Nature Appreciation
Can’t sleep – lunar eclipse
Please excuse the terrible shiny crappy photo that I took from my front door. It’s the middle of the night and I’m sitting in my front doorway watching the moon that happens to be keeping me up. I’ve been lying in bed awake for hours thinking about sleep, meditating, doing breathing exercises and nothing seems to be working. I’ve finally given in and decided to view the incredible phenomenon that’s keeping me sleepless.
She’s a beauty the moon – so bright and shiny. As I sit here I think back to my teenage years when I would lie awake in the yard looking up at the moon and ponder life. I wanted to understand why. Why does it all exist. What is conciousness.How can anything really be proven other than your own existence. What are we meant to be doing here? What really matters in the world. I’m still asking myself these same questions now – a decade later. I’m glad that I am – it means that I’m at least keeping myself in tune with nature and not really getting caught up in what i’m buying, who i’m spending time with and how i’m earning a dollar.
Living in London for the past few years I’ve been missing having a real and true connection to nature. I find myself yearning to swim in natural bodies of water, getting lost amongst the trees, searching for critters big and small just to watch them go about their business. I want to forage, frolic and explore new places that are wild and free unlike the urban jungle I’ve been calling home.
Thank you moon – you’ve given me much to think on. Now how abouts letting me get a bit of shut eye?
If you’re sleepless like me tweet me @jessicaswander or instagram me @jessicaswanderlust
Until next time dreamers… x
Tropical Rain
Tropical rain is just magical. It rained all last night starting from when we were out for dinner on the beach. We all sat up at the bar at Coco Gardens making new friends and having a few sneaky cocktails. The rain continued all through the night and the sound of it on the roof was so comforting. The rain stopped when I was having breakfast on the beach and all day it’s been overcast. It looks surreal and I just wanted to share this little bit of magic with you. x
Exploring Koh Phgangan by moped
What an incredible day this was. Breakfast on the beach at Coco Gardens where I’m staying followed by exploring the local area on the mopeds. We swam in waterfalls, stopped off at random beautiful beaches, ate lunch on the beach, found random tire swings and watched the sunset from Amsterdam Bar. I’m really appreciating my time here. I definitely needed a break and a bit of a holiday! Now to create a life that I don’t need a break from…
Beaches and tire swings
Loving being back in Koh Phangan again. We took the mopeds out for the day and discovered this little gem of a beach and this fabulous tire swing. It’s a much different experience from my last trip that’s for sure!
Arriving in Thailand
So I’m in Thailand! It was an absolutely exhausting trip but well worth it. I don’t know if I was just in beautiful state of mind knowing that I was heading off to Thailand to start my adventure but everything was just so beautiful. The clouds out the window of the plane looked like magical mountains. The lightening off in the distance was out of this world and then when I got on my early morning flight to Surat Thani I got to enjoy this divine sunrise. Life is wonderful.
Russell Brand – Love is all that matters
I just had to share this because it’s just so beautiful.
Russell brand is just incredible. What an enlightened human being and I couldn’t agree with him more…
Love is all you need.
St Andrews Market
St Andrews Market is one of my favourite places in the whole wide world. It’s definitely one of the things I’ll miss the most when I set off on my adventure. I love lazy late saturday mornings with friends drinking chai and taking in the beautiful energy of this wonderful place.
Delicious vegan friendly options for lunch and music everywhere. People are so happy to chat and it’s a great way to learn more about a variety of topics from bee keeping, sustainable living, superfoods, crystal healing, organic farming, and whatever else you can find. People are so open and happy to share their knowledge with everyone.
Earth.Body.Yoga with Eoin Finn
Get Excited lovely humans!
My dear friend and mentor Eoin Finn has released a sneaky peek from his new DVD Earth Body Yoga
CHECK IT OUT HERE: http://vimeo.com/77073328
Eoin is an incredible yogi, surfer, ocean worshipper, blissologist and generally an all round FUNderful human (FUN+ Wonderful… it’ll catch on I’m certain).
Going to Eoin’s YES retreat (YES stands for Yoga Ecology Surf) in Bali in November 2011 was the most incredible thing I’ve ever done for my mind, body and soul. Getting to know him and his family was just magic. His philosophy on life is awe-inspiring so I totally recommend you all go to one of his retreats or at lease check out his DVD’s and TEDx Talk.
Just spreading the bliss..
Jess.
SEE EOIN ON TEDx HERE: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EsIZ69msvOQ
Nature Appreciation
Nature Appreciation has become a big part of my daily practice.
All you need to do is take some time each day to appreciate something in the natural world. Easy!
This is a photo I took yesterday when I was at the St Andrews Market. It was such a beautiful day, the sun was shining, the birds were singing, the air felt fresh and cool and the sky was such a magnificent blue.
People who take time in their day to appreciate the natural world are less likely to suffer from anxiety and depression. Not only this but by actively observing nature we become more connected to who we are and giving us the opportunity to connect with our own spirituality.
“It’s nice to see that it shows that, that the closer humans are to the natural environment, that seems to have a healthy influence,” -Dr. David Rakel director of integrative medicine at the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health
This was introduced to me by Eoin Finn in November 2011 when i was on a YES (Yoga Ecology Surf) Retreat in Bali, Indonesia. Nature Appreciation is one of the 6 “Bliss Commitments”. These are small daily actions that you can take to help create yourself an Upward Spiral.
To read more about Eoin Finn or to join the 4 week Blissology Project Program follow this link:
http://www.blissology.com/community/the-blissology-project/the-4-week-program/
I encourage you to try this and see how connecting with nature can transform your life.
with love,
Jessica
Jessica's Wanderlust 