Calmness is a superpower! Beneath the mind’s chaos and beyond layers of emotions… is a centre of calmness, strength and power.

Meditation quiets the chaos and calms the emotions.

Lots of people I have spoken to lately have been struggling sleeping, suffering with anxiety and stress. Life is full-on at best… fast paced… juggling multiple things (physically and mentally), There’s always something else… we don’t stop, we don’t switch off. We’re not happy with what we have, we always want more, on to the next thing… we keep going, and going, and going… until the body says NO!! You will slow… usually in the form of illness; physical, mental, chronic (all 3!!). We’re like ticking timebombs.  

I’m no meditation guru… but over the last few years I have got into it, gradually, and now it’s something I’m pretty consistent with, every day / most evenings. I was a timebomb on the brink of explosion a few years ago, and I started meditating to help slow my mind and sleep. It was hard to get in to initially, an internal battle to switch off and let go… but now I instantly let go and comatose. It’s become a nightly routine, so much so, that I came home drunk a few nights ago, fell into bed fully clothed with my makeup still on… but still managed to hit play on a meditation! No more putting a pizza in the oven pissed-up, priorities have changed (for the most part) 😉  

Meditation is mellowing magic… powerful!     

There’s lots of different ways you can meditate, ultimately is just about creating a calm state. Slowing your body and mind, being present in a moment. Meditation can be active… doing something you find relaxing, like baking, switching off from the world and focusing your efforts into making tasty treats. Or it can be passive, being still, stopping your mind and body altogether and listening to meditation music or the sounds around you, tuning into your senses. Or a combination of both! I’m more of a passive meditation person, I’m crap at baking… and end up losing my sh#t!!   

Like I said… I’m no guru, but here’s how I got into it and what has helped me…

• Listen to guided meditations – there’s literally hundreds of guided meditations you can find on YouTube and apps like Headspace, shorter and longer meditations, ones for morning, ones for sleep, ones for anxiety, ones for trauma… literally covering everything. I found this channel on YouTube and I listened to the same meditation over and over as I went to sleep… so much so I could recite it: youtube.com/TheMindfulMovement  

Then I started listening to lots of different guided meditations. If you search, try… you’ll find ones that work best for you. Now I tend to listen to mediation music over guided ones. I have it on in my house as background music whilst I’m doing chores and as I fall asleep most nights, throughout the night. Incense and meditation are my feel-good fix 😊

• Focus on your breathing – breathing comes hand in hand with meditating (and is pretty essential to live!). When I was experiencing intense stress, I wasn’t breathing. I was constantly holding my breath (I still do this now). I bet there’s a fair few of you that do it without realising too. It’s a bad habit! But this breathing exercise is a good one to help regulate your breathing and create calm.

The Benson breathing method:

• Choose a word you associate with relaxation.
• Close your eyes and breathe deeply/slowly.
• As you breathe out, say your word (to yourself).
• Picture yourself in your favourite place, a place of zen for you.
• If your mind starts to wander, bring it back to focusing on your word.
• Do this for as long as you have/need.

The Benson Breathing Method  

Meditation takes practice and consistency… you aint going to get it after one go, it takes time to get your body and mind to slow. But trust me it is powerful! A way for you to centre and take back control… recall your soul.

Try it! Like really try… take the time.