21 Feb Unlock calmer, more enjoyable days with meditation and mindfulness
Finding a way to remain calm, whatever the storm you may be facing, and to see the little details of every day will let you live life to its fullest – and meditation and mindfulness offer you a shortcut to achieving this.
If you’ve heard about meditation and mindfulness and thought it’s not for you, I challenge you to think again. If someone told you that just giving three minutes of you time, and at no cost, you could feel calmer, more confident, happier and more resilient why wouldn’t you give it a go?
Meditation has the power to do this, from just finding a few minutes each day you can give your mind the rest it needs to destress and refocus. I’ve got a number of resources to share with you to bring the benefits of meditation and mindfulness into your life.
There are a lot of misconceptions about meditation. The main one being that it is an activity where you ‘zone out’ but really, it’s more about having the ability to switch off your mind whilst still being aware of your surroundings.
“Meditation means the recognition or the discovery of one’s own true self.” Sri Chinmoy
Find your in-built pause button: Step off the rollercoaster and press reset
Forget ideas of sitting in silence for an hour at a time, meditation can be a short sharp intervention that will make a big impression on your day – and your life. Even just focusing on a few breaths will help you to step off the rollercoaster that life can be and find a bit of clarity.
By focusing totally on your breathing you give your mind a pause from the constant flow of thoughts – what you are worried about, what you need to do, where you’re going next. It’s a little bit like a mini reset.
The great thing is the effects last. Just a few minutes every day can help to calm anxiety and stress by letting your mind be calm. This in turn increases your focus and your ability to cope with the day through improved resilience.
“If every 8-year-old in the world is taught meditation, we will eliminate violence from the world within one generation.” Dalai Lama
Tune in to the present and savour every moment
Meditation twinned with the attention to detail of mindfulness is a powerful method to make the most of every day to live the life you want. Mindfulness means focusing on every little detail, truly savouring the moment, however mundane it may seem. Feeling the water of the shower soak your skin, truly tasting your food as you eat, listening to the sounds of nature, appreciating the colour and feel of an outfit. How else will you know how much you appreciate something if you don’t really focus on it? How will you know that you don’t like it too?
When you eat lunch, mindlessly scrolling through your phone you could quite honestly be eating anything, anywhere. But put your phone down, anticipate your meal and think how your food tastes and feels and your meal is transformed. This is the same for every little thing we do, see and experience. Stay in the moment and you will appreciate that moment so much more.
How to get started
To get started on living mindfully and introducing meditation can seem more complicated than it needs to be. With guidance from Back On Track blogs and podcasts you can really grasp the idea and work to make an easy, positive change in your life that will make you feel better every day!
Free resources
>> Listen to our brand new guided meditations recorded by a professional, available with and without music.
>> Listen to the podcast episodes released during January 2021 for more helpful tips and guidance on how to meditation and start mindfulness practice.
>> Check out the Back on Track Teens blog for even more information on the benefits of meditation and mindfulness exercises.
“Meditation means dissolving the invisible walls that unawareness has built.” Sadhguru
Dates for your diary this February
Every month, we check out what’s relevant in the coming days to help people to grow within themselves and take on positive learnings from special days or remembering events from the past. Here’s what to look out for this month.
Children’s Mental Health Week
Keeping emotions and feelings hidden is never good and this year Children’s Mental Health Week is all about finding a way to express yourself.
Creativity is a great way to get out your emotions, especially if it doesn’t come naturally. Art, music and design can all be ways to channel your thoughts and free your mind.
This is also a great chance to take a break from screens with lessons online and friendships largely online for the time being. With social media playing a big part in teenage interactions and self-consciousness growing, it is also a reminder to consider issues such as positive body image and how a lack of real-life interactions could harm this. Keep the channels of conversation open, embrace differences and encourage children of all ages to find a way to share how they feel.
17 February, Random Acts of Kindness Day
What is better than a random act of kindness to bring a smile to someone’s day. It is easy to underestimate the power of a random act of kindness but whether it is someone you live with, or someone you don’t even know, go out of your way to do something to make them feel good, and in turn feel great about yourself.
In a world where you can be anything, be kind.
22 February, World Thinking Day
Started by the Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, World Thinking Day is about coming together collectively to make a difference. Focusing on issues that affect young women and celebrating international friendship, this year’s focus is peacebuilding.
The idea that no matter how small you may feel you are in this world, working together you can make a huge difference is vital to creating a better world. This applies to your local community as well as the world stage.
Whatever it is you believe in, if it makes the world a better, more peaceful place stand up, stand together and speak out. Believe in creating a better world.
“Quiet the mind and your soul will speak.” Anonymous
Choose the life you want to lead
To learn how to calm your mind and develop a positive, resilient attitude to guide you through life, my book The Spark to Your Success gives you all the information you need to set you, or your child, on the right path.
Our community is always here to offer support, congratulations and advice as you embark on a journey to live the life you want.
Breathe deeply, stay present and embrace a calmer way of being to let you enjoy the best of life.
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