mostly david ephgrave

As we sprint past the finish line of such a challenging year, it can be hard to find positivity.  Sometimes it takes a little focus shift or a zooming-in on the finer-detail to locate it. There's an exercise I occasionally practise called the ten-finger gratitude meditation that positively reinforces this, and as such, is an appropriate way to start 2021. The crux of it is to find the time, usually at the end of the day, to list ten things you're grateful for. They can be big or small, and should you want to approach the task more mindfully, you could trace the outline of each hand with a finger as you do it; running it along the edge as you concentrate on the physical sensation, stopping at each fingertip for a moment as you state each point to yourself. The task may seem trite, but it's hugely beneficial in a world where we tend to hold onto the negative while dismissing the positive out of hand. This trait could take a lifetime to unlearn, or you may be unaware you even ...

The thing that made this year bearable for me was, without a doubt, meditation. If it hadn't been for the often-weekly Zoom classes run by the Letchworth Centre of Healthy Living, I wouldn't have leant so heavily into the gift of space and perspective that meditation can give. It was all about grounding for me and quieting the noise and the anxiety. Of course, it doesn't take your problems away, but it creates a little breathing space to consider them with equanimity. And that's a useful tool to have in your arsenal. (Insert euphemism here.) The problem for me is my deeply ingrained fear and depression, which is hard to work around. I hate how depression zaps so much energy from me. It stagnates my creativity and fucks with my sense of self-worth; something which has become harder to sidestep in the past year, although I'm determined not to let it beat me.  It helps that I understand the cause of my poor mental health with more clarity now, in the wake of the atmosp...