September Newsletter
Hi everyone Be Kind to Yourself I hope you are well. Our most recent situation with the pandemic and government behaviour continues to be unsettling. I thought it would be a good time to run my ‘Be Kind to Yourself’ Course starting Wednesday 7 October at 7pm as it really does help you to build your inner…
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Transform Self-Criticism to Self-Compassion
Critical Thinking At the moment our lives continue to be in a state of uncertainty at a global level. In response to this, you may be experiencing an increased level of self-criticism and critical thinking generally. In my Mindfulness Courses, I only have to mention the term ‘inner critic’ and everyone in the room nods…
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Manage Stress at Work
Stress at Work “The old stigmas about mental health are finally beginning to fade as employers realise that a sit back and wait approach to such issues is no longer an option,” said Mike Blake, director at PMI Health Group. “Being proactive and making regular checks on employees’ emotional, as well as physical, health should…
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Reveal the True You!
What do we mean to ‘reveal the true you’? The Clay Buddha Jack Kornfield reminds us in ‘The Wise Heart’ of a story from Thailand: A clay statue of a Buddha had sat for hundreds of years in a village square. One day a local monk noticed a crack in it and had a closer…
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Are your Thoughts on Autopilot?
Your brain likes to conserve energy. Lots of things you do occur on autopilot so that you can function easily and swiftly. But possibly less helpful are your thoughts on autopilot. Me and My Big Mouth! You may find you go through the motions of your life on autopilot. Default settings. Programming. Habits. Yet it’s…
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How to Deal with Difficult Emotions
Are you fed up … with experiencing difficult emotions? And struggling to deal effectively with them? Is your mind an overwhelm of tangled information and unwelcome thoughts? The skill of mindfulness Mindfulness is a way of life that lets you interpret your body’s moods and experiences more skillfully. It empowers you to untangle your mind…
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The Power of Surrender
The Power of Surrender might seem like a paradox as you visualise yourself waving a white flag with drooping shoulders and a label displaying ‘FAILURE’. Yet here’s the thing, resistance is futile By turning around the meaning of surrender to acceptance, it might make more sense. If you’ve lost your job, one of your children…
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You are Powerful in this Present Moment!
However your day is, you can be powerful in each and every moment Access short moments of calm that allow you to cut through the chaotic momentum of your day. A powerful pause allows you to do this. Wherever you are, you can ground yourself and tap into a deeper place of wisdom and calm.…
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Allow Stillness
I invite you to allow stillness. It may be an elusive idea. Because even when you sit physically still, you may find that your mind continues whirling with thoughts. And so to allow stillness doesn’t feel calm and contented. It can flush up impatience, increase feelings of frustration and throw you towards meaningless activity. I…
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Glide through August into September
Place of Serenity Newsletter: Hi everyone, Here we are gliding swiftly from August into September. And the best way to move smoothly on with change is to anchor yourself firmly in your own body, breathe deeply and keep your heart open to joy. I invite you to scroll down and dip into 3 of my latest…
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The Language of Love
Yesterday I was reminded of the language of love. My parents had delved into some old family letters which had been stored away for several years, unseen in a trunk. The letters were dated from the Second World War years and I sat down to read a pile of them with my parents and daughter.…
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It’s Claustrophobic in Here!
How does it feel inside your mind? With constant thinking, worrying, problem-solving and self-criticizing, it can sometimes feel claustrophobic. A bit like being stuck in your head with blinkers surrounding your eyes. A small space that walls you in and fear shuts you down. You go round and round in circles with the same old…
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Meditate for Vibrant Serenity
When you sit and meditate you are entering your own inner space. It’s not a passive, stuck space. Nor is it an escape, but a place that contains an active, vibrant serenity. A vibrant serenity Firstly meditation can be a space of calm and peace. As you gather in your scattered thoughts you let yourself…
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Easy Introduction to Meditation
6 easy steps to help you with meditation Intention: decide that meditation is something you want to do. Schedule your practice each day. Choose a 10 minute slot at a time that suits you the best. Choose a comfortable place to sit undisturbed. Notice your body, mood and thoughts. Continue with your stillness and soften…
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Joy and peace for this July
Place of Serenity Newsletter Hi everyone I’ve gathered together my most recent blog posts for this July newsletter. They cover a range of subjects and I hope you will dip into some of them and find them helpful. Sending you thoughts of joy and peace as we continue to navigate these sometimes uneasy times. Best…
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Benefits of Nasal Breathing
Your Breath Breathing is intimately connected to every part of your body. Your breath is your life! We take approximately 25,000 breaths a day but many of us are not breathing correctly. We breathe through the mouth or shallow breathe, resulting in other parts of the body having to compensate for this. Breathing correctly with…
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Have you Listened to Yourself Lately?
Notice your thoughts. Do you treat yourself with kindness and love, or with impatience and harshness? In short, have you listened to yourself lately? Ratio of Positive to Negative Thoughts In her book, ‘The Sweet Spot‘, Christine Carter suggests you become more mindful of the kind of thoughts you are having. To feel happier and…
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The Healing Power of Acknowledgement
Acknowledgement from others during difficult experiences You know when you have experienced something difficult in your life? You may recognise the healing power of acknowledgement which smooths the way forward. It’s the experience of being accepted, being seen. Whatever you’ve done or are going through, you still know that your life counts, that you matter…
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Mindful Walking for Clarity and Calm
Mindful walking has been essential for me in these recent times. Have you also found a greater connection to walking and enjoying nature? Mindful walking in nature, which for me, often means ‘sauntering’, leads to clarity and calm. When it’s Not Mindful Walking Mindful walking is a great way to connect back with your body…
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Home Sweet Home
Lockdown in your Home ‘Home sweet home’: is it your place to relax, have fun and be nourished? Most of us have been spending a lot more time here with recent pandemic experiences. You might have a work or study area where tension has been building up. And then there’s your kitchen with all the…
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A Change of Perspective
Two ways to think of ‘perspective’ It seems fitting that the word ‘perspective’ has many perspectives! Here we explore two ways to think of ‘perspective’. The first is when we sometimes get hooked into anxiety and lose our perspective. The second is when we realise that our perspective keeps us more unconscious than we ever…
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