overcoming blocks to meditation..
If you are mindful all day long, is there time to meditate?
Thich Nhat Hanh
Here we are in transformational 2021 being kept in a standstill by the global pandemic and we are having to learn even more about the importance of truly slowing down and being with ourselves. How has that been for you and how will it feel as this new chapter unfolds..?
As we continue to be squeezed down the birth canal into a new landscape we have all unwittingly found the ability to find new ways of being. There can be few people that have not found some benefits to their mental and physical health over the past 12 months so when things do pick up again how can we sustain reminders of this time when self-care really started to speak to us? If we allow ourselves to be thrown off balance by every piece of disturbing news it’s good to recognize how dependent on our emotions we are. A good dose of presence mindfulness can bring us back to center and reality gently. As thoughts chatter endlessly in our heads about what MAY happen we activate one another and become caught up in the confusion that surrounds us.
To quote Katie Byron - Ask “Is it True?”
When activities are taken out into the public domain once more there will be a noticeable change in tempo from the previous 18 months so have a think about how you can gently ease your way forwards without losing the discovered benefits of greater self-awareness.
The ideal is to schedule a morning space and/or evening before bed where just 5 minutes of gratitude and pause is incredibly beneficial. Letting go of what has happened that day allows tomorrow to be a new blank canvas and in the hands of your morning intentions rather than taking your past into the next day and every day.
Everyday Activites that can be taken from the mundane to the purposeful with a simple intention..
CHOOSE ONE AND TRY IT TODAY!!
Cooking/ chopping vegetables - offers reflection for preparation, nourishment, shaping, offering, abundance, feeding, connection.
Meditation - slow down for a few minutes where you become aware of the food and its roots. Give thanks and visualise the end result as you fill your action with love for who will be eating it, ask it to nourish and offer its perfect nutrients for the highest good.
Folding your laundry - offers reflection of clearing, organisation, completion, preparation, patterns
Meditation - Say out loud how easily you accept life as it unfolds and you trust that you have all the tools to easily shape it the way you want it to go.
Ironing - Do you enjoy helping others smooth out their problems?
Meditation - Imagine lines and creases as worry lines smoothly them calmly with peace, imagine life situations as creases that you can iron out easily with attention
Reasons to walk - offers reflection of intention with the same activity.
A walk can be
Socially with friends?
A powerwalk for exercise?
To explore new surroundings,
Mindfully to awaken the senses.
All are very different but your intention guides its purpose.
Meditation: just be aware as you recognise each as part of your self care.
Use your tech for good - Take a photo up as close as your camera will allow that evokes deep feelings
Meditation - take in every detail of the photo and save it so you can look at it again and allow those feelings to resurface.
“Calmness of mind does not mean you should stop your activity. Real calmness should be found in activity itself.”
In Japanese Bhuddism the self is a reflection of your environment, as you clean your outer world you are cleaning your inner world with respect and attention.
PERFECT VIBES always help..
Check out Youtube where you will find plenty of ambient music where the frequencies will take your brain to a deeper state of healing and relaxation naturally.
For guided meditations find a voice that you enjoy listening to. If you like the sound of their voice and they take you to the pace you want to go you will keep you engaged for longer.
