Try your hand at origami at Headingley Campus

I have been folding paper as a hobby since I was a boy. As an adult though, I have found this hobby has become one of my go-to mindfulness activities – a fun way of slowing down, of focussing attention, of being still.

Be still! As a chaplain I offer these two words to myself and to others as an encouragement to be kind to ourselves.

Before the COVID pandemic confined us all to our homes I used to offer fortnightly sessions of creative activity on each campus to encourage mindfulness, called Creative Space. 

We all lead such busy lives in which the focus is all too easily upon 'doing' rather than 'being’. Our time is filled with busy-ness from moment to moment. If only there could be moments for ourselves!

This is what Creative Space seeks to offer. The emphasis is on 'space'. Space to lay down, for a moment or two, our work, our distractions, our worries. Space to be aware. Space to rest a while. Space to re-focus. Space to be still.

At Creative Space you will find simple creative activities of various kinds: Origami, colouring with crayons, drawing or sketching with pencils, poetry (to read or to write yourself), crosswords.

These are some of the things I use from time to time as ways of finding stillness. Sometimes people would bring along their own activity, e.g., embroidery or knitting. What would you choose?

In each case the idea is the same — an opportunity for self-care, a chance to slow down, to find a calmer frame of mind, with attention focussed on the task in hand and hopefully, little by little, worries, stresses, troubles may float away - for a time at least.

After starting on Monday 9 May, Creative Space takes place every other week, from 12:00 till 13:30 on Monday lunchtimes at Headingley Campus in the new Chaplaincy room PRG13. No booking needed. 

Sessions at City campus may also be possible again in the future.

Stay for 5 minutes, stay for 90 minutes, stay for as long as is helpful to you.  Get creative. Have fun! Above all, be still!