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Mindfulness and meditation
"The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, worry about
the future, or anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly."
Buddha
What is mindfulness?
Thich Nhat Hanh explains mindfulness as a " tool by which we can integrate the body and mind and be alive in every minute without getting lost in our thoughts."
Simply put mindfulness is about being present in the moment, being aware of our thoughts,
emotions, feelings and surroundings without judging the experience. It is also about intention, perspective, focus, beliefs and acceptance.
Carl Jung states: “We cannot change anything until we accept it. Condemnation does not
liberate it suppresses.”
Acceptance of our situation/ emotions etc is key. Once we acknowledge and accept we
allow ourselves to heal and transcend. Once we find some peace within the present
moment, it allows us to move forward.
Mindfulness brings clarity and focus to what we really want in life and to gently let go of
what isn’t working for us or serving us. It enables us to " Go with the Flow" rather than opting for difficult course of action. Remember, What we resist persists.....
Here's an example:
When I was experiencing a challenging time going through my son's diagnosis, I was feeling stressed, not eating well and had poor sleep. This was not serving me at all because I was irritable, foggy brained, self judgemental which affected relationships around me. When I accepted the situation for
what it was, I started to release the thoughts of what will happen in the future and adopted the living in the present moment, I started to release the unnecessary worries, feeling of anxiety and stress.
Sound familiar? This is a perfect example of not being present in the moment or accepting of
situation and judging our thoughts and emotions.
If we fail to live mindfully and firmly rooted to the present moment and choose to focus more on the future or past, you will have tendency to experience worry, anxiety, stress, anger, frustration etc.
Mindfulness can be practiced daily and it can be part of your daily routines from cooking to spending time with the kids to just sitting for 10 minutes and notice your thoughts, feelings, surroundings.
What is meditation?
Mediation is a practice that promotes a balance in life, it's a practice to quieten the mind in order to embrace the inner stillness. Meditation is a journey of self awareness, the focus is your inner world.
Meditation is not to stop your thoughts, it's to allow your thoughts to pass without allowing them to consume you.
We don't meditate to feel calm, feeling calm is the by-product. We practise meditation to still our mind, connect with our inner self and access the space between our thoughts. T he space between these thoughts is where infinite creativity, power of attention and law of attraction is utilised.
Meditation allows the mind to be released from stress, frustration etc and enable the individual to experience the feelings of calm and peace
Mindfulness and meditation both work hand in hand and overall their benefits are the same.
Neuroscience supports the idea that mindfulness and meditation help to enhance
perception, awareness and complex thinking. Through these practices we learn the thoughts
that create joy and those that trigger stressful reactions. Through extensive research,
Neuroscientists have shown that as little as 8 weeks of meditation can change the way our brains function. Scientists have proven that meditation has profound benefits on stress, anxiety and depression and how it supports physical, psychological and emotional wellbeing.
Key Benefits of mindfulness and meditation:
Cultivate resilience
Lower risk of cardiac conditions, lowers HR and BP
Boosts immune system
Improved breathing
Increased focus, clarity
Enhances creativity
Aids relaxation and reduces stress and anxiety
Better sleep which is vital for wellbeing
Enhances ability to cope with difficult situation
Increased self awareness and connection to higher self
Improves skin health
Increases energy
Increases brain flow to the brain and improves memory
There are various ways you can meditate, again I strongly believe there is no one size that fits all.
Meditation has its roots in Eastern culture for thousands of years. When I connected back with meditation, I had struggled to sit silently or even for 5 minutes. I started with just 2 minutes per day chanting on a mantra that I resonated with. I built upon this daily to being able to now meditate easily for 30-60 minutes.
When working with my clients, I teach you how to implement mindfulness and meditation in your daily life without it feeling like an additional &"chore". I simplify it for you and guide you through different styles so you know which one resonates with you. Above all, I make it fun and you may find practising some of the techniques with your kids/family :)