© Anne Vincent 1998

Midsummer’s Day

Imagine yourself far from this place. You are walking along a country lane. It is a beautiful, sunny, warm midsummer’s day.

 

There are thick tall hedges on either side of the lane. Briar roses scramble up through the hawthorn and a sweet perfume emanates from their deep pink flowers. Blue speedwell and purple flowered vetches are dotted among the lush grasses of the verge. In the stillness of the countryside you can hear insects chirping and the drone of the bees as they visit the hedgerow flowers.

 

You follow the lane which leads into a small hamlet with a number of cottages spread around the village pond. The grass around the pond has been cropped short by geese. You walk on the grass enjoying the softness beneath your feet.

 

A family of ducks is swimming on the pond. The mother clucks gently to reassure her young brood that all is well. Dragonflies skim the water. The sun catches their beautiful iridescent wings of blue, green and silver.

 

An unmade track leads from the pond. You start to walk along it. As you pass the last cottage you see a stile in the hedge. You cross over the stile and find yourself in a large field. A footpath goes through the field along the bottom of a gently sloping valley.

 

The meadow is rich with wild flowers, butterflies and insects. Now that you have left the shelter of the hedgerow you can feel the gentle breeze which caresses your skin and blows through your hair. Carried on the breeze is the delicate perfume of the meadow.

 

Reaching the brow of a gentle rise you discover that you are at the top of a cliff. The sea below is a deep blue and the white crests of the waves glisten in the sunlight. You can smell the sea and taste the salt spray.

 

The footpath continues along the cliff top. You follow it. Seagulls soar in the sky above you. Their cries temporarily mask the sound of the sea below.

 

After a short while the path opens out onto a grassy headland. You lie down on the grass and listen to all the sounds around you. The sound of the sea…birds…and insects. The grass is soft underneath you. The sun is warm on your face and body. You feel peaceful and totally relaxed.

 

When it is time to leave you rejoin the path which winds away from the cliff top and passes through flowery meadows until it eventually joins the lane and the place where your walk began.

 

Now recall the room in which you are lying/sitting and return your senses to this room. The peace and relaxation that you experienced during your walk remain with you.