Breathing   S  p  a  c  e  s

Sis and I have been out again to pick another bumper crop of wild garlic and I was thinking that it would probably go well as an ingredient and a garnish (chopped and sprinkled on top) for a butternut squash and leek soup I’m planning. I could imagine sour cream or yogurt poured onto the soup and then finished with the chopped wild garlic - a lovely medley of orange, white and fresh green. Vegan options also available. And here it is: Notes on Wild Foraging: only pick what yo

Usually at this time of year I try and steer at least one trip out from the art studio to Ardwick Green to walk among the cherry blossoms. I think Cherry Blossom it is a special feature of Ardwick and it is good to take some time to notice, look closely and share the experience. If you look back in this blog for posts in 2019 and 2018 you will see our previous blossom walks. This year sadly unless you live in Ardwick you might miss the blossoms. So Andy has very kindly snappe

Thank you for sending in this very moving poem Bernie - and Happy Birthday!!

Hi Rae I very much liked your photos of everyday objects, and the word atlas made me think about how these objects represent places and relate to the geography of our houses and gardens. Taking your take on not trying to be a perfectionist, I did each drawing within a 10 cm square and didn’t try to perfect them, just took them as they appeared from my first attempt. I tried to use different media (biro, pencils, watercolours). I think some are good, and some not so, (I also n

INNER LIGHT by Shama All of this shall pass Each day is closer to greener grass Things will take their course This is not something we can force Hold on, show might Let heavy things go, keep it light Keep love in your heart Every day is a new start Positivity will get you through Be grateful every day for what you CAN do Send out positive vibes for all Rise up, Stand Strong, Stand Tall RISE UP, STAND STRONG, STAND TALL

"I've been baking! Never done much before and find it’s relaxing but focussed and structured - and makes me stop looking at my screens too much - also nice to eat the results !" Alison Kershaw Practicing Qi Gong most days and meditating most evenings Trying to maintain a routine re sleep times/ eating times Listening to music , singing and dancing most days Sharing daily jokes with friends via WhatsApp or text, laughter is very helpful. Video calls with close friends Checking

Before lock-down we were half way through our Ardwick Art Walks funded by GM Walking Grants and part of the activity to get the city walking and active. We had to postpone our last walk with Emily Hayes - but this will be the first walk we organise in the future when we come out of lock-down. However, the government still permits us to do one piece of exercise per day and that can be a walk, so we have been thinking of ways that we can increase the mindful and creative compo

I love how things come 'together' for these blog posts yesterday in my email inbox I had this joyful image from Lucy C as well as this article from the guardian by Tobias Jones that someone had sent to me: After coronavirus, the penny has dropped that wellbeing isn't individual but social and within that article I followed a link to a brilliant essay by Hala Alyan in Emergence Magazine : This is not a rehearsal both of these articles are pretty dense and need space and time

Many thanks to people who are sending in links and resources to share. Here are a few things that might be helpful in the coming weeks: STAYING WELL Mental Health - Getting Help Every Mind Matters - NHS guidance for Mental Health A list of tips for Staying Well When Social Distancing from Royal College of Occupational Therapists Stress Reduction Online Courses - from The Owl and Coconut - there is a fee for these courses but "We still have pay what you can places on all our c

This whole website and blog was set up to explore the connection between environmental 'noise' and our mental health. We have spent years now discovering how our surroundings change the way we feel, and we have been particularly interested in how city sounds of traffic, building construction, machinery, alarms can make us feel. We have found people report feeling more settled and peaceful when they can hear the sounds of the elements, the bird song, the sound of our own human