Learning to be astonished
Messenger
"My work is loving the world.
Here the sunflowers, there the hummingbird—
equal seekers of sweetness.
Here the quickening yeast; there the blue plums.
Here the clam deep in the speckled sand.
Are my boots old? Is my coat torn?
Am I no longer young, and still half-perfect? Let me
keep my mind on what matters,
which is my work,
which is mostly standing still and learning to be
astonished.
The phoebe, the delphinium.
The sheep in the pasture, and the pasture.
Which is mostly rejoicing, since all the ingredients are here,
which is gratitude, to be given a mind and a heart
and these body-clothes,
a mouth with which to give shouts of joy
to the moth and the wren, to the sleepy dug-up clam,
telling them all, over and over, how it is
that we live forever."
- Mary Oliver
Learning why Denmark is one of the happiest countries in the world, as well as watching the latest episode of Bluey (they didn't sell, PHEW!), brought me back to this poem 
Let us remember that gratitude is not just a fleeting emotion but a way of being in the world, a way of seeing the beautiful in the ordinary, the magic in the mundane, and the joy in the everyday moments.
We love doing these everyday moments with you.
- Annika xx
P.S. The first photo was taken at our yoga teacher training graduation a few years back. The spicey cough meant we combined three groups into one big outdoor celebration for the day. It was such a special day. I am always thankful to Idit (the bottom left, with her dog Gigi), for first bringing teacher training to Western Sydney in 2020.
P.P.S. The second photo is a candid one of our yoga teachers, Karen Gruber (the one in the graduation photo with the purple hair!) took of the students after class in the sunshine over the weekend. I remember when I first purchased that Astro Turf. I specifically told Eco Lawns that I wanted their softest grass. Our feet and booties snuggle into that turf every single day.
P.P.S. The secret to Denmark's happiness is low expectations. That's technically a form of gratitude, right? I was just speaking to Karen, who is painting behind me as I type this newsletter, and we both got a bit stuck in our Western way of thinking. Would love to hear your thoughts ๐
