Did you notice what happened when you read that question? Did you find your attention drawn to your body, maybe to find your feet wrapped around a chair leg or tucked underneath you on the sofa? I would guess asking that one simple question made you feel more present.Read More
A seat belt digs into my shoulder. The wheels of my chair are clamped to the ambulance floor. I rub my eyes against the glaring blue light. I yawn. Even the kitties had sleepy faces this morning. My tummy rumbles. My breakfast is in my rucksack, out of reach. We left two hours ago. Where are we? I’m going to be late. I need to get to my appointment. Where have the hospital drivers gone? Are they lost again? I try to peer out of the window. It’s grey. It’s gloomy. We’re in the middle of a housing estate, goodness knows where. And then I see it. TIVENDALE. It’s the block of flats named after my Great-Grandfather, Thomas Tivendale, Mayor of Hornsey 1951-2. I’m home. I’m present. I’m where I’m supposed to be. I’ve uncovered a little gift and I cannot help but smile.Read More
“Oh, are you here to do yoga?” asked a lady at the yoga show, looking at me and seeing my wheelchair. “Yes, and I can do Crow,” came my surprisingly quick-witted response. She was a yoga teacher. Her expression soon shifted from confusion to admiration, with more than a hint of embarrassment. Read More
I love the sense of a fresh start and feeling of a new beginning that January brings, but I’m not sure about New Year’s resolutions. Don’t get me wrong, I think setting yourself a challenge and changing an aspect of your life for the better is fantastic. I do wonder though how many people set an unrealistic resolution in January, only to have given up and forgotten about it by February, perhaps trundling through the rest of the year feeling slightly disillusioned, until repeating the cycle when feeling the excess of Christmas and the wake-up call of January 1st? Probably quite a few. A gradual, consistent approach to making changes can be more lasting. It’s also a wonderful way of staying in touch with your lifestyle, your values and your dreams. Read More