In the April 2006 issue, there’s a fashion spread that was shot in Africa.  It seems only fitting that the “Breathing Space” photo comes from there as well.  This shot is along the River Kwai in Botswana at sunset.  A few trees are scattered around the landscape, and those that are near the banks of the river are reflected in the calm water.  The sky is a gorgeous purplish-pink, and the glowing orange sun is hanging onto the last moments of the day.  It’s simple and stunning, the trees calming in their glory.  The caption states that flocks of wild birds call during this time of day, which is something to imagine–though I actually prefer not to because the contrasting noises just seem like they’d be a cacaphony of sound that distracts me from the calming scene.

The June 2008 “Breathing Space” picture is of Iguazu Falls, Argentina. It’s a shot of the top of the falls, so you see the water at the top, trees around the banks, and plenty of clouds in the sky. You even get a rainbow effect if you look at the falls.

The idea of rushing water being a meditative “breathing space” is interesting to me. In the picture there’s this undercurrent of fast-moving water, which is a good metaphor for many of our lives. One would think it’s not a great choice to calm down with. Yet, there’s this expanse of sky filling up most of the page that allows you to breathe a little.

I’m glad this feature hasn’t disappeared from the magazine. It’s a simple, yet effective reminder to relax.

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The “Breathing Space” photo is always near the back of the magazine.  Why is that?  Is it because you’ve worked through so much already, that you need a break right before the end?  It’s almost in a place where it gets overlooked, and that’s kind of sad to consider.

This month’s picture is of Derwent Water, England. It’s dusk, there’s hills all around the lake, and a mist is rolling in.  It’s quite nice in an eerie kind of way–when the mist rolls in, everything around you is blotted out, and you’re kind of on your own with your thoughts.

October 2000’s “Breathing Space” picture is really nice.  You see a white, high-backed bench through a series of trellises covered with ivy.  The ivy on the trellis in the foreground has turned red with the season.

I love fall–October is my favorite month.  The air is crisp, it’s usually sunny, the leaves turn beautiful colors.  Somehow, as plants are dying or closing up shop for the year, I feel a sense of renewal.  It’s nice to feel that new beginning going into winter and the holidays because it puts me in the mood to celebrate.

This picture helps me feel that calming renewal.  This feature’s really working for me this month!

This month’s “Breathing Space” feature is a wicker rocking chair on a porch of a farmhouse.  You’re looking past some flowers onto a lush green lawn and then into a wheat field.  It’s a nice picture.

I’m trying to picture myself here “gently rocking in this chair, listening to the sounds of nature–and to your own thoughts,” but when I do that, I get totally annoyed by the wicker creaking underneath me as I rock.

It’s probably not a good idea to start a project when you have a lot of freelance deadlines looming over you (for the record, I have a full-time job, and I do some freelance writing); however, I probably started this as a way to procrastinate, and boy, did it work!

I’ll be taking a break for a couple of days–just long enough for me to catch up on the other writing.  Just think that I’m looking at the two-page photo spread designed to help you calm down.  This is an interesting concept–one that’s really different for a magazine that’s all about lots of tidbits of information and a whole bunch of ads blaring at you–and I do like it.

The picture here is an empty deck chair at the end of a pier looking out onto a still lake, with trees and mountains in the background.  It’s called “Still Waters”

Find a few moments of peace:  Imagine you are here, enjoying the tranquillity [sic] of a lake by the mountains as the day draws to an end.

It’s a pretty picture, and water always calms me down.  I’ll be interested to see (a) other pictures in this series, and (b) if this feature still exists today.  [I also can't believe I caught a typo, but you'll have that]