Summer Arrives!
Dear Friends,
Welcome to Summer!
The Season of Summer is special around the world.
For those in the Northern Hemisphere, Summer brings a Mid-Year welcome relief from the grey clouded sky and stark cold that is Autumn and Winter.
Here in the Southern Hemisphere, Summer is the Season that connects the Old Year to the New Year. It is the reward of having got through the year and then venturing forth into the New Year with warmth and light.
As usual, I like to remind people that the ending of the year can be a special and significant time to slow down and relax into some holiday time. This can be a great opportunity to pause and ponder in Mindful Reflection on the year that had been!
We might ask ourselves:
What has this year been for me?
What have I learned through this year?
What would I like to learn from this year?
What do I need – to learn from this year?
What insights and understandings can I carry forth into the New Year?
Our life is simply the two factors of Time and Energy – both most precious resources that should not be wasted. The worth and wealth of our life is the Wisdom gleaned through Conscious Consideration or Reflective Investigation. This can often be done following experiences through remembering and reflecting.
This year that is coming to an end 2024 – has been another significant year for us all. A year not without its particular challenges and concerns, especially due to ongoing world issues, conflicts and politics that affect us all as we connect in this ‘Global Community’ that becomes increasingly connected and close due to the speed of communication.
Such significant issues remind us of the importance even imperativeness of practicing Peace. Peace begins within our own mind- heart, and is then expressed in words, behaviours and our way of being in the world. Real Peace is the result of a Calm and Wise Mind cultivated through Samadhi – Meditation and Insightful – Wisdom.
Much of my work and way of life here at WELL-AWARE-NESS Psychology and Ratanagiri – Retreat is helping people find and bring to mind Calm and Clarity, Wisdom and Understanding, Peace, Contentment and Joy in their life. Much of this is the result of cultivating the quality of our Mind through Meditation and reflecting and learning from the lessons of our Life.
May we find great Peace, Contentment and Joy from the lessons and learnings from our life through 2024. May this be a great Wisdom Wealth that we can use and share with others in the year ahead!
I wish you a Mindful and Meaningful Summer – and a time of Peace and Joy as we end this year and move into the New Year of 2025.
Thank you for your ongoing support in continuing to create a Buddhist based Community devoted to SILA, SAMADHI, PANNYA – Morality, Meditation and Wisdom.
Stay safe and well over the Christmas and New Year holiday period.
I share my verse below with you on Summer.
Metta – Kind Regards
John B.
SUMMER ARRIVED
Summer arrived in a timely way;
We knew that Spring, like youth;
Just could not stay.
Flora and Fauna came out to meet;
The increasing warmth
Of Summer’s heat.
A time of brilliant sun and light;
The days seem longer;
With less hours of night.
A time of activity spent outdoors;
A Season much beyond
Autumn and Winters quiet pause.
The yearly cycle has come and passed;
The Seasons remind us
That nothing lasts!
How many Summers lived and yet to come?
The knowledge of this;
Is known to none!
MEDITATION GROUP – THURSDAY NIGHT
LAST SESSION FOR 2024 – Thursday 19th December
FIRST SESSION FOR 2025 – Thursday 16th January
6.30pm – 7.30pm (NSW TIme) at Ratanagiri Retreat – Farrants Hill NSW
Connect with us online for these sessions if you are not able to physically attend:
Please contact us by email at info@wellawareness.com.au to receive the ZOOM link.
SUNDAY MEDITATION DAY RETREAT
NEXT RETREAT DAY – Sunday 16th February 2025
9.30am – 3.00pm, at Ratanagiri Retreat – Farrants Hill NSW
(Same theme as our December Retreat cancelled due to the weather event: ‘Meditations & Reflections on Beginnings and Endings’).
Retreat Days can be attended online on request if you cannot physically attend.
https://us06web.zoom.us/j/82020665739?pwd=JPNtDW7SQder6vomcWj0eZTjDaQ7Gz.1
