It’s that time of year again, back to school. Mixed emotions for many of us, I’m sure. For the parents there might be joy and the pride of seeing little ones head off, maybe there’s fear and worry. We love to watch them grow and develop, we want to keep them small forever! For those of us not packing school bags there’s the sadness of summer ending, the trepidation of a winter ahead, the possibility of growth and adventure in the new term and the moments where we want to pull the duvet over our heads and stay in a safe place where nothing changes.

There’s an Irish phrase often quoted in Gaelscoileanna at this time of year, “Tús maith, leath na h’oibre”, meaning a good start is half the work. In Mindfulness we say the intention you bring to your practice is the most important part, the intention to be with yourself in a way that imbues kindness and curiosity. Unlike school, we don’t come to our mindfulness practice to fix anything or to change ourselves into some perceived version of a “better” us. I know this can be difficult to get our heads around, after all, most of us have been told since we were 4 years old we needed to do better. In mindfulness we don’t seek to change things, we try to accept things exactly as they are. In that acceptance (with compassion and kindness) the struggle dissipates, things soften and become more flexible, we let go of what keeps us rigid, stuck and repeating tired old patterns, and change just happens.

Often we’re great at extending this kindness and compassion to others, our kids get woken on time with a kiss, our pets get walked and fed regularly, our vulnerable loved ones get support. Can we extend this intentional kindness to ourselves? Can we set intentions to engage in things that nurture us, that support us, that allow us space to be as we are so we can grow and thrive.

What intentions could you set for yourself for the coming few months? More me-time? A nourishing hobby? A plan to visit/see/explore? A class/group/social outlet? Join us for any of our events and workshops in the coming months to soak up the good intentions of those around you, and my intentions for delivering a practice that supports you as you are. Come to your yoga mat or your meditation cushion to be, not to fix. You are whole and complete and slightly imperfect just as you are, just as we all are. Let’s embrace that together.