Simply Breakfast and ten of the things I’ve learnt in 2012

- that different sorts of wood burn differently long and intense, with different smoke and different heat production. I really prefer juniper, which is available around here; I love it for its lovely smell and the long and rich warmth it provides.

- taking better care of my own needs (body and soul), treating myself kindly, asking for help and not always putting myself last.

- how to set and keep boundaries in general, concerning rules, but also concerning my own and other’s needs.
I’ve especially learnt it with the children, at home and in school, where it is essential to find a balance between freedom and limits, with love and respect. (and I am still learning on this as it is a life-long process, I guess).

- being patient and letting things go and flow; knowing that Allah is the best planner.
Everything comes differently than expected, but never worse than we can bear and often with much more blessings in it than we could have imagined. Alhamdulillah.

- that compost toilets really are better in our location, when water freezes for days and ordinary water loos just awfully begin to stink, urgh.

- that the consciousness and inner attitude and expectations we have towards something can really dramatically change a situation. It really helps and opens gates if we are expecting good things to flow naturally into our lives, knowing that Allah holds enough available for everyone.
If we open ourselves to the bounties of Allah, feeling worth earning enough of everything we need and if we can accept the good without shame – might it be love, health, money or every other thing – it will come and be given to us, inchallah. Subhanallah!
(some books and affirmations of Louise L.Hay might be helpful to learn more about this). 

- many new words and modes of expression in Tamazight (the Berber language), which is one of the most difficult languages to learn, mashaallah. I am realizing that I still need to learn a lot more in order to really being able to discuss profound topics and feelings, inchaallah.

- that the work with the inner child and with one’s own past is worth it, if  some shadows of childhood still touch the present. As much as it hurts and as hard work as it takes to go through it, as healing it is in the end to discover hidden things, to face the truth, to speak honestly about it and to finally make peace with it, alhamdulillah.

- to count on quality, to buy less but really good things instead of lot and cheap.
Because over time it pays off spending some more money on something really good which stays well and beautiful for a long time, which nurtures body and soul and which provides or supports health (for example organic and natural clothes, food, utilities,…see also my new link category “conscious shopping”)

- that I learned a lot more than that, every day, subhanallah; and that fully living means constantly learning, and that I still have so much to learn, Alhamdulillah!

What about you? What did you learn and what are your goals for 2013?

ingredients for happiness

 
 
 

What do one need to be happy?

Not much, I believe, subhanallah.

Sometimes it is as simple as:
a short break and blue sky,
a sweet berry picked, some pebbles thrown,
a lovely word, a good book, a cup of tea,
children’s laughter, naked feet in the grass,
enjoying the first goods of harvesting …
and plum cake. Bliss!
Autumn, we love you, Alhamdulillah!

 

 

Ten Things for an hot early Summer

1. Frozen orange pieces instead of popsicles

2. Iced coffee for an afternoon energy kick

3. Wet sun caps for a cool head

4. A cool feet bath for a fresh feeling

5. Lots of salad and fruits to eat

6. Cold water with lemon slices

7. Bare feet walking to reconnect with the earth

8. River baths and many moments in nature

9. Sketching and reading in the shadow of a tree

10. Being thankful for a new summer to come, Alhamdulillah!

I do not have a lot to say these days – The weather is hot and work at school is still huge.

But I wish you blessed early summer days full of fun, laughter and innocent childish play.

May Peace be with you!

Thankful

Alhamdulillah, these days, in the midst of endless work, I am incredibly thankful for so many blessings, subhanallah.
And at the moment I am especially grateful for those things:

 

…for our beautiful garden with flowers in blossom and some green grass to relax on after a long day of school.

…for the blessing of clear and fresh water and for having enough of it in our well to even entertain a garden in this dry neighbourhood of ours, subhanallah!

… for the young woman who wonderfully cleans my house, makes my laundry and sometimes prepares even lunch for us, which feels like luxury and a great gift after finishing work at school.

… for old and new friends in Switzerland who are so motivated to continually support the “école vivante”, alhamdulilah, thank you all so much!

… for lovely girl-friends who always lend me an open ear, an encouraging advice, a helpful hand and the feeling of being loved and accepted as the person I am.

… for my children and husband and for being part of that crazy little family, subhanallah, Allahu akbar!

… for the blessing of living in peace.

… for having enough of all we really need.

… for the many meaningful things we have to do, alhamdulillah!

… for finding guidance in worship and faith, alhamdulillah.

 

What are you thankful for today?

Happy blessed Friday!

 

Signs of Spring

  

Today I am thankful…

-          for first signs of spring on our peach tree

-          for strawberries and homemade jam

-          for our 7-year-old who reads now on his own, tbarakallah,

-          for a warm shower this morning with Weleda rose cream

-          for a journey to look forward to, inchaallah,

-          for friends to meet,

-          for a home, my husband and our children, alhamdulillah!

Salam alaikoum and see you in about a week, inchaallah!

 

Thankfulness

  

In my last post I wrote about the concept of logotherapy and how well it matches the Islamic lifestyle. In one book, Elisabeth Lukas writes about the modern day’s illness of society which is about always wanting more, running after material goods, and not treasuring what we already have; and also that a lot of today’s depressions are rooted in the lack of faith in something higher than us.

According to Lukas, praying is a way to heal ourselves. But before asking for something we should begin to thank for what we already have, as it is through realizing the gifts we already are blessed with that we become happy, satisfied and encouraged to live out our owns best.
Islam tells us nothing different: be thankful, be humble, and look at what Allah has blessed you with, look at those who have less, so that you might be taught gratitude and compassion. Alhamdulillah.  

Maybe I’ll begin a new thankful-series here – wanna join me?    

Subhanallah, this morning I am thankful for…

… snow and rain (which the dry soil over here so desperately needed),
… but also for signs of spring and the warmth of the sun,
… black Darjeeling tea and a slice of cake,
… for health, energy and purpose in life,
… for inspiration all around.

Alhamdulillah and happy week!

 

January Walk

  
  
  

Breathing,
running,
playing,
laughing,
observing,
wondering,
collecting,
digging,
praising,
enjoying …

… the smell of fresh air, letting the thoughts wander, being thankful for the beauty of nature, enjoying the calming effects of God’s creation even in winter’s scantiness …

… there are always enough reasons for and uncountable blessings in an outside walk!

happy week!

healing

  

Thank you all so much for your recovery-wishes and prayers! They mean a lot to me.

You know, the less I move my body, the more my thoughts work inside myself. And in the midst of this sickness I see that I do not only need to heal from a throat and ear infection but that I also need to heal my own inner child.

Over the last years I learned and became more aware of the reality of the inner child concept, which is also known in modern psychology as the “true self”.
The older I grow, the more I believe in the importance of accepting and working on past pain and meeting old needs.
I believe that we need to work on old wounds and buried feelings if we want to become whole and healthy and if we want to better ourselves, our parenting and the relationship with our children, inchaallah.
We all suffer in certain ways, we all have to carry a burden with us and less or more we all have these dark places inside our souls that need to be seen, acknowledged and healed – but as painful as this all might be, it is a chance to grow.

And even though this is a deeply private and personal topic, I’d like to share some of the ways I try to heal my own inner child because it became such a big part of my life and I know that sharing and writing about weak and vulnerable sites is an important part of the healing process itself.
I am quiet new on this journey and I am surely no expert, but I know how inspiring it is to see in which ways other women cope with their problems and so I wanna invite you to join me here:
 
It’s all about nourishing old needs and meeting old feelings in healthy ways.
It is about the things we’ve always wanted to do but were never allowed or didn’t allow ourselves – It’s about learning to live fully, to share and to feel alive.

So let’s forget about guilt and criticism, let’s forget about the bad little voices inside our heads that always try to stop us from living our full potential.
Let’s dance and sing, let’s be childish and wild!

First let’s begin with a list of all the things that need to be changed. Here is mine:

- First of all I wanna live and act only for the sake of Allah, asking Him for guidance and help and turning mainly to Him when struggling with the world;
- but I also wanna learn to express and to talk about my inner feelings with others and I wanna investigate my hidden places and learn to accept them as part of myself;
- I wanna cry, shout, and punch the cushion, but also sing and dance when I feel so;  
- I wanna wear more feminine, pink romantic dresses under my hijab and avoid all the sad black garments that lived in my wardrobe for so long;
- I wanna treat myself with lots of “too much”: too much chocolate,  too much breaks, too much compliments and gifts, and much too much things more…. ;
- I wanna smile into the mirror and tell myself only good things;
- I wanna get rid of self-criticism and over control and of the fear what others might think;
- I wanna learn to say more often “no” to others and “yes” to myself;
- I wanna surround myself with colours, flowers and a lot of beauty;
- I wanna hug and love the small little Itto inside myself and treat her as if she were another child of mine…

What will you gonna change in your life? What did you always longed for? Are you ready for this journey of our lives?

A Friend

 
  

We’ve spent a blessed week in company of a great Muslim sister and her children who visited us. It was a time to be together, to laugh, to talk and to grow, subhanallah.
And it was a time that made me think about good company and friendships in general.
Isn’t it true that a real friend…  

- opens new horizons to you
- is never shy to question and to give friendly advice
- is a chance to grow
- makes you wanting to better yourself
- is of benefit to your religion, your heart and your soul
- strengthens and supports you in your faith and Deen (Islamic way of life)
- reminds you of Allah in her words, her deeds and with her appearance
- never judges you
- leaves you with a feeling of peace, love and satisfaction
- loves you for the sake of Allah

“Oh you who believe! Be afraid of Allah and be with those who are true”
(Sura 9 At-Taubah, verse 119)

 
Thanks God for friends and alhamdulillah to Muslim sisterhood!
Wishing you a blessed weekend and good friends at your site!
Salam alaikoum.

10 Things I believe…

  
  

pictures taken on our last weekends walk 

 

- first and above all I believe in Allah and His wonderful religion “Islam” with all its pillars and parts, alhamdulillah.
- I believe in the importance of compassion for the other instead of condemning or judging him.
- I believe in the good in every human being.
- I believe that we always have a choice (at least the choice to look at things in a different way).
- I believe that all we give comes back in a certain way,
so “Do Good and forget about it – it will never be lost”.
- I believe in the importance of a deep parent-child-connection through attachment-parenting and accepting the child as the person he is.
- I believe in the healing effects of nature and that Allah has created plants out there for the cure of all sorts of illnesses, if He wants us to be healed, subhanaallah.
- I believe that spring is already on its way to our valley, subhanallah!
- I believe in the power of the womanly God-given instincts.
- I believe that everything happens in divine destiny and for a good reason, even though we do not understand why some things happen sometimes. 

What do you believe in right now? 

Blessed weekend friends, and thank you so much for your positive reaction on our big project!