Sleep tight

 Since the post about anxiety dreams I haven't had another one. 

I have been reading this from 'Calm' . Sleep habits are certainly a fascinating topic and I have several friends and close family members who really struggle with sleep so I like to think I have an element of understanding.

It could be somewhat disingenuous to credit mindfulness practice to stopping anxiety dreams, but I definitely believe that breathing and meditation can be exctremely beneficial. I woudl go as far as to suggest seeking medical support should sleeplessness/disturbed sleep patterns become problematic.  As a female going through menopause with hormones doing their own thing there are things that my body is doing that I have little control over. I have seen so many benefits and improvements to my sense of wellbeing as a result of embedding practices into my everyday life .

So, try breathing exercises before going to bed, try a body scan  or other meditation either in bed or just before going to bed. It will help to build routines and develop practice and might even allow for a longer and deeper sleep.

This article from mindful,org has lots more tips and suggestions.

Anxiety dreams and mindfulness part two

Well I carried out my intention last night and began with a loving kindness meditation when I went to bed . I then followed it with a body scan.  I'll add these to the blog in the coming weeks.

I have to admit to falling asleep before I finished the scan.  I then slept right through , no anxiety dreams . Chance? Luck? Result? I don't think I can give an answer at this point. Certainly food for thought...

New job starts tomorrow so I'll carry on each night this week and update at the weekend.

Anxiety dreams and mindfulness

 My new job begins this week and I am very excited for this. However, the last few nights have been somewhat restless with the onset of anxiety dreams.

Once up and awake it is easy to see them for what they are, acknowledge them and move on with my day. But it has got me thinking about how to use mindfulness strategies to deal with these. Something I haven't tried yet is to try a meditation before going to bed to address the fact that anxiety ( even at a subconscious level) is totally OK in this situation and will pass. I shall give this a try tonight and see if it makes a difference. 

A couple of interesting articles about dreams here from the British psychological society and here from Psychology today

It's quite usual for me before taking on something new to have broken sleep and anxiety dreams and maybe is just what it is. But I will do a body scan and guided meditation later this evening and will write tomorrow to share the outcome...

Mindfulness and nature

 Recently we were lucky enough to take on an allotment. 

This morning as I was weeding to give the half a dozen teeny carrots and a dozen or so little lettuces that have made it through the germination stage I was amazed to see how the morning had passed without seeming to have been there for more than half an hour.

Was I being fully mindful the whole time that I was there?  With the sun on my back, warm soil between my fingers and a growing pile of weeds there were certainly many moments where I was fully aware of the environment around me from buzzing bugs and bees  to a tiny ladybird, to weeds that seemed to go all the way through the earth's crust and the delicate seedlings that we have been nurturing.

Look at these teeny lettuces! 

Look carefully and you can spot the even teenier carrots!

And yes, I did take time to just sit and take in what was around me. Being outside , getting hands-on with nature and (hopefully) enjoying the produce at some point is certainly great for wellbeing. And this is coming from someone who has never been into gardening. Houseplants have always been more my thing. But whether it is inside or out, large or small, being in touch with nature and helping things grow is certainly somethng that I find calming , rewarding and enjoyable. 

I will update this in January/February when the sun is unlikely to be beating down and the clay rich soil will be a very different entity to today.

Stepping along the road of mindfulness

 I have been considering the use of the word 'journey'. It's one that is often used in reality programmes where contestants describe their journey and how much they learned from it and so on.

A journey can be descibed as a method of getting from one place to another when used as a noun.

The word journey used as a verb has a slightly different meaning- to travel somewhere.

I'm using the word journey quite metaphorically in this blog- I don't see mindfulness as something that can be boxed up into a neat beginning , middle and end where the end point is some kind of enlightenment that will result in an existence where  all is shimmery and perfect. I use the word journey to illustrate my growing interest, practices and learning about mindfulness as teacher and learner and that I see this journey as a continuum rather than discrete.

I daresay that I will look back through these posts and have further thoughts around this; and that in itself illustrates that there should be no limits to the definitions of mindfulness. I shall finish for now with a return to the importance of love and kindness.  At the end of the day, having intentions with love and kindness at the forefront is what really matters . I will keep striving to find words to convey this. All part of this journey of curious discovery.

©akhalford 2024

How to be mindful in three steps

 

©  Charlie Mackesy

I love this quote from The boy, The mole,The fox and the horse . So much so that I have a T shirt with this on. 

Three steps to mindfulness:

1) Be kind 

2) Be kind 

3) Be kind 

By being kind to our friends and family (quite easy); to ourselves (harder) and to strangers,the wider world and even those who may have wronged us (harder still) we are recognising that observed, considered  responses can bring calm, peace, joy; they can de-escalate a situation; they're the antithesis to drama .

And it can be contagious. 

A guided meditation on thankfulness

 I recently led a talk on how mindfulness can bring a greater sense of joy and curiosity into daily lives.

Through being present and fully aware of our immediate environment and by bringing a sense of curiosity to our daily lives  joy can be found in the most subtle ways.

I feel that it is important to acknowledge that mindfulness is so much more than a tool that can help dealing with challenge and stress. The benefits of mindfulness practice are well documented in these areas, and I am not disputing the value of courses such as MBSR.

As I travel through my mindfulness journey I shall share my thoughts - it will be interesting to see how this journey progresses.

In the meantime, please do listen to this guided meditation on joyful gratitude  here

I hope that you enjoy it. I intend to add further meditations so watch this space.

Thank you.