Mystic Biscuits

You know that lovely heart-vibrating feeling you get when you go somewhere and feel a sense of belonging, a sense of connection, of deep resonance? I always get that feeling when I arrive in Spain. I’ll literally get off the plane, or out of the car, and feel the twitch of a smile.

Elsewhere, I might get it when I see something beautiful, or when I’m alone, sitting quietly with my thoughts, and a warm tingling floods my body, like a massive wave of clarity and wonder. I might get a few tears, or goosebumps, or butterflies, or feel thoroughly warm and fuzzy. There’s a sudden calm, a connection, a bliss, a wholeness, a glimpse into pure happiness, into what really matters. We all tend to throw the word “awesome” all over the place these days, but few things really are truly awesome, at least in the sense that I understand it.

I felt this way on Saturday, here in Switzerland, just sitting outside in the sunshine on what must be the most comfortable reclining chair in the world, blissing out over the simple beauty of my garden, watching the birds, watching my cat sitting in the grass like the regal assassin she is, watching the planes in the distance prepare for landing at Geneva airport, and wondering where they were coming from, and what their passengers had been doing, or would be doing. And then my phone beeped with a message from my daughter recommending a podcast she’d just listened to, so I went to find my earbuds and listened, my mind expanding with wonder and excitement and gratitude over Dr Joe Dispenza’s conversation with Steven Bartlett. It was the perfect podcast at the perfect moment. Synchronicity.

I’ve noticed that among people of my generation, many eyebrows still take the elevator to the top floor, their eyes looping the loop or glazing over at the mention of mindset and mindfulness, at the notion that we might practice controlling our thoughts to create positive changes in our lives. I’ve always been interested in mindfulness to a certain extent, but it was many years ago, when I first started going to Ibiza, that I felt I’d found kindred spirits. Sure, there can be far too much overindulgence in all kinds of weird and wonderful mystic biscuits over there, and I’m not even referring to the drug scene that (sadly) springs to mind whenever you mention Ibiza. The mystic biscuits I’m talking about, the ones I’ve always enjoyed, are inspiring, congenial, benevolent. They can be heart-warming group meditations with friends, or spontaneous salsa dancing at a beach bar, or floppy moments with girlfriends on a gorgeous beach, a swim in the sea, or a long walk in the hills, or maybe even a visit to a luminous psychic who lives in the hills in the middle of nowhere with no electricity or running water, and yet has one of the most beautiful gardens I’ve ever seen. These are just examples of special times that have stayed with me throughout my life. Some have become practically canonized; they’re now beautiful, faded photographs of idyllic moments in my mind. When life feels exhausting, such special memories offer a reminder to take a breath and reset. They are both uplifting and grounding at same time, offerings of gratitude and fuel for hope.

Over the past few years, I’ve suffered from chronic pain, and I’ve noticed that – to a certain extent – if I can distract my thoughts from the pain and focus them elsewhere, the pain goes away. Or, if I focus on sending cooling, healing breaths to an area of my body currently on fire, the area will cool and I’ll feel better. Of course, it’s not as simple as that; if it was I’d have bottled my cooling, healing breaths ages ago and be dishing them out willy-nilly to fellow-sufferers all over the world. Sometimes the only thing I can do is take a painkiller, stick on an anti-inflammatory patch, and have an early night. But when it works – if even for a short while - it’s fascinating, and I’m excited to further investigate the superpowers that we have but don’t make use of.

 Which leads me to manifesting.

My daughter Olivia is a massive believer in both mindset and manifesting. She got married in a beautiful, wildflower-edged field overlooking the estuary at Helford Passage in Cornwall in early September, and for a whole year we were all very concerned about what might happen if the weather misbehaved. Sure, there was a marquee, and it would have been fine, and probably would even have been quite fun in a jolly-hockey-sticks sort of way had it poured with rain. But it certainly wouldn’t have been the breath-taking, solar plexus grabbing, awe-inspiring romantic event that blissed everyone out the minute they arrived at the venue. Olivia literally spent more than an entire year manifesting for September 9, 2023, to be a beautiful, sunny, hot day. And the universe went above and beyond, delivering Britain’s hottest day of the year. “Oh, dear,” she giggled, fanning herself with her veil. “I think I over-manifested!”

 Believe what you will. Was it luck? And if it was, does it matter? We feel so powerless in a world filled with cynicism and pain and ugliness and despair, so what’s the harm in believing that we have the power to change things for the better through breathwork and positive thinking?

 What fills you with joy? Do you have a special place? Do you believe in manifesting, in the power of mind-set? I’d love to know.