Amisfield Walled Garden was our destination for my Walk and Talk therapy for groups. The garden and grounds of are part of the Amisfield House Estate, with the mansion built by the Earl of Wemyss in the 1750s. The garden is tended to by volunteers with the charity Amisfield Preservation Trust and is open to the public.

It is early morning, and the sun is out, with a soft glow that is neither warm nor inviting, yet the world always seems more cheerier with this great solar giant so prominent in the sky. It is the anticipation of when the sun will give out more warmth, especially at this time of year; anything is better than nothing.

Additionally, the open blue skies with puffy white clouds are hopefully a sign of pleasant weather for the rest of the day.

It is a typical March day, crisp and cold with a wind chill that requires head and hand coverings, just to be on the safe side, and a gentle reminder that hair tends to thin out the older you get, in my case anyway!

The Walled Garden is a wonderful place to ‘escape’ to, getting away from it all, without having to travel too far; after all it is on the outskirts of the market town of Haddington in East Lothian.

All sorts of plants and trees are starting to grow as a new season approaches and there are quite a few cheery volunteers busy preparing the ground by removing debris from the Winter frosts.

The small group that has signed up for my Walk and Talk therapy are still a wee bit sleepy looking, yet enthusiastic enough to make the effort to get here, therefore we walk at a slow pace, concentrating on our breathing, and by that I mean taking the time to breath in the fresh air, which is in short supply in and around most towns and cities.

I can immediately pick up on the calming energy all around, and I find a spot in the distance to aim for, as our first place to rest and practice some breathing exercises.

We stop in the centre of the garden, beside the sundial, and listen to the world around us. The birds singing in the distance, the sound of our breathing or shuffling of feet, just being as still as we can.

I look at the group and detect smiles appearing on their faces, as they find peace and visibly I see shoulders beginning to relax. We stay here for a few minutes, and set off towards one of the 4 pillared corners, where we can view the gardens from another angle.

Everyone is walking with a spring in their step, as we are rejuvenated by the air and surroundings, and I have to gently remind some that we are not in a race here! We find a pace that suits and head to the covered bench, built by the volunteers at Amisfield, and this is a perfect opportunity for me to provide group therapy. As I talk, my voice is quiet, not a whisper, but I am aware that I must lower it from the normal level, such is the quietness around us. This is also a public place, and I have to be aware of the need to be discrete too for obvious reasons.

After a time, we head over to the small Japanese gardens which are enclosed within circular hedges and find some seating and sculptures which have been lovingly created by the volunteers. There is a giant wooden xylophone with attached Marimba mallets – all weatherproof too. We have some more time as group to talk about our experiences in life, before having some musical therapy, which is fun.

Where does the time go? No-one wants to leave, as their morning has been a great experience in so many ways individually and as a group. But the reality is that we all have to get back to our busy lives, but we can approach this with a new perspective, having learned more about coping with the world we live in, with new found confidence.

Thanks for sharing my journey.

Steve