Today, we are taking five minutes to look mindfully at one painting. A chance to
let go of thoughts of the past, plans or worries for the future, to just be here,
in this moment, with this image, of Turner's 'Rain, Steam, and Speed'. First,
let's set ourselves up for looking. Starting by sitting in a relaxed, but
upright posture, legs uncrossed, if that's comfortable for you. Feeling your feet
planted firmly on the floor, and taking all of your awareness down to the
sensations and the soles of your feet. Are there tingles, pulsations? Perhaps no
sensations at all. And then taking your attention to the contact of your body
pressed into the seat of the chair, feeling the contact of your clothes
against your skin, the air against your face and hands. Is it warm?
Is it cool? And finishing by taking a few mindful breaths, just following three
breaths. All the way in,
and all the way out. In, out.
In,
and out. And when you're ready, seeing if you can, in your imagination, picture
yourself in the world of this painting.
Feel the rain lashing down, sliding down your face, and the wind, snatching your
breath. Smelling the coal and engine smells, with the grit of soot in your
eyes.
And then again taking your whole body into the painting, exploring places to be.
Perhaps as a wind-tossed bird, looking down upon the scene.
The farmer plowing in the field, battling uphill in the rain and the mud. The
passenger, cold and wet, open to the elements, feeling the jolts of the train
with the landscape sliding by. The blur of the hare on the track, sprinting for
dear life. The figures on the banks of the Thames.
Are they train spotters waving? People dancing?
Or slipping by on the river, savouring life at a different pace. Slow looking,
whether at paintings, or the views and objects around you, is always available
as an anchor and haven, no matter where we are, or whatever life throws at us.