Life lessons from a very a mindful bear..

He saw himself as a Bear of Very Little Brain, but Winnie the Pooh – who is celebrating his 95th birthday this week – has won over a new generation of fans thanks to his gentle wisdom and mindful attitude towards life

THIS week Winnie the Pooh, AA Milne’s much-loved bear, is celebrating his 95th birthday. For nearly a century, stories of Pooh and his friends Piglet, Eeyore, Tigger and co have delighted children and adults alike.

He originally appeared in two storybooks – When We Were Very Young and Now We Are Six – written by AA Milne and illustrated by EH Shepard.

He has since become one of Disney’s most popular characters, making his first on-screen appearance in 1966. Pooh even has a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

For a Bear of Very Little Brain, he has a rich storytelling heritage and the Winnie the Pooh books have been translated into more than 50 languages around the world.

Pooh represents friendship, simple joys and the curious, gentle nature of a child’s imagination.

And we can learn a lot from the honey-loving bear – in particular, how to be more mindful.

As life demands more of us and we look for ways to reach a calmer pace, Pooh’s gentle way of life and words of wisdom are more relevant than ever.

Over the past 95 years, Pooh has demonstrated how to live in the present moment and take each day as it comes.

Mindfulness expert Tania Diggory, founder of Calmer, thinks we should all look to Pooh for advice.

“The life lessons shared by Winnie the Pooh are simple yet incredibly effective, both for children and adults,” she says.

“Pooh’s wisdom inspires us to nurture a kind, compassionate and thoughtful way of living, and the reflective nature of his words introduces us to the practice of mindfulness.”

Winnie the Pooh, she says, helps us to appreciate everyday life.

“Pooh encourages us to work with whatever happens with curiosity and compassion, learning from our experiences along the way.

“Pooh’s wisdom helps us to tap into a sense of inner peace, and offers a chance for us to reflect outside of our busy day-to-day lives.” There really is a lot to learn from the little bear.

It seems that while we can search far and wide for wisdom, it may well have been there on our

bookshelf all along.