Mindfulness, Forest Bathing and Sketching in Kew Gardens.

Enjoy an afternoon of sketching in the beautiful Kew Gardens. Learn more about and practise Mindfulness and Forest Bathing. Picnic together Enjoy a creative and inspiring, stress-reducing afternoon in the beautiful Kew Gardens. Our Company is Ultimate Stress Solutions - a Community Interest Company - and we organise events which are fun but also empowering and inspiring, designed to be effective in reducing stress and increasing happiness. All are welcome and we offer free places to all refugees and those on a very low income. Have a great day out with other lovely people - learn about Forest Bathing and Mindfulness, practise mindfulness and breathing exercises proven to reduce stress, have fun sketching and practising observational drawing, a mindfulness exercise which enables us to see far more than we normally notice - and conclude with a simple vegetarian picnic. Forest Bathing In Japan, in the 1980's, the government sponsored extensive research into reducing stress. They found that when we spend time in nature, our brain relaxes and the best effects are found when we spend time in a wooded environment. Not only do we benefit from the beauty of the trees, but we inhale oils that trees produce to protect themselves from insects and fungi. These oils boost our immune system, so we get physical as well as mental benefit. Doctors in Japan now prescribe Forest Bathing - or spending time in a wooded environment - as a treatment for stress. DurgaMata - your Guide The Royal Botanical Gardens in Kew are among the most beautiful locations we might choose to experience Forest Bathing and your guide, DurgaMata - is an accredited Mindfulness Coach, and has been facilitating Forest Bathing for many years. Sketching or Observational Drawing. Kew Gardens is beautiful in every season, at any time of year, and with its extensive glasshouses, there are always flowers in bloom. There are plants and flowers from all corners of the globe. If the weather is fine, we focus on enjoying the gardens. If it is rainy then we spend more time in the glasshouses. When it comes to finding someting to sketch or draw, you are invited to look for something beautirul or unusual, something that catches your eye or sparks your imagination - of it might be somthing that evokes a memory. The aim is not to show what a great artist we may be. It is simply to engage more closely with the world around us and see more than we usually notice with a passing glance - to connect more with the beautiful world we live in. Mindfulness Mindfulness is a discipline that everyone can practise. Not only is it enjoyable, but it has been clinially proven to reduce stress and improve wellbeing. There are two 'wings' to the 'mindfulness-bird.' The first of these is to bring our attention here and now, to this present moment, turning our attention to observing our environment. We notice where we are - using our five senses. We also notice what it is like to be 'me' here and now. We notice the physical sensations in our body. We notice the emotions which arise and fade, observing them as they move through us and how they make us feel. We practise accepting them, rather than ignoring them or pushing them away. We notice the thoughts in our mind - and how they affect our mood. Studies show that we have over 60,000 thoughts each day and most are habitual. Of these, the majority tend to be negative and these. can add a lot to our stress. Mindful self-observation strengthens our self-awarness - which gives us the power to choose our thoughts and actions. It gives us some emotional space so that we can choose how to respond to any situation, rather than simply reacting without thinking. Self-Awareness is the key to taking control of our lives and increasing inner peace. The second 'wing' to the Mindfulness-Bird is our attitude. We observe ourselves and the world around us with an almost scientific curiosity, an attitude of kindliness, compassion, self-acceptance and self-love. It helps to develop a sense of humour and not take ourselves too sreiously. We can approach what we observe with aplayful attitude, looking at ourself as a friend and with absolutely no frustration, guilt, impatience, criticism or judgement. Just as the lotus flowers above the mud that it has grown in, our own lives can shine with beauty however difficult and painful our past (and even present) outer circumstances may be - when we use a mindful attitude. Practising Mindfulness Continuing with the metaphor of. bird, the Mindfulness Bird can sit in its nest. That equates to the Mindfulness exercises which we practise somewhere peaceful where we are not disturbed. Here we take time out to consciously observe the present moment. We may use our sense of hearing or sight to be here and now. We may observe our thoughts or our breath, in the practise of Consicous Breathing. We may use a visualisation exercise, where the guide directs our mind. In every case, we are directing our mind and teaching it to be calm and to help us rather than distract or torment us with unhelpful thoughts or a negative self-talk. It is extremely important to recognise that while we have a physical body, we are not the body. It is simply the vehicle that we travel in while here on earth. And we have. mind but we are not the mind. We can observe it and direct it. We can choose our thoughts. And the better we are at choosing positive thoughts and directing our mind in a positive way, the better we can manage stress and the happier we become. The Mindfulness-Bird doesn't spend all the time in its nest. Imagine the bird is flying in the sky or hopping around looking for food. This equates to practising mindfulness in every situation - from the moment we wake up, though all our daily activities. We can practise mindfulness in every situaltion, whatever we may be doing. In the Kew Gardens workshops, as well as learnig about mindfulness, we practise mindful walking and mindful observational drawing, as well as mindful eating and drinking in our closing picnic. This skill grows with practise, so we invite participants to continue practising Mindfulness every day, and observe for themselves what a difference it makes in their lives. We live in troubled times. There is immence suffeeing. With more than 100 conflics in the world and over 170 million refugees and displaced people - nobody can pretend that they don't know. We have three ways that we can respond - We can ignore the suffering and close our eyes and minds to it. But that is not a neutral act. It makes us less human and the world more cruel. We can feel the suffering of others, with. strong sense of identification and empanthy - but on its onwn that doesn't change anything except adding to the distress - making our own lives full of frustration, anger or despair. Or we can find someting positive - however small, which will reduce the suffering and make the world kinder. It may simply be to pay more attention to our own relationships and not wage war with each other. It may be to take our own inner peace more seriously and practise exercises like mindfulness, yoga and meditation each day - while ensuring that we regularly take time out in nature. We are all part of each other. If we want to see a happier and more peaceful world then we need to begin with increasing out own inner peace and sharing the joy. DurgaMata has been organising stress-reducing events and workshops for more than 10 years. The photographs below come from our Mindfulness-Joy Silk-Painting Workshops, also held in Kew. Contact the orgaiser if you would like to know more. In 2022, responding to the crisis in Ukraine, she made them all free for refugees and those on low income, because money worries can be a major cause of stress.