Tag Archives: healthy-living

The Body Scan

May 2, 2014Uncategorizedbody scan meditation, breathing space, calm, crouch end, eight week course, healthy-living, Learn Meditation, Learn meditation in Cambridge, Mindfulness, Mindfulness based stress reduction course, mindfulness Bishop's Stortford, mindfulness in Crouch End, Mindfulness Meditation: Breath and Body, Muswell Hill, resilience, secular meditation, stress management, tranquility, well beingwifi allotment

The body scan meditation has been much on my mind of late, I have been doing it everyday for a month so I am feeling intimately acquainted with it. I haven’t done it with such gusto since I first came to mindfulness, it almost feels like revisiting an old friend.

The body scan provides the firm foundations for an eight week mindfulness course. It often makes up the bulk of home practice from week one or week two in an eight week course. Often described as the marmite meditation because people sometimes love it or hate it. Very few feel ambivalent towards it.

Why does it trigger such a response? Because it shows the doing mind participating in some of it’s most doing mind antics – it judges, analyses, compares. Perhaps all good things when you are working. But when you are lying on a yoga mat trying your best to feel your big toe perhaps the body scan shows the doing mode as a tad impatient and reticent to just let go and be in the moment.

So why bother, as early as week two especially, with a challenging meditation?

It’s precisely this challenge that gives participants an opportunity to really try to be mindful. The body scan allows participants to better connect with their body. It also allows them to see the doing mind in all it’s chattering glory. It provides ‘resistance’ training. If you can do the body scan twice a day for the next week having never meditated (at least daily) before, then the rest of a mindfulness course will be peachy!

Today’s practice time: 30 minutes (the body scan of course!)

Thursday 30th January 2014

January 30, 2014Mindfulness Practice Blog, My practicebreathing space, calm, Course, healthy-living, Mindfulness, Mindfulness based stress reduction course, Mindfulness course in Muswell Hill, Mindfulness Meditation: Breath and Body, Muswell Hill, relaxation, resilience, secular meditation, stress management, tranquility, walking meditation, well beingwifi allotment

I can vouch that this mindfulness stuff really works! I know I would say this – I am a passionate practitioner and teacher but today I had a moment or several, when I could feel such a fundamental change in my perspective. Today my perspective on several events were so different to how they would’ve been a year or so ago. First walking the kids home from school with two of their friends we see a fire engine outside our house. A while ago I would have assumed the worst and thought my house was on fire but today I felt only curiosity. The kids got to sit in a fire engine as well which was a nice start to any play date! Then the play date itself: two five year olds and two four year olds under one roof, this was the type of situation that would see me feeling stressed but today I surprised myself by enjoying it. Today’s total practice time: 20 minutes

Thursday 2nd January 2014

January 2, 2014Uncategorizedbreathing space, Course, healthy-living, Learn Meditation, Meditation, Meditation class, Mindfulness, Mindfulness based stress reduction course, Mindfulness course in Muswell Hill, Muswell Hill, secular meditationwifi allotment

It was possibly the best festive season I have had for a while. I didn’t drink too much, I did eat far too many chocolates but I managed to meditate everyday even though surrounded by family and merriment. I felt like it’s now so embedded in me – to meditate everyday – that remembering it was no longer an issue and amidst all the mayhem of Christmas I loved my 15 minutes of peace that I carved out for myself each day. It has inspired me to attempt to get a course running in Muswell Hill – I have a venue in mind, have ordered flyers so watch this space for more news! Today’s total practice time: 15 minutes

Tuesday 17th December 2013

December 17, 2013Uncategorizedbreathing space, Cambridge, healthy-living, Learn meditation in Cambridge, Mindfulness, Mindfulness courses in Cambridge, Mindfulness Meditation: Breath and Body, secular meditation, walking meditationwifi allotment

This has gone from being a daily blog to being a weekly blog to being a sporadic blog. Life as always gets in the way but despite the absence of a post for 3 weeks the practice has been going well. Everyday I do something between 10-30 minutes. Today I have a poorly child at home so it is unlikely to reach more than 20 minutes today but the most interesting thing is how I feel. Usually at Christmas I feel busy and slightly stressed but this year I feel relaxed, excited, happy. I have done all that needs to be done bar wrapping gifts and a bit of food shopping. And socially I have been cautious about saying yes to every invite that comes my way and with the exception of one boozy mums’ night out I have stayed pretty sober throughout. So a relaxed, healthy and mindful Christmas! Today’s total practice time: 20 minutes

Sunday 3rd November 2013

November 3, 2013Uncategorizedbreathing space, Cambridge, Class, Course, healthy-living, Learn meditation in Cambridge, Meditation, meditation courses in cambridge, Mindfulness, Mindfulness courses in Cambridge, Mindfulness Meditation: Breath and Body, secular meditation, walking meditationwifi allotment

Half term! It’s always hard finding the time to meditate during half term. I did manage to do something everyday but on some days it was literally just a 3 minute breathing space on waking up. I might top up through the day and I also did a lot of walking meditations as we walked from A to B but even this is punctuated with interruptions when accompanying two small kids anywhere. One morning even my breathing space was interrupted as the kids decided they wanted to get dressed next to me. The eldest kept asking mummy are you meditating. Yes I would have to say, breaking my peace. Today the have had a sleep over at nana’s so I can squeeze a solid 30 minutes in between DIY projects and getting ready to go back to work tomorrow. Today’s total practice time: 30 minutes

Saturday 12th October 2013

October 12, 2013Mindfulness Practice Blog, My practicebreathing space, Cambridge, Class, Course, healthy-living, Learn meditation in Cambridge, Mindfulness, Mindfulness courses in Cambridge, Mindfulness Meditation: Breath and Body, secular meditation, walking meditationwifi allotment

I have been trying to knuckle down to writing my schemes of work (SoW) for my job in London but it seems I keep coming up with all manner of avoidance tactics. So far I have done very little. I suddenly felt compelled to have a clean out, rearrange the kids’ rooms, buy a new toilet seat. So the upside is I now have a much tidier, ordered house but still the SoWs hang over me. Tomorrow, I keep promising! I have been squeezing in practice as always. Wednesday 9th October I practised on the train and did a walking meditation. Total practice time: 20 minutes Thursday 10th I only managed two 3 minute breathing spaces! Total practice time: 6 minutes Friday 11th I made up for my slackness and made sure, alongside my regular morning 3 minute breathing space that I did a waling meditation and a pre school pick up meditation – very therapeutic when one of your kids often bolts without even saying hello Total practice time: 20 minutes Today, Saturday 12th I did yoga, Chi Qong and mindful movement before doing a sitting down meditation for 20 minutes Total practice time: 1 hour

Tuesday 8th October 2013

October 8, 2013Mindfulness Practice Blog, My practicebreathing space, Cambridge, Class, Course, healthy-living, Learn meditation in Cambridge, Meditation, meditation courses in cambridge, Mindfulness, Mindfulness courses in Cambridge, Mindfulness Meditation: Breath and Body, secular meditation, walking meditationwifi allotment

Equilibrium has almost been restored! I did spend a lot of time today faffing around, avoiding doing my schemes of work for my new classes but I managed to start the day as ever with a 3 minute breathing space. I did a walking meditation (10mins) and then did a 15 minute sitting meditation at a quiet moment during the day. Feeling very balanced! Total practice time today: 30 minutes. Yesterday I did ten minutes on the train, standing and then 15 minutes sitting during a quiet moment before picking up the kids. I also did a walking meditation for 5 mins. Total practice time yesterday: 30 minutes

Saturday 5th October 2013

October 5, 2013Mindfulness Practice Blog, My practicebreathing space, Cambridge, Class, Course, healthy-living, Learn meditation in Cambridge, Mindfulness, Mindfulness courses in Cambridge, Mindfulness Meditation: Breath and Body, secular meditation, walking meditationwifi allotment

Work, courses, kids and life in general have all been taking up my time. I made sure I did a 30 minute body scan today before even getting out of bed. Yesterday I did 15 minutes as the kids were being put to bed by the hubby, the scream fest that ensued was probably not the most conducive to meditation but true to the spirit of mindfulness, I just do it when I can. Thursday I managed 10 minutes and on Wednesday I practised on the train. I had forgotten my book which at first made me kick myself but then I decided to meditate for the whole 25 minute journey. I arrived at work feeling wonderfully collected and calm. Now when I see someone on the tube or train with their eyes closed I wonder curiously if they are sleeping or, like me, meditating. Total practice time: today 30 minutes, Friday 20 minutes, Thursday 10 minutes, Wednesday 25 minutes.

Friday 27th September 2013

September 27, 2013Mindfulness Practice Blogbreathing space, Cambridge, Class, Course, healthy-living, Learn meditation in Cambridge, Meditation, meditation courses in cambridge, Mindfulness, Mindfulness courses in Cambridge, Mindfulness Meditation: Breath and Body, secular meditation, walking meditationwifi allotment

Another busy day distributing flyers for my new course. I managed to do my 3 minute breathing space first thing, then 10 minutes on the train and 10 minutes walking meditation. Total practice time: 20 minutes

this mindful life

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