Posts

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Help! Mindfulness is Hard!

Have you found that mindfulness is hard?

 

 

Don’t worry, you are not alone. Many undertake meditating and mindfulness to help deal with some stress, trauma or issues in their lives. Yet it is common to become frustrated in the beginning when our minds do not behave the way with think they should!

Why Mindfulness Is Hard When You’re New to It

Mindfulness is often presented as a simple solution to modern life’s stress and distraction. Just breathe. Just be present. Just let your thoughts pass like clouds. It sounds peaceful—maybe even easy. But if you’ve tried it for the first time, you likely discovered something surprising: mindfulness is hard.

There’s a reason for that. Despite the reputation of someone sitting serenely on a mountain top, mindfulness goes against the grain of how most of us operate day to day. It requires a level of attention, patience, and acceptance that we’re not used to practicing, especially in a world that celebrates speed, multitasking, and constant stimulation.

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Open Letter to UK Government concerning Gaza

If, like me, you are concerned about what is unfolding in Gaza, please consider contacting your MP  to take action.

Below is an open letter to the UK government. In the letter I ask three things:

  1. To acknowledge that Israel’s warfare methods in Gaza are consistent with genocide.
  2. To exert diplomatic pressure on Israel to prevent genocide in Gaza through the complete suspension of military supplies.
  3. To recognise Palestine as a State, as a matter of urgency.
This letter in no way condones the actions of Hamas on 7th October 2023. However, in yoga there is the principle of ahimsa, or non-harming, either by action or inaction. The events unfolding in Gaza today should not be ignored.

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Please feel free to use this letter as a guide or template to contact your MP regarding the current events in Gaza.

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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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Yoga Ocean September Yoga Sessions

Welcome Autumn back with Yoga!

Feeling a bit stiff ‘round the edges? Looking to loosen up and wind down? You need some yoga! Join me this September, either online or in person.
⚡️Dynamic yoga will start back online from Wednesday 7th September, 7-8.15 pm. A flowing, more challenging practice for building strength and flexibility (£30 for 5 classes in a row).
🧘 Hatha yoga returns to the Aisling Centre on Thursday 1st September from 12-1.30pm, this is a more gentle yoga practice focussing on traditional postures to stretch and tone, there are also breathing and relaxation techniques to soothe the nervous system. (£30 for 4 classes in a row).
Yoga Ocean Classes September 21

Yoga Ocean Classes September 21

 

Contact me  for details and booking. I look forward to seeing you back on the mat! 🤗🙏
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Surf Stretch Sessions

NEW Surf Stretch Sessions

 

Have you had a landlocked lockdown? The days are getting longer, restrictions are easing and getting back to the ocean is on the horizon. However, a lot of us have suffered these past months without access to the ocean, gyms or swimming pools and surf-fitness has gone by the wayside.

Wouldn’t it be great to jog down to the surf again and feel confident? Rather than standing in the carpark, worrying about your popup or if you still have paddle power? That’s how I feel, so I have developed the Surf Stretch Sessions: a series of 4 classes throughout April aimed at improving strength and flexibility for surfing.

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Not Turning a Blind Eye: Abuse in the Yoga Community

Not turning a blind eye: Abuse within the yoga community.

INTERNATIONAL WOMEN’S DAY 2021

 

*trigger warning – references to rape and sexual abuse 

For international women’s day I thought about all the things I’ve heard in the yoga community the last few years that have harmed women; I wanted to share them, as this is something that is not widely spoken about and becomes more harmful if it continues to be ignored.

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Winter Mountain Restorative Yoga Retreat

Start the New Year with Winter Mountain Restorative Yoga Retreat, Online, Saturday 2nd January

This restorative yoga retreat has the theme Winter Mountain, for feeling grounded and stable. Many of us a facing new lockdowns and restrictions on our lives. This retreat will focus on our inner strength, resilience and stability to see us through these winter months, – just like the snow covered mountain awaiting the spring!

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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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Yoga is for Every Body: Introduction to Chair Yoga

Yoga is for every body.

I have lost count of how many times I’ve heard people tell me they “can’t do yoga because they are not flexible enough”. Well, duh, that’s the point (sorry) !

Over the years I have taught yoga to people of all ages and abilities, from people with prosthetic limbs and wheelchair users, to those with  developmental disabilities or even long term illness such as MS and Parkinson’s Disease. Every body is able to do yoga, should the person so wish. Sometimes I have to physically assist a client to allow them to benefit from simple movements that are so very effective.

When I undertook yoga therapy training my tutor’s mantra was “The yoga is always the same”, by which she meant that the purpose was to focus on the breath, to relax the body and mind and to encourage the full range of motion for the joints of the body.

It is not about fancy postures but instead allowing the body to move as freely and as comfortably as it can.

In that spirit, I have put together a series of Chair yoga exercises that can be practiced at home. This introductory video lasts about 10 minutes and focuses on simple range-of-movement exercises for the whole body.

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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