week 3: simply being present
this week on the little dream farm
Friends…I mentioned earlier this week on Instagram that I have a surprise for y’all.
This week I have an exciting announcement…
David’s book is published!!! 🥳
But first—a story.
Eleven months ago David and I were sitting in St. Petersburg, Florida together at a coffee shop. I was there for two days to document his story and the time he spent living on the Little Dream Farm.
David was telling me about an upcoming meditation class he’d be teaching…a class he’s been teaching for many years. He developed this course from his 35 years of meditation and mindfulness study and practice, and he mentioned he’d been thinking about turning the handouts into a book.
I’d casually offered that if he wanted help with the publishing process that I could help guide him in the right direction. I shared with him my own book, Such is Life, that I wrote and self-published in 2017. If he wanted my help with the self-publishing process, I’d told him I’d be glad to provide hands-on help.
He later sent me the draft handouts to look over and give some honest feedback as to whether I thought the material could be a book. I told him not only could it be a book, but that it needed to be.
Pablo Picasso said, “The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away.”
And so at 78 years old, David decided he wanted to go ahead and write that book.
We spent the rest of 2023 meeting regularly to edit, refine, and shape the book. And then I dusted off what I learned when I published my own book to create the cover, design the interior, and put all the pieces together to get it published and ready for distribution.
What a gift it has been to get to work with David in this way. What a joy it was to watch him work so very hard week after week to take more than three decades of healing and learning and growth and experience and wisdom, and turn that into a resource that will surely help others quiet (not silence, as you’ll learn from David!) their minds.
I’ve said before and it’s worth repeating—it’s not lost on me that I spent this last year deep in a book about mindfulness and meditation.
From the workshopping calls David and I shared, to the afternoons he spent here on the farm in the summer, to the day we spent together in Florida in the fall, to the final call we had last week where we got to push “Publish” together on a video call…there are so many moments I’ll cherish and so many lessons that have come from this project, this experience, and my time spent with David, someone I respect and greatly admire.
As someone who cares a lot about dreams…what a gift it has been for me to help someone else realize one of their own dreams.
I’m feeling especially grateful for this farm this week…the Little Dream Farm that brought us together and made it all possible.
So, without further ado, my lovely friends…may I introduce to you, Simply Being Present by none other than the magnificent David Armbruster.
David describes this book as a symphonic synthesis of what he has learned over the past 35 years about how to meditate.
I’ve read and studied a lot of different materials on meditation through the years, but none of them approach the topic of meditation quite like David does.
Not only will you learn how to meditate…meaning the mechanics of sitting, focusing on your breath, relaxing, and the like.
But you’ll also learn how to take that mindfulness you develop through the practice of sitting in meditation and carry it throughout your everyday life.
David goes a step further and addresses mindfulness from the perspective of your breath, body sensations and sounds, feelings and emotions, and thoughts and thinking. He shows us that peace and calm are not something that we do, but rather something we allow. And he provides many examples as to how we can allow more of this peace and calm into our everyday life.
I used to think that meditation was all about making my mind go blank. And if I couldn’t rid my mind of all my thoughts or if they kept creeping in, I was somehow doing it wrong. If you were or are anything like I was, David will help you to see that our feelings and emotions and our thoughts and thinking are a part of our meditation practice. That there is no “good” or “bad” meditation session…unless we ourselves label it as such.
I’ll venture to say we could all use a little more mindfulness in our lives. And if meditation is not your thing or you’ve tried it in the past and you weren’t really sure, may I suggest giving David’s book a read and seeing if it helps shine a new perspective on what it means to be mindful. His simple approach…simply being present…may be just the thing for you.
I’ve been bursting at the seams waiting to reveal the cover of the book to you…so here it is!
You can purchase your paperback copy of the book by clicking here.
In the comments today, I’d love for you to let me know if you plan to read it or if you purchase a copy!
While we’re on the topic of creative expression this week…there’s someone out there who needs to hear this today. Someone who has been sitting on their gifts, keeping their talents locked away, not expressing themselves because it maybe seems like there’s no point. May these words find you…whoever you are.
Yes, it’s been done before.
But it hasn’t been done by Y O U.
xo, Sarah
I’ve been laser-focused on my health and healing and have been feeling so much better. I’ve implemented several self-care practices that have contributed to this, so this week I’m sharing with you some of my favorite self-care tools. I must include here that I’m not a doctor, so you should consult with yours before adding any of these practices to your routine if you have any concerns. Pop your questions into the comments if you have any!
This facial ice roller is a quick and simple way to de-puff. If you wake up with puffy eyes, puffy cheeks or generally just feel like you have swelling in your face, running this over your face in the morning before you apply your skincare routine is not only a great little wakeup but will give you noticeable results daily. You want to roll across your forehead, under your eyes, up your cheeks, along your jawline, and on your neck. Thank me later and be sure to reach out to me and let me know how it’s working for you!
This little massage tool is small but mighty! You can use this for lymphatic drainage in long slow strokes moving the tool towards the heart on your arms, legs, chest, belly, and buttocks. It’s also an incredible tool to use in a circular pattern on your legs and buttocks to massage fascia and smooth the appearance of cellulite. Avoid applying too much pressure and be sure to use an oil on the skin, I’ve recommended an oil for you next.
This massage oil can be used all over the body and face—it is non-comedogenic and similar to the skin’s natural sebum so it is unlikely to clog pores. This is great for using that massage tool I mentioned above.
Another tool I like to use with the massage oil above is this gua sha facial tool. Following the ice roller or even after washing your face at night and before applying your evening skincare, several minutes of gentle gua sha massage can make a big difference. Simply make small gentle strokes upwards on your forehead, towards your temples over your eyebrows, outwards towards your hairline below your eyes and on your cheeks on your cheeks, outwards on your jaw towards your ears, and downward on your neck towards your heart. There are many amazing tutorials on YouTube for gua sha massage. My favorite channel is The Moments.
*Note: Not all, but some of these links are affiliate links. That’s no matter to you, as it costs you nothing. However, if you make a purchase, we -may- receive a teeny weeny commission.
Wonderful news! I will be purchasing his book. “You can teach an old dog new tricks” & I’m giving it a shot. 🥰
David’s book is in my cart along with a few other items ❤️ I am looking forward to reading it and giving meditation a try.