Checklists and check-ins to help us lead a more balanced and mindful life.
Checklists and check-ins to help us lead a more balanced and mindful life.
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Just Breathe
Breath Awareness
Breath Awareness
Breath Awareness
Often it can be difficult to identify how we are feeling. Our feelings and emotions could be subject to judgement and assumptions. How we are breathing can often be a good indicator of how we are feeling. To check in on yourself, ask these questions:
- How am I breathing? (shallow, deep, quick, slow)
- Where am I breathing? (upper chest, chest, abdomen)
Candle Breath
Breath Awareness
Breath Awareness
This is a quick and easy technique to calm down.
- Inhale deeply through the nose.
- Purse your lips.
- Exhale fully through the mouth as if you were trying to make a candle flame flicker.
- Do this three more times and return to your normal breath.
Box Breathing
Breath Awareness
Belly Breathing
This is a tool for breath regulation, you can do it without following a square. There are various scientific studies for it and in short it can calm your nervous system.
- Inhale and count to 4.
- Pause for a count of 4.
- Exhale and count to 4.
- Pause for a count of 4.
- Repeat 4 times.
Belly Breathing
Bee Breath (Brahmari Pranayama)
Belly Breathing
This exercise strengthens the diaphragm, allows a more efficient oxygen exchange, and can lower blood pressure and calm the nervous system. It's considered the natural way to breathe.
Here are the steps:
- Lie down, keep your feet on the floor and your knees bent so you don't fall asleep.
- Place your left hand on your heart/chest, and your right hand on your abdomen.
- Inhale through your nose and gently allow your belly to rise. Without any force just let it naturally inflate.
- Exhale through your mouth and gently allow your belly to fall. Without any force just let it naturally deflate.
- Repeat as many times as you like.
Bee Breath (Brahmari Pranayama)
Bee Breath (Brahmari Pranayama)
Bee Breath (Brahmari Pranayama)
This is a breathing technique to reduce tension. Often we have things we can't or don't want to say, we stifle the urge to speak our mind. We hold a lot of that tension around our jaw, throat, and collar bone area. It might seem weird at first, but with a little practice it can become a nice way to reduce some of the tension we are carrying.
- Sit comfortably, find a quiet place where you won't feel self conscious.
- Take a few natural breaths and make sure you have a straight spine.
- Inhale through the nose.
- Exhale while making an "M" sound (humming).
- Repeat 4-6 times.
- Return to your normal breathing.
4-6-7 Breathing
Bee Breath (Brahmari Pranayama)
Bee Breath (Brahmari Pranayama)
This is a technique to regulate breathing, it can help calm our nervous system and is also a good practice to help us wind down before sleeping.
- Inhale, counting to four.
- Hold it for a count of six.
- Exhale strongly (like a balloon deflating) for a count of seven.
- Do this four times and return to your normal breath.
Lion's Breath (Simha Mudra)
Nadi Shodhana (Purification Breath)
Nadi Shodhana (Purification Breath)
This is a great technique for releasing tension in the face and jaw. It looks quite funny, and it is a nice reminder that not everything has to be so serious and perfect. Here are the steps:
- Kneel down, sitting on your feet.
- Roll the shoulders back, straighten the spine.
- Place hands on knees with straight arms.
- Extend the fingers.
- Inhale through the nose, counting to 4.
- Look to the tip of the nose.
- Open the mouth wide, sticking the tongue out far.
- Exhale through the mouth, making a "haah" sound.
- Close the mouth and relax the face and eyes.
- Repeat 4-6 times.
Nadi Shodhana (Purification Breath)
Nadi Shodhana (Purification Breath)
Nadi Shodhana (Purification Breath)
Nadi Shodhana is a form of yogic breathing, or pranayama, often referred to as alternate nostril breathing. In yoga, it is believed to purify and balance the energy channels that run through the body meeting at each chakra, and in studies through Western medicine it has been shown to lower blood pressure and help reduce anxiety. It is also good for reducing tension, if like me, you suffer from migraines. Here are the steps:
- Sit comfortably, taking a few natural breaths.
- Resting the left hand on the lap, fold in the middle and index fingers of the right hand.
- Close the right nostril with the right thumb.
- Inhale deeply through the left nostril, and pause.
- Close the left nostril with the right ring finger and open the right nostril.
- Exhale fully through the right nostril, and pause.
- Inhale deeply through the right nostril, and pause.
- Close the right nostril with the thumb, and open the left nostril.
- Exhale fully through the left nostril, and pause.
- Repeat those steps for four rounds of breathing.
Stay Tuned
Nadi Shodhana (Purification Breath)
Stay Tuned
More to come!
Mindful Moments
Anchor
The Stop Skill of Mindfulness
The Stop Skill of Mindfulness
An anchor, by definition is something we use to moor a ship, stopping it being carried away by the waves. We can apply this to inside our heads, too. We are sailing, and our thoughts are the waves. No matter how strong our boat is, or how experienced our captain is, we may begin to get carried away on particularly active seas.
You don't need an actual anchor. A coin, a piece of jewellery, a stone, a tattoo, or even a photo can be just as useful for anchoring yourself.
In the moment, just hold on to it and take a breath. It's an invisible tool, but it is an effective tool for bringing our awareness back to the present moment.
The Stop Skill of Mindfulness
The Stop Skill of Mindfulness
The Stop Skill of Mindfulness
This is an easy and effective mini mindfulness practice that you can do as often as you like:
S: Stop - just pause for a moment.
T: Take a breath - inhale and exhale.
O: Observe - what is happening?
P: Proceed - return to your day.
Raindrop Awareness
The Stop Skill of Mindfulness
Mindfully Appreciating Life
This is a technique to help us untangle ourselves from the thoughts and feelings we might be experiencing.
R: Recognition: what's happening?
A: Acceptance: can we accept it?
I: Interest: can we bring interest in to it?
N: Non-Identification: is it happening to me or around me?
D: Distraction: are we aware of what is happening?
R: Resistance: are we resisting this?
O: Obliviousness: do we even care?
P: Personification: are we taking it personally?
Mindfully Appreciating Life
Mindfully Appreciating Life
Mindfully Appreciating Life
This is an exercise to help us notice the significant, but often underappreciated things in our day to day lives.
All we have to do is notice five things in our day to day life that we couldn't live well without. They can be anything; objects, even people (but not nearest and dearest).
Write them down, and later, study one by one, here are some questions to help:
- What is it?
- How did it come to be in my life?
- What benefits does this bring me?
- What would life be like without this?
- What new thing can I notice about this?
Mindfully Making Choices
Mindfully Appreciating Life
Mindfully Making Choices
This is a little exercise to help us define clearly what we want and what we actually need.
Firstly, imagine you can have anything you want:
- Choose three of these things, write them down.
- Include a detail as to why you have chosen each.
Next, imagine that in order to have the three things we want, we must give away three things that we already have:
- Write them down.
- Include a reason.
Finally, return to the list and check which of these things you actually need to live a happy life.
Stay Tuned
Mindfully Appreciating Life
Mindfully Making Choices
More to come!
Meditation Tips
Shoshin
Suppressing Thoughts
Suppressing Thoughts
This is a concept from Zen Buddhism and it is actually our natural state of mind. It means to have an open approach to learning without preconceptions. As humans we learn a lot, but depending on our attitude, this expert knowledge we acquire could actually prevent us from learning more.
When we remember that we are constantly growing, constantly developing, we can always see a potential to change, be more curious, or try something new.
Shoshin brings that into practice; try to notice when your expectations or assumptions come in, and try to activate your curiosity.
Suppressing Thoughts
Suppressing Thoughts
Suppressing Thoughts
Many of us starting out in our meditation journey wrongly assume that meditation is an empty mind; that any time we have a thought, we've failed to meditate. When we try to suppress our thoughts, they often come up stronger.
Just like if someone tells us not to think of a white bear, the first thing we think of is a white bear. The harder we try not to think of a white bear, the more we think of a white bear.
Try it: close your eyes and don't think of a white bear.
I Can't Meditate
Suppressing Thoughts
Meditation Posture
Have you ever said that you can't meditate? Have you ever heard others saying it? Maybe our expectations are lying to us. If we've never meditated, how do we know we can't?
Maybe we should just keep it simple; as Sharon Salzberg says, "If you are breathing, you can meditate."
Try it, sit and be present, breathe in, and breathe out. For one breath or one hundred breaths - it's a meditation.
Meditation Posture
Tall Oaks from Little Acorns Grow
Meditation Posture
The first meditation I ever practised was a kneeling meditation. I didn't actually know I was meditating because my whole life I'd seen meditation as something spiritual done in the lotus position.
Like me, many people think that in order to meditate we must sit in a lotus position, with our eyes tightly closed, hands in gyan mudra, even though most have no idea what that really is.
Then we sit there, uncomfortable, wondering how much more discomfort we will have until we sail off to a blissful, magical state of meditation. Unsurprisingly, it doesn't happen.
In order to meditate, you don't need to sit in lotus, you don't need a mudra, and you don't even need to have your eyes closed.
Positioning yourself is an important first step and as the expert of our own bodies, it's important that we find and respect the best fit for ourselves. It may look different for all of us, yet all of us could be meditating.
Tall Oaks from Little Acorns Grow
Tall Oaks from Little Acorns Grow
Tall Oaks from Little Acorns Grow
The thought of sitting in meditation can feel overwhelming and often impossible. Maybe that is how an acorn would feel if it knew it had to become an oak tree.
Just as you wouldn't run a marathon without at least running 1km first, you can't really meditate for a long time until you learn to sit for one minute.
Just like the acorn growing into an oak tree, start small.
The Pause
Tall Oaks from Little Acorns Grow
Tall Oaks from Little Acorns Grow
If a whole meditation feels too much, just take a breath in, notice the pause, and exhale naturally.
Keep noticing the pause between your breaths, nothing happens in that pause and you can take up some space there.
Stay tuned
Stay tuned
Stay tuned
More to come!
Mindful Movements
Adho Mukha Svanasana
Adho Mukha Svanasana
Adho Mukha Svanasana
Adho Mukha Svanasana, or downward facing dog, is both a calming and energizing posture. It gives a great stretch through the arms, shoulders, back, and hamstrings, while also creating space to allow for some really deep breaths.
Virabhadrasana
Adho Mukha Svanasana
Adho Mukha Svanasana
Virabhadrasana has always been a favourite yoga posture. It's commonly referred to as "warrior pose" in English, but for me, that name doesn't quite cover the complexity.
It's the posture of Virabhadra, a warrior of the Hindu god, Shiva. The Sanskrit word, vira means hero and bhadra means friend.
When I think of it as "hero-friend pose" it makes a lot more sense.
Not only does it strengthen the thighs, the back, the arms, and the shoulders, but with mindfulness, it cultivates confidence in Viabhadrasana I, focus in II, strength in III, but also self reflection as in Viparita Virabhadrasana and humility in Baddha Virabhadrasana.
A reminder that bravery doesn't always mean that we must fight.
Balasana
Adho Mukha Svanasana
Marjaryasana - Bitilasana
Balasana, or child's resting pose, is a restorative posture that helps to calm the nervous system while passively stretching the back. Just a few breaths with your forehead touching the floor can instill a sense of calm.
Marjaryasana - Bitilasana
Marjaryasana - Bitilasana
Marjaryasana - Bitilasana
The cat-cow sequence is a great movement for balance and improving your posture. When we time it with the breath; inhaling for cat and exhaling for cow we can bring a sense of calm to our bodies.
If you're feeling a lot of stress or anxiety, breathing techniques alone might not be enough, but by bringing in a little movement we can help ourselves to feel better.
Viparita Karani
Marjaryasana - Bitilasana
Viparita Karani
Viparita Karani, or legs up the wall, is a relaxing posture that can help reduce lower back tension and also improve circulation. The change in perspective can also promote clarity of mind.
Mukula Mudra
Marjaryasana - Bitilasana
Viparita Karani
Mukula Mudra puts the hand in the shape of a lotus flower bud. It is also known as Samana Mudra and it is said to promote balance and healing throughout the body - if each digit of your hand represents one of the five elements, in this mudra they all come together.
When sitting in meditation, this is a good mudra to occupy the hands. If you're experiencing pain in a certain area it's a good way to direct your energy to easing that pain.
Gyan Mudra
Stay Tuned!
Stay Tuned!
This is probably the most well known mudra. It is the typical hand position that people associate with meditation, and certainly the pose people make to market things like yoga and meditation.
It promotes inner peace, calm, and spirituality, and if held for long enough can stimulate the brain and help our nervous system. It connects to the root chakra and so makes us feel calm and secure easing tension and reducing symptoms of depression.
Practice this mudra with palms down to feel more grounded, or palms up for a more celestial connection. It should be held for at least 30 minutes to feel benefits.
Stay Tuned!
Stay Tuned!
Stay Tuned!
More to come!