Meditation & Mindfulness

To say that mindfulness practices have changed my own life is not an exaggeration. Already into my healing and sobriety journey, but still feeling stuck - ungrounded, lonely, without purpose, I noticed that many of those thriving in their recovery mentioned how central meditation was to them. I had dabbled in the past, but didn't really see how sitting and focusing on my breath was going to help. But it got to the point where I couldn't deny the difference it was making to other people and I decided to give it a deeper try - thank goodness I did!

Mindfulness can be described as "being aware in the present moment, with non-judgement or kindness". When we are mindful, we are paying attention to our current experience, without being lost ruminating about the past, or worrying about the future. We are free to notice the feeling of sun on our face, the taste of our coffee, the blossom on the tree. And the type of noticing we do, is with non-judgement or kindness. For example, when we notice we are experiencing an emotion, such as stress or worry, we don't judge ourselves for having the emotion, we treat ourselves kindly and we let it just pass through. 

Meditation is one way we can practice mindfulness - taking dedicated time to sit (or lie, stand or walk!) and focus on an anchor such as our breath, body, or sounds around us, we train the brain to come back to the present moment again and again, and develop the skills of mindfulness we can take into our day. It's not about getting rid of thoughts - its's about noticing we are having thoughts so we can get less stuck in them and let them go, like clouds moving through the sky. We can also go deeper into our hearts with meditation practices such as metta (loving kindness).

The benefits of mindfulness are widespread and there is a lot of scientific evidence to support this. But I'd like to share with you the top benefits I found for myself personally - those which inspired me to go on and become a meditation teacher - training under some of the world's best teachers including Tara Brach and Jack Kornfield.

1. The ability to be with my emotions - no escaping into a bottle, no need to run away. Even the most painful, the grief, the sadness - I can be the container that holds them all, allowing them, knowing that they do naturally pass through.
2. Not needing to listen to every thought in my head - I can recognise that thoughts are often automatic, repetitive, and not always true - with a greater power to recognise when I've got caught up in them, I can thank them for their perspective but let them go!
3. Finding joy in the present moment - I'm much more aware of the changing seasons and beauty they bring, I notice and appreciate the warm water of my bath, when I walk in nature I can take pleasure in it because my mind isn't lost somewhere else - this is worth gold!
4. Self-love - spending time with myself in the quiet, giving myself loving kindness, and understanding that I don't need to seek external validation has greatly increased my sense of self-worth
5. Community - finding others on the mindfulness journey or even listening to a guided meditation helped me grow my sense of inter-connectedness and decrease that sense of loneliness I had felt for so long.

If you'd like to explore the benefits mindfulness can bring, book a one to one session below or subscribe for updates about upcoming meditations and courses.

Not to be confused with "yoga" which involves movement and poses, "Yoga Nidra" is a hugely relaxing form of deep rest meditation or "yogic sleep". During the Covid pandemic with my past trauma resurfacing I was faced with chronic insomnia, with months of sleeping less than one hour a night, and methods such as sleep hygiene and CBT for insomnia failing me. I found Yoga Nidra through the doorway of this suffering and alongside other support I no longer have insomnia. Knowing the profound healing of this practice I went on to train under renowned teachers including Hilary Jackendoff and Tanis Fishman, I am dedicated to sharing the healing powers of yogic sleep to help others.

WHAT IS YOGA NIDRA MEDITATION?

Yoga Nidra as a meditation practice is rooted in ancient traditions, and has the potential to help us access this state of yogic sleep as well as other states of relaxation and rest.  Practiced at bedtime the technique can support the mind in drifting off to sleep.  Practiced during the day, Yoga Nidra can train the mind to be able to let go of thought, so at night it will be better able to find the pathway into sleep.  The relaxation Yoga Nidra brings can also help with anxiety, stress, physical wellbeing and has even been shown to boost the immune system.  It can also be an excellent support in addiction recovery.

Yoga Nidra is rooted in ancient traditions. Whilst there are different lineages of Yoga Nidra they contain common elements.  Yoga Nidra can include intention setting (Sankalpa), rotation of awareness around the body, breath awareness, working with feelings and sensations, and visualisations. Affirming our Sankalpa (sacred intention) in this state can bring transformational life change, the different stages support creativity and emotional resilience, and many people find wider spiritual benefits and a greater sense of connection.

CHECK IT OUT!

The right to rest is a universal and fundamental human need and allows us to restore so we can reach our full potential.

Check out my free recorded Yoga Nidra meditations below. You can also subscribe to be the first to hear about new releases!