Mindspace - Meditation & Relaxation

Introductory meditation to start the series. Finding a comfortable and supportive posture, connecting with the breath, and starting to steady and quieten the mind.

Learn to let go of your thoughts, just like the trees this time of year let go of their leaves, shedding a layer of themselves they longer need, you can let go of your thoughts. Using your breath to keep you present as you watch your thoughts entering your mind, staying around for a little while and then floating on by through the sky of your mind. With practice we realise that we don't have to fight with thoughts, we don't have to be entangled by then or carried off with them. We can instead watch their transient nature.

A mindfulness exercise encouraging you to step outside into Spring and notice the present moment. Using all of your senses to invite yourself into the here and the now. Notice what you notice! Spring is definitely in the air!

Sometimes our minds can be like a Snow globe that has been shaken. With the snow (our thoughts) coming thick and fast, clouding or obscuring the picture; the reality of what is there in front of us.

Use this meditation to step back and watch the snow, your thoughts, as if from a far; watching them as they arrive and drift through your mind. Leaving you feeling quiet, calm and spacious. Allowing you to see what’s truly there, the bigger picture of things.

An open awareness meditation inviting peace, stillness and a crystal clarity of mind. Move into this busy period of the year with a Sparklingly bright mind.

Let the sound of the waves drift you into relaxation and spaciousness. I'll lead you in and then leave you to lap up the waves.

Take a moment, breathe and meet yourself where you are, however you are. Using the qualities of gentleness, acceptance and loving awareness to be ok with whatever you find there.

Using non violent communication (NVC) towards ourselves in this meditation to offer ourselves self empathy. Understanding ourselves fully when we are suffering before we can truly understand others' struggles. In this meditation we will relax the body and stabilise the mind before inviting a particular issue into our awareness that has caused some inner conflict. Allowing ourselves to feel whatever this brings up and approaching it with a kinder, more empathetic inner dialogue towards oneself. Using NVC language and a definition of Empathy from one of my teachers Judith Hanson Lasater in this practice.

Using the 5 senses to become really present in the here and now. So listening, watching, smelling, tasting, and feeling our experience of the now inside and outside of ourselves to wake up, to become present.

A breathing meditation which will help you become grounded and reconnected with the Earth and yourself. Take this time for yourself, enjoy some conscious unhurried breaths and come home.

A spring themed relaxation/meditation where I will take you on a journey through a Bluebell Wood. Relaxing to the sounds of nature and visualising the spring scenes to help sooth your nervous system and guide you to a grounded, safe place

We hold on to so much that we are not necessarily aware of. In this meditation we will explore what we can let go of in our physical body and also in our mind. Unnecessary effort, doing, fixing and solving just creates more tension. Let go of the unnecessary to reveal what is real, what is important, perhaps what it is you actually need in this moment.

Find wonder and admiration in the simplest things beginning with yourself, your own body and the many things it does in each moment.

A recording of a live Autumnal Themed Yoga Nidra. A deep relaxation technique which helps to release unconscious tensions, limiting beliefs and stress. I will guide you through a rotation of consciousness through your body leading you to a deep relaxed state of being & then invite you on a journey through an Autumn wood, allowing you to find sanctuary in nature and perhaps to offer you some insight or wisdom. Lie down comfortably and enjoy your journey.

A relaxation where you are invited to visualise warm healing light entering your body and being absorbed by every single cell in your body. Boosting your energy levels and leaving you feeling refreshed, calm and clear headed.

Trataka translates to 'to gaze steadily' and in this meditation we will use a candle flame to fix our gaze on one point to encourage one pointedness of mind. The benefits of this meditation include: increased focus and clarity, a quieting of the mind, strengthens the eyes muscles, and more esoterically its is said to open the 'third eye' which is the seat of intuition and wisdom. NB make sure candle is at eye level atleast a metre away, in a candle holder and safe to use.

A Breathing practice which can reduce stress and anxiety or help you to drop into a deep restful sleep. Practice at anytime of day to promote calmness and relaxation.

A breath work meditation where we simply invite a pause to the in-breath and sit with that for a while then change it around to add a quiet pause to the out-breath and begin to notice the subtle change in our nervous system and mind.

Autumn is a time for reflection and gratitude. Just as the famers celebrate the fruits of their labour at harvest we can reflect on all the we have achieved and all that has come into our life so far this year, including difficult decisions we've had to make or changes we have had to embrace. This refection time also allows us to think about what we could cultivate more of, what we need to focus on next. Getting the ground ready to plant seeds for the future.

The breath is with you from moment to moment and can be used as an anchor to hold your attention fully in the present moment. With practice on the mat in meditation we can train our minds to stay present and then this skill can transfer off the mat and flow into your life, so that anytime to notice that you are not present (which you will notice the more you practice mindfulness) you know to take some slow easeful breaths to bring you back to the present.

A relaxation evoking a feeling state of emptiness and lightness in body and mind. From this spacious emptiness, as the restless mind settles and becomes quiet, we can really begin to experience ourselves exactly as we are. In this emptiness we recognise that we have everything that we need and that we are completely enough.

Relax and unwind and offer yourself tenderness in this body scan centred on compassionate awareness. Whenever you feel any discomfort, tension or unease can you be there for yourself with a kindness and compassion as you would be for a friend in need or in pain.

Feel a sense of 'nowness' with this 10 minute guided practice to find presence and clarity in the moment.

Come home to your body and to this present moment with this calming meditation. When we arrive in the presence of our body, and find our breath there, we feel safe, at peace and enough.

The breath can be our healer in times of stress and worry. It soothes the nervous system, it can alleviate anxiety, quieten our brain chatter and bring us into the present. When we are present and in the here and now we can feel safe, grounded and well.

A classic Yoga Nidra taken from Swami Satyananda Sarawati's Yoga Nidra Book. Yoga Nidra is a technique where you learn to profoundly relax consciously as you take your awareness rapidly around the body. Relaxing physically, mentally and emotionally by turning away from the external world and moving inside. In yoga Nidra the consciousness is in a state between waking and sleep and Its thought if we can relax deeply in this way without falling asleep we become very receptive, developing our creativity, memory and insight.

Giving ourself a break from time to time is healthy. In this meditation you will be invited to slow down and turn inwards from the usual rushing and 'doing' and begin to cultivate the quality of patience with yourself. Attending to your inner landscape and your breath with the new sense of patience and acceptance. Helping you to practice this skill of patience off the mat with whatever you are faced with day to day.

Finding clarity and spaciousness in the inner landscape of the mind with this short 10 minute meditation.

A soothing meditation where you will visualise you are up at dawn for the sunrise and watching the ocean waves rolling in and out on the shore as you wake up for your day. The wave of your breath keeping you present and calm throughout.

Try this standing meditation exploring the posture of Mountain Pose. Its feeling tone, its ability to invoke presence and the quality of the breath in the here and now.

Find a sense of self esteem and a positive mind set in this colourful visualisation whereby we cultivate positive emotions (antidote emotions) in place of any negative emotions to feel tranquil and calm and strong.

A meditation to start your day. Offering a Gatha (short poem/song) from Thich Nhat Hahn to set the tone and then inviting you into the present to set your intentions, goals, maybe even choosing a mantra which will help you positively move though your day and gently achieve what you need to achieve.

Its been said that sounds are to the ear what thoughts are to the mind. In this meditation we learn to recognise that both sounds and thoughts come and go as if from nowhere, they are transient in nature. And we notice how the mind habitually labels and identifies with both these types of phenomena. When we notice this about our minds we can consciously choose to do something else. With presence and a spacious awareness we can sit back and observe our sound stream or thought stream without identifying with them. Seeing how sounds and thoughts come into our awareness, linger for a while and then leave. Creating more space and clarity. Viewing then more objectively.

Blending the Mindfulness technique RAIN with a soothing body relaxation to sooth the nervous system and to calm the body and mind. The acronym RAIN stands for: R ecognise what is happening A llow it to be there, to be felt I nvestigate with a kindness N atural awareness, not identifying with the experience just observing.

A Meditation to find calm and space within the present moment. Mindfulness of breath and body. Letting go of any gross tension in the body and recurring thoughts in the mind. Resting in a more spacious awareness.

Inviting an awareness to spread throughout the body in this guided mindfulness of body meditation. Using the breath to help you stay present, and to guide your awareness to the next region of the body to focus on.

A meditation that invites you to turn resistance into acceptance helping you respond to difficult situations in your life with more ease.

A meditation cultivating a sense of unity and connection with others through an understanding of what we share, what we go through, what we need to feel safe and secure. Connection is what is needed more than ever right now.

Welcoming a comforting feeling of calmness and ease as you become present in the body and mind with your breath and moment to moment experiences. Abiding in that calmness and ease for a few moments before returning to your day.

Adopted from Vidyamala Burch meditation from her Mindfulness for Health Book where you will be guided towards noticing pleasant experiences, however small and subtle, through the awareness of our body and senses.

An open awareness meditation or choiceless meditation as its also know. Whereby we allow anything to arise as part of our experience and hold it in a spacious awareness just watching it as mental phenomena which comes and goes. Nothing to do with or change about our experience just observing the natural flow of life. Helping us to allow life to flow through us.

A short meditation to ground you in the here and now. Scanning the body and noticing the physical sensations and the experience of your breath to establish presence.

A short meditation to help recognise any stress in the body in the form of physical sensations. Becoming present with those sensations and using the breath to help soften and dissolve them away. Helping us to recognise the early warning signs of stress and anxiety in the body before they manifest in the mind.

Cultivating an inner attitude of kindness towards oneself using visualisation and silent mantra and then offering this felt sense of loving kindness, well wishing and warmth out to others in the world.

What is Mindfulness? A brief introduction about what Mindfulness is and why it's an important tool for everyday living.

A simple meditation great for anytime of day to refresh, reset and find presence. Bringing your focus of awareness to your breath in specific regions of your body and then to your body as a whole to elevate and enliven your inner experience.

Just one breath can bring us back to the present. Just one breath can give us a moment to respond differently to our inner and outer conflicts. Just one deep breath can cultivate calmness. It just takes practice. Catch your breath today.

In this meditation you will be invited to cultivate the wholesome quality of gratitude. To consider and see the different aspects of your life which you can be truly thankful for and as you hold these precious images in your spacious awareness noticing how it feels in body and mind to feel gratitude for them. Allowing yourself to be bathed with a felt sense of gratitude.

Welcome more presence of mind with this breath awareness meditation. Allowing sounds, thoughts, sensations in the body to come and go as you rest back in your breathing body and watch their fluid nature. The breath in an invitation into the now.

A meditation where we use Mindfulness of the body to stay with any discomfort or tension we may observe as part of our experience. Offering ourselves compassion and a loving awareness which helps us just be with our experience rather than reacting or pushing it away. Changing our relationship towards any pain or suffering we may feel at present. Treating ourselves like we would treat a friend in pain or difficulty. Softening our experience.

Taking a breathing space, checking in with how you are feeling physically, mentally and emotionally in this moment without judgment. Bringing a focus to your breathing to calm the mind and to invite more presence into your day.

Mindfulness of body. In this Meditation we will explore how we can become aware of the sensations in the body to help stay present with our moment to moment experiences. We learn to observe sensations as they come and go without reacting towards them, even strong or uncomfortable sensations. We begin to notice how these are transient in nature, that nothing ever stays the same. In doing so we we can relax become more spacious and aware of how we are in each moment.