Journey of Geese: Embracing Change and Adventure
01/11/2025 at 12:42 pm | Posted in Uncategorized, Wellbeing notes | Leave a commentTags: Guidance, healing, inspiration, life skills, meditation, mindfulness, nature
The path along Cocklemore Brook gets a bit muddy at times. Pretty, but muddy. The other day I was tiptoeing over damp autumn leaves when a noise overhead caused me to look up. Geese, honking in formation – flapping heavy wings in a tired ‘V’ shape they likely maintained all the way from Iceland, Greenland or beyond.
There’s something rather soulful about the noise of flying geese. How do they manage to sound both mournful, and adventurous? Perhaps I’m dwelling on this right now because my daughter has recently gone to the other side of the world, and she won’t be back until the geese have returned to their homelands, hatched their young, and started gathering for their next winter in the British Isles.
There is a wrench somewhere around the heart when a loved one is absent. Yet it’s not all sad, because I’m happy for my daughter to stretch her own wings: to enjoy a new adventure and become more independent.
The urge to travel is no doubt deep within humans, as much as it’s within those tired geese overhead. If we can’t, or choose not to, cover physical distance, we can always use our imaginations. Perhaps that’s why the honking of geese as they fly is so evocative: it’s the sound of faraway places, heard within the comfort of our own neighbourhood.
Wellbeing notes: This too shall pass
01/07/2025 at 9:35 am | Posted in Wellbeing notes | Leave a commentTags: ancient wisdom, inspiration, meditation, mindfulness, stone circles, wellbeing, wisdom of the stones
A London friend, Vivien, was strolling around Avebury with me. She adored the ancient, mysterious stone circle. I love it too. But on this particular day I had a busy schedule. In the north-west quadrant, it all became too much. “There’s so little time,” I fretted.
Vivien laughed. “Look around. There’s literally no one here but us. You’ll get to your appointment, but worrying won’t help, I promise you.”
I looked around properly then, at the stones that measure time in unfathomable ways. And I realised that my worries were as fleeting as a breeze compared with Avebury.
Understanding that our woes are transient is a well-established principle in meditation, both in stillness and in action. An example: I like to exercise on a rowing machine, finding that its rhythm can become quite meditative. As imaginary oars slide through the water, and an imaginary boat scoots forward, the distance covered is displayed on the screen before me. At times the metres look like years rushing by. The 1970s turn into the 1980s and so on, through the millenia until we reach the year 5,000, aka 5km, when I generally stop.
What will the world look like in the years 3025 and 4025? What will our descendants be like? Perhaps they will view us, with our paperback books, rather as we view the faraway papyrus generations. One thing doesn’t really change: our ability to feel all the emotions. Hence that comforting expression in hard times: ‘This too shall pass’.
Wellbeing notes: Listening to nature’s symphony
01/09/2024 at 10:02 am | Posted in Wellbeing notes | 1 CommentTags: birdsong, listening, meditation, mindfulness, nature
Midnight. Outside, a tawny owl is hooting. In the morning, the buzzard takes over: a high, childlike cry. For a few moments, the sound is drowned out by a plane from the Americas, passing overhead. But the plane goes; the buzzard is audible again. And more quietly, here in the garden, there’s the musical fluting of robins and goldfinches, the cooing of woodpigeons, and the rasp of crows. One day, soon, the geese will arrive, honking overhead as they remind us of snowy places, far away in the north.
The symphony of nature is incredibly varied, when you stop to listen – and all of it tells a story. Wind in the trees on this hillside change like ocean currents when storms approach. Streams gush noisily after heavy rainfall. Boots squelch muddily or perhaps crackle through autumn leaves.
Listening mindfully to the symphony of nature can be a calming meditation. For the space of ten breaths, focus on what you can hear to your left; then, for another ten breaths, tune into the sounds on your right. And then, finally, listen to your own, inner sounds, such as breathing or even your body’s pulse. The aim is to listen without judgement, understanding that everything and everyone is a part of nature. We are all, according to the poet Kahlil Gibran, ‘sons and daughters of life’s longing for itself’. Appreciating that insight can bring bliss.
Wellbeing notes: A wellspring within you
01/07/2024 at 5:49 pm | Posted in Wellbeing notes | Leave a commentTags: authentic life, Dreams, Guidance, Intuition, life purpose, meditation, sanctuary, wellspring
Many years ago, in my 20s, I experienced one of those dreams that you never really forget. In this dream, I met an older version of myself. A fountain sparkled in her garden. She reassured me that my life might get bumpy at times, but it was ultimately going to be okay.
Roll forward to the present day and who knows how it happened, but I’m now as old as that dream character. Even my home, and its setting, are like hers. But there is one difference. My garden contains no fountain.
And yet I wonder if something does sparkle here: a sort of spiritual fountain or wellspring, that can be accessed in moments of quietness. This place, after all, has hosted countless meditators as well as those looking for sanctuary. The healing that has taken place here can seem quite tangible at times.
Recently I was sitting in the garden, listening to birdsong – a form of meditation in itself. I became refreshed. And I understood then that we each have a wellspring within us, that sparkles during moments of peace. Just like the water feature of my long-ago dream, this spiritual fountain is full of light.
I invite you, now, to sit silently, focusing on the rhythm of your breath. If any worries crop up, let them pass through your mind without engaging, just for now. Feel your body and mind relax. In the quietness of this moment, right here, is your own inner wellspring.
Wellbeing notes: Being peaceful in a hectic world
01/04/2024 at 1:05 pm | Posted in Wellbeing notes | 4 CommentsTags: Guidance, healing, inspiration, life skills, meditation, mindfulness, nature, Splendid Fairywren, wellbeing
A good friend once lived in a serene flat on a lively street. Cars sped past. Lorries lumbered. But in my friend’s lounge there was a picture of a temple garden that seemed to invite the viewer to breathe, and relax.
I’ve always loved the contrast between busyness and peace. Perhaps it dates back to an old tollbar cottage that my grandparents used to live in. We children slept under sloping eaves. Outside, cars zoomed. Inside, all was still. Yes, the traffic held dangers. But in the cottage, we always felt safe.
Now, this can require a certain amount of work, a shift of mindset. But sometimes, when you are surrounded by bustle, that’s when you can feel especially peaceful.
There is an old story that illustrates this. Weighed down by state business, an emperor was hungry for tranquillity. Three of the best artists in the land were summoned to produce a painting that would help him to feel calm.
The first artist painted a still lake. The second created an untrodden, snowy landscape. “Very nice,” said the emperor. And then he turned to the final painting, which didn’t seem tranquil at all: a forest waterfall crashing down from a great height. “This is the one,” exclaimed the emperor to his puzzled courtiers. And he pointed to a nest, where a bird slept soundly. “That,” said the emperor, “is true tranquillity.”
However hectic the world may be, I wish you the peace of true tranquillity.
Wellbeing notes: Believe, dream, rinse, repeat
01/03/2024 at 6:23 pm | Posted in Wellbeing notes | 2 CommentsTags: Guidance, healing, inspiration, life skills, meditation, Mind body spirit, wellbeing
Recently I spent a couple of days by the sea. The apartment was a quiet, uncluttered space. There was little in the way of decoration – why compete with the marvellous view? However, the few decorative touches – cushions, pebbles, wall art – featured a bunch of positive slogans, often with a maritime feel.
At first I smiled and then basically ignored the uplifting messages. But in an eyrie with little else to distract the eye (when not actually looking at the view), these pieces of advice gradually sunk in, like a sort of mantra. Dream, invited a pebble by the front door. Believe in your dreams, urged a canvas above the kitchen sink. By the sea all worries wash away, whispered a driftwood panel above the harbour boats.
And actually, I decided, it was very sound advice. How often have you dreamed of something you would love to have in your life and then decided that it wouldn’t be possible, for one reason or another? But it’s okay to believe in a broadly positive future. There is always room for hope.
And then what about the idea that water can wash away your troubles? I have a friend who has struggled with mental health issues, who has found that outdoor swimming stops the spiral of destructive thoughts like nothing else. Although that’s not for everyone, even a simple, candlelit bath can shift the mood quite wonderfully. What dream do you have? What dream will you believe in today?
Wellbeing notes: Embracing wabi-sabi
01/11/2023 at 2:26 pm | Posted in Uncategorized, Wellbeing notes | Leave a commentTags: healing, inspiration, life skills, meditation, mindfulness, time passing, wabi-sabi, wellbeing
November is not a famously pretty month. Though autumn leaves are stunning, they won’t be around for much longer. The nights are getting longer, and the land colder… and that, in a nutshell, is why November is a great month to enjoy the Japanese concept of wabi-sabi.
Wabi-sabi is a philosophic outlook that accepts the imperfection of beauty. Wabi-sabi recognises that nothing lasts, and yet nothing is ever truly completed. Leaves in late autumn are a perfect example of this. A growing season has finished… and yet the trees will burst into new life in the new year.
There’s a sweetly melancholy element to wabi-sabi, inviting us to experience the sadness of beauty as it fades away. To face up to this – to accept that real life does not come air-brushed – is a form of mindfulness, which can lead to a healthy acceptance of ourselves in this moment. The message of wabi-sabi is that it’s okay to age; and it’s okay to feel sadness for what has been and now is gone. When we accept the melancholy, we are also accepting that the scars we gain through life are a valuable part of who we are. In our imperfection lies a different, rarer kind of beauty.
So I invite you today to look at your world through the principles of wabi-sabi. What, or who, embodies the subtler kind of beauty that comes through imperfection? What, or who, deserves cherishing?
Wellbeing notes: Sparrowhawk meditation
01/10/2023 at 12:19 pm | Posted in Wellbeing notes | Leave a commentTags: Guidance, inspiration, meditation, mindfulness, nature, wellbeing
To live surrounded by nature is a privilege, and one I don’t take for granted. It feels extra special when animals – deer and hares in particular, as well as countless birds – trust humans enough to come up close.
Recently, this particular bird came calling: a female sparrowhawk. She was striking in every sense: strong, watchful and beautiful. I’d never seen one in such detail before, and was curious to read about her.
The Eurasian sparrowhawk, also known as Accipiter nisus, is a modestly sized bird of prey. They live in woodland, and hunt smaller birds. Used in falconry, they’ve featured in poems, myths and stories from many cultures.
The sparrowhawk, small and fierce, is said to represent a warrior’s inner spirit, complete with a clear-sighted ability to see the whole picture. A simple meditation on these qualities can be uplifting and energising.
Sit somewhere quietly. Take relaxed, even breaths. Then close your eyes and focus with your thoughts on the sparrowhawk’s characteristics – whatever comes to mind. You might think of its striped feathers and far-seeing eyes, You might think of its beauty, boldness and strength.
As you continue to breathe in and out, be aware that those qualities are also within you. Feel a purposeful power filling the whole of your being. Enjoy that sense of strength; truly own it. And when you’re ready, open your eyes.
I hope you enjoy this nature meditation. The message of the sparrowhawk ultimately comes down to this: you are stronger and more able than you think.
Wellbeing notes: Farewell, lovely meditations
01/12/2022 at 8:19 am | Posted in Uncategorized | 3 CommentsTags: friendship, Guidance, life skills, meditation, Mind body spirit, Spirituality, wellbeing
For the past 14 years I’ve hosted weekly meditation groups. They’ve brought me masses of pleasure, as I hope they have for countless attendees. But we’re not built to do the same thing all our lives, and this month the doors will close for the last time on our peaceful meetings. To mark the moment, I thought I’d include some memories here, with thanks to all the fabulous souls who participated…
Meditation is not always quiet. The biggest secret about our sessions were that they were a 50/50 mix of chat and silence. The chat always had a theme – and sometimes that theme required a little noise. So let’s hear it for Trevor on the accordion and Kerstie on the Native American flute, not to mention the noisy swarm of bees that once perched on the wild cherry tree outside.
Meditators came from far and wide. We shared quiet times with guests from all over the world. Our youngest meditator was a very new baby. Our furriest attendee was a cat. Our most surprised visitor was the courier who tried to deliver to a room full of people sitting with their eyes closed – at least we weren’t chanting!
Those who meditate are creative – maybe the practice of stilling the mind helps ideas to flow. We have shared paintings, pottery, screen-printing, poetry, glasswork, and many other beautiful creations.
Meditation doesn’t have to take place in one room. During the pandemic, we went online. Other years we enjoyed the local countryside, including sacred Avebury, and neighbouring Somerset. The truth, as we discovered, is that peace, calm and kindness can flourish wherever we choose. And along the way, enduring friendships are made.
Meditate on the landscape of your life
09/09/2022 at 3:00 pm | Posted in Uncategorized | Leave a commentTags: Iceland, inspiration, meditation, nature meditations, volcanoes, wellbeing
Every week for the past five months, my meditation group has been focusing on aspects of landscape. From river to forest, by coast, bridge and swamp, from harbour to canyon via a rainbow-coloured waterfall, we’ve had a lovely time imagining ourselves in nature, slowing down our breath, becoming peaceful. And the landscape theme is set to continue for a few weeks yet, as the list of potential subjects just continues to grow.
Take this week. Someone suggested volcano. One thing I’ve noticed is that everyone views each aspect of landscape differently. For me, I will likely be thinking of a snowy volcano that I once visited in Iceland. Snaefellsjökull has an incredible, other-worldly atmosphere. But another member of my group, fresh from Italy’s Amalfi Coast, may think about a fiery Vesuvius.
The way you think of a volcano can reflect your own life journey. I believe that, sooner or later, we all go through stuff. Some of the events we experience can be positively volcanic – changing our personal landscape. If those events are in the past, the volcano we imagine may be slumbering or extinct. If those events are current, the volcano of our imagination may be quite active. An active volcano will destroy like nothing else… but this may lead, in time, to new landscapes full of life and even beauty.
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Suzanne Askham 