Holiday Mindfullness, Digital Detox and a Wishing Tree.
- Aisling
- Jun 19, 2017
- 3 min read
Hey guys,
I am back at my desk after a short holiday in my home country of Ireland. I loved being at home and just chilling out with friends and family and breathing in some awesome (albeit slightly smelly) country air.
My partner and I love to travel and usually our holidays are jam packed from start to beginning and I come home with about 300 photographs. This time around I purposely didn't take many photos as I wanted to just be in the moment and really savour and enjoy the experience. You know what, I loved it, and while I don't have as much physical evidence of my time there I have some amazing memories which will stay with me forever. I made a conscious decision on the flight on the way over (I had lots of time to think, the flight from Australia to Ireland is LONG) to be more mindful on this trip. I hadn't seen my family or friends for a couple of years so I really wanted to spend some quality time with them. I tried to be mindful in everything I did, just chatting to my Mum, eating some yummy food or even just something as simple as walking my dog. I noticed things I never did before, like how green the fields are, how inquisitive the little calves were as we were walking past and how beautiful the birds singing was. I felt connected to everything and to be completely honest I felt really alive. I intend to as much as possible to infuse mindfulness with my everyday life now that I am back in Perth.
I also embarked on a digital detox, well I was forced into it as my Mum's house is in a slightly remote area of Ireland and there is no access to the internet there. I never realised how much time I wasted scrolling mindlessly through my Facebook feed or watching people's snaps or more importantly how much I wouldn't miss them if I didn't have access to them. I did spend some time on the internet when I got a chance, mostly just to check my emails and catch up with my partner who was still in Australia. Instead of aimlessly staring at my phone before bed, I read or listened to some pre downloaded podcasts. I managed to finish two books in the three weeks I was at home and catch up on three episodes of my current favourite podcast 'Style Your Mind' (if you are looking for a new podcast obsession be sure to check it out, I love every episode). It was nice to take a break for a while and I will be ensuring that I monitor how I spend my time online from now on.
Another really cool thing I did that I wanted to share with you guys is while I was in Ireland I went to visit a Wishing Tree. Ireland is historically a really magical place with stories of fairies and Celtic Goddesses. I love the tradition, stories and legends of Ireland, in fact its one of the many reasons I am so proud to call it home. There are loads of magically charged places to go if you ever visit Ireland and one of my favourites is St Bridget's Well in Kildare. Bridget is the Celtic goddess of fire and the legend has it that her gifts include inspiration, healing and knowledge. The well is situated is in a very peaceful spot just outside Kildare Town and is lovely to just go and sit with your thoughts for a while.
A few years ago ribbons started appearing on one of the many trees at the site. People who wanted to make a wish tied a ribbon around the tree and let it blow in the wind. When I went back last week I was shocked to see that the original wishing tree was full of ribbons and other items offered up to the universe as wishes or thoughts and now wishes gently hang from a number of the trees there. Its hard to put into words the overwhelming feeling you get when you are standing there, surrounded by unspoken thoughts of strangers, the feeling of connection, of oneness and of hope. I found the beauty of these mismatched ribbons, letters and personal items very emotional and left with an unexplainable knowingness that anything is possible.
If you are living in Ireland or indeed going there on holidays this place is a must for your bucket list, I promise you won't be disappointed.
Hope you guys enjoyed the post.
Love
Aisling
xoxo
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