I love the BBC series Pilgrimage. In it celebrities of different backgrounds and beliefs go on a 'journey of a lifetime.' Over the years pilgrimages to Rome, the Camino, Scotland, Istanbul, and Portugal have been covered and I have learned so much about humanity, different belief systems, and the challenges of life. In the 2024 series the celebrities travelled through North Wales (if you are able to watch the series it is a brilliant 3 hours of TV). 

In one of the episodes the pilgrims travel to the top of Coffin Path and the vicar, Eryl, introduces the visitors and audience to a concept called the thin space. 

A thin space is a place which is 'a bridge between heaven and earth, where the spiritual and physical get a bit blurry.' 

I appreciate that this edition of The Space might be a bit more spiritual in its reflections than I would normally do, please bear with me.

When I heard about the idea of a thin space that is a bridge between heaven and earth it took me to a reflective and curious place inside. 

— Where are these places and spaces? 

— How can I create that bridge between heaven and earth within me?

— Where can I go when I need a bridge between the chaos of earth and the peace of heaven? 

*BTW - the heaven that I am talking about is not just a literal one, for me this is the concept of a peaceful space internally and externally.

A bit more on thin spaces. Spencer Matthews, one of the celebrities who took part in this series, says: 

"It's that feeling you feel when you see a beautiful sunrise or sunset or a shooting star, or even a gust of wind if you're running and you feel kind of aided by something else, or something external.

It could be a thought that you have just when you're on your own. It's whatever you want it to be really, but I think the most common use of the word is when you see something incredibly spellbinding, that doesn't feel human or doesn't feel natural." 

Today I went to Walthamstow Wetlands for the second time in a week. Last week I had a session there with a client, and today I went for lunch with my husband. Despite being born and raised in London and having spent almost 99.9% of my life in an urban context I am a lover of nature — that for me is where the bridge between heaven and earth is. 

It is located in the trees, in water, in the open space, in the ducks and geese, in everything I saw, heard, and experienced in the Wetlands. 

Having read this, where are the thin spaces in your life? 

I invite you to reflect for a moment to answer this question. 

And if you think you'll do this reflection later, as Jess King reminded me this morning when I was doing my Peloton spin class, the time to do it is now... the opportunity is now. 

And to this I add, do it now, so you can be it later! 

That is it for this week... thin spaces. 

Maybe come back to this email mid week and ask yourself again about thin spaces. 

I will be looking for thin spaces all week, and I hope you do too.

All my best,

Saiyyidah

The Space

PS — The images in the picture represent:

1. My view from my last prayer in Ramadan.

2 & 3. My first cup of morning coffee on Eid! And a cake from Costco for the family!

4, 5 & 6. Photos of Walthamstow Wetlands.

7. Preparing at 7.30am for my 8am meeting last Thursday, immediately after Eid! I was running an in person leadership development session for 6 CFO's from all over the world.