Space in which to breathe

Having just come back from a long weekend away in sunny Devon (pics to follow) it occurs to me that what we perhaps need more often than not is space in which to breathe.

Of course, if you are alive, then you must be breathing but my suspicion is that 99% of the time we are actually not breathing deeply enough and not getting the full extent of the world around us, we are merely existing.

In order to breathe deeply, to fill not just our lungs but also our minds and to enjoy the fullness of life around us we need to give ourselves space every once in a while.

The funny thing is, we don't actually have to go anywhere different to do that. Obviously it works best if you do, but how many of us can take a holiday or even a time-out ust when we feel like it? If you can, that's great, but for most of us, we may have to use different routes to achieve our goals.

One that works for me (after years of practice it now takes less effort) is to think about a favourite place, where dreams are made and peace and tranquility become the order of the day (mine is a beach in Cornwall for instance) - once you have a strongpicture in your mind of this place, you can strengthen it's influence by watching yourself going there and seeing yourself in situ, enjoying the scene and you can tap into those feelings - this will allow you to divorce yourself from your present reality and for a period of time - you can create space to breathe.

I wonder where your favourite place is?