A wider perspective

I have been fortunate this summer to discover some new places that have become immediate favourites.

 

Having enjoyed swimming at the Lido (something of a favourite haunt of mine for a little while now), I was blown away by the skyline I found to stand above it when I wandered through Brockwell Park on a Sunday morning recently. 

 

Observing the city from a distance struck me as a great metaphor for what my mindfulness practice stands for. 

 

It was possible to see the landscape more clearly, from a distance.  The City of London looked beautiful and manageable, from where I stood. 

With regular practice, I have come to see that by seeking to know better the landscape of my own mind-body I have a better chance of recognising those familiar 'signatures' - physical, emotional and cognitive. 

 

And, by standing back, to observe these clearly, I have the benefit of a space to pause, and remember that I have a choice. 

 

The inspiring Dr. Amy Salzman (who describes herself as "a holistic physician, mindfulness coach, scientist, wife, mother, devoted student of transformation, long-time athlete, and occasional poet") talks about the 'still quiet place within' when teaching mindfulness to young people.

 

Standing looking out across the cityscape, that spot in the park (described by Time Out as "a much needed slab of green") became a place in which I found it possible, just for a series of moments, to connect with that still quiet place within myself.  And I felt better for it. 

 

 

I am pleased to say I have been back several times since...

 

It occurs to me that most of us will likely benefit from finding places and spaces in which we might briefly check-in with ourselves, and with the stillness and quietness to be found within. 

 

If you peel back the layers in your life - the frenzy, the noise - stillness is waiting. 

That stillness is you.

Oprah