above all, be kind

A Sunday morning perspective to unravel with. Welcome to the new writing platform I mentioned. Believe it or not, I started this migration to Substack in March of 2021. Some decisions in life simply need to marinate, or is that life itself?

The views and ideas in my letters are expressed mostly through the eyes of an artist, seeker, fortunate/unfortunate empath looking for the kinder side of life. As the founder of Mindful Necessities, I'm always looking for the hidden gems along the path, both literal and figurative, that can help us breathe deeper and stay grateful. I can only hope that sharing the experiences I open myself to, my travels and what I practice for my own light and life support, might benefit us all.

There is so much brilliance in our ever changing world, but I am more interested in writing about how something makes us feel than what it makes us think. When we lose trust in our instincts, we lose our grounding and then our credence. Alan Clements says “Enlightenment is a relentless willingness to feel”. I really believe that if we want to tap into our greatest, most awake life, we must be willing to feel all that arises. That means facing our own vulnerability, fears and tenderness with courage and love. This quest is known to rattle our comfort zone, but almost always bears beautiful fruit and a sense of inclusiveness to our very own life.

We have been sold that pursuing comforts will eliminate our needs and wants. This is far from the truth. The more we seem to need, the less we truly have. Upping our comfort zone taxes the planet, our bodies, our minds and our relationships with each other and nature. It feeds well the corporate world and the pharmaceutical industry. However, this is our world and we can still embrace our life in it with beautiful diligence and fierce compassion.

I will be returning to Mother India soon after two years of closed doors with the pandemic. My time there is to retreat and reflect. The Dalai Lama is now 87 years old and to be in his community while he still offers teachings is a remarkable gift. I may even be inspired to design something there again. The delicate X ring was birthed in India during the delicate early days of the pandemic. It was amazing to work with these jewellers who controlled the oxygen for their torch through a metal straw.

I will maintain Mindful Necessities work remotely, such as writing, sharing practice and retreat updates, but the items in our store will be mostly unavailable until my return to Canada next summer. I say mostly because Patrycja will be available for some special requests that she can produce from her studio.

So products on our online store will be available until Friday, Dec 16th. You can visit: https://www.mindfulnecessities.com If you are a gold lover, there is a sale on the remaining stock of the mini gold Being Peace medallions.

from my heart to your heart, with a lotus and a smile,

Gisele