Have you ever tried to meditate? It can take practice, so don’t give up if you have been struggling to switch off the mind chatter. Meditation is such a powerful tool to help calm the mind and body and there are many different ways to get started. If you search online you will find many guided meditations for all sorts of situations, but these can often feel overwhelming if you aren’t used to trying to switch off and quiet the mind.
Start small with just a a minute a two a day and build up from there. If you are still struggling, take up a repetitive hobby like cross stitch, knitting or crotchet as the repeating patterns of hand and eye movements can often be meditative, especially once you become adept at it and lose yourself in the craft.
If you are new to meditation, why not start with this simple practice:
🟢 Sit comfortably or lie down on your back.
🟢 Take a deep breath in, hold and breathe out slowly. Repeat.
🟢 Take your mind to a happy place. Is it your home, a beach, a sunny woodland? Sense the surroundings, smell the air and imagine the sense of wellbeing you feel when in this happy place. Can you feel the change in sensation in your body? Take a moment to really feel how your body adapts.
🟢 Say the following mantra:
May I be safe and happy
May I be peaceful and calm
May I be strong and healthy
🟢 Now extend the words to others:
May you be safe and happy
May you be peaceful and calm
May you be strong and healthy
💞 Radiate love in all directions.
🟢 Concentrate on your breathing once again as you bring yourself back to your space.
A calm mind aids a healthy body as the mind and body are intrinsically linked. If we are feeling out of balance and harbouring stress, our physical body will respond to that with physical changes, putting us in a fight, flight or freeze mode. When the mind is calm, we feel safer and more able to respond to life’s challengs without putting ourselves into a place of stress.
Why not try the above, and let me know how you get on.
Julie Rae 