Unexpected Joy on a Grey February Day

Mindfulness

Unexpected Joy on a Grey February Day

This week I took a day for myself at my favourite spot – The Retreat at Elcot Park in Berkshire. I know I mention it often, but it really is my haven from the busyness of life. I’d booked the afternoon off for a swim, some time in the spa and a much-needed massage. The

Nature

Nature, the Body, and Learning to Listen Again

Little Piece of Wonder has always been about paying attention, noticing the little things and the wonder in those. When I first started writing here, I wasn’t thinking in therapeutic terms. I just knew that nature steadied me. That when life felt loud, busy or overwhelming, something as simple as walking, sketching, noticing or sitting

Nature

Lessons from the red kite

There are some birds that feel woven into the landscape rather than passing through it. The red kite is one of those. When one drifts overhead, wings slightly angled, tail gently fanned, it feels less like watching wildlife and more like witnessing a quiet piece of poetry. I remember strolling along our road in rural

Nature

The Profound Benefits of Nature Connection

From reducing stress and improving mental health to fostering creativity and promoting physical well-being, the benefits of nature connection are vast and scientifically supported.

Wellbeing

The wonder of a wander by Alan Coxon

The multiplicity of benefits of going for a walk are now well documented. Walking is a form of exercise that is accessible to most, for free, and even a moderate amount of walking performed reasonably regularly has both immediate and long-lasting beneficial effects. However, it seems that there are dangers to be observed. The dangers

Creativity

Learn how to stay in the moment with photography

I’ve always been interested in photography and have collected and taken hundreds of images over the years; from wondrous scenes in nature to up close and personal portraits and candid images of day-to-day life. But, despite having attended various courses and upgraded from using my phone to a digital-SLR camera, I felt lost. For so long I’d wanted to master the technical side

Creative Nature Series

Preserving wonder: Flower pressing

“Did you ever know that a flower, once withered and freshened again, becomes an immortal flower, – that is, that it rises again?” Emily Dickinson The art of flower pressing has blossomed in recent years and is an ideal way to reconnect with nature, creativity and preserve the beauty and wonder of treasured blooms. A

Mindfulness

Learn to slow down and find more wonder every day

“The world is full of magic things, patiently waiting for our senses to grow sharper.” – W.B. Yeats When was the last time you experienced a sense of wonder, of true awe? Maybe at the sight of a magnificent sunrise or the blossoming of a tree in Spring? In this fast-paced world, wonder is probably not an

Nature

Birdsong & Balance

Learn how to re-connect with yourself by spending time in nature listening to and observing birds and birdsong.

Writing Services

A Seasonal Year: How to Gather and Celebrate in Business

“The edge of the solstice, the barren darkness, the wheel. Nature knows that every cycle must return to stillness and silence. That every inhale has an exhale. That every ending births a beginning. That the light always returns to a future beyond imagination.” Victoria Erickson, Author, Edge of Wonder As the light begins to wane, the