Jan 17
Is there a ‘right’ way to practice mindfulness? I don’t believe there is. Instead, there is plenty of room to customise it to meet your own needs. If you’ve struggled with meditation, then harnessing your imagination could transform your practice time from a dreaded chore into something more personalised, nurturing and appealing.
Dec 2
Mindful journaling can be a powerful tool for growth, especially for those times when meditation doesn't feel like an accessible practice. It builds not only awareness, but also self-compassion. In my own practice, I value my journaling space just as much as my time spent in meditation.
If you're used to being the 'strong one' in life - the person who's there for others, who gives help rather than needing it - it can be easy to convince yourself that you don't need looking after too. But to stay strong, we do need self-care.
Like many things, self-kindness can lose its appeal if it feels like an extra duty you need to add into an already-busy life. I like to approach it as a practice of doing less, not more: less self-criticism, less pressure on myself, less trying to pretend I feel ok if actually things feel hard. Here are three things I can do without when I'm having a difficult day, and what I've learned to do instead.
I think our desire for instant success (understandable as it is) can make it harder to access the powerful benefits of self-kindness meditation. I wanted self-kindness to make difficult feelings like anxiety and shame go away. And fast. But it's interesting that the things that have helped me the most have taken longer to take effect than other things that have helped to a lesser degree.
Sheila Bayliss 