Tuesday's Change Week 23 - Meditation

When was the last time you just took 5 minutes and stopped and did absolutely nothing? I bet you can't even remember. In the age of technology where we constantly have something to do and distract us it is becoming less and less frequent that people take time out. 

Sleeping doesn't count as you are not consciously doing nothing. You are unconscious doing nothing.

How can doing nothing be good for you? Well read on and I'll explain.

Some of the most successful, healthy and happy people partake in regular meditation. Just ask them and they attribute their success to this regular and easy practise.  They say the most important time to meditate is the time when you don't have time to meditate!  This seems silly I know but when you think about it it's the time when your body and mind are in most need of a break.

This is probably one of the toughest challenges I have set you so far. Trust me I find this hard, as do many other 'regular meditators' I know. But like anything it takes practise and commitment to work. 

Physical Benefits of Meditation

With meditation, the physiology undergoes a change and every cell in the body is filled with more prana (energy). This results in joy, peace, enthusiasm as the level of prana in the body increases.

On a physical level, meditation:

• Lowers high blood pressure
• Lowers the levels of blood lactate, reducing anxiety attacks
• Decreases any tension-related pain, such as, tension headaches, ulcers, insomnia, muscle and joint problems
• Increases serotonin production that improves mood and behavior
• Improves the immune system
• Increases the energy level, as you gain an inner source of energy

Mental Benefits of Meditation

Meditation brings the brainwave pattern into an Alpha state that promotes healing. The mind becomes fresh, delicate and beautiful. With regular practice of meditation:

• Anxiety decreases
• Emotional stability improves
• Creativity increases
• Happiness increases
• Intuition develops
• Gain clarity and peace of mind
• Problems become smaller
• Meditation sharpens the mind by gaining focus and expands through relaxation
• A sharp mind without expansion causes tension, anger and frustration
• An expanded consciousness without sharpness can lead to lack of action/progress
• The balance of a sharp mind and an expanded consciousness brings perfection

Meditation makes you aware - that your inner attitude determines your happiness.

Other Benefits of Meditation

Emotional steadiness and harmony

It cleanses and nourishes you from within and calms you, whenever you feel overwhelmed, unstable, or emotionally shut down.

Meditation brings harmony in creation

When you meditate, you are in the space of vastness, calmness and joy and this is what you emit into the environment, bringing harmony to the Creation/planet.

Personal Transformation

Meditation can bring about a true personal transformation. As you learn more about yourself, you’ll naturally start discovering more about yourself.

Check out this link here for more information and where I got the list of benefits above.

So how do you start meditating? 

There are no 'rules' when meditating, each person has to find what best works for them. There is also no 'destination' or 'end game' with meditation. People often say to me 'I tried meditating but I got distracted or thought of other things so I just can't do it'. 

Please remember this is ok! Very few people can sit for longer than a few minutes and not have any thoughts. As you become more and more au fait with meditation the spaces of 'nothingness' will become longer and longer. Just the mere act of trying to meditate is beneficial so please don't become disheartened. 

For me I feel one of the biggest reasons people don't meditate is they are afraid to be alone with themselves. It sounds strange but rarely people are faced with just being them, no front or distraction or anything to hide behind. But remember this is ok and this is the biggest hurdle to overcome and begin to transform your life.

I find guided meditations work best for me. I need someone telling me what to do otherwise I get too distracted. There is a wealth of good meditations on you-tube you just need to find one for you that you like. Certain ones I don't like the person's voice or it's too long or too short, too much talking or not enough talking.

Try searching 'Guided Meditation' in your search engine or video search, select one for the time length of 5-10 minutes to begin with. Sit or lie comfortably and see how you get on.

The challenge is to try and do 5-10 minutes of meditation a day for the next 7 days!

My Top Tips are:
1) Set aside a time each day to do it. A time where you won't be disturbed or distracted.
2) Set an Alarm on your phone or clock so you won't be tempted to check the time.
3) Sit comfortably. Ideally with back straight and upright.
4) Focus on your breath and keep coming back to that when you are distracted
5) Just be. Sit there, breath and just exist for a few minutes. No judgement, no pressure to be anyone. Just be you.

As always any questions or tips needed just contact me I'll be happy to help!

Namaste Jeanies!

Bliss filled weekend in Monart

So I am so fortunate to have amazing friends, some of them I've known for 25 years, the others for 18 years. We all hit the big 30 (or will be) this year and so my friend Nicki came up with the fabulous idea for a big joint gift. As we are all scattered all over the world the greatest gift we could have is spending time together. And so for each person's birthday over the last year we all chipped in and bought vouchers for Monart Spa in Co. Wicklow. Check out their amazing website here.

This means we all got a 'free' weekend and just had to pay for our food, drinks and any treatments we got. My sister generously sent me a voucher also so I was really spoiled! 

I could talk for days about how amazing the staff were, how wonderful the surrounds are and how amazing the food was. But the highlight of the whole weekend was getting to spend some quality time with the people who I have grown up with, shared life experiences with, have had the biggest laughs and the longest cries. The people who are always there when I need them and know me better than I know myself. 

It's always good to take time out of your crazy schedule and just realise what's important and have some time to relax and let the mind switch off and body chill out. A truly bliss-filled weekend and one I'll remember for a long time.

Thanks to all my girls for making it so special. What will we do for the 40th? I heard it's the new 30 ;)

How to deal with muscle soreness and pain!

So week 3 of Tuesday's Change, Exercise! 20 minutes a day, 5 times a week.

How are you all getting on? Let me know if you are struggling, feeling fantastic, or hating me right now!

I imagine your muscles are really aching now, especially if you have gone from zero to hero with your exercise. Typically the 2nd day is worse and this is due to the dreaded 2 Day DOMS or Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness.

But don't be discouraged. This is natural. And means you are working hard, Reward yourself with a pat on the back...unless you are really stiff from the gym and can't reach!

I've put together a list of things to help you deal with the muscle pain.

Budget:

1) Have a bath. Even better have a bath with some Epsom Salts. These can be bought so cheaply from most chemists and contain Magnesium Sulphates which soak into your muscles via your skin, relaxing them and easing the pain.

2) Stretch. Whichever muscle is the most sore, slowly stretch that muscle, holing for at least 2-3 minutes, deepening as time goes on. Make sure you are warm doing this!

3) Give yourself a massage! Obviously we would all love to have a personal masseur but failing that you can help yourself. If it's your quads are sore (front of the thigh) take the heel of your hand and applying pressure sweep from the top of the thigh near the hip down to the knee. Try and all parts of the thigh. The bit that hurts the most, spend most time there. Remember to always rub in the direction of the muscle ensuring you are lengthening it.

4) Go to a yoga class. Not only can this be your daily exercise it will also help relieve muscle soreness and help you de-stress. If you are fortunate to be based in Cork I can't not recommend Himalaya Yoga Valley Cork enough. You can book on line and trust me you will NOT regret going! They have classes for all levels, times and budgets!

5) Hit the Steam Room or Sauna. Anything that warms the muscles. If you are brave enough do some stretches in the heat!

6) Always warm up before exercise and do static stretching after exercise. Hold for at least a minute. Use a stop watch or your phone!

7) Use a foam roller. I got mine here and I'm not going to lie, the pink colour won me over! If you're not sure how to use it ask your friendly trainer in the gym (they are usually only dying to help you, don't be shy or embarrassed!) or have a look on YouTube there are some great tutorial videos.


Budget Blown (but worth it):

1) Go for a full body sports massage or deep tissue massage

2) Hire a persona Masseur

3) Buy a massage chair!



I hope those top tips help you all! If you have any specific worries or pains let me know. If I can't help I'll send you to someone who can!

Keep moving Jeanies. Work those muscles!

Just Be...

When was the last time you took a second to stop and think about what you are actually doing?

When was the last time you weren’t checking the clock to make sure you were on time?

When was the last time you you didn’t have a schedule to stick to or the next 3 steps of your day planned out?

We are all guilty of this and in this fast paced world we live in it’s almost impossible not to be moving at lightning speed. This is why we enjoy holidays so much, there is no schedule, no alarm clocks, no strategically planned timetable of activities that would put the military to shame (shout out to all you parents juggling multi-kid, after school activities, I don’t know how you do it!).

So let me introduce you to a new way of thinking (this has been around for centuries but it might be new to you today.)

Just Be.

That’s it. You don’t have anything else to do. It’s a concept called mindfulness and is akin to meditation. It’s just a method of being fully present and aware of what you are doing.

Any time you are stressed to breaking point or just caught up with a busy day repeat this saying to yourself:

‘Don’t judge the past. Don’t anticipate the future. Just Be’

We have become a nation of ‘human doings’ instead of ‘human beings' and it's time for us to start living in the present.

So take the first step today. Focus on just being you. It’s the simplest, most innate quality you possess. So reconnect with it. It could quite possible change your life.