dedications To Craig who believed in me. To Robert who helped me believe in myself. To my children and grandchildren for whom this is written. DEBORAH GLOVER
The images on these pages are for my beautiful parents who gave me the eyes to see beauty in the most unusual places. My three children for being the awesome human beings that they are. Richard for the never ending unconditional love he gives me. Suzi and Dan for believing in me. Thank you. ALEXANDRA MANN
weeks a journey of self discovery
words Deborah Glover photography Alexandra Mann
blessings
be blessed. May your body faithful and a is y d o b r u yo t tha May you realise of your soul. that beautiful friend l and recognise fu y jo d n a l fu ce May you be pea ed thresholds. sacr ng, your senses are ss is mindful gazi e lin o h t a th e lis May you rea and touching. feeling, hearing ring you home. b d n a u yo r e th ga te the May your sense le you to celebra b a n e ys a lw a s in May your sense and possibilities ry te ys m e th s a universe as well ere. your presence h Earth bless you. e th f o s ro E e th May
A CELTIC POEM FROM ANAM CARA
introduction This book awaits you like a brand new morning. The opportunities of what you do with it are limitless and yours for the creating. Spend a moment each day knowing that all the days past are gone, new ones are yet to be created. Contemplate this – let the past go and face the future with joy. Choose to create each present moment, doing things that you love and want to experience in life. Most of all, approach this journey with expectancy and wonder. ENJOY!
weekly week
01 .............................................let go 02 ........................... embrace the sun 03 .......................... breathe in the air 04 .................................spoil yourself 05 ........................ listen to your body 06 ........................if it feels right, do it 07 ......................... your daily mantra 08 ...........................notice the clouds 09 ....................... a special breakfast 10 ............................ express yourself 11 ........................... create ambience 12 .....................a smile is contagious 13 ...............................smell the roses 14 ....................... make a connection 15 ...........................immerse yourself 16 ......................... leave your imprint 17 .....................experience a garden 18 .......................... sun-kissed sheets
week
19 .............................. be spontaneous 20 .................................. enjoy the rain 21 ..............................food for the soul 22 ......................................be thankful 23 .................. discover the little things 24 ...........................trust your intuition 25 ........................... bring on the night 26 .......................... alive with laughter 27 ................................ glorious butter 28 ............................colour your world 29 ............................ declutter your life 30 .....................shower by candlelight 31 ...........................be kind to yourself 32 .........................change the familiar 33 ..........................listen to your heart 34 ..................................share the love 35 ............................. a slice of heaven 36 .......................... aroused by aroma
week
practise 37 ................... a moment of reflection 38 ..............................notice the music 39 .......................... enjoy blissful sleep 40 ..................... reflect on the seasons 41 ........................ windows to the soul 42 ..................................enjoy yourself 43 ..................view the world in colour 44 ..............................take time for tea 45 ......................................take a walk 46 ........................... the art of relaxing 47 ....................................... moisturise 48 ...............dance with meditative joy 49 .......................blindfold experiment 50 .....................................sleep naked 51 ........................ find the sensual you 52 ..................................... abundance 53 .................................new years day
wishes & dreams
Do anything, but let it produce joy. WALT WHITMAN
/01 let go
week
ening this week ev ch ea d n a g in Each morn of the past and o g g in tt le n o ly focus pure ossibility. What p to f el rs u yo g in s or relinquish eas, words, picture id t a h W ? d in m u? comes to represents joy to yo t a h W r? ea p p a thoughts cious, hold them re p re a es ti ili ib ss These po e and reflect who n lo a rs u yo re a close, they you truly are!
create the future you want
/02 embrace the sun week
The sun’s warmth penetrates to your bones – reaching to the essence of your soul. It hits your solar plexus and you absorb its rays, its life-giving properties. Each day this week, find a place to experience this warmth for a few moments. Close your eyes, relax, focus on its presence, let other sensations fall away, and just feel its rays holding you in their warm embrace. Thank it, acknowledge it, appreciate it – you wouldn’t be alive without it! Visualise it as you go to sleep each night knowing that it will return without fail to wake, nourish and give life each day.
{absorb its warmth}
/03
week
Sit quietly for a moment every day. Focus on feeling the air on your skin. Try tuning out other sensations and just focus on feeling and breathing in the air. Did you discover a little breeze dancing around you – floating across your arm, then tickling your neck? Did it play with your hair, caress your cheek? Did you feel its passage through your nostrils as it entered your body? Was it scented? Was it cool, warm, dry or moist?
{sit quietly in
breathe in the air Air is all around us, we can’t see it, and we get so caught up or overwhelmed with more tangible externals, that we tend not even think about it – yet how essential for our life it is! So, every moment you remember, just pause, close your eyes and acknowledge its presence and appreciate the subtleness of its movement. Take a deep breath and feel the air filling your body, refreshing your cells and supplying a vital ingredient of life!
the moment}
Choose one night this week to have a date with yourself – doing something that makes you feel spoilt. Perhaps you’ll switch off technology, or put on a favourite piece of music. This is your date, so you have the pleasure of choosing what to do. Let’s reflect for a moment why we usually go on a date. To connect with another, find out more about your relationship with that person, to enjoy each other’s company. This is exactly the same reason you are having a date with yourself: to enjoy your own company and to develop your relationship with yourself. Perhaps you'll treat yourself to something you love to eat, or a favourite bottle of wine, centering on what gives you pleasure. Maybe sit quietly and watch the moon while contemplating what is right or not- so- right in your life at the moment. Or, you may have an early night, taking pleasure in the feel of the fresh sheets (which of course you’ll have put on for your date) and the softness cocooning you as you drift off into peaceful slumber.
spoil yourself If you live in a busy household, try to make arrangements with others to ensure you have some time for yourself. On the other hand, you may need to arrange your date for a time during the day, possibly away from home. Consider a night alone in a boutique motel or a few hours of bliss at a day spa. Whatever it is you choose, the purpose is to make you feel good – so that means guilt free! Write it down – put it in your diary. Look forward to it and revel in it! Maybe you will want to record what you did and what you felt as a result. Did you gain any insights about yourself and your life?
{guilt-free self love}
week
/0 5 listen to you r body When you wake in the m
orning, don’t ge immediately. Op t out of bed en your eyes an d b your body. Now e begin to slowly a come aware of n d – those of you w luxuriously stretc ho have owned h o r o know what to d bserved a cat w o! Listen to your ill body indicating muscles want to which move, which wa y you’ll roll, twis turn. What a wo t and nde and have a loud rful feeling – open your mouth , audible yawn. Oh it feels so go Then just comp od! letely relax for a few seconds befo beginning your re new, wonderful day. Repeat any time during the day fo r additional plea sure.
reflections
Close your eyes & you will see clearly, cease to listen & you will hear truth, be silent & your heart will sing.