Finding Your Right Mind — with Vanessa Potter

In anticipation of the soon-to-arrive ParkBathe podcast series, here is an audio guide so you can try out your own forest bathing session. If you've recently experienced one of our ParkBathe sessions in Crystal Palace park, then these instructions will be familiar. If you haven't yet experienced a forest bathing session with us in person, then this guide offers you the opportunity to experiment with forest bathing in your own local urban park.

Forest bathing is simply walking slowly in a forest or wooded area while mindfully taking notice of your surroundings and absorbing the atmosphere. No water involved. No wild swimming and no woo woo spirituality. Just hard science-backed wellness that is easy, accessible and deeply relaxing.

Simply head to your local green space and start the recording when you reach the entrance — there's a bit of explanation at the start. The guide is flexible to allow for whatever parkland or green environment you are in — but it helps if there are some trees, shrubbery and plants. You can adapt, fast forward, pause or repeat the exercises as you wish and take your time. The exercises are designed to make you slow down (which may feel a little frustrating at first) but we hope they open up your senses and connect you to yourself, your community and the natural environment.

Please do tell us if you used this track and how you found it ! we love hearing about your forest bathing experiences. Email us at [email protected] or tag us in social media.

There are walks available to book on Nov 14th in Crystal Palace Park and keep an eye out for when the first episode of the ParkBathe Podcast comes out soon !

ParkBathe Bookings
Newsletter sign up.
Facebook Group

Support the show

Series 3 is a whole new adventure!
In March this year I interviewed Kirsten McEwan a health researcher at Derby University about her work using compassion practices (check out the episode) Off-air we ended up chatting about walking, nature and health and that has led to an exciting project called ParkBathe. With my background as a wellbeing author who has just spent 3 years as a human guinea-pig for Cambridge neuroscientists whilst they recorded my brain activity via an EEG headset as I meditated my way through 12 different meditation styles...we felt that between us we knew quite a lot about wellness interventions and that we'd probably make a great team :) 

Kirsten led the first UK comparison study on Forest Bathing, a prescriptive health intervention develped in Japan in the 1980's. This involves walking slowly and consciously  in ancient woodlands for 2-3 hrs. What's exciting is that ParkBathe is a streamlined, accessible and secular version of this model — involving just 1 hr of slow, guided walking in local parks. 

We are super excited that over the last few months we have tested the model out (with huge success!) made a film (check it out below) and  won National Lottery funding to roll out a series of mindful walks in Crystal Palace Park this Autumn. And yes, Series 3 will be following what happens. I will also be digging deep into green health, the benefits of being in nature and our relationship with green spaces and why some of us feel separate from nature. We'll also be uncovering some of the hidden mysteries within Crystal Palace Park and exploring the biodiversity that many of us (including me!) walk past. 

So if you're local to Crystal Palace come along to one of the FREE guided walks. They are open to everyone, but we are particularly keen to invite  people who might not normally engage with a mindful activity. Perhaps you don't see the point, feel that's it's all a bit weird and spiritual – or just not for you. If that is you, or you know someone like that, we'd love to invite you along to test out ParkBathe. You can bring a buddy too! 

The whole point is that this project is a Citizen Science initiative which means YOU get to test it out and see what works. This will help us finesse the model to make sure it is accessible to everyone — even those who think slow, conscious walking isn't 'their thing'. 

So, join us at the ParkBathe Facebook community and watch the film we've made all about the project. There are some links here: 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CABnbqD-i_c
https://www.facebook.com/groups/233131951577649
https://derby.openrepository.com/handle/10545/625571https://uk-podcasts.co.uk/podcast/finding-your-right-mind-with-vanessa-potter/why-compassion-might-just-save-your-life

Support the show

A belated hello ! I am living, "better late than never" this week ! What with school holidays, domestic distastes and illness this last Decade Dames episode is a bit late ! But, I hope it is worth the wait. I think it will be as most of my interviewees said they wanted to hear 90 yr old Joyce cook’s answers to the questions I have asked all of them. So, this time you're getting an unabridged interview with more of the chat than normal. By her own admission, Joyce likes to talk ! 
Joyce has much to say — like all the changes she's seen (bearing in mind she was born in 1930) she has seen more changes than any of my other guests — from the local store delivering groceries to her house by bike — to the first cars in her street — to how women chose careers and the expectations society had of women pre and post war. Joyce is opinionated and passionate about her career as a speech therapist, about being true to yourself, about present-giving, laughing at yourself, about taking on challenges, about re-discovering faith - and she's my only guest with whom I discuss death in any detail. It’s not grim don’t worry — nothing about Joyce is grim. Her outlook on life is  upbeat and mercilessly honest. 

So this interview takes me almost to the end of this series (unless I do manage to find a 100 yr old woman that is !) but fear not, there are some added bonuses to come. But before that I have exciting news about series 3 ! In March this year I interviewed Kirstin McEwan about compassion practices and healthcare (check it out !) And that conversation led to a lot more talking and resulted in a citizen science wellbeing project called ParkBathe. Check out the Trailer all about Series 3 coming up.

But that’s not all ! Those bonus episodes from Decade Dames will also be coming later on this year with an extra interview with Liza (a lovely 80 year old woman) and ME ! This whole project took off and has turned into a research study. Sarah Crooks, who is the researcher taking this on, will analyse all of the interviews and look for patterns and connections that link the women, particularly with a view to women’s agency from 1930 to the modern day. In time, Sarah and I will have a chat about what she has found and will interview me. It seems the right way to end this series.

So I am taking a short hiatus to get on with all of that! Keep updated via my website www.vanessapotter.come and join the ParkBathe Facebook group to either get involved and participate in a free mindful walk in crystal palace park or listen to the series when it comes out. Links below.

Over to Joyce for the last word...

www.vanessapotter.com
https://www.facebook.com/groups/233131951577649
https://www.instagram.com/parkbathe/
https://parkbathe.us6.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=dd2a9876f0081046f036e5e05&id=e7b64686f8

Support the show

Oh my goodness — we are marching through my 'Decade Dames' series where I interview women on a 'big' decade birthday from ages 20 to 90. This week we meet Brenda who turned 80 during the pandemic. 
Brenda is a divorcee with two grownup sons (and grandchildren) who has had a myriad jobs and careers throughout her life after pursing dancing as her dream. Here is another independent woman who has much to say about just trying new things and giving life a go.  As Brenda says, "teach yourself how to learn and the rest will come."

This series has now heard from women from three continents from different socio economic backgrounds. Women who all had different opportunities and choices open to them, and it's fascinating to see the crossovers, but also how those upbringings shape us as people — as women.

Brenda is reflective but also grateful, however one comment about not waking up at 60 to find you are 60 was a little shocking for me. Don’t let your own life creep up on you or it might be a surprise you don’t welcome. Having turned 50 myself just last week this sentiment sits somewhat awkwardly for me. Ten years. I have much to do. 

So listen up folks and I have no doubt you will learn something useful to apply in your own life. Please do subscribe, share and send me feedback! I'd LOVE a review too. 

If you would like to grab a copy of my NEW spangly book, Finding My Right Mind: One Woman's Experiment to put Meditation to the Test then here is a link ! https://www.amazon.co.uk/Finding-Right-Mind-Experiment-Meditation/dp/1789562163/ref=sr_1_1?crid=1NHLV9286XQAX&dchild=1&keywords=finding+my+right+mind&qid=1628241097&sprefix=finding+my+right%2Caps%2C144&sr=8-1

Support the show

Welcome to my female wisdom series - I'm think of rebranding it 'Decade Dames' after it was called that ! A much better description?
Today you meet Elaine, a 70 year old Malaysian woman who has lived in Britain since she was 19 years old, and who has lived alone for the last 50 years. Elaine talks about being cut off from her family, living up to old-fashioned cultural ideals and commitments.  She takes us on an historical tour of her life, from the 70s, to the 80s and 90s, describing the decisions she made along the way punctuated by events such as the gulf war, Princess Diana’s wedding and the Thatcher years. This interview hi-lights the enormous cultural shift Elaine experienced by moving away from her family. She tells us what it's like to uproot and what it takes to survive alone. For me, Elaine defines female independence. 

I’d also like to share some exciting news!  A researcher at Derby University (who studies female agency) will be taking these interviews and analysing them as part of a fascinating research project looking at how women’s lives have changed over the years, female identity, roles, definitions of independence and agency. The researcher, Sarah, also wants to interview me as another '50' year old - so you’ll get to hear my decade interview too, along with Sarah and I talking about some of the common themes that have come up and what Sarah thinks these interviews might reveal about how women from diverse backgrounds have experienced living and working in Britain since 1930. 

So, please do review this episode if you like it and share far and wide ! Email me on [email protected] with any feedback. Over to Elaine….

Support the show

Meet Lynn age 60. I learnt so much about myself while I was talking to Lynn  —  she felt like a very wise woman and I could imagine the stunning salt lake view out of her window. We talk about what it's been like for her being on the autism spectrum, dyslexia, coming out later in life, daughters and a recurring theme — in that how one throwaway comment can change everything.

Lynn talks about how, for her, life begins just beyond her comfort zone. This is so true. How many triumphs that mean something to you happened because you put yourself out there?  Everyone's comfort zones are different, but I know when I challenge myself — I grow and when I grow — I learn and I get a huge kick out of that. That’s when fear transforms into something else — like wisdom. 

Take opportunities when they come — they are the light in the dark — if you want to feel alive and to create the memories that one day someone might ask you about. We rarely regret what we do (of course sometimes we) but what I mean is that it's rare to get a multiple opportunities put in front of us, so certainly I owe it to myself to take any opportunity when it appears — even if it's just the hint of one. 

There’s something immensely powerful about women passing on wisdom to daughters and Lynn talks a lot about this — but not just the things that she got right, but the things she got wrong, which can be just as important. 
Please subscribe and share these episodes. They've already been heard around the world and have touched many women. Please do also leave a review :) Share the wisdom. 

Support the show

So, here is episode 4 of my female wisdom series where we eavesdrop on other women’s lives. Today we meet 50 year old Natalie, an awesome woman who offers raw honesty and humour - and who calls her car Vera.

Natalie shares stories that made me laugh out loud and memories that made me cry. She’s defiant, vulnerable, open and real. In fact, it doesn’t get more real than this. I love that her act of kindness is to: “Just Be Pissed Off.” 

We discover the moments in Natalie's life that made her proud, the moments that defined her - and the moments that didn’t define her. 

Talking to Natalie I realised how confident or grounded we feel is directly related to how silly or irreverent we can be. So listen up folks; sometimes we just need space and time and someone else to ask these questions, but when the right ingredients come together, we get an interview like this.

Bonus episodes to come PLUS a fantastic research project that has come on the back of these interviews. Subscribe so you don't miss out ! And - drop me a note to tell me how you're enjoying the series :) 

Support the show

The third interview of this series, this time with Nerys James, a teacher, who's turning 40 this year. 40 is definitely a milestone birthday, but what has Nerys found herself reflecting upon? 

We discuss how her friendships have changed over the years and what scares her the most in life. She tells me when she was brave and what that taught her about independence. 
Nerys talks about saying no to her career, which might sound counterintuitive in today’s ambitious culture, but when you're losing yourself to the pressures of a big job, it's an act of kindness to make changes. 

Part of turning 40 was realising  what she wanted to do - not what society was pushing to her ‘prove’. So Nerys reclaimed her life and her happiness,. Sometimes bravery seems foolishness but even if it does — it doesn't matter.

I hope you’re enjoying this series exploring the inside stories of other women’s lives. Personally I’ve been fascinated to hear what these women have learnt about themselves over the years, what changes they’ve seen and how experience has moulded their lives in so many different (and sometimes) similar ways. If you enjoy what you’re hearing please do subscribe so you don’t miss out on the rest of these awesome women !

Support the show

Coming up is the second interview in series 2 and here I talk to Ashleigh Frater who recently turned 30. 

God, I remember 30, I was in a precarious relationship, had mostly single friends and was headlong full into my career. 30 felt like a step up, like I had reached a higher bar. I was still having fun, but there seemed to be a new set of rules, ones that suggested I needed to look more towards the future — whatever that was!

These interviews are  not your average conversation.  The questions I ask were designed to be uncomfortable, a little challenging even and to bring to the fore the outpouring of all of the auditing we tend to do naturally around a decade birthday. The questions I ask each woman are the same and many focus on how we really feel about ourselves deep down, where we fit into society and the expectations others have of us. I ask questions that made these women think about things that they hadn’t thought about in years and for some it brought up memories they had spoken to a soul about before.

Support the show

I am as excited as a child in a sweetshop as I introduce a brand new series featuring 8 awesome women! Get ready for something different. I have interviewed women who have hit a decade birthday during the pandemic - that’s women aged from 20 through to 90.
These women are us, you and me, and their stories are…surprising, wise and touched a number of nerves with me. Men don’t think this isn’t for you either. There is much these women have to say about relationships, parenting and life.
When it comes to birthdays I find people fall into 2 camps - those who shout from the rooftops and celebration like crazy and those who don’t. And that got me curious. Why is that? I’m somewhere in the middle myself but because I am turning 50 this year I noticed how reflective this particular birthday had made me and I wondered if other women felt the same way. What changes have they experienced in life? What have they learnt about themselves? How do they treat themselves now?
So join me today as I chat to Misgana Araya, a 20 year old Eritrean student studying economics. The questions I ask her are the same ones I ask every woman in this series. These questions came from other women. This is the wisdom they wanted to hear - 440 years worth. 

Support the show