In moments of stress, there may be nothing better to soothe our spirits than to focus our thoughts on the spaces that soothe us: a beach, a woodland, a river, the stars, but also more domestic places — the company of friends, the pages of a good book, or a soft and reassuring bed.
The School of Life's Calming Places deck gathers some of the most calm-inducing places in the world and evokes them on handsome cards with extraordinary photography and resonant and sensory language. Here are twenty invitations to travel in our minds to places that can restore us to our best, most balanced selves: standing by the seashore, appreciating a warm summer breeze, taking in the majesty of the night sky...
Use the Calming Places cards by choosing an image that speaks to you. Turn it over to read the essay on the back, then follow the guided meditation to savour the senses that space conjures. Forget the wider world for a while, and imagine yourself back in places that reopen you to serenity and gratitude. A few minutes with these cards work an immediate effect, helping us to gather our strengths and return refreshed and composed for the challenges ahead.