Attend to the edges

“None so blind as those who can’t see” (traditional saying) Take a look at both pictures. What strikes you? what do you like about them? What do you think they mean? Both of these artworks are part of a project called Glossary in which I worked with adults with a disability to enable them to …

The Long Haul

“Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional.” (Buddhist proverb) Take a look at the first image, I wonder what you can see. It’s not a very clear image, partly because the art piece is difficult to photograph, but partly because the meaning of the piece,  Ask No Questions, is intentionally obscured. In it I used drawings …

Reflection for concentration

Here is our latest guided meditation which is all about focus and concentration. Take 10 minutes to really be present in this moment, listen to some reflections and take some quiet time for yourself. This time of real focus using this recorded meditation will help your concentration in other areas of life. If you are …

Playtime

“Sabbath is the invitation into the free, wild space where we may play with the magic of the woods, explore off the beaten path, enter the unbounded space of our hearts and imagination.” Nicola Slee Take a look at the first image. I wonder what you see. A soft play area? This is an art …

Using a labyrinth for meditation

Meditation is a common practice around the world, you probably think of it as sitting and doing very little. However it can take many forms depending what is most useful to you. The labyrinth is an ancient idea where using a shape like the one below you move into the centre following the single path …

Creative problem solving

We all have times where we have to make big decisions or have a problem to solve, perhaps you have one you are thinking about at the moment? A labyrinth is an ancient practice that is used for meditation but can also be used for decision making. The first step is to draw a simple …

Sink or Swim

“keep up your courage” (Acts 27) This painting by Rembrandt depicts Christ in the storm: a story in which the disciples and Jesus are out on the lake and a storm blows up. Jesus is fast asleep in the boat, and the disciples wake him, asking “Teacher, don’t you care if we drown?”. Who are …

Session 6 of ‘Mindfulness in difficult time’: post exercise

This is the sixth and final session of our mindfulness course ‘Mindfulness in difficult times’. The theme of this session is contrast, the contrast between movement and stillness post exercise but also other areas of contrast in our lives. We focus on our body, our heartbeat and our breath. In each session of this course …

The Weight of Liberty

“To venture on wider seas” (Sir Francis Drake) Take a look at the first image. What do you see? This picture is called The Mystical Boat by Odilon Redon. Where are you in that boat? Are you sailing the seas? Heading into a storm? Enjoying the sea breeze? Can you operate the rudder or does …

Stranger Danger

“We are a more than welcome here” Commoners Choir Take a look at the first picture. What can you see? What can you read? This is a prototype for a project I was hoping to deliver in Leeds looking at threshold and welcoming. Working with community groups and churches we were planning to enable locals …