Alan Watts, Hampstead Heath (10 km)

“The meaning of life is just to be alive. It is so plain and so obvious and so simple. And yet, everybody rushes around in a great panic as if it were necessary to achieve something beyond themselves.” - Watts.

This June we'll be taking to Hampstead Heath to converse about the life and works of Alan Watts.

The two core texts will be The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are and The Wisdom of Insecurity. Feel free to read either or both of the works before coming along. The podcast Alan Watts: Being in the Way may also be well worth a listen.

We'll meet at Redemption Roasters at 13:00 (opposite Hampstead Heath overground station), and we will be setting off on our 10 km walk around the Heath at 13:20.

The circular walk will end at Hampstead Heath station. For those then wishing to continue to socialise and share reflections from the walk, we'll head over to the Garden Gate pub garden (which is also next to the station). We’ll likely finish the walk and arrive at the pub sometime between 16:15 and 16:45.

As always, these are social, welcoming events for people curious to share ideas and perspectives.

“This is the real secret of life -- to be completely engaged with what you are doing in the here and now. And instead of calling it work, realise it is play.” - Watts.

Note: Event image courtesy of GenAI Sora.