Category: Mindfulness

Christmas Connections

There’s a picture that has been hung up with the decorations in my parents’ home for as long as I can remember. It exudes feelings of love, warmth, light and joy. There’s a closeness and intimacy of the family holding hands together; everyone is connected as they share such a special day. Looking at it conjures up warm, cosy memories of my childhood Christmases, but I know for many, Christmas can be a very different experience. Some people are alone, others feel lonely even though they are surrounded by people. The same is often true living with a chronic illness. You can find yourself spending lengthy stretches of time alone through being housebound, unable to socialise or work. You can also be surrounded by people but still feel lonely, perhaps because you feel nobody understands or can truly share what you are experiencing.Read More

‘What do I need?’ – A Technique for Self-Care

Consciously Connected - what do I need?

George is a middle-aged man who lives in the States. He has a severe, progressive condition that affects all aspects of his day to day life, yet he is functioning on a higher level than many others with comparable disease. George practises mindfulness and is included as a case study in ‘Full Catastrophe Living’ by Jon Kabat-Zinn. ‘Within the limits of his disease, he is actively meeting life’s challenges rather than sitting at home and bemoaning his fate. He takes each moment as it comes and figures out how he can work with it and stay relaxed and aware.’ An example of this is how George does the weekly grocery shop for himself and his wife. He takes his time. He rests. He asks for help when necessary. He gets the shopping packed into light bag loads which he is then able to lift from the trolley to the car. The daily tasks he completes in this way bring value and meaning to his life as he is able to contribute to the running of his household, whilst self-managing his condition. Read More

It’s not the falling that matters; it’s the getting up that counts

Conciously Connected - It's not the falling that matters; it's the getting up that counts

I move from side to side, shifting the centre of gravity in my chest, left, right, left, right. My knees bend softly, my feet start to lift up, left, right, left, right. I look ahead in the mirror, left, right, left, right. I hold the rail, the sturdy support, left, right, left, right. There’s an unfamiliar jolt beneath me; my body twists and I fall on my back. Read More

A Morning of Mindfulness

www.liveconsciouslyconnected.com A Morning of Mindfulness

“Waking up this morning, I smile.
Twenty-four brand new hours are before me.
I vow to live fully each moment
and to look at all beings with eyes of compassion.”
(‘Peace is Every Breath’ – Thich Nhat Hanh)

In mindfulness training we often talk about formal and informal practice.  Formal practice involves sitting for an allotted time, using an audio or self-guiding your way through a meditation, for example a breathing anchor or body scan exercise.  It is when key techniques and concepts are learnt and experienced as a mindful way of being is nurtured.  Informal practice takes place in ‘real life’.  It involves bringing mindful awareness, developed in the formal practice, into the activities of everyday living.  It is no less essential than the formal practice and is often where the magic happens.  I frequently experience ‘a-ha’ moments at this time, perhaps when a seed I planted in my formal training comes to fruition in my day to day life.Read More

Autumn

Consciously Connected Autumn Harvest Mouse

The air has turned chilly.  Golden leaves are starting to flutter down.  Autumn is here.  I wrote in Spring about how I like to reflect the seasons in my life.  It helps me embrace change whilst feeling grounded in my environment.  Spring is a time of hope and fresh starts, but autumn is a time of settling down and letting go. Read More

The Wheel of Well-being

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If you follow my blog regularly, you may have noticed I didn’t share a post last week.  It was one of those weeks when unexpected stressors were being thrown at me quicker than I felt I could deal with them.  We all have them.  It can be any number of things; an illness, a difficult communication, something going wrong, an extra task coming your way when your diary’s already full.  When the stressors start hurtling towards you, it can quickly become overwhelming.  It can feel difficult to pick yourself up if the next knock blows before you’re fully upright.  You feel thrown about by stress with a disconcerting lack of control.Read More

The Lake Meditation

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Sunlight shimmering on the surface.
Trees reflected,
water like a mirror.

Ducks swimming, calm above, furiously paddling beneath
a fan of ripples.

Murky green water,
shadows
depth.

Mysterious koi carp lurking beneath
the surface.

A gentle breeze gathering ripples.
Water undulating,
swirling
bubbling.

A vessel.
Fluid.
Contained.
The lake.Read More

Mindfulness for Health – A Course Review

 

 

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I embarked on Breathworks’ ‘Mindfulness for Health’ course with high hopes.  I was already familiar with the wonderful work of Breathworks and I was eager to bring more of their techniques into my practice.  I wasn’t disappointed.  In fact, my expectations were exceeded as I deepened my practice in a supportive and inspiring community. Read More

Mindfulness Toolbox

Mindfulness Toolbox

Last week I completed Breathworks’ ‘Mindfulness for Health’ course.  Over ten weeks I was able to deepen my practice, be part of a supportive community and witness transformation in myself and others.  I’m looking forward to sharing the experience with you next week.  In the meantime, I’ve created a mindfulness toolbox to remind myself and others of the practice in an easy and accessible way.  Some of the ideas are so simple and take such little time, yet they can have a truly profound effect on your day to day life, whatever your situation.  You can find the toolbox here.

Crochet Therapy

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I’m sitting on the bed.  I’m holding a ball of yellow  wool.  It’s soft, bright.  A crochet hook is gently cradled in my right hand.  “Yarn over hook and pull through a loop,” says my roommate sitting next to me, wool and hook in hand too.  I watch as the string of yarn turns into neat little chain stitches.  I forget where I am.  I forget I’m in hospital.Read More