Most of us have a pretty good idea of what helps to keep our bodies healthy. For example, we probably know that a natural diet, regular exercise and good sleep are all essential to our physical health. However, we might not be so familiar with how to keep our minds healthy. Our minds and bodies are inextricably linked, so whatever you do to keep your body healthy will affect the health of your mind and vice versa. Keeping our minds healthy is particularly important in our current times. Life has become more stressful than ever. Anxiety, depression and sleeping disorders are at an all-time high. It’s no wonder, given the challenges we humans have had to face these last few years, our 24/7 busy culture, social media and all the pressures modern life places upon us. I don’t know about you, but growing up, I was never taught how to look after my mental health or deal with my emotions. These are skills I’ve had to learn and am continuing to learn for myself, as I navigate my way through life. Today, I’m passionate about sharing the simple practices I’ve learnt to keep my mind healthy. I’m so grateful that I discovered mindfulness and meditation in my early twenties. It’s been an invaluable practice for keeping my mind healthy over the last 30 years. We now have considerable clinical evidence to prove that meditation is good for our physical, mental, and emotional well-being. You’ve probably heard about the benefits of mediation but you might not be convinced, or perhaps you have some doubts or reservations. Meditation is a lot simpler than people often think. Contrary to popular belief, meditation isn’t religious, it doesn’t have to be uncomfortable and it’s not about controlling your mind or stopping your thoughts. There are many forms and styles of meditation, but my favourite is the ancient practice of Yoga Nidra or ‘conscious deep sleep’. This is a guided meditation that facilitates a deep restoration of the mind and body. During my first session of Yoga Nidra 30 years ago, I felt a deep sense of rest, peace and ease that I had always longed for. I fell in love with the practice and it’s been my constant companion since then. It’s one of the best practices I know of to develop a healthy relationship with the ever-busy, often negative, and judgemental voice in our head. Any activity that gives us a break from our thinking mind, gets us into our body and ultimately into the space of ‘just being’ will support our physical and mental health. This can take many different forms depending on what works best for you at any given time. It could be meditation, or it might be dancing, Yoga, breathing techniques, taking a nap, or a sporting activity such as golf, to name just a few examples. These practices can give us respite from our troubled minds. They help us release the past, set aside the future and drop into ‘the now’. Leaving the realms of time and space behind for a while can work wonders in keeping our minds and bodies healthy. Whatever works for you, I believe that taking a break from our thinking minds and letting go of all the stories of our human lives for a period of time each day is essential to our mental health, even if it’s just for a few minutes. Dropping into a space where all the roles we play in our lives fall away enables our fearful, anxious, small ‘self’ to relax. In this relaxation, we remember and feel the ease of our true, natural ‘Self’. Dipping into this spacious, unlimited aspect of ourselves is like taking a dose of medicine. Unhooking from identification with our minds and bodies in this way gives us access to something deeper. We tap into a natural resource of inner peace, strength and wisdom and can emerge with a sense of trust that all is well and as it should be. It reminds us that we are so much more than the limited, small ‘self’ we take ourselves to be and that we have the resources within to face whatever life brings. Over many years of practising and teaching meditation, I gradually developed my own style which I call True Rest®. This evolved from observing what was most effective in helping myself and others get out of our thinking minds and access that sense of peace & ease that I experienced in my first yoga Nidra session all those years ago. Today I have no doubt that this peace & ease are fundamental principles of our true nature and I love reminding others of this truth. Experience has taught me that community, connection with like-minded people and friendship are also essential to our mental wellbeing. This is why I started my online True Rest® Yoga Nidra classes during the Covid lockdowns. I offer these sessions as a community resting space and time for self-care, where you are supported to rediscover that natural state of peace and ease within yourself. We meet every Thursday evening at 8 pm in the comfort of our own homes. All are welcome, no video is required, we turn up in our pj’s, make ourselves a cosy nest (some people practice in bed), lie back and be guided into the deeply nourishing space of just ‘Being’.
Stressed? Anxious? Can’t sleep? Meditation can help! Maybe you’ve heard about the benefits of mediation but you aren’t convinced. Perhaps you have some doubts or reservations. There is now considerable clinical evidence to prove that meditation is good for your physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing. A 2014 study¹ showed that mindfulness-based practices were effective in supporting people suffering from depression and anxiety. In this post, we uncover some common myths about meditation that might surprise you and entice even the most hardened skeptic to give it a try! Myth # 1- Meditation is religious| Although almost all religions include some form of meditation as part of their practice, meditation itself is not religious, nor does it belong to any particular religion. Meditation is about simply stopping for a while to be still and doesn’t require any belief system. People of many different faiths practice meditation without any conflict with their religious beliefs. So don’t worry, you don’t have to chant mantras, burn incense, or wear special robes to enjoy the benefits of meditation! Myth #2- Meditation is uncomfortable| You don’t have to sit cross-legged on the floor for hours to practice meditation! Although some meditation traditions place a great emphasis on posture (and there are valid reasons for this) sitting meditations can be done in any kind of chair or on the floor using whatever props help you to feel supported. You may not know this but there are styles of meditations that are traditionally done lying down. When your body is comfortable, it’s much easier for your mind to relax! As meditation instructors, we believe that the attitude we each bring to our practice is more important than any hard and fast rules about posture. Approaching meditation with sincerity and the willingness to meet experience in an open way is key! Myth # 3- Meditation is difficult| Meditation is actually very simple. To sit and just be is completely effortless! However, it doesn’t necessarily seem that way because we are so accustomed to doing in our culture. We think that meditation is yet another thing I have do , get right, or be perfect at . We put it off because we think it’s going to be difficult. Meditation is actually a surrendering of all effort to do something, get somewhere, or achieve something. When we relax back from these energies, our wise woman within comes out to play! Myth # 4- Meditation is self-indulgent| Sometimes we take care of everybody else’s needs before our own and we feel guilty about taking time out for self-care. It is not selfish at all to dedicate time to meditation. Quite the opposite, as we begin to discover our own inner peace through meditation, it spills over into our daily life. It can be felt by our family, friends, and all those whom we come into contact with, helping to awaken the same peace within them. In fact, we do a great service to all those who we love and cherish when we commit to a meditation practice, so don’t feel guilty! Myth # 5- Meditation is about controlling the mind| Sadly we don’t have an on/off switch for our minds (or even a volume control)! Trying to control the mind is like trying to control the weather; impossible and endlessly frustrating! The good news is that meditation isn’t about controlling or making an enemy of our mind. In meditation, we simply observe the nature of the mind without judgment. When we quit trying to control the mind, it naturally relaxes in its own time. Ultimately meditation is about remembering who you are beyond your thoughts and feelings. A reminder of the incredibly powerful, beautiful whole and complete being within you! I hope this has dispelled some common misconceptions about meditation! Many people find it helpful to have a guide for their meditation practice, which is why I created True Rest®. I offer online & in-person classes, workshops, retreats & guided meditations. I'd love you to join our True Rest community!