Tough times in the playground: mindfulness and illness
Tough times: Mindfulness and illness When you are going through tough times such as illness, including cancer, how can you support yourself and remain steady? It’s a little like a playground with all the ups and downs of the rides. Implementing mindfulness skills is one way to manage the bumpiness. Mindfulness wakes you up to…
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Mindfulness and Irritable Bowel Syndrome
IBS stands for Irritable Bowel Syndrome As April is IBS Awareness Month in the UK, let’s look at how mindfulness and irritable bowel syndrome are linked. There is no one specific cause of this distressing condition of the digestive system. However, if you suffer with it, or indeed, any chronic illness, managing your ability to…
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What to Do When your World Caves in
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…
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Mental Health Awareness Week (May)
Anxiety and Depression are the Most Common Mental Disorders in Britain We all know what it is like to feel anxious or down about something. It’s human to experience a spectrum of emotions and moods. You might feel low for a few days following an illness, or for a number of months because you hate…
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Why Should I Be Kind to Myself?
‘In a world where you can be anything, be kind’ To yourself. To others Be Kind to Yourself Have you noticed that you don’t often apply this idea to yourself? To others, yes, but to be kind to yourself? This might even seem a strange concept – you are getting through your days with a…
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How to Recover after Serious Illness
Serious Illness Misdiagnosed 16 years ago on 30 April my daughter was born, my youngest child. I was home a few hours after her birth on a sunny Sunday morning but after sleeping for a couple of hours I woke up to enormous pain and other symptoms. I was in agony, barely able to walk,…
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Be Here Right Now
Be Here Right Now ‘The Power of Now’ by Eckhart Tolle was first published in the UK in 2001. It’s still a brilliant book for illustrating what mindfulness really is and perfect as I re-read it while watching my daughter sleep in her hospital bed in Intensive Care overnight. The present moment is sometimes unacceptable,…
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3 Circumstances in Which to Stay with Things the Way They Are
‘Meditation develops our stamina to stay with things the way they are.’ I don’t know where I found this quote, but it’s a great reminder to make room for the present moment and develop resilience in challenging situations! It feels quite common to rush through tasks in order to beat the clock or get somewhere…
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Mindfulness and Health Issues
I am delighted to welcome Judy Bartholomew as my guest blogger. In this piece, she talks about how Mindfulness and Health Issues are linked: Each year, the week running up to my birthday is an opportunity for reflection and anticipation; a ‘lessons learned’ look back over the past year and a looking forward as I…
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