Ok, so that was such a lame title!  But after 23 years of living five minutes from the coast of Western Australia, who arguably has the best beaches in the world, I’ve discovered the joys of getting up at 6am and taking whichever teenager (or husband) is out of bed and our dog Tipsy (aptly named) down to Dog Beach for a walk.  Dog Beach is next door to Horse Beach and that time of morning the beach is filled with people, dogs and horses.  We’ve even gone swimming before the sun rises over the dunes, braving the sharks, the seaweed and the jellyfish.  Tipsy, our little Maltese/Lhasa Apso cross is so small the tiny waves break over her and unless we lift her up she just stands at the water’s edge barking.

There is a sense of communal spirit down on the sand walking along with the dogs careening all over the place chasing tennis balls with the waves lapping at our feet.  It’s a gentle, spiritual way to wake up properly, feeling the sun on our shoulders and the warmth in our hearts as we say good morning to all and sundry and connect with the sea, the sand and the sky.  It’s easy to walk and meditate along the coastline filling ourselves up with sunshine and happiness.  It feels magical.

Dog Beach has become a very special place for me.  It fills me up and gives me a certain type of strength to get through the rest of the day.  We come home, bath the dog, make a coffee and sit in our garden which we have just spent ages tidying up and planting lots of flowering plants and roses.  I spend a lot of time in our garden reading and listening to Classic FM and meditating on the purple and white agapanthus which are blooming splendidly at the moment.

I feel as though I’ve entered a new phase in my life, one of peace, love, contentment and understanding. 

Either that, or I’m just getting old.