August 15th 2020
I was fortunate earlier this week to visit the Henry Moore Foundation at Perry Green in the scorching heat. I love walking around the grounds, admiring his sculptures placed in the gardens and marveling at the fact that 6,000 of his works are enjoyed around the world. All from a remote hamlet in deepest Hertfordshire.
Sitting on a bench under the shade of a willow tree, I noticed the restorative value of releasing myself from my desk and having a much needed change of scene. Observing Henry’s deceptively simple, yet complex sculptures seems rather like life. If we stay rooted in one fixed position, we only see the structure from one point of view. If we get up, move around it, look through it, across it, close up to it, and a few steps away from it, we see parts of it and possibly of ourselves that we may not have noticed before. We are like this. We focus on stories that have stuck themselves to us. Only seeing ourselves from one fixed point.
Our stories are often rooted deep within us and difficult to shake off. What would we replace them with? And whilst we hold onto these stories what are we missing? What is not available to us?
Sitting on a bench under the shade of a willow tree, I noticed the restorative value of releasing myself from my desk
Just a few hours away from the desk, with a mind open to exploring in the world in a new way can do wonders for our well being. A small retreat, a simple pause to enable us to move forward refreshed with new information and a new perspective.
Come and try out a pause for yourself and realise the nourishing effect of noticing the parts of yourself and others you may not have previously had the opportunity to see.
Liz and Doug are the founders of Science meets Creativity and run online reflection workshops inspired by the changing seasons. You can find out more about these workshops here.