We have recently returned from Mindful Safari 2016 – and what a truly amazing time we all had! Where to start with the highlights of our six day retreat? Arriving at Hoedspruit airport in a De Havilland twin prop aircraft, after a flight over the Drakensberg Mountains, we were soon whisked to nearby Lufafa Ranch...
Author: David Michie (David Michie)
David Michie: My Corgis and Other Animals
As the author of The Dalai Lama’s Cat series, and a clear devotee of all things feline, people sometimes assume that I am a dog-hater. As it happens, nothing could be further from the truth. In my childhood home I was brought up with a Siamese cat, called Pandy as well as two corgis, Trudy...
How to handle the shadow side of goals
In my 20s and 30s I was very keen on goals. ‘If you don’t know where you’re going, you’ll never get there,’ was a premise that made perfect sense to me. I read books and articles on goals. I faithfully documented and reviewed my goals. I was aware that goals should be SMART (specific, measurable,...
What happens when the Dalai Lama’s Cat is visited by the Queen’s Corgi?
Picture the following scene, dear reader. It is a busy morning at the Himalaya Book Café. With less than an hour before lunch service, I am sitting on my customary spot on magazine rack, nostrils flaring as I try to identify the delightful aromas wafting from the kitchen, where the Dragpa brothers are working their...
Read the first 12 pages of The Queen’s Corgi: On Purpose
I am delighted to share with you the first 12 pages of my book, The Queen’s Corgi: On Purpose! If you’d like to know a little more about why I wrote to the book, check out this two minute video: Now, find yourself a nice, snuggly spot for a few minutes and enjoy! Warm...
New novel from David Michie out now!
Hi Everyone, I am very excited to let you know that my new novel, The Queen’s Corgi: On Purpose is published this week! In the same style as The Dalai Lama’s Cat, in The Queen’s Corgi our narrator, Nelson, provides a dog’s-eye view of life with the royal family. Along with a lot of fun and games,...
Two good reasons to stop beating yourself up: a Buddhist perspective
Many readers of this blog may not have to travel far to meet their harshest and most unyielding critic. A few steps to the nearest mirror will probably do the trick. There you can look into the eyes of the person who talks to you in a way that they would never dream of talking...
Too busy to be happy? A Buddhist perspective
In our era of unprecedented busy-ness, constant communication and relentless deadlines, it’s easy to feel that we have no time for an inner life. When so many of us feel burdened by the imperative for immediate, round-the-clock responsiveness, and the constant need to do more with less, it’s understandable that as we reach the end...
Finding it hard to let go of past hurts? A mindful perspective.
Every one of us will experience hurt, betrayal and disappointment. What matters is how we deal with these feelings. As the Dalai Lama says, ‘Pain is inevitable. Suffering is optional.’ What he means is that although it’s impossible to avoid upsetting experiences, we do have a say about whether negative events or people continue to...