Exaggerating our Suffering

Thay Phap Dang

Brother Phap Dang says that "we tend to exaggerate our suffering" so he said "to stop it and just be honest with it." That has been my practice this week. I often stop and ask myself, "Is this for real? Is this sorrow as deep as I perceive it to be in my head?" Then the answer always comes back as "Not really. It was blown out of proportion." And I usually smile it.

Smilng & breathing,
Hang

Bells of Mindfulness

Thich Nhat Hanh Bell of Mindfulness

The bell is a wonderful mindfulness tool. It is also known as a “bell of mindfulness.” Its sound reminds me to be in the present moment, or come home to the present when I am in deep thought or conversation. 

As taught to us by our zen teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, aka Thay, when the bell is invited, I stop whatever I am doing, relax my whole body and become aware of my breath. I stay still and silent until the sound goes away. By pausing to breathe and restore my calm and peace I  feel so nourished with a sense of freshness and freedom as I restore my mindfulness energy.

The sound of the bell gives me an opportunity to come back to my breath and dwell in the present moment. On hearing the sound of the bell, I focus on my breath for at least three breaths. Sometimes, I follow a gatha, or a short verse, to help me:

Listen, listen, this wonderful sound
Brings me back to my true self/home.

For our daily work on our laptops, Hang and I installed a digital bell of mindfulness app. It can be set to be invited every 15, 30, 60 minutes. It's a wonderful reminder for us to come back to our breath, to bring our mind home to our body, and find peaceful moments while we're writing emails. 

As well as the sound of a bell, any sound can be a bell of mindfulness, a pleasant sound like birds signing or rain falling, or an unpleasant sound like a car alarm or dog barking at night. An object can also be a bell of mindfulness, like the sunset or sunrise, a tree in your garden, a flowers in a vase, or a smile from a loved one. All of these sounds and objects can help remind us to come home to our breath and body, to the here and now. 

We'd love to hear your favourite bells of mindfulness. Feel free to comment below.

Enjoy finding moments of calm throughout your day.

With a peaceful smile,
Sarah

Trust Your Breath

Meditation Breathing

I think that we all have those times, when our mind is busy with thoughts, and our mind tries to overcome and solve problems. Something that helps me is to come back to my breath - to trust the breath, and not the mind.

Recently, I was lying awake in bed, thinking of my loved ones and the challenges that they have in their lives. I felt overwhelmed thinking about it, and my thoughts were creating chaos. I remembered the words that Hang had shared with me that day, after she listened to a Dharma talk by Brother Phap Dang, that the mind will try to overcome problems, and instead to "trust the breath". I came back to my breath and found instant relief. I breathed peacefully and smiled at my thoughts, and smiled at my loved ones with love and understanding. My peace and calmness were restored.

Smiling,
Sarah

Sitting Meditation

sarah 3.jpg

Set aside a room or corner or a cushion that you use just for sitting.

The sound of a bell is a wonderful way to begin sitting meditation. If you don’t have a bell you can download a recording of the sound of a bell onto your phone or computer.

When you sit, keep your spinal column quite straight, while allowing your body to be relaxed. Relax every muscle in your body, including the muscles in your face. Consider smiling slightly, a natural smile. Your smile relaxes all your facial muscles.

Notice your breathing. As you breathe in, be aware that you are breathing in. As you breathe out, notice that you are breathing out. As soon as we pay attention to our breath, body, breath and mind come together. Every in-breath can bring joy; every out-breath can bring calm and relaxation. This is a good enough reason to sit.

When you breathe in mindfully and joyfully, don’t worry about what your sitting looks like from the outside. Sit in such a way that you feel you have already arrived.

It’s wonderful to have a quiet place to sit in your home or workplace. If you are able to find a cushion that fits your body well, you can sit for a long time without feeling tired. But you can practice mindful sitting wherever you are. If you ride the bus or the train to work, use your time to nourish and heal yourself.

If you sit regularly, it will become a habit. Even the Buddha still practiced sitting every day after his enlightenment. Consider daily sitting practice to be a kind of spiritual food. Don’t deprive yourself and the world of it.

By Thich Nhat Hanh and the Plum Village Community.

 

Mindful Eating

Mindful eating is one of our favourite practices. It makes the food we eat very real, and every mouthful is joyful and delicious.

Eating a meal together is a meditative practice. We try to offer our presence for every meal. As we serve our food we can already begin practicing. Serving ourselves, we realize that many elements, such as the rain, sunshine, earth, air and love, have all come together to form this wonderful meal. In fact, through this food we see that the entire universe is supporting our existence.

We are aware of our friends and loved ones as we serve ourselves and we should take an amount of food that is good for us. Before eating, the bell will be invited for three sounds and we can enjoy breathing in and out while practicing the five contemplations:

This food is a gift of the earth, the sky, numerous living beings, and much hard and loving work.

May we eat with mindfulness and gratitude so as to be worthy to receive this food.

May we recognise and transform unwholesome mental formations, especially our greed and learn to eat with moderation

May we keep our compassion alive by eating in such a way that reduces the suffering of living beings, stops contributing to climate change, and heals and preserves our precious planet.

We accept this food so that we may nurture our brotherhood and sisterhood, build our Sangha, and nourish our ideal of serving all living beings.

We should take our time as we eat, chewing each mouthful at least 30 times, until the food becomes liquefied. This aids the digestive process. Let us enjoy every morsel of our food and the presence of the dharma brothers and sisters around us. Let us establish ourselves in the present moment, eating in such a way that solidity, joy and peace be possible during the time of eating.

Mindful eating Vietnam

Eating in silence, the food becomes real with our mindfulness and we are fully aware of its nourishment. In order to deepen our practice of mindful eating and support the peaceful atmosphere, we remain seated during this silent period. After twenty minutes of silent eating, two sounds of the bell will be invited. We may then start a mindful conversation with our friend or begin to get up from the table.

Upon finishing our meal, we take a few moments to notice that we have finished, our bowl is now empty and our hunger is satisfied. Gratitude fills us as we realize how fortunate we are to have had this nourishing food to eat, supporting us on the path of love and understanding.

Happy eating, dear friends!
Sarah

The Great Bell Chant

This is one of our favourite videos and chants. It's read by our teacher, Thich Nhat Hanh, and chanted by Brother Phap Niem. When we listen to the song, it reminds us that we're so blessed to be on this beautiful mindful path. It reminds us to connect to our true selves and know that we can smile with understanding and love at our suffering.

Here is the bell chant, written by Thich Nhat Hanh:

May the sound of this bell penetrate deep into the cosmos
Even in the darkest spots living beings are able to hear it clearly
So that all suffering in them ceases
Understanding comes to their heart
And they transcend the path of sorrow and death.

The universal dharma door is already open
The sound of the rising tide is heard clearly
The miracle happens: a beautiful child appears in the heart of a lotus flower
One single drop of this compassionate water is enough
To bring back the refreshing spring to our mountains and rivers.

Plum Village Buddhas

Listening to the bell I feel the afflictions in me begin to dissolve
My mind calm, my body relaxed
A smile is born on my lips
Following the sound of the bell
My breath brings me back to the safe island of mindfulness
In the garden of my heart, the flowers of peace bloom beautifully.

With a big smile,
Sarah

How to Practice When Your Partner Is Not Interested in Mindfulness

Question: How can I practice when my partner is not interested in the practice?

Thich Nhat Hanh

Thay’s Answer: When you are lovable, when you are fresh, when you are appreciative of the other person, you have the chance that everything you do is appreciated by him or her. When you truly love a person, you love everything about that person. That is a natural tendency, and that is why the spiritual can be recognised in every act of daily life. We don’t need to say that it is spiritual. That will turn people off.

When you drink our tea mindfully, peacefully, and happily, there is mindfulness, concentration, and insight in you. Drinking tea is a spiritual thing. It radiates peace, happiness, and joy. That is already spiritual. We don’t need to say, “Well, I want to drink my tea spiritually.” The practice of the 5 Mindfulness Trainings is like that, too. You don’t need to say, “I practice the 5 Mindfulness Trainings.” You just live according to the trainings and practice without a name, but it is a real practice. You are Buddhist, but you don’t need to tell that you are a Buddhist.

You don’t want to impose on him or her your way. If you practice well, you are happy and fresh, that’s good enough. One day the other person may ask, “Darling, how could you do it? In such situation, I would not be able to do it like you.” That is the time where you can share your practice formally. But be the practice and the Dharma first and that is good enough. You draw him or her into the practice in one way or another.

Remember, don’t try to impose your practice on him or her. Don’t practice too formally. There are those who practice walking meditation in a very funny way. They want to show that they are practicing walking meditation. They don’t look very natural (everyone laughs). There are those who walk very deeply and happily, but they show that they are too serious in the practice. When you breathe in mindfully and joyfully, don’t try to show people that you’re breathing in mindfully and you’re a good practitioner. (everyone laughs)

In Buddhism, we have an expression: “Practice the non-practice.” We don’t need to have much appearance. And that way, we can convey the essence of the practice and if the person wants to be happy, peaceful and serene, they have a chance to learn.

This was transcribed by Wake Up from a Q&A sessions with Thich Nhat Hanh in Plum Village, May 2014.

Loving, Peaceful & Joyful Awareness

yoga mindfulness teach training

What is mindfulness? This is the question we start with at all our trainings and workshops, with a brainstorm on the whiteboard. We love hearing our students' answers and every brainstorm is different and full of beautiful insights.

For Hang and I, the mindfulness practice begins with being present so that we can have awareness of four things:

  1. Body
  2. Mind
  3. Emotions
  4. Surroundings

As the mindfulness path is about cultivating understanding and compassion for ourselves and others, we like to practice with loving, peaceful and joyful awareness of these four things. This way there are no judgments or reactions, and we are aware of ourselves and others in a very kind and gentle way. 

So next time you become aware of an ache in your body, a thought or an emotion, try practicing loving, peaceful and joyful awareness, and smile at it with your understanding and compassion. 

With a big joyful hug,
Sarah

August & September 2016: Yoga Classes & Events in Kingston, Ontario

Hello lovely Canadian Friends, a big maple syrup hug to you! We have arrived. We are home. In the here and in the now.

We're happy to be back in Canada until October to deeply inhale the fresh air and hopefully see you all. 

We have a few special events lined up in Kingston and would love it for you to join us. We will also be holding regular yoga classes at GoodLife. All the event listings and details are below.

We're also both available for private yoga or mindfulness sessions, massages, and Reiki. Email to make appointments: saigonom@gmail.com

The peace in our heart sees the peace in your heart,
Sarah & Hang

YOGA CLASSES
Stay updated via our website Events Page: CLICK HERE

Sunday, August 28 @ Battery Park 9:30-10:30am (Lululemon with Sarah)
Thursday, September 1 @ GoodLife Norwest 7:30-8:30pm
LABOUR DAY: Monday, Sept. 5 @ GoodLife Norwest 11:30am-12:30pm
Tuesday, September 6 @ GoodLife Barrack 5:30-7pm
Monday, September 12 @ Goodlife Barrack 12-1pm
Tuesday, September 20 @ GoodLife Barrack 5:30-7pm
Thursday, Sept. 22 @ GoodLife Barrack HOT Yoga 5:30-6:30pm, AND @ GoodLife Norwest 7:30-8:30pm
Thursday, Sept. 29 @ GoodLife Norwest 7:30-8:30pm

QI GONG WORKSHOP
Saturday, August 27, 2016, 9:30-11:30am. Investment: $40. Location: Kingston Waterfront

In this workshop you will learn the “8 Pieces of Brocades” which consists of a sequence of eight gentle standing exercises performed slowly and gracefully to coincide with the breath. It is easy and fun to learn and takes about 10 to 15 minutes from start to finish. The ‘8 Pieces‛ leaves you feeling energized, refreshed and ready to go. You will also learn energy release and activation exercises to clear energetic blockages, turning stress into vitality. 

Qi Gong is a long term training program practiced to circulate, cultivate, regulate, enhance, and guide internal energies to achieve health, vitality, and spiritual awareness. It is an ancient Chinese system of healing and rejuvenation. It involves using your mind, conscious breathing and body to direct the flow of energy. 

MINDFULNESS COURSE
A 6-class course held over 3 weeks on Tuesday and Thursday evenings, 6:30-8pm. September 6, 8, 13, 15, 20 & 22. Investment $90.

This course is about learning to integrate mindfulness in our daily lives. You will be guided in various mindful activities and assigned homework to deepen your personal practice and growth. Some of the guided course activities include: guided meditation, walking meditation, silent sitting meditation and mindful movements with gentle stretching (Qi Gong & yoga.) The group setting also helps cultivate and regenerate our mindfulness energy. Beginners and seasoned practitioners welcome. 

Full course details: http://saigonom.com/mindfulness-training/

SHAMBALLA REIKI LEVEL 1 & 2 TRAINING COURSE
Saturday, September 10 & Sunday, September 11, 9am-5pm. Investment $375.

Shamballa Reiki is a method of energy healing. It is an expansion of Dr Usui’s Reiki method. The Shamballa energy works on all levels of an individual’s being, from the physical body through to the outermost layers of the energy field. Because of this multi-layered quality, this modality of healing works on all dimensions - physical, mental, emotion and spiritual. 

Shamballa supports the body’s ability to heal itself naturally. By the end of this 2-day course, you will be attuned as a Shamballa Reiki practitioner, where you serve as a conduit for a positive healing energy that is sourced in the divine. 

The training will cover: 

  • History of Reiki
  • What is healing and why do we need it
  • Chakras
  • Meditations for grounding, Chakra opening, and heart opening
  • Deep relaxation 
  • Two attunements for the transmission of Reiki energy to the students
  • Self-healing
  • Gentle Qi Gong to wake up the body in the morning 
  • Reiki symbols and how to use them
  • Practical step-by-step guidance on working with clients
  • Time for practicing Reiki

Full course details: http://saigonom.com/reiki-training/

YOGA & MINDFULNESS IMMERSION
Module 1 (50 hours) of our 200-Hour Yoga & Mindfulness Teacher Training. Investment $800 (for 6 days). Held over 2 long weekends: September 16-18 & 23-25.

This module is about you. We return to the foundation of your practice and begin anew to help you deepen your yoga practice; physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually. The practice might bring about pleasant feelings and unpleasant feelings. We’ll show you yoga and mindfulness tools to embrace or take care of these feelings, whatever they might be.

Covered in this module:

  • Pranayama (breathing exercises)
  • Qi Gong
  • History of yoga
  • Mindfulness
  • Meditation
  • Individual joint range of motion test
  • Ayurvedic Doshas
  • How to cultivate love, joy & compassion
  • 8 Limbs of Yoga as they apply to you
  • Mantra chanting. 

Full course details: http://saigonom.com/events/2016/9/16/yoga-mindfulness-immersion-in-kingston-ontario

To register or if you have questions we’d love to hear from you, please email Hang & Sarah at saigonom@gmail.com

6 + 1 Things

6 + 1 things I wish high school taught me:

  1. Nutrition and how to cook simple healthy meals to nourish my body, the temple of my soul.
  2. A Personal Training course to safely take care of the temple of my soul.
  3. Yoga or Tai Chi to keep my soul clear and fresh... and weed free!
  4. MINDFULNESS so I can enjoy every bite of my cooking, love & take care of my body with awareness, carry the yummy yoga/Tai Chi practice off the yoga mat & sprinkle it everywhere, on every person, plant & animal.
  5. Math is not at all that scary and can teach me to solve other life problems... on my own. *whoop*
  6. How two rite a propa centince...centence..scentense...sentense....Argh, Eye giving, give, given up!
  7. Cultivate respect, appreciation, understanding & compassion for the people around me, especially my parents.

And, that's all I have to say about that :-)

Namaste,
Hang

YMTT Reflections

We had such an amazing month by the ocean in Vietnam.

If our Instagram account is any indication, it was a month in pure paradise!

Our yoga & mindfulness teacher training (YMTT) students were with us for 26 straight days. Some of them had no prior experience with mindfulness before. They went from living without awareness to truly stepping on the mindful path, embracing mindful eating, mindfully walking everywhere around the resort, making up their own gathas (mindful poems), and in love with every single Plum Village mindful song :-) We laughed and cried tears of joy in every Dharma sharing! There was so much transformation as suffering was let go of, and many awakening and joyful moments. And now our students are already out there (in Canada and Vietnam) sharing yoga and mindfulness with their students and feeling so much joy doing it. 

We feel so blessed to be able to live and share this beautiful mindful path.

We Love What We Do

You know the saying “Do what you love and you’ll never have to work in a day” ? Sarah and I feel like that sometimes, especially when we get to sit and share our practices with people we’ve met around the globe. Our most recent special encounter was sharing the Shamballa Reiki training with six wonderful women the weekend of April 23rd in the Melbourne area.  Sarah and I both gave 6 attunements in 2 days and we felt like we both also received 6 attunements.  We felt more fresh and clearer after the weekend. Yes, we really love what we do, be it mindfulness, yoga, Tai Chi/Qi Gong, massage or Reiki, it is the right livelihood for us. We couldn’t really do it with the support of our friends and students.

We all suffer to some extent. Waking up with a sore back is a form of suffering. Having that argument nagging in the back of your head is another form of suffering. It’s really wonderful for us to meet people who are willing to take care of their suffering and then help others like what these wonderful six women are doing through the Universal energy called “Reiki” and the practice of Mindfulness.  Life is just too short to not take care our pain and sorrow.

Please enjoy this short video I’ve put together to capture the weekend of healing and joy with our new 6 friends.

Love & Peace,
Hang

If you’re in the Melbourne area and would like to receive Shamballa Reiki treatments, please contact these friends.

Contact: Melanie Fisher
Human Angle: Counselling and Consulting in Human Resources, Career Coaching
Services provides in Healesville and the Centre at Kangaroo Ground
t: 0488198080  e: melanie@humanangle.com.au     w: www.humanangle.com.au

Contact: Carly Leviston  and Carol Holmes-Gack
Offering Shamball Reiki inDiamond Creek, Hurstbridge,  Wattle Glen,  Kangaroo Ground, Greensborough, Eltham, Montmorency and Plenty
t: 0429 360 723 or 0401 308 880   e: carlyleviston@hotmail.com 

A Weekend with Plum Village Monastics

    As most of our friends and family know, Sarah and I have been following the teachings of Zen Buddhist monk, Thich Nhat Hanh, for some time now. This past weekend we had the privilege of deepening our mindfulness practice with the inspiration and guidance from the sisters and Plum Village spiritual community in Beaufort, Victoria, Australia.  We feel refreshed and recharged to say the least.  

I had many wonderful moments at the retreat. Some of them include:

  • Meeting 5 new sisters who recently came over from Plum Village France. 
  • Meeting many new friends on the path.
  • 5am wake up call to the sound of a giant bell.
  • Many delicious Vietnamese vegan meals made with so much love and mindfulness.
  • Supporting our friends with their 5 Mindfulness Trainings transmission.
  • Guiding retreatants through a gentle morning yoga practice in the Meditation Hall.
  • Camping in our saigon om bus in the 3C temperature - good times. 

I strongly suggest visiting any Plum Village around the world for a week or two and you'll see what I mean. No mindfulness experience is necessary; just an open heart and an open mind. The monastics will welcome you with a smile and open arms. You'll also meet wonderful people and Sanghas on the same path that can help support your practice after you return home. 

Please enjoy the slideshow of photos I took over the weekend. 

I invite you to send me an email if you have questions about Plum Village or this auspicious mindful path. Hang: saigonom@gmail.com 

Smiling and Breathing,
Hang

The 5 Mindfulness Trainings for Retreatants

Our friends getting their 5 Mindfulness Trainings 

Creating a Sangha Wherever We Go

Hang and I met in 2012 in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. Her loving words, immense knowledge about yoga and joyful outlook on life were magnetic.  Hang later told me that my calmness, openness and healing hands, as her massage therapist, drew her to me. We made an instant connection, which resulted in many delicious vegetarian meals and great conversations.

Hang was born in Vietnam and moved to Canada when she was eight years old. Her active lifestyle started with fitness and mixed martial arts, and later transitioned into yoga.   In 2006 Hang discovered the mindfulness path, which she began to incorporate into her life and into the classroom as a maths and science teacher.   

I grew up in Melbourne and have been living overseas for the past ten years. I am a massage trainer and a Reiki and  yoga  teacher.  When I learned to meditate at twelve years old,  I immediately loved the calmness and the clarity of thought that I experienced. 

Hang's way of introducing mindfulness to me was for us to do sitting and walking meditation together every Saturday morning, then read and discuss Thay's books. This  helped me to "wake up" and live with more awareness.  Getting in touch with the peacefulness and silence within was a transformative experience.  I developed more understanding and compassion for myself and others, found joy in my daily activities and connected to my family in a more loving way. 

In 2013, Hang and I formed "saigon om", a holistic wellness school in Ho Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon). Two years later, we decided to travel between Australia, Vietnam and Canada together to spread our joy for life through yoga and mindfulness teacher training, mindfulness courses, retreats, massage and Reiki training ,and Tai Chi teacher training.  Our motto is "Travel, Teach & Learn."  We love the work that we do and seeing the transformation in our students as they begin to live with more awareness and joy, is  inspiring. We feel it is our duty to share the benefits of  mindfulness practice, because it has helped us so much.

When we are in Australia and Canada we spend time with our families and offer classes, retreats and workshops.  We love practising with Sanghas around the world, including Birrarung Sangha in Melbourne, True Peace Sangha in Toronto and a Sangha we started originally, in Ho Chi Minh City. We feel we create a Sangha wherever we go with our loved ones, students, and practice friends.  

To help us deepen our  practice we visit Thai Plum Village each year.  It is very special to connect with the monks and nuns and be inspired by their dedication to the practice path. We have heard that one week of practising at Plum Village is like one year of practising at home; and we always leave feeling lighter and fresher - walking more slowly, and smiling at everyone. 

Sarah Martin (Mindful Action of the Heart)

saigon om Yoga & Mindfulness Teacher Training

I'm constantly being reminded by students who come to us that showing people how to take care of their suffering and bring more joy into their lives is our (saigon om) Dharma/path given how the unconscious world has made us believe that the unimportant is important. Case in point: external beauty/looks, comparison, expectation, regretting about the past, worrying about the future that is not yet here. When in reality we have a plethora of tools that can help us overcome our suffering and see that living in the present moment and having a sense of gratitude can bring about love, wisdom and understanding for life. Namaste, Hang

March 2016 Newsletter

yoga mindfulness retreat vietnam

Our March newsletter is ready! Click here. to read it as you breathe and smile. 

We love sharing our mindful and joyful journey. And we'd be delighted for to join us at an event in Melbourne or Vietnam in 2016.

If you'd like to receive our quarterly newsletter to stay updated with our news and events, email us at saigonom@gmail.com

Weekend Yoga & Mindfulness Retreat

weekend yoga mindfulness retreat

Come to this wonderful weekend to deepen your yoga and mindfulness practice. The retreat includes oodles of fun, yoga, mindfulness and time for silence.

Beginners are welcome.

Friday, Saturday & Sunday, May 6-8
Location: North Warrandyte, suburb of Melbourne
Investment: $275, includes shared accommodation, meals and snacks

Friday
Arrive between 5pm and 6pm
6pm: Welcome Circle, Gentle Qi Gong & Yoga Practice
7pm: Mindful Dinner
8 - 8:30pm: Mindfulness Session
* 9pm to 8:30am next day: Noble Silence

Saturday 
7-8am Qi Gong & Walking Meditation in the Bush
8-8:30am Fruit, Tea, Coffee in Noble Silence
8:30-10:30 Short Lecture & Yoga
10:30-3pm Mindful Brunch & Free Time
3-4:30pm Restorative Yoga
6pm Mindful Dinner
7:30-8pm Mindfulness Session
* 8:30pm to 8:30am next day: Noble Silence

Sunday
7-8am Qi Gong & Walking Meditation in the Bush
8-8:30am Fruit, Tea, Coffee in Noble Silence
8:30-10:30am Short Lecture & Yoga
10:30am: Mindful Brunch
12pm: Check Out

For registrations or enquiries: saigonom@gmail.com 0484 090 073

Plum Village Australia Fundraiser

Hang and I were delighted to hold a One-Day Yoga & Mindfulness Retreat to raise money for Plum Village Australia. We enjoyed a beautiful day of Qi Gong, walking meditation among the olive grove, sitting meditation, gentle yoga, mindful eating, deep relaxation, Dharma sharing, singing, and hugging meditation.

Afterwards our students commented that they felt balanced, grounded and calm.

We are very thankful to Cara Britton who very kindly donated the use of her beautiful yoga studio in Kangaroo Ground for the event.

We raised $400 for the construction at Plum Village Australia. Thank you to everyone that attended and shared your mindfulness energy and loving smiles. 

A lotus to you,
Sarah & Hang

Connecting to Nature

nature smile saigon om

We moved into our beautiful little mudbrick cottage this week. We're surrounded by nature, the Australian bush, with gumtrees everywhere and lots of wildlife around. So far we've enjoyed the company of kangaroos, wallabies, kookaburras, galahs, wombats, echidnas, and this little possum who has made a home on our roof. Breathing in, I smile at nature. Breathing out, I feel calm and peaceful.