Perhaps my favourite time of the month is the evening I attend my meditation group…or Healing Heart Circle as it is actually called (because the main intention is to connect with our hearts – in the broadest sense of tuning into our innermost feelings – and to the hearts of others, through group meditation and sharing the insights that arise…which is an incredibly healing practise).

This is a time when I feel most settled, enthused and in tune with myself. It is a time that is dedicated to listening to my inner voice, the one that knows and feels the real me. After years of taking part in such gatherings, in many ways, stepping into the circle feels like coming home.

This month, our circle was held in the woods on the Surrey-West Sussex-Hampshire border on a Sunday afternoon and evening, giving our little band of circlers longer than usual to sit in contemplation. With glorious weather it also gave us the opportunity to soak in the warmth of the midday sun and witness that enchanting time when both the setting sun and the rising (almost full) moon can be seen in the sky together.

The theme this month was gratitude and it was wonderful to be reminded of all the things to be thankful for in my life…especially when there are so many distressing things happening in the wider world and various challenges in my own.

Being in nature was, in itself, restorative – and I am increasingly drawn to the magic of the forest (being a resident, now, of the beautiful Ashdown Forest), whereas typically I would gravitate towards to the sea.

Plus, with the added benefits of guided meditation, like-minded company and a sacred fire, I still feel (almost a week later) a real sense of calm that I aim to keep hold of until next we meet….or at least until I can next get into the woods for a top up!