Category: Reflections

Satsang at Thaxted Yoga

Consciously Connected - Satsang 2

Lokah samastah sukhino bhavantu – May all beings be happy and free.

The chanting filled the space. Twenty-five people had entered the studio alone or in small groups only thirty minutes earlier, yet now we had become one, living the true meaning of yoga, ‘union’.

It was a chilly Sunday evening and the first satsang, or gathering, of our Thaxted Yoga community. The studio space had been transformed, full of cosy corners to relax. There was a plentiful supply of refreshments; hot chai, vegan hot dogs and tacos, raw chocolate brownies and energy balls, popcorn, even cupcakes iced with the Thaxted Yoga logo, yoga poses and tiny rolled up mats. People curled up in blankets, resting on bolsters and cushions, bathed in the soft glow of candles and dimmed lights.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 Handmade Gift

Consciously Connected Daisy Blanket

Little Niece D was five yesterday.  Five years since I saw my baby niece and Goddaughter come into the world.  Five years since I first held her in my arms before her Mummy had the strength to.  Five years since I bought her first dolly.  I instantly fell in love with that baby girl, her dark eyes looking about her and her little lips searching for milk.  That love has grown with each day and year I’ve been blessed to have such a special little person in my 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

image

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

image

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

 

 

image

 

 

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

Crochet Therapy

image

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

‘The Treasure of Pleasure’ – Rewiring the Brain for Happiness

image

I’m waiting for two hospital admissions.  I don’t know when they’ll be or how how much notice I’ll be given before I have to pack my bag, say goodbye to my kitties and face yet more inpatient treatment and sleepless nights on a plastic hospital mattress.  I have imminent meetings and assessments to review the care I receive, which, given government bureaucracy, can create huge amounts of stress.  Not to mention the day to day challenge of managing my condition, living with difficult symptoms and finding ways to enable me to complete basic tasks most people take for granted.  It could easily consume me.  My life could centre round illness and disability, and all the suffering that accompanies it.  That would be perfectly understandable.  It might even be expected.  It has happened in the past.  But I know if I broaden my awareness, there is always something pleasant to experience.Read More

Widening the Lens – It’s All about Perspective

image

Have you ever been struck by how differently two people can view the same thing?  How about considering how one person can see two very different points of view?  It is so easy to get stuck in a particular mindset thinking there is only one way, but with an increase in psychological flexibility it’s possible to take a step back and consider alternative views.  You might just discover all sorts of possibilities if you do.

I was feeling anxious about something recently; future hospital treatment, so it was understandable that I might feel apprehensive.  I felt stuck.  I’d lost control and jumped into the unknown.  At least that’s what my thoughts were telling me.  Prompted by the words of a wise doctor, I was reminded how those thoughts weren’t necessarily true.  What might the alternative be?  Could I flip it?  Could I take charge and therefore feel in control?  Could I express my wishes and assert my needs, making it less of an unknown?  Yes, I could.  The result was immediate and empowering.  It felt like an entirely different situation.  I was no longer stuck.

Our thoughts have a direct impact on our feelings, so it’s no surprise that a shift in perspective can bring a shift in feelings and an increased sense of well-being.  The challenge is to see the alternative.  We become so familiar with a particular point of view that our brains literally get used to activating certain neural pathways.  The good news is that just like physical flexibility, psychological flexibility (being able to adapt to different situations and view alternative perspectives) can be increased.  Learning something new, doing something differently and getting out of your comfort zone all help.  You can read more about that here.  It really is worth the effort.