Dear All

I don’t have time at the moment to send out a full newsletter - things have gone a little crazy (ironically) with The Calm Center. It’s started to climb high in the best seller book rankings in the US and Canada (where it’s in the top 100 books), which has generated a lot of activity. I’m pleased that there is interest in the book, but I'm not so keen on the activity....

So this is a short mail to send you my first fortnightly poem and let you know about a couple of events in the UK. 

On June 11th I’m holding an event to celebrate the UK publication, in my home city of Manchester, at the Unitarian Church on Cross Street. This is free (although I suggest a small donation of £2/£3, to cover rental of the venue.) You can sign up for it here or just turn up on the evening!

On June 13th, unrelated to my book, I’m giving talk on my research on awakening experiences and higher states of consciousness in London, at a day conference on altered state of consciousness. More info here 

There’s also a London event, at Alternatives on July 6th. More info here: http://alternativesevents.org.uk/event/steve-taylor-the-calm-centre/

Finally, there was a big positive response to my idea of sending out a fortnightly poem, so this is my first one. It’s one I wrote last week, called ‘An Artist’s Impression.’

An Artist’s Impression

Every situation is like a landscape

which you can see from different vantage points,

and each view is as true as any other.

You decide which perspective to take -

with one quick panoramic gaze, you scan the whole scene,

highlight the aspects which fit to your beliefs, or your mood,

and filter out the others which don't.

You select what you want to see, reject what you don’t,

and your state of mind becomes negative or positive,

depending on what you’ve chosen.

And this becomes your patchwork world,

your artist’s impression of reality.

But why do you need an interpreter?

Let situations exist as they are, on their own neutral terms

without the mediation of your mind.

There’s no need to paint the world

when you can embrace it as it is,

in choiceless, open awareness. 

all best wishes and blessings, Steve