Mental Wellbeing Archives - Page 2 of 6

October 3, 2016April 20, 2025

Heart Listening Meditation

This Heart Listening Meditation can help you to release fears and anxiety, tune into your true self and express the best of you. Whatever the struggle, these past few years have had the propensity to make or break many of us. Many have left this Earth, left relationships, ‘stable’ careers, and homes; many changes still seem to be happening too..

Physically and physiologically I’m in better shape than possibly ever before; psychologically and emotionally possibly also too but, recently I’ve noticed the heavy feeling in my heart. Perhaps this is from before but I wasn’t quiet enough to listen to it, or perhaps it’s more recent that my heart is feeling pained as I only came to notice it when sitting down for a few minutes self-healing before leaving to teach.

Your physical heart resides in the left hand side of your chest, the emotional or energetic centre in more in the middle of the chest at the bottom of the sternum (breast bone). The left side is side to relate to the right side of our brains, which is said to be related to our more feminine, quiet, and intuitive qualities; for me, this left side has generally been a bit more disturbed on comparison to the right.

Once I had settled into my seat, it was almost like a firework of realisation went off in my mind!.. When did I last truly listen to my heart?!. I realised I still was in need for some deeper introspection to move in beyond the pull of thoughts, judgement and the mind.. The mind is very smart, I thought I was feeling, but this is different to actually feeling, listening, sensing and being aware of the more subtle layers..

The heart meditation my heart shared with me is too good and too easy not to share.

Sit, lay down, or however you can be comfortable and about 80% relaxed, so there is still an edge of alertness present. Lightly place your hand on your heart (just above left boob or nipple is probably the easiest place to sense it, and see if you can follow your heart beat..

If you can’t at first it’s important to breathe and be patient, these things can take time..

Simply stay with that and send the intention of love from your hand(s) to your heart.

See if you can tune into the connected nature of it all through your physical body. If that evolves to more subtle systems then allow whatever comes. If you wind up thinking then notice your thoughts, if it’s a story about hurt, love, pain, fun or anything else then notice it, and come back to listening to your heart beat. If anything keeps pulling at your attention then explore it at will, or simply write it down to make a note, but be conscious you’ve distracted from the listening. For how long you want to do this is up to you. Start with 5 minutes is my suggestion. Try it and let me know how you get on!

Photo Credit Miguel Echievera

January 20, 2016September 18, 2017

Is it my condition? Or this world we live in?

Maybe I need to go live in a small village in Africa/India. I saw this video of Gabor Maté had been shared just after I wrote the poem below, trying to muddle through the highs and lows that seem to be concurrent with life.. Wasn’t going to post the poem because I don’t want to be judge or pitied by others (so I put it out to Facebook as a trial run, and got an appreciated response, and thus wanted to share it here too). I have a feeling it’s not just me and sometimes by sharing your daemons you can let others know you’re on the continuum together. No one is ‘normal’, it’s just our society likes boxes and unless you fit into a box then life can be pretty insane…

I listen, I read, I write
I process, I allow and yet still I fight..
The words of elders resonate about my being, talking of a lighter path which I think I’m seeing..
Is it this human disposition to continuously forget? Or my reason for being, I did not meet yet?
All these offerings of advice, even when wound up all succinct and concise;
in one moment they liberate my soul, in the next, I’m lost and again feel vexed..
Where do I turn when it feels like all I can do is run?
Run away or run to? I’m not sure but I’m oh so confused.
Yet again, the pearls of wisdom flood in from outside. They break the pain and make the clouds subside..
Until, the next thought comes in and crowds my mind again.
I meditate, I mediate, I relax and try not to try… But then I once again break down and cry.

Is it my condition? Or this world we live in?
To label my disposition; dyslexia, dyspraxia, hormonal or autism?..
But what do these tags really define? Am I so different? Or is it just the time?
I hear the wise words loud and clear. I pray that perhaps some ability to manage myself is near.

November 17, 2015December 11, 2015

Jungle Pains

With the rains, so my frustrations eased.

Without the pain, these messages I may not heed.

With every challenge there is some gold.

Find the truth that before was untold.

Work with your pain

and free your mind.

The body is our greatest tool to the soul.

Bites, nuances, pain and fear,

this is how you know the answers are near..

Clear your mind and clean your soul.

To be at one with all is the goal.

Revel in your anguish as much as you need.

Take the time and forget your speed.

The road is long and the medicine is strong.

Now, my child, your journey has just begun..

November 5, 2015September 18, 2017

Love winning

Continue reading “Love winning”

September 16, 2015September 16, 2015

I have eyes

I have eyes and I know you can see,

You have eye so why not look at me?

Look into my eyes and maybe you’ll see,

I’m not as bad as your mind has painted me..

I’m not a stranger,

I mean you no danger.

Take a glance in my eyes,

And I, you will recognise.

Look into my eyes and you may see, more than this body, hair and battered dignity..

See into my open eyes,

And you’ll see more than the distractions outside.

Look into my eyes as you barge past me,

Maybe you’ll be kinder next time, recognising our shared humanity..

Why can you not look? Why do you not see!?

Are you too cool, too trendy or just too busy?..

LOOK at the real person you discard as you disregard and push past me.

Drop the front, the o so serious act,

Seriousness will kill you quicker, that’s a fact!

Or is it pain, which keeps your gaze far from near?

Avoiding my eyes to hide some embedded fear..

We’re all tired, hungry, fed up, and want to be else where,

But how to not let this hurt rebound on another, acting as if we don’t care?

You care if I barge past you, or accidentally step on your shoe.

I care if you do the same to me too,

Unless; we share that kind glance,

Make recognition of each others existence.

Or, do you misinterpret my intention? The real reason I look to spark this connection..

To glance into each others eyes,

To let our souls connect without guise,

Showing ones self ones own true reflection,

It’s a different kind of affection..

Think of the power for all to be made,

If when standing next to you, we let the disconnections fade..

————————————————————————–

When I first moved to London no one believed at first I was English because of my choice to smile and be friendly on the underground. Over the years I’m finding it hard to keep up. But, I can’t just let my spirit die with the daily grind, the human spirit is stronger than that! The Pink Floyd lyrics comes to mind: “Together we Stand, Divided we Fall”

If we can’t come together when standing next to each other on a train or in the street then how? Smile. It’s free and it releases endorphins. 🙂

September 14, 2015September 14, 2015

Ayahuasca Adventure

So finally I’ve booked it. My trip to the Amazonian rain forest in Peru for this ayahuasca adventure. 4 weeks, just me, myself and I; set with the intention to unwind, deprogram and realign to who I say I choose to be. Thanking and leaving the past now not useful parts behind me..

Over the past year I’ve been attending regular Embodied Relation Yoga Therapy with a fantastic therapist teacher, Kate Ellis. This therapy of allowing my true threads of self to emerge, combine this with my ever unfolding path of yoga, and being married to a wonderfully different yet similar being to I; has supported my feeling the most comfortable with myself than I can ever remember being. But, living a constant life in London, so much happens so fast, with people struggling to get along with themselves and each other, I’ve found can be tiring. I keep flitting between feeling OK with where I’m at, trusting and knowing I’m on the right path, to wanting to chuck it all in and live in a tree house somewhere remote and wild.. The more I’m working with Kate and unveiling my true self, the more I KNOW that part of my path here on Earth, is to be that innocent playful expressionist, encouraging others to give in to their innocence too.. Not to be scared of the weird part of ones self, but to embrace it and transmute the voices of self-limitation into something more supportive of creative living..

Hence, finding myself embarking on this adventure, now new questions arise about what it is I might find. I’ve discussed this path with many and until last week’s session with Kate my questions just seem inhibited some how, but now.. I want to be able to decipher those energies which are not mine but yet plague me for energy, I intend to be able to see with more clarity where my true path lies rather than seeking out the safest option. This trip isn’t about getting high on this ayahuasca adventure and forgetting all ones problems, quite the opposite. It’s about shining a light on those deeply unconscious parts of ones self which feel problematic, the parts which we cannot see with this 3D viewing physical eye. Seeing these parts so they may be assimilated and processed with conscious awareness, helping to further ones path into peaceful living. I’ve been manic, stressed, hospitalised and nearly killed by the effects of stress on my sensitive system (in the forms of ulcers and Crohn’s disease); I’m now a long way from there but can still feel now is a good time to move beyond that further. We’re entering, or we’ve entered already into a new paradigm, times are a changing for the better and therefore we have much strength given to our healing. The new moon came into Virgo (sign of healing and getting things right) yesterday and it’s like the planets themselves are saying, “do it! Break out from the things which don’t feel healthy!”

The ayahuasca adventure retreat and Shaman I’ve chosen is one which has been recommended to me by someone personally trained by the Shaman and also attending this adventure. Always with this nature of work, one MUST know one’s lineage when embarking on such a sensitive and potentially dangerous journey if in the hands of the inexperienced or untrue. Check out www.kataricentre.com if you want more information on a place in Peru which has been verified as authentic.

I’ll write more about this in due course, check back later 😉

August 4, 2015September 9, 2015

Meditation in Daily Life – Calming the mind

mike1

There are many types and styles of meditation all of which are practiced for a variety of reasons. These reasons span from simply finding a calm space in a hectic world to actually changing ones view of how one perceives the world. Whatever your motivation or reason to meditate then hopefully you will find some useful information and guidance within the following series entitled Meditation in Daily Life.

Meditation & Calming the mind

Whether you are a complete beginner to meditation or an experienced Buddhist practitioner the first goal in meditation is to calm the mind. There are several techniques to help with this although by far the most common way is to have something to concentrate the mind on, like a point of reference or a focus point. Whilst this may sound a little contradictory when you say calming the mind by focusing on something, it may help to understand that as well as calming the mind, when meditating we also need to be fully aware and consciously working with our mind otherwise we may as well just be asleep.

Meditating on the breath is one of the most popular methods and especially easy for beginners to practice. This involves focusing on the breath, not forcing the breath but just being aware and conscious of our breath; ideally using the stomach to control your breathing and inhaling and exhaling through the nose. Perhaps just try this for a minute before you move to the next paragraph and see how it feels.

Before talking in more depth about meditation practice, maybe it would be helpful to explain how having this focus helps to calm the mind. We all have distracting thoughts to contend with whilst meditating, no matter how much meditation experience one has. The difference is that the more you meditate the less the thoughts distract you.

To analyse thoughts is sometimes referred to as contemplation and whilst this can be positive in some situations, it is not particularly beneficial for calming the mind. Neither, on the other hand, should one try and block these thoughts as this will just dull the mind and in the end make you feel quite tired. What we do when a thought pops into our mind when we are meditating is simply acknowledge the thought but then let it go without judging or focusing on it; give it the least amount of energy possible. Then we return to our focus, in this case our breath. Without something to return our focus to it would be difficult to steady and calm our mind as it would soon start to follow its own picture show and before long we would be off on a daydream.

There are many scientifically proved benefits from meditating and calming the mind that we start to experience as part of our daily lives: It is known to increase our ability to focus and concentrate, increase our self awareness, develops a real sense of well being and calmness and if this is not enough, extensive research claims meditation leads to an increase in happiness!!

The next article in this series talks about practical aspects of meditation such as where and when to meditate along with useful tips to help motivate you to get your bum on the cushion 🙂

June 30, 2015

To push or not to push..

To push or not to push?

To push for a response in somebody who is taking their time?

To push somebody/my body on the mat, until every muscle is well and truly done in?

To push my mum to stop giving me a hard time about being a bit wild?

To push my opinions about food and intolerance/allergy, because it might help someone else?

To push myself to wear those uncomfortable but o so gorgeous shoes?

To push or be pushed, into something I don’t quite yet get?

To push myself and drink coffee, to make that early meet?

What’s really worth pushing? Or when may the long term price, be not as nice as the sweet fruits of instant gratification?

If I’m tired, can I not just stay in the comfort of my sheets and duvet? No, I must push myself to go to work, perhaps, because I know I’ll be happy with the fruits of my labor?.. Or am I chasing a dream to have all the consumables I see in the ads?. I want an answer from my lover even though for some reason they still seem resistant; is it right to push someone to open up, to make that connection because it serves my own insecurities?

How hard do I push the people in front of me, to break through their current barriers? OR, do I leave them more to their own charge to empower them further, so they Know they can do it as and when they’re ready each time? Rather than empowering myself, to be their hook into getting up? Do I/they not trust in their abilities?

Coffee is a fantastic drink, I love it, but know all too well, to have it every day, one gets a dependence.. Pushing ones self could be considered as still a more empowered form of pushing; depending on if that drive comes from internal or external powers.. I.e. setting up a patterning which gets us hooked on the drive of something beyond our energetic selves? Pushing ourselves to do something to impress another (be that a real other or media imposed ideas)?..

The next time you find yourself pushing for a result or an answer – ask yourself, is the time right? Does it empower or dis-empower myself or an other(s)?

April 3, 2015April 20, 2025

Easy Breathing Meditation, Relaxation

breathin med

This breathing meditation is simple to do yet effective at its head-space creation capabilities.. You can vary the length/counts for your breathing to suit you in that moment.. It’s also a great pre-cursor to the Yogic Breath technique.

Meditation or Mindfulness can help you to:

Feel calmer, happier and more content
Sleep better
Be more able to deal with difficult situations
Increase attention span
Have improved immunity, better health and less signs of aging (as are bi-products with stress reduction techniques naturally)

Safety points, if you suffer from heart conditions, are pregnant then it is NOT advised that you hold your breath between your inhale and exhale, otherwise, see how it feels and only include it if it works for you in any given moment… Also, always inhale through your nose, to allow for better filtration of the air you intake, especially when in built up urban areas. Optimally, also exhale through your nose but this need not be so strict.

How to :

Sit comfortably, preferably on a thick cushion or pillow on the floor. If your knees don’t allow this then sit in a chair but with your spine self supporting, away from the back of the chair, or lay down on a mat or rug – or, of course, standing or walking can work too – main point is that your spine wants to be softly straight.
As you breathe in, count how long your inhale takes. As you breathe out, count your exhale duration too. Do this for a few rounds of breath to get an idea of your normal. You want to aim to fill up and empty your lungs with each breath a bit more each time until you reach your comfortable capacity.
Next we want to lengthen and moderate the inhalations and exhalations. Aiming to make them both the same count can help to regulate not just the breath but your awareness about how much and how quickly you take things in and how you let them go again. A good starting point might be:
- Breathe in (inhale) through the nose and down into your belly for a count of 3,
- Breathe out (exhale), completely empty your lungs, through the nose for a count of 3.
  (I.e. Count to 3 in your head, slowly whilst you’re breathing..)
After a few breaths if it feels OK then extend your breathing to a count of 4 inhaling and 4 exhaling.
- If filling your belly and emptying your lungs doesn’t happen for you at first then play with it. It may feel strange to begin with, but, if it feels too hard, not beneficial, or you get a headache; try making less effort with it, keep the practice simple and easy!..
Repeat this pattern for at least a further 10 cycles (don’t worry if you loose count of something, it all takes practice, be kind to your learning process)
To advance (if none of the conditions mentioned above):
- Pause your breathing after you’ve filled your lungs. Hold your breath for half the count of your inhale. E.g. Inhale for 1, 2, 3, 4. Hold for 1, 2. Exhale for 1, 2, 3, 4..
- And/Or extend the count for each part of the breath to a point you can manage easily. In more advanced yogic practices the ratios of inhale, exhale and holds do vary, so if you feel comfortable then be playful with this practice. If you’re unsure it’s always best to seek some face to face guidance from a teacher you trust to check your technique, as we’re not all made the same, therefore it’s not one glove fits all for something as vital as our breathing..

Personally, I do this while on the train, walking, i.e. Pairing the count with my steps or, waiting in line or before any situation which might feel frustrating or bring me anxiety. Or simply to remind me about the here and now.. This is my intention at least lol, as being human and fabulously imperfect, life doesn’t always happen as planned 😉

And that’s it, your mindful and meditating..! Be kind to yourself and if you get frustrated trying to do this then keep it simple and take it back to counting your natural breath pattern with no intent to change it, simply count it.

Get out of your head! 😉

Love