Armfuls of flowers & a focus on joy

Take a herd of happy horses and many happy humans, add a touch of mindfulness, a splash of nature and hundreds of beautiful blooms ... and this is very much what we are about.

Happiness can often be as simple as sitting in the sunshine, listening to birdsong and enjoying a fine cup of tea. But we humans tend to make life a bit more complicated than that.

Mindfulness and positive psychology can help people to find greater joy. That can be on a grand scale – a big shift in perspective or outlook. But often it is in many small steps. We are caught up in being busy and stressed, often in urban centres and plugged into electronic devices. Far, far away from nature and green spaces. For our team, joy is found in plants and spaces full of flowers - wildflowers, roses, foliage, cut flowers - we love them all! Enjoy browsing our beautiful blooms.

Life can be simply awe-inspiring if we allow it to be - a focus on mindfulness.

The amazing thing about the brain is how open it is to new ways of thinking, which leaves us humans open to new ways of being. One of our favourite expressions – we are human beings not human doings. We do a lot in our lives, hit goals, forge careers, get likes, re-tweets and followers. But beneath all that, who are we really? What would happen if we took a deep breath and decided to reconnect with the natural world, rather than stay plugged into technology? To be. Or incorporated some positive psychology into our daily life so that we could spot the good things that happen to us more easily, whilst having the resilience to cope with the negative? As part of our 'Joyfully Human' journey, we will share with you some of the things we have found to work well through the blogs and writings on this website – both from a scientific research perspective (finally those people in lab coats are turning their attention to things that matter!) and from personal experience.

How can you spend more time as a 'human being', not as a 'human doing'?

Here are some ideas:

  • Learn to meditate - it's not nearly as hard and mystical as people make it out to be!

  • Spend time in the great outdoors and in scenery which inspires you

  • Look for wisdom in unexpected places (we advocate learning it from the horses...)

  • Remember you can't control what happens but you can control your response and subsequent thinking

  • Approach each day with mindful wonder

  • Work out which people build you up, and then spend more time with them

  • Eat healthy, nourishing and delicious food. It's even better if you grow it yourself!

  • Sleep for at least 7.5hrs a night - sounds simple but makes such a difference

  • Learn new things - keep your brain active and feel re-inspired due to new knowledge and new skills

  • Pay attention to the world around you and spot everything that is beautiful

  • Reformulate your daily routines so that there is greater balance in your day

  • Discover what form of exercise works for you - dance, walking, classes - there is something for everyone

  • Put down the electronic gadgets - at least for some of the time

  • Allow harmony to flow through your life without creating blocks

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We had so much fun designing our logo as we wanted it to speak to all the aspects which are special here at Starlight Cottage. So there had to be a horse - the equine silhouette is based on Mila’s photo. There had to be lots of flowers - my special pink David Austen roses, wildflowers, beautiful foliage. And then lots of signs of wilder nature - the barn owl, the hares, the butterflies. We consider ourselves custodians of this little patch of paradise and try our hardest to improve all aspects of the ecosystem. Nature is also part of the mindfulness and coaching offering here at Starlight Cottage, as it helps us reconnect with ourselves and our place in the world.