There is a strange contradiction at the heart of modern life. We are more connected than ever, more visible than ever, more able to perform ourselves to the world than any generation in history, and yet so many young people feel unseen in the ways that matter most. Beneath the endless stream of content, branding,
The Quiet Measure of a Life: Dignity, Grace and the Return to Real Connection Continue »
We live in a time that is deeply committed to the reduction of suffering. This is, in many ways, a moral achievement. We have language for mental health, access to support, increasing compassion in systems that once ignored distress. And yet, alongside this, there is a quiet risk: that all suffering becomes something to be
The Intelligence of Suffering Continue »
By Charlotta Martinus There’s a word that’s been making a quiet resurgence among young people: wholesome. On social media, in conversations, and within communities, young people are increasingly drawn to this concept. At first glance, it might seem like a quaint, almost old-fashioned word – something our grandparents might have used to describe a hearty
Wholesome: Rediscovering What It Means to Feel Whole in a Disconnected World5 Continue »
Today I am celebrating my 53rd birthday with 30 people. This event makes me aware of community, as my friends and family come together to blow up balloons, cook, pick flowers, make coffee and lay the table for 30 guests from near and far. In a world which deifies the individual, the word community has
Hearts come home at Christmas – embroidered delicately on one of my Christmas decorations, made me ponder, made me reflect on belonging. It has come up a lot for me recently. My father died a few years ago, my sister lives far away as does my mum, my boys are slowly leaving home and I
Last week I was invited to speak at the House of Lords, the European Commission and a Mental Health conference run by young people. There is a shift in people’s understanding and acceptance of yoga. The true meaning of yoga can be elusive, finding union in community, in mind and body, finding peace with our
Thought for the Day – 4th December Continue »
Arriving in Charles de Gaulle Paris airport, the cool, clean floor, the manicured hostesses and the orderly queues were a sight that should feel reassuring, comforting and familiar, but after just 8 days – I feel alienated. The body aches for constant touch, senses ache for comforting sounds, smells, connection, in this sterile environment. I
Reflections on Africa Continue »
What makes you feel truly loved? A loving present awareness. When my son was little and grouchy, it took me a while to realise that all he needed was my loving presence. By that I mean, utterly present, not thinking about anything else, but completely there for him. Its not easy, when they are two
Mindfulness misunderstood Continue »
“That is part of the beauty of all literature. You discover that your longings are universal longings, that you’re not lonely and isolated from anyone. You belong.” – F. Scott Fitzgerald
