Vanessa’s Blog
59 seconds…
The features of modern technology recently allowed me to eavesdrop a valuable and insightful conversation between my little one, and his four year old cousin as they walked hand in hand through a National Trust forest.They pragmatically and succinctly discussed parental mortality; and still had time for an enlightening chat about dinosaurs - in all of 59 seconds…“I’d be sad if my mama died, I’d be, in fact I’d just cry if my mummy died, and I wouldn’t stop until my mummy…”“Our mums will die....
Pediculus…
It’s not quite a full ‘banshee’ morning but it’s not far off. My voice has been raised for at least the last 20 minutes as my unresponsive children are systematically ignoring me. Shouting is having little impact; but the reflex is too strong to resist nevertheless.The little one whines “Can I have the TV on?” which I choose to ignore. I am distracted as my daughter is absently scratching again; in irritation I flick her hand away from her scalp, and reach for her comb and hair bobbles. As I...
White eyed
I recall a sunny day in 1979, so bright and luminous it literally hurt my eyes. We’d ventured out as a family to a local farm for what looked like an impromptu summer fair. Several fathers were lobbing wellies as far as their soft stomachs would allow them, flexing their arms warily afterwards as they stepped to the back of the line.I was left to my own devices as I ambled through the field, avoiding the numerous cowpats. I was looking down, not out of necessity or from any childish shyness,...
The in-patients
The taxi curves around a walled courtyard and I hear the tyres crunch on expensive gravel beneath us. A modern glass frontage titivates a nineteenth century house; typical of many boutique hotels I’ve seen before. Mum and I attempt to extract ourselves from the back of the cab in a ladylike manner; but fail miserably. The height of the chassis is such that it means I end up hobbling on my knees doing an inappropriate dwarf impression whilst dragging our cases behind me; only to then explode...
Mr Smiley
The evening entertainment is a bawdy affair. Swarms of sweaty children weave in and out of chairs and tables whilst bored parents sit torpidly nursing glasses of tart local wine. Nobody knows about me: Mrs NMO. We have only engaged with a few families, smiling absently when our children have crossed paths briefly, never divulging more than which airport we flew out of. In the dim light human puppet shadows streak across the walls, bulging shapes emphasized by the fluorescent spotlights....
A road map to meditation
Meditation is not one-size-fits-all and styles can vary enormously. From mindfulness to hypnosis to psychedelics, my consciousness road trip, covering 12 different mind-training techniques, provides a tried-and-tested roadmap of which practice might be right for you.
Second Sight
Imagine waking up one morning to find yourself blind and paralysed. In 2012 a catastrophic illness wiped out two of my senses. As I recovered I set out on a voyage of discovery to uncover the extraordinary science behind my visual rebirth.
ParkBathe Project
A citizen science green health podcast project with Dr Kirsten McEwan providing FREE 1hr mindful walks for ‘nature sceptics’ to experience the benefits of urban forest bathing in Crystal Palace Park, London. To book a free walk and find out more click below.
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