A short video about mindfulness in schools from the BBC London Facebook page.
Meditation and Mindfullness
Mindfulness Example
Find a quiet moment, and take a look at this sunset. Notice if you are in a hurry, impatient, just have a quick look and think there are better ways to fill your time.
Look again, sitting comfortable, breathing calmly, and give yourself a couple of minutes to take in what you see- the colours and shapes of the clouds, the trees in shadow, the last glow of the sun, for example. Focus on calmly breathing, relaxing, calming your mind.
After a couple of minutes, stretch and move, look away from the photo and notice your own world with fresh eyes. Notice how you feel now- hopefully calm and relaxed!
Art Therapy
Do you like drawing or painting? maybe you have never tried. Putting pen/paint to paper can be very therapeutic. No special paper or paint is needed- you could doodle on a scrap of paper, or try a colouring book. becoming engrossed in what you are doing can be very relaxing. Concentrating on something totally different can switch off a ‘busy brain’ and give you time out of your day to just be with yourself. here is a painting I did recently on an off-cut of wood from the garage, It took about an hour to do, and I thoroughly enjoyed examining the shape off different pictures of mushrooms.You can out your own interpretation on what you see- your painting does not have to be an accurate representation, but use your imagination!
Here are some more mushrooms carved out of wood I took a liking to at a horse show.
Meditation
What is meditation?
Meditation is about bringing your attention to the present moment- your thoughts and feelings, and the world around you. This often called ‘mindfulness’. It helps you to recognise your own thoughts and anxiety , and enables you to deal with adverse feelings earlier, building self-confidence and self-esteem, and ability to cope with stressful situations. Meditation is about enjoying the moment and to see yourself in a kind and positive way. Learning techniques that can be used for a short time each day can help to introduce calmness into your life, reducing the body’s signs of stress such as high blood pressure, feelings of panic, shortness of breathe and so on. Meditation promotes a holistic feeling of well-being for both mind and body.
What happens in a session?
You will be sitting on a chair or lying on a mat- whichever you prefer. We will check your posture and focus on your breath to start with to calm your mind- and to slow down a ‘busy’ brain. We will work through the body releasing tension, aiming for a deep sense of peace and relaxation. We will spend some tome on relaxing each part of the body in turn, focusing on breathing techniques. You will be guided through a mediation scene, such as walking through a garden to help you to mentally relax and to bring about a sense of calm, like a daydream. We all have a special place to remember where we felt happy and relaxed.
Meditation can help to:
- Reduce anxiety
- Balance mind, body and soul
- Promote self-healing
Stressful situations such as a visit to the dentist, sitting in traffic jams etc can be managed in a calmer way with meditation techniques, enabling you to keep your cool when under pressure! Performance anxiety, such as making a speech or taking part in a competition can be significantly reduced with meditative techniques.
I run a meditation group as well as individual sessions of reiki/meditation/relaxation.