Together at Home: Pico Iyer

10:05 am on 23 February 2023

In these overwhelming times it's urgent to slow down and relish in being still.

Writer Pico Iyer

Writer Pico Iyer Photo: Pico Iyer / Twitter

Pico Iyer, the author of The Art of Stillness, argues that the coronavirus pandemic, which has seen much of the world retreat into lockdown, should be seen as an opportunity to free our minds from the usual daily clamour.

Iyer is a full time journalist who has never used a cellphone. He says people are quick to take half an hour to get to the gym or fit in some exercise but we don’t give the same priority to our mental health.

“What they say around Kyoto is take care of the mind and you take care of the world,” said Iyer.

"And what they also say, is that life is a joyful participation in a world of sorrows. Sorrows are always going to be a part of life, but that’s a reason not for grief but for actually finding our joy right now because we don’t know how long our lives will last.”

Together at Home is a series of conversations held between Derek Handley from the Aera Foundation and a range of experts from around the world about how to cope in these strange times.

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