‘Photos & Meditations to Soothe & Inspire’ – Book Launch & In Conversation

Join us at Belfast Exposed on Saturday 25th October, from 12:00pm-1:00pm, for the Book Launch of Photos & Meditations to Soothe & Inspire by Darian Shotton. The book will be launched ‘in conversation’ with Jan Fox.

Darian is a retired Physiotherapist and Acupuncturist, who has always had a strong interest in psychology, photography, mental health and wellbeing. Her book, Photos & Meditations to Soothe & Inspire, starts by explaining the link between emotional stress, muscle tension and pain, and offers a go-to, easy solution to lower everyday stress and anxiety. She combines 26 vibrant colour photos of nature with 26 audio meditations to listen to, which are accessed through QR codes. The photos are all of nature – flowers, insects, natural forms – and the meditations, each lasting between 3 and 9 minutes, all contain uplifting, positive messages to help the listener relax.

The book also contains short descriptions of meditation and visualisation and describes how to use simple breathing techniques to help you relax. There is a section on “Fascinating Facts” about many of the flowers, insects etc within the book, also notes on Photography and Creative Expression. Darian hopes you will enjoy her book and find it both useful and helpful in enabling you to lead a more contented and balanced life. 

We recommend you book your free ticket below to attend this event

Artist Biography

Darian is intensely curious about all sorts of things in life, including human behaviour, nature and travel, and balances this with a love of sporting activities and creative pursuits. She has travelled extensively as a Research Volunteer with the Conservation Charity, Earthwatch, and has lived in 8 different countries, including Japan and Sarawak, in Borneo. She has had 2 solo Photography Exhibitions, one in Stavanger, Norway, 1988/89, entitled The Vanishing Tribes of Sarawak, and the other in the Crescent Arts Centre, Belfast, 2014, entitled Colours of Nature, Moods of the Mournes.

In her Professional Role within the NHS, both in Belfast and Hertfordshire, Darian used to teach Relaxation and Stress Management to patients with Chronic Pain or those on a Cardiac Rehab Programme. At that time, many of these patients asked her to record these sessions to help them relax at home or to enable them to get to sleep more easily. That was the seed that has prompted her to now write a book that combines those relaxation sessions with her own colourful photographic images and optimistic meditations and visualisations.