The Space Between
A moment to reflect on this year that is almost half gone already on a beautiful rainy day.
These four months have been chockablock with scrumptious soul nourishing goodness.
Let's take stock, shall we?
A family road trip to end off 2022 that encompassed South Africa's largest mountain range, the Drakensberg, that did much to patch me up after the harshness of trekking the Himalayas for 5 weeks.
@charisselouw #amphitheatrehike #tugelafalls #drakensberg #chainladders ♬ Awakened Mountains - Muspace
Holding a beautiful retreat at the Buddhist Retreat Centre in the rolling hills of KwaZulu Natal -- I'm delighted to announce that they have invited me back to facilitate a retreat December 15-17.
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| Book here |
Sleepy Morgan's Bay in the Eastern Cape not far from where I became a mom offered a real slow down with my fam and it was a wonderful way to welcome in 2023.
Then off to my parents new home in Plett and just in time to welcome my Brother and his family to their new life by the sea.@charisselouw If you were a bird, and lived on high, you would lean on the wind when the wind came by, you would say to the wind when it took you away: That’s where I wanted to go today! AA Milne #easterncape #morgansbay #doublemouth #happynewyear #familytime #kryinglekker #hiking #beach #reading #goodlife ♬ South Africa - Silvalo Michelino & Célia Reggiani
@charisselouw And so 4 weeks on the road through our gorgeous South Africa is coming to an end 🌍 😅 This time with the fam ~ Priceless 🥹 Got to see my Aunty and walk with the faeries 🌲🧚🏻🌱 Grateful for forests 🌳 Oceans 🌊 (swam with dolphins 🐬 🥹) Cuzzies making, playing, riding, swimming, laughing together 👯 So happy to see my beautiful friend Sally in her paradise 🥰 Delighted to see my mom with her darling Angel Kitty 🐈 #familyvacation #plettenbergbay #gardenroute ♬ Summer Holiday - Cliff Richard
The pillars of my month-to-month moment-by-moment little life remain Zen meditation
@charisselouw #zenretreat #sufitemple #capetown #meditation #sunday #familytime #marchlillies #lovemylife ♬ Zen Meditation - Spiritual Moment
Medicine Buddha at Kagyu Samye Dzong
& Sound Medicine at Eat Surf Yoga
My regular yoga practice at YogaLife has been such a lifeline and slowly but surely after a year of dedicated practice with these amazing teachers, I'm getting stronger, fitter, more flexible and at peace. Currently showing up on my mat daily for the #30daysinMay challenge.
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| After over 20 years of yoga practice, I can say that I'm beginning. |
Appropriately it's Mental Health Awareness month. The discourse around Mental Health can be harmful/helpful/frustrating. I've been enjoying the BBC podcast All in the Mind as a means to feel less alone in what can seem an unbearably lonely struggle. I love the emphasis on acts of kindness and community support.
Speaking of community service... my gorgeous Qi Gong circle is on hiatus during the wet cold months of winter here in the fairest Cape.
I've had the pleasure of attending a wealth of fabulous shows at the Maynardville Festival and at The Baxter.@charisselouw How much do I love #capetown #qigong on #noordhoekcommon every Saturday at 8:30, #friends #family #maynardvilleopenairfestival #capetownphilharmonicorchestra ♬ where you going home - haha
@charisselouw Just another week. Dealing with grief ❤️🩹 thank you art for redeeming us @Baxter Theatre @Ster-Kinekor @VA Waterfront #movies #theatre #art “And I felt saddest of all when I read the boring chapters that were only descriptions of whales, because I knew that the author was just trying to save us from his own sad story, just for a little while.” #thewhale ♬ She Share Story (for Vlog) - 山口夕依
My kids had their first Big Concert experience with Imagine Dragons, a gift from kind friends. My husband is in two bands -- Krakatoa and Macaw -- and it has been awesome rocking out with them all over the Mother City.
We had his sister visit from the States and isn't it a treat having a houseguest and falling in love with the wonders of where you are all over again. Her exclamations of "Lord have mercy" in Southern drawl were so heartwarming.
Sadly her husband has since passed away and I like to think that this time together was a little nest of comfort before the hard times hit again. My own dear tuxedo cat Rex disappeared on my birthday and hasn't been seen since. He leaves a huge hole in our home and hearts.@charisselouw Just the best 🐧 #bouldersbeach #capetown #penguins ♬ love nwantinti (ah ah ah) - CKay
@charisselouw My beautiful boy, constant companion, who has never not for a moment in 7 years been far from my sight, has been missing since Sunday 😿💔 #catsoftiktok #missingcat #loveyou ♬ Where Did My Baby Go - John Legend
So many friends suffering heartache and health crises. My heart goes out to them.
As I grow older I catch myself profoundly grateful for peaceful moments when all is well.
Holding a mini-retreat at The Space Between in Plettenberg Bay was one such moment in time. Having an old schoolmate who I hadn't seen since our graduation 3 decades ago (!) there was such a treat.
@charisselouw Beautiful #retreat today ~ #qigong #yoga #meditation ♬ Chamber of Reflection (Live Cover) - Your Anxiety Buddy
We moved, meditated and made some peace with ourselves.
What else can we do?
Only soften our hearts again and again in each new moment. The work is ongoing. And should feel more like play than work...otherwise we're taking ourselves too seriously.
We also had the opportunity to break ground on my brother's new home and celebrate my parents 48th Wedding Anniversary. What a wonderful thing to see the family well and thriving after the trials and losses of the past few years.
How encouraging to remember that THINGS GET BETTER. Nothing is forever.
Speaking of play as the point. Greenpop's Reforest Fest. Wowzer. BEST TIME EVER. We planted 5001 baby trees and had an absolute ball doing it. This is definitely a life highlight. Being invited to facilitate Qi Gong there was a joy and I hope to be back every year!@charisselouw #familyvacay in #plettenbergbay comes to an end with lots of lekker fun in the sun & memories made @Kelly Louw @carlenelouw ♬ Paper Birds (3 min) - Jordan Halpern Schwartz
It reminded me that we can realllllllly enjoy life. That that's actually what life is for! Get together and feel alright. And do some good nogal. So this past month I've been "indulging" in so much JOY.@charisselouw @Greenpopsa #reforestfest Day 2 PLANTING day 💓💓💓💓 oooohhhhh my word. We had an absolute ball!!! Planted 5000 trees. Plus plus plus…Emroidery with @Danielle Clough #handwork #livemusic @MAJOZI & @Jeremy Loops ♬ Forest - Muspace
@charisselouw @Greenpopsa #reforestfest #qigong @Secret Sunrise #dance #drumcircle ♬ Sunshine - WIRA
I started Oil Painting lessons with darling Tarryn.
Chanted my heart open at kirtan with Maya Joy.
Made a shamanic drum with Liquid Gold Alchemy...and two new friends in Frans & Elaine.
Met a merry medicine woman from Brazil who embodies absolutely the essential playful nature that is our True essence.
This weekend I start a Fynbos Course I got wind of at Reforest Fest from fellow fynbosbevok folk. So excited to deepen my understanding of this remarkable floral kingdom that we get to steward.
Oooo and, Kirsten Neuschafer has gone viral by being the first woman to win the Golden Globe solo around the world non-stop sailing race using no GPS or anything developed since 1968. No outside assistance whatsoever. What an inspiration....
Before I caught wind of her (heh heh, pun intended) I had been drooling over the idea of setting sail and had even contemplated hopping aboard the Karaka which was docked in Namibia about to cross the Atlantic.
But teaching and family commitments put that on pause. I'm very happy to report after years of hinting heavily in the direction of anyone with a boat, my dear writing circle soul sister Margot has hooked me up with someone who is willing to have me aboard so that I can see whether I have those sea legs.
Here's another woman living my dream:
When my girly, who will be 16 soon, was a tiny mite in my arms I used to sing to her
"Me, my baby and the big blue sea"
(another 'new' thing bringing me sparks of joy...learning to sing...turns out you can learn anything, truly, and isn't that exciting?! Here's one of my fave fun free singing teachers)
My kids are fast becoming independent humans and it's quite a trip. Soon I'll be half way to a hundred. My own mortality always sits close beside me.
Let's live a little before we die.
Happy Mother's Day to all those who mother in all its many forms.
Don't forget we owe it to ourselves and one another to hold ourselves tenderly, to feed, water, put down for naps, giggle and take care of ourselves in alllllll the mannnnnny ways we desire. If every one of us could nurture ourselves, truly love ourselves in the way we need and deserve.
Well, just imagine....
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