Do you feel you’re not Being or Doing enough? At the start of a new year it’s easy to look critically at ourselves. We decide that we’re not being or doing enough. All the things that need improvement seem glaringly obvious. We read how everyone else is setting goals for success. When we compare ourselves Continue reading
Mindfulness is a string of pearls that holds together the best values you might wish to embody: acceptance peace patience gratitude compassion joy love and so many more strong qualities If you practice mindfulness and meditation, it doesn’t mean you shut the world out. It’s not about staying safe in your own little bubble. It Continue reading
We tend to be hard task-masters, tough on ourselves. We sometimes view gentleness, compassion and kindness as weaknesses. Does this sound familiar? Our media and the world around us is aggressive and harsh, cruel and judgemental. This further supports the idea that kindness and self-compassion are soft options. Yet a shift from anxiety to self-compassion Continue reading
Your 2 minute recording: Your Lionheart Every breath you take flows through your heart. So how does this connection relate to you, and what I call your lionheart? I like to think that it’s a reminder to help you when you feel overwhelmed, timid or anxious. Because ‘Le Coeur’ is French for heart and ‘Cor’ Continue reading
Most of us put on a brave front. We push ourselves harder and we keep positive. And yet beneath the veneer of success or mask of serenity that we’ve created, we often don’t feel good enough. A ‘trance of unworthiness’ lies beneath all our endeavours. This is Tara Brach’s term – a trance of unworthiness Continue reading
What, for you, are the most obvious signs of stress? A little stress is healthy but when you’re experiencing it for longer lengths of time, it can become a problem. Some of your most obvious signs of stress might be easy to pinpoint yet signs of stress can reveal themselves in more complex ways. There Continue reading
Loneliness. It’s a taboo subject – unless you’re referring to elderly people who are lonely, and then it’s ok to talk about it. Whether you live on your own, or you are in a relationship that has no true intimacy, it can feel shameful or ungrateful to say out loud that you’re lonely. No-one who Continue reading
Have you ever thought of meditation as a political act? It’s the difference between being awake and sleepwalking through your life. In recent days I’ve turned to Jack Kornfield’s book, ‘The Wise Heart’ especially chapter 22 ‘Tending the World’ as the world is feeling unsettled, violent and hurting. Here, Jack Kornfield talks about the Buddhist Continue reading
What is the first thing you do when your world caves in – through bad news or a shocking experience? Christiane Wolf suggests that rather than having to face it – knowing you can’t force acceptance straight away, the best response is to ask yourself, ‘What is the kindest thing for me right now?’ When Continue reading
‘Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking’ is Susan Cain‘s best-selling publication from 2012. Cain has sparked a huge amount of interest as she highlights the power of quiet. She focuses on fundamental aspects of all our personalities. Are you introvert or extrovert or somewhere in-between? Introverts & Extroverts at Continue reading
