Philosophy & Approach
Making mindfulness accessibleSOULFUL VISION was born out of Steve Radley’s journey of healing as a military veteran of Iraq & Afghanistan and is informed by his training as a Priest and a Photographer.
Is Mindfulness any good?
We read a lot about the benefits of MINDFULNESS but chatting to people I discovered lots of us find it strange and not ‘my sort of thing’. It can feel quite inaccessible with all its talk of focusing on our breathing, letting go of our thinking and centring in the moment.
I first came across MINDFULNESS whilst studying psychiatry at King’s College London and there can be no disputing the research – it’s good for us and is an ancient practice modern society has rediscovered.
But I know what my people mean – it can feel hard to do because – well let’s face it – we have lots of things competing for our attention and spending time sitting cross legged meditating is not something we have the time or desire to do.
Making Mindfulness accessible
Through my photography training I realised this art form is an easy way into mindfulness. And this creates a wonderful possibility – we’re all taking pictures on our phones, so rather than teaching something completely new, we can simply adapt something we already do to access the benefits of mindfulness.
SOULFUL VISION retreats and workshops take your photography (whether with a smartphone or camera) and help you discover how this can become a mindful activity, helping you find moments of calm within the demands of modern life.
Wellbeing with a difference
There are many excellent wellbeing courses and providers but many of the techniques taught are premised on self-care (eg. time management, boundary setting, kind non-judgemental thinking, etc). This is important but I believe it can only form part of the answer. There is a danger when the focus is purely self-care, that we can feel we have failed if we struggle in our life and work – we can feel we are not resilient.
We will only thrive and find resilience if the environments we live and work support our resilience. Our relationships are of equal importance and we each need to support one another.
For me the process of taking a picture can be both an activity of self-care and care for one another. This creates environments and cultures in which we can find resilience together, finding peace and enabling us to thrive in life. One writer on wellbeing called this a ‘virtuous circle of kindness’.
Join us on a workshop or retreat.
Learn a mindful approach to photography which is an act of self-care and how to share your images to learn about yourself and one another.
By facilitating conversations with one another through your pictures I hope to create shared vision and understanding. This can help strengthen not only our own, but one another’s resilience and mental health as we develop a shared vision and learn about the different ways we each see life.
My workshops are premised on the 5 Steps to Wellbeing, which is an approach endorsed by the NHS and described below
We do not focus primarily on the technical aspects of photography. Steve will help if you get stuck! All you require is a camera you can use and an open mind to try.
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The 5 Steps to Wellbeing
Questions
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Do I need to be a good photographer?
No. Modern cameras take great pictures all on their own. Our focus is not on the technical side of photography (although Steve will help if you get stuck) but rather we focus on how we see and being truly present to the things in front of us which we often miss in the busyness of life. Whist we welcome keen photographers onto our workshops, if you like taking pictures on your phone and perhaps sharing them with friends or on social media, you are more than qualified to attend one of our workshops and we would love to see you there.
Do you work in the public and corporate sectors?
Yes. We believe our approach has huge benefits for teams and we can provide a dedicated workshop for your place of work. The visual exercises we do help us realise how we all see and approach things differently. This can promote a better understanding of our colleagues, allows problems to be viewed from different perspectives and can build team cohesion which can lead to greater productivity and staff wellbeing.
Does this help with anxiety or depression?
Possibly. We all get unwell at times whether that is a mental illness or physical illnesses. It’s really important you see your doctor if you are unwell as there are many treatments available. There is a lot of research linking mindfulness to better health so our workshops should help you maintain better mental and emotional health. We are not an alternative to recognised treatments but we do hope we are complimentary to them. If in doubt chat to your doctor about attending one of our workshops.
Is this art therapy?
No. Art therapy is practiced by registered practitioners, often working in mental health centres. There is a lot of research on the health benefits of mindfulness. Our approach helps make mindfulness accessible by showing you how to use the camera you carry around in your smartphone (or a normal camera) to centre in the moment for brief periods throughout your day.
Will I become a better photographer?
This is not the aim of our workshops but people are often surprised to find they take better pictures. By helping you slow down you will see in new ways, and how we see is an important part of photography.