Leon’s Day out by the Seaside

A real mind journey.

Leon; kind, smiling, contained. An old fashioned gentleman who had weathered life’s up’s and down’s, found love again and again and liked to be humoured as well as entertained.

The day was a regular day in the ‘home’, but not for Leon. His breathe was short and hard and his body was ‘crumpled’ with fatigue even though it was still morning. Leon’s thoughts were disarrayed from lack of ease and oxygen.

When I walked into his room it was very clear Leon needed air, the room needed air and suddenly I needed a whole lot more air too.

I sat down next to him, took his hand and said; “how about we go to one of your favourite spots?” “We can sit on the bench and watch the ocean a bit, just like you love to do”.

I opened the window to his room a little and turned and said, “are you ready Leon?” He looked confused. I said “shut your eyes, wiggle your toes, relax back into that seat , cause where the body cannot go, the mind can.”

Together we imagined leaving the room, ‘hopping’ into the car whilst making small talk about our families and things we have done. As we arrived we wrapped our scarves around our neck’s and came to take a seat on the bench just back from the foreshore.

We were in no hurry, being well inspired by the sense of openness and air that only a beach can bring. The season had just turned to Autumn so the fresh smell of cooler air was coming from the ocean and a wonderful breeze made us take a breath in as we looked out to sea smiling. I pointed to Leon how beautiful the sky looked with its fluffy sheep like clouds and the sun trying to push through its warming rays.

I looked at Leon’s body in the chair as we ‘imagined’ through our day trip and saw that he was ‘there’ at the beach. His body had ‘softened’, his breathe calmer, his hands were relaxed and his face showing eagerness for the next installation of beach happenings.

We stayed awhile; breathing and soaking in the rays of the sun as they came to us, being a part of a very busy foreshore; skaters skated by, people walking past full of bubbly conversation, children on the sand experiencing its gritty taste, men contemplating the jetty for a catch of fish.

Silence and the movement of air.

Leon was altogether at peace and happy. His breathing more relaxed and controlled.

We were having a good time.

An air of escape, adventure, memory and joy crept into us as we sat in our imaginations.

As we came to ‘return’ to the room and Leon to his chair, I could see him gathering up the memory of the beach, allowing it to ‘melt in’ and stay for another day. We had had a great outing. The atmosphere in his room had changed; there seemed to be more – a whole lot more air and spaciousness.

Leon opened his eyes, looked at me smiling and said, “that was super”.

Deborah Hage

Mind/Body consultant.