Mindfulness Week: 5 Tips to take Mindfulness Practice to Your Next Level by Linzé Brandon

Today is international Mindfulness day and here on the Broomstick we have been celebrating this practice everyday this week. Some of the writers of the Pretoria Writers' Group are sharing their experiences along with me and I hope that you too will take a few moments of your day to celebrate with us.

Before I get into the details of my practice, let's take a step back at what mindfulness is and how it works in daily life.

Mindfulness vs Flow

Definition of Mindfulness

Mindfulness is the psychological process of bringing one's attention to experiences occurring in the present moment, which one can develop through the practice of meditation and through other training. [1]

Definition of Flow

Flow is…being completely involved in an activity for its own sake. The ego falls away. Time flies. Every action, movement, and thought follows inevitably from the previous one, like playing jazz. Your whole being is involved, and you’re using your skills to the utmost. [2]

Practical Experience

To my mind, the two concepts are not exactly the same although I will concede that there is a significant overlap in the "state of being" between mindfulness and flow. Perhaps I could illustrate this with two personal and one general examples.

#1: When I am meditating my focus is completely inward. My concentration and focus are centred on my state of being. I am focused on letting go of the thoughts that are creating noise and chaos in my head and secondly meditation helps me to accept and learn about the state of me, physically and mentally, at that moment.

#2: When I am drawing, entering the flow state, my focus is directed towards controlling the pen in my hand. Drawing with ink is one of my favourite pass times and unless my concentration is on my fingers and the pen, there is the risk of making a mess of the end result. Fixing mistakes in an ink drawing is almost impossible and starting over is usually the only option.

I have a back problem and sitting in one place for longer than two hours, causes a lot of pain. When I was busy with a recent project, I would spend in the order of three to four hours at a time only focused on the drawing, completely unaware of my back, until I stopped. It was not fun to get up from that chair, I can promise you. Being in a flow state means that I was unaware of anything except the activity I was engaged in at that moment.

So you can see that mindfulness meditation (inwardly focused) and the flow state (action-focused) have different and separate states of mind. But being mindful is more than meditation practice. When you are focused and aware in the present, it can become a lifestyle instead of only a few minutes on a meditation cushion.

#3: Think about driving a car. It is by definition a mindfulness action. If your attention is not in the present, on the road, on your surroundings, you run the risk of being in or causing an accident. If all drivers were mindful, think how wonderful it would be to drive a vehicle. I love driving, but these days it is a stressful and mentally exhausting activity I have to deal with every time I get behind the wheel.

You can see that mindfulness is present during the flow state, but it is not only a single moment of focus. For the flow state to bring the enjoyment, creativity, and happiness people report, the state of being mindful has to be present for sometimes hours at a time.

Pros and Cons of Mindfulness

Concerns have been raised about the real benefits of mindfulness [3] in the way it is being sold as the quick fix for the problems of modern living. Mindfulness will not fix your stress levels with an app reminding you to breathe. Nor will it make you better human being when meditating for twenty minutes every day.

Mindfulness is not a fix, it is a journey of growth. Often the spiritual aspects of mindfulness meditation are removed from the modern practice and therein could lie the problem identified with the practice. Practitioners are accused of being self-centred and self-absorbed, and even more so than before starting the practice. You don't have to be a Buddhist to practise mindfulness meditation. Being more in touch with who you are does not distance you from any spiritual beliefs.

As a Christian, I find that the meditation practice strengthens my faith because of my increased awareness of my own limitations.

However, to me, the advertised benefits are there too, but I have been a consistent practitioner for almost two years now. I am calmer, even in stressful situations. I have found that I am less likely to judge people, and am much slower to anger. When I included some aspects of stoicism [4] in my life, the benefits grew exponentially.

At first, I thought that as I grew older it was purely for that reason that my temper has not been so quick to rear its ugly head, but personal observation of people around me has lead me to a different opinion altogether. Age has nothing to do with it, in some cases, it gets worse.

If you are already mindful, how can you take it to your next level?

Mindfulness is an individual journey. Mine cannot be the same as yours since your life's journey is not the same as mine. But here are 5 tips to help you figure out the journey you need to map to take mindfulness to your next level:

1. Practice: There is a saying that says "practice makes perfect" which makes a whole lot of sense if you want to make the most of the mindfulness practice. Perfection is not what we are aiming for, but unless you practice daily you will not grow and become better at it. If you are a journal writer, use that to help you track your progress as you grow in your practice. If you don't use a journal, start a notebook and keep track of how and when you practice and your daily experiences. You will be surprised how quickly you will notice the difference in your life.
2. Study: Many people stop learning as soon as they leave school or university to start "life". But learning is a part of life, even though exams don't have to be. Read about mindfulness, meditation, and stoicism then you will be more aware of all the aspects to each practice. The more you know the easier you will be able to adapt your practice and adjust it to suit your lifestyle.
3. Meditation: Meditation is often cited as the way to mindfulness, and it has many benefits, but you don't need to meditate to be a mindfulness practitioner. Explore meditation practice as an option, and if you are unsure, do it with a guide to assist you. In the end, it is up to you to decide whether you like to meditate or not, but don't disregard it because you are not a Buddhist.
4. Moving meditation: This may sound weird, but there are several methods of meditation practice where you don't have to sit in one position with your eyes closed, or staring at a burning candle. Tai chi is often called the practice of moving meditation and well worth exploring if you prefer a moving to a sitting meditation. I have been a student of tai chi for three years now, and I can confidently tell you that it takes real focus (in the moment) to learn the movements associated with the martial art. It is not difficult and you don't have to be in top physical condition to start, and it has the added benefit of moving so you also burn a few calories while you are at it. Walking meditation is also a meditative practice and there are lots of information available on the internet to learn how that is done.
5. Stoicism: I believe that stoic practice can be the counterbalance to the perceived negative aspects of mindful meditation. Stoicism has an unfortunate name since it is believed to cause its practitioners to become emotionless. This is not the intention of stoicism, and practitioners will tell you that it is not the case.
   At its core stoicism encourages rational thinking, instead of emotional decision making. This has the benefit that the stoic practitioner will be aware of their own behaviour and always work towards a situation where other people are not hurt or taken advantage of.
   To my mind, the stoic practitioner takes the concept of mindfulness to the ultimate level of mindfulness: awareness of one's actions and behaviour and the effect this has on the world around us. 

(Note: Stoic week [4] is in October again, where you too can learn about the practice)

Going forward...

Like all mindfulness and mindful meditation practitioners you need to find your own way. Start with the small things: pay attention to what you eat, listen to someone speak, or notice the way the air smells when you walk outside.

We live in a world of distractions and as a result we are putting greater distances between ourselves and everyone and everything else.

Maybe it is time to bring yourself back into the present, and be mindful of every moment in your life, because we only have so many available to us.

If you want to learn more:

• Flow - the psychology of optimal experience, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, ISBN 978-0-06016-253-5, 1990
• The complete idiot's guide to short meditations, Susan Gregg, ISBN 978-1-592257-614-2, 2007
• Seven secrets of mindfulness, Kate Carne, ISBN 978-1-84604-504-2, 2016
• Meditation is not what you think, Jon Kabat-Zinn, ISBN 978-0-316-41174-5, 2018
• Mindfulness for creativity, Danny Penman, ISBN 978-0-349-40821-7, 2015
• The meditation handbook, David Fontana, ISBN 978-1-906787-65-3, 1992
• The daily stoic, Ryan Holiday and Stephen Hanselman, ISBN 978-1-78125-765-4, 2016

References used in the text

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mindfulness

[2] https://positivepsychology.com/what-is-flow/

[3] The Problem with Mindfulness, Gustavo Razzetti, https://medium.com/personal-growth/the-problem-with-mindfulness-7ceddf4d41c

[4] https://modernstoicism.com

About the Author

After many years, Linzé left her full-time job to enjoy the challenges of self-employment once more. Now she spends her days working as a consulting engineer and competence trainer.

She is a mindfulness meditation and stoic practitioner, and a student of Yang style tai chi. In August 2019 she submitted drawings for her first, and hopefully not her last, art exhibition.

Linzé is the author of non-fiction books, novels and short stories.

Her life's philosophy can be found in the words of the stoic Epictetus - first say to yourself what you would be, then do what you have to do.

Linzé Brandon lives in Pretoria, South Africa, with her engineer husband and German Shepherd dogs who are convinced that the world revolves only around them.

Connect with Linzé:

On Instagram @linzebrandon

On Facebook @LinzeBrandonAuthor

On Twitter @LinzeBrandon

Mindfulness Week: Daily Mindfulness by Andrea Vermaak

Being mindful is something I often struggle to achieve. I very often reminisce about so-called better days long gone, or think about the future, either making long-term plans or needlessly worrying about it. 

However, I seem to be most mindful when I am doing specific activities. During these times, I seem to be more appreciative of the little things that matter and I feel more relaxed which, in turn, helps me to feel more energised and ready to take on more challenging tasks.

After a busy day at school, not only teaching, but dealing with students’ problems, pushing admin deadlines, setting tests, planning lessons, printing, marking, marking and more marking (did I mention marking?), I find that the best thing to do to unwind when I get home and become fully conscious of the present again is to make a cup of tea, grab a snack and sit on my patio. 

At first, I had to make an effort to focus on the present moment, so that my mind did not return to school and all the stress that I made an effort to leave there. It is, however, becoming easier each day to enjoy each sip of tea, savour each bite of my snack and immerse myself in the sound of the birds, the shade of the two big trees outside my tiny yard and the orange palette of the sunset. 

After my snack, I water my garden, taking care to tend to my little herb planter, picking yellow, or dry leaves to discard, and big, healthy leaves to use in my kitchen. I admire and appreciate how well they are growing, and can’t wait until they are big enough to harvest a substantial amount from them. 

I’ve placed a plant pot dish on an old tree stump and make sure that it is full of fresh water every day. Though I haven’t seen any birds drink from it, I know that by being mindful of them, taking care to make sure that the dish is clean and that I’m not just filling it out of routine, may make a difference. 

It may seem like something of no significance to think about, but it refocuses my mind to the present moment and even reminds me that there are circumstances to each decision I make, no matter how small. Without water, life would not be possible; birds may not visit my garden. It takes a present state of mind to remind ourselves of the things we often take for granted.

I recently, watched as a little gecko sipped water from a leaf of my delicious monster. How could one not be mindful in a moment like that? It is not something you see every day. 

It is important to me to be fully aware of the life around me. It somehow reminds me, even if for a brief moment, that I am alive and I that matter.

Speaking of life, now that my sister has a nine-month-old baby, I fully immerse myself in the present moment when I visit my family. Every smile, every giggle, every gurgle, every “Ooh” is so precious. I try to capture these moments, as if they were tiny bubbles of joy, and store them in my heart. If I am not completely mindful in these moments, I feel as though the bubbles would pop and disappear. It is at times like these that I feel as if I were living life in high definition.

I am probably most mindful when spending time with family and friends. I have realised more and more how fragile and fleeting life is. Also, as so many of my friends have immigrated to countries all over the world, it is so important to me to be fully present while in their company. 

By being mindful while in the company of others, I’ve learnt so much just by listening and observing, even about myself; what I like and what I don’t like, as well as who I want to be and don’t want to be.

It has made my life richer and, believe it or not, my writing too.

Without realising it, I have included so many characteristics of the people around me into my characters, even those whom I have merely glanced on the street, being fully aware of their presence and taking in every inch of their somehow fascinating manner of standing out from the crowd. It is not surprising, as most writers will write about what they know, but it makes me wonder: If I were not mindful while spending time around people, even strangers, would I have been able to include what I observed in my writing?

I could say the same about reading. I am always relaxed, yet focused when I am reading, absorbing every word on the page like a sponge, soaking myself in the images created in my mind and wallowing in every new concept learnt. Subconsciously, what I read, especially if I am mindful when I read, inspires my writing later.

While reading for pleasure, I am both fully aware of my physical surroundings, as well as the fantastic, realising that every time I gasp out loud that others may look at me sideways with concern, yet so fully alive and alert in the created realm that I do not care for their glances.

Just as I love how reading takes me on a very real and present journey in my mind, I also love to travel in the real world. I would go so far as to say that I am probably at my most mindful when I travel. I am not sure whether it is because I somehow know that I only have one opportunity of which to make the most, whether it is because I am inclined to be highly sentimental, or because I really enjoy collecting as much sensual information as possible so as to share a very realistic version of my experiences with others. Perhaps it is a combination of all of the above.

While travelling, all of my senses are on high alert. For example, once left alone to my hotel room in Bali, the first thing I did was explore the entire room. I started in the bathroom, smelling every complimentary toiletry bottle and soap. When I close my eyes, I swear that I can still smell each different scent.

I opened the wardrobe and took my time to file every item in my mind: the softest dressing gown ever, soft slippers, a trouser press, an ironing board and iron, and a safe.

The mini bar was the best I had ever seen, packed with various beverages and local snacks.

The television was huge. The room was huge. The balcony, from which I could chat to my friends on either side of me, was the best. 

Being mindful of my hotel room and its surrounds was only the beginning of a ten-day experience in which I was present and alert in every moment, from simply walking on the beach and being harassed by hawkers while having philosophical conversations with friends, to savouring each bite of the local cuisine while overlooking an active volcano. There is nothing like the earth rumbling beneath your feet to make you feel fully alive!

Being mindful during experiences away from the routine of work and home, is one of the most fulfilling things in my life. Because I make an effort to mindful during these rare occasions, I appreciate and remember them better.

I also often write journal entries about interesting experiences, during which I need to be mindful in order to remember the finer details, such as feelings, which could fade or be embellished upon over time if not recorded as soon as possible and as accurately as possible.

Two other activities in my life which require accuracy are music and dance. I often tell friends that if I don’t go to my lessons, I will go mad because it is during these two hours of the week that I think of nothing else other than what I need to do in that moment. It can be no other way. These activities are my true escape from everyday life’s stresses. 

If I am not mindful when I play violin, I sound like (in the words of my teacher), “A mosquito with flu that hasn’t eaten for a week.” Playing a piece that does not grate the eardrums requires absolute mindfulness, focusing on each note of the music in front of me and keeping a consistent rhythm. If my mind drifts elsewhere, I make mistakes. I need to remain in the present moment at all times.

Once I know and understand a piece really well, I shift my attention to how my fingers feel on the fingerboard, the pressure of the bow on the strings and each tiny speck of rosin as it flies from the bow and lands beneath the bridge between the F-holes. To me, that is when the music really comes alive, alongside a surge of energy from within my very being.

Most of the above could also be said of ballet. If I’m not mindful of my posture, as well as the placement of my arms, legs and feet at all times, I could injure myself. Not landing correctly while doing sautés (simple jumps), cost me a minor knee injury which kept me from dancing for a month.

Yet, again, once I know a move well enough and understand what techniques to apply so as not to injure myself, I focus on the rhythm of the music and how I may be able to flow with it, feeling the beat and becoming part of the music through dance. It is then when I enjoy dancing the most; fully aware and alert, but with abandon, completely carefree of all else other than the present moment.

Even writing this piece has required mindfulness. It has made me focus on what is important to me; of that which I need to become even more mindful so as to experience life fully. 

Yes, I need remember the past, but not dwell on it. I need to plan for the future, but not get so ahead of myself that nothing else matters; that the simple pleasures of the present moment don’t matter. 

I need to be fully immersed in the present to be fully alive.

About Andrea

Andrea Vermaak has been writing journals, stories and poetry since the age of eight. While studying a BA (Journalism) Languages and a BA (Honours) English degree, Andrea chaired the University of Pretoria's literary society, The Inklings, where she honed her creative writing skills at weekly workshops. 

After freelancing for a few years and gaining experience on a working holiday in Scotland, Andrea’s career in the publishing industry began in 2009 as a publishing assistant at a small independent publishing house in Pretoria, South Africa.

She was promoted to the position of editor of a children’s general interest magazine in 2013. While working as a magazine editor, Andrea edited several fiction and non-fiction books for self-publishing clients. She is currently a full-time English teacher at a Cambridge International school.

Andrea has published several magazine and student newspaper articles, as well as poetry and blog posts. Her debut short story, ‘Draca’ appears in The Flight of the Phoenix, an anthology published by Siygrah Books. Her short story ‘Break Away’ appears in Journey, an anthology published by Muses and Broomsticks. Andrea still enjoys writing poetry, and is in the progress of writing and editing several other short stories, as well as a young adult fantasy novel.

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Mindfulness Week: Mindfulness and the Insanity of being an Artist/Author by Vanessa Wright

Photo by Emma on Unsplash

The practice of being mindful; completely present in the moment, truly allowing yourself the freedom to accept your feelings and thoughts, be they positive or negative has grown on me during the last seven years. It has been quite the journey. There are still times when I have to remind myself to let go of past injuries and hurts and move on, focussing my attention on what is beautiful and good with the world that we live in.

It is challenging to find that centre of calm within you and allowing it to radiate throughout your entire being. It is crucial to the process that you forgive yourself for backsliding or allowing negative thoughts to take hold of your entire day; it is a learning process after all. Consider the fact that we all learn at a different pace and in a different manner. I, myself am visually and audibly inclined. I learn through reading, YouTube videos, the natural world, people passing by, snippets of conversation, audio tapes. Be kind to the way in which you are made, the particular baggage you carry, the surroundings and people that give meaning to your life.

All of these variables affect who you are and the behaviour you choose to exhibit. And yes, behaviour and attitude towards problems is a choice, sad but true. 

This may seem like so much mumbo jumbo. I will explain exactly what I mean by giving you a run down of my daily activities and where I find time for my creative side.

06h00 the dreaded alarm goes off. I do not set multiple alarms, there is only one; no snoozing. I do the mundane things, get dressed, toothbrush, hairbrush; tools used to tame the wild child.

06h30 first cup of coffee, sadly decaffeinated. 

The next twenty minutes are spent in mindful meditation. Contrary to popular opinion it is possible for a Christian to meditate. I use a Bible text or simply the beauty and grace of the universe to focus my mind. Relax, be aware of your body and your breathing, find the quiet that exists within you. Noise, which we are constantly being exposed to has negative effects on our health.

It is important that silence, both external and internal, becomes an unnegotiable part of our daily lives. It is only by being completely present that our spirits become teachable. If I skip this step due to the business of life, it really does come back to bite me in my ample ass sometime during the day.

7h00 to 12h00 I do a twenty-minute exercise routine and feed my 7 pugs, yes there are seven, a rescue border collie and Kitkat my aged cat. This is the time where I have breakfast, clean, cook and iron. Boring to the extreme, but life as we know it would cease to exist at casa mia if I didn’t. An uprising, involving 3 males and 9 animals would cause havoc. 

12h00 to 14h00 I run errands. My bank manager sighs in relief when I practice restraint and walk past the book shops without going in. Oh, add any stationary shops as well. We run our own DVD rental/book shop and I have a list of mundane items to buy for said shop, which sometimes involves going into aforementioned stationary shop. I keep reminding myself that I do not need another journal or more pens or various art supplies. Show me a writer who does not have more than 10 journals which are still wrapped in their protective covering. Somewhere during this time, I remember that I need to eat.

14h00 to 16h00 I write, paint or crochet amigurumi animals. Sometimes this time is usurped by demands from my sons, who still life with me at the ages of 30 and 27 respectively. Perhaps I should kick them out of the comfortable nest soon. I am however slowly but surely turning into a demanding shrew considering the time I set aside for creativity.

I suffer from Bipolar disorder and if I skip these two hours on too regular a basis my brain shuts down and I become severely depressed. At times I am in my manic phase and I take on too many things at once, which as you can imagine takes its toll. I learned through trial and error what works best for me and what doesn’t.

This does not mean that the disease is conquerable; I believe that it never really goes away completely, but by being mindful I have learned to control it to some extent and to be aware of the signs that inevitably lead to either depressed or manic phases. You cannot change that which you do not acknowledge. Make peace with it, we are all flawed.

My favourite quote from Alice in Wonderland reads:

Mad Hatter: Have I gone mad?

Alice: I’m afraid so. You’re entirely bonkers. But I’ll tell you a secret. All the best people are.

16h00 to 16h30 get ready and drive to the DVD store.

16h30 to 20h00 work and chat to clients. I am an empath, which means that I get to know clients on a personal level and share their emotions. I have a degree in psychology. I never practised as my therapy flaw is that I get emotionally involved in people’s lives and cannot disengage. The store has become my ‘practice’. 

20h00 to 22h00 I arrive home, feed my animals and myself. Watch Supernatural or Bachelor in paradise; my two guilty pleasures. Bathing follows as I refuse to be a cave woman. 

22h00 to 24h30 I edit (yes, I am an editor on the side) or read. You have to read so that your writing improves. The last twenty minutes or so I read my Bible and meditate. This ensures that my brain is sufficiently ‘switched off’ to ensure a good night’s rest.

This is how I spend my days, with the variation of shifts spent in the store running from 13h00 to 16h30 or 10h00 to 15h00 on the weekends. Looking back at this, I suddenly realise how busy I truly am, but believe me, without meditation, none of this would be even vaguely doable. 

Mindfulness has helped immeasurably for my anger and anxiety issues.

I find that it has become easier to let things go. You cannot change the past, even if you had access to a time machine. Why then would you allow it to change who you are or change the way in which you see the world? Do you realise how much time is wasted on this very thing when you could have moved on to something better, something which challenges you and allows you to grow?

Being held back by past hurts or traumatic events ensures that you are trapped in a stagnant pool, slowly rotting away. 

Be happy in the moment, that’s enough. Each moment is all we need, not more. Mother Teresa

“What day is it?” asked Pooh. “It’s today,” squeaked Piglet. “My favourite day,” said Pooh. A.A Milne

I addition to being mindful and meditating, I also practice stoicism. These practices seem to me to belong together as they overlap so much.

The final question remains- how has all of this this helped my writing and art?

Writer’s block: Meditation replaces the to do list which constantly runs in my mind. Ideas do not flow if your mind is constantly overthinking.

Do not struggle against it if you find yourself in this position. Accept it for what it is, become quiet and reflect on what you are feeling in the moment. Frustration, low self-esteem, anger. Acknowledge them and let it go, they do not define you, they are mere in-the-moment emotions which should not last. If it helps, journal about your feelings. This is also writing and should alleviate the blockage. You have words on paper! And remember even if you feel that you are writing the most atrocious rubbish, it remains the first draft. Silence the internal editor bitch!

Art: I have recently returned to embrace my love of creativity. Thanks to my friend and fellow author, Linzé Brandon for reminding me how much I love playing with different mediums.

Creating allows you to swim in the energy that surrounds everything we see and touch. I challenge you to experience the beauty of the world without feeling the urge to create or to leave it a better place than you found it. Create from the well of silence that you have gained from mindfulness and meditation; it rarely runs dry if you remember to feed it daily.

This has helped be to overcome many obstacles in my life and to become the best version of me, I sincerely hope it has meant something to you as well.

Love and happiness always!

Vanessa.

About Vanessa Wright

I am a 52 year old visual artist and author. Two of my Afrikaans short stories have been published in My kort vir jou sop available on www.amazon.com as an e-book.

I have my own blog appropriately named Humouring the dark, I am also active on Facebook and Twitter and am a member of a writing group.

I lead my own book club as well- I am a true bookaholic. Writing has always been my passion, however the timing always seemed incorrect as daily life interrupted more frequently than not.

Now, I have decided to go big or go home.

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Books @ Smashwords

Mindfulness Week: When the mind stops, life starts by Charmain Lines

The ability to be fully present, aware of where I am and what I am doing, is for me mind-empty-ness. My head very often races with thoughts – mind-full-ness is therefore a literal state for me. I am a great overthinker of things, and often silly small issues can claim an inordinate volume of headspace. 

For me, then, my mindfulness practices are aimed at emptying my mind and enabling myself to just be in the moment, to find the spaces between the thoughts.

I try to move forward “without thinking” a little bit every day, and on the days when I get it right, I am amazed at the results, at what I can accomplish when I don’t overthink, when my mind moves out of the way. Planning can paralyse me. Having realised this, I consciously and increasingly train my flow muscle, my mid-empty-ness muscle, and the results are encouraging.

I am a freelance writer and editor by profession, and mindfulness is slowly emerging as one of the most powerful tools in my writing box. By consciously giving myself permission to just write without concern for the outcome, without knowing how a piece will end, I find that the writing becomes easier and lighter, and often far more meaningful than when I try to plan an article.

Increasingly, I go into interviews with the same mindset. I remind myself that my biggest job is to be curious and engaged, and prepared to be amazed (in the words of Celeste Headlee). Time and again, the interview finds its own direction as we go.

If this sounds all a bit esoteric, let me give an example. For about a year now, I’ve been generating content for an organisation that helps our domestic chicken industry fight back against excessive imports into South Africa, a practice that is strangling the local producers. One of my focus areas is to tell the stories of the small, mostly black farmers who suffer greatly as a result. I baulk at highlighting hardship and poverty only, and have indeed found many people who live in opportunity and entrepreneurship. One of the challenges is to keep finding fresh angles for these farmer stories.

A week ago I had an appointment on a chicken farm near Zeerust, a smallish town in South Africa’s Northwest Province. The farmer was a woman called Grace Kgomongwe, and I found her to be utterly charming, wonderfully articulate, and clearly passionate about her business. I spent an inspiring hour with her and her husband and drove home without any idea of how to turn that interview into a story that would further the cause.

I reminded myself to not get anxious, but to wait with eyes and ears wide open. And sure enough, the answer arrived in the person of none other than South Africa’s Minister of Finance. On Tuesday evening, Minister Mboweni published a discussion document on economic growth that included a section on agriculture with explicit reference to contract farming – the model on which Grace supplies chickens to one of the large integrated local producers. It was as if Mr Mboweni wrote my article for me. I had a relevant, newsworthy hook on which to hang Grace’s story in a way that showed that contract farming was indeed an avenue for economic development and that its success was being proven already. 

Another area of my life in which mindfulness is working its magic is, weirdly enough, weekends. I went through a prolonged phase where I viewed weekends as opportunities to catch up and prepare myself for the week ahead. I know how crazy this sounds, but it was true. I ended up betting on weekends to get my work done, and negotiated deadlines around them.

Then, about four months ago, an impromptu decision to go for a walk early on a Saturday morning changed my weekend game. My husband and I quite unexpectedly found ourselves at the edge of a park just after 07:00 every Saturday morning, ready to walk for about 45 minutes (before the parkrun hordes descended) with my brother-in-law and his wife, and our nephew and his wife. Afterwards we would go for breakfast together and be home by about 09:00 with what felt like a day of limitless possibilities ahead of us. 

That simple change in routine that came with spending time outdoors and moving my body unlocked a perception of abundance that I could not have predicted. Weekends started feeling longer, had more quality about them, and I felt myself yielding to not having a plan.

Last weekend is a great example. With the nephew and his wife parenting a new-born and the brother-in-law recuperating from an operation, my husband and I have been doing our weekend walks (we now walk on Sunday mornings too) in our own neighbourhood. Last week Saturday we decided to walk in a different suburb as I wanted to buy fresh vegetables at the organic market that is held there on Saturdays. We did our walk, had breakfast at the market and bought the veggies. On our way home, we decided to pop in to see my mother-in-law, and from there we stopped at a nursery to buy a few herb plants. Back home, lunch was a meal improvised from what was in the fridge. Next I drifted into preserving lemons, followed by a brief stint at my computer before, at dusk, I was outside, planting the seedlings we had bought. We ended the day with pressing the remainder of the lemons to freeze the juice.

I went to bed that night with a profound sense of peace and joy and accomplishment, not to mention the awe of what a day with no plans could yield. Being present in every moment, and moving on to the next thing without question or resistance, proved to be a good way of spending the day.

Where did this start? The short answer is I don’t know; the long answer is that it’s been an unfolding process that first sneaked into my life at least 10 years ago. Over the past decade I have done several programmes that had mindfulness at their core, although the word was not necessarily mentioned. I had read many books, and gradually stepped into a tribe of people who wanted to live differently and were not scared to voice the desire and discuss the ways they were setting about achieving it.

Reflecting on it now, I am convinced that my current, and growing, ability to life with more ease, connection, curiosity and gratitude is a result of a journey over many years. I feel that I have become steeped in a way of thinking and acting that brings me closer to mindfulness every day.

In many ways, mindfulness is about saying yes – before thinking. I did that at the very end of last year when a friend sent me an email about choosing a word for the new year. The notion appealed to me and in thinking mode I came up with something (I don’t even recall what it was). But then I decided to actually follow the process she had forwarded, and it felt like opening a door into my being. At the end of it, and it really was not more than 30 minutes, my word for 2019 was “dare”. And how I have loved to see and feel that word around me and with me this year. Most often, I recognised that I have dared only after the fact, but on a few occasions, when faced with a tricky decision, I have consciously chosen to dare. Without fail, the outcome was so much more than I could have planned for.

From about the middle of this year, I have paid more attention to how I start my day. Although my husband and I did a transcendental meditation course a few years ago, we had let the practice fall by the wayside, and my days kind of started as they wanted.

In June we went overseas for three weeks, and on our return, I decided to take charge of my early mornings. Courtesy of a cat that insists on breakfast at 05:00, our predisposition to waking early has in recent times become a habit. My husband’s morning routine leaves me with about an hour to myself. Before I would simply lounge in bed, maybe scrolling through social media. Often I would fetch my laptop and get some work done.

These days, I have my own routine. I get up and do a few breathing exercises, then get back into bed and do a 20-minute meditation session. Some days I succeed in achieving stillness better than other days, but I have decided to persist. Following my meditation, I read a chapter or two from an inspirational book and, over the months, I’ve come across practices in these books that I now incorporate into my morning routing. Some days I do some EFT tapping, other days I say affirmations or afformations, and other days I simply share what I’ve read with my husband.

Books like Daring Greatly by Brené Brown, Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert, Life Loves You by Louise Hay, The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle, and, most recently, Being Mortal by Atul Gawanda, have filled my mornings with meaning and inspiration and joy. Much like the weekend walks, these early morning practices feel like a jumpstart to my day – not because I start work earlier but because I am filled with wonder at life.

I am not a mindfulness guru or even what could be considered a practitioner. I am simply a person who went in search of a different way to live and who have found that when her mind is empty, her life is full to overflowing.

About the Author

Charmain Lines spends a large part of her life writing. Her day job is as a freelance corporate journalist, editor and producer of publications. Her clients include a variety of organisations operating in industries ranging from chicken production and financial services, to building and construction, and tourism.

After hours, she dabbles in fiction and creative writing. Charmain self-published her first novel in 2012, and has been haunted a half-completed manuscript for several years now. In the meantime she has contributed to two anthologies of short stories published by a group of indie authors.

Charmain loves travelling, and regularly spends extended periods overseas, sometimes visiting family and friends, other times indulging in activities such as cookery courses, historic city walks and learning about local cultures.

Book Series Feature and Giveaway: ANGELA'S EPISTLES by Rita Kruger

About the series: ANGELA’S EPISTLES

Find out more on YouTube

1. The Gap Year -> ***FREE*** during September

Book one in the Angela’s Epistles series.

Genre: Science-fiction action, LGBT Romance

I am tired of living in mother’s shadow. She is a formidable woman who paved the way for all females, no, all humans, in the judiciary by securing a seat in the Intergalactic High Court. But her success is my hell. Why, you ask? Because no-one sees me. They only see Margaret Wright’s daughter. And next to her I look weak. Unworthy. Not up to par. 

I exchange my Intergalactic Bureau of Investigations career for something less fabulous. Bounty hunting. I even consider moving to a new planet! But then I kiss Bren, my best friend. Fine, if you insist, she is my only friend. These are the first steps in growing a spine. I am kicking against everything I have known.

But is twenty-eight too late to bloom? And will I be able to withstand Margaret’s fierce attempts to pull me back into the shadows?

The year is 2053 and Angela Wright, sometimes funny, always sarcastic, kicker of ass and hunter of criminals, ventures out into space. And the cold wide world.

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2. Sins of the Fathers -> ONLY 0.99c during September

Genre: Science-fiction action, LGBT Romance

This is book two in Angela’s Epistles series

Angela Wright is a woman on a mission. Several missions, in fact. First she wants what we all long for: to be a person in her own right. But Angela was born to a mother who has an ego the size of Planet Earth, and she has always lived in the shadows of Margaret Wright.

Secondly, she wants to learn how to love Bren, her best friend since childhood. Bren has always had her back, no matter what. She is the only person on the planet that looks at Angela without seeing Margaret, her mother.

Thirdly, she has to catch a criminal on the Intergalactic Bureau of Investigation's Top 10 list. Nuremburg is a dangerous cop-killer.

Fourthly, Angela has to track down the man that is stalking her girlfriend.

With the help of a growing team of people, Angela sets forth to win the day. Finally, she is blooming!

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3. Dancing in the Dark -> ONLY 0.99c during September

Genre: Science-fiction action, LGBT Romance

This is book three of Angela’s Epistles Series.

Finally I taste success in my career as a bounty hunter. The Top Ten list of worst criminals was changing because of what I did. Having conquered this new career, I now turned my mind to new endeavours. 

Bren, my girlfriend, is still plagued by a stalker, and the police was not helping much. 

In between everything I start to read father’s journals, at last. He speaks about a betrayal. They are also filled with concern for the atrocities that was happening on Uranus. Therefore I set forth to rescue my brother from the Black Widow (Uranus). I have a brilliant scheme, a map, and just in case, a Plan B. 

But can she leave Uranus untouched? Will its darkness touch her? Will she, and the team of people who are gathering, be able to get to the stalker before he gets to Bren?

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4. Dark Eclipse -> ONLY 0.99c during September

Genre: Science-fiction action, LGBT Romance

This is book four in the Angela’s Epistles Series.

The attack on Bren unleashes all kinds of trouble in Angela’s life. With Bren and Angelo both in hospital, she is almost living there. Heading for a nervous breakdown, she is able to get them both in one room, with a guard outside. And an extra bed for herself.

In the middle of this she needs to find answers. What really happened on the night Bren was attacked? Where did she go? And why did she make those calls to Bren? 

No, WHO made those calls to Bren?

Prof Linden and the top students go through Bren’s case file and find some irregularities. Evidence is missing. The police investigation is going nowhere. All fingers point to the stalker being a policeman. Soon the Intergalactic Bureau of Investigation takes over. Can they find the truth?

And Margaret wants the journals her father wrote for her. She is willing to take Angela to court. 

Adulthood has a fierce bite. Can Angela hold on amidst all the twists and turns life is throwing at her?

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5. Masquerade -> ONLY 0.99c during September

Genre: Science-fiction action, LGBT Romance

This is book five in the Angela’s Epistles Series.

Life after the attack on Bren is hard on our relationship. Her walls are up so high I cannot reach her. But I know it’s not only the attack. I lied to her. Everything between us is tainted.

Angelo has found love! I’m happy to have my brother here. Only, he isn’t my brother, is he?

The board members of Search International is having a party. Only, it turns into the worst idea ever. I should have expected that for them. Anyway. The new target on the International Bureau of Investigation’s Top Ten list is Identity Thief. This means I have to go to the bank right after the party to ensure my money is protected properly.

And then the hunt starts.

Can Angela find a way to reach Bren in her tower of pain? How deep does the investigation into the mining atrocities in her father’s journals go? And what other secrets will he share with her? Will Margaret change her mind about wanting the journals? And can Angela find the Identity Thief before he finds her?

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6. Close Cuts -> ONLY 0.99c during September

Genre: Science-fiction action, LGBT Romance

This is book six in the Angela’s Epistles Series.

Follow the escapades of Angela, Bren and the people they love. This time Angela has to face enemies from within and without. But can she do this without the support of her lover, Bren, who had always been the rock on which she could stand?

Margaret, her mother, is still fighting her around every corner. Added to this is a trusted friend that turns into an enemy. 

The Identity Thief seems like a walk in the park in the middle of Angela's storms. But will she ever find this elusive criminal? 

What new secrets will her father's journal reveal? Can she heal the damage to her relationship with Bren before it is too late? Can she survive in a world filled with people that want to kill her?

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About Rita Kruger:

Rita Kruger recently moved to Springs, South Africa. She is granddaughter, daughter, mother, and grandmother. Most of childhood happened within the pages of books. Stories conspired to carry her away from the world she knew. The places and people books introduced her to were much more exciting than her boring existence.

She surrounds herself with what enriches her body, mind and soul. Family. Friends. Nature. Great food. Good wine. Mountains of books. She writes novels challenging major themes of her life in the genres of fantasy, science-fiction and horror, which she loves.

Connect with Rita online:

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Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B06XHCL14D

Webpage:https://www.ritakrugerwrites.com