The little things in life...

Today I am grateful for the little things in life. I am grateful for welly boots and coats so my little ones can wrap up warm and play in the garden, I am grateful for the first blossom in our garden, I am grateful to my big sons for doing the dishes, I am grateful to my partner for continual cups of tea and wise words, I am grateful for the Elsa Beskow books (especially 'The children of the forest) for their sweet illustrations and nature themes, that remind us to live closer to nature and get outside to play even when it is cold outside!

 I have been a bit poorly the last few days and spent hours lying on the sofa cuddled up with my hot water bottle, watching my family go about their activities as life goes on around me. I am not very good at just being still and not 'doing' anything, so sometimes my body forces me with a migraine or in this case crippling period cramps! I have so enjoyed watching the ebb and flow of the day as my kids go about their studies, work and play. I feel so privileged to be the mother of such a lovely brood.

The boys took on the mountain of dishes that had accumulated over the last couple of days, practicing Japanese phrases with each other in the process. I watched the two little ones in a waveform of different games and role playing activities. Usually I am so busy with house work, food prep, work, shopping, homeschooling etc, that I miss actually, really watching the details of their beautiful interactions with each other! Sure, there are scratchy moments through the day too, but I give so many thanks for the whole picture of our messy, patchwork life, as it is all these tiny little moments of treasure that make up a happy life!

 Today I give thanks for the little moments that make up the whole picture! I am a lucky Mama!

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My top 10 inspirational books!

All these books have been extremely instrumental in helping me on my journey, at different times in my life. I could easily have made this a much longer list, but I will save the rest for another day! Here are the first ten, in no particular order:

1) 'The Return of Merlin' by Deepak Chopra
This book has so many layers. The first time I read it, I immediately re-opened it and read it again! There is so much wisdom encoded into the story, it is one of those books that every time you read it, you notice something else potent and poignant.

2) 'The Alchemist' by Paolo Coelho
Such a classic book. It reminds me that there is a natural , universal force/ flow, and if you listen well, you can dance to the true balanced flow and tap into the perfect timings through your life.

3) 'Barefoot Doctor's Handbook for the Urban Warrior' by Barefoot Doctor
My Mum gave me a copy of this, when I was about 16 and I usually get it out at some point every year. It is full of effective meditations, visualizations and tips for your spiritual growth in this modern world. It is written in such a humorous, easy to read and visual form, that it makes the content easy to absorb and put into practice. I have almost all of Barefoot Doctor's books, but this one remains my favourite!

4) 'Moon Time' by Johanna Paungger & Thomas Poppe
This is an absolute gem of a book. Packed with ancient knowledge handed down from generation to generation about when is the best timings to do just about anything in harmony with the moon's cycles for maximum benefit. I wonderful book that I recommend everyone to add to their bookshelf.

5) 'The Hobbit' by J. R. Tolkien
This book gave me the adventure itch! I have a beautifully illustrated copy, and I found myself planning adventures to far off lands after reading it as a teenager! In my adult life I have been lucky enough to do a fair bit of travelling, to some magical places and I can trace my dreams of adventure all the way back to this book!

6) 'The Prophet' by Kahlil Gibran
This book came into my life when I desperately needed to make changes and take a new direction. It gave me the courage to step into the unknown, and I am so glad I did! My life got extremely more magical and wonderful!

7) 'Inner Wisdom' by Louise. L. Hay
This is a book I like to pick up and choose a random page, oracle style! So many positive affirmations, and I always seem to pick one that is pertinent to what is going on in my life.

8) 'Raw Emotions' by Angela Stokes Monarch
I greatly admire Angela Stokes Monarch. This book is well written and helpful for changing patterns that no longer serve you, and choosing  life options that help you become more healthy and happy.

9) 'Primal Mothering In A Modern World' by Hygeia Halfmoon
I was given a copy of this book just before I gave birth to my first child. It always gives me courage to follow my instincts and heart, no matter what the world is telling me!

10) 'Dreaming With The Faeries' by Arisha Aahmau
I have included my own little self published book for two reasons. Firstly, it is a rhyme to inspire children and adults to dream up a better world and live their dreams, and secondly, writing and producing this book has been so instrumental in my own journey. I have learned so much from the conception of the idea of the book, all through to the first real copy arriving in my hand, and beyond to the new things it has led me to.

I hope this list may give someone some ideas for transformative reading material to discover or re-read!

 

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Smile meditation

My partner introduced to me the concept of the smile meditation many years ago now. I must admit, at first I was not keen and thought the practice a bit pretentious and annoying. I soon discovered though,  that doing the smile meditation often completely changed the energy of a situation into real laughter!  Essentially the practice is this: if you are experiencing negative emotions of any sort, put a huge smile on your face and hold it till your emotions begin to shift. This may happen straight away or it may take a while. The smile is completely fake to start with, but soon, the very fact that you are sitting with a huge maniacal grin on your face becomes hilarious and you may begin to feel the need to laugh for real! This is such a good way to shift yourself out of an angry or irritated space and move past it into a more balanced and positive mood. Try it... you may find yourself experiencing a feeling of empowerment as you take responsibility for creating your own positive reality and not being a victim of negativity!

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A beautiful experience from a challenging one!

Today I am grateful for a beautiful, positive experience that followed a challenging one! I was in the supermarket today with my two smallest children. My little boy Phoenix saw the kid's comics and grabbed one with particularly garish plastic toys attached to the front. I told him I was not going to buy the comic, and then followed a total screaming meltdown. My boy went red in the face and screamed extremely loudly. I knelt down and held him while he screamed, then after a bit, I picked him up and held him close in my arms, cuddling and making soothing noises. He calmed down and we continued round the shop.
   When we got home my 6 year old daughter Kiya started bustling round the house collecting items. About half an hour later she appeared with a homemade comic for her little brother consisting of lots of her own drawings bound together and a few of her own little toys attached to the front! Phoenix was very excited about it and loved every minute of Kiya showing him all the pages and telling him the story of her drawings! I was so moved by her love and creativity and realized that if I had simply given in in the shop to avoid a tantrum, we would have missed out on the beautiful creation that Kiya made! I give so many thanks for the experience of being present while my son expressed his big feelings, I give thanks for him feeling safe enough to express himself then moving on and getting over it,  and I give thanks for the sweet generous spirit of my daughter, soothing his hurt with her creations and love!

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Welcome to my gratitude lounge

Hi there, I am Arisha. This blog is a place for me to share inspirations, insight and experiences with you, mainly on the subject of gratitude. Giving thanks as a daily practice has brought me so much happiness and peace of heart, and has turned so many experiences around from bad to good, or fear to joy. I wanted a little place on the internet to share what I have learned/ am learning in the hope that I can help someone somewhere to improve their life as so many people have helped me, in so many ways! Thanks for reading, Arisha x

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Attitude of gratitude

I have come to believe that one of the biggest secrets to a happy life is to give thanks every single day. The practice of counting your blessings is a wonderful and rewarding one. I have found that giving thanks, no matter what is going on in my life, has brought me peace of heart and happiness through good times and more challenging times too. There is always something to be thankful for... the air we breathe, the food in our belly, the friends and family in our lives, the baby who smiled at us in the checkout queue etc etc...
  Sometimes it is easier than others to focus on the things we are grateful for, but I promise you it is worth the effort when you do. When we create a part of our minds that is continually reminding us to give thanks, our attention naturally brings those area's into focus more and more. The law of attraction tells us that we attract what we focus our energy on, so it makes sense to put our attention into positive thought and feelings of gratitude, then we will bring more of that into our every day realities. 
  I have been consciously practicing this for more than 15 years now, and I would say it is one of the most magical and transformative things that a person can do to improve their life!
  So next time you are having an awful day, or even just a difficult moment, breathe deeply and think of something you give thanks for in your life, and notice what a difference it makes to your head-space! Do this on a daily basis and you may find miracles start happening! 

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