Category Archives: spirituality

Why Do Men Build Walls?

“The heart of the wall is where the unloveliest material resides, shoved in with less artifice to fill out the construction. But this is also a place of refuge, the voids between stones providing cover for invertebrates. As we worked, ants, beetles and spiders would often rush out from within when we disturbed their havens.”

Ambient Icon: Brian Eno’s ‘Music for Airports’

Many years ago, Brian Eno walked into a building in Germany and felt uplifted. The building was a marvel of contemporary architecture, elegant and spacious with glass walls allowing sunlight to completely flood the interior. The building happened to be an airport. As Eno took in the scene, there was just one thing spoiling itContinue reading “Ambient Icon: Brian Eno’s ‘Music for Airports’”

Outside The Box: 21 Exercises for Reflection, Connection and Kindness.

This is a list of 21 tasks (symbolising the year 2021) that involve connecting with the senses, memory, the present moment, reflecting healthily on the past and looking to the future. You can work your way through them, or try whichever ones appeal to you.   1. Spend five minutes looking at the clouds withoutContinue reading “Outside The Box: 21 Exercises for Reflection, Connection and Kindness.”

Love your Local Parks!

I was recently commissioned by the arts organisation Collective Encounters to write a poem celebrating parks and the role they have played during lockdown. I’m lucky to live near Sefton Park in Liverpool and have seen how vital a resource it has been. This poem captures how I feel about parks, the joy of natureContinue reading “Love your Local Parks!”

Keep a Safe Distance From Your Thoughts

During the Covid pandemic, with so much uncertainty around, we are bound to speculate what the future holds for our physical health, financial problems, families and social lives. Our brains are amazing tools, designed to solve problems, to anticipate, plan and organise. But at times of stress, we often search in vain for the off-switch,Continue reading “Keep a Safe Distance From Your Thoughts”

Waiting For the Mantra

Nowadays it seems everyone is getting spiritual. Meditation and mindfulness in particular are booming, with courses and classes available all over every city. We tend to think of meditation as a silent practice, but there is one meditation method which is anything but silent.   Mantras are repeated phrases, chanted or sung as part ofContinue reading “Waiting For the Mantra”