Autumn seemed to arrive early that year. Annual flowers had died, birds had begun migrating and leaves were already falling. During one of my walks I noticed a single fallen leaf. There was nothing damaged or incomplete about it. Quite the opposite. Haiku The leaf lies fallen,Perfect in form and colour,A life fully lived (Written Read More
Tag: Mindful walking
When Did Autumn Arrive?
Autumn and Impermanence Thick morning mist drifts across the fields from the River Thames. After a week of rain, the countryside has changed almost overnight. Grass that seemed tired and dry is green again, with new growth appearing in only a few days. My feet are wet. I make a mental note that my walking Read More
How Mindful Walking Led Me to Haiku
Mindful Walking and Haiku I began writing short poems in the Japanese tradition of haiku during the Covid years, when I was recovering from prostate cancer. It was a difficult period of my life, but also a strangely reflective one. Perhaps age had something to do with it. Perhaps illness did too. I found myself Read More
Can a Place Become Part of Our Meditation?
Meditation and Place I don’t often stop at this third seat. It is the closest to home, so I’m usually tempted to keep walking. But when I do sit here, I find myself looking at the water lilies growing in this particular lake. Or perhaps they are lotus flowers? Why does that matter? Partly because Read More
Can Silence Change the Way We Experience Memory?
Silence and Mindfulness This is the oldest of the three seats on my morning walk, beside the quietest of the lakes. There is very little activity here. The water is almost silent, the trees and greenery barely move, and there are few sounds to compete for my attention. Sitting here, I become aware of how Read More