The Drawingroom re-opens!

Tomorrow, after a 3 week break, The Drawingroom in Chesham re-opens its doors to Chesham and its visitors. If you've never been to The Drawingroom, you're missing out. Art Café, Restaurant and Live Music Venue, it is an oasis of peace on weekdays for the best coffee for miles (all Fairtrade), and offers a variety of light bites and cosy meals as well as delicious locally made cakes. At weekends, the Restaurant is open for dining with friends or celebrating birthdays, christenings, weddings.

Get yourself on the mailing list and you'll hear about the Saturday night parties, the main focus for which is always some new and exciting live music from a variety of artists. Look out for Tinlin's album launch on 22nd November.

The Drawingroom is unique. Housed in a beautiful Tudor building in a cobbled courtyard, its walls are adorned with mostly figurative art from a variety of UK artists and there is a fabulous selection of stunning sculpture, not least the magical Serenity who stands at the front door.

You will also find an interesting mix of gifts from hand made designer jewellery, Indian singing bowels, Moroccan felt bags, hand painted spinning wheels and unusual wooden puzzles. You can also get your hands on locally made jams and chutneys, and honey, when the bees are being productive!

Richard is a passionate supporter of the local community and loves to welcome new arrivals as well as being a listening ear to regular visitors. Children love The Drawingroom, where they can dig out the books and colouring pads laid out for them while their parents relax.

It's quite simply a great place, and truly makes the best coffee. Come and have look for yourself, relax, enjoy, and maybe start your Christmas shopping! http://www.the-drawingroom.co.uk/

So long, Ceylon

We waved goodbye to Sri Lanka 5 days ago now. What a truly beautiful country! The people, the landscape, the food, and the atmosphere of friendship and gentleness. Unless you're a Tamil Tiger, of course!

The Sri Lankan Buddhists have embraced the Hindu God Vishnu as their own, so all the beautiful Buddhist temples we visited also included an image of Vishnu, as well as their own god, Kataragama. I was suprised by the strong element of worship at all the temples, which is quite different from my understanding of Buddhism being a meditative faith, in fact more a way of life, where followers are encouraged to meditate on finding divine peace within their own hearts.

However, the Buddhist approach to all life was very evident. There was a real peacefulness and harmony in the way the people and animals share the same space, from the nonchalent ambling cows and the random roadside group of goats to the magnificent, celebrated elephants. The many scruffy, street-wise looking dogs lying in the road, were all carefully avoided by the weaving traffic of tuk tuks, cars and vans, and on one occasion our driver swerved slightly to avoid running over a scorpion! Such a difference from the frantic, fast-moving, enraged driving we're used to, and so much less stressful!! It even shows in the faces of the people, which are never more than a second away from a beaming smile.

After suffering from ulcerative colitis a few years ago, I regularly have problems with my stomach, but whilst in Sri Lanka I had no problems whatsoever, despite eating curry every day! It made the holiday so much more enjoyable, and it confirmed to me once again just how significant our mental and emotional well being is to our physical wellness. The absence of everyday pressures and anxieties combined with the general atmosphere of calm and giving were a far more powerful medicine than contained in any little white tablet. As Caroline Myss says in 'Anatomy of the Spirit', our biography creates our biology. I would highly recommend her book to anyone who is interested in addressing their own healing and good health from a holistic perspective, respecting each element of our being - mind, body and spirit. To me there is no deeper healing.

By the way, we booked our holiday through Travel Counsellors. PJ Van Zetten was tireless in finding us our last minute booking, and had the patience of Buddha himself as we examined our options. On our return journey, PJ checked us in online and we avoided the long queue at midnight, giving us time to meander round the airport shops and spend the last of our rupees. You can find PJ at http://travelcounsellors.co.uk/pj.vanzetten.

Off to the 'resplendent land'

Just in case anyone reads my blog over the next couple of weeks, we're off to Sri Lanka, the 'resplendent land' for what we hope will be a magical holiday.

I hope to come back feeling spiritually enriched by the many Buddhas apparently dotting the landscape, and rested from enjoying some hot sunshine at last!

However, I have to say that I do love this time of year in England. Walking my dog, Taya, over the last couple of weeks I've seen some glorious views of the seasonal sunshine on autumn trees, red kites soaring over the fields, a fox darting through a hedge, morning mist floating over the River Chess, flying insects looking like frolicking fairies in the low rays of the late afternoon sun. I've even come across an elephant in a field... but I don't think that's a seasonal norm...

If anyone would like to post a comment, I look forward to receiving them when I'm back.

Take yourself out in the resplendent countryside while the sun is shining!

The Buddha inside all of us

I hope it's not too corny to talk about the weather on a blog, but today is truly the most stunning autumn day, bright bright sunshine on golden leaves.
I spent a fascinating hour earlier today sitting in the warm sun outside The Drawingroom in Chesham (http://www.the-drawingroom.co.uk/), talking to a lovely guy who is a Zen monk and has just returned from living in Utah for several years. He talked about the philosophy of his particular teacher/monastery which has an inclusive belief that we are all Buddhas at source. Not that we must follow a life of isolation, meditation and committment to prayer in order to attain that enlightened state, but that we are born into the world with Buddha inside.

I like this idea, and believe that we can quite easily, if we are willing, tap into this feeling of contentment with ourselves, without judgement, just accepting ourselves and loving ourselves for who we are in all our completeness. With all our human characteristics and what we often regard as our 'failings', we are perfect, just as we are, just like Bridget Jones said!

The Power of Words

I love quotes, and my favourite of the moment is this: "Deep within the human spirit, now largely severed from its ancient moorings, there is a search unfolding" John Welwood.

This is how I feel at the moment, a search for a new, more authentic way of working with my clients. I can feel it whirring away, making connections and creating a picture of the way forward. A mind map of tendrills, each with it's own special offering.

Every Coach is different, they each bring something unique to their practice, not just through professional experience, but their own life experiences, the values they hold and the beliefs they live by. When you're looking for a Coach, look for someone who inspires you, or with whom you feel some sort of connection.