Category Archives: mindfulness

New Year Intentions: Being while Doing

Posted on February 6, 2019 by simplyradical

Is it possible to feel good at the same time as getting shit done?   This New Year I stood round a bonfire at a wonderful Buddhist retreat in the English countryside and made an intention to ‘combine doing with … Continue reading →

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The colour’s coming back in

Posted on April 30, 2018 by simplyradical

Like post-war technicolour movies, colour has come back to the landscape, despite a winter which wouldn’t let go. In another throwback to the 1950s, the 2018 Doomsday Clock is now at two minutes to midnight, where it last was in … Continue reading →

Posted in mindfulness, politics, resilience, simplifying daily life, Uncategorized, urban living | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Getting through January: with a little help from the starlings

Posted on January 24, 2018 by simplyradical

8am on a gloriously bright January morning. The storm last night has washed the sky clean of cloud and the light is strong and clear, purged of dust. I should be getting ready for work but instead I’m lying up … Continue reading →

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Inner city mindfulness

Posted on February 2, 2016 by simplyradical

The kernel of this blog is simplicity. If we could only move our lives back into simplicity, so many of our contemporary problems would diminish or depart entirely. And I find it ridiculously hard to do sometimes. The ‘things to do list’ only … Continue reading →

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Simplicity and wildflowers Part 1

Posted on June 26, 2013 by simplyradical

In my part-time day job, I attempt to sow wildflowers, food and inspiration in built-up urban areas. The idea is to make them healthier to live in, for both humans and other beings. Despite the huge benefits, there are many … Continue reading →

Posted in allotment gardening, DIY Food, mindfulness, nature connection, simplifying daily life, sufficiency, urban gardening, urban living | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Tree flowers

Posted on May 18, 2013 by simplyradical

I’ve really enjoyed noticing flowering trees this spring, hungry for signs that the Narnian winter was on its way out. Many wind-pollinated trees put out tiny flowers before, or alongside, their leaves, as leaves can get in the way of … Continue reading →

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Two weeks of silence and poetry

Posted on March 2, 2013 by simplyradical

I recently spent two weeks on a silent meditation retreat deep in the Scottish Highlands. I’ve done a silent retreat before but it was only 7 days long, and it was four years ago. I don’t meditate as regularly as … Continue reading →

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Self-sufficiency: the challenge

Posted on January 6, 2011 by simplyradical

  I’m attempting to do something radical. Something elusive. Something we all talk about nowadays, but rarely pull off.  I’m trying to simplify my life. I want to wean myself off the supermarket, and to produce some of the food that I eat. I want … Continue reading →

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