WINTER JOYS AND CHALLENGES
(JUNE) JULY 2026 newsletteR
Happy Matariki, everyone. June is done and dusted, and winter is fully here! After 3 European summers, I am staying put this year and enjoying hanging out by the fireplace and sitting in the sauna. It actually feels pretty calming to be in winter. My body, on the other hand, is rebelling against the cold and damp. Chillblains, joint pain, being sick twice in the past few months- I need a reset button to cope with winter again. This is the goal for this winter season: to help my system survive and get stronger. What’s your winter goal?
So, It’s been a month now since I came back from Vipassana, 10 days of torture, haha! Silently meditating for 12 hours a day, it was not easy, I'll tell you that. But so worth it! Really shows you how easily distracted we are as humans and why we struggle mentally so much these days, as stillness is such a challenge. Also a good reminder that inner peace is a work of art; it’s not handed out easily; you need to work for it consistently every day of your life. When I was in the retreat, time went so incredibly slowly. Sitting down felt like I had been there for ages; then I cheekily checked the time, and it turned out 5 minutes had passed. Then coming home, it feels like I can’t even sit still for 30 mins because “I have things to do”. Time is the same; it doesn’t go slower or faster. It’s our minds that create all the noise and “must-dos” and the illusion of not having enough time. What if it’s not a matter of not enough time and more the matter of wanting too much?
I have discussed the matter of time with you before. I know that some of you are mentally and physically doing too much, so for you lot, keep waiting on the bill from the wellbeing taxman requiring rest. The other half of humans are total “timewasters”; there’s the time to scroll phone, watch series, and be on the go to one place or another; for that lot, the wellbeing taxman will send a bill to start concentrating and taking action on what matters. Most of us are a combination of the 2; we do too much, burn out, and do nothing. Also, there are a couple of different ways to cope with stress: freeze, distract, or overachieve. None will end up in a balanced result. If you freeze, nothing meaningful gets done, and you beat yourself up even more about being lazy. Distract, same result, keep avoiding the meaningful by filling your day with everything else. Overachieve, cross over endless tasks of must-dos till you run out of steam.
Human life requires purpose and a sense of achievement. Modern-day life aims to easiness; achievement needs to be instant, and purpose needs to be more and more.
The purpose of life is to live.
One should also feel like achieving on a daily basis. Waking up, cooking a healthy breakfast, doing your best at work, exercising, being outside, having a nice and clean home, spending time with important people and animals, going to bed early, rest and repeat. It doesn’t mean you don’t have dreams and goals; they are important and keep us going. But all you will ever have in life is the present moment, and if you hate or dislike your daily life, the purpose of living is not very well served. Stop and think about what’s truly important to you, what in the moment brings fulfilment and joy? You might have to work harder for some dreams and make sacrifices to reach certain things, but if your constant state of existing is “when I get to this or have that, I will be happy” you are not really living in the present at all. My partner recently lost a close friend very suddenly, which was a big shock for him. That combined with my meditation retreat has really resulted in deep conversations about what actually matters in life, as it might end before you are “ready”. Make sure you involve happiness into every day, especially the days that suck. Little silver lining always helps.
To lighten up the mood, I’ll share things that make me happy and give me a sense of purpose and achievement. Firstly, of course, CATS. I’m serious tho, waking up and having my little morning routine with the 2 of them makes me feel incredibly happy and grateful every morning. This morning was an overload of joy, as in our walk (yes, me and my cats), I finally got into petting terms with another cat friend. She has been following us for a couple of weeks now, friendlily saying good morning and playing with Keke and Storm. Today was the day that I got the honour to introduce myself. Speaking of achievement! I was dying to tell my partner this. When I informed him, I had great news, he asked if we won the lottery; I had a chance to say, no, it’s something better. That is a prime example of daily joys. Having good results from my treatments gives me purpose and a sense of achievement. Being able to be in NZ, being able to be self-employed, having a warm house and loving partner, learning more about the human body to be able to be better at my job… the list is long when you start counting your blessings. So sit next to the fire (also a blessing if you have one) and write your list and appreciate what you have and what you have already achieved.
I’m here, as always, to talk about the purpose of life, but also to help mend the body from winter challenges. Stay warm and happy!
Love
Kaisa❤️🐾🌱
Me trying to pack for my trip to Vipassana. Taking only the essentials…
Also in the backround is part of the walnuts from this year, so do remember to grab some when you next come to your treatment, if I forget to remind you.
