SEA SOUL ADVENT: DAY 9
Today’s cards for our Sea Soul Advent: May you feel COMPASSION, and may you find SPACE.
Make some self compassionate space for yourself today to consider these two blessings:
May you feel COMPASSION
Whipped into squalls, the sea can be merciless and cruel. Calm, it can embrace your entirety. Both love and fear can bring appreciation of your own vulnerability, and a desire to alleviate suffering.
May you perceive the vulnerability of others. May your heart expand. May you tend to yourself with endless kindness. May you love through all weather.
May you find SPACE
The open sea extends to a vast horizon. A view that offers infinite spaciousness: a blank canvas beyond, above and below. Between here and the skyline, your scope can widen: you can move without restriction, take up space and be free.
May you clear your mind. May you have ample time. May you broaden your perspective and perceive boundless opportunity. May you journey without constraint.
COMPASSION meets SPACE .
- How can compassion bring you space today?
Practicing self compassion has had a huge impact on me: speaking to yourself with kindness, finding common humanity (understanding that our suffering/ mistakes connect us to others) and mindfulness. In a moment of stress, we can notice and be present with our feelings, acknowledge our pain and challenge as an experience that connects us to others rather than marking us out as ‘wrong’, and speak to ourselves as we would speak to a dear friend. When we do this, we create internal space - and that allows us to move forward. .
- How can space help you to find compassion?
Sometimes this is about clearing internal clutter/negative chatter, sometimes it’s creating space for our own needs and dreams, and sometimes, physically clearing space. Whether that’s clearing out an area of your home so that you can feel more positive, or simply heading outside to look at the sky, or the sea, or something vast and open that reminds you of the spaciousness all around. Give yourself the gift of space, whatever that means to you today, as an act of self compassion that will strengthen you to offer compassion to others.
#seasouladvent
SEA SOUL ADVENT DAY 8:
Today’s additions to the Sea Soul Advent are big ones: may you feel HOPE, and may you be POWERFUL.
Take a moment to consider: Does one feel easier to access than the other right now?
May you feel HOPE
Hope is a longing for the ocean: the teasing elation of a shimmering sea. It is your inner knowing that the tides will turn. It is finding the space where the waves break more gently, allowing you to pass.
May your longings be heart-felt. May hope sustain you through the dark days and the grey. May you anticipate with love and faith.
May you be POWERFUL
The power of the sea is immense and potent. It can devastate and reshape the world in its path. It can hold miracles, tend to the tiniest of life forms, evolve and nourish an entire ecosystem. The sea has the power to nurture, and to destroy.
May you know your own power. May you allow your gifts to be seen. May you believe in your ability to change everything for the better.
So how might these two cards be connected?
HOPE meets POWER .
- How can finding hope help us to feel more powerful?
When we feel hopeless, it’s hard to move forward. But if we can find a way to nurture that little light of hope, love and faith within us, however small it may be at times, it can be a source of immense strength. When we believe that something more, something better, brighter, kinder, is possible, is available to us and others - we can move towards this, step by step: we can believe that we have the power to make a difference. - How can stepping into our power bring us greater hope?
Even on the days when we feel powerless, we hold incredible power. Just like the sea, we have the ability to nurture or destroy - those around us, our planet, and ourselves. It takes courage to step into this power - by stating what we need and believe, showing what we can do (even when we can’t do it perfectly yet), sharing what we dream of, offering kindness to others - and to ourselves. But when we stand in our own power, even just for a moment, we see our strength, and find the hope we need to make a positive difference for all.
Wishing you hope and opportunities to use your power for good today.
In case you’re thinking of buying some beautiful sustainable Sea Soul Blessings gifts for your loved ones, here are your latest ordering dates in time for Christmas... and a little list of joys created when I sell a box set:
THE BUYER'S JOY - you get the joy of choosing a gift that will make a positive difference to someone else's life AND help to protect and preserve the planet's vital natural resources
THE RECIPIENT'S JOY - they get the joy of receiving a gift that shows real thought and compassion, knowing that they are loved, and they matter deeply to someone else. - and each time they use the cards, they receive *another* moment of love and self compassion, a connection to the gift-giver, and to the natural world, bringing them more joy, day by day - it's beautiful!
THE FRIENDS AND FAMILY OF THE RECIPIENT'S JOY - the recipient gets the joy of sharing too: these blessings are made to be shared, with friends having a bad day, with children needing a space to open up, with our 'virtual' connections on social media in need of a moment of inspiration. And all of those people feel that ripple of joy too.
THE MAKER'S JOY - well, this is my joy! The joy of being excited to share something that I know has helped so many others, and of feeling reassured of my purpose, reconnecting to my faith that this is a dream worth pursuing, feeling more positive and hopeful about the world, and all the love in it (And also, each time my financial risk is reduced, that allows me to feel less scared and more joyful...!) .
THE SEA'S JOY
- well, I don't know if the sea feels joy as such, but I know that your purchase helps to keep it clean, to support the creatures that live within and around it, and all of those that rely on it. With every purchase, we donate to
@surfersagainstsewage. And I love the idea that there are tiny shining fish knowing that they are loved, all over the ocean, you never know!
So... THANKYOU for rippling out all this joy when you buy from us. If you want to get a gift in time for Christmas, here are the cut off times wherever you may be.
.
#seasoulblessing #seasouladvent #seasoulblessings #sustainablegifts #ethicalgifts #lastorders #christmaspost
SEA SOUL ADVENT: DAY 7
Today’s additions to the Sea Soul advent wreath are: may you be PRESENT, and may you IMAGINE.
Take a moment to pause and reflect: does one card call you more than another?
.
May you be PRESENT
The sea is a constant reviver, a whole body sensation pulling you into the now. It calls you into this breath. Into this wave. Into this thrill and this leap. Into your presence. It sounds the pulse of your soul, urging you to claim this entire being.
May you be here now. May all your senses be engaged. May you delight in the exquisite detail of everything. May you occupy your precious life. .
May you IMAGINE
Beyond what can be seen. The undersea world reflects your imagination: rich with instinctive impulses, ideas and emotions. Immersed, you can look within, behind and beyond your current experience, and explore new possibilities without fear.
May you conceive of it. May you be led by bold dreams and intuition. May your creativity flow. May you seek the possible in the impossible.
PRESENCE meets IMAGINATION - How can being present help you to imagine?
When we bring our attention to our senses - to what we can see, smell, taste, touch, hear - and to our breath as it flows in and out of our body - we become more aware of our physical presence in the world, and of the present moment. From here, we can notice the emotions we are feeling, the thoughts that fill our mind. We can tune more deeply into our instincts. This frees us up: instead of falling into the same old patterns, we can choose to move towards the life we imagine. .
- How can imagining help you to be present?
It’s rare to daydream as adults - in the fluid space between waking and getting up, or just before sleep. More often, I tune into my imagination by writing, collaging or creating. But any activity can offer us that space - washing up, walking, decorating a tree. If we allow ourselves the time to create or imagine, without limitations - letting go of fear and “being sensible” - and instead allowing ourselves the freedom to imagine something new, our presence expands. The more we imagine, the more possibilities we have in the present.
Wishing you presence and imagination today