is one courgette, one bean and a handful of spinach and kale, but not to worry, they were yummy and I’m grateful just for them. Still we have another week until Lughnasadh and the celebration of the first harvest, I have a class for that too, see here, https://www.beinspiredby.co.uk/events-calendar/yoni-yoga-lughnasadh

New beginnings have found me now having started the Spiritual Life Coaching and I am available on an ongoing basis for those of you who need a little bit of help, combining my love of Reiki, Yoga, Ayurveda and all things spiritual…You can read more here https://www.beinspiredby.co.uk/spiritual-life-coaching

Have a lovely week.

A huge thank you to Kristin Rathje for her brilliant photos and photography. I took the one of the fire, Kristin kindly took all the rest!

Love Emma x