Recently, I lead a mindfulness guidance on the practice of impermanence. Impermanence can seem like an abstract concept at first. We know intellectually that everything changes, yet we often live as though things will remain the same. The practice invites us to look more closely at our direct experience and notice the constant flow of change that is always taking place. The next day, whilst driving through Derbyshire countryside I noticed the cow parsley lining the hedgerows. Its delicate...

The budding of the peony. I take a moment to appreciate. Seeing the swelling of the bud. Hearing the sounds of nature. Feeling the cool air, as I meditate. Experiencing the stillness between me and the bud. Most of us move through life quickly. Our attention is often pulled towards the next task, the next message, the next responsibility, the next urgency. Even when we stop to look at something beautiful, our minds can be busy commenting on it, analysing it, or thinking about what comes next....

As I sit and practice, looking out of my window, I notice the buds of the copper beech tree. The colours, the textures, the way the young leaves slowly unfurl into the light. There is a softness to their unfurling, a quiet knowing in the way they open at their own pace. At the same time, I become aware of the sound of the clock in the room. The steady ticking, simple, rhythmic, reliable. I allow attention to rest with the sights and the sounds, present in awareness. Seeing and hearing begin...