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Unveiling Serenity: The Transformative Power of Body Scan Meditation

The Body Scan meditation is a wonderful way to relax, de-stress and unwind.

In the hustle and bustle of our fast-paced lives, finding a moment of calm can feel like an elusive dream. Enter body scan meditation – a powerful practice that holds the key to unlocking a treasure trove of physical and mental well-being. If you’ve ever found yourself yearning for a simple yet profound way to de-stress, unwind, and reconnect with your inner self, the body scan meditation might just be the answer you’ve been searching for.

What is Body Scan Meditation?

At its core, body scan meditation is a mindfulness technique that involves directing your attention to different parts of your body, systematically and progressively. This practice invites you to explore sensations, tensions, and feelings within each region, fostering a deep connection between your mind and body.

The beauty of body scan meditation lies in its simplicity. You don’t need any special equipment, a dedicated space, or a guru on a mountaintop. All that’s required is a few minutes of your time, an open mind, and the willingness to embark on a journey within yourself.

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The Benefits of Yoga by the Lakeside

It’s official: Being near water is good for you!

 

I have recently completed my MSc in Psychology and for my final dissertation I researched the benefits of being in or near water on mental wellbeing. The results showed that there were strong positive connections between spending time near water and increased wellbeing, including:

  • Increased relaxation
  • Reduced stress
  • Improved self-belief (self-efficacy)
  • Improved connection to nature
  • Connection with others
  • Improved outlook on life

I have long been a proponent of yoga outdoors and practice outside whenever the weather in Ireland permits! My research has backed up other findings on the benefits of Blue Space and mental wellbeing (if you are interested in finding out more, then I would recommend the book Blue Mind, by Wallace J Nichols).  Moreover, by practicing yoga near water you also get the added physical and mental benefits of yoga! So get outside when you can and hunt down those beautiful, beneficial Blue Spaces!

Lakeside yoga mediation

Yoga and relaxation by Lough Erne

 

By the way, I am looking forward to starting back with some Lakeside Yoga this summer, with the Lough Erne Resort in beautiful County Fermanagh. I will be taking yoga sessions on Tuesdays at 5pm and and Wednesday and Thursday Mornings at 10am, which are complimentary for guests at the Lough Erne Resort. Please contact them on 028 6632 3230 for details and booking or check out their website www.lougherneresort.com

Tree pose under the trees

Tree pose under the trees

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Mindfulness

Welcome to Mindfulness

 

Mindfulness is a form of meditation that focusses on the present moment; it is not about ‘clearing your mind’, instead it is about witnessing thoughts, feelings and sensations as they arise without judgement. Much of our suffering is caused by the stories we tell ourselves about our thoughts, emotions or feelings. Through mindfulness we can become aware of these negative and repetitive habits of thought and, with practice, can learn to detach from them.

MINDFULNESS BENEFITS

Mindfulness was developed as a stress reduction technique, however, studies over recent decades have shown that it may also assist with the following:

  • clarity and focus
  • greater resilience
  • enhanced creativity
  • improved relationships
  • improved concentration
  • rapport and communication
  • improved health and wellbeing
  • greater confidence and self-esteem
  • better sleep
  • reduced anxiety and depression
  • greater work satisfaction
  • improved memory
  • pain reduction

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The Healing Power of Nature: Overcome Isolation

Have you discovered the healing power of nature?

Overcome isolation by submerging yourself in nature, whether it be a walk in a forest, a hike up a mountain, or, like me, dipping a toe into wild swimming.

“Try getting in touch with nature yourself. If you notice a stone lying on the ground, pick it up and hold it. When you see flowers blooming on the side of the road, stop and smell their fragrance”  – Shunmyo Masuno

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Create a Yoga Sanctuary at Home

How to create a Yoga Sanctuary At Home.

Do you follow yoga online? If so, follow these tips to create your own Yoga Sanctuary at home.

You don’t need to invest in loads of fancy yoga equipment up front, here I will share with you some yoga prop hacks so that you can make the most out of your yoga practice with items from around the home.

Yoga props are especially useful for restorative yoga practices. In the video below I will show how you can adapt and adjust your props at home to use with restorative yoga. I hope you enjoy!
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Stop Should-ing On Yourself

A good friend once told me to “Stop Should-ing on myself”.

It was brilliant advice and I thought I would share it with you today, World mental Health Day.

 

I had been feeling glum and complaining: “Oh I should do this, I shouldn’t have done that”, to which my friend replied, in her own laconic way:

“Stop Should-ing on yourself”.

It made so much sense. So much of suffering is caused by beliefs such as:

 

I should be this…

I should be that…

I should do this…

I should do that…

I should be more…

I should be less…

I should have…

I should feel…

I should, I should, I should…

Plus an equal list of “I shouldn’ts” to match.

 

‘Should’ is defined as: used to indicate obligation, duty or correctness, typically when criticizing someone’s actions.

 

So what we are doing when we ‘Should’ on ourselves is piling on self-criticism; probably with a good old dollop of guilt as well. ‘Should’ is not so much a call to action but a means of berating oneself. ‘Should’ can make a person feel rotten, especially in terms mental health and well-being

An example being: “I should feel happy but I don’t” Where we have both criticism and guilt in one simple sentence.

So what could we use instead of ‘should’?

The first challenge is being aware of the times when you are ‘Should-ing’ on yourself and dwelling on self-criticism. (I like to recall my friend’s voice when I find myself falling into that trap).

The second is acknowledging the present situation for what it is, warts and all. View it as dispassionately as possible, like an impartial witness (this is a practice in mindfulness). Remove ‘should’ from that thought along with its associated guilt and shame. So, in the example of “I should feel happy but I don’t” can be replaced with: “I am not happy at the moment but that’s OK, this feeling will pass”

The third is to replace ‘Should’ with ‘I Can…’ Transform thoughts away from negative self-criticism towards what is achievable and positive. This is a way of opening up possibilities rather than shutting down in the shame of “I should”.

 

I hope that you find this useful. Wishing you all a good World Mental Health Day and remember:

“Stop Should-ing on yourself” .

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Cancer support

BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH: CANCER SUPPORT

People who know me will know how deeply my family has been affected by different types of cancer, breast cancer included.

It is difficult to know how to help when first involved with someone affected by cancer, be they a cancer patient or carer. So, here is a list of Dos and Don’ts I have compiled, from my humble experience:

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Instagram Account Hacked? How to get it back.

‏ ‏So, my Instagram account was hacked,

just in case the same happens to you this is how to get it back.

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Keep Calm and Carry On

‏I discovered something wrong with my Instagram account when I tried logging in after a mobile phone update. I couldn’t recall my password and so logged in with Facebook. When I started to log in I was welcomed to Instagram, and prompted to create an account. “Strange…” I thought, as I had my account with Instagram for about four years. Anyway, at this point there was no option to turn back so I just carried on creating the new account as prompted.

‏Once I had a new account I was able to see if there was any evidence of my original @yoga_ocean account. It had completely vanished. I searched people and tags @yoga_ocean and nothing appeared. I admit I was beginning to panic at this stage: had I accidentally deleted it or disabled it? Had I lost it forever? I sent loads of messages through my new account to the help centre but to no avail.

‏I suspected that somehow my Instagram account had been hacked (I am not 100% sure how. It may have been linked to a a dodgy app that hacked my mobile phone, though there was also suspicious activity on my linked yahoo mail account. If any of your accounts are hacked I would recommend you log in from a safe computer or device and change the passwords to any social media accounts and any linked email accounts that may be compromised).

‏Check Hashtags

‏I found out that my account still existed because I had used unusual hashtags on some posts, #yogaocean being one. I searched #yogaocean hashtags and there was one of my pictures. I clicked on it and saw that it had a new username attached. I clicked on the user name and found my original account. It still existed! My advice is if you do not use hashtags, or if your hashtags are more general, then incorporate some unusual hashtags on your posts should you need to find them. (#yoga has over 55 million posts, #yogaocean only 245, for example).

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