Places of Calm

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Taking inspiration from a garden state that’s brimming with lush greenery, The Mindful Company seeks to remind us of places of calm in our everyday life.

By Ciara Yeo

“Be it the flowers, a random passerby, or the sky, it’s wonderful to sit on the grass and watch people run by.”

Singapore is known for being a vibrant, cosmopolitan city with towering buildings and one of the most distinctive skylines in the world. Yet, people often forget that in addition to being a bustling metropolis, it is a garden state brimming with lush greenery that softens its urban setting.  

By stopping to observe nature, we can find release and relief from everyday life. Singapore, in general, is abundant in greenery. We have access to plenty of parks and gardens. Some examples are the Botanic Gardens, Gardens by the Bay, Bukit Timah Nature Reserve, Macritchie Reservoir, East Coast Park, HortPark and Sentosa Island.

I enjoying spending time outdoors. Going for a walk or a run around my neighbourhood helps me appreciate the nature we have in Singapore. Our roads and estates are lined with so much greenery. We also have scenic running paths. I find putting the phone away for a moment, and taking the opportunity to observe my surroundings, a nice way to incorporate some calm into my day.

Be it the flowers, a random passerby, or the sky, it’s wonderful to sit on the grass and watch people run by. Singapore also has neighbourhood parks that provide a form of nuanced greenery within the heartlands, like Bishan Park. I recommend spending some time on the weekends to immerse yourself in nature.

A poem by Pooja Nansi serves as a reminder to live in the moment, and to delight in the beauty that Singapore’s places of calm have to offer:

Places of Calm

A poem by Pooja Nansi

It means feel the release in your shoulders.

It means stop and smell the bougainvillea.

It means the trees are doing our breathing for us.

It means the whole city is your garden.

It means float like a butterfly but still feel the earth

solid enough to hold your ground.

It means your favourite track in your ears through rush hour,

it means a sparkling silver of silence,

big cool leaves in sudden breeze.

It means to wear your body like air.

It means you are the sky – everything else the turning weather.

It means learning to unlearn.

It means look, the world arrives for you.

It means patience enough, if only for yourself.

It means stillness in the midst of your own current.

It means lepak,

sabar menanti,

sudah makan?

It means nourish yourself first, what you need

is already around you.

It means let it go

and let it come.

To cope with the hustle and bustle of everyday city life, I usually start my day with a morning run. This is coupled with yoga or pilates, and a 10 to 15 minute meditation session. I am a firm believer in morning routines, as it helps me start my day feeling calmer, with greater intentionality.

I feel calmness is underrated, especially in Singapore. We are always on the go and sometimes, we operate on auto-pilot. We often end our days asking ourselves, where did the day go?

Stop, and be still. In the midst of a current, care for yourself first. Take in the natural beauty that surrounds us in Singapore. I reckon that finding calm during the day helps us live life as it is happening, to keep the day’s challenges in perspective.

Whether it is a casual brunch date or a nice night out, we can always appreciate the places of calm in everyday life, in the form of the verdant greenery that is part of Singapore’s urban landscape.

Images by The Mindful Company, a Singapore-based jewellery brand on a mission to inspire and encourage, creating meaningful reminders to help you celebrate the ups, be resilient through the downs, and embrace the crazy changes that life throws at you.

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