One Small Step

small things

Masala dosa with coconut chutney. A clear view of Mooji. Enough space to sit cross-legged. Each day, more smiles in the satsang hall. Chocolate coconut cake. Quiet enjoyment of tea. The increasing granularity of gratitude.

Arunachala

Five days at the feet of Lord Shiva. The fire. Ramana. Beautiful nothing.

Christmas

A fax from the family. Morning calls to parents in Oz. Breakfast by the pool with whistles & funny hats & big smiles. Secret Santa & lunch at the farm. Healing tulsi beads for everyone. A concert at the children's home. Being found by a new old friend. Dancing with the kids to Jai Ho. Farewell to Lucknow & Papaji at Satsang Bhavan. Singing. Shakti. A Christmas overflowing with love.

Amritsar

The Golden Temple. Chanting, orbs and the power of devotion.

the whirlwind

A ride up a mountain on a fast bike. Lunch by the waterfall at the Sukhantara. Sitting by a bigger waterfall, soaking up the negative ions. Twin flames. A ride back down the mountain, chasing the moonrise. Watching it from my back deck, red wine in hand & Nick Cave as the soundtrack. The full moon eclipse. Four days of not enough sleep & just enough bliss. Feeling fear. Opening & softening into the big love anyway. Sam, my Thai guardian angel. The perfect preparation for India, with grace's hand on every little detail. Stillness, settling.

compassion

Waking early to process myself. A visit from Tara. Getting leverage. Choosing love & life. Eggs with greens, smoked salmon & goat cheese. A session with Bernie, embedding & reinforcing. The three shadows. Release. An afternoon to end the Boudica. A chat with a friend. Mirroring. Nemaine the moon, almost full. A very early night, with sleep. Radical self-care.

trust

Waking early to sit. Meditation class for eight. Mist over the mountains in the morning light. Praise. Breakfast with Feng. Skype catchup with Georgia & Rion, looking happy. Lunch by a waterfall. A fast ride up & down the mountain. Duck. Getting triggered on trust. Sitting with it. Seeing the patterns. Surrendering.

rest

A quiet day at home. Dropping into the approach to India. Making a shopping list. Reading the Boudica. Lunch at the restaurant. Arranging for supplements. Many pots of tea. Mutual agreement. A brief catchup with Claudia. Dinner alone with Liz Lemon.

art

Morning practice, back on the mat. Breakfast with John, looking at paintings of light with tourists bungee-jumping behind us. A clean house, courtesy of Tai. A quiet afternoon. Tea & sympathy with Feng. More tea with Sharon. Skype with Michelle after too long apart. Leftovers. An early night, without drama. Silence.

snow

Waking early to prepare for meditation class. The sala in the morning mist. A small group of people, happy with what I shared. Coffee & mango with Sunny, Steven & Sharon. Reconnecting. An intro session, preparing for a deeper dive tomorrow. Lunch. Tea & cheesecake at the Sala Cafe. Lots of supplies from Rim Ping. Dinner at home. Chicken curry, the best yet. Music & red wine. Kate Bush. Trust.

wholeness

Morning exercises. Chi gong. Kitchen dancing to The Pussycat Dolls. Sunny's firecracker noodles for lunch. An afternoon reading & waiting. Getting triggered. Facing it. Finding wholeness. Sleep.

dancing

A day bookended by dancing. Alone in my living room, shaking it up. In Sunny's house, whirling & laughing with the other spastic dolls. Unseasonal morning rain, washing the air clean of smoke haze. A day of waiting & reading & reviewing & researching. A welcome flash of clear communication, with the promise of more to come. Packing into Tonto for the drive into town. A party with Guy, looking healthy & happy. Red wine. Michael Jackson. Fireworks.

energy

Listening to Kirtana with fresh ears. Finding songs about light & stars. Venting. Skype support. A session with Bernie. Realising I can't protect myself. Feeling the relief. A few tiny needles, magically creating space in the lungs & around the heart. Breath, bigger. A trip by motorbike to the waterfall. The wind in my face on a sunny afternoon. Negative ions. Red sunset behind the mountains. Dinner at Clos Jardin. Smoked duck salad & snapper in cream sauce. The energy of something new, just starting.

stars

Waking early. The Gayatri mantra. Singing to the sun. Pranayama. Cards. On the mat with Jason Crandell. Quinoa with blueberries & yoghurt. A third session, choosing life & love. Messages for both of us. The light from Sirius. Finding home. Afternoon tea in the white house at the edge of the valley, eating cake & talking real estate & hatching plans. Dinner at Baan Suan with most of the gang. Fish & spicy banana flower & red wine. Soul family.

allowing

Morning exercises. Mantra. Eggs. A visit from the landscape gardeners, planning my very own floriade. A skype session with Sam Nolan Smith, tying up loose ends & preparing for India. The power of allowing. Welcoming Lalita. Another session with a friend, balancing archetypal energies. The satisfaction that comes from helping someone feel better. An important piece of the puzzle, making a pattern suddenly clear. Sauna. Another episode of As The Spa Turns, our very own soap opera. Staying out of reactivity. Dinner at Sunny & Steven's with the gang, welcoming a new friend. Every day, another party.

light

A bike ride in place of morning exercises. Golden light over rice fields & haystacks. In the space of two hours, a week of appointments planned. A little more Sookie. Sauna. Braised duck with a friend, riding high after yesterday's process. Watching someone come back to life. Realigning the bones in my feet. Integrating the higher self with earth & cosmic energies. Feeling taller & softer. Community. Love. Light, in all its forms.

grace

Waking early for chakra meditation. A session with a friend, clearing old junk. Slipping into the stream of grace. Lightness. Part two of the True Blood marathon. Tea & sympathy. Patience.

blood

A day of recovery after the night before. Sleeping late. Lunch as breakfast. The first half of a True Blood marathon. Duck with friends. Tea. Sleep.

music

The ride to the airport. Gratitude. Goodbyes. Pots of yoghurt from the Kassem Store. An afternoon at home. Dancing alone in my living room to Safri Duo's Rise. Remembering a circle of women. Sauna. Dressing up. A summer camp party with the gang. The couch. Small moments of silliness. Staying up late. Bad music. Good wine. A strange sort of family. Connection.

town

A day in town with Sunny & the two Steves. Home supplies from Homepro. The start of new curtains. Glorious living art from the orchid market. Essentials from Rim Ping. Two bottles of pink drink from the Wine Connection. Red curry chicken. The last night at home with company. Endings.

rest

A very quiet day at home. Exercises. Millet porridge. A bit of sun. The Boudica. Reading on the back verandah in an afternoon breeze. Sauna. More Liz Lemon. Braised duck legs. Ease.

spirits

Eggs & smoked salmon & wilted rocket & goat's cheese. A day with Sam, exploring mountain temples & giant Buddha footsteps. Cool air. Riding in the back of the yellow taxi bus. Feeding the fish at Baan Suan. Greens from the market. A consultation with Popou. The double thumbs up. Nine candles just to make sure. An early night, nursing a heavy head. Bed.

rest

A quiet morning with a cup of coffee. Providing IT support. Lunch at home. A sauna. 30 Rock. A speedbump, successfully navigated. Resting.

love

Adult conversation. Some decisions. A quick trip to town. Supplies. Air in the bike tyres. Green chicken curry. Crazy, Stupid Love.

family

Morning practice on my back deck. Eggs. Lunch with AC & Price. Southern hospitality. A gorgeous Dakini Circles call. The impromptu party at Sunny & Steven's. The gang back together. Eccentricity. Healing sounds. Boudica before bed.

home

Saying goodbye to new friends. Saying hello to old ones. Sam. Rimping. Maerim evening market. The Maeann valley. A candy pink wat. My little house, just as I left it. A walk around the neighbourhood. A pink sunset over Burma. Remembering the Sufis. Marvelling at the year that's been. Homecoming.

the Tao

This safe place in which to practise. Access to teachings & teachers. This body, which is able to practise. The time to practise. The community. Clean air & water & food & stars in the night sky & the energy of love.

transition

A day in Singapore, hanging with family & eating chicken rice & dodging crowds & walking in the rain. Missing my best girls. A late night flight to Chiang Mai. Sleeping in silence. Waking to serenity. Smiles. A new room, with light. Chi nei tsang. Softening. A whole week on retreat at the Tao Garden. Bliss.

Fifty Three Armenian

Ting & Roland's wedding, chic to the last tiny detail. Getting to sit on the naughty table, up the back. Champagne & sauvignon blanc & coffee & Chateauneuf du Pape. Potato chips & truffle soil & poached chicken & ocean trout & wagyu beef cheeks cooked for 40 hours. Laughter. New friends. Old friends. Happiness. Love. The dawning of the age of Aquarius.

grooming

A morning walk around Fort Canning, an oasis of green amidst the traffic. A bottle of the new signature nail colour - a shocking pink called My Chihuahua Bites. A haircut & colour with Serene at Sabun Cabane. Lunch with Ashley, eating Mexican & chewing the fat. Strawberry wax & smooth skin. A pair of mandarin ducks carved from rose quartz from Little India. Getting into air conditioning & off the feet in a cab to the hotel. Rediscovering The New Green Path organic shop at the Fortune Centre. The first in Gina Hardy & Joel Young's new video series. Mooji on the blessing of being single. An early night, seeking sound sleep.

heat

A trip around Sim Lim collecting IT supplies. Two new outfits from Little India. Finding the Kulfi Bar. South Indian curry for lunch. Ice-cream from Pluck. Italian coffee in Purvis Street. Tankers lined up off the East Coast, the moon rising behind them. Yoga led by my own personal goddess Ashley. Feeling this body stretch & sweat in the heat. Chilli crab & chicken rice. A perfect Singapore day.

the long haul

A long day of driving & flying & waiting & flying & a little more driving. Cairns International Airport, in all its faded blowsy Skase-era glory. The return of travel bitch. Arriving in Singapore, city of convenience. Rest.

calm

The last day. Packing & cleaning & reading & eating & whirling. For once, being the eye instead of the cyclone. Transition.

Sunday

A rainy morning at home. Yoga & meditation. Bliss. An omelette. The rainforest, dripping. Clean floors. Clean clothes. Caroline Myss on sacred contracts. Braised chicken & lentils for dinner. Savouring the quiet.

rocks

A day in town on my own, driving the little yellow car & taking pictures & saying goodbye to Mossman. The final trip to the markets. A session with Delphina, dosing up on light. Lemurian crystals & limestone lacework from Qld. An afternoon ride to the beach, finishing Spirit Junkie & talking to the waves. A tiny wisp of rainbow over the sea, just for me. Tea & cookies & girl talk, on Delphina's verandah perched atop the world. Rain on a tin roof. This world and new ones yet to come.

the assignment

Two days at home, recalibrating. Owning judgement. Marie Forleo & Gabby Bernstein. Abraham Hicks. Spirit. Duck legs with blueberries. Non-Personal Awareness.

three days

Morning walks. The last yoga class at the Buffalo Hall with Sara & the Mossman ladies. Coconut cream pie. Listening to the Melbourne Cup call on the car radio, parked beside the Daintree ferry. A bike service from Errol, tightening the cable & chain. Rice pilaf with Cajun chicken. 30 Rock. Tina Fey & Alec Baldwin. Hot stones with Jouad. The last adjustment with Doug. Sinfully sweet coconut slice. Abraham Hicks' "wouldn't it be nice if" game. Green tea.

three days

A five day detox, done. Celebrating with icecream & chocolate. Bike riding through dappled afternoon sunlight, under a rainforest canopy. A day of yoga with the ladies from Mossman, looking over river rapids. Building strength, running to the beach. Soaking up the last week in FNQ. Being here, with a quiet happy mind.

adventure

A morning rainforest adventure up Coopers Creek. Wading through the wet & scrambling over boulders in search of Alexandra Falls. Nature. Water clean enough to drink. The bandicoot that stopped & stared at us. An omelette to recover. The end of Anastasia. A vision of a possible life. Invoking angelic assistance. Chicken with lentils. 30 Rock for giggles. Feeling body-tired. Rest.

sunset

A perfect omelette. Yoga class. Grilled fish & Asian salad at The Junction. An appointment with the chiro, making more internal space. Catching up with a dear friend. Food supplies. The ferry ride across the Daintree River at sunset. Magical light. The whistle & hum of the forest at night.

quiet

Morning pages. A walk to the beach in bright sunshine. Scrambled eggs. A quiet day of catching up & detoxing & doing the washing. Reconnecting with home.

trust

A day with Yvette, processing faith & trust & Alice in Wonderland. The realisation that this might be as good as it gets. On a starlit night, the Daintree looming on the far bank with Willie Nelson covering Leonard Cohen as the soundtrack for the ferry crossing. Nostalgia for the innocence of early childhood. Home.

urban life

A day on my own in town. Services. Shopping malls. The phone. Restaurants. The cinema. Small pleasures.

love

Four days at the JourneyWoman retreat. 41 other women, sometimes behaving badly. Getting messy. Dancing. Singing. Swearing. Fighting. Dying & being reborn. Lifetimes of fun. New soul sisters. Moving beyond equality, into the domain of the Holy Mother. Soft power. Returning home to the unlimited fire of love. The next level.

cooking

Mossman Tuesday. Yoga. Lunch at the Junction. Tea in a lady pot. Chiropractic, creating space. Smoked crocodile & beetroots for dinner. Not enough sleep. The buildup of tension. Morning pages with NPA. Release. Lunch at Palm Cove, overlooking turquoise water. Depilatory services. An Indian visa application submitted. One big gluten free chocolate cookie from The Edge. Treats for the plane. A bit of Oneness Blessing. The orange moon rising over Cairns. Dinner at Ochre. The tentative return of love.

more jobs

A morning walk around the neighbourhood. Getting real. A perfect omelette with fresh turmeric. Multiple old jobs finished. A clean slate. Jeremy Grantham's quarterly updates. Alan Kohler's love of poetry. Dancing to Filthy Gorgeous in the late afternoon sunlight. Carrot & ginger juice. Clean clothes. A vision of life as it could be.

jobs

Morning pages. A walk to the beach. New photos of the house for the real estate websites. Scrambled eggs. Flight options for India. An enquiry about our hotel extension on Chennai. Smoked chicken with sweet potato & greens. Two India visa applications submitted. Successfully navigating the online India visa application system's various personality quirks. Rocket, carrot & avocado salad with haloumi & pine nuts. A sense of achievement.

heartopening

A morning game. The Saturday markets - greens, eggs, beetroot, rocket, limes, avocados & white sapote. Eggs at The Junction. Boy's shopping. Iced chocolate. Family phone catchups. A new journal. Jack Kornfield for the ride home. Quieting the mind & opening the heart.

the ocean

A minor morning meltdown, confirming the heart's desire for some girl time. Three perfect hours at the beach, lying under the big tree reading Sara Avant Stover. Remembering. A little Mooji. Black sapote & coconut ice-cream. A flight booked to Sydney for JourneyWoman. Lamb fillets with green veggies. Some Tina Fey silliness. Giggles.

four days

Two amazing processes. Two mochas. Two deep conversations. One piece of chocolate & hazelnut torte. Three excursions into trance and three trips back again. One patient man. One grateful heart, learning to stay open.