Wednesday 1 August 2012

(Me)ditation


This was our last event  before the summer holidays when everyone gets a chance to recharge and have a little 'me' time.

This event on the Hove Park Fingermaze provided an opportunity to think about who you are and meditate on your place in creation.






Before embarking on their journey through the labyrinth, each participant was loaded up with ten large pebbles as a symbol of the weight we often carry around with us in our everyday lives.

As they walked towards the centre of the labyrinth they came across stop points which were all themed around areas in our lives that can often define us such as work, relationships, faith, health. Some thoughts were presented on a small black sign and the participant was encouraged to think of the negative aspects of that part of their life and then to drop one of the stones at that point.

This continued until the person reached the centre of the labyrinth unencumbered with any stones and free to just be themselves.




On the walk out they came across the same stop points but this time were presented with a white sign with some thoughts about the positive aspect of that same are in their lives that previously had been a burden.  After some time for reflection on this the person could then pick up a flower and continue their journey having taken all the different aspects of their lives which weighed them down and replaced them with sweet smelling beauty.

 At the end they could take a white stone from the wheelbarrow and write their name on it as a sign of their new attitude to the roles they play in life.

Our next events are at the Greenbelt arts and music festival from 24th - 27th August on Cheltenham Racecourse.  For more details go to www.greenbelt.org.uk

If you would like to be involved but can't get to the festival you can take part virtually by tweeting your pictures of hidden paradise to #beyondhiddenparadise

Hidden Paradise Hove


On one of the biggest football nights in recent history (England vs Italy European championships quarter finals) we went searching for Hidden Paradise in a gym.

This event was mainly to try out some ideas for greenbelt where we plan to explore the hidden glimpses of paradise that are all around us but we just don't see, hear, touch, taste or smell them.



The room was set up with a number of interactive sensory stations which invited us to focus  on each of our senses individually to heighten our awareness of the wonderful things around us, every day.

There was a smell station with aromas to remind you of your childhood or your favourite relative, a touchy/feely station with lots of interesting textures to feel, an audio station where you could sit blindfolded and listen to some binaural audio on wireless headphones.



The highlight (for some) was a tasting bar with some very unusual items to eat and of course a lot of visual stimulus using video and the mirrors that were all along one wall of the gym.















We will be taking this idea and refining it for Greenbelt at the Cheltenham racecourse on Saturday 25th August in the main worship venue - InSense.  You can get details about the festival here.   If you would like to be involved but can't get to the festival you can take part virtually by tweeting your pictures of hidden paradise to #beyondhiddenparadise