The power of paying attention
Tracy Calder speaks to two professionals for whom it’s not just a practice, but a way of life
Lee Aspland
Lee is a photographer, author and mindful practitioner. His photographs capture a moment in time, a feeling, a thought, a hope or fear. His health crisis in midlife led to an exploration of who he was before and who he is now. He uses these experiences, and the knowledge he has gained, to help others understand their own journey via Mindful Photography. Lee’s latest course Mindful Photography 101 is now live, see www.leeaspland.com.
A few years ago a group of students on Lee Aspland’s Mindful Photography course were asked to do something that triggered all kinds of uncomfortable emotions. After a fruitful session creating pictures they returned to class only to be told, ‘Now before you look at the photos I want you to delete them all.’ Faces dropped, and a feeling of confusion permeated the room. ‘Most of them couldn’t do it,’ laughs Lee. Despite his students’ reservations, it’s a request he’s made numerous times since. In his book Full Catastrophe Living, Jon Kabat-Zinn describes seven attitudinal factors that form the major pillars of mindfulness practice: non-judging, patience, beginner’s mind, trust, non-striving, acceptance and letting go. Lee’s ‘delete’ exercise encourages students to strengthen this final pillar.
Lee’s introduction to mindfulness came by way of a life-changing event. ‘I had an acute heart attack in 2006 and within a year I had to leave
