by Lesley Lyle | October, 2023 | Awe
Have you ever been captured by the magic of a song? A song that transports you to another world, evokes intense emotions, and leaves a lasting impression on your soul? Twenty years ago, I was driving on the M3 motorway when such a song came on the radio. I was immediately spellbound by the combination of the singer’s voice, the lyrics, and the unusual syncopation. I had to pull over on the hard shoulder to give it my full attention. The song aroused such intense emotions in me that I could not explain then or now. I was desperate to hear it again, but I never heard the name of the song or the singer. I had a few clues: I knew that water featured in the song and that it might be South American in origin. It took me another eight years to hear that song again. Strangely, I had to travel to Bhutan to discover its name and singer. The connection? Spending time with a wonderful group of Brazilian people. When I asked if they knew of any songs about water, they immediately responded, “Oh, do you mean Águas de Março (The Waters of March)?” Yes, yes, yes! I recognised it immediately. The Spanish lyrics were in fact Portuguese, and the origin of the song and singer were Brazilian. This song is so precious to me. I really don’t know why, but something about it resonates with something I find truly profound. In 2019, I had an operation to treat bowel cancer and spent several weeks in the hospital. During that time, I held in mind the...
by Bryony Shaw | February, 2021 | Awe, Bryony Shaw
Sometimes it’s one of those simple everyday occurrences that can bring some much to our life but we don’t fully appreciate it. This is exactly the case with ‘Awe Walks’. I only read about these this autumn and they are so simple and yet make such a positive difference to people’s lives. An awe walk is where you take a walk in nature with the conscious intention to have an awe-inspiring experience. Before we look at the process of completing an awe walk and the related benefits, let’s gain a better understanding of what awe is. Positive Emotion Awe is one of the ten positive emotions identified by Barbara Fredrickson and she says we experience awe when we come across goodness on a grand scale and this makes us feel small and humble. This can be from witnessing acts of humanity such as the work of Mother Teresa and the kindness shown by many, after unexpected disasters. It can also come from seeing the beauty of nature such as witnessing a stunning sunset, a great waterfall or as in my recent case, looking down on a rainbow. Earlier this year. I was driving through the countryside and arrived at the top of a steep hill and noticed this amazing rainbow (see picture above) behind me and below me, yes below me! I was looking down on a rainbow. I jumped out of the car and stood transfixed, at first unable to take in what I was seeing. I felt that I was witnessing something very special and rare, at least for my part of the world. Cultivating...
by Emma Willmer | June, 2019 | Awe
Awe. Recently I’ve been reading Julia Cameron’s ‘The Artist’s Way’ and went on a solo ‘artist date’, my first one ever, to the Ashmolean museum in Oxford to see a Jeff Koons exhibition. I was a little apprehensive about going as art exhibitions aren’t usually something that excites or inspires me, and Jeff Koons definitely has a unique style which not everyone enjoys. This was also a brand-new experience for me, a solo trip to an exhibition instead of going with someone else and the potential outcome of the event was an unknown. Over the past few months as part of my desire to change an old habit of ‘forgetting to live’ I’ve been attempting to broaden my horizons and consciously become more open to new experiences. I shouldn’t have worried, I loved it! After initial feelings of awkwardness at being alone I quickly focused on the art instead. I was moved emotionally in a way that astounded me, particularly when you only take a quick look at the work on display. But when I stopped to absorb the meaning and intention behind Koon’s work, I felt such huge appreciation and awe that it lifted my spirits for the whole weekend. On reflection now I did have a tiny suspicion I might enjoy it as I know one of my highest VIA Character Strengths is appreciation of beauty and excellence (it comes up as my second highest strength and is equal with love of learning). I know I have always deeply appreciated beauty in nature, I spend a lot of time looking at sunrises, sunsets and the moon. Being...
