How Stressed Are You?

Try this quick and simple test to see how stressed you are.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-24756311

I scored 5 - what did you score?  Meditation can help you to bring your scores right down, so why not give it a go?

We have new courses starting in the New Year at our Como Centre.  Check out the details here.

Meditation Instead of Medication

If you've been on one of my Meditation Courses you will know how I keep on about "Meditation Instead of Medication", and now those very same words get a mention in the Huffington Post.

Read the full story here.

Mindfulness & Psychiatry

Mindfulness and psychiatry: the next fad or a new revolution?

Read the full story here.

Mindfulness Growing within Business

"Google seeks out wisdom of Zen Master Thich Nhat Hanh.  Global technology companies are connecting to the power of mindfulness and meditation to drive sustainability and happiness."

Everyone, it seems, is now learning of the amazing benefits of meditation and mindfulness.  Read the full story here.

Why Meditation Beats Anxiety

Mindfulness meditation - non-judgemental awareness of thoughts and emotions - is known for its anxiety busting powers and now scientists are getting a better understanding of why it has this impact on the brain.

Read the full report here.

If you think meditation, including mindfulness, can help you then why not come to one of our courses at the Como Centre.

Mindfulness Meditation the Relaxing Way to Stop Smoking

Mindfulness meditation is commonly used for stress relief but researchers have now discovered that smokers who meditate mindfully reduce their smoking by 60%.

Read the full story here.

A Daily Habit

The daily habit of these outrageously successful people - top people use meditation in their daily lives.  Full story here.

Anxiety & Stress

The Telegraph on-line health section reports today that, according to a Government survey, one in three absences at work are due to anxiety and stress.  The cost to industry is staggering, as is the cost to the NHS in treating those who are finding life a little too tough to cope with.

Isn't it now time to start advocating taking a little more control of our lives and learn how to help ourselves without the need of medication?

Meditation can help us do just that.  By learning to quieten the mind we give ourselves periods of peace and calm from our otherwise hectic lifestyles.  The body responds - blood pressure lowers, heart rate falls and we start to regain some balance in our lives.  We start to feel much better, much more in control and more able to cope with stressful situations.

Surely it is much better to be given a prescription for meditation rather than medication. 

Mindfulness for combat-related post-traumatic stress syndrome

A new study has found that Mindfulness might help serviceman suffering combat-related post-traumatic stress syndrome.  Although this study was carried out in the USA, it will obviously be entirely appropriate for our own troops arriving home from war zones.

Maybe it's time to start thinking about setting up some kind of programme at the Como Centre whereby we could do more to help.

Click here to read the full story.

Meditation & Mindfulness Course

A new Meditation & Mindfulness course starts this Wednesday, 19th June at the Como Centre in South Oxfordshire.

Learn to meditate and take control of your life.  Whether you want to learn to meditate for health and well-being, to help to control the stresses and strains of every day life, for total relaxation or to help to underpin your own spiritual development journey, then do come along to our course.

Spaces are still available.

Can Compassion Beat Botox in the Anti-Ageing Stakes?

'Compassion is not religious business, it is human business.  It is not luxury, it is essential for our own peace and mental stability.  It is essential for human survival.'  HH The Dalai Lama

So what if be more compassionate could really help us to stay younger?  This article "Can Compassion Beat Botox in the Anti-Ageing Stakes?" by Dr David Hamilton is really worth reading.

Reasons to Meditate

Love this - I found it on Facebook and was shared by Soul Guidance; hope they don't mind my sharing it with you.

Mindfulness: The Basics

How to get to grips with Mindfulness - click here and have a read of this article.

Remember, if you want to benefit from meditation, including mindfulness, the Como Centre runs courses that can help you.

Take the 100 day kindness challenge and contribute to a better world

Could you be kind for 100 days? Well could you?

Then just click here.

But I Don't Have Time to Meditate

How many times have I heard those words?

We all have at least 10-minutes in every day where we can take some time for ourselves for a little meditation.  After all, we are important people and we do have to have a little "me" time.

Have a read of this article by Mary Pritchard - you may just find her tips helpful.

Mindfulness is Sweeping the Western World

Billed a "social phenomenon" by its leading advocate, Jon Kabat-Zinn, mindfulness is changing the face of health and humanity.  Naomi Tolley reports from London.

Click here for the full article.

The Benefits of Being Present

Corporate businesses are now turning to Mindfulness in the workplace with some amazing results.  In this report in Positive News, Nikki Allen discovers the growing popularity of this simple approach to help people change how they experience life.

Click on the link to read the whole article - The Benefits of Being Present

Simply Breathing Technique

By Fran Sussman

For the Times Herald-Record

Published: 2:00 AM - 04/16/13

Just breathe. Right now. Become aware of the fact that you are breathing.

If you're like most people — busy, multitasking, distracted and stressed — your breath is probably shallow and short. Without adding a lot of effort, simply increase your awareness, and begin to put a little more attention on this usually unconscious process. Let your breath begin to relax, allowing it to become deeper and longer.

Breathe in and out through your nose. Notice that you have an inhalation and an exhalation. Many of us have the tendency to do a short inhale and a longer exhale. Quietly notice if that's what you're doing. Very gently, make them even.

Become aware of the points when your lungs are at their fullest, and when they are emptiest. Feel the cyclical nature of the breath. Appreciate that this cycle continues 24 hours a day, every moment of your life, without your having to do anything at all, supporting you. Allow your breath to help you take in what you need, and release what you don't need. Let yourself relax into that deep knowledge. Lengthen the breath, so that you are inhaling for a slow count of 4 and exhaling for a slow count of 4. Let your breath flow freely from one to the other. Let yourself experience the balance and flow.

Continue to let your breath slow, deepen and relax as you feel each inhalation support, brighten and activate your body. Feel yourself exhale, trusting that you are letting go of anything you no longer need. Feel gratitude for this miracle.

Notice when your mind wanders. When that happens, and you become aware of it, remind yourself that you are not doing anything wrong; that it is the nature of attention to wander. Simply come back to your breath. See if you can keep your entire focus on your breath for a count of 10 complete inhales and exhales. When you wander, simply come back again to the process.

There. Congratulations! You've done your meditation for the day, reset your nervous system out of stress mode, lowered your blood pressure and released some tension from your muscles. It cost you nothing but your attention and a few minutes of your time, and the benefits will support you for hours. Isn't breathing wonderful?

Ten Top Tips for Establishing a Daily Meditation Practice.

Establishing a daily meditation practice can be quite difficult.  We start to learn how to meditate and we're committed to attending a weekly class, but once the course is over some struggle to find the commitment to continue.

It is far better to meditate for just 10-minutes every day than 1-hour a week.

In this article Andy Puddicombe comes up with 10 tips to help you start and maintain a daily meditation practice.

Ten top tips for establishing a daily meditation practice.

Meditation for Children

Mindfulness meditation shown to enhance mental health in children, so says the report in Elevated Existence magazine.

Mindfulness meditation in schools is now increasing.   There is a big move to introduce meditation to help combat the stresses and strains that pupils face when sitting exams and even primary school pupils are being introduced to meditation.

Let me just share this with you -

New Beginners Course

We have a new Beginners Meditation Course starting tonight.  If you're in the South Oxfordshire area, do come along and join us.

Full details on our website at the Como Centre.

Meditation Can Ease Pain

Meditation can ease pain from stress-related conditions like IBS and arthritis, says a report in today's Daily Mail.

• Mindfulness meditation involves 'being present' by focusing on the breath and bodily sensations
• Study compared a group practising mindfulness with another using alternative relaxation methods
• Only mindfulness reduced inflammation caused by an irritating cream

You can read the full report by clicking here.

Pain Control with Meditation

I want to share someone’s story with you.  I have her permission to do so, but will call her Ann.

Ann joined our Meditation Course 6-weeks ago.  Suffering from chronic pain and debilitating headaches, she decided to give meditation a try – almost as a last resort.  She came into the room almost pain-free but as we started our first 5-minute meditation, focussing on the breath, Ann was on the verge of a panic attack and severe pain kicked in. 

I asked her if she would like to go home but she said she wanted to give it another go, so we started our second meditation.  This time was a little better – no panic attack, but the pain remained.  Still determined to continue we went into the final, guided, meditation of the evening and Ann felt the intensity of her pain fade a little.  As she left she said she would be back the following week.

I was at a bit of a loss – I had never had anyone come into a course pain-free but leave with pain.  I decided that, if there was no improvement the following week, I would talk it over with my own meditation teacher, Mary Pearson, at the British School of Meditation.

Ann was back the following week and started the session with slight pain.  During the first meditation she felt the pain ebb and flow; the pain lessened with the second meditation.  Our third meditation, The Hot Air Balloon, was our breakthrough.  Ann loaded all her pain, plus some other problems and anxieties, into the basket and cut the ropes.  As she watched the hot air balloon float away, so did her pain.  Ann had found a way to start to gain control.

The improvement continued over the following weeks; with each new meditation Ann was beginning to feel more in control and her pain lessened.

Last night was the end of the course and I am delighted that Ann is now only suffering pain about once a week - an enormous improvement.  Ann is hopeful that her headaches will continue to reduce in both frequency and severity.

Through meditation Ann has learnt that she is in control and now has a valuable tool at her disposal.  She continues to meditate daily, and uses meditation whenever her pain becomes too severe. 

Needless to say, I am absolutely delighted for Ann.

Mindfulness helps lower anxiety and stress

Mindfulness a Strategy Used to Help Lower Anxiety and Stress

By Robin Williams Adams
THE LEDGER

Published: Monday, March 25, 2013 at 12:01 a.m.

Last Modified: Tuesday, March 26, 2013 at 4:08 a.m.

LAKE WALES | Mindfulness, a form of meditation therapy, is accumulating a growing amount of support from professionals working to improve people's sense of well being.

Psychologists at Duke Integrative Medicine in Durham use it, along with other alternative therapies, to help people lower anxiety and stress, increase their daily relaxation and to treat depression and other mood disorders.

Closer to home, mindfulness of breathing will be part of a one-day meditation course the Central Florida Meditation Society is hosting April 6 at Bok Tower Gardens. (See Health Events listing above for more information.)

After reviewing "mindfulness-based practices," which include meditation as a key component, a University of Utah psychiatrist found "convincing evidence" that they are effective in treating psychiatric symptoms and pain when used along with more conventional therapy.

Dr. William R. Marchand's review focused on Zen meditation, a Buddhist spiritual practice of developing mindfulness by meditation; mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR), a secular method of using Buddhist mindfulness; and mindfulness-based cognitive therapy, MBSR combined with principles of cognitive therapy (such as recognizing and disengaging from negative thoughts).

May I be well; May I be happy; May all things go well for me.

Try sitting quietly and repeating whenever you have a spare 5-minutes.

Mindfulness could reduce stress ...

... and lead to a better life.

So say students working on a study in America.  Check out this is a report in the Daily Utah Chronicle.

Good Reasons to Meditate

Tuning out the world and tuning in to yourself is a clever way to boost your health.

Australia Women's Health on-line reports on why meditation is good for your health.  Check it out here.

Two New Beginner's Courses Set

Dates have been set for the next two 6-week Beginner's Meditation Courses at the Como Centre:

Wednesday 3 April at 11am

Monday 8 April at 7.30pm

Learn how to meditate and reap the many benefits that meditation brings.

Our courses are designed for those who want to improve their health and well-being and are not linked to any religion.

Spaces are available on both courses.

Meditation Group

Our Como Meditation Group starts tomorrow, Tuesday 12th March.  If you're in our area and would like to join us, come along to the Como Centre for 7.30pm.  There is a charge of £5 and refreshments are included.

For more details click here.

Meditation CD

I've just made my first ever CD and how fitting that it should be on Meditation.  

The CD contains 10 basic meditations, including breathing, mindfulness and loving kindness.  Each meditation is between 5- and 10-minutes and is based on the course we teach at Como.  It is aimed at those just starting their meditation practice.

The CD will be available to buy from Como from Tuesday 12 March for just £5 (£2.50 for all Como Meditation Course Students).

Meditation

Source: backonpointe.tumblr.com via Megan on Pinterest

NHS Recognises Mindfulness

NHS recognises that mindfulness meditation is good for depression

Scientists have now discovered how mindfulness meditation can give patients control over levels of depression, anxiety and chronic pain, says Mia Hansson.

Read the full story here.

Mindfulness & Meditation

Mindfulness and meditation is becoming more widely recognised as one of the best ways of reducing stress, anxiety and depression.  

Scientific research has proven that daily mindfulness meditation can help to lower blood pressure, boost the immune system, improve general health and well-being, increase confidence and self-esteem and is effective in combating the mental and physical effects of ageing.

Everyone can meditate, it just takes practise and finding the style that suits you.  You don't need to spend much time meditating, 10-minutes a day provides huge benefits.

Meditation & Mindfulness courses are available at the Como Centre in Grove, Oxfordshire.

Mindfulness Meditation

Welcome to my new Mindfulness & Meditation Blog.