5 minute meditation for quick de-stress

Meditation made Buddha smile -
it's a quick fix de-stress

Following a trip to Nepal and a brief stint in a Buddhist monastery, I've rediscovered the benefits of meditation.

Even if just for 5 minutes, slowing the mental cacaphony has a wonderful effect on my body and nerves and means I face present challenges and life projects with more clarity and focus.

10 steps to beat stress

Stress is associated with busy lives where pressure weighs heavy. It's no longer the exclusive domain of city types either - stress has spread to the suburbs, the country and into the heart of rural life too.

So how do we recognise when it's got inside us, and how can we tackle it head on without the use of drugs or expensive therapies?

Stress busting, brain enhancing MindSpa

A spa for the mind? Well sort of. You don't wear a plush white robe and have a foot massage, but you do relax or get motivated (your choice) while wearing a pair of special specs and some headphones.

MindSpa, a Gadget Show winner,  does for your brain what massage does for your body - chills you out, heightens your receptivity, softens your muscles and prepares you for your day, event, exam etc.

So what is it exactly?

New year, new you. Simply you!

Welcome to the New Year!

This fresh and snowy beginning often sees us running headlong into new resolutions, desires and dreams, but if we're not careful, we can end up right back where we started before January is even finished.

Look around you. The media is full of celebrities, health experts and life coaches telling you how to begin the new year, new diet, new exercise. It's easy to get drawn into something, investing time, energy and money only to find it doesn't suit you - not because it's no good, but because  it's not doing what you really need - it's either not good for you, or you are not good for it.

Meditation for a modern world

In a bid to rid my mind of clutter and carnage I attended a 10-day silent meditation course. The course is unlike all other courses and workshops because it is practical, non denominational and free (donation only).

For 3 days we focus the mind by concentrating on our breath (anapana) then for 7 days we observe the sensations that are continuously arising within the body (vipassna).

The purpose is to attain liberation, but even if we are far from achieving Buddha status, this mediation technique brings peace, harmony and a glimpse of a happy ending.

Top tips to choose the right yoga class for you

If you're interested in yoga but are baffled by the number of different styles, or simply don’t feel bendy, then maybe this will guide help you choose which yoga is for you.

Yoga means union or oneness. It's from the Sanskrit yuj, meaning 'to join'. Practising yoga on a regular basis brings harmony to our mind and body. Yoga helps balance our emotions and helps us to meet life with equanimity. But which form of yoga is right for you?

Health Benefits of Silence

Next week I'm going on a vipassna retreat - 10 days of silence.
Although some of my friends have taken great pains to point out that I might find this difficult, being talkative an all - i can't wait.

10 days of breathing, meditating, walking in the grounds, and hearing the silence. not everyone else's babbling nonsense.

To be around a group of people in whom I have to show no interest (yet can still resonate unconditional acceptance and love for fellow humans) is a reward so great I can hardly believe it possible.

Imagine not having to feign enthusiasm for trite, phatic conversation.
Imagine silence, stillness and space in your head.
That static, white noise subdued.
The pond of thoughts calm, not rippling, not murky, but clear.

As a writer, I'm keen for this retreat to refresh slumbering talent.
As a woman, I'm keen for this retreat to get away from leering eyes and chat up lines.
As a human being, I'm keen for this retreat to give me perspective - if i can breath through 10 days of silence - I can do anything.

Buddha, Einstein, Beethoven, Jesus - all the greats - reckon that a divine channel, an enlightenment, a universal wisdom, (the source of creative insights) is available if only we can stop, sit still and listen, to our beating rhythmic heart, our soul, but mostly, listen and really hear the silence.

Wish me luck, I won't be thinking of you, but I do love you.

Loretta x